1. Britax seats sat high off the car’s seat. When you install the car seat, the more of the actual seat the child is sitting in is flush to the cars’ seat, the safer it is.
2. The seat was so wide you could only have two in the back seat without room for another passenger.
3. The latch was difficult to differentiate which way it went. You would have to re-thread it to change the seat around.
4. Installing them could prove to be difficult even being trained to install them.
5. They were only made from plastic
6. They take up so much room in the store for storage, we only have so much space (This goes back to me wanting to know the wall down. Anyone want to help

Why we chose the Radian seats by Sunshine Kids:

1. Steal Alloy frame
2. The car seat sits flush to the car’s seat
3. The frame is narrower making it easy to put three across the back seat, or have two and another passenger able to sit back there too.
4. The low profile makes it seam like it is part of your vehicle instead of sticking out like a sore thumb. (yes I understand this is vain, but we are all realistic here)

Why we are now contemplating bringing in Britax. Being CPST (Certified Passenger Safety Technicians), we almost had our draws dropped when speaking with the rep from Britax today. The safety features are almost too much.

1. There is a steel bar that goes around the frame. The seat belt path crosses over this for added structure. The steal frame also helps keep the plastic from buckling in an accident (Good to know)
2. The seat is now closer to the car’s seat. It isn’t up as the previous versions.
3. The base is equipped with technology that is energy absorbing. Honestly too much to write but I would be happy talking with anyone about it. Just know that if you were in an accident it would actually put the car seat closer to the car’s seat (may sound a bit confusing)
4. The plastic is now black, which helps block out the suns damaging rays to car seats creating tiny pin holes that can make the seat collapse in an accident. That’s why it is so important to NOT use a car seat after the expiration date. Hint…if you car seat doesn’t have an expiration date on it, it is too old and you need to cut the straps and recycle it.  Where was I…
5. The wings on the sides prevent any objects in the car to fly out in an accident and hit your child. From the data a lot of injuries happen from flying objects, not necessarily from the impact from the other vehicle, or tree or…Another hint here…everything in your car should be secure. I know how hard this can be, I have a million things in my car.
6. You do not have to uninstall the seat from your car to change the shoulder straps or take the cover off to wash.
7. It reclines from an easy handle in the front of the seat.

So will we be bringing Britax into Bellani? We are talking about it tonight and will have an answer soon.
Have a great night, Shannon

A few nights ago, when I was channel surfing instead of sleeping, I came accross an episode of “What Would You Do?” with John Quinones on ABC.  It’s really just a dressed-up version of one of those cheesy candid camera shows from the 90s.  Real people encounter a public dramatization of a rather off-the-wall situation.  Their reaction–either intervention or inaction–is aired so the viewing public can speculate as to what they would have done. Would I have told off the waitress who was hitting on my husband?  Defended the woman being abused in the park?  Helped up the homeless man who fell down on the sidewalk?  I found it to be a terribly interesting sociology experiment and went to bed feeling charged with activism, ready to stand up for my fellow man and for the sake of doing what is right.

The next day, I was walking out of Target with my little tribe of four and noticed the couple behind me with their newborn baby girl.  They were holding hands and smiling, seemingly basking in the happy, transparent haze of new parenthood.  Our cars were parked side by side, so I stepped aside and allowed them to their doors ahead of me, commenting that it would probably take me far longer for me to complete the arduous task of buckling four car seats than it would take them with their one.  This would have been the end of our encounter, had I not watched the car speed off a few seconds later with the mother in the back seat, BABY ON HER LAP, and a Baby on Board sign swinging in the back window.  There was no car seat in sight.  As I processed what I had just seen, my little girl asked me, “Why doesn’t that baby have to go in a car seat?”  Well, where do I begin?  For starters, if a three year old is calling you out on improperly adhering to child restraint laws, you should be ashamed of yourself.  I shrugged my shoulders and went about buckling my little ones safely into their seats while John Quinones voice repeated over and over in my head, “What Would You Do?”

In most regards, I am a HUGE proponent of choice.   As a parent, I give my children hundreds of choices every day and allow them to mold their days and the direction of their lives around their unique interests.  As a member of this community and the shared space we call parenthood, I respect the choices that others make for their children.  We all do it differently, and I think that’s great!  I don’t judge.  Somehow, this seemed different though.  These parents had made a choice that was not theirs to make; they had defected on their responsibility to provide a safe environment for their child.  I had an unsettled feeling that the baby could die and that my inaction would make me just as responsible.  I felt compelled to abandon my ‘live and let live’ motto by advocating for this child.  It was as if my inner mama bear had been released.

As I approached the stop light to exit the parking lot, I saw the car again.  Pulling up alongside, I got the driver’s attention and pointed to the back seat, mouthing “That baby needs to be in a car seat,” and gesturing to the kids in my back seat.  Lead by example, right?  He waved me off and proceeded to drive across Rt 2, toward Bellani.  I took it as a sign…and what did I do?  I summoned my inner private investigator and followed him, keeping a few cars in between us so as not to create a road rage situation.  The couple, to my dismay, parked in the lot and walked into the beauty school, instead of next door to Bellani where they would have gotten the parent education of which they were so desperately in need.  (Although I briefly entertained the idea of dragging the couple in by their ears and sicking Kelly or Shannon on them, I decided that that plan had the potential to go awry…)  So, I went with plan B, picked up my cell phone, and reported his position to the Warwick Police Department.  The dispatcher took the license plate and vehicle information and assured me that an officer was on the way to talk to them.  While I didn’t actually wait around for the police to arrive or for the family to return to the parking lot, I’m assuming that they made contact and that the baby is now safe.

Days later, I am still wracking my brain as to what possible scenario would put me in a car with unrestrained kids and can’t actually think of a single one.  Errands at Target and the beauty school certainly wouldn’t make my short list.  The ladies at Bellani have spent the last few years working tirelessly to promote child safety through parent education, public awareness, and by providing excellent product availability.  Any member of their delightful staff is happy to talk to new or seasoned parents regarding what type of car seat is the best for your child, and on-staff car seat technicians offer the service of properly installing it in your car. Through a partnership with Safe Kids USA, they were able to hold a car seat check event in conjunction with last year’s anniversary party.  The word is out there, and most parents educate themselves on the use and proper installation of child restraint seats.  Until now, I had assumed that everyone knew how important it was to keep kids safe in the car.  Most hospitals won’t even discharge a baby without a quick inspection.  If car seat safety is important to you, what would you do if you saw someone else putting their baby in harm’s way?

I am a self proclaimed control freak who plans everything down to the minute detail. If I could plan my own funeral I would. However when I gave birth to my son Zachary almost 3 years ago I lost that side of myself in all the excitement of decorating the nursery, creating a baby registry, etc.  I should probably mention that I’m also incredibly impatient which is why when pregnant with my son I jumped at the voluntary induction the doctor offered. I had wanted a natural childbirth but being hooked up to Pitocin meant excruciating contractions. As a result I had an epidural and was confined to the hospital bed until I delivered.  My son’s birth went smoothly. I delivered a healthy 6lb. 7oz baby boy with no issues. So why go out and pursue natural childbirth if I had a positive experience the first time? Well…why not? I knew I could do better for myself and my baby.

With this pregnancy I made sure that if I was genuinely sincere about my desire for a natural, drug free birth, I was prepared. I took a hypnobirthing class, hired a doula, wrote a birth plan and read several childbirth books.

I was due to deliver my daughter on April 27th, 2010. I figured this being the second pregnancy I’d have this baby well before the due date. Well…definitely not the case. This baby decided that being an overachiever was not as important as being fashionably late and as a result week 40 came and went.  I started to become nervous when week 40 ended and my doctor started talking “what if’s”.  I had worked so hard to ensure that this would be the experience I wanted and really felt like it was slipping from my fingers. My doctor asked to see me back in the office in a few days when I was 41 weeks.  Tuesday May 4th marked week 41 and much to my surprise I was 5 centimeters dilated. My doctor insisted I had a laboring cervix and sent me over to Kent Hospital. I was 6cm dilated when I got there. Did I feel like I was in labor…nope…but my doctor decided to admit me thinking if I had left I’d be on the news for birthing my baby on Rt. 95!

I phoned the troops: my husband, my sister and my doula. I made sure my son was taken care of as our wonderful daycare provider kept him overnight (which he loved).  By 10pm on May 4th I was 7cm dilated. I was in fact in labor but did I feel like it….no! Morning came and I was still pregnant, still 7cm dilated and exhausted not having slept at all the night before. I consulted my “team” and decided to have my membranes ruptured.  Once my water was broke things moved very fast. I popped in my hypnobirthing cds and walked the halls with my sister Jamie and my doula Shelley. Now I felt like I was in labor! Transition came and I was really uncomfortable. My sister was such a cheerleader insisting I could do it! Each contraction I became unfocused and eventually I begged for an epidural. Unfortunately because I did not have an IV, I would need to wait 30-45minutes before enough IV fluids were in my system to receive the epidural. In the meantime Jamie and Shelley refocused my attention allowing me to breath the baby down further into the birth canal.

My doctor came into the room just as I started to feel the urge to push. I sat up straight in bed with my legs crossed in front of me and began to push. Pushing felt exhilirating! Pushing made the pain go away; pushing meant I could end this! I pushed 3 times and the last push I felt her truly leave my body; head then shoulders until she was entirely born. Because the hospital gown covered my legs nobody knew I had just delivered my baby until the nurse peeked beneath the gown to see if she was crowning. My doctor hadn’t even donned gloves!

Belle Victoria Bradley was born at 10:48am on May 5th, 2010, less than 2 hours after my membranes were ruptured. Her birth was perfect, everything I wanted, everything I worked so hard for. Not only did I immediately walk from labor and delivery to post partum but I asked to be discharged the next morning and drove myself home (because my husband and I both had our cars there)!

I am so grateful to my husband who supported my desire to have a natural birth, my doula Shelley for guidance and coping techniques when things got tough and especially my sister Jamie who never left my side!

Thank you, Melissa!  We’re so happy to hear your experience turned out just how you wanted it!

My home has been in need of a healing basket the last few weeks.  First, our 13 month old spent an entire weekend waking up in the middle of the night crying at the top of her lungs.  Then there were the two days of tummy aches due to constipation for my 3 year old.  Did I mention we’re teething?  With bug bites and scraped knees destined to be in our very near future, I’m slowly putting together our very own healing basket.  Here’s what I’m gathering:

• Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm and Natural Nipple Butter – not just for bums and boobs
• The Baby Book from the Dr. Sears Library
• Band Aids
• Thermometer
• A tiny piece of paper with a prayer on it my mother always whispered to me when I was sick
• Arnica Ointment
• Hylands Cough Syrup with Honey (thanks, Kelly, for the great tip!)
• Fun Stuff -  a special stuffed animal, a get well blanket, some candy/chocolates, a book or two, stickers – distract and entertain!
• Amber teething necklace (we’re desperate need of this one!)

I’m always interested in what people use when they’re kids get boo boos.  What would you put in your healing basket?

~Carla~

If you’ve ever walked into the store and seen a lovely lady fashionably clad in great jewelry and with a killer smile, then you’ve had the pleasure of meeting Kelly – co-owner/founder, mom of three, Martha Stewart, breastfeeding advocate, empowered childbirth champion, do-it-all.  She always wears a smile despite how hectic her days become.  Here, Kelly has documented a day in her very fashionable and crazy life.

Wake up at 5:30 am to try and keep the number of awake children under two, because if one more wakes up it is really going to be a long day.

Shower, dress and feed several people.

Prepare lunches and then get in car (warning: you should love your car, lots of time will be spent there)

Enter carpool line, drop-off  your eight year old.

Park and go inside to pick up paperwork for PTA.  Chat with outgoing PTA president who no doubt wants you to volunteer for one or nine things.  (note: Yes I could have skipped one step by avoiding the carpool line but I can’t bring the child into the school because he is too cool for that and needs to be dropped off.)

Next stop: pediatrician for a well-visit.  You hear about statistics and development; and then console a weeping six year old because she wanted to be told that her eyes needed glasses.  Two out of the twelve children in her class have needed to get spectacles this last month, and she wants them, too.

Back to the car.  Drop off six year old.

Head into work with The Baby.  Work for a few hours, deal with questions, and products, phone calls and woes, and then…

Back to the car.

Pick up two children here, and then one there, and then off to one more stop for the day.

Come home.  Laundry, dishes, homework, cook.

Back to the car (do you see why you should like your car?).  Get the kids, the gear, the coats, the umbrellas, the seats, the drinks, snacks, money and keys all into the car in the rain.

Head to baseball diamond, cheer on your child and other people’s children with more intensity than you have ever summed up for a professional being paid 4.1 million dollars a year.  You watch your child be so incredibly proud of himself, and his body, for what it can do.  You see that amazing joy a team has when they have been modeled a life of sportsmanship and respect.

Back to the car, and when you get home, covered in dirt and rain, with frizzy hair, your little one, The Baby, sits down on the potty and <gasp> goes potty! You will cheer so loudly it will make her jump. After you tuck them all in that night you will sit down and write this blog post, because you hope, you pray that you will never forget this day and all of the amazement of it.

Thank you, Kelly, for doing all of the above and still being able to put a smile on each day for the wonderful customers of Bellani!

PS. When do you sleep?

However, just because your seat is installed correctly doesn’t mean your child is safe. As the temperatures turn colder and we begin to wrap our children up like Ralphie in the Christmas Story we are also placing them in danger of a car seat mishap. I think everyone knows about the covers for infant seats (I really loved the pink JJ Cole one I had when Zoe was an infant…it was one of my first pink purchases when I found out I was having a girl!) but I also realized now that she is out of the infant seat that I place her in a winter coat before she gets in a car. Using a heavy coat poses a serious safety risk for your child as it creates too much space between the straps and the child.

Don’t believe me?

Check out the following on my wonderful and adorable test model below….

Exhibit A….winter coat, straps secure

Now I removed Zoe from the seat without loosing the straps, removed the coat and place her back in

Look at the amount of space between her shoulders and the harness!!! We you say no biggie, I always tighten loosen the straps dependent on what the child is wearing. However, that is exactly what creates the issue….a winter coats creates the illusion that the child is secure when really the coat is secure and in a serious crash the child is at increased risk for being ejected from the car seat.

Of course this poses a dilemma…I mean we live in the land of “No school Foster/Gloucester” so how do we keep our children safe and warm??

For infants:

Consider purchasing a car seat cover. I like these because they are easy to use because of the zipper and ok a little fashionable too. Car seat covers are a got to shower gift item for me, even if they parents don’t register for it because well they will love me later for it (Aden and Anais receiving blankets and Robeez are my other two favorites!)

Another idea is to dress a child as you normally would, add a hat. Place the infant in the infant seat and cover with a blanket (tucked in on the sides only). After the seat is in the car place another blanket over the infant seat for an added layer of warmth.

For older children:

Ok really I never would have thought of this without reading the idea on the web…dress your toddler as normal, than strap him or her in their car seat and then put their coat on backwards. Really brilliant! Yeah you might to fool with their collar a tad (although think of it as a scarf) and they might get crafty and toss it on the floor but by then the car should be heated up.

A few other things to remember, not all winter coats are unsafe to be used in conjunction with a seat. Keep in mind the thickness of the coat and the gap it may create. Fleece is warm and thin, and is a great option. Save the backwards coat for the really cold days.

Finally Shannon and Kelly are more than willing to do a car seat check for you. Please call the store ahead of time to make arrangements. I was out of town last weekend so plan on having them do mine soon.

Stacey

What should you, as a caregiver, expect from a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST)?

The one-on-one education of a safety check usually takes 20-30 minutes, depending on the car seat and the vehicle. The CPST should take all the time necessary to ensure that you feel competent and confident in re-securing the car seat into the vehicle and re-buckling your child into its car seat on your own.

Card your tech! Ask to see proof of his or her current certification.

During the check up, a competent CPST will:
• Fill out a checklist form (including car seat type, location in vehicle, misuse observations, if any, etc.).
• Review car seat selection appropriate for your child’s age, size, and review factors affecting proper use.
• Review the restraint manufacturer’s instructions and the vehicle owner’s manual with the caregiver and ensure that both are being followed correctly.
• Ensure that an appropriate seating position in the vehicle is being used, especially when using LATCH.
• Check the car seat for recalls, visible damage and an expiration date.
o If the seat is unsafe, you should replace the seat since it may not work as it should in a crash.
• Show what is correct or will be corrected before making the adjustment.
• Have you install the car seat(s) correctly using either the seat belt or LATCH system. Feel free to ask to learn how to install the seat with either options or in different seating positions.
• Discuss the next steps for each child, such as when to move to the next type of restraint:
o Rear- to forward-facing car seat
o Forward-facing harnessed seat to a booster seat
o Booster to an adult safety belt
• Discuss the benefits for everyone, including all adults, to riding properly restrained.
• Discuss safety in and around the vehicle (never leaving kids unattended, walking around the vehicle before moving, etc.)
• Discuss your state laws and best practice recommendations for occupant safety.

This tool is brought to you by the Child Restraint Manufacturer’s Consortium.
Consortium Members: Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Compass-Learning Curve, Dorel, Evenflo, Graco, Mia Moda, Orbit, Peg Perego, Recaro, Safe Kids Worldwide, Safe Traffic Systems and Sunshine Kids.

My favorite hand sanitizer is CleanWell’s natural product. This actually smells good (make that really good!) and when the Miss Z insists “I do myself!” and wants to spray her own hands I don’t have to worry. I not only love the produce but love the story –it was developed because the son’s owner has immune deficiency disease (aka ‘boy in the bubble) and in order to help him function in the world his father developed this chemical-free formula. My plan everyday is to make sure to spray hands in the car on the way home and then when we get home we wash hands again. Of course the reality of mommyhood is that I have redundancy in place to make sure at least one of the two things happens!!

Other tips and tricks that you may not know…children and adults should sing the abc’s or happy birthday while washing hands, to give you enough time to get them clean. A total of about 20 seconds is needed. And Mom was right, sneeze into your elbow! Lastly keep you children home if they are ill.

If you are wondering how Bellani keeps it clean see this week’s past blog post. I always feel like the classrooms, even the mats are sparkling, but knowing they are cleaned with chemical free products makes me feel even safer.

Since I just have a first-time school-aged child I wonder what more seasoned moms do to keep the germs away?

Stacey

How we do that:
1. In between each class all the mats, bolster and any materials used in class are sprayed with an antibacterial spray (child friendly, no bleach or chlorine).

2. Each night the floors, doors, door knobs and bathrooms are sanitized.

3. We have foam sanitizer in each classroom as well as the front counter.

4. We have a no-tolerance policy for sick children in classes. If you or your child is sick, you will not be allowed in class. Please use our make-up policy when you are feeling better.

5. We request our Bellani Team to stay home if they are not feeling well.

Please DO NOT come to class if you or your child…
1. has a fever

2. has nasal discharge

3. has a productive cough

4. is vomiting or has diarrhea

5. has a sore throat

6. has the chills or muscle aches

Tips to help prevent H1N1 or any other virus:

1. Wash your hands often with soap and water.

2. Use waterless alcohol-based hand gels (containing at least 60% alcohol) when soap is not available and hands are not visibly dirty.

3. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Try to cough or sneeze into your sleeve rather than your hand. If you use a tissue, wash your hands after.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask!
-Shannon

There is new information that just came out…read it for yourself here: Siggs Bpa Confession You Aren’t Going to Like it Anymore Than We Do.

Sorry, Sigg…being honest with customers is something that is really important to us. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens with them. Glad we just got in the new Safe Sippy Cups!!!

-Shannon