The Oregon Environmental Council has a wealth of information to help ensure that your baby comes home to a healthy home, including a list of ways to reduce chemicals in your household, how to find Eco-Healthy Child Care and even an Eco-Healthy Lunch Kit. If you're concerned about what toys to avoid and what toys are safe for your child, be sure to visit the healthy toys pages of HealthyStuff.org.
Posted by: mmstreur in Postnatal Parenting, Home on
Jul 17, 2009
My name is Megan, I am a first time, new mom with a beautiful little 2 1/2 week old baby girl. I am new to blogging and new to the YBYW community so hopefully somebody will find my blog either interesting, insightful, or helpful in some way.
Somebody called me supermom once and I was foolish enough to believe it. Throughout my pregnancy I maintained a very busy schedule consisting of full time graduate school and part time work. I spent up to six days per week either working or interning, the shifts lasting 9-12 hours. In my spare time I studied and did housework. I had a very helpful and supportive husband and all was good. I actually liked being called supermom, it made me feel like if I could handle all this while being pregnant, then I could handle everything once baby came with no problems.
And now I am home. I do not feel like a supermom. I find it hard just to find time in the day to do what I consider the basics of any given day like exercise, housework, and
As I write this, I'm watching the new show on ABC called "In the Motherhood." I'm not a big TV connoisseur, so I'm watching it online several days after its premier. I must say, I'm pretty blown away by how "real" moms are portrayed. I mean, Cheryl Hines taking one look inside her house after work and turning her back on her unruly kids to go have drinks with friends instead of coming home to the fam? Please. I gotta admit that Megan Mullaly's character's bit about pretending to be preggers in order to benefit from the perks of pregnancy was funny, but the rest of it, in my opinion, was nonsense. Most real moms do not look perfect 24-7, attempt to have sex after work with their supervisors, or have great looking "mannies" (played by Horatio Sans, of Saturday Night Live fame, who used to be obese and now looks fantastic, but I digress...). Am I wrong here? I welcome comments from those who fit the above
Posted by: Sarah in Postnatal Parenting, Pacifier on
Apr 20, 2009
It has been a two-year love affair for Caroline and her binkie (she calls it "bubba"). If your child is fast friends with his or her pacifier you know what I am talking about. Recently, Caroline has made a new attachment, however. For my little girly-girl, it's not surprising that the attachment came in the form of a doll with a pretty yellow dress, frilly socks and felt shoes (Caroline loves shoes). I saw my opening when this new friendship started to blossom.
I have been weaning Caroline off the pacifier for awhile now to slowly lessen the reliance of her "bubba" for comfort (and habit). After her mid-day nap and in the morning, she takes the pacifier out of her mouth and drops it in the dresser drawer on my queue.
Last week, I asked her caregivers to not give Caroline the pacifier at naptime. To my delight, she did just fine without it. That evening, she did not get her "bubba" at bedtime either. While she did cry and ask for her longtime friend, I did not relent. After
My little guy will be starting kindergarten in September. For the last year or so, I have tossed and turned about what to do about this big transition in my little guy's life. Do I keep him at his current school, move him to a public school near our house, or is private school a better option.
We've gone to school open houses, consulted friends and family members and even talked to his doctor about her recommendations. Like most parents, we are biased by our own experiences. For most of my early education, I went to public schools and had mixed experiences. After fifth grade, my parents transitioned me and my siblings to a uniform wearing, no-nonsense but nurturing private school. I loved it, plaid skirt and all.
As I set my own child's educational course, I want him to have all the advantages that I had. And for me that means, good friends that live nearby, a school that has resources to invest in its teachers and technology as well nurturing the academic and creative
Posted by: Sarah in Toddlers, Postnatal Parenting on
Apr 20, 2009
Have you heard the term "helicopter parents?" Well, I ran into a hovering parental unit when I was having my son's hair cut at a local children's hair salon. It was clearly their daughter's first haircut (let's call her Olivia). Olivia's mom told the hair specialist tasked with cutting her hair to please shape up her hair without really taking anything off. As the hair specialist diligently tried her best to cut, without cutting, dad was holding a plastic bag underneath each cut of the scissors while mom took photos of each darling little curl that was released from Olivia's head. It first, I thought, oh, how sweet! Look at mom and dad so involved in their little girl's first haircut. Then, big brother, bored with the salon's toys, came over to check in with his parents. That's when mom said, "We are not done yet, don't bother us, go back and play." The boy toddled off, just as he was instructed but a bit dejected.
On the way home, I mentioned to my son if he had noticed the
When my first daughter was born in 2003, baby wearing hadn't come into fashion quite yet. My mom gave me an older wrap-sling to carry her in, but I was too embarrassed to wear it, and so I was left without the great benefits of baby wearing. Thankfully, I was able to make use of more than one great sling while my younger daughter was small. In fact, every once in a while, Chloe (age 3) still wants to snuggle in it.
The benefits of baby wearing are intuitive; Moms-on-the-go get to be hands free (no more achy arms), and babies/toddlers get to be as close as humanly possible to mama. If you carry the babe with you, there's no more lugging a stroller around, although at times the stroller is easier - just depends on where you're going.
One of my best friends recently started a business making beautiful baby slings. I'm in awe of course, since I don't sew at all. Check it out at
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I think my youngest daughter has outgrown naps. The last couple of nights, she has been wide awake come bedtime. I remember this struggle with my oldest daughter. She would fight naps so I stopped making her take one, but then she would fall asleep late in the afternoon, wake up at her regular bedtime, and be wide awake until 10 or 11 pm, robbing my husband and me of our "wind-down" time before we hit the hay ourselves, and making her very tired the next day from getting to bed so late. Although it felt wrong, and probably was, I would come up with ways to keep her awake in the afternnon so she would be exhausted enough to go to sleep early at night. Selfish, I know. Many pediatric sleep experts have dispelled myths that keeping a tired child awake is beneficial (see Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth http://www.familysleep.com ).
So now I find myself struggling with the same issue I did 3 years ago with daugher #1. You'd think I'd learned from experience how
Posted by: nikkik in Postnatal Parenting on
Aug 02, 2008
While my oldest daughter was at a preschool field trip today to the Portland Children's Museum, I took my youngest daughter, Chloe (2 1/2), to the Van Mall Library Branch Baby & Toddler Jamboree. There were toys, bubbles, music, crafts, snacks, and storytimes. So much to do, we hardly had time to do it all before it was time to go! It was really great to have some one-on-one time where I could focus only on Chloe and follow her lead as she went from one fun thing to the next.
I'd recommend library events to anyone with any age of child, at any time of the year. There are so many locations, there's bound to be one in your neck of the woods, and best of all, they're all FREE! Visit www.fvrl.org to find out about storytimes, clubs, and special events for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, school-agers, teens, and, yes, even us
No matter how many times an expectant mother is warned about the baby blues, when they set in, it feels like you've been hit with a hormonal brick. I did not expect in my wildest nightmares that I would be suseptible to postpartum depression in any form. I had prepared thoroughly, had a supportive husband and family, and had no history of depression. Additionally, labor with my first daughter went incredibly smoothly. If I could make it through childbirth "successfully" what else was there to fear? Or, more to the point, what did I have to be depressed about? Even when we left the hospital and headed home, where my mother (who is also a doula - how convenient!) was staying with us for a week, I felt like I had everything under control.
Then came the first night away from the hospital. At this point I had probably gone at least 36 hours with very minimal sleep, and part of that was spent working hard to birth a baby! Lack of sleep + overwhelming responsibility of a dependent
