As a new mom, you will soon learn that your whole life has changed--your activities every day, the amount of sleep you get in a given night, to the amount of love felt for another human being. Especially in the first few weeks and months, you are literally spending every moment of every day with your baby, caring and nurturing him and trying to run a household at the same time.
You will definitely need an outlet and support from others, which is why I highly recommend joining a mom's group. I started going to my mom's group after David went back to work, when Alex was about six weeks old. The one which I attend is free (which is a bonus) and is offered by Kaiser Oakland. We meet once per week and the format is quite free-form. There is a lactation consultant who is the moderator and each mom gets a chance to introduce herself and her baby and ask questions or just give updates on what is going on with them.
I am so happy that I tried out the group, because it has provided lots of advice, support and new friends for both myself and for Alex. Make sure you take advantage of the resources in your community. It is always helpful to have others moms to chat with, share experiences with, bounce ideas off of and have adult interaction with. Our group also has a Yahoo! group, so that we can be connected all through the week, regardless of time or place. I have also visited quite a few other mom connecting sites online which have been very useful when I have a question. Inevitably, someone else will have had the experience that you are currently going through and they will be able to give some advice.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Applying for Baby's Passport
In preparation for our trip to Japan and Hong Kong this Fall, we recently applied for a passport for Alex. After hearing about the backlog over the past couple of years, I wanted to make sure that we applied early to ensure that we received the passport with plenty of time to spare prior to our departure.
Surprisingly, things went very smoothly and the whole process was quite efficient. The U.S. Department of State website http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html is easy to use and has all of the information needed to apply for a child's passport. It allows you to fill out the form DS-11 using a "wizard", which is quite handy.
A few things to know, when applying on behalf of a child. You will need to get an official copy of the birth certificate, which can be obtained from the county courthouse. Also, both parents must be present when submitting the application, which basically safeguards against one parent applying for the passport and then taking the child out of the country, without the knowledge of the other parent. It looks like you can have a notarized form which allows just one parent to go and apply, but if you are going to get a form notarized, you might as well go to apply for the passport, right?
The photos have the same specific guidelines which they have for adults and these are outlined on the application and further on the website. Remember, if you are holding the baby, which we had to at the time, as Alex could not sit fully on his own yet, make sure that you have a white sheet covering your body and arms, so that the picture just has the baby and a white background. We took photos of Alex at home (cute ones, I might add) and had to get different ones taken, because a bit of my brown shirt was showing in the picture. Walgreen's did a great job and only charged about $7 for two photos.
So, where do you go to apply for the passport? Not all Post Offices take applications, so click on the link ("Where to apply for a Passport in the US?")at the bottom of the page noted above. If you put in your zip code, it will give a listing of places where you can go to submit the application. We went to a Post Office in Piedmont and they were very organized and helpful. One thing to note is that when I went to pick up the birth certificate at the County Clerk's office at the courthouse, I asked if we could apply there and was told that you cannot apply for the passport at the same location as where the birth certificate was issued. Just something to keep in mind.
So, when you go to apply, make sure that you have 1) application 2) 2 photos which adhere to the strict standards 3) both parents with IDs 4)a check for payment, actually, we needed 2 checks, one for the Post Office, for the processing fee and one for the State Department and 5) official copy of the birth certificate of the child.
All in all, the process went very smoothly and Alex received his passport two weeks later, which was great! Japan and Hong Kong, here we come!!
Surprisingly, things went very smoothly and the whole process was quite efficient. The U.S. Department of State website http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html is easy to use and has all of the information needed to apply for a child's passport. It allows you to fill out the form DS-11 using a "wizard", which is quite handy.
A few things to know, when applying on behalf of a child. You will need to get an official copy of the birth certificate, which can be obtained from the county courthouse. Also, both parents must be present when submitting the application, which basically safeguards against one parent applying for the passport and then taking the child out of the country, without the knowledge of the other parent. It looks like you can have a notarized form which allows just one parent to go and apply, but if you are going to get a form notarized, you might as well go to apply for the passport, right?
The photos have the same specific guidelines which they have for adults and these are outlined on the application and further on the website. Remember, if you are holding the baby, which we had to at the time, as Alex could not sit fully on his own yet, make sure that you have a white sheet covering your body and arms, so that the picture just has the baby and a white background. We took photos of Alex at home (cute ones, I might add) and had to get different ones taken, because a bit of my brown shirt was showing in the picture. Walgreen's did a great job and only charged about $7 for two photos.
So, where do you go to apply for the passport? Not all Post Offices take applications, so click on the link ("Where to apply for a Passport in the US?")at the bottom of the page noted above. If you put in your zip code, it will give a listing of places where you can go to submit the application. We went to a Post Office in Piedmont and they were very organized and helpful. One thing to note is that when I went to pick up the birth certificate at the County Clerk's office at the courthouse, I asked if we could apply there and was told that you cannot apply for the passport at the same location as where the birth certificate was issued. Just something to keep in mind.
So, when you go to apply, make sure that you have 1) application 2) 2 photos which adhere to the strict standards 3) both parents with IDs 4)a check for payment, actually, we needed 2 checks, one for the Post Office, for the processing fee and one for the State Department and 5) official copy of the birth certificate of the child.
All in all, the process went very smoothly and Alex received his passport two weeks later, which was great! Japan and Hong Kong, here we come!!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
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. :-)
Monday, August 4, 2008
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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