LaborKit.com Blog : LaborKit

What do I need for Labor?

Theresa — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 19:32:00 GMT

This is a question just about every new mom asks her friends, Dr. or midwife. The answer varies depending on where you give birth (hospital, home, birthing center etc) and possibly your insurance coverage or individual hospitals with varying policies. Some hospitals are cutting back and ask that women bring just about everything including diapers and your own feminine pads. Other more "trendy" birth centers may provide you with organic lotions, music and (honestly) and Egyptian cotton robe.

So what are you to do? The best advice we can give (and why we created the LaborKit) is to bring the items that will make you most comfortable during and after labor. For example, the pads provided by a hospital are often bulky and way too long for comfort. If you have a preferred brand, take those. We know from talking to many moms that lip balm is a necessity so we include natural lip balm. Also, many moms are looking to healthier options or organic products which hospitals will not provide. If you prefer natural products, from moisturizer to lip balm or cloth diapers, pack those too.

Some items that are very helpful are a notebook and pen for notes from the doctor, monitoring baby's feedings and notes of those who may have sent flowers or gifts that you want to thank later.

Our LaborKits all include a reusable icepack which can help with engorgement or comfort after an episiotomy. We also include Lansinoh Lanolin and Gerber Nursing Pads for breastfeeding moms. This is really helpful in the first few days when you are more tender and possibly sore and cracked. Lansinoh Lanolin is the only topical nipple cream endorsed in the US by La Leche League International.

Different women will recommend different things. We recommend packing the items that help the birth experience feel a little more like home and a little less like a hospital. And take snacks -- no woman who just endured labor and delivery should also have to endure rehydrated mashed potatoes and mushy meat type meals.

Feel free to print out our free, printable hospital bag checklist or take all the guesswork out and purchase a ready-to-go LaborKit.

Good luck.

LaborKit.com makes donations to help new moms and babies in need

Theresa — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:49:00 GMT

Thank you to everyone who purchased a LaborKit in 2008. We are happy to be able to make donations ($2 for every LaborKit sold) to help new moms, babies and children in need. Please learn more about these programs by visiting the sites below.

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation seeks to prevent pediatric HIV infection and to eradicate pediatric AIDS through research, advocacy, and prevention and treatment programs.

Calgary Health Region's Best Beginning Program
Best Beginning is a Calgary Health Region program for pregnant teens and pregnant women living on a low income. Best Beginning is a free, voluntary, and confidential service. Best Beginning staff work with pregnant women and their families to have the healthiest baby possible.

Ultimate LaborKit Product Review by Metropolitan Mama

Theresa — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:38:00 GMT

We have been fortunate to have our LaborKit reviewed by many women and birth/baby/mom related companies but we are really looking forward to our review by Stephanie Sheaffer, aka Metropolitan Mama.

Stephanie's blog, MetropolitanMama, is written with a positive, down-to-earth perspective that always makes her blog and easy, enjoyable read. Her blog is geared to moms and moms-to-be to help them navigate through the baby and toddler years with how-to articles, commentary on culture/motherhood, product reviews and a personal look at her life and the challenges of working and being a mom.

At Stephanie's request, we sent her a LaborKit for review in February. We didn't realize at the time that Stephanie was expecting baby #2 in just a few weeks. Well, that was February and now its late March. Stephanie had a beautfiul baby girl on March 13th. Her birth story is amazing -- a water birth at a birth center, no complications and a rather speedy labor and delivery.

We look forward to her review of LaborKit -- what she loved, really needed, what wasn't necessary or how we can improve our kits. I know the Lansinoh is a must-have for any nursing mom and, based on a recent blog, Stephanie appreciates it too!

LaborKit -- A unique baby shower gift that creates a buzz

Theresa — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 21:10:00 GMT

Wow, the feedback is fantastic. We have been hearing from customers that our LaborKit is definitely a unique and practical baby shower gift that generates a lot of comments like;

“I wish that was around when I had kids,”

“I was happy to see that my shower gift was a complete hit! One woman, a retired pediatric nurse, after hearing of the kits' flexibility, noted that every new mom should have a LaborKit…I'd say my gift was a complete success!"

“When I received my LaborKit at my baby shower, I was so excited! It was such a unique gift. I was stressed out about what to bring to the hospital, so this answered a lot of my questions. The LaborKit is definitely a great gift for a shower – something I’ve never heard of or seen. All the nurses had never seen one either and were going gaga. I would recommend this to anyone.”

Thank you to everyone who has purchased a LaborKit. We always welcome feedback and if there is something we can do to improve our LaborKit, let us know! If you would like a truly unique baby shower gift, check out our LaborKits – they are breastfeeding friendly and every purchase supports charity!

LaborKit reviewed by Natural Moms Talk Radio

Theresa — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 01:49:00 GMT

Another review of LaborKit provided us with some great feedback. We agree that a more "green" laborkit would be fantastic and we are looking into more environmentally friendly options. Read Review

Did you know?
LaborKit canvas bags are made by EcoRite. EcoRite donates a percentage of all sales to environmental causes. A percentage of each LaborKit purchase will be donated to these worthy causes - Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and Calgary Health Region Best Beginning Program.

Beautiful Baby Shower Invitations and Birth Announcements

Theresa — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:56:00 GMT

If you are hosting a shower and want to send out some truly beautiful and custom invitations, check out www.tinyprints.com or http://www.tinyprints.com/baby-shower-invitations.htm. They are some of the most beautiful invitations I have seen.

For the mom who is excited to send out birth announcements, you can include a photo and all the information about your new baby. They offer an idea center to help you design a card but the process looks very intuitive. They offer free ground shipping and free address labels too for orders over $75. Its quite a bit more expensive than your traditional Hallmark "fill in the blank" card but its definitely a keepsake and, in my opinion, well worth the money.

LaborKit is a 2008 "Best Product for Parents"

Theresa — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:12:00 GMT

We are happy to announce that LaborKit is included in the Best Products Media Guide for Parents (September 2008) by ORCA Communications Unlimited, LLC. This Guide features 15 of the latest and greatest products for parents in the marketplace today. View the Guide!

We are proud to be listed among great products like BornFree Bottle, The Kiddyap©, mambino organics®, and the Mom Essentials Organizer.

Buy pregnancy tests in bulk

LaborKit — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:46:00 GMT

My sister-in-law first recommended buying pregnancy tests in bulk when I was trying to conceive and spent a small fortune on tests. Most tests cost between $8-18 depending on brand and technology. I could easily spend $50 per month especially if I was late and convinced I must be pregnant. There is a much more affordable way to go. You can buy in bulk at very, very affordable prices. Check out http://www.early-pregnancy-tests.com. Here are some prices. They are the same quality that your doctor uses. The test strips are least expensive and what most doctors use. Just remember to order the little cup that goes with it. You could use a small Tupperware dish too but the cup has a little holder for the strip and its only 95 cents.Pregnancy Tests - Test Strips PTS $0.92 each, 10/$8.50, 20/$16.00, 50/$36.50, 100/$65.00, 200/$100.00

Pregnancy Tests - Midstream Format PMT $2.25 each, 10/$19.50, 20/$38.00, 50/$92.50, 100/$180.00

They have free shipping on minimum orders and also have a ton of other products for pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility. Happy testing!
Theresa

Some relief of nausea with Preggie Pop Drops

DDriscoll — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:40:00 GMT

As many of you may know, nausea during pregnancy and labor can make an exciting experience miserable. The Deluxe and Standard Plus Laborkits include Preggie Pop Drops as an item in the kit. Preggie Pop Drops are hard sour candies that come in lemon, tangerine, raspberry and green apple flavors. These flavors are enjoyable and can assist in relieving nausea when it strikes. Often times nausea can be abaited with a small meal or drink, but because nausea can also make you feel sick to your stomach, you may not want any food at all. Many pregnant women agree that just the taste of something sour or salty helps soothe nausea, especially when they feel too ill to eat a snack or full meal.

During labor, Preggie Pop Drops can also be used (with the consent of your nurse or doctor) to help keep energy up and ease nausea, which unfortunately often creeps in due to the intensity of contractions or because of medications.

So when thinking about what essential items to have on hand while pregnant or getting ready to go to the hospital remember Laborkits are a great way to be prepared!

And the Winner Is.....

LaborKit — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:20:00 GMT

Sarah Elevazo from Toronto Ontario, is the winner of the LaborKit.com BabyTime Stroller Giveaway.

We hope that Sarah is able to enjoy the stroller in the months to come.

The BabyTime.ca show was really fun - we'll definitely be attending more shows in the future.

Thanks to everyone who came out, and we'll see you next time!

LaborKit.com Hospital Bag, Today's Parent BabyTime Show Giveaway Winner

LaborKit — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:07:00 GMT

The BabyTime.ca Show

Well the show is over, and it was outstanding. We had a chance to talk with so many nice people, and received tons of positive feedback about the LaborKit.

There was definitely a trend among the visitors. The Mom's that had already had kids, were very definitive about their sentiments: "I wish I had one of those when I had kids". And many bought kits for their upcoming pregnancies. The certified trainers were also very enthusiastic and resolute about our LaborKit. First-time mom's-to-be were interested and thought that it was a great idea, but had some questions around why they might need some of the items. We'll be working to answer these questions in our featured product postings (in which we'll use some of the comments from the second time Mom's mentioned above) in the weeks going forward.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by, and also to those who purchased kits. Good luck in the months to come with your new loved one!

The Jogging Stoller Giveaway

We made the draw yesterday and are in the process of contacting the winner. Once they've accepted their prize, their name will be published (here on the blog) and we'll send them their jogging stroller immediately.

We'll keep you posted.

LaborKit.com Hospital Bag, Today's Parent BabyTime Giveaway

LaborKit — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:34:00 GMT

As mentioned we have some great giveaways at the Today's Parent Baby Time show this weekend.

We're going to be holding a draw on Monday the 14th for an InSTEP Ultra Runner Jogging Stroller!

The stroller features:

lightweight, foldable steel frame for easy loading
for children up to 40 lbs
infinite recline seat
5-point harness system
protective canopy
integrated seat pad for comfy ride
parent tray for beverage and other items
roomy storage basket
16" quick-release front and rear wheels fo a smooth ride over pavement or grass plus they're ideal for compact storage
independent rear suspension
bicycle-style hand break and linked rear brakes
quick and easy folding system

Anyone can enter the draw, and its completely free of charge. We will be holding the draw on April the 14th, (the day immediately following the BabyTime trade show). The winner will be notified and we'll ship the stroller immediately following the winners acceptance of the prize.

If you could use a new jogging stroller, come on our and see us at the International Center this weekend, (April 11, 12 and 13) booth 503!

See you there!

Tune Into Our Parent Talk Radio Interview This Weekend

LaborKit — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:21:00 GMT

We've been interviewed by Parent Talk Radio with Lianne and Andrea to be aired on 940am in Montreal and on 770am in Calgary. The show will run this Sunday, April the 13th.

	If you'd like to hear the interview, you can tune in live on the http://www.940news.com site at 11am CDT (click on the "Listen Live" link on the home page).
	Alternatively, you can also tune in live on the http://www.am770chgr.com site at 9am ET, (again click on the "Listen Live" link on the homepage).

A big thanks to both Lianne and Andrea for having us on the show!

Listen for us on 93.3 fm

LaborKit — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:02:00 GMT

We're sponsoring some some public safety annoucements on 93.3, be sure to tune in to hear it if you happen to be in the area.

The annoucements are for public safety for kids and we're running all week, from the 7th to the 11th of April.

If you'd like more information, feel free to contact us, we'd love to hear from you.

We're also gearing up for the babytime.ca trade show this weekend! We'll be posting some pictures shortly after the event.

Having A Baby Just Got A Little Easier

LaborKit — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:07:00 GMT

We're proud to announce LaborKit: a new product will all the necessary items to prepare woman for having a baby. Each laborkit comes with practical and thoughtful items to make the delivery process as comfortable as possible.

Whether you're a first time parent, or already have kids, a LaborKit will help prepare you for the big day.

Why LaborKit.com?

We save you money - buying these items would cost you well over 150.00 if you were to purchase it all in stores
We save you time - if you could find all these items, (some are only available to suppliers) it would take a significant amount of time to find it all
Prepared - you have enough to think about, why not let us pack your bags for you?
LaborKit.com provides the most comprehensive hospital bag, with the highest quality items, for the best price

Who would buy a LaborKit?

This is a perfect gift for someone to buy their pregnant loved one
A LaborKit makes a great shower gift
If you haven't received a LaborKit, its still OK to treat yourself to a very practical purchase!

If you have any questions, or comments, we'd love to hear from you.

Sincerely,

The LaborKit.com Team.