It's cold and flu season already

As we are battling colds #2 and #3 in our house (for the last 4 weeks) I wanted to remind everyone that even though it's not officialy winter, cold and flu season is already here.

Check out the Staying Healthy section for posts about getting kids to wash their hands and tips for going out in public. You know - that place with all the germs.

Please send get healthy thoughts our way. We sure could use them.

Dance Baby Dance

Babies love movement. Movement can be soothing, fun, and distracting. It can help your preemie learn how to use his/her body and it's a great way to connect with your preemie. You can dance with your preemie at any age. Don't worry - you need to be good at it. Your preemie will just enjoy the time spent with you. And dancing is fun and good exercise - a win, win.

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

1) For very young preemies - start with music that is soft and mellow. Even lullabies work. Hold your preemie in close and gently rock back and forth with the music. Your preemie will start to associate the movement with the music which is an important connection.

2) Once your preemie is strong enough to support his/her own head - make your movements bigger and more purposeful. You can start to choose music that has more of a beat. If your preemie likes it - spin around in circles. Jump up and down (lightly) and really get those hips moving. Anything that allows your little one to really feel the movement.

3) Encourage your preemie's own dancing. Help your preemie move his/her own body to the music. Our daughter started "rockin' out" as soon as she could sit up. Personally I think she was born in the wrong era as her head banging skills are quite good. As soon as she hears music her eyes light up and she starts swaying. I love watching her.

Some Dancing Tips (of the non-technique variety):
- When you introduce music to your little ones, be sure to pick songs that you can stand listening to over and over again. Over and Over. My daughter will only dance to certain songs. If I try and get her to dance to something new she wants nothing to do with it. Currently her favorites are songs from High School Musical. I have only myself to blame as I'm the one who let my son watch the movies with me (much to my husband's chagrin) and then put some of the songs on my iPod.
- Looking for some lullabies that don't make you cringe? Try RockABye Baby! Records They sell lullaby versions of songs from popular bands including the Beatles, Bob Marley, No Doubt, Green Day, etc. I really like them.
- Sing along. Singing with your preemie is also a great way to encourage language development. Sing with the songs and encourage your preemie to "sing" too.
- Feeling stressed? Tired? Cranky? Put on some music and dance (with or without your preemie). We have been stuck inside due to the rain and the late afternoon often brings the cabin fever blues so we have been dancing quite a bit this week.
- If your preemie loves music and/or dancing - use it as an opportunity to teach him/her the sign for music. I'll do a post on the sign later this week.

Happy Dancing!!

Keep it clean: part 2

Now that the winter season is fully here, parents of preemies need to be extra careful about keeping their preemie healthy. Last winter I did a series of posts about staying healthy so please check here, here, here , and here for more tips and information.

On a recent trip to Target we added a new soap to our bathroom. It is called Soap Tunes Foaming Soap.



When you press down on the dispenser, it plays a little song while you wash your hands. There are three different options - all based on something educational like counting or the ABCs. My son loves it. Soap tip: If your youngest happens to be in the bedroom right across from the bathroom, you might want to have your oldest use a different soap in the middle of the night. It can be a jaring wake-up at 2am.

Here are a few additional tips to use while you are getting through this winter/RSV season:

• Bring your own pen so that you can use it when signing credit card receipts at the store. You never know who used the store pen before you. If you have to use the store pen - use Purell when you are finished.
• Watch what your preemie (or other kids) touch when you are at the store. The check out counter area, store shelves, and other areas are prime spots that your preemie might touch.
• Ask to be put in a room at the doctor's office rather than in the waiting area. It will mean you're in the exam room for longer however there are far less germs
• Bring your own toys with you in the diaper bag - you know where your toys have been and who has touched them so try and keep your preemie interested in those vs. toys in the waiting room, friend's house, etc. that have been touched by many hands.

Did you know?

Many parents of preemies try to keep their preemie out of traditional daycare in order to reduce germ exposure. On the flip side, daycare is also one of the key risk factors for receiving/being approved for the Synagis shots during RSV season. I recently learned that the definition of "daycare" is actually quite broad so if the definition below applies to you - make sure to let your pediatrician know so that he/she can accurately describe your preemie's risk factors when they send a request to your insurance company.

Daycare is defined as 2 or more children who are not siblings that are together for 4 or more hours. So think about it - do you have a friend who watches your preemie (while watching his/her own kid) while you run some errands or get some work done? Does your older sibling go to playgroups or other kid activities where he/she would be exposed to germs? All of that counts so make a note of it if it applies to you and your preemie.

Book Recommendation

I just finished reading a book that you might be interested in. It's called I Will Not Be Broken by Jerry White.




The author is a recognized leader of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines, and co-founder of Survivor Corps (formerly Landmine Survivors Network). In 1984, Jerry lost his leg—and almost his life—in a landmine accident. He has endured the pain of loss and the challenge of rebuilding.

I Will Not Be Broken is a book devoted to helping people overcome a life crisis. I have to be honest with you. When the Survivor Corp's offered to send me a copy to read/review, my first thought was "this isn't right for me or my readers." Just to make sure, I read the first couple of chapters and found out more about the concept of the book. I quickly realized that this book WAS a good book for me and other preemie parents. Having a baby who is born premature is certainly a life crisis and the after effects of it can stick with you for a long time. There are a lot of books about prematurity but many of them don't deal with the personal feelings and deep impact that it can have on parents and other family members. There is a tremendous amount of guilt, confusion, anger, sadness, etc. that comes with having a baby born too soon. I definitely think this book can help parents get past the devastating effects of having a premature baby and the issues that come with it.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Jerry has put together five (5) steps for overcoming a life crisis. In between Jerry's own perspective and comments on the steps and how to get through them are stories from other survivors. The ability of these survivor's to not only just get on with things but to really live life after a crisis is truly inspiring. I felt motivated and encouraged just be reading their stories. The steps that Jerry discusses are:

1. Face Facts - preemie parents have to do this step pretty darn fast. Whether you get 3 months or 3 minutes to "prepare" for a premature birth, it doesn't really hit you until you enter the NICU and see your little one hooked up to monitors, ventilators, feeding pumps, etc. You don't get time to take it all in and really digest it because right away you are there trying to make the right decisions for your little one.


2. Choose Life - I've noticed that a lot of the time parents of preemies find themselves retreating from the world. Many people don't understand what you are going through and sometimes there can be too many things to deal with. It's important however to try and move past this and choose to be a part of the world. Take care of you and take care of your little one with the help of others.


3. Reach Out - This is also important for preemie parents - finding a way to reach out. Whether it's through a hospital support group, an online message board, other parents in the NICU - finding a way to connect can help yourself and others through the painful process both in the NICU and at home.


4. Get Moving - This is a tough one. Especially when your preemie is in the NICU. Try to keep going with your life. Make new goals and plans. Find a way to move forward (even if your little one is taking a step back at the moment).


5. Give Back - I firmly believe in this step. Giving back can be a really great way to feel like you can help other parents and babies. Whether you volunteer for the March of Dimes, make hats for babies in the NICU or get involved in some other way, giving back can really help you feel better and move forward.

If you would like to find out more information about the book or the author, you can go here. Also, the author Jerry White is going to be on ABC's Good Morning America this Thursday August 7th at 8:45am. I would encourage you to listen in and see what you think.

Going Places, Part 1

With the weather getting warmer (in most places), RSV season coming to a close and the urge to get out of the house growing stronger, preemie parents are going to start taking their precious miracles out into the world. While most parents can't wait to show off their baby's to the world - preemie parents are often nervous, apprehensive and downright scared about the potential risk to their babies. It's a germ filled world and I don't know about you, but I can't help thinking I'm living in a Lysol commercial where you can literally "see" the germs everywhere.

Here are some tips to try and stay as germ free as possible during your outings.

1. Timing. If you are going to the store, try and go early in the morning when there are less people. If you aren't sure when the store's downtime is - call and ask. Any employee should be able to tell you when they are most busy or slow.

2. What to Bring - make sure you pack plenty of Purell (or any variant of it) and put the bottles in easy to find places. If you or your kids touch something "questionable," don't hesitant to put some Purell on. Put a pack of Clean Wipes in your purse or diaper bag. They are perfect for wiping down shopping cart handles or playground equipment.

3. Stroller/Carrier - Depending on where you are going, try and have your preemie stay in the stroller, car seat or baby carrier. When we take our daughter out in her stroller, I pull the sun shade down most of the way and then throw a blanket on top so she is totally covered. She's not a huge fan of this but it helps keep little (or big) hands from reaching in when we are in a crowd of people (like the doctor's office). A baby carrier or sling is perfect for shopping trips. Make sure to face your baby towards you - strangers are less likely to reach towards your personal space to touch the baby. Or if they do - they will only be touching the back of his/her head.

4. Keeping people away - if your baby is in a stroller or other covered carrier, the best way to keep people from trying to touch, cough or breath on your preemie is to tell them he/she is sleeping. This is especially useful for small children who are naturally curious about babies. Just gently tell them your baby is sleeping and slowly start backing up/moving forward so you and your baby are out of reach. If they can plainly see that your baby is awake - just tell them he/she is tired and then move along. A lot of people also use signs to gently remind strangers they need to be careful.

5. Outside vs. Inside - If your friends and/or family want to get together for lunch/play date, ask to meet a park. Or in a backyard. It's much easier to have kids play outside - they have more space to move around without swapping germs on every toy available.

6. Older siblings - While your protecting your preemie - don't forget about protecting your other children. Before we go into any store I have my son use Vick's Early Defense on his hands. We then Purell afterward - just in case. I also remind him that he shouldn't touch his face for the entire time we are in the store. Siblings can also be a helpful diversion from your preemie. If a friend or stranger wants to touch the baby - try and divert their attention towards your other kids. "Bobby is so excited about his little sister," "Alison is really excited about playing soccer," etc. Anything to move the focus away from your littlest one.

7. Take it slow - We've been stuck inside since July of last year so I know about the urge for freedom and well, spur of the moment shopping. You still want to take it slow. Try one trip and see how it goes. How do you feel? How did your baby do? If you take it one day at a time, you'll learn the best ways to handle things for you and your baby.

This weekend I'll post part 2 of Going Places - how to handle stares, questions and downright rudeness.

The Great Soap Showdown

In January I wrote an entry about ways to get kids to wash their hands more frequently. Since then I've had a few people ask me about some of the soaps mentioned and whether or not they are effective for getting kids to wash their hands. So I thought that we would do a little soap test with me and my four-year-old.

The Contenders:

SquidSoap by Airborne
Dial ColorClean

Softsoap Foam Works

The Results:

SquidSoap by Airborne

Overall: Conceptually my son was most interested in this soap. He was fascinated with the idea that the little squid on the bottle would "ink" his hand. He wanted to try that one first and has since asked to use that one most of the time. I thought that the design was quite appealing for a kid - almost toy like in nature which is usually a good thing. I also liked the fact that it comes with a removable cap for the ink part of the soap. This helps prevent kids from trying to ink their hands many times and allows you to prevent guests from being surprise inked.

How it worked: My son is still working on the mechanics of putting one hand on the dispenser and one hand underneath to catch the soap so he had a little trouble initially as it is vital for the person washing their hands to put their hand on the ink spot. Since the soap was clear he almost spilled it out of his hand a couple of times. In order to get the spot to go away, you really have to scrub hard. Even after several tries there is still a light spot on your hand but it does go away after time.

Putting the ink on his hands

The ink spot

The remaining ink spot after washing hands for about 20-30 seconds.

Pros: This soap is definitely a great one for kids (especially younger ones) from an interest perspective. It really requires your to scrub hard which is good because most kids just try and lightly rub their hands together while their washing.

Cons: The soap is clear so it's hard to keep it on your hands if you aren't paying attention. The ink spot doesn't disappear completely after hand washing.

Dial Color Clean
Overall: My son had a harder time understanding how this soap worked. I think he was expecting a bigger impact when the beads popped and changed the lather to green. He really liked the smell of this one which was a big plus for him. The little beads in the clear soap made it easier for him to see. I liked this one because it can go in a bathroom without looking like an obvious kid soap.

How it worked: Once the soap is in your hand, you have to really work to pop the beads and have them turn the lather green. The beads are pretty small so you really have to try hard to get them. I think if the green was bigger/brighter than my son might have enjoyed this soap even more.

This is what the soap with the beads looked like.

Pros: This soap really requires you to wash for a longer period of time which is great. It also encourages you to scrub all parts of your hands as the beads move around. The smell is really nice without being overpowering.

Cons: I think little kids have a harder time getting "the point" of this one so they might find it less fun. Older kids might like this one because they can better understand how it works.

Softsoap Foam Works
Overall: We normally use a foam soap for our son because he likes to be able to see where the soap is and instantly have lather on his hands. We bought the berry scented on to see if the smell would make it anymore exciting than his regular soap. The smell was nice but it didn't really affect his choice. He still does well with this soap because he can make his "soap gloves" easily and the soap doesn't slide off his hands as fast.

The lather from the foam soap

How it worked: This soap works like any other soap. Again, the nice thing about the foam is that kids can see it and get instant lather which they usually like.

Pros: The smell. My son did like how it smelled. The foam works great and lasts for a long time so my son was able to get his 15-20 seconds of hand washing in.

Cons: It doesn't come with an exciting concept but otherwise there isn't really anything to take away from this soap.

In the end I think all of the soaps had something to offer. If you're thinking about buying some for your kids, I would take into account how old they are and how likely they are to buy into whichever concept the soap the has.

Have fun and celebrate the clean hands!

Taking Care of You

When you have a baby in the NICU, it can be difficult to focus on anything but him/her and how things are going. If you have other kids at home than you end up balancing time and energy between them as well. The person who ends up getting lost in the shuffle is well, you. A baby in the NICU can bring feelings of guilt, stress, anger, confusion, and sadness (just to name a few). It's important that you find time for yourself - it will make it easier for you to handle what is going on as well as make you a better parent.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1) Go out to dinner
2) Grab coffee with a friend. Or ten friends.
3) Take a bath
4) Go for a walk or some other form of exercise
5) Rent or go see a movie
6) Run errands - grab a coffee and bring your iPod for a chance to chill out and get things done - that's what I call multitasking.
7) Make something - food, scrapbooking, knitting, sewing, whatever you have fun doing
8) Read blogs - people blog about anything, find one you like and read up
9) Play a game
10) Read a book
11) Get a massage. Or a manicure/pedicure. Or all three.
12) Go shopping. To buy or to window shop. Either way can be fun.
13) Go to a concert or sporting event

Basically find something that you can lose yourself in, even for a little while. Something that relaxes you and will help you focus on something other than the little miracle waiting for you at the NICU.

For those of you feeling guilty about not staying as long as your normally do one day or night because you are doing something for you - don't. Not only will it make you a better parent, your baby won't remember and you can make up for any lost time when he/she comes home.

So take a deep breath and start planning!

Keep It Clean

It has been proven time and again that one of the most effective ways to get rid of germs and keep healthy is frequent hand washing. Babies who are premature are extremely susceptible to any virus or germ so it essential that you stay as healthy as possible. This can become even more difficult when you have small children. Here are some tips and products that can help make it easier to keep you and your kids (and their hands) clean.

Wash Your Hands. A lot. Try and wash your hands as much as possible. If you go to the store, wash your hands when you get home. Wash your hands frequently at work, especially when you go through public places.

Wash Your Hands for at least 20 seconds. That is how long it takes to wash all of the germs off of your hands. Try singing Happy Birthday as you wash your hands to make sure that you are washing long enough. And don’t forget about the top of your hands – they need some cleaning too!

Make It Fun
Kids often do a quick and not very through job of washing their hands. A nurse once told me that she had her nephews make “soap gloves” while washing their hands. This ensured that it took them longer and that they covered the front and back of their hands. We quickly implemented that and now our son loves to make soap gloves.

Companies are now coming out with soap that encourages kids to take longer washing their hands and have fun doing it.

SquidSoap by Airborne – According to their website: “It's the only liquid-soap dispenser with a specially designed pump that stamps a child's hand with vegetable dye. It takes about 20 seconds of thorough hand washing to remove the ink mark, leaving the child with clean hands.” Cool stuff. It’s fun and it helps you know if your kid has really washed his/her hands.

Dial ColorClean – This was featured in the February issue of Parent’s Magazine. This new antibacterial soap has “Timer Beads” that break open while your child washes her/his hands. The beads turn green or blue and slide around so your child really has to work hard to clean the soap off. I love that companies are getting innovative about this kind of stuff.

Hand Sanitizer – Companies like Purell have made hand sanitizers a standard for cleaning hands. Throw a bottle in your purse, diaper bag and car. When your baby comes home, keep a bottle in key areas where your baby will be so that you or your guests can quickly clean their hands. Our son thinks that Purell is fun so we have him use it after he has sneezed, coughed or touched his nose.

Choices
Give kids a choice about what soap they can use. Choose two soaps with different colors and scents so that kids can see a noticeable difference between the two.

Reward/Contest
Create a sticker reward chart for kids to use when they wash their hands. Give them a prize after they have washed their hands a set amount of time. Have a contest to see who washed their hands the most in one day.

The Importance of Folate

If you are pregnant, thinking about becoming pregnant or know someone who is pregnant, you may have heard about adding folate/folic acid to your diet. Why is it so important? According to the U.S. Public Health Service, if all women of childbearing age consumed 400 micrograms of folic acid daily – before and during pregnancy – it could help up to 70 percent of pregnancies affected by neural tube defects (NTDs), serious birth defects of the brain and spine such as spina bifida and anencephaly. For more information, please visit the March of Dimes

So what does it take to get 400 micrograms of folate/folic acid? Today most whole grains that you buy in the store are fortified with folic acid. In addition, many fruits and vegetables are a good source of folate. So basically, it's really not hard to get plenty by diet, as long as someone likes grains and fruits/vegetables.

Excellent sources of folate:

• Greens such as romaine, spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens
• Asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and beets

Very good sources of folate:

• Dried beans like lentils, pintos, black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, garbanzo beans
• Brussel sprouts, green beans, summer squash, cabbage, fennel, bell peppers, green peas
• Papaya

Good sources of folate:

• Cucumbers, leeks, winter squash, eggplant, onion, corn, avocado, and carrots
• Tomatoes, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, cantaloupe and grapefruit

If you aren’t sure how much to eat in order to get the right amount of folate, check out this sample menu below. The menu was prepared by a registered dietician.

Breakfast: 2 slices of toast with peanut butter, 1/2 grapefruit, milk
Lunch: spinach salad with garbanzo beans, chopped egg, tomato, pea pods, cheese if desired, plus 2 slices of bread and milk;
Snack: graham crackers and cheese and a banana;
Dinner: chicken, rice, asparagus and milk;
Snack: orange

If a pregnant woman were to eat the above foods, she could get over 600 mcg of folate, and still have a lot more calories left over to indulge in other foods. Basically, eating 2-4 fruits a day (1 piece or 1/2 cup), 3-5 veggies (1/2 cup cooked, 1 cup raw), and at least 6 grains (1 slice or just one half cup) would give someone a good bit of folate each day. Adding cooked dried beans each week really helps too.