Archive for December, 2013

Partying While Pregnant! Nine Naturals’ 9 Tips for Having a Blast!

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Ah, to be pregnant during the holidays. Carrying your growing belly through a New Year’s Eve soiree can yield a lot of fun flattery and exciting conversation but can also cramp your usual celebration style. So that you have as great a time out on the town as possible, here’s a list of 9 tips to help you celebrate with satisfaction.

  1. Take a nap before you go out. Hitting the town when pregnant can be fun, but it can also exhaust you a bit more quickly than it would before you were expecting. Resting up beforehand will help you boogie down that much longer.
  2. Have someone else host a party for you. Say “yes” to the invite and “maybe next time” to the hosting! To avoid getting pooped out, take it easy and relax while your friends organize the shindig. And try not to host the party at your place — you want to be able to call it quits when you feel like it without having to kick people out.
  3. Party with other pregnant moms-to-be. A gaggle of expecting moms can organize activities that are unrelated to alcohol: think “Secret Santa,” karaoke, or a board game block party.
  4. Get gussied up! Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you should deny your urge to glam. Get your hair done the day of the party, and find a cute dress to get excited about the festivities! But high heels or pantyhose — they can cut off circulation and cause backache.
  5. Drink Yourself Silly with Mocktails. Since you’re a responsible future mom, you know to avoid exposure to alcohol and smoking. But you can still find ways to enjoy yourself with a tasty beverage. Challenge bartenders to craft a special nonalcoholic or “virgin” drink for you. Or bring a mocktail with you (like sparkling cider). Check out our recent article on the best holiday mocktails for advice.
  6. Snack your way to party success. Bringing a few of your favorite snacks is an awesome way to control your food cravings at the gathering. It’ll also help you avoid problematic hors d’oeuvres like soft cheeses, sushi, cold cooked meat, and anything with homemade mayonnaise – all of which can all harbor unsafe bacteria.
  7. Treat yourself to a single-person house party. Wanna stay in instead of going to the party? Few things are more fun than simply staying cozy. To compliment your ambition to relax, take a glance at our list of great movies for moms and moms-to-be.
  8. Get your groove on (gently)! If your baby can kick when she gets excited, you should be allowed to shake your tailfeathers too. But be careful not to party too hard. Too much twisting and shouting can bring on stomach pains, or even early labor.
  9. Make a glamorous exit at 12:01am. Consider exiting the party fashionably early this time. Your body and your baby will definitely appreciate the extra rest. For additional flair in your party farewell, pre-book a taxi home with Uber or Lyft.

For additional tips for partying while pregnant, electric-slide your way to our Fourth of July Guide to Pregnancy.

Things We’ve Read – Week of December 16th

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AAP Advises Women & Children Not to Consume Raw Milk Products (American Academy of Pediatrics): One of the leading medical groups for pediatrics supports a ban on the sale of raw milk in the U.S. and advises pregnant women, infants and children to consume only pasteurized milk, cheese and other milk products.

Weighing Cord Blood Donation Against Private Banks (NYTimes): Cord Blood is controversial topic and a personal decision for every new parent. Cara Paiuk helps readers consider whether a private cord blood bank the right choice.

Bigger Postpartum Challenges Than Just Baby Weight (Wall Street Journal): While you’re pregnant … why you should get out of bed by lying on your side and pushing yourself up with their arm. Read more about recent discoveries about the impact of pregnancy on your muscles and bones.

Ask Well: Sterilizing Baby Bottles? (NYTimes): Awesome video by Zena & Zeke on why we don’t need to sterilize baby bottles like our moms and grandmothers did. Plus an great mini-history of baby bottles!

263 “Pregnancy” Recipes from India! (Tarladalal):Looking for some new ideas for healthy recipes during pregnancy? We love these Indian recipes - focused specifically on pregnancy health.

Holiday Maternity Fashion

Tis the season to be dressy! It’s that time of year where there is a holiday party around every corner. For most pregnant women, this can be a challenge as they not only have to factor in fashion, but also a growing bump! We have put together 2 go-to holiday looks that make dressing for the holidays fun and easy.

Casual Look: Hosting a holiday party or going to one at someone else’s house or apartment? Ditch the jeans and add a bit of edge with these leather leggings. Bonus - the back is fabric so you can keep wearing them as you grow. Brighten up the dark pants with a flowy jewel tone cami or blouse and keep the holiday feel with festive crystal baubles. A bold print on comfy flats adds just the right amount of contrast to an otherwise solid outfit.

 

Maternity Leather Look Front Leggings (Topshop USA) / Maternity Strappy Cami Top (Topshop USA) / Everyday Maternity Blazer (Isabella Oliver) / Mini Hex Strand (BaubleBar) / Collection Chelsea Calf Hair Boots (JCrew) / Portia Feather Trim Clutch (BCBGMaxazria) / Sapphire Lela Clip Earrings (BaubleBar)

Formal Look: A holiday party at work? A charity event? A formal dinner with friends and family? The little black dress is the easiest way to dress for any formal occasion. This Seraphine dress has a flattering empire waist that defines but also leaves plenty of room to accommodate your growing bump! Add a pope of holiday color to an otherwise neutral outfit with a bright clutch, and accessorize with unique pieces like the Asha Yardley earrings or Alexis Bittar cuff. J.Renee 2.5 inch heels will go easy on your feet and have you dancing all night long.

Luxury Black Lace Maternity Occasion Dress (Seraphine) / Dayna Slingback (J.Renee) / Double Ringed Labradorite Bracelet (Alexis Bittar) / Asha Yardley Hoop Earnings (Asha) / Mixed Studs Box Clutch (Daily Look)

2013 Holiday Gift Guide - Great Last Minute Gift Ideas!

Last Minute Gift IdeaNothing creates holiday stress like waiting until the very last minute to do your shopping. But concerns with family and work can definitely make it difficult to carve out gift-hunting time. Luckily, our list of excellent last-minute options will help you find (or make) a great gift in no time flat.

  • A monthly wine club subscription. This makes for the ideal gift for those on your list who aren’t expecting, of course. It takes just minutes to order a membership online, then quickly grab a card from the thrift store, writing a note to the giftee on what they can expect for the next few months. The authentic French wines of the FIAF monthly Wine Club are très bien.
  • A coupon favor book. In a time crunch, cobble together a cute book of coupon favors, one of the more appreciated homemade Christmas presents. All it requires is a printer, some scissors, and a couple template. (Check out this one from Frugal Mama.) Consider including rewards that relieve holiday stress, such as completing your loved one’s errands for the day, or giving her a foot massage.
  • A do-it-yourself decoupage bowl. Among homemade Christmas presents that are quick and easy, this bowl stands out nicely. Just purchase a chic bowl from a decor store, and cover it with tasteful decoupage made from any paper you have handy. Care2′s instructions here are helpful. Note that if painted, this bowl is not suitable for eating or drinking.
  • Brownies in a jar. Have time to run to the supermarket? Grab brown sugar, flour, cocoa powder, walnuts (or your giftee’s favorite nuts), and a bag of chocolate chunks. Pour them tastefully into a mason jar. Add a bow and handwritten card to complete this simplest of homemade Christmas presents. Don’t forget the baking instructions, which you can find here.
  • Grace: A Memoir. This enormously popular page-turner ranks high among last minute gift ideas for chic bookworms. Grace Coddington, creative director at Vogue Magazine, details her whirlwind career as a model, a rocky personal life, and — juiciest of all — her relationship with Anna Wintour. Or for the tech savvy giftee in your life, get a amazon gift card so that they can buy their favorite e-books and get them instantly!
  • Same day delivery gourmet gift baskets. These serve as superb last minute gift ideas, especially when opportunities to shop are running out and holiday stress is high. Cookies by Design creates delicious cookie bouquets, including a tasty gluten-free line, for shoppers across the country. Chelsea Market Baskets in New York City ships great gifts same-day both locally in Gotham and throughout the U.S., while Shari’s Berries provides the Los Angeles area specifically with deluxe fruit-filled baskets.
  • DIY Beauty. DIY beauty products, like a homemade scrub or a facial mask, that add a touch of luxury and relaxation to the holidays are always appreciated! Check out our Pinterest Board for some great DIY beauty ideas!

Happy Holidays!

The Children’s Environmental Health Center at Mt. Sinai Releases New York State’s Report on Children & the Environment

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“Children in New York today are at risk of exposure to more than 80,000 synthetic chemicals … Information on possible health effects is not available for half of the most most widely manufactured chemicals. Information on developmental toxicity to infants and children is not available for 80% of the most widely manufactured chemicals.”

The Children’s Environmental Health Center recently published an important report on the status of children’s health in New York State. The document concludes overall that, despite the enormous gains in kids’ health quality over the decades, chronic diseases are still on the rise, largely as a result of environmental factors.

  • Asthma diagnoses among children have tripled in New York State, most likely due to triggers such as air pollutants and cigarette smoke.
  • Birth defects are now the leading cause of infant death. The report cites phthalates in consumer products as one cause of birth defects.
  • Developmental & other neurobehavioral disorders like autism have increased substantially. Researchers attribute 28% - that’s more than a quarter - of cases environmental toxins.
  • Leukemia and brain cancer incidents have surged by 40% since the mid-1970s.
  • Lead poisoning — which can cause adverse brain damage even at low levels — impacts more than 2,000 children each year in New York State.
  • Child obesity, always a hot-button issue, continues to plague children’s health and has tripled over the past 3 decades. One third of all NY public school students are overweight. It is linked to endocrine disruptors - particularly BPA.

These problems in children’s health are also a major cost to New York State - reaching billions of dollars in treatment costs. Environmentally attributable asthma alone, for instance, amounted to $4.3 billion in costs. Environmentally attributable cases of autism and ADHD total $1.04 billion.

The report does indicate that such environmentally attributable diseases are preventable. It also argues that primary prevention, “the elimination of exposure to an environmental hazard at its source,” is much more effective than secondary measures in controlling children’s health. Mt. Sinai’s CEHC recommends building Centers of Excellence across NY state with medical professionals and other professionals who will provide

  1. actual, researched-based guidance on children and environmental factors
  2. educational outreach
  3. timely messaging on acute health events
  4. collaboration on community-level issues with key stake-holders

For information about how to avoid environmental toxins, checkout the CEHC’s section on “Resources for Parents” and “Greening our Children.” Also checkout Nine Naturals blogposts on environmental toxins:

What are Sulfates and Our Top Tips to Avoid Them

Cooking Like a Natural. Safe & Effective Alternatives for Non-Stick Cookware

Greening Your “Clean” Routine! Using Safe Cleaners in the Home

Minimizing Toxins While Breastfeeding

All about Phthalates! Why and How to go Pthalate-Free

What are parabens and the dangers they pose? You’d be surprised.

How to Read a Label? Standards, Labeling, Honesty & Deception on Product Labels

Creating a Green Nursery … a Healthy Space for your Newborn!

Things We’ve Read – Week of December 9th

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BPA is still everywhere, and mounting evidence suggests harmful effects. (Washington Post): These days the baby aisle shelves are lined with products proudly announcing: “BPA-free.” But the chemical is found in many other common items: medical devices, dental sealants and compact discs, and even paper receipts. In short, it’s pretty hard to avoid the chemical.

Mindfulness for Fathers: 5 Difficult Feelings We Can Learn to Love (Huffington Post): What feelings and fears do guys confront when becoming a father? One dad describes how one man came to appreciate and even love what emotions he once feared.

Wall Street Mothers, Stay-Home Fathers (NYTimes): Growing numbers of women on Wall Street say is enabling them to compete with new intensity: a stay-at-home husband.”… the couples have come to question just what is male behavior and female behavior, noting how quickly their preconceived notions dissolve once they depart from assigned roles.”

High chair injuries on the rise, study finds (Today): The number of high chair-related injuries increased by more than 22 percent between 2003 and 2010, according to a nationwide study. This article covers explanations about this trend and tips for protecting your little one in his or her high chair.

7 Ways a Second Pregnancy Can’t Compare to a First (Huffington Post): What do kumquats have to do with pregnancy? An honest & funny comparison of one NYC mom’s experience with her second pregnancy vs. her first.

Drink up - Our Favorite Holiday Mocktails!

One of the toughest things about being pregnant during the holidays is having to pass on all the yummy cocktails. But who says you have to miss out on all the fun? Nine Naturals has put together a list of our favorite delicious holiday Mocktails:

Mock Champagne: When the clock strikes midnight, leave the sparkling cider for the kids.

Ingredients: 2 parts ginger ale (chilled), 1 part pineapple juice (chilled), 1 part white grape juice (chilled).

Directions: Combine ingredients in a champagne flute. (Source: Allrecipes.com)

Apple-Berry Shrub: This mocktail uses the apple cider vinegar from the back of the cabinet.

Ingredients: 1 pint frozen berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or a combination), 1 ½ cups unfiltered apple cider vineyard, ¼ cup sugar Club soda.

Directions: Prepare the concentrate: Bring the first three ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan. Steep for 30 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Press on the berry bits to get all the liquid. Cover; chill until cold. For one serving, fill a highball glass with ice and add 2 tablespoons of the concentrate. Top with club soda. (Source: Epicurious.com)

Belly Bellini: Perfect for those weekend holiday brunches and cocktail parties.

Ingredients: ½ cup non-alcoholic white sparkling wine, ¼ cup peach nectar.

Directions: Combine & pour into a champagne glass. (Source: Epicurious.com)

Quick Holiday Eggnog: Dress up store-bought eggnog with spices & steer away from the fresh stuff (it contains raw eggs).

Ingredients: 8 cups of canned or store bought eggnog (chilled)


, 1 
cream soda (chilled


), Peppermint sticks, cinnamon sticks, and/or candy canes (optional)


, 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Directions: Place ice cream in an extra-large punch bowl and add half the eggnog. Stir and mash mixture using a potato masher until ice cream is melted and mixture is well combined. Stir in remaining eggnog. Slowly pour in cream soda, stirring to combine. To each glass add a peppermint stick, cinnamon stick, or candy cane. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon - about 1/8 teaspoon per serving. (Source: recipes.com)

Enjoy!

New Mom Seeks Other New Moms: How to Find and Form Your Own Mom Community

Becoming a mom is a wondrous but challenging time and the support, information and camaraderie of other moms is crucial for most women. But it can be a challenge to find that community! You’re busy with a newborn and making new friends might feel like a chore.

That’s one of the reasons we love NYC-based Kidsy, which enables new moms to use the digital social world to find community in the physical world. We sat down with Michael Tai, one of the founders of Kidsy, and he told us about the many ways that his site facilitates fun and frequent activities for new moms ready to meet each other. Here’s a story from one of the Kidsy moms … Melinda Chang.

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Isolation. That’s the word I would use to sum up my holidays last year. I was holed up in my apartment tending to a very demanding newborn. That holiday season was spent in tears (from both me and the baby!) and I was too concerned about feeding schedules, sleep training and poopy diapers to enjoy the holiday events taking place around us.

I was the first among all my friends & family to have a baby. While my support network was amazing, I was going nuts and desperately needed to talk to other new moms. This holiday season, I have it together (mostly!) thanks in large part to an amazing community of moms. They have taught me so much and have supported me tremendously through this tough first year.

Do yourself a favor and find a community of amazing moms in your area. Some advice that worked for me:

1. Get out there. Yes, it seems daunting – especially when you’re sleep deprived and barely have enough time to shower, let alone get dressed and put on makeup. My husband had to literally push me out the door but the first time is always the hardest. It gets easier (and more fun!) with every outing, I promise. A great first and easy step would be a breastfeeding support group, a postnatal yoga class or a daily stroll around the neighborhood for some fresh air with the baby.

2. Be bold & speak up. As an adult, you may not have acquired a lot of new friends apart from the ones you’ve acquired from school and work. In this new stage in life, you will probably find it easy to build bonds with other moms who are experiencing same things you are experiencing. But you have to speak up! Most moms are dying to talk about their kids and ask others about theirs so if you want to strike up a conversation with a mom, don’t be shy! Next time you walk to the coffee shop, speak to the other moms you see! As you get out more, new moms will seek you out, too.

3. Multitask. Crave adult conversation and want to spend quality time with the little one? The best way is at other new mommy events. Go online and see what’s available in your area. A mommy friend first told me about Kidsy, a site that curates unique and exclusive family activities and events. It was a total lifesaver and, to this day, I still meet a ton of awesome like-minded moms at their super fun events. And my little one is now making friends too.

4. Take leadership. Do you want to test out a new music class or explore a new park, but don’t want to do it alone? Try organizing an event with friends or use social networks like Kidsy to help you organize one for you. Chances are, if you want to try something out, there are plenty of other moms out there who want to try it out too!

Happy holidays, ladies! Feel free to comment with any other tips!

Melinda Chang lives in New York City with her husband and one-year old daughter. Special offer for Nine Naturals moms: get a free trial Kidsy membership athttps://www.kidsy.co/ninenaturals! Kidsy is a new family concierge service that curate unique family experiences and offers personalized activity recommendations.

 

Things We’ve Read – Week of December 2nd

Pregnancy

Prenatal Depression: What I Didn’t Expect When I Was Expecting (NYTimes): An enlightening recounting of sadness during pregnancy. Sometimes, placenta doesn’t produce enough progesterone; this offset causes symptoms of depression.

Fertility Doctors Aim To Lower Rate Of Twin Births (NPR): Big multiple births (like Octomom) have decreased but the twin rate is stagnant. Doctors want to lower the rate of twin births and increase the rate of healthy, live births.

The Toxins That Affected Your Great-Grandparents Could Be In Your Genes (Smithsonian): An interesting study of the staying power of toxins finds evidence of hardy and insidious chemicals 4 generations after exposure.

Breathe easy by avoiding chemicals in home items (Philly.com): Is your house off-gassing? Probably. That’s what happens when chemical substances evaporate and get into the indoor air.Screen Shot 2013-12-08 at 2.51.18 PM

Dandruff Shampoo could Mess up Waterways (Scientific American): A study has detected fungicides from anti-dandruff shampoos in the water. They retard the growth of larger plants which offsets the ecosystem and deprives marine animals of food.

Best Winter Movies! Whether you have to - or Just Want to - Stay in Bed

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We love a good cozy winter day, when the weather outside is frightful. And, when you’re pregnant, let’s face it - all you really want is to be on the couch in a snuggie (yes, we went there). So we don’t blame you – whether you’re pregnant or not – for foregoing a night out with friends to snuggle under a blanket and indulge in one or a few delightful winter flicks.

This winter season, Nine Naturals has put together our own list of great movies to watch while keeping warm at home. These are top pregnancy and baby movie picks, as well as a few great, cozy, romance movies that we just had to include.

Friends with Kids. It’s a group of friends everyone can relate to and a scenario we’re all familiar with – what happens to friend dynamics when kids enter the picture? In this move, two of the friends confront it with humor and genius.

Nine Months. Hugh Grant and Julianne Moore smolder in this heartwarming romantic comedy that’s perfect for a pregnant date night. Robin Williams pops in and out of the film making one hilarious crack after another.

The Kids Are All Right. Julianne Moore and Annette Bening create an amazing onscreen couple in this delightful comedy-drama. Bening in particular stands out for her character’s moving arc.

Love Actually. This is one of the best Christmas movies in our book. Think London during the holidays. This movie follows a gamut of characters and scenarios whose stories, mixed as they are, all make you feel that love actually is all around …

Away We Go. This underappreciated comedic gem will tug at your heartstrings. It stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph engaged on a journey to find the perfect place to raise their upcoming family.

Juno. When it comes to movies about pregnancy, this one nearly tops the list. Ellen Page’s portrayal of an independent teen dealing with an unplanned pregnancy is hilarious and riveting.

The Incredibles. Is this not Pixar’s finest film? If you disagree, you’ve probably forgotten about Holly Hunter’s super mom character, called “Elastigirl.” Her fight to give a normal life to her family, using her superhuman strength, is inspiring. Among the best mom movies around.

Waitress. This exceptional comedy-drama might just end up as one of your favorite movies about pregnancy. Keri Russell plays the titular server who creates tasty pies and grapples with an unwanted unborn child.

Four Christmases. This stands out as one of the best Christmas movies for its hilarious concept that’s not unrealistic — a couple (Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon) navigating a day of four very hectic yuletide celebrations in a row.

Junebug. Amy Adams earned an Oscar nomination for her breakout role in this, one of the sweeter movies about pregnancy. She plays a pregnant young wife who may have married her husband a bit too quickly. What’s your favorite movie to curl up with in wintertime? Let us know in the comments below.

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