Birth

Colostrum – Magic Milk

Colostrum - Magic Milk So you have made a decision to give your baby the best possible start in life and you are going to try breastfeeding, the very first milk your baby will get is your colostrum. After delivery you will find your breasts produce small amounts of a creamy looking liquid for a few days after your baby is born. This wonderful fluid contains such high amounts of immunoglobulin (which protects your baby against illnesses), it has been described as a baby’s first inoculation! From it your baby will develop immunity to

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Bringing on Labour

Bringing on Labour You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.Franklin P. Jones  You’re as prepared as you’ll ever be – practically, physically and emotionally. The nursery is begging for an occupant. You’ve savoured the joys of pregnancy and endured the occasional hardships. Just one problem - you’re a week past your due date and feel like you may have dreamt it all - perhaps there’s no baby coming after all. They say all good things come to those who wait and you are determined to let your

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Assisted Deliveries

Assisted Deliveries It’s very often impossible to determine exactly how your labour is going to progress. You may find that your labour goes extremely quickly and before you’ve had a chance to ask for drugs, you’re holding your baby in your arms. In other cases your labour may go on, and on, and on. Your baby may also encounter some difficulty pushing his way out and will need a little helping hand. Forceps Delivery Your doctor will probably decide to use forceps if your baby’s head is engaged and labour suddenly stops. He

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First 10 Minutes of Life

First 10 Minutes of Life When you finally give birth to your nine month miracle, the paediatrician and or midwife will conduct an Apgar test immediately to establish that your baby is functioning normally. There are five things that they will check for: Activity, Pulse, Grimace, Appearance and Respiration (Apgar) and the same procedure will be repeated five minutes later. During that time they will also check that your baby’s features and body proportions are normal. The baby will be turned over and the spine will be checked for any sign of Spina Bifida.

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Emergency Caesar

Emergency Caesar We have a secret in our culture, and it's not that birth is painful. It's that women are strong.Laura Stavoe Harm  For an expectant mom who has planned a natural birth down to the last detail, the thought of needing to deliver via Caesarean is nothing short of horrific. Nevertheless, sometimes an emergency Caesarean is necessary no matter how meticulous the planning has been; no matter how good the intentions of everyone involved. Understanding the facts surrounding emergency Caesareans can make the experience much easier to accept. A Caesarean delivery (or C-section)

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