Tips on breast feeding

During the early days the nipple is trying to get used to being taken into baby's mouth and baby is learning how to feed from the nipple, this can result is sore nipples and can put some woman off breast feeding.

It's important for both of you to be relaxed and comfortable, that is sometimes easier said than done but you may be feeding for an hour or so, make sure you at least have a pillow under your arm to help support the baby. A baby may not yet know how to open their mouth quite wide enough, if this happens, you can squeeze out a little milk from your breast, open baby's mouth with your clean finger, and put a little milk in to start baby off. Wait for the baby's mouth to open, then guides the breast in - not just the nipple. To suck properly, the baby squeezes the area behind the nipple with his or her whole mouth. When the baby finishes sucking the first breast, put your finger into the baby's mouth to release the sucking, and then offer the other breast. And next feed, start the other way round. When the baby has had enough, he or she will just usually fall asleep. It is important to use both breast equally as the child’s sucking stimulate the milk production. Each time you feed, you should stay on one breast until it feels empty that is usually at least ten to fifteen minutes. The main reason for this is that it is thought that the milk that comes at the end of a feed is much richer and more satisfying than what come at the start.

If your nipples get sore you can use ice to cool them, or a bag of frozen peas, there are products on the market that are safe to use for cracked and sore nipples during breast feeding but be sure to read the label before you use it you don’t want to poison the little mite!

Breast feeding, the benifits

It is recommended that women who don't have any health problems should try to give their baby’s breast milk for at least six months. Breast feeding offers many benefits to the baby, breast milk contains the right balance of nutrients to help your baby grow into a strong and healthy toddler. Some of the nutrients in breast milk also help protect your baby against some childhood illnesses and infections by boosting their immune system.
The most important period in establishing breastfeeding is the first week. Take heart the earliest days are the hardest, but with a little knowledge it does get better! The earlier you put the baby to the breast, the earlier the breast milk should come. The breasts work on a supply and demand basis. In the first few hours and days your breasts produce a thin, cloudy, yellow substance called colostrum and it is of enormous value to your baby. There is absolutely no substitute for colostrum in doing good for your baby. It gives him or her protection against disease that will last for several months. Don't let it go to waste! If you find it too difficult to breast feed try using a breast pump to retrieve this precious liquid.

Sleeping problems

It is just a simple fact that all children are different, some may be great at sleeping others not and others can suffer from a myriad of sleep problems, some are listed below

Night terrors - the child wakes up screaming, it appears terrorized with its eyes open or closed and it does not seem to respond to you

Waking during the night - This is the most common complaint, the baby wakes up many times during the night this may be for short or extended periods.

Problems getting to sleep - The baby requires long and often highly demanding rituals before it will fall asleep.

Nightmares - the child wakes up frightened but responds quickly to the parents and calm down with their help.

Rocking backwards and forwards and or head banging movements - the child uses body rocking and or head banging as they are trying to fall asleep or during the night.

If you have tried to get your child into a routine and have failed or if you are in any way worried about your child’s sleep problems it is best to raise the issue with a medical professional just to rule out any possible medical causes for the problems. If there are no medical causes there are many ways to help with these problems its just a matter of persevering till you find the right one for you so don't despair you will sleep again.

7 ways to help yoour baby get a better nights sleep

It is thought that a newborn will spend around two-thirds of each day asleep (lucky buggers!). Sleep in general is important for physical recuperation, physical growth, the immune system, brain development, learning, memory, and information processing as well as many other systems of the brain and the human body. It is a medical fact that during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep your child's brain cells are making important connections. These synapses, as they're called, are the pathways that enable all learning, movement, and thought. They are the key to your child understanding all they are seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling as they explore the world. You can see how amazingly important it is so it is little wonder that babies who don't get enough sleep or sleep poorly often have a difficult temperament and this can be very stressful to their parents.

Another interesting fact is that there has been a suggested link between poor infant sleep pattern and poor adult sleep patterns. With this in mind it is important to try to develop a routine, it is not really worth trying to set a sleep routine in the first few months, it is best to be led by your baby's needs. During these months your baby's sleep, or lack of it, will be affecting you. It's normal to feel tired as broken sleep and night feeds interrupt your routine it is best to try to get sleep where you can.

Unlike us newborns will tend to sleep through most noises and wake only when hungry it is worth noting that a baby who seems very sleepy a lot of the time and who doesn't wake to feed may be ill, so don't assume a baby like this is 'being good'. Contact a health professional if you're worried. It is worth bearing in mind that although nutritionally, breastfeeding is best for babies, breastfed babies do sleep more lightly, and will probably wake more often.

By the age of about six to eight months, your baby can probably manage without a night feed and might sleep for six to eight hours, but remember, not all sleep and feeding patterns are the same. Your baby has to learn how to fall asleep and how to get back to sleep when she wakes during the night.

Tips on getting a good nights sleep
It is important that you teach you child good sleeping habits as early as possible this involves

1. Helping your baby to distinguish between daytime and night-time, this can be achieved by keeping your child's room dark and quiet at night, and having half an hours quiet play, or a bath before they go to sleep, giving them a quiet last feed or to read to your child in a quiet gentle voice or play them a lullaby, whatever you choose to do try to do the same things every night.


2. If you want your baby to learn to settle themselves, it's best to try to put them down in their cot before they fall asleep, this builds an association between sleep and their cot. Try to identify when they are tired and respond appropriately with the same routine. If your child gets used to falling asleep in your arms with you cuddling or stroking them, they may have problems settling alone.


3. Try to stick to the same simple routine before bedtime every night and try to make it around the same time every night.


4. It is normal and best to allow your child to cry for a short period when you put them to bed you must stop yourself from rushing to them or fussing over them, it can be hard but it is in their interests, but do not leave a crying baby for too long. In many cases just waiting a few moments will see your baby calm down and fall asleep without any help.


5. If you do not want your child to be in your bed, do not start a routine where they come in if they wake as this will escalate and is difficult to change, try to feed in their room if they are still feeding during the night and then put them back in their bed and wait a few moments for any tears to subside. There is no need to purposely wake-up a baby for feedings if the babies are healthy and developing well, as their sense of hunger will dictate the schedule.


6. Sleeping during the day will not usually influence their nigh time sleep, and therefore, try not to prevent this happening they need the rest.


7. It is not a good idea to use a duvet, quilt or pillow until your baby is over one year old.

As with most things in life there are no hard and fast rules about sleep it is a case of what works best for you and your child

Babies first bath

They must have a bath every day! Many parents and babies love bath time, but there's no evidence that suggests babies must have a daily bath so if they are not dirty then try every other day. However make sure you wash their face frequently and thoroughly, cleaning their genital area after each nappy change, and cleaning off any other obvious muck, will be enough to keep them clean between baths.

The first bathing experience can be a bit nerve racking for a new parent you may find it a little hard to handle your little one when they are all soapy and slippery, so keep a good grip. Most babies find the warm water very soothing and enjoy bath times but if you have one who hates it or likes wriggling then it maybe a good idea to get a bath seat there are many on the market and they take the fear out of the whole experience. Many baby baths are adjustable in height and have seat in them so it takes the kneeling over the bath out of the equation.

Step by step guide to the first bath

1. Prepare - Before getting your child ready for the bath it is important that you get everything that you will need ready as you can not leave the child unattended in the bath to get something you have forgotten

2. Check the temperature - Make sure the room is warm and the bath water is just warm but not hot, there are some great thermometers on the market that take the worry out of this but if you use none still always check with your elbow it’s the best thermometer you will ever have.

3. Fill the bath - If you child is a newborns or up to six months old, only fill the bath with about five inches of water, or enough to allow your baby to lye in the water with his shoulders well covered or follow the directions on the seat if you have got one.

4. Undress - the baby completely.

5. Place in bath - Slowly ease them into the bath, using one hand to support their neck and head.

6. Wash them - Use baby soap very sparingly as you wash them with your hand or a flannel or sponge from top to bottom, front to back. Wash the scalp with a wet, soapy cloth. It is best to use a piece of moistened cotton wool to clean their eyes, nose and face.

7. Rinse - your baby thoroughly with a clean flannel.

8. Wrap your baby in a towel and pat dry - once their skin is dry, then this is a good time to apply baby moisturiser, the one to choose is dependant on your child skin so its a case of trial and error, it is best to try any new product on a little patch before you put it all over if there is no reaction after 24 hours then is probably safe to use, very sparingly.

Stopping the tears

Most of the time babies cry for a reason, we know it doesn’t feel that way but it is true. They cry because they want something to eat, or they have a wet nappies, they are cold, hot, fed up, in pain, tired, they are just like us except we have developed better ways of dealing with our feeling and needs.

The place to start with a crying baby is to find the source, logical we know but it can be hard to think when a child is crying its head off. First place to start is are they hungry? Is their nappy dirty. Next try, Are they too hot or cold check that the temperature in the room is OK? Check that they are not sweating or that they have a temperature. If they are not sick, hungry, wet then most likely they have wind or they are just fed up try some or all of these tricks.
Try winding your child it is amazing how much wind a baby can have and it is often the cause of persist ant crying as they have no way to relive it themselves.
Sounds silly but try rocking your child they love movement so gentle rock them or put them up to your shoulder and move around the floor with them, good exercise but can be trying if it 4 in the morning.

Babies love noise so make noises as they were use to the sound of their mothers heart in the womb, try talk or to sing or try some music or TV in the back ground. Often singing and gently rocking a child often has the desired affect, the oldies are often still the goodies.
Placing the baby next to your skin works well, take off your shirt and place the baby on your chest alternatively use a sling that means you can get on with things while you try it.

Finally sometimes kids are just going to cry and sometimes what they want is for you to listen. If your baby's not in pain, they are not hungry, tired, or wet, and they don't want to be held or rocked, then let them cry, at for a shot while or as long as you can stand it, many babies quickly realise that they are not going to win and just simply go back to sleep.