Product Review - My Hands Are Clean Sign

I ordered the My Hands Are Clean sign because they used non-toxic and eco-friendly ink and plastic.

I was a little worried that the sign might be to large, based on the product description, but I was pleased it wasn't. I ordered the Red Stop design and it arrived in the mail very promptly. I was a little disappointed that the bright red color was more of a cranberry but this is probably due to the image resolution. I was afraid that the sign wouldn't be as visible because it wasn't as bright but since the sign is large it's not an issue. Another huge benefit of this sign is that it entertains my daughter. Since it hangs above her head she is always looking at it and sometimes she tries to stick it in her mouth, thankfully non-toxic ink is used. There are some areas were I think this product could improve. First they don't include instructions for the strap. I wasn't sure how to attach it and I attached it wrong and it fell off. Thank goodness we were still at home when it fell. I am pretty sure I have it on right now. My second issue is that the strap isn't adjustable. Since the opening is so large it is constantly sliding down the car seat handle. I have to move it up all the time or else it can't be seen and the sign is useless. They aren't very expensive around $9.99 and shipping is free. Overall I am very happy with this product, not one stranger has touched my daughter since I put the sign on her car seat!

Should My Baby Watch TV?

I never really gave my baby watching television much thought when I was pregnant. I grew up with a TV in my room and I had my husband move the TV into our bedroom when I was put on bed rest. I often had my daughter in the same room while the TV was on and I didn't think much of it. I mentioned that my daughter tried watching the TV to my pediatrician and she informed me that it was bad for her eyesight. She recommended that I not let her watch it. Soon after that this was a topic of discussion at my support group and I was stunned to learn that a recent study shows that children who watch TV have problems concentrating. Even having the TV on in the background can be harmful, even if your child is not paying attention, the sound can be distracting to a young mind. It's not recommended that any child under 2 watch TV. My husband and I discussed this and we decided not to let our baby watch TV until she is 2. I want her to enjoy the outdoors and other hobbies and not be addicted to the TV. Even when she is 2 I only plan on letting her watch a movie as a reward for good behavior. This was hard at first because it meant we couldn't watch TV either but now I realize all the wonderful hobbies I have been missing out on. It is a bit of a challenge enforcing this rule when we are visting family but we try our hardest. Not everyone is on board with our decision, I have heard lots of Why won't you let her watch TV?, but I know this is the best thing for her so I try to not let it bother me. I hope this decision lets her creative mind soar!

Tip of The Day

My husband bought the Playskool Lullaby Gloworm for our daughter when she was first born.

She absolutely has loved this toy since the first day we brought it home and she is now 6 months old. She loves the music, it helps soother her when she is cranky and puts her to sleep. She loves watching the glow worm's face light up. It has three settings: demo, light only, and music/light mode. I only wish their was a fourth setting that kept the music/lights playing for at least 10 minutes. You can take the control out and wash the toy in your washing machine. It's very durable, I have dropped it many times and my daughter is constantly eating it, and it still looks brand new. It's very reasonably priced $9.99 - $12.99 and it comes in both pink and blue. Some of my friends have the same toy and they all have had the same positive response from their children. The suggested age is birth to18 months but my friend's 2 year old still plays with this toy! It's a must have toy!

Product Review - Blush Your Topless Undershirt

I bought the Blush topless undershirt because based on the description it was exactly what I needed. It's a topless undershirt, think tube top, with lace trim.

It goes under your shirt right below your chest and is long enough to cover your mid section. It reaches the top of your butt. It cost $20 but I bought it at Baby Half Off for $10. I hated showing my stomach when I would pump or breastfeed so I really loved this idea. It 's also great when your pants are to low and you want to hide the little section of skin that is showing. The website says that this shirt also can be used when your pregnant to cover your growing belly. I ordered a medium because based on their sizing chart it fits sizes 6-14. I am a size 10 and the shirt fits me very snug. Their is no way this shirt would stretch enough to cover a pregnant women's belly. You could try a large but I still don't think it would stretch enough. It does fit snug enough that it keeps my loose pants up without a belt. Since their is no elastic at the top of the shirt after its been worn once it has stretched out. The top part of the shirt kept falling down when I tried wearing it on the second day. I am sure it will go back to normal after I wash it but I don't do laundry every day. Overall I like the shirt because its great for breastfeeding mothers but I wouldn't buy this shirt if I was pregnant or not breastfeeding.

Is your baby gaining enough weight?

As a mother of a preemie weight gain was a very important issue to me. If your breastfeeding sometimes its hard to tell if your child is getting enough to eat because you don't know how many ounces they have taken in. I found a great article on baby weight gain by a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. This article covers topics such as
How much weight should a baby gain?, How often should a baby eat?, When should you worry about your baby’s weight?, What to do if your baby is gaining too much weight, and What to do if your baby is gaining too little weight. It's important to remember that most babies lose two to three ounces of weight in the first 24 hours. Your newborn is getting enough to eat if she has frequent bowel movements and is content for two to three hours after feeding. Your baby may be hungrier and need to eat more during growth spurts (usually around three, six and nine weeks of age). Babies typically double their birth weight by five months of age and triple their birth weight by 12 months of age. If your baby is not gaining enough, talk to your doctor about ways to increase your milk supply, such as drinking fenugreek tea, or about supplementing with formula.

Breastmilk Storage

You can find a guideline for breastmilk storage at Ameda.com.

Milk should not spoil before the times listed, but the longer milk is stored, the more nutritional value is lost. The living parts of a mother's milk kill bacteria, making it much hardier and longer-lasting.

The guidelines say that freshly pumped milk can be stored without cooling for 10 hours, if your room is 66°F to 72°F. If your room is warmer than this, the guidelines change. In a 79°F room, your milk is good for a shorter time — 4-6 hours. If your milk is kept at 66°F to 72°F for up to 10 hours, you can then put it in the fridge for up to eight days. After eight days in the fridge, the milk can still be frozen. Fresh milk that has been cooled can be added to frozen milk, as long as you add less milk than is already frozen.

Important Tips
* Any clean, sealed container can be used to store milk. But avoid thin bottle liners, which are not intended to be frozen and can split.

* Store your milk in amounts no larger than what your baby might take. This means less waste. It also should help make the milk faster to warm. If your baby wants more, more milk can be added.

* Write the date and time on your milk container with a sticky label or non-toxic marker. Add your baby's name if he is in daycare or in the hospital.

* You can combine milk pumped at different times. If you combine milk from different days, use the date of the oldest milk.

* If your milk is used within eight days, keep it in the fridge. Otherwise, plan to freeze it in the coldest part of the freezer. Avoid the door.

* You can add fresh milk to cooled milk. And you can add fresh milk to frozen milk if it's cooled first and is less than the amount frozen.

* If your baby takes some milk from a bottle and there is milk left, don't save it. His saliva mixes with the milk during feedings, and that affects storage recommendations.

* Your milk is not "homogenized" like the milk in the store. So it may separate into layers. This does not mean it's spoiled. If this happens, just gently swirl it to mix.

Craft Project - Recycling Greeting Cards

Christmas is now over and are you wondering what do I do with all these Christmas cards? It seems like a waste to just throw them away. A good craft is to let your kids cut out the pictures, or if they are to young you can cut them up, and make their own wonderful picture.

Materials
Construction Paper
Christmas Card or any other greeting card (Birthday, Valentine's, Baby Shower, Etc)
Glue
Scissors
Any other decoration you want to include (glitter, paint, crayons, cotton balls, pom pom, stickers, sand, craft foam)

Directions
1. Cut out the pieces of the card that you want to appear in your picture.
2. Glue the picture(s) to your construction paper to create a new picture.
3. (Optional) Decorate your scene with glitter, paint, cotton balls, pom pom, craft jewels, etc.
4.  Frame your picture by adding a white or black construction paper border.

Product Review - Ocean Wonders Take-Along Projector Soother

My husband bought this Ocean Wonders Take-Along Projector Soother at Babies R Us because he thought it would be a great addition to her nursery. It was much cheaper than other soothers, only $20, so he decided to buy it. The suggested age is Birth+. It plays classical music as well as ocean sounds for up to 12 minutes at a time. It projects a lighted image onto any surface. It has two ocean images you can project and one image has more animals and is suppose to be for older children. My 5 month old daughter liked the classical music but the ocean sounds didn't catch her attention. You have to project the image very close to your child's eyes or else they can't see the image. The projected image didn't rotate so when my daughter could see the image she wasn't really interested in it. The projector is suppose to be able to stand on it's side to make projecting on a side wall possible but I could never get the projector to do so. It kept falling down and I eventually gave up. I don't recommend buying this product. It is not worth the money. I am going to return it and get a full refund.

Ocean Wonders Take-Along Projector Soother

Making Time for Yourself

As a mom I know how hard it is to find a moments peace throughout the day. I also know how important it is to make some time for yourself everyday. As moms we expect ourselves to do everything for everyone else and we often neglect ourselves. I found it very hard to make time for myself when my daughter was born. I never could find any free time and when I did I would always make cleaning the house my number one priority. When I couldn't handle the stress anymore I realized how important me time was. It helped me be a better mother and wife. Now I make sure I have at least 15 minutes to myself everyday, even if it's just to sit and drink my tea. I found it easier to make my me time the same everyday so I never missed it. If you find yourself putting yourself last make sure you take a moment to realize how important you are. Your family needs you to be 100% and your me time helps you be just that.

Should I have a C-Section?

I ended up having a c-section with my daughter because she was breech. I never expected that I would have a c-section and I never knew how hard the recovery would be. I was completely unprepared and I wish I had known how hard it would be and how it would affect my future pregnancies. If I had known I would have tried some natural ways to turn the baby before I agreed to have the c-section.

The surgery
In preparation for my surgery I had to wait 8 hours from my last meal before I was taken to the operating room. I couldn't eat or drink, not even water, during this time. My husband was allowed to go in with me but I had to be prepped before he was allowed in which was really hard. I had a spinal tap, since I didn't have an epidural, and it wasn't to bad. The worst part followed. I immediately felt my feet burning and within minutes I no longer could feel anything below my chest. The staff had to move me to the operating table and then my arms were strapped down in a T position. I was warned I might throw up during the operation and I began to get nauseous soon after my arms were strapped down. I was given some medicine by the anesthesiologist which calmed my nausea. My husband was finally alllowed to come in and sat next to me. The doctor began the operation and within 15 minutes my duaghter was born. The next 10 mintues went very quickly. I was able to catch a glimpse of my daughter before she was taken to be weighed, cleaned, and checked out. Since I was strapped to the table I couldn't be there with her. She was brought to me and I was able to kiss her and take pictures with her but I couldn't hold her. She was taken to the nursery while the doctor finished. It took an hour for me to get the feeling back in my legs.

The recovery
The recovery process was very long. It took 8 weeks before I was able to do most things. I was on pain medication for 2 weeks because the pain was so unbearable. The pain medication made me sleepy so it was very hard to take care of my daughter. I wasn't able to carry anything heavier than my daughter. I couldn't drive, go up the stairs in my home, and I could barely walk. The recovery process was so slow and I was very upset that I couldn't really do anything at all, not even take care of my daughter. It has been 5 months since the operation and I still have pain. Some areas by my incision are numb and probably will be that way forever. It takes a full year before the incision heals and if you get pregnant before the year then their are some risks involved.

Tip of the Day

If you can sew and would like to make your own cloth diapers some good patterns are available. Little Comet Tails has patterns for fitted diapers, diaper covers, all-in-one diapers, and training pants. Kayla's Cloth Kits has patterns for one size pocket diapers and sized pocket diapers, fitted diapers, and all-in-one diapers. Both of these sites have videos demonstrating how to use the diapers and how to sew them. They are very eager to help and you can always contact them with questions you might have.

Breastpump Cleaning and Care

When I first started pumping I wasn't sure how to properly care for my pump. I did some research and this is what I found. If your pump uses tubing, any moisture in the tubing can contaminate milk. Moisture can get inside tubing and grow mold. In order to keep this from happening you should either boil or steam clean your tubing, I do it once a week. Always make sure you sterilize your pump before the first use. Put all the pieces that come into contact with your milk in a pot, cover them with water, and boil for 20 minutes before using the pump. After every use, wash the pieces that come in contact with your milk in hot, soapy water (using mild detergent), rinse with hot water. You then need to either, boil, steam, or wipe your pump pieces with disinfecting wipes. They sell quick clean wipes and micro-steam bags making it easier to clean your equipment when you're away from home. If you don’t have time, place the pump parts unwashed in a clean plastic bag, such as a Ziploc, and store them in the refrigerator. Be sure to wash them thoroughly at least once a day when you get home. To clean your pump motor bag, just wipe it with a clean, damp cloth. This is also a good way to clean the outside of your pump tubing if milk drips onto it.

Fantastic Banana Bread Recipe

This banana bread recipe is so good I had to share it. If you don't like almonds you can use any nut you like or you can leave out the nuts. I use almonds because they are my favorite nut.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease  2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.

2. Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, yogurt and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in almonds. Pour into pans.

3. Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf about 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Tip of the Day

I have been taking my daughter out with me since she was 2 months old. I waited a long time to take her out because I was very afraid of germs. She was a preemie and weighed only 4 lbs and I was afraid she would get sick. She was born right before flu season started and I didn't want her catching anything. All newborns are very vulnerable to germs and can't take any medication until 6 months. I was afraid if she caught anything she would have to be hospitalized so I was very cautious. They told us at the hospital to make sure everyone washed their hands before touching her. I am sure that anyone who has had a baby has been told this by the hospital staff. When I started taking her out I was amazed at how many people would touch her without asking my permission. They would do it so fast that I didn't even have time to tell them to stop. I found out about these car seat signs from my support group.

My Tiny Hands Signs

My Tiny Hands has very bright plastic signs that tell people to please wash their hands before touching your child's hands. I only wish the sign said please wash your hands before touching me period but they are still good signs. If you're looking for a please don't touch sign you can find them at Healthy Little Ones. These signs are much longer and not as bright so I am not sure how effective they will be.

 

My Hands Are Clean, Are Yours?

I recently came across some signs that are non-toxic and eco-friendly at My Hands Are Clean, Are Yours?. They come in a variety of cool designs and shipping is free! They are around 5 inches so they are very hard to miss and a portion of all sales is donated to a local charity.

Cloth Diaper Review - Thirsties All-In-One Pocket Diaper

I recently bought the Thirsties All-In-One Pocket Diapers because I wanted a cloth diaper that my husband would be comfortable using. These diapers were so much better than I ever imagined. They are as easy to use as disposables and my husband is finally comfortable using cloth diapers. They have a great absorbency, I use them on my daughter at night. They have a pocket so I can add an insert for extra absorbency. They have a stay dry top layer that keeps the moisture away from my daughters bottom. They fit my daughter very well and I have not had a leakeage issue. They have velcro tabs so they can grow with my daughter very easily. They come in lots of great colors as well. I only have one issue with diaper, they are a bit bulky, not as bulky as prefolds though. Since the diaper is so great, the bulkiness is not a very big issue. In order to dry faster I turn the diaper inside out before I place them in the dryer. They are a bit expensive, around $16, but I was able to find them on sale at GoGo Natural.

Tip of the Day

I am always looking for ways to save money and I came across Baby Half Off. This website offers baby related items at 50% - 80% off. A new deal is listed each day at 8am. Some of the past deals listed where for pocket diapers, baby shoes, baby blankets, baby toys, cloth diaper wet bags, and much more. They have very reasonable pricing for shipping and they ship to Canada as well. They also have free local pickup if you live by Gilbert, AZ. If you join their Facebook page they occasionally give hints about upcoming deals.

Starting Your Baby On A Schedule

At my daughter's four month checkup my pediatrician recommended that I start her on a schedule. She said that at four months a baby is ready for a schedule. I was eager to start, a schedule would make it easier for me to plan my day. I wasn't sure where to start but I decided that the best thing to do would be to observe her for a couple of days and see if she had her own routine. I initially thought my daughter didn't have any routine but after watching her I realized I was very wrong.

This is the schedule I came up with based on my observation.
7am - Wake up and Feeding
7:30am to 9am  - Playtime
9am to 9:30am - Nap
9:30am - Feeding
9:30am to 11:30am - Playtime
11:30am - Feeding
12pm to 1pm - Playtime
1pm to 2pm - Nap
2pm - Feeding
2:30pm - 5pm - Playtime
5pm to 5:30pm - Feeding followed by Nap (Only Naps sometimes)
5:30pm to 6:30pm - Playtime
6:30pm - Bath (Start bedtime routine)
7pm - Feeding followed by Bedtime

Some important notes that I wanted to mention. First you need to be flexible with your schedule. Their are days when she wakes up later and this affects her morning routine. Obviously I feed her as often as she needs to be fed. I just put the main feeding times down in my schedule. Their are some days when she needs more naps a day or they last longer. I usually place her down for her nap when she shows me signs of sleepiness. She will get very cranky and start rubbing her eyes. It is important to set a bedtime routine and to follow it every night. After a week of following this bedtime routine my daughter falls asleep at 7pm every night without any problems. It is important that your child has playtime where they entertain themselves, such as a mobile or play pen with toys, as well as playtime with you. Sometimes I run errands during her playtime hours. I have noticed that since I put my daughter on a schedule she has been happier.

Every Working Mom's Dilemma

For Christmas I took two weeks off of work to spend some time with my daughter. I had such a great time with her and I was so glad I took the time off. Sadly I had to come back to work this week and I miss her so much. Since I have been back I am wondering am I spending enough time with my daughter? Just like most working moms I have to drop my child off at the babysitter while I am at work. I work eight hour days and when you calculate the time I spend getting to/from work I am gone for 9 hours a day. My daughter goes to bed at 7 pm so I really only get to see her for 3 hours a day. I am very lucky that I get to work from home once a week so I am able to be with her all day 3 days a week but I still feel like I am not spending enough time with her.  I wondered should I be a stay at home mom? I had never really thought about this before. I have worked all of my life and I don't know if I could be a stay at home mom. I worked very hard in college to get my degree and I really like my job so I am not sure if I would want to quit. Finally I just don't think we could afford to be a one income household right now. I have decided to give this a lot of thought. If I really feel like I want to stay at home my husband and I would have to work towards that goal. For the time being I have taken a look at my schedule and changed some things around so I can be with her more. I was working out after work 3 days a week and I wouldn't get home until 7 pm so those days I would only get to see her for 30 mins. During my vacation I realized all the wonderful things I was missing while I was away. Obviously I still need to work out, this is great me time and I also need to be healthy. I decided to no longer work out after work. Instead I work out at home after I have put my daughter to bed. This lets me spend an extra 2 hours a day with her. I also plan to take a day off after every three day weekend so I can be at home for 5 days. I know this is a great start to spending more time with my daughter!

Product Review - Lansinoh vs Medela Breastmilk Bags

When I first started pumping at work I used the Medela Pump and Save breastmilk bags. I really liked these bags. They were made out of a thick material and I felt confident the bag wouldn't easily rip. It was very easy to open and close the resealable top. They were compatible with my pump so if I ever forgot a bottle it was no problem since I could just attach the bag to the pump with the attached sticker top. The bags only fit 5 ounces of breastmilk but that was no problem since I never pumped more than 5 ounces at a time. The bottom of the bag opens up making it easy to store in the refrigerator without tipping over. The label area worked well with any kind of pen I had. My friend had some left over Lansinoh bags and she gave them to me to try out. Well I don't like these bags at all. The material seems flimsy and I am always afraid it will rip, it hasn't yet though. The bottom of the bag doesn't really stand well so the bag is always tipping over in the refirgerator. The label area is very hard to write on. I can never get any pen to write well on it. The bags are tall so they will fit more than 5 ounces. The easy to pour spout is not very easy to use. I can never get the last 1/2 ounce of milk out without spilling milk. It breaks my heart to see the milk I worked so hard to pump wasted on the counter. Since I don't want to waste any bags I am stuck using the Lansinoh bags until they are all gone but I will not buy them. I would rather spend the extra dollar a box and get the Medela bags.

Baby's First Rice Cereal

My daughter is ready to start solids and I wanted to give her homemade baby food. My pediatrician recommended that I start with baby rice cereal mixed with breast milk. I found this great recipe in my Mothering magazine that I wanted to share.

Toasted Rice Baby Cereal
short-grain brown rice
salt
water
breast milk or formula

1. Place rice in a fine-mesh strainer, rinse, and drain
2. Place the washed rice in a large skillet on burner and toast on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the rice is dry and gives off a nutty aroma (5-8 mins)
Hint: To save time I usually toast 2 cups of rice on the weekend when I have more time and I store the rice in airtight containers to be used for the rest of the week.
3. Grind toasted rice
Note: Ground grains begin to lose nutritional values within 24-48 hours. For the best nutrition grind rice just before using.
4. Mix together 2-3 tablespoons ground rice, 1/2 cup water, and a pinch of salt in a small pot.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 5 minutes.
6. To get the right consistency I mix the cooked cereal with freshly pumped breast milk until I get the consistency I want.
Note: For babies just starting solid foods, cereals should be the consistency of thick milk or thin soup. As the baby gets older, thicken the consistency.

I usually taste the cereal before I mix it with breast milk to make sure its not to salty. My daughter loves this cereal and best of all it only takes me 5 mins to make it.

Pregnancy Weight Loss

With the new year comes new resolutions. This year my only resolution is to finish losing my pregnancy weight. I gained a whopping 45 lbs during my pregnancy. Since I only gained 7 lbs the first 5 months of my pregnancy I didn't expect to gain so much weight. I think the reason I gained so much weight was because of the preeclampsia. Once I gave birth I expected to lose a lot of weight but I only lost 8 lbs, I was very disappointed. I didn't excercise after I gave birth due to my c-section but I continued to lose weight rapidly. I am sure breastfeeding helped me lose the weight so quickly, another benefit of breastfeeding. I lost 20 lbs the first month and 10 lbs the second month and I didn't diet or excercise during this time. The last 15 lbs is proving to be a little harder to lose. I decided to start eating healthy, not cutting calories since this would affect my milk supply. I lost 2 lbs in one week but I didn't lose any additional weight after that. My work started providing free fitness classes and I immeidately signed up. I started working out 3 times a week for an hour and I lost 5 lbs the first month. I was really happy with the weight loss, only 6 more pounds left to lose. I decided since I had to lose 20 lbs before I got pregnant I would make it my New Years resolution to lose 26 lbs by my daughters first birthday. Since the fitness classes were taking up so much of my free time I decided to follow the same excercise routine at home. I bought the Biggest Loser exercise videos at Costco for $8 each. My workout routine is Boot Camps on Monday, Yoga on Wednesday, and Cardio on Thursdays, each session lasting an hour. Since I want to keep my milk supply high I am changing my diet only slightly. I will still eat every time I am hungry but I will make good food choices. I cut out soda, junk food, and will only eat healthy food. I am sure I can lose the weight if I keep up with my modified diet plan!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone! May 2010 be a fantastic, wonderful, and joyous year for us all.