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My morning sickness started early and strong with this pregnancy, much MUCH worse than last time. Knowing now that it's twins (click here to see my post about discovering twins) makes it more understandable, but not any less miserable. Suffice it to say I've been trying every trick in the book with varying success. I recently wrote an article for Mommy Nearest about 7 Natural Ways to Ease Morning Sickness, with the caveat that any of these methods may or may not help you out. In a nutshell, the tips included aromatherapy, staying hydrated, eating every hour (especially high protein), increasing intake of magnesium / B-6 / B-12, eating ginger, and acupressure. I'd like to go into a bit of detail in this post about acupressure, which I've been experiencing mild to moderate relief with. The idea is that there is a pressure point on your inner arms (P-6 Pressure Point: about three finger widths down from the first crease in your wrist joint, just between your two tendons) that is believed to relief nausea. You can do this manually by using your thumb to put firm circular pressure on the spot for 3 minutes at a time, rotating arms. But here's what is much easier...  Photo credit: No Mo Nausea I got me some acupressure bands from No Mo Nausea. There are several brands out there, but this one is especially cool because the band is infused with peppermint oil so it acts as nausea-relieving aromatherapy as well!! Need an extra boost against a wave of nausea, or an unpleasant smell you've encountered on the subway? Just bring your wrist up to your nose and take a whiff!  I have to be honest though, I had a very unexpected and rare reaction to the bands. I started off liking the peppermint smell but must have developed some crazy Pavlovian response to it and within days I couldn't be near the bands without waves of nausea hitting me like a mac truck, pre-puke salivation and all!! It was BAD!! I contacted the brand representative who assured me this is really really rare, and recommended to soak the bands in water for 2-3 days for the smell to go away. That worked like a charm, and now they are smell-free and back to being (mildly) helpful for me.
No, they don't work miracles for me, but if you find several things that work mildly, well, put them all together and you have some hope of being able to function! YAY!! You can purchase No Mo Nausea bands on their website, they're $10.99 per pair and come in grey, pink, green, blue, and nude. They also sell kids sizes, which come in blue, purple, and red. You can also win a 2 pack in my $500 value Best for Your Bump Giveaway going on right now!!! ENTER TO WIN HERE!! Do you have any tricks or tips for relieving morning sickness? Share them below... PLEEEEEEASE!!!!! Disclaimer: Although I did receive this product free of charge, I was not compensated in any other way to do this product review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased.
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How?? What?? TWINS!?!?! That's pretty much the reaction we've been getting, and you can imagine a similar dialogue is going on inside our heads tenfold! With no history of twins in either of our families, and having never undergone any kind of fertility treatments, discovering two babies on that 7 week ultrasound was beyond shocking. The first twin suspicions...  When Kenzo turned two this past Christmas we decided to go ahead and start trying for our next and final child. We didn't have an especially difficult time conceiving Kenzo - we tried for a a couple of months before stepping it up to the scientific method with daily temperature taking and peeing on ovulation predictor sticks, and then we had success on our second try. But this time? I started straight away with the temp taking and ovulation sticks, and we also mixed in the Shettles Method since we were hoping for a girl. Just 26 days into my first cycle, I started having random waves of nausea and we joked that I was pregnant. Just joking because, hello, WAY too early for any symptoms! But, it prompted me to go out and buy a pregnancy test and the next morning (a couple of days before my missed period) it lit up with record speed - much faster than it should have. And then there's the nausea. It's not morning sickness, it's all day and all night sickness. I don't want to eat, but know that if I don't I will just feel worse and worse and eventually throw up. So, I have to eat, pretty much every hour on the hour. And I wake up 2-3 times a night to pee, and have to eat during at least one of those breaks or I can't fall back to sleep because I feel so sick! It's pretty miserable and much MUCH worse than my last pregnancy. The agonizing wait for pregnancy confirmation... I found out just before 4 weeks that I was preggo, and had to wait another 3 weeks before I could visit my midwife to confirm the pregnancy (I could have gone earlier but I didn't want to risk her not finding a heartbeat because it was too early). This wait was pure TORTURE!!! The main worry, for me anyway, was that it was not a viable pregnancy (for example, no heartbeat) and that I was enduring this miserable morning sickness for nothing! The twin discovery... I asked the midwife to do an abdominal sonogram, since last time at 7 weeks preggo it worked just fine, and I wanted to avoid the super scary transvaginal wand that she had all ready to go, condom and all. She agreed to give it a go on my belly and sure enough, there was the baby! She was doing measurements and said everything looked good, though it wasn't super clear and so I told her to just go ahead and do the transvaginal scan so that I could have a better picture to take home to show to daddy. As soon as she inserted that bad boy, I hadn't even had a chance to look at the screen yet, she blurts out, "Well, I'm glad we went inside... IT'S TWINS!!!" My head whipped around to the screen faster than I could blurt out the litany of swear words that followed... "WHAT THE F&%$!!!! WHAT!??! WHAAAAAAAAAT!!! HOLY SH!T!!! WHAT!!!???" Cue the waterworks (bad BAD choice to wear mascara that day!) and laughter and more swearing. Then we both just fell into hysterical laughter and "Oh my god"s. I laid there taking it all in (randomly blurting out things like "How am I going to do this???") as she probed around taking measurements. She found both heartbeats and had them measuring to size, so she said everything was looking great! We had a quick consultation after I was dressed, discussing that I'm now "high risk", meaning many more check-ups and ultrasounds, that I have to rotate through the OB's in the office and not just the midwives, and also that I'm a good candidate for a vaginal twin birth as long as Baby A is head down (apparently Baby B will just ride Baby A's coattails out, and Baby B being breech doesn't matter too much). One week later I went to a high risk sonogram facility for a better scan, and was truly relieved to get everything reconfirmed that the twins (TWINS!?!??!) were measuring exactly to date (8 weeks 2 days) and had strong heart beats. The relief was a relief in itself, showing me that I had come to terms with the whole twin thing and was actually over the moon about it!  The risks and fears with twins...
The main worry early on, which is the first thing that pops up when you Google "Twin Pregnancy", is a phenomenon called "Vanishing Twin Syndrome". It's this thing where one twin dies (probably because of chromosomal issues) and gets reabsorbed into your body (or the other twin absorbs him). Often with no signs or symptoms, you just show up for your next checkup and there are no longer twins in there. Supposedly, once both heartbeats are found and both twins are measuring to date, the risk is much smaller, but there is always a risk. With twins, there is also increased risk of preterm labor ("term" is considered 37 weeks for twins, but making it at least to 36 weeks is pretty much the goal), low birth weight (less risk if mama gains 24 pounds by week 24 - yikes!!), and preeclampsia. Oh yeah, and stretch marks (which I was lucky to avoid last time... probably not so lucky this time!) Also, if the twins share a placenta (which happens for some identical twins), there is a risk of "Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome" where one twin hogs the nutrition and puts the other twin in danger. So, when we found out today that our twins have their own gestational sacks which means they'll each grow their own placenta, that was a HUGE relief!! Beyond those fears are the emotional and logistical fears... How the heck will we manage with a toddler and newborn twins?? Will our tiny home be big enough? How will we afford to travel with FIVE in our family? How will I get around the city with THREE KIDS!? What if the babies have something wrong with them or arrive super early - NICU doesn't allow siblings, what would we do with Kenzo?? Ugh. SO MANY FEARS!!! Suffice it to say, I haven't been sleeping well!! Are they identical or fraternal?? Unfortunately we won't know for some time... If the babies were sharing a sack or placenta, we would know they're identical (i.e. from one egg that divided). If the babies are boy/girl, we will know they are fraternal (i.e. from two separate eggs that both got fertilized individually). But, if they're boy/boy or girl/girl, we won't know until they are born and we can swab their cheeks for the Zygosity genetic testing. And yes, we're definitely going to find out the sex this time (we didn't with Kenzo), and that'll probably be somewhere around 16-20 weeks. So... that's our big announcement and all of the emotions behind what we've been going through the past couple of weeks! Do you have twins or any advice for us?? I'd love if you shared below!!! My toddler has recently become obsessed with super heroes. It started during our trip to Japan last summer, when he fell in love with their biggest super hero, Anpanman. Not only can fly, his face is made of a bun filled with sweet red bean paste that he feeds to people in danger! 
A boy and his super heroes!
In the past few weeks, he upped his super hero obsession with the request for a cape. Being the frugal mom that I am, I whipped up a "cape" using a diaper pad changing cover and a chips clip. He loved it, but looked hilarious! 
Donning his primitive cape.
Suffice it to say, we were both super excited to run across a company selling actual capes!! That's right, Great Pretenders has a whole line of capes and costumes for kids! From super hero sets with matching cape, masks, and wrist bands, to lady bugs, fairies, princesses, and even a variety of color-your-own costumes, they've got whatever your little one desires!! We went ahead and got the Adventure Toddler Cape in Blue, and from the moment my son laid eyes on it, he's been alllllll over it!! Thankfully, he seems to understand the need to take it off to eat, use the bathroom, sleep, and leave the house (we wouldn't want to get it dirty, now would we!?). It's also been a great tool in negotiating... Turns out he'll do just about anything I ask in order to keep wearing his cape! HA! 
The cape is veru silky which is fun, like a super hero cape and magician at once! The inside of the collar is made of a super soft material so it's not scratchy at all, and it's a nice size for a toddler (not too big but it actually was able to fasten even around my husband's neck - I'll spare you the ridiculous photo of that!). And now, the moment you've all been waiting for... the super hero in action (he literally does this all day long!!!) Disclaimer: Although I did receive this product free of charge, I was not compensated in any other way to do this product review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased.
Looking for a really unique gift? Something that you and your kids will equally get a kick out of? How about a personalized sticker story book by Stickie Story!! I came across them recently and was really intrigued. My son loves stickers, and he loves story books, so this is the perfect combo! 
Photo Credit: Stickie Story
Stickie Story has 6 themed books to choose from (shown above), and since my son is recently obsessed with super heros, we went with the "Super-Super" book. Next, you personalize it by uploading a photo and name/gender of up to 4 characters. When it arrives, you'll have your soft covered book and a few pages of stickers, like this: 
I was surprised that you have to cut out each sticker, rather than them being pre-cut and ready to peel. But what surprised me even more was that my two year old was really interested in the whole process and was very patient! I would cut one sticker out at a time, and have him help me peel and place it in the book. Each sticker is labeled with which page it belongs on, which makes it easy. 
And for the photo stickers, the background in the sticker lines up with the background on the page in a specific spot, so it's almost like working with a puzzle finding the correct placement for it. I really liked that aspect of it! An older child shouldn't have any problem, but a younger child will need your help, unless you're fine with them just placing the photo any random place. 
We love the book! We've been working on it slowly, 2 pages a day, and my son pretty much has a melt down each time I tell him we have to put it away! The story is cute, and it's really fun to see your child's face in the story (your child will love that, too!). If you're interested in ordering a Stickie Story, enter code "JAPANFAM" at checkout for 20% off your order (expires May 31, 2015)! Disclaimer: Although I did receive this product free of charge, I was not compensated in any other way to do this product review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased.
I'm so excited to work with Green Scene Mom on yet another awesome giveaway! Each of the items in this giveaway's jackpot is the recipient of a Green Scene Mom Award, celebrating eco-friendly product design and creative innovation. This fabulous 2015 Winter Awards Giveaway is sponsored by the winning brands, and one lucky mom will win them all!  The jackpot will consist of all of the below items. For more details on each of the items, click here or on the individual links below. This is an amazing eco-friendly gift set, valued at $750!
Enter in the Rafflecopter box below... GOOD LUCK!!! I’m very excited to be working alongside and an array of fabulous bloggers across the United States and Canada, to help spread the word about Margaux and May.
 Margaux and May, are a baby product company who are steering away from the cliché baby animals, blues and pinks you generally see when you think "newborn". Instead, they are putting Mom first, with more "grown up" designs leaning towards style and sophistication. And, you can see that, with the bold print on the twin-set of the organic swaddle blankets we are giving away to our readers. These blankets are incredibly soft and generously sized at 120cm x 120 cm/47" x 47", which are certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) as being made from 100% organic cotton. Not to mention, they are hand-woven by experienced artisans; with a practice dating back to the Bangladesh of Medieval Times. The swaddles are also vegan, meaning no animal products are used in the making of these blankets, which we love!  Likewise, Margaux and May, have our seal of approval on the natural and recycled packaging they use to deliver these luxurious blankets to the world in. All of these things are a huge plus to a Mother who is doing her best to be green-hearted and save the world, not to mention reduce the amount of toxins a precious little bundle-of-joy is exposed too. And, we know you also want to try them out for yourself!
Giveaway Time We are giving away, to 8 lucky readers, an organic twin swaddle set retailed at $29.99 each. Perfect for the arrival of a beautiful bambino, or as a gift to a friend or family member. This giveaway starts at 6PM EST on Sunday February the 15th, and ends at 6PM on Wednesday the 25th of February at 6PM EST. It is open to the USA and Canada only. However, if outside of these countries you can still purchase the swaddles HERE from Amazon. Confidently, Margaux and May, offer a no questions asked money back guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with the product you will receive a full refund. Good Luck, and thanks for stopping by US-Japan Fam!US-Japan Fam is not responsible for fulfilling sponsored prize obligations; prizes will be shipped directly from the brand. If you are a winner you must respond to your notification email within 48 hours or we will choose another winner. |
 
About ME:I'm a NYC metro area mom blogger living in NJ with my Japanese husband & our 3 kids (twins plus 1), focusing on fun and honest product and travel reviews, saving moms time finding the best for their families! Find what you need in the menu bar or search section above! 
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