I remember the excitement I felt during my first ultrasound.  Watching my son suck his thumb… guessing at what he may look like from those hard to read black and whites.  But was this ultrasound actually safe for my baby? An ultrasound uses waves to bounce off of your baby to create images.  In many OB/GYN offices, the pictures are two dimensional and sometimes hard to decipher by an untrained eye.  These ultrasounds are conducted by professionals who utilize low power levels for a short amount of time.  The standard use is to diagnose pregnancy, determine if you are carrying multiples, verify fetus age, detect fetal movement and possible birth defects, evaluate the placenta and monitor the baby’s heartbeat.  It is usually given between the 18^th and 20^th week.  The ultrasound conducted by your OB/GYN is generally considered safe.  However, it has yet to be determined if multiple ultrasounds have any long term side effects on the fetus.  But what about those new “ultrasound in a box” establishments cropping up in malls throughout the United States?  These were created for expectant parents to view their baby in 3-D color, with a package that often includes the sale of videos or a picture.  Concerned physicians warn that these employees are poorly trained and are not considered technicians.  The ultrasound equipment uses high levels of power and is often utilized for long periods of time.  Furthermore, some parents may be interpreting these ultrasounds as a clinical diagnosis that their baby is fine, when indeed there may be a problem. I agree, it is so hard to wait those long nine months to see your baby.  But consider the possible consequences of getting a “quick peek” by one of these ultrasound establishments.  If something happened to your baby, you would never forgive yourself.  So stick to your OB/GYN when it comes to ultrasounds.  It’s so much better for you – and your beautiful unborn child!

 OK, before you think, “not another car seat article,” and move on, give me just a minute of your time.

Yes, we all know our baby’s car seats need to be installed correctly.  After all, we are smart moms who do the very best for our little ones.  It is the “other people” that don’t use car seats correctly.  At least that is what I thought!

When my first born was four months old, I heard a fireman speaking about car seat safety on the radio.  To my surprise, he related a statistic to the listening audience that completely shocked me.  Did you know that about 95% of all car seats are installed incorrectly?!

Now I’m good, but I am not 5% good!  But there is free help I was completely unaware of.  Most fire stations have fire fighters who are trained in proper car seat installation.  And even better?  You can stop by and have them inspect your car seat and help you get it just right!

Nervously, I pulled in to our neighborhood fire station, grabbed my son and tentatively rang the bell.  But I had no need to be shy.  A wonderful gentleman answered and was happy to come to the car for a quick inspection.

Sure enough, I had the car seat placed INCORRECTLY!  The firefighter installed the car seat correctly and showed me exactly what was wrong and what things to look out for.  He also explained that I needed a rolled towel in one particular spot to make the car seat even safer.  I was able to place the towel where it needed to be as soon as I got home.

So please - if I can install a car seat incorrectly (and it was tight too!) then so can any of us.  It will only take a few minutes to stop by a fire station.  You can even call ahead to find out when someone will be there to help.  Bring a few towels “just in case” and be ready for the best car seat installation you’ve ever seen!