Expecting a child?
Here are some tips to help you out!
Remember Don't smoke or drink.
Your child can be born with a number of different birth defects if you smoke or drink alcohol during your pregnancy, including being underweight and/or premature.
Take some prenatal vitamins
Having a balanced diet is a good idea especially while you are pregnant. It's also a good idea to take a prenatal vitamin just in case you don't get to eat what you need during the day.
Do not eat:
- Shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish (also called white snapper), because they contain high levels of mercury. Avoid raw fish and shellfish like oysters and clams.
- Soft cheeses like feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined, and Mexican-style cheese – which are often unpasteurized and may cause Listeria infection. The "safe" cheeses are hard cheese, processed cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese, or yogurt.
- Saccharin, because it crosses the placenta and is stored in fetal tissues. However, other FDA-approved sweeteners (Equal, NutraSweet, Splenda) are acceptable during pregancy
What are the stages of birth?
(Remember we are all a little different)
Stage One: The baby positions itself
The dilation of the cervix, usually the longest stage lasting from 12-14 hours or a woman having her first child
Stage Two: The baby begins to emerge
(Lasting around 2 hours)Begins when the babies head starts to move through the cervix into the vaginal canal, and ends when the baby is completely out of its mother
Stage Three: Placenta is expelled
(Lasting 10-60Minites) During this stage the placenta and the remainder of the umbilical card are expelled from the mother
Stage One: The baby positions itself
The dilation of the cervix, usually the longest stage lasting from 12-14 hours or a woman having her first child
Stage Two: The baby begins to emerge
(Lasting around 2 hours)Begins when the babies head starts to move through the cervix into the vaginal canal, and ends when the baby is completely out of its mother
Stage Three: Placenta is expelled
(Lasting 10-60Minites) During this stage the placenta and the remainder of the umbilical card are expelled from the mother
Breast Milk or Formula?
Breast is best, but not always possible. Don't stress out if you cant immediately get your child to latch. Not all women are able to breastfeed right away. Know that there is always help if you ask. Every woman is different and every child is different.
Breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months of life, with solids gradually being introduced around this age when signs of readiness are shown. Supplemented breastfeeding is recommended until at least age two and then for as long as the mother and child wish. These benefits include: a twenty-seven percent of normal risk of SIDS for feeding only human milk, increased intelligence decreased likelihood of contracting middle ear infections, cold and flu resistance, a tiny decrease in the risk of childhood leukemia lower risk of childhood onset diabetes, decreased risk of asthma and eczema, decreased dental problems, decreased risk of obesity later in life, and a decreased risk of developing psychological disorders, including in adopted children.
Breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months of life, with solids gradually being introduced around this age when signs of readiness are shown. Supplemented breastfeeding is recommended until at least age two and then for as long as the mother and child wish. These benefits include: a twenty-seven percent of normal risk of SIDS for feeding only human milk, increased intelligence decreased likelihood of contracting middle ear infections, cold and flu resistance, a tiny decrease in the risk of childhood leukemia lower risk of childhood onset diabetes, decreased risk of asthma and eczema, decreased dental problems, decreased risk of obesity later in life, and a decreased risk of developing psychological disorders, including in adopted children.