What Birth Control Do YOU Use?

During the pregnancy with my first child, I was diagnosed with Factor V Leiden Deficiency which meant I had to give myself shots every day during the duration of my pregnancy to make sure my body did not form a blood clot.  I had to do this during 3 pregnancies every-single-day.  It was tough, but I got through it.

Because I have Factor V Leiden Deficiency, I cannot take birth control pills that contain estrogen, so that meant I had to find other forms of birth control to make sure I did not get pregnant again.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  I love my children and count my blessings every day, but I do not want to overextend myself and my family financially and right now getting pregnant would not be good for any of us.

I do feel like there is a plan and I do believe in God and all that he does, but I feel that if he wanted me to have more children, then no birth control will stop that from happening.  My third daughter was not planned and we still scratch our heads wondering how that happened, but she is a blessing and we are happy about our “surprise”.

After our third daughter was born, I decided that we needed to find a really good form of birth control that didn’t involve getting my tubes tied.  Just in case we do decide to try for that boy, i didn’t want something so permanent, so my doctor at the time suggested I get the Mirena and I was gung ho about it…until…I found out that our insurance would not pay anything!  This procedure is not cheap at all, so I hung my head low and opted to go the condom route.

My husband later changed jobs, so I decided to go back to another doctor and see if the current insurance would cover the procedure.  Sure enough it did, but another obstacle jumped in my path.  I found out that they had to order the device and I had to be on my period when it was time to insert the device to be sure I wasn’t pregnant.  That sounded easy enough, but my husband had decided to change jobs which meant that we would not have the same insurance when it was time to do the procedure.  Instead of scheduling the appointment, I decided to just wait till I had our new insurance in hand and then after finding out the cost, schedule the appointment.

I was pretty bummed because the insurance we carried covered almost all of the cost of getting the Mirena and was only going to cost us around $60 out of pocket.  There was nothing I could do but wait and hope for the best.

Then good, no great news arrived!  Our new insurance not only covered the ENTIRE procedure, but it also waved a co-pay.  We had to pay NOTHING!!!!

I scheduled the appointment.

Long story short…I got the Mirena yesterday and couldn’t be happier!  They told me to expect cramping…no cramps!  They mentioned pain during the procedure… no pain and little discomfort.

I feel fine, the procedure took maybe 30 minutes and I’m covered for birth control for 5 years!!!  Also, if we change our minds, the device can be removed and we can try and get pregnant again.

I’m happy with my choice.

So, what are your feelings on birth control and what forms do YOU use?

There are Major Consequences to Sexting

Today on The View, the hot topic was “sexting” and the consequences that go along with the popular teen pastime.  Sexting is where sexually explicit images and/or sexual verbiage are exchanged via text messages using cell phones.

Teens don’t realize that there are severe consequences to this behavior that can ultimately alter ones life forever.  The View had two teens that told their story about what happened after they participated in “sexting”.

One teen is now a registered sex offender because of a picture he distributed of an ex girlfriend that was under age.  Distributing the picture was considered, by the law, to be the same as distributing child pornography!  I feel that the judgment was too harsh, but also feel that he should be punished somehow.  The guy can’t get a job and has that persona to have to deal with for the rest of his life.  Truly sad.

The other teen was a female that sent a male ex boyfriend a picture of her chest standing between to of her fully clothed friends because he told her if she did that he would get back together with her.  Now, she is harassed on a daily basis because of her mistake.

The message here…educate your tweens, teens and even children on the dangers of sending nude pictures of themselves at all.  It’s important that we build self confidence in our children and give them attention.  It’s also important that we are aware of what are children are doing, who they are doing it with and where they are.  They also need to be taught that their bodies are sacred things that shouldn’t be exploited.

I have 3 girls and would be very upset if I found out they were involved in something like this.  That’s why it is important that I am on top of things with them as a parent and why I need to open the gateways of conversation often.

I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.

Macomb County offers 15th Annual Parenting Conference

Macomb County’s 15th Annual Parenting Conference, Parenting Unplugged, will be held from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, March 6 at the Macomb Intermediate School District’s conference center. Pre-registration is required.

Keynote speaker Bob Howe will present “‘Yes Is a Two-Letter Word’ The Power of Saying No” and will focus on how parents can build self-motivation, confidence and responsibility in the fast-paced, high-tech and instant-gratification world their children live in.

The conference also features speakers on 15 different parenting topics and information on how to access local parenting resources.

The cost of the conference is $35 per person and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. SB-CEU credits are pending. Registration will be accepted until Feb. 24, 2010 or while tickets are available.

For more information, visit the CARE of Macomb Web site or call (586) 541-0033.

The Detroit Area Diaper Bank

Imagine only being able to change your baby’s diaper once a day in order to make them last til your next paycheck…

For an average infant, a healthy change of diapers is up to 12 times per day, and 8 for a toddler. For low income families, a baby can be in a single diaper all day, or longer. This increases the risk of skin infections and worse. A baby crying non-stop from being in a dirty diaper for a long period is more susceptible to abuse, especially in an already stressed household. Currently there is No “safety net” (WIC, Food Stamps,Medicare (except hospice)) that pays for, or provide diapers.

These are all facts that Marybeth Levine realized were present in our community and across the country. That is when she decided to form The Detroit Area Diaper Bank. Their mission is to collect diapers and donations for our community’s most vulnerable populations — babies from low-income households, the elderly, and people with disabilities. In turn, they then distribute them to partnering non-profit agencies in the area that work with families in need.

Currently The Detroit Area Diaper Bank is partners with 30 agencies in the Metro area. From family services centers, food pantries, child development and senior centers, there is a never ending need. Levine gets calls daily from agencies and individuals looking for assistance. (Agencies looking for assistance are encouraged to fill out their application form found on their website. Individuals seeking assistance should visit the how do I get diapers page. )

Just 9 months after it’s first delivery in April 2009, The Detroit Area Diaper Bank delivered it’s 100,000 diaper. Levine is very grateful to the community for all their support and donations in this short amount of time. This is testament that diapers are a never-ending need, especially in the tough times our economy is facing. The Detroit Area Diaper Bank relies on donations, diaper drives and fundraisers to continue to support it’s partnering agencies. For more ways that you can get involved, please visit their site.

Open Adoption: Not as Scary as it Seems

“Aren’t you worried about having the birth parents in your son’s life?”

“Are you scared that they’ll try to take him back?”

“I could never do that.”

No. No. And, maybe you couldn’t…but maybe you could if you wanted to. My husband Tim and I are, and it’s working out beautifully.

I’m talking about domestic open adoption. I’m a mother thanks to  adoption, which brought Elliot into our lives 4-1/2 months ago when he was just five hours old.  Throughout my open adoption journey, I’ve been asked the same questions over and over again.  And, I’ve come to realize that open adoption is a mysterious and scary topic for many people. I’ll admit – it was daunting for Tim and me before we learned about  how it works and how it benefits the adopted child. So, I thought I’d talk a little bit about my situation and try to clear up some of the misconceptions:

Misconception #1: All birth mothers are teenagers. Birth fathers are never in the picture. While this might be a fairly typical situation, it doesn’t describe our reality at all. Elliot’s birth parents are together and in their 20s. They are stable, educated and intelligent. Despite what our agency told us to expect, their decision wasn’t precipitated by chaos — drugs, jail, under-age pregnancy, unknown birth father, etc. Elliot’s biological parents simply don’t want to be parents…and wanted to give Elliot a life with someone who did. How lucky that they chose us!

Misconception #2: The child will be confused. We already read Elliot a book that I wrote called  “How You Came to Be our Son.” So, he’ll always know that Mommy and Daddy adopted him, and he’ll know who his biological parents are. It’s a true open adoption, so his birth parents will be always be part of his life, in roles they’ve described as akin to “aunt and uncle.” We see them about once a month, and it’s always a nice visit…which people find odd. But, it works for us, and Elliot will never have to wonder where he came from, why his birth parents “gave him away” or even about his medical history. We can just ask.

Misconception #3: The birth parents will try to take him away. Once the birth parents terminate their parental rights, this can’t happen, despite what you may have seen on a TV movie. In our case, this monumental milestone came about six weeks after birth…later than we would have liked. I’ll admit: we were somewhat nervous during this time period. However, we’d already gotten to know the birth parents during the pregnancy, and saw them after we had temporary custody of Elliot, so we knew that there were comfortable with their decision.

Misconception #4: You can’t love an adopted child as much as a biological one. Of course, nobody’s come out and said this to me, and maybe nobody even thinks it. But, I’m here to tell you that I absolutely couldn’t love Elliot — or being his mother — any more than I do.

Elliot is not my adopted son. He’s my son who came to us through adoption. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town!

Seeing those little faces on Christmas morning light up when they see what Santa brought them for Christmas, warms my heart and makes it all worth it!

How about stepping it up one notch by having a A Custom Letter From Santa sent to your child from “Good old St. Nick” to make the holiday a bit more fun and a lot more memorable!

Can you imagine those eyes growing the size of quarters when they open the special card sent directly to them from Santa himself!

Or, step it up another notch with, Wow! A LIVE Phone Call From Santa.  My girls would be running all around the house screaming with excitement If they got a phone call from the jolly man himself!

For more information, Click here to order a custom letter from Santa today.

10 Things to do Before Baby Comes: Date Your Spouse

2.  Date Night-  Date the heck out of your spouse.  Go to movies, out to dinner at fancy restaurant, go to a concert, ect.  Just do as much together because once baby comes, alone time is very limited.  Finding a person you trust ahead of time that can watch your children is also a must.  Having family members to watch your children is great, but not everyone has that luxury.  Also, don’t take advantage of having family members take care of your children.  Have you heard of overstepping your bounds?  This is one thing you don’t want to do because when you really need them, they may not be willing to help.  This comes from personal experience.

I haven’t seen a movie at the theater in years with my husband because we have 3 little ones and it’s hard to find someone to watch all three kids at once.  We usually have to rent movies through Blockbuster Online and sometimes it takes us 3-4 hours just to get through a movie.  We are always starting and stopping for drinks, snacks, to break up a quarrel, ect.

Kids and restaurants are close to a nightmare.  Kids have a hard time sitting still for very long, so you have to eat quickly if you want to make it through an entire meal.  Tip: Order their food right away (even before the waitress takes the drink orders) that way they have more time to eat.  Also, bring a few small toys, coloring book and crayons, ect.  This will help when at a restaurant that is slow on getting orders out.

Courtney is the ultimate multitasking mom!  She runs  three blogs Giftfully Simple, The Digital Mommy and Detroit Mommies , is a Social Media Marketing Consultant and has 3 girls under 6 years old.  Courtney is the founder of Detroit Mommies.  You can follow her on Twitter @theappleofmyeye.  She has worked with companies like Johnsons & Johnsons, Dove, e.l.f., Stride Rite, Sorel, 20th Century Fox, The Palace, Melissa & Doug, Panera and Tiny Prints (to name a few).  Courtney is a Purex^® Insider and a Max Mom for Office Max.

Great Advice About How to Prevent the Flu From Dr. OZ

The following advice, given by Dr. Oz, makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know:

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat or bathe.)

3. *GargleGargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine or Hydrogen PeroxideHydrogen Peroxide if you don’t trust salt).

*H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavitynasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt watergargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt waterwarm salt water, or hydrogen peroxide.

*Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavitiesnasal cavities), but *blowing the nose softly once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

Courtney is the ultimate multitasking mom!  She runs  three blogs Giftfully Simple, The Digital Mommy and Detroit Mommies , is a Social Media Marketing Consultant and has 3 girls under 6 years old.  Courtney is the founder of Detroit Mommies.  You can follow her on Twitter @theappleofmyeye.  She has worked with companies like Johnsons & Johnsons, Dove, e.l.f., Stride Rite, Sorel, 20th Century Fox, The Palace, Melissa & Doug, Panera and Tiny Prints (to name a few).  Courtney is a Purex^® Insider and a Max Mom for Office Max.

10 Things to do Before Baby Comes: Sleep!

1. Sleep- Get as much rest as you can, enjoy sleeping in, take mid-afternoon naps, sleep, sleep, sleep because as soon as your baby has arrived, expect to be sleep deprived!  I’m still sleep deprived! My oldest is almost 6 and my youngest is 11 months.

One of my fondest memories was of when I was pregnant with my oldest.  We lived in Carlsbad, CA, a block from the beach.  One day after work I was exhausted and I remember opening our sliding glass door, turning on the baseball game and laying down on my favorite couch for a mid afternoon nap.  It was an amazing nap because the temperature was perfect, the sofa was so comfortable and the sound of the  Dodgers baseball game was like a lullaby in my ears.

One day I’ll be able to lay down for an afternoon nap, but for now, coffee is my friend!

Courtney is the ultimate multitasking mom!  She runs  three blogs Giftfully Simple, The Digital Mommy and Detroit Mommies , is a Social Media Marketing Consultant and has 3 girls under 6 years old.  Courtney is the founder of Detroit Mommies.  You can follow her on Twitter @theappleofmyeye.  She has worked with companies like Johnsons & Johnsons, Dove, e.l.f., Stride Rite, Sorel, 20th Century Fox, The Palace, Melissa & Doug, Panera and Tiny Prints (to name a few).  Courtney is a Purex^® Insider and a Max Mom for Office Max.

Is Your Child Safe When Riding in the Car?

If you aren’t sure if your child is safe in his or her car seat, there are wonderful, free resources online where you can ask questions and get answers.  These resources can help you, as a concerned parent, make safe choices about car seats and to help you use your car seats properly for maximum safety.

-          Twitter: An actual safety expert mans the @ChildSeatSafety account on Twitter, and they will continue to answer any questions that parents have about child passenger safety.  This is such a unique resource from a government agency!

-         Facebook: NHTSA has a Facebook page at http://facebook.com/childpassengersafety where parents can learn about everything from LATCH to locating inspection offices.

-          Website:  The Ad Council and the NHTSA have created a site with all the resources parents need to keep their smallest passengers safe: http://childcarsafety.adcouncil.org/ Find your local inspection station, watch instructional videos, and even take a fun quiz!

Courtney is the ultimate multitasking mom!  She runs  three blogs Giftfully Simple, The Digital Mommy and Detroit Mommies , is a Social Media Marketing Consultant and has 3 girls under 6 years old.  Courtney is the founder of Detroit Mommies.  You can follow her on Twitter @theappleofmyeye.  She has worked with companies like Johnsons & Johnsons, Dove, e.l.f., Stride Rite, Sorel, 20th Century Fox, The Palace, Melissa & Doug, Panera and Tiny Prints (to name a few).  Courtney is a Purex^® Insider and a Max Mom for Office Max.

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