When you become a mother for the first time it is a completely new experience which may often leave you feeling exhausted and wondering whether all the things are being done right. First time motherhood is a beautiful as well as a harrowing experience at the same time. Although there are many important things to keep in mind, you can keep the responsibilities simple and streamlined in order to remember them. 

Some of these are mentioned below

Properly handling your baby   New mothers tend to be very careful anyway with their new born children. However, first time inexperience may cause harm to your baby inadvertently. Some of the things you need to be careful about while handling you baby are
Supporting and cradling the head and neck of your baby, especially while handling them is very important.
When you handle your baby, be careful enough to ensure that you don t shake or jerk them too hard. Always be very mindful of the fragility of your baby s body.
Keeping your hands clean every time before you handle your baby is extremely important.
Keep a hand sanitizer handy for this reason. Also, if you have to attend to your baby in the middle of house chores, such as kitchen work, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and wipe clean before handling your baby.
Perfecting your breast feeding technique is very important   One of the more important things to consider is getting attuned to your lactation cycles; either storing the excess milk for later or ensuring your baby is fed properly according to your cycles as well as his or her demand. Some of the points that need to be kept in mind are
It is important to know how to improve and make the best out of your breast milk through improved breast feeding techniques. Thus, visit a lactation consultant who can easily formulate a plan for you and optimize your breast feeding techniques.
Although breast milk is very important, some minerals can only be supplied by specialized formulas. The best way to balance between breast milk and formulas and you lactation consultant along with your doctor should be able to give you some pointers.
Your breasts will become sore after repeated feeding or suction. It is important to perform warm compress and heat massages to ensure that they don t hurt.
Soothing your baby   The only way your baby can communicate with you is via sounds such as crying and babbling. Thus soothing and comforting the baby is something which you may already do instinctively, but you may have to fine tune your technique slightly. Some of the things to keep in mind would be  
Swaying or swaddling you baby in a way that mimics the coziness of your womb
The baby can be kept entertained with sound and lights
Keep your baby warm, but not too warm depending on the season. Striking the correct balance is very critical.
Try to make the cleaning and changing process enjoyable for your baby by integrating play and fun into it.
Sleep for the mother and the baby   The priority at this point in time is to ensure your baby s growth and health. Thus, live by the principle that you sleep when your baby sleeps. Ensure that you adjust your routine to get the best results to minimize feeling tired all the time. New mothers tend to lose a lot of sleep and thus have interrupted circadian rhythms that affect their body. It is very important to maintain your mental composure and also be able to focus on your baby better.

First Time Mothers - Things You Should Take Care Of!

A genetic disorder, Down s Syndrome is caused due to extra genetic material during cell division. It is the faulty arrangement of chromosomes which results in the Down s Syndrome. It approximately affects one in 800 births around the world, across a wide spectrum of race, gender, region, and socio-economy. Since it is a naturally occurring condition whose underlying cause cannot be controlled or regulated, there is nothing one can do to undo this condition. Instead, people with Down s Syndrome, because they are generally socially and intellectually underdeveloped, are equipped with learnings and interventions related to life-skills from very early in life and striving towards making them independent. Various therapies can be incorporated for improving the overall quality of life of the people born with Down s Syndrome.

Occupational Therapy and Down s Syndrome -

Development of motor skills is delayed in the children born with Down s Syndrome. This is due to their certain physical characteristics like low muscle tone (hypotonia), loose ligaments or ligamentous laxity making the joints extra flexible, and decreased strength.

The aim of the Occupational Therapy for children born with Down s Syndrome is to facilitate or enable the development of movement patterns optimally, as against accelerating the rate of development which is a general assumption. It helps in achieving developmental milestones in an efficient manner. Occupational Therapy hence helps children in developing a good or correct posture, aligning their foot properly for proper balance and movement, improving their walking pattern, and helping them generally through developing fine and gross motor skills for carrying out daily activities.

Moreover, Occupational Therapy helps in teaching self-care skills like getting dressed, eating, toileting writing, using a computer, etc. For teenagers, Occupational Therapy helps in identifying suitable skills, careers, jobs, and vocations to match with strengths, capabilities, and interests. Sensory integration activities help in teaching the child to produce an appropriate response to any situation, and in developing attention and concentration.

Occupational Therapy Assessment -

Children with Down s Syndrome have delayed gross and fine motor skills, and lack basic cognitive and communication skills among many other issues they face due to their condition. Occupational Therapy addresses all these shortcomings of development for comprehensive management of the disease.

Occupational Therapy checks the sensorimotor components like muscular tone, strength, endurance, coordination, balance, range of motion, hand function, and posture. It also checks the perceptual and cognitive components like memory, attention, figure-ground, and directionality. For checking social skills, areas like peer relationship, verbal and non- verbal communication, and group interaction are assessed.

According to the assessment results, intervention strategies and fun activities are devised for the child to promote optimal function of motor senses.

Take Away -

Down s Syndrome cannot be cured but can be managed through methods like Occupational Therapy which helps in teaching basic life skills for making the patients confident and independent to face the world on their own.

Down Syndrome - Know How Occupational Therapy Can Help!

Almost all of us have experienced bloating, gas or an upset stomach. Yet some people experience this problem at a chronic level. Gas occurs in the stomach and intestines due to breakdown of food into energy. All of us pass gas, however some people do more than others. An average person passes gas 5-20 times a day.

An upset stomach can often cause problems and can be a difficult battle for many people. Although the symptoms of gas problems often relate to an improper diet, yet other factors may be also responsible.

Causes and Symptoms of Gas Problems

Swallowing air: The swallowed air which is not burped out, passes through the digestive system and is released through the opening of the anus. Hiccups can also occur if you have swallowed excessive air.
Diet: The reaction of different foods varies from one person to another. Also foods that lead to odorous gas may also vary from person to person. Yet, spicy foods and dairy products are the most common causes of gas. Example - Beans, cabbage, onions, radishes, eggs, carbonated drinks, sugar, packaged foods etc.
Medications: Certain medicines and supplements, including prescription drugs, can lead to gas problems and bloating. Further, medications which change the hormonal balance in the body can also cause bloating.
Medical problems: Certain medical conditions such as Irritable bowel syndrome or bowel obstruction can also lead to an upset stomach.
Common symptoms of gas problems include gas pain, cramping, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. In the worst of cases, gas and bloating indicate colon cancer. Such people experience rapid weight loss, anaemia and blood in stools.

Treatment
Modifying your lifestyle, in particular your dietary practices, is essential to a healthy recovery.

Avoiding foods such as spaghetti, oats, bran, barley, banana, bread etc. which contain high fibre content is important.
You can opt for over the counter medications after consulting your physician. Homeopathy and Ayurveda can be also opted as alternative forms of treatment.

Chronic Gas Problem - Facts You Should Know About it

Bronchitis occurs when the bronchial tubes become swollen due to an ailment or any kind of infection. These tubes are a part of the respiratory system and usually join the lungs. There are two types of bronchitis - acute bronchitis and chronic bronchitis. A virus or bacterium usually causes acute bronchitis. It shows up after a person has had a respiratory disease. The most common symptoms of this disease usually show up when a child has flu or cold. A blazing throat, a feeling of being sick and mucus draining from the sinuses usually describe the disease.

Homeopathy is a very effective treatment for bronchitis. In fact, it is the most effective treatment. Homeopathy has been successful in treating some exceptionally extreme cases of bronchitis. It functions admirably in both acute and chronic bronchitis. Here are a few treatments for acute bronchitis for kids that have proven to be beneficial over time:

Hepar Sulph is one of the best homeopathic medicines for bronchitis where a person experiences increased sensitivity to cold. Chilly air and exposure to the cold in any form is impossible to be tolerated by the patient. It energizes cough quickly. Hepar Sulph cures situations where even if a single part of the body is exposed to the cold like a hand or a foot, cough begins immediately.

Bryonia, on the other hand, is helpful in situations where a person feels extremely thirsty, yet may only have a few sips at a time. The mucous layers and the mouth become extremely dry. Even the cough is very dry in such cases. There is a pain in the abdomen and headache while coughing.

Pulsatilla is great in situations where the patient coughs up a lot of greenish or yellowish mucous. Cough is more irritable while resting and the person cannot rest or sleep because of the same. The patient is usually not at all thirsty in this situation.

Arsenic Album is one of the best homeopathic medicines for symptoms that include a feeling of weakness along with other signs of bronchitis. Extreme wheezing and cough increase after nighttime and makes it difficult for the person to sleep. Along with extreme weakness, restlessness may also occur. The patient feels parched and frequently drinks little quantities of water.

Antim Tart is useful when there is a lot of mucous in the abdomen and chest. Despite the fact that there is a lot of mucous in the abdomen, little is disposed off. Cough in this situation is aggravated while a person eats. However, Antim Tart tends to find relief from the same. Patients usually find it very hard to bring out the mucous in this situation.

Treat Acute Bronchitis In Kids With Homeopathy!

Uterine fibroids, also known as leiomyomata, are non-cancerous growths which develop in and around the uterus or the womb and form benign tumors in course of time. Though there are several types of uterine fibroids, they are all consistently similar in their genetic makeup. They are generally classified depending on their specific locations:

Myometrial or intramural fibroids
Submucosal fibroids
Subserosal fibroids
Pedunculated fibroids
Signs and symptoms

In most cases, uterine fibroids display little or no symptoms at all. Therefore many women are caught unawares and do not realize whether they have leiomyomata or not. When symptoms do show, however, they may include any one of the following:

1. Prolonged menstrual periods, usually for seven days or even longer
2. Bloating belly or pelvis
3. Intensive bleeding during periods
4. Pain during sexual intercourse
5. Constipation

Treatment

Since uterine fibroids do not cause any significant complications, they normally do not require much treatment. The condition, however, can be treated through either one of the following approaches:

1. Non-surgical approach

(1) Alert and careful inspection as well as watchful anticipation of the growth and development of uterine fibroids
(2) Birth control pills or oral contraceptives which help reduce heavy periods caused by uterine fibroids
(3) Pain relievers to help numb the pain
(4) Intrauterine device along with levonorgestrel to help reduce heavy periods
(5) Iron tablets are helpful in substituting the blood loss caused by heavy menstruation

2.Surgical approach

i) Myomectomy

ii) Hysterectomy

These two procedures can be performed using several techniques like:

Laparoscopy
Open abdominal surgery
Robot-assisted laparoscopy
Vaginal approach
Hysteroscope approach
iii) Uterine artery embolization (UAE)

Uterine Fibroids - Surgical & Non Surgical Treatment!

Child nutrition from age 6 months to 5 years growth and development of a child depends on the nourishment received by the child right from birth. Healthy diet and proper eating habits are essential to be inculcated in a child as early as possible. A balanced diet given to the child at the earliest provides all nutrients required for adequate growth and development. Nutritional value of every food item introduced in the child s diet should be gauged prior and then given to the child.

Nutritional requirement of children varies in accordance to the age group. It is necessary that the parents should have knowledge about the age-specific requirements of the diet, which will benefit the child in their growing years.

Following is the ideal child nutrition ranging from the age group of 6 months to 5 years.

1. 6 months to 12 months

A. Right from the birth of a newborn child, it is necessary to begin breastfeeding for the baby. It should begin within an hour of the child s birth. It is the ideal way of providing proper nutrition to the child.

B. Breastfeeding is beneficial by providing nourishment and also by improving the immunity of the baby.

C. From birth to 6 months, only breastfeeding is advised. It is a critical source of nutrition for the child even during illness.

D. After the baby turns 6 months old, solid food can be introduced in the child s diet.

E. Breastfeeding can be continued and supplemented with other food items.

F. Usually, fruit juices are introduced first in the diet.

G. Feeding bottle should be avoided and the child should be fed with a spoon and cup. Proper hygiene and good handling of the food is required.

H. It is necessary to wipe the gums and developing teeth clean with a wet gauge to prevent any decay that can be caused by sticking of the food on the teeth surfaces fed to the child.

2. 1 year to 3 years

A. Children in this age group can tell when they feel full after feeding. It is necessary to listen to their demand for food and also avoid overfeeding children.

B. This age group requires children to eat all types of nutrients, so parents should focus on providing a variety of food items to replenish their child s nutritional requirements.

C. Children in this age group require fat-rich foods and should be given dairy products for calcium requirements.

D. Processed foods should not be given to children at this age. Calories intake should be monitored to the optimum level.

E. Since children at this age are involved in activities like walking, running around and playing it is essential to keep feeding them at regular intervals to maintain the energy levels of their bodies.

3. 3 years to 5 years.

A. Children belonging to this age group require to eat a well-balanced, nutrient rich diet.

B. Grains should be included on a routine basis. They provide the child with carbohydrates, fibres and minerals. All these nutrients provide energy to the child s body.

C. Inclusion of whole wheat grains provides fibres in adequate quantity.

D. Refined foods should be avoided, whole grain bread should be included in the diet.

E. Fruit intake should be increased, as they are an important source of various vitamins. Fresh fruit should always be preferred over juices for growing children.

F. Sugar intake should be kept to a minimum quantity since refined sugars do more harm to the child s health than any good.

G. Vegetables should form a considerably greater part of the child s daily diet, with the inclusion of a variety of vegetables.

H. Protein sources of food include meat, poultry, pulses, beans and nuts. Along with protein, these food items also provide iron, zinc and minerals to the body.

Apart from the above specified food items, daily intake of milk is necessary for children of growing age. It provides the body with sufficient calcium to facilitate bone growth in growing children. Also, nuts like walnuts, almonds, cashews are advised to be given to the children daily.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult a specialist & get answers to your questions!

Nutrition Tips For Children From Age 6 Months To 5 Years!

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