BLAIR IS 3 TODAY…HOORAY! To celebrate Blair’s 3rd Birthday, BLAIR’S WISH have 4 tickets to DOROTHY THE DINOSAUR’S ROCKIN’ CHRISTMAS SHOW, Sat 10th December 2011 at 10:30am at Castle Hill RSL thanks to The Wiggles Management! Winning is simple….. share the BLAIR’S WISH FB PAGE with as many friends as you can, get them to ‘like’ our page and don’t forget to get them to leave the comment stating who sent them!

Can we get to over 500 likers? The person whose name appears most WINS. Competition closes 8pm FRIDAY 18th NOVEMBER, 2011.

If you would like to know more about Blair’s Wish check out the information below.

VISION…

To raise funds for the lifetime equipment needs for Blair Sawer, who has Cerebral Palsy, and in doing so also create a loan pool of equipment for other children with Cerebral Palsy. We hope to offer support to other families affected by Cerebral Palsy and increase awareness of the condition.

ABOUT BLAIR & BLAIR’S WISH…

Blair Sawer was born 9 weeks premature, delivered by emergency caesarian section at Royal North Shore Hospital, November 4th 2008, due to a ruptured uterus. Blair weighed only 1730 grams, was not breathing and required ventilation. Blair spent a total of 6 week in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Special Care Units at Royal North Shore and Gosford Hospitals. During this time he required ventilation on three occasions, was on CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure), endured daily blood tests, was fed TPN (Total Parietal Nutrition) and tube fed breast milk via NG (Naso-gastric Tube). At times doctors had great difficulty sustaining his oxygen levels, which resulted in a collapsed left lung. Through a desire to maintain some sense of normality for Blair’s two older siblings, who were 5 & 8 at the time and as the family resided on the NSW Central Coast, some 2 hours drive away, and the family was only able to visit Blair every 2-3 days. On the days when Blair’s mother, Julia, did visit him she would spend the whole 6 hours just holding her tiny son. Blair finally came home and joined his family, one week before his first Christmas.

Being a premature baby, it had been expected that Blair would be somewhat delayed in reaching certain milestones. However, by the age of one, Blair was still unable to sit independently, had never rolled nor crawled, did not talk and when using his hands would predominately only use his left hand. Blair was seen by his paediatrician, an MRI scan of his head was requested and performed and a diagnosis of Periventricular Leukomalacia was concluded, in February 2010. This meant that it is likely that Blair had suffered a hypoxic brain injury, as a result of his traumatic birth, resulting in brain damage to 1/3 of his brain on both sides. It was therefore concluded, as result of the diagnosis that the reason for Blair’s delay in reaching his milestones wasCEREBRAL PALSY.

Blair commenced early intervention services, physiotherapy, occupational and speech therapy, not long after receiving his diagnosis, in May 2010. Throughout the rest of the year, he continued to grow into a very happy and healthy little boy, however, his fine motor skills and more so his gross motor skills remained markedly delayed. Following his 2nd birthday, he was seen by specialists at Westmead Children’s Hospital, near Sydney, where his Cerebral Palsy was finally given a grading as to its severity. Blair is a dystonic quadriplegic, GMFCS (Gross Motor Function Classification System) Level IV. (CP is graded on a scale of 1-5, 1 being the least and 5 being the most disabled). For Blair, this means that he is likely to require the use of a manual or powered wheel chair to mobilise and will require a carer to look after him.

For the first two years of his life, Blair’s parents found the reality of Blair’s condition devastating. They had a conservative estimate of Blair’s equipment need costs being $100,000, for the equipment he needed NOW and will certainly outgrow. Blair has a lifetime of equipment needs. As a single income family with two other young children, the prospect of raising and adequately providing for Blair was overwhelming. Out of desperation to help her son, Blair’s mother decided to start a page on facebook called ‘Blair’s Wish’, she could never have anticipated the response that it would receive.

More details on the fantastic work that is happening can be found at   Blair’s Wish .

You can see the wishes granted already and see Blair’s wish list  for equipment for now and the future.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLAIR

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The researchers looked at 40 different papers from 1975 to 2009 and found that there was a presence of maternal asthma. They found that maternal asthma increased the risk of PE by at least 50% compared to those who did not suffer from asthma. The findings also showed that pre term delivery was greatly reduced to a non-significant level if a asthma management plan was provided to pregnant women. They also looked at the impact of asthma medications such as inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and found that they did not have a direct adverse affect on the mother or unborn baby during pregnancy, and that the ICS may actually be an active help in outcomes such as low birth weight.

Australian Professor Peter Gibson, Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Diseases, University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia and co-author on the paper said:

“Asthma is a common chronic disease among pregnant women, and the extent of the risks for both the mother and baby during the perinatal period make this a significant health issue.

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Hi there, I just wanted to let you all know that I am back on board and looking forward to writing here at Moment by Moment again. Since I have last written in this blog on a regular basis I have had another baby (a beautiful boy) who was born at 37weeks gestation. This is just amazing and was not expected to happen after my 2nd baby Airlie was born premature at 27weeks due to me suffering from Pre Eclampsia & HELLP Syndrome. I am so thankful for the doctors of the high risk team at Royal Women’s Hospital Melbourne for getting me through my pregnancy to 37weeks. I have also moved from the Central Coast NSW to Melbourne and have now been here for 2 years. I do miss the east coast beaches and the warm sunshine but I have also fallen in love with the beautiful city of Melbourne and all the cool things it has to offer.

I want to thank all of you who have visited this blog or any of the sections of Moment by Moment over the past 4 years. I would also like to thank those who purchased from my online store dedicated to prem babies too.

I am excited to tell you that Moment by Moment will be taking a new direction now and I hope you will stick around and enjoy what we have to offer. I feel the tree above depicts how I feel and that is a little bit wiser and with each sunrise comes a new day and a new beginning. I have learnt so much about life, business, family, friends and myself since Airlie was born premature. I am thankful for our experience as I would not be the person I am today had she not come into our lives the way she did.

I also wanted to let you know about my other blog Oh Gorgeous Baby and I would love it if you would come by and take a look around.

Take Care
Fee xx

A gorgeous song about having a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit  called NICU at NIte.

It gives you a little insight into what it is like inside a NICU with the sounds of  Beep Beep Beep.

I Love the song and Airlie Fae my 27weeker loves to dance along and sing to this song too.

Share this post with as many people as possible and if you would like to download this song or

purchase the album by Hugh Blumenfeld just visit Waterbug Records

Watch it below and tell me what you think of it?

Cuski means ‘to sleep’ in Welsh and has become synonymous with bringing comfort to babies and children around the world as the original baby comforter. Cuski is a uniquely designed comforter that can be used from birth. Made form the softest natural cotton, Cuski’s simple design will ensure that he becomes your baby’s best friend, helping to stimulate and develop a baby’s imagination. To help your baby bond with a new Cuski you should sleep with it on the first night. Your comforting scent is then transformed to Cuski and as soon as you give it to baby he will naturally accept and adopt this comforting and very tactile friend. Cuski can help Mums too. In the case of premature birth women often find that their breast milk is not coming on when baby is in an incubator, but by placing Cuski with your baby for a while and then keeping it close to you, the scent of your baby could help to with breast milk. Many NICU’s & SCBU’s are buying Cuski’s for their premature babies, helping to create a natural bond with their mother even while in an incubator, in the absence of natural bonding created by holding, cuddling and feeding baby. Cuski is full machine washable and tested to all relevant UK and International safety standards.

If you would like to purchase a Cuski Baby Comforter please visit our Premmie Baby Store

Please also note that Cuski can be used by any newborn baby or child who simply needs a fashionable and functional gift.

100Knots Baby Sling - Great for Kangaroo Care

Moment by Moment has started stocking 100Knots^® Ring Sling and invite you to take a look at our range. We have both the Bondi and Uluru colours available for purchase today.

The 100Knots^® Ring Sling  is Australian made and owned product and is made of  top quality 100% Cotton fabric. The sling has over 10 Carrying Positions (photographic instructions included with sling)

Slings are recommended by many experts as the healthiest type of an infant carrier. This has been proven many times by paediatricians and by chiropractors. It is worth noticing that slings are not modern day’s invention. They have existed in different civilizations throughout human history, as they do today; it is just that science and materials we use today help in designing much more optimal types of carriers.
In a nut-shell, 100Knots^® Ring Sling:

Using a 100Knots^® Ring Sling to carry and care for your Premmie baby is a great idea. It makes a wonderful gift allowing everyone in the family to have a try as  the 100Knots^® Ring Sling is ajustable so no need to purchase several babywearing aids. The 100Knots^® Ring Sling can also be used when doing Kangaroo Care with a prem baby allowing both the parent and the preemie baby a comfortable and secure feeling while doing this amazing Kangaroo are.

The 100Knots^® Ring Sling is available for purchase at the Premature Baby Store today.  As a special offer we are providing our valued customers with the special prices of $145.00 saving you  $35.00  available until stock runs out!!

100Knot Slings are Australian Made & Owned

Dr Browns Natural Flow Bottles & Accessories

Moment by Moment is having a sale and your invited!  One of the many brands we have on sale at the moment is the wonderful Dr Browns Natural Flow Bottles and Accessories.

The Dr Brown range was created by a physician, Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow® has a USA patented internal vent system that actually helps promote good health in babies. The product does this by eliminating the vacuum and air bubbles, it helps to reduce feeding problems like colic, spit-up, burping and wind. And the positive pressure created by our system is as close to breastfeeding as your baby can get.

We have 1 left of the amazing Breast Pump by Dr. Brown which offers a manual pump that provides all of the healthy benefits of the electric pump. An advantage to being the only breast pump with the unique One-Way airflow is that Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow breast pump continuously draws air and any present germs away from the breast, thus greatly reducing the likelihood of breast infections.

Dr Browns Expressed Breast Milk Storage Bags

We also have a variety of accessories like Y-Cut Silicone Teats/Nipples for Dr Browns Bottles which are great for babies who need thickened feeds due to reflux, express breast milk (EBM) storage bags which are suitable for any mother expressing for their baby, lace washable breast pads  for any Mother who wants to be comfortable and cost effective wile expressing or breast feeding and the Dr Browns bottle brushes designed to work with the Dr Brown’s Natural Flow bottle range.  

We have limited stock so be quick!  Visit any of the links above or visit www.momentbymoment.com.au

 

Dr Browns Manual Breast Pump

Nichola Bedos - Author, Mother & Parent Infant Counsellor

Moment by Moment is proud to be stocking IVF & Ever After The Emotional Nees of Families.  Below are sme details on the Author Nichola Bedos along with some very interesting IVF Facts and Stats.

IVF & Ever After – About the Author
The author Nichola Bedos is a specialist Parent-Infant Counsellor, in private practice in Sydney, and has worked with 150 families over the last 8 years. She has two sons of her own. Her second son was found to have grave complications during pregnancy, was delivered 6 weeks early and had six operations in his first year. Her struggle to help him achieve normal development led her to study psychology and later gain a Master of Social Science in Counselling. She is an accomplished freelance writer with 10 years’ experience writing for health and parenting magazines in the UK, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia and is a Contributing Editor for Nature and Health Magazine. She is a regular speaker at parenting forums. 

Interesting facts and figures

•There are 80 million couples suffering infertility worldwide, and 1 in 6 Australian couples suffers infertility.

•According to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, 3 million IVF babies have been born worldwide since the first IVF birth of Louise Brown in 1978.

•200,000 babies were born in the world after IVF last year, the rate is increasing by 10% every year and in Australia 10,000 IVF babies will be born this year, 4% of all births in this country in 2007.

•More than 50% of all IVF deliveries are by Caesarean.

•41,000 IVF cycles currently begin in Australia annually.  The current overall success rate of IVF in Australia is approaching 25%, a doubling of the success rate over the last twenty years.  A twenty-four year old woman has four and a half times the chance of IVF cycle success compared to a 40 year old woman using her own eggs.

•The first baby born after a frozen cycle arrived in 1984, there are now 6 million frozen embryos worldwide waiting for a decision as to their fate.

•6% of IVF couples use a donor – either egg, sperm or embryo

•IVF couples are 9 times more likely to have twins than non-IVF couples

•Doctors believe PGD (Pre-implantation Genetic Testing) will double the current success rate of IVF over the next decade.

•The advent of PGD, the older age of couples trying for a baby and the decreasing fertility rate is set to change the face of human reproduction with 3 out of every 10 babies conceived by IVF by the time our kids become parents.

This book is available for purchase at the Premmie Baby Store on sale for just $24.95 (RRP $32.95)

We also have some gifts for growing premmie babies in newborn sizes and beyond so please take a look. We haven’t forgotten Mum,Dad or the brothers and sisters of premature babies either so stop by and purchase them a gift too.

Contact us anytime on 0408689330 to order over the phone or to ask any questions you may have.

One of our new products we have in store is a fantastic book about IVF and the ever emotional journey  you go through when experiencing IVF. Please take the time to read the details below and also take a look at the Authours bio in the following blog post. 

IVF & Ever After Book

IVF & EVER AFTER:
The emotional needs of families 
Nichola Bedos

The psychological impact and emotional cost of the IVF process on couples cannot be underestimated.                         

 Director of social work and psychology, Tresillian, Sydney

What are the main differences between IVF families and non-IVF families?
Simply put, stress! Couples experiencing an inability to fall pregnant, medical testing and fertility treatments have been through a particularly negative time in their lives. They are often exhausted and anxious about their ability to have a child.  Women undergoing treatment for infertility have a similar level of stress as women dealing with life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer or heart disease and IVF clinicians are now emphasising to parents that stress plays a sizeable role in treatment success.

A recent Melbourne University study by Dr. Karin Hammarberg, detailed in this book, has found that women who conceive through IVF are more likely to doubt their abilities as mothers and to experience difficulties with parenting. IVF mothers are three times more likely to attend early parenting centres for help.

Author and Specialist Counsellor Nichola Bedos, has a Graduate Diploma in Infant Mental Health and eight years of experience working with families, seeing the day – to – day challenges that IVF brings. In her book IVF & Ever After, she explores the emotional aspects of infertility and looks at the process from choosing IVF treatment, through to parenting after IVF.  Parents can also learn about their child’s likely feelings regarding their conception when they come to have a child of their own.

“IVF couples should be armed with good information about how to take care of themselves if they are to be successful in achieving a pregnancy,” says Nichola Bedos. She says it is important to consider the needs of IVF families and to remember that stress is fully treatable and this can prevent later problems with breastfeeding, post-natal depression and separation anxiety.

IVF has produced more than three million babies worldwide and continues to offer a wonderful option for many of the one in six couples who experience infertility. This book includes the latest research and looks at issues such as what to do with frozen embryos, how to tell a child about IVF conception and the implications of legislation to make surrogacy easier. It outlines the needs of IVF families and offers strategies that help them through the process and to enjoy their parenting.

To purchase IVF & Ever After visit the premmie baby store Moment by Moment

RRP $32.95 on sale $24.95