This time of year can pose quite a challenge for nursing mothers. While the joy of the holidays is among us, with it all comes the business and stress of family gatherings, decorating, cooking, shopping, wrapping and other holiday activities. This is also the season where we often see more upper respiratory infections.
Studies show that breast milk helps to protect infants and toddlers from infections that are common during this season. However, breastfeeding and pumping can be unusually challenging for parents during this time, as we engage ourselves in all the extra activities the holidays seemingly demand from our already busy lives.
Blanchard Valley Health System (BVHS) will host a special Facebook Live at noon on Wednesday, December 15. The topic will be “The Impact of the Rising COVID-19 Cases Within Our Community.”
Serving as hosts of the event will be BVHS President & CEO Myron Lewis, William Kose, MD, vice president of special projects and Renee Smith, MD, chief medical officer.
The event will be streamed on the health system’s Facebook page, facebook.com/BlanchardValleyHealthSystem/. Community members can “like” the corporate Facebook account of BVHS and visit the page to watch live.
The holidays are quickly approaching, which can be such a joyful time of the year for celebrations with family and friends. However, they can also wreak havoc on our nutrition goals. The following are some helpful tips on how to be mindful during the holidays.
Don’t skip meals. A common thought around the holidays is, “if I skip lunch, I will be able to save those calories and eat them all at dinner.” However, skipping meals often leads to overeating at the next meal. It is important to eat three balanced meals during the holidays to help avoid overeating at gatherings.
In November 2020, with the state of Ohio heading towards a COVID hospitalization peak of 5,308 (December 15 daily count, Ohio Hospital Association), the Bluffton Icon talked with Dr. William Kose about how individuals can prevent spread of the virus. Kose is an internist in Findlay, Ohio and Vice President for Special Projects at Blanchard Valley Health System (BVHS).
This week we talked with Dr. Kose about the current surge. On September 27 the state of Ohio had a daily count of 3,742 COVID patients hospitalized, the highest such count since the introduction of COVID vaccines.
The Covid pandemic has brought about new challenges to the medical community and society as a whole. There have been times where we were forced to give up rights and do things we are not comfortable doing. We as Americans do not give up our rights freely and will definitely put up a fight whenever we feel our rights are being infringed. We have fights over why we would or should wear a mask. Fights over vaccines and if they should be mandated. Fights over schools and how the school year should be laid out, if the kids should wear masks, should we have full sessions, etc.
Cold and flu season is right around the corner. Top that with the new risk of COVID, and many moms aren’t sure what to do when they or their baby get sick. Of course, our top priority as mothers is protecting this new little life, and we would do anything for them. So, here is the good news. Your body has superpowers!
