By the time we had our third, that same first child was the most excited. By then he was used to having a sibling, and way excited to have a brother. Our daughter didn’t have any problems at all. I feel that was due to the fact that she has only known life with sharing her parents. Here’s a few tips to help you adjust to an addition to your family.

• Prepare everyone ahead of time. Take some extra time to talk to your children about having a new sibling. Get them excited by making a welcome home poster or some cards for the baby. Talk to them about how special it will be to be the big brother or sister and what a cool responsibility that can be.
• Have your new baby give their older siblings a gift. Our daughter gave our son a book and some chocolate milk. He was so excited that she gave him something. It is a simple gesture of friendship to start off their relationship together. You’ll be amazed at how much this helps.
• When one parent is with the baby, the other should be playing with the other children. If you are both home, forget the laundry, and focus on the kids. This helps the older children not feel like they are getting slided because of the baby. They will have a tendency to resent the baby if the baby takes away parent time they feel they should have had. Chores do need to be done, but the kids should come first. You can find time to catch up on the laundry later.
• Don’t get upset with an older child if they are not warming up to the baby right away. Like I said before, every child is different and will learn to love their sibling in a time that’s good for them. Don’t force it. Encourage them to give hugs and kisses, and tell them how much the baby loves them, and then let the rest happen when they are ready. This is a fantastic time to talk to them about what their emotions are. Help them to talk through how they are feeling, and do what they need you to do to ease them into their new role as a sibling.

Just remember that this can still be a fun and enjoyable time, even with a few wrinkles along the way. One day you’ll laugh at the memories of how everyone responds. We joke with our son about how he wanted to put his sister back and he thinks it’s funny. Good luck with your new little one!

• Get Educated. Take a good childbirth education class with your husband if at all possible. Read as much on the subject of labor and delivery as you can. The more you understand about what your body is going through, the easier it will be to work through the phases of labor.
• Get Moving. Just like you wouldn’t show up at a marathon without training, you need to get your body ready for the task at hand. Work on your breathing techniques and toning-up exercises that has been recommended by your doctor.
• Don’t Do It Alone. Plan on having someone there with you. Extra words of encouragement, and someone to rub your feet if you wish will help relax you while dealing with the pain.
• Be Ready to Accept Pain Relief If It’s Needed. Asking for or accepting medication is most certainly not a sign of failure or weakness. Sometimes pain relief will actually help your labor along, by helping you to relax and be able to focus more on what you need to be doing.

The most important thing to remember is that no one expects you to be Wonder woman and do this alone or without any help. Take advantage of all of the resources that are available to help you work through the phases of labor. There are a ton out there to help ensure your experience is a good one!

• Avoid gaining too much weight. Excess weight puts extra pressure on the stomach.
• Don’t wear clothing that is tight around your abdomen and waist.
• Eat many small meals rather than three big ones.
• Eat slowly, taking small mouthfuls and chewing throughly .
• Eliminate from your diet any food that causes GI discomfort. The most common offenders are hot and highly seasoned foods; fried or fatty foods; processed meats (hot dogs, bologna, sausage, bacon); chocolate, coffee, alcohol, carbonated beverages; spearmint and peppermint (even gum).
• Don’t smoke.
• Avoid bending over at the waist; bend instead with your knees.
• Sleep with your head elevated about 6 inches.
• Relax.
• If all else fails to relieve your symptoms, ask your doctor to recommend a low-sodium antacid or other over-the-counter medication that is safe for use in pregnancy. Avoid preparations containing sodium or sodium bicarbonate.

Heartburn and indigestion can be totally uncomfortable and if you can’t manage it, you’ll feel like your pregnancy is lasting forever! Don’t hesitate for a moment if these at home remedies don’t work. Talk to your doctor about it right away. They may have more options for you. With my last pregnancy I waited until I was 6 months along to say anything. By the time I did, it was so bad that he diagnosed me with acid reflux and put me on some medication that was safe for the baby. My relief was instant. I sure could have used that several months before then!

• Almonds – 1/4 cup – 95mg
• Beans, dried or cooked – 1 cup – 90mg
• Bok choy cabbage – 1/2 cup – 79 mg
• Collard greens – 1/2 cup – 179 mg
• Milk, 2% – 1 cup – 300 mg
• Orange juice, calcium fortified – 6 oz. – 300 mg
• Sardines, with bones – 3 oz. – 324 mg
• Spinach, cooked – 1/2 cup – 140 mg
• Tofu processed with calcium sulfate – 4 oz. – 434 mg
• Trout – 4 oz. – 250 mg
• Waffles – 1 medium – 180 mg
• Yogurt with fruit – 1 cup – 345 mg
• Yogurt, plain – 1 cup – 400 mg

There is a lot of other foods rich in calcium as well, these are just a few. Remember that some foods interfere with your body’s absorption of calcium. Be very careful about consuming salt, protein, tea, coffee and unleavened bread along with a calcium containing food. Here’s a few more suggestions to try when incorporating dairy products into your diet.

• Make fruit shakes with milk and fresh fruit.
• Add nonfat dried milk powder to recipes.
• Cook brown rice or oatmeal in low fat or nonfat milk instead of water.
• Make soups and sauces with undiluted evaporated nonfat milk instead of cream.

Just try and make a conscious effort to plan out enough calcium daily. You and your baby will benefit from your efforts!

I came across an article today that talked about a new trend in picking a baby name. Parents are finding the need to have a domain name for their kids. They’re even going as far as naming their children according to what domain names are available.

Creating a website for our children is becoming quite popular, and the “perfect” web address gives it a nice touch. Although we didn’t pick them first, our kids have their own domain name. They don’t use them now, but you never know what the future may bring. Check out the article.