8 Natural Ways to Make Baby's Vaccinations Less Painful

maandag 9 september 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Jeanne Sager 2 hours ago

I can't be the only mom who has a love/hate relationship with vaccines. I love that they protect my child from deadly diseases. I hate that they make her scream bloody murder because they HURT!

And preventing that pain isn't easy. Every time you turn around, another over-the-counter pain reliever has been recalled. So what's a mom to do when her baby is going to get his shots? When in doubt, go natural!

Here are some easy natural pain relievers -- approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics -- to make immunizations a little easier on your little guy or girl:

1. Dip the pacifier in sugar. I'll admit this one surprised me, but it turns out Mary Poppins was right! A spoonful of sugar does help the medicine go down -- or, at least, a sucrose solution on the pacifier does! Mix one packet of sugar in 10 ml of water to get the solution right. You can also use a syringe to put the solution directly in the mouth.

2. Don't stress. Kids feed off our fears, even babies. According to one study, at 6 months, maternal behavior accounted for 26 percent of infant pain behavior. If you're calm about their shots, they will likely be less stressed ... and less likely to notice the pain.

More From The Stir: 5 Tips for Helping Your Kids Deal With Pain From Injuries

3. Apply pressure. Pressure right at the injection site has been shown to reduce the pain. It's as simple as using your finger. Hey, it works on a bug bite, doesn't it? So why not a shot? To be therapeutic, you should keep your finger in place for at least 10 seconds at the site.

4. Ask for the shots to be given at once. If baby is getting more than one shot and there are multiple practitioners available, ask for it all to be done at once rather than one at a time. Studies have shown this helps reduce the pain.

5. Ask for a topical anesthetic. There is no perfect anesthetic to dull all the pain, but they can help. There are even some devices now that buzz on the skin rather than applying any sort of cream.

6. Distract them. Believe it or not, it can be as simple as making sure baby doesn't see that needle going into their little thigh.

7. Breastfeed. This goes along with distracting baby, but it also plays into something that little ones already find soothing. Bonus: one study indicates breastfed infants are less likely to suffer fever after their shots.

8. Pop in the pacifier. Whether you use the sucrose solution mentioned above or not, simply sucking on a soother is, well, soothing!

How do you comfort your baby during their shots?

Image via Army Medicine/Flickr

Click the "Like" button below to get Natural Parenting stories on Facebook. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jeanne Sager

writes articles for The Stir by day, slays closet monsters and bounds through bedtime stories with her elementary schooler by night. The Phineas and Ferb soundtrack reverberates through her brain.

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6 Best Shoes to Support Baby's First Steps (PHOTOS)

vrijdag 26 juli 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Mary Fischer 16 hours ago

Watching your baby take his or her first steps is probably one of the proudest moments a parent feels -- though things do tend to get a little more hectic once our kiddos are mobile!

And while most babies walk around barefoot at home, making it easy for their little toes to grip the floor -- they definitely need a good pair of shoes to protect and support their feet while they're out and about. But with so many adorable baby shoes on the market, which ones are best for our little ones?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies wear lightweight and flexible shoes that allow their feet to move naturally.

They should also be made of leather or mesh material to allow baby's feet to breathe and have rubber soles to ensure traction to make sure that they don't slip.

Based on those guidelines, here are six great choices for your baby's first pair of walking shoes, all of which are approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association as being beneficial for baby's feet.

Image via Stride Rite

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Pediped offers plenty of adorable styles for both boys and girls in their "Originals" collection. This is the Harvey style, in chocolate brown, currently on sale for $33.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mary Fischer

is the writer behind The Mommyologist, and the mom of a future famous comedian. Her current loves include cosmopolitans, reality TV, and shoes that don't pinch her feet.

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'Town Crier' at Royal Baby's Birth Was Just a Party Crasher Who Fooled Millions

donderdag 25 juli 2013

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by Nicole Fabian-Weber 14 hours ago

Tony AppletonHey, remember that time the town crier announced the birth of the royal baby? He stood in front of St. Mary's Hospital, dressed in his traditional garb, gave a speech, rang his bell, and all the U.S. journalists standing in front of him were like, "Whuuuh? Nobody told me about this part." Well, he was just a party crasher. There was some on-air debate between reporters as to whether or not he was legit (I happened to be tuned in to Natalie Morales and Matt Lauer's back and forth -- they didn't think he was the real deal, FYI].) And, yep, turns out he's just a royal family superfan, like you and me.

Town criers. They're just like us.

His name is Tony Appleton, and he is a town crier, but he has no affiliation whatsoever with Kate Middleton, Prince William, or anyone in the royal family. He lives in Romford, England, not London, and he's a self-proclaimed "royalist". "I was not invited," Appleton told Yahoo in an interview. "I just crashed the party. I got out of my cab and I stood in front of the steps, because I didn't think I would be allowed on them, and I did my bit. It was great."

For those of you who missed Tony's bit, or were too confused to process what he was saying, here's what he read off his scroll:

On this day, the 22nd of July in the year 2013, we welcome, with honorable duty, a future king, the firstborn of Their Royal Highness the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the third in line to the throne. And our new prince is the third great-grandchild of Her Majesty the Queen and the grandchild of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. May he be long-lived, happy, and glorious, and one day reign over us. God save the Queen!

While it's slightly odd that Appleton decided to appoint himself the crier of the event, the guy didn't hurt anybody and he got to live out a dream. So that's cool. But I'm kind of wondering where security was. You'd think if a man or woman who wasn't supposed to be screaming crap started screaming crap, he or she would be hauled off. You'd think the guards would be informed of every little thing that was going to happen throughout the day. Everyone just stood there and watched Appleton -- and they let out a massive applause afterwards. Kinda weird.Thankfully, Tony wound up being a normal(ish) person who meant no ill-will to anyone. He simply wanted to get in on the festivities of the day and demonstrate his love for the royal family -- and demonstrate he did. This, for sure, will be one of the many things we remember when we look back at this moment in history.Tony Appleton, ladies and gentlemen.Did you think the town crier was real?Image via Jeff J Mitchell/GettyClick "Like" for more on the Royal Family.
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Kim Kardashian Speaks Out About Being a Mom for the First Time Since Baby's Birth

donderdag 18 juli 2013

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by Sasha Brown-Worsham 11 hours ago

Kim Kardashian has been laying pretty low since her baby girl North West came into the world on June 15. The new mom and her partner Kanye West have (wisely) taken their time releasing statements about parenthood, preferring instead to just have some private time. Now all that is over.

Kardashian has released her first statement about her new role via her blog and the statement is shockingly... demure. In it, she says how much she loves motherhood and also implies -- in a VERY un-Kardashian like manner -- that she has chosen privacy for this short period.

Say what?! See below:

Hey guys,

These past couple of weeks have been filled with the most exciting experiences of my life. I’m enjoying this time to fully embrace motherhood and spend time at home with my family. I’ve been reading all of your messages and want to thank you all for your sweet thoughts and best wishes. It truly means everything to me. I am so blessed to have the support of my family and fans in this beautiful moment. Xo

With love,
Kim

She sounds like a true new mom, doesn't she? I think we all know new motherhood changes us, but I don't think ANYONE thought new motherhood would change Kim Kardashian quite THIS much. Is she a new person?

Only time will tell.

It is clear, though, she is a mom now. That means taking her privacy seriously for the first time in her life. It means protecting her baby and letting all those new mom hormones settle before going out in the world.

Those first few weeks of a new baby are a heady mix of hormones, exhaustion, and elatement. I can't imagine wanting to be in the public eye during that time and apparently, neither could she.

It will definitely be interesting to see what emerges as time goes on. Will she be back to old Kim? Or will she seek privacy? We shall see!

Do you think Kim K will be more private now?

Image via Splash

Click the "Like" button below if you're Krazy for the Kardashians! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sasha Brown-Worsham

can't decide whether she is a mother, writer, or runner, but is usually all three at some point each day. She has written for dozens of print magazines, newspapers, and websites. She rarely ever writes on bathroom walls.

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Kate Middleton and Royal Baby's First Portrait Is Just Plain Creepy (PHOTO)

dinsdag 16 juli 2013

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by Jeanne Sager 3 hours ago

The royal baby and mama Kate Middleton have already been immortalized on canvas! Spanish artist Kaya Mar dropped off his rather bizarre masterpiece at St. Mary's Hospital's Lindo Wing, where the future prince or princess is expected to be born.

Ah, but I know what you're thinking. How do you paint the portrait of a baby who isn't even here yet?

For Mar, that was pretty simple. He made Kate into a breastfeeding Madonna, complete with a giant halo around her head. Either he missed the whole debacle over whether or not the Duchess will breastfeed or he didn't care. I'm leaning toward option number two. 

Mar is just trying to get attention, and, well, he succeeded with one of the strangest baby portraits I think I've ever seen. Just look at it!

Come on Moms, is this what you'd want to gaze at to remember your time with baby?

What about the baby's, ahem, face? Breastfeeding is beautiful, but that's what a photograph is for. For an official portrait, you want to see what they look like!

Of course, that's not the only problem with this particular picture of the Duchess and her munchkin. The crown on the royal baby's head makes this look less like a sweet scene between mother and baby and more clownish. And Kate's troll body would surely crumble on those stick legs.

The best part of this portrait is the dog! He's rather adorable.

Maybe Mar should stick to pet pictures from now on?

Hopefully Kate and Wills get a REAL portrait done once the baby arrives ... one they wouldn't mind hanging in Windsor Castle.

What do you think of the first royal portrait of the royal baby?

Image via Pacific Coast News

Click "Like" for more on the Royal Family. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jeanne Sager

writes articles for The Stir by day, slays closet monsters and bounds through bedtime stories with her elementary schooler by night. The Phineas and Ferb soundtrack reverberates through her brain.

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