Showing posts with label parents playbook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parents playbook. Show all posts

Sunday, November 7, 2010

How To Deal With Nausea During Pregnancy

Find out which foods work best for you.

By: Kenrick Austin

If you have even a passing interest in the topic of nausea during pregnancy, then you should take a look at the following article. This enlightening article presents some interesting information on the subject of nausea during pregnancy.

Nausea during pregnancy is common problem that expectant mothers face. Most pregnant women will experience nausea during the first trimester, but some women have problems with nausea throughout their entire pregnancy. While there are the few lucky women who will have no nausea at all during pregnancy, if you are among the majority who do, here a few ideas that can help dramatically reduce the nausea you feel.

On thing you can do to help control nausea during pregnancy is to not allow your stomach to become empty. It is a much better idea to snack all day long than to eat three large meals. When you are feeling ill, eating will be the last thing on your mind. You may not even want to look at food.

However, if you do not eat regularly, your blood sugar levels can drop and actually increase nausea during pregnancy. You should avoid simple carbohydrates such as sugar and candy. Instead, choose whole grains and proteins as these foods will remain in your stomach longer and help prevent your blood sugar levels from spiking.

Drinking plenty of fluids will help prevent nausea during pregnancy. Making sure your body remains hydrated during pregnancy is essential and can also help reduce the nausea you may feel. Dehydration can actually increase nausea during pregnancy. You should avoid soda, caffeine, fruit juice, and coffee. Instead try plenty of water and decaffeinated beverages.

It's really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of nausea during pregnancy. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas.

Expectant mothers have a great deal of anxiety and stress in their lives. Keeping yourself calm and relaxed during can help reduce nausea during pregnancy . Try talking with your spouse and other expectant moms about the stress and worries that you feel. Pregnancy can tend to make you feel isolated from the rest of the world and increase the stress you may be feeling.

If you are feeling anxious and stressed about labor and delivery, reading and educating yourself on the subject and becoming aware of what you can expect during each stage of your pregnancy and delivery can help you feel more comfortable with the changes that are taking place within your body and help you feel less anxious about the labor and delivery process.

Many expectant mothers have found that a prenatal massage from either your partner or a professional helps calm the nerves. Exhaustion can have a negative impact on your body and your mind during pregnancy. A lack of rest can increase nausea during pregnancy. Sleep and rest whenever possible during pregnancy. This will help you feel better in general and help reduce nausea.

Following these simple tips can help relieve some of the discomfort and nausea during pregnancy. Keep in mind that nausea affects the majority of pregnant women at some point during their pregnancy. However, if the nausea you feel becomes unbearable or debilitating, contact your doctor immediately.

If you've picked some pointers about nausea during pregnancy that you can put into action, then by all means, do so. You won't really be able to gain any benefits from your new knowledge if you don't use it.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Baby Sleep Training – Putting Baby to Bed

 

The parent who tries to get their baby to sleep at night, often get very little sleep themselves. Some parents get exhausted trying to get their babies to fall into a regular sleeping pattern. Unfortunately, baby sleep training is a reality that all parents will have to face if they ever want to get some rest at night. Baby sleep patterns are different from infant sleep patterns, and can be approached in many different ways. Are you losing a lot of sleep wondering how to train your baby to sleep alone? Would you like to get a break and get some well deserved rest? Then the following recommended methods should be of some help to you.


Intervention techniques

You probably noticed that when you first arrived back home with your new infant, the baby slept most of the time and woke up for regular feedings. An infant's behavior is predictable and usually follows a pattern of sleeping and feeding. When babies get older however, they tend to stay awake for longer periods of time, and sometimes they will keep you awake for long periods of time until you can train them to sleep regularly on their own. After more than a few sleepless nights you will want to try some intervention techniques that will help your baby transition into a predictable pattern of sleep. The intervention techniques described below will all work, which one you want to use will be your own personal preference.

Get Baby Used to You Leaving: The Ferber Method

The Ferber method teaches the parent to wait until the baby begin to show signs of fatigue, and then put them to bed and leave them alone in the room to go to sleep on their own. The parent does not return to the room for five minutes, even if the baby cries. When they have consoled the baby and leave the room again, they will wait for ten minutes before returning to the room. The process is repeated adding more time between returns, until the baby has fallen to sleep. Parents will continue the process on day two, but will extend the amount of time before returning to the room until they have learned to sleep without them.

Ferber Method Alternatives


An alternative to the Ferber method is the gradual parent removal method, and this simply means that you will stay with your baby when its bedtime. A chair is set up next to the crib for the parent, and for the first two nights parents will wait until baby falls asleep. The third and forth night are spent a little farther away from the baby. The process is repeated until the parent can leave the room.

Babies Crying Themselves to Sleep

 Some parents choose the cry out method that just lets the baby cry themselves to sleep. This is a difficult task for the parent who wants to consol the baby after long crying spells.

Enjoy the infant sleep patterns while they last, before long you will be losing some sleep. The baby sleep training methods described in this article should put your problems to rest in no time. Parents can rest assured that when the baby sleep patterns become regular, they will be able to rest themselves.
Read more at http://www.articlealley.com/article_1784378_40.html?kcplink=1

Friday, October 1, 2010

Frequently Asked Questions about Epidural Anesthesia

Epidural anesthesia is the single most popular form of pain relief used during labor and is utilized by more than 50% of woman. The procedure uses multiple doses of local anesthetic administered directly into the epidural space that surrounds the spinal cord to relieve the pain of child birth. There are benefits and disadvantages to this form of pain relief. So, here is a list of frequently asked questions about epidural anesthesia:

 What should an epidural NOT be used?

An epidural should not be administered if you have a low platelet count, use blood thinners, have a blood infection, or are hemorrhaging. An epidural won't be administered before you are 4cm dilated, or if the labor is moving too fast.

 Does an epidural hurt?

The position you have to be in may be uncomfortable, although you don't have to be in it for long. Some women experience some discomfort during the administration of the anesthesia, usually there's a feeling pressure as the catheter is being placed.

 What are the side effect of epidural anesthesia?

The most common side effects observed are  nausea, shivering, ringing in the ears, backache or soreness at injection site, or difficulty urinating.

 How does an epidural affect my labor?

An epidural can cause your labor to slow down, or stop altogether, and may make contractions weaker. If this happens Pitocin may be administered to help speed your labor back up.

 What are the advantages of an epidural?
  • in cesarean sections the use of an epidural is safer than that of general anesthesia.
  • provides great pain relief while the mother remains alert.
  • very little of the medication reaches your baby.
  • allows rest during prolonged labor.
 What are some disadvantages of an epidural? 
  • decreased ability and urge to push.
  • makes you unable to walk or stand while drug is in effect.
  • may cause your blood pressure to drop suddenly.
  • frequently requires the use of a urinary catheter.
 What are the risks to the baby?

Very little of this anesthesia reaches the baby, but some risks-though rare-develop. Including, respiratory depression, short-term irritability, and increased chances of fetal distress.

 What are the risks to me?

The risks associated to the mother include fever and a drop in blood pressure. Also, some women experience a severe headache postbirth or long term backaches.

 Are there other forms of pain relief offered for labor?

Yes, some pain relief options include analgesia, spinal anesthesia, IV or shot, etc. All forms of pain relief during labor offer advantages and risks to both mother and child, so check with your doctor to see what method is best for you.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

What To Expect During Your Second Trimester of Pregnancy.

So you survived morning sickness and got more used to that growing belly, now its time for the easiest few months of your pregnancy. This section will overview your second trimester, broken down by the month:

Month Four of Pregnancy:

During the second trimester you’ll notice your body change shape due to weight gain, average weight gain during weeks 14-17 is close to 15 lbs. Even though the nausea that accompanied the last few months should be gone you will start to fell other symptoms. These include: increased appetite, change in body appearance, milky discharge, nasal congestion, heartburn, and trouble sleeping. Your baby is now about the size of a melon, you will also feel a hardening under your bellybutton because the placenta will now be fully formed. Towards the end of this month you should start to feel movement from your baby.

Month Five of Pregnancy:

During the fifth month your pregnancy will become more real, this should be when you start making plans for adjusting your life around having a child and start preparing for the baby. Your belly will become more rounded, making it almost necessary to switch to maternity clothing. You will also be feeling more achy and fatigued, and may experience soreness and backaches. Also, you may get swelling in hands, legs, feet, and face. Doctors visits may become more frequent around this time, and you will also have to decide if you want to know the sex of the child before he is born.

Month Six of Pregnancy:

During month six there will be a noticeable increase in your baby's size and you should be able to feel the baby move on a regular basis. In month six other people may be able to feel the stronger movements or kicks of the baby. This month can get a little overwhelming emotionally after all the overwhelming changes to body and mind in the last 6 months. Prenatal care will be especially necessary now that you're getting closer to your due date so it's good to be comfortable with your physician or mid-wife by now, so that they can give you tips and pointers to making the duration of your pregnancy more comfortable.

You've now reached the last trimester. Good luck!