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mamasmaternalhealth

Sep 4, 2019
2 min

Why support from Mamas Maternal HealthWorks

It is well known that a variety of factors influence a women during pregnancy and lactation. This includes family support, society, self-efficacy, etc. However, one of the biggest influencing factors is the support a woman receives from her healthcare providers. WHY? They are ready to offer individualized, evidence-based support to help a woman meet her pregnancy goals. Studies have found that support lasting for longer periods of time are the most effective in helping women

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mamasmaternalhealth

Sep 2, 2019
2 min

Why Mamas Maternal Health?

Mamas Maternal Health wants to invite you to join us while we enter the fall season! You are probably asking yourself, 'Why Mamas? What makes them so special?' Well, Mamas Maternal Health is unique because we offer both maternal and infant nutrition counseling services. What does this look like? 1) Individualized maternal and infant nutrition counseling services throughout your pregnancy and during lactation. - This means one-on-one, specific to you sessions. Every meeting wi

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How to prevent baby-bottle tooth decay or carries

mamasmaternalhealth

Aug 27, 2019
2 min

How to prevent baby-bottle tooth decay or carries

What is the cause? Exposure to sugary or carbohydrate filled liquids/foods for prolonged periods of time. For example, when a baby falls asleep with a bottle in his/her mouth, hence the name 'baby-bottle carries'. This is not exclusive to formula fed infants---it can occur with breastfed infants as well. Baby-bottle tooth decay or carries can also be caused by bacteria passing into the baby's mouth such as a dirty pacifier...OR if your baby does not receive enough fluoride, w

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mamasmaternalhealth

Aug 27, 2019
3 min

Weaning: From Bottle or Breast to Cup

Last week we discussed tooth decay from bottle use. One way to combat this is through weaning to a cup. But as we know, our little ones can become attached to their bottle and it may be hard for them to give it up. So how do we start to wean them? It is not a matter of 'can they drink from a cup'. Even newborn infants, if supported correctly, can drink from a cup (in some cases-- it is recommended to feed your baby from a cup if specified). When it comes to taking a baby off

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mamasmaternalhealth

Aug 27, 2019
1 min

Black Breastfeeding Week

Yes you read that right! Its International Black Breastfeeding week and the theme is: Imagine! Innovate! Liberate! We want to focus on the difficulties that black women face in trying to breastfeed. 'The voices of black families have been traditionally overlooked in innovation spaces and that’s why we need YOU to bring your fire, passion, and brilliant ideas to revolutionize Black breastfeeding in the United States.' Why do we need a Black Breastfeeding week? Overall health o

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mamasmaternalhealth

Aug 26, 2019
4 min

Probiotics: What and where to find them

What are probiotics? PSA: This is a long post... but worth the read! Probiotics are microorganisms that colonize the gut and other parts of the body. Not to be confused with prebiotics---which are the food for probiotics. Probiotics can be bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Yes, these all sound like things that could get you sick---and they are--- but there are good and bad kinds of all of the above. The bad microorganisms have the potential to get you sick whil

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mamasmaternalhealth

Aug 20, 2019
2 min

What is actually in your supplements?

Pregnant women are routinely advised to take a prenatal vitamin to make sure that they are getting all the nutrients they need to grow a healthy baby. Unfortunately, the control and inspection of vitamins and other supplements in the last 20+ years has been limited. Supplements are recognized as foods under FDA regulations... a.k.a. they are not required to be tested (for safety and ingredients). In fact, "Supplement manufacturers—unlike drug companies—do not need to prove th

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mamasmaternalhealth

Aug 19, 2019
4 min

What is Diet Culture?

Todays #mondaymotivation is to 1) talk about exactly what diet culture is and 2) help you break free from it. Diet culture is the movement behind the 'fat' stigma---that only healthy bodies are skinny. In healthcare, we know that one health indicator is BMI. BMI can be very helpful in gauging some idea of an individual's body type-- however, it can be incredibly misleading. For example, many athletes with a high muscle mass will naturally fall into an overweight category. Doe

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How to navigate todays technology while raising your child?

mamasmaternalhealth

Aug 16, 2019
3 min

How to navigate todays technology while raising your child?

While technology in many ways aids us in transforming our society into the modern glory that it is, how do we navigate raising our children in its wake? Developmentally, children do better when they have constant stimulation from relationships as well as interaction with the world around them. Often times, babies and young children are given a screen--be it a smart phone or T.V.--- to keep them occupied and/or to buy parents precious time to themselves. OR parents are physica

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Passing of Fairness for Breastfeeding Act 2019

mamasmaternalhealth

Aug 15, 2019
2 min

Passing of Fairness for Breastfeeding Act 2019

If you have been following along on the Fairness for Breastfeeding Act, we are pleased to announce that on July 25th, the act was signed by the president and is now an official US law. To learn more about the laws journey, check out our previous blog post here! Here is a breakdown of exactly what the law requires: 'This bill requires that certain public buildings that are open to the public and contain a public restroom provide a lactation room, other than a bathroom, that is

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mamasmaternalhealth

Aug 13, 2019
3 min

After birth: Now what?

The wait is over, you now have your little one in your arms after 40 long weeks. But now what? The attention has shifted from you to your newborn--- and in most ways, rightly so. This baby needs lots of love and attention while he/she grows and learns about the world around them. Unfortunately, often times you mamas take a back seat and may not give yourselves or be given the love and attention you need to recover. Your body has gone through some major changes and now you hav

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mamasmaternalhealth

Aug 12, 2019
2 min

Creating your support system

For today's #mondaymotivation we would like to motivate you to identify and challenge yourself and your support system. Your support system is more important than many realize, especially during pregnancy and thereafter. Some women have countless friends they can rely on, some have one really close friend. Some have many family members, others may have their partner. Some may have a great team of healthcare providers, some may have one great one. Some women may have all of th

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mamasmaternalhealth

Aug 8, 2019
2 min

Avoiding Perineum tears during labor.

Perineum tearing or cutting is too common during birth, and may be avoidable for some women during birth--- preventing unnecessary pain and need for healing. If you are unfamiliar with what your perineum is, it is the space between the vagina opening and the anus. In most cases the baby’s head will move down from the birth canal to the pubic arch which will stretch to accommodate the head size. There are a few reasons why your perineum may tear or need to be cut, also known a

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mamasmaternalhealth

Aug 7, 2019
2 min

Cord blood banking

Last week we discussed donating breastmilk to milk banks. This week we wanted to discuss another donating option. One of the new areas of medicine is using stem cells for a variety of immune purposes. Both the cord blood and the placenta are full of stem cells which can be turned into different kinds of blood cells. The umbilical cord is attached to the placenta and is the main way your baby receives blood and nutrients in the womb. Those blood cells can then be used to treat

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mamasmaternalhealth

Aug 5, 2019
2 min

World Breastfeeding Week

If you follow along with our social media, you may have seen that starting on August 1st began World Breastfeeding Week! It will continue until August 7th and each year there is a slogan and theme to promote and support breastfeeding worldwide. Breastfeeding is the optimal way to provide nutrition for your baby and provides health benefits for you and your baby. This year's slogan is "Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding". This is the emphasis on inclusion for all parents in

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mamasmaternalhealth

Aug 1, 2019
3 min

What is the labor process?

As we know, the labor process is unique to every woman. It is exactly what the name implies--- an adventure that requires time and dedication. For some women, labor takes over 24 hours, while others may take only a few hours depending on certain factors (such as having previous pregnancies). Labor does not necessarily mean unbearable pain throughout the entire process---your body will go through stages. Some women describe labor as a marathon or a hike with an unknown ending

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mamasmaternalhealth

Jul 26, 2019
2 min

WIC and what they can do for you...

In this post we wanted to talk a little bit about one of the most widely known maternal and childhood community organizations, WIC. WIC stands for Women, Infants, and Children and is organized under Maternal Family Health Services. Many people think that WIC is 'food stamps for pregnant women' which is an aspect of what they do, however, it is so much more. For a woman who meets eligibility requirements, as soon as she finds out she is pregnant, she can go into her local WIC

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mamasmaternalhealth

Jul 25, 2019
2 min

What is actually in your baby food?

Lets talk baby food, what is actually in the food marketed for your little one? There are hundreds of different brands out there with fortified this and enriched that... everything claiming the best health for your baby. But what is the best thing to actually give to your baby? If you decide that baby foods made from a company is the way to go, make sure you are checking the labels and ingredients, it may not just be fruit or vegetable puree. Many baby foods are full of other

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mamasmaternalhealth

Jul 23, 2019
2 min

How does weather effect your baby?

Besides vitamin D levels, the weather can effect the growth of your baby. In this heat wave and also during the freezing temperatures of the winter, extreme temperatures have been found to affect risks of lower birth weight. Our bodies crave balance, whether it is a balanced diet, internal homeostasis, or perfect weather. We thrive in these environments because in other extreme polar environments our bodies have to actively work to try and create a balance. In this case it ma

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How many dirty/wet diapers should your baby have?

mamasmaternalhealth

Jul 18, 2019
2 min

How many dirty/wet diapers should your baby have?

The amount of diapers a baby goes through can be daunting, but it can also be an indicator of proper milk transfer and nourishment. Here is the amount of diapers your baby should be soiling for each stage after birth. Your baby should have their first urination within the first 8-24 hours of life. They will have 2-6 wet diapers per day for the first 2 days, and can be up to 20 times per day after those 2 days. This is because infant's kidneys during this time are unable to co

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