New moms and dads often wonder what to expect next and how to know if their baby's development is on target. Instead of focusing too much on developmental milestones, it's important to remember that babies all develop at their own pace.
During this first one to three months, your baby may start to smile in response to your smiles and try to get you to smile back at them, raise their head and chest when on their tummy, and gradually decrease eye crossing.
From six to nine months, your little one begins to move around, crawling or walking with support.
As parents, we must pay close attention to these important milestones of our babies' development to detect when something isn't going right.
It is essential to note that all babies develop at their own pace. Therefore, we should learn to be patient and attentive should we ever need to reach out to a medical professional.
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When you have a baby, occasional infections and fevers are inevitable. But even parents who have experience with sick babies can have trouble distinguishing normal and mild illnesses from serious problems.
It is essential to pay attention to the symptoms that require medical attention.
Firstly, mothers should learn to trust their maternal instincts. If something doesn't feel right or they're not sure if something is normal, call your paediatrician or take the baby to the clinic.
It is best to contact a doctor when: home remedies are not working, your baby refuses several feedings in a row or eats poorly, your baby is hard to awaken or unusually sleepy, your baby has a fever that lasts for more than 3 days, your baby's stools are especially loose or watery, your baby vomits forcefully after feedings, your baby cries with fewer tears, has significantly fewer wet diapers or has a dry mouth, a rash appears infected or if your baby suddenly develops an unexplained rash especially if it's accompanied by a fever.
Parents should not make assumptions about the health of their babies and seek medical attention in time to ensure the baby gets the right care as soon as possible.
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Nausea or morning sickness is a common challenge for women in early pregnancy. Every woman dreads it because it can be very irritating and uncomfortable.
Despite its name, you can have morning sickness at any time of day. It doesn't mean your baby is sick, and it doesn't hurt the baby. Pregnancy nausea is probably caused by the sudden increase of hormones in your body. It's usually mild and goes away about midway through your pregnancy. Some women never feel nauseated during their pregnancy.
In as much as it seems nausea cannot be avoided, can anything be done to manage it? Can nausea be avoided totally? Listen to this episode to learn everything you can about nausea and how to deal with this unpleasant part of pregnancy.
Swollen feet in pregnancy are a very common side effect of pregnancy. A lot of women experience it and even those that haven't experienced it, know someone that has. As common as it is, there are some cases where it becomes abnormal and it is usually a sign of some serious issues in pregnancy.
Listen to this episode to learn about the common causes of swollen feet in pregnancy, how to deal with it on your own and when exactly it gets abnormal.
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During pregnancy, it is essential to maintain a good and healthy weight. The amount of weight you gain during pregnancy is necessary for your pregnancy's and your baby's long-term health. Much of the extra weight is due to your baby growing, but your body will also be storing fat, ready to make breast milk after your baby is born.
Women who do not gain enough weight during pregnancy are usually admitted to administering fluid, ensuring they are not dehydrated. It is essential to take in enough nutrients. After all, whatever the mother takes in also goes to the baby.
Poor weight gain could also lead to the baby being underweight after birth, poor reflexes and coordination, and low blood volume, known as anaemia, which could lead to intra-uterine fetal death - the baby could die.
Excess weight gain could also be detrimental. It could cause the baby to be too big to be delivered through the birth canal leading to a cesarean section. Excess weight could also lead to diabetes during pregnancy, cardiovascular disorders and many more.
During pregnancy, a steady and healthy weight gain is expected, so watch out for sudden weight gain and visit your physician if this occurs.
This podcast talks about weight gain in pregnancy in detail. Listen to learn more about the topic.
Indigestion is common during pregnancy. It can be caused by hormonal changes, the muscles between your stomach and gullet relaxing, allowing stomach acid to come back up, and also the growing baby pressing against your stomach.
Indigestion while pregnant may cause heartburn, acid reflux, bloating, gassiness, and discomfort amongst others because hormones slow down the emptying of the stomach as a means to sustain the pregnancy.
Some women may suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease prior to pregnancy whereby they may suffer heartburn, ulcers prior to pregnancy and these get worse when they are pregnant.
Indigestion could be very distressing and cause diarrhea, vomitting, and nausea.
Things to do to help with indigestion during pregnancy include: changing your eating habits. It can help to eat small meals often, rather than larger meals 3 times a day, and to not eat within 3 of going to bed at night and to also sit up straight when you eat. This will take the pressure off your stomach
Drinking enough fluid is also important in order to ensure adequate bowel movements.
Pregnancy-related high blood pressure can have different effects on the body than it would otherwise. Pregnancy difficulties before, during, and after birth are more likely for mothers who have high blood pressure. High blood pressure during pregnancy can have an effect on the baby as well as the mother, putting both of their lives in jeopardy.
As a result of the placenta's development being hampered by high blood pressure during pregnancy, the baby's access to nutrients and oxygen may be restricted. As a result, the infant may experience an early delivery, low birth weight, placental separation (abruption), and other issues.
Listen to this episode to learn more about Hypertension in pregnancy and how to deal with it
As a continuation of the previous episode, we'll be discussing how fibroids can affect pregnancy. Fibroids can be large enough to affect pregnancies and cause miscarriages, so it is important to see a physician so the fibroid can be removed surgically.
Depending on the location of the fibroid, for instance, if it is found in the birth canal, it would be advised that the woman have a surgical delivery/Caesarean section. If it is located in the womb, it may compete for space with the baby and this may also cause really severe pains for the mother. It may also cause the baby to be abnormally positioned, which would call for a surgical delivery.
It is important to consult a physician in order to determine the type, size, and location of the fibroid and the right time to conceive.
Fibroids are growths that develop from muscle tissues in a woman's womb. They are not cancerous and are usually harmless and very common. In most cases, women with fibroids do not realize they have them, as the growths are too small to cause noticeable complications.
A lot of factors contribute to fibroids, such as age, number of children you've had, diet.
Fibroids may cause challenges depending on their size and location in the body.
Large fibroids could cause bleeding, or compress internal organs and affect the urinary or stooling pattern. They may also affect fertility by stopping implantation or even cause miscarriages or premature labour, depending on how large they area.
It is important to seek medical advice when you notice these occurrences. More about the topic will be discussed in the next episode so watch out!
Depression is a condition that affects your emotional state. It can cause you to have feelings of sadness, low energy levels, excessive worry, and feelings of hopelessness.
Studies have shown that it is more common among women, especially those in their reproductive years.
Depression in pregnancy starts during pregnancy but may continue even after delivery. It may be caused by unintended pregnancy, partner discordance, pre-pregnancy depression, which occurs before pregnancy and heightens during pregnancy, and low social and financial support.
All these may cause feelings of depression during pregnancy and may lead to malnutrition of both baby and mother, suicidal thoughts, and bad habits like alcohol consumption and smoking, which are harmful during pregnancy.
The key to solving this problem is social support. If you have any of these feelings, you must contact family and friends to share your problems or worries.
Feel free to also reach out to us at Mumhealth. We are here to support you through this phase, which is meant to be enjoyed thoroughly. Don't hesitate to contact us.
Giving birth can and should be a beautiful experience. But the pain and discomfort may sometimes give some women anxiety.
Many women opt to receive epidurals from having more comfortable labor, and many more choose “natural” or unmedicated births.
An epidural decreases pain in a specific area, and this case, the lower part of the body. It’s delivered through a tube via the spine.
The greatest benefit of an epidural is the potential for a painless delivery. While you may still feel contractions and pressure, the pain is decreased significantly. During a vaginal delivery, you’re still aware of the birth and can move around.
Natural birth is usually used to describe a vaginal delivery performed without medication. Here, you feel everything, from contractions until the baby is expelled from the body.
It is important to know in both cases, there could be some general complications such as poor progress of labour leading to a cesarian section, genital lacerations, bleeding and others.
Some specific side effects of epidural include low blood pressure causing the baby's heart rate to slow down, post epidural headache, back pain or back ache and in rare cases, bleeding could occur at the site where the tube is delivered.
The major difference between these options is the pain. So, please go ahead and choose whichever option you find most convenient.
It's never easy being a mom trying to juggle a full-time job with family life. As any parent knows, combining work and family life can be challenging.
To balance work and family, many people must make accommodations to their work schedules or career ambitions. Women were more likely than men to fall into this category.
Balancing family and work life is all about consistency. Building strong communication with your family members is imperative in bringing a work-life balance. Having strong familial bonds promotes trust, understanding, and support. Having workplace flexibility can make your life a lot easier.
A lot of useful tips have been shared in this podcast, and you should share it with every parent you know!
A cesarean section, also called a C-section, is a surgical procedure performed when a vaginal delivery is not possible or safe or when the health of the mother or the baby is at risk.
A C-section might be planned ahead of time if you develop pregnancy complications or you've had a previous C-section and aren't considering a vaginal birth after a cesarean.
A C-section might be recommended if; the baby is coming out sideways, the baby is too big, the baby is in fetal distress, and the mom is very sick and needs to get delivered immediately.
Listen to this podcast to learn more about the importance, indications, and complications of having a caesarian section.
Anemia can occur during pregnancy. Because there are not enough healthy red blood cells in your blood to supply oxygen to your tissues and your unborn child, you have anemia.
Your body makes extra blood during pregnancy to help your unborn child thrive. Your body might be unable to produce the necessary number of red blood cells to create this additional blood if you're not getting enough iron or other essential nutrients.
When you are pregnant, slight anemia is usual. However, you can have more severe anemia due to insufficient iron or vitamin levels or other causes.
Being anemic might make you feel exhausted and weakened. If severe and untreated, it can raise the risk of significant issues, including premature delivery.
Listen to this podcast to learn how to prevent or deal with anaemia during pregnancy
Diaper rash is simply rashes around the genital area that comes in another color. It is a very common issue found in babies. This rash can be caused by so many factors.
Listen to this podcast to learn more about the causes, prevention, care and when to get concerned about diaper rash.
Common cold is an infection caused by a series of viruses. It is not a new thing, as everyone must have experienced it at least once in their lives. It is easily contacted by having direct contact with nasal droplets of someone that has a cold, be it touching or inhaling these droplets. However, there are different ways of discovering when your baby has a cold (the symptoms easily give it away).
Listen to this podcast to know the symptoms of common cold in babies, how babies get common cold, the different home remedies to manage the cold, when exactly to escalate the cold and when to take your baby to the hospital.
Teething is when your baby’s teeth start to come through their gum line. Another word for it is odontiasis.
Most babies begin to teeth between 4 and 7 months old, but some start much later. There’s no need to worry if your baby’s teeth come in on another timetable -- it can be different for every baby.
Signs and symptoms of teething aren't the same for every baby but they may include restlessness, fussiness and crying, lots of drool, bringing their hands to their mouth and so on.
Teething can be painful, but it doesn’t usually make babies sick. Call your doctor if your baby has diarrhea, vomiting, rashes on the body, a higher fever, or cough and congestion. These aren’t normal signs of teething.
You also should call the pediatrician if your baby’s gums are bleeding or you see any pus or swelling of their face.
It is important to ensure good oral hygiene, even before your baby starts teething.
Every minute that they're awake, babies take in the sights, sounds, smells, and feel of the world around them.
Babies can focus on shapes that are close by, but see distant objects as blurry because they are nearsighted. As babies grow, eyesight improve. Human faces are one of their favorite things to look at, especially their own or a parent's face.
Your baby's color vision is also developing, so brightly colored wall hangings or toys will help develop your little one's ability to distinguish color.
Your baby has also been hearing sounds since way back in the womb. Mother's heartbeat, the gurgles of her digestive system, and even the sounds of her voice and the voices of other family members are part of a baby's world before birth.
Once your baby is born, the sounds of the outside world come in loud and clear. Your baby may startle at any unexpected noise.
Your newborn should have a hearing screening before being released from the hospital. If not, or if your baby was born at home or a birthing center, it's important to have a hearing screening as soon as possible. Most children who are born with a hearing loss can be diagnosed through a hearing screening.
This podcast is a lifesaver for every mother and the skills in this podcast could help you save the life of your baby. Babies can choke on anything because they are so little and their digestive organs are not yet fully developed. It is very important for every mother to know what to do when their babies choke because they are the first point of call when their babies are in danger. As little as choking sounds, it might be very dangerous if nothing is done on time because the baby’s airway would be blocked and this could lead to a stoppage of breathing. Learn what to do when your baby chokes by listening to this podcast.
Motherhood is a very interesting phase of life accompanied by so many mysteries. As a mother, you are expected to know what to do at all times. We all know babies do not come with a manual and more often than not, mothers have to rely on instincts or good advice. One of the very puzzling moments of motherhood is when baby comes down with a fever.
Baby Fever can be a sign of so many things, how do you decipher the cause and what steps do you take next?