Mom Central Baby

Discovery Health's NICU docu-drama on premature babies

If you are currently a mother, you know how amazing the entire birth process was. I am thankful everyday for a healthy child and know that I am blessed beyond measure.

I have one friend in particular who has a really amazing story about giving birth to her son when he was only 23 weeks along. I watched the events unfold from the day her water broke until the day he came home from the hospital. He is now a bright, funny and lovable elementary school student! It is amazing what technology can do for the tiniest of lives and I am so grateful for all of the hard work doctors and nurses put in every day. What a wonderful time to be pregnant and having babies!

Starting Thursday, July 15th at 10 pm E/P time you can watch the new docu-drama created by Discovery Health. The series is called NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). This particular series takes you behind the scenes of NICUs in Baltimore, San Diego, and Cleveland. You will be able to follow the doctors, nurses, and even the families behind these tiny patients.

If you visit the Discovery Health NICU website, you can join the Discovery Health Pregnancy and Parenting Support Community as well as support the March of Dimes as they fight for preemies. The support community provides a way for you to post questions and gain feedback from other mothers.

I know that my friend would have loved to have had this type of support when she was going through the birth of her preemie. It is sometimes comforting to hear from other mothers who have been there. You can also find helpful articles available for parents of preemies that include tips for nursing a preemie and long term issues and problems associated with preemies.

Felicia Carter is the author of Go Graham Go, a parenting blog with advice, products and money saving tips. She has a three year old son and is expecting number two in September. Connect with Felicia on Twitter.

Ideas for preserving pregnancy memories

If you are pregnant for the first time it may feel like you are never going to get there. I know my first pregnancy seemed like it took forever. I completely enjoyed it, but it was definitely long.

This time around things seem to be speeding past me before I realize what has happened. I have not been doing as good of a job of documenting this time, but I have thrown in a few things to keep as mementos.

Monthly picture documentation

Many women do not like the way they look when they are pregnant, but I can assure you that you are going to want those memories one day! I started documenting how my belly was growing in photos.

I started at about 12 weeks and tried to keep up with it each month. It is fun now for me to look back and see how different I looked when I was pregnant the first time as compared to this time. This is also an easy and free way to keep up with things.

Many of my friends use their phone cameras and take a picture using a bathroom mirror. It is a good idea to choose the same location every time so you can truly see the difference.

Ultrasound pictures and videos

This is probably the most common way parents document a pregnancy. Make sure to ask your ultrasound technician if you will be allowed to have a video. I know several places will, but others frown upon it. Both pregnancies we were able to bring in one of those old school VHS tapes and have most of the ultrasound recorded. My philosophy is that it never hurts to ask!

Also, if you leave the ultrasound and the technician forgets to hand you a few photos make sure to speak up. You can take those and frame them or put them in scrapbooks for safe keeping.

Belly cast

This is something that I have never tried, but always think is a great idea! It used to be that you had to find a tutorial to create a belly cast. Now you can purchase kits online at places like Amazon or Babies R Us that include everything you need as well as instructions.

The kits I have seen usually retail for about $25-$35 depending upon what you want. I have seen some women create beautiful pieces of artwork out of theirs. I also think it could be a neat idea to let your other children decorate it and hang it in the new baby's room. This could be a great way to get the entire family talking about the brand new addition.

Felicia Carter is the author of Go Graham Go, a parenting blog with advice, products and money saving tips. She has a three year old son and is expecting number two in September. Connect with Felicia on Twitter.

Make an emergency kit for the car

Last week I was reminded of the fact that I really need some sort of emergency kit in the car. One day Graham cut his hand in the grocery store and began to bleed. The next day he had an accident in Barnes and Noble because he did not want to leave the Thomas the Train table. I know that it probably seems like a "no-brainer" to have an emergency kit on hand, but even the most prepared moms forget!

When Graham was very small it was easier to have a lot of things on hand because we needed so much for him anyway. I found that the older Graham got, the less things I was bringing and the smaller my bags became. So, I was the mom completely unprepared in both stores those days and decided I needed to make sure I was prepared for the future. It is one thing to need a change of clothes, and another to have some safety supplies on hand to keep in the car!  Keep in mind that these items should be modified depending on what age children you have.  Also, you will need to keep most of the items under a seat or away from direct sunlight to make sure medicine, food, and sunscreen do not break down.

Items to Include:

• Wipes. Even if your child is potty trained it is always good to have wipes on hand for accidents, sticky messes, cleaning off cuts and after playing at the playground.
• Extra set of clothes/underwear/diapers/shoes
• Band-aids
• Travel antibacterial spray or ointment
• A few non-perishable snacks
• Water or juice boxes
• Allergy medication/Tylenol/Motrin
• Sunscreen
• Extra jacket or blanket during the colder months
• Plastic bags (dirty clothes, car sickness, etc).

I know that there have to be many more things that I am missing, and I'm sure that I will learn about them as they arise! I'm curious as to what you have or would include in an emergency kit for your child. I know there are many seasoned parents who have been there and have some great ideas!

Felicia Carter is the author of Go Graham Go, a parenting blog with advice, products and money saving tips. She has a three year old son and is expecting number two in September. Connect with Felicia on Twitter.

The First Few Weeks with Baby

So the moment has finally arrived! At last, you have the baby you have been longing for in your arms and in your home. Maybe you had to wait a little longer than expected, but you are thrilled to have this bundle home... or are you?

Hormone Shift

I remember when I first brought Graham home I had a ton of emotions flowing through me. I was elated to have this new little guy home, delighted to show him off to family and friends, and excited for the moments to come. Little did I know that in about 5 days I would have a complete emotional meltdown and have no idea what was going on. On day number 5 after his birth, I started to cry uncontrollably. It was much different from feeling emotional over the birth of a new child; it felt unnatural. Lucky for me, I have a wonderful pediatrician who sent us home with a few pages of what to expect the first few weeks. Through the tears I picked up the papers and noticed that there was a special section for moms. One of the first few lines stated that it was typical to experience uncontrollable crying on about day 3-5. I was relieved to see that I was not alone and that although this felt unnatural, it was part of the hormone shift. The next day I was feeling like myself again! It is important to note that if you are feeling this way for 2 weeks straight or more you may be suffering from postpartum depression and need to contact your doctor.

Lack of Sleep

The hormone shift was just one of the many new changes I had to adjust to in those first few days. It was also an adjustment to try to function with little to no sleep. Everyone had warned me about the lack of sleep, but it did not hit home until it actually happened. Luckily, this only lasted the first few weeks as well. Again, my wonderful pediatrician came to our rescue and said, "It looks like he has his days and nights mixed up.  Let's try this...". He then gave me a feeding schedule that corrected this problem in one night. Graham was sleeping completely through the night by 5 weeks!

Feeding Frenzy

I nursed Graham and was completely unprepared for the growth spurt. At about 4 weeks he seemed to need to nurse every hour. I thought for sure that something had gone wrong with my supply, so I called the Lactation Nurse. She quickly relieved my fears by letting me know that babies will typically have a growth spurt around 3 weeks and 6 weeks. He was simply building up his supply! This happened again at 3 months and 6 months, but this time I was prepared.

Bonding

Of course, I don't want to forget about the best part! At some point during those first few weeks you will start to bond with that special someone. I know that it doesn't happen right away for some parents, but at some point, it will. The first few weeks are such a special time of getting to know one another and figuring out your baby's special needs. You will be amazed at how quickly you will know what he or she needs as soon as the first cry starts. You will also be amazed at how your presence in the room can calm your fussy baby in a matter of seconds sometimes.

It is definitely a learning game and it helps to have some great supports around you. Make sure you have some trusted family or friends you can call on for help and advice. Also, take advantage of your doctor, pediatrician, and lactation consultants. If someone would like to offer to help, let them! Take this time to get to know your little one and cherish every moment. It is cliche, but so true, that time passes by so quickly.

Felicia Carter is the author of Go Graham Go. She has a three year old son and is expecting number two in September. Connect with Felicia on Twitter.

Photo from Microsoft Clipart

Product review: Sugar Sweet Baby Bamboo Baby Wrap

When Charlotte was first born (just over six months ago!), one of the first things that I had to get used to was feeling like I never had my hands free.  Well, I never did quite get "used to" it.  Sugar Sweet Baby's Bamboo Baby Wrap to the rescue! 

The folks at the SugarSweetBaby.com were kind enough to send me one of their bamboo baby wraps to test out.  Before my little one arrived I was mostly focused on all the cute prints and I ended up choosing brown with pink polks dots.  But once Charlotte made her appearance, I truly appreciated the design of the wrap.  There is plenty of material to make wrapping easy and the fabric is so soft.  Charlotte always stayed secure - and upright, which I prefer.  Instructions are included with the wrap packaging but I would recommend checking out the videos on the website as well.  Very helpful.

And I can't even describe how great it felt to have my hands free once again.  Doing dishes and folding laundry never felt so liberating! 

Side note: When you're on the SugarSweetBaby website make sure to check out the super cute hair clips.  Charlotte could use a daisy for Spring.

(Photos at top courtesy of SugarSweetBaby.com.)

Mom Central received one bamboo wrap from SugarSweetBaby  to facilitate this candid review.

Adrienne is Mom Central's Community Manager.

adrienne@momcentral.com | http://twitter.com/adriennelb | http://www.facebook.com/AdrienneLB

Create a Postpartum Relief Kit

If you are a mom to be, there are going to be some items that will make your life a little bit easier once baby arrives. After the birth of my own son almost three years ago, I now put together what I like to call the Postpartum Relief Kit for my close friends and family that have recently given birth. It is basically just a big basket full of goodies that made me or my new baby feel better.

Items You Will Need

Tissues

It is no secret that at some point during the first week home with your newborn you are going to be crying for no reason. It was at about day 4 or 5 for me. Your hormones are trying to adjust and sometimes it can be rocky!  If the "blues" hang around for longer than 2 weeks you need to contact your doctor.

TUCKS Medicated Pads

Hopefully you will not need these, but just in case, they can be a huge relief!  I like the TUCKS brand because they come in the handy round pad form.

Bubble Bath

Let's face it.  You love your baby, but you still need your own down time!  The best way for me to get some relaxation and some time away was to get in a nice hot bubble bath and light some candles.  It was just the break I needed from the all day feeding fest.  Besides, the better you take care of yourself, the better you will be able to take care of your baby.

Little Noses Saline Drops

Your little bundle is going to need these sooner than you think. It is amazing how stuffy they can get and saline nose drops work wonders at helping the bulb syringe do its job! We love the Little Remedies brand because they come out in drops as opposed to a powerful spray which is less intimidating for those tiny noses.

Organic Mother's Milk Tea

At some point your baby is going to go through a growth spurt.  It usually happens around 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months. When this happens it helps to have some Organic Mother's Milk Tea available. It helps to increase breast milk production and can be a real sanity saver. It also has a pleasant taste and can be relaxing. Just make sure you steep the tea properly to get the full effect.

 Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads

These were my absolute favorite nursing pads because they were thin, stayed in place and held a ton of milk. I never had any trouble with leaking and they conformed to the shape of my nursing bra with ease.  Other pads often felt stiff and unnatural.

Lansinoh Breast milk Storage Bags

Because you are going to need a date night sooner or later! If you are a working mom these are a must.  Out of the breast milk storage bags I tried I had the most luck with these. They are nice and sturdy, have a bottom that allows them to stand, and a section for you to easily write the date. These bags were also easy to pour into the bottle.

Lansinoh HPA Lanolin

A little bit goes a long way! In the beginning stages of breast feeding I would use this after each nursing session. The Lanolin really did a great job of protecting. This is another handy item to have when the growth spurts begin.

Anti-bacterial Hand Sanitizer

We all want to share our brand new gift with the world, but we don't want to share the germs! Place a pump bottle of hand sanitizer at your front door for visitors so that they are ready to safely hold baby.

There are so many more items that could go into this kit, but I feel like this hits the highlights and the items that you may not think of at first. I will usually also add a special book just for baby so that mom can have bonding time reading. For those seasoned mothers out there, what would you include in your postpartum relief kit? 

Felicia Carter is the author of Go Graham Go.  She has a three year old son and is expecting in September.  Connect with her on Twitter.

Starting Over...

Well not entirely, but close. Let me clarify.  I am the mother of a 12 year old and I am just now expecting my 2nd. Why the big gap?  Why does anything happen in life.  I was a young mom at 23 with my daughter, in a long-term-not-so-stable relationship, and well, things happen. I hadn't finished my college degree but was inching my way toward the finish line one class at a time. I realized I had to grow up much faster than many of my friends when I had my daughter. Couple young motherhood with a not-so-responsible partner and I ended up a single, working mom and going full force toward my degree.  It wasn't easy but very rewarding. I owned a small condo in a non-descriptive brick building, but it was mine. I was also still tortured by my loyalty for my daughter's father, and his inability to let go of us made it harder to move forward with another relationship. 

When I finally got my degree at 29, I made a point of "walking" to receive my diploma along with all of my fellow 21 year-old peers.  I did this for Emilee more than myself to prove to her that you can accomplish your goals as long as you work hard.  And she was there, sitting with my parents, cheering the loudest.

I couldn't, and didn't know where my life would take me from that point, it seemed time was slipping away and I was getting older with no serious relationship. I wondered if I would ever get married or have any more children. I was starting to think that "fairytale" would never happen for me.   Two weeks after I received my degree, I met my future husband.

So here I am, 6 years later, expecting another little girl at 35 years old. People ask me why, when I was just starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, would I start all over again.  I had even been asking myself that question. I've come to realize that it's not starting over, it's completing my family.  An extension of my already established tiny family. For many years, my immediate family consisted of the two of us and now it has almost doubled. So bring it on little girl!  You have a big sister who is itching to meet you.

LeSportsac giveaway and preview - plus hunting for a diaper bag

About a month ago I stopped by the accessories department at Macy's with the specific purpose of looking for a LeSportsac bag that I can also potentially use as a diaper bag.  LeSportsac was one of my mom's favorite brands and I have many memories of hunting through various inner pockets for stray pieces of gum and fruity Mentos. 

I purchased my own LeSportsac tote bag about 10 years ago as a beach bag and have used it just about every day since as my gym bag. (Yes, I'm a gym rat.)  I love it because it is:

1. Light weight
2. The perfect size for me
3. WASHABLE.
4. Bonus: I have a super-cute watermelon pattern that makes me think of summer even when it's freezing outside.

On my diaper bag search, I was thinking one of the duffle-type bags would be perfect because of the pockets for bottles, clothes, wipes etc.

Then (drumroll, please) randomly about two weeks ago, I received an email from the folks at LeSportsac regarding a new baby collection they are launching in a couple months.  Hallelujah!

The Ryan Baby Bag comes in five patterns (three of which are pictured below), has handheld straps and will include a stroller strap, interior and side pockets, and a changing pad.  The baby bag will retail for $128.  The entire Baby Collection will be sold in LeSportsac stores starting in November and you'll find it in your local retailer starting in February 2010.

 

Since the Ryan Bag is not available yet for review, the folk at LeSportsac sent me a Lexie bag (pictured below) to evaluate and I am giving it a big two thumbs up.  The bag is divided into two main compartments, plus there are those famous, handy LeSportsac inner pockets.  I packed it up with random stuff and the lines of the bag are still very smooth.  I hate lumps and bumps.  The Lexie is quite large and I'm planning on using it as my official "hospital bag" when the baby shows up in a few weeks.

Mom Central will be holding a Ryan Baby Bag giveaway starting in November, but in the meantime, the folks at LeSportsac have two items for us to raffle off.

1) My whole office is in love with the Lily wallet.  There is one outer compartment and inside there are eight credit card holders, a spot for bills and receipts, plus a zipped inner pocket for change (my favorite part).  Mom Central is giving away one Lily wallet in this pattern.

2) We are also giving away the 3-Zip cosmetic bag pictured here.  (The colors are slightly different because we are giving away a bag from the Spring line.  Same stripes, warmer colors.)

How to win one of the two LeSportsac prizes:

1. Please comment below on this post (make sure to to leave your email address)
2. Bonus entry if you Tweet about the contest
3. Bonus entry if you link to this post from your blog or website

Contest ends Wednesday, September 16, at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Interested in more giveaways?  Browse through the Mom Central Giveaways & Freebies Roundup!

Mom Central received a LeSportsac bag for editorial product review on our website.  Mom Central also received two additional products to give away to the Mom Central Community.

Whose feet will the baby have? And a few other things I've been thinking about lately

My husband and I have polar opposite feet.  Mine are super long, narrow, completely flat, and my toes are out of order size-wise. Full disclosure - my second toe is as long as some people's pinkie fingers.  My husband's feet have high arches, orderly toes, and are candidates for a modeling job.

Almost every day I find myself wondering whose feet will our little lady have? Will we know right from the beginning? 

And then I wonder, will our little lady actually be a little lady?  We had two ultrasounds and both technicians said girl definitely.  But I just don't quite believe it.  Over the past few months I've heard more stories of couples told they are *definitely* having girls and then receive the "It's a boy announcement!" in the delivery room.  I suppose I'll believe it when I see it.

The baby seems move around a lot starting at 11 p.m.  Does that mean she's going to be a night owl like my husband?  Back in the day when I could sleep normally I typically hit sack around 9 p.m.

Will she be friendly or shy?

Will she have blue eyes or brown?

Will she let me do her hair?

Will she love ice cream and peanut butter? 

Will she watch the History Channel endlessly with her dad?

Will she be a Sox fan (like me) or a Yankees fan (like her dad)?

Will she be funny or serious - or both?

Will she like to read before she goes to sleep?

Will she enjoy dancing lessons and recitals?

Will she enjoy soccer even if she's not good at it?

Will she want to play at our house or over at her friend's?

Will she procrastinate or want to get things done right away?

Will she like dolls, blocks, or electronics?

Will she want a dog?

Will she want chocolate or plain milk when we stop at Dunkin Donuts?

Will she prefer the ocean or pools?

Will she like to go shopping on Saturday afternoons?

I am 37 weeks pregnant today and am considered full term.  I don't want to go into labor early, but I am ready to have some of these questions answered.

Nursery photos: before and (almost) after plus the things people say .....

I still can't believe I'm almost 36 weeks pregnant.  (That's the beginning of the nine-month mark to all the folks who don't count in weeks).  I'm feeling about 60% ready to welcome this little girl. 

It seems to me that there are a few things you actually "need" to do before the baby comes (ex. buy a car seat, some diapers, figure out where the baby is going to sleep).  And then there is the long list of things you feel like you "want" to do (ex. deep clean your home, organize your files, see a bunch of movies, learn to cook, refold clothing etc.).  For me, the top of the "want to" list included getting the nursery in good shape. I must get organized.

So, without further ado... here is where we started.  Blue walls, a carpet some might say is ugly, and a room jam-packed with furniture.

Then we moved along to white walls ....

And now we are almost all the way here.  For those of you who followed along with "The Great Rug Debate" we ended up going with the larger 5x8 size and we are extremely happy with it.  The room needed some color.

My fabulous and generous cousins dropped off their crib this past weekend so now all we need are sheets, a changing table pad (we are using a dresser as a changing table), and photos on the walls.  If time allows, we will paint the bookcase in the front a fire engine red.  Our plan is still to frame some flower photos, but I'm also looking for a kid-appropriate wall map to hang up.  Any suggestions?

Decorating is fun and I must say it again - I love this rug!

In other news, we had family over for dinner this weekend.   Since I don't cook I ordered most of the food from a local BBQ place called Red Bones.  As I walked up to the door, I noticed a dad standing outside with two kids.  The big kid was maybe three or four and the little kid was definitely under a year and was strapped to his dad's back in some sort of contraption. 

The dad looked at me as I walked up and said, "Whooaaooaa!" in sort of a "Whoa, Nelly!" she's-as-big-as-a-horse type of way.  I mean come on!  Maybe I'm being presumptuous, but chances are this balding, 40ish father of two has seen a pregnant woman at some point in his life.  To top it off, he told his older kid to "watch out!" as I reached for the door.  As if I was going to squash him.

This made me feel great as I went in to pick up the pulled BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, corn bread, and beans.  Yum.