Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers
Lilypie First Birthday tickers
Lilypie Breastfeeding tickers

3/02/2012

Guest Post: A Healthy Pregnancy for Mom and Baby



Taking a pregnancy test can be nerve wracking; finally seeing that “plus” sign, an epiphany. One of the initial things a soon to be mommy must consider is the impact of the pregnancy may have on her own health. To have a healthy baby, one must be healthy themselves.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Pregnancy and childbirth have a huge impact on the physical, mental, emotional, and socio-economical health of women and their families.” So, as a first step, it is imperative to make sure that a mom-to-be’s health is attended to. A healthy pregnancy aids in the easiest possible delivery, and working towards this actually begins in the first trimester.

Proper nutrition and vitamin supplements should be one of the first things a mother uses to assure her own health, as well as her baby’s. Prenatal vitamins are strongly recommended to be used throughout the duration of a pregnancy as well as months after delivery to help achieve a mother’s full recuperation. In the case of nutrition, cravings will definitely be a part of the process. Indulging once in awhile, so long as you stick mainly to a diet of lean meat and a variety of fruits and vegetables, is completely acceptable.

In the case of baby’s nutrition post delivery, it’s a good idea to consider your options. There are two ways to provide the necessary nutrition to your newborn: the first is breastfeeding, and the second is formula. Each alternative will supply an your infant with nutrients, so whatever way you choose to feed your baby is up to you. If you are considering breastfeeding, there are breastfeeding classes that will help you learn more about the process and techniques involved.

Taking a childbirth class is another great idea. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first pregnancy or your fifth, childbirth classes can help a mother prepare by informing her of the available birth procedures at that facility. Learning how labor will affect your body, what to expect during delivery and options available post-delivery will all help a mother feel more prepared.

Childbirth class will also help you prepare a birth plan if you’d like. A birth plan is simply an outline you can give your medical team about how you’d like your delivery day to go. Things to include are what sort of pain management you’d like to use, how you’d like your baby presented to you, and if you’ll be partaking in any optional procedures, like cord blood banking, post-delivery. Cord blood banking involves collecting the blood from your baby’s umbilical cord and storing it as a potential medical resource for your family to be used to treat potential future diseases that could affect your family.

Finding focus and peace, while adhering to healthy guidelines, are likely the most important preparations a mom-to-be can make.  The benefits of attending to your health the best you can will make delivery day as joyous as it ought to be.

This article was written by Alan Cassidy, an active writer within the blogging community covering maternity and childbirth, and always advocating for infant and children’s health. Connect with him on Twitter @ACassidy22

Review: Nan® Mom & Me Maternal Milk




Nestlé’s latest product NAN® Mom & Me launched in October 2011 is specially made for pregnant and lactating mothers. Having taken various brands of maternal milk in the past 4 years through my two pregnancies and my breastfeeding journey, I would say that Nestle's new product took me by surprise when I first tasted it. Unlike other brands of maternal milk supplement, it is available in vanilla flavour such that it totally covers the strong milky taste which may put off some people. I used to have to add Milo into some other brands of maternal milk powder to camouflage the milky taste till I got used to it but  NAN® Mom & Me needed no extra effort for me to get used to. :) 


Besides its distinctive taste, what I like about it is the fact that it's low in fat (60% lower in fat compared to full cream milk) - perfect for mummies who are conscious of weight gain during pregnancy and during the postpartum days (and months) where we are ever so anxious to shed the pregnancy weight! 


NAN® Mom & Me also boasts of the highest amount of DHA compared to other maternal milk brands in Singapore (as of August 2011) and is the only maternal milk with BL®Bifidus probiotics that helps fight against harmful bacteria to help maintain a healthy system.

The downside of this product is I guess dependent on whether you like the taste of vanilla (as opposed to the milky taste of milk)! :)

This product is available in supermarkets in Singapore. If you'd like to have a free sample, click here.


Additional information:
Nestle will be having a booth at the Mothercare Festival at Harbour Front on two consecutive weekends (3rd-4th and 10th-11th March). Join in for a day of fun with goodies and free treats from Nestle Start Healthy Stay Healthy! 


Furthermore, below are some special promotions:


Store                  Branch                            Date                            Time               
Giant                   Parkway                           3/3/11, 4/3/11               1-8pm            Promotion: Wet Sampling; Product explanation 


Fair Price            Bt Panjang                       10/3/11, 11/3/11            1-8pm            Promotion: Buy 1 get 1 FREE


Fair Price            AMK Hub                         17-19/3/11                     1-8pm           Promotion: Buy 1 get 1 FREE


Fair Price            Tampines Mall                   24/3/11, 25/3/11            1-8pm           Promotion: Buy 1 get 1 FREE


Fair Price            Jurong Point - Hyper         7/4/11, 8/4/11                1-8pm           Promotion: Buy 1 get 1 FREE


Giant                   Vivo City                          14/4/11, 15/4/11             1-8pm           Promotion: Wet Sampling; Product explanation 




Disclosure: I received a free NAN® Mom &Me trial kit as part of a campaign organised by 星星火Wildfire for this review.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...