Babyproofing For New Moms September 10, 2008

As your baby starts to move around the house, it is extremely important that you protect her from the poisons routinely kept in the home. Here are some tips to help keep your child safe.

Go through what you have and throw out what you don’t need!

Have an old box of lye around? You’re probably not ever going to use it, and it’s terribly dangerous, so get rid of it. Keep only the products you really use, so that there are fewer things to have to keep locked up.

Keep things locked up.

Assemble all your cleaning supplies, and put them in locked cabinets. Don’t assume that putting them in a higher cabinet keeps your child safe. Sometimes babies seem to learn to climb overnight, so simply storing items on a higher shelf might not be enough.

Don’t store poisons in old food containers.

Your baby will learn early on to recognize things like a juice container or baby food jar so don’t use empty ones to store hazardous products.

Throw empty containers away outside

Don’t put the empty bleach container in the kitchen trash can – rinse it and take it to the outside trash can immediately.

Check your plants.

There are many common houseplants that are poisonous, including philodendron, English ivy, holly, mistletoe, and hyacinths, so it’s best to remove these or keep them well out of reach.

Some things you might not think of as poisonous

Your cosmetics, over the counter medicines, vitamins, and mothballs can all be poisonous, so keep these locked up or out of the way. Get used to reading labels, so that you can keep tabs on new things that come into the house.

If you’ve never had children before, keeping up with products that can be poisonous can be a challenge at first. But, take some time, preferably before the baby is born, to sort through your items and store them properly. Then, be diligent about buying the safest items you can. For instance, non-chlorine bleach is safer than chlorine. And, always look for child-proof caps on products you plan to buy. Learn to substitute. Did you know you can use olive oil to polish furniture and vinegar to clean your hardwood floors? These kinds of substitutions can make your home safer, and give you fewer items to look up. And, finally, don’t forget to post your local poison control phone number right by the phone. It could save your child’s life.

 

 

Sanity For the New Mommy September 10, 2008

When you’re a new mother, life can seem overwhelming. Your life is full of new responsibilities, yet the old ones haven’t gone away. This is a period of adjustment, so recognize it as such. Here are some ideas to help you cope with this transition period, and create the life you envision.

First, set your priorities. There will be many days when you just can’t get everything done, so know in advance which things carry the most importance. Care of your baby is, of course, the first priority, and in order to do that, you may have to let some things slide. But, each of us is different, and so is our tolerance of leaving things undone. For instance, I have three children, and I hate it when we resort to feeding them fast food. So, cooking a good dinner has always been a priority for me. In order to do this, some days the house is a wreck, but feeding my family a healthy dinner is more important to me than seeing that all the toys are put away. You need to decide what works for you personally.

Secondly, ask for help when you need it. Very often, people are very willing to help, but they’re not sure what to do. Tell your husband what chores he could take over for you that would have the most impact. Do you have older children that are old enough to take over more household responsibility? Mothers are notorious for doing things for their children that the kids are perfectly capable of handling. Not only will assigning chores to your children help you out, it will also teach them some valuable lessons in responsibility.

Next, be sure to network with other women in your situation. If you’re staying home, find other stay at home moms to socialize with and swap babysitting. If you’re a working mom, get to know other working moms and spend some time with them. Talking to other women who have the same issues can keep you sane!

Finally, take time for yourself. All you will accomplish by working yourself nonstop is fatigue. Be sure to get away from your duties as a Mom to do some of the things you enjoyed before you had children. Go on dates with your husband, and hang out with your girlfriends. Continue to pursue your hobbies, or get some new ones. Being a Mom does change your life, but it doesn’t have to take over your life.