I just read about a really great idea! If you’re heading out somewhere – the parade, a theme park, on vacation, or anywhere - you can order a personalized temporary tattoo with your cell phone number on it to help keep your child safe. I know with especially my toddlers, they don’t know enough yet to understand why they must stay within sight, and it could be so terrifying to look away for a second and they disappear. Safetytat.com is the website. It’s like 20 bucks for 30 stick-on tattoos. Who comes up with this stuff? Just thought I’d share!
Call your pediatrician if… May 1, 2008
Warning signs for a newborn baby:
- Any under-the-arm temperature above 99.4 or below 97F
- Any yellow or yellow-green discharge from the eye
- Concerns about jaundice – a yellow color of the skin and whites of the eyes
- Concerns about the circumcision including bright red bleeding, swelling, foul discharge, or inability to urinate
- Concerns about the cord – bright red bleeding, foul odor, inflammation, or pus
- Your infant’s behavior changes and he/she is very sleepy and listless
- Your newborn feeds less than 7 or 8 times in 24 hours, or has very few or no wet diapers in 24 hours, or continues to have black stools by the 5-6th day of age
Post-partum Warning Signs May 1, 2008
- Oral temperature above 100.3F
- Sudden onset of severe pain in incision, perineum, or abdomen
- Bleeding heavily enough to soak a large perineal pad in an hour or less
- Passing a clot larger than an egg followed by heavy bleeding
- Inability to urinate or pain, burning, or urgency with urination
- Putrid smelling vaginal discharge
- Opening of cesarean incision or foul or bloody discharge from the incision
- Swollen, red, painful area on leg (especially the calf) that is hot to the touch
- Tenderness and red, warm area on breast, especially with fever, flu-like symptoms
- Feelings of severe depression or anxiety – desire to harm yourself or your baby
Exercises for pregnancy May 1, 2008
1) Squatting
This exercise stretches and tones the perineum and thigh muscles.
Instructions:
Your feet should be flat on the floor, about 18 inches apart. There should be room for your arms to be between your knees. Tail out, squat, place elbows between your knees and press outward. Remember to keep feet flat on the floor. Do ten of these each day.
2) Legs-Apart
This exercise strengthens the abductor muscles of the thigh muscles which are used to pull the legs apart. This is necessary for second stage labor.
Instructions:
Mom, assume a sitting or lying down position (use a pillow under head if lying). With coach’s hands at sides of mom’s knees, press knees against the coach’s hands and open legs apart and down as far as possible. The coach should exert just enough resistance to cause her to work at it. When she has opened as far as possible, give her a gentle stretch downward. Do a set of 10 each day.
3) Taylor Sitting Stretch
This exercise rests the back and makes the delivery positions more comfortable.
Instructions:
Sit cross-legged on the floor, back rounded and relaxed. To stretch ligaments, place hands on knees, while the soles of your feet are together and pulled in as close as possible to your body, press gently but firmly, trying to touch your knees to the floor. Do several of these stretches each day.
4) Kegel Exercises
This exercise strengthens and gives control over muscles of the pelvic floor, allows relaxation of pelvic floor during delivery of baby, aids healing and prompts comfort of stitches and prevents permanent relaxation of muscles of the pelvic floor.
Instructions:
Start a good flow of urine, then try to stop it in mid-stream by tightening the pelvic floor muscles. After you get the feeling of which muscles to tighten, you alternately relax and contract the muscles slowly, similar to going up and down an elevator- tighten floor by floor as tight as possible then relax floor by floor until you push slightly in the “basement”. Do this 5-10 times, several times a day.
5) Pelvic Rock
This exercise reduces sway back and backache, helps to lift the baby out of the pelvis and off your bladder, thereby relieving pressure caused by gravity pulling the uterus down when you are on your feet. It can also help prevent premature labor.
Instructions:
Get on all fours, legs apart. Arch your back up and lower your head. Push your back down towards the floor while raising your head up (control your back, don’t just let abdomen fall). Do this any time your back hurts and work up to 80 to do every night just before bedtime for a better night’s sleep.
6) Abdominal Breathing
This is a slow, relaxed, peaceful breathing used for the first stage of labor. It goes hand-in-hand with relaxation and is termed sleep breathing or diaphragmatic breathing.
Instructions: In the nesting position, lightly “bulge”your abdomen when inhaling, then let it sink back when exhaling. Coach, gently put your hand next to her abdomen without actually touching. As she inhales, her abdomen should rise to meet your hand.
7) Relaxation
Coach, assist the pregnant mom into the nesting position with plenty of pillows. Massage her, head to toe, with smooth even pressure. Mom, close eyes to block out distractions. Use touch relaxation and finish with tail-bone massage. Do this every day, preferably in the evening. Trade the touch relaxation massage with your coach at least once a week.
8 ) Breath Holding
This breathing is used for the second stage of labor.
Instructions: Take three relaxed full chest breaths. Let the first two out, hold the third. Upon holding the third, drop your chin on your chest and hold the breath as long as possible. Coach, time the breath calling out 15 second intervals. This gives her a mental map of where she is. Mom, if you can’t hold your breath for the full 60 seconds, quickly lift your head to open the airway, exhale, inhale and put chin back on your chest and hold your breath. Be careful not to let the air dribble out. This is wasted effort. Coach, you should start counting from the start of the first breath to 60 seconds.
9) Contraction Simulation
This exercise is for learning how to maintain complete relaxation while the uterus is contracting with full strength.
Instructions: Mom, assume the nesting position, eyes closed. Concentrate on complete relaxation. Breathe with slow, open-mouthed abdominal breathing. Concentrate on maintaining total relaxation throughout simulated contraction. Coach, check her for relaxation. Count off 15 second intervals. During this time hold her arm, leg or wherever it is best for her with your hand. Slowly tighten your hold reaching peak strength at 30 seconds, then slowly release your hold over the next 30 seconds. Be careful not to let go too soon.
Fetal Kick Count February 14, 2008
You should be feeling your baby move every day by about 20 weeks. It is important to start keeping track, because a reduced fetal kick count can indicate fetal distress and/or dysfunction of the placenta. By 36 weeks, it is best to do a count every day.
Here’s how: Choose the time of day when your baby is often moving the most. (Usually shortly after you eat) Lie down on your left side. When you feel the baby move, note down the time. Count every kick or movement until you get to ten. (Each separate movement - for example, the baby kicks and rolls at the same time, that counts as two movements) At the tenth kick, note the time again. The test is now completed. Most often your baby will move ten times in 10 or 20 minutes.
Call your doctor right away if:
-
Your baby has not moved 10 times within an hour or two.
-
It takes longer and longer each day for your baby to move ten times.
-
You have not felt the baby move all day.
Call your doctor if… February 14, 2008
For pregnancy:
Please notify your health care provider if you experience any of the following:
-
Any vaginal bleeding
-
A gush or leak of liquid from the vagina
-
Fever or chills
-
Persistent nausea and vomiting
-
Pain, burning, frequency of urination
-
Back pain
-
Swelling of face, fingers, feet
-
Changes in vision: blurring, spots, dimness
-
Severe headaches
-
Abdominal pain and/or contractions
-
Absence of movement (fetal kick count to ten)
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding January 30, 2008
(Author: La Leche League International)
This is the one book you must read! If you only get one book, get this one. It has helpful instructions and very valuable information to help you succesfully breastfeed your baby. My mom got a copy for me before Lexi was born, because hers was so important to her in breastfeeding me and my four brothers. The first edition was written in 1958, so it’s definitely tried and true to be around for so long; but mine is the seventh revised edition, released in 2004, so you can be sure all the info and research is completely up-to-date.
So much information! Whenever you have questions or problems, it’s really easy to go look for the solution from a trusted source. There are many personal stories and examples included from women all around the world.
The quote from the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services that is printed on the cover says it all – “Babies are born to be breastfed!”
Breastfeeding Saves Money & Helps the Environment! January 30, 2008
On top of all the other wonderful benefits of breastfeeding, here’s a few more facts I’ve learned recently ~
- Studies show that breastfed babies have fewer (and/or less severe) illnesses, ear infections, and urinary tract infections, among other things. This is not only a health benefit, but saves you a lot in payments to doctors, hospitals, prescriptions, labs….let alone effects on health insurance costs, and government health programs that spend our tax money. In addition, other studies have shown that breastfed babies respond better to getting vaccinated than formula-fed babies. The common thinking seems to be that human milk plays a huge part in the baby’s own immune system development.
- Figures from 2004 estimated that it cost between $1160 and $3915 per year to buy infant formula. With rising prices, it is likely much more today.
- Miscellaneous costs- Electricity to prepare, sterilize, and heat the formula. Buying and washing bottles. Gas to run to the store when you’re out of formula. Having to buy an extra can if you are out somewhere and forgot to bring formula. Usually solids are introduced earlier and fed more often when not breastfeeding, and that equals buying a lot of extra baby food.
- In 1996, the Colorado WIC (Women, Infants, Children) program (for low-income mothers to get food supplements for themselves and their children) calculated that if 50% of the mothers in the WIC program nationwide would breastfeed their babies for 5 or 6 months, America could save about 9.3 million dollars per month!
- It was reported that the US government spends over $600 million a year to provide formula for its WIC supplemental food program. WIC actually provides free infant formula to 37% of all infants born in the USA.
- For every 3 million formula-fed babies, 450 million tins of formula are used. This results in 70,000 tons of metal waste, in most cases not recycled. The manufacturing of the packaging of artificial baby milk creates toxins and uses paper, plastic, and tin.
- From the American Academy of Pediatrics: “In addition to individual health benefits, breastfeeding provides significant social and economic benefits to the nation, including reduced health care costs and reduced employee absenteeism for care attributable to child illness. The significantly lower incidence of illness in the breastfed infant allows the parents more time for attention to siblings and other family duties and reduces parental absence from work and lost income. The direct economic benefits to the family are also significant. It has been estimated that the 1993 cost of purchasing infant formula for the first year after birth was $855.”
- Women who exclusively breastfeed, on average, don’t start their periods until about 14 months after giving birth. Multiply this by the four million US births each year to see that over one billion sanitary products annually could potentially be kept out of our nation’s landfills and sewers. (The cost to you would vary depending on what type of product you buy.)
- One study determined that producing one kilogram of formula in Mexico costs 12.5 square meters of rain forest.
It’s just interesting to me, why do so many people look past such a high-quality product, that is superior to anything you can buy in a store? Something that could potentially save your baby’s life, and if nothing else, will probably make him healthier and more intelligent because of it. It will save you thousands of dollars, and did I mention IT IS FREE?! You will save the government money, and conserve some of earth’s resources, and prevent pollution. God knew what He was doing when He sent the milk with the baby.
Sources: La Leche League International, Breastfeeding.com, AAP.org/policy, thesimpledollar.com
Husband-Coached Childbirth January 29, 2008
(Author: Robert A Bradley, MD. ) If you want to know some of the foundational principles of where our “natural childbirth” method began being taught in this country, this is such a great book. It gives no-nonsense information, straight from the original source. There are several updated editions available.
It is an especially good book for coaches to read to understand their role, and be informed about how they will best be able to help in the pregnancy and laboring, and even after.
Seth’s “Birth”-Day January 28, 2008
With our second child, Ryan and I still wanted to take the childbirth classes again, even though it hadn’t been that long since the first time. I love that my husband is so involved and takes his role of coaching very seriously. We can both always use more information to be healthier and gain more knowledge and even have helpful reminders of things we may have already known……but, ok, honestly, mostly I love going to class once a week to get a nice relaxing massage. I’ll admit, that was my motivation when I didn’t really feel like getting my huge pregnant body out the door. 
But, no, really, it is all very important, we are very grateful for all the preparation and advice we got out of it.
So, my second birth experience had a few things in common with my first. They were both 4-5 days overdue. They were both fairly large (8lb4oz & 9lb11oz). And they were both uncomplicated, unmedicated, wonderfully natural labors. Oh yes, they were both a lotta hard work too!
Well, I had been having a lot more Braxton Hicks contractions this 2nd time around, but other than that, I had no real warning signs working up to my labor. One autumn Sunday afternoon, we were just spending the day at home, and Ryan was outside raking leaves. Lexi had been playing outside with him, and as she was coming inside, I bent down to help her take off her dirty shoes at the front door. Suddenly, I felt a water balloon burst in my pants. No kidding, that’s what it feels like. Only it’s a big water balloon, and it’s coming from inside you. I was still standing at the door, so I yelled to Ryan, who was still outside, “Ryan! MY WATER JUST BROKE!”
And, I will never forget his answer, as he froze, rake in hand, standing next to the wheelbarrow. “Are you sure?”
Needless to say, yeah, I was pretty sure. So, we threw several large bath towels on this gigantic puddle and mopped it up a little, got ready to go, grabbed the hospital bag, called my aunt to come get Lexi. It took us almost half an hour to get out the door, and the contractions which had started when my water broke, were starting to get a little harder. I was still not even in full blown concentration to deal with them, but I could feel them. But I knew that we still needed to get to the hospital because of losing my bag of water.
Well, we still had to go through triage, and they said, yes indeed my water had broke. (Duh). So by the time we got checked into the room, and people were starting to arrive (we had made calls while we were driving in), my labor was progressing pretty rapidly. It got really intense really quickly. I was having a little trouble keeping my breathing controlled, I think because it just came on so hard so fast, and I didn’t get a chance to really work up to it. I was struggling with some mild hyperventilation, and getting frustrated by that. At one point, I wanted to change positions a little so that Ryan could get at my low back to do some counterpressure, so I got on my knees on the bed and turned around to lean over the head of the bed. Well, for some reason, that was easier to breathe! And, it really helped to have Ryan massaging my back. (His arms were pretty tired by the end. Good thing it was a pretty quick labor!) Well, after a little while, which of course felt like a long while, they said I was fully dilated They had called the doctor to get down there, now, so I turned back over to get into an easier position for pushing. It all happened pretty quick then, the doctor came in, I started pushing, I remember the crowning hurt really bad (they don’t call it the “ring of fire” for nothing), even though I didn’t tear or need an episiotomy or anything. And within a couple of pushes, there was my baby boy!
He was so chubby, and perfect, and had dark fuzzy hair (which incidentally all fell out later). Yes, I did say 9 pounds 11 ounces earlier! But, as my bigger baby, he was actually much easier to get out. And, as with Lexi, he had those same huge bright eyes. He was so alert, and looking around. He had no problems latching on to start nursing.
Altogether, the total time of my being in labor was about 3 hours or so, I think. It was surreal, how fast it went. My water broke sometime around 4pm, and Seth was born a little after 7pm. It was so funny a little later after he was born, and our families were like, “Uh, ok, I guess we’ll just go on home now…..” Because usually a labor that starts in the late afternoon is going to go on all night, we were all not quite sure what to do with ourselves.
Well, I really missed my Lexi, and so we decided to let her just go on to bed where she was that night, and just get home as soon as possible in the morning. So, we had a good, quiet night, then jumped throught all the hoops and got checked out first thing the next morning (a little earlier than is usually allowed). We laughed when we got home and saw Ryan’s rake still leaning in the yard where he dropped it, and said we should take a picture of it, and call it “are you sure?”
The difficulties of labor do quickly fade from memory, as the reward that is now in my arms takes all my attention, and steals my heart. I am so thankful for these precious blessings entrusted to my care.
