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Being a new mom I wish I would have known what to add to my baby registry.

I looked at so many online videos on what was best for babies. I realized that babies are simple so why over complicate things. Why buy things you dont need?

These are my top things I would recommend a new mommy buying there little ones.

1. Nail clipper https://amzn.to/2FbIWpk . A nail clipper is an essential tool for any new mom. Baby nails grow long every 1-2 weeks. I accidentally hurt my baby the first time I cut his nails. It was a horrible experience. I looked around and found in Target thIS nail clipper. This has an opening where it allows you to see where the nail is before you cut it.

2. The Munchkin Sit and Play Baby tub https://amzn.to/2FbIWpk. This is by far the best baby tub I have seen around. It is simple and you can put it anywhere. I started using this tub when he was 4 month old and could sit up straight without help. I truly would not have wasted my money on the tubs that have there own shower head. As soon as they start moving around it is not a good idea. It is also more work putting the water in the shower tank.

3. Baby document Organizer https://amzn.to/2SFnSe0. This is a great idea to have. You get a lot of documents when you first have a baby and I love the design of this organizer. It allows you to store everything in one place. From social security cards to baby first foot prints to all the vaccinations and blood work from the hospital.

4. A silicone bottle cleaner https://amzn.to/2Gvhjsf . I first had a baby bottle sponge to clean all of his bottles. This did not last long because his formula kept getting stuck in the sponge and at times I felt it was less sanitizing to have a sponge. I then found this silicone bottle cleaner which you can put in the baby bottle steamer to clean every week or when you find it necessary instead of buying more sponges.

5. Thermometer . Some babies can get sick after getting there shots. It is important to have around a thermometer and baby Tylenol around just in case they get a fever.

When I was pregnant I had a lot of time for my self. So I started looking at so many youtube channels on what to buy the baby or what type of cleaning products to use that would be safe for my home. Then one day I came across a video that was about plastic waste. This changed me and my perspective when I saw the amount of plastic we have world wide that is used once and thrown out. Did you know that plastic takes 500+ years to break down? Not only that, but we are eating fish that has micro plastic in them because of the amount we have world wide. This is such a serious problem and I could not believe that its not something that is talked about much.

Since then I have tried to reduce the amount of plastic I buy. It is extremely hard where I live and more now with covid-19. I have bought things here and there from amazon to try to check what works for me. Some of this items like personal pads are not easy to do but it saves money and a lot of unwanted plastic.

1. Soap bars instead of the plastic bottles.

2. Personals Pads https://amzn.to/2SAKtbJ. Using reusable pads its hard and I still have not getting used to it. I keep on trying to not give up on this idea because it safes a lot of plastic from being thrown out. The hard part of using reusable pads for me is the cleaning. It takes me a long time to clean the pads. I am always afraid that they are not clean properly. So if anyone has any tips please let me know.

3. Biodegradable Dental Floss with a Refillable Glass Holder https://amzn.to/34D81SX . I didnt even know that dental floss could have plastic besides the actual container. I love this floss. It has a clean fresh taste to it and I can always refill it.

4. Taking my own shopping bags when I buy groceries.

5. Trying my best to not buy things that are not needed for example new trending clothes or house accessories. *Going back to this statement. I am a very simple person . I find more joy doing things like gardening and going out to the park or beach than shopping. That being said, I would find myself buying things for the house that were really not necessary. Sometimes we find our self trying to organize the house with this and that and it still seems messy. This is because we just have extra things laying around and should be discarded instead of being stored.

6. Eco Friendly phone covers https://amzn.to/3daBtDr

Buying progressive lenses can be extremely expensive. It can range from $200-$1000 for a complete set of frames.  Now days there are many choices where you can do your lens and frames online. You only need your PD (pupillary distance) and your prescription.  Is this method any better than just picking your frames from a retail store?

Frames can be easy to pick out when your prescription is low. Even more if you just need them for single vision. When it comes to bifocals and progressive lenses it is too risky to do them online.

Below you will find some issues I have seen when ordering online glasses.

1. Frame doesn’t fit the patient well in the face. Either too small or too big.
2. The bridge of the nose is to narrow making the frame sit higher on the face. Also, if the bridge sits too wide the frame feels loose on the face.
3. Color does not go well with the person’s complexion.
4. The pupillary distance is wrong. Each eye has their own measurement. Some websites show you how to measure your PD. Which in many cases can be wrong when you order your progressive lenses. This is because you get a total number and not your monocular measurement. Not everyone is symmetrical. You might get PD = 63 which they will make 31.5 Right and 31.5 left. And it might actually be 30.5 right & 32.5 left. These numbers make a difference because progressives have distortion if you go pass the corridors.
5. A problem that you can have with the online progressives and bifocals is choosing the wrong frame. Some frames are too small for a progressive. Sometimes they cut of the reading part of the progressive because it doesn’t fit the frame.
6. The measurements are wrong. Progressives and bifocals need seg height measurement. This measurement is different for all frames. They take this measurement once the frame are adjusted to your face. This will determine were your distance intermediate and reading will be placed. If this measurement is done wrong you might not see well and may need to lower or tilt your head.

If your are having problems looking through your progressives, these are simple solutions your optician might try before rechecking your prescription with the doctor. 
Rechecking the presciption on the lenses.

Sometimes lenses come in from the lab wrong. The licensed optician will most likely check the sphere, cylinder, axis, and add power. 

Rechecking pupillary distance.

If your PD is in correct you might be looking through distortion. In this case they will need to remake the lenses.

Progressive hight problems and solutions.

Lower the seg hight: If you need to lower your head down to look through distance. This means the Seg hight is to high.

Increase seg hight: If you need to lean your head back to see good throught distance you might have to problems. You need more power for distance thought your seg height is too low.

Change the frame: If you have no room for the reading the frame might be to small. If the frame is too small you might need to change it for a bigger frame.

Buying your kids glasses can be easy and fun. These few things should be kept in mind to make your experience a bit easier.

Color

Choose a color that they like. Kids glasses can be fun.

Material ( 5 yrs +)

Metal frames are strong, durable and they  keep there shape compared to a plastic material. Plastic frames are light weight and comfortable to wear but they can break faster depending on your child.

Temples

When they put on the frame, it is important to look at the temples (legs). They should not be too long or too small. If it is too small, adjustment at the temple may not be possible and the frame can start running down the nose. If its too long,  once the temple is bend it becomes noticeable by the earlobe.

Nose

When trying out frames look at their nose. If the bridge of the frame does not sit in their bridge it is not a good fit. In this case with a flatter bridge its recommended to get a frame with nose pads.

Sports

Depending on your doctor your child might not need glasses to play sports. If they do, you should always have a second pair of safety/sports glasses.

 Sun

It is important that you protect your kids eyes from the suns UV. Kids spend more time than adults outside and they need more protection. The lens in their eyes are clearer, enabling them to absorb the sun UV more than an adult.

 

Depending if you go to an ophthalmologist or optometrist your prescription (Rx) will look different.

1.Ophthalmologist Rx are in a plus form : -3.00+1.00 x 180

2.Optometrist Rx are in minus form: -2.00-1.00 x 090

Believe it or not your looking at the same Rx. Optician used the optometrist version. This is the one I will be referring once I show you how to convert #1 to #2.

Its very simple.

1.  The first number called the sphere is added to the second number which is the cylinder.
2. -3.00+1.00= -2.00 this is now your sphere
3. The second number (cylinder) will be converted from plus to a minus. +1.00=-1.00 this is now your cylinder.
4. The last number is your axis. The axis can only go from 1 through 180(zero).What ever number the axis is it will be added 90 of subtracted 90.  In this case its 180-90=90 and this is your new axis.
5. Final answer is -2.00-1.00 x 090 

Where will the thickness be in the lens?

Unless you have a spherical Rx your lenses will not be the same thickness all around.

For example -2.00 -1.00 x 090

The total power on this lens is a -3.00. This is the sphere and the cylinder together. Your axis is the one that determines where that extra thickness going to be placed.  The -2.00 will be at 090 (top and bottom). The -3.00 will be at axis 180 (on the sides).

Example 2: -4.75 -1.00 x 65

The total power on this lens is -5.75.  This is by  adding -4.75 -1.00= – 5.75. The sphere -4.75 will always be at the axis it was given in this case axis 65. This means the total thickness will be 90 degrees away. 65+90= 155. Looking at the cross below, you can see it will be place at an angle or corner of the lens.

 

 

The answer is yes!  Many of us think that anti-reflective is not necessary.That its just a way for sales associates to make more money.  Just imagine getting in your car on a sunny day. Looking through your windshield and not seeing clearly because of the light being reflected off the dashboard.  That is the same way  lenses without anti-reflective work. All lights are being reflected off your lenses reducing the quality of vision through them.  A/R coated lenses are great for those who use technology such as computer, tablets and phones. They reduce eyestrain and relax your vision. One of the great benefits of a/r is that you get more clarity at night from rear lights, headlights and most other lights.

Some of the disadvantages of a/r lenses include the illusion that they get dirty easier but they don’t. It seems like that because your are seeing so much clearer that any smudge can be noticeable compared to non a/r lenses.  Non A/R lenses receive so many distractions off light that you will not notice dirt and grime.

Anti-reflective lenses are usually good depending on what brand you pick. Some may last a year and little more than 2 years with good care.

A/R for Kids

Anti-reflective coating for kids is  great.  More now that they are constantly using computers and tablets.  The recommendation is to get a warranty for the lenses and frames if possible. Kids are not as delicate with cleaning and maintaining their frames.

TIPS

1. Always wet your lenses before cleaning them. If you clean them without wetting you may scratch them.
2. It is important to clean your lenses only with the cleaning fiber cloth, other materials can be to harsh on the lenses.
3. Do not use any other liquid other than water to clean your lenses unless it specifically says that it is safe for anti-reflective coating.
4. Do not leave any frames in your car. The heat will ruin the coatings.
5. If you notice that your lenses are peeling on the back only, avoid putting creams or mascara on while using your lenses.

After getting your eyes examined sometimes we get overwhelmed with choices. Not only from our opticians but just picking the frame that you will most likely ware for a year. This article is mainly to help you understand which type of lens you should pick after you got your frames.

There are different types of materials. Plastic (CR-39), Polycarbonate ( name changes by location) , Trivex, High Index 1.67, and High Index 1.74.

1. Plastic lenses is a great material for those who don’t have a strong prescription. This would range from powers of  +2.00 through -2.00 in my opinion. Your get one of the best optics through plastic BUT be aware they do scratch easily. Plastic is also a great material to tint because it does absorb the tint not like the other materials (you cannot have anti-reflective if you want to tint the lens). This material should not be used in children because it can break and should also not be used in any rimless or semi-rimless frames.
2. Polycarbonate is an impact resistance lens and is light weight. This makes it one of the most used lens in  retail. Is not only durable but it also has UV protection. I would recommend this material to prescription with powers +3.50 through -3.50. It’s also used for kids and any rimless or semi rimless frames.
3. Trivex lenses are my most recommended lenses. It has more clarity than polycarbonate lenses and had the same benefits such as impact resistance and UV protection in addition to chemical resistance. I still do recommend this lenses to those with the same power as polycarbonate lenses.
4. High Index lenses are a great choice with anyone with a prescription of +/-3.50 and  up. They will be the thinnest lens material you can choose. But keep in mind that this type of material should also be used with an anti-reflective coating because more light goes through it.

So next time you go to your optical you are ready to choose.