Car seat safety

Child Safety Awareness Month

Child Safety Awareness Month

 

Can you believe we’ve reached the ninth month of the year?!? September is observed as Baby Safety Awareness Month, a month where retailers, doctors, and all others in positions that influence parents and caregivers are encouraged to highlight baby safety. Since the month-long awareness originated from “Expectant Mothers Day,” it seems fitting that we share with our expecting mothers. “Baby Safety” is broad and commonly a source of anxiety for new and expecting mothers who will all but wrap their babies in bubble wrap in order to protect them from the world. (Which would be a suffocation hazard.) So instead of overwhelming you with an overabundance of information that could be packed into such a topic, let’s look at three areas of baby safety that you CAN control; car seats, sleep, and baby-proofing.
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Adoption vs. Abortion: Understanding Your Options

Pregnancy can be a time filled with anticipation and joy, but it can also bring about complex feelings and uncertainty, especially when it’s unplanned or unexpected. It’s natural to feel a whirlwind of emotions, and the decision-making process can be challenging. Understanding your options, including adoption and abortion, is essential in making the best decision for yourself, your unique situation, and your future. Both options have their considerations, including emotional, financial, and practical aspects. This blog aims to provide a comprehensive and balanced overview of both adoption and abortion, empowering you with the information and support you need to make a well-informed decision that aligns with your values, beliefs, and life circumstances.

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STDs During Pregnancy: What You Need to Know

Pregnancy is an exciting but also critical period in the life of both the mother and the developing child. This time brings joy and anticipation but also carries responsibilities and potential challenges that require careful attention. Proper care, vigilance, and knowledge about potential risks are vital to ensure a healthy pregnancy. One area that often gets overlooked but can have significant consequences is the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Many may not realize that STDs can profoundly affect pregnancy, leading to complications for both the mother and baby. Understanding these risks, recognizing symptoms, and seeking timely treatment and preventive measures are crucial aspects of prenatal care. This blog will delve deeper into several common STDs that can affect pregnancy, highlighting the importance of regular screenings, available treatments, preventative measures, and safe practices. By shedding light on this important topic, we hope to empower expectant mothers with the information and resources needed to navigate this complex aspect of pregnancy with confidence and care.

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Honoring Breastfeeding Awareness Month

The wonder of breastfeeding is a process that perfectly depicts the intention in God’s flawless design.

·       The maternal powers are not merely instinctual but in fact physical.

·       Our bodies are able to produce an ever-changing source of nutrients specifically tailored to the current needs of our baby.

If that doesn’t leave you breathlessly in awe of the maternal design, I don’t know what will. Understandably when you’re engorged and milk soaked at 2 am, it’s a little harder to appreciate, but a gift nonetheless.

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The Italics That Should be in Every Birth Plan 

Whether you’ve spent hours meticulously mapping out your birth plan, or yours simply consists of the word “EPIDURAL”, there are three truths and reminders that should be italicised and included in each birth plan.

 

  1. Labor is unpredictable

This truth cannot be emphasized enough. Not only is every labor experience different from the next, but your experience may differ from the one you’ve come to expect through your nine months of anticipation. As much as we all want our labor to go according to our expectations, with minimal surprises, very rarely will our experience perfectly reflect that which we’ve been imagining. Often our preconceived expectations can inhibit our experience and mindset if we allow ourselves to be consumed by disappointment when reality doesn’t perfectly align with said expectations. This is why the unpredictability of labor should be expected and accounted for in each birth plan. Even if your plan relies simply on an epidural; sometimes epidurals fail, only work on one side, or you arrive at the hospital and are too far along to even receive an epidural. Such unpredictability can be expected in each and every labor experience.

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What to Expect in the Four Trimesters

It’s common knowledge to understand a pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, and is divided into three trimesters; however it’s less common to understand what each stage of one’s pregnancy signifies and means until one finds themself neck deep in symptoms and google searches. So let’s briefly explore each trimester and their significance to you and baby.

 

First Trimester: weeks 5-14

While your body is battling morning sickness and experiencing fatigue like you’ve never known; your baby is busy developing from the size of a poppy seed to that of an orange while growing and constantly maturing their major organs. Not only is your body creating an entirely new human from scratch, but you’re also growing an entirely new organ of your own known as the placenta which will become your baby’s lifeline in the second trimester, but until then your body is expelling all of its energy towards providing a hospitable environment for so much growth… no wonder you feel drained!

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Telling Your Partner About an Unplanned Pregnancy

Finding out that you’re pregnant can be overwhelming, especially if the pregnancy is unplanned. One of the biggest decisions you’ll face is telling the baby’s father about the pregnancy. You’re not alone in this situation and you should know that you have options and resources available to you. Below you will find some tips and encouragement for telling the baby’s father about your pregnancy and navigating your situation.

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