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There are not many things worse than sick kids.  Well, maybe a sick mom!  There are some simple things we can do to help keep everyone in our house healthy.

Homeopathy for Health

I have recently added homeopathy into my arsenal of tools to prevent colds and flu symptoms.

I was introduced to the idea of Homeopathy by my Chiropractor last year during the “flu scare”.  We were heading to Cancun and my parents were nervous about H1N1, she gave us some supplements and Oscilloccinum, which is a homeopathy to help with flu like symptoms.  It really helped us with the flu season and we stayed healthy!   We have since used homeopathy for headaches and other issues with great success.

Children’s Coldcalm Pellets

Because of my positive experiences with homeopathy, I was excited to have the opportunity to try and review Children’s Coldcalm Pellets.

Children’s Coldcalm Pellets offer complete multi-symptom cold relief for sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, and minor sore throat pain. Its kid-friendly, melt-away pellets are safe for children 3 years of age and older, and no water, chewing or swallowing is required. Children’s Coldcalm works safely and naturally without causing drowsiness or sleeplessness. There’s also no risk of overdose, and no interaction with other medications. More information can be found by visiting our website: http://bit.ly/bNhb86.

My free sample came in the mail last week and I wasn’t sure if I should wait until someone got a cold to try it, but figured it wouldn’t be a fair review if I didn’t.

Well, lucky me I woke up with cold like symptoms Friday morning.  I actually felt it coming on Thursday night on our drive home from Turkey Dinner at my Mother In-Laws, but ignored it.

This specific product is meant for kids, but I thought it was worth trying for me.  I figured I could give a more accurate review if I used it too.

I love the bottles design and how the pellets come out one by one into the bottle lid.  This is very convenient to dole out the appropriate amount.

One great thing about homeopathy is that kids love it.  It tastes good, it is like little tiny candies (I don’t call it that to my kids, I am just giving you an idea of what it tastes like. Some homeopathy remedies melt in your mouth and others are crunchy, the pellets are crunchy.)   Thing 3 wanted to take it when I did, so I gave him some.  As a child who refuses to take Liquid Tylenol and pretty much any “normal” medication, this is a huge benefit of Children’s Coldcalm.  Kids take it happily.

It worked!

So Friday morning I started taking the recommended dosage and it was interesting how when the time for my next dose drew near I felt my sore throat coming back.  I would take the next dose and feel better almost right away.   By Saturday afternoon I stopped taking the pellets because I was feeling better.

I love Children’s Coldcalm and am happy to have it on my shelf for when the boys get a cold.  A natural way to help with the symptoms of a cold!  You have a chance to win a free sample for your family!

Giveaway: One Children’s Coldcalm

Here is how to win! There are quite a few different ways.

• 1 entry by leaving a comment saying why you want to win Children’s Coldcalm Pellets.
• 1 entry by blogging about this give away and letting me know.
• 1 entry by adding the Enjoy Birth Blog to your RSS and letting me know. (What is RSS?)
• 1 entry by posting about the give away on e-mail groups or bulletin boards and letting me know.
• 1 entry by liking my Facebook Enjoy Birth Page and letting me know.
• 1 entry by following me on Twitter and letting me know.
• 1 entry for re-tweeting this post and letting me know.
• 1 entry for following Bioron USA on Twitter and letting me know.
• 1 entry for liking Bioron on Facebook and letting me know.

You can let me know what you have done by either e-mailing me at sheridan AT enjoybirth DOT com or leaving a comment letting me know which of the above you did!

Good luck!

The last entry will be accepted at midnight on December 4th.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

When I read this post full of great ideas about things to do while waiting, it made me remember how when I was little.  My mom would play I Spy with me to pass the time while waiting.  I am sure my mom was tired after a long days work and didn’t really want to do it, but I LOVED it.  One on one time with my mom and she had nothing else to do but be with me!  At home there were chores to do and she worked during the day, so the waiting times were MY time.

What do most of the kids today do while having to wait somewhere?

• Read a book
• Play with toys
• Watch a video (in one orthodontists office we visited they have TV for each kid to watch while waiting for the doctor)
• Play Hand held video game
• Do homework

photo credit: waltercolor

Think about it.  What do you usually see them doing?  Honestly I see most of them using a screen of some kind.  I have even seen moms give toddlers their iPhone to keep them entertained instead of reading them a book or playing with them.

I am not judging, I have been tired and frustrated while waiting for certain things and would at times love such an option. I will admit that my boys own no hand held video games.  I think they should read if they are bored.

I have used my iPhone to entertain Thing 3 at a neighbors home that had no toys while DH and I were trying to have a conversation with the other adults.  So there are certainly times when hand held devices are useful.

However tempting it may be to hand off my iPhone to T3 during waiting times, I really have nothing else I have to do at that time.  No chores, no work… so I will try to remember to play I Spy instead.

So we can make a connection instead of encouraging the disconnect the world seems to be full of.

What do you think is better for waiting, I Spy or the iPhone?

FREE STUFF

Free stuff from Vista Print for the holidays

PREGNANCY

Good book for expecting moms, especially ones fighting for VBAC

Moms being offered vaccinations after birth! Educate yourself before hand so you know what you want to choose.

BIRTH

I love this birth story where a midwife ended up being on a transatlantic flight during a birth.

Amazing story of cord prolapse at home and how mom knowing what to do saved her baby’s life.

DOULA

Birth Traumas rising because of staff shortages. This is a great example where having continous support of a doula can help prevent birth trauma for many moms.

PARENTING

Whooping cough strain is immune to vaccine.

Great video about education paradigms – I watch this and am so thrilled I have finally found a great educational fit for my family.

LIFE

M&M’s and Christmas, love this easy treat/gift with meaning too!  http://christcenteredtraditions.blogspot.com/2010/11/m-and-m-poem.html

For more Sunday Surfing, visit Authentic Mothering, Mama and Baby Love, Gems of Delight, Breastfeeding Moms Unite, Domesticated Women, This Adventure Life, Maman A Droit, Hobo Mama and Baby Dust Diaries.

I went to the DASC (Doula Association of Southern California) Banquet last weekend.  It was so fun to gather with fellow doulas.  To see ones I know and love and meet many new ones.

I was so honored to be nominated for one of the awards.  Most Inspirational Doula!    That was a neat honor.

I love the support my fellow doulas share, with their knowledge, shoulder to cry on after a challenging birth, tips to do a better job in the future.

I have a great local support group of doulas.  We all back each other up and I couldn’t do what I love to do without them!

I have a wonderful online group of birthy friends who also share so much of their wisdom with me!

Thanks to all of you!

Baby Bond:  Krystal from momssupportgroup

Cradle Rock:  Becca from barefootondashboard

I am going to e-mail you, I will need your addresses so I can send you your item.

Congratulations!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

What are my tips to remember for a great road trip?

• Prepare the vehicle
• Pray for safety and patience
• Listen to a book on tape
• Pay your kids for good behavior
• Make a fun trip binder before you go
• Media fun – movies, handheld games
• Get out and move around
• Have a hidden toy for the last leg

Our Favorite Road Trip is the one we take every year driving up to Utah to go skiing.  It takes about 10 hours with stops and driving.  We have done it every year of our married life.

It starts the same each year.  A week before, I make sure the vehicle is all ready for the trip. Oil changed, tires OK, everything in working order?

The morning of the trip we load the vehicle (which has grown as we have added boys) with suitcases and snacks.   Before we go we say a prayer asking for patience and safety.

When we start to drive we start the book on tape (CD and now MP3).  We listen to great stories along the way.  We have listened to The Tennis Shoes Among the Nephite series over and over again and we are SO excited because the 11^th book has finally come out after years of waiting.

We stop in our same places along the way.  We try to drive as far as possible without stopping for the first leg.  But finally someone has to pee (usually me!)  and we stop for a quick break.  We used to bring all our snacks, but now that the boys are older we pay them for good behavior ($1 an hour) and they love to buy a snack at each stop.  It is their money that they earned, so I am fine with that.  I limit the sugar as much as possible.

We make it to the half way point and shout for joy.  I have copied maps for each of the boys of our route and they like to follow along as we go.  I have a binder for each boy with the maps, colored pencils, paper, stickers and games like Car Bingo.  This usually helps to pass the time for a good chunk of time.

Sometimes we watch movies, but now that the boys are older, the big ones and mom and dad prefer to listen to the books on tape and the “baby” watches a video or two or three.  The no media rule goes out the window on our road trips.  J  He also will play games on my iPhone.

Then we get to the snow, that gets everyone excited.  We still have a few hours to go, but the snow gives us the energy to press forward.  We stop for a dinner where we get out of the car to eat and move around.  It is important to get out and stretch and let the blood flow!

I have a toy I have hidden for each boy.  Things like Magna-doodles, magnet books, hot wheel cars and I pull them out now.  It keeps them going for a few more hours.  By now the “baby” has passed out and I am falling asleep while Rob is driving.  I miss parts of the book and wake up occasionally to ask what has happened.  The big boys are so bugged by this.

Finally we arrive at the cousins’ house. The cousins have been anxiously awaiting our arrival and the kids get out to run and be free and Rob and I are happy to be free of the van too and all the noise!  Overall our road trips always go smoothly and pass quickly. I attribute it to good books to listen to.  I would never travel without one.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Discount Tire blogging program, making me eligible to receive a $50 gift card and be entered for a chance to win a prize valued at $1,000. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

I learned so much from each of my very unique birth experiences.

Thing 1 – Bedrest for 9 weeks and Emergency Cesarean at 34 weeks

• pregnancy and birth is unpredictable
• flexibility helps keep you sane
• cesareans are sometimes medically necessary to save babies and moms

Thing 2 – modified bedrest VBAC at 42 weeks

• That when you say you won’t complain when you get big, that is a really hard thing not to do.
• Hypnosis can help you feel confident about birth
• Hypnosis can help you sleep better
• Epidurals can be wonderful

Thing 3 – PUPPS rash and VBAC at 41.5 weeks

• Hypnosis + great Childbirth Education can help you be really prepared for birth
• PUPPS really sucks
• Hypnobabies gave me plenty of tools to have a comfortable un-medicated birth
• Natural birth is awesome and you have an incredible high after.
• Just because nursing worked well the first 2 times, doesn’t mean it will work easily the 3^rd time.

I am grateful for each of my unique birth experiences.  They have helped me to be a well rounded doula.  I know how to support my moms whether they have a cesarean, an epidural vaginal birth or an un-medicated birth.  I can empathize with their situations.

• If I had only amazing natural birth experiences would I have judged those moms who choose epidruals?
• If I had only vaginal births would I have understood and fought so hard for VBAC moms?
• If I only had easy times creating that nursing relationship with my boys, would I have been as supportive of my moms struggling with nursing?

My births shaped who I am, as a

• woman
• mother
• childbirth educator
• doula

I am grateful for each birth I have had myself.

I am also grateful for each birth I have attended as a doula!  I learn so much from each of those.

I wrote this for the Grateful for Birth Experiences Carnival at the Preparing for Birth Blog!

What Your Pediatrician Doesn’t Know Can Hurt Your Child by Susan Markel

I got a free copy of this book to review.  I was excited to see what it said as I have had mixed experiences with pediatricians.

I knew that I would love this book when I read this on page 3

Given that many doctors either don’t know these things or choose not to address them as alternatives, it follows that you as a parent may need to begin questioning the advice that you’re getting from your pediatrician.  You’ve probably already been told something by a doctor that betrays your own intuition.   Rather then adhering unquestionably to a doctors authority, question it – after all, you’re paying for the service.  You have an absolute right to know why you’re being asked to do something that relates to your child’s health as well as how your doctor’s recommendations and decisions may affect each other.  Parents who question are taking active responsibility for their child’s health.

This is what I try to teach pregnant moms to do with their care providers!  Take responsibility, gather information, ask questions!  So it only follows that they should continue to do so after they have their babies!  I will say that I really enjoyed this book and would feel very comfortable encouraging all pregnant and new moms to read it (even more experienced moms would benefit too!)  I would say read the first chapter when pregnant!

I love that the first chapter addressed choices parents have immediately after birth.  I cover most of these topics in my Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis Classes and love that it is included in this book.  It is so important for parents to know that they have choices about these routine things done to most babies after birth.  So many are not needed for every baby!

The book covers a nice variety of topics from:

• ADHD to fevers
• Breastfeeding to vaccinations
• Carrying babies to nutrition
• and many more.

Each chapter had good down to earth information that can help parents make choices and trust their intuition.  For instance in the ear infection chapter it talks about ear tubes and explains how it isn’t always the best choice.  I wish I had this book so I would have had more questions to ask before agreeing to schedule Thing 2 for this surgery.

The only thing I felt this book was missing was a appendix with more resources.  For instance the breastfeeding section is nice and helps explain why moms should ideally breastfeed and how many pediatricians are not trained to support nursing moms.  But then doesn’t give further resources.  So if a mom is struggling with breastfeeding, she will have to find other resources on her own.  While it is relatively “easy” to do this in the internet age, I think it would have been great if there were 2 or 3 good recommendations of books or websites either in the chapter or in an appendix.

Overall I think this is a great book and helps fill a need for supporting parents in questioning their care providers and getting satisfying answers regarding their child’s care.  Just as I tell my pregnant moms, if you don’t like your care provider then change!  With my first son I had many concerns about Thing 1 and my pediatrician blew them off.  When I finally changed care providers when he was 9 months old the new Pediatrician listened to me and saw what I was saying and helped me to get the help he needed.   If I had read this book I think I would have changed care providers much sooner.

You can get a copy of What Your Pediatrician Doesn’t Know Can Hurt Your Child: A More Natural Approach to Parenting at Amazon.

PREGNANCY

Infertility – protecting our super powers

Have you had dreams about your child before they were born?

Using pain killers during pregnancy can affect your sons fertility!

Tips on recognizing Preterm Labor – as a mom who had this starting at 25 weeks, this is important information to know!

Wonderful Reminder on why it is OK to skip routine vaginal exams during pregnancy.

BIRTH

Tips for Improving an Epidural Birth

Inductions for convenience? I see this with many of my friends?  What do you think?

Sheila Kitzenger (amazing birth advocate) on BBC radio

DOULA

What is a Post Partum doula?

PARENTING

Staying in love after birth.

More tips on increasing love with your partner while parenting

For more Sunday Surfing

visit Authentic Mothering, Mama and Baby Love, Gems of Delight, Breastfeeding Moms Unite, Domesticated Women, This Adventure Life, Maman A Droit, Hobo Mama and Baby Dust Diaries.

I got an e-mail about this neat Beauty of Mothering Calendar.

Each month has a nice breastfeeding picture.