Motions/Diarrhea

Diarrhea is something which drains out all the energy from an individual and more so in an infant. If the kid is passing stool say about 10 times a day in normal regular consistency and color also it is not an issue if it is his/her routine but if suddenly out of the blue there is an increase in frequency, pain with stool, watery/liquidy stool, say around 20 or so at a stretch then it is the cause of concern and the kid needs to be taken to the doctor immediately. I have never had the problem with diarrhea until very recently. When the kiddo started with the problem, my initial reaction was ohh okay she is teething, the gums are hard and that is why.. but then when the frequency increased to alarming proportions to the point where just water was being forced out, I was panicky.

The first thing the hospital staff told me to do was
It is common to have diarrhea while teething dont rush to the hospital until and unless absolutely must.
**Stop giving milk, fruits, juice.
**make the kid drink ORS packs available specially for kids or give a pinch of salt and a palmful of sugar in a glass of boiled and cooled water over a period of time.
**To feed the kid rice, boiled vegetables, etc.
**To give saggubiyyam jaava (sago) prepared in water and sugar.
**To give annam ganji (water while cooking rice), pappu teta (water after boiling daal)
**To give diluted buttermilk in pinch of salt and sugar as mentioned above.
** To basically keep hydrating the kid before I take her to the hospital or before the diarrhea subsides.
**To start with Pedialyte. (my kid was totally adamant about drinking it, so I had to mix formula with that and feed her. :(.)

Hygiene
One very essential thing to keep in mind is hygiene and cleaning up the baby thoroughly and wiping clean and dry immediately. If we are using diapers, we need to keep changing them very often and also apply coconut oil or some cream to avoid rashes. It is very common to have rashes during that period as the skin becomes sensitive. Keep the area dry and the kid comfortable.

If in spite of all these precautions, the problem does not get subsided, only then did the doctor go ahead with medical intervention by prescribing some medicine. It is not advisable to go for medicine just like that for kids and we need to exercise caution before subjecting them to medicines.

The doctor further advised me to go easy on Farex supplement that I was feeding her and asked me to go for Easum which is easily digestible for the tummy.
*****************
BRAT diet

B- Banana
R - Rice
A - Apple Sauce
T - Toast Bread

Home Remedies
***Nutmeg paste helps with diarrhea
***raw banana ..
just steam cooked raw banana with a pinch of salt is a very good stool binder
***one or two tea spoons of onion juice[ grated and pressed] works like magic....and avoid giving it to very sall babies...but on older kids and adults it works like magic.
***eat at least half cup of pomegranate seeds along with the white tails...if using for kids give them juice....if the child accepts give plain juice or else add a tsp of sugar. It not only controls motions but also regains taste(which is usually lost during dysentery).

Saggubiyyam jaava
Take sago and soak them for a while, then pour a tumbler full of water and boil them until the sago is totally mashed and in fact dissolves in the mix, add some sugar, cool it and keep giving it when the kid is hungry.

There will also be lack of appetite or maybe a lot of hunger whatever varying from kid to kid, if the kid is insisting on milk only and not eating/drinking any of the above, then instead of the regular milk/formula go for lactose-free stuff. Also, if breast-feeding, the mother should avoid dairy products.

In India, my doc prescribed NuSobee Casein instead of the routine formula.

Also of note, the problem with diarrhea is that it just not end immediately after it is cured, we need to bring back the kid to normal feeding routine and give back the essential nutrients to the tiny body again before they are absolutely fine and this does not mean that you overfeed them, moderate, clean, and timed nutrition intake is what is needed.

Some kids might not be able to take in normal milk even after they are done with the diarrhea because their body might not be producing enough stuff to absorb the lactose in the milk, so if the kid feels bloated, is gassy, and is fussy after starting back the normal milk, talk to your doctor and if possible stick on to lactose-free milk/formula for a little while after getting back to normal as their little tummies would still be lactose-intolerant.

Also, go a little easy on diary products immediately after the diarrhea bout.

The kid also might not be able to tolerate what she used to tolerate earlier like the same amount of feeds, so start back the normal feedings gradually and do not expect them to eat as they used to earlier to the diarrhea episode and go easy of strong and spicy foods if they are already introduced in the diet.

How Much Is Too Much

I had this problem and maybe a lot of moms have it still too... as to how much should the baby be fed and is the baby getting enough... no matter how much reassurance the doctor, the near and dear would give, a mom would still be worried as to the intake of the baby. If the baby is breast-fed then becomes more concerning 'cos we would not really know the intake. The simple answer is DONT WORRY, THE BABY WILL LET YOU KNOW

***If the baby is sleeping well, being non fussy, getting enough rest, she is feeding fine.
***If the baby is hungry and not getting enough, she will surely let you know bringing the roof down, so do not worry.
***If the baby is sleeping midway through feeding, keep trying after some time when she wakes up.
***If the baby is gaining adequate weight, then there is absolutely no issue at all... (I do not have a digital scale to weigh the baby, so I use mine. Like I take my weight first and then take the weight again with the baby, deduct the previous one and get the rough weight of the kiddo).. we do not know the exact to the point value but it would surely give an idea if is fluctuating too much.

The rough feeding guidelines in the sheet my doc gave me are (alternatively, you will find the nutrition guidelines on the formula pack that you are using for the baby).
0 to 1 week 2 oz --- 7 to 8 times a day.
1 to 2 weeks 3 oz --- 6 to 7 times a day.
3 to 4 weeks 4 oz --- 6 to 7 times a day.
1 to 2 months 5 oz --- 5 to 6 times a day.
2 to 4 months 6 oz --- 5 to 6 times a day.
******* (around 4th month most of us start the baby on solid feeds which means that there is less of drinking milk and some times they might even stop milk completely for a day or two), so we need to ensure that the baby is receiving adequate nutrition in any which way. If the baby is not receiving milk in the day, try feeding her at night or compensate it with mixing the milk in the foods/cereal she is eating, maybe we can give milkshakes/mix fruit pulp with milk, any way to get some milk in :).).
4 to 6 months 7 oz --- 4 to 5 times a day.
7 to 12 months 8 oz -- 4 times.

This should be more than enough and this counting would be easier if the baby is bottle-fed or fed expressed breast milk. However, if the baby is taking more, there is absolutely no issue about it. It depends on the baby's capacity, her metabolism, her body needs and all that. The feed times also might vary.. Initially I was asked to feed the baby every 2 hours or so about an ounce or so as much as she could drink but since the kid was too sleepy, she would drink more at a lengthy interval, which was also fine as per the doctor.

If the baby is not latching and for some reason, we are feeding expressed milk, it should be fine. The color and consistency wary from time to time from watery to white depending on the let down. The initial flow would be watery and then get thicker with the time and as the baby sucks or as we keep expressing. So, even if it is watery and looks pale yellow or watery, there is absolutely no need to worry.

Also, if the baby is drinking more, there is no need to worry about sugar levels, fat levels or anything.. it is just fine. Just imagine if the baby were breastfeeding we would not know how much is being fed, it could be more than we can imagine or want to give. It would depend on the milk letdown and the sucking speed and style of the baby, so there is no way to strictly say okay this is it, we need to stop it here or there is no way to say okay my baby is not taking enough.

Similarly, if the baby is drinking less also, it is not issue of concern as long as she is adequately hydrated, having sufficient wet/dry diapers, and gaining weight.

My baby was mostly bottle-fed, expressed milk fed, and some times she used to latch and basically a half and half breast milk and formula kid, so the only way I could know as to whether she was feeding well was through the number of wet and dry diapers. If the baby is peeing well and pees more than 10 times in a day, then there is no problem. Usually, exclusively breast-fed babies do not have a problem with constipation and it is quite normal to poo with each feed which, I am told by my doctor, is absolutely normal and healthy.

However, the bottle-fed babies are more prone to constipation and pebble-like stool or green colored stool because the formula could be iron-fortified and all that.

When bottle feeding, we need to make sure that each scoop filled is roughly the same amount that is specified for the scoop level.. like for example, I use Farex Infant 2 Formula which says 4.5 g per scoop which needs to be diluted with 1 oz or 30 mL of water. So, if I am preparing the formula, the scoop just needs to be filled and leveled with a knife lightly and should not be stuffed. Over-stuffing the scoop also can be one of the reasons to constipation as the baby is not getting enough of water for the feed.

Net-net, the thing is that there is no specific guide rule that the baby should be fed this much or that much, the baby's body and she herself will give us ample of cues to know that. Ensure that the baby's nutritional needs are met and the only way, we can know it as of now in the newborn stage is the number of diapers and the weight gain.

Dont think too much and enjoy the bonding time!!!

Potty Training

I guess one of the trickiest things in parenting is potty training and may the most toughest too.. since the kids do not have bladder control nor can they let us know when they feel uncomfortable, it is up to us to keep that in mind and take care of them.

There is this question/debate as to when to start the kid on training and I would say the Indian way is the best, as soon as the baby is standing on her feet or able to balance herself on feet when we prop her up.. In my case, 7 months. The baby is sitting up on her own and can stand a little when I give her my hand support. So, I decided to put her to training gradually with tips from my friends. Thank you Jaya, my buddy from office who helps me a great deal in everything I am unsure of... This would work out well for babies in India, am not aware as to how you can put it to practice abroad.

The procedure I am practicing as of now is

***As and when she wakes up, make sure to pick her up and make her stand in the bathroom and then she pees.. :).. sounds simple, but we might need to take some time to sit patiently until she does that, but once she gets in to the habit, it is really easy. So, after each nap and sleep, repeat the same. Maybe some prompting like making sounds like iiissss would be given as a cue and taking that cue, they would just pee.

***Similarly, by around 6 to 7 months, we would be aware of the time pattern of poop and make them sit on the trainer. Like say early morning after waking up is the time or say after each feed or twice a day or after a large meal (whatever it be, depending on the kid), then prop her up in the trainer and keep talking to her or playing with her on the trainer. It might take some time but eventually they would find it comfortable and it becomes a routine. Seems to be painstaking at the outset but if we start early, we would be like saving ourselves a lot of headache later on. But make sure that the kid is sitting up, balancing herself completely on her own before we head to this potty training.

***Also, if we closely observe the kid's face during poop times, there would be some change like maybe staring into space, making faces with irritation, making sounds (mukkadam) or maybe just fidgeting uncomfortably.. some cue or the other would be given if you just observe the kid closely, we can be aware of the facial feelings/moans etc and then set about bringing out the trainer initially.

Accidents do happen like they might have a sudden urge and all but by and large, regulating and establishing a routine earlier on saves us a lot of training tension later on.

The types of trainers are showing in the picture above.. one is sitting upright like in a chair and the other is sitting on the piggy back, we can choose whatever is comfortable for the baby.

I personally prefer the chair-like one as it has an engaging game rod to keep her from getting up as well as good support to sit when we are waiting for it to happen :). Also, the detachable bowl with a lid is very easy to clean up rather than the piggy back style which needs complete cleaning. Since it takes a lot of time initially to get used to, keeping them sitting in piggy back style wouldnt just work :(( as the kid just wants to get up, roll over, or play games out of boredom.



The chair-like trainer costs about 200 to 250 rs/-, is made of plastic which is easy on the baby's bottom as well as easy to wash and clean, is strong to carry up to 15 kgs (say around 2-year-olds can also use it).

Tip: Just pour a little water in the bottom vessel so that is easier to clean and flush..

Good luck and happy training!!!!

by the way, the problem with my method currently is... the kid pees whenever propped up with hands under her shoulders without any motivation ;), hope this is just the starting trouble.

Edited to Add:


http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Pooh-Soft-Potty-Seat/dp/B00064MULM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1265409287&sr=8-4

Courtesy: Lavanya.

The model above is easy to clean and more specifically useful for boys as it has a cup - Pee deflector.

In this process of potty training however the baby needs to undergo a 2-step transition, like learn it once in the trainer and then in the actual commode/Indian Style whatever. Especially if the training is started after the baby is walking around or sitting up on her/his own, it would be a great idea to use this one.

However, if it is early training session like mine, the trainer is the best, considering the kid is just about learning to sit or stand. An adult commode certainly is not a good idea 'cos a moment of distraction/lapse could mean a fall from height on a hard floor.

PS:- However, the downside to early training is that as the kid grows and starts walking around and learning stuff, he might just forget it.. so make sure that you do not take a break from these habits.. like using the potty regularly no matter what even if the kid is sick.. just do not give him/her a one off chance, if he/she gets used to doing it anywhere, it is really tough to get it back on track.

Reflux vs Spit-up vs Vomiting

Mild reflux (bringing back milk up after ingesting/drinking the milk), I am told by my physician, is very common in newborns and infants. If the baby is spitting up just a little at the time of burping it is absolutely fine, she is just bringing up the excess milk that has not reached her digestive track and that is perfectly alright and in fact that is the reason you burp your kid, to remove the excess gas/air bubbles ingested during the feeding either by breast or by bottle. It usually sets itself right by the time the baby is 3 to 6 months of age and would slowly fall in place. He also told me that spitting up about 10% of what is ingested on an average is not an issue of concern at all. Sreya used to throw up through her nose and mouth at times while feeding and as a new mom throwing up through nose was the most terrible thing to witness, not knowing what to do, what would happen and seeing helplessly as the baby is near-choking, in tears, and crying. But if you are alone at that time, crying with the baby wont work and we need to be more practical, so just get a grip on yourself and burp the kid definitely each and every time after a feed, even if it is taking a lot of time, trying various methods, get the kid burped. It would help if we burp the kid in between the feed and burp after completing as well if the baby is good at feeding.

Throwing up a little, might also mean that the baby is being overfed and during the burping the baby is bringing up the excess feed, so not an issue of concern.

If the baby is bottle-fed, make sure the bottle is sterilized and the bottle as well as the nipple are clean and sterile, ensure the feeds are prepared hygienically, warm water, clean hands, clean scoop, clean bottle and nipple along with a clean burp cloth. If possible, do not reuse the same burp cloth for the next feed.

Also, keep the baby' s head elevated all the time while sleeping.. this is very essential and my doc always insisted on elevation all the time to keep away from reflux and touchwood, it might have worked 'cos luckily as an infant Sreya never had serious reflux issues.

In spite of all this, if the kid is throwing up violently, mind you not spitting up but throwing up, like a projectile vomit, say up to about a foot or more, then it is of concern and can be called reflux and let the doctor know and get the kid on medication if need be.

If the kid is bottle-fed, maybe changing the formula would work if we notice excessive throwing up than normal, but do this after consulting the physician.

If breast-fed, then the mother avoiding the dairy products during feeding period might be of great help, check it out before trying anything else.

So, in short the symptoms can be varying from moderate to severe degree of

• spitting up
• throwing up violently in a projectile manner up to about a distance of about a feet or more.
  
• coughing up during feeds
  
• poor feeding habits
  
• blood in the stools
• mucousy vomit
• irritability and fussiness throughout the feeding and even after wards...

If the above symptoms are noticed after every feed, then it is a concern, rest is all normal.. so please do not worry first-time moms and spare yourself the tension..

Happy feeding!!!

A tip by Padma
try tummy time for 5 mins after each feeding apart from burping, it helps. But be sure you are there to monitor when the baby is on tummy. 5 weeks ee kada chala chinnadi.. so oka vela moham meda padina... roll over to her back

Washing Baby Car Seat

Normal cleaning agent mixed with water in a bucket. Take a cloth and dip in the water solution and rub it on the car seat or soak a sponge in the water and clean the surface. dry in the sun.

Toy Ideas

The train, top, rattles, and the nested toys..

I used to love my childhood toys, the lakka pidatalu I used to call them, the cooking set, the touch of color. Those were the toys from Etikoppaka. A wonderful place. I once heard about an organization which collects unused or used and stored-away toys for children in orphanages, slums, etc. and felt okay, why do we need to do that.. why dont we gather books, clothes, or money and get them educated. How wrong was I ? When I see the glow in my daughter's eyes when she sees or plays with a toy, when I see the school kids come play with my daughter wholeheartedly with her toys and feel really really grateful for that, I realize why. That is CHILDHOOD, the joy, the unadulterated happiness that comes with small pleasures, toys, that is... I have decided that I would go ahead and give away all the kid's toys once she grows up keeping just a couple of them for keepsake.

Toy selection is a huge task, but the traditional wooden toys made out of non-toxic tree dyes, and vegetable dyes are the ones that I prefer for the kiddo apart from the whole range of educational toys from Fisher-Price or Funskool.

On one hand, it would be like encouraging the handicrafts of India and on the other, it is good for her to chew on or play with which she does most of the times and yeah they are washable too..

I got her first rattle from Kalanjali, a bit too expensive is what I felt later on when I got the same from the local exhibition the other day for another kid... the rattle that cost me 150 at Kalanjali, cost me just 25 in the exhibition. Was there any difference, minimal if any. So, I would say, do visit those handicraft exhibitions and help the craftsman rather than feed the already rich mall owners.

Also, I personally prefer wooden/cloth toys rather than the plastic ones.. green parenting :).. but you can ask me what is green about cutting down the trees and making them into toys... point!! BUT I would rather have my kid lick/suck/bite on non-toxic dye toys than the plastic ones, which can cause lead poisoning or something like that.

The nested Indian dolls... the set of 6 nested in each other, love this one..

I remember playing with mud, sand, pebbles when I was a kid storing them in each doll :). However, for the LO I take out the last 3 and give the remaining set, 'cos I am a little scared she might choke on them. It is very much affordable too 150/- I would say is a steal for the amount of work put in for this one... and yes, the train cost me 180/-, the long rattle 25/-, and the round rattle was from Kalaanjali that cost me 150/-... and guess what the tiny toy in the first pic is, it is a top :) at 10/-. How lucky LO is, I remember the days when I used to make a top or get one made by my granny used black clay and a broom stick stem (cheepuru pulla).. but yeah, the joy of a hand-made top is altogether different :).

PS: Originally posted in my personal blog, I paste it here 'cos it might be a reference material :).

Stuff given in US hospitals...

Ikkada US lo most of the hospitals lo below things free gaa istharu. But you need to ask them before leaving hospital after delivery.

Receiving blankets
Nipple shield
Overnight-extra heavy pads and panties (ask for extra)
Douche( sitz bath over the bowel)
Spray bottle
baby nose bulb
diaper bag
extra diapers and wipes for baby
Baby Thermometer
formula
dress for baby
baby heal cream after blood drawn
manual breast pump

0.5% Hyrdocortisone cream or lanolin nipple cream
Applying the above cream from around 1-month before delivery supposedly lessens nipple soreness after delivery...