The pregnant electric blanket is generally a common item in most of the households situated in cold regions where sometimes the temperature plunges to well below zero. The intensity of the cold during the winter season makes the use of pregnant electric blankets an absolute necessity for pregnant women who are often afraid that the biting chill could have an ill effect on the fetus. The pregnant electric blanket gives warmth and comfort even during extreme cold and improves the growth of the infant in the womb.

The two points of concern with pregnant electric blanket are overheating and electromagnetic fields. Extensive studies have been carried out regarding the latent risks but the results have not been conclusive. Thus pregnant electric blanket remains a significant product vital for expectant mothers and essential for protecting the fetus from the bites of cold.

Many of the reports warn that the exposure to high temperature that comes with the use of pregnant electric blanket might lead to potential neural tube defects because of increased hyperthermia. But the studies are not conclusive as the heat range of electric blankets is not so high for long time stretches as compared to other devices like sauna.

Another point of argument is over the connection of pregnant electric blanket with electromagnetic EMF waves. Here again the results are not conclusive and remain outdated. The EXF patterns in electric blankets are very weak and cannot physically harm anyone due to extended interaction. Most of the studies connected with this latent risk have been done by simulating environments, but this cannot be replicated in pregnancy – a complex real life situation. Thus the results continue to be indecisive.

Thus it may be said with conviction that the concept of pregnant electric blanket has no ill effects. Nevertheless some safety measures like checking the plug points and strength of the fibre cables should be carried out. The blanket should not be kept plugged on all the time.

Another caution is that during the final stages of labour it is better not to use the blankets at the time when the water bag breaks. Otherwise a pregnant electric blanket is a blessing for expectant mothers on chilly cold nights – a balm for her senses.

The kitchen play set leads to development of interactive as well as social skills. Apart from this, knowledge about nutrition is gained by handling toy food. Children’s kitchen covers a wide range from the very rudimentary models to the awesome sophisticated sets replete with modern gadgets.

Kitchen play sets that are single-unit have few appliances and many types of toy kitchen items with a whole range of gadgets. The range is stunning. The buying depends on the pocket of the buyer and the age of the child.

The single-unit kitchen play set comprises of an oven, a stove, microwave and sink – all fitted into one unit. The material is generally moulded plastic. ‘Assembly required’ wooden sets are also available. The set may be set up against a wall as it has front and back facilities.

Another variety is the table-top kitchen play set. It is conveniently portable and can be shifted easily from one place to another. This is of great use in small apartments where the child may not be having a separate nursery of its own. There is a make-believe two burner stove that can be set on a table, a shelf or even be kept on the floor.

The island-play kitchen set is a stand alone one with sinks, stoves, ovens and microwaves. All the items can be of delight to the children to get lost in a world of fancy where they are cooking and cleaning. This kind is ideal for toddlers.

The best one is the complete toy kitchen set with everything separate – stoves, sinks, dishwasher and even a refrigerator. The unit consists of many pieces from which the child savours the full experience of life in the kitchen.

The choice of the particular kind of kitchen set will depend on the space of your home and how much can be spared for the child’s toys. If the child enjoys a separate room a kitchen play set with multiple units can be easily fixed up. If the wall space is sufficient a single-unit kitchen play set will suffice. But the table-top variety is the best option where space is at a premium.

There are many manufactures and among them little tikes kitchen set offers a wide variety. Apart from the typical toy kitchens there are other alternatives like ‘sizzle & serve’ kitchen as well ‘inside/outside cook & grill’ kitchen. The first one has flickering fire and sizzling audio fixtures that adds to the make-believe fun. The last one is a kitchen accompanied by a patio and grill set. Kids kitchen play sets can entertain the child for hours while instructing them on important aspects of life and society.

Pregnancy calculation or to calculate due date of the birth is an ancient method that bases on LMP or Last Menstrual Period. By it the first day of the last period of the pregnant woman would be the leading date. To it 280 days are added on the surmise that the woman must have ovulated 14 days from the first day of the last periods. Thus the calculation is 266 days of gestation added to 14 days (266+14=280).

Note has to be taken that is the general pattern of calculation for women who follow a menstrual cycle of 28 days. But those who endure irregular cycles or do not follow this 28 days pattern the calculation may not hold good. Any pregnancy calculator even the pregnancy calculator week by week can only give a rough expected date of delivery; in reality it may be ahead or after that approximate date.

Naegle’s Rule is another method of finding out the due date. It counts 3 months back from the first day of LMP and then adds another 7 days to it. The date one arrives at is taken to be the approximate due date.
Pregnancy can also be calculated by tracing Basal Body Temperature or BBT and Luteinizing Hormone or LH. According to this measure the date of ovulation is taken by monitoring the rise in the BBT and the swell in LH. To this 266 days are added to calculate the approximate due date. This method too is not absolutely accurate because the reading of the BBT and LH is not easy. Thus again only a tentative date can be predicted.

Increasingly ultrasound is being used to predict the growth of the fetus in the womb. This is making it easier to arrive at the expected date.

In the next step there are few who would prefer to find out the gender by making use of predictor pregnancy test. For this the most accurate is said to be amniocentesis. It is compulsory for pregnant women above 35 years so as to find out if there any chromosome related abnormalities.

Pregnancy calculation is required but no method is full proof and able to give the exact date as science is still confounded by the mysteries of Nature.

During pregnancy the right dose and right type of exercise is necessary for the welfare of both the mother and the child. It invigorates the cardio-vascular muscles and prepares it for the impending strain of delivering the baby. It eases the process.

Pre-natal exercises keep the muscles toned while adding to their strength. It also improves the immunity system – vital prior to and post delivery. Exercises also provide protection against the unavoidable weight gain. It keeps the body in shipshape condition.

Exercising while pregnant gets rid of all the toxin that might be there in the mother’s body and adds to the strength of the body. The pregnancy exercise videos demonstrate all the different kinds of exercises the mother-to-be can do covering a wide range from free-hand aerobics. Some of these DVDs also act as guides to post-pregnancy exercises and post pregnancy workouts.

A hot favourite form of exercise for mother-to-be is yoga as it is slow and rhythmical keeping in step with breathing. It is for this that yoga has caught on to many as the skill of breathing property helps to bring down the level of pain during delivery. Thus yogic movements in tune with the breathing are steps taken in the proper direction. Toxin reserves in the body are got rid of by deep inhalation and exhalation. More oxygen is ingested and this is conducive to the growth of the baby.

But caution should be taken in picking up the right kind of pregnancy exercise videos. It should be rechecked with the doctor or somebody equally capable of giving an opinion. The wrong kind of exercises can cause irreparable harm to both mother and infant.

The producer of the DVD should be qualified to do so having knowledge about requirements during pregnancy. For this it is better to opt for reputed firms as there will be less chances of anything harmful being incorporated in it. For this the jacket of the DVD needs to be checked and the leaflet coming with it given a through reading.

The instructions should not be complicated but be clear and easy to understand. An added precaution would be to browse through the reviews of the DVDs posted on the Internet or from friends and acquaintances having experience in the matter.

The pregnancy exercise DVD is expected to demonstrate exercises that are simple and can be easily mimed sans anything complicated. There should be no suggestion regarding use of props as these become difficult for expecting women.

Gastroenteritis or stomach flu is caused by a category of viruses named Rotavirus, Astrovirus or Adenovirus. Certain kinds of bacteria like Staphylococcus, Salmonella or E. Coli found in toxic food can trigger of stomach flu. Giardia parasites can also be a cause for gastroenteristis babies.

The usual stomach flu symptoms are swelling of the intestines that result in a mild type of diarrhea fever accompanied by retching. The kids stomach bug and he begins to feel cold.

It is of utmost urgency to tackle stomach flu attack immediately without wasting a moment. The conditions tend to aggravate that might call for the baby to be hospitalized.

The first thing to see when the toddler has stomach virus is that he is not dehydrated. A sick baby that is dehydrated can present a serious life and death matter because of the virus. For breast fed babies the best thing is to supply it with sufficient foremilk to keep up the water level in the child. It can be made to sip water frequently.

If the situation calls for it, the doctor should be consulted who will most probably prescribe a solution of oral electrolyte or ORS to counter the dehydration. In some extreme cases the baby would have to be hospitalized. Virus in the stomach of little ones should not be ignored but treated properly and timely.

Prior to going back to diet of formula or breast milk it is advisable to continue with the electrolytic drinks. The parents of toddlers with fever should talk with the doctor prior to administering correct doses of infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Taking into consideration the prospective growth of the child aspirin should never be given.

As preventive steps to see that baby gastroenteritis does not break out it is necessary to ensure that all the members of the family wash their hands before handling the baby or even the toys. The drinking water should be boiled and the utensils sterilized to control spread of the virus. The baby’s utensils should be absolutely separate as a precaution and prevention of the disease spreading.

Thus there is no need to be alarmed when the symptoms of stomach flu in baby are observed but to go through the necessary steps coolly and calmly to bring back baby’s the smile swift and fast.

The first thing for jungle themed bedrooms is to have the walls and the ceilings covered with natural trappings and colours. For this assistance of a professional would be of help to paint scenes from the jungles on one wall. The bed has to be placed next to it. Jungle posters can be availed of online. The other walls can be splashed with various shades of green interspersed with leafy patterns with fruits and flowers peeping through.

The ceiling can be painted to look like the inside of a tree roof in the middle of a bamboo grove or a native hut. The bed should be made from durable strong wood and painted in a rough manner to look like a bunk-bed or a hammock in the forest.

For an infant the crib can be pasted with animal figures amidst jungle colours. Animal toys peeping through every corner and shelf will complete the image of the great outdoors. The bed linen too should have jungle motifs – foliage and animal figures.

There is a surfeit of jungle decorating ideas like ordering special furniture that looks like the broken stump of a tree or a tool covered with creeping vines. The same idea can be made to fix up the desks, chest of drawers with gadgets to match.

For instance the touching of a leaf button will open the shelf. Any outsider stepping into the room should have no doubts that the little one lived in the middle of the jungle. The books lying around should have a jungle theme – National Geographic magazines, stories about Mowgli and tales written by Corbett and Anderson.

To complete the effect of tropical theme bedrooms a musical system replaying animal roars, grunts and tweets interspersed with the rustling of leaves would go a long way to complete the atmosphere. The sound effect can changed at night to allow the soothing lullaby of pattering rain while the lights kept at the minimum low level.

Customized bed rooms with Jungle bedroom themes allows the child to taste of the wild in the middle of urban setting – green adventures bang in the centre of the concrete jungle.

For a beginning one can emulate the look of the country girl – the maiden who tends to the cows. The dress could be a combination of denim and jeans complete with a bandana covering for the head and cowboy boots for her tiny feet. The important thing is the texture of the material and its rugged looks.

Then there is the Cinderella look – a traditional princess with frills and bows, tights and yards of lace. The dominating color should be pink but one can also mix it up with lavender and snowy white. The right type of feminine touch coupled with royal embellishments will do justice to the little queen.

Another city fashion would be to show her off as the little girl in leather. It will give the effect of being a rock star. For this the ideal combination would be stone jeans and jackets made of leather. Her hair should flaunt the unkempt scraggy look while on her feet she should wear sneakers that have a faded appearance. Wrist and dog tags would complete the look of your toddling girl looking like the rock star.

There is a timeless beauty in little girl skirt that will make all the heads turn towards your little girl. The skirt could be pleated with simple shirt as a top. Sweaters will add the naughty touch.

Another alternative is the casual approach of making her wear acid-washed jeans, reversible attire and loads of chunky junk jewellery.

Some parents want to show off their girl in sporty-wear with hooded sweatshirts, track pants complete with sneakers. It will make her look like an athlete ready for the Olympics.

There are many options for the parents to switch on the natural look for the little one with home made stuff echoing the lines of Misha Lulu, Crib Rock Couture and LittMisMatached. So don’t delay but start shopping today for little girls fashions.