Taking care of dry skin in babies.

There's so much of difference in weather between the two countries ..not just countries but  two different continents after-all.

I could tune to the difference but my baby's skin started showing signs of trouble....Back in India the weather was so humid that I was not applying moisturizer on my baby's skin daily..but once we were back to London his skin started getting dry and patchy....so parched that If felt like I was holding on to a rough newspaper. 

I took a lot of efforts to make his skin soft n supple..

Massage Oil : A good massage before bath can help..but holding on to a toddler for a massage is the challenge...also gave me a good idea of his new developing strength..takes up a lot of my energy trying to hold on to him.

Cutting back on Bath time : Initially he would play in the bath for 15 -20 minutes , I cut it to just 10 minutes instead. A child's' skin looses it naturals oils while the baby enjoys his prolonged bath.

Bath Temperature : Luke warm water is good for the skin and not hot water..though I enjoy steaming shower, I decided to keep the temperature warm for my baby and his tender skin.

Soap Free Cleanser : Soap can be harsh on baby's skin so I got a gentle mild cleanser for my baby , the one recommended for dry skin and eczema.

Moisturizer : Apply moisturizers just after bath , as a moisturizer locks in the moisturizer from the bath. I tried using it twice as using once was not enough. A thick moisturizer works better I feel.

Hydrated : Keep him hydrated with more fluids, this can be really a difficult one as babies can be very picky about drinking water at times.

Well covered : Keep him well protected from the cold weather that makes skin dry and chappy.

Avoid using powders, chlorinated water ( going to the swimming pool) as they tend to make the skin more dry.

I also read running a humidifier in the child's room helps too but I didn't try this one.

After a week or so, I noticed his scalp was also getting dry, that's when I decided to see the doctor..The GP told that just that very afternoon he had attended three babies with the same problem...he prescribed a very good medicated moisturizer and asked me to apply it thrice on his skin for 4 weeks...he also prescribed a medicated shampoo and asked us to oil his scalp everyday to keep his scalp from getting dry.

His skin is coming back to its babyish cuddly cuddly state again and I am so much loving running my hands over his lil hands and legs...soft soft !!!

sunshine...

Coming from a country where the sun's always shining , I was always bothered about the SPF in my sunscreen and had never cared about the after effects of no sunshine....the absence of steroid vitamin D!

This vitamin is made by our body under the skin in reaction to sunlight ...I knew that in cold countries people are prone to Vitamin D deficiencies..specially in the winter months when there's hardly any sunlight. Babies are the ones who suffer most if not supplied with adequate levels of vitamin D externally.

I was speaking to my baby's pediatrician regarding his cold and was popping my usual questions about his health when the topic came up. I was telling him that baby sweats a lot at night time occasionally...so much that his head is totally drenched in sweat.

Sweating at night can be due to teething or due to lack of vitamin D.

He definitely in teething but his Vitamin D intake is also a doubt? After all he's hardly exposed to sunlight, doesn't eat much and is neither on followon formula milk.

Babies who are fed infant formula do not need vitamin drops until they are receiving less than 500ml of infant formula a day, as these products are fortified with vitamin D.
Breastfed infants may need to receive drops containing vitamin D from one month of age if their mother has not taken vitamin D supplements throughout pregnancy, thankfully not my case :)Breast fed babies fall shot of this vitamin and have to be provided with this vitamin orally in the correct dosage.

Two months back I had started giving him oral multivitamins but the dosage wasn't correct. As per the guidelines , babies need 400 IU of vitamin D per day...and I was giving him less than that.

Lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children and bone pain while taking too much vitamin D over a long period of time can cause more calcium to be absorbed than can be excreted.
The excess calcium can be deposited in and damage the kidneys. Excessive intakes of vitamin D can also encourage calcium to be removed from bones, which can soften and weaken them gradually.

Apart from sunlight,Vitamin D is naturally present in few food:
oily fish, such as salmon and sardines
eggs
fortified fat spreads
fortified breakfast cereals
powdered milk

But the easiest and best source remains sunshine. And its not just babies , adults need it too..so next time the sun comes out I am gonna bask in it for sometime!

Helping my baby fight cough n cold...

My baby's not even 11 months old and is already been down with cough and cold for the third time.

Every time he gets cold I find myself frantically surfing ways to soothe his cold.As it is he's fussy eater and with cold he's not even eating a spoon of food:( As per experts , the main reason babies won't eat or drink when suffering from a cold is because their breathing is compromised. Since they are not able to breathe from their blocked noses, and are breathing from their mouths, they don't want to resort to using their mouths to eat or drink.

Apparently there is no real cure for a baby's cold, there are just ways to help them feel comfortable....am listing all the helpful tips I found from various sources.

Nasal saline drops can loosen the mucus in the nose and make breathing easier.

A warm bath can also relax baby and ease stuffy nose.Prior to giving baby bath fog the bathroom with steam by turning on the hot shower for 5 mins.Cleaning his stuffy nose is also easier after bath, my baby gets very irritated when I try to squeeze his nose clean and cries a lot. Nasal extractor also works better after a bath. Snuggle him in a robe and dress up quickly.

Night times are usually the most difficult for babies, I feel he coughs more at night.I keep him popped up on a big pillow, try to make him sleep a bit alleviated as upright position causes less nose congestion.

Nasal decongestant like Karvol drops which are available over the counter.These can be given to babies over 3 months. I put 4-5 drops in a tissue and tuck it under his pillow to help him breathe easier at night.

Daytime, boil water and add drops of eucalyptus oil and let the vapor spread in baby's closed room.This acts like a natural decongestant. Running a humidifier can also be helpful.

VapouRubs can be rubbed on the clothes for babies less than 2 yr old which act as decongestant. For babies over 2 yrs, when rubbed on chest can have a soothing warm effect.

Recommended dosage of Infant cough syrups are also helpful , as I find he's able to sleep for a while after having syrup.

Honey mixed with smoked crushed cloves are also advised but honey shouldn't be given to babies less than a yr old. Honey can cause severe infections in many cases.

Feeding him is the most daunting task, he just wouldn't eat anything. Infact for the past two days, he has hardly had any solids...he's surviving just on milk.

Usually he would have food with some yogurt or have a bite or two of banana as snacks. But with cold , many advise not to give banana and yogurt. I searched a lot on this but couldn't find any thing substantial on the topic. Later I spoke to my pediatrician and he said that some babies might have more mucus with yogurt and bananas, while some won't react at all.There's nothing proved scientifically and hence it would depend on the individual, if baby is alright eating banana and yogurt one can carry on with it.

Warm food and soups specially chicken soup are good for treating colds. Soups are a great relief for sore throats.

A tinge of ginger and onion in the soup can also help as both onion and ginger help fight cold.

Some babies like it spicy, if baby is on spicy food it's alright to give him spicy food in cold , but introducing spicy food in cold is not a good idea.

An extra intake of fluids are advised as fluids help in washing off the toxins.Fluids will also keep them well hydrated.If breastfeeding nurse baby more as the antibodies of breast milk helps fight the virus.

Solid food can be difficult to swallow and chew, hence I am giving him pureed liquidy food as they can be quickly gulped.

I am also giving him pediatrician recommended dose of acetaminophen for low fever.

Extra layer of cloth to keep him warm and cosy..plenty of rest is also advised....plus loads of hugs and kisses...as they say Mum's hug is the best cure for almost everything :)

treating a constipated baby..

The not eating syndrome lead to the less and less poo ..to ultimately no poo! The first day when he didn't do any I was ok..thinking if he doesn't eat , naturally no poo!

The next day also when he didn't do any..I was a bit worried but was still alright...

Third day I was expecting him to pass motion early in the morning but when he didn't I started getting a bit worried.By lunch time I could see him straining at times ,yet no results at all...I was getting worked up now.

So I started my natural therapy.Gave him pear puree for lunch ..I had started avoiding pear as it is a low calorie fruit. Ever since he started eating less,I was concentrating on high calorie food...had started giving thicker food in consistency , adding less water...in the process I forgot to take care that he eats food that would pass down his intestines easily.

By evening I had already checked his diaper couple of times but all white each time!
He seemed a bit distressed too and was cranky at dinner time.He kept making funny grunting noises and kept clutching on the high chair at times.That was the first time I had seen him do that and was kind of scared ..after all they are so tiny and can't even speak out what's happening.

I had brought a potty training this month, I took off his diapers and tried to make him seat on it to help him ease the pressure.He sat on the thing for a minute or two and after that started playing with it :)

At bed time, I gave him a tummy massage , massaging tummy in clockwise directions, I read helps in bowel movement.I also did the I L U , strokes that I had learnt in the massage class I attended in the activity centre.

Here's a guide on massaging the I L U strokes.

next day morning when he woke up , I did bicycle legs for him , and all this exercise helped my baby..so after three days, on the fourth day he finally passed motion.

I was thinking, that if by eod he doesn't do motion , I am taking him to the doctor next morning.

Possibly the food on the first day , was less in fiber, and as a result was not moving down his bowels even though the other days he had a balanced diet.

Just as anticipated it was a bit hard ,dry like small pellets.. he had turned a bit constipated.That day he passed motion in the afternoon also, but that was his normal stool.Here I sit describing and writing about poo...before having a baby the idea was eeks!! Shitty!!! But now I think its something that's a part of my routine, I need to check on his stools every-time..after all pooh tells a lot about the baby's health.

In a nutshell here are some tips I think helps a constipated baby :

Exercise - A little exercise can sometimes work out a faster bowel movement. Bicycling baby's legs is a fun exercise that baby enjoys.

Massage - Infant massage can be a natural cure and should always be done is clockwise direction.This can also help a gassy baby.Doing the strokes clockwise is important, because it follows the direction of baby's intestines. This encourages the trapped wind and poo to move in the right way.

Water - Lack of fluids, water can make stool hard, little water would be okay to grease up the works.Water should be given only to babies that are on solids.

Fruit - If baby is eating solids, apricots , pears are known to have natural laxatives. Bananas ,apples , carrot I feel can add to constipation.

If these tricks, don't help the baby, seeing a pediatrician is a must.

Feeding a fussy baby...

Those following my posts, know by now that I have a fussy eater at hand and am always worried about his eating.

The other day I was speaking to my Pediatrician in India , the doctor's initial response when I complained about baby's food habits was "Tell me one Mom in the world who doesn't worry about baby's food, all Mom's in this world think that their Baby's not eating enough nor putting on enough weight". Very true but the fact is I have a lean baby and a fussy eater to deal with.

In this post I am just putting down all my efforts so far...suggestions, tips from experienced moms would be a boon!

The started weaning, when he was six months.

I kept reading everywhere that initially its just giving them a taste of solids.I started with Pear Puree..he had seven,eight baby spoons to start with. A good start!
But after two or three days , his interest in food vanished.

So I tried feeding him by letting him play with toys on his high chair, but the trick didn't last long.He became more and more keen on eating the toy then the food.

Next I started distracting him by playing Nursery Rhymes on TV , and feeding him.This trick worked well.
Side effects : He needs the TV while eating now.
Instead of humming songs, me and my hubby hum nursery rhyme now :(
I have to keep searching for new rhymes constantly as he gets bored, that means searching for different rhymes for 3 meals a day!

At times the TV trick doesn't do ..then? I give him another spoon to play with and then when he open's his mouth to play with his spoon, try and trick him to eat..smart ehh! But Baby's smarter.Now if I try to do that, he throws away the spoon or would not open his mouth if he see's my spoon nearby :P

Finger foods, hmnn this one I need to try more often.I find him only playing with the food.Mostly all the food lands on the floor and then to the dustbin.

I have tried to feed him with my hand instead of spoons..no good :( Tried different types of spoon ..no great result.But still I alternate spoons , at times he does eat a gulp or two when I change spoons.

Sometimes I change the material of the spoon ..like use a big metal spoon , he likes the taste of metal and opens his mouth to eat.I use metal spoon with smooth rounded edges to avoid any kind of injury.

Changing the texture of the food, making it more liquid or solid. Try different food combinations...alter the taste, give him something sweet and then yogurt or water.

Initially I tried to keep him hungry, but he would become more irritated, then I started giving him food when he's not full and not very hungry either.This way at-least he's not irritated. Timing wise that's the best way I realized.

I also eat my meals in front of him,before feeding him. That way he watches me eat and gets an idea that its meal time and like me he should also eat.Sometimes when we eat he comes and tries to eat a spoonful of what we are eating like a bite or two of banana.

I hear that babies like watching and copying other babies, so getting to eat with another baby might be a good idea..but no kids around..or may be I should socialize more and befriend someone with a baby in the neighborhood...!!!

I try and a combination of all these , at times he eats other times he doesn't.
My latest trick is to dance with the nursery rhymes, sometimes it works and he laughs at my moves and opens his mouth to eat...he eats or not at-least I might loose some flab..what say friends :)

Here is also a very nice article , makes lot of sense.

Caution : All said and done , never force a child to eat, doesn't work.I tried that as well once, but was no good and is not healthy for the baby at all.I pursue my baby to eat but never force him.Once he starts showing that he doesn't want to eat anymore by throwing the spoon, spitting or yelling when I try to bring the spoon near him I stop immediately!

Clipping his nails...

that's the most daunting task I find till day.

Every week for the past seven months I have been doing it at-least once a week and still I find it so laborious.

When he was just born, I used to wonder what to do with his nails, he was so fragile then ,I couldn't dream of clipping it with clippers...And with loads of advise from all kinds of people...I kept wondering what's the best way to do it.

Some suggested to gently bite off his nails with my teeth..with no disrespect to the others who do it, I find the idea quite revolting.I know a lot of people have the habit of biting their own nails, but I have never given such brutal treatment to my nails , infact I had beautifully manicured and shaped nails for most of my life .....now's a different story...no wonder that's how I feel about biting nails, specially if it were my baby's.

While some other's suggested me to clip them when he was nursing...I know a good friend who does that.Nothing wrong with that ...suits a lot of people, but didn't suit me.And also cause of another reason, the person who suggested the idea,she's not in my good books.Still it's not that I rejected the idea outright...but cause my baby is very active even when he's enjoying his feed , he wouldn't keep still for more than few seconds.And in that if I were to try to cut his nails then, the distraction would be too much for him to handle.

Filing was also suggestion , but filing I feel can hurt the lil one's finger even if done with very tender baby nail fillers.

When he was just born , after two or three weeks, I started covering his hands in mittens to save him from scratching himself, and so soft were his nails that occasionally they would come off on its own!

Couple of times I thought of clipping them, thankfully I didn't cause when I spoke to the pediatrician, he advised me to wait for 10 weeks, the time till when he would have his tetanus shots and then clip the nails.Tetanus shots are very common in India.

The best way that came to my mind was clip them when he was fast asleep.That's the time when there would be the least resistance from him and least chances of getting hurt.
Still remember the first time I cut his nails, while he was sleeping I managed to trim well all his nails of one hand but while I was cutting the other hand's nails , accidentally I grazed a bit of his skin of his ring finger, a very tiny drop of blood oozed out , one like you get with the prick of a rose thorn.I got upset and started crying looking at his tiny finger....cursing myself that I hurt my baby :( Thankfully it was just a very tiny prick, but I still feel guilty about it!

The next time , I was more cautious and am still very cautious till this day.

I have tried to clip them with scissors too , but with scissors , I find they leave a very sharp edge that needs filing.

Some tricks that I have discovered over time:

Clipping after baby's bath.After a bath his nails are soft and easy to cut.He usually goes into deep sleep after a bath followed by feed.

I usually run the clipper under the nail before cutting and keep it tilted up to avoid cutting any skin that sticks to the nail.

I wait for almost a week for the nails to grow a descent length ,not long enough to
scratch himself but long enough to be easily clipped.

Ooh..just found this guide while surfing..I am on the right track!!!

Guess would have to keep doing this till he grows big enough to understand that he has to stay still when his nails are being clipped !

One day when I read this post ,when he's grown up I know I am gonna miss these moments too!