It’s sad when we read it or hear about it in the news: another baby dies or is permanently injured because of being shaken.
All of us who are parents know that our children can really push us to the limit sometimes – usually when we’re at our weakest and lowest points in our own lives. But shaken baby syndrome is something that can be prevented – and we, as a society, need to find ways to do that. We need to find ways to reach the parents who may be most likely to do this and to show them …read more

It’s not proven yet, but there’s a buzz that breast feeding may delay multiple sclerosis relapses after pregnancy.
According to this press release from the American Academy of Neurology, "Women who have multiple sclerosis may reduce their risk of relapses after pregnancy if they breastfeed their babies, according to a study released today."
What’s particularly interesting about this study is that that more women with MS chose not to breastfeed because they wanted to begin taking their MS medications again after giving birth. Yet it is precisely that group of women who ended up relapsing more quickly.
To read the article, go to …read more

It’s a dilemma faced by many parents – how will my older child or children adjust to a younger sibling? Will I be able to give them all enough attention? Will the older one(s) feel unloved? Pushed aside?
I was very lucky. I had these concerns too. I worried about my oldest son, who was 22 months when his sister was born, would feel pushed aside and unloved. I prepared him as best I could by reading sibling books, talking to him and just loving him as I did. I needn’t have worried. My daughter’s introduction into the family was seamless. …read more

According to the Canadian Press, Health Canada has recalled Safety 1st baby gates manufactured by Dorel Industries Inc. The SmartLight Stair Gates were manufactured in China before Dec. 31, 2007,
These gates were only sold in Canada and may pose a hazard if they’re used at the top of a staircase.
You can read more about the recall in this article, Dorel baby gates being recalled in Canada
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Tags: pregnancy blog, baby gate recall, dorel baby gates

Postpartum depression is way more than just the baby blues. It’s an overwhelming depression that can affect the lives of both mom and baby, as well as the other family members. Left untreated, the depression can lead women to do desperate things. That’s why it’s so important for us to learn how PPD happens and ways to find out earlier if a woman may be more susceptible.
According to a study that was recently published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, 16 women out of 100 in the study developed postpartum depression. The researchers found that if they’d been looking for …read more

Baby proofing doesn’t usually need to be done until your baby is about to become mobile, but many parents like to get a head start and some even get it done while the baby is still nestling comfortably inside Mom.
One of the most obvious potential dangers is the electrical outlet. Go into just about any store, from the dollar store to the more upmarket ones, and you can buy outlet plugs. You can buy plain ordinary plastic ones that just go into the socket (we had those) or fancier ones. The whole idea is to keep it so baby …read more

If you have prepared for your new arrival by buying a Storkcraft crib or you’re using one from that you had before or was passed down to you, it may be subject to a voluntary recall in the United States and Canada.
The cribs, made by Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc., were sold between May 2000 and January 2009 at major retailers such as J.C. Penney, Kmart and Wal-Mart.
There is a chance that one of the brackets that support the mattress can crack and break, causing the mattress to drop, making it dangerous if the baby is in the crib at the …read more

So, you’re pregnant and you’re waiting for the birth of your baby. People want to give you gifts and you know you need to buy some things – but what?
In my opinion, you really shouldn’t over buy when you’re expecting a child. Some children grow too quickly and others are too big already for the newborn things. My oldest son was well over 9 lbs and any newborn clothes were outgrown with days, not even weeks. He almost went straight into size 3 months.
To counter the issue of how fast a child may grow, some people buy bigger sizes …read more

 
Feel like watching a cute video? Makes me smile.

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Tags: pregnancy blog, babies, babies video

It may not be something women would like to admit, but there are some who worry about if their partner will see them as a sexual being after they’ve had a child. We often hear stories about men who can’t see their wives as a sex partner once they’ve seen them as a mom. But, how true is this?
While it’s not a scientific poll, over at aolHealth, they have an on-going survey of dads and sex. One of the questions is if they see their wife as sexy after they gave birth. According to the current results, 51% of dads …read more