If at first you don't succeed |
 Written by: Amy Levin-Epstein
Try, try again. Here's what to do when you can't help baby feel better.
As the saying goes, the best things in life don’t come easily—and we all know that parenting is one of them. In particular, curing common childhood discomforts and illnesses can be trickier than they first appear. When your primary remedies fall short, turn to these backup problem solvers to fix the afflictions.
Diaper rash
First try: Change baby’s diaper frequently to keep his bottom clean and dry. “The longer bottoms are exposed to stool and urine, the longer you’ll perpetuate diaper rash,” notes New York-based Alanna Levine, MD, FAAP, spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. You can also generously apply a thick layer of diaper cream to create a barrier between your baby’s soft bottom and the soon-to-be wet diaper, suggests Levine, who recommends using a product containing zinc. (She uses Triple Paste for her own children.)
Second solution: If you... |
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How to Choose a Baby Name |
 Your new baby needs a name to begin his journey into life. Read about the serious business of choosing the right name for your baby.
Getting ready to bring a new baby into the world involves a lot of preparatory work. Your baby needs his own clothes, accessories, toiletries, toys, etc. One of the most important requirements though is his own name. Your baby's name will identify him in a crowd and be a word which he will associate himself with for the rest of his life. Your child will not choose his own name. You, as his parent, will select it for him. With such an important decision to make for your child, deciding on a name for your baby should take into account the following factors.
Uniqueness:
Would you like your child to have a rare and unique name? Remember that this name will then make him stand out in a crowd. This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. He will easily recognize when he is being called. At the same time, rare and complicated names have immense potential... |
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 The birth of your baby will soon top the list of most important days in your life.
Its important to make sure you have the right support for such an important event. Years ago, many extended families lived together or near each other in the same neighbourhood. Today, many modern families are spread across the province, the country, and even the world.
Traditionally, communities came together to give support to a family expecting a baby. With todays busy lives, this is less and less the case. An age-old tradition of support is now re-emerging to meet the needs of todays families: the re-emergence of doulas.What Is a Doula?
The word doula means womans servant in Greek. A doula is a woman who is experienced in helping women through
childbirth, and in caring for new mothers and their newborn babies. A doula provides emotional, physical and educational support to the mother and her family before, during and after childbirth.
There are three types of doulas: birth doulas, antepartum... |
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 First of all, relax. This isn't an official motherhood exam designed to assess your fitness for motherhood -- nor is it one of those nasty reproductive biology pop quizzes your high school health teacher like to spring on you, just to see if you were paying attention. It's just for fun-a chance to test your knowledge of pregnancy and babies before you find yourself being put to the test for real....
Here goes.
1. Which of the following gender prediction myths actually contains a grain of truth? "If you're experiencing severe morning sickness, you're probably having a baby girl." "If your baby's heart rate is less than 140 beats per minute, you're probably having a baby." "If the baby is very active, you're having a boy." "If you're carrying your baby high, it's a girl."
2. During baby's first year, you can expect to run up a sleep debt of approximately 365 hours 550 hours 52 hours 104 hours
3. By the time your baby is fully toilet-trained, you will have changed approximately 500... |
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 Birth is a normal life process that one can choose to fear or honour and embrace it with confidence taking an active part in the process. What is normal birth? Lamaze International defines it as nature’s simple plan for birth.
What is nature’s simple plan for birth?
A woman’s body is created to grow a baby, give birth and nurture her baby at her breast. Hormones in the woman’s body orchestrate the succession of these events. Any intervention in this process may cause problems that must be managed with medical expertise. Care practices that support nature’s plan for birth include: labour that begins on its own, freedom of movement throughout labour, continuous labour support, no routine interventions, non-supine (e.g. upright or side-lying) positions for birth and no separation of mother and baby after birth with unlimited opportunity for breastfeeding.
These six care practices are supported by research studies that examine the benefits and risks of medical care... |
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 SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT BIRTH IS NATURAL, NORMAL AND HEALTHY.
A doula at the delivery has been proven to shorten labor,improve mother's satisfaction and reduce the need for painmedications.
Don't allow anyone at the delivery who doesn't have faiththat you can labor without medication. Kick out or do notinvite any "Nervous Nellies."
Do your research by talking to childbirth educators, surfingthe web and reading books on childbirth. You have to know whyand what you want to make this a reality.
CHOOSE A PHYSICIAN WHO IS SUPPORTIVE OF YOUR BIRTH WISHES.
If you will be laboring in a hospital, your doctor can make orbreak your experience to have natural childbirth.
Choose someone wisely who will allow you to have your birthexperience, not theirs.
Plan ahead: Labor is too late to start talking about what youwant.
If you belong to a group of doctors and will not have youroriginal doctor at delivery, you may need to be more aggressivewith your desires.
Be sure... |
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