The post New moms, sustain your energy levels with these foods appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>Adopting a healthy diet, with nutrient-rich foods throughout the day will help maximize the little energy you probably have. Sue Scharf, dietician at NHC Health Centres recommends that new moms include foods that are rich in iron and protein in their daily diets.
Your body needs regular, balanced meals and snacks to keep blood sugar levels stable: eat something small and balanced every three to four hours.
Here are some foods that will help you sustain your energy levels throughout the day:
It is rich in iron and vitamin B-12. The body needs this B vitamin to make blood cells and maintain a healthy nervous system. A deficiency of iron can drain your energy levels, leaving you fatigued and feeling down.
Beans, especially dark-coloured ones like kidney beans, are a great source of energy and protein. They are high in fibre and iron. They also improve the sustainability of meals and snacks.
They are antioxidant-rich and filled with vitamins and minerals. They will give you a healthy dose of good carbohydrates to keep your energy levels high.
Incorporate healthy, whole-grain carbs like brown rice, whole wheat cereal and low GI breads in your diet to keep your energy levels up. Carbohydrates found in these grains, in controlled portions ensure that your energy levels are maintained the entire day.
A great source of energy, fibre and Vitamin C, this citrus fruit is full of natural slow-release sugar.
The best snacks for new moms! Almonds do not only elevate energy levels but metabolisms as well. They are also a good source of healthy fats and calcium. YET, do not have more than 8 at a time, as even too much of a healthy fat can cause body-fat-weight gain.
“You might find it easier to just grab fast foods when you’re tired and in need of a quick energy boost, but try to resist the urge. If you are craving something with a lot of sugar, rather grab some dark chocolate (or fruit). It contains lower amounts of sugar, fat and less caffeine than coffee” says Scharf.
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]]>The post Video: Play is important for newborn development appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>Even if your baby is not very responsive, connections are being made and information is being sorted and categorised. Gently engage his or her senses and be patient.
Watch the Pamper’s video for more of Kate’s play tips.
Helpful advice and tips from the Pampers® Institute are available at www.Pampers.co.za and on www.youtube.com/PampersZA Receive emails with information tailored to your baby’s age by subscribing at www.Pampers.co.za/registration and connect with us at www.facebook.com/PampersSA
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]]>The post Baby Sense Principles for Happy Days and Peaceful Nights appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>Your baby’s brain acts like a sponge absorbing all the new sensory information of the world outside the womb. In the early days your baby is very susceptible to overstimulation, which can result in fussing and an unsettled baby who won’t sleep.
By keeping your baby’s world calm and mimicking the world of the womb your baby will be calmer and the transition from womb to world will be a smooth one.
Hear more from Meg Faure at the 2014 Johnson’s Baby Sense Seminars. She’ll be talking at the morning baby seminars on how to stimulate your baby and toddler for optimal brain development. In the afternoon birth & newborn seminars she’ll be sharing her secrets to a calm newborn with tips on preventing colic and managing a fussy baby.
Dates and venues:
Durban 16 August Three Cities Riverside Hotel
Port Elizabeth 23 August The Marine Hotel
Johannesburg 6 September Woodmead Country Club
Cape Town 13 September The Vineyard Hotel
Cost per seminar is R240 and R80 for the Johnson’s baby massage workshop. If you book for both the morning Baby Seminar, the afternoon Birth & Newborn Seminar and the Johnson’s Baby Massage Workshop a discounted rate of R480 will be applicable. Tickets include goodie bags of essential baby products, invaluable information in the seminar manuals and the chance of winning amazing prizes including a Stokke Scoot travel system.
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]]>The post Newborn essentials: Pick the right baby wipe appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>So, what does a newborn baby really need in the first few months? That’s a question new moms spend a fair amount of time thinking about. Most of us fall prey to the baby gear aisle, lured by the promise of some miracle product that will make our little one eat or sleep or poop better than any other miracle product out there.
As a new mom, you too have probably stared at price tags through sleep-deprived eyes, wondering if the purchase of sanity was really a possibility. Here’s the good and bad news: nothing you can buy is going to guarantee a stress-free existence with your newborn. Tiny people are a handful, and even the easiest babies will have some troubled times. That said, there is at least one thing that can make life with a newborn a little easier (and cleaner): baby wipes that are specially formulated for the soft, sensitive skin of newborns.
Here are a few tips when choosing baby wipes…
Most new moms are staggered by how often a newborn needs to be changed, how many diapers and wipes are used on a daily basis and how annoying it is to run out of wipes in the middle of a messy diaper change. Look for the packet of wipes that is less likely to leave you stranded in the middle of a messy diaper change with none. When it comes to wipes, quantity counts. Forget the small packets, and rather get the packet that has the most wipes to offer.
There’s nothing worse than pulling a dry baby wipe out. Especially when you are so sure that you closed the packet the last time you used them. The result is wastage, as you dig through the packet to find a wet one. Choosing a wipe with a clip lid prevents wastage by ensuring that moisture loss of wipes is avoided.
Parabens are a class of chemicals widely used as preservatives by cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. They are becoming increasingly controversial, however, because they have been found in breast cancer tumours and as such have been banned in the EU.
When choosing baby wipes, try to select ones that are paraben free. While you’re being picky, make sure that the wipes you choose are also hypoallergenic and alcohol free, have been dermatologically tested and are approved by Intertek Safety Assessment (which will ensure you that they are gentle enough to use on even the most sensitive newborn skin).
Those that contain Aloe vera, known for its skin-soothing properties, as well as Vitamin E, a natural skin conditioner, are a great choice.
Cherubs New Born wipes are available at leading retailers. For more information, visit www.cherubs.co.za
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]]>The post Why your newborn baby needs Vitamin D appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>The milk of most breastfeeding mothers contains very little vitamin D, and additives in formulas are largely insufficient, says Dr. Robert Heaney, a clinical endocrinologist specializing in nutrition and a professor at Creighton University in Nebraska.
Although vitamin D is important throughout life, it is essential within the first year in reducing risk of current infections and later development of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes.
Dr. Heaney cites a study published a year ago in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism that indicates vitamin D plays a crucial role in metabolism and hormonal functioning.
While the amount of vitamin D necessary for adults is debatable, according to Dr. Heaney, the requirements for infants are more obvious. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommend 400 IUs delivered daily in drops.
While this number is widely agreed upon as being necessary for infants, Dr. Heaney says that in the case of breastfeeding mothers, milk becomes sufficient in vitamin D when the mother maintains a daily intake between 5,000 and 6,000 IUs.
Mid-day summer sun can help the body produce 10,000 IUs in just one 15-minute, total-body exposure. For those who believe natural is best, this eliminates the need for vitamin D drops, according to Heaney.
Given that the benefits of breastfeeding have long been considered numerous and more beneficial than bottle feeding, surprise is a normal reaction to research that suggests human milk to be insufficient in anything.
A study of indigenous populations of East Africa, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, says that mothers living an ancestral lifestyle not far from the equator produce sufficient levels vitamin D in their milk due to high sun exposure.
Citing this study, Dr. Heaney states that while reverting to ancestral lifestyles and relocating not far from the equator is unnecessary, nursing mothers should receive supplementary doses of vitamin D, enough to match the levels of the East African subjects.
To answer the question of how northern societies survived in the era before vitamin supplements were available, Dr. Heaney says that fish high in vitamin D was their main staple, allowing for sufficient intake.
History highlights the outbreak of rickets a century ago in Europe, North America and East Asia as a sure sign of widespread vitamin D deficiency.
According to Heaney’s research, it was eradicated by cod-liver oil and the addition of vitamin D supplements to bottled milk in the 1930s.
Vitamin D is also found in oily fish like salmon and sardines as well as in eggs, milk and shiitake mushrooms.
(AFP Relaxnews)
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]]>The post Video: Newborn sleep safety tips appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>Parenting Expert, Sister Lilian, says there are a few things you can do to reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), more commonly known as cot death.
Her tips include, excluding any soft toys and loose blankets from the cot and making sure that your baby doesn’t overheat. Watch the video for more of Sister Lilian’s tips.
Helpful advice and tips from the Pampers® Institute are available at www.Pampers.co.za and on www.youtube.com/PampersZA Receive emails with information tailored to your baby’s age by subscribing at www.Pampers.co.za/registration and connect with us at www.facebook.com/PampersSA
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]]>The post Colic: The causes and symptoms appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>Colic is simply explained as long periods of crying from an infant that is hard to soothe or settle.
There is no definite explanation for the crying, which makes it very stressful for parents. It is important to note that the incessant crying does not necessarily mean that there is something wrong with your baby.
Regardless of many year’s of research, the cause of colic remains unexplained. Over the years there have been a few suggestions, but no conclusive cause has been found. These suggestions include;
The crying episodes usually start at two weeks of age, peak at two months and start to fade at the age of four months.
If your baby has colic, he or she will cry inconsolably for no apparent reason. During these episodes (which usually occur in the late afternoon or evening) your baby might also arch his back, pull her legs up towards her body and have a painful facial expression. For the duration of the episode, your baby will be difficult to comfort.
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]]>The post Baby sleep myths busted! appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>This is definitely a myth. Keeping your baby up longer at night or between naps will result in an overtired child. An overtired child will be fussy, cranky, have trouble feeding and take much longer to settle into sleep.
They will also be more likely to wake during the night and earlier in the mornings, and will only have very short naps the following day.
It is possible, but only if you have set the foundations for healthy sleep skills early and your child is developing good self-soothing strategies.
In this instance, you can usually expect babies to start sleeping through the night between three and six months of age (providing they are healthy and developing well).
However children that still rely on “props” to fall asleep, such as feeding/rocking/patting, etc. will more than likely continue to wake through the night. This is because they have never learned the ability to put themselves to sleep so they are unable to consolidate sleep cycles through the night.
They will often rouse after a sleep cycle and instead of using their own skills to return quickly to sleep they will cry out for their “prop” before they are able to go back to sleep.
It is very difficult to always put your baby in their cot/bassinet while awake and allow them to use their own skills to fall asleep when they are newborns, as they need to sleep often.
Parents will sometimes be out and about and need to put their baby to sleep in the pram, car seat or carrier. However it is important to be respectful of your child’s sleep needs and whenever possible give them the opportunity to attempt to fall asleep in their cot or bassinet. This is the place where they are going to get the best quality sleep.
Remember how challenging and disturbed your own sleep is if you have to sleep in the car, or even when staying in a hotel room as opposed to your own bed at home. If you always let your baby fall asleep in your arms they are never going to develop their own self-soothing skills.
Just remember that as your child grows, they get heavier and while you may find it easy to rock a newborn to sleep in your arms, it will not be as easy to do this with your one, two or even three year old.
It is never enjoyable to have to wake a sleeping baby, and the only reason I would suggest doing this would be to preserve a bedtime. As children get older their sleep needs change and sometimes too much daytime sleep (for an older baby or child) can have a negative effect on bedtime and sleeping through the night. However, the opposite is also true and over tiredness will also negatively impact night time sleep so it’s best to err on the side of more sleep as opposed to less.
Most children will usually drop their daytime nap around three or four years of age (providing they are getting their 11-12hrs of night time sleep). However, it is possible that children as young as two and a half years of age to drop their daytime naps. Before this age, a daytime nap or naps are very important to prevent over tiredness and recharge their little bodies for the remainder of the day.
This is a myth. For very young babies, the length of time for which they are able to sleep is largely determined by how quickly their little bellies empty after a feed. However, as your baby reaches the three to six month age, it is healthy sleep habits and good self-soothing skills (that can be introduced gently from birth) that will help your baby sleep for longer periods. It is always very important to ensure your baby is well fed and developing properly, but the addition of good nutrition throughout the entire day is more important than adding infant cereal to their bedtime bottle.
About the Author: Good Night is a child and baby sleep consultancy that specialises in helping parents with children who struggle to sleep soundly. For more information, visit: www.goodnightbaby.co.za
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]]>The post #baby101 at the Johnson’s Baby Sense Seminar appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>This year’s industry professionals are Meg Faure (occupational therapist and Baby Sense co-author), Sr Ann Richardson (specialist nurse practitioner, author and parent coach), Tina Otte (midwife and special editor of Your Pregnancy magazine) and paediatrician, Dr Claudia Gray.
The seminars will address the challenges arising during specific periods of the parenting journey with BABY as the morning session theme and BIRTH & NEWBORN for the afternoon seminar.
Dr Claudia Gray will kick off the first session,demystifying your baby’s health concerns and giving tips on how to boost immunity and decrease the risk of allergies. Meg Faure will follow by taking a look at your baby’s development and how to stimulate him/her through play to ensure optimal physical, cognitive and emotional development. Sr Ann Richardson will close the session covering how to establish a sense-able sleep routine and age appropriate sleep training.
For the expecting parents, the afternoon birth & newborn seminar is not to be missed – the ultimate crash course on birth and baby’s first four months. Tina Ottewill discuss your newborn’s amazing capabilities and why skin on skin contact is essential for mom and baby in the magical hour after birth. Learn the secrets to a calm newborn, ways to manage your crying baby and simple strategies to prevent colic in an informative talk by Meg Faure. Sr Ann Richardson will take you through the first six weeks of #baby101 from umbilical cord care, nappy changes, feeding, sleeping, nappy rashes, sniffles and snuffles, cradle cap and more.
To further enhance bonding with your new bundle of joy, the Johnson’s Baby massage workshop will open the world of communication with your baby through touch and massage, with an interactive demonstration of some hands-on massage skills and tips.
Durban 16 August Three Cities Riverside Hotel
Port Elizabeth 23 August The Marine Hotel
Johannesburg 6 September Woodmead Country Club
Cape Town 13 September The Vineyard Hotel
Cost per seminar is R240 and R80 for the massage workshop. If you book for both seminars and the massage workshop, a discounted rate of R480 will be applicable. Tickets include goodie bags of essential baby products, invaluable information in the seminar manuals and the chance of winning amazing prizes including a Stokke Scoot travel system.
Don’t miss out on these info-packed#baby101 seminars!
Book now online babysense.com/talks-and-workshops or call (021) 671 3245(021) 671 3245
facebook.com/babysense @BabySense #baby101
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]]>The post Breastfeeding a newborn: Tips to expressing milk appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>Philips AVENT provides mothers with a convenient alternative when it comes to keeping their breast milk fresh. The Breast Milk Storage Bags provide safe and secure storage for the precious content.
Each bag can hold 180ml of breast milk and is conveniently pre-sterilized for immediate use. The bag is leak-proof due to the double zipper seal and can be stored in the fridge or freezer. It is also sturdily designed to stand up on its own and to lay flat for easy storage. The bags wide opening means filling the bag and pouring are easy tasks.
The Breast Milk Storage bag has ‘sealed and sterilised’ as well as ‘pour here’ icons clearly marked for ease of use. Each bag has a write on tab for mothers to add the name, volume, time and date of when the milk was stored; this also eliminates the risk of puncture. The bags should not be used in the microwave and ought to be disposed of after use.
Philips AVENT cares about the environment and society at large and strongly supports eco-design of products that is why these handy bags are made of BPA free material.
About the Author: There are 25 bags in the Philips AVENT Breast Milk Storage packs which are available at Baby City at a recommended retail price of R 167.97 (incl VAT).
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