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Massage is Good for Babies

  • Posted on March 13, 2010 at 3:35 am

Premature babies are exposed to numerous stresses in intensive care nurseries, including loud noises, bright lights, blood drawing, and invasive procedures. Stress can have negative effect on these babies’ immune systems. Massage therapy can be beneficial because it lowers stress and improves their immune system.

Massage promotes growth and development in premature infants. Prior to birth babies are physically stimulated while in their mother’s wombs.

Premature and low birth weight babies are usually placed in incubators or open beds, are are connected to several monitors. This situation makes it very difficult to touch them as often as full term babies are.

The University of Miami’s Touch Research Institute has reported for over twenty years the benefits associated with infant massages. It increases the baby’s resistance to infection by stimulating the immune system. Also, massaged babies experience an accelerated weight gain.

Massage also raises oxytocin levels, a hormone that possess pain relieving abilities and a calming effect.

A review of 14 randomized research studies involving premature and or low birth weight babies was conducted.

The review included studies in which a control group of babies that did not receive massage. The were compared to the babies who did. The babies, in most of the studies were massaged for about 15 minutes, three or four times a day, for five or ten days. The studies determined that that babies receiving massage experienced more weight gain (about 5 grams), were discharged from the hospital faster, had slightly better developmental test scores and experienced fewer complications. Massage did not have any negative effects. While it is a time consuming process for nurses to provide, parents can perform it without extensive training.

Benefits for Babies:

*Enhances weight gain

*Helps the baby to become more organized

*Assists the baby in becoming more alert and interactive with others

*Helps start oral feeding earlier (rather than tube feeding)

*Promotes healthier bones

*Supports infant-parent interaction

*Promotes weight gain in preterm infants

* Lowers levels of cortisol, the stress hormone

*Improves muscle tone

* Improves sleep and awake patterns

*Shortens hospital stay

*Improves cognitive and motor development at eight months of age

* Infant massage is an inexpensive tool

*Can be used as part of the baby’s developmental care plan

Benefits for Parents and Caregivers

* Provides all of the important ingredients of the parent-infant bonding and attachment: eye-to-eye, touch, smell, movement, voice and temperature regulation.

* Encourages pre-verbal communication between infant and caregiver

*Helps parents feel more competent and confident in caring for their children

* Helps parents to reduce their stress, if they are working and must be separated for their child for extended periods during the day

* Provides parents with one-on-one quiet time or interactive play with their children

* Creates a regular time of intimacy between parent and child

* Increases parents’ self-esteem by reinforcing and enhancing their skills as parents, and validates their role

* Gives parents the tools for understanding their child’s unique behavior and patterns

* Teaches parents how to read their infants’ cues and recognize their states of awareness

Gives parents a precious way to interact with their children who may be hospitalized. It helps parents to feel a greater part of the healing process

* Daily massage helps parents to unwind and relax

* Provides a positive way for fathers to interact with their infant child

Learn more about holistic family health. Stop by Dr. Elaine Ferguson’s site where you can find out all about infant massage and what it can do for you.

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What Is A Pregnancy Sign That Could Mean You Have Finally Fallen Pregnant?

  • Posted on March 11, 2010 at 2:24 pm

It can be a very exciting but frustrating time when you are waiting to find out if you have fallen pregnant or not. For those couple of weeks before a positive result will show in a test it is just a waiting game and it seems to last forever.

There are some signs that you could look out for that may be an indication that you are pregnant. Let’s take a look at some of those pregnancy signs.

Feeling lightheaded – I recall with my third pregnancy I wasn’t trying to fall pregnant at the time and so I wasn’t really looking for signs, however one day when I was on my feet most of the day I started feeling quite lightheaded and had to rest and that is when I started getting my suspicions. I then started doing the math and realised that my period was a few days late (which was quite unusual as I was always regular to the day). The following day I went and did a pregnancy test and sure enough it had a positive result. So if you are feeling a little lightheaded then that could be a sign that you might be pregnant.

Nausea or morning sickness – another early pregnancy symptom is morning sickness or nausea and contrary to the name, morning sickness can occur at any time of the day and for some women it can go on all day long. Some women will physically vomit with morning sickness while others will just have the nausea feeling.

Missed or late period – if you are usually quite regular with your menstrual cycle then the absence or lateness of a period could be a pregnancy sign. If you have just come off the pill or are under a lot of stress then this might not be such a reliable symptom. Also, if your menstrual periods aren’t usually all that regular, then I wouldn’t rely on a late period being a pregnancy sign.

Sore or tender breasts – breast size will usually increase throughout pregnancy but sore or tender breasts can happen quite early on in the pregnancy. This is often one of the earlier tell tale signs of being pregnant.

Need to urinate more often – this is also one of the early and quite common signs of pregnancy. Frequent urination usually happens early due to hormone changes and will also happen late in pregnancy due to the baby putting pressure on the bladder.

Mood swings – mood swings and irritability can also be a sign that you are pregnant as the changing of hormones happening in your body are enough to send any woman into an irritable mood.

Spotting – it is reasonably common for women to have some spotting at the time when their menstrual period would have occurred. This is only light spotting and much lighter than a normal menstrual period. You shouldn’t bleed anymore after this spotting has finished and if you do you should see your doctor immediately.

If you are lucky you won’t suffer from too many of these symptoms, and hopefully they wont last too long. If you do have any of these pregnancy sign and suspect that you might be pregnant then I recommend that you visit your doctor to find out for sure.

If you are pregnant, I wish you all the best for your pregnancy and for a beautiful, healthy baby that will bring joy into your life.

Falling pregnant is such an exciting time and it is often unbearable waiting for the day to come when you can take the test to find out if you are pregnant. Visit Pregnancy Conception to find out more about increasing your chances of becoming pregnant.

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Baby Crib Bedding Sets

  • Posted on March 10, 2010 at 6:12 am

To make a baby comfortable and safety, a mother usually bought many essential items for their beloved baby. When they see the baby smile, they will remember the time when they trying to find the perfect items for their new born baby. Even though there are a lot of cute little outfits, the choice goes to crib bedding because this Baby Crib Bedding Sets is the most important items for their new born baby.

Most babies spend at least 18 hours a day sleeping, so the safety and convenience of the baby with all the baby furniture around should be the main considered.

Here I would like to share with you about criteria in choosing baby crib bedding sets:

1. Safety It is very recommended for babies under 12 months to do safe bedding practice. All Baby Crib Bedding Sets and all accessories such as mattress and bumpers covers all must be tight and fit right to avoid the babies from getting tangled in loose bedding. Protective bumpers which used around like crib railing have to fit tight and securely fastened and in baby furniture cribs, pillows are not recommended or allowed.

U.S. Consumer Product safety Commission have issued the important safety points that I would like to share with you:

* Place baby only on a firm tight-fitting mattress in a crib that meets current safety standards.

* Comforters, quilts, sheepskins, pillows, pillow-like stuffed toys, and other soft products should be remove from the crib.

* A sleeper or other sleep clothing can be considered to be used as an alternative to blankets, with no other covering.

* When using a blanked, you must put baby with feet at the foot of the crib. Tuck a thin blanket around the crib mattress that reaching only as far as the baby’s chest.

* During sleep, always be sure your baby’s head remains uncovered.

* Do not place baby on a water bed, soft mattress, sofa, pillow or other soft surface to sleep.

* Always keep the baby safe because they are very precious.

2. Comfort Use only natural and breathable fabrics. Generally materials made of cottons are very good as they could delicate the skin of the baby, breathable when covers and also help regulated the baby body thermostat in any condition.

3. Beauty In order for you to find the right patterns and colors that you desire to fit with your baby’s room dcor, Baby Crib Bedding Sets come in specific themes. There are also specifically for cutest little baby girls and also boys crib bedding. And they are also available in neutral tones with lovely style for soothing and unique baby bedding sets.

Most of the new parents very enjoy the time they have spend in preparing their baby needs, take your time choosing Baby Crib Bedding Sets that meet criteria as mentioned above and of course as you desired.

Looking to find the best deal on baby crib bedding sets, then visit baby-furniture-cribs.us to find the best advice on baby furniture cribs for you.

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Baby Bassinets – The Most Special Heirloom

  • Posted on March 9, 2010 at 12:18 pm

Tucking their beautiful newborn into a pretty bassinet is women fantasize when they start a new family. As alternative to baby furniture cribs, Baby Bassinets are always priceless family heirlooms and handed down from generation to generation because they are classy and very elegant. But when there is no vintage wicker baby bassinet in family, you don’t have to worry about that as bassinets can be buy in the baby furniture store and they are available in every design imaginable, from delicate lace, old fashioned to modern plastic. If the parents are looking to create an heirloom then choosing the right one is very important as they are endless.

This luxury item commonly use by an infant only for the first new month. Baby bassinet is made of a wicker base and for the most bassinets they are classic elegance. Baby Bassinets serve the same purpose as baby furniture crib but they are much more stylish.

Here are some essential qualities that parents need to be aware of in no matter which type of bassinets they are looking for:

* The bassinet have to have a wide, sturdy base and it should not be fragile and wobbly.

* Old bassinets have to be check before use because as years of use can weaken the joints of the base.

* Bassinets should be used with extreme caution if there are pets or other small children in the household because they tend to tip more easily than a crib.

* The mattress inside the bassinet should be relatively firm and fit snugly.

* The mattress is too small if more than two fingers can fit between the bassinet and the bassinet mattress.

* For convenience, the bassinet hood should be retractable but on an antique baby bassinet, this is often not available.

There are so many companies have made Baby Bassinets in a variety of price and of course they are affordable just to indulgent their customer. a wide range of models are offered and each more regal than the last. Common Baby Bassinets are white but now they are also available in variety colors such blue and pink and some of them also made of oak wood, sturdy and large wheel on the bottom to added convenience.

There are varieties of brands with economy models but these cheap baby bassinets are often lack the beauty and elegance of the more expensive model because they are geared more toward function than elegance and beauty aspect.

Baby Bassinets can easily be stowed away in pristine condition in awaiting the next child to use it since they only used for a short period of time. A bassinet is something that can and will always hold a special place in the heart of parents as one of the first pieces of furniture that a baby can use and it also can be hand down from generation to generation of babies and become the most special heirloom.

Looking to find the best deal on baby bassinets, then visit baby-furniture-cribs.us to find the best advice on baby-furniture-cribs for you.

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Baby Furniture Cribs

  • Posted on March 6, 2010 at 1:36 pm

All parents will spend money for their baby when the baby was born because they want the best for their baby. Plans and preparation in readying up a nursery have to be ready few months before the delivery. The important items of baby furniture you should have is Baby Furniture Cribs.

Baby Furniture Cribs, miniature beds, cots, cupboards, study tables and the high rise dining table baby chair etc comes in colors and styles and have made in special design. You can put them at your baby’s room with any that you most desire as the furniture is lightweight not so heavy and yet comfortable and large enough to pack everything away neatly.

Baby furniture is very crucial to buy and to make your life easier with your new born baby, you will need to have several crucial items like:

* Baby Furniture Cribs – come in styles and colors that you can select from.

* Changing table with additional storage underneath – for your baby’s diapering.

* Fun and fascinating furniture items – to make your baby’s room as whimsical as possible.

* A toy bin with wheels – keep things tidy because you can put this toy bin anywhere in your baby’s bedroom.

* Rocking chair for mothers – to ease you to sleep your baby.

It is a great idea to have all these items like Baby Furniture Cribs, changing table with additional storage underneath, rocking chair etc as nursery furniture and it would be truly nice and bring grin to the new parents to have them. But before you buy, you have to make sure you get the quality one that meet the safety measures for all baby furniture and have reached the standards because all furniture for the baby use should be solid, comfy, beautiful, convenience features inbuilt to each set with lots of storage selection, easy operation of moving parts, good counter space and absolutely safe.

Baby safety is the essential matter you should bear in mind before you buy Baby Furniture Cribs or any other baby furniture. find the baby furniture examined first by the expert, with this you will be sure that the furniture that you want to buy for your baby is safe to use. You need to be sure that you purchase the furniture that fits your best with criteria that mentioned above because baby furniture is an affordable investment that covers just a few years to come, for instance if you planning or intend to have your next baby two or more, you still can use them as long as the baby furniture still in good condition and of course safe to use for your baby.

Want to find out more about baby furniture cribs, then visit Erwan Go’s site on how to choose the best baby furniture for your needs.

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The Connection Between Acid Reflux And Pregnancy

  • Posted on March 5, 2010 at 12:04 pm

During pregnancy, a lot of changes happen in the body. These changes may cause some discomfort and sometimes certain health conditions. One of the health conditions that women may develop due to pregnancy is acid reflux. Let’s talk about acid reflux and pregnancy.

Is Acid Reflux Normal During Pregnancy?

Acid reflux is only common and expected in pregnant women. In fact, 1 in 4 pregnant women experience symptoms associated with acid reflux, such as heartburn, all throughout their pregnancy. The condition is also considered a pregnancy side effect and affects a third of all pregnant women. The good news is, acid reflux normally goes away after pregnancy. If this doesn’t happen in your case though, there is always treatment available after proper diagnosis.

Why Do Pregnant Women Have Acid Reflux?

There are many reasons. The three major reasons for acid reflux during pregnancy are hormones, weight gain and pressure.

- Hormones – in a pregnant woman’s body tend to rise dramatically. When this happens, more acid is produced in the stomach, causing acid reflux. The hormones estrogen and progesterone may cause constipation and slower digestion, which in turn may worsen the symptoms of acid reflux. Furthermore, these hormones may also weaken the lower esophageal sphincter, making it easy for stomach acid to enter the esophagus.

- Added Weight -caused by pregnancy can contribute to hiatial hernias, a condition in which a part of the stomach extends beyond the diaphragm. As a result, acid tends to reach the esophagus.

- Bodily Pressure – builds inside the stomach as the baby grows. As a result, food is sometimes pushed through the diaphragm along with stomach acid. Thus, acid reflux occurs.

What Are The Symptoms Of Acid Reflux In Pregnant Women?

Nauseated and Vomiting – During the first trimester of pregnancy, women often feel like vomiting or nauseated. For other women, these symptoms can go on for up to 9 months. These symptoms are said to be mainly caused by the rise of hormone levels in the pregnant woman’s body. Those with worse cases of acid reflux may develop malnutrition. Pregnant women who already had acid reflux before pregnancy are more likely to have worse cases of reflux compared to those who never had the condition before.

What Are Available Treatments?

H2 Blockers – If drugs are necessary, a doctor may prescribe antacids and H2 blockers. These medications mainly act to neutralize acid levels in the stomach and reduce discomfort. However, there are other kinds of treatment that can be applied during pregnancy. These include lifestyle changes such as having a special diet, elevating the head while sleeping, and staying fit.

Treatment Challenge – Treatment for acid reflux during pregnancy is often more challenging because most medications are not recommended to pregnant women. The welfare of both the mother and unborn child is often the focus when doctors recommend medication. Furthermore, drug interaction may occur if the pregnant woman is already taking other drugs. Treatment for acid reflux and pregnancy is either a good or bad combination. This is why you should always speak with your doctor first for the most suitable treatment for you.

Is acid reflux surgery a good option? Discover more concerning acid reflux and pregnancy.

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A Cure to Morning Sickness For Pregnant Women

  • Posted on February 28, 2010 at 12:17 pm

Looking for a cure to morning sickness? Most women hesitate to take medications for morning sickness simply because of the adverse effects it can cause to their unborn child. This is actually true and should be followed religiously, after all most medication that a pregnant woman ingests is also absorbed by the baby. Before following any cure to morning sickness, be sure to contact your doctor first.

For years, women have been seeking ways to end morning sickness, and they have come up with unconventional solutions as a cure to morning sickness. Eastern medicine has practiced a method that uses needles to control morning sickness. It is known as acupuncture. This method has been around since 2,000 years ago.

According to the Chinese theory, an illness is simply caused by imbalance of energy inside the body. It is felt that the energy in the body is flowing in the wrong direction. During episodes of nausea and vomiting, it is believed that the energy is not flowing in the right direction causing the stomachs energy to move upward and out. This theory is the basis for all acupuncture practitioners. However, westerners have their own explanation.

Although western medicine accepts the fact that acupuncture works, their point of view and explanation on acupuncture therapy is quite different. The point known to easterner’s as meridian and acupuncture points in the body are actually are referred by western neurologist as locations that stimulate muscles, connective tissue, and even nerves. As the areas are stimulated, it boosts our body’s natural pain killers and increases circulation throughout the body.

If you are planning for acupuncture, before you beginning the therapy, make sure that the practitioner is using single-use sterile packed needles to prevent any infection. Acupuncture is done by inserting needles to strategic points on your body. The number of needles may vary, but don’t worry it doesn’t usually go more than a dozen. As the needles are inserted, you may feel a little discomfort, but as the needles are set in place, most discomfort will cease.

Though it has existed for a long time, acupuncture is not as well known in the US because it has only been practiced in the States for several decades. The thought of inserting needles on the body is rather a bizarre idea for many. But because of its good results, acupuncture has been considered by many as a great option to stopping morning sickness these days.

Research has already been conducted to verify the effectiveness of this foreign therapy. A group of women were experiencing an extreme case of morning sickness underwent several acupuncture sessions. The results were positive.

Majority of the women receiving the therapy have either stopped vomiting, or reports that their level of nausea has dropped. Generally speaking, acupressure appears to be a very promising cure to morning sickness for many women.

Are you suffering from morning sickness? This symptom can be hard to deal with, especially during the last months of pregnancy. Find out more info on a cure to morning sickness. At http://www.morningsicknessfix.com/, we’re dedicated to help you have a comfortable, healthy pregnancy!

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Stress Free Holidays During Your Pregnancy

  • Posted on February 27, 2010 at 9:04 am

Holidays can already be a stressful time, and mix that with pregnancy and hormones and you could be asking for trouble. I’m not meaning for just the pregnant woman either, anyone and everybody in her path. Women already feel the pressure of having that perfect holiday for her family, which is probably why she decides to do 100 things at a time…stressing herself out in the end. However, she doesn’t have to have a stressful holiday. There are five methods to make your holidays something to remember.

Mark the Dates

Go out and buy yourself a calendar for the holidays. Post it up on the wall and start marking dates. You won’t need to tension out simply because you won’t be double booking oneself. This can also help you in preplanning, mark the day you ought to send out the holiday cards or buy particular items.

Choosing Your Activities

Throughout the holiday season you are sure to become invited to a couple of parties. It isn’t necessary to attend every one of them. Decide which ones you’ll enjoy the most, maybe two or three and explain to the rest you’ll miss going that require some rest.

Select Where You’ll Go

Whether you wish to stay in the house for holidays with your personal family or go across country to be with the entire family the decision should be yours. Don’t really feel guilty telling them you won’t be making it this year, explain that you require rest and traveling isn’t very useful. You may even want to extend an invitation for that household to come to your house instead.

Designating Jobs

If you’ve decided to have the holidays at your house you are able to still have a great time. Do not forget that asking for assistance is okay. No human being expects you to complete it all on your own. Do you really need to cook the ham, bake the potatoes, make a cake, clean the house and set up the tree all by your lonesome? Designate others to assist you, they’ll feel happy you’ve given them something to complete instead of sit around waiting while they watch you do it all.

Shopping Time

Shopping during the holiday season could be a nightmare that you don’t need to attempt while being pregnant. It’s safer to just stay at home throughout some of those sales. Instead you might wish to try shopping on the web, not only will you be in your house but you can relax. The only thing you’ll require is a credit card and let your fingers do the work. You can even do all your holiday shopping early and have it delivered right to your front door. All you require to do is wrap it up and hide it within the closet.

Here are more resource articles on Provestra Reviews and Pregnancy Tea.

Remember the holiday season is all about producing memories that’ll last. You might be pregnant but you don’t need to sit at house the whole time stressed out, instead you are able to actually appreciate yourself with these useful tips. Don’t forget to take a little time off to do some thing just for you, after all you deserve it.

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Understanding Your Ovulation Cycle

  • Posted on February 27, 2010 at 7:29 am

If you are trying to get pregnant and start a family, it is important to know about your ovulation cycle so that you can predict your ovulation and have sex on the optimal days for conception.

The beginning of your cycle starts with the first day of your period. This is also the date that doctors use for predicting your due date if you do get pregnant during that cycle. Controlled by hormones, your body prepares itself for a new cycle by first shedding the uterine lining already built up so far, since it isn’t currently being used to nourish a new embryo.

Ovulation gets triggered by the release of a hormone called the Lutenizing Hormone, often abbreviated as LH. The level of LH increases dramatically previous to ovulation, so most ovulation tests check for ovulation by testing the level of LH in your blood stream via proxies such as urine or saliva, thus the “pee sticks”. An egg then gets released from the ovary 12-24 hours after the LH surge, so monitoring the hormone levels is a good way of predicting when the ovulation will occur.

Charting, which involves checking the basal (resting) temperature of the woman as soon as she wakes up, preferably at the same time every day, also relies on the changes in the normal body temperature related to the hormone levels for indications of ovulation. However, as the fluctuations involved is rather small, usually only a degree or two at the most, it can be difficult to accurately read the charts.

When are you most fertile? Well, the sperm can survive in a woman’s body for up to 3 days, so it is possible for you to get pregnant anytime from 2 days before ovulation occurs until about 3 days later. This means that well-timed sex during those five days can maximize the chances for getting pregnant. During that time the mature egg is traveling on its way from the ovary down to the uterus; too early and the sperm won’t be around when the egg is ripe, too late and your body will be ready to clean house again with the next menstrual period.

There are several difficulties with predicting your ovulation using either ovulation tests or charting. Since ovulation tests only look for the presence of the LH surge, it cannot tell you in advance and you lose the 2 days previous to ovulation where you are still fertile. Charting, on the other hand, can often be complicated, both to accurately record the temperature and to decipher the graphs for signs of hormone changes. An easier modern solution that can tell you of all your fertile days is the Clearblue Fertility Monitor.

Trying to conceive? Make sure you check Jenny Bella’s excellent information on Clearblue Fertility Monitor, and other pregnancy information.

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Different Classes Of Certifications For Midwifery

  • Posted on February 24, 2010 at 11:06 am

People around the world know about midwifery but not everyone. Midwives were already practicing way before hospitals existed. Every year midwives grow in numbers. Because of rapid growth, many women are discovering the benefits of a midwife.

As years passed, there has been various education and training a midwife has to undergo. Some midwives are registered while others are considered as professionals. After reading this article you will be able to distinguish the different levels of midwives to enable you to choose the right one for you.

The basic one is the certified midwife. Midwives on this level are not registered nurses. She has only the same qualification like a certified nurse-midwife. Usually, people who don’t have a college degree take this opportunity. A certified midwife has to have proper training and experience and will have the great opportunity to actually help women give birth.

Next level is the CNM or the Certified Nurse-Midwife which requires a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree or a doctorate. She has to complete nursing and midwifery training. the licensing and certification exams must be passed for her to be on this level. Most birth assistants in hospitals are CNMs.

And the last level, which is the highest, is certified professional midwife or CPM. She must be able to pass the certification by the North American Registry of Midwives. One has to pass both written and hand-on skill exams. CM and CNM certified midwives are welcome to apply. Certified professional midwife is the most reliable midwife you can get when you want to deliver baby at home.

Always ask for their resume and be very particular about their certification when you are choosing a midwife. After reading you have been enabled to choose the best midwife perfect for you.

Get instructions on childbirth techniques with our hypnobirthing childbirth classes San Diego. Get help for any delivery questions or methods at our San Diego midwife services.

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