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By Armin Brott McClatchy-Tribune News Service Dear Mr. Dad: My husband and I are planning to get pregnant in about a year. We hear a lot about what to do, health wise, during the pregnancy itself. But what about before? Are there things I should be doing to get my body ready? And are there things my husband should be doing? A: Yes on all counts. An unborn baby's organs start developing 17 to 56 days after conception. But that's so early that you might not even know you're pregnant yet. And by the time you find out, you may have already done all sorts of things that could affect the baby — things you may end up regretting. So it's good that you and your husband are preparing yourselves so far in advance. I'll talk about what you should be doing now, and we'll tackle your husband next week. Make an appointment with your doctor for a preconception physical. Expect him to evaluate any medications you're taking to see whether they're safe during pregnancy. He'll probably prescribe prenatal vitamins with folic...
By Heidi Stevens Chicago Tribune (MCT) People keep asking when you're going to have a second child. You're not. What's a good response? Parent advice: Perhaps make a joke. "When the first one can take care of it!" Or answer sincerely, "We're just enjoying watching (first child's name) grow up." —Amy Knife Gould Whenever anyone asked if I was planning a second child, I always answered with a smile, "No need. I got it right the first time!" —Leslie Abrahamson I get the question all the time. I just answer that I feel that my family is complete. If they push, then I feel they are deserving of a less mild-mannered response and answer according to the level of inappropriateness I am receiving from them. Responses could include that I want to be able to afford to send my child to school without incurring debt, bogging my child down with student loans, or asking the government for help; feeling slightly guilty and concerned about adding to a country with strained resources; wanting to have a career and not being... 
STEPHEN OHLEMACHER,Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Mom and Dad may be looking to popular vampire books and the first family for baby names: Cullen is on the rise for boys and Malia for girls. But Miley and Jonas are down, proving that acclaim can be fleeting. Isabella is now the top baby name for girls, Jacob for boys, the Social Security Administration said Friday. Isabella's climb to the top in 2009 ends Emma's one-year reign. Jacob is on an 11-year run at the top. "Anything can influence baby names, from pop culture to literature to music and celebrities," said Jennifer Moss, author of "The One-in-a-Million Baby Name Book" and founder of Babynames.com. Barack still didn't crack the top 1,000 for boys, but a version of the president's daughter's name, Malia, was the fastest riser for girls. Maliyah moved up 342 spots, to No. 296, while Malia, which is how Obama's daughter spells it, came in at No. 192, rising 153 spots. Many of the top names — and the fastest risers — match the popular "Twilight"... 
JENNIFER C. KERR,Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The government is preparing a safety warning about baby slings — those popular and fashionable infant carriers that parents strap around their chests to give the little ones a cuddle on the move.
The concern: Infants can suffocate, and at least a few have.
The head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Inez Tenenbaum, said Tuesday that her agency is getting ready to issue a general warning to the public, likely to go out this week, about the slings.
"We know of too many deaths in these slings and we now know the hazard scenarios for very small babies," said Tenenbaum. "So, the time has come to alert parents and caregivers."
Tenenbaum spoke at a meeting of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, an industry trade group that certifies certain children's products, including soft infant carriers.
Tenenbaum did not single out any specific baby slings or discuss the number of deaths linked to them. But there have been complaints for a couple... 
By Jenny Hopkins
One of the greatest challenges to welcoming a new baby to the family is making that transition as easy as possible for the older child(ren). That transition can be especially hard for the child if there is a significant age gap between the baby and the sibling and the older child is used to getting all your attention.
My husband and I recently had this experience, as we explained to our six year old daughter that she would soon have a baby brother.
How would she react?
Will she be jealous?
Will she like the baby?
Will she think she has been replaced?
These are just some of the questions I had about the transisition while I was pregnant. Here are some suggestions I was given by friends and family to make this transition as easy as possible:
1. Let the older child be involved in the pregnancy. Take him or her to appointments to hear the baby’s heartbeat, and the ultrasounds to see the little hands and feet. Your child will see that there really is a little person inside your growing belly!...
Isabelle Faith Pearson. Born February 3, 2010. Twenty-one and 1/2 inches long. 9 lbs 7 ozs
RASHA MADKOUR,Associated Press Writer
MIAMI (AP) — I never imagined I'd spend my first weeks as a mother pretending to be a marsupial. But there I was, a month and a half before my due date, sitting in the neonatal intermediate care unit and hoping that a practice known as "kangaroo care" would help my preemie.
Every morning I'd put my 4-pound, 6-ounce son under my pouch-like sweater so that we were skin to skin, chest to chest, my body acting as a natural heat source instead of his incubator — with the added benefits of a human touch, soothing heart beat and familiar smell.
It didn't start out this way. The first time I "visited" my baby in the unit, I was so excited that I got to hold him in my arms for more than a few minutes, which had been all the time we'd had together before then. That feeling very quickly turned into intense guilt when I went back later and a nurse told me his temperature had dipped a bit because of how long we had him out of his incubator. I didn't hold him for the rest of the day...
Consumer Reports recently posted this list of five things not to buy for your baby on its blog. You can read more here: http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2009/04/unsafe-baby- Five products not to buy for your baby New parents are quick to jump on any product they think will make life more comfortable for their baby—and easier for themselves. But some items present safety risks we don't believe are worth taking. Here are five that we think you should skip: Bedside and other co-sleeping devices Although sleeping with a baby in an adult bed is a common practice among some cultures, it can be dangerous. The new bassinet-like devices designed to go in between parents or alongside an adult bed don’t necessarily make co-sleeping with a baby safer. One popular Simplicity bedside sleeper/bassinet was recalled after two babies died from strangling or suffocating when they slipped through an opening in the frame. Currently, safety standards don’t exist for either co-sleepers or bedside sleepers. Until they do,... 
Little Tyler Daniel Wixom was born at 4:42 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22. He was 20 inches long and weighed 6 pounds 12 oz. He is the son of Daniel and Megan Wixom in Pocatello. He has a big sister, Haily.
Congrats! 
Kenna was born November 15, 2008 in Pocatello, Idaho to Daniel and Angie Moore. She weighed in at 8 lbs 1 oz and was 21 inches long. We are happy she's here and excited to start The Amazing Adventures of Parenthood. Her grandparents are Ken and Arlene Moore and Carl and Kay Brinker of Pocatello.
By Heidi Stevens
Chicago Tribune (MCT) Problem: I spend a fortune on baby wipes, which is like tossing money in the garbage. Is there an alternative? Solution: Make your own _ it's cheaper and more environmentally friendly. We like the directions spelled out in the new book "365 Ways to Live Cheap," by Trent Hamm (Adams Media, $7.95): Mix two tablespoons of baby soap, two tablespoons of olive oil and two cups of water. Cut a roll of paper towels in half the long way and put them in a baby wipes box. Either pour the solution on top of the towels and swish it around, or fill a spray bottle with the solution and spray it on the towels for each use. You can make this endeavor even cheaper (and greener) by replacing the paper towels with small pieces of flannel cloth, which you can just throw in the wash and reuse _ at least for the less messy changes. ___ |
