The 'Uber of Childcare' - The NannyPod App

NannyPod who has frequently been dubbed the ‘Uber of childcare’ is launching a $400,000 Kickstarter campaign across the USA. 

NannyPod, a technology company that built a super-fast childcare app in July 2021 is launching an expansive Kickstarter campaign. The goal is to raise awareness that it is the lowest-fee and most simple childcare app available. The funds will help NannyPod market the app to childcare providers across the country. “We will use a variety of mediums such as TikTok, SnapChat, social media influencers, PR campaigns, strategic partnerships along with traditional advertising on Google. Our mission is to help every parent access childcare, anytime and anywhere,” said Hannah Salters, VP of ECommerce. “The Kickstarter campaign rewards start out at just $20 for 3 free months to the app.” 

How does the app work? Well, moms and dads can register and make requests in under a minute. Parents pay $8 per month to make unlimited childcare requests. Paying childcare providers via the app adds a flat $2 fee on top of the total amount. Tax credits or a Dependent Care FSA help offset childcare expenses. The low fee app is the fastest way to find childcare and pick up jobs on the fly in the gig-economy. The platform is entirely free to all childcare providers and allows them to keep 100% of their earnings. By the way, there are great rewards for backers supporting the NannyPod Kickstarter campaign.

“Our goal is to simplify family life, and help childcare providers work at their convenience,” stated Kevin N. Hedges, CEO & Co-Founder. “The Kickstarter campaign has 6 reward levels for backers. The best value reward is the free lifetime subscription for $240. It’s unbeatable. We hope to help every parent on the planet access childcare in an instant. Being stranded with the kids 24/7 is challenging, and we are here to solve that. Being part of our journey via Kickstarter will help make our solution available in every city,” says Hedges. Background check badges by SafetyPIN are highly recommended for all users and clearly visible in the app. 

NannyPod’s mission is to help every single parent access childcare fast, just like Uber and Lyft helps drivers and passengers ride-share globally. 

NannyPod provides long term nanny matches and short term occasional date-night babysitters and infant care on demand, at an affordable price. Our service is convenient, safe and secure for families and our staff. Parents can request childcare instantly by using the NannyPod App or find a long term nanny through the NannyPod Boutique service. Get started with NannyPod today and find babysitters or nannies for your childcare needs!

How to Make Time for Exercise When You Have Kids

There is no question that child rearing is time-consuming. A feature on The Relentlessness of Modern Parenting notes how parents today are putting more of their time, effort, and money towards raising their children. This kind of intensive parenting, once the domain of upper-middle-class parents, is transcending classes, with more parents eager to give their kids a head-start in life. It's an admirable style of child rearing, but is one that leaves parents little to no time for themselves. And often, one of the first things that gets sacrificed is exercise — to the detriment of their health.

If you're that kind of hands-on parent, remember this: Physical inactivity increases your risk of acquiring cardiovascular diseases and other adverse medical conditions. Among these conditions are high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, anxiety and depression, and even certain cancers. To avoid these risks, it's imperative that you not only find time for exercise, but actually make time for it! Here are four ideas to help you do just that:

Join in on play time
Our previous article on Creative (and Realistic) Ways to Get a workout in While Spending Time with Your Kids points out how most parents tend to leave their kids to their own devices during playtime so they can do housework and fulfill other obligations. While that's fine, joining in on the fun every now and then can create a positive outcome: There are many playtime activities that can give you physical exercise, such as playing tag or giving them a piggy back ride. You'll bond with your kids doing what they love, and can even sneak in a good workout! And in case keeping up with your kids becomes challenging, tap into your child's boundless energy to help keep you going.

Try cross training
Personal trainer Heidi Powell describes cross training as the use of different training modalities and intensities in one exercise session — for instance, running for 15 minutes followed by a 5-minute yoga session. These combinations are simple and time-efficient, and they offer plenty of benefits. An article on The Physical and Mental Benefits of Yoga for Sprinters highlights how cross training is effective for developing a system that helps you achieve better all-around conditioning. It also works the different muscle groups, in turn increasing strength, power, endurance, agility, and balance. It varies your workouts, too, keeping things interesting. And since sessions don't take long, you'll be able to fit more exercises into a shorter amount of time.

Multitask
Parent and health and fitness writer Catherine Holecko suggests in a Very Well Family blog on exercise that parents should multitask to get some exercise. For instance, you can do crunches or planks while watching TV with the kids, squats while preparing their food, or even stretching while in the bath. Putting them to sleep? Sneak in a set or two of push-ups, or jog quietly in place. It may not be ideal, but it's still a means to be physically active.

Schedule exercise time
Lastly, do block off time in your schedule for structured exercises — whether in the gym or at home. These sessions needn't be long, as 20 to 45 minutes would suffice. Just make sure that you follow your schedule religiously until it becomes part of your weekly routine. Where possible, tell your kids what you're doing, and explain why it's important to exercise. In this way, you get to make time for exercise, all while teaching to your child of its importance.

NannyPod provides long term nanny matches and short term occasional date-night babysitters and infant care on demand, at an affordable price. Our service is convenient, safe and secure for families and our staff. Parents can request childcare instantly by using the NannyPod app. Get started with NannyPod today and find babysitters or nannies for your childcare needs!

Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | District of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming

AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, D.C., DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY

pricing register

Belly Wraps: Post-Pregnancy Hit or Hype?

Description: Are you wondering if belly wraps are worth your money? Can they help you lose extra inches on your belly after giving birth? You might also want to know whether they can help you lose weight. 

This article explores the truth behind postpartum belly wraps and how you can also make one alone.

The joy of every woman is getting back their pre-pregnancy hourglass figure after delivery. Unfortunately, that’s not as simple as it sounds. You might wonder what other popular models with kids did to get their initial bodies back. Here’s the secret. Some studies suggest a healthy diet and exercise as the only secret to having a great body after birth. 

As if that is not enough, other women confess that a postpartum belly wrap helps them get their figure back.

This makes you to ask questions like, “Do belly wraps work?” Are they some overrated skinny gimmicks? Let’s find out if they truly work.

Meaning of a postpartum belly wrap

What are belly wraps? These are products that you can enfold around your waist to support your body after giving birth or during pregnancy. There are different types of these wraps with different sizes and offer a gentle compression.

Do belly wraps really work?

Postpartum belly wraps have many benefits and there’s a lot of evidence that they work as listed below.

• Belly wraps can support people with back pain

Aside from helping women who have just delivered, these wraps can increase abdominal support for people experiencing back pain issues. 

Experts like Heather Bartos, a certified OB-GYN suggest that stomach wraps have been used since people started using sheets on their mid sections. They tied sheets on their stomach after giving birth to reduce the waist line.

• Postpartum belly wraps reduce c-section pain

Besides reducing the waistline, stomach wraps alleviate pain from C-section. There’s a study in Obstetrics & Gynecology journal suggesting that women who had C-section and wore binders didn’t experience intense pain.

• Stomach wraps offer support during pregnancy

Did you know that you can use these wraps for support during pregnancy? These binders offer comfort to pregnant mothers when their abdominal muscles stretch.

• Reducing pubic pressure

Some women reported that during the third trimester, they had too much pubic pressure. Belly wraps helped them reduce the pressure and pain from their pubic areas.

• Postpartum wraps have always offered incision support

Postpartum wraps have always been there in the past generations and proved to work. They have been helping in incision support and also waist reduction. These wraps are new names that present an old concept.

A postpartum belly wrap helps organs and tissues to get back to their place, helping you feel better after delivery.

• Smoothing effect

Some mums also reported that these wraps create a comforting smoothing effect which helped them fit in their pre-pregnancy clothes easier.

• Some stomach wraps help in weight loss

Other women claim to have lost weight with wraps that burn belly fat that is instilled with herbals, among other healthy ingredients. For that reason, they can eliminate extra lymphatic fluids and toxins from the skin. 

 Sauna wraps also have an insulating substance that helps your body to sweat through increasing your core temperature. As a result, they improve your metabolism and promote fat loss. You can try these belly wraps for weight loss and wait for the outcome.

How belly wraps work

If you are a new mother, you must have wondered how to do belly wraps work, or even wondered whether they hurt?

The truth is that these wraps support the transverse muscle. Immediately after giving birth, you may not be in a position to contract your abdominal muscles.

Wraps, therefore, help to bring your muscles together after separating during pregnancy. This is crucial in aligning your spinal cord helping your organs get back on track quickly.

While your abdominal muscles can get back on track on their own, best post-pregnancy belly wraps help them get there faster.

DIY method of making belly wraps at home

If you would like to save money, you should find out how to make belly wraps at home. Remember that some belly wraps for weight loss are quite expensive, and you can easily make some.

You can make a simple belly wrap using 3 yards or material or more. Follow the steps below to bind yourself with one.

- Stand at a posture that relaxes your pelvic floor. This is to avoid putting a lot of pressure on your uterus and pelvic floor.

- Start by wrapping as low as your pubic then around your hips.

- Wrap one end of the yard around your back as you spread your fabric around this area.

- With the right posture, breath in deeply then out to relax your pelvic floor.

- Tighten the material around your hip then tie a double or single knot to avoid it sliding up. Doing this ensures that you have a tail that reaches your nose and a knot at your pubic bone.

- The other fabric should be down your feet. Keep it between your knees to maneuver it around using your legs.

- Wrap the rest of the material around as you keep its tail at your centerline.

- Tighten every layer according to your desired tension.

- Wrap each layer counterclockwise then use the tail around your body in front and back.

- Tuck the tail in your bra strap to keep it up at the front centerline. For uniform support on your hips, spread out your fabric and remember to overlap each layer. Make it tighter to get more support.

- When you wrap around the tail, the knots line up on your front centerline. If you wrapped it correctly, it needs to be straight. If it doesn’t appear straight, don’t worry. You will get perfect with time.

- You can then wrap it up and down your rib cage. Stop at your rib cage so that when you sit down, you may not struggle to breathe after wrapping it too high. 

- Should you have more fabric, after reaching the bottom of the rib cage, make a knot and wrap around.

- Finally, tuck in the tail of the material left, and your weight loss belly wrap will be ready.

Wraps are vital because they help you to get rid of excess pregnancy fluid after giving birth. You need a wrap to assist you in hip and back support. Postpartum belly wraps help to reduce uterine pressure and abdominal healing after giving birth.

Have you ever used a belly wrap before? Did it help you to reduce your waist? Share your experience in the comment section below.

Author’s bio

Rachel Burns is an experienced copywriter and photographer with a design diploma. She works with startups, entrepreneurs, bloggers and companies from around the world. In addition to writing articles and promotional materials, she enjoys hiking, reading, cooking and spending time with her family.

This is How You Can Get Single Motherhood Right the First Time

For the most part, parenting is a daunting venture, and for single moms taking on the task for the first time, it can be downright terrifying. But despite the lonesome nature of the job, know that you’re actually in good company. There are currently 11.3 million single parents in the US alone, and 81.5 percent of these are mothers. And well, you might not realize it yet, but you’re just as capable as these amazing women. So without further ado, here’s how you can prepare yourself for the wild and oh-so-rewarding ride ahead of you.

Get in the right mindset.

There’s no other way around it—you will be going into parenthood scared and uncertain. The good news is this is completely natural. Even better, you will get past this fear in no time. 

The key is in knowing that you are up for the challenge. It really helps to take it one step at a time—stage by stage and not looking too far in the future to cause premature panic. Bear in mind that the right mindset will not only keep you soldiering on, it will also alleviate worries that could hold you back.

NannyPod - How You Can Get Single Motherhood Right First Time

Get organized.

As a single mom, you’ll be constantly juggling childcare, work, housework, and maybe even a social life. Overwhelming? Yes! But not at all insurmountable, especially with good organization and an even better game plan. 

First thing’s first—structure is king. Having a solid routine makes things easier on you, so start by making a plan and sticking to it. On another note, the reality is you’re going to go through some really tough and downright crazy periods. Being organized will not only keep you on track, but it will also save your sanity. For example, running to the store at midnight to pick up diapers because you’ve run out is simply not an option when you’re taking care of a newborn by your lonesome. By staying on top of things and keeping supplies replenished, you will save yourself plenty of grief. 

Get support.

As a single mom, you might find yourself wanting to prove to the world that you can do this—that you can successfully raise a kid on your own. Again, this is natural. What’s not natural is putting undue pressure on yourself.

You know what they say: it takes a village to raise a child. And though your circumstances might seem otherwise, you need to accept that you are, in fact, allowed to get help when you need it. 

You’ll be surprised to know just how much support is available for single moms, from professional childcare to playgroups, online forums to the celebrated ‘mom tribe.’ And don’t overlook your family and friends. More often than not, all you really have to do is ask.

Get insurance.

Of course, a huge part of being a good parent is being prepared. Few things will shake your confidence more than surprise incidents, so being ready for possible scenarios will make you more capable to deal with them competently. 

Insurance is a great way to equip yourself against serendipitous events—specifically, car insurance if you rely heavily on private transportation to get around. Sad to say, single parents pay more for car insurance than married couples. Not only that, there are no known discounts for single parents. This is not to say, however, that single moms are without options. There are, in fact, other discounts available that you might be eligible for, such as group or mileage discounts or even a safe driver discount. Make sure to ask your agent what options are available to you. 

In addition to a decent auto policy, be sure you fully understand your health benefits and coverage by reviewing changes every year and take the time to sign up for life insurance. It’s a hard thing to consider, but if something were to happen to you, you’ll want your baby to be taken care of.

It’s been said that single motherhood is not for the fainthearted. It might even be the hardest job you would ever take. But it is—hands down—also the most empowering and rewarding, and that right there what makes it infinitely worthwhile.

NannyPod provides long term nanny matches and short term occasional date-night babysitters and infant care on demand, at an affordable price. Our service is convenient, safe and secure for families and our staff. Parents can request childcare instantly by using the NannyPod app. Get started with NannyPod today and find babysitters or nannies for your childcare needs!

Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | District of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming

AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, D.C., DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY

pricing

register