Everyone has a different idea of what a mother and baby needs in the first few days after childbirth, but some essentials cannot be skipped out on. With that in mind, here are 10 childcare essential you may need right after the delivery. 

Nursing pillows: A baby may be small and seem light, but carrying them can put a strain on your arms. Since babies need to be fed very often in their first few weeks, a nursing pillow is a handy thing to have around. This allows you to comfortably support your baby while feeding them.
Breast pump: Though only a mother can produce breast milk, other people can feed this milk to the baby. A breast pump will allow you to express milk at a time convenient to you and store it in bottles to be fed to the baby as needed.
Bottles and nipples: A set of bottles and nipples are must haves for every baby. In their first few weeks, these bottles may be used to store mother s milk, but as the baby grows, these bottles can also be used to give the baby water.
Pacifiers: A baby who wants to constantly suck on the mother s nipples may be soothed with a pacifier. This can give the mother some time to rest.
Diapers: For over a year, diapers are a must for every baby. Most mothers choose disposable diapers for their convenience though others may choose cotton wash clothes as well. For the first few weeks, a baby tends to go through 10-12 diapers a day so stock up well.
Bedding: Whether you choose to share your bed with the infant or have him or her sleep in a crib, you will need at least two sets of crib sheets.
Baby bath tub: In their first few days, a baby needs to only be sponged down, but as they grow, regular baths become a necessity. A baby sized bathtub will make it easier to hold the baby while keeping them safe.
Sling: Carrying a baby in your arms all the time is not possible and hence it is a good idea to invest in a sling or front pack. This also keeps the baby close to your body and allows him or her to be soothed by your warmth and heartbeat.
Stroller: Once a child is three months old, he or she can be made to sit upright in a stroller. This gives the mother a little free time and puts less pressure on her back.
Car seat: A car seat if a must have for every baby. You could choose between rear facing car seats of convertible car seats.

10 Essentials You Need Right After Delivery

Pregnancy is one of the most important period in a woman s life. This is a time when she should indulge in the best of everything when it comes to diet, rest and exercise, depending on the recommendations of the doctor. As the pregnancy progresses, there are many myths and facts that take over. These usually reach a crescendo by the time the pregnancy reaches the third trimester. Let us find out ways and tips, which you can use to care for your baby and yourself during the third trimester of your pregnancy.

Travel: This an often debated aspect that one has to consider, especially during the third trimester of one s pregnancy. While many people say that it is not appropriate to travel during the third trimester, this really depends on the state of your health during this time. If you are suffering from problems like blood clot formation, then you may want to avoid travel as this can lead to blood clots due to long hours spent sitting in a flight or a train. Travel during the third trimester must also be avoided so as to avoid undue exposure to infections when you use public restrooms. This should be avoided, especially if you have fallen prey to infections in the beginning of the pregnancy. Also, long travel by cars should be avoided. If you have to travel, then you must stop often to stretch your legs on a regular basis.
Movement of the Baby: One of the most important signs that shows you that your baby is thriving and is doing well is the movement of the fetus. This must be monitored and not ignored at all. It is important to keep in touch with your doctor regarding the number of movements that you should ideally feel during 24 hours. If you are not feeling anything close to that number, then you must have the same checked up by the doctor so that any complications may be unraveled on a timely basis.
Sleeping: How you sleep also affects the health of the baby. You need to avoid sleeping on your back during the third trimester, as this can lead to oxygen supply problems. The uterus tends to become heavy during this part of the pregnancy and it can come to rest on the feotus in case you sleep on your back. This lead to a reduction or lack of the blood and oxygen supply to the baby. You should ideally sleep on your side, with a pillow to keep your legs at a proper level and support your aching back as well. You should also try and sleep on your left side as this promotes better blood flow to the baby inside.

In Your Third Trimester? How Should You Take Care of Your Baby?

4 Exercises That'll Help You During Labour

There are technical ways in which you can get your body all set for labour. Although you may not know how your labour will progress, you can ease the pain that you experience during childbirth to a significant extent by doing these four exercises:

1. Kegel exercises: These exercises target the muscles that provide support to your bladder, uterus, urethra and rectum. By strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor, these exercises help in improving the flow of blood to your vaginal and rectal area. Kegel exercises involve contracting of the muscles of your pelvic floor as you would do if you had to prevent passing urine or stool. It is also known to reduce the duration of the pushing stage of childbirth, which is the second stage. You can do the exercises sitting or standing and in either of the two ways-

Slow Kegels: For this, contract the muscles of your pelvic floor and hold them for 3-10 seconds. Release and repeat the exercise for ten times.

Fast Kegels: To be able to do this, you need to contract and loosen up your pelvic muscles 25-50 times. Do the set for about 4 times with 5 seconds interval between each set.


2. Squatting: Practising squatting during your pregnancy can help in preparing your pelvic muscles for labour. While strengthening your thighs, it opens up your pelvis for an easy descent of the baby. So, here's what you should do:

1. Begin by standing behind a chair for support with your feet wide apart

2. While contracting your abdominal muscles, relax your shoulders and chest before lowering your tailbone towards the floor

3. While inhaling and exhaling deeply, push into your legs and go back into a standing position


3. Pelvic Tilt: This exercise helps in strengthening the muscles of your back, pelvis and thigh regions while improving posture. Ensuring your pelvic joints remain flexible, it eases the pain experienced during delivery. 

Here's how it's done:

1. Get down on both your hands and knees while keeping your head in a parallel position with your back

2. While arching your back, pull in your stomach

3. Hold this position for a few seconds before releasing

The exercise needs to be repeated 3-5 times - all the while maintaining a strong hold on your back and stomach.


4. Tailor pose: The tailor pose is designed to help relax your hip joints as well as open up the pelvis. It also helps in improving your body posture while easing the aches that occur in the lower part of your back. For this, you need to perform the following steps:

1. While keeping your back straight, sit comfortably on the floor

2. Placing the soles of both the feet together, press your knees gently towards the floor

3. Keep the position for 10-15 seconds
You can repeat the exercise for 5-10 times.





4 Exercises That'll Help You During Labour

Pregnancy is one of the most exciting and anxious phase in a woman s life. There is definitely an information overload from all sources i.e. family, friends, medical team, books, Internet, etc., that is dumped on the mother-to-be. The idea is to prepare her for the delivery. What needs to be borne in mind though is that each delivery is unique and there are no two women who have had the exact same experience.

However, it is good for the mother to know what to expect so that she is mentally prepared and not totally caught unawares when the actual scenes unfold. The following are the sequence of events that she should be aware of and watch out for:

With the due date nearing, she should keep a watch for the water breaking. This is passing of fluid surrounding the baby and is usually colorless and odorless. However, if it is green or brown, it is an indication that something might be wrong. Immediate medical help should be sought in that case.
Along with water breaking, contractions is the next thing to watch out for. This is due to the tightening and releasing of the uterus, indicating that the baby has begun to descend down towards the cervix. If these last for up to a minute, occur every five minutes, and persist for up to an hour, it is a clear indication that it is delivery time and you must head to the hospital.
Two sensations very prominent during delivery are pain and pressure. The pressure is from the baby passing down the birth canal. As the cervix and the vaginal canal expand to allow passage of the baby, there would be a great deal of pain and pressure. It is not just the mother, even the baby exerts significant pressure to come out of the womb during labor.
The process of the baby getting out of the womb is what is medically termed as labor and has three distinct stages to it:
The first stage has two parts to it i.e. an initial, gradual phase that may last for a few hours and a later, quicker phase. The rate of progress of delivery is steady.
The second stage usually lasts for about two hours, during which the cervix is minimally dilated and pushing begins. This stage lasts until the baby is out of the womb.
The third and the last stage is where the placenta is extracted and the umbilical cord is cut.
Some common problems you may expect include injury or tearing of the vagina or cervix, need for episiotomy, vomiting, passing of motion, anesthetic complications, etc. However, what would remain etched in the mother s memory would be the first sight of the baby.

The Top Things To Know About Delivering A Child!

Giving birth to a child is the most profound form of joy felt by a woman. After getting pregnant, one should discuss with her gynecologist what form of surgery they should go in for. Women have been delivering babies by normal childbirth without any complications since the old times. However, complications might arise if you don't take proper care of your body before the date of delivery. You should be careful and alert at all times so that there are no detrimental effects to you and your child.

Certain tips and guidelines should be followed so that you and your child are safe and secure during a normal delivery.

1. Diet: As soon as you know you are pregnant, you should take care of your diet. Avoid junk food and street food. Stick to a nutritious diet, which contains vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Iron and calcium rich food items should also be consumed for the healthy development of your fetus.

2. Active lifestyle: Try to exercise daily. Include light permissible yoga and also light walks during your pregnancy. You can also join a yoga fitness class for expecting mothers. This can make your body flexible and ready for a normal delivery.

3. Water: Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day to keep yourself hydrated during your pregnancy.

4. Stress: Pregnancy can be extremely stressful. This can take a toll on your body and also on your unborn child's health. Also too much stress can make labor a difficult experience, as the pelvic muscles might not expand for the baby to pass through.

5. Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption: Tobacco is very harmful and might lead to birth defects in your child. Alcohol also acts as a poison. Intake of these substances should be avoided completely.

6. Prenatal class: Joining a prenatal class can be very helpful because you get to learn about giving birth and the things, which your body will be required to do during labor. This can come handy during the delivery.

7. Breathing exercise: During labor it is possible that you can experience shortness of breath. Practicing breathing exercises will help you prepare for a normal delivery.

These tips should be known by every expectant mother so that the strenuous process of a normal delivery is eased out.

Tips to Have a Normal Delivery

Many people across the world spend a considerable amount of time contemplating on which type of delivery is the most preferable. In earlier times, normal delivery was the only option but these days, there is an increase in the number of caesarean or C-sections. Today, 30% of children of children around the world have been born through the C-section. Since it is up to the woman to select which type of delivery she would prefer, it is imperative to comprehend the advantages as well as risks of both the options.

Advantages of vaginal delivery to the mother
From a psychological point of view, women who opt for normal delivery are believed to have a relatively positive birthing experience. Women who go through normal delivery often feel that it is empowering to be actively involved in the procedure of giving birth to their babies. Such mothers have a much shorter span of recovery time compared with those opting for C-sections. This procedure also lets the mother as well as the baby to come in contact with each other, which in turn speeds up the process of bonding.

Pros of normal delivery for the baby
It has been found that babies who are born via vaginal delivery are less prone to developing any kind of complications related to health. They can be fed, sooner and develop fewer allergies and respiratory issues. However, very few babies born through vaginal delivery can experience any injury while being born, though this is an extremely rare condition.

Benefits of Caesarean section for the mother
There are numerous women who opt for the C-section so that there is no need to go through extended hours of labour. Today, with the advancement in medical science, mothers are able to plan the birth of their child, and it allows more control over the birthing process along with more predictability. Women who go for a C-section do not suffer from any damage to the pelvic floor, which often leads to incontinence in the course of time.

Advantages of a C-section delivery for the child
In most cases, when there are twin babies, or a single baby is too large, opting for a C- section can prove to be the most viable option. Plus, if the mother is a carrier of certain diseases like HIV, then a C-section reduces the chances of passing it to the baby.

Thus, both the options have their own set of pros and cons, and it is best to speak with a qualified gynaecologist before deciding on anything.

C-Section Vs Normal Delivery - Which Is Better For You?

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