Archive - Mar 2010

When my daughter was a newborn I sang all of the time. I sang when she cried, I sang when we walked, I sang to fill up the silences or when I felt a bit lonely. I suffered from PPD and singing seemed to help me get through it. I made up songs about her animals, diapering and as I recall I sang a lot of songs from the 'Brother Where Art Thou' soundtrack. I don't have a great voice (I don't have a terrible voice either) - but of course that is not the point - anyone can sing. I also played classical music and some of my favorite CD's at the time.

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Whether you’ve gone from two incomes to one, or you just need to pay for that new little someone with the big price tag, bringing home baby usually means cutting back on other expenses.  However, with the stress of a having a newborn, many first-time moms feel the need for a bit of pampering.  Here are a few ideas to help you treat yourself now and then without breaking the piggy bank. 

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Never mind those household projects you thought you’d complete once you had some time at home.   You’re now on the job 24/7.  With round-the-clock feedings every two to four hours, each one taking up to an hour, it’s normal to start to feel like a hunted animal.    While it’s true that in the early weeks, you’ll find it all but impossible to spend time without your little one, but those few fleeting moments of respite are worth pursuing.  Here are some ways to give yourself a much-needed sanity break.      

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If you are members of your have  not yet received the H1N1 vaccine, the CDC recommends you do so at once.  Influenza commonly has a “second surge” that may occur in late winter or early spring. H1N1 is no different. So, to protect your family, make sure everyone is immunized. This is especially try for pregnant, young children and children with chronic or debilitating conditions.

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Breastfeeding comes naturally right? I wish. I recently posted a forum question about how easy or difficult new mothers found breastfeeding. The overwhelming response was that:

1. breastfeeding was a rewarding experience and

2. it was much harder than expected.

The difference between a successful experience and giving up can often be found in the support (or lack of) that a new mom receives.

Here are some ideas for creating your own breastfeeding support network:

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For both you and your partner, when baby makes three, life gets a lot more complicated.  Even the most eagerly-awaited newborn tends to have quite an unsettling impact.  Just when you think the worst is over— no more morning sickness; no more feeling like a beached whale; no more lying awake at night, worrying about childbirth, while junior keeps kicking you in the ribs— suddenly a whole new reality sets in, with its own kind of stresses.  You wake up and realize that the Hallmark card they gave you at the office was true when it said, “Congratulations!  Life as you knew

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The Centers for Disease Control reports that 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year, and one in five dog bites results in injuries that require medical attention. There are ways to make dog bites less likely and to help prevent children from being bitten by dogs.

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