Guide to Bringing up Wind

When babies drink they almost always swallow some air. This is especially true if you are feeding them from a bottle. This air tends to get trapped in their stomachs and can make your baby uncomfortable. Occasionally your baby may “burp” on their own and release this gas but, more often, you will need to do something to help.

You should try to get your baby to burp in the middle and, at the end of every feed. There are three simple ways to get your baby to release this trapped wind. Try all three until you find the one that works best for you.

• Lay the baby face down across your knees and, whilst supporting the head gently rub or pat their back.
• Hold the baby, facing you in an upright position with their head above your shoulder. Gently rub or pat their back.
• Hold the baby on your knee in a sitting position whilst leaning them slightly forwards. Gently rub or pat their back.

Whichever way you choose you must always remember to support the baby’s head at all times. There is no need to do anything more vigorous than gently rubbing or patting. The trapped wind is brought up by the pressure of your hand not by the noise created or, because of any sudden movements.

When the air is released it will often bring up some liquid with it so you should be ready for this to avoid spillage on clothing. This is very common and is nothing to worry about. If your baby vomits it will involve a lot more fluid and, although this in itself is not uncommon if it happens regularly you should raise it with your midwife or health visitor.

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When your baby starts to crawl!

When your baby first discover that they can crawl it is a significant milestone in their development but, it can bring with it problems which you must overcome. As soon as your baby is mobile everything within their reach is fair game. You will have to overcome sibling rivalry’s as they try to get their hands on big brothers or sisters toys for the first time. A peaceful long-term truce should be your long-term goal but, you will need a few strategies for limiting open warfare in the short-term.

As soon as your baby starts to crawl you will have to consider how you are going to restructure the layout of you house to prevent or minimise accidents. Certainly anything breakable needs to move up a shelf or two until it is out of reach. Electrical items need unplugging so they can’t be pulled over and, empty plug sockets need protectors. You need to put child locks on cupboard doors, tie back any wire that can’t be unplugged (e.g, telephone) and generally check everything to make sure your house is safe for a crawling baby.

Older children will get enraged that toys now can’t be left unattended without their younger sibling getting hold of them. Anything within reach is incredibly interesting to a newly mobile baby and, older brother/sister’s toys will fit the bill nicely.

On one hand you will need to take measure to ensure that the little one gradually gets used to respecting their older siblings space (bedroom) but, on the other you will want to encourage sharing and the joy of playing together. However, when you are mid tantrum from both children with them fighting over a plastic car such joys can seem to be beyond expectation. Don’t give up. You will gradually find ways to pacify the situation.

One way may be to provide each of them with a special blanket on the floor. Anything left on the blanket is then “off limits” to the other child. There could be a third blanket where they play together. Children often react well to rules such as this because it puts them in control and they decide when they play together and when they want to be alone.

However, sometimes you just need to take the baby out of the situation to prevent conflicts arising. You are in for years of sibling rivalry so from your perspective the less you intervene initially the better. Both children are bidding for independence, which is something you should try to encourage.

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Do I Have to Breastfeed All The Time

Although there is no doubt that breastfeeding is best for your baby, most babies will get some formula milk some of the time. Breastfeeding is not always possible. You might be an adoptive mother or have a medical reason not to breastfeed. Others might just decide that breastfeeding is not for them or, may breastfeed for a short period after the birth before moving onto formula feeding. If you wish to supplement your breastfeeding with formula milk wait until you have been breastfeeding for three to four weeks to preserve your own milk supply.

During breastfeeding is a wonderful time for mothers to bond and build a unique closeness with their baby. If you move onto formula, perhaps so Dad can take some of the strain, make sure that you continue to feed in the same manner and, that the cuddles your baby got whilst you were breastfeeding continue. Hold your baby close with their head slightly elevated at an angle and make sure that the bottle is upright to minimise the possibility of your baby taking in air whilst feeding.

When you purchase your infant formula you can be confident that it will meet your baby’s nutritional needs in full. The major brands are all very similar and, unless you are told otherwise by your doctor make sure you get one that is fortified with iron. Formula milks come in three basic types;

• Powder (very economical)
• Liquid concentrate (a bit more expensive)
• Ready-to-use (the most expensive)

Unsurprisingly, the formula’s which are ready to use and require little effort are the most expensive. However, don’t feel that you have to buy these to get the best for your baby. If they are mixed properly, in accordance with the instructions the powder concentrates are equally as good.

Water to mix with formula

In most cases you don’t have to use any special water with your formula unless there is a problem with your water supply. If you have doubts check with your doctor and your water company.

How much formula is enough?

New-borns start with a very small stomach which can only hold 1-2 teaspoons (5-10ml) of milk for the first week but, this amount will start to increase almost immediately. By the end of the first month your baby will be taking around 120ml per feed every four hours.

Age Amount of feed Frequency of feed

New-born 60-90ml every 3-4 hours

One month 120ml every 4 hours

Two months 120ml 6-7 feeds every 24 hours

Four months 120-180ml 6 feeds every 24 hours

Six months 180-240ml 5 feeds every 24 hours

One year 480-720ml 3-4 feeds every 24 hours

The above table is a guide only as the actual amount a baby takes may vary significantly depending on your baby’s size. Needs and appetites also vary day by day and, month by month. Your baby will feed as often as they need too as long as you learn to read the signs and interpret them properly. Don’t offer the bottle every time your baby cries, especially if it is just after a feed. Remember, babies cry for many reasons. Learn to read if they are hungry or if they just want your attention.

Formula milk moves more slowly through a baby’s digestive system so expect feeds to be less frequent if you have been breastfeeding and switch to formula. Also, the stools may be a little harder and drier.

Remember all babies are individuals so, don’t force-feed if you think they are not drinking enough and, don’t leave them wanting more if they empty a bottle and show signs of wanting more. Also, a baby who often regurgitates after a feed may do better with smaller, more frequent feeds.

Things you should know

• Babies often loose a little weight straight after birth. As long as they continue to feed normally you have no need to worry.
• All equipment used in feeding your baby needs to be washed using warm soapy water and sterilised before use. Most sterilising is now done in a microwave using a sterilising unit.
• Always wash your hands before making up a batch of feed.
• Prepared formula can be stored in a fridge for up to 48 hours if the teat is untouched by the baby. If it has been touched you should throw away the rest of the feed.
• You don’t have to warm the mix but most babies don’t like it straight out of the fridge. Don’t warm milk using a microwave as they can heat the mixture unevenly leaving “hotspots” in the mix.
• Most formula milks are based on cow’s milk so if your family has an intolerance to this discuss it with your doctor before you give it to your baby. There are alternatives based on Soya.

Be aware of the following

• Unused formula “goes off” very quickly and the teats can be like magnates to bacteria. Throw away any unused milk and always sterilise your equipment.
• Evaporated milk is the wrong balance for baby’s digestive system and can put unnecessary stress on your babies guts and kidney’s.
• Do not use cow’s milk until your baby is at least 12 months old.
• Don’t add honey to anything. It can contain spores which can cause serious illness in children under 12 months.
• Don’t dilute formula. If you are struggling financially talk to you health visitor who will be able to help.

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Bathing your baby safely

You could make bath-time part of your evening routine. It can be fun for you and your baby but, there are several safety tips you should keep in mind.

• The single most important thing to remember is that you must never leave you baby unattended for even a second whilst they are in the bath. Get everything you will need ready before you start the bathing process: towels, toiletries, new nappy, night-clothes. Once you have your baby in the bath you will be unable to leave them. If the phone rings, ignore it, they will call back. Children can drown in under a minute in less that 2.5cm of water.
• Never put your baby in the bath whilst the water is still running. The water temperature could change and scold them. The water needs to be comfortably warm, not hot, about 100 degrees Fahrenheit/ 38 degrees Centigrade is proven to help babies retain their body heat. Put cold water in first, then add hot to bring up to temperature.
• If you are using your family bath, make it safe by adding a rubber bathmat, to prevent slipping and, cover the taps. Don’t allow your child to touch the taps. One day they will be strong enough to turn them on and the hot water tap could lead to serious injury.
• For new-borns and babies up to six months old you only need about five inches of water. Just enough to allow your baby to settle in the water with their shoulders covered. Never allow older children to have the water more than waist height.
• For older children a bath seat might be useful. It will give you two free hands because of the support it offers. However, you still need to be alert at all times. Children have died when they were left unattended in a bath seat.
• Never allow a child to stand in the bath.
• Many babies and parents love bath-time whilst other don’t. There is no real for a daily bath but, if your baby enjoys it you could make it part of your night-time routine. It will help relax your baby and they will learn that it’s soon going to be bedtime. This may help their sleeping pattern. Your baby’s hair does not need washing every day. The hair follicles produce little oil and one wash per week will probably be enough.
• Use soaps, shampoos and bubble baths sparingly as you could cause you babies skin to become dry and sensitive. Use mild products, which have been specifically designed for babies.
• When you remove your baby from the bath you need to minimise body heat loss. This is particularly important for new-borns. Make sure the room is warm and wrap your baby in a large towel as soon as you lift them out. Dab your baby dry gently and dress them immediately. Once dressed, give them a cuddle to ensure they warm up quickly.

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Make Your Baby Smile

You will always remember your baby’s first belly laugh and, once you’ve heard it you will do almost anything to hear it again. On some days, when you need a shower desperately, because your child has just decided to throw up into your hair, it will be the only thing that could possibly make you smile. With that in mind, here are my top five ways that seem to have what it takes to make babies smile.

Blowing Raspberries

Gently blowing a raspberry onto your baby’s tummy or, tiny hands and feet is the perfect way to make them smile.

Playing Peek-a-Boo

This is one from everyone’s childhood and is usually a favourite with babies. Hide behind a piece of furniture, their favourite blanket or just use your hands. However you do it, you’re sure to get smiles in return.

Silly and “Over the Top” Movements

The more exaggerated you make your face the better. Your baby will love the attention and making silly faces at them only emphasises the attention you’re giving. Even something a simple as a sneeze can put a smile on a babies face.

Silly Noises

My husband used to “beep” every time my youngest pressed his nipples. We had a couple of years worth of entertainment on Sunday mornings out of that one. It guaranteed a proper belly laugh every time. Any silly noise could do the trick so try a few and see what works for you.

Tickle Time

If all else fails a gentle tickle will usually bring a smile from your baby, and this form of touch can also act as a bonding ritual. Touch is very important as it emphasises to your baby the fact that you are there and, everything is well.

Parents can expect their baby to smile responsively to family members from around six weeks of age. Social smiles and laughs will start at around 4 months.

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Make Your baby Thrive

You don’t need to be a childcare expert to ensure your baby has the best start in life. Some things will come naturally to you but, to be confident you are fulfilling their needs and that they have the best possible opportunity to reach their full potential just follow the steps below;

Love

Children need to be loved. Good care and support will give your child the secure base they need to begin exploring the world. Love, attention and support in the early years of a child’s life can have a measurable impact on that child’s physical, mental and emotional growth. Show your love whenever you get the opportunity. Cuddle, smile, encourage and play with your baby whenever you can. You won’t “spoil” your baby by responding too quickly to their cries. Experts have shown that if you respond quickly when your baby is upset it will help develop the trust and, create a strong emotional bond between you.

Basic needs.

Your baby needs to be in good health and have plenty of energy to help them grow. Make sure you attend baby clinic regularly to keep track of your baby’s growth and get the immunisations your baby needs.

Breastmilk or formula will provide all the nutrients your baby needs for the first six months of life and, a large part of what they need up to their first birthday. Breastmilk is best. Studies have shown that it helps minimise the risk of your baby picking up certain illnesses. However, formula milk fed babies should thrive even if they don’t get the extra benefits attached to breastmilk.

Sleep is an important part of a baby’s life. It’s when you baby’s brain makes important connections. These connections form the basis of the pathways within the brain which will enable your baby to understand and interact with the world around them.

Tend to your babies physical needs promptly. If you take care of the basics your baby’s brain can concentrate on the more challenging things which are happening around them.

Speak to your baby

The best thing you can do to help stimulate your baby’s brain is, speak to them. Speaking to your baby makes them good communicators which, is a great stepping stone to doing well at school.

Talk to your child whenever you are together. They will respond if they know the words are directed at them, so try to maintain eye contact whilst you are speaking. You can ramble on about anything but, try to keep it relevant to what you are doing. Things such as “mummy’s putting you a clean nappy on” or “mummy’s going to give you a nice warm bath” are fine. You don’t have to try to be educational all the time.

Read to your baby

Reading out loud to your baby is one of the most important things you can do to help develop your child’s vocabulary and language development. It’s also the perfect time for you to have a cuddle and help develop your baby’s social skills.

Stimulate their senses

For a young child to learn about the world around them they need to be exposed to it. Every new interaction is a learning process. A child can be over-stimulated so you don’t want to engage your baby in activities 24 hours a day but, when they are interested in playing make sure that your provide a variety of toys and objects. Choose items which are different in shape, weight, texture and colour as well as items which can make a noise. You can play simple interactive games such as peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake. Go on walks and trips where your baby will meet other people. The simplest activities help brain development.

Make sure your child has plenty of room to play in. It will help them develop strong muscles, balance and good motor skills. They will need room to crawl initially, then cruise and walk as they develop. They will need room to explore without the need for too much negative interaction from you, so make the room as safe and childproof as possible.

Encourage new things

Don’t frustrate your child by giving them toys which are intended for much older children. We all learn the simple things first and it’s better to get good at them before moving on to more demanding things. However, if something stretches your baby’s capabilities that can only be a good thing. If something doesn’t come easy it will help your baby to develop if they have to think more about what they are doing. Problem solving will help their brain development. For example, if your baby is trying to put shapes through the correct hole and they are struggling, let them try for a while before you help. Then show how it’s done. Then let them try again themselves.

Look after yourself

The single most important thing in helping your baby to develop is you. So, if you are not feeling well make sure you seek professional advice immediately. Illnesses are easy to spot but, if you are finding it difficult to respond quickly and with empathy to your baby’s needs you may be depressed. Depression can effect a parent’s ability to interact with their child which can have a negative effect on the child’s development. If you think you may be depressed speak to your doctor or health visitor immediately.

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Get your baby to sleep through the night

Here are some tips to help you achieve the holy grail of getting your new-born to sleep through the night.

Create a consistent routine

Try to get yourself into a stable routine and stick too it. Putting your baby down at the same time each night (perhaps after a feed) and getting them up at the same time each morning will go a long way towards promoting a good night time sleep. A good routine might consist of;

• A bath
• A play
• Some time in a rocking chair
• A feed
• A cuddle to help them relax
• Bed

Have Realistic Expectations

Your child is unlikely to sleep through what we would consider to be the night until they are at least 6 months old. New-borns can sleep for up to 19 hours a day but they will do it in 3-4 hour stints. Their stomachs are small and they will become hungry during the night. You can however use your routine to your advantage. Say for example that you go through the routine above so that you get your baby into bed by about 7pm. It is likely that they will then wake up and want another feed at around 10pm. You could do this and then go to bed yourself. If you are lucky you may then only have to get up once (at most twice) during the 7-8 hour period which you will be in bed yourself. OK, so you will probably be up at 5 or 6 feeding again but, as your baby’s stomach grows this time will extend.

Make sure you give plenty of feeds during the day.

The more you can get your baby to feed during the day, the less they will want to feed during the night. This is especially true if your baby’s day time feeds are usually short.

Make sure they relax before bedtime.

Your night-time routine should allow for your baby to relax and unwind before you put them down for the night. If they have been passed around doting visitors for a few hours prior to bed they are unlikely to settle when you put them down. Before bedtime keep noise and activity down to a minimum and try to develop some comforting rituals such as reading, or singing quietly.

Don’t rush

The first 15-20 minutes of a babies sleep are quite light so if you put them down as soon as they “drop off” in your arms they are likely to wake up. If they fall asleep in your arms give them some time to make sure they are soundly asleep before putting them to bed.

Be aware of variations in your baby’s sleeping pattern.

There will be times when your baby wakes up during the night more often. It might be a “growth spurt” where they have a need for additional feeding or it could be the first signs of an oncoming illness.

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