As a would-be-mummy, since the time of conception, you share a special relationship with your baby snuggled inside your womb.

But, as a would-be-daddy, we know that you’re not a spectator merely. You are as emotionally involved with her happiness and pain, and, want to establish a beautiful bond with the unborn baby, just like her.  

Wondering how? Fret not! We are here to help you out with some ideas:  

Visualise Your Baby

Although as a would-be-mother, your wife can feel every ounce of her baby’s growth inside her womb, however, as a would-be-father you can visualise your baby either by seeing your wife’s growing tummy or feeling the kicks. Nonetheless, visiting the doctor with your partner time and again might also help. During the doctor visits, your wife will undergo ultrasound scans, thus making things real for you. The sound of your baby’s heartbeat, for the first time ever will be the happiest moment for you. Watching the baby swim in the amniotic sac, can make you feel equally emotional. And talking to your child at this point, to see his or her reaction can be fun and the start of a sweet bond. You can also keep a scanned image of your baby on your phone or wallet to feel close to your unborn. 

Talk to the Baby, Read Aloud or Play Some Music

In between 15 to 23 weeks of your wife’s pregnancy, your baby will start hearing. So, as a father-to-be, you can talk to the little person growing inside the mother’s womb. If you talk to your unborn regularly, he or she will slowly start becoming familiar with your voice. So, try to talk to your little one about your plans with him or her. Share your dreams. Share your life.  Additionally, try reading out, aloud or play your favourite track. Let the little person enjoy the book that you once read as a child.  Let the baby connect to the music that you love. Trust us, you won’t ever find a patient listener. And don’t be surprised if you see your growing baby kick as a reaction to some sounds – maybe your voice or the music that you recently played.  

Plan Your Baby’s Nursery

Be it the colour of your would-be-baby’s walls or the design of the crib, trying to anticipate what your little one will like and need, will inevitably help you bond with your baby before he or she enters into your world.

Continue to Make Your Wife Feel Important

She’s after all the mummy of your would-be-baby, the most special part of your life. She will obviously need your time, attention, warmth and love, at this moment, like there’s no tomorrow. Moreover, her feelings and emotions will have a direct impact on the baby. Therefore, giving her a massage down her shoulders or tummy is a good idea. Bring her a healthy snack or a glass of nutritious juice or give her the salon time, while she’s adjusting herself to the pregnancy hormones. She wouldn’t mind if you appreciated her looks and gave her a few hugs. You know, frequent hugs release “cuddle hormone” as the scientists put it. It will reduce her blood pressure and stress factors, thus making her feel very happy.

Besides, pregnancy is not a solitary affair. Your involvement in this journey will pave the way not only for a wonderful pregnancy but also to make parenting an adventure.

The post About To Be Daddy? Know How to Bond With Your Unborn Baby? – Fathers’ Day appeared first on Stem Cell Banking Guide and Pregnancy Tips For New Parents.

A man’s role during his partner’s pregnancy and the subsequent birth is crucial to the health and happiness of both mother and baby. His role is underlined even more when deciding to bank the baby’s stem cells.

Pregnancy is an exhilarating time for an expectant mother, even as her body undergoes dramatic changes and she encounters new challenges regularly. The changes are sometimes difficult for first time mothers, because they do not know what is ‘normal’ during the pregnancy and what requires a doctor’s immediate assistance. Hence, pregnancy can be frightening and joyful all at once.

The myriad of emotions a woman goes through are compounded if she has to work through the pregnancy alone, without much assistance from her partner. However, it must be stated that a man certainly cannot comprehend the bodily changes his partner goes through, and hence, he may not be immediately empathetic towards the same. He may understand that his partner feels afraid, nauseous, heavy and moody all the time. But a careful study of what a woman’s body goes through (and why) and how she needs assistance to alleviate the many symptoms of pregnancy can help her sail through one of the most testing times in her life.

As we celebrate Father’s day, here are some tips for all would-be fathers to ease their transition into fatherhood.

Understanding the Changes

Start by researching how the foetus develops in the mother’s body week after week. You will be astounded to learn that the unborn baby grows every single week and his progress can be charted through a sonogram or ultrasound. From a pinhead size to larger than a melon, the baby – and his mother – progress through the various growth stages together.

In the early weeks, the woman can feel tired all the time, as well as suffer frequent bouts of nausea. Certain smells and tastes can make her vomit, so know what these are and help her avoid them at all costs. Most women feel their energy returning in the second trimester, after which they are able to cook, clean, go grocery shopping, attend office and do all the things they have always done. However, it is nice to ease the strain on her by taking on these chores – lifting heavy bags will ease her back, doing the cooking will keep her away from smells that nauseate her, and going shopping, handling the laundry, and letting her sleep for longer periods of time will keep her healthy for longer.

If necessary, you can take her out for walks or help her in her exercises. Your involvement will keep her motivated and she will feel supported as well. The same applies to her doctor’s visits – accompany her whenever you can so that you can get first-hand information on her pregnancy and the baby’s vitals. Plus, you can ask any questions you have that will help both mother and child get through the pregnancy better. Learn her medication chart and replenish her meds when needed so that she does not need to make frequent pharmacy runs.

Banking the Baby’s Stem Cells

This is an area that requires the father’s involvement because the woman cannot decide to do this alone. The parents must decide together if they wish to opt for their baby’s stem cells preservation. The father must conduct due research on the subject, even visit a few private cord blood banks if necessary. The decision to preserve the baby’s stem cells must be taken after due consideration of many factors – is there an incurable genetic condition in the family, and which can be treated with stem cells in the future? Or does the couple wish to bank the cord blood cells for the baby’s sibling or a close relative? Or does the couple simply wish for their child to have a healthy life, free of many types of serious cancers, haematological (blood-related) and immune-deficiency disorders? Umbilical cord blood cells show great promise in treating as many as 80 serious disorders, and the list of stem cell treatable diseases is ever growing, so both parents need to choose the right cord blood bank and authorise their attending physician to collect the cord blood immediately after the baby’s birth.

When choosing a cord blood bank, research their various plans and study each bank’s agreement carefully. If possible, visiting their cryogenic storage facilities would be a good idea. The blood bank stores the unit of cord blood stem cells for a period of 21 years against an annual fee. If at a future date, there is a diagnosis within immediate family members which is treatable using stem cells, the parents can retrieve the cord blood unit with written authorisation from their doctor.

Helping After the Birth

The birth process is gruelling enough, but the mother’s body takes days to slowly return to normal. The uterus contracts slowly and may cause some amount of mild cramping and discomfort. Some women also undergo postpartum depression, which might make them morose and tearful all the time. It is advisable that the male partner takes on the baby’s responsibilities as early as possible.

Getting the baby adjusted to her new life, spending long periods of time with her so that she is happy to be picked up and comforted and attending to her during the night if she cries will all help the woman rest and recoup after the pregnancy. Other duties include preparing nutritious meals for the woman so that her body recovers well and she is able to generate sufficient milk for the infant. She might also need assistance in other chores around the house – taking care of the house while she attends to the baby is very helpful. While she may not appreciate the man treating her like an invalid, it is enough to know that he is at hand to help her when she needs him.

The post Fatherhood 101: Taking a New Mother through Testing Times appeared first on Stem Cell Banking Guide and Pregnancy Tips For New Parents.

As Kent Burner aptly puts it, “It is much easier to become a father than to be one.” Anyone can become a father but it takes someone special to be a Dad. Carrying a child in her womb for nine months, a mother develops a deep bond with her child much before he is born. But what about the father? A mother-child relationship starts much before birth, with the umbilical cord tying the two together. But then, so does the father’s bond.

Research suggests that fathers experience hormonal and biological changes that prepare them for fatherhood.  Studies have demonstrated a decrease in testosterone in fathers-to-be, along with an increase in cortisol and prolactin. The latter two are usually associated with pregnant women and are known to rise about three weeks before delivery. This means that there is real biological basis of the experience of fatherhood. Here’s a look at some more things you can do to build the bond.

What Research Says About the Father-Baby Bond

Men tend to have a drive to protect, which is why they consider the well-being of their family as their responsibility, be it financial security, physical safety or health. Due these protective instincts, fathers will consider it their responsibility to protect their child, and to forge a bond of love, they need to feel an emotional connect with the infant. The process of bonding starts right in the womb. Touching your partner’s belly and massaging it helps to form a physical connect. Studies show that the foetus starts to acknowledge sounds in the womb. So, talk to your baby, listen to music together or just relax with your partner, using physical touch with the baby bump as your connection.

Did you know that research actually suggests that fathers who are present during the time of birth and hold their newborn soon after delivery experience similar feelings of bonding and attachment as mothers do in the first few weeks post delivery?

It is only natural for expectant parents to feel some anxiety related to parenthood. The best way to bring peace of mind is to celebrate the impending fatherhood. Of course, it always helps to do something constructive to relieve anxiety. So, consider spending quality time with your partner, bonding with the growing foetus. In addition, secure your own and your to-be-born’s future with some good insurance policies. Did you know that one of the best means to insure health is cord blood banking? There are over a hundred ailments that can be effectively cured with umbilical cord blood. So, gather all the information well in time and book your stem cell blood bank well before the delivery date.

This father’s day, begin the celebration of your fatherhood by being constructive about your little one’s future.

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