Posts Tagged ‘breastfeeding’

Fears of a First Time Mother

Posted by babyhealthcare on July 20th, 2009


What I Know Now that I Wish I Knew when My Baby was Born

My husband and I waited a few years into our marriage before we decided that we were ready to start a family. When I became pregnant with our first child, I was so excited. I was ready. I wanted to start the adventure that was motherhood, and all it had to offer.

Although it seemed as though the pregnancy went by so slowly, it was time to have the baby before I knew it. Once I was holding my new baby in my arms, the shock hit me that I was responsible for the baby and it was up to me and my husband from there on
 out.

As we left the hospital, I felt relieved to begin our new lives at home, and in fear of how it was all going to play out. My first fear was keeping the baby on a schedule. In the hospital they made me log when the baby ate, how much, and when it went to the bathroom. For the first two months of the babies life, I kept track of the pattern and even considered logging it all in my computer to keep it all straight.

I was frustrated. I felt as though I had failed because breastfeeding wasn’t working. I couldn’t make it work, it was uncomfortable and my milk didn’t come in like it was supposed to. Being a career mom, I didn’t know how long I could make it work, even if it did. After feeling like a failure, I decided to give in and start the baby on formula.

It seemed like at night the baby would cry, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t make her stop. I would rock her, I would sing to her, hold her, pace back and forth and no matter what I did, she wouldn’t stop. Me and my husband would take turns trying to settle her and eventually, after what seemed like hours she would tire herself out. I wondered how women could raise a baby on their own because my husband was my only sanity during her crying sessions.

Twitter Poster sponsor : Target Cellulite with Firmaceuticals
Read More »

How to quit breastfeeding a baby

Posted by babyhealthcare on July 17th, 2009

Breastfeeding is the best way to raise a healthy newborn, but only you can determine when to quit breastfeeding. When appropriate time comes to stop breastfeeding your child, you may find it hard to do. Try these ideas to quit breastfeeding.

Baby gets to know the routine, so don’t change too many of baby’s routines all at once. In other words, when it is time for feeding, give a bottle, but use the same room and chairs normally used. This soothes a baby and helps to pass to different ways of feeding.

Lower the amount of feeds per day slowly and consistently. Sometimes it is difficult to bring breastfeeding to a sudden stop. Your child will not understand and will have trouble adapting. If you have to deal with a fussy baby, you are liable to surrender and go ahead and breastfeed. So it’s a good idea to slowly wean a baby from breastfeeding, rather than quitting it at one go. To begin, cut out one daily feeding. It may occur at any moment, daytime or nighttime. In case a baby is hungry at this moment, provide him with bottle of infant formula or milk. By this time, a child may want solid food as well. Subsequently reduce the number of breastfeedings per day, one at a time, once a baby is comfortable. At some point, your baby will no longer expect to be breastfed.

Take care of breasts. Your milk secretion may continue in large quantities, even if you stop breastfeeding in a phased manner. Be careful to pay attention to your breasts during this transition period, to avoid the risk of a possibly painful infection. If you feel pain in breast, don’t breastfeed, but rather take a shower. When you are showering, the act of massaging your breasts will minimize lumps – but be gentle to avoid triggering the milk flow.

Let it take its own course. Sometimes babies will begin taking solid food, instead of depending so much on mother’s milk – they just pass the transition easily. When your child doesn’t want to be breastfed any more, he or she will let you know.

Accept dad’s help, as much as you can. Since mothers tend to comfort crying babies, most often they will use breastfeeding, as a way to soothe a baby. Dad can execute some of soothing duties, if you don’t need to breastfeed a child. He should get up during the night and put a child back to sleep. A baby will eventually be soothed by different things, not only due to breast milk. If a baby is not attached to mom, it will be very easy, when time for breastfeeding to be stopped comes.

Read More »

1 MONTH OLD : WEEK 2 – Your 5-week-old

Posted by babyhealthcare on July 16th, 2009

Your 5-week-old

How your baby’s growing:

Smiling is universal. A baby’s first smile happens at about the same time in all cultures, so get ready for your baby to reward all your loving care with a beaming, toothless, just-for-you grin. This will probably make your heart melt, even if you’ve just had your worst night yet.

• Learn more fascinating facts about your 5-week-old’s development

Your life: The postpartum checkup

Soon you’ll have the last of the series of checkups that began with your first prenatal trip to your doctor or midwife. Your care provider will want to be sure you’re doing fine — emotionally as well as physically — following the stresses of pregnancy, labor, delivery, and becoming a new parent.

During the pelvic exam, your doctor or midwife will want to see that any tears, scratches, or bruises to your vagina or cervix have healed. If your cervix is healed, you may also have a Pap smear. She’ll examine your perineum if you had an episiotomy or tearing. She’ll also feel your belly to be sure that there’s no tenderness, and if you had a c-section she’ll inspect your scar to see how it’s healing.

Your breasts will be checked as well. If you’re breastfeeding, your caregiver will examine you to find out whether you have any clogged ducts, which could lead to an infection like mastitis. If you aren’t nursing, she’ll want to be sure there are no hard or sore areas that might indicate an infection. She’ll also want to see if your milk is drying up.

You’ll probably be told it’s fine to begin having sex again, although many new moms don’t feel their sex drive or energy kick in for a few more weeks or even months. Regardless of your interest level, you ought to discuss postpartum birth control, because it’s possible to get pregnant before you’ve gotten your period back and even if you’re breastfeeding.

Your caregiver will also be concerned about your emotional health. As many as 4 out of 5 new moms become mildly depressed, commonly called the baby blues. However, if these down feelings last more than two weeks, you may have postpartum depression, a more serious condition. Your doctor or midwife can recommend interventions that really help, such as a therapist who sees lots of moms like you or an antidepressant that’s safe to take when nursing.

3 questions about: Working with your child’s doctor

How often will my baby see a doctor?
Most pediatricians and family physicians like to see newborns for well-baby checkups once or twice in the first ten days of life and then at 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months. If your baby has any medical problems or difficulty gaining weight, your doctor may want to see your baby more often.

How can I get the most out of these well-baby checkups?
Doctors are busy, and it’s likely that the checkup will fly by and that you’ll be distracted by your baby at the visit, so come prepared with our doctor visit worksheets. Jot down in advance any questions you may have. Keep a notebook and pen in a handy place at home, and bring it to appointments so you can write down information like your baby’s weight, length, and vaccinations, as well as any advice or instructions the doctor provides. If you forget to ask something during the appointment, don’t worry. You can always call the doctor between appointments and have your question answered by phone.

You’re the expert on your baby — and the doctor is the expert on baby care and health — so good communication is key. If you disagree with your doctor’s advice or feel your comments are being dismissed, speak up. It may be that you’ve misunderstood one another. Most doctors appreciate your honesty and want their interaction with you and your baby to be rewarding and informative. If you find that you have serious disagreements, you may want to find another doctor with whom you feel more comfortable. Ask friends for referrals.

What if I need to talk to the doctor after hours?
Be sure you know what the routine is in your doctor’s practice. Most physicians have a system for responding to questions and concerns — usually either a message service you can call to leave your name and number, or a nurse advice line that you can reach after hours. Also find out how emergencies are handled in the practice and which local emergency rooms and after-hours clinics you can access. The most important thing to remember about seeking your doctor’s advice is that there are no stupid questions when it comes to your baby’s health.

Read More »
Page 2 of 212
Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More
trading system

  • Featured Video

trading system