Reading one of the posts here by a new mom took me down memory lane. I started thinking about the first year and how I don’t recall dreaming at all. I breastfed and if I wasn’t waking up to feed my baby, then I was waking up to express. I also started thinking about baby books/journals and best laid plans.

My mom kept a baby book for me. I don’t know if it was because I was her firstborn or not, but I can’t recall if she did one for my brother. We’re 18 months apart so after awhile the entries stopped in my book or became sporadic. I remember when she showed it to me. I had to be about nine or ten. It was great to see the first picture of me taken at the hospital and my birth certificate. I enjoyed reading about how I used to keep my food in my cheeks like a little squirrel and how I walked without crawling.

I meant to have a record like that for my son. Yes, I used the past tense because it didn’t happened. I wrote in my journal about his birth and bringing him home, but I never got around to purchasing a book. It isn’t something that I think of when I shop for baby showers either. I’m sure that there are mommies out there who have a story or notation written for each month and I commend you. I’m just not one of them.

Instead of writing down my memories, I have what seems like fifty picture albums. I think I take a picture just about everyday. Using my digital camera, I recorded the first time he sat up for a period of time without toppling over, his first steps and first tricycle ride. When I look at a picture, I can recall everything like it was yesterday. I suppose it’s not too late to start while the brain is still functioning. If nothing else, I can tell him that he walked without crawling like his mommy.

Although, you can purchase baby books, I took a look on the web for some crafty ideas on creating your own and here’s a couple that I found:

http://www.babiesonline.com/articles/photography/prepbabysalbum.asp

http://stayathomeparents.suite101.com/article.cfm/keeping_a_baby_book_for_your_child

http://www.mycraftbook.com/Baby_Scrapbooking_Ideas.asp

Please, feel free to share your ideas for baby books with other moms or make suggestions in the comments section.

In a story first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Ari Derfel of Berkeley, California, saved all of his trash for a year to see how much he actually generated. Final tally: 96 cubic feet. He has plans to donate it to a sculptor once the experiment is over.

In his own words from his blog http://saveyourtrash.typepad.com/, “I started the project for my own edification – my own learning, my own discovery, my own experience.” Project Trash Retention called for him to keep every piece of garbage including tissues, receipts, food wrappers and plastic bottles to show that when we dispose of something, “There’s no such thing as ‘away.’”

In addition to learning just how much trash he accumulates, the experiment taught him to observe his life in a different light. He is a much more positive person than he was a year ago.

Source: USA Today and The San Francisco Chronicle

President Bush extends child health program

President Bush signed a temporary extension of the State Children?s Health Insurance Program known as SCHIP. The program provides health coverage for about 6.6 million uninsured children. To be eligible, they have to be age 19 or under and from low to moderate income families that do not qualify for Medicaid. Some of the services covered by the program include doctor?s visits, immunizations, hospitalizations, emergency room care and dental coverage.
Depending on family income, there is little or no cost for the program. This new law will provide a 0.5 percent increase for Medicare providers for six months and delay a scheduled ten percent pay cut. The temporary extension will go through March 31, 2009.

Source: Reuters and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Studies show benefits of yoga

Two separate studies were published recently showing the multiple benefits of yoga. The word yoga comes from the ancient Indian language Sanskrit and means ?a bringing together of the parts in order to create a union or balance of a person?s body, mind and spirit.?
In Bikaner, India, Dr. R.P. Agrawal, of the SP Medical College, and his team conducted a study involving 101 adults with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity and high blood sugar. As published in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 55 adults received three months of regular yoga daily including standard postures and Raja Yoga, a form of transcendental meditation, while the remaining received standard care.

By the end of the study, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar, and triglycerides were significantly lower, and ?good? HDL cholesterol levels were higher in the yoga group as compared to controls.

At the University of Karlstad in Sweden, a group led by Dr. Anette Kjellgren, studied the effects of yoga-like breathing exercises on healthy adults. One hour daily, six days a week for six weeks, 55 members of the study practiced ?Sudarshan Kriya,? a series of slow normal and rapid breathing exercises. Forty-eight other members of the study were told to relax for fifteen minutes daily in an armchair.

Anxiety, stress and depression were significantly reduced in the yoga group versus the control group along with increased feelings of optimism. Yoga induces a ?relaxation response? associated with reduced nervous system activity and a feeling of well-being probably due to an increase in antioxidants and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, they report in BioMed Central Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Source: Reuters Health courtesy of Environmental News Network

Choosing Child Care

As a single mom, I had to continue working after the birth of my son. This meant finding proper child care for him. I heard all the stories about how expensive it can be and of course, the horror stories on the news of improper care. I decided that I had to treat it like looking for a job.

This meant doing research online and asking friends and family for assistance and advice. In my city, we have a Child Care Council. It won?t recommend providers, but it will send you a list of the ones in your area along with their average price for your child?s age. It tells you how many teachers they have per child and what accreditations or certifications they have. Also, they tell you how to find out if there are any negative reports regarding any of the providers. I also used a website called kidsoutandabout.com for leads.

Along with cost, there are other factors that need to be considered.

Daycare facility or in home care?

What kind of training do the teachers have?

Can they provide references?

Are you able to drop in unannounced?

What is the daily routine and what type of interaction will your baby receive?

After visiting some facilities in my area and receiving quotes of $250 per week, my mom recommended a woman in her church. She did daycare out of her home, had only three other small children there during the day (my son would be the only baby) and she offered a discount because she knew my parents. I was able to view her interaction with the children and her contract was very clear. I knew what to expect if my child became sick, her vacation dates, holidays and that an alternate provider would be needed as a backup.

While out on maternity leave, I took my son over for a few short visits so that he could get used to her and vice versa. Only one of the visits was unsupervised. That was the hardest, but it was necessary. They treated my son like a member of their family and he adored them. He went there until he started preschool this past September. She has since moved away, but they still speak by phone from time to time.

If you had to use childcare, what was your experience like?

New Jersey approves mandatory HIV tests for babies

Acting Governor Richard Codey signed a law that will require babies of mothers with HIV and those of unknown status to be tested. It also makes HIV testing part of routine prenatal care for all pregnant women instead of doctors just offering to perform the test.
The law, which goes into effect in six months, does allow the mommy-to-be to refuse testing. The goal is to decrease the number of infected newborns; however, some argue that women?s rights to make their own medical decisions is at risk.

In 2006, there were four states that required providers to test for HIV, unless the mother refused. They included Arkansas, Michigan, Tennessee and Texas. Connecticut, Illinois and New York are states that mandated testing for newborns.

Source: koat.com

Secondhand smoke may cause increased allergy risk in children

Secondhand smoke has been proven to cause an increase in asthma symptoms with young children, but a new study now shows that it may also increase the risk of developing some allergies. Dr. Eva Lannero of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and other Swedish researchers tested pre-kindergarteners who were exposed to secondhand smoke as babies.
They determined that the children were more likely to become allergic to indoor allergens such as dust mites and cat dander as well as develop food allergies. Dr. Lannero and her team found that exposure to cigarette smoke may cause an inflammation in the lining of young children?s airways. This may sensitize them to allergy-triggering substances.

Blood tests were run for antibodies to certain common allergens on four-year-olds born between 1994 and 1996. Those exposed to secondhand smoke when they were two months old had a 28 percent greater likelihood of antibodies to dust mites and molds or food allergens than those exposed at one or two years of age. Their cat dander and food allergen antibodies were 50 percent greater than those of children who had never been exposed to cigarette smoke.

The results of this study can be found in the medical journal Thorax.

Source: Reuters

Santa Claus used Chad McMaster to deliver the gift of a liver transplant to his grandmother Patricia Middleton. She suffered with chronic liver disease for many years before finally needing the transplant. According to his grandmother, Chad was a perfect match out of all of the family members who volunteered to be donors.

During the operation, 55 percent of his liver was removed. The procedure took place in early December and Patricia will spend the winter adapting to the new organ.

The liver is the second most transplanted major organ. The kidney is the first. There are many criteria used to determine who is eligible to receive a liver transplant, but those with a status 1 ranking are at the top of the list. These are patients who have a life expectancy of less than 7 days if they do not receive the transplant. Currently, the success rate is over 95 percent for these procedures and there are about 17,000 people on the waiting list.

Source: Foxnews

A Nebraska family got the ultimate Secret Santa present, $2000. Bill Bradley, a construction worker, received a box at work Friday that contained an envelope full of money. It came from Santa with no other return address information.

Instead of getting $20 each for Christmas, the Bradleys four children and one grandchild will now get Christmas presents. The rest of the money will go towards paying bills.

Linda Bradley had this to say, “Whoever you are, the gift you gave my husband is a godsend.” Next year, she would like to do the same for another needy family.

What’s the best Secret Santa gift that you ever received?

While one would think that most women are overjoyed at the thought of impending motherhood, for some it can be a very stressful time. Will I be a good mother? How and when do I tell my boss? Do I want to take extra time after the baby is born? Can we afford for me to take more time? What about childcare?

Many studies have been conducted on the effects of stress on pregnancy. A little stress doesn’t seem to be cause for alarm, but severe stress can manifest itself in physical ways. Anxiety, lack of sleep, decreased appetite and increased heart rate are not good for mom or baby. Severe stress has been shown to cause premature delivery, low birthweights, and even respiratory and developmental complications. This is especially true if experienced during the first trimester.

Expectant mothers can do a number of things to help alleviate stress.

• Get plenty of sleep and learn to relax
• Exercise regularly
• Eat a healthy and well balanced diet
• Avoid stressful situations
• Maintain a good support system
• Talk to your healthcare provider and keep pre-natal appointments

The most important thing is to know yourself. If you are feeling overwhelmed or depressed, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Talk to other mommies and moms-to-be. Let your spouse or partner know what is going on, and consult your physician.? Many women feel this way, you’re not the only one.

The information contained on this site is for educational purposes only and is not meant for diagnosis or treatment. Any information found on this site should be discussed with a health care professional. Use of this information should be done in accordance with the health care plan outlined by your health care professional. For specific professional or medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment, consult your doctor or health care professional.