Breast lumps and its solution during pregnancy: ‘’Breast Cancer awareness Month special’’ (By Dr. Akanksha Chikhlikar Aich, Specialist Breast Surgeon)

 

‘’October month is observed as breast cancer awareness month. During this month, through different activities worldwide, organizations create awareness about this type of cancer, which affects a large population of women. It tries to make people aware of the need for early detection of breast cancer, its treatment options and prevention methods that can help save lives. 

According to WHO, there are about 1.38 million new cases and 458 000 deaths from breast cancer each year (IARC Globocan, 2008). Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide.’’

It’s another regular day of your antenatal period, you get up looking forward to your daily chores, everything planned beforehand and then you notice a lump in your breast while bathing …anxiety and fear strikes like a jolt of electric shock. Now what?

Relax, all lumps are not cancer.

Here are some tips and guidance to help you with early detection.

We know we need to check our breast regularly and be on the lookout for unusual bumps you can't remember being there before. If you do find one, don't panic - some women breasts are naturally lumpy, without it being a sign of cancer. But if it's a new lump, feels different from other lumps, or you just want some reassurance, its advisable to visit your doctor.

Breast lumps sometimes develop during pregnancy. The most common ones are:

Cysts (fluid-filled sacs)

Galactoceles (milk-filled cysts) 

Fibroadenomas (which develop in the lobules of the breast)

These are benign breast conditions (not cancer).

A fibroadenoma prior to pregnancy may present as a bigger lump during pregnancy.

 In  early  second trimester our breasts starts preparing to nurse our baby, and sometimes a milk duct can get blocked  and enlarged during the process. How can you know for sure? Clogged milk ducts are usually hard, red lumps that are tender to the touch and tend to clear up after a few days (they may continue to clog up, same way when you’re lactating).These irritating bumps are a sign that your body is preparing to nourish your baby and if you do choose to breastfeed, it will reduce the chances of breast cancer later in life.

Blocked Duct

To feel better, apply warm compress to the lump regularly (or run hot water on the area during showers) and massage the duct, which should help unclog the milk build up and eliminate the lump. Some experts suggest to use good supportive bras rather than underwire ones. If the lump doesn’t clear up or gets worse, check with your doctor to ensure it’s not infected.

Choose a day each month that will be easy to remember and make breast self -awareness a regular part of your good health routine.

1. Stand before a mirror and look at both breasts. Check for anything unusual, such as nipple retraction, redness, puckering, dimpling or scaling of the skin. Look for nipple discharge. All discharge should be reported to your doctor.

Note the color, whether it came from one or more openings.

2. Next, press your hands firmly on your hips and lean slightly toward your mirror as you pull your shoulders and elbows forward with a squeezing or hugging motion. Look for any change in the normal shape of your breasts.

3. Looking in the mirror, raise your arms and rest your hands behind your head. This allows you to see the underside of your breasts.

4. Place your left hand on your waist, roll your shoulder forward and reach into your underarm area and check for enlarged lymph nodes (small glands that fill with fluid when you have  an infection). An enlarged node would feel like a corn kernel or a bean. Also check the area above and below the collar bone. Repeat on the right side.

5. Raise your left arm. Use the pads of three or four fingers of your right hand to examine your left breast. Use three levels of pressure (light, medium and firm) while moving in  a circular motion. Check your breast area using a set pattern. You can choose (1)lines, (2) circles or (3) wedges.

i. Lines

Beginning at the outer edge of your breast, move your fingers downward using a circular motion until they are below the breast. Then move your fingers slightly toward the middle and slowly move back up.

ii. Circles

Beginning at the outer edge of your breast, use the flat part of your fingers, moving in circles slowly around the breast. Gradually make smaller and smaller circles toward the nipple. Be sure to check behind the nipple.

iii. Wedges

Starting at the outer edge of the breast, move your fingers towards the nipple and back to the edge.

6. Lie flat on your back with your left arm over your head and a pillow or folded towel under your left shoulder. This position flattens the breast and makes it easier to examine. Use the same motion described in Step 5. Some women like to use body lotion in this step.

Occasionally, breast cancer is diagnosed in pregnancy, and early detection is the key to better outcome. Consultation with a breast specialist, a thorough physical exam, and an ultrasound helps in diagnosis. Nothing to worry about.

Most often we find cysts, without any increased risk of breast cancer. But in about 30 percent of women, excess proliferation is seen which can be cancerous or can be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in future. We need to be vigilant and consistent with regular follow-ups and appropriate investigations.

 A Lump in the Armpit While Pregnant

Swollen Lymph Nodes

Ø  Coming across a pea-sized lump in the armpit during pregnancy will leave you all worried and tensed. But there is no reason to stress yourself. Among many other changes that your body goes through during pregnancy, this is one of them.

Ø  It is important to note that the lump is also a part of the breast. Yes, it may be strange to hear this since we believe that the breast is usually the portion that is present in the chest region. In reality, the actual section can extend to the armpit as well, reaching the point of division quite easily. The lines that occur when this happens, resembling a valley of sorts, are termed as milk ridges. Breasts undergo expansion during pregnancy and even when lactation sets in after the child has been delivered. This can cause the breast tissue to expand in the area of the armpit as well.

 

MORE ON BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

Risk Factors: who needs to be more careful

• Family History: Women whose mother or sister had breast cancer carry a higher risk of developing this disease.
• Breast lumps- Women who have had some type of non-cancerous breast lumps are more likely to develop cancer later on.
• Dense breast tissue - Women with dense breast tissue have a higher chance of developing breast cancer.
• Age: As women get older, they are at higher risk of breast cancer.
• Diet and lifestyle choices: Women who smoke, eat high fat diet, drink alcohol is more at risk of developing breast cancer.
• Radiation Exposure: Frequent exposure to X-Rays and CT scans may raise a women's chance of developing breast cancer. 
• Obesity: Overweight women are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
• Oestrogen exposure – Women who started having periods earlier or entered menopause later than usual are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. This is because their bodies have been exposed to oestrogen for longer duration.

 

Tips for Breast Cancer Prevention

It is important to self-examine your breasts. Women should be aware as to how their breast normally look and feel. If you feel any change, then consult the doctor. 

·    It is advisable for women who are around 40 and above to get their mammography done. Mammography is a simple radiographic technique which helps in detecting irregularities in the breast tissue.

·    Addition of vegetables and fruits in your diet helps in maintaining a healthy body weight.

·    For new mothers, it is advisable to breastfeed their child for minimum of one year. 

·    Don’t smoke or drink alcohol in excess.

NEED OF THE HOUR - awareness about breast examination, beginning from 20 years of age, and regular screening from a qualified doctor, so that it can be detected early and treated successfully. 

 

      "Early detection is the key to prevention."

Dr. Akanksha Chikhlikar Aich, (Specialist Breast Surgeon & an Wonderful new Mom)

Dr. Akanksha's Facebook

Maintaining Oral Hygiene in Kids (By Dr Deepali Srivastava)

Many parents have a tough time wondering how much dental care their kids need. When should a baby starts brushing? 

When  should  they visit a pedodontist first  or which is  the right paste and toothbrush they should use for their children and many more of such questions. 

Well ! Good oral hygiene should be introduced as early as infancy. 

IMPORTANCE OF GOOD ORAL HYGIENE

Many parents may assume that primary teeth or baby teeth dont matter much as they will loose anyhow. But baby teeth actually matters a lot .

NEED TO MAINTAIN BABY TEETH 

1. Baby teeth assist in development of child's speech

2.  Tooth decay (early childhood caries) may lead to  pain, infections in other parts like ear ,sinus, and brain. 

3. May have a negative impact on the development of permanent teeth which may lead to future dental problems like crowded teeth, malocclusion, improper jaw development, problem in eating and many more.

BABIES TEETH DEVELOPMENT 

To our surprise ! babies are born with a full set of 20 baby teeth (primary or deciduous teeth) hidden in their gums ‐10 in the upper jaw and 10 in the lower jaw. Development of baby teeth starts within the womb itself. 

Mostly the 1st tooth appears between 6‐10 months but it  may vary and most children will have their full set of baby teeth by the age of 3yrs.

HOW TO MAINTAIN GOOD ORAL HYGIENE 

Dental care for babies should start before babies first tooth appears. Babies aged between 0 to 6 months need only breast milk or formula milk so u can simply wipe your baby's gums and tongue with a damp cloth or a gauze twice a day 

As soon as the first tooth erupts clean the teeth using a soft infant tooth brush. Cleaning and caring for children's teeth early on sets up good dental habits life long .

HOW TO BRUSH BABY TEETH

• Keep your baby in a position where you can easily see baby's mouth .

• Hold the baby's chin in your hand and baby's head resting against your body

• Lift your baby's lip to clean teeth using soft circular motions

• Make sure you spend time on front and back of each tooth and also the gum line

• Encourage to brush without swallowing 

• CAUTION:  Brushing should always be under strict supervision of parents upto the age 6-7 years as children might swallow the excessive amount of fluoride toothpaste which may harm the tooth enamel and may lead to dental fluorosis (stains on teeth) if continued for longer time. Also it may cause upset stomach if ingested in larger amount. 

If your baby does not like brushing you can try making it more fun by letting your baby play with their favorite toys or by singing songs or being a role model as babies have a tendency  to mimic.  

Encourage your child to hold the tooth brush which will make him feel that he/she is involved in the action. This way your baby will get to know that brushing is a normal part of daily routine. 

TYPE OF TOOTHBRUSH 

It is very important to choose the right kind of tooth brush . For children aged upto 2-5 years use a small oval heads ,soft bristles of different heights and non slip cushioned handles. For children below 2 yrs finger brush can also be used.

Keep the toothbrush clean and replace the tooth brush every 3-5months .

TYPE OF TOOTHPASTE 

•  Below 2years  ‐ use either low fluoride toothpaste or fluoride free toothpaste with amount not more than a rice grain. 

•  2 years and above ‐ you can use fluoridated tooth paste with amount of pea size. 

• When your baby starts using toothpaste teach them to spit it out . If your child is not able to rinse properly no need  to worry  as small amount of fluoride tooth paste left behind protects your child's teeth.

• You may use any of the good brands of toothpaste available in market like kidodent, candycop, cheerio etc. keeping the fluoride content in mind according to your child's age.

IMPORTANCE OF FLUORIDE IN TOOTHPASTE 

Fluoride is a natural and a safe mineral .it is made as an active ingredient of many toothpaste as it helps us in many ways‐

• Prevents tooth decay

• Reverse the early tooth decay

• Strengthens the weekend tooth enamel

• Slow the loss of minerals from tooth enamel

• Limit the growth of oral bacteria

 WHAT IS EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES ???

Early childhood caries (ECC) are cavities that usually develops in the upper front teeth of children but may affect the other teeth also.

Initially it appears as white spots near gum lines and as it worsens it appears as brown spots, holes or broken teeth which may require more involved procedures to fix it. It is very important to stop the decay early to prevent it from getting worse.

 HOW ECC HAPPENS ?

• It happens when the liquids and the food that contains sugar are allowed to left in your baby's mouth for hours. Bacteria starts working in the presence of sugar and makes acid which overtime destroys the tooth enamel.

HOW CAN YOU PREVENT ECC ?

• One of the easiest and best way to prevent  it is  by not putting your child to bed with  bottles filled with milk ,or any other sweet liquids or juices.

 • Give your child bottles only during meals . Do not allow them to walk around with the bottle throughout the day.

• No dipping of pacifiers in any kind of sweetened liquid. More importantly pacifiers should not be given after 2 years of age as it may lead  to overbite or cross bite which may require orthodontic treatment in future. 

• Adopt a healthy balanced diet and limit the intake of sugary and starchy foods and snacks. Avoid too much of chocolates and candies. Avoid sugary foods in between the meals.

• Maintain a habit of daily brushing of the teeth twice a day ,one in the morning  before breakfast and other at night before bedtime.

• Frequent rinsing of crowded teeth as proper brushing is difficult in such teeth.

• Make them learn to drink liquids from glass as early as possible preferably before they turn one year of age as children who do bottle feeding after 15 months are at higher risk of getting ECC.

• Do not scare from a dentist. Plan a visit to a pedodontist for an early evaluation and discuss with him your child's developing caries and its treatment and the best way to prevent it.

Remember practicing good oral hygiene and making your child learn early to maintain proper oral hygiene can save him from all the pain and infections and  cumbersome dental treatment procedures .

Maintaining baby's teeth is of utmost importance as not only it affects the eating and speaking but may affect the permanent teeth in a manner as they may come out crowded, crooked which may affect their smile. 

A child's smile may affect their self esteem and confidence. A child's smile is the purest thing you could  ever see ,so let them enjoy the confidence of a beautiful smile as well, by teaching them the key points to maintain good oral hygiene.

Dr Deepali Srivastava (Dentist, and beautiful mom of an Angel)

Deepali's Facebook

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POST PARTUM Depression is REAL & so are YOU

How the Human Mind works

It is very uncommon to notice if a person is Depressed. The human minds work differently in different circumstances pertaining to situations they prefer and the situations they do not. Fair Enough! Keeping all judgement apart the Depression is Real. Though in my personal case I did not experienced any post-partum depression but was exactly at the verge of. Reason being – it goes quite unnoticed in an empathetic society like us. We are the society and then we judge - as look what kind of society are we living in, It is the time to bring about a change and then we go back to where we actually belong - “the judgmental society”.

A person might not realize if they are Depressed – it can only be seen by an outsider who is watching the person, meeting them every-day, living with them. But even after noticing - do, they ever let that person know – “Look you need some help – Please consult a Psychiatrist- Trust me you will be fine soon”, there is nothing to be ashamed of. No, we do not. We refrain ourselves from helping them rather than we find it very easy to pass comments on them – “Looks like he/she is depressed – she has a weak mind – she must have got hurt on her head while she was young – she is unable to focus – oh why cannot she just be happy”? The questions are innumerable, infinite, and unanswered.

These questions are unending and so their answers are. We still do not take care of our health as we find it very shameful to discuss about our mental health. Belonging to a middle-class family background & getting only the exact requirements had led me to accept the fact to be vulnerable – trust me – No complaints of what I could not get – the best what my parents could afford I was provided with.

But still there was this thing missing which no one ever discussed due to lack of education OR to be very precise “Ignorance”. And We still do not -as we find it shameful enough. Minds are the most creative when we explore it to our utmost strength and minds are the most destructive when ignorance becomes a habit. The power to deal with ignorance and strive through are only with few individuals like me. When the power of ignorance takes upon your mind – people call it Depression or rather the society calls it Depression.

A mind can get affected at any point in time of your life. No matter how healthy or positive you have been throughout – there are few hormones who play their games when you do not want them to show up and with NO CONTROL over them.

 

Hormones Play a Big Role

Every Girl who became a Woman in her life knows the immense hormonal changes in her body when we nurture another human being inside us. These hormones include estrogen, progesterone, prolactin, renin, and many others. The batch of people belonging to this mother’s group will totally relate to mood swings, emotional outbreaks, anxiety, lack of sense of smell, and(or) taste, lack of empathy, feeling extremely void often. The journey is not easy and then adds up the word “post-partum”. This word was just as new to me as my pregnancy was.

My article is just to bring awareness about the mental health of a woman who just delivered a baby. Be kind to them, be caring, just be there for them. I know there are many women who does not get the amount of love they need during post-partum for their recovery. The focus is on the newborn child without even realizing that the mother is being neglected. We need some appreciation - that is it.

 

Lesser known facts about Origin of Post-Partum Depression

I want to share few examples where a woman is degraded everyday towards depression after delivering a baby.

A good mother is one who makes just the right amount of breastmilk for the baby.

A good mother is one who knows how to change a diaper the moment baby is born.

A good mother is one who knows how to massage the baby the moment baby is born.

A good mother is one who stands up straight and capable enough to feed our own child after the OT.

A good mother is one who never sleeps when her baby sleeps.

A good mother is one who should be able to calm her baby as soon as they cry.

A good mother is one who should not think of a better body after delivery.

A good mother is one who never leaves her 2 months old baby at home and goes for a parlor session for her relaxation.

A good mother is one who should keep ignoring that she is being judged each fricking second of her life.

Thus, if a woman qualifies the above-mentioned points, she can be awarded an Average Mother award – Still not the BEST!!!

 

Recipe for Best M.O.M.

Trust me my dear new mommies – There is no recipe for a Perfect M.O.M. – no one’s ever been a perfect one and can never be one. You are best the way you are. The way you handle little details for your child, the way you nurture them, the way you care for them is all they need. This is the responsibility of a Mother. There are no measuring criteria for it. Trust me we all are doing a great job – some are managing entire household chores along with their child, some are managing office and home and child. Each task a M.O.M does is worth applause.

But Many of us still has a lot more struggles where you get to listen as how irresponsible of you as being a mother, Oh she is not feeding her child properly , Oh she only focuses on her career and her life and it is endless– Hurtful isn’t it? YES, it is.

We will be judged by people surrounding us, but we should never let the spark within us stoop low. If We stoop low our child’s future will stoop low too. And we do not want that to happen. If you are in this situation, and or have faced this situation ever – please maintain distance from them and choose your own happy space in your child’s arms. Do Not let your aspirations go in vain – you are still a worthy human being who deserves every happiness in life.

 

Stress- Release:

1)      If you get furious sometimes due to any personal / professional reasons – try not showing the anger in front of your child. This will shape their behavior too. As per my study on child psychology a child’s footprints are based upon the environment of the house. No matter how unhappy you may be – still show a smiling face to your child.

P.S. - I Am still working on it and I have shown my bad temperament to my child by shouting at him. Once done I get a disgusting feeling within myself for being so aloud for my incompetence and making my child the target for no reason. I am sure I will get rid of it soon.

 

2)      Speak to your child about your problems and difficulties that you are facing, just talk to them – regardless of their age – this will help you bond better and even the child will have faith in you. The more you let your problems out the more peaceful you will be.

 

P.S.- I do it

 

3)      Speak to your partner about your difficulties and if he understands and supports you – Trust me – you are one Lucky Girl. And in case if he does not -you are still lucky as you are confiding in your child already.

The Sad Reality even in the 21^st Century

Recently there was a case where an Indian origin woman from California committed suicide after 3 months post-partum and the reason were constant taunts and complaints by her in-laws and her husband for unable to make enough breast milk. The woman did not get any time for happy hormones to produce breast milk. A post-partum body needs happy hormones called Prolactin to stimulate breast milk for the baby. In the absence of a happy environment a human brain will never stimulate its production thus blaming the mother of the baby. This is how our Indian society is. We are never prepared to support each other when we need but are always ready to criticize and pull others down.

 

We will be criticized for the way we raise our child.

We will be criticized for the food we make them eat.

We will be criticized for the behavior we commission into them.

We will be criticized for everything we do as if we are not supposed to make mistakes.

 

It is always OK to make mistakes when raising your child. The more mistakes we make, the more knowledge we conquer.

 

Mantra for post-partum recovery:

a)       Look after your mental recovery on priority.

b)      Look after your health issues.

c)       Look after your vaginal cuts / C-section stitches.

d)      Look after your breast soreness. Use a good nipple soothing cream.

e)      Use a breast pump in case you do not produce enough breastmilk initially due to affects of strong prescribed tables.

f)        Look after your diet – have protein rich foods, green leafy veggies, take vitamin supplements.

g)       Drink plenty of water.

h)      Drink fenugreek tea, carom seeds tea – they supplement your breastmilk.

i)        Eat papaya, sago, cracked wheat khichdi in any form you like.

j)        Sleep when you are tired / especially sleep when your baby sleeps – this helps in better bonding

k)       Practice your favorite art form – music, literature, paintings.

l)        Do some sort of light physical activity, walking, cooking, etc.

m)    Watch Tom & Jerry when you feel negative.

n)      Do Gardening.

o)      Do Baking – the colors used in frosting are extremely soothing for our minds. Practice with different colors.

p)      Practice Mandala art for regaining the lost direction and focus.

q)      Chat with your best friends.

r)       Do family video calls.

s)       Confront the people who taunts you/ pass judgement about you – throw them out of your life. Trust me – throw them away.

t)        Take care of your outer beauty as well - take care of your nails, hairs, apply face masks regularly, massage your face to uplift them from any form of stress.

Self-Care is never Selfish. I strongly recommend self-care as a way to safeguard yourself from the trauma/love less life we are burdened to live with. This is the magic mantra.

Do not forget the person you were before you became a Mother.

Being a Mother is the greatest boon of all times. Let us focus on our well being too as we dive into the journey of MOTHERHOOD.

I hope this article is useful to many moms out there. Please CONCENTRATE on your well – being. You are as important as your Child is!

Thank you Mummy and Papa for taking care of me in the most beautiful and difficult phase of my life.

Thank You for so much Love, My Dear Readers.

Richa Anand (Wonderful Mother to a 26-months old baby boy named Siddhartha)

Richa's Facebook

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Ways to comfort yours first born for a new sibling

Yay! Congratulations! 

The family is pregnant!

Off course it’s the biggest news for the entire family. Happiness knows no bound. Heart is growing bigger and merrier all around the house. 

More noise, more toys, some more shopping, happy cuddling and snuggling now.

It’s no surprise that the news of arrival of a new baby member can bring many changes to a family. By then there must be a set routine life for all existing members, but with this little value addition, the dynamics will change.

Sibling relationship is special and unique. Bonding between siblings comes naturally in most cases, but it is something that needs to be channelized and guided whenever it is needed.

Kid waiting for his Brother/Sister

These things encourage siblings to connect, live, learn, love and grow with each other. It’s important to feel togetherness and part of the same home team.

Parents will spend a lot of energy in preparations before and after home coming of the little baby. Much of the parent’s attention involves caring of the new born. Obviously the time given to the older sibling will get lessened to an extent. All this change would be hard for the older sibling to handle. It’s usual for them to get jealous towards the new born and behave in certain unusual ways.

New sibling can have an impact on your family. Understand and plan how to prepare your older child, introduce the new born baby and encourage a healthy sibling bond. Bringing home the second baby to home will be little different the second time around.

But no worries, it can be well handled. You can prepare yourself mentally, before preparing your older sibling for a happy extension of the family.

Little Baby with his Sister

Important Tips to handle the chaos:

New baby brings and challenges at the same time. Surely, you are excited but at the same time damn nervous to handle the same situation all over again. Undoubtedly, it’s the most amazing thing ever happened to you, but still it bring in a lot of side effects also.

One of the major hurdles is how your older baby will react and act seeing his new born sibling.

1.  Sharing the news:  Get the story teller out of you. Make the entire news easy for them to swallow with a smile on face. Remind him/her that he/she was a beautiful baby once, too.

2.  Involve: It’s very wise to involve your older sibling, take their advice or opinion. This will make them feel wanted and loved. Right from choosing their bedding, toys, pillows, cot and even clothes.

Involve your family and closed ones to mix more and take more time for your older kid so that he won’t feel left out or ignored.

Tell your older child to hold the baby first, before anyone else, will develop a sense of responsibility and belonging feeling towards their new born sibling.

 Introduce your baby to the new born with happy vibe and positive frame of mind.

 Never fail to praise for every single gesture of your older kid towards his/her newly born brother/sister.

Get their help in feeding finger food to their little brother/sister; entertain them by singing, caricature, dance etc. during diaper change or making them eat. Can also get their help in pushing carriage/stroller, talk to baby while dressing up, bathe, or burp the baby. It’s do help in making the tough work an easy thing to do.

Ask to open baby gifts, ways to take care of little one, take pictures etc. and encourage them while doing it.

Expect a little moodiness: Perfectly Normal!

 

Happy Family

4.   Listen Carefully: Be a good listener, rather being impatient.

Try to calm him down, and not impose, knowing anyway the older one have to adjust. Be a little empathetic to your older baby as it’s new for him and difficult to deal with.

If your child expresses no interest in the baby, don’t be alarmed and don’t force it. It can take time, and it’s quite obvious to go through this.

Prepare and more prepare: Practice will make this easier for your older sibling and subsequently your peace of mind is intact.

·         Let your child hear you talk about the “new baby” and feel your happiness and excitement. They will get as excited as you all are, as they have the tendencies to copy and replicate the same reactions.

·         Show pictures of family, with the new born also. That will create an idea that you all are a single family.

·         Also frequently remind your older sibling is that the new born is your Brother/Sister. It ensures their acceptance for the new one.

·         Teach soft touches. “No hitting, time out”. It not at all a punishment, but way to help him learn that the act done is not appropriate, and it’s not permissible.

 

Happy Family

6.       Age wise reactions: Children of different ages will react differently to a new baby. Knowing what to expect from each age group will make it easier to handle the changes in your family.

 ·         Toddlers – Age 1 to 2 years, usually doesn’t understand. So, it’s easier to handle them.

·         Pre-schooler’s – Age 2 to 4 years, these age child are generally very sensitive. They are so emotional and possessive for their parents, which they get uncomfortable very easily. In fact they might get scared by the news also. You as a parent, try to comfort them by speaking and spending quality time with them. When the new baby arrives, try to do something special for your older child. You can always surprise them with their favourite toy. You can take them to their favourite muffin/ice cream parlour. Take them to the nearby zoo or water park to have fun time. Watching a good children movie is not a bad idea either. It will surely make things easy for both of you.

·         5 Years Above – As they have developed bit of understanding, it’s advisable to discuss all the aspect, both good and bad.

 

7.       Hand holding the Older Child: Its important as it will make yours work lesser or peaceful.  For example;

 ·         Toilet training to older kid:  Your older child won’t be dependent on you to help him/her out for cleaning of his /her poop.

·         Weaning off: Weaning off from breast feeding is better as you have to feed your new born.

·         Showing them Wardrobe : It’s important to show them which clothes or accessories are kept where, so they can take it out themselves and won’t be searching out for you or calling you loud to get their things done.

·         Calm them: Prepare your children before going to hospital, say them that, you will right back to them in no time. This will surely make them happy. Try to do things, by keeping your older baby close to you.

Happy Family

Setting special Time: It’s important to take out special time for the older child. Helping them in studies, playing games, singing or dancing, going on strolls are amongst the few.

Enrollment: Enroll in a hospital sibling class designed for children and parents to learn together. It definitely helps in understanding and ways to go about it.They guide how to act in a particular situation, to make things look easier. Develops sibling bond as well.

Be Supportive: Acknowledge your child’s unspoken feelings. When your child knows that, you understand his/her feelings, they’ll have less need to act up to get your attention. Don’t say no to their wish immediately, instead reply back by mentioning, “My hand are busy now, we will do this after few minutes”.

If you can share few more techniques, please write in comment box below.