Grab bars keep your family safe on slick surfaces.

Create a safe haven well before the baby arrives

(ARA) – As people begin thinking about starting a family, most parents-to-be ponder how their lives will change when their new bundle of joy arrives. However there are many changes that should come much earlier. During pregnancy, there are many hidden dangers in your home. Luckily, you only have to alter your habits slightly to ensure a safe haven for you and your new arrival.

Nursery No-no
For most expectant mothers, decorating the nursery is an exciting project to complete in anticipation of the new addition. However, when choosing the perfect shade to splash the walls, recruit dad, grandparents or friends to help with this part. Nearly all paints — even environmentally friendly versions — emit fumes and it is unknown what their effects are on the baby. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that pregnant women avoid newly painted rooms (and their harmful odors) for at least two days after the job is done.

Bath Safety
As the “baby bump” continues to grow, the excess weight around the mid-section will shift a mother-to-be’s center of gravity, making her very unstable and increasing the risk of slips and falls. And, according to the Home Safety Council, falls are the leading cause (66 percent) of all nonfatal home injuries — with the bathroom being a main culprit due to water and slick surfaces. Luckily, there are many updates to the bath that can provide added comfort and security.

For help getting in and out of the tub or shower, the Home Safety Council recommends installing grab bars. SecureMount Grab Bars from Home Care by Moen are an ideal choice since they feature a unique anchor installation system that allows homeowners to install grab bars quickly and easily anywhere on the wall — without the need for a stud — for the ultimate in safety and peace of mind. Plus, they are available in a variety of styles and finishes to beautifully coordinate with the rest of the bathroom. In addition to grab bars, a shower chair may be an additional consideration. Products such as Home Care’s new Premium Shower Chair offer comfort, convenience and safety while performing showering tasks, such as washing hair or shaving legs.

Feline Frets
While Fluffy may be a best buddy, her litter box is a “must avoid” for pregnant woman due to the risk of toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by a microscopic parasite that often resides in cat feces. Don’t fret, however, this doesn’t mean you need to get rid of your cuddly kitten. Be sure to keep litter in rooms where moms won’t be exposed and let someone else in the household take over the chore of cleaning the litter boxes.

Call a Maid . . . or Not
Unfortunately, most cleaning products are safe during pregnancy, so expectant status isn’t necessarily a green light to hire a maid. However, there are many things to consider that will keep mom and baby-to-be safe from harm. First, always ensure there is good ventilation and avoid using any products that say “toxic” since they have solvents that could harm the baby. Sites such as www.greenhome.com list the latest lines of environmentally friendly cleaning products. Or, for added peace of mind, just use a combination of baking soda and vinegar as a cleaning solution for just about anything in your home.

Begin to Baby-proof
Once the baby arrives, he will be mobile before you know it. So, take time now to baby-proof your home. Take an inventory of sharp corners, cabinets with dangerous objects and electrical outlets; then purchase and install the necessary safety items, such as corner pads, outlet inserts and cabinet locks to keep baby safe. Next, look for any breakable items that are low enough to be reached or heavy objects up high that could topple over. Inviting friends’ babies and toddlers over is a great way to “test” the baby-proofing efforts.

Pregnancy should be a joyous time in the lives of parents-to-be, so ensure nine months of health and happiness with these few tips. For more information on bath safety products, visit www.homecare.moen.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Samantha Binah started each day with breakfast. She is a believer in eating three or small balanced meals a day, as opposed to skipping meals and eating one large meal at the end of the day. Breakfast, for example usually consisted of a slice of whole-wheat toast and a soft boiled egg. She often picked yogurt for a midday snack. Lunch was usually a salad with protein, and for dinner she chose a protein with vegetables, rice or potatoes. She allowed herself one sweet each day. Sometimes that meant fruit and sometimes that meant chocolate. During her pregnancy, there were certain periods when her hunger increased. During those times she definitely ate more, but always tried to make healthy choices.

Normally her exercise program consisted of three, one-hour sessions of Pilates and three, one-hour walks per week. During her pregnancy, she continued these two types of exercises, but varied the time spent and types of movements performed to support the changes in her body. For example, some weeks she opted to do 20 minutes of Pilates a day instead of the three full hours. As a Pilates instructor, she knew that 20 minutes a day instead of three hours would be an invaluable way to safely stay strong and prepare for pregnancy and motherhood. Pilates is a weight bearing and low impact strengthening technique.

Samantha chose four areas of the body on which to focus: legs, back, arms and pelvis. She strengthened all the muscles in her legs and focused on stretching the inner thighs and hamstrings. She worked to keep her ever growing tummy comfortable, and gently stretched to ease any nagging backaches.

She knew that motherhood would challenge her lower back muscles with constant carrying and lifting of baby and baby gear. As she strengthened the biceps and triceps of her arms, she paid special attention to her posture. Keeping a straight, strong upper back would assist with the lifting in future months.

The last area of focus was the pelvis. She performed several variations of pelvic lifts and mimicked Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor. Surprisingly, she did not work to strengthen her abdominals. Due to her body awareness, she knew that she already had very strong and tight abdominals. For her body, it was important to allow her uterus to grow without constricting it with more tightening.

Working with a pregnant client, she might encourage abdominal strengthening for a very short period into the pregnancy. Another reason to be cautious about abdominal exercises is that late in pregnancy abdominal muscles can separate. This is called diastasis.

When she practiced her own routine for pregnancy and when she worked with pregnant clients she encouraged avoiding the supine (lying flat on the back) position in the third trimester and sometimes even into the second. This is because oxygen may be slightly cut off to the baby in this position. She advises those not familiar with an exercise routine to work with a trained professional if exercising when pregnant. During pregnancy, ligaments loosen due to hormonal changes and special care should be taken.

On September 23rd, Samantha’s bundle of joy arrived. She delivered her 6 pound, 9 ounce baby naturally, which was a dream come true. Soon after arriving from the hospital she started to get Noah used to his sleeping arrangement.

Placing her baby next to her own bed, Samantha chose the Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper Bassinet. It fastens securely to the adult bed yet keeps the baby close.

“I am breast feeding and the Co-Sleeper allows me easy access to the baby without getting out of bed. I love it,” says Samantha.

For information about the benefits of keeping your baby close, particularly in his early days, log on to www.armsreach.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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