Colic Baby Help
Music Can Help Soothe Babies To Sleep
Mar 22nd
Parents can use music to connect with their infants and help sooth them, whether it is a parent singing or a CD of favorite songs. Early exposure to music has been shown in some studies to have positive effects on brain activity and provide a calming environment. Many parents also use music to help their babies sleep, but some might question which types are best and how much music can be played at night. While there are no concrete answers, there are several guidelines that can be used to help choose appropriate music that will have the most benefits and how best to incorporate the music.
Parents often talk to their babies long before they are born, sing to them, or play music for them. During fetal development, infants are surrounded by sound, even though it is distorted or perhaps amplified by the amniotic fluid, and have also been shown to react to this stimuli. It is reasonable to infer that babies can find comfort in calm, even familiar sounds after they are born. For parents who look to prerecorded music for their infants, it is usually found that simple pieces, with soft repetitive sounds are the most effective and soothing. Although classical music and jazz have been touted as the tunes of choice for new parents, some classical pieces are not fluid, contain contrasting measures, and have unpredictable notes. Infants tend to respond better to music that is more evenly and rhythmically consistent, whether that is classical, country, or light rock.
There are also recordings available that are nature based, such as waterfalls, raindrops, ocean waves, or general outdoor sounds. These are targeted to parents of newborns, people who are experiencing stress, and even those who are ill. Many of the sounds, such as the ocean waves, are also very rhythmical. Our bodies are made with the rhythm of a heartbeat, so many feel that it is natural to find peace in sounds that mimic that quiet beating.
Parents can use the music or other calming recordings to help their babies sleep at night. There are many options for playback, such as a traditional CD player set to auto-repeat or auto-off, and even devices that will be cued to come back on if the baby awakes and makes noise.
Parents of newborns might worry that playing music or other soothing sounds all night will be harmful or interrupt a healthy night of rest. The volume should always be low, ensuring that tender eardrums are not damaged. While this constant playing is not necessarily harmful, it can lead to challenges for infants who learn to sleep by relying on music. This is not always a practical possibility, especially when travelling.
Falling asleep to music might make it difficult for babies to self soothe when they awake in the middle of the night to silence. Devices that automatically turn on when voice activated can be helpful or parents can turn to more unconventional means for soothing sounds. Sometimes even placing an aquarium near the nursery can give enough rhythmic consistent sounds to be soothing and comforting for babies.
Baby’s Diet: Healthier Choices for Each Stage
Jan 25th
You can safeguard your baby’s health by keeping a close watch on what he eats. There are three feeding patterns during a child’s first year. This first stage is when your child is fed solely with liquids. The weaning stage follows after the first phase. This is when semi-solid food is introduced to your baby’s diet. Your Baby gets to experiment with different textures during these months. This phase gets him ready for solid food, which would be given on the final stage.
Breast milk is still the best choice, especially for newborns and infants below 5 months old. Infant formula can be given as an alternative to breast milk. Some children have special nutritional needs. Ask his pediatrician for a suitable milk alternative. Your child should be able to get his daily iron requirement from breast milk. Otherwise, his doctor should prescribe additional vitamin and mineral drops to supplement his diet.
As weeks go by, your baby’s tummy should be able to accommodate more milk during each feeding. He can manage to last longer between feedings. Babies who are fed with breast milk tend to get hungrier than those who are fed with milk formula. This is because milk formula is processed more slowly compared to breast milk. Never use skimmed milk and cow’s milk as substitutes. These are ideally given after your child turns 1 year old.
Infants from 4 to 6 months old are gradually introduced to solid food. Not all babies are able to tolerate semi-solid food as soon as they turn 4 months old. You may want to try again after 2 months. His body should be prepared for solid food by this time. Avoid giving him allergy-causing food, such as eggs, soy, nuts and citrus fruits. Whey and soy allergies are common in babies. Monitor your child if you intend to give him these food items.
With the exception of common allergy-causing foods, most food items should be tolerated well by your baby. His body should be ready to digest complex carbohydrates, protein and fats. Liquefied cereals are generally well-tolerated by most infants. You can gradually introduce new types of food as your baby adapts to his new diet. Refrain from putting fruit in his cereals. Pureed or mashed vegetables are better alternatives. Try giving him carrots, green peas and potatoes. Multi-grain cereal can be given as well.
Let your baby experience tougher textures by introducing meat and poultry. Babies aged 7 to 9 months old can handle these food items very well. Some types of meat may cause allergies in babies. Opt for chicken instead of fish. Lamb is a better alternative to beef. Soy, peanuts, eggs and soy milk are good sources of protein. Nonetheless, they can still cause allergies and should be excluded in your baby’s diet.
Introduce new textures by making your child’s food coarser than usual. Coarser textures encourage your child to chew. Your baby should be able to handle any food that your family is having. Just be sure to make them less spicy, and cook them longer until they are soft. Cut them up in smaller pieces, or mash them if necessary. Keep in mind that water is very important, regardless of what feeding stage your child is in. Carbonated beverages are discouraged in a baby’s diet.
3 Things New Parents Should Expect in a Baby’s First Year
Nov 27th
Learning how to take care of a newborn baby causes so countless new feelings for father and mother. You are possibly going to feel excited, worried, exhausted, as well as ecstatic – plus you’re probably going to be overflowing with questions.
The key for any new parent is to not become a sufferer to your fears about the unfamiliar. There are mounds of information accessible to you as a new mother that will assist you navigate your way through your new role as a parent and the baby’s first year. This brief overview will address what to look ahead to from your child over the next 12 months, so you can start feeling more at ease.
There is a single rule to keep in mind – anticipate the unforeseen.
Every child is distinct and grows at different rates. A few toddlers might progress way ahead of what is “typical” throughout their initial twelve months of living, although others might progress less than the normal range. If your infant is developing quite slowly though, you might choose to consult with a doctor.
There are three milestones you usually expect your baby to accomplish through the initial 12 months of their life, in accordance to experts: 1. Feed Themselves – By the time they are 12 months old, your child will probably be proficient to nourish themselves small things. For a number of babies, this will mean picking up little bites of food and placing them in their mouth. For other babies, this will signify they are able to use utensils to a small degree.
2. Walking – Your child will likely make an effort to walk. For some kids, this will imply pulling themselves up and about with the help of some furniture and moving around, whereas a few other children will be steadier on their feet.
3. Cognitive development – The final substantial event you can look forward to within the first 12 months is the capacity to identify and connect things. For instance, your child may be able to set eyes on a person with blonde hair and acknowledge that their sister has that identical hair color.
Any healthcare professional will tell you, however, that these are suggestions and not rules. Try not to mark your calendar according to where your child “should” be. They are where they are, and watching them make new discoveries is thrilling no matter when it occurs on the time table. Your baby’s first year will be as unique as your child itself.
Raising a newborn baby is not an uncomplicated assignment. There are so many unknowns for new parents, new mothers, and new dads. However, there are also excellent resources available. All new parents should unquestionably find a handbook and train themselves as early on as possible.
How to Cope with Colic
Nov 16th
When my oldest daughter was born, I walked the floor night and day, rocking and swaddling, singing and even crying…anything to make my new little miracle stop her endless crying. Well, everyone told me she just had colic and that it would pass. And, alas, pass it did, however I wish that I would have known then what I know now.
There are many theories about the causes of colic. Many believe that it is breastfeeding that causes it. “Either you are eating something that is not suited to her little tummy or you must be feeding her too much..” they will tell you. Well, maybe. Others believe that bottle fed babies are allergic to the formula. “Switch his formula and he will be just fine…” they will tell you. Well, yes that could be it too. Some will say it is gas or an immature nervous system. Maybe. And the list goes on and on.
However, I believe that the answer to solving colic problems is simple. Babies simply “come out” too early and therefore miss out on their “fourth trimester” in the womb. This new world needs a lot of getting used to, and some transitional coping methods are in order. Below are some sure fire ways to soothe a colicky baby and restore them to their comfortable, womb-like environment. Well, they will think so anyway.
1. Swaddle her. Babies up to four months old feel safe and secure when bundled and will calm down. This imitates her cozy womb environment and soothes her cries with a sense of familiarity.
2. Carry him in a sling or carrier close to your body and walk around. The motion will imitate the movements he felt while he was being carried in your womb.
3. Play “white noise” such as the dishwasher, washing machine or even the vacuum cleaner to imitate the sounds she heard while safe and snug in your tummy.
4. If all else fails, go for a car ride. The motion will imitate the frequent movement he felt while in your womb and may calm him, and you, down.
Some of these things will work all of the time and all of these things will work some of the time, but just keep in mind that this will all pass. Enjoy these precious days with your little one because soon you will have to potty train them and you will think back to the good old days…when all you had to worry about was a little colic!
Transitioning Children From Co-Sleeping To Their Own Beds
Nov 14th
Trusting bond, comfort, and creating loving environments are some outcomes for co-sleeping parents and children. Co-sleeping habits are sometimes the unintended results of parents co-sleeping because they have fussy or restless children and co-sleeping is the only way to get a good night’s sleep. Other times, parents co-sleep as a part of attachment parenting techniques. Co-sleeping also offers nursing mothers the ability to feed their children at night without disturbing others, and allows them to sleep more soundly as well. While each motivation for co-sleeping is different, there will come a time when parents or children want to move to independent sleeping habits. There are several ways parents can encourage their children who co-sleep to move to their own beds and their own rooms.
Important factors to remember when transitioning co-sleeping children to independently sleeping children are time and patience. Children do not learn how to co-sleep in one night, and it will take at time to adjust to a new night time sleeping habit, especially if it is the only style the child has ever know. Adjusting these sleeping patterns can take weeks or months, and patience will be needed to reach the goal. Parents will sometimes choose to wait until their child has fallen asleep with them, and then move them to their own bedrooms. For children who sleep soundly, this might work, but it can also lead to interrupted sleep hours for both parents and children.
Implementing small transitional steps can sometimes provide successful pattern changes, such as bringing the child’s crib or sleeping blanket into the parent’s room. The child can see that the sleeping space is safe and close to Mom or Dad. Some children will be more willing to nap in their own sleep spaces during the day, especially if the fear of the dark plays any part in co-sleeping habits. Parents can gradually encourage their children to move to separate sleeping spaces at night.
Parents can use other techniques to make independent sleeping a comforting choice for children. This might be using a special nightlight for the child, reading extra bedtime stories together, or finding a stuffed animal that comforts the child and can give them something to snuggle when Mom and Dad aren’t at hand. It is also important to establish routines, and encouraging children to move away from co-sleeping and into independent sleeping should be done with positive, comforting, safe, and consistent methods. Even just taking an extra 30 minutes reading to the child at bedtime can help to calm the child and make the bedroom feel like a safe, warm place to be.
Those children who are very reluctant to sleep independently might be more inclined to do so if there are incentives. These can be as small as getting to choose a favorite treat in the morning after independently sleeping, or perhaps giving older children who have slept independently for several nights in a row a larger reward such as new nightlight, bedtime book, or an outing for breakfast on the weekend.
Parents should emphasize throughout this process that transitioning from co-sleeping to independent sleeping is not being done as a punishment or because the child is no longer wanted. Instead, parents can focus on the idea that the child is growing and becoming an amazing little human being and needs to have his or her own special place for sleep so that he or she can grow even stronger. Creating long term goals, having patience, and acting consistently and firmly will help children teach their children how to have peaceful sleep at night.
Nov 2nd
There are no proven cures or ways to treat colic, but there are certain procedures you can take that will help you to reduce it. First of all, before we get into those measures that you should take to reduce colic, you must understand and know what works with your child because after all we are all unique, even babies.
One of the biggest causes for colic is weaning. When a baby is weaned this shouldn’t happen all in one go. Usually it’s much easier on a child if weaning is done gradually, and slowly. It’s much like smoking, as you can’t just go cold turkey and quit overnight, it takes time. A good way is to start feeding the child with bottle milk while at the same time breast feeding, but as you go you should increase the bottle milk and decrease the breast milk.
It has also been reported that some women find what they eat affects their child when being breast fed and avoiding those foods has helped reduce the colic. A good way to know which foods might be causing the problems for you and your child is by eliminating the food you suspect of creating colic. Later introduce it back into your diet, and see the results of your little experiment. If the baby begins crying again, then you know for sure what to avoid.
Another good reason for colic to occur is when a baby swallows air whilst being bottle fed. To reduce this simply change the positioning of the baby bottle, or get a bottle which is specifically designed to reduce the amount of air a baby swallows while drinking milk. These bottles are normally curved and or have a small vent in the middle.
If the above reasons do not solve your child’s colic, then there is no need to panic because colic is normal amongst infants. Try some of the following techniques. Try taking the child out for a walk as this can be a pleasant experience for you and for the child to discover new things. Give them a toy that rattles or anything that makes a noise as these can peak a child’s curiosity and keep them busy for hours. You may also try a nice warm bath, again these can be very soothing and calming. Try to keep the baby in some sort of motion. In general anything new can solve your baby’s colic problem, babies are curious creatures, who have yet a lot to learn and experience so try new stuff as may just amaze the both of you.
In the end, focus on what works for you and do not be afraid to try different methods. Experiment with different ways to reduce colic and as a general rule of thumb go with what is working for your child, and, for you as a parent. There is no need to worry about colic, it’s harmless, and, sooner or later will wear off as the child grows.
Oct 30th
What is Colic? Websters Dictionary defines Colic as: Paroxysms of pain. This condition usually occurs in the abdominal region but may occur in other body regions as well. (Paroxysms – . A sudden uncontrollable attack; “a paroxysm of giggling”; “a fit of coughing”.) But really that doesn’t answer your question. In terms of babies, we know that colic causes babies to cry and cry, much more than other babies who are not suffering from colic.
What are signs of Colic? When babies with colic cry, they may draw their arms and legs in tight toward their bodies and appear to be in pain. Or other times they stretch out their arms and legs and stiffen, then draw up tight again. You may notice that baby’s face turns bright red from excessive crying. Babies are diagnosed with colic when their crying lasts for more than three hours a day. You may find that colicky babies get fussier toward the end of the day, but colic can happen at any time.
A baby with colic may cry for long periods or may cry almost all of the time. And you may have already noticed that when your baby cries, they may swallow air. This swallowing is likely to give your baby uncomfortable gas. Having an extra amount of gas in your baby’s tummy will make it look swollen and feel tight, which can of course make your baby more uncomfortable. What Causes Colic? This has long been a question without a definite answer. Still no one is quite sure what actually causes colic. Babies with colic are healthy, so it does not appear to be caused by a medical problem. And colic is not caused by the way a baby is cared for.
Without a doubt it is not any fault of the parent. A milk allergy was once considered to be a possible cause, but now doctors believe that this is rarely the case, as breastfed babies can get colic too. Many believe that colic is caused by excessive gas in the tummy which is the result of baby swallowing too much air while crying. How long will Colic last? Colic usually starts when baby is three to six weeks old. And will typically go away when they are around three months old. If your baby still appears to show signs of colic after three months of age, they may be experiencing a reflux disorder and you may wish to visit your baby’s physician for guidance. How can I help soothe my colicky baby? There is no one treatment which has been proven to make colic go away, but there are some simple things you can try to soothe your colicky baby.
For example many babies calm when they are gently rocked, bounced or held closely to their parent’s body. By being held close, your baby may feel more warm and secure, and your body movements may help to calm. Try also swaddling. Being swaddled for many babies helps them to organize. You may also try singing or humming a calming tune to your little one. This soothing sound may also calm you too! And without a doubt, try massaging your baby’s tummy. In some cases, gently massaging baby’s tummy has helped to move uncomfortable gasses out of the intestinal tract relieving tightness and discomfort. Massage should be given to baby in a clockwise circular motion using your full soft hand. This massage specifically pinpoints the digestive tract and should help to ease your baby’s pain by helping them to pass painful gas. How to cope when your baby has colic? If your baby has colic, surely your family life has been turned upside down. You may find it extremely stressful and upsetting when your baby is crying for hours and cannot be easily comforted. Of course like many parents, you may feel guilty even though you are not the cause of your little one’s colic. No one wants to see their baby in pain. Caring for a baby with colic can be extremely frustrating, so be sure to take care of yourself, too. Don’t blame yourself or your baby for the constant crying — colic is nobody’s fault. Try to relax, and remember that your baby will eventually outgrow this phase. It is absolutely okay if you need a break. It may be necessary for you to call on friends or family as reinforcement. If you’re unsure whether your baby’s crying is colic or a symptom of another illness, call your doctor.
