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Though you may be traveling less frequently once you have a baby till he is a little old, it does not mean that you stop taking holidays because of the little ones. But you will have to make elaborate plans well in advance. Being away from home is a big change in routine for both your baby and you, so you will have to plan ahead, even anticipate problems so that the entire family has a good holiday. Getting advice from parents who have taken their children on holidays is a good idea. Here are a few tips about things that worked for other parents:

While booking a holiday find out what facilities the tour operator provides. Children who are two years below usual travel free.
Find out what kind of childcare facilities the operator provides like baby cots, prams, highchairs etc. so that you do not have to carry these things with you.
Your baby will require a passport.
Once you decide on the holiday location, consult your doctor about the vaccination your baby requires before you decide the holiday dates. If there are vaccines to be taken then it is best to take them a little before the holiday date. Some vaccines cannot be taken together and may need a few weeks in between. So you will need time to vaccinate your baby.
The most difficult part of your holiday will be the journey and with a small baby it will not be easy. You should book an air cot well in advance. Get seats that are together so that you have ample space on the flight. Book meals for your children in advance, it would help if they could be served before you are served.
If you are hiring a car ask the company to provide you with a baby seat so that you don’t have to carry one.
Take toys for the journey old and new ones, so that the baby will be occupied and will not get tired of the journey.
There could be delays on the way, so you should carry enough snacks for the baby especially drinks. It is better if the snacks don’t consist of sticky food, as they are messy.
It is easier to travel if you are breast-feeding, you don’t have to worry about sterilized bottles or clean water to make bottle-feeds.
Take your baby sling or back carrier it will occupy less space and it will be easy to carry the baby around.
If you are holidaying in a place where the weather is hot, make sure that you carry sun block for your baby and his skin is delicate and more likely to get sunburns.
While booking your holiday you can book a hotel that provides childcare facilities such as nannies, crèches etc. You should check them before using them, if you are satisfied with the facilities provided, the ability of the child minder and you think it is appropriate for your age make use of it.

With the arrival of the baby the relationship between husband and wife will undergo a change. There maybe some initial strain and tension in the relationship. But there is nothing that the two partners cannot solve by making time for each other and talking things out. After childbirth each partner has his or her own expectations and apprehensions. Some of the things that men worry about after childbirth are:

· Earning enough for the family.
· Kind of father they will make.
· Fear of feeling left out as his wife will be devoting all her time to the baby.
A woman too has her own fears and apprehensions:
· Whether her husband will help and support her.
· Whether she will have to take care of her husband’s needs and the baby’s needs.
· Whether the baby will affect their relationship.
To begin with the baby may interfere in the relationship between husband and wife. But over a period of time these differences can be resolved. It is important to talk and listen to each other. Here are a few tips how to be a good listener:
Pay complete attention to your partner, look at them and sit close to them.
Do not think about yourself think of the other person.
Listen to what your partner has to say and if necessary, say it to yourself again so that you remember it clearly.
Clarify things that you do not understand or want explained immediately. This will show that you are paying attention to what is being said.
Before placing your point of view wait for your partner to finish. Give yourself sometime and think over what your partner has said, before replying.
Give advice only when your partner asks for it.
Do not let your ego affect the relationship.
Not only must your listen carefully but, also, you must be able to put across your problems, feelings and point of view in an affective manner. Here are a few suggestions on how to talk:
Pick the right time to speak.
While speaking make sure you are taking about how you feel and about your problems and accusing your partner.
If you disagree on something, then just agree to disagree, do not have the last word. This will make things worse; do not let your ego get in the way of the relationship.
Once you become parents, it becomes very difficult for both partners, to find time to spend together as a couple. A newborn baby takes up all the time of both the mother and the father. Though it may seem that the baby is affecting your relationship, it is not so. A baby doesn’t damage a good relationship and a baby doesn’t improve a bad one. It is ultimately up to the partners to find time for each other no matter how difficult it is or how tired they are. Here are a few things you can do to keep your relationship alive:
For some time each day continue to think of your partner as your lover and not the father or mother of your child.
Spend time with the baby together, play and cuddle the baby together. This will give you quality time together and as a family.
Once a week ask a friend or a family member to take care of the baby for a few hours so that both of you have time together alone.
Sexual relationship maybe affected to a great extent once the baby is born. Since this important aspect of your relationship is affected this may take a toll on your relationship. As a new mother the demands of your baby, exhaustion, unhappiness with bodily changes after childbirth and the effect of breastfeeding on sex drive all affect sex drive after birth. Your partner may feel that you have only time for the baby and not for him. While you may feel that everyone is only making demands on you and you don’t have any time to rest or to yourself. Making time to improve your sexual relationship will help you and your partner. Here are few things you should remember:
There is no right time to restart your sex life.
Intercourse is not necessary. Just lying together, cuddling together and spending time together can improve your relationship and make you comfortable with your body.
If sex in painful even after healing then you should consult your doctor.
The vagina is an elastic and supple tissue, which heals quickly.
A woman’s body was created to bear children.
The human body has great recuperation powers.
If you still feel that you and your partner are having problems with your sexual relationship then you could get counseling.

Most new mothers feel more reassured and gain confidence when they interact with other women in the situation as them. If you form a group of new mothers, then you can:

Discuss problems and share solutions and skills.
Meet regularly at each other’s houses.
Establish a babysitting circle.
Take care of each other’s children.
Can go out together.
Have a well-established social circle and play group for your children.
Visit mother and baby clinics together.
Join the local sports center for postnatal exercises or baby swimming classes.
If you live in a remote area then you can get in touch with other new mothers on-line. These interactions can be a great source of support for you during the initial difficult stage of taking care of a newborn.

Keeping Fit
Nowadays everyone wants to get back into to shape soon after the baby is born. Mothers would like to regain their original slim figures within a few months. Though it maybe difficult to find time and exercise with a newborn, mothers who make the effort feel much better as not only do you feel good but your energy level increases as well. If you cannot go to an organized exercise class, then find time do a few exercises at home or plain simply dancing at home can do the trick. Other ways to exercise are:
Taking a walk is very good; you could take your baby with you as well. If the local park has a good path you can us a pram or use a baby sling.
Some pools have crèche facilities so you can leave your baby there and swim without worrying. Swimming once or twice a week is good enough.
Join postnatal exercise classes at the local gym.
Attend postnatal exercise classes conducted by the child health clinic.
Healthy Diet
As you will be breast-feeding the baby you will have to eat well. It is possible to lose weight by following a healthy diet. Even while snacking make sure that they are healthy. Try some of these:
Vegetable soup with whole wheat or whole meal roll.
Hummus eaten with breadsticks or sliced raw vegetables.
Toast and baked beans.
Toast and scrambled eggs.
Tuna sandwiches.
Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits and drink enough water. Increase your calcium intake by drinking a lot of milk and increasing consumption of diary products.

Some new mothers will not be able to stay at home with their babies for long. They may have to return to their jobs after three or four months. Both the mothers and the babies will have to learn to live with each other for 8 to 10 hours of the day. Here are some things you can do to prepare yourself and your baby:

Before you join work, start leaving the baby for sometime with the child minder.
Begin with a few hours and gradually increase the number of hours you leave the baby with child minder.
You could even give yourself a trial run of traveling back to work. This will give you confidence that you can travel again.
These physical separations will help both the mother and the baby once the mother returns to work.
It will give the baby time to get to know and adjust to the child minder.
Tips that will help you get back to work more easily:
Keep in touch with your colleagues by phone or by E-mail.
Be aware of what is going on in the office.
You can make some short visits to the office before your official joining date. This will help you get to know what is happening at office and will be seen as a proactive step to getting back to work.
A new baby means additional financial expenditure. Here are simple tips to manage your expenses if your financial condition is tight after the birth of your baby:
Make a list of the expenditure for the next month. You will be able to account for the money and be able to point out where you can reduce expenditure.
Shop around for utilities such as electricity, gas and phone, by doing this you will be able to save a considerable amount of money.
If you are a single income family, try and reduce your expenditure. Pay bills with direct debits
Claim the child benefits that you are entitled to.
Breast-feed your baby for the first year; this will save you a lot of money, as artificial milk is very expensive.
Use re-usable or cloth nappies this will also reduce expenditure in the long run though, initial investment is high.
Make the baby’s first food at home instead of buying prepared baby meals.
Pick up clothes, toys and equipment for the baby at sales.

Financial Planning Working Moms, Fitness & Support Group, Relations With Spouse, Traveling With Baby

One of the greatest milestones in a woman’s life is becoming a mother. No other event in one’s life brings about as many changes and as much responsibility as this one. Having a baby gives one a sense of fulfillment and enormous joy. At the same time study done in Australia on new mothers, has shown that, first-time mothers have been overwhelmed by the changes that take place after the baby is born. Most of them admitted that they were not prepared for their new role as a ‘mother’, and the extent to which their lives changed with the arrival of the baby. Most of them said that they were exhausted with the amount of work that was involved in taking care of a newborn.

The study also showed that over a period of time as they got used to the baby and formed a routine, they become more confident about their nurturing skills. When they accepted help from family and friends to do various chores they were more comfortable and enjoyed their new status better. The study has stated that three factors helped women adjust to their new role:
Prior knowledge about motherhood and babies.
Good support system consisting of family and friends.
Alert, receptive baby who helped the mother take care of them.
Change is the only constant in life. Each time there is change in your life, you learn, growth and discover things about yourself that you were not aware of. A few tips that new mothers must remember:
Being a mother is a learnt skill; it isn’t something that a woman is born with.
The first three years of motherhood are the toughest and they will pass by before you know it. So enjoy it.
Taking care of a child was never meant to be one person’s responsibility. So get all support you can and you will enjoy being a mother.
Being a mother is a wonderful gift and feeling, inspite of all the hard work enjoy it while it lasts.