When you first become a new mother, one of the biggest worries is knowing when your baby is hungry. The two main worries of any new family are knowing why a baby is crying and knowing if she or he is hungry. If only they arrived with a manual! So how do I know if my baby is hungry? Babies can cry for many reasons: they might be bored, sleepy, hungry or lonely. But the good news is, that no…
Here we have put together some basic guidelines for visiting a new baby that you can share with your family and friends so that when they come to meet your newborn, it is clear to them. You can adapt and modify them to your liking, but we are sure that they will be useful for you to set the boundaries to your surrounding, which you will need when they are visiting your newborn baby. Ask permission before going to visit…
Institutionalised racism undermines the quality of health care for black mothers, who have a much higher mortality rate than white mothers, even when they have similar levels of education or socioeconomic background. African-American women living in the United States are nearly four times more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth than white women, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC reports that while the mortality rate for white women is 12.7…
Today marks the International Day of the Midwife! Congratulation to all midwives! Midwives are the best-qualified professionals to monitor pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care for low-risk births. Numerous studies show that having access to a professional midwife improves health outcomes for mother and baby. What differentiates a midwife from an ob-gyn/gynaecologist? Midwives are specialists in the normality of childbirth, while gynaecologists specialise in the care of pathologies or whenever risks and problems arise. As we said, a low-risk, physiological pregnancy…
Mastitis is a word many women have never heard of until they become mothers. In this post, we explain what mastitis is, what different types exist and what causes them. We will explore the consequences and what you should or should not do when the first symptoms appear. What is mastitis? Mastitis is an inflammation of one or more areas of the mammary gland that can occur with or without infection. It is one of the most common complications in…
A human baby is born totally helpless. It needs its mother to survive: her food, her arms, her body, her temperature, her sound, her presence. When a baby lies on her mother’s body, she feels safe, knows she is protected and can relax. Today we talk about skin-to-skin contact, which even sounds like medical treatment and which is actually what humanity has been replicating throughout its existence as part of our survival strategy as a species. What is the Mother…
Breastfeeding is plagued by myths. Most of them are absurd. If you stop to reflect, you will see that they don’t make any sense, so today, we will debunk 10 of them. 1. You cannot drink water while you are breastfeeding. This myth says that if you drink water while you are breastfeeding, the milk will become watery or you will produce too much milk. There isn’t any reasoning behind this statement. As we have said before, a breastfeeding mother…
It seems that most women assume that breastfeeding is painful during the first few days or even believe that it is necessary to wait for the nipples to “toughen up” but this is not the case at all. Nipple damage should not be part of breastfeeding as well as pain should not be part of breastfeeding. What are sore nipples? Sore nipples from breastfeeding are wounds of bigger or smaller size to the nipple: at the front, sides or base…
A growth spurt, also sometimes called a breastfeeding crisis, is a response by the baby to a clear increase in milk demand. Your baby will now ask to breastfeed at all times and may be nervous, irritable, and seemingly insatiable. Coincidentally, these demand increases occur around the same time for all babies. This shows that it is a common, biological, and necessary behavior that most of us go through. Some mothers may not notice it, but most do, and it…
Christmas, holidays, New Year’s Eve, family, friends and others… are you ready for what’s to come? It makes no difference whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding, carrying your baby in a sling or a backpack, or carrying him in a buggy. Meals, engagements, celebrations… With a baby (inevitably he becomes the centre of attention) it is difficult not to receive plenty of opinions and advice. Mostly well-intentioned, though not always desired! At many times you will have to deal…
