weaning

Parents Information

Contents

* What do Babies need to form a balanced diet?

* Weaning

* ABC of Potty Training

Health and Nutrition: What do Babies Need to form a balanced diet?

While the saying 'you are what you eat' may be an over used statement, it is in reality not far from the truth. Health experts now suggest that what we eat in childhood has implications for our future health. Consequently, it's crucial for parents to encourage their child to enjoy a varied diet as soon as possible.

Breast, Formula and cow's milk

For the first six months of your babies life, breast or formula milk provides all the nutrients and nourishment that your baby needs. Breast or formula milk should form a major part of his or her life up until a year old when cow's milk can then

be introduced.

experts firmly believe that breast milk is best for baby, since it provides the correct balance of vitamins, minerals and fats in a readily digestable form. Breast milk contains the antibodies necessary to fight off infections, and research shows that it may aslo improve mental developement in the long term.

Fruit and vegetables

Fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables are an essential part of a baby's diet. They are perfect first foods, providing rich amounts of vitamins, minerals and fibre. From six months, try to give at least four to five different types of fresh produce a day to your baby.

Dairy foods

Milk cheese and yogurt provide protein, vitamins and minerals, particularly calcium for healthy bones and teeth. Cow's milk can be used in cooking from six months but not given as a drink befor a year old. Skimmed cow's milk is not recommended before your child is five years old as it lacks the energy a growing child requires.

Protein foods

Meat, fish, eggs, lentils, beans, cheese and soya are all good sources of protein essential for your baby's growth and repair. Your child should be given a protein source at every meal offering a good variety of different types of protein.

Breads, Cereals and potatoes

Breads, cereals and potatoes are an excelent source of energy, vitamins, minerals and fibre. These foods along with pasta, rice and low sugar breakfast cereals should form a major part of the diet. Do not give wheat based foods to babies under six months old.

Sweet Foods

Babies seem to have a naturally sweet tooth and the sweetness of breast milk may be partly to blame. There is nothing wrong with the occasional sweet treat but be aware that sugar can rot teeth, create hyperactivity and lead to obesity.

Salty foods

Don't add salt to food for babies and young children as their kidneys are insufficiently mature enough to cope with salt. If you are cooking for the whole family seperate your child's portion before adding any seasoning. Do not add commercialy treated stocks and yeast based spreads to your babies foods as they do contain salt.

Baby Health and Nutrition: Weaning

Weaning a baby can bring a lot of anxiety and confusion for a lot of parents. There is so much contradicting advice such as when is a good time to start weaning? What foods are best to begin with? What foods and at what stages. Let's just try and take the anxiety out of this wonderful time of bonding between a parent and baby.

Introducing solid food to your baby should not cause unnecessary anxiety, it should be exciting, relaxed and fun for both parent and baby. After all it is a new stage of growth for your baby and is usually a relativly easy transition. If mum and dad are relaxed and show that they are enjoying introducing the food to their baby then baby will be relaxed too.

When is your baby ready?

Your baby is ready to take his or her first food from six months onwards. Experts agree that a baby's digestive system is too immature for solids before this age. Weaning a baby too early can put stress on the kidneys, as well as trigger possible allergies. Breast or formula milk provides all the nutrients a baby needs for the first six months.

First foods to introduce

* To begin with offer your baby a little baby rice on the tip of a plastic spoon, a little thicker than the consistency of formula milk.

* Don't expect your baby to take more than a tablespoon of baby rice at one serving remember that slowly introducing foods is better for baby's digestive system and is good way of getting baby used to the consistency.

* After the first week try mixing fruit or vegetable purees either on there own or mixed with baby rice to enable your baby to get used to new tastes. wash the fruit and vegetables thoroughly and peel them, removing any cores or pips.

* By about the third or fourth week and if your baby is happily accepting the food that you are offering him or her, you can start to increase the number of solid feeds from one to three a day.

* Introduce new foods gradually and if a new food is rejected leave it and try again in a few weeks time, alternatively combine it with baby rice or another type of puree to disguise it.

Weaning guidelines

* Don't force feed your baby, eating is a new skill, which must be accomplished gradually.

* Be scrupulous with hygiene, make sure all spoons and bowls are sterilised and don't store any leftover food for later use, all uneaten food should be thrown away after use.

* Choose the right time to introduce solids, it's important to pick a time when you're not rushed and your baby is not feeling too tired or hungry.

* face to face interaction is important, try to be as encouraging as possible when feeding your baby.

Catrina is a Nutritional Therapist and is available to give advice and guidance for new parents with babies and toddlers.

ABC of potty training

� A -- Assess your child's readiness

� B -- Buy the right equipment

� C -- Create a routine

� D -- Ditch the nappy

� E -- Explain the process

� F -- Foster independence

� G -- Grab some training pants

� H -- Handle setbacks gracefully

� I -- Introduce night training

� J -- Jump for joy -- you're done!

Most parents eagerly anticipate potty training as a milestone in their child's development -- if for no other reason than that it means an end to changing nappies. But few mums and dads are prepared for how long it can take. Yes, some children get it within a few days. But many more take several months. You and your child have a better chance of success if you know the basics of training and can make the process clear to your child.

A -- Assess your child's readiness

Most people begin training when their child is about two, but some kids may not be ready until well into their fourth year. Watch for the right signs, such as imitating others' bathroom habits, and don't pressure your child to start before he's ready. It's worth running through a basic checklist to see if he is ready.

B -- Buy the right equipment

First and foremost, this means investing in a child-sized potty or a special seat to attach to your regular toilet. Whichever you choose, make sure your child can stabilise himself with his feet so he can push when he's having a bowel movement. You may also want to pick up an explanatory picture book or video for your child to help him get interested in training.

C -- Create a routine

Sit your child fully clothed on the potty seat once a day -- after breakfast, before his bath, or whenever else he's likely to have a bowel movement . This allows him to get used to the potty and accept it as part of his routine. If he doesn't want to sit on it, that's okay. Never restrain him or physically force him to sit there. And especially don't push the issue if he seems scared.
In both cases, it's better to put the potty away, or at least aside, for a few weeks or a month and then try again. If he's willing to sit there, fine. But at this stage, don't even try to explain why he should use it; you just want him to get used to the thing. Make sure it's always in a convenient place -- since it's portable, your child's potty can be used in the garden or the playroom.

D -- Ditch the nappy

Sit your child on the potty seat without a nappy. Again, let him get used to what it feels like to sit there this way. At this point you can start explaining that this is what Mummy and Daddy (and any older siblings) do every day. That is, undressing before you sit down to go to the bathroom is the grownup thing to do.
If he gets the idea and produces something, that's fine. But don't push him to perform. Again, wait until he's ready and demonstrates a clear interest in using the toilet on his own.

E -- Explain the process

It may help to show your child where his bowel movements go. The next time he goes in his nappy, take him to his potty, sit him down, and empty the nappy beneath him into the bowl. This will help him make the connection between sitting and producing. After you've emptied his potty into the big toilet, let him flush it if he wants to (but don't make him do it if he's scared) so he can see where it goes. Teach him to dress himself and wash his hands when he's done.

F -- Foster independence

Encourage your child to use his potty whenever he feels the urge to go. But make sure he knows that he can tell you, too, and that you'll take him to the bathroom whenever he wants you to. If you can, let him run around sometimes without a nappy (or any clothing below the waist), with the potty nearby. Tell him he can use it whenever he wants to and remind him occasionally that it's there if he needs it.

G -- Grab some training pants

You may like to try using training pants. Some children like them and they help, others just think of them as a slightly different type of nappy and they defeat the object of the exercise. Some children are encouraged by having real underwear instead.

H -- Handle setbacks gracefully

Virtually every child will have several accidents before being completely trained during the day and at night. Don't get angry or punish your child; after all, it's only recently that his muscles have developed sufficiently to allow him to hold his bladder and rectum closed at all. Mastering the process will take time. When he has an accident, calmly clean it up and suggest that next time he try using his potty instead.

I -- Introduce night training

Even when your child is consistently clean and dry all day, it may take him several more months or years to master night training, so don't throw away his nappies just yet. At this age, his body is still too immature to reliably wake him up in the middle of the night just to go to the bathroom. You can help cut down on wet nights by not letting him drink too much before bedtime and telling him that if he does wake up in the middle of the night he can call to you to help him get to the potty. You can also try leaving his potty near the bed in case he wants to use it.

J -- Jump for joy -- you're done!

Believe it or not, when your child is ready to learn this new grown-up skill, he will. And if you wait until he's really ready to start, the process shouldn't be too painful for either of you. He will eventually be trained, and you won't have to think about it again -- at least, not until the next baby...

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