Almost a dad

An Alternative Drink for Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:02:00 +0000

Most pregnant women will tell you that their taste buds aren't the same as they were pre-pregnancy. I've heard many times that the taste of water, and even an expectant mother's own saliva, can make her feel sick. Ginger ale drink is quite adept at settling an uncertain tummy, but the sugar content puts if off limits for women with gestational diabetes.

An 8 oz serving of most ginger ales has about 22 grams of sugars, or about 8% of your recommended daily intake. This adds up quickly with multiple servings and is a definite no-no for pregnant women suffering from gestational diabetes who must watch their dietary intake like a hawk.

If your partner is one of these unlucky women who has been placed on a restricted diet, yet can't stand water, a fantastic alternative is a naturally flavored sparkling water.
My wife loves the Poland Spring lime essence sparkling water; it tastes great and isn't overly flavored, has 0 grams of sugars and isn't loaded with suspect ingredients.

I actually really like the taste myself, which is good considering my fridge is now crammed with the stuff. Poland Spring has 4 flavor offerings as well as an original sparkling water. I'm sure other brands have similar offerings, just check the nutritional label to make sure there isn't any added sugar or artificial ingredients.

So expectant dads, why am I telling you this?It's your job to take care of her and help her feel better. Bringing home a feel-better alternative shows that you're thoughtful, you care about her comfort and her health. By proxy, this also shows that you care about your unborn child's health. Just remember to buy the plastic bottles; she's hormonal and may end up throwing them at you if she doesn't like the taste.

10 Ways To Help Pregnant Women Feel Better

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:36:00 +0000

Direct from the Almost A Dad reader survey, here's a list of 10 tried and true ways to help pregnant women feel better, physically and/or emotionally.

1. Back rub / foot massages. This topped the list as AaD reader's favorite way to help their pregnant partners feel better. Pregnant women are often sore and uncomfortable due to increased weight, dietary changes and the fatigue that comes with growing a baby. A massage is a fantastic way to help ease the tension in her neck, back and shoulders. Have her sit on a pillow or lay on her side to make sure she is comfortable and relaxed.

2. Ginger ale. A good old fashioned favorite, ginger has a settling effect on the stomach and can be served in a few different ways. If ingested for an upset tummy or nausea, serve warm and flat. If it just hits the spot, serve cold. Mix with cranberry juice and ice for a refreshing treat and some good vitamins.

3. Time alone / Time to relax. This cuts both ways so be careful; you don't want to leave her alone too long, but you don't want to smother her either. She is tired, hormonal and may need some time to think about all the upcoming changes in her life.

4. Certain foods. Food can be friend or foe to a pregnant woman depending on mood, trimester, health and a host of other factors. Find out what your pregnant partner likes and stock up so she can have it at a moment's notice. Try and find healthy snacks if your partner is at risk of gestational diabetes. Just be prepared that she will suddenly hate what she loved yesterday.

5. Talking. Pregnancy can be as confusing and scary as it is exciting. Pregnant women go through so many physical changes, which says nothing for all of the emotional and even logistical changes you both with encounter. In the face of such a massive life event is helps to have someone to talk to. Give her an attentive ear and share some feelings of your own.

6. Attention / Compliments. Attention and compliments do well even when she's not pregnant. Spend time with her and tell her how beautiful she is and what an amazing mother you think she'll be.

7. Helping her out as much as possible, tasks, chores. Household responsibilities shift during pregnancy, there's no way of getting around it. Expectant mothers tire quickly (physically and emotionally) and often feel poorly a fair percentage of the time. Start by transitioning the chores that involve any lifting or physical exertion. Branch out into the niceties that make it easier for her to relax like some extra cleaning or picking up. Remember that a pregnant woman should never change the cat box.

8. Constant apologies, whether right or wrong. While I don't think you need to become a whipping boy, taking a lighter tack towards proving a point and avoiding conflict with an hormonally charged woman isn't the worst approach in the world.

9. Letting her have her way all the time. I personally disagree with this to some extent, however it came up quite a bit. Like #8, I think that softening your approach and being accomodating is important, but if you totally bow down to every ridiculous whim you may find yourself ready to snap by the end of the pregnancy. It's about balance and understanding that her circumstance is effecting her emotionally. With that in mind, cater to her as much as you can, but preserve your own sanity as you go.

10. Playing it by ear. One reader who seems to have a good handle on what can be a volatile situation wrote "I find that just playing it by ear is best. If she clearly needs space, I give it. If she clearly needs a hug, I give it. If she clearly needs onion rings at midnight, I go out and find them."

And a bonus...

11. Exorcism... because sometimes it's safest to get out of the house for a couple of hours.

How long does a pregnancy last?

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:39:00 +0000

The length of a pregnancy may sound like a basic question, but one worth asking as there is often some confusion around it.

The length of a typical pregnancy is approximately:

- 38 weeks from time of conception

- 40 weeks from last missed period (or LMP as some call it)

Why are there two different lengths?

Doctors use the LMP date as it is often the most solid point of reference. Many people don't know the actual date of conception, so the LMP allows for consistent comparisons from person to person amond medical professionals. The 38 week timeline is often referred to as the gestational age.

I thought a pregnancy was 9 months long? Isn't 9 months 36 weeks?

Well, it is 9 months, but the average month is 4.3 weeks long, not 4.
- (52 weeks / 12 months = 4.333 weeks per month.)
- 4.333 weeks x 9 months = 38.99 weeks
So 9 months is just about the average of the 38 and 40 week numbers.

To sum up, doctors talk about pregnancy on a 40 week timeline, the actual gestational time is about 38 weeks. All the being said, there are some variances in baby due date accuracy.

How accurate are home pregnancy tests?

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:59:00 +0000

Now that you have (or have not) seen a couple of blue lines on a home pregnancy test, you may be asking yourself just how accurate are pee-on-a-stick home pregnancy tests, anyway?

For those of you who are flipping out right now and can't really focus, read the bulleted items below. For those of you who can concentrate, continue reading below for more of an explanation.

1. Most pregnancy tests claim to be 99%+ accurate.

2. Pregnancy tests should be taken in the morning, with the day's first urination. hCG, the marker detected in home pregnancy test is most concentrated in the urine at that point, increasing the likelihood for an accurate result.

3. Take at least two home pregnancy tests several days apart. You're most likely to get an accurate result over the course of two or three tests spaced several days apart. This will help eliminate false negatives due to low hCG levels, and false positives due to faulty tests, improper use or other factors.

4. The longer you wait to take a test, the more likely it will be accurate. Aim for 1 week after a missed period. Again, hCG levels are more likely to be at sufficiently detectable levels in the case of pregnancy.

5. False negatives are more common than false positives. You're more likely to be told you're not pregnant when you really are, but false positives are also possible due to a number of factors.

So for some more explanation.

Home pregnancy test work by detecting hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) in a woman's urine. hCH is a "glyco protein hormone made by the developing embryo soon after conception," so its presence is a good way of detecting pregnancy. The tests are essentially dumb, all they can do is measure hCG and turn a color.

The answer on most boxes is that they are 97% -99%+ accurate. I am skeptical of this as that 99% claim is based on a lab trials, not on aggregate real world use. False negatives are more common than false positives, but both are possible due to a number of factors.

Knowing that, it is essential to take the test at the proper time to optimize your results. (See # 2, 3, 4 above.) Some tests claim to determine pregnancy even before a woman has missed her first period. While this may be true, I would argue that one is more likely to have a false-negative (the test says you're not pregnant when you actually are) if taken very early as hCG levels are still very low at that point. hCG levels increase rapidly in pregnant women, roughly doubling every couple of days. With that in mind, it makes sense that the longer you wait to take a home pregnancy test, the more likely you are to have an accurate result.

I know that it is often incredibly difficult to wait that long to find out, so if you do take an early test you should follow up with at least one more in another few days.

Always follow the instructions on the box exactly, and good luck whatever the result.

Pregnancy Quotes - understanding pregnant women

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:25:00 +0000

I came across a quote about pregnancy that may provide some insight for expectant fathers on why pregnant women may not seem themselves.

"Life is tough enough without having someone kick you from the inside."

- Rita Rudner

Pregnant women just don't feel themselves and strange things are happening. I'd be irritable if I got kicked in the stomach all the time. Aside from that, consider even some basic logistics; they're getting large and immobile, they have to pee every 5 minutes and don't have the energy to walk to walk to the bathroom. That alone would drive me nuts.

Check out some more pregnancy quotes.

Books for Babies

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:26:00 +0000

Reading to a baby from a very early age is one of the best things you can do for your child. While it may seem strange to read to someone who has no comprehension of what you're saying, it is at the very least time well spent together. Reading also helps form a bond between parent and child, as they develop familiarity with your voice and become comforted by it.

As your child grows slightly older, they will begin to appreciate the pictures and shapes in the books. Black and white pictures are good for the very young who can't yet distinguish colors. Goodnight Moon, for example, has both color and black and white illustrations, so it's a good transitional book.

When they get just a little bit older, it becomes part of a ritual and source of enjoyment. Kids are able to crawl away and may seem uniterested, but the first few lines of their favorite bedtime story bring them scampering back.

Long story short, it's never too soon to start reading to your kids. It's especially important for dads who need to take every opportunity to engage their children. A while back I wrote a post on Fatherhood Matters about parents' top 50 children's books. I thought it is worth mentioning here on Almost A Dad because if you're expecting, you might be stocking up ahead of time.

I'm Going to Run Away, Noisy Nora, Bedtime for Frances and Where the Wild Things Are were favorites of both me and my brother. My son loves Goodnight Moon, Guess How Much I Love You, I Love My Daddy and Max's Halloween. Check out the post for the full list, or the cool spinny widget thingy below for a few of them.

Amazon.com Widgets

Goodnight Moon Bloggy Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:05:00 +0000

As part of the Bloggy Giveaway carnival I'm sponsoring a giveaway at Fatherhood Matters for a copy of Goodnight Moon. It's been a classic for decades and a nightly read with my son.

If you'd like to win a copy, check out the contest post at Fatherhood Matters.

Good luck!

What monthly expenses are associated with a newborn?

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:02:00 +0000

You'll probably spend a bunch of money stocking up on baby supplies in advance, but many wonder how much it will cost every month once the baby arrives. Babies are relatively simple creatures, and the main elements of caring for a newborn are feeding them, cleaning / changing their diapers and making sure they're rested. The sleep is free, but here is a rough approximation of monthly costs for a young baby.

Formula, $75-105
If your child will be breast-fed, this column is free. If you are planning on bottle feeding, a baby generally eat 2-3 ounces of formula per pound of body weight, so 14-21 ounces a day for a 7 pound baby. Powdered formula (Similac organic) costs about $1 per 6 ounce bottle. This intake level will set you back $75 - $105 per month.

Diapers, $97.40
A newborn usually needs between 8 and 15 diaper changes a day, usually towards the higher end. Estimating 13 diapers a day at $.25 per diaper, $3.25 per day or $97.50 per month.

Wipes, $15
Depending on the type you buy, budget about $15 per month.

Pediatrician co-pays, $50
Estimating a $25 visit co-pay, budget for $50 per month for the first couple of months, $25 there after.

Miscellaneous $50
There are plenty of little expenses that fit into this category. The items I'd put in here include Mylicon (anti-gas), Desitin for diaper rash, baby lotion and oil, baby vitamins and countless other little things. For this, I'd estimate $50 per month.

Baby detergents, $20
We use a special dishwasher detergent baby bottles and laundry detergent for baby clothes, which cost between $10 and $20 per month.

Pregnancy and birth quotes

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 03:39:00 +0000

A ship under sail and a big-bellied woman,are the handsomest two things that can be seen common.

- Benjamin Franklin

Somewhere on this globe, every ten seconds, there is a woman giving birth to a child. She must be found and stopped.

- Sam Levenson

Sleep now, you'll never be able to again

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:57:00 +0000

My primary piece of advice for all expecting parents is to sleep now while you have the opportunity.

The days leading up to the birth of a child are all a buzz with excitement as you rush around prepping for your new bundle of joy. This is all well and good, but sleep is better. Make sure you don't tire yourself out; YOU CAN'T CATCH BACK UP ON SLEEP LIKE YOU USED TO.

Sleeping in a chair in the hospital after the delivery will not give you adequate rest. Waking every couple of hours to crying for weeks on end will not rejuvenate you either. Walking your child to quiet him or her until you've worn through a pair of socks does not provide much rest either.

As long as you have a place for him or her to sleep, food for him to eat and diapers to keep him clean, the rest is all just inconsequential icing on the proverbial baby cake. Keep in mind that infants will not care how well-decorated a room is or whether or not their clothes match. Much of the advance preparation for babies is done for the parents' sake.

What will impact them most is having a well-rested, SANE parent who is not teetering on the edge of fatigue-induced clinical insanity.

So if you listen to one piece of advice, rest up now.

Use ACH to pay bills during pregnancy

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:42:00 +0000

The latter months of pregnancy are often very busy with last minute preparation for the forthcoming little one. That full schedule will not ease up after the birth of a child either, and sleep deprivation makes it more difficult to remember little details that don't involve diapers and formula. It seems as though the world revolves solely around the expectant family or newly arrived treasure, but banks, utility companies and credit card companies don't see it in quite the same way.

One highly effective tool for managing time and personal productivity is to use automatic bill payments (especially while caring for/dealing with a pregnant woman and making sure the baby room is prepared). Often known as ACH, automatic bill payments simply deduct the amount owed from one's checking account on a predetermined date on a recurring basis. This service is quite often free and available for sign up through a vendor's website. It typically requires an electronic 'signature' and your checking account number and bank routing number. Certain places require paper forms to be signed and mailed, but it's worth the effort.

Not only does using automatic payments reduce the overhead involved with managing your finances, it helps make sure that you won't miss a payment date. As such, it prevents potential damage to your credit score because of an honest, fatigue-induced mistake. For variable payments (e.g. credit cards) for which the amount is not the same every month, I prefer to set the automatic payment to the minimum so I don't miss any deadlines and then initiate additional payments manually, after the fact.

This approach to personal finances saves time, effort, the cost of stamps and envelopes and makes sure there's never any question about whether or not a bill was paid on time or a check lost in the mail. Some credit card companies will charge a $35 late fee if your payment is even 1 hour past their cut off time; ACH prevents that from being an issue.

Many vendors allow you to change your payment date if you're worried about scheduling your payments around paychecks. I make entries in my Google Calendar for each automatic payment, and set up text message or email notifications on the payment date so I can balance my checking account.

Bills that often can be paid automatically each month include:
- auto insurance
- cable television
- car payments (set up through bank)
- credit card (if carrying a balance)
- life insurance
- phone
- utilities

Talking to the pregnant belly, revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 23:20:00 +0000

Throughout my wife's pregnancy I spoke to her belly, more specifically the baby within the big pregnant belly, on a fairly regular basis. From the beginning I felt that by talking to him in utero he would develop an affinity for his father's voice once he was born.

After months of chatter I have to say that, in my estimation, it worked and was a worthwhile expenditure of time.

Within moments of my son's delivery he was handed to me, and after speaking only a few words, my baby boy quickly calmed down. A nurse and a doctor commented on his reaction without prompting which was all the validation I needed for my "talking to a pregnant belly" hypothesis. These days, at the ripe old age of 10 days, he quiets quickly with a few words from dad when he's in the middle of a diaper or hunger-fueled crying jag.

I admit it's not scientifically airtight; I had no control group for this experiment. My wife would have been furious if I were simultaneously having a child with a different woman for the sake of a making a point, so I leave it to educated assumption and the opinion of professionals to draw my conclusion.

Among expectant fathers I'm not alone; many men talk to their pregnant partner's belly. Of those dads-to-be who answered the Almost A Dad ongoing survey for expectant fathers, more than 77% of expectant fathers carry on belly talk with relative frequency. More than a quarter of all respondents do so every day.

I never talked about much of anything of much importance; the events of my day, made up songs, anything that came to mind. My suggestion is that all expectant dads, if so inclined, should take a minute or two per day to talk to their partner's pregnant belly.

Prenatal checklist: Chest freezer

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 01:36:00 +0000

A chest freezer may sound like an odd item on Dad's prenatal checklist, but if you have the space for and means to buy a chest freezer, I highly recommend it. A chest freezer allows you to buy in bulk, prepare in advance and stock up on extra until such a point that the bundle of joy is more mobile. If you are short on space to fit a freezer, you can always throw a changing pad on top and use it as a changing table for the baby.

Since coming home from the hospital after the birth of our son, we've gotten large quantities of food from family, friends and neighbors. It's been so much that it far exceeds the capacity of the freezer compartment of our refrigerator. We would never be able to finish it all before it spoils, yet will definitely eat it in the near future, so we stuck it all in our chest freezer. In addition to helping manage the influx of gifted foods, it allowed us to stock up on things before the baby ever arrived.

As part of the nesting instinct, expect that your wife or partner may buy extras of everything in preparation for your new arrival. A chest freezer helps accommodate any extra groceries that make their way into your home. Remember, you may not be able to get to the grocery store with pre-baby ease and frequency. You can leave a pregnant woman alone for short periods of time, but you can't do the same with a newborn.

Getting things done becomes a much more difficult proposition. Every errand you need to accomplish takes on new logistical weight, food shopping included. You're not supposed to take newborn babies out into crowded public places like shopping centers for a least a month, so you can't just bundle him or her up and take them with you. In the case of a c-section birth, the mother's recovery time will be much longer and will need much more help, again making trips out of the house more difficult.

Some foods that freeze well, or can be purchased frozen, include:

- meat
- poultry
- fish
- breads
- soups and stews
- baked goods, cookies, unfrosted cakes
- casseroles
- lasagna
- spaghetti sauce
- juice concentrate
- pre-made dinners

The function of a chest freezer is just as useful as your child ages and the amount of food you consume on a regular basis may exceed the store you have available in a refrigerator or freezer.
Big box stores like Best Buy and Home Depot usually have small chest freezers for anywhere from $150 on up.

My baby boy

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:55:00 +0000

8 pounds, 7 ounces after a whopping 33 hours of labor. My wife was amazing and so is our little boy.

Thank you to all of you for your well wishes... I'll be back posting soon!

The Jeffersons Birth Song

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 17:11:00 +0000

On a regular basis I talk to my wife's pregnant belly. And yes, I do realize how ridiculous I look but I don't really care. In fact, I relish the ridiculous and often embellish it with the gift of song. I would now like to share with you one of my recent masterpieces.

Classless, yes. Offensive, slightly. Waiting for his arrival is killing me and this is the level to which I've regressed.

This is a song about birth, sung to the tune of The Jeffersons theme song.

Well he's a movin' on down, (movin' on down),
To the south side
through a deluxe compartment, in her thi-i-ighs.

He's a movin' on down,
To the south side,
He finally gets to see to whats outside.

Gotta get past the cervix,
Down through that birth canal
Takes a whole lot of tryin'
Just to come join this world

Now we're waitin' for our child,
Just can't wait for that.
As long as we live, it's you and me baby,
There ain't nothin' wrong with that.

Well he's a movin' on down, (movin' on down),
To the south side
through a deluxe compartment, in her thi-i-ighs.

Baby due date accuracy

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 15:33:00 +0000

Since the beginning of my wife's pregnancy I have been somewhat suspicious of how accurate delivery due dates are.

Well, in fact only about 5% of all babies are born on their due dates, with estimates ranging from as low as 2% to as high as 8%. Whatever the number, my wife is not among the few of every hundred women who deliver on their target date.

Visit the Almost A Dad Amazon store!

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:18:00 +0000

For those of you looking for gifts for pregnant women and expectant dads, including books, maternity aides and baby gear, look no further than the Almost A Dad Amazon store!

With items suggested by real live pregnant women, the Almost A Dad store has everything you'll need to keep the pregnant women in your life informed, comfortable and happy.

Sleep habits of fruit bats and pregnant women

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 22:04:00 +0000

Owls. Fruit bats. Vampires. Pregnant women.

What do these creatures have in common? None of them sleep well at night and, in the case of pregnant women, neither do their partners.

A pea-sized bladder, sore back, indigestion, swollen ankles and tender breasts are ingredients in the uncomfortable cocktail that makes pregnant women sleep poorly. They all add up to interrupted sleep on the part of the pregnant woman and, by proxy, the expectant father will not sleep well either. Dads-to-be should make sure that in the months prior to the birth they eat a balanced diet and try to maintain a regular sleep schedule so they are not completely fatigued and unhealthy before the little one arrives.

This may be nature's way of preparing the new parent for many sleepless nights ahead. I would however much prefer being woken by my new, adorable (as he will of course be) son than by my wife's huffing and puffing as she struggles to roll out of bed. I'm actually looking forward to being woken by the little one, for now it's the wife that's driving me to exhaustion.

Prenatal checklist: Stock up on batteries

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:08:00 +0000

Since I have begun assembling the army of baby paraphernalia, cribs, bouncy seats, mobiles, monitors, soothers, I have come to the realization that I will need 8,247 AA batteries to power everything.

Anything that vibrates, blinks, plays music, makes noise when kicked or lights up will require AA batteries, usually between 4 and 6 each. Some use C's, some use D's, but they're all energy thirsty.

I strongly suggest stocking up on some batteries before the big day to make sure your fleet of baby and pregnancy-related items are powered and ready to roll, blink or buzz. I prefer to use rechargeables because they save money over time and are better for the environment. I've got a bunch of chargers going just to make sure we're all set.

If you're looking to buys some, Amazon has the Sony Quick Battery Charger with 4 AA Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries for $19.49, which I think is well worth the cost. Add another 4 batteries in there to make sure you always have enough on reserve, and you should be set for a while.

My pregnant wife says: L'Occitane organic shea butter helps prevent stretch marks

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:25:00 +0000

Fear of stretch marks ranks high with many expectant mothers on their list of concerns about pregnancy; my wife is no exception. As soon as she found out she was pregnant she began moisturizing her belly with religious fervor, as though it were made of gator hide. Not only was she concerned about stretch marks, but as her tummy grew larger her skin in that area began to itch and become more sensitive.

While waiting for a train home from a New York business trip, I stopped in to L'Occitane in Grand Central Station to pick her up a small gift before my return. She loves that brand and as a newly invigorated skin care addict, I thought something from there would be an appropriate present. I set out to find shea butter as that was the one product I actually recalled her mentioning. However, when I first saw the price on the tin I was sure that it must include a personal masseuse to apply the moisturizer. That was not the case.

In spite of my initial sticker shock I ended up buying the shea butter because I wanted to get something for her and thought this was a fairly practical choice. (She loved it, so it was worth it.) I must say, while I would normally consider $39 for a tin of moisturizer to be high, it has lasted for six months and counting, and has preserved her tummy with baby's-bottom smoothness. (I talk to it all the time, so I know.) It's also organic, which is especially comforting during pregnancy to know that she's not slathering herself in potentially harmfully chemicals.

My wife strongly suggests the L'Occitane Pure Organic Shea Butter, and has added it to her Christmas wish list. So, if any of you guys are looking for a gift idea, there it is. It's available through Amazon for $39.

low-toxicity paints for nurseries

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 19:13:00 +0000

It's been a long time coming, but the reconstruction of our baby's nursery is nearly complete. The walls are sheetrocked and primed. The floors are sanded, stained and in the process of being coated with hydrathane.

In the interest of forming a healthier environment for our little one, we went with low toxic floor and wall coverings. Specifically we bought paints with a low volatile organic compound (VOC) content, and a floor varnish alternative to poly-urethane.

For the wall paint we used the Benjamin Moore Eco Spec paints which are listed to have a VOC content of under 1 gram per liter. Some other popular paint brands include Sherwin Williams and Pratt and Lambert. The paints are cost more, but I find it well worth the expense in consideration of my child's health. According to the EPA, the health effects of VOCs include:

Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some organics can cause cancer in animals; some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans. Key signs or symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include conjunctival irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reaction, dyspnea, declines in serum cholinesterase levels, nausea, emesis, epistaxis, fatigue, dizziness.

These are things an adult should not deal with, clearly I do not wish to subject an infant to them. EarthEasy.com has some more information on other brands of low VOC paints.

In addition, it's a good rule-of-thumb to allow a nursery painted with traditional paints (not with low VOC paints) to air out for at least a full month before a baby sleeps in it.

We used hydrathane, a water-based varnish, in place of standard poly-urethane on the wood floors at the advice of a gentleman at the hardware store. He informed me that it's more environmentally friendly, has less odor and is less toxic. The odor during application is significantly less than standard poly.

If you're in the process of redoing a nursery, I encourage you to seek out alternative materials that will make sure your child has a healthy start.

A bloody show is not an English musical

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 20:21:00 +0000

Along your journey as an expectant father, you will hear the term 'bloody show' used. No, it's not referring to an English play or musical, and yes, it will most likely make you cringe when you hear it for the first time. That's why I put if on my list of top 10 pregnancy terms that make men (and women) cringe).

The term is used to describe the presence of a small amount of blood in mucousy discharge a few days prior to birth. It often may accompany the mucous plug or pass gradually, but usually is an indicator that labor will begin within a few days.

If there is more than a few spots, a pregnant woman should call her doctor and let them know.

How far apart do contractions have to be before...

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:56:00 +0000

One question that many fathers have is how far apart should a pregnant woman's contractions be before going to the hospital?

For most normal pregnancies with no extenuating circumstances, doctors will tell you that you should not come to the hospital until contractions are 5 minutes apart for an hour.

However, you or the expectant mother should personally check with her doctor to make sure they agree with this estimate. There may be concerns which may cause them to increase or decrease this estimate. Other considerations include how far you live from where you will be delivering, i.e., can you get there quickly if you wait too long, or should you leave sooner if you live far away.

Another big consideration is that if your partner is admitted with false labor, your health insurance company will charge you a co-pay or deductible for the false start as well as the real thing. Depending on your insurance, this will be hundreds of dollars, if not over a thousand. If you don't have health insurance, it could cost you more out of pocket. So make sure you check with you doctor first and do some investigating into the policies of the hospital and the insurance company.

Pregnant care quick tip: rearrange high shelving

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:37:00 +0000

As your pregnant partner becomes more circular, her mobility, balance and physical dexterity often suffer. Her center of balance is off, she is often fatigued, uncomfortable and sore.

Not only is this a danger to anything fragile in the near vicinity of a pregnant woman, it is often the root of some danger to her. One way to mitigate this risk is to rearrange higher shelved items that she uses frequently. This avoids situations where an expectant mother will have to stretch to reach overhead items, subsequently placing her balance in question and potentially risking a fall. Depending on how far along she is, placing difficult-to-reach items at a lower, more manageable level may also eliminate any 'belly problems', from the discomfort of stretching skin to knocking into/over items on lower shelves or surfaces.

It's a relatively easy fix, but just make sure it doesn't coincide with her nesting during pregnancy, or that she's completely unaware of what you're doing. She may be incredibly frustrated if you rearrange how she has everything set up. This will also come in handy after the little one arrives and either of you are reaching for things with a baby in one arm.

A pregnant woman is... 60 things about expectant mothers

noreply@blogger.com (Bill, almost a dad) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:44:00 +0000

Pregnant women are complex. Words almost fail when trying to accurately describe one of these mysterious creatures. Accordingly, I have assembled a list of sixty easily digestible terms which describe some of the many facets of expectant mothers.

Some of these adjectives are things they experience personally while some of these are traits they exhibit, but all are common in pregnant women.

I will try to delve into more detail as I go on, but until then....

A pregnant woman is...

1. adoring you
2. angry at you
3. awesome
4. beautiful
5. changing constantly
6. cleaning
7. clingy
8. clumsy
9. complex
10. confused
11. constantly peeing
12. crampy
13. cranky
14. craving something
15. crying
16. emotional
17. excited
18. exhausted
19. expensive
20. full
21. forgetful
22. forgetful
23. frustrating
24. gassy
25. goofy
26. happy
27. having strange dreams
28. head-achy
29. hormonal
30. hungry
31. impatient
32. irritable
33. itchy
34. laughing
35. loving you
36. moody
37. nauseous
38. needy
39. nervous
40. nesting
41. nostalgic
42. not in control of their own bodies (baby is)
43. not sleeping well
44. out of breath
45. protruding
46. sad
47. scared
48. self conscious
49. sentimental
50. serious
51. sexy
52. silly
53. slowing down
54. sore
55. stuffy
56. thirsty
57. tired
58. unable to touch her toes
59. unhappy with your name choices
60. volatile