Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Pacifier Use

As Park rummaged through his toy basket yesterday, he came across one of many pacifiers I tried so diligently throughout his first year to take but never did so. He picked it up, looked at it for a minute, then popped it into his mouth.

At 16 months old...Go figure.

I was asked the other day to write about pacifier use in toddlers. As many opinions see it and in my opinion, usage should be eliminated by such age. But is there a proper age in which the pacifier should be taken away?

My son never took to the pacifier for comfort. He only took me. I didn't mind it at first but after the first few months, I realized I was never going to be able to do anything or sleep for that matter if he continued to pacify on me all the time. I tried many maneuvers at getting him to unlatch and stay soothed. I tried MANY different brands, styles, and colors of pacifiers and those never worked either. So I finally gave up. And so the pacifier became just another toy in his toy basket.

I have seen children 3-4 years of age still dependent upon the pacifier for soothing when sick or taking a nap or for bedtime. Isn't this too old? According to a report/study that appeared in the January/February 2007 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal,
Pacifier use often attracts negative attention for potentially harming children's oral health. There are positive effects of pacifier use, however. In addition to calming the infant, pacifier use can also assist in reducing the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS. However, I can't help but notice the effects pacifier use has on the shape of toddlers teeth as well as their bite. Maybe this isn't a problem since toddler teeth are not permanent.

Still, why do 3 and 4 year old children need pacifiers? What is so hard about not having something stuck in their mouth? And how are they ever going to learn speech at a normal age if they are still using pacifiers? It doesn't take a genius to figure out there are other ways to soothe our little ones who are past the infant stage of life.

Mommy Bridget

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Flouride or no flouride? That is the question of the day...


I came across an article by Dr. Mercola the other day speaking about the dangers of flouride and dental health. This is a controversy that I wish I knew the answer to. I have been unfortunate in my life to have multiple dental issues so my dentist pushes the flouride which I so routinely use. But is flouride really helping my dental health or could it cause more serious issues down the road?

As my son began popping his teeth one after the other, I couldn't help but worry that he..god forbid...would inherit my dental genes. I began brushing those little guys every night and now at 16 months, twice per day. And since I have always religiously taken good care of my teeth and still continue to have problems, does this mean Park's teeth are still doomed to destruct? When do I begin a flouride paste? DO I give him flouride at all?

http://www.fluoridedebate.com/
http://www.fluoridealert.org/

Mommy Bridget

p.s. 2 peaceful nights sleep with an adamant routine makes for a happy baby and happy MOM!!!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

No Sleep Blues


I've been awake since 4:45am this morning, after sleeping from 10-12 then from 12:30-4:45am. When is my son going to consistently sleep through the night? It seems as though I get him on a routine, he begins to sleep through the night, then one little change in his routine messes it all up and I have to start all over again. I'm so over it!

And so I will sing my boo hoo blues:

"I'm so tired
Oh ya I'm so tired
So really really tired
so I'm singing the no sleep blues"

Mommy Bridget

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Chemical Effect


I found an interesting article on www.mothering.com regarding ingredients in baby products. I recommend reading through it as it wasn't really that long ago the public discovered the dangers of the ingredient Bis-A in bottles. You might become aware of other dangers lurking near you baby as well!

Mommy Bridget

Out of the Mouths of Babes

By Mary Brune
Web Exclusive

Before the birth of my daughter three years ago, I was pretty sure I had everything I would ever need: Cloth diapers? Check. Sling? Check. Cute little onesies? Check. Those were the easy things, the ones on nearly everyone's list. But what about phthalate-free teething rings? Or baby bottles made without bisphenol A? Back then, they certainly weren't on my radar, let alone my checklist. But in light of recent reports about the dangers of two chemicals widely used in some children's products, if you're expecting or have young children at home, you might want to consider putting them on your list.

There's a general misconception that, because a chemical is used in a product intended for children, it must be safe. Sadly, this isn't the case—at least not in the US. The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, which enables the regulations of chemicals, lists 81,600 chemicals registered for commerce in the US. According to Green Chemistry in California, a 2006 report from the California Policy Research Center, "TSCA does not require chemical producers to generate and disclose information on the health and environmental safety of these chemicals. . . . The result is an enormous lack of information on the toxicity and ecotoxicity of chemicals in commerical circulation."1

What's the Concern?

Phthalates (pronounced THAY-lates), a class of chemicals used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic soft and flexible, can be found in such products as toys, teething rings, shower curtains, lotions, and cosmetics. Exposure to phthalates has been linked to cancer, infertility, premature breast development in girls,2 and genital birth defects in boys.3 Young children can be exposed to phthalates by chewing on plastic toys, or through skin contact with lotions and shampoos that contain them.

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that 75 percent of the participants tested had detectible levels of phthalates in their bodies.4 This finding has triggered alarm among some scientists because exposure to phthalates—which are known to interfere with the body's own hormones—can result in birth defects and developmental delays in babies born to mothers who were exposed during pregnancy.

Dr. Shanna Swan, professor and associate chair for Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and director of the Center for Reproductive Epidemiology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, found that baby boys born to mothers with high levels of phthalates had increased rates of a genital defect that had previously been seen only in lab animals.5

Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to make hard, clear, polycarbonate plastic baby bottles and other containers. It is also used in dental sealants and in the lining of food and beverage cans. BPA mimics the hormone estrogen, and may interfere with brain-cell development,6 as well as with biological processes that rely on estrogen, such as ovulation and reproduction. Studies have shown that BPA leaches out of polycarbonate containers7 and metal cans,8 and have linked exposure to BPA to cancer, impaired immune function, early puberty, obesity, diabetes, and hyperactivity, among other problems.9

The Lowdown on "Low-Dose" Exposures

This year, the advocacy group Environment California released a report titled "Toxic Baby Bottles," which revealed that bisphenol A leached from the five leading brands of baby bottles tested. The test was designed to mimic the stress baby bottles undergo from repeated use and washing, by heating bottles to temperatures consistent with those reached in real-world dishwashers.10 The results: All five bottles were found to leach BPA at levels shown to cause harm in laboratory animals. To date, more than 150 government-funded studies have shown health effects in animals—at extremely low doses of BPA—sometimes 2,000 times lower than the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) safe levels, according to Frederick vom Saal, endocrinologist at the University of Missouri.11

This flies in the face of conventional wisdom when it comes to establishing a so-called "safe level" of exposure to BPA. According to the Environment California report, the assertion that harm can be caused only by high levels of a chemical is outdated thinking. If not revised to take into account the latest findings, such thinking could result in great harm to public health.

The American Chemistry Council (ACC), on its website www.bisphenol-a.org, refutes the theory of low-dose effects by saying that a person would have to consume "more than 1,300 pounds of food and beverages in contact with polycarbonate or more than 500 pounds of canned food and beverages every day for a lifetime" before they would exceed safe levels established by the EPA.12 Both the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) and the Toy Industry Association (TIA), trade groups representing toy manufacturers, claim that media reports about toxic toys are sensational and serve only to frighten parents. The TIA asserts that there simply isn't proof that "any person has ever been harmed by the presence of phthalates in toys."13

Industry might not be buyingthe science supporting the low-dose effects of phthalates and BPA—but what about the public?

Panic or Prudence?

Angelina Grab, mother of nine-month-old Isaac, is taking no chances. The California mother showed up at a committee hearing in San Francisco in March 2007 to add her voice to those calling for the regulation of phthalates and BPA.

Grab says she's doing what she can to avoid unnecessarily exposing Isaac to phthalates and BPA by opting for wooden toys over those made with PVC, and switching to bottles made of polypropylene, a safer plastic. She expressed frustration at manufacturers' and retailers' refusal to act in the face of scientific studies that indicate harm. "I find it maddening that manufacturers and business owners, some of whom are parents themselves, would knowingly produce or sell "toxic merchandise that would harm" a developing human being."14

Parents aren't the only ones weighing in on the issue. The Whole Foods chain of supermarkets, purveyor of natural and organic foods, recently cleared from its shelves some products containing phthalates and BPA. Quality Standards Coordinator Joe Dickson has the task of ensuring that the products sold in Whole Foods stores are consistent with the company's ethos of health and sustainability: "We made the decision not to sell baby bottles or products marketed to children that contain BPA and phthalates." The decision, he says, was based on the worrisome body of science indicating that the chemicals posed a risk to children's health.15

Dickson adds that although the consensus didn't seem to be "damning" of those materials, Whole Foods decided to move away from products containing phthalates and BPA anyway as a precaution, because it is children who are most sensitive to their potential effects. The move was relatively straightforward because of the availability of phthalate-free and non-polycarbonate alternatives—the demand for which, he says, has increased significantly.

Other companies are benefiting from consumers' heightened concern. A representative of Evenflo, which makes glass baby bottles in addition to bottles containing BPA, notes that sales of their glass bottles went up in the weeks following the release of the Environment California report; one retailer saw a tenfold increase over the previous month's sales.16 Born Free, a popular brand of BPA-free bottles, recently unveiled a glass bottle of its own.

The bandwagon is filling. Even Medela, whose bottles and breast-pump accessories apparently never contained BPA in the first place, recently felt the need to "remind consumers" of this fact by issuing a press release. Carolin Archibald, VP of Marketing and Product Management for Medela, says that although the products themselves aren't changing, they will sport a new label, informing customers that Medela products are "100% safe plastic for mom & baby (bisphenol A-free)."17

What's Government Doing About It?

"Not nearly enough," declares Terry Collins, professor of Green Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Collins, who spoke recently at a Women's Environmental Health conference, believes that "the government is failing very badly" in its obligation to protect public health.18

The European Union has banned phthalates in toys and products intended for children under the age of three. Not the US. "There is a double standard where companies are making safer products in other countries and selling more hazardous products in the US. American kids still suck on vinyl toys that leach phthalates when safer alternatives are readily available," says Lois Gibbs, Executive Director of the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice, a group working to phase out PVC products.19

Although the US hasn't weighed in on the issue at the federal level, several states have introduced legislation that would ban or limit the use of phthalates and/or BPA in children's toys, including California, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, New York, and Oregon. To date, however, no government has moved to ban BPA outright—at least not yet. Last year, the Canadian government labeled BPA "inherently toxic" and placed it on a list of 200 chemicals currently under review for health effects.20 A final ruling is likely still years away.

While in July 2006 the city of San Francisco did ban the use of phthalates and BPA in products intended for kids under the age of three, the ban on BPA was repealed in a subsequent amendment. The city reserved the right to reconsider a BPA ban in a year, if the state Legislature had not taken action.21 Some in the chemical industry, however, maintain that the repeal of the ban only proves that the case against BPA is weak.

The chemical industry shouldn't be too quick to claim victory. In August 2007, the National Toxicology Program Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction expressed concern that fetal and early childhood exposure to BPA posed some risk for neural and behavioral harm.22 In addition, the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences is currently reviewing the available scientific studies of BPA and is expected to release its findings in the next six months. Environmental Health advocates hope that the evidence will point to the need to regulate BPA. But parents concerned about the risk to their children's health from exposure to BPA needn't wait until the smoke clears before switching to safer alternatives.

Better Safe than Sorry

Renee Hackenmiller-Paradis, a mother and the Program Director for Environmental Health at the Oregon Environmental Council, concedes that avoiding phthalates and BPA might seem an impossible task for parents because the chemicals are everywhere. "It is very difficult to completely avoid them. I do check recycling codes, avoiding 3, 6, and 7 plastics." When buying plastic toys and teethers, Hackenmiller-Paradis recommends choosing products from companies that have phased out phthalates, such as Brio, Gerber, and Evenflo. She cautions, however, that many of the phase-outs have occurred only in the past few years, and that older products from these firms may still contain phthalates. She recommends contacting the manufacturer directly if in doubt.23

Perhaps the most important thing parents can do is to raise their concerns about toxic chemicals in children's products with retailers and manufacturers, which can help drive the move to safer alternatives. The surest way to rid the marketplace of products harmful to our children is to exercise the power of our pocketbooks. Companies will soon realize that continuing to sell products made with toxic chemicals can be toxic to their own bottom lines.

NOTES

1. Michael P. Wilson et al., Green Chemistry in California, California Policy Research Center, University of California (Berkeley, CA: 2006): xiii.

2. I. Coln et al., "Identification of Phthalate Esters in the Serum of Young Puerto Rican Girls with Premature Breast Development,"Environmental Health Perspectives 108, no. 9 (September 2000): 895.

3. S. H. Swan et al., "Decrease in Anogenital Distance among Male Infants with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure," Environmental Health Perspectives/ 113, no. 8 (August 2005): 1056-1061.

4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals (Atlanta, GA: CDC, 2005); www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/report.htm.

5. See Note 3.

6. David Bracey, "Chemical Used in Food Containers Disrupts Brain Development," press release, University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center (2 December 2005): http://health?news.uc.edu/news/?/758/.

7. Rachel L. Gibson, "Toxic Baby Bottles: Scientific Study Finds Leaching Chemicals in Clear Plastic Baby Bottles" (Los Angeles: Environment California Research & Policy Center, 2007): 19?20; www.environmentcalifornia.org/...Toxic-Baby-Bottles.pdf.

8. Environmental Working Group, "Bisphenol A: Toxic Plastics Chemical in Canned Food: A Survey of Bisphenol A in U.S. Canned Foods" (5 March 2007): www.ewg.org/reports/bisphenola.

9. Theo Colborn, Diane Dumanoski, John Peterson Myers, "Emerging Science on the Impacts of Endocrine Disruptors on People" (1996): www.ourstolenfuture.org/NewScience/human/human.htm.

10. See Note 7: 28?30.

11. Mothering staff communication with Frederick vom Saal (14 August 2007).

12. American Chemistry Council, "Bisphenol-A Questions and Answers" (accessed July 2007): www.bisphenol-a.org/sixty-minutes2a.html.

13. Toy Industry Association, Inc., "Toy Industry Statement on the Safety of Toys that Contain Phthalates"

14. Personal communication (24 April 2007).

15. Personal communication (27 April 2007).

16. J. DeFao, "Glass Baby Bottles Making Comeback: Stores Selling Out after Health Alarms Raised about Plastics," San Francisco Chronicle (9 April 2007).

17. Personal communication (23 April 2007).

18. Terry Collins, presentation at Women's Environmental Health Conference (Pittsburgh, PA: 20 April 2007).

19. Personal communication (23 April 2007).

20. Martin Mittelstaedt, "'Inherently Toxic' Chemical Faces Its Future," [Toronto] Globe and Mail (7 April 2007).

21. Jane Kay, "Supervisors Tweak Ordinance Banning 'Toxic' Child Products," San Francisco Chronicle (11 April 2007).

22. National Toxicology Program Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction, "Draft Meeting Summary: Expert Panel Evaluation of Bisphenol A" (Alexandria, VA: 8 August 2007): http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/chemicals/bisphenol....

23. Personal communication (23 April 2007)

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Couple Pregnant with unknown embryo


This is strange! I'm not sure how I would react to finding out I'm pregnant with a stranger's child by fault of my fertility clinic whom I paid a fortune for their services to...

click on the title or cut and paste the link below into your web browser to view the interview with the couple:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/96827/nbc-today-show-woman-implanted-with-wrong-embryo

Mommy Bridget

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Sugar bad

Yesterday, I decided it would be fun to take Park to the zoo. We got there right away when it first opened, and being one of the first patrons...had the zoo to ourselves. Park finally got to see the primates without strollers and big kids in his view. He got to see the new baby elephant and the penguins. We had a blast!

As I passed the food stand as I always do, I thought it would be a "good" idea to get some cotton candy and a soda pop (for me) and let Park experience the zoo even more. What in the world was I thinking??!!

After 5 small bites of the yummy delicious cotton candy, my son began bouncing off the walls. No really, it was crazy. At one point he tripped on his own shoe and with his hands on the ground, his feet and legs bounced up. I laughed at the sight when it happened but it didn't occur to me the sugar had the affect of adrenaline on my baby junky.

We later took a visit to meet a new baby in my friend's life. Park got into everything while we were there from the tv to the remotes to the candles to the dog toys (which I enticed) and when I continued to pull him away from said objects, he grew more and more frustrated. Finally, the slapping of my face began. And still...the connection between the sugar I so thought would be a good idea to give him and his behavior didn't pop in my mind. THEN, after getting home and not being able to get Park to eat or take a nap like usual got me to thinking...duh!!! You idiot Mom!

And no more sugar for this guy.

I firmly believe diet plays a vital role in behavior. I have seen bad diets and bad behavior in other children and told myself I wouldn't ever feed my child crap. I mean come on...sugar and ADD or sugar and ADHD. Seriously, duh.

Learn from my mistakes.

Mommy Bridget

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Probiotics


After recommending a probiotic for infants to a few mothers in the last few months, I thought it would be good to recommend it to all of you. To those of you that don't know what a probiotic is, here is the definition according to www.dictionary.com:

probiotic

noun
a beneficial bacterium found in the intestinal tract of healthy mammals; often considered to be a plant

Here is my experience with discovering them for my son:

The first 3 months of Park's life, he was a VERY "gassy" or what many doctors termed "colicky" baby. He could always let loose so-to-speak, and his body was always stiff with the uncomfortable gas floating throughout. I breastfed, and so I assumed that it was something I was eating. So I cut out everything (coffee to my despair, chocolate, milk products, etc.) and reintroduced them one by one in hopes of figuring out what was bothering him. Nothing changed. I would give him gas-ex, gripe water, and a few other remedies whenever he seemed irritable and although it seemed to soothe him temporarily, I knew it wasn't fixing any of the problem. Then I heard of the possibility he needed to be realigned with a chiropractor. So I called a woman who was highly recommended to me....Dr. Christine in Park City. She was my saving grace.

After telling her of Park's condition, she commented she would be more than happy to realign my little guy but that she wanted to ask me something first. She asked me if I had taken any antibiotics while breastfeeding. I had. Then she went on to tell me that the antibiotics, like everything else, pass through the breast milk and into the baby's fragile tummy...wiping out any good bacteria established. This could be the cause of Park's condition. So she told me to get a probiotic for infants and to try it for a week and if nothing changed, to bring Park in to see her.

I purchased the probiotic at Whole Foods and gave it a whirl. All it took was 3 days and my child has never suffered from gassiness or "colic" again.

Probiotics are beneficial to all of us. I still give it to Park once in a while by mixing it in with his juice or is yogurt. It has little to no flavor so he doesn't detect it.

The point of my story, the simplest problem usually always has the simplest solution.


Have a good morning!

Mommy Bridget

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

How to help prevent burglarism in your home


As burglaries are on the rise in the US (most likely sue to the fallen economy), I figured this article would be beneficial to all of us.


13 Things a Burglar Will Never Tell You
Posted by: Dr. Mercola
September 15 2009

The information for this comes from crime experts and convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky. Here’s what a burglar won’t tell you:

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. Love the flowers -- they tell me you have taste, and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
4. I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.
5. If it snows while you’re out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house.
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don’t let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it’s set.
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom. It’s not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
8. It’s raining, you’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door -- understandable. But I don’t take a day off because of bad weather.
9. I always knock first. If you answer, I’ll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters -- don’t take me up on it.
10. I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11. However, I almost never go into kids’ rooms.
12. I won’t have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it’s not bolted down, I’ll take it with me.
13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. You can also buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a television.


Sources: (from Dr. Mercola's weekly emailing)
Readers’ Digest

Friday, September 11, 2009

Remembering 9/11

Just wanted to say that I will never forget the victims of 9/11. I will never forget the heroism of those fighting to save the victims. To all of those affected by terrorism, I am thinking of you.

Mommy Bridget

Thursday, September 10, 2009

6 Diseases Back from the Past

As noted in today's article by Dr. Mercola 6 Diseases Back from the Past, contrary to popular belief...the world has NOT eradicated age old diseases such as Polio and Bubonic Plague. See the article below:

6 Diseases Back From the Past
Posted by: Dr. Mercola
September 10 2009

Many think of bubonic plague, leprosy and polio as diseases of the past -- things that might have had a part in history, but aren't around any longer. But these diseases are still very much with us.


Pneumonic/Bubonic Plague

The pneumonic and bubonic plagues are caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, the difference being that pneumonic plague can spread from person to person -- without infected fleas.

The pneumonic form struck China earlier this year, and bubonic plague still persists in the United States, in the Southwest. Wild rats and fleas carry the disease, and when in proximity to humans, fleas will spread it to them rather than simply among rats.

Polio

Polio is still a problem in many countries. It can cause paralysis, in the legs and even the lungs.

But more often it has only subtle signs, so it is difficult to determine who has the virus, making it tricky to eradicate. Complicating matters is that symptoms of polio can often mimic those of other viruses.

Chagas Disease

The disease is spread by the bug known as the kissing bug and the assassin bug. It bites its human victim, defecating and causing an itch, which becomes Chagas disease when the victim scratches the area, allowing the infection to enter the body.

About 8 to 9 million people in Latin America are infected, and 400,000 people in the United States have the disease. The infection attacks the heart, but over the course of many years. Five percent of people will develop symptoms early on, such as liver or spleen enlargement. But the other 95 percent will show no signs for 20 or 30 years.

Leprosy

Leprosy is among the oldest of human diseases. The disease attacks skin and ultimately nerve cells. It is caused by a bacterium similar to the one responsible for tuberculosis.

The most common cause within the United States is exposure to armadillos, whether through eating them, having a farm of them or hunting them.

Hookworm

Hookworm still plagues many living in rural poverty throughout the world. The hookworm parasite, which lives in soil, causes severe anemia in its victim and the infection can prove difficult to get rid of.

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is still around, even if it isn't as deadly as it once was. But TB still poses a major problem for doctors. It's an insidious, slow-onset disease. Ultimately, patients can develop a persistent fever and lose energy and weight. Patients may not know they have the disease, and they can spread it to other people during that time.

Tuberculosis has become more of a threat than it once was with the development of forms that are resistant to the drugs typically used to treat the disease. Because of this, tuberculosis is still fatal to 40 to 50 percent of people who catch it.


Sources:

ABC News August 14, 2009

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Hylands continues to impress

I know I recently raved about Hyland's teething tablets weeks ago but after my son started a bad cold on Sunday, Hyland's products continue to impress. I took a trip to Whole Food's Natural Living Dept. and asked for a recommendation for a child with a low grade fever, a cough, and a severe runny nose and she recommended Hyland's C-Plus Cold Tablets.

I followed the instructions given with the product and bam! In 36 hours his symptoms are minimal and he's back to his energetic self.

http://www.hylands.com/products/cplus.php

Happy Baby Park
Happy Mommy Bridget

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

No white after Labor Day?

I was informed yesterday that it is "custom" to stow away any white summer clothes after Labor day. If this is the case, I'm screwed! The only warm weather clothes I own are white linens and it's still in the 80's and 90's here in Utah. Oh, and no...I don't feel like purchasing any other summer clothes since my summer is almost over. Since it's going to be 85 degrees today, and I have to dress cute for I have an appointment at my modeling agency...I will dare to continue wearing white.

According to ask.yahoo.com,

The only logical reasoning we could find cited temperature. Image consultant Nancy Penn suggests that because white reflects light and heat, wearing white would make you cooler in winter, and thus should be avoided. But others suggest the rule stems from a class issue. Acting Director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology Valerie Steele notes that in the late 19th century and the 1950s, more people were entering the middle classes. These nouveau-riche folks were often unaware of the standards of high society, so they were given specific codified rules to follow in order to fit in.


Will they look at me and think I know nothing of fashion? Well...honestly, I don't!

Mommy Bridget

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Baby Slings




I had the pleasure over the weekend to help some friends sell their very modern and attractive baby slings. Using a sling since my son was first born, I took for granted the ease in my daily dependence upon them. When Park was first born, I would put him in my wrap and go about with cleaning the house, going for a walk, doing the grocery shopping...you name it! And he was so content in it. Now he is almost 16 mo. and I still use it when we go shopping, when we are going to the farmer's market, or in the airport when I'm bustling to the next terminal. I couldn't live without my sling. And neither should any mommies!

I watched attentively as mother after mother came into the booth asking about slings. After my friends fit them and their babies into a sling for the first time, it was amazing to see their faces! Both Mommy and baby were content to be together, to feel secure, and for the mommies to feel a little bit of their freedom return.

For thousands of years, mothers have "worn" their babies. This was essential in going about with daily activities. This closeness and attachment between momma and child have been ongoing for so long that it is unnatural for our newborns to be pushed around 5 feet in front of all they know and have known to depend on for life.

I personally recommend any of you who do not currently have a baby sling and are with baby to give it a try. You will be delighted in the outcome!

www.modmum.com
Mommy Bridget

Thursday, September 3, 2009

H1N1 Vaccine safety

More on vaccine safety...specific discussion on CBS about the H1N1 vaccine
This is only 12 min. long and very valuable. Again, thanks Jess!

Click on my title "H1N1 Vaccine safety" to view this.

Mommy Bridget

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Web site for the vaccine safety skeptic

A mommy friend of mine posted a link to the President of the National Vaccine Information Center's personal blog. I read her postings and wanted to find out who she was and her credentials (very important when you are reading articles). I found the web site to the NVIC and thought it valuable to pass along.

www.nvic.org
Thank you Jess!

As Pres. Obama declared everyone should vaccinate for the swine flu this fall, I highly recommend learning more about it before rushing out to vaccinate for it.

Let me know your thoughts...

Mommy Bridget

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Yaz or Yasmin causing heart attacks?


I don't know about any of you, but I spent 2 years religiously taking the birth control pill Yasmin and swearing by it being the best birth control out there with the least side affects. However, I recently began seeing ads on the television for any individual who experienced major side affects such as blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks to contact lawyers for significant payouts.

Wtf

Just another example of how people need to realize the little amount of testing really goes in to Rx meds through the pharmaceutical companies and the FDA (who by the way are supposed to protect us)!

Angry,

Mommy Bridget