Parenting Children

People are always talking about how lovely pregnant woman are. We pregnant women know the truth though. We may have a glow but we also have some other gross side effects of pregnancy. First time pregnant woman may wonder what is normal?

I know, you have gas. The progesterone in your body now slows up your intestines (hello constipation!) and that makes you ever so gassy. This is a normal side effect of pregnancy. Other south-of-the-border changes include a thick discharge. I had never read anything about this when I was pregnant the first time, so I thought I was the only person this happened to. I warned my girlfriends to buy pantiliners in bulk and they thanked me for it!

Constipation is normal too, especially in your third trimester when the baby is taking up much of the room in your abdomen! Walk, up your fiber intake and drink plenty of water. Your doctor may also tell you that fibercon is okay to take.
Are you peeing when you sneeze, laugh or cough? Yup, that is normal too. Sorry to tell you this one may never go away. Do your kegels to tighten your pelvic floor, remember: kegels are your friend.

Your nipples may turn darker and produce a thick liquid. That is just your body preparing itself for breast feeding and that liquid is colostrum. Perfectly normal.
Many woman also find stray hairs on their breasts or nipples. I am not sure why this occurs but again, it is normal and will go away after childbirth.

What strange side effect did you have from pregnancy?

pregnancy, side effects of pregnancy, third trimester, new moms, pregnancy symptoms, conceiving, pregnant

It is always helpful to see what other parents are naming their kids when you are trying to find a special name for your little one. Here is the list of 2008 most popular baby names:

Girls Names/ Boys Names
1 Emma /Aiden
2 Sophia /Jayden
3 Madison /Ethan
4 Isabella / Jacob
5 Olivia/ Caden
6 Ava /Jackson
7 Madeline /Noah
8 Addison/ Jack
9 Hailey/ Logan
10 Lily /Matthew
11 Kaitlyn /Nicholas
12 Chloe/ Ryan
13 Abigail/ Brayden
14 Emily/ Michael
15 Riley /Gavin
16 Mia/ Dylan
17 Ella /Lucas
18 Hannah /Caleb
19 Kaylee/ Andrew
20 Sarah/ Connor
21 Alyssa /Alexander
22 Makayla/ Joshua
23 Mackenzie /Tyler
24 Layla/ Nathan
25 Grace /Daniel
26 Kylie/ Mason
27 Zoe/ Evan
28 Samantha/ Zachary
29 Natalie/ William
30 Peyton /Landon
31 Elizabeth/ Benjamin
32 Anna /James
33 Avery/ Cameron
34 Taylor/ Luke
35 Isabelle/ Gabriel
36 Lauren /Anthony
37 Alexis/ Joseph
38 Brianna /Owen
39 Sydney/ Elijah
40 Keira/ Christopher
41 Aubrey/ Christian
42 Arianna/ Liam
43 Sophie/ Samuel
44 Allison /John
45 Gabriella /Brody
46 Kayla/ Carter
47 Lillian/ David
48 Savannah/ Hunter
49 Audrey/ Isaac
50 Brooklyn/ Austin
51 Claire /Sean
52 Katherine/ Chase
53 Julia/ Tristan
54 Jordan /Wyatt
55 Bailey/ Jonathan
56 Kaelyn /Alex
57 Brooke /Thomas
58 Morgan/ Colin
59 Camryn /Jordan
60 Aaliyah /Cole
61 Victoria /Max
62 Maya/ Cooper
63 Leah/ Dominic
64 Abby /Hayden
65 Kate/ Brady
66 Jasmine/ Brandon
67 Amelia/ Carson
68 Charlotte /Isaiah
69 Megan/ Jake
70 Reagan /Aaron
71 Cadence /Ian
72 Carly/ Nathaniel
73 Lila/ Adam
74 Lucy/ Riley
75 Jayden/ Justin
76 Maria /Parker
77 Kennedy /Colton
78 Molly /Jason
79 Sadie/ Julian
80 Callie/ Devin
81 Paige/ Blake
82 Alexandra/ Xavier
83 Ashley/ Sebastian
84 Caroline /Henry
85 Gracie/ Eli
86 Mckenna /Charlie
87 Gianna/ Oliver
88 Rachel/ Robert
89 Ellie/ Adrian
90 Ashlyn/ Nolan
91 Katie/ Peyton
92 Liliana /Kyle
93 Jocelyn/ Grayson
94 Gabrielle /Miles
95 Adriana /Bryce
96 Rebecca/ Eric
97 Nevaeh /Will
98 Jada/ Josiah
99 Jenna/ Micah
100 Evelyn/ Steven

Tell me, are your children’s names on the list? Do you pick names based on the popularity of them?

popular baby names, top baby names, pregnancy, 100 baby names, naming your baby

If you have one child with food allergies, will your other children have them too? Is there a way to prevent children from having food allergies? The answer is: no, there is no definite way to prevent food allergies in children, but you can lessen your odds.

Right now about 5% of kids have food allergies in the United States. If a parent has food allergies themselves, then a child’s chance of having them is about 25%. Breastfeeding for at least the first four months of using a hydrolyzed formula can reduce the risk of a child having food allergies and asthma.

Do you have food allergies that you are concerned about passing on to your children? Does your child(ren) have food allergies?

food allergies, infants, pregnancy, allergies, asthma, parenting, preventing food allergies

Dreem clothing was started in 2004 when fonder Brooke Wall became pregnant with her first son and found it very difficult to find stylish tees to show off her my growing belly. She wanted something she could feel sexy in but had no luck. After becoming pregnant with her second son, she decided to launch her line of clothing for pregnant and sexy moms.

Dreem has shirts for every pregnant mom who doesn’t want to wear a generic maternity shirt. I would have loved to have this twin shirt when I was pregnant! Dreem has the cutest shirts offered in short sleeve, long sleeve, thermals or a tank top in a variety of great colors.
No longer pregnant? Try Dreem’s hot mom line. Let everyone know how proud you are of your body with the post pardum bod shirt or a hot mom shirt like I had the chance to try out.
The shirt has great stretch to it, is very soft and held up to a spin in the washing machine very well. I will say, if you are unsure about your size, buy a size up.

Dreem shirts would be great for moms on your list this holiday season, baby shower gifts or for a new mom. Better yet your purchase gives back, Dreem has partnered up with the Nature Conservancy, and for every tee that is sold a tree will be planted in your name! How cool is that?

Parenting Children readers get 20% off your total purchase when you use code: TEF20
Offer expires 1/1/09.

maternity clothing, new mom shirts, hot mom, Dreem, Dreem clothing, hot mom clothing, moms

When I was pregnant with my last baby, I wondered if I would go into labor. Since I had a c-section the first time around, this time I decided along with my doctor to have another c-section if I didn’t go into labor naturally before 40 weeks. I did not.
I did wonder what it would be like to go into labor and have my family with me as I labored with this baby. I packed my bags, made my lists and decided who I wanted in the delivery room with me: my husband, my sister and my mom.

Of course, I ended up with the c-section and only my husband was allowed in the operating room with me. I know people who have had their mother-in-law ask to be in the room with them. They didn’t want their mother-in-law (or gasp, father-in-law) to bear witness to what they were about to do, but they didn’t know how to tell them. How do you tell someone “hey! this is just too personal”.

You may be off the hook if your hospital only allows one or two people in the room during the birth, your husband’s mother will never assume you will pick her over your own mother. If not, just let your mother-in-law know how you feel. Tell her it is a deeply private moment and the fewer the people in the room the more calmer you will feel. OR you can chicken out and just have your husband tell her!

pregnancy, birth plans, delivery rooms, giving birth

People are always talkign about how lovely pregnant woman are. We pregnant woman know the truth though. We may have a glow but we also have some other gross side effects of pregnancy. First time pregnant woman may wonder what is normal?

I know, you have gas. The progesterone in your body now slows up your intestines (hello constipation!) and that makes you ever so gassy. This is a normal side effect of pregnancy. Other south-of-the-border changes include a thick discharge. I had never read anything about this when I was pregnant so I thought I was the only person this happened to. I warned my girlfriends to buy pantiliners in bulk and they thanked me for it!

Constipation is normal too, especially in your third trimester when the baby is taking up much of the room in your abdomen! Walk, up your fiber intake and drink plenty of water. Your doctor may also tell you that fibercon is okay to take.
Are you peeing when you sneeze, laugh or cough? Yup, that is normal too. Sorry to tell you this one may never go away. Do your kegels to tighten your pelvic floor, remember: kegels are your friend.

Your nipples may turn darker and produce a thick liquid. That is just your body preparing itself for breast feeding and that liquid is colostrum. Perfectly normal.
Many woman also find stray hairs on their breasts or nipples. I am not sure why this occurs but again, it is normal and will go away after childbirth.

What strange side effect did you have from pregnancy?

pregnancy, side effects of pregnancy, third trimester, new moms, conceiving, pregnant

My body changing on a daily basis was a hard thing to get used to when I was pregnant. My first pregnancy I was having twins so the change in my body happened fast and furious. This time around the change came a little more slowly but it was still hard for me to feel comfortable in my skin. Finding something that I could wear that made me feel sexy or great was a hard thing to come by.

Passion Spice is a fabulous company offering maternity and nursing wear for sexy mamas! I have the Carla bra in orchid and it is so soft it is perfect for everyday wear, It has a contrasting ribbon detailing that is great and is stretchy for the every changing pregnancy breasts. I have the matching thong and my husband loves this set as much as I do! It also features easy top clasp for breastfeeding access, a feature I especially loved in the night! It has adjustable straps, back closure, very comfortable underwire, which is what my nursing breasts needed- a little lift. It washed well and came out as good as new.

The maternity lingerie that Passsion Spice offers is really something to check out. Perfect for the expecting mom, this lingerie would make a great baby shower gift, why should the baby get all the gifts?

You can’t beat the $4.95 flat shipping either! Your maternity bras do not have to be matronly, they can be sexy and comfortable. Check out Passion Spice for all of your pregnancy and nursing lingerie needs!

maternity lingerie, nursing bras, Passion Spice, pregnancy, maternity bras

Herbs can be a great resource for woman who want to become pregnant, are pregnant or are nursing a baby. Of course western medications are great for some situations, like infertility, but don’t let that be the only thing you try. Do your research talk to you doctor and find out what is best for you. I want t discuss a few herbs and what they are good for in woman.

Infertility- tonic herbs can assist in building the reproductive system, such as raspberry leaf (do not take raspberry leaf when you are pregnant, unless under supervision of a doctor) and red clover and drink teas with nettle and alfalfa which both are very high in nutrition, including folic acid.

Pregnancy- Nettle leaves is nutritious with high iron, folic acid and calcium content. For morning sickness drink ginger tea or even ginger ale helped me. You can also take ginger capsules. Drink raspberry and mint tea.

Breastfeeding- Fenugreek is the herb most often recommended by lactation consultants and has been used for generations around the world to increase milk supply. It is what I take and I love it.
Blessed thistle and milk thistle are not only given to increase milk, but they are excellent liver support herbs. There is also a “mothers milk” tea that has both fenugreek and milk thistle in it.

Remember to buy herb products from a reputable company who uses high quality herbs. Make sure you check with your doctor if you are taking other medication along with herbs.

herbs during pregnancy, pregnancy, infertility, breastfeeding, building your milk supply, nursing, herbs, getting pregnant

When I was pregnant with my twins about 6 years ago, the gray hairs on my head started to multiply-fast! I couldn’t stand looking at them, so after I had the babies I had to get my hair dyed. I highlight my hair, to disguise the grays until I have to go for the whole head process. Four years later when I got pregnant again, I wondered how safe is it to dye your hair when you are pregnant? Would I harm my unborn baby just because I was vain?

As far as I can tell nobody has really proven that hair color is bad for an unborn baby. Sure chemicals are not the best for anyone, but they are in everything we eat, clean with and paint with.
If you don’t feel like coloring your hair is an option for you then highlight your hair like moi. They color doesn’t touch the scalp which is the way chemical can get into your system. You really only need a touch up on highlights every ten to twelve weeks so that can be only twice during your pregnancy.
You can always find a green salon like I am lucky enough to go to. My salon uses 80% naturally derived organic products whose packaging is completely biodegradable and reusable as food containers!

You can always try a hair mascara or Color Mark (colormarkpro.com) for ammonia-free touch-ups. Or try switching up your styling to a jagged part or go wavy to diminish the appearance of your roots.

hair dye, pregnancy, safe hair dye for pregnancy, chemicaqls and pregnancy, safe pregnancy

They say, you are what you eat and that may just be true. What a woman eats before pregnancy may play a role in whether the baby is a boy or a girl, according to surprising new research. Women who have a good appetite, eat a lot of potassium-rich foods like bananas, and don’t skip breakfast appear more likely to have a boy. Among women with the highest calorie intake before pregnancy, 56 percent had boys. Women who had boys also ate an additional 300 mg of potassium daily on average, and about 400 calories more daily, compared to women who had girl babies.

Previous studies have also shown that male embryos do best with longer exposure to nutrient-rich lab cultures. The research involved first-time pregnant women. The study involved 740 newly pregnant British women who had not given birth before and who did not know the sex of their babies. All the women were white, non-obese, and had no medical problems. It seems to be the first study ever to show a link between a woman’s diet and the gender of her children.

Breakfast has always been billed as the most important meal of the day and that may be true if you would like a son. Although I don’t think most cereals are a good enough breakfast for anyone, since they are usually filled with preservatives and sugar. Eating regular, frequent meals, including plenty of fruits and vegetables and foods rich in folic acid is the best way to bring any child into this world.

nutrition while pregnant, eating for two, pregnancy, baby’s gender, diet influencing gender

When it came to getting maternity or nursing bras, I was clueless. When do I buy them, when I am pregnant or after my milk comes in? What size do I get? As my belly expanded, I decided I needed to find some new bras stat, plus I wanted some nursing bras ready for when I gave birth. Today I am going to help you out with all of your pregnancy/post partum bra needs!

Most women will need 3-4 nursing bras. Many woman have increased breast size during pregnancy so you will need bras in a larger size then you normally wear. I have three nursing bras and two sports/tank nursing bras that I wear at night. You should buy them when you no longer fit into your regular bras, which for most women is during the last trimester.
Remember that underwire may interfere with your milk ducts so it is best not to wear an underwire nursing bra at least for the first few days after your milk comes in.

Most women will experience increased breast size during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The size change will vary from woman to woman, but generally it will increase at least one bra and one cup size. If you would like to measure yourself at home before going shopping, measure around the chest, just under the arms, above the bust. This measurement is your bra band size. Then measure snugly around the fullest point of the bust, then below the breasts, the difference between the two equals your cup size. If the difference is 1″ then your cup size is A, 2″ is B, 3″ is C and so on.

maternity, maternity bras, nursing bras, breastfeeding, nursing tips, how to buy a nursing bra, pregnancy

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