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Category: For New Mothers

Review: Baby Medbasics by Luke & Tara Hermann

[ 4 ] September 27, 2011
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Reviewed by Alyssa Katanic

Baby Medbasics, by Luke Hermann, M.D. and Tara Summers Hermann, R.N., B.S.N., is a compact reference book that gives “Emergency Action Steps” in an easy to use format. It is 5”x6.5”, spiral bound, with a hardcover, making it portable (i.e. diaper bag worthy) and easy to handle. The subject tabs, great color and graphic design makes it easy to navigate quickly, and it gives clear instruction on what to do and when in cases of an emergency – including when to seek medical attention. Not only do the Hermanns give steps to handle emergencies, but they also list preventatives steps, as well, in such areas as allergies, bites & stings, fever, rash, and so on.

Baby Medbasics would make a great baby shower gift, as well as a great guide for babysitters and other caregivers. There is a page for recording family and emergency contact numbers in the front, and a list of international Emergency numbers for those who travel inside the back cover.

I suggest giving it a read over, so that you are familiar with the content, and then keeping it on hand for review in case of emergencies. It is concise and can be read in less than an hour. Either way, it is easy to follow, much like a 911 operator in book format.

Rating: 4/5

Alyssa is a wife and stay at home, homeschooling mother of five, with two boxers, two cats, a soft shelled turtle named after Bob the Builder, and 7 frogs (admittedly a homeschooling project gone froggy). In all her spare time, she loves to read and believes that there is no such thing as having too many books!

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by FSB Associates. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review & Giveaway: Stark Raving Motherhood by Jill Seale

[ 75 ] June 3, 2011
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Reviewed by Amanda Schafer

A cute book about “a mother’s pledge to do it all,” Stark Raving Motherhood is a huge hit! Mothers are expected to do so many things, remember every little detail, chase down children, keep track of schedules, and stay sane doing it all. It’s just not possible! But then again, perhaps it is…with a little love and encouragement from the family. Every page reveals another vow or promise that a harried mother feels the need to fulfill.  Within each page you will also find funny drawings and side notes showing what actually happens in real life and why we, as mothers, want to vow to fix our wacky behavior.

I laughed (out loud!) several times throughout this book. How many times have I had to “stitch up the heinie on all split stuffed animals,” or vowed to “clean out the van at least once a quarter?” As the book starts, the pages are relatively neat and tidy. However as it continues the pages get more harried and frazzled-looking, reminding me of how frazzled I feel as a mom when I try to remember every little detail. I found it truly humorous that she mentions “reading all school memos” about 3 or 4 times through the book.

Jill Seale has created a neat little book that is a perfect gift to any mother you think might need a bit of encouragement and a reminder that she doesn’t have to do it all!

Rating: 4/5

Amanda lives in Missouri with her engineering husband, two sons, and one daughter. In between homeschooling and keeping up with church activities she loves to read Christian Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and any Chick-Lit. She never goes anywhere without a book to read!

Giveaway:

I have 2 copies of Stark Raving Motherhood to give away, courtesy of Sellers Publishing!

Mandatory entry: Please comment here and include your e-mail address.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe via e-mail, follow or subscribe to the feed. You must verify the subscriptions. (1 entry each)
- Enter another current giveaway and tell me which one you entered (1 entry each)
- Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice. Click the “Share/Save” button at the bottom of this post (1 entry each)

This giveaway is open to all countries, excluding Africa. Deadline to enter is midnight on June 17, 2011.

Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by Sellers Publishing. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Bring Back Beatrice! by Jennifer Griffin

[ 7 ] May 11, 2011
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Reviewed by Nikki Flores

Jennifer Griffin certainly had the young twenty-something first-time mother-to-be in mind when she wrote Bring Back Beatrice! Within the first few paragraphs of the book, Ms. Griffin states her beliefs on baby-naming (that choosing a baby’s name is not to be taken lightly) in a very laid-back and friendly writing tone, while at the same time conveying to her readers that she’s somewhat of a real-world expert when it comes to naming babies. She has one Baby Naming Cardinal Rule: You can’t go wrong with something traditional, no matter how popular the name becomes. (Hence, the meaning behind the title comes to light.)

Among some of the things to consider when choosing a name, Ms. Griffin goes into detail on the importance of scansion (encouraging all baby-naming novices to consider the syllabic flow of the first and last names), vowel and consonant sounds (advising all future baby-namers to look for contrasting sounds in the names) and length (asking if the baby’s full name will fit on an American Express card).

She also recommends that baby-naming beginners should all try The Flaky Test–Whereas you insert the baby’s name into a sentence to determine whether or not it will work when he or she is all grown up. For example, Ms. Griffin asks the reader to imagine his/her child saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to welcome you aboard the aircraft. I’m your captain, [name]…”

Some other interesting tidbits on the book:

  • The book itself is basically pocket-sized (about 4×6 inches), so it’s easy for mommies-to-be to tuck away in a purse and flip through to get ideas while sitting in the waiting room at all of those OB/GYN follow-up appointments.
  • There are 1,108 baby names listed in the book, with a small background paragraph written about each one’s origins, including many present-day references (i.e. Aaliyah – an Arabic name…means “lofty” or “exalted.” It reminds Americans of the late R&B singer of the same name.)
  • In addition to the background paragraph, Ms. Griffin gives spelling variations and possible nicknames.

One of the most interesting features of the book, however, was the alternative names section below each name description. In this small section, Ms. Griffin offered alternate suggestions for those parents looking to name their baby something similar to the aforementioned name. (i.e Some alternative names for Aaliyah include: Malia, Aisha, Leila, Latifah, Bashira, Farrah or Salma).

I picked up quite a few baby name books throughout my pregnancy, and Jennifer Griffin’s Bring Back Beatrice! was hands down, my fav. It had a little bit of everything that I was looking for–Practical advice, over 1,000 suggested names with some background info on each, as well as nicknames, spelling variations and alternative similar-sounding names.

Rating: 5/5

Nikki Flores (aka CluelessMe) is an avid writer and reader. She first hit the blogging scene with the Clueless Newlywed Blog, which catalogued the unique adventures surrounding herself and her new husband. No longer a newlywed and expecting her first child, Nikki continues her telling her light-hearted stories at Cluelessme.com.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Workman Publishing. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review & Giveaway: BabyBond Nursing Accessories

[ 33 ] January 22, 2011
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I recently watched a CNN interview with the U.S. Surgeon General. Dr. Regina Benjamin, who discussed her “Call to Action” to support breast-feeding mothers. Apparently 75% of mothers start out breastfeeding, but at the end of six months, that rate falls to 43% and only 13% of babies are regularly breastfed (U.S. Surgeon General Fact Sheet).

The benefits of breastfeeding are immeasurable, both from a health standpoint as well as from an economic one. And yet, new mothers switch to formula despite their previous intentions to do otherwise.

Dr. Benjamin cited the lack of experience and lack of accommodations at the workplace, among others, as reasons behind mothers’ decisions to stop breastfeeding. From speaking with my friends and my sister, I know that another reason is that sense of embarrassment at possibly exposing yourself while feeding your baby in public. Not many stores or restaurants have private areas for breastfeeding mothers, and the alternative is to use nursing covers that completely cover the area and the baby.

When I received the BabyBond Couture band, I was excited to have my sister, who is a new mother, try it out and give me her feedback. BabyBond products were created by a mother who was tired of struggling with expensive and unflattering nursing tops, as well as covering up her baby. A Speech-Language Pathologist, Missy also knew the importance of being able to interact with your baby while breastfeeding. As result, the company’s motto is “BabyBond covers mom, not her baby. Privacy without isolation. After all, dining is social“.

BabyBond works with all your regular clothes; the Couture edition of the BabyBond can be worn from the top, as a sash, or from the bottom like a belt. My sister tried both options and while she didn’t find the belt option particularly useful, she thought that the over-the-shoulder sash option was great. It allowed her enough privacy to be comfortable with breastfeeding in public, but kept my little niece uncovered and free to interact with her mother and the world around her. BabyBond was easy to put on and use, and folds into a small square that can fit in your bag.

If you’re struggling with the regular bulky nursing covers, give BabyBond a try! You might become a convert like my sister. BabyBond also makes the perfect gift for expecting and new mothers!

Giveaway:
One lucky winner will receive a BabyBond Nursing Accessory!

Mandatory entry: Visit BabyBond and comment on this post  with your favorite version of BabyBond product and preferred color. Please make sure that you either fill in your e-mail address in the comment form, or include it with your comment.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe via e-mail, follow or subscribe to the feed. You must verify the subscriptions. (1 entry each)
- Enter another giveaway on this blog (1 entry each)
- Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (1 entry, 1 tweet per day)

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on February 10, 2011.

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.

Sponsored by Tomoson.com

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Review: The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet by Karin Knight and Tina Ruggiero

[ 5 ] January 18, 2011
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Reviewed by Alice L.

A perfect mixture of information and recipes, The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet by Karin Knight and Tina Ruggiero was a joy to read and review.  The book focuses on babies and toddlers from 6 to 23 months, which made me – a first time mom to a 16-months old toddler – the perfect audience.

Needless to say, I was pretty anxious to leaf through the book and learn more about cooking easy and nutritious meals for my daughter.  The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet did not disappoint! Whenever I thought of homemade baby food before, it seemed so time consuming and complicated. This book did a great job convincing me that it is actually not as difficult as it sounds. It provides detailed guidelines on preparing baby food,  storing and freezing, and the type of gadgets needed for “assembly”. The authors also gave recommendations on the types of food to stock your pantry with  and the types of food that is best purchased organic.

The other part of the cookbook is made up of of course, recipes. The recipes are surprisingly simple and divided by age. Each recipe also provides an approximated yield and corresponding nutrition facts. I made over twenty recipes from the book so far and my daughter continues to enjoy them!

In addition to recipes, The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet provides information on baby/toddler nutritional needs (divided into different food groups) and why they are important, ideas on how to introduce new and healthy food, how to make healthy substitutes, etc.  The information is concise and detailed, but easy to understand and certainly gave me the confidence to tackle the “homemade food thing”.

I highly recommend The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet for the moms and dads who are interested in preparing homemade baby food or looking for more ways to feed healthy food to their baby/toddler.

Rating: 5/5

Alice is a former city girl who now resides in an Ohio suburb with her husband (and college sweetheart) Justin and their busy toddler, Amelia. She is a stay-home-mom and when she is not chasing her daughter, she enjoys cooking, reading, and little bit of retail-therapy.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by LKB Communications. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Mommy Files by Jen Klein

[ 18 ] August 25, 2010
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Reviewed by Poppy J.

The Mommy Files by Jen Klein is written for new moms as well as experienced mothers who simply want to learn more about their babies. The author has not forgotten anything. She begins at the first moment that the pregnancy is discovered, and move along to when the child is independent and ready to explore the world on his or her own.

The book reminds new mothers that they can’t do it all, and should not be so hard on themselves when they come home with their new babies from the hospital. The Mommy Files provides information on working outside of the home, developing a network of other mothers through playgroups, and time management skills. Klein also emphasize that it is important to create time for oneself as a new mom, and that this is often put aside, because new mothers are naturally absorbed with their babies.

The Mommy Files offers simple advice for managing it all, and shares “She Knows Secrets” for the reader to note when waiting for the birth and managing the hectic days afterwards. For example, the author speaks in authoritative voice on the issue of cosleeping and discipline, and the readers will get many sides of the issue from the book so that they can make the best decision for their families.

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

This book was provided free of any obligation by FSB Associates. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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