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Jersey Fresh

Barbara Salvador @ Nanny Consultants NJ — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:56:35 +0000

The Heart of the Matter- Community Participation makes such a difference to your Town! There is so many great things about supporting local farms. Many local Farmers in NJ use much less pesticides! WE are hoping to get an organic farmer for both vegetables, and for meats this year in Caldwell….

http://caldwells.thejerseytomatopress.com/detail/3308.html

Something to think about marriage…it’s a LOT OF WORK!!!!

Marci Wolff Ober — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:00:36 +0000

Something to think about marriage…it’s a LOT OF WORK!!!! We all know that, but what does it really mean? I think it means that in order to create or sustain a WE, it cannot be about ME , much of the time. We are not really wired this way in our society. We are taught to look to ourselves to define much of what is important and consider how we FEEL as a major deciding factor in almost every aspect of our lives. And that very perspective causes us great pain when we need to blend it, especially if it doesn’t meet our vision of what we want or believe is correct or preferable, in any given scenario. It is easy to blend our will when it matches our desire, for example, we both want Chinese food tonight or agree that a purchase is warranted and can be afforded. It is much harder when we see a parenting situation differently or don’t agree on a purchase or lifestyle choice. That’s when the WORK aspect becomes necessary. And I just don’t see that many of us in this day and age are prepared or expect that we should have to compromise or communicate effectively with both send and receive aspects working equally. Yet, we will NEED to do just that, over and over again to sustain a successful marriage. We think that if we just pick the “right” person we can bypass this process. And it is true that the more compatible we are with our spouse the easier this will be. But there are no two people that are so compatible that we can bypass this entirely, so we would be well served to look at ourselves and take stock of how flexible we are, and how maybe we can learn ( and teach our children to be) to be more open to others, accommodating or accepting of compromise unless major boundaries are being violated.

Marci Wolff Ober, LMFT

Staying Healthy During the Pregnancy Yields Benefits

Niva @ Core Dynamics — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 13:50:06 +0000

Staying Healthy during Pregnancy yields Benefits afterwards: written by Niva Herzig, PT

Staying healthy while you are pregnant is not only beneficial to your baby, but to you too. This holds true whether it’s your first child or your tenth. What does staying healthy mean? A combination of proper diet, exercise and sleep.

Just because you are pregnant, doesn’t mean you need to double your caloric intake. In fact, caloric increase only needs to occur during the 2^nd and 3^rd trimesters and by 300 calories. Take in fluids regularly in order to maintain hydration, especially when pregnant during warmer months and during exercise. Continue eating meals consisting of all food groups and keep sugars at a minimum. Include in your diet fruits and vegetables, whole grains and protein. Remember to eat foods rich in Calcium, Iron, Folic Acid and Vitamin C. Be aware of foods that may harm your baby such as unpasteurized cheeses or raw fish and meats. Make sure all meats are cooked and are not eaten raw to avoid exposure to harmful bacteria. Additionally, minimize the intake of caffeine. Once your baby is born, remember to continue eating a well balanced diet and increase fluids especially if breast feeding. For more specific issues and concerns speak with your physician or consult with a nutritionist.

Staying active is very beneficial to you and your baby. If you are not a gym person, don’t worry. Before you begin any new exercise program while you are pregnant, you should always consult your physician. Stop any exercise if you notice dizziness, faint, shortness of breath, vaginal bleeding or pain. Avoid any exercise that may injure your abdomen or ones involving increased jumping and bouncing or contact sports. A few exercises I recommend which will benefit you during your pregnancy and afterwards include cardio, stretching, core and stability exercises. Of course, if you are already strengthening, swimming, involved in yoga or other pregnancy safe exercises, by all means continue. Walking outside or on a treadmill or using an elliptical machine are good ways of getting some aerobic (cardio) exercise.

A good exercise which involves both back and abdominal muscles is opposite arm and leg raises. This exercise is done on all fours. While maintaining a neutral spine (not arched, not flexed) and keeping the abdominals tightened, raise one arm straight out in front to shoulder level, palm facing inward and the opposite leg to buttock level at the same time. Repeat the exercise with the opposite arm and leg for 10 repetitions per arm/leg combination. If this exercise seems too difficult, begin with arm or leg raises alone.

Maintaining a strong pelvic floor is important during pregnancy and afterwards. A healthy pelvic floor knows how to contract (as if stopping the urine flow) and how to relax. Pelvic floor exercises, known as Kegels, are a good way to keep the pelvic muscles in shape. Practice quick (1-2 second) contractions as well as longer held (5-10 seconds) contractions. Start with 5 repetitions and work up to 10 repetitions. Make sure to rest between contractions and make sure not to hold your breath as you are doing this (or any) exercise. Do not perform repetitions of this exercise while urinating. To keep the abdomen strong, you can perform abdominal contractions in any position (sitting, standing, all 4’s or on the back when it is still safe and comfortable). As you exhale, bring your lower abdomen, belly button and below, towards the spine. Imagine a string pulling your belly button towards your spine. Make sure not to just “suck in.” You should feel the muscles in the lower abdomen tightening, but do not over tighten. Hold this contraction for 5-10 seconds and repeat up to 10 repetitions. There should be no movement except the flattening of the abdominal muscles. This exercise will focus on the Transverse Abdominus muscle, a muscle which wraps around from the front to the back and helps to flatten the stomach.

A final important exercise which strengthens the legs and buttock is the squat. This can be performed with or without the support of a wall or chair. Stand with feet hip width apart (increase the width as the pregnancy progresses and balance is more of a challenge). Keep your heels flat on the floor and toes slightly turned out as you bend your hips and knees lowering yourself downward. Make sure you knees stay over the toes. Perform 10-15 repetitions.

Stretching is as important as strengthening. Stretching can help ease some aches occurring during and after pregnancy. A second type of squat, full squat, will help you stretch and strengthen your hips in preparation for birth. Start in the same position as the above squat. This time lower yourself down as far as you can go while keeping your feet flat on the floor. Hold the position from 30 seconds up to a few minute. Angry cat is a stretch performed while on all fours. In this neutral spine position, place you hands under the shoulders and knees below the hips. As you exhale, tighten the abdominals (similar to abdominal contractions described above) as your round the back. Inhale and return to neutral position. Repeat 5 times.

Finally, I always add breathing, especially diaphragmatic breathing to the program. Inhale air through the nose, and down low into the abdomen. Let the abdomen expand as you breathe in, and relax as you breathe out through your mouth. By practicing breathing techniques during pregnancy, you can be more prepared for breathing while birthing.

Do not forget to rest and get good nights of sleep. Stay active while pregnant as long as you are comfortable, but also make sure not to overdo it. By balancing your diet, activity and sleep, you are bound to feel good during and after the pregnancy.

Niva Herzig is a licensed physical therapist specializing in women’s health. She is the owner of Core Dynamics Physical Therapy in Englewood, NJ. She can be contacted by email: niva@coredynamicspt.com. For more information regarding prenatal and postpartum physical therapy as well as pelvic floor dysfunction, please visit www.coredynamicspt.com.

Things to do Before Your BABY Arrives

Keri @ NJ Fit Mama — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:10:01 +0000

Select a Pediatrician
Choosing the right pediatrician is one of the most important decisions you make prior to your baby’s birth. Getting personal referrals from friends and family is one of the best ways to narrow down your options before you start searching for further information. Consider both the logistical and philosophical aspects of the practice and pediatrician. Make sure all of the doctors you’re considering are taking on new patients and will accept your health insurance. Take time to speak or meet with prospective doctors.

Most offices will accommodate your request for an interview with the doctor.
A good time to start looking for a Pediatrician is seven to eight months
into your pregnancy. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers referrals to certified practitioners at www.aap.org/referral.
Get a Car Seat Inspection
Keeping your baby safe is one of the most important jobs you will
have as a parent, which is why using the proper car seat and installing it correctly are essential. The type of car seat you should use depends on several factors including the baby’s size and the type of car you drive. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all infants should ride rear-facing until they reach the maximum height or weight allowed by the manufacturer. To learn more about car safety seats, go to www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm.
Be sure to have your car seat installed and inspected a few weeks before your due date. To find an inspection location near you, visit www.seatcheck.org.

Take a CPR Class
Learning how to correctly administer CPR to an infant before your baby’s birth can be a valuable life-saving technique. Performing CPR on an infant is very different from an adult and requires different levels of pressure. Classes are offered at hospitals, community centers and local chapters of the American Red Cross and American Heart Association. To find a class in your area, visit www.redcross.org or www.americanheart.org.
Consider Cord Blood Banking
Cord blood banking is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to collect and store your baby’s umbilical cord blood. Cord blood is a rich, non-controversial source of stem cells that is being used to treat over 70 life-threatening diseases. Many families bank their baby’s cord blood for peace of mind that their family’s stem cells are readily available should they need them. Others save cord blood because of its emerging use in treating Type 1 Diabetes and Cerebral Palsy, which requires a child’s own cord blood. Stem cells from a related source are the preferred option for all treatment, and transplants using cord blood from a family member are twice as successful as transplants using cord blood from a non-relative (i.e., a public source).1
Start researching cord blood banking during your second trimester and arrange the collection in advance – the only time collection can occur is at the time of delivery. Learn more about cord blood banking at www.parentsguidecordblood.org.

Make a Breastfeeding Decision
As a mother, one of the best things that only you can do for your baby is to breastfeed. Breastfeeding is more than a lifestyle choice — it is an important health choice. Any amount of time that you can do it will help both you and your baby. Breast milk has disease-fighting cells called antibodies that help protect infants from germs, illness, and even SIDS. Research also indicates that women who breastfeed may have lower rates of certain breast and ovarian cancers. Breast-feeding resources are available at www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding and www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding.
Taking a breastfeeding class before your baby arrives is a wonderful way to be prepared. To find a class, check with your OBGYN or visit La Leche League’s website at www.llli.org.
1 Gluckman, et al. New England Journal of Medicine, 1997; 337:373.

Divorce and Autism: They don’t have to go hand in hand. A father’s struggle to heal his son, his family and beat the odds

Barbara Salvador @ Nanny Consultants NJ — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:47:59 +0000

Let me introduce myself. I’m Emerson Donnell. Born and raised in New Jersey I waited until my 40’s to have a child. Little did I know I was a perfect match, a statistical poster of the typical parent who sires an autistic child, (an older white male living in New Jersey, the state with the highest incidence of autism.) And little did I know after the birth of my son Emerson that my wife Jen and I were being railroaded right into the next widely accepted statistic. Supposedly over 80% of marriages that sire an autistic child end in divorce. Some even say it’s more like 85%. First I wanted to verify if it was true, but in my research I could not validate this “statistic.” However, after being force fed into autism’s meat grinder of financial distress, anger, frustration and heartbreak I don’t doubt it for a second.
When Little Emerson was first diagnosed this specter of collateral damage was relegated as not only unavoidable but something my wife and I simply had to surrender to. I remember wondering why wasn’t anyone addressing this? What’s going wrong and where are the books to help families hold it together? When too many soldiers die on a battle field the commanders and strategists don’t just shrug their shoulders and say “oh well.” No, they sit down, figure out what’s going wrong and set plans to prevent it from happening again.
Now there are many reasons why families divorce even when nothing so tragic happens, but one glaring cause seemed to be revealed from recent research. And I can attest to the findings because I was living this very experience. Recent studies from the University of Florida found most families fall apart because Dads check out. Furthermore, it wasn’t due to the fact his child was autistic, it was how autism was affecting his relationship with the child. They couldn’t connect. It’s not that dads didn’t want to connect, it was that they didn’t know how.
Here’s my personal example of how the nuclear family stricken with autism can suddenly disintegrate. As most dads, I had warm Christmas like visions of my son running to my arms when coming home from a hard day’s work. But every night when I came through the door my hands were left empty. My son was deaf, blind and emotionless to my arrival. There was no response whatsoever. His indifference crushed my very foundation of fatherhood. Autism is so insidious, it can seep into the family fabric and begin to tear it apart before you even realize it’s there. After his diagnosis, I discovered this was very typical of an autistic child, but it still didn’t lessen the pain. Night after night I came home, got into my son’s face and vied for his attention. Inside I begged for some response, anything, a quick glimpse back or maybe even a smile, but each night was the same. I couldn’t rip him out of his thousand mile stare. I was lost. After another night of irrelevance, I remember tossing my car keys on the counter and cursing under my breath. My evening was ruined again and my behavior was about set the whole house into another emotional tailspin. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t help but become more detached as hopelessness and depression set in. It’s not that I didn’t want to connect with my son, it was that I didn’t know how. I was becoming overwhelmed, I wanted to “fix” the situation, but had no idea how to go about it.
A father wanting to connect with his child for his own fulfillment may sound like a selfish endeavor, that he’s not thinking of the child’s best interests. But on the contrary. Creating bonds and developing proper emotional responses to a parent may be arguably the most important therapy a child can receive. Recent studies found that when a father learned to connect with his child and “stay in the game” the child’s vocabulary typically increased by over 50%! Furthermore, developing affectionate behaviors early on can help break through the gray shell of autism and bring out the colorful humanity hidden within these children. As a wonderful side effect, learning to connect will help weave the family fabric back together.
This all sounds great, but if you’re a parent struggling with this very problem, I imagine your thinking, so where do I begin? There are so many areas to work on but let’s get down to the nitty-gritty, and revisit the above scenario of family greetings.

Coming home at the end of the day and trying to get into your child’s face in the hope of a reaction is basically a formula for failure. It may not sound very fun, but being calculating and pragmatic is the best approach. The goal here is to get your child out of his world and for your arrival and presence to be relevant to him.

As with any other ABA program you may have to first physically prompt him, but the key is to get the child physically involved in the greeting process. 1. Call your spouse ahead of time so he or she can prepare the environment. Turn the TV off, get any food or drink out of the child’s hands. Start to talk about “Daddy coming home,” and physically get him facing the door. By doing this you are narrowing down distractions and setting up the environment. Dads (or Mom – whomever is coming home) should not simply walk through the door, but knock on the door, call his child’s name. If the child does not respond, mom should help the child walk to the door, physically prompt him to open the door if necessary. (Do not just pick up the child or open the door for them. The goal is to get them involved and participating). Dad should be bent down at his level and come in with a hug.

As a major note, do not expect this to all go smoothly. To put it lightly pulling an autistic child out of his comfort zone to participate in normal affectionate behaviors can be a battle of wills. Expect melt downs, flopping and resistance, but this is unfortunately a natural process of acclimating autistic children to our world. One day may not better than the last, but chances are you will begin to see progress through weeks and months. Also, like other ABA regimens, developing this behavioral habit of coming to the door at the sound of a parent’s voice, opening it and embracing will be infinitely easier to ingrain when they are younger. Autistic children are known for developing “habits” and creating these specific types of habits can have profound positive effects. Though they may not have the capacity to understand the intrinsic good feeling of an embrace, I have found it can be taught and may blossom back in ways never imagined. Finally getting your child to independently run to the door at the sound of your voice will be priceless. This is the stuff that keeps families together working for more.

You may find more information on developing proper emotional behaviors and affection in autistic children in the new book: Dads And Autism, How To Stay In The Game, by Emerson Donnell. It is available on Amazon or directly from www.dadsandautism.com

What is Viacord? What Stem Cells?

Keri @ NJ Fit Mama — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:52:08 +0000

Most expectant parents & grandparents are not aware that they can save their baby’s cord blood, and these precious life saving cells are simply thrown away at birth .

Make sure you take the time to educate yourself because birth is the only opportunity you have to collect these lifesaving cells.
You can click here www.brainshark.com/viacord/kerielkin to watch a cord blood presentation.

You have 3 choices for what to do with the umbilical cord cells…to
discard, to donate, or to bank it. If you ever need the stem cells & you donated or discarded it, it will cost you $30,000 to get one (if you can even get one).

It’s sad with science progressing everyday that someone would choose not to do this for their family/baby/siblings. Cord blood stem cells are currently being used to treat over 70+ different diseases (ie. cancers like Leukemia, blood disorders, genetic diseases and immune system deficiencies, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke).

Tanisha Day

Barbara Salvador @ Nanny Consultants NJ — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:13:44 +0000

Interview with Tanisha Day on going back to the workforce.

[display_podcast]

Factors to consider before going back.

Convert the bane of a typical autistic behavior into therapy:

Barbara Salvador @ Nanny Consultants NJ — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:18:29 +0000

Every child’s autism is different and unique, however, there are also many common traits. One of the most frustrating and dangerous is what I call the deaf run. This is where the child will bolt from a parent’s hand for some desired object. Normal children do this as well, however, many autistic children are particularly talented at ignoring their parents. They also may be quite fixated on a particular item or object which acts as a terrible distraction when attempting a therapy session. For instance I remember seeing a four year old bolt from his chair to go push a spring loaded door open so he could watch it automatically shut. The therapist repeatedly chased him down, took him by the arm and brought him back to the desk in an attempt to get the child reengaged at the task at hand. Of course the child resisted, flopped and whined making the time spent on therapy little more than a complete waste of time. I saw this as a terribly missed opportunity.

Personally I remember my son, Emerson, bolting from my hands to run for a small creek behind our house. He loved it down there and I provided every opportunity to go. Problem was he got so excited he would simply run and leave me in the dust. I had to perpetually chase him down and try to reign him in, but nothing seemed to work. I wanted so desperately to connect, but I had no idea how to go about it.

Most any parent of an autistic child can tell a similar heartbreaking story of how their child runs off, ignores their attempts of eye contact or any acknowledgement of their voice. So why not use this object of desire to connect, incite eye contact, develop speech and get a little joy all at once? Here’s how.

Let’s take the incident of the little boy running for the spring loaded door. Imagine the therapist engaging with the boy’s desire instead of repeatedly trying to redirect him. By turning him toward the door, bending down and getting her face up into his, she asks if he wants to “go?” Depending on the child’s verbal ability this can be expanded on. If you are just inciting speech, this is a great opportunity to have their undivided attention to learn how to request for something. Teaching a child a word like “go” involves action on their part and attempting to incite speech on something that is so desired and relevant to them will typically be much easier. The child will most likely be looking right through you towards the desired object, but guess what, now you’re becoming naturally integrated into their world. If they can’t talk, perhaps you may get them to point or even partially speak. One other thing I did with Emerson was to verbally count down with my fingers in front of his face, “one, two three!” before bolting towards the creek. It took some time, but after repeated exercises, his little fingers began to move as he was attempting to count. Here’s a trick, once you say “go!” run backwards and watch the joy on their face as they bolt free towards the desired object. At three years old it was perhaps the first time I saw a wide smile and lucid glimpse from my son’s beautiful blue eyes.

For the therapist, this exercise can be repeatedly done as a game of sorts, each time bending down, counting down, getting the child to communicate in some way their desire to go toward the object. And each bolt for the door will be met with giggles and laughs instead of a firm grips and words to redirect them back.

Sometimes the best therapy involves the use of things you never imagined like the spring loaded door. But at the end of the day, developing that happy connection can be arguably the most important therapy of all. Developing that connection cracks open those ever so small windows for communication and makes way for other more formal therapies.

Contributed by Emerson B. Donnell III, Author of Dads And Autism, How To Stay In The Game. For more tips and more in-depth discussions on how to connect with your autistic child, the book is available on Amazon and www.dadsandautism.com.

Abdominal Muscle Separation; What you need to know

Niva @ Core Dynamics — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:19:35 +0000

Pregnancy brings on many changes to your body. When I treat women during or after pregnancy, many ask me about their abdominal muscles. When assessing the abdomen postpartum, I always check for the possibility of a separation between the right and left most prominent abdominal muscles, the Rectus Abdominus muscles which run vertically along the abdomen. Most of you know these muscles as the “six pack” muscles. This type of separation commonly occurs during pregnancy and has the medical term of Diastasis Rectus Abdominus. This occurs during pregnancy as your baby grows and increases pressure on the abdominal wall.

You can assess this on yourself by lying on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. As you exhale, lift your head slightly with chin towards the chest and if possible lift the top of your shoulders off of the floor. As you are doing this, place one hand with the fingers just above the navel. As you lift up, your fingers may sink in. If this is greater than 2 fingers, proper exercises are required and some exercises such as crunches, sit-ups and spinal twisting should be avoided.

Such a separation may be the reason you are unable to flatten the belly postpartum. Additionally, it can cause back pain, increase chances of urinary or fecal incontinence (leaking), weakened pelvic floor muscles and pelvic organ prolapse.

One correction exercise that can be beneficial is a crunch with towel/sheet. This is performed in the assessment like position, on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Place a towel or sheet around your waist crisscrossed in the front. Grip the towel in each hand and pull outward as you exhale and lift your head and top of shoulders, with chin tucked to chest.

Niva Herzig, MS PT, BCIA-PMDB is the owner and physical therapist of Core Dynamics Physical Therapy, LLC in Englewood, NJ, where she specializes in treating pelvic floor disorders such as pelvic pain (Vaginismus, Vulvodynia, Interstital Cystitis, etc), urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, pre-natal and postpartum musculoskeletal disorders. For more information, visit us at www.coredynamicspt.com

November 14th is FREE Babyfest for all new & expectant moms

Barbara Salvador @ Nanny Consultants NJ — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:39:03 +0000

Hi Moms-
November 14th is FREE Babyfest for all new & expectant moms @
Wyckoff YMCA (Wyckoff, NJ) 201-891-2081

They’ll be prenatal yoga, prenatal bellydancing, postnatal bellydancing, and stroller fit classes. They’ll be chair massages, food demonstrations, lots of raffles and more.

Also, Stroller Strides of Nothern NJ will hold it’s “Grand Opening” at Westfield Garden State Plaza on Friday, November 13th at 8 am followed by a Welcome Party for Santa Claus. All moms who RSVP will receive the chance to jump the line and be the FIRST to welcome Santa and receive a FREE photo with St. Nick! Go to http://www.facebook.com/l/a32ad;www.strollerstrides.net/bergen to RSVP.

Hope to see you there.
-Keri