Wednesday 30 November 2016

Breastfeeding basics for New Mom


Ask any expert and they'll tell you that breastfeeding is the most natural of a woman's mothering instincts -- an almost indescribable urge, some say, to both nurture and nourish your newborn child.

However, as any experienced mother can tell you, actually going about feeding a newborn might feel anything but normal or natural, at least in the beginning. Mother Nature may be sending breastfeeding signals your way, but when it comes to knowing exactly what to do you could find yourself at a loss.

Lots of women wonder why, if breastfeeding is such a normal, natural thing, the skills don't just magically appear. The answer may simply be a lack of exposure to the process itself. In previous generations, little girls watched their mothers breastfeed, sisters watched each other -- and women generally had a support system as well as role models. Many women nowadays don’t have any experience on which to draw and it's not uncommon for some to feel awkward or even uncomfortable.

The good news is that, with just a little bit of knowledge and some patience, you can quickly and easily master the art of breastfeeding.

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Latching on

As you are learning to breastfeed, your baby is also learning to eat. As natural as the suckling instinct is, don't be surprised if your new little bundle of joy has a bit of trouble mastering what experts call ’latching on’. This is the way babies need to attach to their mother's breast to receive milk.

In addition, having a good ’latch’ also helps mum avoid sore nipples and keeps the breasts from becoming engorged with milk, which in turn can reduce the risk of infection.

To help ensure a good latch, hold your breast and touch your nipple to the centre of your baby's lips. This will encourage what is called the ’rooting reflex’, sending a signal to your baby to open his or her mouth.

As this occurs gently pull your baby toward your breast, allowing your nipple and at least one inch of your entire areola (the dark area surrounding your nipple) to disappear into your baby's mouth. Your baby's lips should look full and pouting, as if they were blowing you a kiss. One of the biggest mistakes women make is giving their baby only their nipple to suck. In order for proper latching to take place, much more of the breast must go into the baby's mouth. This is one reason why it's so important that the mouth be as wide as possible when a breastfeeding session begins. You can encourage your baby to open his mouth wide by gently stroking his top lip.

Here are some tips to help ensure a proper latch -- particularly the first few times you breastfeed. Place your opposite hand underneath your breast and, using your thumb, gently push up under your areola and position more of your breast in your baby's mouth, making sure not to get your fingers inside.

How much sleep do children need?


There are no hard and fast rules about the exact number of hours of sleep children need at different ages. The NHS offers some broad recommendations developed by the private Millpond Children's Sleep Clinic:

1-4 weeks old: 15.5-16.5 hours per day

Newborns typically sleep in short periods of two to four hours. Premature babies may sleep longer and colicky ones shorter.

Since newborns do not yet have an internal biological clock, or circadian rhythm, their sleep patterns are not related to the daylight and night-time cycles. In fact, they tend not to have much of a pattern at all.

3 months old: 15 hours per day

By this time, your baby is beginning to settle down a bit, and you may notice more regular sleep patterns emerging. The longest periods of sleep run four to six hours and now tend to occur more regularly in the evening. Day-night confusion ends with around 5 hours in the day and 10 hours at night.

6 months old: 14 hours per day

Establishing healthy sleep habits is a primary goal during this period, as your baby is now much more social, and their sleep patterns are more adult-like.

Babies typically have three naps and drop to two at around six months old, at which time (or earlier) they are physically capable of sleeping through the night. Daytime naps will account for around 4 hours of sleep, with around 10 hours at night.

9 months old: 14 hours a day

The ratio of day to night time sleep moves more towards the night, with around 11.25 hours at night and 2.75 hours in the day.

1 year old: 14 hours per day

As your child moves past the first year towards, they will probably start to lose their morning nap and nap only once a day. While toddlers may need up to 14 hours a day of sleep, they typically get around 2.5 hours in the day and 11.5 at night.

3 years old: 12 hours per day

Children at this age typically go to bed between 7pm and 9pm and wake up around 6am or 8am, just as they did when they were younger. At three, most children are still napping for about an hour during the day, and getting 11 hours of sleep at night.

4 years old: 11.5 hours per day

The daytime naps will have ended and 11.5 hours of sleep at night are possible.

5-12 years old: 11-9.25 hours a night

As the child gets older, the night time hours of sleep will reduce slightly, as they tend to stay up later in the evening.

12-16 years old: 9.25-8.5 hours per night

Sleep needs remain just as vital to health and wellbeing for older children and teenagers as when they were younger. It turns out that many teenagers may actually need more sleep than in previous years. Now, however, social pressures conspire against getting the correct amount and quality of sleep.

Sunday 27 November 2016

Treatment and Prevention of Cold for your Baby


Treatment

Colds don't need to be treated. They usually go away on their own after a few days. Antibiotics won't work because they kill bacteria, and in this case, viruses are to blame.

You’ll naturally want to calm your baby's symptoms. But don't give over-the-counter cough and cold medicines to infants and toddlers. These products don't work well in kids under 6 years, and they can cause dangerous side effects in young children. The FDA advises against using them at all in children younger than 4.

To bring down a fever and make your child more comfortable, you can use acetaminophen (Children's Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Children's Motrin or Advil) if she's over 6 months old. Read the package to make sure you give the right dose for her weight and age.

Never give a child any medicine that contains aspirin. It can raise the risk for a rare but serious disease called Reye's syndrome.

To help your little one feel better, let her get lots of rest and try one of these home remedies:

Extra fluids. Nurse your infant more often. In babies over 6 months, you can also give water and 100% fruit juice. The added fluid will prevent dehydration and keep your child’s nose and mouth moist.

Spray saline and suck out mucus. If your baby has trouble breathing through a stuffed nose, spray a few drops of a saline (saltwater) solution into each nostril to loosen the mucus. Then use a bulb syringe to remove the mucus. Squeeze the bulb and then place the tip into your child's nostril. Release the bulb to gently suction out the mucus. Wash the tip of the syringe with soap and water after each use. If you make your own saline solution, use distilled water or boiled tap water.

Turn on a humidifier.  A cool-mist humidifier will add moisture to the air and keep your baby's nose from drying out. Wash out the machine after each use to prevent bacteria and mold buildup.

Prevention

Unfortunately, you can't prevent every cold, especially during the winter months when these viruses often circulate. But you can lower your baby's risk of getting sick with these tips:

Ask anyone who's sick to stay away from your home.
Keep your baby away from crowded places where there are lots of germs.
Wash your hands often during the day. Ask anyone who holds your baby to also wash their hands.
Clean your baby's toys often with soap and water.
Don't let anyone use your baby's cup, utensils, or towels.
Tell older children to cough or sneeze into a tissue or their elbow, instead of into the air.
Don't let anyone smoke near your child. Cigarette smoke can make your baby more likely to get sick.

Cold Causes and Symptoms of your Baby


Babies get so many colds because their immune system isn't yet ready to fight off the 100 or so viruses that cause these infections. The cold virus spreads through the air when someone who's sick coughs or sneezes. It also lands on surfaces such as toys and tables. When babies touch these surfaces and then put their hands in their mouths -- which they do a lot -- they give the cold virus an easy entry route.

Babies often pick up colds at day care. Or they can catch it from older brothers and sisters who bring the virus home from school -- or from grown-ups who shook hands with someone who should have stayed home from work.

Symptoms

Babies start to show signs of a cold about 1 to 3 days after they're infected. Symptoms in young children can include:

Stuffy nose
Runny nose, which should be clear at first but may turn yellow or green
Sneezing
Cough
Fussiness
Fatigue
Reduced appetite
Trouble sleeping
Fever
Vomiting, diarrhea

Friday 25 November 2016

The Greatest Mom Tips Ever


Even though some of my mothering skills came naturally, like realizing I could nurse my newborn son, Conrad, while walking up the spiral staircase, my confidence as a new mom was hard-won. I always assumed there was a book, or a gadget, or one of Angelina Jolie's nannies, who knew how to do everything better than I could. Worse, I thought my lack of mothering-nerve was a blemish on the image of the perfect mom I wanted to be. (I hadn't yet realized that trying to be perfect was ridiculous.) I kept my insecurities to myself and continued to shop for stuff I didn't need and buy tomes that were better used as stacking blocks.

Then I got a card from an older family friend, and all she wrote was this: "One day you will feel like you know what you're doing." Six years, many mistakes, and another baby boy later, I do. But that card let me start to trust myself more every day. Well, dear reader, consider this your own card from an old friend. We've gathered the best, most ingenious it-worked-for-me tips from moms and childcare experts to help you sail, not sob, through all the small but significant day-to-day acts of being a mom. Confidence, here you come.


3 Insta-Soothers You Can Count On

Try The Triple Play Rub lavender essential oil on the back of your neck for a calming scent (feel free to swipe your kid's Johnson & Johnson lotion). Then wrap your baby in a blanket and gently bounce on a fitness ball or the edge of the bed, suggests Jill Wodnick, a doula in Montclair, NJ, and mother of Nathaniel, 7, Sebastian, 4, and Emerson, 2.
Head To the Loo Need help fast? Run the bathroom fan and faucet. Low, droning noises remind your little one of hearing your heartbeat in utero, says Dr. Altmann, mother of Avrick, 4, and Collen, 2.
Create a Toddler Cocoon "When toddlers throw tantrums, they often need to block out stimulation in order to calm down," says Corinne G. Catalano, school psychologist at the Ben Samuels Children's Center at Montclair State University. So instead of picking up your tot, make a "cave" or cocoonlike space by throwing a blanket over a small table and allowing him to climb under it. If you've got a pop-up kid tent, that will work, too. Give him his lovey and a pillow, and he'll have the soothing sanctuary he needs to regroup.

Help the Medicine Go Down (or In)
Who hasn't squirted Motrin into her toddler's ear when he's putting up a feverish fight? Take a cue from Mary Poppins and mix a dose of medicine with chocolate syrup, suggests Tanya Altmann, M.D., author of Mommy Calls. For toddlers and older babies on solid foods, medicine will seem like a treat! Another option: Refrigerate OTC meds. Cold can mask the taste. For eyedrops, lay your baby on her back and put a toy on her belly so she'll look down. If she's old enough to follow directions, just tell her to close her eyes. Place a drop on the inner corner of the eye, right by her nose. When she looks up or opens her eye, the drop will fall right in. (Works for drowsing pets, too!)


10 Things You Never Knew You Could Do With One Hand
text-message
make spaghetti
feed a pet
wrap a present using a mini-shopping bag, tissue, and a stick-on bow
brush an older child's hair
fold baby clothes and put back in drawers
repot a plant
write thank-you notes
whip up a smoothie
tend to husband's personal needs (if you know what we mean)

Happier Hair Washing
Turn this often torturous process into something your toddler will look forward to: Treat her to a salon visit right in your own home, suggests Parenting Mom Squad expert Denene Millner, of Snellville, GA. What to do:

1. Talk in a fancy voice and ask her to lie down on the kitchen counter, with her head hanging over the sink, just like she would if she were sitting in the shampoo chair at a salon.
2. Roll Up a towel and ut it under her neck for support.
3. Let her lean back and enjoy. Use your fingers to give her a head massage while you shampoo.
4. Rinse, wrap hair up in a turban.
5. Accept kisses as tips.

Better Bangs: The unfortunate hallmark of an at-home trim is poorly cut bangs. The secret? Don't cut them from ear to ear. Instead, trim them in from the outside edge of each eyebrow.

Car Seats on the Fly
Many a parent has suffered a long flight with a crying baby only to discover that she can't get the car seat out of the airplane seat. Because airline seatbelts open with a pull lever, the belt can easily get wedged in the car-seat back once it has been tightened. If you can't pull the lever, well, you're stuck. Avoid this problem with two solutions that are FAA compliant: Ask your airline attendant for a seat-belt extender, suggests Troy Lanier, coauthor of DadLabs Guide to Fatherhood. The extender attaches to and lengthens the belt so you can reach the buckle when deplaning. If you can't get their attention in time, simply turn the buckle over so that the clasp opens in a different direction.

How to Defuse Road Rage
We've all been there: You're making great time on a trip home from the mall and then, bam!, traffic. Your child, who was happy moving at 50 miles per hour, is hysterical when your speedometer drops below 10. Some quick tricks to avoid crying jags.

Turn on cool tunes As soon as you see a stream of brake lights ahead, pop in a customized CD that sings your child's name in every stanza ($14.95 to $19.95; mymusiccd.com). "When my girls hear their names in a song, they instantly stop crying," says Tomlin, who's the author of Chaos 2 Calm: The Moms of Multiples' Guide to an Organized Family and mom of 3-year-old twins, Peyton and Sydney.
Dial it in Low-tone cell-phone ringtones can be calming, says Catalano. And that's why when Nancy Caron's 18-month-old son, Parker, is inconsolable, she whips out her cell phone and plays tones that are heavy on the drum and bass. (If she's in the driver's seat, she pulls over first!)
Stash some magnets Dig out an old metal cake pan or small cookie sheet and load it up with large magnetic pictures or letters (they should be larger than 1 3/4 inches in diameter). The magic of magnetism can keep them entertained for hours (okay...many, many minutes).


3 Nighttime Tips
Think Big To avoid 2 a.m. diaper leaks, Brooke Harmon of Phoenix puts her son in a diaper one size up: "It absorbs all the pee and never makes a mess."
Go Backward Tonia Tomlin of Plano, TX, got so tired of her twin daughters' late-night ritual of ripping off their pj's that she put their footless zip-up sleepers on backward.
Do Diaper Prep Pre-fill newborn dipes with ointment before bed to save time during middle-of-the-night changes.

Better Mothering Through Technology
Heather Gibbs Flett and Whitney Moss, authors of The Rookie Mom's Handbook, offer up four ways to convert your iPhone into the ultimate mother's helper.

Make It a Baby Monitor You're at a dinner party and are worried you won't hear your sleeping baby in your host's bedroom. Download the application at codegoo.com/page/baby-monitor ($4.99), then stash your phone near the babe. If he stirs, your phone will call a number you've chosen (e.g., Daddy's cell).
Let it Lull Download the white-noise ambient application ($1.99; tmsoft.com/iphone-whitenoise.html) and place the phone in your baby's car seat or stroller. The app also offers a variety of sounds, including some as quietly calming as lapping waves and rain.
Turn it into a Tracker Log your baby's diaper changes and feedings with the applications at andesigned.net (99¢, $7.99). Both store a history of your data, in case you need to share it with your doctor.
Have it Wooo Them Download the Wooo Button (iphoneappreviews.net/2008/08/01/wooo-button). It's simple: You press a button and a man shouts "Wooo!" Kids love it, and it's so harmlessly addictive that you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish!

Must-Know Multitasker
Now that you have a kid, you'll never get to go to the bathroom alone again. How to master the pee-and-feed with ease.
1. Wear elastic-waist pants or a comfy skirt you can lift with one hand.
2. Get the babe happily latched on.
3. Do your business.
4. Flush later—no need to chance a startle.

Tasty Teething Trick
Frozen washcloths are great, but your baby may stay at it longer and get more relief if you add some flavor into the mix. Try putting large chunks of these in a mesh teether:
Sour pickles (surprised? kids adore all things tangy)
Cool cucumbers
Sweet carrots

Stand-Up Comedy (aka the Vertical Diaper Change)
1. Wrap one arm around your child's belly to hold him still, then tear off the old dipe.
2. Ask him to touch his toes if he can, then use your free hand to wipe.
3. Place new diaper over the front of his body, push it through his legs, and then over his butt.
4.Secure tabs. Hike it up gently, then adjust tabs again if necessary.