Category: Care

Does Bed Rest Really Work?

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Bed rest during pregnancy–something that you, or someone you know, has most likely had to do. One of my best friends was on bed rest during two of her pregnancies–for five months each. She would complain, it would be hard, but would you do something different if it meant the life of your baby? Probably not. So, I was very interested in an article that I read on LATimes.com saying that bed rest didn’t really help prevent preterm birth. And the most interesting part? That OB’s have known this since 2004. Read More

Managing Diabetes During Pregnancy

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For women who have diabetes, pregnancy presents some difficult challenges that must be dealt with early on. Not only do women need to be concerned about their own health; they must be concerned about the health of their baby as well. Fortunately, there are a variety of steps pregnant women can take to ensure that they have a pregnancy that is free of problems.

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Is Co-Sleeping With a Baby a Good Idea?

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By Lisa Pecos

Co-sleeping is one of the most controversial issues in contemporary parenting, with some parents advocating it as a beneficial way to encourage parent-child bonding, and others arguing that it is not only unnecessary but dangerous. While there are no easy answers to this question, and both the benefits and the risks of co-sleeping are certainly real in many respects, most experts ultimately recommend moderation. Let us look more deeply at this issue and consider some of the main issues involved.

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Improvement Needed in U.S. Breastfeeding Rates

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By Lisa Pecos

Thanks to widespread educational efforts, most modern mothers are very aware of the importance of breastfeeding their babies, and research indicates that we have come a long way in the past generation. However, according to the most recent CDC Breastfeeding Report Card, we still have room for improvement, especially among certain subgroups in the U.S. Because breastfeeding has huge benefits for young children, we need to continue working on this issue to bring the numbers higher.

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What is Colic, and What Should You Do About It?

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By Lisa Pecos Babies are supposed to cry. Some do it more than others, and all babies cry a lot from time to time, but up to a certain point we usually do not think of babies’ crying as a big deal. Most of the time, it just means that the baby is feeling hungry or tired, and these problems are relatively easy to fix. But there is a certain percentage of babies-estimated to be between 15 and 25 percent-whose crying goes beyond normal. They cry seemingly all the time and are inconsolable, even when they are rested, well-fed, not too hot, and not too cold. Pediatricians refer to babies like this as “colic.” Read More

Essential Items to Have Before the Baby Comes

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By Lisa Pecos

If you are a soon-to-be first-time parent, you are probably already working through your checklist of items you will need for the new baby. But these things can add up quickly, and you have so much to think about right now that it is easy for little things to slip your mind. And it is best to get these things taken care of as soon as possible, because once the baby comes you are not going to have nearly as much time to get your shopping done.

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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Causes and Prevention

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By Lisa Pecos

Sudden infant death syndrome, also known as SIDS, is one of the most tragic and mysterious causes of death among young children. Although the syndrome has been around for thousands of years, we have yet to figure out exactly what causes it. In all likelihood, it results from a variety of factors that may differ from case to case. The good news, however, is that modern research has at least provided us with a set of practices that we can use to dramatically reduce the risk of SIDS in our children.

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Daddy-Baby Bonding: How to Strengthen the Connection

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By Marc Couriol

After nine months of carrying a child to term and then being the primary source of the newborn baby’s nourishment, mothers generally have no difficulty bonding with their babies. Plus, there is that whole maternal instinct thing, which makes many new mothers reluctant to leave their babies’ side for the first few weeks. But while the mother-baby bond is extremely important, the bond between father and child must not be overlooked, and forming a bond during these early stages of a child’s life can be crucial.

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