Vomiting in Babies

Vomiting is actually a strong reflex action which involves an upward motion of all the contents in the stomach, from the body’s digestive system to the mouth. At the time of vomiting, all the muscles of abdomen and chest contract together, causing pain and exhaustion. It is actually a symptom and not a disease. The episode is troublesome for all, but affects babies deeply as their body is not strong enough to take in the pressure caused. It is normal for babies to vomit during the initial weeks, because this is the time when their body adjusts to changes in feeding patterns. Usually, an episode of vomiting subsides after six to ten hours, without any treatment, except a minor change in the regular diet. However, if vomiting continues for the whole day or every time your little one binges on food and liquids, it is a cause of concern and should be immediately consulted, to find out the underlying cause and the treatment. There are numerous reason as to why vomiting in small babies occur and most of them can be treated by using simple measures. in the following lines, we have provided detailed information on the causes and treatments of vomiting in kids.

Causes
A common physiological problem, vomiting in infants is mainly due to the under development of the digestive system. The posture of the baby is yet another major factor which causes vomiting or queasiness. In an infant body, there are valves at various places of digestive track. These valves are under developed and are mainly present to prevent the backflow of the content to the previous organs of digestive tract. Since these valves are in an under-developed stage, they allow the contents of the stomach to travel back to the infant mouth, thereby causing vomiting.

Some of the underlying reasons as to why vomiting in kids occur are acidity, indigestion, worms and certain infectious disease involving digestive systems like typhoid, cholera and enteritis. On rare occasions, dangerous situations in vomiting include bloody vomiting which suggest internal hemorrhage and tuberculosis. Dark greenish or some abnormal colored vomitus implies ingestion of poison.

Treatment
The best treatment for avoiding vomiting in infants is burping. It is a method wherein the infant is gently patted on the back, from top to bottom, so that all the milk consumed goes down in the stomach and nothing remains in the foodpipe. In case of vomiting in babies and children, the best treatment is to make them drink boiled water. This would prevent the infection which causes vomiting. Also, it is best advised not to over feed children. Leaving a small portion of the stomach empty is the best way to avoid vomiting or feeling of nausea.

The diet chart for kids should be such that it involves frequent eating of small meals rather than binging on large meals once or twice a day. Also, there should be a gap between two meals. This is mainly to ensure proper digestion of the food. However, if none of the above mentioned tips work, medications in the form of syrups, pills, tablets and injections that have anti-nauseant or anti-vomiting property is advised after proper consultation from a specialized doctor

Maternity Fashion Tips for Pregnant Women

During the first trimester it is possible to continue wearing clothes proved favorites pre-pregnancy but once a baby bump takes over and the weight goes on many fashion-conscious women find that their redefined shape can prove a challenge.

Just because there is a baby on board is no reason to stop being a style guru — nor is there reason to dive head-first into maternity wear too early. There are likely to be pieces that are already in the wardrobe which can do double-duty before reaching for those maternity smocks and muumuus. Buying standard outfits several sizes larger are also an option provided styles are carefully chosen to suit a pregnant body shape

Fashionable Clothes for Pregnant Women

• Empire-line dresses and tops cinch in the area just below the bustline and provide a flattering silhouette with material grazing over the baby bump. Forget shapeless tent-like dresses — a voluminous tank dress can be gathered up with a ribbon, sash or belt tied under the bust to give definition.


• Evening dresses for pregnant women include maxi dresses and caftans, which prove comfortable, light and easy to wear. However, ensure a narrow cut which skins the figure rather than a diaphanous style. Strapless empire-line dresses look cute on pregnant women but don’t even go there unless they can be kept safely in place.


• With every-growing breasts its time to consider what neckline is the most flattering. Scoop necks, thick-strap vest tops and V-necks are the way to go. According to author Jenny Levin of Harper’s Bazaar Great Style (Aurum Presss 2007), “completely covering up will add pounds, whilst revealing too much will look sloppy.”


• Soft draping fabrics will define the body shape and look pretty when pregnant. Choose skirts and dresses with plenty of swing in them and tops with fabric that falls from on or under the bustline and finish at the hips or beyond.


• As arms put on weight cover them with sleeves, which will also balance out a bulging belly. A 3/4 length will still give a hint of bare skin, and sheer sleeves (short or long) offer both coverage and sex appeal.


• Go for sophisticated, simple single-block colors rather than busy prints and crazy colors.


• Dressing within the same color family from head-to-toe (e.g. different hues of blue or gray) will streamline the figure and make it look taller and leaner. It also means everything goes together and can be reworked with different pieces.


• Avoid wearing baggy jeans with flowing tops. Maternity jeans (probably the most important item in a pregnant woman's wardrobe) should be relatively straight-legged to balance out the volume on the upper part of the body.


• For smart workwear, a suit jacket with a single-button that fastens just below the bust will flatter a pregnant figure. A-line and draped skirts are likely prove the most comfortable.

Miscarriage Prevention

For the past ten years I never needled the abdomen of a pregnant woman for fear of causing miscarriage. This method of behavior stems in part from fear of over-stimulating blood flow to the embryo or placenta. This thinking, as I have recently discovered, is incorrect. It has taken me ten years of study and research to enable me to fully understand what is happening in the uterus after a successful pregnancy and why abdominal acupuncture for the first three months of pregnancy is not only safe but serves significantly to prevent miscarriage.

At the luteal phase or secretory phase of the menstrual cycle the predominant hormone is progesterone. Progesterone is created from the follicle that has ovulated the mature egg. This follicle is now known as the 'yellow body' or corpus lutuem. The corpus luteum, under the influence of luteinizing hormone which emanates from the anterior pituitary in the brain secretes progesterone. This action is done to enable the uterine lining to be amenable to a successful embryo implantation and pregnancy. If pregnancy is not successful, the corpus luteum becomes atretic (dies) and progesterone levels diminish and menstruation starts.

When a woman does successfully become pregnant, the LH which is required to maintain high levels of progesterone (P) no longer comes from the anterior pituitary gland in the brain. It comes in fact, from the developing blastocyst itself. The blastocyst (developing baby), secretes HCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin which has a very similar molecular structure to LH. The HCG causes the corpus luteum to continue to secrete P (this is called corpus luteum- rescue), until the placenta is fully formed at which point the placenta itself secretes appropriate amounts of P to help maintain pregnancy.

So, if the developing blastocyst is responsible for secreting HCG to keep itself alive it made sense to me to use very few and well placed needles in the abdomen to gently stimulate blood flow to the blastocyst so that P would continue to be secreted from the corpus luteum.

This, in my opinion is one of the major ways that miscarriage prevention can be achieved with acupuncture. I am the first one to arrive at this idea and have been using it with great success.

After 6 or 7 weeks the placenta is formed and it secretes P. The corpus luteum is no longer necessary. But, one of the major causes of miscarriage is inappropriate blood flow to the placenta. One of the causes of this is due to thrombophilic disorders (The tendency to form blood clots). But clinically what does this mean? Blood carries oxygen, hormones and nutrients to the placenta and excretes dead cells from it.
These dead cells are called 'debris'. By continuing to use abdominal acupuncture, we continue to gently stimulate blood flow to the placenta (reducing the effects of poor hemodynamics which can occur due to thrombophilic disorder or just poor circulation), maintaining its ability to secrete P, estrogen, human placental-lactogen, relaxin and other hormones necessary for the maintenance of a healthy pregnancy.

I am constantly studying Western reproductive medicine and translating my findings into a Chinese medical model which serves to increase a useful knowledge-base to help couples achieve pregnancy. However, achieving pregnancy is only half the battle. The other half is maintaining a healthy pregnancy. The focus of many acupuncturists is to help their patients become pregnant. This too is my first goal, but only my first. My second goal is to maintain a viable pregnancy and this is where my research and studies are now taking me.

I am pleased to say that at this point our successful pregnancy cases are remaining in the 30 to 40 of miscarriages occur within the first trimester.

Top 10 Signs of Pregnancy

If you're extremely tuned in to your body's rhythms, you may begin to suspect you're pregnant soon after conception. But most women won't experience any early pregnancy symptoms until the fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterine wall, several days after conception. Others may notice no signs of pregnancy for weeks and begin to wonder "Am I pregnant?" only when they miss a period.

Below is a list of some of the first signs of impending motherhood. You may experience all, some, or none of these symptoms of pregnancy:

1. Food cravings: Sure it's a cliche, but food cravings sometimes can be a sign of pregnancy. Don't rely on them as a sure symptom (it may be all in your head, or even a sign that your body is low on a particular nutrient), but if cravings are accompanied by some of the other symptoms on this list, start counting the days from your last period.

2. Darkening of your aureoles: If the skin around your nipples gets darker, you may have successfully conceived, though this may also signal a hormonal imbalance unrelated to pregnancy or be a leftover effect from a previous pregnancy.

3. Implantation bleeding or cramping: About eight days after ovulation, you may experience implantation spotting, a slight staining of a pink or brown color, as well as some cramping. You might also see some spotting around the time you expect your period; this is caused by the egg burrowing into the endometrial lining.

4. Frequent urination: Once the embryo implants and begins producing the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), you may find yourself going to the bathroom more often.

5. Fatigue: Feeling tired? No, make that exhausted. High levels of the hormone progesterone can make you feel as if you've run a marathon when all you've done is put in a day at the office. Fatigue is a hallmark of early pregnancy, though probably not a surefire symptom on its own.

6. Tender, swollen breasts: If you're pregnant, your breasts will probably become increasingly tender to the touch, similar to the way they feel before your period, only more so. Once your body grows accustomed to the hormone surge, the pain will subside.

7. Morning sickness: If you're lucky, morning sickness won't hit you until a few weeks after conception. (A lucky few escape it altogether.) But as early as a couple of days following conception, you may begin feeling nauseated and queasy. And not just in the morning, either pregnancy-related nausea can be a problem morning, noon, or night. You may also notice that your sense of taste changes. Some women say they have a metallic taste in their mouth, others that they cannot stand the taste of coffee, tea, or a food they usually like.

8. Your basal body temperature stays high: If you've been charting your basal body temperature and you see that your temperature has stayed above the coverline for 18 days in a row, you're probably pregnant.

9. A missed period: If you're usually pretty regular and your period is late, it's worth trying a pregnancy test. A missed period is the surest sign of pregnancy in a woman of childbearing age who usually has regular periods. And finally ...

10. A positive home pregnancy test: If you've waited to test until at least the first day of a missed period and a blue line appears in the test window, you're most likely in the family way. Make an appointment with your doctor to confirm the good news, and head on over to our pregnancy area.

Tired of Being Pregnant

As much as mothers might like to naturally induce labor as soon as they grow tired of being pregnant, labor starts often unpredictably and sometimes later than what mothers would like for their own comfort. Babies will come at 38 weeks and other times will need 42 weeks. Technically you are not overdue or what is called "postdates" until 42 weeks. However, today it is more common to hear from providers that you are "overdue" even if your due date was yesterday!

So in essence, your due date is only a very rough target; which is why it is referred to as an EDD - estimated due date. Your own baby will likely come within a period of four weeks between 38-42 weeks. Only about 3-5% of women actually give birth on their due date not to mention that the majority of women don't go into labor until after their estimated due date!

Rushing the Last Weeks May Cause Long Labors and Cesareans

Studies have shown that if your body is not ready for labor, (i.e. cervix unripe- not dilated or effaced) and you have an induction with pitocin, you will either have a very long labor or a much greater chance of a cesarean. For more information about reasons for an induction and how to labor with an induction, see this article on labor inductions.

Realize that inductions, especially early ones, can be harmful to your baby. If your baby is born even 1-2 weeks pre-term, they can have difficulty breathing on their own. This can happen when your due date has been miscalculated and the baby's lungs have not finished developing. Babies may require a stay in the NICU often for several days or longer if necessary.

Sleep is Not a Given After the Baby Arrives

Another thing to consider is that even though your sleep is likely to be very poor in the last few weeks of your pregnancy, it won't get any better once the baby comes. In fact, most babies will be wakeful and need to eat about every 2 hours thoughout the day and night for the first several weeks. Many babies will be waking up once or twice a night even months after birth.