the9months

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. (more…)

Pregnancy and exercise

Exercising during your pregnancy will help you feel good, and may make your labor and delivery easier. While gaining 25-30 pounds is healthy for most pregnant women, becoming seriously overweight can cause health issues for mothers and babies. To stay fit through pregnancy, here are a few things to keep in mind:

* Most exercises are safe during pregnancy, as long as you exercise with caution and stop when you feel tired. The safest and most productive activities are those that carry little risk of injury, benefit your entire body, and can be continued until birth. These include swimming, brisk walking, indoor stationary cycling and elliptical machines, and low-impact aerobics. (more…)