Tuesday, May 16, 2023

The Dangers of Feeding Babies Honey


Back when my babies were, well, actually babies, I knew I wasn't supposed to feed them certain foods. A big one was HONEY!
But to be honest, I never really knew why. 

Well high school student Kamau Campbell of Roswell, Georgia did the research on the dangers of feeding children under the age of 1 year old honey. The reason? Botulism! Watch below as Campbell interviews pediatrician, Dr. Jamie Griffin, on how to prevent infantile botulism.


According to Campbell's extensive research on the topic, here are the 9 Signs Your Baby May Have Been Exposed to Botulism

For more information on the dangers of feeding honey to infants, visit Campbell's informational website: Botulism: An Avoidable Illness



Thursday, February 5, 2015

The Top 10 Foolish Things First-Time Prego Moms Do (...That You Only Realize Are Foolish the Second Time Around)

Oh, the good old days. When dreams had not yet met reality. When you would daydream about your perfect baby, who would be smart, beautiful and well-mannered. When you would picture yourself strolling along the sidewalk, humming lullabies. When you couldn't understand parents who yelled or lost their tempers - because you were going to be a calm, cool cucumber parent. When you had NO FRIEKEN IDEA what was coming your way. Even though you had 9 months to plan, Pin and prepare (and Pin some more). To listen to your mom friends give it to you straight. To read books and blogs about motherhood. You just KNEW your baby was going to be different. YOU are going to be different than "those" parents. "I know everything there is to know about motherhood!" you said.

So how'd all that nonsense work out for ya? : ) Don't worry. We've all done it. Blame it on the pregnancy hormones. Here are the top 10 foolish things we do as first-time moms-to-be:

#10. We create Birth Plans.
A guide for all the doctors, nurses and hospital staff involved in our deliveries so they know EXACTLY how we'd like things to go. Because, you can plan these sort of things. We were all like this, writing down our hopes and dreams...


Writing words like "all natural", "no episiotomy" and such...


And then this happens...


Quickly followed by this...


#9. We stock up on Newborn-Sized Diapers.
And put them perfectly in the nursery.

 Because all newborn babies fit in the newborn size, right?



WRONG!

And now you have piles and piles of Newborn-sized Pampers that couldn't even fit on your baby's left foot.




#8. We throw out all Formula Samples and Formula Coupons we receive (Because breast feeding is the ONLY way!)
OF COURSE I'm going to breastfeed! It's so easy! And beautiful! And natural!


Except when it's not. Your milk doesn't come it, It's not working like it should. And it hurts like a b*tch. And you're faced with a hungry baby...


But you have no formula to sample because you threw it in the GARBAGE!



And you're like...
















And now you have to go to the grocery store - screaming baby in tow - and decide on a baby formula at random. While everyone watches you. And you feel like a failure.











But you're not. Because it happens to a lot of us.


#7. We buy useless baby gear like a Changing Table
The most flimsy, single-purpose piece of furniture ever made.


Well, I guess there are some ways to repurpose a changing table.


Changing Table ---> Bar Cart


Or this

Changing Table ---> Wrapping Paper Holder


But can I ask.. what's so wrong with this?!
PERFECT!


#6.  And a Wipe Warmer

Room temperature wipes? Oh, the HUMANITY!



#5. And a Baby Food Blender
Because the regular, adult-sized blender that you've been using for years just won't do!



#4. Or even worse, a Baby Bottle Keurig-thing
Because making a bottle from scratch is really pushing it.














#3. We stock our baby's closet full of Baby Clothes
And spend hours organizing all clothes and little outfits until it looks like this...

And this


When in reality, the baby spends 95% of the time in one of these

And you end up lugging clothes worn only once (or not at all!) to Goodwill



#2. We create Luxury Nurseries
Because every baby dreams of sleeping on the set of Antiques Roadshow


We put up satin canopies...


...which will be the first thing the baby tears down.

And paint the walls trendy colors


We use luxurious, adult-like fabrics and prints



And then this happens.


And this...


And this...













#1. We try to be PERFECT Moms



But quickly realize it's just not going to happen...













...And, despite our faults, mistakes and missteps, we eventually figure out that everything's going to be just fine : )






Tuesday, November 11, 2014

I Need Your Scar Photos! Pretty Please...

“How’d you get that scar?” you ask with curiosity.
You won’t believe the answer. It’s a crazy story, you see.
 
I’ve been through a lot of things in life – things that left their mark on me.
 
A run in with a raging bull. A tussle with a tiger.
A gust of wind while tight-rope walking – good thing I wasn’t any higher!
 





Have you ever had an idea that you just KNOW would make a difference? An impact? That's how I feel about the poem (now morphing into a children's picture book) I wrote for Deacon after his surgery - "How'd You Get That Scar?"(a fun and quirky tale that answers the question our children get asked every day...). I feel that kids like Deacon who have scars (large or small) after overcoming a childhood condition, illness or surgery NEED a story that they can feel is made just for them. So I'm working towards my goal of brining my story to those kids... But in the meantime, I need your photos! Here's the deets...

I NEED YOUR SCAR PHOTOS... Pretty Please : )

Does your child have a large scar resulting from a childhood illness, condition or surgery? I'm creating a Kickstarter campaign (more info on that soon!) to get my "How'd You Get That Scar?" children's book illustrated and published and I want to make a compelling slideshow that features our children and their scars (first photos of the scars/right after surgery would be best) to drum up interest. If you don't mind sharing, email the photo to me at sweetleighmama@gmail.com - please include your child's first name, the condition/injury/type of surgery they had and date. Just put "SCAR PHOTO" in the subject line so I don't miss it : )

I appreciate your support!! Here's a link to the story (which started out as a poem) that I'm working to get published:

http://sweetleighmama.blogspot.com/2013/11/how-did-you-get-that-scar-poem-for-kids.html