Pregnancy is an amazing, beautiful time for most women. Our bodies magically transform, giving us the ability to carry a precious baby for 40 long weeks. But with the magic comes the unpleasant side effects of pregnancy.
Now that I'm nearing the end of my second trimester, I've been experiencing a truck load of pregnancy ailments. From ravenous hunger (and cravings!) to pregnancy acne, and let's not forget the mood swings and swollen ankles, I've experienced them all.
But the worst part of pregnancy, and the one topic most women are embarrassed and uncomfortable about discussing, is the hemorrhoids. It pains me to even mention it on this blog!
Let's face it: hemorrhoids are horrible. I had them with my first pregnancy, and I still remember the painful burning and itching they bring. While they're not considered a serious condition, they are seriously miserable and often intolerable.
When I experienced hemorrhoids during my first pregnancy, I just went to the drug store and bought that famous topical treatment. Walking from the back of the store to the checkout was like a walk of shame. While I was in line I made sure to hide the product so that no one would know my rear end was on fire. When it was my turn to pay, I was red in the face the entire time. It was so embarrassing!
Even though hemorrhoids are a normal part of pregnancy, it's still difficult to talk about them with others, and buying the remedy from the drugstore is even more difficult.
Thankfully, Tucks brand medicated products provide an effective and soothing relief. Tucks Hemorrhoidal Ointment, Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Ointment and Medicated Pads can help with the discomfort, burning, itching and other side effects that hemorrhoids bring with them. Tucks also has a line of Take Alongs, medicated towelettes that give you a convenient way to treat hemorrhoid symptoms on the go.
The best part is that the Tucks products are packaged neatly, and the logo and writing is more discreet, making things less awkward at the checkout line.
And to prove that hemorrhoids are common during pregnancy, I'll share the fact that I experienced them recently. The Tucks products work wonders. Soon the pain and discomfort lessened, making pregnancy almost bearable again. Thanks, Mom Central, for sending a sample just in time!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Rocking Out With Guitar Hero
I never understood why video game connoisseurs were head-over-heels-in-love with the game Guitar Hero until I had the opportunity to try it out on our Nintendo DS game system. Guitar Hero ROCKS!
Music is something very important to me. I played the violin for several years, I have a collection of CDs two towers high (yes, I know they are probably outdated) and my iPod is maxed out with my favorite music. I wanted to learn guitar in college but never had the time. Now, Guitar Hero is nothing like the real thing, but it is absolute fun!
The fabulous ladies at Mom Central sent us two games from the makers of Guitar Hero: Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits and Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades and when they arrived, we didn't know which game to play first. We cracked them both open and went on our rockin' way.
Let's talk about features first. Using the familiar Guitar Hero Guitar Grip that fits in the game pack slot of the Nintendo DS, both Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits and Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades give the player the ability to jam along with their favorite tunes, and both games offer complete portability.
The Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits set list features 28 songs, all radio-edits of modern rock hits from bands including Coldplay, Fall Out Boy, Weezer, The Strokes and Wolfmother. Besides being able to take the game on the road, the Nintendo DS has a wireless feature that allows players to stream over 80 songs among three games (the third is Guitar Hero: Guitar Hero On Tour) and each includes multiplayer modes.
Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits has the all new Fan Request mode in which players can earn fans by performing their favorite songs in different styles (avoiding note bombs, hitting a 300 note streak or duelling another rocker).
Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades lets you rock out to some of the biggest hits from the 70s, 80s, 90s and today. I love that I can journey through rock history and shred to some of my favorite music and enjoy the decade themed characters and venues.
The Guitar Hero Guitar Grip peripheral is awesome. We can take the music on the go, and the grip has an ergonomic extension that mimics a guitar fret board (and I had no idea what that was until just recently, it's true). The grip fits seamlessly into the hand to deliver a unique Guitar Hero experience.
My husband and I played the game together and after getting comfortable with the grips, playing a few practice riffs and many note bombs, we had the hang of it. The song streaming is tons of fun. We were able to play many of the songs together, and the competition was fierce! It looks like I need more practice. My husband mastered the technique almost instantly.
Our son is almost five years old and he desperately wanted to play the game. The only disadvantage is that Guitar Hero games are designed for ages 10 and up, so the Guitar Grip doesn't fit well into the smaller hands. We did some adapting and Dawson was able to play each game with some help from me or his dad.
The funniest part about playing this game is that everyone begins to believe they are mega rock stars. We took the game to Grandpa's house and he and Dawson were rocking and moving to Cold Play's Violet Hill. My dad asked, "Who is this song by? Do they have it on vinyl?" We all were shaking our heads and laughing.
After seeing a commercial for the video games on television, my son began doing his very own "air guitar" dancing. I was enjoying his moves so much I didn't even think of getting the video camera.
We love Guitar Hero and thanks to Mom Central we're hooked up and hooked! Rock on!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Winner of the Evenflo Comfort Select Breast Pump Giveaway
Okay folks, I know I'm like three weeks late in announcing the winner of the Evenflo Comfort Select Breast Pump Giveaway. I have a valid excuse. I'm blaming pregnancy.
Okay, that's not true. The truth is, my subscription to the Randomizer number picker thingie expired, and I really don't have very many giveaways to justify the price I'd need to pay to reinstate my subscription.
So...I found a free Random Number Picker tool and finally figured out how to use it.
The winner is:
Commenter number 3! Michelle! Congratulations!
Michelle, please e-mail your shipping address to thedanafilesblog@gmail.com, and I'll send the breast pump and nursing pads out Tout de Suite.
Okay, that's not true. The truth is, my subscription to the Randomizer number picker thingie expired, and I really don't have very many giveaways to justify the price I'd need to pay to reinstate my subscription.
So...I found a free Random Number Picker tool and finally figured out how to use it.
The winner is:
Commenter number 3! Michelle! Congratulations!
Michelle, please e-mail your shipping address to thedanafilesblog@gmail.com, and I'll send the breast pump and nursing pads out Tout de Suite.
Book Review: Mojo Mom
The first time I was pregnant I read all the books. You know. The Books. The ones that tell you what to expect during the nine months of pregnancy, what to expect during labor and delivery, how to write a birth plan and how to manage every physical ailment carrying a baby may bring.
Thirty-eight very short weeks later, my son was born and I had absolutely no idea what to do next. The books don't tell you about the excitement and joy that will wash over you, becoming almost too much to bear. The books never told me about the let down after birth, all that pent up excitement about the baby's arrival, and then suddenly you're thinking, "Wait. This is it? So, now what?"
Don't get me wrong, I love my baby (even at 4 and 3/4's old, he's still my baby) and those 38 weeks of highs and lows were totally worth it. But somewhere between conception and birth I lost Dana and became Mom.
Perfect example of this loss of identity: During the nine months of doctor's appointments, the nurse and doctors always referred to me as Dana or Mrs. Tuszke, but the second I pushed that baby out, I was called Mom. A few hours after delivery a nurse came to check my blood pressure and said, "How's Mom doing today?" I wanted to turn around and look for my own mother. (Actually, I wanted to scream at the nurse and tell her I still had a first name.)
Recently, I had the opportunity to read the book Mojo Mom, by Amy Tiemann, Ph.D. and reflect on every aspect of pregnancy, birth and motherhood. Tiemann discusses what happens to a new mother's life after she brings baby home, and offers advice on how to deal with the huge identity shift many women face, especially those who have left behind a career, friends and a paycheck.
I fell in love with her book when I read the first sentence in which she defines what Mommy Mojo really is:
Okay, I'm bluffing just a little. I wasn't totally in love just yet. At first I thought she was crazy. Balance? Seriously? Yeah right, I thought. I've been doing this mom thing for nearly five years and I've yet to find balance. How could Amy Tiemann believe that finding balance is really possible?
The more I read the more I discovered that as mother's we're often set up to fail. We've been told we can have it all: the job, the husband, the family and still have time for ourselves. It's one of the greatest myths of motherhood, this having it all thing. Tiemann herself says, "Todays' new Moms were raised to believe that we could do anything. We are the Free to Be...You and Me, women who grew up assured that opportunity and equality were our birthright." And that's when I really fell in love with this book.
Tiemann strips away the myths in the first chapter when she discusses the early months of motherhood, or Life Inside the Cocoon. She discusses the first days after birth to the postpartum period, and offers advice on getting help if you think you may be suffering from postpartum depression. Motherhood is a marathon, she says, not a sprint. It is a marathon that is made easier with adequate support, but our culture frequently does a terrible job of supporting mothers and the difficult work they do.
Tiemann adresses the topic of going back to work. She talks about sex after baby arrives. She offers advice on asking for help when you just want to have a nap or take a shower.
My favorite is Chapter 4 in which Tiemann adresses mommy guilt and how to let go of it, as well as the worry and axiety.
She writes:
I found myself nodding my head throughout the entire chapter. For me, the hardest part of motherhood is the guilt. When I worked full time, I felt guilty for putting my son in daycare. In my head I felt like someone else was raising my child. Parenting was my job, and forty hours each week, I wasn't doing "my job" because I was working hard to pay the bills.
After a lay-off I became a stay-at-home mom for a few months and overcompensated for the time I was away at work by completely immersing myself in motherhood and hyperparenting. Now that I'm a work-at-home mom, some of the guilt has washed away because I'm able to spend more time with my son and contribute to our bank account as well.
There was only one part of this chapter that I wasn't in total agreement with. Tiemann discusses her belief that motherhood isn't really "the most important job in the world." She states, "It's not because motherhood is not important, and I fully acknowledge that motherhood is genuine, valuable work. However, on a personal identity level, Judith Stadtman Tucker, founder of the Mothers Movement Online, introduced me to the revelatoryidea that motherhood is not a job; it is a relationship."
It's true, I did protest at this statement because motherhood is the hardest job relationship I've ever had to work at. College didn't prepare me for diaper blow-outs, colic and breastfeeding troubles. I had on-the-job training and it sucked for the first six months. No one hands me a paycheck for keeping the kid alive 168 hours a week.
As I let Tiemann's words sink in, I began to understand what she meant. The problem emerges when you begin to think of "motherhood as a professional outlet; you will start to expect motherhood to deliver the same rewards that a career does: measurable achievement, results, and advancement, and a sense of identity as you live your life through that role."
There was that word again: Identity. And the more I reflected on this new idea, the more I got it. Motherhood isn't a career. It's hard work, most definitely. There are rewards to being a mom, but they are different than those one receives in a career.
I could write my own book telling you about Amy Tiemann's book. Instead I highly reccommend that you read Mojo Mom. It's honest and informative and I really enjoyed Tiemann's perspective on motherhood. (In fact, I feel like reading it again just before Baby #2 arrives.)
Thanks Mothertalk.com for allowing me the opportunity to read and review Mojo Mom.
Thirty-eight very short weeks later, my son was born and I had absolutely no idea what to do next. The books don't tell you about the excitement and joy that will wash over you, becoming almost too much to bear. The books never told me about the let down after birth, all that pent up excitement about the baby's arrival, and then suddenly you're thinking, "Wait. This is it? So, now what?"
Don't get me wrong, I love my baby (even at 4 and 3/4's old, he's still my baby) and those 38 weeks of highs and lows were totally worth it. But somewhere between conception and birth I lost Dana and became Mom.
Perfect example of this loss of identity: During the nine months of doctor's appointments, the nurse and doctors always referred to me as Dana or Mrs. Tuszke, but the second I pushed that baby out, I was called Mom. A few hours after delivery a nurse came to check my blood pressure and said, "How's Mom doing today?" I wanted to turn around and look for my own mother. (Actually, I wanted to scream at the nurse and tell her I still had a first name.)
Recently, I had the opportunity to read the book Mojo Mom, by Amy Tiemann, Ph.D. and reflect on every aspect of pregnancy, birth and motherhood. Tiemann discusses what happens to a new mother's life after she brings baby home, and offers advice on how to deal with the huge identity shift many women face, especially those who have left behind a career, friends and a paycheck.
I fell in love with her book when I read the first sentence in which she defines what Mommy Mojo really is:
Mommy Mojo is the feeling you get when you are at the top of your game, juglling the many facets of your life and keeping your own needs in balance with family needs.
Okay, I'm bluffing just a little. I wasn't totally in love just yet. At first I thought she was crazy. Balance? Seriously? Yeah right, I thought. I've been doing this mom thing for nearly five years and I've yet to find balance. How could Amy Tiemann believe that finding balance is really possible?
The more I read the more I discovered that as mother's we're often set up to fail. We've been told we can have it all: the job, the husband, the family and still have time for ourselves. It's one of the greatest myths of motherhood, this having it all thing. Tiemann herself says, "Todays' new Moms were raised to believe that we could do anything. We are the Free to Be...You and Me, women who grew up assured that opportunity and equality were our birthright." And that's when I really fell in love with this book.
Tiemann strips away the myths in the first chapter when she discusses the early months of motherhood, or Life Inside the Cocoon. She discusses the first days after birth to the postpartum period, and offers advice on getting help if you think you may be suffering from postpartum depression. Motherhood is a marathon, she says, not a sprint. It is a marathon that is made easier with adequate support, but our culture frequently does a terrible job of supporting mothers and the difficult work they do.
Tiemann adresses the topic of going back to work. She talks about sex after baby arrives. She offers advice on asking for help when you just want to have a nap or take a shower.
My favorite is Chapter 4 in which Tiemann adresses mommy guilt and how to let go of it, as well as the worry and axiety.
She writes:
A contributing factor to Mom guilt is the cultural trend toward overinvolved hyperparenting. This can happen to anyone: Employed Moms may adopt this tendency to make up for lost time with their children, and stay-at-home Moms may become overinvolved to justify their time spent away from the paid workforce.
I found myself nodding my head throughout the entire chapter. For me, the hardest part of motherhood is the guilt. When I worked full time, I felt guilty for putting my son in daycare. In my head I felt like someone else was raising my child. Parenting was my job, and forty hours each week, I wasn't doing "my job" because I was working hard to pay the bills.
After a lay-off I became a stay-at-home mom for a few months and overcompensated for the time I was away at work by completely immersing myself in motherhood and hyperparenting. Now that I'm a work-at-home mom, some of the guilt has washed away because I'm able to spend more time with my son and contribute to our bank account as well.
There was only one part of this chapter that I wasn't in total agreement with. Tiemann discusses her belief that motherhood isn't really "the most important job in the world." She states, "It's not because motherhood is not important, and I fully acknowledge that motherhood is genuine, valuable work. However, on a personal identity level, Judith Stadtman Tucker, founder of the Mothers Movement Online, introduced me to the revelatoryidea that motherhood is not a job; it is a relationship."
It's true, I did protest at this statement because motherhood is the hardest job relationship I've ever had to work at. College didn't prepare me for diaper blow-outs, colic and breastfeeding troubles. I had on-the-job training and it sucked for the first six months. No one hands me a paycheck for keeping the kid alive 168 hours a week.
As I let Tiemann's words sink in, I began to understand what she meant. The problem emerges when you begin to think of "motherhood as a professional outlet; you will start to expect motherhood to deliver the same rewards that a career does: measurable achievement, results, and advancement, and a sense of identity as you live your life through that role."
There was that word again: Identity. And the more I reflected on this new idea, the more I got it. Motherhood isn't a career. It's hard work, most definitely. There are rewards to being a mom, but they are different than those one receives in a career.
I could write my own book telling you about Amy Tiemann's book. Instead I highly reccommend that you read Mojo Mom. It's honest and informative and I really enjoyed Tiemann's perspective on motherhood. (In fact, I feel like reading it again just before Baby #2 arrives.)
Thanks Mothertalk.com for allowing me the opportunity to read and review Mojo Mom.
Ebeanstalk
Ebeanstalk is dedicated to a baby's development. And wethey select the best baby toys matched to a baby's development. To see great information on how a baby grows up, check out the info on their baby toys page.
Picking toys for a baby is not as simple as it sounds. Here are some quick baby facts:
- Toys for a newborn baby: A newborn baby is briefly looking at objects and attempting to imitate facial expressions. They can follow objects with their eyes and usually quiet down, when they are picked up.
- Toys for a three month old: They will enjoy ‘frolic play', reaching for objects and will repeat enjoyable activities. Believe it or not, they will respond to ‘no' (about half the time) and will start babbling.
- Toys for a six month old: They'll search for hidden objects (object permanence). They'll reach for themselves in the mirror, play peekaboo, crumple paper, roll from their stomach to their back and even respond to their name.
- Toys for a nine month old: They are pushing toy cars, playing pat-a-cake and looking for hidden sounds. The baby toys they are playing with are also getting more fun.
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