#baby health during pandemic

[preganews]

Ways to keep the baby healthy There are some things you can do to keep your baby healthy during a pandemic – follow these easy steps to ensure a healthy and happy baby! Breastfeed your baby: Unless otherwise advised by doctors, always breastfeed your baby. Breastfed babies are less susceptible to infections and are healthier and more immune to harmful viruses.

[playingplayer2]

Simply put: wear a goddamn mask or I'm coming for your kneecaps <3

this moderna commercial just went "the pandemic may be over, but covid 19 isnt going anywhere. covid is still among the top 5 leading causes of death"... wow... its almost like the pandemic isnt over.

[reasonsforhope]

Flint, Michigan, has one of the [United States]'s highest rates of child poverty — something that got a lot of attention during the city's lead water crisis a decade ago. And a pediatrician who helped expose that lead problem has now launched a first-of-its-kind move to tackle poverty: giving every new mother $7,500 in cash aid over a year.

A baby's first year is crucial for development. It's also a time of peak poverty.

Flint's new cash transfer program, Rx Kids, starts during pregnancy. The first payment is $1,500 to encourage prenatal care. After delivery, mothers will get $500 a month over the baby's first year.

"What happens in that first year of life can really portend your entire life course trajectory. Your brain literally doubles in size in the first 12 months," says Hanna-Attisha, who's also a public health professor at Michigan State University.

A baby's birth is also a peak time for poverty. Being pregnant can force women to cut back hours or even lose a job. Then comes the double whammy cost of child care.

Research has found that stress from childhood poverty can harm a person's physical and mental health, brain development and performance in school. Infants and toddlers are more likely than older children to be put into foster care, for reasons that advocates say conflate neglect with poverty.

In Flint, where the child poverty rate is more than 50%, Hanna-Attisha says new moms are in a bind. "We just had a baby miss their 4-day-old appointment because mom had to go back to work at four days," she says...

Benefits of Cash Aid

Studies have found such payments reduce financial hardship and food insecurity and improve mental and physical health for both mothers and children.

The U.S. got a short-lived taste of that in 2021. Congress temporarily expanded the child tax credit, boosting payments and also sending them to the poorest families who had been excluded because they didn't make enough to qualify for the credit. Research found that families mostly spent the money on basic needs. The bigger tax credit improved families' finances and briefly cut the country's child poverty rate nearly in half.

"We saw food hardship dropped to the lowest level ever," Shaefer says. "And we saw credit scores actually go to the highest that they'd ever been in at the end of 2021."

Critics worried that the expanded credit would lead people to work less, but there was little evidence of that. Some said they used the extra money for child care so they could go to work.

As cash assistance in Flint ramps up, Shaefer will be tracking not just its impact on financial well-being, but how it affects the roughly 1,200 babies born in the city each year.

"We're going to see if expectant moms route into prenatal care earlier," he says. "Are they able to go more? And then we'll be able to look at birth outcomes," including birth weight and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions.

Since the pandemic, dozens of cash aid pilots have popped up across the nation. But unlike them, Rx Kids is not limited to lower-income households. It's universal, which means every new mom will get the same amount of money. "You pit people against each other when you draw that line in the sand and say, 'You don't need this, and you do,' " Shaefer says. It can also stigmatize families who get the aid, he says, as happened with traditional welfare...

So far, there's more than $43 million to keep the program going for three years. Funders include foundations, health insurance companies and the state of Michigan, which allocated a small part of its federal cash aid, known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

Money can buy more time for bonding with a baby

Alana Turner can't believe her luck with Flint's new cash benefits. "I was just shocked because of the timing of it all," she says.

Turner is due soon with her second child, a girl. She lives with her aunt and her 4-year-old son, Ace. After he was born, her car broke down and she was seriously cash-strapped, negotiating over bill payments. This time, she hopes she won't have to choose between basic needs.

"Like, I shouldn't have to think about choosing between are the lights going to be on or am I going to make sure the car brakes are good," she says...

But since she'll be getting an unexpected $7,500 over the next year, Turner has a new goal. With her first child, she was back on the job in less than six weeks. Now, she hopes she'll be able to slow down and spend more time with her daughter.

"I don't want to sacrifice the time with my newborn like I had to for my son, if I don't have to," she says."

-via NPR, March 12, 2024

[lee-laurent]

The Past - John Marino

Summary: The timeline of John and Tori's relationship

notes: This is like a prequel to 'Done Trying!' You don't have to read this part, but it gives background on John and Tori's relationship. How they got to where they are in the fic now. The part after this will be a continuation of 'Done Trying' so look for that in the next few days. Also, I do not want to hear any negative criticism about how I've written her depression. I have depression myself and this is how it manifests for me. It's different for everyone, so I don't want to see any hate. Your experience may be different than mine, but every mental health experience is valid.

content: angst, fluff, unplanned pregnancy, break ups, anxiety issues, arguments, birth (not super graphic), mentions of sex but no actual smut, depressive episode, body image issues, mentions of abortion

2019

Tori wasn't drunk by any means, just a bit tipsy. Her fake ID had worked and she was enjoying her night out with her friends. The bar wasn't particularly busy, but the girls were managing to make it feel like a party.

The group of girls all turned to look at the door as a group of rowdy men entered. They were all cheering loudly and patting each other on the back.

"Was there a hockey game tonight?" one of Tori's friends asked.

"I think so," she shrugged, downing the rest of her rum and coke. "I'm going to get another one."

"We'll be here!" one of the other girls giggled.

"Hi, could I have another rum and coke, please?" she grinned at the bartender.

"Sure thing," the man returned with the drink a few minutes later, placing it in front of her, "That'll be 6 dollars."

She reached into her back pocket, when a voice beside her stopped her, "I've got it."

She turned, looking at the man next to her. He was significantly taller than her five foot frame, with tan skin and unruly, dark curls he brushed from his eyes.

"Oh! Thank you," she grinned, taking her drink from the counter.

"I'm John."

"Tori."

"You come here often? Sorry, I know that's cliche as fuck."

"Ha! No worries, my friends and I come here some weeks. It seems your group of friends is making it a bit more lively."

"Hope we're not interrupting your night."

"Not at all. We were the only ones making noise before you guys showed up. You from around here?"

"I'm from Massachusetts. But I moved here for work. You?"

"Pittsburgh born and raised," she smiled, raising her glass up before taking a sip.

The couple continued talking for the rest of the night. Tori wasn't the hookup type though, so instead of going home with him, she gave him her number. Leading to a long line of dates, until he finally asked her out officially.

2020

The world had locked down. No more hockey. No more school. No more work. Tori had subsequently moved into John's apartment so that they would be able to spend time together during the pandemic.

"What're you making?" John asked, wrapping his arms around Tori's waist, tucking his face in the crook of her neck.

"Oatmeal cookies."

"Smells good, baby."

"How was your nap?"

"Relaxing. Would've been better if you were there."

"You know naps make me feel like shit."

"I know... but the bed feels so empty without you."

"God, you're cheesy," she grinned, lifting her hand up to run through his mop of curls. "You want me to trim these?"

"Mmm, not today. I like them long. Why? Do you not like them?"

"I love your curls, Johnny. So sexy."

He grinned, pressing a kiss to her neck.

"I'm going to play 'chel with the boys. Call if you need anything."

She nodded, turning back to rolling the cookie dough into perfect balls. She'd taken up baking during the lockdown. John kept telling her he was going to be out of shape for the next season if she kept it up, but he continued to taste test everything for her nonetheless.

Another month into the lockdown and Tori wasn't herself. She wouldn't leave bed, she was taking naps, and John could barely get her to eat. She claimed she was fine, but he didn't believe her in the slightest.

"Come on, baby. I made mac and cheese, your favourite," he tempted, sitting on the bed and running a hand through her matted hair.

"Not hungry."

"You've gotta be hungry. You haven't eaten since yesterday morning. And all you had then was a couple crackers."

"I'm not hungry. Let me sleep."

"You've been sleeping all day. Can you get up and take a shower for me?"

"Too tired."

"Tori, baby..."

She just rolled over, hiding her face in the duvet. He sighed, leaving the bedroom and going to eat the food he'd made... why let it go to waste.

"How's Victoria doing, love?" John's mom asked through the phone, worry lacing her voice.

"I can't get her to do anything except sleep. I'm trying, Mom. She just..."

"Do you know if she has a history of depressive episodes?"

"Yeah, one when she was in high school. But she said she learned skills to cope."

"Just be there for her, John. That's all I can suggest."

"Thanks, Mom."

Two hours later, Tori emerged from the bedroom. She was wearing the same clothes she had been for days and her hair desperately needed a wash to rid it of grease.

"Hi, baby," John smiled softly.

"Hi. Will you come take a shower with me?" she whispered.

"Sure, but first can you just eat a few bites of the food I made?"

"I... I don't know."

"Please, Tori. Just so I know you're eating."

"Okay."

She sat on his lap, picking at the bowl of pasta in front of them.

"Five bites and we can take a shower."

"Okay."

It took her 20 minutes to take those five bites, but she did it. The couple stood under the hot water of the shower, embracing the time together outside of their room. John helped her wash her hair and brush out all the knots. She forgot how nice it felt to feel clean. She turned in his arms, squishing her face into his torso.

"I've got you, baby. I've always got you. I love you so much."

"I'm sorry, John," she sobbed, "I've been a terrible girlfriend."

"Shh, no you haven't. You're just struggling right now. It's okay. We'll get through his together."

"I love you. I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry. I just want what's best for you. And rotting in bed isn't."

She leaned up and pressed a soft, loving kiss against his lips. When she went in for another one, he turned his head, her lips landing on his cheek.

"Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry," she cried again.

"No, no. I just... I'd feel like I was taking advantage of you. I love you so much, but I can't... do anything until you're yourself again. Okay?"

"Okay."

The next day, John helped Tori find a therapist online. Even going as far as to join sessions to learn how he could help her to help herself.

2021

Now that lockdown restrictions had been lifted slightly, Tori was thriving. She was going on daily walks and working on new coping skills to use when she felt that numbness creeping back in.

John was back to playing hockey and finally their lives had back some normalcy. A normalcy that had formed itself into a very... intimate love life for the two. There didn't seem to be a day that the two weren't having sex. Tori was pretty sure roadies were the only days they weren't falling asleep naked.

It was amazing, until it all came crashing down at the end of December. Tori had been feeling like shit for almost a week now. She felt sluggish and the sent of John before he showered after practice had her sick to her stomach. The idea of being pregnant though wasn't even a thought that crossed her mind. She had an IUD. They were safe. Surely it couldn't be...

"Do you want me to pick up a test, just in case? I know you said it's like almost impossible," John asked as he walked to his car at the arena.

"Sure, if it'll make you feel better. Pick up two, just in case one is faulty."

"Sounds good, babe. Be home in 20. Love you."

"Love you too, Johnny."

The couple stood in the bathroom, re-reading the instructions for the tests.

"I think it's self explanatory, John."

"I just want to make sure you're doing it right!" he swatted her hand away as she tried to grab the paper from him.

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes, sitting on the toilet with the stick.

"Yeah, just piss on it. Then we've gotta wait 5 minutes."

"Sounds good. You stayin' in here while I pee?" she giggled.

"I'll be right outside."

Peeing on the test was harder than she thought. It was like she couldn't get herself to pee, she was so nervous. After a couple minutes though, she'd put the caps back on and placed them on the counter.

"Come in, John. But I'm telling you, I'm not pregnant. Trusty old IUD keeps your sperm outta there."

"Maybe I've got really persistant sperm."

"I-" the timer rang. "You ready?"

"Yep."

At the same time, they flipped the tests, the plastic clattering against the sink as Tori dropped it.

"They- They must be faulty. False positive, right? Right, John?"

"I- is that a common occurance? I'll google it," he typed on his phone quickly, spelling half the words wrong, "There's less than a 1% chance of that, Tori."

"So? Maybe we're in that percentage. Did you even get good ones?"

"They were the most expensive ones! I just grabbed them!"

"They're wrong."

"Victoria..."

"Don't 'Victoria' me! They're wrong! I'm not pregnant! It's just a cold."

John rolled his eyes, "Can you at least go to the doctor? Get meds for your cold then."

"Fine! I'll make an appointment right now!"

"Perfect. I'm going to make dinner."

"I'm not pregnant," she whispered to herself as she typed in the number for her doctor.

"Is there any chance you're pregnant?" the doctor asked, staring into Tori's eyes.

"I have an IUD."

"I've seen it happen. Would you mind giving us a urine sample?"

Yay. Peeing into more things.

It didn't take long for the results to come back. The doctor entered the room holding a stack of paperwork.

"So, the urine sample came back positive for high levels of hCG. Which means you are pregnant."

"That's not possible."

"I know this is probably a lot to take in right now. I've written down some suggestions for a few OBs I reccomend. As well as some supplements we reccomend for the early stages of pregnancy. From the test, I'd say you're about three weeks."

"Shit. Um, sorry. Thank you. I'll, uh, call these numbers," Tori forced a smile, rushing off to get home.

"So? You are pregnant?" John asked, his eyebrow quirked.

"Yes. I just-"

"Okay."

"Okay? That's all you have to say?"

"What do you want me to say, Tori? 'Yay! I'm so excited to be a dad at 24!' Cause that'd be a lie."

"Stop acting like this is all my fault!"

"I never said that! I just... we've never even talked about having kids! This is all very sudden."

"How do you think I feel?! I'm the pregnant one! Now I have to tell all my friends and family that I got knocked up at 22!" she threw her purse down on the counter.

"You told me the IUD would work fine."

"Why are you blaming me? God, John! Grow up!"

"I should grow up?! You're the one yelling at me!"

"You're fucking infuriating!" she shouted, stomping off to their room. The door shut with a harsh slam, making the pictures on the wall swing.

"Fuck me," John muttered, grasping at his hair.

John slept on the couch that night, not wanting to deal with being yelled at again.

"We should talk about this, Tori," he offered at breakfast.

"Why? I'll just get the pregnancy terminated. You don't it."

"Tori... can we think about this? Make a rational decision."

"Why? Is getting an abortion not rational?"

"Not what I said. I just think you're still angry about yesterday, so you're not think rationally. We need to make a decision together here."

She rolled her eyes, "You made it clear how you feel."

"Did I?"

"Yeah, I think your words were 'I'm not excited to be a dad at 24!' So, there's our answer. You won't have to be," she sassed.

"Victoria, sit down."

"You're not my fucking dad."

"Stop acting like a child! Sit down!"

John rarely yelled at Tori, so the tone of his voice had her sitting right back down.

"Thank you. Listen, I'm not thrilled to be a dad right now, but I'm not telling you to end the pregnancy. I- we can make this work. I want you to make the final decision, but I won't be leaving if you decide this is what we're doing. I love you. And I support whatever decision you make. I will love that baby unconditionally."

"I... I need time to think about everything," she nodded, her lips pursed.

"I understand. But I really don't want to continue this arguing. I want us to enjoy our trip to Massachusetts. Not dwell on this and see our family."

"Okay, I have another appointment in January. You can come... if you'd like. I don't want to tell our families yet."

"Of course... I love you."

She sighed, "I love you too. No more fighting?"

"No more fighting," he nodded.

2022

Tori knew that nobody in the waiting area was judging her, but she felt judged. Her leg was bouncing, her nerves getting the best of her. She was filling out the paperwork that they'd given her. John placed a comforting hand on her thigh, trying to calm her.

"They're removing the IUD today. I don't know if you wanna be in there when they do it."

"I'll stay for moral support."

"Are you sure?"

"Why not," he shrugged.

Tori opened her mouth to respond when her name was called.

"Is your boyfriend coming with us today?" the nurse smiled.

"Yes, if that's okay."

"No problem! The doctor will be right in. We're going to start with the IUD removal. So if you could just strip from the waist down, she can get started."

"Do you want me to turn around?" John asked, taking a seat on the chair in the corner.

"No? Nothing you haven't seen before."

She sat down, throwing the sheet they'd.given her over her legs.

"Nervous?"

"A bit. It hurt to get in. People say it's worse coming out."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Want me to hold your hand?"

"That'd be nice," she smiled.

There was a knock at the door, "We all ready in here?"

"Yep. Come in."

"Hi, Victoria! I'm Dr. Reese. It's nice to meet you!"

"Hi. This is my boyfriend, John."

"Nice to meet you as well! We're going to start with the IUD removal, then we can start chatting about baby. Sound good?"

"Yeah. Is it okay if John holds my hand?"

"Of course! Alright, scooch, scooch. Perfect. Take a deep breath for me."

Tori inhaled, squeezing John's hand. Her eyes screwed shut. A pained breath escaped her mouth. Even John squinted, watching as the doctor pulled on the little strings.

"And done!"

"Thank God," Tori whispered.

"I'll step out! You can throw your clothes back on and I'll be back in a minute with the ultrasound machine."

"You ready?" Tori asked John, buttoning up her jeans.

"Yeah," he shrugged, sitting back down.

John and Tori had discussed things the day before. They were keeping the baby. It was an emotional discussion. Talking about the logisitcs of the whole thing. Especially with her still in school and John playing hockey.

"Ready to see baby?" the doctor smiled brightly.

"Yeah."

"Mhm."

"Alright. I warmed up the gel, it shouldn't be too bad," Dr. Reese moved the wand over Tori's lower abdomen. "And here is baby."

It looked like a little blob, but it still made John's eyes water.

"So, you're about 6 weeks. Measurements look good. I'll want to see you again around 18-20 weeks. You can schedule that on your way out. Congratulations, again."

"You alright, babe?" Tori asked, noticing how quiet John had gotten.

"Hm, yeah. I just... I didn't think I'd be this emotional. Especially over what looks like an alien."

Tori laughed, "Don't call our baby an alien!"

"I'm sorry," he giggled, wiping his eyes, "But it does look a little like an alien."

"Okay... maybe just a little."

The couple left the doctors' office laughing quietly to themselves, their hands intertwined.

Six Months Pregnant - May 2022

It was three in the morning and Tori was sobbing, "You don't understand, John. We're out of pickles."

"I heard you. I just... I don't understand why you're crying."

"I need pickles, John," she cried.

"I- I don't know where to get you pickles at 3am. Everything is closed."

Tori pulled herself out of bed, storming into the kitchen. She dug through the fridge and freezer, trying to find anything that would help her cravings. She pulled a bowl of watermelon out of the fridge, digging in.

John sluggishly joined her in the kitchen, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'll get you pickles in the morning."

She just nodded, taking another forkful of melon. It wasn't as fulfilling was a jar of mini dill pickles, but it was helping. She couldn't even count how many jars of pickles she'd gone through during her pregnancy, but this was the first time they'd been out. It felt like the end of the world to her pregnancy hormones.

John loved Tori to bits, but the emotional rollercoaster of pregnancy was beginning to make him tired. He knew it wasn't fair and that she was going through much more, but lord was he exhausted.

"Do you want me to stay here? Or should I go back to bed?"

She shrugged, shovelling more food into her mouth. John sighed, coming around the counter. He placed a hand on her waist and one on her growing stomach.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Do you want to go back to bed?"

She hummed, taking one last bite. They shuffled back to the bedroom, Tori hugging onto her pregnancy pillow. John fucking hated the thing, but Tori couldn't sleep without it, so... he'd deal with it for the next three months.

August 2022

John had just been traded from Pittsburgh to New Jersey and now... it was time for their baby to enter the world.

"Ah!" Tori gripped her stomach. She was walking around the hospital room, waiting to be fully dilated. John was being supportive as possible, getting her more ice chips when requested and holding her hand when ever she felt a contraction. "Is it time yet?"

"The nurse said it could be a while, because it's your first."

"It's going to be our only. Holy shit! Why did you do this to me?"

John laughed, "I'm sorry, baby. You're the strongest woman I know. You've got this. Do you want to use the yoga ball again?"

"No! I just want the baby out of me!"

"And they said that the yoga ball will help that."

"Fine," she groaned, squatting down on the blue yoga ball. John smiled, watching as she bounced up and down, her cup of ice chips in her hand.

"They'll be back with the epidural soon. Then it'll be smooth sailing," he comforted.

10 hours later and she was finally pushing. She was squeezing John's hand so tight he thought it might break. But he tried to be supportive nonetheless.

"One more big push, Mama," the doctor smiled.

"I can't do it."

"You've got this, Tori," John whispered.

"I can't do it."

"Just one more push and our baby is here, love."

She braced, feeling the pressure one last time. She pushed and a wail filled the room.

"And here's baby boy."

"It's a boy?" John was smiling so wide, it hurt his cheeks.

"It is. Want to come cut the cord, Dad?"

He nodded excitedly, watching as they gave his son his first bath.

"Here you go, Mama," they placed the baby on her chest.

"Hi, baby," she was too tired to cry, but her son was so beautiful. He had a head of dark hair which explained the heartburn she'd had during the pregnancy.

"We'll be back in a bit to help you get him to latch. And then they'll be in with the name paperwork."

"Here," John smiled, unbuttoning part of her gown so she could do skin to skin.

"Riley."

"Hm?"

"Riley Alexander Marino."

"It's perfect, baby. Here, I'll hold him. You get some rest."

December 2022

Things were falling apart. The couple was arguing almost every day. Tori was struggling. She hated the way she looked and that feeling of numbness was starting to creep back in. But she wouldn't allow it, she needed to be there for Riley.

John was going through the hockey season and adjusting to a new team. He was barely home. And when he was, he was beyond tired. Not being much help at all. Night shifts were nonexisitant. It was always Tori getting up to get their son. John either "slept through it" or "was too tired from hockey."

Everything came crumbling down a week before Christmas.

"You're not any fucking help! Ever!" Tori yelled, throwing the burp cloth down on the counter. "I haven't left the apartment in days! I haven't been able to take a shower in days! All I do is take care of Riley!"

"Your his mom! Did you think you wouldn't have to take care of him?!"

"God! That's not what I meant and you KNOW it! Your his dad! When are you going to step up and actually do some fucking work?"

"I'm providing for us, Victoria! Would you rather I quit and we have no income?!"

"That's it. I'm leaving!"

"You're leaving?! Where are you going?"

"Anywhere that you aren't, John. I can't fucking deal with you right now. Call me when you've grown the fuck up and decide you actually want anything to do with your son," she stormed off to the bedroom, throwing things into a duffle bag.

"Victoria! You can't just leave! Talk to me!"

"I can leave! I can do whatever the fuck I want!"

"You- you can't just leave with Riley!"

"Sure, I can! Not like you parent him at all!"

"Victoria!"

"No! Fuck off!"

The screaming woke Riley from his nap and his wails soon filled the apartment as well.

"Great! Look what you've done!" John threw his hands up in frustration.

"What I did? You're so fucking immature. Stop acting like you're 12 and start acting like the 25-year-old you are!" Tori went to the nursery, grabbing some of Riley's things and putting them in the bag as well. She picked up her son, strapping him into his carrier. John was standing in the door, shell-shocked.

"Please, Tori. Just think about this. Please."

"No. I'll be back for more of our things in a couple days," she shook her head, leaving John all alone in the apartment.

March 2023

It was official. John and Victoria were done. Tori had gotten her own place and Riley went to see John every weekend. Slowly but surely, John and Tori were forming a friendship. They wanted things between them to be good for Riley.

And this friendship leads us to where we are now...

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

😷 - Mask off, but guard up! Seems like we're out of the tunnel

1. Abandoned dog seen wandering Detroit streets with stuffed toy rescued, now receiving care

An abandoned dog is preparing for a new home after animal rescue groups spent days trying to find her when she was spotted wandering Detroit with a stuffed toy. Nikki's owner recently died, and she was left to wander the streets with her favorite toy. 

As Nikki receives her care, the animal workers are making sure she is ready to head to her foster home. Almost Home is collecting donations to help pay for the treatment and Niki's care. Donate here.

2. New foster care agency matching LGBTQ+ kids with queer carers to become ‘their amazing, wonderful selves’

A new foster care service has been launched to help match LGBTQ+ young people with supportive carers and families in the South East of England. Apex Q, a service from agency Apex Fostering, will help encourage more LGBTQ+ foster carers, provide training and create more placements for queer children.

Apex Fostering, which covers north and east London as well as several southern counties, including Hertfordshire, Essex and Cambridgeshire, launched in 2021 and claims to have already placed more than 60 young people with foster families. 

3. Newquay Zoo celebrates birth of rare 'warty' piglets

A pair of rare piglets has been born at Newquay Zoo in Cornwall. The Visayan warty pigs, named for the three pairs of fleshy "warts" on the boar's face, which protect it while fighting rival pigs, are part of a breeding programme at the zoo.

The species lives in the forests of the Philippines, where there could be as few as 200 animals left.

4. New Alzheimer's drug slows disease by a third

We could be entering the era of Alzheimer's treatments, after the second drug in under a year has been shown to slow the disease. Experts said we were now "on the cusp" of drugs being available, something that had recently seemed "impossible".

The company Eli Lilly has reported its drug - donanemab - slows the pace of Alzheimer's by about a third.

5. Covid global health emergency is over, WHO says

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that Covid-19 no longer represents a "global health emergency". The statement represents a major step towards ending the pandemic and comes three years after it first declared its highest level of alert over the virus.

But Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the virus remained a significant threat.

6. Doctors have performed brain surgery on a fetus in one of the first operations of its kind

The baby’s condition, known as vein of Galen malformation, was first noticed during a routine ultrasound scan at 30 weeks of pregnancy. The seven-week-old is one of the first people to have undergone an experimental brain operation while still in the womb. It might have saved her life.

Before she was born, this little girl developed a dangerous condition that led blood to pool in a 14-millimeter-wide pocket in her brain. The condition could have resulted in brain damage, heart problems, and breathing difficulties after birth. It could have been fatal. The baby girl was born healthy. She didn’t need any treatment for the malformation.

7. Lastly, watch this father stork brings a blanket to warm up mother stork

----

That's it for this week :)

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[houpss]

REST

🧊–return to masterlist ¡! ✥

"Good day, this is JYP ENTERTAINMENT. 26.12.2021 Lily Hwang of Stray Kids is taking a rest due to worsening panic attacks and anxiety disorder, which is why her activities are suspended for a while. All of Stray kids' next events, comebacks and promotions will be released without her participation until she is fully recovered! We ask fans for understanding and all possible support, she asked you not to worry about her.JYPE will consider the artist's health a top priority and will do everything possible to support Lily's speedy recovery."

Then this statement from the Company shocked everyone and everyone was very upset by this development of events. Hundreds of thousands of letters of support were written to Lily in the bubble, they never forgot about her and encouraged her. MANIAC's comeback came out without her participation, but the students were so upset because Lily was in the teaser and in the video, but she was not in the promo or other songs.Lily appeared for the first time since her return to the bubble in May (01.05.2022), writing two messages:

[🐻]::Y/n!! hi, I feel much better. did you hear that the boys will have a world tour?:) Please visit it! I promise you'll like it (06:19 a.m)

[🐻]::I miss you and the boys, pain makes us stronger (08:32 a.m)

○○○

On the first day of the STRAY KIDS world tour in Seoul, Lily came to the concert with Mingi and Tenshi (she was the only one who was very scared), sitting in the front rows and she was shown on the big screen at the end of the concert, the boys burst into tears and were very happy to see her because they didn't know about her arrival at the concert, Lily also cried, and then she was allowed to go up on stage and they all stood there together and cried,they hugged so much:((( I can say that it was a difficult concert without Lily and the first concert after the pandemic, the boys were very upset and happy to see Stay again, but so tearful because of Lily. (this moment went viral everywhere), (date 05.05.2022)

On July 31, 2022, the video and song TIME OUT were released, with the release of which Lily left the rest, and the students were in great shock and also cried when they saw Lily in the video and heard her voice, everyone was incredibly happy about it. Then Lily wrote in the bubble:

[🐻]::Next to Y/n I am stronger, I promise to work and work and make my baby Y/n happy (11:02 p.m)

[🐻]::War is over (reference to the song) (11:07 p.m)

[🐻]::Oh...do you want for me to stay with you? (11:10 p.m)

[🐻]::During these seven months my life has become better! all thanks to Y/n's support~ (11:12 p.m)

[🐻]:: I missed you too, baby! let's continue to work harder so that we move forward together (11:15 p.m)

[🐻]:: I traveled a lot and went to a psychotherapist, so I felt better... (11:18 p.m)

[🐻]:: My close friends and boys helped me a lot (11:27 p.m)

[🐻]:: I don’t regret that the MANIAC comeback was without me! so Y/n saw the boys' talents to the fullest (11:28 p.m)

[🐻]:: Should I live onair tomorrow??

[🐻]:: I'll carry it out! and we'll have fun! (11:30 p.m)

[🐻]:: And now I'm going to bed! soft dreams, baby 🩷 (11:35 p.m)

Lily suffered all these seven months, she was terribly ill. She did not leave the room, did not eat, and did not communicate with anyone. Even SKZ couldn’t get her out of this state, not to mention Lily’s friends. Then Donghyun arrived from New York and, together with Kiri and Tenshi, began working on Lily’s condition. They organized a tour for her to different countries: Italy, France, Canada, Greece, UAE, Japan, Great Britain, and she also visited the Maldives. Lily even thought about committing suicide if it weren’t for Seungmin, who saw the prerequisites in time and sent Lily along with Chan to a psychotherapist (Lily refused to go alone). She wanted to quit K-pop completely, but her close people stopped her. What about Lily's parents? They didn’t know about it, or rather, Lily’s mother knew and quietly sent her money for treatment, but her father simply didn’t care. he abandoned his daughter back in 2017.

I can say that everyone handled Lily's rest differently, but it was hard. I think Felix and Jongin were the most depressed,Changbin hid his fears within himself , Minho became more irritable and Jisung was anxious without Lily...what about Chan and Hyunjin? They saw Lily most at this time, perhaps she only let them in and sometimes Felix, she didn’t want to see others. Seungmin observed the situation from afar and he was the one who helped her the most, but is not visible.

[racefortheironthrone]

Is there any way for governments to respond to a pandemic such as Covid 19 or something worse without provoking considerable public resentment? Take no measures to prevent the spread and you’ll be blamed for the resulting public health disaster. Try to prevent the spread, and you’ll be blamed for the inevitable inequities and negative effects taken to do so, and the (mitigated, but not entirely avoided) public health disaster.

I don't mean this to come off as pessimistic or overly negative, but I would say as a matter of historic record, public health campaigns (especially anti-pandemic campaigns) tend to be quite unpopular - and my suspicion is that the mid-20th century moment where public health experts like Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin became folk heroes with enormous amounts of popular support from the middle-class parents of the Baby Boom is probably the exception that proves the rule.

You can go all the way back to the very earliest days of public health measures - the Venetian invention of the quarantine during the Black Death - to find one of the first anti public-health backlashes. Conservative Venetians felt that the free food packages that were an essential part of the quarantine process (because you don't want potentially sick people wandering the city looking for food) would make people lazy and economically dependent on the government.

Likewise, when advances in medicine and state capacity in the early 19th century led to one of the first modern pandemic campaigns during the cholera outbreaks of the early 1830s, the public's response was not one of orderly compliance and gratefulness. Instead, you had what were called the "cholera riots" in both the U.K and Russia. Buoyed by conspiracy theories about shadowy cabals of doctors working hand in hand with an autocratic government to kill the destitute, mobs attacked symbols of public health (public hospitals, government doctors, public research clinics, anatomical colleges, health boards) and government authority (governors, police stations, quarantine cordons, court houses, etc.).

By contrast, all the anti-vaxx insanity of the past couple years seems a bit tame - at least in COVID-19, most violence has been rhetorical and abstract rather than involving the targeted murder of doctors and government officials.

Ultimately, we may just have to come to grips with the fact that public health/anti-pandemic policy is always going to be unpopular and that the correct approach is to use hard power rather than try to chivvy people into doing what's in their best interests. I certainly remember how California started to make strides against the anti-vaxx movement prior to COVID-19: it ultimately required legislation like SB 277 and SB 742 that made vaccinations more mandatory and made anti-vaxx harassment punishable with six months in jail.

[thedreadvampy]

btw this is a hangover from a big tweeting I did the other day but I really need fellow Britishers to understand that a major reason we have not seen the rollback of abortion rights the way the US has with the repeal of Roe v Wade is literally that we have never had the right to abortion.

Abortion is illegal in the UK. there are exemptions meaning that it's possible to get a legal abortion but abortion per se is a crime, and not in an abstract theoretical sense - like 6 people are currently serving sentences for getting abortions in England, and the maximum sentence is life imprisonment.

And this just isn't something most of us talk about or are even aware of tbh. I wasn't aware of it when I had my abortion. When I mention to people that abortion is illegal in the UK they are almost always surprised.

So for clarity, there are two sets of exemptions and if your abortion doesn't meet them fully, it is illegal and punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment for providers and up to life imprisonment for the person recieving the abortion (in England and Wales. In Scotland the penalties are less clear, and in Northern Ireland you can no longer be tried for recieving an illegal abortion, only for providing it or seeking it for someone else. NI law is substantially different and better from the rest of the UK and has fully decriminalised abortion up to 12 weeks)

---

The two sets of exemptions are:

1) Before 24 weeks

An abortion is legal only if:

two separate medical professionals agree before the fact that continuing the pregnancy will produce more damage to the pregnant person's physical or mental health, or to their existing children, than an abortion will.

AND

the procedure takes place before 24 weeks; ie, the last legal point to get an abortion under these exemptions is 23 weeks, 6 days after the last day of your last period. (Based on my personal experience, if you don't track your period, they'll make a guess based on your first ultrasound and then count from there.)

AND

The procedure takes place under medical supervision if it's performed after 10 weeks (at-home abortion was legalised up to 10 weeks during the pandemic) and is procured through licensed medical professionals.

After 24 weeks

After the cutoff of 23 weeks 6 days, an abortion can only legally happen if:

or

Two separate medical professionals agree before the fact that abortion is the only viable way to prevent death or grave permanent injury to the pregnant person.

The attending doctor or surgeon deems that without an immediate abortion, the pregnant person will die (because they've waived the legal requirement of two medical approvals, the doctor is then on the hook to justify that there wasn't time to wait for a second opinion without putting the patient's life at unacceptable risk)

---

AND to be legal, abortions that meet these criteria must also be under medical supervision, but given that the only legal way to have an abortion after 24 weeks is urgent medical need, that's unsurprising.

The eugenicsy one

At any point in the pregnancy, an abortion is also legal if:

Two separate medical professionals agree ahead of time

AND

The baby is going to be born with severe physical or mental handicaps

yeah baybeeeee you can't abort because you want to not be pregnant after 24 months but at ANY TIME you can abort to prevent there being more yucky disabled people. Ok.

So there isn't a total ban, but abortion is still a criminal offence, and because the law around abortion isn't well publicised, it's really easy to accidentally fall outside it even when you're doing everything right - there are multiple cases of women being tried for abortions they didn't realise were illegal and had got through formal NHS channels. In at least one case, the criminal act was getting the abortion less than 48 hours after the cutoff date - an abortion at 24 weeks 1 day instead of 23 weeks 6 days.

Where people don't track their periods, this is really fuzzy and an abortion which is legal when performed can become illegal after the fact if it's concluded that their last period was earlier than stated.

As well, the need for abortion to happen before 23 weeks 6 days, and to have gone through a minimum of two referrals, means that people who are unable to access doctor's appointments CANNOT get an abortion legally, and given the glacial pace of NHS referrals, if you don't know you're pregnant or struggle to get an initial appointment, your legal window can get very small very fast. I had two and a half weeks between calling the doctor and the point where I wouldn't be legally allowed to abort, and I got my abortion TWO DAYS before the cutoff point - if I hadn't been able to take the 8am appointment in a different city they gave me, I would have been too late.

We don't have a right to abort. All we have are loopholes. ABORTION IS CRIMINALISED UNDER UK LAW.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

Frustrated about the lack of conversation about other preventative measures, but the man is talking about shots, so we'll let that slide today.

By Jerome M. Adams

Every parent wants to keep their family safe. We want our children to be healthy and enjoy the activities and milestones of adolescence. We yearn to grow old alongside our partners and to celebrate many more birthdays and holidays with our own parents. This deep-seated desire for safety and togetherness spurred many of us into action when the COVID-19 vaccine first became available more than three years ago. After a year marked by isolation and fear for our loved ones’ health, most Americans eagerly lined up to get their initial shots.

Yet, in 2024, I fear we’ve created a false sense of security. Seventy percent of Americans were fully vaccinated from COVID-19 in 2022, but only 22% got an updated vaccine last year. An updated vaccine — designed to help your body produce antibodies against the most likely currently circulating strains of the virus — offers crucial protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death. Unfortunately, our hospitals are already feeling the strain of declining vaccination rates.

Some 34,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 in 2024 alone, with thousands more hospitalized and hundreds succumbing weekly. Like so many, I felt a wave of relief when my family completed our initial vaccinations. Finally, we could enjoy life with a renewed sense of safety.

That’s why my family continues to get vaccinated every year. My daughter is receiving her updated COVID-19 vaccine to minimize her chances of falling ill before her high school homecoming dance. My wife, who is battling cancer, knows that a COVID-19 infection could pose severe complications. My elderly parents, both in high-risk categories, receive their vaccinations to protect their health. And as someone who travels frequently for work, I get vaccinated to reduce the risk of bringing the virus home. Yet almost 80% of the public doesn’t share our sense of urgency.

To be frank, the medical and public health community has struggled to effectively communicate the importance of annual COVID-19 vaccinations. Immunity wanes, and the virus mutates; it’s not a one-and-done scenario. People need yearly updates for optimal protection against circulating strains. Many are underestimating the dangers of remaining unvaccinated.

Millions of Americans are at high risk, yet many don’t recognize themselves as such. Approximately 7 in 10 adults have a risk factor for severe COVID-19 symptoms. Conditions such as high blood pressure increase the risk fourfold, while chronic lung diseases raise it sixfold, and diabetes raises it threefold. The most significant risk factor for poor COVID-19 outcomes remains age: Adults ages 65 and older account for two-thirds of COVID-19 hospitalizations and more than 81% of in-hospital deaths.

Alarmingly, only about 40% of Americans in that age group received a COVID-19 vaccine last year. Even healthy adults and children can suffer long-term symptoms from a COVID-19 infection. As a parent, this is one of my greatest concerns. The risk of long-term symptoms, known as long COVID, increases with each infection, even if it’s a mild case.

About 7% of U.S. adults — nearly 18 million people — report enduring symptoms such as shortness of breath, extreme fatigue and brain fog. While there is no known cure for long COVID, recent studies indicate that vaccination can reduce the risk of developing these chronic symptoms by up to 70%. No one wants to miss work, school or cherished moments because of a severe infection or lingering symptoms.

We’ve already lost too many special occasions during the peak of the pandemic. We all want to gather safely with loved ones at Thanksgiving, go on planned vacations and celebrate life’s joyous moments, whether it’s weddings or the joy of new babies. We want to visit our loved ones in nursing homes without the fear of causing an outbreak while doing so. We want to gather safely with our friends, and we can do this more assuredly if everyone is vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to significantly lower risk of hospitalization and death and have been safely administered to billions of people worldwide. As with any health recommendation, it’s understandable that people will have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine — and they should always consult their doctors or trusted health care providers.

It’s vital that we take our health seriously, seek answers and engage in compassionate conversations about vaccination. Updated COVID-19 vaccines are now available nationwide, and the time to act is now. Let’s prioritize our health, protect our loved ones and cherish the moments that matter.

Together, we can navigate this ongoing challenge with vigilance and care. Dr. Jerome M. Adams, MPH, was the 20th surgeon general of the United States.

[aphfroghat]

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏 𝑫𝒖𝒎𝒑 - 𝑵𝒐𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒚

Physical features

Norway is somewhat chubby, the kind you'd have to see him naked or squeeze him to notice. He's 179 cm tall and his complexion is pale. He has dimples only a few people know about and his hair is very fluffy, wavy and well kept. His curl, beyond its purpose of representing his fjords, also reflects his feelings; it takes different shapes as he feels different things:

He's touch-avoidant most of the time, but he doesn't mind being cuddly with Iceland.

Health & Psyche

Norway is generally healthy, he barely ever gets sick, and when he does it's never too bad. When sick, he becomes much quieter than usual (so he's pretty much silent) and he begs specifically Iceland to cuddle with him. This is a bit of a strategy to make Ice sick and have a good excuse to baby him and take care of him. It doesn't work much. He's myopic and uses strong prescription contact lenses.

He used to smoke, but he quit recently.

He fears speaking in public, thunderstorms and being forgotten. He sleeptalks and occasionally sleepwalks too (he has baked cakes in his sleep a bunch of times). His dreams are either unsettling or weird, and he frequently has nightmares about poverty and losing his loved ones. He's autistic and he particularly despises loud noises and some textures. His coping mechanism of choice is zoning out.

Personality

Despite being naturally aloof and reserved, Norway tries his best to be a tiny bit more open to his close friends and family, failing miserably. It takes him years to open up to someone and become comfortable with touch. He's very good at self-control and hates losing it. He's mostly calm so he has a hard time staying angry at someone, annoyed at max. He can be very blunt but he doesn't intend to offend most of the time. He dislikes crowds, parties and world meetings.

Hobbies and interests

Norway is an active person: he practises figure skating and skiing, and he likes hiking and fishing. He's very good at chess. He tried to teach Iceland too, but the latter is hopeless. He plays the violin well and he does duets with Iceland (pianist) often. His singing voice is also good. He stares at snow or rain as a hobby, sometimes he accidentally stares at people while spacing out. He's skilled at Just Dance but he will never be as good as Sweden. Norway is particularly into black metal and he's a hardcore Vundabar fan.

Social

Norway isn't much of a social kind of person, in fact he mantains a minimal presence on the few social media accounts he has: Facebook, a rarely used Instagram, and a forgotten Tumblr he used one time in 2014. He also downloaded TikTok to try it out with Iceland's suggestion but he deleted it in less than 10 minutes. He matches profile pictures with Denmark on every social media he has.

He barely ever uses his phone anyway, in fact it's better to call him than text him as he forgets to check his messages a lot.

He's in a fake polycule with England and Romania. He spoils Ladonia and Sealand with sweets and gifts, though sometimes his gifts aren't very appreciated because he's stingy. He got Ladonia coloured pencils for five birthdays straight once. He somewhat enjoyed the pandemic for the enforced isolation, a good excuse to avoid physical contact and world meetings.

Magic

Norway is a half fae. This gives him an average fae's features (pointy ears, shrinking in size, wings, a glow in their eyes when exposed to darkness, purring), with a milder shrinking and a better control over them. As a child, his control on those features– and on magic at all –wasn't very good, in fact he seemed to purr for no reason and to sneeze and emanate sparkles as an early display of magic.

Miscellaneous

- He's never sure about his gender and uses any pronoun.

- During an emo phase in his Viking years, he dyed his hair with blood.

- He has a very calming aura.

- He has a massive sweeth tooth.

- Cuddles make him sleepy.

- He always arrives to places 10 minutes early.

- He's not a morning person.

- His blood type is A.

- Despite being photogenic, he's insecure about having his picture taken.

[pro-birth]

“It’s not that Dobbs caused the decline. Maternal mortality was unusually high during the COVID-19 pandemic; deaths have now returned their pre-COVID baseline. That baseline was not great. There is still a lot of work to be done (and if you want to donate in this area, we can’t say enough good things about Abide Women’s Health). The point is just that protecting babies from abortion hasn’t made the situation any worse, defying pro-abortion media predictions.”

If anyone gives an actual F about maternal mortality, then look into medical sexism, medical racism, medical classism, lack of access to midwifery model of care, etc. Child killing does not deter these other issues that actually cause maternal mortality.

Also a friendly reminder: doctors claiming that pro-life laws stop them from giving medical care are committing medical negligence. ❤️❤️❤️

[mmmichyyy]

weekly tag wednesday ⭐

tagged by @heymacy @energievie @crossmydna @sgtmickeyslaughter @lingy910y 🖤

name: michelle

pronouns: she/her

what year did you graduate high school? 2010

tell me where you live without telling me where you live: the most expensive city in canada

tell me what you do for work: paperwork, reports, customer service

caffeine source of choice: english breakfast tea and matcha (coffee gives me a headache)

do you have a skincare routine? i've switched over to korean/japanese skincare and i'm still trying to figure out what products work for my face

how often do you do laundry? whenever i run out of clean clothes and sheets

favorite flower: tulips, daffodils, baby's breath

your go-to karaoke song: i can't reach a tune for the life of me but recently i've been blasting close to you - gracie abrams in the car

what kind of phone do you have? google pixel 6a

do you wear contacts/glasses? i wear glasses when i drive, watch movies in a theatre, or when i'm ordering at a counter and can't read the menu lol

what color is your hair right now? black but looks really dark brown under the sun

you’ve just been handed $10,000 cash, what are you spending it on? putting it towards savings & rent (see above re: living in the most expensive city) and treating my parents out to a nice meal

how many pets do you have? zero

have you ever been on a train? yes in multiple cities

and finally, tell me something about yourself people might be surprised to know: i smoked daily for around ten years from when i was sixteen and quit four years ago during the pandemic. every time i have a drink i think about smoking a cig but otherwise i don't really miss it

tagging @gallawitchxx @thisdivorce @gardenerian @heymrspatel @spoonfulstar @sam-loves-seb @blue-disco-lights @whatthebodygraspsnot @catgrassplantdad @callivich @sickness-health-all-that-shit @stocious @loftec @darlingian @jrooc @crestfallercanyon @suzy-queued @mybrainismelted @creepkinginc @palepinkgoat @burninface @deedala @deathclassic @vintagelacerosette 🌸

[otherbombdotcom]

1/2 Round two baby! I've been asking Covid cautious community members why they are masking in 2024. These are just some of the answers. All answers are anonymous for privacy reasons, and some have been edited for clarity/spacing reasons. It's never too late to start wearing a respirator regularly if you aren't doing so now. Why do you mask?

Image description:

Slide 1 - Deep blue background with baby pink paint splashes. Four N95 respirators line the bottom edge, a speech bubble coming from one. Text reads, "I mask primarily because my stepfather is severely immunocompromised... for my own health, safety, and peace of mind, as well as the disabled and elderly.”

Slide 2 - Same scene. Text reads, “I mask to keep myself and my community safer! I mask because it’s the best thing we can do to protect ourselves from systemic neglect.”

Slide 3 - Same scene. Text reads, “...there are things that I’d be unable to do if disabled by Covid and I don’t want that for myself or others.”

Slide 4 - Same scene. “I mask for my cousin, who has two types of cancer and has received treatment during the pandemic”

[guacala]

Bella ramsey x reader and them doing cute tiktoks and couple trends pls pls pls!!!

tiktok headcannons, bella ramsey

masterlist pairing: bella ramsey x fem!reader summary: you and bella on tiktok word count: 769 warnings: language, fluff overload a/n: girl, i don’t have tiktok so i just based it off what i’ve seen, and i'm so sorry if its bad 😭 also, this is compensation for my met gala brainrot on monday, i'm so sorry...

you would 100% be the one to get tiktok, and Bella would just not care for it

like we’ve all seen how horrible people can be towards Bella on social media, and if we’re being completely honest, tiktok is extremely toxic too

so yeah, I think that they would be fine with you having it, they just didn’t want it on their mind

you, like the rest of the fucking world, would’ve gotten tiktok during the pandemic

it was a last resort, okay? everyone was bored and desperate and your mental health was already shit

you didn’t even post anything till the pandemic was relatively over (spring 2022 ish), and you rarely ever posted anyway

whenever you did post though, it was stupid shit you decided to do with your friends, usually some strange trend that seemed to cure your boredom for a bit

that was around the same time that you met Bella, but you made sure that you never posted them

obviously, since you were attached at the hip from the moment you met, there were some slip-ups

it was known that Bella was dating someone, but nobody knew who you even were as Bella would only refer to you as “my partner” in interviews

you wouldn’t even know how people found your account, but stalkers will stalk and trolls will troll 

yeah, that definitely made you stop posting completely and it wasn’t till after the last of us finished airing that you finally felt comfortable enough to post again.

you wouldn’t normally post Bella on any of your social media, but there were instances where you just had an urge to, and, well, Bella had a hard time saying no to you

you definitely made that one tiktok where you have the phone and you pass it up to Bella and you turn around to hug them (x)

“can you hold my phone for me, please? i need to tie my shoe” you would ask one day when you’re out late, walking around after going to dinner.  “yeah,” they said as you handed her the phone above your head. they looked at the camera a bit confused. they were used to you taking photos and videos, but it was facing them, which was highly unusual. while they were in their confusion, you took advantage of the fact that their arms were still up and straight, and turned around to bury your face in their chest.  their face immediately melted, and they stopped grabbing the phone with both hands and wrapped their arms around you. “you’re so cute, i love you,” Bella said quietly, but it could still be heard in the video with the black screen. “i love you more,” you could be heard responding. “not possible,” they said as you giggled and responded by saying “possible” as they kissed all over your face.

they would also 100% be the okok to your lala

“Bells?” you had said as you laid your head on their stomach and you both scrolled mindlessly on your phones. “yeah, my love?” “you’re the okok to my lala.” “what?” they giggled as they sat up a bit, looking down at your face. you shrug as you say “you heard me”. “nooo, what does that mean?” they whine as they pinch your side, and you let out a small sound in protest. “nobody really knows, it just is.” “that makes no sense!” “yeah it does!” you say loudly with a smile on your face.  “no!” “okay, okay, look at this and sing what you hear,” you say as you pull up the sound and turn the camera to you. “baby, you’re not making any sense,” they say as you start the video. “just do what i said,” you demand as the music starts and they playfully roll their eyes. they start singing “okokok” in their beautiful voice, as you start to mouth “lala la lala” and they look at you in shock. “how does that even work!” Bella yells as you throw your head back and laugh as you end the video. 

you also did that one that goes “tell me how you know your boyfriend won’t cheat on you without telling me that your boyfriend won’t cheat on you”

and it honestly just became a combination of photos and videos of Bella being clingy and text messages that went along the lines of:

bella: i miss you :( you: i saw you an hour ago bella: your point? you: omg, okay, i miss you too :/

yeah, everyone was obsessed with the two of you

as they should be, of course

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

By Joanne Silberner

April 8, 2024

A hug, a handshake, a therapeutic massage. A newborn lying on a mother’s bare chest.

Physical touch can buoy well-being and lessen pain, depression and anxiety, according to a large new analysis of published research released on Monday in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

Researchers from Germany and the Netherlands systematically reviewed years of research on touch, strokes, hugs and rubs. They also combined data from 137 studies, which included nearly 13,000 adults, children and infants. Each study compared individuals who had been physically touched in some way over the course of an experiment — or had touched an object like a fuzzy stuffed toy — to similar individuals who had not.

For example, one study showed that daily 20-minute gentle massages for six weeks in older people with dementia decreased aggressiveness and reduced the levels of a stress marker in the blood. Another found that massages boosted the mood of breast cancer patients. One study even showed that healthy young adults who caressed a robotic baby seal were happier, and felt less pain from a mild heat stimulus, than those who read an article about an astronomer.

Positive effects were particularly noticeable in premature babies, who “massively improve” with skin-to-skin contact, said Frédéric Michon, a researcher at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and one of the study’s authors.

“There have been a lot of claims that touch is good, touch is healthy, touch is something that we all need,” said Rebecca Boehme, a neuroscientist at Linkoping University in Sweden, who reviewed the study for the journal. “But actually, nobody had looked at it from this broad, bird’s eye perspective.”

The analysis revealed some interesting and sometimes mysterious patterns. Among adults, sick people showed greater mental health benefits from touch than healthy people did. Who was doing the touching — a familiar person or a health care worker — didn’t matter. But the source of the touch did matter to newborns.

“One very intriguing finding that needs further support is that newborn babies benefit more from their parents’ touch than from a stranger’s touch,” said Ville Harjunen, a researcher at the University of Helsinki in Finland, who also reviewed the study for the journal. Babies’ preference for their parents could be related to smell, he speculated, or to the differences in the way parents hold them.

Women seem to benefit more from touch than men, which may be a cultural effect, Dr. Michon said. The frequency of the touch also mattered: A massage once every two years isn’t going to do much.

Several studies included in the review looked at what happened during the height of the Covid pandemic, when people were isolated and had less physical contact with others. “They found correlations during Covid times between touch deprivation and health aspects like depression and anxiety,” Dr. Michon said.

Touching the head appears to have more of a beneficial effect than touching the torso, some studies found. Dr. Michon couldn’t explain that finding, but thought it could have to do with the greater number of nerve endings on the face and scalp.

Another mystery: Studies of people in South America tended to show stronger health benefits of touch than did those studies that looked at people in North America or Europe. Dr. Michon said that culture may somehow play a role. But Dr. Boehme said the studies showing the differences between countries were too small to be definitive. “I think the mechanism behind this is biological,” she said. “I think that’s hard-wired and will be the same for all of us.”

In 2023, Jeeva Sankar, a pediatrics researcher at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and a colleague published a rigorous review of skin-to-skin care for newborns. The analysis concluded that touch therapy for preterm or low-birth-weight infants should start as soon as possible and last eight hours or more, a recommendation that the World Health Organization adopted. Dr. Sankar said the new review was important because touch is often neglected in modern medical care, but it was too broad. He would have liked it to focus more on how various forms of touch could be integrated in medical care.

Dr. Michon stressed that the types of touch considered in these studies were positive experiences to which the volunteers agreed. “If someone doesn’t feel a touch as being pleasant, it’s likely going to stress them out,” he said.

A version of this article appears in print on April 9, 2024, Section A, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: Reviewing Studies, Scientists Find Hugs Are Good for You. 

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

Hello there! I don't know if anyone has asked for this, but do you happen to know any fic on which Stiles and Derek are colleague nurses or doctors, and they meet each other in that setting?

Hey @darkmind-ofmine! Here you go.

(^gpoy at work. true facts)

Pretty Eyes by Inell

(1/1 I 1,720 I Teen)

Stiles doesn’t intend to become a resident during a pandemic, but he’s learned to roll with whatever life throws his way.

The Anatomy of an FBI Agent by orphan_account

(2/? I 7,347 I Mature)

Stiles nodded. It sounded like a day full of machinery and doctors muttering over his scans.

“Will I be hanging out with you or one of the babies?”

Dr. Cutie grinned. “How could I trust them with my most prized patient?”

Stiles laughed.

He barely noticed the pain.

Bet On It by IDreamOnlyOfYou (lauren3210)

(1/1 I 8,343 I Mature)

Stiles is an RN and Derek the attending trauma surgeon at Beacon Hills Hospital. They're constantly arguing, much to the amusement of their colleagues, who ultimately decide to take bets on when the sexual tension will finally explode. The only question is, who will win the jackpot?

Or

5 times one of the guys try to push Derek and Stiles together, and the time they worked it out all on their own.

Complications by DIEMONDS

(3/? I 17,273 I Teen)

“We can still be strangers. Strangers that hook up.” Stiles had to mentally curse at himself for liking Derek’s smirk. He honestly couldn’t help it, the man’s smile was too gorgeous.

“No!” Stiles ran a hand through his hair. “What we did-you and me-that cannot happen again! You’re an attending, and I’m your intern! It’s wrong on so many levels.”

(this isn’t exactly) where you’d want me by decideophobia

(1/1 I 19,070 I Teen)

“Do you even have any nice and soothing words in your repertoire?” Stiles asks, holding still while McBroody shines a light into his eyes. “Or is it only me who they let you loose on?”

“I actually just downloaded a new set of comforting phrases to use on patients this morning but I haven’t had a chance to listen to and internalize them yet. I do know how to say, Good news: you’re not dead, and We only need to take off one of your legs, though.”

OR, the one where Stiles keeps ending up in the ER and Derek almost gets brain damage from so much stupid.

Hazardous to Our Health by HenleyBeck

(6/? I 21,590 I Explicit)

Derek has just moved back to Beacon Hills and he works at the hospital with his sister. He loves his job, he loves the people he works with and then there's Stiles. Stiles who seems to pop up everywhere that Derek is and it doesn't help that everybody loves the kid. But Stiles is also the Chief of Surgery's son and there's no way he can get involved with Stiles right?

Wrong. As a doctor, Derek knows that certain things can be hazardous to one's health but sometimes it's nice to live dangerously.

Yin To His Yang by weirdwithhumor

(9/? I 26,125 I Teen)

Derek always wanted kids. He just thought he would find the perfect man, get married and settled down first.

He just never thought he would be left pregnant, unmated at nearly 30, and on a journey to become a single father.

But, Doctor! by stilinskisparkles

(1/1 I 30,269 I Mature)

“We had to splint a girl’s leg in a ditch,” Scott says excitedly.

“Bro, you sound way too happy about that,” Stiles complains, opening up his bag and pulling out a Twinkie.

Derek removes it from his hand silently and replaces it with an apple. Stiles scowls at him for a second then bites into it, regardless. Derek sits back and lets the group discuss the merits of dramatic lifesaving feats for winning over the ladies. Scott is convinced it’ll help impress Allison; Isaac thinks Scott’s a loser. Stiles—

Stiles is falling asleep on Derek’s shoulder.

AND

@wolfspurr suggested this one!

No Superman by WhoNatural

(6/6 I 48,830 I Explicit I Sterek)

(AKA The Sterek Scrubs AU)

In which Stiles learns that med school didn’t prepare him for much at all; even the most epic of bromances can be weakened with the right amount of long, curly hair and dimples; and sometimes, first impressions aren’t all they’re cracked up to be - it’s the digging beneath the bravado that reveals who’s worth getting to know a little better.

Dr. Hale’s probably still a dick, though.