Pregnancy Advice - What to Bring to the Hospital

WHAT TO BRING TO THE HOSPITAL:

Pillow

Robe

Toiletries

There's the list! OK, I am exaggerating, but ignore the books or magazines that tell you to bring DVD's, magazines, CD's, snacks, ETC. I brought BAGS of stuff and used none of it. I didn't even turn on the TV the entire time I was in the hospital. I loved having my own pillow for comfort (I also brought a little blankie of mine) and also liked having it to prop me up in bed. It is great to have a robe because the nurses will want you to walk the halls if you have a c-section. Well, we all know what happens with a hospital gown - there is a flap in the front or back! And bring all of your every day toiletries like your yummy smelling shampoo, your usual toothpaste and bring a blow dryer if you care about that (I did, but only on the last day.)

Another must-have for ME was my laptop. My hospital had wireless internet and my husband and I sent an email with pics within hours of baby being born. I had an email in my 'drafts' folder with every single friend and family's email address in the To: line. And yes, I am embarrassed to admit, I had multiple drafts saved because I knew we would send out pics more than once. But my husband and I are photo-taking nutballs!

I also suggest bringing your Boppy pillow and asking a nurse or lactation consultant to show you how to use it. I had a nurse/consultant help me nurse in every different position and in the bed and in a chair, with a regular pillow and a boppy.

A friend also told me to bring cheap flip flops to wear in the shower. A lot of women have showered before you...

Also, I remember really wondering what I would be able to wear home from the hospital. I read that I should bring an outfit that fit me when I was 4 months pregnant. Now I had a c-section, so I was really sore in the abdomen in addition to still having a belly, but I wore the same outfit home that I wore to the hospital. Those BIG front-flapped pants, a t-shirt and a fleece jacket.

I have a friend who was fixated on looking cute on her way home and NOT wearing maternity clothes. She had this image of herself holding her baby wearing a black dress with a jean jacket. Another of our friend's set her straight and she ended up buying an Old Navy track suit. She at least got her wish and didn't wear maternity clothes. I didn't care at all, I just wanted to be comfy and get home and sit on the sofa.

Lullaby... and GOOD Night!

Recently, my 4-year old had a hard time falling asleep.  This is incredibly rare because we were such sticklers with sleep training.  I tried the usual reasoning efforts, but when those didn’t work, I asked him if he wanted me to sing him songs.  Much to my chagrin, he said yes!  I began to rack my brain for all the songs he loved as a baby, and that got me reminiscing…

From the day my son was born, he loved for me to sing to him.  I have a pretty awful voice, but it soothed him regardless.  Along with rocking, swaying and pacifier-ing, it became a ritual at nap and bed time (I even made up a lullaby!)  It was so essential that I sing without pausing in between songs, that I had a play list in my head.  I would sing the same songs, in the same order, and then repeat.  I was a human iPod.

After that recent night of singing my pre-schooler to sleep, I thought I would document the play list – for you and for me!

Freres Jacques (Are you sleeping?)
Rock-a-Bye Baby
Lullaby and Goodnight
I’m a Little Teapot
Mary Had a Little Lamb
You are My Sunshine
Hush Little Baby
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

And if you are a believer of Christmas and lucky enough to have a baby around November and December, add in some Christmas Carols.

Jingle Bells
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
12 Days of Christmas
Silent Night
Joy to the World
The First Noel
Away in the Manger

Have more lullabies?  Send them to me, so I can add to the list!

Picky Eater... Who is This Child?!

My very vest friend is living in Luxembourg at the moment (how cool!)  We don’t get to talk much over the phone, so email is our main mode of communication.  She emailed me a few days ago asking for help with her 2-year old.  He was a very good eater but all of the sudden, out of the blue, he won’t eat anything but fruit.  I had been meaning to write about how I dealt with my picky eater, so it was perfect timing!

Every child goes through phases where they don’t want to eat much at each meal, don’t want to eat at all OR just want to eat one thing over and over.

My 4-year old son William went through a VERY finicky phase and still has his moments, usually at dinner.  I am very proud of how I handle(d) it outwardly.  Inwardly, I take it personally and it makes me a little frustrated and a lot crazy.

But here is my advice, given to me by my pediatrician.  Put three well-balanced meals in front of him every single day and then let him decide if he wants to eat it or not. And he will go hungry PLENTY of the time at this age. William still skips dinner a lot. He sits there and rolls his eyes, haws and hems, but then just goes upstairs for bed without dinner once my husband and I finish.

To delve a little deeper, here are some additional suggestions.
 
If he asks for more fruit, tell him he needs to eat two bites of chicken first (or broccoli, etc.)  I am sure you have heard that you aren’t supposed to withhold “treats” unless he eats his growing food first.  This is an important rule to follow.  Never say that your child can't have a cookie unless he eats his all of his meal.  But you can tell him he can’t have any more cheese unless he eats a bite of “insert healthy food here.”
 
One other thing we did was made things we knew he loved a couple of times a week.
My son’s favorites were quesadillas and pizza, so we would cut up microscopic bites of
green beans and chicken and hide it in both. We also filled both with canned black olives b/c he loves those. If you do hide healthy foods in his main entree, make sure to always put the green bean or other vegetable on his plate as a side, so he knows that it is important to eat the healthy foods.  This won’t happen overnight, but by the time he goes to school, he’ll start learning about growing foods, sometime foods, and once in a while foods.
 
And finally, how do you handle "treats"? You don’t want to be too strict or your kids will obsess over the sweet yummies.  But you also want them to eat treats in moderation.  My son was really frustrating because he was always asking for a treat after every lunch and dinner.  But I never wanted to give him one at dinner, because he never ate his meal!  

Soooo, we instilled a rule that he gets a treat after lunch every day.  I give him two choices and they are usually pretty healthy (yogurt or all-natural vanilla cookies, for example.)  I did this because he is generally a good lunch eater. But we don't do treats after dinner at all unless we are at a friend's, out with family, having a special dinner at our house, etc. This has worked great for us.  He still asks for a treat some nights, but he knows not to expect it.  I give him credit for trying!

Good luck parents!

Advice for Parents by Parents

I recently posted a request on Facebook for readers to send me the best piece of parenting advice they had received.  Here are the responses.  And please keep sending them, I will post everything!

 

The first 12 weeks is triage, just get through it the best you can.

Eventually, you'll hit the "Blockbuster Phase" and all is downhill from there.  This refers to the time after baby is born, when you and your spouse can sit through a movie on the couch, without falling asleep.

Something green is better than nothing green, on a plate.  Eventually, they will try it.

The dirtier the bath water, the better the day.

Remember, everything is just a phase… the good and the bad!

Instead of “sharing” call it “taking turns.”  It works much better for preschoolers.

"1-2-3, eyes on me" really gets a child’s attention.  This can also be used for discipline.  Threaten to count to 3 if child doesn't come to the dinner table, brush teeth, etc.  If you do count and you do get to 3, a timeout is issued.  (Always give the child a warning that you are going to count if the request isn't completed.)

Use your chicken wing!  (referring to covering your cough or sneeze with the crook of your elbow instead of your hand.)

Thanks to everyone for sharing their favorite piece of advice.  Next I will blog your funniest "kid" stories, so send those too!

A Weekly Dinner Menu for your Family

My friends and I were just talking about how, now that we have kids, are lives center around food.  We are so concerned with feeding our kids 3 healthy meals and 2 snacks per day.  I wish that I was a snake and could eat a mouse or two a month!  But it is very important for me to sit down as a family and eat a balanced dinner, most evenings.

In light of that recent conversation, I have put together a manageable weekly dinner menu for my readers!

Night #1:
Turkey Tacos.  See recipe below.

Night #2:
Leftovers

Night #3:
Breakfast for dinner!  Make eggs, bacon and toast OR check out the delicious cinnamon wheat raisin waffle recipe below.

Night #4:
Frozen Ravioli and Tomato Sauce from a Jar: I always buy the chicken ravioli from Whole Foods because I don't like my family to eat a lot of preservatives.  And I buy the organic tomato sauce.  I sauté some onions in olive oil, and maybe a couple of cloves of garlic (just smash the cloves in the olive oil for 3 minutes and them throw them away.)  Then, add the sauce and let simmer for 10-15 mintues.

Buy a bag of spinach and sprinkle with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  This is your side veggie.

Night #5:
Fish with couscous or rice pilaf and steamed broccoli.  Our local grocery store has terrific tilapia that is breaded with a chipotle crust.  It couldn’t be any easier to cook.  You just throw it in a pan and bake it on 350 for 20 minutes.  I also like to buy fresh trout or salmon and bake it the same way, but I add a little butter, thyme or rosemary, sea salt and ground pepper.  I buy the rice or couscous that is already in a box with herbs.  Couscous cooks really fast, but if you buy any type of rice, get that started on the stove before the fish goes in the oven.

Night #6:
Quesadillas.  This was one of my son’s favorites when he was just learning to eat big people food.  Lightly butter some burrito-sized tortillas (just one side of each.)  Add one to a non-stick pan and turn stove to medium.  Add cheddar cheese (I buy the bags that are already grated) and then add any ingredients you like.  We always add canned/chopped black olives, freshly chopped mushrooms and then we hide diced green beans out of the can!  Top with a second tortilla.  Cook like a grilled cheese (5-7 minutes each side.)

And then I add some of the extra canned green beans on the side of everyone’s plates.

Night #7:
Make your own pizzas.  I like to buy pre-made mini crusts by Mama’s (better than the competitor.)  Add Contadina Pizza Sauce, top with shredded mozzarella cheese, pizza herbs if you so desire and favorite ingredients.  I like to hide chopped veggies in my kid’s pizza too!

Here are a few other ideas.  I have found a delicious store bought Indian sauce made by Patak’s.  My favorite is the Korma Curry which is mustard yellow in color.  I cook some diced onions in olive oil, then add diced, raw some chicken breasts.  Cook until no longer pink, about 15 minutes, then add the sauce.  Mix it every few minutes until ready to serve (I try and let it sit in the sauce for about 15-20 minutes.)

Annie’s Homegrown makes some OK boxed meals (like Hamburger Helper.)  I like the tuna noodle one the best.  I have yet to try the chicken option, but it is in my cabinet as we speak.

I am a huge lover of chicken, so we cook a lot of it.  We like to make our own chicken strips.  Cut chicken breasts into strips, dip in egg, then in bread crumbs (I buy Italian seasoned OR Panko) and cook on the stove with some olive oil.  That’s it!  (You can also bake...)

Please enjoy these recipes below.  There are a couple of extra for you to try!

Turkey Tacos

Saute some chopped yellow onions in PAM or Olive Oil for 5-10 minutes. 

Add ground white turkey.  Cook on medium until no longer pink.

Add 1 Tbsp. Chili Powder and 1 tsp. Cumin.  Mix well.

Add half large jar of prepared salsa and about 3 Tbsp. water.  Mix well.

Simmer on low 2-4 hours.  Mix every 30-45 minutes.

About 30 minutes before serving, add chopped mushrooms, red or green peppers, or any other veggies that you enjoy.

Cinnamon-Raisin Whole-Wheat Waffles

¾ cup raisins

4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup whole-wheat flour

1 tbsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 ¾ cup buttermilk

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. Melt the butter in microwave and set aside. 
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until combined.
4. In another bowl, beat together the buttermilk, vanilla and eggs with the whisk until mixed.
5. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry and whisk until just combined.
6. Fold the raisins and melted butter into the batter.
7. Lightly butter or spray the grids of your iron, if needed.  Pour batter into iron!

Chicken fajitas

Ingredients

1. 1 teaspoon pure chile powder
2. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
3. 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4. 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
5. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
6. 1 tablespoon cornstarch
7. 1/4 cup water
8. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
9. 1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch strips
10. 1 green bell pepper—cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
11. 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
12. 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
13. 8 flour tortillas, warmed in the microwave
14. Shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, salsa and sour cream, for serving

Directions

1.      In a resealable plastic bag, combine the chile powder with the salt, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken, bell pepper and onion, seal and knead gently to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

2.      Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Empty the contents of the bag into the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.

3.      Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a large bowl and serve with the warmed tortillas, lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream and lime wedges.

Let me know if you have any questions OR if there is something you want to see mentioned.  I love to bake too, so stay tuned.

Transition from Formula to Milk, Bottle to Sippie Cup

I just received another great question!  A mom of a one-year old wanted help transitioning her child from formula to milk and from bottle to sippie cup.

Here is my answer using my own experience with my son William:

OK, so William only had one bottle a day (most days) from 6 to 12 months because I still breast fed.  Right at 6 months, we gave him a sippie cup with water (only the kind with a straw) and he enjoyed it as a fun thing, but it was definitely separate in his mind from “tool that gives me daily nutrition.”

When he turned 1, being the rule follower that I am, I had to wean from the bottle immediately (not a good way to live your life with a baby!)  But I was also ready to be done nursing.  My dilemma was that I didn’t want to wean from breast to bottle and then bottle to cup, I wanted to do it all at once. 

So, that is what we did!  I tried to give William a bottle of cow’s milk, a sippy of cow’s milk and a combination of formula and cow’s milk in either container, but he wanted NONE of it.  But just like trying to get him to take a bottle as a newborn or trying to get him to eat rice cereal, it was a gradual process.  The clincher for us was doing it every day, once or twice a day, and having my husband do it.  William was used to me breast feeding him, so he could smell it, but he was also used to me feeding him 4-6 times a day - a totally different way.

My advice is to do it gradually, maybe once a day, the same time of day, and make it a ritual.  And maybe even have husband attempt it every night.  My other idea was to do it at his least hungry time and his most hungry time (not sure which ended up working better.)  And my final idea (we did all of these things) was to give the bottle for a few minutes, and then slip a sippie in when baby pauses for a breath.  Combining all of this worked for us in the end.  But it did take 1-2 weeks with me far away from the ritual.

As an aside, one question I would have for you – the sippie with water that she isn’t interested in – is that a tip and sip or a straw style?  I ask because you’ll come to learn, as your kids get a little older, that they drink easier, faster and more out of a straw.  Simultaneously while your husband works on the sippie/cow milk transition, you might give her a straw style sippie with water (just as an addition to the other ritual that you’ll be working on.)

Good luck and keep me updated!

Poop! … or Not… Help with Constipation!

I received the following question yesterday from a friend out of state.

Any mommy wisdom on constipation? Baby just switched to cows milk so that has
to be it. She stands there shaking and crying and afraid to poop. We already
talked to the doc, but are curious about your experience.

And my answer:

I am the expert!!! My 4-year old son has had constipation issues since he was 6-months old.
 
His started around the time he began eating baby food and the doctor told me to try prune juice, prunes, apple juice, but NOTHING worked. He went fairly regularly, but it was hard and small pebbles. When he was maybe 9 months, the doc had me give him milk of magnesia in his bottle. I did that for probably a year, but it still never worked great (this is all in hindsight.) He went every day but it was never easy, and it was never the right consistency (should be like mash potatoes.)
 
When he was about 18 months, I went out of town and when I came back about 5 days later (slacker husband), his constipation was so bad he got a fissure. I called the dr. and they were too busy too see him!! I told them he was shaking in pain, crying. etc., so they told me to buy an enema and do it myself or go to the ER. There is NO way he would let stay still for me (we had tried suppositories in the past), so I went to the ER.

While waiting in the ER lobby, he pooped a little bit in his diaper.  I thought I was a hysterical mom and shouldn't be there since he pooped. But then the ER doc did an x-ray and made me come out and look at it b/c he had never seen more poo in a kid. The ENTIRE x-ray was covered in poo (even though he went a little bit every day.) Sooo, they gave him two
huge syringes of milk of molasses (ancient medical cure!!)  We sat there for 2 hours where he proceeded to fill up 7-8 diapers, while screaming and writhing in pain.

The doctor then told me to start Miralax and see a specialist. We did both and
the specialist said that she has seen about 5000 kids for constipation and 2
were from allergies (milk) and the rest were ALL genetic, change in diet,
personality, etc. and that they all grow out of it. That was when he was
about 2.5. He has had Miralax every day since then (he is 4 now.)

Miralax has been a miracle for us  and the experts claim that it is easy on the colon, not addictive, etc. My son was on 1-2 full caps a day and now he is down to one half cap per morning. If he doesn't have it for one day, his fissure bleeds. The dr. said to just try
to wean every few months and see if he is ready. But most kids that have constipation
to this extreme are on it for 3-4 years.
 
And he is a great eater now.  He eats green veggies every night at dinner, meat, chicken, fish only wheat bread, etc. I still wonder if it is something more since it comes on sooo fast, but I have to trust the doctors for now.
 
Sooo, my advice, if you have tried prunes, juice and added fiber (green
veggies,) then go for the Miralax. Know that it might take 2-3 days of her
having it before it kicks in (the doctors don't mention this). Of course, check with
your pediatrician first and also keep in mind that it might only be needed for a week, a month, etc. (until she is used to cow's milk.)
 
And finally, genetics play a big part. Are either of you constipated?  Or were you or your siblings constipated as kids?  That can play a role too.
 
Good luck, let me know what other questions you have!