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14 Short English Poems for Kids to Recite and Memorise
Poetry has so many benefits for kids. It is not only a great medium for rendering information but children also find poems very delightful. Poetry recitation and memorising is a fun activity that you can engage your kid in. Let's take a look at some famous, funny and rhyming poems for kids. Along with that, we shall discuss how you can select a poem and teach your kid to recite it.
How to Select Poems for Kids?
The first and foremost thing of consideration is how to select a poem for kids. For that, you have to keep in mind that the aim of introducing poetry to a child is to help him/her appreciate and cultivate some admiration towards poetry. You should aim at rendering a positive approach towards poetry, thus, you should select a poem that is easy to remember and understand. You can pick up a topic that both, you and your kid relate to and enjoy together. Short poems are one of the best options to start with because they can be easily memorised and enjoyed by children. To help you begin, we have compiled different poems for your kid, which are fun to recite, but also have great instructional value for your kids.
Famous Short Poems for Children
If you want your kid to learn some famous poems, here is a compilation of some famous, fun poems for kids.
1. Mary Had a Little Lamb
Mary had a little lamb,
Little lamb, little lamb,
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow,
And every where that Mary went,
Mary went, Mary went,
Everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go;
He followed her to school one day,
School one day, school one day,
He followed her to school one day,
Which was against the rule;
It made the children laugh and play,
Laugh and play, laugh and play,
It made the children laugh and play,
To see a lamb at school,
And so the teacher turned him out,
Turned him out, turned him out,
So the teacher turned him out,
But still he lingered near,
And waited patiently about,
Patiently about, patiently about,
Waited patiently about,
Till Mary did appear;
"Why does the lamb love Mary so?
Mary so, Mary so,
Why does the lamb love Mary so?"
The eager children cried;
"Why Mary loves the lamb, you know,
Lamb you know, lamb you know,
Why Mary loves the lamb, you know"
The teacher did reply;
Mary had a little lamb,
Little lamb, little lamb,
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow.
2. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Then the traveler in the dark
Thanks you for your tiny spark;
How could he see where to go?
If you did not twinkle so.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
In the dark blue sky you keep,
While you through my window peep,
And you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
3. Jack And Jill
Jack and Jill
Went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water,
Jack fell down
And broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.
Up Jack got
And home did trot
As fast as he could caper,
Went to bed
To mend his head
With vinegar and brown paper.
4. Baa, Baa Black Sheep
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full;
One for the master,
And one for the dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane
5. Wee Willie Winkie
Wee Willie Winkie
Runs through the town,
Upstairs and downstairs
In his night gown.
Tapping at the window,
Crying at the lock,
"Are the children all in bed,
For it's past ten o'clock?"
"Hey Willie Winkie,
Are you coming in?
The cat's singing purring sounds
To the sleeping hen.
The dog's spread out on the floor
and doesn't give a cheep,
But here's a wakeful little boy
who will not fall asleep."
Anything but sleep, you rogue,
Glowering like the moon,
Rattling in an iron jug
With an iron spoon,
Rumbling, tumbling round about,
Crowing like a cock,
Shrieking like a I don't know what,
Waking sleeping folk.
"Hey WIllie Winkie-
The child's in a creel!
Wriggling off everybody's kne
Like an eel.
Tugging at the cat's leg,
Confusing all her thrums-
Hey Willie Winkie,
See, there he comes."
Weary is the mother
Who has a dusty child,
A small, short little child
That can't run on his own,
That always has a battle with sleep,
Before he'll close an eye,
But a kiss from his rosy lips
Gives strength anew to me.
Short Funny Poems
Laughter is the best medicine and what better than tickling your kid’s funny bone with some short funny poems. Here, we have a few recommendations of funny poems for your kids that will surely crack them up, and they’ll be more than eager to learn them.
1. My Cat Is Fat
I've a cat named Vesters,
And he eats all day.
He always lays around,
And never wants to play.
Not even with a squeaky toy,
Nor anything that moves.
When I have him exercise,
He always disapproves.
So we've put him on a diet,
But now he yells all day.
And even though he's thinner,
He still won't come and play.
2. Topsy-Turvey-World
If the butterfly courted the bee,
And the owl the porcupine;
If churches were built in the sea,
And three times one was nine;
If the pony rode his master,
If the buttercups ate the cows,
If the cats had the dire disaster
To be worried, sir, by the mouse;
If mamma, sir, sold the baby
To a gypsy for half a crown;
If a gentleman, sir, was a lady,—
The world would be Upside-down!
If any or all of these wonders
Should ever come about,
I should not consider them blunders,
For I should be Inside-out!
Chorus
Ba-ba, black wool,
Have you any sheep?
Yes, sir, a packfull,
Creep, mouse, creep!
Four-and-twenty little maids
Hanging out the pie,
Out jumped the honey-pot,
Guy Fawkes, Guy!
Cross latch, cross latch,
Sit and spin the fire;
When the pie was opened,
The bird was on the brier!
3. A Mouse In Her Room
A mouse in her room woke Miss Doud
Who was frightened and screamed very loud
Then a happy thought hit her
To scare off the critter
She sat up in bed and just meowed.
A psychiatrist fellow from Rye
Went to visit another close by,
Who said, with a grin,
As he welcomed him in:
“Hello, Smith! You’re all right! How am I?”
A flea and a fly in a flue
Were caught, so what could they do?
Said the fly, “Let us flee.”
“Let us fly,” said the flea.
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
A mosquito was heard to complain,
“A chemist has poisoned my brain!”
The cause of his sorrow
was paradichlorotriphenyldichloroethane.
4. McGallimagoo
My name is not McGallimagoo,
Although some would have you think.
All day long they call me this,
And I really think it stinks.
McGallimagoo come here to me
Mcgllimagoo sit down.
McGallimagoo is such a funny name,
But it always makes me frown.
So if you see me on the street,
Please don't call me this.
Refer to me by my proper name,
Which is Mr. Hullibajiss.
Short Rhyming Poems
Whenever you plan on introducing poetry to your kid, it is recommended that you start with rhyming poems. The rhythmic pattern, similar sounding words, and repetition of words are easy for kids to memorise.
1. Two Little Dicky Birds
Two Little Dicky Birds,
Sat upon a wall.
One named Peter,
The other named Paul,
Fly away Peter.
Fly away Paul.
Come back Peter!
Come back Paul!!
2. Bed In Summer
In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer, quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.
I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people’s feet
Still going past me in the street.
And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?
3. My Doggy Ate My Homework
“My doggy ate my homework.
He chewed it up,” I said.
But when I offered my excuse
My teacher shook her head.
I saw this wasn’t going well.
I didn’t want to fail.
Before she had a chance to talk,
I added to the tale:
“Before he ate, he took my work
And tossed it in a pot.
He simmered it with succotash
Till it was piping hot.
“He scrambled up my science notes
With eggs and bacon strips,
Along with sautéed spelling words
And baked potato chips.
“He then took my arithmetic
And had it gently fried.
He broiled both my book reports
With pickles on the side.
“He wore a doggy apron
As he cooked a notebook stew.
He barked when I objected.
There was nothing I could do.”
“Did he wear a doggy chef hat?”
She asked me with a scowl.
“He did,” I said. “And taking it
Would only make him growl.”
My teacher frowned, but then I said
As quickly as I could,
“He covered it with ketchup,
And he said it tasted good.”
“A talking dog who likes to cook?”
My teacher had a fit.
She sent me to the office,
And that is where I sit.
I guess I made a big mistake
In telling her all that.
’Cause I don’t have a doggy.
It was eaten by my cat.
4. Monday’s Child
Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go.
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for a living,
And the child that is born on the Sabbath Day,
Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.
5. Little Jack Horner
Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner
Eating his Christmas pie,
He stuck in his thumb
And pulled out a plum and said
"What a good boy am I
What a good boy am I"
Little Miss Muffet
Sat on her tuffet,
Eating her curd and whey;
Along came a spider,
And sat down beside her,
Frightened Miss Muffet away, oh yeah
Frightened Miss Muffet away
Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner
Eating his Christmas pie,
He stuck in his thumb
And pulled out a plum and said
"What a good boy
What a good boy
What a good boy am I"
Tips to Teach Poems to your Child
As parents we sometimes underestimate the ability of our kids to memorise things. But we should not forget that our kids are like sponges and they have a great ability for remembering and retaining a great amount of information. However, we shall share some tips that will help you in teaching poetry to your kids:
1. Give it a Tune
Have you ever seen that music is better understood and retained by our minds in comparison to simple words. You can think of any catchy tune and help your kid learn the poem in that tune.
2. Modulate
Voice modulation plays an important role in remembering poems. You can pick up different scales and momentum for different paragraphs.
3. Act The Characters
If there are some characters in the poem, try enacting them. This will help your kid to memorise in a better way.
4. Erasing The Words
You can write the complete poem on the board and after reciting a few times with your kid, you can start erasing the words one by one.
5. Break Up The Poem
This is a good approach to helping your kid memorise a poem. Break the poem into paragraphs and teach it to your kid paragraph wise. However, if there are no paragraphs, you can divide the poem into lines.
6. Keep Repeating
Repetition is a great way of remembering things and the same applies to poems. Keep repeating until your kid memorises the poem by heart and then he/she will not forget it easily.
7. Explain It
It is seen that whenever you explain and give a valid logic to your kid, he/she will understand and remember things in a better way. You can explain the poem, in the form of a story, beforehand.
Poems are a great way to bond with your kid, while also teaching them something valuable. These poems can help kids build their language and speech skills as well.
Teach these all-time favourite poems to your child. These are easy-to-recite and your kid can quickly memorise them. Reciting these poems will improve your child’s speaking skills and confidence, too. However, you need to help your child explore his/her other talents as well, which will help prepare for the future. To hone additional skills in your child, subscription boxes are a good idea, which ensure a child’s all-round development, by means of play.
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Father’s Day Poems for Kids
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Your 9 Months Old Baby Growth and Development
A quarter short of completing a year of their life, your baby at nine months is at the most exciting growth stage. At nine months your baby is surely crawling its way to every nook and corner of the house, probably even trying to stand using support, occasionally babbling or even calling you “Mama or Dada” for the first time. An adorable phase, there are several key developments at this age which indicate healthy growth There are several physical, social, emotional and mental indicators that characterise this stage of the child’s development.
Growth of the Baby
A delightful age, where everything they do is funny and entertaining, you can see your little one growing into a mimic, comedian or performer of a kind. Your baby’s comprehending skills are improving, and he or she will be more sophisticated in their natural ways. Your baby can put away toys, dismantle them, be more aware of your misses when playing games and even raise objections to specific actions that are not within their routine
Baby Development
Be prepared to hear a lot of babbling from your baby as he or she gets closer to mouthing meaningful words. The first words that you eagerly expect - “Mama or Dada” could come out of their mouth and they may well know what it means. If your baby is an early talker, they may be using a few words already. Your baby will be using body language and noises to communicate and get your attention.
Your baby has learnt emotions especially caution and fear. These will be rampant when they are around a new atmosphere or with strangers. They enjoy playing with educative toys or seeing pictures in a book and like to listen to conversations with different sounds and noises. They enjoy the occasional game of peekaboo or even finding hidden toys, and they are crawling and propelling themselves in all directions.
Some babies can stand up with support by holding a piece of furniture or your hand. In some cases, babies tend to start walking with support or even without any support. Babies at this stage also start becoming independent and try and hold things with their thumb and index finger. They may poke things with their index finger. Some babies try and hold their own cup, the bottle or even a spoon while eating. They become more vociferous and gesticulate to express something.
36 Week Old Baby Development
Separation pangs
Remember, now, and for the coming weeks, there will be anxiety involved when you separate from your baby. Your baby has got accustomed to you and fear of anyone else is absolutely normal. Babies may be apprehensive of strangers or even grandparents and care providers. The transition can be made easy by adopting a slow approach and let the baby make the first move.
Travel Woes
Your baby is now at a stage where they have comfortably settled in their own surroundings and love the confines of their space. It could be your own home, the nursery or daycare. So, if you intend on travelling or undertaking a journey, make sure you are prepared for some unexpected behaviour. Your baby likes to see the familiar faces, predictable surroundings around him as it has now become routine. Visiting a new place or a stranger could upturn their sense of security and make them restless.
37 Week Old Baby Development
By week 37, your baby will start remembering and registering information in her tiny brain. He or she can recollect where their toys are located around the house and also mimic actions seen about a week ago. These skills exhibit their recalling skills- the ability to remember details of any experience specific to something for a short period. A conscious memory of specific events is not likely to develop until the two or three years of age when they start speaking.
38 Week Old Baby Development
The barrage of words that your baby has heard since birth is now beginning to weave its magic. The understanding of these words is definitely out there, loud and clear, but the ability to use the words is far more restricted. The constant jabbering of words will not start to sound like real words, sentences or even phrases. Your baby is blabbering something in a manner of trying to convey a message. Don’t look quizzical and respond to it to encourage speech. Your baby will also follow the tone of your voice than your actual words. Babies can understand the emotions that underline your tone and also relate to your expressions. Communicate more to improve their ability to speak sooner.
39 Week Old Baby Development
You baby’s personality is budding. Broad smiles, actions and gesticulations at everyone they meet, sometimes coy and shy when around strangers are quite common traits at this stage. Your baby may now take charge boldly or gauge a situation carefully before bonding with others. You may come across those occasional mood swings, or dramatic behaviour is owing to temperamental changes.
Baby's Health
Your 9-month old is not due for any shots or immunizations. You will need to prepare for a routine doctor’s visit when your baby is around 12 months old. However, babies at this age are prone to ear infections. If your baby has had several instances of ear-ache, it is best to discuss a long-term solution for the problem with your doctor.
If your baby is bottle-fed, you can stop sterilizing the bottles if you feel confident. However, remember to wash them thoroughly with hot, soapy water and rinse them well.
Baby Milestones - 9 Months
The developmental milestones in your nine-month-old can be categorized into three categories – cognitive, physical, and social and emotional. Each category has a set of typical individual accomplishments and associated traits.
Cognitive Development:
This pertains to the mental prowess, analytical abilities and prudence of the baby which are displayed as below:
Mimicking gestures and sounds
Your baby’s cognitive ability will help to imitate gestures and sounds at nine months of age. A child can decipher when a parent asks him to make a sound or gesticulate.
Miming syllables
A baby would be able to repeat words formed with one or two syllables like Mama and Dada even though it may not be directed to the right person.
Understands the importance of “No.”
Your baby will understand that “No” is a negative instruction and understands the purpose of the command. The child will avoid doing anything that will evoke a negative response from parents.
Pointing
Your baby will point towards objects, people or direction to display their interest.
Locating things
Babies have a distinct cognitive ability to locate a hidden object with their sharpened memory at this stage.
Physical changes:
Crawling, sitting and standing without support
By the ninth month, your baby will crawl effortlessly. An infant can even crawl and sit for a long period of time owing to stronger lower back muscles. The leg muscles are stronger and can support the weight of the body. Some babies can even stand up with support.
Grasping and holding objects
The index finger and the thumb can touch each other (pincer grasp), helping the baby to get a grip on objects to hold. They can use this grip to hold their spoon while eating.
Parachute reflex
The body automatically puts the hands forwards when the head faces down. It is the body’s own way of preventing a head injury during a fall.
Increase use of limbs
At nine months, babies use their arms and hands to pass or throw objects.
Sharp sight
Ocular muscles, which strengthen the eye movement help the baby to track moving objects.
Sleep pattern
Your baby might sleep less during the day and sleep for longer hours during the night.
Social and Emotional Development:
Your baby will now start developing social interacting skills, behaviour and emotional state of being too.
Comfortable around primary caretakers and familiar faces
Your baby will prefer to be with you or his caregiver and would cry if separated. They will enjoy physical contact and try as much to please you. Babies at nine months love to be around their known faces like grandparents, family friends who visit often.
Anxious around strangers
A baby panics and cries when amidst strangers and new faces. A baby will crawl towards a parent however friendly the stranger may be.
Preference for toys
Babies may prefer some toys to others as they like playing and exploring new things with them.
Each baby is unique, and all of these milestones may appear and develop at a different pace. There could be signs which indicate poor development and you could seek medical intervention.
Behaviour
This month will probably be characterised by high pitched squeals as your baby is developing their vocal chords. Babies differ, some are passive, some loud or some completely quiet. Observe your baby’s eyes keenly when there is a loud noise. Their eyes should move according to the decibel levels and focus on the object that is making the noise. Watch how they move their body very closely. It is the parents who are the first to notice any developmental issues or physical problems in their baby. Early medical intervention, even if the issue seems negligible could prove worthwhile later on.
A 9 Month-Old Baby's Activities
With increased flexibility in moving the body, babies can be encouraged to exert themselves physically. Try to engage them in activities to grab or pass things to move their limbs. Try and help them to stand for some time if they are capable of holding and standing up.
With improved sight, vision and cognitive skills babies can now pay more attention and understand things. Spend more time with them by reading, singing or just talking to them to stimulate communication and enhanced mental agility.
Babies start developing teeth at this stage, and you could offer them teethers filled with jelly. Anything sweet could be offered to soothe their aching gums.
With a strong pincer grasp, you could encourage your baby to pick up their spoon and eat. It may sound messy, but it is a great way to inculcate independence and also learn to hold objects.
9 Month Old Baby Care
A few simple things to help to care for your nine-month-old baby:
Talk and engage your baby in conversations to help them decipher words.
Listen and respond keenly to their muffled babbling to encourage communication.
Schedule play time and play as many engaging games like peekaboo, making animal sounds, passing things to make your baby feel loved and secured.
Reading is a habit that opens a world to them. Read diligently to expand the horizons of their imagination and for better learning ability at a later stage.
Involve in physical activity to strengthen the muscles for walking and running.
Ensure your home is baby safe as your baby can now grab anything and pop it in their mouth.
Feeding
Let your child explore their food by trying to eat themselves. It does sound like a mess, but it helps them relate to how food is put in their mouth. Mealtime should not be controlled, but it should be a learning activity where the baby eventually becomes independent. Start by helping them pick up finger food like chopped fruits and vegetables in a variety of colours. Encourage them to use a spoon to feed themselves their pureed food even though it is messy.
Sleeping
At nine months, babies may reduce their hours of sleep and this transition could make them cranky and tired. Watch out for signs like itchy eyes, constant whining or any other cues. Do not let your baby get overtired and try not to stay awake too late. Lost sleep could be compensated at night. Establish a routine for everyone’s benefit.
Tips for Parents
With visible changes in their behaviour, parents must try to engage their infants of nine months in baby activities.
Infant development at 9 months must be tracked and monitored. Support your child in their endeavour to stand and walk rather than frighten them with your fears.
Your paediatrician could give you the best feedback on your baby’s weight. Percentile or growth charts are a good way to track 9 month baby weight and see how your child is doing in terms of physical growth.
An exciting phase, at nine months your baby is moving into an adorable age where they will be learning to speak, walk, talk, run and much more. It is the ideal time to lay a strong foundation for their personality development.
Previous Month: 8 Months Old Baby Development
Next Month: 10 Months Old Baby Development Read more
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How to Deal With In-laws Demanding a Grand Child
Your in-laws could be good people- accepting and loving. However, when the issue turns to having a grandchild, they usually have a pretty rigid stance. Sounds familiar? If you can't think about being a parent don't let a mother-in-law who wants grandchildren force you down.
When your in-laws start putting pressure on you to have a child, don’t wilt. They usually start passing hints to you and hubby even before the ink dries on your marriage certificate. You need to deal with the situation sensitively to avoid flare-ups. Here are a few ways to handle the pressure smoothly.
What Do You Do When In-Laws Pressure You to Have a Child
As mentioned earlier, if you are feeling pressured to have a baby, then you need to deal with the situation sensitively... but beware of caving in into your in-laws demands! Here are some strategies you can use to handle the pressure of having a baby.
1. Assurance
When in-laws start exerting pressure on you to have a baby, you need to play smart. Assure them that you appreciate their concern and will definitely take their advice. This doesn’t mean that you have to go by their timeline to have a child. After all, they might just want what’s best for you and their son.
2. Clear intentions
Your reproductive decisions are yours to take. Therefore, make it known to them that you don't appreciate the interference. You need to exercise tact when dealing with the issue. Stress the fact that your in-laws cannot force you to follow their dictates. In order to appease them a bit, you could ask them to choose the décor for your home. This should keep them (a bit) happy. You can use this tip when in-laws pressure you to have a child.
3. Keep calm
Managing your in-laws can be difficult, especially if they are the types to have an opinion about everything. However, you cannot afford to start a war with them for that. After all, it'll affect your husband. You need to be tactful and remain calm if talk about getting pregnant crops up. Let them know you're considering the idea, but don’t commit. When they see you cannot be coerced into a decision, they'll slowly back off.
4. No details
Sex is sacred. You are under no obligation to give a blow-by-blow account of your sexual activities with your husband to your in-laws (or even your own parents). If your in-laws interfere, let them know you aren’t comfortable discussing that facet of your life. Tell them that once you are ready to bear a child, they’ll be the first to know. When you draw the line, they'll be bound to respect it. There are subtle ways to tackle the pressure imposed on you.
5. Laugh it off
You need to keep your sense of humour despite the barrage of hints from your in-laws. If they give you gifts or want to discuss baby names, don’t get upset. Accept the gifts and list down the names. For a mother-in-law who wants grand-child, nothing annoys her more than silence. Don't commit to a timeline to have a baby. In fact, just stay mum on the subject. When you don’t budge she'll move on.
6. Explain the situation
When you think of having a baby, a lot of things need to be considered: financial stability, time-commitment, emotional and mental readiness. There is more to having a baby than just having a good night in the sack. A baby is a full-time responsibility - from being able to give your baby time, to being able to provide for all her needs. parenting is a long-term project, so short-sightedness never works. Letting your in-laws know that you have been thinking on this level will assure them of two things: one, that you are not dismissing the idea; and two, that you are serious about becoming a parent... making them take a step back and give you time and space to figure things out.
7. Your physical health
This is another aspect that in-laws may at time refuse to acknowledge, or may side-line unknowingly. Maybe you want to be 10kg lighter, maybe you want to be fitter, maybe you want your husband to be physically more fit. Physical fitness is a very important aspect of having children, and feeling physically confident to have a baby may take some time. Use this strategy to make your in-laws understand, especially if either you or your partner are over-weight, or face any other physical issues.
WATCH: 11 Signs You're Ready to Have a Baby
https://youtu.be/NMcJCcOeMWo
Key Takeaway: How do you know whether you are ready to have a baby? Is it when you can afford to have one financially? Or is it before you turn 30? Here are 11 best signs:
You and your partner both mutually agree on having a baby.
You know that a baby is not going to 'mend' your marriage, but only going to add to the number of things you need to take care of, and you're okay with that.
You realise that a baby is not a 'project' but a 'person', and you cannot and should not impose your unfulfilled dreams on the baby.
You know fully well what parenthood entails, the sacrifices it calls for, and you are willing to make them.
You are not getting into parenthood for transient reasons - either by your parents, or your partner's or scientific studies, or the Internet.
You are not wearing rosy-eyed glasses about the future and are approaching a future with a child in it, with your eyes open.
You won't always be happy, but you know you will never regret your decision of having a baby, or look back and wish you hadn't.
You and your husband are both to endure together the long nine-month journey of pregnancy, knowing full-well that it may be the toughest period for you as a couple.
You are financially ready.
You're ready to change as a person, embracing the changes that parenthood will bring about in your character and personality.
You are not feeling 'pressurised', but in fact 'excited' to become a parent!
If hubby and you are on the same team on the issue, you'll face no real problem. Maintain cordial relations with your in-laws even if they throw out hints for you to have a baby. You can always choose to speak your mind and let the in-laws know your stand on the issue. Read more
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Can You Donate Blood While Breastfeeding?
Donating blood is a very fulfilling community service but is blood donation safe while nursing your baby? The answer is yes. However, remember to consult a doctor and get your blood test done to rule out anaemia or any other blood disorders before you donate your blood while breastfeeding. With your donated blood, you can save someone’s life. It is a “small gift” to the community which can have a large consequence on someone who requires it.
When is the Best Time to Donate Blood for Breastfeeding Woman?
Here are a few tips to remember about donating blood when breastfeeding.
It is advisable for nursing mothers to donate blood only after 6 months from the date of delivery since delivery and breastfeeding causes a lot of fatigue in mothers.
If you have not had any immunization within the past one month, you may donate blood.
You may donate blood if you have not had any minor dental work in 24 hours and major dental work in a month’s time.
It is advisable not to donate blood even if you have taken an aspirin in 72 hours.
It is advisable to donate blood only if you have not undergone a blood transfusion during delivery.
If the last time she donated blood was more than 3 months ago, you may consider donating blood.
Lastly, a nursing mother should donate blood only when she feels comfortable about it.
Things to Consider Before Donating Blood while Breastfeeding
Donating blood is undoubtedly a very noble initiative taken by an individual. However, we should refrain from being impulsive and consider the points listed below before making a move.
1. Stay hydrated.
Breast milk comprises 87% water and when you donate blood it takes away 15-16 ounces of water from your body. Therefore it is imperative that after donating blood, the donor should take as much fluid as possible in the next 48 hours to keep the body hydrated and replace the fluid that has been drawn out. The donor should also drink a lot of water in the 24 hours prior to donating blood.
2. Keep your iron levels normal.
Breastfeeding mothers should eat iron-rich food for several weeks before donating blood to have a normal iron level while donating blood. In case the donor suffers from low levels of iron, she may suffer from weakness after donating blood. Iron-rich food includes spinach, fish, chicken, whole grains and eggs. Do not forget to take fruits rich in vitamin c like orange, tangerines, grapes, plums, cherries for better absorption of iron.
3. Reconsider blood donation if you have a low supply of milk.
It is a known fact that when an individual donates blood, she loses about 15-16 ounces of water from her body; breast milk is three-fourths water. Therefore, if a nursing mother with low milk supply loses that much of fluid from her body, she may have a further decrease in her milk supply. However, many do not agree with this.
4. Eat a good meal before and after donating blood.
Breastfeeding a baby takes up 500 calories a day and donating blood also takes up quite a bit of your energy. Therefore eating a substantial meal with plenty of proteins and iron-rich food will keep you in good stead. However, one should eat 1-2 hours before donating blood but do not eat a full stomach.
5. Rest.
Let your mommy duties take a back-seat after donating blood. Take a good nap to restore back all the energy. After your body feels rested, it will do the needful to make up for all the blood that you have donated and a relaxed body will up your supply of breast milk. A good sleep of 7-8 hours in the night prior to the donation.
Things to Remember Before Donating Blood during Breastfeeding
Usually, people are of the idea that breastfeeding and blood donation cannot happen at the same time but according to experts donating blood while nursing a baby does not pose any risks either to the mother or the baby. Here are some things that one should remember before doing it.
The haemoglobin level should be between the 12-16 %
The blood pressure of the donor should be normal
Her heart rate and pulse rate should be normal
Her body temperature should be at a normal range of 96.2 - 97 degrees Fahrenheit and Oral temperature not more than 37.5 degrees Celcius
It is necessary to drink about half a litre of water before donating blood to prevent a drop in blood pressure which may result in lightheadedness or fainting.
Vigorous exercises should be avoided before or after the donation.
Intake of fatty food should be avoided for at least 24 hours before the donation. It can give wrong test result of the blood that has been donated by you.
Remember to relax while your blood is being drawn otherwise you may start feeling sick. You may do so by listening to music, sing or talk to someone to keep you calm.
Donating blood while nursing your baby is definitely inspiring; however, do it only after consulting your doctor and getting a health check. If your health does not permit, do not fret over it but wait for the right time. After all, you do not want a noble deed like blood donation to be a bad experience for you.
Also Read: How To Avoid Caffeine during Breastfeeding? Read more
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