Caring for pregnant moms

Caring for pregnant moms

While pregnancy is one of the most beautiful times in a woman’s life, it also put enormous strain on a her body. For 9 months she carries her child and then has to feed it for several months more. It can also be emotionally challenging to go through pregnancy. Pregnant women should be cared for in a direct and intentional manner, not because they need it but because they deserve it.
TIPS:

1.Tell her that she is beautiful. Remind her on a daily basis that you love her and love being with her.

2.Cook dinner for her ,help her around the house. Clean the kitchen, vacuum the Cater to her cravings. If she asks you to run to the store at midnight for a specific type of ice cream with a specific type of cookie, don't ask questions. Satisfying her cravings will help her make it through the night in a pleasant and appreciative mood.floors, do the laundry and complete other chores that she might normally do. She will appreciate the break.

3.Treat her to massages, either your own or from a professional massage therapist. Her body will love the attention and will help to keep her spirits high.

4.Have patience with her. She is going through emotional and physical changes that no one else can begin to understand. Giving her the space to feel those changes will encourage her to be open with you and will help her get through such a confusing time.

5.Listen to her complaints and her fears. Try to genuinely understand what she is going through. Then express your own complaints and fears. Remain open with her throughout the entire pregnancy.

6.Cater to her cravings. If she asks you to run to the store at midnight for a specific type of ice cream with a specific type of cookie, don't ask questions. Satisfying her cravings will help her make it through the night in a pleasant and appreciative mood.

What to avoid in pregnancy

Its important to know which foods are safe to eat and which you need to avoid while pregnant. Eat a safe pregnancy diet, and learn about safe food storage and handling by following these tips:

Fish to limit

When you’re pregnant, don't eat too much of some types of fish.

Oily fish is good for your health. However, you should limit how much you eat because it contains pollutants, such as dioxins and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).

Pregnant women should eat no more than two portions of oily fish a week. Examples of oily fish include:

• fresh tuna (not canned tuna, which doesn't count as oily fish),
• mackerel,
• sardines, and
• trout.

Tuna also contains a high level of mercury (see below). Don't eat more than two fresh tuna steaks or four medium-sized cans (about 140g per can) of tuna a week. This is about six rounds of tuna sandwiches or three tuna salads.

• Raw meat such as sushi, seafood, rare or uncooked beef, or poultry because of the risk of contamination with coliform bacteria, toxoplasmosis, and salmonella.
• Raw eggs, or foods containing raw egg such as Caesar dressing, mayonnaise, homemade ice cream or custard, unpasteurized eggnog, or Hollandaise sauce because raw eggs may be contaminated with salmonella.

Alcohol

The Department of Health advises that pregnant women, and women who are trying to conceive, should not drink alcohol and should not get drunk. Heavy drinking during pregnancy is associated with low birth weight and more serious problems such as foetal alcohol syndrome.

However, if you do decide to drink alcohol while you're pregnant, limit the amount that you drink. The Department of Health and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists advise that pregnant women should not drink more than one to two units of alcohol once or twice a week. Binge drinking (drinking several units of alcohol in one session) should be avoided.

Caffeine

Limit the amount of caffeine you drink each day. Caffeine affects the way your body absorbs iron, which is very important for your baby's development. High levels of caffeine can result in a baby having a low birth weight or even miscarriage.

Caffeine occurs naturally in a range of foods, such as coffee, tea and chocolate. It's also added to some soft drinks and energy drinks.

Minerals and vitamins are essential during pregnancy

Minerals and vitamins are essential during pregnancy

The increased demand for minerals and vitamins during pregnancy can be satisfied by an adequate, varied, and balanced diet. Attention should be paid to folic acid, calcium, and iron in particular, since these are often deficient.

More Calcium
A substantial transfer of calcium occurs between the mother and the fetus throughout pregnancy, allowing the baby's bone and teeth formation. In the first six months, the mother stores up calcium in her own bones. When its skeletal growth reaches its peak in the last three months, the fetus draws on the mother's store. This is when the consumption of high calcium-containing foods such as milk and milk products must be increased, since a calcium deficiency will damage the mother's teeth and make her bones brittle.

More Iron
The demand for iron, essential for blood formation, is also increased during pregnancy because the mother's blood volume increases, and the fetal red blood cells have to be developed. Iron is available in meat, fish, egg yolk, whole-grain products, and vegetables. Iron of plant origin is not as well assimilated as iron of animal origin. However, if you ingest vitamin C from raw food during the same meal, iron is more easily absorbed.

More folic acid
This vitamin promotes the development of the fetal central nervous system and prevents developmental defects of the neural tube ( spina bifida ). Folic acid is contained in vegetables, wheat germ, tropical fruits, and in eggs. However, routine nutrition does not always supply enough folic acid (vitamin B9) to meet the requirements of a pregnant woman. Additional folic acid intake is necessary in the months before pregnancy and during the first trimester.

Food guide for pregnant mothers

Eat healthy in your pregnancy
Nutrition during pregnancy is important. The foods a pregnant woman eat are the main source of the nutrients for the baby .It is important for pregnant women to understand what kind of food is best for them and their baby.

Variety And Types of Food To Eat

It's important to try to eat a variety of foods including:

• Fruit and vegetables should be eaten as at least five portions a day.
• Plenty of starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes – you need six to ten servings a day and at least half of those servings should be wholegrain.
• Foods rich in protein such as lean meat and chicken, fish, eggs and pulses which help build your baby’s immune system while supporting your own and are good sources of iron.
• For pregnant women, it’s important to consume lots of fibre to prevent constipation. This can be especially important if you are taking iron supplements which can cause constipation. Fibre is located in wholegrain foods, pulses and fruit and vegetables.
• Dairy foods like milk, cheese and yoghurt contain calcium to help build healthy bones for you and your baby. Some experts advise drinking full fat milk in pregnancy as there is some evidence that skim or half fat milk may have some hormonal differences which may affect health. However there is no clear evidence yet one way or the other.

Post-pregnancy weight loss and diet

Post-pregnancy weight loss and diet

Don't be impatient

Although having a baby is a wonderful experience for any woman, after enduring nine months of pregnancy symptoms, including 5-6 months of extra weight, it's quite natural to want to normalize your weight and regain your pre-pregnancy shape as soon as possible. But don't be too impatient.

Give Your Body Time to Recover

It takes up to 6 months after pregnancy for your body to return to normal. So even if you are not breast-feeding, don't be in too much of a hurry to cut calories. Apart from the physical trauma of giving birth, which itself can leave you feeling exhausted, looking after and being responsible for a new baby can be very stressful. It will require all your energy - especially as you get to grips with "night-feeds" and all the other demands of a new infant! So rather than focusing on "weight loss", concentrate for the first three months or so after the birth on eating healthy food with enough calories and nutrients to give you the energy and nutrition to cope.

Breast feeding

Breast-Feeding A new mom who breastfeeds her new born child produces an average output of 850ml of breast milk each day. To provide this, the mother needs to consume approximately 500 extra calories per day during lactation. (A little more, if you are underweight.) In addition, nursing a baby means you need extra nutrients, so make sure you follow your doctor's or nurse's advice about nutrition.

Embrace exercise

There's no magic pill to help you lose weight: A healthy diet combined with regular exercise is the best way to shed the pounds – and to keep them off. And it's important to exercise while trying to lose weight to ensure you're losing fat instead of muscle.

When will you regain shape?

The average gain in weight during pregnancy is 25-35 pounds. During the birth, mothers typically lose 12-14 pounds, leaving a remainder of about 12-21 pounds of weight to be lost afterwards, which - allowing for a 3-month recovery period after giving birth - should easily be lost within 6-8 months. If you gained more than 35 pounds while pregnant, allow an extra month of dieting for each additional 6-pounds gained. Thus, for example, if you gained about 47 pounds, it will take you about 10 months to regain your pre-pregnancy weight.

Embrace Exercise

There's no magic pill to help you lose weight: A healthy diet combined with regular exercise is the best way to shed the pounds – and to keep them off. And it's important to exercise while trying to lose weight to ensure you're losing fat instead of muscle.

parenting tips for babies

Becoming a parent is the happiest day of one’s life. The arrival of a new born brings delight and enthusiasm in parents’ life and they look forward to see their baby grow. However, caring for your delicate baby can raise some obvious questions. The slightest of mishandling or carelessness can harm your baby and his/her growth and you may be left wondering where you went wrong. Apart from the regular feeding and nappy-changing, there are those little day-to-day jobs involved in caring for your baby the right way.The arrival of baby brings the responsibility of "father" and "mother",as becoming a parent is a unique feeling.

Head
The head may look pointed due of pressure during birth. It would become normal in two weeks. When you touch on the top of your baby's head, you can feel a soft spot. This is the part where the bones of the skull have not joined . It gets normal when the child is 16 -18 months

Eyes
The eyes may look as if they are squinting. This is very common in the first months.

Nose
The nose may appear flat as the bone hasn't yet fully developed.

Mental Ability :
Mostly all babies are awake and alert during the first few hours after birth. They are attracted to human sights especially faces and human sounds. They have a grasp reflex and sucking reflex. If an object is placed in his palm he involuntarily clenches his fists around it, likewise if the newborn is placed near his mothers breast, the baby will seek the nipple and begin to suck. Babies see now, although objects may be blurred. They may respond to a sudden loud noise and to human voice, but not to ordinary sounds.

Being fair to your kids

Its wonderful gift to be parents but parenting demands a lot of care , attention and conscious effort of balancing between the kids.Parents try their best to balance love between the kids , treating all the children in the same way without discriminating between them.

Parents endeavor to give their children similar presents so that nobody should be left out. Some parents make a conscious effort to try not to lose their temper with one child more than the other. They try to apply rules of discipline impartially to all their children. Yet, despite their best efforts, children continue to complain that they are getting the short end of the stick. Is there something wrong?

Unrealistic expectations

Constant fairness is an unrealistic expectation of parents because they have failed to factor in the most basic element of human error and their capacity to misjudge situation and overreact which is quite normal. While you can work towards the goal of being fair, do not be dismayed if you find yourself straying off the path. Parents are human after all.

When parents think that they can always be fair, they have to realize that it's not like disciplining soldiers in the army. Each child is different and has his own temperament. Some children are easy to talk to and reason with. Others can be stubborn and naughty and will need a firmer hand. There is no way that one blanket approach can cover them all. Some children get shouted at more often because they don't respond to any other kind of discipline.

Playing fair can backfire

Parents should also keep in mind that by sticking rigidly to the 'always fair no matter what' attitude they may be doing their children a disservice. Children are entitled their special praise and privileges depending on their needs and when they earn it. If you deny them, it will just make them feel resentful and neglected.

It is difficult to be fair when settling squabbles between siblings, especially when you cannot identify what happened or who started it or who finished it. Every child will present his own version, but you cannot afford to take any child's word over the others. You will have to deal with them as you see fit, even if it means that one or more of your children feel that they have been unjustly dealt with.

So instead of concentrating so hard on being fair parents, may be you should work harder on ways to make your children feel loved.

Parents endeavor to give their children similar presents so that nobody should be left out. Some parents make a conscious effort to try not to lose their temper with one child more than the other. They try to apply rules of discipline impartially to all their children. Yet, despite their best efforts, children continue to complain that they are getting the short end of the stick. Is there something wrong?

While it is admirable that parents want to rear their children without discriminating between them, this is at best an admirable theory or a guideline to adopt while parenting. Parents who feel guilty when their children accuse them of being unjust can rest assured that it is virtually impossible to stick to your resolve of constant fairness.

Unrealistic expectations

Constant fairness is an unrealistic expectation of parents because they have failed to factor in the most basic element of human error and their capacity to misjudge situation and overreact which is quite normal. While you can work towards the goal of being fair, do not be dismayed if you find yourself straying off the path. Parents are human after all.

When parents think that they can always be fair, they have to realize that it's not like disciplining soldiers in the army. Each child is different and has his own temperament. Some children are easy to talk to and reason with. Others can be stubborn and naughty and will need a firmer hand. There is no way that one blanket approach can cover them all. Some children get shouted at more often because they don't respond to any other kind of discipline.

Playing fair can backfire

Parents should also keep in mind that by sticking rigidly to the 'always fair no matter what' attitude they may be doing their children a disservice. Children are entitled their special praise and privileges depending on their needs and when they earn it. If you deny them, it will just make them feel resentful and neglected.

It is difficult to be fair when settling squabbles between siblings, especially when you cannot identify what happened or who started it or who finished it. Every child will present his own version, but you cannot afford to take any child's word over the others. You will have to deal with them as you see fit, even if it means that one or more of your children feel that they have been unjustly dealt with.

So instead of concentrating so hard on being fair parents, may be you should work harder on ways to make your children feel loved.

Managing your Child's Fears

Introduction

Babies are the most wonderful, vulnerable and unpredictable.They live in there own world of fantasy, world which is carefree and fearless. These intrepid explores, go boldly into the great unknown. Then overnight these brave adventurers become scared of their own shadows. They develop the most irrational fears. They are scared of the most innocuous things. Sometimes you can’t help but feel impatient when you see your child screaming hysterically at the sight of a dog or at the sound of the fire engine alarm. The whole thing seems inexplicable.

You have to understand that your child’s early fearlessness stems from the fact that ignorance is bliss. What they don’t know can’t hurt them. This is why the same child that cheerfully put her hand between the jaws of a dog, will later run away screaming at the sight of a barking dog. Somewhere along the way she has learnt that dogs can bite. As the child grows older, her imagination and curiosity develop side by side. She learns the potential dangers of certain actions and objects and the reasons why it is so. As she makes these connections, her awareness makes her cautious and sometimes frightened.

It has been observed that these fears develop more often in children for whom feeding and toilet training have been contentious issues, or in those who have overprotective parents or who have been regularly warned or cautioned against doing certain things. On the other hand, some children are just born sensitive.

Fear of the dark

Fear of the dark is one of the most common childhood fears. This is also a fear that adults can most easily identify with. The average adult is not as confident and even a little shaky in the dark. The lack of the ability to see clearly acts as a spur to the imagination leading most people to imagine that somebody is creeping up on them. If your child is scared of the dark you can indulge her by leaving her bedroom door open or leaving a night light on. Keep her well occupied with games and other activities throughout the day so that she has no time to brood on her fears. In time, she will realize that there is nothing to fear.

Tangible fears

Sometimes children develop fears of tangible things like dogs, cockroaches, the water, men in uniforms, etc. It is not necessary for the child to have had a frightening experience with any of the objects of their fears. It will certainly not help to coerce them to overcome their fear by forcing them to confront the objects of their fears. There is a good chance that dragging your screaming child towards a dog or throwing her into a swimming pool is going to backfire. Children most often outgrow these fears themselves. Sometimes they find that acting out the fear, like pulverizing a stuffed toy dog, is therapeutic.

Fear of death

Some children are scared of death and dying. They cannot understand what happens to their pets or people who die. This is not surprising as adults themselves are confused by death. Adults themselves find it difficult to comprehend the finality of it all and its relation to life. So how do you explain it to a child? Some parents choose to explain death in religious terms. They tell their child that the deceased has gone up to God in heaven. On the other hand, parents can just deal with death by saying that the person was old, weak and too tired to go on living. It is important that parents maintain a casual air and reassure their child that they will be around for years and years to come.

Penis anxiety

Children often exhibit a fearful response at the sight of a crippled or deformed person. This stems from the apprehension that it could happen to them too. The difference in male and female genitalia can be a cause for concern for children. Boys feel that the absence of a penis in girls could mean that something terrible happened and may be the penis fell off. In which case, this makes them vulnerable too. The same thought occurs to little girls. They feel that they have been deprived of this essential body part in mysterious circumstances. Parents should explain that this difference is a given and that men and women are just made differently. The lack of a penis does not make a girl inferior to a boy in any way.

Some children, around the age of two, scream in protest when their stool is flushed down the pot. These children realize that the stool is a product of their body and become quite possessive about it. That is why they sometimes evince fear about flushing the pot because they feel that they are losing a part of themselves.

Fear at the movies

Some parents think that their child would find a trip to the movies a fascinating experience. Picking out an appropriate animated feature, they sally forth with the child. Much to their astonishment, the child begins to wail when the wicked witch appears in the first five minutes and demands to be taken home. Parents must remember that children below the age of seven often find it difficult to separate fiction and reality because of their overactive imaginations. Thus, movies may not be a good idea for children in this age group.

A positive approach

Always keep in mind that while you may not understand the child’s fear, it is very real to her. Ridiculing the fear or chastising your child for being a coward is not going to make the situation any better. Encourage her to talk about her fear. You must instill confidence in her by assuring her that nothing bad is going to happen and that you are right by her side. While it is important to be sympathetic, do not overdo it. Your child may get the message that her fears are justified.