Amazon Baby Registry Promotion

We used Amazon.com as the location for our Baby Gift Registry. We had used them for our Wedding Registry and had a good experience, so we decided to use it again. It actually worked out quite well because they have almost anything you could want on Amazon, and it is available to anyone in the country, regardless of their geographic location. The site is easy to use and often times the items are shipped for free. Recently, I saw a promotion on the site, which I thought moms-to-be may be interested in.

Amazon.com is partnering with the Seventh Generation company on a promotion. If you put together a registry, or already have one, on Amazon.com and make purchases of $750, you will receive six months of Seventh Generation Diapers for free (basically a $250 value--good through June 1, 2009). It states that the purchases can be made by you, your friends or your relatives, anytime between July 1, 2008 and September 30, 2008. As you probably already know, it does not take much time for baby purchases to add up to $750, so you might want to take advantage of it.

I haven't used Seventh Generation diapers, but I do know a few people who have and they like them. They have a four out of five star rating on Amazon with 42 reviews, so most people like them. They are chlorine-free which makes them more green than other disposable choices.

Anyway, just thought I would pass the information along. If you are going to be spending the money anyway, you might as well take advantage of it.

Another Cool Nursing Item

One piece of nursing wear which I think is quite useful is the Glamourmom Nursing Tank. It is basically a tank top with a nursing bra built in, which I think is great! They come in a wide variety of colors and a few different styles, depending on what you are looking for. The tank has straps with clasps which are discreet, so you can wear it alone or under something. It is not obvious at all that it is a nursing tank.

I had tried to order a couple of similar tanks from The Gap Maternity, but I was really disappointed. They did not sell them in stores, so you had to order and then try on. Using their sizing chart, I decided that I needed a medium and when it arrived, it was huge. I decided it was at least a couple of sizes too big, so I then ordered an Extra Small and when it arrived it was still not fitting the way that I wanted it to, so I gave up. They were cheaper than the Glamourmoms, but there was no comparison at all. The Glamourmom quality and construction seemed better and it looks much more clean, with no little lacy detail.

Anyway, these are worth a shot. Their website is located at: http://www.glamourmom.com/. They also sell via retailers. There is a store locator on their site. If you do decide to order, on the order page there is a GM Code box on the left hand side. This helps them to identify who referred you to them and gives that person credit towards a free tank (after three purchases). If you feel like it, my GM code is JACH75.

The bottom line is, this is a good product, and I have met many moms in my weekly mom's group who would wholeheartedly agree. :-)

De Quervain's Tendonitis

Babies bring about many changes in your life. You will find that you will use muscles that just haven't been used much previously in your life. At first they ache, and then they become stronger, which is a good thing.

About three months after Alex was born I started having pain in my left wrist. If I moved my thumb away from my hand it hurt and I would feel a catching or snapping feeling. I did some research online, prior to going in to see a doctor, and it appeared that I had de Quervain's tenosynovitis, which is basically tendonitis of your thumb. The doctor confirmed the diagnosis and told me that it is very common for this to happen to first-time parents. In fact, it is sometimes referred to as "new mother's disease". His solution was a brace to keep my thumb immobile. After wearing the brace for a week or so, I decided that I would just make a conscious effort to keep my thumb next to the rest of the hand, because the brace really interfered with alot of other baby care items. It worked totally fine.


A news article from the Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2007-mchi/4185.html?mc-emref=y) had a very good description of the symptoms: "pain and swelling about a half-inch back from the base of the thumb. Pinching, grasping or other thumb and wrist movement may aggravate the pain. Without treatment, the pain may spread in the thumb, forearm or both. Wrist tendonitis is caused by irritation and swelling of the sheath that surrounds the major tendons connecting the wrist and lower thumb. It can result from overuse of the wrist and thumb together." Their explanation for why it happens so frequently with new parents is because they pick up infants with their thumbs out and wrists bent backwards. In the mothers the fact that the tendons and joints are loose, because of the preparation for birth, adds to the tendency toward this type of problem.

In my case, it happened in the left hand, probably because I am right-handed and previously didn't use my left hand as much as I do now. Anyway, the good news is that if you change the way that you use your hands, it can be helped, and better yet, if you exercise your hands prior to birth, you could probably avoid it altogether. If you used a stress ball or one of those hand exercisers prior to giving birth, your hand would probably just be strong enough. Also, keeping your thumb against your index finger, rather than extended outward really helps. I just do that now and it works just fine. The pain is seldom there now.

Baby Care Books

Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp (I have heard that the DVD version is great...demonstrates his techniques and is easier to watch it than trying to read it)

The Baby Book by Dr. Sears (Detailed information on the baby's development month by month)

What To Expect During the First Year by Eisenberg, Murkoff and Hathaway (Also arranged by month with information on what to expect in the development of your child)

On Becoming Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo and Dr. Robert Buckman (Strategies on giving your infant the "gift" of nighttime sleep)

Baby Bargains by Denise and Alan Fields (This book is devoted to reviewing baby gear and baby gear manufacturers. It gives detailed information on all different categories of baby gear, with grades as to how they perform.)

Good Books on the Topic of Pregnancy

Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy by Roger Harms, MD (this book had lots of detailed medical information and was a great resource when questions would come up during the pregnancy)

The Pregnancy Book by Dr. Sears (comprehensive book which is arranged by month during the pregnancy--lots of good information)

The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy by Vicki Iovine (funny book)

The Mother of All Pregnancy Books by Ann Douglas (detailed information on all aspects of pregnancy)

For Expectant Dads:
The New Dad's Survival Guide by Scott Mactavish
My Boys Can Swim! by Ian Davis
Father's First Steps by Robert and James Sears

All of the dad's books are super short and rather goofy, but had some pieces of useful advice in them.

A Cool Chair for While You Are Pregnant

As you move along in your pregnancy, you will find it more and more difficult to get comfortable when sitting or lying down. When I was about half way through my pregnancy, David bought me this awesome beanbag called the Sumo. This is not an ordinary beanbag chair. It is huge and can be configured into many different positions. I actually slept in my Sumo on multiple occasions, especially in the last trimester. It was so comfortable. The only drawback was getting out of it, but nothing that a little rollover can't accomplish. I would highly recommend it. Now I also use it with Alex. You can lay it flat on the floor as a big mat or make it into a chair that he can be put in. He likes hanging out in it as well. The link to the version which David purchased is here:

http://www.sumolounge.com/omni.shtml

Enjoy!