Do You Curse in Front of Your Kids?

How many times have you dropped the F-bomb in front of your children? Do you use the word S*%^ as an adjective? Think about it. I’m not referring to the time when you stepped on a handful of LEGOs with bare feet or took a header into the pavement when you were teaching your 5-year-old to ride without training wheels. I’m talking about regular use of curse words as part of your daily vocabulary. If you routinely use expletives in front of your kids without realizing it, then you might take note of a dad in Philly. A father in … Continue reading

Parental Threat: Intention Good, Results Not So Much

We’ve all been there in one way or another. As kids we were on the receiving end of it, and as parents with unruly children, who are prone to throw punches and barbs at each other in the backseat of a moving vehicle, many of us have doled out the empty threat ourselves: “If you kids don’t stop fighting, I’m going to stop this car right now and you can walk home!” Only, for an affluent New York mother the threat was far from empty. According to reports, Madlyn Primoff, who just happens to be a partner in a Manhattan … Continue reading

What NOT to do with Your Newborn Twins

And the 2008 Worst Mother Award goes to… Sonia Ringoir. Okay, maybe not. However, if they handed out an actual award for poor parental behavior the 31-year-old Belgium mother would certainly be in contention for title. If you haven’t already heard, Ringoir stands accused of selling her newborn twin boys to pay for liposuction surgery. According to reports, Ringoir, a restaurant worker from the Belgian tourist haven of Ghent, was arrested and charged last week after her estranged husband ratted her out. And get this—when police questioned Ringoir’s current boyfriend, he says the mom sold her babies because her estranged … Continue reading

To Sell or Not to Sell—Movie Star Weighs in on Baby Pic Saga

Angelina Jolie and the two newest members of the diverse Jolie-Pitt crew are finally home. Well, one of them anyway. Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline sped off with their mother from their temporary digs at the French Riviera hospital where they were born a week ago today. According to news reports, the actress and her infants slipped out of the hospital’s back entrance around 4 a.m. and sped off in a white van with tinted windows. No photos were snapped of the newborns, but you won’t have to wait too long to see Brangelina’s babes. Reports say an unnamed American … Continue reading

Will Breastfeeding While Pregnant Take Away From Your Fetus?

This morning we have been talking all about breastfeeding while pregnant. Here are a summary of the main points: *You can breastfeed while pregnant without fear of miscarriage. Your uterus is well protected against pre-term labor. The general rule of thumb is that if you’re cleared to have sex, you can breastfeed as well. *Since most women who are pregnant and nursing are not nursing a newborn infant. Since they are nursing an older baby, that baby should have other sources of nutrition besides breastfeeding. If they are exclusively being breastfed, mom should seek to provide additional nutrition. . .but … Continue reading

Supplementing: Why I Did It, When It’s Okay and When It’s Not

This blog is in response to someone’s specific question. The reader aptly pointed out that while I advise against supplementing, I have talked about doing it with my younger three children. She asked for further explanation and so in my first blog, I talked about why supplementing is a bad idea if you really want to breastfeed. In short, if you do supplement, it will decrease your supply. So Why Did I Supplement? My first two babies were the latch on king and queen of the world. I honestly believed that people who gave up just didn’t really want to … Continue reading

The Best of the 2007 Baby Blog

It has been an exciting year in the baby blog with a few changes in bloggers, several news stories, a few series started, and of course lots of information and reflection. This is a list of the best of the best. . .the best news, the best advice and the best of my personal favorites. With that I wish you all a Happy New Year, and look forward to an exciting year in 2008! Ask a Baby Blogger Series–This, in my opinion is one of the best things the baby blog has to offer. Granted, it’s my advice which I … Continue reading

5 Things Your Baby Really Wants for Christmas

I know. I know. You’re busy. Believe me, I get it. You have cookies to bake, a house to decorate and presents to buy. Not to mention the fact that you’re taking care of a baby who is probably finding new and creative ways to get into and on the tree. . .that is if he’s old enough. You’re probably looking at cooking or at least bringing some big dish to the next event, and attending several family get-togethers. So I’m going to simplify things for you and tell you what your baby really wants for Christmas. Go ahead and … Continue reading

Hospital Error Nearly Kills Dennis Quaid’s Newborn Twins

It’s a parent’s worst nightmare… and Dennis Quaid and his wife are smack in the middle of it. As I mentioned in a previous blog, Quaid and his wife Kimberly welcomed twins into the world on November 8th. However, the joyous moment is now being eclipsed by a horrific incident. Quaid’s son Thomas Boone and daughter Zoe Grace were accidentally given a major dose of the blood thinner heparin during their stay at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. According to news reports, the babies are currently in stable condition in the neo-natal intensive care unit at the hospital where they … Continue reading

Your Toddler and the New Baby

Many of you already may know that my children are all two years apart. They are almost exactly two years apart and so for four babies now, I’ve had a reigning two year old with a newborn (or two). Recently, there have been several family members in the forums who have asked about toddler behavior and the new baby and so I thought I would summarize some thoughts in a blog. If you want to discuss specific problems, please feel free to visit this thread to get support from other mommies. That Whole Terrible Two Thing I have written quite … Continue reading