Benefits to the Baby

1. Due to the anti-infective properties of breastmilk, breastfed babies tend to have less incidence of or less pronounced symptoms of ear infections, respiratory illness, allergies, diarrhea, and vomiting

2. Due to the digestibility of breastmilk, breastfed babies are rarely constipated.

3. The stools of breastfed babies are mild-smelling.

4. SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is less common in breastfed babies.

5. Breastmilk is constantly changing in its composition to meet the changing needs of the baby.

6. It has the exact combination of protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and sugars needed for the human infant at various stages of his growth.

Benefits to the Mother

1. Studies indicate that breastfeeding helps improve mothers’ health, as well as their children’s. A woman grows both physically and emotionally from the relationship she forms with her baby. Just as a woman’s breast milk is designed specifically to nourish the body of an infant, the production and delivery of this milk aids her own health.

2. Breastfeeding helps a woman to lose weight after birth. Mothers burn many calories during lactation as their bodies produce milk. In fact, some of the weight gained during pregnancy serves as an energy source for lactation.

3. Breastfeeding releases a hormone in the mother (oxytocin) that causes the uterus to return to its normal size more quickly.

4. Breastfeeding appears to reduce the mother’s risk of developing osteoporosis in later years. Although mothers experience bone-mineral loss during breastfeeding, their mineral density is replenished and even increased after lactation.

5. Diabetic women improve their health by breastfeeding. Not only do nursing infants have increased protection from juvenile diabetes, the amount of insulin that the mother requires postpartum goes down.

6. Women who lactate for a total of two or more years reduce their chances of developing breast cancer by 24 percent.
Women who breastfeed their children have been shown to be less likely to develop uterine, endometrial or ovarian cancer.

7. The emotional health of the mother may be enhanced by the relationship she develops with her infant during breastfeeding, resulting in fewer feelings of anxiety and a stronger sense of connection with her baby.

Other Benefits

1. Breastfeeding makes you feel good, the hormones produced during nursing have an endorphin effect  giving you a relaxed feeling.

2. You have a great excuse to sit down and relax…..

3. You can nurse while sleeping…nursing moms get more rest than formula feeding moms.

4. Breastfeeding saves moms about 7 hours a week off their feet.

5. It’s the only time you can ever lose weight without dieting or exercise!

6. During times of disaster,  you don’t have to worry about finding formula.

7. Breastfed babies smell great….spit ups don’t stain, or smell, and poopie diapers are not offensive…(until solids are introduced)

8. The strong bond developed with nursing is much more intense.

9. The satisfaction of knowing you are giving your baby the best start in life!

Depression can be confusing for women when it occurs during pregnancy, since having a baby is expected to be a very happy occasion. Unfortunately, however, depression commonly accompanies pregnancy , and up to 10% of pregnant women will experience depression.

The consequences of depression during pregnancy include difficulty performing usual activities and failure to seek prenatal care; inadequate diet; the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other harmful substances; and the risk of self-harm or suicide. Depression may affect fetal growth as well as infant temperament and later behavior in childhood.

Postpartum depression is more common in women with prenatal depression than in women who do not have prenatal depression, and it may lead to difficulties with infant care, mother–child attachment, care of other children, and the relationship with the woman’s partner.

A woman is diagnosed with depression if she experiences these disturbing moods, feelings, and behaviors nearly every day for 2 weeks that significantly interfere with her ability to care for herself, her other children, her home and her work.

• Depressed mood or extreme sadness

• Crying spells for no apparent reason

• Guilty thoughts or feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness

• Restlessness, lack of control, or lack of energy

• Difficulty concentrating or disorganized thoughts

• Feelings of guilt or inadequacy as a mother-to-be

• Changes in sleep or appetite e.g. sleeping or eating too little or too much

• Withdrawing from partner, family, friends, co-workers

• Thoughts of suicide or other frightening thoughts of hurting others

I’m here today to talk about pregnancy, birth and infant feeding. How to create a baby feeding schedule? Do you schedule the way that you eat or do you eat when you’re hungry? With a new born baby, it’s very difficult to schedule their feeding. A new born baby who is breastfeed will feed on an average every two hours.

In the first four months the baby have to be feed only with the breast milk or on the ilk based formula and the Baby feeding schedule is two to three times a day i.e. in the morning and in the evening. It helps to tune their body when to get hungry. The Baby feeding schedule helps them to get normal eating schedule of having breakfast in the morning and dinner at night.

Hunger Signs

Feeding your baby only when he is hungry will allow a more natural feeding pattern to develop. It is important to learn your baby’s hunger signs, which can include sucking motions and hand-to-mouth movements.

Feeding him as soon as he shows signs he is hungry will prevent him from becoming upset. Crying is usually seen as a late sign of hunger. By this stage he may be agitated and will be hard to settle. Do not always assume your baby is crying because of hunger. Crying could indicate a dirty diaper or the need for an extra blanket, or he may just need a cuddle. Feeding your baby every time he cries can lead to comfort feeding, and this can make establishing a routine virtually impossible.

Here are some signs to tell when to start baby solid foods

• He or she is atleast 4 or 6 months old.

• Doubles birth weight and weighs at least 13-15 pounds.

• Seems hungry after 8 to 10 breastfeedings a day or drinks 32 ounces of formula a day.

• He or she can sit with support, allowing her to lean forward when she wants another spoonful and backward to refuse.

• He or she is drinking at least 32-40 ounces of formula per 24-hours and still wants more.

• He or she is breast feeding at least 8-10 times per 24-hours (after the first few weeks), empties both breasts at each feeding, and still wants more.

• The time between feedings becomes shorter and shorter over a period of several days Baby can bring object in their hand directly to their mouth.

Children with extremely high energy levels have a desperate need to keep moving around from one place to another. They need to climb and jump and run about. You might find them run around in circles and you will be amazed at the energy they have. And with them you also have to run around. It is not easy for an energetic child to sit in one place for long.

Use nonverbal cues to deal with active children. Display serious facial expressions and body postures. Speak authoritatively in a loud, attention-getting voice when they start to get out of control. When children get rowdy, get down to their eye-level and move in close, like a drill sergeant.

Let children on the verge of hyperactivity know you mean business by giving them time-outs in a designated chair or corner.

How to clean Baby eyes?

Clean the baby’s eyes with sterile gauze (one for each eye!) Soaked in saline. Start with the cleanest edge for not extending the secretions throughout the eye.

Secretions white, sometimes with a little blood, are not synonymous with infection. They are caused by falling levels of progesterone made by the mother during pregnancy. They must disappear by themselves. Otherwise, you’d better talk to your pediatrician. Take the opportunity to do some prevention.

One child in eight suffers from blurred vision and opportunity to correct this disorder are even more important that the detection was performed earlier. Detected before 18 months early care treatments, 100% of children reunited with normal sight.

While your baby’s tear duct is developing she may be more prone to conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis is an inflammation in the eye that makes it pink, sore and itchy. If you are worried your baby has conjunctivitis, see your doctor.

Set up an area where you can work easily clean clothes, singlet’s, diapers, clean towels, cleaning items such as wash clothes and baby soap. A clean baby bath, and the ability to fill the bath, without breaking your back, to a suitable temperature – luke warm is too cold, as the water will be cold after the baby has been in it for a few minutes. Make the water warm enough so that it is pleasant when tested on a sensitive part of your skin – but not burning hot.

Baby Bath Basics Bath time can be a fun, special experience to share with your baby. But it can also be tricky to keep your little one safe while he gets squeaky clean.

Bathing your baby – Pregnancy, baby and toddler health . Are you wondering whether your baby needs a bath every day, or when you can make a bath part of his bedtime routine? Our article has the answers.

Baby Bath – babyearth Bath time is a wonderful bonding time between you and your baby – from infancy to childhood. Make this time together even more special with our large selection of .

Do clean the essential areas of the baby including face and neck and the diaper area. But be gentle with eyes, ears and soft areas. Also clean the areas like between fingers and toes, around the neck, behind the ears, under arms. Do clean their nose with the cotton buds.

Essential steps include:

• Undress him, dip his feet in the water, and then lay him in the sponge insert. Hold his head up with one hand while you wash with the other.

• The water should be deep enough to keep him warm, but not so deep that he will start floating and become difficult to hold onto.

• Using a soft washcloth and a small amount of baby soap, bathe him from the feet up.

• Dip the washcloth in the warm water repeatedly and let it flow over him to keep him warm.

• Be careful to not get soap in his eyes; wipe them from the inside out after you squeeze excess soapy water out of the washcloth.

• Do his scalp last, and using the cup, make sure the water flows off the back of his head and does not get in his eyes.

• Rinse him off with cups of warm water, then carefully lift your slippery baby out of the tub, bundle him in a towel to dry, and diaper and dress him.

• Enjoy the moment and then show mom her happy, clean, sweet smelling baby.

Setting Up
The first step in baby massaging involves making the place of massage as comfortable as possible for the baby. For this you will need two sets of soft towels, a blanket and massage oil. It is recommended that babies be massaged at least half an hour after they are fed. Keep the room temperature warm. Place a small quantity of cream or lotion on your palms and warm it by rubbing your palms.

Massaging the upper body
Start the upper body massage with your hands on your baby’s shoulders and make gentle strokes in towards the chest. Massage the arms by stroking from the shoulders down towards the wrists. Try not to get oil on your baby’s hands but if that happens, wipe her fingers clean before she sucks them. If your baby’s tummy feels soft (not hard or full) massage his belly using circular, clockwise strokes. Babies’ tummies are sensitive, so if he becomes unsettled, move on to the next step. Avoid massaging the naval area if the cord has not completely healed.

Massaging Techniques For Face And Head
Use your finger tips to produce very light pressure on the face of the baby. Start by making feathered strokes on the forehead. Trace from the brow line and to the tip of the head.

Avoid using strongly perfumed oils
Avoid using strongly perfumed oils as these may irritate your baby’s skin. Also read the labels on any so-called ‘baby oils’, as some are mineral based, being commonly derived from petro-chemicals. These types can dry the baby’s skin and leave an oily surface that will need to be sponged or washed off with soapy water, to prevent it from blocking their skins pores. Only pour enough oil for the massage into a small bowl or container (for easy use). Never pour any unused oil back into the bottle, as it may cause contamination of the oil.

Massage Techniques For Chest And Stomach
Bring the finger tips to the center of the infant’s chest. Start to make very soft movements staring from the centre and out to the shoulders, slowly moving down to the stomach.

When it comes to childcare for a disabled child, a lot of the considerations are the same as for any other child. There are a few extra things to think about, such as specialist training or a child’s medical needs. Find out about different types of childcare.

Disabled childcare tends to be expensive. This could mean making extra sacrifices or working longer hours for one or both parents.

The harsh truth is that more often than not, your disabled child will be your responsibility for a lot longer than other regular children. It is never too early to speak to a lawyer and set up a system where his needs are taken care of even when you are no more.

Childminders and nannies are a great choice for caring for disabled children because:

*  childminders care for small groups of children, so they are able to offer individual care, taking into account the
*  particular requirements of a specific child, and work in close partnership with parents
*  childminding is flexible in the hours offered – up to two thirds of NCMA members are willing to provide care

*  during early mornings (before 8am) and evenings (after 7pm)
*  siblings can be cared for together
*  childminders are often available close to the family’s home
*  a nanny can live in the family home
*  parents can claim help with childcare costs via childcare vouchers.

This is proved by the medical and scientific community that complete hair follicles and other oil glands are formed in the growing fetus by the 6th month in the womb.

Generally the fetus to have a very well growth of hair in their heads. This growth has been seen at sonograms taken on this point in the pregnancy. In the development of this point sometimes hair will also be appear on the shoulders and back.

Don’t worry about this. Important is to note that the fetus hair color often a different than the color the hair will be afterward in life.

Haircare tips for baby that really work:

1.  Only use gentle hair products developed for babies and young children.
2.  As soon as you’ve washed and conditioned, get the little knots out with a wide-toothed comb.
3.  Make sure your toddler has the right haircut. If the hair is curly, you may want her hair all one length. If it’s thick or wavy, a layered haircut can help.
4.  Use a shampoo that’s enriched with conditioners for the delicate nature of baby’s hair.
5.  Make hair washing as fun as possible with a sing-a-long or scalp massage as you lather the shampoo. Maybe you could let her blow bubbles.
6.  Protect long hair overnight – never leave clips in, do keep hair tied up and if it’s long enough you could also plait it before sleep.
7.  In some weather conditions, your child’s hair can become unruly. To avoid this, try styling your toddler’s hair. You can also use our leave-in conditioner to help.

As children start to take an interest in their own hair and how they style it, it is the time to encourage them to follow an entire regimen of good hair hygiene practices. Show children how to properly shampoo and rinse their hair. Tangles cause irritation and pain for young children.

Noodle & Boo’s Conditioning Hair Polish eliminates this frustration by gently taking away the source of irritation: tangles! Hair becomes easy to comb without pain or pulling, and it dries shiny smooth. It also ensures that children look well groomed in between shampooing by giving children (and their parents) a grooming tool that does not weigh down hair, but leaves it well styled. This excellent tool helps eliminate bed-head and ensures that children will look well groomed in between shampoos.

Do you have an autistic children on your holiday or birthday-gift list? Are you struggling to figure out what type of baby toys he or she will enjoy? Even parents of autistic children stumble over what to do when it comes to buying toys their child will actually play with. Children with autism have very few interests, so it’s important to find out what they’re fascinated with, if possible. However, since sensory issues play a major role in autism symptoms, it’s also essential to consider any sensory problems before making the final choice.

One of the hardest things for autistic children to learn is how to match objects together by different variants. Moreover, this Stacking Shapes Toy is one of the best educational toys for autistic children. It will help a child with autism learn the basics about matching shapes and objects together by size, color, and shape!

Autistic children like repetitive behavior, so poetry or mechanical toys which require taking things apart and putting them back together will help both by keeping them occupied and improving their motor skills.

Autistic kids may have learning problems and for them, toys which teach them something, like math cards or picture cards will be a great source of learning. It is not hard to buy toys for autistic children to come by as they can be found in regular toy stores.

The best toys for autistic children are ones that address the child’s needs, and needs include enjoying playtime. Choose toys and games that teach skills while engaging kids in activities that promote: 

*  Social interaction
*  Communication
*  Fine motor
*  Gross motor
*  Sensory integration