DEFINITIONS & CAUSES Late preterm babies are born between 34 0/7 weeks to 36 6/7 weeks gestation. Near term babies are born between 37 0/7 to 38 6/7 weeks gestation. Full term gestation is 39 0/7 weeks and above. Causes of late preterm birth include increased use assisted reproductive technologies ̶ IUI (intrauterine…
Explaining the Biology of Happiness
On a chemical level, our happiness basically stems from levels of four hormones (or neurotransmitters): 1) dopamine, 2) serotonin, 3) endorphin, & 4) oxytocin. Each plays a unique role in making us feel good. Dopamine drives reward-seeking behavior in our brains. If you eat something delicious or have an orgasm, & your brain releases some…
Benefits of Music Education for Children
Learning how to play an instrument involves improving hand-to-eye coordination, ear-to-hand coordination, & the fine motor skills needed to hold a bow or play the keys. Playing a musical instrument enhances both dexterity & hand-eye coordination. When playing an instrument, a musician must be able to create the correct notes through the proper hand motions….
Understanding Your Mom Stress: Relationship Demands
Relationship demands cut into our free time & add to our stress. As we invest more time into raising our children, sometimes our other relationships get neglected, especially when our children are young & need lots of attention. Mothers of young children frequently feel torn between meeting the needs of their infants & toddlers &…
Methods to Overcome Your Mom Stress
Methods to combat against your mom stress & prevent burnout. Time alone & self-care are crucial. Among the issues leading to mom overload, many of us find it difficult to make time & save energy to care for ourselves. Hobbies & enjoyable activities with friends before we became a mother are past. However, many of…
Understanding Your Mom Stress: Lack of Sleep & Feeble Boundaries
Lack of sleep & feeble boundaries contribute to our mom stress’ Are you getting enough sleep? Typically, we think of mom exhaustion as something that moms of newborns experience, especially because of sleep deprivation. But mom burnout can happen at any time if you aren’t getting enough rest. Regardless of your children’s ages, you know…
Understanding Your Mom Stress: Social Media Use
Time on social media adds to our mom stress & increases our time away from our kids. Children require so much care & nurturing right now. Plus you may have additional demands of extra people living in your household. As a result, most of us mothers are feeling stressed & short on time. Whether it’s…
Understanding Your Newborn Infant’s Cues
Newborn Babies’ Cues Newborn babies give their mothers all cues they need to figure out what to do. Reading your newborn baby’s cues can be a bit daunting at first. What new mothers must learn is to interpret these cues & respond accordingly. You are equipped to care for your newborn once you understand how…
Social Media Use and Postpartum Depression
Social Media Use (SMU) has been associated with increased depression in young adults. Several recent studies have correlated SMU linearly with two times greater odds of depression. Compared with those in the lowest quartile, individuals in the highest quartile of SMU site visits per week and those with a higher media frequency scores had significantly…
SIDS and Safe Sleep Environment
Bedsharing in the US is rather common. 25% of mothers report bedsharing with their breastfed babies. Unsafe practices related to bed sharing/co-sleeping: Environmental smoke exposure and maternal smoking Sharing sofas, couches, or daybeds with infants Sharing waterbeds or the use of soft bedding materials Sharing beds with adjacent spaces that could trap an infant Placement…
