Introducing Fruits

I began LO on mashed fruits at the beginning of 5th month.. mash a fruit.. banana etc and start feeding gradually.. many say start with veggies because if we start fruits they might not like the tart taste of the veggies. I could not get carrots for a while in the village I stay and so I started off with banana and am yet to try the veggie purees on her :).

Banana we can mash directly, for the starters take out the seeds and scrape and feed the outer soft layer to go easy on the baby tummy.. some people add mishri/patiki bellam/sugar chips to the mash but I prefer giving the fruit in its original form, so no added flavors ;).




Starting apple is different... I boil the apple in the pressure cooker... just steam it actually, no water in the bowl, keep it for 3 whistles, let it cool down, take out the skin, remove the seeds and feed the pulp.


This is half apple for the starters

Storing Baby Food

Image Source
Mee lo evaraina veg purees ni "ice cubes" ga store chesi use chesevallu vunnara?
Nenu recent ga babycenter lo ee article chadhivaanu. Fridge lo vunna veggies lo nitrates form ayye chance vunthundhi anta, so fresh veggies ni boil chesinaaka puree chesi ice cubes ga freezer lo store chesthe manchidhi ani raasaaru ee below article lo. So am just curious if any of u are following or followed this method or know anyone who followed it.
http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-make-your-own-baby-food_1401482.bc

Cold

It seems babies can catch cold up to 8 times an year, which means misery days and nights to both the kids and the parents, seeing them unable to breathe and sniffle..and my doctor says that it is good that the kid suffers them in the first year of life and get immunity.. I am not really sure if he was consoling/comforting a miserable me or if it is true but I have heard the same opinion a few more times, so for my convenience, I choose to believe it :).. that it is good for them~!!

A few tips that I gathered and attest by experience with LO are
1. Saline nasal drops, one or two drops at a time, hourly or so until the breathing is easy.
2. Virus is the cause of cold not bacteria, so keep away from antibiotics as much as possible.
3. Use ear buds or nasal aspirator very gently to clean the baby nose when it is dripping.
4. Usually they are gone within 3 to 5 or at the max 7 days, if it still doesn't go, then is the cause of concern. If the baby has this snore-type of breathing/wheezing continuously (guraka laaga) then better get the kid checked to see if the lungs are clear or not.
5. Keep the baby's head elevated on a pillow to allow easy breathing.
6. Rubbing Vicks on the foot and covering immediately with socks.
7. Eucalyptus oil or Zinda Tilismat drops on a handkerchief placed next to the kid's pillow.
8.  Crush Vaamu or Ajwain and put it in a transparent cloth and let the kid smell it.

If you are in the habit of giving head-bath daily to the baby, just skip it until the kid is cold-free.

Cold and ear ache
******************
Continued cold and earache kind of go hand in hand with the kids, so if the kid is extremely fussy, pulling out on ears or hair or both of them and showing signs of pain then give a bit of pain reliever and see. If this is accompanied with bouts of fever, then the kid has an infection and needs to be treated emergently, so contact the doctor.

**TIP**
Mix Tea Tree oil 2 drops and almond oil and clear the ear with earbud tip, it works for infections, try not to poke it deep inside.

****
Home Remedies and Some more
^^Use humidifier in room and if baby is breast feeding mom should drink lots of water.
^^Use aspirator to pull the mucus, be very cautious when using the aspirator and make sure what is already sucked out is not going in.
^^Do the bathroom steam therapy.. Run the hot shower for a while, say about 20 minutes closing the bathroom door which would allow accumulation of steam in the room, sitting with the baby in the room for about 15 minutes would help.(I PERSONALLY DO NOT LIKE IT BECAUSE OF THE WATER USAGE/WASTAGE PART).
^^Also Vapour plug-Unit is a good remedy which can found in any store in US, we just need to plug them in baby's room they will sleep through the night.. they are non-alcoholic, it contains eucalyptus oil, so you can go for it.....
^^The facial steamers that we use for facial would help but it should be kept at a safe distance from the baby, pour some water in it, put some vicks in it and leave it on in a room.. the room will have vicks smell and it will give some relief.
^^Heat the coconut oil until it is a little warm, mix camphor (karpuram) and apply on the baby's chest like you are massaging.
^^Applying eucalyptus oil or nilgiri oil or Zinda Tilismat to a hand kerchief and keeping next to the baby's pillow would help in easy breathing.
^^If the baby is a little older, then taking the kid to the restroom and sucking out all the mucous when their nose is dripping (mukku cheedadam) would allow free breathing.

*Tried and Tested***
Take a few garlic pods, grate them/smash them into pulp, add a little turmeric to the pulp, add a little gingelly oil/sesame oil.. just heat it a little on the stove on low flame either in a big spoon or a plate and let it cool down and put it on the baby's head (maadu meeda jeelakarra bellam pettinattluga pettali).

Just garlic pod pulp and turmeric into a pulp and placing on top of the head also would work really well.

****

DO NOT PUT ANYTHING IN THE EAR OF AN INFANT UNTIL AND UNLESS THE DOCTOR RECOMMENDS IT. SOME PEOPLE POUR CASTOR OIL, COCONUT OIL, ETC, WHICH ONLY CAUSES HARM IN SUCH SMALL BABIES... PLEASE AVOID THAT.

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Shopping Places in Hyderabad

In Hyderabad
Chermas
Dayal's(abids lo Hollywood pakka lane lo meena bazar extension pakka shop)
Ameerpet lo lots of shops
Kalaniketan(Somajiguda)
Abids Chermas deggara aa road loney chaala kids wear shops unnayi
Big Bansal's, Ameerpet.
1) Economic - but good variety - you get from daily wear to party wear - CHERMAS - PREFERRABLY ABIDS - they get new stock every week.

2) Costly - A little pricey but party wear - definitely requires maintenance but has lot of variety in terms of choice - range will be >1K and can go near 6-7K... (avunandi india is more expensive now) - BIG BANSALS - BASHEERBAGH

3) Traditional Indian readymade pattu lange and jacket - NALLI BEGUMPET..

Skin conditions, bathing, tips.

DO NOT KISS THE BABY ON CHEEKS OR FOREHEAD WITH THE LIPS, THE BABY SKIN EXTREMELY DELICATE AND IF YOU HAPPEN TO KISS THE SALIVA AND OTHER PARTICLES TEND TO IRRITATE THE SKIN, SO IF THERE IS A RASH ON THE CHEEKS FIRST CHECK OUT IF THAT IS THE REASON.

Bath and Applying Cream
**************************
Massage with any oil of your choice/what suits the baby's skin/vennapoosa (butter from butter milk)/ perugu or paala meeda meegada before giving bath to the baby. oil/vennapoosa before giving bath to the baby, that would be of great help and help in preventing the dryness or moisture loss due to applying soaps or sunnipindi on the child's body.

Apply any cream of choice that suits the baby's skin or recommended by the doctor to whole body just immediately after bath when the body is still moist after patting it dry.

If possible use glycerin baby soap.

If there is extreme dryness of the skin then wipe the baby's body with a wet cloth and after drying apply the cream about 4 to 5 times or more if you see the skin is getting dry.

BABY ECZEMA
It is more common in the kids born in US than the kids in India and it is not a serious condition if care is taken from the very start. Doctors treat with steroids if the condition is serious otherwise just do with topical application of creams and lotions, in either case we need to do things under doctor's supervision because if not treated baby eczema can lead to allergies/asthma, etc.

As per my doc, it can be seen in kids with family history of allergic conditions/eczema/asthma/dermatitis etc and it is very very common occurrence in infants across the world. It is nothing but an extreme dry skin condition. To cure it initially they would give steroids/hydrocortisone cream, avoid exposing the kid to water for long time, nalugu/massage should be avoided until doctor's consent, and it is aggrevated during winter because of heater usage, keep the settings at bare minimum, use more layered clothing, and use a humidifier in their case. It usually does not cause pain but is very irritating and itchy for the kids and the skin appearance and all would be heart-breaking for the parents :(. Do not use powder, keep the body moisturized always.

If and if using cooler/heater (artificial conditioning) use a humidifier for sure.

If there is a rash, applying it just over the rash wont help, apply it all over the body, as and when you feel the skin is getting dry, keep re-applying it. Cetaphil is the best by my personal experience. If possible use Cetaphil soap as well which would help.

Baby acne is so common for the kids born in US. There are a lot of moisturizers in the market like JnJ, Aquaphor, Euceriene, Aveeno and Cetaphil. If either of the parents has an extremely dry skin, the kid might get this problem.

If possible use cotton clothing at the max in all possible ways.

IF THE BABY'S SKIN GETS DRY AND HAS ACNE, THEN AVOID USING SUNNIPINDI AND SEE FIRST BEFORE ANY INTERVENTION.

First check this link for parents guide on children's personal care products.... http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide/EWG_parentsguide.pdf
For dry skin, do proper oil massage (only after 3 months) and after bath apply moisturizer.. use only a few products which are fragrance free..

check about more products on this website http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide/

Travel Items/Tips To India With Kid

Items to carry to India when traveling with a kid

1) Diapers ( I did not like the quality of the diapers available in India, tought they r the same brand),
2) Johnson's Baby Cream, Soap and Powder,
3) Winter Clothings(jackets, shoes, socks ...),
4) Tylenon Cold and Cough Syrup (check their exp. date before purchasing),
5) Kids Multi-Vitamin Chewable tablets or other stuff tht ur kid likes to eat,
6) Lots and lots of toys and books( Leap-pad, Disney laptop, Magnetic writing board,....),
7) Baby Einstein CDs, Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes CD, and other CDs tht he enjoys watching the most here,
8) His fav. cartoon char Bowls, Spoons and sipper cups(for milk and water),
9) His fav. cartoon char t-shirts,
10) and finally, a high resolution camera and camcorder :)

These r all I can remeber now, will post if i remember more.

When u r in India , dont take him out very often, initially. They catch infections very fast. So try to avoid tht in the initial days and everything will go fine.

Additions
Do take long sleeves skirts ..akkada dorakatam kastam
Winter caps kuda tessukunni vellu
Feeding bottles /Sippy cups ..If you are staying for long my use the during travel
Formula powder for travel ..India loo kanukovachu
Gum cleaner with brush ekkada baguntayi
Chinni stroller for travel

dnt think they sell tylenol cold n cough any longer. over the counter cold medications for infants r banned in the US. So if ur baby catches cold (it invariably will...coz of the flight journey and climate in India) take him to the doc. Anti biotics r a must in India for cold unlike in US.
Take enough baby food, cereals depending on how long u r gonna stay.
tylenol and infant's motrin (fever reducer)
dont bring johnsonz product...u get a good range here and they r cheaper too.
the only thing i bought is johnson's cornstarch. they sell only talc here....
disposable bottle like playtex dropins and ample liners (these r a life saver during flight journey and the initial days)
Travel ones-sterlized travel wipes....handy to clean any kind of mess or if u want to sterlize any area ur kid might tough if u take him out
diapers...regardless of many u bring u r bound to run out of them....Pamper's active baby is good though not as good as the swaddlers we get here....
baby immunization record. make sure u talk to ur pediatrician and find out if u need to give ur baby any shots in india....

dont take ur baby out and clean the room with savlon whenver needed...
dont start giving him regular milk whilst in india....give him the formula...water....boiled, filtered...
inspite of all the precautions my lil tyke fell sick...hez ok now but cant blame his age! he wants to chew whatever he lays his eye on

Courtesy: Pushpa, Sangeeta, Visa

Milk Queries

Can we carry ready to use milk in the flight.I am traveling to India with my 4 months baby..Suggest me if any precautions to take during flight journey..

If you are talking about baby formula, I think it should be fine. Last time when my mother took my younger son to India, she tried to carry the hot water with her for mixing the formula powder, security stopped her and tested the water. Then only they let her go. While bringing him back even my inlaws told they secuirty people threw the water before they got into the flight

Earache
Put cotton in the child's ears. And try to feed him/her when the flight takes off. Otherwise because of the disturbance in the ears they would start crying.
Meds to Take
next week india ki ikkadi ninchi baby ki emi medicines thesukoni vellali
Take those mosquito wipes, Infant's Motrin, aspirator, saline drops, neosporin ointment. Cold vasthey akkada gaurantee medicines istaru...ikkadavi saripovu akkada cold ki...

Mosquito repellent spray kaani..wipes kaani pattuku vellandi..try for "Deet- free" repellent ex: Natrapel.
If you are taking a repellent spray, roju baby ki battalu maarchinappudalla..spray it on the dress (not the body) at the front and the back.

Saline drops teesuku vellandi..

Another Response
Formula
Diapers
clothes - bodysuits, rompers
Food- Cereal, Stage 2 food (shd i take stage 3 too??? )
Bottles
Dropins Bottles with dropins
Spare nipples
Wash cloths
Bibs
Disposable bibs
Disposable changing pads
Wipes
Wet ones
Diaper rash
Mylicon
Tylenol
Infant's Motrin
Nasal Spray
Aspirator
Thermometer
Few toys/rattles
Bedtime lullaby CD
Blankets
Kudirithey Nursery water (for travel outside)

Ear Piercing

The stud is the gunshot stud at the time of piercing... and the hanging is the traditional earring, the pair weighing 0.9 gms (age 6th month).

This is one thing that needs a lot of thinking before going about.. Piercing a baby girl's ears.. the right age, the right time, the model everything is a question, especially since it involves making a hole in those perfect ears, the pain that would ensue, the beauty it would add on, the tradition that is carried forward.. a lot of things.. chaala chaala untay alochinchalsinavi.

My ears were pierced when I was 11 months old it seems.. it is usually a tradition in some places to pierce the ears and do the gundu at the same time usually in the odd months once the baby's fontanel (maadu) is hard.. let me go into the gundu aspect later on. I have got quite a few things to bother about before thinking about mundan ceremony. Some get it done for the boy kids too.

The tradition my family is to get it done in a Nagendraswamy Temple or near a paamu putta where a goldsmith comes and pierces the ears with a ring type of ornament. Babies cry for a while and then forget (that is indeed a gift, I just would blow the top if something like that were to be done to me at this age).

Some people who want to be extra cautious go for piercing with a doctor, yeah even the doctors in India do that using Gunshot method, a simple method done with/without anesthesia (topical anesthesia/cream-like medicine which numbs the earlobe) and then staple of the stud chosen. Remove the stud in about a week and replace with gold earrings/studs whatever depending on the babies age. The lesser the weight, the better. I went with the doctor piercing but messed up later with changing :( which is a different story for a different post :(((((((((... which made me promise never to touch the baby's body again for beautification.

Okay coming to the point, it is called Karnavedha, a ritual performed by the priest in the temple or choice of location for piercing.

Right Age
There is nothing like it.. some say the earlier the better, some say the later the better, some like the OH would want to leave the choice to the kid after she grows up ;). I have seen people do this to 1-month old infants.

In my area/community, people get it done in odd years like 1st, 3rd, 5th at the max and that too in the odd months.

Precautions
Choose the right type of doctor/place/goldsmith.
Keep the studs/rings handy
Keep them very very light weight in case of babies.. less than a gram is ideal.
Have the markings properly.
Hold the head tightly and distract the kid by making them comfortable first.
Keep a comfort toy/food close by to get them distracted after the piercing.
Maintain good hygiene and see to it that the studs/rings are not stuck to baby's clothing initially and cause pain.

Options for piercing in US (inputs from people in US).

Done in the pediatrician's office, safe and best.

you can select 22k gold studs from Piercing Pagoda which is there in shopping malls...

Also CLAREs in JC PENNEY sourroundings.. they pierce free of cost but the studs should be bought from his store, 22 K available.They ask not to remove for 6 weeks and also an ointment for pain relief, check there.

Infected Ear Lobe
call the doctor immediately if there is pus at the site and the baby has fever.

If in case there is bleeding, wipe the area clean with saline/hydrogen peroxide or lukewarm water, do not use powders (my doc says they tend to block the view later and become hard at times), apply ointment like Fusidine or some antibacterial cream which gives pain relief... only topical application, see to it that the baby does not touch that and put the hands in the mouth.

Pain Relief

If in case, you are worried about ear piercing site pain.. annam pongu (the hot, ganji like sticky substance while cooking rice) should be applied on the site.

Coconut oil will also help relieve the pain.

Rice for Infants

So, the first thing that comes to mind after the ceremony is over is what am I going to feed the baby and how much.. there are quite a few doubts about it.

To begin with I started with a mix which is called gujjanakoodu (or gujji laanti koodu/annam)
measure is rice-cooker cup.
1 cup - Rice
1 cup - Pesarapappu and kandipappu (more of pesarapappu).
a pinch of vaamu.

Grind them softly for starters as the consistency should not be stuck in the throat.

1/2 tablespoon of this mix with water (approx. 1/2 cup) and cook it in a cooker, 3 full whistles and put it in sim-mode for 5 minutes. Some cook directly on the stove in a bowl, I personally prefer the cooker.. deggara undi tippakapote takkuva untundi kada adugu antipotundi..

Mash the already pasty mix and mix a pinch of salt and add ghee and feed the baby.. 2 tiny spoons first and then gradually increase depending on her appetite.

Dont worry if initially the baby has motions or throws up a little (not too much mind you) because the body is adjusting to the solids :).

Then gradually add thin sliced carrot pieces, green leafy veggies, etc. one after the other to this mix and cook and feed..

LO meal saranjaama... water bottle, ghee, the mashed meal... the spoon in the pic is the rice&pulse mix - 1/2 tbsp

The pic above is the mix cooked with carrot and mashed properly with a little bit of rasam.. it comes to approximately the size of a medium-sized lemon.. nimmakaayanta autundi mottam kalipite. We can add rasam to it after about 10 to 15 days of starting rice.

Good luck to mom's because now starts the operation-feed/push down the throat starts ;).

Once the baby's body gets used to the solid form start adding carrot pieces/beets/greens(aakukooralu) to the rice mix, mash it thoroughly and feed.. but remember add one after the other slowly, see how the baby's tummy reacts and then go about to the next level/next item.

A great nutrition value rice mix is suggested by Sushma which I paste below

nenu idi eenadu paper(sukhibhava) lo choosi follow ayanu..after the baby completed 6 months..doc chala manchidi pedutunnaru ani kooda annaru.

idi nenu dabba lekalo cheppagalanu..dabba ante any cup like the one v get wid rice cooker..
2 cups rice.
1 cup mixed grains(wheat,ragi,jowar,bajra,maize)
1 cup mixed pulses(toor dal-koncham aniti kante ekkuva,urad dal,bengal gram,pesarapappu)
1 cup mixed nuts(groundnut,cashew nut,badam)
5-6 kismiss,
3 cardamom pods.

rice,grains n pulses annitini vidividi ga clean chesi sun dry cheyyandi.veetini oka pan lo okkokati fry cheyyali koncham smell vachedaka..taravatha mixie lo pulses n grains veyyandi nuts,kismiss n cardamom veyyandi..make it into smooth pwdr..last lo rice veyyandi.mee baby tine dani batti idi coarse or smooth pwdr la cheyyandi..

1 spoon of this will be sufficient for a baby's meal. oka cup water lo ee powder kalipi koncham salt n one spoon ghee vesi porridge ayye daka stove meeda pettandi..mee baby tine consistency batti dincheyyandi..

u can give this directly..or add some rasam or curds to this.

i hv been giving my daughter the same for abt 4 months now..once a day..

Annaprasana

I DO NOT CHECK MY BLOG REGULARLY ANY MORE, PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME QUESTIONS GIVING THE DATE OF BIRTH.  MY CHILD IS AN 8-YEAR-OLD NOW AND I HARDLY REMEMBER HOW CONFUSING AND COMPLICATED EVERYTHING WAS BACK THEN.. I STILL KEEP THIS BLOG UP JUST FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT NEED HELP.. BUT PLEASE DO NOT EXPECT ME TO RESPOND AND ABUSE FOR NOT RESPONDING.

Image Source

What got me going about this blog is my hunt for this post by Sushma.. the rice/pulse mix for the starters.. just after annaprasana, babyki pettadaaniki semi-solid consistency toti rice. The hunt after 'n' number of previous page hits was a success and there I saw quite a few questions on baby cold/cough/fever repeating time and again.. primarily due to lack of time to check the previous page in a thread with posts more than a 1000, came the idea of collating the data at one place for my reference as well as for those who might need it... okay okay let me put an end to the blah blah and get to the point of post.

Usually, it coastal AP, India, we go for annapraasana or introduction to solids in 6th month.. 6th month 6th day kanaka cheste nakshatram, vaaram, muhurtam dosham lekundaa cheseyyocchu ani nammakar. Some also go by even months for boy babies and odd months for girl babies, look at muhurtham and all and start off.

I personally went with the first choice 6th month 6th day. The ceremony as per Hindu rituals includes a preliminary pooja and also placing of a few things infront of the infant to see what he/she holds or catches first time. The items include
1. Book.
2. Pen.
3. Fruit/food items.
4. Gold.
5. Money.
6. Knife.
7. Some play item.
8. Flowers.

Items might vary as per the custom/tradition of the area.. I had these things.


The items in this pic are the aftermath of the event... got no decent picture without me or the baby, if anyone can provide the items pic, would be glad to replace

The kid is laid on a carpet on the floor with these things laid out at equal distance and whatever he/she holds 1st is the area of interest for his/her rest of their lives is the belief. I dont believe it personally, 'cos the kids tend to go for whatever is closest to them or whatever is eye-catching but the fun part of it made me go for that. By the way my little one (LO) went for a combo.. bananas placed on top of book and pen, touching all three at once and pulling out the bananas.. multitasking ;).

Then comes the part where the parents, mother and father, feed the baby annam paayasam/paravannam with a finger ring, usually father's or some elderly person in the family, preferably God-idol unna ring, dipped in the bowl and making the baby lick and officially the baby is started on solids from that day. Then grandparents, relatives, friends etc., whosoever present at the event site will feed the baby and bless him/her..


Manchineellu, paala buvva, official first meal.The recipe to the porridge (paravannam is simple).

No elaborate cooking... just plain and simple cooking rice to paste consistency with milk instead of water and jaggery and a little honey and a little ghee to top it. no nuts/nut powder or elaichi..

Most of the babies do not actually crawl by 6th month, so not an issue.. it is just a ritual or a formality, keep stuff near the baby let her/him touch it and go ahead with feeding regularly.

PS:  For those in doubt regarding a confusion in the dates, pls. scroll through the comments and calculate accordingly.  I dont really see comments on a day to day basis and end up seeing some comments way past the date some of you want to know... there are a few examples, figure it out through that.

I DO NOT CHECK MY BLOG REGULARLY, SO PLEASE REFRAIN FROM ASKING QUERIES ABOUT DATES. 

New Beginning..

A new entrant in the world of babies and moms... learning from other moms, giving my gyaan and gathering theirs with one aim and goal better parenting... Thanks to TIA moms for being so supportive with instant replies... so, here goes a token of appreciation for you all.

Hope to be very diligent in updating the data.. wishing all the babies of the world good health and their moms loads and loads of patience!!