u/50kopeks

So I’m staying with my in-laws at their village house for a few weeks until things cool down in the city. In the village, my mother in law cooks every single day, and really only traditional dishes on repeat. When they’re in the city, she loves to cook and sometimes makes “experiments” that she enjoys sharing (an experiment is basically anything non-traditional that doesn’t follow a recipe), so I want to experiment a little myself now too and share with my family.

We are in the country of Georgia, so I’m looking for non-Georgian recipes (unlikely that anyone would recommend any lol) that I can make in the village. That’s the real challenge - I have access to fewer ingredients, a very small and basic kitchen, and would prefer not to use the oven (because it’s so hot, but if there’s something really special I am willing to try)! We have abundant local summer produce - cucumbers, tomatoes, (Asian) eggplant, zucchini, root vegetables, herbs (cilantro, parsley, green onion, tarragon, etc.), so much fruit, especially stone fruit (any suggestions for tiny very sour plums?), meat, grains, dairy, and all the regular corner market stuff.

Today I made a chicken-corn-avocado salad with a yogurt cumin dressing that they loved! I’m excited to try something else, and would really appreciate any suggestions from you creative cooking geniuses.

First - I would very deeply appreciate any research anyone has on treatment for umbilical hernias (particularly large ones) in infants. As far as I could find, there is no evidence that any sort of treatment is helpful other than actual surgery later in toddler-hood if it's determined that it won't close on its own. I'm wondering if there is any research to suggest that a hernia belt would have any detrimental effects? I'm worried about it irritating the baby's skin or even interfering with digestion if it puts pressure on his guts.

Second - quick rant...WHY do some doctors recommend outdated treatment which the general medical consensus is against? I'm not talking about some niche stuff, but super common things like treatment for an umbilical hernia. My baby is 5 weeks old and since his birth my extended family has been up my ass about treating his umbilical hernia. It's big, it's freaky looking, it's not attractive, but it doesn't hurt him and doesn't pose any risks that would indicate early surgical intervention. My first kid had an actual serious congenital birth defect that required surgery, and now I'm so grateful that my second is totally healthy and it feels like people are just trying to create drama. In the olden days where I live, they used to tape a coin to a baby's stomach to push the hernia down...so that's a lot of people's reference point...

Our pediatrician is fantastic. She assured us that there's nothing to do for a non-symptomatic umbilical hernia, other than to encourage the abdominal muscles to strengthen as he grows, and watch for any signs of 'incarceration'. For my husband's family's peace of mind, we went to see a surgeon who specializes in hernia surgery for a consultation. He said the same things, EXCEPT did recommend using a hernia belt. The conversation was not in English (I can't speak the language very well) and the surgeon was super casual and sort of disinterested, so I wasn't able to ask the more aggressive questions I wanted to...but I can't find anything that indicates that these hernia belts are useful, and I can't even understand the theory behind why they MIGHT work. They are not enough to support closing the gap in the abdominal muscles, so it's only a cosmetic fix while the baby is wearing the belt - and I'm 0% concerned about my tiny sweet newborn baby's cosmetic appearance...

I just can't fathom why or how a medical professional would advise something not in line with the research-based consensus that a treatment is not effective, and continue to recommend it! Other than maybe he thinks the patients expect/ want it, and is trying to just placate us to get rid of us as quickly as possible. Am I missing something? Is there any research/ evidence to support the use of a hernia belt for a newborn's umbilical hernia? Anything to actually warn that it could be harmful?

Inspired by a recent post about wine tours - has anyone done a wine tour in Georgia? Any recommendations for companies, or warnings of what to expect, given it’s less developed than a lot of other wine regions?