Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Food To Avoid While Breast Feeding-Avoid What The Baby Dislikes

A baby is a tiny little human being with taste buds of its own. It gets a variety of tastes from the flavors in the mother’s milk. Certain foods that a mother eats may have flavors that a baby does not like. It is those foods that should be avoided during breast feeding. If your baby refuses to drink milk from your breast or cries a lot while breast-feeding, it could be because it does not like the taste of the milk and it expresses its disapproval by crying.

Avoid Spicy Foods

The reaction to foods eaten by the mother usually depends on how effectively the mother can digest them and the baby’s sensitivity. Spicy foods are usually disliked by breast feeding infants. So are cabbage, garlic and curry. These may cause flatulence, a certain cause for discomfort. The baby does like a variety of breast milk flavors, but strong flavors may not be appreciated. To avoid an uneasy baby waking up at night and disturbing you, you may want to be careful of what you eat.

Avoid Foods That Contain Vitamin C

Some foods can give the baby a nappy rash. Foods that contain vitamin c, like citrus fruits, can have this undesirable effect. You may have to do some detective work to see which foods do not suit your baby. If removing these foods form your diet causes nutritional imbalance, then seek a doctor’s advice on the matter.

Avoid Smoking, Alcohol and Caffeine

Having an occasional drink does not really matter, but too much alcohol in the system can play havoc with your baby’s growth and development. Also, do not drink caffeine, as this can interfere with the sleep pattern of your baby. Do not abuse nicotine related substances either.

In short, foods to avoid during breast feeding are any foods that have a strong flavor or sharp taste. Consider this; you are eating not just for yourself, but for your baby as well. For more information visit pregnancy period.

The Erratic Nature Of Your First Period After Pregnancy

You can get your first period after pregnancy in a month’s time, in two month’s time, or even six months after your child is born. We know that you may not miss your periods too much, especially after the period free life that you led for nine long months!

Why You’re First Period After Pregnancy Is Not Regular

Getting back to the question about why you do not get your periods immediately after pregnancy. The reason is that you breast feed. Breast-feeding results in the secretion of a substance called prolactin, which suppresses the normal functioning of the ovaries.

The Erratic Nature of Periods Post Pregnancy

You will not get your periods if you breast feed your infant regularly or if your baby’s age is below six months. If however, you do not breast feed, then you should get your first period after pregnancy within two to two and a half months. Those mothers, who breast-feed their child, may even get their periods in the third or fourth month after delivery. However, for women who are heavy breast feeders may get them only after the sixth month of delivery. Remember however, that every woman’s body is uniquely made and therefore, can be unpredictable to an extent.

Some Inputs on Lochia

The moment you sit up in bed, after your baby has been delivered, you may find blood running down your legs. This blood once formed the lining of the uterus during pregnancy. You will notice that it is bright red and expelled in huge amounts. This blood is known as lochia and is a perfectly normal thing to happen. You may also see blood clots come out from your vagina. As long as these are small and few in number, it is considered normal, but if they are very large, you may have to call for a doctor to check you up. In a few days or even hours, the bleeding will slow down, and change to a watery pinkish discharge. It is advisable to use sanitary napkins and not tampons at this time, as tampons can cause infection.

Why don’t you read good books and magazines on the first period after pregnancy? You will be enlightened and the knowledge will help you deal with your situation better.

Feeding While Pregnant- It’s A Personal Decision

There is nothing against breast-feeding while pregnant with child. Medical research confirms this, so if someone in your family does not agree, you should rely on how you feel and decide not to feed during pregnancy, only if you wish not to.

Remember, You Will Stop Feeding Your Baby Naturally When:

• Your baby begins to bite you

• Your milk stops. This means, your milk has dried up and you should stop breast feeding

• You feel exhausted after a feed

• You suffer from a breast infection, known as mastitis

Weaning

It is unwise to jerk your infant away from your breast, as it will be very discomforted by this gesture. Instead, if you want to wean it away, gradually decrease the frequency of feeds. In most cases, a child will wean away by itself.

If You Have Decided to Continue Feeding Your Baby While You Are Pregnant

Sometimes, the doctor may advise you not to feed your baby while you are pregnant because of your health. He may think, you are not healthy enough to do both at the same time.

If however, you think the doctor has asked you to stop feeding your baby out of baseless beliefs, then change your doctor to some one more professional.

To be able to breast feed while pregnant is not easy to do. Have a support system around you, someone who understands your situation and will be there for you when you need them.

If your family advises you to stop feeding your baby while you are pregnant, tell them gently that this is your personal decision. You can also join a support group of other breast feeding pregnant mothers.

We wish you happy breast-feeding while pregnant and a safe pregnancy.

Feeding Twins Gives You Twice The Amount Of Happiness

Here Are Some Tips on Feeding Twins

Breast feed your twins as often as you can. There is no substitute for mother’s milk.

In the beginning, you may find the task of feeding your little pair of twins rather difficult. However, some mothers, once they get familiar with their babies’ feeding habits, go on to feed their babies for a whole year or even more.

You will find that, when your babies reach seven to twelve months, they will develop their own tastes. Remember, they both can have different tastes.

Talk to your doctor and take his advice on what is the best formula to feed your twins with, after they stop breast-feeding.

Make two feeding charts for your pair of twins. Make columns for type of meal fed, amount of meal fed, and the feeding schedule.

Each baby may also consume different quantities of feeds. One may eat more than the other. After a few feeds, you will know what your babies’ consumption pattern is.

Prepare their feeds in advance, to avoid a lot of noise at feeding time.

If you want to breast feed in public, go ahead and do it. Do not feel shy or ashamed. It is perfectly legal to breast feed in public. If you find some one staring at you, just ignore the person. And if some one in your family is against you breast feeding in public, please explain to them gently but firmly that breast feeding is a natural phenomenon.

Those were some useful tips on feeding twins. Remember, you have been gifted with twice the amount of joy, so look after your tiny little pair of twins with love and care and breast-feed the babies as often as they like. For more information visit pregnancy period.