Babies & Bird Dust

**Roscoe's Mom** · 02-23-2012, 06:49 PM

So I'm having a girl!

The BF & I had a lot of trouble conceiving and we have experienced losses, so I can't begin to express how relieved I am to be 23 weeks pregnant with a very active baby. I waited an extra 3 weeks to get into the only 3D ultrasound machine in town, and it was SO worth it: she is adorable

For the first several months of her life we will share a room while I save to move. It is not a small apartment and there is plenty of ventilation, but I worry about her respiratory health; Ross the TAG is a dusty old guy no matter how many times a day he's misted.

Has anybody here had a baby who's had trouble breathing parrot dander? If so, what air purifier did you use? I'm looking into Rabbit Air but I'd love to hear from other parents first.

**boomer girl** · 02-23-2012, 08:20 PM

A sweet little girl

I am so happy for you.

Both of my sisters kids grew up with Mango but he is a Amazon and not that dusty, or I never noticed he was dusty. Mango also lives in the living room so her kids were around him whenever they were awake. I think a air purifier would be a good thing to have just because you know Ross is a dusty old man. One of my friends once said something to me if I got one she suggested I should look for one with a filter that I could pull out and actually clean instead of replacing it. Maybe Orick purifiers? but it was so long ago I cant be sure.

**Pipers Mom** · 02-24-2012, 05:24 AM

A friend of mine has the Minus A2 air purifier. What she really likes about it that the filters are washable and it's very quiet. It actually hangs on her wall. I have no idea on what one of those units would cost, but knowing her and being the smart shopper that she is, more than likely purchased it online. She is very satisfied with the product. She has two keets and a cat.

So you are having a baby girl.. Yay!!! Congratulations.. Any names picked out yet?

**Roscoe's Mom** · 02-24-2012, 07:28 AM

Originally Posted by Pipers Mom

A friend of mine has the Minus A2 air purifier. What she really likes about it that the filters are washable and it's very quiet ... So you are having a baby girl ... Any names picked out yet?

Ooh, a new model to look at. Buying online is the way to go, it is always so much cheaper.

Since our last pregnancy I have been fixated on the girl's name Arden. It is the name of a forest where lovers seek refuge in Shakespeare's As You Like It.

Her full name will be Arden Reese Gallagher. Joe picked her middle name. At one point I realized she would have frustrated pirate initials with that name ("ARG!!") but we like it anyway

Originally Posted by boomer girl

she suggested I should look for one with a filter that I could pull out and actually clean instead of replacing it.

Yes, definitely. Washable filters would be a plus. I remember there was one with a wipe-off metal filter but I can't remember how it works, or know it it was bird safe. I will definitely invest in washable. I am already sick of buying vacuum filters! We just bought her the Vicks starry night humidifier and that will take special filters, too.

**maxollie** · 02-24-2012, 10:26 AM

Congratulations on your upcoming birth of your precious baby girl, Arden Reese! That is just a beautiful name! I will be praying that all will go well with your delivery. Like all who have posted here, I also feel you can find some great bargains on-line when purchasing air filters. I'm not apprised of all of the brands. I have tried Holmes, and had good luck with that brand, but they were not those that could be cleaned, the filter had to be purchased and it seemed to me it didn't last very long, so that one was rather expensive to run. I also have seen some Hunter brand air cleaners on HSN. Don't know if you can clean them, but they do sell alot of them. I have a small Hunter cool air vaporizor I run in my home during the winter, and it has been great, is very quiet and easy to operate. The filters are washable. So Hunter, in my opinion is a pretty good brand to consider.

I hope you will share the wonderful news with us when your precious baby girl arrives.

**Pipers Mom** · 02-25-2012, 12:40 PM

My cousin's wife is named Arden.. You picked out a very beautiful name. Again, Congratulations!!

**Birdmanca** · 02-25-2012, 01:50 PM

People of all ages can be allergic to bird dust, not just babies. I don't have the problem, but too much bird mess as seed, feathers, bird mess. etc can bother me. I just clean real well around birds to lessen the air problem. Call animal control in city where you live or the spca, they both would know the answer.

**Roscoe's Mom** · 02-26-2012, 05:32 PM

I've found a lot of good air purifiers so far. I do like one of the Hunter brand. I forget the model # but I bookmarked the page; it had a washable filter and it was a compact tower design. But I am going to continue to shop around before I commit. Shabby lungs run in my family, and I am always a little weezy myself. She'll be so much smaller than me that the very least I can do is keep her air as clean as I can.

On another infant safety product note, has anyone used the Angel Care monitor? My dad got me one. Once you adjust the sensitivity of the sensor pad just right it is only supposed to go off if your baby overheats or stops breathing for 20 seconds. What a neat gift from grandpa

I'm glad everyone here and elsewhere has liked her name so far. I also liked Halynn but (outdated as they might be) I couldn't stand the idea of Van 'Halynn' jokes -- NTM her initials wih Arden as a middle would have spelled HAG. I do want to be considerate and avoid embarrassing her.

The only reservation I've ever had about the name Arden is that it is a surname, also, but it has such a simple and classic sound that it really begs to be a first. It also reminds me of the word ardor, which I think gives the name a romantic sound.

**Marrie** · 02-27-2012, 01:02 PM

I use a honeywell air purifier - my boyfriend is allergic to rabbit and our neighbors when we were in an apartment smoked and phewy the smell would get into our apartment and make it reek, so to protect the bird and myself we got that. It's birdy safe, washable filter, didn't cost much and keeps the bunny fur and hay dust out of the air so boyfriend doesn't have his allergies acting up as long as it is running (and removed all smoke smell from our apartment before we moved).

A good vacuum with filters is a must too - I have a bissel that has four filters on it, including an air filter, all washable and no bags. It gets up soooooo much dust and fur every time I vacuum, I have to clean the filters twice before I finish and I vacuum every 2 days, so I know it works well. Oddly, the vacuum only cost $40 and the one we had before that cost $400 got up less dust and didn't have all the filters, so ended up blowing a lot of it back into the air. Go figure!

Another thing that will help is something like the swiffer dusters, that hold onto dust, as opposed to traditional ones. For babies with dust issues it is recommended to dust at least every week, though more wouldn't hurt with a dusty bird around.

**Roscoe's Mom** · 02-28-2012, 02:22 PM

So far I have Honeywell and Hunter brands to look at then. Since the place is small a compact tower-type design is preferable. I think I had Honeywell air purifiers when I had the house because my basement was terra cotta and terra cotta can leak. They were good, as I recall, but those ones didn't have washable filters. It was their only drawback. So Honeywell is a definite maybe.

My vacuum is pretty good, which is surprise because it's just a cheap Walmart sale vac. I have been thinking of getting a water chamber vacuum. I prefer dark hardwood so the dust on my furniture really shows up, and I have found it necessary to dust off the furniture in my room (the fids don't even sleep there) at least twice a week!

**Marrie** · 02-28-2012, 02:28 PM

Yeah, dust is annoying... even before I got my tiel the dust showed on our black furniture every couple of days! That is why I like the static charged dusters, makes it easy to dust hehe

**notredamebird** · 03-13-2012, 07:30 PM

We had a Honeywell 50250 for 2 years (before it broke), and it did a good job of pulling extra dander and dust from the air.

http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-5025...1691844&sr=8-6

However, from my research at the time, Rabbit Air or Austin Air looked better for those who are really serious about allergies. The only reason we didn't buy one was price.

I also read that you want a true HEPA filter, and nothing with an ionizer.

BTW, I think Arden Reese is really pretty! I usually think of Arden as a male name, as a good friend of mine named her boy this -- and I think it was traditionally male? But we've both seen articles in which young Ardens were girls, which has led her to fear the name may now be more feminine than she thought. In any case, it seems to be on firm unisex territory now.

I think its beautiful for either gender!

We found out that we are having a boy...! The likely name is August Theodor. However, Wolfgang was considered in the past, and we're sometimes wistful about that name.