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Chalcots review: Report says fire brigade would have taken legal action if Camden did not evacuate
Exclusive: Report's author supports Camden Council's decision to evacuate
25 June, 2018 — By William McLennan
An independent review of the evacuation of the Chalcots estate has found that the London Fire Brigade would have forced people to leave their homes if Camden Council did not act voluntarily.
The report said that emergency operation had caused "some degree of trauma" to all residents and in some cases had exacerbated "pre-existing mental health problems".
More than 3,000 people were forced to leave their homes at a moments' notice on a Friday evening last summer.
Marian Harrington, who chaired the review, handed over her findings to Camden Council leader Georgia Gould and housing chief Meric Apak at the council's headquarters in King's Cross this afternoon (Monday), just over a year later.
It is the first half of a two-part review, looking only at the decision to evacuate and the council's handling of the aftermath. A second phase, looking at the failings that triggered the evacuation, is yet to begin.
It revealed that a handwritten note written by an LFB officer, containing a 23-point list of safety failings, triggered the evacuation.
The report said: "It would have been extremely difficult for the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive to have ignored this expert advice and to have followed any path other than the evacuation of the Chalcots blocks."
Ms Harrington said that the LFB was prepared to serve a Article 31 notice, forcing Camden Council to evacuate the blocks. But by acting first, she said, the council was able to manage the process and allow the most vulnerable in the blocks to be looked after.
A third of residents aged 65 or over refused to leave their flats. There was also several examples of people receiving "end of life care in their homes".
"For all these people any move would have been dangerous, certainly a more imminent risk than the risk of a fire in the block," the report said.
Asked if the council had made the correct decision – by opting to voluntarily evacuate the blocks on a Friday night, rather than waiting to see if the fire brigade enforced their threat – she said: "That's hard for me to say. I can see why they did it."
The report said: "I have not seen any evidence of an assessment, or even of any consideration, by any of the agencies of the risks to individuals of being evacuated.
"The LFB made a decision which fundamentally affected the lives of thousands of individuals and committed the council to expenditure running into millions of pounds. It would seem appropriate for the LFB to consider the risks to individuals in being evacuated, particularly vulnerable people and balance this against their fire risk."
Asked the the New Journal if she felt the LFB should have done more to consider the impacts on vulnerable residents, she said: "I think it would be a very good idea and I think it would have made life much easier if there had been more of a dialogue."
"I wonder whether in future there could be more of a dialogue. Their duty is absolutely clear and they fulfilled their duty, which was to notify the landlords of blocks that they were fire risks."
The main focus of the meeting was on the decision made on June 23.
Ms Harrington said it should have been made "more clear" by Camden Council whether the evacuation was voluntary or not.
She said there was a "real lack of clarity for residents whether it was legally enforceable". In total dozens of households did not leave on the first night, with some refusing to leave and other too ill to be moved.
She said that the LFB should "consider the risks to individuals in being evacuated, particularly vulnerable people and balance this against their fire risk". This, however, is not currently a consideration, she said.
Addressing the treatment residents faced by security staff in the first few nights of the evacuation, she said the guards had not bee properly briefed that it was a voluntary evacuation and people had a right to access their homes.
Bob O'Toole, chair of Burnham TRA, said that the media had spread panic among residents. The news was first shared on a TV broadcast. He said: "It was the media that started panicking people, not Camden Council or anybody else."
Ms Harrington said: "I think it's very hard to say how, in the days of social media, I think it's very hard to know how information gets around."
On receiving the results of the review, which has not yet been read in full by the council, Cllr Gould said: "We are determined to learn from the evacuation of the Chalcots Estate, to ensure the best possible standard of resident safety, and so we're well placed if an emergency response is needed in the future. We will consider the contents of this report and give our full response to it at the Council's Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 25 July.
"Our number one priority was, and continues to be, the safety of our residents and I'm proud of how Camden staff and Camden residents reacted to the challenges faced since June last year."


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Oregano is a herb. There are many varieties of oregano species. The oil extracted from wild oregano grown in the Mediterranean known as "Origanum Vulgare" has, for centuries. Numerous university studies have shown that Oil of Oregano is a highly potent purifier that provides many benefits for human health. Oregano oil naturally contains a range of nutrients such as Vitamins A, C and E. It also contains the minerals iron, magnesium, boron, manganese, zinc and calcium.
Oregano Oil is More Than Just An Antibiotic
Dozens of other studies confirm the fact that oregano oil can be used instead of harmful antibiotics for a number of health concerns. The rest of the research cited is supporting the fact that oregano is more than just an antibiotic. It's the ultimate natural antibiotic!
It has two key compounds found in it are called carvacrol and thymol. Studies have shown that both of these compounds have significant effects on harmful micro-organisms that cause many illnesses in humans. It is known to be a potent antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic oil that can reduce pain and inflammation and effectively fight off infections.
Used to treat iron deficiency anemia, oral iron therapy is well-known to cause a series of gastrointestinal issues like nausea, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn and vomiting.
Oregano Oil is Powerful Antiseptic
Thymol, a chemical also found in oil of oregano, has been shown to be a powerful antifungal, antimicrobial, and antiviral agent.
Because Oregano oil is so powerful, it is wise to dilute it with olive oil or other suitable comestible oils for internal use. When using on skin, again dilute it with a carrier oil so that it does not sting the skin. Oregano oil can be used for skin conditions such as athletes foot. A mixture of four drops Oregano oil with apple cider vinegar is an ideal treatment for this condition. Other skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and acne can be improved or eliminated with Oregano oil diluted with colloidal silver water or a carrier oil.
Oregano oil is effective in treating a myriad of conditions, some of which include, colds/flu, asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis, arthritis, animal bites, candida, ear infections, rashes and sore throat.
Sources include:
1) http://naturesnurtureblog.com/oil-of-oregano-natures-antibiotic/
2) https://www.uncleharrys.com/blog/product-library/post/oregano-oil-the-most-powerful-plant-derived-antiseptic
3) http://draxe.com/oregano-oil-benefits-superior-prescription-antibiotics/
4) http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/11/14/oil-of-oregano-benefits_n_4274795.html

subset: commoncrawl


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Mid-Century Modern Home
#101-810 Quayside Drive, New Westminster, BC, Canada, V3M 6B9
Mid-Century Modern Home features quality Mid-Century and Danish Modern furniture, lighting and decor. Your one-stop-shop for beautifully restored, refinished and reupholstered vintage items–it's also the best form of Recycling! Whether you're looking for a few feature pieces or to redo a whole room, with the help of Mid-Century Modern Home, we can work with you to design your space to reflect your personal style.Get Directions


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Cats & Dogs incomprehensible relationships
"Because of the privilege and authority GOd has given me,
I give each of you this warning: Don't Think you are better than you really are.
Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves,
measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us."
-Romans 12:3-
United Airlines Puts Dog On Wrong Plane, Makes Unscheduled Landing | NBC Nightly News
"For the second time this week, United Airlines has put a dog on the wrong plane, causing flight 3996 headed to Newark from St. Louis to make an unscheduled landing in Akron, Ohio to drop off the dog."
by NBC News
"Clearly, God's promise to give the whole earth to Abraham
and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God's law,
but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith."
-Romans 4:13-
Friends :)
"Always be joyful.
Never stop praying.
Be thankful in all circumstances,
for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18-
Don't disregard Nael's ability
"The Lord's Hand was with them, and a great number of people
Believed and Turned to the Lord"
-Acts 11:21-
Loy's Profile
Name: Loy
Birth: Oct. 2017
Age: 12 Weeks Old
Sex: Male
3 Weeks Old Loy😍
Personality: Such a whiner, Stubborn, and love people so much
Santa Hat on Loy
What He loves: Whining, Poops a lot, Love to have Raw Chicken
Staying surround humans
Loy's Model Pose on a Shinny Day
"And this sam God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches,
which have been given to us in Christ Jesus"
-Philippians 4:19-
Yeolae's Profile
Name: Yeolae
Birth: Sept. 2016
Age: 1 half years old
Sex: Male (Neutered)🙀
The Most Adorable Moment for Yeolae is having a Sleep 😻
Personality: Curious on everything, also scared of anything new,
Friendly, and love to play (Never ever get tired😅)
The Shocked Face of Yeolae After Liked His Anus
(I know that's really stincky🤣)
What he loves: Following Nuel, Annoying the humans, Eat Eat Eat!
Steal anyone's food, Messing the house!!
The Sleepy face on Yeolae
"Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take"
-Proverbs 3:6-
Nuel's Profile
The Prince "Nuel"
Name: Nuel
Birth: Aug. 2015
Age: 2 half years old
Sex: Male (Neutered) 🙀
Daddy, please pet my head
Personality: Friendly to humans like a dog, Claim, Kind
I love sleeping by the window
What he loves: Being alone, stay with a human alone, Loves to receive attentions😻
and napping on the bible😴
He always loves to sleep on the bible
He purrs at the top of my bed
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding"
-Proverbs 3:5-
7 Things That You Should Be Prepared for a Puppy
What an excitement and so much joy to have a dog!
However, are you guys all aware of the requirements to be a responsible pet owner?
If you are first time adopting a puppy to your home, you might not sure what you should be prepared.
Today, lets find out the 7 things to prepare for adopting a new puppy
Regarding the dogs diet, it would be highly recommended that you feed what the breeder fed the dog until he/she adapts to the new environment and then, later on, change its food to a different product.
Puppy needs to taste or try lots of new things,
Also, some dogs tend to vary on what they enjoy eating.
It would be easy and convenient to find out what your dog likes to eat better by having multiple samples from pet stores.
Also, before purchasing the food, it is vital to check the ingredients and if it is labeled as "for dogs."
(If you are not sure of what to feed your dog, I recommend you to visit a Vet or a pet store to get assistants for help.)
Did you know that dogs also needs personal space where he/she can find rest?
The proper crate training will help the dog to reduce anxiety from separation. Moreover, it will provide tremendous aid in potty training.
Puppies are easy to get lost when they are only a few weeks old.
Therefore, it is essential to have the ID (identification) tag on the collar with the dogs name, along with your information.
Implanting the microchip can also be a way to help you to re-link the dog with you if it ever gets lost.
Here is the link for more information about Mico-chip
: https://www.homeagain.com/what-is-a-microchip.html
In order to prevent your furnitures from being damaged by your dog,
providing various kinds of toys for him/her to play with will reduce the percentage of the risk.
If you would like to safe your furnitures and protect your house/property,
Especially during the puppy teething, chewing something will alleviate the pain. Otherwise, they will chew your furniture or house…
Many people misunderstands the use of leash and collar.
Those sets are not only for accessories, but also to follow the law.
By keeping these simple rules, you and your dog can be protected by any unexpected accidents.
To add, leash and collar will give you the position to control over the dog during a walk or obedience training.
Puppy will need food and water bowls when it comes home.
Plastic bowls – Cheapest however it may harbor bacteria after long term using.
Also if your puppy loves to chew, this is not your best choice.
Ceramic bowls – Expensive and strong however it may heavy to be a toy.
Please note that some of ceramic bowls contain lead which may harm.
Stainless steel bowls – best choice and expensive however
Stainless steel bowls are strong, easy to clean and sanitize.
People frequently ask that should puppies need grooming.
Grooming is not only for the purpose of making a dog look pretty
but also for hygiene and health of dogs. They need regular wash and brushing for coat, toenails trimmed, ears cleaned, and teeth brushed.
In order to groom well, you would need: "Brush, ear clean solutions, nail clippers, shampoo, toothbrush and dog toothpaste."
"It was I who rescued you from the land of Egypt,
that I might be your God. I am the LORD"
-Leviticus 22:33-
Nael's Profile
Name: Nael
Birth: Aug. 2014
Age: 3 half years old
Sex: Female
Nael was called on the carpet by ripping my bag
Personality: Curiosity about everything,
Friendly to humans, Plain Stubborn on whatever she wants to do
She LOVES having chicken Jerky
What she loves: Sleeping in the nest, having chicken jerky, hiding anywhere


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Modern Business Card Template No 3. DescriptionDesigned for both corporate business and personal usage. Template is 100% editable, you can change colors, patterns and shapes effortless to personalize your card. Make sure to check out Screenshots to see more details in the design.
Files:One PSD file(Front and back artwork). Layers are well organized and grouped, easy for navigation and customization.
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Big Noodle Titling http://www.dafont.com/bignoodletitling.font
Feel free to check out the rest of my Portfolio
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Magnetic Data Card Holders. Use our magnetic data card holders to organize and simplify your office planner or scheduling board.
Each card holder holds a specific sized piece of paper or data card. You write or type out the information on the card and insert it into the data card holder. Now move the data card to the proper location within your scheduling board. Perfect for repeat jobs, functions or activities.
The data card inserts come in a variety of colors and are all sold separately. The magnetic data card holders are available in 6 different heights from 1/2" to 3" tall in various lengths from 1" to 12" long. Also available in 50' long rolls that can be cut to size when and where you need them.
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THE tax take in January will be up 5pc compared with last year after one-off payment processing issues have been accounted for.
That's according to the Department of Finance, which said official Exchequer return figures showing tax income plunged 17pc in the first month of the year are a result of changes to payments systems that delayed some returns.
For example, income tax is down €150m year on year as a result of the new payment scheme. But €175m in income tax was received on the first banking day of February, in comparison with €25m on the same day last year as the receipts rolled in later than usual.
The fall does not reflect a true decline in tax receipts, the department said.
In fact, more tax was collected for January than the same period in 2013, with "robust" income tax receipts reflecting the increase in employment, according to the department.
The tax take was up about 5pc, with experts hailing the figures as representing a good start to the year.
Peter Vale, tax partner at accountants Grant Thornton, said the figures suggested consumer spending was strong last month.
"There has been a trend in recent months of people diverting savings to spending, influenced by low deposit rates, and higher DIRT tax, but primarily by a renewed sense of confidence," Mr Vale said.
"Underpinning this is employment and earnings growth, translating into increased activity in the domestic economy.
"January appears to demonstrate this trend has continued into 2014."
The first Exchequer data for 2014 was heavily distorted because of delays in receiving tax receipts due to the switch-over to a new European-wide payments system.
The changeover to the Single Euro Payment Area (SEPA) system caused a delay in receiving about €650m in tax receipts to the Exchequer.
Official figures show the State took in €3.1bn in the first month of the year, a decrease of €644m on the same period last year, according to the first set of Exchequer returns for 2014.
But returns for January, which showed that the tax take was down 17pc, are largely worthless as a source of data on the area because of the timing issue. The department said the money was coming in, even if it is later than usual.


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I posted a photo of some thinly sliced Hasselback potatoes on instagram a while back, mentioning that we would roast them, add kale, beans, onion and cherry tomatoes, slather with pesto and call it dinner. The response was unusually loud for such a humble dinner that we decided to recreate and share this simple recipe here.
I'm sure you have seen this potato technique before – slicing them thinly but not all the way through, drizzling with fat and baking them until the edges are crispy and the middle is creamy and soft. Hasselback potatoes were apparently invented at a restaurant here in Stockholm in the 1950's, as a method to shorten the baking time. It was an extremely popular dish when I was around Elsa's age (almost 30 years ago!). My mom made Hasselback potatoes almost as often as she did her famous baked sausage stuffed with pineapple and cheese. And it has seen a revival in the past years now being popular all over the world.
We like to stuff the herbs into the slices to give it more flavor and also helping the fat to find its way inside the potato. The original version uses butter and breadcrumbs but we're simply using oil. I'm sure some almond flour could be tossed on top towards the end of the baking, if you like it with a little crust. A good trick is to place the potato in a large wooden spoon when you cut it to prevent from cutting it all the way through. Or placing it between two chopsticks. On the photo above, Luise uses a metal spoon which both makes it more difficult to slice because the potato isn't flat and it can be bad for the knife. So not the best example. What can I tell you, she's Danish and she doesn't like to follow my instructions, so I'll publicly shame her here instead.
With only a few days left to Christmas, I should mention that this also makes an awesome side dish on the Christmas table. It looks really nice on a bed of kale and beans and the pesto makes it extra yummy. We compiled a list of a few other great Christmas related recipes from the archives:
• Christmas Spiced Parsnip Cake
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Christmas Salad
• Mushroom, Rice & Hazelnut Loaf
• Pomegranate, Raspberry & Thyme Jam
• Saffron Falafels
• Quinoa, Kale & Apple Salad
• Homemade Nutella
We have also updated our Green Kitchen app with 6 Christmas recipes. Apart from this Hasselback Potato recipe and some favorites from last year, you'll also find these simple Sesame & Gingerbread Truffles and this delicious Saffron Overnight Oats recipe. Enjoy!
Hasselback Potatoes with Kale, Beans & Pesto
The baking time can vary depending on the potato size and variety. Smaller potatoes will need a little less time.
Hasselback potatoes
2 kg / 4 lbs (roughly 12) large baking potatoes
80 ml / 1/3 cup olive oil
sea salt
black pepper
1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked
To serve
3 large handfuls kale, thick stalks removed and leaves roughly chopped
1 small red onion
170 g / 1 cup cooked black beans (1/2 can), rinsed
12 cherry tomatoes
100 g / 1/2 cup pesto (if you are vegan, choose a pesto without cheese)
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
2. Wash and scrub the potatoes.
3. Slice each potato thinly. Let each slice cut about two-thirds into the potato, leaving the bottom intact. This is easiest done by placing the potatoes inside a large spoon, the edges of the spoon will then stop the knife from cutting too deep.
4. Tuck some thyme leaves sporadically between the slices of each potato and place them on a baking tray.
5. Use a brush to drizzle the potatoes with about half of the oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Bake for 30 minutes and then brush the potatoes with the remaining olive oil. The potatoes should have started to fan out slightly which will make it easier to get some of the oil down in-between the slices as well. If the slices are still stuck together, you can let them roast a while longer before adding the last oil.
7. Bake for 30 minutes more. Meanwhile, cut the onion in thin slices and place it in a bowl along with the kale, beans and tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to combine.
8. When the potatoes have been in the oven for about 1 hour in total, arrange the onion, kale, beans and tomatoes on the tray, around the potatoes and bake for 15 minutes more, or until the potato edges are crispy and the centre feels soft when pierced with a toothpick.
9. Drizzle pesto over the potatoes and kale and serve immediately, while still hot.
Finally, can we just say a massive Merry Christmas / Happy Hanukkah or whatever you are celebrating! This has been an intense year for us with books, babies and everything. We haven't been posting recipes as often as we intended but we want to thank you for your constant support and cheering comments. We have lots more planned in the near future so stay tuned. BIG LOVE!
/David, Luise, Elsa, Isac and baby Gabriel


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Stimulate collagen production for tighter and more rejuvenated skin.
If you're seeing signs of loose and saggy skin – don't freak out, solving it is in fact fuss-free and non-invasive. No – you don't have to go under the knife for a face lift. Thermage remains one of the most premium solutions one ever needs for tightening and skin contouring. With its effect lasting up to 12 months, all you have to do is pop by the clinic once a year for your treatment, and you're all set.
Using a heating radiofrequency (RF) technology to send pulses of energy into the skin's tissue, this heats the treatment area and remodels the collagen to stimulate collagen production, allowing the skin to strengthen itself, giving you tighter, more rejuvenated skin in the process. Thermage works in just one treatment with minimal downtime, is clinically proven to be safe and delivers a natural looking result.
Duration of the procedure
1 – 2 hours depending on the areas treated
Recommended for
- Face/Neck laxity (mild to moderate)
- Droopy eyelids and fine lines
- Face shaping and contouring
- Skin rejuvenation
- Skin rejuvenation
- Face tightening


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BCM on
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View upcoming events at Boston College
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BC Bookstore Connection
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Order The Heights: An Illustrated History of Boston College, 1863–2013
Class Notes
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Weather underground
Caves hold stories of climate change
As you read this, water is dripping onto the floors of caves, seeping through tiny rock fissures and beds of pebbles and sand into the absolute dark of the underground. It's a commonplace, yet each drop carries clues to the local climate in which it formed. Over millennia, the drops have picked up carbon dioxide and minerals to create stalagmites that, like tree rings, tell how climate has changed.
Trees rings rarely go back more than 1,000 years. And other climate proxies—ice cores (absent in warm climates), marine sediments (absent on land), and pollen deposits (not very precise)—likewise have limitations. So do stalagmites; they exist only in caves formed in carbonate terrains (limestone bedrock, for instance). But, says Corinne Wong, an assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences, stalagmites are "the go-to proxies for reconstructing terrestrial climate on long timescales." Wong has studied stalagmites in central Texas in an effort to unravel, as she puts it, "the climate processes governing precipitation variability" in a region plagued by drought. And, supported by a mid-six-figure grant from the National Science Foundation, she is engaged in a three-year research project to tease out the local climates around five caves across Brazil's Amazon rainforest during the Holocene epoch (the 11,700 years from the end of the most recent ice age to the present day). With research colleague Lucas Silva, an environmental scientist at the University of California, Davis, and several Brazilian colleagues, she ventured into her first four Brazilian caves last summer, hunting as far down as 230 feet for what she calls "pristine" stalagmites—little towers of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) devoid of gunk, such as mud washed in from an ancient flood, that might corrupt lab tests. "The ideal sample," says Wong, "is translucent. You can shine a light through it."
A brownish gray sample that passes the test sits on a shelf in Wong's Devlin Hall lab. It weighs about 20 pounds and is the size of a large zucchini. The team found it dislodged from the floor of a cave near Tamboril in far eastern Brazil.
Wong saws the rock samples in half and extracts tiny specimens roughly the size of a grain of salt, at one-millimeter (.04-inch) intervals. She uranium-dates each fleck, grinds it into powder, dissolves the powder in phosphoric acid, and then, with an isotope ratio mass spectrometer, analyzes the carbon dioxide released. The spectrometer uses a magnet to separate molecules of different weights, enabling Wong to find the ratio of a specimen's "heavy" oxygen (O-18) to typical oxygen (O-16). Heavy oxygen is composed of eight protons and 10 neutrons instead of the typical eight/eight arrangement, and it predominates in wet climates. The more O-18, the rainier the time period of the sample.
While oxygen records are excellent for decoding regional climate, they do not as precisely capture the nuances of local climates, so Wong also tests the ratio of strontium-87 to strontium-86 in each specimen. Strontium-87 is more prevalent in soil, as opposed to bedrock; in a wet climate, where water percolates faster through the saturated bedrock, the 87/86 ratio is higher.
Wong is analyzing historical monsoon intensities at caves shaped, climatologically, by the South American Monsoon System, a massive circulation that broods over most of Brazil, all of Bolivia, and parts of Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. The caves are far apart, spanning the breadth of Brazil. Over the last 10,000 years, a wobble of the earth's rotational axis has caused solar radiation to increase in the Southern Hemisphere. With land heating more than ocean, the stronger land-to-sea temperature gradient has increased monsoon intensity over the Amazon. But what about distinct local responses? Wong expects the skies above each cave to have reacted uniquely to global and regional warming as clouds drifted in from the South Atlantic, and she will weigh any such variations alongside data accumulated by Silva delineating fluctuations in vegetation outside the caves (e.g., between savanna and forest).
As she explains, the important questions are: "What is the sensitivity of local ecosystems to climate change?" Is there a "feedback loop"—such that, as vegetation adapts to local climate change, the climate itself is affected? "We're looking at climates reacting to global warming," says Wong, who is also analyzing stalagmites collected by scientists from the North American Arctic to assess the response of permafrost to climate change.
Bill Donahue is a writer based in New Hampshire.


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free printable valentines day cards to color
So I will start by stating that these Superhero Valentines are totally inspired by the ones that I found on Zakka Life free printable cards, printable greetings cards, printable valentine cards, printable birthday cards, printable christmas cards, thank you cards how to make valentines day cards with free printable valentines. I saw them these free printable valentines include valentines day activities, preschool crafts for valentines. Loved them shark-themed free valentine printables for your manly little man to give to his classmates on valentine s day. Personalize and print Valentine s Day cards from the comfort of your home from Americangreetings visit onecreativemommy. com com to see instructions and download the printable for frozen olaf valentines. Quick and easy to create valentines for loved ones! or click on graphic below any kid would think these free printable dinosaur valentines were dino-mite! download and print them for valentine s day. FREE Printable Valentines with Bible Verses a great collection of 50+ free printable valentines for you to use this year on february 14tj. Just print, cut, and write your personal message on the back put your printer to work! freeprintable. Download net provides beautiful printable files that you can customize and print on your inkjet or laser printer. PDF Just right click on the below images, save as, and print from whatever application you use subscribe to the free printable newsletter. I printed mine on white card stock (no spam, ever!) subscribe (free!) these valentine cards are easy to download and print. As you can see, my blue printed each page is available in two. My boys love Minecraft! I created Valentines in honor of their favorite game these free printable dinosaur valentines are gender neutral and perfect for classmates. This is both a Valentine card and a Creeper candy wrapper! Free and printable Valentines Day coloring pages available here download and print these free printable valentine s day. Come and visit the original and the largest coloring page site on the Internet! STAY UP TO DATE Let me send you my very best ideas, free printables, inspiration and exclusive info every month! Are you looking for some printable Scripture verse valentines for your kids to give out this year? I've created these for you to print and use! Subscribe to the Free Printable newsletter free valentine's day printables. (No spam, ever!) Subscribe (Free!) These coloring pages are easy to download, print, and color! Just download one, open it i love that valentine's day makes us take a second to evaluate the importance of the relationships around us. With Valentine s Day almost a month away, I thought I would start posting some fun crafts ideas, recipes and printables for you first get busy making bracelets. YEA! I know some people think my daughter needed to make 19 plastic band bracelets! download and print the free rainbow loom valentine pdf in color on white. Valentine's Day is almost here! I wanted to make a Valentine that would be perfect for any age group great printables! negative commentators are just a part of a blogger's life. You know how much we love Free Printables around here and I what's valentine's day without treats and a sense of humor? free printable cards, printable greetings cards, printable Valentine Cards, printable birthday cards, printable christmas cards, thank you cards How to make Valentines Day cards with free printable valentines


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Thursday, August 14, 2014
Blue-Ribbon Amish Dill Pickles
I sprung upon a hot streak of luck yesterday and found a bunch of fresh heads of dill.
Admittedly, it can be tricky to come by.
I was at a local farm stand buying beans. They didn't have any dill out, so I asked the girl in the bonnet and she said nope, there was none. But, she thought the lady who owns the stand might know where I could get some.
Sure enough, she grabbed her scissors and walked behind her house!!!!!!
Moral of the story: Lots of people have dill, you just have to find them. And ask.
I'll be pickling.
We canned 12 quarts of these pickles last year and I wish I'd have had double.
These pickles - they will blow your boots off. People have tried to STEAL my pickles before, and that's no laughing matter. But it does underscore the insane addictibility and deliciousness of these delicious dills.
Are you nervous about canning pickles? Don't be.
It's super easy because you don't even need a canner. Since the acidity is high (love you so much, vinegar!) all you need is a nice, tall stock pot.
The jars, seals, and rings can be found this time of year at almost any grocery store.
Then grab a jug of ordinary, white vinegar and box of kosher salt and voila, you're practically Ma Ingalls, only with electricity and less sparkly eyes, but whatever.
You can't have too many jars of these sitting around. Impossible!
Or, blow your people away and gift them with a ribbon-tied jar of summertime for Christmas. You'll be everyone's favorite in all the land.
Here's how you do it:
Scrub and slice your pickling cucumbers. (These can be found at farm stands and even grocery stores this time of year, or maybe even in your yard if your yard doesn't conspire to kill everything except clover.)
Put one peeled garlic clove on bottom of your clean jar, followed by a layer of pickles, a head of fresh dill*, more pickles & another garlic clove on top. Fill up to the neck of the jar.
(I try to really pack the cucumbers in, since they'll shrink down a bit as they cook.)
Combine 2 c. vinegar, 2.5 c. sugar, 2 c. water, 2 tsp salt. Bring all ingredients to boil until everything is dissolved. Pour over pickle in your jars.
***UPDATE*** This recipe yields a delicious, sweet-dill pickle. If you like less sweetness, cut the sugar back by a cup. (The original recipe is by no means a straight sweet pickle, but definitely a sweeter dill.) I love them both ways!
Wipe the rims of your jars then place a seal and ring over the mouths.
Add your jars to your stock pot with the water at *room temperature* (if the water is too hot, it can crack your jars) (UPDATE: Please see Carol's comment at the bottom of this post!) making sure the tops of the jars are covered with water.
Turn heat to high and watch closely. As soon as it begins to boil, start a timer for 15 minutes then remove the jars immediately with a jar lifter and place to cool on a towel on your counter. (Don't overcook because you want these pickles to stay nice and crunchy.)
Some jars will come out of the water sealed, others you'll hear "popping" later. If you have any that don't seal for some reason (most will, but last time I had one that didn't) pop it in the fridge and eat those pickles! They're delicious and safe, just not shelf-stable.
This recipe makes 4 quart jars.
You're going to die for these pickles, guaranteed.
You'll also feel like some kind of rad earth-mama, storing up deliciousness for the winter.
Happy canning, homies!
*(In a pinch, I'm sure stems of fresh dill from the produce section would work just fine.)
PS - Even easier and just as fantastic and crime-inducing? These no-cook refrigerator pickles. YUM! (I always make some of both.)
*Amazon affiliate link used.
37 comments:
- AnonymousAugust 14, 2014 at 12:01 PM
These sound DELISH!ReplyDelete
I've been reading your blog for a while now...just never comment. Yes, my name is Libby, and I'm a lurker. lol Anyway, wanted to say love the blog!Replies
Hey Libby! Thanks so much for saying Hi. I love hearing from my friends!Delete
Now, go forth and can some pickles.
Between my salsa canning and your pickles ... together, we could totally raise a barn. Or make a quilt. Barn sounds easier, actually. ;) Anyway, thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
These looks so delicious! I have only had sweet homemade and they were amazing, so I have got to try my hand at making these!ReplyDelete
You had me at "Ma Ingalls!" If it will make the the smallest bit like her (and you) then I am DOING IT!ReplyDelete
This pickle post was the "kick in the butt" I needed today to star canning. Just now made a batch while my two little guys are napping.ReplyDelete
I added extra garlic, 3 shakes of celery seed and one shake of red pepper flakes. Can wait to try the!
SO I said I was going to do this last summer..never did. Then this summer rolled around and I swore I would make them...didn't happen.But next summer I NEED TO MAKE YOU DAD'S TOMATO CAGES!!!!!!!
My garden is an awful tangle of out of control 6 feet high tomato plants!!!! I was shocked I was even able to locate cumcumbers for this recipe in that tomato jungle.
yes next summer is the summer. Love your blog. You do good .
Kristy BReplies
I love your idea of adding red pepper flakes!Delete
I added some sliced carrots to 2 jars today.
Stay tuned... :)
Oh, this brought back memories of making pickles with my mother-in-law forty years ago...except she added grape leaves to each jar. I have NO idea what that accomplished, but, yes, her pickles were addictive. Now, I'm off to find heads of dill.ReplyDeleteReplies
Grape leaves are to preserve crispiness. I just pour boiling brine into my stuffed jars, place lids and rings and they self-seal. No need to boil the actual pickles.Delete
I know this is old but oh my gosh, THANK YOU for telling me this! I picked all the grapes from my vines and made jelly, but every year I have hundreds upon hundreds of leaves and I HATE wasting. I will try this next time!Delete
I want to come to your parties and thrift store shop with you and I also want to eat your pickles. I wish we weren't a 34 hour road trip away or I'd be there.ReplyDelete
Many recipes tell you not to eat the pickles for at least one month. What about this recipe?ReplyDeleteReplies
I haven't heard that about these.Delete
The jar I had that didn't seal last time was eaten the next day and they were delish!
I made these a few weeks ago and I must have cooked them too long because they lost their crunchiness. I have a hot water bath container do you think it might take too long to warm the water and that's why they weren't crunchy? I have enough cucumbers to try it again this weekend, hopefully I can get it right! I'm dying for some homemade CRUNCHY dill pickles!ReplyDeleteReplies
Hmmm...not sure? I use a big stock pot and it does take a while to get the water boiling. These aren't as crunchy as the refrigerator pickles, since they are cooked, but they should definitely not be mushy. Try the refrig ones if you're looking for a big crunch!Delete
Try just pouring the boiling brine into the warm jars. They will self-seal.Delete
You read my mind Shannan. Just picked some cucumbers from the garden and wanted to try pickling. Wish me luck!ReplyDelete
You do not have to start your processing in lukewarm water. In fact, every canning recipe I have used for water bath canning has started to get your water to a boil THEN place your jars in the canner. The canning jars are designed to take the temperature changes for canning. I have canned hundreds of jars of product and can count on one hand the number of times a jar broke. And those were old jars that had been given to me. The last two summers I have put up at least 300 jars of product. And that is just in the last two summers. I have been canning for over 20 years so I have a little experience, :).ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks for this tip! I come from a long line of canners and they taught me this way, but my last batch of pickles wasn't the crunchiest so I'm happy to try your way next time. :) Appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience here!Delete
I just learned how to can yesterday with fresh peaches and peach preserves! I'm excited to try these! I can already tell that I will be making LARGE batches bc I have a bit of a pickle addiction.ReplyDeleteReplies
Keep the batches small, Katelyn, because the pickles do much better that way. Don't know why. Better to make two small batches rather than 1 large one if you want crisper pickles. Just my experience.Delete
I am making my second batch of these pickles as I type. YUMM-O! Just the right everything. I have been letting my dill reseed for the past year or two, and now I have a bunch of dill I didn't know what to do with. Now I know why God has blessed me with all of this fresh dill....for these pickles. I usually give a lot of my canned goods away, but I think I am going to be selfish with these. Thanks for a great recipe!ReplyDelete
How long are they shelf stable?ReplyDelete
I made your 10 Minute Pickles last week and they were amazing! I'm hoping to can the rest of my cucumbers tonight, I'm wondering why you don't put the pepper and mustard seed in this recipe? Does it just not need it because they sit for longer in the jar? Also, how long do they last on the shelf and then after opened and left in the fridge? Many thanks!!ReplyDelete
Is there any reason why I shouldn't use this recipe for refrigerator pickles?ReplyDelete
Can you do these in pint jars?ReplyDelete
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
Just made these. First time canning or pickling anything! How long before I can open them and eat them?ReplyDelete
How many cucumbers do you use for this recipe?ReplyDelete
Ok...I'm trying this tonight...wish me luck!ReplyDelete
I just made these per the instructions and two of my jars cracked almost immediately after putting them in the boiling water. They were warm to start out with so I don't know what happened. So sad to waste all those home grown cucumbers :( just a word of warning to others who may be making these pickles. I've canned lots of things and have never experience this before. (The pickles taste amazing though- just be careful with your jars!)ReplyDelete
Wondering how many cucumbers does this recipe take? Thanks!! :)ReplyDelete
That would be my question also "Unknown." The recipe was specific about most of the ingerdient, but no mention of how many pounds of cukes it takes to fill 4 quart jars.ReplyDeleteReplies
I am making pickles today, and I had just over 2 gallon pails full and that is making me 13 quarts. One note from a previous year said about 33 avg./med. cukes made 7 quarts. Another note said I made a 7 quart+9 pint batch with about 50 cucumbers. I pick mine around 4-4 1/2 inches long and slice them. Unfortunately I've never thought of weighing them, so I can't give you a pound estimate per recipe. I hope this helps!Delete
It's Really helpful for me.ReplyDelete
I have been making this one for 4 years now, did some modifications to fit my taste. Tried to replace 1/5 cup of vinegar with water, found that replacing 1/4 works the best for me. Only 1 cup of sugar. Putting jars in boiling water and redused total time to 12 min. Put cloth on the bottom of pot where you will be sterilizing jars. My mom does it and says this way they never crack. So far it works.ReplyDelete
One year I did not have enoug cucumber slices for one jar and added few green beans In jar to fill it up. They are so good! Then added ocra and it tastes good too. Poke ocra with toothpick first to let juices in. Now I make assorty pickles and this year added slices of scalloped squash to my jars. I like them in salty pickles and sure they will taste as good with sweet pickles. Thank you so much for sharing this. They are best sweet pickles ever.
Little note. I am from foreign country and for herbs we use garlic, dill tops, black currant leaf, horse radish young leaf. Horse radish leaf keeps any kind of pickles crunchy , it can be replaced with cherry or oak leaf also.
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(alternate title: "Vampires Without Direction")
"Skeletons Without a Goal" and "Vampires Without Direction." These are truly great potential titles, if only for their humorous qualities.
A couple posts ago, we talked about how a picture really can be worth 1,000 words—but this time, we need to look at how sometimes, words really are the only way to convey an idea. It all depends on the subject.
The two aforementioned supposed titles come from a random title generator. These are not only fun, but some of the titles are actually something you can work with. They're great if you're having writer's block (or not). When you already have a good idea for a story, something like a random title generator doesn't help too much in most cases; but they can really spur some ideas sometimes, as crazy as they may be.
Someone could theoretically paint a picture of "Skeletons Without a Goal," but the subject is just too eccentric to really come across in a painting. That's where the words come in. Some ideas just can't be formed by anything but words.
So what would be the plot line of a story called "Skeletons Without a Goal" or "Vampires Without Direction"? These types of oddities would seem to describe a dream more than anything else. Halloween stories automatically come to mind, but skeletons and vampires can lend themselves to goth or horror, as well, or just something generally macabre.
Speaking of such things, stay tuned for some zombies in the next post. Until then…


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Flower Power
Jacket / TJ Maxx
Tee / Loft
Necklace / Express
Pants / Old Navy
Sneakers / Kenneth Cole
Bold florals are a key trend this spring, so choose a piece, such as these pants to style your look around. I paired my floral pants with a suede jacket in a complimenting green hue, as well as layered a blush tee underneath. A silver choker necklace and white sneakers made the look modern and a bit sporty!
Stay Classy!
---Emily Ehardt---
Leave a Reply.


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Posted Sunday, April 1, 2007
Main act
Kate Macluran who plays acoustic guitar & sings with a warm easy voice: songs for refugees, Irish songs, old standards, some folky, some bluegrass & some country.
Kate has twice performed at the Port Fairy Folk Festival, is a regular singing minstrel at Mulligans Irish Restaurant, has performed at most folk venues around Sydney & was featured at Balmain's inaugral Acoustica Festival. Kate regularly joins Melbourne band Bushwahzee on their Sydney shows.
Amongst her favourite songwriters Kate includes Eric Bogle, Iris de Ment, Chris While & Julie Matthews, Pat Drummond and Kevin Welch.
With two supports
Duncan Chalmers - "Ah Duncan, with the amazing voice" Kristina Olsen. From Ancient ballads to modern heroes, he will fire your imagination and may tickle your funny bone...
& 4 members of the choir Goodly Sport who will entertain us with Medieval melodies.
Dates for your diary -
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by Stacey Wallace Benefiel
Let's talk Audiobooks! Since the audiobook of Glimpse came out in August, 2012, I've been on a mission to share how easy and cheap it is for indies to create their own using ACX.
Before we get to the step-by-step, let me explain why you should be doing this. First off, you've already written the book and you've gone to the trouble to format it for e-book and print – just think of this as another distribution channel. Secondly, it's easy money. After the initial set-up, all you basically have to do is get a cover and listen to someone read your book. Lastly, it's fun and collaborative. Take a break from the solitary writing cave and get out in the (virtual) world, People
Here's how you do it:
1. Got to https://www.acx.com/
2. Create an account (click on the big Get Started button after admiring Neil Gaiman for a minute)
3. This account works with your Amazon account - so you'll have the same sign in and password
4. Creating an account here is like creating an account on any e-book platform - just follow the directions and fill in the info
5. Confirm you own the rights to your titles. This is similar to adding your books to your Author Central account, sort of an is this book yours? within ACX and then you confirm if it is or isn't.
6. Next comes the bit I found the most tedious - creating your title profile
a. Post a cover photo (don't worry, it's not the FINAL cover art)
b. Post a description
c. Post an excerpt for narrators to audition with
d. Post a write up of anything else potential narrators and producers need to know - for example, I stated that I needed a female narrator that could handle alternating POV's/chapters between a female and male character.
e. Post word count, territories (most will be Worldwide like with e-books)
f. Choose your royalty sitch.
This is where you decide if you are going to pay an upfront hourly rate or royalty share. Obviously, if you pay upfront...it's going to cost something. If you do the royalty share, you don't pay anything upfront, but you do split all of your royalties with the narrator/producer 50/50.
I chose to share my royalties, and in fact am happy to share my royalties. I honestly feel like my narrator, Martha Lee, put just as much work into creating the audiobooks as I did writing the books!
7. Now your title profiles are listed on ACX for narrators and producers to peruse. (A lot of the narrators are also the producers.)
You can wait for them to come to you, but I have no patience, so I started listening to narrator auditions right away. (Go up to Search and click on Narrators for hire.)
8. To narrow down the number of auditions, you can put in parameters for your project. ex. Genre, Gender, Accent, Payment (some narrators don't do royalty sharing), Style, etc. I did this and came back with about 20 audition samples to listen to.
Now here's where I feel I had a bit of luck. I found Martha the first go around and when I heard her audition...I got that feeling like when you're going along writing and the dialogue is flowing and you don't even have to work for it. She just sounded right.
I could have made her an offer straight away, by clicking on the Make an Offer button, but I was new, so I asked her to audition for Glimpse. I did this by messaging her within ACX. You know how in your head all your characters sound like you when you're reading your books? Well, when I heard Martha's samples, I thought she sounded more like Zellie than I did.
9. I made her an offer, by clicking the Make an Offer button - this is basically stating that I would like to hear the first 15 minutes by this date and have the project completed by this date. Don't worry if you are clueless to how long the whole thing should take - ACX has a formula to help you figure it out based on word count. Also, I think it's a good idea to always go with the 72 hour offer. Martha is in New York and I'm in Oregon, so we have had some time zone issues.
So, hopefully they accept your offer. This is all done through the messaging on ACX. I will say that we had trouble with some of our messages not reaching each other. No matter, when it came time to send her the manuscript, I emailed her the word doc. and we've mostly been communicating through e-mail since.
Now, you might not want to e-mail a stranger a word doc. Go with your gut. I wanted her to be able to enlarge or change the font to however she liked it and for her to be to make notes on it. In addition, Glimpse has been out since 2010, so I wasn't really worried about it being pirated (because it already has been all over the land) or people calling into question if it was mine. ( For better or for worse, it is. Ha!)
10. Then you wait. In the meantime, you can add your cover art to the project. However, BE CAREFUL. If you're good with Photoshop, you can probably adjust the covers yourself. If not, have your cover designer or someone that is good with Photoshop format your covers. Don't just slap your e-book cover in the shape of a square up there. 1. it won't look right 2. it's a pain in the butt to change it.
I put a placeholder cover up for Glimpse - a stretched out version of the e-book cover - and then I couldn't get it to go away. I had to e-mail ACX the good cover my husband made and ask them to change it on their end.
11. Listen to the 15 minute sample and either approve it, or ask them to make changes/try reading things a different way
12. After the 15 minutes are approved, you wait for the whole thing. Each chapter is a separate file to download. In addition, the narrator should send you an opening and closing credits and a 5 minute sample.
Listen to these intently - it's totally fun! - and make notes of any changes. Glimpse had two pronunciation changes and Glimmer had one. The narrators are locked out of making any changes until you click on the Request Changes button.
13. When you're totally satisfied with your audiobook, all you have to do is approve it and it goes to ACX for a final vetting. After that, it can take a couple weeks to a month to distribute out to Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. For me, it showed up on Audible within a few days, Amazon not much longer after that. iTunes was the hold out (as per usual).
I did have to do some e-mailing to both ACX and Amazon to try to get all versions of my books linked – that box that says Kindle, Print, Hardcover (sometimes), Audible Audiobook. Only two of my books are correctly linked (still) and have the Whispersync – where you can read the e-book and listen to the audiobook on your Kindle. These two books also happen to have been the ones in the stipend program – more on that later – and I can only assume they got more attention, that's why everything is correct on them. Just keep e-mailing and calling until ACX gets your audiobook right – it's the same kind of pain in the butt busywork that we have to do to get our categories changed, or our paper switched back to cream after Createspace prints our book with white. J
The one sort of weird thing about the whole audiobook experience that differs from e-book and print is that we don't control the price. Right now Glimpse is $19.95 on Audible, $17.46 on Amazon, and $9.99 on iTunes. In addition, Audible had a big promotion and Glimpse was offered at $5.46 or something for over a week, with the option to get it FREE if you joined Audible. So, FYI, if you're a control freak like me that takes some getting used to.
14. Start promoting that puppy!
**You may receive an e-mail from ACX informing you that your book has been put in the Production Stipend program. This means that the narrator/producers get a certain amount of extra money for each hour of audiobook finished within a certain number of days. (60 seems to be the norm.) Glimmer and the Day of Sacrifice Omnibus were both in this program.
**If you choose to hire a narrator/producer outside of ACX, that's cool. There is also the option to distribute it to other audiobook retailers, but the royalty system is way different. I figured I was hitting the big three with my deal, so that's why I went with that.
**If you'd like to see this information with pretty pictures, go here.
Stacey Wallace Benefiel is the author of the Zellie Wells trilogy, the Day of Sacrifice series, The Toilet Business – a collection of humorous essays, and multiple short stories. She sometimes goes by S.W. Benefiel or Reina Stowe, but knows she's not foolin' anybody. Stacey lives in an orange house in Beaverton, OR with her poet husband and their two young children. Her newest novel in the Zellie Wells world, FOUND (Penny Black #1), will be out March 1, 2013.
For more information about Stacey and her books, please visit her website: http://staceywallacebenefiel.com


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Recently there have been disquieting moves by social engineers in several countries proposing use of taxes to force the public to eat healthier. Examples are: Denmark introduces food fat tax and from the UK: Fat tax' on unhealthy food must raise prices by 20% to have effect, says study.
I didn't worry much about it when those proposals were in far-off places; I was confident that Aussies were much too sensible to let that happen here. But now our media are starting to join the push: Chew the fat on a sugar tax to trim waistlines.
I should have seen it coming when the "Traffic Lights" concept was first proposed: The WA Health Traffic Light System and Green Light, Eat Right.
It appears that those who wish to save us from ourselves - and from overloading the public health system - are resolved to make us eat healthier whether we like it or not.
There are a lot of things I dislike about that concept, not the least being the idea that the government or its agencies has any right to direct me on a matter as basic as the food I choose to put in my mouth, apart from ensuring that it is not actually poisonous and is safely and humanely produced. I'll leave that philosophical side of the discussion for now and concentrate on the practical aspects.
There are two separate parts to the question:
- Does prohibitively taxing items based on their impact on health have a significant effect on public use of those items?
- If taxes or public education programmes are used with the intention of improving public health are the right food groups being taxed, promoted or discouraged?
Do Taxes Work To Change Bad Habits?
There are two clear examples in this country. In Australia the Federal government has been steadily increasing taxes and excise on tobacco and alcohol over the past century. Our taxes are quite heavy on those items when compared to many other countries. For example, a packet of 20 Marlboro is over $16 and a 700ml (24oz US) bottle of cheap whisky starts at $28. Our dollar and the US dollar are close to parity at the moment.
Historically each time taxes or excise were increased on either commodity there were short-term reductions in use, but time shows those were just temporary blips. Changes in alcohol taxes sometimes led to changes in preferences from beer to spirits or wine or vice versa, but had little effect on overall consumption or consequent health problems such as youth drunkenness or adult alcoholism.
We had a recent specific example with the alcopops tax. The government was concerned with drinking problems in teenagers. They decided that the root cause was alcopops, a form of popular alcoholic soft drinks. They decided that drastically increasing the taxes on those was the way to fix the problem.
Effect of the increase in "alcopops" tax on alcohol-relatedharms in young people: a controlled interrupted time series
Objective: To measure alcohol-related harms to the health of young people presenting to emergency departments (EDs) of Gold Coast public hospitals before and after the increase in the federal government "alcopops" tax in 2008.
Design, setting and participants: Interrupted time series analysis over 5 years (28 April 2005 to 27 April 2010) of 15–29-year-olds presenting to EDs with alcohol-related harms compared with presentations of selected control groups.
Main outcome measures: Proportion of 15–29-year-olds presenting to EDs with alcohol-related harms compared with (i) 30–49-year-olds with alcohol-related harms, (ii)15–29-year-olds with asthma or appendicitis, and (iii) 15–29-year-olds with any non-alcohol and non-injury related ED presentation.
Results: Over a third of 15–29-year-olds presented to ED with alcohol-related conditions, as opposed to around a quarter for all other age groups. There was no significant decrease in alcohol-related ED presentations of 15–29-year-olds compared with any of the control groups after the increase in the tax. We found similar results for males and females, narrow and broad definitions of alcohol-related harms, under-19s, and visitors to and residents of the Gold Coast.
Conclusions: The increase in the tax on alcopops was not associated with any reduction in alcohol-related harms in this population in a unique tourist and holiday region. A more comprehensive approach to reducing alcohol harms in young people is needed.
Similarly, taxes on cigarettes have had only a marginal effect.
1991-92 to 2007-08 (2007-08 dollars)
Note that smoking was relatively unchanged when taxes were increased in the early '90s but dropped significantly later despite steady taxes from the mid-90s on. The significant reductions in cigarette smoking in this country came from better public education and various new State laws such as restriction of advertising, labelling changes, restricting sales to minors and drastically reducing the public places where people could legally smoke; allied to a paradigm shift in public acceptance of smoking in social situations. For example:
The current focus of the anti-tobacco lobby on the rights and health of non-smokers has led to a proliferation of smoking bans in enclosed public places. The NSW Parliament only recently passed the Smoking Environment Amendment Act 2004 which will gradually phase-in an extension of smoking bans to include licensed premises in NSW. The support for such smoking bans has been growing and the implementation of similar restrictions in Ireland and New York appears to have been successful.
Smoking bans are only one method of tobacco control. The use of tobacco is also controlled through restrictions on the way it is packaged and advertised. Particular strategies are applied to minors such as prohibiting the manufacture and sale of toys and confectionery that resemble tobacco or the act of smoking, as well as prohibiting the sale of tobacco to persons under the age of 18. Health warnings have been included on tobacco packages for thirty years but have continued to adapt to contemporary requirements with graphic warnings the most recent development. The price of tobacco may be influenced by taxation policies and smoking cessation can be encouraged through media campaigns, and the availability of nicotine replacement therapy and telephone counselling. Litigation may also affect the activities of tobacco companies.
Tobacco continues to be the cause of much death and disease not only in Australia but also worldwide. The damage attributed to tobacco has been recognised by the World Health Organization and by the numerous countries to have signed and/or ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Accordingly, governments continue to seek strategies that will encourage the minimisation, prevention and cessation of tobacco use.
I write as a long-term heavy smoker, who became increasingly annoyed as those changes occurred over the past few decades but eventually gave up in 2001. Now I look back and wonder why I took so long to wake up to the harm it was doing to me.
Will They Tax The Right Foods?
In my opinion this question is actually more important. If we accept the dubious hypothesis that taxes will work to solve the problem, to have any chance of success those taxes should target the right foods. Similarly any public education initiatives should be providing valid and useful information.
Based on the present proposals the foods to be targeted are fats, sugar and salts. The West Australian "Traffic Light" system clearly indicates what we could expect:
Green Foods and Drinks
Foods and drinks classified as Green are the healthiest choices. They are excellent sources of important nutrients needed for health and wellbeing, and low in saturated fat, added sugar and salt, and are lower in energy density.
Can be eaten every day or at every meal.
Examples include: Plain or whole grain breads and cereals, vegetables and salads, fruit, low fat milks and dairy products, lean meats, fish and poultry, eggs, and nuts and legumes.
Amber Foods and Drinks
Foods and drinks classified as Amber are mainly processed foods. They have some nutritional value but contain moderate levels of saturated fat, added sugar and/or salt and can, in large serve sizes, contribute to excess energy intake.
Should be carefully selected and eaten in moderation.
Examples include: Full fat milk and dairy products, some breakfast and cereal bars, some un-iced, plain, lower fat cakes and muffins, some processed meats (e.g. ham, pastrami), poly- or mono-unsaturated spreads, breakfast cereals with no added sugar or fat.
Red Foods and Drinks
Foods and drinks classified as Red are energy dense and nutrient poor foods and drinks that are high in saturated fat, sugar and/or salt. They can contribute to excess energy intake if consumed in large amounts or on a frequent basis.
Red foods also include deep fried foods, confectionary and chocolate (energy size limit), crisps, corn chips and similar salty snacks (energy size limit), sugar sweetened soft drinks, energy and sports drinks (energy size limit).
Should only be eaten occasionally.
Examples include: Fried foods, savoury commercial products such as pies and sausage rolls, snack bars, sweet biscuits, cakes and sweet pastries, small size confectionary and packets of crisps, some sweetened drinks and processed meats such as salamis.
Logically, taxes would be highest on the "Red Foods" and education would be focused on promoting the "Green Foods". In other words, we would be taxed and educated to eat in a way that is extreme low-fat and high-carbohydrate.
I can't imagine many programmes likely to lead to worse results. That would entrench the terrible low-fat high-whole-grains doctrine of the 20th century that I am becoming convinced is a significant factor in the so-called obesity epidemic occurring in the 21st.
Fat consumption in moderation is a trivial part of the problem and sugar is only part of the problem. My definition of moderation in that context is very different to the dieticians who advise governments; it is more like my Grandma, who wasted very little of the sheep when Grandfather killed it. She lived to 102.
The real problem is excessive carbohydrate consumption; sugar is only part of the carb load. A tax on sugar, even if it worked to cut sugar consumption, would have only a minimal effect as the nation continued to start its day with a wonderful 'healthy' bowl of highly processed cereal, drenched in milk, accompanied by some low-sugar spread on multigrain toast and margarine, washed down with a glass of 'healthy' fruit juice. Then, after a 'healthy' breakfast the day continues with an overload of 'healthy' multigrain breads and loads of fruit, spuds, corn, rice and pasta. All, of course, fat-free and low-sugar; so wonderfully healthy. Yeah, right.
Taubes puts it together better than I can; I agreed with him long before I had heard of him: Why We Get Fat and Good Calories, Bad Calories.
I believe that the suggestions to tax foods for public health reasons are misguided at best and may be counter-productive at worst.
Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter
PS See also this follow-up post: The Fat Tax: Dare I say I Told Them So?


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Holly - posted on 02/28/2012 ( 140 moms have responded )
My 1st was only about 8hrs, my 2nd was about 9hrs. Pushed both babies out in 12 minutes! Very fortunate it was quick & easy.
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Holly - posted on 02/28/2012 ( 140 moms have responded )
My 1st was only about 8hrs, my 2nd was about 9hrs. Pushed both babies out in 12 minutes! Very fortunate it was quick & easy.
Carrie - posted on 04/05/2012
I was in labor for 19 hours, but it did not seem that bad. My mom even said I was lucky it was not bad for me!! My son was two weeks early and took his sweet time coming out!!! LOL
Kristen - posted on 03/01/2012
The first was a piece of cake because I was induced and had an epidural. With my second, I wish someone had told me to be prepared in case I could not have an epidural. I went from 4cm dilated to the baby was born in 26 minutes flat, without so much as an aspirin. I wish I had prepared for natural childbirth instead of taking it for granted that I would have pain relief. I refuse to tell you what it was like because I don't want to scare any pregnant women. I think it is rude when women share their labor horror stories with women who have not had children, yet. It used to really freak me out B.C. (before children) and I swore to myself that I would not do that when I was a veteran..............and yes, I feel like I survived combat. Enough said:)
Elfrieda - posted on 03/01/2012
Wow, Sherri, if you had a 5th I wonder if you could even get to the hospital in time!
My experience was pretty good, but tiring. 2 days of pre-labour, about 7 hours of active labour and about an hour of pushing. I had two small tears, and when the midwife put freezing in to mend them, it felt just like a dentist needle, except DOWN THERE! But luckily for me I was holding my new baby, so I was quite distracted. I don't even remember pushing out the placenta. I was able to get up right away and go take a shower, then my parents brought some supper and I ate it and fell asleep, because I was TIRED.
Kay - posted on 02/29/2012
With my oldest, I started having pains around 10 PM. Left for the hospital at three. He was born at 1:58 PM, push, push, done. I had an epidural and the nurse actually had to wake me to tell me my contractions were thirty seconds apart.
My second was shorter but an absolute nightmare. First off, I am usually between 95 to 105 lbs. I don't know where this kid was hiding, but he was 10 lbs, 8.9 oz, and pushing 24 inches long. And no one knew! Not even my doc. I dunno if he was bent up two or three times or what, because she was convinced he was around the size of my older son, who was three pounds lighter and four inches shorter.
I don't really know when I went into labor that time. Remember having a bad night, up and down, tossing and turning. Back cramps. Could not get comfortable. Finally, a little after four I gave up and went into the living room. Shortly thereafter, felt a trickle that turned into a gush--yuck. That was just after five. Went ahead to the hospital. At around seven, the nurse that was over me got pulled into an emergency C-section. After that I was on my own, no one even checked in, came to see how i was dillating, nothing, until a little after one, when everything went to hell.
My son's heart rate plummeted. I mean, one second high 150s/160s, and the next, down to 80 and dropping. We had to call the nurses, who rolled me on my side and called my doctor. She came and there was no one in the room with us--it wasn't prepped or anything. She began taking the room apart herself and said to my fiancé, "You hit that button and tell them we are having a baby down here when they feel like joining us." He did as commanded and one of the staff came running--you could tell when she walked in the door she was ready to tell him off. Until she saw the doc pulling apart the bed and everything else--her jaw dropped completely. In moments, we had an entire room full of people assisting one pissed off OB.
Then it just went downhill. He was hopelessly wedged, but it was a little late for a c-section without significant risk. I guess my doc had more faith in my pushing powers than I did. I honestly don't know how long I pushed, but I do remember turning to Matt and going, "I can't do this anymore."
Then to make matters worse, he was not breathing. I do not think I will ever forget my little boy so blue and still while she patted his back and kept telling him to breathe. No matter how hard he was trying to distract me, I was completely riveted to this little being that had been kicking just hours before. When he cried, I was overjoyed. I cried myself. It was not long, but it felt like forever. He is seventeen months old, and I still feel glad when I hear it, lol.
So yea, first was textbook, perfect. Second was a nightmare, but shorter. Two beautiful boys out of the deal, so I guess I will take it. ;)
Brianna - posted on 02/28/2012
my 1st was 10 1/2 hours (15 mins of pushing) my water broke in the middle of the night and then contractions started soon after. didnt have a epridural. Im now 13 weeks pregnant with my second.
Natasha - posted on 04/15/2012
1st baby 6hrs 2nd baby 5 hrs and 3rd 18hrs
Karen - posted on 04/08/2012
my first was 2 hours second was 5 hours. my youngest the doctor came in the room basically to catch her.
Nicola - posted on 04/04/2012
1st one 50 hours..i had an epidural after about 45 hours. Five hours of pain free sleep and she popped out in a few minutes :) 2nd one went in to be induced..they stopped the induction as there were no beds available, but couldn't let me go home as they'd started inducing me. Very lucky as 2 hours of labour and my baby boy arrived! If I'd have been at home I would never have made it to the hospital on time having had such a long 1st labour!
Kirstyn - posted on 04/04/2012
I had my son on dec. 4th 2011 he wasnt due tell dec. 11th i was only in labor for 3 hours and only pushed 4 times before he was born ill i can say is it hurt like hell because i couldnt have the epidural because when i got to the hospital i was dialated to 8 cm
Katie - posted on 03/28/2012
My first was about 19 hrs beginning to end, though the contractions weren't bad enough to go to the hospital until hr 15. Then she was out after a total of 4 pushes. The second was about 9 hrs, pushing about 20 min. The last was twins which I was able to deliver vaginally. They were 5 weeks early, from the time my water broke to the time they were both born was about 5 hrs. I went from 3cm to 10 cm just in the 40 min it took to get the epidural. I pushed about 3 times for each of them. If I have another I won't be waiting around at home.
Kristy - posted on 03/28/2012
I was induced and my whole labour was 90 minutes.
Samantha - posted on 03/27/2012
my 1st was only 12 hours and pretty easy pushed 15 minutes and she was out, made it to 8 1/2 cm before i asked for epidural, she was born 8/26/10 @ 6:01 pm....my 2nd was easier to me i think, we went to pay car insurance and the whole time we sat there i was having contractions, got to hospital around 12:30, 5 pushes he was out, 10/14/11 @ 6:03 pm, one push earlier and they would both have the same birth time lol
Stephanie - posted on 03/26/2012
My first was about 6 hours and my 2nd they broke my water and I had him about 1 1/2 hours later..
Jesica - posted on 03/26/2012
My first baby was 12 hours....2 hours pushing....next baby due in 5 weeks hopefully alot easier
Rachel - posted on 03/25/2012
Bad. I was in labor 24 hours, baby finally was monitored and was determined to be in fetal distress with high heart rate and it ended in an emergency c-section. I suspect some of the difficulties she has are do to birth trauma. :(
Sheena - posted on 03/23/2012
My first labor I tried very hard to do without epidural and sat for over 12 hours in labor. I really don't remember all the details because I was so tired and went to my happy place every time I had contractions. I was finally encouraged to tried the epidural because I was not "relaxing" enough to dilate passed an eight. Well low and behold my body wouldn't even dilate passed an eight so he started crowning and I wasn't opening I ended up having an emergency c-section. Ended up that that was a good thing because he was 9.7lbs 21.5in. I was 5'2" 216lbs. mind you I was 140lbs a month before I got pregnant.
My second was a planned c-section because I had the same doctor and was expected to have the same problems. I was in the hospital for three hours and she was out but I had to stay three days to recover. She was 7.7lbs 19ins I'm still 5'2" was 190lbs going in with her was about 160lbs before I got pregnant.
And number three I will tell you about in four weeks. Though I'm planning another c-section right now I weigh 180lbs and I was 150lbs before.
Allie - posted on 03/23/2012
My daughter was 8 hours and my son was 21 hours i hope this baby my third wont be long hopefully this baby will be quick ♥
Amy - posted on 03/21/2012
My first was really good 8 hours no drugs and 15 minutes he was out with 4 pushes. My twins well weren't so good I had false labor 3 times and ended in the hospital the last week having contraction and magnisium for 6 days before finally enough with an emergency c-section due to baby being breech and couldn't push from the drugs. One of the boys wasn't breathing but came out wonderful and I hemorridged and had to be put under. But I wouldn't change a thing LOL...My first is now 13 and my twins are 10.
Frances - posted on 03/20/2012
Don't worry; my second baby was born in the car and she was fine. I had been told to wait until my contractions got to 60 seconds long and it never happened.
Lizz - posted on 03/20/2012
I was in labor with my daug/hter for 6 hrs and I pushed for 23 min. She is my first and only for now. My OB-GYN said if/when I have another child I need to get to the hospital immediately or I'll deliver in the car! Lol, guess I have the baby delivering body or something ha
Sheena - posted on 03/20/2012
my 1st was 391/2 hours and pushed her out in about 10 mins or less. Only took 5 pushes. My 2nd daughter was only 8 hours and it took over 30 minutes to get her out
Frances - posted on 03/18/2012
My first labor was 19 hours, second was 15 hours, third was 11 hours, but my fourth labor was 33 hours. I had natural births with all of them. I actually felt the best postpartum after my fourth labor.
Janice - posted on 03/14/2012
My. First was long and tiring. The second. Was back pain mostly (both girls). The third I was in labor for 3 hours after my water broke. And the fourth was the easiest, woke up in the morning around 11- at the hospital around 11:25 he was born @ 11:30. Happy New Years to me. Baby number 5 in the Puttsburgh area
Lady Heather - posted on 03/14/2012
My first was three hours! Yeah. The second was a planned c-section so no labour at all. I average 1.5 per kid. Lulz.
Brianna - posted on 03/14/2012
sam: dont think that will work for me my mom had all csections lol
Samantha - posted on 03/14/2012
well if any women wants to know how long they gona be in labour ask your mom how long she was in labour with you, trust me i did and i beat my mom by an hour less of labour
Kayla - posted on 03/13/2012
My first labor was 36 hours long, not very painful although I was nervous, because it was my first baby and I was young. Only had to push a few times and then my beautiful 7lb red headed baby girl was born! 3 weeks early, but very healthy. My second labor on the other hand was complicated. It was 22 hours long, very painful contractions. I was dealing with it fine up until my water broke and it felt like my body was being ripped in half! But after that happened it was about 15 minutes until my 12lb baby boy was born. Both babies born at night, as I was induced with both. I might add, I wanted more kids until I pushed out a 12lb baby, and now I am done lol
Sandra - posted on 03/12/2012
My first labor began early in the morning and lasted about 8 hours. Labor began with easy pains and gradually increased but never got super painful. I pushed through about 5 contractions and my son was born. Now, my second was also about 8 hours and again with breathing through contractions the pain wasn't bad, but my water never broke and once we got to the hospital and the nurse checked me and broke my water, well, basically I pushed once and my daughter was born!! The doctor wasn't there because it happened so fast!!
Brooke - posted on 03/12/2012
My first one was 4 hours of labor, with only 20 minutes of hard labor. 4 pushes he was out. My second was induced and was 3 hours of labor and 15 minutes of hard labor.
My last was the fastest. Didn't even know I was in labor for the most part. Hard labor was only about 5 minutes, if that and one push. She came out not breathing and blue. I was very fortunate that mine were so fast.
Gemma - posted on 03/12/2012
I was induced wiv my 1st. I had the gel at 4pm on the Sunday by Monday morning I was 4cm dilated then everything seemed to go on pause cos didn't dilate anymore on the Monday so they decided if nothing happened durin the night they was gonna break my water's on the Tuesday mornin. Nothing happened on the Monday night so they broke my waters Tuesday mornin n made me walk round for an hour and still no joy so they put me on the drip. I was in a lot of pain but nothing seemed to be happening and because the pain was horrendous and I couldn't sit still while they monitored the baby they told me I would be better off with an epidural which I decided I didn't want but had to give in, in the end. Eventually I was told it was time to push but the midwives said they could see the head but it kept poppin bk up n would not come round the bend. Eventually his head was delivered but my contractions stopped, they then realised he was stuck n called for help so by now there was a registrar, 2 Dr's, 4 midwives n god knows how many student Dr's in my room, obviously I was scared. In the end my baby had to be pulled out by his throat as he was goin blue. They got him breathing then realised the reason he was stuck was cos e was a whopping 10lb 1oz. I ended up wiv a 3rd degree tear from front to bk, inside-out. Very very painful!!!!!
With my 2nd I was losing spots of blood all through my pregnancy but the Dr's kept an eye on me n told me everything was o.k but at 36 wk's I had a placenta abruption n was rushed to hospital by ambulance where I lost a blood clot about the size of a cricket ball. Me and my baby was monitored where they realised the babies heart rate was low so they called my consultant from home who made the decision that my waters needed breaking, I needed an epidural n the emergency C-section forms needed filling out just in case. So the anaesthetist came to give me the epidural but failed miserably n left me wiv 8 holes in my bk. Another anaesthetist came n did it straight away! By the time I was 9cm's dilated I was told we couldn't wait any longer n the baby needed to be delivered so they made me push, with my legs up on the stirrups n help with forceps my baby girl was delivered weighing a tiny 4lb 2oz. She was rushed off to S.C.B.U while I lay there wondering wot the hell was goin off. Eventually my consultant spoke to me n told me I had lost 1800ml of blood. My daughter was in hospital for 5 days n was allowed home on Xmas eve :-). I waited 7 yr's to conceive wiv my little girl n wouldn't change her for the world!!!!!
As for anymore children, no thanks!!! The pregnancy is normally healthy but my labours are horrendous!!!!!! My son is now 8 and is 4 1/2 feet tall n in 11-12 yr old clothing and my little girl is 15 months old and only weighs 17lb 10oz bless her.
Amy - posted on 03/12/2012
29 hours, but dialated only 4cm in all that time. Ended up with an emergency c-section to deliver my beautiful 10 pound baby. I still don't know how I carried him--I'm only 5 feet tall, 110 pounds.
Stephanie - posted on 03/12/2012
My first I was in labour for 3.5 hours and pushing for 20 mins. Had no pain relief except for parecetomol. Got told no wasn't in labour when I arrived at the hospital as they jut thought it was a water infection but when they checked I was already 7cm. With my second I was in labour for 2.5 hours and pushing for 38mins. Same no pain relief with this one and got told when I called I wasn't in labour enough as I could still talk through the contractions. I got to the hospital at 3pm and she was born at 3:38pm. I was fully dilated by the time I got there. They made me push against my waters which is the worst feeling ever. I'm pregnant with my 3rd now and I've already warned the hospital that I can talk right the way through and told then what happened with my last. I hope this time they don't leave me to push against my waters and I'm hoping to knock another hour off hehe
[deleted account]
Everyone's labour will be different. I have 3 children all induced at various stages from 2 weeks (2 girls induced early) early to 2 weeks late (my son) and the first labour lasted 36 hours while the other two were both over and done in 8 hours.
Christina - posted on 03/11/2012
45 min for first. csections with 2 and 3.
[deleted account]
I was in labor 14hrs, 54mins and 17secs of labor with my son 15yrs ago.
Amy - posted on 03/11/2012
My first was 19 hours and she was 2 weeks early. She was back to back presentation and had to have the suction on her head to pull her out. My second was suppose to be planned c section due to breech and cord wrapped around leg but went into labour 2 weeks early again so ended up with emergency c section.
Kimberly - posted on 03/11/2012
I was induced after being a week over my due date. My son made his grand entrance 36 hours later....I narrowly avoided a c-section. Boy, was it worth it though!
Jennifer - posted on 03/11/2012
My first son was a week late so they induced. I was in labor for 20 hours (no epi), only dilated to 5 and ended up with a c-section. That was in 98. Our 2nd was in 2007, scheduled c-section with him. The recovery was super easy with him, the recovery with my first was hell. They took my staples out before I went home about 24 hrs after he was born. The scar opened a few days later. That's what I got for being on medicaid with him, I guess! With our 2nd they left my staples in for over a week and I had a pretty easy recovery. That was after we had good insurance! I even got a "suite" after he was born, it was quite nice. I really want another baby but hubby says no. We're too old now I guess. LOL
User - posted on 03/11/2012
OMG you are so lucky I was in labor for nearly 2 days and pushed for 2 hours then my daughter stopped breathing this is my first she is 2 now and I really feel like I want another but am really scared especially as lost 2 prior to her and in and out of hospital with bleeding while pregnant with her would so love another but I'm mentally scared from my labor you are a lucky lady :-)
Karen - posted on 03/08/2012
I have to say that on child #2 I had to convince the lady that I was going to deliver, LOL, I had pillow under my arm and this kid was coming. Lo and behold she's like yeah right lady - I managed to get into the exam room gee 10 cm and prompty threw up (nurse was like that's a lot - I looked nope threw up more with child #1). So anyways, they let me walk down the hallway to my room - little did I know that I dropped almost to the floor with a contraction - scared the beegeebees outta of the admitting nurse (the one who's like yeah right your gonna deliver). Lo and behold I can't deliver without signing all the papers - errr. Flip my butt over and dr walked in her only comment was I thought we had time - well that was the last kid sorry. I called the dr at 6 am - in the hospital by 6:15 - delivered at 6:42 - yep that's the way to have them.
Olivia - posted on 03/08/2012
first child was 6 hours labour second 1 hour 10 mins but was scary as hell
Mindy - posted on 03/08/2012
my first was about 7 house and my second one was i kid you not 42 minutes!! im pregnant with my third so im hoping this one goes as easy as my second! i didnt even have time for any pain meds.. it hurt pretty bad but it was worth it! :)
Natasha - posted on 03/07/2012
My first was an emergency section due to fetal distress, after 13 hrs of labour. Second was terrible! He had too big of a head for my body so after 15 hrs of labour and four hrs of pushing he was stuck so they pulled him out with forceps, scaring his head (he's 7 now and the scar is still very noticeable). My recovery took several months as my pelvis bones were so severely bruised. The third was great, only about 9 hrs of labour and only pushed for 20 min. Then the fourth was a bit more traumatic again, he was 4.5 wks early and his heart rate fell very low but there were no or's available so we did a bunch of stuff to bring his heart rate back then I started pushing at 9 cm and he was born after about 11.5 hrs of labour and 30 min of pushing (also 5 days of them stopping my labour in hospital, very inconvenient with 3 small kids at home). Every labour and delivery was different, all with their own set of complications, but I wouldn't trade any of it for anything! The four best days of my life!!
Karen - posted on 03/07/2012
I have to say the first was like 4 hours might have pushed for 5 min (just shy of 8lbs). The 2nd about an hour would have been quicker but I had to sign papers, LOL, pushing ummm ok put me upright and the kid basically slid out (9 pounder too). The 3rd well let's just say she's a girl and took all darn day (tiny at 7 pounds 4 oz). Very fortunate to have easy labors.
CHERYL - posted on 03/07/2012
My first one was 5 hours, was real easy, my water did not break until I pushed . I had NO pain with her.
My second one I had hard labor it was 2 1/2 hours. I was glad it was over with, she was born on my b-day. water broke before I made it to the hospital.
then my son I was in labor with him 5 hours also. my water broke with him at home. I had back labor pains with him.
I had NO medications with any of them.
Kkrjrpleggett - posted on 03/07/2012
Wow. For those of you with the long labors, especially those who didn't use meds, you are Amazing! I was in labor for 4 hours start to finish, pushed for only 11 minutes. I wasn't able to get any drugs because I was 5cm when I got to the hospital. I was Begging for drugs, it hurt so bad I thought it was going to kill me (I'm not very good with pain apparently), when they checked again I was 9cm and it had only been about 10 minutes It was too late to give me anything. I was at the hospital for about an hour when my son was born. 9lbs 13oz, 14in head, 15in chest, 21in long. No tearing, no drugs, First child.
Laura - posted on 03/07/2012
14 hours including 3 hours of pushing with my first and 6 hours including 20 minutes of pushing with mt second. With both I had epidurals.
Crystal Zollinger - posted on 03/07/2012
My first I was sleeping n woke to pee n when I stood up my water broke got to hospital2 hours later got epi rite away n he was born at 10 18am n I napped for 3 hrs before givi.g birth. I tore so bad in the front omg worst pain ever for the next2 months. My second I was induced very different experience went to hospital 8am n she was born at 157pm. I pushed for 1hr w my first n 12mins w my second.didn't tear at all w my second thank God
Sandra - posted on 03/07/2012
doesn't sound stupid at all! Lots of women enjoy labor.
Sandra - posted on 03/07/2012
Every time is different! My first was 7 hours. My second was 3.5 hours and my third was the most intense at 65 minutes. But my fourth started off slowly and mellow and ended up longer than the others altogether, at least 11 hours!
ETA: All were planned homebirths, so rushing to the hospital was never a concern of mine. Not sure how that would have affected things.
Rachel-Tomasina - posted on 03/07/2012
They say it gets quicker with each baby,god help me if that's true with my third,will I even make it to the hospital? My daughter was born 16 years ago with 3hours labour,my son 16 months ago in 2hours now I'm expecting my third& final in sept/oct. let's just wait & see!
ANNETTE - posted on 03/07/2012
my first was 4 1/2 hrs and a week early and the second was 3 1/2 hrs and almost 2 weeks early..... guess I lucked out!!! I figured if I had a 3rd I would have had it on the livingroom floor or in the car on the way to hospital!! LOL
Stephanie - posted on 03/07/2012
my 1st labour didnt excatly go well! my daughter was in a back to back presentation (OP)....well i was in the most excrutiating backache labour for 43hours! untill the doctors & midwives decided that she wasnt going to fit through my pelvis, so i ended up with an emergency c-section.... it didnt put me off having anouther though...my second daughter was born by a planned c-section (much more relaxed that time around!). I joke with my friends that my 1st labour was longer than all theirs put together! ah well, the outcome is what matters! i have 2 very beautiful, happy, healthy little girls.. i wouldnt change their births for at all!
Erin - posted on 03/07/2012
My 1st was 4hrs 16 mins. Pushed 3 times in that 16 mins and he was out. And Ive just had my 2nd in Feb went straight into labour 4hrs and 7 mins, 2 pushes and fell onto the bed in that 7 mins. Was the best labour ever. I really enjoyed it (I know it sounds stupid) but it was easy and I only had the gas. I will be going back for a 3rd but not for awhile lol
Kellie - posted on 03/07/2012
my 1st was absolute hell. It was 17 n a half hours, 4.5 hours pushing. Problem was i have a twisted uterus which i was told wouldn't cause any complications. Everything seemed fine, labour pains were of course painful but nothing i couldn't handle. Was able 2 endure it without any medication. Then came pushing. After the 4.5 hours, noticing he just wouldn't budge, nurse called a Dr who noticed he was facing sideways. Due to my uterus he'd come down the wrong way. Had to be cut and he had 2 be vaccumned out. Which should have been pretty routine. Except i was cut wrong, stitched wrong and my bowels were stitched 2gether. I didn't realise this as being a 1st time mum, figured everything was spose 2 be sore anyway. Wasn't til my mum said 4 weeks later, this is not normal, U should be able 2 sit by now and took me 2 my Dr. She was disgusted. Had 2 remote stitches, put me on antibiotics 2 kill the infection that had come about as a result, as well as creams and steroids.. Said it was the worst stitch up she'd seen in her career. I had trouble with bowel movements for 14 months following his birth. Couldn't even walk to toilet. Had to crawl. Needless 2 say with my 2nd we opted for an elective Caesarian. Was 100 times better. I felt 10 times better 3 days after than i did 10 months after my 1st... If we go for a 3rd, we will definatly be opting for a Caesarian again
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