Innholdsfortegnelse for October - November 2019 i Your Pregnancy & Baby

I had October babies and their due date was the same. Both girls. But wow, the two pregnancies could not have been more different. With the first, I’d moved to Germany three months before my due date. My gynae was a really old man who could barely speak English. He looked like Einstein. I felt quite alien and a little lonely. When I had to provide a urine sample on my first visit, I peed on my hand and that set the tone for the whole experience. He did an internal check from his full-frontal position between the stirrups. Every. Single. Time. It wasn’t all bad though. The German government paid me a royal R700 for bringing another citizen into the world and everything was free… even the midwife visits…

I MISS MY FRIEND During the first few weeks of my pregnancy, my best friend was killed. I was broken, and I still am. I hadn’t told her my news; I wanted to surprise her. Since she’s been gone, I’ve had much to think about. It hit me really hard that I never really thanked her for her wonderful friendship. We were playful with each other, calling each other silly names, enjoying a light-hearted friendship. In all of that, I never just sat her down, looked her in the eye and said thank you for being a part of my life. The bond we shared was beyond friendship. She was family to me. We grew up together. All my childhood memories have her in them. I was the only child…

WIN A CARRIWELL ®  HAMPER VALUED AT R2 000 Carriwell’s Adjustable Overbelly Support Belt is comfortable and easy to adjust, providing relief for pregnancy-induced backache. This pregnancy belt improves your posture and gently lifts your tummy, relieving downward pressure while supporting your hips. The broad elastic and soft breathable microfibre fabric softly supports your sensitive skin. The belt grows with you and is adjustable for your unique size and support needs. Send us a beautiful, good-quality photograph of you with your gorgeous bump or baby. Send your photo with both your names and date of birth, and where you’re from to: Your Pregnancy Snaps, letters@yourpregnancy.co.za…

Extra accessories easily convert it into a travel system…

✓ Take an antenatal class together. Birth is not the mom’s problem – it’s the start of a new life together. ✓ Know when to take Mom to the hospital. Don’t go too early! If it’s a natural birth, labour can last for hours. If it’s a c-section, the gynaecologist will be able to give you the appropriate times. ✓ Download a contraction app (before she goes into labour!). Correctly timing contractions in a natural labour is a very important role. ✓ Watch YouTube videos of birth. Mentally prepare yourself by watching videos of both natural births and c-sections (a birth can go either way, no matter what you’ve planned). ✓ Know your birth plan. Understanding your partner’s ideal birth helps you to keep things on track. ✓ Know the…

THE COT IS one of the most important items you’re going to buy for your new baby. Ask at the shops if it has a safety code (an EN number). This means the bed is deep enough and the gaps between the struts are narrow enough that your baby won’t fall through or get stuck. If you have one of those convenient cots that can open or slide down on the one side, make sure the mechanism is sturdy and kiddie-proof. Ask if the paint is lead-free. Especially on older cots, the paint might not be safe. The mattress must be new, even if you buy the cot second-hand. It has to fit snugly and be firm. A mattress that can breathe is a good idea – it’s the one…

Lay the baby on their back and position two or three fingers in the centre of the chest just below the nipples. Press down about one-third the depth of the chest (about 3cm), giving 30 gentle chest compressions at a rate of about two per second. Then open the airway by lifting the chin to tilt the head back, cover the baby’s mouth and nose with your mouth, and give two gentle breaths, each one second long. You should see the baby’s chest rise with each breath. Continue with 30 pumps and two breaths until help arrives.…

“The space where we site the epidural is what is called a ‘potential space’, and doesn’t exist in normal anatomy. We place our epidural needle between two layers of tissue that normally lie directly next to each other. As we inject the epidural medication, the space expands. Occasionally, there are bands of tissue that don’t allow the space to expand uniformly, so the mixture concentrates in an area and not in another area – this leads to patchiness and occasionally a unilateral block. Once we have placed the epidural, we need to confirm that it is indeed working. If it is found to be unilateral or patchy, there are a couple of things we can try: pulling the epidural catheter back a couple of millimetres usually helps as the tip…

There are two things you should not do: one is to think you should eat for two, and the other is to go on a crash diet. This advice comes from Antonette Grant, a mom and dietician from Rustenburg. “If you eat for two, you’ll pack on too much weight and struggle to lose it afterwards,” she warns. And another bit of handy advice: remember, the extra fat does not disappear the moment the baby arrives. So don’t pack your pre-pregnancy clothes in your hospital bag – your maternity wear will serve you for a good few weeks following baby’s birth.…

1st Trimester NAP WHEN YOU NEED TO Exhaustion during the first trimester is common, so don’t feel guilty about having a nap, says Michelle Walton, owner of Joburg-based Birthrite, which offers doula services and therapeutic reflexology for pregnancy, labour and post-partum. “Rest is one of your greatest allies now.” DON’T OVERHEAT “This is the main aim for exercise in the first trimester,” says Dr Etti Barsky, a sports physician and partner at Preggi Bellies South Africa, which runs aerobic and strength training programmes for pregnant and postnatal women in Joburg, Pretoria and Cape Town. “Always exercise in a well-ventilated area, wear clothes that don’t make you too sweaty, and drink water throughout your workout.” GET A MATERNITY BRA If your breasts are already heavier and beginning to feel tender, it’s…

REFLUX If you’ve ever felt like spewing fire, you’ll know exactly what reflux means… Reflux describes a condition in which the acidic stomach content goes back into the oesophagus. This backwash of sorts happens when the one-way sphincter that allows food into the stomach from the oesophagus does not close as tightly as it should. The characteristic symptoms of reflux include a burning sensation in the chest and throat. It usually happens after drinking fruit juice or warm beverages or eating hot, greasy food, and it becomes worse when you bend forward. Reflux can be so bad that food or fluid backs up into the back of the mouth, especially at night when you’re lying down, and it could feel like you want to choke. Pregnancy is a common cause…

While it’s impossible to avoid all scents that drive you crazy, there are a few simple tricks you can try… Air out the house Leave windows open, where possible, to get rid of cooking or musty odours. Keep clean Need hubby to take that extra shower? So be it. Wash clothes and switch to unscented cleaners, deodorants and other products. Brush your tongue every time you brush your teeth, and rinse your mouth with a salt or baking soda solution, or mouthwash. Communication Ask your co-workers, partner, family and friends to refrain from wearing strong perfumes, smoking – or microwaving their fish lunches – in your presence (as politely as possible, of course). Find what works Some moms are soothed by smells like mint, lemon, cinnamon or ginger – if…

AM I TOO SMALL? Q: My baby’s due date is coming nearer, and I am really keen on a natural birth. I’ve been reading a lot about it, but I have one concern that isn’t really addressed in any of the literature I’ve been reading. I’m worried that I might be too petite to give birth naturally. I only weigh 50kg and wear a size three shoe, and I don’t have broad hips at all. My husband is above average size for a man though, so our baby might very well be big. Is there any way I can know for sure if my pelvis is big enough to birth my baby? A: Tina says: Toward the 37th or 38th week of pregnancy, there are many doctors and midwives who…

C-SECTION PAIN RELIEF Q: I’m having a c-section, and I’m worried about pain relief afterwards. I’m going to be cut open after all, and surely that wound is going to hurt a lot once the spinal wears off? What will I be given in hospital, and what can I take once I’m home? Also, I plan on breastfeeding, so I don’t want to take anything that will interfere with that. How long does the pain last afterward? Some friends say a week, some say six weeks. I want to know what I’m in for and how to cope. A: Dr Shimange-Matsose answers: Pain after a caesarian is always a concern and fear of most mothers. Having had three caesars myself, I can advise from both personal and professional experience. Pain…

› Every caregiver will handle a slow labour differently. Find out what your caregiver considers to be a slow labour and how it would be handled. › You may want to discuss the possibility of using natural labour stimulation techniques, such as nipple stimulation or acupressure, before trying medicated labour stimulation techniques. › If you choose to use artificial oxytocin as a way to speed up labour, understand that there is currently no evidence that high or rapidly escalating doses of oxytocin are any more effective at producing a baby than more moderate approaches. The moderate approaches may keep you more comfortable. › For many women, cervical dilation does not happen according to the 1cm per hour rule. Sometimes things can happen that slow down labour too much or stop…

FISH TACOS For the flatbread 2 cups cake flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup plain yoghurt For the Asian slaw 2 cups shredded red cabbage 1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks ½ red onion, sliced 2 spring onions, sliced For the dressing 5 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon sesame oil ¼ cup rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon soya sauce 1 tablespoon honey For the fish 1 teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon cumin salt and pepper to taste 2 salmon fillets 2 tablespoons olive oil fresh coriander leaves, toasted sesame seeds and lime wedges to garnish 1 To make the flatbreads: sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a medium bowl. Mix in the yoghurt to form a dough ball. Cover and let rest for 15…

WHEN BOIPELO MOTHUPI applied for a loan to buy a new car, she was shocked to be told that her credit rating meant that her interest repayments would be comparatively high. “I knew that my credit history wasn’t great,” she says, referring to a difficult time she’d gone through when she hadn’t been able to meet all of her financial obligations, “but I didn’t even know what a credit score was, never mind that it would affect the terms of my loan.” Knowing what’s going on with your credit score is the first step to properly managing your finances, and especially any debt you may have. WHAT IS A CREDIT SCORE? Your credit score is an accurate prediction of how likely you are to pay your bills. The higher the…

✓ Banking fees for returned debits can be very expensive. To avoid this, have two separate bank accounts, with one purely for your debit orders. When your salary is paid, transfer the amount needed, plus a little extra to cover banking fees etc., into your debit orders account. ✓ Try to add extra amounts to your debit orders account whenever you can to build up reserves – the aim is to have six months’ worth of debit orders in this account, in case you lose your job, or incur extra medical or other expenses. ✓ Instead of incurring debt, rather try to save for an item first and then buy it for cash. ✓ That said, there are some items where debt is acceptable, such as buying your home, as…

Check, check again October is breast cancer awareness month. Let all the little pink ribbons on display this month remind you to do your regular breast checks. If this is already second nature, good for you! Keep it up! WHERE TO GET CYBEX Everybody knows about the ChelinoBaby shops in Ormonde and Menlyn Mall in Pretoria. Now, two new branches have opened: Gateway in Durban and Fourways in Johannesburg, which throws its doors open on 27 September. If you’re in the market for a pram, you should get there as the latest ranges of Chelino, Chelino Platinum, CBX and CYBEX are all for sale. For more information about the shops and brands and to register for the opening day function of the Fourways branch, visit chelinobaby.co.za or follow them on…

A LETTER TO MY BABY There are still two months until we meet, but I’m already writing letters to you. This is probably just one of the many times you’ll be reminded that your mom is a sentimental writer . You’ve been warned. Even though I’ve been carrying you for just a few months, it already feels like there’ s so much to share. It’s all in a journal on my night stand, which I’ll give you someday . There’s a letter about how your dad and I met, another about the day you became a reality, and letters about your family and the special people who already love you. In all these letters, I find myself imagining the mom I hope to be when you arrive. It’s a tall…

When you fall pregnant, your immune system changes, so that it can protect both you and your developing baby. Some parts of your immune system are enhanced, while others are suppressed. This creates a balance that can protect your growing baby from infections and keep you healthy at the same time. However, this puts you at greater risk of contracting food-borne illnesses. For example, pregnant women are 20 times more likely than other healthy adults to develop listeriosis. The developing baby is at great risk when you contract a food-borne illness, even if it appears to be mild. It can have a detrimental effect on your baby, on you and deprive your baby of nourishment.…

A very small percentage of births go catastrophically wrong. You may have been in the very unfortunate situation that you skated close to the life-or-death edge during your baby’s delivery. Any situation in which you or your baby were very sick during or after the birth qualifies. Maybe you had uncontrolled postpartum bleeding (a haemorrhage) or some misadventure during surgery. Perhaps your baby was in serious distress or was born with brain damage or a physical disability, or very prematurely – or, tragically, you miscarried or your baby was stillborn. This kind of birth trauma is severe, and more severe psychological aftereffects are to be expected. “If you have flashbacks to the trauma all the time, if you have intrusive thoughts, if you’re constantly feeling fearful, anxious or angry, if…

What is it? When a baby dies suddenly and inexplicably, it’s called cot death, or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). What causes it? The causes are not yet known, but research continues. A fair number of facts have come to light that can help to prevent SIDS. What is the risk? About 90 percent of cot deaths occur among babies of six months or younger, but it seldom occurs in the first month. Prem babies are more vulnerable, as are boys, multiples, babies with a low birth weight, babies who are exposed to cigarette smoke before and after birth, and in cases where the mom is an alcoholic or a drug addict. Babies born to mothers who are younger than 20 are also at an increased risk. What can you…

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? In Sasolburg. I’m the oldest of three children and have supportive parents who can get a lot of credit for my academic success. I am married to a wonderful man, Johann, and have two beautiful children, Johané (10) and Waldo (8). We live in Potchefstroom. We decided not to raise our kids in the city’s rat race. YOU’RE AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT THE NORTHWEST UNIVERSITY AND PART OF THE TEAM AT THE SCHOOL OF NURSING SCIENCE. HOW DID YOU GET INTO NURSING? I do not regard myself as a Florence Nightingale. I started nursing as an entry into physiotherapy, but during my first year, in 1996, I realised that nurses do much of the work that physios do, especially over weekend and at night, when…

1 GET WEIGHT TESTED Being over- or underweight can both be issues when you’re trying to conceive, as it affects your output of hormones. This means that your diet could dramatically increase your chances of conception. Consider your weight and height, and work toward achieving a stable, optimum fertility weight. Get yourself checked out at the doctor to calculate what’s an ideal weight. 2 STOP SMOKING AND DRINKING By now you should know enough about these vices to know that they’re off-limits during pregnancy. In fact, quitting before you conceive is even better. Quitting now will ensure that your body is at its peak for conception and pregnancy. 3 CHECK YOUR MEDICATIONS All drugs have side effects – even your prescribed medication. Understand what you’re putting into…

Cindy Rantsekeng, Randburg I picked up 18kg during my pregnancy. My gynae told me between 9 and 12kg is healthy for me and my baby. I found I didn’t pick up much during the first three months because of morning sickness. I gradually gained weight during my second trimester, as I regained my appetite. I picked up most of the weight during the last trimester as cravings started. Although I tried to eat healthily, I still ate larger portions. After Joshua was born, I weighed around 70kg, which meant that I weighed a good 8kg fewer after the birth. Because I breastfed, I lost the extra 10kg within the first two months. I believe breastfeeding helped, because I wasn’t as hungry and ate healthily. But once I stopped breastfeeding, about…

THE ONLY FOOD that registered nurse Tracy-Ann Alexander could stomach during her first trimester of pregnancy? Burger King. “It was my saving grace,” she says. “Everything smelled and tasted raw or odd in the first trimester – apart from Burger King.” So what’s the cause for your sudden aversion to your favourite food, the lingering rancid or metallic taste in your mouth or the overnight development of a seemingly super-hero-like sense of smell? “The widely accepted theory is that it’s probably due to the spike in a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which is produced by what ultimately becomes the placenta,” Tracy-Ann explains. Once egg meets sperm, hCG amps up the production of oestrogen and progesterone, according to Dr Davinia Masimila, a specialist obstetrician gynaecologist at the national Department…

NEXT YEAR’S GRADE 1 teachers will be calling for Sophia, Olivia, Emma and Isabella more than any other girl names in their classes. Their boys will overwhelmingly be called Jack, Liam, Lucas and Aiden. Okay, these are stats from the US, but be honest, you know one or two children with those names, don’t you? Obviously in South Africa things look a little different. We are so multicultural that no one language or naming tradition dominates. But if you’re interested, Statistics SA sometimes takes a break from reporting relentlessly bad economic news to give us the low-down on things such as what names are most popular in Mzansi. HOMEGROWN NAMES Its “recorded live births report” is available online, with the latest stats being from 2017. “In South Africa, just as…

YOU MAY HAVE heard the term “episiotomy”. But finding out what it is requires a bit of an anatomy lesson. So here goes… Meet your perineum. The muscle tissue that connects the back posterior wall of your vagina to your rectum is your perineum. The skin between your vulva and your anus has to stretch an incredible amount during a vaginal delivery – a baby with a head circumference of 50cm or more needs to pass through a small space, after all. It can be done, but stretching takes time. And sometimes, there’s no time. During many births, it’s common for the pressure the baby exerts on the perineum to actually tear the skin in the perineal area – sometimes a little bit, and sometimes quite badly. In fact, says…

MANUELA INCENDIARIO LÜDEKE 31 WEEKS PREGNANT STYLIST SAYS... “Manuela had a big event coming up and needed something glamorous for the evening. Instead of hiding her bump, this dress shows it off and beautifully complements her shape! This look is perfect for a work event or festive season celebration.” MANUELA SAYS... I really enjoyed my makeover with the Your Pregnancy team. I loved the pampering and it was great to feel like a diva for the day! The stylist helped enhance my bump. I’ve mainly worn tights and scrunch tops during my pregnancy, so it was a treat to feel glamorous for the day. Thank you, Your Pregnancy! LOOK WHAT ELSE OUR LUCKY MAKEOVER MOM WENT HOME WITH! A STUNNING GIFT HAMPER FROM PIGEON TO THE VALUE OF R1 170!…

NOT CONTENT WITH rocking the cradle, and generally everything else down here on planet Earth, it seems that chicks will soon be establishing their very own interplanetary matriarchy. As any man who has been to the fertility clinic will know, once you’ve finished in that tiny room with the dog-eared copies of FHM and Cosmo, your sperm gets frozen. However, what people are only just finding out now, is that sperm can also survive microgravity, such as exists in outer space. What this means is that when women have finally, irrevocably, had enough of their hairier, fartier bedfellows, they will, according to the latest research, be able – literally – to kick them to the kerb and set off to colonise space in men-free missions. Being a man, and therefore…

TINA OTTE A mother, grandmother, midwife, childbirth educator and author, Tina has been involved in the pregnancy and birth field for more than 30 years Spring has sprung, and new life is all around us! This is my favourite season, as it reminds me of the power and beauty of nature and that no matter what we do, life will go on. The creation of new life still fills us with wonder. Although there is so much that we know and understand now that our forebears did not, there is also still much that is shrouded in mystery and secrecy. “I MARVEL AT THE POWER OF WOMEN. I LOVE TO SEE THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF YOUR NEWLY DISCOVERED SELF, EMERGING AS YOU DRAW CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE BIGGEST EVENT…

Clicks Made 4 Baby Dryprotect Diaper Range has a wetness indicator to ensure baby stays comfortable between changes. When the diaper is wet, the indicator changes colour to let you know your baby needs a change. Designed with leak protection and for day and night use, the range also features soft breathable material with a highly absorbent core, a comfortable stretchy waistband with Velcro strips and a soft back sheet. See clicks.co.za for more information. SEND YOUR LETTER AND CONTACT DETAILS TO LETTERS@YOURPREGNANCY.CO.ZA…

Antenatal classes proved helpful to Ayanda and Milisuthando Kumalo. “I learnt about the importance of a birth plan,” Ayanda explains. “What really struck me was what to expect during birth. I didn’t realise I should expect to be cut or the baby could be suctioned out.” The main thing her wife took away was understanding how she could physically help Ayanda. “Knowing what Ayanda was going through really helped our relationship – and really helped me to be there for her during birth,” Milisuthando says. “I had no idea how things could go wrong, and understanding how I could support her proved so crucial on the day. One really important takeaway for me was knowing which professionals to call in! We ended up needing a lactation specialist, and I wouldn’t…

1 WHAT IS AN EPIDURAL? An epidural is a form of local anaesthetic. An anaesthetist will administer an epidural by injecting a specific area of your spine, called the epidural space. It effectively blocks pain signals from reaching your brain, so you feel little or no pain during labour. 2 CAN I ASK FOR AN EPIDURAL IF IT’S NOT IN MY BIRTH PLAN? If you think you may need an epidural during labour, it’s best to discuss and confirm this with your gynaecologist or doctor during your check-up appointments, while pregnant. Whether you’re in a public or private health facility, discussing the use of an epidural is important, because they take a long time to set up. Dr Mike Blackburn, a specialist anaesthetist in a private practice in…

YOUR PREGNANCY GUIDE says you should gain about 12kg while you’re with child, and you’re starting to get really worried because the needle on the scale is edging on 15kg… Don’t worry unnecessarily, says Dr Liza Fowler, a gynaecologist at the Louis Leipoldt Medi-Clinic in Cape Town. It’s not about how many kilograms you gain, but what you weighed before falling pregnant. Ideally, you should not gain more than 17 to 20 percent of your pre-pregnancy weight. So, it’s about percentages rather than a set number of kilograms, Dr Fowler says. You can predict roughly how many kilos you’ll pick up per trimester. Most of the weight is put on in the second and third trimester (about 300 to 450g per week), and the biggest jump in weight gain is…

ENDOMETRIOSIS & PREGNANCY Q: I’ve suffered from endometriosis for most of my life and have learnt to deal with it as best I can, so it doesn’t affect how I live too much. But I got married recently, and we are keen to start a family. How does my condition affect my chances of falling pregnant naturally? Is there anything I can do to improve my chances? A: Dr Koll answers: Endometriosis is a condition that doesn’t follow any rules. We can never predict when it will flare up and when it will resolve. The extent of the endometriosis also doesn’t correlate well with the symptoms. Some people with severe endometriosis have minimal symptoms, and milder forms can present severe symptoms. Similarly, its effect on falling pregnant is also somewhat…

I DON’T FEEL PREGNANT Q: I’m 23 years old and I’m almost 15 weeks pregnant. My problem is that I haven’t felt anything or seen any change in my body yet. When can I start to see changes or feel something? A: Tina says: If your blood tests have shown positive for pregnancy and your scan has confirmed the conceptus, then I would not be concerned. Many women feel changes quite soon in their pregnancy (some even before the pregnancy is confirmed) but many others don’t feel or see changes until after the first trimester. I am sure that you will begin to see a swelling of your abdomen and a tightness in your waistband very soon and after week 20 it is usual for you to feel flutterings in…

New moms tell us how their senses of smell and/or taste have changed while pregnant... “I used to love my fiancé’s sweaty smell– I absolutely loved it when he’d come back from a workout. But then all of a sudden I hated it; his armpits or anyone’s armpits – it was nauseating. And I could smell paint or petrol at the office before anyone else. It didn’t make me vomit, just infinitely more aware of my surroundings.” ~ Jecel Austria, architect and mom of one boy “I’ve always had a strong sense of smell, but one of the first clues I might be pregnant was that everything was strong smelling. I had to run to the bathroom on quite a few occasions. Once I even got sick in the sink…

The middle name choices are interesting too: there is a trend for parents to give children their “English” names as middle names rather than first names, which does suggest that we are successfully reclaiming pride in our African names. The girls’ middle names are likely to be Precious, Princess, Angel, Blessing, Faith, Hope, Grace or Pretty – followed by Amahle or Luthando. Boys’ middle names show the same trend: Junior, Blessing, Gift, Prince and Innocent are the top five middle names, followed by Lubanzi, Bandile, Enzokuhle, Melokuhle and Siyabonga. In addition, the English names are also words that have meaning rather than Biblical choices of past generations such as Solomon or Mary. Be aware of initials that can spell short words. Lubanzi Innocent Dlamini (SA’s most common surname, by the…

› DON’T GO IN TOO SOON Make sure you are in active labour before you move to a hospital or birth centre. Moving to the hospital too soon can make even an average-length labour seem long and slow, because most women find the hospital to be boring in early labour. Your caregiver or childbirth instructor can help you decide when would be a good time to go to the hospital. › CONTINUOUS SUPPORT Of all the factors that have been studied as ways to shorten the length of labour, the only one that works by itself is to have continuous support, such as the care given by a doula. In studies, moving around, such as walking, during labour was as effective at shortening labour as most medical treatments. › STAY…

WHEN LYDIA MBAYO was pregnant with her third child, she wasn’t concerned about labour. It wasn’t her first time, after all. But a baby who was eager to be born and a Monday morning beset by gridlocked traffic conspired to give her a birth experience she’ll never forget. Here’s her story: “Everything about my pregnancy with Jamie was different to my first two. With Jesse and Jayla, I felt like Superwoman throughout. I’m an energetic person, and could stay quite active to the point that I was in the mall when my water broke with my first child. But with this pregnancy, my whole body was sore – from my hips to my legs. However, it was a healthy pregnancy without complications, and my loving husband, Didier, took good care…

BREASTFEEDING IS RATHER demanding in and of itself. Not only is it accompanied by fatigue and a variety of niggles, but it also commonly leads to neck, shoulder and back discomfort. This is primarily due to incorrect posture while feeding. There is hope, though. We’ve come up with a few exercises and guidelines that will help prevent excessive pain. When looking at your spine from the side, you’ll see that it has an S-curve formation to it. This is to assist the discs between your vertebrae with necessary shock absorption. When the curves are compromised and are either flattened or over exaggerated, you run the risk of increasing inflammation in the spine and overworking certain muscle groups. This could result in muscle spasm and pain. All of this starts in…