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Preemies

Staying On The Ball!

You may be one of the many pregnant women who use a birthing ball to exercise and strengthen your back. Unfortunately, most do not utilize the benefits of their birthing balls until they have gone into labor. Midwives recommend birthing balls to pregnant women because they encourage you to maintain good posture by balancing on them. By sitting on the ball you are forced to sit properly so that your back is well aligned and this relieves your back of pressure which is especially helpful later on in your pregnancy. Birthing balls are sometimes used to encourage your unborn baby to move into the correct position enabling you to be more comfortable during labor. You often see them in maternity wards. Continue reading

The Perils of Meconium

Meconium is your baby’s first poo! It has the consistency of treacle, it is odourless and unlike later offerings it is sterile. It is very dark and almost impossible to wipe clean. Meconium consists of water, mucus, amniotic fluid, lanugo which is downy baby hair and also intestinal epithelial cells. For most babies it is just their first poo (one of many!) and means a very gooey first nappy but in some cases it can be a cause for concern. Continue reading

From Milk to Formula to Solids: Helping Baby Transition

By Lisa Pecos All major American pediatric and health organizations strongly recommend breastfeeding babies for at least the first six months of life. The American Academy of Pediatrics, one of the preeminent authorities on such issues, recommends that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first six months and regularly breastfed for the first year or as long as it is comfortable for both mother and baby. There is abundant research showing that breastfeeding is the healthiest way to nourish an infant. And though formula can be good, the mother’s body naturally produces the right milk for the baby throughout the stages of early development. Continue reading

Getting an Infant to Sleep: Strategies for Parents

When it comes to getting an infant to sleep, there are many factors that parents have to balance. They have to balance the child’s personality and preferences with the recommendations of doctors and parenting guides-and these two things are seldom perfectly aligned. They have to balance the child’s sleep schedule with their own schedules. They have to figure out how to regulate the child’s naps so that he or she sleeps the proper amount during the night. And in addition to these issues, there may be other, unexpected factors that come into play. All in all, figuring out how to give your child healthy sleep is one of the biggest challenges of the first several months of parenting.

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How to Put Your Baby to Bed Safely

It can be an emotional mix of relief and anxiety when you put your newborn to bed. Relief for the well earned break you are about to enjoy and anxiety as you listen to every breath and look for every movement your baby makes. You need to know you are putting your baby to bed in the safest possible way. Remember that cot death or sudden infant death syndrome is very rare and you can reduce the risk even further by following the sleeping advice from the experts detailed below.

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Caring for a Premature Baby

A baby who is born before the due date is a premature baby. Babies often do not arrive exactly on their due date, but if your baby comes into the world a week or so early, this does not mean he is premature. Premature babies are usually kept at the hospital until they are strong enough to go home and the doctor is satisfied that there will be no health problems. Continue reading