1) What's Happening

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season!

There's lots of new articles in the Info Alley and the Diapering Resource page. Check them out!

Check the main page often for new Baby Activities. Scroll down for one you might have missed!

As always, email me at: babies@mothersnature.com with articles, info, questions, stories or comments. I love to hear from you and am always looking for articles or tips to share with the Babies Community.
Hope you enjoy the newsletter!
Take care,
Hannah

2) Here is a Baby Activity that was posted on the main page a couple weeks ago. Check out the Babies Community often for new activities you can do with your baby. They are geared for developmental milestones and just plain fun!

Baby Activities 6-12 months
Play Follow the Leader! Encourage your baby to copy you using simple actions like clapping your hands, slapping your hands down on a table or floor, shaking your head, or anything else you think your baby can mimic. Have lots of fun and laughs and your baby will love the play and repetition of the actions.

3) Increasing Milk Supply
Chaste berry and milk thistle are herbs that increase milk production. Take three capsules of each per day. Other herbs commonly used to increase milk production are fennel, marshmallow, goat's rue, blessed thistle. At weaning, one to two capsules each of sage and parsley should be taken every two to three hours.
-Shonda Parker, The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy, Naturally Healthy Productions, 1998

4) From the Message Boards
On the Nighttime Parenting Board Sunni asks:
We have used a Co-sleeper and we *love* this arrangement, we snuggle and cuddle and Connor even sleeps in our bed at times.. but my DH is a light, restless sleeper and it is nice to be able to just reach out and put him in the co-sleeper with me right there to grab him when he wakes up for a feeding! BUT our 4 month old is outgrowing the co-sleeper... we have a rather small bed and would like to continue this idea with his crib... how do you convert it? How do you keep it snug against the bed? Do people like this arrangement?
Thanks, Sunni

On the Diapering Board Spookymom33 has a baby wipe tip for us:
You can use the cloth wipes in the warmer, but just be sure to always keep water in it or the wipes will scorch/burn! It's basically just as easy to just run them under the hot tap right before you change baby's diaper though. I used to do that, but found that it works the best if I just keep a spray bottle of wipe solution at the changing table and spray wipe to clean my son. If he's poopy, I spray him, then wipe with a wipe or prefold and repeat until clean and fresh!

Recipe for baby wipes:
1 1/2 c. warm water 2 tbsp. baby wash (liquid) 2 tbsp. baby oil (the emolient & vitamin rich kind are awesome!)

5) What's the Difference Between Breastmilk and Formula?
Why breastfeed? Why not is the better question. This page was written in the interest of supporting and promoting breastfeeding for all moms and babies. UNICEF states that 1 million babies die each year as a result of being fed artificial formula, some die from diarrhea and other intestinal illnesses , some die from malnutrition because their families can not afford to purchase formula, and some die from the illnesses that formula fed babies are more likely to contract. The latest recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for one year. What is the difference between Breastmilk and Artificial baby formula ? What's in mom's stuff? "Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, Macronutrients, Minerals, Calcium, Chloride, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Chromium, Copper, Fluoride, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Selenium, Zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Biotin, Vitamin C, Folate, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Catalase, Histaminase, Arysulfatase, Antioxidants, a-Tocopherol, Cysteine, Ascorbic acid, Antiproteases, a -1-antitrypsin, a -1-antichymotrypsin, Prostaglandins, PG-E2, PG-F2, Secretory IgA (sIgA), Full antibody repertoire, Lysozyme, Lactoferrin, Interleukin-6, PAF-acetylhydrolase, Memory T cells, EGF, NGF, Insulin, IGF-I, IGF-II, Relaxin, TGF-a, PRL, Corticosterone, Insulin, IGFs, Relaxin, EGF, TGF-a, TGF-b, GnRH, GRH, PTHrP, Peptides, Erythropoietin, Prostaglandins." Read the reference article to learn more.
Reference : Breast-feeding: Unraveling the Mysteries of Mother's Milk-Author: Margit Hamosh, PhD, Georgetown University Medical Center. Whats in the other stuff? {Are you sure you really want to know?} " whey protein concentrate, palm olein, soy, coconut, high-oleic safflower oils lactose, maltodextrin, patoassium citrate, calcium phosphate, calcium chloride, salt, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, potassium iodide, soy lecithin, mono and diglycerides, inositol, choline bitartrate sodium ascorbate,Enzymatically hydrolyzed reduced minerals, alpha tocophyeryl acetate, naicinamide, calcum pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, phylloquinone, biotin, vitamin D3, vitamin B12, taurine, L-carnitine"
Reference: Can of formula.

Posted Originally From: Baby Steps to Breastfeeding

6) Famous People Who Were Breastfed or Who Breastfed Their Children

Princess Grace of Monaco, LLLI conference speaker
Diana, Princess of Wales
Queen Elizabeth II of England breastfed Prince Charles
Anita Baker, singer
Tipper Gore, VPs wife
Hillary Clinton
Connie Selleca, actress
Katherine Ross, actress
Jayne Kennedy, actress
Susan St. James, actress
Linda Kelsey, actress, LLLI conference speaker
Mariette Hartley, actress, LLLI conference speaker
Demi Moore, actress
Jennie Garth
Adrianne Barbeaux, actress, currently 52 and nursing her twin sons
Joan Lunden, journalist (former GMA host)
Melissa Gilbert, actress
Cybil Shepard, actress (twins)
Rita Wilson, actress/wife of Tom Hanks
Madonna, singer and actress
Jane Seymour, actress (of Dr. Quinn fame), twins
Madeline Albright, Secretary of State
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of Britain
Lindsay Wagner
Cathy Rigby, gymnast, Olympic gold medalist
Mary Lou Retton, gymnast, Olympic gold medalist
Michael Jordan’s Mom bf him for 3 years and said "I feel this is why he is the athlete he is."
Cheryl Swoopes, BB player
Joan Rivers, talk show host and comedienne
Michael J. Fox’s wife: Tracy, actress
Mary, Mother of Jesus
Hannah, Mother of Samuel
Christie Brinkley, model
Nicole Simpson, late wife of OJ Simpson
Eleanor Roosevelt
Marilu Henner, actress
Patricia Richardson, actress (twins)
Carly Simon, singer
Valerie Bertinelli, actress
Katie Couric, host Today Pamela Anderson Lee (with implants)
Ruth Pointer, singer (twins)
Miss Lillian bf President Jimmy Carter but bottlefed Billy
Pele’s Mom bf him
Laurie Metcalf, actress
Ursula Andress, actress
Sophia Lauren, actress
Queen Sirikit of Thailand breastfed her 4 children
Meryl Streep, actress
Jacqueline Smith, actress
Kathie Lee Gifford, talk show host and singer
Lucy Lawless, actress

7) Cold Weather Safety

Cold Weather Safety - Hypothermia and Frostbite

While this information is given in terms of "your child", they are applicable to people of any age. Keep in mind that since children are smaller than adults they loose body heat more rapidly and will suffer cold-related injuries sooner than adults do. Also remember that when children are playing outside on a cold day they may not pay any attention to how cold they are, so it's up to you to keep an eye on them, and to remind older children of the dangers.

Frostbite is the most common cold-related injury. When someone has the mildest form (superficial) they will have grey or yellowish patches on the frozen areas. Their skin remains soft, but becomes red and flaky after thawing. If this happens to your child, treat it by bring him into a warm place, removing any tight clothing that could restrict his circulation, and warming the affected areas with warm, NOT hot water (102-106 degrees F.) Do NOT rub or massage the frostbite area and do not rub with ice or snow.

Deep frostbite usually occurs on the feet or hands. There will be waxy, pale, solid skin which can become blue or purple when thawed; large blisters may also appear. If this happens, take the person inside and get immediate medical attention.

Hypothermia occurs when your body looses more heat that it products. Early symptoms include uncontrollable shivering, impaired speech and clumsy movements. A person with severe hypothermia may have rigid muscles, dark and puffy skin, irregular heartbeat and respiration, and they may become unconsciousness.

Treatment: Protect the person from more heat loss and seek immediate medical attention. Remove any wet clothing, but do not rub the skin. (None of my sources mentioned this, but a good way to warm up someone suffering from hypothermia until medical help can be reached is for one or two people to share their body warmth by crawling in naked next to the cold person and wrapping everybody up under a pile of warm clothes or blankets.)

The best thing, of course, is to take precautions so hypothermia and frostbite never happen in the first place:

*Dress your child properly for the weather. Several layers of thick, loose-fitting clothing allows warm air to becoming trapped between the layers. It also allows for layers to be removed if your child becomes too warm. Clothes should my made of loosely-woven cotton or wool fabrics.

*Your child will loose heat most rapidly from her head and neck, and is most apt to get frostbite on her cheeks, ears and nose, so be sure to have her wear clothes that protect these parts of her body. It can take as little as 30 seconds for bare skin to become frostbitten if the weather is very cold or the wind chill factor high.

*Remind your children that when they're playing outside on a cold day they should keep moving around, and not sit or stand in one place for very long. If they do need to sit, they should sit on blankets or a portable seat, rather than on cold pavement or concrete.

*Have them drink warm caffeine-free fluids to keep from becoming dehydrated. (A note for adults: these fluids should be also be nonalcoholic, since alcohol lessens the body's ability to feel the cold.)

*Caution your children to avoid becoming wet when playing outside on cold days (wet clothes loose 90% of their insulating value). Have them wear their warm clothes under rain gear, if necessary. If your child's clothing does get wet, have them change immediately to dry clothing.

*Tell your children that if their fingers or toes start to sting, that's their body's way of telling them "I'm cold! Bring me inside so I can warm up, please!"

References:

Cold weather safety tips http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/ems/safety_tips/cold.htm

Surviving the Cold Weather http://www.nsc.org/library/facts/cold.htm

How to Prevent Frostbite and Hypothermia http://www.nsc.org/library/facts/cold.htm

Parenting Tip of the Day Wednesday January 5, 2000 http://www.emazing.com/archives/parenting/2000-01-05

Copyright 2000 by Donna Zelzer, all rights reserved.
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