Tag Archives: baby

Mom

A Pandemic Pregnancy: What Comes After the Third Trimester

Baby boom or baby bust? To my surprise, I joined the former category during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic when my husband and I discovered we were expecting our first child on a rainy fall Thursday. If 2020 wasn’t already a blur with the sudden onslaught of a global pandemic that shuttered “life as we know it”, we also squeezed in a small wedding – and now a baby? My planner mode activated into full gear over the following months as we prepared for another big life transition. Now, I reflect back on those months, having gained perspective and a new sense of clarity.

1st Trimester – Be open to spontaneity. Many of us learned to be professionally agile as we quickly pivoted to a virtual world during the pandemic, but we also needed to adapt personally. This includes resisting our desire to control outcomes or stick to a set plan. Like many of us didn’t see the pandemic coming, I didn’t plan this pregnancy, but here we were. After the initial shock wore off over the next 48 hours, I embraced the situation, focused on getting our ducks in a row and watching every baby movie I could stream (Look Who’s Talking trilogy, yes, please!). I soon came to see this spontaneous event as a blessing – excited for the opportunity to become a mom and to gain a new perspective on life.

2nd Trimester – You can’t (and shouldn’t) get everything you want. Going through my first pregnancy during a pandemic brought its challenges – no traveling to be with my family for Thanksgiving or Christmas, no one to share my growing baby bump with except my husband and the four walls of our home and going to all my baby check-up appointments solo were tough. These trying moments surely brought frustration and some tears, but I learned to deal. Instead, we celebrated a quiet holiday at home, I texted lots of baby bump selfies to keep my family updated and virtual technology allowed for both a Zoom baby shower and for my husband to see and hear the baby’s ultrasound via FaceTime. After all, we were lucky to be healthy and together amidst the larger hardships so many others faced.

3rd Trimester – Be present. Two weeks before my due date I opened my journal to reflect on all that we’ve been through over the last year and the final days before our daughter’s arrival. I set an intention to be present, positive, at peace and patient as a parent. This moment of presence prompted me to write my future child a letter. She’ll one day open this letter and learn about our journey, the extraordinary time she was born and how excited we were to meet her.

4th Trimester – Practice daily gratitude. Yes, there is a fourth trimester of pregnancy and it’s called postpartum. There are many adjustments and worries when bringing a new baby home. But my days would become instantly better when I paused to take stock of what I was grateful for – a healthy new baby, a safe delivery, a new home for our family and a job that offers adequate paid parental leave to care for and bond with our newborn. These moments of gratitude brought peace and reinforced what mattered most. I continue to remind myself each day to be grateful for life’s many blessings.

Becoming a mom was my pandemic silver lining. While both were unexpected, my pandemic pregnancy gave me a new perspective and appreciation in life. I was able to slow down, prioritize what mattered most and eventually, recharge. We have all experienced loss, uncertainty and fear during this trying time. But I hope we also have gained a new perspective and appreciation for life – and found our silver lining.

This article was written by Jamie Bell, working mom, wife & Bell sister

Looking to hire a babysitter or nanny? Bell Family Company provides fully vetted on-demand babysitting, including full and part time nannies, baby nurses, temporary care, help with virtual learning, and more! Learn why BFC is the best childcare agency, with childcare providers available across the U.S. (on-demand service available in the tri-state area). Contact us today to hire!

Mom

Girl Power Alert: Pregnant Sisters Having Girls

It’s rare enough to be pregnant alongside a sister, but throw in that the sisters are both having girls and their mother also birthed five girls; the girl power is getting real!

Our Founder & Owner, Lindsay Bell, is expecting a child alongside one of her sisters and not for the first time. I guess that’s what happens when you come from a family with five girls all close in age; there’s bound to be some overlapping pregnancies.

Lindsay and her sister Jamie are both expecting their first girl just a few months apart. What does it mean to each of them to be pregnant alongside a sister and to be having a girl for the first time? Find out from the sisters below!

I kind of fit the mold for being a boy mom. My four sisters and I were always tom boys. I was completely happy expecting another boy, I just wanted to have another baby. When I found out it was a girl, I welled up with tears. I guess I didn’t realize how much I wanted a girl. The bond I have with my mother and four sisters is one of a kind and now I get to share that with my daughter. The extra special part is my middle sister Jamie is  expecting a girl alongside me, but happens to live 1,500 miles away from me (weep). I got to share all three of my pregnancies with a sister who happened to be pregnant at the same time. Talk about a special gift. Having a sister on a text thread who’s awake at weird hours, huffing and puffing while you walk together and talk about baby, sharing pregnancy photos and asking baby food questions has ben a joy to experience. I hope our daughters will be great friends and support one another through life’s miracles just like their moms did!

Lindsay Bell

Four weeks after I got married this past fall, I was surprised to find out that I was expecting. Shortly after I hit the 12-week mark, I broke the news to my sisters on a Zoom call. Everyone was shocked, including me all over again. I didn’t plan or talk about wanting to become a mom, but always thought it would happen some day if it were meant to be. I guess it was. Thankfully, I have a close sister squad with an abundance of recent mothering experience, including a mom that birthed five girls (naturally!) to lean on for support and know-how. Just a few months later, my oldest sister Lindsay, found out she was also expecting, her long-hoped for third, and both our babies to be girls! While it’s been tough at times navigating my first pregnancy physically distant from my family during this COVID-19 pandemic, I am glad we’ve been able to connect by all means digital to check-in, video chat in sloppy buns and pjs, and share updates on our latest doctor appointments or baby bump progression. I know the real questions lie ahead, but I am assured to know I have an abundance of resources and support just a phone call or text away. And that first in-person meeting with my newborn daughter and my sisters, and their kids, will sure be something special. 

Jamie Bell

Jamie has since delivered her baby girl, Sylvie, born last week.

Looking to hire a babysitter or nanny? Bell Family Company provides fully vetted on-demand babysitting, including full and part time nannies, baby nurses, temporary care, help with virtual learning, and more! Learn why BFC is the best childcare agency, with childcare providers available across the U.S. (on-demand service available in the tri-state area). Contact us today to hire!

Partner

Meet Our Friends at Village Obstetrics™

We want to introduce you to our friends at Village Obstetrics™ and the wonderful support and care that they provide their patients. We partnered up with them for a Q&A to give our readers an opportunity to learn more about their impressive work.
Q: A big part of Village Obstetrics™ mission is to follow a minimally invasive approach. Why is practicing this important to your mission, and what have you seen as benefits for your patients with this approach? 
A: We see newly pregnant couples who are concerned about interventions meddling in the natural process of pregnancy and birth. And it’s true that the medical profession has become concerned about the high rate of unnecessary c-sections. So, our approach is one that respects the natural process but uses modern medicine and technology to check and see how the natural process is unfolding. If everything looks good, our job is to stay out of nature’s way, but if there’s a storm brewing our job is to figure out together with our mom what the best course of action is. Minimally invasive obstetrics is doing the least necessary to get the job done and it yields low rates of c-section with well-informed satisfied moms.
Q: What are the benefits of unmedicated v medicated birth or c-section? Is there a time in the birthing process where its too late to get an epidural?
A: Birth has lots of variables – the size of the baby, the individual pain tolerance, the length of the labor, the strength of the contraction, head position and on and on. So, it’s fair to say that keeping an open mind is especially important as you approach birth. In general, for first time labor we have seen great benefits from trying to get as deep into labor as possible before getting medications for pain relief. At that stage if you want an unmedicated birth we see how much further you have to go and if its not too far, you typically will make it without medication. Alternatively, if you are at the end of what you can manage and you still have a long way to go, or if you plan on an epidural, that’s a great time to go ahead and get relief.
After you’ve already had a vaginal birth and you are in labor with the next baby, then you need to decide sooner if you want an epidural or not. Probably when your pain is still manageable but now starting to get your attention (say a 6 out of 10 on the pain scale) then it’s time to either get the epidural or commit to finishing it as an unmedicated delivery. The last part of labor could be very fast with second or third babies and there might not be enough time to get an epidural if you wait until pain is an 8 or more out of 10. With the first vaginal birth however, its almost never too late to get an epidural because the progress of labor is much slower usually. Many of our moms now also consider using Nitrous Oxide which is available at our hospital as an alternative to epidural or to maintain control until getting the epidural later.
Q: New patients have lots of questions both pre- and post-birth. How do you help new moms and dads with the transition of becoming parents?
A: One great new addition to the information for new moms and dads is Dr. Worth’s new book, “The New Rules of Pregnancy: What to eat, do, think about, and let go of while your body is making a baby”. We are so proud of her! So many of the existing guide books are so packed full of information that they can be overwhelming and even scary. We needed an expert to sift through those big books and pull out the key information and present it in a format where you can take in a little information at a time while keeping it positive and with beautiful uplifting illustrations that provoke imagination and calm. Dr Worth made that happen and we hope you give it a read. Beyond that we intentionally structured our practice for only pregnancy and birth care. We unapologetically exclusively devote all our time and talents to this important field of obtetrics. Not doing gynecology and well woman care allows us the time to really get into questions and controversies in our office visits. We also hold our own free of charge birth class for our clients that we call our “Pregnancy Chit Chat” – it’s a group Q&A with their doctors. We also reply to our clients e-mails and we try and provide continuing community education speaking, blogging and posting whenever we are invited to by groups involved in pregnancy and birth care.
To learn more about Village Obstetrics,™ click here.
VillageOB
Written by Taylor Bell, Marketing & Social Media

Family

A Story About the Evolving Nursery

It was verging on wintertime in Ohio, and my husband and I were in the process of building a new home. The home buying process is a full-time worry within itself, but what added an interesting twist was the fact that I was six months pregnant … with my fifth child. Talk about an exciting time in the Bell household!
Since we were building the home from scratch, we had a lot of decisions to make. My husband focused on all of the practicalities (of course), while I was deep into the interior design and how I wanted all of the rooms to look. The time came around to when we needed to decide how the fifth bedroom should look, and given that my new bundle was soon to arrive, the room was dedicated to become the nursery.
The nursery was brightly decorated in pink bunny wallpaper with pink accents to match – a perfect color for a baby girl’s room. The room would stay designed this way for a handful of years, and then the bunnies turned into flowers as the baby grew.
About five years later, my oldest daughter was off to college and the room arrangements changed a bit. After she left, an opening for that special pink room occurred, and my brain churned with all of the ideas of what the room could become. I landed on transforming the what will always be called “the baby room” in our house into a guest room.
With the shift into a guest room, the walls found a change in color and went from pink to gender neutral. The floors were changed from carpet to wood, and the little tike bed graduated into an adult size one. Next, it was so long to the toy box and pink girly accents, and hello to a night stand and decor that didn’t involve Spongebob Squarepants.
Several years later when the first child became a mother, the guest room made its way back into a nursery. It was this same time when I wished I had kept some of the items from my own children’s nursery from back in the day. The adult size bed shrunk back into a crib again, and out went the night stand and back came the toy box and baby accents. The bedroom went through a complete 360 – I always favored it as a nursery anyway.
IMG_2862_edited
Written by our Recruiting and Retention Coordinator, Christine Bell

Bell Family Company

The Best Childcare Advice

What’s the best childcare advice? To not feel bad about taking care of yourself!

This mom guilt thing has to be better managed and supported. Aim to find someone that you can confide in! My mom gives the best advice on everything.

Look to get some type of help immediately post baby. My mom spent the first month with me when I gave birth – she acted as my baby nurse. I think every mom needs to have a parent, assistant, sitter, or baby nurse there for the first four weeks. It doesn’t have to be around the clock, or expensive. Especially if you are working or have other kids running around.

Here are some benefits:

1. Helps you recover faster and heal
2. Helps provide support and help with the baby
3. Makes you feel taken care of and gives you someone to talk to if you have questions

Don’t wait! Try to get the process of searching for someone started early to save on stress. And don’t forget to do your research. Some moms could change everything once the baby arrives.

If you get a direct referral it’s much easier. Typically, if the referral is an excellent sitter, or a great judge of character, they will refer someone just as great. Try using an agency or a group of some sort (HINT: Bell Family Company)! If you don’t, you’ll be running your own company (sourcing, vetting, checking references, etc.). Groups or companies know all the rules, and have staff to vet through all of those things for you.

Golden rule: Treat others as you want to be treated. I think this is more important than ever for both the nanny and family. It’s amazing how a nanny that is given a coffee in the morning from her family will be more than willing to take the dog out for an extra walk, or how the family that lets the nanny leave early because she baked cookies for the family for their party that night.

And don’t forget, Bell Family is here to help with making childcare a breeze! Contact us today to book a sitter or nanny!

Linds-Brooks

Written by our Founder & CEO, Lindsay Bell

Safety

Stop Using Infant Sleep Positioners

Although devices designed to make bed-sharing safer have become more popular, recent research has sided against such devices.
“The US Food and Drug Administration is reminding parents and caregivers not to put babies in sleep positioners. These products—sometimes also called ‘nests’ or ‘anti-roll’ products—can cause suffocation (a struggle to breathe) that can lead to death,” reads a recently published statement.
There are two styles in particular this relates to. One features raised supports or pillows (called ‘bolsters’) that are attached to each side of a mat, and the second one has a wedge to raise a baby’s head. Both positioners are intended to keep a baby in a specific position while sleeping, and are intended for infants under 6 months old.
The FDA has received reports of babies who were placed on their backs in these positioners, but later found in hazardous positions either within them or next to them. And more tragically, the FDA has received reports of suffocation-related deaths.
Remember, the safest sleep position for a baby is on their back on a firm surface free of any loose bedding, blankets, or stuffed animals.
Baby
This blog has been repurposed from TheBump.com. 

Bell Family Company

Training Thursday Vol. 14 – Swaddling

Welcome to volume 14 of Bell Family’s video training series, where each Thursday we release a video to help coach sitters on an array of childcare topics.
This week we are featuring a training video on swaddling!
Here are some quick how-to steps to keep in mind:

  1. Once the blanket is placed down on the surface (top folded down like a triangle) place the baby’s neck line in line with the top of the blanket.
  2. Wrap down, up, and then around the baby.
  3. Make the blanket secure around the baby’s body by tucking the remaining part underneath.
  • Tip: Look for a tag that is attached to the blanket. There is often instructions on the tag if you need a refresher.

In addition to our follow-along training video, you can read more details about How to Swaddle a Baby through parenting.com and the 5 Reasons to Swaddle Your Baby through Precious Little Sleep.
These videos are recommended to all BFC childcare providers to view for the latest techniques when caring for children. These videos were designed by our team comprised of long-time babysitters, full-time nannies, mothers, grandmothers, elementary educators, and social worker.
Swaddle
Note: Always follow the family’s instruction and care methods, and keep the family informed of everything with their baby.  These videos are not required to view, but a simple recommendation. For more information or for questions, please contact our office or read our terms.

Bell Family Company

Training Thursday Vol. 11 – Bath Time

Welcome to volume 11 of Bell Family’s video training series, where each Thursday we release a video to help coach sitters on an array of childcare topics. This week we are featuring a training video on bath time!

Here are some fast bath time tips to always keep top of mind:

  1. Never leave a child alone in the bath even for a minute. Drowning can occur in even an inch of water. Just scoop the child up in a towel if you need to answer the door or tend to something else.
  2. Make sure the water is not too cold or too hot. Use a thermometer to make sure the temperature is between 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. Make sure there is a no-slip guard on the floor of the tub, and a towel or rug outside the tub, so when the child gets out he/she does not slip.
  4. Don’t put too much water in the tub.
  5. Teach the child to sit – no standing in the tub!
  6. Use soaps and shampoos sparingly – they can dry out skin or cause irritation – less is more.
  7. Keep electrical appliances away from the water.

Read more on baby (infants under 12 months) bath time tips here, and toddler (12-24 months) bath time tips here.

Looking to hire a babysitter or nanny? Bell Family Company provides fully vetted & FULLY VACCINATED on demand babysitting, including full and part time nannies, baby nurses, temporary care, help with virtual learning, and more! Learn why BFC is the best childcare agency, with childcare providers available across the U.S. (on-demand service available in the tri-state area). Contact us today to hire!

Events

New York Baby Show Highlights

At the end of last month, the annual New York Baby Show concluded, where our very own, Lindsay Bell, was a guest speaker.
This year, the event racked up its biggest numbers yet with 5,000 families registered! At the two-day event, both expecting and new moms had the opportunity to walk around the show to discover new products, take in seminars on bump and baby, and check out fun attractions such as the Cannon Step-And-Repeat and the respites (like the DK Reading Rest Stop).
This is a great event hosted every year by New York Baby Show. If you haven’t gone yet, next year is your year!
To see additional photos and coverage from the event, check out their Facebook page!
NY Baby Show
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell

Bell Family Company

Training Thursday Vol. 9 – Diapering

Welcome to volume nine of Bell Family’s video training series, where each Thursday we release a video to help coach sitters on an array of childcare topics.
This week we are featuring a training video on diapering.
Here are some fast diapering tips to always keep top of mind:
Changing a girl: Wipe front to back, wiping downward. Clean the area well. If you see a rash, consult the parent, or if they instructed, use a diaper cream/ointment on the irritated area.
Changing a boy: The big difference; don’t leave the penis exposed – you may get sprayed! Clean under and around the testicles. Same procedure if you see a rash as above.
Other tips:
1. Secure the baby/toddler safely on the changing table. If the child is old enough to squirm, use the safety belt.
2. Two fingers is usually the rule to test that the diaper is tight enough so that it does not leak, and not too tight that it could cut off circulation or cause discomfort.
3. Make sure the diaper fits properly. The weight range the diaper supports is listed on the box. If you see that it is not snapping securely or seems to tight or loose, you may need a different size.
4. If the baby seems irritated by the wipes being used, try using a cotton cloth with warm water on it to clean the area.
Read here on how to diaper a new baby. Read here on diapering a toddler. The key is to have them distracted (holding a toy, holding the wipes, etc.) while you change them.
These videos are recommended to all BFC childcare providers to view for the latest techniques when caring for children. These videos were designed by our team comprised of long-time babysitters, full-time nannies, mothers, grandmothers, elementary educators, and social workers.
Eczema - 2
Note: Always follow the family’s instruction and care methods, and keep the family informed of everything with their baby.  These videos are not required to view, but a simple recommendation. For more information or for questions, please contact our office or read our terms.