I can honestly say there is nothing more exciting than being a new mom. Having a baby can dramatically change your life in a positive way. Unfortunately, becoming a new mom can sometimes leave you feeling less attractive than you did before your pregnancy. Don't think that having a baby means a world of bulky sweaters and roomy pants.
Fortunately for me (and you, dear reader), Hot Mama Personal Shopping's Gina Marzano and I went to Ann Taylor Loft where she showed how a new mom can look great post-pregnancy this Fall - even when she's on a budget. Read more...
Calling proud YoBaby Parents: Stonyfield Farm wants videos of your hungry babies enjoying Stonyfield Farm's YoBaby Yogurt! And they'll offer a little something special in return. YoBaby is made with the whole milk pediatricians recommend for healthy brain development, so you need to start saving for college! The parent who submits the prize winning video in our Who Loves YoBaby? Video Contest will receive a $2000 U.S. Savings Bond for the winning baby. Upload your videos now, share them with friends and family, and enter for a chance to win.
Gideon and I are partial to Pampers but I'm super excited by the possibility of a year's worth of free diapers and wipes! Enter for a chance to win a year's supply of HUGGIES Diapers, HUGGIES Baby Wipes, HUGGIES Bath & Body products, and HUGGIES Disposable Changing Pads for your baby. There's a lucky winner every month. Click here for more information and to enter.
Thanks to Julie for finding this sweepstakes and passing it on!
The makers of Infants' MYLICON Drops want to help you pamper your new baby. Enter the MYLICON Pamper Your Baby Sweepstakes, you and your baby could WIN one of these great prizes:
Grand Prize: A $1000 Babies "R" Us Gift Card It's a pampering prizefest! Everything including high chairs, nursery furniture, toys, activity centers and more can be yours with this $1,000 Babies "R" Us gift card.
Make Election Day 2008 a true lesson in democracy for the young person in your life. Taking our kids along when we vote is both the simplest and most effective way to demonstrate the greatest gift of American citizenship. I know he's a little young, but I brought Gideon with me and I can't help but think he was glad I did :)
Unsure where, when or how to vote? Visit VOTE411.org, a "one-stop-shop" for election related information. It provides nonpartisan information to the public with both general and state-specific information on almost every aspect of the election process.
Women need not be frightened but should limit consumption of stimulant, experts say.
Even consuming low amounts of caffeine during pregnancy may increase the risk of having a low birth weight baby, new research shows.
British researchers studied 2,645 pregnant women, average age 30, with low-risk pregnancies.
Their average caffeine intake during pregnancy was 159 milligrams a day, much lower than the 300 mg/day recommended by the U.K.'s Food Standards Agency. Tea was the main source of caffeine (62 percent), followed by coffee (14 percent), cola (12 percent), chocolate (8 percent), and soft drinks (2 percent). Read more...
Most of the women's babies were born at full term with an average birth weight of 3,450 grams (around the U.K. average), while 4 percent of the babies were born prematurely, 0.3 percent were stillborn, and 0.7 percent were miscarried late.
Dr. Justin Konje and colleagues at the University of Leicester and the University of Leeds concluded that higher caffeine intake was associated with increased risk of low birth weight. Compared to women who consumed less than 100 mg/day of caffeine (equivalent of less than one cup of coffee), the risk of having a lower birth weight baby increased by 20 percent for women who had 100-199 mg/day, by 50 percent for those who consumed 200-299 mg/day, and by 40 percent for over 300 mg/day.
Caffeine consumption of more than 100 mg/day was associated with a fetal weight reduction of 34-59 grams in the first trimester, 24-74g in the second trimester, and 66-89g in the third trimester. The effect was significant and consistent across all trimesters with caffeine consumption of more than 200 mg/day. The link between caffeine and low birth weight was strongest in women who metabolized caffeine more quickly.
Pregnant women should significantly reduce their caffeine consumption before and during pregnancy, the researchers said. The study was published online in the British Medical Journal.
The study reinforces concerns that caffeine may affect fetal growth, but the authors' warning could unnecessarily frighten women who've consumed some caffeine during pregnancy, Professor Jorn Olsen, of the department of epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health, and a colleague wrote in an accompanying editorial.
They did agree that pregnant women should reduce their caffeine consumption, but must not replace it with unhealthy alternatives such as alcoholic drinks or soft drinks full of sugar.
SOURCE: British Medical Journal, news release, Nov. 3, 2008
Over the past two decades, there has been an extraordinary rise in the number of multiple births in the United States. Between 1980 and 2004, the number of twin births increased by 70% and the number of births involving three or more babies has quadrupled. The first days, weeks, and months are often the most difficult for parents of multiples, as everyone learns to get used to the frequent feedings and the lack of sleep.
I recently visited Kidegories with Lisa Madden, RN and mother of triplets - plus one, where she shared some seriously smart tips for every new mom of multiples. Read more...
*** Special thanks to Kidegories in Shrewsberry, New Jersey, for allowing us to videotape in their wonderful store. While we were there I feel in love with this Twilight Turtle. It's fantastic!
As a new mom, I have a new best friend: a morning cup of coffee. I wasn't much of a coffee drinker before but the sleepless nights and constant baby-wrangling, has made it a daily necessity. Imagine my surprise to read that drinking too much coffee could shrink my breasts! Read more...
According to a new study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, drinking three or more cups a day was enough to cause a smaller breast size. Almost 300 women took part in the study, which questioned them on how many cups of coffee they drank in an average day and measured the size of their bust. The researchers also found that the more coffee the women drank, the smaller their breasts.
At first I was annoyed that a study of this kind was even being done (don't they have more important health issues to research?!) but it turns out that drinking caffeine regularly appeared to reduce the risk of breast cancer among the volunteers, who had been specifically selected from families at high risk of contacting the disease. Why? The scientists believe that the effects of coffee are linked to its impact on the female sex hormone, estrogens, and the fact that it can also affect levels of the male sex hormone, testosterone.
Infant Death Prompts Recall to Repair 985,000 Delta Enterprise Drop Side Cribs; Missing Safety Pegs Can Cause Entrapment and Suffocation Hazards. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to find a safe, alternative sleep environment for their child if their recalled crib is missing safety pegs.Read more...
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Delta Enterprise Corp., of New York, New York., is announcing the voluntary recall to replace missing safety pegs involving 985,000 drop side cribs. Failure to use or install safety pegs can cause an entrapment and suffocation risk to infants and toddlers.
When the safety pegs in the base of each leg of the crib are missing from the lower track, the crib locks can disengage and detach if lowered below the peg hole, creating a hazardous gap. This gap can lead to the entrapment and suffocation of an infant or toddler.
CPSC staff is aware of a death of an 8-month-old child who became entrapped and suffocated when the drop side of the crib detached in a reassembled crib where the safety pegs were not installed. CPSC is also aware of two entrapments and nine disengagement incidents in cribs where the safety pegs were missing.
The recall involves all Delta cribs manufactured in Taiwan or Indonesia, with the "Crib Trigger Lock with Safety Peg" drop side hardware design. These model numbers and country of origin can be located on the mattress support board label: 4320, 4340, 4500, 4520, 4530, 4532, 4540, 4542, 4550, 4551, 4580, 4600, 4620, 4624 (production dates 01/06 thru 11/07), 4640, 4660, 4720, 4735, 4742, 4750 (production dates 01/95 thru 12/00), 4760, 4770, 4780, 4790, 4820, 4840, 4850, 4860, 4880, 4890, 4892, 4900, 4910, 4920, 4925-2, 4925-6, 4930, 4940, 4943, 4944, 4947, 4948, 4949, 4950, 4958, 4963, 4968, 4969, 4980.
The recalled cribs have date codes ranging from 1995 though December 2005 and one model (4624) was made in 2007. The model numbers are located on the top of the mattress support board.
The cribs, which were made in Taiwan and Indonesia, were sold at major retailers, including Walmart, Kmart and Target.com from January 1995 through September 2007 for about $100. These cribs have also been found to be sold secondhand. Cribs currently sold at retail are not involved.
CPSC and Delta urge parents and caregivers to immediately stop using cribs that are missing a safety peg on any leg of the crib and contact Delta to receive a free, easy-to-install repair kit. The kit will include safety pegs in a bold color and warning labels to be affixed to the mattress board. Consumers with cribs that have all safety pegs installed may continue to use the cribs; however, CPSC recommends that these consumers contact Delta for the repair kit for future assembly purposes. Call Delta toll-free at (1-800-816-5304) anytime after 5pm today or log on www.cribrecallcenter.com to order the free replacement kit.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to find a safe, alternative sleep environment for their child if their recalled crib is missing safety pegs.
CPSC would like to remind parents not to use any crib with missing, broken, or loose parts. Make sure to tighten hardware from time to time to keep the crib sturdy. When using a drop side crib parents should check to make sure the drop side or any other moving part operates smoothly. Always check all sides and corners of the crib for disengagement. Any disengagement can create a gap and entrap a child. In addition, do not try to repair any side of the crib, especially with tape, wire or rope.
