You Must Have . . .

Here is a list of things our readers say they can't live without (I'd listen to them):

Green Light Bulb for Baby Lamp – For those nighttime diaper changes/feedings, it will light up the entire room without waking up the baby entirely. "Best advice I ever received from a fellow Mom."

Hospital Grade Nasal Aspirator – Forget begging or borrowing, just steal one from the hospital. The ones in stores or online never compare.

Quick Change Diaper Kit

Triple Paste Diaper Ointment

Thermos with Warm Water – for mixing with formula for those on-the-go feedings.

Multiple Serving Formula Containers

Disposable Placemats and Bibs

What's Happening To Me?!

Here is a short list of the strange things that happen to your body that no one ever talks about:

The Dark Tummy Line (Linea Nigra) – What is that about? As if our tummies aren’t going through enough!

Your Nose Can Get Bigger! As if I can afford a baby AND a new nose.

Growing Feet - Your feet can actually grow and stay that way. Now, on the bright side, you can go shoe shopping for a whole new closet full of shoes.

Picking a Pediatrician

Ask people you know with kids – a referral from another parent can be the best way to find a great doctor. Once you have zeroed in on a doc, here are a few questions to ask to help you make the final decision:

- Is the doctor taking new patients?
- Is the doctor part of your health plan?
- Is there convenient parking or public transportation near the office, and how long is the commute? A thirty-minute trip, for example, may not seem long for a regular checkup, but it can seem like an eternity with a crying, sick baby.
- Does the doctor have hospital access after you deliver your baby? If not, what do you need to do to get that access?
- Does the doctor's office have weekend or evening call hours?
- What is the average wait time for an appointment?
- What kind of support does the doctor have at the office in case of emergency? (Are there other doctors in the practice? Nurse practitioners?)
- How does the office respond to call-in questions?
- How is the practice organized? Will you see the same doctor at each visit? Or, is the practice large with pediatricians who rotate patients? A larger practice can make it more difficult to see the same doctor each time, and thus develop a relationship with a single doctor. The benefit to such a practice is that they may offer a broader range of expertise.

Celebrity
Babies
of 2012

Check out which celebrities have welcomed a new addition this year.

Our Favorite
Baby Song

Podcast & App

Hello Baby (Calendar)




PregTASTIC

Pregnancy
Companion
 

Contraction Timer & Kick Counter
 

Get Your Zzzzs . . .

Make sure you are getting somewhere between 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. A recent study found that pregnant women who got less than 5 hours of sleep a night were almost 10 times more likely to develop preeclampsia.

MORE Bun...

Websites to Check Out
...because we know we're not the only one.
Too bad though, we'd be rich.

Sign up with AmazonMom.com for great deals!

Check out www.FindADoula.com if you need some extra support on and after the big day. Doulas can be a great comfort and this site can help you find one in your area.

Boy or Girl? Type your pregnancy info into this ancient Chinese Gender Predictor. It's said to be 90% accurate...but who knows?!

A couple of celebrity moms have websites that are worth a look. Check Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop.com and Ali Sweeney's AlisonSweeney.com.

Good website for gear and giveaways all about pregnancy and newborns.

Are you planning on having Pregnancy Photos taken? If so, check out this blog entry on Pregnant Chicken for advice on what NOT to do.

Did You Know . . .

. . . that in America, about 60% of couples trying to get pregnant want a girl? In India, Asia and the Middle East, about 75% of couples trying to conceive prefer boys.

Pregnant Forever

So being pregnant isn’t always easy and 280 days of gestation can be long, but look at some of these other mammals and be glad it’s only 280 days:

Horse – 336 days
Zebra – 365 days
Camel – 405 days
Giraffe – 450 days
Whale – 490 days
Elephant – 600+ days

Need a Treat? Try these...

O.N.E. Coconut Water – This juice box is for moms because it contains potassium, which will help with those unwanted leg cramps. These are also good for nursing moms! $21 for a pack of 12; OneDrinks.com

Cocopreggers – These dark chocolate truffles are packed with some good old DHA and folic acid. $12 for a seven-piece box; XANConfections.com

Adding a Sibling to the Mix?

Here are a couple of book recs for kids that discuss adding a younger sibling to your family:

Hot Bun
Read