We are proud to be a part of the celebration of Dr. Northrup’s newly revised book,
Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom.

As you may know, Dr. Northrup’s newest version of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom is now available from your favorite bookseller. Women all over the world are grateful for the up-to-date information and Dr. Northrup’s approach for sharing it in the newest edition. Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom is now an essential guide on how to truly flourish in a female body, not just avoid disease. In fact, the newest edition of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom is an owner’s manual designed to teach you everything that can go right with your body.

Like her latest show for Public Television (also called Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom), Dr. Northrup’s revised Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom is for every woman of any age.

If you have two X chromosomes or know someone with two X chromosomes, I encourage you to get your copy of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom today!

Severely traumatic experiences make my palms sweat. When I think about driving in the car with a crying baby, my hands start sweating. I used to actually shake, but years of self-guided meditation has cured me of that. How can mere noise cause such savage fear? You know how babies are supposed to fall asleep in the car? Well mine didn’t. I was destined to give birth to not one, but three car-screamers.

If you were blessed with a baby that falls asleep to the steady thrum of wheels on pavement, well, good for you.

But if you, like me, tremble at the thought of being confined in the car with a crying baby, read on, sister. I literally pulled what sparse hair I had from my head. I wept and gnashed my teeth. I actually broke into a cold sweat when I heard the click of the infant seat snapping into its base. For those of you who think I’m exaggerating, I’m not. Daily errands were truly the bane of my existence as a new mother.

But it got better with babies #2 and #3. I learned tricks to quiet the baby or distract myself (and fellow passengers) from the cacophony of sound emitting from the tiny being sitting behind me.

Tip #1: Have a plan

This is your job. You are a mother now, and you need to figure out how to thrive, not just survive. Having a strategy makes all the difference.

Tip #2: Get creative

If your attempts to sooth your baby aren’t working, try something else. My mother assumed that all babies responded to the calming effects of classical music. My middle child preferred techno music with obnoxiously heavy base. She also calmed down when everyone in the car sang Zippity Doo Dah at full volume. Finding out what works for your baby might take a bit of trial and error. But it’s well worth the effort.

Tip #3: Look for a cause

If your baby is normally calm but becomes fussy in the car, look for the root of the problem. Some babies get motion sickness when facing backwards. With your pediatrician’s approval, try some ginger drops. You may also want to look at the car seat itself. My chiropractor told me that many car seats cause an unnatural curve in a baby’s spine, which can become irritating after time. This is especially true if you are traveling on gravel or bumpy roads.

Tip #4: Find activities that don’t require props

When my oldest daughter was 6 months old, I drove alone with her for 10 hours to visit my parents in Minnesota. Despite MAJOR pre-trip anxiety (mine, not hers), we actually had a great time, but it wasn’t without effort and creativity. Armed with a bag of 20-30 toys, I figured I had the entertainment thing licked. But I soon learned that toys weren’t going to cut it. Everything I handed her invoked a happy little coo, but was tossed out of the car seat within 20 seconds. Sitting with an empty toy bag (and very messy back seat), I came up with some more lasting ways to keep her entertained without toys.

You are your baby’s best toy. Explore how many ways you can feed your baby’s hungry mind.

Tip #5: When nothing will entertain your baby, go ahead and entertain yourself

It matters not what fellow drivers and passing pedestrians think. If chair dancing makes you feel good, go ahead and do it. Keep an indulgent treat in your diaper bag just to get yourself grounded. Deep breathing, chanting, whistling, singing, shouting (happily, of course!), eating… focus on something that makes you feel good. ‘Cause when mama feels good, everyone feels good!

Christy Rounds’s Best Travel Mistakes

Soaked the Seats
O.k. So this isn’t just one mistake. It’s really about five or six. Remember when I said you can learn from mistakes? Seems in some cases, I just don’t. On many airplane trips, I brought an empty sippy cup for each child. When the flight attendant offered drinks, I’d have him / her put the kids’ apple juice in the sippy cup instead of the plastic cup. Smart, right? The problem is, I’d often forget the sippy cups. And invariably, someone would spill their apple juice. So if you were one of the unfortunate souls who had our seats for the next flight, all I can say is, I’m really, really, really sorry!

Smelled like Puke
From the title, I think you can guess the story. I was flying from Reno, NV to Traverse City, MI after a sales meeting. My parents had flown out to watch 6 month old Gracie while I attended my meetings. So Gracie and I were 1/2 hour into an 8 hour trip when she threw up, soaking not only her outfit, but all my clothes as well. Well… I’m not a total idiot. I had a change of clothes for her. But nothing for me. So I spent the day desperately trying to ignore the wrinkled noses and gagging sounds. If you were one of the unfortunate souls who had a seat next to us on one of those flights, all I can say is, I’m really, really, really sorry!

Miscalculated Diapers Needed
How many diapers can a baby go through in a flight? That depends. Does your baby have diarrhea? Mine did. So the normal 4 diapers for 8 hours in transit didn’t cut it. Did you know that it’s very hard to find diapers in Chicago O’Hare? Maybe there is a new baby supply store now, but I assure you, there wasn’t when I truly needed it most! I can also tell you that maxi pads and duct tape are not an adequate substitute. No, I didn’t really do that. Just wanted to see if you were paying attention.

Injured the Baby
Dumb doesn’t even begin to describe this one. I was flying with three little kids – ages 4,3,1 – from Salt Lake City to Traverse City, MI with a stopover in Minneapolis. Thankfully, my parents, who had come to watch the kids while I attended a convention, were traveling in first class. I was distracted with trying to break up an argument between the two older kids, so I absentmindedly dropped a raisin into an empty pop can and handed it to the baby to uses as a rattle. Instead of rattling, my little guy reached into the pop can to get the raisin and sliced his finger. The slice was deep and I couldn’t stop the bleeding. In a few minutes, there was blood everywhere.

The flight attendant told me that if she opened the medical kit, she’d need to file a report when we got to Minneapolis, and I would miss my connecting flight. Not wanting to spend the night in Mpls with three young kids, I tried to stop the bleeding myself. Other passengers were begging me to have the attendant open the $&%*#@ medical kit. We finally got the bleeding slowed enough to not get bounced from the connecting flight. And once again, if you were one of the unfortunate souls who had a seat next to us on one of those flights, all I can say is, I’m really, really, really sorry!

Checked Car Keys in the Luggage
By now, you are wondering why you’d read a blog written by a complete idiot. But wait… I’ve saved the best for last. May of 2009, we were flying from Paris to Grand Rapids, MI with a 3 hour layover in Altanta, GA. Again, I was flying alone with the kids. Do you notice that all my disaster stories happen when I’m flying alone? That’s because my husband is smart enough to avoid all these problems! Anyway… the kids were 6, 5 and 3. There was no movie on the flight from Paris, so I expended a lot of energy keeping them entertained.

Exhausted, we finally arrived in Grand Rapids at 5:00am Paris time. The airline had lost our luggage. That wouldn’t have been a big deal, except for the fact that after 6 weeks of not using my purse in Europe, I’d packed the purse – with car keys inside – in my checked luggage.

O.k. So I shared my tales of travel shame and woe. Now it’s your turn. What are your stories of disaster? They don’t need to be dramatic, just something we can all learn from or empathize with! So go ahead, share…

How to enjoy a plane trip with young children.

Like many parents with young children, you may have a fear of flying that has nothing to do with the aircraft and everything to do with the possibility of a tantrum at 30,000 feet. In close quarters. In front of strangers. But don’t worry. With careful and creative planning, you can help ensure that tensions don’t rise when the plane does. Here are some child-tested suggestions from travel experts — flight attendants, travel agents, and frequent-flier parents — for air travel with young children.

Booking your flight

Nonstop flights are preferable in most cases, since there’s only one ear-popping descent to worry about. (Young children have a hard time coping with the uncomfortable pressure changes that accompany landing.) Also, with nonstop flights you avoid the hassle of lugging everything and everyone to a connecting flight. On the other hand, depending on the length of your flight and the temperament of your child, you may want to schedule a layover. Some parents find that splitting international or long domestic flights into two legs is helpful; their children can enjoy a brief change of scenery and stretch their legs.

If you’re catching a connecting flight, New York travel agent Rabia Shahenshah suggests budgeting at least an hour for the connection. If you don’t want to battle crowds, avoid peak flying hours. The emptier flights depart late at night, in mid-afternoon, and early in the week. If avoiding potential delays is a higher priority for you, consider booking the first flight of the day.

Most important, view the journey through your child’s eyes as much as possible. What time of day would be best for him? Will he be tired enough to sleep? Too excited to sleep at all? You’re the expert when it comes to your child’s personality and scheduling needs.

When you’re booking your flight, you can request a special meal for your child if he’s a picky eater. Every major airline offers special meals, but most require notification at least 24 hours before takeoff. Children’s menus feature familiar items like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and burritos; some airlines even offer meals from popular fast-food restaurants. Your child will likely prefer one of these options to “mystery meat” and rice. (By the way, you can order a child’s meal for yourself, too.)

It’s good practice to schedule an appointment with your pediatrician before the flight if your child has symptoms of a cold. He might have a mild ear infection, and you may not know it until it’s too late. An infected eardrum can rupture during the descent, causing excruciating pain and permanent hearing damage. If this is a possibility, you may need to postpone your flight.

Getting to the airport

In her 28 years as a flight attendant, Chicago-based Cheryl Kinkead has witnessed countless parenting successes and disasters. She suggests arriving at the airport early so you can have your seats assigned (or confirm assignments made at the time of booking) ahead of the crowd. Otherwise, if it’s a full flight you risk being separated from your child.

Another reason to arrive early: Bulkhead seating. Many parents swear by these front-row seats because of the increased legroom and proximity to the lavatories. Normally, these seats are reserved for frequent fliers until the day of the flight, when any remaining spots go up for grabs. But bulkhead seats have their drawbacks, too. For one thing, says Lani Leydig, a travel agent based in San Mateo, California, there’s no under-seat storage; if you request bulkhead seats, say good-bye to your carry-ons until the “fasten seat belt” sign is turned off.

Waiting for takeoff

While you wait to board, encourage your child to expend as much of her energy as possible so he’ll either sleep or relax during the flight. Some airports (Seattle, San Jose, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Boston) have Kidsports play areas, complete with blocks, slides, crawl spaces, and the like. If you find yourself in one of these child-friendly airports, it’s important to establish a time limit right away. Keep reminding your child that it’ll soon be time to go; this may forestall a tantrum later.

This is also a good time to help calm your child’s fears about flying, if he’s anxious, and to help him feel comfortable with the transition from ground to air, says Georgie Chambers, a mother of three from Davis, California. Ask him what he thinks takeoff will feel like. What will the plane look like inside? What kinds of sounds will it make as it takes off and lands?

Reiterate your travel plans to your child. Remind him where you are going and what you’ll be doing there, so he knows what to expect. This is also a good time to talk about behavior on the plane. If you anticipate trouble, try using a reward system to manage your child’s in-flight behavior. Explain that he’ll receive a special treat — a gift, some special time spent together, a trip to the ice-cream shop — if he sits quietly. And don’t forget to make a pit stop before boarding, to cut down on trips to the tiny airplane bathroom.

Boarding

To preboard or not to preboard? It’s a long-standing debate. Families in favor say it’s best to board early to ensure finding plenty of storage space. Preboarding also gives you time to properly position your child’s car seat in the plane. That said, your child might not be thrilled about confinement in a cramped cabin. Airplanes tend to be stuffy before a flight, and you never know how long you’ll wait before takeoff. That’s why some parents advocate waiting until the last moment to board.

During the flight

Once the flight is under way, it’s time to play Santa Claus. (Santa flies, too, right?) Every hour or so, give your little one a gift to unwrap. The presents don’t have to be fancy or expensive; they might include books, snacks, or stickers. But it’s best to give items your child has never seen before, since these will hold his interest the longest. A little creativity goes a long way, too. Airsickness bags dolled up with crayons become puppets. A piece of paper taped to the window serves as a sticker gallery.

It’s important for your child to be entertained, but you can best achieve that goal by giving your child attention. Explain the sights as the plane takes off and lands. Take an active interest in the things that amuse him. The more secure he feels, the happier his trip will be.

Of course, eventually your child will want to walk around. If the aisles are free of carts and the seat belt sign is off, take him for a stroll. He may even meet other children his age.

In the confines of the cabin, it’s wise to be a little more lax with discipline than you normally would be. Quiet conduct that you ordinarily wouldn’t tolerate may be preferable to the protests that you could provoke by being too strict. If your child does reach the boiling point, remind him that he stands to lose his good-behavior reward. And if he still doesn’t cooperate, it’s important to follow through — don’t give in and give him his reward once you’re off the plane. If he learns that Mommy and Daddy are softies in public, his behavior in these situations will only get worse.

Barring any outbursts, the most difficult part of the flight is the descent. When the plane reaches 8,000 feet, the pressure inside our ears is higher than the cabin pressure, and our ears start to pop. Your little one won’t know how to relieve the pressure, so he’ll need your help to keep the discomfort at bay. Play a game in which you make funny faces at each other. This will get him to stretch his facial muscles and move his jaw, just as adults do to relieve ear pressure. And have a bottle, sippy cup, or juice box ready for him, since swallowing will also help.

Back at the gate, it pays to wait while other passengers leave the plane. The cabin staff will most likely help those bringing up the rear — including children and their tired parents.

Bon voyage!

I’m humbled when I think of all the things that make my mother a truly remarkable person. Her unwavering faith that I can do anything, her unbridled optimism, her insatiable desire to figure out how things work (she took two years of electrical engineering classes in her 40’s just learn about radio / television transmission), her childlike ability to see magic in the most commonplace things, and her nearly maniacal obsession to explore every nook and cranny of the globe, are just a few things that make up her bountiful maternal legacy.

Mother’s Day is a great time to celebrate the beautiful legacy we are leaving to our own children. What makes you different from other moms? Are you musically inclined? An outdoor sports enthusiast? An avid reader and learner? Do you have a passion to travel? A spirit of adventure? Each mom has something unique that is worth celebrating.

Dr. Northrup leaves a mothering legacy for not only her two beautiful daughters, but for a large community of women who have been inspired by her work. If you would like to learn more about her community or sign up for her free monthly newsletter, you can visit her website DrNorthrup.com.

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Kayak.com
Kayak.com is like a having virtual travel agent. And now, mobile phone applications make this massive search engine available wherever you go. The iPhone app includes KAYAK Trips so you can easily manage your itinerary. And yippee, yippee! KAYAK for iPhone, Android and Blackberry is free.

Key features vary with the application, but generally include searches for flights, hotels and car rentals, details on flight delays / cancellations, trip management and updates on deals.


Airport Mania First Flight Lite
Airport Mania puts them in charge of getting passengers to their destinations on time, and they can upgrade to larger planes along the journey and pick out in-flight movies to keep customers happy. Kids can even design their own airport! You just have to trust me on this one — this air-traffic control puzzle is downright riveting. Best of all, Airport Mania is FREE and is great for kids 6 and older.


Jirbo Match: Child Development Edition
In this flash memory game there is no luck, just pure memorization. Kids get points for remembering where they last saw matching pictures or numbers, and can spend days practicing.


Memory Match is $1.99 and is great for kids ages 4 and older.
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Alphabet Animals
Perfect for your talented toddler, this game is packed with colorful animations, animal sounds, and tons of tips for learning their letters. The digital flash cards are interactive, with animals that talk them through every letter of the alphabet.

Alphabet Animals costs $.99 and is great for kids 4 and older.


Freshwater Aquarium
Something fishy has found its way to the small screen. This application turns your iPhone into a freshwater haven for 19 species of fish. Tots can feed them and watch them grow, or play eye-spy, turning this aquarium into an exciting — yet quiet — distraction.

Freshwater Aquarium is FREE and is perfect for kids of all ages.



IFillz
Remember MadLibs, where you fill in the blanks to create silly stories? IFillz is just as goofy and fun as your remember. Great for your budding grammar-whiz, there are tons of stories to choose from, and there will be tons of giggling after.

IFillz is $.99 and great for kids ages 6 and older.




Family Matters
This neat little application is available for the iPhone for $1.99. It was on iPhone’s “What’s Hot” list for two weeks in a row and became iPhone’s #2 travel application. Family Matters provides thought-provoking questions for engaging conversations with your child. It is not a video game to keep kids busy. It’s a tool to help you communicate more effectively with your children. Family Matters is perfect for waiting rooms, long lines, and staving off the dreaded “are-we-there-yet-itis”.

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iStoryTime
iStoryTime is a collection of dozens of books for the iPhone that are perfect for young children. You can choose to read the book yourself or turn it over to a narrator, whose voice can be either a child or an adult. The most popular iStoryTime kids books are Binky the Pink Elephant, The Reading Bug and The Wiener Dog Magnet. At $1.99/book, it’s an inexpensive way to build a portable library! And StoryTime apps for the Droid are coming soon.

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123 Color
There are a lot of coloring applications for cellular phones. Some are ridiculously complicated, some are overly simplistic. The brilliance of 123 Color for the iPhone is that kids are learning number and letter recognition as they color. Letters/numbers correspond to different colors and your child will match them with letter/numbers in the picture. For older kids, the developer of 123 Color offers KidCalc Math Fun. At $.99 each, these applications are great additions to your BabyTravel arsenal.

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For tons of valuable reviews about iPhone applications, visit TheiPhoneMom’s posts about Travel and Great Apps for the Kids. Parenting Magazine’s website also offers “25 iPhone Apps for Kids“.

After a somewhat unnerving flight due to funky seating arrangements (no more than two of us sitting together), we arrived in LA. We were pleasantly surprised to find that Hertz had upgraded us to a 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan. But favorable luck turned sour with the significantly unpleasant surprise of Gracie vomiting in the back seat of the brand new vehicle. (stay tuned for another post about getting nasty smells out of rental cars, to be written by my husband, who rose to god-like status in my eyes after cleaning the van!)

Needless to say, we arrived at the Residence Inn in Oxnard, CA in less-than chipper moods. Gracie went to bed at 6:00pm (poor thing!), but Callie and Christopher made it to 9:00pm. (midnight on EST)

If there is one thing I’ve learned about crossing time zones, it’s that kids burn the candles at both ends. You’d think that staying up until 9:00pm on the new time zone means they’ll sleep until 7:00am the next morning. Not so. All three kids were zippy and garrulous at 4:30am. And that has been our experience every time we travel. Little ones stay up late, get up early and sneak little naps throughout the day, usually at the most inconvenient times.

So here are a few tips to make traveling from eastern times zones to western time zones more smooth.

1) Come up with your game plan the night before. This usually includes one parent getting up with the early riser while the other stays in bed. Whenever possible, leave the room with the child. You can escape to a hotel lobby, take a walk around the hotel property, or even go for a little drive. (playgrounds can be really fun in the dark!)

2) Find a 24 hour restaurant or diner that opens early. This is a good option when the hotel lobby isn’t suitable for early morning forays and the weather is too cold or rainy to go for a walk. Again, you’ll want to explore your options the night before.

3) Pack a bag with clothes, bottle, diapers, food, etc. for the little one and a sweater and food for you. Lay your clothes and shoes out so you can change quickly and easily without waking others. Remember that early mornings are usually the chilliest time of the day, so you’ll want to pack something warm.

4) Bring a cell phone. This is especially important if you have more than one child. Your spouse can text you when the other one (s) wake up.

5) Keep your schedule light and flexible. Make sure it includes a nap time for both children and adults.

6) Whenever possible, eat your meals at times appropriate for the new time zone. Meal times help to signal the body’s biorhythms, letting them know there has been a change in schedule.

In the end, you just need to accept the fact that kids adapt to time zone changes more slowly than adults. Allowing for down-time rather than filling the daily schedule will provide the most enjoyable travel experience for both you and your children.

PACKING LIST

Pre-Departure Check List

• Fill prescriptions for medication
• Get a backup prescription for medications that my be lost in transit
• Scan birth certificates and passports into your computer if you’re taking it with you.
• Send a copy of birth certificates and passports to a friend or family member
• Send travel itinerary to a friend / family member
• If you and your husband have health care proxies, scan them into your system as well
• Empty the refrigerator of all things that can spoil
• Confirm arrangements for pets
• Do last minute laundry and ironing
• Put mail on hold
• Pay bills
• Set e-mail autoresponders
• Final instructions to office manager / secretary / housekeeper, etc.
• Notify school teacher / principal that kids will be out of school