I continued spin classes all through my third pregnancy. Don’t get me wrong, I have never been a "lay on the couch with my feet up" kind of girl. I am always on the move – working in too many places, chasing my kids, writing, and running to the gym. I get bored WAY TOO easily. So I simply continued on my usual track.
With it being my third pregnancy, and my obstetrician knowing me well at that point, at my 12-week appointment Dr. S says to me, "So, you are still running marathons, I suspect?"
I’m a mom of three, and pediatrician to many, many more. Lately my office has been bombarded with well-meaning parents who want to make sure their child is vaccinated with the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR). I’m sure you have heard about the recent resurgence of measles infection around the world, with several confirmed cases in the Greater Toronto Area in recent weeks.
I’m a new mom, again. My husband and I have added another little man to our brood, growing our mini soccer team to three boys under four. JJ is a happy little guy, with a mild temperament and easy going personality. We could not be more thrilled or relieved. But don’t think for a minute that I am well rested or feeling my best. I am tired, emotional, and achy from the seemingly constant holding, rocking, bouncing, and imperfect posture during breast-feeding. This is what it is like to be a new mom; we all go through this.
My ultimate favorite gifts to give and receive are books. Books are timeless and can give hours of entertainment, which translates into hours of often needed quiet time. And best of all, books are relatively inexpensive and easy to send to family and friends who live abroad, and they're reusable and can be enjoyed time and time again.
I’m a new mom, again. This is our third baby in four years, and I’m a pediatrician, so I feel like I have the ‘mom thing’ down pat. Of course, it is never easy dealing with the repetitive and seemingly hourly wake-ups, battling fatigue, hormone fluctuations, and chasing around the older siblings. This I haven’t gotten used to.
Our "Critter" (note: don’t encourage your four year-old to ‘name’ your baby!) is due any day now. Like us, if you are approaching your due date you are most likely busying yourself making the nursery pretty and welcoming – this is the fun part that you and your partner can get excited for. Most moms thrive in this excitement during the last few weeks of the nesting period. But don’t go crazy on the crib, as I am reminded of the importance of making sure the nursery is not just cute, but functional and safe. Sorry to be a downer.
It’s what's on every parent’s mind right now—colds and flu! With those pesky germs lurking in daycare centres, schools and even your workspace, it can sometimes seem like an uphill battle. It's winter and it is viral season, and anything less than a time machine trip back to July means there's no going back. As a physician, I can count on my office and emergency room being filled with kids and adults coughing, wiping their noses, and suffering with vomiting and diarrhea for at least the next three months or so.
There's a Catch 22 in pregnancy that many of us know well – craving foods your body thinks it needs, but knowing that some of these foods may be off-limits. You’d think your body would just know well enough to not crave these things! Alas, despite my intermittent cravings for sushi, I am meant to avoid one of my favourite meals, at least for nine months.
When my now ‘big-kid’ Dylan started school this past September, I wasn't worried about him making friends, liking his teacher, or succeeding academically. I knew he would blow me away in those areas (proud mommy alert). What I worried about most were the things he'd be exposed to daily— you know, those pesky germs that prevent our kids from doing the things they love.
With this recent cold spell, many of you are looking to get away somewhere warm. I don’t blame you – I’d be travelling too, if I wasn’t due in December! I think you’ll have the best vacation possible if you're well prepared, so here are my top tips fortravelling with kids.
Choosing a care provider for your kids is one of the hardest things a parent has to do. You are talking about hiring someone to look after your most-prized possession, for many hours a day, for potentially many months or years before they start school. This is a BIG decision. It doesn’t help that both nannies and daycares are expensive, sometimes prohibitively so. Then parents may face another decision — should one parent stay home and forgo a salary? Should a grandparent step in to provide childcare? These are tough decisions!
We can’t deny that viral season is upon us. My office and emergency room is filled with children and parents with runny noses, coughs, fevers, and fatigue. Many worry it’s the dreaded enterovirus-68, with fear over respiratory illness requiring hospitalization. Though I am sure that many of my patients do in fact have this infection, thankfully very few are becoming ill enough to require hospital-based care.
My husband has been wearing glasses since he was 5 years old and is almost blind without them. To put his contact lenses in, he holds the case mere centimetres away from his face or else he can’t see.
Every newborn and infant cries at some point. Though we would all agree it is normal for all little ones, it pulls on most of our heartstrings. I hear infants cry all day, every day—be it at home, in my practice, or in the emergency room. I never get used to it. Hearing my own kids cry, this is a whole other story for another time.
Lately the news is filled with stories about a scary new virus that is making many kids across the United States and Canada unwell. It is called Enterovirus-68 or EV-68. I am finding mass alarm at the Hospital for Sick Children and in my office, with many parents not knowing if their child is affected, what to do about infection and how to prevent the spread.
My first son, Dylan, was born precipitously, meaning fast. From the time my water broke until he was out was about two hours. No epidural. No doctor in the room. My husband caught him with one hand while filming the brief delivery using his other hand.
With school starting, I suspect we will be seeing more cases of lice cropping up at schools around the city. September is "lice month," much to parents chagrin. Parents will begin to receive notifications saying a child was diagnosed with lice in the school or classroom, and they should have their child checked out.
Depending on your age and other risk factors, you may have been offered an amniocentesis at some point during a pregnancy. Unfortunately for me, this happened in my most recent two pregnancies. After my first amnio, I never wanted to experience that again, and yet I did just last week . . . but more on that later.
