Lifestyle Archives - BabyQ

Jun 27
0

How Can I Tell if My Symptoms Are Normal?

Posted by | Because You Asked, Lifestyle | No Comments

Normal Pregnancy Symptoms and Symptoms that Might Indicate a Problem If you’re pregnant, especially for the first time, you might be experiencing an entirely new set of symptoms that you never expected. You might even be wondering if they are normal, or if there is something you should worry about for your own health or that of your unborn child. If you’re just not sure if that is normal or cause for concern, learn more about these 8 common pregnancy symptoms. 8 Normal Symptoms of Pregnancy 1. Abnormal menstruation – While many women have a missed period as their first sign of pregnancy, some women have a lighter period than typical that first month. Either one of these is generally a normal symptom of pregnancy. Cause for concern – Repeated bleeding or spotting during pregnancy might indicate a problem with the health of the pregnancy and you should consult your…

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Jun 24
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Join The Club

Posted by | LENS, Lifestyle, Pregnancy Lifestyle, Stress | No Comments

My husband has always joked that his loving, patient, “put-together” wife has an 8pm curfew. The joke started when I was pregnant with our first baby. A few months into my pregnancy, he came to realize that I was “on” until 8:00pm then, I flipped like a switch. I’m not like this all of the time, but when I’m pregnant, it’s as though I have dual personalities.* I don’t want to be bothered WITH ANYTHING. It’s become a long-running joke with my entire family; “You need to talk to Emily? Better call her by 8!” My sister even described a person she met recently to me saying, “You know how you get at 8pm? She’s an ‘8 o’clock’ all day long.” Any mom or expectant mom knows the level of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion that goes into working, taking care of a family and house, and trying to have…

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Jun 22
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How to Quit Smoking During Pregnancy

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Can I Use a Nicotine Patch to Help Me Quit Smoking While Pregnant? You’ve probably heard that smoking is bad for your health, but if you’re pregnant you might have even more reason to try to quit smoking – your growing baby. There are many health concerns for both you and your baby that come from smoking during pregnancy, but there are ways to quit that are safe. The nicotine patch is just one way people stop smoking, but quitting during pregnancy can be more challenging and certain methods are safer than others. What are the Effects of Smoking During Pregnancy? Smoking during pregnancy is not only harmful to a mother’s health, but to the health of her unborn child. The developing baby is exposed to carbon monoxide and extremely harsh chemicals, including nicotine. When carbon monoxide enters the mother’s bloodstream it narrows the blood vessels that in the umbilical…

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Jun 21
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What Do I Need to Do to Prepare for Breastfeeding?

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Breastfeeding is the number one recommended way to feed infants and provide them with the nutrition their bodies need for healthy growth and development. Pregnant moms can take several steps in order to prepare themselves for breastfeeding their babies after birth. Prepare for Breastfeeding Long before your baby arrives, you are focusing on what to eat when you’re pregnant, which medications to use or avoid, and how to decorate the nursery. It is also a great time to prepare for breastfeeding. In fact, your body is already doing a bit of the preparation work for you. Your milk ducts are forming. Your breasts are growing in size. Blood flow is increased to the breasts. You might start to notice colostrum leaking from your nipples as labor nears. This is a highly nutritious and valuable milk for your baby. As your body is doing this work to prepare for feeding your…

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Jun 20
1

How much sleep do I need in pregnancy?

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The value of sleep is best realized by the lack thereof.  Ask anyone who has ever been sleep deprived and they will be able to clearly articulate how tired, jittery, and confused they felt.  Thus, although sleep is an automatic, semi-conscious physiological state that most people participate in on a daily basis, often it is not appreciated until it is withheld.  The average adult needs between seven and nine hours of sleep per day. Sleep is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. Varying theories exist as to what happens while we sleep. The most widely accepted theory suggests that sleep is an essential time for the body to “power down”, rest and rejuvenate.  Sleep allows the body time to repair damaged tissue and replenish neurotransmitters in the brain.  As well, much of our long-term memory is solidified while we sleep. Pregnant women often need more sleep depending on the…

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Jun 19
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101 Things My Kids Have Taught Me: Lesson 101

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This fall marks three years since I first found out I was pregnant with Jack.  In those three years I’ve learned so much from being pregnant, delivering two babies, and raising kids.  Granted my oldest only just turned two, I still feel like I’ve experienced so much and I find my self constantly wondering what goes on inside my kids’ head.  I decided that documenting lessons I’ve learned from my kids is the best way to get a better understanding of how their little minds work. 101: To a two-year-old boy, nothing tops construction work. Jack is an outdoors “man” through and through.  He would sleep in a tent in our backyard if I let him.  Anytime he throws a tantrum, without fail I can say, “Let’s go outside” and the situation is defused.   Luckily for Jack (unluckily for half of our neighborhood), a road near us had to be…

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Jun 17
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Pregnancy Regrets

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While I don’t live with many regrets (I love planning for the future; hate reminiscing about the past – mostly because I get depressed thinking about how quickly life goes), there are a few things I regret not doing while I was pregnant with Charlotte.  I always stress how different your first pregnancy is in comparison to the rest of your pregnancies because it’s all about you the first time around.  It’s so easy to plan your day/week/life when you have no other little human whose life depends on you.  While I was pregnant with Jack, I kept a journal of how I was feeling, had professional maternity photos taken*, and was religious about taking weekly bump pictures.  I didn’t do any of these things during my pregnancy with Charlotte.  It’s just so much harder to remember/schedule/be awake for those minor details. Minor details I really wish I had paid…

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Jun 17
0

101 Things My Kids Have Taught Me: Lesson 98

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98: Girls Love Shoes From The Moment They Can Walk Admittedly, I’m currently going through a huge purse obsession. Mainly because they are the only articles in my wardrobe that I know will fit come summertime. Purses don’t come in sizes; one size fits all and that’s what I need right now. However, what girl doesn’t love a great pair of shoes? Or in Charlie’s case, ANY pair of shoes? She doesn’t discriminate on size, gender, or color. She simply loves shoes. She ALWAYS has to be wearing them – even if we’re just lounging around the house…or at the beach. Usually it’s not a problem. Her feet don’t touch the ground much when we’re out, so her shoes stay in good shape for a while. Around the house, she’s content with slippers. She likes to sit in our mudroom and go through all of our shoes. When I tell…

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Jun 16
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Is a photo lab a safe work place for a pregnant mom?

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A babyQ mom wrote: I work in a photo lab with lots of chemicals. Is it safe for a pregnant mom to work with them? The Kodak Company, who supplies a great deal of the chemicals used in photo labs, has specific recommendations about their chemicals and pregnancy. They say: Minimize skin, eye, and inhalation exposure by using good industrial hygiene practices. These include the use of gloves or tongs (for use in tray processing), goggles or other eye protection, rubber aprons or other suitable protective clothing, and working in a well-ventilated area. Neoprene rubber or nitrile gloves should be used whenever there is a potential for skin contact. I suspect the chemical pollution in the air from photo processing during your pregnancy could slightly increase the risk of childhood asthma as your baby grows up. We see that in big cities with similar high levels of air pollution from…

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Jun 14
0

How Can I Keep My Baby Safe?

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Babies by nature are explorers.  They reach, grasp, “mouth”, sit, roll, crawl, and “cruise” along objects of interest.  Babies are curious about different textures and shapes and brightly colored objects easily attract babies’ attention. Unfortunately, many small, easily accessible objects pose a choking risk or may be poisonous if ingested.  Given such risk, often parents must take precautions to “babyproof” their homes. This is particularly true as an infant grows into toddlerhood and becomes more mobile, additional precautions are needed to childproof areas where little explorers “cruise”.  To babyproof your home, you’ll need to protect your nursery, kitchen, bathroom & any other place where your baby will be exploring. To protect a baby’s nursery—ensure that the mattress fits the crib or bassinet snugly.   According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), about 35 babies every year suffocate or strangle in cribs that don’t meet current safety standards or when…

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