We Have MOVED! Come Follow us!

Sorry that we have been on hold for a bit! BUT we are so excited to present our new site design and our big move! Thank you so much Nicole from TECH·MOM·O·GY We LOVE our new look!

Please take note that our website and blog have now been combined on one page! Our website address is www.pintsizeplanners.com and the blog is now located at www.pintsizeplanners.com/blog so make sure you change your subscription we don’t want you to miss any of the exciting information that we have coming your way!

SO PLEASE head on over and follow us at  www.pintsizeplanners.com/blog

Talking About It Tuesday ~ Postpartum Depression and Baby Blues

Trying to find a true statistic on how many are affected by postpartum mood disorders (PPMDs), is difficult to find but according to Post Partum Progress it is approximately 10 to 15%!  Remeber that is 10 – 15% that are reporting their depression! There has been such a stigma attached to Post Partum Depression that I can only imagine the number of cases that have gone undiagnosed! Remember your safety and your child’s safety depend on you telling your family and doctor how you feel!

Recently a number of celebrities have begun speaking out about their depression. The Frisky recently published an article about celebrity moms that battled depression including:

Melissa Rycroft

Gwyneth Paltrow

Bryce Dallas Howard

Brooke Shields

Courteney Cox

Angelina Jolie

Amanda Peet

Lisa Rinna

Britney Spears

Kendra Wilkinson

Marcia Cross

It is so encouraging that these women are speaking out! So if you are feeling down or depressed you are not alone! “Growing a Human” (as I like to say!) is an incredibly difficult and emotional process!

Here is some basic information about baby blues and postpartum depression. PLEASE TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR if you have any of these symptoms! Do not ignore them just hoping they will go away.

Many moms have what are called the baby blues after having a baby. Women’s Health outlines the symptoms of baby blues as

• Having mood swings
• Feeling sad, anxious, or overwhelmed
• Having crying spells
• Loss of appetite
• Having trouble sleeping

The baby blues most often go away within a few days or a week. The symptoms are not severe and do not need treatment

Do you know the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression? Women’s Health outlines the symptoms of postpartum depression as

• Thoughts of hurting the baby
• Thoughts of hurting yourself
• Not having any interest in the baby

***Postpartum depression needs to be treated by a doctor so call them IMMEDIATELY.***

The symptoms of postpartum depression last longer and are more severe. Postpartum depression can begin anytime within the first year after childbirth.

Did you have any of these symptoms after having a child? Did you seek treatment? Do you have any suggestions for new moms?

 

The suggestions in this post should not be substituted for medical advise. Please contact your doctor to discuss them.

Fun For The Fam ~ Sesame Place Opening Day!

We were honored to be invited to Sesame Place’s Opening Weekend.  Jen and I came ready to entertain my 15 month old and almost 3 yeard old as well as Jen’s 2 year old son.

We started our day with a walk down “Sesame Street”. The kids loved sitting on the fire truck and getting their picture taken. However they were not very thrilled with Cookie Monster and Super Groover. Jen and I could not believe that the waterpark was open and that people we actually swimming! All we could say to eachother was ’those people are BRAVE’.

We then moved on to the rides. The kids were really excited. We all went on the Carousel together, and that was a big hit. We lucked out to be the first in the line of our group to get on the ride, Thank God because my daughter kept saying ‘I want the purple horse, I want the purple horse’. Yes we did get the purple horse!

I did notice as we were walking to the rides and waiting in line for the rides that everyone had stroller, I mean EVERYONE. I would say half of the strollers were empty and the other half were filled with sleeping kids. I think that everyone had the same idea/hope, ‘My kid will fall asleep as we are leaving’. I have a double jogger, which I absolutely LOVE, however we only brought one umbrella stroller on this adventure for my 15 month old. I think that worked out better for us on this day. However if we were going to be taking on the water park in the future I would say that that Double Jogger is a must, even if it only hold our things. At least I wouldn’t have to carry all the stuff as well as the kids.

We continued with the rides, Flying Elmo’s and the Big Slide rounded out the fun. Then we headed to Sesame Street to try and get a good seat for the Parade. The kids LOVED the parade. They all sat nicely and watched as the characters went by sining and dancing. I think for my daughter, who is alomst three, that the characters were at a safe distance that she could enjoy them without being afraid. As the parade continued to move down Sesame Street our kids thought that was a great time to get in the middle of the street and dance, dance, dance. It was so cute and you could tell that they were really having fun. I think that one of the greatest parts of being a mom is seeing that pure joy in your child’s eyes. Their little faces were light up with smiles!  We had a great time and would definitely go again in a heartbeat!

Sesame Place OPENs for the season on 4/28/12! Who doesn’t love Sesame Place? Sesame Street comes to life at Sesame Place through whirling rides, water slides, exciting shows, and endless giggles. Dance and sing-a-long with everyone’s favorite furry friends in the amazing Neighborhood Street Party parade. Learn about letters, numbers and friendship in 3 street-stopping performances that include 11 larger-than-life floats and a night parade that lights up the sky. Celebrate the seasons with The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular and A Very Furry Christmas parades! Join the fun and celebrate being a kid – or being a kid again! Sesame Place is located just 30 minutes north of Philadelphia and 90 minutes south of New York City. For more information, call 1-866-GO-4-ELMO or visit www.sesameplace.com

**We did receive complimentary tickets to Sesame Place and all opinions are 100% are own

Mommy Tip Monday ~ 71 Things Your Child Needs To Know BEFORE Kindergarten

In a recent blog post I Can Teach My Child outlined a list of 71 things that your child should know before going to kindergarten. I didn’t realize that kids need to know so much BEFORE they even get to school!

Here are a few that I found interesting:

• Shows eagerness and curiosity as a learner
• Plays well with others
• Speaks clearly enough to be understood without contextual clues
• Recites/sings alphabet
• Matches upper-case letters and lower-case letters
• Pedals and steers a tricycle
• Cuts out a 3″ triangle on construction paper
• Identifies 10 colors:  red, yellow, blue, green, orange, purple, black, white, brown, pink

Sounds like we have a lot of constructive play time ahead of us!

Again if your have concerns about your child and their development please talk to your pediatrician and consider have an Early Intervention evaluation.

Fun For The Fam ~ Delaware Valley College A-DAY

This weekend is A-Day at Delaware Valley College! “ A-Day, which stands for Activities Day, brings the campus and the surrounding community together for educational exhibits, competitions, entertainment, fun and great food. Exhibits and demonstrations involve a variety of majors at the college.” Funny I always thought A-Day stood for Agriculture day! Oops! My family has been going since I was a kid!

There will be lots to see and do so check it out

Friday April 27th    12:00pm to 8:00pm
Saturday April 28th    10:00am to 7:00pm
Sunday April 29th    10:00am to 6:00pm

Delaware Valley College is located at 700 East Butler Avenue Doylestown, PA 18901

Parking Fees are $10.00.

So check out some farm style fun!

 

What else is happening this weekend? Email us at pintsizeplanners@gmail.com and let us know!

Thirsty Thursdays ~ Stop Your Baby From Biting During Breastfeeding!

Breastfeeding might be all smooth sailing until that dreaded day when your baby bites you! OUCH! Here are some great tips on how to handle biting!

1. Say “It Hurts!” Let your baby know that he/she is hurting you….be firm with your tone but don’t freak out!

2. End the Breastfeeding Session. Unlatch your baby by sliding your finger into the side of his/her mouth to break the suction.  Do not offer the breast again for at least 15 minutes.

3. Baby Time Out. If simply stopping your session for a few minutes doesn’t work put your baby down for a few minutes and then try again.

4. Learn Your Baby’s Cues. Babies sometimes bite when they are bored or frustrated. If your baby appears distracted then stop your session and try again later.

5. Teething. Try offering a teething baby something to chew on before the feeding.

***Your baby may start biting when your milk supply starts decreasing. I read all of the literature that I could find when my 10 month old started biting me but NO ONE suggested that it could be because I wasn’t making enough milk to fill my baby up! So be aware of how much milk (or lack of milk) that you are making!

 

Thanks Breastfeeding Magazine for these great tips

Talking About It Tuesday ~ Pregnancy and Cravings

Photo CreditThe old wives tale is that when you are pregnant you crave pickles and ice-cream…well I never craved that!  When when I was pregnant I craved Mike and Ikes and Chic-fil-a and honestly didn’t eat much else! You know that I love to follow celebrity moms so I recently read an article about Reese Witherspoon and her cravings during her most recent pregnancy. The article from AZCentral says that Reese Witherspoon is “…craving seaweed smoothies, pickles and peanut butter all together, plus chicken wings smothered in barbecue sauce.” So I guess some of us sure do crave those pickles!

Did you have weird cravings during your pregnancy? What did you crave?