My Baby's Sleep Regression

How Do I Know If I Am Infertile?

By jack on Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Unveiling the Emotional Journey of Infertility

Determining Calgary infertility can be a complex process involving a range of medical evaluations and an understanding of what infertility means. Infertility is typically defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected, regular sexual intercourse. For women over 35, the time frame is six months rather than a year. It’s a condition that affects both men and women, and there are several signs and factors to consider if you suspect infertility.

Understanding Infertility

Infertility may be due to a single cause in either you or your partner or a combination of factors that may prevent a pregnancy from occurring or continuing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 10% of women (6.1 million) in the United States aged 15-44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant.

Signs and Symptoms

Irregular Menstrual Cycles: One of the most apparent signs of potential fertility issues is irregularity in menstrual cycles, including cycles that are too long (35 days or more), too short (less than 21 days), irregular, or absent.
Painful Periods: While many women experience cramps with their periods, excessive pain could indicate conditions like endometriosis, which can affect fertility.
No Periods: The absence of menstruation can indicate potential fertility issues.
Symptoms in Men: For men, signs of potential infertility include changes in sexual desire, testicular pain or swelling, problems with erections and ejaculation, and small, firm testicles.

When to See a Doctor

Women under 35 are advised to seek help after one year of trying. For women 35 or older, seeking consultation after six months of trying is recommended. Earlier intervention may be warranted if there are known issues like irregular cycles or a history of pelvic inflammatory disease.

Causes of Infertility

Infertility can be due to various reasons:

For women, common causes include ovulation disorders, tubal occlusion, endometriosis, uterine or cervical abnormalities, and age-related factors.
For men, causes often involve sperm production, function, or delivery issues.

Diagnosis

Infertility evaluation can include several steps:

For women, this might involve physical exams, ovulation tracking, hysterosalpingography (to assess the condition of the uterus and fallopian tubes), and laparoscopy.
For men, evaluation typically includes semen analysis, hormone testing, genetic testing, and testicular biopsy in some cases.

Treatment

Infertility treatment can range from medication to assist ovulation, such as the Creighton Method, and surgery to repair reproductive organs to assisted reproductive technologies, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Treatment choice depends on the underlying cause, the couple’s ages, how long they have attempted to conceive, and personal preferences.

Conclusion

Facing infertility can be emotionally and physically challenging. However, many individuals and couples find success with the current treatments available. The key is early evaluation and intervention, guided by healthcare professionals specializing in reproductive health. For those concerned about their fertility, the first step is to have an open discussion with a healthcare provider to determine the appropriate steps and evaluations.

Resources

For more detailed information and support, reputable sources like the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), Resolve: The National Infertility Association and the CDC offer comprehensive guides and assistance for individuals and couples facing infertility challenges.

Remember, while infertility can feel isolating, support and resources are available to help navigate this journey.

baby sleep training

Tips For Baby Sleep Regression

By jack on Saturday, June 13, 2020

3 Month Baby Sleep Regression Tips

Sleep regression is a normal but temporary phase in a child’s growth. During this time, the infant’s sleeping patterns shift and they may wake up during the night more often. They also find it difficult to go back to sleep. It can be a very difficult period for parents, especially first time parents. Although it can be stressful for the parents, it marks a development in the baby.

Sleep regressions usually start to occur when the baby is about four months old and last between two to four weeks. They can also recur in the future, at 9 months and 18 months, as the infant continues to grow and develop. Although sleep regression is common, some children never experience it.

The 4 month old sleep regression is usually the hardest for most parents because it is often their first time to experience it. It poses many parenting challenges and can leave both the mother and father exhausted. As a parent, the changing sleep patterns of your child affect your sleeping patterns too. Whenever the infant wakes up at night, you also have to wake up to tend to him/her. This may have a huge impact on your work, as you may wind up getting less sleep and rest than you require. For those new to parenting, it can be a frustrating experience.

At 4 months, an infant starts achieving milestones in their development. Their life becomes busier as they start gaining motor control. Crawling, squirming, and rolling over form part of their daily routine. All this activity affects how they sleep. In the first three months, an infant sleeps for about 16 hours in a day. However, during the 4 month old baby sleep regression he/she will get about 12 hours of sleep spread throughout the day. Their nap time during daytime reduces to a total of 4 hours spread throughout the day.by sleep regression

Before they turn four months, infants are usually easy to lull to sleep and they can remain asleep for a long time. However, when sleep regression sets in, it upsets the balance for most parents. This can, however, be managed by applying sleep training techniques. This involves controlling the child’s sleep environment as well as their nap time schedule. Some simple tricks can help reduce the impact of a sleep regression.The activities of your child during daytime have a bearing on their sleep pattern. Thus, you need to carry out sleep training with this in mind. Ensuring he/she is fully fed and has enough time to practice their movements during the day would lead to fewer sleep interruptions at night. You also need to train your infant on bedtime routines while ensuring the room is dark and calm as they sleep. Adjusting the sleep routine as well as the environment trains your child to fall asleep under certain conditions. For example, they learn to associate the dark with sleep time. With consistency in routines, parents can enjoy nighttime sleep even during sleep regressions.

baby sleep training

Getting Baby To Sleep Through The Night

By jack on Saturday, June 13, 2020

Sleeping All Night

Sleeping through the night could be different for different age groups and babies are in a group of their own. Generally sleeping through the night means a period of at least six to nine hours. Children and adults would normally sleep for this period, but babies are different and sleep differently. At times through the night they may need to feed, due to shorter intervals in between feed.

Though babies awake during the night, they may promptly go back to sleep soon after. This is so since sleep is so important for the development needs of growing infants. But as babies grows, they would begin to sleep longer periods and eventually sleep through the night. During the first three months of life, they must adjust to life outside the womb. They continue to sleep through both day and night and need to be fed every two to three hours.

3 Months Old

At around three months babies may begin to sleep longer each time and so need fewer feed time in the night. By six months they may need to have feed every four to five hours and so at night sleep for baby will be for longer periods. Babies’ Moro or startle reflex reduces by three to six months so this aids in babies being able to sleep for longer periods. It is at this stage where they begin to gain more control over their reflexes and movements.

At around four to six months you will start seeing self-soothing behavior in babies. At this stage you can start training for falling asleep without your aid. Babies start falling asleep on their own. While still awake and drowsy parents can put them down quietly and carefully. Also, they can help induce sleep by limiting the light in the room. After this six-month stage, babies should fall asleep on their own.

At this stage you will be able have your little one in a regular schedule for sleep and naps. Babies will be taking fewer sleep and nap time sessions during the day. This reduced daytime sleep will be made up for during the nighttime. So, your little one will start sleeping as many as 10 or 11 hours during the night. Babies will be more involved in their own activities and self-soothing where your role can be to just encourage and make sure the little one is comfortable.

Also, around six months babies may feel separation anxiety and even if having been good sleeper, may experience sleep regression. They may cry and not sleep without parent being in the room. It is a normal part of babies’ development and if you think you need help it may be a good idea to consult your pediatrician for ways to deal with it.

From nine months to a year, with right parenting, you should have your baby on a set sleeping schedule. Daytime would be for nap time and at night for sleep. At this stage babies will sleep for longer periods and through the night.

baby sleep training

Baby Sleep Training

By jack on Sunday, June 7, 2020

Sleep Regression and Baby Sleep Training

Having your first baby can be exciting. However, most first-time parents learn to value sleep very fast. A good night’s sleep becomes precious to new parents as the baby’s sleep patterns disrupt their sleep. They have to adjust to accommodate the baby. Sleep disruptions at night become a part of parenthood for new parents. During the first months after birth, a baby may enjoy longer periods of sleep. However, from around the third month, their sleep patterns start to change, causing nighttime disruptions.

It can be very frustrating when you have to wake up several times at night to attend to the baby. Babies often go through sleep regression, which can last a few weeks. During this period, the baby’s sleep pattern will change and he/she has trouble settling down. The baby tends to wake up at night with a fuss. Sleep regression can be a result of several factors such as a growth spurt making the baby extra-hungry, disruptions in routines, reaching new milestones in their development, teething pain, as well as an illness. For first time parents, this can be a very frustrating period, as they may have no clue how to handle the baby during this period.

Sleep Train Your Baby

If you are going through frustration due to your baby’s sleep patterns, there is a solution to your problem. All you need to do is to sleep train the baby. Sleep training involves teaching the baby to fall asleep without rocking or nursing them. It helps the infant sleep for longer at night without waking up multiple times. There are different methods of sleep training, which could be as simple as changing the baby’s routines.

Whichever method you choose to use when training your baby, it is important to maintain consistency. The first method to consider is the check and console method. It involves checking on the baby at preset intervals after putting them to bed. Over time, increase the intervals between the checks. The consistent checks by the parent help reassure the baby so that they are able to fall asleep without needing to be rocked.

Parents can opt for the chair method where they put the baby down to sleep but remain seated next to them until they fall asleep. Once they are asleep, you leave the room and come back when they wake up. The parent’s presence reassures the baby and allows them to fall asleep on their own. The parents move the chair away from the baby each passing day until the baby gets used to falling asleep without their presence.

A change in routines could also help train an infant to sleep. A consistent chain of events may help the baby know that after a certain activity they need to sleep. For example, the baby may learn that after feeding, they are cleaned before they go to sleep. Thus, they would fall asleep every time after cleaning.

A consistent approach to training would help overcome the sleep challenge.