Sunday, July 29, 2007

How to breast feeding

How to breast feed your infant/newborn?This is specially brought for new parent who never experience breast feed before. But for those parent who are not sure about the proper way of breast feeding do have this as reference. It is simple and easy seven steps during breast feeding.

  1. Put your thumb on top of your breast and other fingers below the breast.Dont touch the arelo (dark skin around your nipple) because this is where your baby's lips will be.
  2. Try putting your baby's lips to your nipple until he opens his mouth widely.
  3. Slightly push your nipple all the way in your baby's mouth and push baby's body close to you.This help by letting your baby's jaw squeeze the milk ducts under arelo.
  4. To make sure your baby is latched on the correct position, check the lips of the baby, it should be pout out (not be pulled in over his gums) and cover nearly all of the areola.
  5. Newborn will make some low-pitched swallowing noises.Baby's jaw may move back and forth.
  6. If you feel pain, this indicate that baby is not properly latched on.
  7. Your baby's nose may touch your breast during nursing.If you fear that your baby cant breathe, gently press down your breast near baby's nose to give him more room to breathe.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Infant's Sleeping Hours

3 months infant tend to sleep 15 hours per day. Normally 9 hours at night and 6 hours during daytime.Sleep cycle may varies for every hours.

6months infant tend to take 2 naps and 2 hours a pieve.THey will rest at night time sleep.

9months infant need to sleep 14 hours per day. The nap decrease of about 30 minutes for every cycle.

1year old and above, baby tend to sleep 131/2 hours and 11 hours at night time.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Infant Sleeping

Infant sleeping for the early months is full of interruptions because their sleep cycle is shorter than adults. Adults need six hours deep sleep and two hours light sleep and adult can sleep in one uninterrupted nighttime period. But babies don’t. Babies need a lot of sleep but they are having two times more light sleep cycles comparing with adults. So babies overall sleep cycles are shorter and they are having more light sleep than deep sleep. This cause they wake up frequently.

When they move from deep to light cycle of sleep they frequently wake up. Babies need help to fall asleep and getting back to sleep. So a lot of parents spend much time in helping their babies to fall into sleep. Parents face frustration situation- Where when they rock/hold their baby until fall asleep but when try to laying baby down, the minute baby’s head touch the mattress, baby wake up. This happened because the parent let the baby down when they are having light sleep. Make sure your baby is having deep sleep before putting her down to the mattress. Check whether the baby is in deep sleep by limp limbs. Try to pick up her arm or leg and if the arm or leg flops back down and baby doesn’t jerk it or awake this show that baby are in deep sleep.

Sleep is very important for baby. Baby needs a lot of sleep and normally they sleep for 16-18hours a day. Normally baby will tend to sleep two to three hour increments even at night time and they normally wake up for feeding and socializing. This will cause headache to parents. But don’t worry as infant grow, infant sleeping pattern will develop. They will start to wake up on regular rhythm. This will reduce a lot o hassle to parent.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Colic Remedy

We already discuss about the causes of colic in newborn or colic baby. Now let we explore colic remedy or colic calm.

You can place a warm water bottle on your baby’s stomach (make sure the temperature of the water is not too hot) for colic cure. This can help because sometimes colic happened because of too many air swallow into infant stomach when they cry. So these will easy the uncomfortable.

Colic cure can also be done by rocking your baby in rocking chair or cradle. Or rock your baby in rocking chair or cradle is one of the colic remedy too. Putting your baby in a wind-up swing will also make colic ease but confirm that you baby’s head is supported.

Warm bath for your colicky baby is one of the colic remedy too. Or you can try to give pacifier to your baby.

If all the above do not help to ease your colicky baby then you try to gently rub your baby’s stomach or wrap the baby in a soft blanket. Different baby will have different way to sooth when they are colic.

Colic can be ease by bring your baby to walk around in a stroller. When they go out and have a walk, they will feel not so uncomfortable like us also. So try to bring them walk around in stroller or go for a drive in car can also help in colic relief.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Colic in baby or Infant Colic

What is Colic? Colic symptoms are when baby cries loud and continuously and they will draw their arm and legs toward their body and it seem like they are in pain. They will stretch their arms and legs and stiffen then draw up again. Colic baby feet may be cold and hands may be clenched. Some baby face will even turn bright red from crying. Colic in baby will cause difficulty in falling and staying asleep. When this entire sign lasts for more than three hours a day, it is sign of colic.

Colic baby will cry more compare to normal baby and colic baby will cry most of the time. Until now, there is no confirming cause of colic. Colic baby are healthy. Colic is not caused by the way baby is handled or treated and it is not parent’s fault to have colic baby.

There are no exact causes of colic. But there are some theories on colic in baby. Colic may caused by the uncomfortable feel of the baby due to stomach pain or baby’s temperament. When baby cries, he may swallow air this will make his tummy tight and look swollen which will cause uncomfortable to him. Colic baby need more attention and is sensitive to surroundings compare to other babies. Some believe that colic is caused from immature digestive system. Apart than that, there are theory suggest that colic I due to immature nervous system where baby will tense up response to normal external stimulation. Even though there are many theories of causes in colic baby but there is no factual evidence on the cause of colic.

Newborn colic usually happens between third and six week after birth. Colic usually goes away by 3 months of age. Colic baby is not unhealthy so there is no worry. But if colic in baby occurs after 6 months old you need to consult doctor.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Baby Crying- Newborn Communication

Crying is a way of communication. Newborn using crying as their communication tool. Recall back to the moment of birth, your baby come to the world and communicate, baby first cry for the moment of birth. They began to communicate. Crying baby is the way your baby trying to communicate with you.

Baby cry is actually baby trying to communicate with you. Right after birth, you introduced your baby to your own ways of communicating such as touching, soothing, holding, facial gestures. Your baby will learn the language you are trying to communicated with them, on the opposite you will also need to learn your baby's language.

Newborn and young babies cry is generally tell you that something is wrong is their world. There is meaning baby crying, baby cry meaning varies. Crying is a way to express empty belly, wet bottom, tiredness, discomfort from tight clothing, they need to be held or cuddled, anxiety or emotional needs. Baby cries vary for different needs and as time go by you will be able to recognize your baby needs and respond accordingly. You will be able to identify their needs by type of crying, such as short and low-pitched is signal of hungry while choppy sound means 'I need cuddled, mummy' By trial an error, you will be able to recognise their needs.

When you baby cries, you should pick them up for cuddle and find out what they want and reassures that you will be always there for them. Don’t worry, this will not spoil your newborn by giving attention.

Don’t get panic by your crying baby. Occasionally, baby crying due to the feeling of overwhelmed by sights and sounds of the world. Sometimes, newborn baby crying with no apparent reasons at all. So, don’t get upset when baby cries and unable to console them immediately. Bear in mind, crying is a way of shutting out stimuli when baby overloaded.


Friday, July 13, 2007

Diet for breast feeding mothers

Mothers who practice breast feeding should have balanced diet in order to provide nutrition for both the mother and baby. Dieting while breast feeding is very crucial as this will affect mother and infant health.

Quantity of milk a mother produce very much depends on the mother's diet. Food that absorb mother not only fulfils mother nutritional needs but also enables her to produce milk. Normally mother nutritional needs are greater during postnatal period. Nursing mothers who do not feed herself properly will actually deteriorate her own health. Without sufficient nourishment during nursing period, mother’s body will make producing milk the first priority and mother’s own health will be affected.

In order to maintain mother health at nursing period, a balanced diet with calcium should be taken. Fruits, vegetables, whole-grain cereals, breads, eggs, meat or beans, milk and dairy product (cheese) should consist in daily meal. Consume balanced diet which include carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats.Nursing mothers will need to have 500 or more calorie than usual. Remove empty calories from your diet as much as possible but try to get as much nutrition as you can from the foods you had. Nursing period is not the time to go for diet to lose weight, because by practicing healthy diet the excessive weight will decrease naturally. Try to spread the calorie intake to over five meals, breakfast, lunch, after non snack, dinner and extra evening snack. Make sure your diet is rich in calcium and iron. In order to help your body absorb iron better, taking iron rich foods which contain vitamin C.

Nursing mother need to drink plenty of fluids. The high water consumption will increase quarterly per day. Higher consumption of fluids is essential for breast feeding mothers. During breast feeding period, mothers tend to be thirsty during feeding session this happened because part of the water consumption goes directly to milk production. Practice drinking a glass of water before nursing session.

Smoking should be avoided for breast feeding mom. As this is harmful for baby and also decrease the milk production. Mom who breast feeding should avoid caffeinated and alcohol intake before nursing. Intake of alcohol will pass through milk in less than an hour which will retard the growth of the infant. If you want to take alcoholic or caffeinated drinks, only do it when you need not have to nurse for few hours and only one or two drinks are allowed in one day.

Dieting while breast feeding is very crucial in determine mother and baby health.

Eating Habit During Pregnancy- Part 1

Eating Habit for Pregnancy -Part 2