Parenting Children

While I was in the hospital they monitored the baby for signs of distress. They did various non stress tests and one sonogram to make sure the baby was handling the stress of my illness and developing appropriately. During one of these tests the nurse told me I had had two contractions and asked if I had felt them. I had not. Honestly, I have no idea what a contraction feels like since I didn’t have any with my first pregnancy, that I knew of. It got me wondering what they really felt like and have me asking any and every mom I come in contact with for their experience. I want to know in case I do go into early labor, something I hope not to do.

Premature births are babies delivered before 37 weeks and they are on the rise in the Untied States. Being born too early puts the baby at risk for life long health problems. There are signs for early labor and ways to reduce your risk:

-Get prenatal care as soon as you think you are pregnant

-Reduce any stress you can

-Do not smoke, drink or do drugs.

If you have any of these signs of premature labor call your doctor right away:

Contractions every 10 minutes
leaking fluid
pelvic pressure
low and dull backache

Of course if you have any concerns or questions call your doctor and if you need more information on premature births, visit the march of dimes web site.

What do you do when you have a sick kid at home? You take care of them, that is what. I took care of my son with his low fever and cough and gave him his honey and his vitamins and made sure he was drinking enough. I tried not to expose myself too much to his coughing, but what else is a mother to do? I willed myself not to get sick especially since I am pregnant. I couldn’t get sick.

I got sick. It started as feeling my asthma kick in, like it usually does. I had a doctor’s appointment already so I got some meds and expected to be fine with some TLC. I was wrong. I was in the emergency room 24 hours later, and then again 24 hours after that. That stay lasted five days. I had to take more precautions and stay to make sure the baby was getting enough oxygen. I am finally home now although I have to wear oxygen all day every day. hopefully I can get off of it when I go for my check up appointment on Friday.

I wished for a break from my kids, but I didn’t realize which form it would come in. I missed them so very much. I hade never been away from them for more then twelve hours in their entire five years of life. Now I had been away for five days! This sickness had me bond with my unborn baby even more. It was just me and him/her. I felt guilty for all the drugs I was on, I prayed for the baby’s health. It made me have a greater appreciation of all of our health in this house. And, really in the end, nothing else matters.

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I am sick. Actually my son is also sick, and he gave it to me, so we are down two family members this week. Moms don’t get sick days and when you have a sick kid on top of it, well it is trouble. My son has a cough and a low fever so we have been using tylenol for his fever at night and honey for his cough which has worked better then over the counter cough syrup!
Being pregnant and sick is the most helpless feeling. Since I am pregnant I can’t take many medications but when my asthma kicked in I had to go on steroids to kick this infection and make sure the baby is getting enough oxygen. If I can’t breathe, neither can the baby.

My husband has been a big help, without his help around here, I don’t know what I would do. We are trying to keep he and my daughter healthy and unaffected by these colds!
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Onto bigger and better things lets get to the winners of my personalized fruit rollup contest! Thank you for all who participated, it was so much fun to read all of the amazing valentines sent and received! I hope your Valentine’s Day this year is as sweet!

The winners numbers were chosen by random.org.
Commenter #7 Mama Zen, #12 stacey moore and #18 Julie Mead! I will email each of you with your code later today, so you can order your own fruit rollup!

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Once again caffeine intake is being linked to miscarriage. A new study says that caffeine drinking can increase the risk of miscarriage. Caffeine is any form is what is dangerous it doesn’t matter if it comes from tea, soda chocolate or coffee.

According to the January issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology woman who ingest greater than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day, have double the risk of miscarriage than women that don’t have any caffeine. The study looked at 1,063 women from San Francisco; they were interviewed at an average of 10 weeks’ gestation. During the study period, 16 percent of the women, 172, had miscarriages and 60% of the woman said they had up to 200 milligrams of caffeine a day.
“Caffeine, the most frequently consumed drug in the world, crosses the placental barrier and reaches the developing fetus, according to the study. While previous studies have found an association between caffeine intake and miscarriage, it hadn’t been clear whether the problem was due to the caffeine or another substance in coffee, or if it had something to do with non-coffee drinkers’ lifestyles — perhaps people who didn’t drink coffee ate more fruits and vegetables, for example.”

Other known risks of miscarriage smoking, a history of previous miscarriage, drug use, alcohol use and more. Although they have stats saying that 60-80% of miscarriages are because of genetic defect doctors still say to stay away from or at least limit the amount of caffeine pregnant woman intake, at least for the first three months.

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When I found out I was having boy/girl twins I was so excited. Not only did I get to buy baseball mitts, overalls and cars but I got to buy pretty hair bows, dolls and jewelry. My daughter has jewelry, but no earrings yet because I was too chicken to get her ears pierced as a baby.
There are many reasons parents decide to have their daughter’s ears pierced. There are family traditions, cultural traditions, or for gender identity.
Ear piercing a baby has always been the subject of a controversy. Should you pierce their ears when they are young so they don’t remember the pain? Or should your child make their own decision when they get older?

My friend who has a one year old daughter decided to pierce her baby’s ears when she was just five months old. “I wanted to make sure everyone knew she was a girl, so I really did it for gender recognition�? she said. Her pediatrician was fully on board with piercing anytime after the baby reached three months old and she did it safely in his office.
Of course there are health and safety concerns that you should consider with ear piercing:

Infection: This is the most common problem with any piercing. Make sure that the equipment being used is sterile, that the posts are clean and new, that the posts are 14K gold or hypo-allergenic stainless steel, and that the earrings are not too tight onto the earlobe. It is important to clean the ear with rubbing alcohol daily to prevent infection.

Choking: Of course earrings are not permanent so they can become loose and even fall out. Anything this small can pose a choking hazard to a baby. Make sure the earrings you get have a special baby proof backing that is very hard to remove easily.

Injury: You don’t want your baby pulling on the earring or ear and hurting herself. Make sure you only use stud earring until your child is much older, hoops are too easily entangled in clothing or hair and easy to pull on.

This is a decision that is one that should be made by both parents. Many feel that doing it early in life is easier for the child. We are going to let our daughter decide when she is ready to get her ears pierced. We will all go and celebrate with her as a family, like I did with my parents. I am excited to share this developmental milestone with her and to add to her jewelry collection for her “big girl ears�?!

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My kids are very lucky and have no known food allergies. My husband’s father is allergic to seafood so we waited until our kids were three to introduce fish and they have never had a reaction. Since I have been pregnant I have eaten a ton of candy, which is what happens when you gestate through Halloween. Most of that candy had nuts in them which I never thought about until one day when it realized to me that maybe me eating all of those nuts may give my unborn baby a nut allergy. It wasn’t something my doctor told me to stay away from, but I remember that advice from other moms.

According to a new guidance report for pediatricians, in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics, I have nothing to be scared of. The only sure fire way to prevent allergies, food allergies and wheezing is to breastfeed your children. The report says:
-There is no convincing evidence that women who avoid peanuts or other foods during pregnancy or breast-feeding lower their child’s risk of allergies.
-For infants with a family history of allergies, breast-feeding for at least four months can lessen the risk of rashes and allergy to cow’s milk.
-There is some evidence for feeding hypoallergenic formulas to susceptible babies if they are not solely breast-fed.

Surprisingly to me, they say there is no convincing evidence that delaying the introduction of foods such as eggs, fish or peanut butter to children prevents allergies. They also state that infants should not get solid food before 4 to 6 months of age, just like pediatricians tell us.

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It seems like everyone I know is sick. If my friends are not sick then their kids are. Colds and viruses are so common this time of year, but it is hard to know what is just a cold and what is more and needs medical attention. Today we will talk about everything you need to know about colds and sniffles.

About 100 different viruses cause infections that lead to the common cold. Colds usually come on gradually, starting with a runny nose or a scratchy throat. Most kids do fine with a common cold but require a little more TLC. Remind them to wash their hands often, keep them hydrated (if they don’t want to drink, try ice pops, juice or soup) and use the nasal aspirator if necessary. Having a humidifier and/or a vaporizer in a child’s room is great for winter too.
If your child has a fever, Call the doctor.

The Flu season is usually from October to April. The main difference between the flu and a cold is a high fever. Babies and kids with the flu are very irritable can have diarrhea and usually don’t want anything to eat. I would treat the flu the same as if your child has a cold but call the pediatrician if your has has a high fever, has asthma or they have any problems breathing.

Croup usually appears in winter and spring. It usually comes on suddenly and the croup’s signature barking cough (like a seal’s bark) is very scary for new parents. Use a humidifier in your child’s room every day and night. Steam will help the cough and sitting with the child while the shower runs very hot will help her cough. Also bundling the baby and going outside in the cold is been known to help. if the cough seems to last for more then a couple of days or your child has a fever call the doctor.

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I love winter in New Jersey. Don’t get me wrong, by February 1st I have usually had enough but for now I am still in that “I love winter!” phase. What I don’t love so much about winter is being stuck indoors with my kids all the time. Not only is ii boring and isolating but I am always waiting for one of us to get a cold and pass it on to the three others. I am also six months pregnant so getting sick is not an option for me this winter.

I recently had the opportunity to check out the guide “What to Expect Guide to a Healthy Home” from the author of popular book “What to Expect When You are Expecting”. This guide gives you every day tips and tricks for keeping your house healthy. Did you know that most people touch 300 surfaces every 30 minutes? Think about that and try to remember everything you have touched in the last 30 minutes. Gross, right? That is why washing your hands and reminding your children to wash their hands throughout the day is so very important for keeping the germs at bay.

The guide includes tips for food safety, healthy habits for the entire family, keeping your new baby from germs, fighting the flu and many more. It covers every room of your house.
If you are interested in this informative guide brought to you by Clorox, you can download your own copy here: www.clorox.com/healthierlives.

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This week New Jersey government voted on a bill to require all children to be vaccinated with the flu vaccine. The bill was approved by the Public Health Council but still needs to be approved by the State Health Commissioner. NJ would be the first state to make this vaccine mandatory. What makes this bill so infuriating to me is that these vaccines contain formaldehyde and 25 micrograms of thimersol (mercury) per dose! The vaccinating of even this small amount of mercury repeatedly year after year from multiple vaccines can cause brain damage.
What happens when there is a flu vaccine “shortage” like they have every year and you can’t get the vaccine for your children? Do they not get enrolled into school?

Now Merck has voluntarily recalled about 1.2 million doses of its Hib (Haemophilus influenzae Type B) vaccines because they may not have been fully sterilized. During testing, Merck found certain bacteria in their vaccine manufacturing equipment, but not in the vaccine themselves. The Hib vaccine is recommended for all children under 5 and is usually given in a three-shot series, starting at 2 months old.

Here is a quote from Dr. Furhman, from the Eat to Live book on these mandatory vaccines that are popping up:
“It seems that lawmakers do not understand that freedom should include freedom from forced medications for ourselves and our children. The fact that we grant religions the right to do anything, but if not under a religious umbrella, those with strong science-based, philosophical-based or strong-personal belief get no such rights, I think this is unconscionable”

Even if you support all vaccines for children, you have to be concerned about the amount of vaccines that are to be administered to children. I would love to hear from you, what do you think about the safety and amount of vaccines required for our children?

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I have had many emails asking me how can parents know if their child’s toys are safe, so I decided to write some tips you can look for when you are buying toys. Chances are if you have older kids, their hand-me-down toys are not all safe. Since babies and young children put everything in their mouths, you may want to replace your toys. You can check on the manufacturer’s web site to see if they were recalled. This web site also has a list of recently recalled toys you can check out.

The paint on your child’s toys probably have volatile organic compounds (VOC). Check for toys that have water-based paint with low VOC or ones with no VOC paints. They will say so on the box!
Cheap plastic toys are cheap for a reason, they are almost always made with PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Sippy cups, teethers and baby dolls are almost always made with this material. PVC contains phthalates which has been linked to cancer and hormonal problems. Look for PVC free toys.

Try wooden toys. Not only are blocks and building systems fun for kids of all ages, if you buy non treated wood, it is safe for your children to put in their mouth (watch out for splinters!). These toys can be more expensive but try buying them on Ebay or craiglist, or find a relative or friend that has older kids and would be willing to give you their old toys.

You can always check out this website for more information on being green in your home.

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I am always looking for an alternative to traditional medicine or over the counter medicines when my children are not feeling well. I never like giving them anything even something as “safe” as Tylenol. Now a new study out of a Penn State College of Medicine research team found that honey may be a better alternative to cough medicine for kids.

The new study found that a small dose of buckwheat honey given to kids before bedtime provided better relief of coughs during the night and sleep difficulty in children, rather than no treatment or dextromethorphan. Dextromethorphan is the DM you see in many over the counter cough suppressants. There are dangerous effects of DM in young children like dystonic reactions, severe involuntary muscle contractions and spasms. Also DM is the drug of choice by some teens.

It also did a better job with job reducing the severity and frequency of nighttime coughs. This randomized study of 105 children was partially double-blinded. parents rated honey as significantly better than DM or no treatment for symptomatic relief of their child’s nighttime cough and sleep difficulty. there were a few side effects that were mild in the children who took the honey like hyperactivity.

This is good to know since the FDA recommended that OTC cold medicines not be given to children less than 6 years old. Honey has antioxidants and antimicrobials, which are good for you anyway. Also note, honey should not be given to babies under 12 months old because it may contain bacterium Chlostridium botulinum.
I bet it will be a lot easier to get kids to take their honey then it was to get them to take their medicine!

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I don’t know any parents or grandparents that are not concerned about toy safety this holiday season. It is on all of our minds and with over 80% of our toys being made in China, I can see why. You have to be careful of small parts, age requirements, lead paint and now GHB in our toys? During the month of December I will be reviewing and bring your ideas for kids this holiday season that are safe for both kids and babies.
Today I have ideas for the girls on your list.

My daughter loves watching me get ready for the day. She is fascinated with everything on my vanity and loves everything girly. Why not this wooden makeup playset for the little diva on your list? Made in Germany, this set includes a comb, 1 spray, 1 mirror, 1 lipstick, 1 roll-on deodorant, 1 hair dryer and 6 hair-curlers.

Little girls would love these Mary Jane rain boots. Perfect for slush, rain or a sunny day, these are adorable and affordable at $27.00.

A pram for your little one will be her best gift. It has rubber wheels, removable blue flowered fluffy cushions, blanket and a adjustable handle to grow with your child. This is pricey at $144.00 but can be a family heirloom.

I also recommend books for older girls, games for school age children and there is always stories on cds for kids.

Coming soon, safe gifts for boys this season!

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All babies crawl, walk and talk at a different age. There is no exact age for any developmental delays in kids. You may be concerned if your child is consistently behind other children hitting these marks. It is important to keep in mind that for each milestone, there is a range of ages during which a child will normally meet it. If at any point your baby seems to be losing skills, talk to your doctor. If you are worried about your child’s developmental delays, contact your pediatrician who may send you to a developmental specialist.
Here is a guideline for some milestones you can look for in your child:

By 3 months: Your baby should begin to develop a smile, and will smile at the sound of your voice, watch faces intently, and make noises.
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We have heard that girls are going through puberty earlier because of the hormones in our food supply and because of environmental factors. In a survey of more than 17,000 American girls ages 7 and 8, 15% of Caucasian girls and 48% of African-American girls were experiencing breast development, pubic hair or both. And the median age for menstruation was age 12.
Now there is new research that says some girls may go through puberty earlier because of a stressful home life. In a study released today, researchers at the University of Arizona and the University of Wisconsin-Madison followed families of 227 preschool children through middle school. They were watching for the first sign of puberty.

They found that young girls with families who were more supportive during these years tended to hit puberty later than the girls with less supportive family environments. Children who grow up in environments that are dangerous and unpredictable tend to grow up faster,” he said. “In the world in which humans evolved, danger and uncertainty meant a shorter lifespan, and going into puberty earlier in this context increased chances of surviving, reproducing and passing on your genes” said Ellis a professor at in the Division of Family Studies and Human Development at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

This is alarming on so many levels. There have been instances I have read about where a five year old girl has started menstruating. Girls who start puberty early are at higher risk for breast cancer, teenage pregnancy and depression.
We all know how stress can effect adults, weight loss or gain, problems sleeping etc, it is reasonable to think that stress can physically hurt young children as well. What do you think of this new reasearch?

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You made it through the nine months, you survived the labor and delivery and you are finally home with your new bundle of joy. Now what?
Your body is not the same, you are tired and you have a new person to take care of. Welcome to the fourth trimester.

After you have your baby recovery starts, but it may not feel like it. You are sore, you have minor contractions, your breasts are tender and you are fatigued.
New mothers can bleed for weeks after delivery, this is called lochia and it is made up of blood, mucus and tissue. The bleeding is normal but if you go through more then one pad an hour, call your doctor.

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