Monday, December 16, 2013

Cold Weather: What temperature should the Baby room be.


Have you ever wondered what the nightly temperature should be in a baby’s room when the weather turns cold?  If you don’t know the answer then we are in the same boat! But these are things I just have to know for our baby. In fact I was at a speaking engagement and as they were introducing me and listing a few of my affiliations and hobbies it dawned on me, right now my most consuming hobby is baby research.

When the weather got cold I wanted to find a way to keep Zara’s room warm without spending a fortune on electricity.  Because our thermostat is in the living room I was also concerned that the room would get too warm.  So my husband and I did a little research and found a heater that was not at risk for sparking,  was flat and can be mounted on the wall when she starts to crawl.  To keep it regulated it plugs into a temperature sensor that turns the heater on and off depending on the temp of the room. 

And the correct answer for the temperature is….

65-68 degrees according to the Academy of Pediatrics both in the USA and UK.


So now you know (just like me) and Zara is sleeping nice and warm.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Pregnant, Breast-Feeding, Checking for Depleted Nutrients.


After going through pregnancy and then the stress of labor, a new mom often feels very depleted and may struggle with fatigue.  And while some may say that it’s to be expected it could also be the sign of something more serious such as a vitamin deficiency. Deficiencies can cause all kinds of symptoms including fatigue and poor healing. 

To be sure, at in-Health Clinic we offer a micronutrient analysis which checks all the vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants and minerals present in your cells. The replenishing of micronutrients is a nice way to get back on track toward healing and rejuvenation.  A thyroid test can also be done but only when other concurrent symptoms are present.

I took the test and you can see my results.

I was deficient in Asparagine, an amino acid important for helping the manufacture of several proteins in cellular tissue. It also helps balance the central nervous system making it less affected by excitement or calm.  Simply it controls the brain’s metabolism.

I also was moderate low in Calcium and Magnesium, which is very common due to the fact that during pregnancy you are building a tiny skeletal system. This takes a lot of minerals and can deplete your reserve to maintain your own system.