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What They Won’t Tell You

January 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Being a new mom is so exciting. Whether it is something that has been planned or is something that became a part of your life, it is very exciting. There are some things, though, that many new moms have not been told. There are so many times when you hear, “how come no one said anything, I had no idea this could happen.” It is truer than ever because people feel like certain topics are not their place to talk about, or they do not want to scare new moms. For instance, how many people like talking about the belly button phase with a newborn? Don’t know what I am talking about?

This is the phase that last about 10 days that a newborn still has part of the umbilical cord attached to their belly. There are certain things that you need to do in order to care for the navel area. Such as, do not allow it to get wet, swab rubbing alcohol around the belly button to dry it out, and do not try to take it off yourself. By trying to rush the processing of the belly button coming off, you can actually create a condition called distended belly button. It basically means swelling and discomfort, but does need medical attention to make sure there are not internal issues. The baby’s belly button is still attached to the inside of their belly and the falling off of the belly button marks that severance. Remember, that connection is how the baby survived for months while in utero. In fact, when babies are born with health issues that are significant in nature, doctors can use the umbilical cord as a portal for life support for a baby. There have been cases where doctors actually kept a baby on umbilical life support, for up to a month, while they recovered from a heart surgery, or development delay; this is seen mostly with premies.

Filed Under: Education, Medical Care, Parenting Tagged With: ,

Sleepy Kids: Things Every Parent Should Know

December 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Sleep requirements for kids vary, depending on the age of your child. Sleep deprived kids, over time, are more prone to depression, accidental injuries, poor concentration, lower immunity to colds and flu, and obesity. To make sure your child is getting enough rest, follow these pediatric sleep guidelines: Newborn to two months need 12 to 18 hours per day, two to 12 months should get 9 to 12 hours each night and two to four and a half hours of nap time per day, one to three years require 12 to 13 hours of sleep (including naps), and ages three to five years need 11 to 12 hours per day (including naps).
Children who are well-rested typically use three or four areas of the brain when completing a task, but sleep loss impairs brain function and effects coordination, efficiency, and concentration. If you need to find sleep study centers in your area, contact Canada 411. You’ll be able to locate professionals who can suggest healthy strategies for helping your little ones get the sleep they need.
Studies show that adults who get fewer than eight hours of sleep per night are three times more likely to get a cold, so it’s even more important to tuck those kiddies in early. Experts suggest that bedtime distractions, such as TVs and video games in the bedroom, contribute to over-stimulation, which leads to fatigue. Since kids learn by example, parents need to demonstrate bedtime routines that will instill good habits for a lifetime of optimum vitality and health.
Filed Under: Education, Financial Advice Tagged With: , ,

Tips for Breast feeding

December 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Once you are delivered of your bouncing baby, what follows is usually a flurry of activities that are mainly concerned with taking care of the newborn baby. One of the simplest but the most effective thing that you can do for your new baby is to adopt the practice of breastfeeding. Without any doubt, breastfeeding is the best thing that can happen to a child under maternal care and attention.

In order to derive the maximum benefit from breast feeding and reduce breastfeeding-associated problems later in the future, experts have agreed that the earlier you breastfeed the child the better. This is very important, as it is a common practice among nurses and birth attendants to delay breastfeeding because of other processes that include birth weighing and drug administration. Therefore, as the caring mother that wants the best for the child, you should always insist that the child must be breastfed shortly after birth.

This is even more important in face of the fact that the most important part of the milk that is produced called the colostrum is produced shortly after birth. The colostrum is the richest and it contains the most important ingredients that are beneficial for the baby.

The length of breastfeeding is also another very important issue. Some mothers just breastfeed their babies for a few days or weeks and then switch to infant formula citing various reasons. The World Health Organization recommends that the baby should be breastfed for a period of six months. However, a lot of women find it quite difficult to keep up to this, as most of them are professionals who are also struggling to support their own families.

The benefits of breastfeeding are just too numerous to be mentioned. The nutritional composition of breast milk is the best for the baby. Apart from being rich in various nutrients, the human milk also contains substances that protect your child from coming down with infections.

Filed Under: Education, General Care Tagged With: