What to do When Overdue

Going overdue is nothing strange. In fact quite a number of pregnancies especially for first time mothers go past the due date. Its been said that only 5% of babies arrive on their due date. When calculating the expected date of delivery usually you are told to give a two week window before and after the estimated due date for your baby to arrive. While some babies go overdue some are born premature but we will discuss that another time.

For the pregnancies that are going as they should anywhere from 36 weeks one can expect to feel the signs of the pregnancy winding down. By this time some of you have swollen ankles, legs, a big pump, trouble getting up, sitting down, not sleeping long enough, if at all!! Some of you at this stage have to sleep in a semi stting position as your pump now puts more pressure on you. Quite frankly its a miserable and exciting time all in one and many of us sometimes end up feeling depressed. As a first timer the popular question always is 'how will I know I'm going into labour?' and the response usually is 'you'll just know'. Not much help I agree. For now we'll look at a few activites you can engage in to get things on its way when going overdue and in the next post we look at how the labour progresses from there.


1 Eating curry or spicy food is good to kick start labour. This works for some but not all report success. In fact all it does is satisfy hunger.

2 Eating pineapple

3 Drinking raspberry tea is said to help labour along but find out from your midwife.

4 Going for a walk can help to make the baby's head move lower down into the pelvis. This is a much slower approach and doesn't guarantee that you will go into labour soon.

5 Gently twicking or rubbing your nipples can trigger the hormone oxytocin which helps to trigger contractions when close to labour.

6 Having sex is said to help the labour along with the release of the hormone oxytocin and this causes the uterus to contract. The semen also contains prostaglandins which helps to soften the cervix.

If all these fail there are more unconventional methods like drinking castor oil with pepsi , sprite or orange juice. Many report just having a bad case of the runs and others have great success. Before trying the castor oil please speak with your health professional. At the end of it all your baby will come when he is good and ready and if your doctor or midwife thinks its necessary to intervene what will happen is they will induce labour themselves with a membrane sweep, breaking the waters or using the medicine oxytocin medically called pitocin.

Packing your Hospital Bag

So you are nearing your due date and while you may have started to pack your hospital bag for you and baby, you are still unsure of the items you have and if you have everything. Ideally you should pack two bags or two sets of items, for yourself and your new arrival. This bag should be packed and ready anywhere after 36 weeks because its all systems go from there on out. The excitement of you going into labour at any moment is just overwhelming if you're single or if married or living with your partner. Especially for the couples you'll observe that he too has become just as anxious and excited as you for the big day.

You may have read its best to pack two bags, one for the labour and the other for the day or two you may be in hospital for but really and truly it’s not necessary to have two bags as long as you have all the items listed below you should be fine. The bag you pack should include your baby hospital things as well which should keep him or her going until you get home.

So then the items you’ll need for yourself are:

A night gown for during the labour or a big t- shirt. You may choose to wear the hospital gown as well.

Two or three maternity bras

Two to three front opening night dresses

Breast pads

Dressing gown

Slippers

Undergarments, this could be anywhere from six to eight. You’ll need that many for the simple reason that bleeding after birth will be more than usual and you will want to change regularly to keep yourself feeling fresh. Some of you may also have heard of the disposable underwear and opt to take a few of those as well as you may ruin your good undergarments and probably not want them afterward. This is up to the individual of course.

You’ll need three or four packs of super absorbant stick on sanitary pads

Hairbrush, comb

Towels, face and wash cloth, soap or bath gel, deodorant/ body spray

Dettol soap or dettol itself or savlon for disinfecting

Small mirror

Face cream, hand cream, makeup if you so desire for visitors coming to see the family

Tissue /toilet paper

Lip balm or lipgloss

your birth plan / birth notes

camera / camera phone with charger

reading material ( you might have a long wait)

music that you like (optional)

massage tools ( just in case, you might find you want to be massaged and then you don't want to be) Being pregnant can be really tricky.

Snacks, candy , water (lots of it)

Clothing for when you’ll leave the hospital



For your baby you’ll need:

A pack of nappies or pampers

Four to five all in ones or sleep suits

Baby shawl

Bonnet or hat

Scratch mittens

Baby rag

Blanket to wrap your baby

Socks

An outfit for when your baby is going home

Depending on the weather a sweater or snow suit

Olive oil to moisturise his skin as you’ll find that their skin either strips or is dry

Baby car seat for when leaving the hospital. This is especially important for the UK and USA as it is the law.


These are really just a list of the essential items needed for when you are preparing for the hospital. All being well you really shouldn’t have to pack for more than a night or two at most.

Baby Skincare

Everyone knows that a babies skin is ultra sensitive and as a mother or carer you have to be mindful of the products that are being used. Personally I use the minimum where oinments or products on my son's delicate skin are concerned. If I notice his skin is dry for whatever reason I simply use the good old olive oil. There are no chemical components to be found within it and it makes his skin smooth and supple.

On odd occassions you may find that your baby has a skin upset or rash which has nothing to do with the product being used at times. Lets take for instance a skin rash. Most babies develop a skin rash in the first year of their life. Often times they disappear without having to treat it. If it is continuous you have to determine what the possible cause could be for this happening. You have to take into consideration the soap, body wash, lotion, washing powder or tablet or the fabric softener being used. For the latter products, you need to test if that could be the possible cause and think about trying a new product to see what the result is.

Another famous skin condition that a lot of babies seem to suffer from is eczema. The sight of this skin irritation can be quite upsetting for the mom and uncomfortable for the baby. In such cases the best advice I could give is to see your doctor or midwife for them to prescribe the suitable product to protect and soothe the skin.

In the early days of your child's life you may have observed that your son or daughter had or still has what appears to be dandruff or a dry scalp. Its quite flaky and looks yellowish and crusty lieing underneath the hair of the babies skin. I got to discover its what is referred to as 'cradle cap'. Not alot of babies get it but the majority do. Its nothing to worry or panic about and do not be tempted to peel or remove it on your own as you could infect your child with dirty hands or fingernails and make it worse. No treatment is needed as it will disappear on its own with time. Just continue to wash the hair as you would normally do and dry the scalp properly. You could also for piece of mind rub not more than a teaspoon of olive oil on to the scalp, leaving it in for a while and rinsing if you so desire. If the cradle cap worsens seek your doctor for instructions on how to treat it.

I could not discuss skincare without including the all time famous nappy rash. One of the best ways to avoid your child getting nappy rash is changing the diaper or nappy at regular intervals. Wash the skin properly with water and dry him thoroughly afterward paying special attention to the creases and corners where water can be trapped easily. You can also allow your child to lie abit on the bed, changing mat or changing table without a nappy once a day or every other day allowing air to get to his bottom. As you would imagine it can get quite wet and uncomfortable after a while. There are times when you cannot escape the skin appearing red and sore. You can treat this by using castor oil cream each time the nappy is changed. Another observation you may make are tiny white spots on the your baby's nose. They are harmful and really are just enlarged oil glands. With time they disappear. If your baby becoomes too hot you may see red spots with blisters appear. These too will disappear but if they become infected see your doctor.

Finally breastfed babies tend to get what is often termed as a 'milk rash'. These have the appearance of a normal rash; tiny or fine bumps on the cheeks and maybe on the forehead. It needn't be treated as it will go on its own. Sometimes it is simply a reaction to what the mother had to eat or a change in her diet which your baby has not fully been able to adjust to. All in all it is extremely important to remember that a babies skin is very sensitive and as such should be treated with the utmost care.

Your Crying Baby

It can be really overwhelming when your baby starts to cry uncontrollably. You scurry about like a headless chicken trying to figure out the best tactic for calming your distressed baby. We know that a baby's main form of communicating to us is through crying. So just imagine that instead of speech, they verbalise discomfort, hunger, annoyance and general distress through their cries. My son for the past couple of days has been quite verbal or vocal leaving my husband and I clutching at straws to come up with new ways of calming him.

I imagine all parents have a checklist that they go through mentally in an effort to quel the situation. Ensuring your child is fed, clean, not feeling too hot or too cold or isn't being overstimulated by being passed from one person to the next is done. The lighting in the room has to be just right and at this point you feel everything has to be in the right place in an effort to thoroughly address the pandimonium in your household. For us once we've gone through the checklist of possible reasons we each take turns in trying to calm our son. We find that most times holding him close to our chest does the trick. You'll find that the warmth of your body helps to steady them. It also reminds them of the warmth and security they had when they were in the womb. Hearing the sound of the mothers heartbeat is also a pleasant reminder to your baby as that was the sound they grew accustomed to hearing.

Babies also seem to like rhythmic movements. Be it rocking from side to side, gently swaying or just about any gentle movement. Funnily enough its been said that they like the sound of a washing machine or hoover / vacuum cleaner or an electric fan as all are rhythmic in nature. It is often referred to as white noise, the noise of these listed appliances. Giving a gentle massage can sometimes do the trick. Rubbing the tummy, head or back is sometimes all that they need. Placing your baby on his tummy in your lap and swaying gently is multifunctional in that not only is there the rhythmic motion, but in the case of a colicky baby they are in the position where they can expel trapped wind.... and oh don't they let it rip. They do give us adults a run for our money.

Some babies find great comfort in sucking something as well. Aside from their bottle or being breastfed if you're absolutely certain they aren't hungry, you can opt to give them their pacifier or a clean finger to chew on. One has to also bear in mind that some are nearing the stage of teething and having just about anything in their mouth will ease the pain of their pegs trying to cut through. There are times when irrespective of what is done they still cry on top of their lungs. In this instance you have to try not to loose your cool or to shake the baby to be quiet. Shaking the baby can be detrimental and is unnecessary. If you find that you have had enough and you have tried everything humanly possible, simply place your child in his cot or crib. Sometimes you find that within a few minutes they fall quiet or they kick the crying gear up a few notches where in that instance taking a quick breather or brisk walk into another room is what you need.

It may seem cruel but sometimes you have no other choice but to let your baby cry. A baby won't cry himself to death but you should at all times closely monitor and be wihtin eyeshot of the cot. I suppose they think that its their right to cry, lets face it who wants to be on their backs for a greater portion of the day and not be able to do as one pleases, quite frankly I would cry too.

Your Baby’s Bowel Movements

You’ll find that as you become a mom many things you normally wouldn’t have taken an interest in suddenly become all you are concerned with. In particular I’m referring to your little one’s bowel movements. It is very important that one knows what should happen at each stage of your child’s development and that goes for when he’s soiled his nappy.

At birth the first ever bowel movement your baby will have is called meconium and it has a black or greenish appearance and is often likened to being like a sticky, tarry substance. It’s this colour and texture simply because of him digesting amniotic liquid, bile and the shedded skin cells. This is as a result of all this build up being collected in the digestive system or intestines while inside the womb. This meconium is passed during the first 12 hrs of birth and if this is not done within 24 hrs could be indicative of more serious problems. Additionally, the baby passing meconium in utero can cause a complication sometimes referred to as meconium aspiration syndrome.

Once out of the hospital and at home you’ll notice that the colour and consistency of the stool changes drastically. There also is a difference between the stool of a breastfed baby and one on formula milk. Breastfed babies’ stools appear to be mustard in colour and can be grainy or seedy. It’s also quite runny and funnily enough has a sweetish smelling twinge to it, but don’t worry you still know its pooh. Formula fed babies on the otherhand have a dark or tanned colour and soft or firmer texture than a breastfed babies. Its been said that a formula fed baby's stool should not be firmer than peanut butter consistency as his intestinal system is not so developed just yet.

If you didn’t know before I’m sure you’ve learnt by now that babies pooh quite a bit especially those being breastfed. Often times they go after every feeding or during every feeding and at other times a few days may pass before there’s a bowel movement. All this is quite normal. Owing to the consistency of the bowel movement inexperienced moms may think their baby is suffering from the ‘runs’ or diahorrea. The same goes for formula fed babies, as you’ll find that they too have very regular bowel movements.

What I’m about to say may be very amusing to you the readers but all of it is true. The next time you feed your baby and he’s about to have a bowel movement, you’ll notice that the poor thing grunts, turns red or even cries when passing motion. Aside from their crying and turning red, when they grunt they look like absolute darlings. This being said, its not abnormal and all babies do this at some stage or other. We have to bear in mind that it takes abit of time for them to get used to their bodily functions, till then they will continue to do this.

In other instances there may be times when their stool appears green in colour, what this means really is especially with bottle fed babies, they are given a high concentration of iron fortified formula milk. Babies with jaundice tend to have green stools as well but this goes away after being placed under the bilirubin lights. Sensitivity to what is consumed by the mom is another reason for stools appearing green coloured. One has to bear in mind that whatever you consume so does your baby and it takes awhile for him to grow accustomed to dietary changes. There are times that in response to this sensitivity to your diet they have skin rashes, green mucousy stools, spitting up abit and sometimes blood in the stool. If it happens more often than you’re comfortable with seek the advice of your doctor as soon as possible. Black stools, like the greenish coloured are usually the result of iron supplementation or iron fortified formulas. This is a usual occurrence but if for some reason it appears too mucousy or has blood again seek the advice of your paediatrician.

Your Diet: Before, During and after Pregnancy

It is very important to maintain a healthy diet whether you are expecting or not. This is possible through following specified guidelines offered to you by your doctor, midwife or nutritionist. In addition to this doing internet searches and reading pregnancy material and manuals will take you through all you need to know to ensure you are on the right track with regard to your dietary needs.

You will hear quite often when you become pregnant that you will be eating for two when in truth and in fact that’s not the case. All that really needs to be seen to is your intake of calories be increased to an approximate 300 per day during pregnancy. I found that I wasn’t eating uncontrollably, but I did have a new found appreciation for certain types of foods. There were times when food that was tasty to me in the past became gag worthy and foods I had no interest in eating becoming my main staple. Through it all, I could not develop a pallet for cow’s milk. In that instance what I did was consume a lot of cheese and other dairy products which more or less made up for not drinking milk.

This may amuse quite a bit of you but there are instances when strict vegetarians end up craving meat. Tofu does nothing whatever to satisfy their cravings and for the remaining six months or so many have to give in and eat meat. As mothers and especially expectant mothers you need to know that what you eat provides food for you and your unborn child. As you should already know the expected amount that pregnant women put on averages at around 20 to 35 pounds.

You will need to ensure that there are extra servings of protein and vitamin in your diet. If you are uncertain of the foods rich in protein they include cheese, milk, yogurt, poultry, fish, meat, eggs, peanut butter, nuts, peas and beans. I have to stress however that there are certain types of cheeses not to be consumed by pregnant women and eating peanut is not entirely safe. Please consult your physician or GP to get a full run down on which cheese and nuts to avoid. From my own research the cheeses that should be avoided during pregnancy are the soft mould ripened cheeses which includes brie, camembert and your blue veined cheeses which includes your danish blue and stilton cheese. These cheeses are notorious for providing the perfect place for bacteria to grow. You may find the list of cheeses to avoid on any baby related website.

You will also need to be taking your folic acid tablets or folic acid within the first three months of pregnancy or as soon as you have found out that you are expecting. Folic acid tablets can be bought over the counter at your local pharmacy or chemist or online at Vitamin World It is extremely important as it helps in the prevention of the medical condition spina bifida which is an incomplete closure of the spinal chord and spinal column resulting in the child having great difficulty walking or not walking at all among other things. Folic acid may also be found in foods such as your lettuce, spinach, tomato juice, orange juice, fortified breakfast cereals and grains such as your corn flakes, in asparagus, broccoli and strawberries. I have not exhausted the list but this is just to give a working idea. You will also need to have an in take of iron. Some of you may be already taking iron tablets, but foods rich in iron includes chicken, beef, pork , fish, fortified cereals, eggs and kidney. Liver also has iron but I do remember reading that because it has a high concentration of iron women should avoid eating it. This of course you can discuss with your doctor.

After you’ve had your baby your diet should not change, nor should you think that you need not eat healthily. If there was ever a time to eat healthily it would have to be after the birth especially for the mothers who plan on breastfeeding. You do not need to eat for two, but you do need to ensure that you try as best as possible to eat the recommended daily amounts of your iron, vitamins and proteins to guarantee a healthy baby at birth and onward.

Helping your Little One Sleep through the Night

Many of us moms may be at the stage now where we can establish a routine with our newborn. Several weeks have passed and you both have gotten the hang of being with each other. Still there is one little problem, your newborn may still not have gotten used to sleeping through the night. It can be really tiring when your daughter or son is up most of the day and refuses to sleep during the night. If they do, their nap takes roughly twenty minutes if you’re lucky. There are a few helpful suggestions which you can experiment with to see if it aids in making your little one sleep for longer, especially at nights.

This may sound hard but you need to teach your baby the difference between night and day. How this is done is by being very active and playful with your newborn during the daytime. Feeding should take place in a bright and airy room with lots of noise and stimulation. When its night time on the other hand, keep feeds quiet and lighting to a minimum so that your baby stays relaxed and not as active as he would do had it been daytime. You should also try not to let daytime naps be in a dark room or too quiet so that your baby learns to differentiate from night time sleeps and not to be confused.

It is very important that as soon as possible to establish a bedtime routine. For me what I do is give my son a bath in the evening, after which he’s fed and we have a cuddle or I read to him abit. The lighting in the room is dim and so it serves as an indicator that its quiet time. He soon becomes really relaxed and before I know it, is sleeping peacefully in my arms and I gently place him in the crib. He also by this stage knows that his crib means its sleeping time. Again what I try to do in the days is place him in his day cot or what they call a play pen where he takes his naps and do daytime activities. If however, you have only one sleeping area for your little one its fine. Just follow the points aforementioned in your baby differentiating night from day and doing that which will serve as a cue that its nearing bedtime.

Another point I should inject here is as soon as your baby becomes fussy and irritated place him or her in the crib before they fall asleep. It will teach them that being in the crib equals sleep. This being said leads me to my next point. It is important that your newborn learns to settle himself. Although it may be challenging, try not to feed or rock your baby to sleep. Why I say this is simply because it can lead to their being dependent on going to sleep in this way, I’m guilty of this and pay the price from time to time. Once you get your baby ready for bed it is good to place them in the crib while they are still drowsy and not fully asleep. Still be there when they dose off, with time they will be able to settle themselves to sleep and with time you will be able to leave the room with them awake.

I’ve noticed many nights where my son for some reason startles himself awake and starts to cry because I reckon he feels he’s alone. Sometimes he settles down and just falls off into another phase of sleep and other times being a mom and hearing him cry makes me want to pick him up and soothe him which I end up doing. My advice is this, unless your child starts to cry uncontrollably, try not to pick them up. Easier said than done I know. What you can do is stand by the crib holding their hands and rubbing their tummy and talk soothingly to them, sing or rub their head to soothe them until you find that they relax and slowly fall back to sleep again. I can vouch for gently rubbing the head; it works like a charm. After awhile you may want to experiment by leaving abit of time to pass before going by the side of the crib as you will find babies sleep patterns are strange and they sound like they’re about to be awake and then you are shocked to find your little one fast asleep.

All this may sound easy, but it takes a lot of perseverance on both sides. It may be awhile yet till your little one can sleep straight through the night. You may even have to endure hours of crying. Once you have covered all the bases, check that they are clean, fed, not too hot or cold, you will have to do what is often referred to as ferberizing, which simply put means they cry until they are fed up with crying and just sleep or are quiet. As first time moms we are all in this together and its nothing other than trial and error with a few recommendations from people like us along the way.

How to Bathe Your Newborn

When a baby is born it isn’t necessary to bathe him everyday. In fact for the first ten to twelve days or up until the time their belly button heals properly you can do what is referred to as top and tailing or in other words giving a sponge bath. There are some who are opposed to top and tailing and believe that you can still go ahead and bath your baby as normal so long as you pay special attention to the belly button, ensuring it is dried properly. Personally I reckon it is up to the parent and what they are most comfortable with.

Before anything is done you have to gather all that you will need when giving your baby a bath be it in a tub in your bedroom or in the bathroom. You need their bowl or baby bath tub with warm water. The ideal temperature should be between 37 and 38 degrees Celsius, wash cloth or sponge,cotton wool, towel, nappy or diaper, the clothing that he or she will wear afterwards, soap or bathe gel, shampoo if planning to wash their hair and olive oil to moisturise the skin if need be. It is important that these things are handy because leaving your newborn or baby unattended is not advisable.

I have to stress that it is absolutely important to wash the baby’s face, neck, hands and bottom carefully everyday. You should always choose a time when your child is awake and contented. The room you will use needs to be warm and draft free. You should not bath your baby straight after a meal or when he is hungry or tired. Always make sure the water is warm not hot, this can be checked by dipping your elbow in the tub.

To start, hold your baby over your knee or lie him on a changing mat and remove all the clothing except the vest and nappy, wrap him in a towel. Dip the baby’s wash cloth or cotton wool if you prefer in the water and wipe gently around your baby’s eyes from the nose outward using a fresh piece of cotton for each eye or rinsing the cloth after wiping each eye. With a fresh piece of cotton partially dipped in the warm water, gently wipe the ears but do not clean inside them.

Wash your baby’s hair with baby shampoo rinsing carefully so as not to get any soap into the eyes, ears and mouth and make sure your baby is supported carefully over the bowl. At this time you would remove your baby’s nappy wiping away any mess. If using baby soap, lather your baby all over, avoiding the face while still on your knee. Remember you should always be keeping a firm grip on your baby.

Lower you baby gently into the bowl or tub using one hand to hold your baby’s upper arm and supporting his or her head and shoulders, keep your baby’s head away from the water. Use the other hand to gently wash the water over the baby without splashing. The next point is obvious but will still be said never leave your baby alone in the tub. If the phone rings, let it ring, whoever is calling can call back. It takes less than a second for disaster to strike.

Lift your baby out of the tub and pat dry paying special attention to the creases and corners. You could at this time massage oil into your baby’s skin. Many babies love this and find it very relaxing and it also helps them to fall to sleep quite quickly. Your baby should be wrapped in a towel and laying on the bed or flat surface while this is being done.

Not all babies like bath time and if you find that your baby seems frightened of bathing and cries you could try bathing together, but make sure the water isn’t too hot. What I‘ve found helpful as well is bathing your baby when someone is around. If bathing your baby alone is too eventful you could be assisted by a family member or your partner. This makes it easier to settle your little one while your husband, partner or relative has a grip on the baby. Once you’ve dried your baby properly, dressed him or her, you may find that after a while they settle into a peaceful sleep. Sometimes you may have to top them up with a feed after which I can guarantee they will fall sound asleep.