parenthood Archives - 3 Kids and Us

5 Ways Moms Can Make the Most of their Free Time

December 27, 2019 by admin

For moms, free time is as precious as gold. After all, between raising a child, maintaining a career, and keeping up with social obligations, mothers tend not to have a lot of time to themselves. Yet, it’s important for hard-working moms to give themselves a break every once in a while. Everyone needs time to relax and unwind, and if you don’t look after yourself, no one will. With that in mind, today we’ll look at five ways moms can make the most of their free time so they can come back refreshed and energized:

Find a Trustworthy Sitter

Sometimes moms are lucky to have a support group of friends and family members who are more than happy to step in and babysit when they need a night off. However, other parents aren’t so fortunate. Regardless, it’s imperative to find a certified care centre through platforms like Toddle, or enlist a babysitter who you can trust to handle any situation. The last thing you want to do with your precious time off is to spend it worrying or constantly checking in on your little one.

Catch up With Old Friends

One unfortunate reality of parenthood is that moms may not get to spend as much time with their friends as they used to. This is particularly true for friends and acquaintances who don’t have kids. As such, one of the best ways moms can enjoy their time off is to catch up with old friends. Head to a bar, see an R-rated movie, and indulge in the company of other adults.

Turn Down the Volume

Motherhood is plagued by noise pollution. Tantrums, blaring TVs, mind-numbing children’s songs –– they all can work to get on the nerves of stressed-out parents. What better way to unwind, then, than by taking in some much-deserved quiet time. Spending a few hours in your local library, for instance, will let you take it easy in peaceful silence.

Prepare for the Future

Have a big family trip on the horizon? Or are you thinking about making a career change? If you’ve got a pressing event coming up soon, taking a day to yourself to weigh your options and prepare for the future can be hugely beneficial.

Chill Out!

Life in general –– and motherhood specifically –– is often tumultuous and frustrating. So do your best to chill out and relax how you see fit when you manage to wrangle some free time. Hit your local skin care clinic, get a massage, visit a spa, or just kick back on the couch. Remember, this day is all about you and what you want.

4 Things Most Expecting Mothers Don’t Know –– But Should

October 22, 2019 by admin

Motherhood is many things. It’s a blessing, a burden, a challenge, a joy, and a monumentally life-changing experience. However, because pregnancy, childbirth, and child care are such nuanced and complicated subjects, it’s fairly easy for expecting mothers to miss out on some crucial information along the way. Indeed, there are a number of issues that moms might not be aware of –– but really ought to know about. Thankfully, today we’ll list four of those items so that you can be better prepared for the rigors of motherhood. Check them out here:

You May not Get Pregnancy Cravings

We’ll come back to this theme a lot here, so it’s important to note that no two pregnancies are the same. To wit, one surprising factoid about pregnancy relates to the wacky food cravings that accompany it. Except, not all women have pregnancy cravings. Similarly, not all women experience morning sickness. And those that do, don’t necessarily experience it in the “morning.”

Gestation Periods are Not Exact

Everyone knows that pregnancy lasts nine months. However, that number is really quite unscientific. Sure, nine months is a decent guideline, but the reality is that the “typical” pregnancy length falls within a span of 37 days. That’s over a month of variance. The takeaway here is not to get too nervous or stressed about your delivery date if it’s a little earlier –– or later –– than what you might’ve anticipated.

Exercise During Pregnancy is Beneficial

It’s easy to see why expecting mothers might feel hesitant about exercising during pregnancy. Yet, the reality is that most women can and should exercise during their pregnancy. Light workouts, yoga, swimming, and other forms of exercise can ease joint pain and improve mood. It is worth noting though, that some forms of exercise –– like heavy lifting or particularly strenuous activity –– are not recommended for pregnant women. Lastly, doctors may advise some women to refrain from most or all forms of exercise due to increased risk of complications.

You Need to Get Tested –– Early & Often

Pregnant women need to visit with their doctor a lot. It’s not unreasonable for a pregnant woman to visit her M.D. 6-10 times during her term. Plus, there are a number of tests that doctors may need to perform to ensure that pregnant women and their children are healthy. Medical professionals may use tools like blood collection sets to conduct tests for potentially infectious diseases, for example.

Conclusion

As we’ve mentioned above, it’s very difficult to predict what a “normal” pregnancy will look like. Thankfully, educating yourself now can help you roll with the punches and prepare yourself for the birth of your baby. So keep this page handy moving forward.

3 Positive Ways To Prepare For The Birth Of Your Baby

January 23, 2019 by admin

Giving birth is not something that many women look forward to in itself. The pregnancy leading up to that moment might have been painless enough, if a little uncomfortable, and the baby that labor results in will, of course, be amazing, but the birth itself can be something that worries women hugely, whether they have been through it before or not.

It’s important to prepare for this inevitable moment, and the better prepared you are, the more positive experience you will have, which is better for both you and the baby involved. Here are some ways you can prepare for going into labor and giving birth – think through these, and you’ll be partway there.

Know What You Want

For some women, it’s the lack of control throughout labor and the birth itself that is scarier than any of the pain or hard work involved. Therefore, knowing what you want in advance and creating a birthing plan can allay at least some of these fears, giving you a more positive birth all around.

Your birthing plan is where you can write down everything you want to happen during and after your labor. You can include who you want to be present, what kind of pain relief you want, if any, and any emergency numbers for those who might help if there is a problem during childbirth. This can be caused by various issues, and you may need to turn to experts such as Erb’s palsy lawyers. If you are prepared like this, you will feel a lot more relaxed and the birth should be an easier one.

Do some research on the different birthing methods you can choose from. Understanding your options and talking through each one with your birthing team and your partner, discussing the pros and cons, will help you to feel – and be – totally in control of the situation.

Prepare Your Mind

The mind is a powerful thing, and it can have a huge impact on what we feel even if we don’t realize it. All those horror stories of terrible births that you will no doubt hear throughout your pregnancy, usually told by well-meaning but misguided friends and family, will stick in your mind, and build your labor into something to be afraid of.

That shouldn’t be and certainly doesn’t need to be the case. Rather than focusing on the negative, seek out the positive. For every scary birth story, there will be dozens of happy ones. Look for those, and keep those in your mind. It will make a big difference to how you begin to perceive the labor to come.

Prepare Your Body

Although the start of being more confident about labor definitely begins in your mind, your body also has a lot of work to do. You will require plenty of strength and stamina. Therefore, doing gentle exercises throughout your pregnancy to boost your strength and get your body prepared for what is to come can be a great idea.

Not only will it strengthen you, but this exercise is a good way to de-stress too, which will help you to feel more positive.

You can join specialist pregnancy classes that will teach you the correct ways to exercise without straining yourself. Alternatively, speak to your doctor about the best ways to exercise safely for you and the baby.

Most common postpartum complications

May 22, 2017 by admin

Pregnancy and birth can be an amazing experience for many mothers. Although there can be a lot of pregnancy related issues, most of them disappear after delivery. However, sometimes the body does not always return to normal after your baby is born.

Some common post-birth complications can cause varying degrees of discomfort and distress. Dealing with these difficulties can help to rectify them quickly and prevent further problems.

Perineal Pain

The perineum is the area between the vagina and the rectum. It commonly experiences a lot of stretching, bruising and sometimes tearing during delivery. In some situations, it may be necessary to perform an episiotomy which is a small cut of the perineum. This can also cause soreness and discomfort.

With any of these conditions, pain and difficulty sitting are common for a little while, however, if it continues you should consult your doctor.

Haemorrhoids and Constipation

During pregnancy, there can be pressure on the organs, including the bowel. This can cause constipation and in some cases cause haemorrhoids to form. They can be very painful and cause blood to discharge along with defecation.

In most cases, the haemorrhoids should disappear a few weeks after birth, however, sometimes they persist and need to be treated. You can get medicines over the counter at a pharmacy that can treat haemorrhoids. However, if this does not help, you should see your doctor for advice.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Some women will suffer from pelvic organ prolapse as a result of giving birth. This is a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles that allows organs such as the bowel or bladder to protrude through.

Performing Kegel exercises before and after birth can help to prevent this condition, but if there is a problem, it might need surgical intervention. Procedures can include a rubber pessary to hold everything in place, a repair to the tissue or the use of transvaginal mesh (TVM).

It is important to note that some women have sought advice from a tvm lawyer due to complications as a result of the transvaginal mesh, so think carefully on this option if it is offered.

Uterus Infection

In some cases, parts of the placenta do not separate from the uterus after childbirth. This can cause an infection to take hold which causes flu-like symptoms and tenderness in the abdomen.

It is important that you seek the advice of your doctor so that antibiotics can be given, otherwise there could be a risk of toxic shock syndrome developing.

Postpartum Depression

Probably one of the most common problems after birth, postpartum depression or PND can cause severe depression and anxiety as defined here in more detail. It may not always be apparent to the person suffering that they have a problem, but friends and family may notice the signs. These can include anger, feeling overwhelmed, unhappiness and frequent and intense low mood.

It is important that you realize you are not alone and seek help from your doctor who can prescribe medication and counselling to help with the symptoms.

These are a few of the complications that can occur after birth. However, most women will find no problems after birth.