ML Interest Tag: maternal

The Diagnosis That Confirmed What I Already Knew

By Courtney Mills

May 29, 2019 will be a day I remember forever. We had to get up extra early due to river flooding and the possibility of the highway closing. We were afraid we would have to take back roads to get to Children’s for Graham’s Autism Evaluation. Luckily the highway was open so our traveling was very easy.

We arrived super early at the clinic. We sat in the car and watched movies and listened to music waiting for time to go check-in. My feelings were everywhere, I thought I was prepared for what the outcome would be. I mean I was the one who pushed to get Graham tested. For me to get that “official” diagnosis. To have it official for those who doubted my mother instinct. For those who I felt were questioning me or interrogating me. To have it official so I could tell them to shut up. I didn’t think of it as once we had a diagnosis, my son would be “labeled” for life.

We enter the clinic to check in then waited till they called us back. I hear “Graham Mills” and my heart started pounding. They took his measurements, then we followed them to a room with toys and a chair where they would perform his evaluation. He clung to me, terrified. It took so much for them to get the slightest interaction out of him. We were asked question after question. They also looked at his Speech, Occupational, Physical, and Developmental evaluations from his developmental preschool.

As they finished we were taken to an exam room while they calculated the evaluation. We sat and we waited and waited until the psychologist and speech pathologist finally reappeared. Confirming what my maternal instinct was telling me. My son was in fact autistic. They handed us a stack full of handouts. I sat there trying to understand everything they were giving us. I wondered what level he fell on the spectrum? I had heard of levels 1, 2, and 3. What level was my son? They seemed so confused when I asked that question. The only thing they could tell me was the test shows he is severely autistic and is considered nonverbal. They then left the room and we waited for our Developmental Pediatrician to come and speak with us. When she entered the room she handed us even more pamphlets. Also suggesting we sign him up for ABA therapy. It was then time to leave.

As we got to the car all I could do was sit and cry, saying “I wasn’t crazy”. So many family members who we reached out to for support but instead were asked question after question. Asking us why we thought he was autistic or what does the doctor see that leads them to believe he’s on the spectrum.

I then wondered would my child ever become verbal? Would I ever get to hear “I love you mommy”? I was a mess and just ready to get home. I wanted to process everything in the privacy of my own home.

Finally home and as we get inside I thought ok now time to call family and update on what we were informed. But every phone call it was like I was hearing it for the first time, my son was just diagnosed with autism. I then tried to read through the pamphlets given to us full of “resources” to see what else I needed to do. After that, I was done! I put everything away and just cuddled my son.

The next day I got up and started registering for all the websites we were given to “help” us. Requesting the free materials they had to send us. I then called about ABA therapy. They explained he would be put on a waitlist and we would have to wait for a spot to open. It usually takes six months or longer. Once a spot opened they would send a therapist to our house 20-30 hours a week. This would be in addition to attending school Monday through Friday. He was only two! My mind started thinking, when would he just get to be a kid?! When would we have family time just us three? So we decided not to apply for ABA therapy. We just continued with all the services we were already receiving for the time being, taking one day at a time.

This post originally appeared on Guiding Graham’s Way.

I'm a wife and a mom. I have a three year old son. I spend my time advocating for special needs children, bringing awareness and acceptance to all. My son was diagnosed with severe autism at age two. He is my life. 

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10 Organizations You Can Donate to for Mother’s Day (because She’s Got Plenty of Mugs)

by Camesha Gosha

Mother’s Day 2021 is right around the corner, and this year, instead of the flowers and mugs, what better way to celebrate the mother figure in your life than gifting something moms need at every stage—support. How can you do that? By making a donation in honor of mom to an organization that dedicates itself to helping women and mothers everywhere, but especially those living in diverse communities. From the Black Mamas Matter Alliance to Every Mother Counts, these groups are vital to making real change that will help all parents and kids get through life safely and healthy. We’ve highlighted our top charities to give to below, so keep reading, and get ready to be inspired!

Every Mother Counts

For many women, pregnancy and childbirth aren’t joyful experiences. There are many reasons for this including lack of quality health care and discrimination. Every Mother Counts is dedicated to ensuring that women have access to quality maternal care by investing in organizations that make quality, respectful and equitable care possible.

Learn more and donate here. 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CN-q3AFAOFA/?hidecaption=true

The National Birth Equity Collaborative

The National Birth Equity Collaborative focuses on creating solutions to issues in Black maternal and infant health. They do that through various efforts, including training and advocating for policy change. Their work helps to create the conditions for the assurance of optimal births for all people.

Learn more and donate here.

Mamatoto Village

Mamatoto Village aims to offer creative solutions to combat health disparities for moms and their babies. That could look like anything from creating a path to careers in maternal health to providing access to services so moms can make informed decisions. The core values of the village include advocacy, equity and being inclusive.

Learn more and donate here.

 

Black Mamas Matter Alliance

Black Mamas Matter Alliance champions rights, respect and resources for mothers. Their mission is to advocate for Black mothers. They push for research and policy changes when it comes to maternal health, rights and justice.

Learn more and donate here. 

 

Moms Rising

Moms Rising educates the public about issues facing women and mothers. They work by starting grassroots efforts to bring awareness to issues, amplifying the voices of millions of women and pursueing policy changes.

Learn more and donate here. 

 

Shades of Blue Project

Shades of Blue Project is dedicated to breaking cultural barriers in maternal health mental health. They are a presence for women before, during and after giving birth. They are committed to changing the way healthcare systems engage with patients.

Learn more and donate here.

Lotto Love

LottoLove aims to make moms feel good while helping women around the world. LottoLove is the first-ever scratch-off card with a social mission. For every scratch card purchased, the organization donates to charities they’ve partnered with. Those charities provide clean water and literacy tools, among other things, to people in over 60 countries.

Learn more and donate here.

 

The Finley Project

The Finley Project is very personal for the founder, Noelle Moore, who tragically lost her newborn daughter. The organization was started to help mothers after the heartbreaking loss of an infant. It supports mothers physically, mentally and spiritually—at no cost to them.

Learn more and donate here. 

The Homeless Prenatal Program

The Homeless Prenatal Program has the goal to break the cycle of childhood poverty. How do they do this? Most people are extra motivated to create a better way of life when they are pregnant. The program uses that motivation to help families discover their strengths and trust in their ability to change their lives. 

Learn more and donate here.

 

Commonsense Childbirth

Commonsense Childbirth is dedicated to better birthing experiences for women and families. They focus on safety and quality in their quest for equitable maternal care. They also never turn a mom away—regardless of ability to pay. 

Learn more and donate here.

—Camesha Gosha

 

Featured image: iStock

 

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When They Only Want Mommy: A How-To Guide to Reclaiming Your Space

By Cara Maclean

As a new mom, it can be flattering when your children only want you. No matter if it’s a scratched knee, a bedtime story, or that special way you put on their socks, kids gravitate toward Mom. It can make you feel loved, needed, and (after a while) like you can’t be away for more than a moment. Actually, not even a moment. They find you fast.

Children don’t mean to insult your partner by refusing assistance, and they don’t consciously intend to monopolize all your time. (Even though they often do both.) They simply seek comfort. At all times. And they are used to you.

 

What’s the best way to share parenting responsibilities?

There may not be an official best way that applies to all situations. There may be places where you want to be the go-to parent, and others you want to share. Even though your partner might already want to share in the duties, you might find you need to be the one to initiate communication. Often dads aren’t even aware of a problem unless we communicate our needs.

If you’re like most moms, the bulk of child interaction defaults to you. Plus, we sometimes overlook our need for space and time to ourselves. If we do recognize the need, we either feel guilty or dread the logistical challenges involved. (If you think, “What would I do anyway?” It’s is a clear sign that you need time to connect with yourself.) Remember, you are a better parent when you have time to recharge your own battery. If you’re in a spot where you want your partner to share the love AND have your kids running to both of you, try these three steps.

 

Step One: Communicate Your Needs

The first step is shining light on the issue. There’s a chance your spouse doesn’t even realize that you’re not in maternal bliss with your kids hanging on you 24/7. After all, that’s what moms do, right? You might need to let him know that you want a more balanced distribution of hang time (so to speak). Approach this conversation by recognizing the benefit of both parents and different parenting styles (even though hopefully you’ve discussed and decided on your overall parenting approach already). When you frame the conversation in terms of a win-win for everyone, especially the kids, you might get even more buy-in. Even if the issue deals more with your child’s behavior, having a conversation with your partner is always the place to start.

 

Step Two: Create Bonding Moments

No matter how upset your children get when you’re away, encourage your partner to develop his own way of playing and dealing with tough situations. Hopefully, there are already games and things that your partner and kids do together. You want them to be comfortable with each other when there’s not a crisis. That’s the place to start. Then, practice with the ‘crisis’ moments. If your child bursts into tears when you leave the room, have your partner come up with a game, story, or distraction to lessen that reaction and develop a stronger relationship. If you are the eternal boo-boo fixer, then let your husband craft his signature way of dealing with scraps and bruises. (And this could mean giving him the first aid kit and saying you really need to go to the bathroom, like, right now. Whatever works.)  Creating time when your kids play with your partner (especially if it doesn’t happen automatically) helps them develop a stronger relationship that will continue to grow as everyone matures. Sometimes you might be able to be home for these shenanigans, and sometimes you may need to physically remove yourself from their space.

 

Step Three: Remove Thyself

If you are always available, then your children will always want you. It’s good for you and your children to have some time away from each other. This cannot be overstated: It is good for you AND your kids to have time away from each other. Set a regular ‘mom’s out of the house’ time where your partner takes over. It doesn’t matter what you do with this time, but make sure you honor it. Keep to the schedule to give them time to grow and work out their own system. It’s ok for it to be awkward, for the kids to cry, and for your husband to find his own way of parenting without texting you constantly. That’s necessary for everyone’s comfort level. Note: Be wary of controlling what happens when your partner takes over. The benefit of different parenting styles is accurate, and even though it won’t be like you do it – whatever “it” is – everyone will be happier and healthier. And if the house is destroyed when you come home (thus, feeling like more work for you), revisit Step One and continue the conversation.

These three simple steps have endless variations and may need to be revisited as your relationships develop, your children mature, and your needs evolve. Don’t be afraid to have awkward conversations, speak up for what you need, and persist through any uncomfortable behavior from your child, spouse, or yourself. Changing up the expected dynamic is bound to push buttons and bring up emotion. Rest assured that when you can be away without crisis, you’ll be happier and your family will thrive no matter who’s got the snacks.

 

Cara Maclean, Wellness Coach & Writer, works with moms to undo what keeps them exhausted. We cultivate the calm, joyful energy needed to handle any challenge with humor and grace. Author of Just the Way It Is: A Look at Gifted/2e Families, Spring 2022, GHF Press. Learn more at CaraMaclean.com

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Here’s What Science Has to Say about Exercise, Pregnancy & Your Kiddo’s Health

by Erica Loop

As it turns out, the zillion walks you’ve taken over the pandemic period are good for more than just you. New research from the University of Virginia Health System found that maternal exercise during pregnancy may reduce the child’s risk of developing metabolic disease later in life.

The study, which was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, looked at the effects of exercise on pregnant lab mice. The results showed an increase in exercise in obese pregnant mice could prevent the transmission of some metabolic diseases.

photo: Freestocks.org via Pexels

While this study didn’t include human mothers or their children, the researchers believe the exercise-related reduction in metabolic diseases (such as diabetes) in lab mice may extend to people. Zhen Yan, PhD, a top exercise expert at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and study researcher said, “Most of the chronic diseases that we talk about today are known to have a fetal origin. This is to say that the parents’ poor health conditions prior to and during pregnancy have negative consequences to the child, potentially through chemical modification of the genes.”

Yan continued, “We were inspired by our previous mouse research implicating that regular aerobic exercise for an obese mother before and during pregnancy can protect the child from early onset of diabetes. In this study, we asked the questions, what if an obese mother exercises only during pregnancy, and what if the father is obese?”

The researchers fed some of the mice (both mothers and fathers) in their study a high-fat/high-calorie diet prior to mating. The rest of the mice were fed more nutritious mouse fare. Some of the high-fat/high-calorie diet pregnant mother mice had access to a running wheel—and some didn’t.

Children born to the obese sedentary mother and father mice were more likely to develop high blood sugar or other metabolic issues as adults. Of the results, Yan said, “The take-home message is that it is not too late to start to exercise if a mother finds herself pregnant. Regular exercise will not only benefit the pregnancy and labor but also the health of the baby for the long run.”

The researcher continued, “This is more exciting evidence that regular exercise is probably the most promising intervention that will help us deter the pandemic of chronic diseases in the aging world, as it can disrupt the vicious cycle of parents-to-child transmission of diseases.”

—Erica Loop

 

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Undecided about a Home or Hospital Birth? Answering These 7 Questions Will Help

By Dr. Alan Lindemann

During my OB/GYN residency back in 1975, we were taught that home births with midwives were bad and hospital births with a physician were good. But I have learned over the last 46 years that hospital births are not necessarily safe or good, and that home births are not necessarily risky or bad. What matters is who does the delivery, where will the delivery be done, and how will the delivery be done.

If you are wondering which may be right for you, consider these questions.

1. Would you be more comfortable at home or in the hospital? Did you know that anxiety can interfere with labor? Consider whether you would be more comfortable delivering at home or in a hospital. It is not uncommon for labor to stop for a while when women check into a hospital for a delivery. If labor stops for any length of time, your obstetrician may want to begin induction processes to speed things up because of the 24-hour membrane rupture rule and to appease the payers. I have always tried to manage patient anxiety by promoting confidence and comfort in my patients, giving them the same autonomy and respect they would have at home within the safety of the hospital.

2. Do you want to make decisions or have input about delivery? The big problem with hospital births is the loss of autonomy, which starts with your insurance company telling you which doctor you may see and which hospital you may go to. Furthermore, you will get a predefined number of visits and tests, with insurance companies continually trying to cut costs by decreasing the number of paid-for visits. Many insurance companies do not cover the services of midwives, but midwives generally see their patients more often than most obstetricians, at least with low-risk pregnancies. Joy Huff, who survived a blood infection in 2013, told NPR that “My best advice for getting a professional to listen is to keep searching for one that is willing to listen. … I was not aware of my right to change providers until it was too late.”

3. Are you comfortable with medical interventions? If you want a delivery with the least amount of technological intervention, you will probably need to work with a midwife and have a home birth. Many people feel that birth is a natural process and should be allowed to progress without a lot of technological intervention. In a hospital, even with a “natural” delivery, you will probably have an IV, monitors, a blood pressure machine, and a Foley catheter.

Walking is good for natural labor, but in a hospital hooked up to numerous pieces of electronic equipment, this is difficult. On the other hand, some mothers like the idea of having an obstetrician decide on an induction delivery date. 

Additionally, midwives do not do C-sections but you should ask how many patients a midwife has sent to the hospital for complications which resulted in a C-section. Besides asking your obstetrician what their C-section rate is, you should also find out how high the C-section rate is for the hospital. If you opt for a hospital delivery, you want a hospital and an obstetrician with a low C-section rate.

5. What is the Infant or maternal deaths for your doctor/hospital/midwife? Ask your doctor about their infant and maternal mortality rates. Also ask how many C-hysterectomies they have had to perform to stop a post-partum hemorrhage. Ask your midwife about infant and maternal mortality rates too. Just be aware that when midwives send patients to the hospital because of complications, whatever bad outcomes emerge will be assigned to either the doctor or the midwife, and there is no consistency in how this is done. It sometimes happens that when a midwife sends a patient to a hospital because of complications, any infant or maternal death in the hospital can be attributed to the midwife instead of the hospital obstetrician. These numbers are not always reliable.

6. Are you low risk and live close to a hospital? The issue between a hospital and home birth is really that the hospital is a safer place in case of an obstetrical emergency such as hemorrhage. Dr. Neda Ghaffari specializes in high-risk pregnancies. She will tell you, though, that “It’s very hard to determine which patients are going to have an obstetric emergency.”  Dr. Ghaffari recommends that if a woman with a low-risk pregnancy chooses a home birth that she lives within 15 minutes of a hospital. If she has had a previous C-section, is carrying twins, or has a breech baby, she should opt for a hospital birth. 

7. What is your blood type? Recent studies show that those with the O blood type may have some additional protection against COVID-19, so those with this blood type may be safer making the choice to deliver in a hospital during this pandemic if that is their preference.

From my perspective, we need to combine the concept of the hospital and home birth. We should create specialty birthing hospitals so there is the hospital safety net, with nurses, doctors, and an operating room combined with the autonomy, comfort, voluntariness, and respect that mothers would get with a midwife at a home birth. Ideally, the labor, delivery, recovery, and post-partum should actually be like home, not just give the appearance of a home with pretty drapes and wall coverings. By doing so, we could make the choice of birthing location easier for mothers on both sides of the home vs. hospital conversation.

Dr. Alan Lindemann
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

An obstetrician and maternal mortality expert, “Rural Doc” Alan Lindemann, M.D. teaches women and families how to create the outcomes they want for their own health and pregnancy. In nearly 40 years of practice, he has delivered around 6,000 babies and achieved a maternal mortality rate of zero! Visit LindemannMD.com

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Having a Baby during COVID? 5 Questions to Ask Your Doctor Now

By Dr. Alan Lindemann

In light of our current COVID-19 reality, pregnant women everywhere are more cautious than ever when it comes to protecting their pandemic pregnancies. Learning to steer your own medical care and pregnancy and choosing your outcome—these are really important when it comes to getting great obstetric care.

Patients often don’t realize that they can make some key choices. Most doctors won’t tell them what the choices are, and most patients don’t know they have choices to make. For example, here are some issues pregnant women may wish to discuss with their doctors so they can make important care choices:

  • Birth room support (i.e., partner, doula)
  • VBAC—vaginal birth after a previous cesarean section birth
  • Use of low-dose Cytotec for induction of labor instead of Pitocin
  • Effective procedures for decreasing the risks of preterm labor
  • Reducing the risks of maternal complications during and after pregnancy

And, if you are pregnant right now, during the coronavirus outbreak, here are 5 more questions to ask your doctor:

1. Have you already been exposed? You have the right to know whether or not your doctor has already been exposed to COVID-19 or not, and what the implications are either way. Have they been tested recently? When was the last negative test? Don’t hesitate to gather information to put yourself more at ease.

2. What will happen if I’m positive for COVID-19 when I deliver? Make a plan with your doctor so that you have one less thing to stress about if this occurs. As much as you don’t want your baby whisked away after birth, the plan to protect and test your new baby for the illness will include isolating you from her/him initially after birth.

3. Will my baby be immune if I have/had COVID-19? One Chinese case study found that a mother who had COVID-19 and delivered her baby via C-section passed immunity onto her baby but not the illness. Other studies, however, have shown cases of mothers passing the virus on to their babies.

4. Will you be the one delivering my baby? Often, the O.B. you’re working with may not actually be the one to deliver your baby. Asking this question now gives you an opportunity to understand who will be there during delivery, and who else you need to talk to about their COVID-19 exposure and testing.

5. Will I be allowed to have my support team in the birthing room with me? If you want your partner and/or a doula in the birthing room with you, this is a very important question to ask your doctor. The rules as we navigate the pandemic are constantly changing and under evaluation, so ask now, and ask again as birth gets closer.

Too often, obstetricians make decisions for their patients without consulting them. I want to provide women with the information they need to take part in these decisions and take charge of their health and pregnancies. Steer your pregnancy and create the outcome you want for yourself and your baby—with nearly 40 years of practice, I’ve delivered around 6,000 babies and achieved a maternal mortality rate of zero! Learn more at LindemannMD.com.

Dr. Alan Lindemann
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

An obstetrician and maternal mortality expert, “Rural Doc” Alan Lindemann, M.D. teaches women and families how to create the outcomes they want for their own health and pregnancy. In nearly 40 years of practice, he has delivered around 6,000 babies and achieved a maternal mortality rate of zero! Visit LindemannMD.com

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Study Says Children May Not Grow Out of Picky Eating Habits

by Jennifer Swartvagher

Once a picky eater, always a picky eater? Science says that may be the case. If your little one often pushes away or refuses to take a bite of a veggie they don’t like, don’t expect them to grow out of it anytime in the near future. 

According to a study by the University of Michigan, by four-years-old children could be established picky eaters. Additionally, controlling or trying to restrict your child’s diet may backfire causing them to become more finicky. 

baby eating watermelon

“Picky eating is common during childhood and parents often hear that their children will eventually ‘grow out of it.’ But that’s not always the case,” says senior author Megan Pesch, M.D., a developmental behavioral pediatrician at Michigan Medicine C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

Researchers found that fussy eaters tend to have a lower body mass index and are not underweight. It is also less likely that they will be overweight or experience obesity. 

“We still want parents to encourage varied diets at young ages, but our study suggests that they can take a less controlling approach,” Pesch says. That being said “we need more research to better understand how children’s limited food choices impact healthy weight gain and growth long term.”

The study followed 317 mother-child pairs from low-income homes over a four-year period. Families reported on children’s eating habits and mothers’ behaviors and attitudes about feeding when children were four, five, six, eight and nine.

From preschool to school-age, picky eating habits were stable which indicates that any attempt to expand food choices may need to happen during the toddler or preschool years in order to be effective. High picky eating was associated with lower BMIs and low picky eating with higher BMIs. 

Increased pressure to eat and food restrictions was closely associated with reinforcing picky eating habits. This backs up the research conducted by Mott Children’s Hospital. Pressuring children to eat foods they dislike will not lead to a well-rounded diet later in life. 

Certain child characteristics, including sex, birth order, and socioeconomic status, also have been associated with persistence of picky eating.

“We found that children who were pickier had mothers who reported more restriction of unhealthy foods and sweets,” Pesch says. “These mothers of picky eaters may be trying to shape their children’s preferences for more palatable and selective diets to be more healthful. But it may not always have the desired effect.”

It is unknown if children who are picky eaters would have become even more selective if they did not receive higher levels of controlling feeding behaviors, Pesch says. She says future studies should investigate interventions around maternal feeding and child picky eating.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Dazzle Jam from Pexels

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Science Says 50 Is the New 40 (When It Comes to Safely Having Babies, That Is)

by Erica Loop

Fifty is the new 40 when it comes to advanced maternal age. At least, that’s what recent research from Ben-Gurion University (BGU) and Soroka University Medical Center may have found.

Women over 40 are having babies in greater numbers than ever before. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the birth rate for women 40 to 44 has risen since 1982. Jut look at recent celeb pregnancies and it’s clear that pregnancy isn’t just for 20-somethings. Actress Brigitte Nielsen had her fifth child at age 54, Rachel Weisz got pregnant at 48 and Janet Jackson had her first child at 50.

photo: Suhyeon Choi via Unsplash

Even though the data shows an upwards trend of women waiting to get pregnant, that doesn’t mean there aren’t risks associated with being of “advanced maternal age.”

When researchers looked at data from 242,711 deliveries at Soroka University Medical Center, they found something that most of us probably didn’t expect. While over 96 percent of the pregnancies in the study were in the under-40 set, complications between the 40- and 50-something mamas were fairly equal. That doesn’t mean the complication numbers were on par with their younger counterparts. Instead, the number of complications didn’t rise from 40-plus to 50-plus.

So what does this mean for you? If you’re nearing 50, it’s possible that you won’t experience an increased risk for complications in comparison to a woman who is 40. But there’s still risks associated with conceiving over ager 40. The researchers note that every pregnant woman over age 40 is high-risk and needs preventative medical treatment that comes along with it, from earlier blood glucose testing to blood pressure monitoring.

—Erica Loop

 

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This Boot Camp Helps Dads Prep for Baby

by Erica Loop

Long gone are the days when dad went to work, came home to a dinner (and probably a finely poured martini) and was thought of as an occasional babysitter. The number of dads staying home with their kiddos is on the rise, according to data from the Pew Research Center.

Given the ever-evolving role that fathers play, daddy bootcamps are popping up to help men overcome first-time parenting anxieties. Even though there’s no shortage of prenatal classes, many are geared towards the maternal experience. This can leave dad feeling left out or unsure about his ability to parent his soon-to-be new baby.

photo: Leandro Vendramini via Pexels

Professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and an attending physician at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Dr. Craig Garfield, told NPR, “Dad’s parenting questions can fall to the wayside.” Garfield added, “Because each parent holds a separate role in their child’s life, expectant mothers and fathers may seek different answers to their parenting questions.”

To address this, and other related issues, classes such as Boot Camp for New Dads are helping fathers-in-the-making to get ahead of the learning curve. The non-profit, which was founded way back in 1990, has helped more than 325,000 men to learn about dad-ing.

According to the Boot Camp’s website it’s a, “Unique father-to-father, community-based workshop that inspires and equips men of different economic levels, ages and cultures to become confidently engaged with their infants, support their mates and personally navigate their transformation into dads.” To learn more about this baby-centric boot camp, visit the Boot Camp for New Dads website here.

—Erica Loop

 

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