Tag:babies cry, colic, colicky, crying pattern

Many parent especially first time parents are concerned when their baby cries a lot.

My first baby cried the loudest while in the nursery at the hospital. Back at home she cried almost everyday especially in the early evenings when she was about 1 to 2 months old. We have tried many things to soothe her but nothing seems to work. Guess it is due to colic.

Research shows that crying follows a developmental pattern, which is also known as the crying curve, during the first few months after they were born. Crying tends to increase at two to three weeks of age, peaks between six and eight weeks, and then slows down after that, usually hits its lowest level by around four months. Babies also cry more often during the late afternoons and early evenings. This is usually because they need to release their tension after a long day.

Parents need not panic when their baby cries a lot. First, check that your baby’s basic needs are met. She could be to warm or too cold, or hungry or maybe needs a diaper change. If she’s comfortable, dry, and fed and she’s still crying, she may be lonely or blowing off steam. Some babies like to be cuddled or rocked. Some prefer to lie down in their crib playing with their soft toys or listening to music.

If your baby cries for hours and be hard to console, she may have colic. Unfortunately researchers and practitioners don’t have any hard-and-fast answers for parents desperate for a solution. In severe cases of colic, some pediatricians may prescribe medication to help calm the infant. Talk to your doctor if you can’t seem to soothe your baby.

Tag:antibiotic, bacteria infection, sore throat, viral infection

My baby was down with throat problem last week.

It started with cough and a visit to the doctor confirmed that his throat was red and that was the reason he coughed because of the throat irritation. I noticed that every time he has throat problem, he tends to do this swallowing sound as if he swallowed a big gulp of water.

Doctor prescribed him antibiotic for a week. It was a challenge to feed him the medicine. The first mouthful made him vomit. But subsequently he got used to the taste after a few days of taking the medicine but still put on  a little bit struggle though.

Doctor said that sore throat is usually not an emergency unless it is epiglottitis which is very rare nowadays, thanks to the Hib vaccines. An infection of the flap of throat tissue that prevents food and liquids from going down the windpipe, epiglottitis makes it hard to breathe as well as to swallow.

For most viral infections, no treatment is available or necessary. Your baby’s immune system can usually neutralize these invaders within a week. He’ll benefit from plenty of rest and fluids. If your baby’s sore throat is caused by bacteria, the doctor will prescribe antibiotic You must follow strictly to the instruction given by the doctor in giving the antibiotic. Do not slack off.  If you stop giving the antibiotic too soon, the bacteria can rally and reemerge quickly in a more severe form. Ensure that you complete the full course of antibiotic prescribed.

Bacteria and viral infection are very contagious. Make sure you observe good hygiene and do not share eating utensils.

Tag:baby sleep, cranky, irritable, overtired, sleep deprived

As a new parent, you will probably ask yourself, how  much does your child need to sleep?

You will probably face some challenges when it comes to putting your child to bed. He may just do anything else other than sleep.

My child has his sleeping schedule when he is at his baby sitter. But when it comes to sleep at home over the weekends when we don’t send him to his baby sitter, we have a tough time getting him to take his afternoon nap. He just refused to sleep even though he is tired.

Sleep expert Jodi Mindell, author of Sleeping through the night, says that most children need a lot of sleep. If your child refuses to go to sleep even it is late at night, don’t think that your child does not need lots of sleeps. In actual fact, your child is actually sleep deprived.  To see whether your child is actually sleep deprived, ask yourself these questions:

1. Does your child fall asleep every time he is in the car?
2. Do you have to wake up your child every morning?
3. Does your child seem cranky, irritable or overtired during the day?
4. Or on some nights, he falls asleep earlier than what he normally does?

If your answer is “Yes” to any of these questions, your child maybe getting less sleep than he needs.

Below are some general guidelines as to how many hours of sleep the average child requires at various ages. Of course, every child is different - some need up to two hours more or less sleep than others

Age	Nighttime Sleep	Daytime Sleep *	Total Sleep
1 month	8 1/2	7 (3)	15 1/2
3 months	10	5 (3)	15
6 months	11	3 1/4 (2)	14 1/4
9 months	11	3 (2)	14
12 months	11 1/4	2 1/2 (2)	13 3/4
18 months	11 1/4	2 1/4 (1)	13 1/2
2 years	11	2 (1)	13
3 years	10 1/2	1 1/2 (1)	12
* number of naps in parentheses

Tag:baby, breast feeding, first doctor visit, humour, jokes, underweight

I received this joke in my email and I would like to share with all. Once in a while it is good to entertain ourselves with good jokes and have a good laugh. Laughter is still the best medicine.

Take a break from taking care of your little ones. Enjoy it. 

A woman and a baby were in the doctor’s examining room, waiting for the doctor to come in for the baby’s first exam. The doctor arrived, and  examined the baby, checked his weight, and being a little concerned, asked if the baby was breast-fed or bottle-fed?

“Breast-fed,” she replied.

“Well, strip down to your waist,” the doctor ordered. She did. He pinched  her nipples, pressed, kneaded, and rubbed both breasts for a while in a  very professional and detailed examination.

Motioning to her to get dressed the doctor said, “No wonder this baby is underweight. You don’t have any milk.”

“I know,” she said, “I’m his Grandma, but I’m glad I came ” .

Tag:baby boy, baby girl, gender selection

Boy or girl? That’s what in every parent’s mind when it comes to having a baby.

Our first baby is a girl. We do not really care whether it is a boy or a girl. We just prayed that the baby is healthy. God has blessed us with a beautiful baby girl. After our first baby, my wife had two miscarriages. When my wife conceived again for the fourth time, we prayed that the baby will be healthy and normal. The gender of the baby did not matter anymore after the two miscarriages. This time round, God blessed us with a healthy baby boy who is now almost 15 months old. This blessing is more than what we can ask for. Now we have a boy and a girl. We don’t plan to have another one anymore.

My circle of friends have different experiences altogether. My cousin has 2 boys and has given up. My 5 other friends have all girls in the family. All of them have decided to put a stop to their production chain. There was no proven method available then for gender selection. Nowadays there are methods that can help in baby gender selection. I guess my friends would be delighted but it is a little bit too late. 

But as it is now, they are happy with the girls or boys that they have. I believe that gender is not that important. As long as the baby is born healthy, it is much more than one can ask for. To have a boy and a girl is an extra blessing. For those of you who are trying to have a mixture of boys and girls, wish you all the best. But if it turns out otherwise, do not be despair. There are still help available in gender selection.

Tag:diapers, diapers dependence, potty train toddlers, potty training

My little prince is now going to be 15 months old and I think it is time for him to be potty trained.

At times he can tell when he wants to pass urine by pointing to his bottom. But at times he will just wet himself. When it comes to doing his big business, we can tell by the expression of his face when he sits still and starts to push. There are occasions when we didn’t notice his expression and he soiled his diapers.

Potty training is not easy and it takes a lot of effort. We have to take note of the time he pass his urine and encourage him to do it again after a few hours not knowing whether he has anything to let go. It can be quite disappointing at times when after taking all the trouble to take off his pants and taking him to his potty, he has nothing to let go. Worst still is when after all the encouragement and his business not done, we decided that it is not the right time yet and put on his pants and immediately he let go and wet his pants.

Well that’s the challenge of potty training each and every parents have to go through I guess. Sometimes we felt so exhausted that we just let him soil his diapers. It is much easier to change his diapers than to potty train him. We know we are not doing any good but making the diapers companies richer. I guess they know it too well and that means a lot more profit for them. Have you ever seen a diaper company advising or encourage you to potty train your child? I guess it is hard to come by. Now that they make the diaper so comfortable and dry, most parents are even lazier to potty train their children. The trend in the western world shows that children are potty trained at the age of 3 or 4 nowadays compared to 2 years old revealed by studies released by Harvard University in 1956.

It looks like more and more toddlers are “diaper dependence” nowadays. This is largely due to more comfortable diapers compared to the old days where cloth diapers were used. The diapers nowadays give you the dry feeling and you don’t feel the wetness and there is no incentive to change them. “Diaper dependence” is not good for the child as it may lead to psychological issues later on and to the parents, it is going to cost more in diaper expenses. To the environment, it is going to be another source of pollution as it contributes to the waste landfill.

So potty train your child today. I am going to do just that.

Tag:baby underweight, more calories, not gaining weight

Our little prince is now 14 months old. Went to his doctor 2 weeks ago and was told that he is underweight.

At 14 months old, he only weighs 7.85kg, up 0.85kg since February 2008. 0.85kg over a period of two months is nothing to shout about. He should be weighing at least 9 to 10kg by now. The doctor is very concern about his weight gain. He is on solid food with cereal for breakfast and porridge for lunch and dinner. We cook the porridge with either meat, potato, carrot or spinach. And he is eating well with a big bowl of porridge per serving. The only thing he does not like is drinking milk. He prefers breast milk as he was fully breastfed since birth, but at this stage there is not enough breast milk to keep him satisfied.

The doctor advised us to fry the meat and other ingredients with good cooking oil first before putting them into pot to cook his porridge. This will add more calories and hopefully he will gain weight. If after a month of trying out this method, and he still does not gain weight, he would have to go for medical check up to determine the cause of not gaining weight.

Beside not gaining weight, he is fine and very active. He is a fine little boy and we have a tough time keeping up with his activities. How we wish he grows up faster so that we can have more time for ourselves. But on the other hand, we treasure your baby look and baby talk. You are our joy.

Tag:allergic reaction, choking hazard, unsafe food

As your baby grows, he will be more adventurous and eager to try more food. 

His first reaction when he tries the food for the first time could be quite hilarious. If you have a video camera, you may want to capture it. But in your eagerness to introduce new food to him, do remember that some food are not safe for your child. Some pose as a choking hazard, a few are not suitable for your child’s developing digestive system and others are potential allergens.

Food to avoid

Citrus fruit can cause allergic reaction in some children below the age of 1 year old.

Egg white is a rich source of protein but some children may be allergic to them. Introduce egg white only after 1 year old.

Honey may contain spores of Clostridium botulinum which causes botulism  (a rare, but serious paralytic illness caused by a toxin, botulin that is produced by Clostridium botulinum) . Unlike an adult’s intestinal tract which can prevent the growth of these spores, the spores can grow in baby and produce toxins which can endanger the life of a baby.

Nuts may cause allergic in some babies. Introduce nuts only after 1 year old. This includes peanut butter. Whole nuts or pieces of nuts can be a choking hazard.

Wheat or wheat products like cereal is okay with most babies at 6 to 8 months of age. But if you think that your child is at risk of allergic reaction, then delay it to 1 year old.

Shellfish is highly allergenic and should not be introduced before the age of 1 year old. For sensitive babies, it is best to postpone it till they are 3 or 4 years old.

Large chunks of food are dangerous as they may get stuck in your child’s throat. Fruit like grapes should be cut into quarters before being served to your child. Soft food like mashmallow or jelly candies may also be a choking hazard.

Warning signs of an allergic reaction.

Signs of an allergic reaction to food include vomiting, diarrhea, rash, swelling, abdominal pain, cough, crankiness, excessive gas, hives, itching, runny nose, shortness of breath, stomach bloating, and wheezing. Symptoms most often show up within a few hours of eating. Call your doctor right away if you think your child may be reacting badly to something he ate.

Tag:baby name, celebrity baby

People say, a child’s character is what you name him. Baby name plays an important part in a baby’s character so the saying goes. How true is it is yet to be proven but there seems to be some truth in it especially among the Chinese. Chinese emphasise on giving their child a meaningful name hoping that their child will grow up to be of good nature.

I have recently come across an article which list down the celebrity baby names. They are very creative when it comes to naming their baby. Where on earth do celebrities get the inspiration to ever think of such baby names? I don’t know whether to call them creative or crazy but some of the baby names do make me chuckle.

Here are some among the list of which I found quite interesting.

Baby name                  Gender                Parents

Adelaide Rose                 Girl                     Rachel Griffiths & Andrew Taylor

Alabama Gypsy Rose      Girl                     Drea de Matteo & Shooter Jennings

Cayden Wyatt                 Boy                    Kevin & Christine Costner

Coco Riley                      Girl                     Courteney Cox & David Arquette

Cruz                                Boy                    Victoria “Posh” Beckham & David Beckham

Daisy True                       Girl                     Meg Ryan

Emme                              Girl                    Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony

Everly Bear                      Boy                   Anthony Kiedis & Heather Christie

Heaven Rain                     Girl                   Brooke Burke & David Charvet

Pilot Inspektor                  Boy                  Jason Lee & Beth Riesgraf

Piper Bee-Jones               Girl                   Samantha Bee & Jason Jones

River                                Boy                  Keri Russell & Shane Dreary

Rocket Valentin                Boy                  Robert Rodriguez & Elizabeth Avellan

Shiloh Nouvel                   Girl                   Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt

Suri                                  Girl                   Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes

Zolten Penn                      Boy                  Penn & Emily Jillette

So if you are looking for a baby name and couldn’t decide on one, look to the stars! Or alternatively you can look into the Baby Names Dictionary.

Tag:antibiotic, baby, fever, medicine, sick, sore throat

Our little prince is turning one year old next week.

He has been very good all this while. Only visit the doctor for his regular vacination. But recently about two weeks ago, he was not too well, with fever and sore throat and hoarse voice. It must have been a very stubborn bacteria infection which just refuse to clear even after two courses of antibiotic. He still has a little bit of hoarse voice.  He must have gotten it from my wife who was not well with more or less same symptoms just a few days before he was down with fever.

We have been having a hard time feeding him his medicine. It is breaks our heart  to see him cry every time when he sees the medicine. He seems to understand our conversation when it comes to feeding medicine time. If he can run, I think he would have run away from the medicine.

His doctor took his blood for some tests to check for any infections yesterday. He did not cry when the doctor poked his hand to draw the blood. Out of curiosity, he just watched the whole event without a sound. What a brave boy. Daddy is so proud of you. The result came back today and all is well. But he still have to continue with his antibiotic for a few more days to ensure that the bacteria is totally destroyed :-(  How I wish he doesn’t have to continue with his antibiotic. He has been on it for the past week. Guess for his own good, we have to bear with the sight of him refusing the medicine for a few more days.

He is a very active boy, climbing up and down all the time when he is well. It breaks our heart when he is not well. Do get well soon son.