The Shopping Mama » Parenting

Partum Me?! Dear Moms, I <3 You

Laura — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:22 +0000

My husband and I moved to Philadelphia almost six years ago, sort of on a whim. At that point we were just boyfriend and girlfriend, in our late 20s, and thought we were ready for a change. We were craving space, home ownership, a life where we didn’t live paycheck-to-paycheck. The hubs had a job opportunity in Philly, so we were convinced. What we didn’t think about was how we’d have a social life in our new city. We were leaving groups of friends in NYC that were mostly people we’d known since college. Making new ones hadn’t been a necessity for us since those first days on campus. We soon learned that it was much easier back then.

Our NYC friends are an amazingly diverse group of talented and intelligent people – writers, teachers, lawyers, bankers, artists, chefs, record label execs. We spent a long while in Philadelphia feeling very isolated and lonely, wondering if we’d taken our friends for granted and made a huge mistake.

Luckily, after some stops and starts, we slowly acquired a small group of very awesome Philly friends. Most of them live right in our neighborhood and have proven to be a support system as both friends and neighbors. But most of them don’t have kids, and a few of them have made the conscious decision not to have them. I completely respect anyone’s decision to have, or not to have, children. But sometimes having one means I have to be much less flexible and spontaneous than I was before becoming a mom. Plus, my daily highs and lows usually revolve around Charlie and the truth is, sometimes it’s hard to get as excited about that stuff if you don’t have a frame of reference with your own kid.

I’ve felt lucky to have Partum Me?! and some local listservs as they’ve given me a virtual support system of other moms. Still something has been missing. Interestingly, I found what I needed as the drama unfolded with Charlie’s daycare. As we all found common ground in our battle with an ineffective administrator, we also found a good group of moms, dads, and educators who have a pretty good time when we get together. Now, instead of wondering what our other friends are doing on a Friday or Saturday, we have invitations to brunches and family potlucks. And with that comes the feeling, after six long years, that we might have actually done something crazy in Philadelphia – we might have actually made a life here.

If you moved somewhere as an adult, how did you make new friends? Have you found that your friend group has changed since having kids?

CPSC Issues New Bumbo Seat Safety Warning

Shannon — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:16:42 +0000

As parents, we are “on” all day, every day. As a result, we look for tools to help with our primary job – keeping our children safe. There are a number of tools we use each day, from cribs to car seats. However, we should always remember to use these aids according to the manufacturer’s instructions and with a lot of common sense.

Case in point, there is a new advisory from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission regarding the use of the Bumbo baby seat designed to aid children who can support their own head with sitting. Despite a previous recall, a redesign and labeling, Bumbo International is once again urging parents and caregivers to refrain from placing Bumbos on elevated surfaces. With vigorous movement children can fall from the seat and suffer great injury including skull fracture, concussion and broken limbs. To view the media release and learn more of documented accidents and injuries, please visit the CPSC.

Bumbo features warnings about using its product on elevated surfaces prominently on the seat itself and on the Bumbo.com website, yet new accidents and injuries continue.

Please remember, Bumbo seats should always be used on flat, floor-level, padded surfaces and should never be used with a child who cannot support his/her own head or who can maneuver out of the seat. And most important, Bumbo seats (and all other child products) should always be used with parental supervision.

American Academy of Pediatrics Says No Crib Bumpers

Malia — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:00:21 +0000

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has updated their recommendations for reducing SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Ayndrome) risk and increasing safe sleep. Did you know that is was as recent as 1992 that AAP recommended placing babies on their backs to sleep? Since that time, there has been a significant decrease in SIDS deaths. But there has been an increase in deaths due to suffocation, entrapment and asphyxia. The updated guidelines are designed to help you create a safe environment for your child to sleep.

Important Additions

AAP emphasized the three following updates as the most important additions in their press release issued October 18th.

Breastfeeding is recommended to reduce SIDS risk.
Infants should be immunized. Studies show a 50% reduction in SIDS in babies who are immunized.
Bumper pads should not be used in cribs. Bumper pads have not been shown to reduce injury and present a potential risk of suffocation, strangulation or entrapment.

The Full Recommendations

Parent friendly information about all the recommendations can be found at HealthyChildren.org and the full AAP publication can be found in the November issue of Pediatrics (ask your doctor for a copy if you are interested). You are probably familiar with most of these recommendations already.

Always place your baby on his/her back to sleep.
Always use a firm sleep surface. Carseats and other sitting devices are not recommended for routine sleep.
Baby should sleep in the same ROOM but not the same BED with parents.
Keep soft objects or loose bedding out of baby’s bed.
Avoid wedges or positioners.
Don’t smoke while pregnant or around baby and get regular pre-natal care.
Offer a pacifier at sleep times.
Avoid covering the infant’s head or overheating.
Practice supervised, awake tummy time.

Healthy Children also includes a reminder that these recommendations are for children under one year of age and that certain medical conditions may require a baby to be placed on his or her stomach to sleep and that your doctor will help you know what is best for your baby.

What Do You Think?

Will you stop using a crib bumper? I don’t know what to think. My little man loved his bumper and would snuggle up next to it. I don’t think he would have slept as well without it. I did always make sure it was tied insanely tight and up slightly from the mattress so that if he somehow rolled and wedged his face in a corner, there was a gap where he could breath. And we did a lot of tummy time so that by the time he could move enough to get his face in the bumper he could also move enough to get it out.

{Kate’s Note: One stylish option for the look of a bumper is the new Skip Hop Complete Sheet.}

Image: babyphotospictures.com

We Told the Kids! {Video} & 16 Week Bump

Kate — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:52:33 +0000

If you follow us on Facebook, you know that Malia and I spent the weekend at the ABC Kids Expo in Louisville, Kentucky. It was awesome – great to learn about new products, meet folks we’ve enjoyed working with and find some new great things to share with all of you. But, let me tell you… it was exhausting. Particularly for two pregnant mamas! Stay tuned for updates from the Expo…

I am now 16 weeks pregnant, which feels like I’m pregnant for real. The combination of missing my kids, talking about baby / pregnancy things all weekend and my growing bump I decided it was a good time to tell the kids about the baby. My husband agreed so we told them last night. And, of course, we took a video.

I’m not sure what I expected, but I do know that ^ was NOT it. My son just insists it’s a boy and my daughter wanted to take a bath. They literally didn’t mention the baby again last night or this morning. I guess they really are still too young to understand what it means and how all of our lives will change.

We used the BabyBeat Fetal Doppler so they could hear the baby’s heartbeat and that’s pretty much how we started the conversation about the new baby. The kids know the Doppler allows us to hear our own heartbeats and it took a quick minute for my son to realize that it wasn’t my stomach beating at over 150 beats per minute. Stay tuned for more info about the Doppler as we’ll be using it to bond with the baby for several months.

16 Week Bump

I dressed to accentuate the bump this weekend because while I feel like it’s huge, it’s rather underwhelming next to Malia’s awesome 28 week belly. Although, if you ask my mom, she insists I’m having twins because I’m so big. To which I reply a very mature, “Whatevs.”

And, in a month, please remind me to take this photo before 10 o’clock at night. It is clearly not the best time of day for a photo shoot.

Journey to Baby Posts

Surprise! & 12 Week Bump Picture

Also check out my posts on BabyCenter as part of the Baby Bump Blogger Contest: Embracing the Unexpected Pregnancy and a Video Daydreaming about Baby.

September is Craniofacial Acceptance Month

Malia — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:26:48 +0000

Cleft lip or palate is one of the most common birth defects, affecting one in 500 children in the US including my little cousin, Brody. Unless treated cleft palate can interfere with feeding, speech development and hearing. Family members, friends and those with Craniofacial differences (of which cleft lip or palate if just one) join organizations like Children’s Craniofacial Organization and Cleftsmile.org this month to remind people to look beyond the face to the heart and the true person within.

Unfortunately we live too far away from Brody and his family to see them as often as we would like, but we love to watch him growing into a little man in photos like the series above. He’s clearly had wonderful care. You can learn more about cleft lip or palate and how you can help at SmileTrain.org and the organizations above.

I read once that if you want your child be be comfortable around people who are different looking, sounding, abled, aged, etc than he is, you have to provide him the opportunity to spend time with such people. How do you help your child learn about the heart beyond the face (wheelchair, lisp, etc)?

Partum Me?! Online Parenting

Laura — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 23:00:41 +0000

16 Weeks. SIXTEEN WEEKS! I can’t believe that, in just a few days, Charlie will be exactly four months old. He continues to entertain us with his ever-expanding vocabulary of facial expressions and coos. Just this week, he’s started to take notice of our pets. Our dog, Brooklyn, has been by his side since he was born, but is just now being rewarded with some attention from “his boy.” We are sure that they will have a great relationship as Charlie grows, although Brooklyn might live to regret wanting attention from him as Charlie starts to become more mobile and better at grabbing things, people, animals, etc.

It’s hard to believe that we have been parents for nearly four months. As first timers, we have sought advice from a variety of sources. I prefer to ask our most trusted friends whose parenting styles are most aligned with ours. We also have a shelf full of books, but we rarely consult them. The fact is, like most parents today, we turn to the internet when we have a question that we need to answer right away. I have culled together a bunch of websites and blogs (in addition to The Shopping Mama, of course!) that I have found to be the most useful, or the most fun, when it comes to kids stuff.

Baby Center – I first got turned on to Baby Center when I signed up for their weekly pregnancy email. You know, the one that tells you what fruit or vegetable currently matches the size of your fetus. Pregnant women live for that weekly email. It feels good to know that your gestating baby has gone from kumquat-size to japanese eggplant. It ends up that Baby Center is a great resource for actual information about little ones and parenting, too. I like it because it seems to be one of the less lecture-y sites out there, and it has advice for all types of moms. It’s also very easily searchable, making it a snap to find the info you need in a pinch.

Mothering.com – This site might be on the crunchy side for some, but I especially love the forums. Sure, there are a few moms who get a bit militant about certain things, especially breastfeeding and cloth diapering, but it’s easily searchable and chances are your question has already been answered and you can find a bunch of different opinions all in one place. I found the online community at Mothering to be especially helpful and supportive when we were trying to conceive Charlie. Since then, I have searched both the website and the forums for advice on everything from diapering to developmental milestones.

Ask Dr. Sears – Again, this site might be a little too touchy feely for some parents, especially since Dr. Sears is a big advocate of attachment parenting, but I have found a good deal of great advice on this site about nurturing a child, breastfeeding support, and baby wearing, among other things. A lot of what I’ve read here is not necessarily instant solutions to an issue, but more like suggestions that you can put into practice for long term results. I recently read this article about sleeping and it has helped me put things into perspective for Charlie and identify how we want to structure his time going forward.

Ohdeedoh – This kid-centered arm of the awesome Apartment Therapy blog is awesome if you are a city parent, or just someone who tries to be as socially conscious as possible and live a somewhat compact life. They have lots of product reviews and how-to’s for everything from building custom kid’s rooms to great wooden toys. My favorite features are the posts about cool and unique birthday party ideas and real people’s design ideas for their children’s bedrooms/nurseries. They also have the occasional post where a reader asks a question about child-rearing and the readers give their answers in the comments. Everything they do feels bright, modern, and inclusive.

Baby Cheapskate – This is a blog dedicated entirely to telling the world about upcoming and current discounts, sales, and deals both online and in stores. It needs no further explanation other than to say it’s awesome.

This Lunch Rox – The woman who writes this blog is a dynamo. Even though Charlie isn’t even on solid foods yet, I read this blog every. single. day. to see her latest creations. If I can make lunches that are even half as awesome as what she makes, I’ll consider myself a rousing success. She also includes alot of super healthy recipes that are meant to be substitutes for their higher calorie/sugar counterparts. I’ve bookmarked a bunch that I hope to make even before Charlie is old enough to eat them. I have to make my own lunch fun, too!

Nater Tot – Full disclosure: the author of this blog is a law school friend of mine so I’m a bit biased, but I love her honest (and wonderfully sarcastic) approach to parenting. There is tons of helpful info in her posts about using sign language as an early developmental language tool and making your house as BPA free as possible. She also writes some great breastfeeding articles over at Examiner.com.

What are your favorite websites/blogs about parenting and fun kid stuff?

Maternity Fashion Advice from Rosie Pope

Kate — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:00:27 +0000

Rosie Pope has teamed up with Pampers to spread the word about the summer’s exclusive Pampers Prints diapers. She stopped by the Baby Board Blogger Day a couple weeks ago to chat about diapers, the reality of reality tv, and provide some much needed maternity fashion advice. She was utterly charming and funny in person and I’m excited to share a brief clip of our chat.

Check out this quick video where Rosie dishes on her best fashion advice for expecting moms.

Maternity Fashion Advice

Rosie thinks maternity dresses often look better on pregnant bodies and you should choose a style to flatter your figure and show off your favorite feature. For example, if you have great legs, go for a shorter dress. If your arms are like Michelle Obama’s, pick a sleeveless dress. Wrap dresses look great on all figures and never seem to go out of style.

Maternity Fashion News

Rosie is working on a new line of affordable maternity clothes to be available at one of our favorite stores. (Think bullseye, people!) We can’t wait for the launch and will keep you updated.

Shop! For more maternity fashion check out Rosie Pope Maternity clothes.

Thoughts on Baby Number Two

Malia — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:45:10 +0000

I nearly titled this post “Thoughts on Number Two”, which as a newly pregnant mom of a toddler just starting to consider potty training would also be appropriate (I think I dreamed about poo last night). I’m actually planning to share my thoughts (and fears) about BABY number two in this post. Being pregnant and having a baby comes with a whole list of, “Wait, no one ever told me I’d have to do that!” moments and I’m discovering that baby number two comes with it’s own set of new and special (note the sarcasm) moments.

Sleeping

You may have noticed that I haven’t published any posts for a while. That’s because I’ve been sleeping Every. Single. Time the kid takes a nap. Whew! I thought I was tired with the first one. Add in running after a toddler, feeding, washing, changing and entertaining said toddler, not to mention working full time, and I am exhausted. I’m almost 13 weeks and I think it’s getting better, but I can’t even imagine the end of the 3rd trimester and I don’t know how you moms of 3+ do it.

Oh My Goodness, Could that Diaper Stink More?

Okay, the sensitivity to smell thing was bad with baby number one. I got into the habit of always having gum in my bag to “share” with one of my co-workers with dragon breath. But, I was still completely unprepared for the bionic nose plus dirty diaper combination. Wow. I could tell if he’d pooped during nap just by walking down the hall. And changing the diapers? Nearly impossible. Thank goodness that doesn’t last all 9 (err 10) months.

The Fears

Seriously, there are a ton of these and I might have stuck with the one child plan if I’d thought up so many before getting pregnant!

To start, my child is clearly the most wonderful, beautiful, loving, adorable, smart, funny, well behaved, etc. living being on the face of the earth. This brings on all kinds of questions. How could I possibly love number two as much as I love my first? Will I have enough love for number two? Or will I not be able to give as much love to my first? In all seriousness, number one is a pretty easy baby and things were rough at first. What if this one is harder? Will I manage?

What if the second one has health problems? Will I be strong enough to handle them? Will it be unfair to my first?

When will I sleep? (Okay, maybe I’m not over the exhaustion stage.)

Will they like each other? Will they have similar skills or will one be the smart one or the athletic one? Will I know how to show them both enough love and encouragement so the know they don’t have to be the ___ one?

I won’t even start with the Daddy-may-be -deployed when number two is born fears, but I’ll be asking advice for that later when we have a better idea of what is going to happen.

What fears do/did you have about baby number two? What advice can you share?

Safest Sunscreens for Kids 2011

Kate — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:00:29 +0000

The Environmental Working Group recently released its 2011 report on the Safest Sunscreens. After testing more than 1700 sunscreens, the organization has released its list of safest sunscreens and the must see Hall of Shame. We’ve found the kid and baby safe sunscreens from the Report and have them for you here.

EWG Report Summary

The EWG says the safest sunscreens for kids have the following qualities:

Mineral suncreen with zinc and titanium
No oxybenzone – potentially hormone-disrupting
No Vitamin A – may be carcinogenic on sun-exposed skin
No spray or powdered sunscreen

Safest Sunscreens for Kids 2011

Alba Botanica Sun: Mineral Kids SPF 30 (pack of 2 4 oz, $18)
All Terrain Sunblock Kidsport SPF 30 (pack of 2 3 oz, $16)
Aubrey Organics Children’s Unscented Sensitive Skin Lotion (4 oz, $12.50)
Aveeno Sun Natural Protection Mineral Block Baby SPF 50 Stick (.5 oz, $10.99)
BabyGanics Cover Up Baby Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 (2 oz, $4.20)
BabyGanics Cover Up Baby Sunscreen Stick SPF 50 (.47 oz, $8)
Badger Baby Sunscreen SPF 30 (2.9 oz, $15.49)
Beyond Coastal Kids Natural SPF 30 Sunscreen (4 oz, $11.59)
Blue Lizard Baby Australian Suncream SPF 30+ (8.75 oz, $27)
California Baby No Fragrance Sunscreen Lotion, No Fragrance Sunblock Stick, Everyday/Year-Round Sunscreen Lotion, Summer Blend Sunscreen Lotion, Everyday/Year-Round Sunblock Stick, No Fragrance Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion, Everyday/Year-Round Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion (sizes and prices vary)
Carribean Solutions Sol Kid Kare SPF 25 Sunscreen (6 oz, $12)
Coola MineralBaby Moisturizer Suncare, SPF 45 (3 oz, $36)
Earth’s Best Sunblock: Mineral Based, SPF 30+ (4 oz, $14)
Eco Skin Care Eco Baby, SPF 30+ (3.5 oz, $17)
Elemental Herbs Sunscreen Kids SPF 20 (3 oz, $16)
Goddess Garden Baby Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30 (3.5, $13.50)
Goddess Garden Kids Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30 (6 oz, $19)
Lavera Baby and Children Sunscreen, SPF 20 (4.1 oz, $23)
Little Forest Sunscreen Lotion for Babies & Kids (4 oz, $17)
Marie Veronique Organics Kid Safe Screen, SPF 25 (4 oz, $19)
Nature’s Gate Mineral Kid’s block SPF 20 (4 oz, $8)
Sunbow Dora the Explorer Sunscreen SPF 30 ($10.39)
The Green Beaver KIDS SPF30 Sunscreen (90mL, $21)
thinkbaby sunscreen SPF30+ (3 oz, $15)
TruKid: New Sunny Days Mineral All Natural Sunscreen, Sunny Days Water Resistant Unscented Mineral Face & Body Stick, Sunny Days Water Resistant Unscented mineral Sunscreen, Sunny Days Sport Water Resistant Sunscreen, Sunny Days SPORT Unscented, Water Resistant Stick, Sunny Days Unscented Water Resistant Sunscreen Stick (sizes and prices vary)
UV Natural Sunscreen for Baby, SPF 30+ (5.29 oz, $30)

How Does Your Sunscreen Score?

Check out the widget to see how your sunscreen fared in the EWG’s report. You may be (unpleasantly) surprised. For example, here are some popular brands that landed in the Hall of Shame: Hawaiian Tropic Baby Stick Sunscreen SPF 50, Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection SPF 55, Coppertone Water Babies Sunscreen Lotion SPF 70+.

***

See our 2010 post on the safest sunscreens for kids for some of our top picks stylish sun protection for kids.

USDA Replaces Outdated Food Pyramid with Plate Image

Kate — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 23:15:52 +0000

The US Department of Agriculture and Michelle Obama announced today a new plate image that will replace the familiar food pyramid. The new image is designed to more clearly represent how we should be eating by portioning a plate into fruits, vegetables, protein and grains. Dairy is included as a small circle that could represent a glass of milk or a cup or yogurt. Healthy eating advocates also stress that the choice of lean meats (or other proteins), whole grains, and low fat or non-fat dairy and portion control is important to a healthy and balanced diet. Ms. Obama also stressed the importance of ensuring that everyone has access to affordable healthy foods like fruits and vegetables.

I love this new image. It totally makes sense to me and I can visualize it as I fill my plate or my son’s plate.

What do you think? Will this help you make better food choices? Do you think it will help with this crazy obesity epidemic in America (and other developed countries) or is it a lost cause? What other tips do you have for us new mamas trying to build healthy eaters?