Thursday, November 22, 2012

Weekly Moment of #Gratitude - Thanksgiving Edition #WhyImGrateful






It seemed appropriate that this week's 'Weekly Moment of Gratitude' be posted on Thanksgiving Day!

What I am grateful for:


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Just Being Here! -  Last year in October I began a Medical Roller-Coaster that I'm still sorting through. But considering 2012 started with a Specialist telling me to 'get my affairs in order', I'm fundamentally grateful just to have been able to wake up and have the gift of this day. This very day. The right here, the right now.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A Home Cooked Meal! - After a full year in and out of hospitals for month long stays, I am happy to be eating a home cooked meal that I can actually stomach!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - My Home - With so many in the North East devasted by the Hurricane, I'm grateful for the roof over my head!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - My Blogging Blessings! - Despite the uphill battle that this past year has been for me on a personal (as well as physical, emotional and spiritual) level, blogging has brought many wonderful blessings and many wonderful people into my life and for that I find myself feeling profoundly blessed and grateful. For all the brands both long term brands who have been with us since the begining, and for newer brands I have had the chance to collaborate with this year, I am grateful! (Special Shout Out to Britax, Duane Reade, Mami Innovative Media and Collective Bias for the wonderful opportunities working with you has presented me with!) And for all the wonderful blogging conferences I had the opportunity to attend, and learn and grow as a blogger (BlogHer, Niche Mommy, and the Fashion Forward Conference!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - My Family - They say hospital stays and prison sentences show you who your friends are, so to the friends and family who have shown me so much love and support through this incredibly difficult year, Thank You!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ascending Butterfly - I'm grateful for YOU butterflies! I never thought my simple love of butterflies and seeking inspiration in the day to day would grow into such a large community. And for readers who emailed me, and sent me messages of support via our social media channels during my hospital stay I wanted to thank you all again for your kindness and support!

What are YOU most grateful for this week Butterfly?

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What are you grateful for today? I'd love for you to write in and share what you are grateful for this week. The more you say it, the more you speak it, and the more you live in gratitude, the more you will find reasons to be grateful for, and the more reasons that the universe will send you to be grateful for. So join me on this journey of gratitude and inspiration. And you can post here daily (even though my list will be posted weekly).

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me on Twitter here (@Tracy_Iglesias) Twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field at Twitter:

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias This Week's 'Moment of Gratitude' and Active Giveaways!  - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

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Giveaways!


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Gratitude Journal Reco:

For those of you who are interested in keeping a gratitude journal this year, here is my recommendation and where to purchase it:

















Make this Your Best Day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING BUTTERFLIES!

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FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, I am a Britax Latina Advisory Board Member, Digital Hispanic Outreach Blogger Brand Ambassador via Mami Innovative Media. Being an Ambassador comes with additional incentives, however all opinions expressed herein are 100% my own. Journal Recommendation uses an Amazon Affiliate Link. Questions about our Disclosure? Please visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Not So Wordless Wednesday: @JordinSparks, My Migraine Triggers App, @DuaneReade + @Excedrin {Photos} #DRExcedrin #cbBigApple #cbias


Excedrin Migraine in store Poster at Duane Reade Herald Square WATERMARKED
Excedrin Migraine Relief Poster at Duane Reade New York City


If just hearing those sleigh bells jinglin', ring ting tinglin' to is starting to make your head throb, and the stress of the upcoming cooking marathon that is Thanksgiving Day has your head aching and you feel a Migraine coming on, knowing what your actual triggers are is half the battle won. For some of us it's Stress, for others it's hunger, sleep deprivation and more.





DRExcedrin Event Herald Square me 01 WATERMARKED
Tracy, Ascending Butterfly Founder and Editor walks the carpet at Duane Reade/Excedrin My Migraine Triggers App Launch in Herald Square New York City!

Last week, Duane Reade and Excedrin hosted a wellness event in Herald Square, New York City to help promote the launch of 'My Migraine Triggers' a free, easy-to-use, convenient Migraine Tracking Tool. The Makers of Excedrin® Migraine teamed up with a neurologist to create the My Migraine Triggers™ app, the app will allow you to:


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Keep track of your everyday activities, such as exercise, stress and eating habits to help identify your potential migraine triggers

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Chart out daily log information into customizable reports to easily understand which activities, foods and beverages are associated with the onset of your headaches

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Print or email your log and results to share with your doctor to better diagnose and treat your migraines, the more you use it, the more it helps.

Note: Since migraines can set-in up to 48 hours after being exposed to a trigger, it is important to record potential triggers whether or not a migraine has started.

Don’t wait until your next migraine. Download the My Migraine TriggersTM app on itunes and start tracking your migraines today!




DRExcedrin Event Herald Square me 02 WATERMARKED
How I styled it? - Outerwear: Jacket by Wilsons Leather and  Handbag: Linea Pelle Dylan Tote!

The Event Kicked Off with Massages provided by Oasis Day Spa, I don't know about you, but a good massage definitely helps me relieve stress!

DRExcedrin Event Herald Square me 03 Pre Oasis Day Spa Massage WATERMARKED
Meeting my Masseur!

Getting Started!


DRExcedrin Event Herald Square me 07 During Oasis Day Spa Massage WATERMARKED
Masseur at work!

If you spend as much time in front of a computer as I do, your neck muscles probably get super stiff and sore too!


DRExcedrin Event Herald Square me 05 During Oasis Day Spa Massage WATERMARKED
My Masseur has his work cut out for him, I hold a lot of tension in my shoulders!
A sunny, breezy November Day, you can just start to feel the chill in the air, but a massage just makes this beautiful day in New York City that much better!

DRExcedrin Event Herald Square me 04 During Oasis Day Spa Massage WATERMARKED
As you can see we had to spend quite a bit of time on my shoulders!

By this time more of a crowd was starting to form, you know free massages in the heart of the shopping district is going to draw attention!

DRExcedrin Event Herald Square me 06 During Oasis Day Spa Massage WATERMARKED
Ah! A little slice of Heaven in the City that never sleeps!
Can't help but love being a New Yorker on a day like today!

DRExcedrin Event Herald Square me 08 After Oasis Day Spa Massage WATERMARKED
All Smiles! I'm one happy butterfly!

But I think this massage was to get us ready for what came next!


DRExcedrin Event Herald Square trying to get a shot of Jordin Sparks WATERMARKED
Reporters jockeying for positions!
Jordin Sparks is not just a songbird with a beautiful voice, she is a Migraine sufferer too, no wonder she is the 'voice' of this campaign!

DRExcedrin Event Herald Square trying to get a shot of Jordin Sparks 02 WATERMARKED
Ascending Butterfly hoists her Olympus Camera in the air and hopes for the best!

Close but yet so far away! I got the top of her head, as she sings the song 'Faith' (A capella no less!)


DRExcedrin Event Herald Square Jordin Sparks 04 WATERMARKED
Jordin Sparks greets the crowd at the My Migraine Triggers App Launch Event in Herald Square New York City!

As 'The Official #TwitterPartyDJ' I can assure you, it's not studio work on that voice, she can really belt it out!


DRExcedrin Event Herald Square Jordin Sparks 03 WATERMARKED
Um, Did I mention I had to jump up on a platform for this shot?
While events can be fun, it's not so fun or so easy jockeying with the pro-photographers for the perfect shot!

DRExcedrin Event Herald Square Jordin Sparks 02 WATERMARKED
Jordin Sparks greets the crowd at the My Migraine Triggers App Launch Event in Herald Square New York City!

OK that killer smile made all the jockeying worth it!

DRExcedrin Event Herald Square Jordin Sparks 01 WATERMARKED
Jordin Sparks heads off for one on one Media Interviews! Butterfly did good, if I do say so myself!

Team Excedrin's Street Crew handed out discount coupons for Excedrin Migraine to the crowd, so I headed over to the Duane Reade on 35th and Broadway with a few of the bloggers in attendance to check out the Excedrin Migraine display and do some shopping!


Excedrin Migraine in store Pain Reliever Aisle at Duane Reade Herald Square WATERMARKED
Looks like it's Aisle 3 for Pain Relief!
I am sure we confused the poor store staff. A group of bloggers with Cameras is not an everyday occurence, not even in New York City!

Excedrin Migraine in store Display 02 at Duane Reade Herald Square WATERMARKED
Eureka! We found it!
Is it just me, or are Migraines getting pretty expensive? Thank goodness for the discount coupon from the Excedrin crew! Thanks Excedrin!

Excedrin Migraine in store Display 01 at Duane Reade Herald Square WATERMARKED
Excedrin Migraine it is!
Because of Hurricane Sandy followed by a NorEaster in the North East, all of my meetings and events got shifted to the following week (last week), I literally put in 16 hour days for 7 days last week, to say I was stressed was an under-statement, I can tell you I made sure to keep my Excedrin in my desk at work and at home and I also kept some in a pillbox in my purse too! There was no time for Yoga last week, so having something to treat a Migraine with me was super important!

Excedrin Migraine in store sign on FLOOR at Duane Reade Herald Square WATERMARKED
This was on the floor near the Excedrin Migraine Display in Duane Reade!

Parting is such sweet sorrow!  I literally had to run from this event to another one but I had a great time with  both team Duane Reade as well as team Excedrin! And I greatly enjoyed hearing Jordin Sparks sing, she has an amazing voice!

Get Social With It:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 'Like' Duane Reade on Facebook (don't forget to enter the Show Us Some Leg contest on Duane Reade's Facebook Page, I will be posting another reminder about it soon!)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @duanereade on Twitter
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Subscribe to Duane Reade TV, their YouTube Channel (by the way you might spot yours truly in one of the videos there! Find me if you can!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Excedrin on Facebook (While you are there check out the 'What's your Migraine Relief Story? for a chance to win $5,000 - I bet that tidy sum would come in handy just in time for the holidays!)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Excedrin on Twitter

You can get social with Jordin Sparks here:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @JordinSparks  on Twitter

You can check out the photos from this shop on Ascending Butterfly's Google Plus Page or on our Pinterest Account!

Butterfly: How do you find relief from Migraines? Happy (Not So) Wordless Wednesday! Bloggers feel free to link up your Wordless Wednesday posts as a comment to this thread so we can all check out your pictures too!

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FTC Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This post has been compensated/sponsored as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Duane Reade #CBias #SocialFabric #DRExcedrin All opinions are 100% my own.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Win a Gund BOO and a mini BOO too! {@Rafflecopter #Giveaway}


THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED WINNER NAME IS ON RAFFLECOPTER WIDGET BELOW!

I have fellow Blogger to thank for getting me hooked on all things Boo! I was on Facebook one day, totally minding my business, and I saw a picture of Boo the dog, and it was love at first BOO!  BOO is a tres adorbs Pomerian with a BIG personality, and everyday BOO would share his impressions of his world, life with his mom and doggie room mate Buddy. What I love about his facebook posts is that you get to see his world from his perspective. While I'm doing better now, and only check in weekly, when I first found out about BOO I checked in daily for new posts and pictures!

It's the real BOO in the center of a sea of mini-boo plush toys by Gund! He's doing an 'ET'! Remember that ET puzzle?


As you know unless you've lived under a social media and real world rock, BOO is a sensation, and not just an internet sensation, but he has books ( Boo: The Life of the World’s Cutest Dog and Boo: Little Dog in the Big City) and his own Gund stuffed animals! I haven't been able to work up to getting a new dog since my Rottie passed, but I made room in my heart and my home for a super cute Gund plush stuffed animal BOO and a mini Boo too!

Sleeping BOOty - Is this not cute overload? :)


Not only is being 'the cutest dog in the world' garnering BOO a ton of attention, he has also posed for the online boutique Tobi as well as posing for pictures to raise money for the charity Operation Smile! Way to go BOO, now that's using your Social Media Influence for Social Good!

BOO has even been on Good Morning America! Check out this clip of his appearance:




 My Take:

I'm obsessed with all things BOO! And the GUND brand is the destination for premium plush toys! When I was little I loved the Gund's MONCHHICHI as well as the Curious George plush toys! And I doubt any trip to a zoo would be complete without a new GUNDimal right?

Get Social With It:
There are TONS of ways to get social with Boo and Gund!
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - GUND on Facebook
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - @GottaGettaGUND on Twitter
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Gund1898′s channel on YouTube
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - GUND on Pinterest
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - BOO on Facebook
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - @BoothecutestDog on Twitter
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Boo on Pinterest

Win it:


8" Tall Gund Boo Plush Toy!


Don't you just love BOO and Gund? I do too! And our friends at Gund want you to have some Boo in your life this holiday season. Win a full sized Gund Boo Plush Toy AND a mini Boo too! 1 lucky winner will get an 8" tall, huggably soft and totally CUTE Gund Boo Plush Toy as well as a cute stocking stuffer sized mini Boo! (This way you can keep one and give the other to a special little one in your life, or a Boo obsessed BFF!)

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter, as always our first entry is super easy, how much extra credit you want to do is up to you, but with all this cuteness how could you possibly not want to put in some extra credit entries?



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Can't wait to win? Gotta have all things BOO right now? Nab your Boo at a great price below:




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FTC Disclosure: No Purchase Necessary. Void where prohibited by law. GUND provided a product  sample for the Review & Giveaway and they will be responsible for prize fulfillment to the winner. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” This Giveaway is brought to you by GUND and Ascending Butterfly and is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. Ascending Butterfly is not responsible for lost or mis-directed mail. There are amazon affiliate links used in this post.

Monday, November 19, 2012

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS/GUARDIANES DE LOS NIÑOS - In Theaters November 21! {#RiseoftheGuardians #Movie #Review}

Rise of the Guardians Theatrical Poster



I hear a lot of my friends complaining this time of year that Thanksgiving gets lost in the shuffle and we seem to go straight from Halloween to Christmas with nothing in between. I guess because I have been in Media in some form or another for so long I'm already used to it.  I spent most of my time last week at Spring/Summer 2013 preview events, so I'm actually a few seasons ahead already, but I have had a chance to take in some fun Holidays themed entertainment and throughout the coming weeks I'll be sharing about it all here.

On Saturday I took in the Rise of the Guardians screening, and for those of you who like to take in a family film Thanksgiving Weekend this is definitely one to consider!

Santa and his Elves, Rise of the Guardians, DreamWorks Animation film


About Rise of the Guardians:

Rise of the Guardians a 3D computer-animated fantasy-adventure film based on William Joyce's The Guardians of Childhood book series and The Man in the Moon short film by Joyce and Reel FX. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Peter Ramsey, the film will be released on November 21, 2012 in North America, and on November 30 in the United Kingdom. Joyce is also exec-producing, along with Guillermo del Toro.

English Synopsis:  RISE OF THE GUARDIANS is an epic and magical adventure that tells the story of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost – legendary characters with previously unknown extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children everywhere.

Cast:              Chris Pine (voice of Jack Frost), Alec Baldwin (voice of Santa Claus), Hugh Jackman (voice of the Easter Bunny), Isla Fisher (voice of Tooth Fairy) and Jude Law (voice of Pitch, aka 'The Boogeyman').

Rise of the Guardians: Left: Jack frost, Santa Claus, The Sandman and Far Right: The Easter Bunny



GUARDIANES DE LOS NIÑOS



Spanish/Espanol Sinopsis: RISE OF THE GUARDIANS es una aventura épica y mágica que cuenta la historia de Santa Claus, el Conejo de Pascua, el Hada de los Dientes, Sandman, y Jack Frost, personajes legendarios con talentos extraordinarios que la gente desconocía. Cuando un espíritu malvado llamado Pitch los desafía para apoderarse del mundo, los guardianes inmortales deberán sumar fuerzas para proteger las esperanzas, las creencias y la imaginación de los niños de todo el mundo.

Elenco: Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher y Jude Law

The Trailer:



Get Social

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - "Like' The official Facebook page for DreamWorks Animation Rise of the Guardians
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @DWAnimation on Twitter and tweet using the hashtag #RiseoftheGuardians

My Take:

I love that the film brings up topics so many young people can relate to, just wanting to be 'seen'/understood,  standing up for themselves and it makes parents think along the way too. How long do you allow your child to 'believe'? Wonder and sheer imagination are taken away from children at such a young age, it's nice when a family film can help encourage that wonder again, without being too boring for the adults to sit through! Jude Law is a convincing 'Pitch', and Alec Baldwin is a funny 'Russian Santa', and I dare you not to 'Aww!' at 'Baby Tooth' one of the tiny Tooth Fairies! And of course I wouldn't be the Ascending Butterfly without sharing that there is a butterfly sighting in this movie!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a compensated post. I was provided invited to a Press Screening as a member of the Digital Press, all opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Find out how I got to the 'Corner of Happy & Healthy'!



Earlier this week I had the chance to see Elf The Musical (yes more on this to come), and during the play Duane Reade is actually referenced which made me laugh as I've spent this year as one of Duane Reade's VIP Bloggers (Sign from the Universe? You decide!). So when I got my newsletter the next day and saw this:



you know I had to go shopping! I can spend over $30 there easily so spending $30 and instantly getting rewards that amount to getting $5 back is just a pure win/win! I picked up my weekly circular as well as the NEW Holiday Magazine and got to 'circling'!

New Happy & Healthy 'Storezine' Holiday Edition 2012: Available in Stores from November 4th until December 31st, 2012

Duane Reade Holiday Magazine and Weekly Circular Display

I have to start by saying this week has been pure insanity. Because of Hurricane Sandy being followed by a Nor-Easter in New York City, a week's worth of meetings and events were post-poned, all those meetings and events were shifted to this week. I have not had one single solitary moment to myself all week and have events on Saturday and Sunday as well, to say I'm stressed out and had very little time for personal errands is an under-statement!

I'm not sure what the point of 'e-tickets' are when you are expected to still print the tickets and show them at the door or print the confirmation email, I literally ran out of printer paper this week (I know this month has been insane but my printer feeder tray really does hold a lot of paper! I was pretty surprised to get the 'paper low' warning message pop up. I thought it was a mistake, but lo and behold I only had 5 sheets of paper in there and no new ream of paper in my supply cubby!), that would normally mean a trip to an office supply store for me, and an extra shopping trip I did NOT have time to add in. Thankfully Duane Reade saved the day by saving me an extra trip. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised to find printer paper at my local Duane Reade!



Exclusive to Walgreens and Duane Reade, Ology brand products provide assurance that these items work as well as the larger brands but are also free of the harmful chemicals that today's pediatricians are so concerned about. And, best of all, they're available at an affordable price.

Made from readily renewable sugarcane husks that would otherwise be disposed, and quick-growing bamboo that regenerates in as little as six months.

    • For copiers, printers and fax machines
    • 100% tree free
    • Low moisture paper means less paper jams
    • Whitened with H2O2, a non-chlorine based bleach
    • 94 brightness, 20 pound
    • Biodegradable
I got to save myself an extra trip to the office supply store AND support a product that's eco-friendly? Um, yes please! I got two of these! (Note this item is an 'in-store' only right now, and prices may vary per store, these are NOT available for purchase online.)




And while on a paper theme, I picked up some bathroom tissue from the Ology brand as well.


Duane Reade ology Facial and Toilet Tissue Display


Soft and strong, this biodegradable bath tissue is made from readily renewable sugar cane husk that would otherwise be disposed, and quick-growing bamboo that regenerates in as little as six months.
    • 300 two-ply sheets per roll
    • Septic safe
    • 4 in x 3.7 in sheets
    • 370 sq. ft. total area
My Take:

I'm seriously thinking that Ology could easily become one of my favorite Duane Reade brands! I also bought Vitamins, Laundry Detergent (Notice in the picture it's the 'Butterfly Kiss' scent, yes I really am all butterfly all the time!), Fabric Softener, New Toothbrushes + Toothpaste, Air Freshener, frozen meals and quite a few of my favorite ice cream in a limited edition flavor that they only launch several times per year. By the time I was done and the cashier packed me all up I had two super heavy bags to lug home, and a Total Savings of $14.80 (9%), and 5,480 balance rewards points earned this visit! On my next visit I will have $10 in spending money in my balance rewards because I had some to start with plus an additional $5 when I completed this shop thanks to my ology purchases which earned me extra rewards. Getting all that shopping done AND getting money back for my next visit - Not sure it gets any better than that!

WIN! And if the great deals haven't tempted you yet, how about a chance to win great prizes? (Somehow I knew that would get your attention! With the current 'Text2Win' Sweepstakes if you text HAPPY to 35350, you are entering a contest for a chance to win a $6,000 + weekend getaway grand prize, or a weekly $100 Walgreens Gift Card by answering weekly questions only found in Happy & Healthy via text.

Major Shopping Haul this weekend at Duane Reade!


Get Social With It:

Follow Duane Reade  on Twitter and ‘Like’ them on Facebook and don’t forget to tell them you saw them Featured on Ascending Butterfly! For more information, visit duanereade.com or youtube.com/duanereade

Butterfly, Did you a score great deal this weekend?


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FTC Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric #DRHappy&Healthy #cbBigApple  I am a Duane Reade VIP Blogger and Ambassador which does entitle me to additional incentives. However, all opinions expressed  are 100% my own.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

November 17th is World Prematurity Day #ProtectPreemies #RSV



As you may remember on April 24th Ascending Butterfly hosted an Infant Nutrition Twitter Party, where we discussed the importance of Infant Nutrition for preemies, so I definitely couldn't let today go by without a reminder on the importance of prematurity awareness as today is ‘World Prematurity Day!’

Did you know that worldwide, 13 million babies are born early/premature every year? More than a half of a million in the United States alone? Prematurity is actually the leading cause of neonatal deaths! A recent survey on prematurity awareness revealed that 3 in 10 mothers of preemies weren't aware of the possibility of prematurity until they had their first child.

Because their immune systems and lungs aren’t fully developed, preemies are more likely to develop infections and are more susceptible to respiratory problems. In fact, 79 percent of preemie moms have a baby who was hospitalized due to a severe respiratory infection. One virus in particular that parents of preemies should know about is respiratory syncytial virus, commonly known as RSV. RSV is contracted by nearly all children by the age of two, often causing relatively minor symptoms that mimic the common cold. However, preemies are most at risk for developing much more serious symptoms, including a serious respiratory infection (severe RSV disease) from the virus, because their lungs are underdeveloped and they don’t have the antibodies needed to fight off infection. Below are a few quick facts that all parents should know about RSV:

RSV Quick Facts:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalization, and severe RSV disease causes up to 10 times as many infant deaths each year as the flu.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - RSV is most prevalent during the winter months. The CDC has defined the “RSV season” as beginning in November and lasting through March for most parts of North America.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - In addition to prematurity, common risk factors include low birth weight, certain lung or heart diseases, a family history of asthma and frequent contact with other children.

Premature Baby in NICU


Prevention is Key:

RSV is very contagious and can be spread easily through touching, sneezing and coughing. Since there’s no treatment for RSV, parents should take the following preventive steps to help protect their child:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Wash hands, toys, bedding, and play areas frequently

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ensure you, your family, and any visitors in your home wash their hands or use hand sanitizer

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Avoid large crowds and people who are or have been sick

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Never let anyone smoke near your baby (that includes YOU!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Speak with your child’s doctor if he or she may be at high risk for RSV, as a preventive therapy may be available

Know the Symptoms: Contact your child’s pediatrician immediately if your child exhibits one or more of the following:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Severe coughing,  wheezing or rapid gasping breaths

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blue color on the lips, mouth, or under the fingernails

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Speak with your child’s doctor if he or she may be at high risk for RSV, as a preventive therapy may be available

My Take:

Do your research! Sites like the RSV Protection Site provides detailed information on the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (Virus Sincicial Respiratorio). Being born prematurely, can have long-lasting effects on health well into adulthood. It is important that pregnant women give up smoking (even after the baby is born as second hand smoke exposure is as harmful to children if not more so as it to adults), and it also important that elective C-sections and labor inductions are discouraged unless there’s an important medical reason to do. Because of my own scare this year with my Lungs (and I have NEVER smoked by the way) I take Flu and RSV prevention very seriously and I hope you will too!

Butterfly, are you a Preemie Mom? What did you learn from your doctor about Preemie Care?

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FTC DisclosureThis is a sponsored post in collaboration with Latina BloggersConnect and the RSV Protection Site, however all opinions are 100% my own.