Another important point of the article is that adoptive parents don’t feel free to complain or admit that they are struggling, as people expect them to only be grateful. This leads to the parent not sharing their feelings and shutting down, or experiencing guilt for having the feelings at all.

A reference book on this topic is The Post-Adoption Blues: Overcoming the Unforeseen Challenges of Adoption by Dr. Karen Foli.

You can also click here for an article from Suite 101 on post-adoption depression (PADS). The article states that up to 65% of adoptive parents are affected.

From Yahoo! News:

“This recall doesn’t just involve one specific Maclaren model. Stop using any single- or double-umbrella stroller with Maclaren written on it, says the Consumer Protection Safety Commission. The problem: Maclaren received reports that 12 children had their fingertips amputated after they placed their fingers in the hinge where the stroller folds.”

Yikes! Amputated fingertips? No wonder parents are steaming mad about this one. To read the whole article go to this link.

Here’s to keeping you and your children safe.

Carrie also has a newsletter for moms called Motherhood Muse. Go to this link to sign up for a free subscription.

Here are some of my favorites from the 92 tips:

21. Bathroom time – When you have a baby, you are vigilant about her all the time. You take her in the bathroom with you while you shower. The bathroom door is always open and privacy is a thing of the past. I want to suggest that you teach your kids early on that your time in the bathroom belongs to you. This is not to protect your modesty, but to protect your sanity. This does not mean that you should ignore problems or be completely unavailable, but it does mean that you might get 10 minutes to yourself without being interrupted for snack requests and announcements about the letter of the day.

76. Be honest about your feelings – What is really going on inside your heart and head? Are you living the best life you can? Are you happy? What needs to change? Take time to check-in with yourself and figure out how you feel. Without taking the time to do this we are all in danger of becoming a little “Stepford Wife-ish.” That is to say we may all become robot mamas who continue to say that everything is “fine” when things are most definitely not fine. Stay connected to how you feel. It informs you. If you are angry most of the time, or sad, or numb, it is a clue that something needs to change. Use your emotions to guide you (but not rule you.) When emotion and intellect are used together you become wise.

Enjoy the list and stay sane.

Here’s the first part of the article with more to come in later postings:

10 Baby Things You Don’t Need by Michelle Kennedy Hogan
Save yourself the space and cash

When I became pregnant with my first child, I had been babysitting for a wealthy family for quite some time. They had every gadget you could possibly imagine for raising a child. They also had every glossy magazine available, detailing every shiny new gadget I would “need” in order to have my baby. I was 20 years old and a little overwhelmed by the finery. Howwould I ever afford it all? I soon learned that yard sales were the best places to find all of the gadgets I would need.

Between the sales and the baby shower, I was outfitted. I had every gadget a mother could possibly need to take care of her baby. It wasn’t until baby number two arrived a little over a year later that I realized that I needed very few of those gadgets, and I had a yard sale myself to rid myself of the clutter that was overtaking my apartment.

Save yourself the space and cash. Here is a list of 10 things you absolutely do not need in order to have a baby. There are many others, but this should get your started.

1. Baby Lotion/Baby Cleanser – I’ve received a number of bottles of these items through the years and I must admit that they do smell pretty good. However, not only does your new baby not need to smell any better (they already smell really good), but also take a look at the list of what’s in the bottle. No, it is not just baby goodness. Indeed, I can’t pronounce 90 percent of what’s in it.

Buy a nice bar of natural soap from your local co-op if baby is really that dirty, but a little warm water will do just fine for baby’s already very soft skin. Savings: $10 (plus refills)

2. Diaper Genie – OK, well, you won’t be using disposable diapers anyway, right? But if you did use disposables, this thing has got to be one of the most wasteful, ugly things on the planet. It produces what can only be described as a giant doody caterpillar when full and I have no idea what you do with it after that. Savings: $30 (plus refills)

3. Changing Table – I had one of these for my oldest, but I soon learned that I changed 99 percent of his diapers on either the floor or the couch. Instead, make yourself up a little basket with the appropriate changing needs (diaper covers, diapers, washcloths, etc.) and keep it next to the sofa. Especially in those first weeks, you spend a lot of time on the couch as most of your time is spent nursing, changing diapers, and trying to catch a nap! Forget the table. Savings: $100 (at least)

Michelle Kennedy Hogan is the mother of six and the editor of
Organically Inclined. Her new book 100 Ways to Save Money Right Now is available in digital and print formats. She and her husband John homeschool their children, work from home and practice sustainable living on an organic farm in Vermont. Email her at: editor@organicallyinclined.org

The site is searchable by city or zip code, so you can find deals in your town or use it for trip planning. You can add any locations that you may know of, as well as make comments to help other parents plan outings.

Enjoy!

Less electricity used.

Less exposure to consumer ads which leads to unnecessary purchases that use up resources.

More time to enjoy nature.

More time to do something to save the planet like plant a tree or clean up a park.

Every year my family participates in TV Turnoff Week, and I remember how nice it is to have more time to sleep, read, exercise, and enjoy friends. Give it a try–you just might like it!

For more ideas on how your family can cut back on TV watching, check out my article, TV Turnoff Week is an opportunity to go low-tech

Have you found ways to reduce your TV time? Drop me a line so I can share them with your fellow blog readers. Thanks!

In most cases your doctor will give you the green light about sex at your six-week postpartum check-up. Many moms feel like six weeks is hardly any time, but the dads are typically anxious and ready to go after what, to them, has been a long six weeks. Communication between you and your partner about what you both need, and how you can compromise, will go a long way during this time.

Ma! Motherhood With Attitude has ecards for free, greeting cards and notepads for sale, and a newsletter. The cards are hysterical and honest at the same time, and cover many phases of motherhood. I love the Guilt Begins and Sleep Deprived ones for new moms.

One of the owners of Motherhood With Attitude, Janalee Chmel, has this to say in her bio at the site:

“I am continuously struck by the disconnect between what I am experiencing as a mom and what I see in greeting cards and gifts for mothers. Come on! We all sit around at play dates or moms nights out and talk about how hard it is! And yet, all the cards act like we’ve got it soooooo good.

I hope that my writing shares the real experience. If we can’t be honest about this, then our kids have won!”

Amen! Enjoy the site.

Terri found in recent hospital stays (she is fighting leukemia) that putting on the mask helped her relax and sleep through staff interruptions. She does advise that it takes about 20 minutes to relax once you put the mask on, so don’t expect instant results.

Once you’re home, you can also use the mask for rest/sleep during the day when your baby naps. Most of us are not use to sleeping during the day and the light can keep you awake. Give the mask a try and see if you get more rest.

Sometimes new moms are afraid to wear the mask while they are watching their baby. Don’t worry. Your ears will alert you when your baby is awake. There’s something I call “Mom Ears” that happens the second you give birth. You can suddenly hear every dang sound in the house, even if you don’t want to!, because nature has programmed you to be on alert for your baby’s cry. Trust your ears to signal you when your baby needs you.

I also think it would be fun to wear the mask since you can pretend you’re one of those glamorous stars in old movies. Who do you want to be? Bette Davis? Ava Gardner? Katherine Hepburn? You pick!

Thank you again to Terri for this idea. My thoughts are with her and her family. She has been so brave since being diagnosed in December, and is fighting hard to beat the leukemia. Go Terri!

I loved so many parts of the seven things on Kim’s list. She’s very honest about those early months of motherhood and, for those of you who have already given birth, you’ll recognize yourself when she describes the chaos and stress that can come with a newborn in the house. I hope some of her ideas will help you get more rest and lower your anxiety level.

I also love that she mentions skipping. I wrote an article about skipping for adults years ago. You can learn more about skipping here. You can’t help but smile when you skip, and it burns more calories than running! Try skipping for a block and you’ll see why.