Melanie R. Silverman MS, RD, IBCLC

If you know new parents who have delivered babies during this pandemic and need breastfeeding support RIGHT NOW, call Pacify. I've spoken to moms who have left hospitals soon after birth and really need more help and they can't find it. They CAN have it---in about 30 seconds---from their smartphones. www.pacify.com

Great American Write-In sponsored by Women For: Orange County The Pen Is Mightier than the Sword! Meet representatives of local and national advocacy groups. Learn about today's vital issues. Raise your voice by writing to the decision-makers who can make a difference in health, the environment, peace, human and civil rights, and education! No participating or...

California's first Surgeon General. And she is a pediatrician! Dr. Nadine Burke Harrishttps://www.ted.com/talks/nadine_burke_harris_how_childhood_trauma_affects_health_across_a_lifetime?language=en

How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime Childhood trauma isn’t something you just get over as you grow up. Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains that the repeated stress of abuse, neglect and parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible effects on the development of the brain. This unfolds acros...

Some solid resources if you are struggling with a picky eater. https://jillcastle.com/preschooler-nutrition/picky-eating-resources/

9 Awesome Picky Eating Resources You Need to Know About - Jill Castle Parents of fussy eaters need picky eating resources to help their child move forward in eating. Here are 9 of the best picky eating resources around.

So worth the read.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/curiosity-and-the-prisoner

Atul Gawande: Curiosity and What Equality Really Means Regarding people as having lives of equal worth means recognizing each as having a common core of humanity. To see this humanity requires a willingness to ask people what it’s like to be in their shoes.

If you have a picky eater, this course is definitely worth your time! Check it out.

https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/shop/shop/selfstudy/prevent-resolve-child-eeding-problems-abcs-child-feeding.html

Do you have or know a teen picky eater? This article is EXCELLENT! Please read and share...https://offspring.lifehacker.com/what-to-do-when-your-picky-eater-is-a-teen-1825014128

What to Do When Your Picky Eater Is a Teen What happens if your picky-eating child doesn’t grow out of it? What if you’re begging a 15-year-old to just taste a green vegetable? After all, by the time they’re adolescents, kids have spending money, autonomy, and access to plenty of junk food. So what is a parent supposed to do when the s...

Sound advice about sweets. Look at the entire day...

How Should I Handle My Child's Sugar Cravings? - Jill Castle How should I handle my child's sugar cravings? Learn how many sweets your child should have each day and how to manage the constant requests for sweets.

Every new mom should have Pacify on her phone.

DC Based app provides free access to healthcare consultants for low-income moms WASHINGTON, DC -- A DC based app company is helping to connect low-income moms with healthcare professionals to answer everything from questions about prenatal diets, to breastfeeding, to fevers. “It allows moms to press a button and connect instantly, sort of like Uber, to a national network of l...

Excellent! Such an important read.

What to say (or not to say) to your overweight child Do set a good example. Don’t even mention size or weight.

Yay!

Thank you to the amazing WIC team at Howard University Hospital for another awesome training! These rockstars, who work to improve the lives of new parents every day, will now be providing Pacify's 24/7, free, and unlimited support to their new and expecting mamas!

Breast-Feeding Tied to Reduced Risk of Diabetes Mothers who breast-feed may be at reduced risk of diabetes, a new study reports.

This has wonderful advice for parents. http://www.maryannjacobsen.com/2018/01/if-i-were-to-advise-kates-parents-from-this-is-us-on-food-and-feeding-heres-what-id-say/

If I Were to Advise Kate's Parents (from This is Us) on Food and Feeding, Here's What I'd Say In the TV show, This is Us, Kate struggles with weight and body image as an adult with flashbacks to her childhood. Here's feeding advice I'd give Kate's parents if I had the chance.

Excellent.

13 Experts On Why They No Longer Recommend Diets These experts have two goals: to help people have better relationships with food, and to dismantle the diet-first mindset.

A must see if you are a parent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFpHZQq0qDQ

The Nutrition Prescription for Healthier Kids | Jill Castle | TEDxDanbury One of our nation's leading Childhood Nutrition Experts, Registered Dietitian Jill Castle explains the misconceptions people have about feeding their childre...

Please ask your allergist about immunotherapy if you have a child with food allergies.

New Hope for Kids With Multiple Food Allergies A treatment for kids with more than one dangerous food allergy shows promise in early trials, researchers say.

PROUD and excited for this!

The Pacify team is thrilled to announce the launch of our district wide partnership with the D.C. WIC program. By next month, all WIC participants in D.C. will have free access to breastfeeding support through the Pacify app!

Pacify was piloted by the Mary's Center WIC program in 2016. The success of the pilot led the U.S. Department of Agriculture to award D.C. WIC funds to expand the program district wide.

We are looking forward to working with staff from Children's National Medical Center, Unity Health Care, Howard University Hospital, and Mary's Center to roll out the program!!

So important...

Aussie team makes SIDS breakthrough Babies who die from SIDS are low in a brain chemical that controls heads and neck movement, meaning they can't shift out of dangerous positions.

Online calculator estimates the impact of changes in breastfeeding rates on population health — UNC Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology The calculator will provide policy makers and advocates with an approximation of the return on investment for interventions that enable women to breastfeed.

It IS easy to become obese in America if you eat fast food often.

Vox on Twitter “It’s easy to become obese in America. These 7 charts explain why. https://t.co/ZHY9mlyjgO”

Your kids are listening. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/21/well/live/fat-bias-starts-early-and-takes-a-serious-toll.html?emc=edit_tnt_20170828&nlid=71530761&tntemail0=y&_r=0

Fat Bias Starts Early and Takes a Serious Toll Implicit bias can result in discrimination against people who are seriously overweight.

I could eat like this. Could you? https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/21/well/eat/the-case-for-a-breakfast-feast.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_hh_20170825&nl=well&nl_art=0&nlid=22856914&ref=headline&te=1

The Case for a Breakfast Feast A new review provides the latest evidence to suggest we should front-load our calories early in the day to jump-start our metabolisms and prevent obesity.

THIS...is a great cookbook.

The High-Protein Vegetarian Cookbook: Hearty Dishes that Even Carnivores Will Love Satisfying vegetarian recipes from Veggie and the Beast Where do vegetarians get their protein? From delicious plant-based foods, including beans, nuts, quinoa, raw cocoa, and even dairy. These ingredients are used to their best advantage in this new cookbook. As a vegetarian living with a meat-e...

THANK YOU ALL!

Exciting stuff happening for Pacify in DC!

These 5 health startups entered a new incubator at 1776 in Crystal City - Technical.ly DC VEDA Data Solutions and Pacify are the local winners of 1776 & MedStar Health's challenge.