Parenting and The End of The World

Mr. Christopher from the Corner Stork Baby Gifts blog. I’m pretty acclimated to the parent thing now that I have 3 kids (all girls) and even a new one that just came a month ago, so I’m well aware of mistakes that can be made. CNN did a report on the 7 biggest mistakes that new parents make with newborns and they bared repeating.

1) Letting your newborn sleep through the entire night
This is a big one. After a few sleepless nights, you are probably thinking that God has blessed you with a full 8 hours of peace. The problem is that it’s NOT a good thing. During the first two weeks, parents should wake their baby at a MINIMUM of every 4 hours to feed them. If they are jaundiced, they may be too lethargic to get themselves up or they may be too dehydrated. So you have to make sure they are getting hydrated and fed. After 2 weeks when you go for that 2 week checkup and the baby is gaining weight and you get the green light from your pediatrician, and your baby actually sleeps through the entire night, rock on. But not during the first 2 weeks and not until your pediatrician says its okay.

2. Feed When They Say So
Parents want their babies to eat on a stringent schedule so that they can plan their nights (or even lives) better. Babies can eat every hour and a half if they want to. They know when they’re hungry and when they’re full better than you do. If they eat and they cry for food a couple of hours later instead of the normal every few hours that you’re used to, you need to listen and give them what they want.

3. Show the Baby Off
Proud parents love to hit the road and take them to their work or other busy places to show off their baby, but again, not a good idea. Babies are very susceptible to everything and can catch all kind of germs from the people at work. It can be tough when everybody and their mothers want to the see the new one, so whatever you do, make sure that they don’t handle the babies hands. Their hands are the one thing they put in their mouth and on their nose and eyes which allows them to easily transfer those germs to their tiny little defenseless immune systems and some of which can be life threatening. If they catch a virus, they can also get a high fever as a result which will put you right back in the hospital.

4. Then again, don’t coop them up at home
While it’s good to not to take them to crowded places like birthday parties, you also don’t need to set yourself up for postpartum depression by staying at home all the time with someone who can’t speak to you and cries all of the time. Go for a walk around the neighborhood with your baby or even go to the grocery store when it’s less crowded and busy.

5. Trust Your Instincts
It’s tough when your mother and friends are saying, “You’re overreacting. The baby is fine.” Trust your instincts. You know when something is not right and there’s no reason to take a chance with the life of your child.

6. All fevers are bad
ALL babies with a fever during their first 6 weeks of life need to be evaluated by a doctor. Waiting too long to get them checked out can be detrimental to the baby’s health and have bad effects like brain damage or even death. Still think you’re overreacting? As soon as you know that your baby has a fever, call your pediatrician immediately!

7. Backs Only
Babies should ONLY sleep on their backs and NOT on their side or stomachs. Babies can suffocate and not have the strength to pull their heads up to get air. Allowing the baby to sleep on their side or stomach is the number one cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

These helpful tips from CNN are re-released here for your convenience by Corner Stork Baby Gifts, an online store offering hundreds of unique baby gift ideas, baby shower favors, clothes, personalized baby blankets, diaper bags, and much more including a baby resource area that provides articles like the one you’ve just read with helpful parenting tips, pregnancy advice, helpful articles and answers on newborns, and even preconception advice on infertility. Visit them online at http://www.cornerstorkbabygifts.com today.

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Ten Tips for Inviting Your Toddler to Join the “Potty!” By Susan Hawkins

While experience is often the best teacher, few of us remember how we achieved potty-training success, so that particular bathroom door is closed. When the time comes for us to transition our tots from Pampers to the potty, it’s literally hit or miss. The Mayo Clinic offers some great suggestions to help parents and their little poopers make the “move.”

Before you take the plunge, make sure your child is ready. If your child

1. is interested in the potty chair or toilet
2. can understand and follow basic directions
3. can ask simple questions
4. stays dry for periods of two hours or longer during the day or wakes up from naps dry
5. has fairly predictable bowel movements
6. tells you when he or she needs to “go potty”
7. is uncomfortable in wet or dirty diapers
8. can pull his or her pants down and up again

your child is a great candidate for potty training. Otherwise, you may want to wait awhile.

So the adventure begins. Start by maintaining a positive attitude and, more important, your sense of humor. Ready? Here are the top ten toilet training tips:

• Give ‘em something to shoot for - place a potty chair in the bathroom! Models that can be placed directly on the toilet may be easiest. Encourage your tot to sit on the chair, with or without a diaper, making sure the feet rest on the floor or a stool. Use simple, correct terms as you talk with your child about using the bathroom.
• Schedule potty breaks. Have your child sit on the potty for a few minutes several times a day. Stay with your child, perhaps reading a potty-training book or giving your child a special toy to play with. Even if nothing happens, praise the effort and remind your child there’s always next time.
• Get there—fast! When you see that special squirm, squat or grab, run—don’t walk—to the toilet (with your child, of course…) Make your child aware of these signals so he or she will stop an activity and head to the potty. Again, praise your child for telling you when he or she has to go. Give your cutie the honor of flushing. Remember to teach good hygiene—girls wipe from front to back, and everyone washes their hands afterward.
• Rewards rock! It may be stickers on a chart, a trip to the playground or an extra few minutes of playtime before bed, but incentives work. Figure out which one your child prefers. And keep up the verbal praise, whether the toilet trip is successful or not.
• Consistency counts. All your child’s caregivers—babysitters, grandparents, day care providers—should follow your potty-training routine. Provide instructions.
• Lose the Luvs. Several weeks of successful potty breaks call for a celebration and a change from diapers to training pants or underwear. Celebrate with something cool—a trip to the zoo or another activity “big kids” might do. Call grandma, grandpa and other loved ones and let your child announce the big news. NOTE: Once your child is in training pants or underwear, avoid overalls, leotards or anything that can’t be removed quickly.
• Go easy on the mistakes. You probably made a few of them when you were in training. Stay calm. Keep it light. “Oops. You had an accident. Let’s go get changed. It won’t be long before you’ll remember to use the potty every time.” Suggest regular bathroom trips—first thing in the morning, after meals and snacks, before a car ride and before bed.
• Sleep on it. Daytime bladder control usually comes within three to six months of starting potty training. Nightime control may take months or even years. Meanwhile, use disposable training pants for sleeping.
• Know when to say when. After a few months, if your child just isn’t making progress, take a break and try again in a few months.
• Know when to seek help. Your child should be potty trained by age four. If your potty-trained child reverts—more than just the occasional accident—or exhibits other wetting problems, it’s time to consult a physician. There may be physical problems that require attention.Enjoy the potty! I know you wouldn’t miss it for the world!This article was brought to you by CornerStorkBabyGifts.com, an online retail company specializing in boutique-quality baby gifts and baby shower favors. We are also dedicated to providing informative articles on pregnancy and prenatal health, infant and baby health, infant and baby safety, parenting skills and strategies and other topics of interest to mothers- and fathers-to-be, parents and the public.

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Mr. Christopher from the Corner Stork Baby blog with some helpful information for women and mommies. There are tons of different herbs that you see on the store shelves at Whole Foods or any other health store, but they might as well be in another language. Some herbs we’re used to seeing like Echinacea for sore throats, but if you look a little deeper you’ll find some amazing healing properties in some of the lesser known herbs and here are my top ten herbal remedies that may have you making a special trip this weekend courtesy of Body + Soul.

10. Blue Kervain
No, this isn’t some mythological herb even though it’s known in historical documentation as a “sacred herb”. This herb helps to relieve anxiety quicker and more efficiently than even Chamomile and also can give a healthy energy boost.

9. Raspberry Leaves
This herb is used in some circles by pregnant women since it helps uterine prolapse, but is also known to increase fertility and is sometimes called the “pregnancy tonic”.

8. Sage
A very common herb that many people even have in their cabinets right now and probably have never used. Put a pinch or two in warm water, let it steep and drink up to help reduce hot flashes and mood swings during menopause.

7. Hawthorn
Hawthorn is widely used in medicinal applications (whether you know it or not) for heart health issues. It eases heartache (not the emotional kind though), mild depression and it even strengthens cardiac muscles.

6. Licorice
If you take heart medication, your doctor will probably steer you away from this one, but when taken in small doses it helps to restore your energy and balances your cycles. It should be avoided if you have kidney problems or hypertension.

5. Nettle
Helps to nourish the reproductive system and can help a variety of problems with fertility issues and energy levels since it’s densely packed with vitamins and minerals.

4. Black Cohosh
This is a widely used herb for menopausal issues and can help greatly reduce PMS related pain and discomfort.

3. Ginseng
We’ve seen Ginseng packed into everything from ice cream, chewing gum and a few hundred other types of foods. But what does it do besides jumpstart a man’s libido? For women, it helps to boost your energy and has many restorative properties and especially during menopause.

2. Ginger
Helps soothe the stomach as well as easing cramps and morning sickness.

1. Vitex
A massive normalizing herb for women which can be beneficial in treating PMS, infertility and menstrual irregularity.

So there are the top 10 herbs that women should start paying attention to the next time you find yourself in the herb section of your local health food store. And for great baby gift ideas and baby shower favors, make sure you head over to Corner Stork Baby Gifts. And if you lie more tips like this post, visit their baby blog area which has great helpful informative articles and posts on pregnancy, parenting and the wonderful world of babies.

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I find it very annoying that people willingly hurt their children and especially babies. No one reading this will deny that second hand smoke is a major health risk for children, but that doesn’t appear to stop people from doing it. Is it that they just don’t care about their children or their children’s health? If you know without any doubt that smoking internally injures your child, what would possess you to continue?

A new report has just been released by Tokyo’s respected Tobacco Control Journal which has carried on an 8 year study following 7,402 children of smokers. A third of the children who had parents smoking within 10 feet of them within their first few months of life ended up in the hospital before they were even 1 year old. There was a significant decrease in their immune system that made them vulnerable to infectious and potentially lethal diseases. 45% of the children that were exposed to smoke within their first 6 months of life had to be treated for infectious disease before the 8 year study was completed.

Even with the onslaught of educational videos and commercials on TV and radio against smoking, it doesn’t appear to be enough since there are many parents simply ignoring the warnings and willing to take the chance of giving their child a potentially fatal infectious disease thanks to a decreased immunity.

Being an ex-smoker, I understand how difficult it is to quit and I plan on releasing a post about how I successfully quit without the use of any drugs or patches. And I had kids, but I never smoked around them. I always went outside to smoke regardless of what the season. So I implore you, not just for your own health, but also for your children. If you don’t respect your body and wellness, respect theirs and leave the house if you can’t control your habit. It’s not fair to a defenseless child that you injure them through your elected ignorance.

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Mr. Christopher from the Corner Stork Baby Blog with some helpful tips on getting more sleep that was covered in last Month’s American Baby magazine and bared repeating.  Being that I just became a Daddy again with my third (and final) baby girl last weekend, I must have completely forgotten about these long nights of feedings and burpings.  So I was quick to look up this article and thought you should read it also if you’re sleep deprived.

10. Take 15 minutes to “Chill”
Take 15 minutes before you go to bed and just empty out your head.  Whether that involves reading, playing a game of Solitaire or whatever it is. Plan on it and you’ll spend a lot less time concentrating on getting to sleep as you stare at the wall.

9. No Drinky-Drinky
Getting drunk may knock you out, but it’s one of the least restful sleeps your body goes through since your body is constantly in recovery mode and will keep you from acquiring the deep sleep your body is after.

8. Don’t Smoke
Just like you crave cigarettes during the day if you’re a smoker, your body does the exact same thing at night and will go through cravings in the middle of the night which will keep you from getting a good nights sleep.  It’s time to quit smoking.  Just stop.  You know it’s bad for you, so don’t short change your children by removing yourself from their lives sooner than needed.

7. Get Ready For Bed
Try and go to bed around the same time every night.  Go through the checklist such as brushing your teeth, washing your face, get changed, and whatever else you can ritualize.  It works for kids and it will work for you too if you stick to it.

6. Put Down the Caffeine
Step away from the soda, chocolate, coffee and tea.  American Baby also suggests checking the labels of medicines you’re taking at night because it could well have caffeine in it.   If it does, ask your doctor or pharmacist for a caffeine free version if it’s available.

5. Shhhh
Keep your room quiet and dark.  That means ditch the bedroom TV.  If your household is like mine, my wife has to keep the TV on, so I opted for purchasing ear plugs to overcome it.  Anyone studying Feng Shui knows this is not only beneficial to your sleep, but also your overall mental health.

4. Cool Out
Sleep Specialist Neil Kline suggests choosing a temperature as close to 70 as possible that you can be comfortable in.  Cooler is better.

3. The Feel of Cotton
Wear loose cotton clothes when you hit the sack. While it may be far from sexy, it’s best for your body.

2. Tummy Trouble
Don’t eat and then go to sleep on a full stomach and don’t go to sleep hungry either.  Have a light snack like decaffeinated tea, crackers, or toast.

1. Workout
Exercising during the day is a great way to not only get healthy, but help your body adjust better at night when you go to bed. Don’t work out too close to bedtime however, because the adrenaline activity will keep you staring at the celling.

With these suggestions in your arsenal, you should be able to get some good deep rest.  But if you have a newborn in the house like I do, you have to put these tips into play because it’s not only important to get some rest in between feedings, but to make sure that it’s quality deep sleep.   If the baby is keeping you up, you simply MUST try Corner Stork Baby Gifts Slumber Bear that is a recording of a mothers womb that you can use in her crib which helps her fall asleep faster and deeper.

Mr. Christopher from Corner Stork Baby Gifts Blog. All parents get into a situation where their children gets a headache, a bee sting, a bug bite, sore throat and any other wide variety of ailment that seem to find kids. The worst part is being completely unprepared because you don’t have the right medicine to fix the problem. She’s running a fever and all you have is 3 bottles of cough medicine. Or she’s screaming in pain from a sore throat and all you have is 4 bottles of Tylenol in various flavors. All parents have been there and in some cases felt it necessary to make that midnight run to the grocery store. Well, we decided to find great home remedies for popular ailments that will work in a pinch when you don’t have what you need, and the best part is that these actually work not only for your child, but for you as well.

1. Headaches
   What You Need: Dishtowel, Ice and a bandanna
   Put 2 or 3 ice cubes in the dish towel. Hold the towel to the area of the head where it hurts. The cold will help soothe the pain. You can also use the bandanna to hold the towel onto the head for hands free relief.
2. Sore Throat
   What You Need: Lemon juice and Honey (Salt and water for adults)
   Make a 50/50 mixture (2 tablespoons of each is fine) of honey and lemon juice from either the store bought juice or squeezed yourself from a fresh lemon. Microwave until warm, but NOT hot. Swallow the mixture. The lemon dries up the congestion and the honey coats the throat. Honey can even soothe coughs better than cough syrup. Do NOT use honey on babies 1 year of age or younger. Adults can gargle salt water at a mix of 1 tablespoon of salt to 2 cups of water. Mix well and gargle. Don’t swallow, it’s nasty tasting.
3. Hiccups
   What You Need: Water
   Give the person with hiccups a half a glass of water. Use the palm of your hands to cover their ears tightly moving hair out of the way if needed. Make sure the seal is really good and tight on their ears (obviously being careful with infants and children). While holding their ears, have them drink the glass of water for about 5-10 seconds making sure they are swallowing and also making sure you maintain the seal on their ears while they are drinking. Once they’re done drinking, take your hands off of their ears.
   
   
4. Anxiety
   What You Need: Bubbles
   More for kids than adults, if your child is having an anxiety attack, break out the bottle of bubbles. Have your child blow long streams of bubbles or see how big they can make a bubble. This tricks them into taking long, deep breaths that will calm their nerves. For adults, just calm down. Take deep breaths. Take air in through the nose for 6 seconds (one long inhale), then breathe out through the mouth for 6 seconds (one long slow exhale). Do this until you calm down.
5. Neck Pain or Stomach Pain
   What You Need: A sock and uncooked rice
   Put the uncooked rice into a long sock and tie the sock closed. Microwave the sock until it’s warm. Use just like a heating pad and place it on the pain. Re-Microwave when it gets cool.
6. Congestion
   What You Need: Contact lens solution, bulb syringe
   For kids over 6 months old, put about a quarter cup of contact lens solution (which is essentially just refined salt water), tilt her head back over a sink or tub, then lightly squeeze solution into one nostril at a time. Don’t do too much because they will essentially end up swallowing it and could gag. The solution will dry up congestion pretty quickly in infants and toddlers. Adults can do the same, but can upgrade to a salt water mix and blow out any excess through your nose into a sink.
7. Bee Sting and Bug Bites
   What You Need: Credit card, baking soda and water
   If a bee, hornet or wasp stings you or your child, don’t try and squeeze out the stinger which could spread the venom around and make things worse. Use a credit card to gently scrape the area until the stinger comes out enough to grab. Then take a teaspoon of baking powder and mix with just enough water to make a paste. Put paste onto the bee sting to help stop the itching. The baking soda solution also works well on bug bites like mosquito bites or other itchy bite areas.
8. Nosebleeds
   What You Need: Cayenne Pepper, cotton swab
   Pinch nostrils together and tilt head upwards. Take a cotton swab, moisten it with water and then sprinkle on a pinch of cayenne pepper. Apply the pepper to the area that’s bleeding. Believe it or not, it does NOT sting. Cayenne pepper helps the blood clot and has been used around the world in many cultures.
9. Colic
   What You Need: Chamomile Tea
   Steep tea for 4 to 5 minutes and then let it cool to room temperature. Put 2 or 3 ounces into baby’s bottle. It soothes her intestinal muscles and helps them calm down. Keep it to no more than 4 ounces a day so that they don’t fill up on tea instead of formula or breast milk.
10. Indigestion
    What You Need: Gum
    If you or your child (4 years of age or older) gets indigestion after eating too much or has an upset stomach, have them chew a piece of gum. The gum helps produce more saliva which will neutralize the excess stomach acid.

And there you have it. And if you’re just reading this to prepare to for a new addition to your family, be sure to visit Corner Stork Baby Gifts Baby Resource Center at http://www.cornerstorkbabygifts.com/baby-resources.aspx for some more great tips and advice on pregnancy, parenting tips, preconception and fertility advice, newborn tips and help, as well as the Top 20 Most Asked Newborn Questions.

Much thanks to Parents magazine for these great tips with exception to all adult tips and the hiccups tip (#3) which all come from Mr. Christopher from the My Wedding Favors Bridal Blog.

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One of the most frustrating things about being a parent is being dumbfounded as to why a baby is crying. You spend so much time trying to understand the issue and you end up pulling your hair out when most of the time you end up being wrong. Mr. Christopher here from Corner Stork Baby Gifts Baby Blog with some great tips from Suzanne Schlosberg and Parents magazine with added editorial and wit from myself, of course.

So, you fed your baby, changed the diaper and she’s been sleeping and well rested. Then she starts crying. What in the world is the problem? Here are some possibilities that you should consider;

1) “I’m Uncomfortable.”

Parents are infamous for putting too many layers of clothes on kids and in some cases not enough. When they get hot and sweaty or cold, they get irritable just like us. Don’t put on excessive clothing. You can test how baby is feeling by placing your hand on her tummy. If it’s hot and clammy, you’ve most likely put on too many clothes. However, the opposite isn’t always true since a baby’s cheeks or feet can be a tad cool even when she’s comfortable.

2) “Stop Fighting!”

Babies pick up on high tension situations that may be occurring with Mommy and Daddy. The easy fix is to keep your cool when you’re in the same room with baby or if you can’t control the situation, postpone the heated discussion until after baby goes to bed and is sleeping soundly.

3) “I’m On the Edge!”

One thing to understand is that your baby is experiencing new sounds and sights everywhere she turns. Situations that seem normal to you is new and sometimes frightening to the little one. Places like shopping malls, Chuck E. Cheese’s and other places where there’s simply too much going on can overwhelm and overload her system. Even something that seems minor like being in a doorway bouncing seat in excess of 20 minutes can be way too much stimulation. Every child is different, so if there’s a little more commotion than normal, keep a watchful eye on her and be wary of her stimulus limit.

4) “My tummy is upset!”

This could be caused by a variety of things. The first thing to try is to pick her up and try to burp her. Hold her close facing you with her chin on your shoulder. Very lightly pat her lower back slowly, then move your pats up towards the area just below her shoulder blades as if you’re slowly guiding the burp up from her belly. Repeat until baby burps. If there isn’t any burp to be pushed out after a couple minutes, try laying her down and lightly massaging her tummy or slowly pedaling her legs to reduce possible gas buildup. If bottle fed, keep a watchful eye on the baby’s diaper for a mucousy poop which could indicate a sensitivity to milk or a milk allergy. Bring a recent poopy diaper with you to your next pediatrician visit if necessary in case they recommend changing formula. If breastfed, try feeding from just one breast since the first is typically higher in lactose than the second. There may also be the possibility of her having reflux or GERD.

5) “OW! I’m being pinched!”

There could be a possibility that her hair or skin is caught in a zipper, wrapped around her finger, being pulled by a car seat or somewhere else. Inspect your baby and make sure nothing is being pinched or pulled. This is a very common problem.

6) “I need some company”

Babies 6 to 9 months old start realizing that they are their own person and are a separate entity. If they go into meltdown when you leave the room even temporarily, you may have to stop what you’re doing to reassure her that you’ll be back and will continue coming back. Lightly touching her cheek or patting her on the back gives her the reassurance you need. The anxiety she’s feeling will normally go away around 15 months, but could only get worse if you “baby” it too much.

7) “I’m hungry!”

She just ate, but she seems hungry for more. The best way to test it is to put her in a stroller and take her for a walk. If she stops crying during the walk or falls asleep, she wasn’t hungry, just irritated and tired. If she screams the whole walk, offer her a bottle or breast. You can’t overfeed a breastfed baby, so you can calm your concerns. Babies will normally do this “extra eating” at 2, 3 and 6 weeks and also 3 and 6 months. So plan on it.

“I need a change of scenery”

Just like you, they get bored staring at the wall for long periods of time. While all babies have different limits, you need to give her a change of scenery if she’s stuck staring at a wall. Interact with her and utilize their natural social instincts. Take her out on your errands or other places.

Many more great newborn baby advice including articles, videos and more can be found at Corner Stork baby Gifts website at http://www.cornerstorkbabygifts.com/baby-resources.aspx. Visit for helpful advice on pregnancy, parenting, newborn baby tips and preconception issues including infertility suggestions and advice on getting pregnant.

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Mr. Christopher from the Corner Stork Baby Blog once again. In a strange story, a nine year old girl went to the hospital in Greece complaining of stomach pains. That’s not the strange part obviously, since Greek food is a regular part of her diet. The unusual part? The little 9 year old girl had apparently absorbed her twin sister.

When her mother was pregnant, the pregnancy began with twins. However, somewhere along the pregnancy, one of the girls “absorbed” the other during development. During delivery only one was born and 9 years later a stomach pain/discomfort was found to be that of her embryonic twin sister. The doctors noted a growth and thought it was possibly a tumor, but found what was a 2 inch formed embryo complete with hair, head and eyes, but no brain or spinal column. Not surprisingly, the family declined to be identified. Surprisingly though, the doctors stated that a twin “absorbing” their twin is not a strange occurrence and that it happens in one of every 500,000 live births.

For those other, 499,999 births, head over to Corner Stork Baby Gifts and visit their special area just for Twins! Gifts for twin boys and twin girls are plentiful along with great educational resources such as pregnancy advice, newborn help and parenting tips, and even preconception and fertility topics. Wonder Twin powers activate!

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Mr. Christopher reporting in from the Corner Stork Baby Blog. Our fine folks over at the Social Security Administration office reported once again that Jacob and Emily are the most popular baby names adorned to newborn babies. The list didn’t offer up anything too shocking, but they did uncovered a strange trend that they can’t seem to figure out.

So far in 2008, parents of infants have been strangely enamored by baby names that rhyme with maiden. Names like Jaden, Caden, Aiden, Braydon, and tons of spelling variations started appearing on the lists over the past couple of years. The most popular was Jayden and variations on the spelling. The name can be applied to both baby boys and baby girls. The top baby boy names using this rhyming were Jayden (position 18), Jaden (position 76), Jaiden (position 191), Jaydon (position 415), Jaidyn (position 841), and Jaydan (position 887). Girls were no different using the same name and spelling variations; Jayden (position 172), Jadyn (position 319), Jaden (position 335), Jaiden (position 429), and Jaidyn (position 561).

Not sure what the fascination on this name was, but what’s even scarier is that right now my wife is in the hospital 9 months pregnant and completely ready to name our daughter Jaydn. She ordered these pacifiers that had Jaydn on them and said to me, “It’s official. No changing the name now!”. We’ll see what happens once she reads the report from USA Today on this peculiar occurrence.

Interested in finding out where your baby’s name ranks in all of this? Visit SSA’s website and enter the birth year and name and they’ll tell you exactly how popular the name was (or is). Meanwhile, if you’ve settled on a name and aren’t going to budge, you might as well head over to the Corner Stork Baby Gifts website and adorn your newborn baby with beautiful unique personalized baby gifts and grab some baby shower favors while you’re visiting.

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Mr. Christopher quickly signing in and then signing out as I turn over today’s blog post to guest writer and new writer on our team, Karen Sullen. She’s got a perfect fitting style for what i do here and thought you should take a peek…

Embryo Adoptions: A Growing Opportunity by Karen Sullen

For many couples, pregnancy seems to come with little effort. Still there are countless others who have attempted to expand their families naturally for years with no success. Each year is met with frustration and disappointment, as the outlook for once-hopefulcouples grows dim. Traditional adoption and in-vitro fertilization have long been sought as methods to help these couples fulfill their dreams of parenthood. But now, couples have another option to consider–embryo adoption.

What becomes of embryos that are no longer needed? Until recently, once couples were successful in having a child or children through IVF, the embryos would either be donated for medical research, anonymously donated to a waiting family who could not produce viable eggs of their own or destroyed. Realizing that there is life (even if dormant) in those tiny embryos that might never have a chance to reach their fullest potential, an organization called Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Agency has been on the forefront of embryo adoptions to help change that. If fully utilized, embryo adoptions could allow the more than 400,000 frozen eggs that have been harvested from couples during the in-vitro fertilization process to actually be adopted. Charting new territory, this organization has brought the full adoption process to in-vitro fertilization, resulting in a glorious new option for infertile couples.

Many of you might be wondering, “Embryo donations have been around for years, so what’s so different about embryo adoptions?” According to Snowflakes, the process “goes beyond the embryo donation provided by fertility clinics by offering the safeguards and education available in a traditional adoption. A home study is prepared on the adopting family that includes screening and education. The donating family is responsible for selecting a family to raise their genetic child (as opposed to the doctor in a clinic making the selection of a family,) and they will know if a child is born from the adopted embryos. Our program recognizes the importance of counseling all parties involved. Most importantly, we recognize the personhood of embryos, and we treat them as precious pre-born children.” As with traditional adoptions, the donor family must relinquish their right and legal claim to the embryos before transfer and thawing of embryos can be done.

While embryo adoptions maintain the look and feel of traditional adoptions, there are some distinct differences. There are no specific laws regarding the adoption of embryos. Most organizations operate under a broad use of existing adoption laws, which they then apply to the embryos as if they were children (albeit “pre-born” children.) As you would imagine, embryo adoptions are not without their limitations. While only two-thirds of the frozen embryos will survive the thawing stage, the ones that do survive are then implanted into the adoptive mother’s womb just like another other IVF procedure with only a 20-25% success rate. There are other drawbacks as well. First, because multiple embryos are implanted simultaneously, expectant mothers could end up with twins or even triplets. Secondly, there are no guarantees regarding the genetic makeup of the child. A baby cannot be refused or “returned” if it is born with birth defects or other abnormalities. And then there’s always the issue of whether to tell the child of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding its birth. Finally, embryo adoptions can also be more stressful than normal adoptions because implantation does not always result in pregnancy. As with any other IVF procedure, it may take several implants before a baby is conceived.

All that aside, many couples believe that the benefits of embryo adoptions outweigh the risk and the effort. The most obvious benefit is that the adoptive mother has an opportunity to participate in the pregnancy process. Although the child is not “genetically” hers, she can now experience the joys of motherhood, right along with the pains. It’s the experience of a lifetime! The National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) at Knoxville’s Baptist Hospital for Women has matched nearly 100 genetic families through its non-profit organization, whose mission is to “protect the lives and dignity of human embryos by promoting, facilitating and educating about embryo donation and adoption.”

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