Making the adjustment: How chiropractic care helps your newborn
Birth is a physically stressful experience for your baby, especially if the delivery is natural or assisted. The force of being pushed through the birth canal can leave his tiny body out of alignment, not all that unlike the misalignment that causes millions of Americans to seek chiropractic care each year.
What does this misalignment mean for your baby? Research suggests it may be responsible for common conditions like irritability, colic, and feeding problems in infants. Chiropractic provides a natural approach to alleviating these conditions and keeping your child healthy.
Why does your baby need a chiropra
Doctor? Chiropractors diagnose and treat subluxation. A subluxation is a misalignment of the spine that occurs when one or more of the vertebrae move out of position and put pressure on spinal nerves. This pressure interferes with the ability of your nervous system to effectively transmit nerve impulses to various parts of the body. When the nerves can’t transmit messages well, your body cannot function optimally. As a result, you develop symptoms that depend on which nerve is being irritated or compressed. A chiropractor is a doctor specially trained to locate these misalignments and correct them through gentle manipulation.
When your baby is born, his body must rotate and flex as baby finds his way through the birth canal. This traumatic process, though completely natural, can result in misalignment – especially of the cervical vertebrae. For your baby this could mean feeding problems, fussiness, colic, or sleep disturbances, in the short term; and in the long term, if undetected and left untreated, the consequences could be lifelong, hidden damage to a child’s nervous system.
The only way to tell if your baby’s symptoms are related to subluxation is to visit a chiropractor. A Doctor of Chiropractic can examine your child to determine if a spinal misalignment is affecting your baby’s wellbeing. If so, he can perform gentle adjustments, as light as the touch of a finger, to correct your newborn’s subluxations and relieve his discomfort. The result is a healthier, happier baby.
To determine if chiropractic could help your baby, you can contact the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association to find a doctor. Members of ICPA are Doctors of Chiropractic who go on for specialized training in specific techniques for pregnant mothers, infants, and children. The association offers a Chiropractor locator on its website www.icpa4kids.com.
You want the best for your newborn and that includes optimum health. Chiropractic care provides a natural alternative for treating common newborn problems. And a gentle adjustment just may make a dramatic difference.
From SURVIVING BABY’S FIRST YEAR!
Survive the first year with your new baby!
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Make time stand still with a newborn time capsule
Time stands still the moment your baby enters this world, and you’ll want to remember the moment for years to come. A newborn time capsule is a great way to commemorate your baby’s birth and share with him a snapshot of that special time when he is grown.
To create your time capsule, you need to gather several things that reflect the events of the day.
Newspapers make a great addition to any time capsule. Local papers tell the story of what was happening in your community on the day he was born, while national papers provide a glimpse of then-current events. Both offer the opportunity for you to stroll down memory lane, as well as give your child a brief history lesson when the capsule is finally opened.
Money and stamps provide fun signs of the times, too. Throw in a few different coin denominations and one or more sheets of stamps. If possible, make a list of prices for goods and services, like milk and bread or gasoline. Whether done on the computer or simply handwritten on a sheet of paper, this is a nice addition.
You can personalize the time capsule by adding things like baby’s first picture and the outfit he wears home from the hospital. Take time to write a special letter welcoming your child and sharing your hopes for his future to give the capsule even more meaning.
You are limited only by your imagination – and the size of your capsule container.
The container, however, is another important part of this project. Make it as simple or ornate as you like. Some online vendors carry special newborn time capsule kits, while others offer containers meant to stand the test of time. But you needn’t invest a lot of money to make a nice time capsule. Simply choose a can or box and decorate it to your taste. A seal with the date of its intended opening – perhaps baby’s 18th birthday — adds a nice touch, as well.
On that special day, you and your child will make yet another special moment in time, as you enjoy the contents preserved in his newborn time capsule.
From SURVIVING BABY’S FIRST YEAR!
Survive the first year with your new baby!
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Bringing Home Baby: Calming Newborn Nerves
Your newborn goes through a lot right after he’s born. Whether the birth was natural or assisted, he experiences a great deal of stress as he copes with the abrupt change in the world as he knows it. No wonder he’s a little out of sorts those first few weeks.
The first days home with baby can be trying. He’s adjusting. You’re adjusting. Everyone is a bundle of nerves. If you stay calm, however, these simple tips will ease the transition for both of you.
*Sing and talk to your baby. Your newborn begins to hear your voice while still growing inside you. By the time he is born, the familiarity of that sound has a remarkable calming effect. Talk to him, sing your favorite lullaby, and read books to him, especially stories that rhyme.
*Make eye contact. While baby’s do not have 20/20 vision at birth, they can see you. By making eye contact with your baby when you talk to or massage him, you are communicating with him, and if you watch his cues, you’ll learn how he communicates with you.
*Touch your baby. It’s natural act, yet so powerful. Stroke his arms, legs, head, and back. The sensations relax both of you and enhance your bonding. If possible, learn about infant massage techniques and incorporate them into your daily routine. Research suggests that simple massage strokes relieve colic and constipation, as well as help infants establish regular sleep patterns and form stronger bonds with their caregivers.
Hold your baby close, often. Research shows that keeping your baby close is good for him. Wearing your baby in a baby sling or carrier keeps him right where he needs to be to thrive. Cuddled next to you, baby feels your warmth and the comforting beat of your heart. The familiar rhythm helps him relax and feel secure.
Using a baby sling also frees your arms and hands so that you can do a few things around the house, while still enjoying the benefit of snuggling with your baby. And that might help you feel calmer, too.
*Respond to your baby. It’s that simple. Though crying can be nerve-wracking, it’s the only way your baby has to let you know he needs something. He cries when he’s hungry; he cries when he’s wet; he cries when he hurts or doesn’t feel well; and he cries when he just doesn’t know what else to do.
While this barrage of bawling might make you feel like crying, too, the best thing to do is simply to respond to his need. Pick him up, cuddle him, and try to figure out just what it is he needs. Soon you’ll recognize his cry for hunger over his pain cry and be able to soothe him by quickly filling the need.
Worried that you’ll spoil him? Don’t be. Meeting your baby’s needs is not spoiling him. By regularly responding to your newborn, you’re forming a healthy bond that makes him feel secure.
It’s not uncommon for moms to feel out of sync with their babies in the first few weeks. But communicating your love to him through all his senses goes a long way toward calming those delicate newborn nerves.
From SURVIVING BABY’S FIRST YEAR!
Survive the first year with your new baby!
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Coping with a new schedule
There will be days when you bring the new baby home that you think you’ll never get to sleep again. In the meantime, try to get some rest and sleep whenever you can. The baby won’t be sleeping through the night for several weeks, perhaps months. While she’s adjusting to the schedule of night and day, you won’t be able to sleep through the night until she does.
Until she’s sleeping through the night, try to sleep when she sleeps. Many new mothers try to do everything at once, and start cleaning or doing the laundry once the baby goes down for a nap. You’ll only make yourself more tired if you try to be supermom.
If you can get some help in those first weeks with the cleaning and laundry, by all means, do so. If you can have a friend or relative in to watch the baby for an afternoon while you catch some much-needed sleep, try to take advantage of that whenever you can.
When you’ve been so busy all day with new baby chores and everything else you have to do to maintain a household, and possibly take care of older siblings as well, it can be hard to wind down just because everyone else is asleep.
Make some routines to help yourself unwind at night. Take a warm bath – not too hot, hot water can be stimulating – and play some relaxing music. Even if you’re not breastfeeding, avoid caffeine throughout the day and especially at night. Drink water or decaffeinated or herbal tea. If foods that have a lot of preservatives or sodium can make you jumpy, try to avoid those as much as possible. Try to eat very natural foods, such as salads, green vegetables, fruits, and warm healthy soups.
As soon as you’re able, try to get out and walk for a little bit each day. The fresh air and moderate exercise will help you and your baby feel relaxed and can help you get to sleep at night.
From “Surviving Baby’s First Year”
The New Mother’s Survival Guide!
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Typical day and night for Baby
Bringing home a new baby brings with it an exhausting array of new responsibilities and challenges. Is there such a thing as a typical day and night for new parents? Probably not!
Remember, the baby has just gone through an enormous change too, so part of the process when you first bring him home is his transition from the womb to the outside world. Keep the baby close to you, keep him wrapped and warm. If you’re breastfeeding, this will take some time for both of you to adjust to as well.
If you’re new baby is formula fed, he’ll need to feed every 3 to 5 hours. If you’re breastfeeding, he’ll need to feed more frequently. Sometimes you will feel that all you do all day and night is breastfeed. You will probably feel much more empathy with cows! And there will be a lot of diapers to change, especially until you get familiar with his schedule. His diaper will probably need to be changed shortly after feeding, about once an hour in the very beginning. Be sure to check frequently.
Until the umbilical cord has fallen off, you’ll want to keep to sponge baths every few days, but you will want to wash the baby’s bottom every day. You can wipe the baby’s hands, face, neck and bottom every day with a soft washcloth with warm water. When the baby’s ready for full baths, in a few weeks, every day is a good idea to prevent diaper rashes. But keep in mind that too much bathing can dry out his sensitive skin. So see what works for your baby.
Those little finger and toenails will grow quickly, and they’ll need to be trimmed regularly so the baby doesn’t scratch himself. The baby’s nails can be long, even at birth and attached high on the nail bed. You’ll need to gently press the fingerpad away from the nail and clip it with a baby nail clipper. You might want to do this when the baby’s sleeping to ensure that he doesn’t jerk those little fingers and toes away!
Get used to being busy 24/7 during the first month, at least. You will be feeding and changing diapers around the clock so get as much help as you can so you can have some peace too.
From “Surviving Baby’s First Year”
The New Mother’s Survival Guide!
http://www.CdMediaPro.com/baby/
This article may be republished with the above credit