President Biden addressed the nation. We ask our guests: How did he do?
Aug 31 pullout from Afghanistan date remains intact.
Congressional Reaction:
Mike Lee – My prayers are with those killed and wounded in action today, their families, and their teammates still on the ground. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten. It is our duty to protect those Americans still in Afghanistan and those who have helped us in this fight against evil.
Mitt Romney– Horrific terrorist attacks outside Kabul airport. My heart breaks for the U.S. servicemembers wounded in the explosion and the innocent Afghan lives lost. I am inspired by the strength and compassion of our troops and pray for their safety. They represented the very best and finest of America, laying down their lives to aid the most vulnerable in perilous circumstances. This loss of life tears at our collective soul. God bless our fallen & wounded Marines, their families and all of our servicemembers in harm’s way.
Blake Moore– “As the situation in Afghanistan becomes more and more heartbreaking, my team and I send prayers to our citizens, troops, and Afghan allies impacted by today’s attacks. Please know our team remains steadfast in supporting however we can.
Chris Stewart – My prayers are with our troops, our citizens, and the Afghans who were killed or injured in today’s apparent terrorist attack. And my heart breaks for those who remain stranded behind enemy lines in this time of violence and chaos.
There is no excuse for the incompetence displayed by the Biden Administration throughout this disastrous withdrawal. We need to secure the airport, maintain a perimeter, and safely evacuate all Americans and our allies – and we need to do so by any means necessary.
Burgess Owens – Please pray for our soldiers and citizens in Afghanistan, as well as our Afghan allies. This is heartbreaking.
Senator Mike Lee and Senator Mitt Romney working together to get people with Utah connections out of Afghanistan.
Other topics include:
COVID-19 and going back to school: How are we doing? Gov. Spencer Cox had closed door meeting to discuss possible executive action.
Utah School Board member Natalie Cline is under review, again for a tweet she made about education and welcoming efforts to the LGBTQIA+ community.
It’s been a busy summer for the Utah Legislature. Why?
Toddlers and tantrums go hand in hand. As children grow, however, some tantrums teeter into aggressive behavior.
“Parents often wonder how they can address a toddler’s biting or hitting, or help calm severe emotional outbursts,” said Dr. Peter Lindgren, a pediatrician with Intermountain Healthcare. “A good starting point is to address the specific behavior, help children calm themselves, and when they’re behaving, praise them.”
Jade Elliott spoke with Dr. Lindgren about tantrums and aggressive behavior and how to address them on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast.
Here are four tips to address aggressive behaviors:
Teach children to say how they feel. Parents can say things, like, “Mommy is feeling really frustrated right now.” They also can observe their child may be feeling, such as, “It looks like you’re feeling sad.”
Model positive ways to calm down. The American Association of Pediatrics suggests a parent frustrated about being stuck in traffic could say something like this: “Daddy is really frustrated right now. Please help me calm down by taking 10 deep breaths with me.”
Pay attention to what you pay attention to. If you direct your attention only to misbehavior, you’ll get more misbehavior, Dr. Lindgren said. Pay attention to the behaving child, and point out specific positive behaviors, such as “Good job on using your inside voice.”
Take a time-out in a safe place without toys. “It’s important that time out doesn’t become a punishment, or something you do when angry. Take a few deep breaths, remain calm, and tell the child, ‘time out – hitting,’” Dr. Lindgren said. “Once the child is calm, even for a moment, praise him and invite him to come out.”
Here are some additional ways to help children improve behavior, according to The American Academy of Pediatrics:
Build structure and routines in your children’s day, and make sure they’re getting enough sleep
Use discipline strategies to guide and teach instead of punish.
Be calm and consistent when disciplining your children.
Understand a child’s negative behaviors have benefited them in some way in the past.
Reinforce good behavior with praise and repetition.
Anticipate and plan for situations and your children’s behavior.
If things aren’t getting better, make sure you and your child are getting enough sleep. Recognize family changes, a new house, a violent event in the community may create stress in the child’s body that makes him unable to focus or control his emotions. In such cases, respond in a nurturing way instead of with discipline, and return to a routine to help him find a sense of safety and control.
“Talk to your pediatrician if behaviors continue to escalate or you have additional concerns,” Dr. Lindgren said. “We will work with children and help connect families to additional resources they may need.”
The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.
Back to school means new friends, new habits and new influences if your child’s life. This makes it an important time of year to talk to your kids about family rules and your expectations about underage drinking. Studies show parents are the number one influence and reason why kids decide not to drink which is why it’s crucial to set clear expectations.
KUTV 2News’ Heidi Hatch sits down with guests Kristina Pexton, Family Life Commissioner for the Utah PTA and Heidi Dutson with Parents Empowered in this episode of the podcast.
The podcast is offered quarterly to help parents understand the ramifications of underage drinking, how to prevent it and how to talk to your children about it because studies show kids are listening.
Host Heidi Hatch welcomes Maura Carabello and Greg Hughes to talk politics in Utah and beyond.
School is in session, some kids are wearing masks, though most are not and President Joe Biden isn’t happy.
Afghanistan is a mess but who’s mess is it anyway and gas prices aren’t fun.
Biden Admin threatens Pandemic funding in Utah
“We will not sit by as governors try to block or intimidate educators protecting kids against COVID-19. This isn’t about politics. This is about keeping our kids safe and taking on this virus together.” – President Joe Biden.
Utah’s Gov. Spencer Cox said of the letter: “The letter from the U.S. Department of Education is extremely unhelpful. As we continue conversations with legislators, public health leaders, school leaders, parents, and local health departments about the best way to safely return to schools given the unique circumstances in Utah, the last thing we need is threats from out-of-touch bureaucrats at the U.S. Department of Education.”
Grand County and a portion of San Juan County start school with a mask mandate and the Salt Lake City Mayor announced her intention to declare one for the city.
Total Covid cases: 23,603
Breakthrough cases: 4,197 (17.8% of cases during the timeframe)
Total hospitalizations: 1,107
Breakthrough hospitalizations: 206 (18.6% of hospitalizations during the timeframe)
Total deaths: 109
Breakthrough deaths: 22 (20.2% of deaths during the timeframe)
Lehi Teacher Fired after 1st day of school rant in a chemistry class
“Most of y’all parents are dumber than you. I am going to say that out loud. My parents are freaking dumb and the minute I figured that out, the world opens up.”
With school starting next month, experts are concerned that COVID-19 cases could rise among children, especially with the prevalence of the Delta variant which transmits much more easily.
While COVID vaccines are available to kids ages 12 and up, it’s not yet available to younger children.
Jade Elliott spoke with Katrina Jensen, a pediatric nurse with Intermountain Healthcare about the vaccine and keeping your kids healthy.
Pediatric experts from Intermountain Healthcare, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Utah Department of Health all agree, a layered prevention approach can minimize the impact of COVID-19 exposures and outbreaks in school settings.
“Parents can protect young children against the disease by doing what has been shown to work well: having them wear masks indoors and practice social distancing. It’s important to use every tool in our toolkit to safeguard children from COVID-19,” said Katrina Jensen, a pediatric nurse with Intermountain Healthcare.
The CDC is also recommending even vaccinated people wear masks in indoor public settings in areas of heightened transmission, so parents should model that behavior, even if they’re vaccinated. While Utah law doesn’t allow schools to require students to wear masks, parents can choose to have their children wear masks to help keep them safe.
COVID-19 can severely disrupt learning, school attendance, and involvement in extracurricular activities. Children can and do get COVID-19 and are at risk for severe illness from the virus. Even with mild illness, children can spread the virus to other people. This is why using layered prevention strategies in schools are so important.
“Elementary school-aged children did an excellent job wearing their masks last school year,” said Jensen. “Masking minimized outbreaks and the challenges that come with them, including quarantines, missed school days, and the risk of infecting younger siblings and vulnerable family members.”
COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have been rising among Utah residents, including children. Children have been hospitalized with the disease, experienced long COVID lingering symptoms, and in some cases, contracted Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), a severe inflammation of organs including the brain and heart that can result in death.
Here are some ways to protect young children against COVID-19:
Vaccinate family members ages 12 and up as soon as possible. Doing so can help ensure full immunity close to the time school starts, minimizing risk.
Wear masks in indoor public settings.
If you have questions about the vaccine, masking or related matters, ask your medical provider.
“Your family’s doctor or nurse practitioner knows you and your children, and is happy to have a conversation with you about your questions and concerns,” Jensen said. “Your primary care provider can provide factual information to help you make an informed decision about the vaccine, and other steps you might take to keep yourself and your children safe.”
The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.
Host Heidi Hatch welcomes guests Maura Carabello, from the Exoro Group, and Greg Hughes, a former Speaker of the House in Utah.
Summer is over and it’s time for back to school and it feels like Groundhog Day as the delta variant of COVID-19 has brought back concerns about widespread coronavirus. This week the indoor mask mandate for Salt Lake County children 11 and under, while in school, was vetoed with a 6-3 vote along party lines from the Salt Lake County Council.
Did the Utah Legislature pass the buck by forcing county councils to make the decisions are are local decisions best? House Democrats supported the mandate ahead of the vote and what is the school year going to look like?
COVID-19 breakthrough cases are rising in Utah, accounting for 18% of all cases July 6 through Aug. 6 and 112 fully vaccinated Utahns were hospitalized since the beginning of August. What’s next? Meanwhile booster vaccines were approved for the immunocompromised.
Primary elections are over with ranked choice for 23 cities this fall. We talk about any surprises.
In Washington D.C., the bi-partisan infrastructure passed so what will Democrats do next?
While Sen. Mike Lee voted no, Sen. Mitt Romney helped broker the deal and voted for it. Democrats have released a $3.5 trillion budge resolution that would invest in paid leave, child care, pre pre-kindergarten, free community college, green energy and expansion of Medicare, along with a long list of programs.
In other news, new census numbers are out and its crush time for redistricting.
Surrogate motherhood is the practice when a woman bears a child on behalf of another person who is not able to carry a baby. It typically occurs via in vitro fertilization.
Jade Elliott spoke with Dr. Barney, the OB/Gyn who delivered the baby carried by surrogate mother Brianna Bigelow for mom Jenny Lowe about surrogacy on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast.
Click here to hear about Brianna and Jenny’s journey.
Reasons to consider surrogate motherhood
Surrogacy may be a desirable option for women who are unable to carry a baby due to infertility, cancer or other medical conditions or health concerns that would make pregnancy impossible or very risky for the woman who wishes to have a baby. Same sex couples may also enlist a surrogate mother if they wish to have a baby.
Talking with your doctor about infertility options or surrogate motherhood
It’s important to talk with your doctor or midwife if you are struggling with infertility or have health concerns about becoming pregnant. Your provider knows your medical history and can help provide medical information and options that will help you make your decision about pregnancy or surrogacy.
Finding a surrogate mother
Some women turn to family or friends for surrogacy. Others go to a surrogacy agency which helps people find a surrogate mother. Surrogacy can be very expensive, especially if the surrogate does not have health insurance. Most experts agree a surrogate mother should:
Be at least 21 years old
Have already given birth to at least one healthy baby
Have passed a psychological screening
Sign a contract about their role and responsibilities in the pregnancy, prenatal care and after birth
Health screenings for surrogate mothers
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine says surrogates should get a medical exam to check that they are likely to have a healthy, full-term pregnancy. The organization suggests they complete a drug screening, and get tests that check for infectious diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV, cytomegalovirus, and hepatitis B and C.
Surrogates should get tests to make sure they have immunity to measles, rubella and chickenpox.
Surrogacy laws in the U.S.
Currently there is no federal law in the U.S. about surrogacy. Surrogacy laws vary from state to state, so be sure to research and understand the laws in your state.
To protect your rights as parents-to-be – and the rights of the child you’re hoping to have – it’s wise to hire an attorney who specializes in reproductive law in your state. They can write a surrogacy contract that clearly spells out what everyone needs to do.
A contract helps if legal issues come up after birth. It can also outline agreements about a variety of possible scenarios with the pregnancy, such as what happens if there are twins or triplets.
In the contract, couples working with a surrogate mother may want to address who the doctor will be who sees the surrogate mother for prenatal visits and delivers the baby. The two parties may also want to agree on who can be present at prenatal visits and for the birth and where those events might take place and when the surrogate hands over the baby.
What it’s like to help deliver a surrogate baby
“In the past twelve years since I’ve been in practice in Utah, I’ve seen about six families working with a surrogate mother. Most often it’s due to infertility. I have also seen same sex couples,” said Dr. Barney.
“I’ve seen cases where the mother is able to donate an egg for insemination and other cases where an outside egg donor is needed,” he added.
Dr. Barney says sometimes one of the parties is outside of Utah. During prenatal visits with the surrogate or the delivery, the parents might join in-person or remotely. Sometimes the mother and the other parents have developed a relationship and other times they are not as involved. Jenny and Brianna developed quite a friendship. And Jenny typically joined the appointments either in-person or on Zoom.
Emotional concerns for surrogate mothers
“The mom who is carrying the baby often has split emotions. They go into the pregnancy knowing they’ll give up the baby, but it can still be difficult, so we screen for postpartum depression or mood disorders at the follow-up visit.”
After Brianna gave birth, Jenny held the baby almost immediately afterward, skin-to-skin to promote bonding.
“It’s a really unique experience to deliver a baby from a surrogate mother. It’s amazing the journey some couples end up taking in order to have a child.”
For more information about reproductive medicine and in vitro fertilization visit intermountainhealthcare.org
To listen to our podcast about postpartum depression, click here.
To listen to the podcast on dads and postpartum depression mentioned in this episode, click here.
The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.
Jenny Lowe is a cancer survivor who sought a surrogate mother to carry her baby following in-vitro fertilization. Brianna Bigelow is the mother of twins conceived through in-vitro fertilization and chose to serve as a surrogate mother for the Lowes who’d experienced infertility.
Jade Elliott spoke with Jenny and Brianna about the incredible journey that led them to surrogate motherhood on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast.
Lowe married in her 30’s and she and her husband James tried to get pregnant for six months and then began the long process of infertility treatment. In 2019 she was happy to find out in-vitro fertilization (IVF) had worked, they had one embryo. But the same day, Jenny also learned she had cancer. It was Stage 3 ovarian cancer, and she underwent chemotherapy and a full hysterectomy. Suddenly, pregnancy for Jenny was off the table.
“I don’t think there are words to describe the emotions we felt that day,” said Jenny. “We learned the news of our embryo “EmbryLowe” in the waiting room of the hospital only a few hours before I was coming out of anesthesia to the news of my cancer.”
“We’d been elated to hear the news after so much disappointment. We shared a beautiful moment in the hallway, cried and embraced one another. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted. I went into my biopsy, certain they’d not find anything. But it was impossible to hold that excitement once we learned I had cancer. It felt like a cruel twist of fate. I almost felt angry we’d been successful, because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to carry the baby, and that was a devastating reality,” she added.
Jenny’s sister-in-law agreed to be a surrogate mother and carry the baby. And then some additional bad news came, the pregnancy failed. Now she’d need an egg donor and a surrogate mother to be able to have a baby.
Jenny’s husband James, made an urgent plea on Facebook, saying they were looking for a surrogate mother to carry their baby. Briana Bigelow responded, saying she’d be willing to carry their baby.
After some serious conversations and lots of medical tests, the Lowes used a new embryo with a donor egg and the couples started a new, nontraditional, and surprisingly comfortable pregnancy together.
Weighing the options
“James and I talked about a few options, including adoption. Both options sounded like a lot of work and we knew there were risks in either path. Financially, emotionally, physically, there were things to consider with both. We were now familiar with the surrogacy process. It seemed like it would be a smoother path, rather than to change gears.”
“I worried about my ability to connect with a child that had none of my DNA and I didn’t carry. And I didn’t want to take that ability away from James. I wanted him to be able to have a child that was biologically his. I didn’t want him to suffer the same loss that I’d been forced to deal with.”
James worried if he was biologically tied to our baby, it might cause issues between them and that Jenny would feel resentful or hurt, and if he looked down and saw himself in the baby and felt happy, he’d feel guilty.
Their decision came out of mutual respect and honesty with one another, which was one of the most important things they worked to maintain through the entire process.
“I worried seeing another woman pregnant would spark some feelings of sadness or anger, but the moment Hope arrived, I felt like her mom and bonded with her so deeply,” said Jenny.
Finding a surrogate
“It was important I knew or felt really comfortable with the woman we chose. It isn’t always an option to find someone in your circle, but make sure you feel comfortable with who you choose and decide up front what things are important to you. When you find the right person, the experience is amazing to be a part of,” said Jenny.
Jenny knew she wanted to be as involved as possible with doctors visits, updates, in-person visits to feel kicks or movement, even sometimes having difficult or possibly awkward conversations and ultimately, the delivery. Some women don’t have those requirements, they just want a happy and healthy baby.
“I also tried to remind myself that Dads experience pregnancy much the same as I was faced experiencing it. They don’t carry their child, but they’re able to bond with their child.” In the moments I felt I was somehow being slighted as a woman, I’d think of that.”
Motherhood requires flexibility
“Life does not always go the way we want it to and just like in any other situation, you have to be able to adapt to and work through the unknown. Being flexible through surrogacy was no different. I think staying flexible keeps everyone as healthy and stable as possible. The last thing we wanted or needed was to add pressure to the situation and cause ourselves more heartache,” said Jenny.
Jenny says trust is also a key factor in the success of the experience. The person carrying your baby may have a different idea of what a successful pregnancy looks like, and you have to be able to trust that everyone is doing their part. I think being flexible makes you a stronger person.
With COVID restrictions, they weren’t sure how the delivery would pan out, but it ended up that all four of them were able to be in the delivery room.
The Lowes treated the pregnancy just like it was their own. They went to doctor appointments, had a gender reveal party and prepared for the birth.
In late February, baby Hope made her debut. The name was significant for the Lowes.
“It became a very recurring theme throughout my treatment and through our fertility struggle. People would give us things or say things about the concept of hope,” explained Jen.
Brianna Bigelow went to high school with Jenny’s husband James and they’d reconnected on Facebook. Briana suffered back-to-back miscarriages and then had twins through IVF.
The thought of being a surrogate mother had crossed my mind from time to time, but it wasn’t something that really hit home until we were having our own infertility struggles. I think the infertility world really opens your mind to unconventional family-building methods,” said Brianna.
Brianna’s best friend had just gotten pregnant as a surrogate a few months before and she was in awe of her story. So when Brianna saw James’ post, it felt very serendipitous.
It’s a sacrifice and a unique experience to give someone something not everyone can give
“It’s not even something I can really put into words. It’s felt like this was always part of my life story. This was just so easy and natural to help in this way that it is easy to forget how big of a deal it really is. Sometimes I tell people I just had a baby — for another couple!”
Explaining your choice to your family
Brianna’s older teenage daughter had a good understanding that not everyone has an easy time conceiving and may need to follow a different route. So when she explained she wanted to be a surrogate, she thought it was a really neat concept. But she triple verified her parents were NOT going to end up with another baby in addition to the almost three year old twins.
“It’s always been important to me to show my kids how to not live a life that only concerns themselves. I want them to take their own struggles and say, now how can I help someone else get through their struggles?. And sometimes it’s as simple as sending someone good vibes, and sometimes it’s jumping in feet first and making choices that intertwine with another person’s life,” said Brianna.
Giving up the baby
Brianna said It wasn’t hard to give up the baby, it was the most rewarding part. At delivery, she felt like a fly on the wall watching James and Jenny FINALLY hold their baby after their struggles. She was overwhelmed with peace and felt so much calm.
She knew it might be a struggle, so she was proactive and shared those fears with Jenny.
“The relationship I wanted to have with Hope post-birth was something we had talked about before the pregnancy. It was good to talk early on because this way, I could help advocate for James and Jenny in the hospital and they were able to do the same for me,” said Brianna.
If you’re considering being a surrogate mother
Briana says it’s important to have a support system. You have to be willing to have really tough and awkward conversations like who gets to be in the birthing room. And how much do you want them to see? Who gets to pick the OB/Gyn?
There isn’t really a “how to build a surrogacy relationship” guide out there so communication is key.
“I think making sure I was done building my own family made the process easier, said Brianna.
While the birth itself was easy, following delivery, Brianna was rushed back to the hospital in heart failure. As it turns out, baby Hope revealed a congenital heart condition Briana didn’t know she had. Now she knows about it and can take appropriate action to keep it in check.
The Lowes said if they never started down the road to getting pregnant, Jenny’s cancer diagnosis could have come too late. For the Bigelows, baby Hope potentially saved Brianna’s life, as well. Hope is a miracle baby indeed!
The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.
