Baby's Here...Now What?

CONGRATS TO ERICA C! 

I remember frantically searching through my baby books when Dayne first arrived home to see if the earth would truly stop if I gave him a pacifier when he was four days old.  You could see him struggle to get his thumb in his mouth but with that ever so endearing poor hand/mouth corridanation it wasn't working and this made him angry!

He screamed because he wanted to suckle and I needed him off my boob for five seconds just to breath!  He didn't want food, he wanted to sooth himself.  All my books told me were "some kids need them, others don't.  It may cause nipple confusion."  No!  I needed "been there, done that" answers from a real mom!

In The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby's First Year by Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH and Jennifer Bright Reich there are four pages of advice from doctors who are also moms themselves!  They go over what the American Academy of Pediatrics says about them (A-OK! by the way) and what studies have shown, both the pros & the cons.  After that, pages of "this is what I did and why it did or did not work for me" advice.

By the way - I did end up giving Dayne a pacifier and as soon as he figured out how to get his thumb in his mouth he had zero interest in his soother.  He just needed something to get by until then.

The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby's First Year starts at Birth & 1st Month with chapters including Meeting your Baby for the First Time, Treating Jaundice and Adjusting Your Insurance Policies and finishes up at the 12th month with chapters including introducing finger foods, coping with tantrums and celebrating your baby's first birthday! 

Just like with the The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy & Birth this book reads like a wonderful collection of tips & ideas from family & friends vs a medical book giving you an umbrella look at what to do with each stage your child reaches.

Each chapter starts off with an overview of your baby's development for the month and followed by a section about taking care of YOU.  And my favorite, Justification for a Celebration!  For example in month two the justification for a celebration is you made it through your first month!  Any new mom can tell you that's plenty to celebrate!

Each month delves in a little deeper into areas of motherhood you may be wondering about and follows up each section with tips and stories from 70 doctors who are also mothers about their first year with their children.  In Month 4 they discuss safely taking your baby swimming going over safety along with what they should & should not wear in the water.  That section follows with six different doctors stories about swimming with their children.  How they started introducing them to water, when, why and what worked & didn't work.

In each chapter there is a Mommy MD Guides-Recommended Product that pertains to something they are discussing.  Like in Month 5 they talk about teething and the recommended product is Orajel Tooth & Gum Cleanser - a special infant toothpaste that contains no fluoride to help with new teeth and tender gums.

There are also the When To Call Your Doctor boxes in each chapter on different sections to help you decide if your fussy baby warrants a visit to your MD or if it's something to just keep an eye on at home.  And just like their The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy & Birth book, the Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby's First Year also has the MomMy Time - tips to help mommy relax and feel "normal".  In Month 9 they suggest trying yoga as a way to tone your body, build strength and gain flexibility after having a baby.

Buy:
Purchase their books here for yourself or a family or friend for this holiday season!  Or just to say congratulations!  This is a must have for all new moms!

Win:
Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH & Jennifer Bright Reich has offered one of my readers a copy of The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby's First Year.  Drawing ends at 12:01 AM on Wednesday November 23. I’ll draw the winner, via random.org, on Wednesday November 23. I will send an email to the winner & you will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. Please be sure to read the rules!

Use the Rafflecopter form below. If you don't see it - click on the title of this post. Otherwise email me at tarah716[at]ymail.com for instructions on how to enter.

Where are the instructions?

CONGRATS TO VALERIE M.!

The moment that second line appeared on my pregnancy test I cracked open the first pregnancy book.  I consumed every word of several books on my night stand.  There was so much information and at the same time, not enough!

I had so many questions even with all this information at my fingertips.  I wanted to know if feeling this twinge this week was normal or when you were this far along did your baby do this too?  The books went over generalities, how most normal pregnancies progress. 

Jennifer Bright Reich and Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH have come pretty close to doing such a thing.  Jennifer was wonderful enough to send me two of their books, The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy & Birth and The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby's First Year (see this post for review & details).

What is so wonderful & different about these books vs the others you see?  Jennifer & Rallie's books are like reading a bunch of friends "been there, done that, have the t-shirt" tips & tricks.  They're such an easy read that you don't feel like you're reading a medical book but a girlfriends guide to what worked for me.

In the Pregnancy & Birth book there are more than 900 tips from 60 doctors who are also mothers.  They break the pregnancy down week by week which I LOVE.  It's so nice to take it in smaller chunks than try to consume one month at a time.  Each chapter starts off with your baby's size then your baby's latest developments along with YOUR latest developments (weight gain anyone?).  Then one of my favorites, they throw in a "Justification for a Celebration".  For example, in week 23 it's "If not now, soon your partner will be able to feel your baby move."  Any mom who has reached that milestone will tell you that most certainly is a reason to celebrate! 

After these fun tidbits the doctors give you stories, tips & tricks they used in that week, for example in week 31 the doctors go over choosing to breastfeed or bottlefeed, preventing stretch marks, dealing with itchy skin, preventing & treating the loathed hemorrhoids.  Throughout the chapter they have "Mommy MD Guide-Recommended Products", "When to Call Your Doctor or Midwife", and my favorite "MomMy Time".

MomMy Time are tips for pampering mommy!  In Week 11 they suggest buying  yourself some new luxurious toiletries.

Now would be a great time to treat yourself to some soothing new bath products.  Lavender is very relaxing.  Or perhaps choose vanilla, which will come in handy after you baby is born

This book covers Week 1 - Just a Dream to Week 43 - Welcome to the World Little One!  The easy to read and find Index also helps you flip to the location you need in the book for reference.

The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy & Birth is like having 60 of your best doctor friends tell you what worked for them.  Each woman is different so you're sure to find someone with your point of view on things.  In Week 21 three different doctors discuss their registering stories, one doctor's husband was overwhelmed and panicked, walking right out the door.  Another discusses taking her trusted friend with her instead of her husband (the road I went down) and another tells us why they registered prior to their baby but didn't bring anything home until after their child was born.

In a crazy 40 weeks (more or less) of pregnancy, it's nice to know that's you're not alone in your feelings or emotions even if other books may imply that.  Plus it's always great to hear that a doctor did things the same way you feel you want to progress.

Buy:
Purchase their books here for yourself or a family or friend for this holiday season!  Or just to say congratulations!  This is a must have for all mom-to-bes!

Along with the book they also offer an app at the App Store for just $0.99! 

Win:
Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH & Jennifer Bright Reich has offered one of my readers a copy of The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy & Birth.  Drawing ends at 12:01 AM on Wednesday November 23. I’ll draw the winner, via random.org, on Wednesday November 23. I will send an email to the winner & you will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. Please be sure to read the rules!

Use the Rafflecopter form below. If you don't see it - click on the title of this post. Otherwise email me at tarah716[at]ymail.com for instructions on how to enter.

Hyper? Me?

Since Dayne made his appearance five months ago, hyper is the last word I would use to describe me.  More like a content tired beyond belief, is it bedtime yet?  I love the reason behind my tired but that doesn't mean I don't dream about getting a deep sleep in, sleeping in and not getting out of bed the next day.  It's not going to happen anytime soon - but I don't mind. 

About a month or so ago I made my yearly appointment with my general practice doctor.  I'd become BFF's with my OBGYN since two lines appeared, I felt guilty neglecting my GP so I called and we set a date.  The office requested I come in a week prior to the appointment for the blood draw for my physical.  No problem. 

I have a rolling vein and I jump at needles.  I once had a nurse give me the look of death when I jumped and ended up yanking the needle from my vein.  So I now give them plenty of warning.  I'm a wimp. 

A week later I'm lounging out in the patient room playing Angry Birds - hey, it's a great time killer and I'm determined to earn three stars on each level.  My goals in life are lofty I know, but at least I aim for something.  The nurse comes in and does the standard temp, blood pressure, weight, height and "anything that concerns you?" speech.  She then hands me a copy of my blood work and says the doctor will be with me in a few minutes. 

Attempting to be pro-active I scan my paperwork, I have no clue what any of it means so I do what anyone would with a smartphone, I look it up.  Can you see where this is heading?

I notice there are two colomns.  One with numbers in it with a header that says "Normal Range" and the other that says "Abnormal Range".  What?  Why do I have numbers in the abnormal range?!  What's wrong with me?!  I spend my time waiting for the doctor checking sites and comparing my numbers. 

When she wanders in ten minutes later I'm pretty sure she's going to tell me I have a month to live.  OK, not really, I'm mostly still confused by the lingo I've found online.  Why can't they speak English?  She sits down and goes over my results.  The only thing she's even concerned about it my thyroid - the numbers point to hyperthyroidism. 

She asks if I've had this symptom or that symptom.  I start nodding and she keeps going down the list.  I sit back after she's done and stare at her in shock.  "I thought that was all because I had just had a baby!"  She explained if my blood numbers weren't where they were - she would agree but labs don't lie.  I then wanted to know where my rapid weight loss was....if there is an upside to this why is that the ONE symptom I don't have?  She laughed and explained I was probably hungry more, therefore eating more and not losing the weight.  Fantastic. 

So they scheduled me for a thyroid scan, which is today and I've been telling myself it's nothing, I'm sure the scan will find nothing.  It went away on its own and I can resume full activities tomorrow.  (I've been benched from raising my blood pressure/heart rate until the scan clears me).  That's the best case.  Worst case - it will require surgery and medication for the rest of my life.  I'm not too worried, I seem to luck out on medical issues.  *Knocks on wood*  So, I sit and watch the clock tick slowly down to "go time".