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Healthy Pregnancy

The Business of Being Born: A Must-See Documentary for Expectant Parents

Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on Aug 27, 2015
Healthy Pregnancy
Inspiration

My wife and I haven't agreed on every little thing over the years, but there is one thing that we have always agreed on: the best experiences of our lives so far have been the home births of our two sons.

I still remember both home births as though they occurred a few hours ago.

Margaret's labor with our firstborn was about six hours long. With the help of three midwives, we sweated and huffed and puffed our way through every hour. And I mean we.

About halfway through the labor, I distinctly remember thinking, I'll never say no to this woman again...whatever she asks for from now on, my answer will be yes. I know this is a bit of a funny thought to have had while she was crushing my hands during each wave of contractions, but the point that shouldn't be missed is this: I felt some serious respect and awe for my wife as I witnessed her giving birth to our firstborn. Read more

 

Breastfeeding Tips For First-Time Moms

Posted by Margaret Kim on Aug 25, 2008
Children's Health Issues
Healthy Pregnancy

This article was originally published in May, 2006

It's no secret that breastfeeding provides both a mother and her baby with numerous physical and emotional health benefits.

Unfortunately, some new moms who have every intention of nursing their babies end up switching to formula within the first few weeks of their babies' lives. Read more

 

Vitamin K at Birth: To Inject or Not

Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on Apr 28, 2007
Children's Health Issues
Healthy Pregnancy

Before my wife gave birth to our first child, our primary midwife asked us to think about whether we wanted our child to receive a vitamin K shot after he was born or not.

Vitamin K shots are routinely administered to newborn babies because 1.8 out of every 100,000 babies who do not receive vitamin K injections suffer permanent injury or death due to uncontrolled bleeding in the brain that may be the result of having extremely low levels of vitamin K in their systems. Read more

 

Are You Having A Baby Boy Or A Baby Girl?

Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on Jan 03, 2007
Healthy Pregnancy

During the second half of my wife's first pregnancy, our mothers and aunts told us that we were definitely going to have a baby boy.

How did they know with such certainty?

Because Margaret gained the bulk of her pregnancy weight at the front of her abdomen.

According to widely accepted folklore, if weight gain during pregnancy occurs mainly at the front of the abdomen, one can expect a baby boy. If weight gain occurs more evenly throughout a woman's body and face, it's most likely a girl. Read more

 

How To Prevent Your Toddler From Being Jealous Of A New Sibling

Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on Dec 20, 2006
Children's Health Issues
Healthy Pregnancy

Jealousy. Nowhere is this emotion more evident than in a toddler who suddenly finds a new baby in the house to gobble up mommy's and daddy's attention.

My mother-in-law once told me about walking into a room to see her then-5-year-old son about to smother his infant sister's (my wife) face with a pillow. In the same breath of laughter, she went on to tell of another time when she was nursing her youngest, when suddenly, her baby screamed in pain. My mother-in-law wheeled around to discover that her son had pinched his baby sister on the arm while he was behind his mother's back. Read more

 

Death By Lethal Vaccine Injection

Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on May 24, 2006
Health Warnings
Children's Health Issues
Healthy Pregnancy

Preface

Having a son of our own, it was crushing to read the following story about a mother and father losing their precious baby. I greatly respect and appreciate the courage that it must have taken for Christine Colebeck to share her experience with others. Thank you, Christine, for sharing Laura's story with us.

- Ben Kim

***

By Christine Colebeck Read more

 

Ultrasound: Weighing the Propaganda Against the Facts

Posted by Guest Writer on Dec 20, 2005
Healthy Pregnancy

By Beverley Lawrence Beech

The use of ultrasound in antenatal care is big business, and in any big business marketing is all-important. As a result of decades of enthusiastic marketing, women believe they can ensure the well-being of their babies by reporting for an early ultrasound scan and that early detection of a problem is beneficial for these babies. That is not necessarily so, and there are a number of studies which show that early detection can be harmful. Read more

 

Skin-To-Skin Contact Is Healthy For Mothers And Their Babies

Posted by Dr. Ben Kim on Dec 15, 2005
Children's Health Issues
Healthy Pregnancy

One of the reasons why my wife and I decided to have a home birth was to ensure that our baby would go straight where he belonged as soon as he entered the world: to my wife's chest. It saddens me to know that providing newborn babies with immediate physical contact with their mothers is not always given the priority it deserves in today's health care system. Read more

 

Breastfeeding: Best for Baby and Mother

Posted by Margaret Kim on Dec 02, 2005
Children's Health Issues
Healthy Pregnancy

One of the most powerful ways of giving your baby a healthy start in life is by breastfeeding. The following are a few of the numerous physical and mental benefits of breastfeeding: Read more

 

Cry It Out: The Potential Dangers of Leaving Your Baby to Cry

Posted by Margaret Kim on Mar 22, 2005
Children's Health Issues
Healthy Pregnancy

Among parents of infants these days, there is constant debate about how to respond to a baby’s cries. On one hand, there are proponents of the “cry it out” method, where the baby is left alone to cry in the hopes that he or she will eventually stop. On the other hand, there are the “attachment parents” who respond immediately to their crying babies and attempt to soothe them using various methods including holding and cuddling. While the cry-it-out method (CIO) has been popular in previous years, attachment parenting (AP) is gaining a foothold among new parents today. Read more

 

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Notes

After 21 years, we made the difficult decision to bring our catalogue to a close. To stay connected with Dr. Kim's writings, please feel free to subscribe for free here: Dr. Ben Kim on Substack. Sending best wishes and thanks to all.