Here are 5 things that you should not do or allow anyone to do to your baby

Touching Baby with Unwashed Hands

A lot of mothers leave the hospital a few days after delivery without taking the immunization that would boost baby’s health status and protect them from infections. They may be asked to return later that week to receive this vaccine. This simply means that extra care must be taken pending the time this baby will receive it. Consequently, whenever you have a reason to visit new mothers, you may want to be proactive enough to ask for the tap so you can wash your hands with soap and water. If you are sweating, it is much better to wave at the baby instead of carrying her with a sweaty body. As a mother, you must always wash your hands before handling your baby and you may have to be firm enough to direct everyone to the tap so that they wash their hands as well to avoid stories that touch.

Covering Baby’s Face with Kisses

Love for babies could get you overly excited and the temptation to cover the baby with kisses should not be allowed to find expression. This is due to the health risks involved. There is the story of a baby that had to be admitted to the hospital after she was diagnosed with Herpes. Further investigations revealed that the kisses of the mother’s friend who had herpes exposed this baby to the same virus which became her reality in no time. Babies are very fragile and should be treated carefully. If you or your friends have cold or other ailments, you must exercise caution and avoid facial skin contact with the little one.

Throwing Baby Up and Around

Africans are very physical people and they don’t hesitate to handle a baby physically. Unfortunately, this act of life can be the beginning of a life of avoidable misery. One of the greatest mistakes anyone can make in this age and time is to throw a young baby up repeatedly or carry the baby and shake the baby to the point that their head bobs back and forth. This action can be detrimental to the baby as the brain is still very fragile and has the capacity to move back and forth with every shake thereby leading to brain damage. Studies have shown that this is not a myth or the figment of anybody’s imagination and anyone who has a baby must be careful enough to let people know that such an act is not welcome.

Administering Herbal Concoction

This is a practice that comes up when superstitions are big issues in a family. Many elderly women have a way of looking at a baby and concluding that she has an ailment due to her shape of the head or the size of her body. Most times, these old wives are quick to offer herbal concoctions as the easy way out of this seemingly worrisome predicament. Out of fear and respect, many mothers listen to these old wives’ tales and end up compromising the health of the said child or losing same to death. The only way to get the best form of care for your child is to consult with a trained medical practitioner. If you have love for your little one, you will not give them herbs. In the case of an anomaly, resist any form of self-medication and speak with a certified doctor who will run tests and administer the required medication.

Force-feeding the Little One

When it comes to feeding, many people are passionate about ensuring that the baby eats well. However, on occasions where the baby seems to be uninterested in eating, many people go out of their way to force the baby to feed. This is usually done by locking one’s legs around the child, pinning him down, pinching his nose which would have him open the mouth to breathe. As the mouth becomes open, the food is forced into the mouth. The intention may be good but the downside of this method is the possibility of cutting off the oxygen supply or having the child struggle until the food goes the wrong way. This act has cut short many lives and left many families in pain.

Ignorance is no longer an excuse to expose your angel to danger. Love your little one and care for them so that your future will be a peaceful one. Now that you know, do better and watch tomorrow reward you for your love and care.

The post Baby Care: 5 Things Nobody Should Do to a Baby appeared first on Hermaze | Relationship, Beauty, Fashion, Family Articles for Women.

To save you the stress of moving all around the market in order to get the products, here is a list of some baby stores you can visit in Nigeria:

Mothercare Nigeria

Mothercare is a Retail store that deals with baby products, clothing, toys, maternity clothes and every other nursery item. Their store can be found at the Victoria Island, Eti Osa, Lagos and few other places in Lagos.

As an expectant mother, you can visit them to get your quality product at very good and affordable rates.

Yeshua Babies

For expectant mothers that will prefer to do their shopping on the mainland, you can visit the Yeshua Babies store at Isolo Lagos. They provide products and services for babies and adolescent. You can also shop for your baby snacks at this store.

 Simply infants

Just as the name implies, this retail store deals with everything you need as an expectant mother. Their goal is to make shopping easy for their customers even while supplying them the best products and services. They products are mainly gotten from the United States of America, just to ensure that their clients gets the best.

They also take supplies for people outside Lagos, which they will be simply delivered to your doorstep.

New Bee

Newbee.ng is an online store that provides fast delivery services for mothers that are quite busy and would want to spend less time running around buying stuffs at the market. They deal in baby diapers, baby food, formula and different toys the baby that make do with. All you are required to do is to visit the stores to make the purchase right in the comfort of your home which will be delivered to school as soon as expected.

Cradlepal Kiddies Limited

This store specializes in children clothing, accessories, maternity wears and wears for the nursing mothers. They serve children of any age range with quality products and services.

They can be located at the Arena shopping complex at oshodi Lagos.

The post 5 Stores to Visit for Your Baby Shopping appeared first on Hermaze | Relationship, Beauty, Fashion, Family Articles for Women.

This is the tale of most young girls. 3% of every 1000 young under-aged Nigerian girl goes through the phase. This has become common practice in Northern Nigeria.

Obstetric fistula (OF) is a medical condition in which a hole develops between either the rectum and vagina, a ureter and the vagina, or between the bladder and vagina after difficulties in childbirth. It can result in incontinence of urine or faeces.

It is more common and evolves into something worse when adequate medical care is not available. It is considered a disease of poverty or ignorance.

Literally, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says obstetric fistula is simply-

“A childbirth injury that has been largely neglected, despite the devastating impact it has on the lives of affected girls and women. It is usually caused by prolonged, obstructed labour, without timely medical intervention, say an emergency Caesarean section. During unassisted, prolonged, obstructed labour, the sustained pressure of the baby’s head on the mother’s pelvic bone damages soft tissues, creating a hole, also called fistula between the vagina and the bladder and/or rectum. The pressure deprives blood flow to the tissue, leading to necrosis. Eventually, the dead tissue comes away, leaving a fistula/hole, which causes a constant leaking of urine and/or faeces through the vagina.”

The Signs and symptoms of this disease includes:

Fecal incontinence or Lack of control over defecation, leading to involuntary loss of bowel contents such as flatus (gas), liquid stool elements and mucus, or solid faeces. This usually happens at night or may be continual.

• Foul-smelling vaginal discharge
• Repeated vaginal or urinary tract infections
• Irritation or pain in the vagina or surrounding areas
• Pain during sexual activity

Obstetric fistula have far-reaching physical, social, economic, and psychological consequences on the women affected.

Mostly the tail end of young under-aged marriages for girls between the ages of 9-15, and according to UNFPA, “Due to the prolonged obstructed labour (during child birth after the much older men would have forcibly had their way with the girls and they become pregnant) , the baby almost inevitably dies, and the woman is left with chronic incontinence. That is, she becomes unable to control the flow of urine or faeces, or both, she may be abandoned by her husband and family and ostracized by her community. Without treatment, her prospects for work and family life are virtually non-existent.”

The implication of Obstetric Fistula can be in three forms

• Physical
• Societal
• Psychological

Physical Implication

The most direct consequence of an obstetric fistula is the constant leaking of urine, faeces, and blood as a result of a hole that forms between the vagina and bladder or rectum. This leaking has both physical and societal penalties. The acid in the urine, faeces, and blood causes severe burn wounds on the legs from the continuous dripping.

Nerve damage that can result from the leaking can cause women to struggle with walking and eventually lose mobility.

In an attempt to avoid the dripping, women limit their intake of water and liquid which can ultimately lead to dangerous cases of dehydration. Ulceration and infections can persist, as well as kidney disease and kidney failure, which can each lead to death. Some women, due to obstetric fistulae and other complications from childbirth, do not survive.

Social Implication

Physical consequences of obstetric fistula leads to severe sociocultural stigmatization for various reasons. For example, in the Movie DRY, Halima’s friends, family and supposed in-laws probably due to illiteracy or ignorance did not consider obstetric fistula a medical condition, but a divine punishment or a curse for disloyalty, infidelity, disrespectful behaviour or even witchcraft.

Pain resulting from Fistula makes the woman unable to perform household chores and childrearing as a wife and as a mother, thus devaluing her especially in a society like ours where it is solely considered a woman’s duty to do chores. As a result, many girls who were forced/coerced into early marriages are divorced or abandoned by their husbands and partners, disowned by family, ridiculed by friends and immediate society.

Just like Halima who became a marginalized member of the village, she was made to live in the bush far from friends and loved ones, she was isolated in a hut. Though she her mother and co-wife showered her some love, yet it wasn’t enough. She was humiliated and felt so alone. She later passed on due to an infection in the birth canal. She was thrown out of her husband’s home due to the constant leakage and unavoidable offensive odour.

Psychological Implication

This range from the saddening effect of the loss of a child, the rejection and humiliation they face from their supposed loved ones, the marginalization from the smell, societal embarrassment and inability to perform wifely/motherly roles. This is enough to run one mental/ suicidal.

In treating fistula, the nature and size of the injury should be considered. This varies depending on the size and location of the fistula, so a surgeon with experience is needed to improvise on the spot. Before the patient undergoes surgery, treatment and evaluation are needed for conditions including anemia, malnutrition, and malaria. Treatment for this is available through reconstructive surgery. Primary fistula repair has a 91% success rate. Successful surgery enables women to live normal lives and have more children, but it is recommended to have a cesarean section to prevent the fistula from recurring.

Mental health treatment is needed to rehabilitate fistula patients, who experience psychological trauma from being ostracized by the community.

Also, professional and medical birth attendance at all births is required to prevent this illness. In doing this, emergency obstetric care for women who develop complications during delivery would keep fistula at bay.

One major challenge hindering the treatment of fistula is information. Most women have no idea that treatment is available. Because this is a condition of shame and embarrassment, these women hide themselves and their condition and suffer in silence.

Early marriages lead to early childbirth; which increases the risk of obstructed labour. If this practice of marrying off young under-aged girls to much older men, illiteracy and traditional home birth  can be stop then 90% of Obstetric Fistula will be prevented. Then our girls can go to school, live their dreams, become a force to reckon with and make the nation proud.

The post Ways Nollywood Movie Dry Tells The Fate of Under-aged Marriages and Obstetric Fistula appeared first on Hermaze | Relationship, Beauty, Fashion, Family Articles for Women.

As thrilling as the new mum time might feel for you and your friend, this period could also mark the end of your friendship if not handled properly. A friend of mine once told me about how she lost a most cherished friendship after the birth to her little princess. Her friend had called to congratulate her on the new addition and proceeded to pay her a surprise visit. On getting to the house, she was told that her friend was sleeping. She left in anger and promised to never visit again. Unbeknownst to her, the new mummy had not slept all through the night due to pain from stitches that came with delivery. Her mother had told the friend she was sleeping because she felt her daughter needed to rest and regain her strength before receiving any visitor.

This would have been avoided if the friend had called to confirm the convenient time of visit.  A new mummy is saddled with new responsibilities. It is important to make certain sacrifices in order to make the visit memorable for you and your friend. Here are a few pointers to make the experience a remarkable one.

1. Do not Show Up Unannounced; Be Considerate

It is already tiring to push a baby out after so much drama. Therefore visiting without prior notice is a no-no. A surprise visit will not only mount pressure on your friend, it could leave her feeling overwhelmed and resentful towards you. Call her up to agree on a convenient time of visit. Don’t complain when she says she needs to rest. Give her time to recover so that she can be lively and comfortable.

2. Do The Extra, Be Generous Enough to go With a Gift

The story of the wise men giving Jesus choice gifts lends credence to this. Don’t just go see your friend and the baby, it’s makes the visit worthwhile when you get something for them. You can ask your friend what she needs or buy pressing items like baby diapers, baby wipes etc. If you are unable to find any befitting gift within your budget, you can buy fruits, beverages or put some money in an envelope. That will definitely go a long way to help reduce the burden and stir up gratitude in her heart.

3. Try Not To Take Things Too Personal, Be Tolerant

The excitement of new born’s arrival will leave you requesting to see the baby almost immediately you get to your friend’s home. Out of excitement, you will most definitely be eager to carry this little baby but you need to watch it. A lot of new mothers are very careful especially when it comes to letting people carry the fragile baby. Respect the new mummy’s decisions and follow her instruction to avoid friction. If she asks you to wash your hands or use a sanitizer, don’t take offense. Babies are sensitive and can fall ill if they have not taken the necessary vaccines. Do as you are told without grumbling or making side comments. If your friend sits with you for a while before bringing the baby to you, just keep her company and wait till you are almost ready to leave before asking. This is because your friend might be taking a breather while letting the baby sleep for much longer. Remember that she needs some time to relax and catch up with you without the burden of putting the baby to breast like she does every other minute. Appreciate that and enjoy the moment.

4. Lend a Helping Hand, Be Kind to Assist With The Chores etc.

A new mum has so much to do and the arrival of the baby does not reduce the house chores. Apart from feeding the baby, she is also thinking about how to arrange the scattered house, do laundry or even do the dishes. As a friend, you need to play your part by assisting her with these chores while you are around. All you need to do is ask. Let her know you are interested in her well-being and you seek to make her life easy during the visit.

5. Sometimes Let Things Be, Keep Your Comments to Yourself

One beautiful thing about women is the ability to notice little things. You are so used to seeing your friend all dressed up and you are unhappy that she is letting herself go. It is better to keep that thought to yourself. Making comments about her poor makeup or the lack thereof and the appearance of her wobbly wrinkled tummy is totally unnecessary. She is allowed to be human as the baby is obviously getting all the attention. The new mummy already knows that she is not her trim and athletic self. Pointing it out is awkward and could make her snap at you without thinking. Asking her about her birth experience could also be dicey. If you are curious, just ask the “how was it?” question or wait for her to let out the story. It might have been a traumatic one she wants to forget or a blissful experience that gets her talking. Weigh this and trust her to give you the story when she is ready.

6. Know When to Draw The Line- She is a “New Mum”

Keep the conversation short and simple. Do not offer advice except when solicited. Whether you have experienced the process or not, try not to force your opinion on her. The talk about exclusive breastfeeding or formula feeding is a bad idea. Don’t bring it up and don’t push it. You are not in her shoes and you don’t know her challenge. Mummy guilt can push a new mum over the edge and one careless comment might be the reason for her misery. A new mum who has challenges lactating is allowed to supplement with formula. You can’t love the baby more than the mum. Trust her judgment and wish her well.

7. Consider and Act on The New Mum’s Feelings

No matter how well you know your friend, taking on the new responsibility of motherhood can change seemingly normal things. New mothers struggle with emotional storms within them. One minute they are really happy and the next minute they feel overwhelmed. It is essential to be patient and offer moral support where necessary. If she says something about how tiring it is to take care of a little human, show some sympathy. Let her talk while you encourage her that she will be fine. When you notice that she is struggling to stay awake or she looks really tired, take that as a cue to kiss baby bye and leave. Based on the change in status, a new mummy would have to feed the baby and also make food for the relatives who have come to stay. Therefore, you need to leave for home after a while. You might feel reluctant to leave but it is the right thing to do. Considering her feelings and acting on them will make your friendship better.

There you have it folks. Do right and make your friendship stronger. Now that you know this, go all out and show your girlfriend and her baby some love.

The post Thinking of Visiting a New Mum? 7 Points to Ensure a Memorable Stay appeared first on Hermaze | Relationship, Beauty, Fashion, Family Articles for Women.