Meems

I'm curious how people feel about the AAP's new car seat guidelines. For those who don't know, kids are now supposed to rear face until 2 years old and stay in a high backed booster seat until they are 4'9" and 8-12 years old. How many parents here keep/kept their kids rear facing until 2?

My 9 month old is supplemented with two bottles of formula a day and was having a lot of reflux trouble on his Similac Sensitive (lactose free) formula. The doctor gave me a can of Good Start and a can of Alimentum and told me to try the Alimentum first and see if he did better. The reflux did get better but after a week my son was hating the taste and would barely drink anything. I tried some soy formula for the past 3-4 days and the reflux came back so I tried the Good Start today and he is still having trouble. I'm not sure if I should give it a few more days or if I should just go back to the Alimentum and hope he adjusts to the taste soon. How long does it generally take their tummies to settle in with a new formula?

Their baby has come very early (25 weeks) and I'm not sure if it's wise to purchase any baby items yet since the baby's future is so uncertain. The parents are staying with family (I am just a friend) near the hospital so meals are being taken care of too. Would it be appropriate to send something like a fruit basket to the NICU staff who are working so hard to keep this baby alive? How can we show our support to the parents?

Or not so much that they treat their pets like that but that they make you treat their pets the same and go on endlessly about how they are "real parents too"? I have some relative that are a little nuts over their dog. This includes Facebook pages for the dog (which I am required to friend), constantly interrupting visits to take Fifi for her hourly pee pee walk or to soothe her when she gets excited and being subjected to endless dialog on how the dog is doing socially, blah blah blah. I don't even talk this much about my kids! Is there any way to get across the point that monopolizing the conversation with Fifi news and frequently excusing themselves to deal with her is getting downright rude in my book? I don't dislike pets, I just fail to understand why their little precious needs more attention then both my young children and our own dog combined! I'm posting in this section because I have a feeling the folks in the pet section may see nothing wrong with this behavior.

I'm selling a travel system that is still in great shape and some extras- 3 car seat bases, an extra car seat cover, and a Bundle Me in addition to the standard stroller and car seat. The system retails for about $200 new (without the extras). What do you think is a fair price or what would you be willing to pay for this? I'm putting it on Craigslist if that makes a difference. It's an Eddie Bauer Adventure Travel System.

Hi all- just wanted to let you know that the coupon code "938542" at Babies R Us online saves you $10 for every $50 you spend on gear. I just tried it and it worked on my car seat. It's good until the 24th. Just wanted to pass it along :)

My son will be three in September and I'm curious when most children start learning colors, numbers and letters. He is a very active child and seems to have no attention span for learning these things even though we work on it at both daycare and home. When should I start to be concerned?

I just got back from my son's 6 month check-up and the pediatrician said it was time to introduce a sippy cup. I'm just curious why we are supposed to introduce it so early. He doesn't have any teeth and I know from my dentist that sippy cups are just as bad on the jaw as bottles so why the early introduction?

My husband is generally a great guy but lately he's been, I feel, a little too close to one of our married (female) friends. Last week on a night I wasn't home (class) he took our kids over to play with hers while her husband was also out. The kids went downstairs to play and they were left alone chatting and watching sports together. I'm not a prude and I would never accuse either of them of the possibility of cheating but to me it seems a little inappropriate to be hanging out with a women when neither spouse is present. This isn't the first time this has occurred. Additionally, he will call her up during the week to give her some quick update and while he doesn't hide the conversation from me he also doesn't tell me he is calling and will do it while I am busy with something else like the kids. I don't like that they will discuss her husband and I while they are alone or that I seem to hear more about his thoughts and day when I overhear him on the phone to her then when he talks to me. I want to talk to him about this but I'm not sure how to tell him I don't like it without making it sound like I don't trust him. Am I overreacting or is what I describe sounding inappropriate?

I bought most my baby gear back in 2007 and now that I'm bringing it out again I have randomly come across a couple recalls. Does anyone know where I can find a complete recall list from 2007-present? In particular I am concerned about my Delta drop side crib.

My right foot has developed dry peeling skin on the bottom, sides and in between my toes. This only affects the right foot, my left is perfectly normal. I though it may be a case of athletes foot that would run it's course but it's been a few months now and even OTC athlete's foot cream hasn't helped. How do I get rid of this?

The straps on my son's convertible car are constantly bunching up in his leg area when we tighten them down. We straighten them out when he gets in but as soon as we pull them tight, the straps fold over themselves in the buckle and won't sit flat no matter what we do. He is currently forward facing in the Eddie Bauer 3 in 1 car seat (purchased in mid-2008). He doesn't complain comfort-wise but I'm worried they won't protect him sufficiently in a crash. Anyone know if this is a safety issue?

I've been feeling queasy in the mornings lately and although pregnancy is very unlikely (I have an IUD) I am going to take a pregnancy test for peace of mind. For those of you who have taken one recently, did it make a difference testing first thing in the morning vs in the middle of the day? Any brands better than others?

I'm on birth control but with two kids already and my husband approaching his 40's I'm just not sure if we should look for a permanent type of birth control now. How did you know when your family was complete and it was time to stop having kids? Did you ever regret it?

I am just about at the end of my rope with my 2 1/2 year old son, it seems like lately he is ALWAYS in trouble whether he means to be or not. For example: he starts out nicely by petting the dog but next thing you know he is hitting him and trying to ride him. Or he is playing nicely with blocks and then progresses to kicking down his towers and throwing blocks across the room yelling something about being Batman (no he does not watch Batman- a boy at daycare tells him about it). Or if he's in a naughty mood he take his toys and runs them into walls or or will just run up and hit or scratch his father and I. Warning, redirection, timeouts, yelling, and spankings (in that order) do not seem to work with him. Is this normal behavior for a 2 year old boy? Should we just keep up with the timeouts and redirection and hope he'll change as he matures? I want to raise a happy kid but it seems like we are always in a battle with him. I know a lot of the behavior is for attention but we try to give him as much as possible and it still doesn't make a difference. I'm at a total loss.

My baby is 3.5 months old and has started teething (drooling, chewing on hands, super cranky- teething was the pediatrician's best guess). He gets teething toys during the day but is waking up constantly at night and is taking very short naps. I used Tylenol yesterday which helped immensely but the pediatrician warned me to only use it as a last resort. My son is very cranky all day long without it- has anyone found anything that has helped their children? What exactly are teething tablets and should those also be a last resort?

Not just a 5-6 hour stretch but actually through the night? My first child was going through the night or with just 1 feeding at 3 months but #2 is 3.5 months old and usually is still up every 3 hours. When do most breastfed babies start getting in longer stretches?

My 3 month old son finished a 10 day course of amoxicillian on Saturday and he is still having diarrhea. The diarrhea started mid-way through the antibiotics. Any idea how long I should let it go before calling the doctor? He isn't dehydrated but he does have a diaper rash from it that isn't going away and I'm concerned it may be yeast (as his brother currently has a yeast infection). He is breastfed, is there anything I can eat to help ease the diarrhea or rash? Would it help him any if I took acidophillis pills or probiotics?

I mentioned to my pediatrician that I was using Baby Vicks on my infant to help with his cough and congestion and she told me that it is actually bad for him and could cause pneumonia. Has anyone else ever heard this? The package says it is for children 3 months old and up but my doctor said never to use it on children under two. I know she is a very cautious pediatrician, which we usually like, but this seems a bit overboard. I've discarded it anyways just to be on the safe side.

I have a 2 month old and a 2 year old and am looking for something to replace our current, super slow, oral thermometer. Both kids are big movers so I need something accurate and quick. I spent $30 on a temporal one but it can give readings that vary as much as 3 degrees. I'll get 2 separate thermometers if needed but can anyone suggest some that have worked well for them for these ages?