You may be saying, "Cord blood banking? Wha?"

My husband and I had never even heard of cord blood banking until a few years ago, when one of my husband's cousins had mentioned it after the birth of her twins.  Even now, I only know a handful of couples who have opted to save their baby's cord blood.

The idea of cord blood banking was very appealing to me from the get-go.  The cells saved when cord blood is stored could potentially save your child's life later on.  Hopefully you'll never need to use it, but it is nice to know that it is there.

According to Viacord, the stem cells collected for cord blood banking can help to treat a number of ills. Current stem cell uses range from treating various types of cancer to blood disorders, to metabolic disorders, to immunodeficiencies. If your child needs a stem cell treatment, you will already have a 100% match.  If a sibling of that child is in need of a similar treatment, that child will have a 75% chance of a match (using a siblings cord blood cells).

Here are a few things to consider when dealing with cord blood banking:

Public vs. Private Banking
After deciding whether or not to store your baby's cord blood, it is important to consider what sort of banking you'll use. This could be the subject of an article on its own, but here's a quick summary of each:

If you choose public banking, you are donating your child's cells for public use.  If your baby's cells are a match for a sick child, they can use those cells, and visa versa.

If you decide to go with private banking, your child's cells are only used for your family.  You will always have access to those cells, so long as you continue to pay the storage fee.

Cost
This is the rough part!  Cord blood banking is very pricy.  There is an initial collection and storage fee, usually followed by an annual fee to maintain the storage of cells.

The Process of Collecting the Blood
You receive your kit just prior to your due date.  You will bring this with you to the hospital. Immediately after the birth of your child, the umbilical cord is clamped and the cord blood is removed via syringe.  It is a painless and quick procedure, for both mama and baby. The doctor packs everything into a little cooler and a number is called for pick-up (Your kit is picked up that day). Easy Peasy!

What if you are having a c-section?
It is still possible to store your child's cord blood.  It is also perfectly safe. Click here for more information on collecting cord blood during a c-section.

Want to learn more? 
Visit the following links below to learn more. It's a great idea to discuss this with your OBGYN and pediatrician, too.  See what they have to say about it.

Most importantly, trust your gut.


Resources

This is a step-by-step guide to cord blood banking from What to Expect.

Cryo-cell also provides information on banking cord tissue.

Going on a trip with an infant for the first time can seem like a major challenge, especially when it comes to packing. While packing for our first weekend away, I felt the stress level rise as our departure day approached.  I felt like there were a million and one things that needed doing.

Why was I so anxious?  I think it was just because we had never done it before.  One thing that really helped me was making lists.  Instead of listing every little thing the baby may need, I stuck to the big items that he would ACTUALLY NEED. Here's an example:

To Do:
- Pack clothes
- Pack Pump and pump accessories (bottles, nipples, lids)
- Pack jarred baby food
- Pack bowl, spoon
- Pack toys (not ALL the toys, just a few that can be hand washed)
- Pack N Play (provides a portable play/sleep space)
- DIAPERS (diaper bag)
- Bumbo (provides a portable seat for the baby when it's meal time)
- Stroller

It's pretty basic and a no-brainer, but sometimes it helps just to have a basic plan in order to ease a stressful process.

What are some baby items that you cannot imagine traveling without?

When registering for a baby shower, the mother-to-be is bombarded with a million and one things that you just have to buy!  There are so many different strollers, bottles (Will you go glass or plastic?), bouncers, swings, co-sleepers, cribs, basinets, and the like, it is hard to decide what you will actually use and what people are saying you need.

I have come up with a list of ten things I am so glad I registered for. Some of these things won't be used with a newborn, but all are great to have.

10 Baby Items That Were Extremely Useful During the Baby's First Year

1. Dr. Brown's Bottle Sterilizer

This made cleaning bottles very quick and easy.  You just rinse off the bottles with soap and water before popping them in the sterilizer.  It takes about 15 minutes from beginning to end.  This is great, and absolutely worth registering for.

2. JJ Cole Original Infant Bundle Me (For Fall and Winter Babies)

Having had my son in Autumn, a warm carseat liner like this was great.  It's like a little woolen sleeping bag for the carseat or stroller.  I never had to worry about the baby being cold when I took him outside.

3. SwaddleMe

I never mastered the swaddle.  This was easy to use.

4. Snoofybee

This is AMAZING!  My son is now doing crocodile rolls while I'm trying to change his diaper.  He is also trying to grab at everything within arm's reach.  He's altogether pretty challenging to change at the moment.  This is a changing pad that folds up in such a way that his hands are kept up away from the diaper area.  You can also hang toys from it for distraction.  So great! Click here to see what I mean.

5. Amazon Echo

"Alexa, play the 'Putting The Baby To Bed' playlist." This has become indispensable to our bedtime routine.  We use the same playlist every night before bed.  This is so effective that our dog goes to lay down when she hears the music begin to play.  Not only is it great for music, the Echo can also be used as a hands free timer, which comes in handy when nursing.

6. Medela Freestyle Breast Pump

If you are breastfeeding, a pump is essential.  This particular pump works so well for me because it is compact.  I can take it anywhere easily. It needs to be charged, but the battery lasts for a while.  I probably charge once every week or so.

7. Nipple Shields

Nursing was not easy for me at first.  In fact, it was pretty rough.  It hurt while the baby nursed and I was sore after.  Lanolin cream helped a bit, but nipple shields kept me going.  After a while I didn't need them anymore.  The first month, however, they were clutch!

8. Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper

We used this until our son was about three months old.  It was easy to pick him up to nurse during the night.  Having had a c-section, my mobility was limited in the beginning, and this was so nice to have.

9. Graco Bumper Jumper

My son LOVES this!

10. Graco Pack 'N Play

The Pack 'N Play is three different items in one.  There is a bassinet, changing area, and the play yard.  We have had this set up as our downstairs changing station.

BONUS ITEM: Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit

Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit is great for when you are transitioning the baby out of the swaddle. It can be used as early as three months.  They look like 1950s snowsuits and provide a comfy cozy feeling for the baby.  When our son was transitioning to sleeping in his crib, this was very useful.

What items did you find to be essential during your baby's first year?

One thing I would like to do for my son is to instill in him a desire to help others, especially those less fortunate.  I figure the first way he will learn this is by watching his parents.  I will be trying to set an example for him in a few ways.  One way I will do this is by making blessing bags for the homeless.  

"What's a blessing bag?" you say. Well, let me tell you!

A blessing bag is a gift you can give a homeless person instead of money.  The blessing bag I recently made was a gallon ziplock bag filled with:

•  travel size essential toiletries (deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, and a toothbrush)
• an applesauce cup
• a granola bar 
• some utensils

When I make these again, I'll probably add laundry detergent, a pair or socks, and enough quarters to do a load of laundry at the laundromat. 

This weekend, I was able to give away my first blessing bag.  While I was nervous about it at first, the gift was well received.  I'm looking forward to this becoming a habit that I can pass down to my son. 

If you are interested in making blessing bags, there are a ton of ideas for them on Pinterest.

Do you have certain activities to do with children that teach kindness and caring for those who are less fortunate? 

In a perfect world, I would make my son's baby food from scratch.  The idea of it certainly appeals to me.  I like the idea of knowing the contents of the food, being sure that there are no extra ingredients thrown in. 

Unfortunately, I have not been making the baby food.  It’s hard enough for me to stay on top of the laundry.  I feel like the equipment needed just creates another thing to clean.  Maybe I’m just lazy.  

I didn't write this post to put down the idea of making your baby's food at home.  There is a lot of pressure out there to be the perfect mom, and making your baby's food seems to be up there on the supermom list.   I have made compromises between trying to live up to the supermom standard the internet set for me and my sanity.  I am not making the baby food from scratch but I still feel like I'm doing a good job as Mom. 

I have found some great ready-made baby foods.  My two favorites are Earth’s Best and Beechnut organic baby foods.  They have a lot of great flavors and they offer these flavors in jars (I’m not a big fan of the pouches).  Stop And Shop also makes an organic baby food (Nature’s Promise), but they don’t have as many flavor varieties. However, the Nature's Promise is great because it is 75 cents per jar versus $1.39 a jar.  

I do tend to buy organic for the baby, especially if the food is on the dirty dozen list.  I'd rather have my son avoid the extra pesticides and GMOs.  I don't, however, buy organic baby food for fruits and veggies that are on the clean fifteen list.  I don't think I've ever bought organic bananas, as the peel provides a natural defense against pesticides.  

For those moms who make their own baby food, how do you do it?  Is there a time of day or week when you get it all done?  Do you freeze it?  If so, does it keep well in the freezer.  Please let me know what works for you.  

If you are not making baby food at home, what brands do you like to buy?  Are there certain flavor combinations your baby loves?  Are there any flavors that the baby will not eat?  

It must be said that I have a wicked sweet tooth (so does the hubs). Since I became pregnant, and before I was diagnosed with GD, I began to experiment with healthier dessert options.  I tried to cut out foods with a ton of preservatives and artificial food dyes.  I know that what you eat is important for the baby's health and I didn't want my baby to get all that garbage while he was developing.

The GD diagnosis threw a wrench in the dessert department, but after the baby was born I began to experiment with sweets again.

One dessert that is incredibly easy to make and on the healthier side is homemade Jello.  Not only is it easy, but you can really make any flavor you like.  All you need is your choice of juice, flavorless gelatin, and water.  If you want to make it more exciting, you can add fruit pieces and whipped cream.

J-E-L-L-Oh, That Was Easy!

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup of fruit juice, any flavor combo you like
1/4 cup of boiled water
1 packet of Knox gelatin

Take 3/4 c of fruit juice and add the gelatin.  Mix this up until it becomes thick.  The photo below shows the thickness (Not the best photo, but you get the idea).  Add the boiling water and mix.  Add the remaining fruit juice.  Refrigerate for 4 hours.* Enjoy!

*One little trick I remember from my jello-shot-making days in college is putting the jello in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour to shorten the chill time.

Since becoming a mother, I have wanted to write a blog for new moms, documenting my experiences so others wouldn’t copy my mistakes or so they could replicate what worked. 

My first month of motherhood could be summed up as “a haze.”  I don’t remember all of it.  I was a walking zombie. 

Everyone tries to prepare you for how little sleep you will get, but nothing, I mean NOTHING can prepare you.  Even reading this now, you’re probably thinking, “I can handle it.  I pulled plenty of all-nighters back in college.”  To this I say THINK AGAIN.  Nothing can prepare you. 

But, fear not!  It gets better!  Much better!  The first smiles and gurgles wake you up from that haze I mentioned before.  Suddenly, you realize what you already knew but were too tired to acknowledge- You have an amazing, happy, loving little human who adores you.  Every smile you send their way can make their day.  Every story you tell and book you read impacts them in a big way. 

I love being a mother!  I hope that you find my blog helpful, informative, funny at times, and I encourage you to comment and leave your own experiences.  I would love for this page to become a meeting of the minds of moms.