Category: Motherhood

Pampers Debuts a New Flat Diaper for Preemies and You Can Help the #LittlestFighters

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Just in time for Prematurity Awareness Month, Pampers has come up with a novel solution for preemies who can’t wear diapers.

When a baby is born preterm, parents face challenges they didn’t expect—including some they didn’t even realize existed. For instance, you might have known that many preemies don’t wear clothes in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), but did you know that some can’t even wear diapers? But now there’s a new option: a first-of-its-kind flat diaper from Pampers that allows better access to these tiny babies for doctors and nurses, and protects preemies’ delicate skin.

An alternate diapering solution

Why do preemies need alternatives to traditional diapers? “Because a premature baby still needs to develop, it is important that he or she sleeps with minimal environmental stimulation, such as noise and light—or ill-fitting diapers,” Amy Wiford, Pampers Nurse Specialist and a NICU nurse for 10 years, tells Parents.com. “It is also important to support proper developmental positioning, with less disruption via minimal handling.”

Without any elastic, tape, or fragrance, the diaper is designed to lay flat under the baby to maximize skin exposure for treatments like phototherapy for jaundice. “Conditions that might make it difficult for a preemie—especially extremely low birth-weight infants—to wear a regular diaper include Hyperbilirubinemia (jaundice), abdominal defects and surgeries, and severe skin breakdown,” Wiford says, adding that a flat diaper can help to fulfill unmet needs of preemies in the NICU with these types of conditions, by promoting open-air healing as well as giving healthcare professionals better access to care for complications due to birth defects and/or post-operative care.

Supporting the “littlest fighters”

Prematurity has increased for the second year in a row; the preterm birth rate in the U.S. is now 9.8 percent. “Many people don’t know this, but preterm birth is a national health crisis,” Wiford says. “Thankfully, advances in medical science have allowed many of these babies to thrive in the NICU.” Support for preemies is crucial for research, education, and advocacy programs for these tiny babies and their parents.

For Prematurity Awareness Month this November, Pampers has partnered with March of Dimes to donate a box of flat diapers to every NICU in the country. If you have a baby in the NICU and are interested in flat diapers, which are only available in hospitals, ask your nurse or healthcare professionals if they’re right for your little one.

Check out Pampers’ new video on these littlest fighters featuring Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song”—we dare you not to cry! Parents.com By Tina Donvito. Picture by Pampers.

And if you’re interested in giving back, share a story about your baby’s fighting spirit on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using the hashtag #LittlestFighters until November 17 and Pampers will donate $5 to the March of Dimes—or subscribe for any new Pampers on Amazon Prime from November 11-17 and Pampers will donate $10.

xxxxxx,

Janice

The case for putting my wife before my children

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IMAGE SOURCE: THINKSTOCK

It’s usually 8:30 PM when I give the first warning shot to my two teenage daughters.

At 9 PM, I say, “It’s time for you two to head upstairs.” I repeat this nearly every night.

And nearly every night they argue. “But why do we have to go to bed at 9?” they lament. “We’re not children anymore.”

“You don’t have to go to bed, but you can’t stay down here in the living room past 9. That’s our time. We haven’t seen each other all day, and most of the day we’ve been focused on you and work. We need our time, too.”

They roll their eyes and huff at us.

The other night, I went as far as to sing the Semisonic song “Closing Time” until they threw pillows at me. I kept repeating, “Closing time, you don’t have to go home but you can’t … stay … here!”

They didn’t laugh. At all. We, however, thought it was hilarious.

To be honest, we’ve had this rule for as long as I can remember. We’ve been parents for nearly 15 years now, and there has never been a time where our children were allowed to dominate ALL of our time in the course of the day. They dominate a lot of it, mind you, but not all of it. We love our children and we consider our role in their life to be a huge investment. We committed a long time ago to be there for them and to always be hands-on and involved in their lives.

But, there’s still us. There’s still our relationship. There’s still the health of our marriage to consider and pay attention to.

We have some big reasons why this is so important to us. Here are a few …

A healthy marriage is the cornerstone of the home.

The cornerstone of your family is not your children. They are a part of the foundation and make up a major part of the structure, but they’re not the main thing that holds this whole beautiful mess together. That’s you — you and your wife, you and your husband, you and your partner. It’s your responsibility to lead your family, and your home. Your children are looking to the two of you for direction and example (more on this in a minute).

Before them, it was us.

Before they existed it was the two of us. We fell in love, skipped class to be together, stayed up too late talking on the phone (that was tied to the wall by a cord), and eventually committed to forever with one another. We were the beginning. We kicked this whole party off. Then these beautiful children came along. And we’re sure thankful they did because they fill our life with so much joy. But, our union is sacred. Our union is holy. With all of our power we must protect that sacredness.

After them, it will be us.

Nothing lasts forever. Our darlings are going to grow up and move out of our nest at some point. I don’t know about you, but there’s no room for a 30-year-old kid in my basement. After they’re out in the world, living on their own, raising their own family, being the human beings they were meant to be, it will be just the two of us once again. And we want us to be healthy, strong, and still as committed as we were when we first began this journey. In order to make sure the future us is protected, we must put us first today. This is not easy. We’ll get to that in a second…

We need to set a future example.

As I mentioned earlier, your children and mine are looking to us for life-cues, direction, and example. As children, they’re watching our every move to determine how they should live their lives. We often say, “We are raising adults, not children.” I don’t know about you, but I want my children to grow up with a healthy view of relationships — dating, engaged, or married. I want the health of my marriage to give them a healthy view of what marriage is, and what it should be. That’s why I put my wife first, and them second. Close second, but still second.

At the end of the day, this is a tension you must manage. Your children do need you, and they are important. After your spouse, they come next. Not friendships, not careers, not hobbies. Them. And you must take care of them. But take care of your marriage first and foremost. If that crumbles, the confidence that your children have now will begin to erode. When they see you loving their mother, or their father, they will love them too. But most importantly, they will have a confidence in themselves, and a confidence in the world around them.

Our schedule is busy all the time. I mean all … the … time! It seems to never stop. We are on with our children all the time. That’s why we guard 9 PM on each night. That’s why we intentionally schedule date night a couple times a month. It must be a value. It must be consistent. Mike Berry via babble.

We must come first.

xxxx,

Janice

Young Living Essential Oils

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Essential oils are volatile liquids and natural compounds found in wild-crafted plants, herbs, and trees. Theses potent oils are extracted through a process called distillation. (We will cover distillation types in a different post.) Each essential oil contains naturally occurring chemical constituents, many of which have been studied for their benefits. Essential oils are also fat soluble and volatile which makes them readily available to our bodies for use. Essential oils are highly concentrated and are known to be much more concentrated than the original herb alone.

Essential oils are not just a new fad or trend; they have enhanced lives for thousands of years, offering a variety of benefits, from beauty and dietary purposes to spiritual and religious use. Essential oils were used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Europeans, and Chinese. In fact, oils are mentioned in many historical texts and are well documented for their uses and benefits in ancient times.

We offer hundreds of single oils, blends, and oil-infused products, each containing the optimal levels of specific, naturally occurring constituents to maximize their potency. Whether you use them for aromatherapy, personal care, or household solutions, every aspect of daily life can benefit from the incorporation of essential oils. Young living training and education. Janice Independent distributor #3815974. You can reach me via email at janiceandphilippe@gmail.com

xxxxx,

Janice

Being a mum is the equivalent of 2.5 FULL-TIME jobs, according to new research

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We’ve often heard the saying “being a mum is a full-time job”; but, according to research, it’s actually closer to being two-and-a-half full-time jobs!

A new American study has found that the average mum works an astonishing 98 hours per week – over twice the average working week of 39 hours.

Researchers examined the schedules of 2000 working mums, with children aged five to 12. They found that the average work day of a mum starts at 6.23am and ends at 8.31pm.

They found that even on their “free time”, mums tended to fill their time with tasks; and, of course, the weekends were just as busy as the week days!

Most mums reported having just one hour and seven minutes of “me time” daily. We spend most of our “me time” in the bathroom trying to get a quick shower unaccompanied…

40 percent of mums surveyed said their lives felt like a series of never-ending tasks, while 70 percent reported feeling pressure to provide a healthy diet for their children.

“The results of the survey highlight just how demanding the role of mum can be and the non-stop barrage of tasks it consists of,” said Casey Lewis, Health and Nutrition Lead at Welch’s, the juice company that commissioned the survey, told Yahoo.

The survey also examined what “life-savers” mums relied upon when trying to do it all became too tough.

The extensive list includes wine (us too), grandparents or a reliable babysitter to step in from time to time, Netflix (for the kids or the parents), wet wipes, drive-through meals, healthy snacks and juices, toys and iPads.

Coffee, napping when possible, and the ability to put on an “angry” voice as required were also on the list of top 20 mum-approved lifesavers.

We can definitely testify to the power of all of the above in a stressful situation – particularly coffee in the mornings, or a glass of wine after a very long day.

What do you think, mums? Does this sound like a typical week in your life?

We would love to know what you use as a life-saver when things get difficult. Via Mummypage life as a mom. Leave us a comment and let us know.

xxxxx,

Janice