Your Family's Journey

Parenting

Parenting

The Day After Halloween….Sugar Crash

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Gestational Diabetes

National Diabetes Month

Diabetes and Pregnancy
Diabetes and Pregnancy

 

Halloween might be over but Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are right around the corner and did you know that 75% of Americans annual weight gain takes place during the holiday season?  There are over 29 million adults or 1 out of 11 people living in the US that have diabetes and 1 out of 4 of those don’t know they have it!  1 out of 3 people will develop diabetes in their lifetime.  Those are staggering statistics. [Read more…] about The Day After Halloween….Sugar Crash

Saving the day, one diaper at a time.

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Diaper Bag or Diaper Backpack?

What are the essentials to keep inside?

Diaper BagAt the end of a long day with your checklist in one hand and your water bottle in the other hand, you place your swollen, achy feet up on the couch and decide what item(s) you can check off your “things to get done before baby arrives” list. As you sink into the comfort of your couch, you grab your laptop and type in diaper bags. HOLY COW, there are thousands to choose from. Where do you begin? How do you choose one? What do you look for in a diaper bag?  Should you ask your friend about her bag to see if she likes it? Do you really care what it looks like or are you all about functionality? Once you narrow it down, you can buy it online or go to your local baby store to check it out.

[Read more…] about Saving the day, one diaper at a time.

I am 1 in 4

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In the October sea of PINK don’t forget the BLUE.  Most people know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month but it is also Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and October 15th is our day of remembrance. Did you know that 1 in 4 women will suffer a miscarriage or infant loss?

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
Jensen Carter Laszakovits

“A mother NEVER gets over losing her child.  It doesn’t matter how long it has been, how old her child was when they died, or the reason they were taken away. GRIEF does not ever expire! Never tell a mother whose child died to move on, get over it, just “be happy” that their child is in HEAVEN now or you are sick of hearing about it? She has to live with it every SINGLE day.”  [Read more…] about I am 1 in 4

Childbirth Education Classes: so many options

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Childbirth Education Classes
Childbirth Education Classes

Childbirth education classes were created to help inform, educate and empower parents so they feel confident and knowledgeable about their birth and early parenthood experiences.  Anecdotes and studies alike will agree: it is an extremely good idea to start learning the ropes and making major decisions before you are in the throes of labor, breastfeeding and the early days of parenting.  Prepare ahead of time.  Dr. Google—while we all love to rely on him from time to time—is NOT where you want to turn at a time like this.  Plus, the internet is widely known for providing a plethora of misinformation, and it’s sometimes difficult to discern current, research-based best practices from all the rest.

Whether you are planning for a medication-free birth, an epidural, a scheduled c-section, or have no time in your busy schedule…make childbirth education classes a priority.  The investment of time and money are well worth the decreased anxiety and increased probability for healthier outcomes (outcomes, I might add, that will last you and your child a lifetime). [Read more…] about Childbirth Education Classes: so many options

Motivate and Inspire a Love of Reading

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Capturing a love of reading with your child

Reading to your baby

 

Did you read to your baby while they were inside you? Did you notice their movement increase or stop moving to listen? Reading to your newborn is simple and it doesn’t take much from you, just your voice, the baby and a book. Your baby just likes to hear your voice and cuddle; they don’t care what you are reading to them. You have the amazing ability to open up a world of imagination just by reading to them.

Reading to your baby not only teaches them about communicating, but it also helps with concepts such as colors, shapes, letters and numbers. It helps build vocabulary and listening skills and gives them information about the BIG BIG world around them. [Read more…] about Motivate and Inspire a Love of Reading

Umbilical cord care

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Cord Care: What do I do with this stump?

Caring for your newborns umbilical cord

Your baby’s umbilical cord is the life line between mom’s placenta and baby. It is developed between the 4th and 8th week in utero and contains two arteries and one vein. The umbilical vein supplies the baby with oxygenated blood and nutrients from the placenta and the umbilical arteries carry de-oxygenated blood and waste from the baby to the placenta.

Once the cord is cut and clamped after birth, what do you do with the umbilical stump? In short, nothing! There used to be two main schools of thought when it came to taking care of your newborns umbilical cord; some hospitals and birthing centers left it alone completely while others directed you to clean it with alcohol after every diaper change to help it dry out faster. [Read more…] about Umbilical cord care