The safe way of doing things

When you work on changing your baby’s sleep habits, start where you want to end. This means that you shouldn’t automatically include white noise in your sleep regime if you don’t have any reason other than “everybody’s doing it”.

Tired parents always need to be reminded of the safe way to do things. Swaddling is great, but you don’t want to overheat a baby or restrict the hips or do it past eight weeks. Car seats are great, but they can actually cause infant deaths if not properly installed.

Similar caveats are true for white noise.

Surprisingly, a baby’s cry can reach a level of 100 dB (as loud as a lawnmower and ten times louder than a hair dryer). This is probably why loud sounds, like a vacuum cleaner and hair drier sounds, have been recommended by pediatricians and parenting books for decades to calm fussy babies.

But, it is very important to remind parents to only use very loud noise during infant crying.

Babies are used to noise

Doctor Karb points out three critical points that were left out by the study:

1. In the womb, all babies are exposed to the sound of whooshing through the arteries. This is louder than a vacuum cleaner (measured at 75-92dB).
2. Moderate sound – used all night – is perfectly safe and has been shown to be helpful in boosting sleep, which is why so many families use white noise CD’s and downloads.
3. Noise injury is primarily related to the high pitch of sound. A pitch, which most infant white noise machines are not able to reach.

The benefits of proper sleep

When considering white noise for babies, it is extremely important to consider the benefits of proper sleep.

Poor infant sleep causes parent exhaustion, which may lead to potentially dangerous situations including;

• Postpartum depression
• Maternal obesity
• Child abuse
• Sleep deaths because exhausted parents put babys onto their tummies or bring the baby into their bed which causes up to 1000 accidental suffocation deaths per year.

By enhancing sleep (and reducing crying) low pitched, rumbly white noise may help prevent these very serious problems.

Proper use of white noise

When a baby cries, increase the sound level – for a few minutes – to the level of a vacuum cleaner. And, for safe naps and all night sleeping keep the sound to the level of a soft shower.

White noise should only be used where it is needed. You don’t have to start off with a white noise machine just because your friend uses one with her baby. White noise in itself will not automatically calm your baby if he or she is crying, nor will it teach them to sleep.

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

The post Is your white noise machine damaging your baby’s hearing? appeared first on All4Baby.

That is why there is the old saying “we have to get sick in order to stay well”.

Immunisation is the best form of building up immunity to vaccine preventable diseases such as seasonal influenza viruses, tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough(pertussis), pneumococcus, haemophillus influenza type b, rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, meningococcus, chicken pox(varicella), measles, mumps, rubella, yellow fever, typhoid and cholera.

Immunisation also strengthens the immune system and there is no truth in the myth that a baby’s immune system can’t handle vaccinations. If your child is suffering from any disease that weakens the immune system, do check with your health care provider before immunising.

Here are a few ways to boost your baby’s immune system…

Breastfeed

The best way to strengthen your baby’s immune system is to breastfeed from birth and to continue giving breast milk (with age appropriate complementary food) up until the age of two years.

Ensure a balanced diet

Ensure that your child eats a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, protein (such as dairy, poultry, fish, meat, beans, legumes, nuts, eggs).

Give a multivitamin

If your child is a fussy eater give a daily balanced multivitamin supplement or nutritional milk that contains sufficient micronutrients and minerals. Ask your health care provider to recommend a suitable supplement.

Wash your hands

Hand washing will prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria, so do practice it regularly, especially if you have a viral infection.

Use probiotics

Probiotics have been shown to increase immunity and to prevent allergies. Speak to your pharmacist to help you choose the correct one.

Fresh air

Ensure plenty of fresh air in the house and keep windows open during the day.

Clean your baby’s nose

If your child is prone to a stuffy nose, keep the nasal passages moist with an age appropriate saline nasal spray (ask your doctor or pharmacist to recommend one.)

Nasal moisture helps the cillia in the nose (the small filaments) to do their job correctly to filter out infections and allergens such as dust and pollen. Humidifiers are also very useful in the drier climates – but do ensure that they get properly washed at least once a week as viruses and bacteria can grow in the warm water.

Avoid exposure to cigarette smoke and open fireplaces.

Avoid the use of cloth hankies – rather use tissues and throw away immediately after use and wash your hands.

Stay out of the cold

Try to be indoors before it gets too cold in the evening. The sudden change of temperature in the airways can irritate croup or chesty colds.

If you or your baby does get sick, give his or her little body plenty of time to rest and recover – lots of sleep and fluids (and yes, there is merit in good old chicken soup!).

The post How to boost your baby’s immune system appeared first on All4Baby.

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.