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The Itzbeen Baby Care Timer is the first multi-purpose nursery tool designed to help new parents remember the basic details of baby-care. The Itzbeen has four timers that count up with the touch of a button. No more charts and journals. The Itzbeen also allows you to set an optional reminder alarm for each of the timers, for example: change the diaper every 2 hours, or give medication every 4 hours. If the time limit is reached, the appropriate button will light up, and an optional alarm will briefly beep. The Itzbeen has several other helpful features: Nursing Reminder Switch – easily reminds mom which side baby nursed from last, Soft-glow Nightlight – to help parents find their way in the dark without waking the baby (the nightlight automatically goes off after 7 minutes), Backlit Display – so parents can read the times and the clock in the dark, and a Back Clip – makes the Itzbeen Baby Care Timer totally portable and allows for hands-free use of the Nightlight.
- Clean design and simple timer concept.
- Great way to help maintain sanity for new parents during those crazy first few weeks after birth.
- Helps manage your baby’s schedule when getting help from grandparents, babysitters, and child care providers.
- Built in flashlight.
- Super portable, with a handy clip that allows you to attach it to a pocket, belt, diaper bag strap, car seat, etc.
- Limited functionality. If you require more detailed tracking of diaper changes and feedings, you may want to consider trying some of the mobile apps that are available on the Apple or Android app stores.
(AC300) is portable and can be used anywhere baby sleeps. The under-the-mattress sensor pad detects the slightest baby movements and alerts you if no movement is detected for 20 seconds. It is a great addition to the Movement Sensor with Sound Monitor from Angelcare if you have twins sleeping in different beds, in the same room. Can also be a great addition to the Angelcare sound monitor or any other sound monitor for that little extra reassurance. uses a sensor alarm which works in such a way that if movement is not detected after 20 seconds then an alarm will sound to alert you to the situation.- Easy to set up and use.
- Uses batteries, so no need to find an outlet, and one less cord to secure.
- Portable and easy to use in a variety of situations, from bassinet to crib to pack-n-play.
- Works very well for swaddled and/or wrapped newborns and infants that aren’t moving around too much.
- Manual switch requires you to remember to turn it on and off each time you pick up your baby.
- Once baby starts to roll on their side, or moving to edges of crib, the sensitivity may not pick up their breathing properly, resulting in false alarms.
has really helped my wife and I sleep a little better at night. It provides an extra layer of monitoring that gives us a little extra piece of mind and comfort. It can be a little temperamental when getting it all set up, due to its sensitivity, and once a baby starts sleeping on their side, it may have trouble picking up their breathing, but all in all, we are very happy with its performance. If you already have a video/audio monitor, the basic model works just fine, as you can easily hear the alarm in your nursery through a regular video/audio monitoring system. Otherwise, they have integrated systems that may save you some money and keep your total number of gadgets down a bit. is definitely a worthy addition to your baby nursery, starting with the baby’s first day at home. It helped us sleep better at night, and we think you will too.
Prior to the birth of our first daughter, one of the things my wife and I decided to explore was cord blood banking. When having a child, especially your first, the whole experience can be pretty overwhelming. Most expecting parents are trying to figure out which baby gear to add to their baby registry, which names to add to their shortlist, how to decorate the nursery, and more importantly…how to afford everything. This was certainly the case for us, but after some careful research and multiple discussions between ourselves and with our obstetrician, we decided that it was something that we wanted to do for our family, and we selected Cord Blood Registry. Hopefully, this overview will help other expecting parents decide whether or not cord blood banking is right for you and your family.
What is Cord Blood Banking?
Cord blood banking allows families to store stem cells that are harvested from cord blood extracted from the placental end of a newborn baby’s umbilical cord. The cord blood is usually collected within 10 minutes of giving birth, and then sent to a cord blood storage facility where it is processed and placed into freezers. It is stored there indefinitely in a subzero cryogenic system that preserves the stem cells until a later time when they might be needed to treat medical conditions of the child from whom they originated, or possibly another family member. Hopefully, your child and family will remain healthy, and the stem cells will never be needed. However, many find it comforting to know that they are available should the potential need ever arise.
According to WedMD, cord blood stem cells are considered the building blocks of life. They have the ability to divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types, consistent with cells of various tissues such as muscles or nerves. Stem cells have been used for more than 20 years to treat more than 80 life-threatening diseases and disorders, including the treatment of leukemia, lymphoma, and anemia, along with a variety of other hematopoietic, immune system, and genetic disorders, and stem cells are considered a better alternative to bone marrow transplants. Additional treatments and uses are currently being developed all around the world, including the treatment of traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, Type 1 juvenile diabetes, and autism. While somewhat controversial, and with research and discoveries that are still fairly early-stage, many view this as a sort of insurance policy for their children and family.
Sample Collection Process
Let’s take a step back and talk a little bit about the setup and collection process. For us, the entire process was pretty seamless. After speaking with a company representative on the phone to answer a few questions, we completed the registration process online. They promptly sent us the collection kit in the mail, which provided detailed instructions for our upcoming birth day. We informed our obstetrician that we were collecting the cord blood, and provided the kit to the medical team upon our arrival and admittance to the maternity unit. After the birth of our child and the subsequent cord blood collection, the sealed sample was placed on our newborn daughter’s transport cart and brought with her back to our room. Shortly thereafter, we then called to schedule the sample pickup using a toll-free number provided by the cord blood banking company, and a courier came directly to our room within an hour or two to pickup the sample for preparation and shipment to the main storage facility. After it arrived at the storage facility, the sample went through final preparation steps and was banked in their freezer storage system.
Sample Options
One thing we discovered with our second child is that new technology now allows for additional options on the types of tissue and cells that you can choose to collect and store. For our first daughter, born in March 2010, I believe the only option was cord blood collection and storage. For our second daughter, born in October 2012, the same cord blood banking company now offers the option to also collect and store the cord blood tissue, in addition to or instead of just the cord blood. Of course, there are additional fees for both the upfront cost of collection and the ongoing annual storage cost. We decided to go with the same program as our first daughter, and opted to stick with just the cord blood collection.
Program Costs
Even if parents are interested in cord blood banking, the cost may force many parents to forego this option. To be completely honest, the cost of cord blood banking is rather high. Most cord blood banks have an up front collection and storage preparation fee that ranges from $1,500 to $2,200, and then charge an annual storage fee of $125 to $150. Additional charges apply if you choose to also preserve the cord tissue, in addition to the cord blood.
There is no doubt that this is a steep cost at an expensive time in the lives of young families. So if it comes down to choosing between diapers and formula, or cord blood banking, this decision is an easy choice. In order to help parents manage these upfront costs, most cord blood banks offer payment plans and gift registries that allow family and friends to contribute towards these services. Additionally, a variety of discounts may be available through your obstetrician office, referral programs such as the one offered here for friends of A Modern Dad, and some employers. In our case, my wife is a nurse, and we discovered that we were eligible for a pretty significant discount offered to medical workers by the cord blood bank that we selected. Discounts are also often available for public service providers (military/police/fire/EMT), active students, multiple birth situations, and repeat customers. These discounts greatly helped us to move forward in getting things all set up, so please keep this in mind and be sure to ask.
Banking Options
A variety of cord blood banking options exist across the United States. I suggest checking out the details of at least two or three companies so you can compare options and pricing, and get an overall feel. There are two types of cord blood banks available to expecting parents. The focus of this article is private cord blood banks, which store cord blood for personal use by your family. In various cities across the U.S., and countries around the world, public cord blood banks may also be available. With public banks, cord blood is donated for research or for use by anyone who may need it. In most cases, there is no charge for that service. Unfortunately, samples submitted to public banks are anonymous, and if a family member later requires a stem cell transplant for treatment, your donation is not retrievable.
- Private banking options include Cord Blood Registry (Cbr), Via Cord, Cryo-Cell, and Family Cord. Most private banking options are available throughout the U.S., as long as your obstetrician and delivering hospital are able to provide support.
- Public banking options tend to be more location specific, with centers available in many of the major cities across the country. Options include LifeCord, ClinImmune, National Cord Blood Program, ITxM, and Cord for Life. And you can find a complete list on the National Marrow Donor Program site.
Additionally, some public banks offer sibling-directed donation programs for families that have an older child who has cancer, a life-threatening inherited blood or immune system disorder, sickle cell anemia or thalassemia. These programs will collect and store umbilical cord blood for a biological sibling at no charge to eligible families, and then if/when a stored cord blood unit is used for transplant, a fee is charged to the patient’s insurance company. More information can be found on the National Marrow Donor Program website.
More Information
For additional information, here are a few other sites that provide good information on cord blood banks, and the cord blood industry as a whole: American Association of Blood Banks, Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Foundation, National Marrow Donor Program, WebMD, and Wikipedia.
Image Credit: thesilhouettestudioblog.com
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With the arrival of A Modern Dad 2.0, we will refocus on newborn issues, while continuing to talk about the trials and tribulations of also raising a toddler. As such, one of the primary anxieties for new parents in the first few days after a newborn arrives is feeding. Is the baby latching on properly? Is she getting enough? When will the mother’s milk come in? Is he hungry? Is she full? These questions are all common concerns, often with no clear and immediate answer. In most cases, this all works itself out within a week or so, and everyone moves on to the next most pressing matter of the day or week.
We would like to talk a little bit about how to manage a very important aspect of feeding in the days and weeks after the milk and/or formula really start flowing…the burp. As a baby gains strength and starts to consume more milk, they tend to take more and more air into their little stomachs. For many babies, air and gas is the root of most evil. This usually leads to fussiness and discomfort, and it often leads to inconsistent sleep patterns as the air and gas cause intermittent pain as it tries to work its way through their little systems. In order to keep your baby comfortable, and keep you and your spouse sane, figuring out how to burp your little one is critical. Here are a few suggestions to hopefully help things go a little more smoothly.
Timing
In most cases, you will want to burp as much as possible, often during feeding at the halfway point, and always after you are done. Obviously, you need to use your own judgment here, but it is usually wise to clear the air from your baby’s tummy when you switch breasts or after every 2 to 3 ounces from a bottle. This will create more room to ensure you little one gets enough nourishment, and it will also help to reduce the likelihood that they will spit up and lose all their hard work. Once the feeding is finished, you will again want to clear as much of the remaining air as possible so it doesn’t cause additional gas problems later.
Positioning
How you position your child for burping will vary from baby to baby and parent to parent, but there are a few tried and tested positions to keep in mind. The first, and probably most common and convenient, is the standard over the shoulder. The allows you easy access to pat your baby’s back, and it keeps them upright with a little pressure on their stomach so the air can work its way up and out, without bringing a lot of milk with it. The second is placing your baby in a sitting position and sideways on your own lap. When a baby is still really small, it can be a bit tricky to properly support their head and body with only one hand (while patting their back with the other), but this has always worked well for me, as the baby’s semi-slumped position tends to bring the air out of their stomach a little more effectively. A third position that you might want to try is laying your baby face down on your lap, with their head resting on one leg and their stomach over the other leg. Support the baby with one hand, while patting their back with other.
Techniques
In addition to the three positions that are commonly used, I often work in a few other techniques that seem to help. For our first daughter, and now our second as well, I have found that while holding them upright on my shoulder, if I lean to my right (the babies left), that often helps release a burp. I also lean the baby (and my torso) forward and back and to the left and right, while bouncing slightly with my knees. This all seems to help work the bubbles to the proper area of the stomach where they can be released up the esophagus. And that, my friends, is how an engineer over thinks the common baby burp.
Back Pats
While burping your baby, it is common to pat their back to help break up air bubbles in their stomachs. It usually doesn’t take much force, so please be gentle with your fragile newborn, and just take your time. Burps have never harmed a baby, and all burps clear themselves eventually. Rubbing the back of a newborn, in addition to or instead of patting, may also be effective for some.
Always Use Protection!
For most of the first twelve months or so, you will want to always have a burp cloth handy. With a backup always nearby as well. Any time you decide to perch a newborn on your shoulder or lap, you are asking for trouble. If you are covered with a burp cloth or a lightweight blanket, you should be able to avoid most major messes. This is especially important when away from your home or traveling. There is nothing worse than having to travel all day with the smell of baby spit up wafting from your shoulder (hyperlink). Trust me.
Queues
Occasionally, you may need to revisit the burping process in between feedings, if your baby becomes fussy. A key queue to listen for is a grunting sound that sounds like your baby is trying to force out some air…because that is probably what they are trying to do. They might also be trying to force something out the other end, or both, but if they recent had a diaper change, then chances are they just need a little help with another burp.
Prevention
For the most part, burping and gas and spit up are just past of the program. There is nothing unusual about it, and as a baby grows and gets stronger, it usually becomes less and less of an issue. However, in some of the more extreme cases of gassiness and spitting up, it might be a sign of other issues like lactose intolerance or food allergies. If you are worried about this, or if it runs in your family, it is probably worth discussing with your pediatrician. Over-the-counter medications such as Mylicon or gripe water might be worth a try. Another issue might be equipment malfunction. Be sure that you are using the proper bottle nipple for the age of your child, and reasonable quantities of milk or formula, so to avoid the intake of excess air.
Sleeping Position
If your baby is really gassy and burpy, sometimes it helps to slightly elevate the head end of their bassinet or crib. This won’t always be possible to do safely, but if so, it might help keep your little one a little more comfortable through a nap or through the night.
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- Well built and sturdy, and has been very reliable for us for over 17 months thus far.
- Easily collapses with just one free hand, assuming you will be holding your baby with the other.
- Car seat snaps securely into the stroller and can be easily removed with just hand, while holding and lifting the seat with the other.
- Removable, washable cloth cover on both car seat and stroller.
- Removable, dishwasher-safe drink/food tray.
The Bad
- The Cortina is only rated to 22lbs. Most babies/toddlers reach this weight by 12 to 18 months. At that point, you will need to purchase a larger car seat. You may want to consider purchasing the Travel System that is rated to 30 pounds instead, in order to get a little more life out of this Chicco system.
- As our daughter got older, and wanted to check out everything going on around her while we were out and about, we realized that we wished the seat adjustment sat up a little bit more. Our daughter has to hold on to the food/drink tray in order to sit straight up.
Prior to the birth of our daughter, and over the past fifteen months since, we have received great advice and recommendations from friends and family. This website is one of the things we decided to use to share and pass on this wealth of knowledge that we have gathered. As such, we had the following books recommended to us, and we found them to be invaluable. We encourage you to pick them up at your local book store or borrow them from your local public library. Enjoy!
- On Becoming Baby Wise – We had this recommended to us by several friends. We followed their sleeping and feeding scheduling guidelines pretty strictly. We also took the notion of full-feeding very seriously, and attribute that to our daughter’s even temperament and relaxed personality. We also believe the Babywise principles played a significant role in her being such a great sleeper (slept thru the night consistently by 8 weeks) and a great eater.
- Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child– In addition to the Babywise principles, we used the guidelines in this book to further refine our daughter’s sleep schedules, and to help us manage our expectations.
- What to Expect Books – Pregnancy/First Year/Second Year/Toddler – Lots of good nuggets of info in these books that helped us prepare beforehand for the first week at home with our daughter, and then the first several months after birth. These books also really helped us to manage our expectations and provide a sort of roadmap for our daughter’s growth and development. These books have good lists of developmental milestones that you can track each month to make sure the baby is on track with things. These milestones gave us ideas as to when to introduce and work on rolling, crawling, and walking…as well as new toys to keep our daughter engaged. We usually started a month or two before they recommended and we have been ahead of schedule most of the way so far. Be sure to pick up the First Year book while still pregnant, as it will help with post-birth planning (i.e. picking a pediatrician, feeding supplies, breastfeeding, illness, childcare, etc.)
- The Happiest Baby on the Block– This DVD has great advice and demos on how to calm your baby and keep your sanity. Some of these methods seem like magic…but most of them worked for us. Definitely good to help ease your anxiety and manage a fussy, overtired baby.
- Dare to Discipline – Dare to Discipline is fairly religious, but the overall concepts are sound in helping to set boundaries and expectations with your little one early on. The original version of the book is outdated (circa 1975) in its examples, but the concepts are the same. The newer version should be a little more relevant.
- Top 100 Baby Purees – This book provides a great base if you are interested in making your own baby food. All you need is a food processor/blender, a few ice cube trays, and two hours every couple weeks. We did this almost exclusively, with some supplementing with squeezy packs from Ella’s Kitchen, Happy Tot, and Plum while on the go. It is easier than it sounds…at least according to my wife…and you know exactly what you are putting into your babies body (i.e. organic fresh veggies and fruits, no preservatives, etc.).
- Making the “Terrible” Twos Terrific! – Making The Terrible Twos Terrific provides good insight on managing the typical behavior of your 18-36-month old child. It includes background on your child’s mental and emotional development during this time period, and gives you a decent understanding of what they are thinking and experiencing. It also explains how to navigate this incredibly formative time period in ways that will have a lasting impact on how your child will act and carry themselves as a teen…and ultimately how they will function as an adult. Definitely a worthwhile read.
Do you have other favorite books that you have found helpful and would recommend? Any thoughts on the books listed above? If so, please share and engage with our community in the comments below. Thanks!
Sure…give it a try.
Long before our daughter arrived…or was even on the way…we had heard about friends teaching their babies sign language in order to help them better communicate prior to learning to talk. My wife and I were both intrigued and agreed that this was something that we would try. The sooner we could communicate with our baby the better.
It is widely accepted/known that babies usually have the ability to communicate long before they are able to speak. This often leads to frustration for both the baby and the parents, as this communication breakdown is often at the core of basic fussiness and tantrums. Sign language can often allow parents to quickly understand what is bothering their baby or what the baby needs, and to resolve the situation quickly…which is obviously great for all involved.
We were not quite sure where to begin, so we started in the most logical places…a bookstore, the library, and the Internet. One of the books we picked up was Baby Signing For Dummies. We skimmed through it and learned some good high level information such as when and how to introduce signing to your baby. From there, we mainly relied on some cheat sheets that we pulled from the Internet.
To find these cheat sheets, go to Google, search for “baby sign language chart”, hit the images tab for a bunch of decent options, and print out a few to keep around for reminders. This chart was probably the most useful for us… http://www.babies-and-sign-language.com/images/chartbwbig2.jpg. It is very basic, but has most of the key signs. The ones we use the most are eat/food, milk, more, finished/all done, thank you, and please. We were using mother and father, but then our daughter just started saying those instead (mama/dada). 
We started introducing signing to our daughter pretty early on, around 4-5 months, primarily before/during/after feeding her a bottle. She seemed to start understanding some of the signs around 9-10 months, and she started using some of them herself around 12 months (eat/food, milk, and more)…which was definitely pretty cool. Over the past couple months, we have continued to practice signing with her, and have introduced a few more to her (I love you, please, thank you, and dirty diaper). However, at nearly 15 months, she is now trying to just speak the words instead, so it seems that our days of signing may be limited.
Definitely give it a shot, but please remember to be patient, persistent, and consistent. The first time your baby signs back, it will make it all worth while. Enjoy! …and please share your own stories of success and challenges with teaching sign language to your baby.
Hello…and welcome to A Modern Dad! While there are many great parenting and family-oriented blogs out there, very few are presented from a father’s point of view. I hope that dads will find a voice in A Modern Dad, and I hope that its content is just as useful for moms as well.
While my wife and I both grew up in very loving and supportive families, we are pretty much on our own here in Arizona. Most of my family is in Ohio, my wife’s parents are in San Diego, and her sisters are in Denver. Many of our close friends here in AZ are in a similar situation, living away from family, so we all sort of depend on each other for help and advice as we each raise our families. It is sort of the blind leading the blind sometimes, but most of the advice and support has been priceless. We also reference the online world and a few favorite books when we have questions or come across a new challenge. I felt that A Modern Dad would be a great way to share the advice and research that we collect, along with all the fun and scary experiences that are such a key part of starting and growing a family.
A Modern Dad will give you a small glimpse into our daily lives, while covering topics and issues that we are facing each and every day as we raise our daughter. Much of the content will track along with the immediate experiences of our family and daughter, but we will also be going back to discuss things that we experienced during my wife’s pregnancy, and in the days and months after the birth of our daughter. I will also tackle other forward looking topics that we are thinking about, such as education, as well as immediate issues that our friends and families may be facing. I will share activities and products that are working for us, as well as those that do not, and I encourage my readers to provide feedback on your own experiences and opinions.
Additionally, I plan to bring in guest writers from time to time that span a wide range of topics and subjects that are relevant to parents and families. Some of these writers will be business professionals, some will be subject matter experts, and most will be parents themselves. I hope that this will help to bring some added depth to the content and discussions that we build together.
You will see some advertising on the site to help cover the costs of operation, but I will do my best to keep it useful and relevant to the topics covered here. I will also try to provide appropriate links when I reference specific products and services. I hope that you will find these links useful, rather than a burden.
I will work hard to make this site interesting, relevant, and helpful as you too raise your family. We are just getting started, so it will take some time to build up our content. Thank you for your patience, and please follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and email for all the latest updates. And if you like the site, we would greatly appreciate if you could share it with any and all friends and family that you think might also find the information here useful. Thank you for helping to build the A Modern Dad community!
Welcome and Thanks!!
Brad
brad@amoderndad.com