One of the biggest issues for babies is sleeping with a bottle in their mouths. Even if you nurse, letting your baby fall asleep while nursing (or more accurately if you fall asleep while nursing) and letting the milk pool in your baby’s check and mouth can cause damage to your baby. Aside from the risk of choking when the liquid pools in the mouth (which should be enough for you to remove the bottle or breast from baby), sugar from the milk or formula settles in the mouth and on the teeth. This along with bacteria can damage the teeth and lead to decay. Once the child is asleep, remove the bottle and wipe their mouth with a clean wet washcloth or a specially designed tooth or gum brush.

Whether or not your baby uses a pacifier during the first year is often a matter of survival on the part of the parent and instinct on the part of the baby. Just remember to keep the pacifiers clean and avoid putting sticky sweet substances on them, as remnants of the sugar can remain and add to tooth decay. Actually you should avoid putting any substance on a pacifier other than water or non-toxic pacifier cleaning solutions.

However, after the first year, most pediatricians agree that babies should probably stop using a pacifier. Not only can prolonged pacifier use cause the teeth to move out of proper alignment, but a child with teeth that uses a pacifier can chew on it, thus making the pacifier a choking hazard if any part of it breaks off. Thumb sucking can also push the teeth forward. And the longer your child uses a pacifier or his thumb, the harder it is to break him of the habit. Believe me, it is a lot easier to get a one year old to forget about you taking their pacifier away than it is a two or three year old (who seem to have the long term memory of an elephant!)

Make sure you schedule your initial visit with your dentist – usually at the end of the first or second year. By this point, you will need to avoid all those foods that are just not good for anyone’s teeth.. Avoid things like popcorn that can get stuck between the teeth easily as well as sugary snacks such as candy and cookies which can cause build-up and decay. These things aren’t necessary for good health, and avoiding these things now will help your child avoid them later. Instead try substituting crunchy snacks such as apple slices, celery, and carrot sticks for older children. For younger ones, try some of the natural, sugar free teething biscuits and cereal snacks. Just be sure to clean out your child’s mouth after snacking and especially before bed.

If your child’s teeth are close together, you may also have to start flossing them. Avoid things like popcorn that can get stuck between the teeth easily as well as sugary snacks such as candy and cookies which can stick in those unseen spaces and cause build-up and decay. Also, most children should avoid chewing gum at this stage to avoid the choking hazard, however if you let your children chew gum, it is a good idea to use a sugar-free gum rather than a regular gum.

Once your baby has a good set of teeth in (usually at around one year) you can stop the tooth and gum wiping and graduate on to actual brushing. You will still need to be very gentle with tiny gums so as not to scratch them. Use a toothbrush specially designed for toddlers or a small, soft bristle brush. Using fluoride or non-fluoride toothpaste is up to the dentist, although in general the recommendation is to not use fluoride until the child is old enough to spit and not swallow the toothpaste. You can purchase fluoride free tooth cleansing gel at many pharmacies and stores. There is also a great children’s tooth gel with Xylitol, a natural sugar that has been shown to have a beneficial effect on enamel growth and strength.

Good oral care for children starts out as good oral care for babies. If you take the time now to establish good habits, you won’t have to fuss with them later to get them to brush their teeth, and trips to the dentist will be much more enjoyable (and less expensive!)

Article by Stefani Padilla, author, entrepreneur, home base business owner, wife and mom.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stefani_Padilla

©2010 Health Smart Mom. All Rights Reserved.

You can help take some of the strain of oral care off of you by teaching your children the importance of good oral care.  And a lifetime of good dental care begins when your children are small. Actually, when they are too small to do it themselves, and even before they have teeth! 

Newborn to 6 months

You can start your baby on the road to proper oral care by gently massaging their gums before they even have teeth (or after if they happen to be born with them!)  You can purchase a special tooth brush or finger cover to do this with.  Don’t use anything other than a clean brush at this stage.  Make sure you clean the brush off after each use.  This will not only help to get your baby used to having something strange in his mouth, but it will feel good on those developing gums.

6 months to 1 year

When your child is around about six months of age, they will usually start to show signs of impending tooth eruption.  Of course, this is just an average, some will already have teeth, some won’t make their appearance until later.  Some children may sprout teeth seemingly overnight and without any pain or discomfort (lucky parents!)  Others will have a more difficult time with the process, and as a result, it can be a trying time for the parents as well.  Once well-established routines are now all out of whack, and will continue to be interrupted as new teeth come in. 

For those babies that do exhibit signs of teething, common signs include drooling, coughing, chin rash (likely as a result of drooling), biting and gnawing, cheek rubbing, ear pulling, diarrhea, low-grade fever,  not sleeping well, and cold-like symptoms such as runny nose, etc.  Some doctors disagree that diarrhea and low-grade fever are associated with teething, but I’ve certainly seen it in mine.  The important thing to remember is that diarrhea and fever can also be symptoms of other illnesses, and should not be dismissed as a part of teething unless you and your doctor have ruled out other causes.  In addition, diarrhea can cause an infant to become dehydrated, so if your infant exhibits this symptom with teething, remember to increase the babies fluids accordingly to help prevent things from becoming worse.

Once the tooth is fully showing, it is time to take care of it.  For an infant, using a wet washcloth or specially designed brush or finger cover to clean the tooth is all you need.  Do not use any tooth paste or gel  in your baby’s mouth, unless it is specially marketed for infants (child tooth paste does not qualify – it is not made for infants – so don’t use it.) As with older kids, you will need to clean any food or debris from their tooth and mouth each morning and before they go to bed at night.  You will continue to do this with all your babies teeth until they are ready for standard brushing. 

If you don’t already have a dentist, you will want to find one and see what their recommendations are for your baby’s first visit.  My children see a pediatric dentist now, although when the older two were infants we all saw the same general practice dentist.  You will have to see what you are most comfortable with.  Some prefer to wait until the child is two years old before the first visit, others will want to check on your baby’s teeth around one year to make sure there aren’t any developing gum issues or problems with their new teeth. 

This may seem like a lot of work, especially for such small teeth and a sleep-deprived mom.  But believe me, proper oral care at this stage will help to prevent dental problems in the future and you’ll be glad you took the time to help your child develop good oral habits.

©2010 Health Smart Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Nothing is more frustrating than being unable to conceive a baby naturally. In general, you won’t even be diagnosed with infertility until after you’ve tried to conceive for over a year without success. And there are so many known and unknown factors that can contribute to infertility. Some, like endometriosis, you may already be aware of, but others such as diminished ovarian reserve, ovulation disorders, and low progesterone levels you may not discover until after a frustrating journey.

Many current infertility treatments for the above issues include scheduled drugs and systematic treatments, although these treatments can be quite expensive and may have harmful side effects. Other infertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilization and sperm injection offer ways for infertile couples to conceive. These treatments are generally suggested when other techniques fail to produce a pregnancy. However, these techniques hormonally control the woman’s ovulation process, and tend to be very invasive.

As a result of the undesirable effects and results with standard infertility treatments, many are turning to the holistic approach to achieve their dream of becoming parents. Not only are these methods less invasive, they tend to have fewer or no side effects at all, which is why they are preferred and becoming increasingly popular.

One holistic approach to infertility in women is a form of acupuncture, namely ear acupuncture which has shown to be very effective in cases where female infertility has been caused by some kind of ovarian malfunction. One study showed very good results for women after receiving acupuncture treatment for about 30 times within a time period of 3 months. In the same study, some women participated in acupuncture as well as traditional hormone therapy. The women who underwent hormonal therapy along with acupuncture suffered from side effects that the women who used acupuncture only did not.

Another common holistic approach is simply a healthy change in diet and lifestyle. Caffeine has been shown to have a harmful effect on conception, so by simply reducing or eliminating beverages such as coffee, chocolate, cocoa, green tea (containing caffeine), black tea and soft drinks you can improve your fertility. One study showed that as little as one and a half cups of coffee is enough to delay conception in women. So if you are suffering from infertility, you should definitely want to stay away from caffeine. Other diet choices, such as eating too many saturated fats and diets that include fish contaminated with PCB may also contribute to a decreased fertility.

The best results, with the least side effects, for the treatment of infertility has been reported through the Chinese medicines, acupuncture and of course, the holistic approach. The holistic approach strives to bring the entire body into balance to achieve the desired result, not just treat the body as separate parts. There are many great books on using the holistic approach to treating infertility, including Lisa Olson’s Pregnancy Miracle. Rather than waiting until conventional medicine fails to give you the baby you want, start now on your holistic approach to fertility and have the baby of your dreams.

Article by Stefani Padilla, author, entrepreneur, home based business owner, wife and mom.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stefani_Padilla

©2010 Health Smart Mom. All Rights Reserved.

In order to get pregnant, ovulation must occur. Now many women are familiar with many aspects of their body and monthly cycle, but ovulation is one of those things that frequently occurs without much notice. However, a thorough knowledge of one’s body, especially ovulation will make getting pregnant much easier.

Fortunately, there are many ways to track your body to find out when ovulation will occur. This is important because knowledge of the ovulation is critical for conception. One way to estimate your time of ovulation is to estimate from the first date of your last period. In general a woman’s period will start 14 days after ovulation. So to calculate your estimated time of ovulation, simply take the time between your periods, and back it up 14 days from your next expected period to find the estimated date of ovulation.

An alternative, and more accurate way to find out the period of ovulation, is based on the Basal Body Temperature. In this method, your basal-body temperature is recorded by a specially-made BBT thermometer (which is inserted in the vagina.) This is done once a day, in the morning. You will track this temperature each day. When you notice a significant rise in temperature, this is the time of your ovulation.

There is conflicting information on how often a couple should try to conceive during ovulation and shortly after ovulation. Some believe that sperm count goes down with frequent intercourse, and as a result, there chance of conception goes down. Conversely, others think that sperm becomes ineffective and has a lower potency during prolonged periods of abstinence (and by prolonged, here we mean more than a day or two) In general, whatever works best for you and your partner is what you should try – because getting pregnant is supposed to be fun – not something you have to check off of your to-do list. But if you need a number, the general recommendation is about once every other day. Once you have tracked your cycle and know when you are going to ovulate, it’s not bad idea to start a day or two before you think you will ovulate as well.

One of the great things about the Basal Body Temperature or the Estimated Cycle method is that they are both holistic approaches to getting pregnant. And in general holistic solutions are better and healthier than other solutions. And since they are better planned than just going “natural” you can properly prepare yourself. At the same time, they do not rely on the chemicals of prescription drugs to aid in conception.

Other holistic methods to increasing fertility and thus increasing your chances of conception include medicines and herbs of Chinese origin as well as healthy changes in your eating habits and overall lifestyle. You can also participate in suitable exercise methods such as yoga, and, if necessary, acupuncture can even aid in increasing the chances of conception. There are many books available if you are interested in learning more about the various natural and holistic methods available for increasing your fertility, such as Toni Weschler’s “Taking Charge of Your Fertility”
or Lisa Olson’s “Pregnancy Miracle“. Unlike traditional Western methods, the natural and holistic approaches have no adverse side effects, and have a much higher chance of providing you with the baby you’ve been dreaming of!

Article by Stefani Padilla, author, entrepreneur, home based business owner, wife and mom.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stefani_Padilla

©2010 Health Smart Mom. All Rights Reserved.

With childhood obesity at epidemic proportions, having safe, fun exercise equipment for kids in an ingenius idea!

And especially as a homeschool mom, I’m in charge of physical education, and so I’m always looking for fun ways to help my kids stay healthy and fit. Which during the summer and fall is pretty easy – but in the winter it’s usually either too cold or too wet to really be able to get outside and play like they need to in order to burn off all their extra energy.

For obvious safety reasons, the kids aren’t allowed anywhere near my treadmill, but this great little treadmill for kids is just the thing for them! It’s self propelled to help prevent accidents, although it does require a battery to operate the monitoring system. This is just so cool. It’s great for all my kids (although my 9 year old is almost ready for mommy’s treadmill.) I’m actually thinking of clearing off a space in their playroom for a little gym with all the Redmon Fun and Fitness Exercise Equipment - what a great way to encourage your kids to be healthy!

©2010 Health Smart Mom. All Rights Reserved.

First things first – do you know how to get pregnant? I mean seriously, when you think about it, so much time and energy is spent in not getting pregnant, that many assume that you will get pregnant if you simply stop trying to not get pregnant. And for some, it is as simple as that, for others, well, it’s not so simple.

While romance and emotion do play their part in the decision of having a baby, it’s not uncommon to feel pain and frustration, especially among the couples who are not able to conceive easily. Even healthy, fertile couples may find it takes several months to conceive and anxiety levels tend to increase the longer it takes. While the majority of couples will conceive within 4-8 months, it may take up to a full year for healthy couples to conceive.
However, to increase the chances of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy, a woman need to begin preparing her body months before even attempting conception. Some of the steps to take at least 3 to 4 months prior to conception include:

• Visit your OB/GYN and let them know of your intentions. They will likely prescribe a pre-natal vitamin to help you maintain proper vitamin and mineral levels. In addition, many pre-natal vitamins also include DHA, an essential fatty acid critical for brain and neural development and newborn health.
• You (and your partner) should stop smoking, and you should stop drinking alcohol.
• Do not take any prescription medications or over-the-counter medications without first telling your doctor of your plans to become pregnancy. (Do NOT stop taking prescription medication you are already taking without first consulting with your doctor. Your doctor can check to see if there is a better baby-safe alternative or come up with a treatment plan for you. But don’t start any new prescription medications without first telling your doctor of your plans to become pregnant.)
• You may want to start a simple exercise program to lose extra weight and improve your overall health condition (believe me, you will need the extra energy later!)
• There are many holistic measures that you can take for the maintenance of good health that will be helpful for both the mother and the child. Yoga, relaxation techniques, chemical free cleaning products and more will help to reduce stress levels and improve the health of the household. One great resource for holistic measures that will help you increase your chances of getting pregnant is Lisa Olson’s Pregnancy Miracle.

By taking these simple steps before you even attempt to get pregnant, you can increase your chances of getting and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. And now you can move on to the fun part – getting pregnant!

©2010 Health Smart Mom. All Rights Reserved.

What do you know about belly fat?

In women, during child-bearing years, fat accumulates in the hips, thighs and also in the abdomen (seriously, where does it NOT accumulate?).But that extra belly fat is a health concern and a there are good reasons to start now to rid yourself of your extra baby weight.

 Not only does having children add to your belly, but so does your age.  As a person ages, they lose muscle unless something is done to preserve it. After the age of forty, muscle is lost at a faster rate. What replaces that muscle is usually fat. Our lives grow more sedentary and the pounds begin to pack on.

How Much is Too Much?

One way to tell if you have too much belly fat (besides your pants) is to take a measurement of your waist-to-hip ratio. Your waist measurement should not be larger than your hip measurement. Your waist measurement is taken at the level of your abdomen above the hipbone. Even without the hip measurement, a waist measurement above forty inches is a sign that you may need to lose a few pounds to come back into a proper waist-to-hip ratio. 

When you have extra belly fat you are at greater risk for certain conditions like:

•  Diabetes (Type 2)
•  Heart disease
• Stroke
• High blood cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Sleep apnea
• Cancer

These conditions can be treated with proper diet and exercise. Foods which are lower in fat and higher in fiber are more filling. Insoluble fiber helps to clean out your digestive system and takes a bit of fat from your food along with it. Fiber is also instrumental in lowering your blood cholesterol levels.

Stroke is caused when a blood clot or piece of plaque breaks loose and travels to the brain. Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains can increase your levels of good cholesterol (HDL). Good cholesterol helps to prevent dangerous plaques from forming in your blood vessels in the first place.

Sleep apnea is the cessation of breathing during the cycle of sleep. Your airway closes off several times during the night. People with sleep apnea often snore a lot as a means of keeping their airway open. Returning to a healthy weight often resolves the situation.

Many of these conditions can be dealt with successfully once the weight is lost.

 And with the rise in childhood obesity – now is a great time to start a healthy family routine that includes more healthy snacks (and less junk food) and daily activity for the entire family.

©2010 Health Smart Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Scientists have always speculated about the mind body connection. It is a real phenomenon that has helped people achieve some amazing results. Through positive visualization, you can change the way you think and watch as your body and your life in general responds to the new you!

What is Positive Visualization?

Positive Visualization is the process of using your mind to see yourself achieving your goals. Through this technique, what seemed impossible before slowly becomes a possibility worth pursuing.

What often happens in life is that we set goals and don’t achieve them. This doesn’t mean that every goal we set will be unmet. But, sometimes, when the deadline we set approaches, instead of being filled with delight we are anxious because we are nowhere near the goal. That can lead to discouragement and abandonment of the goal altogether.

Visualization has helped many people to achieve their goals for fitness and weight loss, not to mention life in general. The technique begins with mental imagery. Most humans are visual creatures.  It is easier for us to do something when you can first see yourself doing it.

Think about a dance routine or a recital. You go through the movements in your head before a performance. You may not have known it then, but this is a part of the visualization process.

It’s funny how the brain works. People have reported having dreams where they were running or being chased and they woke up tired.  Your body responds to what your brain believes is real. 

If you set a goal, and you can actually see yourself achieveing that goal, your brain begins to believe that the goal is a reality and will begin to work to put reality in line with its beliefs.  The brain seems to want to help you to complete that goal.  Of course most of us experience this power in the negative – we want to lose weight – but we tell ourselves “I’ll never be able to lose the weight” – as a result – our brain starts to work against us in our weight-loss efforts.

Visualization works best when you use all your senses. Don’t just see yourself accomplishing your goal; imagine the smells, sound, tastes and touch associated with the goal. As you visualize, you see the “big picture” so to speak. You go through the motions of the entire process to find success each step of the way.

Better Health

Weight-loss goals are hard to keep. Most of us start with the goal and then try to make steps towards that goal each day. With visualization, you can see yourself choosing healthier foods, performing different exercises and dealing with difficult situations.

Going through the process in your head, makes it seem not so intimidating in real life. For instance, imagine the smells in a restaurant. In spite of that, you order a salad with dressing on the side instead of the pasta. Visualization is preparing you to handle the event.

Happy Life

Fitness goals are not the only ones we create. You may want to perform better on your job or to create a happier home. Set your goals and then visualize yourself making the changes. Use that imagery over and over to help you keep to your goal even despite setbacks.

Visualization also helps combat the negative self-talk because you are concentrating on positive outcomes. It takes practice to get it right, but visualization has helped others to “see” what they want to achieve and win!

©2010 Health Smart Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Whether this is your first pregnancy, your last, or somewhere in between – if you haven’t already invested in a doppler fetal heart monitor, you don’t know what you’re missing!  Gone are the “is my baby okay” worries of the first and second trimesters where you have to wait an agonizing 4 weeks between visits to hear your little one’s heart go pitter patter.  And even once you’ve experienced the “quickening” can can coach your baby to kick with a glass of orange juice, hearing the baby’s heart beat through a monitor is such a calming sound.

What is a Heart Fetal Monitor?

A heart fetal monitor, is also knows as a  fetal heart monitor, a fetal doppler heart monitor, and many other variations of the terms.  Basically the fetal heart monitor is an instrument that enables the user to hear inside the mother’s body to hear not only the baby’s heart beat, but also sounds of movements (including hiccups) of the baby as well as some of the mother’s internal sounds (heartbeat, stomach and intestinal noises, the amniotic fluid flow, etc.)  The fetal monitor or doppler fetal monitor is much more sensitive than just a regular stethoscope, which usually can’t detect the fetal heartbeat until around 16 weeks.  Many users of fetal heart monitors can detect the baby’s heart rate as early as 9 weeks.

Which Fetal Doppler Heart Monitor is Best for Me?

There are many different gadgets available for fetal heart rate monitoring.  You can even purchase the top of the line fetal doppler heart monitor that your OB likely uses.  Prices range from just around thirty dollars ($30) on up to around two thousand ($2000) dollars.

If you absoutely cannot afford anything more, then go ahead and get a $30 model, however, many reviews state that the sound can be  a little static-y and makes it hard to find the baby’s heartbeat.  The best reviews come from those in the $150 range that also include an LCD display to give you the actual heart rate of the baby, not just the sound.  There really is no need to spend more than $200 on a fetal heart monitor for you at home unless you are also a practicing mid-wife or doula, in which case it may be best to invest in the hospital grade model (around $600.)

So if you are expecting, or know someone who is – get a fetal heart monitor for home use – it’s one of the best pre-natal instruments you can have!

©2010 Health Smart Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Certainly, the dark sky and the cold air make it difficult to get out of bed, let alone get up and go for a walk.  But don’t give up hope just yet.  Here are a few tips to help you stay motivated and continue your workouts in the winter months.

1. Find a Workout Buddy. They say there is strength in numbers, and that is especially true for the exercise journey.  Find someone who has similar goals to yours and partner up for fitness for the winter.  The two of you can work to keep each other motivated and on track.  Plus, you are more likely to work out if someone else is depending on you rather than just give yourself the day off
2. Head Inside. Most YMCAs and many gyms have indoor pools. You can swim laps all winter long. If you can find a heated indoor pool, so much the better. Also, this is the perfect time to bring out those exercise tapes. Even though the morning is dark, you can turn on a light in the living room and get moving.
3. Exercise with your family. Even kids can get the winter blues and cabin fever – help your whole household kick the blues by getting the  entire family together and go for a walk, a hike, a jog or even to the backyard for a game of touch football or kickball. The laughter and good memories alone will be worth the effort.
4. Try new things. There are a whole host of winter exercises that you may not be hip to. If you don’t mind the learning curve, try skiing, snowboarding and/or ice skating for a start. Ask active friends what they do in the winter to stay in shape.
5. Continue little changes. Even in the winter, you can still make the little changes that can give you that extra edge. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park away from the building you work in and walk. Get your blood pumping and you’ll stay warm.
6. Call for support. If your feet seem permanently glued to the floor or your butt to the bed, phone a friend. Ask them to remind you why you are doing all of this. A little pep talk now and again can be a great motivator.
7. Create a workable schedule. No one says that you have to exercise every day. Maybe in the winter you can cut back to three or four days a week.

Don’t let the cold winter weather get you down. Use the above tips to help you stay motivated to get the work done even when the weather is a bit chilly. When the spring and warmer weather roll around, you’ll be glad that you did.

©2010 Health Smart Mom. All Rights Reserved.