LilSugar

Mommy's Lil Helper: Baby Monitor For Your iPhone

LilSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:00:48 -0800

Baby monitors can act as a mama's second set of eyes and ears, but when you're on the go and your lil one needs a nap you can still keep tabs on her while she sleeps with the Baby Monitor application for iPhone ($5). Simply place your iPhone near your sleeping baby, and if it detects noise it will place a phone call to the number of your choice (like the land line at your best friend's house). You can then listen in for activity from your tot - the super smart program will also detect if your babe picks up the phone.

Sold? Download it from iTunes, and check out other great iPhone applications for parents and parents-to-be.

Video Monitors Help Mama Keep Uninterrupted Tabs on Tots

babysugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:00:33 -0700

"DON'T buy a video monitor for your nursery! You'll be addicted to watching it and will never sleep again." These warnings from experienced mothers were ones I wish I ignored. After spending $100 on a regular monitor, it took me a year to realize the error of my ways.

While some mommies find monitors useless or at least expendable, I rely on mine to keep tabs on my snoozing babies. In hindsight, a video monitor would have saved me getting out of bed to check on my wee one's sleeping status or interrupting my tot's quiet downtime. As soon as they see mama peep in the room, that playtime is over! Instead of discovering his toes or chewing on a toy, me wee guy is amped and ready to get out of the crib. Already six months into my second child's life, I'm set on investing in one of the gadgets. Which kind of monitor, if any, do you prefer?

Safety 1st® Digital Audio & Video Monitor - $269.99	Summer Infant Complete Coverage Video Monitoring System - $299.99
Summer Infant Day & Night Pink 2.5" Handheld Color Video Monitor System - $199.99	Summer Infant Best View Color Handheld Video Monitor - $229.99
Sassy Web Watch Video Monitor - $279.99	Graco iMonitor Video Vibe Digital Monitor - $199.99
Summer Infant Day and Night Baby Video Monitor Set - $139.99	Fisher-Price Remote Control Video Monitor - $184.99

Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding: Night Knight

babysugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:00:19 -0700

Many new parents are skittish when they bring home baby. A cough can cause a mother to leap out of bed like a bolt of lightning. Instead of checking in on the tot every five minutes to see if they are still breathing, parents can now rely on new battery powered technology from Up Spring Baby.

The $70 Night Knight detects an infant's slightest move. If there is no motion for over 23 seconds, an alarm will sound to wake the infant or notify the parent or caregiver.

Price not being an issue, would you even consider purchasing such a device?

Turtle Keeps Tykes Safer Around Swimming Pools

LilSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:45:47 -0700

When I take my kids swimming, I'm usually a bit on edge, as my son is attracted to the pool's edge. For parents who want to safeguard their children around water, particularly if they have a pool in their own backyard, this turtle band sensor alerts moms and dads if their lil rascal slips into the pool. Secure Baby's Child Water Safety Alarm ($150) works similar to a baby monitor. A soft turtle wristband is fastened to the tot's arm, and if he ends up getting wet, the base sounds. The set comes with one turtle band, but parents with multiple children can purchase additional ones ($60). While this product acts as an extra method of protection for kids, it should only be used in addition to adult supervision.

Is Birth More About the Mother or Baby?

LilSugar — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:00:29 -0700

A friend recently told me she was shocked that I had allowed my sisters and sister-in-law into the delivery room when I had my kids. I told her I don't think of birth as a production centered around me and my husband, but rather the baby. Each of my children was lucky enough to be welcomed into the world with their godmother present. While some ladies primp for the occasion, bring a picture to focus on or stock up on their favorite snacks for the hospital stay, I'm usually too preoccupied watching the monitors and coping with contractions. Who do you think the experience is about?
Source: Flickr User madaise

Oh Baby! Would You Buy a Portable Ultrasound Gadget?

babysugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:30:29 -0700

How many of you thought Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were crazy for reportedly having their very own ultrasound machine in their home? Well get ready to call the rest of the population nuts because the world's about to get x-ray happy with General Electric's newest gadget. Expectant ladies who want to swoon over their unborn baby will soon be able do so in the luxury of their own home.

Thirty years ago, women were only given ultrasounds in high-risk pregnancies or rare circumstances. In modern day, most pregnant mamas have the chance to view their growing babe at least three times and often much more than that. Antsy pant parents who fret about the fetus may go gaga for the new portable ultrasound device introduced by GE. Reportedly the size of a BlackBerry and inexpensive, the monitor can scan the body as well as if she were sitting in her doctor's office. Now that's not saying the mother-to-be will have a clue what she's looking at, but it may bring comfort and peace of mind to know she sees some black and white flutter action in her abdomen. Do tell, if the price were right, would you buy such a gadget for your expectant days?

Photo courtesy of CNET

LilSugar Exclusive: Celebrity Trainer Provides Postpartum Exercise Tips

LilSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:00:28 -0700

Eating for two may sound like fun during pregnancy, but after the baby arrives, the reality of nine months of eating quickly sets in. While 75 percent of LilSugar readers kept track of their weight throughout their pregnancy, the thought of returning to a regular exercise routine is a task few new mamas are ready to tackle. From group exercise classes to at-home videos, there are a variety of methods for shedding baby weight.

Celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak, creator of 5-Factor Fitness and Diet Plan who helped Milla Jovovich lose the 70-plus pounds she gained during pregnancy and is now working with Jennifer Hudson, recently provided us with his take on how to jump-start a postnatal workout routine.

Following a vaginal birth with no severe tearing or complications from gestational diabetes, Pasternak recommends checking with your doctor and beginning this routine:

Start slow. Begin with one 10-minute walk each day. Slowly add a minute a day thereafter until you reach the 30-minute mark.

Add strength training. Once the doctor gives you the green light, begin with only one set per body part. Work your way up with multiple sets and gradually increase resistance and intensity.

Keep it simple. Don't turn to the most difficult machines you used prior to delivery. Stick with simple movements using your own body weight, dumbbells, barbells, or a HarleyBar for some light weight training.

Avoid high-impact movements for a while. The body is still filled with hormones that increase joint laxity, so it is important to monitor your activities.

Try a 5-Factor workout. (1) A cardio warm-up (2) A strength circuit with upper body (3) Lower body (4) Abs (5) Finish up with a cardio cool-down

Do these sound like tips you can put to good use?

When Did You Stop Using a Monitor?

babysugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:00:19 -0700

At nineteen months, my daughter hasn't needed her monitor in quite a while, but I still like to keep it on just for my own peace of mind. Many families ditch the battery operated callers once their child's voice is strong enough to warn the parents of discomfort. I'm not sure when I'll pull the cord on our monitors, but I'm thinking when she turns sixteen, we might need to reinstall them.

When did you stop using the monitors?

Approaching Adoption: The Domestic Option

LilSugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:00:13 -0700

Not all mothers meet their babies at birth. For some, connecting with their child is more a labor of effort and love. Celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Meg Ryan, Edie Falco, Calista Flockhart, and Nia Vardalos have put familiar faces on adoption and made it a household word. Hopeful parents have reasons ranging from fertility issues to choice in deciding to adopt domestically. The process involves the placement of American-born children with US-based parents and can be facilitated by an agency, like New York's Spence-Chapin or a private attorney. Firms match birth mothers and adoptive families and usher them through the process while lawyers often work with doctors who have patients interested in handing their children over for someone else to raise.

Qualifications: Once families register with an agency, they go through a home-study process, which involves criminal and medical background checks, a safe home and stable living environment inspection, a financial records review and monitoring of marital status. The family also submits a letter to prospective birth mothers explaining why they want to adopt.

To see the rest of our look at domestic adoption read more.

Timeline: The average domestic adoption takes 12-18 months. The most lengthy part of the process is the home study that can take up to five months. According to Spence-Chapin, single parents tend to wait longer than married couples because birth mothers are the ones making the choice. Once a family has been selected and the baby is born, the families must sign the terms of their agreement before the child is placed. After placement, many states require three to six months of monitoring by a social worker before the process is considered complete.

Costs: Domestic adoptions through an agency range from approximately $12,000 to $30,000. Some use a sliding scale based on the couple's income while others, like Chicago's The Cradle, charge set fees. These costs include everything from registration to the fee paid to the birth mother.

Considerations: Before deciding to adopt, parents should be comfortable with the idea of what it means to be an adoptive family - that their child might not resemble them and that questions will arise throughout their offspring's life. Future moms and dads also need to choose between an open adoption - where birth parents and adoptive parents agree to ongoing contact of some kind throughout the child's life, be it exchanging letters or medical records or a closed adoption, where there is no contact once the baby has been placed.

Babysugar Diaries: When a Sibling Wreaks Havoc

babysugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:00:15 -0700

One of the first things my pediatrician said upon the arrival of baby number two was, "If you leave the room, put the baby in the pack and play so big sister can't hurt him." All was splendid. My lass fawned over her brother and caressed his bald head ad nauseam. A well-mannered tot, I knew I need not worry about my daughter . . . yet. A few months into our routine, I put my son in his swing where he rocked off to sleep for a morning siesta. I brought my daughter back to my room where she watched cartoons and I showered.

Through the shower curtain, I kept my eye on her, making sure she was staying put in her cocoon. While I rinsed my hair, I thought to myself, she's getting to the point where I should monitor their interactions more closely. Hint: pack and play. After toweling off, I checked the status of both children. In five minutes, nothing had changed. Pushing my luck, I decided to blow-dry my bangs. To see what happened, read more.

As I dried off, I noticed my lass slip off the bed and run down the hallway. Rarely a troublemaker, I didn't pay much attention to her disappearance. She returned about three minutes later (bangs were still wet) and had a sheepish look on her face. I asked her, "Is your brother still sleeping?" She slowly shook her head. Though I was alarmed, I calmly asked her, "What is he doing?" Knowing it was probably not the correct answer, she said, "He's having tummy time!" In an instant, I dropped everything and ran to the living room.

Somehow, my 23-pound, 2-year-old child had picked up her brother, who weighed about half her body mass, and dragged him across the room. He was not having tummy time, but laying on his back on the rug staring at the ceiling without any scratches, bruises, or marks of distress. I asked her to demonstrate her technique with a teddy bear, but she knew better than to claim her guilt. It will remain a mystery how she snaked him safely onto the ground. Until he's running on his own, I'll be taking him with me when I know there's a chance she could wreak havoc. Do you have a similar story to share?