If You Pass This Mommy Test, Then You're Definitely Ready To Be A Parent
- by Rachel Pacey
- – on
- in Entertainment
Some women plan their whole lives around becoming a mother. They expect to be a stay at home mom, and dream about the day when their little one will arrive! They read all of the baby books, parenting books, even the books about labor and conception. Women are planners, they want everything to be perfect, with little to no speed bumps along the way. Women even begin practicing being a mother at a super young age! Whether it be with baby dolls, toddler dolls, barbies, or their younger siblings and cousins.
Being a mom isn't the all defining thing for a women though, but women who are ready to become, or already are mothers, want the absolute best for their little ones. There is so much prepwork, learning, reading, practicing, and more when it comes to becoming a mother. Or on the other hand, you already know everything, and can go in with all of your prior knowledge! Anyway, if you are totally ready to be a new parent, you'll get a perfect or near perfect score on this quiz! And you'll know that it is time for you, to become a mother!
How many trimesters are there?
The duration of pregnancy is divided up into what we call trimesters. These are divided up by a certain amount of weeks, usually about 12. Each trimester means different levels of growth for your little one! They say that when the first trimester is totally over, it is safe to tell people about your pregnancy, without the worry that any complications may occur, as the rate significantly decreases after this period of time is totally finished and you're on the next stage.
What organ transfers nutrients between you and the baby?
This organ develops into a large size during your pregnancy. It provides oxygen and nutrients for the growing baby, and removes any waste products from the baby's blood. It attaches into you, and the umbilical cord connects this organ to your baby. It is often referred to as the after birth, as you need to deliver it when you give birth. This happens after you deliver the baby. Many cultures eat this, at it is high in nutrients that may have otherwise been lost.
When can you tell the sex?
If you and your partner decide to find out what the sex of the baby will be, you can actually find this out during a certain point of your pregnancy. While getting an ultrasound, your technician can get a view of the baby's genitals, and can let you know what the sex will be! Sometimes, you can't get a clear view, but you could always try again at a different appointment. This is a new trend, that is celebrated during reveal parties!
How many months are you pregnant for?
Gestation, or length of pregnancy, is different among different mammals. The length of human pregnancy is relatively short compared other species. Elephants are pregnant for two years! This is a super great time to bond with your baby, and start planning what the future will be like for you, the baby, and maybe your partner. Many new parents plan out the nursery, spend time singing to, reading to, and talking to the baby. You can also have parties, and events just to celebrate this new life!
What determines the baby's sex?
The baby's sex is ultimately determined by one specific thing, that happens on a molecular level. People say that when you are early enough along, you can actually perform tricks that will tell you what the sex will be. Mommy has to use a piece of her hair, and tie it to a ring. When you let the ring down, if it moves in a circle you are carrying a girl, but if it goes back and forth, you have a boy!
When does milk production begin?
Milk production, or lactation, begins sooner than you may expect it to. The first milk that is produced, is called colostrum. This milk is super high in nutrients, and has the most antibodies that you definitely want to pass along to your baby for immune function! Soon after breastfeeding begins, about three to five days, the colostrum develops into mature regular milk, that you can continue to use for feeding you new born! It is specifically designed for babies, but formula is just as good!
How long should you breastfeed?
Breastfeeding is super beneficial to your newborn baby! It provides them with every nutrient that they need. Many mothers struggle to produce enough milk, babies don't latch, among other issues. Formula is an option for these situations, and provides all of the necessary nutrients without worry. Breastfeeding cannot be opted out though if your goal is to give your baby natural immunity through your milk, which can be super beneficial to them before they have any vaccinations in their first few years.
What are braxton hicks?
These are something that we have all heard of before, but maybe do not know that much about. Many women complain of these, as they can start pretty early in your pregnancy! They can be pretty uncomfortable, but some women do not ever even have them, or feel them. They were first described in 1872, by Dr. Braxton John Hicks, they are often thought of as exercises for your uterus to prepare for what is going to begin pretty soon for you!
What is an epidural?
Epidurals are often referred to in TV shows and movies. If you or someone you know has given birth, they may or may not have had one of these. Many women do not want them, because they want to go through and have a 'natural' birth. With the trend of home births increasing in the past few years, you would think that the rate of epidurals would decrease, because they can only be given in a hospital. So what exactly is this?
How many women have C-Sections?
A cesarean section means that the baby is delivered through incisions that are made in the mother's abdomen and uterus. There are many reasons that one may have one of these procedures. Some women opt to have these, and plan a date for it. Your doctor may recommend a C-Section if you have any pregnancy complications. Some of these may include you've had one before, or have had uterus surgery, the placenta has problems, you have an infection like HIV, or if you're having multiples.
How common are multiples?
Births of multiples are not as common as regular births. There are many ways that you can increase your chances of giving birth to multiples rather than a single. Increased maternal age increases the rate, if you are over the age of 35, and increases even more if you are over 45. Assisted conception, with fertility drugs of IVF treatments also increase the rate by about 25%. Maternal history as well, if you mother, or mother's mother is a twin, there may be a gene in your family that relates to multiple conception.
Can your baby hear you talk to it from the womb?
Many people will tell you while you're pregnant that you should talk to, sing to, read to, or play music for, your baby while it is in the womb. They say that this can be super beneficial for it's brain development, and build the bond between you two before it is even born! Some people don't think that this actually does much though, saying that your baby can not possibly hear you while in the womb! So, can they hear you?
What does a midwife do?
You'll often hear the word midwife floating around in your lamaze classes. Maybe your friends who are already mothers, or are expecting, are talking about their midwives, or looking for a midwife. These are similar to a doula, but a little bit different. Doulas may provide support to the family after the baby is born, helping out mom, helping take care of the baby, among other things. Midwives are super common now, especially in home births, or even in hospital births.
What is the average newborn weight?
A newborn is considered a baby that was recently born. When your baby comes along, doctors will take their height, weight, perform screenings for different things, like a blood test and a hearing test. These screening tests will check for rare but serious conditions, to be sure proper treatment will be taken immediately. When your baby is born, the doctors will want the weight to be within a certain range, that is considered to be healthy. So what is the average weight of a newborn?
How many bones are babies born with?
Babies are born with bones, and some bones are made completely of cartilage. Babies are born with a different number of bones that are in adults. The reason for this is that babies need to be able to squeeze through the birth canal, and would be unable to do this with the regular, dense bones. Babies are also still developing, and require room to grow, especially in their brains. So if an adult has 206 bones, how many bones are babies born with?
When will the umbilical cord fall off?
The umbilical cord is what connects the baby to you while it is in the womb. It directly connects from the babies belly, to the placenta, which transfers nutrients and waste between mommy and baby. When a baby is born, the umbilical cord is cut off and clamped, which eventually will form the belly button. Traditionally, this is done by the father, but it can be performed by anyone in the room, even the doctor. When will what is left of the cord, actually fall off?
How often do newborns urinate per day?
After your newborn comes along, they will probably only urinate once in the first 24 hours. This is totally normal, and nothing to be concerned about. As the days go on, you will find that your baby is urinating a little more frequently. There are variations in this, especially if you are breastfeeding. The average can differ between each baby, even among siblings. If you think your baby is peeing too much or too little, definitely call the pediatrician! So, what is the 'normal' number?
What is the function of this?
What is the function of this device? You will see many moms using these with their newborns, or their babies as they grow a little more. It may be providing privacy, and definitely helps calm your baby down in an important situation that you may need them to be calm for! It can also make you more comfortable while doing this, rather than having to worry about anyone looking at you, or getting uncomfortable by doing something that is totally normal.
When will babies start to walk?
After your baby is born, you'll definitely be paying attention to the timing of important milestones that your baby is making, on a regular basis. Things like holding up their own heads, at about 4 months. Sitting up at about 4-7 months. Or, even something as simple of smiling, where a real smile will occur between one and three months, rather than just the reflex you see before about two months of age. The next big things are crawling, at about 6 months, and walking?
When will your baby start talking?
While you may begin to hear your baby saying small phrases, or their very first words at about 6 months (at earliest), this isn't 'really' talking. They are just sort of making sounds, like no, or mama, or dada. They will be able to understand words and sentences way before they will be able to speak themselves. At this age, they will be able to form anywhere between two word sentences, to four word sentences! This does vary a ton across babies though!
Language delay is a sign of what disorder?
Oral communication takes place in two steps, one being encoding messages into words and sentences that have meaning. The second stage, relates to using motor controls that will articulate the language, like the mouth, tongue, and vocal cords. A baby can be delayed in either speech or language, or even in both. When the baby is delayed in language, is unable to use language to speak, causing a delay in language. This is a major red flag for this disorder, that is more common in boys.
Which of these shouldn't you feed your baby?
Even if you are breastfeeding you baby, as they are growing it is recommended to start introducing solid foods when they are between four and six months old. When you are introducing new foods, to test for allergies, it is recommended that you feed that food as the primary food for about a week. This way, you know for sure if there are any allergies! There are some foods that you shouldn't introduce until they are older, for choking hazards, or even from bacteria.
What is this?
This tool has something to do with helping your baby while they are still young. Most mothers of babies will carry one of these around with them in a diaper bag! You may or may not have seen them before. With their rubber design, it makes it super easy to use, and super helpful when trying to help your baby out. You can get them all natural, and they are really easy to clean and sterilize when you are finished using them.
What would you call a baby that does this?
This diagnosis can be done by yourself, but should be checked out by a doctor to rule out underlying causes. This is uncontrollable crying in an otherwise totally healthy baby. It would have to be younger than five months old, and cries for more than three hours in a row. This has to happen on three or more days a week, for at least three weeks. It isn't a disease, but can be something that is stressful for parents, and for your little one! It usually shows up at about 2 to 3 weeks of age.
How should a baby sleep?
Newborn babies should be getting 14 to 17 hours or sleep per day, some will get 18 to 19 hours! There are a ton of recommendations that you should take into consideration to provide a safe sleeping environment for your little one. One of these is to use a firm sleep surface, with nothing else in the crib. No plushies, pillows, blankets, or loose sheets. You have to be cautious of overheating, so don't bundle them up! Which way should a baby lay when they are sleeping?
How often should you sterilize bottles?
You have probably heard of your mother or grandmother sterilizing baby bottles after every single use! The way this is done, is by boiling them in hot water to kill off any germs that may be lurking on the bottles. This recommendation has changed a little bit over the last few years. While many people swear by one method, you may find one that is better for you. This though, is really the best or recommended timing for sterilizing bottles.
How often should you bathe your newborn?
A baby being in the bath, may be a fun and relaxing ritual for both you and them! Some babies absolutely love being in the water, while others may totally hate it! Babies have super sensitive skin, requiring special soap, lotion, and powders, that should be used during and after bath time. It is important to stay on a bathing schedule, to avoid any irritation, or drying out of your babies skin. This will definitely make things tougher on you, and them.
By the age of two, how many words should they be able to use?
At about twenty four months old, your baby should have a decent sized vocabulary. They should be able to say around this many words. They may not be able to articulate sentences in a way that makes sense, but it makes sense to them! Remember, they can understand more words than they can say, and will try their absolute best to form sentences, thinking really hard about it. So what is the amount of words that a two year old should be saying?
Which nutrient is important while potty training?
When your baby is about two and a half years old, you are probably getting ready to start potting training them! This is an important life skill, that takes some time for them to pick up. Many people will get little toilets for their toddlers, and try to associate this toilet with going to the bathroom. To make this process easier, it is recommended you ensure your toddler is eating enough of this nutrient, that helps with smooth, and regular, bathroom passing.
When should you start encouraging reading with your baby?
Sitting down with your baby and reading to them is an important bonding time for both you and them. It allows for a connection to be built stronger, they enjoy hearing your voice, and will probably smile a bit. They will definitely like to look at pictures in the stories, even if they can't totally understand what is happening. They may also like looking at shapes and colors, maybe even starting to make sounds! You should choose books that have interesting things for them to look at and touch, like noises, textures, or funny pictures.
Which books are best for learning to read?
When you are helping teach your child to read when they are anywhere from four to seven years old, you have to start at the very basics. You need to start teaching them about phonics, letter sound associations, and how to actually decode texts. Certain books make this task much more simple, and easier for little kids to understand. These books are recommended because they make the process easier, and will help your child learn to read quicker than other types of books.
What is the most common cause of death for toddlers under five?
Every day, about fifteen thousand babies under the age of five pass away, this data is from 2016. Many of these could have been easily prevented. In other countries, major causes can include pneumonia, asphyxia, diarrhea, and malaria. In the United States, this is the most common cause of death in toddlers under the age of five. It can happen in a split second, without you even realizing. That is why it is super important to be cautious at all times.
How do you recognize separation anxiety during sleep?
Separation anxiety is super common in toddlers, young children, and even babies. They will want to be with you at all hours of the day, even at night while they are sleeping. This may pose as a problem for you, and possibly a partner, if your child wants to crawl into bed with you and sleep there. Especially if this becomes an every day things. When your child has separation anxiety, there is something they will do while they are sleeping or falling asleep, that you can easily recognize.
What should you not do when your child has separation anxiety?
When your child is presenting with separation anxiety, it is important to try to get it under control before it becomes a huge issue for them, or for you. There are many things that you should do when this situation presents itself. It is also important to remember that there is nothing wrong with this, they just love you a little extra. This can be unhealthy though as they get older, and when you are trying to stop it, you should NEVER do this.
When should kids stop napping regularly?
When your baby is young, about under one year, they'll probably be taking a morning and an afternoon nap. As they grow a bit, they'll drop the morning nap. Then eventually, they will drop the afternoon nap as well. Being able to stay awake throughout the day, and sleep regularly throughout the night. A regular nap should be between 20 minutes and three hours. When your child reaches this age, they should stop napping on a regular basis, and only do it when totally necessary.