REVIEW: Up All Night

The first episode was so on the money! At least I felt the same way when our little nugget entered our lives...kinda....Of course we're more traditional and my hubby was the one who went back to work and our party days were already long gone. But either way I really liked the first episode. The second episode was a little slower and way more over the top. I think what young parents with babies like to see in a TV show based on their lives is more reality and less over-the-top-unbelievability.

I'll stick around for a third episode but I'm not too sure I'll be setting my DVR for this show just yet.

OPINION and NEWS: Kids' Lunches Harboring Bacteria--So What?

I was watching CNN this morning when I saw this bit on kids' lunches and how they are too hot and harboring bacteria by lunch time. CNN's chief medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, reported on how the University of Texas in Austin conducted a study and found 98 percent of the lunches tested were too warm by lunch time. The study was done on 700 packed lunches of 3- to 5-year-olds attending day care.

CNN.com in this article quotes Dr. Steve Abrams, member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition as saying, "This is a red flag. This means that the recommendations for food safety are not being followed."

Simple recommendation is to pack more ice-packs into the lunch-bag, and one pack may not be enough.

What the article fails to show, and the blurb on TV for the most part, is to say why should we care if our kids eat a little bacteria? Isn't it good for them to eat a little bacteria now and then to get their bellies used to things not being 100 clean? If my daughter is encouraged to eat dirt once in a while, what's a little warm turkey sandwich going to do? Make her burp a little? Maybe boost her immune system so that if she visits Mexico one day she doesn't automatically have to run to the bathroom after the first piece of unfiltered ice chip slides down her throat?

Aren't we getting a little too sterile and scared of a little not-so-fatal bacteria? Ok, I wouldn't be giving sushi to my kid for lunch without tons of ice-packs being involved in their lunchbox, but I probably wouldn't waste sushi on a child's palette anyway.

In my unmedically sound opinion parents are way too concerned about bacteria and a little dirt: hand sanitizer in every corner of every library, classroom, and playzone and anti-bacterial soap in every bathroom. I know superbugs are not a real concern just yet in this country, but it seems to me they will be one day and we're doing all we can to create them. Let the kids eat some warm sandwiches once in a while, let you kids play on the ground and get a little dirt under their nails, let them eat some bread that fell off their highchair from lunch, their kids they're supposed to be growing an immune system not living in a bubble.

PERSONAL: Daycares, home versus centers

Since we're moving and I'm trying to get back to work part-time, the great daycare debate has taken over in my head as to whether we go with a family-run daycare or a center. Also my daughter is an incredible extrovert (no idea where she got that from), so even if I wasn't working I think she'd still do better going part-time to a daycare.

Since my daughter is so young still, only 14 months, I have repeatedly thought and heard that we really should go with a smaller family-run setting rather than a center, but I do see benefits to both.

Small family-run care benefits: Personalized care and attention, lots of time spent with child one-on-one, in-depth communication with parents, deep connections with children in group, and can be cost-effective.

Center-run benefits: More people working at the center means employees are less likely to stray from a set plan of care, large amount of oversight from parents, corporate HQs of center and other employees, and lots of other children to socialize with.

Some downsides for each

Family-run: Possibly less secure of an environment, can be harder to reach someone if a trip or outing is planned, many of them take vacations or breaks and other care is needed for that time-period.

Centers: Lots of kids means lots more can go wrong including bullying by other kids or impatient employees, can be very costly, usually there are more older children which can be a good or bad thing, needs of children are met at a slower pace and less individualized care is provided.

Like I said, we're leaning more toward a family-run daycare, but are doing extensive research for them because care provided for my daughter not given directly by me or a family member makes me extremely nervous.

Tips? Send them my way!

NEWS: Warning on Geotagging Photos

I always knew you could geotag your photos, which is when the photos on a smartphone like the iPhone are tagged with latitude and longitude coordinates, but I never thought about the dangers of that tool. When you take a photo with your smartphone, then post it publicly online, the location of where those photos were taken is saved in the metadata. I certainly never thought someone could download software to grab the metadata, complete with the exact location, of those photos and then stalk (or worse) those children photographed.

I have to actually thank my mother for this information, which is VERY strange for ME (who used to write about technology) get news from my mother (who still has trouble opening Skype up properly after a year), about technology. Goes to show you, technology and technology news really is everywhere!

If you worry about such things like your children's safety and you post photos publicly online, make sure to turn off the geotagging service on your iPhone or other smartphone. If you have an iPhone you do this by going to the Settings, Location Services and then it has a list of which applications are using the GPS in your phone to geolocate you.

Many of the iPhone applications, like Around Me (that finds restaurants, gas stations etc...around you) or Sit or Squat (which shows you bathrooms in the area--very handy when you are pregnant), you might want to keep on, but you can turn it off just for the camera.

Don't be fooled it's not that a ton of stalkers are using this every day. It's not that easy and they'd have to really really want you or your kid to be going through this kind of trouble, but for me it's definitely worth turning off the service for a bit more safety.

More on this

NEWS: This Ridiculous Heat Can Cause Heat Stroke

This heat is out of control right now. It's so hot my daughter's crayons are practically welded to our back deck. In this kind of heat, it's important to be careful with infants and toddlers that they do not get too hot.

Heat stroke, a temperature of 105.1 degree Fahrenheit or above, is a serious condition that can lead to organ failure, brain damage and even death. Twenty-one children died of heat stroke after being locked in hot vehicles this year already, according to the Department of Geosciences at San Francisco State University.

Some symptoms of heat stroke, according to BabyCenter.com, include:

Rapid pulse
Restlessness
Confusion
Dizziness
Headache (which may make him irritable)
Vomiting

If you think your child has heat stroke, immediately call 911 and get your child to as cool of an area as possible, preferrably a cool room. Sponge down the child and fan the child. For more information on cooling down a baby, visit NYU's Department of Pediatrics' site, it's pretty easy to follow and informative.

To PREVENT Heat Stroke, which is probably the best way to go about this heat, some things you can do is keep your babies and kids out of the sun/heat for extended periods of time.
Go to a cool place like the mall, a public library, or somewhere with air conditioning.
Provide lots of fluids to your kids if they are out in the heat, preferrably ones with electrolytes like Pedialyte (cheaper generic versions are available).

These prevention tips are just some taken from the CDC Extreme Heat site, for more of their tips, click here.

NEWS: NASA Has Fed Thousands of Babies

I thought this was a cute tidbit I found in the news about babies this week, the space shuttle program has helped developed a number of things one never thinks about, including today's baby formula recipes.

After researching algae as a recycling agent for space travel, scientists at NASA found one algae nutrient only found in human breast milk. Today, 95 percent of the infant formula out there is made with this algae-based additive called Formulaid. This ingredient is thought to be highly beneficial to infant mental and visual development, read NASA's press release.


“Millions of babies have been fed (by) NASA; that beats Tang,” Dan Lockney, NASA's spinoff technology manager, said to the Associated Press.

Read the full AP article here.

PERSONAL: Idiocy Strikes Bedtime

Ok, we all make mistakes, sadly as a Full-Time Mom if you mess up, you run the risk of harming your kid. Thank GOD it turns out the little one wasn't poisoned by her idiot mother!

Last night my husband finally noticed something was up and asked, "Umm, honey, where is the toothpaste up here? Are you using this teething gel on her teeth every night instead of toothpaste?"

I scoffed at him from downstairs as I prepared dinner and told him that it indeedwas toothpaste, it was just made by Orajel.

Um, no I was incorrect, it wasthe teething gel I had been putting on her teeth instead of the baby toothpaste. Whoops! I think I must have switched them when I cleaned out her bathroom and put all her toiletries away, about a month ago! Nice work mom!

A quick call to the pediatrician office and Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) confirmed it was not lethal and could only be really harmful if symptoms like difficulty breathing occured or her nails started turning blue or if she exhibited other signs of a rare disease called methemoglobinemia.

Don't be dumb like me, though, double-check everything before giving it to your kid please! It, at the very least, will save you from feeling horribly guilty and scared!

NEWS: Target Recalls TWO Circo-Brand Items

Target announced a new Circo-brand recall today, add this to the Circo Booster Seat recall from June 15, this one on their Aloma Infant Girls Sandals. No injuries have been reported yet.

The sandals have decorative white plastic flowers attached to the toes and side areas. The flowers can be detached and pose a choking hazard. For a full refund, bring the shoes into any Target.

An additional 10 injuries have been reported since Target's 2009 recall of the Circo Child Booster Seats, bringing the total number of injuries to 18. The additional injuries prompted Target to expand the recall of the product from those seats sold between Dec. 2008 and June 2009, to all seats sold as far back as 2005. The constant issue is the restraint buckle or safety buckle can suddenly detach and allow the child to topple out. This could pose some serious consequences depending on the circumstances, so Target's pretty lucky there haven't been any permanent disabling or fatal injuries.

Visit the Consumer Safety Product Commission for more information on these and all recalls.

PERSONAL: Jealomy Is The Name

With my hubby applying for jobs in the Foreign Service, we might wind up living abroad (again) one day in the nearish future, maybe in two years or so. I wouldn't mind living abroad again. My only worry is having the planned three very young kids at once and being all alone in a foreign country. He said we could get an au pair if that would help, but I seriously can't imagine it.

I have no issue with other people having an au pair and even envy many of them, but the simple fact is I'm too jealous of a person to be able to handle that idea. It's true, I'm too insecure I guess or too needy or whatever. But as a mom it literally made my skin crawl to work from home and listen to my nanny playing with my newborn daughter downstairs. My daughter loved her and she loved my daughter, but I could hardly stand the pangs to my insides.

I figure there has to be a name for this motherly heart-wrench feeling, but I can't find one, so I propose the name Jealomy--jealous + mommy.

NEWS: Never Too Young To Be On A Diet

The Institute of Medicine warn parents and pediatricians alike that obese infants and toddlers can lead to adult obesity. Today, the IOM published in a report today, 10 percent of infants and toddlers are already obese. Childhood obesity can lead to adult obesity and so, the IOM is advising less TV and video time and making sure the kids are getting enough sleep and eating properly.

Interesting! I'd agree it's weird to see a baby who is already obese at only a few months old, and it's probably not the healthiest, but I'm not seeing anything earth shattering in this press release. Don't we all already know to limit TV and video time and be sure our kids are getting the right amount of sleep and veggies/fruits?

PERSONAL: Lord Help Me I'm Bored

After about a decade of working, with about seven to eight of those being in my career of choice--journalism, I gave it up to be a full-time momma. And let me tell you, I'm bored. I love my baby girl, who has just turned one, but being a FT momma can be incredibly, overwhelmingly, boring.

I think it depends on your personality and what you have done in life, what you hope to accomplish and how much stimulation you need in general. Overall I would say I am a very active, very personable and extroverted person who needs a lot of stimulation to stay interested...I could very well be ADD. I know I'm not the only one out there feeling this way either. And being bored and the FT entertainer/educator to an infant/toddler can be....exhausting.

So now we have exhaustion and boredom mixed together and what do you get? That's right, probably a b*tch. Yes, I do very well think I'm becoming a bit of a b*tch to my husband. Why him? Because other than the baby there is really no one else to take it out on. Being a military family most of my friends and all of my family live out of state, so that means he is the lucky winner of this attitude.

I am trying to stay as busy as I can with playgroups, playgrounds, swim lessons and anything and everything else I can imagine to do with her...but I am still pretty freaggin' bored I gotta tell ya. I just wish she'd sleep for three hours a day like most normal one-year-olds so I could get some writing and stuff done around here. Seeing as that doesn't look like her (or my) destiny, I'm open to any and all suggestions on how to survive this stage of motherhood--the boredom stage that is. Thanks!

PERSONAL: Tick Check Months Are Here

You know when you find a tick in a belly-button, it's tick season. Massachusetts is one of those places too where ticks are super prevalent.

According to the CDC, on the East Coast, we got the

American dog tick
Blacklegged tick
Brown dog tick
Lone Star tick.

And according to the CDC you should avoid trying to detach the tick like many people think. Don't suffocate, burn or wait for the tick to detach, get it off you as soon as possible by using tweezers. Don't twist it and break off the head, though. Here are the full tips: http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html

Good luck out there and don't forget to check yourself and your babies/kids every time you come home from outdoors if you can.

NEWS: Breastfeeding Linked to Lower Risk of SIDS

As if you moms needed another reason to breastfeed, here's yet another benefit of giving babies the boob over a bottle at first--a possible lower risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome--the most common cause of death for infants, about 8.1 percent of all infant deaths, in 2006 according to the American Lung Association.

Breastfeeding has been linked to babies having better immune systems, less gas, linked to a lower rate of diabetes and a host of other diseases as well as possible higher IQs.

In this study from one of my alma maters, The University of Virginia, the researchers combined data from 18 studies asking mothers about SIDS and feeding methods. Those babies breastfed appeared to have a 60 percent lower chance of SIDS than those babies not breastfed. The study was published in the journal Pediatrics on June 13, 2011.

The researchers did note they needed more data to link the two conclusively. Read the abstract on the study here.

NEWS: When Miscarriages Are Not Normal

This one came via my friend Kristel, from CNN.com. This story is about a woman who had four miscarriages by the time she was only 26. She lost four pregnancies and one was a set of twins in three years. The real issue is her OB didn't want to test her for any problems because she had one live, full-term, birth in the midst of all her miscarriages.

I did not know this but apparently, according to this article, an OB generally will not check for any genetic problems with the mom or dad unless the mom has had three miscarriages in a row without any live births.

This woman was found to have a genetic mutation that some believe can cause miscarriages. She was prescribed aspirin and her last baby was born full-term and healthy.

Read the full story here.

NEWS: Musical Shaker Recall

About 9,000 of these Woodstock Percussion shakers are being recalled because they pose a choking hazard and can cut babies. No injuries were reported, however.

The handle of these shakers can detach and expose a rough edge that can cut babies/children/whomever. If detached, there are other " small steel pellets and a plastic plug" that pose a choking hazard as well.

The shakers are made in China, even though the company is a NY-based one. Contact Woodstock Percussion for a $7 refund if you own one of these and stop using the product ASAP, the company warns.

Full recall here.

NEWS: Babies Born 'Full-Term' Fare Better

When I was pregnant I had false labor, a lot of women do. But it was thought that even if I had gone into actual labor my baby and I would have been fine, because I was 37 weeks pregnant--37 weeks is considered "full-term." Today, that idea may change.

A new study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology journal reads that babies born during week 37 and 38 of gestation are twice as likely to die during their first year than a baby born during the 39 or 40 week of gestation. Not anything a mother wants to hear.

The researchers analyzed the data of 46.3 million live births, using the National Center for Health Statistics database, from 1995 to 2006. The good news they found, generally, infant mortality has decreased for early-term and full-term births; however, they did also find babies born in the 37 or 38 week are 2.6 more likely to die pre- or post-birth for Hispanic and white babies, and 2.9 times more likely for black babies.

The abstract of the study can be found here.

NEWS: Reannouncement of Maclaren Stroller Recall (2009)

Additional fingertip amputations and cuts have caused the Maclaren company to reannounce their stroller recall from November 2009. An additional 112 injury incident reports have been filed since 2009, making the total reported injuries at 137.

About a million strollers are being recalled in total (from before 2009 and now) after a total of 17 fingertip amputations were reported and multiple laceration and finger-entrapment and bruising reports.

The strollers being recalled are the double-wide and single-wide umbrella strollers.

For many women, buying a stroller brand new is not an option. If you buy a used stroller, however, make sure there are no recalls on the item by checking online through the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website.

GUIDELINES: Safe Bottle and Formula Guide

So apparently I'm the only mom in the world (probably not which is why I'm posting this) who didn't know BPA isn't just leaking from plastics, but also http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giffromhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifgif cans into food. All these years I've been thinking that making pasta sauce was so super beneficial to my health, even if I make it 99 percent of the time with canned tomatoes (sorry but most tomatohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifes in America taste like water really) and now I have rethink the whole process.

So this study from the Environmental Working Group back in 2007 is the main one talking about how BPA (Read on BPA here) was leaking into ready-made liquid formula containers into the food. I only use powdered formula but I know that I have been tempted sometimes to buy a couple of these ready-made cans when out and about. Now I'll probably never even consider it!

Here are some safe baby feeding guidelines from the same group. The group is a non-profit company that deals pretty exclusively with nutritional, agricultural and food industry issues. They also have a sister lobbying organization that helps push their cause.

PERSONAL: Not Look Forward To/Looking Forward To

Here are the things I remember I hated the most about being pregnant and then the things I loved. And assuredly what I will love and hate again this time around!

Hated

• Not being able to poop
  
• Charlie Horses waking me up in the morning
  
• Heartburn, mostly after lunch
  
• Nausea in the mornings
  
• Insomnia (only mildly though)
  
• Having to pee every hour
  
• Not having a steady flow of pee from month four - end (trickled)
  
• Not being able to drink coffee without guilty complex kicking in
  
• Not being able to take ibuprofen for arthritic knees
  
• Did I mention the no-poop thing?
  
• Not looking pregnant for five months and instead looking like a bloated doughnut-hoarder
  
• Not being able to reach my feet
  
• No seeing my ho-ha for two months
  
• Unsolicited advice came from every angle
  

Liked

• People were way friendly to me
  
• Everyone opened doors, let me cut lines
  
• I could use the bathroom anywhere I went
  
• People would strike up conversations with me everywhere
  
• I got free cookies at sandwich shops
  
• Feeling the baby move in the third trimester
  
• Pushing on one side of the belly and having the baby push back
  
• Sudden bursts of energy and love for everyone and everything
  
• That I can eat whatever I feel like eating (meaning sweets and stuff) without feeling guilty about getting fat
  
• BIG BOOBS
  
• Wearing bikini bottoms that cover my fat and blaming it on the baby bump
  
• Being crabby and having an excuse you can't argue with
  
• My husband cleans more and gets me water
  
• BIG BOOBS!!!!
  

RECALL: Metoo Travel Chair Alert

Apparently these fairly popular travel and metro high-chairs are posing some serious hazards to children, including possibly amputation! The last thing you want with your burger is a side of your own baby's appendages! Terrible stuff!

These chairs clip on to the edge of tables with two metal vise clamps, see photo. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, "The clip-on chairs affected by this warning do not have plastic spacers between the table clamps and the front horizontal metal bar. The clip-on chairs that have plastic spacers between the table clamps and the front horizontal metal bar are under evaluation."

View the full advisory from the CPSC.