Safety from A to Z

With the increased accessibility of the internet, there is now quick and easy access to vas amount of medical information. When seeking advice it is always good to use reliable websites and your best judgment. One reputable site is from the CDC where I discovered great information on the ABC's of Safety not only for parents, but also for the expectant mom. One important topic is Growth and Development. Not only is weight and height important to monitor growth, but being sure that he/she is developing on track is equally important. Be sure that you are aware of those developmental milestones. Another great topic on the website, is the importance of complementing your child to increase their self confidence and to keep your relationship with your child strong. Kids are more willing to talk to their parents when they are not so critical and negative all the time. The topic of Safety is from A to Z so there is a lot of useful information. Check it out.....
http://www.cdc.gov/family/parentabc/index.htm

Discover and Wonder....

It always amazes me the multitude of products out there for babies, not to mention for children in general. With so many products out there it is so hard to keep track of what products are safe yesterday and come to find that it has been recalled today. A great resource for parents that I like to use not only for the best products out there, but also to track recalls of products from peanut butter to cribs is the Consumer Reports website. They have a great option where users can sign up to receive product safety and recall alerts via text messages.  To access the feature, consumers can text the word SAFE to 76666 to receive alerts as safety news breaks.

Retrieved from: http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2010/05/smarter-shopping-onthego-consumer-reports-launches-mobile-services.html

One other great texting service I have learned about is a free service from http://www.text4baby.org/. Text4baby is a free text reminder for expectant moms throughout her pregnancy and will send info via text up until your baby is a 1 year old. To sign up you just need to text the word BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to the number 511411. You will need to enter either your baby’s due date or your baby’s birthday and your zip code.  Once registered, you will start receiving free messages with tips for your pregnancy. Once your baby is born you would text UPDATE to receive free texts on care for your baby up to one year old.

In the Chicagoland area a new store opened up on November 1st of this year. The store is called WONDER! which replaced the135,000 sq ft store, the Great Indoors in Deerfield, IL. This store is the country's single largest store to carry a large selection of children products from baby to 7 years old. The Chicago Tribune calls it a cross between Ikea and Whole Foods. It is a "one stop shop" for sure. Not only are there a large number of car seats, strollers etc., but they also have clothes and classes such as Yoga, music and chess. The month of December has a large selection of free demonstration classes. I love that this store is the first of its kind with 19 more to come. The creator of the store is by an Entrepreneur from Lake Forest Shane Christensen. There is a half-acre play area and a 1,600 sq ft baby registry area. Go check it out and support "National Buy Local Week."

Giving Thanks

With so many things in life to be thankful for, at least we have one special day of the year to remind us to take the time to give thanks. I am so grateful to have my health and the love of my family and friends. I am thankful to have you the readers, that take the time to read my blog and all the information that I try to share. With the holidays upon us we need to keep in mind that it is always important to keep eachother safe as we enjoy time with family and friends. For those expecting a new baby, have little ones already, or just had a new Bebe Tresor added into the family. I have a link to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. It is a good link to save to your favorites and to review every now and then for any updates. The ones that would be good to review are the Safe Nursery and Baby Safety Checklist articles. Keep the family safe will help keep the holidays filled with joyful memories. Wishing you and you loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/chld_sfy.html

Always changing....

It may seem that the research is always changing... The American Academy of Pediatrics recently published additional recommendations for SIDS precautions. Check this link

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/10/12/peds.2011-2284

It is also a good reminder that with Flu Season upon us it's another way to protect your family. Babies as early as 6 months old can get the vaccine. Many of the City Colleges in Chicago offer free Flu Vaccines. Check the link for the nearest location.

http://www.cityofchicago.org/content/city/en/depts/cdph/supp_info/influenza/cdph_flu_shot_sitesacrosschicago.html

Where does the time go?

Oh my, how time has flown. I took many weeks off to do some work on family, career and school. I have said it, school. Never thought I would go back but life is always changing. With this career I have to keep up with all the changes in the Nursing field because it will never stop. I have never lost sight on what is important in my life and that is why I want to continue to give some useful tips to all my followers.

Those of you with a newborn will soon see how quickly time flies and they become a toddler before you know it. It so hard these days to keep up with all the information on products for kids especially when information can change from year to year. One news release that I found was regarding the top-rated booster seats. The evaluation of the booster seats was done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). For those parents looking for the best booster for their growing toddler, review this article to help you decide.

 http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr101311.html

Sunburn: Treatment and Prevention

Summer Camp has officially started here in Chicago and preparing my kids for it reminded me of an important topic, Sunburn. The day started out wet, but I knew it was going to be sunny and hot by the afternoon. I made sure to apply Sunscreen on my boys before I dropped them off for camp. An important fact to remember is that it needs to be reapplied every one and a half to every two hours.

Babies have the most sensitive skin that can burn easily, so it needs to be protected.  The peak hours of Ultraviolet rays are from 10am to 4pm. With those hours, it may be difficult to get out of the house and avoid the Peak times. If you live in an area of higher altitudes, the risks are increased.  Signs of sunburn appear anywhere from 6-12 hours after exposure to the sun, do you know the best treatment for Sunburn? This article from HealthyChildren.org is a great resource to not only prevent it, but also to treat it. Cilck the link to read more....
HealthyChildren.org - Sunburn: Treatment and Prevention

Finally Summer....

Weather here in Chicago has been inconsistent to say the least. Just when you thought the weather was making a turn for the better, in comes the rain. This past weekend felt like Summer, but the forecast is for rain for the remainder of the week. Hot and rain not my idea of Summer, but it's better than snow.

It was my first Father's Day without my Dad, which was hard but nice to be surrounded by family and friends. I hope you all were able to spend time with your Father's yesterday. It may be a "Hallmark Holiday", but it is a good reminder to give thanks for the special people in our lives.

With all the great weather during our Father's Day Celebration, came the mosquitoes. With the huge array of Insect Repellent in the stores, it can be difficult to decide on which one to use. I found a useful source for reference from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The use of Insect Repellent is NOT recommended for infants less than 2 months old. There are many useful tips on the AAP site. The link is located on the Bebe Tresor, Inc Fan Page on Facebook.  

Circle of Life

I have not been able to post for so many days......My life changed in a matter of minutes on Friday June 3, 2011 at 11:30 pm because my father unexpectedly passed away. Just when I felt life was changing for the better, the floor bottom had dropped and I needed time to catch my bearings. I've taken the much needed time off to grieve, mourn and decompress. My father is (i mean was) a man with the kindest, most gentle heart and it deeply saddens me to have unexpectedly lost him. My heart aches at the idea that he will no longer share in the joys of my life. I was fortunate that he shared his life with my two young boys. He left an imprint on our hearts that I will not allow my boys to forget. I had said in his Eulogy that "he his a man that lived his life with honor and dignity, so much so that there is not one person in this world that could say one bad word about him." I miss him with all my heart and a part of my heart will forever mourn him. As I have witnessed many many times, for every miracle that comes to this world there is a life that is put to rest. It is just the Circle of Life.  

Holiday Time = Family Time, now back to work.....

After much needed time of fun, family and relaxation it is back to life and reality. I hope all of you had a chance to be with your loved ones for the holiday weekend. We honor the Armed Forces, the people that choose the path in life to serve all of us by protecting our freedom. It takes a brave soul to choose that path and I am so proud of my family members that walk down that path everyday. 

One of my new goals is to be able to blog at least every few days or at least once a week. I want to post recent findings and those topics most useful to you, the readers. Feel free to send a message, comment on the blogs or even add any questions. 

In May, I attended a conference discussing Perinatal and Postpartum Mood Disorders and the topic really opened my eyes. Expecting parents need to be aware of the prevalence of Postpartum Blues (Baby Blues), Postpartum Depression (PPD) and Paternal Postnatal Depression (PPND). Lack of social support for a new mom can be a strong risk factor for PPD. It is even said a child with a mom who is depressed is more likely to have a depressed dad. 10% of new fathers find themselves depressed, so it doesn't just affect moms these days. PPND can occur in up to 1 in 4 new dads. It is a topic that most people are not aware of. To read more click on this link www.postpartummen.com, my resource for this topic.

Bebe Tresor Fan Page

I finally completed the process with creating my Fan Page on Facebook. I can't say that I am computer savvy, but I am a quick learner. Each day that I work on my own business, I learn something new. I also just received my beautiful business cards recently done by Penelope's Press. Debbie Lee truly provides some high quality work and would recommend her to anyone looking for business cards, invitations...etc.

I am also doing research on topics that are most important to parents and even some useful info for my fellow NICU nurses. I posted some recent findings on my Facebook Fan Page and will continue to do more in the future. Currently, I continue to work as a NICU Case Manager while starting my true love of small business. I even will begin working in the NICU again at the bedside. I do find that I have missed holding those little miracles. More to come.....

It's Official

Bebe Tresor, Incorporated is officially here. The weeks have been busy up to this point and not all is complete. I am working towards getting my Facebook Fan Page established and also will be speaking at some upcoming Mini-Lecture Series..... Details soon to come! Follow my blog for dates of all Bebe Tresor's upcoming events! So excited about what is soon to come!

Each day, it grows more and more......

A few weeks back, I was inspired. Inspired to do something different. To do something all on my own. The idea is daunting to say the least, but truly my deepest desires coming to life. I thought to myself, that there has to be more. More what, you ask? More to life than just the daily grind of work, sleep, eat and the occasional play. I actually felt like a brainstorm hit me all at once and has not stopped since then.

I've heard it so many times before. Literally a light bulb went off in my head and I thought, "is this what she (Oprah) means?" "When you truly love what you do, you will never work a day in your life again." I'm beginning to see, she was right.

I was working one day, speaking with my co-worker about nothing in particular when she mentioned a topic on a talk show that she saw. And then it hit me... I started talking about an idea that I had years ago and the thought had not crossed my mind for the longest time. I also thought about a dear friend who even asked me to help her find a reputable person. All of sudden the ideas, the thoughts and the feelings of inspiration came over me. Could it be possible, would anyone really use it? So I started putting those ideas down on paper, but my hands could not write as fast as the thoughts streaming out of my head. The excitement of the possibilities literally jolted my soul. It only made sense to me, to create a business that utilizes my skills and the knowledge that I have attained my entire career and cultivate it into use for others. So then it was born, my small business I call Bebe Tresor. 

It's funny when I think back.....I feel like there have been signs for the past couple months. We started receiving magazines, baby formula and baby catalogs mailed to the house. "Is someone playing a trick on me?" "Why are we getting these sent to us?" Now, I see why. It all adds benefit to my purpose. To be a Baby Planner. The title does not even encompass the whole purpose or even the entire benefit of my new found company. Why didn't I put this thought into full force before? It's already out there... Baby Planners. I'm not instilling a new concept. I'm merely enhancing the idea with my knowledge. What better way to put my skills attained in the NICU, PICU and mother-baby to use? Now that I'm a mother, it actually takes those rose colored glasses off and I can see clearly. I really enjoyed doing all the research on all the baby products out there. I used Consumer Reports, Parent rated products, etc to pick what I thought was best for my baby. You can be overwhelmed by the huge array of strollers, car seats and baby bottles that are out there today. I just want to simplify the process and make it easier for new moms. Then, I can take it one step further. I see it more and more these days. Many women who concentrated on their lifestyles and careers put off the idea of starting a family. Now when they feel the time is right, they now are at risk for many complications. I know what those complications can result in, especially after working in the NICU. I can educate new moms on ways to increase their health and decrease their chances of their little one ending up in the NICU. So many times I have heard from parents, "I never knew what a NICU was or even that it existed." The view of a NICU was not a popular stop on the hospital tour. I want to ease the minds of new moms and take the stress out of Baby Planning.

So now my journey has begun and I am taking the leap of faith to start something all on my own. Now the hours I work towards getting my company up and running is not work at all. The one thing I hope I can do for someone who reads this blog is INSPIRE. If I can do it.... so can you.