Dealing with load-shedding

As frustrating as load-shedding is, it’s better to be prepared than to spend a few hours spitting mad and getting nowhere because you haven’t got candles or you can’t find the matches! It’s better to be prepared!

•  Keep electrical appliances (laptops, cell phones etc.) charged

•  Keep a supply of extra batteries for torches (flashlights)

•  Convert to gas or solar power where possible

•  Buy a camping stove that uses cooking gel

•  Keep torches, matches and candles in an easily accessible place so they’re readily available.

•  Put candles into bottles so they’re safer

•  Keep a flask of boiled water on hand

•  Don’t leave anything till tomorrow that you can do today – tomorrow you may not have electricity!

•  Before going to the mall (or a restaurant) if there are power outages in your area, phone to check if they are open.

•  Don’t drive on empty in case your closest garage doesn’t have power

•  Keep a supply of tinned and snack food

•  Breastfeeding means ‘milk on tap’, at the right temperature, all times of the day and night but if you're bottle-feeding ensure the bottles are sterilised and ready for use.

•  Babies don’t have to be bathed every day – little children can be wiped clean!

•  If you have little children, put a flashlight under their pillow where they can find it in an emergency. Make power-outages adventures rather than traumas! Play games – make an indoor tent and eat sandwiches by torchlight! Tell stories. Play board games. Put them to bed early so you can have ‘alone time’!

•  Switch off all electric appliances for fire-safety hazards – especially if you go out when the power is still off.

•  Have a ‘darkness drill’ if you have little children so everybody knows what to do.

Immunisations

Babies and young children – especially those attending crèche – are vulnerable to viral infections during winter because littlies are still building-up immunity. They’re also outdoors in the cold mornings and evenings and ‘share’ germs at school when they play close together. 

Respiratory tract infections – snotty nose, cough, sore throat, bronchitis, difficulty breathing, croup, pneumonia with a fever and rapid pulse – can be bacterial or viral. Antibiotics deal with bacterial infections but viral infections have to be eliminated by the body’s immune system or prevented by immunisation programmes. ‘Nasty’s’ like whooping cough, pneumococcal diseases and haemophilus influenza are three culprits that can be outsmarted by immunising baby according to the schedule outlined by the Department of Health. 

Viral infections are virulent even in hostile conditions. They spread easily because they’re carried in the air and can be passed on simply by breathing them in! I go so far as to caution pregnant women in their first trimester to avoid busy people-places to protect their developing babies from invisible, harmful viruses.

The South African Vaccination Schedules includes polio and TB, the rota virus, diphtheria and tetanus, measles, mumps and rubella (German measles). Protection from respiratory tract infections - Whooping Cough (also called pertussis), pneumococcal diseases and haemophilus influenza type B are given at 6, 10 and 14 weeks with a booster dose at 18 months.  It’s important to complete this schedule to ensure maximum protection against these viruses. If immunised babies become ill from these infections, their illness will be mild and definitely not as dangerous as they used to be. 

I enjoy the change to a winter menu – thick, home-made vegetable soup, stew (potjie Kos) tasty vegetables and fresh seasonal fruit rich in vitamin C. Keep rooms warm but don’t overheat. There’s no need to keep children cooped inside – they should play in the sunshine when the day warms up. Long-sleeve vests work by keeping little bodies warm, even when they’ve peeled off jerseys and jackets!

Finally, winter-rainfall areas can be doubly miserable when everything gets cold and wet! Make sure you have a back-up dryer and repair leaking roves before the cold sets in! All of nature prepares for winter – so should we! 

Vital vitamins during pregnancy

We all need vitamins to keep us healthy, but even more so during pregnancy. The best source of natural and reliable vitamins is found in fresh fruit and vegetables. Eating a variety of ‘robot’ colours – red, green, yellow and orange – every day, will keep you healthy with a few bonuses! 

Vitamins were first discovered by the explorer Jacques Cartier in the sixteenth century, and as scientists discovered more of these chemicals, they were simply named after the letters of the alphabet e.g. Vitamin A, B and C etc.  As their function became understood, vitamins were categorised into different groups of compounds e.g. Vitamin B complex group. Apparently there are still many more ‘hidden’ vitamins still to be ‘discovered’.

A balanced diet should contain all the vitamins you need, and taking vitamin supplements should not be on a whim because some, like Vitamin A and D are fat soluble – in other words, they are stored in the body – which means that taking too much can lead to an overdose. Your clinic sister will give you vitamin supplements as you need them during your pregnancy or your doctor may prescribe specific pregnancy supplements. 

Your doctor/midwife will prescribe pregnancy supplements. Check the nutritional
information to make sure they contain:

•  6,000 IU (international units) of Vitamin A
•  25 mgs Vitamin B complex 
•  100 mgs Vitamin C 
•  600 IU of Vitamin D

Why do you need these vitamins and where are they found?

•  Vitamin A gives your skin, eyes, teeth and hair a healthy glow while keeping gums healthy. It’s needed for bone growth and embryonic development. 

Vitamin A is found in: Milk, butter, eggs, fish, oil and liver, yellow vegetables and fruit and green leafy vegetables.

•  Vitamin B complex helps to metabolise sugars, carbohydrates and fatty acids that in turn, give you energy. It’s also needed for the heart and nervous system.

Vitamin B comes mainly from whole grains (cereal germ, nuts, peas, beans, plums, almonds) eggs and salmon.

Vitamin B2 can become deficient during pregnancy. If this happens, it will show up in your skin. 

Vitamin B2 is found in milk, cheese, eggs, whole grains and green leafy vegetables (avocado, dry peas, beans, lentils).

Another Vitamin B is nicotinamide, which is found in peanuts, liver, tuna, avocado, dates, prunes, dry beans, peas, lentils, oats, rice, yeast and nuts

Vitamin B6 is necessary for the absorption of proteins and helps in the formation of red blood cells.

This vitamin B is found in lean meat, green leafy vegetables, bananas, tomatoes, yogurt, whole grain cereals, egg yolk.

•  Vitamin C helps all cells to function. It also helps to keep bones, teeth and blood vessels healthy and promotes with the absorption of iron from the diet. Vitamin C boosts the immune system.

Vitamin C is found in citrus and fresh fruits, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage and tomatoes. It also comes from seafood, liver, wheat-germ, brown rice, barley and nuts.

•  Vitamin D is synthesized by sunshine and is necessary for the absorption of calcium and phosphorous from the diet. These minerals are essential for strong bones and teeth 

Vitamin D is found in fortified milk margarines, egg yolk, tuna and salmon.

Yum!

Nature's body guard

While I was doing some research yesterday I came across this interesting heading. Reassuring news for morning sickness?  The information came from a Cochrane Review so it made me sit up. Cochrane Reviews are Evidence Based articles which mean they’ve been independently researched and are not written for financial gain. In other words, they’re genuine. 

According to the Cochrane review: “Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy could sometimes be a good sign” The review went on to say that: “Two studies involving over 3,200 pregnant women found they had a lower risk of miscarriage” 

So what does this mean? Not that if you don’t have morning sickness you risk having a miscarriage, but that morning sickness is a reassuring sign that your pregnancy is progressing according to mother nature’s agenda and if you’ve skipped a period and your breasts feel ‘different’ your pregnancy test is sure to show two pink strips!

Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is common. Medicating it went horribly wrong in the ‘50’s when thalidomide caused a huge number of birth defects. While modern medications are said to be ‘safe’, baby’s organs and limbs are developing during the first trimester and chemicals, viruses and infections that managed to cross the placenta to the baby can cause serious malformations. Only in critical circumstances and under the guidance of an obstetrician should drugs be taken. 

Morning sickness may help you to stay away from unhealthy habits – alcohol, nicotine and ‘recreational drugs’ that can harm your baby. Certain cheeses, fish and even chicken (the risk of salmonella poisoning) can be nature’s way of making sure you avoid these foods during the first trimester. Learning to overcome nausea naturally will make you stronger and help you to be more in tune with your body. In my book, that’s good preparation for what’s to come! 

Matters of the heart

Nobody truly understands what’s going on inside a woman’s head while she tries to figure out what to do about being pregnant. Even women living the ‘ideal life’ (husband, financially secure with a good medical-aid) have anxieties: will I cope with labour, will I endure breast-feeding and will I have to stop working? But there’s a lot more at stake for independent millennium women who aren’t married. How will he respond to the news? What will happen to their relationship? Pregnant teens become mothers before their time. Too immature to deal with the emotions that come with pregnancy, they choose to ignore them and bungle their way day by day through their pregnancy with no choice but to allow adults to make decisions for them. The price they pay is often for life. 

To cope, you need to TALK to somebody – friend, sister, family member, grandmother and mother (in that order!) so that by the time you get to talk to the family matriarch you have figured out some of the answers to the questions you KNOW she is going to ask!

Make a list. Seeing the practicalities over the next nine months in writing puts them into some kind of perspective. Jot down your options. Draw an action-map. 

Spend quiet time alone – take a stroll through your local library or book store and read about how other women have coped. Pray in a place of worship or remembrance garden. Light a candle. Be at peace with yourself – and the new life growing within you.

Your body knows best

The symptoms of pregnancy are caused by physical changes to the womb, breasts and bladder – with add-ons like nausea and the annoying need to rest more often. 

Womb: 

Progesterone (pro-gestation) is the hormone that’s made by the ‘empty capsule’ left by the egg in the ovary. It’s the ‘glue’ of the womb-lining. Progesterone is produced by the ovary until the placenta is mature enough to make its own custom-made-pregnancy oestrogen and progesterone. When you’re pregnant, your ovaries go on a long, well-deserved ‘vocation’ – their work is done until your baby stops breastfeeding. It’s why pregnant women don’t have periods. 

Breasts:

Women pregnant for the second time don’t need to have a pregnancy test – breasts tell all! Pregnancy breasts are more sensitive; they’re bigger, firmer and heavier. The nipple darkens and Montgomery glands (tiny opening onto the nipple for lubrication during breastfeeding) become more noticeable. 

Bladder:

The pelvis is filled with the womb, bladder and descending colon. During pregnancy, the womb becomes bulkier not only because there’s a baby growing inside, but also because the three layers of womb muscle begin to ‘uncoil’ so that they can s-t-r-e-t-c-h over the next nine months. This means that the womb takes up more space and squashes the bladder – which is why you need to pee more often. 

Appetite:

Pregnant women often feel nauseous which may be caused by a ‘metallic’ taste or excessive salivating – or it can simply be Mother Nature’s way of making sure she stops eating (and drinking) rubbish. A slightly more active thyroid gland ensures that maximum goodness is absorbed from her diet, but it also increases metabolism and this leads to feeling exhausted after doing everyday tasks you used to take in your stride!  

Fatigue:

The only way I can describe pregnancy fatigue is the way I remember it: I could TASTE it! Shopping for clothes one day all I wanted to do was lie on the change-room floor and sleep! When my mother-in-law came for tea I wished that she would go away so I could lie down. When I worked in the ante-natal clinic, I remember locking the door and taking a nap on the examination couch! So don’t stress about it – this extreme exhaustion will pass – listen to your body and rest when you need to. 

•  Discuss pregnancy with your partner over a meal (not straight after sex!) so that you’re both on the same page about starting a family

•  Buy an ovulation kit or learn to recognise your symptoms of fertility

•  Delay having sex (for a few days) until you know you have ovulated i.e. your body is fertile

•  Don’t let your man sit in a hot bath, wear tight undies or spend the day cycling before you have sex (these activities affect sperm count and mobility)

•  Perhaps one partner is reluctant to start a family. Find out why: fears of death, abnormality, illness, financial burden, interfering with travel/promotion opportunities or achieving goals, fear of loss of identity, figure, financial independence

•  Chat to your doctor if you have libido issues or he has erectile problems

•  Ignore pressure from family and in-laws

•  Discuss anxiety about current chronic illnesses and the real fear of leaving children orphaned or your partner a single parent.

Getting pregnant is NOT a solution for marriage problems! Having children is a life-long commitment and the decision should not be taken lightly. Parenting doesn’t get any easier the older you and your children get! Every newborn’s birth-right is to be welcomed and to be loved. If you can provide these … you are ready for parenthood!

Family fun...

If you have children in primary school, you can make Easter more rewarding by getting them involved. Take a trip to your local library where you’ll find inspiration by the way of books in the crafts and baking sections. I found an abundance of well researched and beautifully illustrated books on paper crafts, chocolate moulding and baking. 

Easter ideas you can catch onto are:

•  Making gift bags or boxes such as origami or keepsake boxes, basket boxes, covered shoe boxes that can be filled with home-made goodies

•  Candy-filled crackers

•  Paper lanterns

•  Easter cards

•  Old socks with buttons for eyes make characteristic puppets – let your children entertain you with a puppet show from behind the sofa

•  Find a recipe to make dough-clay that can be moulded then baked, painted and varnished

•  Make a paper mâché bowl, paint and fill with home-made cookies

•  Collect spring flowers or autumn leaves, press to dry and make laminated book-marks 

•  Make wrapping paper with potato shapes

•  Your local ‘Crazy Store’ sells hand-craft materials at very reasonable prices.

By giving children projects you can help them:

•  Learn to share by making things for others

•  Be self-motivating. The best way to get them interested is to start the project yourself. Curiosity will soon get their attention

•  Sit on your hands and watch – let them do the activity

•  Stay interested 

•  Don’t criticize their efforts – imperfection is their perfection.