Monthly Archives: July 2011

Regular or Decaf for the Mom-to-Be???

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Attention Moms-to-Be…you need to beware of the barista at your friendly coffee shop who may be giving you decaf instead of regular coffee. I could not believe this story but yet again I was a New Yorker and it could definitely have happened.

As far as I know it is not up to the coffee servers to police what a pregnant women orders and it is truly none of their business.

So next time you order your coffee check and make sure you get what you ordered…

“Should You Be Eating That?” Luckily no one has asked me that, or I might flip out. I have had people tell me I shouldn’t worry about nitrates or cold-cuts, that all that is just overblown scare tactics, but I also don’t really think it’s anyone’s place to tell me to ignore my doctor’s advice or what makes me comfortable.

That being said, I currently live in NYC where anonymity is as treasured as rent-controlled apartments. So it’s rare my baristas down the street would think to call me out on my morning ice coffees with my emerging bump in tow. They’ve got their own crap to deal with than what I’m feeding myself and my unborn baby child.

via The Holier Than Thou Wisdom To Pregnant Ladies From Starbucks Baristas | The Creative Homestead The Holier Than Thou Wisdom To Pregnant Ladies From Starbucks Baristas | … where motherhood meets creative mayhem.

Pregnancy and Cravings…Choices…

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I am a big fan of “Eat This, Not That” as well. This is a wonderful post my Amy Tara Koch even though I don’t think that some of these cravings will be satisfied by the alternatives.

Eating healthy during pregnancy and just in general is so important to mom’s overall health. We should all make an effort to ‘eat this, not that’ every day. We might not be as successful as we want to be but at least it is a place to start.

Good luck and don’t laugh at some of the alternatives to what you really crave. I like the saying…” a minute on the lips…a long time on the hips” when it comes to cravings…

I have become a huge fan of David Zincenko. His EAT THIS, NOT THAT books and appearances on TODAY SHOW brilliantly showcases how to make nutritionally superior food choices and avoid excessive caloric intake without sacrificing flavor. I especially love how he unearths saturated fat and sodium content and compares say, a Bacon Deluxe Double from Wendy’s to 42 deep fried jumbo onion rings with a Crisco chive dipping sauce. Genius. Master Z inspired me to craft a little post on how to rein in pregnancy cravings and choose healthier foods inspired by the flavor that you crave. The biggest issue? Sugar intake. Agave nectar and Stevia are stellar replacements for refined white sugar to sweeten tea, coffee, baked goods and oatmeal

via Amy Tara Koch Blog » Tame Your Cravings! Bump It Up Approved Cravings Replacement List.

http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/eating-well/week-7/pinch-hitters.aspx

‘Breast Milk Baby’ …

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Breast milk baby-doll, I never thought about it to be truly honest. But now that it has been a discussion on “The View” and other morning news shows, I guess I do have an opinion.

Personally, I think that this doll can certainly teach children about breast feeding therefore it is a good thing. Children are learning all the time and playing with a breast-feeding doll will do no harm…I see it only as a positive experience.

Recently, I was walking with a 2 year old little girl who has a Princess Tiana doll. Now, the little two year old was caucasian and as we know Princess Tiana is a ‘black’ character from the Disney movie, ‘Princess and the Frog’.

We were actually walking through Chicago’s Midway airport. During this walk, I could see both white and black men and women smiling as they watched my little friend tending to Princess Tiana. This little one will soon learn that there is a difference in skin color but right now she is just being a child and enjoying herself.

I feel the same way about the breast feeding doll…little ones will be just being themselves while playing with this doll…they will not have acquired all of our ‘adult’ hang-ups about breast feeding.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could look through the eyes  of  a ‘little one’ when it comes to breast feeding and simply see a mother feeding her child.

Adults have been preparing little kids for adulthood in wacky ways for generations. When I was in grade school, I had to coddle a bag of sand for two weeks, pretending it was my baby. My friends had to take care of an egg, making sure not to drop and break it.

Now, a Spanish company is bringing a breast-feeding doll for kids to the United States. The Breast Milk Baby works by making motions and suckling sounds when a sensor in its mouth gets close to a flowery halter top the child wears while “breast-feeding.”

The doll has already seen success in Europe, generating more than $2 million in sales for its maker, Berjuan Toys, since the doll was first released in Spain four years ago.

But the reception in the United States has been mixed.

Berjuan Toys’ U.S. spokesman, Dennis Lewis, told BlogPost on Monday that reactions to the doll have been 75 to 80 percent positive stateside.

“Once people sit down and think about it, there’s nothing controversial about it,” Lewis said.

Some of the support has come from breast-feeding advocates, who say the doll helps children learn about how to feed a baby in a natural way.

But parents interviewed by “Good Morning America” were split on the issue.

via ‘Breast Milk Baby’ breast-feeding doll headed for U.S. – BlogPost – The Washington Post.

Fire pit safety

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Fire pit safety

If you have a fire pit or chiminea, your kids may beg you to toast marshmallows. Be aware that little tots will walk right up to the pretty, sparkling flames – they don’t know better. “Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!” Here are some tips for keeping everyone safe:

Always place your fire pit on a solid, steady surface and in an open area. Avoid placing it near hanging branches. (Don’t place a fire pit in an enclosed area, because fumes from it can be harmful without proper ventilation.)

Clear the area around the fire pit from any combustible materials, including lawn or garden furniture.

Know the weather conditions before you start. Do not use a fire pit under windy conditions as sparks can fly around and the fire can get out of control.

Always keep a fire extinguisher handy, and make sure it is properly charged. A nearby garden hose can be helpful, too, but make sure the line has water in it!

Have an adult start the fire to ensure that it is done safely and properly. Never use any accelerants to light the fire.

Keep the fire small. A raging bonfire can be dangerous.

Use safety gloves when handling a hot fire pit.

Fire pit screens are available in stores and are worth having. These screens keep the sparks from coming out of the pit. But never leave the fire unattended, even if you have a screen.

Kids love toasted marshmallows, but adults should be the ones to toast them. Remember marshmallows get HOT and can burn! Keep a first aid kit handy, just in case someone gets singed.

Always put the coals completely out before you turn in for the night. Don’t leave anything to chance.

Tags: bonfire, chiminea, fire pit safety, outdoor fire, toasting marshmallows

via News Moms Need » Blog Archive » Fire pit safety.

Dental health and pregnancy…

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This is an interesting finding…many of us neglect our oral health. It is important to see a dentist regularly as the mouth is a source of many systemic infections.

So if you are trying to get pregnant make sure you also see your dentist.

 

Study of 3416 pregnant Australian women

Women with gum disease took longer to get pregnant

Dental hygiene just part of “whole package of healthy lifestyle”

WOMEN who wish to fall pregnant should be advised to brush their teeth and floss regularly as gum disease affects chances of conception, a fertility conference in Stockholm was told.

Periodontal disease can delay the time it takes to conceive by two months on average, an effect similar to that of obesity in women, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) heard today at its annual meeting.

via Brush, floss if you want to get pregnant, Stockholm fertility conference told | News.com.au.

Childhood Obesity Diabetes: online discussion

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Learn more about childhood obesity and join an online discussion.  This is an epidemic which will cause this generation to live shorter lives than their parents… very sad situation.

Being overweight as a kid not only creates social problems, but also sets the stage for medical problems that can last a lifetime. The concern is a growing one given that more than one third of U.S. children ages 10 to 17 are overweight or obese.

Learn what you can do to help America’s youth trim down and gain healthy habits for life. Join our online Health Chat, from 12 to 1 p.m., Wednesday, July 20, as two experts in pediatric obesity and diabetes discuss “Children, Obesity & Diabetes ¿ Reversing the Trend.”

Dr. Angela Fals, a pediatrician and medical director of Florida Hospital for Children and the Healthy 100 Kids program; and Lauren Adams, a pediatric diabetes educator and endocrine dietitian at Florida Hospital, will address your questions and share their insights.

Dr. Angela Fals is the medical director at Florida Hospital for Children and the Healthy 100 Kids program. A pediatrician who specializes in weight management for children and adolescents, Dr. Fals graduated from Loma Linda University Medical School, in California. Among her specialties is creating weight management programs for families, schools, fitness centers, medical practices and other community organizations.

Lauren Adams is a pediatric diabetes educator and endocrine dietitian at Florida Center for Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. She works with children to help them control blood sugar and make healthy choices. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1992, Adams runs marathons and is the mother of a healthy baby boy.

via Childhood Obesity Diabetes: Addressing obesity and diabetes in children – latimes.com.

Safely Managing Pain…

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Pain Management is so important for all of us but especially for moms who are breastfeeding.

I just had a two day bout with a migraine so this article caught my attention.

I hope that it is helpful.

Pain is the most common reason that patients seek medical attention. Pain is a symptom with an extremely broad differential diagnosis. Effective treatments are based on proper diagnosis. The source, severity, and the cause of the pain need also be considered. There are several analgesics that can be used for a variety of pain syndromes. These include Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), opiates, and non-opiate drugs. For severe pain, the opiates are the preferred method of treatment. Morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and hydromorphone have been determined, by several studies, to be moderately safe for breastfeeding women. However, morphine is the preferred opiate to use by a breastfeeding mother due to its poor oral bioavailability. Infants under one month of age need to be monitored closely for sedation since they take longer to clear the drug from their system; prolonged elimination half-life and decrease clearance. Additionally, hydrocodone should be used instead of codeine in the rare instance that the mother is an ultra-rapid metabolizer of codeine, which results in the break down of codeine into therapeutically excessive levels of morphine. Furthermore, morphine and hydrocodone have been studied extensively in lactating women and have demonstrated only occasional neonatal sedation. For mild to moderate pain or rheumatic pain, the NSAIDs are ideal. Studies have shown ibuprofen to be not only compatible with breastfeeding, but also extremely safe due to poor transfer into milk and safety in infants. Analgesics with long half-lives, such as naproxen, should be used for short durations due to the potential build-up of drug in the breastmilk. Drugs that contain salicylic acid, such as aspirin, should be used with caution. Studies have shown a direct correlation between Reye syndrome and the use of aspirin in infants and children. The use of 81 mg per day, however, is unlikely to increase the risk of this syndrome. Although there appears to be a low risk associated, aspirin is a poor choice for breastfeeding women due to its questionable nature. Ibuprofen or acetaminophen should be used instead. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are both anti-pyretics that are compatible with breastfeeding and can be used to treat fevers as well.

Laura Muscianese MS1

Thomas W. Hale, Ph.D.

References: Hale TW. Berens P. Clinical Therapy in Breastfeeding Patients. Amarillo: Hale, 2010.

via Safely Managing Pain During Lactation | InfantRisk Center.

“Smoking causes serious birth defects” via March of Dimes

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NOTEWORTHY WEDNESDAY!

I have never liked smoking from the time I was very young…many of my family members smoked and the smell just made me sick.

That was many years ago…smoking was everywhere, cars, trains, airplanes, restaurants. Seemingly, you could not go anywhere to get away from it.

I endured my early years of second hand smoke and welcomed  the bans on smoking.

There is so much evidence against smoking and here is a recent post from the March of Dimes.

If you do not smoke please do not start and if you do smoke please get help to quit…it is really not good for anyone.

Smoking causes serious birth defects

To dispel any uncertainty about the serious harm caused by smoking to babies and pregnant women, the first-ever comprehensive systematic review of all studies over the past 50 years has established clearly that maternal smoking causes a range of serious birth defects including heart defects, missing/deformed limbs, clubfoot, gastrointestinal disorders, and facial disorders (for example, of the eyes and cleft lip/palate).

Smoking during pregnancy is also a risk factor for premature birth, says Dr. Michael Katz, senior Vice President for Research and Global Programs of the March of Dimes. He says the March of Dimes urges all women planning a pregnancy or who are pregnant to quit smoking now to reduce their chance of having a baby born prematurely or with a serious birth defect. Babies who survive being born prematurely and at low birthweight are at risk of other serious health problems, Dr. Katz notes, including lifelong disabilities such as cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities and learning problems. Smoking also can make it harder to get pregnant, and increases the risk of stillbirth.

Around the world, about 250 million women use tobacco every day and this number is increasing rapidly, according to data presented at the 2009 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Mumbai.

The new study, “Maternal smoking in pregnancy and birth defects: a systematic review based on 173,687 malformed cases and 11.7 million controls,” by a team led by Allan Hackshaw, Cancer Research UK & UCL Cancer Trials Centre, University College London, was published online today in Human Reproduction Update from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

When women smoke during pregnancy, the unborn baby is exposed to dangerous chemicals like nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar, Dr. Katz says. These chemicals can deprive the baby of oxygen needed for healthy growth and development.

During pregnancy, smoking can cause problems for a woman’s own health, including: ectopic pregnancy; vaginal bleeding; placental abruption, in which the placenta peels away, partially or almost completely, from the uterine wall before delivery; placenta previa, a low-lying placenta that covers part or all of the opening of the uterus.

Smoking is also known to cause cancer, heart disease, stroke, gum disease and eye diseases that can lead to blindness.

Tags: birth defects, ectopic pregnancy, placenta abruption, placenta previa, Pregnancy, premature birth, smoking

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 12th, 2011 at 10:41 am and is filed under Hot Topics, Planning for Baby, Pregnancy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

via News Moms Need » Blog Archive » Smoking causes serious birth defects.

Celebrate the joy of parenthood

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Celebrate the joy of parenthood

Being a parent is the most rewarding job there is. And it’s also the hardest. Sometimes life gets so hectic with work, finances, commitments and concerns that we forget to stop and appreciate what’s really important. That’s why JOHNSON’S® invites you to celebrate the joy of parenthood.

Recently, the JOHNSON’S® Team traveled around the country, spending time with new parents, including a March of Dimes ambassador family. What did they learn? What we probably already know to be important: Raising children is about all those special moments that fill each ordinary day. Think about your little one and the moments that really make you smile. Do you have a favorite? Is it rubbing noses, or blowing bubbles, watching your baby take her first steps, hearing her say “Mama,” or just gazing at her while she sleeps?

JOHNSON’S® invites all parents to get involved and make the promise to celebrate everyday joy.  Will you promise to celebrate everyday joy? For each promise made on their Facebook page, JOHNSON’S® will donate $1 to the March of Dimes ($1 for every “like,” up to $50,000!) to help bring joy to more families by improving the health of babies. Please join JOHNSON’S® by making the promise to step back and treasure everyday joy.

Tags: family, JOHNSON’S®, parenting, treasuring everyday joy

via News Moms Need » Blog Archive » Celebrate the joy of parenthood.

This is a great opportunity to help yourself, your child and the March of Dimes.