Good Sleep Patterns for your Baby

By 3 to 6 months many babies develop regular sleep patterns and can slumber until dawn. As your baby’s brain matures over these first few months, you’ll probably see a sleep pattern start to emerge -- though it may not be the pattern you want. Help your newborn establish the sleep patterns of your dreams by following these simple steps now.

1. Recognize the Signs That Your Baby Is Tired

Your baby will let you know if she needs sleep. Watch for these common signs of tiredness:

• Rubbing eyes
• Yawning
• Looking away from you
• Fussing

Don’t wait until your baby is overtired to put her to bed. An overtired baby has more trouble falling and staying asleep. Try to stay a step ahead by looking for the signs she’s getting sleepy before she's fussy and cranky.

2. Set Your Baby’s Day-Night Sleep Cycle

From the start, try to teach your baby that “nighttime is when we sleep, and daytime is when we have fun.”

During daylight hours, keep things stimulating and active for your baby. Play with her a lot. Try to keep her awake after she feeds, although don't worry if she conks out.

When it's dark, become a more low-key, boring parent for your baby. Feed her in a semi-darkened room. Cut down on all stimulation. For instance, keep lights low and noise soft. Gradually, she'll learn that daytime is fun time and nighttime is boring, so she might as well sleep when it's dark outside.

3. Separate Eating From Sleeping

After the first month, you don’t want to let your baby fall asleep while you’re feeding or rocking her, because you want her to figure out how to put herself to sleep.

If she’s falling asleep when you’re feeding her, stop and put her to sleep.

Some parents try to push more formula, breast milk, or baby food to try to make a baby sleep on schedule or sleep longer. This isn’t good for your baby. Just like you when you’ve eaten too much, your overfed baby won’t be comfortable enough to rest well.

Note: Never prop a baby bottle in your infant's mouth when you put her to bed. It can lead to choking and ear infections.

4. Don’t Wake Your Baby to Feed After 2 Months

If your baby is gaining weight properly, you don’t have to wake her at night for feedings after 2 months. Your baby needs to find her own sleep schedule. Once she’s eating more in the daytime, she doesn’t need to wake and eat at night.

Here are some instances where you should wake your baby:

• She is 1 to 2 months old.
• She is sleeping more in the day than the night. Don’t let her go more than four hours without eating.

Your baby’s pediatrician will give you advice for your baby. For premature or special-needs babies, you may need to adjust feedings.

Be a Patient Parent

Remember to keep your expectations realistic. For the first few months of your baby’s life, plan for unpredictable, sporadic sleep. 

If your baby's sleep pattern changes suddenly, check for symptoms of illness. It could be a warning sign of an ear infection. Or it may simply be a new turn in her development.

Bacteria In Breast Milk Identified !!

The breast milk newborns drink regulates their development of bacterial flora. The biological role of the bacteria found in the milk is still not quite understood, yet it is crucial.

DNA sequencing helped the Spanish researchers identify the group of bacteria in milk, known as microbiome. The microbial richness of breast milk is determined by a number of pre and postnatal factors. 

The first type of milk a woman produces during pregnancy and in the early days of breastfeeding is called colostrum. This easy to digest milk is very nutritious and the perfect first food for a newborn. The scientists examined this type of milk and found that there are more than 700 different types of bacteria in it. 

Analysis of colostrum samples revealed that the most common types of bacteria were Streptococcus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Weissella and Staphylococcus. Samples of breast milk produced between the first and sixth month of pregnancy were also analyzed, the most common bacteria was Prevotella, Leptotrichia and Veillonella. 

The ingestion of breast milk is the first time a baby has contact with microorganisms that will end up in it's digestive system. The researchers are currently trying to find out whether or not the role of the bacteria is either immune or metabolic. 

Babies Start Learning Language While In The Womb

After thirty weeks of pregnancy, brain mechanisms related to hearing are fully developed. Unborn babies from that point on are able to hear what their mothers say and absorb elements of the language. They are able to use what they're heard during the final ten weeks of pregnancy and at birth to differentiate languages. 

Patricia Kuhl, co-author and co-director of the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, said: "The mother has first dibs on influencing the child's brain. The vowel sounds in her speech are the loudest units and the fetus locks onto them."

Previous research found that within a month of birth newborns are able to learn and differentiate sounds of language, however this finding is the first of its kind to indicate that learning begins before birth while the baby is still developing. 

Infants initially hear sounds of language, and only later on listen to meanings. This study appears to show that very early on, even before the baby is born, the fetus may be doing more than just listening to language sounds.

Young children are the fastest learners as they can easily absorb new information, the researchers note that understanding how they do this could help find ways of improving learning at later years. Kuhl concluded: "We want to know what magic they put to work in early childhood that adults cannot. We can't waste that early curiosity." 

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Benefits of Attachment Parenting for Kids

1.Attachment Parenting helps Mutual Giving

The more you give to your baby the more baby gives back to you. There are small quiet moments of pure joy when your baby smiles at you or gazes seriously into your eyes. There is wonder in discovering the world anew through the eyes of a child seeing it for the first time. There is peace in knowing that all it takes is your presence, your arms to soothe and calm your baby's fears. Consider how you and baby benefit from being connected:

• Enjoy one another. One of the goals we want to shoot for is to enjoy our parenting. Mutual giving is where baby enjoyment begins.
• Biochemical boost. Remember, baby is not just a passive player in your parenting game. Your infant will take an active part in shaping your attitudes, helping you make wise decisions and helping you become an astute baby reader. For example, when you breastfeed you hold and caress your baby, you give your baby nourishment and comfort. Your baby, in turn, "gives" good things back to you. Your baby's sucking, together with caressing your baby, releases the hormone prolactin, which further enhances your mothering behavior. The hormones associated with breastfeeding help mothers to feel calm and loving. And parents find that all their giving to their baby matures them and helps them place the different parts of their lives in better perspective.
• Peaceful parenting. Here's another beautiful example of mutual giving. When you breastfeed your baby to sleep – a style we call "nursing down" – you give your baby your milk, which contains a recently discovered sleep- inducing substance. Meanwhile, as you suckle your baby, you produce more prolactin, which has a tranquilizing affect in you. It's as if the mommy puts the baby to sleep and the baby puts the mommy to sleep – a beautiful example of how each member of a biological pair helps the other by following a natural recipe in a way that was designed to work.

2. Attachment Parenting promotes Mutual shaping

Along with the benefit of mutual giving, we find that attachment parenting also leads to a mutual shaping of behavior and personality. After becoming parents, you will never be the same – and you want the change to be for the better. Your baby can do something to you – or better, for you. An example of mutual shaping is well illustrated by how you and your baby learn to talk to each other. A baby's early communication is a language of needs. Crying and smiling are the earliest tools used by your baby to communicate and reinforce your responses to his needs. As you learn and respond to your baby's language, you may feel you are regressing to the level of your baby. You will act, talk, and even think at your baby's level. As you are mastering your baby's language, your baby learns to speak the language of the family. The baby then learns to act, talk, and think at the parents' level. All develop communication skills that none had before. Mutual giving and mutual shaping is what makes attachment parenting so special.

3. Mutual sensitivity

Attachment mothers speak of a flow of feelings between themselves and their babies.

Attachment and independence can be illustrated by what we call the deep groove theory . Think of your infant's mind as a record into which life's experiences and relationships cut deep grooves. Suppose the strength of parent-infant attachment is represented by the depth of the grooves in the baby's mental record. Between twelve and eighteen months, a baby can recall a mental image of the most familiar caregivers. We call this person permanence . This image helps to provide a secure base so the infant can begin to move more easily from the familiar to the unfamiliar. The mental presence of the mother allows the infant to, in effect, take mother with her as she moves further away from the mother to explore and learn about her environment. The most securely attached infants, the ones with the deepest grooves, show less anxiety when moving away from their mothers to explore toys. Periodically, these babies mentally and physically check in with mother for reassurance and a familiar "it's okay" to explore. The mother seems to add energy to the infant's explorations, since the infant does not need to waste energy worry whether she is there.

4. Attachment Parenting promotes independence

When going from oneness to separateness (a process called "individuation"), the securely attached toddler establishes a balance between his desire to explore and encounter new situations and his continued need for the safety and contentment provided by mother. During an unfamiliar play situation, the mother gives a sort of "go ahead" message, providing the toddler with confidence to explore and handle the strange situation. The next time the toddler encounters a similar situation, he has confidence to handle it by himself without enlisting his mother. The consistent emotional availability of the mother provides trust, culminating in the child's developing a very important quality of independence: the capacity to be alone.

A toddler with shallower attachment grooves lacks confidence that his attachment figures will be accessible to him when he needs them. He may adopt a clinging strategy to ensure that they will be available. Because he is always preoccupied with it or else spends tremendous energy "managing" without it. This preoccupation hinders individuation, exploration, and possibly learning. In essence, the attachment-parented baby learns to trust and develop a sense of self. These qualities foster appropriate independence. Studies have shown that infants who develop a secure attachment to their mothers are better able to tolerate separation from them when they are older. As one sensitive mother of a well-attached child said proudly, "He's not spoiled; he's perfectly fresh!"

5. Attachment parenting improves baby's behavior

Attached babies cry less. They are less colicky, fussy, whiny, and clingy. A very simple observation lies at the root of this observation: A baby who feels right acts right (operates from a sense of well-being). An in-arms baby whose cues are read and responded to feels connected, valued. Because of this inner feeling of rightness, the baby has less need to fuss.

"If attached babies cry less, what do they do with their free time?"

6. Attachment parenting improves development

They use their cry- free time to grow and learn. During the last twenty-five years we have watched thousands of mother-infant pairs in action and interaction. We are constantly impressed by how content babies are who are worn in a carrier, breastfed on cue, slept with, and sensitively responded to. They just seem to feel better, behave better, and grow better, and here is why: Attachment parenting promotes the state of quiet alertness (also called attentive stillness). There seems to be some, as yet poorly understood, connection between a baby's behavioral state and the inner workings of his or her body. A baby in the quiet alert state is more receptive to interacting and learning from his or her environment. The state of quiet alertness promotes an inner organization that allows all the physiological systems of the body to work better. Babies divert the energy that they would have spent on fussing into growing, developing, and interacting with their environment.

The growth-promoting effects of attachment parenting can be summed up in one word: organization. An attached baby is organized. In their early months, babies spend a lot of energy trying to become organized – that is, adjusting to life outside the womb. For an attached baby, the womb lasts a while longer, birth having changed only the manner in which the attachment is presented. Healthy, attached mothers and fathers act as behavioral, emotional, and physiological regulators for their baby. They act as conservators of their baby's energies, diverting them into growth and development, not into anxiety and fussing.

In essence, attached babies thrive . All babies grow, but not all babies thrive. Thriving means that your baby grows to his or her babies fullest potential. Attachment parenting and caregiving helps babies be all they can be. Researchers have long realized the association between good growth and good parenting.

7. Attachment parented babies are smarter

Attachment parenting is good brain food, and here's why. The human brain grows more during infancy than at any other time, doubling its volume and reaching approximately 60 percent of its adult size by one year. The infant brain consists of miles of tangled electrical "wires," called neurons. The infant is born with much of this wiring unconnected. During the first year, these neurons grow larger, begin to work better, and connect to each other to complete circuits that enable the baby to think and do more things. If nerve cells don't make connections, they die. The more connections they make, the better the brain develops.

Brain researchers suggest it is these connections that we can influence to make a child smarter. Many studies now show that the most powerful enhancers of brain development are:

• the quality of the parent-infant attachment (such as skin-to-skin contact) and;
• the response of the caregiving environment to the infant's cues

I believe that attachment parenting promotes brain development by feeding the brain with the right kind of stimulation at a time in the child's life when the brain needs the most nourishment. Attachment parenting helps the developing brain make the right connections.

Many studies show that a secure mother-infant attachment and an environment responsive to the cues of the infant enhance brain development. Basically, these studies show that four relationships enhance a baby's intellectual and motor development:

1. Parent sensitivity and responsiveness to infant cues
2. Reinforcement of infant's verbal cues and frequency of interchange during play
3. Acceptance of and going with the flow of the baby's temperament
4. Providing a stimulating environment with the primary caregiver and play activities that encourage decision making and problem solving.

A simple explanation of how this style of parenting contributes to early learning is that it creates conditions that allow learning to occur. Infants learn best in the behavior state of quiet alertness . Attachment parenting fosters quiet alertness, thus creating the conditions that help a baby learn.

If you are beginning to feel very important, you are! What parents do with babies makes them smarter. In the keynote address at the 1986 annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, infant development specialist Dr. Michael Lewis reviewed studies of factors that enhance infant development. This presentation was in response to the overselling of the superbaby phenomenon that emphasized the use of programs and kits rather than the parents' being playful companions and sensitive nurturers. Lewis concluded that the single most important influence on a child's intellectual development was the responsiveness of the mother to the cues of her baby. In caring for your baby, keep in mind that relationships, not things, make brighter babies.

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Types of Infants Diaper Rashes

Here are a few diaper rashes that can be more than just irritation from the stool, urine, and diaper. They usually require more specific therapy:

1. Contact diaper rash - this is simply the regular rash as discussed above.
   • Appearance - flat, red, irritated skin. When severe, skin will peel or blister and slough off.
   • Treatment - as described above.
2. Intertrigo - this is a specific rash that occurs within the skin folds and creases around the diaper area where the skin rubs together.
   • Appearance - Heat and moisture mixed with urine cause a red, burn-like appearance.
   • Treatment - regular white petroleum diaper ointment.
3. Yeast rash - when the skin is damaged, yeast from the intestines can invade the skin. This especially occurs with antibiotic use or prolonged rash.
   • Appearance - it is a red, raised, patchy rash with sharp borders, mostly over the genitalia but with satellite spots sprinkled around the diaper area.
   • Treatment - in addition to the above measures, there are two commonly used anti-fungal creams:
     • Clotrimazole - over-the-counter. Apply 2 - 3 times a days beneath the other creams.
     • Nystatin - prescription. Not necessarily better, just different.
     • Acidophilus - this is a natural bacterial powder that fights off yeast. Click on it to learn more.
4. Impetigo - this occurs when bacteria invade the damaged skin.
   • Appearance - coin-sized blisters or red raised patches that ooze a honey-colored crust.
   • Treatment - prescription antibiotic ointment as well as the above general measures.
5. Seborrhea - an inflammatory condition that can affect different parts of the body, but can be especially severe in the diaper area.
   • Appearance - a big, red, sharply demarcated patch over the groin, genitalia, and lower abdomen. It can be more raised, rough, thick, and greasy than the other rashes.
   • Treatment - hydrocortisone 1% cream (over-the-counter) 2 - 3 times a day. Don't use more than a week unless directed by your doctor.
6. Allergy ring - a variety of foods can irritate baby's bottom, especially acidic foods such as citrus and tomato-based sauces.
• Appearance - a red ring around baby's anus.
• Treatment - discontinue suspected foods. Breastfeeding moms may need to eliminate foods from their diet.

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How to treat infants diaper rash

No matter how diligent you are with the above measures, your baby will still have a rash from time to time. Here are some tips to treating those rough spots:

1. Wash off bottom with water - don't wipe the sore areas. Instead, use a bulb syringe to gently wash baby's diaper area.
2. Gently dab or pat away any remaining stool. Blot baby's bottom dry.
3. Let it air out - leave the diaper off for a while, with no diaper cream on. Lay baby on a towel (with a waterproof pad underneath to catch accidents) with her bottom up. Do this as often as you can. This will help dry out the rash, which is important for the healing process.
4. Diaper cream - when you do put the diaper back on, use generous amounts of cream. Here are some suggestions:
    Zinc oxide - for the moderate rash.
• Acid mantle - this is a brand name sold in stores. It is outstanding for moderate diaper rashes. Can be used with zinc oxide over it.
• Butt paste or Triple paste - there are a variety of creams that a pharmacist can mix up for you that contain a variety of ingredients. These are good for severe rashes. One brand that is already mixed is called Triple Paste. Ask your pharmacist for some. It is non-prescription.
• Clotrimazole anti-fungal cream - for stubborn rashes, yeast may be involved (see below). You can add this over-the-counter cream to help.
• Hydrocortisone 1% cream - you can put this over-the-counter cream on twice a day beneath any of the other creams to help with severe rashes. It will help with the inflammation. Don't use this for more than several days at a time as long-term use can damage the sensitive skin in the diaper area.
• Soothe and heal by Lansinoh. This pure lanolin ointment is excellent for soothing sore bottoms.
• Mix your own - if you can't get a prescription, try mixing these together in the palm of your hand, then apply to baby's bottom:
• Zinc oxide
• White petroleum ointment
• Acid mantle
• Aluminum acetate (Burrow's solution)
• If you cant find Acid Mantle, then use Lansinoh (a lanolin ointment). It is available in the diaper cream section of drug stores.

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How to prevent infants diaper rash

If your baby does not have a problem with diaper rash, then you don't need to be too strict with these preventative measures. However, if you are constantly battling rash, here are some helpful hints to minimize it:

1. Change diapers frequently - at least every two hours in newborns. You can space this out as baby starts to urinate less often.
2. Change poopy diapers right away - this is a lot of trouble at first since newborns often have small, frequent stools. This will slow down as baby grows.
3. Try different brands - if using disposables, another brand may fit a little better and cause less friction.
4. Rinse cloth diapers - add a half-cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle. This helps remove alkaline irritants. Your diaper service can also do this.
5. Wipe well - be sure to wipe all the stool and urine away.
6. Use unscented wipes or just plain water - these are less irritating. You can even rinse out the wipes with water, although this takes more time.
7. Diaper rash cream - some lucky babies don't need any. More sensitive bottoms need cream with each new diaper. There are two basic types of barrier creams:
   • Petroleum ointment (Original A & D ointment) - this is an excellent preventative every-day ointment. It's less sticky and less messy.
   • White zinc oxide - this is thicker and may be better for babies who are more prone to rash.

Lesser Known facts about breast feeding

1. BREASTFED BABIES SMELL BETTER

Unlike the stinky stools of a formula-fed baby, the stools of a breastfed infant have a less offensive buttermilk-like odor. Changing the diaper of a breastfed infant is not an unpleasant task--which is fortunate, because most breastfed babies have several bowel movements a day. When the baby looks at the face of the diaper-changing caregiver and sees happiness rather than disgust, he picks up a good message about himself - perhaps a perk for building self-esteem.

2. BREASTFED BABIES HAVE NICER SKIN

Many pediatricians who have developed a keen eye and sense of touch over years of examining babies report that they can often tell by the look and feel of an infant's skin whether or not the baby is breastfed or formula-fed. The skin of a breastfed baby often has a softer, smoother feel. There is also less delineation between where the fat under the skin ends and the underlying muscle begins. The skin of formula-fed babies tends to be rougher with dry, often sandpaper-like, patches. Breastfed babies feel more solid. Researchers report that the subcutaneous fat in breast and formula-fed infants actually has a different composition.

3. BREASTFED BABIES HAVE BETTER VISION

Not only does breastmilk build brighter brains and healthier bodies, it's valuable to baby's vision. Studies comparing breastfed and formula-fed infants show that visual development (called visual acuity) is more advanced in breastfed babies. This finding is particularly noticeable in premature infants. The presence of DHA may be one of the reasons for this. DHA is one of the prime structural components of the retina of the eye. As with all tissues, the better you feed it, the better it grows and functions. So, the better you feed the retina, the better the vision, another reason why breastfed babies have a healthier "outlook" on life.

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How breasts make and deliver milk for kids

The lactation system inside your breasts resemble a tree. The milk glands (the leaves) are grapelike clusters of cells high up in the breast that make milk. Milk travels from these glands down through the milk ducts (the branches). These ducts then widen beneath the areola (the dark area surrounding the nipple), forming milk sinuses (the tree trunk), which then empties into the approximately twenty openings in your nipple (like the channels going down to the roots of the tree). These milk sinuses are located beneath your areola.

To empty these milk sinuses effectively,your baby's gums must be positioned over them so that baby's jaws compress the sinuses where the milk is pooled. If baby sucks only on your nipple, only a little milk will be drawn out, and your nipple will be irritated unnecessarily. Remember the golden rule of effective latch-on: Babies suck on areolas, not nipples. Baby must have enough of your areolas in her mouth to get the milk out.

Your baby's sucking stimulates nerves in your nipple that send messages to the pituitary gland in you brain to secrete the hormone prolactin. Prolactin surges encourage continued milk production, which goes on around the clock. As your baby continues sucking, the sensors in your nipple signal the pituitary gland to secrete another hormone,oxytocin. This hormone causes the elastic tissue around each of the many milk glands to contract, squeezing a large supply of milk through the milk ducts into the sinuses and out the nipple. This is called the milk ejection reflux, or MER. The milk may come out so fast that it leaks out the side of your baby's mouth. If you were pumping or expressing by hand, you would see the milk spray out in every direction.

The first milk your baby receives at each feeding is the foremilk, which is thin like skim milk because of low fat content. As baby continues to suck, more oxytocin brings on phase two, squeezing out the later milk (called hindmilk), which is much higher in fat and slightly higher in protein and, therefore, helps baby gain weight and helps baby's tummy feel full. Consider this creamier hindmilk "grow milk."

The more milk that is removed from your breasts, the more milk your body makes to replace it. Frequent removal of milk from your breasts by your baby or by a pump will sti9mulate your body to produce more milk. When your baby breastfeeds less, the body responds by cutting back on milk production. This supply and demand system is how mothers produce enough milk for twins or even triplets.

Why Breast Milk is best for Kids & Infants

Each species of mammal makes a unique kind of milk, which meets all the nutritional requirements of its offspring at the beginning of life. Each species' milk has specific qualities that insure the survival of the young in a particular environment. This principle is known as the biological specificity of milk. Mother seals, for example, make a high-fat milk because baby seals need lots of body fat to survive in cold water. Since brain development is crucial to the survival of humans, human milk provides nutrients for rapid brain growth.

No matter what animal it comes from, milk contains the basic nutritional elements of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Let's look at each one of these nutrients in human milk, comparing them to the same nutrients in formula or cow milk, so you can further appreciate how your milk is custom-made to meet the needs of your baby.

Unique nutrition for unique humans. As hormones levels change in the days after birth, the mother's body starts to make more plentiful amounts of milk. Colostrum gradually changes into mature milk--the stuff babies have been thriving on for thousands of years. Milk's basic ingredients are fat, proteins, lactose, vitamins, minerals, and water. This is true of milk from all kinds of mammals. Yet, the proportions of these ingredients differ, as do the kinds of protein and fat. This is what makes each species' milk uniquely suited to its young. It's also why cow's milk and cow's milk-based formulas are not the ideal food for human infants.

HIGH QUALITY PROTEIN

Protein is a prime example of how human milk is unique nutrition for human babies. Human milk is low in protein, at least when compared with the milk of other species, especially cow's milk. This isn't a nutritional deficiency; there are good reasons for this. Human infants are designed to grow slowly. While it's important for humans to develop strong bodies, even more important is brain development and the learning of social skills. The experiences that shape the brain come from close contact between mother and baby when baby is held and carried. If human infants doubled their birthweight in less than 50 days the way baby calves do, and then continued growing, how could their mothers carry them and talk to them and keep them close? Baby cows need to learn where to find the best grass in the meadow; baby humans need to learn how to work with others so that everyone's needs get met.

Though the protein content of human milk is generally low, the types of amino acids that make up these proteins are important. One particular amino acid, taurine, is found in large amounts in human milk. Studies show that taurine has an important role in the development of the brain and the eyes. The body can't convert other kinds of amino acids into taurine, so its presence in human milk is significant--so significant that some formula manufacturers have begun adding it to artificial baby milks.

If you let milk stand out of the refrigerator and sour, you will see that milk proteins fall into two categories, curds and whey. (Remember Miss Muffet?) The curd portion, the casein proteins, are the white clots; the liquid is the whey. Cow's milk is mostly casein protein, which forms a rubbery, hard-to-digest curd in babies' tummies. Human milk has more whey than curd, and the curds that are formed are softer and more quickly digested. Breastfed babies get hungry sooner than babies who are formula-fed because human milk proteins are digested so efficiently. It doesn't take as much energy to digest human milk as it does to digest formula. Frequent feedings also ensure that human babies get lots of attention from their mothers.

SELF-DIGESTING FATS

There's another reason why babies digest human milk so quickly: the fat in human milk comes with an enzyme, lipase, that breaks the fat down into smaller globules so this important nutrient can be better absorbed into the bloodstream. Fat is a valuable source of energy for babies, so the presence of lipase makes the fat in human milk more available. This is one of the reasons human milk is so good for premature babies, who need lots of energy to grow but whose digestive systems are very immature.

A changing nutrient for changing needs. The fat content of human milk changes constantly. Typically, fat levels are low at the beginning of a feeding and high at the end. Babies nurse eagerly to get the low-fat, thirst-quenching foremilk, then slow down and linger over the high-fat dessert at the end of their meal. Babies who nurse again soon after the end of the last feeding get more high-fat milk, so babies who breastfeed more frequently during a growth spurt get more calories. Longer intervals between feedings bring down the fat content of the milk stored in the breast. This nutritional fact of human milk is one of the many reasons why the rigid 3 to 4 hour scheduled style of feeding is biologically incorrect.

Smarter fats. The special kind of fat in human milk is important to brain development. As newborn babies grow, the nerves are covered with a substance called myelin which helps the nerves transmit messages to other nerves throughout the brain and body. To develop high-quality myelin, the body needs certain types of fatty acids--linoleic and linolenic--which are found in large amounts in human milk.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS

The vitamins and minerals listed on the formula can are no match for those in the milk made by mom, even if milligram by milligram comparisions suggest otherwise. When formula researchers want to know how much of a particular vitamin or mineral babies need each day, they look first at how much of that nutrient is present in human milk and how much milk a baby of a given age takes in a day. But just doing the math doesn't tell the whole story. More important than the amounts of nutrients in the milk is the amount that is available for the infant to use, a nutrient principle called bioavailability. The bioavailability of a nutrient is influenced by many factors, including its chemical form and the presence of other substances.

The three important minerals calcium, phosphorus, and iron are present in breastmilk at lower levels than in formula, but in breastmilk these minerals are present in forms that have high bioavailability. For example, 50 to 75 percent of the iron in breastmilk is absorbed by the baby. With formula, as little as four percent of the iron is absorbed into baby's bloodstream. To make up for the low bioavailability of factory-added vitamins and minerals, formula manufactures raise the concentrations. Sounds reasonable, right? If only half gets absorbed by the body, put twice as much into the can. Yet, this nutrient manipulation may have a metabolic price.

Baby's immature intestines are required to dispose of the excess. Meanwhile, the excess unabsorbed minerals (especially iron) can upset the "ecology of the gut," interfering with the growth of healthful bacteria and allowing harmful bacteria to flourish. This is another reason formula-fed infants have harder, more unpleasant smelling stools.

To enhance the bioavailability of nutrients, breastmilk contains facilitators - substances that enhance the absorption of other nutrients. For example, vitamin C in human milk increases the absorption of iron. Zinc absorption is also enhanced by other factors in human milk. In an interesting experiment, researchers added equal amounts of iron and zinc to samples of human milk, formula, and cow'd milk, and fed them to adult volunteers. More of the nutrients in the human-milk sample got into the bloodstream compared to the formula and cow's milk. In essence, breastmilk puts nutrients where they belong - in baby's blood, not in baby's bowels.

HORMONES AND ENZYMES

Every year medical journal articles describe more valuable substances discovered in human milk. Scientists are only beginning to write the story on other factors in human milk that may be important to baby's growth and development. For example, other enzymes besides lipase are available to aid infant digestion. Epidermal growth factor, present in human milk in significant amounts, may promote the development of tissues in the digestive tract and elsewhere. Other hormones in milk may influence a baby's metabolism, growth, and physiology. The effects may be subtle, but they may also have far-reaching implications. Being breastfed has advantages that reach into adulthood. Science is only beginning to learn what these benefits are.

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Bathing your Kids & Infants

Most babies are over washed. In reality, newborns don't get very dirty. The toddler/mud puddle friendship has not yet begun.

First Baths

When to give baby her first bath is a matter of some debate. It is still general practice to advise parents to sponge bathe baby until the cord falls off and the circumcision heals. Some physicians question the necessity of this advice, feeling that an immersion bath does not increase the risk of infection. Check with your doctor. Our own personal recommendation is to sponge bathe baby until the cord falls off and the circumcision is well healed. We advise sponge bathing if there is discharge around the base of the cord or the circumcision site or if a putrid odor emanates from the cord. If both sites are reasonably clean and dry, we see no harm in going directly to an immersion bath.

Sponge bathing

• Select a bathing area. Try the kitchen or bathroom counter next to the sink. The room should be warm and draft-free. Take the phone off the hook so that you will not be tempted to leave baby unattended "just for a moment."
• Have your bath kit ready in the bathing area before you start. You will need:
  • Two wash cloths
  • A mild soap
  • Baby shampoo
  • Cotton balls
  • A hooded towel
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Cotton-tip applicators
  • Diapers
  • Clean clothes
• A sponge bath. While some babies like to be bare, most don't, so remove all clothing except the diaper and swaddle baby in a towel. Hold baby on your lap while sitting in a chair with your bath kit on an adjacent table, or stand up at the counter with baby lying on a pad of thick towel.

Have your swaddled baby's head and face exposed. Begin washing his face with warm water, especially behind the ears, in the ear crevices, and in the neck creases. Unless baby's skin is sweaty, oily, or dirty, plain water is enough; otherwise use a mild soap.

Hold baby in the clutch hold. Squeeze a bit of warm water on top of baby's head, apply a dab of baby shampoo, and gently massage the entire scalp. Use no special caution over the soft spot. It's really tough underneath. (If baby's scalp is flaky or crusty, see cradle cap. Rinse over sink with running water. Blot dry with a towel hood. Meanwhile, baby is still swaddled in a towel, with only his head and face exposed, not getting cold. As you proceed with the rest of the body, cover the head with a towel hood.

Unswaddle baby, remove his diaper, and wash the rest of his body. Extend the arms and legs to wash the groin, knee, and elbow creases, where there are like to be oily collections. Clean around the base of the cord with a cotton-tipped applicator dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Turn baby over on his tummy and clean the crevice just above his buttocks and around the diaper area. Or you can lift both feet up and clean the lower back and buttocks while baby is lying on his back. To keep baby from getting cold and upset, cover the rest of the body while cleaning the diaper area.

Clean the genitalia. Hold baby's legs outward like a frog. For girls, spread the labia and using a moistened cotton ball, gently wipe between the labia. When cleaning around the vagina always wipe from front to back. You may notice that secretions and diaper creams collect and cake between the vulva and the outer labia. This area requires the most cleansing. A normal egg-white vaginal discharge is common between the inner labia and vagina. It is not necessary to clean away this normal discharge. For boys, clean the creases beneath the scrotum the skin of the groin and buttock, and around the base of the penis. Clean the circumcision area, if necessary. Do not retract the foreskin if uncircumcised. Quickly diaper baby and dress in clean clothes before he has a chance to get cold and upset.

Tub Bathing

After the sponge-bath stage, the real fun begins. First, choose the right tub that's safe and easy to use. There are many types of baby tubs on the market, or you can simply use the kitchen sink. The kitchen sink is easy to use because it is the right height. If using the kitchen sink, observe the following safety tips: Purchase an insert-type plastic or rubber tub that fits into your sink, or line the bottom of the sink with a folded towel or sponge mat to keep baby from slipping. There are even inflatable baby bathtubs. If you have a movable faucet, be sure to turn it away from baby.

Before the splash begins, make sure the water is comfortably warm, but not too hot. Tie a towel around your neck (like a bib) to keep yourself dry during the bath and in case baby needs to be picked up quickly and cuddled. Most newborns do not eagerly await their bath. Singing a few songs, making eye-to-eye contact, and gently massaging baby during the bath often relaxes the reluctant bather.

Additional Bath Tips

• As you move from one area of the body to another, change the parts of the washcloth in order to keep clean cloth on cleaner parts of the body.
• Pat the skin with a washcloth and blot dry with a towel rather than vigorously scrubbing, which may irritate baby's sensitive skin.
• Spot-cleaning works best for babies who do not like either a total sponge bath or an immersion bath. Clean the areas that get the most oily, sweaty, or dirty.
• Clean the eyes on an as-needed basis rather than during the regular bath. Babies often protest eye cleaning, which may set off a protest for the entire bath. Using cotton balls and warm tap water (always squeeze a few drops of the water from the cotton ball on the inside of your wrist to make sure it is not too hot), wash accumulated discharge out of the corners of baby's eyes.
• Cotton-tipped applicators are handy when cleaning little crevices in and behind the outer ear, but never try to clean inside the ear canal, as you may damage the canal or eardrum.

FAQ'S About Bath Time

How often should we bathe our baby?Bathing is primarily playtime. Babies don't get dirty enough to need a daily bath. For busy parents this is good news. Twice a week (especially in the winter) is enough bathing, providing you clean your baby's diaper area sufficiently well each time there is a bowel movement. Daily spot-cleaning in areas that get particularly sweaty, oily, or dirty, such as behind the ears, in the neck folds, in the creases of the groin, and in the diaper area are helpful.

Which soap and shampoo should I use when bathing our baby?Baby's skin, especially a newborn's, is sensitive, and all soaps are mild irritants. The function of soap is to suspend particles and oils on the skin surface so that they can be more easily removed from the skin with water. Without soap, some oils, dirt, and surface secretions would simply stick to the skin and require vigorous rubbing with a cloth and water to remove them, which in itself would irritate the skin. Every baby's skin has an individual tolerance to different soaps. How much soap, how often, and which kind can be determined only by trial and error, but here are some general guidelines:

• Use soap only on areas that are caked with secretions, (such as oil or sweat) which are not easily removed with plain water.
• When first using soap, try a test rub on one small part of the body. If over the next few hours the skin reddens, dries, or noticeably changes in any way relative to other areas, ban that soap and try another.
• Use mild soap. Baby soaps are regular soaps with fewer additives such as anti-microbials, fragrances, or abrasives. In our practice, we have found Dove acceptable for the skin of most babies.
• Limit the soap's time on the skin to less than five minutes to avoid drying or irritating the skin. Wash it off as soon as possible and rinse the skin well.
• Above all, avoid vigorous scrubbing of any area of the skin with soap.

If your baby is prone to eczema or has allergic dermatitis, use as little soap as possible, and give as few baths as possible. A special soap formulation prescribed by a dermatologist may be helpful. Babies with particularly sensitive skin should spend very little time in a bathtub immersed in water and are best showered and spot cleaned.

Shampoos are similar to soaps and if overused can irritate the scalp and rob the hair of natural oils. Shampooing once a week is enough for most babies. Use mild baby shampoo; like baby soaps, baby shampoos contain fewer additives than other commercial shampoos. It is seldom necessary to massage shampoo deep into the scalp. If your baby's scalp is covered with the flaky, crusty, oily substance called cradle cap, after shampooing massage a bit of vegetable oil into the crust to soften it, and then remove it with a soft comb.

Here is a final thought about soaps and shampoos that many mothers have expressed to me over the years. Sensitive mothers feel that too much soap and shampoo (and scented oils and powders) camouflage natural baby scents that mothers find irresistible. Also, it is better not to mask the mother's natural scent, which baby needs, and perfume is irritating to some babies.

Should I use powders and oils on our baby's skin?Gone are the days when a baby was sprinkled with perfumed talcum after every bath. Powders and oils are unnecessary since your baby's skin is naturally rich in body oil and they may be irritating and even harmful. Emollients (cold-pressed vegetable oil or Soothe and Heal by Lansinoh) may be used only on patchy areas of dry skin; otherwise, they are unnecessary. Powders easily cake and build up in skin creases and can actually contribute to skin irritation and rashes. Also, powders, if inhaled, can irritate baby's nasal and air passages. Cornstarch is not recommended as it can serve as a medium for the growth of harmful fungi.

My baby screams every time I try to give her a bath. How can we both enjoy bath time more?If your baby screams every time you try to put her into the water, it either means that she is hungry, the water is too hot or cold, or you have a baby who doesn't like to be alone in the water. Her security may be threatened. Here's how we have enjoyed bathing our babies. Take your baby into the bathtub with you. Get the water ready and undress yourself and baby. Hold her close to you as you get into the water and then sit back and enjoy the warm skin-to-skin contact. If your baby still protests, sit in the tub first and show her how much you are enjoying the bath. Then have someone else hand your baby to you while you are sitting in the bathtub. Mothers, don't be surprised if your baby wants to breastfeed at this time. It is the natural result of being close to your breast. In fact, if your baby still fusses upon entering the water in your arms, relax her by putting her to your breast first. Slowly ease your way into the tub. Then gradually lower baby into the water as she continues to suck. This is a special way to enjoy mothering and bathing your baby. As your baby gets older, bath toys such as the traditional rubber ducky may entice the reluctant bath taker. When bathing together in a tub, take special precautions to avoid slipping. While you are getting used to bathing with baby, it is safer to hand baby to another person or place her on a towel as you get out of the tub.

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Medical Causes of Nightwaking in Kids & Infants

Parents should suspect a medical cause for nightwaking if:

• baby awakens with sudden colicky-type abdominal pains
• a good sleeper suddenly becomes a restless sleeper
• baby has not slept well since birth
• there are other signs or symptoms of illness
• baby cries inconsolably
• your intuition tells you something is wrong
• no other cause is apparent

Here are the most common painful causes of nightwaking and which are often "hidden" because they are not as obvious as ear infections, teething, or urinary tract infections.

1. Gastroesophageal reflux (GER)

When baby lies flat, irritating stomach acids are regurgitated into the esophagus, causing pain that adults call "heartburn." Mention this possibility to your doctor, since GER can often be successfully treated with smaller, more frequent feedings, elevating the crib 30 degrees, and medication.

2. Food allergies,

such as an allergy to formula or to the cow's milk breastfeeding mothers drink. Suspect if baby is restless most of the night and is generally gassy.

3. Ear infections

Suspect an ear infection if baby has a yellow discharge coming from her nose and/or eyes.

4. Pinworms

Suspect in the toddler or older child who is waking up with scratch marks around the anus, other family members have pinworms, or you see tiny white-thread-like worms around baby's anus or in the bowel movements at night.

Infants who awaken frequently because of a medical cause are also more likely to be colicky and fussy during the day, but not necessarily. If you suspect a medical cause, in partnership with your doctor, keep investigating until you find the cause and the treatment.