Parenting Blog

Childbirth classes are a great way on interacting with other couples going through the same experience like you. It lets you clear all your queries related to labor, delivery and newborn care. Let us see the importance of childbirth classes and the different types of classes you can choose to take.

Importance of a childbirth class

Childbirth classes are conducted by most of the hospitals and birthing centers and equip the expecting parents with a lot of information which include symptoms of labor and various delivery options like normal vaginal delivery and c-section etc. These classes are especially useful if you are a first time parent. If you know about things you should expect during this period it will certainly help you in taking informed decisions. They help you get all our doubts cleared and parents are better prepared by overcoming the fear of the unknown. These classes also help you in preparing a birth plan by teaching you about various medication options. However, delivery is something which cannot be planned and involves factors that we cannot control. Therefore, the best we can do is, prepare ourselves mentally for all possible situations.

Bradley Method

The Bradley method classes lasts for around 12 weeks where an emphasis is given to have a baby naturally. It prepares the moms for delivery by teaching them about nutrition, relaxation and prenatal exercises. You also learn about how you can manage pain with the help of breathing, massages and relaxation techniques.

Lamaze Classes

Lamaze philosophy is about having a flexible on the ways of delivery. You will learn about ways of having normal delivery but at the same time it also teaches you about the medical interventions that you may have to opt for during pregnancy. Natural Techniques that will help you in having a normal delivery include practicing deep breathing, comfort measures and distractions techniques. In Lamaze classes you will also learn about other medical interventions like c-sections, epidurals and more.

Classes on Newborn Care

Infant care is a totally new experience for the first time parents. In classes designed specifically for newborns you may learn about basics like bathing, diapering, taking the baby’s temperature, feeding the baby, car safety and more. Again, for first timers there is a lot to learn but some parents also join these classes for fun.

Classes for the Expecting Dads

The classes designed specifically for the Moms, and Dads accompany them generally for support. But there is a program that is designed just for the Dads and it is called the Boot camp for New Dads. No Moms are allowed here and seasoned dads teach the expecting dads about how can they contribute and help the mother in taking care of their children.

All of these classes definitely provide you a lot of information help you in becoming a more responsible parent.

You may not be aware but there are a lot of diseases which you may unknowingly transfer to your baby. These are genetic diseases that some families are prone to and pass from one generation to other. You can prevent your baby from these genetic disorders by taking the help of genetic counseling. It determines the risks and chances that you may pass on some inheritable diseases to the baby. A genetic counselor may help you in identifying the risks, investigating the problems, interpreting the disorder and related issues, analyzing the risk recurrence patterns and may guide you through the available options.

According to the CDC around three percent of the babies are born with birth defects in United States. Although in most of the cases Genetic Counseling is not mandatory but couples should consider if they encounter one or more of the below mentioned risks:

• Prenatal Tests Reveal Certain Abnormalities
• The results of an Amniocentesis indicate chromosomal disorders
• If a close family member is observed to have a genetic disorder
• Already have had a child with inherited
• If the mother is 35 years or more

Apart from these there are also some ethnic groups that are more susceptible to certain genetic disorders. Sickle Cell Anemia is more common in African Americans, Tay – Sachs disease is mostly found in Central or Eastern Jews and similarly percentage of cases with Thalassemia are more with Italian, Greek and Middle Eastern people.

When you indulge yourself in genetic counseling the most important way of assessing genetic risk is to look around and comprehensively study the blood relatives of both mother and father for genetic disorders. You should notice the how close is the person who suffered a disorder and the reason behind the occurrence of the disease. Some of the common questions the doctors ask to avoid the chances of a genetic disease are:

• Do you observe diseases like hypertension, diabetes and cancer in your family
• Do you have a history of twins in your family or other disorders like muscular dystrophy, hemophilia or cystic fibrosis
• Do you have mentally challenged people in your family
• Does any of your cousins, brothers and sisters have encountered any complications during their pregnancies
• Which ethnic background you belong to
• Do you suspect your baby to born with any birth defects and if yes what are the reasons behind your thinking

With little precaution and knowledge you can prevent your baby from lifetime sufferings from incurable diseases. Make it a point that you do not ignore even the slightest possibilities of a mishap and take this matter very seriously.

When the baby comes to the world, the parents have to make sure that they leave no stone unturned for their baby’s care. Recognizing and taking care of the basic needs of your baby is very essential for the proper growth and development of the baby. The baby should be healthy and energetic and you can help him to be so by fulfilling the primary needs properly before you proceed to take up any fun activities.

Immunization

With the increasing number of diseases, you must make sure that you take the baby for getting immunized at the proper time. Your baby is fragile and is susceptible to a number of health problems. Your prime concern should be to reduce the risk of your baby suffering from any of these problems. This can be done by vaccinating your baby at the proper time against all diseases that your doctor suggests. If you are concerned about his weight, take him for weight checks and keep the doctor informed if any problem is bugging you.

Sleeping

Sleep is very crucial for your new born. It is the daily recharge for him which is very important for the growth of his external as well as internal body. During the ‘Rapid eye movement’ cycles the brain cells of the baby are developed and this is the time where the baby enhances his learning, movement and thinking abilities. This is the time when your child’s nervous system learns to understand the senses of vision, touch, hearing, taste and smell.

Feeding

Milk is the best food for the baby. You can either feed him breast milk or formula milk. Nothing else is needed for the first six months. Breast feeding is encouraged by the doctors, since not only it provides your baby with all necessary nutrients but also reduces risk of conditions like asthma, eczema, diarrhea , respiratory problems or any other kind of infection. Though formula milk is a good substitute for breast milk, it does not have these unique properties.

Other important things to care about

Make sure that your baby is comfortable. Change his diapers on time and never leave him in a wet nappy. Take care of the safety of baby and learn about the crib safety too. Keep your baby in a lively atmosphere so that he is not surrounded by dullness, but also make sure that you get enough time alone with him as well.

As a mother it is equally important that you take good care of yourself to nurture the baby as per her needs. You should take good rest from time to time, eat well, stay healthy and be patient if you want to feel the joy of parenting.

New parents come across a phase when they are bombarded with advices from all the directions. Grandparents, friends and society cannot help giving instructions every now and then. But to what extent are they correct? There is a lot of difference between a Myth and a Reality and parents should be able to distinguish between them to make intelligent decisions.

1. Toys + Baby = Smarter Baby

Myth: For maximum brain activity, baby needs sophisticated toys.
Reality: There’s no experimental evidence that a particular toy will make baby smarter.

Expert explains: A stimulating environment is favorable for a baby learning to explore the environment but sophisticated toys are not necessary. It’s true that babies seem to have a visual inclination for contrasting black and white images; still parents shouldn’t have false impression that flooding baby’s room with such images will result into increased intelligence levels.

2. Speech delays

Myth: Children overcome problems like speech and language delay with age; it’s nothing to be worried about.
Reality: Go to the doctor soon if your child is showing such delays.

Expert explains: Parents should know the difference between speech (quality of sound) and language (content of communication) and take delays seriously. Autism and other cognitive problems can be detected at an early age by observing carefully such delays.

3. Younger one lags

Myth: In a large family, the youngest child is a late talker.
Reality: Birth order is not a deciding factor; it affects baby’s speech and language patterns negligibly.

Expert explains: Every family has a different environment, so birth order might have a small impact. But it doesn’t mean that parents can ignore the delay problems assuming the family baby will be a late talker.

4. Reading habits

Myth: Child’s vision will be damaged if he holds book very close to his eyes.
Reality: It might indicate short-sightedness (myopia).

Expert explains: Consult a pediatrician if the child is uncomfortable with far placed objects. Otherwise, keeping a book close won’t hurt your child’s vision.

5. Height at birth

Myth: Adult height is decided by baby’s height at birth.
Reality: Measurement afterwards might predict adult height but not length at birth.

Expert explains: Height is decided primarily by genetic structure. You can often hear people saying if a child is short at birth, he will be short as an adult as well. This is completely vague. Doubling the child’s height at age 2 can give the approximate height of a child as an adult.

Thus, under any circumstances parents should not panic and avoid confusions. If they still have any doubts or questions in their mind they should always try to get the right advice from medical practitioners.

• The baby bicycle

Lay down the baby on his back and gently move his legs in a cyclic motion. You can repeat this several times a day. This relieves tummy discomforts for most of the babies and his also a good exercise for leg muscles.

• Go for a long drive

It has been observed by a lot of parents that a ride in the car is one of the best remedies for colic. Babies love three things the most when they are taken for a car ride – the motion, the vibrations and the noises. Take proper precautions before you get behind the steering wheel. Buckle your baby properly and see that the baby does not experience any discomfort during the journey.

• Changing the atmosphere

If you have been staying indoors for a long time then taking your baby out for a walk can be a good decision. You can use a stroller or a sling. A wide range of new sights, sounds and odors may be a good distraction for him. The fresh air is good for his lungs and the rhythmic motion of walking will make the colic pass away and lull the baby into a sound sleep. At the same time, if you have been out with the baby for a long time, your baby might be missing the silence and comfort of his home.

• Swaddle

Swaddling is an ancient method in which you wrap your baby in a blanket or cloth. Since the newborn has just stepped into a new world which is much bigger than his old world which was limited to the mother’s womb hence, snuggling him in a warm blanket makes the baby feel less out of place. If you have observed any crying pattern in your child then you can try swaddling your child before his crying period and see if this calms him down.

Swaddling not only make your baby go to sleep, but is also a good technique if you want your baby to remain sleeping for a longer time. It has been found that swaddled babies have a more sound sleep as compared to babies who are not swaddles. Researchers have found that babies who are swaddled sleep more soundly than those who aren’t. This is because of the fact that swaddling prevents any movements of body in the infant so that his own twitches might not break his sleep.

• Aromatherapy

Some babies are very responsive to smells. You can spray some pleasing smelling scents in the rooms to please the baby and to keep the atmosphere fresh.

Be creative with your baby and keep trying new things to get closer to him and to understand the needs of your baby so that you can fulfill them at the right time.