6 things you should never ever do before you have sex

As an experienced lady in the sack, you’ve probably become more comfy with your body, and rock moves that would make younger you slow clap – but even the savviest women can make pre-sex mistakes. And those unforeseen errors can morph an otherwise ah-mazing romp into an experience fit for a therapist’s couch.

From protecting yourself against STDs to avoiding dry lady parts and embarrassing farts, here are six pre-sex no-nos you may want to take under consideration before your next roll in the hay.

1. Taking an antihistamine

Antihistamines work by drying out your mucous membranes to relieve nasal congestion… and in doing so, can also dry out other parts of your body, especially the vagina, says Nicole E Williams, board-certified gynaecologic surgeon. Long story short, no matter how turned on you might be, your vagina will not get the memo.

Read more: 5 things you should never ever do during sex

2. Eating spicy foods

“Foods can affect vaginal odour and taste,” says Kathryn Boling, primary care physician at Mercy Medical Center. Super-spicy foods like jalapeños can cause gas, bloating and farts that just won’t quit. What’s worse, the residue left on your hands and in your mouth post-nosh is notorious for setting genitals on fire.

3. Drinking too much

Sure, light drinking can put some people in the mood, but overdoing it can dull your senses – and may send your big O packing. “Since alcohol is a known depressant, your ability to experience an orgasm may actually be diminished if you’re too buzzed,” says Dr Williams.

In fact, one study at the University of Missouri-St. Louis found that 11% of alcohol users had problems achieving orgasm: Men who drank had a harder time ejaculating (pun totally intended), while women needed an extra stimulation for their grand finale.

Read more: 5 things you should never do after sex

4. Using an electric toothbrush

It sounds weird but using an electric toothbrush and alcohol-based mouthwashes might make you more prone to STDs. “Similar to sensitive vaginal mucosa, spinning bristles can cause tiny tears in the gums, and harsh, alcohol-based mouthwashes can dry out and irritate your mucosa, making it prone to sores and contracting STDs,” says Tsippora Shainhouse, board-certified dermatologist in Beverly Hills.

5. Shaving

If you’re a woman who prefers trimming her hedges, it’s best to shave the night before nookie to give your skin a chance to heal, says Dr Shainhouse. “Shaving will exfoliate the top layer of the skin, making the area more sensitive,” she adds. “It can irritate hair follicles, causing a pink bumpy rash, and can cause tiny cuts, which would leave your skin open to potential infections, such as herpes and HPV.”

It’s also one of the main reasons why your vagina could be itchy. Use a multi-blade razor to get a closer shave in one swipe and apply a thin layer of 1% hydrocortisone cream to reduce inflammation. Reapply the next morning if there are any signs of irritation hanging around, says Dr Shainhouse.

6. Using food as foreplay

The chocolate sauce pre-game show is hot in the moment, but the post-sex yeast infection? Not so much. “Using anything with sugar in it as a lubricant (whether on purpose or not) can cause a yeast infection, as yeast thrives on sugar,” says Dr Boling. Message received loud and clear! Check out these three foods that make him frisky.

Looking for more advice on what you shouldn’t be doing in the bedroom? Here are the four most dangerous sex positions that could actually hurt his bits, plus did you know that you can also tear, cut and bruise your vagina too?

7 tips for a healthy lifestyle

Says Dr Craig Nossel, head of Wellness at Discovery Vitality: "The trick to making your lifestyle healthier is to make small healthy changes every day, such as taking the stairs instead of the lifts, increasing your fruit by one, drinking one extra glass of water or quitting smoking."

So let’s start with the fundamental basics of healthy living: regular exercise, healthy eating and healthy lifestyle choices:

I like to move it, move it!

Do as King Julian does and move your body. Not just once now-and-then – but every day whenever you can. Although a set exercise session is great to work into your daily routine, you can burn kilojoules in other small ways, such as:

• Walking to someone else’s desk rather than sending an e-mail,
• Parking furthest from the building and walking in, or
• Taking the stairs more often.
• Doing house cleaning or gardening
• Taking the dog for a walk or cycling with the kids instead of watching TV

We all stand together

We spend our lives sitting – at our desks, in front of the TV, in a meeting or on the phone. New research is emerging highlighting the potential risk to health from all our sitting behaviour. So break your sitting time by standing for five minutes and reap the health benefits.

Every little bit counts and it all adds up to burning more calories.

If you’re overweight, making small changes in your daily exercise routine can benefit your health. In fact one study has found that just a 10% drop in weight helped overweight people to reduce their blood pressure, cholesterol and improve their wellbeing.

Eating healthily

When it comes to healthy eating, there is an overwhelming array of theories, diet books and online information about what to eat – which is often conflicting. Although the research is still ongoing and developing, what the experts all agree on is that our diets are too high in sugar, our portions are too big and we should eat a variety of whole natural foods.

Sweet enough

From sugary drinks to breakfast cereal, it’s hard to get away from sugary foods. Often the sugar is hidden in canned goods or pre-packaged foods, or even in foods we think are healthy for us, such as fruit juice. The average person takes in about 22 teaspoons of added sugar each day. According to the American Heart Association the daily target should be no more than six level teaspoons for women, and nine for men—that’s for both food and beverages combined.

The easiest way to limit your sugar intake with one small change is to cut out sugary fizzy drinks. This alone can help you to lose or maintain a healthy weight, which in turn will reduce your risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Portion distortion

Our food and drinks portion sizes have dramatically increased over the past 30 years. In the 1950’s a chip packet was 28g from a take-away restaurant - today it’s 154g – and that’s not even the supersize, which is a whopping 196g!

Portion size increases doesn’t only include the take-away portions, but packaging of goods in the supermarket, dinner plates and glasses in restaurants and even fridge sizes! Simple ways to cut your portions include:

• Eat your main meals off a smaller plate – visually the plate looks full so you will be satisfied, but technically you’ll be eating less.
• Dish up in the kitchen, rather than have the serving dishes at the dining table – it’s much easier to have seconds when it’s right in front of you.
• Eat small regular meals (at least every four hours) so that you’re never starving – if you get to this point of hunger, it’s very difficult to stop before you overeat.

Colour me beautiful

Choosing whole foods and cooking from scratch is a much healthier way to eat than buying pre-packaged or ready-meals which are high in fat and salt but very low in nutrients. To make sure you’re getting a variety of nutrients, vitamins and minerals into your body every day – a quick rule of thumb is to pick a variety of colours for your meals. Be the artist of your meals and paint a colour picture with a variety of yellow, red and green fruits and vegetables throughout the day.

Your body will wear a frown if your meal is all brown.

Choose life

There is nothing more damaging to a long, healthy life than smoking, which is estimated as the reason for death or disability in half the people who smoke. The dangers of smoking tobacco are so significant that it is the most important public health problem in the world, which ironically, is largely avoidable.

Smoking not only cuts your lifespan by affecting your internal organs, but it also ages you on the outside by causing skin damage. Tobacco smoking can give you wrinkles, create pucker lines around your mouth, stain your teeth and fingers, rob your skin of nutrients, break down youth-enhancing collagen and make your skin look grey. It makes you wonder how smoking is often marketed as glamorous and attractive.

It takes courage to quit smoking, as it’s not an easy journey – but it’s a brave and sensible choice. Some of the positive changes will happen quickly, while others will be more gradual, but all the changes will benefit your health and well-being.

Introducing solid food

By the time your baby is about 6 months of age - but not before 4 months - breast milk or formula will no longer provide all the nutrition they need for healthy growth. That’s when it’s time to begin adding solid foods to your baby’s diet.

Your baby will learn to chew by offering increasingly lumpy textures of food in the first few months.

Start by offering small amounts of solids once a day, at a time of the day that suits you and your baby.

Eventually your baby will increase the amount of solid food they eat, until they are able to eat 3 small meals a day with the rest of the family.

Breastfeeding or formula feeding should continue alongside the solid foods, as they still form an essential part of the infant diet.

Why start at 6 months?

At around 6 months of age:

• Your baby’s appetite will not be satisfied by breast milk or formula alone.
• Your baby will be running low on iron and zinc — solids are needed to replenish these and other nutrient levels so your baby can continue to grow.
• Your baby’s digestive system will be ready to cope with solid food.
• Your baby will be physically mature enough to take food from a spoon with their mouth.
• This is also the time you should start to introduce allergy foods to your baby’s diet.

Why not start earlier?

By waiting until your baby is about 6 months old, you will ensure that they quickly adjust to this new way of feeding. Younger babies who are not ready for solids will just push the solid food back out of their mouth — making mealtimes frustrating and time-consuming.

Other disadvantages to starting your baby on solids too early include:

• increased risk of infections
• decreased breast milk production, if you are breastfeeding

How do I know when my baby is ready?

As your baby approaches 6 months, look for the following 4 signs that they are ready to add some solid food to their diet:

• Your baby can sit up without support and hold their head steady.
• They have the co-ordination to look at food, and pick it up and put it in their mouth without help from you.
• They can bite and swallow solid food instead of just pushing it out of their mouth with their tongue.
• They have increased appetite, such as demanding more frequent milk feeds, more hand-to-mouth behaviour, like putting toys in their mouth, and showing interest in food, including the food on your plate.

Getting the texture right

Your baby’s first solids food might be smooth, mashed or in soft pieces, depending on what they like. They can quickly go on to minced foods and then chopped foods.

Your baby needs a variety of food textures. This helps them learn how to chew, and chewing helps with your baby’s speech development. It also helps to encourage self-feeding and prevent feeding difficulties as your baby develops.

By the time your baby is 12 months old, he or she should be eating food with the same texture as the food the rest of the family is eating.

Very first foods

There is no set order for introducing food as long as you include iron-rich foods — like iron-fortified rice cereal, meat, fish, chicken and tofu — and the texture is right. Start with offering mashed foods that are easily digested, which may include:

• vegetables (eg pumpkin, potato, sweet potato, taro) fruits (eg cooked pears/apple, ripe banana) 
• well-cooked rice or iron-enriched rice cereal
• coarsely mashed fruit and vegetables,
• well-cooked meat: minced, stewed or grated (cook, freeze then grate)
• fish (fresh or tinned) — bones removed
• legumes (eg lentils)
• pasta and bread (e.g. toast fingers and rusks)

Dairy products including full-fat yoghurt, cheese and custard may be given, but not cow’s milk as a main drink before 12 months.

From about 8 months most babies are ready for finger foods that they can pick up for themselves. Examples include:

• soft pieces of soft raw fruit or cooked vegetables (such as, whole small banana, pieces of melon or avocado and tomato slices)
• small pieces of boiled or steamed vegetables (for example, beans, potato, pumpkin, carrot circles and broccoli florets)
• toast fingers and rusks
• cooked meat that is cut into strips that your baby can pick up and chew

By 12 months your baby should be eating family foods, plus breast milk or cow’s milk, plus some healthy snacks like pieces of fruit and rice cakes.

What should my baby drink?

• Keep giving your baby breast milk or infant formula as their main drink up until they are 12 months old. Small amounts of cooled, boiled water may also be given in a cup.
• As your baby eats more solids they will gradually reduce their intake of milk, or drop one of their milk feeds altogether.
• Beyond 12 months, your baby can drink full-fat pasteurised cow’s milk and water from a cup. You may wish to keep offering your baby some breast milk beyond 12 months, as well.

Some food and drinks to avoid

Avoid giving your baby small, hard pieces of food that can cause choking, such as, nuts, seeds, raw carrot, celery sticks and chunks of apple. Also avoid juices and sugar-sweetened drinks, coffee and tea and honey.

Excessive amounts of salt and sugar are also unhealthy for your baby, and can encourage bad eating habits. It’s best to cook everything yourself using fresh ingredients, rather than using processed foods. However commercial baby foods are convenient on occasions.

Cow’s milk, other animal milks, and plant-based milks like soy, almond or rice milk, are not suitable alternatives to breast milk or infant formula in the first 12 months. However, they may be used in cooking or be mixed with foods from 6 months.

See Introducing solid food — common questions.

Some tips for introducing solid foods

• Pick a quiet time, when you and your baby are relaxed and you have plenty of time.
• Breastfeed (or offer infant formula) first.
• Begin by offering a few teaspoons of food, once a day.
• If your baby isn’t interested the first time you try with solid food, wait until tomorrow and try again.
• You may have to try a new food several times before your baby accepts it — don’t get put off if they reject a food to begin with.
• Let your baby be your guide when it comes to knowing when they are full. Don’t try to force your baby to finish a portion of food if they don’t want to.

Safety tips

• Always supervise your baby at mealtimes.
• If you have heated or defrosted baby food, always check the temperature yourself before offering it to your baby.
• Wash your hands and your baby’s hands before each meal.

Sources: , Australian Breastfeeding Association(Confused about introducing solids?) , National Health and Medical Research Council(Infant feeding guidelines) , Raising Children Network (Introducing solids) Tresillian(Nutrition 6-8 months)

Reflux

Sometimes babies spit up milk out of their mouth or nose. They may bring up small amounts of milk along with air when they are burped. Reflux, also called spitting up or regurgitation, is very common in newborns. The medical term for reflux is gastro-oesophageal reflux, or GOR. If GOR is more serious or has complications it may lead to gastro-oesophageal reflux disease or GORD.

Reflux or spitting up is very common in newborns.

Reflux occurs because a muscle at the top of the stomach, called the sphincter, is loose. It can also be caused by air bubbles in the stomach or by eating too much food too quickly.

Spitting up does not discomfort the baby and your baby may seem not notice.

Reflux is not the same as vomiting.

Vomiting is forceful, is usually more than a tablespoon or two, and upsets the baby. Vomitingcan be a sign of illness.

Spitting up often peaks by four months of age and by seven months many babies no longer do it, although for some it takes longer.

Here are some things you can do to minimise your baby’s reflux:

• Make each feed calm and relaxed.
• Hold your baby in an upright position, not lying down, while you feed them.
• Feed your baby smaller amounts at a time.
• Feed your baby without delay. If the baby has cried for a long time before a feed, they may have swallowed air. Spitting up is more likely if the baby has air in the stomach at the beginning of a feeding.
• Check the size of the opening in the teat if you are bottle feeding. The bottle should leak several drops of milk per second. A hole that is too big will let the baby swallow formula too quickly and baby is likely to spit up the excess. A hole that is too small forces the baby to suck very hard and swallow air.
• Burp your baby several times during each feeding. It works best to support the infant’s head and burp them sitting on your lap. Burping your baby over your shoulder may put too much pressure on the their stomach.
• Keep your baby upright for 30 minutes after feeding. An infant seat or car seat works well.
• If you are supervising your baby, you can place them on their tummy for an hour or so after the feed. Take care not to let baby sleep on their tummy because of the link with sudden unexpected death in infancy. Always place your baby on their back to sleep.
• Make sure nappies are not too tight and do not put pressure on the baby’s stomach.

If your baby is otherwise healthy and happy and they are just bringing up milk, nothing needs to be done. Talk to your doctor or maternal child health nurse if:

• you have any other concerns
• your baby is not gaining weight
• there is a change in bowel movements or urination
• your baby shows signs of discomfort or pain.

Reflux and lactose intolerance - video

Video provided by Raising Children Network.

Sources: , Raising Children Network (Gastro-oesophageal reflux and GORD) Reflux Infant Support Association (Management tips - reflux) , Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne (Reflux GOR) , Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne (Gastrooesophageal reflux in infants)

Cleaning and sterilising baby bottles

A baby’s immune system is not yet fully developed, and babies are more susceptible to infection and illness than an older child or adult. Cleanliness is therefore very important when preparing your baby’s bottles.

Cleaning bottles

Bottles, lids, teats and other equipment you use to prepare a feed should always be thoroughly cleaned after each use:

• As soon as possible after your baby finishes a feed, wash the bottle, teat and lid in hot soapy water.
• Use a bottle brush, and be sure to clean out any dried milk stuck inside the bottle and teat.
• Once it is clean, rinse the equipment with some fresh water and allow it to air dry.

This kind of cleaning is important for getting rid of all traces of milk or formula left inside the bottles, but it does not ensure that the feeding equipment is completely germ-free.

Sterilising bottles

Sterilising is the process of killing any harmful germs that may be clinging to surfaces of the bottles and other equipment.

It is important to sterilise baby bottles before each use, for at least the first 12 months of your baby’s life. This applies whether you are bottle feeding with infant formula or with expressed breast milk.

How to sterilise feeding equipment

There are a few different ways to sterilise your baby’s bottles, teats, lids and other feeding equipment.

Boiling

Boiling works by raising the temperature high enough to kill any bacteria left over after washing.

• Place clean bottles, teats, caps and utensils in a large saucepan on the back burner of the stove.
• Add enough water to cover all the equipment, making sure there are no air bubbles.
• Bring water to the boil, and boil rapidly for 5 minutes.
• Turn off the stove and allow the water to cool down.
• Wash your hands thoroughly before you handle the equipment, and disinfect the surface where you plan to make up the bottle.
• Take the equipment from the saucepan and shake off any excess water.
• If you are not using them straight away, put the lid and teat onto the bottle, and store in a clean container in the fridge.
• Re-boil the bottle and other equipment if it is not used within 24 hours.

Chemicals

Chemical sterilisers are disinfectant solutions that come as liquids or tablets that you dilute with water.

• Make sure bottles, teats, caps and utensils are thoroughly clean before you begin.
• Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for making up the sterilising solution.
• Place the feeding equipment in the sterilising solution, making sure it is completely under water and there are no air bubbles.
• Leave the equipment in the sterilising solution for the recommended amount of time (usually about 30 minutes – check the manufacturer’s instructions).
• You can then leave the equipment in the solution until you need to use it.
• Allow bottles, teats and lids to drain before you use them – don’t rinse off the sterilising solution, as this exposes equipment to germs again.
• Throw away the solution after 24 hours. Clean the sterilising container thoroughly in warm, soapy water, before making up a fresh lot of solution.

Steam (microwave or electric sterilisers)

Much like boiling, steaming works by raising the temperature high enough to kill bacteria.

• There are several different types of sterilisers available – follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
• Make sure bottles, teats, caps and utensils are thoroughly clean before you begin.
• Make sure that bottles and teats are placed with openings facing down in the steriliser.
• Follow instructions for adding water to the unit and turning it on.
• Leave bottles in the steriliser until they are needed.
• If you are not using the bottles straight away, check instructions for how long you can leave them in the steriliser before you have to re-sterilise them.

Bottle and formula preparation tips - video

Video provided by Raising Children Network.

Safety tips

• Never leave hot or boiling liquidsunattended or within reach of children.
• Be aware that steam can burn or scald you just as badly as boiling water.
• Keep chemicals and chemical solutions out of reach of children.
• Always wash your hands thoroughly before handling equipment that has been sterilised.

Sources: , National Health and Medical Research Council(Infant Feeding Guidelines) , NHS Choices (UK) (Making up infant formula, Sterilising baby bottles) Raising Children Network (Bottle feeding: cleaning and sterilising equipment)

Cleaning and sterilising baby bottles

A baby’s immune system is not yet fully developed, and babies are more susceptible to infection and illness than an older child or adult. Cleanliness is therefore very important when preparing your baby’s bottles.

Cleaning bottles

Bottles, lids, teats and other equipment you use to prepare a feed should always be thoroughly cleaned after each use:

• As soon as possible after your baby finishes a feed, wash the bottle, teat and lid in hot soapy water.
• Use a bottle brush, and be sure to clean out any dried milk stuck inside the bottle and teat.
• Once it is clean, rinse the equipment with some fresh water and allow it to air dry.

This kind of cleaning is important for getting rid of all traces of milk or formula left inside the bottles, but it does not ensure that the feeding equipment is completely germ-free.

Sterilising bottles

Sterilising is the process of killing any harmful germs that may be clinging to surfaces of the bottles and other equipment.

It is important to sterilise baby bottles before each use, for at least the first 12 months of your baby’s life. This applies whether you are bottle feeding with infant formula or with expressed breast milk.

How to sterilise feeding equipment

There are a few different ways to sterilise your baby’s bottles, teats, lids and other feeding equipment.

Boiling

Boiling works by raising the temperature high enough to kill any bacteria left over after washing.

• Place clean bottles, teats, caps and utensils in a large saucepan on the back burner of the stove.
• Add enough water to cover all the equipment, making sure there are no air bubbles.
• Bring water to the boil, and boil rapidly for 5 minutes.
• Turn off the stove and allow the water to cool down.
• Wash your hands thoroughly before you handle the equipment, and disinfect the surface where you plan to make up the bottle.
• Take the equipment from the saucepan and shake off any excess water.
• If you are not using them straight away, put the lid and teat onto the bottle, and store in a clean container in the fridge.
• Re-boil the bottle and other equipment if it is not used within 24 hours.

Chemicals

Chemical sterilisers are disinfectant solutions that come as liquids or tablets that you dilute with water.

• Make sure bottles, teats, caps and utensils are thoroughly clean before you begin.
• Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for making up the sterilising solution.
• Place the feeding equipment in the sterilising solution, making sure it is completely under water and there are no air bubbles.
• Leave the equipment in the sterilising solution for the recommended amount of time (usually about 30 minutes – check the manufacturer’s instructions).
• You can then leave the equipment in the solution until you need to use it.
• Allow bottles, teats and lids to drain before you use them – don’t rinse off the sterilising solution, as this exposes equipment to germs again.
• Throw away the solution after 24 hours. Clean the sterilising container thoroughly in warm, soapy water, before making up a fresh lot of solution.

Steam (microwave or electric sterilisers)

Much like boiling, steaming works by raising the temperature high enough to kill bacteria.

• There are several different types of sterilisers available – follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
• Make sure bottles, teats, caps and utensils are thoroughly clean before you begin.
• Make sure that bottles and teats are placed with openings facing down in the steriliser.
• Follow instructions for adding water to the unit and turning it on.
• Leave bottles in the steriliser until they are needed.
• If you are not using the bottles straight away, check instructions for how long you can leave them in the steriliser before you have to re-sterilise them.

Bottle and formula preparation tips - video

Video provided by Raising Children Network.

Safety tips

• Never leave hot or boiling liquidsunattended or within reach of children.
• Be aware that steam can burn or scald you just as badly as boiling water.
• Keep chemicals and chemical solutions out of reach of children.
• Always wash your hands thoroughly before handling equipment that has been sterilised.

Sources: , National Health and Medical Research Council(Infant Feeding Guidelines) , NHS Choices (UK) (Making up infant formula, Sterilising baby bottles) Raising Children Network (Bottle feeding: cleaning and sterilising equipment)