First poo
Your baby's first couple of poos will be
tar-like, sticky and greenish-black in color.
Termed meconium, this waste product was
accumulated in the womb. Most babies, over
90% of them, will pass meconium within 24
hours with about 2-4% passing it within
48 hours.
Drinks other
than milk
Cooled boiled water can be introduced
to formula-fed babies from the age of six
weeks, especially when in warmer climates;
breastfed babies do not need anything else
to drink. Regular tap water which is boiled
is sufficient; do not add flavorings or
sweeteners. However limit this to 2-4 oz
per day as too much water can disturb the
delicate balance of salts in your baby's
body. Well diluted unsweetened fruit juices
such as apple can be gradually introduced
after baby turns nine months old. Avoid
giving sparkling mineral water or water
with high mineral content to babies under
2 years of age.
First meal
 Ideally
babies should be breast-fed exclusively
until six months but if you choose to wean
earlier, solid foods should not be introduced
before 17 weeks or only after baby is four
months old as a baby's digestive system
is not mature enough. Further to this, he
will extrude most of the food out of his
mouth with his tongue until the tongue-thrust
reflex is lost which happens after baby
turns 4 months old.
| Research
suggests that babies and young
children who sleep with the
light on are more likely to
be short-sighted than those
who sleep in the dark. |
|
Best first foods
 Baby
rice is the best first food. Comes in powder
form, it is convenient to prepare since
the portion is tiny at this stage. The taste
and texture are quite similar to milk so
most babies take on to it without much fuss.
Once your baby has adjusted to this initial
change, you can add apple puree or mashed
potato, carrots for example, building a
range of different textures and tastes in
the process.
|
In
the 4th or 5th month baby learns to roll from
his back onto his abdomen. In his 6th month
he makes paddling movements while lying on
his tummy and holds his head in different
directions. He is able to grip and let go.
He is beginning to sit up without support
- a good time to invest in a high chair.
Once your baby has had his first set of immunizations
you can take your baby to a public pool. The
water and surrounding air temperatures should
be warm (at least 33°C or 91.4°F)
and the swimming session should be short (not
more than 20 mins) to avoid baby from catching
a cold. After introducing him to the water
and when baby is relaxed you can let him float
on his back with your support. Babies who
are introduced to swimming early usually don't
have to overcome fear later. Your child can't
learn to swim until he is three; so for babies
swimming has more to do with moving in the
water and some together time with their parents.
If your child has a tendency to develop respiratory
infections, it is best to delay swimming for
a while.
Bonding between you and your baby can take
anything from a few days to a few months
or even longer. Research shows that a child
who has not formed a secure psychological
connection with a caring adult by the age
of four is likely to have social problems
throughout his life.
Research
shows that over 50% of early words are general
in nature such as 'ball', 'car', while a
word such as 'dog' may be used to refer
to all animals. Less than 15% are specific
referring to people such as 'mama' and 'teddy'.
Many of child's first words are connected
with things she uses in some way or the
other such as 'juice', and 'spoon'. This
only goes on to prove that your child's
language is reflective of her everyday experiences.
On the average, first words are spoken around
the age of 9-12 months, and by the age of
15 months about six clear words will be
used by your toddler. Most often these are
names of family members or familiar objects.
By age of 18 months your toddler is able
to combine two words to form a meaningful
phrase such as 'me cup' meaning I want my
cup.
Most
babies are born toothless and most babies
cut their first tooth around 4-6 months
of age. Some babies teethe earlier than
this and some later. Most have all their
milk teeth by the time they are two and
a half. There are twenty baby teeth, ten
at the top and ten at the bottom. In some
cases a tooth appears without much warning
signs while in others babies go through
a lot of discomfort. 
Between
9 and 12 months some babies start to take
their first steps - they discover how to
'cruise' around the furniture. Although
some babies leap to their feet and waddle
off as early as 10 months, others are still
seated contentedly months after their 1st
birthday. Walking your baby around will
not make her walk earlier. Don't bother
buying a walker - they don't teach a baby
to walk and they do cause a large number
of accidents!
Be
sure to always support your baby's head
when picking him up and putting him down.
Always make sure you are comfortable yourself
because if you feel tense he will too. One
of your hands should always be behind baby's
head, neck and shoulders to give proper
support. Once his head is well supported,
he will feel secure and will relax. Most
babies like to be held close to your body
against your shoulder. Once baby's head
and neck are well supported there is no
right way to hold and lift your baby - just
work out what feels right to you both. 
A
fever is a temperature of about 37.7°C
(100°F) or over. A normal temperature
is anything between 36°C (96.8°F)
and 37°C (98.6°F). 'Strip type'
thermometers are convenient but inaccurate.
Taking temperature under the arm can be
hard to manage. Digital thermometer that
goes in the ear is expensive but very handy
- fast and accurate.
