4 minute read
LITTLE BITS
LITTLE BITS “ Baby brain is real. I should not be allowed to operate heavy equipment, including iPhones.”
—Olivia Wilde
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WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Still trying to decide on a moniker for your little one? Here are the most popular names for Spring 2020 to give you some inspiration.
Girl Adah Reese Mika Paisley Amina Teagan Nova Aura Pearl Billie
Boy Austin Alva Acacius Tate Diego Easton Lucius Cash Ash Luca
WOMAN’S ENHANCES CRITICAL CARE SERVICES
Woman’s Hospital has always provided a unique focus in caring for moms. And now, during the pandemic, Woman’s Hospital has opened a separate unit for patients with COVID-19. This unit is fully capable of caring for patients and their newborns during and after delivery. It also has a separate nursing and medical staff that does not cross over into the regular labor and delivery units. Woman’s is following CDC guidelines using appropriate PPE and infection control measures, and the 12-bed unit has the capacity to expand. “This isolation unit allows us to provide the same safe and excellent quality of care to our patients who are experiencing COVID-19 infection, while preventing exposure to our other patients,” says Barbara Griffith, MD, president & CEO of Woman’s Hospital. ■ womans.org
VIRTUAL BABY SHOWERS
It’s likely that your baby shower had to be postponed, or worse, cancelled due to coronavirus concerns. However, with everything going virtual, there’s no reason your baby shower can’t do the same! While there will be differences, it can still be just as fun. First up, you will need a meeting place. WebBabyShower is set up just for virtual baby showers. It provides an all-in-one experience for shower-goers, including a customizable site, invitations, games, quizzes, and photo album. However, you will still need a place to see each other’s faces! Zoom, Facebook, Skype, or Google Hangouts are all good options. Want to add in decorations? You still can! If you already had your balloons and decor ready to go, why not include them in your background? If you want to open gifts, you can do that, too. Have your guests send their gift to you ahead of time, and you can open them during the party. Just don’t forget to send back a thank you card!
TOP FOLATE FOODS FOR MOM TO BE
Folate foods are great to eat during pregnancy. Studies show that if women consumed the recommended amount of folic acid before and during early pregnancy, up to 70 percent of all neural tube defects (serious abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord) could be prevented. It’s important that you talk with your doctor to make sure you’re getting enough folate during your pregnancy. Your doctor may recommend folic-acid rich foods, including lentils, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, cantaloupe, and eggs.
BE GONE, MORNING SICKNESS!
Morning sickness is no joke, but did you know that eating could be the best thing for you to fight it? However, the foods you choose to snack on make a difference. Next time you feel the sickness coming on, give one of these morning sickness friendly foods a try: salty crackers, pretzels, potato chips, sour candies, sherbert and/or cold foods, popsicles, Jello, gooseberries, fresh lemons in water, herbal tea, and ginger.
CORE AND PELVIC CARE
Taking care of your core and pelvic floor during pregnancy is important, and it’s easy to do with these tips from Catherine Middlebrooks, a yoga teacher and postpartum corrective exercise specialist. First, do five minutes of daily, deep breathing exercises. Middlebrooks shares that the core and pelvic floor muscles work with the diaphragm. Every time you inhale deeply, your core and pelvic floor relax. When you exhale, the core and pelvic floor are engaged. Deep breathing practice helps you maintain core and pelvic floor health. It will also help you re-establish core and pelvic floor muscle tone faster after the baby arrives. Secondly, strengthen your deep core. Middlebrooks’s favorite exercise while pregnant is hugging the baby up and in while on hands and knees. When you inhale, let the belly relax and drop down. When you exhale, gently engage your deepest core muscles and hug the baby up toward your spine.
FUN IN THE SUN
After being safe at home for over a month, dreaming about a beach trip may be on your mind. However, when it comes time to pack, you will want to have the right sunscreen to bring. Mineral sunscreens contain active mineral ingredients like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. These sit on the surface of the skin and deflect and scatter damaging UVA rays. And, they’re the ones you will want to have in your bag. According to Dr. Denis Dudley, OB/GYN, they never enter through intact skin, have no adverse effects, and give better protection.
