Parenting Healthy

Protect Your Pregnancy During the COVID-19 Pandemic With These 5 Tips — Photo by Anastasiia Chepinska on Unsplash

There are so many unknowns about our health with this new virus. We hope masks work well enough and we distance as we wait to learn how airborne COVID-19 is. We are told to not touch our faces and sanitize but now we are told there are toxic sanitizers being sold.

I am just a Mom with a tween and 2 older boys trying to navigate through this, but I couldn’t imagine the extra element needing to protect your pregnancy or having a newborn on top of it all.

I have been searching to bring my readers tips and education with COVID-19 and these tips are for the Pregnant Mamas out there. Being prepared with the right tools and taking comfort in knowing that these tips are from a health expert may help you take all the necessary precautions to make it safely through your pregnancy during this virus.

Protect Your Pregnancy With These 5 Tips

Get a pulse oximeter: Hypoxemia (a below-normal level of oxygen in your blood) is one of the signs of serious illness with COVID-19. You can pick up a pulse oximeter for around $50 and take regular readings of your pulse and oxygen saturation. Get a baseline so that you know if something looks off. A baseline for healthy people is 90 or higher. When we see below 90, we start getting concerned.
Check for fever: Whether you have a fancy new thermometer that reads from the forehead or an old-school glass one where the mercury rises, take your temperature regularly to make sure you aren’t experiencing a fever.
Keep surfaces tidy for easy cleaning: Keeping tidy may not seem like a health tip for pregnancy, but in the days of COVID-19 it absolutely is. You want the surfaces in your home to be able to easily be wiped down and disinfected, frequently — at least once a day.
If you choose to travel, choose safely: For example, to further protect your pregnancy you might choose to visit a loved one in a remote rural town with few to no COVID-19 cases, but don’t travel somewhere that you’ll be interacting with a lot of people.
Keep your distance: How close is too close? Can you smell the other person’s detergent, deodorant, or shampoo? That’s too close!And for some extra protection when you are going to be around other people, wear a mask. It’s an additional safety measure that can only help you and your baby.

Here are some specific questions to ask your doctor if you are pregnant NOW, during the coronavirus outbreak:

Have you already been exposed? You have the right to know whether or not your doctor has already been exposed to COVID-19 or not, and what the implications are either way. Have they been tested recently? When was the last negative test? Don’t hesitate to gather information to put yourself more at ease.
What will happen if I’m positive for COVID-19 when I deliver? Make a plan with your doctor so that you have one less thing to stress about if this occurs. As much as you don’t want your baby whisked away after birth, the plan to protect and test your new baby for the illness will include isolating you from her/him initially after birth.
Will my baby be immune if I have/had COVID-19? One Chinese case study found that a mother who had COVID-19 and delivered her baby via C-section passed immunity onto her baby but not the illness. Other studies, however, have shown cases of mothers passing the virus on to their babies.
Will you be the one delivering my baby? Often, the O.B. you’re working with may not actually be the one to deliver your baby. Asking this question now gives you an opportunity to understand who will be there during delivery, and who else you need to talk to about their COVID-19 exposure and testing.
Will I be allowed to have my support team in the birthing room with me? If you want your partner and/or a doula in the birthing room with you, this is a very important question to ask your doctor. The rules as we navigate the pandemic are constantly changing and under evaluation, so ask now, and ask again as birth gets closer.

These tips and questions to protect your pregnancy are provided by maternal health expert “Rural Doc” Alan Lindemann, M.D., former winner of the Rural Health Care Provider of the Year award and co-author of “Modern Medicine: What You’re Dying to Know.”

Education, Kids, Summer, Toy Reviews

Pickup Sports starter kits + live virtual coaching for young kids age 3-6

July 10, 2020July 10, 2020 Erin Sluka

This COVID-19 can’t stop our kids but closing group classes will. This is why Pickup Sports is a great way to teach your child a sport, at home with all the gear they need. You buy the box and the access to virtual coaching classes are free.

My neighbor is busy with 3 boys and I gave her my Pickup Sports Soccer Box. It comes with all your child needs to attend the virtual class with his/her coach and more. There are basic branded balls, markers, cones, a scarf, stickers, whistle (if you dare), playbooks, pump and more. Once your box arrives head to the website, choose your sport and fill out a short form to get your child connected to virtual coaching classes.

Foe soccer, the classes are Mondays. Each session is 4 weeks long at one 15-25 minute class a week. The lessons are short enough to keep your child’s attention. Then they spend the week practicing what they learned before next class.

You can even choose sessions best for your child’s age: Starters (ages 3-4), Explorers (ages 4-5) and Ballers (ages 5-7). The bracket you choose depends on the time you will sign in to class.

More than just soccer, you can choose to have virtual coaching from the following sports for your child:

Intro to Tennis
Intro to Basketball
Intro to Soccer
Intro to Baseball/Softball
Intro to Flag Football
Intro to Volleyball
Motor Control, Ball Control Skills for Kids
Adaptive Fitness FUNdamentals (for kids with physical limitations)

This unique product is a great way for parents to teach kids how to play, improve their physical literacy, and just get outdoors and have fun! My neighbor said it was easy enough for the 3 year old to follow along too with big brother. The entire family will have fun exploring the box and playing outdoors. Buy your Pickup Sports box today to get started with virtual coaching of your favorite sport!

Earth Friendly, Home, Natural Products

ECOS Mother & Child Packaging Allows You To Reduce Plastic Consumption

July 5, 2020July 5, 2020 Erin Sluka

ECOS Mother & Child Packaging Allows You To Bulk Buy & Is Eco-Friendly

For more reasons than one, this new bulk buy ECOS packaging is making my life so much easier. ECOS is a favorite brand of mine already because of its safe, eco-friendly and effective cleaning products but now they make packaging that helps my (already) out of control cleaning product shelves. It is called the Mother & Child packaging. Reduce Plastic Consumption with this new packaging!

This Mother & Child packaging is available for the dish soap and all-purpose cleaner. The smaller, everyday use size package snaps right into the refill package, making it really easy to use and reuse. The bottle you use everyday helps save you space in your cleaning shelves because of this genius design. 1 refill bottle gets you 5 full fills.

My fault is actually forgetting that I have a refill because I tend to tuck that extra bottle away and out of sight. I can literally snap these two pieces together with one hand. I still get the great environmentally-safe cleaner and save space by buying it this way while feeling good hat I can reduce plastic consumption at the same time.

If you want to know what other ways ECOS products help the environment, consider the ECOS Laundry Detergent sheets. It is not a pod or large plastic container of liquid, but simply a dissolving sheet you toss into your HE machine and wash your clothing and fabrics with hypoallergenic, plant-based detergent. I keep a box in the RV so when I do campsite laundry when we travel I can walk down with a sheet rather than pods that could burst open on me (I have had that happen before).

ECOS Mother & Child packaging makes it easy to be cost-conscious and reduce plastic consumption at the same time, while also keeping your family safe and healthy. You can find this design at Whole Foods stores.

Healthy Living

How CBD Salves Work

July 3, 2020July 8, 2020 Erin Sluka

Many people want to have one or more CBD salves and products in their homes because of the benefits that they offer. You can know more information about CBD when in this link here: https://www.livescience.com/65811-what-is-cbd.html. The cannabis plant contains hundreds of cannabinoids, such as marijuana and hemp. In the US, with the legalization of the growth of industrial hemp, lots of people benefit from the cannabinoids that come from hemp. The products that include cannabidiol is known to be in-demand in recent years.

One of the most active cannabinoids that can be found in hemp is called cannabidiol or CBD. This compound is known to have therapeutic effects that are unlike the common marijuana. Lots of companies have taken the challenge of manufacturing two or more products that contain CBD. Some of them produce oil, and others incorporated CBD into creams.

CBD is Different from THC

THC is a psychoactive compound that makes its users high. Most people who smoke weed can feel the effects of getting high, and marijuana can alter the mind’s processes. There’s also evidence that THC can make its users dependent on it.

On the other hand, CBD is a different strain found in hemp. It does not contain THC, and it does not make the users stoned. When using cannabidiol, most people will feel relaxed and calmer. Most people found out that they don’t become dependent on many CBD products. There are no feelings of euphoria and intoxication with cannabidiol, but it offers relief from back pain and arthritis.

What are CBD Salves?

There are lots of balms, lotions, moisturizers, oils, and salves infused with CBD. The creams make the skin smoother while the cannabidiol gets absorbed. You can go to this article source to know more about salves and how it can benefit you. The topicals are absorbed by the skin, which helps alleviate several medical conditions such as irritation, pain, soreness, and a lot more.

The topical products are powerful, especially if one uses the right amount and follow the label’s instructions. Most of the salves can relieve muscle soreness, joint pain, dermatitis, and more without any harsh side effects. The salves with cannabidiol don’t contain other chemicals, so they are very soothing for sensitive skin.

A Brief History of Topical Cannabis

In ancient Egypt, many people are already using topical cannabis to find relief from pain and skin conditions. Their role as disinfectants and treatments of inflamed muscles were valuable. Some of the locals also used the creams as an anesthetic for surgeries.

Because the CBD salves and products are re-emerging again in the present century, many people are becoming curious about how they can incorporate these products into their daily lifestyle. These gifts of nature can help them relax and become calmer without feeling any psychoactive effects.

How Does CBD Work?

The CBD salves is applied in skin areas where itchiness, soreness, inflammation and chronic pain are often felt. Though they are different from oil, which is typically ingested through the mouth, the salve can still do its work. The layers of the skin absorb and retain them even if they don’t go directly to the bloodstream.

The skin is the largest body organ, and it can absorb thin layers of lipid liquids that contain wax, oil, water, and salves. After the user applies the cream to the affected area, the skin will begin the absorption of the cannabinoid lipids. This leads to the healing and therapeutic effect that many people experience. The itchiness and pain will start to disappear. People who have contact dermatitis or psoriasis can benefit from the salve.

How the Endocannabinoid System Works

The body is composed of the endocannabinoid system that is responsible for maintaining balance in the body. It consists of the central and peripheral nervous system that controls the appetite, pain sensations, sleep, and more.

When the salve comes in contact with the ECS, the effect is immediate. The health benefits will include alleviating chronic pain, soothing skin irritations, and relaxation of muscles. You can get all these benefits without the dangers of abusing or becoming dependent on the product.

Currently, the legal status of cannabidiol in many countries is still in a gray area. Some may support the use of medical marijuana, and others may ban them. CBD salves and topical creams are available for purchase online to prevent problems. Overall, cannabidiol is legal to purchase in many states now.