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New mom? Eat right and exercise

 

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The thought, preparation and expense that go into “the great Indian wedding” are unbelievable. Yet barely have the stars faded from the new bride’s eyes than subtle pressure from parents, in-laws, spouse and well-wishers sets in. Everyone wants to hear the “good news” —a baby on the way. People don’t stop to think if the bride is ready for motherhood. And once the mother-to-be has been coddled through the pregnancy and everyone has oohed and aahed over the little bundle of joy, the excitement and interest fades. The new mother finds that she is totally unprepared for the drastic changes in her life after the birth of a baby. No one told her that she might have a baby that refuses to sleep at night or that she would feel and look like an elephant after childbirth.

A weight gain of between 12 to 14kg during pregnancy is normal and healthy. Many women expect all the extra kilos to disappear immediately after delivery. Actually, around 5kg (the weight of the baby and the placenta) will disappear immediately. The rest should disappear gradually within nine months.

Kegel exercise  is very much useful so that the pelvic floor muscles to remain shape & size.

 

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It is very easy to start overeating after childbirth. Visitors arrive laden with delicious tidbits and vociferously advise rest and a high calorie diet to ensure adequate breast milk. In truth, breast-feeding requires only around 750 extra calories. Since brand new moms tend to be sedentary, their caloric intake should be limited to approximately 2,500 calories. Even though many women complain that they continue to “feel like a bloated elephant” after delivery, this is not the correct time to go on a drastic diet. Healthy eating and judicious exercise will ensure a gradual and safe return to pre-pregnancy weight.

Light aerobic exercise or walking can be started around two weeks after delivery, even by a person who did not exercise at all during pregnancy. But it is important not to do too much too soon. A hormone called relaxin, responsible for making the joints loose during pregnancy so that delivery is easy, persists in the body for about six months after delivery. So vigorous exercise should be started only after six months to avoid damaging joints. Walking 15 minutes a day is a good start. Increase the time by 15 minutes every week until you reach an hour. Endorphins released during walking will help to elevate the mood and combat any post partum depression. It will also help to tone the muscles. Exercise does not reduce breast milk production.

Pain in the genital and the caesarian site often comes as a shock. It makes going to the bathroom or even sitting an ordeal. Many are afraid to take medication (with reason) for fear that it might cross over in the breast milk to the newborn baby. Heat or cold applied locally to the area will relieve the pain. You can use an infra red lamp, a hot water bottle, or apply ice. The ice needs to be in a plastic bag or bottle. To prevent infection, always wash the area with water after going to the bathroom.

The skin over the abdomen may show white lines called stretch marks. These may itch. Applying coconut oil for half an hour before a bath helps.

These usually fade over time. If there is a scar (caesarian or episiotomy), it should be left alone until it has healed completely.

The hormones responsible for maintaining the pregnancy drop suddenly after childbirth. This abrupt change can lead to depression, bouts of crying and feelings of inadequacy. These usually last for around two weeks and then subside by themselves. If they last for a month or longer, then postnatal depression may have developed and a physician should be consulted.

The abdominal wall becomes lax during pregnancy. The abdomen itself may appear pendulous. Sits ups with the knees bend and oblique abdominal exercises will help with this. Start with 10 sets twice a day. Aim to reach 50 repetitions morning and evening within four months. You need to continue doing this exercise at least thrice a week.

A few drops of urine may leak out while coughing, sneezing or laughing. It may be difficult to hold the urine for even a limited time if the bladder is full. This is because the pelvic floor muscles become weakened during childbirth, making the sphincters, which control urination, lax. This can occur even if the delivery was by caesarian section.

These humiliating accidents can be tackled by doing “Keegles’s exercises”. Sit on the floor in the namaz position or in the yoga “child’s pose”. Touch the nose to the ground, concentrate on the pelvic muscles and consciously tighten them. Also, try to “stop and start” consciously while passing urine.

New mothers have lost a great deal of blood. The baby needs to be fed frequently so that sleep patterns are disturbed and often inadequate. Tiredness and fatigue are common and normal after childbirth. Try to sleep whenever the baby sleeps. And those colourful iron and calcium supplements need to be continued as long as you are feeding the baby.

Source: The Telegraph ( Kolkata, India)

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Health Alert

Protect Yourself from Cancer and High Cholesterol By Not Using Nonstick Cookware

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Children and teens who have high blood levels of chemicals used in the production of non-stick cookware may be more likely to have elevated LDL cholesterol levels, according to a report.

Humans are exposed to perfluoroalkyl acids, such as PFOA and PFOS, through drinking water, dust, food packaging, breast milk, cord blood, microwave popcorn, air and occupational exposure.

Recent survey results reported detection of these chemicals in almost all people in the U.S.

Newswise reports:

“[Researchers] assessed serum lipid levels in 12,476 children and adolescents (average age 11.1) …

[H]igher PFOA levels were associated with increased total cholesterol and LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol, and PFOS was associated with increased total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol.”

Resources:
Newswise September 6, 2010
Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine September 2010; 164(9):860-9

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News on Health & Science Pediatric

Which Infant Formulas Contain Hidden Toxic Chemicals?

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Although artificial human milk is regulated by the FDA, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that a thyroid-affecting chemical used in rocket fuel contaminated 15 brands of powdered infant formula — including two that accounted for 87 percent of market share in 2000. The top offenders included Similac and Enfamil.

..…CLOICK & SEE

The International Formula Council blamed the perchlorate on the water used to make the formula rather than the powder. However, pre-mixed liquid formulas come with their own potential toxins, such as the chemical BPA.

And in China, 76 tons of melamine-tainted milk products were recently seized, just two years after melamine-adulterated formula killed six infants and hospitalized thousands more.

Mother Jones reports:
“For all these reasons the American Academy of Pediatrics remains less than sanguine about infant formula, recommending exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued nursing ‘until at least the baby’s first birthday.’ Indeed, they credit mother’s milk with everything from breast cancer risk reduction to obesity prevention.”

Source: Mother Jones July 12, 2010

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Pediatric

Baby’s First Solid Food

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Around the middle of your baby’s first year,(about between 4 to 5  months or sometimes just after 6 months) she or he should be ready to start solids. This coincides with two events: your baby’s decreasing iron stores and her developmental readiness. Before starting solids, be sure to discuss this with your pediatrician. In addition, to determine whether your baby may be ready for solid foods,(You may click & take  a Solid Food Quiz.:)
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Rice cereal as a first food
Rice cereal is typically the first complementary food introduced to infants. It’s made with gentle ingredients, and its smooth, fine texture is developmentally appropriate for your baby. Usually, oatmeal is the second cereal offered.Wait about three days in between each cereal to see how your baby tolerates them. Watch for signs of allergy or intolerance such as diarrhea, rash, or vomiting. If any of these occur, stop feeding your baby that variety and contact your pediatrician. Offer Mixed Grain Cereals and Cereals with Fruit only after your baby has mastered rice and oatmeal cereals.

Mix it up
Your baby’s first bite of “solids” should look more like thin milk. Mix one tablespoon of cereal with four to five tablespoons of breastmilk or formula until it has a souplike consistency.

It’s show time
To start solids, pick a time of day when your baby is in good spirits, wide awake, and mildly hungry. A quiet time is best so you don’t need to worry about rushing through a feeding.

•Get the appropriate spoon. Use a small baby-size spoon that’s coated to protect your baby’s tender gums.

•Protect your baby’s clothes. Cover your baby with a large, washable bib.

•Take a picture. Have your camera or video camera ready.

•Let her explore. Because your baby will probably try to grab the spoon anyway, place a dab of cereal on her high chair tray so she can “finger paint” with it and become familiar with its texture before you start feeding.

•Before you start. Breastfeed your baby or give her a bottle to take the edge off her hunger so she won’t be fussy. Don’t reduce the time you spend nursing or the ounces of breastmilk or formula you offer. This assures you that your baby still gets adequate nourishment for growth, regardless of how much—and which—solid food baby  eats.

•Feed baby her new food! Give her one to two teaspoons at first in half spoonfuls. Sit facing your baby and hold the spoonful of food about 12 inches from her face.

Wait until she’s paying attention before putting the spoon up to her mouth. For the first bite try putting a dab of cereal on her lip. If she’s agreeable to that first taste, put the next bite into her mouth when she opens it. Feed your baby as slowly or as rapidly as she wants.

•Try cereal again. Don’t be surprised if your baby’s first taste pops right back out onto her tongue. It’s a natural reflex. Eventually she’ll swallow more than she spits out. If your baby seems unhappy about this experience, give it up for now and try again in a week.

•Follow with breastmilk or formula. Once you’ve offered your baby cereal, breastfeed your baby or offer her a bottle.

You may click to see:->Easy Homemade Baby Food & Baby Food Recipes Tasty, Nutritious & Full of Love for your Baby   :

->How to Make Your Own Baby Food at Home;

->Introducing solid foods

-> MAKING BABY FOOD

->How to Make Your own Baby Food: Homemade Baby Food Recipes
Resources:
http://www.gerber.com/AllStages/Nutrition_And_Feeding/Your_babys_first_solid_food.aspx?sourceId=1&mediumId=4&adVersion=5250257575&campaign=Gerber>Food_Products&adGro

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Pediatric

When to Start Solid Food to Babies

It is always confusing to know when to give baby solid food. When a mom notices her baby is hungrier than usual, the mom usually asks the pediatrician, “When can my baby begin eating solid foods?” Baby will know, just pay attention to the signs. Mom just has to watch and listen.When you begin feeding your baby solid foods you want to progress in a way that sets baby up for healthy eating habits. You are not only putting food into your baby’s tummy, you are introducing lifelong attitudes about nutrition. Consider for a moment that during the first year or two you will spend more time feeding your baby than in any other interaction. You both might as well enjoy it.

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WAIT 6 REASONS:-
Gone are the days when pressured mothers stuffed globs of cereal into the tight mouths of reluctant six-week-olds. Nowadays parents feed their baby on the timetable that is developmentally and nutritionally correct — as determined by their baby. Don’t be in a rush to start solids. Here are some good reasons for waiting.

1. Baby’s intestines need to mature. The intestines are the body’s filtering system, screening out potentially harmful substances and letting in healthy nutrients. In the early months, this filtering system is immature. Between four and seven months a baby’s intestinal lining goes through a developmental growth spurt called closure, meaning the intestinal lining becomes more selective about what to let through. To prevent potentially-allergenic foods from entering the bloodstream, the maturing intestines secrete IgA , a protein immunoglobulin that acts like a protective paint, coating the intestines and preventing the passage of harmful allergens. In the early months, infant IgA production is low (although there is lots of IgA in human milk), and it is easier for potentially-allergenic food molecules to enter the baby’s system. Once food molecules are in the blood, the immune system may produce antibodies to that food, creating a food allergy . By six to seven months of age the intestines are more mature and able to filter out more of the offending allergens. This is why it’s particularly important to delay solids if there is a family history of food allergy, and especially to delay the introduction of foods to which other family members are allergic.

2. Young babies have a tongue-thrust reflex . In the first four months the tongue thrust reflex protects the infant against choking. When any unusual substance is placed on the tongue, it automatically protrudes outward rather than back. Between four and six months this reflex gradually diminishes, giving the glob of cereal a fighting chance of making it from the tongue to the tummy. Not only is the mouth-end of baby’s digestive tract not ready for early solids, neither is the lower end.

3. Baby’s swallowing mechanism is immature. Another reason not to rush solids is that the tongue and the swallowing mechanisms may not yet be ready to work together. Give a spoonful of food to an infant less than four months, and she will move it around randomly in her mouth, pushing some of it back into the pharynx where it is swallowed, some of it into the large spaces between the cheeks and gums, and some forward between the lips and out onto her chin. Between four and six months of age, most infants develop the ability to move the food from the front of the mouth to the back instead of letting it wallow around in the mouth and get spit out. Prior to four months of age, a baby’s swallowing mechanism is designed to work with sucking, but not with chewing.

4. Baby needs to be able to sit up. In the early months, babies associate feeding with cuddling. Feeding is an intimate interaction, and babies often associate the feeding ritual with falling asleep in arms or at the breast. The change from a soft, warm breast to a cold, hard spoon may not be welcomed with an open mouth. Feeding solid foods is a less intimate and more mechanical way of delivering food. It requires baby to sit up in a highchair – a skill which most babies develop between five and seven months. Holding a breastfed baby in the usual breastfeeding position may not be the best way to start introducing solids, as your baby expects to be breastfed and clicks into a “what’s wrong with this picture?” mode of food rejection.

5. Young infants are not equipped to chew. Teeth seldom appear until six or seven months, giving further evidence that the young infant is designed to suck rather than to chew. In the pre-teething stage, between four and six months, babies tend to drool, and the drool that you are always wiping off baby’s face is rich in enzymes, which will help digest the solid foods that are soon to come.

6. Older babies like to imitate caregivers. Around six months of age, babies like to imitate what they see. They see you spear a veggie and enjoy chewing it. They want to grab a fork and do likewise.

Like all children there are growth spurts, babies too! There are times when they are hungrier but this isn’t the sign they need solid food. Just pay attention and is if this is a consistent behavior and more than a growth spurt. If you decide it is more than just a “hungry day” it may be baby is ready for solids. If this is the case, please remember they need breast milk and formula still!

Baby’s nutrients mostly come from breast milk or formula. It is their main source of nutrients and they still require it through out the first year of their life. Theoretically, babies can begin solid foods between four and six months of age. This is not a hard and fast rule however, so if baby hasn’t begun to exhibited signs of being ready, don’t push. Each baby is different. Here are just a few of the signs that might signal baby is ready to begin solid foods, again don’t pressure or push your child.

*Adequate Neck Control
The first thing a baby has to have is neck control. If they look like a bobble head doll, they are not ready for solid food.your baby will be able to sit upright and keep the head in position for a long time.   Your baby will sit safely when you have the proper support.

If a baby has a wobbly head they are not able to swallow anything thicker than milk and to eat solid food they must be able to swallow food thicker than milk. If a baby eats solids too soon without the proper control needed they could choke.

*Reflux and Chewing
All babies’ naturally push things out of their mouth; it is natural for babies when feeding with a bottle or nipple to push things out of their mouth. It’s just the way for baby’s to prevent themselves from choking. When the reflux kicks in they begin to stop pushing nipple or bottle from their mouths.

The “extrusion reflex” cease: Your baby will no longer use his tongue out of his mouth milk or formula.

Shall be seen chewing movements. The tongue and mouth of babies is developed while your digestive system, like their teeth.

Your baby has a good appetite.
Before a baby can actually eat they need to learn to chew and this takes place when they can push the back of their mouth where it heads south to the stomach courtesy of that swallowing reflux. It’s just a matter of time. The chewing motion is a good sign that baby is ready to eat solid food. You can’t make it happen; it comes when your baby is developmentally ready.

*Weight Gain:Weight gain your baby will be significantly noticeable.
When the weight of your baby has doubled, they could be ready for foods. A rule of thumb many doctors give mothers. This alone is not a sure sign, but when it is combined with other indicators, the solid food stage is close at hand. Pay close attention and ask your pediatrician.

* Curious about the food they eat as adults.

*Individuality
Each baby is different. If your baby is close to six months of age and not eating solids, be patient. Breast milk and formula is adequate and there is not hurry or rush. Eating more breast milk or formula will not harm your baby. When it is time for solid foods your baby will let you know. Continue to watch for the signals and pay attention to your baby’s cues.

Starting your baby on solid foods is the beginning of lifelong eating habits that contribute to your baby’s overall health. Here are general guidelines that can help you start your baby out on the right track to a healthy life. Starting baby solid foods and feeding schedule too early can cause your baby to develop food allergies.
But this is also not very true in all cases but one must start very slowly after 3to 4 months minimum one’s baby otherwise fit for it.

Resources:
http://organicbabyproducts101.com/starting-baby-food/
http://hubpages.com/hub/When-to-start-Solid-foods-for-baby-and-Baby-Feeding-Schedule
http://www.nordoniapreschoolparents.com/guide-to-the-baby-feeding-starting-solid-foods.htm

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032000.asp

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