Quell the shriek

Babies are too fragile to handle. They look so cute when they are asleep or make faces or gurgle or squeak but when they cry of colic pain they are the most poor thing to console. There is some advice that may not completely cure the pain but might be a relief to the suffering parents somewhere.

The best thing is that colic disappears as mysteriously as it begins. It is more severe at 4 to 6 weeks of age and gradually subsides by 3 to 4 months.

Extend your arm with palm up ,place the baby on the arm with chest down , head in your hand and his legs on either side of your elbow. Support the baby with your other hand and move around . It definitely consoles the baby.

Burp the baby frequently while feeding. Some babies have more abdominal gas than others.

Sometimes colic can occur if the mother is drinking cow milk. Eliminating milk from mothers diet may help the baby.

Sometimes there is a correlation between the colic and mothers diet. Some troublemakers are caffeinated drinks , chocolate, bananas, oranges , strawberries and strongly spiced food. Keeping a log would be a very good idea.

Wrapping the baby snugly in a blanket has a calming effect.

The vibrating sound of vacuum cleaner or clothes dryer really soothes a colicky baby.

A hot water bottle placed on the tummy sometimes helps. Place a towel between the baby and the bag so that the baby is not burned.

Motion type things are good for colic. Swing the baby slowly.

NEW MOM ;NEW CHILD; FOOD FOR BOTH!!

Breast milk is the vital food for any child. But feeding a child is the most tiring job. Most of the new moms complain about the quantity of milk , discomfort during feeding  and appetite of the child. There are certain nursing ideas which can make both child and mother happy.

How to feed the baby?

Right position of the baby. The baby should position the mother entirely; head , chest , genital , knees. Grip the baby so that the buttocks are in one hand and the head is in the bend of the elbow. Let the other hand slip under the breast with all the four fingers supporting the breast but not on the areola , the darker area around the nipple. Tickle the baby's lower lip with the nipple to get the mouth open wide. Pull the baby's body in quickly so that the mouth fixes on the areola.

There should be no pain while feeding. If the baby is sucking incorrectly, use fingers to break the suction and reposition him.

If the baby is drifting while feeding , burp him , wake him and switch sides. Feeding time varies from 20 to 30 minutes.

Nurse on one side, if the baby is losing interest ,switch side. Next time start with the side the feeding ended the time before .

In the early weeks, a baby feeds 8 to 12 times a day. Human milk is designed so that a baby needs to nurse frequently. It creates better bonding between mother and child.

If the baby is positioned right, there is no soreness of the nipple.

There are glands to provide oil to the feeding area so no chemicals or soap should be used

Burping the baby is necessary after every feeding. Babies usually swallow air. It is most likely to happen if the baby cries during feeding. The swallowed air takes up room in the stomach, making the baby uncomfortable. If the air is not removed, it may spit some of the undigested milk. If babies slow down while eating ,even though they have eaten little, they need to be burped in the middle of the meal. All babies need to be burped till 3 months of age. By 5 months ,they learn how to burp themselves

A mother should talk to the baby, play and tickle the baby before and after feeding. This provides an affectional bond between them. This promotes the social development of the child. If the feeding situation is not pleasant, if the mother is tense or frustrated and doesn't feel like feeding, holds the baby awkwardly or handles him roughly , the baby will associate discomfort with the mother's presence , the child will grow up as an irritable person. The child learns social development  ,trust , emotional development from the early days of life.

WHAT THE NEW MOM SHOULD EAT?

If a mother is hungry, she is irritated while feeding. A mother needs more food than she was pregnant. The food should be rich in nutrients. Effect of a mother's diet depends on the composition and output of milk.  In addition to calories , the need for proteins, calcium, iron, vitamin A or beta carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, Ascorbic acid and vitamin B12 is considerably high during lactation. The growing infant needs a sufficient amount of nutrients for rapid growth of tissues. The infant takes all these nutrients from mother's milk.

Include generous portions of milk , citrus fruits , green leafy vegetables and whole grain like ragi in the diet.

Along with the increased food intake , increased fluid intake is also necessary  to maintain adequate supply of breast milk. Liquids in the form of juices , tea , milk, milk based beverages ,lemon drink , coconut water can be taken in between the meals.

Food with strong flavour may alter the taste of breast milk. Such foods should be avoided.

Alcohol and drugs enter the breast milk and interfere with infant development. Such food should be restricted.

Sufficient rest is needed .

Encourage that the woman is not emotionally disturbed during lactation.

There are certain traditional  foods which are "galactogogues". Sago , black cumin , garlic, rice, toor dal , sabja seeds ,khas are some food items which increase the milk production.

There are certain superstitions and myths associated with breastfeeding which are harmful for both mother and baby. These have to be taken care of.

HOW TO FEED GENERATION ALPHA KIDS :Eating skills

The children born nowadays are generation alpha. They are born with many capabilities. They are more skill developed than their grandparents. Some basic skills like eating skills have developed too. They just need proper guidance and proper equipment to nurture the skills.

The babies are born with sucking skill. The food must be sucked into the mouth and swallowed without chewing. Therefore the food is in liquid form as milk. This skill is in the first four or five months of life.

As the baby gets older , the problem arises , when they attempt to drink themselves , but sucks in more air. This causes choking or even vomiting. If the baby is more hungry, it will gulp the liquid and suck air. To solve the problem,in 4 or 5 months, sipper cups can be introduced. This training cup with holes allows the liquid to come through a little at a time.

If the cup has two handles , the 6 month old baby will grasp each handle with one hand. If it has only one handle , the baby will grasp the handle with one hand and use the other hand to support the cup. The baby carries the cup to the mouth and will suck on the rim of the cup , tilt it and try to get the liquid from it. By 18 to 20 months most babies drink with very little spilling.

At 6 months, the baby plays with a spoon by sucking , banging and throwing it. He can be shown how to carry it to the mouth and how to turn it slightly to get the food from the spoon into the mouth. By 18 months babies can feed themselves with little spilling.

Babies chew or try to bite on anything they can hold in order to ease the pain caused by teething. It is a natural behaviour that takes place even before the teeth cut through the gums. The baby should be allowed to hold a piece of apple , toast , papaya , or any crunchy food most of the time. The caregiver should watch closely and if the baby takes a large bite , it can be quickly removed from the mouth before the baby chokes on it.

Babies do not know exactly how to go about chewing; they may spit , hold food in the mouth or chew only with the front teeth. After a while they learn to use gums and tongue and a few teeth to mash the food. It is a messy period and parents need lots of patience. If the baby had a lot of trouble chewing, a soft diet is preferable for a while. Swallowing liquids is a natural reaction but swallowing solids must be learned.

By 18 months , the baby begins to use a fork. Few babies can use their forks efficiently before they are 3 years old. Shortly before the age of 2 , the toddler can use a knife to spread butter or jam on bread and to cut soft foods. By 5 years they learn the use of knives. By the second birthday, the baby is ready to use a glass in place of a cup. At first the baby will hold the glass with both hands. Before the age of 5 , the hands become larger and stronger, the child will gradually shift to the use of one hand.

Babies differ in their readiness to learn the skills of self feeding. Therefore it is impossible to give exact ages at which any one baby can be expected to use the different eating utensils.

Self feeding skills are difficult skills. Because of this, only the groundwork can be laid from the beginning. If this basis is good , the tasks will become habits.

For learning self feeding skills, two important points have to be considered. First, the babies are easily distracted so they should have their meals in a quiet place without any distraction like television or mobile phones. Second, it is easier to learn eating skills if the utensils are suited to a baby's strength. If they are exactly like adult utensils, only smaller, the baby can learn the right way to use them from the start.

Generation alpha are smart, only a little help and support will help them to be a smart , happy individual.

My baby's first tooth!!

A baby! A small bundle of joy for the whole family and especially the mother who has taken care of it from the beginning and bears all the trouble and pain happily. It's a wonderful sight to see the baby's movements and expressions. The baby's first walk and it's first tooth are worth seeing. But most of the infants are a little fussy and cranky with the first two to four teeth.

Interesting part which most of us are unaware of is that an infant's teeth start developing months before birth. The tooth buds develop in the foetus by the fifth or sixth week of pregnancy. By the time the baby is born , all the primary teeth are already present and accounted for in the jawbone. The first tooth is visible about four to eight months after birth. Baby's gums become swollen and tender and the little ,cute bundle of joy is the most irritable and restless person in the world. Teething has begun!

If the baby has the complete set of teeth from the very beginning the care has to be taken from the day the baby comes from the hospital. A small gauge pad wrapped around your forefinger, lightly moistened is perfect. Daily massaging makes healthier gum tissue especially at bedtime. When the first tooth comes ,start brushing it but don't use toothpaste.

Babies put everything in their mouth and chew. Teething rings are available in different sizes and shapes. Put it in the refrigerator and keep it cold , works well and feels good on the baby's gums. But teething rings are tasteless. 

Give the child a piece of cold apple or papaya. Children love to nibble on these tasty teethers. Cut the piece lengthwise so that he can hold. A piece of dry rusk is also a tasty option.

It's a common myth that babies will run a fever when teething. Visit a doctor if there is fever.

REDUCE THE BULK OF CEREAL GRAINS

We feed the child traditional porridges like ragi porridge , wheat porridge, rice porridge and many more. A child is too small and so is his stomach. These porridges are bulky. They absorb about twice as much water to become soft. Even a small amount of this porridge fills the baby's stomach and they feel uncomfortable. If diluted with water, the nutrient content lowers. So what is the solution?

Try ARF

Add one -fourth of a teaspoon or 1 to 2 gms (not more than that) to the cereal porridge.

ARF is Amylase rich foods. It is a flour obtained from germinated cereal flour. Germinated grain flour contains a lot of an enzyme , amylase which makes the porridge less bulky , soft , thin and easy to eat. The best part is that it does not reduce the nutritive value. Amylase is an enzyme which aids in splitting starches so that it is easily digested.

HOW TO MAKE ARF POWDER?

It is very easy to make . Take 200 gms of wheat grain. Bajra , jowar or maize can also be used if wheat is not available. Soak the grain in triple volume water (600 ml)for 12 hours. After 12 hours , remove the grains from water and wrap it in a wet cloth for 48 hours or 2 days. You will see grain sprouts. Dry it in the sun for about 6 to 8 hrs . Remove the sprouts from the well dried grain . Take the grain and grind it to a powder. Store it in an airtight container. Do not use more than 1/4th tsp in a bowl of porridge. The powder is sufficient for 30 days .

Preparing it is a bit tiring but we all want to give our child the best ,isn't it?

A BABY IN THE HOUSE. .

WEANING

Science is fascinating. I used to love studying Human Physiology, Child Development, Human Nutrition, Food Science while in college. Counseling patients gives satisfaction but  implementation of these subjects in one's own life is more satisfying and helps to counsel others in a better way.

When I was blessed with a baby, academics became practical for me. After all, I had to take care of it on my own. I had to manage the home , the work,and the baby. I had to give him the best. Started with the purest food, breast milk. But a child needs nutrients as it grows up. Breastfeeding is no doubt the best but the demand for iron and other nutrients is important for a growing baby.

I started weaning early.

Children love to explore different foodstuffs but they get confused easily. Start with a food item at a time. I started with orange juice when he was three months old. On the first day I gave him only a teaspoon of orange juice in the midmorning. Next day I increased the amount to two teaspoons. By the end of the week he was enjoying half a cup of orange juice. The next week started with apple juice and so on. When he was a year old he knew the taste of most of the food.

Start with orange juice followed by soft rice , mashed cereals , soft fruits , soft cooked potatoes and other vegetables, and puddings. When the baby is about a year old , start with hard boiled egg yolk, then egg white, fish , chicken or poultry , meat.

Children enjoy finger foods , finger sized pieces of papaya , apple or toast massages the gum when teething begins.

I used to have lunch alone when he was not there but after his "annaprashan"(the introduction of cereals to a child at about six months or appearance of the first tooth , whichever is first), we enjoyed lunch together. I used to cook rice , dal , veggies, sweet chutney , set the table, take him on my lap, and eat. Yes , the food was normal, less spicy but children love the texture, appearance and aroma of food.

Fix a proper mealtime and place for the child. No television, no mobile phones, no laptop, no bird watching at the time of meal. Mealtimes is only mealtime and children will be grown up in some time. Good habits should be implemented from the beginning.

The meal time should be relaxing.

I have food preferences and everyone has it. A child is an individual and he also has it. But don't show your preferences to the child. They are good at grasping the words. "What tasty food !" helps the child to eat it instead of "ohho!again this dal ." Acceptance of food helps in proper feeding.

Children love colour. The food should be colourful

Food should not be used as reward or punishment. Don't bribe the child with his favourite food. We want our children to be good citizens .

Don't force the child to eat. How would you feel if someone forces you to eat his favourite dessert but you don't like the smell of it? Insulting. So why a child? If he doesn't like any food item just remove it. Try again after a few days.

Don't give anything to the child in between meals except water.

A child may eat less sometimes or more, it depends upon the weather, the room temperature, etc, don't force the child and the food should be given according to the season

Children love to act as a grown up. Let them feed on themselves. Clear the mess afterwards. Provide proper utensils for them.

Along with the supplementary food or weaning food , breastfeeding should be continued.

The food should neither be too hot or too cold

Don't overfeed the child , give small helpings at a time .

Proper coordination between mother and child creates a positive and happy environment and the child is not a fussy eater.