But the book contains at least one feature that most pregnant women will find indispensable: charts that indicate how to handle “troublesome signs and symptoms” during each three week period. For example, if a woman has slight spotting during the first four weeks of pregnancy, the chart tells her to notify a doctor during her next hospital visit. But if she has any bleeding at all during weeks 29 to 32, the chart indicates that she should tell her doctor immediately. Another stellar feature is the book’s even-handed series of “decision guides,” which help parents make those hard (and even guilt-inducing) choices about breastfeeding, circumcision and whether or not to go back to work. Some parents may find the book’s cool, no-nonsense tone intimidating, or even scary, but when deciding what to do about mid-term cramps or pain, most readers will find great reassurance this volume’s carefully vetted facts.

I was quite please to have this Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy book around in the house. Click here for more details of this book.

Testimonial By J. Radley

“Back when babies were just daydreams, I received “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” (3rd ed.) from a pregnant friend who had an extra copy. Not knowing any better, I was quite pleased. Once I became pregnant and actually needed a guide, however, that changed. I found the book to be poorly organized, overly conversational and condescending in tone (especially given my plans to be a stay-at-home mom), and generally useless for anything other than instilling fear and paranoia. Most exasperating, though, was the “organization.” Symptoms that can arise during varying parts of pregnancy are scattered haphazardly amongst the monthly chapters. This means that the book must be read cover to cover and all material retained in memory if hunting through the index and flipping back and forth between sections doesn’t sound appealing.

Enter the “Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy.

” Hallelujah! Not wanting to suffer through another mediocre guide to pregnancy, I looked through every book I could get my hands on, and this was the only one that satisfied my criteria. It is written by trustworthy professionals in clear yet -professional- language, it provides information on “pregnancy, childbirth and your newborn” in chronological order, and best of all, it contains separate sections entitled, appropriately, “decision guides for pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood,” “pregnancy reference guide,” and “complications of pregnancy and childbirth,” each with a table of contents at the beginning of the section. Instead of having to take a wild guess at which chapter (or, more likely, chapters) cramping might have landed in in “What to Expect” or searching the entire index, I could find it, along with all the other things I might be wondering about, in the reference guide. Blessed simplicity!”

Other related books

What to Expect When You’re Expecting: 4th Edition

The Pregnancy Book: Month-by-Month, Everything You Need to Know From America’s Baby Experts

At this stage, the length of the Fetal Bud is around 0.5-1 cm.

What happening to you now physically during the first month of pregnancy is you may be experiencing any of the following symptoms: missed period, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headaches, bloating, a feeling of fullness, light cramping, poor appetite, frequent urination, and breast tenderness. It depend on each individual woman, some women may have no symptoms at all and feel absolutely wonderful. This is perfectly normal.

As soon as you discover you are pregnant, it is important to schedule your first appointment with your OB/GYN or midwife.

Below are slide of pictures in the womb

First Month Pregnancy Pointers

Here are some pointers pregnant women have to take notes of during the first month of pregnancy. Usually most pregnant woman did not practice it due to their ignorance.

1. Avoid going to crowded places where people gather. This is to avoid contact with those suffering from influenza, rubella, hepatitis and other infectious patients. As far as possible, try not to use medicine (drugs). Viruses and drugs may affect Embryos development especially during the first month of pregnancy.

2. Maintain a certain distance away from Electromagnetic device such as listening to audio and watching TV. Minimize use of computers, microwave ovens, mobile phones if you can altogether and NOT TO USE Electro thermal Blanket while sleeping. All this generate electromagnetic fields and will do harm to your fetal.

3. Avoid drinking concentrated tea, thick coffee and cola types of drinks. The best drink for pregnant women is the boiled water.

As for Nutrition intake during the first month of pregnancy, just don’t be a picky eater, develop a good eating habit and maintain nutritional balance. And lastly don’t forget your Folic Acid.

***** Check This Out

Month-to-Month guided questions [When's the last time I saw my feet? When did I wear my first maternity outfit? What are some family traditions I will pass down to baby?]. You will capture baby’s growth, cravings, shopping, maternity outfits, labor, dreams, Dr. visits, birth plan and everything pregnancy. Nothing has been overlooked. There is a section for every twinge, thought, smile and tear. Most importantly, we have created a secure environment to upload and safely store your photos, videos and any audio messages you would like to record for baby.

Pregnancy journal with drop down calendar to easily date entries. Unlimited entries.

Media center to upload and store your photos, videos, music and audio messages. You can also edit your photos, play your videos any time and share them.

Create your own Pregnancy Video in under 5 minutes. Choose photos from your uploads, add background music and select photo transition to create your own pregnancy video.

Letters for the future section to write and invite others to write letters to baby. Unlimited entries.

Create a dynamic family tree complete with member photos, birthdates, marriage dates and how they are related to baby.

Capture Baby’s nursery. Add a photo of baby’s nursery, upload furniture receipts, capture the layout, colors, who purchased pieces for the nursery, design of the nursery, how long it took daddy to build the crib and more.

Daddy-to-be corner on surviving pregnancy. A place for dad to add his feelings & emotions about becoming a dad, share his life to present and more.

Capture each baby shower, complete with drop down calendar to date the events.

An interactive old wives tales quiz that will predict baby’s gender.

Capture labor, delivery & baby’s arrival.

Capture the world’s costs, headlines, sports and your predictions for the future. Your child can come back in 20 years and complete your time capsule with the actual costs.*****—————————————————-

Others Month to Month Pointers

• Second Month of Pregnancy
• Third Month of Pregnancy
• Fourth Month of Pregnancy
• Fifth Month of Pregnancy
• Sixth Month of Pregnancy
• Seventh Month of Pregnancy
• Eighth Month of Pregnancy
• Ninth Month of Pregnancy
• Tenth Month of Pregnancy

Take a look at this hilarious and educated videos on

How To Conceive a boy or girl.

These are the step by step on How Do I Conceive A baby Boy or baby Girl.

Step 1:

Nature’s Way

It is important to understand how the sex of a child is decided by nature. All human beings have 46 chromosomes in 23 matching pairs, all of which are present in every cell in our body. The exception to this is the sex cells, sperm, and oocytes or eggs, as these contain only 23 single chromosomes. The 23rd chromosome in all oocytes is always an X chromosome. This way, any egg can become male or female depending on which sperm fertilizes it.
This is because there are two types of sperm produced in equal amounts; one carrying a X chromosome, and one carrying a Y chromosome. If a Y-bearing sperm fertilizes the egg then the baby will be male, and if the X-bearing sperm is the first past the post the baby will be a female.

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Step 2:

Timing with ovulation | The Best Time To Conceive

The timing of intercourse in relation to ovulation is considered to be important factor due to X and Y chromosome carrying sperm having different characteristics. Y-bearing sperm are faster swimmers but have a shorter life-expectancy than X-bearing sperm so there’s no point in having intercourse with 4-5 days to go until ovulation as it’s likely that there’ll only be X-bearing sperm left. Instead you need to be thinking about having intercourse as close to ovulation as possible really if you want a boy.
There are a number of ovulation prediction kits available on the market that can help you to get as accurate a reading as possible.

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Step 3:

Depth of penetration

Deeper penetration during intercourse is recommended when trying to conceive a boy. The average distance between the sperm and the egg is about 4 inches, which sounds like nothing, but if the sperm were the size of a salmon it would equate to a 43 mile trip!
The closer the sperm are ejaculated to the cervix the better, so try intercourse in the missionary position or with the woman on all fours to give the Y-bearing sperm the best chance!
The cervical fluid closer to the cervix is also less hostile towards Y-bearing sperm than that found at shallower penetration, increasing their chances of survival and the conception of a baby boy even further.

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Step 4:

Chinese Birth Chart

Discovered over 700 years ago, the Chinese conception chart, or Chinese pregnancy calendar as it is sometimes known, is thought to predict whether you conceive a boy or girl. It works by cross-referencing the
mother’s age with the month when the moment of conception took place. So by pre-planning the time you want to conceive, you should be able to decide the gender of your baby, or in theory anyway.

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Step 5:

Dietary Supplements and Medications

Although scientifically unproven as yet, it is believed that a woman’s diet may be able to influence the eventual gender of a baby at conception. Being healthy and having a healthy diet is good for your general fertility anyway, but if the woman has a capsule of Evening Primrose oil per day and some Guaifensin tablets for the 5 days before ovulation it’ll help them to produce better quality and thinner cervical mucus which favours Y-bearing sperm.

Here a program that I recommend on How To Conceive A Baby Girl or Boy.

Read through the sales page yourself. You can see simply by reading this letter that Ashley cares and that she truly has laid out a step-by-step program so you know exactly what you need to do to succeed in your quest to choose baby gender.

There are three things that play into charting fertility. Estrogen, progesterone and the position of the uterus all three must come together at the right time in order for ovulation to occur and the sperm reach its intended destination, the egg. Estrogen is a naturally occurring hormone found in all human bodies. Women have higher concentrations of estrogen. It is this hormone that causes breast development and a girl to begin her journey into puberty and have the ability to procreate.

Charting fertility begins with knowing how estrogen affects a woman’s body. It causes the follicles at the end of the Fallopian tubes for the release of the egg from the ovary. It also prepares the mucus lining the uterus in preparation for the implantation of the egg and sperm when they come together. A woman watches the difference in her discharge each day. As the estrogen increases so does the discharge. It is important when charting fertility to pay attention to these subtle changes in texture.

Progesterone follows a predictable pattern as well and is the hormone directly responsible for thickening the uterus wall to be able to withstand the implantation and growth of the fetus. The third change occurring each month is the position of the cervix along with its softness. Fertility charting involves noting the actual position of the cervix. When ovulation occurs the cervix is soft and higher than at other times of the month.

Besides making a notation regarding discharge and cervix positioning, a line for the LH hormone is needed. Ovulation kits can help detect the levels of LH and let a woman know when her egg has been released. When the hormone hits a peak, ovulation is about to occur. She makes a notation and can then have a general idea for future months by charting fertility within her body.

Different colored lines, notations, kits and temperatures are all part of the process of charting fertility. It can seem time consuming and complicated but once a predictable pattern is set, the woman has a greater understanding of her body and when the best time for fertility is. When all else fails, a doctor can run a series of tests on the couple to determine if there is another problem hindering their ability to become pregnant.

Know Your Rights Before Breastfeeding In Public

Modern day society loves its cleavage and the mainstreaming of porn but the public can easily become riled up by the glimpse of a nursing breast so before you undo your breastfeeding bra, know your rights!

When it comes to nursing in the United States, breastfeeding is not considered indecent exposure. You may freely feed your child and expose your breasts in public places except venues that children or yourself are expressly forbidden. So no nursing your baby in the over 21 nightclub.

If someone dares asks you to leave or to move to a degrading and dirty toilet stall, remind them that it is your right to breastfeed in a public place where you and your baby are legally allowed to be.

Area To Be prepared When Breastfeeding In Public

If this is one of your first outings, bring someone – a friend, your mom, or your significant other – for support and pick familiar places. It is perfectly legal to expose your breasts when nursing your child but if you want to bring a shawl, scarf, or baby blanket to cover you and your child, practice at home before your outing. Babies love to kick off blankets and they want to see what’s happening, too. Wear layered and light clothing along with your easy-to-open-with-one-hand breastfeeding bra. Keep your gear minimal. We know you won’t on your first outing and will probably bring the entire nursery with you, but try to since it will keep the flustering to a low.

Type Of Location

Remember, safety first. No matter where you decide to breastfeed, always pick a location that is safe for you and your baby. There is a vulnerability factor because your focus is usually on your baby and your boob.

The Mall

Benches and places to rest are great places to stop and feed your baby. Just relax and do some people watching. Some malls have designated rooms other than the bathrooms for breastfeeding. Sometimes they are called family rooms or mothers rooms. Look for the universal symbol for breastfeeding as a friendly place to nurse. If you do want some privacy, go to a quiet store and take a couple of items to try on in a dressing room.

The Eatery

Outside cafes, noisy diners, even the food courts are great places to give it a go. These are casual eating venues so if the baby cries or fusses, no one will mind. Remember, you are using up to 500 extra calories a day to make milk so mom’s gotta eat!

The Park

Whether it’s a beach or a playground, the park is a good standard. Watch for bad weather and watch for weirdos. Choose a safe and busy location.

The Car

Parking lots can be dangerous so park near an attendant or near lots of foot traffic. And don’t do a Britney-whenever the car is in motion, the baby must be strapped in their baby seat.

Freestyle

Do like the pros and strap the baby into a carrier or sling and you can feed and grocery shop at the same time. Heaven! Just be careful to not drop baby or accidentally bump baby’s head into anything.

The breastfeeding videos touches on the common breastfeeding questions and tips ask by first time mothers.

• What is “lactation”?
• What’s in breast milk?
• Should I breastfeed my baby?
• When should I start breastfeeding my baby?
• Does breastfeeding hurt?
• What is a lactation educator?
• How can a lactation educator help new mothers?
• How can I find a qualified lactation educator near me?
• What nursing supplies does a new mother need?
• How do I breastfeed my baby correctly?
• My baby has teeth. Can I still breastfeed?
• How do I know if my baby is breastfeeding properly?
• How often should I breast feed my baby?
• How long should a breast feeding session last?
• At what age should I stop breastfeeding a child?
• Is it risky to have someone else breastfeed my baby?
• What is “donor milk”?
• When would my baby need donor milk?
• How do I purchase donor milk?
• How can I include Dad during my baby’s breastfeeding stage?

The transcript of the videos

What is “lactation”?

Lactation is the process of making milk in a woman’s breasts and then feeding that to your baby. You can feed your baby either through pumping and providing it in a bottle or through breastfeeding.

What’s in breast milk?

Breast milk is made of hundreds of different elements. It’s have all the nutrition for your baby needs, its contain living growth factors as well as vitamins, minerals and proteins. In fact breast milk can grow tissue on its own and it can attacks bacteria. Milk for the mothers a remarkable fluid that help the baby grow.

Should I breastfeed my baby?

Every woman should provide breast milk to her baby throughout the first year as much as she can. We’ve discovered with breast milk teaches the gut how to grow and mature. There are other options like formula milk but indeed there’s nothing in this world that can replace breast milk for your baby.

When should I start breastfeeding my baby?

As soon as you deliver your baby, you should ask to have your baby placed on your stomach. Eventually the baby will begin a process of moving towards the breast. You may help to guide your baby so that the baby can have its first breastfeeding within the first five to thirty minutes of life. It’s important for both mother and baby that that breastfeeding gets started. It’s also important for letting your baby know it’s safe and secure. Breast milk provide colostrum which is a protective ingredient in breast milk that will help your baby to avoid illness in the first year.

Does breastfeeding hurt?

Pain is really subjective it really depend on individual mothers, so it’s hard to answer this question in a straightforward way. Actually breastfeeding should never be painful that you recoil from it – the immediate reaction people have to pain. However, a little tenderness is normal as it’s a very sensitive part of your body. If the baby doesn’t latch on correctly, it’s probably going to be like having someone flick your hand. However if it hurts more than that you can take, you may have a problem on breastfeeding your baby the right way. You need to go talk to somebody.

What is a lactation educator?

A lactation educator is someone that just gives information about breastfeeding. They’re not the clinicians. I frequently call them the nurses to the doctors of the clinical consultants for breastfeeding. Actual problems would have to be solved by the “doctors” of breastfeeding who would be the consultants. So lactation educators are there to make sure that people understand what breastfeeding is about and how it gets done in general unless there’s a problem.

How can a lactation educator help new mothers?

A lactation educator could help a new mother by giving her the information she needs before the baby is born. It’s very natural to be stressed and concerned, and thinking that there are a lot of problems that maybe not even exist at that point. So, by having the information beforehand, having talked to a lactation educator, a mother can feel much more confident in initiating and maintaining breastfeeding. If a problem arises after the baby is at the breast or just in the whole process of starting the breastfeeding, then a lactation educator could help a mother find the resources that she needs in the community to solve that problem.

How can I find a qualified lactation educator near me?

Most lactation educators are employed in hospitals or by certain government programs. But more importantly for new mothers would be to find a lactation consultant who can actually help you on your problem. Those people would best be found through your birthing hospital. You’ll probably meet with one soon after the baby is born, or you can call the breastfeeding task force in your area and they would know who all of the educators and consultants are.

What nursing supplies does a new mother need?

The great part about breastfeeding is that evolution has ensured that all the supplies you need are you, your baby and something to put a foot on, whether that be a rock, a cushion, a stool or whatever makes you comfortable. However, we do live in a society where we like lots of material goods and sometimes we feel more comfortable if we feel like we have supplies. The most important things to have on hand are a couple of really good reference books, one of which would be “Medications and Mothers’ Milk (Medications and Mother’s Milk)” so that you know if what you’re taking is safe for your baby and another would be “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” which is written by the La Leche League and can answer pretty much any question that you have come up. There’s a whole lot of other supplies you’ll find out there – everything from pillows to nursing bras to nursing shirts and different creams. I do recommend you have Lansinoh Cream, which is non-toxic. It can help you with any pain you might experience and also help the baby to latch. Other than that, try the products, go and experiment with them, find what works for you and makes you feel most comfortable with the process.

How do I breastfeed my baby correctly?

There really is no correct way to breastfeed a baby. There are as many different breastfeeding positions as there are wiggles that a baby can do. Your body and the baby’s body will figure out a way to work together. However, if you’re a brand new mother and you have no idea how to go about the process, the very best thing to do is to sit in a chair and get comfortable. Get one leg higher than the other one. Take your baby, just so that you’re planning, and you’re supporting its head and its back, and put it in the cradle hold, which is just a very natural way to hold babies when breastfeeding. If your leg is crossed or up on a stool, the baby’s head is at the perfect level so that it will just naturally find the nipple and latch on. If you’re large breasted, you’re going to have to support yourself a little bit. If you’re small breasted, you may have to guide the baby a little bit. For the most part, once your knee is higher than your navel and the baby’s in a cradle hold, you and the baby are going to be in the proper position for latch and a successful breastfeeding session.

My baby has teeth. Can I still breastfeed?

Of course you definitely can. Babies don’t chew when they breastfeed therefore your baby teeth don’t get involved in breastfeeding at all. The baby’s teeth are far behind where your breast is, as it uses it’s lips to compress and get the milk out. So even once a baby has teeth it’ll curve it’s lips over the actual teeth and not injure the mother at all. If the baby’s biting, it’s because the baby has a shallow latch and you need to pull the baby off with a good firm no, and then let it reattach and it will curl it’s lips under and avoid biting its mother.

How do I know if my baby is breastfeeding properly?

This is probably the most common question that mothers ask. They get so concerned about the fact that they can’t see the transfer of milk from their breast to the baby. The best way to know if your baby is breastfeeding properly is to answer, “Is your baby growing?” If your baby is growing and developing every day then you’re breastfeeding correctly, and there’s no reason to be concerned. However; if you need a little more evidence, the best things to think about would be: “Can you hear the milk transferring through the baby’s throat?”; meaning “Can you hear it swallow?” Babies are not known for being quiet. So, you should be able to hear them make gulping noises as they’re breastfeeding. If you can’t hear that you can look for the little jaw. Babies jaws do a sliding motion back and forth. If their little jaw is making a sliding motion on the underside of your breast; the baby’s getting milk. The next important thing to look at would be: “How many diapers are they making in a day?” If they’re making fewer than six diapers you might want to call your doctor and see if your baby has a fever. Otherwise, if it’s more than six wet diapers and at least a couple of stools; you have a baby who is breastfeeding just fine.

How often should I breast feed my baby?

You should breast feed your baby as often as your baby gets hungry. In the beginning, babies have very, very small stomachs. It’s going to breast feed very often in the beginning, so you want to make sure that you’re providing milk every time that little, tiny stomach gets empty. Most babies have pretty clear signals when they’re hungry. They’re going to bring their little fists up to their face and start licking them, moving their nose, sniffing, looking around pretty intently for their mother. If your baby’s doing that, and you bring it to your chest, and all of a sudden it starts looking for the inside of your shirt, you know your baby’s hungry. As your baby grows, its stomach will grow about in line with the size of its fist. After about six weeks, it’s about this size, so babies will have longer sessions, and less often, because they have more space to fill, and around six months, your baby’s stomach will be up to a bigger size. At that point, you’ll have what’s considered a normal breast feeding session, which is every three to four hours, and the baby will stay on for about thirty minutes.

How long should a breast feeding session last?

A breast feeding session can last anywhere from five minutes to an hour depending on the age and the size of your baby, and at what period in the baby’s life it currently is. It’s development changes very quickly, as you’ll notice. In the beginning, babies are developing a mother’s milk supply, so they tend to stay attached for a very long time. It’s not unusual for a newborn baby to nurse for forty minutes every hour. That’s very frustrating for mothers in the beginning, but it’s nature’s way of making you stop, relax, and watch your baby. As the baby ages, it’ll want to play more than it wants to eat, so breast feeding sessions will become shorter, and have a little space in between them, but it’s really dependent on the baby. You want to leave the baby at the breast as long as you see its little jaw sliding back and forth and it’s telling you that it’s enjoying breast feeding. When the baby comes off, you may want to burp it, let it have a little break, and then offer the other side. If it goes to the other side and kind of wrinkles its nose and pulls off, it’s not hungry anymore. If it attaches and drinks for longer, then it wanted that side. The baby will let its mother know how much it wants to eat.

At what age should I stop breastfeeding a child?

You should continue to breastfeed your child until you and your baby have made a decision to stop breastfeeding. There’s no set age limit. It is recommend and requests that you breastfeed your baby up to at least one year. However at any point during that time it will be between you and your baby if breastfeeding continues to be an important part of the mother-baby dynamic. Breastfeeding is about you and your baby being in synergy and understanding one another. When it comes to a point that it’s no longer the right choice, both you and your baby will know it. If that’s at nine months and you’re ready to transition, or if it’s at 19 months, that’s between mother and baby.

Is it risky to have someone else breastfeed my baby?

In many cultures, it’s common to have more than one person breastfeed a single baby. Historically, this has even been a normal job for women – a career in breastfeeding other people’s babies. As you decide if you are going to let a neighbor breastfeed your baby or if you would like someone else to do it altogether or to hire out, bare in mind that such thinking is not common in our culture and there may even be some ramifications that your doctor might have ideas about. Be aware of the following risks involved in letting someone else breastfeed your baby. Some diseases do pass from breastmilk. You should know for certain that this person does not have Hepatitis B or HIV before you allow them to breastfeed your child. In the same vein, you can request donor milk. This is very expensive. However, donor milk has been pasteurized, purified, and tested for all diseases that could possibly be passed along from breast milk.

What is “donor milk”?

Donor milk is breast milk that has been pumped by another mother and sent to a facility for pasteurization and purification. Donor milk can be purchased and given to another baby, mainly risk-free, and is done in many hospitals, especially among premature infants, who benefit greatly from the use of breast milk.

When would my baby need donor milk?

Donor milk is available for any baby of any mother who wishes to purchase it. However, it’s extremely expensive. The only time you would likely see donor milk used on your baby would be with your permission in a NICU or neonatal facility. The purpose is that donor’s milk allows the baby’s gut to develop more rapidly and can save them from certain infections. Babies who are given donor milk generally do better in a NICU environment as they handle ventilation better and they tend to go home sooner.

How do I purchase donor milk?

If you wanted to purchase donor milk for your baby, you could go to your local birthing hospital and get information about how to go about obtaining breast milk. At this point, there are only a few centers around the country who are collecting donor breast milk. If you happen to be a lactating mother who would like to donate, I guarantee they would like to hear from you if you are willing to give them your breast milk.

How can I include Dad during my baby’s breastfeeding stage?

Dad’s are very important to infant development, but they have a very different role to mothers. Dad shouldn’t feel left out when mom is breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is mom’s role, however dads are very important. In the research, it shows that dads play with babies almost fifty percent more than moms do. Dads are involved in teaching babies facial expressions and laughter. Dads should be allowed free reign with the babies when the mother is not playing with or breast feeding them. The reason for this is that dads have a different approach and different strengths. Let dad have lots of time with the baby when it’s off the breast, and use breastfeeding time as special mother and baby time.

Pregnancy Video – First Latch

Summary of the pregnancy videos

This is pregnancy video First Latch by the wonderful Dr Jack Newman, showing a classic cross-cradle hold, and a baby latching well. Notice how gentle and respectful of the baby Dr Newman, and the mother, are. Only two interventions happen – one to pull the baby’s hand gently out of the camera view – so you can see what’s happening, and one very gentle encouraging finger to the chin after latch has happened.

This baby is small and quite young. Notice how easily the mother is supporting the baby’s shoulders and neck, and managing to keep the length of the baby’s body snug and secure across her body. This can be an excellent hold for new mothers, but all that’s important is that you and baby are comfortable, and the breastfeeding is working well. As baby gets older, and heavier, Mum and Baby will find different holds that keep them both feeling supported and happy.

The important part of this video is what’s happening at the mouth/nipple exchange. You hear Dr Newman say to wait for the ‘gape’ and then you let baby attach. The point is that quite a lot of breast needs to go into the mouth, for milk to transfer.

Baby having too shallow a latch is a classic way to have sore nipples. If it’s painful – something is wrong!

Incidentally that jaw action you see is one reason breastfeeding contributes so much to the overall development of the baby – that jaw action is working on moving the plates in the baby’s head back into place from the birth canal squish, and is building excellent muscle tone in the jaw and face, helping build up to good chewing and speaking skills.

By BreastfeedingBabies

Couples who are trying to predict ovulation times can get the ovulation calendar software at www.ovulation-calendar.com. Since the software was designed for women by women and physicians, couples can be sure that only the best information is utilized for pregnancy planning. The software takes into account the lifetime of a female egg and the male sperm in order to provide an ovulation schedule for optimum pregnancy results. The ovulation calendar software will tell you the probability for pregnancy for each day based on your ovulation schedule.

To use the ovulation calendar software effectively, follow the instructions exactly as they are given. For instance, keep detailed records of your menstrual cycles and your period because you will need this to enter into the software to find your optimum dates of ovulation and conception. The ovulation calendar will use this information to calculate your most fertile days and it will provide you with an ovulation schedule so you know what days to have intercourse. For pregnancy possibilities, you will want to have intercourse on the days provided. If you are trying to avoid pregnancy, stay away from intercourse during those days. The software helps make this easy for you by color-coding the fertile and infertile days for easy reference.

If you have a preference between having a boy or a girl, an ovulation calendar can help you increase your chances for having either one. By having intercourse a couple days before your ovulation schedule begins, you can better your chances of conceiving a girl. On the other hand, the closer your intercourse is to your ovulation days, your chances of having a boy increase. Your ovulation calendar will typically give you detailed instructions on how to increase your chances even more for either preference.

Another great feature of the ovulation calendar software is that it is always running on your desktop. The ovulation calendar provides an icon on your taskbar that is constantly monitoring your ovulation schedule and it can be set up to alert you with reminders so you do not miss an opportunity for conception. The software is also easy-to-use so you do not have to worry about being confused and getting an ovulation schedule that is incorrect for your body.

You can get an ovulation calendar for your computer at several websites, but one of the premier ovulation calendar software packages is available at www.ovulation-calendar.com. This tool is almost essential for pregnancy planning as it helps you plan your intercourse for days when you are most fertile. By taking your personal biological data, an ovulation calendar creates a scientific plan that maps out your ovulation schedule to help you with your personal pregnancy plans.

• Find a comfortable place to breastfeed
• Choose a supportive chair with arm rests when nursing your baby sitting up
• Skin-to-skin contact with mummy will stimulates your baby.
• Keep them them awake and alert during breastfeed.
• Do not swaddle your baby while nursing.
• Get several pillows handy for comfort.
• Tuck your baby in close, make sure her whole body is well supported and her head, neck, and back are in a straight line.
• You shouldn’t be leaning back or forward as you get ready to bring your baby to your breast.

You have to try a few nursing positions to see what works best for you and your baby during your baby’s first weeks.

Pregnancy videos on Breastfeeding Positions

The breastfeeding positions summary

Clutch (Football) Hold

When this works best: This can be one of the easiest positions to use with a newborn. It works well if you have large breasts, if your baby has latch-on or sucking problems, if you’ve had a cesarean, if your baby arches at the breast, if you have a rapid milk ejection reflex, if your baby is small, or if you have twins. This position allows you to see your baby latch on, giving you better control.

How to do it: Sit in a comfortable chair. Use pillows, if needed, under your baby to bring her to breast level, and for support under your arm. In this position, your baby is lying alongside you, upper back resting on your forearm with her neck supported by your hand. Her head faces your breast. Your hips are flexed, bottom rests against the chair back, and feet point to the ceiling. Your opposite hand will support your breast. Your baby should not be so far forward that she has to bend her neck to latch on.

Cradle Hold

When this works best: Experienced breastfeeding moms will be most comfortable with this common position. New moms often find it difficult to control the baby’s head and watch latch-on in this position.

How to do it: Sit in a comfortable chair. Use pillows, if needed, under your baby to bring her to breast level and for support under your forearm. Your baby will be on her side, her chest facing your chest. Make sure her lower arm is comfortably placed along her side. When nursing from the left breast, cradle your baby’s head in the crook of the left arm, and her back will be along your inner arm and palm. If you look down at your little one, you will see her side. Use the opposite hand to support your breast.

Cross-Cradle (Transition) Hold

When this works best: This position works well for feeding a newborn, for babies with difficulty latching (and staying) on, and for small or premature babies. This position allows you to see your baby latch on, giving you better control.

How to do it: Sit in a comfortable chair. Support your baby with a pillow on your lap to raise her to breast level, and use pillows as needed to support your arms and hands. Your baby will be lying on her side, facing you. Support your breast with the hand on the side that you will feed your baby (left breast, left hand). Use your other arm to support your baby’s body. Guide her to your breast, placing your hand on her neck, the palm of your hand between her shoulder blades.

Lying Down (Lying on Side or Flat on Back)

When this works best: Lying down can be very helpful when a baby is having trouble nursing. It is also a good choice when you want to get rest while your baby nurses, if you have a very abundant milk supply, and if you must remain flat after a cesarean. This position may take a little practice, but it’s well worth the effort.

How to do it: Lie on your side on the bed with your baby facing you. Tuck pillows behind your back and your baby’s back, and under your head and upper knee, as needed for comfort and support. Your bottom arm can be up or held slightly below shoulder level, cradling your baby’s head. Her ear, shoulder, and hip should be in a straight line, with her knees pulled in close. You can feed from both breasts, leaning over your baby to offer the other side, or hold your baby to your chest and roll to the other side. If you want to lie on your back and nurse, drape your baby across your body and allow her to latch on. You can also sit on the side of the bed and get your baby latched on and then lie back.

Safety Notes

Pain is an indication that something is wrong. Though passing nipple tenderness is normal in the first few days, if nursing hurts or you have trouble positioning your baby, get help. Breastfeeding should be comfortable, even in the early weeks. Schedule a visit with a board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) who can observe a complete feed and offer recommendations.
Pillows can pose a suffocation hazard for babies, so remove any pillows under your baby when it’s time to sleep.

By GorgeousBabyGiraffe