On the day I write this, I am 10 days post-surgery.

My surgery involved the removal of my uterus (hysterectomy), removal of one (and a half) diseased ovaries (partial oophorectomy), and a cystectomy, which is the excision of multiple cysts and endometriomas.

*Prior to going into surgery, you will be asked, probably multiple times, “what surgery are you having today?”, so it’s important to know the technical terms. They want to make sure you fully understand – and consent to – the organs they are about to remove. 

*My surgery was complicated. If you are going in for a simple hysterectomy – or even a simple oophorectomy, I would expect your recovery to be faster and easier than mine.

In the process, they also removed my appendix, my fallopian tubes, my cervix and a whole bunch of endometrial tissue that was errantly growing inside my abdominal cavity. 

Endometrial tissue looks like dried glue and had adhered to many of my organs, including my bladder, bowel and ureters. In fact, the tissue had wrapped around my right ureter so badly, it was almost completely obstructed. Of course, no one knew any of this until they got in there to see what was actually going on.

This is one of the biggest challenges of endometriosis: you can’t see it from the outside.

When my surgeon came around the next day, she took my hand and said, “it was pretty bad in there, how have you been living like this?”. 

I could have cried (but I knew it would hurt too much, LOL). 

At that moment, I felt so unbelievably vindicated.

Getting Ready for Hysterectomy

In the weeks leading up to your surgery, it will behoove you to get your body into good shape. If you go in strong, it will make your recovery quicker and easier. If you are a caffeine fiend, you may want to consider weaning yourself of caffeine leading up to your surgery. There will be about 3 days (at least) where you cannot have coffee (you won’t want it, rather), and the withdrawal will not help your situation.

Day Before Surgery

The day before your surgery, you will most likely have to do a “bowel prep” to empty your bowel so the surgeons have more space to work. 

I was dreading this part, as I’d never done it before, but it really wasn’t that bad. The harder part was not being able to eat solid food for about 36 hours prior to surgery. A hearty broth is your best friend the day before surgery; you don’t want to become weak and hangry.

The day of your surgery, you won’t be able to eat at all. This sucks if your surgery is in the afternoon like mine was. Note that you might not know the time your surgery is scheduled for until the day before. Note also you will likely lose several pounds this week and the next. 

Surgery Day

The morning of your surgery, you’ll be asked to shower and clean your body really well with a potent antibacterial soap. Make sure you stay as clean as possible before your surgery; this will reduce your infection risk. 

Try to stay as calm as possible – find your happy, calm place. Turn off your phone so you aren’t too overwhelmed by texts and… people. 

Think positively – it’s going to be okay! You’ll be so relieved when it’s all over.

If you are prone to nausea, especially from anesthesia, make sure to tell the doctors and nurses beforehand!! I will talk a lot about managing nausea because I think it’s commonly overlooked.

Waking Up

Waking up from surgery can take a while, depending on how long you were under. I was under for 4.5 hours, so I was very groggy for days, especially the first 2 days. If you are only under for an hour or two, you won’t feel groggy for as long. 

My surgery was late in the day, so I stayed that night in the hospital, though some of you will probably go home the same day. There’s no shame in staying a night – or even two. Looking back, there is NO way I could have gone home that night. Absolutely no way.

When you come to, the first thing you will notice is that your throat is very sore from the breathing tube, like you have a frog that you can’t clear. In fact, you may not get your voice back to normal for a few days. 

It will be extremely painful to cough, sneeze, laugh, cry, clear your throat (learned all this the hard way), and it’s doubly painful to vomit, so do whatever you can to prevent those things. You won’t have a lot of energy to talk, so just whisper until you get your voice back .

You will probably wake up with pressers on your lower legs. These are leg massagers that cycle through inflation to keep the blood moving in your lower legs to prevent blood clots. I rather liked that part.

Depending on the time of day, you may be offered food, though I will tell you, you won’t have much of an appetite. But try to eat something, even if it’s just a few bites, and drink, drink, drink because they won’t discharge you until you pee a certain amount. You will likely still have a catheter during the first few hours/night of recovery, so you don’t have to worry about getting up to use the bathroom… yet. 

Gas Pain After Hysterectomy

The pain will be pretty intense when you wake up – and most of it is from gas. When they operate on you, they fill your abdomen with CO2 to create space to maneuver their tools and cameras, and this gas gets trapped inside you after surgery. 

I’m not kidding when I say the gas pain is the worst part of all of this. The pain from the gas is dynamic; sometimes it feels like stabbing pain and sometimes it’s more of a dull ache. It even hurts in your shoulders and your neck (what?). Bottom line: the gas pain is rough. 

I was given Tylenol and Torodol (a strong ibuprofen) after surgery – and was sent home with it. I’ll be the first to tell you it wasn’t enough, so I requested narcotics in the hospital after a night of no sleep. I still don’t know what the big effing deal is about receiving narcotics for a couple of days after a major surgery. They make you feel like an addict for asking for it. I wish it weren’t this way. 

That said, you don’t want to stay on the narcotics longer than you have to. For me, it was about  2 days. Narcotics will contribute to constipation, which is an inevitably of surgery, but you don’t want to make it worse. 

Basically, pain control is all a balance between pain relief and side effects. 

You won’t be able to start passing the gas for about 24 hours after surgery (or more), which is why that first day is so brutal. By about 36 hours, you should start passing the gas, both out your rear and through burping it up and believe me, you will feel a great sense of relief once the gas starts dissipating. 

Nausea after Hysterectomy 

Speaking of the gas, the pain and the fullness of the gas – alone – can cause nausea. Add onto that the anesthesia and, if you are taking narcotics (like Oxy), these can all contribute to nausea. Nausea after hysterectomy can be sheer misery, so it’s very important to control it for the first 3 days after surgery. You do NOT want to be vomiting after abdominal surgery — I can’t think of anything worse. 

In my experience, this is something you have to be very proactive about. I was sent home with Zofran, and I’m so glad I had it. But I had to push for it!

Again, once the gas starts to dissipate, the nausea will also subside — and you’ll start feeling much better.

Walking

They want you to get up and walk in the first 24 hours after surgery, depending on time of day, and once they remove your catheter. 

This will seem like a daunting task. The act of even sitting upright is a challenge, and then figuring out how to swing your legs over so you can stand. Eesh. 

But don’t worry, it gets easier. 

It’s tough the first time you stand to walk. Even getting your body vertical can be a challenge. You may feel very dizzy or nauseous, so take it slow. If you have an abdominal binder, use it. You might feel like your innards are about to spill out of you, so having something to compress the tummy can help you feel more comfortable. 

The thing is walking helps expel the gas, so as uncomfortable as it can be, you need to do it; if you lie in bed all day, the gas won’t come out as readily. 

Going Home

Getting home from the hospital was no picnic. I was in NYC, so we took an Uber. Do yourself a favor and get the Luxury Uber – you will feel every little pothole and bump, not unlike after childbirth.  

Once you get home, just go to bed. I feel like I slept for 2-3 days afterward. 

Two very important things: stay on top of your meds and don’t forget to walk. Hopefully, you’ll have someone taking care of you that can keep a med schedule – and even wake you up in the night to take your meds – and to take you to pee. *Don’t worry, you won’t be pooping for several days or more.

Just rest as much as you can, but don’t neglect to get up and walk every so often, even if it’s just a short distance. 

Leg and Back Pain After Hysterectomy

I had major pain in my lower-right back for the first week after surgery. Apparently, this is common. The back pain will go away in about a week, only to make room for…. the leg pain. 

I still have no idea why my legs hurt so badly – it felt like I had run a marathon, mostly in my upper legs. It may be because of how my legs were positioned during surgery, or perhaps because of sudden underuse. This pain occurred starting about a week after surgery and lasted about a week. 

Hot flashes and Headaches after Hysterectomy

Because they took 1.5 of my ovaries, my estrogen had plummeted and left me with crazy hot flashes and later, headaches. The hot flashes make you feel like you’re running a fever, and actually had me a bit worried that I was (I wasn’t).  

We’ve all heard of hot flashes, but I was not prepared for “hysterectomy headaches”. These actually got worse the 2nd week after surgery, as I still hadn’t received my estrogen that was being sent in the mail (big mistake!).

I’ve read that even the removal of the uterus (alone) can cause these symptoms as well. 

Be sure you have the hormone convo before surgery so you aren’t caught off guard by this. Hysterectomy recovery is miserable enough without dealing with sudden hormone deprivation. *Please see note at bottom regarding hormone replacement!

My appetite came back on the 2nd day, but I was only hungry for very simple things, like toast. Eat whatever appeals to you, you can worry about nutrition later.

By day 3, you should be starting to feel better and by day 5… you might even feel pretty ok. You’ll probably have a post-op appointment on day 5 or 6. This is when they’ll remove the tape from your incisions and make sure all your major systems are back online. 

They’ll also want to make sure you can poop – and might send you home with a laxative which you can (and should) use. The postoperative constipation is real – and your belly might start to get bloated. This will only add to your discomfort. 

On Day 5, I flew home from NYC after my appointment. This was not ideal, but I really wanted to get home. I had lots of help, including wheelchair assistance. *Do yourself a favor and buy a 1st class ticket if you are flying home. 

About a week after your surgery (by day 7 or 8, give or take), you should have turned a corner. 

You might be wondering when you can lay on your side after hysterectomy. For the first few days after the surgery, you’ll be confined to sleeping on your back because of the incisions on your right and left side (for laparoscopic surgery). After about a week, you may be able to start lying and sleeping on your side, if it feels ok. Your body will tell you. 

By Day 8, I was able to have (kind of) a normal day, which felt so good. By Day 10 (today), I feel like I’m getting back into the swing of things. I can drive and walk longer distances, go to the store (although twisting a lot in driving doesn’t feel great). Bending over is not my favorite, but I can do it. I’m relying heavily on my legs vs. bending over.

I can’t lift heavy things (for several weeks) and I don’t have a lot of endurance, but I think it will get better every day. Right now, I can “do” laundry… but I can’t carry the laundry basket. I can cook food and do light cleaning… but I can’t take out the trash because it’s too heavy. Things like that. 

I am told it will take 4 weeks to feel fairly normal, so I’m looking forward to that. Update: I am 4 weeks post-surgery and they were right! Four weeks is about the magic number when you can start easing back into your normal everyday activities. Notice is said EASE. 

I can already feel relief in my body. My hip pain has subsided. My tailbone pain is gone. I can stand after being seated a while for dinner, for example, and not have to brace myself to stand and walk. I had been suffering greatly from Stage 4 endometriosis.

I ceremoniously threw away all my tampons, cups, pads, and period underwear. I’m just so grateful to have ridded myself of endometriosis. I’m so grateful to my surgeons, Drs. Tamer Seckin and Amanda Chu, at  Seckin Endometriosis Center in NYC.

What to Wear After Hysterectomy

In the first few days after your surgery, it’s best to stick to dresses and nightgowns. You don’t want anything against your waist, though I found it was ok to wear regular underwear, as long as it’s not too tight. 

I was able to start wearing loose pants, like sweatpants, after a few days. You can also ease back into yoga pants, as long as the panel around the tummy isn’t too tight. I found that I could wear them for a couple of hours, but then the pressure got too uncomfortable, and I’d switch back to loose sweatpants. 

Maternity pants/jeans would work too, as long as they have a full panel, but honestly, I was most comfortable in dresses and maxi skirts.

Hormone Replacement

Please, please be advised that many OB/Gyns in this country do NOT have proper/current training on menopause care and hormone replacement. Facts. It’s hardly taught in medical school and many (most) practicing Ob/Gyns are using data from a 20 year old WHI study (that has since been debunked) regarding cancer risk and hormone replacement. 

I feel like I could write a 10-page diatribe about this, but please protect yourself from the bad/outdated advice that may be doled out by your well-meaning OB/GYN regarding HRT (hormone replacement treatment), which is now called MHT (menopausal hormone therapy).

Please refer to modern standards for HRT/MHT, as issued by OB/Gyns who are menopause specialists, such as Dr. Corinne Menn and Dr. Mary Claire Haver. Bottom line: estrogen replacement is the gold standard for women undergoing full or partial hysterectomy, unless you have a specific reason you can’t take it. Discuss your situation with a qualified menopause care specialist. If your Ob/Gyn is giving you the runaround, seek another opinion!

Life without hormones is miserable. Fight me on this.

Update:

Hi! I’m 6 weeks post-surgery. Some have asked me when they can go back to work after hysterectomy. They say 6 weeks. If you have a desk/office job, I would think you’d be able to go back around 3-4 weeks, if you had to. If you have a physical job, discuss it with your surgeon. Honestly, hanging out at home can get pretty boring and a little depressing, so maybe easing back into to work isn’t a bad thing. 

My muscles feel weak and it’s been annoying to not be able to use them. I feel like I’ve lost muscle mass and gained fat, but I guess that’s just how it goes after surgery. The situation is temporary (I hope). I’m really looking forward to getting back to the gym and being able to take a bath again!

In conclusion, you’ll need a solid 4 weeks before you can resume activities after hysterectomy, like lifting heavier things, but you should start to fee better after about a week. Be patient. replace our hormones, if you’re able. Ask for help with kids. Don’t push it too hard. You can do this!

The post What to Expect After Hysterectomy appeared first on Lucie's List.

Love ’em or hate ’em, you cannot deny the value that Amazon Prime offers to busy parents.

Here’s a quickie rundown of their best deals this round:

Featured Deals:

• Hauck Kid’s Wagon (above) ~ $139 (46% off). Read our review here.
• Hiboy Electric Scooter (below) ~ $299 (normally $499). We just bought one of these for Lucie to get to and from high school and it is a great deal! This is a legit adult commuting scooter (*not for little kids).

Strollers ~

• Bugaboo Fox 5 + Bassinet (below) ~ $588, was $1,299!

Car Seats

Nursery

Feeding

Electronics

Toys and Games

• See all (too many to list!)

Happy Prime Day, all!

~ Meg and Charlene

The post Amazon Prime Day 2024 appeared first on Lucie's List.

Whether you’re looking for an awesome toy for your kiddo, a new TV for the house or some new yoga pants, you won’t be disappointed. These deals are the best we’ve seen since pre-COVID. For example, get 30% off the Halo Bassinest, several hundred off The Frame TV, and 30% off the Maxi-Cosi Magellan Convertible Car Seat, just to name a few.

Here goes:

Home

• Amazon – Amazon Cyber Monday Deals
• Target — save up to 40% off on select toys, 30% off clothing, up to 40% off kitchen appliances and more.
• Parachute — Get 20% off everything and other home essentials (they only have sales twice a year!).
• West Elm — up to 70% off everything, and up to 50% off of best-selling furniture.
• Nordstrom — site-wide sales; 30% off Halo Bassinest; plus a bunch of great baby item sales
• William Sonoma and other West Elm Brands — up to 70% select furniture, decor, appliances and more.
• Wayfair — All deals + save up to 50% off baby and kids’ furniture.
• Walmart — Up to 45% on select toys, baby gear and home essentials.
• Sephora — up to 50% on skincare and beauty products.
• Etsy — Up to 60% Cyber Week

Apparel

• Athleta — Up to 70% off today – no code needed.
• Old Navy — 50% off Everything! Restrictions Apply.
• Gap (includes Gap, Maternity, Baby Gap… ALL that) — 50% off your entire purchase (exclusions apply)
• H&M — Get 30% off everything on the site.
• Madewell — 60% on special Cyber Monday styles and 50% off everything else, with code CYBER.
• Nordstrom — Women’s Apparel
• Zappos — Get up to 50% off site wide.
• Beyond Yoga — up to 30% sitewide and 85% sale items.
• Girlfriend Collective — 35% off of everything on the site.
• Hatch Maternity Collection — up to 60% off on select items (with code CYBER30)

Kids/Toys:

• Amazon – Cyber Monday Toy Deals
• Carters – 50-60% off entire store + extra 20% off with code CYBER20
• Crate & Kids — up to 50% off Kids’ Furniture, Toys, and Nod Chairs and Beanbags
• Janie & Jack —Adorable holiday dress clothes and shoes, take 35% off entire purchase + free shipping
• Tea Collection — 30% off everything
• Pottery Barn Kids — Cyber Monday deals up to 70% off
• West Elm Kids — up 70% off of bestsellers and must-haves
• Children’s Place — I love their adorable holiday dresses and sweaters; Get 60 – 80% off everything with code CYBER60
• Primary — 50% off holiday PJs + 40% off everything else
• Maisonette — up to 70% off 15,000 items + 10% off orders $95+, 15% off orders $300+, or 20% off orders $600+ with code HOLIDAY23

Holiday Cards:

• Tiny Prints —  50% off Foil & Glitter, 40% off everything else + Free address labels on Tiny Prints with code SHINE50 (ends Mon 11/27 at midnight PT)
• Shutterfly — Up to 50% off sitewide + an extra 25% off your order with code CYBER — today only
• Minted — 25% off everything + free shipping with code CM2023 (ends Tuesday 11/29 at 9 am PT)
• Paper Culture — 50% off holiday cards through Tuesday 11/28 at midnight PT — no code necessary; every order plants a tree!
• Snapfish — 70% off custom holiday cards with code STARCD75; 70% off calendars with code STARCAL70 – today only

Amazon Cyber Monday deals (while supplies last):

• Up to 26% off Britax and BOB products
• 25% off Graco car seats and products
• Up to 30% off Chicco car seats, feeding essentials and more
• All Amazon Cyber Monday Deals

Holiday Gift Guides 

We put together a comprehensive guide series for the holidays this year.

Here goes!

• Gift Ideas for Babies
• Gifts Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers
• Gift Guide for Twins
• Gift Ideas for Her
• Gift Ideas for Him
• Best Gifts Under $50
• Best Luxurious Gifts
• Gifts that Give Back
• Favorite Holiday Books for Kids
• What Teachers Really Want for The Holidays

We also have a series of “everlasting” gift guides for babies and children up to age five — each one is curated to include toys that focus on open-ended play, creativity and imagination, and thoughtful engagement (at every different price point). You can use them for holiday shopping, birthdays or any time of year.

• Toys for Babies
• Toys for 1-Year-Olds
• Toys for 2-Year-Olds
• Toys for 3-Year-Olds
• Toys for 4-Year-Olds
• Toys for 5-Year-Olds

Have a great day, friends — and thanks for your support, today and always. When you click through to buy, we earn a commission that helps us keep the lights on. Here come the holidays…

The post Cyber Monday Deals appeared first on Lucie's List.

Tubby Todd has teamed up with some of our favorite brands to give away over $4000 in prizes!

The Prize Includes:

• Zoe: $500 Shop Credit – Easy-to-use strollers for your on-the-go fam.

• Baby Cubby: $500 Shop Credit – All the nursery must-haves for your new babe!

• KiwiCo: $500 Shop Credit – Kits that provide serious fun PLUS hands-on learning for little ones.

• Quincy Mae: $500 Shop Credit – Velvety-soft clothing basics for your sweet babe.

• Haakaa: $500 Shop Credit – Eco-friendly baby & breastfeeding products of our dreams.

• MikuMiku Smart Baby Monitor: ($399 value) – Keep an eye on your sweet bundle at all times.

• Literati Kids: $500 Shop Credit – The best kids book subscription.

• Baby Tula Signature Olive Leopard Explore Baby Carrier, Remi Signature Woven Ring Sling Standard Size, + Coast Urbanista Toddler Carrier: ($528 value) – Baby carriers designed with style and function in mind.

• Tubby Todd: $500 Shop Credit – Body care basics for the whole fam, age newborn to ninety!

Here’s How to Enter:

Step 1: Head over to our Facebook or Instagram pages to Like the social post!

Step 2: Make sure you’re following all brands on Facebook or Instagram: @tubbytodd, @lucieslist, @thebabycubby, @zoestrollers, @literatikids, @quincymae, @kiwico, @babytula, @haakaausa and @mikucare

Step 3: Tag (real!) friends in the social post and give them a chance to win! Friends don’t let friends miss out on giveaways this good.

Step 4: Click the link in the social post to complete your entry.

Good luck!

The post Tubby Todd Spring Baby Shower Giveaway appeared first on Lucie's List.

If your family is continuing to play it safe and choosing not to gather in person again this year, there are still many things you can do to make the holidays just as special as in previous years. One thing’s for sure, changing it up and doing new, fun things will make for a very… memorable holiday… “hey mom, remember that time we saw Santa through the Plexiglass??”

And yet… we will definitely miss our large family gatherings and parties with friends. So what can we do to fill the void (while not putting too much pressure on ourselves)? We have ideas, people. Read on…

1. “Dress Up Fancy”

Last year, Alice begged us to dress up fancy for holiday pics. At first, I hesitated because…. why? (Note: I’m not a big dresser upper).

But we did it and it was super fun! We made a wonderful meal (a “fancy meal”) and lit a lot of candles and pretended like we were at a party. No regrets! I suspect we will do the same this year.

So put on those high heels and that sequin dress, mama! Even if it’s just for your family. It may be the only time you’ll wear them this year, plus it will make for great memories. ~ Meg

2. Get Outside and Play

A few weeks ago, my family and I were feeling the effects of the Covid winter blues (seriously, Omicron?! You had to arrive just in time for the holiday season?!). My husband and I looked at each other and said, “we gotta get outside.”

Fresh air is good for everyone — yes, even when it’s brrrr cold out (we live in Minneapolis, YAH, it’s cold!!). Playing outside together in the snow and breathing in that cool, crisp air did wonders for all our moods.

If you’re also feeling the cold weather doldrums, I seriously urge you to take time each day to bundle up and get outside for some winter fun. (Need inspo? Here are some of our favorite wintertime outdoor play activities the whole fam can enjoy!)

Now get off your screens and go out to play like a real human!
~ Marissa

3. Share a Special Holiday Drink

Create your own specialty holiday drink, or find a yummy wintertime beverage recipe online, such as this delish sounding Grapefruit Cardamom Gin Fizz from The Modern Proper, or any of these winter sangria drinks from Delish.

Meg’s favorite is Jingle Juice Punch (two words for ya: whipped vodka)

Need a festive and cozy drink for the kiddos? Give this Hot Chocolate recipe a try.

Share the recipe with your friends and family, and then set up a virtual holiday toast so everyone can “cheers” together!

~ Marissa

4. Fun with Neighbors: Drop off Treats or Secret Santa

I have the very coolest neighbors here in Palm Harbor, FL. Since we can’t party together in person, we are doing “12 Nights of Wine,” where one person brings a glass of wine (or a cocktail) to the other 11 people every night. It is so much fun!

There are so many fun things to do with neighbors, especially during years like the ones we’ve had recently. I love a good neighborhood Secret Santa – or these cute little pass-it-on gift ideas.

There are tons of cute DIY/homemade gifts you can make with your kids and give out to neighbors; it will be much appreciated, especially by your elderly neighbors who may feel extra isolated this holiday.

Best part: let your kids be the couriers, they absolutely love delivering all the gifts to everyone.

5. Order a Delicious Meal from a Local Restaurant

The holidays may look different again this year. If you’re not going to be cooking for a big group this year, why spend 7 hours prepping a holiday? It’s much better to relax and spend that time bonding with your kiddos.

At Thanksgiving, I ordered a pre-made meal and my family watched Home Alone and Home Alone 2; we even took an evening walk. We made a dessert as a family, which was a lot more fun and mellow than having to cook and coordinate an entire meal all. day. long!

Consider getting take-out from a local restaurant (with all the fixings) to heat at home. If you live in an urban area, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from (check out Door Dash, GrubHub and Postmates for ideas).

Plus, you’ll get to support local restaurants and businesses that are still in dire straights due to the pandemic. Not cooking and doing a good deed during the holiday season? It’s a win/win situation ~ Charlene

6. Holiday Light Tour

No Covid variant can take away this holiday season tradition!

Truly, one of my most cherished childhood memories was driving around town with my parents, listening to classic holiday hits, in search of our city’s best Christmas light displays.

This is such an easy, festive, fun (and Covid-friendly!) activity. Just do a search online to find holiday light tours happening in your town (you’ll probably have to purchase a ticket for these) or a listing of the best neighborhood light displays (likely free). Then get the kiddos in the car, jam out to some Rudolph, and enjoy the sparkle and spirit of the season! ~ Marissa

7. Movie/Book Marathons

Baby, it’s cold outside… so snuggle up with a cup of hot cocoa, and a good holiday book. Family fun activity: choose a holiday book to read together each day throughout the winter break — a great way to spend cozy, quality time together as a family, and get into the holiday spirit.

It’s not Winter Break without movie marathons, people! This year, we’ve been all about the movies. Rudolph, Charlie Brown, Elf, Home Alone… so many great options. Just turn on AMC or check out Popsugar’s list of the best holiday movies to watch with kids.

Enjoy! ~ Marissa

What are your plans for the holidays this year? Leave us a comment below.

Thanks! ~

The post Making the Holidays Fun this Year (while Keeping the Pressure Off…) appeared first on Lucie's List.

This is the second such event for the year, which is happening today and tomorrow, Oct 10-11.

Lucky for you, we’ve become seasoned experts at navigating Prime Day, sifting through the sale extravaganza to compile a comprehensive list of the very best deals. However, time is of the essence, as popular items tend to sell out quickly.

We’ve boiled it down to the following categories if you’d like to jump ahead:

• Car Seats
• Strollers / Wagons
• Tablets / Readers
• Electronics
• Clothing
• Kitchen
• Smart Home
• Household
• Patio/ Outdoor
• Beauty
• Toys

1. Car Seats

Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Seat ~ $183 (was $229)

Editor’s Pick for top infant seat, check out our review here.

Chicco Fit4 Adapt 4-in-1 Car Seat ~ $284 (was $379)

This is Chicco’s first all-in-one seat that starts at infancy and goes through ALL the stages, up to 10 years of riding. This is for the parent who wants a “one and done” car seat solution.

Maxi Cosi Pria ~ $188 (was $299)

Save big on this fave on this luxe all-in-one seat by Maxi Cosi.

Graco Extend-2-Fit Convertible Seat ~ ($139, was $234)

The Graco Extend-2-Fit convertible car seat is a versatile and adjustable car seat designed to provide extended rear-facing and forward-facing capabilities for growing children.

2. Stroller and Wagon Deals

All-Terrain City Mini GT2 ~ $299 (was $499)

The City Mini is the quintessential everyday city stroller. Lightweight, easy to fold and stash away, and with a design that doesn’t skimp on comfort. The GT is their lightweight, all-terrain version — one of our all-time faves — look at that deal!! Get it for a fraction of its usual price NOW!

Evenflo Pivot Xplore Wagon ~$213 (was $399)

Wagons continue to be all the rage, and for good reasons: they do much more than just helping you push kiddos around. This stroller by Evenflo transforms into a wagon with just the flip of the handle, and you can even use it as a beach/shopping cart. This is a major good deal! See also: Best Wagons

Big Sales on Joovy Strollers

Joovy is one of those baby brands that does it all really well, and for a good price. You’ll find deals on their high chairs, playards and so much more. But here’s a list of their bestselling strollers currently on sale:

• Joovy Zoom 360 Ultralight Jogging Stroller ($284, was $340)
• Joovy Qool Single-to-Double Stroller ($467, was $550)
• Joovy Kooper Travel Stroller ($250, was $300)

BOB Gear Wayfinder Jogging Stroller ($440, was $580) and Wagon ($570, was $750)

Great deal on this highly-rated jogging stroller by BOB Gear, as well as the brand’s new all-terrain wagon.

3. Tablets, Readers and Computer

Kids’ Amazon Fire Tablets ~ up to 50% off

Kindle Scrible ~ up to 30%

Samsung Laptops ~$varies

Apple Mini iPad ~ up to 24% off

4. Electronics

Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor ~ $199 (was $299)

A top-notch smart baby monitor that fits over the crib, the Nanit provides standard video monitoring as well as sleep metrics, tracking data (such as when sleep started and sleep duration), and sleeping tips, plus offers other features like white noise and a night light, all via wi-fi.

Apple Airpods ~ $199 (was $249)

I know what y’all are after, let’s not beat around the bush, LOL. Gen 2 is better than ever, with noise cancellation. Just close your eyes and make everyone in your household disappear!

Psss… Don’t lose ’em!

Apple Watch Series 8 ~ $279 (was $399)

The watch itself needs no introduction… but this newest edition even monitors Blood Oxygen & has ECG Apps, Fall Detection and Emergency SOS (could save an older person’s life!), which is totally amazing.

Bose Bluetooth Speakers ~ $99 (usually $149)

Wonderboom 3 ~ $69 (was $99)

Small but mighty, the Wonderboom 3 gives you big bass in a small package. Waterproof, dustproof, floatable. Yes please!

The Frame TV ~ up to 40%

5. Clothing

All Baby Clothes Deals

New Balance Shoes and Apparel ~ up to 46% off

Clothing from Levi’s

Keens ~ up to 30% off

Crocs ~ up to 50% off on clogs, sandals and charms

6. Kitchen

Kitchen selections don’t disappoint this year. Think big names like Le Creuset, Lodge as well as Ninja, Cuisinart, and KitchenAid.

Ninja Foodie 8 Air Fryer ~ $159 (was $199)

You can grill indoors or air-fry it up! Man, these countertop appliances get better every year. I never thought I could make bacon so quickly and easily – with minimal cleanup. I tell ya, life-changing!

Kitchenaid Mixer ~ $249 (was $329)

The gold standard for serious mixing. And beautiful!

Bentgo Kids Lids Lunchbox ~ $23 (was $29)

Five compartments for mess-free storage without the hassle of separate containers. Dishwasher safe, hooray!

7. SmartHome Devices

Amazon Smart Home Products ~ up to 55% off

From the Echo Spot to the Echo Dot, all the Amazon smart home products are super on sale.

Ring Cam ~ $149 (was $229)

The Ring cam has been a game-changer for homeowners and renters alike! Plus, you get to spy on all your deliveries!

8. Household

Dyson Cordless Vacuum ~ $399 (was $569)

I love my Dyson. This one is a big yes for me.

Babyletto and DaVinci Nursery Furniture ~ up to 30%

Gorj Cribs and rockers from Babyletto and DaVinci. This stuff rarely goes on sale.

Shark Robot Vacuum ~ $249 (was $549)

A robot that vacuums for you? Best purchase ever made. Period.

NordicTrack 50 Lb iSelect Adjustable Dumbbells ~ $340 (was $429)

See also: Best at-home exercise equipment

Dyson Purifier ~ $499, was $749

9. Patio/Outdoor

Devoko 6 pc Patio Set ~ $379 (was $450)

Get comfy outside this summer with this wicker conversation set. See other outdoor furniture deals.

Greenworks Lawn & Garden Tools ~ $varies

From mowers to blowers and shop vacs to chainsaws, get your outdoor machinery fix from an eco-friendly manufacturer with high-quality and long-lasting products — Greenworks tools deliver the power and performance of comparable gas-powered tools without the mess, noxious fumes, stamina-reducing vibration and noise associated with gas products.

10. Beauty

Elemis Skincare ~ $varies

Luxurious beauty products to boot.

Shark Blow Dryer ~ $169 (was $249)

Just bought one for myself because hairdrying to me is the 7th gate of hell…

NuFace Mini Kit ~ $165, was $249

Biossance Skincare ~ up to 30% off

Zombie Pack Tightening Masks ~ $15, was $25

11. Toys!

Squishmallows ~ $11, was $20

Osmo Learning Toys ~ up to 50% off

Osmo introduces STEM concepts with engaging, interactive games.

Schwinn Bikes ~$varies

National Geographic STEM kits ~ up to 20%

Magnet Tiles ~$varies

Picasso Tiles are a great dupe, and they also have a deal!

…. drops mic.

Hope you found something you like — cheers everyone!

See also:

Summer Love List

Travel Gear for Babies and Kids

The post Amazon Prime Day Deals for October 2023 appeared first on Lucie's List.

There’s something about Halloween that takes being a parent to the next level of fun and satisfaction. The truth is, kids go nuts over Halloween decor… ok, ok we do too. We like to add one solid item to our Halloween decor arsenal every year.

Check out below for some fun picks in the Light & Sound, Yard Props and Outside Decor, and Indoor Decor & Dining (more like drinkware, lol) categories. We’ve also added some Fall decor to extend beyond Halloween. Enjoy!

Light and Sound

Yard Props & Outdoor Decor

Interior Decor & Dining

Fall Decor (General)

Here is some of our fave fall decor that will warm your home and last through Thanksgiving.

Enjoy celebrating this fun time with your kids while they’re still cute and small, folks. Cheers!

The post Halloween / Fall Decor Inspo 2024 appeared first on Lucie's List.

When I watched the Erin Burnett interview of Maura Lewinger, whose husband had just died of COVID-19, I cried along with her. This was back in April — the early days — when COVID was ravaging New York City. Here he was, a presumably healthy 42-year-old-man with a wife and three kids. A beloved assistant principal and community leader. Someone exactly my age.

Dead.

In that moment, one thing was certain to me after watching that interview: we were all going to die. 

I watched the rain stream down the windows of my home office, a place where I’ve spent way too much time since then, and became immobilized with fear.

Anecdotes like this one are powerful. I mean, when your neighbor’s cousin who knew a guy who got sick and died, it really sticks with you. It’s a real story that happened to a real person. 

My husband, a math and stats guy, calmly reminded me, however, that these isolated data points (i.e. the gut-wrenching stories on the news) are not representative of real data. After all, a story about a random person who survived – or even just had a mild case – doesn’t make for exciting news. 

Media companies desperately need clicks to generate ad revenue in their struggle to stay afloat. You get more clicks by writing shocking and disturbing headlines, cherry-picking egregious cases and generally making things look as scary as possible. Everyone in the media knows this. 

Just to be clear, COVID is scary. 100%. It’s freaking terrible. Perhaps you know someone who has died from it. But how scared should you really be??

As the weeks turn into months, and the devastation to the economy and to the mental state of parents and children becomes apparent, it begs the question: how do we proceed forward? Is it safe to go back to school/work?

Of course, the answer to this is different for every single family.

One thing’s for sure: nobody wants to get this disease. One forty-something friend described it as having glass in her lungs. No thanks. Also, there are still many things we still don’t know about it. Doctors agree that COVID-19 is a mysterious illness.

As we start to get our heads around what will or will not happen this fall, and many parents are faced with the daunting task of deciding whether to go back to work/childcare/school in person, it helps to really understand the actual statistics so you can logically think things through and make decisions for yourself and your family based on actual data for people like you (age, health, family composition, geography, etc.). So we put Brit, our lead researcher, to the task. 

To summarize this article (tl;dr), the best candidates for going back to daycare/school meet the following criteria, more or less:

• Parent(s) whose livelihood depends on kids being in school/care;
• Children who don’t have any risk factors (obesity, heart problems, and other risk factors); the younger, the better (with the exception of infants under 1 year);
• Parents (under 50) of school-aged children who are healthy non-smokers with no risk factors and are not obese (being overweight or obese is a big risk factor in itself, but also a possible indicator of undiagnosed comorbidities);
• Families who do not have grandparents or other elders living in their home — or don’t interact with them regularly;
• The test positivity rate in your community is less than 5% (give or take), preventative measures are being taken, and your community is not 100% “open” (i.e. high risk businesses are not operating); 
• Your child’s daycare/(pre)school is taking precautions to:
  • decrease COVID coming in (temperature checks, questionnaires, preventing sick kids from attending);
  • decrease possible transmission in the school: masking, distancing, keeping the kids in small, closed groups (where age-appropriate)
  • rapidly identify any potential cases and responding appropriately (shutting down/notifying parents/etc.).

For more info on any of these, read on…

A big thank you to our friend Dr. Darria Long Gillespie, MD, MBA, who offered her time and expertise by way of an interview for this article. Among her many, many accolades, she’s an ER physician (trained at Yale), has an MBA from Harvard Business School, and has been featured on top-notch media outlets like CNN.

She’s also the national bestselling author of Mom Hacks, a mom of 2, and her instagram is packed with super-helpful videos for parents, too. In fact, this video (below) on back to school risk is a great place to start:

Living in a Pandemic

We’re now more than halfway through 2020 (what?) and nearing the end of summer, and it’s become more and more clear that we are a long ways away from any return to “normalcy” (whatever that means).

This is the news we all would prefer not to hear: contrary to what our current administration’s actions (or lack thereof) may suggest, we are going to be living with this pandemic for the foreseeable future. 

And given that bleak forecast, I know I am not alone in wondering — what now? Because after those handful of brief moments when I’ve somehow mentally “escaped” (read: forgotten about) COVID-19, it all comes crashing back, and I think to myself: shit, I forgot to be scared.

Even with so much still up in the air, we do know more than we did a few months ago. And the trick with moving forward, it seems, is to try to find a new balance — some sweet spot where caution meets function. To try to act and live through a pandemic… sustainably. 

*I think practically every parent in the US right now is wondering: how are we supposed to find that sweet spot for schools/daycare? Especially when the goal itself is a moving target, as evidenced by many in-person schools across the states being called off recently.

Thinking about school and childcare in the heart of the COVID pandemic is really complicated, but we’ve done our best to outline a mental map for thinking about back-to-school in the COVID era. 

HUGE DISCLAIMER

This is not a guide or prescription for anyone. Our goal here is to bring you the current available data on the risks associated with COVID and introduce varying perspectives on how to approach the risks with schools and childcare so you can go forth and make a decision that’s right for you and your family — just like we do with all of our parenting advice.

And BTW — given how quickly things are changing, it’s easy for things to feel outdated in like, a day. Please know that we are doing our best to keep this page as up-to-date as possible, but also that our intent here remains to provide some structure for thinking about back to school even — actually, especially — in the midst of a shifting landscape.

With that lengthy and nuanced preface, here we go …

Is it Safe to Go Back to School?

I, personally, am desperately looking to the fall, praying to the gods of who-knows-what that my children’s preschool will please, please, pretty-please reopen (I admit) — but at the same time, I find myself wondering if I would even send them if it did. 

So far, medical professionals and scientists studying the virus agree that, compared to adults, children are at a much lower risk for contracting, spreading and becoming seriously ill from COVID-19. More specifically, children (especially young children) are less likely to become infected, and it appears that infected children may also be more likely to have mild symptoms and less likely to spread the virus. (You can read more about this here and here.) The theory makes sense based on what we know about transmission — if you don’t have symptoms and don’t sneeze or cough, you are then less likely to pass the virus around.

That said, some experts, like Dr. Michael Osterholm, the Director of the Center of Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, also caution against putting too much stock in our current understanding of COVID in children (without contradicting it). We have to take these notions with a grain of salt, he says, because there is still so much to learn about COVID and we don’t want to risk getting “cocky” about things. 

But it’s not entirely clear what all of this means for school: because no two schools or districts or families are exactly alike. 

There is some promising data that suggests it is possible to reopen schools safely — although we can’t necessarily make widespread assumptions based on them. 

Emily Oster, an all-star economist who also studies parenting issues, crowd-sourced information from almost 1,000 child care centers that remained open during or throughout the pandemic, serving roughly 27,500 students. She found that the average overall infection rate was 1.1% among staff members and 0.15% among children, respectively. 

These data are not perfect, but they incidentally corroborate reports from some 1100 YMCA centers that provided child care during the pandemic for ~40,000 kids and never saw more than a single COVID case at any given location — including New York City in March and April, when the city’s disease spread was peaking. 

Media reports of cases in schools in Texas have turned a lot of heads, however it’s likely that the overall rates of transmission there were small. Also, many schools and day care sites in Texas took few, if any, precautions to safeguard against COVID.

Outside the US, some other countries are reporting similar experiences to the YMCA — however many of them only reopened schools after having gotten COVID “way more under control” (hmmph) than is currently the case in the US, and they are not comparable to America generally (mask-wearing, testing availability, general belief in science, etc.). To use an analogy: here in America, the house is still on fire. 

Looking abroad, Denmark saw no increase in cases after schools had been open again for five weeks (for children 2-12 years old); Finland and Norway reported the same; researchers in Iceland (where testing is impressively widespread among the general population) report that even infected children don’t seem to infect their parents. So did a recent study out of South Korea. Contract tracing projects abroad also failed to identify even one documented case of child-to-adult transmission.

Takeaway: Anyone can transmit COVID to anyone else, but young children (<10) are far less likely to spread it to adults — even adults living in the same home. And kids are more likely to contract COVID from their parents than from classmates. (But again, remember — kids are way less likely to contract COVID in the first place.)

Although school closures play a major role in flu pandemic response plans, there’s reason to believe that they may be less impactful in mitigating coronaviruses.

But still — we just don’t know how it will play out here in the US. When Israel reopened its schools, they experienced multiple outbreaks and had to close back down. Which reminds us, again, that as a country, we do need to understand that reopening schools will lead to some additional cases — it just will — and there’s no getting around that. (And some schools that have already reopened, especially in the South, have already seen cases crop up.)

Aside from these data and individual hopes (), doctors, health professionals, educators and scholars have been increasingly expressing that reopening schools with multiple layers of safety precautions is truly an “urgent national priority.” Even the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement in strong support of in-person schooling, wherever safely possible, come the fall. 

It’s not just that working parents are in need of child care. Distance learning is replete with problems: millions of children have lost access to regular meals and health services provided at school; others are facing increased risks for abuse at home; underprivileged children are at-risk for falling behind; and American families are far from equally equipped to supervise the school day via Zoom. Not to mention the abysmal developmental and mental health effects children (and their parents) may suffer from the lack of daily socialization. I could go on… how much time do you have? 

Of course, we can’t tell you — no one can — what’s going to happen with your child’s school, pre-K, or day care. Inevitably, everywhere will look different. (More on this in a bit…) 

Although the administration is pushing (demanding?) for schools to reopen, it’s doing so unilaterally and blindly, without acknowledging the vast discrepancies in case rates and resources from one community to another; nor is it helping to empower local districts to make their own decisions or provide funding to enact the kinds of safety measures that would help them reopen safely (funding, manpower, etc.) As such, local school districts, health departments, education departments and individual care centers are all flying solo. 

1. What are your family’s needs?
2. What are the risks for your family?
3. How are things looking in your community?
4. What precautions is your school/daycare center taking?

1. Your Family’s Needs

First and foremost, consider what you (and your kids) need or want to happen with school/care.

For some, this may involve a not-insignificant amount of soul-searching. Are you in desperate need of child care for work purposes? Or mental sanity (<< I count myself in this camp)? Did distance learning set off WWIII in your home last spring? Or did it go alright and you and your kids enjoyed the time? Or maybe you’ve always wanted to try homeschooling but never had the impetus?

Everyone is going to answer these questions differently — there’s no right or wrong here. 

It goes without saying that your kids — their age, demeanor, temperament, everything — are also crucially important when considering the fall and school.

I want my own kids (who are 2 and 4) to go back to preschool because I know they are missing out on important windows for social development; because I know that their teachers regularly engage with them in more creative activities (and more patiently) than I do at home; and because I know they love it and miss it. 

Though, I am also keenly aware that they do not “need” to go to preschool or daycare, and I wonder constantly about how and to what extent a socially-distanced classroom experience might impact their social development… And then I remember: kids are resilient. Not to mention — I can’t help but wonder if waiting it out a while longer could be the “better” thing to do for the greater good. But then again, I ask why parents should be asked to make these hard sacrifices and deprive their kids of a school experience when bars were so quick to reopen? BARS. I mean, what are our priorities, here? 

Friends whose children are older have been very proactive about including their children in the decision-making process (much to everyone’s happiness). I know some people have even decided to move their family to a place that’s planning on in-person schooling.

At the end of the day, if you know you need school/child care in order to work, and you need to work to pay the bills, most likely, that’s that. 

If you’re in the position of looking at school or daycare as a “choice,” start having conversations now about all you are wondering about. Chat with your partner or parents or school directors, your kids; write things down, and know that it’s OK to be unsure and/or to change your mind later.

As Dr. Darria reminded us, uncertainty is a fact of life right now, so it’s okay to be uncertain yourself. It’s okay to say “I don’t know.” For those of us who thrive on planning in advance, it sucks — we know. She reminds us: “just because we have uncertainty doesn’t mean we have to feel paralyzed. It just means that we need to think through different scenarios, so that if one thing happens, we can pivot – AND we can have more peace of mind knowing that we have plans in place.”

2. Your Family’s Risk 

A huge part of thinking about going back to school is *trying to understand the individual risks — for you, your child(ren), and your family. 

For Kids: 

Generally speaking (and according to the preliminary studies out there), the younger a person is, the less likely they are to catch, spread, and become severely ill from COVID. 

If you have a high risk child, you probably already know it. These conditions include children with medically complex conditions, children who are obese or morbidly obese, children with neurologic, genetic, or metabolic conditions or congenital heart disease. 

All of that said, sometimes it seems as though the cards are changing every day, as new information comes out and the caveats are unending. Case in point: in early/mid August, the AAP released a new analysis concluding that 8.8% of US COVID cases occurred in children — though most states categorized children as aged 1-19. And a study released in JAMA showed that infected children under the age of 5 can harbor significant amounts of CV viral nucleic acids — though not necessarily infectious virus. Keeping track of it all is a full-time job in itself.

Keeping Things in Perspective

It’s hard not to obsess about coronavirus these days. It’s everywhere you look, everything you read. It’s every mask you see walking down the street and every “closed” sign you see in store windows. It’s (necessarily) a national obsession. 

But… it’s always useful to step back for a minute to look at the big picture. 

How often do you think about the risk of getting in your car every day? Approximately 339 kids die every month in auto accidents; 261 kids die every month from firearm accidents; and 82 kids die every month from drowning.

Thirty children (under 15) thus far have died of COVID-19 since the beginning of this outbreak in February; most of those children had chronic medical conditions. Our friend Dr. Darria reminded us in a recent phone interview that sending children back to school is not a zero-risk endeavor, which is why we have to be very vigilant as we move forward. But… we need to keep it in perspective. It’s difficult to talk about, because thinking about the death of a child as a statistic is totally misguided, but Dr. Michael Osterholm explains that COVID doesn’t even come close to being in the top 25 causes of death for people under the age of 24. 

For Adults:

Let’s zero in on risk for the under 50 crowd (i.e. parents of school-aged kids). Again, age is in our favor. Even middle age.

After age, one of the biggest (and touchiest) risk factors for this age group is obesity. Dr. Darria told us that obese individuals have a 40% higher mortality risk from COVID (across all ages.) They also have a 75-80% higher chance of experiencing respiratory failure (according to one study).

To be clear, it’s not necessarily carrying extra weight in itself that puts people at high risk (though it can, see below). Rather, it’s the fact that being overweight tends to overlap with other comorbidities that are often undiagnosed at this age — namely: type 2 diabetes, hypertension and/or heart disease — and also increases the risk for serious illness and/or death from COVID-19. Carrying extra weight also tends to disproportionately affect disadvantaged and minority Americans who lack resources and access to health care.

“The news reports headlines like, ‘22 year old dies of coronavirus.’ What they don’t tell you is that person was morbidly obese with multiple comorbidities. That doesn’t make it ‘acceptable’ or any less tragic, of course; it doesn’t mean that it was that person’s *fault* — and it also doesn’t suggest that anyone else should be cavalier.

However, we do have to keep in mind the full context because headlines like that really just have one goal — and that is to scare people and make them click on the story… it’s not at all to educate or empower the reader with how best to stay safe.”

– Dr. Darria

One of the big problems with the “young to middle-aged parent” age group is that many who actually do have a health problem don’t know it because they aren’t old/sick enough to have been officially diagnosed with it yet. Whereas older Americans are more likely to have been formally diagnosed (and/or treated for) chronic disease, younger and middle-aged busy parents are not. Let’s face it, many of us haven’t been to the doctor in… a while.

Among Americans, 40% of adults aged 20-39 years are overweight or obese, and nearly 45% of 40-50 year-olds are overweight or obese. This means a lot of parents are at high(er) risk. And it seems to run on a continuum — for all its problems, we’re using BMI as a stand-in here, and the higher a person’s BMI, the higher his/her mortality risk from COVID. (Click here for a BMI calculator.) 

“Research has shown that people who are obese often have impaired immune responses, meaning it is easier for germs like viruses and bacteria to invade the body and set up an infection. Being obese also makes severe complications from infections more likely, including acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS (one of the most serious symptoms of COVID-19), thanks in part to higher oxygen demands from a larger body.” (See also: The Covid Symptom Study.)

Why? Obesity can actually impact how a person’s lungs work, affecting the ability to breathe deeply and interfering with the mitochondria in their lungs’ lining. Adipocytes (fat cells) are also pro-inflammatory, which means they can contribute to numerous health issues, including blood clots and a “cytokine storm,” which is basically when a person’s immune system goes haywire — it kicks into overdrive and aggressively attacks the body’s own cells (they’re associated with COVID-19). 

We were pretty shocked to hear one hospital administrator (a parent-friend) who studied COVID data in her system state her litmus test for making this decision so bluntly: “In looking at our hospital’s mortality data… if I were over 250 lbs (give or take, and depending on height, etc.), I would not be sending my kids back to school.”

Of course, outside of metabolic disease, there are other risk factors for adults under 50, but we’re guessing you probably know if you fall into this category. After age and obesity, Dr. Darria sees the next biggest risk factors as COPD, heart disease, kidney disease, and diabetes (in no particular order).

The good news? Managing a comorbidity can have a huge effect. Dr. Darria explained to us, for example, that just moving from being an “uncontrolled diabetic” to a “controlled diabetic” (meaning you’re being medically treated and actively managing the condition) drastically reduces a person’s mortality risk for COVID. 

She says doctors see three separate risk groups for people whose age does not immediately put them at risk (<50): 

1. Low risk: a person with no diagnoses and who is not overweight;
2. Medium risk: a person with a diagnosed comorbidity but who has the condition under control, or someone with a precursor to a formal diagnosis, such as prediabetes (the NIH estimates that a third of American adults have prediabetes); 
3. High risk: a person with an uncontrolled diagnosis (such as morbid obesity or uncontrolled diabetes).

We KNOW this is all a touchy subject. It’s uncomfortable to even bring up the topic of weight, but we think it’s an important consideration in helping parents in this age group understand their individual risk so they can make informed decisions. 

Obviously, knowing the statistics can only take you so far. And “not wanting to die” is far from the only motivating factor with COVID. Obviously. 

“Risk decisions,” explains Dr. Baruch Fischoff, “are never about one risk alone.” Making choices — with COVID-19, as with all things — inevitably involves weighing possible outcomes and thinking about trade-offs. If avoiding COVID-19 is your sole goal in life until there is a vaccine or a reliably effective therapy, then the safest way to achieve that goal is indeed to stay home. And to keep your kids home, too. 

But for most of us, in real life, avoiding COVID is not the only consideration. We have families. We have jobs. We have life to attend to. 

COVID is not a black-and-white yes/no situation — it’s more helpful to think about the risks as being on a spectrum. “Everything’s a trade-off,” Dr. Erin Bromage explained in an interview. 

Dr. Darria likens thinking about COVID to talking to her 6-year-old about the ocean: “We have to respect the ocean,” she says. The idea is this: we don’t need to be terrified or paralyzed by the ocean, but we have to be smart around it and protect ourselves from the real danger it can pose. COVID is the same: we shouldn’t be panicky about it — but we have to be smart, we have to protect ourselves, we have to respect it. 

All of this is to say: part of the thought process for back-to-school involves trying to gauge your own family’s risks. There are basic health considerations (^^), as well as situational factors. If you have a multi-generational household, that’s obviously a huge factor. If someone in your family is an essential worker, health care provider or a first-responder, your perspective also may vary from that of a family in which one or two parents are able to WFH moving forward. 

At the end of the day, if your household is fortunate enough to be relatively young and in relatively good health, it’s important to remember that neither youth nor age guarantees an “easy time of it,” but perhaps it’s reassuring to know some of the real data — and use that in your decision-making, as opposed to misleading (or alarmist) media reports that tend to skew the facts. 

3. Community Transmission 

Schools are not islands isolated from the communities in which they exist. As Dr. Osterholm said in his podcast episode on reopening schools, we have to expect that kids are going to get infected — because what happens into our community will spill into our schools.

Our nation’s numbers are all over the place. Some states look to be improving, while in others, case counts are rising sharply. Point being: every state and county’s situation is different. 

At the outset, you can look at whether case counts in your state are rising or falling. The New York Times state-by-tracker is easy to follow. 

Another thing: if your state’s case positivity ratio — that is, the proportion of tests that are coming back positive — is holding steady at between 2 to 5%, this suggests that your state probably has a decent handle on where COVID is lurking. A higher positive test turnout, though, indicates that your state likely isn’t seeing the whole picture (meaning, there are likely MANY more positives than what’s being reported) — this is reason to be more cautious. You can check your state’s status here (thanks, Johns Hopkins).

I keep thinking about what an infectious disease epidemiologist at Boston University told Rebecca Onion over at Slate: when she and her husband (who is incidentally also an infectious disease expert) talk about school in the fall, what they care about most — more than any specific precautions their kids’ school promises to take — is the level of community transmission in their area. No one can know for sure what that will look like in any given area come Labor Day (or the months after). (And if our nation’s track record with the three-day holiday weekends thus far is any indication… wooph what a September it could be.) 

On a related note, you might also want to consider how well-equipped your state is to handle a surge in illness, should anyone in your family get sick. Most state health departments or state CDC homepages are now providing information on available numbers of critical care beds and ventilators, for example (and this tool from the CDC displays the estimated percentage of hospital and ICU beds that are occupied in each state). 

Lastly, although there’s no exact science to it, Dr. Darria says it’s also worth thinking about the extent to which your community is currently reopened. As she explains, if everything else is 100% reopened, then reopening schools may put things over the top. On the other hand, getting kids back into schools in areas where things are only, say, ~70% reopened may be “less risky.” (Another reason this is important relates to protecting teachers, who worry that if kids can be fully “out and about,” they will have more exposure.)

4. School/Child Care COVID Precautions

You also want to know how your school(s) plan to protect against the spread of COVID and potentially adapt and handle any number of COVID-related issues. What will the new sick policy look like? The days of sending your kids to school “with a sniffle” are (hopefully) over. What will happen if a case is detected? 

Here are some protocols many daycares and schools are considering, most of which can and should vary depending on age. When I think about physical distancing “happening” among teenagers in high school vs. among toddlers at my kids’ preschool, it’s drastically different (and I’m not sure which is more/less unrealistic… or useful): 

Note: For children under ten — these measures are far more important for protecting adults (teachers and staff, parents) than for children.

• Developing and/or extending viable outdoor learning spaces, since outdoor transmission is relatively rare (the feasibility of this varies by location and by season — NYC is especially having trouble developing safe outdoor learning spaces for young children, for example);
• Outdoor drop-off and pick-up (and no parents in the buildings);
• Staggering drop-off and pickups at intervals;
• Temperature checks and symptoms screenings;
• Daily pre-drop off questionnaires asking parents to certify that children are symptom-free, and pose questions asking about known exposures or recent travel;
• Reduced class sizes (e.g. 12 kids with just one teacher);
• Schedule adjustments, including “hybrid options,” such as having children attend in-person school only 1-3 days/week, only in the mornings or afternoons, or every other week, and completing remaining lessons virtually;
• No classroom visits or transfer within schools (many programs are arranging “pods” or “clusters” that can interact more freely in-group but do not socialize with other groups through the day);
• Increased hand-washing and sanitary procedures throughout the day;
• Arranging desks/play stations farther apart; 
• Mask-wearing (among teachers, and among students who are old enough);
• Requiring families to sign contracts agreeing to abide by certain precautions;
• More stringent illness policies;
• Students eating lunch in the classroom;
• No more field trips.

The AAP also lists age-specific policy recommendations for reopening, depending on whether your child is in pre-K, elementary school, or high school. Its policy statement further addresses transportation, communal spaces, and mealtimes. (The CDC also just released guidelines on reopening for K-12.)

For young children, reducing class size may be the most important and effective way to reduce the risk of COVID in schools (especially when paired with the “cluster” model). It helps limit the potential level of exposure, and, should anyone in the classroom become sick, it would also help facilitate swift contract tracing and potentially enable schools to continue to function (as opposed to having to shut down entirely).

Ideally, schools have a plan of action for if and when there’s a case, but just knowing a school has considered the possibility is more important than the details of its response. *More than anything, both parents and schools need to be flexible — they need to be prepared to encounter multiple different scenarios, be willing to change course, and know when to pivot. 

To make problems worse, schools across the country are facing every kind of budget problem. Some schools and centers in wealthier areas (or with more governmental financial support) can make up for deficits and meet the need for additional expenses more easily than others. Other schools aren’t meeting enrollment minimums and may have to close altogether. It’s not a good situation, and it’s threatening to deepen inequality in an already-unequal school system.

By the way — it’s up to you to decide how you feel about COVID-related school precautions. Some parents want the whole gamut, all the safeguards. Others may see that as overkill or worry that the safety measures we’re relying on to protect our children may “taint” their childhoods somehow.

For anyone who’s reticent to have their young children to wear masks (guilty ), Dr. Darria said that it’s actually a better strategy to get your child comfortable with a mask early on… AND to be a good mask model — meaning: wear one! Be positive about it! Yay!  Kids are surprisingly adaptable (more than we are!). Just like technology, masks are going to be part of their lives and their youth, because, as we said, the COVID world isn’t going anywhere fast.  

Summing Things Up

Expect this year to be a giant effin’ mess. Don’t worry about your kids falling behind — everyone will be “behind.” Don’t try to make it a “normal” year — it’s anything but. Do the best you can, and remember that everyone’s in a similar situation. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when Michael Osterholm suggested we approach this school year as “our COVID year,” because it felt like much-needed permission to just… breathe, and stop trying to force anything.

Eventually, we will talk about the pandemic in the past tense.

But for now, we are living in it.

So — to recap the technical details, here are the questions parents should ask themselves when deciding whether to send kids back to daycare/preschool/school:

1. What are your family’s needs?
   • Do you need childcare/school in order to pay the bills/stay sane?
   • How do your kids fare staying home/going to school/care?
2. What are your family’s risks?
   • Do your kids have risk factors?
   • Are you and your partner at low, medium, or high risk?
   • Do you have elders living in your home?
3. What is the community disease rate like in your area?
   • Is the test positivity rate lower than 5% in your community (give or take?) Is your community “fully open” (bars and such)?
4. What precautions are your daycare/school taking?
   • Are children being broken up into smaller groups/pods where exposure is lower and contact tracing is quick and easy?
   • Are children and adults using masks, shields, or other PPE?
   • Will children be routinely checked for symptoms before arriving at care/school?

Just as with everything else — visiting grandparents, playdates, eating out, etc. — every family’s choices about school are going to vary depending on individual and situational circumstances.

School is a risk (sigh). And personal choices about risk are necessarily variable. We all don’t make the same bets. Especially not when the house is changing the odds every day. 

On that note, I’d also like to say this: we are generally in the habit of making choices and then sticking with them (and thinking that such is the “right” way to go about decision-making). Especially as parents. But given that the ground is shifting beneath us each and every day, we will very likely be in the position of having to make and remake what feel like the “same” decisions multiple times over. 

Anyways… the point IS: you will probably change your mind. A lot — and that’s OK.  

Easier said than done… I’m still reminding myself of this^^. 

There are no easy answers here, friends — only hard choices. At the end of the day, I loved what pediatrician Dr. Dipesh Navsaria conveyed to The New York Times about how to approach decisions that involve our children “getting out” in the midst of the pandemic: “I’m less worried about a parent or a business getting all the rules right, because we don’t know what ‘right’ is, and more concerned about them being intentionally thoughtful.” 

This sounds within the realm of feasibility to me. Yes, we parents may not get it right every time, but damn, we can be thoughtful.

How are you thinking about back-to-school? Please join the conversation in the comments below — we’d love to hear from you. 

The post Chances Are: Evaluating Re-entry Risk for Young Families appeared first on Lucie's List.

It’s day sixty-something of shelter in place here in Northern California. Honestly, I’d really like to stop counting, but I’m constantly reminded of how much time has passed by those who insist on chronicling the details of their everyday existence on social media. “Today we baked some stuff (Sourdough, OMGEEEE!), the kids rediscovered an old toy/instrument, then had a meltdown.” 

In case you don’t believe me, this is my typical Facebook feed…

Yes, you’re baking a lot. We know. 

A friend in rural Georgia told me yesterday that her life hadn’t really changed that much. Two weeks of staying at home — and now? All done! Back to normal! She sees her parents all the time because they live right down the street. 

Meanwhile, I don’t know when I’ll be able to see my mom again, who lives across the country on the east coast and, like many seniors, is at high risk. Our conversation gave me instant feelings of jealousy and then… I just felt angry. Angsty. I don’t know who I felt angry with, but… I could feel all the emotions welling up in me. Like they do every few days. 

And then the tears came. And I just let them. Forget about a stiff upper lip – it feels so good to just cry it out every now and then. 

Like most of you, I’m trying to walk a line between staying positive and being realistic. It’s true: there are so many great things to come out of this… and so many losses. All swirled together in one giant mass of emotions. 

Personally, it’s really the uncertainty that gets me the most. I wish I were one of those people who can live in the present and choose not to worry about tomorrow; one of those yogi types.

But I can’t. 

I have questions and no answers. 

Rather… I am trying to piece together the answers — but they aren’t the answers I want. 

What I am gathering is this: Life, for roughly the next two years, is going to be very, very different. 

This article in The Atlantic, Our Pandemic Summer, summarizes it well:

“…the only viable endgame is to play whack-a-mole with the coronavirus, suppressing it until a vaccine can be produced. With luck, that will take 18 to 24 months. During that time, new outbreaks will arise…‘I think people haven’t understood that this isn’t about the next couple of weeks,’ said Michael Osterholm, an infectious-disease epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota. ‘This is about the next two years.’”

Two years of the hammer and the dance. For those that are high-risk, it’s two years of living in fear.

That’s a long time (man, I hope I’m wrong about this!). 

So, as we transition from high-alert mode to more of a “settled in” mode, I’m learning that I need to work on three important skills I currently suck at: 

• staying flexible,
• learning to deal with disappointment, and
• being okay with uncertainty. 

Will our kids go back to school in the Fall? No one knows. They can’t know. It all depends on what happens this summer. 

And what if schools and daycares don’t open back up? How will we work? If we can’t work, how do we pay the bills? This question is top of mind for most parents, I know. And thousands more are already in these exact dire straits. And again… there is no answer. 

These are super important questions, questions that affect our very livelihoods. And how can we not be stressed about that?? 

And after I freak out, I bring it back to center: we are okay, we are okay, we are okay.

I also have major guilt (which I just learned is called a meta-feeling, that is, a feeling about feelings — thank you Brené Brown). I have guilt that I don’t have it nearly as bad as others – and it’s true! My god, it could be 100x worse in so many ways. I recall stories my dad used to tell about the Polio epidemic, which killed 2 of his classmates in the 2nd grade .

…I’m telling you this because I suspect this is where many people are at, and sometimes it’s just nice to know you’re not alone. Among all these smiling, sourdough-making friends who are so proud of all the crafts they’ve constructed this week and how many closets they’ve cleaned out, you are not alone in feeling worried and sad about life and the future right now.  

And so we round a corner toward the longer-term, the 2-year plan; we try to settle into the unknown, the unpredictable. And we try our best to get okay with it. And we will because…. we have to.

I’m so glad to have you, dear readers. I feel like we are going through this journey together. No matter which stage in the parenthood game you’re in, I hope you’re hanging in there and realizing some amazing silver linings. Who knows, maybe you even learned to bake bread .

What I do know with certainty is that summer is coming. I have no idea how it will look, but I hope at least (like me), your spirits will rise with the temperature. We will figure this thing out as we go  — and everything will be okay (right!?).

Be well and Happy Mother’s Day 
– Meg

The post Settling In To the “New Normal” – Summer and Beyond appeared first on Lucie's List.

Key Takeaways

— They now think the virus is predominantly spread by people who are PRE-symptomatic (it’s easy enough to avoid people who are sick once they have symptoms, right? But before symptoms show, it’s impossible to know who is carrying it and who is not). Assume everyone is carrying it.

— They think it’s spread simply by talking to someone or standing near them. Yes, the simple act of breathing in the air they have breathed out is enough to infect you. That’s why this thing is so contagious.

— They don’t think it’s being spread (so much) via hand-to-mouth transmission. Yes, it’s still a good idea to wash your hands and not touch your face, but there isn’t good evidence to suggest that this is how it is primarily being spread.

— If you already own a mask, like many of us in Northern CA do (from the wildfires we get every year), wear it when you go out! Olsterholm says even a surgical mask is “better than nothing.” An N95 mask is a very good idea — a full-face N95 mask is the gold standard (but hard to find) — especially if you’re braving a grocery store. Of course, don’t hoard masks because medical professionals need them more than we do, but you already know that.

The mask-shaming needs to stop. By all means, if you have a mask, wear it.

Ok, so that’s why we stay away from the breathing space of people. Makes sense now.

Also – do you know what’s infuriating? Even though it was an inevitability, the US was not prepared for this. No medical supplies (masks!) have been stockpiled. As Olsterholm says, you don’t start building a battleship once the war has already started. For the cost of less than one military airplane, we could have stockpiled emergency supplies and been ready for this, from a public health perspective.

Great.

Stay safe out there!! We’ll get through this.

The post Lessons Learned for Coronavirus: Interview with Infectious Disease Expert appeared first on Lucie's List.