Wednesday Wrap Ups

The US Social Security Administration has a great site where you can look up the most popular baby names by year, by decade, by state, etc. It can be a lot of fun!

The 13 Best Baby Name Generators on the Internet

Look up the meaning of any baby name!

Popular gender neutral names

Celebrity Baby Names You’ll Want to Steal

Why it’s needed

Reasons for a Scheduled Cesarean
Reasons for Unplanned and Emergency Cesareans

How it’s done

Step by Step Photos of Cesarean Birth
Cesarean Procedure

What to expect if you need one

What is in my Hospital Bag for a Cesarean?
In the OR, a planned cesarean experience
What to Expect in a Cesarean
5 Things You Might Feel During A Cesarean

Recovery

4 Tips for a Fast Recovery
Overview of a Recovery After C-Section

Impact on future pregnancies and births

Pros and Cons of Vaginal Birth After Cesarean
VBAC Stats: Apples and Oranges
Birth after multiple cesareans

5 Medication Options to Relieve Pain in Labor and Birth
Pain Relief Options for Labor
Series of articles on Pain Management Options from Evidence Based Birth

Narcotic Pain Medications

IV Pain Medications for Labor
Effects of IV Opiods for Labor

Epidurals

What is an epidural?
Positions to use with an epidural
Don’t Make These Mistakes with an Epidural

Nitrous Oxide

5 Frequently Asked Questions about Laughing Gas in Labor
Using Laughing Gas for Labor
Largest Study of its Kind Finds Nitrous Oxide Safe for Labor

The Granny Midwives of the Old South
The Importance of Black Midwives Then, Now and Tomorrow
The Story of the Granny Midwives
Honoring the Granny Midwives
The Persecution and Prosecution of Granny Midwives in South Carolina
The Unheralded Women Who Saved Womens’ Lives and Delivered Babies
15 Black Midwives You Should Know
All My Babies (Documentary from 1953)

A “birth defect” is a structural issue that is present at birth. The most common are heart issues, arm or leg issues, cleft lip or palate, and spinal cord problems. Since this is National Birth Defects Prevention Month, that’s the topic of the day!

CDC Page on common birth defects
Stories from families around the world of people who experience a birth defect
Information from the March of Dimes
Reducing the Risk of Birth Defects

A Survival Guide to your baby’s first winter
Newborn Essentials for Winter
Nine tips for newborns in the winter
Tips for Taking a Newborn Out in the Winter
10 Things every new parent should know about RSV
RSV: Protecting your baby during cold and flu season

Preventing Premature Birth

10 Ways to Reduce the Risk of Premature Birth
3 Risk Factors for Preterm Birth
Are you at Risk of Preterm Birth? And what can you do about it?

Recognizing Premature Labor

Signs and Symptoms of Preterm Labor
Preterm Labor Signs and Symptoms

What to expect at various stages of prematurity

Premature Babies and Complications by Week
Premature babies 26-36 weeks

Parenting a Baby in the NICU

Kangaroo care
3 Milestones that must be met before leaving the NICU
10 Notes from NICU nurses to Parents
Empowered NICU Parenting

What Kinds of Exercise Can I do In Pregnancy?
Exercise Tips for Pregnancy
Exercise in Pregnancy is Almost Always a Good Idea
Prenatal Exercise Classes

There’s no way I can cover every possibility for baby safety, but here are some links to information on some of the most common safety topics:

Good overall article on baby safety

Car Seat Safety

Car seat checklist

The process of choosing and using a car seat

Find a car seat technician in your area

Sleep Safety

Ways to reduce the risk of SIDS and suffocation

Buying a safe crib

Baby Proofing

Baby Proofing the nursery

13 Things Parents often Overlook

First Aid

Because you can’t prevent everything, it’s a good idea to brush up on how to care for things that might come up.

First Aid Guide for Parents

The basics of CPR for babies but consider taking a class, too!

6 Essential First Aid Techniques All Parents Should Know

MotherToBaby is a great place to learn more about medications, environmental exposures, and anything else you are worried might be a problem with breastfeeding.

Lactation Link offers online courses about breastfeeding from an IBCLC.

KellyMom has great evidence based information

Find an IBCLC in your area here.

Milkology has a bunch of free resources you can use.

You can find breastfeeding support through the Leaky Boob Community, KellyMom, or La Leche League

Back pain is a really common issue for pregnancy. Not all pregnancy back pain is the same! Here are some links to learn more about the different kinds of back pain and what you can do:

First Trimester Back Pain

Common causes of back pain in pregnancy

5 Ways to Ease Back Pain in Pregnancy

Sciatica in Pregnancy

Find a women’s health physical therapist

The Family Equality Organization has a Path2Parenthood program and there are some useful resources there.

Gay Parents to Be has some information on grants and charities to help families grow.

The LGBT Mummies Tribe hosts events and support groups for lots of different kinds of parents and families.