Pregnancy: Week by Week

Pregnant and wondering how your baby is going to develop over the next 9 months? This infographic gives a brief overview of your babies size and the main growth milestones.

Source: visual.ly via Visually on Pinterest

15 Things I Learnt When I Became a Mother

Becoming a mum changes your life in numerous ways. This fun infographic nicely sums up 15 things that you'll learn as a mother.

Source: visual.ly via Visually on Pinterest

Source

What points would you add to this list?

5 Healthy Diet Plan tips for Toddlers

Image via PublicDomainPictures.net

Giving healthy food for toddlers is considered very important as they change from infancy to children stage.  It is time of growing, learning and constituting routines. Baby’s eating habits and appetite many change daily, so it is a biggest problem to parents to deal with. Its mothers job to decide what meals and snacks are offered, but at the end toddler will determine how much to eat and whether he wants to eat or not. Many children in the world are diagnosed with overweight, obese or high cholesterol it is essential to worry about their food habits to determine their healthy lifestyle. 

Following are the best healthy diet tips for your toddler.

1. After a good night sleep, your body will be in need of more energy. To start your toddler day fresh give them a nice breakfast containing good amount of carbohydrates such as fruits, yoghurt, cereals, bread, toast, low fat cheese and skimmed milk. 

2. Healthy diet and balanced meal are must for toddler.  You should feed your toddler at certain times only as toddler body is acclimatized to fixed timings.  Be particular in providing two healthy snacks and three meals a day.

3. Combine variety of foods from all food groups.  Toddler may need nearly 6 servings of grains daily such as cracker, bread, cereals and pasta. Vegetables and fruits are also should be part of food groups like cooked or raw vegetables and fruits. To meet the toddler needs you should serve 2 servings of proteins and meats every day. Select different types of protein foods like dry beans, lean meat, peanut butter or eggs.  For toddler brain development and proper growth, you need to serve nearly 3-4 servings of fat every day.

4. Most of toddler drinks too many which results in bad health habits. Toddler body needs at least five cups of liquids daily. Make sure you are giving them enough drinks to quench their thirst. You should detach bottles at around 12 months of age. Arranging them regular cup of meals is a best way to feed the toddler.

5. Serving size is also an important factor to consider. You should feed them in small portions. Don’t follow the “clean the plate” strategy, because in long term it may lead to overeating and cause obesity. Feed with fat free or low fat lunch meats. You can also choose fewer meats like chicken, turkey and veggie dogs. Small pieces of fruits like grapes, strawberries, raisins, apple slices and orange sections and vegetables like cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, cauliflower florets, raw broccoli and carrot sticks are advised for toddler. These are all high priced commodities. If you fall short of money in buying any of the above items, you can opt for cash loans UK which are easy and instant. 

Author Bio: This is Gracie a Guest blogger from UK. I have written many guest posts on different categories like Home-improvement, Beauty, Health, Technology , Business and finance. At present I am doing research on same day loans. You can find more about me @financeport 

Helping Your Baby Sleep

Image via Public Domain Pictures

If you've recently given birth, you've probably already experienced a few sleepless nights. Some babies just don't sleep as well as other babies. Fortunately, getting your newborn to sleep peacefully doesn't require magic. Use this guide to learn some ways to help your child develop good sleeping habits.

1. Establish a Routine – Establishing a bedtime routine can help your child sleep better through both the baby and toddler phase. At first, this routine won't include much more than putting her in pyjamas and placing her in the cot. Over time, your baby will gradually learn to associate sleep with this bedtime routine. You can even start other bedtime habits early on, including reading to your child and giving her a bath.

2. Avoid Stimulation – During the evening and nighttime feedings, avoid too much noise or visual stimulation. Although your child always appreciates hearing you talk to him, it's better to avoid it or at least talk very quietly. Keeping a quiet atmosphere will help your baby calm down and relax. If possible, keep the lights dim during any nighttime feedings.

3. Don't Wait – Some new parents think they can help their child sleep through the night if they keep the baby awake when she's obviously already tired. In many cases, this can backfire and cause your baby to feel unhappy and irritable. You may end up with a baby that refuses to fall asleep at all. Let your baby tell you when she's tired through her body language. If you learn her cues, you'll learn how to respond more quickly to her needs.

4. Settle Down – Help your baby settle down if he's fussy at bedtime. You can hold your baby and sooth him with gentle motions. If your baby frequently falls asleep in your arms, you'll need to learn how to carefully transfer him to his cot. This is easier to do if he's only partially asleep. If he wakes up during the process, gently rub his back and sooth him to sleep. 

5. Know the Averages – It's not uncommon for a baby to sleep over 16 hours a day. However, most babies only sleep in small stretches for a couple of hours at a time. After a few months, your baby won't need many feedings during the night and will probably sleep for five hours at a time. It will take a few more months before your baby can potentially sleep through the night, however.

As a new mother, your child's sleeping habits will be one of the biggest challenges you face through the newborn phase. However, this is a normal part of life with a newborn. With proper encouragement and a good routine, your baby can develop excellent sleeping habits.

Guest post by Ken Myers, an Expert Advisor on multiple household help issues to many Organizations and groups, and is a mentor for other “Mom-preneurs” seeking guidance.  He is a regular contributor of “www.gonannies.com/”.  You can get in touch with him at kmyers.ceo@gmail.com.

Talk to Your Baby

The health and nutrition of a new baby is most likely foremost on the minds of new and seasoned moms alike. Moms take special care to provide a loving environment for their babies to grow up in. Many moms are making choices on health options, like breastfeeding or cord blood banking for example, in order to give them the healthiest start possible. In addition, moms are making efforts to spend quality time snuggling and playing with their babies.

Talking to your baby can have a huge impact on his or her ability to acquire language. It's startling to think that in just the first year of life your baby will hear all of the sounds in the English language. Hearing these sounds over and over is what your baby needs in order to start speaking the sounds. The more your baby is immersed in language, the easier it will be for him or her to start uttering those precious first words.

Narrate the Day

There's no reason to stay quiet just because your baby can't understand what you're saying. Treat your baby like any adult that's hanging around the house by talking conversationally to him or her throughout the day. If you're folding the laundry, say, "Mom has to fold this whole pile of laundry, and then we're going to go for a walk in the stroller." Let your baby know where you're going, who you're seeing and what you're doing as you go about the day. Although it may feel strange at first, it will become natural as time passes. Talking to your baby from birth provides a wonderful introduction to language and gives your baby the necessary foundation to learn to speak.

Read

When you read to your baby, you are introducing important concepts about print and language. Reading with expression allows your baby to hear many different forms of expression. The pictures provide visual stimulation, and just sitting with mom for this special time provides a sense of security and love for your little one. Babies learn valuable information about communication and the world through books. Books also stimulate memory, listening and vocabulary skills. Pick up a book and share a cuddle with your baby every single day.

Sing

Singing is just another form of language that babies should be exposed to. Your baby doesn't care whether you can carry a tune or not. Engage your babe with silly little songs as you change his or her diaper, feed him or her or calm him or her down for a nap. Singing will help your baby develop those all-important language skills that he or she intends to wow you with in about a year.

With so many health preparations a mother makes to try to ensure her baby grows up as healthy as possible, it’s equally important for a mother to work to help her baby grow mentally and talking, singing and reading to baby is a great way to do it—and a great bonding experience for both too!

This is a guest post written by Katie Moore. Katie is an active writer within the Mom-o-sphere of the blogging world. Just after becoming a Mom herself, Katie took to blogging to share her knowledge and passion for motherhood, pregnancy, children, fitness and overall health. She enjoys spending time with her family, writing and researching, and connecting with others! If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog “Moore From Katie,” or her twitter @moorekm26.

9 Months of Pregnancy in 30 Seconds

It really is amazing how our bodies change during the 9 months of pregnancy. This mum-to-be had the great idea of recording the changes to her body in this quick video.

Wish I'd thought of doing something like this when I was pregnant!

Have any of you done something similar as a souvenir of your pregnancy? 

Children with special talents

Does your child have some special talents? Is he/she a born entertainer?

My 4 year old always draws the attention at his playschool shows and delights in the applause of the audience. It spurs him on even more. He sings, dances and pulls a wide variety of facial expressions to make people laugh. It's something that comes naturally to him. When I ask him what he'd like to be when he grows up the answer is nearly always something creative. 

At times I'm really amazed at how good he is. I often find video's on the internet of talented children and think it's amazing what they are capable of at such a young age. Often they do a better job than I could ever imagine doing myself now let alone before reaching the age of 5!

Here's just a few talented little one's I came across whilst surfing the net:

This baby rocks out some great moves to Waka Waka by Shakira

Baby singing

Child drummer

Toddler Hip Hop dancer

Do you encourage your child to develop his/her creative talents? To get a 'Great' when they're adults, how soon does a child need to start?

If you're happy and you know it...

Clap your hands!

Fine motor skills like clapping hands are usually mastered when baby is around 9 months old (although each child is different. Some start as young as 5 months and others take longer than 12 months). My little one has acquired this fun new skill over the past week and now uses clapping as a way of expressing his excitement and happiness.

I've been encouraging him over the past few months by singing songs like 'If you're happy and you know it' (which he LOVES!). Now when I put on any kind of music he bobs along and claps his hands as if dancing to the music.



Clapping is not an easy skill to learn and requires good hand-eye co-ordination. A BIG milestone achievement for our little ones to master.

When did your baby start clapping for the first time?

Mother's Day 2012

Those of you in the UK will have already celebrated Mother's Day, or Mothering Sunday as it's also known on 18th March, but for a large number of other countries Mother's Day 2012 takes place on Sunday 13th May.

Mother's Day themed activities can be found at  http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/mothers-day/

FREE Core Wellness DVD

Tena are offering a free DVD to help you tone and improve your pelvic floor.

"If you really want to make a difference to your pelvic floor muscles, strengthening your body’s core can help keep them strong and toned. It can also improve posture, ease backache and, in some cases, improve bladder weakness. That’s why TENA are pleased to support the Core Wellness Programme: a free programme designed to support your health and wellbeing.

For the first part of the programme, we’ve teamed up with Kari Bø, an internationally renowned physiotherapist and specialist in the research and treatment of women’s urinary incontinence. Exclusively for our members, she’s put together the Pelvicore Technique – simple, fun exercises to tone you in no time. You can order a FREE copy of the DVD here.

The Pelvicore Technique features exercises that are proven to strengthen the pelvic floor and other ‘core’ muscles. Studies show it can cure stress urinary incontinence in 2/3 of women.*

*Reference: Bo K, Hagen R,Kvarstein B, Larsen: Scand J, Sports Sci,11, 3: 117-121, 1989.

For more information on the Core Wellness programme, and the Pelvicore Technique, please visit www.corewellness.co.uk"

Order your FREE core Wellness DVD now

N.B. Although this is from the UK site this offer seems to be open to different countries.

Guest Post: Tips to Teaching Children about Politeness

Guest Post by Maryann B. Sawka

The idea of politeness is something that we begin to teach our children when they are quite young by introducing words such as “please” and “thank you.” Repeating those phrases a few times will have your youngster starting to say them independently without reminders from you. When they grow a little, we add “I’m sorry” and “you’re welcome” to the polite vocabulary that we are building in our children. We demonstrate when to use the words and continue to use them so that our youngsters will mimic our actions.

Children are never too young to learn polite behavior and actions.  In fact, it is a better idea to teach manners when they are young so that the behaviors we are teaching become a foundation on which we continue to build as our children mature. 

When we put young children together, we are introducing a social element where they are with like-aged peers and learn about sharing and taking turns. They are practicing these necessary skills, which allows their playtime to be more enjoyable.  If everyone is using the same social skills, everyone should get along and have a good time, right?

When we raise our children, we teach limits and boundaries, which go together nicely with the idea that we should treat each other with kindness and respect.  Granted, when children are at a very young age, we may not use words that may be at a level that is above their understanding, such as “boundaries” and “respect,” but we can convey the idea of politeness by using vocabulary that they will understand.  We can talk about feelings, how everyone has feelings and how our actions and words can affect the feelings of others.  This helps their evolution from an egocentric way of thinking to starting to put the needs of others before our own needs.

As they grow and mature, we can introduce appropriate ways to greet and introduce others as their social lives expand through outside activities such as dance class, sports, community-related activities and more. At this point, our manners conversation moves to topics that include getting along with others, being a good friend, greeting others and similar actions.  We talk about being a good guest when they are invited to join someone at their home or on an outing and being a good host when they entertain friends at their own home.

Keep in mind, that these are discussions that are better reinforced through many conversations where dialogue is a two-way street.  Teaching manners includes asking questions while sharing new information, without preaching. In my etiquette workshops, I like to keep the educational part of the workshop fun and lively with role-playing activities so that the participants have an opportunity to share what they already know and can participate in the learning, rather than having me present the material in the form of a lecture.

When we start talking with teens about manners and etiquette, they should already have the foundation that we have been building since they were young children.  We can now introduce topics that include building positive relationships, manners in public and electronic etiquette as most teens have a cell phone or computer.  We can start to talk about workplace etiquette as this is the time when many teens venture out into the work world.

The evolution of good manners begins at a young age and continues as children grow and mature.  In many ways, manners instruction is a building process much like math and reading.  If you teach the basics first, you can continue to teach higher-level skills in a natural progression.  Children are never too young to learn good manners.

Good Table Manners Made Easy is a quick, easy-to-read resource that teaches basic table manners in a delightful fun way. It also serves as a quick refresher for the table manners that we may have forgotten.

Get a sneak peek of the book at http://youtu.be/CGGKkxa9qSQ 

About the author: Maryann B. Sawka is an educator and parent, who has always embraced the notion that good manners are stylish and timely in every situation. She founded Charming Manners, a training company that educates all ages in the quest for civility and self-confidence. Sawka introduces good manners with a fun, engaging approach that makes the pursuit for knowledge an enjoyable experience.

You can find out more about Maryann B. Sawka’s World of Ink Author/Book Tour schedule at http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/MaryannBSawka.aspx. There will be giveaways, reviews, interviews, guest posts and more. Make sure to stop by and interact with Sawka and the hosts at the different stops by leaving comments and/or questions.

Guest post: Treating Thrush With Acidophilus

Nursing can be a very natural, very convenient way to feed your new baby. However if you are finding that it is painful to nurse your little one you or your baby may have thrush. Now that I look back I began having issues shortly after coming home from the hospital, I was trying to ignore the pain because I thought it was just me trying to get used to nursing for the first time.  I dealt with over all pain, burning, itching and the shooting pain that had me yelping whenever he would latch on but nothing I did seemed to be able to ease the pain.

For symptoms that may show up in mom and baby check here: http://breastfeeding.hypermart.net/thrush.html

Then one day  I noticed white patches in my baby's mouth that would not go away when I wiped at them. The pediatrician gave me nystatin cream, since nursing had become pretty painful for me to endure, as well as nystatin to put in baby's mouth. I called my Obgyn at the same time since the pain had gotten pretty bad, our pediatrician had suggested I be seen as well. The Obgyn gave me Fluconazole/Diflucan pills to take by mouth. 

For a good picture of what thrush in a baby's mouth might look like, you can find a great picture on the  babycenter.com's website here: http://www.babycenter.com/0_thrush-in-babies_92.bc?page=1http://www.motherandchildhealth.com/Breastfeeding/Becky/thrush.html

Be aware that it is advised to continue nursing even through this painful ordeal (Newman, 2009). Thrush is a yeast infection (Dr. Sears, 2011). A yeast infection causes some inflammation, inflammation can lead to blocked milk ducts, which can lead to mastitis (Jones & Marshal, 2010). Continued nursing helps keep the milk ducts clear, and is important to do so even while taking any medicine to get rid of the thrush.

The nystatin worked to get rid of the visible signs in my baby's mouth, and the Diflucan helped get rid of some of it in me, I believe, as I was not hurting as much. I finished up both prescriptions but as soon as I stopped the symptoms came roaring back to life. I, once again, tried to change up my baby's latch to fix the problem but that did not help, and using any nipple cream seemed to hold the moisture in and make things worse! Another couple of weeks of nystatin was ordered, this time it didn't seem to work as efficiently. After almost two months of pain I was very frustrated, so I decided to work from the inside out and try to figure out what fuels the thrush. 

I learned that thrush can be passed back and forth between mom and baby unless both are completely treated of it (Baby Centre Advisory Board, 2011). So even when he looked clear of it, unless I was completely clear of it too then we would get it again. Besides the high heat and humidity that summer I could not figure out why the doctors medicines were not working... I went looking for answers. I found out that every person naturally carries some varying levels of yeast in their bodies (Stoppler, 2011). A yeast infection is an overgrowth so, I figured, the key must be to fight the thrush off more naturally by working to set things straight from the inside out.

Most of the treatment options I read about didn't work on the underlying cause. They treat the thrush on the outside but have little effect on what is going on inside your body. Nystatin for example is only used topically, it is only used to coat the mouth. Fluconazole/ Diflucan was not a good option for us as it can be as much as $300-350 per prescription (Newman, 2009). The other problem I foresaw was that the Fluconazole/Diflucan was only  killing off the yeast numbers but not working with my body to naturally help me keep the levels normal.  Genetian Violet stains horribly, is again only used to coat the mouth and skin, and has had some studies done on it linking it to cancer which made me worry (Dr. Sears, 2011). I was also very hesitant to try any over the counter anti fungal creams because I was not sure what was safe for my baby plus, again, they were all topical treatments. Garlic Supplements, echinacea supplements, or grapefruit seed extract are other natural remedies that are supposed to help combat the yeast from the inside; however I had trouble finding information on them (Flora, 2011).

So from my research, I decided to add a cup full of vinegar to my laundry as well as washing and drying everything on the hottest setting just to help make sure my nursing pads or bras would have no trace of thrush left in them (Julie, 2011). Then I went looking for some research as to where I could find this other pro-biotic/acidophilus supplement I had been reading about  that was supposed to prevent thrush from growing (Baby Centre Medical Advisory Board, 2009). The way it works is by helping stabilize the yeast numbers by recolonizing your body with the healthy bacterium that would normally keep it controlled. I knew that it could be found in yogurt but would I really want to eat yogurt every day... and then how much would I have to eat to get  relief fast enough? Nothing I was finding online was very helpful. 

I decided to head to walmart to see what I could find in the supplement isle, having already struck out before when searching for garlic, echinacea, or grapefruit seed extract. To my surprise I found the acidophilus in two strengths! One bottle with one billion live cultures per pill and one with two billion live cultures per pill. They both said to take one pill a day. So I started with the one billion per dose jar. I took one in the morning and one in the evening. That seemed to help but I still had symptoms. So I bumped it up to one in the morning and two in the evening, 3 billion total. Therapeutic Research Faculty (2011), lists effective studies on giving as much as 6 billion cultures to infants to ward off diarrhea so I knew I had some room to work with on the dosage. Acidophilus Supplement Central (2011), recommends 1-4 billion cultures per day.  Bear in mind that I personally observed that a side effect of this supplement is looser bowels, which could affect both mom and baby as the acidophilus cleans out the intestinal track.

Later, I also noticed around the time for the end of my menstrual cycle  my soreness would get worse again. So I bumped it up to two billion in the morning and two billion at night for about a week and then dropping back down to three billion afterward.  Around this time (the end of the second month of having thrush) I ran out of the nystatin and our pediatrician refused to refill it as long as the baby was showing no visible symptoms. So I kept up with the Acidophilus and the laundry washing regiment. I was feeling lots better with only the occasional 'end of my cycle' flare ups.

As my symptoms continued to go away I dropped down to one dose a day of the two billion pills. Then, as my baby turned 5 months old I realized that I had not experienced any symptoms for about a month and decided to discontinue the Acidophilus. I was so relieved! I have been off of the Acidophilus for two months now and we are both doing great!

Yes, thrush can be quite a hassle to deal with. It can be painful, and you may even want to quit nursing which, bear in  mind, may not even solve the problem. I will offer this as a word of encouragement, I saw a great amount of relief from my thrush symptoms within just 48 hours after starting my Acidophilus treatment! I also had a bad case of it. If it is caught fast than it will be easier to get rid of.

Guest post by Virginia Lori Jennings www.virginiajennings.webs.com

References

Baby Centre Medical Advisory Board. (2009) Probiotics and prebiotics  in pregnancy. Babycentre.com.uk. Retrieved on December 29, 2011 from: http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/nutrition/probiotics-and-prebiotics/

Baby Centre Advisory Board. (2011) Thrush in babies. Babycentre.com.uk. Retrieved on December  29, 2011 from: http://www.babycenter.com/0_thrush-in-babies_92.bc?page=1

Bonyata, K. (2011) Thrush resources. Kellymom.com. Retrieved on December 29, 2011 from: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/thrush/thrush-resources.html

Dr. Sears, B.(2011) Thrush. Askdrsears.com. Retrieved on December 29, 2011 from: http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/childhood-illnesses/thrush

Tiran, D. (2007) Thrush, natural remedies. Babycentre.com.uk. Retrieved on December 29, 2011 from:  http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/naturalremedies/thrush/?_requestid=6649240

Newman, J. (2009)Fluconazole. International breastfeeding center. Retrieved on December 29 , 2011 from:  http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18:fluconazole&catid=5:information&Itemid=17

Flora, B. (2001) Could we have thrush. Breastfeeding essentials. Retrieved on December 29, 2011 from: http://breastfeeding.hypermart.net/thrush.html

Jones, K., & Marshal, S. (2010) Mastitis while breastfeeding. Cigna. Retrieved on December 29, 2011 from: http://www.cigna.com/individualandfamilies/health-and-well-being/hw/medical-topics/mastitis-while-breast-feeding-hw98039.html

Julie, (2011) The 411 on Vinegar: Is it safe for cloth diapers? Cloth diaper blog. Retrieved on December 29, 2011 from: http://www.clothdiaperblog.com/the-411-on-vinegar-is-it-safe-for-cloth-diapers/

Stoppler, M. (2011) Vaginal yeast infection. MedcineNet.com. Retrieved on December 29, 2011 from: http://www.medicinenet.com/yeast_vaginitis/article.htm

Therapeutic Research Faculty. (2011) Lactobacillus. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health. Retrieved on December 29, 2011 from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/790.html

Healthy Child Healthy World

Healthy Child Healthy World is a fantastic movement that should interest all parents.

Healthy Child Healthy World ignites the movement that empowers parents to protect children from harmful chemicals.

With a growing body of evidence linking everyday environmental contaminants to asthma, learning disabilities, obesity, cancer and more, Healthy Child translates the science and inspires parents and caregivers to create healthy environments where families can flourish.

For the past two decades Healthy Child Healthy World has been the nation's leading organization of its kind. We:

• Expand awareness of unnecessary toxic risks to children's health;
• Encourage easy actions and responsible lifestyle choices;
• Advocate for corporate policies and government legislation that protect children from environmental health risks; and,
• Engage communities to take collective actions to create a healthier world.

Healthy Child Healthy World was founded by James and Nancy Chuda in 1991 after their daughter Colette died from Wilm's tumor — a rare form of non-hereditary cancer. Healthy Child is a national, non-profit 501(c) 3 organization headquartered in Los Angeles. Healthy Child is governed by an outstanding volunteer Board of Directors and distinguished group of advisors and is strengthened by community and corporate partners. Healthy Child is playing a leadership role in one of the most important public health and environmental movements of the 21^st century.

Read more: http://healthychild.org/about/mission/#ixzz1gaqPMwze

Tips and Tools for Action

Never underestimate your ability to make changes in the world around you. In fact, with all the new technologies that help us connect with one another and share information, it’s probably never been easier. Still, you’ll be much more successful with a few tips and tools under your belt!

Tips:

• Play nice. No matter who you’re talking to, from a neighbor to a Senator, it pays to be diplomatic. Approach people with an open mind and be respectful of their opinions. Nobody likes a know-it-all, so offer your ideas with a bit of humility. Don’t judge, smile a lot, and be grateful for every little step that is made. Be a “helper” instead of a “nagger.” People will be much more apt to change if it feels positive. And, you’ll be more likely to create long-term allies who can continue to help make changes in your community.

• Find solutions. It’s easy to complain about problems. It’s smart to find solutions. Whatever issue you want to address, before you do anything, research solutions. Find other people who have successfully addressed the problem you want to address. Look on-line for example policies that outline solutions. Do your best to find solutions that are economically feasible. The more research you do identifying solutions on the front end, the less friction you’ll receive when you go public with your requests.

• Make your actions count. There are a ton of ways to engage with decision-makers – visits, calls, letters – but one of the most popular forms of communication these days is email. Use it right. Colin Delaney of e.politics recommends these two tips:
  • Tie your message to a specific piece of legislation or agency rule. Staff will usually sort them by bill number or rule docket number and you’ll want to make it easy on them — otherwise, you’re message may fall through the cracks. Try to put the bill/rule number and name in the subject line. General emails (”Support The Environment”) may well disappear into a black hole.
  • Edit mass messages. Congressional staff claim to take individual messages from constituents more seriously than obvious mass messages. So, make sure that if you’re using one of the pre-written emails so many organizations use these days that you take a moment to personalize it.

Tools:

• Creating Healthy Environments for Children: Advocacy Toolkit - This 8pg PDF outlines everything you need to know about contacting elected officials, writing letters to the editor for publishing your concerns in local newspapers, and many other easy ideas for spreading the word in your community. Don’t forget the companion DVD that can help you quickly educate others about children’s environmental health issues.

• Research Tools - Use this guide to find out about polluters in your community, health impacts of chemicals, and much more.

• Community ToolBox - Promotes community health and development by connecting people, resources, and ideas. While they don’t address environmental health specifically, their tools and information is entirely relevant to anyone looking to start organizing for change in their community. For example, they have an on-line guide that includes nearly 300 different sections providing practical, step-by-step guidance in community-building skills.

• Meet Up - The world's largest network of local groups. Meetup makes it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up face-to-face. More than 2,000 groups get together in local communities each day, each one with the goal of improving themselves or their communities.

• Social Media - Are you on Facebook or Twitter? Maybe your elected officials are too. Check with GovTwit and do a people search on Facebook. Social media is becoming a powerful tool for advocacy. Learn about it by reading “Social Media 101 for Activists.”

• Be patient. We live in a fast paced world, but it doesn’t mean things change overnight. Be prepared to push for what you want for a long time. Understand that people are busy and that elected officials and community leaders have a long, complicated list of priorities. It may take a while for yours to rise to the top. Don’t take it personally. Have patience, perseverance, and a positive attitude.

• e.politics – Refer to this great site for learning more about the craft of online political advocacy.

Read more: http://healthychild.org/issues/policies/basic_tips_and_tools_for_advocacy/#ixzz1gaq0bIbu


Have you taken action? Got ideas for helping to make the world a safer place for our kids? Share in the comments section.

Product Review: Fluirespira aerosol

I have two small children. One is nearly four and the other is three months. Both have a cold and cough (the trouble with two children is that the older one no doubt brings home all the viruses from school). Anyway, the eldest, like many children his age, isn't a big fan of medicine or aerosol.

Aerosol is one of the best ways for clearing the mucus and helping him breathe more easily so I've been on the look out for a system that would get the job done without causing him to get upset. Today I found the perfect solution. The aerosol with computer by Fluirespira is fantastic! The aerosol works brilliantly and the built in computer has a wide variety of games in both Italian and English to keep kids busy whilst they sit with the mask on. A great idea that makes life a lot easier for us mums.

The link to the product on the Fluirespira website is: http://www.fluirespira.it/fluirespira/opencms/it/prodotti/computer.html

I tried it out with my son this afternoon and when the aerosol was finished (took 10 minutes- there is a timer on it too so you can keep track), he asked if he could do some more. I had to fight him to even get the mask on with the old one!

It comes with two sizes of mask; one for kids, one for babies. I'll be trying in out on the little one too.

Needless to say I'm very happy with the result and highly recommend this product.

5 tips to help when babies get colds and flu

It's that time of year again. Cold and flu viruses are everywhere and babies, with their untested immune systems, are easy victims.

Congestion, coughs and runny noses are no fun for baby and can make for a stressful time for mummy. There are ways you can make your little one more comfortable though.

• Use a syringe to clear your baby's mucus. These are simple to use and really make a difference. This short video shows you how to use the syringes correctly. http://www.babycenter.com/2_how-to-use-a-bulb-syringe-to-clear-your-babys-mucus_10357065.bc
• Make some steam. The moist air helps loosen the mucus.
• Vapor rubs. Natural balms are best. Rub into chest, neck and back area.
• Head up. Elevating your baby's head when they are sleeping can help them breathe more easily.
• Lots of rest. Try to help your baby relax as much as possible. It takes energy to combat an infection.

See also:

If the baby is under 6 months it's always a good idea to get them checked by your pediatric to be on the safe side.

The meaning of mother

Being a mum can be a demanding job that leaves you feeling tired, stressed and, at times, under appreciated. A lot of new mums end up feeling a little overwhelmed by all the things they have to do and start asking themselves if you really need to be super woman to be able to survive motherhood. The answer, simply put, is yes. That said though, being a mum is the best job in the world and the good bits largely out-weigh the bad bits.

Talking to other mums can be a great help as it will help you realise that it's not just you. Most new mums feel exactly the same way you do.

Make time to relax by yourself. This might sound like mission impossible but even just 5 minutes to call your own can help recharge your batteries and make it easier to cope. 

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Family and friends will most likely be happy to assist with either looking after the baby for a bit or helping hang out the laundry and other small jobs around the house.

How do you manage to get everything done?