The post Dear dads-to-be, pregnancy is tough appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>And seriously, I wouldn’t want to be a man. Not just because your bodies look uncomfortable to me (which they do), or because I would be missing out on some fabulous girls’ nights or because being tackled looks painful and masochistic. But mainly because I think being a woman is awesome. All PMS and feminine hygiene products aside, this is a good club to be in.
Except for right now.
Other than 12 blissful, semi-normal weeks squished right there in the middle for our sanity, being pregnant is kind of tough. I’m going to attempt to paint a picture for you, even though I know I don’t have the artistic skills to paint one well enough for you to ever be able to vicariously experience, empathise or understand these life-creating, uterus-expanding, back-breaking 40 weeks that we call pregnancy.
All I know is that we were chosen, exclusively, to carry, labour and deliver your children that you implant within us. There is no “your turn”.
Here are some things you might consider, though, the next time you stop feeling sorry for me or any other pregnant woman…
It’s as if, every 15 minutes, this tiny mite atop my bladder gains 10 kgs and starts using it as a trampoline. Well, apparently, bladder trampolines have a weight limit. And running to the toilet is not a solution. In fact, running will only speed up the inevitable. You will wet your pants when you’re pregnant. You might even think your water broke, start crying, call your doctor, your mom and your husband thinking you’re going into preterm labour, only to be told you wet your pants.
I realise that you think you are often hungry. No. You don’t know hunger. We are hungry. All the time. This hunger is the type of hunger that makes you feel like you are going to throw up if you don’t eat something right this second.
You know, when your toes start curling and your calf starts cramping like you just ran a marathon? We could eat five bananas a day and still wake up at two a.m. writhing in pain. It eventually passes. For about 24 hours.
Every time we sit down, lie down, bend down, look down, our entire back becomes one giant nerve bundle of anger. Standing up is impossible without assistance. But I have halfway mastered the roll to the side, prop up on one arm, push up to the knees, and find something sturdy to pull up on. I am a 78-year-old arthritic woman.
There are no words to describe the exhaustion. Your wife is not joking when she says she literally can’t keep her eyes open. This is the tired that extends beyond drowsy, way past fatigued, right into dead-man-walking territory.
I’m sorry we cry all the time. We are embarrassed by our instability. Don’t ask us why we’re crying. We don’t know. Don’t say, “well, there must be some reason”, because then we will have to think really hard and we might come up with a reason that is, in fact, not the reason at all (because, seriously, there’s not one). This fake reason will sound ridiculous (because it is), turn into a huge fight and then we will just cry some more.
We not only lose our bodies – we lose our minds. For example, I will walk into a room fully intending to grab something before we leave, stand there, look around, walk out of the room and walk back in trying to jog my memory, and then just leave. It’s only once we get wherever we’re going that I realise that I have no diapers or wet-wipes and that’s what I probably went back inside for
So, dads, we’re not asking that you carry the next one. We’re not asking that you rub our feet every night or bring us breakfast in bed (but we won’t turn it down). We’re not even asking that you feel sorry for us.
We just ask that you add a dollop of patience to your personality for a few months. We ask that you give us hugs when we’re being crazy, tell us we look beautiful when our faces are as round as our bums, and let us take a few naps on occasion. Because it’s not just our bellies that are changing, it’s our entire world. And we all know that we don’t have the emotional stability to handle that kind of thing on our own.
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]]>The post Safe weight gain during pregnancy – how much should you pick up? appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>This often results in unnecessary weight gain during pregnancy which then results in weight that seems impossible to lose post pregnancy. It is important that expectant moms understand that eating patterns do not need to change drastically and can in fact be easily adapted to their lifestyles.
In fact, during the first trimester, eating patterns need not change at all and moms-to-be can quite happily continue eating as normal. The second and third trimesters require approximately 1 200kj extra per day which can easily be achieved by having an extra glass of milk at breakfast or an extra sandwich at lunch or even having an extra portion of protein at dinner.
The changes can be small and distributed throughout the day, so need not result in moms feeling overfull and uncomfortable.
It is important to remember that weight gain during pregnancy does not only come from the baby but also from increased breast size, increased fluid retention and the growing of the placenta. Use the following as a guide for safe weight gain. It’s important to use your pre-pregnancy weight to see which category you fit into.
| Normal weight | Underweight | Overweight | Pregnant with twins |
| 11,5-16kg | 12,5-18kg | 7-11,5kg | 16-20kg |
| A safe gain of 0.3-0.5kg a week during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters is important. | Eating for two does not apply for underweight mothers either. The goal is to ensure safe weight gain. | This is no time for dieting. Risks of long labour, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney infections and blood clots are high. |
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]]>The post 8 creative baby shower gift ideas to spoil your mom-to-be appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>Matching a gift to this new-age baby shower can be difficult, as our usual gifts of nappies and baby grows just don’t seem to fit the occasion. But that doesn’t mean that you need to go out and spend thousands on an impractical gift that might not even be used.
About the Author: Momtrepreneur connects multitasking supermoms. For more, visit http://www.momtrepreneur.co.za.
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]]>The post Insure your baby against life threatening diseases appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>The collection and storage of cord blood and cord tissue taken from the umbilical cord of a baby at birth is becoming increasingly common. The reason for this is that the cells contained in the blood and tissue, have potential therapeutic value in the treatment of blood disorders, immune diseases and the emerging field of regenerative medicine.
Should you consider stem cell storage for your baby, Netcells have put together this parent’s guide to stem cell storage…
Cord blood is collected from the baby’s umbilical cord at birth and contains haematopoietic (blood) stem cells.These stem cells are used to regenerate bone marrow and are routinely used to treat blood related diseases such as;
New therapies are also being researched for cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, hearing loss and type one diabetes.
The umbilical cord tissue contains mesenchymal stem cells that are being employed in both research and clinical environments for a variety of aesthetic and medical conditions, that include;
Apart from it being a valuable medical investment, there are other compelling reasons to consider storing your baby’s stem cells, such as:
At Netcells, the storage of umbilical cord blood and tissue (for ten years) as well as maternal blood testing will cost you approximately R19 900. Although hefty, the insurance it can give your baby means it’s probably worth it. Fortunately, payment plans are also available.
For more information on Netcells, visit www.netcells.co.za.
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