The arrival of a baby is a wonderful and emotional experience, but it can also be a challenge for a couple’s relationship. Between hormonal changes, sleepless nights, and adapting to a new routine, it’s normal for the connection with your partner to be affected. However, there are tips and strategies that can help you keep a strong and close relationship during this special stage.

1. Open and Honest Communication:

The foundation of any strong relationship is open and sincere communication. During this new phase as parents, it is essential to express how you feel, your concerns, joys, and needs. Talk about how you are experiencing the journey of parenting and actively listen to your partner. Sharing these feelings will strengthen your bond and allow you to support each other along the way.

2. Set Aside Time for Each Other:

Although it may seem challenging with the baby’s arrival, it’s crucial to reserve quality time to enjoy each other’s company. Take advantage of moments when the baby is sleeping to talk, laugh, or simply relax together. You can plan a romantic date at home or even ask a close family member to look after the baby for a while so you can go out for a walk or have a coffee. Quality time as a couple is key to maintaining an emotional connection.

3. Support Each Other in Household and Baby Care Tasks:

Shared parenting can be a great opportunity to strengthen your relationship. Work as a team to divide household chores and baby care responsibilities fairly. Supporting each other in these duties will help you feel like you are in this together and that you can rely on one another.

4. Keep the Spark Alive:

Even though it may be challenging with the new demands of the baby, it’s important to find moments to maintain intimacy and passion in the relationship. Don’t let your sex life take a backseat; talk openly about your needs and desires, and find moments to connect physically. Remember that physical closeness enhances the emotional connection between partners.

5. Take Care of Your Own Emotional Health:

It’s normal to experience emotional ups and downs during this stage of change. It’s vital to take care of yourselves to be better able to care for your relationship. If you feel you need additional support, don’t hesitate to talk to friends, family, or even a professional. Acknowledging and expressing your emotions will help you face any challenge together.

In summary, maintaining a healthy relationship with your partner after becoming parents requires effort, communication, and dedication. Remember that you are a team, and although there may be challenging moments, there will also be many moments of happiness and shared growth.

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We hope this article has been helpful and provided you with some guidelines for maintaining a strong relationship after becoming parents. Motherhood and parenting are fascinating topics filled with learning experiences, and I love being able to share information and tips with you. If you have any experiences or advice you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments. Thank you for reading!

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According to experts snoring occurs when the soft tissues of the throat relax and cover the airways, so when inhalation or exhalation is performed the tissue vibrates causing an audible hissing sound, it is more common than it seems without causing alarm in parents.

When to be concerned?

It is said that at least 1 out of every 10 children snores at an early age, and it is usually the recurring question in pediatric offices. Is it normal for my baby to snore? Can it be dangerous for him to snore at such a young age? How can I prevent this from happening? These and many other questions are often asked by parents of snoring children.

Unless you have a cold, nasal congestion or a significant respiratory condition, otherwise snoring should not occur in infants, and you should consult your pediatrician.

Some possible causes may be:

• Allergies associated with the airways.
• Asthma.
• Deviation of the nasal septum.
• Throat infection.
• Sleep apnea.

In general, snoring during childhood does not cause major problems unless it persists, is daily and getting louder to the point of disturbing the child’s sleep, which is already a cause of alert and we must look for possible causes

Learn a little more about these causes.

• Adenoids: it is a lymphatic tissue similar to tonsillar tissue located behind the nose and that can grow due to recurrent viral infections and when this occurs it obstructs the passage of air through the nose which causes snoring.
• Palatine tonsils: they grow in the same way as the adenoids, and it corresponds to evaluate by a specialist to give a proper diagnosis and possible solution or treatment.
•  Laryngomalacia: it is said to be an anomaly that occurs at birth or during the first two weeks of life, in these cases the baby is born with a larynx that collapses when they inhale, so breathing is noisy, which causes snoring not only when sleeping but also when they cry or sleep on their back.

A baby may snore eventually, they are not yet able to complain about not being able to breathe or having a bad night so you should watch closely for any symptoms such as:

1. Retraction of the chest to breathe, you can see the ribs every time he/she breathes.
   1. He usually eats poorly, eats slowly, does not chew well and does not gain weight.
      1. When snoring may present intervals of apnea which is when breathing stops.
      1. Cyanosis which is a blue coloration of the skin due to lack of oxygen.

If in doubt consult your pediatrician, go to an emergency medical appointment in case the symptoms persist, take care of your baby, remember that observation is the best prevention.

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Attention deficit hinders some processes in children, especially learning processes.

It has always been said or talked about children who are labeled as:

● Distractible

● Restless

● Lazy

Impulsive

Nowadays the matter is treated very seriously, many children attend therapy because they have been diagnosed with ADHD. And is that it could be defined as follows “is a chronic condition that affects millions of children”, it is possible that in some cases this continues into adulthood and includes persistent problems mainly difficulty maintaining attention.

In addition to this, children with ADHD struggle with low self-esteem, poor school performance and problems relating socially.

In this post we bring you five activities with which you can work on your child’s attention, and with which you could help them improve and control their lack of concentration and hyperactivity.

Activities to work on attention

1. Putting puzzles together

This pastime will keep him busy for a while, if he is not very small you can buy the ones with many pieces (the pieces will be smaller according to the amount of pieces the puzzle has). It will work on attention, as well as memory.

2.         Classify objects

Whether by color, shape or size, you can mix them all and the child must separate them according to the instruction he receives. You can work on the difference in characteristics between objects, attention and concentration.

3. Alphabet soup

Whether he already reads or not, you can occupy him finding words or enclosing the vowels in circles, it is a good technique to work on concentration and teach him letters or words.

4. Turn-based games

Something that is very difficult for most children is to wait their turn, and it is good to encourage the habit of waiting either to talk, play or win. This type of games will teach them in the best way to respect the turns of others, games like dominoes, chess, monopoly, are of great help.

5.         Read a story

Encouraging children the habit of reading is beneficial in any way, but when there is attention deficit it is likely that they do not see it attractive. You can create routines before going to sleep and accompany them in reading in this way you guarantee that your little ones will be able to dedicate a few minutes every day to read.

Remember that early diagnosis, attention and accompaniment is essential, as it is likely that over the years the symptoms will slow down and your child will be able to manage their emotions, impulsivity and control their hyperactivity.

Avoid excessive screens, over stimulation and above all screaming. Dressing with patience every day will be the best motivation for them and for you, and do not forget that you as parents do not have to go through this alone, there are specialists and professionals ready to help.

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Many parents think that food intake will be higher in the second year of life, but this is not the case. The child is adapting its organism to a diet similar to that of its parents, for this reason, children will increase their appetite around five or seven years of age as they increase in size.

Also, it is necessary to consider that not all children of the same age are fed in identical portions, some require more food than others, this is determined based on the nutritional requirements of each child.

If the child does not want to eat, the parent must educate him and provide him with foods that are pleasing to his sight, always taking into account the amount of food he needs, according to his nutritional demand. Food should not exceed or decrease the nutritional limits of each person.

Tips for establishing optimal feeding behavior

To encourage healthy eating and in appropriate measures, parents should provide the child with a pleasant environment, the child must understand that feeding is a necessary and voluntary act, without punishment or obligations based on retaliation.

A good strategy is to serve the portion of food needed by the child in the largest plate, in this way, he will believe that you served less food. Also, you could invite him to participate in the cooking tasks, set the table, choose the food he likes the most, help serve his own food and other activities that encourage the child’s autonomy.

If your baby doesn’t want to eat, promote that he/she should be fed together with his/her parents., it is a way to show him how he should behave, what he should eat and the established schedules for each meal. The child’s food should be balanced, they should get used to the flavors of healthy foods, so that in the future they can be added to their diet without problems.

They should eat the amount required for their organism, neither more nor less, taking into account satisfying their hunger and establishing adequate eating habits, without excesses of food so as not to promote obesity and without lack of food so as not to run the risk of nutritional deficit or other related diseases.

Healthy eating

Promoting healthy eating implies not taking punitive measures to make the little one feel frightened or experience every meal as an unpleasant act, this will not help at all, instead, it will make the little one not want to eat.

There will always be other strategies to educate the child to follow a healthy diet, so that each meal is a pleasant experience, encouraging autonomy, creativity and nutritional satisfaction of the child.

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Flat feet in children, in some cases their plantar arches do not develop properly, and in others, the condition occurs after birth.

Symptoms present in flatfoot include weakness and tightness around the inner side of the foot and ankle. Also, severe pain may develop in the leg and reach the knee, hip or back. These symptoms are accentuated as you stand in a static position for a prolonged period of time.

When this condition is detected in children, correction methods are used so that the child can lead a more comfortable life, because once the flatfoot is acquired, the condition does not heal completely.

Some of the recommendations given to parents aware from flat feet in children are the following:

• When choosing footwear for the child, they should consider that it should be long enough, with approximately one thumb’s space left over. Also, they should ensure that the shoe is wide enough, giving room for the toes.
• If warranted, the footwear should have a tight plantar arch support, to provide relief, this type of support should be performed by a specialist.
• The child should be taught not to stand in one position for too long, neither should sitting and crossing the knees, it is best to take an interlocking position. When walking, weight should be placed on the toes and outer edges of the foot.

An orthopedist can identify if your little one requires special care, such as massage, therapeutic exercises or devices.

Causes

A common condition, often seen in children, is due to the ligaments that tighten the sole of the foot not contracting enough to form the plantar arch, a process that is completed by age 2 or 3.  Sometimes special measures are necessary if the child is in pain, but if there is no discomfort, special footwear is not necessary.

Some cases of flat feet in children are due to a congenital condition, because a family member has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or Marfan syndrome.

The diagnosis of flat feet is made by a doctor. However, if you hear from your child that his or her foot, ankle, or lower leg hurts frequently, consider seeing a specialist to determine if he or she has flat feet.

Treatment

If pain is not present, no treatment is necessary. On the contrary, if discomfort persists, you should consult with a specialist who will determine if you should use special devices, heels, wedges or insoles.

Arch support and leg stretching are often recommended. In a case of tertiary collision, treatment is based on rest and a splint; in more serious cases, surgery may be necessary.

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Most children are confronted at some point with the subject of surgery, either by a family member or by the patient themselves, going through a stage of preoperative stress.

The health personnel can guide the person in charge of the child on how to explain the child’s condition and the measures to be taken for the physical preparation required for the surgery. In spite of this, it is common for the family member to feel confused and not know how to express him/herself in front of the child, or what actions should be avoided in front of him/her in order not to create panic.

For this reason, the psychological preparation of the relatives and the patient is essential for the optimal development of the surgical intervention.

Psychological preparation of the relative

It is normal that the news affects you emotionally as a parent or relative of the child, however, you should calm down, seek information about the procedure to be performed on the child, try not to be alarmed if there are risks and do not lose hope or get carried away by the preoperative stress and worry.

Many people find help for their emotions through prayer and faith that things can go well. And you need to be aware that surgery can be performed and have positive or negative results, but you should never lose faith, which is the certainty of what is expected despite the circumstances.

Another way to deal with the situation is to look for didactic help, you can find various sources and content that will help you.

Currently, the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) has elaborated a program of psychological preparation for child surgery. It covers important topics: recommendations for parents and tips to calm the child.

It is important that you have a calm countenance when you are in contact with the child, it may be difficult, but it is essential to avoid situations such as crying or despair in front of the child. In this way, you will not create a negative emotional contagion, as psychology calls it.

Psychological preparation of the child

You can try to show your little one a video of another child telling his post-operative experience, you can tell him: look, he is a child like you.

Or you could motivate him with words of encouragement: Everything is going to be fine! you don’t have to be afraid, mom is with you. Or, surgery is a procedure where you will be given anesthesia, it won’t hurt.

Many times children’s fear is rooted in the pain they may feel, so you should inform yourself adequately to answer all questions in a simple way.

During the pre-operative period you can perform activities that divert the attention of the child and avoid stress, you can resort to toys, singing or telling an animated story. You can also create a secret password that will make him feel always close to you; for example, when the child is taken to the operating room, he will remember that, if he interlaces his hands, you will be doing the same wherever he is and he will feel safer.

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Start Small

Start small if you’re a new gardener. It’s better to be delighted by what you produce in a little garden than to be frustrated by the time commitment required by a large one. It is essential to choose a decent site for your garden.

• A bright spot: The majority of veggies require 6 to 8 hours of direct sunshine every day. A few vegetables (mainly the green ones) can endure some shade.
• Avoid areas where high winds may knock over your young plants or prevent pollinators from completing their work. You also don’t want to plant in an area that gets a lot of foot traffic or floods readily.
• Drains effectively and does not remain wet: If your soil is poorly drained and water pools, grow vegetables on a raised bed or elevated row to enhance drainage.

Choose Vegetables Wisely

Begin as a novice by selecting simple veggies that are also fruitful. The idea is to plant little amounts of various crops that provide large returns. Choose easy-to-grow crops such as salad leaves, fresh herbs, leafy greens. Here are some veggies that you can grow in a mini vegetable garden.

• Lettuce
• Green beans
• Radishes
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Beets

Grow Vertically/ Container Gardening

Growing food in a space-constrained garden frequently necessitates ingenious methods. Even balcony gardeners may grow food by planting in pots, window boxes, hanging baskets, or buckets. Planting vining crops such as pole beans, cucumbers, and squash require something for their tendrils to grip onto, such as a trellis, fence, or netting. Pole beans on a trellis at the back of a large border may seem like a smart idea in the spring, but by July, they may be difficult to harvest.

Grow Veggies in Raised Beds

Raised beds allow you to control the soil mix and plant more densely, allowing you to fit more vegetables into the same amount of area. They drain well, warm up quickly in the spring, and are easy to maintain. Fill with an equal mix of good-quality garden soil and compost, as well as rot-resistant materials.

Construct an edible landscape.

Edible landscaping is a unique and appealing way to cultivate vegetables in a front lawn. Ornamental veggies and herbs can be included into the perennial garden or tucked into containers. They may also be appealing on their own, especially when combined with other colors and textures.

Gardens on the Windowsill

Growing edibles on a windowsill is a simple, low-space solution for plants that are gathered regularly, such as herbs and lettuce. However, windowsill gardening isn’t just for those with little room. Any gardener may prolong the growth season by potting up some herbs and growing them indoors, as long as they have enough sunlight and water. You may even grow veggies indoors if a section of your home receives adequate sunshine.

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Cleft palate, in simple terms, is a gap found in the roof of the infant’s mouth that connects to the nose. It is often found at the back of the roof of the mouth, but can also extend to the front of the palate and connect to a cleft lip. Thus, cleft palate is only the result of parts of the face that did not come together during the period between the 6th and 9th week of pregnancy.

HOW TO DETECT A CLEFT PALATE?

Nowadays, it is possible for a doctor to detect a cleft palate from the womb, through the different scans performed to evaluate the fetus, such as ultrasounds. However, it is usually not noticed until the baby is born and seen by a doctor, nurse or parent.

After it becomes evident that the baby has a cleft palate, a referral should be made to a group of medical specialists, such as a craniofacial team, where there will be specialists such as otolaryngologists, pediatricians, plastic surgeons, among others. Meeting with these health professionals will help to outline a plan of action and how to deal with the difficulties presented by a cleft palate.

CAUSES OF CLEFT PALATE

The causes of cleft palate have not been determined with complete certainty, and it is assumed that it is a result of genetics and not something that is caused by what the mother did or did not do. However, a link has been found between children with cleft palate and alcohol or tobacco use during pregnancy, as well as lack of folic acid, use of epilepsy and steroid medications, and obesity.

PROBLEMS OF A CLEFT PALATE

Primarily, a cleft palate makes it difficult for the baby to feed, can cause speech impediments later in life, and makes the infant more susceptible to ear infections, hearing problems and tooth formation. These difficulties can vary depending on the location of the cleft, the depth and the attention given to it in the infant’s first year and a half of life.

TREATMENT

The most prominent correction of a cleft palate is through surgery that should be performed before 18 months of age, and is commonly performed between 10 and 12 months of age, where an attempt is made to bridge the gap in the palate tissue, creating a palate that does not allow food to escape through the hole and improves speech ability.

The operation, called palatoplasty, lasts approximately 2 to 3 hours, where general anesthesia is used and the infant can go home after 1 or 2 days, without the need to undo the stitches, as they dissolve by themselves. Special sleeves will probably be used so that the baby cannot bend his elbows and touch the roof of his mouth, and he will also have to be on a liquid diet for a certain period of time.

Follow-up may also be required throughout the patient’s life, with speech therapy, visits to the dentist, various medical specialists and recurrent check-ups, and may even require further surgery at a later date.

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The reasons why a baby is born prematurely can be many, however, when the time comes to take our little one home, it is inevitable to wonder if we will be able to take care of him/her properly without the support of a team of nurses and doctors.

Generally, a premature baby will be discharged when his development allows him to control his body temperature, feed properly, and breathe independently. For this, the baby must reach an optimal weight and the moment of discharge will depend on the complications he/she has had at birth, always under medical control until at least 2 years of life.

Below, we share some general care for a premature newborn that will help you prepare your home and keep calm during the first weeks of life.

Home environment

Premature babies tend to have a lower body fat index so they will need to be kept warm to regulate their temperature. Rooms in the home should be between 21C and 24C. Although our intuition might suggest increasing the temperature to ensure that our little one stays comfortable, we should not make this mistake because it will increase the chances of sudden death. While a temperature lower than 21C could imply a higher consumption of calories by the child to maintain the proper temperature and this results in a lower weight gain.

Hygiene

In addition to the usual cleaning of the home, it is important to wash hands properly, especially when holding the baby. It is advisable to avoid people who smoke or have viral infections such as colds getting close to the baby.

Sleep

A premature baby may sleep more than the usual 16 to 18 hours of sleep of a newborn baby. It is important to ensure the baby’s proper rest and provide a safe environment, always place the baby on his or her back on a firm, flat surface, and make sure there are no objects such as toys inside the crib to avoid accidental suffocation.

Feeding

Breastfeeding is highly recommended for all infants, even more so for those born prematurely. Among the advantages of breastfeeding are the physical contact and the strengthening of the immune system.  In general, premature babies will have a higher requirement of calories so feeding could be even more frequent.

Visits

Limiting visitors during the first weeks at home is the most advisable, because the immune system of the baby is not yet armed, so to speak, and any infection can quickly become complicated in a premature baby.

Anyone with a respiratory disease should stay at least two meters away from the baby, and practice proper hand washing, or at best avoid all contact with the baby.

Medical follow-up

Finally, follow-up by a health professional is essential for the life of a premature baby. It will be important to closely follow their neurodevelopment, growth, motor and language development. Premature babies can develop neurological complications that require multidisciplinary intervention by a neurologist, physical therapist, psychologist, nutritionist, and even endocrinologist.

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Causes of hair loss

When it comes to the causes of hair loss, there are factors to be taken into account. One of them is endogenous alteration. This refers to an alteration in the growth hormone, which causes the hair to fall out. For this, the best option is to assess the situation with the paediatrician. The other aspect that also has a major influence on hair loss is nutritional deficiency. The state and health of the hair is not only determined by genetic factors and the care and treatment it receives, but it should also be borne in mind that nutrition plays a fundamental role. Therefore, it is important to ensure that children eat a healthy and balanced diet, providing them with all the nutrients they need. On the contrary, not controlling their diet can cause hair loss, as well as other problems.

Tips to prevent hair loss

Here are some tips and recommendations to keep in mind when it comes to taking the best possible care of your hair.

• Treating it gently: One of the ways to strengthen and heal hair is to take proper care of it. For example, do not use tight rubber bands when combing the girls’ hair, do not pull the hair too tightly or pull it too tightly.
• Use the right combs: When combing hair, care should be taken that the comb does not break or damage the hair. To be on the safe side, it is advisable to use brushes with round bristles.
• Avoid hairspray and hair gel: The use of hairspray and hair gel can weaken the hair and break it, so hair will take longer to grow.
• Shampoos: When washing the hair with a shampoo, it is necessary to check that the product has been designed for children’s use, to see if the child’s age corresponds to the age recommended by the shampoo. On the other hand, an aggressive shampoo may, due to its components, split and weaken the hair. For this, the best option is to make sure that the product does not contain parabens or salt.
• Don’t wash your hair frequently: constant use of water on your hair can lead to weakening and loss of thickness. For this reason, it is advisable to wash it only two or three times a week. At the same time, when washing, the best option is to use cold water to encourage the growth of new hair, as well as helping it to stay healthy and strong.
• Treatments or masks: children, like adults, need natural masks to help strengthen their hair. The correct process for applying the masks to the hair is as follows: apply it to the hair and scalp; then wrap the head with a bathing cap; and, after waiting a few minutes, wash thoroughly with cold water. At the same time, it should be noted that the best hair masks are those made with egg, yoghurt or olive oil.
• Aloe vera: there are children who, due to genetic or other factors, do not grow hair. For this, there is nothing better than an aloe vera paste: apply it on the scalp up to the tips and let it sit for a few minutes. This paste promotes hair growth, making it much stronger.

Children’s hair is an important element and should always be taken care of. Not only do you need to be aware of what to do for optimal growth, but you also need to know when and how to cut the hair.

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