Breastfeeding is like a hike through the woods: Natural, but not always simple. In fact, it can be challenging, breathtaking, and full of the unexpected.

The hormones can be intense

Oxytocin:

This powerful hormone is responsible for breast milk “letting down,” or moving to the front of the breasts. And it also happens to be the same chemical released in the brain when a person falls in love, says Laura Viehmann, assistant professor of pediatrics at Brown University and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatricians. No wonder you couldn’t care less about all that spit-up and poop! You’re too busy swooning.

Breastfeeding helps (some) women lose their pregnancy weight

The nursing weight-loss plan doesn’t work for everyone. Some moms find their metabolism slowing to a frustrating crawl. “I nursed my son for 27 months
In fact, in a poll of BabyCenter moms, 40 percent say breastfeeding didn’t help them drop pounds while 60 percent say it did. Interesting….. and it didn’t help me lose weight. Then I lost 15 pounds within about two weeks after weaning,” one mom reports.

Your breast milk is perfectly tailored to your baby

Imagine if every single time you were hungry, you were served a delectable, satisfying meal that contained the perfect balance of electrolytes, fats, and nutrients for your body at that particular time. Amazingly, your breast milk gives your baby exactly what she needs immunologically as well.  The components of the milk shift so that it always complements whatever antibodies the baby is low on at that particular time. This is why breastfeeding can actually keep your baby from getting sick. Welcome to your baby’s world!

Nursing Pillows help make this experience a more relaxed and comfortable one!

Many of us know the benefits of vaccinating our babies, but then there are the possible risks that seem to have parents on pins and needles these days.  Does the same apply to preemies?  This is a good question, and one I had to research pretty quickly as there has been ongoing confusion if vaccinations are safe for preemies since they are not as developed as healthy newborns. Here is what I found:

According to the Labor of Love,  “just like a newborn, the decision to vaccinate your preemie is entirely up to you.” But, and this is a big but, if you decide to get your preemie vaccinated at two months old, you should take every precaution possible as they are at an “increased risk for respiratory and/or heart side effects.” This is why waiting until more than two months after they are born to have them vaccinated is recommended. Because so many preemies have multiple health conditions, getting them too many vaccinations all at once can put them at great risk of continued health problems, which you most definitely want to avoid.  Studies do show that “preemies do have the worse reactions to vaccines just within 48 hours than other babies.”

I guess the best overall advice to any parent with a preemie is to just wait until your preemie is older to avoid those medical and health risks. Again, it is up to you what you choose to do, but don’t forget to ask your preemie’s pediatrician for advice before going forward with any vaccinations.

For more information, check out Tundraco’s Daily Living Guide.

Source: Labor of Love

Image: Wikimedia Commons

For new parents, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) lurks in the backs of their minds until their children reach their first birthdays. A lack of answers is what makes SIDS so scary and what keeps researchers motivated to find these answers.

In 1997, the Back to Sleep Campaign was launched, encouraging parents to place their little ones on their backs to sleep. Since this campaign was started, the rate of SIDS has dropped by half. But there is still much to be learned about SIDS and researchers are now pointing toward gender.

About 60 percent of SIDS cases are baby boys. A new study published in the magazine Sleep suggests that infant boys are more easily roused while sleeping when they’re 2 to 4 weeks old, prompting parents to place them on their stomachs to sleep easier and longer. However, it’s this type of heavy sleeping that puts babies more at risk.

By the time male infants are 2 to 3 months, there is no significant difference between baby boys and girls. Researchers and pediatricians continue to educate parents on the importance of putting their infants on their backs to sleep. Medical experts in this field are always conducting studies, as they feel that the more information they have to educate parents, the more likely parents will be to cooperate.

Not only does sleeping on the belly cause a longer, deeper sleep that puts babies at risk, but studies indicate that babies aren’t getting enough fresh oxygen when sleeping on their bellies. The oxygen is recycled and doesn’t allow the baby’s brain to be alerted that something isn’t right.

For now, it’s important for all parents to place their children on their backs to sleep. When your little one starts rolling over however, you don’t have to worry about the sleeping position that he or she ends up in. And by the time your child reaches his or her first birthday, the risk of SIDS is gone.

Other ways to help decrease the risk is by putting your child to bed with a pacifier, turning on a fan or opening a window, breastfeeding and eliminating smoking and drinking.

Image c/o Officer

Stress is a part of life. We all endure it, most on an everyday basis. For pregnant women, stress is typically increased due to hormone levels associated with pregnancy. You may find yourself in a state of depression or worry – this is perfectly normal. However, if the depression becomes overwhelming, you should seek professional help immediately.

The most common fear for pregnant women is that something is, or will be, wrong with the baby. Most babies are born without complications. Doctors have very advanced method of testing for birth defects or disorders before the baby is even born. Also, when it comes down to the big day you need to remember – you are surrounded by professionals. If you are worried about labor pains, do some research. Read books and articles on different relaxation techniques. Talk to your physician or midwife about different pain management alternatives. Another common fear in expectant mothers is losing your dignity while in labor. This is because you are imagining yourself spread wide open in front of a room full of strangers — relax. They are not new to this. Many doctors and midwives have delivered thousands of babies, you aren’t any different from the rest.

There are several things you can do to take the stress off of your back. The main thing is to speak up. Talk to other mothers and listen to their embarrassing stories. This will likely make you feel more comfortable. Listen to their impressions, fears, sensations, pains – anything you have a question about, just ask.

Packing for your big day

As you enter your third trimester, it is time to prepare for labor and delivery. One part of the preparations is to do pack what you will need for yourself and the new baby in a bag ready for the hospital so that your things are ready to go if you have to leave suddenly or if you are too flustered to pack when labor begins.  If you want until the last minute, you’re bound to forget something.  So take a cue from the scouts and be prepared!

Our suggestions for packing for the hospital on the big day:

-         Insurance information, hospital forms, and a signed birth plan if you have one

-         Toiletries for yourself and your significant other or birth coach, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, face wash, deodorant, and anything else you consider essential

-         Camera, cell phone, and chargers for both

-         Snacks and/or change for the vending machine (the hospital cafeteria may close or you may be craving something specific that they do not stock)

-         Something soft to pull your hair back such as a ponytail holder or headband

-         A going home outfit and receiving blanket for your infant

-         A bathrobe, sweater, nightgown, and/or blankets from home, as hospitals are often chilly

-         A pillow, sheets, or other things from home that will make you feel more comfortable during your stay at the hospital

-         Maternity underpants and nursing bras, even if you do not intend to nurse because they have pads that will help with any leakage and be more comfortable to your tender breasts

You never know when you’ll need it

Pack your bag by the time you have reached 35 weeks so that you are all ready to go. If you are worried about bringing too much, don’t be – better safe than sorry, and your comfort is the most important concern!

Every woman wants to know when!

When a woman is trying to get pregnant, it can be tempting to want to take a pregnancy test as soon as you think it might give a positive response. However, although today’s pregnancy tests are incredibly sensitive and can, in some cases, indicate a pregnancy several days before you miss a period, it is hard to know when you should take a pregnancy test.

The 5 main factors that influence when a test will give an accurate response:

1. Test sensitivity. Some of the tests on the market are more sensitive than others, and a more sensitive test will be able to detect pregnancy at an earlier stage than one that is less sensitive. Both are highly accurate, so a positive reading on one is just as reliable as a positive reading on another, but more sensitive tests can be done sooner.
2. Liquid Consumption. If you have had more fluids than normal when you take the pregnancy test, it will be harder for the test to detect the hormone that indicates pregnancy (hCG).
3. Time of day. Tests taken in the morning are less likely to be influenced by factors such as liquid consumption, but if you wait until later in the day the fetus may be producing more hCG as it grows.
4. Rate of hCG production. Some fetuses produce more hCG than others. If yours is a little slower, it will take longer to get a positive result on a pregnancy test.
5. Ovulation timing. Unless you know exactly when you ovulate each month, counting the days since your last ovulation can be an uncertain calculation.

Understanding the link

Implantation is a word you have probably never heard before, or if you have, certainly not something that you actively think about when considering your potential pregnancy.

However, if you are wondering when you can take a pregnancy test and get an accurate result, implantation plays an important role in determining the answer. Whether you are worried you might be pregnant or trying to conceive, knowing how a pregnancy test works will allow you to approach the process with more clarity.

How it works

After a woman releases an egg during ovulation and it is fertilized when it meets sperm, the egg travels to the uterus. The uterus will be home to the baby while it develops.

However, in order to move on to the next stage of development, the fertilized egg must attach to the wall of the uterus, a process referred to as implantation because the egg is implanting in the uterine lining. Once the egg has implanted, it is a developing fetus, and it releases a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG. This hormone is only released once a fetus has implanted.

Since it is such a unique hormone, it is the one that pregnancy tests are looking for, whether you are using an over-the-counter urine test or your doctor is testing your blood in his office.

What does this mean for pregnancy?

So what does this mean for your pregnancy test? Basically, if you take a test before the fetus has had a chance to implant and to start producing sufficient hCG, you can get a false negative. This means that either the egg is still floating around the uterus or that there is not enough hCG production yet to trigger the positive response on the test. In either case, the test will say you are NOT pregnant even though you ARE!

Every woman wants to know when!

When a woman is trying to get pregnant, it can be tempting to want to take a pregnancy test as soon as you think it might give a positive response. However, although today’s pregnancy tests are incredibly sensitive and can, in some cases, indicate a pregnancy several days before you miss a period, it is hard to know when you should take a pregnancy test.

The 5 main factors that influence when a test will give an accurate response:

1. Test sensitivity. Some of the tests on the market are more sensitive than others, and a more sensitive test will be able to detect pregnancy at an earlier stage than one that is less sensitive. Both are highly accurate, so a positive reading on one is just as reliable as a positive reading on another, but more sensitive tests can be done sooner.
2. Liquid Consumption. If you have had more fluids than normal when you take the pregnancy test, it will be harder for the test to detect the hormone that indicates pregnancy (hCG).
3. Time of day. Tests taken in the morning are less likely to be influenced by factors such as liquid consumption, but if you wait until later in the day the fetus may be producing more hCG as it grows.
4. Rate of hCG production. Some fetuses produce more hCG than others. If yours is a little slower, it will take longer to get a positive result on a pregnancy test.
5. Ovulation timing. Unless you know exactly when you ovulate each month, counting the days since your last ovulation can be an uncertain calculation.

Breastfeeding is both an incredibly special opportunity and an enormous responsibility for mothers. However, when mom’s start to feel run down, they often wonder if they should still be breastfeeding their baby even though they are sick.

However, as the sole source of your child’s nourishment during these
important early years, mothers must also be careful to eat a balanced diet and avoid potential toxins that could be transferred through breast milk. This can be difficult when a mother gets sick because it is harder to separate the safe medicines from those that could be harmful.

Don’t let normal illnesses get in the way

Generally, it is safe for mothers to continue breastfeeding when they become ill with common sicknesses such as a cold, flu, fever, or stomach bug. The baby has already been exposed to the virus during the time spent together nursing.

Your body makes antibodies to the illness that can be passed to the baby through your breast milk, so it is a good opportunity to build the little one’s immune system. However, you will want to be careful when selecting medicines to alleviate your symptoms.

Keep the following tips in mind, and of course, if you have any questions, ask your doctor.

• Avoid long-lasting formulas that will stay in your body and your breast milk longer than necessary
• Skip the extra-strength option, it has more of the active ingredient
• Treat only the symptoms you have rather than taking a multi-symptom medication
• Take the medication after you breastfeed and only as often as you need it

If you have other concerns, or a more serious illness such as HIV or Hepatitis, speak with your doctor as breastfeeding may be unsafe for your baby.

Maybe, but let’s look at why it can happen

While good health is always important, it becomes particularly important to keep a close eye on your health during a pregnancy. Not only are you responsible for the development and growth of another person, but you may face unusual or unforeseen health issues as a result of the demands pregnancy places on your body.

For this reason, it may be disconcerting to see that your cholesterol levels are higher than usual both during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

Normal fluctuations

The good news is that these elevated cholesterol levels are entirely normal. Most pregnant women see a decrease in their cholesterol during the first trimester followed by higher levels for the remaining two trimesters.

The higher levels often persist while the mother is nursing.

The cholesterol is produced by your liver, which receives hormonal signals telling it to make more cholesterol than usual because you are pregnant. It does not reflect an unhealthy diet or poor health choices.

Cholesterol is important for babies

Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that plays an important role both during pregnancy and nursing. It contributes to neurological development in the infant and is an important way to transfer energy. Cholesterol is able to hold a great deal of calories and can be completely digested by the infant after he or she is born, making it a great way for the baby to get the nourishment and energy needed at this time.

Additionally, the higher levels of cholesterol do not pose a threat to mothers during this period because the cholesterol is used by the body and transferred to the child rather than remaining in arteries to cause problems.