Breastfeeeding during pregnancy?

Is it safe to nurse during pregnancy?
Yes, in most cases. At this time no medical study has been done on the safety of breastfeeding during pregnancy so it is impossible to list any definitive contraindications. If you are having a complicated pregnancy, such as lost weight, bleeding, or signs of preterm labor, you should problem-solve your individual situation with your caregiver. Depending on your individual situation and feelings you may decide that continued breastfeeding, reduced breastfeeding, or weaning is for the best.

Mother's health
There is no evidence that a well nourished mother who nurses during pregnancy is at risk nutritionally. Breastfeeding does not increase a mother's risk for osteoporosis, even when the mother nurses during pregnancy. Breastfeeding reduces the mother's risk of breast cancer.

Nursing's health
Your child will benefit from breastfeeding into the second year and beyond. The milk is just as safe during pregnancy, but pregnancy can cause milk to dwindle and can also motivate mother and child to wean. Thus if pregnancy does cause a child to receive less milk, the child will receive proportionally fewer of milk's health advantages. Indeed, weaning before two years increases the risk of illness for a child, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Is it safe to use a breastpump during pregnancy?
It is often stated that a woman should not use a breastpump when pregnant. However, there is considerable reason to believe that pumping, like breastfeeding, will not trigger preterm labor in a healthy pregnancy.

When contemplating pumping during pregnancy, it is important to consider your motives for doing so. In general, when it comes to pumping during pregnancy, your efforts are best directed elsewhere unless you are pumping to provide milk for your current nursling.

If you are pumping to provide milk for your current nursling when you are separated, this should not pose more of a problem than breastfeeding. Many working moms continue to pump through pregnancy, although pumping output will decrease due to the hormonal changes of pregnancy. Aim to keep your pumping in scale with what you were doing before pregnancy, or in scale with your baby's normal breastfeeding. Sustained and intense pumping is more of an unknown and is not recommended.

If you wish to put some expressed milk in the freezer for your unborn child, keep in mind that pumping is not likely to be very productive during pregnancy. Milk supply and pumping output will decrease due to the hormonal changes of pregnancy.
Pumping prior to birth will not increase milk production for your unborn child or otherwise enhance lactation after birth.

If you are hoping to induce labor, it is known that nipple stimulation at term (38+ weeks) can be helpful for ripening the cervix and inducing labor.

Will nursing affect the nutrition of my unborn child?
This concern is valid for malnourished mothers, but it does not appear to be grounded for well-nourished mothers. Although we do not yet have a medical study that can speak directly to the question for well-nourished mothers, we have two reasons to be quite encouraged:

-A survey of 57 mothers who had breastfed during some or all of pregnancy recorded that the babies born to these mothers had healthy birth weights (birth weights averaged 7 lb 9 oz, and ranged from 5 lb 9 oz – 10 lbs 14 oz). (Moscone 1993)
-A recent review of the available research on breastfeeding and pregnancy as separate events revealed that as long as the mother is eating enough calories of a basic mixed diet, and as long as she is gaining weight within healthy parameters, there is ample reason to believe she can provide well for herself, her fetus and her nursling. (Adventures in Tandem Nursing, 2003)

Mom Special Dietary Considerations
If a mother is reasonably well-nourished her body can continue to meet her own needs and the needs of both her unborn child/infant and the older nursling. This is especially true if the older nursling is at least a year old when mom gets pregnant. In some cases, the health care provider may recommend that the mother consume more calories and/or take prenatal vitamins (but it’s unwise to take more than one a day).

The only mothers who are likely to need special dietary consideration would be those who fall into the following categories:

If the mother is... Consider...
anemic iron
dairy-free calcium
vegan vitamin B12
taking supplemental iron adding zinc, too, but at a different time of day
unable to consume enough calories using supplements to increase calorie intake,
and decide if reduced breastfeeding would be
helpful


Calcium
Pregnant and/or nursing mothers do not need additional calcium other than that normally required for their age group. The Institute of Medicine recommends that nursing mothers over the age of 18 consume 1,000 mg. of calcium daily -- the same as other adults.

Nursing and pregnant
Most mothers find that if they simply eat to satisfy their increased hunger they can easily consume enough calories to support the pregnancy and continued lactation. Let your hunger and thirst dictate how much you take in. If you feel hungry, then you need to eat, regardless of how large the amounts may seem. Some mothers notice a decrease in appetite when milk supply decreases later into the pregnancy.

Tandem nursing
A tandem nursing mother may need considerable calories, and the exact number will vary due to several factors:

-The percentage of breastmilk in the diets of the infant and older child. The more milk you are making, the more calories you will need. The Institute of Medicine estimates that a mother who is exclusively breastfeeding and does not have spare fat reserves will need an additional 650 calories; this same mother would need 500 additional calories for a baby aged 6-12 months who is getting solids. When nursing an older child who is getting less milk, calorie requirements would be proportionally less.

-Mom's activity level, weight and nutritional status. A mother who is less active, has more fat stores from pregnancy, and/or eats foods higher in nutritional value may need fewer calories than a mom who is more active, has fewer fat stores, and eats more processed foods.

As during pregnancy, let your appetite be your guide. If you are hungry, don’t be afraid to eat two of every meal and snack constantly. Fatigue can be a sign of not getting enough calories.

Source: www.kellymom.com

Stimulasi otak kanak-kanak

Rangsangan perlu dilakukan sejak dalam kandungan dengan pemilihan makanan yang diambil ibu

OTAK adalah organ pertama yang terbina ketika dalam kandungan. Apabila lahir, otak bayi mengandungi sel otak yang berbilion jumlahnya. Ia sentiasa bekerja dan belajar perkara baru. Proses sepanjang hayat ini dipengaruhi faktor luaran dan dalaman.

Walaupun kanak-kanak lahir dengan jumlah sel otak yang banyak, namun banyak juga yang ‘hilang’ selepas dilahirkan. Apabila otak mempelajari sesuatu, sel otak berhubung dan menyimpan maklumat. Dalam tempoh yang lama, sel yang kosong akan terhapus bagi membenarkan sel yang menyimpan maklumat berkembang.

Pembentukan penting dalam otak bayi yang sedang membesar bukan saja bergantung kepada faktor genetik tetapi juga pengalaman yang dilaluinya.

Oleh itu, stimulasi otak kanak-kanak perlu dibuat sebanyak mungkin. Misalnya membina kemahiran berbahasa membabitkan membaca dan bercakap dengan kanak-kanak. Stimulasi itu sebenarnya sejak dalam kandungan, bermula dengan pemilihan makanan yang diambil ibu. Nutrisi yang ibu ambil ketika hamil memberi perbezaan besar dalam pembangunan otak. Oleh sebab itu wanita hamil memerlukan makanan berkhasiat.

Kemudian, aktiviti stimulasi itu berubah mengikut tahap perkembangannya. Sebagai contoh, selepas dilahirkan, anda bercakap dengannya walaupun ketika itu bayi tidak boleh membalas kata-kata anda, tetapi otaknya sudah membuat hubungan penting yang mengaitkan perkataan dengan makna.

Beri perhatian padanya, jangan biarkan bayi tertekan. Misalnya tercari-cari anda yang membuatkan bayi tertekan dan menangis. Tekanan hanya akan melambatkan pembangunan otak bayi.

Luangkan masa untuk bercakap dengannya walaupun ketika itu bayi masih belum pandai berkata-kata. Buat bayi ketawa, tersenyum dan bercakap dalam pelbagai nada. Lakukan aktiviti bersama.

Bacakan bayi buku dengan kuat dan dalam pelbagai nada. Mendengar ibu bapa membaca membantu pembentukan bahasanya. Membaca juga menanam minatnya pada buku.

Begitu juga dengan sentuhan. Sentuhan pada bayi, memberi keselesaan padanya dan menghasilkan persekitaran positif untuk otak mempelajari perkara baru secara berterusan. Apabila anak semakin membesar, deria semakin terbentuk dan dia lebih peka dengan persekitarannya. Dia akan mula mahu bermain dengan objek atau berinteraksi dengan orang lain. Penyelidikan mendapati tahap daya intelek kanak-kanak dipengaruhi jumlah interaksinya dengan ibu bapa.

Pemilihan buah-buahan dalam diet makanan penting dalam pertumbuhan otak anak.
Pada usia enam bulan ke atas, anak patut diberi peluang meningkatkan kemahiran koordinasinya. Apabila dia merangkak dan cuba berjalan, ia bukan saja membantu anak belajar koordinasi pergerakan kakinya malah menguatkannya. Pada peringkat ini, anda boleh memperbaiki kemahiran kognitif anak dengan memperkenalkan objek di hadapannya dan bercakap mengenainya.

Berbual mengenai pengalaman lepas juga membantu membentuk memori. Lebih banyak pendedahan, lebih banyak pengalaman dipelajari. Misalnya membawa dia ke zoo dan taman permainan atau menghabiskan masa melukis, mewarna atau membuat kraf tangan.

Bagaimanapun, stimulasi yang diberi tidak semestinya membuatkan anak anda menjadi bijak tetapi membantunya mempelajari banyak perkara baru dalam hidupnya.

Selain stimulasi yang baik, sebenarnya otak juga terjejas pada stimulasi negatif. Menyaksikan ibu bapa bertengkar, ibu dipukul atau ditengking, drama bersiri atau filem yang penuh cerita pembunuhan atau peperangan malah permainan video yang ganas dan lucah juga memberi kesan pada otak.

Dr Arlne F Harder menerusi Children Affirmation Program menjelaskan, semua yang negatif itu mencipta tekanan yang menyebabkan hormon steroid (cortisol) menekan sistem imun dan melambatkan pertumbuhan fizikal.

Penghasilan cartisol dikaitkan dengan tekanan yang menukar aktiviti otak dan strukturnya. Bahagian yang paling terjejas adalah struktur otak hippocampus dan prefrontal cortex yang berfungsi pada keupayaan mengingati dan belajar selain keupayaan kanak-kanak untuk menterjemah secara tepat dan bertindak balas pada situasi sosialnya.

Justeru, jika anda inginkan otak yang sihat untuk anak, minimumkan pendedahan unsur negatif pada anak. Bertengkar dan saling menengking di hadapan anak-anak akan mencipta pemahaman negatif kepada mereka.

Sumber : Hafizah Iszahanid, Berita Harian

Warehouse Stock Clearance - PUREEN

Date : 18th - 19th Apr 2009 (10am to 6pm)
Venue : Lot 6, Jalan 19/1, Petaling Jaya (Sun)
Contact : 03-7628 8888 for details.

Participating brands are:

- Pureen
- Pride 'N' Joy
- Basic
- Tracia
- Dr Mist

The Benefits of Natural Childbirth for Babies

Childbirth is a life changing event which can be both exhilarating and draining, the greatest experience of one's life or the worst. Childbirth carries tremendous dogma, old wives tales, traditions, and controversy.

Adults have their own rhyme and reason for birth choices. Doctors and midwives make choices for convenience, scheduling, to avoid lawsuits or for profit. You may make decisions based on personal beliefs, research, the influence of others, your own benefit, and quite likely for what you believe to be the good of the baby.

Doctors and midwives may claim to "first do no harm", but that apparently does not hold true in childbirth which is evidenced by the United State's embarrassingly high infant mortality rate. It is your job as the parent then, to distinguish fact from fiction to uncover what is really in the best interest of your child. What is really best for your baby? What is your baby thinking or feeling during childbirth? What does your baby want?

BABIES WANT TO AVOID PAIN
It is fairly logical to assume that a baby does not want to experience pain. Many birth interventions such as breaking the water, labor inductions, forceps or surgery can cause the baby pain by forcing the babies skull against the mothers pelvis, nicking the baby with a scalpel, or the unimaginable pain of forceps dragging them out of the birth canal by their head.

Labor inductions can cause crushing contractions which smash the babies head into the mother's pelvis repeatedly. For some barbaric reason anaesthesia is rarely used in circumcision which is clearly excruciating for the baby not to mention totally unnecessary . Vaccines are also painful. Some of these procedures are so painful and traumatic that the baby fails to make eye contact with its parents or breastfeed at all.

BABIES WANT OXYGEN
Babies also seem to enjoy adequate blood and oxygen. Anything that compresses the umbilical cord which is quite literally, the babies lifeline, will understandably cause fetal distress and if not resolved, potentially irreversible brain damage. This is the worst nightmare of any parent but I am quite sure the baby didn't sign up for it either. A combination of broken waters and a supine (on the back position) can cause the baby to lie on its own cord and compress it.

The supine position also compresses the mother's vena cava which is the main vein supplying blood to the uterus. Pregnant women dutifully sleep on their side through pregnancy only to get to the hospital and start suffocating their baby to give the doctor a better view.

Many interventions used in hospitals restrict blood flow to the uterus either through contractions or from the fight or flight response of the mother. The violent contractions brought on by Pitocin and Cytotec restrict or eliminate the blood supply to the uterus causing dramatic fetal distress often "necessitating" a cesarean section. Overly long or strong contractions essentially suffocate the fetus by only allowing the fetus to "breathe" briefly between contractions.

By far the single most common intervention that literally robs a newborn of up to one third of their blood supply is the insane practice of immediate cord clamping. There is not one scientifically valid reason to clamp a cord immediately. The cord pulses for approximately 15-20 minutes following birth and this pulsing is the babies final and vital blood transfusion. The cord blood is rich with stem cells, iron, and oxygen and it is 100% the property of the baby.

The cord continues to pulses during the baby's crucial transition to pulmonary oxygenation (breathing through the lungs). It can take several minutes for the oxygen from breathing air to reach the baby's brain and the oxygenated cord blood compensates in this critical time. As you can imagine, cutting the babies lifeline literally starves the babies brain of oxygen until the lungs can take over. In addition to potential irreversible brain damage, immediate cord clamping also robs the baby of vital iron and causes widespread childhood anemia. The easiest way to avoid anemia? Let the baby retain the blood that is rightfully theirs.

BABIES WANT SAFETY
Babies want to stay in the comfort and safety of the womb until it is time to come out. Inductions and C-sections that are scheduled for convenience or some other arbitrary reason are quite simply removing the baby prematurely. Birth will happen when the baby is done growing. Babies stay inside the womb for a reason and they want to remain there until they are done growing. Some studies indicate that doctors are the leading cause of premature births in the United States.

The unfortunate truth is that virtually all medical interventions carry risks to the mother and baby. In fact, many of the interventions are so harmful to the baby that they lead to fetal distress which puts parents under pressure to submit to even more procedures that carry even greater potential for harm. Almost no parent will say no to something that will save their child when the babies heart rate is dropping precipitously. The fact remains that the doctor or midwife caused the distress in the first place.

BABIES WANT A WARM WELCOME
Try to imagine that you are coming into the world for the first time. You feel yourself being blasted from the sanctity of the womb to the shrieks of agony of your mother and the militant shouts of others as you are suffocated on and off for twelve hours while your head is rammed repeatedly into bone. Then you feel your body become heavy and unresponsive as you are drugged into oblivion. You are suddenly exposed to blinding light and a crowd of eyes peeking between mask and cap as your mother is filleted to rip you from the safety of your mother's body. 1/3 of your blood supply is drained from your body as your primary life giving organ is cut from your body without painkillers. Your lungs are not fully developed since you are a few weeks early and since you didn't travel down the birth canal the amniotic fluid was never squeezed from your lungs. You are whisked away in the latex gloves of uncaring, unresponsive hurried strangers who ram a syringe up your nose, weigh you on a cold metal table, inject you with toxic chemicals, blind you, and irreversibly mutilate your penis without any painkillers. You are finally handed to your mother who is too tortured, butchered and drugged to hold you much less breastfeed.

Conversely imagine coming into the world for the first time in a home birth setting. You stay in the uterus until your mothers highly evolved and naturally intelligent birthing mechanism understands that you are ready to be born. You feel the strong and gentle hugging squeeze of the uterine contractions as they gently but firmly propel you into the birth canal. You can hear the familiar sounds of your parents and maybe some music. They are talking to you, encouraging you, telling you they love you and cant wait to meet you. You feel the familiar rhythm of your mother's body moving into various positions that give you ample room to comfortably rotate into the perfect position to be born in. You are squeezed out with a final hugging push or two into the loving warm waiting arms of your parents (perhaps to the sound of your mother's orgasm) and you are placed on mom's warm waiting chest within seconds. You blink a bit in the semi darkness and hear your mothers voice without the buffer of the womb for the first time. You hear her love and see into her eyes as you instinctively latch on. Meanwhile your body is being infused with the final blood transfusion that will give you all the oxygen and blood you need for the healthiest start in life. While you latch on to your mothers warm, waiting breast her body releases oxytocin which improves your bonding, releases her breast milk, and causes the cord to stop the transfusion, the placenta to detach from the uterine wall and deliver itself naturally. The colustrum from your mother's breast is all the vitamin K you need. There is no hepatitis vaccine since you aren't sexually active quite yet and your penis stays happily and gratefully intact.

There are many arguments for and against natural birth but from the baby's point of view there is undeniably no contest.

Sources: bidanku.com

Children and Sleep

Every living creature needs to sleep. It is the primary activity of the brain during early development. Circadian rhythms, or the sleep-wake cycle, are regulated by light and dark and these rhythms take time to develop, resulting in the irregular sleep schedules of newborns. The rhythms begin to develop at about six weeks, and by three to six months most infants have a regular sleep-wake cycle.

By the age of two, most children have spent more time asleep than awake and overall, a child will spend 40 percent of his or her childhood asleep. Sleep is especially important for children as it directly impacts mental and physical development.

There are two alternating types or states of sleep:

Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) or "quiet" sleep.
During the deep states of NREM sleep, blood supply to the muscles is increased, energy is restored, tissue growth and repair occur, and important hormones are released for growth and development.

Rapid Eye Movement(REM) or "active" sleep.
During REM sleep, our brains are active and dreaming occurs. Our bodies become immobile, breathing and heart rates are irregular.

Babies spend 50 percent of their time in each of these states and the sleep cycle is about 50 minutes. At about six months of age, REM sleep comprises about 30 percent of sleep. By the time children reach preschool age, the sleep cycle is about every 90minutes.

Sleep and Newborns (1-2 months)
For newborns, sleep during the early months occurs around the clock and the sleep-wake cycle interacts with the need to be fed, changed and nurtured. Newborns sleep a total of 10.5 to 18 hours a day on an irregular schedule with periods of one to three hours spent awake. The sleep period may last a few minutes to several hours. During sleep, they are often active, twitching their arms and legs, smiling, sucking and generally appearing restless.

Newborns express their need to sleep in different ways. Some fuss, cry, rub their eyes or indicate this need with individual gestures. It is best to put babies to bed when they are sleepy, but not asleep. They are more likely to fall asleep quickly and eventually learn how to get themselves to sleep. Newborns can be encouraged to sleep less during the day by exposing them to light and noise, and by playing more with them in the daytime. As evening approaches, the environment can be quieter and dimmer with less activity.

Sleep Tips for Newborns
Observe baby's sleep patterns and identify signs of sleepiness.
- Put baby in the crib when drowsy, not asleep.
- Place baby to sleep on his/her back with face and head clear of blankets and other soft items.
- Encourage nighttime sleep.

Sleep and Infants (3-11 months)
By six months of age, nighttime feedings are usually not necessary and many infants sleep through the night; 70-80 percent will do so by nine months of age. Infants typically sleep 9-12 hours during the night and take 30 minute to two-hour naps, one to four times a day – fewer as they reach age one.

When infants are put to bed drowsy but not asleep, they are more likely to become "self- soothers" which enables them to fall asleep independently at bedtime and put themselves back to sleep during the night. Those who have become accustomed to parental assistance at bedtime often become "signalers" and cry for their parents to help them return to sleep during the night.

Social and developmental issues can also affect sleep. Secure infants who are attached to their caregiver may have less sleep problems, but some may also be reluctant to give up this engagement for sleep. During the second half of the year, infants may also experience separation anxiety. Illness and increased motor development may also disrupt sleep.

Sleep Tips for Infants
- Develop regular daytime and bedtime schedules.
- Create a consistent and enjoyable bedtime routine.
- Establish a regular "sleep friendly" environment.
- Encourage baby to fall asleep independently and to become a "self-soother."

Sleep and Toddlers (1-3 years)
Toddlers need about 12-14 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period. When they reach about 18 months of age their naptimes will decrease to once a day lasting about one to three hours. Naps should not occur too close to bedtime as they may delay sleep at night.

Many toddlers experience sleep problems including resisting going to bed and nighttime awakenings. Nighttime fears and nightmares are also common.

Many factors can lead to sleep problems. Toddlers' drive for independence and an increase in their motor, cognitive and social abilities can interfere with sleep. In addition, their ability to get out of bed, separation anxiety, the need for autonomy and the development of the child's imagination can lead to sleep problems. Daytime sleepiness and behavior problems may signal poor sleep or a sleep problem.

Sleep Tips For Toddlers:
- Maintain a daily sleep schedule and consistent bedtime routine.
- Make the bedroom environment the same every night and throughout the night.
- Set limits that are consistent, communicated and enforced. Encourage use of a security object such as a blanket or stuffed animal.

Sleep and Preschoolers (3-5 years)
Preschoolers typically sleep 11-13 hours each night and most do not nap after five years of age. As with toddlers, difficulty falling asleep and waking up during the night are common. With further development of imagination, preschoolers commonly experience nighttime fears and nightmares. In addition, sleepwalking and sleep terrors peak during preschool years.

Sleep Tips for Preschoolers
- Maintain a regular and consistent sleep schedule.
- Have a relaxing bedtime routine that ends in the room where the child sleeps.
- Child should sleep in the same sleeping environment every night, in a room that is cool, quiet and dark – and without a TV.

Sleep and School-aged Children (5-12 years)
Children aged five to 12 need 10-11 hours of sleep. At the same time, there is an increasing demand on their time from school (e.g., homework), sports and other extracurricular and social activities. In addition, school-aged children become more interested in TV, computers, the media and Internet as well as caffeine products – all of which can lead to difficulty falling asleep, nightmares and disruptions to their sleep. In particular, watching TV close to bedtime has been associated with bedtime resistance, difficulty falling asleep, anxiety around sleep and sleeping fewer hours.

Sleep problems and disorders are prevalent at this age. Poor or inadequate sleep can lead to mood swings, behavioral problems such as hyperactivity and cognitive problems that impact on their ability to learn in school.

Sleep Tips for School-aged Children
- Teach school-aged children about healthy sleep habits.
- Continue to emphasize need for regular and consistent sleep schedule and bedtime routine.
- Make child's bedroom conducive to sleep – dark, cool and quiet.
- Keep TV and computers out of the bedroom.
- Avoid caffeine.

Source : http://www.sleepfoundation.org/

Event - 10th - 12th Apr 2009

Smart Kids 2009 Education Fair

Date : 10th - 12th Apr 2009
Venue : PWTC Kuala Lumpur
Contact : 03-8024 6500 for any enquiries

FREE entrance for your kids below 16 years old.
FREE 1,000 goodie bags daily for Early Birds (kids only).

- over 400 booths of education and related products and services.
- Over RM100,000 worth of cash and prizes to be won.

Highlights and Activities:

- Great Sudoku Challenge by Munchy's
- Creative Baking Workshop by Munchy's
- World of Ambition Creative Career Cap Drawing Competition
- Talent Quest
- Home Science by ecoBrown's
- Be Who You Want To Be! Fashion Contest
- 2009 MELTA Way with Words Competition
- Green Values Projects
- Ambitions & Aspirations: A Special Exhibition

Contest

"Johnson's for Life" Contest

Now until Thursday, 30th Apr 2009


Grand Prize:
Honda Stream

1st Prize:
RM50,000 cash

Consolation Prize x 28:
RM1,000 cash each

Special Prize x 9:
32" LG LCD TV each

Step to Win

Purchase RM10 any Johnson & Johnson products
Get the contest form
Rank your favourite moments on the contest form
Complete your personal details
Attach sales receipt together as proof of purchase
*Terms and conditions apply.

Refer to contest form for more details.