• Diapers – Bring a package or two of diapers. They are pricey and newborns go through so many. Think about getting each guest to bring a pack as well, and as a motivator, you can enter everyone who does into a prize drawing.

• Load of laundry – Find a cute laundry basket (or something similar) and load it with everything laundry. Include laundry detergent, stain remover, fabric softener, and a mesh laundry bag for baby socks (that way they don’t get lost in the washer).

• Baby Monitor – Everybody needs one of these. Some parents even set up one in every room of the house. It’s such a reassurance for new parents to be able to hear their baby at all times. Now they even have video monitors but they are a little on the pricey side.

• Crib – This is a great gift to purchase together with other partygoers. Everyone can pitch in a certain amount of money and the guest of honor gets a beautiful and necessary gift.

Since there’s never a shortage of clothes or bottles given at a baby shower, try something different. Have fun and use your imagination when trying to come up with baby shower gift planning and ideas. These gift ideas are very practical and can be used by every new mom and her precious little baby. And always remember you don’t have to break your budget to get a great gift.

One of the most significant jobs you surely have as a parent is keeping your child safe while riding in a car. Thousands of young children are killed or injured in car crashes every year. The correct use of car safety seats helps keep children safe in case there is a car crash. Nevertheless, with so many different car safety seats out on the market right now, it’s no wonder why so many parents find this overwhelming. The type of car seat your child needs depends on quite a few things, including the size of your child and the type of motor vehicle you may have.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) highly recommends that all infants should ride rear-facing right from the first ride home from the hospital. They ought to remain rear-facing until they reach the highest height or weight allowed by the manufacturer of their car safety seat.  At a bare minimum, children should ride rear-facing until they weigh at least 20 pounds or are at least 1 year of age. Once your child has reached the highest weight or height permitted by the manufacturer of the seat for rear-facing, she/he can ride forward-facing in a more convertible seat. Nevertheless, it is best for him/her to ride rear-facing to the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer of his/her car safety seat. She/he should ride in a forward-facing seat with a harness until he/she outgrows it, which in most cases would usually be at approximately 4 years of age and about when your child weights 40–65 pounds.

Once your child has outgrown his/her forward-facing car safety seats, they are now old enough for a Booster seat. It is in everyone’s best interest for children to ride in a harnessed seat as long as it is possible, which would mean at least to 4 years of age. If your child outgrows his/her seat before reaching 4 years of age, you should consider using a seat with a harness approved for children with higher weights and heights. Booster seats should be used with a shoulder and a lap belt and should never be a lap-only belt. When you are using a booster seat for your child, you must make sure that the lap belt lies low and fits perfectly across your child’s upper thighs. The shoulder belt should also be crossed in the middle of your child’s chest and shoulder.

Remember, be a good role model and make sure you always wear your seat belt. Our children always observe and learn from their parents. If you are not sure of how to use any of the safety recommendations for your infants always call the manufacture or read the instructions and make sure that you install your infant’ safety gadgets properly.

The Babymoon

Your destination before baby

By Michelle Bruns

First comes love, then comes marriage, but before baby comes… the babymoon? This age-old nursery rhyme has had a few revisions of late thanks to a modern phenomenon called the babymoon. Long gone are the days that couples sat around feverishly preparing and patiently awaiting the arrival of their bundle of joy. More and more couples, pregnant belly and all, are packing their bags before their little one arrives and heading off for some R&R.

Research shows that the term babymoon was first conceived in 1996 by Sheila Kitzinger, author of The Year After Childbirth. In its origin, the term referenced the time that mommy, daddy, and baby spent post-birth to bond. More recently, the term seems to have developed into a retreat that preggo couples take prior to the birth of their offspring.

Many Web sites focus solely on offering babymoon planning and resources. From day spas touting prenatal massages to resorts that offer weekend Lamaze retreats, there is a babymoon package for practically every type of couple. Paired with bottles of sparkling cider and/or delivery of any craving the mommy-to-be is experiencing, these vacation packages are focused on letting the expecting couple put their feet up, reconnect with one another, and refresh before their special delivery arrives.

If your jump onto the babymoon bandwagon involves an airline flight, there are a few things of which to take note. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists say that the safest time for a pregnant woman to travel is during the second trimester (18 through 24 weeks). Having the lowest risk of miscarriage or premature labor, the second trimester is also usually when expectant mothers are feeling their best.

Here are a few other tips the mother-to-be may want to consider when taking flight to their babymoon destination:

• Properly fasten the seatbelt under your belly and across the top of your thighs -this will offer you and your pea in the pod optimum safety while flying.
• Keep your blood flowing. Every 30 minutes, get up and walk around or at least stretch your legs and flex your ankles if the seatbelt sign is on.
• Drink, drink, drink (water, of course). Becoming dehydrated in the air is dangerous for you and baby-to-be.
• Seats at the bulkhead (the first row behind a divider or partition in the airplane) typically offer extra legroom. And, with no seats in front of you, it is easier to get to your seat without having to wriggle your pregnant belly between the rows. (Note that without a seat in front of you, you’ll also be without a tray.)
• Seats over the wings of the airplane offer the smoothest ride.

Even if a seven-day babymoon at a five-star tropical resort is not in the cards for you, one-day babymoons at a local destination can serve the same purpose. Reconnecting and relaxing with your partner before your baby arrives is the most important goal. Sometime during your bonding, try and schedule a good night’s sleep as one last hurrah – it’s something you may not experience for a while once your little one makes his or her entrance into the world!

Where did you and your partner babymoon?