And You Think 280 Days is Bad?

I know what you are thinking at the end of your 40 weeks of pregnancy which equals 280 days. Come on please lets get this baby out, I'm tired of being pregnant. But listen to this it takes a female elephant 600+ days to carry their newborn. Other animals take longer then us humans also. A whale is 490 days gestation, Giraffe 450 days, Camel 405 days, Zebra 365 days, Horses 336 days, Buffalo 285.

Now on the hand the following animals have much less days then we humans. Mice have only 19 days to carry their babies, Rabbit 33 days, Squirrel 40 days, Kangaroo 42 days, Cat 62 days, Dogs 65 days and a Lion only 108 days gestation.

So now aren't you glad your not an elephant!

Should I Wear it?

A common question once we hit a certain point in pregnancy is "Should I still wear my seat belt over my Belly"? The answer is yes, you should always be wearing your seat belt. Your lap belt should fit snugly under your belly and the shoulder belt should be between your breast. The seat belt won't harm your baby your uterus and fluid fulled amniotic sac are protector your little one!

Red Raspberry Tea

Red Raspberry Tea is something I used during Pregnancy. Red Raspberry is an oxytocic which can assist labor and promotes easier childbirth.

Common Uses:

High in Vitamin A, D, B

Increases fertility

May Prevent Miscarriages

Eases Morning Sickness

Can Reduce pain during labor

Assist milk production

Look for this in a healthy food store near you

Waste of Money on Baby Registry

One thing I just knew I had to have while Pregnant for my new baby was the famous Diaper Genie from Playtex. However looking back now I can't tell you enough what a waste of money and energy. If you go to your local BabiesRus they are going to recommend this on their list of recommendations for the Baby Registry. Don't be sucked into adding it on your list. I was $25-$30 and I wish I would have skipped it. I didn't like it because I had it in my daughter nursery and then I had 3 days worth of stinky dirty diapers upstairs in my house, it didn't sit right with me. I hated the fact that every time I opened it I might get a unpleasant surprised smell. I donated my Diaper Genie when my daughter was 6 months and stopped using it after about 1 month. Not a must have for our next baby.

Finding The Right Fit

If you are a first time mom like I was your not going to know the difference between Pampers, Huggies and Luvs Diapers. You just have to pick one to try and put on your baby registry. I went with Pampers because for newborns they have a special diaper called Snugglers for baby's belly button. We were blessed at our baby shower to get a few boxes of Pamper diapers. I really seemed to like Pampers and even tried the other once my daughter moved into a bigger size. However for our family Pampers seems like the right fit.

Protruding Navel Drink

So here is the Pregnancy Non-Alcoholic Fuzzy Navel drink recipes I found. Some women find it extremely hard to give up alcohol during Pregnancy. Me on the other hand I didn't mind so much. But I came across a book of Non-Alcoholic Drinks to make while your with child.

The Protruding Navel:

Ice

2 oz Peach Nectar

6 oz Orange Juice

Orange Slice for Garnish

Fill Highball glass almost to the top with ice. Pour the peach nector first, and then the orange juice into the glass, stir well, and garnish with an orange slice.

The Newly Non-Drinking Girl's Guide to Pregnancy

By: Jackie Rose

Snacks for my Toddler

Healthy Snacks for my toddler include the following:

• Sliced Apples
• Sliced Cucumbers
• Sliced Strawberries
• Wheat Roll
• Bananas
• Graham Crackers
• Steamed Carrots
• String Cheese
• Cut Chicken
• Avocado
• Yogurt
• Scrambled Egg
• Goldfish Crackers
• Oranges

With a busy 18 month on my hands I have to have healthy but quick snacks to take on the go.

DId you know? Ancient Rome

Did you know? In Ancient Rome pregnant women were told if they wanted their babies to be born with dark eyes to eat mice often. This might be an okay source of protein if you are a pregnant snake but this is clearly a case where you wouldn't want to do as the Romans did even if you are in Rome

ICAN Support Group

Last night I attended my first local ICAN meeting. International Cesarean Awareness Network caught my attention due to the simple fact that I am pissed of that I hate a c-section which could have easily been prevented. It was just nice to know that there are other women out there like me and we came together to comfort each other and tell one another story.

Sprout is just a Channel

You know you are a parent when your child starts to watch the SPROUT Channel. However Raw Sprouts is a no no for your little sprout during Pregnancy and Breastfeeding. Alfalfa Sprout or Bean Sprouts may look healthy however this veggie could harbor some bacteria that is unwelcomed. Sprouts have been linked to bacteria such as E Coli and Salmonella and should not be consumed by the Mommy to be.

Mistakes We Make = No Sleeping Baby!

Becoming a parent is something no one can prepare you for, however my reason for blogging is to help from one mom to another.  So here is a tip I wish I would have done!

Common Mistakes Parents Make with Infant Sleeping Routines

Sneaking Baby into your bed: 

 Your baby will fall asleep in your arms then you will carry him to his crib and he wakes up disoriented and crys till you come pick him up, your tired it's 1am so what do you do you bring him into your bed WRONG MOVE. I feel babies need their own sleeping space just like mommy & daddy, plus if you start this it's going to be horrible to break him of this habit

Baby Falls asleep while Eatting:

Your baby if breast or bottle falls alseep while eatting and your holding them in your arms, next thing baby know is hes out of your arms and alone so he starts to cry until you pick him up agian!

Inconsistant Schedules:

Babies are creatures of habits and like their own bedtime, so try and not mess with baby schedule. I noticed with my daughter if we stayed home and cooked, played and bathed she slept better on those nights

Not Letting Baby Self-Soothe:

One of the hardest things I didn't do is let me daughter put herself to sleep, Self soothing is something baby has to do on their own and can be done by 6 months old. Since I never did this from a young age we still get up almost everynight!

Help Your Baby Pass Gas

It's something you just can not control. Gas is something you baby is bound to have. Due to the amount of air they suck in everyday. Here are just a few tips to help relieve the gas bloating feeling.

A Warm Bath never hurts. This also helps your baby relax before bedtime

An Infant Massage- This helps comfort your baby and if you press very gently on baby's belly this could help him past gas.

Mylicon- Over the Counter Medication is safe for baby including newborns. I use this with my 1 year old also. I do believe this works and helps her pass more gas.