While 73 percent of Maryland mothers start out breast-feeding, many new moms don't continue for long, according to a new report card from the federal government.

My colleague, Meredith Cohn, explores in today's article on the reasons why the rates of breast-feeding at six months and a year and rates of exclusive breast-feeding at three and six months remain stagnant and low, according to the report card from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

But there are barriers, including lack of support for new mothers — in obstetricians' offices, in the hospitals where they give birth and in their offices when they return to work, according to Kim Knight, a lactation consultant and the president of the Maryland Breastfeeding Coalition, which offers support to new mothers.

Cohn reports area hospitals and workplaces such as GBMC and Under Armour offer support for moms to continue breast-feeding.

For any mom who has tried breast-feeding, it's not easy for a variety of reasons. Some moms can't or choose not to breast-feed for a number of reasons, too.

What barriers did you face in breast-feeding? What kind of support would you like to see at home, in the office and at hospitals? 

Posted by Hanah Cho at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Babies and Toddlers, Parenting in general
        

(Amazon.com handout photo) 

I got a Kindle recently, and I'm obsessed. It's lightweight, doesn't take up space in our small apartment and downloading e-books cost less than buying paper- and hardback books.

But I also love going to a bookstore or library, browsing through the endless collection of classics, romance novels and best sellers.

When baby J. is old enough to read, will there even be paper-bound books available for him? Or will only e-readers like Kindle or some new product exist in the future?

A new survey by publisher Scholastic has found that children want to read books on digital devices. The New York Times reports:

About 25 percent of the children surveyed said they had already read a book on a digital device, including computers and e-readers. Fifty-seven percent between ages 9 and 17 said they were interested in doing so.

Only 6 percent of parents surveyed owned an e-reader, but 16 percent said they planned to buy one in the next year. Eighty-three percent of those parents said they would allow or encourage their children to use the e-readers.

After worries about video games, computers and other technology distracting children, the paper notes out that educators and parents hope to use the new devices to introduce children to reading. It makes sense considering children are so tech savvy now.

What do you think about the potential of digital readers encouraging children to read more? Have you introduced these devices to your children? Do they like it? Or do you prefer that they stick with traditional books? 

Posted by Hanah Cho at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Books
        

Before baby J. was born, E. declared he would never take our child to a restaurant. I laughed it off because I knew he would eventually realize how unrealistic that is.

We dine out with J. at restaurants that are kid-friendly, and we take him out when he's happy, well rested and already fed. I try to be mindful of other patrons who want to enjoy a quiet lunch or dinner.   

I was reminded of E.'s declaration when I read this New York Times Motherlode blog post on a restaurant at a beach town in North Carolina that posted a sign that said, "Screaming Children Will Not be Tolerated."

The controversy has now exploded. Motherlode author Lisa Belkin put the issues this way:

First, should children be allowed to be noisy at restaurants? I know the sign at Olde Salty’s says “screaming” children are the issue, but who decides whether a child is screaming? Kids don’t always come with volume control, and what their parents hear as a “conversational tone” might be another patron’s idea of a basketball cheer. Does it matter that Olde Salty’s is right on the beach, serving sandwiches and crinkle fries, rather than a jacket and tie kind of a place? How does a child learn to behave in a restaurant if they are never allowed in a restaurant? On the other hand, why do paying customers, out for a quiet evening, have to listen while the youngsters in the next booth learn table manners?

What do you think? Have you stopped dining out? Do you have strategies for taking your children to restaurants or other public places?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Dinner Together
        

Liz Atwood talks about parents helping their kids stay on top of school work in this week's Tween Tuesday:

President Obama's daughters attend a great school, travel to exotic locations, meet world leaders and invite hot singers to entertain them in the White House. But it seems even the leader of the free world has to make sure his daughters don't watch too much TV.

"Malia and Sasha are great kids, and great students," Obama told the Today Show's Matt Lauer yesterday. "But if you gave them a choice, they'd be happy to sit in front of the TV all night long, every night." The president said parents must persuade their children that their No. 1 job is learning. The parents’ job is to make sure kids do their homework and that schools are held accountable, he said.

I do my best to stay on top of my children’s school work. It's not always easy. But tonight, when I'm telling my kids that they have to finish their homework before they can turn on the TV, I’ll take pleasure in knowing Michelle Obama is probably doing the same thing.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Teens
        

My nephew and niece are in 1st grade and kindergarten, respectively -- and they're still at a point where school is exciting and fun.

But what kid hasn't had a "I hate school" moment -- or moments -- and refused to go to school? The Wall Street Journal reports on extreme cases known as "school refusal behavior."

These are the kids who may be absent for weeks or months. Some may cry or scream for hours every morning in an effort to resist leaving home. Others may hide out in the nurse's office. Some kids who miss school are simply truant—they'd just rather be doing something else. And sometimes there are genuine reasons to fear school, because of bullying, for example. But in about two-thirds of cases, a psychiatric problem, most commonly an anxiety disorder, is the cause, according to research led by Christopher A. Kearney, professor and director of clinical training at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

As the story notes, this can be debilitating for the whole family. And left untreated, these kids can fall behind academically as well as suffer long-lasting effects as adults, such as depression.

According to the article, children can overcome school-refusal behavior and the anxiety disorders that often underlie it through cognitive behavioral therapy, in which patients learn to change their behavior.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: School's In
        

(Courtesy of Port Discovery. Family Toon Day Kids' Month Event featuring SpongeBob SquarePants.)

Come visit downtown Baltimore in October for special events and promotions for families.

Kids' Month, organized by Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, will offer activities at the National Aquarium, Port Discovery Children's Museum and the Walters Art Museum, among others. Check out a full listing here.

Visit www.kidslovedowntownbaltimore.com/ for more information.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Things to Do
        

(The Baltimore Sun) 

Liz Atwood wonders about the effects of loud TV and other devices on kids in this week's Tween Tuesday:

I'm starting to wonder who plays the television more loudly, my 79-year-old father or my tween boys. It seems I'm constantly having to tell the kids to turn down the volume on the TV or video games and recent studies show there is cause for alarm.

Last month, researchers in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that hearing loss among teens has increased 30 percent in the last 15 years. In tests conducted in 2005-2006 on kids between the ages of 12 and 19, researchers found that one in five had some hearing loss compared to 14.5 percent of kids tested in 1988-1994.

The researchers could not pinpoint the exact reason for the increase, but some studies have shown headphones and earbuds might be responsible. My kids don't usually wear headphones and earbuds when they listen to music, but their tendency to crank up the volume on the TV is worrisome.

Have you noticed your kids doing this? The Rockville-based American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has great resources to help parents turn down the volume on their child's listening devices.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Teens
        

Little J. has been mistaken for a girl, most recently at a restaurant earlier this week.

Most times, I laugh it off and politely say, "she's a he."

But it has happened more than a few times that I'm beginning to feel a little offended.

How did you deal with mistaken gender identification? I'm looking for some clever ways to respond.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Babies and Toddlers
        

Working Mother magazine has released its annual 100 Best Companies for working moms.

This is the 25th year that the magazine has complied the list that looks at benefits, such as child care programs, flextime, telecommuting, paid maternity leave and other work options, that help moms -- and dads -- juggle life and work demands.

The list includes many well-known financial, consulting and healthcare companies, including PNC Financial Services, Ernst & Young and IBM.

It highlighted two Maryland companies: Marriott International and Discovery Communications.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 2:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Best of lists
        

Join us at noon for a chat with Dr. Kate Puttgen, a pediatric dermatologist at Johns Hopkins Children's Center. She'll answer questions about all things skin: itchy eczema, acne, moles and more. Puttgen was featured in the Sun Magazine's Generation Rx feature, about top doctors under age 40. Can't make it then? Ask questions now, either via the Cover It Live widget below or by leaving a comment. You can also ask questions via Twitter by using the hashtag #sunmag.

Posted by Carla Correa at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Health
        

Liz Atwoods discusses explaining the 9-11 terrorist attacks to her boys in this week's Tween Tuesday: 

This past weekend was a difficult one. Not only did I hit a milestone birthday on 9-11, I found that my boys seemed more curious than ever about what happened that day nine years ago. My older son has vague memories of being let out of kindergarten early that day. My younger son was just four months old. I’ll never forget grabbing him up in my arms as I watched on TV the first tower crumble to the ground.

Last week, ABC News presented a feature on the Babies of 9-11 about the babies whose parents had died during the attack. It's hard to imagine, but they are tweens now. And like my boys, they have no recollection of a time when we hardly knew the word terrorist or Al Qaeda or Osama bin Laden.

On Saturday, my boys were riveted to the TV watching the movie World Trade Center. I remember wanting to go see it when it came out a few years ago, but for whatever reason I never got around to it.

But this weekend, I just couldn't watch it. When it was over, my younger son wanted to see what Osama bin Laden looks like so we showed him his picture on the computer. He was full of questions about why the terrorists attacked and the hardest of all — Will they attack us again? I tried to reassure him that many people are working hard every day to make sure it doesn't happen again, but I don’t know that anyone who lived through that day could answer confidently it will never happen again.

Are your tweens curious about that day, too? 

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Teens
        

(The Associated Press) 

The NFL season has begun in full force, and I am looking forward to tonight's Jets-Ravens game.

While E. and I enjoy watching football, it's a whole another issue when it comes to letting baby J. play. Football is one sport that E. has declared off-limits for J. if and when he wants to participate in sports.

Injury is an obvious reason. While playing any sport is a risk, E. argues that football, in particular, can be brutal.

Concussions have become a major concern for the NFL recently, while parents and other groups are working to reduce sports-related injuries in general.

Is there other sports that your son or daughter is not allowed to participate in?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Sports
        

Join us at noon for a chat with Dr. Frank Dawson, a pediatric sports medicine specialist at Franklin Square Hospital Center (also a team physician for Morgan State and part of the team of physicians that treats the Ravens). He'll answer questions about sports medicine, injuries, exercise and more. Dawson was featured in the Sun Magazine's Generation Rx feature, about top doctors under age 40. Can't make it then? Ask questions now, either via the Cover It Live widget below or by leaving a comment. You can also ask questions via Twitter by using the hashtag #sunmag.

Tuesday at noon: Dr. Kate Puttgen, pediatric dermatologist at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, will discuss all things skin: itchy eczema, acne, moles and more.

Posted by Carla Correa at 9:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Health
        

The first edition of the re-launched Sun Magazine takes a look at 10 local physicians and surgeons who are up-and-coming stars in their fields. You'll get a chance to chat with two of them Monday and Tuesday on this blog.

Monday at noon: Dr. Frank Dawson, pediatric sports medicine specialist at Franklin Square Hospital Center (also a team physician for Morgan State and part of the team of physicians that treats the Ravens) will discuss sports injuries.

Tuesday at noon: Dr. Kate Puttgen, pediatric dermatologist at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, will discuss all things skin: itchy eczema, acne, moles and more.

So come back to CharmCityMoms on Monday and Tuesday and you'll be able to submit your questions.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: The Monday Consult
        

Are you expecting and have a ton of questions?

The University of Maryland Medical Center is hosting its first-ever live video chat with Dr. Ahmet Baschat, head of fetal therapy at UMMC's Center for Advanced Fetal Care. He will cover topics, such as twin pregnancies, complicated fetal conditions and other maternal/fetal issues.

The Web chat will be held at 1 p.m. Sept. 24. Submit questions ahead of time at www.umm.edu/webchat/.  

Posted by Hanah Cho at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Expecting
        

Fathers also suffer from postpartum depression. That's according to a study published online Monday in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The Los Angeles Times reports:

Overall, they found that the rate of depression for mothers was nearly 14 cases per 100 person-years in the first 12 months after a baby was born. That rate dropped to about 6 cases per 100 person-years in the second year and continued to decline slightly over the next decade.

For fathers, the rate of depression in the first year was 3.56 cases per 100 person-years. It then fluctuated between 1.95 and 2.72 cases per 100 person-years until their kids became teenagers.

Overall, mothers experience postpartum depression more than dads.

I'm not surprised by these findings. What do you think?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Father's Day Tuesday
        

Sorry for the radio -- or blog -- silence the past week or so. Baby J. caught a nasty stomach virus that is still festering, and I've been home taking care of him.

I return to the office, and this blog, conflicted – reevaluating whether E. and I made the right decision to put J. into day care, whether I should've returned to work at all, whether my decision to become a working mom is about money, independence or who I am, or a little bit of everything.

When I’m home caring for Baby J, I worry that I’m not at work doing my job. When I’m at the office, I worry that Baby J needs me and I’m not there. I worry that I’m shortchanging everyone – my baby, my family, my employer, and myself.

Before I go on, let me emphasize that I know I'm fortunate to have the choice to stay home or return to work. Many parents don't have that choice for financial or other reasons.

I know I'm fortunate to have had a job to go back to after a lengthy maternity leave. Not all moms and dads have this option, either.

I'm not complaining here. But I also know that I can't be the only one who's had these doubts.

I knew sacrifices would be necessary to make my working-mom lifestyle work. Beyond the money and the inherent independence I feel by earning a paycheck, the question seems to come down to this for me: Which sacrifices can I live with most peaceably?

I am interested in hearing your thoughts and your stories. How did you come to the decision to stay home or return to work? Was it mostly a dollars-and-cents decision? Or was it something else? Was it a combination of emotional, personal and financial factors? And, probably most importantly, are you at peace with your decision?
 

Posted by Hanah Cho at 9:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Child Care, Work-life balance
        

(The Baltimore Sun)

Liz Atwood talks about Justin Bieber and the difference between boys and girls in the latest (and late) installment of Tween Tuesday: 

I wasn't in the sell-out crowd watching Justin Bieber at the State Fair Sunday night. But reading the news accounts of that show, I’m more convinced than ever that girls and boys/men and women really are from different planets. When I jokingly asked my boys if they’d like to see Justin Bieber, they rolled their eyes in disgust. And while some boys might be mimicking the Bieber hairdo, my sons prefer to keep their hair short and traditional. When the hairdresser tried to style my 9-year-old's hair with that swept-forward look, he brushed it back as soon as he was out of the salon.

So while the girls are screaming at Bieber concerts and drooling over Bieber videos on YouTube, what are the boys doing?

In my house, they are anxiously awaiting the new release of Halo Reach, the prequel to the wildly popular video game series, which is due out next week. My 14-year-old says thinking about it gives him butterflies in his stomach.  He has been watching the trailers on YouTube and talking about it with his friends. I haven’t heard any screaming, but then the game isn’t here yet.

Don't you think it really is a miracle that at some point in life, girls and boys do eventually discover each other?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Teens
        

Sinai Hospital is looking for mothers who gave birth there to share their labor stories for its Labor Day contest.

For mothers, Labor Day is that special day when they brought a new life into the world. Now, we want to hear from them in our unique Labor Day contest.

If your child was born at Sinai Hospital, whether it was 50 years ago or last week, you have a story to share. So tell us, in any format you want (video, photos or text), what made your Sinai Labor Day special.

Entries are due Sept. 30. Send your entry to eleis (at) lifebridgehealth.org. The first 25 participants will receive a Target gift card and two grand prizes will be awarded for the most creative and most moving labor stories.

For the rest of us whose children were born elsewhere, share your funny, quirky or unique birth story here. Mine involves my water breaking at Babies R Us of all places -- a week early.

Happy Labor Day!

Posted by Hanah Cho at 4:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Babies and Toddlers, Expecting