baby Archives - L.A. Parent

5 Tips for Supporting Your Baby’s Immune System

Published April 5, 2021

1. Focus on Good Food

A good immune system begins with a healthy diet that revolves around whole foods. When your baby starts eating solids, make sure you include fruits and vegetables that contain phytonutrients such as vitamin C and carotenoids. Strawberries, blueberries, oranges, green beans, and carrots contain phytonutrients—as well as antioxidants.

2. Start a Supplement Strategy

Babies are notoriously fussy with food, and if you’re having trouble getting them to eat a balanced diet, it can be helpful to supplement their nutrition with products like Mommy’s Bliss’ Baby Multivitamin, which offer the daily value of vitamins C, D, E, B1, B2, and B6. Also, Organic Baby Elderberry Drops include antioxidant-rich vitamin C, vitamin D3, zinc, and echinacea to support a baby’s immune system. And because breastfed babies can lack vitamin D, another great supplement is Organic Baby Vitamin D, which provides the daily amount of vitamins C and D recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

3. Partake in Probiotics

“Probiotics help re-balance our gut bacterial flora and ensure that our gut is functioning optimally,” pediatrician Dr. Smita Malhotra says. They help build a baby’s digestive and immune system. While it is important to talk to your doctor first, probiotics are safe for babies from day one. “In general, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG, a strain that works well for children, is known for its safety, and has been widely studied,” Malhotra says. She recommends a daily dose of the easy-to-use Mommy’s Bliss Baby Probiotic Drops. If your baby is prone to colic, try the Mommy’s Bliss Probiotic Drops with Colic Support, which contains a clinically proven strain to help reduce crying time for babies with colic.

4. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Sleep is an essential way for our bodies to develop a strong immune system. An infant may need up to sixteen hours of crib-time a day, and if you don’t already have a sleep routine that works for you and your baby, this is a good time to start one. If the stress and disruption of the pandemic has upended your family’s sleep routine, you are not alone, and sleep expert Nicole Cannon has some suggestions that may help you get back on track.

5. Guard Against Germs

Reduce the stress on your child’s immune system by reducing his/her exposure to germs. Wash your hands and your baby’s hands—with soap—before and after each meal and after playing outside, handling pets, blowing their nose, using the bathroom, and arriving home from daycare. Handwashing can be a fun and nurturing ritual, and it is also a way to make the practice a matter of course that you don’t have to teach (or nag about) later.

Supporting your baby’s developing immune system is critical, but parents should not feel overwhelmed. Good nutrition, enough sleep, and the right supplements go a long way in keeping babies’ and kids’ immune systems supported.

An App for Mindful Parenting

Published March 4, 2021

By Elena Epstein

Jamie Price and Julie Campistrom have created an app to bring us stressed-out parents some relief. These Santa Monica moms co-founded MyLife meditation app to offer simple tips for mindful parenting, as well as programs for the whole family and even educators.

In the app’s “Mindful Parent/Mindful Child” program, users participate in activities that guide them through a variety of exercises to remain present and grounded, including purposeful breathwork and tips to navigate power struggles within your family.

Price, mom to a toddler girl, first started MyLife to create more mindfulness curriculum for inner-city teens, and the app still offers an exclusive program for schools. Campistrom, who has a 10-year-old son, balances remote school, running the company and is a big believer in squeezing in tiny bits of mindfulness into her family’s day.

Jamie Price (left) and Julie Campistrom co-founded MyLife meditation app for parents.
PHOTO COURTESY MYLIFE MEDITATION APP

Here, they share a few reasons why starting a family mindfulness practice is essential.

What’s one thing you wish parents knew about the power of meditation and mindfulness?

Campistrom: I wish parents knew that taking just a few minutes a day for yourself to practice mindfulness (self-care is something parents always put last on the list of to-dos) can really have a transformative effect on your perspective and your ability to be a more patient/present parent. Sometimes we become fatalistic and think change is out of reach, but it’s incredible what 10 to 15 minutes for yourself — to give your mind a break —can do.

Price: I totally agree with Julie on this one. With just a few minutes a day of checking in, I am in a much better position to truly connect with my child. I become aware of what I am bringing, mentally and emotionally, to our interaction, and more easily recognize when I need to take a second to calm or ground myself. Then I can be more intentional about how I relate to my child. There is a closeness and trust that comes from spending time and giving my daughter my full focus.

What does mindfulness look like in your own personal life?

Campistrom: I try to do it every morning for 10 to 15 minutes. I will either do a check in with the MyLife app and select one of the recommended tracks, or pick some of my favorite activities like “Relax, Ground & Clear” or “Counting Breaths.” But right now, I’m using our Mindful Parent/Mindful Child journey and loving it. My two favorite activities from it so far are “Feeling like a Super Hero” and “Letting Go without Giving Up.”

Price: I used to have time for a formal meditation practice every morning. But that went out the window with the birth of my daughter. She is much younger than Julie’s son and far less independent. At this point, my personal practice is more relaxed. I will grab 5 – 10 minutes whenever I can throughout the day. My favorite thing to do is to step outside and breathe deeply, taking in the natural world through all of my senses. Stopping to get quiet and just listen to the sounds around me is also really helpful.

Julie Campistrom with her son
PHOTO COURTESY JULIE CAMPISTROM

What is the hardest part of being a parent?

Price: How vulnerable it makes you. How any hurt your child feels translates immediately to your own hurt, and how you have to fight the urge to make everything OK for them, because ultimately you’re there to help them figure it out, rather than figuring it out for them.

Campistrom: Ditto! And not just when they are hurt. I have to resist the urge to jump in for her all the time, as opposed to allowing her the time and space to explore and problem solve for herself.

What is the best part of being a parent?

Price: Seriously, the snuggles. That’s the best. And the unabashed joy. She reminds me to feel delight and appreciation for the simplest things all the time.

Campistrom: The wonders and surprises of how your child evolves, how their personality affirms itself. I am always amazed at how my son’s evolution is always a few steps ahead of where I think it is. And the unconditional love your child brings out in you as a parent.

Jamie Price and her daughter
PHOTO COURTESY JAMIE PRICE

Favorite quote or mantra?

Price: “Love no matter what.” No matter what is happening, if she is acting out or having a meltdown, I try to be loving vs. reactive. I can be loving and firm at the same time. I have to work on this all the time!

Campistrom: “What’s the worst that can happen?” It has helped me take risks and embrace change. Visualizing the failure is a way to put specifics against the fear you have of it.

What is one reason why L.A. parents should focus on mindfulness?

Campistrom: We are fortunate in L.A. to live in a city full of nature, yet I feel we still sometimes lose sight of that nature, because of the “big city” effect. Staying present, connected with nature, and being able to step away from the hustle and bustle through those mindful moments is really important.

Price: I think Julie is pointing to a sense of gratitude and appreciation for the good things we have available to us, whatever they may be. It’s easy to take things for granted. I know I am much happier, and a much better example for my child, when I slow down and take in the good things with appreciation.

When there are no work deadlines and no school, where will we find you and your family?

Campistrom: Climbing in Joshua Tree or at the beach.

Price: At the beach, for sure.

For more on MyLife meditation app, visit my.life.

Spotlight on Angela Lewis of FX’s ‘SnowFall’

Published March 4, 2021

By Cassandra Lane

Angela Lewis has been widely praised for bringing the complex “Aunt Louie” character to life on FX’s hit crime drama “Snowfall,” created by the late legendary filmmaker John Singleton. The drama series explores the complex dynamics of the crack cocaine epidemic in 1980s Los Angeles.

In this spotlight, we learn how Lewis, a Detroit native now living in L.A., balances her acting career with parenting her toddler daughter, Brooklyn.

Actress Angela Lewis and her family: daughter Brooklyn and husband J. Mallory Cree.
PHOTOS BY ROXANNE TURPIN

You play a complex character on ‘Snowfall.’ What has that experience been like, and how do you prepare for the role?

It is every actor’s expectation and dream to play complex characters. If a character is not layered, we do everything we possibly can to create more layers. So, I’m thrilled that Louie is complicated! It’s both scary and satisfying to have to navigate the complex waters of her psyche. I prepare by thoroughly understanding the scene, the episode, the stakes within both, and Louie’s personal stakes. I play around with how she feels about things, and what would happen if things didn’t go the way she plans. I just do my best to get my imagination running on all cylinders.

Tell us about your move to L.A. to pursue your acting career while having a young baby.

Well, everything in divine, perfect order! I got married, and my husband [actor J. Mallory Cree] was adamant about moving to L.A., and I was curious. So, we made the move a part of the wedding plan. We moved in 2014. Snowfall came in 2016, and the baby came in 2019. Other than the move, I hadn’t planned anything. I set my intentions and dreamed, and lived life according to those dreams, but the timing was more perfect than I ever could have planned.

Angela Lewis on set of FX’s “Snowfall.”
PHOTO COURTESY FX

Your family nurtured your creative talents from a young age. How did this help you pursue your dreams professionally?

Having had my family nurture my talents from a young age has allowed me to feel deeply supported, and that is huge. Actors get told “no” so much that if you don’t have built-in support and/or self-confidence, the business can do real damage to your self-esteem. Having my family have my back this whole time has been life-saving.

What is your daughter like, and how would you describe your and your husband’s parenting style?

My daughter is amazing! She blows me away every single day. She’s a communicator. She’s been very clear with her needs and wants. She’s not fully talking yet, but If she’s whining too much, and I ask her to use her words, she will immediately find a way to be very clear with what she’s trying to convey.

My husband and I really resonate with the whole brain child/no drama discipline approach, mixed in with some Montessori play/learning. I’m really wanting my daughter to be an independent thinker, fully aware of self and her connection to the earth and humanity. We want to nurture her creativity and what innately pours out of her.

Our job is to illuminate her options and help her to stay out of harm’s way as best we can. We love her deeply and want to honor and respect her autonomy. While she still wants to hold hands, I will bask gluttonously in her affection. When she’s ready to let go, I will cry my tears, open my arms (and my eyes…Mama is always watching) and believe with everything I got that she will always find her way back to me.

How insights did you gain on your journey into motherhood?

There is what I had planned for my birth, and what actually happened. I had planned a sacred and serene natural water birth at a birthing center to welcome my baby girl to the world. She, instead, opted for action and adventure at the hospital! I want all expectant moms (especially those who are Black and Brown) to know that they have more options than they think, and that the key is education and access to resources. Get a doula. Your doula can help ask questions you maybe hadn’t thought of. Your doula can help advocate for you, especially in the hospital system. There are resources out there. Whatever you want, whatever you need, whatever you’re dreaming up, look more into it.

I wish I knew that birth is the wild wild west. You can plan all you want, and you absolutely should, but at the end of the day, your baby will come how they want to come into the world.

I want everyone to know that expectant moms who are Black and Brown, and their babies, are dying in their birthing rooms and in postpartum. It doesn’t have to be this way. Black and Brown expectant moms are unheard and their lives are undervalued. Join me in making sure these moms have access to education, advocacy and resources. Black Lives Matter.

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