Baby Care
1 Shampooing without Tears
Always use hypoallergenic, non-sting shampoo, which
is specially formulated for baby's skin. Be very careful
not to splash your baby's face or get shampoo in her
eyes. During the first 24 months of life, a child's
sebaceous glands and hair follicles are maturing,
so only use shampoos designed for babies.
2 Taking care of Baby's
Teeth
It is never too early to start cleansing baby's teeth.
As soon as those first milk teeth appear, gently wipe
the gums and teeth with a clean soft damp cloth at
bedtime. Switch to toothbrush with a pea-sized amount
of toothpaste once baby has 6 or more teeth. Brush
your baby's teeth every morning and night. Allow him
to play with his brush while you brush your own teeth.
You will encourage good oral hygiene and prevent tooth
decay.
3 Choosing Easy Care
Fabrics
Your baby's clothes will need frequent washing ' a
newborn may need a complete change 3-4 times a day
' so make life easy for yourself by choosing garments
made from hard-wearing, easy-care fabrics. Look for
soft natural fibers such as cotton flannel or cotton
fleece, which will be soft against your baby's skin.
Check the washing instructions if the clothes are
machine washable and require minimal ironing. Safe
your time for your baby instead.
4 Natural solutions
for Nappies
It is important to wash cloth diapers in boiling hot
water, which sterilizes them and protects your baby's
delicate skin against infection. You can make your
own sterilizing solution by adding five drops of tea
tree oil to a gallon of water. Alternatively try one
half to one cup of white distilled vinegar which will
also act as a fabric softener. Avoid using standard
detergents and bleach when you wash diapers because
residues left on diaper can irritate your baby's skin.
5 On the Mat
Use a changing mat when you change your baby ' it
helps to keep the mess under control. And if the room
is warm, let your baby lie on the mat and kick without
a diaper for a few minutes. He will enjoy the freedom
and the air will be good for his skin.
6 Pressure Changes
When you are flying breast-feed our baby or offer
a bottle when you take off and land. Sucking helps
prevent ear aches caused by the changes in air pressure.
7 Baby Carriers
Your newborn will love being carried snuggled up against
your front, no matter if you are at home or in the
supermarket. Buy a carrier with a head support that
can be removed once your baby gains head control.
Always try before you buy to ensure that you can get
the carrier off and on yourself without help. At about
six months your baby will enjoy sitting in a carrier
on your back and watching the world go by. A carrier
is also ideal if you take long walks because it is
so much easier to manage than a stroller.
8 Learning language
Your baby starts to communicate with you in the first
weeks of life by making burbling noises. As he grows
older, coos and chuckles, often in response to your
talk replace these noises. At about six months he
will begin to enjoy playing with different sounds;
he will babble with them and experiment with them
for hours. You can help this early speech development
by talking to him, repeating simple words and encouraging
him to copy you. Watch his facial expressions as he
tries to imitate the sounds you make.
9 Stress-free Dressing
and Undressing
Your baby may become fussy when you are dressing or
undressing her. The faster you can change her clothes,
the better. Make sure the room and your hands are
warm. Stretch suits with snaps all the way down the
front are quick and easy to put on. Two piece outfits
that expose only a part of her at a time may also
cause less stress. Make plenty of soothing noises
as you dress and undress her, and always finish with
a cuddle.
10 Helping the Medicine
to go down
If your baby is on liquid medication, you will find
it easier to give it to him in a syringe or dropper
that on a teaspoon. Touch your baby's bottom lip to
encourage him to open his mouth and then, leaning
him back slightly, squeeze the medicine into his mouth.
11 Getting the Temperature
right
Your baby is not able to control his body temperature
as you can, so it is up to you to make sure that he
doesn't get too hot or too cold. His body should feel
warm to your touch but not damp or sweaty. If his
skin feels hot, he probably has too many clothes on.
However you should also check for signs of fever.
If his hands and feet feel cold, he may not be warm
enough. Don't rely on him to cry to let you know he
is feeling cold ' he may be too busy conserving his
energy in order to maintain his body temperature.
Feeding without the Fuss
12 Testing the Temperature
When you heat your baby's bottle, test the temperature
of the milk before giving it to him. Shake the bottle
then drip some milk onto the inside of your wrist.
It should feel neither too hot nor too cold on your
skin. Not all babies like their milk warm. Some prefer
it unheated; if your baby prefers his at room temperature,
don't worry its safe for him to drink it like this.
But never give your baby the bottle straight from
the fridge because the cold could give him a tummy
ache. Always discard unfinished formula after feeding.
13 Enjoying Skin to
Skin
The world cans sometimes feel very strange and frightening
to a newborn. You are the most familiar thing to her,
so your baby needs close contact with you to feel
secure. Cuddle her against your skin when you feed
her, even if its bottle-feeding.
14 Checking the flow
of things
If your bottle-fed baby is trying to hard at his bottle
or gets gassy from gulping milk too fast, check the
milk flow. It should be about two or three drops a
second ' any more or less could cause a problem.
15 Burping your baby
If your baby gets very gassy while she's feeding,
stop to burp her. When she's very young sit her upright
on your lap, support her neck and head, and gently
rub her back. Once she has gained head control, she
would prefer to be held up against your shoulder for
burping. If she doesn't burp after you have rubbed
her back for thirty seconds or so then she doesn't
need to burp, and that is ok.
16 The perfect Formula
If you are using powdered milk, follow the manufacturer's
instructions precisely. Too rich a mixture can overload
your baby's immature system, possibly causing long
term damage. Too little leaves him hungry. Always
use the scoop provided and level it off with the back
of a knife, making sure you don't pack the powder
down too much. If at any time you lose count of the
number of scoops you have added, throw out and start
again.
17 Sterilizing for
Protection
Milk is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria that
could cause sickness in baby. Wash, rinse and sterilize
baby's feeding equipment to reduce the risk of upset
stomach and infection. You have three options: chemical,
steam or microwave. When travelling it becomes easier
to use disposable bottles, which can be replaced at
each feeding.
18 Home cooking
It is very ok to give your baby home-cooked meals
as long as you have not added sugar or salt, and it
is low in fiber. Prepare in the normal way, sans the
salt and sugar. Once cooked, remove portion for baby
and season the rest for yourself and the rest of the
family.
19 High chairs, Low
chairs or Table seats?
The right seat is an essential piece of furniture
when you start to introduce baby to solids. Make life
simple for yourself and safe and hygienic for baby
by choosing a chair that is well padded, sturdy and
easy to clean. It should have an integral crotch strap
and D-rings for separate safety harness. Be careful
when moving your child in or out of the chair and
never leave baby unattended in the chair even if he
is strapped in. Be careful not to place chair on slippery
or raised surface.
20 Mealtime equals
Family Time
Your baby wants to be a part of family mealtimes.
Sit her at the table in her high chair so that she
can join the social interaction. She may soon enjoy
this ritual and this may help overcome any feeding
difficulties.
21 Eating Out
Your baby will enjoy eating out in a restaurant of
café. Don't worry about his behavior. Select
a family-friendly spot, if possible and relax. Be
prepared for him to get bored before you are done
with your meal. Try offering him finger foods to keep
him busy or provide a selection of toys from his goody
bag so he can play while you finish the rest of your
meal in peace.
Quiet Nights
22 The right Temperature
Your baby can quickly become overheated, so it is
important to make sure the room doesn't become too
hot. Buy a room thermometer to maintain an ideal room
temperature of 18 degrees Celsius.
23 Monitoring your
Baby at night
Check on your baby, even when she is asleep. A baby
monitor allows you to relax, knowing that you will
hear her when she needs you. Check the reception before
using them. Systems come with separate units for baby
and you and can be plugged in or battery-operated.
24 Swaddling a newborn
Newborn jerks can keep your baby awake. Try wrapping
him firmly in a soft, light baby blanket with his
legs and arms tucked in. Lay him in the middle of
the blanket with his arms by his sides. Gently pull
one side of the blanket across his body, then pull
the other side across and tuck it under him so that
he is swaddled. Place him on his back to sleep. Check
his temperature every hour to see he doesn't get overheated.
25 Saying Good Night
Although it is very tempting to cuddle baby to sleep
in your arms, you won't be doing him any favors. He
needs to learn to sleep on his own so that he knows
how to do it again if he wakes up in the night.
26 Dividing Day and
Night
Help your baby understand the difference between nighttime
and daytime sleep by keeping the crib for sleeping
at night and a carriage, basket or playpen for daytime
naps. She will soon associate the crib with part of
his bedtime routine and nighttime sleep.
27 Baby Sleep needs
Your newborn has no concept of day and night and will
sleep in short bursts for a total of up to 16 hours
in every 24. Her sleep pattern will gradually change
so that she sleeps more at night and less during the
day. By 6 months, your baby will be napping 2-3 times
in the day and sleeping up to 12 hours in the night.
By her first birthday she will be sleeping an hour
less than she did at 6 months. That said, all babies
are individuals, so be prepared for your baby to be
different.
Fun and Games
28 Mirror, mirror ..
Hang an unbreakable mirror in the crib where your
baby can see her reflection, and encourage her to
look at herself. She will get endless hours of enjoyment
from studying her changing image. This also helps
to develop her observation skills.
29 Imitating you
There is no doubt about it; you are your baby's favorite
plaything. Even at 3 months of age your baby will
enjoy watching you and will try to copy your facial
expressions. Hold him and stick out your tongue; watch
your baby as he tries to imitate you.
30 Changing levels
Research suggests that the more the baby is encouraged
to look at things, the higher he will score on intelligence
tests at age 4. Move your baby to different rooms
and place him on different levels such as the floor,
chair and the bed. Encourage your baby to look at
a number of objects in each room, and talk to him
about what he can see.
31 Fun with Colors
Put a brightly colored sock on one foot so that he
can see it when he kicks his legs. Once he is used
to seeing the colored sock on one foot, change it
to the other foot. You can also put the sock on his
hand so that he can bring his hand closer to his face
and really concentrate on the color. Use a different
colored sock the next day; this way you gradually
introduce baby to a range of colors.
32 Shake, Rattle and
Roll
By about 3 months of age, she will show an interest
in sounds, including the sounds of your footsteps.
Try filling several small plastic containers with
different objects such as dry beans, marbles and lentils.
Fasten the lid securely with tape so that baby cannot
open it. Encourage her to shake and roll each container;
she will gradually learn to discriminate between the
different sounds.
33 Toys from the Cupboard
Everyday household articles can give your child hours
of entertainment. At about nine months up, try playing
with these household toys. Banging pan with a wooden
spoon makes a noise as good as any drum. For water
play, all you need is a dishpan with some water, some
plastic cups and a big spoon. A drawer or cupboard
that is safe for baby to empty is absolutely absorbing.
Using your imagination and encouraging your child
to explore everyday items around him will help him
learn to use his imagination too.
34 Laughing Games
Do silly things together and see what appeals to her
sense of humor. Build up a tower and knock it down,
making silly noises as it falls. Cover your face with
a cloth or your hands and encourage your baby to pull
it off, saying peek-a-boo as your eyes appear.
35 Talk, talk, talking
to your Baby
Your baby learns language by listening to you and
others talk. Teach her word recognition by saying
the words before carrying out the action. For example,
say, "I am going to pick you up' and hold out your
arms to her. Your baby will soon learn to associate
the words with the act and understand the meaning.
36 Feely Things
As your baby grows older, between 9 and 12 months,
he will love having his own box of things. Make sure
the items are safe and include different textures
so that he gets to explore the difference between
rough and smooth. Select things like squares of velvet,
silk, a piece of sponge, a rubber ball, cardboard
book. Add new items every now and then so that your
baby gets a surprise the next time he explores his
feely things.
37 Everyday Noises
Teaching your baby about everyday noises is an important
step towards building language skills. Name the object
(the telephone, doorbell or television) and whenever
possible point to it so she associates the noise with
the name of its source. Outside, encourage your baby
to identify sounds like birds, airplanes, cars, and
buses by pointing to them and telling her their names.
38 Hide and Seek
As your baby grows older, he will begin to understand
that things still exist even when he can't see them.
Show him an object and then hide it under a cover
and ask him to find it. If he doesn't understand the
idea, pretend to help him find it.
