Newborn sleep: what to expect

                               

Newborn sleep: how much and when

Babies need sleep to grow and develop well. For newborns this is usually 14-17 hours in every 24 hours. But sleep patterns can vary a lot.

Newborns usually sleep in short bursts of 2-3 hours each. Some newborns sleep for up to four hours at a time. Newborns wake frequently to feed because they have tiny tummies. Your newborn might go straight back to sleep after feeding or they might stay awake long enough for a short play.

Some newborns get tired after being awake for 1-1½ hours. Some stay awake and alert longer.

Newborns sleep during the day and night. They don’t know that people sleep at night. The parts of their brains that control day-night sleep cycles haven’t matured yet.

Newborn play might just be a quiet cuddle or some time stretching out and kicking on a blanket. You might find that 10-20 minutes of play is enough for your newborn. You can increase playtime as your baby gets older and stays awake for longer.

Newborn sleep cycles

Newborns have two different kinds of sleep – active sleep and quiet sleep.

During active sleep, newborns move around a lot and make noises. They can be woken easily during active sleep.

During quiet sleep, newborns are still. Their breathing is deep and regular. They’re less likely to wake during quiet sleep.

When newborns sleep, they go through sleep cycles. Each newborn sleep cycle has both active sleep and quiet sleep, and takes about 40 minutes.

At the end of each cycle, newborns wake up for a little while. When they wake, they might grizzle or cry. If your baby wakes at the end of a sleep cycle, you might need to help baby settle for the next sleep cycle.

At night: newborn sleep and waking

In the first few months, newborns usually wake several times a night for feeds.

Between one and three months, your baby might start waking less often and have a longer period of sleep at night.

By the time your baby is around three months old, they might regularly be having a longer sleep at night – for example, around 4-5 hours. But you can expect that your baby will still wake at least once each night.

If your baby is premature or low birth weight, your pediatrician might recommend that you let your baby sleep for only a certain amount of time at night before you wake them for a feed.

Bathing a Newborn.

                         

How often to give your newborn a bath

A bath 2-3 times a week is enough to keep your newborn clean. But if your baby really likes baths, your baby can bath once a day. Bathing more than this can dry out your baby’s skin.

You can keep your baby’s genitals clean between baths by using warm water and cotton wool.

About 5-10 minutes is long enough for a newborn bath. This is especially important if your baby has dry or sensitive skin.

    A ‘top and tail’ bath is when you use cotton wool and warm water for your baby’s eyes and face, and a washcloth for their hands and bottom. ‘Topping and tailing’ means you can concentrate on the areas that really need a wash, and your baby can keep most of their clothes on while you do it. 

When to give your newborn a bath

You can bath your baby at any time of the day. It’s a good idea to pick a time when you’re relaxed and you won’t be interrupted. And it’s best to avoid bathing your baby when baby is hungry or straight after a feed.

If bathing relaxes your baby, you can use it as a way to settle your baby for sleep in the evening.

Where to bath your newborn

You can give your newborn a bath in a small plastic bath or even keeping the baby in the legs. By keeping the baby in leg might be easiest in the first few weeks. A plastic baby bath is probably easier once your baby gets bigger.

Tradional Leg method

You can bath your baby in any room that’s warm, safe and clean – it doesn’t have to be a bathroom.

You can also shower with your baby. Keep your baby’s face away from the pouring water and make sure to use warm, not hot, water.

                                      

                                                              Bath Tub.

Setting up a newborn bath: tips

Here’s how to get ready for a newborn bath:

1. Take the phone off the hook or turn your phone off while bathing your baby. You’ll be less likely to get distracted.
2. Make sure you have everything you need within reach – for example, towel, washcloth, cream or ointment, clean clothes and clean nappy.
3. Avoid using soap because this will dry out your baby’s skin. If needed, use a fragrance-free oil or a gentle non-soap cleanser at the end of the bath.
4. Position the bath somewhere stable and at a height where you can comfortably hold your baby.
5. Fill the bath with just enough warm water to wash your baby. Use jugs of water to fill the bath if you’re planning to bath your baby away from the tap.
6. Take off your watch and jewellery and wash your hands.
7. Check the water temperature is 37-38°C before you put your baby in the bath. If you don’t have a thermometer, use your wrist or elbow to test the temperature – it should be comfortably warm, not hot.
8. Before bathing your baby in a sink, briefly run cold water through the tap once you’ve finished filling the bath.
9. Don’t add extra water while your baby is in the bath.

Giving your newborn a bath: steps

These steps make bathing your newborn easy:

• Before undressing your baby, wipe their eyelids (from inner eye to outer eye) with cotton wool dipped in lukewarm water. Squeeze out extra water. Use a new piece of cotton wool for each wipe. Then wash the whole face. Be careful not to put anything into your baby’s ears or nose.
• Undress your baby, taking the nappy off last.
• Cradle your baby’s head and shoulders with one arm and support their body with your other arm. Gently lower your baby into the bath, feet first, keeping a close hold at all times.
• Supporting your baby’s head, lay your baby down in the bath so the back of their head is in the water. Gently splash some water onto their head. You don’t need to use shampoo.
• Gently wash your baby’s genitals and bottom last, using water only. Also clean out any bits of poo, vomit or milk from your baby’s body creases.

Children can drown in a few seconds in very shallow water. Never leave your baby alone in the bath, even if you’re using a bath seat or cradle. Never leave older children or siblings to supervise. If you’re disturbed by the phone or another task, take your baby out of the bath.

Drying and dressing your newborn after a bath: steps

Here’s how to take your newborn out of the bath, ready for drying and dressing:

• Supporting your baby’s head and neck, lift your baby out of the bath then place them on their back on a clean, dry, soft towel. If possible, dry your baby on the floor so they can’t fall. If you’re changing your baby on a raised surface like a table, keep one hand on your baby at all times.
• Wrap your baby in a soft towel and pat baby dry. Dry baby’s skin creases, including armpits, groin, under the chin, around the neck and behind the ears.
• If your baby’s skin is dry, apply a non-perfumed cream or ointment to your baby’s skin.
• If your baby has nappy rash, apply a thick barrier cream like zinc paste to the nappy area.
• Dress your baby, putting their nappy on first.
• Place your baby in a safe place, like a cot or bassinette.
• Empty the bath water.

Bathing your baby takes practice, so try to relax and take your time. You might like to start by bathing your baby when someone else is around to help. If you’re worried about losing your grip on your baby, you can make the bath less slippery by lining it with a clean cloth nappy or towel.

Helping baby enjoy bath time

To help your baby enjoy bath time, you can try placing your hand gently on their tummy. You can also place a warm wet washcloth on their chest and tummy. This can help your baby feel safe and secure in the bath.

If your baby doesn’t like baths, give them a ‘top and tail’ bath one day and a proper bath the next. Generally, babies get used to baths by around three months.

Key points:-

• Newborns need a bath only 2-3 times a week. A ‘top and tail’ on other days is fine.
• Before bathing your newborn, make sure everything you need is within reach.
• Wash newborns in a shallow bath of warm water. You don’t need soap.
• Never leave babies alone in the bath. They can drown quickly in very shallow water.

Giving Your Baby Fruit Juice – When Should Your Baby Have Fruit Juice?

 

   

When Can Babies Have Fruit Juice? Is Fruit Juice Ever Good for Babies?

The IAP(Indian Academy of Pediatrics) recommends using fruit juice sparingly for infants (Misuse of Fruit Juice) “It is prudent to give juice only to infants who can drink from a cup (approximately 6 months or older). One of the main issues with offering babies fruit juice is that the juice may displace the amount of breast milk and/or formula a baby drinks; and it may also hinder the amount of solids a baby eats.

Dental caries (problems with baby teeth and growing permenant teeth) have been associated with juice consumption. You see, teeth begin to erupt at approximately 6 months of age and prolonged exposure of the teeth to the sugars in juice is a major contributing factor to dental caries.

If you are considering offering your baby juice, it’s important to note that the Academy of Pedodontics recommendations state that “juice should be offered to infants in a cup, not a bottle, and that infants not be put to bed with a bottle in their mouth. Drinking too much fruit juice can lead to dental problems, malnourishment and even obesity.”

“Most issues relevant to juice intake for infants are also are relevant for toddlers and young children. Fruit juice and fruit drinks are easily over consumed by toddlers and young children because they taste good. In addition, they are conveniently packaged or can be placed in a bottle and carried around during the day. Because juice is viewed as nutritious, limits on consumption are not usually set by parents. Like soda, it can contribute to energy imbalance. High intakes of juice can contribute to diarrhea, over nutrition or under nutrition, and development of dental caries. ” IAP

Can I make homemade juice for my baby?

Making homemade juice is not recommended for infants as you are unable to pasteurize the juice and thus it’s possible that some bacteria or other unsavory items may get into the juice. For adults and older kids, this isn’t as much of an issue. Pasteurization of fruit juices helps to eliminate bacterial concentrations that may cause food poisoning. This is why it is recommended to NEVER give your infant (And even your toddler) apple cider that has not been pasteurized.

Feeding infants (of a certain age) raw fruits should pose no danger if you totally cleanse the fruit, peel the fruit and NOT store any remaining portions. Possible bacterial contamination in fresh fruits is just one of the reasons that many pediatricians recommend cooking fruits until a baby is about 8 months old.

This article is applicable to Toddlers – remember, infants are much more fragile in the digestive system.

“In the past few years there have been outbreaks of bacterial food poisoning from non-pasteurized, fresh pressed juices. These outbreaks were traced to juices made at companies where the equipment and or ingredients were contaminated.

Improper sanitary practices allows the contamination to occur. Pasteurizing is a high temperature treatment that compensates for lack of sanitary practices by killing the pathogen. For those companies that are scrupulously clean, pasteurization is an insurance measure.

I don’t see any problem with your juice making so long as you practice safe food handling techniques to make sure that your daughter’s juice is safe for her to drink. First of all, be sure your equipment is always clean and sanitary. You don’t need to boil it, but putting the different parts that come apart into the dishwasher is a safe way to keep them clean.

Secondly, make sure the ingredients you are using have been thoroughly washed. For those fruits and veggies where you can remove the skin first, you should, as most contamination is on the surface. For juices that contain berries, grapes and leafy greens, be sure they have been double or triple rinsed. Finally, buy your ingredients from a reputable place, where you are confident that foods have been stored in a sanitary manner. Once you have those foods at home, store them appropriately and use them quickly, before time has allowed any bacteria to multiply. The same practices apply to serving any fresh fruit or vegetable to your daughter, juiced or not”. 

What About Using the “Juice” from Fruits That Have Been Steamed/Boiled for Fruit Purées?

Using the “juice” that has seeped into your steaming water from the fruit you have been cooking is safe. Using this “juice” is NOT the same as tossing some fresh raw apples in a Juice machine, juicing them up and then serving them. Remember, the juice that has seeped into the steaming or boiling water has been boiling.

Uses for “juice” from steaming/boiling fruits when making baby food:

• Freeze in ice cube trays
• Mix into other Foods (Pear Juice with Chicken and Rice for example)
• Mix into cereals
• Use instead of plain water to make teething biscuits
• Pop the frozen cube into a baby safe feeder for teething relief.

Important Points About Offering Your Baby Juice

Your baby does not require any supplemental fluids such as water or juice for quite some time. Once your baby has turned 6-8 months old, with your pediatrician’s consult, you may then begin to offer very small amounts of water. If you think your baby is “thirsty” and would like a drink, try water.

If you decide to offer fruit juice as a “drink” try waiting until baby is at least 8 months old. **Offering juice as a constipation remedy is acceptable as young as 4 months old with the consult of your pediatrician** Giving your baby water as a first “beverage” instead of juice will be healthier in the long run. Always dilute any juice that is offered to babies and toddlers. We recommend diluting 75% water to 25% juice. Keep diluting for as long as possible. Juice should never ever be offered in a baby bottle. Juice in a bottle is a major cause of dental problems. Also, never allow your baby or toddler to drink from a sippy cup of juice throughout the day.

Won’t fruit juices give my baby Vitamin C?

The Vitamin C in fresh fruits has greater bioavailability than the Vitamin C that is added to fortified juices. Give your baby fresh fruits to help meet Vitamin C requirements; juices should never be considered an appropriate source of or a supplement for, fresh Vitamin C.

 

 Remember, always consult with your pediatrician regarding introducing solid foods to your baby and specifically discuss any foods that may pose allergy risks for your baby.

Baby Food & Allergies – All about Baby Food Allergies, How to Prevent & Identify Food Allergies.

                                                        

Allergies and Baby Food – Learn about baby food allergies and how to identify foods that may cause allergies

The “4 Day Wait Rule” and Allergies:

It is important to follow the “four day wait” rule when introducing your baby to new solid foods and even more important if your family has a history of food allergies. When you introduce a new food over the course of several days, you are better able to determine exactly how your baby is reacting to that food. As mentioned, this is most important if you and/or your family members have a history of food allergies.

Following the four day wait rule and introducing new foods one at a time will also enable you to easily begin an “elimination diet”. If you suspect your infant has had an adverse reaction to a new food, you will have just a few foods to look to as the culprit. While we think the “4 day wait rule” is important, many parents don’t wait between introducing foods; it is up to you to decide if you want to follow the “wait” rule.

Is Waiting a Few Days Between Introducing New Foods Really Necessary?

There are many pediatricians who are now saying that waiting a few days before moving onto another food is not necessary at all. Considering new studies that point to the possibility that waiting to introduce allergenic foods may not prove to have any effect on future food allergies [more on this topic below], the “4 day wait rule” seems unnecessary to some. This school of thought has caught on in many circles. In the end, you should take history of food allergies/other allergies into consideration and then decide if you want to follow “the rule” or not.

What time of day is a good time to introduce new foods to your baby?

Introduce new foods during the morning or early afternoon. This will enable you to deal with any adverse reactions when your pediatrician is in office. Should an adverse reaction occur during the morning/early afternoon, it will cause the least amount of disruption in baby’s fragile routine.

How to Spot a Potential Allergic Reaction to Food

Here are several things you might note that may indicate baby has a potential allergic reaction or intolerance to a food.

• Sudden loose, diarrhea stools and/or vomiting
• Sudden rashes on the skin and bottom
• Runny Nose
• Hives
• Irritability and/or gassiness after a new food/meal
• Breathing or other respiratory troubles after a new food/meal
• Swelling of the Face, Lips and/or Tongue
• Closure or tightening of the throat

Remember, an intolerance to a food is not the same as an allergy to a food and its symptoms typically involve trouble within the intestines.

  Changes to Introducing Solid Foods – Allergenic Foods & Food Allergies

Charts and food recommendations are conservative in nature. This conservativism is particularly apparent in the recommendations for for introducing possible allergenic foods.

As more and more studies come to light, there is a move to introduce allergenic foods to babies prior to 12 months (or older). The studies published from 2007 and on seem to show that introducing allergenic foods between 6-8 months of age may actually be better sooner rather than later and may provide protection against atopic disease (eczema or asthma for example). For example, introducing your 6 or 7 month old to whole eggs as opposed to just the yolks is given a green light. Please keep in mind that if you have a family history of food allergies, you might want to delay those allergenic foods. Of course, you should discuss this with your baby’s pediatrician!

     “Although solid foods should not be introduced before 4 to 6 months of age, there is no current convincing evidence that delaying their introduction beyond this period has a significant protective effect on the development of atopic disease regardless of whether infants are fed cow milk protein formula or human milk. This includes delaying the introduction of foods that are considered to be highly allergic, such as fish, eggs, and foods containing peanut protein.”

When Baby Can Eat Egg?

                                                         

The Goodness of Egg Yolks & Whole Eggs for your Baby

Of the mere 5 grams of fat in an egg yolk, only 1.5 grams (31%) are saturated fat. Monounsaturated fats total 1.9 grams (38%) and polyunsaturated0.68 grams (14%). The ratio of an egg’s fat content comes close to meeting the dietary proportions currently recommended as: -1/3 saturated, 1/3 monounsaturated and 1/3 polyunsaturated.

The egg yolk contains the following:

• all of an egg’s vitamin A, D, and E;
• almost all the vitamin B12, choline, folic acid and vitamin B3;
• 76% of the biotin,
• 73% of the inositol,
• 50% of the niacin,
• 93% of the vitamin B6,
• 42% of the riboflavin,
• 90% of the thiamin
• 44% of the protein and substantial portions of the egg’s mineral.

                                        

When can I introduce Eggs to my baby?

Eggs, particularly the egg whites, are one of the top 8 of all allergens.  Most pediatric resources agree that egg yolks are fine for <the non-allergenic> baby to eat when baby is around 8 months old.  Please keep in mind that the egg whites should not be fed to baby before 1 year old. Many studies that have been done on infants with egg allergies find that by the time the infant has reached age 5, the allergy has been outgrown.  This is good news as the egg is highly nutritious and an important part of ones diet.

    Although solid foods should not be introduced before 6 months of age, there is no current convincing evidence that delaying their introduction beyond this period has a significant protective effect on the development of atopic disease regardless of whether infants are fed cow milk protein formula or human milk. This includes delaying the introduction of foods that are considered to be highly allergic, such as fish, eggs, and foods containing peanut protein.

     

Please be sure to discuss the introduction of potential allergenic foods with your pediatrician!

Why playing peek-a-boo is so important? 👀

What is peekaboo?

Peekaboo is a classic hide-and-seek game: You cover your face and uncover it while saying, “Peekaboo! I see you!” Another variation is to say “peekaboo” when you cover your face, and “I see you” when you uncover it.

No matter how you play it, peekaboo stimulates baby's senses, helps build gross motor skills, strengthens visual tracking, encourages social development and, best of all, tickles her sense of humor.

Plus, peekaboo helps reinforce object permanence, the idea that even though your child can't see something — like your smiling face — it still exists.

When do babies play peekaboo?

Is there a perfect peekaboo age? Not necessarily. Object recognition develops around month 3, and babies start to better understand the concept of object permanence by month 8. By months 9 to 12, your baby will likely be able to play peekaboo on her own.

In other words, babies of all ages can benefit from peekaboo. That said, once babies begin to laugh aloud (around 3 to 4 months), peekaboo becomes more fun for both of you. Now your cutie has a new way to show her surprise and delight

Playing peek-a-boo strengthens parent-baby bonds. 

There's eye contact, fun, and interactive communication. These are key ingredients to a strong and loving connection.  

Plus, peek-a-boo is a powerful learning tool. Babies love repeated rounds of playing peek-a-boo especially when they develop object permanence. Object permanence is when a baby understands that something or someone still exists even if they are not visible. This is crucial to forming a secure attachment. ⁣🙀🙀

There are more benefits to peek-a-boo. A baby will try and mimic you, which means they are using hands and arms in new ways.  It will tickle your baby's sense of humor. And it's a great distraction when your little one is cranky.

Go watch an amazing TED talk by a 7-year old, Molly Wright, who starts her talk by saying, "What if I was to tell you that peek-a-boo could change the world?" Send me a DM after you watch it and let me know your thoughts. I was so impressed with the message and the delivery..It's titled: How every child can thrive by five 🙊 🙊

I have attached the link:   Link

 

Don't Force Sharing!

 

Sharing is fantastic and unselfish BUT only if a child chooses to share. ⁣

Forcing a child to share may not inspire the values you’re trying to encourage. By the very nature of how a child develops a sense of himself and the world around him, selfishness precedes generosity.⁣

When a child wants something another child is playing with, it’s reasonable to ask the child to find something else to play with until their buddy is finished.⁣ Toddlers can learn to take turns instead of grabbing the toy from one child to give to another.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t encourage your children to be generous. You can do that by being a good role model, having realistic expectations, and being supportive and patient. 

Kids learn to share once they develop empathy. In other words, they are able to understand the world from another viewpoint. Forcing sharing can become something children want to avoid and actually delay the natural development of generosity. 

You can’t teach a 6-month old to “use her words” instead of crying when she wants something. The same thing goes for teaching a young toddler to share. This is a fabulous goal, one that makes us feel proud of our children. But there's a developmentally appropriate time to encourage sharing. In the meantime, being a good example will be a powerful lesson.

Toddlers don't really understand the concept of sharing. They're working on their own development and focused on their own needs. While it's embarrassing when a toddler grabs another child's toy, it's also completely normal and expected. 

How To Avoid Picky Eating Habits

 

I’m going to share 4 simple strategies to encourage healthy and happy eating habits. 🍅🍅

• DON’T praise, pressure, bribe, trick or punish your child for anything to do with eating. Kids want to be independent, even babies. So, the more pressure they feel, the more stubborn they become.

• DO try & try & try & try again. Offer foods, even if your child has refused them in the past. Offer the food at different mealtimes, in different recipes, and with other foods on the plate. 🥕🥕

• DON’T distract your child with iPads or TV as mealtime is for eating and family.

• DO let your child feed herself when she’s able to do so. Many families say, “I have to feed her, or she won’t eat” But you can avoid picky eating habits by not overhelping.

Make happy and relaxed mealtimes your priority and you'll benefit from this mindset in the end.