What to do in New Jersey this weekend. May 29-31, 2009
May 27, 2009 by admin
Filed under Day Trips, What to do
| Go Kids NJ – This is a great weekend to visit the Jersey Shore, which is hosting another action packed blockbuster weekend, to kick off the early summer season. The NJ State Chili & Salsa Cookoff returns this weekend to the Jersey Shore as hundreds of the area’s spiciest chefs compete for the title of best chili and best salsa in New Jersey. This is the only chili contest officially sanctioned by the International Chili Society.The event happens in downtown Toms River, located just a mile from exit 82 on the Garden State Parkway. Just down the road, in Jackson Township, one of the shore’s largest and most successful carnivals returns at the 2009 St. Aloysius Summer Carnival which will include carnival rides, food, live music and tons of family entertainment Wednesday through Saturday night. While you’re in Jackson, be sure to check out the Ronald McDonald Walk with Ronald at Six Flags Great Adventure.
Wall Township will be host on Saturday to the Wall Township Festival held at the Wall Township municipal complex. eanwhile, further down the shore in Wildwood, N.J., the Jersey Shore Girl Scout Council is hosting their annual meet by the sea.
Here is a complete list of events this weekend in New Jersey, provided by GoKidsNJ, New Jersey’s #1 Family Entertaintment & Event website. Want to know What to do in New Jersey? Visit GoKidsNJ.Com |
| Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest Event Information Sussex County Fairgrounds Date: May 29,2009 Location: 37 Plains Rd., Augusta, NJ 07822 Get More Information: Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest |
| Sweeney Todd Event Information The Kelsey Theatre at Mercer Date: May 29,2009 Location: 1200 Old Trenton Rd., West Windsor, NJ 08550 Get More Information: Sweeney Todd |
| Schola Reprises ‘Space, Light and Discovery’ Program Event Information First Presbyterian Church Date: May 29,2009 Location: 15 Shuart Ln., Ramsey, NJ 07446 Get More Information: Schola Reprises ‘Space, Light and Discovery’ Program |
| Two Rivers Arts/Antique Show & Garden Tour Event Information Red Bank Armory Ice Complex Date: May 29,2009 Location: Chestnut St., Red Bank, NJ 07701 Get More Information: Two Rivers Arts/Antique Show & Garden Tour |
| Concert: Tom Rush Event Information Grounds For Sculpture Date: May 29,2009 Location: 18 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, NJ 08619 Get More Information: Concert: Tom Rush |
| Antique Show and Sale at Historic Lambert Castle Event Information Lambert Castle Date: May 29,2009 Location: Valley Road, Paterson, NJ 07503 Get More Information: Antique Show and Sale at Historic Lambert Castle |
| SOUNDPartnerships Event Information Westfield Symphony Orchestra Date: May 30,2009 Location: The Presbyterian Church in Westfield, NJ Get More Information: SOUNDPartnerships |
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| Pastel Artists Show Event Information Guild of Creative Art Date: May 30,2009 Location: 620 Broad St. (Rte. 35), Shrewsbury, NJ 07702 Get More Information: Pastel Artists Show |
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| Ocean Grove Giant Spring Flea Market Event Information Ocean Grove Date: May 30,2009 Location: Ocean Pathway, Ocean Grove, NJ 07756 Get More Information: Ocean Grove Giant Spring Flea Market |
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| SOUNDPartnerships Event Information SOUNDPartnerships Date: May 30,2009 Location: Mountain Ave., Westfield, NJ 07090 Get More Information: SOUNDPartnerships |
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| Antiques at Ramapo College Event Information Antiques Date: May 30,2009 Location: 505 Ramapo Valley Rd., Mahwah, NJ 07430 Get More Information: Antiques at Ramapo College |
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| 20th NJ State Chili & Salsa Cook Off Event Information 20th NJ State Chili Date: May 30,2009 Location: Washington St., Toms River, NJ 08753 Get More Information: 20th NJ State Chili & Salsa Cook Off |
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| Junie B. Jones Event Information Junie B. Jones Date: May 30,2009 Location: 1200 Old Trenton Rd., West Windsor, NJ 08550 Get More Information: Junie B. Jones |
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| Forbidden Broadway: 25th Anniversary Tour Event Information Forbidden Broadway Date: May 30,2009 Location: 173 Main St., Manasquan, NJ 08736 Get More Information: Forbidden Broadway: 25th Anniversary Tour |
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| Girl Scout Council of Southern New Jersey Event Information Girl Scout Council Date: May 30,2009 Location: 3501 Boardwalk, Wildwood, NJ 08260 Get More Information: Girl Scout Council of Southern New Jersey |
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| Raising Moths and Butterflies – a Family Workshop Event Information a Family Workshop Date: May 30,2009 Location: 80 Route 206 South, Hillsborough, NJ 08844 Get More Information: Raising Moths and Butterflies – a Family Workshop |
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| Adult Workshops: Sculptural Ceramics Event Information Adult Workshops Date: May 30,2009 Location: 18 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, NJ 08619 Get More Information: Adult Workshops: Sculptural Ceramics |
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| Chandlers Apprentice – Candlemaking Event Information Chandlers Apprentice Date: May 30,2009 Location: 333 Speedwell Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07960 Get More Information: Chandlers Apprentice – Candlemaking |
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| Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters Event Information Nature Unleashed Date: May 30,2009 Location: 222 Jersey City Blvd., Jersey City, NJ 07305 Get More Information: Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters |
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| Spring Fine Art & Crafts at Nomahegan Park Event Information Spring Fine Art Date: May 30,2009 Location: Springfield Ave., Cranford, NJ 07016 Get More Information: Spring Fine Art & Crafts at Nomahegan Park |
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| Suningive’s Gardens in Bloom Tour Event Information Suningive’s Gardens Date: May 30,2009 Location: 120 Whites Bogs Rd., Browns Mills, NJ 08015 Get More Information: Suningive’s Gardens in Bloom Tour |
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| Memorial Day Arts & Crafts Spectacular Event Information Memorial Day Arts Date: May 30,2009 Location: 6th St. & Boardwalk, Ocean City, NJ 08226 Get More Information: Memorial Day Arts & Crafts Spectacular |
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| Wall Township Festival 2009 Event Information Wall Township Date: May 30,2009 Location: 2205 Rt. 35, Sea Girt, NJ 07719 Get More Information: Wall Township Festival 2009 |
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| Somerset County 5K Walk for Life and Breath on 5/30 Event Information American Lung Association Date: May 30,2009 Location: Duke Island Park, Old York Road, Bridgewater, NJ 08807 Get More Information: Somerset County 5K Walk for Life and Breath on 5/30
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A mother’s guide to nursing
May 18, 2009 by admin
Filed under Health News
From the minute my daughter was born, I asked the nurses to wake me up every time she wanted to nurse. I wanted to breastfeed and I thought it would be easy.
Three days later, I was singing a different tune and so was my daughter. I eyed the can of formula that was sent home with us … and gave in. I just couldn’t resist.
She stopped crying, I stopped crying, but the guilt of bottle feeding her lingers to this day. Now the mother of two, who successfully nursed her second child, I know that breastfeeding is natural, but it takes patience and practice.
With the help of a small army of mother’s helpers–from pediatricians to nutritionists–everything you wanted to know about nursing begins right now.
Human milk is unarguably the best food for babies, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. It contains the right amount of nutrients in the right proportions for a growing baby. Breast milk is different at the beginning and end of a feeding. It also comes in a variety of flavors that hinges on the mother’s diet.
“Breast milk is more than just calories, proteins, fat and carbohydrates. There are other nutrients that are not just ‘extras,’ implying that a baby can do without them. They are needed for optimal nutrition during infancy. Breast milk is the nutritional model for artificial baby milk, but no formula company can match it,” says Karen Gibson, a registered dietitian in the Department of Pediatrics at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and director of the UT WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program.
Breast milk ingredients:
* Lactoferrin helps the baby’s body absorb iron and protects the stomach from harmful bacteria.
* Lipases assist in the digestion of fats
* Special growth factors and hormones contribute to baby’s growth and development
Premature infants who are fed breast milk also thrive more than those fed formula, according to a study published in the October 2007 issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The premature infant study involved 773 US babies born extremely underweight–less than 2.2 lbs. between 1999 and 2002.
The study found that babies in the group given breast milk received higher scores on a test measuring their overall intelligence at 30 months of age, with the highest scores showing up among children who had received the most breast milk as infants.
Premature infants are usually fed through a feeding tube, since most will have trouble nursing from their mother.
“When companies imply that formula is ’second’ to breast milk, they are leaving a lot up to the consumer to assume. Formula is really a distant second in providing the complete nutrient profile that breast milk does,” says Gibson.
Human milk is a baby’s first immunization. It provides antibodies which protect the baby from many common respiratory and intestinal diseases, and also contains living immune cells. Breast milk contains immune components such as growth factors, cytokines, and antimicrobial compounds.
“Although controversial, breast milk may also provide protection against some forms of allergies,” says Susan Pacheco, MD, pediatric immunologist and assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UT Medical School.
“The same applies to atopic or allergic diseases, such as asthma,” says Pacheco. Researchers are still examining breast milk closely, to determine all possible benefits.
Destiny Wright had her heart set on breastfeeding when she had her first son. She didn’t even buy any bottles. “While I was pregnant, my doctor told me that I may have trouble nursing, but didn’t explain why. I wasn’t told that having flat nipples would affect my ability to nurse my son,” says Wright.
“When he was born in Colorado, the nurses didn’t help me. Every time I asked a question, they treated me like I should know the answers already. It broke my heart. I tried as long as I could to nurse him, but gave up when the pediatrician said he was losing weight at his one-month check-up,” says Wright.
When Wright found out she was pregnant with her second child, she began doing research and turned to The University of Texas WIC Program for help. Wright says they gave her free breast shields when she was about five months pregnant. The devices helped draw out her nipples, so she could better nurse her baby.
Donovan was born four months later at Memorial Hermann Northwest. Wright’s experience according to her: unbelievable! “They were so pro-nursing there. I started freaking out thinking he wasn’t getting enough milk, but they calmed me down and told me to relax,” Wright says.
Nurse Dana Havard was particularly helpful, teaching Wright good positioning and eventually calling in a lactation consultant to Wright’s room. “When I really began to feel him nursing well, Dana was as excited as I was. She was invaluable and I will never forget her help,” Wright remembers happily.
Donovan is now a thriving 3-month-old, breastfed exclusively. Wright credits the hospital and the UT WIC Program for providing invaluable instruction and support. “Women need a support system, and I could not have asked for better help. I would tell all mothers if it is their first, second or third attempt at breastfeeding, don’t give up. There is help, but if you decide you can’t do it, don’t feel bad either,” Wright says.
Why do women stop breastfeeding? (How much time do you have?) Breastfeeding means it is all you, all the time. A newborn baby can nurse every two to three hours, day and night. If you want a little help from Dad, you still have to pump the milk for him, which takes time, patience and an extra set of hands to care for the baby while you’re pumping. It also takes equipment. And, if you’re in the same home with a baby who is crying for milk, your body will most likely respond, causing a mess. (In fact, if you’re in a grocery store and hear someone else’s baby crying … same mess.)
Bottle-fed babies also tend to be satisfied longer between feedings because the proteins in infant formula are harder to digest. They may only eat every three hours.
Nursing can also cause fatigue, anxiety and frustration while you are learning. And, like everything else, there are also some possible side effects:
Engorgement usually happens a few days after you have your baby. Once-soft breasts can become as hard as a table top–too turgid, in fact, to drain. Your milk usually comes in on about day three. Your baby may not be able to empty your breasts, so they can become quite painful. The problem can be eased by pumping a little milk.
Cracked nipples can also cause pain. It usually occurs from incorrect positioning of the baby’s mouth or tongue in combination with strong sucking. Certain ointments help soothe the area, and breast shields can protect the nipple, allowing you to nurse while you heal.
Mastitis is the term for breast infection. Moms with cracked and bleeding nipples are at increased risk because they have an open door for bacteria to enter the breast tissue. This produces a hot, red, painful area on the breast and the mother may run a fever. Mastitis can be treated with antibiotics. The mother can continue to nurse and is encouraged to do so. The antibiotics prescribed are not harmful to the baby, and emptying the infected breast helps keep the milk flowing. The milk in the infected breast is still healthy.
The learning curve is already hard enough with one baby, so how about two or more? It can be little tricky, but it can be done. It’s best that you contact a board- certified lactation consultant before you have your babies, so they can show you the various nursing positions when juggling more than one infant. There are also specially made nursing pillows for twins. The pillow helps you position both of your babies at your breasts.
Once a nursing pattern is established, do not worry about having enough milk for two babies. It’s called supply and demand. In most cases, your body will produce enough milk to go around.
If you are having trouble juggling your new bundles of joy, try expressing milk so Dad, or someone else, can feed one of them.
If your babies were premature, breast milk can go a long way in giving their immune systems a boost, in gaining weight and developing at a good pace.
What is good for baby is also good for mom. Breastfeeding is the next natural physiological step after pregnancy. Pregnancy morphs your body in countless ways; breastfeeding helps return it to its pre-pregnancy state.
Through the small uterine contractions that nursing creates, breastfeeding can help your uterus return to its normal size more quickly and slow down your post-partum bleeding.
Nursing mothers also tend to lose their “pregnancy weight.” Milk production burns between 200 and 500 calories a day. You would have to ride a bicycle for at least an hour to achieve the same loss.
Mothers who breastfeed for at least six months throughout their lifetime have a decreased risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancers, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
More women are continuing to try breastfeeding, but the percentage of mothers who breastfeed exclusively is far short of the national objectives. “The increase in mothers choosing to initiate breastfeeding is good news because it provides health benefits for women and decreases the risk of some early childhood diseases among infants,” says William H. Dietz, MD, PhD, director of the CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity.
Nearly 74 percent of women who gave birth in 2004 initiated breastfeeding, up from 70.9 percent for infants born in 2000, and nearly achieving the national objective of 75 percent. However, the rates for exclusive breastfeeding were not nearly as good. Among infants born in 2004, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding through age 3 months was 30.5 percent. These statistics show that a high percentage of women who leave the hospital breastfeeding, will stop in the first few weeks.
In recent years, states are beginning to show support for nursing mothers by passing legislation to protect them. In 1995, legislation was passed in Texas to stand behind mothers who breastfeed in public.
The language of House Bill 359 includes: “A mother is entitled to breastfeed her baby in any location where she is authorized to be; allows worksites to use the designation of ‘mother-friendly’ if they develop worksite policies supporting breastfeeding; state agencies that administer maternal/child health program provide information that encourages breastfeeding; create worksite breastfeeding support policies for all state employees.”
At present, states and the federal government have not made it easy for nursing mothers to return to work and continue breastfeeding. Most workplaces do not have areas set aside for women to pump their milk.
Before you go on maternity leave, or before you return to work after your baby is born, get organized. Talk with your employer about having a private place, with a lock, where you can pump your breasts. Remember, that unless you have a battery-operated pump, you will need a room that has an electrical outlet.
You will also need to talk with your employer about allowing you at least two times a day to pump. You will need about 20 minutes to empty your breasts if you have a double pump, possibly more if you have a single pump. Here’s a checklist of possible supplies:
* Breast pump, plus electrical adaptor if needed. Extra batteries if you are using a battery-powered pump
* A small cooler, plus an ice pack, if a refrigerator is not available. (If you have a long drive home, it may be best to have a cooler, to ensure the milk remains at the same temperature.)
* Milk storage containers
* Breast pads to prevent milk from leaking through your bra onto your clothes
* Clothing that makes it easy for you to pump your breasts, including nursing bras
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be breastfed for at least the first year of life. But, even a few months of breastfeeding can provide benefits for you and your child. Giving them a head start on good nutrition will be just the first of many gifts you will share with them through the years.
This weekend in NJ – May 16-17, 2009
May 14, 2009 by admin
Filed under Day Trips, NJ Travel Guide, News For Parents, What to do
| New Jersey Ballet: Giselle Event Information The Community Theatre Date: May 16,2009 Location: 100 South St., Morristown, NJ 07960 Get More Information: New Jersey Ballet: Giselle |
| Horseshoe Crab Day Event Information Jenkinson’s Aquarium Date: May 16,2009 Location: 300 Ocean Ave., Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742 Get More Information: Horseshoe Crab Day |
| Fine Art & Crafts at Verona Park Event Information Verona Park Date: May 16,2009 Location: Bloomfield Ave., Verona, NJ 07044 Get More Information: Fine Art & Crafts at Verona Park |
| Pathmark Mulitcultural Arts Festival Event Information Woodbridge Center Date: May 16,2009 Location: Woodbridge Center Dr., Woodbridge, NJ 07095 Get More Information: Pathmark Mulitcultural Arts Festival |
| Born to be Shorn Event Information Cooper Gristmill Date: May 16,2009 Location: 66 State Route 24, Chester, NJ 07930 Get More Information: Born to be Shorn |
| Richie HavensRichie Havens Event Information Algonquin Arts Theatre Date: May 16,2009 Location: 173 Main St., Manasquan, NJ 08736 Get More Information: Richie HavensRichie Havens |
| McCarter Theatre Gala Benefit Event Information McCarter Threatre Date: May 16,2009 Location: 91 University Place, Princeton, NJ 08540 Get More Information: McCarter Theatre Gala Benefit |
| Blast from the Past Event Information Medford Township Date: May 16,2009 Location: Main St., Medford, NJ 08055 Get More Information: Blast from the Past |
| A Taste Of Tango & More Event Information Montclair Art Museum Leir Hall Date: May 16,2009 Location: 3 South Mountain Ave., Montclair, NJ 07042 Get More Information: A Taste Of Tango & More |
| Spring Arts & Crafts Festival Event Information Star of the Sea Parish Hall Date: May 16,2009 Location: Washington & Lafayette Sts., Cape May, NJ 08204 Get More Information: Spring Arts & Crafts Festival |
| Everything Jersey City Festival Event Information Central Ave. Date: May 16,2009 Location: Central Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07307 Get More Information: Everything Jersey City Festival |
| Beginning Birding Event Information Duke Farms Date: May 16,2009 Location: 80 Route 206 South, Hillsborough, NJ 08844 Get More Information: Beginning Birding |
| Fire Control Tower No. 23 Opening Ceremony Event Information Sunset Blvd. near Sunset Beach Date: May 16,2009 Location: Sunset Boulevard, Cape May, NJ 08204 Get More Information: Fire Control Tower No. 23 Opening Ceremony |
| Adult Workshop: Plaster Casting Event Information Grounds For Sculpture Date: May 16,2009 Location: 18 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, NJ 08619 Get More Information: Adult Workshop: Plaster Casting |
| Tots on Tour! Event Information Grounds For Sculpture Date: May 16,2009 Location: 18 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, NJ 08619 Get More Information: Tots on Tour! |
| Historic Metel Crafts: Beginners Blacksmithing Event Information Historic Speedwell Date: May 16,2009 Location: 333 Speedwell Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07960 Get More Information: Historic Metel Crafts: Beginners Blacksmithing |
| Mayfest Event Information Historic Smithville – Village Greene Date: May 16,2009 Location: Rt. 9 & Moss Mill Rd., Smithville, NJ 08205 Get More Information: Mayfest |
| The Lindbergh Kidnapping Event Information Tulipwood Date: May 16,2009 Location: 1165 Hamilton St., Somerset, NJ 08873 Get More Information: The Lindbergh Kidnapping |
| New Egypt Day Event Information Oakford Lake Park Date: May 16,2009 Location: Lakeview Drive, New Egypt, NJ 08533 Get More Information: New Egypt Day |
| Pirates Day with Captain Kidd Event Information 26th St. Date: May 16,2009 Location: 26th St., North Wildwood, NJ 08260 Get More Information: Pirates Day with Captain Kidd |
| Bike MS ‘Coast the Coast’ Event Information Monmouth University Date: May 16,2009 Location: 400 Cedar Avenue, West Long Branch, NJ 07764 Get More Information: Bike MS ‘Coast the Coast’ |
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| Woodbridge Street Fair and Craft Show Event Information Downtown Woodbridge Date: May 16,2009 Location: Downtown Woodbridge, Woodbridge, NJ 07095 Get More Information: Woodbridge Street Fair and Craft Show |
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| Basking Ridge Charter Day Streetfair & Festival Event Information Downtown Basking Ridge Date: May 16,2009 Location: East Oak Street, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 Get More Information: Basking Ridge Charter Day Streetfair & Festival |
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| American Heart Association HeartWalk Event Information Sports & Civic Center Date: May 16,2009 Location: 6th & Boardwalk, Ocean City, NJ 08226 Get More Information: American Heart Association HeartWalk |
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| NJ Safe Boating Class Event Information Minmar Marine Date: May 16,2009 Location: 14 Old Sea Isle City Blvd, Sea Isle City, NJ 08243 Get More Information: NJ Safe Boating Class |
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| Great Cape May Footrace 2009 Event Information 30th Annual 5K and 10K run. Race through the beautiful historic district & beachfront of Cape May. Enjoy a flat, fast course with chances to win cash prizes. Fee required to enter. Date: May 16,2009 Location: Beach Ave in Cape May, front of Convention hall Get More Information: Great Cape May Footrace 2009 |
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| Rubber Ducky Race & Family Fun Day Event Information Benefiting Virtua Memorial Hospital Burlington County Date: May 16,2009 Location: Mirror Lake in Medford Lakes, NJ 08055 Get More Information: Rubber Ducky Race & Family Fun Day
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