Staying fit and healthy these days is at the forefront of our life it seems. We see so much marketing towards special diets, supplements, foods, prebiotics and probiotics. Knowing what is true can be hard to determine. Becoming a parent puts added pressure on you to make sure you are giving your baby the best opportunity to be healthy. Probiotics and gut health are linked to creating better health for adults, but is this true for babies as well? Dive into the article, Probiotics and Gut Health, to learn all about probiotics and your infant’s gut health.

It is an exciting time when your baby starts to eat solid food. Food for many of us is a social experience and seeing your baby eat for the first time can be a joyous and monumental occasion. Knowing the best foods to feed your developing baby is key to providing the best nutrition possible. Some foods are better than others and learning which foods are nutritious as well as least allergenic will enlighten and prepare you and your family on the correct path. Continue reading to learn more.

How do you know if your breastfed baby has an allergy? There are signs and symptoms a baby will have if they have an allergy to something in your breast milk. Babies are not allergic to breast milk itself, but they can be allergic or sensitive to foods you eat while breastfeeding. Although the likelihood of a newborn having an allergic response to something in breast milk is low, learning the signs and symptoms can make you feel more confident as a parent.

How do you stay healthy and energized after giving birth? The answer is probably a mixed bag of jumbled phrases since having a newborn takes a huge amount of effort, time, and focus from you. Thinking about your own health many times gets pushed to the side, even if it is not intentional. Keeping up your energy levels and practicing mindful eating can help you be a better parent though. Learn more about the various nutrients needed after birth to help you heal and recover appropriately in the following Postpartum Nutrition article.

Feeding your baby comes in all shapes and forms. When bottles are used, there is a risk that breastfeeding will suffer, but learning about paced bottle feeding will help safeguard your breastfeeding relationship. The following article sheds light on paced bottle feeding and gives detailed advice of how to use this feeding method.

Babies born with a cleft palate or cleft lip face challenges that many newborns do not face. Breastfeeding a baby with one (or both) of these birth defects can be very difficult and feel impossible. There is hope though. If you are looking for ways to breastfeed your baby with a cleft, please read on to the Cleft Palates and Breastfeeding article for inciteful information.

Complications during pregnancy can cause alarm and anxiety for those experiencing them. One such complication is Gestational Diabetes. Learning you have Gestational Diabetes can feel overwhelming and make you feel you are not in control. This does not have to be the case though. Controlling Gestational Diabetes involves the help of your healthcare provider along with help from you. Learn all about Gestational Diabetes and how you can help yourself in the Gestational Diabetes article.

You have had your baby.  Congratulations!  You have conquered the first few weeks of breastfeeding.  Yippee! Everything seems to be going well.  Baby is healthy and happy and your new family unit is adjusting.  Then, you start realizing that you and baby have become one unit. This is awesome! Right?  Well, yes it is awesome. Of course it is. But, what about the other parent? Is the non-breastfeeding parent involved enough? Does he/she feel as connected to your new bundle of joy as you? Do you have silent resentment starting to take shape since you are the primary food giver? Does your partner have "pushed down" feelings that they are the lesser parent because the baby seems to only be soothed by you?  How can both parents find a way to share in the joys, work, care and memories of the new baby?  

The answer to all of these questions are for you to decide and whatever the answers are, you should know that all these stirred up feelings are natural.  How can you process and manage these new feelings though?  How can you implement positive ways into  your family so that you and your partner get to share duties and create new roles?

Many breastfeeding families need to find ways to allow both parents to become involved. It is healthy and helpful that your new baby learns different ways to be soothed, besides at the breast, as well as learns that there are two parents to form a bond with.  Now, of course there are situations where there is only one parent from the very beginning.  Finding ways to engage with your new baby, besides being stuck at home and on the couch, will be beneficial for you both and a few ideas are mentioned in this post that can help you.

The temperature is rising and you are concerned that your baby will become dehydrated.  The question many mothers ask is whether or not they should offer their exclusively breastfed baby water.  Although for adults increasing our water intake is a good and often necessary practice, for exclusively breastfed infants, this is not usually the case. Breast milk has a high water content, thus baby's thirst should be quenched by breastfeeding.  Often times the number of breastfeeds will increase during hot summer months because babies do need more fluid during this time.  This is natural and absolutely normal.  So, please allow your baby to breastfeed often and do not limit the amount of time or number of feeds your little one requests during hot weather periods.

For older babies or toddlers that are eating solids and not exclusively breastfed anymore, adding in a little bit of water between breastfeeds might be necessary.  Offering additional short breastfeeding sessions can also do the trick as well.

Bringing your new baby home is exciting, thrilling, and scary!  For the first few days after your birth, many people are around helping you and your new bundle of joy.  Once home though, many realize that taking care of your new baby is 24 hour work and the help you had is no longer there.  In addition, between days 3-6 your milk starts to come in more and managing breastfeeding can become a challenge.  Most women know that their milk will begin to come in more fully, but many do not realize to the extent that it can increase.  This can lead to engorgement if the breasts are not properly drained via breastfeeding.  On the other hand, if a mother's milk does not come in as fully as needed, she may not realize that her baby is not getting enough milk at each feeding. ​This can lead to a baby that does not gain weight appropriately and can be more sleepy than normal.  In addition to breastfeeding, women are also dealing with hormonal changes and less sleep and many try to take on more tasks than are needed (i.e. cleaning, washing, emailing, cooking, engaging with guests that stop by, etc.).

So…how can a new mother try and make coming home the best experience she and her baby can possibly have?