|
Had my first baby at Swedish. The otherwise extremely competent nurse's idea of labor support was asking me when I wanted my epidural. She just didn't seem to know how to help someone birth without...
Had my first baby at Swedish. The otherwise extremely competent nurse's idea of labor support was asking me when I wanted my epidural. She just didn't seem to know how to help someone birth without drugs. Had my second baby at Community Birth & Family Center. Hurt worse. Felt better overall. My skeptical husband and I did the research: in low-risk pregnancies, outcomes are the same (and some studies say better) with midwife-assisted births with no drugs. It feels MUCH better afterward than when you are post-drugs and in the hospital. Your baby and you figured it out together. Breastfeeding hurt just as much the second time as it did the first, but this time I didn't quit because I had more confidence in myself. Neither experience was perfect--birth is too complex, scary and personal a process for it to go perfectly. But if you compare the hospital environment to a midwife-assisted birth, you might decide as I did to go with the latter. Community Birth & Family Center was a sweet environment in which to give birth.
Hide
|
|
I had the greatest time playing whirly ball in the summer of 1993. That is, until a guy came from across the court at top speed and rear-ended me. I was in a neck-brace for 6 weeks and my spine has...
I had the greatest time playing whirly ball in the summer of 1993. That is, until a guy came from across the court at top speed and rear-ended me. I was in a neck-brace for 6 weeks and my spine has never been the same. Super-fun, but solemnly agree with your teammates to avoid this type of hit.
Hide
|
|
The folks at this clinic were nice enough, but they were not helpful with planning for the cost of their recommendations. For instance, they prescribed special food for our overweight (big-boned!)...
The folks at this clinic were nice enough, but they were not helpful with planning for the cost of their recommendations. For instance, they prescribed special food for our overweight (big-boned!) cats. They sold us this food and it was costly. They didn't present us with choices, such as a different feeding schedule or a range of food options. We eventually quit that and let the cat outside. She lost weight. When one cat got sick, they did a lot of expensive blood/urine work without warning us of the cost, then just shrugged their shoulders about what was wrong or what we should do to help. They visit the ills of the expensive and ineffective human medical care system upon helpless kitties!
Hide
|
|
Our family has been coming to this espresso cafe since its inception, which was when our oldest was 6 months old and we love it. The baristas are hip, yet gracious. The owners are conscientious about...
Our family has been coming to this espresso cafe since its inception, which was when our oldest was 6 months old and we love it. The baristas are hip, yet gracious. The owners are conscientious about creating the kind of gathering place that reflects their community values. The coffee and pastries are stellar. But the best thing about this place is the customers. They are all intimate strangers. They tolerate our kids, they are great conversationalists and seem to care about the cafe and its community. I've purchased art at Victrola that I love. I go to other coffee places, since variety is the spice of life, but Victrola is the best among them--the warmest, with the best coffee and most stimulating atmosphere, reading material, etc. Great place to be alone, with family, or with friends. People even share seats when the place is full of afternoon laptop users.
Hide
|
|
This is a quiet, unassuming place on north Capitol Hill. They have great sinful desserts, which I've bought for special occasions. They also have a rotating special bread, which is usually yummy. But...
This is a quiet, unassuming place on north Capitol Hill. They have great sinful desserts, which I've bought for special occasions. They also have a rotating special bread, which is usually yummy. But the best thing on the menu is the whole wheat cinnamon roll. Just darn good--not too sweet, not too grainy. They also serve espresso. They have nice art and window benches surrounding four tables. People are nice and move over. If you are in the mood for socializing, you will be disappointed, as both the staff and the customers all seem to be extreme introverts. They are, however, nice to my kids when I bring them, and leave me alone when I want to be left alone. The only downside is that they don't serve the whole wheat cinnamon rolls every day, and I can't actually remember which day they serve them. Give them a call or take your chances. If they aren't available when you go you will be forced to eat one of their sinful brownies.
Hide
|
|
The Safety First bedrail is safe and easy and very effective at keeping your child in that first big-kid bed. We used it at home and traveling, introducing it first when we took the side off the crib...
The Safety First bedrail is safe and easy and very effective at keeping your child in that first big-kid bed. We used it at home and traveling, introducing it first when we took the side off the crib to make a toddler bed, then again with the real twin. Our first used it until just age 4, which was actually a problem. Every time we tried to take the rail away, she would fall out and want it back. That's the problem with bed rails. Apparently, the body gets used to sleeping w/out a rail only as soon as it needs to. Delay it until age 4, and it takes that long. I'd have taken it away sooner if I knew because it was a pain when I wanted to sit on her bedside to comfort her. My advice: use a rail at first, and maybe when traveling or whenever there is a particular danger to falling. When it's time for a big-kid bed, though, it's time for a big kid bed. Use pillows on the floor or put the mattress right on the floor to get your child's body used to it.
Hide
|
|
"The mission of the Pike Market Medical Clinic is to provide comprehensive, primary health care to people without adequate access to care in our community." There was a time when I had no medical...
"The mission of the Pike Market Medical Clinic is to provide comprehensive, primary health care to people without adequate access to care in our community." There was a time when I had no medical insurance and no money and a bad bladder infection. These folks were warm, listened, treated me, and let me pay what I could, which wasn't much. Please, figure out a sustainable approach to affording medical care for yourself and your family, but until then know that there are sliding scale clinics in Seattle. The one on Capitol Hill is called The Country Doctor, and it's on 19th Ave E. If you need a place to put your dollars to work in your community, please donate.
Hide
|
|
In our house, we have a rule. Only fruits and vegetables in the hour or two before dinner. Trouble is, Mom's a last-minute-Charlie and doesn't always have a fruit or veggie handy. Luckily, every two...
In our house, we have a rule. Only fruits and vegetables in the hour or two before dinner. Trouble is, Mom's a last-minute-Charlie and doesn't always have a fruit or veggie handy. Luckily, every two weeks we get a box of produce delivered to keep the health systems in this household from grinding to a halt. It's something I do for my family without actually having to *do* anything. The reason I started it was that I quit work for a while to have a couple of kids, but had never cooked before, much less planned menus 7 days a week, 365 freaking days a year. PLUS there are all those horrible things I read about chemicals in food. How could I feed my family nutritious organic food on only one income AND actually continue to enjoy the concept of food? Pioneerorganics.com, that's how. They have a variety of configurations for what/how often. They have a natural foods grocery store online, from which you can choose additional things to add to your delivery--and soon you'll be able to schedule regular delivery of many of those items. Ingenious recycled storage boxes. Cooking-oil-fueled delivery vans. Eat your greens! Keep a pretty fruit bowl! Get Pioneer Organics!
Hide
|
|
Look no further. This is your jewelry partner for life. My then-fiance and I lived near Pike Place Market and were wandering around looking for engagement/wedding rings. We saw some neat things in...
Look no further. This is your jewelry partner for life. My then-fiance and I lived near Pike Place Market and were wandering around looking for engagement/wedding rings. We saw some neat things in the window of Gold Mine and walked into the tiniest store ever, with a geeky dude in a magnifying helmet and his equally geeky looking female partner. The cool jewelry didn't match the mineral geeks behind the counter...or did it? We aren't jewelry people, and we got the most BRILLIANT education into gems and metalurgy imaginable. These people have inherent style. They took our wedding band ideas--stripes of white and yellow gold--and made matching, but slightly different custom ring designs. They made the molds and scheduled a "casting party" where we helped cast our own rings from molten metal. They even served us champagne afterward to celebrate. The rings turned out beautifully and guard our marriage today. Every bit of jewelry we've bought since has come from them and I would never go to another place. And we have never been overwhelmed by the pricing--there is truly something for everyone.
Hide
|
|
Our doc at Polyclinic Pediatrics is Dr. Sherri Zorn. We had to switch one time when our insurance stopped covering visits there and it was a big eye opener to how good we had it. This clinic has a...
Our doc at Polyclinic Pediatrics is Dr. Sherri Zorn. We had to switch one time when our insurance stopped covering visits there and it was a big eye opener to how good we had it. This clinic has a well-established leader--our doc saw him when she was a kid! And the group, though it contains many part-time docs, seems wisened by his leadership. They don't make you feel like a paranoid parent, even those times when you are. They get you an appointment when you need one, even if your doc is booked. I haven't had a bad experience with any of the docs. One of my favorite things is the small setting. You don't have to rush down long corridors, or go through unnecessary paperwork, as you do in a hospital clinic like Virginia Mason First Hill. You're in, you're out. Great parking facility. They charge, but not much. Great referrals too. A couple of bads. The nursing staff is totally inconsistent and we've actually had some downright bad experiences with shots. Also, they are VERY focused on Western medicine, whereas I look for complimentary therapies and want drugs as a last resort.
|