voted sticker

BREASTFEEDING

Breastfeeding Programs Help New Moms Stick With It: Gov Panel

Evidence suggests that many women that breastfeed stop earlier than they should, or who do not adopt the practice due to a lack of education. Now a panel of experts that makes recommendations about preventive health has found that programs designed to encourage women to breastfeed their infants really do work. That group, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), issued an update to its 2008 recommendations about breastfeeding interventions. “The USPSTF found adequate evidence that interventions to support breastfeeding change behavior.”

“Health professionals can support new and expectant mothers by talking one-on-one about the choice to breastfeed as well as teaching them how to do it, providing psychological support, and giving them supplies like breast pumps, the authors write. Formal education online or in a group setting is also effective, and family members, friends and peers can also provide support, the report says.” [Read more here.]

10 Things I Wish I’d Known About Breastfeeding On Demand

Breastfeeding on demand is known as responding flexibly to your baby’s hunger cues. It means starting feedings when the baby requests them and continuing each feeding session until the baby is satisfied. This is an account from a mother who breastfed on demand.

“Nursing your kid on demand doesn’t mean that they’ll be nursing forever, or that they’re calling too many of the shots in the parent-child relationship. It just means they get a chance to get all the nourishment and comfort nursing is supposed to provide, and give your body a chance to make however much milk they need. Something else I’ve learned (or really, internalized) on the course of this journey, is that “on demand” changes a lot over time. When they’re really small and having a growth spurt, “on demand” might mean every 45 minutes. Later on, “on demand” might just be when they first wake up and right before they go to sleep. When they’re sick, it might be a lot more often than their normal, and when they get back to 100 percent, it might be less.” [Read more here.]

 

PREGNANCY

 

Tips for your skin during pregnancy

There is no time in a woman’s life when she goes through more changes than when she is pregnant. Stretch marks and dry skin are quite common and a lot of women are unprepared for this when it their first time around.

“Stretch marks are inevitable, but you can minimize them if you manage them before your belly even starts to grow. Pamper yourself with SheaMoisture Mommy Stretch Mark Intensive Repair Oil. Not only is it a good preventative measure to keep the stretch marks away, but it smells great and makes your belly so soft!” [Read more here.]

 

Ease 4 Common Pregnancy Discomforts With Food

During pregnancy, women face many changes, of both personal and physical nature. As any woman who’s been pregnant would attest, some of the most challenging aspects of this life stage are the physical discomforts that can result from hormonal shifts.

“Registered dietician and author of “Healthy, Happy Pregnancy Cookbook” Willow Jarosh discussed four of these symptoms with FoxNews.com— and how to keep them at bay. The one thing each approach has in common? Using food as medicine.” [Read more here.]

 

MOTHERHOOD

 

20 Pieces of Advice Moms Wish They’d Received

Do you ever wish you would have known certain things about motherhood before you became a mother? If so, then check out this list.

“Don’t take things too seriously. You won’t completely screw up your kids if they miss a vegetable, a bath, fall asleep in their clothes or get away with things once in a while.” [Read more here.]

 

 

Why Wine is Essential to Being a Good Mother

When you think of motherhood, ingesting substances is not the first thing that comes to mind. But a lot of us mothers would tell you that they have become an integral part of the process. Take coffee. Coffee is what gives me the energy every single morning to rise up and mother the little people I’m responsible for. I look forward to it, and deep down I believe that it makes me a better person. Maybe even a better mother (gasp). The smell, the taste, the jolt of electricity that seems to course through my body after I’ve had my first cup — it is life giving, awakening the half-asleep zombie who was forced to emerge before the sun in the wee hours of the morning to pack lunches, make breakfast and prepare her irritable offspring for the day that lies ahead.

“I, like a lot of mothers I know, consume that glass of wine at the end of the day because we truly enjoy relishing the time it takes to enjoy it, time that isn’t being interrupted to get someone a juice box or explain why painting the family dog isn’t a good idea.” [Read more here.]

 

INFANTS

 

Why Baby-Talk Really is Best For Your Child’s Brain: More ‘Motherese’ an Infant Hears the Better its Language Development

Baby-talk and nursery rhymes help babies to learn by getting their brainwaves in tune with their mothers, a study has found. While talking in a soothing, sing-song voice has long been known to help babies learn, scientists were not sure what effect this has on the child’s brain.Now brain scans of mother and baby show that their brain waves start to closely match each other as mom sings a nursery rhyme.

“Dr. Victoria Leong, a researcher at Cambridge University said speaking in a soothing sing-song voice – dubbed ‘motherese’ – helps the baby to enter a state where it is more receptive to learning. Dr Leong is able to say that the brain waves are matching by ‘hyperscanning’ – carrying out brain scans of mother and baby at the same time.” [Read more here.]

 

Top Ways to Guard Your Newborn This Cold & Flu Season

The only thing worse than catching a virus postpartum is watching your sweet bundle suffer through the sniffles (or worse)! Having a sick baby is one of the toughest and most emotionally distressing experiences a parent can have. Babies can’t tell you what’s wrong, or where it hurts, so you’re left to just guess, which can be so difficult.

The best thing to do is to keep your newborn from getting sick in the first place. With all the germs out there in the world, it’s far better to stay on top of your baby’s health rather than trying to dealing with a sick baby. Included in the article are some tips to help keep your baby as healthy as possible. [Read more here.]

 

 

TODDLERS

 

Toddlers Are Taking Photos For Their Instagram-Obsessed Moms

“Men are rejoicing now that “Instagram husbands” — the guys who become de facto Ansel Adamses for their social-media-obsessed better halves — are being replaced with “Instagram kids.” Thomas saw the trend officially take off last month. “I was at a Halloween event, and instead of the moms taking photos of the kids, kids were taking pictures of Mom in her costume,” she says.

“There’s a lot of perks [for the kids],” says Ambrose, whose 15-year-old son, Chance, and 12-year-old daughter, Summer, have been on camera duty for three years. The 45-year-old Midtown East mom says her kids join her for premieres, trips to exotic locales such as Anguilla, and star-studded media events. “Sometimes I’ll give them photo credit — they like the recognition.”” [Read more here.]

insta_ambrose_duo1a

 

 

7 Proven Ways To Stop Complaining And Enjoy Your Toddlers

On the one hand, toddlers are adorable. On the other hand, toddlers are also clearly crazy. It is only natural that parents sometimes need to vent about our tiny housemates. Yet somehow, we seem to have created a cultural narrative expressly designed to convince childless adults that kids equal torture. We decry not only “the terrible two’s,” but also “the terrifying three’s” and “ferocious four’s.” This willingness to lump an enormous diversity of individuals into a single negative stereotype would be considered inexcusable if the victims weren’t so small and covered in peanut butter. Not only is it inconsistent with the whole truth, it also makes it harder to enjoy our own children.

Parents of rapidly growing babies, take heart: Just because toddlers are crazy doesn’t mean they aren’t also a lot of fun. The trick is to recognize that there are practical ways to make raising little people more enjoyable. This article includes 7 things on how to do that. [Read more here.]

Comments

comments