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Kids grow up fast, especially babies. It might seem like just yesterday that you were bringing your baby home for the first time. You can probably still picture what her little face looked like as she suckled on your breast or on the bottle. But now she is ready for solid foods.
Every baby is different so there is no magic age when your baby will be ready for solid foods, but most babies will be ready between the ages of 4 to 6 months. It is around this time that their digestive systems have matured and are ready for solid foods. A few signs to look for that might indicate your baby is ready for something a little more than breast milk or formula are:
- Your baby can sit up with your support.
- Your baby can take food from a spoon and can swallow it.
- She/he holds her head up and turns away when she/he is full.
- Your baby appears to still be hungry after a feeding.
You should talk to your pediatrician when you think your baby is ready for solid foods. The doctor will be able to help you read the signs and give your tips on how and when to start the introduction of solid foods.
What foods should you start with? Babies have very sensitive digestive systems and can have food allergies that you don’t know about so start out slow with just one thing at a time. Pediatricians recommend starting with a single grain cereal like rice cereal or oatmeal. Introduce the cereal slowly over a few days and keep an eye out for any food aversions or allergies, particularly if you add dairy to the cereal. As your baby’s system gets used to the cereal you can begin introducing other foods like pureed fruits and vegetables. You should only introduce one new thing at a time that way if your baby shows signs of a food aversion or allergy you will know what the culprit is.
Watching your baby grow up is a wonderful thing. Introducing your baby to new foods can be fun (and a little messy!). Keep a close eye on your little one’s reaction to the foods you introduce into their diet. Be sure to discuss any questions or concerns with your pediatrician.
(Source: Babyfit)
When I think of a multiple pregnancy I think of twins, probably mostly because I couldn’t imagine trying to carry and care for any more than two babies at a time. However, there can be many more than two babies involved. A multiple pregnancy is a pregnancy where there are 2 or more fetuses. Large order multiples are those pregnancies with 3 or more fetuses.
Twins are fairly common, occurring in one out of every 90 births (when fertility treatments are not involved). Large order multiple pregnancies are a little more rare, especially when no fertility treatments are involved. When there is no involvement of fertility treatments triplets occur in one out of every 8100 births, quadruplets occur in one out of every 729,000 births, and quintuplets occur in one out of every 65,610,000 births. As you can see, not all that common. Infertility treatments account for a majority of all large order multiple pregnancies, 60% of triplets, 90% of quadruplets, and 99% of quintuplets.
If you are pregnant with multiples, no matter if it is twins or quintuplets, your pregnancy will be considered high risk, and you will be monitored very closely throughout your pregnancy. The larger the number of babies involved the higher risk your pregnancy is considered. Be sure to discuss what carrying multiples means for your care, what you can expect, and what special measures (if any) you need to take during your pregnancy.
A multiple pregnancy poses many unique challenges including:
- The everyday symptoms of pregnancy, like morning sickness, breast tenderness, exhaustion, and the pains caused by the added weight as your pregnancy progresses are often more annoying. This is thought to be because of the higher level of hormones produced during a multiple pregnancy.
- You are at an increased risk of experiencing complications during your pregnancy, such as, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, or high blood pressure, to name a few.
- Weight gain during a multiple pregnancy is much more significant, particularly with large order multiples. This will increase your discomfort as your pregnancy progresses.
- There is an increased risk of problems in the womb, including, growth discordance (one baby developing faster or slower than the others), intrauterine growth restriction, and twin to twin transfusion syndrome (when there is an unequal sharing of nutrients and blood flow between identical twins). Your pregnancy will be monitored for indications of any of these problems.
- Miscarriage of the pregnancy is more common in a multiple pregnancy. A woman carrying triplets for example is 4 to 6 times as likely to miscarry as a woman carrying a single fetus.
- There is an increased risk of premature labor in multiple pregnancies, this risk increases with the number of babies you are carrying. On average twins are delivered 4 weeks before term, triplets 7 weeks before term, and for quadruplets 10 weeks before term. But each pregnancy is different and some multiples are delivered sooner or later than these averages.
- You are more likely to deliver the babies by cesarean section because of presentation problems and because the delivery can be too stressful on the babies and you.
- Multiples are at an increased risk of have low birth weights. The average weight for twins is 5 lbs 5 oz, for triplets and quadruplets it is 3 lbs 12 oz, compared with the average of 7 lbs for a single baby.
- There is an increased risk of birth defects with multiples.
- Due to the severe stretching of the uterus during a multiple pregnancy there is an increased risk of post partum hemorrhaging. You will be monitored closely after the birth for any signs of hemorrhaging.
These are just some of the unique challenges a woman carrying multiples faces. It is time of great joy, great fear, and great uncertainty. If you are carrying multiples be sure to talk to your doctor as they will be able to provide you with more specifics about your particular pregnancy and circumstances. Also, there are support groups out there for mothers of multiples that can be of great help during your pregnancy and once your bring you babies home (whole other set of challenges). Your doctor should be able to provide you with information about the support groups in your area.
Are you the mother or father of multiples? Please share your experiences and helpful suggestions.
(source: WebMD, The Mother of All Pregnancy Book)
Do you sometimes feel like nothing works when you are trying to calm your crying baby? You are not alone. No matter how much you think that no one else’s baby cries as much as your little one, remember that they do. Every baby cries. Some babies do cry more than others, some have good days and bad days. Crying is just part of the package.
A baby is considered fussy or colicky when they cry 3 hours or more per day at least 3 days of the week. Doctors do not know exactly what causes fussiness or colic in babies, it could be physical, developmental, or a combination of both. The fussy period for babies usually peaks around 6-8 weeks of age, and most babies are completely over their fussiness by 6 months (there is a light at the end of the tunnel).
Crying can have a big impact on mothers, especially new moms. 8% of mothers reported experiencing difficulty consoling their fussy infant. Mothers of fussy babies are more likely to suffer from post partum depression. The Center of Disease Control conducted a study of 2727 mothers. 19% of the mothers in the study suffered from moderate to severe post partum depression, most of them reported their babies were inconsolable.
So what can parents do to stop the crying? The CDC study found that those mothers who went through hands on parenting training were better equipped to handle their fussy babies. Each baby is different, they cry for different reasons and are consoled by different things. The key to learning how to deal with your fussy baby is learning to recognize what triggers your baby’s fussiness. Learning how to recognize when they are over stimulated, or tired, or hungry, or just crabby, and then what works to console them. Hands on parenting classes seem to work well at teaching new parents what to look for.
Crying is just one of those things that moms and dads have to learn how to live with. Every baby cries, and every parent has those days when they just feel like their baby will never stop crying. Just remember you are not alone and they will eventually stop crying. If you need to take a break and get a way for little bit of quiet alone time ask a close friend or family member to babysit for a few hours. Talking to other mothers about your experiences and sharing tips and tricks can be a lot of help too.
Ask your pediatrician for advice if you are concerned about your baby’s crying or if you need advice on how to console your fussy baby. If you feel you may be suffering from post partum depression consult your doctor, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
(source: US News and World Report)
Be sure to stop by Pink Diary to check out this week’s Carinval of Family Life. There were some great entries in the carnival this week.
I Can Bring Home the Bacon – where a working mom talks about how crazed she feels trying to juggle working and raising 3 kids.
Five Years, 2 Months and 11 Days – a mom shares the story of the premature arrival of her daughter. It’s a very heartwarming story.
Tricks to get Toddlers to Eat – some great tips. There are many more great articles, so be sure to stop by and check them out.
During those first few weeks home from the hospital with the new baby dads often feel a little left out, especially when mom is breastfeeding. Dads seem to wonder what their role in this whole baby raising thing really is. For new fathers who don’t have any experience with infants it can be hard to know where they can be of assistance.
Even if mom is breastfeeding there are many things that dad can do to help out. Here are a few of the things fathers can do to assist their wives as you both attempt to raise this new little one.
- You can bring the baby to your wife for feedings, allowing her to rest in bed. This can be especially helpful for those late night feedings.
- Help change diapers. Your assistance in this department will be greatly appreciated.
- Hold the baby and comfort him/her when they are fussy. Allowing mom a little extra rest.
- Take a turn batheing the baby. You will likely become more comfortable handling the baby during this process and it can be a great bonding time.
- Encourage and support your wife as she learns how to breastfeed. This will likely be one of your most important roles you play as she struggles to figure it all out.
- Have your wife pump so that you can take over a few of the feedings using bottles of breast milk.
- If mom needs quiet time for a nap, take the baby out for a little walk.
As you can see there are many things fathers can do to help out, even if mom is breastfeeding. Most importantly is sharing in the tasks, encouraging your wife as she struggles to learn how to breastfeed, and spending time bonding with your new little baby.
If you have words of advice or encouragement for those dads out there that might be feeling a little left out, please share them.