the first breastfeeding

The First Few Weeks of Breastfeeding In the first few weeks of breastfeeding,put your baby to your breast within the first hour after birth. Nurses can teach you ways to help the baby latch on using the best positioning to ensure success. Continue to feed your baby on demand every 1 to 3 hours per 24 hours (8-12 times per 24 hours). Frequent feedings minimize feeding problems and are the best way to prevent breast engorgement. Getting in a breastfeeding ways Create a peaceful "nursing station" and allow yourself to relax. Find a comfortable position, such as in a chair, with ample room on the sides and back for pillows to support your baby and your arms. Sitting up in bed with pillows under your legs or using a footstool when in a chair will help you be comfortable. Unwrap your baby and check his/her diaper; change it if needed. This will help arouse and stimulate your baby to nurse, especially if your baby is sleepy. If your baby is awake and ready to nurse, wait until after the first breast to change your baby's diapers. It is normal for babies to be sleepy the first 24-48 hours after birth. Attempt to breastfeed every 1 to 3 hours per 24 hours (8 – 12 times per 24 hours).

toilet training for babies

7 steps in potty training for babies

When your baby has passed her first birthday, you can start teaching her to do her toilet training. these are some steps to teach her:

1. During diaper changes, narrate the process to teach your toddler the words and meanings for bathroom-related functions, such as "pee-pee" and "poo-poo." Include descriptive words that you'll use during the process, such as "wet," "dry," "wipe" and "wash."
2. If you're comfortable with it, bring your child with you when you use the toilet. Explain what you're doing. Tell him that when he gets bigger, he'll put his pee-pee and poo-poo in the toilet instead of in his diaper. Let him flush the toilet if he wants to.
3. Help your toddler identify what's happening when she wets or fills her diaper. Tell her, "You're going poo-poo in your diaper." Have her watch you dump and flush.
4. Start giving your child simple directions and help him to follow them. For example, ask him to get a toy from another room or to put the spoon in the dishwasher.
5. Encourage your child to do things on her own: put on her socks, pull up her pants, carry a cup to the sink or fetch a book.
6. Have a daily sit-and-read time together.
7. Buy a potty chair, a dozen pairs of training pants, four or more elastic-waist pants or shorts and a supply of pull-up diapers or disposables with a feel-the-wetness sensation liner.

allergies in babies

Solving your babies' allergy

An allergy is a reaction caused when your immune system overreacts to certain harmless substances (allergens) and attacks it with an antibody causing an allergic reaction such as itching, a rash or swelling. The most common allergies in babies are asthma and eczema with around one fifth of babies suffering from either or both. This is often hereditary, so expect your child to be affected if either of the parents suffer from allergies.

Eczema
There are two types of eczema: infantile seborrheoic eczema which shows as a greasy, scaly rash and affects around half of all babies under twelve months. It doesn't usually need treatment and will go away by the time she is one, and Atopic eczema makes the skin dry, inflamed and flaky. It is treated with steroid creams and antihistamins to soothe the skin. Try to keep the outbreaks to a minimum by:

• Vacuuming every day to reduce dust mites.
• Dress her in cotton clothing and use cotton bedding.
• Use a non-bio washing powder.
• Keep her finger nails short and use scratch mittens at night to stop her scratching the rash.
• There is a good chance your child's atopic eczema will clear up in her early teens.

Asthma
Asthma is usually caused by an allergic reaction that swells the airways making it difficult for the child to breathe, although it can also be caused by a cold or virus. You can help to reduce the severity and frequency of attacks by:

• Not using air fresheners and similar household chemicals
• Stopping smoking.
• Vacuuming daily to reduce house dust mites. Also vacuum curtains and bedding, and try to keep cuddly toys out of the bedroom.
• Not keeping pets if there is a family history of animal allergies.
• Breastfeeding for the first six months if at all possible. This will give your child some antibodies not found in formula milk.