It used to be that everyone said you should "eat for two" when pregnant, but today we're told that this is not necessarily the best way to look at it. So what's normal and healthy when it comes to pregnancy weight gain?
Here, we've rounded up stories about pregnancy weight gain from moms in the Circle of Moms communities. Find out what to expect trimester by trimester.
Taking candy from a baby might be easy, but pacifiers are another story entirely. If you have a toddler or even a preschooler holding tight to the bink, you're not alone: pacifier weaning is a common challenge. While dental problems generally won't result from pacifier use unless the habit continues beyond age 3, many parents find that pacifier weaning is easier before a child reaches 2 years old. (If you're concerned, though, check with your pediatric dentist.) For a smooth transition, try these brilliant pacifier-weaning strategies from Circle of Moms members.
Has the word “energy” disappeared from your vocabulary? Whether you have infants, toddlers, or school-age children, keeping up with the kids on limited sleep can be seriously exhausting. To kiss that constantly drained feeling goodbye, give these six energy-boosting strategies recommended by Circle of Moms members a whirl.
A lot of worrying comes with being pregnant — every new symptom brings on so many questions, and even the slightest twinge of pain in any part of your body can send you into a Googling frenzy. Anytime you feel severe, persistent pain, you should seek medical advice from your doctor to rule out a problem. But many moms find that slight to moderate pains come and go, and most of these are just par for the course. Here are some painful problems that are typically normal and part of a safe, healthy pregnancy, plus some tips from Circle of Moms members on how to relieve the hurt.
When a baby's silky, smooth skin develops red, dry, itchy patches, the culprit is often eczema. Commonly appearing around 2 to 6 months of age, eczema (or atopic dermatitis) affects some 20 percent of infants and young children. If your baby is itchy and irritated, these six trusty eczema treatments from Circle of Moms members are sure to help soothe his skin.
1. Avoid Topical Irritants
Many babies have skin allergies to the perfumes, dyes, and chemicals in common household products like soaps, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, and bubble baths. As Heidi F. advises, switching to hypoallergenic, fragrance-free products can help relieve eczema: "For soap, we use Dove for sensitive skin — anything that I put on their skin is fragrance free. I even found Mr. Bubbles for sensitive skin, which makes bath time fun for them. Another thing that I was told by their doctor was to wash their laundry with fragrance-free detergent and fabric softener. This has all seemed to help minimize flare-ups and itching."
Given how jam-packed a family schedule can be, it's no wonder many moms struggle to find time to exercise and eat well. To help you tackle it one small change at a time, we've asked fellow moms to share their best advice on simple, realistic ways busy moms can be healthier on a daily basis.
Sumanda M. would love to get her 5-month-old baby girl’s ears pierced, yet she's received conflicting advice on when to do it. "My friend said to have it done at 6 months because she will be too small to pull the earrings out if it irritates her. But my pharmacist said to wait until 1 year, because if it's done while she's too small the holes might be skew later on. What do you think is the best time to have the ears pierced?" she asks the Circle of Moms community.
Samantha M., too, would like to get her 3-month-old daughter's ears pierced, but is not sure when or where to get it done. "If you have a child with pierced ears, what age did she get them? Did a doctor open her ears? If not, where did you go to get it done?" she asks.
Many parents will debate the merits of piercing a baby’s ears. Yet if you're sold on the idea of getting your baby some bling, here are four tips to make it as pain- and problem-free as possible.
Are you pregnant and wondering how to jumpstart your labor? We’ve rounded up various natural and medical methods of inducing labor that Circle of Moms members have tried. Please note that you should always get an induction method approved by your doctor before giving it a go.
Any mother will tell you that giving birth can be a most extreme, animalistic, incredible, painful, and overwhelming experience — but what about when things go wrong?
School-based tragedies like the December 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT have prompted outpourings of support and even efforts to help heal our country through random acts of kindness.
They have also prompted schools to take a look at the security measures they have in place and to practice those protocols. This means kids across the country are practicing lockdown drills, a safety measure with which not all parents are comfortable.
We asked mom bloggers and members of the Circle of Moms Facebook page to give us some insight into how their families are coping with lockdown drills. Here’s what they had to say.
Just Another Drill
An article in the Boston Globe addressing myths about mass shootings questioned whether lockdown drills are effective, suggesting that they are more traumatizing than instructional to children. While there may be truth to that, many of the moms we talked to said that their kids see lockdown drills as a routine part of school life.
Meredith, blogger for From Meredith to Mommy, says as a former teacher she must have practiced lockdown drills at least 25 times. "For the most part, the kids are used to them," she says.
Mom Dale M. agrees. On the Circle of Moms Facebook page she was one of many moms who said their children don’t see lockdown drills as being any different than fire drills or, in some cases, earthquake and tornado drills.
Kids Worry About Being Left Behind
There’s a difference, though, between a fire drill in which everyone is evacuating the building and a lockdown drill in which classroom doors are locked against intruders. For some kids, the idea of being left behind and locked out is very scary.
In fact, when Circle of Moms member Lorie T.’s son was in pre-kindergarten, during his first experience of practicing a lockdown drill, he was left behind in the school bathroom. He was OK, but being left outside of locked doors is a fear that many kids share.
One mom of three from New York says her daughter was so afraid she'd be caught in the bathroom during a drill or real emergency that she wouldn't leave for school in the morning "until she had done her business."
Both she and Lorie addressed their situations with the school and, in the latter's case, made a plan with the school nurse to help her daughter feel more secure about what to do if she was in the bathroom during a lockdown.
Moms Worry About Being Left Out
While some kids are feeling anxiety around lockdown drills, moms seem to be having an even harder time. Circle of Moms members certainly worry about the effect lockdown drills have on their kids, but more prevalent are their concerns that parents are being left in the dark about when and what procedures are taking place.
Nikki B. says her children’s school sends text messages to parents letting them know when a drill begins and ends, a practice mom Angela G. says she wishes her child's school would adopt. That's something that would probably go a long way in allaying Nicole D.'s fears. The Tiny Steps Mommy blogger says the only text she’s received about a lockdown was from her son when he was in the middle of one that wasn't a drill. She thinks (and other moms agree) that there's a valuable lesson to be learned from her experience — maybe some schools need to loosen their texting bans for students to make everyone feel safer.
Parental resources from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP):
Image Source: zalouk webdesign via Flickr/Creative Commons
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.
