RN Insights
Pregnancy & Preparing For Baby
Traveling With a Newborn
Whether it’s your first trip as a new parent or you’re traveling home from the hospital after surrogacy or adoption, boarding a plane with a newborn can feel daunting, even for the most organized traveler.
Tiny humans may not need their own suitcase, but they come with their own kind of luggage: feedings, diapers, emotions, and love. The truth? You can fly with a newborn and even enjoy the journey with a little prep and the right mindset.
How to Choose Safe Baby Products: What Every Parent Should Know
As a parent, keeping your baby safe is always a top priority, and choosing the right products plays a huge role in that. From cribs to car seats, toys to electronics, every item your baby uses should meet safety standards. With so many options on the market, it can feel overwhelming. Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered! Here are essential tips to help you choose safe baby products with confidence.
SneakPeek Gender Tests: Clinical vs. Snap Test– Which One is Right for You?
Discovering your baby’s gender is one of the most exciting milestones of pregnancy, and thanks to SneakPeek, you don’t have to wait for the anatomy scan to find out! At North Alabama Newborn Nurse, we offer two incredible options for early gender determination: SneakPeek Clinical and SneakPeek Snap Test. Both are 99.9% accurate, but they cater to different preferences. Let’s explore what makes each one unique so you can decide which is best for you!
The Ultimate Guide to Safe Sleep for Babies
As parents, ensuring that our little ones sleep safely is one of our top priorities. With so much information out there, it can be overwhelming to know exactly what steps to take to create a safe sleep environment for your baby. We’ll break down the essentials to help you set up a sleep space that not only promotes restful nights but also keeps your baby safe and sound.
Minimizing Waste, Maximizing Nutrition: The Importance of Right-Sized Breastmilk Storage!
As we embark on the journey of nurturing your little ones, we understand that every drop of breastmilk is liquid gold, holding immeasurable benefits for your precious baby. Today, let's delve into a crucial aspect of breastfeeding – the importance of storing breastmilk in amounts that your baby consumes or less. This means, if your baby typically drinks 2-3 oz, store in 2-3oz bags, don't just put all the milk from 1 pumping session into 1 bag.
Postpartum Tip: Don't forget to pee!
On this edition of "Things they don't tell you about birth and postpartum".... let's talk about postpartum pee...
After giving birth, more than likely you will quickly start to get a lot of questions and encouragement from nurses to use the toilet. Along with wearing diapers, it can start to feel like you are are being potty trained all over again! In some sense.. there can be some bladder re-training that needs to happen, but mostly, we just want to make sure everything is working properly and that it continues to work properly.
Turning Newborn Snuggles Into Mindfulness
The benefits of mindful meditation has been all the rage in the past several years. There are endless studies and personal testimony of mental and physical improvements with the implementation of a mindfulness practice. As a parent of an infant, it can be difficult to feel like you have any time to yourself, let alone even entertain the idea of beginning or continuing a mindfulness practice.
5 S's to Soothe Baby
It is typical for young infants to get fussy in the evening, sometimes referred to as "the witching hour." Their enormous pace of mental and physical development takes a toll on them and are often clingy and upset after a long day of intense stimulation.
Preventing Newborn Falls & Drops
Newborn Falls & Drops are uncommon, but they do happen. The best way to avoid these accidents is to be aware of the risk factors to know when to be extra cautious. This discussion is focused on newborns still in the hospital, but the information can be carried to home as well.
Postpartum Abdominal Changes
The postpartum belly undergoes arguably the most drastic and abrupt physical change the human body endures. The pregnant uterus spends 9 months stretching skin, ligaments, muscles and squishing organs. By 36 weeks of pregnancy your uterus is at it’s highest point at the sternum, tucked up close under the ribcage.
Safe Infant Formula Preparation and Handling
With all the talk about formula safety, here’s a quick rundown on proper preparation. Powdered formula isn’t sterile, so the WHO recommends mixing it with water at least 70°C (158°F) to kill bacteria, especially for high-risk infants. If making bottles ahead, store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours or keep them cold in a cooler when on the go.
Perinatal Mood Disorders -It's Not Just Postpartum Depression
There are many misconceptions about perinatal mood disorders and these illnesses very often go undiagnosed. What birthing people need to know most is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! This is so much more common than you realize.
On this edition of "Things they don't tell you about birth and postpartum".... let's talk about postpartum pee...
After giving birth, more than likely you will quickly start to get a lot of questions and encouragement from nurses to use the toilet. Along with wearing diapers, it can start to feel like you are are being potty trained all over again! In some sense.. there can be some bladder re-training that needs to happen, but mostly, we just want to make sure everything is working properly and that it continues to work properly.