Weekend Reads: Vitamin D and Childbirth, One Star Reviews of National Parks, etc
Well hello! The weekend is here, and I’m excited. It’s been a “drop your kid off at daycare only to discover you never put shoes on him” kind of week. Anyway, what are you in the mood for today?
If you’re looking for….a way to make childbirth less painful:
A new study suggests Vitamin D levels could have an effect on pain level during childbirth. At this point it’s a conference paper, but this research seems really interesting.
If you’re looking for….something funny:
One star yelp reviews of National Parks. Some people just don’t love the great outdoors. (From Mary)
If you’re looking for….some outrage:
This new mom asked to reschedule her hearing in court (she was the attorney), and opposing counsel said okay. The judge did not concur. She brought her baby to court, and the judge freaked. It’s not the most appalling part, but the judge apparently argued with her when she said she couldn’t use a daycare because her child was under 6 weeks old. It always scares me when people with the power to decide the future of others don’t understand the constraints normal people encounter. (Also from Mary)
If you’re looking for….some old school parenting advice:
Try these tips from the medieval period. If you laugh too loud, you’re ugly, apparently.
If you’re looking for….some science fair projects:
Here you go, 10 from Steve Spangler.
For the Pregnancy Vitamin D article I wonder if levels of exercise also come into play. I just assume that if a person has more vitamin D they are probably outside more and likely moving around more too. Maybe the Vitamin D is an indicator for more of an active lifestyle which may play into an easier delivery (a relatively physical event). Just a guess. Not to say that Vitamin D levels wouldn’t also come into play. My sister was Vitamin D deficient and that deficiency had affected her mood and left her with a tired feeling. Apparently this is a common problem for people who live in the great north, where sun exposure is limited and even non existent for months at a time. I assume that if a person was feeling that way that their pain tolerance and physical abilities would certainly be affected. Interesting research for sure.
I was actually wondering the same thing….if this was something that would be helped by supplementation or if it’s really just a proxy for something else. I’ll be really interested to see more details when they publish this!