Category: tips

Guest blogger: Arika of The Home Gnomes

There’s usually a good chance that you can identify a pregnant woman, even if she’s not showing, by the contents of her handbag. These items could also make a really cute gift idea for a friend who just found out she will be expecting a delivery from the stork!

Since skin is easily burned during pregnancy, it’s always a good idea to carry a travel sized sunscreen. Just make sure you choose one that is free from harmful chemicals and use one that has enough SPF.

Also in every pregnant woman’s bag should be a water bottle. Since your water needs go way up, avoid dehydration by always keeping a BPA free bottle near you. Don’t keep it out of sight, you’ll remember to drink more if it’s near you!

If you’re one of the unlucky ones plagued by morning sickness we love the concept of keeping a morning sickness combatant kit in your purse. Stock a cute zippered bag with your favorite things that help. My favorites were lemon Jolly Ranchers, Preggie Pops, an essential oil blend in a roller of lavender and sandalwood. Just in case the prevention methods fail, keep a gallon sized Ziploc bag rolled up and breath mints for good measure. Don’t be like me. I got sick in a Wal-Mart Aisle and I wasn’t prepared. Goodbye, plastic bowl. It was disgusting.

This one is extremely important; DON’T FORGET SNACKS. Good, nutrition-packed snacks. It’s important to keep your energy levels up and there is nothing more terrifying than a hangry pregnant woman. Nothing. Seriously. Don’t be that woman.

Pregnancy brain is a very, very real affliction. Mine unfortunately resulted into frequently forgetting to take my prenatal vitamin (please don’t tell my doctor!). Get a jump on this by putting some in your purse, ideally in a place where they won’t get lost and you’ll see them and remember to take them if you happened to forget that day.

Ok, fair warning. Can we get a little T.M.I for a minute? Yes? Okay, great. Cause, real talk, vaginas do some very strange things when you’re pregnant. I was, more frequently than I care to admit, asking how it produced that gross stuff that ended up in my underwear. So, on that note, don’t forget the panty liners.

This item is honestly my favorite on the list, but I saved the best for last. Considerably more sentimental than the rest of the items, we love The Stork Bag’s Pregnancy Journal. This beautiful journal allows you to remember this amazing journey–details that you would otherwise forget (dang that pregnancy brain!).

With Love,

The Home Gnomes

Looking for the best OTC prenatal vitamins? Click here to read the in-depth review of the top 5!

***This article from our archives was contributed by The Stork Bag’s founder, Ericka Perry.***

My family and I are going on our annual family vacation and I’m taking my 2 year old daughter. This will be her second plane ride! The first time she got on a airplane she was just 11 months old. I had no clue about what to take on the plane. As a first time Mom, I felt like I needed to pack up everything in the nursery! Here’s a few things to bring when traveling with your little one.

1. Car seat – This is a necessity when traveling with baby and isn’t something you really want to buy when you get to your destination. If bringing one isn’t practical and you renting a vehicle at your destination, consider renting one ahead of time to help cut down on costs, and to make sure that you have a seat when you arrive
2. Stroller – Bringing a stroller along is a must for me. If your toddler is anything like mine and is super active, then you will want to have him/her in the stroller. It will make traveling a lot easier.
3. Depending on where you’re going and how long you are staying, try getting all of baby’s clothes in the suitcase with yours.
4. Use your purse to carry on some of the things that baby will need while flying… less is better in this case!
5. Bring a toy or device on the plane to keep baby occupied.

This time around I know exactly what to bring and we are ready to fly!

Planning your first baby shower and not sure what to put on your wish list? As a first time parent, you probably aren’t really sure of what you need and what you need the most of…No worries, here is a list of the top 10 things you MUST have!

• Car seat
• Bottles
• Blankets
• The Stork Bag (of course!)
• Diapers
• Stroller
• Onesies
• Wipes
• Having a Girl? Cute little headbands and bows!
• Having a Boy? Handsome little bowties!

Have a few things to add to this list? Drop them in the comment section below!

***This article from our archives was contributed by a Stork Bag blog reader.***

My Fiancé and I learned early on that long car rides with our toddler, just listening to the radio and napping here and there wasn’t going to work without having something for her to do. So if you like to travel or are thinking about taking a car trip with your baby/toddler here are some things to bring along in your tote bag to help keep your baby/toddler occupied.

1. Portable DVD Player and lots of movies

2. Drinks/Snacks of choice

3. Tablet/Learning Games

4. Favorite Doll/Toy

5. Books

Even when we are just riding in the car locally, I keep some of these handy! Comment below some of your road trip must haves for your little one.

Here’s a wonderful article from the Huffington Post that should be a great help to any mom.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/6-things-moms-should-do-for-themselves-as-often-as-possible_b_11363962

Teething pain can cause problems for even the happiest of babies, but these safe and effective soothing options can help your little one feel better as she starts to pop those pearly whites. Add them to your registry so you’re ready whenever those first teeth start to show.

1. Baby Banana Infant Training Toothbrush and Teether

2. BEBE Cookie Teethers and Gum Massagers

3. Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teether

4. Nurtureland Teether Massage

5. Comotomo Silicone Baby Teether

6. Manhattan Toy Teether Fox Snuggle Blankie Toy

7. Octopus and Friends Teether

8. Infants Tylenol Oral Suspension

By: Arika B. (http://thehomegnomes.com/)

There are few things that get us more excited than cute baby clothes, but decorating nurseries might be one of them! 2016 saw plenty of nurseries being swathed in light pastel colors—especially with the Pantone colors of the year being rose quartz and serenity. So we decided to save you some time and scoured Pinterest, magazines, and interior design websites to take a guess at where we think 2017 nurseries are heading. We can’t help ourselves; We love interior decorating and baby things! This is the best of both worlds.

With pastels making such a big splash this year, we don’t see them going anywhere anytime soon. However, we might see less pink and blue and things will get a lot more earthy, and muted. Kidsinterior.com suggests that we will see turquoise, terracotta, beige and olive all becoming more popular options for nursery color pallets. We love these color pallets from Seeds for paint color inspiration!

One more trend that absolutely sticks out for me is using nature for inspiration for decorating. Looking for suggestions? Check these out!

Think about using:

• Woven wood baskets– perfect for dirty clothes and storing loose baby things.

• Sheets, bedding, and window treatments with natural materials.

• Nature inspired art—we love these birch vinyl decals and deer prints from Etsy!

Green plants—these real ones are great because they are easy to care for, but don’t worry, we won’t tell if you use the fake ones!

With Love- The Home Gnomes

My grandmother used to tell the story about how she forgot my mother at the grocery store in the early 40s. She walked up to the store with my mother sleeping in her carriage, parked it outside with all the other sleeping babies (I’ll let that sink in), went inside to do her shopping, then walked home forgetting that she’d taken the baby with her. She quickly realized her mistake and walked back and retrieved my mother who was still sleeping outside the store.

There were no flashcards, there was no sign language (unless you were deaf), there were no organic, free-range bento boxes – your job was to just see a kid through to adulthood and hope they didn’t become an idiot.

This article was originally posted on Pregnant Chicken. Continue reading here: http://pregnantchicken.com/why-youre-not-failing-as-a-mother/ 

Congratulations, you’re pregnant! Now, I’m sure you have a million questions, regardless on if you’re a first-time mom or seasoned, each pregnancy is different and each pregnancy comes with it’s share of questions. Below, we’ve complied some need-to- know mommy knowledge to help you along your 9 month journey.

Q: Are all home pregnancy test the same?

A: If you’re like most expecting moms, you’ve probably taken multiple pregnancy test before coming to the realization that you are indeed pregnant. No shame, we all do it but are all pregnancy test created equal? Home based pregnancy test aka urine test, detect a hormone called the Human Gonadotropic Hormone or hCG. These test can detect the hCG hormone at different levels, some can detect very small levels while others can not, positive home pregnancy test are almost never wrong while negative test can sometimes be wrong, if you suspect pregnancy even after a negative pregnancy test, you should retest again after a few days. Most pregnancy test are accurate about 10-14 days after your missed period.

Q: What foods are a no no during pregnancy?

A: During your pregnancy you may crave many different foods but it is important to avoid certain food during your pregnancy. Here’s a list of some foods you should avoid: raw meat, raw eggs, fish with lots of mercury (Swordfish, Shark, King mackerel, Tilefish), unpasteurized milk, some smoked meats and uncooked or refrigerated seafood. (This list is NOT a complete list, please check with your care provider before ingesting certain foods, if in doubt.)

Q: Is sex during pregnancy safe?

A: Yes, unless your care provider has placed you on any restrictions. Don’t worry about hurting baby, your precious cargo is safely protected by the strong amniotic sac and your mucus plug seals the cervix to help protect against infection. Want more info about positions to try and avoid? Click Here to check out, Do This, Not That: Sex Positions to Skip When You’re Pregnant on Parents.com. 

Q: Can I take over-the-counter pain meds?

A: Regular Tylenol has been listed as a pregnancy safe OTC pain medication but you should always check with your care provider before taking any medicines. You can also check with the pharmacist for general questions about pain meds while pregnant. There are also really wonderful ways to relieve pain or discomfort during pregnancy that doesn’t involved meds such as meditations, pregnancy safe essential oils, certain fruits (i.e. strawberries linked to headache relief) and even good ole’ fashion fresh air, water and rest. 

Pregnancy can be one of the best times in a woman’s life but it can also be one of the scariest. Your body was wonderfully made to carry and birth children so allow it to do what it was meant to do. There are lots of wonderful online resources for pregnant women, there are also wonderful books and journals that we recommend. Here’s a list: Mommy Picks: Top 5 Pregnancy Reads.

Hope you enjoyed this post, have a comment or question? Be sure to reach out to us: hello@thestorkbag.com