What are the biggest hidden household dangers for newborns?

Martin N. Simenc, child safety expert

It doesn't take much work to keep a newborn safe. At this age, a baby's too small to get into much trouble on his own. He's not ready to stick buttons in his mouth or climb out of his crib, and it will be quite a few months before he starts toddling toward the stairs.

Still, it's not too early to make safety a top priority. Even before your baby arrives, you can learn how to handle the hidden dangers for newborns.

Safe sleeping: To reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), newborns should sleep on their back on a firm mattress. Don't let your baby sleep with anything soft and cushy like a pillow, sheepskin, comforter, or plush toy.

A warm one-piece outfit, or sleeper, is a safer choice than a blanket, which could cover his head and restrict his ability to breathe. Using crib bumpers is discouraged for the same reason.

The mattress should fit tightly so your baby can't get trapped between it and the side of crib. Make sure that the crib doesn't have any missing or broken parts or any gaps greater than the width of a soda can.

• Get more information on the safest bedding and sleepwear for babies.

Safe diaper changes: Even the smallest babies can find a way to roll off a changing table if left unattended. Buy a table with safety straps or add straps to your current table.

Even if your baby is strapped in, you should never leave him alone. (That phone call can wait.) You can avoid the risk of falling entirely by changing your baby on the floor using a receiving blanket or an unfolded cloth diaper as a changing pad.

• Find out more about childproofing your nursery.

Safe bathing: Whether you wash your baby in a baby bathtub, a sink, or a tub, never leave him unattended for a second. Once he's sitting up, a bath seat may seem like a handy safety device, but it can create a false sense of security. Hundreds of babies have drowned after tipping over or slipping out of their bath seats.

• Get more bath safety tips.

Here's how to protect your baby from other unexpected hazards:

• Keep heavy or breakable objects out of reach. Move objects such as picture frames and ceramic figurines away from the changing table and crib so your child can't knock them over.
• Place baby furniture away from hazards. Keep cribs and changing tables away from windows, window cords, and hanging mobiles to prevent your child from getting tangled, suffocating, or falling out the window.
• Secure unstable furniture. Make sure tall or unstable pieces of furniture are securely braced to the wall, especially if you live in an earthquake-prone area.
• Prevent falls. When you have a baby in your arms, a simple trip or fall can be disastrous. To help prevent falls, use lots of nightlights, put fresh carpet grips under your rugs, keep clutter off the floor, and fix or install stair railings.

Make your home fire-safe. Place functional smoke detectors in each bedroom, in the adjacent hallway, and on each level of your home. If your smoke detectors are more than ten years old, replace them. You should have at least one fire extinguisher on each floor of your house and a carbon monoxide detector next to the sleeping areas.

Source:

7 Ways to Enjoy the End of Your Pregnancy

The last few weeks of pregnancy can be a mixed bag of emotions for moms-to-be. Chances are you're exhausted and excited, anxious and apprehensive. Learn how to get a handle on your nerves, prepare for the next step in your life, and revel in these last few days of pregnancy!The last few weeks of pregnancy can be a mixed bag of emotions for moms-to-be. Chances are you're exhausted and excited, anxious and apprehensive. Learn how to get a handle on your nerves, prepare for the next step in your life, and revel in these last few days of pregnancy!

1. Pamper, Pamper, Pamper

   Head to the local salon for a haircut, get a massage, gather your friends and spend an afternoon at a spa, take off to the local beach or park, or kidnap your spouse and hit the town for dinner and a date. Feed your body, mind, and spirit and you'll be ready to takle life's next big step: Baby!

2. Ditch the Calendar

   The last thing you need right now is to be watching the calendar, wondering just how close to (or how long after) your due date Baby will arrive. If you try to plan your life around that magic date, you'll drive yourself crazy! Instead take a more relaxed approach. Pack your bag and plan to be ready two to three weeks ahead of your due date. If your baby arrives early, perfect! If not, use this extra time to nest and prepare.

3. Find Your Inner Buddha

   Take the time to celebrate yourself. Escape for a few moments to the corner coffee shop and induldge in a hot chocolate or (decaf!) iced tea. Sit on the beach with your favorite book. Grab the iPod or a book on tape and go for a long walk. Join a yoga class (or practice some of these prenatal yoga postures at home). Take deep breaths, relax, and focus on yourself. In no time you'll be practicing inner peace and be well on your way to becomming a true Zen Momma.

4. Talk with Your Doc

   Wondering if extra-spicy Thai food will hasten labor? Considering getting your hair colored before Baby (and all those visitors!) arrive? Talk with your doctor. Use these late-pregnancy, weekly appointments to communicate your feelings and ask plenty of questions to be sure you understand your doctor's advice.

   If you don't already have one, create a birth plan or seek out a doula to help as an ally and advocate during your labor and delivery. Both can go a long way in alleviating any pre-labor jitters.

5. Get Comfy

   Physically, getting comfortable during pregnancy can be a real challenge, especially when trying to get a good night's sleep. You'll need to listen to your body during these late-pregnancy days and try not to overdo it. Taking naps, snacking throughout the day, and drinking plenty of water will all help you feel more at ease.

6. Head off the Inquisition

   Those pregnancy questions and comments from friends, family, and even strangers in line at the supermarket, are going to increase as you get closer and closer to your due date: When are you due? You're so big! You must be so [fill in the blank]: exausted/excited/nervous/anxious!

   Despite what it may seem, these inquirires aren't intended to bug you or set your heart racing in anticipation. Dodge, answer, or divert comments from well-wishers in whatever way feels right to you.

7. Have Fun!

   Relax, sit back, and enjoy these last few days and hours before the arrival of your baby. Write in a journal, take walks with your partner, spend time alone ... take care of yourself and have fun!

Source: Babyzone

Diapers.com specials

Buying Guide: Crib

A crib provides your child with a safe and comfortable place to sleep. It may also be one of the more substantial investments you make. To get the most for your money, be sure to choose one that you'll be happy using for the next 2 to 3 years.

Consider This: Some cribs can convert to a toddler bed that uses a standard crib mattress. Choosing one of these models may help protect your investment by allowing your child to use it longer. Features such as built-in storage drawers tend to be available on more expensive cribs.

Source and more information: How to buy: A crib by Baby Center

Graco: The heart knows sweepstakes.

I thought this contest was amazing when I found it, such an awesome thing for Graco to do. I personally enter when I remember. Haha silly pregnancy brain!

• 10 round trip tickets from anywhere in the U.S. to bring friends and family to visit the new baby at winner's home
• hotel accommodations for those visitors
• rental of two mini-vans for visitors' use during welcome baby event (eligible drivers only)
• a fully-catered welcome celebration for your baby
• professional photographer/videographer to commemorate the event
• $1,000 worth of Graco gear to help the new parents get started
• $5,000 series E savings bond to start baby's college fund and more
• $2,500 cash

Huggies keepshake storybook

Create a Keepsake Story book of your pregnancy

I haven't actually gotten the chance to play with it, but I have taken a look and it looks simple and like a lot fun for those of you who don't have the time to scrapbook, nor the budget! Haha!

Top Tips for Prenatal Exercise

An article from BabyZone.com

By Nicole Palacios BSc, ACE If you enjoy working out, you won't want to stop just because you're pregnant. When I learned I was expecting my first child, I was ready to maintain my current workouts without slowing down. I was determined not to get stretch marks or gain too much weight and figured that if I continued my exercise routine throughout pregnancy, I wouldn't have much work to do after the baby was born. That was a bit too optimistic. Why You Should Exercise Working out during pregnancy allows you to maintain a good level of health and fitness, which can help you during pregnancy and beyond. Realistic goals are important—now is not the time for losing pounds or inches, nor is it the time to try new things. If you've been exercising for a while, you should be able to continue with your doctor's consent. If you don't normally exercise, it's important to keep your workouts basic. "The big thing I tell women is that pregnancy is not the time to all of a sudden begin an exercise program," says Dr. Robert Atlas, MD, of Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. "If they enter pregnancy with a program that is fine, however to enter not doing anything and think this is the time to do heavy exercises is wrong." Depending on your current level of fitness, your prenatal workouts will vary. If you are a runner, you can continue to run at a pace that suits you. Your body will be the determining factor—if it doesn't want to go for 45 minutes anymore, it will tell you. If you didn't run before pregnancy, now is not the time to start. Stick to walking on the treadmill, recumbent cycling, or another form of non-ballistic exercise. Swimming is always a good choice as it keeps your body cool and your joints won't take a beating. Don't forget that you are still expending energy—stay hydrated before and after any type of aerobic exercise. What Should You Avoid? The popular stair climber cardio machine should not be your first choice for exercise, according to Dr. Atlas. He says that pregnant women are already becoming clumsier, and being on a moving machine that requires balance is not the safest way to exercise. Barbara Dehn, RN, MS, NP, author of Your Personal Guide to Pregnancy, also prefers her clients avoid the stair climber, explaining that there may be pain in the round or broad ligaments due to the legs going up and down and pulling on the ligaments. "Because the ligaments around the uterus stretch so much, some women may have some discomfort; and those ligaments get stretched anyway so that might just exacerbate it," Dehn says. Squats should also be avoided, Dehn says, because of both the weight of the uterus and the gravitational and exertional pressure on the pelvic floor. She adds that increased pressure on the bladder can increase the likelihood of hemorrhoids and even incontinence. Prenatal personal trainer Anna Ostashevskaya-Gohstand tells her clients to avoid "any exercises that involve double-leg raises and full sit-ups, as they can lead to diastasis recti (abdominal muscle separation)." She also advises them to stay away from adductor/abductor machines since, if used improperly, they can cause problems and pain at the symphysis pubis—the joint connecting the two halves of the pelvis. And lastly, Dehn adds that if you're past your fifth month of pregnancy you should avoid exercises on your back; lying on your side is your best bet. Free Weights or Machines? Pregnancy should not hinder you from enjoying your regular weight-lifting regimen, minus some of the intensity. As you get bigger in the middle and more unbalanced, the exercises you were doing pre-pregnancy may not be as safe. Decreasing the weight and doing more repetitions (12 to 15) is advised, Dehn says, as long as you're comfortable with the free weights and doing the exercises properly. Dehn also encourages her patients to continue upper-body exercises during pregnancy because a strong upper body will be helpful once you have a growing baby (and infant seat!) in tow. Free-weight exercises done sitting in a chair with back support such as bicep curls, lateral shoulder raises, and triceps overhead extensions are all good upper-body choices. Make sure you are breathing steadily and not holding your breath. Ostashevskaya-Gohstand prefers a light free-weights program for clients with no discomfort in their joints, as she says they get "extra benefits like core strengthening and balance training." Don't compromise your balance doing standing exercises, such as walking lunges, with hand weights. With the increase of the hormone relaxin, both hip and ankle joints become loose and will not give you the support you need. Additionally, your center of gravity has shifted and you won't be as stable. Weight machines such as the leg extension, seated leg curl, lat pull, incline bench press, triceps push down, and seated shoulder press are all good choices for prenatal exercises. Always make sure that your back is supported and your weight is centered. Floor Work Pregnancy tends to put weight on in some areas more than others. Although it is impossible to take fat off one area alone, combining aerobic exercise and specific outer/inner thigh and hip exercises can decrease the chances of excess fat being stored on the hips and buttocks. Abdominal exercises can still be done, but not traditional crunches. Hand and knee cat stretches and using a fitness ball can help keep your abs strong. Floor exercises such as side leg lifts, hip rotation, and inner-thigh lifts can keep your legs toned and fit. You can also do many exercises seated in a chair using rubber tubing. Make sure you are comfortable in whichever position you choose—your body can tell you best how it feels. Any shortness of breath, dizziness, sharp pains in the pelvic region, nausea, or swelling of your hands, feet, or ankles is not normal, and is a sign you should stop exercising and consult with your doctor. Exercising throughout pregnancy should not add extra stress to your life. Instead, if done safely and effectively, it should help you release stress, stay healthy, and have a more enjoyable pregnancy.