Pregnancy

Win a Beautiful Lassig Diaper Bag Set

Diaper bags have certainly changed since my son was born. I’ll admit being a bit jealous of the cool styles they have now.

I was given a beautiful bag set from Lassig to see it’s quality for myself and I like it very much.

Go ahead and click on the picture for a larger view.

As you can see, there are two bags. One is a large, roomy messenger bag style with a changing pad hidden away in a zipper compartment on the bottom of the bag. The handle is long and adjustable to be comfy for you. The smaller bag can be carried alone of it fits nicely inside the messenger bag. It has an insulated zipper spot for a bottle and several neat compartments for keeping things organized.

If I had a baby with all of those baby things to tote about, I’d use it in heart beat. (Honestly, I’m tempted to use it anyways LOL!)

But, it’d be a shame to let it be used for less than it’s intended purpose, so I’ll be giving it away to one of our blessed Mom’s Talk Network readers.

We like to keep giveaways simple around here:

#1 Like us on Facebook.

#2 Comment here to let us know you did

We’ll draw one winner at random on Wednesday May 22nd at noon Eastern.

Please note that we can only ship to a winner within the US.

Filed Under: Pregnancy, Shopping Tagged With: Lassig

What Do You Need To Know About Homebirth Risks?

We’ve got a great question for one of our Expert Moms:

I see that Carrie is a homebirth advocate which I have actually become very interested in even though I’m done having babies. When I had my youngest I looked into homebirth with her because I did not want to go back to the hospital I had previously lost a baby in. Ultimately I had to decide against it because I had many risk factors for a homebirth the biggest one being a prior c-section. So it was a no brainer for me that the safest place for me was in the hospital where by the way I had no problem having a successful VBAC (Vaginal Birth After C-section).

However, I have come to realize there are lots of homebirth advocates out there who think it’s completely fine to have a HBAC (homebirth after c-section).

So my question for Carrie is what risk factors do you believe risk a mother out of having a homebirth if any at all?

Carrie Lauth, Natural Moms Talk Radio

Congratulations on having a VBAC! Yes, I do know women who have had their babies at home after a previous Cesarean birth. I can’t comment on what I would do in that situation because I’ve never experienced it. And I’m not a medical expert, so I can’t speak with authority on what factors would risk a mother out of homebirth. From my reading on the subject, a few things that would be considered risk factors by some health care professionals would include: twin or multiples, breech presentation, history of postpartum hemorrhage, and a few other issues. In some cases it really depends on the opinion of the homebirth attendant. For instance some people say that a mother over 35 is “high risk” but I know grand multiparas (women who have had several children) in their 40′s who gave birth at home with midwives.

There is an interesting article on this topic at this website:

My suggestion to a mother who has had previous difficult or high risk situations in pregnancy or with previous births would be this: meet with an experienced midwife in your area. Many of them offer free first consultations so that you can get to know them and their practice better. Different midwives have different comfort levels with risk. It likely depends on the midwife’s education, experience and personal preference. Another factor they may consider is how close you are to a hospital in case complications do arise. Some will deliver twins at home, for instance, but for many, this would be an automatic referral to an OB.

A question to ask of your midwife is what her transfer and C-section rates are.

The midwife who has assisted some of my births has a 15% transport rate, meaning that 15% of her moms start out at home but end up giving birth in the hospital. Her C-section rate is 3%, which is a testament in itself to the power of homebirth in preventing complications. (By contrast, it’s not surprising for hospitals to have a 40-50% C-section rate.)

A large metropolitan area is likely to have several homebirth midwives to choose from. Just as you would “shop around” for a Doctor you feel comfortable with, you can do the same with midwives. I feel very confident in my midwife because she has been attending births for over 30 years. Nothing in life is risk free. People have gotten e. coli and died from eating bagged spinach, and hospital birth also has risk. The best we can do is to educate ourselves and make an informed decision that we feel is best for ourselves and our baby.

Filed Under: Pregnancy Tagged With: homebirth

Discovering Unique Names for Your Baby

This is a guest post from Sophie Baker-Britton.

If you are expecting a little bundle of joy in the coming months, you have probably started to discuss names with the people around you. Whether you know the sex of the baby or are waiting to find out on the day, getting a few names in mind can help you to choose the right one as soon as they come into the world. If you are looking to avoid the common names and are searching for something unique, continue on as some of the more unusual names are explored in further detail.

Aurelia

This girl’s name is of Latin/Hebrew origin is pronounced ‘aw REE lee uh’ and means ‘Golden’. It is unique whilst still remaining pretty both on paper and when spoken.

Dante

This boy’s name of Spanish origin is most popular in Italy today but remains an unusual choice for a baby born in the UK. In terms of famous individuals with this name, Dante Alighieri is the most notable as he is considered one of the greatest poets in history.

Taryn

This female name has roots in multiple origins, although it is now mainly considered as a Gaelic version of the name Tara and means ‘Tender/Innocent’, although other possible origins state other meanings such as ‘Thunder’, ‘Little Princess’ and ‘Of the Earth.

Quest

A masculine name of British origin, Quest is undeniably a unique name for your baby boy. Quest means ‘Voyage of Discovery’ which could be quite apt for this new little person!

Gia

Gia is a feminine Italian name that is derived from Gianna and Giovanna. Gia Carangi is probably the most notable person with this name; she was a top fashion model in the 1970s.

Reuben

This Hebrew name for a boy means ‘a son, behold’ therefore would be quite relevant for those who are happily surprised by the arrival of their baby boy. The spelling ‘Ruben’ is the Spanish alternative of the name, with Grammy award winner Ruben Studdard being the most noteworthy person with this name.

With thousands of unique names to choose from, it can seem like a daunting task trying to find the perfect one for your baby. It is because of this that taking to the internet to find baby name websites that offer origins and meanings as well as flicking through baby name books are both great ways of stumbling upon a fantastic array of beautiful and unusual names.

Sophie has a keen interest in the meanings behind names and enjoys discovering the unique and unusual options as well as traditional alternatives.

photo credit: limaoscarjuliet

Filed Under: Pregnancy

Choosing Your Baby Shower Invitations

Guest post by Adriana Copaceanu, who writes about and reviews cute diaper bags of all types. Why settle for a plain baby bag when you can show your style while carrying all those essentials for your little one? Her top recommendation is a Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper Bag.

A baby shower is a big event, especially for the mother to be. So if you’re in charge of the baby shower planning, it’s important to set the right tone and theme for the baby shower right from the start. Your guests get their initial impression of your baby shower’s tone and theme at the moment they receive their invitation.

When you’re deciding on baby shower invitations, you have a lot of options: so many, that the task of selecting your invitations can seem somewhat daunting right at first. So, before you start exploring invitation options, here are a few things to determine that will help you narrow down your options.

Budget

When it comes to arranging and planning a baby shower, your available budget for the event is a major consideration. Figure out your over all budget for the entire event first, then you will have a clear idea of how much you can spend on invitations. This is important, because you can actually spend a lot of money on invitations. The good news, however, is that there are reasonably priced options available, as well.

Theme

Your baby shower theme will also play an important role in determining the style of your invitations. Clearly define your baby shower theme before you begin deciding on the design and style of your invitations. This strategy will also help you to define – and stay within – your baby shower invitation budget.

Styles

Determining your budget and your theme in advance will take a lot of stress off of the “shopping” phase. Here are the basic tiers of invitations options you will be selecting from.

Elegant Invitations

Some baby showers are planned in a fairly formal theme. For these types of baby showers, elegant invitations are often the most appropriate choice. For elegant invitations, you will want to consider professional, custom printing. You will find a variety of beautiful styles to choose from. Be aware, however, that this is typically the most expensive option.

Store-bought Invitations

For most baby showers, store-bought invitations will suit both your theme and budget quite nicely. In the store-bought category you will find everything from “pretty” to “cutesy” to “funny”. This category offers a wide variety of “character” themes as well.

Hand-made Invitations

Hand-made invitations offer that one of a kind, personalized touch to your invitations. Hand-made invitations can be purchased from boutique-style printers, or, if you’re the least bit handy with paper crafts you can make them yourself. This option offers you an opportunity to create something truly unique and special for the mother to be as well as all of your invitees. If you are able to carry the theme of your hand-made invitations throughout the rest of the baby shower, as well, you’ve successfully planned an event they’ll all remember fondly for years to come.

Similarly, if you find yourself at a loss in coming up with a theme for the event, browsing baby shower invitations can be a useful resource in finding inspiration. Either way, your invitations will set the tone for your event.

Filed Under: Pregnancy Tagged With: Baby Shower Invitation, baby shower invitation ideas, custom baby shower invitations, homemade baby shower invitations, unique baby shower invitations

The Easiest Way To Create The Best Baby Registry

*8th ed BBfpcolors2 I found out that Babies R Us deleted the registry I created when I was pregnant with my first son. Apparently, they delete registries after a year, which I think is really lame considering most people plan on getting pregnant more than once. I’m pregnant again and have a friend who is pregnant with her first who needs advice on what to put on her registry.

So, now I have to reinvent the wheel.

But I’m not too bummed about it because I remember the one major help in creating my first registry was the book Baby Bargains, so I’m going to buy the latest addition that just came out in April. It’s an exceptional book that includes finding the best bargains on baby products, detailed product reviews on everything you need for your registry(including baby clothes and maternity wear), and advice on what you really need to buy and when.

The book never steered me wrong as I was very happy with everything we bought. The Baby Bargains website is also incredibly helpful as they post updates to the book including bonus material, blog about new products and baby news, and have a very active forum where readers discuss and rate products. [Read more...]