Are you wondering if you can get a massage during pregnancy? The answer is yes… there is something call pregnancy massage. Is it safe to massage during pregnancy? Pregnancy massage is safe as long as you look for a certified pregnancy massage therapist. It means the therapist has taken special training and knows what is safe practice for mother and her baby. It is also not recommended to get the massage in the first trimester.
Is there differences between regular massage and pregnancy massage?
The mother’s body must be positioned and supported properly during the massage, using pillows and padding to ensure comfort and safety for the mother and baby.
One must be very gentle when massaging a pregnant woman. Certain areas of the body should be avoided. Avoid using deep pressure and percussive strokes.
Here are some of the benefits of pregnancy massage:
Reduces stress and helps the mother to relax
Relieves muscle spasms, cramps associated with the stress of extra weight bearing and physical changes that occur during pregnancy
Increase in blood circulation, which can reduce swelling
Provides emotional support and physical nurturing
Helps maximize breathing capacity which is needed during labor and delivery
Please take a look on the following video which explains pregnancy massage and how it differs from regular massage, so you can see what it is like.
Are you having difficulties on how to position your baby while breastfeeding? I hope I could provide a little help on this post. I’m going to talk about the breastfeeding positions by showing you some of the breastfeeding position pictures, and also a video showing proper breastfeeding positions.
Getting comfortable
Making sure that you’re comfortable, relaxed and that baby is correctly attached can help to make breastfeeding easier and more enjoyable. Try to feed in a chair that offers good back support; use cushions or pillows to prop up your arms; and if necessary, rest your feet on a telephone book or footstool. It’s also good to experiment with the different feeding positions, shown below, until you find one that works for you and baby.
Breastfeeding position pictures:
This is the classic ‘front hold’ or ‘cradle position’
Sit in a chair with armrests or stack several pillows under your arms. Rest your feet on a footstool to take pressure off your lower back. Hold your baby on your lap so she’s lying on her side, with her face and tummy facing you. Tuck her arm under your arm and gently move her so she’s resting on your forearm. Your hand should support her back and bottom. Line her nose and mouth up with your nipple. Encourage your baby to latch on as described above.
The ‘underarm position’ shown above is also known as the ‘footy hold’
This position works well if you had a Cesarean section. Sit in bed (or a comfortable armchair) and wedge a pillow behind your back; place another on your lap. Position your baby next to you on the side you are nursing from, cupping the back of her neck in the same hand. Position her legs so they are tucked between your arm and your side, toward the back of the bed. Encourage her to latch on as described above.
The ‘lying down’ position
This is an ideal position for nursing in bed, either during night time feedings, or if you’ve had a cesarean or episiotomy and sitting up is uncomfortable. Place one or two pillows under your head. Place your baby on her side so she faces you, cradle her in your arm, and position her so her mouth is directly in front of your nipple. Pull baby in close to you and follow the latch-on technique described above.
Other positions
The first picture above shows how to breastfeed twins. In the first few weeks, it may be easier to feed twins separately. However, once you’ve got the hang of it, you can try feeding them together using the ‘twin hold’.
If you feel uncomfortable or self-conscious when breastfeeding in public, drape a light muslin wrap over / nursing cover your shoulder so it covers your breast and baby.
Breastfeeding Positions Video
Below video guide you how to position your baby while breastfeeding.
Colic is common in infants. If your baby is healthy and well fed, but is crying over three hours a day and at least three days a week, then your baby may have colic.
What are signs and symptoms of colic in infants?
There are many different symptoms of colic and it differs from baby to baby. Below are some of the most common symptoms of colic in babies:
loud & continuous crying for over three hours a day and at least three days a week
the baby’s face often gets flushed or red
the feet are often cold
legs are pulled up to the stomach and then may be fully stretched
hands may be clenched
the crying can occur at any time of the day or night, but it usually gets worse in the late afternoon or early evening
baby may lift their head or legs and pass gas
baby may seem generally uncomfortable and appear to be in pain
the baby may have difficulty in falling asleep
Check out the following video on how to soothe a crying baby with infant colic:
Summary: Ways to stop a crying baby; learn how to soothe a crying baby with infant colic in this free child care video with parenting tips for newborns and infants.
Previous post I’ve talked about how to handle choking baby. But do you know if you still do not dislodge the blockage, you must be ready to perform CPR (Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) on the infant? CPR is a life-saving measure which could be vital if your baby stopped breathing, but how many of us would have the confidence to carry it out? Below shows step by step on how to perform CPR on a baby:
Ensure the airway is open.
Seal your lips around the baby’s mouth and nose.
Blow gently into the lungs, looking along the chest as you breathe. Fill your cheeks with air and use this amount each time.
As the chest rises, stop blowing and allow it to fall.
Repeat this 5 times.
Place the baby on a firm surface.
Locate a position in centre of the chest.
Using 2 fingers, press down sharply to a third of the depth of the chest.
Press 30 times, at a rate of 100 compressions per minute.
After 30 compressions, give 2 Rescue Breath.
Continue resuscitation (30 compressions to 2 rescue breath) without stopping until help arrives
Note:
If you have someone with you, send them to dial ‘999′ for an ambulance immediately.
If you are alone, carry out rescue breaths and chest compressions for 1 minute before taking the infant with you to call an ambulance.
Even if your baby seems to be fully recovered from the choking episode, take her to your doctor that day. You can have a look at the following video showing how to perform CPR on a baby that is less than 1 year old. CPR on toddler is a bit different from baby, the 2nd video below shows how to perform CPR on children.
There are many reasons why babies choke. For the most part, it has to do with their small bodies and lack of practice. Babies are most likely to choke when he or she is starting solids. Because the pureed food does not go down as easily as the milk or formula they are used to, it is easy for the food to get stuck in the back of their throats. Most breastfeeding mommies face the same problem when their baby chokes while breastfeeding.
Do you know what to do if your baby choking on milk or choking while feeding? Especially first time mommies do not know how to handle their newborn baby when they choke and you will scream for help “MY BABY IS CHOKING!”
If you’re at home alone, and there is no time to rush to the hospital. Your baby needs help immediately and what can you do?
The first thing to do is to not panic. Keep cool, and assess the situation. If the choking baby can still cry, then he or she is still breathing.
Then you can try:
Hold your baby so that he is lying face down along your forearm with his head lower than his body and his back and head supported.
Use the heel of your hand to give up to five back blows.
Check your baby’s mouth and remove any obvious obstructions. Do not use your finger to sweep inside his mouth - this could push the obstruction further into his throat.
If your baby is still unable to breathe, turn him onto his back and give up to five chest thrust.
Use two fingertips to push inwards and upwards (towards his head) against his breastbone, one finger’s width below his nipple line.
Try to dislodge the object with each thrust. Don’t automatically do all five.
Check your baby’s mouth after each thrust and remove the obstruction.
If the obstruction does not clear after three cycles of back blows and chest thrusts, dial 999 (or if you have direct emergency number) for an ambulance and continue giving your baby back blows and chest thrusts until help arrives. If the child loses consciousness, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while waiting for emergency crews to arrive.
We will further discuss on how to carry out CPR on your little baby in future post.
If you are still not clear about how to handle choking baby, you can have a look at below video. It shows clearly on how to dislodge the blockage of your baby.
Breast milk is best for babies. However, if bottle feeding, make sure you sterilize the bottle thoroughly. When bottle feeding, there are few things that you need to be aware, such as to make sure the milk flow is right. The following video shows you how to bottle feed a baby and some of the bottle feeding tips.
Video Content:
How to bottle feed my baby?
How to burp/wind my baby?
How to warm my breast milk?
Come back again for more bottle feeding tips and highlights on some of the bottle feeding problems.
Do you know how to diaper a baby? Check out the following video on how to diaper your baby. You will learn the diapering procedures & diapering tips. The video shows how to diaper a baby boy and also baby girls.
Video Content:
How to diaper my baby?
How to clean the baby girl’s genital area with washcloth?
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