Successful Breastfeeding - Prepare Yourself!

"I'm going to breastfeed", is a common refrain amongst pregnant women. But what many women don't do is to prepare for breastfeeding beforehand. They simply make the statement and then put it to the back of their minds. The next time the issue arises is often in the delivery suite when the new mum has just gone through the ordeal of childbirth.

When presented with her newborn, the new mum may be exhausted and the last thing she wants is to have anyone else poking at her. The result? All her good intentions to breastfeed become overshadowed when a bottle is produced and the exhausted mum is told that she can try to give a breastfeed later on in the day!

To stand the best chance of successfully breastfeeding, pregnant women need to prepare during their pregnancy. Successful breastfeeding results from careful planning. And the most important way to successfully breastfeed is to give the newborn baby a breastfeed within half an hour of her birth! Not later on!

Being committed to breastfeeding, but not placing too much pressure on oneself, can work wonders! If a new mum pressurises herself she is likely to end up feeling stressed and, as a result, will be more like to give up breastfeeding early. Having a new baby is stressful enough! By preparing to breastfeed whilst you are still pregnant, you will feel more relaxed about it when the baby is born.

The following will certainly aid you in your breastfeeding experience:

Join a Breastfeeding Support Group to chat to new and experienced breastfeeding mums. Ask questions about breastfeeding and enquire if you can watch some babies being offered the breast.

Observe how each baby is put on the breast.

Look at how different mums hold their babies. Getting the right position is essential to avoid early problems.

Also ask for advice about breastfeeding friendly shops and changing facilities!

Read books, magazines or online articles, to find out as much as you can about breastfeeding successfully.

Get measured for a nursing bra when you are around 38 weeks pregnant. Many baby stores now offer this service. Try a few different styles to find one that is comfortable. Also purchase a couple of night-time nursing bras.

Nursing pads are essential for absorbing leaks and avoiding embarrassing stains!

Nursing shells can be very useful on nights out, as they will catch leaks. Or you can use them during breastfeeding to collect milk from the breast not being used, storing the milk for later use.

Nipple Creams can help soothe sore nipples.

Front-opening or Nursing Nightdresses or Pyjamas can make it easier to breastfeed at night.

Loose- fitting tops can be comfortable during the day. Try layering so that your back is not exposed when you are feeding. Or use a poncho or wrap if you feel anxious about breastfeeding in front of other people.

A Breast-pump is a fantastic investment as it can be used to collect milk for bottle feeds, making up first solids or when you are away from the baby to prevent engorgement or ease mastitis. Ask other mums to recommend one they liked.

A V-shaped Cushion can make breastfeeding more comfortable as it offers good support for mums back. Or a Nursing Pillow can be used to raise the baby up to a more comfortable height for mum.

A Steriliser is a compact way to keep baby utensils and breast-pump attachments clean and sterile. Some mums find a Gliding chair very useful, particularly for night feeds.

If you are well prepared for breastfeeding there is no reason why you should not succeed.

Breast-milk is nature's diet for babies; perfectly balanced for a great start to life.

Why Unique baby shower gifts - Are Less Embarrassing

How unique is unique, well to be honest I am not sure but to give a gift with a difference then surely this is enough to say your donation is just that.

Unique baby shower gifts make the giving more pleasurable and less embarrassing in case of duplication. The receiving of a gift given with heartfelt emotion at a baby shower will make the occasion more unique than you could ever imagine from the eyes of the expectant mother.

Future parents who wait in anticipation for birth of their baby occupy their mind in other ways by joining in the fun at the baby shower party. Eat drink and be merry is just one of the top priorities to be fulfilled at joyous events like these but first and foremost is the opening of all the unique baby shower gifts.

By personalizing a gift you have guaranteed a way of ensuring uniqueness. Items like baby blankets, bibs, cuddly toys and baby burp cloths can be emblazoned with special logos, this can be of babys name or initials. Jewelry trinkets make fine donations if presented in presentation boxes personalized with engraved inscriptions thus making this gift unique. Jewelry can be put in a safe place till a later date if baby is not born at the time of the celebration.

The future mother and dad also like to receive gifts. Consider giving them items like diaper - nappy or pram bags, even an article of clothing like a sweat shirt embroidered with a motto. Favoured among many guests invited along to a baby shower party is give a gift basket. Baskets for mother and baby can be specially personalised where you choose what the content is to be. By selecting what the basket is to contain then you have just added a uniqueness to your basket therefore different from all others. Content fillers of a gift basket for the mom-to-be are gifts of maternity clothes etc. And for dad the most unique gift of all is the price of a pint to wet the babys head

Where do you go to find a unique baby gift - well, the first place to look is in your head for ideas. Be creative with your thoughts, then have someone make - build - bake what ever it is you have in mind. What will make your gift donation different from any other is the sheer fact that it was given by you

Serious Birth Disorders And Baby Issues

When you're pregnant, you worry about every little thing that could go wrong. Thankfully, most babies are born healthy. There are, however, some serious birth disorders that you should be aware of, in the unlikely event that your baby is affected.

· Spina Bifida – This is a condition where the backbone, which protects the spinal cord, does not close properly during prenatal development. This condition can range from being a minor problem, if the opening is tiny, or can cause paralysis and other serious medical issues if the opening is large, or if the spinal cord itself is protruding. The exact cause is not known, though heredity does seem to play a role. So does nutrition, particularly when the mother does not have enough folic acid in her diet. Obstetricians have begun recommending folic acid supplements for women who are pregnant or who could become pregnant, and this has lowered the rate of this disease. You will probably be tested for spina bifida during your pregnancy. Many times it can be diagnosed in utero using ultra sound. Sometimes, surgery can even be performed on the baby in utero to correct the problem.

· Tay Sachs Disease – This disease is caused by an enzyme deficiency. Simply put, these babies do not break down fatty deposits in the brain and nerve cells. Unfortunately, it is not usually diagnosed at birth. When the child is several months old, this buildup of fatty deposits will clog cells, causing the baby's nervous system to stop working. The child will begin to regress developmentally, always resulting in death. Tay Sachs is very rare, less than one hundred cases are reported in the US each year. It is caused by genetics. Both parents must have the gene for the disease to occur. It is most common in Jewish families of Central and Eastern European descent. If your ethnic background makes this disease a risk for your child, you and your partner can be tested for the gene before you become pregnant. In addition, the disease can be diagnosed in utero via amniocentesis.

· Down Syndrome- Down Syndrome is the term given to a set of symptoms that indicate some degree of mental retardation. Children with Down syndrome have a distinct set of facial features, a large tongue and a short neck. Down Syndrome varies widely in the degree of mental retardation that it causes. Some children are highly functional; others will require constant care. Down syndrome affects about one in 1300 babies in the US. It is most often caused by an extra chromosome coming from the mother or father. Down syndrome is more likely to occur when parents have already had a child with the birth disorder, and when the mother is over 35 years in age. Down syndrome can be detected via amniocentesis, which is why this test is common protocol for most pregnant women over the age of 35.

These are three of the most common birth disorders. To find out about more birth disorders, see my article in "Mommy to Mommy – The Truth about Taking Care of Baby", which can be found at http://www.educatedmother.com.

Diapering 101 - How To Fold And Use Cloth Diapers

Let's skip right past the great diaper debate and assume that you've read what there is to read, done your soul-searching, and made your decision - and for your baby, it's nothing but natural against that tender skin. Whether your decision is ecological, economical, or based on something else entirely, you've decided on cloth diapers for baby. Now it's time for Diapering 101 - how do you turn a rectangle of cloth into a comfy cover for the little cherub?

Wash the diapers first

First things first. Never diaper your baby in a brand new cloth diaper straight from the plastic wrapping. Between the natural cotton and the manufacturing process, new diapers have a 'waxy' coating that cuts down on their absorbency and can irritate baby's skin. Toss all your new diapers into the washer and run them through five or six cycles with detergent, bleach and the hottest water you can muster. If you've got a clothesline and a sunny day, that's the best way to dry them.

Folding Diapers

You thought you had made your last choice when you picked cloth, did you? Think again. There are even more choices in 100% natural cloth diapers than there are in the disposable diapers aisle at the supermarket. Pre-folded, padded, flat-folded, nappy-style, all-in-ones, all-in-twos - it's enough to make your head spin just trying to absorb it all. Add to that the choices in diaper covers - plastic pants? Nappy covers? Wool covers? Velcro, pin or one of the novelty diaper fasteners? For the purposes of this Diapering Baby class, we'll assume that you're using plain old flat-folds - a simple rectangle of absorbent cotton that may have a quilted layer running down the middle for extra absorbency. Here are several different methods of folding diapers, courtesy of moms, grandmas and the DyDee Company.

The Angel-Wing Fold

1. Lay the diaper lengthwise on the changing table. Fold the sides of the diaper in to the middle to form an absorbent pad.

2. Fold a few inches down at the front.

3. Unfold the sides at the back of the diaper, fanning them out.

4. Place the baby on the diaper, and pull the front up between his or her legs.

5. Holding the front against his belly, bring both sides of the back around to the front, and pin in place, pushing the pin through a few layers of diaper. You don't have to go all the way through the diaper so that the pin is against baby's skin.

Bikini Twist High-Cut Fold

1. Lay the diaper flat on the table.

2. Turn ONE END of the diaper completely over, twisting the diaper at the midpoint to form an absorbent pad.

3. Put the baby on the diaper (or the diaper under the baby, whichever is easier).

4. Pull the front of the diaper up between baby's legs.

5. Pull back corners of the diaper around the baby, over the front corners and pin securely.

Double-Diaper For Heavy Wetters

1. Use one regular diaper and one infant size diaper. Lay regular diaper on table. Place infant size diaper in center.

2. Fold sides of infant diaper in, then fold sides of regular diaper in to cover the infant diaper.

3. Fold a few inches of the diaper front up, then fan the back of the diaper out to form angel wings.

4. Plop the baby in the middle of the diaper, and proceed as for the angel wing fold.

Whichever fold you choose to use, cover the whole thing with a diaper cover, smooch the little tyke and send him back off to play with a warm, dry bottom.

Mommy & Baby: Keeping Tabs On Baby’s Growth

Lactation difficulties are not completely prevented by using PDF; you are rested and eating properly, your baby is getting enough food and growing, and your life is relatively predictable. So you might think that you're immune from production issues, right? There are many more factors which play in to milk production that just the ones I listed.

Factors that can affect milk supply include:

 Amount of sleep a mother receives  Mom's diet & nutrition  Her state of mind  Mother's age  Whether this is her first child or sixth  Mom's desire to breastfeed  Her capacity to nurse  A mother's nursing techniques  Her baby's ability to properly latch on

If you're nursing, keeping tabs on your baby's growth is incredibly important—your baby's life depends on it. How will you know if he's getting enough milk or nutrition? Unfortunately, the breast tissue isn't transparent and we cannot see exactly how much milk your baby is drinking or your body is producing. Fortunately, there are other ways to achieve our goal.

In the first week of life, your baby will receive colostrum before your milk comes in. Not only is this rich in antibodies and helps your baby's immune system develop, but it helps him pass his first stool—meconium. This is a black, tarry substance and will be in the first diaper or two after birth. He will transition to a brown substance and then as your milk comes in, to a mustard yellow stool that is watery or loose. A bottle-fed baby will pass stools that are firmer and more clay-coloured than a breastfed baby.

Within 24-48 hours, your baby should start having wet diapers, increasing to two or three per day.

As your baby works at sucking colostrum and then milk, you should hear a pattern of "suck, suck, suck, swallow." This will be rhythmic and there will be no "clicking" noises—clicking indicates that your baby is improperly latched and potentially isn't getting a good amount of milk from you. If you hear this, unlatch him from your breast and re-attach him. If it continues, talk to your pediatrician.

In the second and subsequent weeks of life, you should also notice 6-8 wet diapers a day in addition to at least 3 stools per day. His urine should be clear (not yellow), and he should be gaining alertness as each day passes. He should also be growing and gaining weight—weight gain is the surest sign of healthy growth. Any two days in a row of deviation from the growth indicators listed should be reported to your pediatrician immediately.

Must Have Supplies For A New Baby

All parents have gone through the same apprehensions when a new baby arrives on the scene because no one can prepare oneself beforehand for the baby. It is almost certain that not matter how much how have strived to put into place everything for the new born; a few things might just get missed. But there is always a valid reason behind it. For parents who are expecting the, wait is considerably exciting, and they tend to lose track of the everyday requirements. Welcome to this article, expectant parents, and get a closer look at what you may want to have for your new infant.

When you are making your home ready for your new born, the usual place to start from is the nursery. Typically, the crib will be the first primary object or furniture that you will purchase for your infant. Take care to check that the crib you buy fulfills all the compulsory and legal safety norms. Again, you should spend money on a good mattress for the crib, because your baby would be spending more than seventy percent of his time lying there at least in the first year of his life. Another thing to look for is bedding, and it involves the discretion of your private taste. Remember to get a cover for the mattress too. You can also invest in a changing table if you so desire since its not very critical. A must-have for your baby's nursery is a baby monitor which you should not ignore to buy at all.

Now comes the question of baby supplies. It is true that parents instinctively understand the needs of their babies, yet it will do no harm at all to sometimes take a breath and reflect on the choices now and then. There are so many choices out there and they all are very popular. Always buy soap and shampoo that is gentle on the skin, since chemicals and perfumes can be damaging on a baby's young and new flesh. You should also use a soft, natural and a good quality moisturizer for the baby. A few parents find it necessary to apply powder on the baby's bottom to keep it from getting damp. Get hold of a baby powder that is devoid of talcum powder. Find one with a cornstarch base because otherwise it can be fatal if inhaled.

After you put into place all the required items and the necessary furniture, you can give a thought to the fun and entertainment aspect of the nursery. While it is true that the world itself is as an oyster for the baby, full of new discoveries and wonder, it will do the baby good to have some toys and playthings to keep himself entertained. A mobile would be a good choice for the baby lying for hours in his crib. Soft toys like bears and bunnies can be very interesting and it will be more so if they can provide sensory experiences too. As your child gets older, teething toys would become a part and parcel of his life. Go ahead and splurge on the toys available on the market for your baby, but be sure to check out the safety guidelines and consumer reports for specification about recalls.

Baby Shower Centrepieces - Cunning Beats Creativity

So many ideas for baby shower centrepieces can leave you in a turmoil not knowing what to pick to display on the day. Centrepieces used for baby showers were traditionally flower arrangements. Floral pieces on show would come beautifully arranged in a basket or a crystal holder.

Remember the theme for the baby shower when choosing what flowers to have for the centrepiece. A good idea is to try blending in personal items in and around the arrangement. Colour is another important factor we don't want the table laden with pastel lemons and whites only to throw in a big red bloom. Another issue to focus on is selecting the right flowers.

Flowers are one of natures beauty alongside your newborn, blossoms picked by you for the baby shower will enhance the occasion with an essence so sweet filling the air.

Personal items for the flower basket centrepiece can include baby novelties like cuddly toys these can be bears and bunnies to baby clothes.

Have you considered preparing and making up your own baby shower centrepiece, if this is out of your league then buy one, expect to pay approx 35 pounds upwards all depending on the design and content i.e. whatever goodies you choose to place inside the basket. Baby shower centrepieces can come in edible form such as a baby showers cake. If a diaper cake is your decoration for the middle of the table then you have to remember these are not for consumption. Diaper cake is actually made up of diaper/nappies. It is a fabulous and practical idea for a baby shower centrepiece.

Another tip and cost effective for a centrepiece is to place a plant on display not only does this do the trick but you get to keep the plant for a long while after. Try placing some baby extras around the pot like baby linen, towels what ever you feel is best suited It has been known that fishbowls have been used to decorate the table at baby showers, floating candles, beads or flower petals were added to spice up the look.

Liven up the occasion with colour add balloons they are cheap and ideal for the baby shower party. Try tying a few brightly coloured bows around cuddly toys. Silk flowers scattered around a neat tower of baby linen or candles encompassed by baby soaps and smellies. Do be careful with candles.

Creativity creates a more exciting centre piece I hear, I don't think so not if you are on a budget.

If you are struggling to meet the cost of a baby shower centrepiece then cunning it has to be. Here is how it is done spruce up the table with more colour by adding floating balloons, action the whole content of the table with so many different little gifts brightly gift wrapped. And a definite guarantee to distract eye contact away from the non absent centrepiece is to place plates of cream filled cakes here and there; the centrepiece will not even be missed.