All4Baby » WEEK_04 https://all4baby.co.za From Pregnancy to birth to baby and beyond. The place to find, chat, and share. Tue, 01 Jul 2014 11:12:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=479 New moms, sustain your energy levels with these foods https://all4baby.co.za/newborns-0-6-months/newborn-basics/1006/new-moms-sustain-energy-levels-foods/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-moms-sustain-energy-levels-foods https://all4baby.co.za/newborns-0-6-months/newborn-basics/1006/new-moms-sustain-energy-levels-foods/#comments Mon, 23 Jun 2014 08:03:19 +0000 https://all4baby.co.za/?p=1006 In between juggling your newborn and your "old" life, it's important to look after yourself. NHC Health Centres have put together a food guide that will help you sustain your energy levels throughout the day.

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Taking care of a newborn is a round-the-clock job, with little time left to yourself.  However, it is important to also take care of yourself physically.

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:

Lean beef

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.

Legumes

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.

Blueberries

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.

Whole grains

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.

Oranges

A great source of energy, fibre and Vitamin C, this citrus fruit is full of natural slow-release sugar.

Almonds

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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Your newborn baby: Weeks one to four https://all4baby.co.za/uncategorized/363/newborn-baby-weeks-one-four/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=newborn-baby-weeks-one-four https://all4baby.co.za/uncategorized/363/newborn-baby-weeks-one-four/#comments Mon, 14 Apr 2014 10:22:32 +0000 https://all4baby.co.za/?p=363 From birth to four weeks, your newborn baby's milestones at a glance

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Congratulations on the arrival of your new baby! The first few weeks spent getting to know your newborn will be filled with moments of excitement, joy and of course, exhaustion.

While you have probably never been busier juggling your new role as a mom, your baby is also hard at work to reach his first milestones.

At one week

Did you know that at only one week old, your baby will recognise your voice? This is largely due to the fact that your baby has spent the last nine months listening to you babble.

Your baby will also:

  • Feed every one to three hours
  • Sleep up to 18 hours per day
  • Be awake for short bursts throughout the day and night
  • Cry as a means of communication
  • Have a strong grip and and grasp your finger

Your baby at two weeks

At two weeks old, your baby will begin to uncurl from it’s foetal position. From this week, your baby should;

  • Gain approximately 200 grams per week
  • Fall asleep when cradled and rocked
  • Keep eye contact with a person or object kept within his field of vision
  • Cry when uncomfortable
  • Be able to see up to 20 or 30 cm in front of him

And at three weeks

Have you noticed that your baby sometimes throws out his arms and legs? This is called the “Moro” or “startle” reflex. This primitive reflex peeks during the first month and begins to disappear after two months. The startle reflex is most often observed shortly after your baby falls asleep. While it will most likely startle your baby awake, a reassuring touch from you or another caregiver should help baby fall back asleep.

This week your baby;

  • Will start to look for you when he hears your voice
  • Spend time studying your face, getting to know every detail, especially your smile

One month old

Well done mom, you have made it through the first month. By now, you are probably feeling a bit more confident handling your newborn and responding to his needs.

At one month old your baby might;

  • develop a pattern when it comes to feeding and sleeping (remember that it is still to early to enforce a set routine)
  • be able to lift his head briefly if placed on his tummy
  • make stepping movements when his feet touch a flat surface
  • begin to focus on people and objects

 

 

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When breastfeeding is just too difficult https://all4baby.co.za/newborns-0-6-months/newborn-basics/320/breastfeeding-just-difficult/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=breastfeeding-just-difficult https://all4baby.co.za/newborns-0-6-months/newborn-basics/320/breastfeeding-just-difficult/#comments Thu, 10 Apr 2014 10:54:40 +0000 https://all4baby.co.za/?p=320 Breast may be best. But it isn’t always physically possible. So, to the moms out there who struggle to breastfeed: don’t beat yourselves up about it.

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So, you’ve just given birth to your first baby and the post birth and bonding glow floats around you like a cloud. Your baby is perfect and your world is complete.

On the first day, the baby snuggles in your arms and breastfeeding seems like a breeze

And hey, it is a breeze until day three when your milk actually arrives. Mine arrived in two separate milk trucks, one in each breast. They were so huge that when I got out of bed that morning I nearly fell over because I was so top heavy.

I remember thinking how wonderful nature is and what a good mother I must be to have produced enough milk to feed an army.

Right: that was before I tried to suffocate my poor baby by trying to force a colossal breast into his mouth.

The only thing I didn’t have in common with a cow at that point was my nipples. They were not elongated and supple: they were flat. Imagine trying to stuff a balloon into the hole of a lifesaver sweet… It was never going to happen.

Bugger, what now?

“Practise”, said the nurse.
“Use a suction thingy to pull your nipples out”, said someone else.
“No, wait. Nipple caps”, said a friend.

What marvellous ideas! Not.

All that happened was that I ended up with cracked, bleeding nipples and extremely sore breasts

Bugger, what now?

“Use lanolin”, said the nurse.
“Use baby bum cream”, said someone else.
“Cabbage leaves”, said a friend.

Ok so the lanolin helped, but my goodness… frozen cabbage leaves were incredible!

The relief when tucking a rock solid, iced leaf into your feeding bra was amazing.

There was just one thing. They melt really fast against the heat of your breasts, especially in the middle of summer, so heaven help you if you fall asleep for a while. I woke up to a rank smell that made me dry heave, and had my hubby looking at me like I’d just fallen off the back of a garbage truck.

Ok. That was it. I stood in the shower and sobbed like my poor, starving baby. My hair was filthy; I was in agony from the Caesarean section. I had the worst “period” of my life, my breasts were spraying milk all over the place, AND, I smelt like the city dump.

What happened to the image I had in my head of sitting quietly in my rocking chair, baby blissfully nursing at my bosoms, smelling like baby shampoo and powder?

Breastfeeding was not to be

It turns out that my baby had a tongue tie (the medical term for this annoying condition is Ankyloglossia). That’s when that little thingy under your tongue (the frenulum) is very short.

This results in the baby not being able to push their tongue out of their mouth, and this means, that no matter how hard you try, they cannot latch onto a breast.

Pity I only discovered this when my son was three weeks old. This information was imparted to me by my son’s paediatrician when I rocked up in his rooms looking like a wild forest woman, demanding to know what was wrong with my breasts.

I ended up expressing for a few weeks until my milk dried up and then switched to formula exclusively.

Breast may be best. But it isn’t always physically possible

Children grow up every day having survived without breast milk. The stress it results in is, in my opinion, worse than the lack of breast milk.

A happy, coping, or nearly coping mom, means a happy baby.  And you can still sit in your rocking chair and hold your baby close. My son and I had, and still have, a beautiful bond, in spite of me not breastfeeding him. I’m just glad that he doesn’t remember the near suffocation incidents he experienced during his first few weeks!

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Sleep is good for you and your baby https://all4baby.co.za/newborns-0-6-months/newborn-basics/193/sleep-good-baby/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sleep-good-baby https://all4baby.co.za/newborns-0-6-months/newborn-basics/193/sleep-good-baby/#comments Wed, 09 Apr 2014 07:47:55 +0000 https://all4baby.co.za/?p=193 A good night’s sleep can go a long way, especially for growing babies who need enough sleep for healthy development.

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It is evident that when you’re well rested you’re not only more likely to be in a more positive frame of mind, but you also profit from a host of other benefits.

However, just as you appreciate getting sufficient shut-eye, growing babies and children also need enough sleep for their healthy development.

Sleep as important as food

While everyone needs rest, sleep is especially important for your baby. In fact research shows that babies need twice as much sleep as adults. This is due to the fact that brain development takes place during their sleep.

The amount of sleep a baby has will affect his moods, alertness, and ability to concentrate and participate in his environment. Quality periods of sleep are just as important to your baby as the nourishment he gets.

Linked to brain development

Research has highlighted the importance of sleep in the development of a baby’s central nervous system and general baby development. There’s also an indication that a healthy immune system is in part dependent on a baby having a sufficient amount of sleep.

“However, parents should not be anxious about brain development and nervous system functioning if baby does not regularly ‘sleep through the night’ – so long as you do not do anything to enhance poor sleep, baby will be just fine. Invest in your own ability to relax as this will help your baby or toddler to relax too and have a far more peaceful sleep,” says Sister Lillian, Pampers Institute and renowned parenting expert.

The only way your baby switches off

While your baby is awake every sound and motion is a new experience which requires physical and mental energy to process, as he hasn’t yet learnt how to block out sounds and movements that he doesn’t want to have to deal with. The only way for your baby to completely switch off and recharge and undergo proper baby development is to sleep. This state offers him sanctuary from his physical and social environment.

Deep sleep versus active sleep

When babies are asleep we tend to presume they are in a simple state of rest. In fact babies have two pre-set sleep cycles – deep sleep and active sleep. These rotate in cycles of around 60 minutes during your baby’s sleep periods

During active sleep (REM or rapid eye movement sleep) you may see your baby twitch, smile or flutter his eyes open. This is because although he looks peaceful, there is a tremendous amount of activity going on within the brain as it undergoes baby development. Your baby’s body is relaxed, but his mind is very alert.

When babies sleep a deep sleep (NREM or Non–REM sleep) no-one is totally sure what is going on in your baby’s brain. Some experts suggest that this is when brain development is taking place, when the deeper section of brain continues to develop and make connections.

Amount of sleep depends on baby’s nature

Babies differ one from another, just like adults. One needs to be clear that the only good way to build an acceptable sleep routine is to take a baby’s individual nature into account. Rather than following a prescribed routine, build one around your child’s patterns. Observe your baby carefully in the initial days and weeks of life, as this will give you a good idea about her sleep needs and other patterns.

For more information on Pampers, visit http://www.pampers.co.za.Or visit them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Pampers

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