Parenting Blog

Have you ever wondered, why your baby is crying a lot more than what you had expected and all your efforts of making him feel comfortable are in vain? If you notice that your baby is crying more than usual then one of the most probable reasons could be due to suffering from colic. Excessive crying is referred as colic. There are a lot of reasons due to which colic might be observed.

Your diet might be the reason for your colicky infant. It has been observed that colic in babies who are breastfed is caused due to inappropriate mother’s diet. Since the baby feeds on breast milk, hence what the mother eats affects the diet of the baby to a large extent. Consult a doctor or your health care provider to know what kind of food irritates your baby and hence the food which you should avoid.

Though concluding which food exactly is problematic might lead to controversies and disagreements, still researches show that dairy products can be considered as prime suspects. Mothers who are breastfeeding should try to cut on dairy products like milk, cheese, yogurt etc and see if there is any difference in the colicky behavior of the baby.

Try to avoid spicy food, wheat products, nuts and vegetables which are cruciferous such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli etc. Also cut back on garlic and strawberries. Caffeine and alcohol are certainly a BIG NO.

Avoid all these foods for sometime and notice the changes in the baby. If the problem reduces then start reintroducing one food at a time in your diet to know exactly what the root cause for colic is. After you again start consuming a certain dish or eatable, if the baby starts becoming irritable and fussy, you’ll know the culprit and this would be the food that you will have to avoid. Till your baby becomes at least 3 months old, and till you breastfeed the baby do not consume products that might be harmful for your baby.

Take your baby to a doctor if the colic persists. After you try all the methods to calm down and soothe the baby your last resort can be nothing but consulting a doctor. Talk with the doctor and tell him the relevant details. A lot of potential causes might exist, on which the doctor might be elaborate more. Intestinal or urinary infection can be a cause for which you will have to perform some tests. Decide your plan to soothe your baby as suggested by the doctor, if your baby has colic.

Do not get tensed by listening continuously to baby’s crying. This problem passes away as soon as your baby grows a little older.

Pregnancy period is the most magical time in the couple’s life. It is full of emotions, bonding, excitement and a little fear, fear of the questions related to baby’s physical, emotional and mental health. Each would-be parent will definitely wish that their baby is born intelligent and is incredibly smart.

Nutrition and Intelligence go hand in hand. A golden rule advised to the expecting mothers is the ‘Five-A-Day” rule. It says, “Eat at least two fruits and three vegetables and a balanced diet”.

The seven secrets to make the baby intelligent inside you -

• Omega 3: A winning combination of Pregnancy and Omega 3 can make your baby exceptionally intelligent. The human brain is sixty percent fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are a must for the unborn baby and the mother. The pregnant mother must include fish in her meals or look out for supplements but with due care and with consent of the doctor.

• Pay Attention to Mercury Content: Fishes are very helpful in baby’s brain development but you must take care of the mercury contamination in them. Some fishes like King Mackerel, Shark, Swordfish, tilefish should be avoided due to the higher levels of mercury while fishes like Pollack, Whitefish, Salmon, Shrimp and Catfish should be included in the diet.

• Say NO to Alcohol: If the intake of alcohol is heavy during the pregnancy, it can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome. But a fact is that, even a moderate quantity of liquor, wine or beer is sufficient to cause harm to the baby’s brain. Specifically, moderate drinking can cause problems related with learning abilities, memory power, ability to pay attention and other social skills.

• Boost the Iron Intake: When you are pregnant, just double the intake of iron in your diet. This is required as the iron transports oxygen to your little baby. If the baby is deprived of oxygen, it may lead to improper growth and a low IQ level of the baby. Eat iron rich food items such as chicken, fortified breakfast cereals, lean beef, and legumes.

• Fruits and Vegetables are your friends: Dark green leafy vegetables, blueberries, tomatoes, papaya etc. all produce antioxidants which are needed to protect the damage of baby’s brain tissues.

• Pump up proteins: Proteins are the building blocks of the body. At the pregnancy time, the protein intake should be increased by 10 grams/day. Your breakfast must have yogurt smoothie, lunch should have cup of bean soup, and snack time intake should be whole grains or peanut butter and at dinner take a portion of lean beef.

• Avoid too much weight gain: Too much weight gain leads to premature birth leading to some mental impairments of the baby. If you are normal in weight, gain approximately 25-35 pounds. If you are underweight, gaining about 28-40 pounds is good and if you are overweight, you must gain about 15-25 pounds.