Labour Pain Stimulation: Two Men Take the Test

Men, ever wonder what labour pain feels like? All the mummy's out there will probably be quick to tell you how much fun contractions are. Most men will probably think "stop exaggerating. It can't be that bad".  That's because they have no idea what it feels like. 

With my second child, my contractions started at just 3 months pregnant and I was in actual labour for nearly a month as the Doctors tried to keep my premature on the inside for as long as possible. On the upside, after he was born I pretty much had an instantly toned stomach. After I'd been in the delivery room for about 3 weeks straight my husband came in and said "babe I'm tried. I'm not sure how much more of this I can take". Doctors and nurses looked over in disbelief. What this a suicide attempt? My husband of course was oblivious to it all and had no idea of the no-no he had just committed. He'd been looking after our other son whilst I was in hospital and apparently being a full-time parent wasn't as easy as he'd thought. It was during this time that he gained full appreciation for what I do all day. I think before he'd been under the misguided impression that being a stay at home mum meant I was sitting around all day watching TV or something. Needless to say the wake up call did him (and us) good.

Anyway back to the topic of labour. Although we can try and describe what it feels like somehow the words just don't seem to sum it up. You just can't describe pain like that. Luckily for men it's something they never have to experience and so can't really imagine.

These two men decided to discover what it's like though and have a new found respect for all the mummy's out there. Now keep in mind this is only a stimulation of the contractions of labour (yep they got off lightly as didn't have the added opening up and weight pushing down to deal with).

Pregnancy: Week by Week

Pregnant and wondering how your baby is going to develop over the next 9 months? This infographic gives a brief overview of your babies size and the main growth milestones.

Source: visual.ly via Visually on Pinterest

You Really Can Help Your Baby Have a ‘Happy Baby’ Brain

Image via PublicDomainPictures.net

Neuroscience is definitely in fashion. Hardly a day goes by without a new finding about the amazing human brain being broadcast on TV or in the papers. There are some truly incredible facts that will delight and amaze you -

Your baby grows 250,000 brain cells for each minute of your pregnancy. Yes, that’s right, a quarter of a million specialist brain cells for every 60 seconds that passes!

With that hard to imagine brainpower, it is clear to see that for your baby, the sky’s the limit! He or she has the potential to do and achieve so much in their life. However, it is not the number of brain cells that will determine the person they will become – it is how those cells become connected that is so vital to their development and their future and to them being a happy baby. Brain cells connect as a result of their experiences. These are the experiences and opportunities that we, their parents and carers, will give to them.

That’s an exciting yet daunting thought – so much responsibility for us to have. But just little things you do, really will give your baby the best start in life.

The most important thing of all is to try to understand them! Understand what he or she is telling you when they cry. Learn what they need even before they are born, and at different stages of their development.

Did you know…

·    At birth, your baby behaves instinctively. He or she, knows how to feed, to cry, to sleep and less obviously, to focus on close up things like your face as you feed them.

·    But they also have an incredible instinct to copy your facial expressions. If not too dopey, within minutes of being born, many babies actually are able to copy their parents sticking out their tongue. They are not even aware they are imitating, it is just an inbuilt reflex – try it if you get the chance with your newborn.

·    Continue to play this game during your baby’s the first few weeks. It will help you to get to know each other, they will love it, and gradually they will learn to copy your smile.

·    The more you smile at your baby, the more they will smile at you! The more you and your baby smile, the more happy chemicals (endorphins) are produced in both of your brains. 

·    So you really can help your baby be a Happy Baby!

  

Neuroscience explains so much about why babies behave the way they do, and just as importantly about our own, adult behaviour.

Some people have very strong ideas about what is right or wrong.

They tend to fall into two camps:

·         Parent centred  - introducing strict routines and order day and night.

·         Baby centred - watching for and responding quickly to baby’s cues.

It can be very confusing, and at times overwhelming, as people give you well intentioned but often, conflicting advice. But if you learn to understand your baby, you will naturally develop an approach to parenting that really suits the person you are, your baby and your family.

Just a little knowledge in the right areas will have a huge influence on you and your baby’s lives. It helps you to cope and make confident choices about how you parent, that are right for you; for a happy baby and strong family life.

Find out more about yourself by doing the short quiz in the free taster session of Hand in Hand Learning’s ‘How Babies Learn’ course. Do share your thoughts with us. We’d love to read your comments.

  

Guest post by Sandra Nunes Vaz, a partner in Hand in Hand Learning. She has written and delivered courses to parents about how babies and children learn for over 10 years.  How Babies Learn is now available on-line as a 6 session downloadable course from their website, handinhandlearning.co.uk

9 Months of Pregnancy in 30 Seconds

It really is amazing how our bodies change during the 9 months of pregnancy. This mum-to-be had the great idea of recording the changes to her body in this quick video.

Wish I'd thought of doing something like this when I was pregnant!

Have any of you done something similar as a souvenir of your pregnancy? 

FREE Core Wellness DVD

Tena are offering a free DVD to help you tone and improve your pelvic floor.

"If you really want to make a difference to your pelvic floor muscles, strengthening your body’s core can help keep them strong and toned. It can also improve posture, ease backache and, in some cases, improve bladder weakness. That’s why TENA are pleased to support the Core Wellness Programme: a free programme designed to support your health and wellbeing.

For the first part of the programme, we’ve teamed up with Kari Bø, an internationally renowned physiotherapist and specialist in the research and treatment of women’s urinary incontinence. Exclusively for our members, she’s put together the Pelvicore Technique – simple, fun exercises to tone you in no time. You can order a FREE copy of the DVD here.

The Pelvicore Technique features exercises that are proven to strengthen the pelvic floor and other ‘core’ muscles. Studies show it can cure stress urinary incontinence in 2/3 of women.*

*Reference: Bo K, Hagen R,Kvarstein B, Larsen: Scand J, Sports Sci,11, 3: 117-121, 1989.

For more information on the Core Wellness programme, and the Pelvicore Technique, please visit www.corewellness.co.uk"

Order your FREE core Wellness DVD now

N.B. Although this is from the UK site this offer seems to be open to different countries.

Get a FREE cuddly cow toy and more

A nice freebie offer for those of you within 30 weeks of your pregnancy.

Sign up to the Cow & Gate "Mum and Baby Club" and you will receive a free cuddly cow toy, pregnancy diary*, money-off vouchers, plus mailings and more.

Register now

Claim a FREE Huggies Newborn Starter Kit

Register free with the Asda Baby Group and and you'll be able to claim a free Huggies Newborn Starter Kit.

By signing up you'll receive their free monthly e-newsletter containing exclusive offers, competitions, the latest product reviews and updates from blogging mums.

                              

They'll also send you updates on their Baby Events, which run several times a year, so that you can stay up-to-date and take advantage of great offers in-store. 

Once you've signed up you'll be able to claim a free Huggies® Newborn Starter Kit containing a pack of Huggies® Newborn nappies (size 1), a pack of Huggies® wipes, a cotton hat and coupons for great deals on Huggies® products.

register now

I'm Pregnant and I know it!

I came across this video and it's just too good not to share. 


This is a parody of LMFAO’s “I’m Sexy and I Know It” and has a very pregnant mum-to-be shaking her booty (and belly!) to “I’m Pregnant and I Know It”. 


Anyone that can dance like that when heavily pregnant gets kudos from me :)

The best and worst baby names in 2011

One of the first big decisions you make for your child is his or her name. Years ago the task was much simpler as they would have traditionally inherited the family names from past generations. Although some parents still like to 'keep things in the family' trends have changed a lot in recent years. 


Celebrities have paved the way for the weird and wonderful. In fact it now seems that celeb parents are in competition to win a most outrageous name contest.


2011 births introduced us to;


MASON- Son of Ne-Yo and Monyetta Shaw.


ARLO- Daughter of Johnny Knoxville and Naomi Nelson.


HATTIE- Daughter of Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott


COLT- Son of John and Joan Rich


BINGHAM- Son of Kate Hudson and Matthew Bellamy


BEAR BLU- Son of Alicia Silverstone and Christopher Jarecki


MORROCCAN (Son) and MONROE (Daughter) of Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon

It's not just the rich and famous walking the fine line between original and just plain mean though. More and more people are getting creative when it comes to picking the name of their offspring. In extreme cases names given to babies has even lead to court action and been put on record as child abuse.


Even when using the more 'standard' names things have become confusing as there is no longer a distinct difference in male and female names. Names that were traditionally for boys are being used for girls and visa-versa.


So in this naming mash-up which were the most popular names in 2011?


The top 10 according to Babynames.com were:

Male	Female
1 LIAM	1 CHARLOTTE
2 NOAH	2 SOPHIA/SOFIA
3 AIDAN/AIDEN/ADEN	3 AMELIA/EMILIA
4 JACKSON/JAXON	4 OLIVIA
5 CALEB/KALEB	5 AVA
6 OLIVER	6 LILY/LILLY
7 GRAYSON/GREYSON	7 EMMA
8 ETHAN	8 SCARLETT/SCARLET
9 ALEXANDER	9 AUDREY
10 OWEN	10 HARPER

I'm English and my husband is Italian. We live in Rome. Picking the name for our first son was easy as we both liked Matteo. Choosing the name for our second son, born this August, wasn't as easy so we decided to let Matteo help make the selection for us. We each said a few names we liked and then he picked the one he liked best. Lorenzo. It was a nice way to settle things and made Matteo feel like an important part in the arrival of his younger brother. He still proudly tells people he named him.


How did you pick your child's name? Do you prefer traditional or original baby names? What was the worst baby name you heard in 2011?


Image source: smartbabycares.blogspot.com

Men and pregnancy

I just had to share this cartoon. Too funny :)

Do you want your husband present at the birth? How does your partner feel about being involved in the birth of the baby?

Prenatal Lullabies for Babies and Moms-to-be

 From three months before birth, your baby will be able to listen to music. Here's a small selection of video's with music for pregnancy:

Tests during pregnancy

When you're planning on having a baby or have been lucky enough to get pregnant, tests and examination become part of routine life. In fact you may feel like you spend most of your time either doing tests or collecting results. For those of us without medical training or knowledge understanding why these tests are needed and how to read the results can be confusing.

You can find a useful table here that shows what tests need to be done when and why.

Through out your pregnancy you will have blood tested several times. These are done to gather information about your health and that of your baby. Here you can find information about some of the tests you will need.

Urine tests are also common. Read more here.

You may also need to have a vaginal examination to check for bacteria in the vagina. Read more here.

As always, if you have any doubts or questions talk to your Doctor.

When the waters break

As you near the end of your pregnancy chances are you start to think about what happens when baby finally decides to make his grand entrance into the world. For those of you that watch movies you probably imagine a dramatic gushing of water that creates a huge puddle. In reality though it's often not quite so dramatic.

When my waters broke with my son I was only 8 months gone and having gotten up and gone to the bathroom to pee found that the dripping wouldn't stop. My first thought was 'great, another joy of pregnancy. I've lost control of my bladder completely now'. When 30 minutes later I was still dripping I decided it was best to call my Doctor to make sure everything was normal. He yelled at me to get my butt to the hospital if I didn't want to give birth on my toilet.
I had no idea my waters had broken and was calm as felt no pain what so ever. Another 30 minutes passed and by the time my husband arrived my belly had dropped and contractions had started. Still just slowly dripping though. It was only when I got to the hospital and the Doctor visited my that my waters gushed out.

As every pregnancy is different so is the breaking of the waters. This article at Babycenter.com gives some great examples of how waters broke for other mums.

My advice is, if in doubt call your Doctor.

Groove your bump!

Download this mp3 from Beemp3.com

Detached placenta and Hyperemesis Gravidarum

As with my last pregnancy I'm suffering with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (in simple terms excess nausea and vomitting). I was recovered in hospital for a few days to get things back under control as I went from 51kg to 48kg in just a week. Unfortunately whilst there a scan showed that my placenta is also detached. Although obviously worrying, its only slight and hopefully will re-attach itself as the baby grows.

Researching the internet for more information about detached placenta or placental abruption the results are all quite negative and most indicate a high possibility of miscarriage. Most sites I found referred to it happening in the later part of pregnancy although a lot of the forum posts on various sites were from pregnant women in the first few months like myself. Makes me wonder why more sites don't consider this when writing their posts.

Obviously the amount that the placenta is detached will have a large effect on the treatment and end result. Should you notice bleeding of any amount you should go straight to the hospital for a control. If the bleeding is minimal and doesn't last long, bed rest may be enough to solve the problem and continue a healthy pregnancy. My Doctor explained to me that as the baby grows the placenta may well re-attach itself. 

I'm now back home and nausea seems to be under control. I've been told to stay on strict bed rest and have various medicines and mutli vitamins to take which will help for both the nausea and the placenta.

My baby is growing well and doesn't seem to be effected by everything that's going on with my body. I have to have another scan in 10 days and back to the hospital in 25 days for a control visit. The Doctor said he will be able to tell me more about the situation then but doesn't seem too worried and told me not to be either. Stress doesn't help so I just have to be good, get lots of rest, take my medicine and hope for the best.

On a positive note, I've started to feel the baby move and that it helping keep me positive. 

Related products:

Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health: Placental abruption

        

First trimester scan

One of the most exciting moments of pregnancy is when you go and have your first ultrasound scan. No doubt as your appointment with the Doctor approaches you will feel a mixture of both negative and positive emotions as this is when you find out if everythng is progressing as it should be.

I had my first scan this morning and although this is my second child the emotions were none the less. After having lost my first pregnancy I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. You see, with the one I lost I found out things weren't right when the first scan showed no baby in the uterus. I was nervous when I had the first scan for my son too. Scared I might be told something wasn't quite right. Luckily as with my son, this mornings scan went just fine.

My hormones got the better of me when the Doctor turned on the volume so we could hear the heart beat and a few tears leaked. It's amazing seeing that little blob on the screen and already being able to make out it's head and see the flick of it's heart beating but when you hear it beating away the pregnancy suddenly becomes real. It's no longer just a positive line on a test and nausea. You have a real, living being inside of you.

You can see some good examples of scans here. As the first scan is done early on in pregnancy you may need the Doctor to explain what each part of the 'blob' is. Don't be afraid to ask if you're not sure. It's all part of the Doctors job.

Baby Gaga: useful pregnancy site

http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com/ is a site I came across thanks to their facebook application. Yes that's right you can share your 'what's happening this week' of your prgenancy directly to your facebook profile page so all your friends can be up to date on how things are progressing too.

The site itself offers a range of useful tools like a pregnancy calendar but it also has fun gadgets that you might want to check out too. http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/pregnancy.php has a few to choose from including this one (set up for my own pregnancy):

A great resource for mums to be

Birth and motherhood survey

I recently received an email request from Samantha Reisz, a graduate student at Mills College in Oakland, CA, in Infant Mental Health. As part of her program, she is working on a research thesis project and is currently recruiting participants and collecting data. Her study explores the maternal psychological experience of birth and feelings about relationships and motherhood. It is an internet survey that takes 20-30 minutes to complete, and is anonymous (unless a participant chooses to give us identifying information, which is entirely voluntary and does not impact the results). They are recruiting mothers who have a baby under 12 months to whom they gave birth. The link is www.surveymonkey.com/s/birthandmotherhood.

Though birth is has become a more discussed issue in the past year or so, there is a serious dearth of methodologically sound research in the area of mothers' psychological experiences of childbirth, particularly in regard to how it may or may not be related to things such as personality, relationship with her partner, her feelings about being the mother of this child, feelings about motherhood in general, and maternal self-esteem, to name a few. With the ever increasing rates of cesarean deliveries,understanding the relationship between childbirth and later maternal functioning is very important--even if there is no relationship, which would be a relief and comfort to women who were not able to have the birthing experience that they wanted. 

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Fertility: Every step is a step closer.

http://www.fertility.com is a new website dedicated to getting pregnant. Whether you're trying to get pregnant, consulting a Doctor about getting pregnant or already seeing a fertility specialist, this site has something for you.

The site offers a variety of articles to guide you and advise you along the path to parenthood.

Here's a snap shot from the site:

As you can see, it includes tools and video's as well as personal experience journals from other couples. It also has a good selection of articles and reports.

Well worth checking out if you're thinking about growing your family.

Related books you may find useful: