SLEEP-TRAINING – NOT FOR BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS

Ever since parenting books found their way into bedrooms, authors have touted magical formulas promising to get babies to sleep through the night and follow a more convenient schedule. While babies have a lot of wonderful attributes, convenience is not one of them. Beware of using someone else’s training method to get your baby to sleep or get your baby on a predictable schedule. Most of these methods are variations of the tired old theme of letting baby cry it out. Before trying anyone else’s method, run it through your intuitive wisdom. Does this advice sound sensible? Does it fit your baby’s temperament? Does it feel right to you?
With most of these baby-training regimens you run the risk of becoming desensitized to the cues of your infant, especially when it comes to letting baby cry it out. Instead of helping you to figure out what baby’s signals mean, these training methods tell you to ignore them. Neither you nor your baby learn anything good from this.
If your current daytime or nighttime routine is not working for you, think about what changes you can make in yourself and your lifestyle that will make it easier for you to meet your baby’s needs. This is a better approach than immediately trying to change your baby. After all, you can control your own reactions to a situation. You can’t control how your baby reacts. Use discernment about advice that promises a sleep-through-the-night more convenient baby, as these programs involve the risk of creating a distance between you and your baby and undermining the mutual trust between parent and child. On the surface, baby training sounds so liberating, but it’s a short-term gain for a long-term loss. You lose the opportunity to know and become an expert in your baby. Baby loses the opportunity to build trust in his caregiving environment. You cease to value your own biological cues and judgment and follow the advice of someone who has no biological attachment, nor investment, in your infant.
Clicking into the cry-it-out method also keeps you from continuing to search for medical or physical causes of nightwaking, such as GER and food allergies. Nightfeedings is normal; frequent nightwaking is not.
Stay flexible. No single approach will work with all babies all the time, or even all the time with the same baby. Don’t persist with a failing experiment. If the “sleep program” isn’t working for your family, drop it.
Follow your heart rather than some stranger’s sleep-training advice, and you and your baby will eventually work out the right nighttime parenting style for your family.

Source: askdrsears.com

Healthy Eating With Kids 2

A while ago I posted Healthy Eating With Kids and then realised that my children’s diets, healthy eating, learning to cook well and growing my own food or finding fresh (from relatives gardens, farm shops and markets) are all growing into real passions for me. I think all of these aspects of food are closely linked.

I am finding more and more mother’s complaining that their children are fussy eaters, do not eat what they are given or constantly pester for junk food. A lot of the time these children come to my house and actually eat rather well. It’s not an issue, no-one is pleading with them, they are just doing what the other children are doing. Sometimes I can be a little facetious about this, refusing to give them coke even when their parents allow them to have some to stop them whinging – it just infuriates me when parents allow themselves to be bullied by their children.

Something else that is yielding good results is going back to nature. The children love the idea of growing food in the garden, picking it to eat or to use for cooking. I always tell them, “you helped me make dinner by bringing me peas” or “I’ll tell Dad you helped me make the sauce” when they bring in the mint. I can’t wait for the weather to turn warmer so that we can start planting again. When they are involved in the process of bringing the food from the earth to the table, they become enthused about it. This process also includes the cooking. I am loathe to let the kids loose anywhere near knives or the cooker, but they can still bash the ginger in the mortar and pestle, stir the mixture in the bowl, or shell the peas.

We also like to talk about our food. The other day I bought some French Golden Delicious apples. These are my mum’s favourites and were very common in shops here until a few years ago when they seemed to disappear. I discussed this with Little Man who loves fruit and he was intrigued. This is not to say that we should become obsessed about food or greedy for it, Islam says:

Al-Miqdaam ibn Maadiy-Karib narrated: I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa salam) saying: “No human ever filled a vessel worse than the stomach. Sufficient for any son of Adam are some morsels to keep his back straight. But if it must be, then one third for his food, one third for his drink and one third for his breath.” [Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasaa’i, Ibn Majah – Hadith sahih]

However, the current state of affairs where we cannot cook properly, are eating poor quality, low nutrition food and making ourselves ill contrasts strongly with our elders, both in Britain and in Pakistan, who grew their own food, had hearty, wholesome, simple diets and were clearly slimmer, stronger and healthier than us. We have to consider which legacy we want to pass on to our own children.

I recently came across a New York Times feature on wellness for children. More than the article, I found the comments from other readers very useful, one example that stood out was:

“As I read this, I was taken back to my childhood. I often cooked with my grandmother, who I lived with for many years. I don’t remember ever being told to leave the kitchen. In fact, I often was put in charge of making at least one thing and setting the table. As I grew older, I made dinner at least one night a week. It was considered a treat in my family to cook for everyone.

I also don’t remember being allowed to be picky about food. Food was put on the table and you ate. It wasn’t that my grandmother demanded you eat. As Tara points out, demanding even that one bite may get you into trouble. It was simply that this is what we were going to eat so we ate. The only time we picked what we wanted to eat was one Sunday morning a month–we could eat a cereal that we’d picked at the supermarket on Saturday.

But in general, if we didn’t like something (liver for example), we could explain why and that was it. If we were still hungry, we could have whatever fruits or veggies were left.

I don’t have children yet, but my best guidance will be remembering how my grandmother brought me into the kitchen, taught me how to make good food and to enjoy the process of making–not just eating–food. She would have shaken her head over the fact that we even need this kind of advice. But I’m happy that the column reminded me of what my grandmother seemed to know intuitively.”

Republished with kind permission from Umm Salihah

http://www.happymuslimah.com/2010/02/healthy-eating-with-kids-2.html

Great ideas for nutritious meals

MENU PLANNING
For most toddlers, one good meal (usually breakfast), two smaller meals, and two or three nutritious snacks each day is fine. Need suggestions for that “good” meal? Here are two examples:
Breakfast:
• 1 cup of fortified cereal
• 1 cup of whole milk
• 1/2 banana
• 1 slice of wholemeal toast with margarine
Dinner:
• 1 cup of pasta with Parmesan cheese and small amount of pasta sauce – too much sauce could upset your baby’s stomach
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of white chicken meat, cut up
• 1/2 cup of whole green beans, cooked
• 1 cup of whole milk

Courtesy of Pampers SA

Breastfeeding Support – Why is it important?

Agree or Disagree

1. In the 1st month (early days), we know that the milk is not enough because the baby keeps crying and giving a “top up” bottle of formula after a breast feed is a safer option.

2. Formula milk has become so advanced that there is almost no difference between breast milk and formula milk.

3. There are few benefits breastfeeding a child older than 6 months and so solids must be the main source of the child’s nutrition.

4. Which of the following are examples of exclusive breastfeeding?
A. A baby receiving breast milk but sometimes gets some water to drink.
B. A baby drinking only breast milk but gets 1 bottle of formula only when mom goes out for a few hours.
C. A baby drinking only breast milk but sometimes uses a dummy.
D. A baby drinking only breast milk but is taking multivitamins and iron drops given by the paediatrician.
E. A baby who is wet-nursed while the mother is at work and then continues breastfeeding from his own mother.

5. I should exclusively breastfeed until my baby is 4 months old and then start a good quality formula milk to ensure better health.

6. I should exclusively breastfeed my baby for 4 months and then start a good rice cereal to ensure better health.

7. Majority of mothers experience difficulty breastfeeding in the early days.

8. It is useful to use the dummy sometimes, especially in the early days to give the new mother an opportunity to rest.

9. When a mother has to return to work, it is important to get the baby used to a bottle early as only 1 or 2 bottles of formula milk per day will not affect the breastfeeding or make the baby ill.

10. My breasts havn’t started leaking in my last month of pregnancy so I must keep a starter formula tin ready as Iwill not have enough milk.

11. It is important for the child to sleep alone in the cot most times as it is safer than sleeping with the baby.

12. “Nipple confusion” is a myth – that means it doesn’t really happen.

13. Allowing the baby to fall asleep at the breast is the most easy, efficient and stress free method of putting the baby to sleep.

Answers

ONLY 2 of the Agree/Disagree Questions 7 & 13) are TRUE.
MCQ Question 4 : D & E are TRUE.
The REST are FALSE.
Empower yourself with the correct information for yourselves, your daughters, your sisters or your friends!

Masjidul Quba (Northpine) Breastfeeding & Parenting Classes
Dr Shabana Kauchali-Taleb.
o Tel: 021 913 7024
o Cell: 082 711 5771
o shabana@online-gp.com
o www.online-gp.com

When?
o Once a month.
o Every 2nd Friday of the Month.
o Immediately after Asr Salah.

 

What is it about?

How much does it Cost?
FREE

Who should attend?
o Mothers.
o Fathers
o Their children.
o Pregnant women & their husbands.
o Grandmothers.
o Teenage Daughters AND Sons.
o Doctors (Accredited for CPD points).
o Nurses.
o Breastfeeding counsellors Etc.

Why have such an education Class?
o It is an Islamic Obligation (FARDH) for ALL males and FEMALES to be educated.
o Most mothers think they know how to feed their children correctly -few do, MOST don’t.
o As a result of “not knowing” about 1,5 MILLION children are dying worldwide because of inadequate breastfeeding.
o Topics on correct parenting particularly BREASTFEEDING are not taught to doctors and nurses at some medical schools.
o The time in a doctor’s room is not enough to explain all the facts.
o True Knowledge shouldn’t cost money – it should be FREE.
o Empowering our women to be well informed – to make an INFORMED DECISION. “Know the facts – make your choice”.

o NB// Highest rates of breastfeeding are seen in the White, Middle-Upper Income, Married Women because they are EDUCATED and have understood their roles as women in society.

• Where do I get my information from?

• Al-Quran
• Ahadith
  The Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) once said,:
  o “Your Heaven lies under the feet of your mother.”
  (Ahmad, Nasai).
  o A man came to Allah’s Apostle and said, “O Allah’s Apostle!
  Who is more entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?” The
  Prophet said, “Your mother.”
  The man said. “Who is next?”
  The Prophet said, “Your mother.” The man further said,
  “Who is next?” The Prophet said, “Your mother.” The man asked for the fourth time, “Who is next?” The Prophet said, “Your father.”
  Narrated by Abu Huraira
• Holy Bible
• World Health Organisations
• Perinatal Education Programme
• Dr Jack Newman
• Dr Thomas Hale
• Many others
  o Unicef
  o IBFAN
  o INFACT Canada
  o La Leche League International
  o IBCLC
  o WABA
  o Dr Seers MD
• The Translation of Noble Qur’an –
  Chapter 2 (The Cow) Verse 233
  The mothers shall give suck to their children for two whole years,
  (that is) for those (parents) who desire to complete the term of
  suckling, but the father of the child shall bear the cost of the
  mother’s food and clothing on a reasonable basis. No person shall
  have a burden laid on him greater than he can bear. No mother shall be treated unfairly on account of her child, nor father on account of his child. And on the (father’s) heir is incumbent the like of that (which was incumbent on the father). If they both decide on weaning, by mutual consent, and after due consultation, there is no sin on them. And if you decide on a foster suckling-mother for your children, there is no sin on you, provided you pay (the mother) what you agreed (to give her) on reasonable basis. And fear Allah and know that Allah is All-Seer of what you do.

Shukran to Dr Taleb for providing us with her Powerpoint Presentation which is adapted in this post.

Have you done your homework?

How involved should parents be?

There’s a fine line between helping your children with their homework or school projects and actually doing it for them. Barbara Mowatt examined the topic.

Learners and parents alike often view school homework and projects with resignation, trepidation or loathing. The learners because it’s such a bind; parents because they feel that school work is something they thought they’d left behind when they left school.
How much assistance should parents give their school-going children to do their homework? And can helping too much be detrimental to the child’s progress?
‘It’s a bad idea for the parent to do the child’s work to avoid facing obstacles this can be extended to life in general. Parents should have the wisdom to know that by protecting the child in the short term, the long-term ramifications will be worse,’ says Cape Town-based psychologist Marc Kahn.
‘Every time the parent does the work for the child, the child is set up to fail. If the child passes [to the next grade] based on the work done by the parent, the next year he will face more obstacles, and he will be set up to fail in a bigger way. It is better to help the child over the obstacles.’
Making the child accountable for their daily homework and term assignments will teach them to be responsible to carry out tasks. They will be taught organisational skills and how to be independent, and they will also learn from their mistakes.
If the child ‘forgets’ to do the work or doesn’t put in the required effort, they will learn that there are consequences – such as getting low marks or even failing their grade.

Discipline
‘Parental discipline can cause huge conflict in some homes. Many parents hate it when they have to confront their child and impose structure and discipline,’ says Ros Emanuel, now retired from teaching English. ‘Too many parents are afraid to challenge their teenagers and would rather do the work for them than face the fact that they might fail.’
Exerting pressure can start a power struggle and pressure results in resistance. Consequently, it is necessary for both parent and child to be disciplined when it comes to homework.
‘Let the child “fail in a healthy way”,’ advises Kahn. ‘It’s important for parents to use their discretion.’
‘Children who have lots of encouragement at home are on a better wicket than those who don’t,’ says Margaret Fischer, high-school physical science teacher, who has 30 years’ experience at a number of schools in the Cape Peninsula.

How much input should the parent have?
‘That depends on the age of the child, her personality and abilities,’ says the mother of three daughters. ‘Help enough to get them started particularly with big assignments then leave them to work at it. You can check the work when they’ve finished and make suggestions for corrections, but they should largely be left to do it themselves.’ Therefore, the major part of the work should be the child’s effort, and the parent can be involved without actually doing the work.

School projects
‘Parent-assisted projects invariably earn pupils more marks,’ says Fischer. However, she continues, ‘Not enough teachers can discriminate between the work genuinely done by the learner and the input by the parent. Some of the most perceptive educators find it very difficult to pinpoint whether or how much parents have helped with homework. Therefore, some teachers only set projects to be done at school under the supervision of the teacher, not to be done at home.’
‘There’s no doubt that having a computer on which to do homework and
projects is an advantage for children. They will produce neater, better-looking work. Having access to the Internet for research is also a big advantage,’ adds Emanuel. However, it is not advisable to rely solely on Internet research because examiners are alert to the fact that many children use the Internet.
If you don’t have a home computer, make use of lending libraries. Encourage the child in the habit of reading and using books, which are better sources of information than simply picking information off the Internet.
Teachers have a good idea of the learners’ competence and they will know whether a child is capable of producing the work that they hand in. If it’s a ‘cut and paste’ job, the teacher will probably know, and the assignment will almost certainly be given a lower mark than one albeit with less information that has been properly researched by the child.

A good start in life
There are many ways for the parent to help the child to make schooling easier. If the child is familiar with the basic tools of language and calculations, problem-solving will not be the bogeyman it’s sometimes made out to be.
Encourage your children from preschool age to play games that entail counting to develop their cognitive skills. Board games such as Monopoly and card games such as rummy, patience and even poker can be played from a very early age.

Make routine activities, such as a trip in the car, an opportunity to play participative number and word games. These games will develop the child’s mathematics and language skills. Try word games such as I-spy to improve spelling and vocabulary, and counting games such as tallying the number of blue cars, green cars, etc. seen on the trip from home to the shops.

Build up the child’s general knowledge in an informal way show how maths is essential for activities such as knitting, baking, cooking, crafts and hobbies, even for working out how much money they’ll need for purchases.

Give the child taped children’s stories so that they can read the books while listening to the tapes.
Get the child to read aloud to you from books, newspapers and magazines. It will improve the child’s language proficiency and concentration.
Show an interest in what they are doing and share your own experiences with them.

Be involved every day
* Talk to your child about general topics and encourage them to converse with other adults.
* Attend parent-teacher meetings, and contact the school if you’re worried about your child’s performance.
* Watch (or videotape) the Learning Channel on TV, which reviews English, maths, physical science and biology. Because someone other than the teacher presents the subjects, learners will invariably get another perspective on the specifics of the topic.
* Encourage your child to work, from time to time, in a group with her peers. Having to explain things to each other will both clarify the thinking of the ‘teacher’, and the ‘learner’ will be more likely to query areas of uncertainty.
* Provide a specific place to work that is quiet, well lit and clear of clutter.

Assignments and homework
* Ask every day what homework your child has been given and discuss the work. Talk about the subject rather than giving direct information or telling the child what to do.
* Brainstorm ideas on the topic. This will develop her mental skills to assimilate facts.
* Take books and reference material from the library. Give guidance without actually doing the work.
* Minimise distractions. Turn off the TV and make sure that games and toys have been packed away when it’s time to settle down to do homework.
* Ensure she takes regular breaks while doing homework, before she becomes fatigued or stressed. This will refresh her concentration.
* Make sure she is not hungry while doing homework. This doesn’t mean snacking all the time while working. A hungry child will not be able to concentrate on the task at hand.
* Check that all your child’s homework has been completed.
* Pack her school bag the night before to avoid having things forgotten or left behind. This will prevent any crises in the morning,
* Set a bedtime and insist it’s adhered to.

Words by Words by Barbara Mowatt.

From January/February 2005 ClubCard Magazine
Clicks.co.za

play and your toddler

This article talks about play and development from the age of 3 to 5. It suggests some appropriate play to help a child develop.

play in children from 3 – 4 years
The pre-schooler at 3 years is a social creature. Hence it is important that they are exposed to group activities.

At this stage, he is also able to run, climb just about over anything, walk up and down stairs one foot at a time without holding onto rails and ride a tricycle.

Hand skills improve tremendously at this stage. The child is able to stack 12 – 14 blocks, copy 3 – 4 block designs and fix 4 – 6 piece jigsaw puzzles. He also begins to try colouring within the boundary instead of scribbling random strokes. He is able to trace simple dot to dot designs such as that of a dog. Scissors skills can be introduced as they start to cut strips and gradually progress to lines and curves.

A good mix of gross motor and fine motor activities will suit the child. Playing in the park or playground with the neighbour’s children, kicking the ball, chasing each other will allow the child to test and develop his gross motor skills.

Sitting down at the table to trace, colour and try out the new jigsaw puzzle with an adult teaches him at an early stage to have good sitting down behaviour. His creativity, hand skills and problem solving abilities are also given an opportunity to develop.

play in children from 4 – 5 years
They start to take up roles in group play. They also start to understand and follow rules. Games like hopscotch, Snap, hide and seek, snakes and ladders, Let’s Pretend are some examples of what they enjoy.

Give your child lots of opportunities to mix with other children. Your little one is on his way to being a a very sophisticated social creature. He is already able to read body language, read emotional cues, make decisions on how to act based on the situation he is in and the cues he is picking up.

The ages of 3 – 5 is and exciting and fun time. The primary role of the parent is to be present, give the child lots of opportunities and then let nature do the rest. If your child likes airplanes, then spend time with him folding it and decorating it. It is the process of doing things together and building the relationship that brings you and your child a long way.

Source: Huggies South africa

The New Mother – Taking Care of Yourself After Birth

Taking care of yourself after birth:
The postpartum period begins after the delivery of the baby and ends when the mother’s body has returned as closely as possible to its pre-pregnant state. This period usually lasts six to eight weeks.

The postpartum period involves the mother progressing through many changes, both emotionally and physically, while learning how to deal with all the changes and adjustments required with becoming a new mother. The postpartum period also involves the parents learning how to care for their newborn and learning how to function as a changed family unit.

A mother needs to take good care of herself to rebuild her strength. You will need plenty of rest, good nutrition, and help during the first few weeks.

• Rest:
Every new parent soon learns that babies have different time clocks than adults. A typical newborn awakens about every three hours and needs to be fed, changed, and comforted. Especially if this is their first baby, parents – especially the mother – can become overwhelmed by exhaustion. While a solid eight hours of sleep for you may not happen again for several months, the following suggestions may be helpful in finding ways to get more rest now.
o In the first few weeks, a mother needs to be relieved of all responsibilities other than feeding the baby and taking care of herself.
o Sleep when the baby sleeps. This may be only a few minutes rest several times a day, but these minutes can add up.
o Save steps and time. Have your baby’s bed near yours for feedings at night.
o Many new parents enjoy visits from friends and family, but new mothers should not feel obligated to entertain. Feel free to excuse yourself for a nap or to feed your baby.
o Get outside for a few minutes each day. You can begin walking and postpartum exercises, as advised by your physician.
o After the first two to three weeks, introduce a bottle to breastfed babies for an occasional night-time feeding. This way, someone else can feed the baby, and you can have a longer period of uninterrupted sleep.

Nutrition:
A mother’s body has undergone many changes during pregnancy, as well as with the birth of her baby. She needs to heal and recover from pregnancy and childbirth. In addition to rest, all mothers need to maintain a healthy diet to promote healing and recovery.

The weight gained in pregnancy helps build stores for your recovery and for breastfeeding. After delivery, all mothers need continued nutrition so that they can be healthy and active and able to care for their baby.

Whether they breastfeed or formula feed, all mothers need to eat a healthy and balanced diet. Most lactation experts recommend that breastfeeding mothers should eat when they are hungry. But many mothers may be so tired or busy that food gets forgotten. So, it is essential to plan simple and healthy meals that include choices from all of the recommended groups from the food pyramid. The food guide pyramid is a guideline to help you eat a healthy diet.

Although most mothers want to lose their pregnancy weight, extreme dieting and rapid weight loss can be hazardous to your health and to your baby’s if you are breastfeeding. It can take several months for a mother to lose the weight she gained during pregnancy. This can be accomplished by cutting out high-fat snacks and concentrating on a diet with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, balanced with proteins and carbohydrates. Exercise also helps burn calories and tone muscles and limbs.

Along with balanced meals, breastfeeding mothers should increase fluids. Many mothers find they become very thirsty while the baby is nursing. Water, milk, and fruit juices are excellent choices. It is helpful to keep a pitcher of water and even some healthy snacks beside your bed or breastfeeding chair.

Consult your physician or a registered dietician if you want to learn more about postpartum nutrition. Certified lactation consultants can also help with advice about nutrition while breastfeeding.

help for new parents:
New as well as experienced parents soon realize that babies require a lot of work. Meeting the constant needs of a newborn involves time and energy and often takes parents away from other responsibilities in the home.

Although many parents do fine on their own, having someone else helping with the household responsibilities usually makes the adjustment to a new baby easier. Parents can concentrate on the needs of mother and baby, rather than the laundry or dirty dishes.

Helpers can be family, friends, or a paid home care provider. A family member such as the new baby’s grandmother or aunt may be able to come for a few days or longer. Home care providers offer a variety of services, from nursing care of the new mother and baby to housekeeping and care of other children.

Whoever you decide to have as helpers, be sure to make clear all the things you expect them to do. Communication is important in preventing hurt feelings or misunderstandings when emotions are fragile these first few weeks. It is generally best for the new mother to be relieved of all responsibilities except the feeding and care of herself and her baby. This is especially important if she is breastfeeding. Others should assume the chores in the home such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, and grocery shopping. This will prevent the new mother from limiting her time with her baby to take care of the house.

Source: Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital

Fussy eaters

If your family dinner table has become a battleground, take heart – Specialist Dietician, Katherine Megaw gives guidelines on how to take the stress out of mealtimes with your toddler and child, end the arguments over food, and feed your fussy eaters.

Solving a complex problem at work, finally achieving a personal goal is nothing compared to your child finishing a whole plate of food. Isn’t it amazing that no matter how big your accomplishments in your day, NOTHING, absolutely nothing compares to the satisfaction you get watching your toddler successfully finish a meal. You can sleep peacefully knowing your baby has eaten ‘well’!

Having a fussy eater is more common than you may think. While some babies eat almost anything they can get their little hands on, other babies are a lot pickier. Some fussy eaters are simply trying to express their independence with a say in what, when, where and how they eat. Others just need some coaxing, distraction and gentle encouragement. There is nothing like a food battle to cause stress and anxiety in parents – take heart and remember fussy eating isn’t just common, it’s normal!

Understanding your child
A classic time for problems to arise is when your baby is 12 months old. As a child is more aware of the world his natural instincts make him more suspicious of new foods. This is nature’s way of protecting us from eating food that is potentially harmful. If you’re one of the lucky parents that sailed through weaning, another common time for problems to arise is during the challenging 2’s. Having lulled you into a false sense of security, your toddler could wake one morning with dietary requirements that even a top chef would struggle to meet.

Children’s appetites are affected by growth cycles and they have different taste preferences to adults. You will encourage her appetite to work properly if you give her more when she’s hungry and let her eat less when she’s not interested. Growth slows down and appetites fluctuate between one and five years of age. Studies have shown that most children get plenty to eat even if it seems like they are barely eating at all.
Try looking at mealtimes from a child’s perspective. Toddlers have a different agenda: from their point of view, eating is a waste of their playing time, and if we make mealtimes boring by nagging, it’s even worse.

Some practical tips
Here are some tips to help your little fussy eater learn to eat better, while giving you some peace of mind.

1. Put your mind at rest:
• If you are concerned about the health of your child, take her for a check up at the doctor to rule out any potential health problems.
• Keep a food diary for 2 weeks and record EVERYTHING that she eats and drinks (include quantities). You can then get this assessed by a health professional to assess adequate nutritional intake.
• Give an appropriate vitamin & mineral supplement during the fussy eating phase.
•

2. Stay off the battle field:
Remember picky eating can also be a child’s way of asserting his independence and may have less to do with the actual food than his need to push the limits of your authority and assert some control over his life. This is why pressurizing a child to eat often backfires and you become a ‘casualty of war’.

3. Wean at the appropriate age
Weaning late has shown some link to fussing eating. Parents who delay introducing their babies to chewy food and a variety of tastes could find their babies grow up developing food fads.
A recent study showed that babies should be introduced to a more varied diet between the ages of 6 to 9 months to decrease the risk of becoming fussy eaters.
Babies learning to eat will spit food out, and this is more than likely due to a ‘tongue-reflex’ action than a sign that your baby doesn’t like the food. Keep trying with that food and soon he will get used to it and swallow.

4. Fun food presentation
Sandwiches cut into moon shapes, a cracker with a smiley face, carrot sticks as soldiers and apple boats can make food presentation more enticing.
Presenting meals as a smorgasbord from which they can pick and choose from a variety of colours, shapes and textures.
Toddlers and young children prefer foods that are identifiable and not one big mush. Using a compartmentalized plate that prevents different foods from touching is a great help.

5. Make mealtimes fun and relaxed
Use it as an extension of playtime and time when you and your baby can bond uninterrupted (no cell phone calls or text messages!!!). Do puzzles, read a book, tell a story.

6. Educate
Talk about the food and its value in simple terms. E.g. this piece of chicken will help your muscles grow strong like daddy (or superman!!) and this carrot will give you beautiful eyes like Cinderella!

7. Involve your child in food preparation
By involving your child they will be likely to eat what THEY have made and may eat a bit while preparing their meal.

8. Empower your child in decision making
Allow your toddler to choose between two food options. Children are more likely to eat food they have chosen for themselves.

9. Serve simple, easy to prepare meals.
There is nothing more demoralizing than spending ages cooking a gourmet meal for your baby, who after the first spoonful turns her head away. Prepare easy meals that you know your child likes and should they refuse the food, offer one alternative that is a sure win e.g. Yogurt.

10. Milk intake
By the age of one, babies need drink only 500ml of milk daily. Most babies can go onto cow’s milk from one year of age unless health reasons dictate otherwise. Do not substitute milk for meals.

11. Social eating
People are social beings as are our children. Nothing makes a toddler want his food more than having another toddler after his food. Invite a friend over who has a good appetite and watch how your child eats. Children generally eat better at school than at home. Often a toddler will eat more food off daddy’s plate than his own plate of food.

12. Some final tips
• Serve small portions in a fresh and attractive way
• Limit drinking before and during meals
• Offer new foods when you know your child is hungry and more receptive to new tastes
• If your child is playing with his food, quietly remove his plate with no fuss.
And finally relax, you are doing a great job and statistics have shown that children do not wilfully starve themselves!!!

Source: BabySense

Parent 24: Breastfed babies are healthier

Breastfeeding may curb heart and diabetes risk factors.

Amy Norton

Mothers who breastfeed seem to have a lower long-term risk of developing a collection of risk factors for diabetes and heart disease than women who bottle-feed, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among 700 women followed for 20 years, those who had breastfed were less likely to develop metabolic syndrome – a cluster of risk factors for type 2 diabetes and heart disease that includes abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure and blood sugar, lower-than-desirable levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and elevated triglycerides (a type of blood fat).

What’s more, the apparent protective effect was stronger among women with a history of gestational diabetes, a form of diabetes that arises during pregnancy and goes away after childbirth.

Although it is temporary, gestational diabetes does raise a woman’s odds of eventually developing type 2 diabetes.

These latest findings suggest that breastfeeding might help diminish that excess risk, said lead investigator Dr. Erica P. Gunderson, a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research in Oakland, California.

However, she told Reuters Health, while the study suggests breastfeeding has a “strong protective effect” against metabolic syndrome, more research is needed to see whether that translates into lower rates of diabetes and heart disease.

The study, published online in the journal Diabetes, included 704 women who were between the ages of 18 and 30 and free of metabolic syndrome at the outset, and who gave birth for the first time during the study period.

Over 20 years of follow-up, 120 were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.

The researchers found that among women with no history of gestational diabetes, those who had breastfed for more than one month were anywhere from 39% to 56% less likely to develop metabolic syndrome – depending on how long they had breastfed.

Among women with a history of gestational diabetes, breastfeeding for more than one month was linked to a 44% to 86% lower risk of metabolic syndrome.

These lower risks were seen with a number of important factors taken into account – including the women’s weight, exercise levels and the presence of any metabolic syndrome components before pregnancy.

It is not yet clear why breastfeeding itself might lower a woman’s chances of developing risk factors for diabetes and heart disease.

Abdominal obesity is one of the components of metabolic syndrome, and excess weight is closely linked to type 2 diabetes. But while it’s widely thought that breastfeeding aids post-pregnancy weight loss, weight changes did not explain the benefits seen in this study, Gunderson said.

Breastfeeding may help women shed a few extra pounds in the months after giving birth, the researcher noted, but there may be other metabolic effects that explain the lower risk of metabolic syndrome.

Breastfeeding may, for example, have positive effects on blood sugar levels, body fat mass or how fat is distributed throughout the body.

Whatever the reasons for the findings, Gunderson said they do suggest that breastfeeding can have “long-term health benefits” for mothers.

Source:

http://www.parent24.com/Content/Focus/breastfeeding/more/902/167ad3ca566a40a68d57e46a4e2df7ea/10-12-2009-11-11/Breastfed_babies_are_healthier

Safety Tips For Your Crawling Baby

Until today, it was easy to look after your baby; he was lying down in one place and was not mobile.

However, now that he has discovered mobility: he can crawl now, the world has become an exciting place for him, full of things that he has to discover for himself, taste, feel, smell, see and experience.

This is the time when all parents have to be extra vigilant. A crawling baby can get into all kinds of tight situations, and your home has to be made ‘crawling baby safe’ so that you may be able to enjoy him more as he moves around excitedly.

Your baby may empty out your entire rack of CDs, which had been at floor level, or he may try to pull on to the wastebasket so that he can sit up or stand.

The wastebasket may tip over, causing your baby to fall, or on the other hand, it may contain dangerous items that may seem extremely attractive to your exploring baby, and he may want to taste them.

You as a parent will have to have an eye peeled out for the dangers around your baby, so that you may be able to prevent unwarranted mishaps. [Infant safety]

Here are some tips for you:

Make sure that all electrical outlets are kept well protected with safety caps. This will prevent your baby from inserting things into the points and suffering electrical shock.
Make sure all electric cords are well out of reach of your baby’s inquisitive hands. If he pulls on an unsecured cord, he may bring the lamp down on himself.
Make sure the floor is kept scrupulously clean at all times; you never know what your baby will find. Remove all small choking hazards and poisonous materials.
If you have a staircase that your baby is unbearably attracted to, then invest in safety gates for the landings at the bottom and top. Keep these safety gates locked at all times, and if your baby wants to crawl up the stairs on his own, let him, but make sure you stay right behind him; never leave him alone on the stairs.
Remember; ‘baby proofing’ your home and the baby’s environment is extremely essential, not only for his safety, but also for your mental peace and well being.

Otherwise, you may end up having to say ‘NO’ to everything that he wants to do, thereby unnecessarily curtailing your baby’s natural desire to explore and find things on his own.

http://www.newbornbabyzone.com/health-safety/safety-tips-for-your-crawling-baby/

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