I am having a hospital birth by an OB, but was curious what this quiz would tell me. I’m very open to the idea of home birthing and I would have loved to have a midwife deliver for us, but it wasn’t covered by my insurance. The quiz asks questions about birthing preferences such as the use of pain meds or induction and about your background–if you’re healthy and have a high-risk pregnancy or not. Then there are a couple questions that I think easily decide the outcome of your quiz: childbirth is dangerous or childbirth is normal? I prefer short prenatal appointments or I prefer longer prenatal appointments? I want a provider who chooses for me or a provider who works with me?

My result? “You Have Matched With a Midwife!” and I knew it would say that, based on my own personal birth plan and preferences. But for those of you on the fence?? This quiz may certainly help you out, especially if you’re not fully aware of the difference between an OB and a midwife.

The website also provides links to resources for breastfeeding, lamaze, finding a midwife, etc. Check it out, if even just for fun!

A new application created by a pregnant mom and available on the iPhone and google’s G1 phone called Soleil Organics answers the question for you. It costs only 99cents in the iTunes store and it easily tells you what products are best to buy organic and which ones are okay to skip.

This application has the categories: fruits, vegetables, meat and poultry, dairy and eggs, seafood, grains, and tips and terms:

After choosing your category, just pick the product you’re wondering about and it will tell you if “buy it,” “skip it,” or “your pick.” In my review of the application, it doesn’t appear there is a bias one way or the other regarding organic purchases–rather, it gives relevant and truthful information.

Products you’re able to wash or peel the skin off are some that you may be able to skip on buying organic. Some things I didn’t know? No need to buy organic asparagus (my favorite summer grill food!) because it doesn’t attract insects so little pesticides are used.

Overall? A very useful application that will teach you more about the grocery store and will help you save money and stay healthy! Head over the the iTunes store and buy Soleil Organics for 99cents.

“The WEN® Cleansing Conditioner is a revolutionary new concept in cleansing your hair that has Hollywood buzzing! It’s special because it cleanses hair thoroughly but without lathering and all the harsh ingredients that may be found in ordinary shampoos — it is designed so it won’t strip your hair and scalp of their natural oils. Your hair is left with sheen, moisture, manageability and better color retention.”

Wen also makes styling creme, a hair repair mask, texture balm, and a shower comb. You get all of those things (including the conditioner) as a set for $29.95!

I loved it–it smells great, not too strong, and left my hair nice and silky. I have really fine and thin hair and lots of products weigh it down and I have to be safe with the conditioner I use. Wen worked great! It’s shampoo and conditioner in one so it saves time–great for a mom!! You do have to let it set for a few minutes before rinsing, but that’s easy–just use it first thing in the shower and get the rest of your washing done before you rinse.

Check them out here: Wen by Chaz Dean

Nausea! Many pregnant women, especially in the first trimester, are so affected by nausea that prenatal vitamin pills are too much to handle. They’re too big, they smell funny, they taste bad… they just don’t stay down! With Be Nice, you just add your vitamins to water, mix it up and drink!

Convenient! Keep a few of these handy little packets in your purse or car and you won’t miss a day of your vitamins! I’m TERRIBLE at remembering to take a pill everyday and sometimes when I think of it, I’m out running errands or no where near my pills. These packets can go with you anywhere.

Healthy! We all know how important it is for pregnant women to get their vitamins… especially the folic acid, calcium and iron. But besides that, WATER is so important too! Knock out two birds with one stone by using Be Nice. I was never a big water drinker so when I first got pregnant it was like I had to make myself chug each glass. Be Nice adds some flavor to make water drinking a bit more enjoyable

The drink mixes come in two different flavors: Lemonade and Berrylicious (strawberry and blueberry mix). I preferred the Lemonade, personally. You mix it with 16 oz of water, which I thought was a lot and I found it much easier to mix half the packet at a time. I ended up adding much more water to the Berryliciousflavor because I found it to be a bit stong… but hey, that means I just increased by water intake without even noticing!

Check out the Be Nice website and request your free sample! You can also buy them for $13.99 for a box of 10 or $43.99 for a box of 50.

Find the lovely Cynthia from Be Nice on twitter: @BeNicePrenatal

Enjoy!!

Bear Portraits did not disappoint. It’s filled with grizzlies, polar bears, baby cubs, black bears… each one showing an incredibly human expression. Some of the pictures almost look like drawings. Some are funny, some are sad and most are just adorable! This book is definitely worth taking a look at… the pictures are unbelievable.

About the author: Jill Greenberg is a top celebrity portrait photographer with the ability to coax powerful emotions out of her subjects – whether human or animal.

This book (as well as the monkey one!) would be a great gift for any animal lover, outdoor enthusiast, or child!! I loaned this book to my mom who is a 2nd grade teacher and her students couldn’t get their hands off of it! It was all “ooohs” and “awwwws” Don’t forget that preggo that needs to be pampered–put her feet up and give her this book to enjoy!

This book is available on Amazon for $14.57 or cheaper: Bear Portraits

Enjoy!

First off, it’s a large book with over 300 pages and weighing about 3 pounds. My first impression: I love the picture on the cover and it made me want to open the book and try out some recipes!

About the book: it’s written by Michael Psilakis, the highly acclaimed chef and owner of New York City’s Kefi and Anthos. Not only is this book FULL of recipes and fantastic images (including ones of Chef Psilakis’ family), but it also shares stories about Greek culture and Chef Psilakis starts each section of the book with a personal story.

In my opinion, the recipes in this book are a little tough (time consuming). Lots of ingredients… and fancy ones, not ones you’d have around your kitchen. That being said, it’d be a great cookbook to use for a special occasion or to make a fancy meal–not a cookbook you’d pick up on Tuesday night to find something to feed the kids.

A huge positive, however, is that even though the recipes are difficult, Chef Psilakis offers ingredient substitutions, short cuts, and optional steps and/or ingredients. And all of that is very helpful! The forward of the book also explains Greek recipes and helps you to follow them… great for us newbies!

What’s in this book? It’s separated by ocassion… My Father’s Garden, Open Water, Dinner Family Style, My First Recipes, The Hunting Trip, A Lamb and a Goat, Psilakis Birthday Dinners, Kefi–a Time to Dance, Big-Party Cooking, Anthos–the New World, and the Aegean Pantry.

Mussels with gigante beans and feta… rack of venison with leek confit and candied cherries… poached halibut with cypriot shellfish salad, cucumber-yogurt broth and caviar… potato-garlic soup (now there’s something I think I can handle!!!)

Really want to pamper your preggo? Get this book and cook her a dinner that will leave her speechless!

This book retails for $35, but you can find it on Amazon for $18.90: How to Roast a Lamb: New Greek Classic Cooking

Enjoy!

I just wanted to introduce all you pampered preggos to Little Journeys Baby World. They aim to create products that children from “different lands, cultures and languages will enjoy!” Started in 2003 after the birth of her son, Little Journeys Baby World in Colorado has different product lines for all to enjoy! Here are just some examples from each of the lines:

The International Line:

The Traveling Line:

The Western Line:

Boo Boo Bunnies (holds ice cubes for fixing boo boos!)

Cowboy/Cowgirl Quilt

The Heirloom Line:

Mommy/Baby Corsage Socks

Tooth Fairy Pillows

They have lots of cute stuff and new things being added! So check out Little Journeys Baby World and use our special code for 15% off until December 15th: PPREGGO

I would have loved this when I was a kid! Some creations people have made:

It’s only $9.95 for the first photo you make, the 2nd one is FREE and every one after that is only 99 cents… you could stock up! Just go here: Capture The Magic to get started!!

Shopping online is the best way to find good deals on the products that you use daily without having to leave the comfort of your own home. Many people have a stigma about online shopping, thinking it will be more expensive than what you can find locally. Also, many fear they will be paying for outlandish shipping costs as well. Others worry about the security of their bank cards being violated or think they will get spam emails forever after they make an online purchase. However, shopping online is quite the opposite… and you can’t beat retail therapy, right ladies?!

One of my favorite sites to do some online shopping at is Pebble.com. It’s a great shopping comparison site that features a questions and answers section that allows users to ask questions about various products or brands. When you do a search for a particular product, brand or group of products, the resulting page has related Q&A to help you make an informed shopping decision. On top of that, the easy layout of the product comparisons helps you find the product you want at the best possible price.

I searched “baby bedding” and the resulting page listed various crib bedding sets from Baby Martex, Bedtime Originals and Delightful Day with pricing from different online retailers. It’s great to see all of my options, with photos stacked on top of each other so I can pick exactly what I want. Pebble.com is definitely a great place to search for nearly any baby product and find relevant information, along with the best place to purchase it from!

Happy Shopping!

*Guest post by pebble.com

Introducing the Cinch by Anew! Every pampered preggo is going to want that waistline back once their little one is born…. the Cinch is an abdominal wrap that naturally allows you to regain your waistline comfortably. Comes in two sizes with loads of features that make it irresistible! “Losing your baby weight is a Cinch!”

Features:

*Front inner pocket to hold a warm or cold pack
*Side zipper
*Elastic bands at the front and back for support
*Inner fabric has moisture control
*Outer fabric is 60% nylon, 32% polyester, 8% spandex
*Light, compact and comfortable
*Inner measuring tape to track progress <- our favorite feature!!

This 360 degree wrap offers full support and truly focuses on that belly with dual front panels and double side wings. The best part? The material is high quality, the elastic won’t lose its stretch and the velcro won’t stick to your clothes. It’s light enough to wear any time of day, for any occasion.

What happens when you start to lose weight? The Cinch is adjustable! It will move with your shrinkingwaistline. It does come in 2 different sizes for starting out: XS-M (26-34″) and L-XL (33-42″).

As if you need any more reason to want one, guess what celebs are cinching it?? Angelina Jolie, Gwen Stefani, Minnie Driver, Jennifer Garner, Amy Poehler, Ashlee Simpson, Lisa Marie Presley… I think that basically covers all recently preggo stars!

Fine Anew on twitter: @ByAnew and purchase the Cinch on their site for only $86*: Anew

*Use our discount code for 15% off your purchase!! Type: CinchIt at checkout (case sensitive).

*Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for writing this review. I became aware of this product through the POP alerts from momfuse.com*