Parenting Blog

When the baby comes to the world, the parents have to make sure that they leave no stone unturned for their baby’s care. Recognizing and taking care of the basic needs of your baby is very essential for the proper growth and development of the baby. The baby should be healthy and energetic and you can help him to be so by fulfilling the primary needs properly before you proceed to take up any fun activities.

Immunization

With the increasing number of diseases, you must make sure that you take the baby for getting immunized at the proper time. Your baby is fragile and is susceptible to a number of health problems. Your prime concern should be to reduce the risk of your baby suffering from any of these problems. This can be done by vaccinating your baby at the proper time against all diseases that your doctor suggests. If you are concerned about his weight, take him for weight checks and keep the doctor informed if any problem is bugging you.

Sleeping

Sleep is very crucial for your new born. It is the daily recharge for him which is very important for the growth of his external as well as internal body. During the ‘Rapid eye movement’ cycles the brain cells of the baby are developed and this is the time where the baby enhances his learning, movement and thinking abilities. This is the time when your child’s nervous system learns to understand the senses of vision, touch, hearing, taste and smell.

Feeding

Milk is the best food for the baby. You can either feed him breast milk or formula milk. Nothing else is needed for the first six months. Breast feeding is encouraged by the doctors, since not only it provides your baby with all necessary nutrients but also reduces risk of conditions like asthma, eczema, diarrhea , respiratory problems or any other kind of infection. Though formula milk is a good substitute for breast milk, it does not have these unique properties.

Other important things to care about

Make sure that your baby is comfortable. Change his diapers on time and never leave him in a wet nappy. Take care of the safety of baby and learn about the crib safety too. Keep your baby in a lively atmosphere so that he is not surrounded by dullness, but also make sure that you get enough time alone with him as well.

As a mother it is equally important that you take good care of yourself to nurture the baby as per her needs. You should take good rest from time to time, eat well, stay healthy and be patient if you want to feel the joy of parenting.

Weight gain is acceptable to all women when they are pregnant. But, it does not mean that you keep stuffing junk food. It’s the time when you have to become even more conscious about your eating habits. There is life inside you but then if you double your diet it is not going to help. What will help is eating a proper and healthy diet. In, the last stages of your pregnancy it may also help you to take small portions so that the abdomen is able to keep it inside.

Food that provides all the ingredients necessary for the development of the baby should be taken. Let’s go through the items that should be compulsorily included in an ideal diet during pregnancy.

Grains

Grains are the primary source of carbohydrates providing energy to the body. You should especially include whole grains in your diet as they provide fiber and prevents the main problem constipation during pregnancy.

Fruits & Vegetables

Fruits and Vegetables constitute of many nutrients and vitamins needed by the body. Fruits helps in absorbing iron and help in building the tissue of the baby. Instead of frozen foods, you should take green and leafy vegetables in your diet and instead of canned fruits take fresh fruits. Expecting mothers should also eat citrus food products that are rich in vitamin C.

Protein

As everybody knows, proteins are the building blocks for the body. Food such as fish, meat and beans are rich in proteins. Even eggs and peanut butter could be a high source of protein. If you are a vegetarian than you can fulfill your daily needs of protein by taking tofu, split peas, dried beans, soy and soy related products like soy milk, soy burger etc.

Dairy

Milk and milk products are a rich source of calcium and very important to build the teeth and bones of the body. Foods such as yogurt, natural or processed cheese are also rich in calcium. When taking dairy products one has to be careful about a bacterium called listeriosis commonly found in unpasteurized cheese like feta, Brie and Camembert which can be dangerous during pregnancy.

Fats

Fats are also important for the body but the approach of taking them should be the same as it was when you were not pregnant. You should take minimum amount of food like butter, fatty meat products, dairy products made of whole milk and try to take more of healthy fats like olive oil and fats present in fish.

A good diet is an essential part of pregnancy and if you are aware of the kind of food you should eat during pregnancy it will certainly help you sail easily through the process of pregnancy.

New parents come across a phase when they are bombarded with advices from all the directions. Grandparents, friends and society cannot help giving instructions every now and then. But to what extent are they correct? There is a lot of difference between a Myth and a Reality and parents should be able to distinguish between them to make intelligent decisions.

1. Toys + Baby = Smarter Baby

Myth: For maximum brain activity, baby needs sophisticated toys.
Reality: There’s no experimental evidence that a particular toy will make baby smarter.

Expert explains: A stimulating environment is favorable for a baby learning to explore the environment but sophisticated toys are not necessary. It’s true that babies seem to have a visual inclination for contrasting black and white images; still parents shouldn’t have false impression that flooding baby’s room with such images will result into increased intelligence levels.

2. Speech delays

Myth: Children overcome problems like speech and language delay with age; it’s nothing to be worried about.
Reality: Go to the doctor soon if your child is showing such delays.

Expert explains: Parents should know the difference between speech (quality of sound) and language (content of communication) and take delays seriously. Autism and other cognitive problems can be detected at an early age by observing carefully such delays.

3. Younger one lags

Myth: In a large family, the youngest child is a late talker.
Reality: Birth order is not a deciding factor; it affects baby’s speech and language patterns negligibly.

Expert explains: Every family has a different environment, so birth order might have a small impact. But it doesn’t mean that parents can ignore the delay problems assuming the family baby will be a late talker.

4. Reading habits

Myth: Child’s vision will be damaged if he holds book very close to his eyes.
Reality: It might indicate short-sightedness (myopia).

Expert explains: Consult a pediatrician if the child is uncomfortable with far placed objects. Otherwise, keeping a book close won’t hurt your child’s vision.

5. Height at birth

Myth: Adult height is decided by baby’s height at birth.
Reality: Measurement afterwards might predict adult height but not length at birth.

Expert explains: Height is decided primarily by genetic structure. You can often hear people saying if a child is short at birth, he will be short as an adult as well. This is completely vague. Doubling the child’s height at age 2 can give the approximate height of a child as an adult.

Thus, under any circumstances parents should not panic and avoid confusions. If they still have any doubts or questions in their mind they should always try to get the right advice from medical practitioners.

• The baby bicycle

Lay down the baby on his back and gently move his legs in a cyclic motion. You can repeat this several times a day. This relieves tummy discomforts for most of the babies and his also a good exercise for leg muscles.

• Go for a long drive

It has been observed by a lot of parents that a ride in the car is one of the best remedies for colic. Babies love three things the most when they are taken for a car ride – the motion, the vibrations and the noises. Take proper precautions before you get behind the steering wheel. Buckle your baby properly and see that the baby does not experience any discomfort during the journey.

• Changing the atmosphere

If you have been staying indoors for a long time then taking your baby out for a walk can be a good decision. You can use a stroller or a sling. A wide range of new sights, sounds and odors may be a good distraction for him. The fresh air is good for his lungs and the rhythmic motion of walking will make the colic pass away and lull the baby into a sound sleep. At the same time, if you have been out with the baby for a long time, your baby might be missing the silence and comfort of his home.

• Swaddle

Swaddling is an ancient method in which you wrap your baby in a blanket or cloth. Since the newborn has just stepped into a new world which is much bigger than his old world which was limited to the mother’s womb hence, snuggling him in a warm blanket makes the baby feel less out of place. If you have observed any crying pattern in your child then you can try swaddling your child before his crying period and see if this calms him down.

Swaddling not only make your baby go to sleep, but is also a good technique if you want your baby to remain sleeping for a longer time. It has been found that swaddled babies have a more sound sleep as compared to babies who are not swaddles. Researchers have found that babies who are swaddled sleep more soundly than those who aren’t. This is because of the fact that swaddling prevents any movements of body in the infant so that his own twitches might not break his sleep.

• Aromatherapy

Some babies are very responsive to smells. You can spray some pleasing smelling scents in the rooms to please the baby and to keep the atmosphere fresh.

Be creative with your baby and keep trying new things to get closer to him and to understand the needs of your baby so that you can fulfill them at the right time.

While every parent wants to think their child is an angel, the sad truth often comes around the fourth year. A child that has always been quiet and meek can often become combative and disrespectful. For most parents this change is very sudden and very alarming. Reports start coming from school that your child is acting out and disrespecting his or her teachers. Next, the fits start. Something as simple as a candy bar can bring on a meltdown in the middle of the supermarket. So what can you, as a parent, do to bring back your sweet and innocent toddler? Consider the following options.

Stick to Your Guns

While it may seem frustrating, the first things you have to do are stick to the rules and allow no infringements. If you allow your child two hours of television a day and he throws a fit when you say time is up, don’t give in. If you allow him to continue watching television after the fit, you can expect this behavior on a daily basis. You may even have to resort to drastic measures. A fit in the checkout line can be met with a trip out of the store without groceries or special snacks. When you leave the store empty handed your son or daughter will quickly learn that the behavior is unacceptable.

Understand 4 Year Old Stresses

You may think that your four year old lives a care free, fun life. However, that is not always the case. Children worry and stress out in the same way that adults do. The difference is that children do not know how to show these emotions or discuss them properly yet. The result of a stressed out four year old can often be crying, whining, acting out, or belligerent behavior. Take the time to examine what is going on in your child’s life before assuming they are out of control. Do you have a new baby on the way? Is the child struggling to make friends in school? Examine these things and try to fix any issues. You may just end up being the hero to your four year old rather than the enemy.