Friday, November 16, 2007

Tiffin Ideas for little ones

Hi!
My baby has just started going to playschool.
She enjoys eating her tiffin with the other kids.
I am concerned about giving her the right foods that are
1. nutritious
2. appealing to a 2 year old
3. non-messy

Here are some of my ideas and I'd greatly welcome any new inputs!

1. Idlis with non-spicy chutney powder or some ghee
2. Boiled corn flavoured mildly
3. Home- made cup cakes
4. Thali peeth
5. Cutlets
6. Vegetable upma
7. Cutlets
8. Wheat pancakes
9. Boiled, mildly flavoured grains and sprouts like chana, rajma, chowli, mung, matki
10. Salads
11. Various dosais and uthappas (ragi dosai, plain dosai, pesarattu, onion uthappa, tomato uthappa)
12. Vegetarian omelette.
13. Vegetables and noodles / pasta.
14. Cut fruit (Pomogranate, apples, oranges, sweet limes, papaya, cucumber, grapes, pears, kiwi)
15. Roti sabzi rolls.

I will try to put my recipes for this list as and when possible. Meanwhile, please feel free to share your ideas and recipes!

Friday, July 13, 2007

Weaning From Breastfeeding

There comes a time in your baby's life when you have to wean them from breastfeeding!

The reasons could be
1. The baby is 2 years old
2. The baby is allergic to breast milk
3. You are on strong antibiotics that are not good for the baby.
4. The baby has started developing tooth decay because of excessive drinking
5. The baby has started showing signs of dependence by drinking throughout the night and crying when you try to disengage.
6. The baby is drinking so much milk that her appetite for solid foods is not satisfactory.
Or any other reason that makes it necessary for you to stop your baby feeding from you.

You will probably experience many conflicting feelings.
You may feel a sense of loss of a period in your baby's life. You may feel lost because your baby will no longer "need" you. You are terrified of the process of weaning and don't know how you'll go through with it. You are looking forward to getting more sleep and feeling fresh for a change! You are looking forward to being able to get into more activities since the baby doesn't need you so often for feeds!

So how do you actually go about it?
Gradually. Step by step.
There's no point rushing things. No point traumatising you and the baby any more than is necessary.

First mentally prepare yourself.
This is not going to be easy.
Expect a lot of tears - from the baby, from you and your hubby, maybe!
Expect to have take a tough stand in the face of the most heart-wrenching crying.
Take the time to mentally gear yourself up for this. Take a week if necessary.

Then start by talking to the baby. Explain in a calm firm voice why you feel it is important that the baby stops drinking breast milk. Explain that you still love your baby and that you are doing this because you are convinced that it is the best thing to do.

You will be surprised how even infants can understand a lot more than you give them credit for. Please do not skip this step. It is important that you talk this through with them.

After a couple of hours after your "talk", you may start.

In the beginning just reduce the number of feeds during the day.
Find alternate ways to put the baby to sleep and find different foods the baby can eat at feed times. (refer the posts on putting babies to sleep and colicy babies and posts on baby food.) Try singing calmly to the baby while walking around or try rocking them in a cradle or swing or try rocking them and lightly patting them in your lap.

When you have completely stopped feeding the baby during the day, stop feeding the baby before she sleeps at night. Use the same calming and soothing techniques you use during the day to put her to sleep. At this stage you will still feed her breast milk when she wakes up at night.

When your baby sleeps with only mild fretting without breast milk at night, that is when you get into the last and most difficult step - stopping the midnight feeds.

Keep some sweetened milk and water and your baby's favourite food by the bedside.

Apply some bitter tasting edible fluid on your areola and nipples. I heard people used Mother Tincture of Nux Vomica, Bitter gourd (Karela) juice or Neem oil.

Mother Tincture of Nux Vomica is available in Homeopathic outlets. Bitter gourd juice can be made at home by grating bitter gourd and straining it or by grinding it to a paste in the mixie and straining it. Neem Oil is available in ayurvedic stores and some medical shops.

When your baby wakes up at night, apply your bitter fluid and then offer it to the child. When confronted with a bitter nipple, the baby will probably not drink milk. She will howl and cry.

Offer her the milk you have at your bedside table. Offer her the other food you have kept aside for this time. Make sure you keep your calm during this time.

Hand her over to your spouse and take a few calming breaths if necessary before you take her back.

Hug and cuddle her. It is important for her not to feel "rejected".

Carry her in a comfortable position and sing to her while you walk at a steady pace around the room.

Make sure the lights are dimmed.

Sing her a lullaby.

If she cries beyond thirty minutes by the clock, this isn't working. Feed her and change tactics.

The next time, try offering her a silicon nipple while covering your breast up underneath. When she does not get milk, and when she feels the alien silicon nipple instead of her usual comfort nipple, she may get the message that there is no milk and she will cry. Again try to offer her alternate nourishment and try to put her to sleep by singing, walking, rocking her gently etc.

If even this does not work, then change tactics again.

During the day, (when she anyway doesn't drink your milk any more) show her that your nipples have been bandaged. Say that this is because you have got hurt because she has been drinking too much at night. Talk to her about this at intervals two or three times before she goes to bed at night. Then when she wakes up, present her with the bandaged nipple. She can't drink. She will cry but you have to be firm.

Do not remove the bandages, come what may. Stay calm and walk around with the baby making comforting sounds. Distract her with a toy or anything else she likes and offer her something to eat or drink. Keep her distracted and ensure her stomach is full and then attempt to put her to sleep in the same way she falls asleep during the day and at night without milk.

Keep this up steadily for a month or so.

Your baby is weaned! Congratulations!

Monday, May 21, 2007

More on Colic

Hi!
Srushtee is now 18 months old and I feel I am a little better equipped to deal with babies now than I was when she was first born.
When Srushtee was just a few days old, I realized that she followed a pattern and became cranky and difficult during the evenings. In just a couple of days, I'd start getting all anxious and would pretty high strung by evening.
Babies can sense their mother's anxieties. Srushtee would take her cues from me and bawl her head off and between the two of us, it was pretty bad.
Having my Mum or sis or Srushtee's Dad handle her at such times worked well because they were much calmer and she would calm down considerably when in their arms.
As Srushtee grew odler, I started taking her out for walks in the evenings. This would distract her and evenings became calmer and even pleasant!
In hindsight, I wonder if these tips may have worked. I'm definitely going to try them when I have my second baby. You could try them out just now!

1. Take a Break! Hand the baby over to someone else. Leave the room. Consciously calm down. Take deep breaths, read a book, take a shower or something along those lines. When you are feeling good about yourself, go back to your baby.

2. Distract the baby: Go for a walk, play with a toy, dance with your baby. Involve your baby in some activity so both of you are distracted from the immediate crying.

3.Try putting the baby to sleep: Breastfeed and cuddle your baby in a darkened room. Maybe she's just tired and wants to sleep.

Hope these work for you!

Saturday, April 7, 2007

How to quit smoking during pregnancy

I remember reading a post a couple of days ago from someone who wanted to stop smoking during a pregnancy.

I read an article on that and wanted to share what I read.

The article said that drinking a glass of milk or eating dairy products or eating fresh fruits and raw vegetables or drinking fresh fruit juice made the cigarettes taste bad and would help deter people from smoking.


I think if you made it a point to drink or eat some of these just before you smoke, it might help you make up your mind not to smoke at all.

Here's a recipe for a decoction that could help also. Take two teaspoons of coriander seeds in a glass or water. Boil the water with the seeds till it is reduced to half the quantity. strain it and drink this decoction when you crave a smoke, before you smoke. You could also use Ajwain seeds along with the coriander seeds.


Every time you feel like smoking, consciously take up another activity that occupies you physically and mentally like a craft or crochet or origami or knitting a complex pattern. Maybe if you get involved in doing something else, you won't need the cigarette.

I don't smoke, and didn't at any point in time, so I won't be able to give you first hand tips on what will help. But try all of this (its mostly from de-addiction articles) and tell me if anything works!


Good Luck!
Sonali.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Care For A Baby With A Cold.

It’s enough to drive any Mum up the wall. Baby is sniffling, her nose is running, she isn’t sleeping well because her nose keeps getting blocked and she is irritable. She doesn’t want to eat much food and is feeling mighty uncomfortable. As a result, you are exhausted and wish there was something to help her calm down.

Of course you need to take her to her doctor and follow what he prescribes, but there are a whole lot of other things you can do to help your baby when she has a cold.

Steam Inhalation:

Boil water in a dish with a lid. When the water is boiling vigorously, pour this into a steam inhaler or a bottle with a narrow mouth. Add a few drops of

Euclayptus oil OR

Zinda Tilismath OR

Vicks Vaporub OR

Inhalade Plus OR

Karvol / Karvol Plus Capsule.

Sit under a blanket with your baby and the bottle. You will slowly be able to smell the vapours from the bottle. Remain under the blanket with your baby inhaling the steam for as long as your baby is comfortable.

Take Care to ensure that your baby does not tip the bottle over. Since the water is very hot, you have to be very careful that your baby does not get burnt.

It is possible that your baby may feel a lack of oxygen or feel choked if the fumes under your blanket are too heavy. If your baby shows signs of distress, take her out of the blanket and allow her to breathe in fresh air.

Steam inhalation helps to release blocked noses and relieves cold related headaches.

Vapour inahalation:

Heat a pan / tava on your stove till it is very hot. If you pour a drop of water on it, the drop should sizzle and evaporate immediately. Keep the tava on the stove for a minute more.

On the hot tava, sprinkle a little

Ajwain / Ova / Omam seeds Or

Turmeric / Haldi powder

Bajra Flour

These will let off vapours.

With the assistance of someone else, hold your baby close to the vapours so she can smell them.

Never hold your baby directly over the tava.

Keep your baby’s arms and legs restrained so she does not touch the hot tava by accident.

Vapor inhalation helps to release blocked noses and relieves cold related headaches.

Saffron:

Take a couple of strands of saffron in a teaspoon. Add a few drops of milk. Rub the saffron against the teaspoon with your fingers. The saffron will slowly dissolve and the milk will take on its colour. When the saffron strands have fully dissolved, apply the milk on your baby’s nose, forehead and chest.

This provides temporary relief from colds.

Kashaayam:

To make a kashaayam, you add the herbs to a glass of water. Boil the herbs in the water till the water is reduced to half.

Herbs you can use in your kashaayam:

Tulasi

Ajwain ( Ova / Omam ) Leaves / Seeds

Dhania (Coriander) seeds

Ginger

Garlic

Haldi / Turmeric

Honey / Jaggery

All these herbs are good for colds.

You could also make a kashaayam of Aleev & Shepa seeds with jaggery.

Feed your baby the kashaayam when it is lukewarm. Always test the temperature of any liquid on your lips before giving it to your baby.

Garlic Milk

Take 6 medium garlic slivers and pound them.

Take a glass of milk.

Add 1 tsp haldi to the milk. Add the garlic.

Add 1 tsp honey to the milk.

Boil the milk. Take off the stove and cool it.

When it is luke warm, give it to your baby. Always test the temperature of any liquid on your lips before giving it to your baby.

Loss Of Appetite

Your baby may lose her appetite when she is having a cold. Try enhancing the taste of her food by adding a bit of lemon juice to it or use some amchur powder. If you feel your baby is old enough, you may even add a pinch of pepper.

Vitamin C:

Vitamin C is said to help build up body immunity and particularly helps the body to fight colds. Giving your baby Cecon Drops may help. Vitamin C is water soluble and excess vitamin C is generally passed out of the system through urine, so it won’t harm your baby.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Vegetarian omelette for babies

Ingredients:
1 small Onion
1 small tomato
2 cloves garlic
1 pinch grated ginger
2 tbsp cleaned and chopped methi leaves
2 tbsp cleaned and chopped coriander leaves
1/8 tsp Asafotida (Hing) powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1tbsp mung dal flour
1 tbsp Nachni flour
1 tbsp Bajra flour
1 tbsp jowar flour
1 tbsp rice flour
Butter Milk or water
Salt to taste
Ghee for cooking
Chop the onions and tomatoes into fine cubes. Pound the garlic into a fine paste along with the grated ginger. Put all this into a bowl with the methi and coriander leaves and sprinkle the hing and haldi on it. Add all the flours. Mix it. Add enough buttermilk or water to form a dosa-like batter.
Heat a frying pan and spread some ghee on it. Pour out some batter on the hot pan and spread it into the desired shape with a spoon. Cover it and leave for a few minutes till the underside is brown. Uncover and flip over. Take off the pan when there are brown flecks on the other side.
Serve with fresh butter or curds.
Tip: Use whatever flour you have. We have these flour at home most of the times to make rotis. Feel free to use makai ka aata or any other whole grain flour.
You can add any other vegetables such as chopped palak leaves, grated carrot or doodhi or pumpkin as well.

When I leave my baby in someone else's care

There's always a first time and no matter how hard you cling to your need for your baby, some time or the other, you are going to have to face a situation where you have to leave her behind and go out on your own without her.

The first time that happened, I couldn't think straight. I just wanted to get straight back to her, FAST. Everyone who was responsible for my having to be out without her was roundly scolded in my mind. Everyone who caused any delays in my finishing my work and getting back to her also received unspoken bad vibes from me. I hated them all and their inefficiency and whatever else it was that was causing them to delay me.

Now when I go out, I feel relieved for a little while, but very soon (in about 10 minutes or so) I find myself wondering about what she'd be doing and whether she knows I'm not around, whether she's had something to eat and whether she's missing me at all!

Luckily for me, I have so far only had to leave her with my Mom so I haven't had worries about whether she is receiving appropriate care. I shudder to think of the mental travails of Moms who have to leave their babies with relative strangers!

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Avoid during pregnancy

Since we are discussing pregnancy, I thought we'd discuss some of the "DON'Ts" during pregnancy. Apart from the foods to avoid, there are other thing which could be detrimental to your pregnancy or your baby.

1.Travelling by auto. I heard of a couple of people who lost their babies because they travelled by auto during their pregnancy. My Gynaec told me that because of the small wheel size of autos and because of the "wonderful" condition of our roads, travelling by auto during pregnancy can result in an abortion.

2. Running Up or Down steps. Despite all the hindi movies where pregnant heroines dance and prance around town and spring up and down steps, it is not advisable in real life. In real life, any sudden, jerky movements are not advised.

3.Sitting with your legs folded under you or crossing your legs while sitting in a chair: This may be an old wives tale or it may not be but I am putting it here and leaving it to your discretion whether or not to follow it. My Gran says that sitting in either of these positions causes the umbilical chord to loop itself around your baby. This could cause serious complications during the birthing process. Even in alternate healing techniques like Reiki and Su Jok, they say crossing your legs dis harmonizes your energy and is best avoided.

4.Lifting heavy weights: The way our bodies are balanced during pregnancy is precarious enough. Carrying weights puts harmful pressure on your baby and your own back.

5. Smoking, Drinking, Doing Drugs: I think the implications of these have been hammered in time and again. If you are sensible and smart, you won't do any of these while you are pregnant. But then again, not everyone is smart, right?

6.Watching / Reading Violent / Sad Films /books: When your emotions are on a roller coaster, your hormones respond to them. When you are happy and at peace, it is best for your baby. This is the ideal situation in which it will grow and develop best. Don't you want to give your baby the very best life has to offer? Start now.

This is all I can think of for the moment. I would greatly appreciate it if you would add anything that comes to your mind in relevance to this post. The more the brains, the more the information! Enjoy your pregnancy!

Monday, February 26, 2007

Foods to Avoid When Pregnant

Some foods are not good for you during pregnancy. For various reasons, they affect your foetus badly and your chances of carrying the pregnancy to term reduce greatly.

Here is a list of the things I was told to avoid.

Papaya: In India, traditionally, when a lady found out she was pregnant and did not want the child (pre-birth-control era and in rural areas), she would eat papaya. Nowadays it is said that the papaya seed has hormones that cause abortions in the early stages of pregnancy. The problem is that when you eat a papaya, some of the seeds are still forming and so are difficult to avoid ingesting along with the pulp. To simplify things, I just stayed FAR away from papayas the entire time that I was pregnant.

Sugar Cane Juice & Sugar Cane: Because of the way it is harvested and stored in India, sugar canes and their juice have a very high bacterial content. These bacteria can cause severe infections which can lead to termination of pregnancy.

Ajino Moto (MSG): Ajino Moto is a flavouring used by cooks to make chinese food taste better. It is usd by chefs in all restaurants, large and small quite indiscriminately. Ajino Moto or Mono Sodium Glutamate is a carcinogen (it causes cancer) and is just not good for human consumption. However, in the small quantities present in your Chinese food, it does not immediately harm and adult. The important thing to keep in mind, though is that a dose that is not lethal for an adult may well be so for a foetus. Even if it causes no immediate harm, it may cause long lasting damage that will surface only later. Why take a chance?

Pineapples: For some reason, this fruit tends to cause a lot of allergies and is best avoided in pregnancy.

Saunf / Dil: I don't know if this is an old wives' tale, but I was told to avoid saunf at all costs, as it was too heaty and not good for the baby especially its complexion.

Generally speaking, have foods that are cooling and avoid excess of heaty foods. Have plenty of fruit and vegetables. Keep your nutrition levels high. You don’t need a lot of fat in your diet. Eat healthy. Enjoy eating.

Friday, February 23, 2007

First outside Feed For babies Recipe

The all-important first-outside-feed for the baby! The first time your baby will taste outside food. It is an exciting time and an anxious time. You want to do it very right.

So what do you give your baby at this important moment?

Some things to keep in mind:
Any Milk other than mother's milk is difficult for your baby to digest. Avoid milk.
Honey contains microbes that children below 1 year are not immune to. This could lead to infections.
Avoid any uncooked food because you cannot control the germs in them.

Here's a simple recipe that you can make at home, with your own hands and can control the quality! Your baby deserves nothing but the best!

Ingredients:
4tsp Mung Dal
4tsp Rice
Water as required
Directions:
Take 4 teaspoons of mung dal (Green Gram lentils) and four teaspoons of rice.
Roast this till the mung begins to turn reddish or develops red flecks.
Cool it till it comes to room temperature.
Now powder this in your mixer till it forms a homogeneous and fine powder.

(This powder can be stored for a few days in an airtight container.)

Take one teaspoon of this powder and mix with water till the mixture is of thin pouring consistency.
Boil this mixture for 2 - 3 minutes. Add water if necessary.
The mixture should be such that it easily flows out of the spoon.
Cool this till it is at room temperature and feed this to your baby.

Ideally feed your baby sometime in the morning. Also make sure you are not feeding your baby for the first time on a Sunday. The idea is to be able to access your baby's doctor in case the outside food does not agree with your baby for whatever reason.

Make sure to give your baby a little water after you have fed her and be sure to clean your baby's mouth well after the feed.

Repeat the same feed for a couple of days giving your baby's digestive system time to adjust to this new food. After that you can introduce one new thing at a time. Always give your baby's system time to adjust to any changes in the diet by introducing only one new ingredient at a time and repeating the same recipe at least twice before making any further changes. Do this for about a month and then you can make changes slightly faster.

This is your baby's first step to growing independent of your milk! Cherish the moments as best as you can!

Friday, February 9, 2007

Breastfeeding

Hi!
Just the other day, I realized that not everyone knows much about breastfeeding.

All that "it-comes-to-you-naturally" stuff doesn't happen in real life. Also, most often your own Mums have had babies so long ago, they are not expected to remember all the details! So what ends up happening is that you get bombarded with often conflicting, well meant advice and you are more at sea than you were before!

Having gone through the process of trial and error, here are some tips I'd like to pass on.

1. Start preparing when you are pregnant.
Before the baby is born, make sure you oil your nipples well. Many people have dry skin during pregnancy and while we pay ample attention to the skin on our face and hands, your nipples need attention now. Oiling them and keeping them moisturised goes a long way in making it easier when your baby is born.
Take "Shatavari Kalp" (Ayurvedic herbal drink) with a glass of milk in the ninth month of your pregnancy. This will ensure that you have enough milk for your baby when she is born. Shatavari Kalp will be available at many chemist shops and will definitely be available in Ayurvedic shops or shops that sell herbs.

2. The First Feed.
If you've had a normal delivery, your baby will be brought to you soon after you have settled down in your room after the delivery. If you have had a Cesarean, your baby may be brought to after your anaesthesia has worn off a bit. Again, if you have been given spinal anaesthesia during your delivery, you will be advised by your doctor not to over on your side for 24 hours. In such a case, have a pillow placed by your side lengthwise and place your baby on the pillow so she can reach your breast without having to turn over. You will need to have someone watching so the baby doesn't accidentally roll off the pillow.

3. The Actual Feeding.
Ideally, your baby should have maximum skin contact with you while feeding. It helps to make the baby feel warm and secure. It goes a long way in developing the mother-baby bond. Personally, I found that touching and holding my baby while feeding her also helped me to cope better with my post-surgery pain.
  • Place your baby so you are both facing each other with the baby's mouth at your breast.
  • If you can, put your arm around your baby.
  • Let your baby open her mouth wide and latch on to your breast. Make sure that your nipple and areola (brown portion around the nipple) are in your baby's mouth. The baby's lips should be outside her mouth and visible around your breast.
  • Don't hesitate to detach your baby and go through this process again till you both get it right.
  • If your baby gets only the nipple in her mouth, she will be unable to get a good enough flow of milk and will cry out of frustration. Your nipples will get very sore very soon and you will find all future feeds painful, so get it right.
  • From there on, your baby will be able to suck the milk in.
  • Allow her to feed from one breast for a maximum of 15 minutes by the clock and then change over to the other breast.
  • Hold your breast with your fingers in a "C"shape for all this (Thumb and index finger forming a "C" around your breast.")
  • If you want to detach your baby, make sure your fingers are clean and slip your little finger into the baby's mouth to break the suction and then pull your breast out.

Some Facts:
Your baby may sleep off while feeding. If you feel she hasn't had enough milk, gently rub her cheek or her ears or the back of her head to wake her. Do NOT shake your baby at all. Do NOT pat your baby.

Your baby does get tired sucking. All her mouth muscles may pain with all the hard work they go through getting milk. She may take small gaps while feeding. Allow her those gaps. Be patient.

Your baby may get a small sucking blister on her lips because of the friction between her lips and your breast initially. This will stop when she is more used to drinking milk.

Your nipples may feel very sore initially. There are many creams available that you can apply to alleviate your pain. Your doctor should be bale to help you with a prescription. If you feel too much pain or experience bleeding nipples, you could use a breast shield. The important thing is to openly communicate with your doctor about all discomfort.

Your breast milk is almost 90% water (my Doctor friend told me this). Drink at least 2 litres of fluids so you have enough milk.

If you feel you are not having enough milk for your baby, talk to your doctor. She may prescribe medicines which help in generating milk. Alternatively, you could try "Shatavari Kalp" an ayurvedic medicine. It is made of Asparagus and is miraculous in its effectiveness. There are many other options available to help lactation. Talk to your doctor about them.

As your baby grows, you will find that you have both developed an understanding of what is best for you. Do not hesitate to experiment (within reasonable limits) with different positions and grips for the two of you.

When my baby was very tiny, I preferred feeding her while sitting in a chair with armrests and holding her so her spine was along my arm and my palm was near her bottom. Slowly, this changed and now at 14 months, it is most convenient to feed her while both of us are lying down.

See what works best for you and enjoy it! Also share it with us, so some weary mother can get some help when it is her turn to feed her baby!

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Organizing "Mundan / Jaaval"

We had Srushtee's head tonsured (Mundan, Mottai, Jaaval) as is the custom, on the 21st of Jan '07.
This involved arrangements at different levels.
1. Organize the babrber: I asked around and found out from Mom's who had already got their babies head shaved once and got information about "Good barbers." The next step was to arrange with the barber the date and time and then arrange for him to come home for the ceremony.

2. Inviteees: My Mother-In-Law said that Srushtee would have to sit in her Mama's (Maternal Uncle's) Lap. He would cut a small lock of hair and then the barber could take over. After the barber was done, Sruhtee would again be required to sit in her Mama's lap and have laddoos and chocolates showered on her. So Srushtee's Mama's were the primary invitees. Then of course I wanted her grandparents (both sets) to be there for the special event and also her Aunt (Chitti, Maushi). We invited a couple of the neighbours as well.

3. Gifts: It is customary to gift the Mama's something so I put together a hamper for them. The next was the token to the barber. It is customary to give hime some uncooked rice, dal, a few potatos and a shirt peice. All the kids who come should get some chocolates!

4. Menu: Depending on what time you have this ceremony, you would want to offer your gusts something to eat. Srushtee's Jaaval was late in the afternoon, so we had an evening snack of missal, pasta, Apple Pie and Strawberries.

As you can see there is a quite a bit of shopping and co-ordination required here! I thought it was going to be very simple and quick until I actually started to list out things to be done!

Hope this helps you.

Monday, January 15, 2007

How to post your comments here

I just realized that many of you may not be familiar with blog formats. I just thought I'd run you through the process of sharing your thoughts on the site itself.

Just below my post (content or article in non-blog terminology), there is a button which says comments in a small font. It may have a number before the word indicating the number of comments that have been posted for that post for eg. it may read 0 comments .

Click on the word comments. A window will open up and you can type out your comment there. Once your comment is complete, you can click on the "preview" button and see how your comment will look. You can choose to modify it at this stage. Or you can directly click on the "Publish your comment" and have your comment on the blog instantaneously.


It helps to have comments on the blog itself instead of on my personal e-mail Id. On the blog, everyone who visits the blog can benefit from what you share. Besides, it feels nice to have others participate in the blog!

Do post your comments!

Sunday, January 14, 2007

How to reduce the Frequency of Feeds at Night

Hi!
I had a problem and asked a couple of my friends and relatives for advice. I'm reprducing all of it here so we all benefit from it!

Me
Hi!
I need advice.
Srushtee is 13 months old now. So far, if she'd had a good dinner, she would sleep for 4-5 hours at a stretch and then ask for my feed maybe every 2hours or so. I'd get enough sleep that way and things were fine.
Of late, even if she's had a good dinner, she wakes up every one hour for a feed. Then, somewhere between 3 and 5a.m., she wants to feed continuously for about an hour or so before she sleeps for the next two hours. I am unable to get enough sleep this way.
Did any of you face this kind of a situation? What did you do to come out of it? Is this a phase that will pass by itself? How long did this phase last in your kids?
All your experience will greatly help. I really need help!
Love,
Sonu.

Niharika
hi!
this seems like a growth spurt. the metabolic activities increase making
them more hungry and demanding. also she maybe playing more between her
sleep and meal, thus digesting the meal sooner.
one way is to put her on bottle feed, it works. once she is into her sleep
for an hour or so, offer her about 6 ounces of milk (plain or junior
horlicks).
put her to sleep in diapers because winter can make her pass urine often and
disturb her sleep, for which she needs to feed on you for longer hours to
pacify herself.
hope this helps.
take care,
love,
niha.
(Niharika Tiwari is a dear friend and a mother of two wonderful children! Her younger daughter is around 15 months old.)

Jayashree
Are you still breast feeding her? I had this exact same problem. My
pediatrician advised me to stop/wean her away. It took a couple of months,
but things settled down. She was 15 months old at the time.
Love,
Jayu
(Jayashree Chava is my aunt. Her daughter is around 22 years old. So this advice stems from EXPERIENCE)


Frian
i noticed that khushru wanted to feed a lot when he had growth spurts, so see if she does it for a week or so n then stops. maybe she is just going thru a growth spurt!

Otherwise she is probably just growing up n breast milk is not enough for her. usually after a year kids need something more substantial n filling, n invariably breast milk is too light by then. i know that breast milk is best but by the time baby is a year it is not sufficient by itself. I had the same problem with Khushi n i used to give him a tin of custard in the night when he first woke up n he started sleeping better n longer.

Try increasing her solid intake in the evenings with maybe a good snack before dinner.

Also she is probably comfort feeding more than anything else. I breast fed Khushi till 15 months but it was more just a comfort n bonding thing rather than nutrition food. You need to introduce regular milk or formula soon as it would be more filling n just breast feed 2 or 3 times a day, or completely stop it. The problem with Khush was he didn't want to take any other milk once i weened him off n till today he doesn't drink any milk. So I supplement his calcium intake with lots of custard n cheese. Besides he knew I was trying to ween him off n he would keep demanding more feeds as a comfort thing. See what works best for u.

Just another thing..... check out if she has worms by any chance. That might also explain the increase in appetite.

good luck n take care. will catch up another time, been real busy with 2!!

love
Friu.

(Frian Patel works with children! Also, She has just delivered her second baby boy just about a month ago and still took the time to help me out. Friends truly are God's gift to us!)


I hope to receive more advice from other Mom's I'd asked for help. I'll post it here as I receive it! I'll also try out all of it and tell you what worked best for me right here!

Until then, take care and do share your experiences here with us!

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

My Parents are Ageing. Help!

Suddenly, after Srushtee's birth, I seem to have become acutely aware of the fact that my parents are ageing.

My parents had kids pretty late, so my Mum is due to retire from her job in March '07. She has Osteoarthritis. Sometimes, she complains of leg pain, my Dad has varicose veins and also has leg pain. They also feel out of sorts for various reasons with increasing frequency.

When Srushtee is around, they will insist on carrying her and cuddling her and pampering her, but nowadays, they also tire quickly and need to frequently hand her back to me so they can take a breather.

It is unsettling. It is not a nice idea to think they are growing old. Somwhere in my mind was a firm belief that they will always be there for me when I need them. This is a belief that has been reinforced many times over during my life and especially after I got married.

Suddenly now, this belief seems to be developing microscopic fissures.

I suppose all of us know that someday our parents will need us to take care of them instead of the other way around.

I also feel that whenever that day comes, I want to be able to take such good care of them, that they feel luxuriously comfortable and feel proud of me.

All the same, I still feel like running away from that eventuality forever.

How's that for an example of emotions and rationale being at cross purposes?

Sunday, January 7, 2007

Striking a balance?

Well,
Srushtee's First Birthday is done. She's walking around. She's eating outside food.

All the people around me - My in-laws, my parents, my sister and my husband have settled into a daily routine that pretty much resembles what they had before Srushtee happened.

I get into work 5 days a week. I have Srushtee with me in the office in the mornings, and in the afternoon, I am supposed to leave her with my Mum and come in to get some serious work done.

I can't.

I am unable to bring myself to leave her. I have a whole lot of excuses - Srushtee wasn't feeling well, my Mum needs her afternoon rest, there isn't anything that I can't do the next morning ... - but that is just what they are:Excuses.

If I am very honest with myself,
I think I'm feeling subconsciously guilty at having to leave her in someone else's care. Am I palming off my responsibilities on someone else?
Will she develop some deep rooted insecurties which will surface as psychological quirks in later life?
Am I insisting on working for the purely selfish and egotistical motive of not having to ask my husband for money?
Should I be giving up my job completely and devoting my entire time to her? Am I just afraid of not having a "Job"?

I have yet to sort these issues out for myself.

In the meantime, I have this feeling that I am going nowhere, that I am running hard to just stay in the same place.

I know that Srushtee will grow up eventually and probably will not want me around in some phases of her life, but unitl then what balance can I strike in my own life?

Saturday, January 6, 2007

I Feel...

When my baby was born, the first few days were a blur. I was in a trance of sorts, maybe because I'd had a Cesarean and maybe not.

I was just emotionally drained and not retaining much. I was experiencing what was going on around me only vaguely and my memories of the time are of the same intensity as of a movie watched while walking in and out of the room doing other things. Some bits do stand out clearer than the others, but that's that.

Slowly, I started beginning to be more conscious and one of the first things that happened was that I was horrified with my body. I had lost the lovely curve of pregnancy and was just loose and floppy and lumpy now. Added to that I had this really ugly scar from my surgery.

I got so dejected that I hated looking at myself in the mirror or even when I bathed. I wore clothes without being conscious of what I was wearing but being painfully aware that I was shabby. Added to this, my baby would urinate and my clothes would have urine on them. I was down enough to feel low about this and stay in the same clothes anyway and feel more miserable.

Slowly, as my energy levels came up, I started making a more conscious effort to change my clothes more often. Slowly I even started taking an interest in what I was picking out to wear. Eventually, I regained enough control of myself to make that all-important trip to the physio therapist and with her exercises, I lost weight. I started gathering up courage and trying on my pre-pregnancy clothes. When one by one, they started to fit again, I was overjoyed!

I wish I could say that from then on things were great. The truth is a little more time consuming. I slowly began picking up the strings of my existence and turning them slowly into a semblance of my life.

Even today, when my baby is 15 months old, I'm trying hard to get to where I want to be as opposed to where I am, but the BIG thing is that I have accepted certain things that help me feel better about myself.
1. I do not control everything.
2. I can decide what I want my life to be like.
3. I can adjust this picture and my perspectives depending on what I can and cannot control.
4. Sometimes, the only thing you can do, is to give yourself up to your faith in God or whatever else you believe in and accept the outcome.
5. Stress relieving techniques that suit you are worth finding.
6. There's nothing like taking some time out whenever you can to just be with yourself doing something exclusively for you - not your husband or your baby - just you.
7. When you feel you are ready for it, take time to be away from your baby. Start with small gaps so you don't feel guilty and then build up.
8. Pay attention to what you wear and how you look. It helps you to feel better about yourself.
9. Money worries never go away. Learn how best to live with them. Develop your own coping mechanism.

Hope this helps all of you who are feeling the same way to realize that things will get better and soon!

Avoid Sickness

Avoid sickness.
When visiting Friends and relatives, do not hesistate to call and ask if anyone has a cold, sore throat or fever before visiting.
You can then decide whether or not to take the baby there. The last thing you want to take home from someone else's home are their illnesses in your baby.
I personally give my baby a tiny dose of Vitamin C (Cecon Drops) and/ or homeopathic pills (Easident) that help boost immunity whenever I go out in the midst of a crowd where I cannot control to whom she will be exposed (eg. large family gatherings, weddings).

Friday, January 5, 2007

Bathing your baby

Our tradition decrees a set routine for a baby's bath: Massage, Bath and after bath care.

Massage
The main idea is to oil the baby's skin (moisturising) and stimulate it. You have to be careful not to harm the baby's tender body in the process.
It's a good idea to allow someone who is experienced at massaging babies to massage your baby for a few days. You can watch them and decide what elements of their method you would like to retain and discard.
Once you are comfortable with your own body's healing post delivery, you can take over the massage. This helps you to have a lot of skin contact with your baby and increases bonding.

Oil
Your pediatrician may suggest you do not use any oil on the baby's skin initially. It's your call on whether you want to follow his/her advice.I personally used Johnson's baby oil for the first few days. Then my baby developed a rash and I tried out olive oil, til oil and finally settled down at coconut oil. I generally added a couple of drops of Almond (badam) oil to the coconut oil and then applied it to the baby's skin and head.
It is kind to use lukewarm oil on the baby's skin, so it is best to heat the oil for a few seconds before use. Test the temperature of the oil on the back of your palm before you apply it to your baby's tender skin.

Soap Or...
Once the baby is massaged, he is ready for a bath.

Never use cold water on new born babies. They are used to the warmth of the womb and it is necessary to bathe them in warm water to make the bath as pleasant as possible for them.
As always, test the temperature of the water on the back of your palm before you apply it to your baby's tender skin. The water should be warm but not hot. You should be able to pour an entire mug of it on the back of your palm without feeling in the least bit uncomfortable.

The hospital where you deliver will have it's own suggestion about what soap to use for your baby in the initial few days. It's a good idea to continue to use the same soap for the baby until a week after the umbilical cord has fallen off.When you feel the umbilical cord area has completely dried and healed, you can start using other traditional bathing methods.

For the first 2 months, I used a mixture of Turmeric (Haldi) powder and Mung Dal (Green Gram) Flour mixed in milk cream instead of soap for my baby.

From then on, I used a mixture of Turmeric (Haldi) powder, Chana Dal Flour (Besan), milk cream & rose water mixed to the consistency of thick cake batter.

Oil the baby as usual, then apply this paste evenly on the entire body and face and wash off with water. There is no need to use soap.

From the 8th month onwards, I started using almond (badam) and sandalwood (chandan) paste. After the massage, I apply this paste on the baby's skin and leave it on for a minute or two. Then I bathe the baby with the Chana dal, turmeric etc. mixture mentioned above.

Not using soap makes me feel that I am not subjecting my baby's skin to an onslaught of complex chemicals. Besides, Turmeric, Milk Cream, Rose water, Besan, all have properties that contribute to good complexions.

When the whole world is turning to Ayurveda and people are paying BIG money to get treated at spas, start early with your baby at home!!

All your suggestions are welcome. If you have any opinions, feedback, do post them here.

Travelling with Baby

In our culture, elders generally recommend that children be taken out of the house only after they are 45 days old.

If you think about it, there may be some logical sense in it.

Babies below 45 days old may not have the immunity it takes to face the great outdoors before that especially in a tropical country like India.However, visits to the pediatrician may be necessary long before this.

The first few times I decided to take my baby out, I was at a complete loss of what and how much to take along.

Here's a general list that might help you.

Babies less than three months old generally pass urine about every 25 minutes or so.
Anticipate a wait of about two hours at the pediatrician and take along 4 nappies and 4 swaddling cloths.

Babies above three months old can wear nappy pads and then progress to diapers when they are about 6 months old.
Just carry one spare underwear and one spare nappy pad / diaper then.

Babies older than 6 months would have started eating outside food. So if you plan to be out at a feed time, you will also have to carry some food for your baby.

Trips for a couple of hours:
Nappies & Swaddling Cloths / Underwear & Nappy Pads / Diapers
Baby Wipes
Baby's water
Baby's food
Bib
Baby's cap
Baby's socks / footwear
Insect repellent
Baby's toy/s

Trips for a couple of days:
Baby's clothes
Nappies / underwear & nappy pads / diapers
Swaddling cloths / Spread cloths
Baby's cap
Baby's socks / footwear
T-shirts, Shorts, Skirts, Frocks, Jump suits etc.
Full sleeved long legged nightwear
Baby's bibs.
Baby Wipes
Baby's water
Baby's food
Baby's bottles, bowls, dishes, spoons
Insect repellent
Babies daily medication, Crocin and other first aid recommended by your pediatrician
Baby's toy/s
Rubber / Plastic sheets and their covers
Kangaroo Bag / Baby basket
Lots of tissues

As ususal, I may have overlooked something and it would be great if you could add it and share it!!

How to Deal With Crying Babies

How to Deal With Crying Babies

In the first few months of her life, my baby cried a lot. I received a lot of advice from helpful friends and family on how to deal with my crying baby. I tried out most of it at different points in time. I am listing here what worked for me.You may have to try a couple of remedies at a time before you arrive at a solution that works at that particular time. Don't be afraid to try things out. Always remember your instincts are your best guides.

Check Nappy
One of the most common reasons for babies feeling uncomfortable is a soiled nappy. Check and change the nappy if necessary. While checking, see if there is any redness, soreness, or blisters in the baby's nappy area. These can appear very fast, so you can check every time. If there is a rash, any soothing, mild, moisturizer will help for the moment. Then consult your pediatrician.

Check if hungry
In the initial months, babies are normally willing to drink milk and quieten down quite readily unless something is very wrong or they are very full. Just try breastfeeding the child and it may solve the problem!

Check if sleepy
Use your usual sleep inducing methods - rocking, feeding, shushing, darkening the room etc. If your child is very tired and sleepy, they may cry and be very irritable.

Check if too hot or too cold
Touch your baby's feet, hands and tummy. If they are cold, your baby is feeling cold and needs to be warmed up. Hug and cuddle the baby a little and put on warmer clothes.
It could also be that your child is feeling too hot. Check for any sweating or simply try colling the baby. Take off a couple of layers of clothing. Switch on the fan / Air conditioner.Ideal baby temperatures are between 24 and 26 degrees Centigrade.

Rock in cradle
Sometimes, just putting your baby in a cradle and rocking her will calm her down. She may even drift off to sleep!

Rock in arms
Carry your crying baby in your arms and gently rock him. It might help if you make wooshing / humming sounds / say om.
Babies are sensitive to moods. If you are tense or high strung, you will find your baby is also irritable and will not sleep easily. Make sure you take a couple of deep breaths, calm yourself and make soothing sounds to the baby.
Shushing and wooshing sounds resemble the sounds the baby would have heard while in the womb and are therefore comforting. Humming sounds and Om create reverberations which also help to calm the baby.
Holding the baby close to your heart so he can hear your rhythmic heartbeat is reassuring to them.

Check for insects on clothes
Sometimes, insects may get into your babies clothes without your realizing it. Remove your babies clothes and check in the various folds of skin to see if an insect is troubling your baby. Ants like to hide in babies hair so make sure you check your babies head as well. Make sure your baby doesn't smell of milk cream or any other food to prevent insect bites.

Try all colic remedies
Try all the colic remedies I have posted earlier.

Remember, your instinct is your best guide. You may have to run through a lot of these methods before you arrive at a solution that calms your baby down at that particular time. The same remedy may not work every time.

Be calm and feel free to experiment within reasonable limits.

If you come up with a new method, do post it here so we all share it!!

How I dealt with Colic

My baby was Colicky!!She would cry for apparently no reason and for quite a while at a time.

The Doctor prescribed some colic medicines, but they had a limited effect. Nevertheless, I kept giving them to her as prescribed.

We did try (and seemed to benefit from) some home remedies.

1. Take a pinch of asafoetida powder (Hing) in a teaspoon. Add a couple of drops of lukewarm / room temperature water and create a paste. Apply this on the baby's abdomen around the belly button without touching the stub of the umbilical cord or allowing any of the paste to get into the baby's belly button.

2. Take a Paan leaf (betel leaf) and apply a layer of castor oil on it. Heat the leaf by holding above an open flame. Test the temperature of the leaf on the back of your palm and if okay, apply the leaf on the baby's abdomen with the castor oil side touching the baby's skin. You can repeat this process with the same leaf every 3-4 minutes till the leaf changes colour.

3. There's a herb called Vesambu in tamil, Bach in Hindi, Vaj in Marathi and Acorus in English. It looks like a thick twig. Hold this above an open flame till it gets blackened. wait for it to cool. Rub your finger on the blackened part so some of it comes onto your finger. Put this on the baby's tongue.

4. Take a fist full of Ajwain/Omum/Ova seeds. Wrap them in a cloth and heat them in the microwave oven till they are warm. Alternatively, heat them on a hot pan and then put them in a cloth. Foment the babies tummy and chest with this. You could also grind them to a paste with water and then heat the paste and use it for fomentation. Always remember to test the temperature on the back of your palm before you apply it to the baby's skin!

We tried all these until we felt any one of them was working and then we just stuck to that one remedy for that time.

Hope this brings releif to some of you!

Your suggestions and experiences are welcome.

Hello!

My baby girl was born on 29th November 2005. She weighed 2.9 Kgs, was 19 inches long and had a mop of curly hair.

I delivered her through an emergency c-section because of a face presentation.

This blog is an attempt to share what I learn through my experiences with other mothers who may feel as much at sea as I feel!!