By: Calbury

At some point before your baby’s first birthday, you will probably be thinking about giving him a sippy cup. Maybe you would like to give him a little water, or perhaps you plan to pump your breast milk and would like to bypass bottles altogether, weaning your baby straight to a cup. You may just want to get your baby accustomed to a cup in preparation for the transition from formula later on.

But when is the best time to start? Well, this varies widely from baby to baby. Some babies are interested in sippy cups from as early as 6 months, whereas others show no interest at all until much later. It doesn’t do any harm to offer your baby a sippy cup at any stage, although he may need a lot of help at first, particularly if he is very young.

There are many different styles of sippy cups on the market and it’s very difficult to recommend the “ideal” variety - as you know, babies have their own opinions and preferences about many things and sippy cups are no exception!

Some models have valves and require your baby to suck quite vigorously. Some babies - younger ones in particular - don’t get on so well with this type of cup and prefer a more “free-flowing” spout. While this may be a bit messy at first, it can get your baby used to the idea of what a cup is all about.

MY BABY WON’T DRINK FROM A SIPPY CUP! This is very common — and many parents worry unnecessarily that their babies are somehow “falling behind” if they’re not using a sippy cup by their first birthday.

Be patient. It is not essential that your child drink from a sippy cup — supplemental water and juice are, in general, unnecessary during baby’s first year anyway.

Don’t compare your baby to others — all babies develop differently and “sippy cup skills” may not be your baby’s area of expertise!

He’ll work it out eventually - but in the meantime, here are a few tips to make the introduction of a sippy cup a little easier…

• If he’s struggling to get a drink from the cup but doesn’t seem to be able to suck hard enough, try removing the valve. Watch out, though, because the liquid will flow far more rapidly.
• Dip the spout into the liquid, so that your baby knows what’s inside. Don’t assume that he will automatically realize that a cup contains a drink!
• Demonstrate how to use the cup and display exaggerated enjoyment as you drink… so he really wants to taste some, too! Alternatively, have a sibling or little friend use a cup in front of him — babies are natural mimics and seeing a friend enjoying a sippy cup may provide just the incentive he needs!
• Don’t introduce the cup when he’s tired — if he’s thirsty, he’ll become frustrated and upset very quickly. Early in the morning, when he’s wide awake, is the best time to try.
• Try different kinds of cups and spouts until you find the one your baby prefers. For a first cup, many babies like soft, rubbery spouts, which feel closer to a nipple.
• Try using a feeding set with interchangeable spouts. Some sets feature bottles on to which you can attach a regular nipple OR a sippy spout. Your baby may be happier about trying the spout if the bottle looks familiar.
• If you are planning on giving your baby formula or breast milk from the sippy cup, then make sure you put milk in the cup when you introduce it to him. If you use water or juice, he may associate the cup with these drinks only — and then refuse to take milk from the same cup.

IMPORTANT: Allow your baby to use a sippy cup in moderation only. Don’t put him to bed with a cup of milk or juice as these drinks will “pool” around his teeth, leading to tooth decay. Always clean your baby’s cup thoroughly — particularly the valve, which can harbour bacteria.

SKIPPING THE SIPPY CUP

Some parents prefer not to use sippy cups at all — they’re certainly not essential and didn’t even exist when WE were growing up!

There is some concern among speech therapists that the extended use of a sippy cup can affect oral development and speech skills — and some parents just find these types of cups somewhat unhygienic, due to the need for scrupulous cleaning of the valves.

Some breastfeeding mothers have found that using the types of sippy cups that require vigorous sucking can cause their babies to latch on a little differently — sometimes painfully — as they become accustomed to sucking on the cup. If you are breastfeeding, you might want to consider using a free-flowing spout, or trying these alternatives to using a sippy cup…

• Some babies will readily drink from a regular cup, using a straw. If your baby is happy to do this, then cut the straw down to a length that’s easier for him to control. Remember — never allow your baby to walk or run with a straw in his mouth.
• Many parents find that “shot” glasses are perfect for babies (used under strict supervision, of course). The size is perfect for baby’s little mouth and hands — and, because it’s so small, there’s not much to spill if he tips it over!

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

About The Author: Christine Albury is the owner/editor of Homemade Baby Food Recipes - your complete guide to solid feeding during baby’s first year.

By: Dr. Melanie Beingessner

After a baby is born, her brain and her nervous system get to work learning about how her body works and the world that she lives in. Despite the fact that a newborn sleeps quite a lot of her day, a baby’s brain and nervous system are incredibly busy. If fact, from birth to 2½ years old, a baby’s brain is the busiest that it will ever be in her entire lifetime as it learns to process information and to develop new skills. A baby learns that this is mom and that’s dad and how to move her body in space. She learns how to recognize important people in her life and what certain words mean.

From the age 2 ½ to 5, to improve efficiency, a child’s brain starts to prune down connections (the technical term is synapses) that aren’t used much. If parents play and engage with their babies (or children!), they help to strengthen synapses within the brain, and reduce the pruning process.

In summary, from birth to 5 years old, parents have a great opportunity to stimulate their child’s brain to ensure that its connections within the brain and to the body are strong. Here are some easy things that you can do to stimulate your child’s brain:

1. Delay returning to work for as long as possible. The first year of life is really important to establish the bonding and attachment process between a baby and her parents, especially with her mom. If mom or dad can be at home that first year, your baby will have more secure relationships with you and everyone else in her life.

2. Carry your baby around with you, wherever possible. The physical act of moving back and forth as you walk and bend stimulates the part of your baby’s brain that tracks balance and position of the body. Babies who are carried usually walk faster than babies who are not.

3. Breastfeed your baby as long as possible. Breastmilk contains all that a baby needs to support her developing brain and nervous system. It gives a baby immunity from viral or bacterial infections, it provides comfort and enhances the mother/baby bonding and attachment process. Studies have shown that babies who are breastfed have relatively higher intelligence than babies who are not.

4. Touch your baby whenever possible. The physical act of touch is a great way to stimulate your baby’s brain. Infant massage is especially beneficial because it provides the positive benefits of relaxation, improved digestion and an enhanced quality of sleep. You can learn infant massage from a certified infant massage instructor, or you can read books or watch videos. An added bonus is that the people who are giving the baby massage have improved health, reduced stress, and they sleep better, too!

5. Respond to your baby’s needs in a timely manner. When a baby cries, she is communicating a need for something that almost always is comfort, food, or a diaper change. The saying that “you’ll spoil a child if you go to her whenever she cries” is simply incorrect. When you respond to your child’s needs, your baby learns that mom and dad can be depended upon. She also learns that she has value as a person.

6. Read and sing to your baby. Language and music are great ways to stimulate a baby’s brain. We have a specific place in our brains that processes language and music and the more that you talk to your baby, the more stimulation that her brain will receive. Classical, country or light rock music are the best choices as their beat is stimulating, but not overly so. It is important to realize that television or radio programs are not a good substitute for a real conversation. A baby is not able to follow a television or radio’s message, and most babies tune out television or radio sounds because they over stimulate a baby’s brain.

In conclusion, the underlying principle is that the more time you spend with your baby or your child in play and with one-on-one interactions, the more you stimulate your baby’s or your child’s brain. Add some of the above suggestions to your day and everyone benefits from time spent together because it’s just plain fun!

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

About The Author: Dr. Melanie Beingessner is a chiropractor, a breastfeeding counsellor, a certified infant massage instructor & the mother of three fabulous kids. She is the author of The Calm Baby Cookbook, written to help breastfeeding moms calm their fussy babies by changing their diets. Dr. Melanie’s website provides information about pregnancy, breastfeeding, ADD/ADHD, chiropractic, health and wellness at drmelaniebee.org

By: Kari St.Louis

The first steps to combating anemia during pregnancy is to get proper amounts of iron nutrition. Make sure you discuss all your nutrition plans with your Doctor.

Why do I need iron?
Iron is a very important mineral present in certain enzymes and hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that enables the blood to transport oxygen throughout the body. Iron helps your immune system function normally, increasing your resistance to stress and disease. In addition Iron is also critical for normal brain function. Lastly, iron helps you avoid symptoms of tiredness which is a very common complaint during pregnancy, weakness, irritability, and depression.

Signs Of Iron deficiency
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency and can be caused by many factors including a poorly balanced diet. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia, a blood disorder that occurs when there is not enough hemoglobin in a person’s blood. Most womens iron stores are low to begin with so they are unable to meet their pregnant bodies increased demands. Also if a new mom experiences morning sickness she increases her risk for anemia. The symptoms of anemia include:

fatique

headache

dizziness

difficulty with sleeping

loss of appetite

slight increase risk of infection

How Can Expecting Moms Get More Iron
Iron is found in many foods, but it is hard to absorb, making it difficult for your body to get enough iron so it can meet its needs during pregnancy. When you don’t have enough iron in your diet, you make fewer red blood cells, which is called anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is very common during pregnancy and is easy to correct.
Expecting moms can get iron from sources such as Red meat, Chicken, and Fish. If you are a vegetarian and you prefer non-meat choices there are lots of dark green leafy vegetables to choose from, dried fruit, eggs, wheat germ, tofu, beans, and whole grain breads. Then ofcourse prenatal vitamins. An iron supplement may be recommended by your doctor if you become anemic. If you think you are anemic communicate your concerns with your doctor so that a blood test may be performed. *Caution: Do not turn to liver for your iron needs. Liver is best avoided during pregnancy because it contains unsafe amounts of vitamin A which can cause birth defects.

Important Facts About Iron

Did you know Vitamin C helps your body use and absorb iron? It is important to eat or drink sources of vitamin C along with foods containing iron and iron supplements all at the same time. So what foods are high in vitamin C? Orange juice, grapefruit juice, tomato juice, bell peppers, broccoli, melon, strawberries, half grapefruit, and cabbage.

Iron supplements can cause constipation. Increase fiber intake by including whole grain breads, fiber cereals, fruits, and high fiber vegetables. Drinking at least 8 cups of water daily and start light walking to get your circulation going (as recommended by your physician). These things are a great way to ward off constipation.

What Interfers With Iron Absorbtion
Caffeine drinks can inhibit the absorption of iron. Caffeine is commonly found in teas, colas, coffees, and chocolate products. These products contain polyphenols that interfere with the absorption of iron from supplements and plant sources. Carbonated beverages and many medications also contain caffeine. Become a label reader. You want to take your iron supplement and eat the foods high in iron at least two to three hours after drinking or eating caffeine products.

Calcium also interfers with the iron absorption process. Antacids can be a pregnant womens best friend but since they are high in calcium they can also interfere with iron absorption. Same goes for other calcium supplements, and drinking milk. Allow a time frame inbetween calcium and iron intake.

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

About The Author: by: Kari St.Louis For more information on Healthy Pregnancy Tips visit www.healthyfamilytalkradio.com/pregnancy-article.htm

By: Dr. Melanie Beingessner

As new parents, it can be daunting to try to soothe a baby when they fuss and cry. Here are some ideas that might help you to calm your baby.

1. Dance together. Gentle music soothes babies rather than fast music with a lively beat. By swaying and humming to the music, you can entertain a baby enough to help her relax and stop crying. If you can, make a tape or CD of your favorite slow songs and enjoy some bonding time together.

2. Carry your baby with you wherever you go. Studies have shown that babies who are carried cry less. Babies relax when they feel you close and hear your heartbeat. To make it easier on your back, a sling works best for a new baby. Baby carriers are excellent choices for babies that can sit on their own, as their backs can support their bodyweight in the sitting position.

3. Swaddle your baby before you rock her to sleep. New babies like to feel snug and cozy, and swaddling can create that feeling for them.

4. Skin-to-skin contact can help. One of the nicest ways to accomplish this, especially in the evening, is to run a warm bath, light a few candles and turn off the lights. Sit in the tub, place the baby on your chest, and cover her with a warm facecloth. Babies like the feel of the close contact, the warm water, and the pretty lights. Bath time is an excellent way for dad to have special bonding time and it gives mom a bit of a break.

5. Infant massage provides great relief for babies. It helps to promote relaxation, improved digestion, bonding and brain stimulation. Studies done on premature babies have shown that massaged babies sleep better, and gain weight more quickly, and infant massage for full term babies provides the same results.

6. Watch what you eat. If you are a breastfeeding mother and your baby tends to get fussy, especially after 5:00 pm, what you are eating can be causing your baby distress. If mothers can eliminate dairy products and other specific foods from their diets on a short-term basis, babies tend to become calm, relaxed and happy. For more information on this subject, please refer to drmelaniebee.org

7. Consult with a chiropractor. The birth process can be a difficult passage for some babies and sometimes a baby is fussy because her neck or back is hurting her. If the problem is caused by a vertebra that is not moving in a proper pattern of motion, chiropractic care is safe and effective treatment to relieve the problem.

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

About The Author: Dr. Melanie Beingessner is a chiropractor, a breastfeeding counsellor, a certified infant massage instructor & the mother of three fabulous kids. She is the author of The Calm Baby Cookbook , written to help breastfeeding moms calm their fussy babies by changing their diets. Dr. Melanie’s website provides information about pregnancy, breastfeeding, ADD/ADHD, chiropractic, health and wellness at drmelaniebee.org

By: Tina Titas

Mothers-to-be have many questions about pregnancy nutrition and exercise.
The tips and advice below will help you get started on a healthy pregnancy.

A diet containing the essential nutrients and vitamins are vital to the development of both mother and child. Vitamins are imperative to the health of a developing baby and the well being of the mother. Choosing foods that are rich in vitamins and other nutrients are a critical part of a healthy pregnancy nutrition plan and supplemental vitamins are necessary as well.

Follow a well-planned pregnancy diet to help avoid complications such as morning sickness, fatigue, anemia, and constipation. Your healthy diet must continue after pregnancy if you plan to breastfeed your baby.

Pregnancy food recommendations
* Your pregnancy diet should include plenty of complex and unrefined carbohydrates as they contain important B vitamins, trace minerals, and fiber that are essential to a fit, healthy pregnancy.
* Appropriate quantities of yellow and green leafy vegetables are vital for the growth of the baby and the health of the mother.
* Dairy products contain calcium that will assist in the developing baby’s teeth and bones. If your diet is lacking calcium your body will draw calcium from your bones to meet it’s increased need.
* Avoid excessive amounts of fat must be avoided during pregnancy, as it will only serve to add excess pounds, which will be hard to lose after the birth of your baby.
* Vitamin C in generous amounts is crucial to a healthy pregnancy, bone growth, and various metabolic processes. Including berries, citrus fruits, raw broccoli and cabbage can help provide you with the Vitamin C that you need.

Ideally, your pregnancy diet should include 3-4 servings of protein and meat, 2-4 servings of fruit, 6-11 servings of grains, 4-6 servings of dairy products, and 6-8 glasses of water, milk, and juice. A pregnant mother must follow a healthy diet that will benefit the developing baby but that will also maintain her general health as well.

Exercise recommendations during pregnancy
Exercise during pregnancy will promote strength, muscle tone, and endurance. Regular activity during your pregnancy will help alleviate swelling, fatigue, and backache. If you expect to remain fit during your pregnancy you will need to work your heart and major muscle groups. The type of exercise you do during your pregnancy will depend on your fitness level prior to pregnancy. Walking, pregancy yoga videos, and swimming are excellent pregnancy exercises combined with stretching and other low-impact activities.

Exercises that involve a risk of falling or injury should be avoided such as bicycling, racket sports, horseback riding, and skiing. You will need to alter your exercise routine from trimester to trimester to accommodate your growing body. Avoiding over-exertion is necessary to avoid complications such as faintness, dizziness, vaginal bleeding, and premature contractions. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercising to reduce the risk of dehydration, which can raise your body temperature and cause harm to yourself and/or your baby.

A regular exercise program is beneficial to both mother and child, but check with your health care provider to make sure you have no conditions or risks that will prevent you from participating in a regular exercise routine or could cause potential harm to yourself or your child.

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

About The Author: Tina Titas is a columnist for www.FunExerciseVideos.com — From Carmen Electra to Richard Simmons, you’ll find exercise videos at a great price.

By: Kay Green

Baby Sign, the teaching of sign language to hearing babies. Why? When? How?

I have always had an interest in sign language since knowing my deaf aunt and uncle as a little girl. I myself know a little sign for worship at church. I read about the new idea of teaching sign to hearing babies and immediately knew I would like to do that with Haley. My adopted daughter will be 1 year old on Tuesday.

I admit I did not teach sign to me 3 teenagers when they were babies. However with baby number 4 in my home with me at age 40, there are a lot of things I do differently this time around.

Sign language for babies uses a different part of the brain then speech. Studies have shown that these babies who learn sign are less frustrated because they can express their wants and needs. It also says that these babies are actually ahead, not delayed, in speech development. Babies are able to do many signs before they can speak the words.

Our babies all do some signs without us even thinking about it. They wave Hi and bye-bye. They point to things they want. They make animal signs or sounds. Haley loves to do fish lips and blows kisses, nod yes and no. When your baby starts learning to wave it is a perfect time to begin teaching other signs.

When Haley was about 8-9 months old and could wave I started showing a few signs consistently. Milk, more, kitty, all done. I remember well the day Haley got the sign for MORE (fingers tips together in front of your chest). She has always been very verbal and clear about what she wants. That usually meant yelling at you. I was working on the computer. I had a bag of baby cookies. She would have one, then come back and scream indicating she wanted another and I gave it to her. After 5 or 6 times I thought “Wow, I am teaching her to scream for what she wants.” The next time she came I said “MORE?” and did the sign with my fingers. I repeated that for several times. Then the next time I did it with her fingers and said the word. We did that a couple times. Then she came up and did the sign the next time, without screaming. YEAH! Success! That way too easy. I realize how quickly she got it and started showing her other signs.

I did a similar thing for nursing. Her usually was to lay down in my lap or tug at my shirt. I taught her the sign (squeeze the hand together like milking a cow. Yah I Know LOL). I started using it with her before and during the time she nursed. At first she would reach up and do the sign while she was nursing. Now part of the time she will come up and do it to tell me she wants to nurse.

She loves animals so we are working on naming all the animals both in words and signs. Her first few attempts at kitty (fingers across the cheek like whiskers) were actually done on top of her head. Now she can get one finger across her cheek and she says the word also. For Big Bird, she does one finger on her nose instead of the beak motion with two fingers. It is not so important that babies do the signs perfectly but that you and she both understand.

I got a great book called “Baby signs” at Baby Signs - How to Talk With Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk It gave me some super tools and tips. I also bought the great fold out sign cheat sheet Sign With Your Baby

I hope this article will encourage you to teach your baby a few signs too. They really think it is a great game. Give it a try.

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

About The Author: Kay Green is the founder of www.MyPreciousKid.com Children’s Safety Products and Baby Gear. Kay has a passion for keeping kids safe and giving parents peace of mind. Kay & Russell, her husband of 27 years, live in Oregon with their 4 children. www.KayGreen.com www.PreciousKids.org www.123HomeBusinessGuide.com COPYRIGHT 2000-2007 My Precious Kid®, Kay Green. All rights reserved.

By: Dr. Melanie Beingessner

While the breastfeeding process exists to nourish a newborn and to provide everything that it needs to grow, breastfeeding is much more than food for a baby. The entire breastfeeding process provides significant benefits for both the baby and the mother.

1. Breast Milk Is A Living Substance

Babies do not have a fully functioning immune system until they are one year old. For the first year of life, a breastfeeding mother actually provides the immune response for a baby who is exposed to a cold or flu. If a baby were to suffer a cold, his mother would immediately start to increase her white blood cell production to counteract the bacteria or virus whether or not she experiences the baby’s symptoms. The baby would get these doses of immunity through breast milk. Breast milk contains many white blood cells (the blood cells that fight bacteria, viruses and parasites) and because of them, breast milk can actually sit on a countertop for 8 hours and be perfectly safe to drink.

2. Breastfeeding Improves Health

The proteins, carbohydrates and fatty acids in breast milk provide everything that a baby needs to grow strong bones, muscles and tissues. All of these components of breast milk exist in perfect proportion to a growing baby’s needs. Breast milk proteins are easily digested and breastfed babies feed often to build up their mother’s milk supply. The fatty acids found in breast milk help to support the growth of the baby’s brain and nervous system. The carbohydrates (or sugars) found in breast milk provide energy for the baby to play and interact with her world.

Breastfeeding provides great health benefits for the mother after birth, it helps to contract the uterus back to its pre-pregnant state. Mothers who breastfeed for longer periods of time experience less breast or uterine cancer later on in life.

3. Breastfeeding Promotes The Bonding and Attachment Process.

The hormone oxytocin stimulates the let down reflex when a baby starts to breastfeed; however, the role of oxytocin is not just for breastfeeding. In fact, oxytocin is called the hormone of love. Our bodies release high doses of oxytocin during the infatuation stage of love which creates the wonderful high that we experience when we first fall for someone. Breastfeeding creates this same feeling of infatuation every time a mother breastfeeds her baby. These continual doses of oxytocin enhance the bonding and attachment process to securely attach the mother/baby pair.
A Critical Period to Establish Breastfeeding

We all know that breast milk is best for babies. However, there is a vulnerable time for both the mother and the baby for the first month after birth as they learn to breastfeed. Some babies learn easily, others take their time. If a baby is continually fussy during this process a new mother can interpret the fussiness to mean that the baby has a specific problem with her, and that can influence her decision whether or not to keep trying.

With a calmer baby, there is a greater chance that the mother will continue to breastfeed, which helps to create a more bonded mother and infant and a relatively peaceful home life. With the reduction of crying and fussiness, the relationship between the mother and father is less strained in the transitional year to becoming a family, and that helps to bond the family unit more easily.

The Reason Behind The Baby’s Crying

When a baby fusses or cries, especially in the evening, the problem is usually that the baby is experiencing an adverse reaction to something that the mother is eating. If a breastfeeding mother can alter her diet on a short-term basis, the baby usually calms down and the breastfeeding process becomes easier for both mother and baby.

The main food source that a breastfeeding mother eats that causes babies discomfort are cow’s milk proteins. Small amounts of cow’s milk proteins end up in breast milk and can cause the baby to experience either food hypersensitivities or food intolerances. The resulting symptoms are gas, bloating, discomfort and crying. (Sound familiar?)

There are other foods that consistently cause a baby to experience discomfort. For more information, please visit Dr. Melanie’s website.

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

About The Author: Dr. Melanie Beingessner is a chiropractor, a breastfeeding counsellor, a certified infant massage instructor & the mother of three fabulous kids. She is the author of The Calm Baby Cookbook, written to help breastfeeding moms calm their fussy babies by changing their diets. Dr. Melanie’s website provides information about pregnancy, breastfeeding, ADD/ADHD, chiropractic, health and wellness at drmelaniebee.org

By: Kay Green

Your daughter has outgrown her car seat. A friend is in need of a car seat. Can you safely pass it along? What things should you look for?

“If the car seat was made in the last 7-8 years, there should be an expiration date on it. My daughter will be 6 in May, and her car seat expires in October of 2005. That was the date imprinted on the car seat.” says Cris of http://phoenixcandlelites.com/cimfundraiser.htm

“Always ask if it has ever been in a car when there was an accident (sudden force can damage the plastic even though it is not noticeable to the naked eye) and is it less than 6 years old. The plastic does deteriorate over time, and 6 years is the longest you can use a car seat. We had car seats for my oldest granddaughter, who would have been 7 last Sept., and we couldn’t use them for the newest baby because they were too old.” Says Anita of http://www.blessedenterprises.org

THE TEST - These are both valid points.
Before passing on a car seat I like to do the following:
1. Be certain the seat was never in a car accident
2. Check the age of the seat
3. Check with the seat manufacturer for recalls
4. Check for any breakage or tearing

If the car seat is free from accident, recalls, and breakage and the seat belts are strong then you can pass the car seat onto a friend. If your seat does not pass the test then please do not pass the car seat along.

IN AN ACCIDENT - If you own a car seat that is ever in a car accident please mark the plastic of the frame with a permanent marker “IN ACCIDENT - DESTROY” then break it down and put it in the garbage. Your own car insurance will almost always pay for a replacement car seat after a car accident. Call them to request this. Do not risk putting your child in a car seat that could have underlying damage that puts your child at risk.

RIGHT SIZE - Be sure your child is in the RIGHT size car seat. Every car seat comes with weight and height requirements for that seat. Please follow them. I have often seen children riding in car seats clearly not the right size for them. I saw a 15 month old child in an infant carrier car seat. The mother insisted that because he was under 20 pounds she could not move him to a front facing. She was right. BUT what he needed was a rear facing convertible car seat made for a child of his height and weight. His head was all the way to the top of the car seat. It needed to be no less than one inch from the top of the seat.

CAR SEAT ID CARD - Always have an car seat ID card attached to your child’s car seat. This card should have your child’s name, age, weight, height, medical info, 5 contact numbers for family members and a medical release signature. This card can make the difference in getting quick care or finding a family member to come get your child in an accident where you can not care for your child.

We as moms love to share our baby items with friends. With car seats it is very important that we carefully look at all the criteria before passing along car seats to be certain the child we want to share with is safe as well.

Car Seat Safety Guide. Find out what the weight and height limits are for the car seat you own or are considering buying.

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

About The Author: Kay Green is the founder of www.MyPreciousKid.com Children’s Safety Products and Baby Gear. Kay has a passion for keeping kids safe and giving parents peace of mind. Kay & Russell, her husband of 27 years, live in Oregon with their 4 children. www.KayGreen.com www.PreciousKids.org www.123HomeBusinessGuide.com COPYRIGHT 2000-2007 My Precious Kid®, Kay Green. All rights reserved.

I’ve never been a photogenic gal, but I kinda like this recent photo of me holding my new great-niece Sadie. This was taken at a family wedding in June. My 11 year old daughter is off to the left with the cute smile on her face.

By: Kids Activity Calendar

Just because babies can’t read doesn’t mean that books are no good to them. Babies need stimulation and to hear the sound of your voice. Reading picture books and soft touch books will introduce them to new ideas and familiarize them with their senses. Here are the best ever children’s books for babies.

1. Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt- This is my all time favorite book for babies. In Pat the Bunny, babies get to use their sense of touch to learn about the bunny rabbit in the book. They can feel various surfaces and you can even rub the pages against their face or arms so they can see how soft and tickly the book is. As your child grows, they will be intrigued by the pictures that they can touch. This should be the first book for all children.

2. Are You My Mother? By P.D. Eastman- No matter their species babies need the loving touch of a mother. They will search out their mother by her voice or facial recognition until they find the one they belong to. The baby bird in this book had to do just that. When he hatched, his mother was off gathering food. He had no idea that he was even a baby bird. He walked to the edge and fell out of his nest to the ground. In order to find out where he belonged he asked everything he saw if it was his mother. This book is offered by Amazon.com as a cloth book. Cloth books are perfect for a baby. They can spit up on them and all you need to do is throw it in the washer and dryer and it is ready to read again.

3. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss- I adore all of Dr. Seuss’ books with his nonsense rhymes. Your baby will meet Sam I Am. Sam is trying to get a fellow traveler to try green eggs and ham. The more the fellow protests, the more Sam I Am insists that he must try his product. Just when the traveler thinks he’s lost him, Sam pops up again. He follows the guy everywhere, not taking no for an answer. Your baby will see Sam and the traveler on a train, in the dark, in a house, and with a mouse. As your child grows, the tongue twisters will bring hours of laughter and fun. By the end of the journey, does Sam I Am convince the traveler to try the green eggs and ham? You’ll have to read the book with your child to find out.

4. Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb! By Al Perkins- In this fun rhyming book, as the monkeys demonstrate each hand, finger, and thumb show your baby his/her hands, fingers, and thumbs. It’s never too early to start familiarizing them with who they are. The monkeys also discover what they can do with their hands. They can wear sparkly rings on their fingers. They can clap and make music on the drums with their hands. Show your baby how to clap their hands together and pat with them.

5. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. - This book is full of bright colors and letters. The book introduces each letter of the alphabet as it makes its way on stage and up into the coconut tree. Say the letters of the alphabet slowly and point to them on the page. Your child is not old enough now to say them, but in time they will be and they will recognize the letters that you have been showing to them.

Babies need to start early with reading. If you read to them when they are young, they will want you to continue reading to them as they get older. Any of the above favorites will get the ball rolling.

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

About The Author: Are you ready to challenge your preschooler’s mind even more? Take a look at www.kidsactivitycalendar.com for Alphabet Fun for your preschooler. The alphabet audios, coloring sheets and other activities are a great way to prepare your little one for kindergarten. Find out more at www.kidsactivitycalendar.com

By: Susanne Myers

I still haven’t figured out why they call it morning sickness. If you ask me, it’s all day every day sickness. For many of us, dealing with the queasiness and nausea of morning sickness is the hardest part about being pregnant. Thankfully there are quite a few easy and natural ways to improve the way you feel without harming your baby. Here are a few of my favorite remedies to give you morning sickness relief.

Eat small meals spread out through the day. This way your stomach is never quite empty which helps prevent excessive stomach acid. Eating small meals will also keep you from eating too much at once, which can also make you feel sick.

Drink plenty of water. Carry a cup or a water bottle with you at all times and sip throughout the day. The water is important for the overall health and wellbeing of both you and your baby. It will also dilute any stomach acid, keeping you from getting quite as sick.

Take your prenatal vitamins right before you go to sleep at night. Mine used to make me really sick, even if I took them with a full meal. Taking them at night, right before I went to bed, allowed me to fall asleep before I started getting sick. Take them with a snack, like a bowl of cereal, or some crackers and cheese.

Ginger and peppermint will both help with nausea. Carry some ginger snaps, or some candied ginger with you. Nibble on it when you feel the first signs of morning sickness. Carry some peppermint candy or gum with. For bad cases of morning sickness, a cup of peppermint tea always helped me. It may be worth a try.

Please check with your OB/GYN about these tips on morning sickness relief before implementing them.

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

About The Author: Susanne Myers has suffered her share of morning sickness, which prompted her to create www.morningsicknessinfo.com a website full of information about and tips to prevent morning sickness. For more information about your pregnancy in general please visit www.healthandbeautyinfo.com/pregnancy.html

By: Audrey Okaneko

I remember when I first announced that I was pregnant. Two things happened. I began getting phone calls of congratulations and I began getting advice.

Today, it is 20 years later and I’ve continued to get parenting advice through the infant stage, the toddler stage, the young adult stage, the teen stage and now the adult child stage. Everyone has advice to offer.

So, how can you stop yourself from going nuts with all of the advice? Here are a few of my suggestions.

Listen to those who you want to listen to. There is always something to be learned. You may pick up a tidbit of what to do or you just may be persuaded to never try something that is being offered to you as advice. I have had women over the years offer advice to me that I knew was exactly what not to do.

If you don’t want to listen, simply say “thank you, right now I’m just on information overload”. Most folks will stop when asked to stop. When I was pregnant, I had some health issues. I was following the advice of my doctor. I think everyone I spoke to either knew someone or knew someone who knew someone else who had been through what I was going through and everyone wanted to help me. I simply said “thank you so much for caring, however I really need to listen to my doctor, I trust her 100%”. At this point, most folks stopped offering their advice.

Through the years as I’ve had various parenting questions and parenting dilemmas, I have most definitely solicited information from others who had walked in my shoes previously. Again, listen to and take in what you find useful. If the information gets overwhelming, then once again thank people for their concern and change the subject.

Anyone who has been pregnant and had a child will have information and advice to share. It’s up to you how much you listen to and how much you say “no thanks”.

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

About The Author: Audrey Okaneko is mom to two girls. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at www.recipe-barn.com

My fourth baby was a preemie and I pumped for him for several months and eventually got him nursing, which was wonderful! And then a few months later I was….pregnant again!….and lost my milk supply.

It was very hard to not be able to nurse my preemie any more, and worried about him through RSV season since he did not have all those wonderful breastfeeding health benefits.

I think the best things I did in spite of not being able to nurse were to do all the cuddly things that I would have done even if I had been breastfeeding still. Hold him when he ate, slept next to him, and just made the feeding process as nurturing as possible.

It can be really hard to have breastfeeding be out of reach, but you can still love and nurture your little one no matter what!

I can tell you that my preemie is now 7 years old, and he’s been just as healthy as my other 5 children.

Hey gals!

Just wanted to let you know that we have a nice testimonial/review about the Your Baby Can Read program over here. I knew that some of you would enjoy seeing how this program worked for another mom.

I am SO pleased to finally be able to offer my VERY FAVORITE baby accessory to my baby boutique customers: Slings!

Honestly, after mothering my six children, I can tell you that if I could only choose one item to help me with my babies, it would definitely be a sling. They are wonderful for

going for walks,

for keeping strangers from pawing at your baby at the grocery store,

for helping your baby sleep while you go through stores (and not having bright lights shining in their eyes),

for nursing discreetly,

for all the times you go places where strollers are inconvenient (the zoo, museums, etc.), and more!

Here are directions for how to use our slings. There are many ways to use them!

I read a post from a military wife on one of my egroups today. She had just found out that her husband was being deployed and she was really feeling bummed out. During past deployments they had not gotten much help from church, community, or family members, and she was dreading being on her own again with four young children and little-if-any support.

Knowing that we have a lot of military families on our newsletter list, I thought I’d include my response to her here, plus ask you wonderful people to add any comments or suggestions you may have about getting the help you need during deployments. Spread the word to others that may have good ideas, too!

I can only imagine how daunting it is to face being on your own with the children and without your husband for an extended period of time. Yes, you “knew” when you married him it would include this…but knowing beforehand and knowing afterwards are two different things, right?

Would it be possible for your husband to specifically ask your church leadership or people in your church or community to help you? Or perhaps other military families with husbands that are not deployed? Maybe if it comes from the husband to other men, it might get taken more seriously….? Also, might it be possible for families in your church to take on some sort of a schedule for being extra support for you, such as one family per month to be “on call” if you have a plumbing problem or a car repair?

Many years ago when I was on bed rest during a difficult pregnancy I had 3 little ones ages 1, 3, and 7, and my husband worked 24 hour shifts. (still does) Having always been the helping sort, it was hard for me to ask for help although we badly needed it! Eventually what helped me ask-but-not-ask was to make up a list of things that I needed help with. People are famous for saying, “let me know if you need anything” but what woman really wants to call them and say “Hey–can you come clean my toilets?!” I started saying to people, “Well, it’s hard for me to remember everything and it’s hard for me to ask, but I did make up a list of things we could use help with. Maybe there is something on there you would feel like you could do.” If they were at my house they could just look at the list, and of course lists are easy to send by email. Either way, people could see a wide range of things that needed to be done and find stuff that was a fit for their personality or preferences. I was amazed that some friends came to clean bathrooms or to take laundry away!

I know that these suggestions aren’t going to solve all of your problems, but maybe one or two of them can help, or maybe inspire some other ideas that will be more successful for you.

Many thanks to Christina Mroz of Complete Motions. Christina is a Wellness and Life Coach, and offers Holy Yoga and Pilates Instruction. You can check out her web site here.

When I became pregnant, I knew I wanted to have this child as naturally as possible. Prior to my birth experience, only one other person in my family had ever tried a natural birth and unfortunately, that birth ended in a caesarian. However, I still wanted to see how my body would handle birth without intervention. As a yoga and Pilates instructor, I felt very prepared physically for this birth.

As my due date grew closer, my patience grew less. It seemed that everyone was either calling or asking if we had had our baby yet. I knew that our baby would be born when it was ready, but a large part of me just wanted the baby here NOW. I finally convinced my husband (Michael) to try intercourse to induce labor. Well, it worked. I heard a pop. At first, I was not sure what it was but as I proceeded to the bathroom water started to leak out. Since this was my first pregnancy, I was not sure what was happening. After awhile in the bathroom Michael asked if everything was ok—I responded by telling him I think my water broke. The television portrays a women’s water breaking in one huge gush—that was not true for me at all. It was more like little trickles that occurred every once in awhile.

As the reality sunk it, I called my midwife. This was about 10pm. At this point, I was not having any contractions; she said to notify her when contractions started. About a half hour later, I was having 30-second contractions about 5 minutes apart. This was when we got a little nervous, mostly because we lived an hour away from the birth center. Our plan was to go to my brother’s house (who lived a mile from the birth center) when active labor started. Again, we called my midwife; she did not see an immediate need to head to my brother’s but told us to do what felt comfortable. At 11pm, we left for his house. We arrived there an hour later, he was trying to sleep but his girlfriend was anxiously waiting for us. I am so glad we left when we did because having contractions in the car is not much fun.

Once at my brother’s house my contractions started to change. They grew stronger and longer. I did not want to wake my brother’s roommates or scare my brother’s girlfriend half to death so when a contraction started I went into the hallway. During each contraction, my back just hurt, so Michael would gently rub my back. After another hour, my contractions were close to 1 minute in length and about 2 minutes apart. Michael called my midwife and we decided to meet at the birth center in a half hour. At his point my brother had awaken—or did I wake him (not sure).

Right before I was suppose to leave for the birth center, I threw up all over his bed and my clothes. I then had to borrow clothes from his girlfriend (note to self: next time bring extra clothes and have a bucket near by). As we left, I felt bad for throwing up and thought I had ruined any chance that my brother’s girlfriend would want to have children.

When we reached the birth center, my midwife checked my cervix and dilatation. To both my husband’s surprise and mine, she said I was fully dilated and my cervix was gone. What! I was hoping she said I was at least 6 centimeters. I decided it would be nice to get in a warm tub to ease my back pain. The tub was a little bit of heaven. As the baby dropped, my pain increased, especially in my back so during each contraction someone continued to rub my back. During this time, I was pretty much in a daze. I remember little things like soft music playing, my midwife calmly waiting in the chair next to me, Michael calling our family to tell them to starting driving to the birth center, and Michael reporting that a deer was eating the flowers out in the flower garden. This was so odd because the birth center is in the middle of town. At one point, I remember seeing a small fishing net that you use in a fish tank and I said, “Are you going fishing?” I had no idea what it was for—well I soon found out. It was to clean out the water in the tub—yes, stuff does come out when you push. Did I care, not really—by this point, I was too focused on pushing this baby out than to worry about anything else.

During the “dropping” phase I became very impatient—it felt like it was taking forever and plus it hurt. At different points during this phase, Michael would walk in and out of the room—I thought it must be hard for him to see me like this. After about 1 ½ hours a head started to appear, along with some blood. As I continued to push, the head continued to stay out but the rest did not come. After a couple of minutes, my midwife said in a very direct voice, “We need to get mom out of the tub NOW!” Yikes. Prior to this, she was so calm and relaxed so I knew she was not kidding but I could not imagine getting out of the tub now. Well, both of my midwives grabbed my arms and helped me out. I then knelt on all fours. She then wanted me to step one leg forward into a lung—I even commented to her “Are you kidding?” Again, they helped me move my leg up. As soon as I did that, the baby just slide out. They quickly wrapped the baby up. Immediately I asked is it a boy or girl—they did not even look. Therefore, I unwrapped this little bundle with blood and other fluids all over it to discover that we had a girl. Hannah Johanna Christina Mroz was born at 3:55am. Then they gave me a stool to squat on and handed me our new baby. Michael got the honor of cutting the cord. Almost instantly, Hannah latched on. About 25 minutes later, I delivered the placenta—what a breeze. I then moved into the bed to relax and bond with my new baby girl and Michael.

For the next hour, they monitored Hannah and me. My family also arrived to see this new addition to our family. Before leaving the birth center Hannah was weighed, measured, and her feet were stamped. I need to go to the bathroom, which was difficult because it stung. My midwife also checked my perineum and discovered that I had torn a little. She then numbed my perineum and sewed it back up.

Right before we were leaving, they asked if I wanted to see the placenta. As they brought it out my family and husband gathered around. We were all very amazed by the role this organ plays in birth—truly a miracle.

At about 8am, Mike, Hannah, my mom, and I left for our house. My family could not believe I was going home so soon and even tried to talk me into staying longer. Less than 12 hours later Mike and I were back home with our new baby girl—what a neat experience!

On September 26th 1999, we celebrated my husband’s birthday, a day early. I was not due with our first until October 24. My brother called to say hi. I recalled saying to him…. It’ll be soon. He said ya they all say that!

We went out for a quiet evening on September 28th. Around 1 am September 29th, I felt like my water broke. But nothing was going on and I didn’t want to go to the hospital too soon. So I waited until I was sure and that something was going on. About 3:30am I woke Mark up. He rolled over and said “ ya right” . Then sat bolt upright in bed and said really??? … okay I’m up.

I had everything ready to go. We went to the hospital. They didn’t believe that I was in labor. I was at 4 cm and 80% effaced. Until I threw up all over the nurse that was checking me in… she realized very quickly that I was in transition. They admitted me. I sat in the whirlpool for about an hour or so. Then insisted I had to get up and go to the bathroom. The Nurse checked me and discovered I was fully dilated and baby was descending. He was comingJ

So they did all they do, I was a first time mom. I let them lead me too much. The Dr was attempting to cut me to ease the baby’s arrival. Mark about decked to DR J insisting that his wife did not want thatJ GO MARK!

At 7:11 Wednesday September 29, 1999after about 20 minutes of pushing…. Lucas Graham Visscher was born. He weighed 7# and 4 ounces. He was 20 inches long. He was fine for a bit and then they felt he had a breathing issue. Since he came so quickly he had what they called “wet lung” and was in what we called his cage…. For a few days. On that Saturday we were able to take our first born son home. My parents drove from Pennsylvania to Michigan to see their daughter’s firstborn child. Mark’s parents were in the same town and were very shocked When Mark called Wednesday morning to say we had a baby! It was very tense for a few days there but things did smooth out and our son is now over 7 years old, lost a tooth, but more importantly than any academic or physical change… he has accepted Jesus into his life and we can see he has a tender heart towards things of God.

Before we knew it we were excited to discover we were going to be parents of 2 J that story is yet to come… and so are a few more:)

Kathleen

I saw this article on one of my egroups and the author, Marybeth, was kind enough to allow me to share it with all of you. Enjoy!

Here are a few ideas and recipes for making and
storing baby food……

Storing Homemade Baby Food:

When making more than just a one meal’s worth of food,
you need a way to store a larger volume safely. By
freezing foods, you will have the benefits of variety
and convenience of prepared foods and you will find it
easy to cook in volume. You can always keep an
adequate supply on hand and never need to rush to
prepare food for a hungry baby!

The Food Cube Method”
1. Take prepared , pureed food and pour into plastic
“pop out” ice cube trays.
2. Freeze the food cubes quickly.
3. Pop out cubes and transfer to plastic freezer
bags.
4. Label and date. Can be stored up to 2 months!

The “Plop” Method

1. Take pureed or finely ground goods and “plop” by
sponfuls onto a cookie sheet. The size of each “plop”
depends on how much you think the baby will eat at one
meal.
2. Freeze “plops” quickly.
3. When frozen, remocve from sheet and transfer to
plastic freezer bags.
4. Label and date. Can be stored up to 2 months.

*Keep foods, cereals, vegetables and fruites in
separate freezer bags when storing.

Before a meal, take out the food you will be serving ,
and thaw it in the refirgerator or warm it (carefully)
in the microwave. The microwave can give you hot
spots in the food, so be sure to stir it and heat
slowly…

Fruits:

Except for banana’s, you will have to cook other
fruits until they are soft. Stay away from
strawberries until the baby is older. They tend to
cause allergic reactions. Also be careful of fruit
with tiny seeds…blackberries, raspberries etc. Use
ripe bananas, they are very easy to mash.

Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums and Apricots-

Wash, peel and cut fruit into small pieces: Add 1/2
cup boiling water to 1 cup of fruit. Simmer until
tender (10-20 minutes). There is no need to add
sugar. Blend or puree until smooth Freeze balance.
* When the baby is eating yogert you can add the fruit
cubes to the yogert….really tasty!

Veggies:

Fresh is best! Frozen is next! ( I know that sounds
stupid , but it is a good rule of thumb when feeding
your baby veggies)

Best Basic Recipe for Cooking Beets, Carrots, Sweet
Potatoes, Peas, Green Beans, and Potatoes:

Water Method:
Peel and slice for fast cooking or use frozen. Cook
in 1-1/2 inches of water 20 minutes. Puree or blend
with some of the cookingwater.

Steam Method: Peel and slice for fast cooking or use
frozen. Steam over boiling water until tender. Puree
or blend adding cooking water fro right consistency.

Baked Sweet Potato and Apples:
3/4 c cooked sweet potato
1/4 c liquid (cooking water)
1 cup applesauce (unsweetened) or apples that you
cooked and mashed.

Preheat oven to 350 . Remove skin and core and slice
apples. Mix sweet potatoes and apples in baking dish.
Pour liquid over. Cover and bake fro 30 minutes.
Puree or mash with a fork. Serve and then freeze into
plops.

Meats:

You can use meats that you have cooked for your
family, or cook up a month’s supply of baby food at a
time , and puree it. (Food processor or blender or
baby food grinder ) * I bought my grinder at “Whole
Foods” if you have one in your area they are great
for having “hard to find items”, such as a
grinder….they are also really helpful if you have
questions about making baby food. They will give you
more tips and ideas….
If you want a smoother meat consistency, mix the
pureed meat with some water. You can combine chicken
with a little bit of ripe banana to get a smooth
texture. You can also cook meat in a crock pot with
some water until tender ( no seasonings ) and then
puree them. Freeze and store.

Basic Stew

1 cup of cubed chicken, turkey, beef, cooked
1/4 cup vegetables, cooked
1/4 cup water
Blend or puree together and make into food cubes or
plops. As the baby gets older you can use chicken
broth in place of water to give the food more flavor .
You can also add 1/4 cup of rice ,cooked.

Ok….. this is a start. I will keep looking around
for more information for you and will post it …….I
always made my own baby food. It was so much easier
and soooooo much less expensive. My word of advice is
to go buy a grinder. And to just dive in. Your baby
will be very happy with the variety of foods he is
enjoying!

Let me know if you have any questions…..you can
email me ! Have a great day!

Marybeth Krol CBE, Doula
athenasbymbk@yahoo.com