Bringing home a new baby is a tricky process. But when you already have young ones at home, the transition can be even more tough. At the very best, the new sibling will be accepted with open arms and very soon you will all be traipsing through the park like a modern day von Trapp family. At the very worst, you’ve got Cain and Abel. (Enough said.)

But there are ways to help ease your older child into the role of proud big sister or brother, and help your baby #1 from feeling like baby #2.

Announcing the News and During Your Pregnancy

It can understandably be very confusing for an only child to receive news that there will suddenly be a new baby arriving. It’s up to you how much detail you want to delve into, but here are some tips that might help your little one grasp the idea of what’s about to happen:

• Watch nature shows together. If your child digs science and animals, have “Blue Planet” help you explain to your little one that it’s natural for Moms and Dads to have multiple babies.
• As your belly begins to grow and the baby begins to kick, have your child feel your belly to let them in on the process (and hopefully get them excited with anticipation!).
• Encourage your child to interact with the new sibling and make them feel important because they are actually helping the baby grow. For instance, have your little one talk to the baby and give brotherly or sisterly “advice” on what to expect when it comes out. Or even let your child rub your belly with Tummy Butter to help the baby  grow,”feel comfy” and come out!
• Read children’s picture books that deal with the topic, like “My New Baby”, “Peter’s Chair”, “I’m a Big Brother” or “God Gave Us Two.”
• If your kid is into it, get him/her their own “baby” or “pet” that they can take care of.
• Bring your child to the store and let him/her pick out new clothes or toys for the arriving baby. In turn, buy gifts for your older child and say it’s from the baby!
• Make a “I’m a Big Brother!” or “I’m a Big Sister!” shirt for the older sibling.

When and After the New Baby Arrives

• Many parents says it’s a good idea to not be holding the new baby when your child comes to see you for the first time at the hospital. Instead, have the new baby be brought to all of you.
• If you haven’t already, get the older sibling a gift from the baby.
• When people come to visit, request that they acknowledge the older sibling first. Then ask him/her to introduce them to the new little sibling.
• Your new baby will be showered with praise from many. Help your child not feel neglected by including him/her in the compliments, too. For example, if someone says, “What a beautiful baby!”, then you can add, “Now we have two beautiful children!”
• As busy as you are, have a strict time set aside for you to spend with your older child once the baby is home. Even if it is 10 or 15 minutes each night, your child will appreciate the one-on-one attention. This is also a good time to check in on how he/she feels about the new changes.
• Make older child feel important by letting him/her help out as much or as little as they want. Be careful not to force the baby on to the other child, but make sure they know they are included if they want.
• If your child feels left out, show them pictures of when they were babies and you were holding them.

Things to Keep in Mind

• Consider investing in a baby sling or wrap, as it can help you go hands-free and let you interact with your older child. This is especially useful when you are running errands or going to the park, as you can still hold your older child’s hand.
• Let visitors hold the new baby. Take this time to hold your older child.
• Make a big deal about how helpful the older sibling is being, and let him/her know how much you love them. You can not do this enough.
• Know that even the best transitions will have some hiccups. Don’t be surprised if your eldest child acts out — this is normal. Try to be sympathetic and available to your child when he/she needs you.

Have we missed anything? What tactics did you employ with your family? What did or didn’t work? We want to know!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Show 'em your guns, mama!

In honor of Mother’s Day, we are featuring some famous historical women who kick butt by day and change diapers by night. Of course, all Mamas are superheroes in their own right, so give yourself a pat on the back before we go on.

(Go ahead. We’ll wait!)

OK, now let’s get down to business. Here are some fine ladies throughout history who serve as an inspiration to women and Mamas everywhere!

1) Nancy Matthews Elliott, Mother of Seven (including Thomas Edison)

Thomas Alva Edison, the fourth most prolific inventor in history, was the youngest and seventh child of Nancy Matthews Elliott and Samuel Ogden Edison. Young Thomas had a short attention span in his childhood, which made traditional schooling difficult for him. His teachers lost hope in him, calling him “addled,” an 18th century term for being a “rotten egg.” Ouch!

Taking matters into her own hands, his mother Nancy used the little formal education she had to home school her son. Later the magnificent inventor credited his success to his mother:

 ”My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me; and I felt I had something to live for, someone I must not disappoint.”

Thanks to Nancy’s faith in her son, we were introduced to the motion picture camera, the light bulb and the phonograph.

2) Michelle Obama, Mother of Two

We love everything about our nation’s current First Lady. She is our modern day Jackie O, with her sophisticated sense of style and aura of class. But beyond her status as a fashion icon, we all know that behind every great man is an even greater woman — and we get a sense that the FLOTUS carries her own.

The mother of two and Princeton graduate has quickly become one of our country’s role models, with her strong stance on causes such as poverty awareness, nutrition and healthy eating. Most notably, she began the “Let’s Move!” movement to combat childhood obesity and planted the first White House vegetable garden since Eleanor Roosevelt was First Lady.

With all this, she still manages to keep those perfectly toned arms — we’re jealous!

3) Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Mother of Four

We can’t give props to Mrs. Obama without mentioning Mrs. Onassis. Today we remember her as the picturesque beauty beside her husband John F. Kennedy; however, there is much more to this enigmatic figure. Pregnancy is tough enough as a regular lay person, but Jackie had to endure her first pregnancy with son John Jr. as her husband campaigned for presidency. She gave birth a mere two weeks after JFK became the president.

As First Lady, Jackie organized entertainment for White House social events, restored the presidential home and childproofed the estate for her children. She made sure her kids had regular access to their father and even organized a first-grade class in the White House. Finally, in perhaps her most harrowing feat, she led her family (and the rest of the country) in mourning after JFK’s assassination.

Jackie is to have once said:

“If you bungle raising your children, I don’t think whatever else you do well matters very much.”

4) Marie Curie, Mother of Three

In the male-dominated science field, Marie Curie stands out for being an accomplished physicist/chemist woman. She is the first person to be honored with two Nobel Prizes and is only one of two to win in multiple science fields.

She is known as the “Mother of Radioactivity” for her research in the field; however, she also mothered three children — one of whom would receive a Nobel Prize of her own. Now those are some smarty-pants genes!

5) Josephine Baker, Mother of 12

The beautiful and glamourous Josephine Baker was known as “the Bronze Venus” and “The Black Pearl” in the early 20th century for her dancing, singing and acting. The French entertainer was the first African American female to star in a major motion picture, and is known for her contributions to the Civil Rights Movement and the French Resistance during World War II. (Yeah, that’s right. The woman is a war hero!)

But all of this wasn’t enough for the starlet turned activist. She adopted 12 children from different ethnicities, and called her crew the “Rainbow Tribe.” Her tribe consisted of ten sons and two daughters, who came from different cultures including Japanese, Moroccan and Venezuelan. Baker’s own mother was adopted.

At her funeral, Baker became the first American woman to receive full French military honors and a full parade through the streets of Paris.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

If you’re still scratching your head for what to gift the expectant or new Mama in your life, look no further. The Spoiled Mama’s got your back with a handful of ideas that will point you in the right direction.

Pregnancy Belly Cast Kit

Pregnancy belly cast kits make a great gift, especially for the artistically inclined or the first-time mamas who are marveling over their changing bodies. Proud Belly offers belly cast kits that take as little as 30 minutes to complete, and begin at just $25. These kits have been featured on Good Morning America, The View and Live! with Regis and Kelly.

A Really Cute Diaper Bag

There aren’t too many opportunities for new Moms to feel glamourous, but she can definitely work it with a diaper bag that is both functional and beautiful. That’s why we adore the Versa diaper bag from Skip Hop. This lightweight bag features 11 pockets, two insulated pockets for bottles and a nonskid should strap. You can find this beauty online starting at only $52. Did we mention it’s expandable and comes with a changing pad?

The Spoiled Mama’s Gift Sets

We hate to be caught tooting our own horn, but our gift sets make great presents for the beauty-conscious and organic-conscious Moms. We’ve designed each kit to match and address each stage of pregnancy, from the first trimester to postpartum and breastfeeding mamas.

If you’re unsure of which gift set to purchase, our Pampered Mama Gift Box that helps prevent and heal stretch marks is a top seller AND is effective during and after pregnancy. The Pampered Mama is currently on sale at our Web store, and begins at $57.60.

Pregnancy Work Out Vids (and outfit to match!)

When Cirque du Soleil acrobat Karyne Steben became pregnant, she did not let it keep her down. Instead, she chose to stay active and put out a series of workout videos for expectant and postpartum moms. These set of videos (all found on Amazon and have awesome reviews!) help women prepare for the strenuous bodily stress of giving birth and helps them get back into shape. I mean, just look at her! Don’t we all want to look like that, pregnant or not?

To round out your gift, pair the videos with a new workout outfit. If you’re unsure of what she’ll like, get a gift certificate to her favorite women’s sportswear store.

A Rockin’ Baby Sling

Baby slings are a great investment for parents because they let you go hands-free. Even if the mama you have in mind already owns a sling, we all know having options to accessorize is never a bad thing!

We covet the beautiful patterns and functional styles of Rockin’ Baby Slings. Plus, for every sling that’s purchased, the good folks at Rockin’ Baby donates a sling to a Haitian mama — now that is a gift that keeps on giving!

The slings begin at $79.99, and have made fans out of celeb moms like Brooke Burke and Gwen Stefani.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

A few weeks ago we shared with you one of our must-haves for expecting Mamas: the Utterly Yours Pregnancy Pillow. As we mentioned, sleeping on the doctor-recommended left side of your body for the better part of nine months can be quite the challenge.That’s why the Utterly Yours pillow is so innovative. It’s wedge design keeps Mamas sandwiched in one place while giving her proper belly and back support.

The kind ladies behind Utterly Yours is gifting one lucky Spoiled Mama with her own pregnancy pillow. As part of the contest, we’ve been gathering responses to the question:

How will the Utterly Yours pregnancy pillow change your life?

Here are some of our favorite answers:

• Heavenly bliss for those oh so few moments… — says Angela
• Sleep comfort while pregnant with my 5th baby. — says Allison
• It will help remove about 3 pillows from my bed…which will make my hubby very happy! — says Julia
• My lovely hubby promised me a pregnancy body pillow at about month 3 into this pregnancy. I am now over 6 months and still no body pillow. I’d love the Utterly Yours Pregnancy Pillow just for the chance to actually get some sleep without ending up on my back. Please, for the love of God, before I lose my mind. — says Aimee

We chose one winner at random, and we’re happy to announce it is Elizabeth A., who says the pregnancy pillow will “help me get a good night’s sleep and make me feel more comfortable during labor!”

Again, we thank all the Mamas who entered the contest! If you want to purchase your own pregnancy pillow from Utterly Yours, visit their Website.We wish all of you a good night’s sleep!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

And by the looks of the five foot tall mama (who is carrying an approximate six and a half pounder), she is about to POP. Since she’s been looking into labor induction, we thought we’d share some ways mamas have helped the timer on their ovens go off just a tad earlier than scheduled.

And just as a note: Most childbirth experts are skeptical about non-medical methods for inducing labor. We advise that you consult with your doctor or midwife before trying any of the following techniques.

Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been the go-to method for labor induction for many centuries throughout parts of Asia. According to a study at the University of North Carolina, this ancient technique can be very effective for women who are 39 1/2 to 41 weeks pregnant and receive at least three acupuncture sessions.

Although it needs more research, researcher Terry Harper told WebMD that the women in her study who received acupuncture were also half as likely to need a C-section.

Check your health insurance plan to see if acupuncture services are covered.

Artificial Semen/Sex
This method could make your significant other significantly happy. It turns out that having sex  can actually help you go into labor.

Semen, which got you here in the first place, carries prostaglandin that is similar to what doctor’s use in medication to help induce contractions.

If this method isn’t feasible, ask your doctor for prostaglandin, or the “artificial semen”, that can help speed things along.

Spicy Food
Many Mamas have sworn that eating spicy foods can help add the heat that can make your bun pop early.

Though there haven’t been official studies on the subject, many swear that eating an extra spicy and garlicky dish caused enough indigestion that labor began just hours later.

Myth or not, the Bay Area’s Skipolini’s Pizza has made a name for themselves by offering a “Prego Pizza.” To make your own pregnancy pizza, check out Just Mommies’ version, which comes chock full of meats, garlic and onions.

Castor Oil
Other antsy Mamas have tried injesting castor oil, a vegetable oil derived from the castor bean, in order to jump start labor.

Though there is a fairly high success rate with the oil, doctors warn of many dire side effects, including: diarrhea, vomiting and nausea. In short? It can get very messy.

Walking
If you can heave yourself off the couch, use the momentum to go on a walk around the block. Simply taking a nice stroll (or waddle!) can help safely induce labor by helping the baby move further down your pelvis and onto your cervix.

A couple of tips:
-avoid hills
-wear comfortable shoes, especially if your feet are swollen
-walk at a comfortable pace that keeps your breath even
-walk for at least 30 minutes a day during the last two weeks of your pregnancy

Pineapple
We know you are probably yearning for a cold, tall Pina Colada — but for now, you will have to settle for your Spoiled Mama Mojito Mama Sugar Scrub and eating a bit of pineapple.

It turns out the prickly yellow fruit contains an enzyme that can mimic the effects of a prostaglandin. Again, since there hasn’t been any official studies, this results of this method can vary from woman to woman. According to Induce Labor Now, some women ate half a pineapple before contraction began, while others drank its fruity juice for weeks.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.