I'm a full-time mummy

I came across this article which I must definitely share with you guys!!! For your convenience, I have copied the excerpts from the article here - click on the image below to launch the video on YouTube:

THIS is the amazing moment a baby boy born still inside the amniotic sac is cut out so he can take his first breath. The tiny infant remains blissfully unaware he is no longer in the womb and can even be seen squirming and yawning from within before doctors snip him out.

 It is easy to make out the baby's dark hair and features as his face is pressed up against the wall of the sac. In the remarkable clip, medics delicately slice open the thin casing which quickly gives way to release the baby.

 
He slides out easily and immediately starts crying as he breathes in air for the very first time.

 The amniotic sac is a thin but resilient membrane which encases the baby in fluid to keep it safe during pregnancy. The moment the casing splits is often referred to as a woman's 'waters breaking'. The expectant mum will usually give birth shortly afterwards.

Babies being born still encased within the entire amniotic sac, known as an en-caul birth, are rare. It generally occurs in fewer than one in 80,000 cases.

** Note: I have disabled the commenting feature on my blog engine thanks to all the spammers who happily spam my blog every day. If you wish to ask me any questions, you can find me at my Facebook page (I'm there almost everyday) or just drop me an email if you wish to maintain some anonymity.

I came across this article which I must definitely share with you guys as I'm very interested to know your thoughts on this. Do note that sharing this does not mean I agree or disagree with it. For your convenience, I have copied the excerpts from the article here:

Sippy cup maker Tommee Tippee has received a string of negative complaints following a viral post that showed the cup’s hidden valve covered in mold. With parents concerned for their own child’s well-being, many began cutting open their own Tommee Tippee cups to see what was hidden beneath. Many discovered that, to their disbelief, their cups were also covered in mold.

Despite the complaints, Tommee Tippee has responded noting that “if used properly,” the cup will not mold. However, there is a catch. The Tommee Tippee cup is only designed to be used with a limited number of beverages. Here is what you need to know about the Tommee Tippee cup mold issue.

One angry father took to Facebook to detail issues he discovered while using a Tommee Tippee cup. Photos of the moldy sippy cup were first uploaded to Facebook by Marie-Pier S. L’Hostie of Montreal, a friend of father Simon O’kanada, who was using the Tommee Tippee cups for his son. O’kanada reported that his son was consistently sick, and he couldn’t figure out what was causing the illness. Therefore, he decided to open up the top of his son’s sippy cup to see if it could be the source of the issue, and what he found was horrifying. The anti-leak spout hidden inside of the top of the sippy cup was covered in mold.

** Photo credit

Initially, many parents believed that the mold was due to improper cleaning techniques. It is noted that the non-spill valve is hidden within the top of the cup, inaccessible to parents for cleaning. Many sippy cup brands have the valve exposed so that it can be removed and properly cleaned, but the Tommee Tippee cup is designed with the valve hidden behind the upper plastic of the cup, making it spill-proof. However, it seems this spill-proof quality comes at a cost to parents, as mold can easily form in the spout.

Numerous concerned parents using Tommee Tippee saw the startling post, and many decided to take one of their sippy cups and dissect it to see if any mold was present. Many were shocked when they discovered their Tommee Tippee sippy cups were also infested with mold on the hidden valve.

Tippee says that their cup is only designed to be used with water and non-pulp juices served cold. The company says that warm beverages, thick milk, and juices with pulp are not supposed to be used with the Tommee Tippee cups and that these beverages can cause the mold issues presented. Therefore, if milk, a warm beverage, or juice with pulp has been placed in the cup, it appears the only option is to toss the sippy cup or face potential mold problems.

Tommee Tippee has responded to customer concerns about the hidden valve and mold growth, noting that if the cups are “used properly,” they will not present a health hazard. However, there is a catch to the company’s statement. Tommee If you read the comments on the Tommee Tippee statement, you will note that many parents are not buying the company’s response, claiming they have mold despite only using the cups with water as suggested. Despite the complaints and the continual stream of moldy photos, the company says that the cups are safe to use with the limited beverages noted. However, Tommee Tippee says they are in the process of creating a transparent valve that will allow parents to see the inside workings of the cup so that they will know if mold is growing.

Quickly go check your child's sippy cups and water bottles!!

** Note: I have disabled the commenting feature on my blog engine thanks to all the spammers who happily spam my blog every day. If you wish to ask me any questions, you can find me at my Facebook page (I'm there almost everyday) or just drop me an email if you wish to maintain some anonymity.

I came across this article which I must definitely share with you guys as I'm very interested to know your thoughts on this. Do note that sharing this does not mean I agree or disagree with it.

I do believe that iPads are beneficial for educational purposes provided that you moderate the usage of it for your kiddos and you filter through the apps that they have access to.

A friend once shared to us that one of their friend's child was so addicted to iPad that when given a real book to read, the child does not know how to turn the pages of the book. The child just stared at the book and tried to use their fingers to swipe the book expecting the pages to be flipped as how it would be on iPad.

Our kiddos used to have access to the iPads for up to 2 hours a day, then we switched it to weekend usage only and now, it has been almost 2 months since we took away all our iPads and our kiddos have been free from it. I do feel that they are better without it for now. Maybe we will change our stance in future but for now, the iPads are a no-no. That's just how we do it for now, of course, every family functions differently. Feel free to share your thoughts. No bashing, no judging please. For your convenience, I have copied the excerpts from the article here:

Experts have warned that parents who allow babies and toddlers to access tablet computers for several hours a day are in danger of causing “dangerous” long term effects.

 The youngest known patient being treated in the UK is a four-year-old girl from the South East. Her parents enrolled her for compulsive behaviour therapy after she became increasingly “distressed and inconsolable” when the iPad was taken away from her. Her use of the device had escalated over the course of a year and she had become addicted to using it up for to four hours a day.

Dr Richard Graham, who launched the UK’s first technology addiction programme three years ago, said he believed there were many more addicts of her age.  “The child's mother called me and described her symptoms,” he said. "She told me she had developed an obsession with the device and would ask for it constantly. She was using it three to four hours every day and showed increased agitation if it was removed."

Dr Graham said that young technology addicts experienced the same withdrawal symptoms as alcoholics or heroin addicts, when the devices were taken away. He warned that the condition prevented young people from forming normal social relationships, leaving them drained by the constant interaction.

 "Children have access to the internet almost from birth now,” he told the Sunday Mirror. “They see their parents playing on their mobile devices and they want to play too. It's difficult, because having a device can also be very useful in terms of having a reward, having a pacifier. But if you don't get the balance right it can be very dangerous.

"They can't cope and become addicted, reacting with tantrums and uncontrollable behaviour when they are taken away. Then as they grow older, the problem only gets worse. Even the most shy kids, when they hit their teens, suddenly want to become sociable and popular."

It is feared that products such as baby-proof iPad covers and iPotties, which feature built-in iPad stands, only fuel the problem. Parents who have found themselves unable to wean their children off computer games and mobile phones are paying up to £16,000 for a 28-day “digital detox” programme designed by Dr Graham at the Capio Nightingale Hospital in London.

Psychiatrists estimate that the number of people who have become digitally dependent has risen by 30 per cent over the past three years. A survey last week revealed that more than half of parents allowed their babies to play with their phone or tablet device. One in seven of more than 1,000 parents questioned by babies.co.uk website admitted that they let them use the gadgets for four or more hours a day.

James Macfarlane, managing director of the website, said: “Given that babies between 3-12 months are awake for only around 10 hours per day this is a huge proportion of their waking day. “Although 81 per cent of our users felt that children today spend too much time on smart devices, it hasn’t put most of them off using them to entertain their baby.”

Do you have anything else to add?

** Note: I have disabled the commenting feature on my blog engine thanks to all the spammers who happily spam my blog every day. If you wish to ask me any questions, you can find me at my Facebook page (I'm there almost everyday) or just drop me an email if you wish to maintain some anonymity.