Strong Babies

As a new parent, you may notice differences in your life once baby arrives.
Along with excitement and joy, you may be feeling tired, and overwhelmed.
Many parents go through a lot of different emotions, especially after the baby is born. It is a time of adjustment for you and your baby.
Family and friends can support you to give your baby a strong spirit and strong future.
It is useful to yarn with grandparents, mums, aunties, cousins and friends about ways to keep babies strong and healthy.

Breastfeeding is good for baby and has lots of benefits.
Breastfeeding can:

• Protect baby from infection and illness
• Provide baby with healthy food
• Help baby to grow strong
• Strengthen bonds with baby

The best options for breastfeeding are to avoid smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol and using other drugs.

• country
• culture
• spirituality
• family
• community

For us to raise strong babies, we need to build up these strong protective factors as they grow.

Mums are important and can make healthy choices to reduce their alcohol, tobacco and other drug use to support their partners and families. Mums can:

• Going to antenatal classes and all medical appointments.
• Eating healthy and exercising.
• Reaching out to trusted family members to help out when you need it.
• Getting plenty of rest and keeps stress free.
• If  pregnant or breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol, using drugs or smoking tobacco is the safest choice for growing a strong baby and providing a safe and supportive environment.
• Yarning with your partner about supporting their decision not to drink alcohol, use drugs or smoke tobacco.

Have a yarn with your health worker if you are worried or would like to know more about the risks of alcohol, tobacco or other drug use during these times.

For more information on women need to know about alcohol:

Dads are important and can make healthy choices to reduce their alcohol, tobacco and other drug use to support their partners and families. Dads can:

• If your partner is pregnant or breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol, using drugs or smoking tobacco is the safest choice for growing a strong baby and providing a safe and supportive environment.
• Yarning with your partner about supporting their decision not to drink alcohol, use drugs or smoke tobacco.
• Going with their partners to antenatal classes.
• Offering their partners alcohol-free alternatives.
• Eating healthy and exercising.
• Helping to look after kids by taking kids hunting, fishing, or down to the park.

Have a yarn with your health worker if you are worried or would like to know more about the risks of alcohol, tobacco or other drug use during these times.

For more information on men need to know about alcohol:

Not drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco and using drugs is the best choice for your baby. Other things you can do to stay healthy and grow a strong baby include:

• Regular check-ups with your health worker
• Daily exercise or physical activity
• Lots of sleep and rest
• Plenty of healthy food and water
• Yarning with grannies, aunties, mums, sisters, cousins and friends about how to keep your baby strong and healthy

Quitting cigarettes before or early on in pregnancy provides the greatest benefits for you and your baby.

However, even if you quit at any time during or after pregnancy, there are benefits for you and baby.

Things you can do to protect yourself and children from smoke:

• Avoid smoke and smoking while trying to get pregnant, during pregnancy and whilst breastfeeding.
• Stay away from people who are smoking. Keep children and babies away from smoking areas.
• Don't smoke in the house or the car.

When you are pregnant or breastfeeding, some medicines can be harmful to your baby.

If you are taking medicine, you should ask your doctor or health care worker if the medication is safe to use during pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding.

Never take any prescription drugs that were not prescribed for you by your doctor.

If you are buying medicine from the chemist, tell them you are pregnant or breastfeeding so that they can check if the medicine is safe for you and your baby.