I'm a full-time mummy

(** Article first published as Book Review: High-Risk Pregnancy: Why Me? Kelly Whitehead, with Dr. Vincenzo Berghella on Blogcritics.)

I received an email pitch in October last year from Kelly Whitehead, the author of this book asking whether I am interested in reviewing her upcoming book. I had only started reading the book last month and although I have never experienced any high-risk pregnancies, I do want to know more about this as I have friends who have suffered through miscarriages and also the passing of their babies. So here goes my review for the "High-Risk Pregnancy - Why Me? " book:

Title: High-Risk Pregnancy - Why Me?
Authors: Kelly Whitehead & Dr. Vincenzo Berghella
Publisher: Evolve Publishing; 1st edition (December 1, 2011)
ISBN-13/-10:  978-0983264743 / 0983264740
Paperback:  424 pages
Dimension:  8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches

Description from the product page:
"Facing a possible high-risk pregnancy? Struggling to keep your fear and anxiety under control? Overwhelmed by a long list of unknowns? Seeking medical answers and emotional reassurance?  

The road to parenthood is tough enough. Adding the fear of a possible premature baby can make it overwhelming: bed rest, countless meds, endless tests, no sex, the list goes on and on. So, when past history or known risk factors increase the likelihood of a high-risk pregnancy and a premature baby, Why Me? delivers...

Written by a mom-scientist who lost her first baby at nearly 23 weeks and endured two subsequently successful high-risk pregnancies in collaboration with one of the world's top medical authorities on premature birth, WM? provides the answers and knowledge your head craves, while addressing the heart's need to manage one's fears, to know they're normal and to be reassured that you can and will get through this. "

Like I mentioned earlier, although I have never experienced any high-risk pregnancies with my two children, I do want to know more about the subject as I have friends who have suffered through miscarriages and also the passing of their babies. The goal of Kelly Whitehead's "High-Risk Pregnancy: Why Me? Understanding and Managing a Potential Preterm Pregnancy - A Medical and Emotional Guide" book is to educate and give you a better understanding and to let you know there is hope and nothing is impossible!

I like the chapter on Preeclampsia (page 47 to 56) which is very detailed and good as I now understand the reasons for the routine check-ups on blood pressure, weight, and urine tests being carried out during the pre-natal visits.

I also agree with the points on choosing the right doctor (chapter 15) as I have personally experienced myself the effects of a not so committed doctor who rushes through our appointments (We always get the "So anymore questions? Ok?" within the first 10 minutes into my check-up) and we decided to change to another gynae after I was prescribed a hormone pill (to make the foetus grow faster) and was advice to take it orally (I experienced side effects from that!)

We also found out from our 2nd gynae that it is not advisable to continue with my current over-the-counter multivitamins as the amount of some vitamins are too high for pregnant mums to consume (which also may harm the baby)

Furthermore, I find the "Dos and Don'ts of the NICU" (page 324 to 328) very useful as it gives helpful tips on how to deal with the newborn and the parents as well.

"High-Risk Pregnancy" is inspiring, too, in its inclusion of some real-life stories, encouraging pregnant women with cases of other women experiencing the same (or even worse situations). A sense of support and hope may be instilled by examples of how these earlier women ultimately overcome their obstacles, finding closure and moving on with their lives when things do not work out.

To sum it all, this book is an incisive and thorough book to have as I get to learn and understand more about high-risk pregnancies. I am truly thankful to be able to carry my two children to full terms and delivered them both naturally without any complications.

You can get this book from Amazon or http://shop.hrpwhyme.com/.

I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with a PDF copy of the book by the author in order to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Please do your own research when purchasing products, as your opinions may differ from mine. And if you'd like to read my previous book reviews, you can do so by reading this post of mine called "My Book Reviews"

Ben and I are big fans of the "Five Little Monkey" app series! When I saw the latest press release from Oceanhouse Media featuring the new "Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping", I immediately requested for a promo code to review it. Anyway, my review as below...

* Title: Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping
* Price: $1.99
* Category: Books
* Released: Feb 14, 2012
* Current Version: 1.08
* Size: 16.8 MB
* Language: English
* Seller: Oceanhouse Media, Inc.
* Rated: 4+
* Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later

Description from the product page:

"The day before school starts, Mama takes her five little monkeys shopping for clothes. "Stay right here," she says, "AND DON'T GO WANDERING OFF!" But one little monkey has to go to the bathroom, and two little monkeys get thirsty. Then three little monkey friends arrive, and four little monkeys decide to go help find the others. . . . Will Mama ever have all five of her little monkeys together again?

Vibrant illustrations, catchy text, and simple math lessons are wonderfully incorporated into this latest Five Little Monkeys adventure! "

I downloaded this app in the middle of the night so I can't immediately get Ben to try it out. Now, the next day when he woke up, I started this app and just sat in front of him waiting for his reactions. His face lit up when he saw the Five Little Monkey and then he realised it's not same as his previous Five Little Monkey apps. He said 'Shopping!' and so, we began our review of this fun, fun, fun app!

What's good?

* It is engaging and interactive and I love that we can also touch the objects in each page on the screen and the words pop out to tell you what it is!

* I took this opportunity from the storyline to teach Ben never to wander off by himself when he's out during our family outings.

* Although Ben is a tad too young to learn the computations shown in the app, I do very much like the idea of calculations in the app where Mama started counting how many Little Monkeys she has  minus the numbers of Little Monkey she has around her.

* I like how the story ended happily (thank God!) and I used the opportunity to remind Ben why it is important to stay close to us.

What's not so good?

* It gets a little bit confusing when another pack of Little Monkeys appeared and got included in the chaos but I do appreciate and understand it as it is helpful in teaching the computations as well.

You can purchase the " Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping " app from the iTunes App Store.

I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with the promo code by the sponsor to redeem the application for free from iTunes Store in order to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Please do your own research when purchasing products, as your opinions may differ from mine. And if you'd like to read my previous iPad Apps reviews, you can do so by reading this post of mine called "My iPad App Reviews"

This is my 2nd VeggieTales DVD review after "God Loves You Very Much" and to be honest, I am starting to like VeggieTales after seeing how my toddler fell in love with it. I even bought one of the older released DVD ("Heroes of The Bible Lions, Shepherds and Queens") Anyway, here is my review:

DVD synopsis:

"Larry the Cucumber hosts “The Silly Song Telethon” and counts down the top favorite silly songs of all-time... voted for by the fans!! The fun continues with a surprise introduction of a never-before-seen, new Silly Song chosen by Larry the Cucumber from thousands of fan submissions! Includes 20 great Silly Songs:
    * I Love My Lips
    * The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything
    * Belly Button
    * His Cheeseburger
    * Endangered Love
    * The Water Buffalo Song
    * The Song of the Cebu
    * Dance of the Cucumber
    * Yodeling Veterinarian of the Alps
    * Monkey
    * The Hairbrush Song
    * Biscuit of Zazzamarandabo
    * The SUV Song
    * Lance the Turtle
    * Gated Community
    * Where Have All The Staplers Gone?
    * Sippy Cup
    * Pants
    * Pizza Angel
    * Goodnight Junior"

Look at the picture above of Ben watching the DVD intensely! This DVD is packed with over 20 Silly Songs and some of my our favorites are:

* I Love My Lips (My boy particularly enjoys and always cracked up laughing the part where Larry sings real fast)
* Belly Button (Our favorite, a song with a unique tune and my boy is slowly memorising this song!)
* Lance the Turtle (Arghh... this is one song with a catchy tune! It's been playing on my head over and over and over again!)
* Gated Community (I laughed when I saw the song title, but nonetheless a very nice song too!)
* Pizza Angel (Oh boy, this is another catchy-stuck-in-my-head song!)

A fun and entertaining DVD that is a must to have!

You can get this DVD at http://store.veggietales.com/if-i-sang-a-silly-song-dvd.html or any outlets that sell it.

Now, my sponsor has generously offered another DVD of the same title for me to host as a giveaway to 1 lucky winner! 

Please note that this giveaway is only available for US residents. (apologies to the rest, please don't get mad, OK?)

To enter the giveaway, kindly read and follow the instructions as stated in the Rafflecopter form below.

• You can enter either via login through your Facebook account OR just key in your name and your valid email address. 
• Please also leave your valid email address in the post comment so that I can contact you if you win this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with the DVD in order to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Please do your own research when purchasing products, as your opinions may differ from mine.