Every Tuesday, Chris and Nancy Simon of Simon’s Gardens in Mukwonago, Wis., bring a truck loaded with fresh fruits and veggies to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. They set up tables and tents near the Children’s Hospital Clinics Building with sweet corn, musk melons, beets, potatoes, peppers and more, all picked earlier that day.

The farmer’s market is sponsored by Children’s Hospital and Health System’s Employee Health and Wellness team. It provides employees, as well as patients, their families and other employees at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center, with easy access to farm-fresh produce.

Stop by the Children’s Hospital farmer’s market every Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. through late September.

Check out this video to see more of the advantages of buying produce from local growers:

Having a baby is one of the most exciting times in any woman’s life. So many fun, new changes happen when we have a baby. There are so many decisions to make, especially about what to feed this new little wonder. Most people have heard that breast milk is best, but often they don’t know why.  Being a nurse and a lactation consultant, I have learned so much about breast milk and why it’s so fantastic. I have a few insights that may help you in making your decision about whether to breastfeed. (more…)

My son, Gaige, came home from school one day very sad because some kids kept telling him he had a big belly. My heart broke for my little 4 year old. At this young age, my son weighed 66.3 pounds and was 45 inches tall with a body mass index of 22.7. A normal BMI for kids my son’s age is 14.

As a mom, I truly believe we don’t see flaws in our children that others may see. I knew Gaige was bigger than most kids his age. I didn’t really see how much bigger he was. With a desire to fix the problem, I made an appointment with our pediatrician.

I discussed the teasing and my family history of hypothyroidism with our pediatrician. After testing, we found out Gaige had a normal acting thyroid, but his cholesterol level was high. Both my husband and I work in health care and understand the effects that high cholesterol could have on an adult. What would it do to our son?

We were referred to the NEW (Nutrition, Exercise and Weight Management) Kidsâ„¢ Program at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. We had our first appointment in December 2008. (more…)