Planning for a new baby is always a lengthy process that never seems to end: the weekly buying of new clothes and supplies, the endless repainting of the nursery, as well as the myriads of parenting books that the mom-to-be can never seem to get enough of. While all of this is indeed fun and memorable, there are certain issues relating to the physical health of the mom and baby that need to be tackled before the baby is born:

1. Balancing chores and leisure time – While moms have the seemingly innate capability of working multiple shifts, including managing the household and taking care of the needs of everyone in the family, now is the perfect time to make sure you have regular leisure time. Why? When the baby comes out, you will be at his or her beck and call twenty-four hours a day; you will definitely need to know how to take it easy and rest when you really cannot take it anymore. After all, an exhausted, burnt-out mom will not be able to meet her own needs, much less a cranky baby’s. Stress will always get the upper hand if you let it. As such, it will be helpful to develop a routine of work and play even before D-day.

2. Having time for yourself and your husband – Many new parents are overly excited about the new addition to their family that they tend to overlook the husband-wife relationship. However, many parenting experts believe that the security of a baby does not lie in the parents’ love for him but rather stems from a sense of sureness in his parents’ love for each other. As such, it is crucial for the emotional well-being of the baby, as well as of mom and dad, to have regular couple-time. While some falsely believe that mom needs to be by baby’s side twenty-four hours a day, it will do the baby some good to be left to play on her own an hour or so each day, giving mom and dad the perfect time to bond, perhaps in baby’s sight. And this will be easier to do when the routine is established early on.

3. Determining your parenting style – Although first-time parents will typically not be sure what kind of parenting style they will adopt, it will be a good idea to read up or listen to older parents and check which parenting style would suit your lifestyle best. For example, a couple whose daily schedule varies wildly may not work well with a by-the-clock feeding routine, while a couple who are obsessed with order will probably self-destruct from the absence of a routine! Knowing what kind of style you want to adopt before the baby arrives also gives you the confidence in the way you will treat him or her from Day 1.

4. Choosing a paediatrician – Many first-time moms overlook this very important person in the health of their new baby; they wind up just ticking off a random name when they are already in the labor room. When you have the luxury of time, you can ask around for referrals, as well as do a background check on potential paediatricians. That way, you will know whether you are choosing someone who is well-adept at high-risk births and give you confidence that your baby will be in good hands no matter what.
5. Deciding on a birthing plan – With the popularity of birthing methods like Lamaze since the 1950s, moms have enjoyed a greater freedom in terms of how they want to deliver their baby. Knowing in advance will also give you an easier time telling the medical experts what kind of pain management strategies you want to employ, as well as give your husband an easier time saying yes to a C-section should the situation call for it.

All in all, the last trimester of pregnancy is always one that is filled with much anticipation and excitement, and you can definitely enhance your experience when you prepare in advance and know as much as possible what to expect. That way, you will not have to come face to face with a decision that you need to make right away, taking off more of the stress and anxiety associated with wanting everything to be just right for you and your new baby!

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Diabetes during pregnancy ups kid’s ADHD risk

Washington: Moms who develop diabetes during pregnancy and are from a poor social background are more likely to have kids with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new study has revealed.

To examine the association of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and low socioeconomic status with neurodevelopment and ADHD outcomes, Yoko Nomura, M.D., Ph.D., of Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, and colleagues, compared offspring of mothers with and without GDM in an economically diverse sample.

“Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) typically develops in the second and third trimesters and is defined as glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy,” the authors wrote.

“The prevalence of GDM has been rising for over 20 years, particularly among ethnic minorities and individuals with low socioeconomic status (SES), as have lifestyle changes that heighten risk including greater consumption of saturated fats, sugar, and processed foods, and sedentary working environments.”

The authors distributed the ADHD Rating Scale-IV to parents of 3- and 4-year-old children in preschools surrounding Queens College, and recruited 212 participants at a 2:1 ratio of “at risk” to “typically developing” children.

At-risk children had at least six inattention or six hyperactive and impulsive symptoms as rated by parents, teachers, or both. “Typically developing” children had fewer than three symptoms in each domain.

The mean (average) inattention score at baseline for offspring exposed to mother’s GDM was significantly higher than for offspring unexposed, but there was no difference in hyperactivity/impulsivity scores between the two groups.

Children in low SES families, compared to high SES families, had greater inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity scores.

The results showed no difference in the risk for ADHD at baseline, but a two-fold increased risk at age 6 years among children exposed to GDM compared with children who were not exposed. There was also a two-fold increased risk for ADHD at baseline and at age 6 years among children in low SES families.

Children exposed to both GDM and low SES showed compromised neurobehavioral functioning, including lower IQ, poorer language abilities and diminished behavioural and emotional functioning.

When examining the relationship of both GDM and SES exposure on outcomes, the authors found a 14-fold increased risk of developing ADHD among children exposed to both GDM and low SES.

Conversely, children exposed to maternal GDM alone or low SES alone had no significant increased risk for ADHD.

“This study demonstrates that children of mothers with GDM raised in lower SES households are at far greater risk for developing ADHD and showing signs of suboptimal neurocognitive and behavioral development,” the authors added.

The study has been published online by Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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6 Best Foods for Breastfeeding Moms

Every mom wants to give the best for her new baby. This is the basic foundation why most, if not all moms, want to breastfeed. Instead of worrying what kind of nutrients your baby gets from a high-priced formula, among the plethora of advertising that boasts of many healthy benefits, you can simply focus on giving your best to your baby through your own breast milk. Is there truth behind the claim that what you eat will ultimately be transferred to the breast milk you are feeding your baby?

Indeed, many moms worry about shedding pregnancy pounds when in fact, during breastfeeding, their body needs energy-boosting foods as well as nutrient-rich choices. While these may not necessarily translate into food for her baby, it will certainly do well in giving mom the energy she needs for caring for a newborn! Also, the quality of breast milk will stay relatively constant when the mom is getting enough nutrients in her diet; in the absence of needed nutrients, the body may provide them from the mom’s own stores. As such, it is best to be sure the mom gets the nutrients both she and her baby needs from a variety of healthy foods during the nursing season.

The following foods are considered the top 6 in providing what a new mom needs during this energy-sapping, albeit rewarding, season of her life:

1. Salmon – While there is no perfect food for moms who breastfeed, salmon is virtually a nutritional powerhouse for new mothers. This is largely because of the high levels of DHA, a fat crucial for the development of a baby’s nervous system. DHA is present in all breast milk, but women who receive more DHA from their daily diets tend to produce breast milk with higher levels of this crucial nutrient. In addition to helping give your baby the DHA he needs, the DHA found in salmon has also been found to help with a mom’s post-partum mood swings. A word of caution should be in place, though: fish with low mercury content should be limited by nursing mothers to 12 ounces a week.

2. Low-fat dairy products – Breastfeeding moms will benefit well from dairy options like milk, cheese, or yogurt, thanks to the protein, vitamin D, and B vitamins that they are rich in. Calcium is also an important component that helps develop a new baby’s bones. As such, new moms are recommended to take a minimum of three cups of dairy per day.

3. Lean beef – Iron-rich lean beef is a great choice for boosting the energy of any new mom. When iron is deficient in a mom’s daily diet, energy levels can be drained, which makes it very hard to take care of a growing and demanding baby. Adding lean beef to one’s diet will also ensure that she gets enough extra protein and vitamin B12.

4. Legumes – Dark-colored beans like kidney beans and black beans are great for nursing moms, thanks to their high contents of iron. For vegetarians or those on a budget, these legumes are also excellent sources of good quality non-animal protein while not causing a major strain on the budget.

5. Blueberries – These berries are rich in antioxidants and healthy carbohydrates to ensure that any new mom will get the vitamins and minerals she needs along with the energy boost without the added sugar. A new mom can benefit from two or more servings of these berries in fruit or juice form everyday.

6. Brown rice – Many moms who hope to lose their pregnancy weight will opt for reducing their consumption of carbohydrates. However, losing weight from a cutback on carbohydrates may not only affect the mom by making her feel sluggish and lethargic, it can also dramatically reduce breast milk production. As such, a better alternative would be to substitute healthier whole-grain carbohydrate sources, such as brown rice, as this will keep one’s energy levels high without risking packing on even more pounds. Food choices like brown rice are also known for giving a mom the calories she needs for producing breast milk of the best quality for her baby.

All in all, these foods will definitely boost your energy requirements for nursing your new baby. Ensure you get plenty of rest as well to balance the rest of the equation, and surely, your months of breastfeeding will certainly turn out to be the most memorable of your mommy years.

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Exercise doesn`t prevent pregnancy-related diabetes

New York: Pregnant women who exercised regularly during the second half of their pregnancies did not lower their odds of developing pregnancy-related diabetes in a new clinical trial.

Researchers in Norway found that when they randomly assigned 855 pregnant women to either exercise three times a week or to stick with regular prenatal care alone, the exercisers were no less likely to develop gestational diabetes.


By the third trimester, seven percent of the exercise group had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, versus six percent of the comparison group.

The findings were surprising, according to lead researcher Signe N. Stafne of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.

For the general population, exercise is considered an important part of preventing and treating type 2 diabetes -- the common form of diabetes that most often arises during middle-age or later.

It`s possible, Stafne told a website in an email, that exercise does not have the same effect on gestational diabetes that it does on type 2.

But even if that`s true, Stafne pointed out, there are still reasons for pregnant women to get moderate exercise: including their overall health and keeping their weight gain within the recommended limits.

It`s estimated that up to 14 percent of pregnant women worldwide develop gestational diabetes, in which blood sugar levels rise too high. The condition goes away after childbirth, but it does raise the risk of certain other pregnancy problems -- like having an abnormally large baby, which may require a cesarean delivery.

Women with gestational diabetes are also at greater-than-normal risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

While exercise can curb people`s risk of type 2 diabetes, it has not been clear whether it can stave off gestational diabetes.

So for the new study, reported in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, Stafne`s team randomly assigned 855 pregnant women to either join a supervised exercise program or just continue their usual prenatal care.

All of the women were in their 18th to 22nd week of pregnancy. Those in the exercise program took an hour-long class once a week for 12 weeks -- doing low-impact aerobics, plus strengthening and stretching exercises. They were also given an at-home workout to do twice a week.

In the end, the exercise program showed no effect on gestational diabetes rates.

But an obstetrician not involved in the study cautioned that the findings do not mean exercise is no help to pregnant women.

A key issue is that only 55 percent of women in the exercise group actually stuck with their routine, said Dr. Rita W. Driggers, director of the maternal-fetal medicine fellowship program at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.

What the study more clearly shows is that it`s hard to get pregnant women to exercise regularly, Driggers told Reuters Health in an email -- just as it`s hard to get people in general to exercise, she noted.

She also pointed out that only 13 percent of the women in the study were exercising at a moderate to high intensity three times a week when they entered the study. And that`s the level the exercisers were asked to adopt.

It might have been asking too much for many women, according to Driggers.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggests that healthy pregnant women try to be active -- with moderate activities like walking -- for 30 minutes a day on most, if not all, days of the week.

One possible explanation for the new study`s results, Stafne said, is that starting exercise in the second trimester is too late. "It could be that exercise before pregnancy and in early pregnancy is more important, due to the metabolic changes that occur in early pregnancy."

The women in this study were also at relatively low risk for gestational diabetes because they were in the normal weight range, on average, when they entered the study.

A study focused on overweight and obese women -- who are at increased risk of gestational diabetes -- might find different results, Stafne said.

In general, the researcher noted, more studies are needed to figure out how to best lower women`s risk of pregnancy-related diabetes.

"There are still many unanswered questions regarding gestational diabetes and the prevention of it," Stafne said.

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A pregnancy is always an exciting and challenging season in any woman’s life. After all, awaiting the arrival of a new bundle of joy will always be matched with enough eagerness and anticipation. Unfortunately, the season also comes with its fair share of physical challenges, some of which only happen during the pregnancy while others stay on well into the baby’s growth. Stretch marks are among the less than pretty occurrences during pregnancy that all women would rather do without. Once they’re there, though, is there really no hope?

Personal care store shelves are filled with many anti-stretch mark creams, and parenting and skin and beauty magazines also pay an increasing attention to the topic, whether in terms of ad space or articles teaching women about stretch marks. There is good news, though: you do not actually have to rely on synthetic products that claim to get rid of your marks while causing you to worry about possible side effects. The following tips are natural ways to deal with stretch marks:

1. Be sure you get proper nutrition.

Do you know that a healthy diet is crucial to preventing stretch marks? Drinking enough water, and then some, makes sure your body is properly hydrated and enables all your systems to work properly. The minimum is 8 glasses of water, but if you can drink more, all the better. Hydration works at keeping your skin elastic, and it also keeps your body’s collagen production at normal levels. In line with getting proper nutrition, be sure to make sure you get enough vitamins A, C, and E, as well as zinc, as these nutrients are great for the skin. You will typically get enough of these with a daily diet high in fruits, green leafy vegetables, fish liver oils, nuts such as almonds, eggs, fish, and beans.

2. Try to avoid hormone therapies.

Oral contraceptives, with their hormone content, typically deplete a body’s stores of essential elements like vitamins A, C, E, and zinc, which is the reason why taking these typically result in a greater incidence of stretch marks. If you feel that you are lacking in these nutrients, talk to your doctor for recommendations about supplements.

3. Try homemade stretch mark creams.

Cocoa butter tops the list as the most popular home remedy stretch mark cream. It helps keep your skin pliable and soft. You can prepare the cream using ½ cup of cocoa butter, 1 tablespoon each of oil of wheat germ and apricot kernel, 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil, and 2 teaspoons of grated beeswax. Apply heat to this mixture until the beeswax melts, and keep it in an airtight container inside the fridge. Put some of this cream onto the stretch marks just as you would a regular cream.

Shea butter is another good choice for a homemade stretch mark cream, as it contains high levels of vitamins E and A. You can apply the shea butter onto the stretch marks for 2 to 3 times per day to aid the healing process.

Some types of oils are also home remedies for stretch marks. The most common is olive oil, although other oils are also seen to work thanks to their vitamin E content. This includes avocado oil, castor oil, and almond oil.

Lastly, aloe vera gel is also known for its soothing properties for burns, and is also found to be effective on stretch marks, given how stretch marks are actually injuries to the skin. You can mix ½ cup of olive oil with ¼ cup of aloe vera gel, and then add the contents of 4 vitamin E capsules and 2 vitamin A capsules. Blend these ingredients and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container.

Of course, the above home remedies will likely have to face up to personal differences. If you are currently worried about getting stretch marks, it is always a good idea to feed your skin with the necessary nutrients while it is still early, but even if you have already succumbed to the unsightly marks, it is never too late to nurture your skin. With these home remedies, at least you don’t have to worry about shelling out much cash for an expensive cream that may not even work!

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