The Best First Food for Baby

Is infant cereal (also known as baby rice) the best first food for baby? Are there alternatives to baby rice that may be a better option?


Why is baby rice so commonly introduced as baby's first food?

Well, there are several reasons - the main one being that it is the first food most frequently recommended to parents by pediatricians and medical professionals.

There is also an element of tradition - after all, it was the first food that many of US received as babies and offering baby rice has become established and widely accepted as the 'norm' when transitioning infants to solids.


So WHY has infant rice cereal always been considered the best first food for baby?

* It is relatively bland in taste - some experts say that this makes it more acceptable to babies because - when mixed with breast milk or formula - it tastes familiar to them.
* You can mix it to a fairly thin texture, which is believed to be ideal for babies making the transition from an all-liquid diet to a more solid one.
* It provides necessary iron - most baby rice is iron-fortified to boost babies' levels of this essential dietary element at a time when they become depleted (around 6 months of age).
* It is believed to be relatively non-allergenic, making it a safer option as a first food.
* It is said to be very easily digested.
* It is believed - by some - to help babies sleep through the night by keeping their tummies full for longer.
* It is gluten free, meaning that it can be given to babies under 6 months of age (please see this page for more information about gluten).

For quite some time, these reasons for introducing baby rice before other foods have not been greatly challenged - indeed, infant cereal is still one of the most popular weaning foods in the developed world.

More recently, however, parents are 'reading up' on infant nutrition and questioning commonly held beliefs regarding feeding practices. With more information available - and parents being able to 'compare notes' via the internet - they are more likely to challenge pediatric advice regarding solid feeding issues than ever before.

Furthermore, the previously held notion that anything in a packet marketed for babies is automatically a healthy choice is beginning to fade away... and many parents have doubts over the necessity of those little packs of commercially prepared baby rice.

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Connecting With Your Baby

Bonding is the extreme addition that produces between mother and father and their kid. It creates mother and father want to shower their kid with really like and love and to protect and feed their little one. Connection gets mother and father up in the nighttime to feed their starving kid and creates them aware of the kid's broad variety of whines.


Scientists are still learning a lot about bonding. They know that the powerful connections between mother and father and their kid provide the kid's first model for romantic relationships and nurture a sense of security and positive self-esteem. And parents' responsiveness to an little one's alerts can impact the kid's social and intellectual progression.

Why Is Connection Important?

Bonding is essential for a kid. Studies of baby apes who were given design mothers at shipping revealed that, even when the mannequins were made of soft material and offered system to the kid apes, the children were better served when they had live mothers to socialize with. The kid apes with design mothers also were more likely to encounter from lose heart. Experts suppose that lack of bonding in individuals children can cause similar issues.

Most children are prepared to rapport instantly. Parents, on the other hand, may have an assortment of thoughts about it. Some mother and father encounter an extreme addition within the first moments or times after their kid's shipping. For others — especially if the kid is implemented or has been placed in extensive proper care — it may take a bit longer.

But bonding is a process, not something that arises within moments and not something that has to be limited to developing within a certain interval after shipping. For many mother and father, bonding is a result of daily caregiving. You may not even know it's developing until you observe your kid's first look and instantly understand that you're filled with really like and joy.
The Methods Babies Bond

When you're a new mother or father, it often requires a while to understand your baby and all the techniques you can interact:

* Reaching becomes an beginning language as children react to skin-to-skin get carry of. It's relaxing for both you and your kid while promoting your kid's healthy progression and growth.
* Eye-to-eye get carry of provides significant interaction at close variety.
* Babies can follow moving things with their eyes.
* Your kid tries — beginning on — to mimic your facial movement and actions.
* Babies prefer individuals comments and appreciate vocalizing in their first initiatives at interaction. Babies often appreciate just enjoying your interactions, as well as your information of their actions and conditions.

Making an Attachment

Bonding with your kid is probably one of the most fulfilling factors of baby proper care. You can begin by cradling your kid and carefully drawing him or her in different styles. If you and your associate both carry and contact your baby regularly, your little one will soon come to know the difference between your variations. Each of you should also take the opportunity to be "skin to skin" with your baby by positioning him or her against your own epidermis when providing or cradling.

Babies, especially early children and those with medical conditions, may react to baby rub. Because children aren't as powerful as adults, you'll need to rub your kid very carefully. Before trying out baby rub, be sure to educate yourself on proper techniques by checking out the many books, videos, and websites on the subject. You can also get carry of your local medical center to find out if there are sessions in baby rub in your area.

Breastfeeding and bottle-feeding are both natural times for bonding. Infants react to the smell and contact of their mothers, as well as the responsiveness of the mother and father to their needs. In an straightforward shipping, care providers try to take advantage of the youngsters aware interval soon after shipping and motivate providing and positioning of the kid. However, this isn't always possible and, though ideal, immediate get carry of isn't necessary for the future bonding of the kid and mother or father.

Adoptive mother and father may be concerned about bonding with their kid. Although it might happen earlier for some than others, implemented children and their mother and father can rapport just as well as natural mother and father and their children.

Bonding With Daddy

Men nowadays see their children than men of past years did. Although men regularly desire closer get carry of with their children, bonding regularly occurs on a different routine, partly because they don't have the beginning get carry of of nursing that many mothers have.

But men should recognize, beginning on, that bonding with their kid isn't a matter of being another mom. In many cases, men reveal unique actions with their children. And both mother and father advantage greatly when they can assistance and motivate one another.
Early bonding actions that both mom and dad can encounter together include:

* taking part together in labor and delivery
* providing (breast or bottle); sometimes dad forms a unique rapport with kid when handling a middle-of-the-night providing and baby diaper change
* reading or performing to baby
* giving the kid a bath
* replicating kid's movements
* resembling kid's cooing and other vocalizations — the first initiatives at communication
* using a front kid service provider during schedule activities
* letting kid encounter the different designs of father's face

Building a Support System

Of course, it's simpler to rapport with your kid if the individuals around you are encouraging and help you develop confidence in your increasing a child capabilities. That's one reason experts recommend having your kid stay in your room at the medical center. While looking after a kid is frustrating at first, you can advantage from the psychological assistance offered by employees and start becoming more assured in your capabilities as a mother or father. Although rooming-in often is not possible for mother and father of early children or children with unique needs, the assistance from the medical center personnel can create bonding with the baby simpler.

At first, thoughtful for a baby can take nearly all of your attention and energy — especially for a nursing mom. Connection will be much simpler if you aren't fatigued by all of the other things going on at house, such as cleaning, foods, and laundry. It's helpful if men can give an extra boost with these daily tasks, as well as provide plenty of general psychological assistance.

And it's OK to ask close relatives and friends for help in the times — even weeks — after you bring your kid house. But because having others around during such a transition interval can sometimes be unpleasant, frustrating, or traumatic, you might want to ask individuals to drop off foods, walk the dog, or watch any of the new kid's friends outside the property.

Factors That May Affect Bonding

Bonding may be late for various reasons. Parents-to-be may type images of their kid having certain psychological and physical attributes. When, at shipping or after an adopting, you meet your kid, reality might create you adjust your mental image. Because a kid's encounter is the primary tool of interaction, it performs a critical role in bonding and addition.

Hormones can also significantly impact bonding. While nursing a kid in the first hours of life can help with bonding, it also causes the outpouring of many different testosterone in mothers. Sometimes mothers have difficulty bonding with their children if their testosterone are shooting or they have postpartum depressive disorder. Connection can also be late if a mothers fatigued and in pain following a lengthy, difficult shipping.

If your kid stays a while in extensive proper care, you may initially be put off by the amount and difficulty of equipment. But bonding with your kid is still essential. The medical center personnel can help you handle your kid through spaces in the isolette (a unique baby's room bassinet). When your kid is prepared, employees will help you carry him or her. At the same time, you can invest a while watching, pressing, and talking with your kid. Soon, your kid will recognize you and react to your voice and contact.

Nurses will help you learn to clean and feed your kid. If you're using breasts use products you've injected, employees, including a lactation advisor, can help you create the move to nursing before your kid goes house. Some extensive proper care units also provide rooming-in before you take your kid house to ease the move.
Is There a Problem?

If you don't think you're bonding by plenty of time you take your kid to the first appointment with your kid's doctor, discuss your concerns at that appointment. It may be a sign of postpartum depressive disorder. Or bonding can be late if your kid has had significant, unexpected wellness concerns. It may just be because you encounter fatigued and confused by your newborn's introduction.

In any event, the earlier a issue is determined, the better. Medical service providers are accustomed to dealing with these concerns and can help you be better prepared to type a rapport with your kid.

Also, it often helps to reveal your thoughts about bonding with other new mother and father. Ask about increasing a child sessions for mother and father of children.

Bonding is a complicated, knowledge that needs time. There's no magic bullet and it can't be forced. A kid whose basic needs are being met won't encounter if the rapport isn't powerful at first. As you become more comfortable with your kid and your new schedule becomes more foreseen, both you and your associate will encounter more assured about all of the amazing factors of increasing your little one.

Feeding Your Newborn Baby

How you nourish your new baby is the first nutrition choice you will create for your kid. Take a closer look at these guidelines for breastfeeding and container feeding so you can create an informed choice.


Breast or Bottle?

Medical experts recommend breastfeeding as the best choice for children. Specifically, the American Academy of Pediatric medicine (AAP) suggests that infants be breastfed exclusively for about the first 6 months. Following the introduction of food, breastfeeding should proceed through the first year of lifestyle and beyond, if desired.

Breastfeeding may not be possible or preferable for all females. Deciding to breastfeed or container nourish a kid is usually based on the mothers satisfaction with breastfeeding as well as her lifestyle, but breastfeeding may not be recommended for some mothers and infants. If you have any concerns about whether to breastfeed, discuss to your person.

Remember, your child's nutritional and psychological needs will be met whether you end up picking to breastfeed or program nourish.

About Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding your new baby has many advantages. Perhaps most essential, chests use products is the perfect food for a people child's digestive tract. It contains the nutritional supplements that a new baby needs, and all of its components — lactose, protein (whey and casein), and fat — are quickly consumed by a newborn's premature program. Commercial treatments try to mimic chests use products, and come near, but the exact structure cannot be replicated.

Also, chests use products contains antibodies that help secure infants from a wide range of catching diseases, such as associated with. Studies suggest that breastfed infants are less likely to develop certain healthcare conditions, such as diabetes, high-cholesterol, asthma, and allergies. Breastfeeding may also decrease the chances that the kid will become overweight or obese.

Breastfeeding is great for mothers, too. It burns calories and helps shrink the womb, so breastfeeding mothers get again in shape faster. Breastfeeding may also secure mom from chests and ovarian many forms of cancer malignancy.

Some mothers discover breastfeeding faster and simpler than program feeding; it needs no preparation and you don't run out of chests use products in the nighttime. Also, breastfeeding costs little. Nursing mothers do need to eat more and may want to buy breastfeeding aide and pads, a chests push, or other equipment. But these expenses are generally less than the cost of program.

Breastfeeding meets a wide range of psychological needs for both mothers and infants — the skin-to-skin contact can boost the psychological connection, and providing complete nourishment can help a new mom encounter confident in her capability to proper take care of her new baby.
Limitations of Breastfeeding

With all the good stuff known about breastfeeding, why doesn't every mom select to breastfeed?

Breastfeeding needs a substantial commitment from a mom. Some mothers encounter tied down by the constant demands of a breastfeeding new baby. Since chests use products is quickly consumed, breastfed infants tend to eat more often than infants who are fed program. This means mom found herself in demand as regularly as every 2 or 3 hours in the first few weeks. This can be tiring, but it's not long before infants nourish less regularly and sleep longer in the evening.

Some new mothers need to get again to work outside the home or separate from their infants from time to time for other reasons. Some of these mothers opt for program feeding so other care providers can give the kid a container. Mothers who want to proceed breastfeeding can use a chests push to collect chests use products to be given in a container so their infants still get its benefits even when mom isn't available to breastfeed.

Other near relatives (dads most of all) may want to share in this most fundamental of childcare workouts and participate in feeding the kid. When mom is breastfeeding, dad or friends may want to stay nearby. Helping mom get comfortable, or providing a burp cloth when needed, will let them be part of the encounter.

Once breastfeeding is established, other near relatives can help out by providing the kid moved chests use products in a container when mom needs a break.

Sometimes a woman may embarrass myself or frightened about the prospect of breastfeeding. These feelings usually disappear once a successful breastfeeding process is set. It's often helpful to seek advice and perspective from those who've gone through the encounter. Most medical centers and childbirth centers can provide in-depth instruction on breastfeeding techniques to new mothers.

Your person, doctor practitioner, or doctor can respond to concerns or put you in touch with a lactation advisor or a breastfeeding support group.

In some cases, a mothers health may intervene with her capability to breastfeed. For example, mothers undergoing chemotherapy for many forms of cancer malignancy and mothers who are infected with hiv (HIV, the computer malware that causes AIDS) should not breastfeed.

If you have a condition or take any medications regularly, or if you or your kid get tired, discuss with your physician about whether it's OK to breastfeed. If you have to stop breastfeeding temporarily, it's essential to keep push chests use products to maintain use products production.

In some situations, it may not possible to breastfeed, such as when a kid is tired or born too early. Mothers should discuss with their child's physician about showing and storing use products. Even if the baby cannot breastfeed, chests use products may be given via a feeding tube or container.

Sometimes mothers who have ugly nipples may have difficulty breastfeeding, but with the help of a lactation advisor this usually can be overcome. Likewise, females who have had surgical treatment on their chests should be able to successfully breastfeed. Be sure to discuss with your physician if you have any concerns.

Avoid using pacifiers or bottles until after the first month of lifestyle. Presenting them before breastfeeding is known to cause "nipple misunderstandings," and can lead to an baby providing up the chests.
About Formula Feeding
Commercially prepared baby program is a nutritious alternative to chests use products. Bottle feeding can offer more freedom and flexibility for the mom, and it makes it much simpler to know how much the kid is getting.

Because infants process program more slowly than chests use products, a kid who is getting program may need fewer feedings than one who breastfeeds.

Formula feeding also can help you to nourish the kid in public, and allows the father and other near relatives to help nourish the kid, which can boost connection.

Researchers alarmed over arsenic in baby food

Europeans are abuzz with concerns about poisons exposed in store-bought baby foods.


Swedish researchers are reporting “alarming” levels of arsenic, cadmium and lead in rice-based infant foods, such as cereal and porridge.

Their study, appearing in the Journal of Food Chemistry, raises questions about whether rice-based products are suitable for infants.

"Alarmingly, these complementary foods may also introduce high amounts of toxic elements such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and uranium, mainly from their raw materials,” wrote the authors, from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. "These elements have to be kept at an absolute minimum in food products intended for infant consumption.”

The foods were produced by global manufacturers such as Nestle and Mead Johnson. According to the Sunday Telegraph, a British newspaper, the manufacturers insisted their products were safe.

Low levels of arsenic in foods is actually not uncommon. The question is, how much is too much?

In 2005, Scottish researchers found arsenic in rice grown in the United States. Arsenic is absorbed by the rice plant through soils contaminated with the toxin, which is naturally occurring. The U.S. has not set legal limits for arsenic levels in food.

California health department spokesman Ronald Owens said Californians should not be alarmed. Owens said the state has sampled rice in the past and "analyzed various baby food products for the presence of heavy metals that have never resulted in a finding that were of any public health significance."

Indeed, while no legal limits were broken in this latest study, the authors state that just two servings a day of the rice-based foods could expose an infant to 50 times the amount of arsenic they would get from breast milk alone. And with new uncertainties about how arsenic affects developing children, this level is too high, say the authors.

The European Food Safety Authority is now in the process of re-evaluating its safety limits for arsenic exposure in children and adults.

Thanks: http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport

new born baby care

Having a baby is actually a dramatic practice as well as the starting of the new era in a mom’s life. Motherhood certainly offers its rewards however often first-time mothers need a little bit of guidance concerning the good care of their own newborn baby.

New born Baby Sleeping Schedule

Newborn babies relax/rest on average, sixteen (16) several hours in a day. The actual newborn sleeps in obstructs of time around 2(two) hours at a time. The actual newborn’s central nervous system is actually creating following delivery and you can be assured that through the age of 3 months approximately, she or he will start to rest for longer intervals at any given time and can through which grow older, be resting a good 6 hours straight through the night. Make sure to allow your baby to rest whenever she or he wants to rest.

Baby Physical exercise

Your newborn baby can usually advantage from a person doing some ‘baby exercises’ along with him or her in addition to gently rubbing the newborn’s muscle tissue. Exercising a newborn baby might help the introduction of muscle mass control as well as control and may assist in creating muscle mass power. Lay your baby on his back and simply proceed his limbs lightly. You can bend their thighs in the legs as well as lightly flex his hands at the arms. This gives an excellent connecting encounter for you in add-on to the benefits towards the baby’s muscle development.

New Born Baby Feeding Advice

It is very important that the newborn have the healthy diet throughout the first pair of several weeks associated with life as well as past. Newborns may either be breast given or fed an infant formula from a bottle. The option can be every brand new mom. A newborn baby should be fed each and every couple of hours throughout the day. Your baby will certainly let you know whenever he or she is hungry by being fussy or even sobbing.

Bathing a new born baby

Newborns shouldn’t be bathed every single day as it can dry their sensitive pores and skin. The sponge bath is usually the smartest choice within the beginning as it is much milder and it is less likely in order to upset your child. Make sure to clean the wrinkles within the child’s skin and the diaper area well. Keep the infant wrapped in the soft hand towel and clean one part of the baby’s body at a time so that the baby doesn’t get perfectly chilled.

Thanks: http://www.newbornbabycare.net/

Homemade baby food serves up healthy eating habits and savings

When it comes to caring for your bundle of joy, you only want what's best. And these days, with early nutrition top-of-mind for many, it's no wonder that a growing number of parents are turning to homemade baby food to help instill healthy eating habits from the start.

Prepping and pureeing easy, everyday ingredients in the home also gives you the satisfaction of knowing exactly what is going into your baby's belly, from avocado and green beans to diced apples, sweet potatoes and peaches. Using fresh-from-the-market finds also lets you avoid preservatives and additives. And by introducing a variety of healthy foods at an early age, parents can help children develop a taste for similar flavors for the rest of their lives.

Another benefit to pureeing baby's meals at home is the savings. Ranging from 50 cents to $1.50 per jar, the cost of buying premade baby food can quickly add up. By preparing homemade meals for your little one, you're not only ensuring better control of his overall diet, you're also helping keep an eye on your household budget.

Follow these easy tips and tasty recipes to discover ways in which you can hop on this back-to-basics movement and be well on your way to puree perfection.

Preparing the baby food
* Avoid costly specialty baby food mixers or gadgets and opt for an equally effective, easy-to-use food processor, like those from Black & Decker, that puree for baby but also stand up to other culinary tasks.
* Steam, bake or broil the ingredients. Healthy tip: steaming maintains the most nutrients.
* The liquid the vegetables and fruits were cooked in can be added to the puree to adjust consistency. Breast milk or formula can also be used to thin the puree.

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