Check out the facts from Luna Lullaby why a birthing ball is so great for pregnancy, labor and post labor!!   Birthing Balls: Pregnancy, Labor, and Post-Labor Tools   Birthing balls are very similar to the stability balls and exercise balls you may have seen in the gym, as all of them are derived from the rubber balls that physical therapists have used for years. Also referred to as Swiss balls, birthing balls, however, are made from a more advanced and stronger material. These balls are generally about two feet in diameter, but smaller and larger balls are available for shorter and taller women, as the birthing ball should be proportionate to the mother’s height. And although they may look more like a toy for the new baby than a tool for the mother, birthing balls can ease the pregnancy and delivery processes as well as help a new mother get back into shape. Using a Birthing Ball During Pregnancy Although called a “birthing” ball, this air-filled rubber ball is also useful before birth, during your pregnancy. Reasons to use a birthing ball include:

Simple exercises on the birthing ball can strengthen the muscles around the spine, reinforcing posture and helping support the weight of the growing baby. Birthing balls can also ease the back pains associated with pregnancy. Later in the pregnancy, many women find birthing balls more comfortable than chairs or even beds because they more flexible and easier to get off of than a traditional chair. Birthing Balls & Labor Getting used to the birthing ball during the course of one’s pregnancy will make it easier to incorporate the ball during labor and take advantage of this unique tool. Some of the ways a birthing ball can help during labor include: Positioning using the birthing ball keeps the mother in a more upright position, resulting in easier labor than a reclined position. Rolling on the ball can ease the pain of contractions during labor. Finally, the ball helps to open the pelvis and align the baby properly for a simpler, potentially faster, and less painful birth. Exercise with a Birthing Ball After giving birth, many new mothers are anxious to get back into shape, but cannot jump right back into their old workout routine. The birthing ball offers a gentler way to resume activity. Great ideas for exercising with your birthing ball: Stretching and toning using the birthing ball can be done sooner than other forms of exercise, such as swimming or running, because they are more gentle exercises for the new mother’s body. Birthing balls can be used to exercise nearly every muscle in the body as well as strengthening the back and abdominal muscles used most frequently. Additionally, birthing balls can be used as a way to soothe babies, and have been shown to relieve the stomach pain suffered by infants with colic. Why Choose The Bounce A Bye Baby Ball? The Bounce A Bye Baby is an award winning product created by Luna Lullaby that combines the best of a birthing ball, postpartum exercise ball and bouncy baby seat. It includes a safety stand to prevent the ball from rolling during use and comes in a number of “nursery-friendly” designs that you won’t have to hide when company comes!

CHECK OUT OUR TEXT MESSAGE BABY TEE'S AND ONSIES AND FIND OUT WHY BUY ORGANIC? 

Organic Cotton?  Conventional cotton farming has been labeled one of agriculture's most environmentally destructive activities. Analysts estimate that cotton crops consume 25% of the agricultural insecticides, more than 10% of the pesticides used worldwide.

It's almost Summer so to get a head start on the season, we are proud to announce our newest Parent Tested Parent Approved product winners. Every winner that you see below was selected by parents to earn our Seal of Approval. There is something for everyone from household gadgets to toys to newborn needs, this list has it all.

We know that no one is going to be more honest and thorough when testing a product than a parent, so thank you to all of our fabulous parent testers for your honest feedback.

Our Sprout Shell Carrier that we sell and the Stroller Parasol!! Check them out on our web store.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, seven of the top 15 pesticides used on U.S. cotton crops are potential or known human carcinogens. Given such problems, choosing organically grown alternatives may be one of the best things consumers can do to help the environment. 

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Text Message Baby is committed to offering organic baby clothes that are made with 100% certified organic cotton fibers. In fact, the entire production is SKAL-certified. Skal International is a non-profit foundation that inspects organic harvesting and production methods in accordance with the public law...(read more) 

Organic cotton clothing, unheard of a few years ago, is now available in many stores and online businesses. The clothing business is big business, and there is big resistance to change from chemically-dependent processes to organic processes of clothing manufacture. The bottom line is demand. Manufacturers will do what the consumer dictates, and so the change to environmentally, responsible, organic cotton clothing begins with you the consumer.

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Big news our Juicy Wet Bags and Go Green Mini Wipe Sets we carry were chosen by Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine for their April "Eco-Friendly Issue"! 

 

Here is what they had to say:

 

Consciously Clean

"Rather than relying on baby wipes, stock up on reusable cloths that can be used for cleaning little hands and faces on the go. Simply wet the wipe with water from any faucet, wash baby, and store the damp cloth in its coordinating waterproof bag until it finds its way to your laundry room." P. 28

APRILS SHOWERS MOMMY NEEDS:

ShadyBaby Stroller Parasols: a stylish, sturdy way to protect babies from the harmful effects of the sun.

• Bold and vibrant colors with retro accents
• UV-protected parasol: SPF 50+
• Easily adjustable in three places
• Blocks the sun from any direction
• Just clip on and cruise

3.16.10 Heathly snacking for your kids!-If you let your child snack throughout the day you’re setting yourself up for mealtime mayhem when he refuses to eat all the healthy foods you serve up to him. And it doesn’t take a nutritionist to tell you that kids cannot live on snacks alone.

When Supernanny visited the Banjay family she wasn’t too happy to see mom and dad Lisa and Rich using snacks as a way of distracting their children so they could focus on their home business. They ended up in a vicious circle: snacks on the hour every hour put the kids off their main meals and the fact they hadn’t eaten properly had them whining for more snacks an hour later. Supernanny’s snack box technique helped the Banjanys find the middle ground by offering a limited choice of nutritional snacks throughout the day. Here’s how to do it…

Step 1: Boxing match…

Get your child to decorate an empty box (it can be an old shoe box or a craft store box) any way they like – lay on paint, glitter glue, paper and fabric scraps, feathers, the whole nine yards for them to choose from. box from a or use a kitchen jar.

Step 2: Snack selection…

Involve your child in choosing a selection of snacks. Keep the snacks healthy… your child will enjoy the reward ritual of the snack box as much as the snacks themselves, so they don't need to be full of sugar! Put a selection of two or three snacks (or more, depending on how filling they are and how old your child is) in the box, and give your child control over when he eats them.

Step 3: Snack attack strategy…

Use the snack box throughout the day and allow your child to choose when to take something out, except during the hour before mealtimes. Each time your child chooses a snack make it clear that once they’re all gone he won’t get any more – he’ll soon learn to pace himself.

Step 4: Stand firm…

Once the snacks are gone for the day, don’t replace them. Refill the box together the next day.

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Oh Plah! Bracelets --

Rotavirus was previously one of the most prevalent fall and winter viral illnesses that caused vomiting and diarrhea in young children.  A vaccine against rotavirus was introduced more than 3 years ago,  and since that time there has been a greater than 50% reduction in childhood hospitalizations for dehydration secondary to rotavirus. This also means that fewer parents may be getting rotavirus from their children.  But other viruses like norovirus, adenovirus, or enteroviral infections can also lead to vomiting and diarrhea and dehydration.

If your child has loose, frequent, watery stools (which often follows vomiting) the key is to make sure that you are giving them enough fluid to maintain hydration.   It is much easier to do this once the vomiting has stopped. (think about putting as much in as comes out the bottom).  Parents often want to “show me” the diarrheal stool, but honestly, unless there is blood in the stool,” diarrhea is diarrhea” and bringing in stool is usually not necessary.

The best way to maintain hydration is by giving your infant frequent breast feedings or formula feedings and to make sure that they have tears when they cry and a moist mouth.  When you stick a finger in a baby’s mouth, the finger should never come out dry. A drooling infant is not dehydrated. It is difficult to tell if your child has urinated if they are in diapers, and are having diarrhea, as it is all watery together and the newer diapers “wick” the urine. Unless there is a large volume of urine you may not be able to tell that your child has urinated.  When in doubt, we actually either put a bag on a baby to see if they urinate or weigh the diaper, but this is not necessary at home.

I see a lot of babies and toddlers whose parents are worried that they are dehydrated because “they have not urinated in 12 hours”. But while saying that,  the child is crawling or walking around the room drooling.  They just could not tell that they were wet as the diaper was not saturated. So much for advanced technology diapers, sometimes they are TOO good.

For older infants and children, let them have frequent drinks of either Pedialyte or Gatorade and also let them eat solid foods.  When I was first in practice it was thought that the “gut” needed to rest and a BRAT diet was recommended. So, kids who had diarrhea were only given bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.  This was not only boring, but is was found to be too limiting and did not provide enough protein and nutrition to allow the gut to heal.

It is now recommended to “feed a child through their diarrhea”, but to avoid fatty foods, and food high in simple sugars like apple juice.  Provide complex carbohydrates like cereal, potatoes and bread, along with lean meats, fruits and vegetables. In most cases of diarrhea a child can still tolerate dairy products, but if their diarrhea seems persistent or returns after your child drinks milk etc. you might limit their dairy for several days in order that the cells that produce lactase may regenerate. It is not uncommon for children to have 5 – 7 days of diarrhea with a viral gastroenteritis.

There is some new data on using probiotics to shorten the course of diarrhea and in cases of prolonged diarrhea I have used some of these products (such as Florastor for kids) with success. This may help the gut by restoring good bacteria to promote intestinal health. 

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 Did your ♥Toddler♥ get a BOO BOO on the playground? KISS your baby's boo boo's away in FASHIONISTA STYLE with an adorable DESIGNER OUCH POUCH®!

The Ouch Pouch® is an ORIGINAL Designer First Aid Pouch with an easy-to-view clear front pocket that will neatly hold YOUR owie supplies! Great for:

suitcase ♥ backpack ♥ purse ♥ car ♥ diaper bag ♥ desk
golf bag ♥ garage ♥ beach bag ♥ brief case ♥ stroller

The "basic kit" which includes a pouch, a Neo to Go, tweezers, 3 wipes, 6 bandaids and lollipop.

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Link between childhood obesity and heart disease gains strength

30% of obese 3-5 year old children show higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), which is linked to inflammation and is known to predict heart disease and stroke. This is nearly twice the rate at which high levels of CRP are seen in children with healthy weight. This data is based on a recent study of 16,000 children between the ages of 1-17 published in the journal Pediatrics and cited in this week’s Wall Street Journal.

It does not mean that children who show high levels of CRP will definitely develop heart disease when they become adults. This is because CRP can be elevated due to a lot of other reasons. Still, this is a strong link between obesity and heart disease and suggests that early childhood obesity needs our immediate attention. The question I would like to get answered is if these high levels of CRP can be reversed in obese children if their weight is managed as they grow. If I find out, I will write about it!