Oral Phase: Baby Puts Everything in his Mouth

Why is my baby putting everything in his mouth?

Babies love to explore. For babies, learning is a sensory experience and as many of the senses must be utilized as possible. This includes taste, so you should expect your baby to explore things with his mouth. He will gum down, suck, chew and drool all over toys and pretty much everything else he can find. It won’t be particularly attractive, but it will be one of the ways he learns about the world around him. By putting an object in his mouth, your baby can learn about the taste, texture, feeling and other properties of the object.

Some babies find that gumming down on toys and other objects help to alleviate teething pain. If your baby is drooling lots and gumming down on everything in sight, it could be a sign that his teeth are bothering him. There are plenty of teething toys on the market to help your baby cope with teething pains. If you’d rather save your pennies, you can knock up a teething toy for free at home. Simply stick a flannel in the freezer for a few hours, your baby will find the cold soothing as he bites down on the flannel when his soon-to-arrive teeth start to bother him.

When does the oral phase start?

Most babies are aged between three and four months old when they start putting things in their mouths. All of a sudden, anything and everything will end up in their mouth. The oral phase will last until your child is between 12 and 18 months old. Especially in this phase, you’ll need to take steps and be extra careful to protect your child.

Small objects present a choking hazard and should be kept out of reach of babies. If you don’t want something to go in your baby’s mouth, keep it out of your baby’s reach. This goes for smartphones, remote controls and car keys. Choose toys or objects which you are happy for your baby to explore orally. The oral phase should pass shortly after your baby’s first birthday, but until then you’ll need to keep a close eye on him to make sure he doesn’t put anything dangerous in his mouth.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had to persuade your baby to remove from his mouth?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

What to do in an Emergency Situation

It’s not something many parents want to think about, but knowing how to help your child in the case of an emergency is very important. Babies can choke on food and small objects. If something becomes lodged in your baby’s airway, you’ll need to act fast.

The best way to be prepared to help your baby is to take an Infant Child CPR class in your community. In these classes, a trained professional will teach you the actions you need to take if your baby is choking or if he is in respiratory distress or cardiac arrest. Being able to practice with mannequins will help you learn the motions and feel more confident if you ever need to use them.

Because your baby won’t understand that he can cough to try to clear an object from his airway, and he isn’t going to know to show the the universal sign for choking (hands crossed near your neck), it’s important for parents to recognize the signs of choking in a baby:

  • Lips or skin have a blue tinge
  • Difficulty breathing, including the ribs and chest pulling inward
  • Inability to cry or make much sound
  • Weak, ineffective coughing
  • Soft or high-pitched wheezing while inhaling
  • Your baby may lose consciousness if the blockage is not cleared

If your baby is unable to cough, breathe or cry and seems distressed, he could be choking. You may need to administer first aid to help your baby clear his airway. Don’t try to use your fingers to dislodge the object because this could risk pushing it further into his airway. Alternating back blows and chest presses is the recommended method for clearing a baby’s airway when he is choking:

Back blows

  1. Lie your baby face down across your lap, make sure his head is lower down than his bottom.
  2. Use your hand to support your baby’s head. Gently place your thumb and forefinger on either side of your baby’s jaw to support his head, this will ensure his airway is kept open. Be careful not to press on your baby’s neck.
  3. Give your baby five firm slaps between his shoulder blades using the heel of your hand. Pause between each blow to check whether the airway is still blocked. If the airway is still blocked after the five back blows, you’ll need to try chest presses.

Chest Presses

  1. Lie your baby face up along your arm. You should lie your arm along your lap for extra support.Use your hand to support your baby’s head.
  2. The breastbone is the thin bone running down between the ribcage. Find this and place two fingers on the lower part of it.
  3. Use your two fingers to give five sharp chest thrusts. Push down gently but firmly on your baby’ breast bone, this should compress your baby’s chest about a third of the way down. Check to see whether the blockage has cleared. If it hasn’t, you’ll need to try back blows again.

When to seek help

If you have tried three sets of back blows and three sets of chest presses and the airway is still blocked, you need to ring for emergency help. Continue the back blows and chest presses until help arrives.

If your baby choked, even if you were able to clear the blockage, you should seek medical help afterwards. Your baby’s doctor will want to give him a checkup to ensure there were no complications.

Performing CPR

If your baby isn’t breathing, you will need to perform cardiopulmonary respiration (CPR). This keeps oxygenated blood circulating and can help to prevent brain damage. If you think your baby isn’t breathing, shout for help immediately. You’ll need emergency medical help. Here’s what you’ll need to do until help arrives:

  1. Make sure your baby is in a neutral position, with the head and neck aligned. Use our fingers to gently lift the baby’s chin, being careful not to push on the soft bit of skin under the jaw.
  2. Now you need to check whether your child is breathing. Look for chest movements, listen at the nose and mouth for breathing sounds and feel for air movement with your cheek. Do this for no longer than 10 seconds.
  3. If your baby isn’t breathing, carefully remove any obstructions from the mouth before preparing to deliver five breaths.
  4. Take a breath and then cover your baby’s mouth and nose with your mouth, make sure it’s sealed. Blow a steady breath into your child’s mouth and nose for between 1 and 1.5 seconds. It should be enough to see your baby’s chest rise. Keeping their head tilted, move away to allow the air to come, the chest should fall as this happens. Repeat this sequence five times.
  5. Now it’s time to start chest compressions. Find the point at which your baby’s lowest ribs meet, one finger width above that is where you need to press. Push down with two fingers to compress the chest by about a third. Release the pressure then repeat. You should do it at the speed of 100 chest compressions a minute. After 30 compressions, it’s time to give two more breaths. Repeat this until your child shows signs of life or until help arrives.

Do a first aid course

Just reading an article about first aid is probably not enough. It’s better to practice what to do in an emergency situation with a trained professional. It’s well worth signing up for a course! You’re money is much better spend on any first aid course, than another new toy for your baby.

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Caring for Your Baby’s Cough

At one time or another, your baby is going to come down with a cough. But your baby’s cough can mean different things. For example, a cough can be a symptom of a virus or it could occasionally indicate something more serious. Either way, when your baby starts coughing, it can make any new parent a little nervous. Understanding the causes and knowing how to deal with a cough can help you and your baby feel a bit more comfortable.

Causes of Coughs in Babies

The most common causes of a cough in babies are respiratory infections, such as a cold, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and croup. Most babies will become infected with at least one of the above viruses by the time they are two years old.

Symptoms of all three illnesses are similar, but there are subtle differences. For instance, if your baby has RSV, his cough may be worse than a cough from a cold. Babies with croup tend to have a deep, barking cough that worsens at night.

When is Coughing Serious?

In many cases, coughing is not that serious. But there can be instances where coughing is a sign of something more worrisome. For example, coughing can occur if something is caught in your baby’s throat. If your baby starts coughing suddenly while eating, it may be due to a piece of food getting stuck. Try not to panic. If your baby is coughing, it means he is still moving air in and out and will usually be able to cough out the food.

Whooping cough, which occurs due to a bacterial infection, can also lead to severe coughing. Babies who develop whooping cough may have loud, rapid coughing that does not appear to be accompanied by cold symptoms. Whooping cough can be life-threatening in babies and requires immediate treatment. Fortunately, there is a vaccine to prevent whooping cough.

Of course, if your baby is coughing and having trouble breathing, always call for immediate medical help. There may also be other instances when a trip to your pediatrician is a good idea. For example, if your baby is less than three months old and has a cough, it’s best to get her checked out. Also, if your little one is older than three months but is wheezing, has a cough that lasts longer than a few days or coughs up yellow or green mucus, you should also see your doctor.

When it comes to treating your baby’s cough, it’s also best to talk to your doctor first. Don’t give any medications without getting your doctor’s approval. Cough medicine is usually not recommended for babies under two. In most cases, your baby’s cough will clear up without any specific treatment. In the meantime, a little extra cuddling and snuggle time may be just what the doctor ordered.

Written by MaryAnn DePietro @writerlady34

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Everything You Need to Know About Baby Talk

What is baby talk?

Baby talk is that hideously annoying thing you hear other parents doing sometimes which is totally adorable and perfectly acceptable when you do it with your own kids. When speaking to babies, you may find yourself drawing out your vowel sounds, speaking in a high-pitched voice and using words like ‘gigi’ instead of ‘horse’. That’s baby talk.

Baby talk is often referred to as ‘motherese’. It sounds sexist, but researchers have found that moms are more likely than dads to use baby talk. Baby talk may be a little embarrassing in public, but it could have great benefits for your baby’s developing brain.

One study found that baby talk boosted language development. Babies who frequently heard baby talk spent more time babbling. Participants were followed up a little while later and those babies who heard the most baby talk had grown into the toddlers with the biggest vocabularies.

If the thought of whipping out your best baby talk at the grocery store fills you with dread, worry not. Baby talk was found to have the biggest impact on language development when it was used in a one-on-one situation. This attentive environment heightens learning and allows babies to babble back. So there’s no need to go public with your motherese, you can keep it as your little secret for now.

How to help your baby learn to talk

If you’re keen to encourage your baby to talk, you could try the following:

  • Motherese – as explained above, spending one-on-one time conversing with your baby using baby talk could be beneficial for language development.
  • Chat – it doesn’t have to be baby talk, but your baby needs to hear lots of words to aid language development. The more you talk to your baby, the more opportunity he has for learning.
  • Books – if you’re struggling for conversation with your baby (it’s not easy when they don’t chat back), reach for a storybook. You can read the story or simply discuss what you see in the pictures. Either way, your baby will be benefiting from listening to you talk.
  • Respond – it may sound like your baby is randomly making hilarious noises, but that babble is his early attempts at conversation. Chat to him by repeating the sounds back to him.
  • Focus – background noise can make it difficult for babies to concentrate. Make sure you spend quality time in a quiet environment each day together. Turn off the television so your baby can really focus on the sounds you make.

What steps do you take to encourage your baby’s language development?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

5 Things to be Mindful of When Weaning Your Baby

Your baby’s first year is filled with all kinds of exciting milestones. The first smile, the first explosive poop, the first time she reaches up with those beautifully chubby arms and gives you a cuddle. One of the milestones many parents look forward to is weaning. Those first few bites of solid food seem just as exciting to you as they are for your baby. All of a sudden, a whole new world of textures, tastes and aromas has opened up to your child.

Like any parent, you’ll want to give your child the best. Whether that means food from your own plate, homemade purees or professionally prepared jars will depend on what’s right for your family. There is no right or wrong way to do things. Here are five things it’s worth being mindful of when it comes to weaning your baby:

  1. Sugar

Your baby doesn’t need sugar in her diet. Sugar is made up of empty calories that will fill your baby’s tummy without providing any nutritional benefits. It’s also bad news for those pearly whites your baby has been working on recently. If you’re eating out, check with the chef to make sure sugar isn’t being added to your baby’s food. Always check jars of pureed food for their sugar content. Sugar is used a preservative, so your baby might be consuming more sugar than you think. Avoid cordials and fruit juices and instead, stick with water for your baby’s mealtime drink.

  1. Salt

Salt is another ingredient commonly used as a preservative in foods. It’s also used for flavor, many adults have fallen victim to the salt trap where food doesn’t taste right unless it’s flavored with salt. Your baby does need some salt in her diet, but only 1g a day. It is thought that most babies eat more than this thanks to processed foods such as bread and tinned foods. Too much salt can lead to kidney problems as well as encouraging your child to opt for salty foods in the future which could be bad for her health. Check the labels to see how much food your baby is eating and avoid adding salt to your baby’s food.

  1. Additives

Additives and e-numbers are added to all sorts of foods. They are used as preservatives and often appear on the label in the form of an e-number, leaving many consumers unaware of what they’re eating. When it comes to your baby’s food, you probably want to be clued up about what’s in it, so keep an eye on those e-numbers. A quick Google search will reveal what each e-number means.

  1. Allergens

Food intolerances are more common than you might think. Food intolerances can cause skin rashes, stomach cramps and nausea, amongst other symptoms. If you think your baby may have a food intolerance, keep a food diary for a couple of weeks until you can establish a pattern. Note down any symptoms as well as any foods eaten, your doctor will be able to analyse this information to spot potential causes of the intolerance. Animal milks, dairy products, wheat, gluten and eggs are some of the most common causes of food intolerances. Speak to your healthcare provider for advice if you think your baby may be suffering from a food intolerance.

  1. Quantity

How much should your baby eat? That’s a tricky question to answer and something many parents worry about at night. You may worry that your child is eating too much or too little, but how do you know when she’s getting the right amount? There is no set amount that your child should be eating. The amount she needs will depend on her energy levels, how many calories she consumes through breast or formula milk and whether she is feeling 100%. The best thing to do is let your child determine how much she eats. Offer her a healthy, balanced diet and give her the freedom to choose how much she eats. Some days she will eat more than others, that’s totally normal and nothing to worry about. As long as your baby seems to be thriving, you can rest assured that she’s getting enough food.

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

What Is a Nursing Strike?

Breastfeeding has been going well for you and your little one, when suddenly, baby begins refusing the breast. You may ask yourself: Is he weaning? Is something wrong with my milk? Is it something about me?

A nursing strike is a sudden refusal to nurse (whereas weaning is typically a gradual reduction). Babies younger than one year rarely self-wean. Nursing strikes are most common between 3 months and 9 months. The breast refusal typically lasts 2 to 4 days, but may last a week or more. The worst part is that your baby will likely be pretty fussy and unhappy about the situation.

Knowing the cause of the nursing strike – which may take some sleuthing – will let you know how best to proceed to get baby back to the breast. Occasionally, a strike comes and goes and the root is never determined. Some common reasons for a nursing strike include:

  • Illness: Does your baby have a stuffy nose (so that he can’t breathe while nursing), an ear infection (which can cause discomfort with being held certain ways or when swallowing), or thrush (which can cause a tender mouth)?
  • Pain: some teething babies refuse the breast due to painful gums; immunizations and injuries can cause pain when baby is held in a nursing position.
  • A change of schedule: If baby is staying with a sitter more often or if you are separated longer than normal, he may refuse the breast.
  • A change in mom’s smell: Are you using a new soap, perfume, deodorant, lotion, fabric softener, detergent?
  • A change in the taste of the milk: Have you eaten anything with a strong flavor? Have you recently had mastitis? Could you possibly be pregnant? These could all change the taste of breastmilk.
  • A change in milk flow: If your milk supply is decreasing, your baby may be getting frustrated trying to increase the flow, and may just refuse to do so (leading to an even lower supply).
  • A dramatic reaction from mom while baby was at the breast: If your baby bit you and you reacted strongly, or if you were speaking loudly or arguing with other family members while nursing, your baby may go on strike.
  • More frequent use of pacifiers or bottles: A baby with nipple preference may just decide the breast is too hard and the bottle much easier.
  • Stress: Do you have extra company at home, have you been traveling, have you just moved to a new home, or are you amidst a family crisis? Is your baby just overstimulated? Are there simply too many exciting distractions for your baby to be bothered with stopping to nurse?
  • Developmental milestones: Some experts think when baby is concentrating on a new skill like crawling, standing or walking, eating sometimes takes a back seat.

Your baby will still need to eat during this crisis. Offer your breast often, but be nonchalant if he doesn’t nurse. Don’t force breast feedings – you want to keep the breast a safe relaxing place for baby. If your baby starts to get upset while you’re trying, feed him another way and try again at the next feeding to get him to latch and nurse.

You can use bottles, if you’d like, though you want to make it as much like breastfeeding as possible by practicing paced feeding and using a slow flow nipple. If you want to avoid using a bottle, try giving milk in a cup or syringe, or with a spoon or eye dropper. If baby will latch at all, you might be able to use a nursing supplementer to keep the flow of milk steady. You will need to pump or hand express milk as often as your baby would be feeding in order to avoid a drop in milk supply, plugged ducts or mastitis.

Getting your baby back to the breast will take patience and persistence. Other tips and tricks include:

  • Spend time skin-to-skin, offer lots of extra cuddling, increase attention
  • Wear your baby in a sling or wrap
  • Take a bath with your baby
  • Nurse when your baby is drowsy, or even when he’s sleeping
  • Pump for a couple of minutes before offering the breast to get milk flowing
  • Change up your positioning, or nurse in motion (walking, swaying, rocking)
  • Try feeding in a quiet, dim room without any distractions, turn off the television and any music, put your phone away
  • If your baby has a stuffy nose, use saline drops or breastmilk in the nose before feeding, and try clearing his airway with a nasal aspirator
  • If teething pain is the culprit, offer something cold for baby to chew right before a feeding. Pain relievers are also an option

While a nursing strike can be challenging, it’s only temporary. Expect getting baby back to the breast to be a slow process. Don’t get discouraged. Most babies return to the breast and go on happily nursing as if nothing ever happened.

Written by Michelle, childbirth instructor, lactation consultant, and mother to 4 busy kids

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice.  All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Avoiding Bad Baby Advice

Parenting advice – It’s unavoidable. It starts as soon as anyone realizes you’re pregnant. And it just never stops. It comes from everyone – your mother, your doctor, your best friend, the woman behind you in the grocery queue, the mailman, the bank teller.

While everyone means well and some of their knowledge is useful, sometimes the tales they have to tell are not only outdated but could be dangerous, as well. Bad baby advice that you definitely should not follow includes:

  • Don’t pick your baby up every time he cries or you’ll spoil him. You can’t spoil a baby. A young baby doesn’t have the mental capacity to manipulate you, and only has immediate needs that you can fulfill by picking him up when he signals he needs you.
  • Dip your baby’s pacifier in honey and sugar to get her to take it and help her sleep. Or to help get rid of hiccups. The added calories aren’t necessary, and the honey could contain dangerous botulism spores that could harm baby. And there’s absolutely no scientific evidence behind these claims.
  • Bite your baby’s nails instead of cutting them. Aside from the yuck factor, the practice of biting your baby’s nails could cause small skin tears that when exposed to your saliva could become infected.
  • Rub baby’s gums with whiskey to relieve teething pain. Or give baby a little rum to help him sleep. Well, a drunken baby may surely sleep, but the alcohol might also harm his immature liver and brain.
  • Put cereal in baby’s bottle to help him sleep through the night. Babies aren’t meant to have any solids until about 4 to 6 months of age. Before that, his digestive system just isn’t mature enough.
  • Never let your baby fall asleep at the breast (Or in your arms. Or in his seat, stroller, swing, etc.) or he will never be able to fall asleep on his own. This advice is sometimes impossible. The hormones released during feeding make baby sleepy, as does the motion of movement. Sleep is a developmental milestone that all humans can eventually accomplish on their own.
  • Your emotions could poison your breastmilk. It’s true that a major stressor can impact your milk supply, you’re not going to pass anger, depression, sadness, etc. on to your baby through your breastmilk. If you are suffering with depression, though, it’s important to be treated – your parenting and your interactions with your baby could suffer.
  • You can never eat ___ when breastfeeding. And if you have even a whiff of alcohol you should pump and dump. Breastfeeding moms can enjoy whatever foods they like – including the occasional alcoholic beverage – without impacting their breastfeeding babies, if timed correctly. Only rarely are babies allergic to something in their moms’ diets.
  • If your baby bites you – or your toddler bites a playmate – bite him back. Biting a baby back only reinforces the exact behavior you want to stop. And it could be seen as abuse by some.
  • Never take your baby out on a cold day. Cold air doesn’t cause colds – germs do – so if you’d like to be outside, just bundle baby up and go.

While these seem like antiquated tales, moms today still hear this advice. If you’re not sure what to do in certain situations or if someone’s advice seems iffy, do some research. Most importantly, follow your intuition. If the advice doesn’t seem credible, find another solution.

Written by Michelle, childbirth instructor, lactation consultant, and mother to 4 busy kids

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice.  All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.