Owner: Almost A Dad URL:http://blog.almostadad.com Join Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2007 06:49:07 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: An informative and humorous blog written by an expectant father. Written to help other expectant dads understand and care for pregnant women. Site statistics:Click here
My pregnant wife says: L'Occitane organic shea butter helps prevent stretch marks 2007-11-13 17:25:00 Fear of stretch marks ranks high with many expectant mothers on their list of concerns about pregnancy; my wife is no exception. As soon as she found out she was pregnant
she began moisturizing her belly with religious fervor, as though it were made of gator hide. Not only was she concerned about stretch marks, but as her tummy grew larger her skin in that area began to itch and become more sensitive.While waiting for a train home from a New York business trip, I stopped in to L'Occitane in Grand Central Station to pick her up a small gift before my return. She loves that brand and as a newly invigorated skin care addict, I thought something from there would be an appropriate present. I set out to find shea butter as that was the one product I actually recalled her mentioning. However, when I first saw the price on the tin I was sure that it must include a personal masseuse to apply the moisturizer. That was not the case.In spite of my initial sticker shock I ended up buying the shea Read more:prevent
low-toxicity paints for nurseries 2007-11-11 13:13:00 It's been a long time coming, but the reconstruction of our baby's nursery is nearly complete. The walls are sheetrocked and primed. The floors are sanded, stained and in the process of being coated with hydrathane.In the interest of forming a healthier environment for our little one, we went with low toxic floor and wall coverings. Specifically we bought paints with a low volatile organic compound (VOC) content, and a floor varnish alternative to poly-urethane.For the wall paint we used the Benjamin Moore Eco Spec paints which are listed to have a VOC content of under 1 gram per liter. Some other popular paint brands include Sherwin Williams and Pratt and Lambert. The paints are cost more, but I find it well worth the expense in consideration of my child's health. According to the EPA, the health effects of VOCs include:Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some organics can cause cancer in
A bloody show is not an English musical 2007-11-03 15:21:00 Along your journey as an expectant father, you will hear the term 'bloody
show' used. No, it's not referring to an English
play or musical, and yes, it will most likely make you cringe when you hear it for the first time. That's why I put if on my list of top 10 pregnancy terms that make men (and women) cringe).The term is used to describe the presence of a small amount of blood in mucousy discharge a few days prior to birth. It often may accompany the mucous plug or pass gradually, but usually is an indicator that labor will begin within a few days.If there is more than a few spots, a pregnant woman should call her doctor and let them know.
How far apart do contractions have to be before... 2007-11-01 10:56:00 One question that many fathers have is how far apart should a pregnant woman's contractions be before going to the hospital?For most normal pregnancies with no extenuating circumstances, doctors will tell you that you should not come to the hospital until contractions are 5 minutes apart for an hour.However, you or the expectant mother should personally check with her doctor to make sure they agree with this estimate. There may be concerns which may cause them to increase or decrease this estimate. Other considerations include how far you live from where you will be delivering, i.e., can you get there quickly if you wait too long, or should you leave sooner if you live far away. Another big consideration is that if your partner is admitted with false labor, your health insurance company will charge you a co-pay or deductible for the false start as well as the real thing. Depending on your insurance, this will be hundreds of dollars, if not over a thousand. If you don't have health in
Pregnant care quick tip: rearrange high shelving 2007-10-30 06:37:00 As your pregnant partner becomes more circular, her mobility, balance and physical dexterity often suffer. Her center of balance is off, she is often fatigued, uncomfortable and sore.Not only is this a danger to anything fragile in the near vicinity of a pregnant woman, it is often the root of some danger to her. One way to mitigate this risk is to rearrange higher shelved items that she uses frequently. This avoids situations where an expectant mother will have to stretch to reach overhead items, subsequently placing her balance in question and potentially risking a fall. Depending on how far along she is, placing difficult-to-reach items at a lower, more manageable level may also eliminate any 'belly problems', from the discomfort of stretching skin to knocking into/over items on lower shelves or surfaces.It's a relatively easy fix, but just make sure it doesn't coincide with her nesting during pregnancy, or that she's completely unaware of what you're doing. She may be incredi
A pregnant woman is... 60 things about expectant mothers 2007-10-25 18:44:00 Pregnant women are complex. Words almost fail when trying to accurately describe one of these mysterious creatures. Accordingly, I have assembled a list of sixty easily digestible terms which describe some of the many facets of expectant mothers.Some of these adjectives are things
they experience personally while some of these are traits they exhibit, but all are common in pregnant
women.I will try to delve into more detail as I go on, but until then....A pregnant woman
is...1. adoring you2. angry at you3. awesome4. beautiful5. changing constantly6. cleaning7. clingy8. clumsy9. complex10. confused11. constantly peeing12. crampy13. cranky14. craving something15. crying16. emotional17. excited18. exhausted19. expensive20. full21. forgetful22. forgetful23. frustrating24. gassy25. goofy26. happy27. having strange dreams28. head-achy29. hormonal30. hungry31. impatient32. irritable33. itchy34. laughing35. loving you36. moody37. nauseous38. needy39. nervous40. nesting41. nostalgic42. not in c
The most common pregnancy craving 2007-10-21 11:50:00 "Aren't you done yet?" [to fetus]"Alright, already. Are you ever coming out?" [to fetus]"I think he's tap dancing on my bladder.""I'm so full of baby.""Oh my gosh, I can't believe that I've started waddling!"These are quotes from pregnant women in the late stages of the third trimester. They're indicative of the fact that expectant women get uncomfortable and impatient as they grow larger and just want the delivery date to hurry up and arrive. One quote that sums up all of these comes from Phyllis Diller: By far the most common craving of pregnant women is not to be pregnant.As pregnancy progresses, it's important to be conscious of just how uncomfortable pregnant women are. You should really begin to step up how much help you're giving her. Her feet hurt, she tires easily and has trouble standing up from couches or chairs. At this point you may have to wait on her hand and foot, and it's not because she's lazy, she's just plain unable.So keep in mind that she's feeling ph
Prenatal purchases: cameras 2007-10-20 21:18:00 A good digital camera is a must-have on the list of items to get before the arrival of your baby. A high quality digital camera is worth saving up for and spending a couple extra bucks on. If possible, try a digital SLR camera, the picture quality is exceptional and you can change lenses if you get involved with more advanced photography.If spending money on a new camera is out of the question, buy a bunch of disposable cameras and throw them in her hospital bag in advance just to make sure you have pictures of your new bundle of joy on the big day. If you've already got a camera, make sure it's charged and got memory space so it's ready to travel quickly as the due date approaches.I love to take pictures and I'm sure our child will be one of the most photographed people ever, so I decided to get an SLR. I saved up for months in advance and bought a Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital SLR with an 18-55mm lens and I am thrilled with the quality of the photos. It's on the less expe
Nesting during pregnancy. 2007-10-19 15:08:00 Over the past several months I've heard repeated stories of the "nesting instinct" in the later stages of pregnancy. The behavior typically includes the pregnant woman obsessively cleaning and organizing the home before the arrival of the bundle of joy. The way it was labeled an "instinct" made me think of how my dog digs at the rug and circles before laying down, or how birds collect bits of straw and other materials to insulate a nest for winter. After experiencing nesting first hand, I would no longer be surprised to see my wife doing either of these things.I never discounted the phenomenon, but when I heard about the "nesting" phenomenon in pregnant women I didn't think it would apply to my wife. My thinking was the she already cleans everything to a surgically appropriate level, so she couldn't possibly clean or organize any further.I was wrong.In the past couple of weeks she has been taking a very active approach towards cleaning and organizing our house. She he been throwin Read more:Nesting
Quick tip: How to ease foot pain in pregnant women. 2007-10-15 10:42:00 The additional weight that expectant mothers carry begins to manifest itself clearly in the forms of aches and pains during the third trimester of pregnancy. Joints stiffen and ache and the feet in particular bear the brunt of the extra structural punishment.Foot pain often leads to discomfort in other areas of the body, particularly the knees and back. This is one of the reasons why foot massage is at the top of many pregnant
women's wish lists. It's a great way to help relieve the tension and pain that builds up in pregnant women's feet. I've detailed the pregnancy foot massage that I do for my wife and she hasn't stopped asking for one ever since.While a massage is an effective cure, you know what they say about an ounce of prevention. On that note, an inexpensive and easy way to help mitigate sore feet for your pregnant partner is to buy her a pair of supportive shoe insoles. Shoe insoles help support the arch, increase stability and dissipate the shock to the heel and ball of Read more:Quick
Pregnancy quotes, right from the source 2007-10-12 05:58:00 For a person who does not have first-hand experience with the hormonal shifts of a pregnant woman, it can be hard to believe that it will happen. Some pregnant women are irritable, some yell at their partners, while other expectant mothers are just surly. Some may not have any visible hormonal outbursts at all.I have been lucky personally in that my wife has not had too extreme of an emotional roller coaster while pregnant. She swore at the refrigerator and had a few small hormonal episodes, but nothing too major. Sure, I've gone to bed a few nights and wondered if I would see the light of day, but overall nothing too bad.That said, I would like to share some admissions from moms and pregnant women about their hormones during pregnancy and things they've said or done to their partners during a hormonally charged state. The answers are from a survey I posted on Yahoo! Answers.1. Well, I suspected I was pregnant with baby number 2 when I threw a full out tantrum in the middle of the ma Read more:Pregnancy
Quick tip: Use band aids to hide protruding belly buttons 2007-10-11 06:43:00 If your pregnant partner is self conscious about a protruding belly
button during the later stages of pregnancy, suggest she try a band aid on her stomach. Applying a band aid across her navel will make the little turkey timer belly button less visible to others through clothing.It's a great way to help her feel better about herself, and just tell her all the Hollywood stars do it!
Read more:Quick
Pregnancy nutrition roundup - food tips and suggestions for pregnancy 2007-10-06 08:43:00 I think that proper nutrition
is elemental to a healthy pregnancy, but a myriad of changes in appetite and food safety restrictions present difficulties. Accordingly I've assembled some of the topics I've covered in relation to diet for pregnancy.Food safety questionsIs cottage cheese safe for pregnant women?Is honey safe for pregnant women?Nutrition and diet tips and suggestionsQuick nutrition for pregnant womenTop 10 pregnancy comfort foodsPregnancy meals, eat often and eat earlyHow to make a healthier grilled cheeseDietary changesThe diet of a pregnant woman may depart sharply from pre-pregnancy.My wife's first hamburger in 21 yearsProtein and iron craving and an increase in red meat consumption.CravingsNighttime snackingMore, nighttime snackingCouvade syndrome and how dietary changes affect the father.
Avian flu can pass from mother to fetus 2007-10-05 18:55:00 For those of you living in close proximity with lots of chickens (I'm looking at you, Key West) beware that scientists now say that avian flu can pass from mother
to fetus.
The dangers of kitty litter 2007-10-03 17:51:00 Many people pass off the notion that pregnant women should avoid changing kitty litter as an old wives' tale. However there is a real threat in living with cats during pregnancy.Cats, while lovable pets, are the source of a serious infection that can be a hazard to the fetus. This infection is caused from a tiny parasite named Toxoplasma gondii that can be found almost everywhere.Toxoplasmosis is a parasite which cats pick up from the stool of other infected cats or from eating raw meat. These parasites are then shed in the stool of the infected cat. Thus, a pregnant woman can pick up this infection from the litter box (or soil) in which the cat defecates.- from iVillageMaking sure that pregnant women don't change kitty litter and wash their hands regularly will limit risk to the fetus and mother. iVillage.com has a list of 11 ways to prevent toxoplasmosis.
6 Questions to ask a potential pediatrician 2007-10-02 18:34:00 The right pediatrician may have a major impact on your child, so taking a few minutes to interview potential doctors before the birth of your child is time well spent. It's a good idea to look for a doctor in advance because the good ones are often very busy and difficult to set up appointments with.Below are a few questions that will give you good insight into a doctor and get a feel for how they will treat your baby.1. How long have you been practicing medicine?There is most definitely something to be said for experience.2. What differentiates you from the other pediatricians in the area?Frankly this one is particularly interesting because it is a great way to judge if a potential candidate is full of crap. If you feel like you're being sold something rather than informed, beware.3. How many "well baby" visits do you typically have during the first six months? After that?This will give you an idea of how often you will be in the doctor's office. There should be quite a few, but it
To the angry woman at O & M in NYC 2007-10-02 11:23:00 I want to address a comment from a female reader left on my recent post, Warning, the second trimester is a trap! This person was clearly upset with certain incorrect assumptions she made about my writing. Because this person left the comment anonymously, I am going by her IP address which indicates that she wrote from a company in New York which I will refer to as O & M; thus "angrywoman
at O & M in NYC."The following was her comment:I think that your generalizations of pregnancy is ridiculous. Your wife is letting you believe that pregnancy is a torture when it truly is not. Uncomfortable, maybe, but in no way conspicuously so that she would turn against the world. During my pregnancy I never felt the need nor the desire to frustrate, yell at or demand my partner. Nor did I ever require any special treatment or attention. If a woman is uncomfortable, there is no reason she should spread the discomfort around. In fact, the more relaxed my partner is, the more relaxed and comf
Why morning sickness is often a misnomer 2007-10-01 21:06:00 Commonly known as morning sickness, the collection of first trimester pregnancy symptoms including nausea, fatigue, irritability and saying terrible things to the father of the child can actually occur at any point during the day.My wife felt better during the morning hours of her first trimester, while her 'morning sickness' didn't set in until after noon. For many women it may start early and extend well beyond morning. Some expectant mothers are alarmed when they don't feel better as the day progresses, but it is perfectly natural and unique to each woman. Some pregnant women never experience morning sickness while others have it for the duration of the pregnancy, though not the norm. Morning sickness has an indirect effect on the expectant dad as well, both physically and emotionally. You'll need to tend to your partner more and excuse anything crazy she does or says. Fathers should expect a change in diet, and will need to stock up on comfort foods like ginger ale and cracker
Nibbling fetus, a quote 2007-09-29 21:11:00 You will hear lots of strange things coming from a pregnant woman. My wife interrupted me in the middle of a sentence tonight with a mildly yelled statement;"Ahhh, it feels like he's biting the back of my belly button!"She was of course referring to Sprout, the fetus, and then bit my finger with the according amount of pressure so that I could experience it as well.
Warning: the second trimester is a trap! 2007-09-27 16:37:00 The second trimester
is a brilliant tactic of instilling a false sense of security in expectant fathers. After surviving the first trimester gauntlet of nausea, crankiness and ginger ale shopping sprees, months four through six shine an entirely new light upon the proposition of pregnancy.If I may, a brief analogy.During the second trimester the pregnant woman emerges from her cocoon of morning sickness. Like a butterfly, she unfurls her glowing wings of pregnancy to the world. She is very hungry after completing her journey through the first three months and so will eat anything in her path; meat, vegetable, pastry or any domestic animal that comes within reach (R.I.P. Fluffy).The transformation is truly as amazing as that of a caterpillar to a butterfly. Excitement sets in as you both look forward to the bundle of joy which will be blessing you in a few short months. You quickly forget the discomfort of the first few months and figure the rest of pregnancy will be equally as joyful.
Vote for Almost a Dad at GNMParents 2007-09-25 21:23:00 Visit GNMParents.com and vote for Almost
A Dad's 10 Things you need to know about dealing with a pregnant woman post in their Hottest of the Hot poll.Your votes are appreciated!
Is cottage cheese safe for pregnant women? 2007-09-25 18:16:00 In my post about quick nutrition for pregnant
women I mentioned that "cottage
cheese, possibly with some fruit mixed in, is a great way to get some protein." Following that post, a reader wrote and asked if cottage cheese
is in fact safe for pregnant women because it is a "soft cheese."This question refers to a warning that soft cheeses should be avoided by pregnant women. Originating before the prevalence of well marked foods, this guideline was intended to prevent consumption of unpasteurized cheese. Many soft cheeses used to fit this description so it became a blanket statement.Today, however, most dairy products sold in the United States are already pasteurized and are packaged with detailed nutritional information which would indicate so.According to an article on BabyCenter.com, the risk behind the "soft cheese" warning was that:Raw milk and any cheeses or other dairy products made from it can carry disease-causing organisms, including a potentially deadly bacterium called liste
Dietary changes during pregnancy, a.k.a death by meat 2007-09-24 19:43:00 This summer my wife ate her first hamburger in 21 years. In that span of time she had not eaten any red meat and for many years no chicken either. All that changed once she became pregnant.Since our offspring has begun developing, my wife has single-handedly sent cattle futures skyrocketing. In the past seven days I've had steak for dinner three times. I cut myself shaving this morning and au jus trickled down my neck. My cholesterol hit triple digits, I sweat Worcestershire sauce and I was woken this morning by the feeling of my dog nibbling on my legs.Her cravings for red meat have been incredible, but it's par for the course of a pregnant woman's diet. I've mentioned in passing that I think couvade syndrome is tied to household-wide changes
in diet, if I have a heart attack before my next post, we'll know for sure.
Read more:death
, during pregnancy
Crazy pregnancy dreams 2007-09-20 20:19:00 I mentioned earlier that my wife has been having vivid and intense dreams and I put a question out on Yahoo! Answers to see what kind of dreams other pregnant women were having. The following are some of the responses:"I dreamed the baby was a Jalapeno and nobody wanted to carry him.""I had nightmares with people killing my family.""I'd have dreams about me having twins. Once I dreamed the twins were like fighting in my belly I could see their arms and legs sticking out then they dropped to the floor, not through the birth canal but through my belly like they were ghosts or something.""I had one about some bears attacking people all over my town and it seemed so real!""I dreamt I died on the delivery table with my second child.""The most recent was that our city was being bombed but they were only bombing our garbage cans and my husband was about to take out the garbage but me and my very pregnant belly ran and saved him.""I had dreams that I gave birth to an alien, my fiance and tha Read more:Crazy
Pregnancy dreams, zombies and expectant fathers 2007-09-19 19:39:00 I've previously mentioned ways that my pregnant wife is slowly trying to drive me insane. She may have worked in extradition based on her tactics; she yells at me to break me down emotionally, she tries to make me fat and weak with snack foods and she clings to me to make me feel paranoid.Lately she's been dabbling with sleep deprivation. At first she was just kicking me in the middle of the night and scaring the crap out of me. Now she's trying a different route, waking me in the latest hours of the night to recap a dream that reads like a vampire / zombie / alien thriller."Whew!" she exclaimed a millisecond before she clung to my body, still waking from her nightmare. "Can you cuddle me?" She was already stuck to me like a barnacle, so yes honey, we can cuddle."What's wrong?" I asked."I just had the weirdest dream..." After a five minute synopsis, I knew I was not going to get back to sleep quickly. "... and there were toddlers in all the cars in the parking lot and there were Read more:Pregnancy
Sleep habits of fruit bats and pregnant women 2007-11-18 16:04:00 Owls. Fruit bats. Vampires. Pregnant women.What do these creatures have in common? None of them sleep well at night and, in the case of pregnant
women, neither do their partners.A pea-sized bladder, sore back, indigestion, swollen ankles and tender breasts play small parts in sleeping poorly. They all add up to interrupted sleep on the part of the pregnant woman and, by proxy, the expectant father will not sleep well either. Dads-to-be should make sure that in the months prior to the birth they try to maintain a healthy sleep schedule so they are not completely fatigued before the little one arrives.This may be nature's way of preparing the new parent for many sleepless nights ahead. I would however much prefer being woken by my new, adorable (as he will of course be) son than by my wife's huffing and puffing as she struggles to roll out of bed. I'm actually looking forward to being woken by the little one, for now it's the wife that's driving me to exhaustion.
Read more:Sleep
, habits
Prenatal checklist: Stock up on batteries 2007-11-17 10:08:00 Since I have begun assembling the army of baby paraphernalia I have come to the realization that I will need 8,247 AA batteries
to power everything.Bouncy seats, mobiles, monitors, anything that vibrates, blinks, plays music, makes noise when kicked or lights up will require AA batteries. Usually about 14 each. Some use C's, some use D's, but they're all energy thirsty.I strongly suggest stocking up on some batteries before the big day to make sure your fleet of baby and pregnancy-related items are powered and ready to roll, blink or buzz. I prefer to use rechargeables because they save money over time and are better for the environment. I've got a bunch of chargers going just to make sure we're all set.If you're looking to buys some, Amazon has the Sony Quick Battery Charger with 4 AA Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries for $19.49, which I think is well worth the cost. Add another 4 batteries in there to make sure you always have enough on reserve, and you should be set for a while.
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Baby due date accuracy 2007-11-25 09:33:00 Since the beginning of my wife's pregnancy I have been somewhat suspicious of how accurate delivery due dates are.Well, in fact only about 5% of all babies are born on their due dates, with estimates ranging from as low as 2% to as high as 8%. Whatever the number, my wife is not among the few of every hundred women who deliver on their target date.
Read more:accuracy
Visit the Almost A Dad Amazon store! 2007-11-23 11:18:00 For those of you looking for gifts for pregnant women and expectant dads, including books, maternity aides and baby gear, look no further than the Almost
A Dad Amazon
store!With items suggested by real live pregnant women, the Almost A Dad store has everything you'll need to keep the pregnant women in your life informed, comfortable and happy.
My baby boy 2007-12-07 09:55:00 8 pounds, 7 ounces after a whopping 33 hours of labor. My wife was amazing and so is our little boy.Thank you to all of you for your well wishes... I'll be back posting soon!
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