Pregnancy Awareness Month’s BEST OF PAM Twitter Party

Hosted by Pregnancy Awareness Month – #MayPAM

Sponsored by DaddyScrubs, ViaCord and Vine.com

Tuesday, May 28th, 2013

7-8pm (PST) or 10-11pm (EST)

On Tuesday, May 28th we’re hosting the grand finale of the 2013 Campaign, our Best of PAM Twitter Party! We’ll be chatting about all things PAM – from dad’s role to keeping mom & baby healthy to tips to keep mom sane — with our Expert Guests and Co-Hosts Jamie Grayson @thebabyguynyc (http://www.babyguygearguide.com/) and Rachel Sarnoff @rachellsarnoff (MommyGreenest.com)

We will have 5 GIVEAWAYS during this party:

Every 12 minutes we will ask a question and randomly select a winner from those who are participating in the party. The giveaways will include the following:

1) DaddyScrubs @DaddyScrubs

The Daddy Diaper Pack™ by DaddyScrubs is the ultimate go-to diaper bag for dads. The custom design allows less fumbling through deep pockets and eliminates struggling to take off the pack while holding baby. The side pockets are great for water bottles, baby bottles, and sippy cups. There’s a big pouch for diapers, wipes, and a change of clothes (and of course a small one for the “dirty stuff”). The front organizer pocket is designed for the essentials like keys, money, cell phone, pacifier, and small toys. The insulated cooler pocket is perfect for snacks. The skater straps are great for hooking everything from sand pails, to beach towels, to flip flops, hats, and even wet clothes.

URL: http://www.daddyscrubs.com/the-daddy-diaper-pack/

Retail Value: $69.95

2 & 3) ViaCord @ViaCord

$100 Babies R Us gift certificate

4) Vine.com @VineDotCom

Prize Pack from Plum Organics

www.vine.com

Retail Value: $75

5) Daddy Scrubs @DaddyScrubs

The DaddyScrubs Swag Set features a collection of gifts hand-selected by Daddy Nichols himself!

DaddyScrubs – Edgy, Navy
I’m the Daddy Tee – White Edgy
I’m the Daddy Hat – Navy
I’m the Daddy coffee mug (Blue)**
3 pens
Sunglasses and more!

URL: http://www.daddyscrubs.com/daddyswag-gift-set/

Retail Value: $89.95

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Pregnancy weight gain is normal. While the pregnant mom is embracing  curves, the center gravity is over your base of support. It’s common to feel clumsy.  Yes be warned; your blossoming body and your hormonal changes can bring on a few challenges like walking  in heals, vertigo, dropping dishes, and falling!  Expecting Mommy, here are 6 easy tips to help get through the clumsy phase.

• Opt for wedge heels if you MUST wear them, or none at all…flats that stylishly support are always best.
• Drink lots of water to avoid getting light-headed. Water helps deliver oxygen through your bloodstream.
• Move slowly! Take the scenic route, it’s more fun.
• Place a bath mat on the floor when getting in and out of the tub.
• Don’t text and walk, actually don’t text and do anything else, one thing at a time ESPECIALLY when texting.
• Order take out. The kitchen can be a dangerous place to move about. And that actually continues later with a toddler, so get in the habit now to be cautious in the kitchen.

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Finding the right support for your labor and delivery and for the weeks after is critical, whether you are looking for a doula or baby nurse.   We asked Melissa Lutzke, founder of MamaViews, for tips on getting started.

5 Tips for finding your Baby Nurse

1. Start your search as early as you can.  Some women book their baby nurses within days of finding out they’re pregnant, so the longer you wait, the fewer available baby nurses there will be.  But, if you’re nearing your due date and haven’t booked a baby nurse yet, don’t panic.  You can still find someone great—you may just have to dig a little deeper.
2. Interview carefully.  Evaluate her certifications (which can include Infant Care Specialist, infant CPR, LPN, LVN RN), years of experience and skill level, and find out if this is somebody you are comfortable with.  You can use MamaViews’s Baby Nurse Interview Questions to get started.  It’s also important to open the interview into more of a conversation.  Ask about her family and what she likes to do—it’s a great way to get to know a person.
3. Ask her about her approach to establishing a sleep routine and if you are going to breastfeed, her approach on breastfeeding.  Does she advocate for supplementing with formula?  When would she suggest introducing the bottle?  There are different schools of thought for both sleep and feeding, and even if you don’t fully know what you want to do and how you want to do it, you’ll still get a sense if your thinking aligns.

5 Tips for finding your Doula

1. Observe the doula during the interview.  Does she listen to you?  Does she involve your partner in the conversation?  She should do both, and both are important for a positive experience.  Here is a list of Doula Interview Questions from MamaViews to get you started.
2. If you’ve already chosen your OB or Midwife and know where you are delivering, find out if the doula you are interviewing has experience working with any of them.  Also get a sense if the experiences were positive.
3. Determine if your doula has experience with any personal circumstances or goals you may have, and if her philosophies on childbirth or postpartum decisions align with yours.  For instance if you are considering an epidural what does she think about that?

Melissa Lutzke is the founder of MamaViews, the largest national review site fully dedicated to providing real parent feedback on baby nurses and doulas. Parents can search based on important criteria like reliability, infant care knowledge and trustworthiness.  Be more informed before you make a decision.  Find someone highly recommended by moms like you today.

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Finding the right support is a critical step in taking care of yourself before and after your baby arrives and MamaViews helps women do just that!  This week you can enter to win this via Facebook, Twitter and our website. Check out the links below and learn how you can get bonus entries when you tell others about our giveaway.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration or much-needed answers, the iPad Mini is a great way to get the job done. Beautiful screen, fast and fluid performance, FaceTime and iSight cameras, thousands of amazing apps, 10-hour battery life2 — and you can hold it in one hand.

HOW TO ENTER:
Enter to win this week 5/20 thru 5/25 via our website, Facebook and Twitter. A winner will be randomly selected via our third party entry service on Friday at 6pm EST.
Enter Via Our Website: Use the entry box below.
Enter Via Facebook:
Click on this link….
http://apps.facebook.com/sweepstakeshq/contests/324585
Enter Via Twitter:
Click on this link….

http://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/twitter/233/contests/324585
*You get a bonus entry for every person who enters this giveaway when you tweet your entry link. The entry link and the option to tweet your link pops up after you enter.

Terms & Conditions:
You must be 18 and live in the United States. Winner will be contacted via email and will have 5 business days to respond with their name, address & phone number for shipping.

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I received this email from Constance Rock, President of the California Midwives Association around 2am this morning.  There is a legislative initiative that is brewing in California that has the potential to expand midwifery care, or not.  Our voices are needed at this time regarding bill AB1308.

This is about choice and access, not about what you did or didn’t do in your birth with your baby.  Choice and support of choice so that all women and families have safe options in birthing is important and essential for a society.

I have cut and pasted Constance’s letter in it’s entirety below so you can read it for yourself.  Thanks, Alisa

May 18, 2013

Dear Clients and Midwifery Supporters,

I’m reaching out today to ask you for your support.  The laws governing licensed midwives in California are changing and we need your help to insure they actually meet the needs of midwives and the families we serve.

California Families for Access to Midwives is working hard to ensure that AB1308—an important bill with real potential to expand access to midwifery care—is written to meet the needs of deserving families across the state.  AB1308 is now at a critical juncture and we need all of our supporters to speak up, write up, and stand up for midwives!

To learn more about how you can help midwives support California families click here

If you live in Contra Costa or Solano County (14th Assembly District):

Please reach out to Assemblywoman Bonilla at: assemblymember.bonilla@assembly.ca.gov

or (916) 319-2014.

Please thank Assemblywoman Bonilla for introducing AB1308, which already includes some language that supports midwives.  But let her know that AB1308 does not go far enough in expanding access to midwifery care for the women who need it the most.  Encourage Assemblywoman Bonilla to amend AB1308 to:

*Allow licensed midwives to become independent Medi-Cal providers so that midwives can provide comprehensive out-of-hospital maternity care to families of all income levels

*Authorize state licensure for freestanding birth centers operated by licensed midwives so that families across our state can access a wider variety of out-of-hospital birth options

If you live in Los Angeles (26th Senate District):

Please contact Senator Curren Price at: senator.price@sen.ca.gov or (916)651-4026.

Ask Senator Price to amend AB1308 with the same changes we are asking of Assemblywoman Bonilla (see above).

To double-check which district you fall in, click on the following link and insert your address:  http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov

If you do not live in either of these districts:

You can still support us by signing one of our petitions at: www.change.org/organizations/cafamiliesformidwives, and encouraging your friends and family members to do the same.

Removing barriers and expanding access to licensed midwifery care will improve outcomes for mothers and babies, reduce disparities in maternity care, and result in significant cost savings for our cash-strapped state.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you for any support you are able to give. Anything you can do will make a difference.

Warmly,

Constance Rock, LM, CPM

President, California Association of Midwives

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Pregnancy Awareness Month’s Style Twitter Party

Hosted by Pregnancy Awareness Month – #MayPAM

Sponsored by Josie Maran Cosmetics, Thyme Maternity, Beco, and Stokke, with Lolli Living.

Tuesday, May 21st, 2013

7-8pm (PST) or 10-11pm (EST)

On Tuesday, May 21st we will be chatting on the theme Style, in honor of Nurture Week. Our Expert Guest and Co-Host Andrea Fellman @savvysassymoms (savvysassymoms.com).

We will have 6 GIVEAWAYS during this party:

During the Twitter party there will be 6 giveaways. Every 10 minutes we will ask a question and randomly select a winner from those who are participating in the party.  The giveaways will include the following:

1) Josie Maran Cosmetics @Josie_Maran

Full size Argan Oil and Cheek Gelee

Josie Maran’s signature ingredient, Argan Oil is a legendary, lightweight oil rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids. Use it as a fast absorbing daily moisturizer, or to heal and condition everything from stretch marks to split ends. Plus it is 100% organic! Housed in a recyclable glass bottle.1.7 fl oz./50ml.

Josie Maran Cheek Gelee is a buildable, blendable blush hybrid providing the natural look of a cream blush with the long-lasting 14-hour hydrating color of a gel stain. Infused with 50% pure Coconut Water, it instantly hydrates while nourishing with the powerful benefits of Vitamin E-rich Argan Oil.

Retail Value: $70

2) Thyme Maternity @thymematernity

Thyme Maternity Gift Bag – The maternity gift bag will hold $100 worth of thyme maternity products. This will include maternity clothing (in winner’s preferred size) and samples of our skincare line.

Thyme Maternity is an international maternity and nursing fashion brand whose family of experts is dedicated to ensuring you look and feel your absolute best throughout your entire pregnancy and after your little one is born. Every garment is specifically designed with the pregnant body in mind, offering you comfort where you need it most.

Retail Value: $100

3) Stokke @StokkeBaby

Tripp Trapp Highchair

Created in 1972, the Tripp Trapp® chair  is still unique. It’s designed to take a child from baby to adult, while keeping him/her secure, comfortable and fashionable all the way.

Retail Value: $250

4 & 5) Beco Baby Carrier @becobaby

Two Beco Baby Soleil Carriers

Beco Baby’s Soleil Carrier offers parents the world’s most advanced baby carrier system. With its amazing easy-to-use features, improved ergonomics, elegant and intuitive design, the Soleil Baby Carrier System gives modern parents all they are looking for.

Retail Value: $130 each

5) Lolli Living @LivingTextiles

Softie Doll, bookends and a matching Sleep Sak

Created to inspire the designer within, Lolli Living gives you the option to mix & match your favorite designs to suit your taste!

Retail Value: $200

Bundled with the Beco Prizes: Kissy Kissy @kissykissybrand

Two Kissy Kissy outfits of your choice, sold by The Pump Station.

Estimated Retail Value: $70

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Written by Plum Organics®

Finding out that you are pregnant is one of the most amazing, joyous and overwhelming moments of your life. You know from this point on you are not only responsible for your own health but for the health of another human being.  These days, it is common knowledge that healthy nutrition during pregnancy is very important for the development of a baby.  But what you may not realize is that what you eat during pregnancy can also influence your baby’s taste preferences. Just eight weeks after conception, your baby is actually beginning to develop taste buds. By the third trimester, your baby will have more taste buds than at any other point in their adult lives! In other words, what you eat during your pregnancy can play a key role in developing your little one’s natural love for the tastes and flavors of healthy foods.

This may be surprising news to you and you may ask yourself, how is that even possible? The answer is pretty simple. Babies get nutrition through the umbilical cord but they also swallow and digest their moms’ amniotic fluid. In fact, 20% of the protein a baby consumes comes from what they drink.  Studies have shown that the amniotic fluid in a mother’s womb has distinctive flavors based on what she eats and drinks.

During examinations of the amniotic fluids, researchers have determined that there isn’t a single flavor that doesn’t show up in utero. By exposing your baby to a multitude of flavors during pregnancy, your little one will remember the flavors and even seek them out after birth.  This explains why adopted infants who have left their native culture, innately prefer their native cuisine years later even though they may never have eaten those foods in the conventional sense.

Dr. Alan Greene, author of Feeding Baby Green and Plum Organics’ pediatric advisor, describes this stage as the beginning of a baby’s “Nutritional Intelligence”, an intelligence that will help them choose healthy foods later in life. Simply stated, Nutritional Intelligence is about developing babies’ palates from the earliest stage, helping them to “recognize and love healthy amounts of healthy foods.”

So how can you foster your baby’s Nutritional Intelligence?

Pregnancy is a great opportunity for you to cook meals with whole ingredients, herbs & spices, and the healthy flavors you want your child to love. Simply put, eat plenty of the nutritious foods that you enjoy every day! If you are a fan of herbs & spices like lemongrass or rosemary, have a love for creamy avocado or pungent cheese, then enjoy them during pregnancy and your little one will most likely show preferences towards those familiar flavors down the road.

The imprinting process continues after birth and throughout baby’s first year. This window of time is critical to evolve baby’s palate and propensity towards flavorful foods. Early on, your baby will show a preference towards sweet flavors with a “sweet tooth” best satiated by the naturally sweet taste of breast milk. New research even suggests that baby’s exposure to breast milk and amniotic fluid can positively impact your baby’s reaction to common allergies. Therefore, Dr. Greene suggests that it’s actually okay for most women to consume nuts, cooked eggs and other potential allergens while pregnant and nursing because it may actually help their baby.   As always, it’s best to consult your doctor or baby’s pediatrician to understand what works best for you.

Another amazing finding is that a baby’s food recognition can extend to the mother’s partner. After baby is born, studies have shown that she may prefer the smell of a parent that eats the foods she has already been introduced to while in the womb.  It is clear that food is an essential component of life, but it is also a cultural and bonding experience for baby and the whole family…so enjoy it every day!

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You’re Invited – Babymoon Pinterest Party

Thursday, May 16 at 7pm PST

We’ve partnered with Josie Maran Cosmetics and HATCH Maternity to bring you our first ever Pregnancy Awareness Month Pinterest Party! The theme is Babymoon and we hope to inspire you and your partner to make time for a romantic getaway before the baby arrives.

Whether your dream getaway an urban night on the town or a weekend on a pink sandy beach, we want to see what you’ll wear, where you’ll stay, and what products you absolutely couldn’t live without on one last pre-baby getaway. Let your imagination go and nurture yourself!

Pin with the hashtag #maypambabymoon for a chance to win a selection of Josie Maran Cosmetics, a Babymoon wardrobe from HATCH, and a 2-night stay at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE.

We can’t wait to see your boards!

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By Eliza Leggatt, Nordic Naturals Educator

Most pregnant women know that omega-3 essential fatty acids are important, but many don’t realize how essential they truly are. In fact, omega-3s are crucial not only for baby, but for mother’s own well being too. Often called the “good fats”, these nutrients are essential for optimal health across the lifespan, especially during times of physical and emotional stress. They support normal functioning of the heart and lungs, as well as the brain, skin, joints, and more. In developing babies, they are particularly important during the third trimester, when the brain undergoes the most rapid neurological growth in utero, and relies heavily on the omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as a key structural fat for neuronal tissue.  

Unfortunately, omega-3s cannot be produced by the body—much like certain vitamins—and come to us primarily from cold-water fish like salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring, etc. Because of concerns about mercury and other environmental contaminants, pregnant women are at a unique disadvantage for getting adequate amounts of these essential nutrients, since they are often told to abstain from fish consumption. The unintended consequence is that moms miss out on the omega-3 nutrients that their babies rely on for proper brain, eye, and nervous system development. In fact, a 2011 petition to the FDA by US Senators Kirsten Gellibrand and Tom Coburn advised balancing the risk of mercury in fish against the importance of omega-3 consumption during pregnancy.

One simple way to avoid the risks associated with eating fish, while ensuring adequate intake of omega-3s, is to choose a high-quality fish oil supplement for daily use during pregnancy and lactation. Just as many of mom’s essential nutrients go to her developing fetus, they also reach her newborn via breast milk. Because of this, a woman’s body may become depleted of omega-3s, so she too can benefit from supplementation; in fact, omega-3s have also been shown to support a healthy mood in moms.

When shopping for a daily omega-3 supplement, choose one that meets or exceeds international standards for omega-3 fish oil purity, freshness, and overall quality shown on fish oil batch tests by independent organizations, as there are no set standards in the US. As the official omega-3 of the American Pregnancy Association, Nordic Naturals^® Prenatal DHA is an excellent choice. It is specially formulated for the unique needs of both mom and baby, and meets all the right measures of quality for you to feel comfortable taking it before, during, and after pregnancy.

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1. In a large bowl beat the eggs with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. In a large cast iron pan (or other large pan which can go into the oven) over a medium flame melt butter and olive oil together. Add shallots and cook till translucent about 6-7 minutes. Stirring frequently. Careful not to burn.
3. Add Pea Tendrils and cook till the tendrils and wilted and soft. Stirring frequently. Add peas and remove mixture from flame and allow to cool 10 minutes.
4. Stir the pean tendril mixture into the eggs and incorporate well.
5. Add half the cheese until well combined.
6. Coat the pan with cooking spray or a little bit of olive oil and pour the egg mixture into the pan. 
7. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese and chopped Terragon evenly over the egg mixture.
8. Place into the pan into the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
9. (you may get an air bubble half way through on your frittata. Simply poke holes with a fork to relieve the steam pressure)
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing and enjoying.

-Anna Getty, Founder, Pregnancy Awareness Month

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