Baby Blog Week in Review: July 28th Through August 3rd

Safety and summer fun have been two themes occurring in the Baby Blog for last week. From tougher toy standards and new information about you baby and second-hand smoke, to fun in the baby pool and enjoyment through volunteering, you’ll find a variety of information and opinion. Some of it might even be controversial. Add your comment! Here, now, is the week in review. July 28th Baby Blog Week in Review: July 21st Through July 27th What types of activities do you like to do with your baby? Is it playing on the floor, reading or taking walks? How about … Continue reading

Baby Blog Month in Review: July 2008

Two of my three children are summer babies. That is, they were born in the summer and had their first months surrounded by sunshine streaming in the windows, the sound of birds chirping, and days spent wearing nothing but a diaper and a “onsie.” I made sure that they had Fourth of July outfits ready, even though one of them arrived a week after the holiday. I guess he just wasn’t interested in the parade. Do you have a summer baby, too? We had a lot of new information to share this past month, such as recall notices and new … Continue reading

Baby Blog Month in Review: June 2008

June was my first official month posting for the Baby Blog. It has been a great experience. I love learning new things about babies and sharing it with friends. Of course, I could use your help. Whether you are a first-time mom or an experienced mom of a large family, I want to hear from you. Please share your advice, your questions and your comments. On which topics would you like to see more blogs? Meanwhile, take a look at all of the articles we had in June. June 2nd Introducing Babies to Birds Perhaps it is the fact that … Continue reading

Oral Care for Pets — Make it Easy on Yourself

I bet you can think of a lot of things you’d rather do besides brush your pet’s teeth. It’s not easy, and it’s not much fun, either. But there are some things you can do to make it easy to keep your pet’s pearly whites healthy. Get your pet used to you handling his mouth — before you even get the brush out. Touch his face, lift his lips, and rub his gums. Be patient. This can take a while. Pick out an appropriate toothbrush. You may feel most comfortable with a brush that slips over your index finger — … Continue reading

From the Mouths of Babes: How You Get a Baby

I could also entitle this blog: Why You Should be Careful What You Tell Older Siblings About the New Baby. . . In case you’re wondering, I now have step by step instructions on how to get a baby. I have accompanying illustrations but I’m not going to post those because the crayon with which they were drawn, does not show up well on the scanner. But for any of you who may have been confused on the matter, my 8yo daughter has broken down having a baby into several simple steps. This morning she is teaching Laura, one of … Continue reading

Natural Mouth Care

If you think you’re a little crazy about dental health, you aren’t alone. Americans spent nearly four million dollars on natural oral hygiene products in 2002 according to Nutrition Business Magazine — and that was a fifteen percent increase from 2001 spending. So why the increase in natural dental care products? People are more label-conscious these days. Not only do they read the labels, they worry about what’s on the label. Some people are choosing natural ingredients in their toothpaste and mouthwash because it’s tried and true. Herbal concoctions and essential oils have been used in health and beauty for … Continue reading

Body Piercing Care and Safety Tips

Most people with body piercings don’t have any problem healing. The ears are a common piercing site; earlobe piercing often heals without any problems. Each piercing site has a different healing time, but you keep things clean and healthy with a little home treatment. Keep things clean and prevent infection: Wash the piercing site several times each day with warm water and an antibacterial soap. Soak the piercing site in warm water several times each day. This will increase blood flow to the area to promote healing and help reduce the risk of infection. Use an antibacterial mouthwash several times … Continue reading

Let’s Talk About Choosing a Healthcare Provider

So you’ve gotten a positive test result. What’s the first thing you think of? For many women, one of their first thoughts is about getting in to see a doctor. So, you run to the phone and try to make an appointment with an obstetrician. The interesting thing is, although you are eager to get some care, most doctor offices will probably hold off on seeing you until 10 weeks or so. At that time, your hormone levels will be consistent enough to get certain blood readings, and the baby’s heartbeat is more likely to be heard via doppler or … Continue reading

A Brief History of “Pox Parties”

There seems to be a trend going on involving “Pox Parties”. In short, the purpose of these parties is to intentionally get a child exposed to chicken pox. Did you know that your health insurance covers the cost of the vaccine that protects children from this disease? What is a “Pox Party”? This is the term used when parents intentionally expose their healthy children to the chicken pox virus. In the past, this was generally done by bringing children over to the home of a child who currently has the chicken pox. Typically, the “Pox Party” would include family members, … Continue reading

Six Causes for Jaw Pain

Sometimes, a health issue is straightforward: you experience pain in an area of the body, and that’s where the problem is. Sometimes, where it hurts isn’t where the problem actually is. The jaw is an area of the body where there’s a few different things going on — you’ve got your teeth and sinuses and ears in close proximity, and pain in any one of those three could leave you with an achy jaw. So what could that jaw pain be? If the pain appears at the hinge of your jaw when you open your mouth wide, there may be … Continue reading