Breastfeeding is the natural way to feed babies. Breast milk is designed to provide a baby with all its needs right from the start. Right after birth and for the first 3-5 days after, your body produces colostrum, which is a thick yellow fluid, rich in protein, low in fat, and high in carbohydrate, and antibodies to help keep your baby healthy. Within the first week after birth, your milk will come in, replacing the colostrum, and it will change in content with your baby’s growth.

Creating a solid basis for breastfeeding is important for a good mutual nursing experience for both you and your baby. The key to breastfeeding successfully is a proper latch. When there is a good latch, the baby will get the milk or colostrums needed to grow and get stronger, while simultaneously stimulating your body to produce more milk.

A poor latch can lead to a malnourished and frustrated baby, which in turn may discourage Mom. More so, a poor latch can cause the Mother nipple pain – if not cracking and bleeding. If the baby does not get milk, you may experience engorgement, which is painful and will make it even harder for your baby to breastfeed.

A good nursing position is important in achieving a proper latch. You can start practicing right in the delivery room, minutes after your baby was born. Skin to skin contact is important, and tummy to tummy positioning with easy access to the breast is crucial. If you have doubt or any questions, you should ask to see a lactation consultant in the hospital.

Where there is demand, there is milk. If you wait for your milk to come in before you start breastfeeding, you will miss out on the breastfeeding experience. Almost all mothers can breastfeed, but you have to stimulate your body to do so. All you need to do is allow your baby to do what is natural, for your body to get the signal. It is that simple.

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You’ve had your first baby, and you and your partner have decided you are ready to expand the family once again. While that is an exciting decision, you now have a little one to factor into these types of decision makings.

Yes, it is YOUR decision, but taking a minute to consider how it will affect your little one may go a long way. That is not to say that you should go and consult your first born what he/she thinks of the possibility of becoming an older brother/sister, but think of how he/she will react to such news (based on personality), will he take well to sharing your attention, how will he/she treat the new baby, what will be a good time to share the news, etc.

Is your little one ready to be an older brother or sister? Is there really a way to know? Well, not really. Only time will tell. What you CAN do is prepare the whole family for this new adventure.

This can be a wonderful and exciting time for all of you. After you tell your little one the news, you can go to a prenatal visit together so your firstborn can ‘meet’ the new baby. You can practice holding a doll together, take sibling preparation class at the hospital, and talk about ‘your little brother/sister’ and how things may change, what they can do together, etc.

You may need to help your firstborn to adjust to the newly expanded family. If you have family or friends near by, use them for help. Continue whatever routine your eldest already have (daycare for example), and make him/her feel a part of the joy your family is graced with.

Breastfeeding is a very personal and intimate activity between you and your baby, and deciding to wean your baby, and when can (but doesn’t have to) be a bit tricky, if not painful process for the both of you.

It is really up to you to decide when is a good time to quit ‘the boob’, or when you have just had enough (which is a normal  – do not beat yourself up. You have given your baby a lot already just giving him colostrum). There is no right or wrong (or magic) age for weaning, so go with your gut feeling. Of course you want to make sure your baby has supplements (formula or solids, depending on both age and weather he has teethes). You can try those before or during the time you choose to wean your baby.

It is recommended to wean gradually, and not just stop breastfeeding altogether one day. The later way will certainly be more painful for the both of you. It can potentially be traumatic for your baby, and you will be facing engorgement and may risk getting mastitis (a breast infection). Instead, start by skipping a feeding, and replace it with formula or solids. This way your body will learn to gradually produce less milk.

Don’t be discouraged if your baby denies other foods, but try other options. For example, if your baby refuses formula, try warming it up a bit. Breast milk is at body temperature, formula refusal may be due to too many changes (both in taste, smell and temperature).

Some babies wean themselves when they are ready (even if you may not be), which saves you from having to do it for them. But if you are ready before your baby is, start slowly and together you will reach the goal!

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While pregnancy is not an illness, it may have various affects on your body. Not every women experience pregnancy related problems, and you may very well be lucky enough for these problems to never arise. Like with your delivery, you want to plan for the best, but be open to whatever comes your way, for you do not control it (or most of it) and more reassuringly, whatever problem(s) you are experiencing, it will be gone with the arrival of your baby or shortly after.

Even the most fit women may experience common pregnancy problems. A healthy lifestyle may help prevent some issues, but genealogy is always a factor as well as the nature of each individual pregnancy (even in the same women). Even though not avoidable, many of the common pregnancy problems can be treated for relief.

Nausea, also known as morning sickness, doesn’t always occur in the morning. Some women experience nausea or vomiting during different times of the day or its entirety. You can take comfort on the fact that this usually disappears after 14-16 weeks.

Fatigue is common in the first and third trimesters. During the first trimester your body is undergoing many changes, which affect your energy levels. Fatigue during the third trimester is due to the baby’s size and weight, which are grater now and harder to carry.

Mood changes are common during pregnancy. This is cause both by hormone level changes and the stress that may come with the realization of the responsibility that comes with parenthood. If you are concerned, talk to your healthcare provider.

Constipation is caused by a hormone that relaxes the intestinal muscle. To avoid constipation drink plenty of fluids and eat foods that are rich with fiber.

Gas is on the embarrassing side of pregnancy problems. It is caused by much higher levels of progesterone, a hormone that relaxes smooth muscle tissue throughout your body, including your gastrointestinal tract. This relaxation slows down your digestive processes, which can lead to gas, bloating, burping, and flatulence and generally create miserable sensations in your gut, especially after a big meal. To overcome it, eat smaller, more frequent meals. You can also try Simethicon..

Heartburn is caused by the hormone progesterone that is produced by the placenta. It relaxes the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach, allowing gastric acids to seep back up, which causes a burning sensation. To prevent heartburn, avoid carbonated drinks, chocolate, caffeine and acidic foods. Speak to your doctor to see what medication you can take for it if you experience chronic heartburn.

Hemorrhoids are painful, swollen veins in the lower portion of the
rectum or anus; they are usually a result of constipation (which is common during pregnancy). They can be treated with a cream. Consult your healthcare provider for a cream or other solution.

Oedema is swelling in your ankles, feet and hands. This happens due to fluid retention and more blood in your body during pregnancy. Try to rest with your feet elevated, and know that it will disappear after your delivery.

These are some of pregnancy’s common problems; most of which are treatable or will disappear shortly after the delivery. Other problems include headaches, diarrhea, vaginal discharge and Sciatica pain. You may or may not suffer from any pregnancy problems. If you are one of the lucky ones, enjoy your problem free pregnancy while it lasts.  For the rest of you, take care of the problems that do show up to avoid discomfort. And remember, it is only temporary.

After roughly 40 weeks of pregnancy, usually even a month or so earlier, you are ready for the last stage of the pregnancy – the delivery. Hopefully by now you have mastered all the birth preparation courses offered by your hospital (if you chose to take them), and your hospital bag is ready (or you at least have a good idea what it should contain).

At this point it is probably safe to assume you understand that there is no way back and the only way to get this baby out is to go through with childbirth. You may be concerned and even frightened about the pain of the actual birth, wonder about contractions and how they feel, and be impatient in expectation for the big day to finally arrive.

While you wait for your little one to make its way down the birth canal and your cervix to start dilating, you can take action as well to prepare your body for the delivery. What can you do? To start, you can drink loose leaf red raspberry tea. This tea is known to help strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor and induce labor. While not medically proven, it is widely used by midwives throughout the world, and if you are ready to meet your little one sooner, why not try?

At around 35 weeks, it is time to start thinking about tearing, episiotomies and how you may be able to avoid them. An episiotomy is a surgical cut in the muscular area between the vagina and the anus (the area called the perineum) made just before delivery to enlarge your vaginal opening. Buy almond oil and start with tri-weekly perineum massage. You may need to engage your partner in this activity, for it may be challenging to reach your perineum area with a big prego belly..

To help speed along the arrival of your baby you can try to help your pelvis to open up by bounding on a birth (aka Pilate’s) ball with your legs spread apart, or walk up stairs two at a time; it is said that taking a long walk can help, as well as swimming (belly down); having sex is another way to help speed things along. There are many other tricks to induce labor you can try, but your best bet is to enjoy the time you have of your life as you know it pre baby and let your baby do what’s best for him.

Have an easy delivery!

In the beginning, there were two…

Chronologically, your partner was there first. He was in the center of your attention, your other half, the one you chose to live your life with. Together you created a family. You conceived, the two of you were excited throughout the pregnancy and waited to meet your baby, who will expand your description from a couple to a family.

Then your baby was born – small, new to the world and helpless without you. The three of you became a family, and at the same time, you lost your life as a couple. Or did you? Many couples experience a dramatic change in their relationship after their first baby is born. For most, the changes result in nothing more than period of adjustment; others may experience permanent and dramatic changes.

It is common to experience changes in the dynamics of your family when a baby is added to the picture. With all the excitement of bringing home a new baby, adjusting to the baby’s schedule, which is now your new schedule, lack of sleep and hormones, etc. – it can be overwhelming and your relationship and intimacy with your partner will suffer, or at least take the back seat for a while.

The good news is that this can be temporary. It is all up to the two of you. So who comes first for you? Your baby or your partner?

The answer is very personal. Different people have different priorities and needs. Your baby is helpless in its first year of life, and therefore will actually NEED more of your attention, care and love. Your husband/partner, while he can (potentially) take care of himself, still needs your love and affection even after your baby is born as well. Try and find the balance that works for you and your family. Feelings of neglect are not something you want in your newly expended household.

If you plan to breastfeed, you should be prepared to face a lot of challenges. Although you may already be concerned about the actual act of breastfeeding and weather or not it will hurt – there are a few other issues awaiting your discovery. Once you will have your baby, get some breastfeeding experience under your belt, and are finally ready to take your baby out in public – you may encounter new issues that you may have not thought of yet.

The first time you will have to nurse in public may be a bit challenging. First, it is a very private and personal thing that it isn’t always the most comfortable for brand new moms. Your best bet is to try and find a semi-private area of the park / a booth at the restaurant (rather than table), and/or a changing room at a store.

After a couple times you will find the best places to nurse and what clothing may work best for nursing out in public (a nursing top or apron) and you will learn quickly whether or not you are even feel comfortable with the whole experience of nursing in public. If you discover that it’s too uncomfortable for you -  you can always pump and bring a bottle with you when you are out of the comfort of your own home.

The one thing you can not control, if you choose to breastfeed in public, are people’s reactions – so be prepared for anything. Some moms may nod at you, as if you shared something in common, some people will stare with disapproval or make a comment or even ask you to go somewhere else. You should know your breastfeeding rights, so you don’t feel threatened. Even tough breastfeeding in public is legal in the United States, not everyone knows it, which may lead to complaints. If you experience incidents of discrimination when breastfeeding in public or have problems at the work place, you can report it to first right.

‘How long are you planning to breastfeed?’ is a very common question people tend to ask during this stage of your life. As if you can predict if nursing will work out for you as well as for your newborn, or somehow you have foresight as to how long your body will produce milk.  What is more challenging is when the questions are geared towards judgment of your choices in breastfeeding. There will be someone who will judge you for nursing for too long, explaining to psychological implications of the act, while at the same time, another will judge you for the exact opposite, grilling you for not providing those very needed neutrinos for long enough.

You may think this is an exaggeration. Hopefully in your case it will be, and you will not experience any of these or other unpleasant incidents. But just in case, be aware, maybe even prepared with an answer, and don’t take anything to heart. You are doing the best for your baby, whatever your choice is.

The saying “God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers” could not be any closer to the truth. Think of it for a moment.  Once you have your first baby, it will become more evident to you how needed you are (and how much can be done in not to much time…).

At home, even before the baby, you most likely did (or shared with your spouse) the household chores. Cleaning the house, washing & folding laundry, washing dishes, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning again, etc. Once you become a mother, your ‘skills’ are needed even more, and by more people. The obvious new roll you take on is the one of a mother. Your baby needs you for everything, especially in the first six months. Once your newborn can crawl, sit and entertain him/herself, you will still be needed, but will have more freedom to multi task as you may have done before.

The life you had before, may seem to have vaporized in front of your eyes, but one thing that hasn’t changed, is how much your spouse needs you now. Having a baby means changing the rules of the game completely, but at the same time it is important to continuously work on your romantic relationship. It is very common for new Dads to be jealous of the attention their newborns are getting from Mom. Attention that used to be his. Keep this in mind and talk to your spouse. Together you can divide the work load at home and find time to be together just the two of you.

After the birth you’ll find that you are needed at work more than you may want to be (at least in the beginning). After you get used to working, you’ll even find the positive sides of having time apart from your baby. Depending on your arrangement at work, you will be kept busy during the day.. and later kept busy at home too.

The many hats you wear keep you busy, and a helpful and understanding family will help you find the balance to tackle it all as well as find a minute to rest. If you can, accept any help offered to you, especially right after the delivery and in the first three months. Do not be too hard on yourself if you can’t get it all done as fast as you did before or beat yourself up if need help, embrace the new situation and ask for help when you need it.

It may not look like it in the beginning, but it DOES get easier.

When you think of your pregnancy, or your baby, you don’t commonly consider the changes that your body will endure in the process. Yes, you expect your belly to grow, but once you deliver you also wish for your body back and your baby belly to disappear. After all, you delivered, the baby is no longer inside and therefore your belly should go back to its normal state. Right? Well, not quite…it may take a little while.

Your genes (go ask you Mother about her experience to know what your starting point is!), along with your diet and lifestyle will dictate how your body will act post delivery. There is no magic wand to help you get your flat belly back (be true to yourself, was it really flat before the pregnancy?), and no way around having to exercise. Do so only after your doctor clears you to, after your six weeks postpartum check up.

Stretch marks appear due to stretching of your skin during pregnancy. If you have stretch marks, they are probably purple red in color. They will fade to some degree, but a scar will remain. If you absolutely can not live with these scars, wait for at least one year before you consider surgery. Tanning helps in some cases too.

Your breasts will endure the most dramatic change. During pregnancy you may have noticed that your breasts have increased in size. After delivery they enlarge even more due to your milk coming in. If you are breastfeeding you may also experience nipple pains such as cracking, engorgement of your breasts and leaking. These conditions will stabilize within a month or so. Just be patent and use lanolin or another ointment to relive the pain.

After nine month without experiencing your period, it may take you by surprise that you are bleeding so heavily and for so long after you give birth. Lochia (postpartum bleeding) usually lasts 4-8 weeks. This is normal. Your body is cleaning itself and unless you are passing through large clots of blood, there is no reason to be alarmed. The bleeding will get less intense and the red color will change to a brownish one. During this time use heavy duty pads. Do not use tampons.

Yes, things change after having a baby, your body included. Embrace the changes you approve of or cannot control (like sleepless nights with your baby and new emotions of love), and take action to change the ones you disapprove of (maybe start exercising to get your pre pregnancy shape back).

For baby

For the first time mom it can be a challenge to start thinking about and creating your baby registry list. If you have the opportunity – it is a good idea to take your mother or another experienced mother with you on your first stroll through the baby stores.

The major stores have their own check lists to hand out, but you do not necessarily need everything on them. Pick and choose, ask veteran moms for advice, and remember you can always go back after your baby is here if you realize you forgot something.

Here are some basics

• Burp cloths. Get plenty to minimize your laundry loads.
• 1 or 2 pacifiers, if you choose to use them get different kinds to try out and make sure they are for 0 months
• 4 bottles and nipples. Make sure they are for 0 months
• 2 to 3 hooded towels to swaddle baby after bath
• A “take-me-home” outfit. Look for a set that’s cute for photos, but practical for the weather as well as easy to put on (if this is your first time dressing your baby, you don’t want to make it more complicated than it has to be)
• 6 to 8 onesies, half short sleeve and half long sleeve. Select a kind that will be easy to pull over baby’s head.
• 5 pairs of pants
• 6 to 8 sleepers (aka coveralls) with built-in footies, or rompers if it’s spring or summer
• 5 to 6 sleeping gowns, which snap, zip (recommended), or cinch closed at the bottom, making late-night diaper changes easy
• 1 to 2 pairs of mittens (for winter babies)
• 6 pairs of booties or socks
• Sleep sac, for when baby outgrows the swaddle or sleep gowns, but is still too young for a blanket in the crib.
• 4 to 6 bibs. At least two should be waterproof. Once baby starts solids, you’ll need something you can just hose off.
• 4 receiving blankets.

Baby care

• Diapers. Choose weather you are going with re-usable or disposable route, and stock up.
• Disposable wipes. Always have a few packets on hand — this is not an item you want to run out of.
• Diaper rash cream
• Bottle brush
• 2 Thermometers. One to label rectal, another for use under the arm
• Nasal bulb syringe for clearing stuffy noses (provided by some hospitals after delivery)
• Baby nail clipper
• Alcohol swabs and bandages
• Baby shampoo and cleanser

Furniture +

• Crib
• Portable crib, commonly known as a Pack ‘n Play, for when you visit the grandparents.
• Infant bath tub or seat with a newborn “sling”
• Changing table with pad (you can also covert an existing dresser by topping with a pad)
• Rocking chair (nice to have, but not a must)
• Stroller: Baby won’t sit up for a few months, so you’ll need a Snap ‘n Go, a travel system or a model in which baby can fully recline.
• Swing or bouncy seat. Can give you a few peaceful hands free moments.
• Activity mat /  baby gym
• Mobile for the crib: Think music, lights and movement. Preferably with remote control
• Crib bumper
• 2 to 3 fitted crib sheets
• 2 waterproof mattress pads (unless you have a waterproof matterss)
• 2 or 3 changing pad covers
• A rear-facing infant car seat with base. If you have two cars, consider getting a second base.
• Baby carrier and/or sling
• Diaper genie: Choose one that you can operate with one hand, one that uses regular garbage bags, and has an odor control system.
• Baby monitor

Don’t forget yourself

While excitement levels are high and you only have eyes for baby items, you should plan ahead and get a few important items for yourself. Better being ready than having to run to the store (or send hubby only to have him go back and exchange it to the right size…) with…

• Nursing bras and pads (there are reusable or paper pads to choose from)
• Nursing covers for public nursing
• Nursing cloths
• Breastfeeding pillow and cover
• Breast pump. If you’re going back to work, get a \ fancy automatic double pump. You will not regret it!
• Lanolin lotion for sore nipples (provided by some hospitals after delivery)
• Breast milk freezing bags