Just recently, there has been a federal ban on the sale of used cribs at all retail outlets, online sites (i.e eBay and Craigslist), and yard sales in the U.S.  Wow, that’s a tough rule isn’t it?  But, in all honesty, we want our preemies and newborns to be safe.  A lot of people I believe ruined it for those who keep our cribs in good condition and have the good sense not to resell them.  I think a lot of people sell broken cribs without alerting the consumer of the problem which then could lead to a catastrophe at large.  This ban also includes drop side cribs.  Apparently 10 babies a year die in crib accidents so I think it is best that the resale of cribs be banned ASAP. 

The day before this report came out, I tore down my used crib to let my brother and sister-in-law use for their upcoming baby.  It’s a Babee Tenda, a certified hospital bed which also happens to be a drop side crib with a little door for soothing.  Granted, I didn’t sell them the crib since it was a donation but I alerted them of this report and advised them to reconsider using the crib for the safety of their baby.

If individuals do not follow these new guidelines, if found out (which could potentially be difficult to find every resale of a used crib), there is up to a $100,000 violation.  Yikes!  So per sale of used crib by one party, the fine can potentially double.  That’s scary to say the least but I think all parents should follow these new safety rules. After all, babies are priceless and it’s definitely worth paying money for a new crib.  If you can’t afford a new crib, consider a fundraiser or ask for donations.  Good minded people are usually always ready to help those in need, especially when it comes to babies.

What do you think of this new safety report?  Do you think it’s the right move?  Or do you think there is nothing wrong with used cribs as long as they are in good shape?  Please share your thoughts and opinions with us.

Source: My Fox Detroit

Image: Wikimedia Commons

The first reasons many women cite for using their nursing cover is that they enjoy the privacy it affords them while nursing in public or while others are around. While breastfeeding is a wonderful way to bond with your infant and offer the child immunities and nutrients that are unavailable in formula, it can also be very inconvenient.

If your baby is hungry in the middle of the playground, you may not be able to retreat to the privacy of you car in order to feed the baby without anyone seeing. This is where a nursing cover comes in particularly handy!

This great item looks much like a baby blanket, only it is stiffer in construction and has a neck strap to keep it on securely. The nursing cover allows you to satisfy your baby’s hunger without sacrificing your own modesty as it keeps you and the baby covered during these special moments.

Other reasons why you may want a nursing cover

Not every woman feels self-conscious about nursing in public. Many see it as a natural part of motherhood. However, even the least self-conscious mom will enjoy a nursing cover because it offers additional benefits besides privacy.

Some of the things that all moms enjoy about a nursing cover include:

• Minimizing distractions from other people or noises so baby feeds more consistently
• Catches spills so that mom’s clothes stay cleaner
• Can be used as a surface for diaper changes
• Folds up to fit in most diaper bags for maximum portability

Almost every mother is concerned about having a healthy pregnancy, even if she was never concerned about being healthy before she became pregnant. Here are five tips to having a healthier pregnancy that will help both you and your growing baby during this exciting time.

5 tips for a healthy pregnancy

1. Get started before you get pregnant. The best way to have a healthy pregnancy is to plan ahead, whether it is starting an exercise regimen or eating a more balanced diet.
2. Take a prenatal vitamin with folic acid. Your normal vitamin probably doesn’t have all the vitamins you and your baby will need while your pregnant, so starting on a prenatal vitamin as soon as you start trying to conceive will ensure that your baby has all those nutrients from the first day of development. Plus, these vitamins may help with fertility.
3. Rest up. Get at least eight hours of sleep each day. If you are having trouble sleeping at night, take afternoon naps to get the rest you need.
4. Exercise daily. If not daily, then as many days a week as you can manage. The workouts should not be intense or exhausting – try a workout class aimed at pregnant women or just walk for 20-30 minutes a day.
5. Avoid dangerous toxins. Don’t drink while you’re pregnant and if you are a smoker, this is a great time to quit. Avoid areas where others are smoking as second hand smoke is also detrimental to both mother and child.

What’s the real story?

With over half of Americans classified as overweight, the concerns about weight gain and pregnancy are not unfounded. Although it may not be something you have considered before, many women ask their doctors if it is safe to diet while they are pregnant.

Gaining weight is ok?

For women who are already overweight, the idea of putting on thirty or more pounds seems counter productive and perhaps even unhealthy. It is important to know it is not safe for women who are pregnant to try to lose weight by restricting their caloric intake because your body needs nutrients to help your baby develop properly and your body to adjust to the demands placed upon it during pregnancy.

General guidelines you can learn

However, if you are overweight and pregnant, the amount of weight that you should gain during a normal pregnancy is different than the amount that a woman who is at a healthy weight should gain. Doctors use a patient’s body mass index, or BMI, to determine whether they are at a healthy weight (BMI between 18.5 and 24.9), overweight (BMI between 25 and 29.9), or obese (BMI over 30). This scale is based on height, weight, and gender to give an accurate assessment.

Based on this number, pregnant women should aim for the following amount of weight gain while pregnant:

• Healthy weight: Between 25 and 35 pounds
• Overweight: between 15 and 25 pounds
• Obese: Between 11 and 20 pounds

Focus on health not dieting

Even if you are overweight or obese, pregnancy is not the time for a diet. Take this time to establish a healthy way of eating and you will be in a better position as a new mother to lose weight, be healthier, and have more energy.

How to tell if it’s menstruation or pregnancy

When you are trying to conceive, each month is a rollercoaster of hope and excitement, often characterized by a newfound awareness of the changes that occur in your body over the course each month. You may notice cramping and spotting and wonder if these symptoms are the first signs that you are pregnant.

While cramping and spotting can simply be indications that you are about to start menstruating, they can also be signs that you are pregnant!

Some facts to know:

• Cramping often occurs as the egg moves from the ovaries into the fallopian tubes and finally to the uterus. In a woman who is not pregnant, this process ends with menstruation, when both the egg and the uterine lining are shed. However, if you are pregnant, the movement of your fertilized egg along the same path may trigger these cramps.
• Spotting can also be an early sign of pregnancy. Implantation bleeding is often confused for spotting and occurs when a fertilized egg implants into the wall of the uterus where it will begin developing as a fetus. This bleeding is generally earlier than you would experience spotting normally during your period, doesn’t last as long, and is lighter in color.

Still unsure? Take a test or call your doctor

Early signs of pregnancy can be subtle, so if you are wondering if you might be pregnant, the best thing to do is take a pregnancy test. Today’s tests are more accurate than ever and can successfully detect pregnancy in many women before they even miss a period!

Third trimester to birth

In a previous post, we explored what happens to your body during the first two trimesters of your pregnancy. In this post, we talk about changes in your body during the third and final trimester as well as the changes you might notice after you give birth.

The Third Trimester

In the third trimester, you will see that the signs of pregnancy become more obvious to other people. As the baby continues to grow, your uterus continues to stretch to accommodate the growth and your stomach protrudes further. You may also see stretch marks on your breasts, stomach, thighs, hips, and/or buttocks as your body changes and grows.

Many women also notice that they are sweating more and attribute this to their larger size, but in reality the additional sweat production is probably a result of changing hormone levels and not physical growth.

After Pregnancy

In many ways, your body will begin to return to pre-pregnancy form almost immediately after childbirth. But the changes that took nine months to occur cannot be undone overnight, so you will notice gradual shifts in most cases.

Between the baby, the placenta, and the water weight lost during childbirth and the following five to seven days, you will see that you have lost a significant amount of weight.

However, it will take your uterus a little longer to begin contracting back to its normal size, so your stomach may appear pregnant for several weeks. Exercise (when doctor-approved) and breastfeeding have been shown to help the uterus contract more quickly.

• Read more about losing weight during breastfeeding

Understanding the link

Implantation is a word you have probably never heard before, or if you have, certainly not something that you actively think about when considering your potential pregnancy.

However, if you are wondering when you can take a pregnancy test and get an accurate result, implantation plays an important role in determining the answer. Whether you are worried you might be pregnant or trying to conceive, knowing how a pregnancy test works will allow you to approach the process with more clarity.

How it works

After a woman releases an egg during ovulation and it is fertilized when it meets sperm, the egg travels to the uterus. The uterus will be home to the baby while it develops.

However, in order to move on to the next stage of development, the fertilized egg must attach to the wall of the uterus, a process referred to as implantation because the egg is implanting in the uterine lining. Once the egg has implanted, it is a developing fetus, and it releases a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG. This hormone is only released once a fetus has implanted.

Since it is such a unique hormone, it is the one that pregnancy tests are looking for, whether you are using an over-the-counter urine test or your doctor is testing your blood in his office.

What does this mean for pregnancy?

So what does this mean for your pregnancy test? Basically, if you take a test before the fetus has had a chance to implant and to start producing sufficient hCG, you can get a false negative. This means that either the egg is still floating around the uterus or that there is not enough hCG production yet to trigger the positive response on the test. In either case, the test will say you are NOT pregnant even though you ARE!

Colic – not just for infants

When most parents hear the word “colic,” they immediately think of the infant colic that some babies develop – the crying that is inconsolable, occurs for no apparent reason, and is still a pretty big mystery to the medical community.

However, this is not the only type of colic that exists, despite what the parent of a child with colic might try to tell you!

That’s right – adults can get colic too, and unfortunately a swaddle blanket may not be able to help you get through it!

So what is biliary colic?

Biliary colic is a condition in which the patient feels sharp pain in his or her upper abdomen, either in the center or on the right side. This pain is the most common symptom experienced by people with gallstones, the hardened masses that form in the gallbladder.

These masses form when there is an abundance of certain elements, usually cholesterol, and they move from the gallbladder into the liver and intestines. Along the way, they can bump into sensitive areas or become lodged in certain openings or connections, causing blockages.

In either case, they cause the patient extreme pain and will continue to cause pain until they are removed. The pain usually comes and goes if the gallstones are mobile but will continue to occur until the gallstones are removed.

So who gets it?

Characteristics that make some individuals more likely to experience biliary colic include:

• Being overweight
• Eating foods that are high in fat
• Over twenty years of age

While biliary colic may not be a central concern to new parents, it is something to be aware of, particularly if you have any of the characteristics listed above. If you believe you may have biliary colic, contact your medical professional immediately.

Toddler formula taken off the shelf

According to the latest announcement from the company’s spokesperson, Mead Johnson will be phasing out the production and sale of a product called Enfagrow Premium. This chocolate flavored beverage was intended to function as a “formula” for toddlers, full of vitamins disguised by a sweet flavoring.

Enfagrow Premium was marketed toward children who are picky eaters and may not get the vitamins and nutrients they need otherwise. However, the product was quickly targeted by popular parent blogger Marion Nestle who said that it would encourage children to crave sweet foods and beverages rather than developing a broader palette.

In this way, the product was encouraging childhood obesity by encouraging the harmful sugar and fat addiction that is currently plaguing the young people in America.

The medical community weighs in

These opinions reflect the position of the American Academy of Pediatrics which posits that feeding kids excessive amounts of sweet foods and beverages encourages them to prefer sugary foods over nutritious ones. The Academy recommends that parents and guardians limit the sugar intake of toddlers to encourage healthier choices and the development of a more rounded palate.

When announcing the end of this particular product, the spokesperson for Mead Johnson was careful to say that the company stands by the product as nutritionally superior to other beverages on the market for children but that the negative attention it had received was taking away from the products strengths. He did not acknowledge that it could be harmful to the development of healthy eating habit for children over the long-term.