Pure Natural Mom

Giveaway: Healthy Summer Essentials for Kids

Tracy Morris — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:32:42 +0000

Photo: chrisroll | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Here comes summer. For some families, that means a big upswing in the amount of time and energy kids spend running around — as it should be!

We’re giving away a sample pack that will help you keep up with your children’s increased nutritional needs, plus a little extra. Here’s what you can receive:

USANIMALS (www.usana.com): Supplements just for children. Supports healthy immune function and helps create strong, healthy bones. Easy-to-eat chewables stamped with fun animal shapes.

HINT Water (www.drinkhint.com): A fruit-infused all-natural essence water that contains no calories, sugar, artificial sweeteners or preservatives. Kids need to stay hydrated — but what if they’re not water-drinkers? Forget the unhealthy soft drinks and pick up a bottle of HINT instead. It’s not flavored water, it IS water.

Smart for Life Cookies (www.smartforlife.com): Healthy ingredients, all-natural, preservative-free and made from 60 percent organic ingredients. Not only are they tasty, but they increase bone health and improve intestinal health.

Medical ID Marketplace (www.hopepaige.com): What if your child has a food allergy or diabetes? How do you make sure your child is safe when they are on a field trip or on a play date? Medical ID Marketplace is one solution to that problem. Fashionable, trendy and cute medical ID bracelet that blend in with everyday pieces and only stands out to first responders in case of an emergency. These accessories come with a customized engraving (emergency contact info, health condition, etc.) so health officials will know how to react in a worst case scenario. Also with hundreds to choose from, there is an option that fits for every child’s colorful personality.

Want a gift pack filled with samples of the above? Like PureNaturalMom on Facebook, and post a comment below with your ideas for a kid’s perfect summer. We’ll pick a winner next week, and their Healthy Summer Pack will be on its way.

Tracy Morris

I wear a lot of hats while spinning plates and true stories. In between taking care of myself and my family, I write about fertility and other health care topics. Most of my online time lately is spent at two very different places: FertilityTies.com and TrailerParkKarma.com. Perspective is everything -- my pre-teen reminds me daily.

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Dealing with your “difficult” child: 4 steps to follow

Lisa Gale — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:13:59 +0000

Photo: www.pkr101blogspot.com

If you have several children, chances are good that at least one of them challenges your sanity. You love him (or her), but truth be told you don’t always like them. They do not only push your buttons, they stomp, tap dance and karate kick them until your last nerve is hanging by a thread. Then you snap and say something you wish you hadn’t and the situation escalates into a full blown drama.

If this cycle sounds familiar, I can commiserate. The latest cycle with one of my own resident button pushers got me thinking and reflecting once again on how I can get to the root of my own emotional responses so as to diffuse the situation earlier the next time. Here are some of those thoughts.

Acknowledge the buttons

Know what your hot buttons are. As the saying goes, “there’s no smoke without a fire”. If you’re upset about something your child is or isn’t doing, it’s probably because you are the very same way. Your child is lovingly mirroring your own limited behavioral response, subconsciously hoping that you will see it and heal it in yourself.

Recognize your buttons need healing

Self-help guru Byron Katie has a great resource to help you come into self-awareness (if you’re brave). In fact, her website is choc-full of helpful tools that can give you a shift very quickly if you are open. At her website www.thework.com, you’ll find many therapeutic videos, worksheets and articles to help move you along the self-healing process. Self-healing leads to relational healing with your children.

Identify the needs behind the needs

There are certainly some unmet needs for both you and your child when you find yourselves exploding together. Look for them. They will not be the superficial, “I need you to do what I say when I say,” but something deeper like respect, ease or even connection. The Center for Nonviolent Communication has some resources to help you with this, and their system is brilliant at helping you get to your core. Here is a list of needs that may spark your intuition and move you towards your center.

Make a request

This is the last step in dealing with your “difficult” child. As you may be aware of if you’ve read this far, it is your own difficulty in dealing with your child that is likely 90% of the problem. Often, the first thing we do when our children are being difficult is make demands. The Byron Katie and NVC processes have us self-evaluate first so that we may become more self-aware. Then, we can make the request from our child from a place of connection and intimacy. ”When you agree to take the trash out and don’t do it, I feel aggravated. I have a need for ease and trust. I wonder if you’d be willing to tell me how you really feel about taking out the trash.”

This may sound like weak parenting to some, but it will go a long way towards building true relationships. Building true relationships has gone a very long way for me in my ability to enjoy my children more and more. Now when a “difficult” moment arises, we have more of a foundation of trust to approach the situation. We’re not yet where we want to be, but thank goodness we’re not where we used to be!

Lisa Gale

"She was an artist and her life was her canvas." (Kobi Yamada) When I grow up, I want to be her! For now, it's fun to pretend.

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5 child-proofing tips and tricks

Jeff Jacobson — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:29:12 +0000

Photo: Flickr, OliBac

Take a look around the room in which you’re sitting right now. What do you see? Odds are good you saw at least one or two things which to you aren’t the least bit threatening, but which to a curious toddler can be very dangerous. The power cord that is charging your phone and dangling from your side table, a curtain that drapes down just far enough for little stretched fingers, a top-heavy stool — any of these is a potential hazard to a child. But what can you do about it? Follow these do’s and don’t's for some tips and tricks on how to child-proof your home.

Do get down on your hands and knees

The best way to child-proof your home is to think like a child, and the best way to think like a child is to see the world from his eyes. Get down on your hands and knees and look around for a bit. What are those things on the wall that look like smiley faces (and, more importantly, what’s around here that I can stick in them)? What can I reach? What can I get tangled in, fall over, or bump into? What can I put in my mouth? What can I swallow? It won’t be the most comfortable experience of your life, but it just might be the most important one.

Do be firm with your baby about what is, and what is not safe

Babies understand more than we often realize. They pick up on tone and body language just like adults do, and they learn things fast. If something is never safe (the stove, the cupboard with the cleaning supplies, etc.), don’t be shy about telling your baby. Our daughter knew which cupboards where safe and which were off-limits by the time she was eight months old, just weeks after she learned to crawl. Child locks and baby gates are fine, but you can’t always take them with you, and there is simple no better child-proof precaution to give your baby than the authoritative voice you can take with you.

Do be proactive with your lessons

Teaching your baby safety words (hot!, danger!, etc.) even well before he can get into trouble is a great way to child-proof your world. But don’t stop there. Before our baby could even crawl, my wife was demonstrating a safe way to crawl off beds and couches by physically taking her through the motions. She wasn’t physically able to perform the act yet, but she was learning, and as soon as she could get down safely, she did!

Don’t go overboard with overly difficult or expensive gadgets

If you have any friends who are overly protective parents, you’ve probably had the experience of using their restroom, only to be unable to open any of the drawers or cabinets, despite hours of effort. The truth is, while many child-proofing gadgets are helpful, many are as cumbersome as they are effective. So be careful what you buy.

Don’t stress too much about it

I am an overly protective parent. Anytime my baby (who is now 14-months-old and no longer a baby, by the way) is on top of something — a kid’s rocking chair, the bed, the couch — I get nervous. I hover and I fret and I worry. But despite the stress and anxiety, I can’t be with her all the time, and she has fallen twice: once off the bed in her sister’s room onto a pile of dirty laundry, and once down one step off our porch. It happens. Kids will be kids. Minimize the danger, correct it when it happens, and move on. It’s all you can do!

Jeff Jacobson

Socrates understood himself to be the smartest man in Athens because he knew at least enough to know he knew nothing. That's me. I'm an inconsistently successful father, stepfather, husband, and writer. But at least I know it.

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How to soothe a cranky newborn

Jeff Jacobson — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:00:11 +0000

Photo: Flickr, peterme

We’ve all been there: you’ve changed your baby’s diaper, fed/nursed her, put her down for a nap, played with her, rocked her, sang to her, and pled with her, but still she won’t sleep! Dealing with a cranky baby can leave both parents and baby in a pretty fussy mood, and it can cause a lot of anxiety. Thankfully, though no two babies are the same, there are some tried and tested tactics you can employ to soothe your cranky newborn.

Bounce the newborn

No, I don’t mean bounce her off the floor in frustration. I mean bounce her in your arms. Rocking is a solid standby, but when my daughter was a newborn she wavered between liking to be rocked and liking to be bounced. And she punished her mom and me if we opted for the wrong choice. To make matters worse, her preferred bouncing method varied, too. Sometimes a gentle bounce in my arms sufficed, while other times she preferred a more vigorous bounce in my arms on an exercise ball. When you have a cranky newborn, you have to be willing to try anything.

Wear your newborn

Sometimes all a fussy newborn needs is to be held. Unfortunately, between work and trips to the bank and repainting your bedroom and the million other things you have to do, you won’t always be able to do so. Invest in a comfortable, portable baby carrier that offers a wide range of motions to soothe your cranky baby while still getting things done.

Change your newborn’s environment

When you’ve done your best to ensure your newborn is well rested, well fed, and dry, but she still seems upset, try moving from one place to another. I can’t tell you the number of times simply walking around in my backyard was enough to soothe my cranky baby. Parents have to remember that a newborn’s attention span is pretty short; so while that important work email that needs to be sent right away is enough to keep your attention, it won’t keep hers for very long.

Go for a drive

Most newborns like to be swaddled. That constricted and claustrophobic feeling adults get from enclosed spaces usually doesn’t affect children for at least a few months. But if your newborn is getting too big for a swaddle, try a car seat and a blanket. The seat belts and harness will give her a similar feeling to a swaddle (the blanket helps reinforce that feeling), and the white noise of the car should help soothe her (if not put her right to sleep!).

Take a bath

A warm soak in the tub can help soothe a cranky newborn, too. The warm water reminds her of being in the womb, and a break in your normal routine can help, too. A few bubbles never hurt, either.

Jeff Jacobson

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Delivery day 101: Birthing positions, umbilical cords and bonding

purenaturalmom — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:27:41 +0000

Photo: Carolina Türck, Flickr

When an expecting mother is preparing herself for delivery day, using a birthing plan can ease nerves about delivery and facilitate a better birthing experience for mom and baby.

A birth plan typically include details regarding the type of birth desired, pain management and what comfort items to remember. However, many birthing plan
templates do not include important information about birthing positions, umbilical cords or what mom should expect when she sees her baby for the first time.

Labor and birthing positions

Mothers who choose to give birth naturally and without an epidural usually find that frequently changing position during labor helps them to relax and control pain. Standing, walking and swaying can also speed up labor. There’s no perfect position for labor, but frequent changes of position during labor can help women relax and stay in control of the pain.

It’s also important to be familiar with the birthing positions that are known to change the baby’s position if the baby is not ideal. Rather than performing a C-section a mother can try a different position that could result in the baby turning into a deliverable position. Therefore, it is important for the mother to educate and advocate for herself and her baby especially if she feels strongly about a natural birth.

The umbilical cord

The matter of when the umbilical cord should be clamped is one that expectant parents may consider. Some doctors clamp and cut the cord soon after the baby is delivered and others might wait several minutes before separating the baby from the cord. A recent Swedish study showed babies who had their cords clamped after three minutes had better iron levels than babies whose cords were clamped after only 10 seconds after birth. The good news is that no matter when the umbilical cord is clamped, the cord blood can still be collected.

Cord blood banking is an increasingly popular choice among expecting parents. The cord blood is a rich source of stem cells that can potentially be used in the treatment of a number of medical conditions, so parents are saving their baby’s cord blood as a possible medical resource. Ultimately, you should talk to your doctor about the timing of cord clamping and make the decision that is best for you.

After the baby comes

Immediately following the birth, you may want some time to bond before the baby is taken off to be bathed and measured for the medical records. Babies are born with grasp and sucking reflexes and the ability to see about 2 feet away from them. If you’d like to bond with your baby right after birth, feed them if they’re hungry and allow your baby to get used to your face, voice and touch. There are also screenings and tests that your newborn will need to receive by state law and for their health.

You can always ask your medical team if they can wait a little bit before they need to do tests, but also be sure to ask questions about what is being done and never assume that everything is being taken care of.

——

This post was written and submitted by Katie Moore, an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things mommy-related on her blog, Moore From Katie. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people. To connect with Katie, contact her via her blog or on Twitter, @moorekm26.

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Secondary infertility: When it’s difficult the second time

Liz Alfano — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:24:37 +0000

Photo: LAURA MARDON, Flickr

For many couples, conceiving a first child is a “normal” experience, involving the cessation of birth control measures and resulting in the birth of a baby. After that, however, couples may face difficulty conceiving a second or third child for whatever reason, and this is called “secondary infertility.” When this happens to you, it’s confusing and disheartening and may leave you asking questions.

Why do we have secondary infertility?

Secondary infertility is defined as the inability to get pregnant after successfully carrying a child to term without any interventions prior. This form of infertility affects 12 percent of American women and accounts for nearly one half of all infertility cases.

Couples who have been previously successful in their conception efforts are less likely to seek help, however the reasons can be medical. They include: maternal age, changes in sperm quality and/or quantity, pelvic/fallopian tube issues (caused by previous birth trauma, endometriosis, or sexually transmitted diseases), lifestyle changes such as weight gain or cigarette smoking.If you are under 35 and have been trying to conceive for a year, or over 35 and have been trying to conceive unsuccessfully for 6 months, it’s time to talk to a doctor or infertility specialist.

The emotional toll of secondary infertility

It’s a question every newly married couples encounters, “When are you going to have a baby?” Once that sweet baby is here, the question most asked is, “When are you having ANOTHER baby?” And if you’re a couple experiencing secondary infertility this can be quite hurtful and may create feelings of guilt.

Perhaps you waited to have your first child and now age is an issue, or allowed more years between children than you expected. Maybe it’s random, but you aren’t getting pregnant, by stopping birth control, like you hoped. Is it bad to have an “only child?” Are you going to be happy living life without the family you’d imagined? All of these questions come up with the simple question, “When are you having another child?” The important thing to remember always is that you aren’t alone, and that, just as those couples seeking treatment for primary infertility are experiencing, you have options. Besides counting your existing blessings and maintaining a positive outlook, there are things you can do.

Treatment options

Talk to your doctor right away and don’t be afraid to seek second opinions, especially from an infertility specialist. If advice doesn’t feel right, don’t be afraid to speak with a different clinician for a different opinion. You may want to consider sperm testing, cervical mucus testing, blood work to check hormone levels and any other test a couple without biological children are seeking on their infertility journey. In the final analysis, secondary infertility follows the same path as primary infertility. Although couples are less likely to receive proper support, from doctors and society at large, the root of the problem is often the same in both cases.

If you are dealing with secondary infertility, it’s important to reach out and find a peer group. Many couples face this issue and have the added burden of of feeling as though their problem isn’t as serious as those couples who are childless. Having support can make all the difference, and seeking medical help for your infertility early on can save you valuable months. For more information or support, check out these websites:

RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association
Parents.com
Parenting.com

Liz Alfano

I write "Dirty Words," the blog about things you should know, but might not. I'm the mother of two elementary school-aged boys and wife of one adult aged man. When not writing, I can be found reading or staring into space wishing I was either reading or writing. Sometimes I'm seen vacuuming...but not often. www.mydirtywords.com

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How to help your toddler deal with separation anxiety

Jeff Jacobson — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 19:35:08 +0000

Photo: Flickr, elbragon

No parent likes to leave their child in someone else’s hands. But as hard as it can be on you, odds are good it’s even harder on your child. Read on for a few tips and tricks to help your toddler deal with separation anxiety.

Do the prep work

Before simply dropping off your child suddenly, lay the groundwork for a smooth transition. If possible, talk about the separation far ahead of time, and be as specific as you can. Children feel better when they know what to expect, so tell them exactly what they can expect to happen: where they’re going, with whom, and for how long. And, of course, always follow it up by telling them when either you are their other parent will be back to collect them.

Don’t dawdle at drop-off

Kids pick up on cues from their parents. That’s not to say you toddler will be all smiles at drop-off time just because you are; but the odds are better than if you sulk and show anxiety about it, too. So put on a happy face, use positive words and good body language, tell your toddler how much fun he’s going to have, make the drop-off, and then make a hasty getaway. But don’t run.

Leave him with a keepsake

If your toddler’s separation anxiety is especially peaked, consider leaving him with a little keepsake — a reminder of you. It can be anything from a photo of your, to a blanket with your scent on it, to a special something the two of you share. And, of course, if he has a security blanket or stuffed animal, bring that long, too.

Don’t diminish your child’s feelings

It’s all too easy to forget that toddlers don’t share our sense of the passage of time. Hours can seem like minutes when they’re having fun (five more minutes, mom, please?), or days when they’re not. Try to resist the impulse to rationalize what’s going on, as doing so can give them the message that their feelings aren’t valid.

Remind yourself that these strong reactions aren’t simply a toddler being dramatic; your toddler’s feelings, no matter how irrational, are nevertheless real to him, and must be taken seriously. Empathize with him by acknowledging his feelings and telling him it’s okay for him to feel them. And then remind him how much better he’ll feel when you come pick him up.

Be patient

Most toddlers go through a stage of separation anxiety at least once, and many experience it several times. Remember to be patient with your child, and remember that even though it’s heartbreaking to leave your child when he’s sad, it would be even more heartbreaking to leave a child who doesn’t care that you’re leaving.

Jeff Jacobson

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Gardening with your child

Liz Alfano — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:50:00 +0000

Photo: woodleywonderworks, Flickr

Spring is here and opportunities are abundant to start teaching your children about growing food, organic gardening or the growing cycles of plants. It’s never too early to start your child down the path of learning where food comes from and how difficult it can be to raise a “crop.” These days many families are trying to be more connected to their food and no matter where you live, there are ways to incorporate gardening and growing food into your life.

Use planter boxes for growing food

Even if you live in a small space, there are ways to make gardening a part of your child’s life. One sunny window is all it takes to grow herbs, and if you have a small space on a patio or fire escape, you can plant a container garden of carrots, peas, sprouts or herbs.

As you tend this garden you’ll be teaching your child about growing food, about the plant life cycle and also about how the environment effects the food. All it takes is enough space to make a pallet garden, or box garden, and the fun and lessons can begin. If you want to start super small, all you need is an empty can, some dirt and the bottom of a celery stalk. For detailed instructions, click HERE.

More space = more gardening

If you have a bigger space which is available for gardening, you can try your hand a growing food of different sorts. All it takes is a 3×3 plot and Williams-Sonoma will give you a downloadable map for what to plant in a companion garden. Here you can grow vegetables, an herb garden or salad garden. If you like, you can simply choose to plant a flower garden and have fresh cut flowers all summer!

Another great way to tuck gardening into your life is find some old bird baths. Shallow containers are perfect for growing succulents (cactus) and are great for beginners who may forget the watering!

No matter how much, or how little, space you’ve got, there are ways to incorporate gardening into your life. The act of growing food is an important lesson for children to learn as tech them about plants, the environment, and the hard work that goes into the “farm to table” cycle. By planting a small or large garden, and harvesting its bounty, whether it be food, flowers or watching a succulent bloom, your child will find a connection to their physical world.

Liz Alfano

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Treating depression during pregnancy

Tracy Morris — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:49:17 +0000

Photo: duron123, FreeDigitalPhotos

Your choices about treating depression during TTC times are based on an unknown future: You make the best decisions you can in hopes of both optimizing your fertility and providing the safest environment for your anticipated pregnancy. But once that pregnancy test turns up positive, suddenly your choices carry a more serious tone.

Maternal depression during pregnancy must not be casually addressed, and its treatment cannot be over-looked. But as many women learn, the information on both safety and efficacy of depression treatments during pregnancy is both limited and confusing.

One crucial point in the decision-making process is how the data — that is, what is known or significantly indicated about treatments and their impact on both mom and the developing baby — is constantly changing over time.

It’s easy to feel like you’ve done all that you can to keep up with the latest research findings by scouring the Internet, reading books, talking to friends, and even getting your own physician’s take on what’s safe and what works. But as one reproductive psychiatrist says, “Many general psychiatrists, obstetricians, midwives, and internists, despite best intentions, can mislead and confuse patients with tidbits of ‘updates’ they have come across.”

Dr. Kelly Brogan is a psychiatrist who specializes in helping women around the time in their lives when reproduction — trying to conceive, being pregnant, and the post-partum period — is front and center in their minds and daily experiences.

Of course, it’s important to diagnose and treat depression at any point in your life, but pregnancy brings another person into the picture in a very direct way. And it seems as though study after study points to the potential damage to developing fetuses in women who use certain antidepressants. At another point in the safety spectrum are non-medical treatments that are apparently harmless but also not very beneficial.

As is nearly always the case with medical research, the truth is somewhere in the middle. Just as there is no one-treatment-cures-all for depression, the risks and benefits of treatment vary widely depending on individual women’s situations.

One sentiment does bear up in virtually all studies: Women are better off when they do something to treat their depression, and it’s not a far leap from there to “what’s good for mama is good for baby.” That is to say that there are studies indicating a baby in-utero may experience adverse conditions when the mother is experiencing untreated depression.

Just as a fertility specialist can focus more than an obstetrician on helping you conceive, a reproductive psychiatrist spends her professional life zeroing in daily on the changing latest information about treatments that are safe and effective for women and their babies. Regardless of your preferred treatment modality, Dr. Brogan and her colleagues recommend that women who know they have depression:

think holistically about the reproductive spectrum — if possible, start considering the post-partum impact of your treatment choices as early as preconception

seek professional guidance if you wish to change or even quit treatments — tapering off and trying out new things is optimally done prior to pregnancy, but for safety’s sake, you want to be monitored closely whenever you choose to alter treatments

seriously review your lifestyle activities for impact in your treatment regimen — the “good health” basics of nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and stress management will affect your baby

As for the worries that can overwhelm the minds of new mothers-to-be, Dr. Brogan offers this comment:

“A handful of longer-term studies have looked at the impact of in utero exposure to antidepressants and behavioral/cognitive outcomes in young children. Most of these studies are reassuring and point to a uniquely negative impact of untreated maternal depression relative to medication exposure. Some studies have suggested subtle motor delays in infants exposed, but these delays have not been shown to be outside of the range of normal development.”

For more information and to get help with depression, visit the website of Postpartum Support International, an organization that provides information and resources for women throughout the perinatal period.

Tracy Morris

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Being a choice mom: Facing single motherhood’s five myths

Tracy Morris — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:15:33 +0000

Have you heard the term “choice mom”? It’s easier to say than “single mother by choice” and it was coined by writer Mikki Morrissette, who became a mother in 1999 and published “Choosing Single Motherhood: The Thinking Woman’s Guide” in 2008. She also founded an online community for other women who are at different points in their family-building journey sans partner.

There are so many ways that women come to decide that being a “choice mom” is their path. There’s also more than one way to bring a baby into your life. Accordingly, the information on ChoiceMoms.org is split into stages: Thinking, Trying, Waiting, and Becoming.

Rather than merely a database of resources (be sure to check out their 40 podcasts on topics ranging from managing emotions to fertility treatment options to parenting issues), the website is an informal gathering place for networking, support, and learning more about the big choices involved in proactively becoming a single mom. The organization — it’s a lot more than just Morissette now — also sponsors networking events in major cities around the United States.

A recent post by Morissette covered the “Five Myths of Choice Motherhood” — worries and concerns she’s heard over the years in her work:

Choice Moms have to do everything alone.
At some point, everything in life will be situated so that making this choice will be simple and easy.
Getting pregnant will be relatively simple.
Children of Choice Moms don’t care about missing or knowing about their father.
Choice Moms are doomed to remain single forever.

The mother-of-two says looking myths square in the face enables us to move forward toward the life we want to lead. It’s inspiring to know that women from all walks are taking steps to proactive parenting and creating the communities that they need.

You can read more about each of the Five Myths of Choice Motherhood through links within the blogpost.

Tracy Morris

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