Nurse Judy' Blog

Welcome to my blog.

When I was the pediatric advice nurse at Noe Valley Pediatrics in San Francisco,  I answered questions about a huge variety of topics. I also soon recognized that I got the same questions over and over again.

I started writing these posts in order to save myself from repeating the same answers constantly.

I combine 40 years of being a pediatric nurse with my experience of raising children (and now grandchildren) of my own. My approach combines the desire to treat things as naturally as possible, staying on top of the current data and a large dollop of common sense.

I understand that there are SO many opinions out there about just about every topic.

 It can be confusing and overwhelming!

My suggestion is that you  gather all of the various suggestions, sift through them and then figure out what instinctively feels right to you. If you try something and it doesn't work, learn the lesson, go back to the well and try one of the other choices.

I am just one more opinion to add to the list (but my batting average is pretty high)

If you are looking for advice about a  particular topic, You can put the title in the search bar and see if I have covered that.

You can also skim through the list at the bottom. Once you know when the post was written, it is fairly easy to scroll down on the right and click on the month and year

I send out an email to folks on my list  when I do a new post. If you would like to be added,just send me an email to nursejudysf@gmail.com or find me on substack.

Over time I have covered a wide and odd assortment of subjects, but  I am happy to get comments or requests on topics that you would like me to address.

I hope you find these posts helpful.

~Nurse Judy

March 2013
Creative things to do with your child

June 2013

Blocked tear ducts
How much sugar is too much ( Nurse Jen)

August 2013
Tylenol before vaccines?

October 2013
Nurse Charity on biting

December 2013
Vick vaporub on your feet?

February 2014
Impetigo

March 2014
Charity on warm weather nursing

April 2014
Roseola

May 2014
Your baby's weight/growth chart
spitting up
Nurse Jen blogs on how words matter

June 2014
Is it a Urinary Tract infection?

July 2014
Travel tips
Thrush (Nurse Charity)

August 2014
infant acne
Hep B/your first vaccination opportunity

September 2014
Pacifiers: Friend or foe
Tech time: how much is too much
Keeping play dates safe (Nurse Jen)

October 2014
Enterovirus D68

November 2014
Temper Tantrums

problem solving skills


January  2015
Febrile seizures

February 2015
Charity blogs about nipple wounds

May 2015
Sleep tidbits part 1 infant
Sleep tidbits toddler/ shifting naps
Sleep tidbits  leaving the crib behind

June 2015
Head aches
travel tips (updated)

July 2015
Cord care

November 2015
parapertussis


January 2016

cradle cap

February 2016
Vicks vaporub on the feet (update)

May 2016
Night Terrors (update)
Bed wetting

June 2016
Fathers Day post ( Mr Nurse Judy)
Talking to your kids about horrible headlines

July 2016
Travel tips (update)
Eye health/vision

September 2016
Achieving a healthy weight (update)


November 2016
Antibiotic considerations
taking your baby out into this germy world ( update)
story telling ( update)

February 2017
Zika (update)

March 2017
Flat heads/PT options

May 2017
Mothers Day musings

June 2017
Father's Day
Water safety/ Dry Drowning

July 2017
Swimming ( update)


August 2017
Food Heroes and Villians
Problem solving skills (update)
First aid kit


September 2017
Organizing your stuff ( update)

October 2017
Smoke and air quality

November 2017
The Impact of a single sentence

December 2017

Inhaler tips/Reactive airway
The best Present is your presence 2017
Will the real Santa please stand up 2017

January 2018
Building and protecting your immune system
Old letters and pictures

February 2018
The Misadventure of Nurse Judy/Managing stress 2018
We could all use a little bit more Mr Rogers

March 2018
The Back to work transition 2018
Dealing with Altitude 2018
Travel 2018
Attitude
Vision Health 2018

April 2018
Urgent care options 2018
Constipation 2018
TemperTantrums 2018
Warts and Molluscum

May 2018
Diaper changing tips
Lessons from my Mom

June 2018
Talking to your kids about homelessness
The Partners Job
My Fathers Influence

July 2018
July 4th safety tips (2018)
Speech milestones ( 2018)
Drowning/appoint a water guardian

August 2018
Motion sickness ( 2018)
Epipen/anaphylaxis ( 2018)

September 2018
Mental illness
Attention
Time outs

October 2018
Acute Flaccid Myelitis

November 2018
Pie Theory/Finding balance 2018
Air Quality
Impact of the recent smoke/radical acceptance 2018

December 2018
Keep a journal 2018

January 2019
Vaporizers/humidifiers 2019
Pertussis 2019
Four month sleep regression

February 2019
Head injury 2019
Hepatitis A 2019
Talking to your kids about sex 2019
Tech time/how much is too much 2019

March 2019
Urgent care options 2019
Cleaning up made simple 2019
Chicken Pox/Shingles exposure guide 2019

April 2019
There is no such thing as a silly question
Poisonous plants 2019

May 2019
The amazing Nanya/Mother in Law
Nurse Judy the mom
Bath time 2019

June 2019
Measles by the numbers
Fathers day Post
Travel safety

July 2019
Allergy alternative 2019
Lead exposure 2019


August 2019
When kids play favorites
Sleep tips/ insomnia

October 2019
Branching out from English only

November 2019
The Power of story telling 2019
Election time

December 2019
The Best Present is your presence 2019
Holiday safety 2019
The World can use more Mr Rogers 2019

January 2020
Habits update 2020
Flat head/ tummy time update 2020
Building and protecting your immune system

February 2020
Novel Corona Virus
Selling the family home/the end of an era
Covid-19 update
Adverse Childhood experiences

March 2020
social networking
Quarantine tips
Assessing Priorities

April 2020
Too much togetherness
It is okay not to be right all of the time
Poison Oak ( update)
Finding Humor in the time of Quarantine

May 2020

The science of hair loss

The impact of a single sentence ( update)

Vitamin D (update)

Rashes/when to worry ( Update)

Talking to your child about sex ( update)

June 2020

In Memory of Uncle Landshark
Stop feeling guilty for finding moments of joy 

 Decisions about the quarantine

 Drowning

 July 2020 

 Dealing and managing emotion

 Blink my baby is turning 30 

Dietary guidelines 2020 

August 2020 

Ergonomics 

Happy Birthday Lauren 

How trivial choices can make a huge impact

 September 2020 

 Mosquito bites 

 A story of the mysterious socks 

 Talking to your child about Loss

October 2020

 Family tree info

Happy birthday to Frida the lamp

Dealing with the time change

November 2020

Teach your child how to be a good winner or loser

Thanksgiving/food safety ( update)

Holiday safety checklist 2020 (update)

December 2020

Talking Barbie takes a bath

Santa and Covid (update)

The christmas Cactus

January 2021

Give your kids the gift of music

I am a Grandma!

Car Seat Guide 2021 ( update)

Having a baby is HARD

Basic Butt Care (update)

February 2021

Covid one year later

Heavy metal in Baby Food

Do you know your love language?

Carbon Monoxide (update)

March 2021

Passover musings

Cleaning up made simple (update)

Eczema management (update)

April 2021

Lessons from my mom(update)

Poisonous plants (Update)

Astrological shenanigans

May 2021

Talking to your children about Homelessness ( update)
 

June 2021

Making sense of the changing Covid Guidelines

Air safety in your classrooms and homes

Ghosts and Radios

July 2021

July 4th safety guide (update)

Things we take for granted

The Magic and importance of play

Motion sickness ( update)

September 2021 

A story about strange coincidences

Forgiveness and atonement

October 2021

Fever (update)

Earthquake preparedness

Halloween safety tips (update)

Dealing with Time shift (update)

November 2021

Lead poisoning/prevention (update)

Adverse childhood experience (update)

Covid vaccine children 5-11

December 2021

The best Present is your presence (update)

Travel safety tips ( update)

Travel tips part two (update)

Holliday angst and Joy

January 2022

Keep a journal (update)

Croup ( update)

Pain and Fever reducers with dosage charts ( update)

February 2022

Healthy fish as part of your diet

Head injuries (update)

Talking to your child about differences

March 2022

Horrible headlines (update)

Tick bites (update)

Febrile seizures (update)

April 2022

April Tuesday

Tips for giving medicine (update)

No such thing as a silly question (update)

Slap cheek (update)

June 2022

Hepatitis A (update)

Stories about my dad

Covid Shots for the little ones

July 2022

Sids/crib safety (update)

Melatonin (update)

Swimming guide (update)

Intentional communication (read this if you are bickering with your partner!)

colds and Congestion (update)

August 2022

spotlight on Polio

insect and Mosquito bites (update)

When your child is holding the keys and you are locked out

September 2022

Dealing with stress (semi update)

Flu vaccine 2022/23

hitting/biting/kicking

Grandparents and boundaries

baby poop

October 2022

conjunctivitis (update)

Skinfold irritations (update)

November 2022

sippy cups (update)

RSV (update)

pinworms (update)

Thanksgiving/food safety tips (update)

December 2022

Nothing as fun as a big box

Ear infections (update)

Holiday Safety tips (update)

talking to your child about Santa (update)

Managing tylenol shortage

January 2023

Tummy bugs (update)

Homage to Uncle Bert

Gun safety (update)

February 2023

Potty training (update)

Those wacky parental moments

Milestones/shmilestones

How loud is too loud? (update)

March 2023

The milk transition/calcium (update)

Good Dental habits (update)

Poisoning

Organizing your stuff (update)

Adenovirus

April 2023

Travel stories

May 2023

sunscreen (Update)

speech and language milestones (update)

Mothers Day 2023

Managing seasonal allergies

June 2023

Identify and mange your emotions

Chinese medicine and the summer season

Father's Day 2023

Head Lice (Update)

July 2023

Probiotics

Parent GPT

Measles 2023/global travel info

August 2023

Poop and solid foods (update)

The Pie Theory of life (update)

The enormous impact of seemingly trivial decisions (update)

September 2023

What would you do if?/problem solving pearl ( update)

Understanding medical terminology/How is your Greek and Latin?

Making the most of your doctor's appointment

Flu shot info for the 23/24 season

Forgiveness and Atonement (update)

October 2023

RSV (update)

Earthquakes and natural disasters ( update)

Dealing with Bullies (update)

My favorite piece of advice

November 2023

Strep Throat (update)

Creating healthy Sleep routine

When is your child contagious? (update)

December 2023

Gratitude

They put What in their mouth? (update)

Dealing with the long dark days of winter

Personal musings/end of a start up

What is in your medicine cabinet? (update)

January 2024

Happy Birthday Elliot

Colic and fussiness (update)

Chaos versus  quiet

kids stick things into all sorts of plaes

February 2024

Iron

Introducing allergens to your baby

election/get out to vote

March 2024

introducing a new sibling

hello from the rocking chair at 1 pm

Red hair/story about my grandmother

May 2024

Hotel bathrooms

kids and pets

June 2024

Nursing strikes

Breastfeeding resource

honesty

July 2024

dealing with excessive heat

my covid tale

August 2024

Back to school adjustment

Talking to your child about germs

September 2024

Picky eating

family dinners

October 2024

A Rosh Hashana message from beyond

Solid Foods document

Halloween safety tips 2024