A WOMB FULL OF MUSIC

 My husband and daughter woke me up today because they had music playing in the kitchen (louder than most people would play their morning music, trust me).  I went downstairs and saw the two of them dancing. My husband had our daughter in his arms and was spinning around with her. It made me tear up a little bit (I tend to go OD on emotions when I think things are cute).

So reflecting back, the reason I shed a tear was because it reminded me of when I used to dance around the kitchen by myself playing relaxing music while my daughter was still in the womb. Sometimes I would play music while cooking or baking, or sometimes just for the two of us to hear, to relax to.

I wanted to share this idea of playing music to your unborn child because I know some of my friends never heard of it when I told them about my kitchen escapades. I found an article on playing music for your baby while they’re still in the womb that said, “Prenatal stimulation through music heard regularly while in the womb might provide some babies with a sense of confidence and relaxation after they're born.” Of course there are probably studies that show there is proven stimulation through playing music for a baby in the womb, but the fact for me was I enjoyed it!

I've always liked a variety of music, country, classic, jazz, some hip-hop so Lily was exposed to a variety of music. I am sure I looked silly in the kitchen dancing around, but I found it relaxing and it always put a smile on my face.  I like to think Lily liked the music then, as she still likes it now!

Are You Kidding Me?!?

Manhattan

Normally I like to remain neutral when discussing issues that can easily be debated. I like hearing both sides of any argument, as very often both have valid points. However, an article I just read from Shots Health Blog, has left me a little perturbed. Who thinks its ok to drink alcohol while they are pregnant? Not me- that's for sure! It seems like there is a study out there for almost everything in the world. This results of this particular study suggest that a few drinks a week, and even binge drinking, aren’t tied to developmental issues and may be ok to have. Really? 

I did some quick Google-ing and according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome effects up to 7 births out of every 1000 in the US, or about 0.7%. Ok, so while that may not seem like a huge number, out of the 4,130,665 births in the US last year, that’s almost 30,000 infants being born affected by alcohol!

To me that just seems unacceptable, and unfortunately these are the types of studies that get picked up by all the papers and news shows. I guess what I’m really nervous of is that people who don’t educate themselves beyond the headlines will read this and immediately assume it’s ok to knock a couple back during their pregnancy. I’m not trying to guilt or scare moms into never drinking again, all I’m asking is that, if you know for a fact your baby won’t be affected by alcohol by not drinking, is it really worth giving into temptation and having a couple just because some random article claimed it may be ok?

Full article can be found here! 

Premama- The Prenatal Vitamin for Expecting Mothers

For a woman planning a pregnancy, or for a woman who is already pregnant, the importance of maintaining a healthy diet, getting exercise and taking prenatal vitamins is a constant mission for a mom-to-be. Keeping her body in the best condition to foster a healthy child is the goal of a woman and her medical team. For an expecting mother, knowing the best way to be sure she is doing all she can to stay healthy and fit may leave her feeling overwhelmed. Luckily, with products like Premama out on the market, staying healthy while pregnant is easy!

When I was expecting my child, a daughter named Lily, I was plagued with morning sickness and feelings of fatigue right from the start. I was worried that since I wasn’t craving much (mostly gyros and everything covered in blue cheese!), I wasn’t providing my baby with all of the nutrients she needed. I’ve also always been one to have a hard time swallowing pills—if medicine came in a liquid form that’s what I was taking! So prenatal vitamins were tough for me too. I of course took them (and adjusted my eating habits) to be sure that my baby was getting the best I could give her, but I wished there was something easier for me to take.

The prenatal vitamin drink made by Premama is exactly what I needed—made as a flavorless, on-the-go drink mix, this is the easiest way for an expectant mother to get the needed nutrients for baby without the discomfort of big pills or flavors that make her sick. For example, a few of Premama’s key vitamins are folic acid to help reduce birth defects, ginger root to help with morning sickness, and vitamin D3 to support bone growth.

It’s important to take prenatal vitamins when you’re planning, pregnant and nursing so your body is fully supported. An expectant mother has much to learn and many decisions to make about her delivery and her baby’s early life, things like pain management, umbilical cord blood banking and immunizations, so knowing that your nutrient needs are being met will be one less concern you and your doctor will have. Focusing on the fun parts of pregnancy like organizing a nursery, taking childbirth classes and meeting other mothers will allow you to be stress-free and relaxed throughout your term.

Reading to Your Baby In the Womb

Something I did while I was pregnant was read to my little girl. I had no idea how close to her it would make me feel. It was such a wonderful experience I had to write this post to share some insight of why reading to your baby before he/she is born can be a great experience for all mothers! 


A miracle is growing inside you, and before you know it, you will be holding your new baby in your arms for the first time! As you prepare for baby's arrival, there are a number of things you will probably do naturally: rubbing your belly, singing to your baby and fixing the nursery to be just so.

Some parents take it one step further and read to their baby in the womb! Though developing babies don't have the ability to hear early on in the pregnancy, Medline Plus medical encyclopedia suggests that baby's ears are developing between weeks 19 to 21 of pregnancy. This doesn't mean your baby can decipher words, but rather the tone, rhythm and inflection of your voice can be easily detected after these weeks. (Think of this "hearing" as though you were hearing a television through the wall of the next room.)

Have you considered reading to your unborn baby? Support is rising up from moms everywhere, and even TV's popular celebrity doctor Dr. Oz has encouraged new parents-to-be to read to their babies in utero.

In an article co-written by Dr. Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen, the suggested benefits of reading to your unborn baby include fostering early brain development and establishing an auditory bond with your baby. Reading is thought to give your unborn baby a "head start," so to speak, by providing him/her with the foundation for language. Not only that, but hearing your voice (in the manner that you will be using it to communicate with your baby after birth) is thought to have a calming effect on your baby in the womb and gives your baby the opportunity to learn and recognize your voice distinctly as its mother's.

However beneficial to the fetus reading in the womb may be, your baby may not be the only one who benefits! Some mothers testify that reading to your unborn baby is beneficial to mommy-to-be as well. When you read a story to your baby bump, you may find you develop a stronger emotional bond that personifies your big belly. This helps you mentally prepare to be a new mommy, and you will be an old pro at reading stories like, "Guess How Much I Love You" by the time baby is born!

In addition to letting baby hear Mommy's voice, it is now commonplace for a father to take advantage of the opportunity to talk and read stories to his unborn baby. After all, why should Daddy miss out on all the fun? It may be a great way to develop cohesive family bonds and good "practice" for when baby actually arrives.

Of course, these are the suggested benefits of reading to your baby in the womb. Just as there are mothers who swoon at the idea, there are also mothers who would feel completely silly doing so! It is up to you to decide whether this is something you feel is appropriate and beneficial for your growing family.