Pacifier Controversy–How Old Is Too Old? August 14, 2007

When this pic was published a while back, many were up in arms about Ryder’s binky. They said he was 2 or 3 and waaaay too old for a pacifier. I agree that 2-3 is pushing it but when do you think they should go? I encountered a poor daycare workers struggling with a child who looked like she’d been crying for a week straight because “the parents want the pacifier gone, cold turkey.” The poor baby was probably only 8 months old and now the lucky daycare workers get to deal with the aftermath. How much you want to bet the baby gets it at night when the parents are around??? I’m just saying.

Grace initially had no pacifier and then it was suggested by the lactation consultants that it would help her suck reflex. We’ve been on the binky ever since. Regular latex Binky, not orthodontic thank you very much. I’m just excited that she seemed to take the orthodontic one today. That’s progress over here. She really only uses them to sleep. I’m not going to get all jacked up about it like some people do “you MUST wean at age (fill in the blank).” I’ve never seen a child attending college with a binky so I’m pretty sure she’ll be able to give it up.

Favorite Baby Product..Just Don’t Flush It

I have to admit, I’m a snob about certain products and I just won’t go generic. These include paper products (paper towels, toilet paper and baby wipes). These work so well that I just can’t deviate. They are silky soft and like cloth. But I really love them for their myriad of uses (wipe the counter, the car seats, the high chair, take off my makeup, wash my hands, etc.) These things do it all…except for flush. I made the stupid mistake of flushing a few too many down our toilet today. This ended up with poo water all over our master bath. I can’t relive it, it was horrifying. It’s finally under control but please DON’T FLUSH THESE BABIES!

Is Vacationing With a Toddler an Oxymoron?

We decided that it would be a fun idea to take Grace on a little trip to the beach. We rented a condo and packed up the pack in play, brought her favorite items and were off. But things didn’t exactly go as planned…Our superstar sleeper absolutely refused to sleep at night. The daytime naps were fine but nighttime…no way. Nothing would soothe her, not even being in our room. She couldn’t sleep with us because she’s too much of a squirmer and ended up trying to climb up the headboard. Eventually we took turns staying with her in the main room and sleeping on the couch. We even kept the TV on. She still woke up every few hours. It was painful. Almost like when she was a newborn. We cut the trip short for our sanity and last night (her first night home) she slept like a rock. And she’s still sleeping with no signs of stopping. I’m not sure if it was the perfect storm of teething, unfamiliar surroundings, her age (12 months), or what. Lessons learned: get a bigger place with no common walls. She knew we couldn’t let her cry because of the poor neighbors and I swear she played on that. Other than that, I’m not really sure what could have been done better. Any ideas???

Study Says Moms Too Quick to Reach for the Bottle *Offers No Suggestions For Working Moms August 8, 2007

Found this article on Yahoo about how moms are “too quick” to reach for the bottle and then end up stopping breastfeeding sooner than they “should.” It notes that women should “ideally” breastfeed for six months or more.

Great idea but let’s talk reality. We have no mandatory maternity leave (paid) in this country. Thus, many women have to return to work (wow, what a concept!). I was planning on returning to my work after 3 months. This was unpaid leave by my employer but I would have been able to collect disability in California for about half my salary during that time period. If you live in another state or can’t get buy on half of your salary, I guess you get to go back earlier. I planned on breastfeeding too. Luckily I had my own office and could shut the door and pump away. However, I really could not work during this time or carry on phone conversations so this would be a significant chunk of time out of my day. I worked as an attorney with billable hours required and every minute counted, literally. So if I tood 30 minutes per day to pump, I’d basically be at the office another 45 minutes later in the day. That would put me at 6:30 for leaving. We had moved out of the city so I’d be home at around 7:15. My daughter goes to bed at 7pm so I guess I would just see her on the weekends 🙂 We ended up moving and I was able to stay home with Grace for the first year so this turned out not to be an issue for me. But it is for many, many women.

My friend worked in a cubicle and had to pump in the computer server room. Many pump in bathroom stalls with no electrical outlets. Gee, I wonder why they eventually give into the bottle. Let’s face it, its not easy on the mamas. Let’s focus on mandating breaks and facilities on the employers and a little less guilt on the mothers please.

AP article regarding bottlefeeding

Why Didn’t They Have This A Year Ago?

Following up on my swing post, I really wish this product had been available a year ago as Grace loved her Graco Snugride and this is a swing frame that the carseat snaps into. Genius people!  Anyway, here it is….

Swingin’ the Fussies Away

When Grace was a wee thing the swing was our best friend. It was the only thing that seemed to soothe her. We got the Fisher Price Baby Papasan which swings forward and sideways (although our peanut really preferred the regular facing way). It’s a big seat that has an upright position and another position that is nearly flat. This was good for us as Grace literally slept in this thing for about a month. My only complaints are: price, bulkiness and no A/C adapter. Otherwise, it was a lifesaver for us. Be sure to stock up on D batteries.

My obsession with the swing first developed after reading Harvey Karp’s “Happiest Baby on the Block.” Highly recommended if you have a “difficult” baby…

Keeping in Shape During Pregnancy: Crunch Yoga Mama

I’ll admit I gained only about 15 pounds during my pregnancy (baby was early) and it wasn’t completely intentional. I was unbelievably sick to my stomach until about 22 weeks. I had my baby at 39 so I really had a short window of feeling like a normal human being. I shed the pregnancy weight very quickly because I didn’t put much on in the first place! People have asked about my “secrets” and here it is: don’t put on too much weight during the pregnancy and get in great shape before you get pregnant, if you can.  At the very least, I recommend prenatal yoga to help keep you in shape and also help ease the labor. Everyone I know who has done prenatal yoga has found labor to be much more manageable, myself included. Ok, I admit to an epidural after 24 hours of pain. So bottom line: you’re not eating for two, you’re eating for one and a half and get in that downward dog position pronto!

Good Old Fashioned Plastic High Chair: Graco Contempo

I’ll admit that I used to be much more concerned with fashion over function. I wanted a Stokke high chair so as not to disrupt my furnishings. A Bugaboo Frog because that’s what you “had” to have (when we lived in San Francisco). Well, screw the Stokke because it has no tray (unless you pay $$$) for the child and the Bugaboo is a pain in my ***. I’m now all about convenience.

Grace outgrew her booster type high chair (strap on to an existing chair) rather rapidly and it was time to get her a real one. I gave in to practicality and got the Graco Contempo in Kasbah. I love it. It is easily wiped as it’s not fabric (more of a plastic), Grace is comfy in it and it has a huge, washable tray that removes. Newbie Mama screwed the bottle top on incorrectly and milk went flying everywhere, including all over Grace. Cleaning the chair was a breeze. Cleaning Grace was a little more challenging. Plus, it folds up quite nicely. I may even take this baby on vacation with us and stuff it in the car. Two thumbs up!!!

You can find it at Walmart.com

Baby and the TV

Ok, I know the line is “no TV before 2” and many people would say “never!!” A new study just came out which notes:

“For every hour a day spent watching baby DVDs and videos, infants between 8 and 16 months old understood an average of six to eight fewer words than infants who didn’t watch them. The baby DVDs/videos had no positive or negative effect on the vocabulary of toddlers ages 17 to 24 months.”

While I agree we should not let the children veg out in front of the tube, I will admit to allowing the TV at times. Times when I need to shower and it’s the only way I can. Times when I am going to cry because my colicky baby will only calm down in the swing, with a pacifier and watching Madagascar. To this day, Madagascar is my go-to if Grace is super fussy and it’s just too early for bed. Sometimes it’s gotta happen. She also enjoys the Shushybyes “oh my my, Shushybye….” It’s contagious people. Listen, I don’t care if the Shushybyes don’t really prepare her for sleep and just keep her entertained. I also don’t think she’ll be irreparably harmed by Madagascar viewings. We do plenty of “real” play and interaction and this is just a supplement when needed. If you never pull it out, you’re a better woman than I am (or your not being honest!)

http://health.yahoo.com/news/healthday/dvdsdontproducebrainybabies;_ylt=AkxKXcz.oEEDCcOWib6foYGz5xcB

www.shushybye.com

Best. Baby. Shoes. Ever: Pedipeds. August 6, 2007

My daugther is a total squirmer. I can’t get shoes on her to save my life. Now that she’s a year old I really think it’s time to get some shoes on the child. I tried Robeez (ok but still a little tough to get on), generic Robeez, Target Circo shoes (cute but I think mine were defective, they literally looked like she had 2 left feet and they came off after an hour at daycare). I finally bit the bullet and bought some shoes that cost more than $10 since she’s cruising around now. She got them on at the store without a word so I would have paid anything at that point! They are Pedipeds. They are flexible soled shoes that are good for crawling and/or walking. They adhere to the “barefoot is best” theory so if you want shoes with a lot of arch support, these aren’t for you. The concept is your baby will develop their arches and muscles best by having “feel” of barefeet while being protected outside. I got the white Olivias and couldn’t be happier. So easy to put on and she is so proud of them (she clicks her tootsies together and smiles.) And how cute are these??? You can buy direct from the site and Zappos also has a good selection.

www.pedipeds.com

www.zappos.com