Beautiful baby…but feeling blue?

What are baby blues?
Your baby’s birth has set into motion great changes in your body and in your life, and your emotions are reacting in a normal way. Dramatic hormonal shifts occur when a body goes from pregnant to not pregnant in a manner of minutes. Add to this your new title (Mommy!) and the responsibilities that go with it, and your blues are perfectly  understandable. You’re not alone; this emotional letdown during the first few weeks is common after birth. Just remember that your state of mind has a physical origin and is made worse by challenging circumstances ⎯ and you and your body will adjust to both soon.

How do I know if I have the baby blues?
Every woman who experiences the baby blues (also called postpartum blues) does so in a different way. The most common symptoms include:
•Anxiety and nervousness
•Sadness or feelings of loss
•Stress and tension
•Impatience or a short temper
•Bouts of crying or tearfulness
•Mood swings
•Difficulty concentrating
•Trouble sleeping or excessive tiredness
•Not wanting to get dressed, go out, or clean up the house

Could it be more than just the baby blues?
If you’re not sure whether you have the blues ask your doctor or midwife, and don’t feel embarrassed: This is a question that health care providers hear often and with good reason. If you’re feeling these symptoms to a degree that disrupts your normal level of function, if your baby is more than a few weeks old, or if you have additional symptoms ⎯ particularly feelings of resentment or rejection toward your baby or even a temptation to harm him ⎯ you may have more than the blues, you may have postpartum depression. This is a serious illness that requires immediate treatment. Please call a doctor or professional today. If you can’t make the call, then please talk to your partner, your mother or father, a sibling or friend and ask them to arrange for help. Do this for yourself and for your baby. If you can’t talk about it, hand this page it to someone close to you. It’s that important. You do not have to feel this way, and safe treatment is available, even if you’re breastfeeding.

How can I get rid of the blues?
While typical baby blues are fairly brief and usually disappear on their own, you can do a few things to help yourself feel better and get through the next few emotional days or weeks:

Give yourself time. Grant yourself permission to take the time you need to become a mother. Pregnancy lasts nine months, the adoption process can take even longer, and your baby’s actual birth is only a moment ⎯ but becoming a mother takes time. Motherhood is an immense responsibility. In my opinion, it is the most overwhelming, meaningful, incredible, transforming experience of a lifetime. No wonder it produces such emotional and physical change! 

No other event of this magnitude would ever be taken lightly, so don’t feel guilty for treating this time in your life as the very big deal it is. Remind yourself that it’s okay (and necessary) to focus on this new aspect of your life and make it your number-one priority. Tending to a newborn properly takes time ⎯ all the time in his world. So, instead of feeling guilty or conflicted about your new focus, put your heart into getting to know this new little person. The world can wait for a few weeks.Consider as objectively as you can just what you have accomplished: You have formed a new, entire person inside your own body and brought him forth; you have been party to a miracle. Or, if you’ve adopted, you’ve chosen to invite a miracle into your life and became an instant mother. You deserve a break and some space in which to just exist with your amazing little one, unfettered by outside concerns.

• Talk to someone who understands. Talk to a sibling, relative or friend with young children about what you are feeling. Someone who has experienced the baby blues can help you realize that they are temporary, and everything will be fine. A confidante can also serve as a checkpoint who can encourage you to seek help if he or she perceives that you need it.

• Reach out and get out. Simply getting out (if you are physically able and okayed for this by your health care provider) and connecting with people at large can go a long way toward reorienting your perspective. Four walls can close in very quickly, so change the scenery and head to the mall, the park, the library, a coffeehouse ⎯ whatever place you enjoy. You’ll feel a sense of pride as strangers ooh and ahh over your little one, and your baby will enjoy the stimulation, too.

• Join a support group. Joining a support group, either in person or online, can help you sort through your feelings about new motherhood. Take care to choose a group that aligns with your core beliefs about parenting a baby. As an example, if you are committed to breastfeeding, but most other members of the group are bottlefeeding, this may not be the best place for you, since your breastfeeding issues won’t be understood and you won’t find many helpful ideas among this group. If you have multiples, a premature baby, or a baby with special needs, for example, seek out a group for parents with babies like yours. And within those parameters, look for a group with your same overall parenting beliefs. Just because you all have twin babies doesn’t mean you will all choose to parent them in the same way, so try to find like-minded new friends.

• Tell Daddy what he can do to help. It’s very important that your spouse or partner be there for you right now. He may want to help you, but he may be unsure of how. Here are a few things that he can do for you

⎯ show him this list to help him help you:

• •Understand. It’s critical that your spouse or partner feel that you understand that she is going through a hormonally driven depression that she cannot control ⎯ and that she is not “just being grumpy.” Tell her you know this is normal, and that she’ll be feeling better soon. Simply looking over this list and using some of the ideas will tell her a lot about your commitment to (and belief in) her.
• •Let her talk about her feelings. Knowing she can talk to you about her feelings without being judged or criticized will help her feel much better.
• •Tend to the baby. Taking care of your baby so Mommy can sleep or take a shower can give her a breath of fresh air. Have her nurse the baby and then you can take him for a walk (using a sling will keep Baby happy) or go on an outing. A benefit for you is that most babies love to be out and about and will enjoy this special time with you.
• •Step in to protect her. If she’s overwhelmed with visitors, kindly explain to company that she needs a lot of rest. Help her with whatever household duties usually fall to her (or get someone to help her) and do what you can to stay on top of yours. Worry about the house’s cleanliness or laundry upkeep will do her no good whatsoever. If relatives offer to take the baby for a few hours, or to help with the house, take them up on it.
• •Tell her she’s beautiful. Most woman feel depressed about the way they look after childbirth ⎯ because most still look four months pregnant! After changing so greatly to accommodate a baby’s development, a woman’s body takes months to regain any semblance of normalcy. Be patient with both her body and her feelings about it. Tell her what an amazing thing she’s accomplished. Any compliments that acknowledge her unique beauty are sure to be greatly appreciated!
• •Tell her you love the baby. Don’t be bashful about gushing over the baby. Mommy loves to hear that you’re enraptured with this new little member of your family.
• •Be affectionate, but be patient about sex. With all that she’s struggling with physically and emotionally, weeks may pass before she’s ready for sex (even if she’s had an OK after her checkup.) That doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you or need you ⎯ she just needs a little time to get back to the physical aspects of your sexual relationship.
• •Tell her you love her. Even when she isn’t feeling down, she needs to hear this ⎯ and right now it’s more important for her health and well-being than ever.
• •Get support for you, too. Becoming a father is a giant step in your life. Open up to a friend about how it feels to be a Dad, and do things that you enjoy, too. Taking care of yourself will help you take care of your new family.

Accept help from others. Family and friends are often happy to help if you just ask. When people say, “Let me know if I can do anything” they usually mean it. So, go ahead and ask kindly for what you want, whether it’s watching your baby so that you can nap, taking your older child to the park, helping you make a meal, or doing some laundry. 

Get some sleep. Right now, sleeplessness will enhance your feelings of depression. So, take every opportunity to get some shuteye. Nap when the baby sleeps, go to bed early, and sleep in later in the morning if you can. If you are co-sleeping, take advantage of this special time when you don’t have to get up out of bed to tend to your baby. And if your baby’s sleep patterns are distressing to you then reach out to an experienced parent for help, or check out my book The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night.

Don’t fret about perfection right now. Household duties are not your top priority now ⎯ in fact, nothing aside from getting to know your baby is. Remember that people are coming to see your baby, not your house, so enjoy sharing your baby with visitors without worrying about a little clutter or dust. Simplify, prioritize, and delegate routine tasks, errands, and obligations.

Enjoy your job. If you work outside the home, then view your time at your job as an opportunity to refresh and prepare yourself to enjoy your baby fully when you are at home. Go ahead ⎯ talk about your baby and share pictures with your co-workers. Chances are, they’ll love to hear about your new little one. This is a nice and appropriate way of indulging your natural instincts to focus on your baby when you can’t be with her.

Get into exercising. With your health care provider’s approval, start exercising with short walks or swims. Exercise will help you feel better in many ways both physical and emotional. Even if you didn’t exercise before you had your baby, this is a great time to start. Studies prove that regular exercise helps combat depression, and it will help you regain your pre-baby body much more quickly.

Eat healthful foods. When the body isn’t properly nourished, spirits can flag ⎯ particularly when the stress of recovery makes more nutritional demands. If you are breastfeeding, a nourishing diet is important for both you and your baby. Healthful foods, eaten in frequent meals, can provide the nutrition you need to combat the baby blues and give you the energy you need to handle your new role. And don’t forget to drink water and other healthy fluids, especially if you’re nursing! Dehydration can cause fatigue and headaches.

Take care of yourself. Parenting a new baby is an enormous responsibility, but things will fall into place for you and everything will seem easier given time. During this adjustment phase, try to do a few things for yourself. Simple joys like reading a book, painting your nails, going out to lunch with a friend or other ways in which you nourish your spirit can help you feel happier.

Love yourself. You are amazing: You’ve become mother to a beautiful new baby. You’ve played a starring role in the production of an incredible miracle. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished, and take the time to know and enjoy the strong, capable, multifaceted person you are becoming.

This article is an excerpt from Gentle Baby Care by Elizabeth Pantley. (McGraw-Hill, 2003)

Free diapers….maybe win a whole year’s worth…

Once upon a time diaper was a diaper was a diaper, all pretty much about the same.

Personally, I always loved putting newborn baby butts in cloth diapers…you can find some good info on them here

Anymore, it seems, the diaper competition is fierce, and the latest innovation is called Dry Max, by Pampers. You know them because they also make those  swaddling diapers for newborns to ease all that umbilical cord drama.

So these new Dry Max dipes are thinner than other diapers and made with less materials and less packaging. Nice. Also nice, the pricing is the same as current swaddlers and cruisers. These are being launched in tune with the upcoming Winter Olympics (10 more days!) which means the new diapers are going to Vancouver with those Team USA athletes toting their wee ones along for the adventure. They are even sending special Team USA-printed versions with the parent-athletes.
Bummer (I couldn’t help myself) that the special Team USA dipes aren’t for sale,

but beginning today you can request a free sample pack of the new Dry Max diapers. And if your pack happens to include a Team USA diaper, you win a year’s supply of the new Pampers Dry Max diapers. If you’ve done any diapering, you know that’s a dizzying number (avoiding another tempting pun here) of diapers that you won’t have to pay for.

 
***note: Go to the Pampers website for free diapers. You will have to register with the site to enter.

 

Tummy tub…..Have you seen it?

Learn more about how the Original TummyTub eases the transition from the comfort of the mother’s womb to the outside world.  Babies naturally adopt the fetal position and quickly calm and relax!  Made in Europe and surpassing all safety standards, the TummyTub is catching on with American midwives and is starting to be used in birthing centers, hospitals, and homes across the country!

Learn More about the Original TummyTub here!!

To watch how midwives, doctors, doulas, and other healthcare professionals use the TummyTub and the benefits to babies, watch this VIDEO! You will see a stark difference between the bath this Italian nurse gives this newborn, compared to the typical American hospital bath for newborns. Read TESTIMONIALS from midwives and doulas across Europe!

 

Not just for use as a baby bath tub, the TummyTub has therapeutic qualities and gently introduces babies to their new world.  Similar in nature to swaddling and carrying in a sling, curling up in fetal position in warm water is sheer bliss to a new baby!  We would be happy to explain how to incorporate the TummyTub in your practice or group, and hope you will join our growing family of TummyTub proponents!  We were recently represented at the MANA conference in Monterray, CA in October, and we are also attending the National Midwive’s Conference in DC next June.

Need help quitting smoking?

 

Pregnant and can’t stop smoking?

Or you may have a friend or family member who is expecting, but patches and pills haven’t worked. Many pregnant women simply don’t trust putting more chemicals into their body to try to stop smoking.

Tricia Allison has a solution that can help you

or the person you care about.

First, who is she?

Tricia Allison is a nicotine addiction specialist,

an ex-smoker herself, author and creator of a stop smoking

method that has helped over 6000 hard core smokers.

Now semi-retired, at the height of her career, she coached smokers in 18 medical centers in Oregon

and Washington since l980.

Her method is smart, effective and 100% natural,

And next,

How does her program work and what does it cost?

This special program, “Mother’s2Be, Smoke-free” is devoted to pregnant women of the Treasure Coast and includes Tricia Allison’s entire program in an easy to use kit. A week of video seminars teaches smokers a step by step method that handles the desire to smoke, withdrawal, and weight gain in a surprising new way, – plus her book, CD’s and follow-up coaching – all absolutely

free to help expectant mothers liberate themselves from nicotine!

If you or someone you love is pregnant and needs personalized support from a caring professional who is donating her time and expertise towards achieving this goal, simply E-mail Tricia at smokefreemoms@aol.com . She will respond right away and help get you or your loved one on the road to recovery.

Tricia Allison, “Mothers2Be, Smoke-free”, at Smokefreemoms@aol.com.

Fred Flintstone feet…

Have…

you found yourself sifting through your closet, looking for a pair of shoes that don’t kill your feet lately?

 You discovered that many of your shoes don’t even fit any more? Are flip flops your new best friend?? Chances are, your feet are swollen from pregnancy

 

. There are various reasons for your feet to swell during pregnancy, causing those favorite heels to fit a little more snugly, or not at all. Fortunately, there are some things you can do that may help a bit. 

The technical term for swelling of the extremities, such as the feet, during pregnancy is called edema. Fluid is collecting in the tissue. The  doctor or midwife will test for this by firmly pressing a finger on the affected area and watching your skin’s response. If it is edema, it will remained depressed for a moment and slowly return, as opposed to bouncing back the way normal tissue does. (Think of pressing a finger on your cheek – it never leaves an imprint, does it!)

It’s completely normal to swell up a little bit when you are pregnant. Your body is retaining more water and certain changes in your blood chemistry cause fluid to move into your tissue. Another reason you puff up a little, especially in the ankles and feet, is because the pressure on your vena cava by your growing uterus slows the return of blood from your legs back to your heart.

Now, if swelling is sudden and severe, it could be the sign of something more dangerous, like pre-eclampsia  If you notice that even your face is really swollen, contact your doctor right away.

In the meantime:

 Wear comfortable shoes

 Put your feet up and avoid crossing your legs or ankles.

To combat water retention, drink more water! Surprising? Yes, but it’s true. It will flush you out. If you have a hard time drinking enough water, read Increasing your Water Intake.

You might also try wearing a maternity support belt. ask the Doctor or midwife about these  support belts .

 If your hands are swollen, put away those rings for a while until they return to their normal size. You wouldn’t want to have to have them cut off in an emergency! It has happened!

Swollen feet…some mom’s have even jokingly called them Fred Flintstone feet

are often a by product of just being pregnant…Keep in touch with your Dr/midwife about them and try the tips above.

Remember soon it will be all worth it…And you’ll be holding someones perfect little feet!

Water therapy for pregnancy…

We were talking about this in class….enjoy…

 

Belly dancing….amazing for pregnancy…

Here is a small preview of a pregnancy dance DVD….you will find some prenatal exercise dvd’s at the local library…or many others online.

MOVE through pregnancy…It’s good for ya!

~cha cha cha~

Increasing your water intake….

Drinking water is always important for your health, but when you’re pregnant, it’s even more essential! To make sure you drink enough each day (anywhere from 64 to 100 ounces a day), try these recommendations:

Designated Water Bottle with Straw I tend to drink a lot more water when I have a reusable bottle handy that has a straw. For the simple reason that I don’t have to drop what I’m doing to unscrew a cap, I’m much more likely to take a sip if my water bottle has a straw. I can pick up the bottle, flip back the straw, drink, and set the bottle back down, all with one hand. It’s so easy, I don’t even think about it. I keep the bottle close by throughout the day, and I always end up refilling the bottle multiple times.

Set a Timer If you tend to get wrapped up in work or projects like I do, you might go hours without drinking until you are finally so thirsty that you cannot concentrate. When I used to work in an office, I fought this cycle by setting a timer in my calendar program to alert me every hour to drink one 8 ounce glass. One glass each hour throughout the workday fulfilled my goal of drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day. My coworkers thought it was hilarious, but I felt great so I didn’t care. Eventually I no longer needed the timer; I automatically would drink every time I noticed the new hour.

Pre-fill Your Water Bottles If you have a hard time keeping track of how much you’ve been drinking throughout the day and you’re determined to reach your goal, begin each morning by filling up enough water bottles to equal the number of ounces you want to drink. For example, you could fill two 32oz  water bottles and keep sipping throughout the day until they are both empty.

Add Some Flavor If the taste of water is what is keeping you from drinking enough, flavor it! The beverage section of your grocery store has tons of options for flavoring water. You can turn it into lemonade or tea, for example. Add slices of fresh orange or lemon…or try raspberries!

Drink up!

Diabetes screening test…

I often get questions about the different screens and tests done to pregnant mom’s…Most often about the glucose test…

Diabetes Screen, Glucola Screen,
Done at 24-28 weeks
What it measures. During pregnancy, a small number of women (1.5%-2%) will develop difficulty in processing the normal sugars (carbohydrates) in their bloodstreams. This can lead to what is called gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). If not detected and treated, GDM can cause serious problems for both the mother and the baby.

This test screens for the possible presence of GDM. The basic test is called the one-hour diabetes screen or one-hour glucola test. A sweet drink (glucola) is given to the mother after she has fasted . Then, one hour later, blood is drawn to see if the mother’s system appropriately cleared the sugar from her system. For women considered to have a greater than normal chance of developing GDM (women with a family history, prior problems with GDM, or who are overweight), this test will be administered twice: once at the beginning of the pregnancy, and again closer to 28 weeks.
What it tells you. The test will indicate how your body did in clearing that one dose of sugar. It will not tell you whether you have diabetes. If the blood-sugar level was still high after the one-hour test, a second test called the three-hour screening test will be offered. Done on a different day, this test will check your blood-sugar level before the drink (after fasting), and then once each hour for three hours afterwards. If two of the levels measured are high, you are considered to have GDM. Some women with GDM are able to control their blood sugar with diet changes and exercise, while others might require insulin.

Most women who have gestational diabetes give birth to healthy babies, especially when they control their blood sugar, eat a healthy diet, exercise, and keep a healthy weight. 

In some cases, though, gestational diabetes can affect the pregnancy and baby. Some potential risks include:

• The baby’s body is larger than normal—called macrosomia.  A large baby may need to be delivered by a surgical procedure called cesarean section, instead of naturally through the vagina.
• The baby’s blood sugar is too low—called hypoglycemia.  Starting to breastfeed right away can help get more glucose to the baby.  The baby may also need to get glucose through a tube into his or her blood.
• The baby’s skin turns yellowish and the whites of the eyes may change color—called jaundice.  This condition is easily treated and is not serious if treated.

While gestational diabetes is a cause for concern, the good news is that you and your health care team – your doctor, midwife, and dietitian – work together to lower your high blood glucose levels. And with this help, you can turn your concern into a healthy pregnancy for you, and a healthy start for your baby!

Tip of the day….

Don’t forget to  take your Prenatal Vitamin…

There is general agreement that it’s important to increase the amount of  of vitamins and minerals when you’re pregnant…this can ensure your baby’s optimal development and your own health.

If you could do this by changing what you eat, then you probably wouldn’t need a prenatal vitamin. However, studies have shown that most Americans don’t meet even their basic nutritional needs on a daily basis, so we assume that many pregnant women need a some help with this.

Here’s another good reason to take a prenatal vitamin: Recent research suggests that certain nutrients, in quantities that are difficult to get through diet alone, can help with fetal development and even aid in preventing some common pregnancy complications.

For example, choline and omega 3 fats have been shown to enhance fetal brain development AND most recently…lessen the increase of pre-term labor. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects, and vitamin C can  prevent premature rupture of the membranes.

With these  important benefits,  a prenatal vitamin has no risk and so much potential reward.

Some women find that taking a prenatal vitamin, particularly early in their pregnancy (1st trimester), may increase their symptoms of nausea.  For those women…try taking the vitamin at night…It may lessen the nausea .  If you still cannot tolerate it, the Doctors and midwives will sometimes recommend trying to take two Flintstone vitamins (with the idea of eventually getting back to the prenatal vitamins). Talk to your Doctor or midwife if you feel your prenatal vitamin is making you nauseous.

And of course…Eating as healthfully as possible is very important even though you are supplementing with a vitamin.

Healthy eating…. One of the best gifts you can give your developing baby!