Products & Other Cool Things : Tips for Moms & Baby Websites

Dreft Available at Costco!

I visited a local Costco at my work a few weeks ago and noticed that they had the 110 ounce size Dreft available for sale for $24.99! I was really surprised to see it there because I had looked for it 2 years ago but was unable to find it. Actually, one of the guys there told me they don’t carry it.

Well, it’s finally here! Let’s do some comparison shopping. Costco prices usually beats other prices, but for the heck of it, let’s see the math.

BRU: $22.49 for 100 oz = $0.225 per oz
Diapers.com: $31.99 for 170 oz = $0.188 per oz but you have to pay for shipping
Amazon.com: $54.00 for 300 oz = $0.180 per oz (free shipping)
Costco: $24.99 for 170 oz = $0.147 per oz

Even with a $5 off coupon for BRU, it would still come out to be more than Costco’s ($0.175 per oz). So people, if you are looking for a good deal for Dreft, Costco carries it now! Perhaps someday, they will offer coupons in their coupon book for $2 or $3 off like some of their other products.

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Introducing Gagazine.com! Sign up for a chance at $100!

Check.

That was to cross off one of my New Year Resolutions to start my newsletter business. If you can remember, I was working on a Parenting newsletter. It’s finally complete, newsletter, site and all. Sign up for free newsletter here: http://www.gagazine.com/join

To gain readership, we are holding a free $10 weekly drawing. Winners will be picked every Saturday at 11:59pm and will be awarded a $10 Gift Card to Babies R Us. Winners will be announced on the site’s homepage.

In addition to the weekly drawing, we are also having a monthly writing contest. Entrants are to write on the topic of the month given in our newsletter). Winners will take home a $100 Gift Card to Babies R Us and have their story published in our monthly newsletter.

Also, users can sign up for a blog. Actually, they will have to sign up for the blog if they want to enter their story into the $100 contest. They can use the blog as a tool to track their little one’s growth and development, share their stories with their readers, and perhaps even upload pictures of their children. It is always interesting to see the changes in your child’s face. It’s actually even more intesting to read other people’s story.

So if you have a story that you want to share with us, sign up and you may be our next winner!

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My Vision on Vusion: The Ultimate Yeast Infection Ointment?

I remember how we thought the redness in his diaper area was just a rash. We tried every OTC diaper rash cream there was: Desitin, Balmex, Aveeno Baby…but none seemed to work. The rash just would go away. So we switched diapers from Huggies to Seventh Generation. Perhaps the chlorine and other chemicals in Huggies was giving him the rash. Seventh Generation is supposed to be chlorine free. And it’s supposed to help. But the rash was still there. Two weeks later, we finally decided to take him to his pediatrician. The doc gave us Nystatin, a mild cream to help fight yeast infection. I guess it was no rash after all.

At first, it was just red in his folds. It was just bright red, almost like a burn. But then it started to spread to his butt crack area. I started to worry when it became red underneath his testicle area. That’s when I knew it wasn’t a rash.

It has been a month since we started using Nystatin, a mild cream to help fight yeast infection in the baby’s diaper area. It controlled the infection, but it just wouldn’t go away. I would think that after one month of smearing that white cream on my baby’s bottom after every diaper change, the infection would go away. And this is with blow drying his diaper area so it can “air dry” before applying the Nystatin!

It was Monday, November 26. And we were on our last tube of Nystatin (we got four tubes). So we decided to give the pediatrician another visit. Perhaps he could give us something stronger. Instead, he told us that it could be just chaffed skin and to try applying Vaseline after Mason has been “air dried”. I was puzzled. Didn’t he clearly tell us the redness was a yeast infection? Now he’s telling us that it could be chaffed skin. I tried it anyway.

By Thanksgiving Day, the redness worsened! Of course, I stopped using the Vaseline, reverted back to what was left of the Nystatin, and made an appointment to see the pediatrian on Friday, November 30.

The doc gave us another type of yeast infection ointment called Vusion. Apparently, it’s a new drug that was just approved by the FDA on February 16, 2006 . And it’s supposed to work great. It’s a combination of miconazole nitrate (the active ingredient that treats the infection), zinc oxide (provides a skin barrier to help prevent and heal skin irritations), and white petrolatum (breaks down dead skin and softens the skin).

But let me tell you…it is very difficult to get a hold of this cream! At least when I tried to get it! I spent my entire Saturday trying to find a pharmacy that had it in stock. My first attempt was at Walgreens. Actually, they did have it in stock. The ointment costs $237, but my out of pocket expense for this ointment was $100!

So I tried CVS. After waiting in line for 30 minutes, the pharmacist told me that they didn’t have it in stock. So I ran to Walmart. The didn’t have it in stock either. And I waited 45 minutes there. Frustrated, I went home to call Rite Aid, Target and other pharmacies. Finally, I called a friend who works at a pharmacy. She said she’ll special order it for me and it will be ready the next day. The day is already over so that was the best option.

I guess the $100 was standard because I ended up paying $95 out of my pocket for this ointment at my friend’s pharmacy. That is one expensive yeast infection zapper! Perhaps I should’ve opted for a cheaper alternative such as Monistat! =)

If you do decide to use Vusion, however, be sure you use as directed since it is an antifungal. Typical treatment is 7 days. Using it longer may mean the fungus can grow an immunity to the ointment. Also, the fungus may not be completely killed if you stop using it too soon. I’m not a pharmacist, but that is what the pharmacist told me.

It has only been 3 days (4 more days to go) since I’ve started using it and so far, I have had no regrets paying the $100. Vusion does work - Little Mochi’s redness is red no more!

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Getting Rid of the Pacifier

I don’t know if my baby misses his pacifier or not…he’s been off it for nearly 3 weeks now. Of course, this means a fussier baby at times. This also means it makes it harder to put him to bed at night. My husband and I used to pop one of those soothers into his mouth and let him suck on it for awhile. Then I’d pull it out of his mouth as soon as he falls asleep. It seemed so easy. It wasn’t until I ran into a family friend, who happened to be a dentist. She said, “Don’t let him use the pacifier! It’s bad for him! It can cause dental problems later.” According to her, getting your baby off the pacifier is much harder after the 6th month and will continue to get harder as each month passes. That day, we stopped giving him the pacifier. We figured “Let’s stop him now at 3 months old!”

Does he miss his pacifier? Many times, when I watch the baby sleep, I notice his lips move as if he is sucking on the pacifier. Strange. I know it was something my little brother, who is now 15 years old, used to do when he was a baby. Is that what happens when you suddenly strip the pacifier away?

Anyhow, I ended up doing some reading to validate our dear dentist’s claim. And this is what I found:

All babies have a natural desire to suck on something. It’s their way of preparing themselves for their first meal. Many parents use the pacifier to help the baby learn to self soothe. If that is the case, many parents give their babies a pacifier only at naptimes and bedtime. If a pacifier is not introduced, the baby will usually find something else to satisfy that sucking desire such as a thumb, finger, or toe.

One of the fears of pacifier use is the baby’s long term dependency. They fear that their baby will still be sucking on it at 3 years of age and in some cases, at 6 years of age. On the contraray, they also fear that if they don’t introduce the pacifier, their children will become thumb-suckers, which is probably an even harder habit to break. (That makes me wonder if I should let my baby suck on his pacifier again???)

According to my pediatrician, pacifier use during a baby’s first year is harmless. But the baby should be weaned off of it after one year. I didn’t ask why at the time, but I’m assuming it’s because the pacifier can cause long term dependency.

If some of you parents out there are debating like am I on this pacifier issue, here are some pros and cons for you to consider before you make your decision.

CONS:

Long term dependency can lead to dental problems. According to Colgate, these dental problems can occur:

The top front teeth to slant out.
The bottom front teeth to tilt in.
The upper and lower jaws to be misaligned.
The roof of the mouth to be narrowed.

If you’re breastfeeding, the pacifier may confuse the baby with your nipple. If you plan to give your baby a pacifier, make sure breastfeeding is fully established, usually around 1 or 2 months.
Your baby make wake up in the middle of the night and realize that his pacifier is gone and cry. These middle of the night crying spells may disrupt your sleep.
Constant pacifier use may NOT encourage your baby to look around and be alert, which is important for development.
Parents may give the baby less attention because the baby can be soothed with a pacifier. Parents may have a higher tendency to shove a pacifier in the baby’s mouth and run off to watch TV (or other “fun” activities).

PROS:

Works great if your baby is crying and you need to prepare milk. Buys you a few minutes.
The pacifier habit is harder to break than the thumb-sucking habit.
Pacifier use during naptimes and bedtimes may reduce SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Studies show that the pacifier itself doesn’t prevent SIDS, but there is a strong association between pacifier use and the reduction in SIDS.

Although there seems to be more cons than pros, a peace of mind from a screeming baby can be worth a lot for some parents. If you choose to use a pacifier, however, try to use one that comes is one piece to prevent choking. Also, try to get one that is “orthodontically correct” to lessen the chances of future dental problems. And don’t give your baby a pacifier just to hold off on feeding or diaper changing.

I’m not sure which way I’ll go yet. I guess I better decide soon as my baby is quickly approaching 4 months.

Please let me know what you think and what you would do.

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Free Enfamil Coupons

Wouldn’t you agree with me that buying baby formula gets expensive over time? I think we have spent nearly $500 on formula alone and my baby is only 3 months old. He’s a big drinker! But I did manage to find this program offered by Enfamil themselves. The program is called the Enfamil Family Beginnings.

Basically, they will send you newsletters with valuable parenting tips and great information on baby care, feeding, nutrition, and development. These newsletters come every other week or so and have coupons ranging from $4 to $7 attached. The newsletters are tailored to the appropriate stage of your baby’s development. In addition to the coupons, they also send you free formula samples. It’s a great program because it’s free. All you have to do is visit their website and join online. Just fill out a simple questionaire, get an online account, and your first coupon will be on its way to you.

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Dr. Brown’s Milk Bottles Review

Dr. Brown’s bottles claim that it reduces gas, colic, and spit up. But does it really?

I would not mind spending a few extra minutes to wash the extra parts of the bottle if they really work for my baby. After using them a few weeks, I realized that these bottles are no better than regular bottles. My husband and I ended up using the bottle itself and attaching a regular nipple, with no fancy parts. I think it’s just the way my baby drinks his milk. He ends up gulping in air every now and then and swallows it. I can hear the air travel through his body.

I think what helps is the type of milk the baby drinks. We tried converting our formula Enfamil Lipil with Iron (the yellow can) to one that reduces spit up (Enfamil AR (the orange can) and it seemed to work much better. No only did he spit up less, but he also seemed more comfortable – less gas.

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Sensitive Skin After Giving Birth? Try Aveeno Lotion

I had the most sensitive skin after delivering my baby. I’m not really sure why, but my guess would be it’s because of all the hormones. My skin gets especially dry after my showers. I tried all sorts of lotions but end up in getting a rash. After I put on some itching cream to help stop the rash, I tried to use the Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion. It works great! No rashes so far and it’s been a week. The lotion contains natural oatmeal and does not leave your skin feeling greasy. It’s also fragrance free and is noncomedogenic (meaning it doesn’t clog your pores). Many lotions say they are also nongreasy, fragrance free, and noncomedogenic, but for some reason, the Aveeno lotion works great. Perhaps it’s the natural oatmeal ingredient.

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Enfamil vs. Similac

Why is it that once your baby starts on one brand of formula, it’s not recommended that you switch? I went to my doctor’s for a check up yesterday and the lady was going to give me free formula samples. She asked which formula our baby was taking. “Enfamil,” I answered. She looked around the office and said that she was out of Enfamil and had only Similac left. Same thing with the pediatrician. We went for our first check up last week and he gave us some Enfamil powder after we told him our baby was taking Enfamil.

Is there even a difference between the two? And why do they have to stick to one brand of formula? I guess I can understand if the doctor wants to make sure if the baby has any allergic reactions and it’s much easier to tell if the baby sticks to one formula. Less variables to deal with.

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Free Diapers and Wipes Coupons for Target

Look what I found! $1.50 off coupon for Pampers Splashers Swim Pants and $3.00 off your purchase of both Pampers Diaper and Wipes. These are Target coupons and expires July 3, 2007.

Click here to print them: Free Pampers Coupons

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Lansinoh Double Electric Breast Pump at Target.com

I decided to trust all the great reviews on the Lansinoh Double Electric Breast Pump and purchased one instead of the Dr. Brown’s Electric Breast Pump. Lots of great reviews on Target.com, but what ever happened to the actual product?

I went to two local Target stores, and they didn’t have any. I went home, searched at Target.com to find the nearest Target that has it in stock. Most of the stores around me were out of stock! Can you believe that? Can they really be “out of stock” in so many stores? I finally found one Target that had 2 left in stock. Problem was…it was 20 miles out from where I live! I called the store and asked for them to place it on hold for me (they can put items on hold for 24 hours for you if you call them). “Wow!” I thought. “This breast pump better be worth it!”

Anyhow, I would have saved myself the trouble and purchased it online at Amazon.com or something but I’m due in a few days so I needed to get the pump as soon as possible. I wanted to bring the pump with me to the hospital because there will be a lactation consultant there to help, and I thought it would be great if I could bring my pump.

If you’re looking to purchase this Lansinoh Double Electric Breast Pump, call the store first to see if they have one available (even if their website said they have it at local stores). Or if you are willing to pay for shipping and wait a few days, purchase one on Amazon.com. Click here to purchase.

Once I use it, I’ll come back with a product review.

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- little mochi: i absolutely agree with you, kimberly. parents don't need to brag about their kids. my kid never rolled...
- Dana: My son is 5 months old he is a big baby and at birth he weighed 8lb 10oz...he smiles and laughs makes lots of...
- David: Any OTC with miconazole 2% will work (for vaginal yeast, jock itch, athlete's foot, etc.). Also, medications...
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