After reading this article, please visit the author’s San Antonio Doula website for more pictures, articles, and information.

Why should you breastfeed your baby? Here are just a few of the many reasons:

1. Breastmilk is designed to be the perfect food for your baby.
2. Breastfeeding boosts your baby’s immune system, preventing and minimizing many sicknesses.
3. It helps prevent allergies, especially if you breastfeed exclusively for at least 6 months.
4. Breastfeeding also helps prevent ear infections, childhood obesity, diarrhea and constipation, promotes proper jaw, teeth and speech development, and reduces the risk of SIDS.
5. Breastmilk is sterile and always ready the moment your baby needs it, which makes it perfectly convenient!
6. Breastfeeding is calming, comforting and promotes bonding between you and your baby.
7. Studies have shown that the longer a mother breastfeeds throughout her life, the lower her chances are of getting breast cancer.

Getting off to a good start with breastfeeding can be a challenge, but it is well worth it. Breastfeed your baby as soon as possible after the birth, preferably within one hour. Hold your baby skin-to-skin; this will encourage him to latch on, among many other benefits. Make sure your baby is latched on well from the start – don’t be afraid to ask for help from your nurse, doula, midwife, lactation consultant, or experienced friend.

You should not be separated from your baby, “rooming in” is better for both mother and baby. Do not give artificial nipples to your baby or allow anyone else to do so. Nurse your baby as often as he is hungry, for as long as he wants to suck. Supplements are rarely needed, and most of the time when supplementation is recommended, there are alternative feeding methods that can be used to maintain exclusive breastfeeding. Contact a good lactation consultant if you have questions about what you are being told.

Here are some basics for good positioning and latch-on. Make sure you are comfortable, with lots of pillows for support, Baby should be on his side, tummy to tummy with you. Support your breast with the hand closest to the baby’s head, and the baby’s head and neck with your other hand. Start with baby’s chin touching the breast first, then let the baby touch the nipple and wait for his mouth to open wide. Bring the baby to the breast, not the breast to the baby, and aim the nipple for the roof of baby’s mouth, you want his mouth to be open wide and covering as much of the areola as possible. You can tell that the baby is drinking when you hear him swallowing and he is sucking deeply and pausing with each suck.

This information is intended to be merely supportive in nature. Please contact your physician or a lactation consultant for diagnosis and treatment recommendations.

The author Brenda Minica CD (CBI) is a labor and birth doula in San Antonio Texas. She has 6 children of her own and has breastfed for a total of nearly 12 years so far.

Technorati Tags: Allergies, Baby Skin, Breast Cancer, Breastfeeding, Childhood Obesity, Constipation, Diarrhea, Doula, Ear Infections, Immune System, Latc, Midwife, Mother And Baby, Nipples, Nurse, Perfect Food, San Antonio, Sicknesses, Skin To Skin, Speech Development

Shocking as it may likely sound interior air might actually be more dirty than outdoor air. As Well as outside pollutants seaping inside, most homes possess many sources of pollutants also. Although some are more severe than others, understanding these pollutants are in your dwelling can be somewhat disturbing. And of course the risk is often higher with more sustained exposure to them, so cutting down on this time will be at least one thing that can help.

We have grown to a place where we can a certain degree of these contaminants, but some individuals are a good deal more vulnerable than others. For many of us the level and stretch of time around these pollutants has to be pretty high for severe or long term damage to occur so that’s good to understand. But those individuals that are highly vulnerable might wish to consider utilizing things like air conditioner filters to help filter and clean the air.

Many of these filters work well to clean some of the common pollutants and things that trigger allergies, like bacteria, pollen, animal dander and dust mites from the air. Individuals who have allergies especially should look into house filters and air conditioning filters. Signs that you may have an allergy include sneezing, coughing, headaches, itchy eyes or nose, difficulty breathing or fatigue. If you experience these symptoms for an extended length of time let your physician know. You may need to see an allergist.

One other thing you will want to do to assist is dust and vacuum your home frequently to wash these things from the table tops and carpet. This way they can’t continually be kicked up into the air.

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Having a dog can bring many joys to a persons life. My wife and I have a little Yorkie. I was never that guy that liked the small dogs. I wanted the big dog to protect the house and pull me on my skate board. My wife got her way and we got the lap dog.

A few great things about Yorkies:

1)      They are very loyal and love to snuggle.

2)      Easy to potty train on puppy pads, pee pads, or in the yard.

3)      They don’t shed. This is great for me because I have bad allergies.

4)      They are low maintenance and easy to travel with.

After just a few week of living with my Yorkie I became a big fan of them. Many other people in my family now own them. It’s almost contagious, because when others see yours they want one.

The best tip I can give you is when training your dog to use housebreaking pads make sure you give your dog a reward every time she uses them. Make sure you are consistent with your reward. I use little treats. My Yorkie often waits for my to get home for work to use the potty because she wants that treat. They are really smart little dogs.

If you are interested in getting dog I would highly recommend getting a Yorkie, I think you get nothing but long lasting joy and fun for years. Yorkies rule!

Education

Technorati Tags: Allergies, Big Dog, Big House, Dog House, Dog Housebreaking, Easy Travel, Education, Housebreaking Pads, Lap Dog, Little Dogs, Love, Low Maintenance, Nbsp Nbsp Nbsp Nbsp Nbsp, Persons Life, Potty Train, Puppy, Rsquo, Small Dogs, Training Your Dog, Yorkie