Tips for Taking Your Baby Home

Once you arrive home from the hospital with your bundle of joy you will find yourself facing a whole new set of responsibilities. Babies are not always easy so don't be surprised if your nerves are rattled during the first few days.
Also it is not uncommon for newborns to be really fussy. If that happens it is usually due to a stomach upset. One naturally soothing remedy is called gripe water. It is available at health food stores. Of course you should consult with your paediatrician before using anything like this.
Your baby will also need a pacifier. Don't rely on the pacifier to always comfort your baby. If the baby is rooting around with is or her mouth he or she is truly hungry. You can also use a swaddling blanked to comfort a baby that is fussy as well.
Screaming during diaper changes is also very common and incredibly hard on the nerves. You can remedy this by placing a hair dryer under the changing table and turning it on during changes. The baby will be soothed by the constant humming sound of the hair dryer. Buy a low EMF hair dryer to reduce the chances of your baby being exposed to electromagnetic waves.
Finding nursing poses that work well for you and your baby are among the top priorities of things to do when you first take your baby home. The best way to figure this out is to just try to relax. If you are all stressed about nursing your baby is going to sense it.
You could be irritable and you need to prepare friends and family for that. You could have cracked or sore nipples and sleep deprivation is also a factor. Coco butter, she butter and mango butter can help soothe the sore breasts. You can easily ease the stresses of nursing through use of essential oils, herbal and sitz baths. Soothing music played while you rock the baby also helps. It is only a matter of finding the rythm that most soothes you both. When you do find that rythm nursing will no longer be an obligation but a sheer joy.
The other great thing about nursing is that it can really help you lose that baby weight. Nursing is mother nature's weight loss plan. You can lose about 500 calories a day.
If you are sore from delivery don't be shy about getting a postnatal massage to help deal with the bodily trauma of dealing with birth.
Orienting family and friends to your new condition is also a priority. It may take some time to get your body and mind back into shape and let them know that. You may be disappointing a few expectations but that is their tough luck. After childbirth you need time for yourself and your baby.
Be sure to take advantage of the kindness of family and friends at this time as well. If they ask you if there is anything they can do to help, tell them that there is…give them their marching orders!

Parenting Tips
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Tips for a Natural Birth

Are you into the idea of a natural birth? How you choose to have your baby is a very personal decision. Everyone delivers a baby differently and natural childbirth is not for everybody mainly because it can hurt! However proponents of natural childbirth believe that it helps you have a healthier child.
One thing you might want to do is take prenatal yoga classes. These help you with the pain management and physical strength. The yoga also keeps you healthy, calm and strong.
You should also practice the vaginal strengthening exercises called Kegels. These will help you gain more positive awareness of the body and help prepare the birth canal for natural childbirth.
You can also write a birth plan. Many templates for this are available online. It helps your doctor and delivery team assess what you want and what your needs are.
You should also talk to your doctor ahead of time and get knowledge of all of the pain medications that you will be offered. These options need to be discussed with your doula and your partner before you arrive at the hospital.
Take childbirth classes. Many midwives and doulas offer these classes. It will help you visualize your labour and prepare for it in the best way possible.
It can also help you to get a prenatal massage. This helps keep your body and muscles loose and your mind and soul in a positive frame of mind.
Use aromatherapy oils such as lavender rose and yang yang to calm yourself down and oils such as grapefruit, spearmint and orange to keep yourself energized. You can buy a small fabric pouch and keep yourself stocked with the oils you need to keep yourself in a good mood. Simply sniffing a bit of ginger oil can help balance you and take away any feelings of stress caused natal nausea.
It also helps to discuss your labor with someone else in your family like your sister or your mother. This si because people who are related tend to have experiences that are in common when giving birth. This can help prepare you both emotionally and physically for what could happen.
You should familiarize yourself with how contractions work. One of the benefits of natural childbirth is the experience of sensations that you will never feel again during any other experience in your life. Even though contractions are painful your body will release pain relieving endorphins to counteract those effects. Another benefit is supposed to be that the length of labor can be shortened if you do not use pain relieving or labor inducing drugs.
Natural childbirth is not for everyone. It certainly was not for me. Listen to your body and your gut instincts. If you do not think you can handle the pain then do not go for the option of having natural labor!

Parenting Tips
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