Parenting Blog

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.

New research from Britain shows that women who quit smoking when they become pregnant have happier, less fussy babies when compared to women who smoked during pregnancy and even women who have never smoked. This is a surprising discovery, and scientists are certain that it’s not just a coincidence. The babies of women who smoke heaviest during pregnancy proved to be the fussiest, while the babies of women who have never smoked made up the middle ground. The researchers suspect that this is because mothers who quit smoking to do what’s best for their baby have certain easy-going characteristics themselves and their babies have inherited these genes. Other studies show that women who quit smoking when they become pregnant also lead happier lives and have healthier relationships. Researchers believe these women possess certain traits that enable them to quit smoking for their babies and that it’s these traits that are the root cause of the babies’ happier temperament.

Smoking during pregnancy can cause many complications. Sometimes a mother who smokes will give birth to a healthy baby, but when you look at the possible risks, this isn’t a good incentive to smoke during pregnancy. Smoking inhibits the growth of the fetus because it will receive less oxygen and fewer nutrients, which can also cause brain damage, and smokers have a higher rate of miscarriage and premature birth. Many premature babies’ lungs are underdeveloped and they will suffer from life-threatening breathing difficulties. A smoker’s unborn child will be exposed to all of the carcinogens, carbon monoxide, nicotine and tobacco that the mother inhales, and these things deprive the baby of food and oxygen. These carcinogens are also present in the mother’s breast milk, so if a mother begins smoking again after she gives birth, her baby will still be in danger. Smoking increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, which is often related to respiratory troubles. Second-hand smoke is also dangerous to an unborn child, so if a woman’s partner smokes while the woman is pregnant, he poses a threat to the child. Many women find it easier to quit when they are or will become pregnant because they have an added reason – their child – to do so. There are simply too many risks involved with smoking during pregnancy. If you choose to become pregnant you have taken on the responsibility of doing what is best for your baby, and that means kicking the bad habit.

The life of newborn babies is mostly all about feeding and sleeping. After all, he/she is in the inertia of the long cozy sleep inside the mother’s body. Parents do need to know how much a newborn baby normally sleeps in 24 hours. 

While newborn babies do not follow a set routine for sleep, for most babies, the sleeping time is up to 18 hours daily (in 24 hours). But the sleep is often intermittent and the baby wakes every 2 to 3 hours to be fed. Also, most babies will sleep for 3 to 5 hours maximum at a stretch. Following are some common sleep patterns for newborn babies of varying ages: 

Up to 3 Months

Newborn babies, ranging in age from their natal day up to 3 months, usually take 16 to 18 hours of sleep daily. The sleep is divided into 2-3 hours sessions. Their sleep does not have to do much with night or day and they will sleep almost equally at day as they do at night. The day-night awareness appears in the baby at an age of around 6 to 8 weeks. By the age of 2 to 3 months, a sleep pattern is developed by the child. The parent can then anticipate when the child is going to sleep and how long the sleep is going to continue at a particular time. 

3 to 6 Months

The total daily sleep of the baby at this age is about 14 to 16 hours. It is usually 8 hours of sleep at night and 6 hours at day (divided in three stretches of 2 hours each). The child gets asleep more readily and does not wake in the absence of much disturbance. Some babies at this age may not wake at all during the night. However, most would wake once to be fed. By the age of 6 months, the daytime sleep drops to 2 naps, each lasting about 2 hours. 

6 to 12 Months

During the 6 months to one year, the total daily sleep of a baby is 12 to 14 hours. Most babies take a daily nap of about 2 to 3 hours each. A 6 month sold baby is able to sleep well through the night, without waking at all. But many kids do wake once. Before the baby’s first birthday, a long stretch of sleep (about 11 hours or more) is less likely to occur.