Role of a Father in pregnancy

We all know that father’s make a very special place in our lives even before we are born. Let’s say that our wonderful fathers done that double shift or sacrificed that weekly off to become more financially stable. Let’s not forget those all nighters to ensure you and mommy slept peacefully. This is just the tip of the ice berg. In fact, it takes almost the same amount of toll on the dad as much as on the mother while preparing for the baby.

Hence whenever we arrange ANCs we make it a point to keep a separate session for the expecting fathers where we talk and discuss about their perspective and apprehensions while they are entering this new role as a father.

Babycell blog 13th june

While discussing the role of a father here we will consider 3 aspects:

  • During pregnancy
  • During labour
  • Post pregnancy

During Pregnancy

They say it’s not just the mother but also the father who experiences pregnancy, although not physically but mentally and emotionally;

Take a few minutes every day to discuss your doubts and queries

Since the breasts become tender especially during the early weeks of pregnancy be careful when you get intimate. Avoid sexual intercourse in case of bleeding and pain. You can still keep the romance alive with some foreplay (let her know that despite of the weight gain and hormonal imbalance she still is as appealing as before).

Discuss your finances and investments with your wife to assure her that you do have a plan. This will ascertain her financial stress is reduced.

Help her with good sleep since the stress and anxiety will do a lot of talking.

Try to accompany her with every prenatal check-up.

Try to be around her when she is going through the “Morning Sickness” phase since this will be accompanied with a lot of mood swings (understand it’s the hormones talking).

Although there is a lot of literature on preparing to be a father, along with enlightening yourself by reading this you may also join a Lamaze class (which teaches you a father’s role during pregnancy and labour).

Pregnancy includes a lot of healthy eating and avoiding junk, try to be a part of this healthy eating carnival with you wife to support her and show her that even you a part of this change. Once in a while you may want to exhibit hands on your culinary skills “as an experimental chef” just to surprise her (then even if it means blending a milkshake and presenting it in an exotic way).

Encourage her to exercise under an expert with the doctor’s consent preferably through  an antenatal class.

 

During Labour

As the due date starts nearing a mixed feeling of excitement and anxiety will encroach upon you and your expecting wife

Calm yourself first and then try to calm your panicking wife (your meditation and breathing exercise lesson will be your savior here).

Since you would be already on a paternal leave you must read a bit on 3 stages of labour.

Anxiety can lead to pregnancy induced hyper tension in expecting mothers hence you need to divert her from the same. Lighten the environment by playing her favorite movies, music, call over some close friends for an evening chat over some tea or coffee

As the days pass by they may seem long so instead of waiting and anticipating enjoy each moment with her

Make sure that the mom-to-be has packed her bag if you are planning to have the delivery outside your home (hospital or birthing centre).

Stock the house with essentials so this saves you from running around post-delivery.

Update yourself with the knowledge regarding the Brackston Hicks contractions (false contractions) from your concerned gynecologists. Learn to time the contractions.

Make sure you are well hydrated and stuffed with some healthy food to remain energetic

Once the contractions begin these may last up to 14 to 16 hours or even more.

While she is being taken to the labour room run her through the breathing exercises that you learnt in your Lamaze class.

During the second stage of labour as the baby is being pushed out comfort the mother with some light massage on her forehead and hands. This is “sparsh chikitsa” (touch therapy by the ones who love you!)

If the mother is unable to maintain the much-required skin-to-skin contact you can do it to help your baby know its father (some men even get topless to get a better feel)

Complications:

When things don’t go as per the plan, it becomes a bit disheartening for the mother as well as for you. This could be in case of an induced labour which an emergency call taken by the doctor in case the contractions don’t begin even once the due date arrives

In any situation, you as a father must remain as strong as possible as this will help the expecting mother to gain more confidence

In case of pregnancy induced hypertension help the expecting mother calm down with the breathing exercises.

 

 

Post- Pregnancy:

Now that you have successfully welcomed your little angel, this little one has come with a lot of added responsibilities.

Say goodbye to your sleep since for initial few days you may have to go on night shifts while the newbie mommy recovers from the labour exhaustion and gets some good sleep.

Try to have a domestic help as laundry and cooking are your two new friends!

While you make sure that the new mom is eating well you must do it too.

Help her begin her exercise routine as soon as the doctor gives a green signal.

Learn things like changing the diapers, sponging your baby, massaging the baby occasionally, putting the baby to bed. This will not only make your wife feel better but also improve your bonding as a father with your baby.

Post-partum depression is a serious case and needs to be handled very delicately. In case you feel your wife is suffering from one do not hesitate to take her to a counselor asap. Together you can overcome this phase as well!

Be responsible to accompany your child and your wife for regular check –ups post pregnancy

For the first six months while the mother will be busy feeding the child exclusively the breast milk, help her ease down the back with some soothing massages. Attend the lactation classes with her to help her get a better ”breast feeding” experience.

In case of working and ambitious mothers let them know that you respect their work and encourage them to go ahead and follow their dreams. Remember it’s important to let her know that although she has acquired a new role as a mother with new responsibilities, she still has a life of her own and can choose to do whatever she aspires to do.

 

 

Blog by – Dr. Kranti Nimkar Kumta

SubstandardFullSizeRender

Baby Milestones 7th, 8th and 9th Months

Six months into your parenthood and your baby slowly and steadily grows from an infant to a toddler. He/she keeps getting more mobile, inquisitive and sprightly whereas you keep getting more and more awestruck with your baby’s development pace, don’t you?

This is the time when your little one is fully engaged with the world, thereby learning something new every day and surprising you every now and then. With the tiny steps of growth they undertake in each passing minute, you know there are precious moments you’ve spent with the apple of your eye, you’ll never get back again.

The following three months will see the coming of more firsts starting from advancing motor skills to uncanny attachments with funny soft toys.

Look out for these milestones your baby will be achieving on his 7th, 8th and 9th months of

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7th Month:

After weeks of rolling sideways and flipping into their tummies, the tiny tot finally starts sitting without support and balancing his/her weight with those tiny legs well enough to bounce when you hold him/her, in the seventh month.

2

Your junior is now more sensitive to the tone of your voice thereby actually responding when you call his/her name and sensing your warning when you say “no”. It is also quite important to know that your baby thrives on the interactions he/she has with you at this stage, so shower them with instant games, cuddles and replies to encourage their communication skills. It’s a critical time for their language development.

Do childproof your home and keep the space safe for him/her to explore.

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8th Month:

By the time your bundle of joy is 8 months old, he/she is not only an eager explorer but also more cautious and curious about things around them. He/she would amuse himself/herself by putting things in containers and taking them out again. By trying to comb his own hair, drinking from a cup and even pretending to talk on the phone for that matter.

Watch out for these!

4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You might notice your little baby crying on seeing other babies cry, which is nothing but ‘reflexive crying’. This is him/her developing the feelings of empathy, pity and compassion.

5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your 8-month-old baby’s mealtime should now start including baby cereal, fruits and vegetables as well as mashed and pureed meat. His/her diet should slowly start switching to solids from liquids at this stage even though he/she might still require 16-20 ounces of breast milk till his first birthday.

6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9th Month:

Three-quarters of the way through your munchkin’s first year and your baby has come a long way from the time you first brought him/her home from the hospital. This is the time when your cute little baby will babble on to glory. Little do we know that this is when they’re actually trying to talk to us- we just fail to understand them yet. Your little one also develops social skills and will turn into quite a social animal, responding to gestures like blowing kisses or waving.

7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He/she will also become quite the mimic, mimicking away your expressions and actions. Separation anxiety will also be at its peak at this time and you can help them by warning people to approach slowly or let your baby make the first move.

Babies this age might soon be able to cruise along the edge of the couch or the coffee table to your surprise. They can also pull themselves to a standing position perfectly enough to amaze you.

8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is also a tough phase to travel with your fast-growing baby since travelling might disturb her routines and your child expects predictability. Do be prepared for a grumpy, clingy version of your little one during this time and be prepared with distractions to cope with it.

9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your baby might either reach milestones ahead of schedule or might even lag behind. What is important to remember here is that it’s pretty much normal and there shouldn’t be any reason to worry. However, consulting your baby’s doctor regarding this wouldn’t be a bad idea after all.

At the end of the day, every baby is different in their own way and develop at their own pace. Make sure you don’t miss out on these milestones and cherish each and every moment as they pass by.

 

 

Baby Milestones – 4th, 5th and 6th months

No syllable can be gathered up to express the feeling of new parenthood. The physical and emotional gut-wrenching journey, figuring out the reason behind the endless crying, the sudden feeling of alertness and protection when someone holds your munchkin and the sleepless nights. You have lived every moment mentioned here, right? Well, once you’ve survived the first three months with your tiny ball of joy, you know the next milestone awaits you!

The next few months are the time when you know your baby is stepping onto those tiny but crucial development stages, which you absolutely don’t want to miss. From almost growing teeth to looking like the Leaning Tower of Pisa when trying to sit up, there are quite a few firsts you’ll witness during this period.

Time to be awestruck by your baby’s 4th, 5th and 6th month milestones!

ss

 

 

 

 

 

 

4th month:

Right when you think you know enough about your child, is when you’ll realize you were wrong. Your little one will keep surprising you at every step of your life, whether 4 months or 20 years old and that is when you know he or she is growing up.

The fourth month is when he or she starts teething. You’ll know their first tooth is on its way when they excitedly start rubbing their gum with their pocket-sized fists. Watch closely for this sign.

This is also the time when you’ll watch your tiny tot rolling over from one side to another in glory!

sss

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the most incredible accomplishments at this phase is hearing your toddler babble some vowels and ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ when you’re least expecting him or her to. They finally become efficient communicators with their cute laughs and squeaks.

sxa

 

 

 

 

 

 

5th month:

Your baby will double up in size as compared to the time of birth, when he or she is five months old looking cute as a button. However, you need to make sure that everything around you remain cleaner than ever since, as there’s a possibility of all of it ending up in the naughty one’s mouth every now and then.Five months is also the time when the apple of your eye begins to make real and long eye-contact with you and everyone around. Surreal, isn’t it? His ability to point out bright coloured objects is also considerably higher at this point. Do notice.

zc

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best feeling is to watch your baby taking a solid, undisturbed nap looking as peaceful as a dove, after months of his birth. Setting up a proper bed-time routine will further help ensure this.

sx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6th month:

6 months old and the junior is already halfway through his first year! Amazing, isn’t it? This is the ideal time for your baby to start weaning onto solids and indulge in foods apart from the mother’s milk since the ability to start chewing also begins at this stage. It indeed turns out to be one of the most memorable and unforgettable times in both your and your child’s life.

X

 

 

 

 

 

This is also the quintessential time to play with your babies and make learning fun for them from the very beginning. They will be up and active throughout the day after the perfect night’s sleep and that is when playing and exploring should happen. It’ll strengthen their free, ingenious brains and keep them busy. Watching your tiny ones pick up things fast will brighten up your day!

Last but not the least, the stage after sitting and before walking marks the glory of your six-month old wonder! From initially watching him commando crawl all over the house to balancing on his or her knees and hands and eventually standing up, it’ll all happen now! They might even surprise you by entering your room in the middle of the night.

zx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nonetheless, every child is different in their own way and hence develop at their own pace. However, if you’re worried about your child’s development do consult a health professional.

No matter how challenging and exhausting parenthood is, at the end of the day, you know it is way too beautiful and fascinating! Relish and capture every milestone of your munchkin, because these precious moments won’t come back!

 

 

 

Cord Of Love

A family that bonds together, stays together!

1 

The simple six-letter word ‘family’ has thousands of emotions and warmth attached to its meaning. But have you ever stopped for a second to wonder what a bond in a family actually means? Did you ever realise why that ‘bond’ is so important and precious to each one of us?

Well, the answer to all of these questions will take us back to that one exceptional thing that keeps a family together. It is nothing but the ‘Cord of Love’!

In this world full of insecurity, fear, anxiety and where every other frightful emotion dominates, there is one priceless thing that helps us overcome each adversity. That one thing is the ‘Cord of Love’ which we are fortunate enough to share with the most special people in our lives: our parents and our children!

2

The bond a parent shares with their child is one of the most powerful and strongest bonds of nature. Whether you’re a single parent, a step-parent or even an adoptive parent, you’re sure to form an unbreakable bond from the birth of your little bundle of joy. However, apart from parents, we also share a certain emotional attachment with our grandparents, grandchildren, uncles, aunts and siblings which may not overpower the ‘Cord of Love’ shared with parents. Yet it manages to hold a strong position in our lives. It gives us strength and keeps us all together in good times and in bad.

3

Out of all the relationships a person is involved in during his lifetime, it goes without saying that the ‘Cord of Love’ shared with our mothers is a clear winner. It is said to be the most powerful and unadulterated form of love as mothers develop a feeling of anticipation and emotion right when the baby is in their womb. That is when a strong establishment of relation and the ‘cord of love’ is already set with the baby.

4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Same might not occur with the father but even here, there’s no way the bond with the child would suffer. They share a bond of respect. The father’s love towards his child is developed when he holds his baby for the first time in his arms. That’s when the ‘Cord of Love’ begins.

5

The strength of every mother’s emotional bond with her child is so fierce, that it has the ability to triumph every other bond. A child’s physical attachment with the mother may end once the umbilical cord is cut, but the emotional and psychological attachment begins right then.

The umbilical cord provides everything the baby needs to survive inside the womb, but little do people know how it keeps providing even when the baby is outside the womb. Through ups and downs and thick and thins, through every life-threatening disease, this real ‘Cord of Love’ will always be there to protect and shield your little one. This unbreakable ‘Cord of Love’ will be shielded by none other than, Babycell!

6

No one can imagine life without parents! The tiny things that we do for each other, the love, the respect, the care, it all strengthens the bond and this is where the ‘Cord of Love’ gets more meaningful and glorious.

Love is always around us, it’s always available to us. If we choose to embrace this love towards our parents and children, the ‘Cord of Love’ will keep getting powerful and unbreakable through all our thick and thin and everything in between.

7

 

A journey towards Fatherhood

Becoming a father is a life changing and beautiful experience in a man’s life. The journey will be full of ups and downs but it’s definitely a memorable one.

The most memorable moments include the time spent with the newborn baby, giving the baby a bath, cooking for your wife when she is busy taking care of the baby, clicking innumerable photographs of the baby and your family and changing the diapers as it’s fun activity that encourages baby bonding.

1

 

Here are a few easy ways that will guide you all to make your journey fun and easy –

1] Before Child’s Delivery –

When you come to know that you and your wife are expecting your first baby, you need to plan many things before the baby is born. Both the partners have to make sure that they raise their upcoming baby as a team and not at as individuals. The father always intend to plan the best for securing his baby’s future. One of the most important decisions that a couple takes for the baby before he/she is born is enrolling for stem cell banking. Check out the list of what you must look for in a stem cell bank – http://13.126.47.98/blog_/?cat=18. You can also read about benefits of cord blood banking on http://www.babycell.in/.  Cord blood stem cells have a potential to cure over 80 diseases, parents must ensure cord blood preservation to protect baby and family.

Dads-to-be must ensure that they accompany their wives to every doctor’s appointment and should also keep a tab on the health of mother and baby. They can attend parenting classes to understanding child delivery, baby care and more.

2

 

2] During Child’s Delivery –

The moment your wife goes into labor instead of panicking, you have to make sure you are calm and supportive of her. Being calm during the delivery is a sign that you are off to a new start. Once your wife is in labor make sure that you have carried the cord blood collection kit box to collect the umbilical cord during the delivery and inform your cord blood bank to collect the cord post-delivery.

3

3] Post Child’s Delivery –

Once the baby is born a family is complete, but at the same time, the challenges tend to grow. It is really important for you to spend time with the baby. Even if you are working outside the house, once you are back home you should it make it a point to spend as much time with the baby as possible. Giving the baby a bath is very important for baby – daddy bonding since this helps the baby get used to the dad’s touch. It’s important for you to provide emotional support to your wife by giving her an assurance that you are always there for her. The husband and the wife should make sure that they change the baby’s nappies together as it is a fun activity for family bonding. J The best way to increase family bonding is doing a photoshoot together to frame memories of a lifetime with your new bundle of joy! To check for tips on spending time with your baby read – http://13.126.47.98/blog_/?p=709

4

 

Fatherhood is challenging, but your baby is always worth all the work!

5

5 things To-Be-Dads need to know!

pregnant-woman-and-husband

We are pretty sure that all you dads-to-be are super excited to step into the new role termed – Fatherhood! But are you ready to take life one notch higher?

A lot may happen that no one will have prepared you for. There’s no way to anticipate every possible scenario, but you need not be completely in the dark, here are a few tips that can help you out a little:

1. Learning the basics

Change is the only thing that will be constant. Starting from the changes in your partner?s body to the changes in the house, everything is going to change, your everyday life can go for a toss but the first step is acceptance! Accepting things will make life easy!

2. Is it all about your wife and the baby?

Yes, you read it correctly, stepping anywhere close to fatherhood is a completely different ball game, and the only concentration of your life now is your wife and her growing belly.

3. Never question her cravings!

The next nine months your wife is going to extremely fussy about things she wishes to eat. So, if she wakes you up at 3 in the morning demanding for an ice-cream or a chocolate, don’t argue, just go and get one!

4. Go easy with those hormones – 

Don’t worry it’s a temporary phase, but yes it persists. Don’t be surprised if she expresses 10 different emotions in just 1 minute, those are her hormones acting on her.

5. Talking helps -

Your wife is going through a roller coaster ride and is extremely vulnerable, the best way to sooth her down is by talking to her and by stating obvious things like you will be by her side throughout the journey of parenthood.

We know with these tips you can’t crack the entrance examination, but this will help you at least sync into the new role. We wish you all a very happy Father’s (to-be) Day!