Baby Health Blog

The first trimester of pregnancy is said to be the hardest because a woman has to become accustomed to the changes in her body and as the body adjusts to the baby inside the mother will feel nausea, fatigue, backaches, mood swings and stress.  Most of the signs go away as the pregnancy advances. These are some of the symptoms you may feel in the beginning of your pregnancy:

Tiredness:  When you’re pregnant you may feel very tired even if you’ve had a good night’s sleep.  Many women find that they’re exhausted all the time during the first trimester. This is nothing to be worried about and is merely the body’s sign of telling you to give yourself more rest. The tiredness will go away in some time and there will soon be a feeling of energy and well being.

Nausea and vomiting: This is referred to as morning sickness during pregnancy and is extremely common during the initial stages. It however isn’t limited to the morning and these symptoms usually go away after the first trimester.

Frequent trips to the bathroom: It is common to frequent the bathroom during pregnancy. This is because the growing uterus puts pressure on your bladder which causes you to urinate more frequently. Unless things get complicated there is no need to be worried.

Dizziness: It is quite common to feel lightheaded and even faint during pregnancy because there is lot of blood flowing towards the uterus and legs. This can be reduced by moving around instead of sitting in the same position.

Constipation: As you pregnancy advances you may become constipated. This happens as your uterus is expanding and can be helped by eating fruits, vegetables and drinking lots of water.  Try avoid caffeine as it makes your body lose fluid and worsens constipation.

Giving birth to a child is one of the most fantastic episodes of a woman’s life but there are many challenges in motherhood and caring for a baby is hard work. There are a million questions in a mother’s mind when she just has a baby such as how much to feed the child, how often to feed it, what to do when it begins to cry etc etc. These questions are overwhelming but you will get through them with a little help from family and friends and your partner. During pregnancy your body has experienced a lot of change and will continue to do so for the next few months so it is important that your body get some rest and recover from the past 9 months.

The first few days that you spend at home after the arrival of the baby are meant to give your body rest and allow it to recuperate, both mentally as well as physically. You need to take time out to focus and think about the new arrival in your family, the relationship that you will form with it and getting to know and understand your baby. Even though there will be a lot of excitement among family, friends and acquaintances, it is necessary that you do not allow that to get to you and instead try your best to rest your body. At such a time forget about all your other household tasks as eating, sleeping and caring after your baby is more than you will be capable of at this stage.

This is perfectly acceptable behavior from a young mother and you can use this time to try to pace out your schedule.  Take a nap while the baby naps so that you are rested. Babies tend to have unpredictable waking hours so you should get yourself accustomed to your baby. Allow others to help you around the house so you can spend maximum time with your baby.

Many pregnant women face the dilemma of whether to take medicines when they are carrying a baby. Though most medicines administered to the mother do not enter the fetus’ body, some are known to cause damage and result in birth defects. The risks are greatest during the initial stages of pregnancy when the various organs and body parts of the fetus are forming.

Most over the counter drugs are though to be safe during pregnancy although there is no way to be certain. Most drugs in the market presently however have a label telling you whether they can be safely taken during pregnancy or not.  In addition to medicines it is also advisable to stay away from things like alcohol, tobacco and caffeine during pregnancy.

Whether or not to stop medicine during pregnancy can be quite a tricky question because if a pregnant woman stops taking medicines that she should, it could harm both her and her baby. For ex if you get an infection and it goes untreated your baby and you both could end up with severe complications. So whether to take medicines in a situation like this is quite a difficult decision to make and something you might want to consult your doctor on.

Another thing you might want to stay away from are herbal medicines. Though most of them say that they are safe and sometimes even conducive to pregnancy, the truth is that you never really know. Many of these products contain certain agents that may harm the growth of the fetus and result in irreparable damage. So before you take any unknown medications, be sure to first consult your practioner.

Drugs can also be harmful or harmless depending on your medical condition and the progress of your pregnancy. Take care of yourself and make an informed decision.

When you’re expecting a baby what you eat is very important and affects the baby. When you are pregnant you should eat foods that contain vitamins and minerals and other necessary nutrition that will help your baby grow. Starting healthy eating habits before the birth of your baby will go a long way in ensuring his/her good health.  This is what your diet should be like:

Fruits and veggies: An expectant mother should have many servings of fruits and vegetables which include a daily dose of vitamins and minerals. This includes fruits like strawberries, melon, papaya, oranges which contain plenty of Vitamin C and green vegetables like spinach, broccoli etc which contain a lot of Vitamin A, iron and folate etc.

Dairy Products: Three or four servings of daily products are essential for a pregnant woman. Both the mother as well as the baby require calcium for their development. Daily products also have vitamin A &D, B vitamin which aids growth and helps build resistance to diseases.

Whole grains and cereals: You should have around ten small servings of whole grain products which will give your body and your baby’s body the iron, B vitamins, certain proteins and minerals and fiber that the body needs. It should also contain folic acid which is very important to pregnancy.

Proteins: Pregnant women need about 60 grams of protein everyday. This can be had from meat also but the meat shouldn’t be uncooked or undercooked. Eggs, nuts and beans are also a good source of protein and should be had regularly.

You also need a lot of folic acid, iron and water for your baby and you. Iron helps your baby’s bones grow stronger and helps keep your blood healthy.  Folic acid prevents birth defects and water carries the nutrients from you to the baby.

So eat healthy for a healthy baby and healthy mom.  

Prenatal care means taking care of yourself before the baby is morning. It is important to start getting care early in your pregnancy and follow up visits to the doctor. It is important for the baby’s as well as your own health that you don’t miss your appointments. Also do everything within your power to keep yourself and your baby healthy during the pregnancy.

Prenatal care is extremely important because a doctor can examine you and if he finds a problem early on it can be treated as soon as possible. Other problems can be prevented by regular care and it is essential for the health of both the mother as well as the baby.

Whether it is your first pregnancy or you have already had children it is still important to take care of yourself. It is necessary to eat a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, grains and calcium. At this point it is necessary to eat rich food and in most cases it is necessary to get in at least 30 minutes of physical activity.

When you are pregnant it is important that you absolutely stop smoking, drinking or using drugs. These things can cause harm to your baby in the long run. Though it isn’t easy you should take your doctor’s help on how to abstain from the substances.

Before taking any medications it is important to consult a doctor or practitioner. You should also stay away from x-rays and saunas and hot baths because they could harm the fetus inside. It is also important for the pregnant mother to stay away from toxic chemicals and also limit their caffeine intake.

There is also no need to stay away from work until the final stages of a pregnancy because a little bit of activity is advised and needed for the health of the mother.

Having a baby is one of the greatest joys in the world but it is also a full time job. So you have to be thoroughly prepared for the birth of your child. Plan in advance, choose a doctor, do all the things that you shouldn’t wait until after the baby’s birth to do. Consult a local pediatrician and fix up interviews. There are a hundred things that you will need to have done after the baby’s birth such as immunizations, frequent check ups to monitor health, growth, weight etc and you certainly can’t weight until the baby is born.

When your baby is on the way you must check whether everything at home is in order. This doesn’t just mean that you should have furniture and clothing for your baby, but also its general well being. Make sure the house is safe for a baby to live in. Make sure there are no sharp edges on furniture or if there are then pad the edges so that your baby doesn’t get hurt. Make sure that there are no small, harmful particles and the like and that your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are in place so that you can rush your baby to safety in case of an emergency.

Check your baby shopping list to see if you have everything you need. You will need the usual things like clothes, diapers, napkins and wash cloths and other such things for regular use. Try to keep a few stocked because babies require changing several times a day. Ask relatives and friends about what brands to buy etc or you could also consult governmental agencies on the necessary items.

Even if you can’t afford all the brands and goods out there the thing to be remembered is that the most important thing for your baby is love and support.

Making your child eat is always a problem. Even more so when it comes to vegetables. Ever seen a kid eating broccoli or zucchini without it being forced into his mouth? Kids refuse to eat broccoli, zucchini, spinach, green beans, peas or anything that is green. Every kid is a picky eater when it comes to eating greens and the way a parent deals with this is very important.

Make you child accustomed to green vegetables from the very beginning: The mistake most parents make is introducing green vegetables very late into their child’s diet. When a child is a couple of years old he is old and smart enough to know that greens do not look good and they refuse them. Greens should be made a part of a toddler’s diet so that a child is not averse to greens. A child should be introduced to a variety of food groups earlier on (like fruit and vegetables) so that you don’t face problems of refusal earlier.

Another thing that parents can do to make their child eat is to disguise green vegetables or other vegetables that a child dislikes in other forms of food. You could put vegetables in other dishes so that it is disguised and the child does not know about it and yet gets all the necessary nutrition. You could try things like spinach pancakes or asparagus in crepes so that later on a child realizes that vegetables could be yummy. Put vegetables in noodles and soup instead of just giving a child vegetables on their own. Try deserts with fruits such as apple slices or banana dipped in chocolate sauce. Slice up a lot of fruits and sprinkle them with a few blue berries or the like or pour some chocolate sauce over it.

There a things you can do to make you child eat up without making a fuss.

Babies are the most special things in the parents’ lives and bring new joy and light into the world. Make sure that your little bundle of joy is healthy and well looked after. In the first year of the baby’s life it is very important that you make regular visits to the doctor to continuously keep a check on your baby’s health.

Things that need to be done during the first year of the baby’s life:

Regular visits to the doctor: It is essential the visit the baby’s doctor regularly in order to monitor the baby’s health and progress. A baby’s height, weight, head circumference etc are measured so that it can be assessed how to baby has been doing since its birth. The newborn’s hearing, vision, reflexes and general awareness is checked as a routine to see the baby’s progress. After that a total physical examination is done to check for abnormalities, whether the organs are functioning properly etc. The baby’s feeding and nutrition habits are discussed and the doctor may make suggestions. Further the home environment is discussed and if the environment is not conducive to the baby’s growth, then changes are suggested. Also the doctor will inform parents about what changes and growth will come about in the baby in the immediate future.

Moreover it is necessary that babies receive all the vaccines and immunizations that will protect it from diseases and affect its health and growth. Various vaccines like Hepatitis B, Polio etc are given to keep the child safe. Periodic vaccinations may also be required as the child goes on.

It is also important to breast feed the baby for a reasonable amount of time because a baby gets important anti bodies which protects it from diseases.

Keep a check on your child’s progress, monitor its health and nutrition and make sure your baby remains healthy and happy.

Toys are a child’s best companion as he is growing up. A child spends almost all his waking hours playing with dolls, stuffed animals or later trucks and cars as he is growing up, while girls play with dolls and doll houses. It is essential that a child’s toys be appropriate to his age and that is where the parent’s discretion and common sense comes in.

For an infant who is just a few months old it is necessary that the child only be given stuffed toys to play. Anything which is hard and sharp could hurt a child and this can be very dangerous. Moreover toys with many small parts have to be avoided as the child could swallow something which could then get lodged in his system and harmful and painful complications to the child. For a baby who is just a few months old parents to purchase soft toys and animals for the child.

When a child gets to the age of around one brightly coloured blocks and bigger toys like trucks and cars and dolls could be purchased. By this time a child has observed the world around him and has better motor coordination and is unlikely to get injured by such things.

As children get older the toys that the play with should be varied according to the gender of the child. Small boys can be given action figures, cars and trucks etc while a small girl should be given dolls, small furniture and such things which interest her and her playmates. An effort should be made to make play time as educational as possible with teaching aids and other toys that educate children. Children also should be introduced to books with pictures which are attractive & at the same time help them learn. 

Extreme care needs to be exercised as far as play things for children are concerned.

It’s never easy being a single parent. There are many families all over the world that consist of one parent and a child or children. Being a single mother or a single father means that one person has to perform dual roles which can be extremely challenging and leave the parent feeling like he/she is lacking. Very often, especially in the initial stages of a child’s life it is very important for a child to have both parents, but this is not always possible. Due to this very often some children face emotional problem up to teenage or perhaps their entire lives.

Though very often it is out of the control of the parents and splitting is very hard on the entire family, most people manage to pick up the pieces fairly well and move on in life. A single parent can to a certain extent fill up the absence of the other parent in a child’s life.

Most single mothers these days multi task. They work sometimes even doing a couple of jobs and manage to make it home to be with their children in the evenings. Though it can get very stressful for such parents, it is extremely helpful if there is a support system in place for her, for ex- parents, siblings and friends. In such cases one of these may fill in for the mother when she is absent.

There are many single fathers these days and many of them do an excellent job of raising their children. They send their children to school and then arrange for a babysitter so that the child is looked after until they return home from work.

It is never easy for a single parent but the key is to spend time with children and make them feel loved. It is also essential for the parents to make the children understand that it was not the child’s fault that the relationship between the adults fell apart. Though a child will always feel the absence of a mother or father, if the others are supportive and there is a caring and loving environment around them, children will get over the trauma in due course of time.