Advantages of breastfeeding for mom – You know the saying 'breast is best'?  Well it's true!  There is no better nourishment for your baby than breast milk as it is rich in vitamins and nutrients and will help your baby grow up to be as healthy as is possible. As well as offering many advantages to the baby, breastfeeding also offers a number of health benefits to the breastfeeding mom.

Now, although women who have just given birth have not yet started to produce milk ,the newborn is always put straight on the breast'.  There are some health benefits for the baby from this immediate introduction to her mother's breast, but there are also great benefits for the mom too.

    * The baby sucking at the breast will cause contractions right after birth, this will result in less bleeding for the mom, which in turn will enable the uterus to return more quickly to its shape prior to the pregnancy. 

    * Some Moms, after giving birth, struggle to shed the pounds that they put on during pregnancy; breast feeding can help in this regard. A breast feeding mom will be burning calories at quite a rate simply as a result of the feeding, this means a mom can lose weight much faster than if she fed her baby with a bottle. 

    * Many nursing moms have reported that breastfeeding has helped eased the effects of postpartum depression.

    * Breast feeding will create a special bond between the mother and her baby – something that cannot happen with formula-fed babies.  This is not just as a result of the intimate physical action of the process of breast feeding, but due to the release of a particular chemical – oxytocin – that occurs during breast feeding. This hormone (nicknamed the 'love hormone') creates a feeling of calm and well-being in both mother and baby and thus strengthens the bond between them.

    * As well as the above benefits there is also the economic and environmental savings that will be made from breastfeeding.  Formula milk can be expensive and added to this is the cost to utility bills of all the washing and boiling.  Do not under-estimate the convenience factor either – there is no preparation time for breastfeeding, unlike with formula-fed babies, breasts are always ready for feeding time.

Advantages of Breastfeeding – They say that 'breast is best' and whilst with the advances in formula milk this is not as true as it was there are still plenty of reasons to consider that breastfeeding is the best thing for your child.

    * Health – Provided you maintain a relatively healthy lifestyle breast milk is the best food that you can give to your baby.  Unlike the formula milk breast milk is fresh and full of natural goodness.  Research has shown that breastfed infants enjoy much lower rates of ear infections, rashes, diarrhea, allergies, hospital admissions and other medical problems than babies that were fed formula.

    * Disease resistance – During feeding a mother will also transfer antibodies to her baby that help protect from diseases such as pneumonia, bronchitis, botulism, influenza, staphylococcal infections, measles and ear infections.

    * Superior to cow's milk – Formula milk is made from cow’s milk and therefore contains a different type of protein than is found in human milk, which itself has over 100 different proteins not found in formula.  Formula milk can also create an allergic reaction in infants; this is almost unheard of with breast milk.

    * Obesity – Humans are obviously not as well adapted to digest formula milk as they are to digest human milk and as a result formula fed babies are often fatter than breastfed babies and research has shown that bottle fed babies are more likely to suffer from obesity in later life than her breastfed counterparts.  This is because once created fat cells never die, they can be reduced in size, but will always be there, ready to expand at the mere sight of a cream cake or box of chocs!

    * Bonding – Breast feeding also helps create a bond between you and your baby, not only psychologically, but physically through the release of the hormone Oxytocin, which is nicknamed the ‘love hormone’.  This natural chemical creates a sense of calm and wellbeing for both mother and child.

    * Positive effects for mom – It has been shown that breastfeeding actually helps the mother lose the extra weight put on during pregnancy and amazingly plays a role in reducing the effects of post-natal depression that can often strike new moms.  Studies also suggest that moms who breastfeed have been shown to have a lower risk of breast cancer and osteoporosis.

    * Economic – From a financial point of view breastfeeding is a no-brainer – it’s free!  Formula milk can be expensive and in these increasingly resource-scarce times don’t under-estimate the cost to your utility bills of all the washing and boiling of bottles.

    * Convenience – Unlike formula, breast milk is always ready, always available, convenient, and always the right temperature for feeding.

    * Enviromental -  From an environmental point of view breastfeeding is the ‘greenest’ way to feed your baby – no trash, no products, no mess: just you, your baby and your breasts!

Natural baby skin care is preferable to treatment with some baby skin care products, however sometimes it is necessary to use some products. In this situation you may be looking for some natural baby skin care products

With so many baby skin care products on the market it is important to know which ones are suitable for your baby.  The answer may surprise you… NONE!

Cause or Cure

Well actually that's an exaggeration, there are some, but, increasingly these days, it is suggested that many of the products available on the market are contributing to the conditions which they claim to cure!

This is because all these products are packed with man-made chemicals, some of which can lead to an upsetting of the bodies delicate natural balance.

It is estimated that about 75% of new-born babies suffer rashes in the first few months of their birth and that because of the highly sensitive nature of their delicate skin are much more prone to allergic reatcions than adults.

Too Much Bathing

In fact, infants are generally bathed and creamed far too much.  According to recent surveys on average a one month old baby is bathed four times and shampooed three times each week. However many experts suggest that occassional bathing is best and the rest of the time a wipe with a soft cotton moistened cloth is more than adequate.

Baby Skin Care Products

The three most used types of baby skin care products are bubble bath, shampoo and baby powder.

Bubble Baths – many modern bubble baths contain detergents that destroy bacteria.  Sounds good, right?  Weell, not always!  You see some bacteria are actually good – 'beneficial bacteria' often work to prevent harmful bacteria from thriving!
Baby bubble bath is also required to carry warnings on over-use on the bottle as the FDA now actively warn against over-bathing.

Shampoo – for the first year it is doubtful that you need to wash your baby's hair often, if at all.  the amount that a baby's hair needs to be washed depends entirely on its condition.  Babies with 'thin' hair that doesn't become oily, need not have their hair washed.
Babies who do have their hair washed shouold use as mild a shampoo as possible.

Powders – The issue once again is with over-use. The only place that powder need be applied to babies is in the creases in the skin under the arms, the neck and the nappy area.  having said that NEVER use talc-based powders as they contain very small particles which can cause irritation to the skin. The most natural baby skin care products are made with  cornstarch or bentonite clay.

The correct Diaper Rash treatment is important because a new born baby's skin is extremely delicate and needs to be treated with the utmost care and attention.

Diaper rash is one of the most common forms of skin irritation for a baby. this is because the skin around the diaper area is covered up and exposed to the chemicals in stool and urine. 

Symptoms

Nappy rash can be identified through red and often puffy skin in and around the diaper area. This rash can be flat or raised, or smooth or rough. The skin affected can often be warm and your baby will experience discomfort during diaper changes.

Causes

Diaper rash can be caused by a number of different things; wetness is the first thing that should be considered.  If your baby has been in a wet or soiled diaper for an extended period this can cause a slight rash to appear, or if not properly dried following a bath or wash.
More likely causes are some kind of allergy.  This could be to a new food, or drink, and often occurs when a baby begins eating solids for the first time.

A further cause could be that the diaper is rubbing or chafing on the skin – this could be as your baby grows or, due to an allergy to some of the chemicals used in the manufacture of the diaper.

Yeast infections can often also be the culprit and are surprisingly common in babies.

Treatment

For regular diaper rash it is generally not necessary to visit the doctor, but of course, should sysmptoms persist professional advice should be sought.

Using a "barrier" ointment — that forms a protective layer on the skin — after changing diapers can help protect irritated skin from stool and urine. There are several ointments of this type available on the market, for example, petroleum ointment and also white zinc oxide, which is thicker and better for protecting very sensitive areas of skin.

There is genrally no need for severe diaper rash treatment.

There are many skincare products on the market and it is important to be aware of how they are made and what they are made with before buying and using them.

Infant Constipation; low profile, high costs

Although considered by many to be one of the less serious childhood afflictions, infant constipation treatment has been estimated to cost around $4m in the US alone.  This figure is similar to the treatment costs for asthma and ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) in the US and is estimated to be similarly expensive in other developed countries in Europ and Oceania.  Despite the similarity in costs, the public and media profile of baby constipation is much lower than for asthma and ADHD and many health professionals hope that that will now change as the true costs become known.

Unnecessary Suffering

Baby constipation and constipation in older children can lead to a significantly decreased quality of life for the child in question.  Apart from the physical discomfort that is suffered there is also a very damaging psychological component to the illness.  The day-to-day struggle caused by constipation can often be emotionally devastating, and can also have an impact on the overall health and well-being of affected children and their families.  This is a shame because constipation in babies and older children is entirely avoidable.

A general increased awareness of the problem would perhaps help parents take measures to prevent the condition developing – always more effective than a cure – and not only cut back on unnecessary spending but on unnecessary suffering for babies and children.

Prevention is better than a cure

Constipation can be prevented by simple measures in the areas of behaviour and diet.

Parents should monitor their child's bathroom habits closely and be concerned if they do not have at least one bowel movement every other day.  Obviously young babies will go much more frequently.  You should also talk to your child, when she is old enough, about the importance of going to the bathroom regularly.

A diet high in fruit and vegetables is also a sure way to help your child avoid constipation.  Low fibre, high fat diets are almost certain to lead to problems with constipation.

Low-fibre foods that can cause constipation include:

    * Ice cream
    * Cheese
    * Meat
    * Snacks like chips and pizza
    * Processed foods, such as instant mashed potatoes or frozen dinners.

These foods should be avoided as much as possible and children 'strongly encouraged' to eat  plenty of fruit and vegetables.  When your baby is slightly older and begins eating regular food the opportunities for her to be exposed to less wholesome foods grows everyday and so it is important to instill good eating habits from an early age.

You can read more on baby constipation here.

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