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Benefits of Cord Blood Banking + Enter to Win Babies-R-Us Gift Cards!

This is a sponsored post. I received a gift or another form of compensation to write this post. However, I only support and recommend products and companies that I believe in.

When I was pregnant with my daughter I received an email about cord blood banking. Then later at a regular OB visit I received a pamphlet. But honestly I just wasn't given enough information. Then I saw a commercial on TV about cord blood banking and how this women saved her older son's life (who had leukemia) because she had saved her younger son's cord blood. I cried and then did more research.

Benefits of Cord Blood Banking


Through cord blood banking at LifebankUSA, you can collect and preserve potentially lifesaving stem cells, and doing so could one day save the life of your child or a blood relative. You can bank even more stem cells by collecting them from 2 usable sources of stem cell-rich blood: the umbilical cord and the placenta. This service is called Placental and Cord Blood Banking, and it's available only from LifebankUSA. Whether you choose Placental and Cord Blood Banking or Cord Blood Banking alone, there are many important reasons to choose LifebankUSA.

We didn't take advantage of cord blood banking with my daughter. But I am highly considering it with this baby.

LifebankUSA is the only company that offers cord blood, placenta blood and tissue banking-- and the first to release placenta-derived stem cells for a successful transplant. LifebankUSA is a technological leader that is pioneering key medical innovations in the field.



LifebankUSA is spreading the word about the benefits of cord blood banking and giving away THREE $150 Babies-R-Us Gift Cards! How is that for some spending money in your pocket! I created a baby registry with my daughter and decided to go ahead with making one for this little one as well. And OF COURSE I registered at Babies-R-Us. They have everything an expecting mom, new mom, or established mom could ever need.

Entry is simple! Just "Like" LifeBankUSA on Facebook and enter here! Winners will be chosen at random. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. By entering the contest, you understand that you are providing your information to LifebankUSA and not to Facebook.

Hurry and enter! Contest Ends 3/15/14!

This is a sponsored post. I received a gift or another form of compensation to write this post. However, I only support and recommend products and companies that I believe in.

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Feel the Love Giveaway Hop {$50 Matilda Jane Clothing Gift Card}

Feel the Love giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Feel the Love Giveaway Hop hosted by the Blogging Mamas Network.
Love is in the air as Valentine's Day approaches and I've joined with a group of bloggers who want you to Feel the Love this February! Each blogger in this Hop has a giveaway worth at least $25 that you are sure to love!


Matilda Jane Clothing Giveaway


We have been loving Matilda Jane Clothing for a while now. So I am very excited to have them as a sponsor again for this wonderful giveaway hop.
"It's all about keeping a little girl...a little girl. Keeping her youthful. Keeping her spinning and twirling and carefree. And most importantly, bringing her happiness." – Denise DeMarchis, designer and founder.

One lucky Nanny to Mommy reader will get the chance to win a $50 Matilda Jane Clothing Gift Card.
Entry is easy! Just feel out the Rafflecopter below! Only required entry is to comment. Winner's entries are verified. Must be 18+ to enter, Open to US only.

Enter to #win a $50 Matilda Jane Gift Card during #BMNLove #Giveaway Hop!


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Once you finished entering my giveaway, hop on over and enter to win the lovely Grand Prize - where you'll find a Maggie Bags Butterfly Bag, a delicious spread of Lovely Candy Co, and a girl's best friend - jewelry thanks to Jewelry in Candles by Karine!
FeeltheLoveGP
So Easy Being Green, Viva Veltoro, the Blogging Mamas Network, and the Feel the Love participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.
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Bringing Home Baby: Birth Plans




Welcome back to our weekly series! This week we are discussing Birth Plans and why you should have one.
I had a birth plan when I had my daughter. But a lot of the things I wanted went out the window because I had to be induced, like being able to walk around to help alleviate labor pains. My mother-in-law scoffed at the idea when she found out I had one, but there are a ton of reasons why you should have one. So let's dig into them.

So what is a birth plan?
According to BabyCenter: "A birth plan is a document that tells your medical team your preferences for such things as how to manage labor pain. Of course, you can't control every aspect of labor and delivery, and you'll need to stay flexible in case something comes up that requires your birth team to depart from your plan. But a printed document gives you a place to make your wishes clear when you have a choice."
You should always talk to your doctor or midwife about your wishes before hand, but it's nice to have a birth plan when you go to the hospital just so the doctors and nurse can stay up to speed on your wishes and needs.

Why do you need a birth plan?
Do you want an epidural, no epidural, or go completely unmedicated?
Do you want a routine episiotomy?
Do you want to breastfeed or formula feed?
Do you want to circumcise or not?
Do you want to bank your child's cord blood?
Do you want to delay your baby's first bath?
Do you want to give your baby a pacifier or not?

These are all questions answered in your birth plan. Hospitals tend to have routines they like to stick to, but your labor is just that...yours. You don't want to feel robbed of a certain experience just because you didn't ask before hand, like having your baby cleaned on your chest so you can start bonding immediately or delay your baby's first bath so you can breastfeed as long as your baby wants to for that first time. Some of the things in a birth plan are routine. But you need to make sure everyone is on board. You have talked to your doctor about your plan and they understand your needs, but that doesn't mean the nurses at the hospital know. You should also talk to your partner/labor team and let them understand your birth plan, so they can get on board and help make sure unnecessary inventions aren't taking over. If you have no certain desires either way or you are a go-with-the-flow type of person, that's great! But even you should still have a birth plan too. It may not be as long or specific as others, but there will be some things that you will want to go one way or the other.

Here is a GREAT list of 10 FREE Printable Birth Plans.

I suggest going through each one and customizing one that's perfect for you.
 
Grab a GREAT & FREE Birth Plan from Earth Mama Angel Baby!

I had a birth plan and no not everything went according to plan, but I am so glad I had one. Some of the things on my birth plan weren't very specific because I truly was go with the flow on most of the topics, but the main things I wanted happened the way I wanted them to and that was because I had a birth plan. So do your research and make an educated decision before diving in. Remember women have been this forever, but you are unique and so is your labor.

Did you have a birth plan? Did everything go according to plan? Looking back, would you change your original birth plan?




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Help Your Child Learn to Read with a #FREE 5 Week Trial of #ReadingEggsUS!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Reading Eggs. All opinions are 100% my own.Tracking Pixel

My daughter is starting 3K this coming up school year. Sign-ups were this past Sunday. I am nervous and excited for her. We got to explore the classroom. There were two that she might be in. Each room she just went in, pulled out a chair, sat down, and starting working on whatever activity they had set out, whether it was putting puzzles together or looking through books. I was talking to one of her possible teachers and when she was going over the curriculum, I felt very confident that SweetPea won't be behind starting out. And with programs like Reading Eggs, I know she can exceed even her teachers expectations.

Reading Eggs

Reading Eggs is an online learning program with fun games, interactive animations, great songs, books and rewards to help children learn to read. It supports each child’s learning by offering individual, one-on-one lessons that allow children to progress at their own rate. Because it's fun, children will want to play again and again.

When you first log into Reading Eggs, it takes your child through an (up to) 60 question skills test to ensure they are starting at the right level. My daughter is just starting out. So we are starting out at level 1.

Reading Eggs Trial

The program is very child/user friendly. My daughter enjoyed going through the first level. I had to help her through it, but once we went through the first group, she picked it up very quickly.

Help Your Child Learn to Read with Reading Eggs

Older children are not left out either. Reading Eggspress are levels designed for children up to 13 years. With over 1500 e-books in the library and games that help with vocabulary, spelling and reading comprehension, your older child will find tons of books and games to keep their interest.

So what I love so much about Reading Eggs is right now you can grab a FREE 5 WEEK TRIAL to test it out on your very own! Just click HERE or the image below! No credit card required.

#ad Give Your Child a Head Start with a FREE Trial to Reading Eggs PLUS enter to #win a iPad Mini! #ReadingEggsUS


I am excited to continue using Reading Eggs. I love how much my daughter is loving to learn to read, at only 3 years old! After you've checked out your FREE trial, please come back and let me know what you think!

Read to Cure Challenge
Reading Eggs is hosting the Read to Cure Challenge to raise funds for the National Children’s Cancer Society (NCCS). The goal is to raise $25,000, and Reading Eggs will match every donation made up to this amount. All money raised will help provide financial, emotional and educational support for children and families battling childhood cancer. You can access Reading Eggs and take part in the campaign too. From February 3 to March 7 children are encouraged to complete as many books and Reading Eggs lessons as they can. Friends and family can sponsor their reading efforts, with all money raised going to the NCCS. There are also SIX great prizes up for grabs: (3) for the most money raised in the Read to Cure and (3) for the most books/lessons completed in the Read to Cure. You can learn more about this challenge by visiting http://thenccs.org/.

Giveaway!
Reading eggs is also giving away an iPad Mini! Just enter via the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open until Friday March 7, 2014. One winner will be selected to receive one (1) iPad Mini valued at $299.99. To enter the giveaway, entrants must register and activate the 5-week free trial on the Reading Eggs website between 1/20/2014 to 3/7/2014 with their name, child’s name and postal address.)

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Reading Eggs. All opinions are 100% my own.


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SNOW in GA! :D {WW #62 + LINKY}





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