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.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Pregnancy Wheel- Helping You To Get Pregnant

The pregnancy wheel is an ovulation calendar, which can help to get you pregnant. In today’s world, more and more women are leading stressful lives, postponing childbearing for professional satisfaction and living a harsh lifestyle that includes drinking and smoking. These are deterrents to getting pregnant. The pregnancy wheel is a reminder to women planning to get pregnant, to use their most fertile periods effectively. It also keeps a record of all the important dates of pregnancy, including the due date and provides other important information form conception to delivery.

Pregnancy Wheel and Most Fertile Period

A woman ovulates from the 12th to the 16th day of her menstrual cycle. This is the most fertile period for her. If she has intercourse during this period, she will conceive. The pregnancy wheel helps to time the period of intercourse between both partners, by identifying the time of ovulation in the female partner. It can tell the peak fertility periods.


Pregnancy Wheel Covers Important Milestones

The pregnancy wheel covers the important milestones of pregnancy. It helps in letting you know the important dates of your prenatal check ups to the doctor. It helps in informing you about the tests that your doctor will do on you, to ensure that the baby in your abdomen is doing fine. It also helps in a week by week monitoring of the baby’s heartbeat, movement, weight, and length.

Pregnancy Wheel and Infertility

If you have been following the pregnancy wheel and having intercourse in your most fertile period for six months to a year and still do not become pregnant, this is an indicator that you need medical help. The doctor will then prescribe you some fertility treatment. There is not so much cause for worry, as infertility is treatable to a large extent.

The pregnancy wheel is with you every step of the way, from conception to childbirth. For more information visit pregnancy period.

Pregnancy Weekly- A Must For Any Mother To Be

It is always worth your while to have a pregnancy weekly of the different stages of pregnancy. From the time a baby is conceived, until the time that is born, the mother to be goes through a lot. She feels a thousand feelings and emotions. She cries at times and she is happy at others. At times, she feels her baby kicking in side her and she sees her belly growing larger and larger.

The Baby Inside

A woman should keep a pregnancy weekly, because what happens inside her is an even more fascinating tale. It is said that, a human being develops the fastest in the mother’s womb, as compared to any other stage of his life. First, he develops tiny little eyes and ears. His liver produces bile and the kidneys begin to secrete urine. Soon his organs will start to form and his digestive system will begin to function. By the end of the second trimester, the baby will also be able to open and close its eyes.

In the third trimester, the five senses are almost fully developed. The baby will recognize sounds outside the womb, for example the mother’s voice! She must get a weekly check up from her doctor, especially in her last stages of pregnancy.

A Pregnancy Weekly Journal

She should also keep a weekly journal, in which she may right down every thing she felt during pregnancy, including all her doubts and happy thoughts. She can put in some pictures of the different stages of pregnancy into the weekly journal. You may also get some ultrasound pictures of the different stages of pregnancy and put them in the pregnancy weekly journal to remind her always of how the little baby looked inside her tummy.

Here is wishing the mother to be a happy and safe pregnancy and lots of baby dust.

How to Tell Your Pregnancy Due Date Is Approaching

The pregnancy due date is important, because it tells you when your baby is going to be delivered. Only 10% of the babies are actually delivered on the due date. The rest are delivered around two weeks before or two weeks after the due date.

The Doctor and Your Due Date

Your doctor will help you with determining the correct due date of your pregnancy. As the pregnancy approaches its final stages, the doctor will also help with other decisions, such as whether you should have a natural childbirth or whether it should be a caesarian delivery. You can get all your doubts and fears about labor cleared from him as your due date approaches.

What Are The Signs That Your Pregnancy Due Date Is Approaching?

False Contractions- These contractions increase about two weeks before your due date and you feel as if it was the real thing, until your take a few deep breaths or start moving and the contractions go away. This is quite natural in the last stages of pregnancy.

Mucus Plug – The mucus plug is expelled about 72 hours before childbirth.

Water Breaking- This is an indication of the start of labor. There is a breaking of waters and a clear fluid is released. This means, you must get to a hospital soon, as your baby will arrive within 24 hours. The labor could be natural or induced

Nesting- The nesting urges or the urge to do up your house in those final stages of pregnancy and prepare for the newborn is a very real thing. It happens to almost every mother to be.

Other signs that your pregnancy due date is approaching fast are constipation, diarrhea, back pain and gas. You should stay relaxed and peaceful in these final stages of pregnancy. You may wish to read a good book or listen to music, any thing that you enjoy doing, before your tiny little bundle of joy is born.

What Is A Pregnancy Calculator?

You are pregnant and excited about having a baby. Soon the 9 months of pregnancy will be over and you will have a tiny little infant in your arms. But how do you calculate when your baby is due? This requires a pregnancy calculator. Pregnancy calculators use many methods to calculate the due date. Some of them are given here:

The Last Menstrual Period Method (LMP)

The gestation period of a pregnancy is 40 weeks. So add 40 weeks to day one of your last menstrual period and then subtract two weeks from the day that you get. That is your due date. You subtract two weeks, because ovulation occurs in those two weeks

Basal Body Temperature (BBT)

The Basal Body Temperature of a woman rises up to 1.6 degrees during ovulation. If you are sure of your fertilization date, you must add 266 days to it to get the due date.

Naegle’s Rule

In Naegle’s Rule, you must calculate 3 months backward from the first day of your last period and add 7 days to it. This method is quite popular with doctors.

Ultrasounds

Ultrasound is a high-pitched sound, which is directed at the woman’s abdomen. The echo of the sound creates a picture of the baby inside. This can help tell at what stage of growth the baby is in the mother’s womb and thus, we can get a due date for her pregnancy.

Despite the fact that a pregnancy calculator is used so often in pregnancies, babies don’t necessarily follow calculations. Except for 10% of the babies that are born on the due date, 90% are born within two weeks of the due date, here or there.

A pregnancy calculator is useful agreed, but do not depend much on it. Instead, enjoy every moment of your pregnancy. After all, these moments are rare and do not happen often in a lifetime.