Natal Nate

World's Best Delivery Aids Include Doctors, Dads—and Drugs

How epidurals can numb the pain of childbirth for St. Louis moms.

I have finally discovered something that will save my wife countless hours of pain leading up to the delivery of our son: drugs. Thirty bucks and a healthy dose of visuals later, I've got the secret that families have been seeking for generations. Expectant St. Louis moms, you can thank me later. These special drugs are known as epidurals. That means "under the skin." It's a reference to how the first-time mom feels about her husband after he's been sitting next to her in the delivery room for 26 hours. The process goes something like this: Nurse: Here is the drug, ma'am. Expectant mom: I'm sorry, I didn't realize we were living in pre-Colonial America. Nurse: You must be confused. It's 2011. Expectant mom: I'm not confused. I was …

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Kimberly D. Martino-Sexton

11:38 am on Friday, April 22, 2011

Oh, how I wish getting an epidural was the magic answer for a laboring woman. True, an epidural is 1 tool that can ease the pain of labor. It has been my experience with laboring women that they need much more than any one drug can offer... Support from a loving partner is much more potent then any drug ... Gentle massage is more powerful... Reasurring and encouraging words from her partner far …   more ›

Expansion and Tuition Increase Planned at Maplewood Richmond Heights Early Childhood Center

The MRH Board of Education approved the changes Thursday.

The Maplewood Richmond Heights Board of Education on Thursday approved the addition of a new preschool classroom and an increase in rates for two district programs. The new classroom would be staffed by one full-time teacher and two part-time aides at a cost of $89,875. The classroom is expected to serve 20 students and to generate $89,915 in revenue, representing a $40 profit for the district. The existing half-day classroom at the MRH Early Childhood Center (ECC) will be converted to a full-day classroom, and the seed-to-table classroom will become the half-day classroom, Principal Cyndi Hebenstreit said. “What I’m hoping is that by adding another classroom, we’re going to have fewer families that are brand new to us coming into …

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PatchCast

Daily PatchCast: Candidates from Florissant and Creve Coeur Profiled, Howell Central Baseball Season Starts on Positive Note and More

A roundup of St. Louis news headlines for Friday.

Here are the top stories from Patch sites in your area:

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Construction for Projects at Two MRH School District Sites Delayed

Bids for projects at the Maplewood Richmond Heights Early Childhood Center and the high school will be repackaged in an effort to attract more contractors, though the delay isn't expected to cost additional money.

The schedule for bidding proposed projects at the Maplewood Richmond Heights Early Childhood Center (ECC) and MRH High School has been pushed back. Representatives of construction company S.M. Wilson updated the MRH Board of Education on the status of bids for renovation work at the ECC at its meeting Thursday night. Funding for the project will come from Proposition Y, a $9 million bond issue that voters approved in April. The company put the initial package for the project, which included approximately 75 percent of the proposed work at the ECC, out for bids last month. The company had intended to present the board with bids this week on Monday, but project manager Dave Schlueter said the company didn’t get the number of bids it had …

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Contractors Sought for Renovations to Early Childhood Center

The project manager hopes to identify potential bidders before the Maplewood Richmond Heights Board of Education meeting Feb. 14.

A list of contractors interested in working on the Maplewood Richmond Heights Early Childhood Center cafeteria renovation project should be available to the Board of Education by its Feb. 14 meeting, according to the project manager. Dave Schlueter, project manager with construction company S. M. Wilson, told the board at its meeting Jan. 20 that he sent out bid packages for 75 percent of the project's work Jan. 18. He said that interest from potential bidders has been good and that he had already held pre-bid meetings—which included a walk-through of the center—with some interested contractors. Another pre-bid meeting is expected to be scheduled this week for those who didn't get to attend recently because of inclement weather. Schlueter …

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Reggio Emilia Educational Approach to be Topic of March Conference at Childhood Center

The Maplewood Richmond Heights School District is sponsoring the event.

The Maplewood Richmond Heights Early Childhood Center will be hosting its third Reggio Emilia-focused conference March 4-5. This year’s conference is titled “Education Research Shared Between Adults and Children: Reggio-Inspired Learning In An Urban Public School-Preschool Through First Grade.” Amelia Gambetti will be the featured speaker. She served as an educator in the Reggio Emilia Municipal Preschools for 25 years and has been an educational consultant and frequent lecturer on the Reggio Emilia educational theory. “To have her here is pretty exciting,” said Jennifer Strange, pedagogical coordinator at the center. A welcome reception and keynote address by Gambetti will happen from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. March 4 at Webster University. From …

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Two New Members to Join MRH School Board

President Maria Langston also will return to the board.

Three people filed for three open seats on the Maplewood Richmond Heights School Board, meaning no election will be held for the board in April, district director of communications Tom Wickersham stated in an e-mail. The three—President Maria Langston, Julie Pole and Alex Hogue—will be sworn in at the board's April meeting, Wickersham stated. Langston's term on the board was set to expire in April, as were terms for incumbents Stephen Findley and Ben Stotler. Findley and Stotler did not reapply for their seats. Langston said she wants to continue working with fellow board members to address the challenges facing the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District. The board is looking at how to cut at least $150,000 from the district's budget, …

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UPDATE: Clayton Dispatched 10 Trucks to Treat Snowy Roads

The review of students' scores on an internationally recognized test will begin at 7 p.m.

Clayton Public Works Department crews used 10 trucks to treat the city's snow-covered streets and alleys overnight and into the morning with road salt and calcium chloride, according to a news release issued by the city. The treatment process had begun by early evening on Jan. 10. The winter storm brought 3 inches of snow to the Clayton, the city stated. Drivers are encouraged to report travel problems by calling 314-290-8540. Concerns, comments and requests for service may be submitted online using the city's Web site. Drivers may get updated information about state road conditions from the Missouri Department of Transportation's Traveler Information Map. Clayton schools meeting goes on A meeting to review and explain Clayton High School …

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Firm Recognized for MRH Early Childhood Center's Design

Bond Wolfe Architects of Clayton received an honorable mention.

Clayton-based Bond Wolfe Architects recently received an honorable mention at the 2011 Shirley Cooper and Walter Taylor Juried Architectural Awards for its design of additions to* the Maplewood Richmond Heights Early Childhood Center. The early childhood center's additions were highlighted for their use of scale, color and texture, as well as its integration of outdoor spaces. Bond Wolfe headed the $2.7 million renovation project completed in 2009. The center follows the Reggio Emilia method of teaching. This method focuses heavily on the learning environment, which proponents sometimes refer to as the "third teacher." The result is much different than a traditional school space, said Susan Pruchnicki of Bond Wolfe, who worked as the lead …

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