New moms and dads often wonder what to expect next and how to know if their baby's development is on target. Instead of focusing too much on developmental milestones, it's important to remember that babies all develop at their own pace.

During this first one to three months, your baby may start to smile in response to your smiles and try to get you to smile back at them, raise their head and chest when on their tummy, and gradually decrease eye crossing.

From six to nine months, your little one begins to move around, crawling or walking with support.

As parents, we must pay close attention to these important milestones of our babies' development to detect when something isn't going right.

It is essential to note that all babies develop at their own pace. Therefore, we should learn to be patient and attentive should we ever need to reach out to a medical professional.

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When you have a baby, occasional infections and fevers are inevitable. But even parents who have experience with sick babies can have trouble distinguishing normal and mild illnesses from serious problems.

It is essential to pay attention to the symptoms that require medical attention.

Firstly, mothers should learn to trust their maternal instincts. If something doesn't feel right or they're not sure if something is normal, call your paediatrician or take the baby to the clinic.

It is best to contact a doctor when: home remedies are not working, your baby refuses several feedings in a row or eats poorly, your baby is hard to awaken or unusually sleepy, your baby has a fever that lasts for more than 3 days, your baby's stools are especially loose or watery, your baby vomits forcefully after feedings, your baby cries with fewer tears, has significantly fewer wet diapers or has a dry mouth, a rash appears infected or if your baby suddenly develops an unexplained rash especially if it's accompanied by a fever.

Parents should not make assumptions about the health of their babies and seek medical attention in time to ensure the baby gets the right care as soon as possible.

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Nausea or morning sickness is a common challenge for women in early pregnancy. Every woman dreads it because it can be very irritating and uncomfortable. 

Despite its name, you can have morning sickness at any time of day. It doesn't mean your baby is sick, and it doesn't hurt the baby. Pregnancy nausea is probably caused by the sudden increase of hormones in your body. It's usually mild and goes away about midway through your pregnancy. Some women never feel nauseated during their pregnancy.

In as much as it seems nausea cannot be avoided, can anything be done to manage it? Can nausea be avoided totally? Listen to this episode to learn everything you can about nausea and how to deal with this unpleasant part of pregnancy.

Swollen feet in pregnancy are a very common side effect of pregnancy. A lot of women experience it and even those that haven't experienced it, know someone that has. As common as it is, there are some cases where it becomes abnormal and it is usually a sign of some serious issues in pregnancy.

Listen to this episode to learn about the common causes of swollen feet in pregnancy, how to deal with it on your own and when exactly it gets abnormal.

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During pregnancy, it is essential to maintain a good and healthy weight. The amount of weight you gain during pregnancy is necessary for your pregnancy's and your baby's long-term health. Much of the extra weight is due to your baby growing, but your body will also be storing fat, ready to make breast milk after your baby is born.

Women who do not gain enough weight during pregnancy are usually admitted to administering fluid, ensuring they are not dehydrated. It is essential to take in enough nutrients. After all, whatever the mother takes in also goes to the baby.

Poor weight gain could also lead to the baby being underweight after birth, poor reflexes and coordination, and low blood volume, known as anaemia, which could lead to intra-uterine fetal death - the baby could die.

Excess weight gain could also be detrimental. It could cause the baby to be too big to be delivered through the birth canal leading to a cesarean section. Excess weight could also lead to diabetes during pregnancy, cardiovascular disorders and many more.

During pregnancy, a steady and healthy weight gain is expected, so watch out for sudden weight gain and visit your physician if this occurs.

This podcast talks about weight gain in pregnancy in detail. Listen to learn more about the topic.

Indigestion is common during pregnancy. It can be caused by hormonal changes, the muscles between your stomach and gullet relaxing, allowing stomach acid to come back up, and also the growing baby pressing against your stomach. 

Indigestion while pregnant may cause heartburn, acid reflux, bloating, gassiness, and discomfort amongst others because hormones slow down the emptying of the stomach as a means to sustain the pregnancy.

Some women may suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease prior to pregnancy whereby they may suffer heartburn, ulcers prior to pregnancy and these get worse when they are pregnant.

Indigestion could be very distressing and cause diarrhea, vomitting, and nausea. 

Things to do to help with indigestion during pregnancy include: changing your eating habits. It can help to eat small meals often, rather than larger meals 3 times a day, and to not eat within 3 of going to bed at night and to also sit up straight when you eat. This will take the pressure off your stomach

Drinking enough fluid is also important in order to ensure adequate bowel movements. 

Pregnancy-related high blood pressure can have different effects on the body than it would otherwise. Pregnancy difficulties before, during, and after birth are more likely for mothers who have high blood pressure. High blood pressure during pregnancy can have an effect on the baby as well as the mother, putting both of their lives in jeopardy.

As a result of the placenta's development being hampered by high blood pressure during pregnancy, the baby's access to nutrients and oxygen may be restricted. As a result, the infant may experience an early delivery, low birth weight, placental separation (abruption), and other issues.

Listen to this episode to learn more about Hypertension in pregnancy and how to deal with it

As a continuation of the previous episode, we'll be discussing how fibroids can affect pregnancy. Fibroids can be large enough to affect pregnancies and cause miscarriages, so it is important to see a physician so the fibroid can be removed surgically.

Depending on the location of the fibroid, for instance, if it is found in the birth canal, it would be advised that the woman have a surgical delivery/Caesarean section. If it is located in the womb, it may compete for space with the baby and this may also cause really severe pains for the mother. It may also cause the baby to be abnormally positioned, which would call for a surgical delivery.

It is important to consult a physician in order to determine the type, size, and location of the fibroid and the right time to conceive.

Fibroids are growths that develop from muscle tissues in a woman's womb. They are not cancerous and are usually harmless and very common. In most cases, women with fibroids do not realize they have them, as the growths are too small to cause noticeable complications. 

A lot of factors contribute to fibroids, such as age, number of children you've had, diet.

Fibroids may cause challenges depending on their size and location in the body. 

Large fibroids could cause bleeding, or compress internal organs and affect the urinary or stooling pattern. They may also affect fertility by stopping implantation or even cause miscarriages or premature labour, depending on how large they area. 

It is important to seek medical advice when you notice these occurrences. More about the topic will be discussed in the next episode so watch out!

Depression is a condition that affects your emotional state. It can cause you to have feelings of sadness, low energy levels, excessive worry, and feelings of hopelessness. 

Studies have shown that it is more common among women, especially those in their reproductive years. 

Depression in pregnancy starts during pregnancy but may continue even after delivery. It may be caused by unintended pregnancy, partner discordance, pre-pregnancy depression, which occurs before pregnancy and heightens during pregnancy, and low social and financial support.

All these may cause feelings of depression during pregnancy and may lead to malnutrition of both baby and mother, suicidal thoughts, and bad habits like alcohol consumption and smoking, which are harmful during pregnancy.

The key to solving this problem is social support. If you have any of these feelings, you must contact family and friends to share your problems or worries. 

Feel free to also reach out to us at Mumhealth. We are here to support you through this phase, which is meant to be enjoyed thoroughly. Don't hesitate to contact us.