Week 9

Your baby is learning every day and is constantly taking in his surroundings. Be sure not to overstimulate  your baby as this could lead to a fussiness which will be difficult to console.

This week, your baby will;

• Continue to discover his hands and may even start taking an interest in his feet
• Constantly take in sensory information
• Show an interest in toys that jiggle or vibrate

Double digits, week 10

Have you introduced tummy time to your baby? Tummy time is important as it strengthens your baby’s neck muscles and prepares him for crawling.

Not all babies enjoy tummy time, so starting with just a few minutes per day is enough.Once baby is comfortable, you can increase the time to approximately 30 minutes per day.

Remember, baby will more willing to spend time on his tummy if you get down and engage with him.

At 10 weeks old, your baby will;

• Start to kick his legs when excited
• Vocalise his excitement, especially when he sees you
• Be able to hold his head up quite steadily for a short while

Your baby at 11 weeks

Is developing quite the personality. By now,  you are probably in tune with his personality which makes it much easier to respond to his needs.

This week your baby;

• May imitate sounds that he has heard
• Will gurgle and coo more
• Might show an interest in toys that have contrasting black and white colours
• Might surprise you with a spontaneous laugh

The three month mark

Did you know that by now, your baby has grown on average approximately 2.5cm per month? This means that you are probably packing away your newborn clothes and even some of your 0-3 month outfits.

By three months your baby will;

• Show his excitement by smiling, kicking and waving his arms
• Respond to your voice by making noises
• Probably be able to hold his neck steady
• Slow down in weight gain and will now gain an average of 150 grams per week

The post Your growing baby: Weeks 9 to 12 appeared first on All4Baby.

Unfortunately, you will also walk around with one eye open, wondering whether the difference between night and day even matters anymore.

And because you look like a walking zombie, every woman who you dare to make eye contact with, will offer you their ‘tried and tested’ baby sleep advice.

From swaddling, to crying-it-out, to keeping baby awake during the day – you will hear it all. In sleep deprived desperation, you will probably try every piece of advice that you receive, only to realise that it doesn’t work and you’re still yawning your way through life.

Some tips are just not worth it. To help you sift through the baddies (before trying them and realising that they don’t work), we asked our Facebook fans to share the worst baby sleep advice that they had received…

“Sleep when baby sleeps”

Ok. So who will do the housework, laundry and cooking for you then?

“Give them Panado if they won’t sleep”

Your baby is awake, not sick. If your baby wants to be awake, she will probably fight the drowsy effects of the Panado. Cue overtired, screaming baby.

“If they won’t sleep, put them in their beds and let them cry themselves to sleep”

Sleep training is important, but for an older baby, not a newborn. The only thing this piece of advice will get you is stress and crying, crying and more crying.

“After feeding, just put them straight to bed. They must learn to sleep on their own”

Um, what if your newborn baby chokes?

“Leave him, if your baby is tired, he will sleep”

No, he won’t. Not without help. All this piece of advice will get you is an overtired baby. An overtired baby cries. A lot.

“Give baby water in between feedings to fill her tummy”

Giving water to newborn babies is not recommended, as it interferes with their digestive system. The last thing you want on top of a tired baby, is a crampy baby.

The post Worst baby sleep advice ever appeared first on All4Baby.

Because our bodies are in an altered state while cooking up another human life, we practise the precautionary principle – meaning that most elective treatments (covering almost all aesthetic procedures), even though they’re safe, are contra-indicated until your little bundle of joy arrives.

So the best you can do, while eating for two, is to remember some preventative basics:

• That rosy glow is partially due to an increase in sebaceous gland activity – so make sure to use a good cleanser, especially before bed.
• “Eating for two” doesn’t mean you need to double the food, but you should make sure you eat nutrient-dense, healthy food, and use appropriate supplements in consultation with your health practitioner.
• Moisturise – particularly those areas of skin which are subject to rapid growth and stretching, and preferably with a special purpose cream to help maintain elasticity.
• The sun is not your friend. Racing hormones mean that you’ll be far more susceptible to pigmentation change – use a good sun block daily.

Postpartum, many women will have residual issues which they may wish to treat.

Some studies indicate that the two main visible effects, after weight gain, are stretch marks (50% of women) and pigmentation change (up to 80%).

While many women embrace these changes as part of life’s natural progression, it is possible to eliminate or significantly reduce them for people whose confidence or self-image has been negatively affected.

Stretch marks

Stretch marks can initially be treated with a V-beam laser to remove redness, and then with carboxy-therapy and Fraxel laser to remove the pale scar tissue. A course of treatments is normally required over time (three to six months) for full effect.

Pigmentation

Pigmentation, particularly on the face can be significantly reduced by microdermabrasion, TCA peels and Fraxel or Quadralase laser skin resurfacing. First time mothers should be aware that pigmentation in a first pregnancy probably indicates that the same will happen in those that follow.

About the Author: Dr Loredana Nigro is a dermatologist at Laserderm Parkhurst. For more information, visit www.laserderm.co.za.

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