Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

Frugal Gift Ideas for New Parents

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frugal gift ideas for new parentsThough it seems like an eternity ago, I have a daughter who is only two years old.

It wasn’t that long ago that I was a stressed out new parent (stress is far from gone just in a very different manner). We were one of the first in our circle of friends to have a kid but now it seems everyone is starting to catch up! Given that it wasn’t that long ago I was in their position I have a pretty good idea of good, useful gifts for new parents.

Here are some frugal gift ideas for new parents.

Cleaning

Though there is a difference between messy and dirty, maintaining your home during those first few weeks is tough, even on a basic level. I was home recovering with a c-section and though my husband was home to help, he was busy helping me and baby, taking care of basic needs like food, comfort and laundry.

Cleaning the house was the bottom of the list. After a few weeks when I started feeling better and kid was into more of a sleep routine (I miss those long newborn naps sometimes!) I was able to do it but I so appreciated when my sister came over just to help tidy up and sweep the floor. I could rest and she helped every few days with tidying up. If you don’t want to donate your own time to help parents with cleaning, consider getting a gift certificate for a cleaning service. Trust me, they will use it!

Food

In the weeks leading up to baby I prepped a few meals to freeze but not everyone has time to do that. I think my favorite gift was food. We both so appreciated having food delivered. We were both tired and didn’t feel like cooking, even to turn the BBq on to cook the burgers I had already prepped. We received both cooked meals and gift certificates for meals to go, both of which were blessings.

Sleep

Once my husband went back to work and I was on my own during the day, I did receive a treat visit once or twice when friends or family came over to watch baby for a few hours so I could rest. Sleeping when baby sleeps is much easier said then done and a rest when you really need it is invaluable, trust me.

Basic Needs

Though it’s tempting to buy cute fluffy toys and blankets for a new baby, parents would love to help with basics like diapers, pajamas or clothes for the kid that will grow (and fast). I had one friend but outfits for a 12 to 18 month old. It was nice to have clothes for all ages and not just newborn.

Becoming a parent, especially the first time, is a stressful time. They say the first year of marriage is hard, I would argue that the first year as parents is the most difficult I’ve ever been through. If you’re looking for a good gift to give your new parent friends, the truth is that the more practical the gift, the better!

What would you add to the list?

Any tips for gifts for new parents?

A Rant About Mother’s Day Gifts

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a mother's day rantMaybe it’s because I didn’t pay much attention to the ads until this year, being my second Mother’s day celebration. Maybe it was because growing up, making homemade gifts for special occasions was the only option, not ever noticing ads.

I don’t know why but this year more than ever, there seems to be a huge amount of what I would consider inappropriate ads for special occasions, Mother’s day being just one.

Mother’s Day Ads Gone Overboard

I caught a local ad on TV advertising that what mom ”really wants” is this luxury vehicle for Mother’s day. Really? A car? For Mother’s day?! Not only is this just insane to me, it gives the message of ”Thanks Mom for driving us around all day, mind-as-well have a comfortable bum while it continues”. Who buys mom a car for Mother’s day?!

Mother’s day is important. Moms work hard. While I don’t want to discredit Dad, my experience (both as a mom and child) is that there is generally more pressure on mom. More pressure to keep the house running, nursing, feeding, parenting, mom’s do it all, no questions asked.

What a Mom Really Wants

Taking a single day every year to make sure moms are acknowledged is important. Don’t let Mother’s day excuse you from doing it more often though 🙂 Mom doesn’t want a car. Any mom, I don’t care about demographic, ethnicity or race, doesn’t want a lavish gift such as a car. Mom wants time.

Time that is usually consumed by doing dishes, taking to practice, running the house. Mom wants one day where she has every second of her day to enjoy however she wants. For me I was able to take a nap, for no reason other than I could. Had extra cuddles with my daughter while I let her watch one of her favorite shows just so I could hold her while she was still.

Time outside running around the park. Time with my family while we ate a yummy dinner prepared by my husband. It was a beautiful day and while my daughter did get me a gift (a vegetable garden made by dad which my daughter and I will enjoy together) the best gift given to me was time. While I still did some cleaning and got some laundry done, it was on my own accord and I was able to accomplish everything I wanted.

Moms don’t need cars and diamond rings. They want time for themselves. Time with their family and general acknowledgment that what they do is recognized. Showering mom in foolish expensive gifts is a cop-out. The effort you put in to making anything will be much better received than any gift in which you merely had to swipe a card for. If mom needs a new car, sure, work it out so she gets one, but disguising it as a Mother’s day gift is an injustice to your mom.

Going forward for future years, make sure you spend time with mom. Make her something to the best of your abilities. Tell her you love her. She doesn’t really need that silly materialistic item regardless of what the advertises will have you believe.

What do you think is an appropriate gift for mothers day?

5 Expenses Every Family Can Save On

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5 Expenses Every Family Can Save OnHaving to provide for a family is expensive. There are more mouths to feed, kids to clothe and activities to attend. Families are often looking for areas to save but sometimes are at a loss about where to start. There are many areas a family could look at cutting back on or eliminating all together in an effort to balance a family budget.

Clothes

Before I buy anything I always check the local thrift store first. Women’s and children’s clothes especially. Women are always gaining and losing weight, often buying, and then discarding, perfecting good and sometimes new clothes for others to capitalize on! Children just grow like weeds so rarely get more than a few months worth of an item anyway.

Utilities

I already spoke about cutting back on cable options (eliminating everything entirely also being an option). Other options for saving on utility costs are to look into energy savings. Everything from upgrading cheaper options like energy-efficient light bulbs, to more expensive options like upgrading to energy-efficient appliances. All will help with your monthly bottom line.

Transportation

Have a good look at your transportation costs. Do you really need a second car. Could you make one vehicle work? Is there a way to save on gas? Carpooling? Public transit? We sold my car before we moved into our current home. Though it would be hugely convenient sometimes to have that second car, especially with my commute and a child, we can’t justify the added expense. Even with a paid-off car we need to consider gas, insurance and maintenance costs.

Food

Food expenses can get out of control in any sized family. I can’t stress enough how important meal planning is. Not only will it save your sanity it will help your budget immensely. We used to easily spend $650 per month of groceries for our family of three (plus cat). Now, an expensive month is $450 and that usually includes topping up some supplies and on-off items.

I can’t think of any other way to maintain a decent diet and in-check budget without meal planning. It makes all aspects of your life easier! Also look into buying bulk for items you consume a lot of. We go through a lot of berries, bananas and broccoli for example so always buy them at a wholesaler instead. We also find stuff like toilet paper and laundry soap generally cheaper at wholesaler prices.

Don’t Buy Cheap Stuff

This sounds counterintuitive but if you waste your money on cheap crap, you will ultimately end up spending more money. Saving up for quality usually saves money in then end. Some things you can get away with a cheaper version but other things are worth saving for. You decide if the item in question is worth saving for or a cheaper version will do.

I for example would never buy my growing child expensive clothes when I can shop at thrift stores or places like Target knowing it won’t fit in like three months and will have plenty of play encrusted in it.  I would however invest in pieces for myself or husband that I know we’ll get a lot of wear out of.

How do you save on family expenses?

How to Save Money On Kids Toys

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how to save money on toysI have a young daughter and am realizing just how expensive it can be when it comes to toys. Advertisers do a great job at marketing to both parents and children in trying to convince them of what they ”need”. Most toys are not a necessity in any way. Granted, there are some really great toys/educational items we have come across that we have enjoyed but I don’t think she is any better of a toddler in terms of development because she had these toys growing up.

Given that purchasing even some items will be inevitable with kids, I have gone out of my way to figure out ways to do it as cheap as possible.

Borrow

My first option is easier for young babies and children but if there are items you can borrow from a friend of family member save your money and do it! Most of these toys (such as exersaucers, play mats, activity tables) are indestructible and easy to clean so you don’t have to worry about ruining or spreading germs. We have a friend with a daughter who is four months older than our daughter which worked out well for sharing some baby toys. As she was getting ”too old” for the objects, we inherited them temporarily. Babies especially lose interest or grow so fast they don’t play with things for very long.

Same goes for books. While we have many books purchased or gifted we also borrow a ton from the library.  Makes for a fun outing and she gets ”new books”  every few weeks.

Buy Used

Younger kids especially will have no way of knowing if something was used, nor do they often care. Items we couldn’t borrow from friends we often bought  through online classifieds or yard sales. Again these objects were often only played with for a very short time and resold at a fraction of the cost. A quick clean restores them to brand new conditions!

Online or Price Comparison

If I must buy something new, I always check online (Amazon, Ebay etc) first since their prices almost always beat in-store. If I can’t find what I want online (or shipping isn’t included, I take my search back to the internet but to look at specific stores until I find the best price. If there is  another store that does price match guarantee (sometimes even beating it by a few dollars) I usually try that route too.

Buying New: Sale, Discount or Awards Offered Only!

If we’re buying from a store, it’s a super sale or we’re getting something in return. We decided to get our daughter a specific outdoor playhouse for her upcoming birthday. Retailing around here for $300 didn’t settle well with us. For months we’ve had our eyes on online classifieds with no luck. Buying online also wasn’t an option since it was massive and was going to cost a small fortune (anywhere from $50-$100) to ship. We accepted we’d need to either change our minds on gift or buy it new. We lucked out with a 50% off sale, plus price match. We snagged the $300 playhouse for $115 (less a gift card we’ve been holding on to). We also received bonus collectors points for our purchase! I was more than happy! 

Even if you only get the item on a tax-free sale, saving tax is money in your pocket! Shopping around can be tedious but in my option so worth it. 

How do you save when it comes to buying kids ”toys”, other than, of course, avoiding the purchase at all?

TV Alternatives: Managing a Family Home with No Cable TV

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cable tv alternativesIt could be argued that it is mainstream to have a television with cable in a family household.

When my husband and I were doing our first monthly budget we listed our cable bill under ”fixed expenses”. I mean people don’t actually have a television and no cable? Or so I thought. I had never entertained the idea of actually getting rid of cable, we needed it. It has been many years since our first budget and I’ve come to realize how unnecessary cable is.

With children it can be even harder for them to understand you no longer have access to a billion channels at the push of a button but there are many more economical options out there for families.

Our cable alone is over $100 per month. I can’t say I get $100 per month worth of entertainment from the TV. I’m so busy with my work, family and freelance work that other than a special event (think Olympics) I don’t watch TV and when I do 99.9% of the time it’s something that was pre-recorded. My husband loves his live sports and our daughter does have a show that she enjoys watching as well. At $100 per month though we needed to look into other options because $1,200 per year is a lot of money!

Online

There are a lot of shows that you can watch directly from the stations websites. Sometimes they’re live streaming but somethings you may need to wait a day or two to wait for the show to be up loaded. Either way you’ll be able to get some of the shows you want, contained within your internet bill.

Netflix (and alike)

For $7.99 per month you get access to thousands of shows and movies of all genres. Netflix is the only one I can speak for but I enjoy it a lot. I like the no commercial aspect and that I can pick a series of appropriate shows for my daughter and not have to worry about leaving the room (there are a lot of inappropriate shows even on children’s networks). Netflix has really upped their game in the last few years and I love it.

Live Sports

This was a bit harder to get but not impossible. My husband live-streams his hockey games through either his computer or directly on TV via a gaming console through a package he bought online (such as NHL’s Gamecenter Live). At a price equivalent to what some people pay per month in cable fees, you can get an entire season accessible to you, at your convenience, commercial free. 

Free Local Channels

Around here, if you don’t pay for cable, but still have a cable cord plugged into your television you will get access to three local channels. It isn’t a lot but all we would need for local news (though we rely almost entirely on Twitter) and a few popular shows.

Growing up we only had basic cable. I can honestly say that because we weren’t tempted by the millions of channels currently available to kids, I was much more apt to go outside and play. I am of the opinion that screen time should be seriously limited anyway so cutting cable shouldn’t even be noticed much by kids I especially like that without cable they won’t be exposed to as much advertising which can be detrimental in its own way!

Do you have cable? Do you have any alternatives?

 

Frugal Easter Fun For Kids

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frugal easter fun for kidsI don’t know where the last four months went but suddenly I find myself looking for fun Easter activities for the kids in the family. This year is the first year our daughter will be old enough to really have fun with it so we’re excited to see her reaction to the whole thing.

Growing up my memories include going to church and rushing home to search high and low for the hidden treats the Easter bunny had left. If Easter fell late enough in the year, as it does this year, our fun was almost always outside. All the kids in the family would spend hours looking for hidden treats in the yard. This continued well past us believing the Easter bunny, we still had fun with it all (as grown adults my in-laws still insist on giving us treats!).

In planning our Easter this year, the first place I looked for inspiration was Pinterest, an Easter idea Mecca! I’m hopeful that we should be able to plan a few outdoor activities if Mother Nature cooperates!

Bunny-Hop Hopscotch

This wasn’t anything I found on Pinterest rather something we did as kids. My aunt would draw a few hopscotch patterns on her driveway where we kids would spend hours hopping around, with bunny ears on our heads. This was of little cost. She would give us cheap bunny ears to wear (pre dollar store days, she would make them from construction paper, such as this, but you can buy them at dollar stores now). If the weather isn’t good you can make a hopscotch game with painters tape or masking tape on the floor.

Glow in the dark Egg Hunt

This is a new-to-me idea where you fill little plastic Easter eggs (again, cheap from any craft or dollar store) with flexible glow sticks and treats and search for them in the dark. Though this would be a super fun idea to do outside when the kids are a little older, I’m planning on doing it inside after dinner since it will still be light outside when kiddo goes to bed. Shutting the blinds and making it dark in the basement while searching for glowing eggs should be a fun game.

Treat Decorating

Decorating cookies, gingerbread houses and cupcakes is something we always did at Christmas, never any other time of the year which was sort of silly in hindsight. I plan on making simple sugar cookies or cupcakes for dessert and providing Easter appropriate ‘decorations’ for the kids to have fun with. There’s certainly no shortage of your choice of favorite Easter candy decorations!

Though Easter is traditionally a religious holiday it’s always nice to have fun with it, especially with kids. There’s no reason why you need to spend a lot of money though. Have fun on the cheap, kids are more interested in playing and spending time with family than they are monetary value!

Do you do anything special at Easter for family fun?

How to Deal With Your Child’s Wants and Needs

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how to deal with your childs wantsMy daughter is still young enough that she doesn’t know what she wants yet (I’m find myself reigning my husband in from buying things for our daughter that she thinks she wants and needs ;), he always means well though!).

As she gets older I am fully prepared to have to explain that she can’t have everything she wants all the time. From both a financial and personal development stance, kids need to understand that things aren’t free. Hard work goes into affording all the things they desire and need.

Younger Years

While she’s still pre-school aged, as mentioned she doesn’t want much but she still desires some things.

We were walking through a store the other day and she was pointing towards the cookies in the bakery section. While the cookies only cost $3 they weren’t on the grocery list and a totally unnecessary item to buy. While buying them would have been much easier than listening to her whine the rest of the trip, I needed her to understand that she can’t get something just because she asks for it. I’m not suggesting sporadic treats once and a while aren’t nice but for us this was a moment I needed her to see she can’t always get something for asking.

On a separate occasion my husband went to the store for  few items, solo, and came home with a few toys for kiddo. Toys we hadn’t budgeted for but, in his defense they were on an incredible sale. Instead of just giving them to her we opted to use them for future gifts taking from future ”budgets”. Both Easter and her birthday are approaching so we decided to wait and use them for one of these dates instead and reallocate the funds when time comes.

School Aged Kids

A patient of mine has a twelve year old son who decided that he wanted to go on two school trips this year. Both out of province and both quite expensive. Being a single mom with three kids she told him she was limited in what she could contribute and made it clear that if he wanted these trips he was 100% on the hook to pay for them through fundraising events and side jobs.

Mom explained that this was an amazing experience for them.

She had her doubts but her son has reached his goal for one trip and only has $350 left to raise for his second trip. He’s shoveled driveways each storm, walking blocks to get people to pay him, gathered recyclables for refunds ($0.05/can here) and participated in every available fundraising event. Other than the $100 retainer fee mom had to pay to hold his spot for the trips he will be 100% paying his way, all thanks to a little lot of hard work.

Finding ways to make money before the legal working age of 16 is difficult but not impossible. Mom mentioned she was fully prepared to pay him to help with odd jobs that are over and above his daily chores but she hasn’t had to yet. Mom is super proud of his hard work and he’s even more proud of himself knowing he’s going on these trips totally paid for himself, a grand total of almost $2,500.

Any Age

Kids want things other than objects. They want to play organized sports, take music lessons, art classes and travel. No age is too young to have them understand they can’t necessarily do it all, especially if mom and dad are paying. Next summer our daughter will be enrolled in preschool soccer in the summer and dance in the winter. If she decides she wants to do something else instead she will likely have to decide what she wants more because we won’t be in a position to  pay for everything she wants.

There’s a fine line between giving your kids an experience and giving them something just because they want it. Make sure you’re able to recognize the difference before deciding what is important to them and your family.

How Do You Deal With Your Child’s Wants?

At What Age Should Your Child Get a ”Big Ticket” Gift?

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Children and Big Ticket GiftsWhen speaking to my friend the other day about Christmas plans, she was detailing what she bought her eight year old for gifts. Included was a laptop. When I inquired about why the eight year old was getting a laptop, she explained that the current family computer wasn’t ”up to speed” in terms of processing for what the girl needed to accomplish school related projects. Knowing that the computer she was talking about was only three years old (since I was with her when she bought it) I called her bluff. I mean surely an eight year old isn’t doing that much computer related homework?And if she is, I’m confident that it doesn’t require that much processing power, let’s be honest! She fessed up that the kid wanted it so they were buying it, and that knowing she would be using it for school made her feel better and that’s what she had to tell herself to justify the purchase.

Am I alone in thinking if you have to justify purchasing an item, and if you’re not totally comfortable with it for whatever reason (an eight year old getting a $500 computer in this instance) that maybe you shouldn’t be buying it?

The other item that comes to mind is cell phones. I didn’t grow up with a cell phone, I didn’t have my first cell phone until university. I relied on the landlines at locations or using my friend’s parent’s cell phones (because there was no way my friends had phones of their own, that was unheard of).  Though I can’t imagine my life now without one, I also can’t imagine my young child having access to her own iPhone. It blows my mind how many young kids (less than 15) I see with these devices, although they may just be hand-me-downs from older siblings, which I can see the sense behind. Cell Phone Deal even suggests handing your own old phone down to your kid, which is a good idea if your old phone still works well enough to be used in emergencies. While I suspect when my little one is old enough to venture out away from mom and dad, we will get her an emergency only/call-mom-and-dad cell phone, I will not be buying her a $500 ‘phone’ that requires a $70+ monthly contract to be attached to it. If she wants one of those she can get herself a job and pay for it herself. Especially since I don’t think it is necessary that a younger that 16-year-old even have access to a device like this.

I understand that it is 2014 and things have changed a lot in the last few years, but there is no way an eight year old needs access to her own laptop or a ten-year-old needs the latest iPhone/Android/whatever. It is difficult to balance parenting, trends, and your child’s wants versus  needs. I’m not suggesting you don’t buy wants for your children because a lot of what we buy for our kids as gifts are wants and not needs (toys etc) but we need to set realistic expectations for our kids. They need to understand when they want certain things they need to be willing to contribute towards the item since mom and dad are not open wallets.

At what age do you think it is appropriate to buy kids large items like cell phones, TVs and computers, if at all?

10 Eco-Friendly Actions Your Kids Can Take

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eco friendly kidsTeaching your kids to be eco-friendly is important for many parents, but talking about the benefits of recycled roofing material or laundry detergent doesn’t exactly sink in for most children. However, there are some things you can do to teach your children to be eco-friendly in a way that allows them to really get involved.

Incorporate these 10 eco-friendly actions into your child’s routine to help them understand the importance of taking care of the planet from an early age.

1. Teach your child about composting. Composting is relatively easy to understand it also teaches your children about not wasting things that can be reused, even if they seem like they’re just trash.

2. Get involved in a community cleanup project with your child. No matter where you live, there’s bound to be an area that needs to cleaned up. Community cleanup projects can also be a great way for your kids to make new friends and broaden their horizons.

3. Let your kids know about eco-friendly products. Examples of eco-friendly products include everything from bathroom tissue to toothpaste to over-the-counter alternative remedies like those found at Amoils.com. Getting your kids started looking for natural products early on will be a beneficial habit for them later in life.

4. Have your children buy recycled materials for school. Everything from recycled binders to notebook paper is widely available. Doing this will teach your children the importance of using items in their everyday life that are good for the environment – something they’ll continue to do in their adult years.

5. Get your kids in the habit of keeping items like newspapers for other projects. Examples include craft projects or even household chores like cleaning windows, which newsprint actually excels at. Children need to understand that wasting items only to buy other ones for the same job isn’t good for the environment.

6. Work with your child to have an Earth Day party at their school or at home. Doing this can help you teach your child about the environment and help them make friends at the same time. Many schools already have eco-friendly programs, so consider working with them to make them more prevalent.

7. Show your kids how to avoid products that are made to be used once and discarded. Items like paper plates aren’t good for the environment. Teach your kids that a little work on their part — things like washing a few extra dishes – can be beneficial and worthwhile.

8. Gather clothing in your neighborhood for a recycling project. Not only will less clothing have to be made, you’ll be helping less fortunate people in your area and around the world. Make sure your child understands the benefits of doing good things for people along with the planet.

9. Get your kids in the habit of using natural products around the home. Examples include baking soda for cleaning the sink instead of abrasive cleaners that pollute the earth. You’ll also have less waste when it comes to packaging.

10. Show your kids the value of nature. You can do this through all sorts of activities – including day hikes, camping or even going to the beach. A healthy respect for nature and its value is important for distilling eco-friendly beliefs in your child.

When it comes to teaching your children to be eco-friendly, the best you can do is to be a good example. As a parent, getting your child to live an eco-friendly life doesn’t have to be hard. Leading by example is essential, and by telling your child why you do what you do, they’ll see the benefits.

Bed Rest is a Lot of Things; but it is Not a Myth!

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Sidelines is a support group for high risk prgnancies and provides information about bed restAs I have mentioned before, I was placed on bed rest when I was 24 weeks pregnant with our boys. I  am also a volunteer for Sidelines National High Risk Pregnancy Support Network, a wonderful organization which supports women who are experiencing a high risk pregnancy and who are on bed rest. So as you can imagine, I am a huge proponent for bed rest. I strongly advise any woman to listen and obey her doctors orders when bed rest is prescribed.

So when I received an e-mail from Sidelines, which contained a link to an article that was printed in the Chicago Tribune on January 29, 2011 — I immediately tensed up after I read the headline:

The title of the article only made matters worse, Value of Bed Rest Questioned; Data don’t back up prescriptions of bed rest. Just typing that makes me mad all over again.

Bed rest is not easy

It’s not that I disagreed, with everything that was mentioned in the article. I actually did agree with some of the points that were made. Bed rest is not easy. It is huge financial, emotional, physical, and psychological strain. It’s not how anyone envisions their pregnancy to be. It’s certainly not how I envisioned it…

I told people, I was planning on working right up until the day I went into labor.  Actually, only a month before I was placed on bed rest, I had purchased a bunch of new, super cute, super stylish, maternity clothes to wear to work (let me tell you, I looked fantastic during my weekly visits to see my OB. It was always my big outing for the week; where I could see and be seen).

I also had visions of decorating the nursery and doing all of the “nesting” things moms-to-be do, but that’s not how my pregnancy went and that’s totally okay.

My experience with bed rest

After I was prescribed modified bed rest, told I could not work, and that I was only leave the bed/couch to fix myself something to eat, shower and use the restroom — my pregnancy days changed dramatically. I would spend my time watching TV, reading, unsuccessfully trying to crochet, and praying – with each and every breath I took – that my babies would stay put.

I did exactly what I was told by my doctor. There was so much uncertainty during that time, so many things out of my control, and even though bed rest wasn’t a promise that nothing bad would happen, it was something I would do. Something I could do for my babies, so that I would know – for better or worse – I did absolutely everything I could.

I am happy to report that after being diagnosed with placenta previa at 8 weeks, bleeding at 13 weeks, having mild contractions starting at 19 weeks and being placed on bed rest at 24 weeks  — our boys were born at 39 weeks 4 days (36 weeks is considered full term for twins). The boys were completely healthy. In that moment, I knew that the sacrifices my husband and I made, were so minimal compared to the blessings we received. I would do it a thousand times over!!!

So, although the article wasn’t one-hundred percent wrong, it didn’t tell the whole story. The thing that concerned me the most about it — was that someone might read it – who is high risk or may one day have a high risk pregnancy – and then disregard their doctors recommendation.

Sidelines offered this statement after the article was published:

This debate has raged for 20 years and belongs in the hands of individual women and their doctors.
Our concern is that women who truly have medical need to decrease activity or rest in bed will take this article as a message to them to ignore their very specific conditions and medical advice. Publishing an article which provides such a one-sided view is irresponsible. And if a baby is born prematurely because of it, then it is down right dangerous.

We urge all mothers who read this and question the efficacy of bed rest to discuss your concerns with your health care provider.

Candace Hurley, Director Founder Sidelines www.sidelines.org

I am pleased to say that on February 8, 2011, the Chicago Tribune did publish some letters from women, who had been on bed rest.  You can read those letters here Voice of the People

If you or someone you know is experiencing a high risk pregnancy, I urge you to contact www.sidelines.org. They offer free support and information to anyone who needs it.

 

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