Week 33 of your pregnancy
Baby’s first days: basic care
Once your baby is born, we will prepare you for what you need to know before you leave the hospital. You will learn how to feed, burp, hold, diaper, bathe, and swaddle your baby and how to keep the umbilical cord clean and dry until it falls off. You already know that your baby must always be in the right size car seat, but you should also know that your baby must never be left in the car while you do an errand, particularly because of the risk of heat stroke. In a recent study, researchers found that even when the day was a comfortable 72 degrees and the windows were cracked open eight inches, the temperature inside the car can increase 40 degrees, with most of that increase occurring in the first 15 to 30 minutes.
Breastfeeding’s benefits
More and more mothers are trying, and succeeding, to breastfeed their babies. A study of two million new moms in the US shows that a record number are choosing to nurse their babies: about 70% of moms now breastfeed their newborns, and more than 35% are still breastfeeding when their babies are 6 months old.
Your obstetrician wants you to breastfeed for some very good reasons:
• Breastfeeding lessens your blood loss after delivery.
• Breastfeeding may decrease your lifetime risk of ovarian cancer, osteoporosis, and premenopausal breast cancer. The longer you nurse, the lower your risk.
• Breastfeeding helps you return to your prepregnancy weight and may reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Your baby’s pediatrician hopes you will breastfeed because:
• Research provides strong evidence that breastmilk (from breast or bottle) decreases the rate and/or severity of diarrhea, asthma, ear infections, bacterial meningitis, and urinary tract infections in infants. Growing evidence suggests that being breastfed as an infant may also decrease the risk of certain health problems later in life, including developmental delays, obesity, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and heart disease.
• Breastfeeding uniquely supports the development of your baby’s brain and vision.
• Breastmilk is uniquely designed to meet the complete nutritional needs of your baby as he grows.
With knowledge and support, you can breastfeed your baby and give him the start in life that nature intended. In fact, breastfeeding is the best way to continue the nurturing and nourishing your body was already giving to your baby during pregnancy.
Read and learn all you can now and, during the early weeks, stay in close touch with someone who has successfully breastfed. A friend who has happily nursed her baby can be a source of advice and inspiration. Certified lactation consultants or nurses trained in supporting breastfeeding mothers are on our hospital staff to help you and your baby off to a good start. La Leche League, a volunteer organization of nursing mothers, probably holds monthly meetings for new mothers near your home. And let your partner and family know how much you want to breastfeed your baby—and that their help and support will make all the difference.
When breastfeeding is not possible or you choose not to breastfeed
Many women choose to feed their babies formula with a bottle instead of breastfeeding. On occasion, a woman is not able to breastfeed due to breast reduction surgery or other physical limitations. When breastfeeding is not possible or you choose not to breastfeed, you can still gain many of its benefits. Breastfed babies are held while nursing, often skin-to-skin, and make eye contact with their mothers while nursing. A bottlefed baby can also be held during meals, receiving the same close contact and socialization. Breastfed babies eat according to their appetite, rather than on a schedule. Doing so may have long-term benefits in controlling appetite and preventing obesity. You can also feed your bottlefed baby when he is hungry and only as much as he wants, rather than pushing him to finish a bottle of formula after he is already full. Learning to eat according to individual appetite, rather than beyond a full feeling, may play an important role in developing healthy eating habits. If you must bottlefeed your baby, don’t fret that you didn’t breastfeed. The vast majority of babies, bottlefed and breastfed, grow up healthy and normally.
Your Baby’s Development
* He is beginning to run out of space to move in the uterus and is tucked into the fetal position.
* His movements in the womb may be less frequent as a result of cramped space, but he is growing and delivering stronger punches and kicks.
* He will have periods of deep sleep and periods of being actively awake, much like a newborn baby.
Parenting Q&A
Q:”My doctor told me it was fine to continue my antidepressant medication during pregnancy. However, I’ve heard that the medicines are present in breastmilk and can cause intestinal discomfort and fussiness in my baby. Should I be worried that these drugs are adversely affecting my baby?”
A:With the variety of antidepressant medications on the market, it is best to speak directly with your physician and your pediatrician. One drug may have side effects for your baby, while another may not. Schedule a visit to your pediatrician before birth, if possible, and bring a list of all your questions. It is important to treat your depression through pregnancy and after giving birth for both your sake and your baby’s healthy development.
Directory of Q & A
Research Briefs from The Parent Review
Hope your newborn isn’t heavy? Exercise may help
Regular exercise helps promote a healthy pregnancy, studies show. Now Norwegian research suggests another possible benefit: reducing the risk of having an overweight baby. In a Norwegian study of almost 37,000 singleton pregnancies, researchers asked mothers to fill out questionnaires during their 17th and 30th weeks of pregnancy. Among women having their first baby, those who reported working out at least three times a week by brisk walking, running, dancing, or other low-impact aerobics had a 25% lower chance of delivering a newborn whose weight was higher than the 90th percentile, or more than 8 lbs., 13 oz. (The association held true only for firstborns.) Researchers speculate that physical activity in pregnancy may help moderate fetal weight by improving glucose tolerance. Excessive newborn weight is linked to complications for both mother and baby, including a higher risk of cesarean delivery, birth trauma, and infant obesity.
Source: Obstetrics & Gynecology 114 (2009): 770-76.
Courtesy: University of Virginia Health System
Tags: breastfeeding, breastmilk, exercise
Thanks, good job!