4tips4links

1 - Drink lots of water

2 - Don’t let your skin to  dry. Moisture fastly enlarging  parts of your body with any product you feel happy. I wanted to stay on the safe side and used an expensive stretchmark cream (Babe’s) and a herbal oil mix (susame, cocoa, carrot, and wheat oils) alternately.

3 - Limit your weight increase. I don’t mean to diet, just eat as much a pregnant needs (not two).

4 - Genetics apply, ask your mother. Ok, there is no use of asking to your mother. I don’t have a forth tip for this, just pay attention to first  three and stop worrying, there is nothing more you can do.

Don’t believe me? Check-out other blogs:

http://mamasbagoftricks.blogspot.com/search/label/stretch%20marks

http://www.valmg.com/index.php/2009/miscellaneous-mentionables-4/

http://www.lifestarringellieandeve.com/?p=1651

http://www.rookiemoms.com/painted-pregnant-belly/  this is fun (ok, I don’t have a forth blog link neither, comment if you know one)

A wide variety of products for easy cleaning purposes are available in the market. But do they clean, or do they pollute? I mean, they may be killing all the bacteria, however, how many residuals do they leave on the surface of the cleaned area?

I search for natural cleaners from time to time. Do I run to easy strong products when I’m in a rush, yes I admit I do.  However, when I have time, I try to find the alternatives.  Here are 4 natural replacements for frequently used cleaners:

1 - Dishwasher rinse aid: White vinegar

2 - Lime remover: Lemon / Vinegar (ex. pot: boil vinegar/water mix and let it wait in your pots in the evening, leave aside for night, it will be shining in the morning)

3 - Antibacterial cleaning: Baking soda + warm water mix

4 - Stain remover: Sunflower oil (some dyes are dissolved in oil, like carrot stain)

I have found these giveaway posts for natural cleaners, you might want to check:

http://www.smartfamilytips.com/2009/03/04/green-spring-cleaning/

http://www.lifeinahouseofblue.com/2009/04/better-life-green-cleaning-products.html

http://www.busymommy.us/reviews/87-home-and-garden-product-reviews/351-cleannflip

http://accidentalmommies.com/2009/04/57-seventh-generation-spring-cleaning-with-your-familys-health-in-mind-giveaway/

Actually, your child’s body has an immune system for defense against bacteria.

Luf is taking children’s photographs all day, everday!

Not being able to find one recent photo of yourself, using South Park characters as gravatar.

Have you arrived at the third trimester of pregnancy yet? Can your partner still find some space in the bed for himself? Are you complaining of waking up multiple times through the night? Well, we call this parenting. Welcome to the club.

Okay, okay, I have four tips for better sleep. Don’t hesitate to ask for more.

1 - Drink plenty of water during the day, and limit water intake in the evening. Or get some nappies for yourself . Kidding.

2 - Sleep on your left side, suppport your belly and right leg with cushions. You can use maternity/nursing cushions.

3 - If you suffer from acid-reflux, use extra cushions for your head.

4 - Don’t eat heavy meals at dinner and especially not before going to bed. You can have some light snacks, in order not to get hungry in the middle of the night.

http://www.hisboyscanswim.com/547/pregnancy-insomnia-up-at-347-am-and-cant-sleep-what-a-way-to-welcome-in-13-weeks-of-being-pregnant

http://onenewduck.blogspot.com/2008/01/nightlife.html?showComment=1200422580000

http://lisareviews.com/2009/03/19/virtual-baby-shower-utterly-yours/

http://sarahnalan.blogspot.com/2008/10/sleep.html

Do you have any other suggestions for better sleep during maternity.

Luf is doing strange things with your belly.

Letting people touch it (even if you don’t like), speaking with it, playing music to it.

You have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes between 24-28 pregnancy weeks, and you are worried. You don’t need to be. You may have failed one test, but you will win at the end. Regular diet means a  healthier baby, and mother (and fitter).

1 - Cut white sugar and other complex sugars like honey and white breads from your diet.

2 - Don’t let your blood sugar increase or drop too quickly. Eat frequently and regularly. You should eat before you are hungry. Increase the glysemic index of your meals: Don’t eat sweet foods (in your case this means just fruits) alone, mix with brown-bread /milk / yogurt / cheese / egg / or meat.

3 - You will  need the fatty acids in milk products, so don’t  use light milk/yogurt/cheese, you can have whole fat products. But don’t use extra butter.

4 - Exercise regularly.

http://www.alittlepregnant.com/alittlepregnant/2004/11/in_which_the_hu.html

http://www.harvestofdailylife.com/gestational-diabetes-screening-in-pregnant-woman-how-my-situation-unfolds

http://joyoffrugalliving.blogspot.com/2009/03/gestational-diabetes.html

http://readingderby.blogspot.com/2008/12/gestational-diabetes-what-to-expect.html

See a doctor, and stick with recommendations, pregnancy diabetes will help you with a healthier pregnancy if you apply the rules.

Dessert Recipes
Jelly the Belly (equivalent to 1 slice bread, 1 slice cheese, 1 portion of fruit)
Cover a slice of corn bread with Labne* and 100% fruit jar

Yummy yummy (equivalent to 1 slice bread, 1 slice cheese, 1 portion of fruit)
Slice half banana
Boil, peel and slice 2 chestnuts, mix with bananas
Mix labne* (app. 30 grams) with some milk to get a cream, pour on top of ingredients
Decorate with ground nuts

*Labne: Labaneh, a kind of spreadable cheese, it is like yogurt

Luf is singing children’s songs during work.

5 green bottles hanging on the wall really goes well with feasibility analysis.

All of them are very cute, tiny little shoes, aren’t they? But which one to buy for those precious toes?

1 - Naked feet are the best  for supporting your baby’s development. Especially if your child is trying to manage how to walk, try to give him a lot of naked feet time.

2 - Shoes should protect your child’s feet from cold and sharp surfaces. On the other hand they should be soft and flexible.

3 - Take your child with you for shoe shopping, try the shoes on, and let him/her take a few steps to see if he/she is comfortable. It will take some time for your child to get used to new shoes,  but you can see the differences.

4 - I always buy next year’s clothes from the season sales, however I never buy shoes in advance. It’s  risky.

http://www.5minutesformom.com/3881/squeaky-feet-kids-shoes/

http://www.hipmamasplace.com/2008/02/looking-for-that-special-first-walker.html

http://www.busymom.net/archives/000624.html

http://littlewindowshoppe.com/cute-eco-friendly-shoes-for-cute-feet

I wish you good luck, and good value for your baby shoes shopping!

One evening, my son wanted to hug me, while sitting on his potty. I was very happy, and you know, when you hug someone, you take a deep breath to smell your loved one’s beautiful essence. However, I can’t say it was smelling much like Ilgaz. It was one of my happiest moments in my life, and I was smelling poop.

We were making a “Luf is…” cartoon at that second, and we are like living on a “Luf is..” planet. From now on, I will try to write some of those moments from time to time. Please add yours to the comments.

I have listed 4 things you can do to prepare yourself while you are still pregnant, for a less uncomfortable labour. 4,5 hours passed between my first contraction and the moment my doctor put my baby on my tummy. And I think these four helped me a lot with such an easy delivery.

1 - Do Kegel exercises regularly
2 - Exercise, walk regularly as your doctor advises
3 - Learn breathing techniques and increase your lung capacity while regularly exercising during pregnancy
4 - Learn what will happen during labour. You can review your part in your imagination, preparing yourself will help you gain control. Don’t worry about pain, pain can be reduced with reducing pain expectancy level.

Check these birth stories too:

http://notcalmdotcom.typepad.com/not_calm_dot_com/2008/06/seven-years.html

http://alittlespaceforme.com/2008/03/24/birth-stories-galore/

 http://judychow.blogspot.com/2006/05/labor-delivery.html

 http://www.rookiemoms.com/feel-pretty/ (yes, humour helps, no, no need for make-up)

And do not forget that all species except humans are giving birth to their babies without medical help. Good luck!