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10 Best Summer Foods For Babies
Summer Foods For Babies
Summer is the time to bother us with heat. However, it completely depends on us how to treat the season. We can spend the summer days drenched in sweat and having digestion issues, or have fun-filled sunny days and enjoy the juicy summer fruits. But, when it comes to babies, the scenario becomes completely different.
It is obvious that parents will do everything to keep the babies comfortable and safe from sweat and heat. It is the food that becomes a matter of concern for most parents. Children become cranky due to the excessive summer heat and humidity. The troubles caused to the digestive system add to their discomfort levels and make the happiest kid cranky. Mothers find it hard to choose the right food that will keep the baby’s tummy full and comfortable. Such wonder food must also be nutritious enough to meet the child’s necessities.
10 Healthy summer foods for babies:
We are here to discuss the best summer foods for the baby’s health. Most of these are the common ones that we know. The only thing is that we might not have known the wonderful benefits of these foods before. Here are some summer food ideas for babies over six months of age.
- Melons
Melons are truly super foods. Summer is the time when you can have ripe watermelon and musk melon. We generally consider watermelon to be the best summer food. However, musk melon is also nutritious and tasty. Water content in melons is high and thus provides proper hydration for babies. If the baby is ready to have finger foods, you can easily offer slices of melons to them. If they are still on a liquid or semi-solid diet, you can try watermelon or musk melon smoothies.
- Cucumber
The most popular summer food is cucumber, and this popularity applies to both kids and adults. Cucumber must be eaten raw and given to children above the age of eight months to avoid digestion troubles. Cucumber slices can be given as finger foods or can be made into smoothies.
- Tomatoes
Having 95% water in it, tomato is extremely suitable to keep babies hydrated. Though we consider tomato as a winter vegetable but it is actually available throughout the year. The nutrients in tomatoes help in increasing immunity in children. This immunity factor has become very important in this pandemic situation. It is thus wise for mothers to include this super-nutritious food in their baby’s diet.
- Yogurt
Home-made yogurt is full of healthy probiotics. The healthy bacteria present in yogurt helps in keeping the guts healthy. It is easy to digest and provides relief to the baby’s stomach during the scorching summer heat. The presence of protein, calcium, and Vitamin C in yogurt makes it a super-healthy food.
- Barley
Barley is a traditional food that is extremely nutritious for babies. The prime factor that makes barley suitable as summer food is the ability to reduce water retention in the body and to maintain the natural balance of water. It is safe to give barley to babies over six months of age. It is easy to digest and keeps the tummy full.
- Mango
We can never forget about the king of fruits – mango! It’s juice, tasty, and nutritious. Mango is full of healthy nutrients necessary for babies like Vitamins A, Vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium. Fresh mango cubes, mashed mango, mango shake, mango ice cream can be given to children.
- Banana
Banana can be given to babies throughout the year. There is a misconception that banana has to be avoided if the child is suffering from cough and cold. However, this is not true as ingredients present in bananas have nothing to do with cough and cold. Banana is a super-food that can be digested easily. It is rich in potassium, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, magnesium, and antioxidants.
- Coconut water
Babies can be easily fed with juices. Small kids love soft drinks and juices. However, providing them with natural drinks will be the best option when we are considering healthy summer foods. Coconut water is one such drink that you can give to your child without any hesitation. It is rich in potassium and helps in regulating body temperature during summer. You can give fresh coconut water to kids or can prepare fruit smoothies with it.
- Bottle gourd
Bottle gourd is a very common vegetable available during summer. It is rich in Vitamins A and C. Other healthy nutrients present in bottle gourd are calcium, magnesium, and folate. Bottle gourd can be cooked into several tasty dishes. You can simply make vegetable soup with bottle gourd for your baby.
- Cumin
You may wonder that how a spice can be considered as healthy food for babies during summer. However, cumin is such a spice that helps in regulating body heat. You can simply soak cumin seeds in water and give two to three teaspoons of that water to your baby twice or thrice a week. This will help in keeping the digestive system healthy.
The bottom line
In the end, it is important to mention that parents must take great care while introducing any new food for the babies. It will be best to give a very small amount of new food for the first few days and check if the child develops any allergies.
If you would like to learn more about what you can and cannot feed your baby, click here!
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When it comes to breastfeeding, you will be hearing non-stop opinions from others. But remember, you are the one feeding your baby so you should be the one to find a solution that works for you as well as your baby. I will share with you some basic information about breastfeeding and how it is to be done from the information I gathered from various trusted sources. You can have a good read here and can choose the information which you find apt and suitable. Before starting, let me share some information about preparing your breasts at the time of pregnancy. While you are pregnant, the glands responsible for milk making start to develop. There are multiple hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and also prolactin which play a major role in developing your breasts for feeding your baby. Your breast size will also increase while you are pregnant and also the area surrounding your nipples becomes darker which is an indication of the hormones doing their duty properly and you are getting ready enough to produce breast milk for the baby. Another doubt is when is the best time to start breastfeeding? The answer is as soon as possible. Ideally, you should breastfeed your baby within the initial hour after the delivery. Whatever concerns or confusion arise, you can seek the help of lactation consultants who are readily available at the hospitals at your service. Next is the frequency of breastfeeding. How often should you feed your baby? Initially, your baby won’t be demanding much and there is nothing to worry about because it is normal for the babies to show such a pattern. This brief feeding can also help in producing more milk supplies in your body. As the days pass by your baby will start showing a pattern for the breastfeeding frequency and this will give a signal to your body about the quantity of milk to be produced and your supply will get adjusted to the baby’s demands. It is also important to note the way how your baby latches on to your breast. If the breastfeeding latch is good, then the baby would be able to remove milk from your breasts very efficiently which helps in keeping your supply plentiful and steady. Also, note that this would also help you in avoiding sore nipples. Now that you got an idea about milk production and feeding patterns, we should also be aware of the effective and best positions to breastfeed. If your breastfeeding is effective, it encourages your baby to have a good breastfeeding latch. You can find many breastfeeding positions online and based on it, you can choose the one favourable to you. It is advised that if the newborn is having trouble latching, you could try the laid-back position or a cross-cradle position. You can also check on other positions so that you can try them once in a while or more. While you are following changing breastfeeding holds on each feeding, it would help your baby to drain milk from different areas of the breast. The production of breastmilk is based on supply and demand which means the more frequently your baby breastfeeds; the more you will be able to produce milk. There are three main stages that your breastmilk goes through in the initial weeks. During the first 0 to 5 days, the production of Colostrum begins, which is filled with essential nutrients as well as immunoglobulins. Even though your body is not producing a lot of Colostrum, the amount produced would be enough to fill your baby’s demands with everything they need. From day 5 to 14, your breasts will be feeling fuller than they were in the beginning, and at this time your milk changes from colostrum to transitional milk. After 14 days, your breasts start producing mature milk that has a thinner consistency in the beginning and becomes thicker and packed with nutrients in the end. While breastfeeding you must also be aware of the signs indicating that your baby is getting enough milk. If your baby is steadily gaining weight, going through six to eight diapers per day, and also having proper bowel movements you can easily infer that your baby is getting the milk required. If you are having issues with breastfeeding, then there are a variety of products in the market that would help you through the process. For latching problems, you can seek the help of breast shells as well as nipple shields. To protect your clothes from leaking breasts, you can use nursing pads, and also for easy breastfeeding on travel or other conditions, you can rely upon a nursing bra. Along with feeding the baby, it is also important that you must take care of yourself too. You must give yourself healthy nutrition to feed your baby. You must provide yourself time to heal and also have some proper rest. Taking a proper nap at regular intervals can be helpful to overcome the state of postpartum fatigue and also follow a healthy diet to maintain your health combined with slow and steady exercises.
View MoreHow I Feed Healthy Nutritious Food For My Baby
10 min read
Age: 1 to 6 months
Healthy Nutritious Food For My Baby Recently, I became a young mother. The very first source of food I gave my baby was the “Colostrum”. This breast fluid is a highly nutritious food, produced naturally in my body just before the production and secretion of breast milk. Colostrum promotes growth and health in infants. So, I am excited to feed my baby with the nutritious colostrum and breast milk, which boosts immunity in my kid. As per my understanding, the immune system of my child keeps continually adapting, strengthening, and changing in response to several external factors. I am cent-per cent sure that this is the case with all of your toddlers as well. So, it becomes a huge necessity to provide our babies with healthy, and nutritious food. To know more about how I feed my baby, just keep on reading. I am sure that you can take some tips from this article and make your babies healthy as well. The world outside a mother’s womb is filled with pathogens, germs, allergens, dust, and other factors that can harm your baby. To protect our babies from serious diseases, we should strengthen their immunity. I support my little charmer’s developing immune system by providing him/her with a balanced and healthy diet along with colostrum initially and breast milk as long as I can feed him/her. Prebiotic and probiotic foods help me in this quest of giving the most nutritious food to my “bundle of joy” any day. This way, I ensure that my child gets a boost in his/her immunity. A strong immunity lasts long and thus by providing healthy and nutritious food, I contribute to his/her long-term health. As a fellow parent, you can follow this tip too for your healthy and strong baby. Well, it is necessary to give equal importance to what we feed our children and the food young mothers eat during the pregnancy period. For additional health benefits for my kid, I include certain micro-nutrients in their daily diet. We can always look up to “Mother Nature” for getting the best nutritious food through all kinds of vegetables, and fruits. I serve my toddler with fresh-cut salads, stews, and soups. As we all know, vegetables and fruits are rich sources of various minerals, vital amines, and essential macro-nutrients. Citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C. Baked beans, whole grains, and nuts are excellent sources of Zinc and Magnesium. So, I am protecting my child from infections through these food items. Including milk and milk products seem to be a good idea for providing the right kind of nutrition to our babies. Home-cooked food items are hygienic and nutritious. One category of food item I avoid is the artificially processed one as it is not as nutritious as it is required to be. As per my understanding, it is better to avoid food or water laced with a high quantity of sugar, salt, and saturated fatty acids. Lemon water is healthy along with other solutions sprinkled with mint leaves, parsley, and slices of cucumber. All our babies need to be kept hydrated and I give my baby around 8 to 10 cups of liquids per day. As per my observation, my baby loves to drink fresh citrus fruit juices, milk, and coconut water. It would be a wonderful idea to make meals fun for our kids. Let the children choose what they want to eat from a bunch of healthy and nutritious food items you provide them with. I am aware that breastfeeding up to 2 years is most ideal, and I did that for my baby. Engage your kids in healthy conversations while feeding them rather than watching TV or any kind of screen (mobile, laptop, desktop, notebook, or tablets). Give good training for your kids in general hygiene like washing hands, brushing their teeth, and having a bath along with using the washroom. Ensure your toddler has washed hands before eating anything with their hands. Encourage these practices through small praises as your children always look up to you for the right appreciation. While travelling, always make it a habit to carry disposable wipes and a bottle of water for cleaning the hands and mouth straight after eating. We have all seen that our toddlers refuse to eat by throwing tantrums and being playful with us. Here are some ways by which, you can feed your children in such scenarios. Always, sit with your child while eating and engage him/her with favourite topics while feeding them. Try offering new types of food more often than not and this will make them more curious about having new eating experiences. Please do not force your child. Give him/her enough time to eat. After a certain age, encourage him/her to be the “big boy/girl” by letting your child feed themselves. Always keep the mealtimes calm and without any kind of distractions. Offer the same food in different ways as it will make them curious as well. It is perfectly alright if your kid wants to skip a meal once or twice. However, stop this practice if it is slowly becoming a routine. If you have any doubts about the child’s health and food intake as well as feeding patterns, discuss it with a healthcare provider, a dietician, or a nutritionist. Sometimes, the children will eat the same food again and again. Encourage the practice if it is healthy and nutritious. If not, discourage by feeding that food very less often than not. It is ideal for babies, children, and toddlers to have at least 3 small meals with 2 to 3 snacks in between. Trust your child’s appetite and let it guide the baby’s healthy and nutritious development. Herein, I focused on how I feed my baby with healthy and nutritious food. You can also read through this article and follow the tips I discussed, as mentioned. So, what are you waiting for? Let us feed our children with healthy and nutritious food thereby boosting their immunity. To learn what this mother has learned from her baby's first 100 days, click here!
View MoreThe Ultimate Guide To Feeding Your Baby Solid Foods
10 min read
Age: 1 to 6 months
Feeding your baby solid foods Being a dad or mom is the best feeling in the world that is filled with a lot of responsibilities and obligations. Breast milk happens to be the very first food and the main source of each and every essential nutrient for the baby. After their first six months, babies can have soft foods together with breast milk. The very first thing to consider before feeding your baby with solid foods is the proper time to bring in the solid food. From six months and onwards, young ones can be fed with solid foods. It is the right time for the baby to start off trying his or her first solid foods. The nutritional requirements of the child will get bigger with time and the parents should be mindful of the type and quantity of food that should be provided to the babies. When they start feeding their little ones with solid food, parents should have a clear idea about the capacity of the little stomachs, and they should never cram it up with solid foods. Apart from offering food in single servings, the little one should be given solid foods repeatedly throughout the day. Different strategies and approaches to introduce solid foods:- Children find it really exciting to have some iron-fortified baby cereal during their first mealtimes. Cereals are rich in beta-glucan, which will clean up their intestines and make them feel really good. Mashed-up vegetables and fruits are the best-ever solid foods to be given to the tiny ones as their first foods. After they get used to fruits and vegetables, eggs and meats can be given to them. Everything offered to them must be in pureed form for making it easy for the babies to have it. Solid foods given to the little one should be rich in nutrition and the first foods for them should not be sugary, salty, and spicy, as those foods will make their stomach upset. The first solid foods should be easily digestible and healthful, as they are the ones that are responsible for catalyzing growth. Make their first bites healthy as possible for their healthy body. Feeding the little one is the most significant part of every parenting lesson, as it is an astonishing milestone in not only the baby’s life but also in every dad’s or mom’s life. This significant phase can be daunting and disturbing during the first few days, but soon, this phase will for sure turn into the most exciting and satisfying one. It is so lovely to watch your little one explores the tastes, smells, and textures of their first solid foods. You can definitely make this stage funny and cool in certain ways. What should parents know when introducing solid food to their kids? Every parent should set their minds to appreciate the fondness and aversion of their kids towards food and they should comprehend the fact that it takes a good amount of time to foster better eating habits in kids. Children should be offered solid foods only after their digestive system get developed enough to accept solid foods. If any child is provided with solid food before the proper development and growth of the digestive system happen, then it will definitely make the child sick and allergic to solid food. In the case of struggles regarding being underweight or overweight that may occur in children, it is better to consult a pediatric dietician before providing solid food to them. Albeit, parents should offer anything and everything that is healthy and nutritious to their child but they should never force the child to have it and they should be cautious and careful enough to not make them stressed on the dining timetable. By doing so, children will positively develop a rapport with the food they consume. Parents should be careful not to discourage the kids in front of their food platter by constantly cleaning up and wiping of the jumble. There will be a lot of trouble with the toddler, but it is totally alright as they are exploring the experience of food and flavour. Neither the parents nor the kids should get dispirited during the wonderful journey with food. In their experiments with a wide variety of solid foods, parents should keenly observe the food tolerance of the baby by checking out if there are any signs and symptoms like constipation, rashes etc. Here are 10 foods to look out for which you cant feed your baby Parents should be well-aware of the food items that are meant to keep away from the child’s platter. Just like we parents, our kids also prefer tasty foods and not some bland food. So, their bay palettes should be set in the tastiest and healthy way. You can include spices like cinnamon, nutmeg etc in their dishes. Flavours should be partnered with health benefits to make the child fall in love with the food together with attaining enough nourishment. Another important thing is to try varieties in their menu, as they will find it really boring to have the same food every day. Not only flavour and variety but also the texture of the foodstuff should be changed according to their liking and interest. Interest and excitement should be developed in the toddlers towards foodstuffs and make them relish the foodstuff with their whole hearts. Children should be well-taught about biting and chewing during their food journey. Parenting is never an easy job and this job will get even worse at the dining room with a little moppet. Parents should be prepared for a muddle at the dining table and although it is difficult, they should accept the fact that children are messy. Train yourselves truly well to excel in the very significant, interesting and intimidating task of feeding your little one with healthful solid foods by employing the perfect tried and tested ways that are mentioned above. With these guidelines you can for sure make this feed phase a definite cakewalk with your baby. Let him or her be a daring diner like you and explore the first foods with grace.
View MoreMy baby turned 100 days today – Here’s what I learned about her baby nutritional needs
10 min read
Age: 1 to 6 months
Baby nutritional needs Every parent knows that children should be fed a balanced diet. It is important that we provide our kids with a balanced diet that includes lean whole grains, fruits, proteins, and vegetables. Apart from that, you can also add a small amount of healthy fats. A balanced diet offers virtually all the nutrients that your kids need. One of the best things you can do for your baby is to start with healthy, nutritious food. At every age and stage, you can’t go wrong when you support your child learn to understand a healthy diet. Importance of breastfeeding and nutrition For a newborn, breast milk is the best. During your baby's first 3 months, breast milk or formula provides all the necessary nutrients. It contains essential vitamins and minerals to meet the baby's energy needs. Infant formulas are convenient for infants whose mothers are not able to or choose not to breastfeed. Babies as young as 3 months must drink breast milk or infant formula every few hours, or on-demand, to help meet nutritional necessities. Cow's milk or other dairy products shouldn't be fed until at least one year old. Your baby's kidneys cannot handle high levels of protein and minerals until this age. Babies digest formula is more slowly than breast milk, so if you bottle-feed your baby, he or she may drink less than breast-fed babies. There are many foods that your baby cant eat, click here to know more. Before making any decision that will affect the baby, several factors should be considered. Only in the absence of mother or mother’s milk, the baby should be given outside nutrition supplements. This can be done if the baby is allergic to milk, and substitutes should be chosen very carefully. Most of the infant formulas today are prepared from cow's milk. They are fortified to make them as close to breast milk as possible and provide babies with all the nutrients they need for growth and health. Largely cow's milk formulas comprise carbohydrates, in the form of the milk sugar "lactose", iron, protein, calcium, zinc, and additional minerals and vitamins (including A, C, D, E, and B). There is no so-called diet for a 3-month-old infant. How much should be fed and taken care of depends on the baby's weight. Most importantly, you should make sure that your baby is properly fed. When your baby appears alert and active, you can understand that her weight is steadily increasing and takes the feed 6 – 8 times a day. Also, make sure she wets and soils the diaper regularly. Generally, by the age of 3 months, babies should be supplemented with vitamin D in addition to breastfeeding. The current recommended minimum vitamin D intake for infants is 400 IU per day, soon after birth. This can be performed with the help of the morning sun. You need to remember that babies should only receive the morning sun rays as the heat is very light and has maximum benefits. Babies aged 0-3 months need 2 mg of zinc a day and breastfeeding babies should be supplemented with iron. Two months later, with the consent of the doctor, you can start to feed him juice, water, and other liquid foods as additional nutritional supplements. When feeding a baby with a bottle, it becomes very difficult to decide beforehand how much the infant will consume. He usually consumes 4 or 5 ounces of milk at the beginning of the third month and may add one ounce to each feed before the end of the third month. Some of the nutrients that babies need to grow and stay healthy include Calcium, Fat, Folate, Iron, Zinc, Protein, and carbohydrates. Your baby also needs vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K. Choosing Foods for your kids Nourishing your baby solid food too early can direct to overfeeding and being overweight. Solid foods usually do not help babies fall asleep all night. You will also find that your baby sleeps longer at night. In the first month, your baby sleeps most frequently and you need to feed them regularly. As the child grows, the feeding process will change and other foods will be added. You will only find that the child will gradually increase the quantity and the number of times will get reduced. You will observe changes every week, which will help you make decisions and feed your baby accordingly. In the second month, the baby can consume about 4 or 5 ounces per feeding. It is easy to overfeed a newborn with a bottle because it is effortless to drink from a bottle than from a breast. Make sure that the hole on the nipple of the baby bottle is the correct size. The liquid must flow slowly from the hole and not pour out. In addition, if your baby shows signs of being full resist the urge to run out of the bottle. Do not prop the baby bottle as it can cause choking and increases the possibility of getting ear infections and tooth decay. Breastfeeding moms always wonder how they realize their baby is getting enough. What goes in must come out, so counting wet diapers is a promising method to understand that your baby is getting plenty. In the first few days after birth, your baby should have at least 5 wet diapers per day. If you notice your baby having fewer wet diapers, you should immediately seek help from your baby's doctor or lactation consultant. Proper infant nutrition is essential for the continued health of children from birth to adulthood. Proper nutrition during the first three years of life is particularly crucial as these aspects reduces the risk of lifelong chronic diseases, and promotes normal physical and mental development. On the other hand, incorrect feeding techniques contribute up to a third of all issues of child malnutrition. This is compounded by the proliferation of refined foods like infant formula and commodities rich in salt, free sugars, and trans fats. This results in a rise in poor diets, obesity, and a striking reduction in the number of mothers breastfeeding their infants. Breastfeeding is essential to the development of children, including improving IQ, academic performance, and higher income in adulthood.
View MoreWhat I Learned About Baby Nutrition As A Father
10 min read
Age: 1 to 6 months
When it comes to parenting, fathers play an equally important role, just as mothers. Babies need a lot of nourishment that aids in their growth and development. Ensuring your young one gets all the proper nurture and care is an essential part of parenting. A newborn or an infant gets most of the necessary nutrition and nourishment from the mother during the infancy stage and as they grow up to become toddlers as part of their initial phase of childhood. A father may not be able to provide nutrition as wholesome as mother’s milk. They can still contribute by preparing and feeding the young one, a balanced and healthy nutritional meal. Nutrients are the core source of energy for children and adults equally. However, the quantity required varies with age and growth needs. Here we will see the 10 nutrition tips, a father can give his adorable little tyke. 9 Lessons I've Learnt On Nutrition They say you are what you eat. If that holds for everyone, then chances are that your kids look up to you and eventually grow up to be just like you. Especially eating habits. Make sure you preach what you teach or rather, eat what you teach! Nutrition is Nourishment All foods brimming with wholesome nutrients are always a good pick to feed yourself as well as your kids. Some foods may have common nutrients, while others may have particular ones that are most essential. Common nutrients comprise a variety of vitamins and minerals. Where There Is Nutrition, There Is Nurture Iron, calcium, and carbohydrates are specified nutrients found only in particular foods. Therefore, it is very important to give your child an ample quantity of nutrients for stronger bones, a healthier body, and a well developing mind. Primary Nutrition It is a common misconception that carbs and fats are bad for you. There are some good ones like whole grains that help in the growth and development of your child, as compared to being high in cholesterol, bad carbs. Fibers and proteins are the primary essential nutrients. Food is Fuel Children of all ages must be made to relish what they eat. They also need to know the health benefits that go into what they must consume as part of their regular regime. With that being said, they must be made aware that food intake not only satisfies hunger but also paves way for good nutrition and required energy. Don’t Play with Food Making mealtime fun might have started with parents feeding their toddlers. To make them interested in what they eat, we take upon the classic creative roleplay of turning the feeding spoon into an airplane or a choo choo train. However, this shouldn’t become a force of habit and change the child’s perspective into thinking that food is something to be played with! Measure, Mix and Modulate Preparing baby food is as close to being a professional chef who cooks with finesse. You need to have the right ingredients of ample quantity and ensure a perfect mixture of them, before feeding your little one. Just as how checking the temperature and ensuring a properly sterilized container for feeding milk is a requirement, the same goes for solid foods and other baby formulas. Learn more about the right amount of food for your baby by clicking here. Water, water every day Every meal is always accompanied by a thirst-quenching drink of water. Aside from the many benefits of mineral water or any drinking water for that matter, it helps to gush down food by softening it and in turn, helps in the overall digestion of food. On a side note, drinking a glass of water before a meal, ensures you do not overeat as it stops you at just the right moment when you know your tum-tum is full! ABC – Always Be Clean Before any meal, it is a must to make sure your child is clean by having his hands and legs washed. If it is a brunch meal, a bath would be ideal. Keeping yourself clean is the best way to avoid germs and infections that hog into your meal! Get Kids Involved Most kids will enjoy deciding what to make for dinner. Talk to them about making choices and planning a balanced meal. Some might even want to help shop for ingredients and prepare the meal. At the store, teach kids to check out food labels to begin understanding what to look for.
View MoreUnderstanding Baby Language
10 min read
Age: 1 to 6 months
Making Sense Of Goo Gaa & Ga Ga- Understanding Baby Language Every animal has its way of communicating mutually since its birth, just as it's kind. Dogs bark, cat's meow, cows bellow, horses neigh, so on and so forth. Humans are social animals and as conversationalists, we all have our language of communication. However, by birth, we as babies, go with the baby talk, Goo Goo Gaga or Gaga Goo Goo. The active and passive voice of babies. We were all born with this natural ability to interact with our fellow humans, be it parents, relatives, or even other babies. However, as we grow up, we forget what each goo goo gaga means and we end up unable to understand our babies when we ourself become a parent. The explanatory term used for this kind of loose talk is called babbling. Understanding baby language is an important step towards parenting. Baby talk may mean a lot of things and each babble is toned and pitched differently, just as how a k9 or feline’s bark or meow, respectively, varies with the length, sound, and modulation of it. These acoustic details in conjunction with the body language and mannerism, help us to understand what our little one is trying to tell us. From feeling hunger to feeling sleepy, restless, or any of the other exhibited emotions, let us look at the different connotations of Gaga Goo Goo, made by babies, to better understand them. The Art of Babbling by Babies Newborn babies start to make gibberish sounds of cooing and babbling with their vocal cords as you as 2 or 3 months old. Initially, they are just spurs and mumbles that are short-toned. For the most part, babies wail and whimper to gain our attention. However, as they grow a bit old within say 4 to 5 months, they start to conjoin individual sounds as though they have their own words to bring together into sentences. Hence the phrase Go-Go Gaga. Babbling is most important for babies as much as their day-to-day milk consumption! Babies make voluntary and involuntary sounds, just as adults do. Sounds like coughing, sneezing, burping, grunting, etc, all fall under the latter category. The former category includes the babbling, cooing, and mumbling sounds that babies make. Baby’s initial attempts at trying to talk, include sounds of giggling, cooing, and sometimes even laughing. Crying however is a reflexive action that even newborn babies can do at ease. So that is the most common way of drawing attention towards oneself, even among adults! Babbling truly starts when your newborn arrives at a half year old enough. As of now, children will make longer sounds that have more assortment, complex tone and volume, and syllable variety. Your newborn has gathered many sounds and commotions from you and others around them. At the point when your child sounds seem like ga ga, this is alluded to as reduplicated Babbling, or redundancy of a similar syllable again and again. Non-reduplicated Babbling would be the joining of sounds and syllables into, you got it! Gaga Goo Goo! From Babbling to Being Awesome! As children begin to grow up a bit, they begin to utilize their hands as an approach to speak with others. They will point at specific items to say “I need that! or offer that to me!” Other than the hand signals and sounds, babies additionally convey by reflexes. Countless various kinds of reflexes assist parents with getting what their child is attempting to say. As indicated by different examinations, when a child is ravenous, they will in general take hold of their mom's bosom or areola, which is known as the Sucking Reflex. Another reflex that children will in general utilize is the Startle Reflex when babies spread out their arms and legs. A child would uphold themselves like this to tell individuals that they are staying away from a fall. Another model is the Hand-to-Mouth Reflex, which is when babies begin to suck on an item. Babies are as cute and conversational as they can be! Even though they cannot genuinely say words to us, they can in any case utilize non-verbal communication to mention to individuals what they need or how they are feeling. Babies are more brilliant than you might suspect! To learn more about if your baby is hungry or has had enough click here
View MoreHow Much Is Too Much Food For My Baby
10 min read
Age: 1 to 6 months
Too Much Food Isn't All That Good They say you can never have too much of a good thing, which is an understatement at times. However, when it comes to food and baby food, we need to be very careful and make sure our newborn gets the right amount of nourishment, for the little one’s nutrition needs. No more, no less is the target to stay focused upon. So, you might be wondering, 'how much is too much food for my newborn?' Being a parent to a one-year-old infant can be cumbersome at times. Especially in terms of prepping breakfast, lunch, or supper for your junior tyke. Babies have a very delicate tum-tum and an even more complex taste palate, as they are still growing and developing their taste buds as well as their digestive system. Parents may not know about the hunger or feeling full signs that a child is trying to say. For some new parents, feeding Signs aren't something that they have learned previously. To ensure a child gets the perfect measure of nourishment, parents should benefit from interest, or at whatever point the child is hungry, and shouldn't take care of past the mark of having a full belly. Since there is commonly more worry about depriving, many parents don't understand that it's additionally conceivable to overfeed children - particularly in case they are bottle-fed baby formula food or mother’s milk. At the point when infants cry, hunger is one of the primary things that ring a bell. Furthermore, feeding is something any new parent will ponder a few times each day. So, what amount should a child eat? (Tip- your baby is eating too much if he's regularly eating more than what is recommended) Let’s dive right into all the things you need to know about your baby’s food requirements and how well you can know your infant when it comes to being super-duper hungry or a belly full of happiness and nourishment! Hunger Signs – The Trick to Knowing Your Newborn, Inside Out There is always a notion among parents that if they feed their babies a little more than enough, the child would not feel hungry for a few hours or so. This methodology is completely wrong and you may end up cleaning your baby’s throw-ups or worse, changing the diapers more frequently! So, make sure you feed your kid just the right amount, keeping in mind the thumb rule of no more, no less. That said, when it comes to feeding milk in the form of lactating or giving your baby the bottle, we can easily go more scientific and mathematical by sterilizing the bottle, making sure it is the right temperature and quantity with easily scalable measurement apparatuses. It's regular to stress that hunger is the issue when your child cries. Nonetheless, crying is normally one of the last signs that your child is starving, and can regularly demonstrate an alternate issue - may be a wet diaper or needing a difference in position. The most well-known signs that your child is starving and prepared to eat include licking lips, pulling for milk, sucking fingers, or putting hands in the mouth. (want to learn more about understanding your baby? How Much Food Can An Infant Eat Every Day? Babies don’t get much of a workout as compared to us, both physically and mentally, to burn all that food and accumulated energy. Make sure it is not overfed, otherwise it could put your infant in a state of tummy trouble! While each child is unique, there are general rules on how much a normal child needs to eat to develop. For instance, paediatricians commonly exhort that newborn children are more youthful than a half year, who are not yet eating any strong food sources like oats or purees, drink 2 ounces of baby formula food or mother’s milk per pound of bodyweight like clockwork. Remember, milk is but a beverage for adults. When it comes to babies, it counts as a full-course meal for them! So always stick to the same volume, until such time your baby starts to develop its appetite and grow in age. Some babies may have a lesser appetite than others, just as many adults. While some standard routines can be something to be thankful for, plans that are too inflexible may accomplish more problems than anything. At the point when you're giving a lot of consideration to the clock, you may miss your child's signs disclosing to you that they are hungry or full. If you at any point feel like your child's nourishment or weight isn't the place where it should be, your paediatrician will want to offer extra approaches to assist with getting your kid on target for a sound turn of events. Take notes on what this father learnt about Nutrition by clicking here.
View MoreWhat to do if your baby is underweight?
10 min read
Age: 1 to 6 months
Few things you can do if your baby is underweight? It’s always a walk on a tightrope when it comes to deciding what’s good for your baby. You might find yourself at the receiving end of a thousand suggestions on the right supplements to feed your baby. How to know if your infant is in fact healthy? The plump, chubby look with squishy folds of baby fat is not the only indicator of a healthy baby. Apart from what meets the eye, there are a few other reasons to know whether your baby is really underfed or underweight. Let’s begin with checking the percentiles. The growth chart issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) that the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends is the standard norm to know your baby’s growth rate. The WHO chart determines your infant’s percentile for their age. If you’d rather check it yourself than wait for the next doctor’s appointment, you can find these WHO charts online. Again, the growth chart is not the end of it. Remember that the growth rates might differ for breast-fed and formula-fed babies. The role of genes plays a heavy role in determining your baby’s weight. Consider the genetic factors of the parents before assessing the weight of the baby If your baby was born premature, the low birth weight might continue for several months longer and might fluctuate during their progress. Understand that percentiles are not everything when it comes to keeping track of the weight. You might want to take a closer look at the baby’s behaviour and track their developmental milestones. Signs that your baby might be underfed Keeping a close watch on the growth rate of your baby is helpful. An active toddler who is crawling, holding up their head, rolling over and exhibiting a general happy temperament is the sign of a healthy baby. Seek medical attention if your baby shows any of these signs: Shows no signs of hunger and sucks weakly with bottle or breast Is never active and shows a listless and lethargic mood Not producing wet or soiled diapers Schedule that appointment If you’re wary about all these concerns, do not wait any longer and schedule that appointment with your paediatrician. The plenty of suggestions and advice that you read online might get overwhelming. Trust your paediatrician in your baby’s journey. The physical assessment of the baby by a doctor, in their growing years, is essential and don’t let any online treatment methods compromise it. Missing nutrients If your paediatrician finds that the energy intake is low in the case of a breastfeeding baby, they might suggest you to nurse the baby more often or boost your supply through other methods. To increase the number of calories, adding formula powder, liquid concentrate or calorie supplements with pumped breast milk might be recommended. It is also suggested to improve the diet through introducing more feeding or finger foods. Increase the number of feedings for your infants. The typical rate is 8 to 12 per day for babies between 2 to 4 months. All these developments in diet are best undertaken with the supervision of a paediatrician or dietician. Also note that plant-based milk (eg: soy, almond coconut, etc.) that adults consume are deficient in protein, calcium, vitamin D and other essential nutrients. It is therefore not advisable for infants, except in the case of soy-based formulas for babies. It would also help to keep in check the nutrients intake by maintaining a food diary for your infant. Besides the diet improvements, also check in with your paediatrician while making changes in the food intake. If in case of any allergies, an expert might know better on what to add or eliminate in your baby’s diet plan because there are risks of undernutrition. If you can’t increase the feeding times, try weight-promoting options for your baby with higher-calorie and nutrient-dense foods and snacks. It is also advised to create a relaxed eating routine for your baby that makes mealtimes a fun and pleasant experience. Everything said, remember that some toddlers can naturally be thin for genetic reasons. So don’t beat yourself up trying to bulk up your baby. All that matters is that they meet their developmental milestones and are active in temperament. With the right amount of care and love, your little nugget is sure to grow into a healthy and happy kid. Have a look at this dad's lessons he learnt on nutrition for his baby by clicking here!
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