GIVEAWAY: Shake, Rattle and Roll Hop - Moms-to-Be ($169) - Moms-of-Babes ($117) US/CAN 6/5 #ShakeRattleWin

The Shake, Rattle, and Roll Giveaway Hop features a variety of great products for kids of all ages! Once you have entered to win here, be sure to visit all of the participating blogs at the bottom of this post!

Don’t forget to enter to win the Shake, Rattle, and Roll Grand Prize sponsored by Tommee Tippee! You will have the chance to win a Closer to Nature Audio Baby Monitor valued at $149.99! Visit Formula Mom to Enter the Shake, Rattle, and Roll Grand Prize Giveaway!! (US ONLY)

Grand Prize

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I am pleased to announce that I have two prize packs for my giveaway. Both are open to US/CAN. One is for Moms to Be and one is for Moms of Babes. You can enter for both if you want to! They are both over $100.

Ritmo Prenatal Audio Sound System - Sponsor Spotlight for #ShakeRattleWin

Science has shown us the value of playing music to your unborn child, but it’s always been a bit tricky. If you play music in the room, your baby probably can’t hear it unless it’s turned up really loud. If you play it through headphones held to your belly, then you can’t enjoy the music too.

What Is Ritmo?

Ritmo is designed to be enjoyed by both mother and baby at the SAME TIME. It features four speakers for surround sound and hugs your belly and back, also providing lumbar support during a time when you really need it. The belt can be adjusted as your baby (and belly) grow.

Ritmo was recently worn by Emily Deschanel's pregnant character Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan on the Fox Network TV show Bones.

In addition, families can use a complimentary recording sservice online called Nuvo Connect to create recordings such as stories or lullabies to be played for the baby. This would be absolutely perfect for fathers-to-be who are in the military and want the baby to know his voice.

 

What Makes Ritmo Different?

Ritmo is the only prenatal audio product that uses advanced acoustic technology specifically created for prenatal use. It’s designed for comfort and convenience and the belt provides lumbar support.

You can get the Ritmo for $79.99 or the Ritmo Premium for $149.99.  Both come with the belt  but the Ritmo Premium has more:

We understand that there are many parents that prefer the convenience of Nuvo Group handling the safety component of their baby’s prenatal sound experience. Therefore, this product offering includes the Ritmo Safe & Sound Controller, which is a device that actually learns the patterns of music and sounds and plays it to the baby in the womb at a continuous safe and stable decibel level that uniquely fits their physical growth stage during the pregnancy. This product also includes a washing pouch and a power supply charger. – source

How Can I Use Ritmo?

Any way you want. You do NOT have to be sitting or laying down. You can use it while you take a walk or while you shop. Since it straps to your belly, you can move around as you want and it will stay put.

Where Can I Get Ritmo?

You can purchase online at Nuvo Group or select online retailers. Ritmo is also available in select stores in the US, UK and Republic of Korea.  (So Canadians have to buy online.) Details here.

You can Like Ritmo by Nuvo on Facebook.

Nuvo Group is sponsoring my giveaway for the Shake Rattle & Roll Hop. I will be giving away one Ritmo Prenatal Audio Sound System Premium (RV: $149) so come back May 22 to enter!

*Disclosure: This is a spotlight, not a review. I have not tried the product myself. No compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting - Sponsor Spotlight for #ShakeRattleWin

You may have heard that your favourite pregnancy book is being made in to a movie and it's out in theatres May 18.

When I was pregnant with my first child I followed along with What to Expect When You’re Expecting by Heidi Murkoff every step of the way. I checked certain parts again with babies #2 and #3.

Watch Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock and many others in this sure to be funny movie.

You can find all kind of information, interviews, photo galleries and more on the movie at the What to Expect website.

One Minute Trailer:

 

The movie comes at the same time that the book’s being released in it’s fourth edition.

Thomas Allen & Sons is sponsoring the upcoming Shake, Rattle and Roll Giveaway Hop with a copy of the fourth edition of What to Expect When You’re Expecting by Heidi Murkoff.

So come back May 22 to enter for that and other prizes!

*Disclosure: No compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

REVIEW: Jennifer Gianni's Fusion Pilates: Four DVD Pregnancy Series

When you are pregnant or trying to conceive, you are excited about your (hopefully) impending baby. Often though we have a fear of gaining weight because we know it's not common to lose all of it after birth (except for celebrities!)


Jennifer Gianni's Fusion Pilates is a set of four DVDs for different parts of your journey from TTC to After Baby.

Triple Threat - Get in shape before your pregnancy.
Pilates for Pregnancy - Maintain strength and prepare for birth.
Post Pregnancy & C-Section Recovery - Get your pre-pregnant body back.
Exercise with Baby - Bond with your newborn and stay in shape.

I love the little saying on the cover of the DVD case:

"Become STRONG for pregnancy, PREPARE your body for labor. Bounce back QUICKLY after birth SAFE for mom & baby."

The DVDs come all together in one DVD case which is nice because often times DVD sets take up a lot of room on your shelf or don't fit in your DVD holder.

The workouts are not too intense and have a comforting feel to them. This isn't a drill sergeant workout, it's a fellow mom leading you in exercises. The one for exercising with baby includes your baby in the workout which is HARDER than it sounds. Laying on your back and lifting baby up is HARD WORK. Especially with the big babies I make.

Recommended for yourself or as a gift for a special someone who is expecting.


*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Getting Back in the Sack After a Baby

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Having a baby is a big change and it affects all parts of your life. You are instructed to wait 6 weeks after birth to restart intercourse generally to allow your body to heal.

If you had a vaginal birth, you may have had an episiotomy which you will want to heal completely. If you had a Cesarean, you had major surgery and need to not do anything strenuous for 6 weeks.

However going to your 6 week appointment does not mean you will be ready physically or emotionally.

Reasons you may not be ready:

1. If you had a bad tear or even just a regular episiotomy, doesn't mean at 6 weeks it won't hurt anymore. Not to scare anyone but I had a fourth degree tear with my second child and it still was a bit painful to have sex over a year later. (Although we only waited 8 weeks to resume sex - I just dealt with the pain.)
2. You are dealing with an influx of emotions as your hormones change and you are in love with your new baby. You may be dealing with baby blues or even just be so in love with the baby that you only want to take care of him or her. 
3. You're tired. Notice I didn't say you MAY be tired. All new moms are tired, some more than others, it all depends on how the baby sleeps although in general, it's not much the first few weeks since they have to eat so often. 
4. You may be breastfeeding and some women struggle with the idea of your breasts being used for food and for sex at the same time. (For that matter, there are husbands who refuse to touch or kiss a women's breasts when she's breastfeeding.)
5. You may be afraid of getting pregnant again. You should have talked birth control at your 6 week appointment. Make sure you are implementing your preferred method and use any backup birth control you need to, depending on what you picked. Remember you can get pregnant BEFORE your period returns. 

Remember, you do NOT have to have sex again until you are ready. Just don't ignore your man completely. Spend some time together when the baby is asleep, kiss and hug, or even do other "bed" things other than sex.  Explain to your  man why you are not ready so he doesn't think it's something he did.

When you are ready, take it slow. If you had a tear or episiotomy, go on top so you can be in control. Trust me.

Brand New Baby Sponsor Spotlight: Thyme Maternity

 

This is my third time breastfeeding and I've never used a nursing bra or nursing shirt. I just made do with sports bras or regular bras and lifting my shirt. Well I want to try a nursing bra! So I contacted Thyme Maternity and they agree to let me try out a nursing bra or shirt of my choice.

I haven't chosen yet but I will be doing a review of that item during this event.

Thyme Maternity clearly sells maternity clothes but they do sell nursing apparel as well. They also have a Reading Room with articles on pregnancy and breastfeeding. Be sure to check out their current contests too!

Connect!

Like Thyme Maternity on Facebook.

5 Things to Consider When Choosing a Baby Name

*This is a sponsored post - read full disclosure policy*

Thinking of possible baby names is a highlight for any pregnant woman and even non-pregnant women. I decided on my first child's name when I was in high school. It's a good thing my husband agreed!

Keep the following in mind:

1. Names are permanent. While they can be legally changed but family and friends will always know the real name. Practice saying it out loud, shouting it across the room or yelling it in frustration. If another mom called her child by that name, what would you think?
   
2. What else does the name mean? When I was considering Elestrin for my second daughter, I looked it up online only to find it's the name of a topical medication used for menopause. Google the name!
   
3. Pop culture names? Be careful with these. If you decide you severely dislike the pop culture reference in the future, will it be a problem?
   
4. If you are going to name your children in a theme, make sure you can agree on enough names in that theme to match the amount of children you hope to have. The Duggars children all have J names. With 19 children, it's a good thing they didn't decide to go with X names. My husband and I decided on Celtic names. His son was named Connor and after our first child was named Morgan (the name I decided on in high school), we decided to stick with Celtic names. We struggled to agree on Alastrin and we joked when pregnant again, that if it were a girl, her name would be baby because we couldn't possibly agree on ANOTHER Celtic girls name. Luckily Liam turned out to be a boy. 
   
5. How easy to tease is it? Kids can make fun of ANY name but don't make it easy for them. Think of the first name, the middle name, both together and any of those together with the last name. Ask a few kids between 7-10 to think of a way to tease someone with that name.  

It's very important to put lots of thought into your baby's potential name. Take your time and don't leave it till the last minute to decide.

You can look for name ideas at Baby Name Train.

Guest Post: On the Road to Parenting

© Flickr User Gabriele Nastro

As I look back at my life, I am often amazed by the way things have turned out.  When I was five, I wanted to be a teacher.  When I was sixteen, I wanted to be a famous singer (or at least date a famous singer).  When I was 21, I wanted to own my own business.  But throughout all of these “career changes”, I’ve always known that I wanted to be a mommy.  Unfortunately, as a teenager I was diagnosed with Endometriosis, and the doctors were not optimistic about my chances of ever getting pregnant.

I got married fairly young – I was 20, he was 21 – and we started trying to have a baby after about a year of marriage.  Month after month went by with no progress on that front, but life went on.  I kept working, kept going to school for my Bachelor’s degree in business administration, kept changing my career plans, and kept secretly and wistfully flipping through parenting magazines when I knew nobody was looking.  We had a couple of miscarriages, and I could feel my dream of being a mommy fading away, like the Polaroid pictures I still kept of myself playing dress up as a kid.

Then the completely unexpected happened, I started feeling tired all of the time, I would vomit if I even looked at a toothbrush, and I often found myself in tears over fabric softener and antiperspirant commercials: that’s right, I was pregnant! The pregnancy was not “easy”, I had Gestational Diabetes, pre-term contractions, Preeclampsia, and ended up having an emergency C-section; but on October 13, 2005, my husband and I welcomed our baby boy, Johnathon, into the world.  Suddenly my life took on a whole new meaning.  Three straight hours of sleep became a luxury that I could only imagine and never achieve.  My business plans and homework assignments were buried under a pile of dirty laundry, diapers, and nursing pads, and I knew that I had finally become who I was meant to be: Johnathon’s Mommy.

But then the mommy-high started to wear off.  My previous life and old responsibilities started to creep up on me.  Just because I stuck my homework under the diaper box, didn’t mean that it wasn’t still coming due, and just because I loved being a mom didn’t make it any easier to pace the floor with a crying baby boy all night and all day.  Parenting decisions which used to seem easy were suddenly daunting.  Should we try co-sleeping or keep him in his crib?  Are vaccinations the right way to go or were they too risky?  Was it wrong to stick the baby in the swing so I could do homework?  Was I playing with my baby too much? Too little? Was I ruining his life before he was even old enough to realize and blame me for it?!

Five years, and two more children later, I’ve learned to relax when making parenting decisions, but the road ahead will undoubtedly be challenging. I am traveling that road armed only with a camera of my own, a few parenting tips from those who came before me, and a sense of excitement I can barely describe.  I can’t wait to find out what’s coming next!

Amanda
Amanda is mommy, freelance writer, and blogger in her spare time.  Check out Giveaway Blogdom and read her most recent article on Childhood Vaccinations.

Cheerios First Foods Tour ( & Giveaway)

My eldest when she was 5 months old

When you are a parent, especially for the first time, you have lots of questions. One of the subjects parents are sure about is feeding their children once they are past the milk only stage. Recommendations for when to begin solids keeps changing. It's currently 6 months but was 4-6 months when my eldest was young.

I started pablum/cereal at 4 months and then slowly added a new food just was I was taught to do.

Where do you turn when you have questions? Where did you turn when you were pregnant? Many of us received weekly emails while pregnant about what stage of pregnancy we were in and large portion of us receive emails from Baby Center which now has a website in many different countries. I received Baby Center emails with both of my girls and am receiving them again with this pregnancy.

My Eldest at 7 months old

Baby Center.ca has launched a Cheerios First Foods section to help you find answers to your questions about introducing food to your baby's diet.

So for instance when my eldest daughter was seven months old and refused to be fed by an adult, we started letting her feed herself with the spoon. As you can see that was very messy so then we introduced finger foods. Baby Center & Cheerios has some information on finger foods.

The section has articles, a log of a real baby's first foods, expert information, tools, polls and videos.

In celebration of the launch of the First Foods partnership I have a giveaway for you courtesy of Cheerios, Baby Center and Mom Central.

The Cheerios Prize Pack ($50 value!) will include a Cheerios On-the-go Tot Container, Cheerios playbook, Box of Cheerios, Bowl and utensil set and a $30 Cash Card.

The contest ONLY goes to Feb. 14 so you have to enter now! Open to US/Canada.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Disclosure - I am participating in the Cheerios First Foods program by Mom Central on behalf of General Mills. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

Pregnancy Update - 29 Weeks

I haven't done an update till now because I'm never sure what to say. The photo to the left is of me at 26 weeks but I'm 29 weeks and at least one inch bigger now.

I will be having a scheduled C-section at 39 weeks as I had a fourth degree tear with my last child that gave me a very personal problem that required surgery. Having a vaginal birth would most likely mean I need the surgery again and the problem could very well be worse or not even fixable.

So that means I have only 10 weeks left till baby. It's so strange how time CRAWLS by in your first trimester, goes a little faster but still slow in your second trimester and flies by in your third. I don't have anything ready for the baby yet!

Little Liam is about 2.5 lbs and around 15" long and likes to do acrobatics. I'm carrying VERY low, SO low that he kicks my crotch CONSTANTLY. I almost never feel movement above my belly button even though my uterus is a couple of inches above it now. I pee every hour LOL.

I"ve been reading the blogs of fellow pregnant bloggers and wanted to update you all just like they do.

Shoppers Drug Mart New v.i.b. Program

Shoppers Drug Mart has a new program in place for v.i.b. (Very Important Babies.)

So what are the benefits?

• Each v.i.b. member stays connected with life stage relevant content, exclusive Optimum offers and hot deals on baby products through their enewsletters
• Every pre-natal mom who signs up will receive a New Baby gift pack when the baby arrives! 
• As always, v.i.b members get to take advantage of the Shoppers Drug Mart focus on health, nutrition and wellness of pre-natal and new moms. With many Shoppers Drug Marts open til midnight or 24 hours, a pharmacist is always there to help plus, there are so many convenient locations!

Your baby will also receive a birthday card when he or she turns one. I got a sample to see it. It's a cute card that comes with two optimum deals and a crown.

I was also sent a new mom package to see what is included. There is a photo below.

Included:

Small Congratulations Card
Johnson's Head-to-toe baby wash sample (29ml)
Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash sample (59ml)
Aveeno Baby Daily Lotion sample (29ml)
v.i.b It's All About Me bib
3 Huggies Pure & Natural Newborn Diapers
Package of 8 Huggies Natural Care Wipes
A small card to pass on to an expecting friend so they can sign up
Packet of coupons to receive optimum points with certain purchases

Sign up to be a v.i.b member between November 3rd and December 1st and you could win 1 of 50, $50 Shoppers Drug Mart gift cards*! PLUS as a new
member you’ll receive 2500 points the next time you purchase any Pampers diaper products!

I'm signing up right now and I encourage all Canadians to as well. All new moms love samples and savings!

“*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Visit www.shoppersdrugmart.ca/babycontest for full contest details and information on how to enter without a purchase. Approximate retail value of prize is $50. Chances of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Correct answer to skill-testing question required to be declared a winner. Must be a Canadian resident and age of majority or older in province or territory of residence. Valid Shoppers Optimum Card® required to participate. Contest ends December 1st, 2010.”

Disclosure - I am participating in the Shoppers Drug Mart v.i.b program by Mom Central on behalf of Shoppers Drug Mart. I received a gift card and a new baby gift pack as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.