Baby Care

Posts Tagged ‘breastfeeding’

Breastfeeding is so highly recommended by doctors and specialists, but a lot of moms don’t do it. And most of us don’t think why many moms don’t do it.

Do you ever think about working moms? One of the challenges of going back to work after baby is breastfeeding. If they don’t know the proper way or arrangement time of breast feeding then their baby may go into weak health condition. But following a proper way, if you’ve gone back to work or school full time, you can still breastfeed your baby. Talk to your employer before your baby is born. Request your employer to provide break times and private space to express milk. In various working places there have special place and scope for breast feeding. If breastfeeding at work is not an option for you, there are a variety of breastfeeding alternatives available.

* If you live very close to your work, or if you have a relative near your place of working, you can breastfeed your baby during your lunch hour and keep bottles of milk for other feedings throughout the day.
* You can find a day care centre near your place of service. And can do the same things.
* If these two are not possible then you must need preservation of your milk.
1. Buy a breast pump. This will give you the suppleness to maintain your milk supply and also feel connected to your baby even when you’re away. Electronic pumps can be a great choice. One of the most important savings you can create if you are going to carry on breast feeding while working is in a good breast pump. You can store this milk in the refrigerator.
2. Fresh refrigerated breast milk can be used for up to 48 hours after its expression. Don’t waste it by leaving it out at normal temperature.
3. Make it warm before feeding, but never use a microwave oven to defrost breast milk.
4. Throw away any defrosted and warmed breast milk that the baby doesn’t drink.
5. Try to regulate your timetable in order that you are pumping at approximately the same time every day. This will assist to prevent leakage at mistimed times when you are in the office.
6. But always keep in mind, feed infants with expressed milk using a clean and sterilized bottle.
* After returning home, breastfeed your baby as soon as possible

Many women have some pains in back during pregnancy; they can feel the tension or numbness in various parts of the body. Gentle massage can help them ease this state. In addition, it will help you to alleviate the state of insomnia, back pain, edema, headache, and other possible ailments during pregnancy.

Before birth:
Pain in the back very often appears during pregnancy (as well as during breastfeeding). To facilitate such a pain you should do massage of back, neck, legs and feet, massage stomach with very soft movements. Many pregnant women have difficulties in circulation of fluids, this condition can be corrected with the help of general body massage that will stimulate and improve the movement of blood. Feet massage will help to relax, relieve the pain in legs and reduce swelling. During this massage, avoid areas with veins varicose (if there is any). 

Those women who have problems with sleep, relaxing effects of massage will help them calm down and relax. Some pregnant women say that the soft abdominal massage helps to ensure that the child calms down and falls asleep too.
Massage relaxes and soothes, and helps to alleviate the unpleasant physical sensations, as well as enables your partner or children to help you and take part in your pregnancy.
Consult a doctor before you begin a massage. If the doctor does not recommend a stomach and back massage, you can conduct face, neck, feet and hands massage, this massage will help the body to relax very well.

When and how to massage:
While some schools of massage do not recommend holding it in the first three months of pregnancy, many women think that a light massage throughout pregnancy is very useful. When you massage a pregnant woman, all movements should be very soft and accurate, especially in the abdomen and waist. Do not use a strong press and strikes.
You can add a few drops of aromatic oils in your massage oil.
During massage it is recommended to use the following aromatic oils: Mandarin, ylang-ylang, Geranium, lemon, sandalwood, tea tree.
Aromatic oils, which are not recommended: anise, arnica, basil, mint, cypress, fennel, jasmine, juniper and marjoram.

Ultrasound showed that you will become a parent of twins. You can feel happy – you will have double joy and double trouble.
Few simple tips will help you to cope better with suddenly increased happiness.
Do your best to teach kids to eat at the same time. If you are breastfeeding a child, first attach one to the chest, then the second. Normally, twins develop, and weigh the same, but there are exceptions. If you see that one child weighs less, then give him/her extra food.

The second important point is to make children sleep at the same time. If you see that children are restless without any reason, it’s worth a try to put them to sleep together. During 9 months of pregnancy they are much accustomed to the neighborhood of each other, and at first they can miss this. In the future, they will learn to sleep separate from each other.

Kids love when they are carried on the hands. Of course it will be more difficult to hold both kids at the same time. But you should not deprive kids of this endearment. Try to hold them in your arms while sitting on a chair, preferably on a rocking chair.

Baby bathing is one of the most important procedures. But you cannot do this alone, you will need a help from your husband, relatives or friends.
After 6 months children learn to sit and crawl, allowing you to relax a bit. Certainly they will find something to do. But here arises another trouble – it is very difficult to follow two children who are running in different directions.

Despite the fact that twins are very similar, be sure, that very soon you will start to differ them. Always remember that they are two different individuals. There is no need to buy them exactly the same thing and make the same hairstyle. You raise two different kids, who will certainly bring you a double portion of happiness.

Weaning is the process of introducing your baby to solids after being totally dependent on breast milk for her nutritional need for the first six months of life. You can gradually introduce your baby to minced or mashed foods and foods that need to be chewed. Of course, you may continue to breast or bottle-feed your baby alongside solid foods for as long as it’s comfortable for you and your baby.
As with breastfeeding on demand, Baby Weaning is a method of introducing solid foods that leaves it up to your baby to decide when and how much to eat.  While not necessarily a “hands off” approach, Baby Weaning does advocate allowing your baby to make all food choices for him or herself.
You are the best judge of when it’s time to wean, and you do not have to set a deadline unless you and your child are ready to do so. However, now the Department of Health recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months (26 weeks). Breast milk and formula milk are easy for your baby to digest and provide all the calories and nutrients your baby needs for healthy growth and development. Also, it is thought that the chances of developing allergies are greatest during infancy, so feeding your baby a diet of breast milk or formula until this time helps reduce the risk of introducing allergens. As your baby’s digestive system matures, he or she will be better able to handle different foods without an allergic reaction. Breast or formula milk will continue to be a very important source of nutrition whilst your baby adjusts to a mixed diet and for the first year or so of life. If you feel your baby needs to start solids before this, do talk to your health visitor. The Department of Health used to recommend that babies were started on solids between the ages of four and six months.

How to know when your baby is ready for weaning?
Don’t rush into weaning as a result of pressure from parents or friends, but be guided by the following signals from your baby:
• being unsatisfied after a full milk feed
• demanding increasing and more frequent milk feeds
• weight gain slowing or leveling out without a period of illness to explain why
• after a period of sleeping through the night, your baby begins waking because he/she is hungry

You may also notice your baby showing interest in your food and attempting to put things in his/her mouth.
If you are unsure or concerned about when your baby is ready to begin weaning, talk to your health visitor.

Both babies and mothers gain many benefits from breastfeeding. Breast milk is easy to digest and contains antibodies that can protect infants from bacterial and viral infections. Research indicates that women who breastfeed may have lower rates of certain breast and ovarian cancers.

Breastfeeding is an important woman’s issue, human rights issue, health issue and feminist issue. Breastfeeding empowers women. Women who wish to breastfeed their babies but do not, because of inadequate support from family or health workers, constraints in the workplace, or misinformation, often feel guilty because of this failure at something they wanted to do.

Human breast milk is the most healthful form of milk for human babies. There are a few exceptions, such as when the mother is taking certain drugs or is infected with tuberculosis or HIV. Breastfeeding promotes health, helps to prevent disease and reduces health care and feeding costs. In both developing and developed countries, artificial feeding is associated with more deaths from diarrhea in infants. Experts agree that breastfeeding is beneficial, but may disagree about the length of breastfeeding that is most beneficial, and about the risks of using artificial formulas.

Feed your baby as often as he or she wants to be fed. This may be 8 to 12 times a day or more. How often your baby wants to feed may change over time as he or she goes through growth spurts. Growth spurts occur at about 2 and 6 weeks of age and again at about 3 and 6 months of age.

Let your baby nurse until he or she is satisfied. This may be for about 15 to 20 minutes at each breast. Try to have your baby nurse from both breasts at each feeding. The box below lists the signs to watch for so you’ll know your baby is getting enough milk. If you’re nursing fewer than 8 times a day, be especially aware of these signs.

Signs that your baby is getting enough milk

Acts satisfied after each feeding.

Gains weight constantly after the first 3 to 7 days after birth. Your baby may lose a little weight during the first week after being born.

Has about 6 to 8 wet diapers a day.

Has about 2 to 5 or more stools a day at first and then may have 2 or less a day. Stools will be runny at first.