My friend once told me - “I expected the labor pain to be the worst, only to realize that it was nothing compared to the pain and fuss that was in store for me while breastfeeding him”. Is breastfeeding as hard as rocket science? Well technically, it is not!. Every pregnancy is different, just like how you and I are different. On that note, breastfeeding may be a cakewalk for some, but may turn out to be a real nightmare for some. It all depends on how patiently you figure it out.

Birthing a child is a miracle in all its fullness. Breastfeeding is yet another magical experience, though it involves a tad bit of pain and panic in the beginning. The fact that your body all of a sudden develops the power to produce food to sustain another tiny human is nothing short of magical. How much more beautiful would it be if you enjoy the process, and figure it out along with your baby? So here are a few tips to figure it out the right way.

Be equipped

Antenatal classes give you a heads-up about what to expect throughout the pregnancy period, during the labor and even after that. It also introduces you to the technique of easy breastfeeding. Getting tips and training from professionals will help you get equipped to breastfeed like a pro with less jitters once you have the baby.

Keep calm and do it together with the baby

Some new mothers may tend to get all nervous and freak out when feeding the baby goes wrong in the first attempt. The thumb rule is, relax and be patient. You may not figure everything out on the very first day, and it’s completely okay. Your baby and you are a team here and all you need to do it is to team up and figure it out with the baby patiently, while doing away with all the panic and fuss.

Find the right position

Right position is equally important for you and your baby while breastfeeding. Make sure your hands and elbows do not feel any pressure while holding the baby. Use pillows to support the baby. A 45 degree posture may suit for an ideal posture. Raise your knee and rest your feet on the bed so that your legs make a great support for the baby and your hands. Make sure that you give enough space for the baby to move his hands and feet, hold his head facing your breast and allow him the space to explore and latch on to the nipple.

Baby’s mouth should be opened wider

If it hurts while feeding, it means the baby has not opened his mouth fully while latching on. Get the baby to open his mouth wider and cover a major portion around the nipple so that the milk ducts around your nipple can function even more actively. Do not let him to latch on only to the nipple as it will not give him a good feed and it can also cause you pain.

Have enough nursing dresses in store

As a mother, always bear in mind that comfort and convenience should come first for you. Avoid wearing clothes that cause you inconvenience while feeding the baby. Use soft nursing dresses that are front open to make it more easy and convenient. You could find nursing dresses in any maternity/baby shops or you can even buy a nursing dress online with better offers and varieties.

For babies, breastfeeding comes naturally as an instinct to latch on to his mother’s breast and start sucking. But in certain cases, he may take time to figure it out, leaving you clueless about what to do about the situation. Relax! Most of the mothers would have been there at least once. All it takes to embrace this magical experience is to take it slow and figure it out patiently with your baby, while knowing that you are amazing enough to be birthing and feeding another human! So go buy nursing dresses online to prep yourself up to have a happy breastfeeding experience.

Firsts are always special. Firsts also come with a bit of jitters. It is only natural to have first pregnancy jitters but unlike olden times, we have the antenatal classes now to help and guide us through the entire pregnancy period.

Why Antenatal Classes?

Antenatal classes are helpful if you are having your first baby, and are downright clueless about what to expect. They give you a complete understanding about labor, on how to handle the delicate newborn while teaching you how to breastfeed the right way. I have had my ready to pop friends getting all nervous about their first labor, not knowing what is in store for them. A few of my friends have had a hard time breastfeeding as well post delivery. It is normal that you have millions of questions and doubts on your mind on pregnancy, labor and post-delivery period. Well. the good news is that your help is only a call away. Get yourself enrolled for the antenatal classes and be sure to get your doubts cleared and calmed down like never before.

How does Antenatal Classes help?

First of all, antenatal classes make you realize that you are not alone in this. You will meet many other parents-to-be with the same doubts and insecurities that you carry. You get to meet other couples who are going through the same phase. It gives you a chance to interact with them and be assured of many things that were giving you sleepless nights. You get introduced to new pregnancy-friendly products in the market that you probably never knew existed. Say for example the maternity pillows that make sleeping easy. One of the main challenges that you confront during the pregnancy period is finding the right position to sleep without any difficulty. A little bit of interaction with the other mothers-to-be will help you know more about such products and have an idea about where to buy maternity pillows online from.

Apart from the interaction, antenatal classes give you the following benefits:

• You get tips on how to eat right during pregnancy by following a healthy diet. Sitting idle will not help in any way during pregnancy. So it is important that you have an idea about easy exercises that can keep you fit and active. Antenatal classes help you with that as well.
• If you are clueless about what is in store and what to expect during labor, antenatal classes give you complete information regarding the same. It also enables and empowers you to cope up with labor pain and get through it like a champion.
• Labor pain may cause a sudden panic attack in you, but with the help of antenatal classes, you get a clear understanding about what relaxation techniques to use when you are almost there.
• Breastfeeding can be a bit challenging post-delivery. But worry not! Antenatal classes have got your back and they walk you through the entire process and equips you with the knowledge to breastfeed like a mother of 10.
• Postpartum depression is quite a natural thing that can hit any new mother. Antenatal classes will help you there too, by educating you on how to deal with your emotions and feelings post delivery. Your mental and emotional health is as important as your physical health. It is inevitable that you get some help to make your mind and body stable after delivery.

In short, Antenatal classes are a must if you are looking forward to a blissful pregnancy and delivery experience. They give you a heads-up to be ready for what is in store, and helps you manage it all like a pro. So register for your antenatal classes, relax and place your order to buy a maternity pillow online to get some beauty sleep tonight without worrying about the days to come - they have been sorted already!

Road safety is important, but child safety is all the more important as they are super delicate compared to grown-ups. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and hence when you are travelling with your baby, it is inevitable that you use car seats to buckle your baby up all the way and be safe. If you are not too sure about the necessity of car seats, here are a few reasons why you should be sure about it.

 Firmest support system

Infants are delicate and highly demanding. They need our support from being fed, washed up, and carried around to being put to sleep. On this note, when there is a sudden jerk caused by an unfortunate accident, it is impossible for them to balance or hold on stronger to something solid to protect themselves from being hurt or thrown out. Their grip game is too weak as they are not there yet. This is where car seats come to rescue by holding them firmly to the seat and protecting them from being jostled.

 Because the RTA says so!

The updated rules by RTA in UAE has made the use of car seats mandatory for children under the age of four while travelling by car. This is on the ground that car seats protect the baby from fatal accidents to a large extent and is proven to have drastically cut down the chances of injuries caused by such accidents.  It is also mandatory to buckle up children below 10 years with seat belts according to the rule. No children below the age of 10 are allowed to sit in the front seat with other passengers. If you by any chance violate the rules mentioned above, be ready to pay a fine of AED 400 and get slammed with four black points.

That being said, merely getting a random car seat may not necessarily promise you the safety that you look forward to having. Ideally, it is important that you consider the quality of the car seat as well before giving it a shot. Here are a few pointers that could come in handy if you are meaning to buy car seats online in dubai

• The car seats should pass crash tests to make sure that it won’t give up at the hour of emergency.
• It should carry proper labeling and should be specifically classified according to different age groups and weight categories.
• It should be certified by the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) that conforms to the standards set by the European Union and United States.
• The design of the seat should ensure the right posture, as neck protection is extremely important for a child. The neck of a child is prone to more injuries no matter how minor the accident is.
• Once you get the car seat, do not hesitate to ask for professional help to get it installed in your car the right way. Even if the car seat is of high quality, a shortcoming in the installation may lead your child to unnecessary danger.
• Learn how to strap the child up. Cases have been reported where strapping the child wrongly has caused great injuries.
• Opt for rear-facing infant carriers for children of age group upto 12 months, who could weigh up to 10kg and 13kg
• Get child seats for children of age group between nine months to four years who would be weighing between 9kg to 18kg
• Go for full booster seats and cushions for children of age group between three and a half years to six years whose weight would be between 15kg to 25 kg

Every child is precious. As parents, it is your responsibility to ensure that they are safe until they learn to live on their own. Parenting is a beautiful experience, and taking necessary precautions can make it even  more blissful and peaceful. So go ahead and place your order now to buy a car seat online to be on the safe side.

How to Choose the Perfect Toy for Toddlers

So it's your best friend’s/cousin’s/coworker’s/neighbor's toddler’s birthday and you have no clue about what kind of toy to buy. Pretty much the struggle almost everyone would have gone through at least once in their lifetime. Buying a toy is easy, but choosing the kind of toy that wouldn’t end up being a headache for the parents is a humongous task.

Say for example you get a fancy looking whistle as a gift for the toddler. Imagine the plight of the parents who would end up burying their heads under the pillow when their child decides to blow it and make some music to his/her heart’s content at ungodly hours of the night. Or a sharp-edged toy that is most likely to make a cut on the child’s tender skin. They perhaps would never want to invite you to any birthday parties ever again. So here are a few suggestions for the best toys for kids in UAE to save your day.

1. Wooden Building Blocks.

The hand-eye coordination of a child starts developing between the ages of 1 to 3. Building blocks are not just mere toys to keep the child engaged and entertained. They teach the child to put the blocks of different shapes, sizes and colors together in the best possible way. This helps in the intellectual and logical development of a toddler. But before you buy, make sure that the blocks come with smooth edges to ensure the child a safe playing experience.  

2. Abacus toy

“One, two, three, gibberish, gibberish and TEN!!!”.

This never gets old! Most toddlers start counting excitedly from one and end up being all gibberish until they reach ten. An abacus toy is the best way to teach them how to count. Sliding the beads while saying out the numbers aloud helps in getting the order of the numbers registered in their memory and facilitate quick learning. Gift this and claim all the credit when the child counts from one to ten like a pro.

3. Sorting Clock

“Small needle on 10 and big needle on 6 Mama!” - Been there, done that, all of us! This is how we learned how to check the time on the clock. But well, the good news is that the toy makers have made that easier too. The sorting clock comes with number blocks than can be arranged. It also comes with the hour needle and the minute needle, that helps the child to learn how to check the time. It will take a while for them to understand that time is money but let’s call this the baby step to understanding more such deep stuff!

4. Xylophone/ Toy Drum Set

Getting children used to musical instruments at an early age can evoke a sense of rhythm in them. A xylophone or a toy drum set can create in them an interest for music, and who knows, he/she could be a musician in the making. Let the child go Do Re Mi at an early age with this amazingly promising gift!

5. The ABC Block Cart

Don’t tell me you’ve never come across a parent who says “My toddler already knows his A, B and C”. Well, that’s most likely to be the first proud moment of any parent. ABC block cart is the kind of toy any parent would love having at home. It helps the child rearrange the alphabets order-wise and comes with four wheels, that lets them pull it around like a vehicle.

It goes without saying that most toys may not survive too long in the hands of the terrible twos and troublesome threes. But getting the perfect toy that can get the child hooked on and engaged for a while, as well as contribute to their intellectual growth and character formation is the smartest thing ever. So go ahead and shop for the perfect toy from the best retail or online shop for toys in UAE like a pro.