Breast feeding can be a great joy to mom and a boon to baby. Getting started can be a challenge. Along the way you may have problems that require more information to help you succeed. The following are articles and sites with a wealth of information
Reasons for using a breast pump
How do I choose a breast pump?
Questions about breast pumps
Breast feeding and screaming baby
Babies learn to see over a period of time, much like they learn to walk and talk. They are not born with all the visual abilities they need in life. The ability to focus their eyes, move them accurately, and use them together as a team must be learned. Also, they need to learn how to use the visual information the eyes send to their brain in order to understand the world around them and interact with it appropriately.
From birth, babies begin exploring the wonders in the world with their eyes. Even before they learn to reach and grab with their hands or crawl and sit-up, their eyes are providing information and stimulation important for their development.
Healthy eyes and good vision play a critical role in how infants and children learn to see. Eye and vision problems in infants can cause developmental delays. It is important to detect any problems early to ensure babies have the opportunity to develop the visual abilities they need to grow and learn.
Read more at: American Optometric Associaton
Anne’s daughter was less than an hour old when she asked: “Do you think she’s autistic?” Her question didn’t surprise me. A lot of parents ask about autism these days as they face one of their biggest fears. This was Anne’s first baby and I told her what I know to be true: “She looks perfect to me. Odds are she’s a healthy, unique little girl.” Odds are, she won’t be autistic either, but you can’t tell right from the start.
Many parents, like Anne, are terrified that something they did or didn’t do could cause their children to be among the 0.4 to one percent of children who develop autism. Last week a new study in the Archives of General Psychiatry linked autism with antidepressants. Another study of twins revealed that most cases of autism are caused by environmental than genetic conditions, though genetics plays a part. We’ve been told autism is not caused by vaccinations, but might be caused by chemical toxins. A study published this year in the journal Pediatrics says babies born less than a year after their sibling are at greater risk for autism. Those born prematurely or with older parents are too. Then again, maybe they’re not. These studies are not conclusive. They just provide hints and for too many parents, something new to be frightened of. Bottom line: We don’t know what causes autism yet.
If only about one percent of children develop some degree of autism, that means 99 percent don’t. Of that one percent, studies say about two-thirds are high functioning. Autism is a spectrum disorder, which means the variety symptoms and behaviors associated with it range from slight to severe. Their symptoms impact how they experience the world, but may not slow them down. That’s what parents are really scared of: having a child with such severe symptoms that they’ll be disabled. They don’t hear enough about the brilliant children who have autism.
To read more: Autism Anxiety in Pregnancy
Does your child have problems with constipation? Do you want a solution other than laxatives or stool softeners? Tiffany Jensen shared two great recipes called Poop Goop.
Poop Goop 1
1 cup raisins
1 cup prunes
1/4 cup dates
8 ounces prune juice
~Mix together in a blender or food processor. Store in the refrigerator.
Use 1-2 tablespoons per day.
Poop Goop 2
1 orange
1 apple (with skin)
1 cup raisins
1 cup prunes
1/2 cup prune juice
1/2 cup orange juice
~Mix together in a blender or food processor. Store in the refrigerator.
Use 1-2 tablespoons per day.
A nicely dressed husband and wife walked into our condo one afternoon. They were in their mid-forties, have two teenagers, and good jobs. They looked successful and like they should have everything necessary for a good life.
After some chit-chat, we asked what they would like to talk about; how we could help them. The wife started by saying, “He has been cheating on me.”
The husband sat with his head down, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. He admitted he had been unfaithful. When we asked, “Why?” He said, “I’ve been so lonely in our marriage. The girl at work took time to talk to me and showed me she thought I was special.”
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