In my field of work, I usually get tired almost after every shift. Delivering babies is not easy. It takes all your energy especially when births have complications. I always remember, I don’t have to take fatigue lying down. There are many ways I can fight back: Eat a balanced diet. Get enough sleep as possible. Exercise regularly by walking or jogging each day. Have a positive attitude. And take multivitamins daily. It won’t just get me back on my feet. It made me feel like the world is at my feet.
Archive for November, 2008
The Journey to well-being starts with a few simple steps
Sunday, November 30th, 2008Proper method in bathing baby
Saturday, November 22nd, 2008
Before I let the fathers bath their babies, I usually teach them first the proper method.
The following describes the correct way to bathe your baby:
* Washing baby’s face : Use cotton ball dipped in clean water to wash your baby’s face. Use a new piece for each eye and gently wipe from the inner corner of the eye outwards. Wipe around the mouth and clean the rest of your baby’s face, stroking from the middle downwards. Don’t put anything inside the ears.
* Washing baby’s hair: Wrap the baby in a towel and hold him over the tub, supporting his head with your hand and his body with your arm. Gently wet baby’s hair with your free hand and apply a small amount of Clinically Proven Mild Cleaner which is specially formulated not to sting baby’s eyes. Massage the scalp gently and don’t use you fingernails while doing so. Make sure that your baby’s hair is rinsed well, to remove all soap residue.
* Washing baby’s body: Unwrap the towel from baby’s body but keep hi head covered with one portion of the towel if it is cold. Remove his diaper and test the bather water once more with the inside of your wrist. If diaper is spoiled, clean baby’s bottom first before placing him inside the tub. Hold the baby securely and place him in the tub once he is in the water you can let go of his feet, but you should always keep hold of his arm. Always wash baby form front to back. Massage baby’s skin to remove all residue.
What is Lactose Intolerance?
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008In my field of practice, I only see few cases of lactose intolerance in babies. We need to know about it since we don’t know our own babies may have one. Lactose intolerance is the body’s reduced capacity to digest lactose the main sugar in dairy products.
Normally, lactose is digested by lactase, the enzyme present in the lining of the small intestine. A lactase deficiency prevents complete lactose absorption. Lactose intolerance affects around 70 percent of individuals worldwide.
The common symptoms are: babies may experience stomach pain, diarrhea, bloating, and gas or colic. These are due to the failure of the intestine to efficiently process lactose, resulting in frequent and acidic stools. Diarrhea causes fluid and electrolyte imbalance, which leads to dehydration and even death in severe cases.
Lactose intolerance appears to increase during childhood for unknown reasons. Late onset of lactase deficiency develops between three and five years of age. Most lactose- intolerant individuals are able to absorb 24 t0 36 percent of the quantity tolerated by normal individuals. This is a approximately equivalent to eight to 12 ounces of milk.
Bathing a baby
Friday, November 14th, 2008
I like bathing babies. Many times I let the fathers do the bathing of thier newborn babies. I really like teaching them how so that at home they will be the ones to bath their babies. I think that it is fair enough that fathers take care of that aspect. Their wives did all the work pushing their babies out. They deserve to have adequate rest and sleep. I usually tell the fathers that since babies are very fragile, they need to take every precaution in ensuring their baby’s comfort and safety. Some helpful reminders are :
• Choose a place to bathe the baby where it is warm and draft-free. It would be better if you keep the windows closed.
• See to it that baby’s bath time happens before feeding or when he’s not too hungry yet. Bathing him right after feeding may make him uncomfortable and he may spit up.
• Make sure that everything you need in bathing baby is close at hand, such as towels, cotton tips, a soft washcloth or sponge, a changing mat, clean baby clothes, and bathing products.
• To ensure that the water’s temperature is mild enough for baby, test the temperature of the bath water with the inside of your wrist first. To further prevent accidental burns, pour cold water in the tub.
• Always hold baby securely.
• Most importantly, never leave your baby alone.
Comfort and prevention of colic
Monday, November 10th, 2008I usually do health teaching on the parents about comfort and prevention of colic before discharging them. Soothing a colicky baby takes some effort as different babies respond differently. “ Holding the baby upright or permitting the baby to lie on his belly across the lap occasionally.” And, yes, swaying and rocking them may also do the trick, and so may a quick car trip around the block. To prevent colic, Laborada advises the following:
• Shift to a hypoallergenic milk formula if the cause is milk allergy. Check with the baby’s doctor first.
• Improve feeding techniques: burp the baby well. Burp the baby in between feeding and at the end of each feeding and provide a stable emotional environment.
• Identify possible allergenic foods in infant’s or nursing mother’s diet.
• Avoid underfeeding or overfeeding.If crying is still persistent and recurrent, you’re not sure what to do, and all else fails, consult a pediatrician. A complete physical examination may be necessary to eliminate other possible medical conditions like infection, intestinal obstruction, or hernia.
Helful tips in bathing baby
Thursday, November 6th, 2008
It is very true that one of the best bonding times with the baby is bathing time. Bath time is a good opportunity for you and your baby to bond and get to know each other. Let your baby feel safe and secure in your hands and choose only the mildest bath soap products. To help you do it correctly, remember these guidelines.
• Choose a place that’s warm and draft-free.
• Test the water’s temperature.
• Always hold your baby securely
• Never leave your baby alone
Tackling the problem of colic
Sunday, November 2nd, 2008As a nurse-midwife I have been caring babies. One of the common problems I encountered with them is colic. It made my patience stretch to the max specially when I am on night shift. It may as well be any parent’s nightmare.
Babies crying literally for hours, so loud the entire neighborhood can hear. We’ve changed their diapers, breastfeed them, cooed to them, sung a lullaby, then gone back to changing diapers and so on. But little ones is inconsolable. We need to know what is colic?
Colic is characterized by abdominal pain and severe persistent crying, according to Gary G. Laborada, MD., a paediatrician-neonatologist. No one can really say what causes colic. “it is presumed to be instestinal in origin, although the cause is not usually apparent. It may be associated with hunger and swallowed air,” Laborada says. Other suspects: overfeeding which, causes discomfort and stomach distention; food high in carbohydrate content, which produces much gas; and milk allergy, which brings about improper digestion. “
Also, emotions such as fear, anger, worry, or excitement that cause vomiting in an older child may cause colic in infant.” The attack usually begins suddenly, the cry is loud and continuous, the face may be flushed, the abdomen distended, and the legs are drawn up to the abdomen. The feet are often cold and the hands clenched. The attack usually stops when the infant is completely exhausted, but often relief comes with the passage of feces or gas.