Parenting Children

When the pediatrician came to check my newborn in the hospital, one of the first questions I asked him was if he thought my baby had jaundice. My twins had some jaundice after they were born, so I knew what to expect. The baby was slightly jaundice which is very common. But, what is jaundice and how can you combat it in your baby’s first few weeks of life?

The word “jaundice” comes from a French word meaning “yellow”. It describes the yellowish color of the whites of the eyes and skin of newborns. It usually appears in the second or third day of life of a newborn full term baby. It usually goes away after a week.
It occurs because the liver is not fully mature and not fully able to get rid of the bilirubin, which is the breakdown of old red blood cells that the baby needed in the womb.
Feeding the baby helps them have bowel movements which helps the body get rid of bilirubin. It doesn’t matter of you breastfeed or bottle feed any feeding is good for the baby although some doctors will recommend formula to help with jaundice, your milk will do just fine.

This is a common and temporary condition so don’t be too scared if you hear that your newborn has jaundice.
In some cases jaundice can become severe so call your doctor if you are concerned or if your infant’s eyes or skin looks more yellow then when they left the hospital.

infants, newborns, jaundice, bilirubin, babies, pregnancy, parenting parenting children

Did you know that regular generic prenatal vitamin you took when you were pregnant is now no longer the “in” vitamin. There is a new pre-natal on the block and it is not one, but two vitamins, one regular one and a oily type capsule that is filled with DHA (an omega-3 acid).
They vitamins I take are Vitafol and the only bad thing about them is the terrible packaging!

The current recommendations suggest that pregnant women get an average of 300 milligrams of DHA daily. These findings suggest that omega-3 consumption might be particularly important in the third trimester, when brain development is rapid. You can get DHA in food sources like fish, but large fisn and pregnant women do not go together because of the high levels of mercury in them.
What’s the harm in giving your baby a leg up in the brain development, ask your OB for these DHA prenatals.

prenatal vitamins, pregnancy, DHA, prenatal, infants, brain development, parenting

My mother delivered me by C-section because I was breech. I had a c-section with my twins because baby A, my son, was breech also. Now a new study, published in the March 28 edition of the British Medical Journal says that If one or both parents were born bottom first or feet first their children are twice as likely to be born the same way.

Most babies are born head first, but about one in 20 is born bottom first. The gene is as strong through the father as the mother. Finding out if the parents were born or presented in a breech presentation is important because a considerable number of breech presentations are not detected before labor. Breech delivery is dangerous because the largest parts of the baby, the head and shoulders should pass first so the rest of the baby can be born. If the head or shoulders cannot fit through the birth canal there is a high rate of mortality.

breech, breech deliveries, pregnancy, c-sections, giving birth

Finally our baby is here! Through all of my trying to have a VBAC, nothing worked so we went in for a repeat c-section on March 18th, one day before my 40th week. I thought I would share my baby’s birth story here with all of you.

I woke up that morning not nervous at all, although I did not sleep much that night. I left the twins with my mother in law and went to the hospital with E and my mom. We checked in and I gowned up ready for my surgery. I still was not nervous at all. Things moved very quickly from there, I answered questions, got my IV, had a quick sonogram to see where my placenta was located and E got gowned up as well. Then we were off to the operating room.
This is when the panic set in.

E wasn’t allowed in the room until we were ready for the surgery, so I was getting my epidural alone. I was scared, since I had never had an epidural before and once I started to feel the pins and needles in my legs I freaked out. I actually started uncontrollably laughing because it freaked me out so much to have people moving my legs, whcih I could feel but have no control over my legs. The doctors were finally ready to operate and then E came in. I started to cry as soon as I saw him from excitement and fear. E calmed me down and helped me to really not have a panic attack which was right around the corner.

The operation was faster then I expected, and 10 minutes later our son was born, breaking the record of the first 8 c-section that morning all of which produced girls. He is my largest baby weighing in at 9lbs 2 oz and 20 and 1/4 inches. He is named after my father and my husband and is an amazing baby. He only cries to eat, which is often but for short amounts of time. He is very cute and his older brother and sister love him.

Breastfeeding has been …..interesting. I hate that I question everything, is he getting enough, when will he want to eat next, is he still hungry etc. Questions that I didn’t have when I bottle fed my twins. It is demanding and tiring but I think we are doing OK since he gained 5 oz in 3 days. Let’s hope he keeps up on this trend.
So far so good with our new addition, we couldn’t love him more and he really completes our family.

birth story, pregnancy, repeat c-section, parenting, breastfeeding, infants

There are so many types of different home pregnancy test brands to choose from. If you question the positive result from your first test, test again before calling your doctor. These days you can get a pregnancy test in a grocery store, drug store, even the dollar store! The price ranges for a home pregnancy test about $7.00 to $20, depending on the brand and how many tests are included in the kit.

Some tests you will have you pee on a stick, others will ask you to pee in a cup (especially cheaper ones like from the dollar store), and digital. They all test for the same thing, a hormone in your urine called hCG, which is produced by the placenta and therefore indicates a pregnancy.
Doe sit matter if it is a generic test or a name brand? I don’t think so, I have used all types of tests and none of them have ever been wrong.

What you will do: The most common test you pee on a stick. They are easy to do but follow the directions closely. You will pee on the stick, place it on a flat surface and wait for a specific time before the results are valid.
The result will either be a simple, a color change or a “pregnant” from the digital tests.

Remember that with any test, false positives and negatives are always a possibility. Testing twice and consulting with a doctor for a blood test is the best way to make sure you are really pregnant.

pregnancy test, home pregnancy tests, pregnancy, conceiving, trying to conceive

If I haven’t gone into labor already, right now as you read this, I am probably having a c-section to have my baby. I know I will be quite busy for the next few weeks until routine and schedules are established. I want to thank you all for your comments and emails with well wishes for me and my family. Here are some of my favorite posts that I would like to share while I am taking care of business:

Parenting Tips for every parent or grandparent.

Did you pierce your child’s ears?

Send this post to every expecting mom, I promise they will thank you!

One of my most controversial posts.

I finally realized all children are strange.

This is c-section advice I had to read again to remind myself what I may be in for.
and
Learning CPR is a must for any parents, grandparent, babysitter or caregiver. This CD is a great resource.

infant CPR, child CPR, parenting, parenting children, parenting advice, kids, best posts, new baby, c-sections

As most of expectant mothers do, I read a lot of parenting books. I was not a fan of the ever popular What to Expect When you are Expecting, but I read my share of parenting twins, pregnancy and even baby name books.
None of them let you in on a little secret.
A dirty little mothering secret if you will: Being a mom is boring.

There, I said it.
What no other mother wants to say. Sometimes it is just plain
B O R I N G.

Should I feel guilty for feeling this way? I think many other mothers feel the same way, that if you are not super excited about being a mom and say things like “yes! I can’t wait to change your diaper again today while you try to escape� and “wow, yes, please lets do this puzzle again for the 3439784 time today!�, then you are not a good mom. I feel like you should be able to say that the indoor play park is boring unless you have someone to talk to or that playing with matchbox cars all day stinks, without being judged.

Sometimes being a parent is like groundhog day, the same routine, same lunches, same toys over and over again. Motherhood thy name is monotony. It is ok not to love every aspect of being a parent, I still love it and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Now if you will excuse me, I have puzzles to put together.

parenting, parenting children, moms, SAHM, kids, motherhood, being a mom, life with kids

I realize I am still in the beginner phase of parenting with my kids only being five years old. On some days I don’t know how I will survive parenting teens never mind the five year olds I have that act like teens sometimes. Statistics like the ones that have come out this week just make me doubt my future parenting even more. A new study finds that one out of every four teen girls has a sexually transmitted disease.

Twenty five percent of teenage girls! Only half of the girls admitted to having sex that were questioned for this federal based study. Out of the girls who did admit to having intercourse forty percent had an STD. This is a shocking statistic. Of course some teens define sex as intercourse only but acts like oral sex can spread STDs as well.
Disease rates were significantly higher among black girls, nearly half had at least one STD, versus 20 percent among both whites and Mexican-Americans.

Obviously teaching abstinence and the health classes at schools are not working. Especially because in last year the government reported that the teen birth rate rose between 2005 and 2006, the first increase in 15 years. Talking to our children about the truths about sex at home seems the way to go. We don’t want our teens or “tween” to get misinformation about STDs and sex from their friends. Of course it is an uncomfortable subject, but one that has to be brought up for the sake of our children. Many STDs have no symptoms and can cause infertility, cancer and some are not curable at all.

What do you think of these startling new statistics?

teens, teens and sex, STDs, stds and teens, teenage girls, parenting, parenting children, abstinence, teaching abstinence

This year we are dyeing eggs early because I can go into labor at any time and if I do not, I have a c-section scheduled for March 18th. I want to participate with them so we will do it this weekend. I always try to stay away from too much candy and junk for Easter. This year will be no different and we are trying to keep our Easter “green”. Here are some alternatives to candy and junk and some tips to be more Earth friendly for your Easter.

Say no to plastic grass. Grow your own. This is easy and looks great in a basket or for a table centerpiece. I have seen edible grass in Target that you can use as an alternative. Have your kids color or paint some paper and shred it for their baskets.

Use natural dyes for eggs. Boil your eggs in water with vinegar and one of these ingredients below, then let simmer for at least 15 minutes:

Purple grape juice (for lavender)
Red cabbage (for blue)
Spinach (for green)
Carrot tops, orange peels or lemon peels (for yellow)
Yellow onion skins (for orange)
Beets or cranberries (for pink)
Red onion skins (for red)

Skip the candy. If you have to use plastic eggs (we use the same ones every year) fill them with coins, almonds or raisins. Or you can just hide the dyed eggs.

Skip the toys. Instead maybe buy books, puzzles, outdoor chalk, phthalate free bath toys (bunnies or ducks are perfect) or bubbles (you can even make the bubbles yourself).

Here are some more ideas for Easter and Easter craft ideas. What do you give your children in their Easter baskets?

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I admit it, I am addicted to the mom confessional sites that are out there. I have spent days reading them to write about them here and it has not been a chore. It is fascinating to me what moms will confess only if it is anonymous. Could we ever admit these things to our husbands, best friends or mother or are we still under the illusion we need to be “perfect” wives and mothers?

Let’s face it moms are so hard on other moms. It is hard to break into a new friendship with moms in my experience and other moms are quick to judge. Is it because we only think our parenting choices are the correct ones or because we know we are lacking in certain parental areas?
Sites like truemomconfessions.com , true wife confessions and herbadmothersbasement.com are wildly popular and addictive. There are confessions ranging from:
I tell my newborn to shut up sometimes… to I refuse to have sex with even a ray of light in the room because I am so ashamed of the way my vulva looks. I wish I could afford a labiaplasty.
Women do not have the market on this type of confessional site either, try reading truedadconfessions.com to get an insight into your husband’s or your friend’s husband’s thoughts.

How can we support these women with a comment on a blog or a “me too” through the internet but cannot or do not in real life?
So tell me, are you addicted to these sites like I am? Do you confess on them or on your own blog? Finally, how do you think we can support the women we know, judgment free, in our own lives?

mom confessions, confessional websites, moms, SAHMS, WAHMS, parenting, mothering, parenting children, moms who judge

I am looking into buying my kids new movies because I want to occupy their time once the baby comes home. I don’t normally let them watch more then two 25 minute shows or one movie a day, but these aren’t normal circumstances. We will be bringing a new baby home in eight days unless this baby wants to come sooner (please baby come sooner!) and their routines will be messed up along with their lives. I think some new movies will be in order and maybe even new ones from the Easter bunny.
Here are some new releases that maybe your child would enjoy:

The biggest one is 101 Dalmatians: Platinum Edition. It’s been re-released from the Disney vault as a double disc with improved colors and sounds from the original feature. It has a bunch of bonus features added, including a virtual dalmatian game for kids.

Little Einsteins: Race for Space - My kids love the little Einsteins and so will yours!

Thomas and Friends Engines and Escapades, perfect for any Thomas fan and only $9.99.

Handy Manny: Fixing it Right - Cheer on Manny and his tools as Rusty heroically overcomes his fear of heights to repair a jungle gym

Enchanted is a movie that will be released on March 18th. It goes from animated to non animated through the movie. On Amazon it is selling for $15.99 as a pre-release price.

I know I will be renting some movies for my husband because I don’t know the next time we will get out of the house.
What are the new movies you or your kids are waiting to come out on video?

cartoons, movies for kids, kid movies, new releases for kids, Disney movies, parenting, kid fun

If you are anything like me, you do not like traditional parenting books. Of course I have read a few in my day when I had problems with sleeping or potty training but to me, they are usually all the same. Since all kids are different and respond to things differently so, I like to wing it. That made me excited to review “The Gay Uncle’s Guide to Parenting” from MotherTalk, to see if someone who is not a parent at all, can help parent a child.

It takes a village all right, or at least one gay uncle as this book will let you believe. Brett Berk, who was a was a teacher and director and is now a research consultant for producers of children’s toys and media, takes you through the journey on the outskirts of parenting children and what you are doing wrong and right. Everything from real life examples for toilet training, bed time, sibling rivalry and bad food habits and more. He does it in a humorous manner so you will be laughing throughout this book.

I don’t agree with everything he had to say, but I have never agreed with the an entire parenting book before. After all, he is still just and Uncle and gets to leave at the end of the day!

The Gay Uncle’s Guide to Parenting, parenting, parenting children. book reviews, parenting books, moms, dads

I love play doh and just the smell of it can bring me back to my childhood. My kids love it too and since it is a overcast, boring day here and I am waiting for a human to come out of my body I decided it was a play doh day. We will be breaking out the doh and some fun accessories after nap time.

Of course there is old school traditional play doh or you can get this awesome organic play doh set. It comes with six 4 oz scented playdoh tubs in strawberry, lemon, blueberry, orange key lime and grape and tools! You can also order refills for this kit. At $38 it isn’t cheap but makes a very cute gift.

This value play doh accessories set is great. I think this is a steal at $21.99 for all that you get. It comes with four textured rolling pins, one smooth rolling pin, four patterned clay mallets, four double-ended wooden modeling tools, a rolling wheel cutter and six sticks of modeling clay. Endless fun!

If you have cheap plastic cookie cutters around your house like I do (really I am a terrible cookie cutter baker, and I need to use metal cutters) they are perfect for play doh. If you don’t, do you want 100 of them? You can get them for $9.99 on Amazon.

If you don’t have any dough and want to make some there are a ton of recipes out there.
Put 1 part flour, 1 part water and 2 parts oatmeal in a bowl and mix. OR
put 1 C salt 1 C of water and 1/2 C flour in a saucepan and mix and cook over medium heat, until thick. When it cools add flour until it makes dough.

how to make play doh, playdoh, rainy day activities, SAHM, crafts for kids, playdoh accessories, parenting, arts and crafts, toys

When our family dog died it was a terrible time for us. Not only for E and I because she was our first baby but for our kids who just started to really enjoy her. They were only three but had loved her so much. Granted we still have two cats at home (only one actually comes out and socializes with us) but we still miss our dog. I believe kids should have pets, like I did when I was a child. After this baby is a little older then we will get another dog for our family.

Kids look to their pets as companions or friends when they are upset. I remember crying in my room cuddling my family dog to remind me that at least someone loves me. Pets also teach kids responsibility, if you let them learn. Let kids pick up the dog poop from the backyard or clean the cage. Teach them to change the food and water every day. That shows them that their pets need love and attention, but they need to be taken care of too.
Lastly, having pets in the home can lower your children’s risk of having certain allergies like dust mite and ragweed allergies.

What pet is best for your house or child? Dogs are probably the hardest to care for, but could build the strongest bond. They are man’s best friend. Cats are great but scratch often when they are kittens. They require slightly less care then a dog and are more independent. Many kids are allergic though.
Birds are great but are messy. Some live a VERY long time so research what type of bird you would like before going to by one that is pretty.
Don’t ever underestimate fish. Maybe best for younger kids new to pets. Of course many don’t live that long so unless you are ready for the long march to the toilet, maybe this isn’t the right choice for you.

Tell me what type of pet you have in your house and do your children help with your pet(s)?

pets for kids, kids, parenting, parenting children, best pets for kids, families, family

Now that my kids are older and they receive money as gifts, it is not as easy as just putting it into their banks. Now they would like to spend it. I can understand that, so sometimes we let them take 40% of their money and use it to buy whatever they want. Sometimes it is a fruit and cheese platter from Starbucks and sometimes it is a small toy. We are figuring out how to let them manage money as they get older. Here are some tips we like that you may want to use with your kids.

Gift Cards- Kids can learn to buy exactly what they want when they get a gift card. They can save them up to make a bigger purchase and my kids feel like a big deal with their “credit cards”.

Fun Money- When kids are older then give them fun money. This is a budget with say $20, to do what they want to with their friends or with you on a weekend. The $20 has to pay for their activity, food, arcade whatever. Then kids will learn how much a movie and popcorn really costs.

Earn it- Let them ear their money buy giving them an allowance. Give them chores to do every day or buy the weeks end and pay them a fair wage. Either let them do whatever they want with that money (but they have to save all of their birthday and holiday money) or make them save some and save some.

Get a new piggy bank- This one has four chambers, one for each of the four money management choices a child should be taught. They are SAVE, SPEND, DONATE, and INVEST.

teaching kids money manangement, kids and money, chores, school age children, parenting, parenting children, kids, money management