For Immediate Release: Thursday, January 26, 2012

Media Contact: Mary L Oscategui

415-937-1602 or mary@iabpp.com

Maternity Institute Launches  Sleep Consultant Certification

The International Maternity Institute (IMI), a leading maternity educating organization, launches the first sleep consultant certification program serving maternity professionals, by offering a comprehensive sleep-training program that is designed to provide maternity and sleep professionals with an integrative education.

January 26, 2012 San Francisco, CA – The International Maternity Institute (IMI) is a leader in birth and maternity professional education providing cutting edge, evidenced based educational programs, products and services for the maternity professional. The institute specializes in baby planning, greenproofing, green birth education, sleep consulting, stress management, and maternity product expertise. Due to the strong demand for specialized sleep training, the organization set out to develop the most comprehensive, all-inclusive and integrative program that  sleep consulting can offer.

“Most parents today receive conflicting sleep advice and try many methods before realizing that certain approaches may not be suitable for their particular family’s needs. Our educational continuum is designed to provide today’s sleep professionals with an all-inclusive approach so that they can work with families to develop healthy sleep habits that are age and developmentally appropriate for their client’s needs, lifestyle, and values,” says Mary Oscategui, IMI’s Founder.

Graduates from the IMI  sleep consultant certification are educated and trained in all proven sleep solutions and methods. The sleep consultant certification offered by the IMI also includes a specialized sleep advisory board and experienced sleep experts, welcomed as guest speakers throughout the course.

The IMI sleep consultant advisory board includes:

Emily Schaffer

Karen Pollak

Kathy Sinclair

Rebecca Michi

Jessica Shapley

Dr Catherine Darley

Dr Bill Moorcroft

Pam Nease

For more information on the  Sleep Consultant certification program, please visit http://www.maternityinstitute.com.

[wp_twitter]If you are interested in starting a baby planning business, becoming a baby planner, or receiving support for your established baby planning business consider becoming certified:

Certified Baby Planners are maternity consultants whose role extends beyond that of a typical baby planner/maternity concierge. By evaluating their clients specific needs, introducing their clients to a variety of options on pre-conception, pregnancy, post-partum and parenting topics, and providing them with the appropriate information, education and resources, certified baby planners empower their clients to make the best decisions for their growing family.

Certified baby planners take their careers to the next level by completing an accredited and reputable educational program through the IABPP via the International Maternity Institute that equips them to launch, operate, and manage their own baby planning business. Earning a certification blended with personal experience is a priceless asset baby planners can use to build their credibility and stand out in the baby planning market. Many IABPP students begin working with paid clients even before graduating.

Steps to becoming a Certified Baby Planner involve:

• Research
• Education
• Support
• Course attendance
• Completion of course assignments and a final exam
• Preparation
• Time Management
• Practicum Hours

What Makes a Certification Valuable?

Certification programs ensure the competence of Baby Planner professionals. Certification programs establish standards for baby planner education and play an important role in developing a qualified professional. The certification of a baby planner affirms a knowledge and experience base in their field, their employers, and the public at large. Certification represents a declaration of a particular individual’s professional competence.

The International Academy of Baby Planner Professionals within the IMI structure provides the following:

• Standardized practices and standards within the baby planning industry
• Advances the baby planning field by providing an all inclusive and integrative approach with cutting-edge, current, and evidenced based information
• Increased cooperation between baby planners and maternity professionals
• An established and enforced ethical code
• A means for the baby planner industry to self-regulate

Our certified graduates gain:

• Recognition by a third party
• Credibility
• An enhanced professional reputation
• Personal accomplishment
• Continued professional development
• A demonstrated a high level commitment to baby planning and to lifelong learning
• A demonstrated  certain level of knowledge and skill
• Increased opportunities for career advancement and/or increased earnings
• Eligibility to apply to be a board certified as a Holistic Health Practitioner through the AADP

Baby Planner Clients Gain:

• Help in identifying qualified baby planners
• Increased confidence in certified baby planners
• Assuring clients that baby planners have met standards of practice
• A disciplinary process to follow in case of complaints

If you currently work with parents as a maternity professional such as a doula, lactation consultant, coach, sleep consultant, nurse, or nanny, becoming a certified baby planner will allow you to expand your service offerings.

A certified baby planner does not diagnose, treat, examine or medically advise their clients. Unless a baby planner has additional training or a specialized certification or license in a specific area of practice, a certified baby planner does not prescribe or attempt to perform additional services that require advanced training. While some certified baby planners may have the additional training, certification or licensing needed to offer services like designing exercise programs and plans, recommending diets or nutritional programs, baby proofing, installing or inspecting car seats, providing therapy, giving pre- or postnatal massage or providing personal training, doula or midwifery services, these practices are outside of a certified baby planners scope of practice.

To enroll in our next course please click on the following link for more information: http://www.babyplannerinstitute.com/baby-planners/baby-planner-certification/

About The Baby Planner Certification

The IABPP Baby Planner Certification is the only accredited baby planner course provided by an organization in the maternity industry that provides cutting edge, evidenced based global education with a comprehensive and holistic outlook on the role of a baby planner and the relationship to their clients. The IABPP Baby Planner Certification Course provides participants with complete preparation to successfully launch or manage a business for their specific market. 

About The International Maternity Institute and International Academy of Baby Planner Professionals

Founded in September 2009, the International Academy of Baby Planner Professionals (IABPP) is at the forefront of a movement that empowers expecting and new parents to make the best decisions for themselves and their babies by utilizing the support, information, education and resources made available by a certified baby planner.

By introducing a new approach that focuses on educating baby planners to provide appropriate, client-centered and directed support and education, the IABPP has set the standard of excellence for the baby planning industry.

In December 2010, the IABPP expanded to become the International Maternity Institute (IMI) in order to provide cutting edge, evidenced based educational programs, products and services for the maternity professional specializing in baby planning, greenproofing, green birth education, maternity stress management, and sleep consulting  The Institute provides personalized training that enables students to develop a practice or utilize the education they receive to expand their current business offerings. The International Maternity Institute also hosts a variety of continuing education programs that are offered through their maternity affiliates.

For more information visit http://www.maternityinstitute.com.

Resources:

Credentialing Talk: The Value of Certification: SeaCrest Company

Value of Certification & Accreditation: ICE

What Makes a Certification Valuable? ZD Net

American Association of Drugless Practitioners

As a huge natural living fan, I tend to take a more holistic approach when it comes to parenting, and naturally this includes colic and baby soothing solutions.

Through my learning process, I’ve learned that I made some mistakes. I made them because I didn’t know. That’s what happens when we are parents:

We do the best we can based on what we know.

I encourage you to try not to fault yourselves or feel guilty if you’ve made mistakes too. I call my son the experiment baby.

I am very committed to building on my knowledge of health and safety in my home, foods and products every day. I drive my husband nuts as a matter of fact.

But this is the fact: Babies are born with upwards of 200 chemicals in their cord blood. This is mainly due to what we are exposed to before and during our pregnancies.

One thing I really regret giving up on was breastfeeding. I did it for six weeks and wasn’t given the necessary support to keep trying. Instead it was suggested that he go on Nutramagen. Now that I am out of the rabbit hole so to speak, I can see things for what they are. The best way to nurse a fussy baby is by not giving up.

That being said I do recognize…trust me, I do…that it is very hard not to give up when your baby is screaming way more than smiling.

So I am writing this to you as your personal cheerleader and to let you know that there is more to consider when feeding a fussy baby.

If you are breastfeeding, it is best to live like you are pregnant. Taking care of your body will most often result in proper nourishment for your babe.

As parents of high need children our doctors oftentimes come to the conclusion that our babies are sensitive to our milk. Many times this is true but not for the reasons we may think. It is usually because of what we are consuming rather than because our bodies aren’t able to make milk properly.

They may tell us to remove dairy from our diets, etc, but a lot of us, myself included, end up switching to a hypoallergenic formula with easily digestible proteins.

As nursing mothers, If we notice our babies are struggling, maybe it is dairy. Or maybe there is something else we could be eliminating from our diet. There are still a lot of food sensitivities to consider.

But what about the genetically modified organisms, pesticides and other impurities most of us eat on a daily basis? The best thing we can do for baby while pregnant AND breastfeeding is to eat whole foods that are as organic or locally grown. It makes sense but few of us are being educated on the dangers found in your local grocery store. I think that needs to change. So do many others.

If you take a peek at the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list provided here, you can get an idea of what produce should absolutely be organic like apples, strawberries, spinach, celery, blueberries and grapes.

If possible, some things breastfeeding mommies should consider avoiding are:

• Canned foods
• Mercury-rich fish like salmon
• Non-organic commercial dairy and meat
• Produce on the Dirty Dozen List
• Extremely processed foods
• Aspartame
• Splenda

You can also think of these suggestions as a good model for what to feed your infant once you begin feeding solids.

Getting in a variety of nutrients is very easy on a whole foods diet when you consider how many whole foods are ready to eat as is:

• Nuts
• Seeds
• Produce
• Green smoothies (a sure-fire way to get your vitamins and antioxidants in making both of your immune systems unstoppable. I personally love them despite their sinister green appearance.)

While making these changes will likely not ‘cure’ your fussy baby,  at the very least, your bodies will both be less burdened by pesticides and food additives. Because we feel such a lack of control in regards to our babies’ reactions and mood, it is important to focus on things we can do.

I look forward to helping you further on this journey by sharing my experiences with my little screamaholic as well as things you might try to calm yours.

Keeping baby safe from physical stressors like chemicals is a step toward a calmer and happier baby….naturally.

“Action is the best antidote to despair.” ~ Joan Baez

For more information on what I’ve shared with you in this article please see these resources.

http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/recipes-for-homemade-baby-formula

http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/kidpesticide.htm

http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=2126&page=323

http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/marapr2007p37.shtml

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1519860/pdf/envhper00375-0020.pdf

http://www.healthychild.org

http://www.afhh.org/chil_ar/chil_ar_why_children.htm

http://www.neha.org/position_papers/PositionChildren.html

Amanda is the owner of Ready or Not – A Baby Planning Service. She is in love with her toddler and her husband and derives much of her writing inspiration from her family experiences.  Being a mother of a formerly fussy baby, Amanda is very excited to share her story and contribute the Fussy Baby Site’s blog. To learn more about Amanda and what she does to help pregnant and new parents, please check out her website at www.readyornotbabyplanning.com.

Join the forum discussion on this post

For Immediate Release: Monday, December 7, 2011

Media Contact: Katherine McGraw Patterson:

303.638.8625 or kpatterson@gbb.org

Maternity Educator Delivers Green Image

The International Maternity Institute, a leading maternity educating organization, recently enrolled with the Green Business Bureau to become green business certified.

November 17, 2011 HOUSTON – The Fairfax, CA-based International Maternity Institute (IMI) is a leader in birth and maternity professional education.  The Organization recently enrolled with the Green Business Bureau (GBB) to become green business certified.

“The IMI is committed to environmentally-friendly practices, raising awareness, and green education,” says Mary Oscategui, IMI’s Founder.

In fact, the IMI offers training in both Green Birth and Green Proofing.  Both courses train maternity professionals in the education, support, and resources needed to protect their clients and their children from unsafe exposure to potentially toxic substances in their home, on their body, and in their environment.

“We provide green education for maternity professionals to empower their clients throughout the stages of pre-conception, pregnancy and birth, says Oscategui.  “Our organization is also committed to reducing, reusing, recycling, and rebuying whenever possible.”

Oscategui says that the IMI chose to enroll with the GBB because it offers quality recognition and outstanding support in the green industry.

“Our membership in the GBB will allow us to raise awareness by providing education and empowering others to green their world one step at a time,” says Oscategui.

The GBB offers a leading, third-party certification to businesses who want to improve their bottom line through the increased business and cost savings brought about by sustainable practices.

For more information on the GBB program, please visit http://www.gbb.org.

For more information on the International Maternity Institute, please visit http://www.maternityinstitute.com.

# # #

About the International Maternity Institute

The International Maternity Institute ™ provides cutting edge, evidenced based educational

programs, products and services for the maternity professional specializing in baby planning,

greenproofing,  green birth education, sleep consulting, and stress management. Our educational

continuum is designed to help today’s maternity professionals enhance their careers while

empowering their clients to make informed decisions.

Contact:

Mary Oscategui, Founder

International Maternity Institute

PO BOX 455

Fairfax, CA 94930

415-937-1602

http://www.maternityinstitute.com

maternityinstitute@gmail.com

Natural birth is on the rise as women learn more and more about the benefits to having an intervention-free birth.  It is empowering and it is healthy.  In a hospital situation, as you can imagine, having birthing your way can be a little tricky so it is important to plan ahead and have everything with you to make it the most comfortable experience possible.  If you have chosen to give birth in a setting outside of your home this is the perfect article for you!  If you are homebirthing, go you!  Feel free to read anyway.

Here are some things you can do to make your birth space as comfortable and peaceful as you need it to be.

The Help

For the best natural birth possible, a midwife is often the ideal choice.  Nurse midwives work in hospitals.  They have less freedom than a Licensed Midwife because they practice under hospital rules and under the supervision of a doctor.  They will be more encouraging of a natural birth plan than most OBs, but are still likely to recommend common interventions like medications and breaking of the waters.  When these interventions occur, you are more likely to end up with a C-section birth.   A licensed midwife is a whole different type of birth professional.  She can operate out of a birthing center or a home setting.  She is trained in natural birth specifically during a process that takes between three to five years.  A Licensed Midwife is a holistic practitioner and is most often very in love with what she does!  This is, in my opinion, the ideal birth professional for a successful natural childbirth. 

A coach, whether it is your partner or a doula, is a huge asset.  If your partner is coaching, make sure they are on the same page as you and very aware of your birth plan.  My husband was a great birth asset for me because we took Bradley Birth classes which are designed to teach the birth partner how to coach mom through the contractions, pain and pushes.  A doula is another great choice.  They have the advantage of being experienced and emotionally neutral and can help a laboring mom feel quite safe and comfortable.

The Equipment

Arrive armed and dangerous with your birth plan- at least three copies!  Give one each to your support person, midwife or OB and the other staff to consult.  It is crucial to have a birth plan if you want a natural childbirth in a hospital setting.  Birthing centers or home settings are set up for natural birth but even so, it is still helpful to have a plan so that misunderstandings can be avoided.

A birth ball- these are great for squatting and rocking on letting you rest in ideal labor positions.  They can help you to get through the physical sensations of labor also as rocking is comforting to many.

A massaging device and heating pack are nice assets as well for soothing sore backs.

For homebirth there are more things needed like a pan for the placenta and a drop cloth for your labor space, but there is also nothing to pack since everything you need is right there.  Quite convenient!

The Wardrobe

3 or 4 Organic or 100% unbleached cotton labor gown/ long t-shirt or loose fitting nighties.

You will not stay in them the whole labor because they will get dirty, which is why a few are needed. 

Comfortable Nursing bras or nursing tank tops- pack at least 2 because typical hospital stay is two to three days unless you are both healthy and specifically request to leave ASAP.  By the way- if you are comfortable with leaving early, it’s a great idea because breastfeeding will be easier in your home than in a hospital.

Slippers

Two days worth of comfortable loose-fitting clothes.

Toiletries

Go nontoxic! Pack fragrance free items like lotion, avoid perfumes.  This isn’t something you want your brand new baby inhaling.  Try a natural cocoa butter, some Toms of Maine deodorant and toothpaste and maybe a beeswax lip balm.  Your cosmetics are absorbed through your skin and inhaled in the air.  This is doubly true for a new baby.  They just want to breath in your natural mommy scent… not your Chanel.  Fragrance is very dangerous for baby to breath in or absorb through their skin.  Please research your cosmetics on www.ewg.org/skindeep/.

Be a minimalist.  You most likely will not feel the need to apply mascara, so don’t bother.  Your joyous tears will send black streaks down your face anyway.  Just pack the bare essentials you will need to get by and feel comfortable for a few days.

The Bed

If your place of birth will allow, bring your own organic cotton sheets and blankets.  This is one of the safest materials for you and baby to spend time on.  If you can bring your own pillow, bring that too.  You will be thankful you did.  Bring your own baby blankets as well- organic fabrics are important for baby’s newborn state because their skin will absorb pesticides and bleaches/ dyes from nonorganic fabrics.  Prewash all bedding.

The Room

Music- make some birth CDs about a month before you are due and I say some because if your labor is longer than a few hours, you’ll surely get sick of one CD on repeat.  I had two and still wished I’d packed another.  Think soothing music like Yo-Yo Ma and Sarah McLachlan, whatever will keep you Zen… or … sort of Zen. 

Flameless candle lights- Hospitals and most birthing centers don’t allow candles, so these are a great option and will give the same tranquil feeling. 

Dim lighting- make sure to ask for dim lighting.  Hospital lighting is stressful for us and for new babies.  Birthing centers are very accommodating and there should be no trouble requesting this.  Hospitals have varied amounts of flexibility with labor procedure.  Many will be okay with dimming the lights though. 

The Food

Your birth partner will need food and you will be hungry after labor.  It is hard work and most times hospitals will not let you have much to eat until baby has arrived.  Pack quick energy filled snacks like fruit, granola, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, etc. If possible, organic and non-gmo is the way to go.

The Attitude

Of course, the most important must-have is a positive spirit and confidence that you can do this because you absolutely can!  We are designed for the act of birth and babies are designed to be born.  It almost always works perfectly if we embrace the challenge of natural childbirth.  Know it.  Believe it.  Own it.  Work for it.    You are doing a great service to your baby by choosing natural birth.

About Amanda Hammond

Amanda Hammond, IMI blog contributor,  is the founder of Ready Or Not Baby Planning Services in Wisconsin.

http://www.readyornotbabyplanning.com/

There is nothing quite like a baby’s cry.  It gets the blood pumping, sharpens the mind and activates the stress response.   Fight or flight?  Neither are options as new parents.

Dominic gave the impression he was going to be an easy baby for the first few weeks. Then the crying began and didn’t stop.  He cried and cried and cried some more.  He cried to the point where I felt jealous of parents who had “easy” babies and resentful of the doctors we saw who couldn’t help my son.  Many times I just did not accept him as he was.  I didn’t want to because that made it permanent.  So I stayed in solution-finding mode researching colic and crying on the internet.  I found some great resources and eventually was able to find techniques that eased his stress.  Unfortunately these were only temporary fixes that put him to sleep.   He, without fail, would return to his fussy self upon waking.  This involved tears, a scrunched face, flailing fists and a stiff body.  The sound was one of pain.  It was horrible for all of us.  Accepting that this was my son’s temperament rather than a medical condition was out of the question so we kept searching for an underlying problem.  He underwent a GI exam at 2 months old and was loosely diagnosed with having dairy sensitivity, possible reflux and/ or colic.  The truth was- no one knew what was wrong with Dominic and this was an awful and powerless feeling.  What parents want to feel powerless when it comes to the well-being of their children?

He had plenty of ear infections the first year which added to his already fragile temperament and some extra fluid in his brain that lead to a couple of MRIs before age one.  Overall, though, he was physically healthy.  The times where he wasn’t sick left me with no excuses for his sensitivity except that he was sensitive in general as a person. 

The biggest thing Chris and I were missing was support for us so that we could better support our son.  When stress was tightly wrapped around our house like a rubber band waiting to snap, we weren’t as nurturing to each other or Dominic.  It meant we weren’t taking things day by day and that we were wishing things were different… that Dominic was different. This was a disservice to our new family.  It took us many months to come to a place of acceptance with Dominic.  He was stressed easily, quick to cry and super happy when things were well.  We were even able to laugh about it occasionally.  Sometimes laughter was what kept us sane.  Eventually we realized that our job was to help him deal with his rollercoaster of feelings by acknowledging them rather than trying to squelch them.  He needed comfort and we did too.

Dr. Barry Lester runs the only colic clinic in our country- The Brown University Center for the Study of Children At Risk.  According to Dr. Lester infant colic and fussiness can cause parents to feel they are not capable parents.  I can attest to this.  It can throw a wrench into the parents’ bonding with baby as well because they may not feel that attachment that many parents do.  He feels the most important thing their clinic does is “let parents off the hook.”  Parents of colic or otherwise fussy babies need to know it is not their fault.  If they can truly believe this, they will be less likely to develop depression and resentment toward their babies. 

By accepting our babies as they are, fussiness and all, we are not admitting that we are bad parents.  We are admitting that we can’t change our babies.  For better or for worse, they are ours.  And I can tell you from experience that life gets easier at this point.  Just expect fussiness to happen.  Don’t fear it.  The most you can do is help your baby through it with soothing words and lots of compassion. Time will heal the rest.  High needs babies need less as they get older.  My son is almost two and is far happier than he used to be.  I am finally hearing compliments about how happy he is!  Those were few and far between before.  Does he still have a sensitive temperament?  Yes.  He’s a tender little guy who expresses his sadness, frustration and love very easily.  Temper tantrums aside, I like him that way!  Honestly, if your child isn’t comfortable expressing emotion- that isn’t good either.  “Easy” babies may not always be happy.  They might just be quiet.  It is important to keep that in perspective when feeling the need to do a baby swap. 

Wishing our babies were different isn’t helpful.  It is self-defeating and will keep us from fully loving and bonding with our children when they need it most.  Getting help from counselors, The Fussy Baby Site, and even talking to a friend will do wonders for our stress so we can be the parents we need to be.  We can’t change our babies.  However we can change our perceptions and expectations of our babies leading to a healthier parent-child bond.  Next time your baby screams in your ear while you are holding her try telling her how happy you are that she feels so comfortable expressing her feelings to you.  That is what she is doing after all.  You may not really feel this way at first but if you make it your mantra you will begin to believe you are blessed and that things will get better.

Sources

Providence Clinic Helps Parents Cope with Colic by Debbie Elliott, 2006, www.npr.com

About Amanda Hammond

Amanda Hammond, IMI blog contributor,  is the founder of Ready Or Not Baby Planning Services in Wisconsin.

http://www.readyornotbabyplanning.com/

As pregnant moms we tend to take charge of our bodies and our babies much like we are known for in our weddings.  What can a man possibly know about prenatal yoga positions or birth classes?  Will he even care if the baby carrier fits him?  Here’s the thing- it’s not for us to decide how involved he wants to be.  He may very well be dying to be included in this process with you. 

Let’s start with the biological side of things. When he hears the news, his cortisol shoots up for about 6 weeks and then lowers back down to normal levels.  The next major changes happen in the last month of pregnancy where his sex hormones change.  A few weeks before baby arrives, Dad’s testosterone levels reduce by a third.  He is likely to be more gentle and easy going so this is a great time to include him if you haven’t already.  Take advantage of his newfound sensitive side.  He might want to rub your feet or cook you a healthy meal.  He might want to help design the nursery.  Let him help!  Some men have such hormonal shifts that they have what is known as sympathetic pregnancy.  They can bloat, cramp and feel moody just like we can.  This condition has been scientifically proven and has been observed in all cultures. 

Once baby is born Dad is more likely than ever to become a complete mush ball.  His estrogen naturally increases, and with skin-to-skin contact, he can feel that wonderful oxytocin rush just like we can.  This is the amazing hormone that intoxicates as soon as we hold our babies.   We have him in this altered hormonal state for about six weeks after baby arrives.  Then his hormones return to normal, but if he has been included in the pregnancy, he is extremely likely to stay a mush ball when it comes to his child.  This is what we want.  Aside from Daddy’s cute hormonal changes, there are huge emotional and familial benefits to involving him in your prenatal affairs.

 In 2007 the First Nine Months of Fatherhood took place.  Focusing on prenatal father involvement, this national conference was the first of its kind. Through their collaborated research a report was published which showed the connection between prenatal father involvement and family wellness. Believe it or not, Dad can motivate us to make healthy choices while pregnant such as quitting smoking and eating healthier.  Think of him as a cheerleader for Team Mom.  Not only can an involved pregnant dad help us have a healthier pregnancy and healthier baby, but he is statistically more likely to develop a strong attachment with his child.  Studies have shown for years how helpful an involved dad can be to a child’s wellbeing.  Now we see this idea holds true prenatally as well. 

Here are some ways to get Dad involved.

Ask him to help with the nursery. Lord knows you shouldn’t be painting or putting together a crib.  Let him do this.

Invite him to attend prenatal appointments and make sure that your care provider includes him.  There is no doubt he’d love to hear the heartbeat or feel the baby too.

Invite him to walk or do yoga with you a few times a week.  This gets him directly involved with your health and wellbeing as well as the baby’s.

Sign up for Bradley Birth classes.  This method is focused on husband-coached childbirth.  This makes him your equal as far as preparing for birth is concerned.  You will spend romantic nights together filling out your Bradley homework.  Awww! 

Involve him in the creating of your birth plan.  It is his birth too. 

Give him the task of researching circumcision if he’s in favor of it.  He may change his mind…

Ask him to cook for you.  He will be nourishing both of his babies.  What could be more rewarding than that? 

Assign Dad the role of stocking the changing station.  This will need to be done before baby comes.  Diapers- Check.  Wipes- Check.  Nose plugs- Check.

Dads’ brains and hormones change for this important role, this life change.  They become more like us and less like them.  Consequently most are equipped to handle pregnancy right along with us.  They can attend appointments, ask questions and choose baby bedding too.  There is no question that children benefit from an emotionally available father but now we see the same holds true before they are ever born.  As pregnant women and maternity professionals we must encourage this.

Sources

Daddy and Baby: The Science of New Fatherhood, expecting and fathering a baby radically changes a man’s brain too, Published June 17, 2011 Victoria Costello www.phychologytoday.com/blog/awakening-psyche/

The First Nine Months of Fatherhood- Report from the First National Conference of Emerging Research and Practice on Prenatal Father Involvement. www.oag.state.tx.us/AG_Publications/pdfs/first9months.pdf

About Amanda Hammond

Amanda Hammond, IMI blog contributor,  is the founder of Ready Or Not Baby Planning Services in Wisconsin.

http://www.readyornotbabyplanning.com/

In our fast-paced western society, cell phones have become a must-have. They allow us to connect with clients, send Emails, post on Facebook, watch stocks plummet and keep up with Occupy Wall Street.  We can do all of this on the bus, in a taxi or shopping downtown all while showcasing our fantastic musical taste via our ringtone! 83% of Americans own some type of cell phone as of last August and smart phone use is expected to double in the next four years. Here is why this is scary.

Cell phones are quite good at emitting electromagnetic radiation… and we hold them up to our heads.  In fact many teenagers seem to have glued them there.  A study published in the Journal of American Medical Association explained how using a cell phone of any kind for more than 50 minutes changes brain cell activity.  The brain’s glucose metabolism increases causing more cells to make energy from that extra glucose.  Because this process is being initiated in an unnatural manner triggered by radiation, scientists worry what kind of impact this could have on our health.

The area with the most brain activity in this study was, as you probably guessed, the part of the brain closest to the antenna of the cell phone.  This is not just a concern for those of us who are healthy thought healthy brains are the ones studied.  What about children and people who are already affected by a neurological issue?  According to Dr. Nora Volkow, a neuroscientist at the National Institute of Healthy and the leader of this study, “If someone already has brain damage and then stimulates it with electromagnetic exposure from a cell phone, it could trigger something dangerous.”  Volkow also feels that the radiation exposure of child users could be significantly greater than that of adults and believes “the pediatric population is at a higher risk.”

Scientists have indeed found that children’s brains absorb TWICE the amount of radiation as those of adults.  Being thinner and softer, their skulls are less equipped to shelter their brains from invasive electromagnetic radiation.  Current protocol for cell phone radiation testing isn’t considering children’s usage of phones.  Children are absorbing twice as much in their heads and three times as much in the hippocampus and hypothalamus!  They also absorb more radiation through their eyes than adults do and ten times more in their bone marrow.  And what do babies love to play with?  Our smartphones!

The Federal Communications Commission’s cell phone certification process uses a mannequin head filled with fluid named SAM.  This is a poor way to study radiation effects for many reasons.  First of all, the SAM method doesn’t account for the various tissues actually found in the human brain, most of which absorb radiation at different levels.  Another issue is that this mannequin head is modeled after a large man’s.  That leaves many of us out.  I am certainly not a large man and those who are- how lucky you are to be the population of most concern to the FCC! 

There are applications on smartphones now that are specifically made for babies and toddlers like calming noise simulators, animal sounds and flashcards.  These are the LAST members of our population who should be using them with their vulnerable skulls that in many cases aren’t completely closed yet.  Though there is pressure for cellular phone companies to include warning labels on their phone packages at the time of purchase, it hasn’t happened yet. This is because though many studies have found compelling data on the subject, much of it can be refuted or called inconclusive. 

To protect your family from radiation exposure, I’m not going to tell you to throw your Droid away though Droids are one of the worst offenders.  Don’t worry.  Instead, use a headset, speaker phone or text messaging when communicating.  The idea is to keep the antenna away from your brain while you are using it.  Part of self-care is to keep all of our habits and behaviors in check.  To me this means I need to keep tabs on research regarding my lifestyle choices.  Since I choose to use a smartphone, I take proper precautions to avoid excessive radiation.  I use it mainly for texting and my toddler certainly is not allowed to play with it.  I’m also thinking of switching to a model that emits less radiation.  I’m hoping that some of you upon reading this will make some adjustments to limit your exposure as well. 

Heavy use of cell phones may increase tumour risk: study, The Globe and Mail- Canada, May 2010

Not-so-Smart Phones: Some New Favorites Rank High in Radiation, EWG, Feb. 2010

Cell phone exposure increases brain cell activity, CNN Health, Feb. 2011

 Saferphonezone.com

About Amanda Hammond

Amanda Hammond, IMI blog contributor,  is the founder of Ready Or Not Baby Planning Services in Wisconsin.

http://www.readyornotbabyplanning.com/

Join the forum discussion on this post

The phrase “going green” has often been thought of, and often is, about using environmentally sustainable products and having a low carbon footprint.   It’s a hippy-dippy thing right?  Wrong.  Being green is more than that.  For me it is about my family, specifically my toddler.  I do NOT hug trees.  I hug babies.  I also love my husband, myself and even my dogs enough to give them a safe home.  To me, green is synonymous with safe.  When you look at it that way….

Cancer, nervous system disorders and birth defects are on the rise.  It is reasonable to assume that the toxins our babies are born with coupled with ones they are exposed to postpartum are partially to blame.  Our bodies are affected by the scads of new chemicals produced each year as well as the ones already being used.  According to studies done by the Environmental Working Group, babies are born toxic.  The toxins found in their cord blood are alarming:  Dioxin is a hormone disruptor.  PCBs can impair fetal development lowing IQ permanently.  Methylmercury impairs brain function.  Babies’ bodies are to a disadvantage at conception having to combat all the pollutants already in the mother’s womb.  This makes it crucial for mom to take care of her body by avoiding as many harmful chemicals as possible.  Once baby is born, it is important to continue this trend in the home environment especially her sleeping space.

Babies spend at least 10 hours asleep.  Whether they sleep in your room or their own room, there are several places toxins can be found. 

Let’s start with the mattress as that is where they are actually laying (hopefully).  Infant and adult mattresses are not manufactured in a very responsible way.  Whether your little sweetheart is sleeping in a bassinet, your bed or in his crib, the mattress needs to be SAFE.  It should be made with organic cotton or wool and void of toxins.  This means, no flame retardants, no synthetic fabrics, no boric acid or antimony and no vinyl.  100% cotton, bamboo and wool are best, ideally if they are grown and manufactured responsibly.  Cotton should definitely be organic being it is heavily doused with pesticides.  Follow suit with the mattress pad and sheets.  That new jungle-themed bedding set you’ve been eyeing up can have the above mentioned chemicals as well.  The packaging on the mattress and bedding you buy should boast its virtues as being certified organic, nontoxic, Green Guard certified, etc.  A great choice is Naturepedic as they offer many sizes and styles of their nontoxic mattresses, sheets and mattress covers.  There are many other good companies out there too.  Do your research though. 

The crib and changing table need to be put together at least 3 months before baby arrives and allowed to air out.  Ideally, this should be done outside as to keep the chemicals out of your home, but if that is not possible, let them off-gas in another room with a lot of open windows.  This process takes between 2 to 3 months.  The gas here is in the wood treatments and the wood itself if it is particle board or any other type of compressed wood.  Formaldehyde and other VOCs are emitted from nursery furniture and other wood furniture in your home unless it is otherwise specified.  If you can, it is really best to invest in a crib made from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood or reclaimed wood.  Other safe materials are wicker and rattan.  The finish on nursery furniture should be VOC-free!  Often it is not.  Again, research!  Green Guard has a great database of cribs and mattresses that are tested to have low to no off-gassing. 

Flooring is an important thing to consider as well.  Whether the room rests on hardwoods, vinyl or wall to wall carpeting, there are some things to be aware of.  Any flooring that involves adhesives is suspect when it comes to infant safety or your own for that matter.  The adhesives used are often full of toxic chemicals.   In addition, carpet can harbor a host of tiny particles including dust mites and pet dander.  It is often treated with stain resistant chemicals that off-gas.  If you already have wall-to-wall carpeting in the nursery steam-clean it rather than using carpet shampoo.  It gives a deep clean and can be done with just plain old water!    The most family-friendly flooring is FSC hardwood flooring with nontoxic treatment.  Other good options are slate, ceramic tile, cork and bamboo.  Cork is more forgiving for newly crawling or walking babies. 

The drawback to avoiding wall-to-wall is that you are sacrificing comfort.  Who doesn’t enjoy the feel of high pile carpeting under their feet?  To remedy this, buy some safe area rugs with no backing that are made with natural fibers.  Place organic rug pads underneath to keep them in place.  Bamboo, organic cotton, hemp, wool and jute are good options.  Make sure the dies are low-impact and nontoxic.  Ideally they should be machine washable or easy to steam clean.  DwellSmart offers some great options.  This is a great way to warm up a cool slate or ceramic floor!

There should be no chipping paint, especially if your home is old.  It is a good idea to have your home checked for lead paint before conception.  Once pregnant, it is best not to remove the lead paint because it can release into the air.  Paint over any exposed areas instead.  If you’d like to repaint, this is not a job for pregnant women.  It makes for cute pictures, but that’s about it.  It is a disservice to your baby to be breathing in paint fumes.  Have someone else do the dirty work.  Your paint should be VOC free or low-voc after the coloring is added.  Milk paint is another good option as it is naturally VOC free and free of many other chemicals.  Wallpaper and borders should contain no vinyl and be applied with a nontoxic glue. 

When cleaning the nursery, be mindful of chemicals!  Use safe products like Seventh Generation, Method, Meyers or better yet, make your own!  Recipes involve baking soda, vinegar, washing soda, lemon juice and essential oils for the most part.  Then all you need are some spray bottles.  Once you have all your ingredients you can make years worth of product.  Eco-nomical right?

Loving the cute curtains at Babies R Us?  Fabrics used in your new non-toxic nursery should be free of any treatments like water or stain-proofing and flame retardants.  Avoid synthetic fabrics and stick with natural ones like organic cotton, wool, bamboo, silk, linen and hemp.  Organic cotton is recommended because it will not emit chemicals found in pesticides.  Not only that, but natural fabrics will not emit any type of smell and will look beautiful in any nursery.    There are many adorable organic choices available.  Check out www.babyearth.com.

The air quality in our homes is far worse than what we breathe outside, even in a heavily industrialized area.  Air quality has been associated with SIDS, so make sure your nursery has excellent air flow.  Fans are great.  A window fan or air conditioner will work too.  Open the windows and air your baby’s nursery a few times a day to release any toxic chemicals that have accumulated from furniture stains and paint.  Keep your shoes off in your baby’s sleep space.  Shoes track in pesticides, dirt and other harmful substances.  Ideally, we shouldn’t be wearing our shoes in the house at all.  Eastern cultures set good examples as they find it completely disgusting to wear shoes indoors.  They are right.  

Use incandescent light bulbs to sidestep the mercury found in compact fluorescent ones.  When broken, the mercury is released into the air of your home.  Yikes.  Incandescents also cast a more pleasant light.  There is a reason babies scream at Wal-Mart.

The designers from Inspired Everyday Living recommend light or neutral colors in a nursery because bright ones can be over-stimulating for babies.  That is the last thing parents want when putting baby to bed for the evening!  This is a place for sleep so design it as such.  Keep clutter as low as possible using furniture that multitasks, shelves and hidden storage areas.  Clutter causes stress, which is something we have enough.  And as you probably know, our babies can sense our stress and will respond accordingly. 

If you can’t afford to buy the nontoxic crib or install cork flooring, make small changes.  Opening windows and starting a “no shoes” rule will be a great start.  So will cleaning with nontoxic products which can be made for pennies on the dollar.  You can also purchase a Babesafe mattress wrap which will block any off-gassing from your little one’s mattress.  Find them on Amazon.com.

It may be frightening to hear all the things in your home that could potentially harm your baby.  The only thing more frightening is the ignorance we as parents have about these dangers.  We certainly aren’t warned about them like we are about placing baby to sleep on his back.   So empower yourself with information on these topics by doing research on your own.  Use what you learn to make changes in your environment and feel good because you are truly taking care of your family.  Love is an amazing motivator. 

Sources

www.inspiredeverdayliving.com  Healthy Decorating

Ecologist- How to Reduce Toxins and Green your Baby’s Nursery by Laura Sevier, 2009

www.healthychild.com  Carcinogenic Cribs and Changing Tables?  Jennifer Taggart, 2008

www.healthychild.com  Trimester Calender  Laura Forbes Carlin and Alison Forbes, 2008

www.ewg.org

About Amanda Hammond

Amanda Hammond, IMI blog contributor,  is the founder of Ready Or Not Baby Planning Services in Wisconsin.

http://www.readyornotbabyplanning.com/

Join the forum discussion on this post

Thankfully, other more influential organizations are conceding that water fluoridation may not be in our best interest because of a new study put out by the Journal of the American Dental Association: 

All infant formulas, whether ready to feed, concentrated or organic, contain fluoride at levels which can discolor developing teeth. – JADA, 2009

The findings from this study show that the level of fluoride in infant formula combined with fluoridated water are enough to put infants at risk.

A condition called dental fluorosis, a discoloration and damage to the tooth enamel, is the most common result of ingesting too much fluoride.  This is what the Center for Disease Control and Prevention focused on in their report about fluoride in the water.  “Recent evidence suggests that mixing powdered or liquid infant formula concentrate with fluoridated water on a regular basis may increase the chance of a child developing enamel fluorosis.” Over 60% of babies are consuming levels of fluoride that exceed the range considered safe in FL.  Similar findings have been published in major cities across the country. According to the CDC, 48% of children who attend school have mild fluorosis with 4% being severe. They were also quick to note that they are still in favor of water fluoridation and that the fluorosis is more of a mild “cosmetic issue.”   I urge you at this point to look up dental fluorosis on Google images.  Dental fluorosis is not mild to the children and adults who have brown stains all over their teeth.   What pops into my head when I see pictures like this is, “These children’s teeth do NOT look protected to me!” 

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola there are many more dangers to swallowing fluoride than dental fluorosis; those being dementia, bone fractures, hypothyroidism and osteosarcoma (bone cancer).  It is also linked to immune system disruptions, infertility and increased lead absorption (also in our water supply in trace amounts). 

At levels of .9 to 1.2 mg/liter, mild dental fluorosis has been reported.  When I checked out my water’s fluoride level through CDS’s website, this is what I found.

Does this water system supply fluoridated water?  YES.  THIS WATER SYSTEM ADJUSTS THE NATURAL FLOURIDE CONCENTRATION UPWARD TO THE OPTIMAL LEVEL FOR THE PREVENTION OF DENTAL CARRIES

Optimal Fluoride Concentration 1MG/L (Hmmm… that seems to be above .9 mg/L)

Date Fluoridation Started JANUARY 1^st, 1950

The fact that our water is supplemented with fluoride to levels that were acceptable in 1950 is unsettling.  The reasons to fluoridate our water are strictly based on tooth decay prevention.  Sure.  We all want to have nice teeth.  That is why we are supposed to brush!  Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste is sufficient enough for cavity prevention.  There was a study done in Turkey in areas with high and low levels of fluoride in 2003.  They found that increased fluoride levels were associated with increased incidents of and severity of dental fluorosis.  They also found that highly fluoridated areas had no effect on cavities of children with poor oral hygiene.  Cavities are formed by enamel erosion from acidic sugar bacteria.  Ingesting fluoride alone does nothing to stop this process.  Brushing with topical fluoride toothpaste does because it cleans the acidic bacteria off and applies fluoride directly to the tooth surface.  Fluoride works from the outside in making the reasons to swallow it even less credible.  Unless I’m crazy, it seems counterproductive at best to fluoridate our water supply for tooth protection when fluoride itself can harm teeth and bones if exposure is not carefully regulated.  That is part of the issue here.  Fluoride is in our toothpaste, mouthwash, water, food and formula.  When just two of these components are added together, water and formula, the level reached is too high. 

Though the ADA and CDC recommend that we not give our babies formula mixed with fluoridated water, there have been no news conferences.  I had to search for the sources I used for this article when in reality; I should have heard this information from my son’s doctor.  Instead she told me that tap water was safe to mix into his formula.   Something even more interesting is that infant water sold specifically for making formula with is also fluoridated.  Now that these findings are being acknowledged by the CDC, I’m hoping to see this change very soon. 

We have a hard time changing legislation and policy in our country once we’ve already decided something is a good idea… even if it was 60 years ago.  So don’t rely on your water’s fluoride levels to decrease any time soon without some coaxing.

Fight back against fluoride in your drinking water.

Fluoride in our water is even more of a reason to breastfeed as there is 250 times less in breast milk.  If you are a mom like me who was unable to breastfeed, please make sure the water you use to mix your formula is fluoride free.  The only way to be 100% positive is to install a reverse osmosis water filter.  Filtered water pitchers may remove some fluoride, but not all.  It depends which one you purchase.  You can also find recipes for homemade formula at the Weston A. Price Foundation’s website.  This formula is exponentially better for your baby than premade commercial brands claim to be.   

Make your own formula using filtered water or raw milk with these recipes.

http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/recipes-for-homemade-baby-formula

Filter fluoride and other harmful toxins from your water.

http://www.friendsofwater.com

Friendsofwater.com is a great resource to purchase reverse osmosis filters from.  On this site, they do have a filtering pitcher that is supposed to reduce fluoride by 75%.  This is their claim not mine, but I think it’s an option to consider if you can’t afford a filtration system fluoride-free bottled water.

Speak up for your family’s health.

http://www.fluoridealert.org/

 Sources:

http://jada.ada.org/content/140/10/1228.full.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/safety/infant_formula.htm

http://fha.maryland.gov/pdf/oralhealth/JADA.pdf

http://www.sadhanawelfare.org/fluorosis.htm

http://www.ewg.org/news/researchers-pour-dose-worry-fluoridated-water

http://www.ewg.org/news/does-fluoridated-water-still-make-sense

http://www.ewg.org/release/harvard-study-strong-link-between-fluoridated-water-and-bone-cancer-boys

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20884921?dopt=Abstract

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfmaude/detail.cfm?mdrfoi__id=1571440

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/studies-all-infant-formula-contains-fluoride-at-tooth-discoloring-levels-65167027.html

About Amanda Hammond

Amanda Hammond, IMI blog contributor,  is the founder of Ready Or Not Baby Planning Services in Wisconsin.

http://www.readyornotbabyplanning.com/