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Every year the very popular pregnancy magazine Fit Pregnancy publishes a buyer’s guide in their spring edition. Each product that makes its way onto the list is put through testing by mothers and babies to ensure it meets the needs of both. The end result is a list of products in the various categories that passed the “test”.
You will find everything from the best gadgets, baby carriers, strollers, car seats, nursing supplies, diaper bags, feeding supplies, bath tubs, toys, and clothes. One thing I did find was that some of the stuff that ended upon the list was a little expensive, but there were a few things that were reasonably priced.
Here is a link to the full list of products, Buyer’s Guide. It is fun to see the wide range of products available, and what made the product worthy of being included in the buyer’s guide.
The baby inside of you is growing and changing everyday. It is amazing really when you think about how much is going on inside of your body. One of the many fun things to do while your pregnant is to keep track of your baby’s development and see as the weeks go by just what is happening and how your little one is changing.
Here are a few pregnancy calendars for you to check out. You can use these calendars to see what is happening each week as your pregnancy progresses.
Enjoy watching your baby grow!!
Travel during pregnancy is one of those things you should certainly discuss with your doctor prior to undertaking, especially if you are late in your pregnancy or experiencing any complications. Airline travel is an especially tricky thing. Most airlines require that any pregnant woman planning to travel by air obtain permission from their doctor. It is recommended by most airlines that you consult with your doctor and obtain a permission to travel letter to prove you have the necessary permission.
Anytime you are planning travel by air during your pregnancy be sure to consider your due date. The closer to your due date you are the less likely it is that the airline, or your doctor for that matter, will allow you to fly.
It is always a good idea to contact the airline you are planning to travel with to find out what their individual policy is. Here is a helpful list of information regarding the pregnancy travel policies for major US airlines (in alphabetical order).
Alaska Airlines: this airline has not specific restrictions for pregnant travelers.
American Airlines: a letter from your doctor and permission from a Special Assistance Coordinator is required if traveling during the two weeks surrounding your due date, or 30 days prior to your due date for international travel.
Continental: if traveling after your 7th month the airline recommends consulting your doctor. If you are traveling within 7 days of your due date a letter is required from your doctor. This applies to domestic and international travel.
Delta Airlines: no posted restrictions. Be sure to call the airline though.
Frontier Airlines: for both domestic and international travel a letter of permission is required from your doctor if traveling within 7 days of your due date.
Hawaiian Airlines: a letter of permission is required if you will be traveling within 7 days of your due date, and the letter must be signed within 72 hours of your travel date. This is required for both domestic and international travel.
JetBlue: for both domestic and international travel a letter of permission from your doctor signed within 72 hours of your travel date if you will be traveling within 7 days of your due date, also your travel must be completed before your due date.
Northwest Airlines: for domestic travel a letter of permission is required from your doctor if you will be traveling within 30 days of your due date. For international travel a letter from your doctor is required if traveling after your 36th week.
Southwest Airlines: there are no specific requirements, however, the airline strongly recommends consulting your doctor before any air travel during your pregnancy.
United Airlines: if traveling during the 9th month of pregnancy a letter from your doctor in triplicate is required. The letter must be signed within 72 hours of your travel date and indicate your due date. Questioning at the gate is a possibility. The requirement is the same for domestic and international travel.
US Airways: for both domestic and international travel a letter of permission is required from your doctor, it must be signed within 72 hours of your travel date.
As you can see most of the airlines have similar requirements, however, there is no uniform set of requirements and things are always changes so it is best to call the airline ahead of time to double check their requirements. If you will be traveling close to your due date it isn’t a bad idea to get travel insurance or purchase an refundable ticket just in case the baby decides to make an appearance before your scheduled flight.
Always check with your doctor before traveling, especially air travel to ensure it is safe to do so.
It is something every couple planning, or even just thinking about having a child thinks about. How much will childcare cost? A lot, of course, depends on the type of childcare you opt for. Obviously having your child cared for by a relative will be cheaper than a daycare program, but every type of childcare has some cost associated with it.
There are many things to consider when deciding on the type of childcare that will work best for you, and one of the biggest things that weighs on our minds and ultimately impacts the decision is the cost. Depending on your financial position when your baby arrives will have a big impact on what options are available to you. Your decision will also by affected by how quickly mom will be returning to work after the baby is born.
Here is some information regarding the costs of the various types of childcare available.
Daycare Centers: the cost of daycare centers varies widely depending on where you live and the size of the center. On average a family in the US can expect to spend anywhere from $3000 a year to $15000 a year depending on what area of the country you live in. Obviously a daycare center in San Francisco will cost significantly more that a daycare center in the Midwest. The age of your child will also impact the costs. Parents pay more when their child is an infant requiring more one on one attention. For more information on daycare centers around the country visit Childcareaware.org.
Home Daycare: the prices for home daycare vary even more widely than those of daycare centers as there are such a wide range of types and sizes of home daycare. The average for an infant in home daycare is about $8400 a year and for a toddler it is about $6000. Although in some parts of the country prices are as high as $18000 a year. Do your research and shop around if you decide on this type of childcare.
Nanny Care: this is often the most expensive type of childcare available, with the average weekly rate for a nanny ranging from $350 to $700 per week. Not to mention the fact that you become an “employer” if you hire a nanny and will be required to report taxes, pay social security, etc so there is a lot more to it than just the regular costs of outside the home childcare.
Relative Care: this is often the least expensive form of childcare. Some families are able to get away without paying anything if a family member takes care of the child, although you often have to pay something. Unfortunately, this option is not available for a lot of families.
So as you can see the options are plenty and the costs vary widely. Deciding on childcare is not something you will be able to do easily or lightly. Determine what you can afford as well as what types of childcare options most appeal to you. Talk to friends and family members who have children to find out what they use for childcare and ask if they have any recommendations. If mom will be returning to work soon after the baby is born you will want to have your childcare all figured out before the baby arrives as you won’t have much time to figure it out after.
What form of childcare do you use and what do you find are the benefits of the childcare you chose?
(source: Baby Center)
During pregnancy every little thing that your body does takes on new meaning. Pregnant women are more conscious of what is going on with their bodies. Many changes take place in a pregnant body, symptoms are plentiful. So what things should be seen as red flags and prompt you to call your doctor right away.
Here are few things symptoms that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
- If you notice a change in how often your baby is moving. A reduction in or a lack of movement can be a sign of a problem.
- Severe and persistent abdominal cramping or tenderness, especially if accompanied by bleeding.
- Vaginal bleeding or spotting. Some spotting is common during early pregnancy, however, it is a good idea to call you doctor anyway just to be safe.
- An increase or change in vaginal discharge. If it becomes water, mucousy or bloody it can be a sign that labor will start soon.
- Pelvic pressure, lower back pain, menstrual-like cramping, or more than 4 contractions in an hour. All are signs of labor.
- Painful or burning urination or a lack of urination.
- Severe or persistent vomiting, or any vomiting that is accompanied by a fever.
- Chills or a fever of 100 degrees or more.
- Visual disturbances such as double vision, blurring, dimming, flashing lights or spots in your field of vision.
- Severe or persistent headache or a headache accompanied by blurred vision, slurred speech or numbness.
- Any swelling in your face, more than a little swelling of the hands, severe or sudden swelling of the feet or ankles or rapid weight gain.
- Trauma to the abdomen.
- Fainting or frequent dizziness.
- Difficulty breathing or chest pains.
- Intense and persistent itching.
If you experience any of these symptoms or anything else that concerns you call your doctor immediately. You should always call your doctor if you have questions or concerns about something you are experiencing or feeling.
(source: Baby Center)