Baby Breast Feeding

Today, the pendulum is swinging back in favor of breast feeding. More and more doctors recommend nursing for its ease, its nutrition and its special joy. Before you nurse, you must understand the nursing isn’t a test of your maternal ability, but the completion of a natural cycle. It is also very convenient. However, nursing is an individual decision. Your decision to breast feed is one with which you should feel comfortable. On the other hand, if your feelings are not as enthusiastic as the Earth Mother type, you may still want to give it a try. Some women who have started hesitantly have become strong advocates of breast feeding.

Common problems in Infancy

With parenthood comes new responsibilities, new worries. Many doubts and questions arise, and you will face many, many anxious moments. All of this begins when your baby is an infant and unfortunately, never quite ends.

Parents need to be sure that their baby is growing normally. This can be confirmed by regular physical examinations. Nevertheless, there are worries from time to time. Sometimes your baby’s nose will run, sometimes his stomach will ache. He will be a perfect little angel during the day, but a howling banshee every evening. What are you supposed to do if he get up with sticky eyes and can’t open his eyelids? And what if he is straining to pass a bowel movement?

A number of these conditions may worry new parents. But all of them are quiet normal. If you know what to expect, you should be able to take them in your stride and handle more wisely every condition as it comes up.

Tips to New mothers - Burping baby

Even breast-fed babies will sometimes swallow a little air. Be sure to burp him at least once during the feeding as well as afterwards. No two babies burp alike. But until you know your baby’s style, bring up the bubbles by rubbing gently up and down along his spine, especially between the shoulder blades, while he falls over your hand or your shoulder. This pressure forces more gas from the area, stomach afterwards, the last bubbles usually come up in about fifteen minutes. Some babies bring up a bit of milk now and then. This is harmless. If no burp is forthcoming, don’t try to force one; perhaps your baby hasn’t swallowed any air and doesn’t need to burp.

Babies Bottle feeding problems

Sometimes the baby refuses to drink his milk though he is hungry. This is commonly happens if the teat is blocked with milk particles and the milk does not flow in spite of Baby’s suckling. Babies also refuse milk if it is too hot or too cold, or if the milk is not to their taste (he knows his sugar and his brand). There are also times when a vacuum is created in the bottle and he is not able to suck – this is especially so if the teat is soft. The teat must be change at least once in a month.

Before feeding, check the temperature of the milk by putting a drop of milk on the back of your hand. The temperature should be just hot enough. Hold the bottle obliquely so that the teat is full of milk while feeding. If there is a vacuum, release it by lifting the edge of the teat and allowing some air to enter the bottle.

Thumb sucking and pacifiers

During a baby's first year of life, he will put anything he can lay his hands on into his mouth. This is because he feels things, at this stage, primarily with his mouth and tongue. Later, infants develop thumb sucking or similar habits. These habits develop when they are tired, hungry, bored or frustrated. To solve the problem, feed the child if he is hungry. To relieve boredom and frustration, create a new suitable activity for the child. Talk to the child and play simple games that actively involve him.

If thumb sucking is only at bedtime, do nothing. Do not use thumb guards or apply pungent food or tie a cloth around the thumb. It may result in the baby's acquiring other, perhaps less desirable, habits such as head banging, tongue sucking, removing hair from his own head etc.

Baby’s solid foods

Once your baby has settled into a good breast-feeding, or bottle feeding, routine, thee is no need to introduce him to any solid food till he is four months old. By then, his nutritional needs would have grown and you will find it difficult to sustain him on milk alone. At this stage start him off gradually on solid foods. Being fed solid food is a whole new kind of experience for a baby. It is also a major step towards eventual independence. And you will be filled with a new joy when baby takes his first tiny teaspoonful of kheer or Khichadi.

Try to introduce various tastes to baby because his taste buds are pure (i.e.) unsullied. To the baby salt is saltier and sugar is sweeter. So keep them away, for the eating habits, you are preparing in the early part of baby’s life will stay with him forever.

Young mother and a new born baby

At birth, the baby often has a full head of hair. This will, in most cases be shed in the first ten months. Some babies grow a full head of hair quite quickly. Others do not have lots of hair for moths. Rest assured that such growth does not mean the baby is going to end up being bald for life. The shape of the ears differs from child to child due to familial variations. Some times a skin tag may be seen on the ear. These tags should be shown to the doctor before they are tied.

The shape of a baby’s head varies a great deal. This due to the baby forcing its way out of your body. There is sometimes a uniform swelling but this usually disappears in two or three days. However, if the swelling is localized on one side of the head and is confined to the limits of the bone, it is due to the blood collection on the outer surface of the skull bone. This is called Cephal Haematoma and usually disappears in about 4-6 weeks. For all your doubts you can consult your doctor.