Last year when our baby arrived early our family was introduced to the Ronald McDonald House in Hamilton, Ontario.

When the hospital’s social worker had first offered me the opportunity to stay at the house I immediately said “No”. I envisioned a hostel(hotel for travelers) style environment where I was sharing facilities with people I had never met before. Once we realized our baby would be staying at the hospital for a long time I decided to check into the house for a few nights just to see. All I have to say is WOW!! My husband and I have stayed at many beautiful hotels during our travels, but none as nice as this house. The rooms were not only spacious, but newly decorated and very clean. The first floor had a huge kitchen with facilities for 3 families to cook at a time plus a patio with a barbecue. There was a huge family room, laundry room, dining room (10 tables) and a games room in the basement. All for $10.00 per day.

Each house is run with the same goal of providing a compassionate and safe “home away from home” for families of seriously ill children who are receiving treatment at local children’s hospitals. They cater to over 600 families per year. Twenty percent of their funding comes from McDonald’s Corporation and the rest is made up with donations from various corporations and individuals. A stay at the house would usually be 75.00 per night but it is subsidized so that families can stay near their children. The cost varies with each location from $10.00 - $15.00 per night. Volunteers are the heart of the house with many assisting guests, cleaning the common rooms and preparing dinner for the families.

During our three months at the RMH we met many families who had babies in the NICU like us. It was comforting to have other people in the same situation to talk to after a hectic day was over. Some of the people we met will be our friend for years to come. Our son was able to have us close to him every day. We were able to spend 12 hours a day with him without having to worry about driving 1 hour there and back. RMH gave us a pager so that the hospital could get a hold of us day or night if necessary. I don’t know what we would have done if this house wasn’t there for us to stay in.

In Canada, there are 12 Ronald McDonald Houses and each one is owned and operated by a local community non-profit with a volunteer board of directors. While each house has the “home away from home” atmosphere amenities may vary from house to house.

You never know when you are going to need to stay at a Ronald McDonald House. Take some time to learn about the charity. Donations keep the house going and each location has a list of amenities you can donate as well. Small things such as gift certificates to local stores, DVDs for the families to watch, or movie passes for a night away are always welcome.

Ronald McDonald Canada
Ronald McDonald U.S.

Time.com has an article about moms wanting more help from their husbands. It goes on to say that when they do get help mom is always looking over dad’s shoulder making sure it’s done her way. A power struggle then develops with mom being called a “Gatekeeper”. One dad is even being quoted as saying, “My wife treats me like an au pair she is always on the verge of firing.”

I agree with this article. In our defense, all we do all day is look after the kids. In doing so we have figured out the best and most efficient way to do it. When we see it done a different way we cannot fathom that there could possibly be a better way than the one we have spent months perfecting. Dads, by nature, are not as good with diapers and pablum. With a little practice and some time alone with the kids they will be able to make things happen. What we don’t want to happen is for dad’s to decide to not help at all just to keep the peace.

Many times you hear people say “Don’t hold him so much. You’re going to spoil him” or “Let him cry a bit. He can’t always get what he wants.” I wonder to myself can I really spoil a baby that is not able to walk yet? I know a lot of people belive in tough love but can you get the same results with lots of love? Dr. Greene.com believes that:

Very young children cannot be spoiled. Some babies have greater needs than others due to their own physical condition, but all babies are very needy! Crying is their only way of communicating these needs to us. If babies didn’t cry when they are hungry, or when they need their diaper to be changed, we wouldn’t know what and when they need something.

As babies grow, they begin to communicate things other than physical needs. This includes the desire to be held or comforted and the desire to be stimulated. These are healthy desires! A child is spoiled only if they express a desire and someone (usually Mom or Dad, but it can be a Grandparent or other caregiver) gives them what they want each and every time.

If your child has a need, you will not spoil them by meeting that need. In fact, it is very important for you to meet their needs in order to build security, love, and trust. You will not even spoil them by giving them what they desire, unless you always give it to them, even when you don’t want to. This is the hard part - it is good to give a baby what he or she wants sometimes, but not all the time.

So how do you know when to do so? A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself if you are giving your baby what they want or if you are giving into what they want. In most cases if you are giving just because you want to give, you will be doing the best thing for your baby.

These are for the diehard golfer who is grooming their little one to take over the tour!

PGA GOLF CART ROCKING CHAIR - 79.99

LIL DRIVER GOLF CART - motorized -249.95 BIG DRIVER 2- SEAT GOLF CART - motorized - 349.95

Embryos to go to research - A survey of couples who underwent in-vitro fertilization (IVF) at a large Australian clinic found that the majority preferred that their unused embryos go to “some use” rather than be discarded — with most wanting that use to be scientific research. (Reuters)

Study Quashes Birth Month Autism Theory - One of the largest studies to date to look at the issue has found no relationship between the month a person was born and his or her risk of autism. (Reuters)

Pollutants and Pesticides in Cord Blood - In the month leading up to a baby’s birth, the umbilical cord pulses with the equivalent of at least 300 quarts of blood each day, pumped back and forth from the nutrient- and oxygen-rich placenta to the rapidly growing child cradled in a sac of amniotic fluid. This cord is a lifeline between mother and baby, bearing nutrients that sustain life and propel growth. (EWG)

I am all of breastfeeding. I am all for breastfeeding in public. I usually wear a cover just so that people don’t stop and stare, but I have seen many women feed their babies without one and I don’t give it a second thought. With this being said I am not sure what all of the craziness is about on the cover of babytalk magazine. The baby is eating and looking up at his mommy. You can’t even see any nipple. What is the problem people?

Baby Talk, a free magazine, received 700 letters concerning their recent cover. Some calling it gross and inappropriate. Most still associate the breast with sex and are not mature enough to realize that a baby also needs it to grow.

I think it’s common knowledge that if you are going to read a Pregnancy or Baby Magazine somewhere within it’s pages you will see a nursing baby. The controversy rests in the fact that with the image being on the cover you will see it weither you plan to or not.

Full Article - CNN

I love clothes that have your child’s name on it. It lets them know that you had this made special for them and no one can wear it after. You can buy a lot of personalized stuff online blankets, plates, bibs, t-shirts, toys and even books. These three items I found were unique so I thought I’d share them. Pink Onesie sizes 3m-12m 34.00, Green Turtle John John sizes 3m-4t 39.00, Birthday T-shirt sizes 2t-children’s 8 19.95

When I was small I used to scoot around the house and even the driveway in my baby walker. So naturally after I had my son I looked into getting one for him and hit a wall. They’re BANNED in Canada (where I live).

Banned? Why? At first it appeared that too many kids were rolling down stairs in them so the Canadian Government pulled them off the shelves. They have been deemed a hazardous product. I’m confused - a hazardous product?

The Health Canada website says that if you have one you must destroy it. Are they that bad? On my last trip over the border shopping Babies R Us had 3 different models. I was tempted to just buy one then our Occupational Therapist said that they are in fact bad for development. They reduce the opportunity to learn to crawl, gain a sense of balance, stand up on their own and lifts the baby up to a level that they are not prepared to be at. This makes them now able to grab a scalding cup of coffee or hazardous chemicals. 30-40% of infants who use walkers will have an accident. Infants are able to move at speeds of 1 meter/second and not even the most attentive parent can react fast enough to prevent an injury.

Could the Canadian Government be onto something? They are the first country to ban the safe importation and advertisement of baby walkers. This also extends to second hand and modified walkers. With this all being old news why am I posting this now?

Most new parents grew up scooting all over the place in their walkers. Their parents probably have pictures of them standing in their walkers so naturally you would want that to be a part of your babies’ memories as well. There have been many ideas as to why Canadians were not able to buy them.

I personally had no idea the little monkeys could go so fast in them. That alone could take off a toe. Everything else makes sense and I am glad that we went with the exersaucer because I take comfort in knowing that my son will be where I left him when I come back.

Related:

• Ivillage article
• American Academy of Pediatrics article

SOURCE

You are now 6 months pregnant and knee deep in baby decisions. When surfing the net you come across alternative forms of birthing. There are more than one? Waterbirths are increasingly becoming popular due to the comfort factor for mom. They are also believed to be a gentler, slower introduction to life for the baby. I have seen the waterbirths done on T.V. but didn’t give it a second thought until I saw that only 10% of women who do a water birth need painkillers during labour. Could that be right?

Yup! Water is said to be a natural pain killer.

80% of women who have done a water birth say they would give birth that way again and rate their overall experience as positive. There were no differences in APGAR scores, NICU admissions, and neonatal infections when comparing water immersion births to regular deliveries.

Potential Advantages of Water Immersion

The buoyancy of water enables a mother to move more easily;

Blood pressure is lowered;

Comfort & relaxation may be enhanced;

Maternal sense of control may increase, which in turn enhances emotional well-being;

Pain may be diminished;

The need for pharmacological pain relief may be reduced;

Length of labour may be reduced;

Improved perineal stretching may reduce trauma;

Operative births may be reduced.

Potential Disadvantages

Decrease in uterine contraction strength and frequency, especially if used before active labour is established;

Neonatal water aspiration; at least two cases have been recorded

Maternal hyperthermia may contribute to fetal hypoxemia (water should be kept at 36-37.5 and monitored by a floating thermometer)

Neonatal hypothermia is possible if water temperature is too cool;

Cord immersion in warm water may delay vasoconstriction, increasing red cell transfusion to the newborn and promoting jaundice;

Blood loss estimation and assessment is difficult in the water;

Maternal and Neonatal infection may be increased; not supported by the evidence

Theoretical risk of maternal water embolus;

Risk of acquiring blood born infection or sustaining back injury for caregivers.

Rules:

1. Fetal heat should be monitored by waterproof doppler.
2. Shouldn’t enter tub until active labour has begun.
3. Must drink lots of fluid and leave tub to urine.
4. Alternative birth place must be set up outside the tub.
5. Placenta must be delivered outside the tub.
6. The baby should be born completely underwater with no air contact until the head is brought to the surface, as air and temperature change may stimulate breathing and lead to water aspiration.
7. At birth the baby’s head must be brought to the surface immediately.
8. Watch baby’s temperature carefully to prevent hypothermia.
   

Where is this done? While most hospitals have tub in some of the rooms for comfort the actual delivery is done outside the tub. Most are performed at home with midwives.

SOURCE
SOURCE