Friends and Family

How Friends and Family Can Boost New Parents

Friends and family are a huge support for parents-to-be, and your role is more important than you might think. By sharing the advice from their doctors, you help them feel confident and ready for the journey ahead.

But be careful—conflicting advice can create stress and confusion. Stay updated with the latest information to offer the best support. Your encouragement and accurate advice can make all the difference and help new parents feel truly supported.

Messages Friends and Family Can Share with Parents-To-BeMessages Friends and Family Can Share with Parents-To-Be

Supporting expectant parents involves sharing helpful and accurate information to ensure both their health and the baby's. Here are some tips you can share:

  1. Aim for Full-Term: Encourage parents to let the pregnancy reach at least 39 weeks. Babies need this time to develop fully, and being born before this can lead to complications. Support them through these final weeks and encourage natural labor if there are no complications.
  2. Involve the Father: Fathers play a crucial role before, during, and after pregnancy. Encourage dads to get involved, as this can lead to better outcomes for both mom and baby, such as improved prenatal care and a greater likelihood of breastfeeding.
  3. Promote Safe Sleep: Ensure everyone caring for the baby knows how to promote safe sleep. Follow guidelines to reduce risks, such as placing babies on their backs to sleep and avoiding soft bedding.
  4. Prepare a Safe Home: Make sure the home is baby-proofed and safe. Check that everyone interacting with the baby is up-to-date on vaccinations, like flu and TdaP. Baby-proof the house and ensure it’s free from hazards like lead or unsafe items.

By sharing these tips, you help create a supportive and informed environment for the new parents.

Click to download Messages Friends and Family Can Share with Parents-To-Be
Resources for Friends and FamilyResources for Friends and Family

Below are some useful resources for friends, family, babysitters, and caregivers who interact with new parents:

  • State Fact Sheets for Grandparents and Other Relative Caregivers: Grandparents and other relatives often need information about support services, benefits, and policies available to them. The State Fact Sheets provide valuable state-specific data and information for all states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Traveling TipsTraveling Tips

Traveling with baby formula, breast milk, and baby food can be straightforward if you know what to expect at security. Here are some helpful tips to ensure a smooth screening process for you and your baby’s essentials.

  • Carry-On Bags: You can bring formula, breast milk, toddler drinks, and baby food in quantities over 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters in your carry-on. These are considered medically necessary liquids and don't need to fit within the quart-sized bag limit. This includes cooling accessories like ice packs and gel packs. Your child doesn't need to be with you to bring these items.
  • Checked Bags: You can also pack formula, breast milk, toddler drinks, and baby food in your checked luggage.
  • At Security: Inform the TSA officer at the start of the screening process that you carry more than 3.4 ounces of these items. Remove them from your bag for separate and additional screenings.
  • For Faster Screening: Use clear, translucent formula and breast milk bottles instead of plastic bags or pouches. While your milk may undergo additional screenings, TSA should never open, test, or pour out any of the milk provided.
  • X-Rays: Let the TSA officer know if you prefer your formula or milk not to be X-rayed. Alternative screening methods will be used, which may involve extra procedures.
  • Cooling Accessories: Ice packs, freezer packs, and gel packs are allowed to keep formula or milk cool. If they're partially frozen or slushy, they'll go through the same screening process.
  • Be Prepared: Before you travel, take screenshots of the TSA Policy and Procedures on traveling with milk. Having these ready to go allows you to be informed of your rights while traveling.

Visit the TSA website for more information.

Birth and Labor Terms and DefinitionsBirth and Labor Terms and Definitions

As you prepare for your baby, knowing the key terms related to birth and labor can make a big difference. Familiarizing yourself with these terms will help you feel more confident and prepared when it comes time for labor and delivery.

This section breaks down essential terms and definitions to help you navigate your birth experience more easily. Whether you’re discussing your birth plan with your provider or making informed decisions during labor, this guide will help you understand the language used in the birthing process. Let’s dive into these important terms to ensure you’re well-prepared for every step of your journey.

Birth and Labor Terms and Definitions

  • Abruptio Placenta (Placental Abruption): The placenta starts to separate from the uterine wall before the baby is born.
  • Amniotic Fluid: The protective liquid surrounding the fetus, mostly made up of fetal urine and water.
  • APGAR: A quick test to check how well the baby is doing right after birth. It measures five things: Appearance (color), Pulse (heartbeat), Grimace (reflexes), Activity (muscle tone), and Respiration (breathing). Scores are given at 1 and 5 minutes after birth, ranging from 1 to 10.
  • Birthing Person: The individual who is giving birth. This term includes anyone who is pregnant and delivering a baby, regardless of gender.
  • Breech Presentation: When the baby is positioned with its head up so that it will be born feet or buttocks first.
  • Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD): When the baby is too large to fit through the mother's pelvis.
  • Cervidil: A medication used to help the cervix soften and open before labor starts.
  • Cesarean: A surgical procedure where the baby is delivered through an incision in the abdominal and uterine walls. It's also called a C-section or abdominal delivery.
  • Colostrum: The thin, white fluid produced by the breasts in the last weeks of pregnancy before milk comes in.
  • Complete Breech: When the baby's buttocks are presenting at the cervix, and its legs are bent up, making vaginal delivery difficult.
  • Contraction: The tightening of the uterus that helps push the baby down the birth canal.
  • Crowned/Crowning: When the baby’s head has come through the birth canal and is visible at the vaginal opening.
  • Dilation: The process of the cervix opening up in preparation for childbirth, measured in centimeters. Full dilation is 10 centimeters.
  • Effacement: The thinning of the cervix before birth, measured in percentages. 100% effaced means the cervix is fully thinned.
  • Engaged: When the baby’s head (or presenting part) settles into the pelvic cavity, usually in the last month of pregnancy.
  • Epidural: A common form of anesthesia during labor, inserted through a catheter into the space near the spinal cord.
  • Episiotomy: An incision made in the perineum to widen the vaginal opening for delivery.
  • Fetal Distress: When the baby is not getting enough oxygen or is experiencing other problems.
  • Fontanelle: The soft spots on a baby’s skull that allow for some flexibility as the baby passes through the birth canal.
  • Forceps: A tong-shaped instrument used to help guide the baby’s head out during delivery.
  • Frank Breech: When the baby’s buttocks are presenting at the cervix, and its legs are extended straight up towards its head.
  • Incontinence: The inability to control urination, which can happen when the baby puts pressure on the bladder.
  • Induced Labor: When labor is started or sped up using methods like prostaglandin gel, an IV of oxytocin (Pitocin), or breaking the water bag.
  • Jaundice: A condition where the baby’s skin turns yellow due to the liver not yet processing red blood cells efficiently.
  • Labor: The regular contractions of the uterus that help open the cervix and prepare for childbirth.
  • Lightening: When the baby drops lower into the pelvis in preparation for delivery.
  • Meconium: A greenish substance found in the baby’s bowels, usually passed after birth.
  • Neonatologist: A doctor who specializes in the care of newborns.
  • NICU: Stands for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where critically ill or premature newborns are cared for.
  • Nubain: A synthetic narcotic pain reliever used during labor.
  • Oxytocin: A hormone that helps start contractions and the milk-eject reflex. Pitocin is the synthetic form used in labor.
  • Perineum: The area of muscle and tissue between the vagina and the rectum.
  • Phenergan: A sedative that also helps control nausea and vomiting.
  • Placenta: The organ that connects the mother and baby, providing nourishment and removing waste.
  • Placenta Previa: When the placenta covers part or all of the cervix.
  • Posterior: When the baby is facing up during delivery. The normal position is face-down (anterior).
  • Postpartum: The period following childbirth.
  • Post-Term: When pregnancy lasts longer than 42 weeks.
  • Preterm: Babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
  • Prostaglandin Cream: Medication used to help soften and open the cervix before labor starts.
  • Provider: A healthcare professional who provides care during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. This can include obstetricians, midwives, nurse practitioners, or family doctors.
  • Ruptured Membranes: When the fluid-filled sac around the baby breaks, which can cause a gush or a slow fluid leak.
  • Speculum: An instrument used to widen the vagina slightly so the cervix can be seen more clearly.
  • Timing Contractions: Measuring the time between the start of one contraction and the start of the next.
  • Transverse: When the baby is lying sideways in the uterus. If the position cannot be corrected, a cesarean will be needed.
  • Umbilical Cord: The cord that carries blood, oxygen, and nutrients from the placenta to the baby.
  • Vacuum Extractor: A device that attaches to the baby’s head to help guide it out of the birth canal during delivery.
Click to download the Birth Terms and Definitions List

Copyright ©2024 MHBoR. All rights reserved.