The moment I saw that positive pregnancy test for the first time the part of me that wasn’t terrified went into instant Mama Bear mode. I wanted to make sure I ate all the right things, took the right supplements but what I didn’t realize was that what I was putting ON my body was just as important as what I was putting IN my body and my personal care products needed a little bit of a change up.
I used The Environmental Working Group’s (ewg..org) searchable database to check how the ingredients in the products I was using measured up against their safety guidelines and I was surprised at what I found. It took a little of combing through the shelves at Target and some trial and error to find things that were both clean AND effective but once I found these five staples, I have never gone back to my old stuff.
1
Mineral Salt Crystal Deodorant
Crystal Deodorant- Your Pits Will Thank You
$6.37
In my 20's I had a swollen lymph node under my arm for two years. It was so big that you could see it when I wore tank tops and it made my armpit look weird. I went to numerous doctors until one suggested I stop using deodorant. Unwilling to just wear NOTHING, I scoured the healthfood store shelves and this Crystal's claim of being amazing intrigued me. It is literally just mineral salts and you wet it and rub it on your pits and go about your business smelling fresher than a daisy without any nasty chemicals. Five years later, that lymph node is no longer swollen and I will never use conventional deodorant again (and I don't smell, you can ask my hubs).
The third trimester definitely prepares you for life with a newborn (hello 3am insomnia) and I was super thankful to have Beautycounter's Skin Twin Creamy Concealer to slather under my eyes to make me feel a bit more human. It comes in 13 shades and contains responsibly sourced ingredients that not only conceal dark circles and blemishes but work to improve overall skintone- without the use of questionable ingredients or animal testing.
Most over the counter acne treatments contain salicylic acid, which some providers advise against use during pregnancy. Belli Acne Control Spot Treatment features colloidal sulfur, tea tree oil and chamomile that absorbs quickly and penetrates pores to help control blemishes and keep skin clear. It does not include glycolic acid, salicylic acid, or benzoyl peroxide, common acne-fighting ingredients that can over dry or irritate the skin and are not recommended during pregnancy. Every Belli product is allergy tested, free of paraben preservatives, gluten, phthalates, and artificial dyes or fragrances and is approved by OBGYN's & dermatologists. I was one of the (un)lucky ones who's pregnancy glow faded into pregnancy pimples and Belli was my go-to!
There is some evidence that whether or not you get stretch marks is hereditary but that did not stop me from slathering my belly with this oil on the daily. Did I get stretch marks, no. Do I know for sure it was because I used this oil, also no. But, it was nice to take some time every night to rub my belly and connect with the tiny person growing inside. It doesn't contain any sulfates, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, or petroleum and is cruelty free!
I have never been one to like the feeling of foundation on my face but Dew Skin is makeup with the feeling of a moisturizer plus- it has SPF. On my most exhausted of days, I can take five seconds to rub some Dew Skin on my face and BOOM- I am out the door. It features a blend of black currant seed oil, peony root extract, and vitamin C to help brighten while leaving skin looking radiant and non-nano zinc oxide, a mineral sunscreen that is coral safe. Like all of Beautycounter's products, it's free from over 1800 harmful chemicals, never tested on animals and ethically and sustainably sourced.
Editor’s note: Any medical advice presented here is expressly the views of the writer and Red Tricycle cannot verify any claims made. Please consult with your healthcare provider about what works best for you.
When I started to suspect I had an ovulatory disorder that meant my progesterone levels weren’t rising properly after ovulation, I went to my doctor and asked for a supplement. Although he was reluctant, he prescribed it for me. A couple of cycles later, I was pregnant and gave birth to my beautiful daughter who is now 6. But after my experience, I discovered there was a significant lack of knowledge in women’s health surrounding low progesterone and supplementation. Many women and their doctors did not understand or believe in the power of progesterone.
Unfortunately, some misconceptions are still common today. Read on to understand more about progesterone, why it’s important, and two common misconceptions that could be preventing women from uncovering what could be an easy fix.
Why Is Progesterone Important?
Progesterone is the hormone released after ovulation. It is required to prepare the uterus to receive an embryo, should conception have occurred and is essential to have adequate levels of progesterone for a long enough period of time after ovulation for a successful pregnancy.
What is misunderstood, however, is that a common problem with ovulation typically manifests as progesterone deficiency. Many doctors question if low progesterone is a real diagnosis and whether or not adding progesterone supplements can actually help.
Misconception #1: Studies Show Progesterone Supplements Don’t Help Fix Problems with Ovulation.
When I asked my doctor for a progesterone supplement, he gave it to me—not because he thought it would work, but because taking the supplement wouldn’t harm me. This lack of faith in the effectiveness of progesterone supplements stems from a study conducted in 2016. This study followed 836 women. When a woman got a positive pregnancy test, half were given vaginal progesterone and the other half were given nothing. Live birth rates were only 2% higher in the progesterone supplement group. So, the study concluded that progesterone supplementation didn’t really help.
But this experiment was flawed. Basic biology tells us that progesterone is required to prepare the uterine lining for implantation—which is why it is released by the ovary right after ovulation. So, by the time a woman got a positive pregnancy test, the embryo had likely already implanted. Providing progesterone after confirmed pregnancy was almost “too late” since progesterone is critically needed to prepare the uterus for conception. This study was highly publicized when it was published, so the information spread widely to doctors and women.
In 2017, another study was published. In this experiment, women were given progesterone at the start of their luteal phase (3 days after ovulation) so that they were able to have high levels before implantation and getting a positive pregnancy test. The results of this study showed a 17% increase in live birth rates.
In fact, there are many studies that show progesterone supplementation starting after ovulation increases live birth rates. So when supplementing, it’s important to mimic the time when the body would have released progesterone as well—which is right after ovulation, not after implantation has already occurred.
Misconception #2: A Blood Test Is the Best & Only Way to Confirm Ovulation.
If you suspect you have a lack of ovulation or suboptimal ovulation (i.e. a progesterone deficiency), your doctor may order a day-21 progesterone blood test. A day-21 blood test aims to measure progesterone at the point in your cycle when it should be the highest—seven days after ovulation (given ovulation occurs on day 14). However, there are a few reasons a blood test can fall short.
First, a day-21 blood test assumes you ovulate on day 14 of your cycle. But, every cycle is different in length, so one woman may ovulate before or after day 14. When this happens, progesterone still should be high seven days after ovulation, but that may not necessarily occur exactly on the 21st day of your cycle. This means that you could get a negative result when in reality, your progesterone is fine. Additionally, a one point in time measurement doesn’t always show the full picture. In my case, progesterone levels would rise, then fall a bit too quickly to be considered “healthy”. I would get a positive day-21 test and doctors would think I was fine, but my progesterone levels weren’t actually adequate over time.
Second, progesterone is secreted into the blood in pulses. Studies have shown that serum progesterone levels can fluctuate eight times in the course of a single day. So, progesterone can range from 3-30 ng/ml, depending on what time of day you draw blood. This makes it extremely difficult for doctors to know if the amount of serum progesterone in your blood draw is actually enough to support successful conception. At 8 a.m., your progesterone levels could look great, but at 4 p.m., they could be low.
So, what does this all mean for you?
The most important thing for you to do is stay informed and ask your doctor the right questions. The good news is that there are other ways to confirm successful ovulation at home so that you can understand this important piece of the fertility puzzle!
After progesterone circulates through the blood, it is then passed into the liver where it is metabolized and secreted into urine as PdG (Pregnanediol Glucuronide). Studies have shown that PdG levels, first thing in morning urine show an average of the serum progesterone levels from the day before. Because PdG shows an average, this makes it a better way to measure the overall progesterone production after ovulation. Add to this, testing PdG through urine is non-invasive, it’s simple to track levels over several days, allowing for a more complete ovulation picture.
Understanding the importance of progesterone and the most effective ways to test for it can empower you with valuable information and help your better advocate for yourself on your TTC journey.
I'm Amy Beckley. After my experiences with pregnancy loss and IVF I used my PhD in Pharmacology to create MFB Fertility, Inc. and invented the Proov test in my basement, which now allows women to confirm successful ovulation by tracking PdG in 5 minutes, at home. I want to empower women.
You know you’re a Chicago parent when. . . you can’t resist reading this list. You for sure have a black parka in your closet, you’ve endured outdoor sporting events in weather so cold even penguins would be begging for layers and. . . wait, we can’t give them all away just yet! Curious? Read on.
2. No. 1 also applies to your pets. . . which, also have Chicago-sports-themed monikers (i.e. Wrigley, Benny, Kane, Tillman, Banks, Ditka—you get the point).
3. You began debating private versus public schools and learned the meaning of magnet, cluster and charter when your child was in utero.
4. The Starbucks baristas start making your drink as soon as you roll up in your black parka (we know you have one) with your stroller and Chicago-sports-apparel-wearing dog (that's some version of a doodle) and know each of your kids by name.
18. Winters are so cold, you believe this could actually happen—or maybe your kid has even been successful and you've had to unstick their tongue from a pole. (Our Editor slowly raises her hand.)
25. Indoor playspaces like Purple Monkey Playroom and Little Beans Cafe are your go-to spots for catching up on coffee and chats with your mom friends.
— Written by Maria Chambers, Joanna Aaron, Tabitha Green, Selena Kohng, Samantha Lande, Heidi Moore & Kelly Aiglon
Congratulations to the Ross family. Evan and Ashlee Simpson Ross both announced her third pregnancy on Instagram today. The couple shared a picture of themselves holding up a positive pregnancy test.
Simpson Ross captioned the shot, “During this unprecedented time, we know pregnant women may be under greater stress which is why we are supporting @marchofdimes Mom and Baby #COVID19 Intervention and Support Fund,” the mom-to-be added, referencing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “Check out their Instagram page to see how they are helping moms and babies get the care they need now and in the future.”
The new baby will join big sister Jagger Snow and big brother Bronx Mowgli, whom Simpson shares with ex-husband Pete Wentz.
Mike Tyson famously said, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Clearly, he was talking about parenthood. Well, maybe not when he said it . . . but it applies nonetheless. Trust me.
If you are reading this, then, in all likelihood, you are a parent or expecting to be one at some point in the future and have already had your plan crumble to pieces, or you are delusional and think that you can defy the odds and that your plan will be the one that doesn’t fail. Can’t you hear the sound of naivety when the soon-to-be-dad (or mom) says, “When I have a kid” or “my child will never . . . ”?
I had a plan. Well, I didn’t. Not at first. I’ll explain . . . On a sunny Sunday afternoon, while shopping for a brand-new Jeep, my girlfriend at the time (now my wife, Lacey) turned to me and said, “We need to go home.”
We had been at the dealership for less than an hour when Lace said this. Meanwhile, I had mentally prepared myself to be there for at least the next three hours, negotiating with the salesman while he went back to talk to his boss every fifteen minutes as I threatened to walk out. I explained to her that we couldn’t leave, not just yet, and that this (buying a new car) is a process, which may take a while.
She graciously waited for me to finish my rant on the car buying experience then explained to me that she hadn’t gotten her “monthly visit,” felt ill, and needed to get a pregnancy test. Needless to say, we left the Jeep dealership . . . immediately.
We didn’t need to ask, “How did this happen?” We both knew the night the puck slipped past the goalie (that’s a whole separate column, which involves my Down Syndrome brother, Adam, calling me a “p*ssy” for not drinking).
So, after leaving the dealership, we stopped at Rite Aid and grabbed a pregnancy test. Five minutes later, she was peeing on a stick and, three minutes after that, we were questioning whether we saw a blue line or not. Not ten minutes had passed before I was driving to CVS to get another pregnancy test because the one we had bought at Rite Aid had not given us a clear enough answer (sidebar: There was definitely a blue line there; we just couldn’t face reality) and I was far too embarrassed to go back into the same Rite Aid and get another, different pregnancy test.
I made it home, she peed, and our fate was sealed; the word “PREGNANT” on the stick was not at all ambiguous this time. We were having a baby.
And so, the planning began. Our son was going to be the heir apparent to Tom Brady, starting quarterback for the New England Patriots, when he retires in 2035. No, better, he was going to be President of the United States—probably the youngest one ever after he graduated from Harvard Law School at the age of 18.
Being an avid Jordan enthusiast, I bought him five pairs of baby Jordans that evening while enjoying some wine to celebrate. Lacey, on the other hand, stared at me steely-eyed while she researched doctors, begrudging that she would be unable to enjoy wine and other stuff she loved for the next nine-plus months.
We met with our doctor a few weeks later and he delivered the first blow: “You’re having a girl.” I was speechless. While the thought of having a little girl had crossed my mind, it was not part of the plan . . . Ugh, the plan . . . My plan . . . was ruined.
Now, instead of playing one-on-one in the driveway while talking about his numerous girlfriends with the triumphant son I had envisioned, I would be sitting with my back against my daughter’s bedroom door pleading with her to open it because “boys are dumb” and “Jake is an a**hole” while secretly being stressed to the max about Jake trying to make my daughter a notch in his belt. Even more, I wasn’t prepared for the all the pink, princess dresses, and having my daughter not speak to me for her teenage years, which I was told comes with having a girl.
When I voiced my concerns about not knowing about how to raise a daughter (not that I had any experience raising a boy or any child for that matter), I was walked off the proverbial ledge by our doctor (he had two daughters of his own) and Lacey. They both emphasized that I would figure it out and everything would be just fine. They were much more helpful than my own father who told me, “Maybe she’ll be a lesbian like your sister and there will be nothing to worry about.” That was comforting.
Even after my initial plan went down in a first round K.O., I didn’t stop planning. In the months that followed, Lacey and I planned and plotted . . . every . . . single . . . detail . . .
We decided on our daughter’s name: “Harper Autumn;” we planned the design of her bedroom: All owl everything; and we planned for the night Harper would be born: April 29, 2014. Not living near either of our families, both our families had to book flights to LA around the time Harper was due; we coordinated and planned this, too.
Well, April 29 came and went and all we had to show for it was an all owl everything bedroom for a baby who would later be named “Harper Autumn.” Harper was late. Eight days late, to be exact. And, Lacey had to be induced, which was not part of our plan.
No biggie—a few more jabs to the jaw . . . Then, the left hook.
On May 7, we went to Cedars Sinai Hospital for Lacey to be induced. We were told that Lacey would be given Pitocin, which would induce labor, and that we would have our daughter by noon. Perfect. Well, Lacey took the Pitocin, received an epidural, and was a champ . . . about the whole thirteen-hour process. Yup, thirteen hours.
Sidebar: Women are seriously amazing. No way would I have been able to lie there thirteen hours being poked and prodded all day by a plethora of nurses and doctors.
My part in the labor was relatively easy: I lay down on the couch in the room, did some light studying for school, and later watched the NBA Playoffs (which may or may not have remained on in the background while I filmed the birth of our daughter). I also provided all the emotional support Lacey needed and made numerous cafeteria runs whenever prompted to do so.
Then, the moment came. At 8:11PM Harper arrived. It was amazing. I couldn’t remember a single part of any plan we had made. She was perfect: I no longer cared that my first child wasn’t a boy; I didn’t care that she was eight days late; and I no longer cared about anything that didn’t matter . . . As cliché as it sounds, I just wanted her to be healthy. I counted her fingers and toes: ten of each. We were all set. Life was good.
Where’s this left hook you ask?
After we each got to hold our daughter, do skin-to-skin, and snap some photos, the nurses took Harper to bathe her and run some tests. They encouraged us to get some rest, which Lacey needed more than I did, clearly. I figured I would quickly go home and check on our dogs (we lived less than a mile away from the hospital) while Lacey got some sleep.
About twenty minutes later I got a panicked phone call from Lace: “They haven’t brought her back!” I tried to calm her down and told her everything was fine and that I was headed back. When I got to the hospital about ten minutes later, I was met by Lacey in the hallway, pulling her IV. Mind you, this woman had given birth less than two hours ago and had ZERO business being out of bed.
“SHE’S NOT BACK YET!” she exclaimed as she saw me. “No one is telling me anything.” I tried not to panic.
We were then brought to the Nursery, where Harper was. But she wasn’t like all the other newborns in there. Harper had tubes everywhere and an astronaut-like helmet on pumping oxygen for her to breathe. Yep, this kid was not breathing right. That was not part of the plan.
We were informed that Harper would have to be admitted to the NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit) and that only one of us would be allowed to be with her up there overnight. I lost that battle to my wife. This was the left hook.
My parents lost a child (full-term stillbirth) when I was four years old, and I couldn’t shake that thought. Were we going to lose Harper? Would we try to have another child? How would this affect our relationship? None of this was part of the plan.
For the next twenty-three hours, we were surrounded by other families that had their plans interrupted. No one ever says, “Yeah, when we have our first child we plan on spending hours or days in the NICU not making eye contact with the other parents in there because we secretly hope our situation is not as bad as theirs and don’t want to get too familiar.”
I’m not going to lie, that left hook made our knees buckle. We were dazed . . . but we never fell. Instead, we took photos and comforted one another. We said we would figure this all out and get through it. And we did.
Twenty hours after being admitted to the NICU, Harper began breathing regularly. It turned out that being eight days late had made her lazy; she expected Lacey to do everything for her on the outside, too. Too bad that’s not how it works, kiddo. Yeah, my kid was an a**hole (I can call her that; she’s my kid). After all, she is her father’s daughter.
They released her from the NICU a few hours later. We spent twenty-three hours in total in the NICU, scared every minute that we were going to lose our daughter or that she would have brain damage from not breathing and that we would have to get her special help . . . none of which was ever part of the plan or ever actually happened.
Harper is three years old now, and the punches haven’t stopped being thrown, but we’re getting better about dodging them. That’s parenthood: Dodging punches.
Am I saying, “Don’t plan anything”? No, that’s idiotic. However, as a parent you need to be flexible because, well, stuff it going to happen.
Your daughter may hug you as you leave for work and get toothpaste on your suit; your kid may poo up his or her back and all over your brand-new carpet; and you may find yourself getting used to the taste of pee that erupts out of your son’s diaper every time you change him because he gets excited when YOU change him. This is parenthood.
Everyone experiences similar things and anyone who says otherwise is a liar. “Everything went as planned,” said no one, ever, when discussing having and raising kids. So, if your plan gets altered, don’t worry: It happens to us all. Rolling with the punches builds character and makes for a really good story every now and then.
But, remember this . . . if you’re going to make a plan, don’t forget to keep a mouth-guard handy. See, I told you Mike Tyson was talking about parenthood.
Your Friend and My Favorite,
Stephen
_____________
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Congratulations are in order. After experiencing a miscarriage two years ago, Beverley Mitchell is pregnant. The 7th Heaven actress posted a photo of herself holding the positive pregnancy test on her Instagram page.
“We finally got our gold at the end of the rainbow!!!! We are pregnant with our rainbow baby!” she captioned her post. “The road hasn’t always been easy but it is so worth it! It has been far but scarier this time around but just got a great checkup so we are feeling lucky!”
The actress who shares son Hutton Michael, 5, and daughter Kenzie Lynne, 6, with husband Michael Cameron, previously suffered a miscarriage with twins in 2018.
Congrats are in order for a former Olympian, because Shawn Johnson East is pregnant! Johnson East, along with husband Andrew, recently announced their baby news on Instagram and YouTube, sharing sweet pics and their even sweeter story.
In late 2017, Johnson East publicly opened up about having a miscarriage during her first pregnancy, posting an emotional video about her experience to YouTube. That makes this pregnancy a long time in the making—and it looks like the parents-to-be are positively giddy at their happy news.
In their latest YT video, the East’s recap how they found out about the pregnancy. Johnson East reveals the subtle symptoms she felt earlier on, but despite the somewhat noticeable signs, the first few pregnancy tests Johnson East took were negative.
Still feeling symptomatic, Johnson East decided to take yet another pregnancy test—while visiting the couple’s close friends. As it turns out, Johnson East was right, because this test was decidedly positive! The Olympic gymnast shared the news with her hubby, taping his completely cute reaction.
It’s excitement all around for the East’s and their expectant baby joy! Not only can you watch the couple’s sweet pregnancy announcement update on YouTube, but you can also check out their progress on @theeastbaby‘s Instagram feed.
We’ve all seen her on Instagram: she’s the mom who does it all. Her hair is curled, she drinks green smoothies and her kids all wear coordinated-but-not-matching outfits. And her house? Oh, that place is also perfect. Everything magically stays white in spite of the kids running around. It’s shabby chic and it stays that way all day long.
And then, there’s me.
I always pictured myself becoming the mom I described above, the one whose house looked great no matter how many kids she added to her brood. But, now that I’ve actually become a mom, I’ve realized that’s not my aesthetic at all. At. All.
Instead, I’m going with a “lived-in” vibe from now until my kids go to college. Here’s why.
I Have a Lot Going On
You might have heard, but, just in case you haven’t, I’m going to let you in on a little secret—moms are busy. Whether you have an infant or a preschooler or both, there’s just a lot to do. During the first month of my baby’s life, I was feeding her a dozen times a day. That will taper off, but the other responsibilities—everything from playing to changing diapers to cleaning spit-up to rocking my baby to sleep—will continue to be there.
Then, of course, there are the non-baby things I have to do. My preschooler keeps me running around like crazy. When I can finally get both girls down for a nap, I spend those hours working. Did I mention that I also work in this very lived-in home? The last thing on my list is to decorate my Pennsylvania home. And we all know what happens to the last thing on the to-do list—it never gets done. And I’m okay with my house being imperfect for now.
There’s No Use in Perfection
My baby is currently immobile. In a few months she’ll be old enough for tummy time and then I can look forward to her crawling, walking and wreaking havoc house-wide just like my older girl does while I’m trying to work. If I had a perfect home, the future of two little girls running around would only damage all of that carefully curated cuteness.
Let’s face it—kids are messy. They throw up, they have accidents, they spill their sippy cups. They grab markers and draw on every surface. Crumbs fall out of their mouths and into crevasses that the vacuum may or may not be able to reach. Sure, I can learn how to remove stains from my sofa, but how many times can a beautiful piece of furniture withstand that type of trauma? In my opinion, I’m better off with the basics so I can worry less about what will happen to it throughout the next 18 or so years.
I Don’t Need the Stress
Another big thing that comes with motherhood is stress. It’s not a problem that affects only moms—according to a 2017 Gallup poll, 79 percent of Americans said they felt stress sometimes or frequently throughout the day. So, there are a lot of us who experience this on a regular basis, considering more than 325 million people live in this country.
But, of course, once I gave birth to my first girl, my stress multiplied. I now have to worry not only about myself and her but also about the helpless little human in my charge. Is she crying weirdly? What does it mean? Does she have a fever? Is she still breathing in the middle of the night? These are all thoughts that race through my mind all day long and I am doing all I can to assuage them by reminding myself we’re all okay.
With this in mind, I know that my lived-in house is the perfect place for me to raise my children. I don’t feel like I need the added stress of maintaining an aesthetically pleasing design scheme. Plus, I’d worry about my girls damaging the furniture and accessories I had so thoughtfully chosen for each room. Like—to every mom with a glass coffee table—how do you not have a panic attack every day? I don’t think I want to spend my time stressing over decor when I’m already anxious enough about the responsibilities of motherhood.
I Kind of Like It Anyway
Finally—and maybe most importantly—I like the way my imperfect house looks. It might not be Instagram-worthy, but my home is the first place where my husband and I lived post-wedding. It’s where I stared in complete shock at a positive pregnancy test. And it’s where I very carefully carried both my girls through the front door for the first time. In other words, it’s special to me, no matter how it looks.
I’d like to think my lived-in vibe welcomes everyone into our home and tells them they can relax here. We’re proud of our place and we keep it clean in the hygienic way, but we also don’t care if things get a little bit messy. And, as a mom and a woman who works from home, I know that they will—so I’m just going to stick with my chill decorating style until my girls are old enough to handle a little glam.
Jennifer Landis is a mom, wife, freelance writer, and blogger. She enjoys long naps on the couch, sneaking spoonfuls of peanut butter when her kid's not looking, and binge watching Doctor Who while her kid's asleep. She really does like her kid, though, she promises. Find her on Twitter @JenniferELandis.
Yes, we too have just done a spit-take of coffee all over our laptops. No, this is not some very early or terribly delayed April Fool’s Day prank by our beloved purveyor of Swedish home goods, cinnamon buns and tasty cheap meatballs. IKEA really has made its first pregnancy test—and it could be coming to a newsstand near you. Not only that, it’s basically a free pregnancy test for what you would pay to get it and it’ll save you money on your big nursery shopping trip to IKEA, too.
We know, right?!
So, here’s the lowdown on IKEA’s Ürinstik—ha ha, just kidding. Sadly no, that’s not what it’s called and it’s not something you can actually buy in an IKEA store—but it is a real, honest-to-goodness pregnancy test from IKEA.
AdWeek explains how Åkestam Holst, an award-winning Swedish advertising agency, came up with a positive-ly (sorry) brilliant way to advertise IKEA’s handsome Sundvik cribs. The IKEA pregnancy test actually comes as full-page magazine ad, created in collaboration with Mercene Labs. On part of the printed page, a specially-printed strip can detect the presence of hCG (the pregnancy hormone that pregnancy tests look for).
Here’s where it gets ridiculous. Instead of showing two pink lines or a plus or a minus sign, positive pregnancy test results reveal themselves as a discounted price on the Sundvik crib. You can see this amazing feat of modern printing and science in the ad agency’s video below:
No word on whether or not the ad will appear in U.S. magazines, but it’s highly doubtful, what with that whole “Food and Drug Administration” thing. But presumably, hopeful Swedish parents-to-be can flip through the pages of their favorite magazine, pop a squat and save a pretty krona on their first crib purchase at IKEA.
WHAT 👏 A 👏 TIME 👏 TO 👏 BE 👏 ALIVE.
Would you pee on a magazine page if it meant saving a couple of hundred bucks on a piece of IKEA furniture? Discuss.
There goes the doctors favorite word to throw around while diagnosing babies, colic. Being a mother of two, I can definitely rule out different cries, I mean come on I’m an expert now basically. NOT.
I have two precious boys, and I became a mother at nineteen years young. Kaiden made me a mother, he’s now three years old and has taught me a lot about my life and about how to be a mother. When Kaiden was a baby, he was diagnosed with acid reflux. Nothing serious to the doctors since he was gaining weight.
BUT, what about the pain my baby was going through? Sure, he’s gaining weight fine, I had no idea how when it seriously looked like he was throwing up ounces at a time. Luckily, after changing formula six times, yes six times, and finding the right medication he grew out of his acid reflux at four months old.
Fast forward two years, and we are ready to have another baby. After trying and trying, we stopped trying and trusted God’s timing. Next thing you know, those two lines popped up on my pregnancy test. 39 weeks later I was induced to give birth to our second precious baby boy Kylan. All of the sudden, things took a turn for the worst.
As I was getting discharged the pediatric hospitalist came in and proceeded to tell me that I was being discharged, but Kylan was not. I was in shock. “Why, is he okay, he had been fine the first two nights at the hospital!” Kylan ended up having blood in his stool, and the doctors had no answers as to why. Finally after a numerous amount of doctor visits and formula changes, my sweet baby ended up having MSPI (Milk Soy Protein Intolerance).
That’s not all though. Kylan was screaming, throwing up, arching his back, and covering himself and me in vomit after every single bottle. My baby was in PAIN.
I made the first available appointment for that very next day. Here we go again… “Your baby is gaining weight just fine. He has colic, and it will pass eventually.” We left, tears streaming down my face, I knew my baby was in pain and he did not have colic. After more doctor visits, they finally put Kylan on acid reflux medication- Zantac, an H2 blocker that your baby grows up a tolerance towards.
So here we go, more pain. Sleepless nights, and a screaming baby that only wants to be held and cuddled. Medication was changed again to a PPI (Proton Pumps Inhibitors). With babies though, they need their PPI more than once a day and until they are on the right dosage, they will continue to be in pain and go through the dreaded a”acid battle.”
Yes, the acid battle is real, and it’s total HELL. You don’t know what to do anymore, you feel useless, hopeless, and worst of all like you’re failing your baby as their mother. A mother who is supposed to protect them, and do their best to keep them out of harms way. I felt like I was going crazy. Until one day I found a support group on Facebook for infants with acid reflux, and other mothers going through the same exact things I was going through with Kylan. Dr. Jeffrey Phillips who was an administrator on the Facebook group had invented TCM (Tummy Care Max) which makes PPIS immediate release instead of having to wait 45 minutes after giving the baby their medicine to give your baby a bottle.
I also discovered Marci Kids Dosing, which goes by the age and weight of your baby to determine how many milligrams to give your baby and also how many times per day. This truly was a life saver. I researched and researched some more before taking the leap and getting Tummy Care Max, and the amazing thing is that it’s safe for MSPI babies like my sweet Kylan as well!
After starting new medication, and giving Kylan the right dosage backed by science, he became a totally different baby. Kylan smiles, laughs, holds his head up, and rolled over from front to back for the first time! My message to all moms and all parents out there is to follow your parenting instincts. Don’t ever feel crazy for thinking something is wrong with your baby when you have that gut wrenching feeling that something isn’t right. Colic is diagnosed daily by pediatricians when later on the true problem is acid reflux, and when not treated your baby can be in severe pain. Don’t ever settle with answers you don’t be feel comfortable with.
Fight for your babies. WE ARE THEIR VOICE. WE ARE THEIR NUMBER ONE FANS. WE ARE THEIR PARENTS AND THEY ARE OUR GIFTS FROM GOD.
So they deserve to be well taken care of and not in pain. So sweet mama or daddy reading this, I hope you stand up and fight for your precious babies. I fought so extremely hard, and I wanted to give up at times, but guess what!?
I WON, ME AND KYLAN DEFEATED THIS ACID BATTLE. Much love to all the parents going through health conditions with their precious babies, and even though I don’t know you, I’m praying for you. God Bless.
I'm a stay at home mom to two beautiful boys. I enjoy the simple things in life, like taking a relaxing shower without my kids throwing my clothes in the toilet. I enjoy helping other moms with obstacles they're facing that I have already overcome.
