A mother s milk is said to be the most nutritious food for a new born baby. It contains the perfect balance of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals needed for your baby and changes to keep up with your baby s growing needs. However, the benefits of breastfeeding extend way beyond nutritional value. Breastfeeding is beneficial for both you and your baby. Ideally, a baby should be breastfed for at least the first six months. 

Here are 5 major benefits of breastfeeding.

Stronger immunity: Mother s milk is rich in antibodies and a number of unique compounds that help the newborn child s body fight bacterial and viral infections. No other form of baby food is as rich in these antibodies. Babies who have been breastfed have a lower risk of suffering from ailments such as ear infection, stomach upsets and respiratory problems. The first milk expressed by a woman s breasts after giving birth is known as colostrums. This milk coats the baby s digestive system and prevents the growth of harmful bacteria.
Fewer allergies: Breast milk is easier to digest than formula or cow s milk. This protects the gastrointestinal passages from inflammation and prevents undigested food from triggering allergic reactions. Being breastfed can also reduce the number of allergies a child may suffer from in their later years.
Healthy body weight: Breastfeeding makes a child less likely to suffer from obesity in their later childhood and adult years. This is because breast milk contains less insulin and more hormones as compared to formula. This helps regulate fat absorption. On an average, babied fed on formula put on weight quickly and are more likely to overeat in their later years.
Stronger bones: Breastfeeding is beneficial for both the child and the mother. When a woman is breastfeeding her child, her body s ability to absorb calcium increases. This helps increase bone density, especially as pregnancy can make bones weak.
Builds a strong mother-child bond: After 9 months of carrying a child to term, giving birth may lead to post partum depression and a mother may feel the connection between her and the child severed. Breastfeeding helps nurture this connection and provides emotional relief to both the mother and child. For the mother, this experience releases hormones that reduce stress and relax the body. For the baby, close physical contact is very important and this process provides the perfect opportunity to do so.

Breastfeeding - 5 Benefits of It!

When it comes to babies and their sleeping habits, you have to understand that every baby is different and has different needs. Thus, certain things that may work for one set of parents may not necessarily work for the other. Thus, here are a few tips that will ensure that your child gets ample of undisturbed sleep and stays healthy and fit: 

1. Learn to distinguish when your baby starts feeling tired: Once your child starts feeling tired, he/she will definitely show specific signs that he/she requires some sleep. Some common signs  are:
a) The constant eye rubbing 
b) Yawning
c)  Getting a bit fussy and cranky 
Put your baby to sleep as soon as possible when he/she starts showing such signs. If your baby gets overtired, it will be all the more difficult for him to fall asleep. 

2. Set a proper sleep cycle: Ensure that you set a suitable sleep cycle for your baby. Train your child to sleep during the night and play during the day. Ensure that you keep your kid busy during the day, ensuring that he/she stays awake even after a feed, so that he is tired by night time and sleeps properly all throughout the night. At night, when your child gets up for a feed, ensure that you do not turn on the lights. Instead, make sure to keep the room in semi-darkness so he/she goes back to sleep effectively. 

3. Ensure that your baby is full: If your baby is hungry and has not had his fill, it will tend to disrupt his sleep. Thus, ensure that your baby is well fed before you put him to sleep. For example, if during the day you feed the child after every three hours, as evening approaches feed him every two hours. This will ensure that he is well fed before he goes to sleep.

4. Let go the burping occasionally: Babies do not avidly breastfeed at night. Thus, it is not essential that you wait for him to burp every time he feeds.  

5. Give a Massage: Another way to ensure that your baby sleeps properly is to give him a good massage. A massage will help the child to relax and thus sleep better.

Tips To Ensure Regular Sleep For Your Baby

Cough and cold are very daunting diseases for anyone out there. Especially for people who have a tendency of catching cold easily. Nobody likes to have a runny nose, vigorous cough and fever. But all these symptoms occur when anyone suffers from cough and cold. However, the symptoms get doubled when anyone suffers with whooping cough. Though any kind of chronic cough can be severe enough but whooping cough is the most panic striking among them all. 

What is whooping cough?

Whooping cough begins with a little respiratory illness and includes runny nose, relentless cough. In later stages a development of vivid, copious mucus with the cough and the whoop sound while coughing develops. Whooping cough can be treated safely. If we look at the homeopathic treatment, there are various remedies for whooping cough. But first and foremost, it is very important to boost your immunity. Good immunity helps you to recover faster. Next you need to add nutrition to your diet, which are very important for your health. So intake green veggies and fruits as much as you can. Talking about the homeopathy treatment, yes there are some common homeopathic medicines available, which are prescribed for whooping cough. However, it depends upon individuals and their condition as to which one would be prescribed. 

Listed are homeopathic medicines for whooping cough:

 Antimonium tartaricum: this medicine is prescribed if anyone suffers with scanty and prolific cough along with difficulties in chest or lung. The patient may get mucus with cough, but it hardly comes out. As a result, the patient might end up vomiting in an effort to expel the mucus. The cough can be worse in this case, and the patient might feel breathless often. This medicine is prescribed in such a condition when the chest is filled with mucus, but it barely comes out. 
 Drosera: this medicine is prescribed when a person experiences convulsions of coughing and ends up having cyanosis and shortness of breathing. The cough will be worse, especially at night, and the patient may end up vomiting. There is a chance of getting cramps in feet and hands while coughing.
 Belladona: this is a very common medicine for whooping cough, which is usually prescribed in the early feverish stages of whooping cough. If taken properly, it can be effective in terms of curing the illness. 

Mostly in the coughing stage, patients may face violent cough with red nose and bulging out of eyes, there can be abdominal pain too. Severe irritation in larynx and headache too are noticed in this period. All the above mentioned homeopathic medicines are likely to be used in treating whooping cough infection. However, it is advised to consult a homeopathic doctor before starting any treatment.

Treating whooping cough with homeopathy

Upon reaching adolescence, children's bodies undergo several changes and so do their minds. It is then that their minds are most, as well as least impressionable. And the daunting question regarding the upbringing of an adolescent is how to treat their constantly changing behavior?

Here are some of the tantrums adolescents more commonly throw, and what should ideally be your approach to it:

Your child seems to hate you: It is very common for a phase of emotional exclusionism to prevail between 16-17 years of age approximately. And the worst thing you could do is heighten that emotion by returning the hatred. Make sure you're firm against any extremely unacceptable behavior, but at the same time, show them that you're there for them no matter what.
Electronic devices become the center of their attention: Whenever you want to have an earnest conversation with your children, their attention seems to be drawn solely to their phones and computers. They feel the need to be connected to their friends and all times. Ways to monitor that are by setting limit to the maximum hours spent on devices or making them pay their own bills, which will make them more responsible rather than splurging unnecessarily. Also, if your child is not entirely secluded from the family, it is probably best not to interfere all the time.
Ignoring the curfew: Your kids often stay out later than the set limit. But it is quite possible that your curfew is unreasonable when compared to other parents' curfew. Find out what the average time limit is; it may prevent your child from bearing a grudge against you. In case they still fail to respect your curfew, make sure you spill out to them what the consequences can be, like being grounded for a week. However, in certain cases, your child may be spending time doing nothing constructive, but away from home. There may be something else going on, find out what that is.
Being friends with the wrong people: Sometimes it might happen that you think some children do not have a good influence on your child, but you cannot say that directly because adolescents tend to get very defensive about their choice of friends. Unless the adolescent is doing something harmful with the friend, like using drugs, let him exercise his choice. Otherwise, don't hesitate from seeking professional help to counsel your child.
Being over-dramatic: Every emotion is heightened in your child and you cannot tell them that what they are whining or being overjoyed about are trivial, because that's their prime focus then. Let them realize on their own how irrational they sound or else you may risk spoiling your relation with them.

Behavioral Problems in Adolescents

Parents today, are more concerned about their child's healthy diet and hygiene compared to earlier days. They are more inclined towards quality when it comes to providing medical assistance to their children. They are also now well aware of the side effects of conventional drugs and are keen towards trying alternative treatments, which come with no side effects. 

Studies prove that conventional drugs suppress diseases and antibiotics hamper digestion. But homeopathy on the other hand, offers natural remedies, which are safe, and has long-lasting effect by boosting your body's immunity.

Below are some of the conditions, in which homeopathy works wonders with the kids:

1. Acute conditions such as cold, flu, sore throat and stomach infections, etc. These conditions are self-limiting. Homeopathic remedies not only cure these acute problems, but also prevent their recurrence.

2. Chronic diseases like eczema and allergies are cured completely and never reoccur when treated with homeopathy. In both the above cases, homeopathy works miraculously. Alongside the healing process, it boosts the child's self-defense mechanisms to fight against diseases. While antibiotics may be too harsh for the child's body, homeopathy is a safer option, since it does not have any side effects.

Homeopathy is also effective in treating colic, earache and reduces pain and discomforts. Some of the common problems of children where homeopathy works well are fever, teething, vomiting, diarrhea, dysentery, kidney diseases, infant colic, jaundice, eczema, convulsions, ear infection, fungal infections, warts, thyroid problems, and other growth related problems.

Not just physical symptoms, homeopathy also treats mental and emotional disturbances.
- You can take help of homeopathy treatment if the child is cranky or restless, and it is very beneficial even in case of hyperactive children.
- It is also effective in increasing concentration.
- Homeopathy works perfectly for specially challenged children as well.
- One of the plus points with homeopathic medicine is that it is easy to administer given their light doses and consumable taste.
- In addition, injections are not required. Furthermore, homeopathic treatment helps in all stages of childhood.

Homeopathy is a holistic system of medicine. It works on improving immunity rather than only curing the disease. Thus, it is very important to complete courses in homeopathy medication. Even though handy, homeopathy does not allow self-medication. It is always advisable to seek a doctor's help.

Homeopathy Is Best For Children 

There is an ongoing intense debate on what to eat, how to eat and when to eat during pregnancy. While quality eating is becoming crucial by the day for everyone, it becomes vital for a pregnant woman. It is a widely known and well-established fact that what a woman eats and drinks during pregnancy is the primary source of nourishment for the baby. So, the experts suggest that a would-be mother should choose a wide array of healthy foods and beverages in order to provide the required nutrients that the baby needs for optimal growth and development.

Foods to eat during pregnancy:
To improve prenatal nutrition, you should eat more fruits, lean protein, vegetables, whole grains and of course, dairy products. You must fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, 1/4th of it with lean protein and the remaining 1/4th with whole grains. It is also vital to include dairy products in each meal.

During pregnancy, you should eat more protein, which can be found in dairy products, particularly Greek yogurt. Also, increase your intake of soybean, peanuts, chickpeas, beans, and peas in your daily diet as they are excellent plant-based source of iron, folate, protein, and fiber. Sweet potatoes should always find a place in your diet since they contain copious amounts of beta-carotene, which is converted to Vitamin A in the body. Salmon contains Omega 3-fatty acids such as DHA and EPA, which are required for the development of the baby s brain and the eyes.

Foods to avoid during pregnancy:
To enhance the good effects of these helpful foods, you should also curb down those that can prove to be detrimental to your health. Some of these include:

Alcohol: Alcohol can directly pass to the baby through the umbilical cord, and heavy consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is linked with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders which may cause physical issues along with learning and behavioral problems in the unborn child.
Fishes with high mercury level: Fishes with high levels of methylmercury can prove to be detrimental to the baby. It is a toxic substance which may pass through the placenta and may prove to be harmful to the unborn baby's brain, nervous and renal system.
Raw meat: A mother may pass the Toxoplasma infection to her baby, which may lead to blindness and mental disability in later life of the child by consuming raw meat. So, it is essential to avoid sushi, uncooked poultry, raw cookie dough, homemade ice cream, tiramisu and raw and undercooked sprouts.
Note that even though pregnancy diet is referred to as eating for two, it doesn't mean that you will have to consume twice as much food as you used to consume. You are not eating for two until your second trimester, and the best thing you can do is to add 300 calories more along with the general dietary intake. So, consult with your doctor and frame a proper diet plan along these lines as suggested above to deliver a healthy baby.

Prenatal Care - Know What To Include In Your Diet!

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