You breastfeed because you want what's best for your new baby. Any new mother needs to remember that whatever she eats, so will her baby. Nutrients transfer from the mother's body into the baby's body via her breast milk. If a child has an allergy...
Breast feeding is hard work for your body. When you breast feed, your body is making enough calories, nutrients and water to support the needs of two separate individuals. This is a pretty amazing feat, so it is not surprising that your body needs...
Breastfeeding means you want what's best for your new baby. Breast milk supplies better immunity than formula and can set the precedence for health later in life. According to "The Breastfeeding Book" by registered nurse Martha Sears and Dr....
Breastfeeding is beneficial to the health of a mother as well as her nursing child. In addition to helping prevent postpartum depression, osteoporosis and some forms of cancer in the mother, breastfeeding can improve a mother's ability to lose...
If you are breastfeeding, you clearly want the best for you and your new baby. While the breast is usually best, it can take a toll on your body. Pregnancy leads to weight gain that most are anxious to get rid of when baby arrives. However, when...
Breastfeeding mothers need to consume 200 to 500 more calories each day than non-lactating women. For optimal benefits to you and your baby, eat a wide variety of healthy foods each day, and avoid cutting calories unless recommended by your...
Seasonal allergies can affect women at any stage of life, including during lactation. Fortunately, dedicated mothers do not have to choose between effective allergy treatment and a healthy breastfeeding relationship. The American Academy of Family...
La Leche League International recommends you eat a wide variety of whole foods when breast-feeding. For the most part, a standard balanced and healthy diet is optimal. Avoiding certain things can protect the health of your child. Some food...
Breastfeeding is considered to be one of the best things a mother can do to ensure her newborn's optimal health. Despite this official stance of the U.S. Surgeon General and other health experts, in 2010, less than 50 percent of mothers breast fed...
In antiquity, breast-enhancing herbs were used to increase milk secretion in breastfeeding mothers. As of 2010, herbal galactagogues (substances that increase milk production) are still considered safe, effective treatments for low milk supply,...
Breastfeeding is one of the healthiest ways your baby can start her life. Your milk supplies her with exactly the nutrition she needs to grow. Most foods are safe to consume while breastfeeding, but some may bother your baby and cause digestive...
Fenugreek is a plant-derived substance. It can be used as a tea or pill. Fenugreek has been used for centuries in India and other Eastern countries for its medical and culinary purposes. Self-prescription of fenugreek may produce side effects, so...
The feelings of excitement and anxiety that come with the onset of labor can be intense. You may not have much time or energy to put together all of the items necessary to have a successful and comfortable hospital stay for you and your new...
Many medicinal herbs contain natural compounds that alter levels of reproductive hormones in the human body. In theory, some of these products can increase a woman's breast size by simulating the conditions associated with breast milk production....
Breast-feeding your baby offers her a wealth of nutritional benefits. There are many reasons why you may choose to pump milk for your baby, according to La Leche League, including a return to work, the infant is premature or because there are...
The benefits of breastfeeding have been documented in thousands of studies. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that parents exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months of their child's life and that they continue breastfeeding after...
Pregnancy and lactation spark numerous changes in a woman's body, and some of these changes can be uncomfortable or jarring. It's common for breastfeeding women to feel a sensation of heaviness in their breasts and chest. As the breasts fill with...
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly referred to as GERD, is a condition that occurs when the contents of the stomach flow backward into the esophagus. Although it is common in babies, breastfeeding women can also suffer from the condition as...
In the flurry of activity surrounding your last trimester, it's difficult to remember all of the little things you need to prepare before the arrival of your baby. Taking the time to pack a proper hospital bag before you're panicked and in labor...
Experts in the area of infant nutrition agree on the fact that breast milk is a perfect food for infants because it is balanced in all the areas of nutrition that promote healthy growth of the body, nervous system, organs and brain. Parents who...
Fenugreek tea is used in traditional medicine by nursing mothers throughout the world to stimulate milk production. Avoid getting an early start with this tea, however, because it’s not recommended for use during pregnancy. Also consult your...
A newborn's brain contains 100 billion neurons, and it will develop trillions of cell connections within its first years, according to Scholastic.com. Although an infant's brain is already hardwired to handle tasks such as language development, it...
Gas occurs frequently in newborns and infants as a result of an immature digestive system. Medical experts are unable to agree on whether the food a breastfeeding mother eats contributes to gas in her baby, and avoiding all gas-producing foods is...
Breastfeeding benefits babies for as long as you choose to do it, but it can be of special importance during the first few months of life. The first milk your body produces, called colostrum, provides immunological benefits that no other substance...
Despite the physical challenges of backache and morning sickness, the joy of the growing baby is an ever-ready reminder of your coming parenthood. It can also be a somewhat disquieting time, as first-time parents contemplate the changes to come...
Reflexology is a natural healing method, which uses pressure points, touch or massage in certain locations on your hands, feet or ears with the goal of improving the health. Although rigorous scientific data in reflexology is lacking, there is...
Breastfeeding protects the baby from health problems ranging from infections to obesity; it makes the mother less susceptible to reproductive cancers and metabolic syndrome, according to La Leche League International. Because of the benefits to...
Even when breastfeeding seems to be going along perfectly, new moms often wonder whether they are nursing the baby enough or too much. This becomes especially worrisome when formula-feeding peers talk about scheduling their babies' feedings or...
Aloe vera gel has a natural pH of 4.3 and drinking it can help you treat and heal skin problems such as acne and rosacea, according to the book "Family Herbal--A Guide to Living Life With Energy, Health and Vitality," by herbalist Rosemary...
