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Eco Baby Care Ezine>
Eco Baby Care Ezine
June 15, 2006
Welcome to the Eco Baby Care, an opt-in ezine dedicated to
informing parents and parents-to-be who are trying to
naturally raise their children (while still wishing there
were 25 hours in a day)
Jun 15, 2006
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Contents
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Feature Article
Tips
Subscriber Feedback
Question of the Week
Advertisements
General & Unsubscribe Info
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Feature Article
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Successful Breastfeeding – Prepare Yourself!
“I’m going to breastfeed”, is a common refrain amongst
pregnant women. But what many women don’t do is to prepare
for breastfeeding beforehand. They simply make the
statement and then put it to the back of their minds. The
next time the issue arises is often in the delivery suite
when the new mum has just gone through the ordeal of
childbirth.
When presented with her newborn, the new mum may be
exhausted and the last thing she wants is to have anyone
else poking at her. The result? All her good intentions to
breastfeed become overshadowed when a bottle is produced
and the exhausted mum is told that she can try to give a
breastfeed later on in the day!
To stand the best chance of successfully breastfeeding,
pregnant women need to prepare during their pregnancy.
Successful breastfeeding results from careful planning. And
the most important way to successfully breastfeed is to
give the newborn baby a breastfeed within half an hour of
her birth! Not later on!
Being committed to breastfeeding, but not placing too much
pressure on oneself, can work wonders! If a new mum
pressurizes herself she is likely to end up feeling
stressed and, as a result, will be more like to give up
breastfeeding early. Having a new baby is stressful enough!
By preparing to breastfeed whilst you are still pregnant,
you will feel more relaxed about it when the baby is born.
The following will certainly aid you in your breastfeeding
experience:
Join a Breastfeeding Support Group to chat to new and
experienced breastfeeding mums. Ask questions about
breastfeeding and enquire if you can watch some babies
being offered the breast. Observe how each baby is put on
the breast. Look at how different mums hold their babies.
Getting the right position is essential to avoid early
problems. Also ask for advice about breastfeeding friendly
shops and changing facilities!
Read books, magazines or online articles, to find out as
much as you can about breastfeeding successfully.
Get measured for a nursing bra when you are around 38 weeks
pregnant. Many baby stores now offer this service. Try a
few different styles to find one that is comfortable. Also
purchase a couple of night-time nursing bras.
Nursing pads are essential for absorbing leaks and avoiding
embarrassing stains!
Nursing shells can be very useful on nights out, as they
will catch leaks. Or you can use them during breastfeeding
to collect milk from the breast not being used, storing the
milk for later use.
Nipple Creams can help soothe sore nipples.
Front-opening or Nursing Nightdresses or Pajamas can make
it easier to breastfeed at night.
Loose- fitting tops can be comfortable during the day. Try
layering so that your back is not exposed when you are
feeding. Or use a poncho or wrap if you feel anxious about
breastfeeding in front of other people.
A Breast-pump is a fantastic investment as it can be used
to collect milk for bottle feeds, making up first solids or
when you are away from the baby to prevent engorgement or
ease mastitis. Ask other mums to recommend one they liked.
A V-shaped Cushion can make breastfeeding more comfortable
as it offers good support for mums back. Or a Nursing
Pillow can be used to raise the baby up to a more
comfortable height for mum.
A Sterilizer is a compact way to keep baby utensils and
breast-pump attachments clean and sterile.
Some mums find a Gliding Chair very useful, particularly
for night feeds.
If you are well prepared for breastfeeding there is no
reason why you should not succeed.
Breast-milk is nature’s diet for babies; perfectly balanced
for a great start to life.
Sinead Hoben is the proud mum of three beautiful children
aged 6 years, 3 years and 9 months old, all of whom were
breastfed. A qualified teacher, she now runs her own
website, http://www.breastfeedingmums.com, addressing the
concerns of breastfeeding mums and offering breastfeeding
information and advice to both breastfeeding and expectant
mums. Visit her blog, http://breastfeedingmums.typepad.com
to read her musings about setting up
http://www.breastfeedingmums.com and daily life as a busy
mum!
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Tips
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Potty Training Tips
Teaching your child to use the potty takes time and
patience. One of the most important things to remember is
not to rush them. There is no set age for potty training to
begin. There are signs to look for to see if your toddler
is ready. It is between the ages of 18 to 24 months that
you child may start showing the signs of being ready to
start toilet training. But keep in mind some children are
not ready until 30 months. The child must also be
emotionally ready. They will also need to be willing, not
fighting or showing signs of fear. If there is a lot of
resistance it is best to wait a while. Children at the
toilet training age are becoming more aware of their
individuality and will test their limits such as holding
their bowel movements and urine. This is one of the signs
that they are ready. Other signs are that your child will
stay dry for two hours at a time. They are dry after naps
or when they wake up in the morning. You are able to
predict when they have regular bowel movements. Watch their
face, facial expressions are a big clue to revealing that
the child is ready to urinate or have a bowel movement.
Also your child is ready if they can follow simple
instructions. Other signs are that your child is
uncomfortable in soiled diapers and asks you to change them
and if they request to sit on the potty and wear underwear.
When you and your child decide that potty training is the
next step then it is time to pick out a potty chair. A
potty chair is easier for the child to use because they
don't have to climb on the toilet and their feet can touch
the ground. Then you need to pick out words that you will
use to describe body parts, urine and bowel movements. Keep
in mind that friends, teachers and caregivers will hear
these words so picks words that won't embarrass your child
or other people. Avoid using words that are negative, you
do not want your child feeling ashamed. Treat bowel
movements as matter of fact.
Children are often interested in what is going on in the
bathroom. It sometimes can be helpful for the child to
watch a parent go to the bathroom. The mothers can show the
daughters and the fathers can show the sons. Sometimes even
older siblings can help. By observing they can learn the
correct skills needed for potty training. You should
encourage your child to tell you when they are about to
urinate or have a bowel movement. A lot of the times your
child will tell you after the fact. Just gently remind them
to tell you before so you can help them get to the potty.
This is a good sign that your child recognizes their bodily
functions. Praise your child if they tell you before hand.
It will often take your child longer to recognize that they
need to urinate than the need for a bowel movement.
Sometimes children do not gain bladder control too well
after they master bowel movements. Don't get discouraged.
Have patience because they will get it.
Michael Russell Your Independent Baby and Toddler guide.
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Subscriber Feedback
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We love to hear from you. Please email us with your
comments or items you would like to see discussed in future
ezines.
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Question of the Week
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Q. Is it okay for my child to go to sleep with a night
light? I have heard reports that using a night light can
cause cancer or make it more likely that he will grow up
and need glasses. Is that true?
A. There was a recent report that suggested that exposure
to light at night may be a cause for the increased
incidence of childhood leukemia. However, this was not
really a research report and was simply a discussion among
childhood leukemia specialists at a medical conference in
London. There is some research behind this idea, including
that adult night shift workers, who have an increased
exposure to bright lights at night, have an increased risk
of breast cancer and colorectal cancer. But it seems a far
stretch to conclude that the dim light from a child's night
light could have the same effect.
To be sure, the rate of childhood leukemia has been
increasing.
According to the National Cancer Institute monograph,
Cancer Incidence and Survival among Children and
Adolescents: United States SEER Program, 1975-1995, the
average annual rate of childhood leukemia has risen almost
1% a year from 1977 to 1995, mostly because of an increase
in rates of acute lymphoblastic leukemia or ALL.
Looking at the numbers more closely leads one to question
the link to night lights though. For example, while the
overall rate of ALL increased at a rate of about 1% per
year for white children, there was almost no increase in
ALL rates for black children. Do white children use night
lights so much more frequently than black children, and if
not, then why doesn't using a night light have an affect on
the rate of leukemia for black children?
Also, the average annual rates for ALL peaked in 1990 and
then steadily went down over the next few years. Were more
parents using night lights just before that time and then
decided to use them less frequently afterwards?
Then there is the fact that the incidence of leukemia is
highest when children are two to three years old. Plenty of
older toddlers and preschool age children continue to use a
night light, so why isn't the rate higher for them too?
Since the increase in cancer rates from exposure to light
at night is supposed to be caused by abnormal melatonin
levels, one simple study that could be done is to see if
children who use a night light actually have abnormal
levels of melatonin.
And it would be helpful to know if childhood leukemia rates
are higher in children that live in the 'Land of the
Midnight Sun,' or Artic and near-Artic Regions where they
experience constant daylight for two months out of the year
or areas where it just doesn't get very dark at night.
Unfortunately, not much is known about what puts a child at
risk for developing ALL. Among the known risk factors are
a:
male sex
age less then 5 years
white race
higher socioeconomic status
prenatal diagnostic x-ray exposure
postnatal ionizing radiation exposure
genetic conditions, such as Down syndrome,
neurofibromatosis, Shwachman syndrome, and others
Since many of these risks can't be controlled, discovering
other risk factors that can be controlled or eliminated
would be very welcome. So if it is possible that exposure
to a night light can increase a child's risk of leukemia,
then further research should be done to confirm that it is
true.
Still, it is not a good idea for preliminary talk or
research to be released to the public like this story was.
All that does is cause parents to worry unnecessarily or
make unneeded changes in their child's routine. There is
usually a good reason for having a night light on in your
child's room. Getting rid of it may raise your child's fear
of the dark and cause trouble getting them to sleep.
Even the association between night lights and myopia or
nearsightedness was made by a single research report that
worried many parents, even though later reports found that
the link wasn't true.
So at this point it is probably okay to still use a night
light and not make your child sleep in the dark.
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General & Unsubscribe Info
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Carie, except where indicated otherwise.
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