When my daughter, 2 months, cries, my son, 18 months, will go over and make sure she is alright. Yesterday, she was crying in the swing and my son went over and started to rock the swing. He was “talking” to her. The best part was that she stopped crying. She was content watching him. My son loves his sister and is over protective of … Continue reading Heartwarmer
Infants, toddlers, and children learn using all 5 senses. They have a very short attention span, so when preparing an activity it needs to be stimulating. They love to use more than one sense, so create an activity that will use 2-3 senses. Children love to get involved and interact, make sure it is something that they can participate in. Create it based off of your child’s … Continue reading Tips on Preparing a Stimulating Activity
Babies start learning from the minute they are born. Over the course of their first year they learn so much, there are a lot of activities that you can do with infants to help with development. Below are a few activities for ages 9-12 months: A Bath Surprise: While your baby is in the bathtub, show him/her a floating toy. Cover the toy up with the wash cloth and … Continue reading Activities for Babies: 9-12 Months
Pumping: Pump 3-4 hours after you last nursed the baby. Wash your hands. Use clean equipment. Adjust the pump setting on low to start. Then, increase it to your comfort level. Wet the horn with water or a few drops of breast milk. Center your nipple in the horn, don’t let the nipple rub. Pull the plunger gently about half way out for the first … Continue reading How to Pump and Store Breast Milk
Engorgement, or extreme fullness of the breasts, which causes an uncomfortable feeling, is not uncommon. There are things you can do to prevent or relieve engorged breasts. If your breast are engorged, you should still breastfeed or pump milk from your breasts. Breastfeed often Use a warm compress just before nursing. Massage your breasts. Express a small amount of milk. The milk softens the breast … Continue reading Tips on Relieving Engorgement
– Hot and cold compresses, message, and hand express for pain and pressure, also lanolin cream for the nipple when it’s feeling “dry and raw.” (Theresa Monfet) -Warm wash clothes on help relieve some of the pain. (Brooke Dhawan) -Make sure that your baby is latched properly. -Nurse on the less sore breast first. -Make sure to break suction before taking your baby off the breast. -Use breast milk to … Continue reading Moms to Moms: Breastfeeding- Dealing with Pain
Pregnancy can be very tough on a mother’s body, mind, and soul. Below is a list of 25 strategies for lowering your stress. Some of these can be used even when you’re not pregnant. Write in a journal Enjoy a prenatal message Go for a relaxing swim Join a support group Follow a healthy diet Cuddle with your pet Set manageable goals Plan a date night … Continue reading Pregnancy: 25 Stress-Busting Strategies
My son recently learned how to blow kisses, give kisses and give hugs. There is nothing like when you are not having the best day and your child comes up to you and gives you a hug and a kiss. I am loving all the hugs and kisses that he gives! (April 2012) Do you have any things that your children do that melt you … Continue reading Heartwarmer
My husband and I are blessed to still have at least 1 grandparent alive. When we got pregnant with RC they were excited to meet their first great-grandchild, something that they didn’t even think that they would be able to see. Now that RC is a little older it is great to see him interact with them. When we were out to dinner with my … Continue reading Heartwarmer: Great- Grandmas!
Post Partum Depression(PPD) affects between 11 and 20 percent of women. It can be a mild case or a severe case, but usually goes away on its own over time. PPD is a disorder that occurs after the birth of a child, usually due to hormone imbalances. Some symptoms of PPD are loss of appetite, sadness, feeling worthless, feeling rejected, loss of interest in the … Continue reading Dealing with Post Partum Depression
ART with Angela DiCicco, The Italian Grandmama's Guide 