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Baby Milestones: The First Two Years

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By Lisa Pecos

For anyone who has never had a baby, it can be difficult to understand how thrilling it is when your little girl or boy passes those important developmental markers. When a baby smiles at you for the first time or says her first word, this can seem so momentous that you may feel like calling everyone you know to tell them the earth-shattering news. But beyond the emotional impact of these milestones, they are also important markers signifying that your baby is developing at a normal rate. Here are seven of the most important baby milestones to watch for during the first two years.

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5 Loveys Your Child Will Keep Forever

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Loveys–a child’s best friend. My firstborn never had one (just sucked his fingers when he needed soothing) but my daughter has a blankie–and boy-oh-boy do I make sure that thing is never out of sight. It has tags all around, and she sucks on one while stroking another. It’s been through thick and thin, and I’m still amazed by the power it has to comfort. Here are five great choices–whether you’re shopping for your own child or need a great baby gift. Angel Dear These blankets all have an animal theme (my favorite is the monkey shown here) with a head to cuddle and knotted corners Read More

Medicines you should not give your Baby

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By Jamell Andrews

It is very common for babies to experience negative reactions to medications. In fact, they are much more likely to have a bad reaction to medicine than adults. Because of this, parents need to be very careful about the types of medications they give to their babies. Even seemingly harmless over the counter or herbal drugs can harm your young child, so the best course of action is to always use caution before choosing medicines.

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Food Allergies: Is Immunotherapy the Answer?

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allergies, food allergies, immunotherapy, treatment of food allergies, how to treat food allergies, immunotherapy for food allergiesI have a friend, Christina, who is allergic to dogs–when she’s around them, her airways start to close, and she has a difficult time breathing. I am the owner of two shaggy dogs and a house full of hardwood floors. What this means is that no matter how often I sweep or vacuum, I can never get rid of all the hair. So when Christina and I first became friends, she wouldn’t be able to last five minutes in my house. But we noticed that the more she came over, the longer she could stay, until we got the point where she could be here for a dinner party–and stay from appetizers to dessert time. We always joked that she was “building a tolerance,” but after reading the LA Times article, In the Works: Immunotherapy for food allergies, I realized she really was. Immunotherapy is when an allergy sufferer Read More

New Health Reform Gives Breastfeeding Moms a Break

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breastfeeding, pumping, expredssing milk, breastfeeding and going back to work, expressing milk in the workplace, obama, obama's new health reform laws, nursingWhen I was working my first job after college (in other words, I was in my young 20’s), there was a mom who had just had her second baby. She had gone back to work a mere six weeks after her baby was born, and she was breastfeeding. I probably would’ve never paid much attention to this, except for the fact that we had one bathroom in the office, and it seemed as if every time I had to use it she was in there pumping. At the time, it was an annoyance. Looking back now, after I’ve had two children that I breastfed, I can’t believe she stuck to it. I think there may have been five females in the entire office; this, coupled with the fact that we were in a male Read More

Cord Blood Donation-Now Available at at Hospital Near You

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cord blood, cord blood donation, cord blood therapy, stem cells, cord blood research, duke's public cord blood bank
Duke's Cord Blood Kit
When I was pregnant with my first child, I had read about the benefits that the blood in my baby’s umbilical cord could have for others. Filled with stem cells, this blood could help those with cancer, sickle-cell anemia, immunodeficiency, marrow failure and genetic diseases that call for transplants. Normally, this blood is literally thrown away, so if it has so many benefits, I thought, why not donate it? Unfortunately, when I told my OB my intentions, she informed me that the hospital that I was giving birth at didn’t have the availability to store the blood and get it to a bank. And my hospital was of the norm–there are only approximately 175 hospitals in the United States that can transfer cord blood to a bank, but it looks as if that’s about to change. Time recently reported on a Public Donation Kit that’s allowing Read More

Hypnobirthing-What’s It All About?

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Jaime and her husband Devon, after the birth of their first child.
For a woman preparing to give birth for the first time, the idea of labor can be a frightening prospect. You hear that it’s painful, you have no idea what to expect, and it’s something that you have no control over. As a result, many women opt for the epidural route (which is fine) but for those that are wanting a drug-free birth, hypnobirthing may be your answer. Read More

Basic Guidelines for Feeding Babies

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By Jamell Andrews

Babies are generally able to start eating solid foods between the ages of 4 to 6 months. While most parents believe that they need to carefully feed babies very bland foods such as plain pasta and flavorless cereals, recent research has indicated that most babies are perfectly able to handle foods that not only contain some flavor, but some much needed nutrients as well.

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Selecting a Nanny, Au Pair or Babysitter – What Are We Missing?

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Nanny personality assessments can help parents learn more and choose better

Selecting a caregiver for our children is a difficult task and the risks in making a wrong choice are frightening. Most articles on this topic advise parents to interview the nannies, check their references and perform a background check. While each of those screening tools is important, they all have their limitations and do not necessarily provide sufficient information to make the best possible choice.

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