Archive for the ‘Baby’ Category
Moment of Birth
As the baby’s head emerges you will know. You will feel a stretching or burning sensation in your vagina. This is an exiting, intense time. You know the baby is almost here and may be tempted to push as hard as you can to get him out quickly. They could be a mistake, however, because a sudden push to make the baby come out too quickly and damage your perineum [causing tearing]. It is important for you not to push hard at this time. Let your uterus do the work alone. You should breathe rapidly and lightly [pant as animals do during birth]. So the baby can emerge gradually. Your doctor will give you instructions-and help the baby out slowly. You will soon be holding your baby in your arms.
After the head is born, the baby turns to one side and a shoulder and the whole body is born. And what a sense of relief you feel! Labor is over [or nearly so]. You have a baby. It may take a while for it all to sink in. In the meantime, you may be holding your baby and watching as a nurse or doctor examines him and cares foe him.
The Third Stage of Labor
Your job is not quite finished. The placenta still needs to be expelled. The third stage usually lasts from five to thirty minutes. The nurse or doctor will keep a hand on your abdomen to determine when the placenta separates from the wall of your uterus. Then you will be asked to push it out. You may feel some cramps, but there is usually slight discomfort.
The Fourth Stage of Labor
Immediately after birth, while your are holding and admiring your new baby, your doctor focuses on your well-being, The condition of your uterus and vagina is of major concern. It is important that your uterus remain contracted after birth, which keeps it from bleeding as much as when it is relaxed. Most women lose about one cup of blood at the time of birth. While this may seem like a lot. Remember that among the other many changes of pregnancy, your blood supply greatly increased. Thai excess blood is no longer needed, you will lose some of it at the time of birth and will continue to lose some over a period of several weeks [this discharge is called lochia]. Your doctor watches the amount of blood lost immediately after birth and, if necessary, takes measures to reduce this blood loss. These may include massaging your uterus vigorously, asking you to lightly stimulate your nipples, or giving you an injection of a medication [Methergine [methylergonovine] or pitocin [oxytocin]] that will cause your uterus to contract.
Your doctor will also check your vagina to see if you need any stitches. If an episiotomy was performed, you will definitely need stitches. Some tearing of the vagina or the perineum may also have occurred when the baby was born. Although the idea os tearing sounds rather unpleasant, be assured that the tears [or cuts] are usually not serious, and will usually heal rapidly. If necessary your doctor will begin stitching within a few minutes after birth. You will be given a local anesthetic for pain relief if you have not already had one.
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Electronic Fetal Monitoring
Once labor is established, the baby’s heartbeat and the strength of your contractions can be measured electronically. It can be reassuring to be able to hear and actually see throughout the delivery that the baby is well and not in distress, though this can also be checked using an old-fashioned ear trumpet or a fetal stethoscope. The disadvantage of electronic fetal monitoring is, you will be attached to a machine during labor. You may feel it is getting more attention than you are! You will not be free to move around. Sometimes the machines do not work well. Some women have noticed that the slightest change in the baby’s heartbeat will lead to intervention, which may not have been necessary.
There is now evidence that continuous electronic fetal monitoring does not make any difference to the labor outcome as far as the baby’s health and safety are concerned, although it results in a higher risk of intervention. However, in any individual case in which monitoring was not performed and a baby dies, the doctor or staff may be sued. For that reason, monitoring is almost always done to protect them, even though there may be no evidence that it is necessary.
Monitoring can be done with an external monitor strapped to your abdomen. Most women find this is awkward because they have to remain still. Also, the monitor has a tendency to slip off during a contraction:
"They kept fussing around; trying to put it back on… I couldn’t concentrate on what I was doing. Most of the time it wasn’t in the right place and we just heard a lot of noise, not the baby’s heartbeat."
An internal monitor works better and is less restrictive for the mother. However, the waters must be broken and the cervix must be at least 2cm to 3cm dilated for this to be attached to the baby’s head. A tiny scar, like a pinprick, will be left after the monitor is removed but it is unlikely to cause the baby much discomfort. In cases where it is thought the baby may be distressed, a blood sample may be taken from the baby’s head and analyzed.
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Top Three Risks of Buying Toys and How to Avoid Them
Buying toys for children is often as fun for the parent as for the child. However, not all toys are as safe as they can be. Here are the biggest toy-buying risks and how to make sure you and your child don’t fall prey to them.
- Toxic Toys
Toys manufactured and sold by reputable toy companies are thoroughly tested to ensure that they are safe for children in the age range specified on the box. However, there is a perpetually rising tide of toys on the market that contain either toxic ingredients like lead, or parts that can easily break and hurt children. In the UK, the British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) is a voluntary organization for British toy manufacturers that encompasses approximately 95% of all toys sold in the UK. The BTHA requires that its members maintain rigorous safety standards and monitors toy safety throughout the country. Toys manufactured by BTHA members carry the “Lion Mark”- a yellow triangular symbol with a lion’s head inside.
The best way to ensure that you are buying safe toys is to purchase from well-known and trusted toy manufacturers. You can often find information on recalled toys on these manufacturers’ websites. Also, watch your young children at play with a new toy to see how they are using it (Are they putting it in their mouth? Are they pulling at small parts that may snap off?) and discuss any concerns with the BTHA or the toy company.
- Toys Under Recall
Once toys have been officially recalled by the manufacturer or ordered recalled by standards authorities, they are required to be immediately pulled from store shelves and no longer offered for sale. Each manufacturer will have its own procedures for toy purchasers to return the product for refund, usually by returning it to the retail store where they purchased it or by shipping it back to the manufacturer.
However, not all recalled toys get withdrawn from being sold. Small toy retailers may not get the recall notices on a timely basis or may not understand the importance of removing unsafe toys from the shelves. On the darker side, some toy sellers, both online and with bricks and mortar stores, may knowingly continue to sell toys under recall that they have picked up in bulk after the recall. There will always be those to whom making a quick buck is more important than safeguarding children.
How can you make sure that the toys in your children’s toy box and the new ones you buy them are not under recall? There are several lists available that contain pictures and descriptions of recalled toys, including one at parents.com. You can also perform an internet search on the name of the toy. The best way to ensure that the toys you buy are safe is to buy from trusted manufacturers and trusted retailers. This way, you can be assured that the recall will be widely broadcast and that the toys will immediately be withdrawn from sale.
- Buying Used Toys
Most parents are interested in saving money any way they can and one way to do that is to buy children’s toys used. Although it can certainly save money, there are dangers with buying used toys that parents should not overlook. This is especially true with used baby toys as babies tend to explore their world with their mouths. Several long-lasting bacteria and viruses can stay on plastic or fabric toy surfaces for an extended period of time. To combat this, all used toys should be cleaned with bleach or other anti-bacterial cleaner prior to use. Another common hazard is breakage. It is impossible to know how the toy was cared for or used before you bought it. To make sure that there are no loose or damaged parts that could break off or become a danger, thoroughly test the toy before giving it to your child. If in doubt, call the manufacturer for assistance.
Children’s toys should be fun and safe, and, with some common sense and safety considerations, they can be.