Hey friends!

If you’re reading this blog that means you or someone close to you has had a baby recently.

So congratulations!!!

There are various myths associated with caring for and rearing a newborn in our society. So in my blog today I have tried to cover the myths and facts regarding the diet of a Lactating (feeding) mother.

Myth number one – If the mother eats or drinks something cold or chilled food, the baby will catch a cold or fever.

Fact

 The temperature of food that the mother consumes does not affect the health of the baby. The mother can consume curd, coconut water, and fresh juices without any worry. Soft drinks or cold drinks are not healthy for anyone, so these should be avoided.

Myth number two  – If the mother drinks too much water then her abdominal fat will increase.

Fact

Drinking water can never increase your weight or inches around your waist. In fact, drinking ample amounts of water ensures a good amount and good quality of breast milk production. It will also help the mother to be energetic and healthy.

Myth number three  – Mother should eat a very restricted diet like daliya, moong dal, lauki(bottle gourd),  milk etc

Fact

Mother can eat anything she likes to eat. 

The diet of a mother should be a balanced diet and it should contain –

1. Carbohydrates like wheat or rice in the form of roti, suji, daliya, pulao, etc.
2. Proteins like all types of Dals, chole, rajma
3. Fats like ghee, coconut oil, and groundnut oil should be kept low and other oils should be avoided.
4. Vitamins and minerals – For this, there should be 2 to 3 servings of any seasonal fruit and vegetables. The mother should eat All types of green leafy vegetables in the form of salads or cooked vegetables or stuffed parathans.

Apart from this, she can eat junk foods occasionally, occasionally being the highlight.

All in all, it is important to ensure that the mother eats enough calories in her diet along with the balance of other nutrients.

She should eat a diet that keeps her and the baby healthy.

There are only a few things that should be eliminated like alcohol consumption, too much caffeine, tobacco, or any other kind of addictive drugs.

If you have any more doubts or confusion regarding the diet during the lactation period then please drop a question on the blog, Facebook, or Instagram page.

Happy motherhood!!!

It’s great to know that your baby is growing healthy and fast. If you are already thinking of top feeds that implies your baby is already 5-6 months of age.

Is she not…..??? Then wait…..

As per the doctors around the world the best age to start complementary feeding is 5-6months.

What is complementary feeding?

Complementary feeding means starting food items to babies after 5-6 months of age in addition to breast milk

If you start to early then the baby might not digest and develop gastric trouble!!!

If you start too late then the baby might not get appropriate nutrition needed for growth!!!

So the best call is … 5-6 month…..

Breast milk is very crucial for baby’s health and development till 2 years of age or beyond. So starting complementary feeding does not means stopping breast feeds! Rather, the other food items have to be started along with breastfeeding to keep up the growing nutrition needs of the baby.

You can start with small amounts of mashed foods 2 – 3 times a day and gradually increase the frequency, consistency and variety as the baby gets older.

Frequency of foods

• Between 6-8 months – 2-3 times a day
• Between 9-11 months – increasing to 3-4 times daily
• Between 12-24 months – 3-4 meals with additional nutritious snacks offered 1-2 times per day

Consistency of food

Introduction of right consistency of food at the right age is important to develop good food behaviors.

                Essentially try to follow the sequence:

• Breast feeds (0-6 months)
• Semi-liquid (after 5-6 months) – Easy to digest, smooth and gentle on baby’s stomach.
• Semi-solid (after 6-9 months) – Baby now needs food with taste and texture.
• Semi solid (after 10 months) – Baby now needs food that satisfy his urge to chew-complex taste and texture
• Solid diet including variety of food items (1-1.5 yrs)

When semisolids are first introduced, baby keeps spitting because she does not know how to eat and swallow it, and because the taste is new for her.

Try same item twice a day for 4-5 days and then try something new. Give her time to understand and develop a taste for particular thing.

Variety of foods

Some initial healthy and digestible semisolids for infant are:

• Mashed banana or papaya
• Mashed boiled potato or sweet potato

You can mash these food items nicely using spoon or fork and can mix 1-2 spoons of your breast milk.

Next you can introduce cereals like dal, rice, wheat. Again start with one item at a time and give the same for 3-4 days.

You can give well cooked (but thick) dal, khichdi, suji kheer, upma. Gradually start introducing various vegetable and fruits. Vegetables can be added to khichdi or daliya while cooking at around 7 months of age.

Do you think the baby is not eating enough….???

• It is common that your child eat just 1-2 teaspoons for initial few meals
• This is normal when we first introduce food to baby
• Don’t force feed the child
• Appetite will increase gradually as the taste develops

Some tips

• Feed slowly and patiently, and encourage baby to eat, but to not force her.
• If baby refuses many foods, experiment with different food combinations, tastes and texture.
• Minimize distractions during meals rather talk to baby during feeing her with eye to eye contact.
• Practice good hygiene and proper food handling
• Avoid using feeding bottles.

Have a mindful parenting!!!!

A newborn baby should be given breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth.

If breast feed is given immediately after birth, it is shown to regularize baby’s temperature, increase breast milk output, soothes baby and also helps mother relieve the pain and stress of delivery.

The amount of breast milk is less in the first few days but the milk is thick and sufficient for the baby.

This thick initial milk (colostrum) is very rich in nutrients and immunoglobulins and so protects the baby from various diseases.

Always try to feed the baby in a sitting position.

For the first 5-7 days feed the baby every 2-3 hours, later on, you can feed when baby demands. Sometimes babies demand feeds frequently, but gradually the rhythm is set and you starts understanding baby’s demands.

Always burp the baby after feeding for 15-20 minutes.

•    If you don’t burp properly then chances of spitting or throwing out milk increase significantly.

•    Some babies despite proper burping throw out some milk, which is mostly harmless. To ensure, keep a watch on baby’s weight gain and urine output.

Correct attachment of baby at breast

Some positions to burp the baby

Advantages of breast feeding

For the mother

•    Reduces the pain in stitches

•    Reduces the chances of breast cancer

•    Helps losing extra calories stored during pregnancy

For the baby

•    Provides hygienic and sufficient milk supply

•    Protects from infections and help build up immunity

•    Protects from allergies and asthma

•    Provides all essential vitamins and minerals

How do you know breast milk is enough for baby?

Who decides how many chapattis u eat in a day?? You or someone else…? In the same manner, the baby is best to judge of if your milk is sufficient for her or him.

We can ensure this by some signs like

•    Passing urine 8 -10 times

•    Gaining weight appropriately

•    Sleeps 17-20 hours a day in the first month

How to increase milk production?

•    The strongest stimulation of breast milk production is a baby’s suckle itself!!!!! The more you feed your baby, the more milk would be produced. The more you give him soothers or feeding bottle or even top milk with Katori and spoon, the milk production will reduce……

So as far as possible go for exclusive breastfeeding.

•    Drink more water. Most of the milk is made of water with other nutrients. So if the mother is dehydrated then there would be less milk. A feeding mother should be drinking about 3-4 liters of water every day, may be even more in summers.

•    Eat healthily. Eat fruits, green leafy vegetables, whole grains like Dalia, oats, pulses.

Another very important factor is the beliefs of mother and family regarding breastfeeding and child rearing. If mother believes she can breast feed her baby without any issues, then it is usually stress free period. But, if mother is very stressed and she does not get positive reinforcements from family then this period becomes very tiring and stressful.

Enjoy the moments you spend with your baby while feeding. They make your most treasured memories for life.

Constipation is a common and increasing problem in all age groups.

Passing less than 4 stools per week or passing very hard stools even though 3-4 times a day with difficulty in passing stools is known as constipation.

Breastfed infants usually pass 3 to 4 soft stools every day, but it may vary upto passing once in 4-5 days. A doctor should be consulted if baby passes very hard stools, is in pain while passing stools, is feeding poorly, or has abdominal distension.

Babies on formula usually pass slightly formed stools. When babies are shifted to complementary feeding, there are lots of variations. Give time so that child adjusts to changes. If you feel baby is has difficulty passing stools, consult your pediatrician immediately.

The most common cause of constipation in young children is unbalanced diet. The diet lacks fibers, which are most important factor of passing daily soft stools. Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich in fibers but children tend to avoid them. Even parents are more concern for the amount of chapattis or rice child is eating. Polished rice and refined flour is also deficient in fiber.

So to regularize the bowel habits, change dietary habits….

The amount of dal and serials combined should be equal to the fruits and vegetables in a day. Add vegetables to parantha’s aur Khichdi. Give sufficient fruits as whole, avoid soups and juices as far as possible as they have no or minimum fibers. Always choose seasonal fruits for your family.

Another factor is use of western toilets. Try to make child use toilets in squatting position. Make child sit in toilet daily for 5 to 10 minutes.

Too much of fast food like burgers, noodles, pasta, and white bread sandwiches play an important role in forming hard stools. Avoid use of refined flour as per as possible.

Too much milk causes constipation in some children, so restrict or stop milk intake for few days.( You can read the article on milk requirements of children – https://happymoms.home.blog/2019/01/17/milk-too-much-or-too-less/ )
Ensure enough liquid intake by the child

Long term effects of persistent constipation

1. Poor diet – as child will not pass stools, so he will not feel like eating or completing his meal. Poor diet will further affect the growth and development of the child
2. Long term constipation may lead to anal fissure which causes even more pain during defecation and worsening of constipation.
3. It may lead to other medical complications like rectal prolapsed, fecal impaction, hemorrhoids(piles)

When to see your pediatrician…

• Constipation is persistent for a long time
• If child has not passed stools for more than three consecutive days
• If child is passing blood stains stones
• If child has pain or other troubling symptom

Eat healthy and give your child a healthy diet to stay away from diseases.

Hello friends!!

Today, we are going to discuss a little about nurturing and caring for the newborn baby who has just arrived!!

Feeding the newborn

A newborn baby should be given breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth.

The amount of breast milk is less in the first few days but the milk is thick and sufficient for the baby.
This thick initial milk (colostrum) is very rich in nutrients and also protects the baby from various diseases.

Always try to feed the baby in a sitting position.

For the first 5-7 days feed the baby every 2-3 hours, later on, you can feed when baby demands.

Always burp the baby after feeding for 15-20 minutes.

Advantages of breastfeeding

For the mother

• Reduces the pain in stitches
• Reduces the chances of breast cancer
• Helps losing extra calories stored during pregnancy

For the baby

• Provides hygienic and sufficient milk supply
• Protects from infections
• Protects from allergies and asthma
• Provides all essential vitamins and minerals

Some common facts

Newborns pass black stools for the first few days, then, colour changes to yellow.

Around 5-10 days of age, babies may pass 8-15 loose watery stools; this is normal and will subside in next 7-14 days.

Breastfed baby passes 2-3 yellow coloured soft stools per day, but she may pass stool once in 3 -4 days also.

Be alert if there is blood in stools, repeated vomitings, decreased urine output or stools are very hard.

The newborn passes very less urine in first 2-3 days, and then the frequency of urine increases to 6-10 times per day.

The newborn loses around 10% of the birth weight in the first 5-7 days. Then the baby starts gaining weight.

The umbilical cord dries up and falls by around 7-10days on its own. Do not apply anything on it. Once it has fallen, clean it with the spirit or boiled water using cotton twice in a day.

Do not put oil in ear, nose, eye or cord.

Do not apply kajal in eyes of the baby.

Protect baby from both excessive heat and cold.

Clothe the baby with cotton clothes. Put warm clothes over the cotton clothes.

The newborn babies may have small red rashes since birth which fades in 7-10 days. If it increases or does not fade, consult the doctor.

Hygiene tips for baby

Clothe baby with washed clothes daily. Do not use antiseptics for washing clothes. Drying clothes in bright sunlight is the best disinfectant for clothes. On cloudy days, u can use a dry iron to dry and disinfect the clothes.

Either bathe or sponge the baby with warm water daily

Do not use any soap, cream, lotion, powder or oil for first 15-20 days.

Then you can use any glycerine based soap but use only once or twice in one week for the initial 2-3 months. Apply any mild lotion after bath.

Use coconut or olive oil for the massage of the baby. It is best if the massage is given by the mother or any other family member only.

More detailed articles coming up soon on feeding issues and cosmetics for baby

Vaccinate your baby timely and visit your pediatrician for healthy baby checkups as advised!!!!

Enjoy your motherhood!!!

Today, we are surrounded by so many technologies.

Do you know the impact of television and the internet on children?

In the last two decades, these two have evolved in a very rapid and out of control manner. When we were kids, there was hardly one television in one home. Today, there are 4 to 5 mobile phones in a family of three or four persons along with a tablet or laptop and TV. Also, internet accessibility has become very easy and cheap.

These things if used wisely have great positive effects on one’s lifestyle, even learning and education.

But these things have more negative effects. These have an addicting quality which has stronger effects on children and adolescents than on adults.

Sometimes parents ask at what age we can let children watch television. Actually, there is no ideal age. But as per observations, it should not be before 2 years of age.

Total screen time (including TV, Laptop, Mobile) should be limited to one to two hours per day for children, which can be liberal on weekends. This screen time should be guarded implying you should know what the child is watching. Sit with them when they are watching television and make them understand that it is an illusion, as much as possible.

The excessive screen has many negative effects on a child’s behavior and social development and even speech development.

Some negative effects are

• Poor speech and language development
• Poor social skills
• Poor academic and even sports performances
• Behavioral issues
• Overweight, lethargy, inactivity
• Addiction to Media which is on the high rise worldwide and very difficult to treat

How to reduce screen time?

Children don’t listen to us, they watch us. This is true for every habit and nature of the child.
So, first, you calculate your screen time. Reduce your screen time.

When you interact with your child, maintain eye contact and don’t be busy on Mobile.

Keep your child busy with other things so that he or she does not have time to spend on TV laptop or mobile.

Scolding or punishment can never achieve what you want to achieve.

Spend quality time with your child. If you give time to your children they will not need distractions like TV or mobile.

Be a role model!!