10 Benefits of Infant Massage
Having a newborn in the house is a time for adjustment. You have this new life to take care of and you really want to make sure you do everything right. Chances are you won’t get everything right, but infant massage one small thing you can do right that will get great results. This gentle therapy will help improve the health of you and your baby.
Helps your baby sleep more soundly– Newborn babies have difficulty sleeping through the night. If your baby is having difficulty sleeping massage can help calm him and help him sleep more soundly.
Decreases stress–Believe it or not your baby experiences stress. Everything is new to her. She has difficulty communicating her needs and at times feels quite frustrated and stressed by her situation. Massage can reduce stress by lowering the amount of the stress hormone cortisol in the body.
Increases circulation–The motion of massage pushes fluids through the body increasing the circulation of blood and lymph. It helps the cells get more nourishment and maintain health.
Boosts the immune system Your baby’s immune system is newly developing. Massage stimulates the production of white blood cells and balances the immune system.
Improves neurological functions It especially helps with sensory development and body awareness.
Improves muscle tone As the muscles are stimulated they develop and build stretch.
Aids digestion Infant massage helps your baby expel gas and eases colic.
Normalizes hormone production The stimulation of the skin, muscles, and nerves helps your baby produce the hormones he needs. It is especially good to get underweight babies produce the hormones needed to gain weight.
Helps with pain management When your baby is experiencing pain and discomfort your soothing touch can help provide pain relief.
Increases the bond between infants and parents During massage the nursing hormone Oxytocin is released increasing the connect felt between you and your child.
You can learn more about infant massage and the benefits of massage therapy at http://www.Massage-Therapy-Benefits.net
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lovelyn_Bettison
The Basics to Breastfeeding Your Baby
Throughout the 9 months of your pregnancy, nature ensures that your body will be prepared to breast feed your baby. Breastfeeding will give your baby the best source of nutrients, and result in a good healthy start for your baby.
Breastfeeding and nursing your baby is an acquired skill. For both mom and baby, this will require time and patience on both parts. Breastfeeding comes more natural for some mothers and babies, but don’t feel pressure to perform.
If you happen to experience some difficulties in breastfeeding your baby, you can contact your local La Leche League and they will be happy to supply a local lactation consultant. They specialize in helping a new mother to breastfeed her baby, and have a lot of resources to ensure your breastfeeding success!
The First Two Days After Giving Birth
Most healthcare providers will encourage a mother to begin breastfeeding her baby as soon as possible. Some instances when breastfeeding a baby isn’t encouraged is when there was a difficulty in delivery such as a cesarean section. You will find that many babies immediately take to the breast, and find themselves breastfeeding with little to no effort. However, there are some cases such as a premature birth of a baby where the mother has a problem while trying to breastfeed her baby. If this is the case a mother can still stroke her baby, and encourage the baby to begin breastfeeding when it is ready.
Having Success in Breastfeeding
The best way to start breastfeeding your baby is to create an environment that is as calm as possible, as it will help provide both you and baby a soothing atmosphere to breastfeed. Keeping a drink nearby is a helpful tip to breastfeeding, as it will keep up your fluid intake.
One key to a successful breastfeeding is being in a comfortable nursing position. In general, most new mothers nurse and breastfeed their baby while sitting upright on a chair. Some women breastfeed with their feet raised and a pillow (or boppy pillow) on their lap, as that creates a natural, comfortable position for the breastfeeding of baby to take place. If you find that you are tired when you need to breastfeed, lay down on your side. Some women who are experiencing fatigue after their pregnancy find this to be the most relaxing way for them to begin breastfeeding.
An important thing to remember while breastfeeding your baby is to ensure that the baby is held close to your whole body, facing your breast. The baby’s chest should be next to your chest, and you should be able to bring your baby close to your breast easily, to allow an simple position for breastfeeding.
Positioning Your Baby Before Breastfeeding
Before you begin breastfeeding your baby, make sure both you and baby are comfortable. If the position you choose to breastfeed your baby is upright, make sure that baby’s head is supported by either your forearm or hold her head and shoulders with the hand that you have free. While your baby is breastfeeding, their head should be at the same level as your nipple, as this will allow the proper angle for you baby to suck and breastfeed successfully.
Another thing that might assist you in breastfeeding is to cup your breast with your hand. By supporting your breast with your fingers against your ribs, you provide your baby the most opportune ability to breastfeed. One thing to avoid is to pinch your nipple between two fingers, as it can prevent your baby from breastfeeding successfully. Some babies have the natural breastfeeding instinct, where the automatically begin to suck on your nipple as soon as they feel your breast on their cheek.
Ensure that Your Baby Has Latched On
Although it may feel unnatural, make sure your baby is breastfeeding with as much of your breast in their mouth as possible. Your baby is properly positioned if they are breastfeeding with a “mouthful” of breast, including your nipple and perhaps most of the areola.
While breastfeeding, your baby’s bottom lip should be curled back, as their jaw muscles will work almost rhythmically. If you notice that your baby’s cheeks are caving in while breastfeeding, then they aren’t suckling properly, and might make the breastfeed unsuccessful. If this is the case, to ensure proper breastfeeding you should reposition yourself or your baby and try again.
Changing Breasts if Necessary
Most babies breastfeed with various sucking patterns – from short sucks to longer bursts of sucking and sometimes with pauses in between. Your baby will let you know if your breast is empty by falling asleep or letting your nipple fall out of their mouth. This means that it’s time to breastfeed with the other breast.
If you feel that you need to stop your baby from breastfeeding, the easiest and most effective way is to break the breastfeed with your fingers. If your baby refuses to breastfeed with your other breast, let some time pass and the try breastfeeding again with the other nipple.
Engorgement
You may notice that a few days after you deliver your baby, your breast might begin to feel swollen. This is called engorgement of the breasts, and might even feel painful with accumulations of blood and milk. Breastfeeding as much as eight times within a 24 hour period might help alleviate this pain. One thing you can do is to make engorgement of the breast feel better, is to express a little bit of breast milk before you baby begins breastfeeding.
The Combination of Breast Milk and Bottle
At some point it might be necessary to give yourself a break from breastfeeding by pumping breast milk into a bottle. If you find yourself out on the run, or are returning to work, then pumping your breast milk will provide your baby with the same nutrients that they receive when the breastfeed. Breastfeeding is the best way to ensure your baby is getting what it needs – after all, the saying “mother’s milk is best” is definitely the case. At some point, you will need to stop breastfeeding altogether – but do this gradually, to provide proper transition.
Brian Gardner is the Founder of PregnancyEtc.com – An Online Pregnancy Resource For 9 Months & Beyond. Having recently experienced pregnancy firsthand with his wife Shelly, Brian has dedicated his efforts towards pregnancy research. The development of http://www.pregnancyetc.com was to ensure that expecting parents had a place to find information on pregnancy and babies.
White Noise CD for a Baby Shower Gift
Going to a baby shower and don’t know what to get the new baby? Sleepers, onesies, and diapers are all useful . But, why not add something unique to your gift bag that most new parents don’t even realize they need until they need it? A White noise cd.
What is white noise you might ask?
Well, simply put , it’s the monotonic humming you hear when a fan is running. Or the sound of your wheels running while you are driving. Experts say it is all the frequencies a human ear can hear put all together. Kind of like white light is all the colors human eyes can see put all together.
What does white noise have to do with a colic baby?
Well, a baby, especially a colic baby , responds to hearing white noise. Playing white noise cd’s mimics the womb sound baby heard for nine months . When a baby is born, it is thrust into a loud, confusing, startling world. Often , the baby can’t handle the stress and reacts in the only way she knows how.
To cry .
Uncontrollably .
White noise can help soothe the crying by tricking baby into thinking she is back in the womb where everything was warm and cozy .
For anyone who has been subjected to a baby suffering from colic , they can testify . Colic is not pleasant . A colicky baby can take a mild-mannered parent and transform them into a stressed out shell. New parents, in particular, might not have any clue that their baby is colicky . Because of the excessive crying, they might assume they are doing something wrong and become incredibly frustrated. That’s when the white noise baby shower gift becomes the real savior . Just listening to a few moments of the cd will calm that colic baby quick .
But there’s more! White noise cd’s have other amazing uses for baby.
Acts as a sleep aid
Another bonus of playing white noise is baby sleeps better . Not only does the white noise soothe a fussy outburst, it also drowns out other noises around the house that may disturb baby’s slumber . Instead of being startled when a phone rings or a dog barks , baby won’t even notice ! Baby will sleep longer and undisturbed .
What type of white noise is best?
White noise is can be found in several variations. The type recommended by experts is either a vacuum cleaner sound or hair dryer sound. These types mimic the tone baby heard in the womb the best.
Try not to buy white noise cd’s that are just digital noise. Look for the kind that are actually recordings of either a vacuum cleaner, or a hair dryer running.
Where do I buy white noise?
You can buy white noise almost anywhere. You can even purchase it online or download it as an MP3 from ITunes and burn your own CD for the baby shower gift. Just Google Vacuum Cleaner White Noise to find out where you can buy a white noise cd online.
Can a Probiotic Formula Solve Your Baby’s Colic?
Is a probiotic formula something you should consider in alleviating baby colic? Possibly. Research shows that milk-based formula with supplemental probiotics did wonders for lowering colic outbursts in babies. But more about that later. First, you may be wondering what the heck probiotic means.
What are probiotics?
Your body contains tons of bacteria and other microorganisms. As we know, some bacteria are bad and cause illness and infection. However, some bacteria are good and necessary in order for our bodies to function properly.
A probiotic is a supplement or foods that are like those good bacteria that occur naturally in our body. Some examples of food containing probiotics are:
-yogurt
-some cheese
-some pickles
-fermented milk
-sauerkraut
Experts are interested in the evidence that probiotics taken as supplements or in food seem to treat illnesses like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), intestinal infections, infant eczema, infectious diarrhea, and other disorders, as well as improve a person’s overall health. Probiotics seem to particularly aid in digestive disorders.
You have probably heard commercials for Dannon’s Activia and how it makes you more “regular”. Activia is a lowfat yogurt that contains a probiotic. There are people that swear by this stuff.
What does probiotics have to do with baby colic?
Experts aren’t sure what causes colic. However, some believe the culprit to be an immature digestive system that doesn’t function correctly. The baby may have more difficulty digesting complex enzymes. In turn, their digestive tract can become irritated, which can cause pain and fussiness. Or, as with adults who are somewhat lactose intolerant, milk protein found in the formulas can make the baby become gassy and bloated which also can cause intense pain. And this may be what causes the incredible bouts of crying and screaming.
Probiotics, since they are known to aid in problems with the digestive system, can help add good bacteria into your baby’s system and soothe that immature digestive tract. In fact, a 2004 John Hopkins study found that a probiotic formula lowered the frequency of colic in infants who were fed a milk-based formula containing probiotic bacteria.
So, it’s was no surprise when food-giant Nestle became the first to come out with their Good Start Natural Cultures formula which contains Bifidus BL™—a probiotic similar to that found in breast milk. (Keep in mind, if you are breastfeeding, your breast milk is a natural source of probiotics and your baby shouldn’t need a supplemental probiotic). As the saying goes, breast is best. But if you do need to feed your baby a formula, you might want to check out Good Start Natural Cultures.
Are there any probiotics side effects?
Side effects from probiotics are few, and if they do occur, are mostly mild. Some people may experience digestive issues such as gas and bloating. However, in more rare instances, people with underlying health conditions have contracted illnesses as a result of the probiotics stimulating their immune system in a negative way. So be sure to consult your doctor if you are considering switching your baby to a probiotic formula just to be on the safe side.
Trapped in the car with a crying newborn…not fun.
Have you ever been trapped in a car with a baby that is totally freaking out? We suggest you check into some white noise to soothe your baby fast. You can find white noise in many forms:
- in the form of a vaccuum cleaner running
- in the form of a hair dryer running
- in the form of a fan running
And many more.
How to Swaddle Your Newborn
Great video that explains exactly how to use a receiving blanket to swaddle your baby and make her happy fast. Enjoy!
Colic Baby Remedies
If you have stumbled upon this blog, you have come up close and personal to a baby suffering from colic. We are the Colic Baby Bootcamp Blog. This is the place where we will update you on all the colic baby remedies we’ve found across the web that may help you deal with baby colic.
We know you’re tired. We know you’re frustrated. But just know that we know what you are going through. And we’re here to help.
