Breast-Feeding - Benefits to You and Your Baby

Breast Feeding

By nature's design, breast feeding is the best possible way of meeting your infant's nutritional needs. At the same time, it provides a warm, intimate relationship between you and your child, which is quite  important for his healthy psychological growth. Breast milk is the ideal food for infants. It contains all the nutrients a normal child needs to develop and thrive.

Benefits to your baby

Besides offering your infant a natural, complete diet, breast milk also provides a number of other important benefits. Its proper balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and minerals permits easier digestion with fewer intestinal problems such as diarrhea or constipation. Breast-def babies are less likely to become overweight. There is also less chance that your breast-fed infant will suffer from excessive water loss or other related disorders.

Breast-fed infants are less likely to experience allergic reactions or bacterial infections. In addition, breast milk provides the newborn with many natural immunities, because important antibodies are transmitted from mother to child through the milk.

Breast feeding also affords psychological benefits to the baby by allowing him to experience the close, physical warmth of his mother's body, to take pleasure in the sound of her voice and the sight of her face and, at the same time, to satisfy his sucking needs.

Benefits to you

As a breast feeding mother, you too will benefit by sharing a unique and satisfying relationship with your infant. The physical act of your baby's sucking will relieve the discomfort of your full breast. Breast feeding also helps you regain your figure more quickly, while permitting your uterus to return more rapidly to its normal non-pregnancy state. Furthermore, breast feeding is a convenient, economical means of feeding your child. A supply of milk, warmed to the right temperature, is available whenever your baby is hungry. Additionally, of course, breast feeding saves the time, effort and expense of formula preparation.

Some thoughts about breast feeding

Because breast feeding is unquestionably the best method if feeding your baby, you should talk with your doctor early during pregnancy so that you can develop a comfortable attitude toward it and prepare yourself physically for nursing. You may also want to discuss your decision with your husband, who can lend his full emotional support to your efforts.

 You must take proper care of your breasts and nipples both during and after pregnancy. During the final weeks of pregnancy you can begin to prepare your nipples for nursing by rubbing them once or twice a day with quick strokes using a towel or washcloth. Another helpful exercise involves rolling the nipple between your thumb and forefinger a few minutes each day. To prevent any unnecessary drying of the nipples, you should avoid soaping them while showering. Instead, allow clear water to run over them freely.

In order to breast feed successfully, you should eat correctly. A well balanced diet during your pregnancy, and especially while nursing, is important in order to supply an adequate amount of high quality milk. You will probably have to increase your daily food intake by 500 to 600 calories, paying particular attention to foods high in protein such as meat and eggs, as well as to green and yellow vegetables for vitamins and minerals. You should try to drink at least one pint of milk (approximately 1/2 liter) daily. Other liquids such as water and juices are also important for adequate milk production. 

Unless prescribed by your doctor, drugs of any kind should not be taken during your pregnancy, especially while breast feeding, since they can be transmitted to the baby through your milk. You must also avoid alcohol and cigarettes during this period.

Simple Ways To Stimulate and Bond With Your Unborn Baby

Though most moms to be just read to their babies all day or set their classical playlist on repeat, there are more fun and creative ways you can stimulate and bond with your unborn baby. Here are some ideas.

1. Stage a concert. Instead of playing a CD or cranking up the volume for your tiny iPod earphones, why not invite your friends and family members who play musical instruments to jam and perform for your baby bump? If you could play an instrument, that would be even better! Don't forget to record the performance so you can play it over and over again when everyone has gone home.

2. Curtain call. Invite Daddy to join in the fun and act out a play for your baby. Do different voices, too! If more friends and family members want to join in, why not? You can try simple one act plays or be ambitious and bring out the Shakespearean comedies (the tragedies might be too gory for your delicate prenatal sensibilities).

3. We are family. Record your family members giving different messages to your baby. You can even play it for him after he's born. See if he remembers and recognizes their voices! This works best for relatives who live far away.

4. Paint a picture with words. when you're alone, start describing what you see to your little one. Include colors, smells and textures. This is great practice for when he's born and you'll want to work on his language acquisition skills. By then, a one sided conversation will be second nature to you!

5. Play drummer. But a gentle one. Play music and start tapping away on your belly. Ask daddy to try it, too. Try this when your baby is awake and movie around. You'll be amazed at how he can already respond to you! Bring out the video camera, and film the ripples and waves your belly will make as your baby reacts to your drumbeats.

It's never too early to start letting your baby know how much you love him. Even if you can't hold him in your arms, communicating with him while he's still inside you is a great way to begin.

Tips on How to Make Your Visit To Your OB Worthwhile

1. Take not of the changes you are undergoing and ask your OB to explain what these are and what their implications are.

2. Know your Medical History so you can properly brief your doctor about your medical condition. This will help your OB prescribe the right medicine and treatment especially when you get sick during pregnancy. It would be helpful to take note of the following:

a. Allergies

b. Your blood type

c. Disease that run in the family

d. Previous diagnosis / any sickness that required hospitalization or treatment

e. Immunization shots taken

f. Recurring disease

3. Ask your doctor if there are certain foods you need to limit or increase. You can also request him/her to refer you to a Nutritionist-Dietitian to help you compute the amount of food that you need. Ensuring that you are supplied with the necessary micro and macro nutrients such as Folate, DHA, GA, Iron, Calcium, Vitamin D, Carbohydrates and Protein during pregnancy will help you feel assured that you are taken care of.

4. Know your ideal weight based on your physique every month.

5. Ask your doctor for thing to take note of per trimester (warning.danger signs). Each patient will have different pregnancy situations and it would be best to get advice specific to your pregnancy. Remember that each pregnancy is unique and it is not advisable to self diagnose and self medicate based on your friends experience.

Practical Guide on your Baby's First Few Steps

Witnessing baby's first steps is one milestone all parents look forward to. On the average, a child begins walking between 12 to 14 months, but some walk as early as 9 months and as late as 21 months! Experts say that when it comes to walking, parents can do little more than provide an encouraging environment for walking.

What you can do:

1. Encourage him to walk. It would be frustrating to always hear, "No, not there, it's not safe," or "Oops, you might break that."
2. Set a safe environment. Remove obstacles, such as chairs or toys. Have the area cushioned or padded, if possible.
3. Be very careful with using walkers, especially if your home has stairs. If possible, avoid walkers altogether. The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued warnings against their use.

How To Loose Post Pregnancy Weight

Moms naturally want to reclaim their figures just as fast. Well, you could, but only with the help of a box office hit to pay an entourage of dietitians, cooks, personal trainers, massage therapist, yoga instructors, Pilates coaches and yes, throw in a psychiatrist, too!

There is no magic formula for post pregnancy weight loss. To know the best time to start shedding pounds, ask your doctor when it is safe to diet or exercise, particularly if you had a difficult pregnancy or a C-section. Start slowly and be patient. Ideally, lose only about half a pound per week, whether you are breast feeding or not. Set reasonable goals for yourself and take pride in your new family instead of focusing on your weight.

TIPS TO GET BACK IN SHAPE

Eat right
Always watch what you eat and keep these in mind:
1. Make every calorie count! Stay within an optimal calorie range as determined by your doctor or nutritionist. Breast feeding mothers should maintain at least a 1,500 daily calorie intake. Always choose foods that are nutrient dense. Meals and snacks should all be high in vitamins, minerals, calcium, protein and fiber.

2. Ditch junk food, fast food and highly processed snack foods. To fight these temptations, fill your kitchen with healthy snacks and make as many home cooked meals as possible. Some good snack choices include granola bars, fruits and vegetables, low fat cottage cheese or yogurt, whole wheat crackers with low fat cheese, smoothies or a hard boiled egg.

3. Choose high calcium, low fat or fat free dairy products, and opt for the leanest cuts of meat and poultry. Fish, shellfish, beans, eggs, nuts, and tofu are excellent low fat sources of protein and vitamins. Calcium and protein are important nutrients for breast milk.

4. Keep fiber intake high with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain cereals and whole wheat products. Whole grains contain more nutrients and fiber than refined grains, such as white rice, white bread or plain pasta. Most people get the bulk of their fiber at breakfast with whole grain cereals, oatmeal's or whole wheat bread.

5. Continue taking your prenatal vitamins and drink lots of water. Do this especially after breast feeding and exercising.

Exercise with ease
When you get the green light to resume exercising (usually six weeks after a vaginal delivery), start slowly with light aerobics activities such as walking, stationary cycling or swimming.
Remember also to:

• Keep sessions short at first and increase gradually, if you feel pain, dizziness, blurred vision, shortness of breath, or an increase in vaginal bleeding, stop immediately.
• Do Kegel exercise to tone your pelvic floor muscles. While sitting, standing or lying down, simply tighten your pelvic muscles as if to stop stream of urine. Do this for five seconds at a time, five times in a row.
  

Common Symptoms During Your First to Third Trimester

Your body will change dramatically during pregnancy, Some of these changes may be uncomfortable. Talk with your health care provider about the best ways to ease discomfort. You may have to try a few different methods before you discover ones that work best for you. While each woman's experience is different, the following symptoms are common during pregnancy.

FIRST TRIMESTER( 0 to12 weeks)

This is when most women experience morning sickness. You may need to urinate more often than usual, and you may feel tired and moody. Your breasts will begin to change now, and may be swollen and very tender. They may leak colostrum, a fluid the breasts produce as you prepare for lactation, although this is more common later in pregnancy. Any nipple discharge should be discussed with your provider.

SECOND TRIMESTER (13 to 28 weeks)

Many women experience a return to normal energy levels, and morning sickness will often disappear. Your breasts and belly will grow. You may experience leg cramps, constipation, and a faster heartbeat. During the fourth month of pregnancy, you may feel the baby movie for the first time.

THIRD TRIMESTER (29 to 40 weeks)

Since your baby is growing and your uterus is getting bigger, you may experience shortness of breath because the baby is crowding your lungs. You may have heartburn as your stomach is squeezed and hormones relax parts of your digestive system. Fatigue may return, mainly from the extra work your body is doing, carrying around a baby who is nearly full grown. You may also have backaches. Your legs and feet may swell, and you may have a difficult time sleeping.

Postponing having a Baby until in their 30s and 40s

Because of the economic crisis today, more and more woman are opting to delay their pregnancy until their 30s and 40s. While there are certainly financial and social advantages to such arrangement, the concern in a scenario like this is naturally the increased chance of pregnancy complications. Simply put, the older a woman gets, the poorer the quality of her eggs becomes, and the greater the possibility of problems related to conception and childbirth. Such problems are:

• Increased risk of miscarriage (up to 30 percent for pregnancies at age 40)

• Increased risk of fetal prematurity and low birth weight

• Increased risk of fetal chromosomal abnormalities, e.g., Down's Syndrome

• Increased risk of ectopic pregnancy (i.e., pregnancy outside the uterus)

• Increased risk of developing diabetes and hypertension during pregnancy

• Increased risk of difficult labor

• Increased risk of difficult conception
  

Types of Poop

Here are the list of what you need to know about infant poop.

MECONIUM: While he is still in your womb, your baby will swallow some amniotic fluid(the fluid resembling saltwater in which your baby floats) as part of normal fetal activities. After birth, he will shed the amniotic fluid during his first bowel movements. These first stool are called meconium.

BREAST FED POOP: If you are breast feeding, your baby's stools will eventually be mustard in color, seedy and runny. Some moms say that a breast fed baby poop doesn't stink or that it has a distinct smell that may be described as sweet, but still has an odor.

BOTTLE FED POOP: Formula fed babies will have soft, tan colored poop, quite firm but not firmer than the consistency of peanut butter. The odor is usually stronger than with breast fed babies, and varies with different types of formula.

SOLID FOOD POOP: As your baby grows older, he will have fewer bowel movements, and his stool become more formed and pasty. When he starts on solids, his poop will change dramatically. A lot of what he eats can be seen again in his diaper and his bowel movements can be highly irregular as his intestines learn to digest new foods. Be sure to give your little one lots of fluids.

Common Myth in Predicting a Baby's Gender

When my wife was pregnant, some people would tell that my baby will be a girl because she's glowing, while others would tell that my baby would be a boy because she's not having a severe morning sickness. There are many myth about how people predict their baby's gender. But i think this myth are slowly fading away since the birth of the Ultrasound, but still there are some people who still believe this common myth.


MYTH 1: If a baby's heart rate is less than 140 beats per minute, it's a boy; if it's over 140 beats per minute, it's a girl.

FACT: Normal fetal heart rate is between 110 and 180 beats per minute. Only one study out of dozens done since the 1990's concluded that the fetal heart rate can predict the gender of the baby. All studies done before and after that showed otherwise. The fetal heart rate can vary and fluctuations are usually associated with fetal movement during different periods of days.


MYTH 2: If the shape of your belly is pointed or if you're carrying your baby low, it's a boy; it it's round and high, it's a girl. According to some, boys are carried lower and more "in front" because they need greater independence, while girls are carried higher and across their mother's body since they need greater protection.

FACT: The belly of a pregnant woman nearing her term is lower than usual. This phenomenon is known as lightening or engagement. It occurs during the eighth to ninth month of the pregnancy, and it happens because the fetus is slowly entering the mother's pelvis in preparation for childbirth. For some women, this may occur until labor starts. If this is not the first pregnancy that the mother has carried to term, the muscles of the abdomen may have become "loose" over time, making it appear lower.


MYTH 3: If you experience severe morning sickness, you're having a girl.

FACT: Nausea and vomiting can occur anytime during the day, whether you're having a boy or a girl, due to the increase in the level of a hormone known as hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin. This hormone is important for maintaining the corpus luteum( the remains of the follicle that contained a woman's egg) in the beginning of pregnancy. The corpus luteum secretes progesterone, which enriches the uterus with a thick lining of blood vessels and capiliaries so that it can sustain the growing fetus.


MYTH 4: If the fetus is very active, it's a boy.

FACT: Good fetal movement is important whether it's a boy or girl. Studies show no correlation between the activity of the fetus and it's gender. A fetal scoring technique known as BPS or Biophysical Scoring, assesses fetal well-being and identifies any potential risk of fetal damage or death. Within 30 minutes of this test, at least two fetal movement should be noted. While the pregnant mother is at home, it is important to notice if no fetal movement is felt throughout the day. This is a sign that the fetus may be in distress and need immediate intervention.


MYTH 5: If you have a craving for sweets, you're having a girl, if you crave salty foods it's a boy.

FACT: Nutritionists believe that the craving is not for the food itself, but for the nutrients it contains that the body may lack or need. Cravings can also be the result of a dietary imbalance. A pregnant woman may have an increase in fluid volume in her system, which may trigger a craving for salt in her diet. Those who maintained a high fiber diet before pregnancy may experience an increased craving for foods rich in sugar.


MYTH 6: If a wedding ring or needle suspended over your belly moves in a circular motion, you're having a girl, if it moves to and fro, it's a boy.

FACT: Hand muscle movement and tremors may influence the movement of the pendulum. There is no gravitational basis to support the myth.


MYTH 7: You can determine the baby's gender by getting the mother's date of birth and the baby's month of conception, converting them into their lunar equivalent's, and comparing them to the lunar calendar chart.

FACT: A study was published in 1999 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The study showed the method to have a positive outcome only half of the time, so it's result really have no predictive value.


MYTH 8: If your skin is glowing or you are blooming, you're having a girl. In the Philippines, they say that you radiate the beauty of the daughter in your womb. In the U.S. they believe the opposite: if a woman is not glowing it is because her daughter in her womb is stealing her beauty.

FACT: The "glow" is mainly due to increased blood volume and circulation because of hormones, which are also responsible for the increased oil or sebum production that makes your skin look more lustrous than usual. Some mothers may experience darkening of the skin, which happens whether your baby is a boy or girl. This is commonly known as "mask of pregnancy" or melasma. It is caused by an increased in melanin and is visible on the forehead and cheeks. It resolves within a few weeks after birth.