Giving birth to a baby is an unforgettable experience — both because it means bringing a new life into the world and because it can involve a lot of pain and anxiety. Some mothers-to-be opt to give birth in a pool or tub of warm water. They believe it is a much more natural and less stressful experience for them and their new baby. There is also the idea that a water birth gives women more control over their own delivery by letting them choose something other than the traditional bed delivery.

Water birth is still considered an alternative birthing method, and not every doctor is convinced that it is safe. However, more and more hospitals are beginning to offer water births as a delivery option.

Braxton Hicks Contractions: True or False Labor?

What Do Braxton Hicks Contractions Feel Like?
Braxton Hicks contractions can be described as tightening in the abdomen that comes and goes. These contractions do not get closer together, do not increase with walking, do not increase in how long they last and do not feel stronger over time as they do when you are in true labor.

What Do True Labor Contractions Feel Like?
The way a contraction feels is different for each woman and may feel different from one pregnancy to the next. Labor contractions cause discomfort or a dull ache in your back and lower abdomen, along with pressure in the pelvis. Some women may also feel pain in their sides and thighs. Some women describe contractions as strong menstrual cramps, while others describe them as strong waves that feel like diarrhea cramps.

Related to pregnancy

Braxton Hicks (false labor) contractions, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, prenatal tests, pregnancy complications, C-section, twins, triplets, and more, midwives, inducing labor, fetal movement, prenatal vitamins, folic acid, pregnancy and drug use

What is Water Birth?

A water birth is, as the name implies, giving birth in water. The idea is that the warm water replicates the feeling of the amniotic sac that has surrounded the baby throughout the nine months of pregnancy. A water delivery can be done in a bathtub, hot tub (with the temperature turned down), or other pool of water. You can have a water delivery at home, in a birthing center, or in a hospital.

During a water birth, both you and your baby should receive monitoring and medical care, just as you would in a hospital bed. While you are in labor, a special underwater Doppler device will monitor the baby’s heartbeat. You can also receive medications through an IV while you are in the water.

Some women labor and deliver in the water. Others prefer to come out of the water for the actual delivery. If you deliver in the water, the midwife or nurse will gently lift the baby up to the surface and take the baby out of the water.
What Are the Benefits of a Water Birth?

There haven’t been many well-designed studies to confirm the benefits of water births. Some people, however, believe that water is a more comfortable and soothing surrounding in which to deliver.

Here are some of the potential benefits of a water delivery:

• Water provides natural buoyancy, which makes the mother feel lighter.

• Water relaxes the mother, allowing her to concentrate on the birth.

• Water relaxes the mother’s muscles, enabling her to move into different positions.

• Water eases the baby’s transition from the womb to the world.

• Water reduces tearing to the perineum — the area between the vulva and anus — and, possibly, to the vagina and labia, thus helping the mother avoid an episiotomy or stitches.

• A water birth shortens the first stage of labor and reduces the need for anesthesia.

What Are the Risks of Water Births?

There hasn’t been much high-quality research done on water births. Of the studies that have been done, a few cite some rare risks. Others find that water births are just as safe as (if not safer than) bed births.

Here is a summary of the potential risks with water birth that studies have identified so far:

In rare cases, the baby may gasp while still in the birthing tub and inhale water. Although it was thought that babies’ primitive reflex prevents them from breathing in until they are exposed to the air, some animal studies suggest that their bodies can override this instinct. Doctors in New Zealand reported in the journal Pediatrics about a handful of cases in which babies breathed birthing pool water into their lungs and nearly drowned. Breathing in water can also lead to too little sodium in the blood — a condition called hyponatremia. However, at least one study that included thousands of water births reported no cases of babies breathing in water.
There have been rare cases in which the umbilical cord snapped during a water birth and the baby needed a blood transfusion because of uncontrolled bleeding.
If the water in the pool is not clean, there is a possible risk of infection. There have been isolated reports of newborns catching infections after coming into contact with contaminated water during a water birth. Other studies, though, have found no additional risk of infection.

Breastfeeding problems, such as milk production difficulties, are not as common when using the PDF feeding method, but they do occur.  Even if you are well rested, eating healthy, have a pretty routine life, and your baby is growing and getting enough food, you still may experience a milk production issue.  Many things can cause production problems.  Here are just a few.

Some things that can affect your milk supply are:

• What mom eats
• How much mom rests and sleeps
• Her state of mind
• The age of the mom
• How many children you have
• Your desire to breastfeed
• Your nursing capabilities
• Your nursing techniques
• Baby’s latch on abilities

If you choose to breastfeed, it is very important that you take your baby for their check-ups as needed.  If you don’t, how will you know if he is getting enough milk and growing at the correct rate?  There is no way for you to tell that your child is getting enough nutrition for sure without your child being weighed.

During the first week of your baby’s life, your breasts will produce colostrum for them to drink.  Colostrum is rich in antibodies and aids the baby’s immune system.  It also helps him pass his first bowel movement, which is called meconium.  Meconium is black and tarry looking and is in the first few diapers after birth.  Then he begins to transition to a brown substance and after your milk comes in, it becomes a yellow, mustardy stool that is loose and watery.  Bottle-fed baby’s pass firmer, tannish stools than breastfed baby’s.

After 24-48 hours after birth, your baby will start having wet diapers that will increase to two or three a day.

While your baby drinks colostrum and then milk, you should listen for a pattern of “suck, suck, suck, swallow.”  This pattern will be rhythmic and there should be no “clicking” noises.  The “clicking” sound can indicate that your baby is not properly latched on and may not be getting enough milk from you.  If you start to hear this, you need to unlatch him and then reattach him.  If you continue to hear this sound after reattaching him several times, then you may want to consult a lactation consultant or your pediatrician.

After the first week of life, you should see 6-8 wet diapers each day and at least 3 bowel movements a day.  His urine should be clear and he should become more alert with each passing day.  Your baby should also be gaining weight and growing, as this is the surest way to tell that they are getting enough nutrition.  If you have two days in a row that deviates from the above indicators, then you should call your pediatrician immediately.

For a new mother, or even a seasoned one, dealing with a colicky baby can be overwhelming. The constant crying is heartbreaking as well as nerve wracking, and leaves a person having a sense of helplessness. However don’t lose heart; the only good thing about colic is that only temporary. Here are a few suggestions to keep you heading.

First – Be sure it’s really colic. If you haven’t had the little one checked out by a doctor, do so. Sometimes what’s written off as colic is really a milk allergy or some other true gastric disorder, like acid reflux. If the baby is on formula, you should ask if making a change in brand might help.

Secondly, get help! If you have to deal with the colicky symptoms all by yourself every day, you’re bound to go nuts. Swap off with your spouse, another family member or a friend. My daughter had colic for the two longest weeks of my life, and it began every evening around 5:00pm. My husband and I took turns making dinner and eating with our other children while the other took care of the baby. It kept each of us somewhat sane to have a normal evening every other night, plus our other children didn’t feel so neglected.

Next, try some of those tricks everybody tells you about. A lot of them really do work! Take the baby for a drive (this worked wonders with my daughter). Vacuum, play music or sit with the baby on the washing machine during the spin cycle! Try to take the baby’s mind off her misery. For some babies a warm bath and a rock in the rocking chair is helpful. I don’t personally recommend the “crying it out” method for colic. Your baby is truly in pain and needs comfort during this time, and letting her cry for a long time will probably only escalate the situation. Mylicon Drops, an over the counter gas medication, might relieve symptoms on some babies. It’s perfectly safe, so it’s definitely worth a try. Otherwise, don’t medicate unless it’s something your doctor has told you to use. I’ve heard of moms giving the baby something to make them sleep. This is terribly unsafe.

Finally, if the colicky symptoms haven’t subsided within a few weeks, make a return trip to the doctor, just to be sure nothing has changed. Colic is a temporary condition, so just bear with it and look forward to better times.

There isn’t any 1 size fits just about all parenting tips for toddlers. Every toddler needs to be handled differently, as they come with different set of tantrums and troubles. Though a toddler can drive a person at the senses finish, it is essential that you maintain a positive frame-of-mind, to bring out the best in your child. At the age of 2-3, your child will probably encounter a lot of emotional, intellectual and social modifications. It is now time when toddlers obtain brought to the idea of socializing, at day time cares or in play organizations and pushing their own safe place. Since its their first time to the ‘real world’, like a parent, patience is the virtue you’ll want to learn. Here are some more parenting tips for toddlers, that will help mention a accountable child.

1. Biting Blues

Many children tend to chew to be able to defend themselves. It is a way of showing their frustration or anger. Toddlers also bite to obtain attention. If you overreact to some situation such as this, the purpose of biting is going to be accomplished. To show your toddler that this behavior is undesirable, keep track of your son or daughter’s behavior whenever he/she is in group. When ever, your child is likely to chew, to protect or to get attention, help to make a watch get in touch with as well as say the noisy along with a organization ‘NO’. Its essential that you do not get down to training your child a lesson by biting him/her back, since it will be sending a message to the child that its OK in order to hurt individuals to help to make your stage. Compliment your child, whenever he/she refrains through biting as well as vents out his/her anger by talking about it. This is one of the most practical parenting tips for toddlers.

2. Bath Discipline

Most toddlers have worries as well as taking a bath is the most common one which you’d come across. The the majority of intelligent toddler, expensive Calvin (through Calvin and Hobbes) despises the thought of taking a bath, for he fears drowning. To obtain your child into bath discipline, try out different things in order to attraction him/her such as toys, percolate baths, coloring agents, tales, music and other such games. Request your child to pick up his/her preferred toy and provide this a bath to clean it daily. Gradually, your child with get friendly with bathroom gadgets, drinking water and also the schedule. One other way of drinking bathing would be to take baths with your child. When your child will get accustomed to taking a bath without tantrums, keep to the routine.

3. Sharing with Toys

Within the initial phase, the concept of toys is extremely brand new with regard to toddler. This will make all of them hold on to this, projecting them to end up being self-centered and possessive. The largest error most parents help to make is actually confiscation associated with toys, simply because toddlers won’t reveal this. Provide your child sometime and credit. Because they get used to playing with toys as well as their belongings, they’ll instantly begin sharing this. This is actually the greatest parenting tips for infants, that display indicators of holding on to perform points.

4. Brushing Teeth

Having your child to wash their teeth is by far the toughest parenting problem. Let us take most of us do not brush our teeth twice a day, even now. So, to place your toddler right into a good habit, its important that you begin earlier. When your child’s teeth start erupting, fix it with moist cloth. This way your child will get used to sleeping with a fresh breath and getting out of bed with a fresh inhale as well. Within the toddler’s phase, to obtain your child to brush teeth, start brushing with him/her. Consider your child, toothbrush shopping to choose his preferred toothbrushes with animation characters as well as fancy stuff. Read away content articles for your child regarding importance of brushing teeth as well as help him or her to understand dental hygiene through simple methods.

The actual parenting tips for toddlers in this article happen to be really generic. You may have to fix the right path sometimes whilst dealing with your tiny tot. ‘I ‘m aged, so I ‘m correct and you are young so you are wrong’, is a plan that always isn’t able while parenting your child. I hope, a person create a strong

There are many things parents can do in order to ensure their children’s adequate development. There are songs they can teach them and toys they can by. Without parent involvement, however, it is not always easy to realise what children are going to do and what they can achieve. It is essential to appreciate kid videos and have them at hand when there is nothing else to do in the house. They can be very helpful when it is raining outside or when kids have no idea how to use their free time.

It is essential to remember about all those things and keep them in mind at all times. There are also lots of baby songs to benefit from which can be either downloaded or purchased on CDs and DVDs. It is vital to see everything that is going in the life of people and especially children these days which is not always easy. But with good children’s DVDs parents can be sure that their children are watching something appropriate and relevant to their age. It is essential to choose the videos that children will love or help them choose it themselves. That way everyone will be happy.

If your vision is short of perfect, it can be easy to have you seeing clearly in a matter of hours. Thanks to the power of technology today, it is possible to throw away your glasses and contact lenses and within a few hours, have 20/20 vision once again. LASIK is a breakthrough in the care for the eyes. It is a super-advanced surgical procedure that utilizes a special laser that cuts through and reshapes the cornea to bring back its focusing ability. This refractive surgery is one of the today’s most recommended treatments for common eye disorders such as near-sightedness (myopia), far-sightedness (hyperopia) and even astigmatism. However, if you are pregnant and having vision problems, can you undergo the procedure? This article explains vision changes during pregnancy and why an expectant mother may have to hold off on vision procedures until after she has given birth, and perhaps even after she has stopped nursing.

Vision changes during pregnancy

Changes in eyesight are not one of those big-a-deal adjustments that a pregnant woman has to learn to live with. It’s not like swelling breasts and back pain – it is less noticeable, so women often don’t know that their vision has deteriorated, or if they do, they may not link the vision problems to their pregnancy per se.

During pregnancy and lactation, a woman’s body produces large amounts of hormones to support the fetus, and even milk production. These hormones also affect the eyes – they cause fluctuations in the refractive state. These fluctuations may be the reason behind incorrect readings during refractions. Simply put, a woman who doesn’t really have eyesight problems may present with some during pregnancy, and the degree of the vision problem may be read inappropriately.

These pregnancy hormones cause more fluid retention in the body, and the eyes are no exception to this change. The lenses of the eyes swell due to fluids, so the result is astigmatism, or sometimes, a higher grade of nearsightedness. This rise in hormones will keep up months until the baby has been born and months after a mother has stopped lactating.

Is Vision Correction Surgery like LASIK Safe During Pregnancy?

Ironically, even though the lenses fill with fluid, the external part of the eyeball becomes ultra-sensitive and dry, so women who are contact lens-wearers often complain of contact lens intolerance. Dry eyes are painful, and applying contact lenses will only hurt them and dry them out even more.

Why LASIK is contraindicated during pregnancy and nursing

Because of the changes mentioned above, pregnant women must avoid any refractive surgeries while pregnant or breastfeeding. If they undergo a LASIK procedure, or any refractive surgery, and their vision doesn’t improve, there will be no way of telling what caused the “still-blurry-after-the-surgery” outcome – was it the pregnancy itself, or the surgery? Because of fluctuating readings for prescription, a doctor won’t even have baseline details for the woman’s current grade. This will make the procedure close to impossible, and pointless.

The LASIK procedure will require mild sedation using some medication It will also require antibiotics and cortisone eye drops after. These drugs pass through membranes and can get absorbed by the bloodstream. These drugs could have a negative impact on the fetus, especially if LASIK is performed during the first trimester. In short, the procedure itself is not harmful to the child, but the medications that come with it are.

During pregnancy, we must keep our eating patterns, what we eat will affect our own babies. Therefore we need to know the foods that are healthy and useful for our baby’s growth during gestation. A healthy pregnant women who will produce a healthy baby as well.

Pregnant women should be, “Do not eat the fish” A lot of women! not have all the facts related to the possible dangers of eating fish during pregnancy or who are safe to eat a certain amount of fish that cause damage to their babies.

The danger in eating fish comes from ingesting too much mercury during pregnancy. Some studies, including a recent one done in Korea, conclude that high levels of mercury in a woman’s blood stream during pregnancy can be transferred to her unborn baby through the umbilical cord, causing birth defects, and in some cases, premature birth. In fact, women with high levels of mercury found in the cord blood are 3-5 times more likely to deliver a baby prematurely, i.e. before the 37th week of pregnancy, than women without mercury in their cord blood.

However, many experts disagree if the warning about eating fish includes ALL fish, or if certain types of fish are okay to eat occasionally during pregnancy. Some believe that salmon and other small fish are okay to eat during pregnancy while all bigger fish like tuna, swordfish, mackerel and shark should be avoided. The study in Korea concluded that “woman who never had fish during pregnancy had 4.6 micrograms of mercury per 1 liter of blood, while the mercury level of women who consumed fish more than four times per week had an average mercury level of 8.3 micrograms” although it never stated what type of fish the women ate, or commented on what kinds were considered safe during pregnancy.

Mercury risk to pregnant women and their unborn babies can also be found in other places too. There are also dental procedures that involve the use of amalgams that can put an unborn baby at risk. A dental amalgam is a mixture of mercury, and an alloy of silver, tin and copper. Mercury makes up about 45-50 percent of the compound. Mercury is used to bind the metals together and to provide a strong, hard, and durable filling that is used to fill cavities in your teeth. Because of the high amount of mercury, it is suggested that you not get fillings during pregnancy unless absolutely necessary, and that if you have to get fillings, that you try to avoid getting more than three until after your baby is born.

Many people don’t realize it, but there is actually a large percentage of mercury in the air that we breathe in daily in many parts of the world. Air pollution makes it very hard to steer clear of mercury and more effort may be needed in staying away from all fish and avoiding the dentist’s office during pregnancy, Take as many precautions as you can when it comes to mercury, in order to have the healthiest pregnancy possible, and to help avoid a premature delivery of your baby

Create a Consistent Routine

Try to find a stable routine and stick with it. Putting baby down at the same time each night and waking him at the same time each morning can go a long way towards promoting night time sleep. A good routine can consist of a bath, feeding, a book and then some time in the rocking chair or a quick pat to help him relax.

Have Realistic Expectations of Your Baby

Try to be practical, and know the difference between how much sleep you’d like to have and how much your child is likely to sleep each night. Newborns can sleep around 15-19 hours per day, but they won’t do this all in one stretch. Their stomachs are small, so they still become hungry in the night until they are somewhere around six months. At this time, you will find that your baby is able to sleep longer without waking to eat.

Institute More Daytime Feedings

Try to feed your child more during the day. Even though your child will likely still wake during the night at least once, you can try to get him to eat more during the day so that most of his nutritional needs are met then, instead of during the night. This is especially true if your child’s daytime feedings are short or if he is easily distracted during this time.

Help Your Baby Relax Before Bedtime

Allow your child to unwind. As adults, we often cannot just hop into bed and fall fast asleep. We generally take some time to relax, read, watch tv or whatever else helps us wind down before we begin to fall asleep. Before baby’s bedtime, keep noise and activity to a minimum and create some comfort rituals for him like reading a book or singing a quiet song.

Don’t Be in a Rush

If you’re not allowing your baby to cry it out or learn to self-soothe, make sure you take the extra time needed to get your baby into deep sleep. The first fifteen to twenty minutes of baby’s sleep is actually rather light. You may find that after feeding and rocking him to sleep, he wakes just as you lay him down in his crib. This is because he wasn’t fully asleep. If you take the extra five or ten minutes to assure he is in a deep sleep mode, the difference in how much longer you both will be able to sleep could well be worth it.

Be Aware of Special Situations

Remember, too, that there will be times when your baby will wake up during the night, no matter what. Be aware during these times, especially if the change in his sleeping pattern is sudden. This may indicate he is going through a growth spurt and needs extra feedings, or it could be the first signs of an oncoming illness.

The first years of your child’s life instill habits that can last a lifetime. That’s why it’s so important to teach ways to “live lean” during this impressionable stage. Babies are naturally plump, of course — that adorable, pinchable layer of fat insulates your little one’s body from the elements and provides fuel for the “play first, eat later” toddler years. Most babies lose their chubbiness when they start to crawl and walk, but here are some guidelines to make sure your tot keeps the baby fat at bay — for life.

Of course, the very best thing you can do to help your child maintain a healthy weight is to set a good example. If you’re passionate about eating right and staying fit, your child will emulate your good habits. Remember, you have more influence over him in these first years of life than at any other time, so take advantage of this opportunity to give him the tools for a healthy lifestyle.

1. Breastfeed for as Long as Possible

Breastfed babies not only “lean out” sooner, they’re also less likely to become obese later in childhood. What’s more, the longer a baby breastfeeds, the better her chances of growing up at a healthy weight. That’s because breastfeeding teaches her not to overeat. When she feels full, she naturally slows down or stops nursing. This helps her identify her hunger signals and regulate the amount she eats at each meal, a habit she’s likely to carry into childhood.

Breastfeeding also keeps your baby from equating food with comfort. After he fills up on breast milk, he may continue to suckle, but in a slow way that gives very little milk. As a result, he learns to associate the good feelings that come from sucking with the warm sensation of being held in your arms, not with having a too-full tummy.

2. Learn to Read Your Baby When Feeding Him Formula

Without baby-to-breast contact, bottle-feeding may be less intuitive than breastfeeding, but you still can help your child develop healthy eating habits by following his feeding cues. Offer formula when he’s hungry, not according to a schedule — a young baby’s tummy is about the same size as his 
fist, which means he’ll do better with smaller, more frequent feedings. By the same token, let him decide when he’s full. There’s no need for him to finish the last ounce or half-ounce in the bottle if he’s not interested. If he’s simply crying for comfort, use music, massage or rocking instead of a bottle to soothe him.

Follow this pattern once she starts eating solids too — just because she’s eating table foods doesn’t mean she needs to clean her plate. Smaller, more frequent meals are perfectly fine for your growing baby. Allowing a child to stop eating when her hunger is satisfied teaches her to trust her eating cues, helping to prevent overeating from becoming a habit.