I am a 15-year-old girl. The other day, I chanced upon my parents having sex. Now, I cannot get the image out of my mind and feel ashamed and angry. I suppose it is normal for married couples and they are my parents, so there is really no harm. Yet, I can’t help feeling terribly embarrassed. Is it okay to be angry about such a thing? Is sex so important?
Your reaction is understandable. For children, this can be a tumultuous experience that leaves them feeling confused. However, it is important to understand that every relationship has its own meaning. When you were a child, your parents hugged and kissed you to demonstrate their love. Everyone needs a bit of physical closeness to feel loved and wanted. Children need it from their parents and married couples need it from each other. How you look at sex determines how you feel about what you saw. Most associate it with something dirty and sinful, which it is not. In fact, sex is the heightened expression and most of the time, the culmination of intense love. Children are born out of this beautiful union; so, it is something to be celebrated at the right time and with a great deal of responsibility. You are obviously embarrassed as you stumbled upon a very private activity and felt like an intruder. Normally, one is not used to watching parents display their affection so openly. When it happens, it comes as a rude shock, as we forget that parents too have their needs and their special, very intimate moments. Sex is very natural and intensely emotional. It’s an extremely important part of a man-woman relationship. Your parents are human. Let them be. And yes, do knock before you enter their room.

I suffered from anemia two years ago and was prescribed iron tablets by the doctor. I got married recently and am pregnant. Do you think I could still be anemic? What can I do to prevent iron deficiency during pregnancy? I am a vegetarian.
If a woman has anemia, the number or size of her red blood cells is below normal. It’s important to prevent anemia before, during and after your pregnancy. You will be tested for anemia during your pregnancy and if you are anemic, your doctor will prescribe an iron supplement. Take folic acid and your prenatal vitamin and eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of iron-rich foods like beans, oats, raisins, dates, figs, apricots, potatoes (leave the skins on), broccoli, beets, leafy green vegetables, whole-grain breads and iron-fortified cereals. Foods containing vitamin C can increase the amount of iron your body absorbs. So it’s a good idea to include products such as orange juice, tomatoes and strawberries in your daily diet.

I am very keen to breastfeed my baby. I am eight months pregnant. Is there anything I can do to increase the quantity of breast milk once the baby is born?
Breast milk production starts as soon as the baby is born. You can start breastfeeding the child immediately after delivery; in fact it is very much encouraged. Breast milk contains all the nutrients a baby needs for healthy growth and development during the first six months of life, as well as substances that help protect a baby from many illnesses. Breastfeeding provides health benefits for the mother, including an early return to her pre-pregnancy weight. And there are emotional benefits for mother and baby from the special bond that develops between them. Take a breastfeeding class before you give birth. ASK your hospital for a referral. Some lactation consultants (experts in breastfeeding) will meet you before your baby is born. The quantity of milk depends very much on the mother’s diet. Food absorbed by a nursing mother not only 1 fulfills her own nutritional needs, which are greater during the postnatal period, but also enables her to produce milk. Include fenugreek, milk, spinach, rice, pulses and green vegetables in your diet.