Although, in most cases breastfeeding a new born infant is the preferred option for all mothers, certain exceptions produce concern for health care experts and mothers about breastfeeding as an optimal feeding source for the child. One of these exceptions is a disease of the human immune system called Acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome and it is caused by the virus Human Immunodeficiency Virus, also known as HIV. This is transmitted by the direct contact of a mucous membrane or blood stream with a bodily fluid containing the virus, and one of these fluids is breast milk.

Apart from breastfeeding, this virus can also be transmitted to the infant during pregnancy and delivery. In the absence of anti-retroviral drugs or any other intervention, between 15 to 30 percent of infants are infected with HIV during pregnancy or delivery; among all breastfed infants, around 10 to 20 percent will be infected because of it. So, two thirds of children of infected women will not be infected whereas, one third of infected children will have so through breastfeeding.

Even after a mother has been discovered to be HIV positive, there are certain choices that she can make, it is imperative that these choices be influenced by the accurate information of health experts, their support and counseling and the feasibility of the economic and social environment. It is recommended that if a mother knows she is infected and substitutes for breast milk can be provided for, along with clean water and proper health care facilities then, it is better to not breastfeed the child, as it would put the baby at a greater risk of virus transmission. On the other hand, in places where infectious diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia increase infant mortality, proper hygiene and water are unavailable, breast milk substitutes are expensive or unhealthy and adequate health facilities are not available, then breast feeding is the best chance of survival for the infant.

HIV positive mothers wishing to breastfeed their infants can do so by considerably reducing the risk of virus transmission, however, this is recommended only when necessary. Unfortunately, many parts of the world make artificial feeding of an infant impossible due to economic and social factors. First of all HIV positive mothers choosing to breastfeed must do so exclusively for the first six months; adding other fluids or solids even water to the diet of the new born is not only unnecessary but also can increase the risk of transmission but contracting infections. Mixed feeding that is, breastfeeding as well as feeding other foods is highly discouraged since it can irritate the lining of the baby’s stomach, increasing risks of HIV transmission. Secondly, the HIV positive mother should try to limit the total duration of breastfeeding since the chances of transmission exist as long as breastfeeding does. So, if replacement methods of feeding become available and feasible, it is recommended that mothers discontinue to breastfeed. Thirdly, mothers should avoid problems such as oral lesions in the baby and breast problems such as sore nipple in the mother since they can increase risk of transmission. A lot of programs also advocate and strive to make common and encourage use of anti-retroviral drugs since these can be helpful in reducing possibility of transmission via breastfeeding. Alternate strategies can be adopted by HIV positive mothers; leaving expressed milk at room temperature or pasteurizing it can eliminate or reduce the chances of baby getting HIV. Milk can easily be expressed using manual or electric breast pumps like ameda breast pump. Information on pumps can be found online at www.trusted-breast-pumps.com. If lucky, mothers can also provide breast milk from alternate sources, possibly through HIV negative women, for their baby. It is important to note that in many cases, mothers are not provided with enough information and counseling to make the optimal decision; they must take special care of their own health while breastfeeding.

On a larger scale, measures have to be taken to support breastfeeding and implement ways to minimize risk of HIV transmission. Women should be helped to avoid the infection completely by promoting safer sexual behavior; reducing the number of sexual contacts, and condom usage can contribute in avoiding the infection. Health care providers and influential groups should have accurate technical information so that people are spared the consequences of misinformation. Confidential HIV testing and counseling for both men and women can help spread awareness and encourage people to communicate further the advantages of knowing one’s HIV status. For all women who are not infected, breastfeeding remains the optimal choice for feeding the baby since it fulfills the nutritional requirements and strengthens the baby’s immune system increasing its overall chances of survival.

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Kids in the house can be enticed to participate in the chores, and you need not suffer through the drudgery of house work if you attack it with a sense of fun. Please kindly use my tips on how to make household Chores Fun for kids below:

First, determine the cleaning tasks that need to be done. Washing the dishes? Cleaning the sink? Making the pots and pans look like new? Rate the tasks from easy to hard, then get the kids (or anybody willing) involved.

One option: Assign the jobs. Make the household chores attractive to the kids by making a chart made of colored paper, or using colored art pens on white paper and writing each kid’s name opposite the job to be done. Kids will feel like they are playing in school and will take up the assignments with gusto!

Or better yet, you can write down the tasks on slips of paper, fold them up, place them in a bowl, and make each child choose a folded paper to find out which task goes to whom. Even adults will have fun doing this nice program for your next pajama party, or in student dorms or boarding houses.

If you have enough time, you can list the household chores the night before and tack them on the kitchen wall of the refrigerator door. In the morning, the first kid who wakes up – or the first pal to arrive – gets to pick the easiest chore. Afterwards, reward everybody with candy or little teats like pencils or pony tail holders, etc.

If your helpers are not little, but grown ups just like you – or worse – if you have got no helpers at all – you can still make the cleaning job a positive experience by trying any of these cool moves:

• Put on your favorite music CD on the player and play it loud while you are doing your kitchen or bathroom must-dos. It will get you in the mood in no time.

• Give yourself a deadline by setting the alarm to 30 minutes or one hour after you start the task. If you finish on time, or ahead of time, reward yourself afterwards with an ice cold glass of juice or some pizza. Make a date to see a movie. Buy some rice item you have always wanted from the mail or the neighborhood convenience store.

• After the task, you can give yourself a nice manicure. Or just pamper your hands with a luxurious hand lotion when you are through. There is a lot of fun things you can do while working.

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Traveling with babies and toddlers can be a hard challenge no matter where you are headed to; new parents especially find it hard and overwhelming to take care of babies while they travel. Traveling via airplanes can be even more of a hassle for which you need to be duly prepared since there are very limited solutions present on an airplane in case you have a problem.

The first thing is to make and maintain a list of things you will need to take and the preparations that need to be done. It is advisable to try and arrange a non-stop direct flight to your destination, so that your baby will have to go through lesser amount of discomfort. Direct flights allow babies to have more uninterrupted sleep, you will need to install/uninstall the baby car seat only once and the ear pressure during landing and takeoff will have to be endured by the child only once. Secondly, it is imperative to plan ahead for your trip; make sure you have adequate time before the flight date to get together all the required things that you or your baby might possibly need. Planning ahead efficiently will also allow you to get a good night’s sleep before the departure date. This sleep is important to energize you for the long and exhausting trip with your baby since you cannot be expected to get a good nap during the flight.

Try to maintain the baby’s feeding and sleep schedule throughout the trip. This will help the baby to adjust to the changed environment quickly. If you are a breastfeeding mother, you may want to make sure you are able to breastfeed in public comfortably and regularly enough; it is a good idea to use a nursing top for this purpose. A baby can also be given formula/breast milk feed during takeoff and landing to reduce air pressure; for a toddler or an older child, you can always use cotton plugs or earplug to relieve the pressure. Taking the baby’s car seat with you can be a debatable topic, avoid rental car seats. Your baby is bound to be safer in its own car seat rather than in your arms throughout the flight. It will also assist you in eating food and getting your rest.

Handling a baby car seat is easier if there are two people; before boarding, one can board earlier and install the car seat so that when the other arrives with the baby, you don’t cause any holdup in the passenger line. While installing the car seat, you may need help from a flight attendant since airline seatbelts can be hard to tighten. However, it is a must for you to carry a pram or baby stroller since you cannot possibly carry the baby through the airport, flight terminals etc. without exhausting your arms. Strollers also make connecting flights much easier for parents. At the gate, you can always ask the gate agent to give you a gate check ticket for your stroller. This way you don’t have to handle the stroller through the flight and you can pick it up just after you get off the plane.

Another important asset while traveling with a baby or toddler is that of a carry-on bag that is spacious and can act as a purse, briefcase and diaper bag. A backpack or a large bag with ample pockets and comfortable straps can serve this purpose. Make sure to carry enough baby gear such as diapers, snacks, wipes, a change of clothes for the baby and you, a few disposable feeding supplies like bibs bottles, feeding cups etc. and a few toys to keep the baby entertained through the flight. This multi-purpose bag should also accommodate your flight tickets, passport, identification and any other essential items you may need on board. For toddlers, you can keep coloring books, crayons, toys and even a portable music player if possible. Before boarding the plane, you should try to make your toddler use the airport bathrooms since they are roomier and more comfortable.

Flying with babies and toddler does not remain hard for parents and especially first-time mothers who follow a few of these key points essential to make the trip bearable and comfortable for you and enjoyable for your baby.

You can easily buy baby car seats online through Dependable car seats website.

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