If you’re pregnant this Saint Patrick’s Day, don’t fret about getting left out in the libations and fun. Check out these 5 easy mocktails or preggatinis to celebrate the holiday. Here are a few recipes to get you started. Enjoy!
Shamrock Shake Add 2 cups of mint chocolate chip ice cream 3/4 – 1cup of milk 1 tablespoon of green sprinkles Add all ingredients to your blender. Pulse the mixture 4-5 times or until just combined. Serve topped with whipped topping, green sprinkles, and a sprig of mint!
Nojito ( a non-alcoholic take on the Mojito)
10-12 fresh small spearmint leaves
1/2 lime, juiced
7 oz sprite zero or club soda
1 tbsp sugar or Splenda
crushed ice
In a cool tall glass, muddle the mint, sugar or splenda or Agave and lime juice. Add crushed ice and soda and stir well. Garnish with a lime wedge and a few sprigs of mint. Serve with a straw.
St. Paddy’s Day Punch 2 (12 ounce) cans frozen limeade concentrate (frozen is okay)
2 cups Gatorade, Lemon-Lime flavor.
1 cup light rum
2 (12 ounce) cans lemon-lime soda pop
Mix everything except soda. Chill. Just before serving, add soda. You can also make some green ice cubes using food coloring and add just before serving.
Green Smoothie What you need:
1.5 Cups Orange Juice
4 Scoops lime sherbet
2 ripe bananas, peeled and frozen
6 Tablespoons chopped mint
4 kiwifruits, peeled and frozen
2 Cups crushed ice
Blend everything up in a blender. Add a bit more orange juice, or water if more liquid is required. Add some rum or vodka for those that wish.
Irish Coffee and Grasshopper The ultimate drink for those looking to control their calories but still have some drinks with friends. Make some freshly brewed coffee and add some Baileys for Irish Coffee. For a grasshopper, add equal parts of Creme de Menthe, and Baileys. Garnish with a bit of whip cream if you have.
For More Alcoholic & Non-Alcoholic St. Patrick’s Day Drinks Click The Link! Drink Responsibly
For those of you not nursing, pregnant and can partake in alcohol, check out these 12 common St. Patrick’s Day drinks (Click to Enlarge)
Today is March 14 also known as Pi Day, the numerical figure for the ratio of a circul’s circumference to its diameter is 3.14. The day is celebrated by the eating, purchase and making of actual pies. But a pizza pie is also a pie, right?
PEOPLE has a great listing of places that offered and are still offering deals on pies, of all varieties from pizza to fruit ones!
My family loves these pizzas because they, like & Pizza, Custom Pizza and other chains, allow customers to build their own personal pies. Last year, we lined up with dozens of coeds that live in our college town to get our heavily discounted pizza.
An assembly-line format allows guests to select a number of toppings from fresh ingredients – all for under $8. Then, the 11-inch pies are sent to the oven for 180 seconds, emerging “fast-fire’d” and ready to eat.
Blaze Pizza makes its dough from scratch, using a recipe designed by Executive Chef Brad Kent to ensure a crisp, thin crust.
Other signature menu items include fresh salads, blood orange lemonade and s’more pies. The restaurant can cater to dietary needs with gluten-free dough and vegan cheese.
A quickly expanding company, Blaze Pizza’s first opened in California in 2012.
If you live near a Blaze pizza and aren’t blanketed under the Northeast storm, head out there for dinner this evening or for lunch.
This week’s college admission cheating scandal has a lot of people in social media, online and at water coolers at work talking about all the extraneous steps wealthy parents take to ensure their children get admitted into the best schools.
Whether the uber rich are donating buildings to get their kids into elite schools, or bribing athletic coaches and testing proctors, as this scandal reveals, their actions are a sad reminder to families without extraordinary means that the odds are stacked against them and they are left to figure it out themselves on how to get into the top elite schools.
Bellyitch asked double Ivy League Grad, Test prep and Educational Consultant, K. Mason Schecter, owner of Schecter Academic & Admissions Services, who scored in the 99% of the SAT, ACT, SAT, GMAT and LSAT on the very first try to provide his best insider tips and secrets for parents who are not rich and who might not be able to afford an expensive private tutor or course.
K. Mason Schecter of Schecter Academic & Admissions Services, who scored in the 99% of the SAT, ACT, SAT, GMAT and LSAT on the very first try
Most of Schecter’s clients come to him for standardized test prep for the SAT, ISEE, PSAT, SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT, and/or school application essay assistance, or both.
He says the recent scandal reminds him ofa joke about diversity at American colleges.
“On a campus tour a parent asks a dean about his school’s diversity. The dean says, ‘Our school is incredibly diverse! We’ve got rich white kids, rich black kids, rich Asian kids…’ I can’t fix that problem, but I can suggest some useful resources.“
Here are ten things you need to consider if you want to legitimately get your child in an Ivy League or other competitive school.
1. Practice Entrance Exams on Paper Tests.
While a lot of test prep programs offer digital and online courses and tests, Schecter says practicing on paper is better for preparing for the SAT, ACTs and other high school and private school admissions exams.
While “the GRE and GMAT are fully digital, and the LSAT will become fully digital in 2019, the SAT and ACT are still paper tests, and students should prepare for them using paper,” Schecter explains. “That paper test booklet is your best friend on test day and like any other friend, you need to spend time with it and get comfortable with it, or else it’s not going to help you very much when you need it.”
He says all of his SAT and ACT students, regardless of location, train with paper tests and pencils.
“Online instruction is fine, but online tests are not,” he adds.
In the end, there is no real formula for scoring perfectly on the SAT
“But there is a process,” he says. “Approach standardized tests like a sport. Learn the skills, get a good coach, and practice, practice, practice.”
2. Read Lots of Books
Get your kids to read books, Schecter advises.
There is no short cutting it because as we’ve seen promoted many times before, reading helps increase reaching comprehension, vocabulary and verbal aptitude easily!
“I had professor in graduate school who told us that our brains need to be fed, and books are meals,” Schecter jokes. “Articles and videos are snacks – you don’t want your brain to live on snacks.”
There are a lot of online resources but one that has been around for a long time and has consistently prepared children for school, and exams is the Khan Academy.
Khan Academy “offers course work and study aids for nearly the entire school curriculum from kindergarten through high school, completely free.”
Khan Academy – in partnership with The College Board – also offers excellent SAT prep material as well as official tests direct from the source, Schecter adds.
4. Check Out Johns Hopkins Essays That Worked Page
For getting the best essay, Schecter says you cannot go wrong with another free resource from Johns Hopkins University from its “Essays that Worked” page on the college’s website .
“It is one of the best free resources for essay assistance,” he adds but cautions that the gold is not in the sample essays but in the comments left by the admissions officials as to why they felt the essay worked. “The reviewers reveal exactly what they find attractive.”
Genius!
5. Wait until 10th Grade to Start Doing Practice Tests
A lot of hard core parents presume that their kid needs to be doing practice tests from middle school, but that is uneccessary, Schecter says.
“The SAT and ACT tests do not require years of prep,” Schecter reminds us. “I don’t see any reason to introduce the focus on such exams before tenth grade at the earliest.”
Instead, “encourage your kids to keep up their grades, read books, and pursue the activities that your child seems most likely to stick with throughout high school (and beyond).
“Ninth grade is a tough transitional year for many students.”
6. Practice Learning How to Spot the Wrong Answers, Not the Correct One.
Conventional wisdom would have most thinking their job while taking a test is to find the right answer.
Not so, says Schecter:
It’s helpful to understand how the tests are structured. Multiple choice tests have one simple rule: for every question, all but one of the answers are WRONG.
Why is this useful? Because it changes your job. You don’t have to understand the ‘right’ answer, you just have to locate it – and your first move isn’t to seek what’s right, but to eliminate what’s wrong. There’s an old saying about the difficulty of finding a needle in a haystack. If you search for the needle, then it is difficult. Don’t search – burn!
Burn the hay, and the only thing left is your needle.
And now I will reveal one of the great secrets of standardized tests – verbal questions are not complicated. They nearly always ask what the passage says. That’s it! No thinking. Just find the words the question references.
Brilliant!
7. Unmotivated Children Must Take “In-Class” PrepCourses
Have your children who are less motivated and less likely to follow through requirements on an online test prep or private tutor enroll in an in-person class.
“For unmotivated students who need someone to MAKE them practice, classes at a testing center are often the right choice,” Schecter reccommends “Why? Because, testing centers make students take practice tests on site. There’s no escape!”
In test prep, the largest providers areThe Princeton Review and Kaplan Test Prep. “Both primarily provide prep classes, and if you’re looking for a class neither is a bad choice,” he says.
Schecter also recommends that more motivated students get tutors because it’s more efficient, more effective and often less expensive than testing center courses. The students get far.
And in this digital age, a tutor could be half way across the world. Schecter himself has clients in Asia and all over America and tutors kids both in person and online for private school admissions, test and essay prep, and tailors his program for each child.
“My goal is to provide exactly what each student needs, no more and no less,” he says. “Some students require a great deal of assistance, whereas others require very little – so my services are always tailored to the needs of my clients.”
8. Challenge Children with Poor Work Ethic
It is common to see parents pushing their children to achieve a success they envision for themselves, for bragging rights and for all the wrong reasons.
That never works, Schecter says. Instead he advises:
“First, I have to say this is probably one of the greatest mysteries of parenting – and one that I can’t claim to have solved. Given that, I think it’s critical for kids to have skin in the game.
There has to be something of value for them.
Emotions power actions.
If you see a person running, they’re probably running either toward (with passion) or away (with fear) from something.
At some point, kids have to learn that to get what you want, you have to do what you don’t.
Can you dig it?
9. Strive For Balance
We know the stereotype and hear the stories about competitive parenting in Asian countries, cultures and among Asian and foreign immigrant households and the exaggeration on academics while American households may recommend taking a more relaxed approach, while lagging behind the world in reading and math.
The answer lies in the middle.
Schecter offers the activity of jogging to provide a workable analogy.
“If you’re jogging and you’re bored, then you’re not pushing hard enough, whereas if you’re gasping and stumbling then you need to pull it back,” he adds. “That’s where you find the balancing point – between boredom and overwork.”
10. Advanced courses still matter.
Recently, there have been reports that some of the selective admissions grade and high schools were moving away from weighted Advanced Placement, Honors and International Baccalaureate (“IB”) courses.
Schecter says they’re still relevant. Don’t give up on them.
“I favor students taking the most challenging course track that they can handle, regardless of what those courses are called,” he recommends. “Colleges review a student’s curriculum in the same way. The names don’t matter.”
Private tutors range in price and Schecter charges from free to $100- $200 per hour, but at the top range, they’re paying for someone who has been teaching the SAT since 1987 while an Undergrad at Columbia University, who went to the University of Pennsylvania‘s prestigious Wharton School of Business school and worked as a banker and consultant before returning to test prep because he loves “helping others work through a very stressful transition that should really be more joyous.”
You get what you pay for and the results speak for themselves.
Readers can chat with him about reality of testing and college admissions during a free consultation!
And if getting private tutoring is not in the cards or budget for you, start with the very solid tips that he’s shared with out readers here and go from there!
One topic of concern to some mothers with breast implants is whether they present any health risk to their baby through possible contamination of their breast milk. In particular, they ask about whether silicon, silicone gel or platinum used in implants can leak into their breast milk.
Silicon and Silicone
Moms should know that silicon occurs naturally. It is the second most abundant element in the earth’s crust. It is thought to be essential for connective tissues and is found in tendons, bone, skin, hair and nails. Silicon is used as an anti-foaming agent in fruit juice and is found in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and proshtheses. The only known health hazard results from inhaling crystalline silica dust into the lungs causing silicosis. Silica dust is never used in implants.
Breast implants contain silicone gel, a synthetic polymer made up of silicon, oxygen and other elements, most typically carbon and hydrogen.
Research has reported cases of esophageal dysmotility (slow movement through the esophagus) in infants that were nursing from mothers with silicone implant). Another study reported “rheumatoid-like symptoms” transferred to a child from a breastfeeding mother with silicone implants). However, this study examined only two children.
A larger study did not show any adverse outcomes in infants of breastfeeding mothers with silicone implants. Another study found that there were actually higher levels of silicon in cow’s milk infant formulas than in human milk. (It should be noted that this study was funded by the plastic surgery industry.)
The silicon-containing anti-colic agent simethicone has been widely used for decades and there have not been shown to have any toxic side effects to infants.The American Academy of Pediatrics therefore recommends that mothers with silicone breast implants should breastfeed if they choose to.
The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs does not feel that the evidence currently justifies classifying silicone implants as a contraindication to breastfeeding.
Bottom line: There is very little reliable data about breastfeeding with implants. Given that silicon is so abundant in our environment, and that there are overwhelming advantages of breastfeeding we strongly encourage women with breast implants to breastfeed if they wish to.
PLATINUM
While the limited evidence available suggests there is little risk from silicon, this may not be the case with platinum, which is used in silicone and saline implants. Platinum is a toxic metal that is especially damaging to early development.
There have been some studies showing significant levels of platinum in silicone breast implant gel and envelopes. Platinum has also been shown to leak out of the implant and accumulate in the tissues of women exposed to silicone breast implants . The question then becomes should women with saline or silicone breast implants be concerned about platinum?
Our research has found only one study to date that looked at platinum in breast milk in mothers that had silicone breast implants. It included 18 women with silicone breast implants and 5 women without ( the control group). The authors examined blood, urine, hair, nails, sweat and the breast milk of these women.
The concentration of platinum in blood did not differ between mothers with exposure to silicone through implants and those without. Both groups did have detectable levels of platinum thought to be related to environmental exposure. Similarly the concentration of platinum in urine did not differ between mothers with exposure to silicone through implants and those without.
However, there was a significant difference in platinum concentration in the hair, nails, sweat and breast milk in the implant group versus the control group, where no platinum was detected.
The study concluded that women with silicone breast implants had much higher levels of platinum than women without implants whereas saline implants did not contain any platinum. However, the methodology of the study has been questioned.
Bottom Line: Due to the small sample size, more research needs to be done to replicate these findings. However, it does raise some questions about platinum in breast milk. If mothers are concerned about platinum or silicone in their breast milk, Lactation Lab offer custom test kits to measure the levels of the components of their milk, along with recommendations for how to address any concerns.
The date 3.14 represents the numerical value of pi, which is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter and is approximately equal to 3.14159…… The numbers after the decimal never repeat and go on forever!
March 14 is generally recognized as a day worldwide when we geeks recognize and celebrate the mathematical phenomenon that is the unique irrational number: Pi!
Pi has been represented by the Greek letter “π” since the mid-18th century,
Pi day is also a great day to celebrate, make, eat and be all about PIES!
A lot of schools celebrate by encouraging families to bake pies.
If yours is or if you are just interested in baking a pie to celebrate, the Kitchn.com has a great list of 20 with recipes to check out HERE!
In a culture where everyone is a winner, the opportunities to help children learn to deal with disappointments are becoming fewer and further in between. The next time your playdate gets cancelled last minute or the restaurant runs out of chocolate milk, help your child work through those feelings instead of trying a quick fix in hopes of shielding him from disappointment. When you do, you’ll be helping him develop important life skills that will last a lifetime.
Why Learning to Deal with Disappointment is Important
Life is full of disappointments. Whether a friend doesn’t want to share her toys at a playdate, she gets snubbed on the playground or she doesn’t earn a spot on the cheer team, children do and will experience disappointment. A child who learns to deal with disappointment from a younger age is better able to deal with disappointment as an adult.
Acknowledge Your Child’s Feelings
While it can be tempting to simply tell your child everything will be okay or let him know that in the grand scheme of life what happened isn’t a big deal, don’t. Instead, acknowledge your child’s feelings. A simple “I know that you’re disappointed that you can’t play at Charlie’s house. You were really looking forward to it” lets your child know that it’s okay to feel sad, bummed out and upset about the last minute change of plans. Learning to identify and communicate feelings is an important lesson you can help your child learn.
Empathize with Your Child
Put yourself in your child’s shoes. If you found the perfect pair of shoes but learned the store didn’t have them in your size, you’d be pretty bummed out. That’s how your child feels when he’s been anticipating something, only to learn things won’t be going his way. Imagine how your child feels when he’s disappointed and offer emotional support and comfort.
Find the Positive
Every cloud has a silver lining. While you certainly don’t want to minimize your child’s feelings, it is okay to help him brainstorm what good can come out of the experience. Perhaps your child didn’t make the team his friend was on. Helping him to discover the possibility that there could be new friendships to be made can help give the situation a positive spin.
Talk About What You Can and Can’t Change
Some things we can change and some things we can’t. While your child can’t change that she didn’t get selected for a key part in the play, she can change her response to the outcome. Empowering your children to change what they can helps them feel more in control of their feelings and the situation at hand.
Encourage Problem Solving
Something didn’t go your child’s way. Now what? His favorite restaurant was closed. Now what? While your child may not be able to come up with the solution, you can certainly guide him to one. Would you like to go for pizza or for Mexican? Helping your child find solutions to disappointments can help him to refocus on what he can control.
Be a Role Model
Children learn what they live. One of the best things parents can do to help their children learn to deal with disappointments is to handle disappointments in the way they would like their children to. When you encounter a disappointment, say when you’re supposed to have a mom’s night out but it gets cancelled last minute, let your child see and hear you working your feelings of disappointment out. Talk through your feelings, brainstorm your solutions out loud and let your child see you come out okay on the other end of it.
How you help your child handle small disappointments now will set him up for how he handles big disappointments down the road. The next time you’re tempted to shield your child from feeling disappointed, take a step back and consider the learning opportunity at hand. Walk him through his feelings and help him learn that with the right attitude, tools and support, he can handle anything.
According to WebMD, anywhere from nine to 20 percent of adults in the U.S. avoid going to the dentist because of anxiety or fear. Much of that stems from childhood experiences, which means as a parent, you can help set the stage for a lifetime of better oral health by getting your kids to love going to the dentist.
Start Taking Them While They’re Young
If it’s not too late, start taking them to the dentist while they’re still young, ideally around their first birthday. The earlier they start going, the more comfortable they’ll be with it later on.
Be a Good Role Model
Be a good role model by making sure that your kids see you brushing and flossing. Instead of sending them into the bathroom on their own, make it a part of your daily routine to brush and floss with them.
Educate at Home
Educate your kids as early as possible at home. There are lots of children’s books about going to the dentist that can spark conversation while emphasizing the importance of taking care of their teeth. You might even have them brush the “teeth” of their stuffed animals. There are some fun and useful toys you can use too, like vampire teeth that glow in the dark. Educational apps can also help, such as “My Healthy Smile” that teaches kids about dental cleanings, x-rays, losing their baby teeth and the importance of eating a nutritious diet.
Choose a Children’s Dentist
Choose a children’s dentist in Wilkes-Barre, PA or whatever city that’s most convenient to you as pediatric offices can be found across the country. They specialize in kids, which means they have the technology to make cleanings and treatments a more positive experience such as painless injections and laser dentistry. The offices are usually bright and colorful, with waiting rooms filled with fun toys, and they may even have televisions in the ceiling above the dental chairs to help distract from what’s going on. Pediatric dentists understand the importance of using non-threatening, positive language to make the experience a better one as well.
Do a Practice Run
Before your child’s appoint, do some role playing to get him or her comfortable with what will happen. Pretend to be the dentist, with your child as the patient. Ask them to open their mouth wide so you can count and brush their teeth, then have them look at their smile in a mirror. You may want to play in reverse too, letting your child play the role of the dentist as she or he examines your teeth.
Get Them Excited About Going
Get your child excited about going to the dentist by using more positive phrases such as “Yay, we get to go to the dentist,” rather than “We have to go to the dentist.” You might show them pictures of the dentist’s office, especially if they have a waiting room with a play area and toys, which gives them something to look forward to.
For couples who are trying to have a baby, you may have read and heard about ways on how to boost fertility. If you have just decided to have a baby, there should be no cause for concern, especially when the woman is below the age of forty. However, when you have given it a year or two and the pregnancy result is still negative, it may be time to think about why and what could be done about it.
Does regular intake of
prenatal vitamins help boost fertility?
There have been many studies done to determine
whether prenatal vitamins could boost a woman’s fertility. Everybody knows that
multivitamins for prenatals are crucial to
pregnant women and their baby. But do prenatal vitamins really boost a woman’s
fertility? Unfortunately, there have been no clear and definite conclusions on
this subject.
There have been studies that show 48% of women who take prenatal vitamins got pregnant after two
or three months. However, there are also studies that show 58% of women got
pregnant within two to three months
without taking prenatal vitamins.
In a prospective survey done on more than
100,000 nurses, data was analyzed and the conclusion was that taking vitamins
at least three times per week decreases the risk of ovulatory infertility.
While there are no concrete answers to this question, one thing is, however, more evident. There are far more important benefits that prenatal vitamins can give to expecting mothers.
Prenatal vitamins and
its benefits
Contains more folic acid.
When
you are planning a pregnancy, it is highly recommended that you take prenatal
vitamins because it has higher folic acid content. Taking 0.4 up to 0.8 of
folic acid daily reduces the risk of neural tube defects in babies. Neural tube
defects are found in a baby’s brain, spine, and spinal cord. This usually
occurs in the first month of pregnancy.
The reason why women who are planning to get pregnant are advised to take folic
acid before pregnancy is because they usually find out they are pregnant at six
to seven weeks. Neural tube defects usually develop in the first four weeks of
pregnancy. If expectant mothers are already taking prenatal vitamins, this risk is significantly reduced.
Has a higher dose of vitamin D.
Vitamin D helps in the absorption of phosphorus and calcium which are essential
in the development of tissue and bones of the baby. Simply eating healthy is
not sufficient because a pregnant woman needs to take 600 IU of vitamin D each
day. It can be as high as 1000 IU if the mother has vitamin D deficiency.
Higher iron content.
When you are pregnant, it naturally follows that more blood is needed to
circulate the body in order to support the baby. Which also means that more
oxygen in the blood is needed to be transported to the mother and to the baby.
Transporting oxygen is the job of the iron in the body. The lack of iron
results in less oxygen being transported.
Calcium.
A pregnant woman needs at least 1,200 mg of calcium each day since the baby is
developing a fetal skeleton. It will not stop just because the mother has
calcium deficiency. It will go on sucking all the calcium it needs from the
mother. Prenatal vitamins are high in calcium and vitamin D which helps absorb
calcium.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps boost the immune system and it prevents you from having
oxidative stress. It can help stabilize your blood pressure and it is a great
source of antioxidant. Pregnancy can take a toll on a woman’s body, hence, the
need for higher doses of vitamins. Remember that you are not the only one
absorbing all these vitamins. Some of it also goes to the baby.
Omega-3.
Omega-3 is good for brain development. There have also been studies that show
Omega-3 helps in reducing risks of fetal growth restriction and gestational
diabetes. It also helps in preventing preeclampsia, which is a complication
during pregnancy that indicates high blood pressure and organ system damage.
Taking prenatal vitamins the moment you decide to
have a baby may not be a hundred percent guarantee to get you pregnant, but it
will certainly give you all the healthy benefits that a pregnant mother needs.
There are some health risks involved for pregnant women and the baby,
especially in the first trimester and if prenatal vitamins could help lower
some of those risks, there is absolutely no reason why pregnant mothers
shouldn’t take them.
Women’s bodies go through many physical changes during a pregnancy.
These changes will affect many of the normal habits and comforts that their
used to. One of the main changes will be how much your breasts grow and the
level of sensitivity you experience on a daily basis.
As a result, it’s important to find the right fitting clothes to provide
optimal comfort. A well-fitting bra is one of those things that many take for
granted until they’ve experienced a pregnancy.
The right bra can make all the difference in you comfort but also the
long term look of your breasts. Below you can find tips on how to select the
perfect bras throughout your pregnancy term as well as your postpartum nursing
needs to help you breeze through this process.
1. When to Purchase a New Bra During Pregnancy or Postpartum
In the beginning stages of pregnancy, many women opt to continue using
their pre-pregnancy bras. However, as time goes on and hormones begin to kick
in the breast may begin to swell causing old bras to become too tight. If the
band is too tight around your midsection, the straps are digging into the skin
or the breasts can no longer be contained by the cups, it’s time to start
looking for a pregnancy bra.
2. Which Bra Type To Purchase
There are some key differences in pre-pregnancy, maternity and nursing
bras and it’s important to know which one to buy to meet each transitioning
stage. Maternity bras differ from regular
bras in that they are designed to provide comfort and
support to accommodate the breast during pregnancy by having wider straps,
softer materials such as cotton and wider back enclosures.
Each woman is different and experiences breast changes differently so, it is possible to continue with regular bras if you naturally have smaller breasts so long as you find one that is comfortable and offers appropriate support.
In the postpartum stages, if you choose to breastfeed your child then a
nursing bra is a must. Nursing bras are different from maternity and regular
bras because they include a removable panel in the front, which covers the
nipple, making it easier and more efficient for your baby to access the breast
during feedings.
No matter the bra type purchased it is important to remember that the
body will continue to change throughout and after pregnancy and therefore, new
sizes may be needed down the line.
3. Picking the Right Size Bra
To ensure the correct
fit, it is important to use a measuring tape to measure around the bottom
and across the breast in order to determine the correct band and cup size. When
measuring the band size, make sure that measuring tape is comfortable and exact
to avoid ending up with a band size that is too loose or too tight.
For cup sizing, the measuring tape should be wrapped loosely around the breast at the tips. If the measure is between numbers it is best to round up to the next number. Make sure to fiddle around with the adjustable straps when you’re trying on bras.
Sometimes it’s as simple as elongating the straps to find that perfect level
of comfort. If they’re fully elongated and you still feel pressure on your
shoulders then you’ll need to size up.
Hormonal changes often create a new level of sensitivity in the breasts
for many women. Because of this, it’s important to find a bra made from light
and soft fabric. While lace and other synthetic fabrics are very pretty to look
at, they can increase the risk of irritation and discomfort during pregnancy
and postpartum.
Opt for natural
fabrics such as cotton. Also, avoid bras that have
underwire during and after pregnancy. While underwire will not cause health
risks, they risk becoming a constant annoyance. Most maternity and nursing bras
do not come equipped with underwire, but if a regular bra is being purchased it
may be best to opt for one that is underwire-free and full coverage.
Bra shopping during pregnancy and postpartum is very similar to regular
bra shopping. Shoppers should be hyper aware of the fit, making sure that the
bra is neither too tight or too loose and comfort should be the key factor.
Bra shopping can be overwhelming with all the different type of bras on the market, but don’t let this discourage you from finding the one that meets your needs. If shopping is irritating for you during pregnancy, bring a friend along who can help size you properly and explore the store on your behalf.
When you learn of a brand new bundle of joy’s impending arrival, one of your first thoughts may be of the nursery you’d like to create for him. After you’ve adjusted to the idea of bringing a new life into the family, you’ll be faced with a staggering array of decisions that make life in the months before your baby’s arrival quite hectic. Creating a calm, soothing oasis from the frenetic pace of the world can help you and your baby find some serenity. These tips can help you create the peaceful space you’ve envisioned and to perfect it before your baby arrives.
Color is Everything – The color of the walls and accents in any room set the mood. If you’re shooting for a more tranquil, serene space, it’s best to choose colors that promote those feelings. Bold and energetic colors like bright orange or red may not be conducive to rest, while pale blues and greens can have the desired calming effect.
Skip the Frilly Bedding – A crib that looks like a magazine layout may create a sense of pride for you, but it can be dangerous for your baby. Making sure that he gets a good night’s sleep without increasing SIDS risks is a parent’s job, so make sure your nursery planning takes American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines into consideration.
Don’t Forget the Window Treatments – Blackout shades can help you keep the sun out of Baby’s eyes while he naps during the day, creating a soothing space. You will want to make sure that you choose window treatments that don’t pose a strangulation risk, as babies can become entangled with cords that are within their reach.
Include a Comfy, Adult-Sized Chair – The nursery may be your baby’s room, but you’ll be spending many sleepless nights there as well. A comfortable chair that accommodates a sleepy adult will be a blessing for you, boosting the overall feeling of calm in the room.
Make the Most of Nursery Closet Space – Clutter doesn’t promote calmness, so devote some energy to effective closet use. Babies may be tiny people, but their stuff can take up an astounding amount of space!
Keep Storage Solutions Simple – The cute tub you’ve found for storing diaper wipes may be a thematic match with the room, but you won’t be soothed for long when you realize it’s too complex to open while holding down a dirty, squirming baby.
Choose Functional, Multi-Purpose Furniture – Rather than buying a changing table that serves no other purpose, consider a nice dresser with a safety rail installed and a soft changing mat placed over the top. When your child is out of diapers, it’ll still be a functional piece of furniture.
Be Budget-Conscious – The most beautiful, perfectly designed nursery will create nothing but stress if you dramatically exceed your budget in terms of planning. To make sure that Baby’s space isn’t a source of grief for you, keep an eye on your spending.
Look Up! – A newborn may not notice, but an older baby spends a significant amount of time on his back, looking at the ceiling. When you paint and decorate the nursery, keep in mind that a stained ceiling in need of painting can cheapen the rest of the room.
Choose Safe Paints – Finding the perfect shade of paint is a key aspect of creating a soothing and tranquil nursery, but it’s important to make sure that your wall colors are of the low-VOC variety. Volatile organic compounds can cause respiratory irritation and other health problems, which isn’t an environment you’ll want to bring a baby into.
Incorporate Heirloom Pieces – The crib you used as a baby, a rocking chair that came from your partner’s nursery or other heirloom pieces can be perfect ways of adding personal, comforting touches to a nursery. Just be sure that they meet current safety guidelines.
Think Outside the Big Box Retailer – There’s nothing wrong with opting for mass-produced accessories, but artsy parents may find that they’re more satisfied with the efforts of independent artists and creators.
Look for Pieces That Grow With Your Child – Having a few pieces of furniture that your child can use as he ages will create a sense of routine and comfort for your child, along with a feeling of consistency.
Consider Tradition Over Trends – What’s trendy today may be old news tomorrow. Furthermore, fad decorating is known more for being cutting-edge than aesthetically pleasing. A traditional, comforting nursery may be more soothing than a haute baby space.
Integrate a White Noise Device – Infants fall into a deep sleep when they hear the sound of the washing machine or the gentle lull of the road beneath the tires for a reason. Replicating these sounds with a white noise device can help your child feel more comfortable and calm in his nursery.
