Female Care

Baby shower crafts are usually tied somehow to the theme of the party, which can be anything from storks to ducks to stars to teddy bears. Before deciding on what kind of baby shower crafts you would like to ask guests to bring to the party, decide on a theme and a color scheme for the event. If you are on a budget, at the very least decorate the party area with a banner that welcomes the mom. Featuring her picture in a prominent place is also a complimentary and flattering practice that makes her feel loved and appreciated by her friends.

Baby shower crafts are well suited to beading projects. A unique way to identify guests at a party would be to create baby necklaces, similar to the kind that are worn by babies at the hospital. These kinds of beads, which have letters on them, can be purchased at a supply store. The idea is that the necklace boasts the name of the guest and is worn during the party. Baby beads can be purchased at most bead and craft supply stores. Sometimes you can also get beads that are shaped like small toy building blocks. These building block beads suit showers that have an “ABC” or alphabet theme. Continue reading »

Traditionally, a baby shower is held for the Mother. It’s a time for her and her friends to enjoy the blessed event that’s about to happen. She will bring a new life into this world. A close friend is usually the one to throw the party. Gifts will be exchanged, games will be played and advice is sure to be given.

Having a co-ed baby shower is not quite common yet but it is certainly getting there. A baby shower doesn’t have to be just for the Mother anymore, it can be both for the Mother and the Father. The Father of this unborn child should certainly be included in the celebration.

Nothing really changes, except for now there will be men present at the party. The same original games can be played such as, “How Fast Can You Dress That BABY” and “Baby Scramble.” When you are planning the baby shower activities, you will want to keep the men in mind so you don’t have games that are for women only. However, you may want to go a different route when it comes to gifts. Continue reading »

Once your baby is on the move, it is time to childproof your home. To effectively childproof your home, you need to think like your child.

Get down low.
For starters, get down low. Take a crawl around your home in every room your child might possibly spend time in, and look for hazards. It might feel ridiculous, but seeing dangers from your child’s eye view is the best way to discover potential harm to your child, as well as to spot breakables you’ll want to move to higher ground.

Carry a notepad with you and take note of everything that needs childproofing. Don’t rely on your memory to recall every danger. Continue reading »

The end of the pregnancy should be as relaxing as possible. There are many things to plan. Planning the trip to the hospital is one of them. Be prepared ahead of time by packing a suitcase that can be grabbed in the instant you head to the hospital.

What to Pack for You

Hospital stays vary in length after a birth. It is on average a couple days at most depending on what type of birth you have, or any other complications that may arise. A cesarean birth usually warrants a longer hospital stay.

Here is a list of common items to pack for you for your hospital stay after the birth. Make sure there aren’t any regulations in place at the hospital you are staying at that prohibits certain items in the rooms. It is uncommon for this to happen but in certain areas such as the intensive care unit some items are not permitted. Continue reading »

Breastfeeding is natural, so milk from a healthy mother is obviously better for a baby than formula. The colostrum or pre-milk that comes in during the first days after birth is said to be especially beneficial, and it cannot be mimicked by synthetic formulas. It may help strengthen a baby’s immune system, help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and help babies fight off childhood diseases. Breastfeeding may also help prevent allergies and disease later in life, including chronic diseases, such as diabetes.

Because it is all natural, breast milk contains easy to digest, easily broken down proteins. This not only eases digestion and passage of waste, but may also help prevent colic.
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Having a baby can be a wonderful experience, but it can also leave your body a mess! Many new mothers despair at ever recovering their pre-baby body, especially if they have had more than one child. There are a few tips to getting rid of that excess, though, that mothers can take advantage of.

1. Breastfeed. If you are able to breastfeed, even just for a couple of months, you will find that you lose weight faster. Doctors recommend adding around 500 calories to your daily diet if you are breastfeeding because it takes a lot of energy to provide all that nutrition for your little one. Also, the nipple stimulation caused by a nursing baby helps contract the uterus back to its regular size far faster, which makes your stomach look smaller almost immediately.
2. Drink water. Keeping your fluid intake up right after the birth will help flush the excess liquid and toxins out of your body. If you experienced edema or hypertension during the pregnancy, this is a super fast way to lose those massive calves and huge thighs, they seem to just melt away after a few days! Continue reading »

Your Baby

A baby born in the ninth month of pregnancy has a very high chance of survival. After your 37th week, your pregnancy is considered full-term, so can start expecting your baby to arrive at any time. However, it is quite normal for your pregnancy to extend beyond the ninth month, even until a couple of weeks past your due date.

During the ninth month of pregnancy, your baby will be gaining about a half pound every week. His or her lungs have matured, but your baby’s immune system is still immature, so your body is sending antibodies to your baby to boost the immune system and prepare him or her for life outside the womb. Your baby is waking and sleeping just like a newborn during the ninth month of pregnancy. Your baby’s movements will be feeling more like rolling and squirming than kicking, since your baby has less room to move around now. At the end of the ninth month, your baby will measure between eighteen and twenty-one inches long, and will weigh between six and ten pounds.
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Choosing a name for your baby is a very important task as you await your new arrival. The name will serve as your child’s identification for life and he will use it in everything he does. But, the process does not have to be stressful. With all of the preparations involved in getting ready for the new member of your family, keep the following suggestions in mind to help make naming the baby a fun, joyous experience.

You will probably have many suggestions from friends and family of names for your baby. Let everyone give their input, but remember that the decision remains with you and your mate. Make a list early on of some possible choices. Set the list aside for a while and come back to it. Usually some names will stand out above the others. When considering a name, say it out loud several times. Say it in combination with the middle and last names. Consider what types of nicknames might be generated from it. Be careful to avoid a name that might subject the child to ridicule from other children. Also, be mindful of the child’s initials and make sure they do not spell or stand for anything undesirable. Continue reading »

It can be a tough job being pregnant. Not only have you got yourself to look after, with a body that is constantly changing and strange pregnancy symptoms you hadn’t expected, but there’s an added growing individual inside, making additional demands on you. And with many women also trying to work and look after a family, it’s not surprising that stress occurs! But whilst a bit of stress is normal, too much could impact on both you and your baby, so just how can you learn to relax and unwind?

Learning to relax is a good move for both you and your baby. Research has shown that babies in the womb can pick up on the fact that you’re stressed and it may have an affect on them. “Maternal stress is an important predictor of a baby’s behaviour,” explains Mary Nolan, a National Childbirth Trust antenatal instructor. “Adrenaline and other chemicals released can have some effect. A Utrecht study in 2000 showed that if a baby’s brain, which is so plastic in pregnancy and during the early weeks, is exposed to high levels of stress, then there might be a behavioural effect later in life, such as your baby not settling easily.”

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Your Baby

Week by week, your baby is changing rapidly. By the end of the second month of pregnancy, your baby will begin to have the appearance of a tiny human being. At this point, your baby is referred to as a fetus. Early on in the second month, your baby’s heart will begin to beat and can be seen during an ultrasound. Your baby is developing eyelids, which will stay shut for some time. During the second month of pregnancy, your baby will begin to develop all of his major organs, including the brain, stomach, and lungs. Toes and fingers are also forming during this time. By the end of the second month, bone cells are beginning to form. Your baby will be about one inch long and will weigh less than one ounce at the end of this month.
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