This section provides information which might be usefull or interesting to know in your endeavour to raise your child.
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Why does s/he do it????
[27 January 2011] -This is the most difficult part to get used to it as a brand new mom and dad. Yes, I’m talking about crying. Babies cry. This is a fact. We need to learn to figure out what’s wrong with our beautiful, healthy baby. It is so hard, because we need to learn to listen. Listen to our baby’s cue and listen to our instinct.
Read more »Do corporates have a social conscience?
[20 October 2010] -As a parent you want to do the best for your baby. As new parents you hear lots of advise from many different people. We trust brands that have been around for ages to provide our babies with the best our money can buy. Yet are they actually coming to the party?
Read more »Organic
[20 October 2010] -Is this just another “new age” idea or what is organic all about?
In most instances you will do well to think that organic is just another label that is slapped on your food to ensure that can be charged more. This is actually not the case.
Breastfeeding myths
[16 August 2010] - It has been over three years since I have breastfed, but my daughter had breast milk daily for the last couple of days. She is three and a half and has an immune deficiency. If I had known what I know today I would not have given up trying to breastfeed when she was 11 days old. The system has failed me and the system will most probable fail a lot of other parents before we are able to change the system. Read more »Baby-wearing
[18 May 2010] - Baby-wearing is a mind-set.You need to get ready to wear your baby. You need to get ready physically but most importantly you need to get ready emotionally.
You need to have an open mind to understand that wearing your baby is a hard work but it is something you do for your baby and it has long-term benefits. Read more »
The Importance of Skin to Skin Contact
[11 February 2010] - There are now a multitude of studies that show that mothers and babies should be together, skin to skin (baby naked, not wrapped in a blanket) immediately after birth, as well as later. The baby is happier, the baby’s temperature is more stable and more normal, the baby’s heart and breathing rates are more stable and more normal, and the baby’s blood sugar is more elevated. Not only that, skin to skin contact immediately after birth allows the baby to be colonized by the same bacteria as the mother. This, plus breastfeeding, are thought to be important in the prevention of allergic diseases. When a baby is put into an incubator, his skin and gut are often colonized by bacteria different from his mother’s. Read more »Slow Weight Gain Following Early Good Weight Gain
[11 February 2010] - Sometimes, babies who are doing very well with exclusive breastfeeding alone for the first few months, start not to gain as well after two to four months. This may be normal, because breastfed babies do not grow along the same growth curves as formula fed babies, and sometimes it may appear that they grow too slowly, when in fact, it is the formula fed baby who is growing too quickly. Breastfeeding is the normal, natural, physiologic way of feeding infants and small babies. Using the formula feeding baby as the model of normal is irrational and leads us to make errors in advising mothers about feeding and growth. Read more »Lactation Aid
[11 February 2010] - A lactation aid is a device that allows a breastfeeding mother to supplement her baby with expressed breastmilk, formula, glucose water with added colostrum or glucose water without using an artificial nipple. The early use of an artificial nipple may result in the baby becoming "bottle spoiled" or "nipple confused" because it interferes with the way a baby latches on to the breast. Actually, the baby is not confused. The baby knows exactly what the score is. If he goes to the breast and gets little milk and slow flow and then gets a bottle with rapid flow, especially in the first few days, most can figure that one out fairly quickly. Read more »Expressing Milk
[06 February 2010] - Many women are under the impression that it is necessary to own or use a pump to breastfeed. This is not so. You do not need a breast pump to breastfeed; uninformed use of a breast pump can lead to premature weaning. There are very few circumstances under which it is necessary to express your milk. Read more »Finding a Lactation Consultant
[06 February 2010] - Finding a Lactation Consultant or breastfeeding-support person may seem like a daunting task but it is well worth the effort. Read more »Finger and Cup Feeding
[06 February 2010] -Finger feeding is a method that helps train the baby to take the breast. It should not be used solely to avoid giving the baby artificial nipples, but instead, primarily to help latch on a baby who isn’t latching, (See handout The Baby Who does Not Yet Latch) therefore, finger feeding should not be used as a method of supplementation if baby is already latching on to the breast.
Cup Feeding (and similar vessels like spoon, etc) is a method of feeding baby that has been around for a very long period of time. It should be used to feed a baby who is not yet taking the breast. This should not be used to supplement a baby who is taking the breast.
Unsupporting Healthcare Professionals
[06 February 2010] - Most healthcare practitioners say they are supportive of breastfeeding. But many are supportive only when breastfeeding is going well, and some, not even then. As soon as breastfeeding, or anything in the life of the new mother is not perfect, too many advise weaning or supplementation.The following is a partial list of clues that help you judge whether the health professional is supportive of breastfeeding, at least supportive enough so that if there is trouble, s/he will make efforts to help you continue breastfeeding. Read more »
Herbal Remedies for Milk Supply
[06 February 2010] - The following describes the use of some herbal treatments for breastfeeding mothers who are having various problems Read more »Breastfeeding and Illness
[06 February 2010] - Over the years, far too many women have been wrongly told they had to stop breastfeeding. The decision about continuing breastfeeding when the mother takes a drug, for example, is far more involved than whether the baby will get any in the milk. It also involves taking into consideration the risks of not breastfeeding, for the mother, the baby and the family, as well as society. And there are plenty of risks in not breastfeeding, so the question essentially boils down to: Does the addition of a small amount of medication to the mother’s milk make breastfeeding more hazardous than formula feeding? The answer is almost never. Breastfeeding with a little drug in the milk is almost always safer. In other words, being careful means continuing breastfeeding, not stopping. The same consideration needs to be taken into account when the mother or the baby is sick. Read more »Breastfeeding and Jaundice
[06 February 2010] - Jaundice is due to a buildup in the blood of bilirubin, a yellow pigment that comes from the breakdown of old red blood cells. It is normal for old red blood cells to break down, but the bilirubin formed does not usually cause jaundice because the liver metabolizes it and gets rid of it into the gut. The newborn baby, however, often becomes jaundiced during the first few days because the liver enzyme that metabolizes bilirubin is relatively immature. Furthermore, newborn babies have more red blood cells than adults, and thus more are breaking down at any one time. If the baby is premature, or stressed from a difficult birth, or the infant of a diabetic mother, or more than the usual number of red blood cells are breaking down (as can happen in blood incompatibility), the level of bilirubin in the blood may rise higher than usual levels. Read more »Supplementation of the Breastfed Baby - "Just One Bottle Won't Hurt"... or Will It?
[02 February 2010] -So often it is said that for your baby's good you need to supplement your breastfed baby. in this article Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC, takes a look at what happens, and what could be the price you ulitimately pay with supplementation feeds.
Read more »Breastfeeding Your Adopted Baby or Baby Born by Surrogate
[02 February 2010] -So, you would like to breastfeed your baby, born via surrogate or adoption? Wonderful! Not only is it possible, it is fairly easy and chances are you will produce a significant amount of milk. It is different, though, than breastfeeding a baby with whom you have been pregnant for many months. With some determination and perseverance, you will enjoy the wonderful bond that breastfeeding brings and both you and baby will benefit from this experience.
Read more »Blocked Ducts and Mastitis
[02 February 2010] - Mastitis is a bacterial infection of the breast that usually occurs in breastfeeding mothers. However, it can occur in women who are not breastfeeding or pregnant, and can occur even in small babies of either sex. Nobody knows exactly why some women get mastitis and others do not. Bacteria may gain access to the breast through a crack or sore in the nipple, but women without sore nipples also get mastitis, and most women with cracks in the nipple do not. Read more »Breast Compression
[02 February 2010] -The purpose of breast compression is to continue the flow of milk to the baby when the baby is only sucking without drinking.
Read more »Breastfeed a Toddler - Why on Earth?
[02 February 2010] -Because more and more women are now breastfeeding their babies, more and more are also finding that they enjoy breastfeeding enough to want to continue longer than the usual few months they initially
thought they would. UNICEF has long encouraged breastfeeding for two years and longer, and the American Academy of Pediatrics is now on record as encouraging mothers to breastfeed at least one year and as long after as both mother and baby desire. Even the Canadian Paediatric Society, in its latest feeding statement acknowledges that women may want to breastfeed for two years or longer and Health Canada has put out a statement similar to UNICEF’s. Breastfeeding to 3 and 4 years of age has been common in much of the world until recently in human history, and it is still common in many societies for toddlers to breastfeed.
Some Breastfeeding Myths
[02 February 2010] -Do you think the following is true:
- Many women do not produce enough milk
- It is normal for breastfeeding to hurt
- There is no (not enough) milk during the first three or four days after birth
- A baby should be on the breast 20 (10, 15, 7.6) minutes on each side.
- A mother should wash her nipples each time before feeding the baby
- It is easier to bottle feed than to breastfeed
- Modern formulas are almost the same as breastmilk
If you think any of these statements are TRUE then you need to read this article.
Read more »Breastfeeding - Starting Out Right
[02 February 2010] - The vast majority of mothers are perfectly capable of breastfeeding their babies exclusively for about six months. In fact, most mothers produce more than enough milk. Unfortunately, outdated hospital policies and routines based on bottle feeding still predominate in too many health care institutions and make breastfeeding difficult, even impossible, for too many mothers and babies. For breastfeeding to be well and properly established, a good start in the early few days can be crucial. Admittedly, even with a terrible start, many mothers and babies manage. Read more »Breastfeeding the Premature Baby
[02 February 2010] -Some Myths About Premature Babies and Breastfeeding:
- Premature babies need to be in incubators
- Premature babies all need fortifiers
- Premature babies cannot go to the breast until they are at 34 weeks gestation
- Mothers of premature babies need to use nipple shields to get their babies latched on well and
getting milk well - Premature babies need to learn to take a bottle which teaches them how to suck
Colic in the Breastfed Baby
[02 February 2010] -Colic is one of the mysteries of nature. Nobody knows what it really is, but everyone has an opinion. In the typical situation, the baby starts to have crying periods about two to three weeks after birth. These occur mainly in the evening, and finally stop when the baby is about three months of age (occasionally older). When the baby cries, he is often inconsolable, though if he is walked, rocked or taken for a drive, he may settle temporarily. For a baby to be called colicky, it is necessary that he be gaining weight well and be otherwise healthy.
Read more »Is My Baby Getting Enough Milk?
[02 February 2010] - Breastfeeding mothers frequently ask how to know their babies are getting enough milk. The breast is not the bottle, and it is not possible to hold the breast up to the light to see how many ounces or millilitres of milk the baby drank. And this is a good thing!! We are not supposed to know how much the baby is getting but rather is baby getting enough. Our number-obsessed society makes it difficult for some mothers to accept not seeing exactly how much milk the baby receives. However, there are ways of knowing that the baby is getting enough. In the long run, weight gain is the best indication whether the baby is getting enough, but rules about weight gain appropriate for bottle fed babies may not be appropriate for breastfed babies. In the short term, there are ways to know if baby is satisfied by looking at how well the baby feeds, and by looking at the baby in general. Read more »Why attend a baby massage class?
[30 November 2009] - Our instructors do not massage the babies – we teach parents how to massage their babies.The strokes and styles of baby massage are easier to grasp when demonstrated by our experienced instructors. Pressure, rate, rhythm, the length of the massage, respect, bonding, why babies cry, baby’s body language, positioning of the baby, relaxation and parent empowerment are some of the skills that will be taught and the topics that will be discussed. Read more »
Benefits of Infant Massage
[30 November 2009] - Did you know that touch is the first sense to develop in the womb and the last sense to leave us when wedie?
Positive touch is essential for health
Read more »
Great Expectations - August 2009
[07 August 2009] - Great Expectations is doing a 1 September SPRING BABY and ECO BABY show and we’re looking for guests. Anyone keen? Read more »Solving Naptime Problems
[06 August 2009] - Napping is an important element of your child’s healthy mental and physical growth. A daily nap refreshes a child so that she can maintain her energy, focus, and ability to learn for the rest of the day. Some studies even show that children who nap every day are more flexible and adaptable, have longer attention spans and are less fussy than those who don’t nap. Read more »Choosing Toys for Babies
[06 August 2009] - You may not be sure what kind of toys, or how many, you baby should have. It’s likely that you hear conflicting advice that runs from one extreme to another! It’s either: “Don’t give your baby toys he’ll be spoiled,” to “Give your baby lots of toys they develop his brain.” So…which is it? Read more »Sleeping Through the Night?
[06 August 2009] - Here’s something that may really surprise you: As much as we may want our babies to sleep through the night, our own subconscious emotions sometimes hold us back from encouraging change in our babies’ sleeping habits. You yourself may be the very obstacle preventing a change in a routine that disrupts your life. So let’s figure out if anything is standing in your way. Read more »Cat-Naps -- Making Short Naps Longer
[06 August 2009] - Author of The No-Cry Nap SolutionIs your child a cat-napper? Does your baby fall asleep being fed, while in a car seat, sling, rocker, or someone’s arms? When transferred to bed, does your baby then sleep 30 to 50 minutes? That’s the exact length of one sleep cycle. These factors combined define the main cause of mini-naps: an inability to fall asleep or stay asleep without aid – your baby wakes fully at the end of the first sleep cycle, resulting in a too-short nap. I refer to this problem as One-Cycle Sleep Syndrome (OCSS). This leads us to understand the reason that many babies are cat-nappers and also directs us to potential solutions. Read more »
The breastmilk brand
[05 August 2009] -The breastmilk brand: promotion of child survival in the face of formula-milk marketing
- Anna Coutsoudis, Hoosen M Coovadia, Judith King
The prevailing catastrophe caused by mothers in China unwittingly feeding their babies formula milk that was contaminated by a potentially toxic chemical, melamine, shows just how fragile the barriers protecting children from danger are.
www.thelancet.com Vol 374 August 1, 2009 425
Baby tantrums
[05 August 2009] - A baby’s first tantrum can take you by surprise. Your baby can really shock you by shrieking, stamping, hitting, or making his whole body go stiff. But don’t take it personally; baby tantrums aren’t about anything you’ve done wrong, and they aren’t really about temper, either – your baby isn’t old enough for that. The ways you’ll respond to your baby’s behavior when he is older are different than how you should respond now. Read more »How to calm your crying baby
[05 August 2009] - When we’re pregnant or awaiting adoption, we dream about our baby-to-be, we always envision those beautiful Hallmark card scenes: charming baby smiling up at peaceful mother’s face. We read books in advance of the big day about how care for a newborn how to bathe, feed and dress her and then we feel somewhat prepared. However, a crying baby was never part of that idyllic vision, so this takes us by surprise. But the fact is, all babies cry at one time or another. Some babies cry more than others, but they all do cry. Understanding why babies cry can help you get through this phase and respond effectively to your crying baby so can the list of ideas that follows. Read more »Car Seat Crying
[05 August 2009] - Some babies fall asleep almost before you’re out of the driveway, but others won’t spend five happy minutes in their car seats. Usually, this is because your baby is used to more freedom of movement and more physical attention than you can provide when she’s belted into her seat. Read more »Choosing a baby carrier
[05 August 2009] - Most parents find a baby carrier to be invaluable during the first year of their baby’s life. There are many types and styles to choose from. The different types of baby carriers fall into three main categories: slings, front packs and backpacks. Read more »Colic
[05 August 2009] -Does Your Baby Have it?
What Can You Do About It?
You may have heard the term colic applied to any baby who cries a great deal. Not all crying babies have colic, but all colicky babies cry and they cry hard. They may stiffen their little bodies, or curl up as if in pain. They may cry so hard that they don’t seem like they even know you are there. When babies cry like this, they take in a lot of air, which creates gas and more pain, which makes them cry even more.
Stop the Diaper Changing Battles
[05 August 2009] - Babies are little bundles of energy! They don’t want to lie still to have their diapers changed. They cry, fuss, or even crawl away. A simple issue can turn into a major tug-of-war. Read more »Eight sleep tips for every child
[05 August 2009] - Up to 70% of children under age five have sleep problems. Sleep issues are complicated and have many causes. They’re hard to deal with because when children aren’t sleeping, parents aren’t sleeping, and that lack of sleep affects every minute of every day for every person in the family because lack of sleep isn’t just about being tired. Sleep has a role in everything -- dawdling, temper tantrums, hyperactivity, growth, health, and even learning to tie his shoes and recite the ABCs. Sleep affects everything. Read more »Going Visiting With Your Baby
[05 August 2009] - Babies love new places! There’s so much to investigate and new things to touch. But many people aren’t too happy to have your little one crawling or toddling freely about the house exploring everything in sight. While you think its adorable that Baby found the Tupperware, your host may not think it’s cute that her tidy cabinet has been rearranged by sticky baby hands. If your host has a big heart she’ll let you know that your baby’s exploring is okay. But even then, you run the risk of your baby breaking or losing something. Read more »Postpartum Depression
[05 August 2009] - I know that it’s normal to have the “baby blues” right after you have a baby, but my son is six weeks old. I thought everything would be wonderful by now and I would be so in love with my baby. I thought mothering would come easily. It’s not that way at all! I can’t sleep, even when he’s sleeping. I feel hollow inside, like the real me is gone. Sometimes I cry for hours; other times, I feel angry enough to explode. Life feels like an endless amusement park ride, and sometimes I just want to get off. Why am I such a terrible mother? Read more »My journey so far
[30 July 2009] -My son is 8 months old now and boy has it been a huge learning experience. The first thing I have learned is to lower my expectations.
Read more »Everything you need to know to prepare for your baby
[23 July 2009] - For the sixth year running and with over 7 000 parents having attended to date, the Baby Sense Seminars will once again be bringing together leading experts in the field of birthing and parenting, with advice that makes exceptionally good sense for parents and expectant moms. Read more »Prepare to breastfeed
[17 July 2009] -When I was pregnant I did everything possible, to do what I saw at that stage to be the best for my daughter, I did all the check-up and scans possible. The one that I did not manage to do was to breastfeed successfully.
Read more »Where should my baby sleep?
[24 June 2009] - Parenting 101Module: Sleep Environment
Facilitator: Erica Neser
Assignment 1:
a) Study Figure 1 carefully, paying special attention to the positions of Mum, Dad, Ann and Ben.
b) Now take a pair of scissors and cut along the dotted line around figure 1 as indicated. Place the diagram in a large file. This file should be used for storing any information starting with the words “You should always …”, “By now your baby should be …”, “My child will never be allowed …”, “I will never …”, “In our day, we always/never …” et cetera. Read more »
Co-sleeping in the modern context
[22 June 2009] - Erica Neser is the author of Sleep Guide for Babies and Toddlers (Protea Books, 2006)"Nature, if she be not interrupted, will do the whole business perfectly well; and there seems to be nothing left for a Nurse [or parent] to do, but to keep the child sweet and clean, and to tumble and toss it about a good deal, and keep it in good Humour." (William Cadogan, Essay on the Nursing and Management of Children, 1748)1 Read more »
What every parent should know about baby sleep
[22 June 2009] -Compiled by Erica Neser, author of Sleep Guide for Babies and Toddlers
POINTS TO PONDER
Do you regard yourself as “spoilt” if you...
- Sleep in the same bed as your partner?
- Have a few sips of water during the night?
- Wake up if the covers fall off the bed and you become cold?
- Need three meals, two snacks, a cup of tea, three glasses of water and one glass of juice per day? (that’s 10 “feeds!”)
- Need lots of love, affection, hugs and closeness from your loved ones?
No? Then why do people think babies are spoilt for needing the same things...?
Read more »The world is a stage...
[18 June 2009] -These words of Shakespeare has never been more true... especially for mothers. In your day to day life there will be a lot things asked from you and you will be nurse, mother, lover, story-teller.. all in one. Some of these will come natural to you and others will be difficult. As this we need to appreciate that in our different roles there are different interpretations of what this means and how it can be played. As mothers we are quick to judge if other mothers do not read the script the same way we do.
Read more »And then you blink...
[16 June 2009] -I was amazed that my sister's daughter had her matrix farewell last week. It feels like yesterday when we rushed to hospital so see her the first time. A time not too distant when she was a toddler and just too cute for words. Not too long ago when she asked me about boys; and then young men... I think in being faced with the reality that next year she will be exactly where I was when she was born just shows how fast it is all over...
Read more »To bed with a bottle
[13 June 2009] - Being the mother of a reflux baby I have never had the privileged other mothers have to put their children in bed with a bottle. My sisters had differing opinions. Read more »Encouragement for Co-sleeping moms or anybody who thinks about doing so
[25 May 2009] -I've read this beautiful story at the end of a amazing book of Dr. William Sears (which I can only highly recommend and it should be read by any mother in my opinion, even those who don't agree with co-sleeping) and thought of sharing it with you:
Read more »Parenting choices
[25 March 2009] -I don't know about you but I think that most if not all parents have only their child's best interest at heart. I also think that we spend too much time worrying about the issues, options and choices as oppose to enjoying our children.
Read more »Yes babies can suffer from heartburn
[19 September 2008] - I stopped counting the amount of times that I had to explain what Infant Gaviscon does whilst buying it at Clicks , and each time I got the same response: "I did not know babies got heartburn", well welcome to the world of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease; one of a couple of reasons why babies could be crying incessantly the first couple of weeks after they are born. Read more »The dummy debate
[16 September 2008] -The first "public outrage" regarding pacifiers, were noted in 1909 when someone complained about what she called "the persistent, and, among poorer classes, the universal sucking of a rubber nipple sold as a 'pacifier'."; this would not be the last of the complaints.
So everyone has an opinion about dummies or pacifiers whether you have a child, had a child or is childless, where they should be used, and when you should get rid of them.
The mothering myth
[23 August 2008] -I wonder who is bottling and selling the notion that mothering is a completely natural and normal flow of being a woman? - It is in all likelihood a man.
Read more »Tell us your story
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