The stress from childbirth is draining physically and emotionally.  Receiving a massage after can be very beneficial.  A massage therapist can offer this to you and your newborn.  In other parts of the world, new mothers are pampered with massage every day for 40 days especially massaging the abdomen.  Many women claim this type of message after childbirth is especially beneficial at flattening the stomach and energizing the body.

Every mother can benefit from a regular massage.  Massage eases the strain of caring for the baby.  It relaxes the body and reduces the stress and nervousness associated with parenthood.  It is very easy to get caught up in your daily responsibilities.  Having a massage regularly helps to improve your mood, loosen tense muscles and detoxify the body.

Babies can also greatly benefit from massage.  There is increasing evidence that shows massage benefits baby’s health and well-being.  Massage is thought to help reduce colic, constipation or diarrhea, coughs, irritability and colds.  It is also a wonderful way of communicating with your baby in a non verbal way.  A daily massage allows time for parent and baby to become strongly linked or bonded.

Massage is also a great way of quieting difficult babies.  Many babies can be gently lulled to sleep or calmed by massage.  In many instances, a gentle massage can help baby to sleep more soundly.

There are many wonderful “how to” books available for baby massage.  Your hospital may also provide classes.  This is often a very informative class full of parents with the same struggles.  Infant massage classes are a great way to make new friends and bond with baby.

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When I was pregnant with my first child I noticed that my breasts seemed larger.  The change was noticeable to me because I was not large to begin with.  My size did not go up an entire size during my pregnancy but I did notice that my breasts were fuller than before.  It wasn’t until after my son was born that my size A breasts engorged to a size D.

Under different circumstances, I might have been excited about this new development.  Unfortunately, the pain from nursing, the constant leaking of milk and the incessant tightness made my new transformation difficult to enjoy.

I didn’t expect to have my breasts increase three sizes during those first few days.  It was very painful and honestly I was not prepared.  If there is one tip that can make this change easier it would be to buy a good nursing bra.  Once your milk comes in, anywhere from two to three days after baby is born, your breast size can dramatically increase.  Be prepared by purchasing nursing bras at least two sizes larger than your regular size.  Eventually, and unfortunately, once the demand of milk is determined, your body will adjust the amount of milk produced.  The massive engorgement will eventually subside, as will your breast size.  Although there are excellent nursing bras available on line, I suggest you go to a maternity store for your first purchase.  The sales associates are usually very knowledgeable and helpful.  Plus, you will be able to try on different bras to determine what feels best to you.  There is nothing worse than having to wear an uncomfortable nursing bra during those first initial weeks.

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Even though breast feeding is the healthiest for baby, not all mothers are able to breast feed exclusively.  Some choose to incorporate bottles.  Whether you are giving up completely on breast feeding or supplementing your child’s diet with extra bottles of formula or breast milk, here are a few things you should consider about using bottles.  If you are interested in lactation consultant certification, this may be important for you too.

-Always make sure you sterilize all parts of a bottle before each feeding.  Bacteria can quickly grow.  Boiling a bottle and its accompanying parts after it is purchased is very important.  Washing them with warm soapy water after each use will keep germs from growing.  Also, use a bottle brush to thoroughly clean the inside of the bottle and check the nipple to make sure mold is not growing inside.

-Make one feeding at a time.  It can be tempting to mix a few bottles worth of formula at night before you go to sleep so that you won’t have to make them in the middle of the night.  It is best to make one bottle at a time.  Making more than necessary will require you to refrigerate the unused portion so that it does not get sour.  Always discard any leftover milk after each feeding.

-Do not use the microwave to heat a bottle.  It is best to place a bottle in a bowl of hot water instead.  Always test the temperature of the milk in the bottle before giving it to your baby.

Bottle feeding is convenient because it allows the mother to take a break from the demands of a hungry child.  However, it does require more diligence and effort in preparing and cleaning the bottles for each feeding.

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Sometimes breast feeding exclusively is not an option.  If you plan on returning to work during the first year after baby is born or if you would like to be able to leave the baby for more than a few hours at a time with a sitter, you may want to consider expressing milk and incorporating an occasional bottle into baby’s feedings.

You can start expressing as soon as baby is born.  Studies have shown that expressing early can help to increase long-term milk production.  This is especially helpful for mothers who are returning to work.  Expressing should start at least one week before the mother returns to work.  This time will allow baby to get used using a bottle or cup.  All babies are unique individuals.  From personal experience, I found that the sooner I was able to introduce the bottle, the better.  This way, my baby didn’t become set on feeding primarily from the breast and easily transitioned between breast and bottle.  I did not introduce the bottle to my second daughter early enough.  When she was four months old I tried to get her to use a bottle, which she absolutely refused.  Of course, all babies are different and you may or may not have this problem.  However, I suggest introducing the bottle at an occasional feeding about three weeks after baby is born.

If you are returning to work and bottle-feeding only while you are away from baby (for about 8 to 10 hours), you should plan to express around every three hours.  If you are going to express and bottle feed exclusively, you should also express at least once in the night when prolactin levels are highest.  Try and express 6-8 times in a 24-hour period. Keep in mind that your milk production is based on the principle of supply and demand.  The more milk you express, the more milk you will produce.

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Babies swallow air and milk during both bottle and breast feedings.  This is not unusual.  Babies also swallow air when they cry.  Often, the air fills the baby’s tummy before the baby is full.  This feeling can be very uncomfortable.  The flow of milk from a bottle is usually faster than the flow of milk from a breast.  Babies generally have to work harder to get milk out from the breast.  However, the flow of the milk is easier for them to control and they usually do not swallow as much air during the process.  Breast-fed babies also have smaller and more frequent feedings compared to bottle-fed babies.   Bottles have a faster flow rate, which can cause a baby to have to swallow more air to get the milk down.   If you are studying how to become a lactation consultant, this information may be important to note.

Some babies have a difficult time getting rid of any gas that has built up in their stomachs.  It can be very obvious and extremely uncomfortable.  Feeding your baby in an upright position and tilting your baby’s bottle ensuring that the nipple is full of milk is helpful in reducing gas.  You can check to see if your baby needs to burp after a couple minutes.  To burp your baby, try gently rubbing his back in an upward motion or place him over your shoulder.  Some babies have an easier time expelling gas through hiccupping.

If your baby’s gas is severe, consult with your pediatrician.  Your pediatrician can give you ideas and suggest medication that can provide relief.

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Water is important for life.  Without water there can be no life.  This is one of the reasons why astronomers look for water on distant planets- because where there is water there may be life.  Water is just as important to the human body.  Seventy five percent of the body is composed of water and 25 percent is solid matter.  The water in our body is used to provide nourishment, eliminate waste, and conduct the trillions of activities required.
Without adequate hydration many important functions would not take place.

Unfortunately, people are drinking less and less water.  Sports drinks, coffee, teas, alcohol and other beverages are being substituted for this most important liquid.  Some doctors will argue that drinking six to eight ounces of water is not as important as drinking six to eight ounces of any liquid because the body is still receiving water.  The problem with substituting water with other beverages is that they also contain caffeine, alcohol, sugar, artificial sweeteners and other chemicals that can act as strong dehydrators.  All of the benefits of water are lost by the additives to it.  The more you drink of these substitute beverages the more dehydrated your body becomes.

Caffeine triggers stress responses that have a strong diuretic effect causing increased urination.  Beverages with added sugar can raise blood sugar levels.  Basically, any beverage that provokes these types of responses causes the body to give up large quantities of water.  Over time, regular consumption of such beverages will result in chronic dehydration and eventually major toxicity in the body.

The best way to relieve dehydration is to drink water.  Many athletes drink sports drinks but these beverages are not designed to rehydrate the body as much as they are necessary for renewing the electrolyte imbalance that is caused from the loss of salt due to strenuous exercise.

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Careers in allied health are something that a lot of people hear about when they turn on the television.  One of the jobs in allied health that is heard about on the television is a medical assistant.  But is the job of a medical assistant really good?  It has many similarites to a songrapher and there are a lot of reasons why this is a good career in allied health.  If you are interested in how to become a medical assistant keep reading below.
•    In Demand – The first reason that this is a good job to choose in allied health is because it’s something that is in demand.  Medical assistants are something that are used in every doctor’s office and doctors are always needing more qualified assistants.
•    Short Training – The second reason that a it’s a good job is that the training period isn’t very long – about a year, unless you want to become a specialist.  So that means that after a very short period of time you can be working in the doctor’s office and becoming a very important part of a medical team.
•    Salary – The third reason that it’s a good job is that the salary starts out at about $27,000 average across the country. So people who become a medical assistant know that they are going to be paid well for their knowledge and training.
As you can see, the allied health career of a medical assistant is a good one to pursue for several reasons. If you are looking for something that trains you quickly and will guarantee you a job, then the career in allied health of medical assistant may be for you.

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Massage can be very beneficial throughout pregnancy.  Careful, gentle massge can benefit all pregnant women without a doubt and it is worth recommending to mothers who are expecting.  However, if you are pregnant and would like to be massaged, or if you want to massage someone who is pregnant, it should be confirmed with a doctor first.  The benefits of massage during pregnancy are well worth the inquiry.  It has been proven to be exceedingly relaxing, it can alleviate minor pains and aches (from carrying all that extra weight around), and can improve conditions of insomnia.  All of these minor complaints are common during pregnancy and massage can easily alleviate all or some of them.  Clients frequently tell me that after I recommended a massage therapist, Kauai,  they were able to finally sleep properly because they had gotten the opportunity to completely relax during the massage.  If you are hoping to massage a pregnant friend or mother, all movements should be gentle, smooth, and you should avoid any deep pressure.  Massaging softly on the abdomen itself, can even benefit an the baby in the womb.  In many parts of the world, massage is incorporated naturally at all stages of pregnancy, and even before conception to increase fertility of women.  In Nigeria, women who are unable to concieve visit a specially trained doctor of masseuse who massages the lower abdomen.  Of course there is no proof medically that this works, but one girl told me that she had been trying for years to get pregnant and she was finally able to after three weeks of daily massage.  A midwife can also be a masseuse, and in India, Malaysia, and Africa the local midwives are believed to be capable of changing the position of a baby to make birth easier through massage.  Nonetheless, a massage while pregnant will at least provide relief for stress, minor backaches and pains, and can provide the ability to sleep better.  Sounds like a win win to me.

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A very important member of the dialysis team is the dialysis technician, and therefore the field of dialysis technician is an extremely important allied health field. Professionals in this particular field in allied health are important both to their patients and to the doctors that they work with.
Listed below is some of the basic information about this wonderful and necessary allied health field.
What Dialysis Technicians Do:
•    Prepare their patients for the dialysis treatment
•    Monitor both the patient and the machine throughout the dialysis
•    Perform the necessary procedures once dialysis is done
•    Make sure that the patient is comfortable during dialysis
•    Make sure that the machine is working properly
Dialysis technicians work in:

•    Hospitals
•    Dialysis units

Dialysis Technician Training and education needed in this allied health field:

•    High school diploma
•    Health and science courses
•    Mechanical ability
•    On the job training
A dialysis technician is a necessary member of a dialysis team and they are instrumental in helping the patient be comfortable while they are receiving dialysis. This allied health field is a good one to pursue if you truly care about people and you are interested in making a big difference in their lives.
Dialysis technicians are valued for their knowledge and for their caring.   It’s an allied health field for someone who wants to help people and wants to know that they are doing some good in the world. Dialysis technicians are instrumental in helping dialysis patients and making them feel comfortable.

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Most people know that midwifes help to deliver babies, but there is a lot more to the people in this allied health field. Yes, midwifes deliver babies, but they do so much more. So here are some of the typical activities that a midwife does during their day at work.

•    Diagnose, monitor, and examine a woman during her pregnancy
•    Develop, assess, and evaluate individual care programs
•    Identify pregnancies that are high risk and referring mothers to specialists as needed
•    Making arrangements and providing education for health and parenting to the mother, the mother’s partner, and possibly family
•    Encouraging the participation of family members during birth to support mother and also enhance the bonding of mother and baby as well as the relationship of the family
•    Supervise and assist the mother during labor, monitor the baby’s condition, and helping with pain management.
•    Providing advice and support on the baby’s care, including bathing and breastfeeding.
•    Giving guidance and advice on a timely and safe trip home
•    Participating in supervision and training of other colleagues.

As you can see, a person in this allied health field does a lot more than deliver babies. They are there for the mother and the baby before, during, and after birth, and they are an important part of the mother’s support system in this special time in her life. A lot more women are choosing to go with a midwife when they have a baby because of everything that she does and everything that she offers.

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