Desert Storks

Back Pain in Pregnancy

Unfortunately back pain during pregnancy is a common problem. There are a number of physical reasons for back pain in pregnancy, some of which include:

Pregnancy hormones soften ligaments causing joints to move more than usual. In some cases the ligaments can be strained.
 
 Postural problems caused by the growing uterus.
 
 Position of baby (particularly towards the end of pregnancy) can compress nerves and cause back pain.
 

You need not put up with back pain. There are a number of positive steps you can do to help reduce and sometimes eliminate the problem. Firstly it’s important to understand your body’s changes during pregnancy. Then you can implement some simple strategies to manage the problem. Read more »

Vitamin K for Newborn Babies

Vitamin K helps blood to clot. It is essential to prevent serious bleeding. Babies do not get enough vitamin K from their mothers during pregnancy, or when they are breast feeding. Without vitamin K, they are at risk of getting a rare disorder called Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding, or VKDB. It can cause bleeding into the brain, and may result in brain damage or even death. VKDB can be prevented by giving new babies extra vitamin K. By the age of about six months, they have built up their own supply. Read more »

GROUP B STREPTOCOCCUS AND PREGNANCY

Group B streptococcus (group B strep or GBS) is a common bacterium that is found in the body. It is usually harmless in adults. Up to 30 per cent of pregnant women carry the bacterium in their vagina or rectum. Sometimes, a woman who has group B strep can infect her baby during birth. This can cause serious illness in the newborn. The mother may also become very ill from the infection after the birth.

Even if you have group B strep, your baby will not necessarily be infected or develop serious illness. Read more »

Breastfeeding

Your breast milk provides perfect nutrition to match your baby’s changing needs. Colostrum is the fluid your breasts produce in the first few days after birth. It helps protect your baby from infection. Breastfed babies also enjoy some protection against:

Common infections
Middle-ear infections
Some childhood cancers
Diarrhoeal diseases
Respiratory infections and asthma
Juvenile diabetes
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Childhood obesity. Read more »

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding twins and more.

Because breastmilk supply increases with extra demands, most women can breastfeed twins well. This can mean much less work compared to preparing and giving formula.

Twins can be fed together, but you may prefer to feed them separately while they are very young, either when they wake and demand or one after the other.

Once feeding is established, it is usually best to feed them at the same time and keep them in much the same routine.

Each twin may have her own breast, or it may help your supply to alternate them.

Make sure you eat well to have energy to cope with caring for two babies.

If you have three or four babies you may like to breastfeed two each time and have someone bottle feed the others - then swap next time.

However the babies are fed, parents of twins (or more) need plenty of help and support. You may like to contact your local Multiple Birth Association. Read more »

Breastfeeding-Dealing with Nipple Problems

Your nipples may be sensitive in the first few days after birth. However, nipple pain is not normal. If there is a small amount of blood in your breast milk because of nipple trauma, it will not harm your baby. You can continue to breastfeed unless the pain becomes unbearable. Read more »

Breastfeeding-Dealing with Mastitis

Mastitis means inflammation of the breast. It can be caused by blocked milk ducts (non-infective mastitis) or a bacterial infection (infective mastitis). If a blocked milk duct is not cleared, flu-like symptoms such as fever, aches and pains will probably develop. Milk duct blockages cause milk to pool in the breast. This forms an ideal environment for bacteria growth and can lead to an infection. Read more »

Placenta Previa

During pregnancy, the placenta provides the growing baby with oxygen and nutrients from the mother’s bloodstream. Placenta previa means the placenta has implanted at the bottom of the uterus, covering the cervix.

When a baby is ready to be born, the cervix (neck of the womb) dilates (opens) to allow the baby to move out of the uterus and into the vagina. When a woman has placenta previa (the placenta has implanted at the bottom of the uterus, over the cervix or close by), the baby can’t be born vaginally. ‘Partial placenta previa’ means the cervix is partly blocked, while ‘complete placenta previa’ means the entire cervix is obstructed.

Some of the causes include scarring of the uterine lining (endometrium) and abnormalities of the placenta. Around one in every 200 pregnancies is affected. Read more »

Folate for women

Folate (also known as folic acid) is a B-group vitamin. Women of childbearing age should take extra folate daily because this vitamin is crucial to the healthy development of babies in early pregnancy. Folate taken before conception and during the first few weeks of pregnancy can prevent seven out of ten cases of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. Over 600 pregnancies in Australia every year are affected by neural tube defects. Read more »

Circumcision

Circumcision is the removal of the flap of skin which naturally covers the tip of the penis. Many people, including some doctors, have very strong feelings about circumcision. There are conflicting points of view about the risks and possible benefits of circumcision. Legal and ethical issues about circumcision are also being widely discussed.
Medical specialists in Australia have concluded that there is no medical reason for routine circumcisions of newborn male infants.
Read more »