Breastfeeding Questions & Answers

Q. How often should a newborn be nursed?A. You should nurse a newborn no less than 8 times a day, depending upon how long he sleeps between feedings at night. If he can go four hours between feedings, then you will probably feed him twice between 11pm and 7am. If you feed him right before he goes to bed, then you may only have to get up one time during the night. Q. How often should an older baby be nursed?A. Depending upon the age of your child, you should be feeding him every 3-4 hours during the day. As your child gets older, they will nurse less, but they will be eating more during each nursing. If you are going to nurse after your child is over 6 months old, you should not nurse less than 5 times a day. If your milk supply is decreasing, then you may need to add a nursing or two to your day to help increase your milk supply.Q. How do I go about dropping a feeding as my baby gets older?A. The most common change that moms need to make is going from a every 3 hour to every 4 hour routine, dropping a feeding in the middle of the night, or dropping a late-night feeding. Most of the time you will know when your baby is ready to change their eating habits by a change in their sleep patterns. A baby that has been on an every 3 hour routine normally takes 3 naps a day and if they eat every 3,5 to 4 hours then they may drop the last nap of the nap or shorten one of the other naps considerably. Babies are usually ready to do this at around 3 months of age. Most babies drop the feeding in the middle of night by themselves at around 6-14 weeks old. You will know that they are ready when you awake in a panic in the morning wondering why your baby did not get you for a feeding. The baby will require more food during the day though, and if you are breastfeeding, your breasts may feel full for a few days, but it is well worth it! The late night feeding is usually the hardest to let go of. Some parents think that if they do not feed the baby right before bed that the baby will awake in the middle of the night. If you don稚 think your child can do without the late night feeding, then push it back in 15-minute increments until you are feeding him at the time you would like to. If the last two feedings of the day seem too close together, don稚 worry. It will all work itself out and you both will be much happier for it!

A Few Tidbits for Parenting

New parents face many problems and issues that they are expected to understand and deal with immediately. Unfortunately, newborns do not come with an instruction book so here are a few topics that you may need to know about. * Bathing your baby: Until your baby痴 umbilical cord falls off one to two weeks after their birth, only give her sponge baths. A cotton ball or cotton swab dampened with alcohol can help to dry the umbilical stump or follow your pediatrician痴 directions. After the stump falls off, you can give him a bath in a sink or shallow tub. * Caesarian delivery: A caesarian is usually performed to make delivery safer for you or your baby. C-sections can be done for many different reasons including stalled labor, complicated labor, problems with the baby that may make delivery difficult, or other problems. It does not matter if you deliver vaginally or by a caesarian section, you are still a mother with a beautiful new blessing. * Circumcision: Many doctors agree that there may be some benefit to circumcision, but it may not be absolutely necessary. It may help to lower the risk of urinary tract infections and eliminates just about any chance of penile cancer. Circumcision does not cause long-term emotional problems for your child. * Crib death (SIDS): Many studies have been done regarding SIDS. Although the cause of SIDS has not been definitely defined, there are some correlations that have been made between SIDS and the following things: o Male babies are more likely to die from SIDS than femaleso Prematurity makes it more likely o Minority children are affected by it more often than non-minoritieso More children of young, single mothers die from ito Children who live in a home with one or more smokers are more likely to be affectedSome people say that sleeping with your baby can reduce the risk of SIDS, but the American Academy of Pediatrics disagree with this statement and go on to say that there is a greater risk of SIDS in babies who co-sleep. Back sleeping is what most pediatricians recommend for babies to decrease the SIDS risk. The reason for this is widely debated between health experts. If you have concerns, talk to your pediatrician.

The Magic Key to Putting

When you have it, you have it. The world is yours. When you don稚 have itthen you think that you would be better off placing the ball in the hole with your hand rather than using your putter. Just the last time you played you had the same stance, putter, and 吐eel as you had today, but last time you made the shot easily. What happened? Do you just have bad luck this time? Putting is not a game of chance. Although sometimes it may seem that there is no rhyme or reason to it, there are some tips to help your putting. If you are having putting problems, your solution can be boiled down to one little word. Tension.Concentrate on keeping your muscles relaxed while you are putting and your shots will become more and more accurate. Stiff muscles only make it harder to putt. Good putting takes complete muscle relaxation so that your movements are fluid. Fluid movement gives you the freedom to make a good putt. If you are trying to tense your body up to keep your balance, then you are guaranteed to have problems. When you are not having problems putting, your confidence is increased and you are having free movement. When you miss an easy putt, then you become tense and you try more carefully. The more tense you become, the more freedom you lose and your putting goes down the drain. You can change everything about your putting and try to copy every professional player imaginable, but it all hinges on you being relaxed. Relax your muscles. Be loose and free. Pretend your muscles are like jelly. Making a good shot is impossible if you are tense. When you stiffen up from your face to your feet, you lose the freedom that you need to make a good shot. You may make several shots this way, but there will come a time when all you will hit are bad shots. You need to stay relaxed enough to fall down (but stay up). If you will stay relaxed then your putt will improve, your confidence will rise, and you will be more relaxed for the entire golf game! Are you looking for the magic key to putting? RELAX! Good putting hinges on this one key!

Find a Place to Study

Figuring out a time and place to do your homework and study is of the utmost importance. Once you have figured out when to do your homework, the next question is where to do it. A good study area should have a desk or table big enough to spread out books, notes, worksheets, etc. without them all being on top of each other. You do not want to make a mess, but you also do want to have ample room to work.Make sure you have plenty of light. Ideally, you will near a window with an overhead light and perhaps even a small reading lamp. Most important in choosing a study location is finding a place that is relatively free from distractions. That means no TV on in the room, no brothers or sisters running by, no phone conversations to listen in on, and no instant messenger or emails to keep you busy. Whether or not you listen to music while you study depends on your personal preference. You may choose to ignore any phone calls, or turn off your cell phone, and forget about the urge to go and get a snack every ten or fifteen minutes.Depending on your home, you may be able to find this area at the kitchen or dining room table, or in your bedroom. You may be able to set aside a study space in your basement or an office in you home. Some people find their homes too filled with distractions, and prefer to take their studies to the local library.Wherever you choose, it is best if you can study in that same place all the time. If you can study in this same location consistently, your mind will get used to this being a focused and important place. When you enter this area, you will know it is time to get down to business. Your pens and pencils, paper, erasers, stapler, calculator, and anything else you use often can be kept nearby. Also, you can keep them in a bin or bag which can be pulled out whenever you need them. This will avoid having to stop studying to collect supplies.Having this dedicated study spot will help you get down to business and focus more easily on getting your work complete.Keep Supplies in a Homework KitIt痴 four o団lockyou know what that meanstime to do homework. You scour the house looking for a pencil. Then you need a pencil sharpener. Ten minutes later you find one. Finally you sit down to start your homework. Where痴 the calculator? Dad痴 desk? Brother痴 bedroom? Once found, you discover that it is low on batteriesthere have to be some in the housebut where? If you find your typical study session unfolding like this, then here are a few suggestions to make you finish your homework with easeYou can waste a lot of time looking for homework supplies and making sure they are ready to be used. OR, you can use a homework box or supply kit of some kind to keep it all together. Then, when it comes time to do homework, everything is in place for you. No running around, no scouring the house. Any kind of box will do. You can use a storage tote, an old shoebox, or even a drawer. The key is to keep everything you need in there, ready to go. Make sure the tote or box is placed conveniently in your study area. It should not move from the spot. Make sure siblings and family members know that these supplies are for homework, and not for other activities. Those supplies should stay there, and only be used for homework. You may want to label it so there is no confusion as to its purpose. Pencils and crayons should be sharp, calculators fully equipped with fresh batteries, markers with lids tightly attached. Here痴 a tip, since your parents are always offering to help with your homework but it is up to you to do the work, suggest that they take responsibility for keeping the supply kit full and in working order. When it comes to studying, there are few people that want any more struggle or stress than is necessary. Keeping all materials and supplies handy and ready to go will make your studying not only go smoother, but possibly quicker. And who wouldn稚 want to shorten the time they need for studying?Concentration is KeyLearning to concentrate while studying and doing work is a skill that will be used for the rest of your life. The art of concentration is to eliminate any possible distractions and completely focus on the task at hand. Many students will read through material and discover that they have no idea what they have just read. Or, they will attend lectures and have difficulty paying attention to what is being said. Here are a few suggestions to help you stay focused and boost your gradesWhen scheduling study times, try to stick to a consistent and efficient routine. Try to avoid studying one day late at night, and the next in the afternoon. Write in your planner or calendar when you will study so as not to have conflicts. Always study in a quiet environment. If you haven稚 already, find a designated study spot free of distractions. If you live in a noisy house or dormitory, this may mean heading to a study room or even the library. When you need a study break, do something different from you have been doing, and in a different area. Get up and walk around in another room. Listen to music for a few minutes. Grab a snack. Try to take a break every hour for about 10 minutes. Every student struggles with day dreaming while studyingthinking about plans for the night or tomorrow痴 basketball game. To avoid daydreaming, ask yourself questions about the material as you study it, which will keep your mind focused.If you have trouble focusing during classroom lectures, look over the notes of the previous lecture and read the course material pertaining to the lecture beforehand so you can anticipate the main ideas that the instructor will cover. Additionally, show outward interest during lectures. Have an attentive expression and posture. This will self-motivate internal interest. Also, resist distractions by sitting in front of the room away from disruptive occurrences and classmates and by focusing on the instructor through listening and note taking. Just a few minor adjustments in your studying habits will go a long way in improving grades and concentration.Skimming with SkillThink about how you find a name in a telephone book. You don稚 read any more than necessary to find the name. Maybe you use your finger to guide your eyes. This type of reading is known as scanning. Skimming uses the same type of skill mechanically but a different skill mentally. In scanning, you know what you are looking for; in skimming, you don稚.Since you don稚 know exactly what you are looking for while skimming, prepare yourself by reading the title, source, author, and any pictures; then question yourself,--who, what, when, where is this likely to focus on? With a questioning mind direct your eyes down the column of print, or in a zigzag, if the lines are quite long. Look for exact names of people, places, things, ideas, numbers and words like therefore, whenever, until, because, and instead, to clue you to how and why.When you first start to learn to skim you may see only the words in bold type, italics, digits, or capitalized words. Soon you will note new or unusual vocabulary. As you become an efficient skimmer your span of perception will develop and your ability to make closure will increase.Skimming is a step you should always take before you read any article of factual or practical narrative. You will soon be able to detect most important facts, strange vocabulary, and words that are clues to important relationships.It's a good practice to skim everything in mass media after reading the title and first paragraph. You may get all the information you want. This keeps your skimming skills from deteriorating, or will give you the practice you need to develop necessary skills. Skim everything you intend to read before you make a final decision to read, discard, or study the material.Skim all highlighting and develop a read-skim pattern to use for rapid review. And don't overlook this! Reviewing frequently and rapidly is the best way to memorize (or simply remember information) from notes and long text assignments. Skimming is a very useful tool for studying, so learn it and use it!From Start to FinishConfused about what to write down in your notebook during class? Get stressed when preparing for tests and looking over your notes? Here are some suggestions to take you from the beginning of the studying process in the classroom, to the end, or the test itself.Read assignments before heading to class. This will build your background for the information that will be presented in class. It helps you be familiar with the vocabulary and concepts. This is especially helpful if you are unfamiliar with the subject matter. As you read, underline and highlight important information. If you don稚 have time to read the entire assignment, at least look over introduction paragraphs, bolded words, and summaries. This will give you a good overview of the information.Although it seems obvious, you need to go to class and take notes. Most professors or teachers lecture during class periods, emphasizing points of importance. Head to class ready to be attentive and write during the entire class. Don稚 stop taking notes until the lecturer is finishing. Pay particular attention to the end of the lecture, as professors will cram information into this part to finish up for the day. Use abbreviations; get details and main ideas to get complete notes.While the notes are still 素resh in your mind, look over them and make any additions or corrections as soon as possible after class. Be sure to make note of any parts you didn稚 understand or missed. Ask either the professor or a friend via email or before the next class period to get the missing information. Try to pass your first test in each class to boost self-confidence. Make up a list of study questions and definitions and practice reciting this information aloud, either to yourself or someone else. Don稚 wait until the last minute study. Rather, study for short periods over several days. Of course, you will want to review the night before a test.Finally, test day arrives. Use these strategies during your exam to make all your hard work worthwhile. Read directions carefully before you begin. Take a few minutes to look over the test, then answer all the questions you know first. This will help you get sure points and builds confidence. Don稚 leave any blanks; it is better to guess if you don稚 know. Watch your time, and manage it accordingly. Don稚 rush, but don稚 go too slow. Take a few minutes at the end of class to look over your test to be sure you have answered all questions and that your answers make sense.

Swing Smoothly

When I get a golf club in my hand, I get that feeling of wanting to knock the cover off the ball. It feels good to put all of my strength into hitting the ball. Just hitting the ball as hard as I can does not mean that I play good golf though. If you just need to relieve a little stress, then swinging with all your strength may accomplish your goals. However, if you want to play golf well, then you are going to have to hold back on the power a little. One of the most frequent mistakes is to swing the golf club too hard. A hard swing shows that you have power, but accuracy is the name of the game in golf. You need to relax when you are swinging. This will help you swing easily and will help to reduce your power. If you put your feet closer together, then you can further reduce the strength of your swing. Tensing up will also cause you to use too much effort. Your center of gravity is also very important. Keep your center of gravity the same and your head will stay still. If you keep both of your feet in the same position throughout your swing, then your center of gravity will be stable. If you jerk your body then your head will move and you will not be able to focus on the ball. This can also change your center of gravity. It is imperative that you keep your feet planted so that all your weight will be concentrated in your feet when you make contact with the ball. Expending very little effort should be your goal. If you hit the ball correctly, then it will feel smooth and easy. Don稚 tense up when you are about to make contact with the ball. If you tense up, your balance will be thrown off. You want the club head to travel in a straight line to make contact with the ball. To help correct slicing, see how centered you can hit the ball with your club and how low you can send the ball. If you send the ball too high, it gets into the wind and can go left or right on rough ground. You want to only use the amount of power that you are able to control. The goal of the game is not power, but accuracy. You want to be able to control every facet of your swing so that you hit the ball cleanly and it goes where you want it to go. The distance will come from your clean and correct swing, not how much power that you put into it. You want to try to gradually increase your speed during your swing until you connect with the ball solidly. If you do not have a smooth swing, then you are pulling your hands somewhere during the swing. Keep your head as still as you would if you had a glass of water balanced on top of it. This will help to improve your swing and help you to swing more smoothly and fluidly. Swing at a decent enough speed to keep yourself from becoming tense and stiff. Don稚 swing too slowly or so hard that you feel the effort of the swing. Stay relaxed. Try to keep the idea of power out of your head. Keeping your power under control so that you can be more accurate is what counts!

Learning About Cash Back Credit Cards: Good or Bad Idea?

Getting a credit card that offers cash back always sounds like a good idea. What could be better than getting cash back on all the purchases that you make with your credit card? It sounds too good to be true, doesn稚 it? Well, there are cards that give you free cash, but it is usually only around 1% cash back. However, free money is free money, right? Well, sometimes. If you like to buy a lot of things in one month, this kind of credit card probably sounds great to you. However, you need to keep in mind that they are not going to give you cash back on every purchase that you make. Even if they claim to give you cash back on every purchase, they will only give you up to a certain amount per transaction. The company also has a strict limit on the amount that they will give back to their customers. If you read the little, bitty print on the form that you signed, you will see a paragraph with their limits in the terms and agreements. This is another way to try to draw in new customers for these companies. It is a good credit card to have and sounds great in theory, but they will have to check your credit rating before they will give you their card. Research different credit card companies to see what they are offering. You may be surprised to find a cash back credit card that offers you just what you need and want with a high cash back percentage, few limits on the amount they will give you back, and instant cash deposits when you make each purchase with their card. Although these credit cards seem like a great thing to have, some companies will need your credit rating to be great too. However, there are credit card companies that offer these cards to people with a low credit rating to help them rebuild their credit. Research all of your options. What should your decision be? If you have a good credit rating, then this card is a great option for you. Research different card companies  there are cards out there that offer you up to 3% cash back and impose very few limits. If, however, you have a bad credit rating, you may want to find a credit card that will help you rebuild your credit.