Archive for April, 2008

Starting Your Baby on Solid Foods

Posted by: ArtInShamrocksin Food and Nutrition, New Moms
28
Apr
 Most pediatricians recommend waiting until your baby is at least 6 months old before starting any solid foods.  Your doctor will give you the best advice but here are a few tips to keep in mind:
 
*Start with a single-grain cereal usually rice.
 
*Keep the first feedings small and thin in consistency.  One teaspoon mixed with breast milk or formula is  plenty. The idea is to get the baby use to a different texture of food and swallowing rather than nutrition or filling the child up.  Never force your baby to eat more than she wants and if she chokes a little then stop for awhile.
 
*Next, introduce single-ingredient fruits and vegetables.  Do this over several days one item at a time to test for allergies.  Making a list is helpful so you remember what you gave your baby and for how many feedings.  Fruits can be mixed with a little cereal too.
 
*Babies prefer fruits at room temperature and cereals, vegetables and meats can be warmed.  Be careful when you microwave food to be sure to stir thoroughly because uneven heating can result in “hot spots”.
 
*When your baby can sit up well and has started teething he or she can have some raw fruits such as bananas or cooked fruits and soft cooked vegetables.  Do not give them popcorn, nuts, hotdog pieces or anything that might present a chocking hazard.
 
Using your common sense, a good baby book and the advice of your doctor will make your child’s introduction to food fun for both you and them.
 
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Temper Tantrums

Posted by: ArtInShamrocksin Toddlers
22
Apr

We’ve all seen them in grocery stores.  We’ve all heard them in restaurants.  We’ve all been mortified and embarrassed by our sweet little pumpkins throwing themselves on the floor and making us look like we have no parenting skills whatsoever.

Temper tantrums are a child’s way of expressing anger at an age when they haven’t learned or adopted other coping methods.  Here’s a few easy suggestions about now to manage your child’s temper tantrums without having a meltdown of your own.
 
*If the tantrum appears to be a way to get attention or his way, try to ignore it.   Never give in to a child’s    
 demands because the child will use this tactic again and again.
 
*If the tantrum is triggered by frustration (and 2-3 year olds have a lot of it), offer encouragement and
 support and help with what’s causing the frustration or take it away.
 
Some of these suggestions sound a bit scary and harsh, but the important thing is not to let your child get into a habit of throwing a tantrum to get his way.  Unlearning this behavior is a lot harder than nipping it in the bud in the beginning. If you are in public when a tantrum occurs-just remember that almost all of us have been in your shoes and the looks you get from most people are ones of compassion. Temper tantrums are a normal phase of growing up and some children just  have more of them than others.  
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New Baby…New Concerns

Posted by: ArtInShamrocksin New Moms
22
Apr

 Going from an expectant parent full of new gifts, excitement and ignorant bliss to the realities of being a full service mom and pop is a huge leap.  The reality of being responsible for this new vulnerable life hits everyone like a ton of bricks.  You see everything at once-bathing, tiny nails that need clipping and all those health issues that have to be addressed but usually the top two concerns boil down to feeding and soothing this beautiful new life that is totally dependent on you.

 
Whether you baby is getting enough milk and gaining enough weight is often the most critical concern of new mothers especially those who are nursing.  Get support early from your health care professionals and the La Leche League in your area.  Many hospitals also offer consultations classes and support groups from lactation specialists.  The first three weeks are the hardest so getting guidance early on helps you avoid issues such as sore nipples and positioning problems.  Most professionals advise trusting your baby’s hunger cues and ignoring the clock or a schedule. Because you are so tired at this time and recovering from the birth, it might help to write down the time your baby nurses to see if there are patterns. Newborns eat every few hours and sometimes more.  Most new moms are doing better than they think they are and just need a little reassurance. 
 
Bottle feeding might be a little easier but it too has its quirks. The Web site AskDr.Sears offers tips on bottle feeding.  Warm up the bottle by running warm tap water over it, rather than in the microwave.  Test the temperature on your wrist but be sure to shake the bottle first.  Let the nipple fill with milk to avoid air swallowing.  If you are using bottle liners it’s easy to press the air out first from below.  Babies know when to quit eating , so don’t worry if they don’t finish the bottle-newborns will drink an ounce or two per feeding.  Again, just take your cues from them.
 
The other big concern for new parents is what to do if the baby is fretful or worse yet-screaming!  Hearing a baby cry is stressful to mom, dad and their relationship.  Remembering these 5 S’s might help-swaddling, swinging, sucking, side-lying, and shhhhh which is your baby’s favorite instinctual soothing sound.  It’s important to remember that you can’t spoil a newborn. Newborns are not habit forming which means that they haven’t realized that if they do such and such they’ll get such and such from mom or dad.  Remember to do whatever is working for you and ignore advice on what you should be doing.  All babies are different and all parents have different parenting styles.
 
Always trust you instincts and let your other expectations go.  This is a magical time in your life and you should enjoy the journey.  The time with a newborn  will get away from you much too soon.
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The Baby Army Crawl, Wriggle, Shake and Rock Your Way To Moving

Posted by: ArtInShamrocksin Infants- Sleeping and Napping, New Moms
22
Apr

When my granddaughter was only a couple months old she learned to master the “army crawl.” I can describe this only as a moving forward in a wriggling sort-of motion. With the help of her knees and elbows, she would “wriggle’ her way little by little towards he goal destination. She was quite excited and so were we because now she could get to her favorite toys on her own.

The cats were less enthused.

Don’t worry how your baby chooses to move around, as long as it happens. Any type of crawling is just a “transitional skill” with the ultimate goal being able to walk. Some babies even crawl backwards before they can go the other way, and while this may seem and look a little humourous and odd, there is no need for concern.
Different babies do different things at different times, and your baby will not be like any other baby. (This I guarantee is true to all you moms out there, right?) So do not compare your first child walking at 9 months to your second child still crawling at 13 months.
Every baby has his own unique style of crawling-each finding his own solution to getting to that cat or toy. And they will go after the cat.
There are a number of things though that a parent can do to encourage movement:
*give the baby a long opportunity to be on his or her belly
*avoid restricting the child with layers of clothing or blankets
*let your baby know that movement is great and cheer him or her on
*get down on the floor with your baby to encourage her to experiment
*make these sessions short because for a baby this can be not only frustrating but tiring.
One very positive perk plus to this “tummy time,” is that babies who exercise often sleep well at night. Woo hoo! Floor work is really work, not only physically but mentally too. It takes a host of developmental stages for a baby to learn to get across the room. Some of these skills are spatial skills but also later they have to detect safe versus risky ground and sensitivity to the locations of things.
 Depth perception, navigational skills and decision-making all go into a good “army crawl” workout. No wonder my granddaughter sleeps well.
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Is Your Child Attatched To a Stuffed Animal or Blanket Permanantly? Do You Worry About it?

Posted by: ArtInShamrocksin Infants- Sleeping and Napping
20
Apr

We have all had our favorite stuffed animal, blanket, or constant take-along companion with us at point or the other. (Even if you don’t remember it, I bet your parents do!) Children especially infants take comfort in familiarity of non-mommy-daddy objects and this can be a great way to make your child comfortable no matter where you are!

Studies actually say that children who sleep with a constant “lovie” or an array of stuffed animals feel safer and sleep better, especially after making the move from an in-room bassinet or bedside sleeper into a crib. This is especially important if the crib is in it’s own separate room from where they are familiar sleeping.

In the hospital a nurse told us to take the baby into each room of the house slowly when you first bring them slowly so that they have a basic idea of the layout of the house. If the baby has spent a lot of time in your room or sleeping with you, experts recommend a gradual move to their own room, as a sudden change of routine can cause fear, panic, and stress.

If you are planning on moving your baby (and they are old enough to safely) be able to sleep in their own room the best thing to do is spend time in the room with your baby during the day. Playing with your child in the room will get him or her comfortable to the look and feel of the room. You can put the baby down into the crib intermittently, but make sure that you are near so that the child does not feel abandoned.

After a while your child will begin to feel comfortable in the crib, especially is surrounded by their familiar toys and blankets and will begin to enjoy playing alone for periods of time, which is good for mental development and aids independence and creativity down the road.

And even if baby has become too big to sleep in her bassinet, don’t just sell it or give it away just yet. The basinet is a GREAT personalized up-close to television seat and play area. I also move the bassinet with me when I blog so she is by the bed so that feels involved in what I’m doing rather than being ignored.

The more comfortable and loved a child feels the more independent and happy they will be and the easier it will be for them to adjust to new situations. So pour on the love. Good thing love doesn’t put on pounds like those part-partum cravings huh?

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