NewMomma

I understand that cocktail, in and of itself, implies knee length dresses, but would it be entirely inappropriate to wear a floor length dress to a cocktail attire event? It's my husband's company's winter celebration at a fancy resort, including dinner, so the dress will lean toward dressier cocktail, but I would hate to be totally overdressed. I have a great floor length black dress, pretty basic with a ruched middle and flowy skirt, and I'd like to wear it if it isn't too much. Any opinions?

I had an echocardiogram with bubble study in an ongoing quest to figure out my migraines and it ended up being positive. Is this 100% indicative of PFO or could it indicate an atrial septum defect instead? From what I understand, they were unable to see the hole from the echo and the next step is a transesophageal echocardiogram to determine size and exact location. Just wondering if anyone knows if there is a possibility I may come back with an atrial septum defect diagnosis instead of a PFO confirmation.

Oh, and if anyone has experience with PFO closure for migraine -- I'd love to hear your experiences. TIA!

I have a 6 and a half month old daughter and her room is cold at night now that the weather has cooled. It wasn't a problem as she was swaddled and her hands stayed warm. Now, however, she breaks out of it and by morning her hands are like blocks of ice. Last night, she woke up crying for the first time in a month and I think it was because she was cold, at least her hands were freezing.

I have to do something, especially since only colder weather is coming, and I can only think of two options. Either try to create and sew mittens onto her PJs or put a space heater in her room. If I go the mitten route I wonder how effective they will be as everything goes in her mouth right now and having wet mittens wouldn't keep her hands warm.

As for a heater, I'm thinking one of those water-filled radiator types that turn on and off at a preset temperature so she won't overheat. But, I worry about the risks. I won't put it near the crib and she won't be mobile enough to accidentally get to it this winter but what about the chances of fire? Has anyone used a space heater in their nursery? How did it work out for you? Is it worth the risk?

I have an almost 4-month-old who is pretty colicky. She has, however, been a breastfeeding champ, until now. Every day for the past week or so, sometime between noon and 5ish, she'll get hungry but refuse to actually eat. She'll open her mouth, root and act like she's hungry but getting her to close her lips and suck is quite the ordeal. Oh, and she screams the entire time. She eats really well in the morning, evening and overnight, and her really fussy time is actually more between 3 and 10 pm, so I don't understand this new behavior.

I've heard of nursing strikes but have no idea if this is one or not. Is it possible that a baby can have a nursing strike only for portions of the day? Anyone else experienced the same thing? Any tips or advice?

My 11-month-old son is quite timid when he's around other kids, or with anything/anyone new. We've been going to a gymboree-type class since he was 6 months old and he's still scared of the other kids and petrified of the teacher. For the most part he prefers to play alone with me in a separate area rather than alongside the rest of the kids. And yet, at home, he's very outgoing. I know children don't start interactive play for quite awhile but I'm wondering how to help him not be so scared of each new thing. Or, how I can introduce things and people to him in a way that doesn't scare him so much. Any ideas?

Has anyone tried NasalClear aspirator for babies? How did it work for you? Is it worth the money?

Thanks!

Where to begin? I'm 5'2" and weighed 104 lbs before I got pregnant and gained a whopping 58 lbs. The first 40 came off easily but the last 18 have been challenging. I've only got 6 lbs to go but my body is a far cry from bathingsuit ready and I go on vacation in a month. Egads! I don't care if I lose the extra 6 lbs per se, I'd be perfectly happy if I stayed the same weight as long as the fat that's still clinging to my abs, butt and thighs changed to muscle.

I do 30 min on the elliptical, 200-400 crunches, leg lifts and squats every day. I eat decently, consuming only 1200-1500 calories per day, mostly veggies and lean meats. All I drink is water and 1-2 cups of coffee a day but please don't ask me to cut that -- it's a necessity when you have an 8-month-old who still wakes up three times a night. :)

Am I doing something wrong? Anyone have any ideas on what I can do to lose the rest of this flab? Thanks for any input!