Natural Baby Magazine November 2017 by Publish in Paradise

Natural Baby Magazine

Fireplace Safety Tips Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gifts that Combine Fun and Learning November 2017

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Contribute to Natural Baby Magazine: If you would like to contribute to Natural Baby Magazine, email Angela at naturalbaby@publishinparadise.com with your story ideas. Product Reviews:

If you have products/programs that encourage parents to go “all natural” with their babies, you may email Angela at naturalbaby@publishinparadise.com for consideration of a review. Please include a detailed description of your product as well as photos.

InThisIssue November is PrematurityAwarenessMonth

BeautifulBabies 4 Photos from Our Readers… Natural Baby Magazine is a publication of Publish In Paradise PublishinParadise.com. © 2017 Publish In Paradise. All rights Reserved. The mission of Natural Baby Magazine is to provide helpful information to expectant and new parents from birth through the first year using all natural products, solutions, ideas and more. No information in our magazines, on our website or blogs is meant to replace advice from your family doctor, obstetrician, pediatrician, midwife or other medical provider. Although we align ourselves with holistic approaches, we are only providing information. This information is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Please seek medical attention whenever necessary.

NaturalLearning 5 Baby Story Contest 11 Baby Bath Time Fun 12 Bath Time Story Contest 13 Children’s Gifts that Combine Fun and Learning

NaturalHealth 7 Good Health at Any Age: What Women Should Watch Out For 9 Fireplace Safety Tips for this Holiday Season and Beyond

Publisher Angela J. Willard naturalbaby@publishinparadise.com Advertising Email: ads@publishinparadise.com

NaturalBirth 17 An Angel is Born: Ashlea & Hazel’s Birth Story

Our Cover Model: Hazel Antonina Grace Rose Brandt at about one month old. Read Hazel’s birth story on page 17! Photo by Angela J. Willard for Natural Baby Magazine

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To have your baby on the next cover– submit your photos to us online at

NaturalBabyMag.com

Share your birth stories! Submit them online at www.naturalbabymag.com/storysubmissions.html

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ShowUsYourBabies! s old, is Elijah Sharpe, three week of hair! ad he ul tif au stylin' with a be

Proud

ny Sharpe Parent of Elijah is Desti

Hazel Antonina Grace Rose Brandt

Titus Dean Flanders is all buckled in, getting ready for a car ride.

Proud Parent of

Titus is Natika Flan ders

Submit Your Baby’s Pics for Publication in Our Upcoming Issues! Submit online at NaturalBabyMag.com!

Proud Parents of Hazel are Ashlea Graff & Ryan Brandt

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Note: Not all photos submitted can be published but we will do our best to publish as many baby pics as we can!

Baby Story Contest One of the best ways to help your baby learn a wonderful vocabulary is to read to them. We want to encourage our readers to read to their babies, even while still in the womb. Read to your baby every day and she will hear your nurturing voice and know how loved she is. As she grows older during her first year, she will learn the words you read to her, she will begin to copy your words and mimic your voice, which will help build her vocabulary as she explores the world of babble which will eventually lead to talking. Communication is important and it’s never too soon to start teaching your baby how to communicate effectively with others. To help encourage new parents to take time to read to their children, we are offering a contest! Submit Your Baby Story (intended to be read to infants) to us and one lucky winner will be selected! The winning story will be published in a free eBook to be enjoyed by all of our readers of Natural Baby Magazine. Contest ends November 12, 2017. Winner will be notified via email and announced on our website and social media networks. Author’s retain all rights to their work and will grant onetime eBook publication rights to Natural Baby Magazine. For more information and to submit your baby story, visit our website at naturalbabymag.com NB

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Good Health at Any Age: What Women Should Watch Out For Being healthy is a common goal for many people, but good health does not have a finite endpoint; it's an ongoing process that unfolds over a lifetime. For women, aging can bring on surprising health changes as they move through the decades of their life. From good nutrition and proper exercise to bone health and vaginal wellness, knowing the changes aging may cause can empower women to better care for themselves and prepare.

mean how we care for our bodies will change, too."

"From puberty to pregnancy to menopause, a woman's body can go through a plethora of changes in her lifetime," says Dr. Alyssa Dweck, an OB/GYN, author and expert on women's health. "Once adulthood hits, the next few decades bring about expected, and some not-so-expected, physical, mental and emotional changes. Those changes

women can begin to identify what is and isn't normal for their bodies. While diet and exercise are important at any age, during their 20s women begin to understand what is required in order to maintain a healthy weight. Menstrual health may fluctuate during this decade of life and many women will focus on both contraception and feminine hygiene, Dweck says.

While each woman's aging experience will be as unique as she is, Dr. Dweck points to some common health changes women may encounter during several decades of their lives:

20s: With puberty completely over,

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"Women ages 21 and older should get a pap smear at least every three years," she adds. During this age range, infections are not unusual. In fact, three out of four women will experience a yeast infection in their lifetime. Diets high in sugar and/or alcohol can increase the risk, as well as other factors like staying in a damp bathing suit or tight clothing for extended periods and menstrual cycle fluctuations. For those experiencing an infection for the first time, it's best to visit the gynecologist to confirm the diagnosis.

30s:

During their 30s, women often start to focus on family planning and pregnancy, among other things. The hormonal changes that occur with pregnancy and/or use of birth control can cause shifts in pH balance, which can lead to infections. Being familiar with yeast infection symptoms from past experience allows women to find quick and easy solutions, like the over-thecounter treatment of MONISTAT(R) in the feminine hygiene aisle of local drugstores. It relieves symptoms four times faster and works on more of the most common strains of yeast than the leading prescription. Nutrition continues to be important during this decade, whether women choose to begin families or not, as bone loss generally commences in the fourth decade and metabolism slows. Women should adjust their diets and exercise to ensure their caloric intake meets their needs, including maintaining their intake of calcium and eating nutritious, low-fat foods.

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40s: Perimenopause can cause significant health changes for women in their 40s, including a decrease in estrogen levels. Something many may find surprising is that at this age, women are at their sexual prime. However, intimate areas become thinner and less elastic in a woman's 40s, which may cause varying degrees of discomfort.

50s:

Most women will experience menopause during their 50s, and while this new stage can cause pH changes, having no more menstruation or erratic cycles can be very freeing. With diminished estrogen, drying can occur in private areas, for which moisturizers and lubricants can be useful. Women should avoid feminine products that are not both dermatologist and gynecologist tested as they can cause yeast infections, Dweck cautions. At this age, it is more important than ever to maintain a regular exercise routine, including cardio, strength training and flexibility training.

60s and beyond:

By this age, most women know their bodies intimately and can quickly tell when something isn't right. Common health issues that can occur with age include diabetes, arthritis, cancer and heart disease, many of which also cause irregularities in feminine health. Women should remain active and continue to eat healthily as metabolism slows and bone health decays. (Continued on page 10)

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Gathering around the hearth this holiday season? While you may be taking time off from work and school to celebrate, don’t take a vacation from practicing basic safety guidelines. Stay safe with the following tips.

Safety Devices Before using your fireplace or lighting candles, check all of your home’s lifesaving safety devices, including carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms for functionality, and to ensure batteries are still working. You should do this periodically, but especially around a time of year with additional fire risks.

Fireplaces A cozy, charming fire is the perfect place to gather during the holidays. Heatilator, a leader in fireplace safety and the number one fireplace brand used by homebuilders, offers these tips:

Photo © Steve Herder/Shutterstock and Heatilator

Fireplace Safety Tips for this Holiday Season and Beyond

● Many holiday items and materials are combustible, so place all gifts, trees, and holiday décor a safe distance from the fireplace. ● Conduct annual maintenance on your fireplace, chimney and associated elements. ● Outfit your gas fireplace with a safety screens to prevent burns. ● Always monitor children and pets near a lit fireplace or one that was recently turned off. While safety screens are meant to protect against contact with hot glass, remember that the metal can also heat up, and your heating equipment -- fireplaces, stoves, inserts and their surrounding material -- will remain hot for some time after use. ● For more fireplace safety tips, information about safety screens -(Continued on page 10)

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â&#x2014;? including retrofit screens for your gas fireplace -- and help finding your local dealer for annual maintenance, visit Heatilator.com.

Candles Candles add warmth and splendor to holiday decor, but they come with certain risks. Place these burning beauties in safe locations away from fabrics, trees and other flammable objects. Only burn candles in occupied rooms. If you have children or pets, candle warmers make for a safer alternative that can offer you peace of mind.

(Continued from page 8)

Brain health is also important. Along with regular exercise and intellectual stimulation, social interaction with family and friends can help prevent cognitive decline.

"Women will typically know what's normal for them. There isn't one normal - just normal for you," Dweck says. "Women should never be afraid to familiarize themselves with their bodies and ask their doctors questions. Be inquisitive and don't consider any topic taboo. Good health is a multifaceted process, and gynecological health is an important part of a woman's overall well-being."

For a happy holiday, take these steps to prioritize safety. Source: BPT

Source: StatePoint

Win this bar of Rubber Ducky Baby Soap

See Page 12 for details on how to win! NB10 Natural Baby Magazine | Nov. 2017 ÂŠ 2017 Publish In Paradise www.NaturalBabyMag.com

n u F e im T h t a B y b a B

By Angela J. Willard

swimming mermaids and plastic boats, your baby learns to enjoy bath time while you ensure she is getting cleaned from head to toes and in-between. Sometimes baby doesn’t want bath time to end because she is having such a blast splashing in the warm water and playing with her bath toys.

Izabella enjoys her bath time with her rubber ducky while her mommy makes sure she is sparkly clean.

rom the time your baby receives her first bath, as a parent you want to ensure baby is in a warm, healthy environment. You make sure there are no drafts coming in through an open window or door. You use gentle soaps and soft wash cloths made just for baby. You ensure her safety by bathing her in a molded baby bath tub or in your kitchen sink with a towel cushioning the bottom, so baby’s bottom isn’t feeling the cold hardness of the sink itself. And you spend this time enjoying your little one as she lays there and squeals, enjoying a parent’s gentle touch and warm whooshing water.

But mommy and daddy make sure she doesn’t get too water logged by ensuring that while she plays, she is getting clean all over and ready for her bedtime routine. Once baby is out of the bath, and fussing to get back in, mommy or daddy will make sure she is all dry and puts on her diapers and jammies. Then it’s time to brush the one or more teeth that are coming through, before laying down for bed with a nice warm bottle or breast, while she listens to her bedtime story as she dozes off to sleep. NB

Share your little one’s interesting and/or funny bath experience and you could win a bar of rubber ducky

As baby grows, she begins to interact during bath time, and it becomes play time fun! From rubber duckies to

bath soap! See page 12 for details!

Izabella often enjoyed her bath time in a clean dish pan.

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Win This Bar of Rubber Ducky Baby Soap! Bath time is a fun time for parents and babies alike. It is a time to not only clean your baby, but play with baby and bond with them. Some bath time turns out to be full of goofy fun, with shampood hairdos and rubber duckies, while others can be quite interesting! Some babies create their own “geysers” and “boats” while bathing and parents have to hurry and clean up their natural “disasters.” Do you have an interesting story you would like to share? We would love to read about it! The most interesting/funny story will be published in a future issue & the winner will receive this bar of Rubber Ducky Soap.

To Enter: Share your Best Bath Time story with us in 250 to 600 words Submit Your Entry online at: NaturalBabyMag.com/bathstory.html or email to naturalbaby@publishinparadise.com Deadline: January 15, 2018 The winning entry will be published in Natural Baby Magazine and the winner will receive this bar of Rubber Ducky Soap! Contest only open to U.S. Residents.

Children’s Gifts that Combine Fun and Learning Shopping for a toddler? Whatever the occasion, the best ways to maximize fun are with gifts that inspire the imagination and help kids learn. Consider these age-appropriate gift ideas to delight the tots in your life.

such science kits are a great way for young kids to develop motor skills. You can even consider pairing this gift with a field trip to a children’s science museum or the zoo to make scientific fun even more engaging with an interactive experience.

Scientific Discovery Give curious kids opportunities to explore the what, why and how of the world around them through scientific exploration. Many age-appropriate science kits exist for little ones. From planetariums to chemistry sets to crystal growing kits, these are fun ways to delve into scientific disciplines like astronomy and geology at a young age. Plus, many

Fun on Wheels The colorful, interactive Go! Go! Smart Wheels playsets from VTech, a leader in developmental stage-based electronic learning products, will spark toddlers’ imaginations and encourage creativity, while helping them explore concepts of cause and effect. (Continued on page 14)

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Kids can go for a ride with Gavin the Go-Kart on the Go! Go! Smart Wheels Race & Play Adventure Park. Children can improve their motor skills by cranking Gavin up the playset’s hill, launching him with the catapult and racing him down the track into a 360 degree loop. Gavin will also respond to SmartPoint locations with fun sounds, phrases, songs and melodies, helping children reach language, physical and motor milestones. Likewise, the Go! Go! Smart Wheels Press & Race Monster Truck Rally, encourages creative play by giving kids a chance to race and jump with Mark, the Press & Race Monster Truck, around rally tracks and off a podium launcher while listening to him play fun phrases, sounds and melodies. They can engage in jump competitions by launching Mark off a stunt ramp to encourage creative play and discover cause and effect. Mark will also respond to the SmartPoint locations throughout the playset.

Get Cooking Even toddlers can develop a foundation for kitchen skills they can use later in life. Cooking and baking is not only fun, it introduces kids to numbers and measurements, helping develop coordination and fine motor skills. Consider a cookbook featuring easy recipes designed for kids and parents to follow together.

When shopping for toddlers, don’t get stumped. Let one simple rule guide your efforts to make special occasions especially special: seek gifts that fuse fun and learning. NB

Active Imaginations For little ones who are ready to dive into imagination and exploration, the Go! Go! Smart Friends Shimmering Seashell Castle is a fun choice. Kids can play with the sandcastle, dance with Mermaid Pearl and her sea friends, the seahorse and dolphin, or pretend to play dress-up at the vanity. Kids can hear playful phrases and sounds by placing Pearl on any of the MagicPoint locations.

Easy Ways to Cut Back on Sugar

Nationwide, 30 million children and adults have diabetes, and 86 million are prediabetic, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). November is National Diabetes Month, and an excellent opportunity to take steps to decrease your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. A leading risk factor for Type 2 diabetes is being overweight. But the good news is, according to the ADA, losing just seven percent of your body weight can decrease that risk by 58 percent. One way to manage your weight is to cut back on sugar, which can often be a sneaky source of weight gain.

Before getting started, it’s important to remember that many healthy foods naturally contain sugar, a carbohydrate your body burns for energy. Processed sugars are different, adding calories that provide no other nutritional benefit, and at excessive levels, disrupting your metabolism, and potentially posing serious health risks.

The USDA’s dietary guidelines recommend that added sugar account for less than ten percent of your daily calories -- that’s a maximum of 50 grams a day for average women and 62.5 grams for men. To keep your sugar consumption in the healthy range, Courtney McCormick, Corporate Dietitian at Nutrisystem offers the following tips: ● Hold the Ketchup. You know baked goods and candy are loaded with added sugar, but so are many foods you may not think of as especially sweet. A tablespoon of ketchup, for instance, has four grams of sugar. Salsa, barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce and even bread are hidden sources of sugar. ● Sweeten with Spices. Replace sugar from coffee, hot cereal and other foods with spices that have a naturally sweet taste, such as vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom, instead. ● Flavor Your Water. A 12-ounce can of soda has as much as 40 grams of added sugar. (Continued on page 16)

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Skip the soda and drink water sweetened with fresh fruit and herbs, like strawberries and basil or lime and mint. ● Start with Plain. The fruit in the bottom of your yogurt can come with 25 or more grams of added sugar. Buy plain yogurt and add your own fresh or dried fruit. ● Snack on Fruit. One cup of blueberries, for example, has seven grams of natural sugar to satisfy your sweet tooth, but the fruit also comes with fiber to help you feel full and slow the breakdown of the sugars, so you don’t crave more calories soon after eating it. ● Bake with Applesauce. Eating fewer baked goods is sure to reduce your sugar intake, but when the occasion calls for you to make a cake, replace a third of the sugar in the recipe with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. For a delicious no-sugar added applesauce recipe, visit leaf.nutrisystem.com/recipes. ● Eat Right and Often. When you’re hungry, you crave calories and that too often leads to sugary snacking. Reduce between-meal munching by eating healthy, filling foods four to six times a day. Programs like Nutrisystem provide portioncontrolled meals and snacks throughout the day, giving you the structure you need to eat right.

This National Diabetes Month, make small swaps to reduce your sugar intake and more easily manage your weight.

Source: StatePoint

Read our blog for more articles… ● Feeling Fatigued? 3 Ways Women Can Boost Iron Intake ● Safe Sleep Awareness ● 5 Essential Travel Hacks for On-the-Go Parents ● 5 Essential Skincare Tips for Baby ● 5 Tips to Save on Bills ● 5 Simple Ways Parents Can Make the World Gentle for Baby ● 4 tips for choosing the right car seat ● Before You Give Birth, Ask These 4 Questions About Your Hospital ● 7 Often Missed Babyproofing Tips ● Tips for Baby’s 1st Foods ● Read to Your ChildWith Video ● The Bath Tub ● And more….

naturalbabymag.com/ natural-baby-blog

By Angela J. Willard

Hazel Antonina Grace Rose Brandt at one month old.

hen Ashlea Graff, 25, went in for her normal prenatal exam on September 29, she was expecting to get the regular news of her baby girl growing and doing well. She was due on October 20, 2017â&#x20AC;&#x201C;still three weeks to go. The news she received, however, was not at all normal.

Ashlea was told that her baby was not growing as expected, and her doctors felt it was best to induce her and deliver baby ASAP. In hearing this, Ashlea said she was "super nervous and scared" but also excited to finaly be able to meet her daughter. But through all the excitement of seeing her precious bundle for the first time, there was the underlying worry that something was wrong with Hazel.

Photo by Angela J. Willard

On September 30, Ashlea was induced via IV solution at PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center, a general hospital. "The contractions were terrible," Ashlea explained. Later that afternoon, when the pain became unbearable, she opted for an epidural to help ease the painful contractions. "It took him forever to get the epidural in," Ashlea explained. "He said my spine was shaped like a question mark." Ashlea found out that she has scoliosis during that procedure. "He gave me too much. I was all sorts of messed up, but I didn't feel anything." She explained that when it came time to push, it only took a couple of pushes before Hazel was born. (Continued on page 18)

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because Hazel was not crying. It was soon apparent that Hazel was having trouble breathing. "She did not take the big breath she needed to take, and she had amniotic fluid in her lungs," Ashlea explained.

Baby Hazel was born without a sound, as she was struggling to breathe.

Hazel Antonina Grace Rose Brandt was born at 3:02AM on October 1, without a peep. Hazel would not cry. Ashlea sent out prayer requests to friends and family and on Facebook,

Baby Hazel, seen here on oxygen and an IV, needed to be fed “sugar water” intravenously since she was unable to eat at first.

"When she was born, they took her away and I wasn't able to hold her," Ashlea said. "They just told me she wasn't breathing properly. I was freaking out! I wanted to yell at the nurses, but I didn't. I was scared and I felt very out-ofthe-loop on what was going on with my daughter."

The medical team quickly arranged for Hazel and Ashlea to be medevaced to a hospital that was more equipped to care for Hazel's emergent needs, in Anchorage, Alaska.

Baby Hazel prepared for being medivaced from Ketchikan, Alaska to Anchorage.

Once in Anchorage, the medical staff began hooking Hazel up to "everything,” according to Ashlea.

well. The following day, she was finally able to join her mom in her room, which made Ashlea very happy.

"Her heart rate and blood pressure dropped a couple of times,” Ashlea recalled. “One doctor would say she is fine, so they put her on a lesser dose of oxygen. Then the next day, a different doctor would take her completely off the oxygen. And then she would get back on it again."

On October 6, Ashlea and Hazel were finally released from the hospital and on their way home. The hospital arranged all of their transportation and they flew back to Ketchikan on Alaska Airlines.

It was a trying time for Ashlea, as she helplessly watched her baby girl fight to live.

Once home, big sister Lillian was finally able to hold her precious baby sister, Hazel. NB

After they were set up in Anchorage, and Hazel was stable, Ashlea was finally able to hold her newborn daughter.

All photos courtesy of Ashlea Graff unless otherwise noted.

"I was very happy to bring her home," Ashlea recalled, "I cried the whole time."

On the third day, baby Hazel was able to get taken off everything and she did

Ashlea was unable to hold her newborn daughter, Hazel (seen here), until after they arrived in Anchorage, Alaska via Medevac.

Proud, big sister Lillian, who is almost 3, holding her precious baby sister, Hazel. She had to wait almost a week from the time she saw her after she was born to when she was finally able to hold her. A happy moment for these two sisters.

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