This week:

One of my doula clients had her baby:

I went over to their house about 2 am and the baby was born at 11:02 am.  I think he's one of the cutest babies I have ever seen.  I have two other clients I am waiting on now.

Speaking of births, I'd say this pretty much sums it up:



Spent a lot of time at the park with Eskimo, who was overjoyed that it had finally stopped raining:

Got schooled in dog walking.

 

Made a quick trip to D.C. for brunch and coffee with Anthony at Dupont Circle.

And a little touch football on the mall with Jess and her coworkers.  Our team won.

Got back to NYC on Sunday in time for a meeting with my doula group out in Kew Gardens, Queens, where you can almost forget you are in New York, except that the subway goes there.

Went to hear the blues at Spike Hill on Bedford Ave.

It's hard work being so cute all the time.

Wrote a paper about how important it is to promote the HPV vaccine for adolescent girls, especially in communities like the one I have my community nursing clinical in, where cervical cancer morbidity and mortality are much higher than in other areas of New York.  It's a combination of things, but is largely a result of women not getting regular pap smears.  Then precancerous lesions aren't diagnosed and treated until its too late and it's already cancer.  Making the vaccine part of the standard vaccines that are offered to kids makes sense, and it's easy in New York State since insurance, Medicare, the Vaccines for Children program or the health department will cover its cost.  The issue now lies in making the community receptive to it, which health care providers like nurses play a big role:  being aware of the bigger issues related to acceptability in the diverse populations the clinic serves and also listening to individuals and addressing their concerns one on one.   A little communication could go a tremendous way in reducing cervical cancer rates here.

Rain.

This week:

It rained.

A lot.

No, really.  A lot.

Too bad SOMEONE hates going outside in the rain.

Made bulletin boards with plain corkboard and fabric from Purl Soho.

Accidentally went to the Poland Day parade.  You can't tell, but the float says, "Poland and America, Friends Forever."  I think the PR person should have gone for "Poland and America, BFF"

Walked past a store dedicated entirely to Poptarts.  Apparently, you can get Poptart sushi--poptart in a fruit roll up.  Tell me we don't live in a great country.

Went to Oktoberfest on Lexington Ave. with Nate and Seth.  Saw Italian leather goods, French crepes, Jamaican reggae, Pad Thai, Mexican arepas and Chinese imports of every kind.  Nothing, not one thing, in 15 blocks of Lexington, German or otherwise Oktoberfest related.  Abandoned the Upper East Side for a German restaurant in the Village, Lederhosen.

Finished up my latest postpartum doula job.  It turned out the baby was slightly tongue-tied (there is too much skin--the frenulum--holding the tongue to the bottom of the mouth), which can mean that the baby can't pull milk out of the breast very well, even if latched on well.  When it's mild, it's often not a problem, but if bottles are introduced early (as they were here), it can be a bigger problem because the baby is already reluctant to work hard to suck after the easy milk from the nipple of the bottle.  A pediatrician can snip the extra skin, a quick, painless, bloodless procedure that usually leads to improved breastfeeding.  In fact, it used to be a procedure that was done to all babies:  cut umbilical cord, cut frenulum, give baby to mom.