Tag: baby health

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Who is a fussy eater ? How to adapt and tame one .

What is fussy eating?

Fussy eating happens when usually your kid starts rejecting food or seems choosy about what is being fed.

When does a baby turn a fussy eater?

This can be a regular habit or can be at intervals. The baby may have an immature digestive system, which will cure itself with time, or might be teething, have an infection,food allergy, or just may not be ready for solid foods yet.

What symptoms should I look out for?

Your baby may push away the spoon or turn her head from it. She might close her mouth,as you try feeding her, spit out food, or become cranky or tired at mealtime. They might also start throwing food when they are playful.

Suggestions to avoid fussy eating stage

  • Don’t delay introducing lumpy foods. Keep changing frequently between purees and lumpy food.
  • Remember that your child will never voluntarily starve themselves. Hunger and fullness can be very well judged by kids.
  • Do not make a fuss of whether your child is eating or not. Remain calm. All we need to do is to concentrate on making mealtimes enjoyable family events. If an occurrence is enjoyable, your child will want to repeat it
  • Be genuine about the amount of effort you put into making your child’s meals. Don’t feel annoyed when they refuse to eat.
  • Don’t threaten and shout at them. This might make it even more difficult
  • Do not use desserts as bribes.

How do I adjust to my child’s eating habit:?

Part of the problem is solved when parents avoid to force feed a child like a adult.

  • If your kid is in the age of 2 months to 2 years, we need to understand that their stomach size would be small. If they have too much of liquid intake say fruit juice or milk, that might be filling them up and say no to a solid when offered.
  • The meal size should be that is something that should suffice a child- size. If they are hungrier they would ask for more. Ideal plan would be three meals spaced at an equal interval and a snack in between.
  • If the family is used to eating late at nights. This would not suit the child. They might get tired and start getting cranky. So always feed the last meal earlier.
  • Weekly assessment is better than daily.
  • Let the kid decide when they have had enough, this would help them understand their body and make them realize when to stop and when to ask for more.

How to tame my fussy eater?

  • Do not force feed the child. If the child turns the head away and rejects food by closing mouth , it’s a clear sign that they are full, even if it is very little. Trust your kid that they know how much to eat. Despite the above signs, if you still try to force feed it might lead to tension and discomfort.
  • Experiment with food textures. Even babies have food preferences. Some enjoy wet gravy foods, while the others prefer finger food. Some might want o continue with liquids, while the others might want to graze over half a dozen meal. Offer healthy options and he’ll develop a taste for them. But do not trick them with junk to eat the meal.
  • Change the speed. Some babies are fast eaters some are slow. So try changing the pace to see if there is a difference.
  • Do not distract the child. Keep away toys, books and turn off TV. Main focus should only be on eating.
  • It’s tempting to let a picky eater take as long as they want to eat. Keep meal length reasonable. It should not be more than 30 minutes. You can tell them you should eat before your hands become dry.
  • Let the baby touch and feel the food that is being offered. There is nothing wrong in exploring.
  • Follow your baby’s timeline. Most babies begin eating solid foods between 4 and 6 months, but some may start a little earlier, others later. As with crawling, walking, potty-training, and just about every other infant milestone, there’s no perfect time .No baby is unique. So let them take their own time.
  • Encourage self-feeding. By about 9 months, many babies are interested in trying to feed themselves. Although your picky eater is likely to make a mess waving around the mealtime spoon, letting him take control is important to a child’s growth and development. Let them participate, which makes it enjoyable for them.
  • It’s a natural feeling for babies to slow down on their feeds. This is usually at the end of year one babies’ growth tends to slow. So does their calorie need. Be patient; growth spurts are on the way.
  • Keep trying, gently. Some babies may need to try a food eight, 10, even 15 times before they enjoy it, so be patient and continue to revisit a rejected food over time, time as long as there are no allergies.
  • React passionately to a picky eater and even a 1-year-old will understand her power over you. Realize that you want your baby to eat for her own well-being, not to please you — and that baby’s rejection of a food is not a rejection of you. Don’t let on that you’re frustrated or angry.
  • Even if it’s our job to feed the baby, it’s their choice to choose what to eat and when. As long as the child is active and has a healthy weight gain, we needn’t worry.
  • Make meal time educative. Teach them where food comes from.
  • Eating together is a good practice. Make sure at least one of you eats with the child.

Toddler recipes for fussy eaters:

  • Baked sweet potato wheels
  • Dry fruit powdered balls
  • Melon balls
  • Shaped cheese slice
  • Popcorn gobi mildly spiced
  • Mildly spiced ragi or soya chakli
  • Carrot kheer
  • Multigrain balls
  • Rice cakes topped with ghee and sugar
  • Rice crepes with veggie purees
  • French fries shallow fried
  • Bite sized jam buns
  • Mini quesadilla with veggies
  • Dhal rice balls
  • Curd rice cakes
  • Soups of all veggies

I did read through a couple of books to learn about child nutrition.

The gentle eating book by Sarah Ockwell Smith

Eat, delete Junior by Pooja Makhija

These give us a better understanding of our child’s food habits and nutritional needs.

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What is potty training ? When and how to start ? Do’s and dont’s

What is potty training?

Potty training is training your toddler to use potty, so he/she can get rid of wearing diapers.

What the best age to start potty training?

Healthy children aren’t physically and emotionally ready to start using a potty until they are between 18 months and three years old. Boys tend to be ready a few months later than girls. Most parents start the training when their children are between two years and three years old.

The physical maturity and readiness skills needed for successful toilet learning appear at the same time in girls and boys-between 18 and 30 months of age. The average age for girls to be toilet trained is 29 months, and for boys it’s 31 months.

Please note these are just the average months and not exact.

Age shouldn’t be the deciding factor in beginning potty training.

This varies individually among each child and is something that needn’t be compared to.

The key is making sure your child is physically and developmentally ready

How do you know that your child is ready to be potty trained?

· Pulling a wet or dirty diaper.

· Hiding to pee or poop.

· Interest in others’ use of the potty

· Copying adult potty behavior.

· Having a dry diaper for a longer-than-usual time.

· Awakening dry from a nap.

· Telling out that they’re about to go, are going or have just gone in their diaper.

Bowel or bladder control? What comes first?

Most children achieve bowel and bladder control between 24 and 48 months of age. Bowel control occurs before bladder control.

Sequence of control

· Bowel control at night

· Bowel control during the day

· Bladder control during the day

· Bladder control at night

It is normal to wet the bed until age six for a girl and age seven for a boy.

Steps to train your toddler

· Let them watch and learn – Show them how it is done ie. How to undress and sit.

· Buy the right equipment – Getting the right type of potty seat plays a vital role in your training. Try going for choices which would make the kid want to come back and not whine, when taken.

· Help your child get comfortable with the potty – make sure the child feels comfortable sitting on it.

· Motivate with cool underwear- Make them wear underwear with their favorite cartoon characters or motifs. Make them wear it without fuss.

· Set up a training schedule- Prepare a schedule, and stick on to it. It will slowly become a routine.

· Teach to sit and wipe- Help them sit on the potty or if you are using a toilet seat cover, make sure its sturdy when they sit.

· Set aside some naked time – Give them some diaper/ underwear free time. So that they will feel the urge when they need to pee/poop.

· Celebrate triumphs – Once they start doing it the right way, keep encouraging them with small treats.

Role of book and videos in potty training:

Everyone Poops, by Taro Gomi, is a lasting favorite. Where’s the Poop? and Once Upon a Potty, comes in a version with a doll and miniature potty. Potty by Leslie patricelli is another good book.

Several board books are now available to encourage children and make them learn in a fun way.

Gender specific titles are also available.

You could also show them an animated video, showing them how their favorite character also is being potty trained.

Many parents deal with potty training as something over which they have total control. Parents are a big contributor to their child’s development, but they don’t really control it. Parents are there to facilitate, to guide, to reinforce and to praise, but parents shouldn’t put pressure on themselves that if they do a series of steps, the children will achieve a certain outcome.”

If you feel like you’ve been changing diapers forever, you’re not alone.

Do not compare your child, this varies individually and is not something to boast about if your child has mastered it very early. Children take their own time to get comfortable and used to it. After all, its nature’s call and cannot be missed but would be taken at the right time and right place.

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Are you still breastfeeding ? When to start with BLW ??

Hello Mommies,

March 13 2017 was the day I met my little angel who gave me a second life. The labor and delivery was a scintillating experience for me as a first time mommy. All throughout my pregnancy, I constantly kept myself occupied reading about the various ways people enjoyed being pregnant. I followed fellow blogger mommies who had different views on everything relating to pregnancy. Right from the tests, scan, food, workouts, and leisure time; my choices were abundant and I had plenty to choice from.

But, the one thing that was constantly running in my subconscious mind- VAGINAL DELIVERY and BREASTFEEDING.

That is also the time I started reading about breastfeeding. I also got to know there were classes for learning about various positions to feed the baby and that can be taken even before the delivery. There are also few hospitals who offer this as part of their package to expecting clients. Well, living in the 21st century, this is not something to be surprised of. This would not have been possible for our ancestors- say even our moms.

When I told my mom about this, she found it interesting and gave me a go ahead. Though we do have the elders guiding us through their experiences, they still agree on things like these.

A breastfeeding class can introduce us to some of the different positions and offer some reassurance that breastfeeding is not something that’s going to happen immediately. Baby and us are both going to need some time to get the hang of it.

The ‘Womanly Art of Breastfeeding’ is a wonderful book to start with, in case you do not have time to attend to classes.

These classes teach us about the different latches, feeding cues, and stomach size.

It is very important to get the first latch properly. This is done immediately in the labor room. My God, I really felt I was in heaven when I felt her lips. What more does a mother want?

And ladies, in case you are attending the classes birthing/ breastfeeding don’t forget to take your husbands. It is extremely necessary they accompany us, not just as moral support, but to get to know and be supportive.

I initially had little struggles with making my daughter feed, I was very worried about it. But, I did not give up. The main thing to focus during this time is not to fall into depression and not to lose hope. I strongly kept saying within me that I can feed my baby, I can satisfy her hunger needs, and I can do it. This positive vibe really did wonders, and slowly I starting seeing changes and feeding time became relaxing for both, me and my baby. Feeding with keeping the baby in the baby carrier was another blessing in this era. Though feeding in public is still a big “WHAT THE” in this society making a lot of heads turn, the carrier made it easier.

As the months passed, I noticed that she needed much more than only milk. That is when I decided to wean. I started with porridge and fruit purees. She had an instant liking. We can start this once the head gets the support and the baby can balance the head-neck. Apple purees, finger millet, and rice porridge were becoming her favourites.

SO, what is BLW or baby led weaning then?

We can start letting the baby taste and feel the textures by giving them small portions. Self-feeding improves hand-eye coordination. Baby learns to swallow, lick, and chew. Once the baby starts sprouting the first tooth, we can offer finger foods like carrots and beans. Take care to not feed nuts/peanuts as it may lead to choking.

Eating with the family is a great practice that can be cultivated as early as 8 months. The baby can watch others eat, so that they get to learn what and how.

And ladies, you can still continue breast feeding until the child is one. Nobody can stop you from that!

Related read : Baby led weaning.

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Feeding babies with silverware

Its a general tradition across customs to feed the child in silver utensils once solid food intake is started. They are given as gifts during baby shower or naming ceremony Are there any specific reason for it ?A big YES.

1. Anti bacterial and anti fungal Silver by nature kills bacterial and fungal growth hence it’s good to feed in utensils made it.

2. Boosts immunity Whenever food is served hot or warm in silver vessels, some of it gets infused with the food, which boosts immunity.

3. Non toxic Since it is anti bacterial and anti fungal it is non toxic , silver reacts when food contains poisonous substance like sulphur. ( do not feed egg in silver)

4. Retains freshness Food stored in silver utensils are said to be fresh for longer periods.

5. Easy maintenance Can be washed easily, and used for longer duration. Sometimes passed on from previous generations.

Medicines are generally fed using a ‘paladai’ or ‘sangu’.

 

POINTS TO NOTE: 1.Make sure utensils don’t have sharp edges which can hurt the baby.

2.Do not buy vessels with intricate carvings, this makes the cleaning process tedious.

Hence it is better than feeding in plastic .

SILVER AND DIGESTION

Silver-charged water was specifically known to do wonders to people who were having digestion and related problems. The anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties of silver eases problems in tummy, digestive tract and intestines. This water was also known to keep urinary problems away. Even in temples, the holy water was always stored in silver containers for the same reason

VESSELS GENERALLY USED FOR BABY:

  1. A spoon
  2. A bowl
  3. A pan
  4. A saucepan
  5. A tumbler
  6. A feeder for medicine

MAINTENANCE OF VESSEL

  1. Always wash in warm water.
  2. Use mild soaps.
  3. Wipe clean so that the vessel is not wet.
  4. Do not let the vessel dry after feeding.
  5. Keep the vessel clean from bacterial or microbial breeding.
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Home remedies for babies

Before resorting to check with the doctor for any ailments in little ones, I make sure that the home remedies have already been done for the ailment.
With the help of my mom, aunt and mother in law, I learnt a lot of home remedies to cure ailments for babies with ingredients readily available at home.
I used to keep jotting down the tips so that it would be useful for other moms who stay far off from parents or elders.
COLD AND COUGH
1. Boil beetle/ ajwain (omavalli or karpooravalli)/ tulsi leaves in water and reduce to half. Mix with honey and feed two spoons twice a day.
2. Heat ajwain seeds and tie them in a cloth as potli, rub on the chest to relieve chest congestion.
3. The above bundle can be placed near the cradle.
4. A cloth can be dipped in Eucalyptus oil and placed in the room where the baby is.
5. Feed warm milk and keep baby hydrated.
CONCOCTION FOR COLD AND COUGH
Ingredients:
-ajwain 3 tbsp
-powdered jaggery or palm sugar -half tbsp
-pepper – 2 or 3
Cumin. 2 tbsp
Curry leaves 2-3
ajwain leaves 1
beetle leaf – small piece
honey – 1 tbsp
turmeric powder -1 tbsp
Tulsi leaves -2
water – 150 ml
METHOD
Mix all the ingredients in the water
Boil till reduces to half level

Cool and feed it to the little one at regular intervals.

It will relieve from cough and cold.
HICCUPS
Hiccups are caused due to sudden contraction of diaphragm and closing of the vocal chords. It usually happens when the child gets overexcited.

Some remedies are given below

1. Try to divert the baby.
2. Give them water to sip.
3. Make the baby lie down and pat their back.

4. Lift the baby , place on the shoulder and make him/her burp.
TEETHING PAIN
1. Pacifier can be freezed with breastmilk or formula milk in ice cube tray. Baby can suck this to soothe the gums.
2. Apply chamomile tea bags.
3. Teething rings can be given for chewing.
4 . Coconut oil or almond oil can be applied over the gums.
5. Cold towel can be given to be chewed.
DIAPER RASH
Diaper rash is common in babies especially when they wear them for longer periods.
This can range from moderate to severe.
HOME REMEDIES
Apply a paste of sandalwood powder(from sandalwood stick and not sandalwood tablets sold over the counter)on the affected area.
This provides a cooling effect and also is soothing for the skin irritation.

We can also apply coconut oil whenever we wear the diaper on the little one.
Most important point to be kept in mind is each time we change diaper wipe with a clean cloth dipped in lukewarm water , air dry the area of five minutes, apply coconut oil generously.

It is even more better if we leave them diaper free for few hours during the day.

OVERALL HEALTH
Urai marundhu is an ancient set of six items which are rubbed on a stone, mixed with water or breastmilk and given to the child.

This is generally given immediately after a bath.

The six items and their benefits are listed below.

*SWEET FLAG (VASAMBU)- Increases immunity and hunger.

*INK NUT (KADUKAI)- Increases bowel movement.

*MAASIKAI (GALL NUT/OAK NUT)- Prevents the white layer on tongue.

*INDIAN GINGER/SNAP GINGER (SITHARATHAI)- remedy from cold & cough.

*NUTMEG (JATHIKAI)- Induces good sleep.

*DRY GINGER (SUKKU)- remedy from cold & cough.

*TURMERIC (MANJAL/ HALDI) (OPTIONAL)- Antiseptic

The above list of items, the rubbing stone, the feeding spoon is available as kit online.
RELIEVING GAS
1. Mix Hing or asafoetida in water, make a paste. Apply from the navel on the tummy in anticlockwise direction.

2. Give two spoons of ajwain water or jeera water after each feed.

3. Include garlic in veggie puree.

4. Do bicycle excercise or peddling movement.

5.I LOVE YOU exercise
Rub the left side of baby tummy( your right side).
Rub in shape of inverted L and then and inverted U.

WONDER OIL AT HOME (CASTOR OIL)
Castor oil is very beneficial, especially when having a new born baby at home.
Castor oil is known to reduce body heat and have clean bowels.
Apply little castor oil on top of the head at the centre once your little one wake up.
Apply on the feet and tummy( naval and area around)
This will reduce body heat of the baby.
Especially during summer.
MIRACLE HERB
Calamus known as vasambu in Tamil is a wonder herb.
Best sought home remedy for almost any health ailments in new borns.
The vasambu stick is usually made as small beads and tied as bracelet in both hands. The babies lick it which cures almost all stomach ailments and gas troubles.It can also be put in a potli and kept near the cradle or bed.
The vasambu stick is kept handy at home.
It is burnt in fire and the charred pieces is made into powder, mixed with castor oil and applied on tummy.Right from day one.
This powder can also be given orally mixed with honey.
This can be done once a week.
The vasambu stick is also available in powder form in shops.

Given common names below

vasambu – Tamil
vasa Bach – Hindi
baje- Kannada
vasa/vadacha- Telugu

vayambu- malayalam