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Articles for the ‘Health & Fitness’ category

12 Tips for Brushing Your Baby’s Teeth

October 19th, 2009

It is actually quite humorous that I am writing an article titled “Brushing Your Baby’s Teeth”! My neighbors could attest to the fact that someone else out there must be better at it. Bella screams, wrestles and puts up a fight when it is toothbrushing time. Much of the time, she clamps her lips tightly closed so her lips really are what gets cleaned. So far, my efforts at brushing her teeth are frequently upsetting and infrequently successful, but I am not giving up. I thought it would be best to search around and see how other people are addressing the issue.

Forget the bathroom. Brush baby’s teeth while she’s strapped in the high chair.
Make it fun. Sing a silly toothbrushing song.
Encourage your child to watch you brush your own teeth.
Alternatively, let them watch themselves in the mirror while their teeth are brushed.
Make it a predictable habit. Same time, same place, everyday.
Oral-B isn’t the only option. What about the Baby Banana Brush?
Take your time. Often brushing teeth is one of the last things we do, but pressuring Bella to do it quickly is probably not helping solve my problem.
Teach your baby to say, “Ahhh…” on command. Impossible to say without opening her mouth.
Use a yummy, non-fluoride toothpaste, like Baby Orajel.
For the little babies, use a finger toothbrush.
Start early. At first Bella was fine with us brushing her gums, but when she didn’t have teeth, it was dropped from her bedtime routine as it seemed pointless and she was so wonderful about it. Now that she has teeth, we wish that we had kept up the habit, even it it had been just a brief brushing session each day.
Be patient and calm. (ACK!!! I’ll try…) The mom of a happy Kung Fu Hello Kitty toothbrushing baby gives me hope.

Does anyone have any other tips? Please write in. I’ll let you know what works best for us.

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Posted in Health & Fitness

Tags: baby care bedtime routine Healthy

New Study Regarding Vaccines and Tylenol

October 17th, 2009

Infants' Tylenol

When Bella has received her shots, the nurses at her pediatrician’s office have routinely recommended giving her a dose of Tylenol once we return home to help with the pain or to prevent a fever. When she has had her shots, I have often given her some medicine. You can bet that I will be thinking twice about doing that again.

Seems like every month there is a new concern regarding vaccines and medicine, especially Tylenol lately. I am not trying to stir the whole vaccine pot, but if you are going to get your kids vaccinated, then you might want to learn about this new study released on Friday that was done in the Czech Republic. According to this study, acetaminophen (aka Tylenol) may weaken the effectiveness of vaccines when given together. The infants who were given acetaminophen, at 6 or 8 hour intervals, in the 24 hours following their vaccinations had fewer antibodies in their blood for the illnesses against which they were just vaccinated. So, unless your baby is running a high fever and your doctor recommends it, it doesn’t seem to be a good idea to take Tylenol after a vaccination.

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Posted in Health & Fitness

Tags: acetaminophen Dr's visits Health & Fitness medicine Tylenol vaccines

5 Great Plants for Your Baby’s Nursery

October 1st, 2009

Indoor air quality is often overlooked when planning for a baby. We have used our house so much more in this past year than any other year. We spend more time here, have more people over and we have had more guests stay with us then ever before.

Admittedly, I hadn’t given it much thought until my sister emailed me a wonderful link to an article written about a study performed by NASA scientists about using plants as air purifiers for sick buildings. While I knew that plants are great because they convert CO2 to O2, but I didn’t know that some are better than others at removing chemicals from the air like formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene. These chemicals aren’t anything that I want near my baby, but I know that they probably are.

Benzene is used in the manufacture of detergents, solvents and paints. It is a skin irritant and is thought to be embryotoxic and to contribute to choromosomal abberations. Trichloroethylene (TSE) is used in dry cleaning and is considered to be a liver carcinogen. Formaldehyde is used in embalming, but also in making particle board, pressed board (think cribs & changing tables), paper towels and tissues.

So, when my sister emailed me this list, I wanted to run to the nursery – the other one, the plant nursery, but I had concerns.

Which ones are safe for the baby?

5 Great Plants for Your Baby’s Nursery

Spider plant - pro: non-toxic, grows like a weed, variegated foliage, propagates quickly, great as a hanging plant
Mother-in-law’s tongue – pro: easily available, grows in low light
Chrysanthemum – pro: Beautiful, easily obtainable, safe plant, has medicinal uses con: may irritate the skin after extended exposure, but rare
English Ivy – Hedera helix – pro: cheap & easy to obtain, great as a hanging plant con: invasive species outdoors, may cause skin irritation
Janet Craig Dracaena -pro: common, easily available, non-toxic, effective, easy to grow

Now, where should you put this plant? On a shelf, out of reach. Babies love to play with dirt and topple over things. That wouldn’t do much for your beautiful nursery, now would it? Of course, do your own research to determine which one plant is best for your family and home.

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Posted in Health & Fitness, Life & Home

Tags: Healthy nursery plants tip

Atlanta: Piedmont Park and the Greenway

August 21st, 2009

Atlanta has some really great parks to explore. There is a wide range of options: some in the city and others out in the burbs, some are great with strollers and others are best with backpacks, some along the river and others up the mountain!

Photo Credit : Piedmont Park

Piedmont Park is a popular choice. In the center of the city, there are long paved trails, a large lake, a big playground, many park benches and picnic tables. On Saturdays, they host a farmer’s market. They have a track course surrounding two softball fields, two soccer fields and two volleyball courts. There are also tennis courts and a public pool. Many restaurants are on the edge of the park, including a personal favorite, The Flying Biscuit. Piedmont Park is next to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, another local treasure, so you could easily visit them at the same time. This past week, the park celebrated its 20th Anniversary with a benefit concert with Paul McCartney. Pretty cool! I wish I could have been there. Even though Piedmont Park has something for everyone, it is very large and there is enough space for everyone.

Photo Credit: http://georgiatrails.com/trails/bigcreek.html

If you are north of the city or you are looking for something off the beaten path, less manicured and more natural, an excellent option is the Big Creek Greenway in Alpharetta on North Point Parkway, next to an Ethan Allen furniture store. If you live near there, you have certainly passed by the entrance a number of times, and you might not have even known it. One of the fun things about this treasure is that it appears to be a quiet little gem that appears out of nowhere. It is really close to North Point Mall, but it has a tiny little driveway and can be rather difficult to find this small sign.

While the Greenway is left to its own devices regarding landscaping, you still have the luxury of over six miles of very wide, smooth paths for strollers. I think the paths are the widest that I have seen of any park that I have visited. This may not sound like much to many people, but when you are out walking with other Moms and can fit 3 or 4 strollers across the path at once – That makes for some great conversations and good times…

The trees are very tall and provide great shade, which is a huge advantage of this park over others, as Atlanta days can be so hot and the sun so bright for little baby skin, especially those under 6 months who aren’t supposed to wear sunscreen. Also, if you get hungry, you can bring a picnic and sit at a picnic table or leave the wilderness and be back in civilization in minutes. There are many great spots for lunch nearby.