Congratulations on your pregnancy! Your baby will go through so many changes during the next nine months. In the beginning, your baby begins as a tiny cluster of cells. Throughout the weeks, the tiny cluster of cells will turn into an amazing baby with facial features, beating heart, and moving arms and legs. Find out …
Continue ReadingPregnancy and exercise.
An increasing amount of research is coming to the forefront showing the relationship between exercise and the health of expecting mothers and their baby. The benefits of increasing physical activity before and during pregnancy begin instantly and can play a significant role in your health for the rest of the mother’s life. Shorter labor and …
Continue ReadingPrenatal care should start before pregnancy.
Anyone thinking about pregnancy, should also be thinking about prenatal care. This care is important for the mother’s health and the health of the child. Whenever possible, it should begin prior to pregnancy. A visit with your health care provider prior to pregnancy to review your immunizations, start a prenatal vitamin with folic acid (which can …
Continue ReadingVBAC — or not VBAC?
It used to be the norm, that once you had a Caesarian section, you always had to have one. Not any more. However, opinions differ greatly when it comes to VBAC decision. VBAC is now considered a safe option for most women expecting twins, moms who have had two prior c-sections with a transverse incision, and even for …
Continue ReadingWhy store cord blood?
1) What is cord blood? Umbilical cord blood is the blood collected from the umbilical cord immediately following the birth of a child. This blood provided nourishment for the baby during pregnancy, but once the baby is delivered, umbilical cord blood is no longer necessary. Learn More 2) What are stem cells? Until recently, it was …
Continue ReadingShould you bank your baby’s umbilical cord blood?
The promising field of stem cell research is prompting more and more parents to store their newborn’s umbilical cord blood for possible use in treating future disease. Cord blood is rich in blood-forming stem cells and is currently used in transplants for some patients with leukemia, lymphoma, immune deficiencies and inherited metabolic disorders. Most infusions …
Continue ReadingHow a woman’s body changes during 9 months of pregnancy.
Spring is a time to celebrate the miracle of life and reflect on not just how mothers have impacted our lives, but how motherhood has impacted them. During the course of nine months of pregnancy, moms-to-be undergo common physical and emotional changes that lead to childbirth, from weight gain to mood swings. However, Healthline.com’s infographic …
Continue ReadingWhat vitamins should my baby and I be taking while breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding mothers should continue to take whatever prenatal vitamin supplement they took while they were pregnant. Many mothers choose to stop their prenatal once their baby is a year old and eating more solids, and switch to a regular woman’s multivitamin. You should think about what vitamins you are getting through your diet when deciding …
Continue ReadingSleeping for two: Sleep changes during pregnancy
Being pregnant can be a tiring experience for a woman’s body. Both the physical discomforts of pregnancy as well as the emotional stress of this major life change can cause sleep problems and keep a mother-to-be awake at night. Feeling exhausted is a common complaint during the first and third trimesters. But women might be …
Continue ReadingHow to prepare dads for labor.
Take these steps to involve, support and prepare your partner for labour.When a woman is pregnant most of the outside world’s attention is on the mother to be. On the one hand, this makes sense because it is the mother who bears the physical appearance of pregnancy and birth and the special connection to a …
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