3 things from target that will improve your marriage

1. A soap box
2. A toothbrush holder
3. A bath rug
DZ

5 tips for parents who don't want to lose their single friends

1. don't make the conversation just about baby
2. don't make hanging out with them feel like "stolen moments"....
3. stay relevant: culture, film, current events: not everyone exists in your world
4. don't take over a restaurant with 4 other couples with kids and act like it's a pajama party in your basement (if you had one).
5. be a good wing man

5 ways to stay rock & roll as parents

1. turn your child onto these bands: the replacements, the smiths, joy division, arcade fire, mgmt & early r.e.m. 
2. don't drink the kool aid: you don't have to live on barney and the wiggles (although they do have some catchy tunes)
3. you can still "party" but just start earlier in the day & don't mix alcohol, hangovers & babies are not fun
4. don't move to the suburbs
5. keep reading brooklyn rocker dad

1 on 1 time

this morning my daughter dylan & I went out for breakfast, she woke up @ 6 am & told me she wanted ryan's eggs @maybelle's cafe, i told her MC didn't open until 7, so we watched some sesame & cuddled on the couch while mamma slept. @ MC we split a breakfast burrito (that rocked) & our maybelle's cafe mornings are our little tradition before we go off on our separate days.....dz

1 tip for husbands running errands for the wife

1. take a pic of what you need: as I did for this "mac" product above.  dz

3 tips to put baby to sleep

1. be consistent on routine & time you put her down. (bed time is usually between 7:30 & 9 depending on baby).
2. don't try to put them to sleep before they are ready to go down.  you can't force baby to sleep plus save yourself 45 mins of reading elmo goes night night 9 times.
3. try not to get in the habit of letting them sleep with the light on. d started demanding we keep the light on & now she's got the trippy turtle light on as well .) ugh, the terrible 2s, instead of munchkin we call her punkhkin....munchkin :)
dz

dylan's boots of spanish leather

1 thing guys should do before they get hitched....

1. mark your ground: decide what you don't want to give up (i.e. guys night out with no questions asked) when you get hitched and don't give in.  get some balls and be a man before it's too late. while your at it, get the dirty dozen brass band from new orleans to play your wedding:

dz

23 tips for dads

 1. never wake a sleeping baby
 2. never wake your sleeping wife
 3. It's much more important that she is happy
 4. happy wife means happy life
 5. spend one on one time with your child
 6. give your wife some time
 7. learn and cook a new meal
 8. take a run
 9. plan a surprise day out for the fam
10. watch her favorite shows
11. bring home flowers (not after a fight, too obvious)
12. offer to bath and put baby down
13. engage your child
14. engage your wife
15. disengage from your iPhone for an hour
16. talk about her family
17. talk about her day
18. do the dishes
19. tell her to plan a girls night out
20. tell her you'd love to babysit
21. plan a weekend away without baby
22. buy her a massage
23. put together ikea toddler kitchen

dz

9 things to know about male infertility

When my wife and I decided we wanted to have a baby, a lot of thoughts went through my head.  How long will it take?  Am I going to have to change my lifestyle?  So for those of you asking similar questions, I conducted an interview with Dr. Amos Grunebaum, a fertility expert whose also a medical health advisor for Fairhaven Health, regarding male infertility. 

      1. How common is male infertility?

Statistics show that up to 15% of all trying-to-conceive (TTC) couples suffer from sub-fertility or infertility, with infertility being defined as the failure to become pregnant after one year of unprotected, well-timed intercourse.  While it is often assumed that the blame for most fertility-related issues should be placed at the feet of the female partner, many fertility experts are quick to point out that in at least 40% of infertile couples, it is actually the male partner that is the cause of the infertility.

      2. How is sperm count related to male infertility?

Low sperm count, defined as fewer than 20 million sperm per ml of semen, is probably the most common cause of male infertility. This might be a difficult fact to accept, especially when you consider that the semen of men with low sperm count can contain millions of sperm.  So, why is sperm count such a big factor in male fertility?  It only takes one sperm to fertilize an egg, right? Here's where conception comes down to numbers: A man normally delivers 200-500 million sperm per ejaculation. However, many sperm die immediately upon ejaculation. And, for the sperm that survive ejaculation, it is a long and arduous journey through the female reproductive organs to find the newly released egg. Of the nearly 500 million sperm that are released during ejaculation, only a maximum of 200 sperm ever reach the egg to even have a shot at fertilization. So, the more sperm you have to begin with, the greater the chance you have that one sperm will find its way to the egg.

  

            3. How can a man determine if he has low sperm count?

Once a TTC couple decides to seek the advice of a fertility specialist (usually after many months of trying to conceive naturally), the doctor, as a first step, should refer the male partner for a semen analysis.  A comprehensive semen analysis, performed at a clinic or lab, will evaluate several sperm health parameters, including sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology (the size and shape of the sperm), as well as determining the overall quality of the semen.

If a couple is not yet ready to see a fertility specialist, but is curious to know if the man’s sperm count is normal or below normal, he can purchase an at-home sperm count test (SpermCheck Fertility Test from Fairhaven Health).  This will allow him to determine if his sperm count is within normal range, without the expense and inconvenience of having a semen analysis performed at a clinic.  If the result of this test is negative (below normal sperm count), further testing is probably warranted, and the man should seek the advice of a physician.

  

           4. What are treatments for male infertility?

If it is discovered that a man has low sperm count, he will undergo various tests to determine the reason for the low sperm count.  In some cases, the actual production of sperm is normal, but there is a blockage in the epididymis or vas deferens (typically caused by inflammation due to a sexually transmitted disease) that is preventing sperm from entering the ejaculate. In these cases, surgery may be recommended to eliminate the blockage.  A man undergoing this type of procedure has about a 40% chance of becoming a father.

It is also believed that a condition known as a varicocele can reduce sperm count. A varicocele is an abnormal enlargement of the veins in the scrotum, which causes blood to pool in these veins (similar to varicose veins in the legs). It is not known precisely how or why varicoceles negatively impact fertility, but one theory is that the pooled blood increases the temperature in the testicles, which ultimately decreases sperm count. If it is determined that a man has a varicocele, it might be recommended that he undergo a surgical procedure to repair the varicocele.  It is important to note that not all fertility experts agree that varicocele repair improves male fertility (including sperm count) or increases pregnancy rates.  And, varicocele repair can cause some side effects, including infection at the site of surgery, fluid buildup in the scrotum that requires draining, and/or injury to the arteries or nerves in the scrotum. 

If the reason for low sperm count is unexplained (i.e. no blockage is identified), then it is possible for a man to increase his sperm count by making lifestyle and dietary changes, and by supplementing his diet with key nutrients (see below).

5. How can men increase their sperm count?

Sperm count is negatively impacted by a variety of lifestyle and environmental factors: smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco, using recreational drugs, drinking large amounts of alcohol, and exercising excessively (e.g. high level training for athletic competitions, etc.) can all reduce sperm count. Quitting, or simply cutting back on, any of the activities above can help increase sperm count. Chronic exposure to certain environmental toxins can also have an adverse effect on sperm count, so men who work around agricultural or industrial chemicals may be at increased risk for suboptimal sperm health.

The reason that the factors above impact sperm health is that they increase the free radical load in the body. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that are produced in the normal metabolic breakdown of chemicals.  These unstable oxygen molecules move around the body seeking to participate in biochemical reactions that make them more stable, which result in damage to fats and proteins that are found in the cells of our body. While the body does employ a variety of “antioxidant” strategies to mitigate the damage caused by free radicals, when the free radical load is high (or there is a deficiency of antioxidant nutrients available), the body is unable to keep up, and free radicals wreak havoc throughout the body. And, as it turns out sperm cells have less effective antioxidant mechanisms to keep free radicals at bay, and are especially vulnerable to damage from free radicals due to the high amounts of fats contained in their cell membrane.

Men can help decrease the free radical load in the body (thereby reducing damage to sperm cells) by supplementing with antioxidant nutrients. Products like FertilAid for Men, CountBoost for Men, and MotilityBoost for Men contain the key nutrients necessary to prevent free radical damage and to promote sperm health.

6. Statistically, has sperm count increased or decreased amongst men inthe last 50 years?   

A startling scientific report was published in 1992 (BMJ 1992 Sept 12:305(6854):609-13) that documented a 50% decline in average sperm count in the years between 1938 and 1990.  The results of this report have been the subject of considerable controversy, with critics suggesting that there is no way to compare sperm counts from the early part of the century to sperm counts measured later on because modern methods of counting sperm differ dramatically from methods used earlier.  However, as the dust continues to settle on this controversy, the weight of the evidence definitely suggests that sperm counts have declined dramatically over the past 80 years, and continue to decrease by up to 2% each year.

7. In your experience, is low sperm count one of the reasons why couples have a hard time conceiving?  If so, why? 

Yes, male factor infertility is a contributing factor in at least 40% of the couples suffering from infertility, and low sperm count is the most common cause of male infertility.

8. What are the myths about male infertility? 

·         Surgery to remove blockages and repair varicoceles is always successful: There is considerable controversy about the effectiveness of surgery to remove blockages in the male reproductive tract and to repair varicoceles. Men definitely need to carefully research this issue before deciding to have surgery.

·         There is nothing a man can do to increase his sperm count: Sperm count is impacted by several lifestyle factors.  A man can significantly increase his sperm count by changing certain lifestyle behaviors and by supplementing his diet with key nutrients.

·         Male infertility is not very common: In fact, the male partner is the cause of infertility in at least 4 out of 10 couples with struggling to become pregnant.

9. Any words of advice for my readers that are trying to conceive?

·         Take your health seriously.

It is important for a man to understand that his health status is as important as his partner’s health status in determining whether or not the couple will conceive, and also contributes to the health of the baby if conception does occur.  Many lifestyle and environmental factors impact sperm count, sperm motility and sperm morphology, as well as the quality of the DNA in sperm. At least 3 months before trying to conceive, a man should discontinue use of any recreational drugs, limit alcohol consumption, exercise regularly (but not too excess) and eat a healthy diet (lots of fruits and vegetables and low in fat). This will allow his sperm to become as healthy as possible before the couple begins to attempt conception.

·         Supplement your diet with a good multivitamin/mineral supplement.

Even the healthiest of men should consider supplementing their diet with a high quality multivitamin/mineral supplement like FertilAid for Men from Fairhaven Health. A growing body of research suggests that supplementing the diet with key minerals and antioxidant nutrients can  

·         Know your sperm count.

If a couple is just beginning to try to get pregnant, it does not hurt (and can save a lot of time and heartache in the long run) for a man to take an at home sperm count test.  This will determine if the man’s sperm count is within a normal range.  If the test is positive (sperm count normal), then the couple can begin their TTC journey with some level of confidence. If the test is negative (sperm count below normal), then the couple can immediately begin to research ways to increase sperm count and overall sperm health.

·         Identify your fertile window.

A crucial piece to the “trying to conceive puzzle” is identifying the best days during the month to have intercourse.  It often comes as a surprise to some men (and some women, too!) that it is only possible for a woman to conceive on a limited number of days. For conception to occur, sperm must be present in the Fallopian tubes at the moment the egg is released from the ovary. Because sperm can only survive for about five days in the female reproductive tract, a woman is really only "fertile" for a short window of time during each month. To maximize the chances of getting pregnant, trying to conceive couples must plan to have intercourse on the several days prior to ovulation (and perhaps on the day of ovulation). Many women have no trouble identifying their fertile window. However, for many other women, ovulation prediction is much more difficult. There are many ways to predict ovulation, with a wide range of cost, effectiveness and convenience.

brooklyn restaurant pick of the week: river deli

dylan says obama

dirtdobber blues party @ tribeca grill

5 reasons to teach your baby to read

Should babies be able to read?  Parents ask this question all the time.  I only recently started to focus my thoughts on this subject since Dylan is now 2 1/2 and really comprehending the stories we read her.  So I asked an expert in the field to give us 5 reasons to teach a baby to read.  Richard Gentry, author of Raising Confident Readers: How to Teach Your Child to Read and Write - from Baby to Age 7, provided these 5 reasons:

Zero to age six is when language proficiency develops in the brain.

Well before your child can speak or read, she is absorbing language at a phenomenal pace. In the first year of life, her brain will triple in size; by the time she enters kindergarten, it will be almost as big as yours. It is during this critical period that many of the neural pathways establishing language proficiency are formed. This is why, as your child's first reading teacher, it is so crucial to make the most of these early years by introducing reading as joyful play.

Early literacy engagement gives your baby an enormous advantage.

Spending just a few minutes a day engaging your baby or toddler in literacy activities that include lots of speech and positive parent/child interaction, along with traditional techniques such as reading aloud, may give your baby a 32-million-word advantage by kindergarten over children who did not get this exposure; some neuroscientists even report that early intervention with appropriate literacy activity can make your child less likely to develop learning problems such as dyslexia.

For babies and toddlers, literacy activities are fun, not work.

Learning to read is work for the six-year-old beginner, but it's play for babies and toddlers, and it's amazing what they can pick up. Go to YouTube and search baby reading to see toddlers who can show you how well they read, not just words, but easy books and signs they haven't seen before. In my book, I include age-appropriate games and activities very young children love to do with their favorite reading teacher -- their parent -- which develop reading and writing skills while your baby is having fun.

Babies' brains are uniquely suited to early reading.

In my experience, all babies have special capacity for perceiving patterns and connecting symbols with meaning, which can begin as early as eight months of age. All babies have good recognition memory and novelty preference, so they enjoy looking at pictures and word cards with their parents. Perceiving patterns and connecting symbols with meaning is what reading is all about. When shown contrasting word patterns five minutes a day in a joint media engagement with their parents, two and three-year-olds can intuit phonics. This is true for parents who are using multimedia technology such as "Your Baby Can Read," in addition to reading aloud and sharing books.

Babies' right-brain learning gives them special capacities for reading.

Childhood education experts who have only studied school-aged children incorrectly assume that babies and toddlers must learn to read like six-year-olds, who develop left-brain reading systems through formal instruction. They are wrong. Babies and toddlers likely begin as right-brain readers who pick up reading as easily as they pick up three languages if all three languages are spoken by their caregivers between birth and age three. (If one waits until age six, it's not so easy for the child to pick up three languages simultaneously. The baby brain, not the six-year-old brain, has special language and reading capacities.)

* * * * *

dylan's new cut

special solo show tonight! dz @ googie's lounge/above the living room

I was added to this monday mash up show tonight @ googie's lounge (above the living room):

dan zweben
googie's lounge (above the living room)
154 ludlow st.
tonight, monday, 6.20.11 @ 8 pm
free!

http://www.livingroomny.com/artist/dan-zweben

dylan kisses

amanda harding's live music vinyasa class with singer/songwriter dan zweben @ prema yoga in brooklyn next sat. 6.25

PLEASE JOIN PREMA TEACHER AMANDA HARDING FOR A SOULFUL
LIVE MUSIC VINYASA CLASS WITH SINGER/SONGWRITER DAN ZWEBEN
Saturday June 25th,  8:30-9:45 am
Prema Yoga 236 Carroll St, 1F, Brooklyn, NY 11231 |
www.premayoganyc.com
We will be collecting donations before/after class for the
Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. No donation is too small!
If you are unable to attend class, you will be able to leave any
donation at the studio during the week of the class.
For more information on the wonderful work of the Woodstock
Farm Animal Sanctuary, visit www.woodstocksanctuary.org.