Baby Care Information & Advice

More and more people, who are over forty or those born in 1946 to 1964, commonly known as baby boomers, are realizing the benefits of taking up sports or exercising in a gym.

This is well and good since exercising regularly severely cut the risks of contracting aging and obesity related potentially killer diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, some forms of cancers and many other diseases.

It is indeed heartening to know that more baby boomers are taking charge of their health through regular exercise to improve their cardiovascular health thus becoming fitter and stronger. However, with more middle aged people exercising and playing some form of sports, instances of injuries sustained from these activities have risen substantially.

In the United States, these gym or sports injuries have become the number 2 reason for people visiting the doctor’s office just behind the common cold, reported by the National Ambulatory Medical Care in 2003.

A Consumer Product Safety Commission research in 1998 found that sports related injuries to baby boomers had risen by 33 percent since 1991 and contributed to US$18.7 billion in medical costs.

Outdoor sports such as tennis, jogging and golf are very popular with people over forties. Not to be outdone, the more body conscious baby boomers are also joining gym memberships in droves.

Gyms all over the developed world are happily reporting increases in new memberships year after year with a large pool of their members being the over forties baby boomers brigade, male or female baby boomers irrespectively.

As baby boomers get older, their susceptibility to sports injuries rise proportionately. As people age, their body degenerate along with the aging process, although exercising regularly is known to slow down this very degeneration process. This is particularly so for the risky weekend warriors who take to the running tracks or lifting weights to build their body with gusto during the weekend putting their aging bodies and joints to sudden busts of unaccustomed stressful activities, causing damages to their own bodies unknowingly.

What are the common baby boomer’s sports injuries?

•Shoulder injuries – Common for those playing squash, tennis, badminton and lifting weights in the gym using wrong form and techniques.

•Elbow injuries – People who play racket games and bodybuilders.

•Back injuries – A very common occurrence in the gym amongst baby boomer bodybuilder wannabes. Also a common injury for golfers who often have to swing their spine.

•Knee injuries – For baby boomers who participate in sports with sudden movements and changes of directions such as squash and soccer.

•Ankle injuries – Usually striking the runners and joggers of long distances.

How to avoid the risks of sports injuries for the over forties?

This is largely common sense which most people know but few do it regularly as part of their exercise routine in so doing, risking injuries which can be avoided.

•Thorough warm of the muscles and joints which will be involved in the exercise or sport.

•Stretching adequately and correctly. Many people stretch in the wrong manner which then may cause even more injuries.

•Take the exercises or sports one step at a time, then as endurance and strength build up over time, you can then increase the intensity of the sport or the exercise.

•Exercise regularly. Not just over the weekend. Your body may not be able to cope with the sudden outburst each weekend.

•Hire a sports personal trainer who can tailor an exercise program suitable to your health condition and guide you safely through the exercises.

So baby boomers, don’t become a victim of your exercises. You want to be fit and healthy, not suffering from pain and despair from what could have been an enjoyable game of healthy sporting activity.

ell known fact that breastfeeding is the best option when feeding your baby. It is widely recommended by doctors and by mothers, though for some women breastfeeding is not an option. This can be down to physical or personal reasons, though whatever reason there are options when you just cannot breastfeed your baby.

The first thing to know when you realize you cannot breastfeed is that this does not make you a bad mother. There are many who claim that breastfeeding is best, but most people will understand if it is not an option for you. If they don’t understand, then it is important to remember that this is a personal decision and one that you should not feel guilty for. So long as you have put thought and consideration into all your options then you will be doing the right thing for you and your baby.

Before giving up completely it is worth getting some help and support to try some new methods that might help you and your baby. There is a lot of advice around on breastfeeding your baby but not everything works for everyone, so listen to other’s advice but do not feel bad if it doesn’t work out. Importantly, you should also get advice from a doctor who will tell you ways of holding the baby, or methods using pumps, that may help.

If you are not producing enough milk to breastfeed your baby this can often be down to not getting help soon enough, so contact your doctor to discuss your issues. If your nipples are cracked and sore then you could try a mixture of breast and bottle feeding, but if this fails you will just need to stop breastfeeding. Sore nipples are not pleasant and you need to care for your own wellbeing. As a start you can try expressing milk and mix this with using formula, but this doesn’t always work out for everyone.

If the problem is down to your baby refusing to feed then there are also methods to help. Firstly, you can try offering your baby the breast when your baby is asleep or is very tired. You can also try different feeding positions for your baby. Visit a doctor if you are worried about any underlying medical causes for the refusal. It is quite common for babies to refuse to be breastfed, so try not to worry too much and try to stick to your normal routine. In most cases the problem will work itself out with some patience and consideration of these methods, and if not you may start to bottle feed your baby.

Once you have stopped breastfeeding there are methods you can use to help you continue to feel close with your baby at feeding time. Hold the baby close or use a pouch – anything you like so long as you and your baby are comfortable. There is no reason why you cannot bond with your baby in the normal, instinctive way just because you have stopped breastfeeding.