Last week, I thought my 16-month-old baby was teething again. I learned early on that babies normally start teething around four to eight months. The majority of Levi’s teeth had grown in by the time he was 11 months old. The only reason I thought he was teething was because he was having explosive diarrhea.
Author Archives: Amairani Hernandez
Amairani Hernandez is a native of Los Angeles and a graduate of the California State University of Los Angeles with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. She is a staff multimedia journalist, who focuses on stories about Latinos, including social justice, art, and, culture. Recently, she became a columnist, and writes about her first time mom experiences.
Posted inOpinion
Mami & Me: C-section after care tips for new moms like me
Our birth experiences are often scary and challenging and not what we had expected. Modern medicine has made C-sections possible. And I will forever be grateful for having that option, it ultimately saved my baby’s life. It can be difficult to deal with things that don’t go as planned, especially when you are a first-time mother who is unprepared physically and mentally for a C-section birth. Not to mention all the things you need after the surgery to take care of the wound.
Posted inHealth
Latino community significantly affected by diabetes, Clinica Medica offers help
Clinica Medica San Miguel in LA is operated by Dr. Mahfouz Michael, who uses an unorthodox, yet proactive, approach to determine whether a patient is pre-diabetic. This approach focuses on testing fasting insulin levels. By preventing and educating patients, he helps them avoid a diagnosis altogether.
Posted inHealth
Mami & Me: Here’s what my emergency C-section experience was like
I should have researched more before my first birthing experience so that I could have been mentally prepared. Truthfully, no one is ever prepared to give birth for the first time, and I understand that now because it’s not an easy task. Because it ultimately saved my baby’s life, I don’t regret getting a C-section.
Posted inHealth
Risks of cardiovascular disease during pregnancy and after
February is American Heart Month, and in celebration, the American Heart Association and Sharp HealthCare held a virtual community conversation about maternal health. The virtual meeting included guest speakers such as Dr. Marin Nishimura, a physician in cardiovascular disease and internal medicine at Sharp Grossmont Hospital, and Dr. Lisa Johnston, a children’s specialist and chief medical officer at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for women and newborns in San Diego.
Posted inHealth
The role of structural and social determinants in Alzheimer’s disease
At the University of California, Los Angeles, the Equity for Latinx-Hispanic Health Aging Lab (EHLA) for Alzheimer’s Research and Care Department of Neurology recently went through the process of evaluating the role that structural and social determinants play in dementia care. Dr. Mirella Díaz-Santos is an assistant professor in the department of neurology with the Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Research & Care, and the director and founder of the Equity for Latinx-Hispanic Healthy Aging Lab at UCLA. She is also a neuropsychologist with expertise in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, working primarily with the Latino older adult community and their families.
Posted inHealth
Mami & Me: If your pediatrician says your baby has jaundice, I got you
In the first few weeks of being a first-time mom, so many challenges come at you unexpectedly. Unfortunately, my journey on a steep learning curve started on the first day I became a mom. A few hours after Levi was born, he was taken from me and placed into the intensive care unit (ICU) for a few days. Not only did he have to stay there, but as we were being discharged we were told that Levi was had jaundice.
Posted inHealth
Mami & Me: My baby underwent orchiopexy surgery at Children’s Hospital
The doctor told me and my partner that my baby was born with an “undescended testicle,” which means that a child’s testicle has not dropped down to its normal place in the scrotum. Before birth, a baby boy’s testes will develop inside his abdomen. Closer to delivery, these organs travel through a canal in the groin. When all goes as it should, the testicles then fall into place in the scrotum. How do I know this? Lots of research as a mom.
I was so happy to hear the good news that I will be going home.
However, along with the good news, came the bad news. The doctor told me and my partner that my baby was born with an undescended testicle. When a child has an undescended testicle it means that the testicle has not dropped down to its normal place in the scrotum.
Posted inHealth
Dr. Mirella Díaz-Santos helps Latinos fight Alzheimer’s disease
Dr. Díaz-Santos is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is also a neuropsychologist with expertise in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, working primarily with the Latino older adult English-Spanish bilingual community and their families. She is also the director of research at the Hispanic Neuropsychiatric Center of Excellence and Human Behavior. In addition, she is an active member of the Women’s Alzheimer’s Association, which funds research into disparities in Alzheimer’s disease. They also focus on education, prevention and advocacy.
Posted inJustice
EYVIN HERNANDEZ, LA lawyer wrongfully detained in Venezuela
For the Hernandez family, there was one loved one missing at this year’s holiday table. Eyvin Hernandez, 44, a beloved son, father and brother, was wrongfully detained in Venezuela in March 2022. His return home is obstructed by the current legal situation he faces in the South American country. Hernandez can face up to 16 years in prison after being charged with criminal association and conspiracy by the Venezuelan government. Today, Hernandez is being held in DGCIM, a maximum security military prison and one of the most notorious prisons in Cataratas, Venezuela.
Posted inOpinion
Mami & Mí: Buying your baby a cranial helmet may be necessary, and scary
In my first year of motherhood, I’m learning many things. But never in a million years would I have thought helmet therapy would have been one of them. I had no clue what the experience would be like for Levi. I had so many questions: Would it be uncomfortable? Would it hurt? The worst part was knowing my son, Levi, wouldn’t be able to tell me.
Posted inRepresentation
JOSEPH RINCON, social media influencer fights Chicano stigmas
Rincon was originally a photographer who has now taken up modeling for Chicano brands as a freelancer. As a proud Chicano, Rincon showcases his culture and style by educating other Brown people on social media and breaking down stereotypes in the Chicano community. He currently has 63,000 Instagram followers and 125,000 followers on TikTok.