Seriously?!?!

Seriously, where was this product when my kids were infants? There is now a self-warming baby bottle system available to parents. This baby product, made by Yoomi, safely and conveniently heats up breast milk or formula in just 60 seconds!

Designed by a husband and wife team, this revolutionary technology warms breast milk or formula to the ideal temperature (86 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.)

What I would have given to have a mechanism such as this to warm bottles when I was out and about with my oldest while she was still nursing! She would not drink cold milk from bottles, so bottle feeding was tough while away from the house.

To boot, Yoomi’s bottles are BPA-free and ergonomically designed so they’re easy for babies to hold. The wide, soft silicone nipple mimics a woman’s breast and it also has well-placed vents that prevent air from bubbling, which helps to reduce colic. It is also lightweight and easy to transport.

The Yoomi bottle system kind of makes me want to have another kid just so I can buy this product. Okay, maybe I don't like the bottle warming system that much, but I definitely will be telling all my expecting friends about this product!

Sound off in the comments section if you or someone you know has tried the Yoomi bottle warming system. Give us the scoop!

How To Prepare a Child for Outpatient Surgery

Recently I learned my four and-a-half year old has sleep apnea! Crazy, huh? For a while now, we have noticed she holds her breath in her sleep and somewhat during the day as well. A trip to the ENT showed us that her tonsils and adenoids are both enlarged and need to be removed. We have scheduled surgery for our daughter in t-minus two weeks. Aggggghhhh!

My husband and I know we need to broach the subject with her before the surgery to let her know (in terms she can understand) what is going to occur. But when is the right time? We don’t want to tell her too early because of the undue worry she will have about going to the hospital, but we also don’t want to spring it on her either!
We know she needs some time to prepare psychologically for her surgery.

After some research, here are some tips from the experts on how to prepare your child for outpatient surgery.

- Kids of all ages cope better when they understand what type of surgery is going to occur and why it is necessary. Explain in children’s terminology why the surgery must happen and what she is going to experience.

- Allow your child to ask questions and answer them in a way that they can understand. Don’t over explain!

- Most children fear the surgery itself will hurt and this is their main concern. Explain to your child that there is a special doctor- an anesthesiologist- that will help your child go to sleep so they won’t feel a thing during the surgery. Reiterate that mommy and daddy will be with her as soon as she wakes up.

- However, do not lie about the discomfort she may feel after she awakens from anesthesia. Say, “It may be a little uncomfortable when you wake up, but mommy and daddy will make sure you get plenty of medicine to make any uncomfortable feeling you have go away and feel better.”

- Find books about hospital experiences (that are appropriate for your child’s level) that explain surgery and hospital visits. Children often learn best through examples and books are a wonderful way to help explain the difficult concept of surgery, anesthesia, and other hospital procedures.

- Have your child practice surgery on his or her stuffed animals with a toy doctor kit. This will help them become more comfortable with blood pressure, temperature taking, and other routine hospital procedures that must occur before surgery.

- Consider setting up a pre-surgery visit to the hospital so your child can become acquainted with the hospital. This will make it seem like a less scary place.

- Remind your child that having this surgery will make their bodies healthier and stronger. Keep reminding them it will make them feel better.

- On the day of the surgery, pack your child special stuffed animals, toys and books that will make them more comfortable while they wait for surgery.

Have you had any hospital experiences with your child? What helped them (and you) relax before the surgery? Leave any tips you have in the comments section below.

Crib Climber...What To Do?

My 20 month-old decided to make an already stressful week (we move in four days) even more eventful by climbing out of his crib this weekend. This occurrence has pushed this already on edge mama over the brink.

Why so anxiety-ridden about my boy taking the plunge, you ask? Here is the background: My son is such a good sleeper…he still takes two naps a day at 20 months old (each one averaging 1.5-2 hours, sometimes longer.) And to boot, he still goes down for bed at 7 p.m. and sleeps until 7 a.m. (Do you hate me yet? Don’t worry…my first child was not a sleeper, so I was due for one!) When my daughter started climbing out of her crib (at 22 months), that was the end of naps for us. The freedom of roaming her room was too much for her, and from there on out, naps were a struggle. By two-and-a-half years of age, my daughter stopped napping completely. This CANNOT happen again. I don’t think it will since my son loves to sleep, but I can’t risk it. Naptime is too precious!

However, I know that it is much safer to have a toddler walking around a baby-proofed room than it is climbing out of a crib and possibly falling. What to do, what to do? While researching online, here is some advice I found that was a good refresher for me and helpful on deciding what to do:

- If your child is old enough to understand “you must stay in your bed,” then explain this concept to your child. Every time he gets out of his bed, put him right back in it. This may make for some long nights at first, or some challenging naptimes, but your consistency will pay off.

- Try not to speak or interact with your child as you put them back in their bed. Sometimes children even appreciate negative attention, so minimum contact is essential.

- If you know your child is not ready for a big bed or toddler, then consider a crib tent. A crib tent is mesh and attaches to the crib rails with Velcro, to keep your little one safe and unable to climb out of the crib and fall.

- Again, if you feel your child is not ready to move out of the crib, then buy yourself some more time by lowering your crib to the lowest setting possible. Remove the bumper pad so your baby cannot use it to boost herself up over the rails.

My favorite piece of advice I found when researching tonight was from Jodi Mithchell, Pediatric Sleep Expert, found on the popular website, Baby Center. She said, “It's best not to react to climbing out of the crib with a sense of crisis. First, assess the situation and see if you and your child are truly ready for a change.”

Amen! I think I rushed too fast to put my daughter in a big girl bed when she climbed out the crib for the first time. I am going to access the situation this week and decide what we need to do to keep our boy both safe and sleeping.

So go with your gut, parents! You know your child best and you will know if it is time for him or her to move to a toddler bed or big girl/big boy bed.

Oh, and FYI: when we put our baby to bed for nap today, he tried a few times to climb out of his crib, and we went in and firmly put him back in the crib, and he finally went to sleep, sleeping for over two hours. Tonight at bedtime, we didn’t hear a peep out of him. He didn’t even try to climb out! I am sure the saga will continue this week, but for now, we are going to try to keep him (safely) in his crib.