When your baby is ready for solids, introduce the foods one at a time waiting 4 days before introducing a new food. This will make it much easier for you to notice which foods your baby does not tolerate well.

If  you introduce your baby to different kinds of foods all at once and the baby has a reaction, you will find it 
very hard to tell exactly which food caused the reaction.

Few foods that commonly cause allergies:

• Egg
• Soy
• Cow milk and cow milk products
• peanuts
• Almonds
• Wheat
• Shell fish and other fish

Did you know that in many recipes you can actually replace eggs with other ingredients such as apple sauce or pureed banana?

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Plums are high in fiber, low in cholesterol, sodium free and rich in Vitamin A & Vitamin C. As plums are high in fiber and natural sugars, they help maintain bowel regularity and great to help with constipation.

Creamy Plum Purée Baby Food Recipe

<8 months + due to yogurt>

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plum purée
• Plain or Vanilla Yogurt and/or
• Apple or Pear Juice or plain water

Direction:

1. Add plum purée and Yogurt and/or Juice or water until the proper consistency for your baby is achieved. Puree in a blender or food processor if needed.

We will share more tips next month…

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2 MONTHS: Smiles at you. By now, your baby will aim his first social grins at faces that are becoming familiar, like yours.

4 MONTHS: Imitates you. Stick out your tongue and he may try to mimic your moves, a reflex that becomes more intentional as he figures out that you love it. The more animated you get, the more he’ll copycat.

7 MONTHS: Raises his arms to be held. Once he has the motor skills to grab for his favorite toys, he’ll start grabbing for you, too.

8 MONTHS: Wails when you hand him over to the babysitter. Yes, it’s heartbreaking, but separation anxiety shows he prefers you to others.

11 MONTHS: Says “mama.” The combination of easy-to-make sounds and a desire to name what’s important to him means “mama” is often among babies’ earliest words. (Try not to worry, though, if “dada” comes first!)

12 MONTHS: Gives you a kiss. Around his first birthday, your baby finally has the motor and communication skills to respond to your smooches. His won’t be perfect — he may forget to close his mouth — but no matter what, those first efforts show that he thinks you’re pretty special.

Pureed Apples/Applesauce <4-6months>

Ingredients

Any amount of apples you desire – I recommend using 5-10 large apples (try Macintosh, Gala or Braeburn.)

Directions

1. Peel, core and cut apple into slices/chunks
2. Place slices or chunks into a pan with just enough water to slightly cover apples
3. Boil/steam until tender; be sure to check on the water level and stir. That’s it. Easy peasy.
4. Apples may be mashed with a potato masher to achieve a smooth applesauce consistency. If your masher will not achieve a puree type of consistency, then follow steps 5 – 7
5. Reserve any left over water to use for thinning out the apples
6. Place into your choice of appliance for pureeing and begin pureeing.
7. Add the reserved water as necessary to achieve a smooth, thin puree
8. Add cereal (if desired) to thicken up the puree
9. Ask your pediatrician about adding some cinnamon for new tastes.

We will share more tips next month’s…

The nutritional value of peas is amazing when you think of the small size of a cup of peas. Did you know that one cup of peas contains more protein than a tablespoon of peanut butter and also provides Calcium, Vitamin A and C and Iron too?

Grandma’s Creamed Peas & Nuggets

* The recipe contains dairy; suitable for baby 8 month and above

Ingredients:

4 cups peas, fresh, frozen or canned as a last resort
1 cup milk 
2 tablespoons flour 
2 tablespoons butter 
salt and pepper to taste
pieces of chicken, fish, pork or beef

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large sauce pan. Whisk in flour and allow to cook for 1 minute.
2. Slowly add milk, whisking the whole time to prevent lumps.
3. Add salt and pepper and other spices as you find appropriate.
4. Cook until sauce begins to thicken.
5. Add peas, stir and cook until peas are heated through (about 5-7 minutes)
6. Add meat
7. Serve warm alone or over multi-grain toast or rice.

We will share more tips next month…

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Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

A happy baby will mean happier parents. This is particularly important for mothers who may easily slip into post-natal depression after giving birth. The first year can be very trying for the most positive of people. There will be great changes in your lifestyle, and you may often feel alone. In this article, we look at some simple ways you can contribute to the happiness of your baby, from the right children’s clothing to being positive yourself.

• Staying Connected. All babies crave attention. Breast-feeding is not only good for a baby’s physical health, it is a way they can connect with their mothers on an emotional level. There are so many benefits from breast-feeding, including the fact that mothers who breast feed have less chance of slipping into post-natal depression. A baby massage is a great way to care for your baby, and it can be interpreted as love.

• Clothing. We must remember that babies are not used to clothing, and so clothing that breathes, and allows them to move freely is always the best. It is important to check the label before you purchase. Man-made fibres can be uncomfortable, even if expensive.

• Don’t Forget Your Well Being. Keeping yourself happy will influence your baby’s well being. The happier you are, the happier your baby will be. You might need some free time, or do the things you love. Care for your needs just as much as your baby’s.

• Active. Babies are just like us adults, they need to be kept active. Could you imagine just sitting around all day? The more active a baby is, the better it will sleep. Being active also means mental stimulation. A baby needs all of these things.

• Point Of View. It is important to understand that each child is different. Just because we have a high maintenance baby compared to a friend’s baby, it doesn’t mean we are a bad parent. Understand your child is a little human, with an individual personality and special traits. Try to see your baby’s point of view in any given situation. They are only trying to communicate something to you.

• Foster Good Sleeping and Eating Habits. A baby will not live by your rules, nor will they do things when you expect them to. Pay attention to the times they most want to sleep and eat, and try to recreate these situations to encourage more sleeping and eating. Sleeping and eating means your child is healthier and growing well. Fresh and natural foods are always good for your baby once they have started to eat ‘table’ foods. Make sure your baby is only eating what is right. All too often we start a child’s life off with many of the bad foods we all eat. At such an important time of their life, sweet and other fatty foods just have to be avoided. This should set up positive patterns for their future.

Banana Custard <8-10months>

Ingredients:

• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 8 fl oz (1 cup) whole (full fat) milk, breast milk or formula
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 small, ripe banana, mashed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg celcius
2. Spoon the mashed banana into the bottom of a small oven-proof dish.
3. Stir together the beaten egg yolk, vanilla essence and milk.
4. Pour the mixture over the mashed banana.
5. Take a baking pan with sides and sit the oven-proof dish in the middle.
6. Pour hot water into the baking pan until it comes about halfway up the sides of your oven-proof dish.
7. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the custard has set, then cool and refrigerate.
8. Serve chilled!

We will share more tips next month’s…

Breastfeeding Tips:

• Try to place baby at the breast as soon as possible after birth. Ideally, this will happen right in the delivery room. Ensure that your practitioner will allow you to nurse in the birthing or delivery room if all goes normal.
• Babies only minutes old will often crawl up to the breast from the mother’s abdomen, and start breastfeeding all by themselves. This process may take up to an hour or longer, but the mother and baby should be given this time together to start learning about each other. Babies who “self-attach” run into far fewer breastfeeding problems. This skin-to-skin contact will also help keep the child warm.
• Try to get some professional help, such as a lactation specialist. In the hospital, you can ask if a lactation consultant or a nurse who is knowledgeable about breastfeeding can observe your technique. If you leave the hospital before receiving any guidance, make sure that someone with breastfeeding expertise evaluates your technique.
• If possible, try to stay in the same room with your baby.
• Limit visitors to allow more nursing opportunities. This may mean limiting visiting privileges at first to just your spouse. This is probably better anyway, since it allows the three of you to bond right away.
• Mothers and babies learn how to sleep in the same rhythm. Thus, when the baby starts waking for a feed, the mother will also start to wake up naturally. The baby shows long before he starts crying that he is ready to feed. His breathing may change, for example. Or he may start to stretch. The mother, being in light sleep, will awaken, her milk will start to flow and the calm baby will be content to nurse.
• A baby who has been crying for some time before being tried on the breast may refuse to take the breast even if he is ravenous. Mothers and babies should be encouraged to sleep side by side in hospital. This is a great way for mothers to rest while the baby nurses. Breastfeeding can be relaxing, not tiring.
• If possible, try not to use artificial nipples.
• Babies will take whatever method gives them a rapid flow of fluid and may refuse others that do not. Thus, in the first few days, when the mother is producing only a little milk and the baby gets a bottle from which he gets rapid flow, he will tend to prefer the rapid flow method. Just because a baby will “take both” does not mean that the natural method is not more beneficial.
• Nurse on demand, up to twelve feedings a day. This will keep your baby happy and will increase your milk supply to meet the demand as it grows. Also, don’t let your baby sleep through a feeding. If it’s been three hours since your newborn last fed, then it’s time to wake him or her up.
• Nurse for as long as the baby wants. Most newborns require ten to forty-five minutes to complete a feeding.
• Try not to impose too many restrictions on the length or frequency of breastfeeding.
• A baby who drinks well will not be on the breast for hours at a time. Thus, if he is, it is usually because he is not latching on well and not getting the milk that is available. Get help to fix the baby’s latch, and use compression to get the baby more milk.
• Don’t try and feed your baby if she is screaming. If crying has begun, do some rocking and soothing before you start nursing. You can also try offering your finger to suck on until the baby calms down.
• The key to successful breastfeeding is a proper latch. Before you leave the hospital you should be shown how to get your baby latched on properly. You should also know that he is actually getting milk from the breast.
• Position yourself comfortably with back support, pillows supporting your arms and in your lap, and your feet supported by a footrest or a telephone book.
• Position baby close to you, with his hips flexed, so that he does not have to turn his head to reach your breast. His mouth and nose should be facing your nipple. If possible, ask your helper to hand you the baby once you are comfortable.
• Support your breast so it is not pressing on your baby’s chin. Your baby’s chin should drive into your breast.
• Attach or latch baby onto your breast. Encourage him to open his mouth wide and pull him close by supporting his back (rather than the back of his head) so that his chin drives into your breast. His nose will be touching your breast. Your hand forms a “second neck” for your baby.
• If you are feeling pain, detach baby gently and try again.
• As long as you are comfortable and baby is nursing successfully, use whatever works for you. There are a variety of breastfeeding position to try.
• It is very important to bring the baby to your nipple height. Leaning over your baby can cause backaches, neck and shoulder strain, or sore nipples.

These wonderful vegetables are a great first baby foods,(even for the early solid food starter)for baby as they are packed full of nutrients, highly palatable and due to their fiber content, help digestive tract and bowel health.

Recipe of the month

Sweet potato and melon mash

8 oz (1 cup) cooked sweet potato, diced
8 oz (1 cup) cantaloupe melon, diced
2 oz (1/4 cup) natural yogurt

Blend together the melon and sweet potato in the food processor. Add the yogurt and blend for a further 30 secs. Sprinkle with a little powdered ginger (optional) and refrigerate.

How could all that bonding time during breastfeeds over the first four to six months not have any effect? It would be odd indeed if all those golden moments between mother ­and baby were for nothing.

In case you needed proof of the social and behavioural benefits of breastfeeding, a large research project carried out at the universities of Oxford, Essex, York and UCL (University College London) has clarified its long-term impact on ­a child’s behaviour.

The reason why we must take notice of this study is that it’s from the excellent, ongoing Millennium Cohort Study, which is a survey of babies born in the UK during a 12-month period between 2000 and 2001.

The researchers interviewed more than 10,000 mother and baby pairs from the time the baby was nine months old and at two yearly intervals after that.

Mums participating were asked to comment on emotional signs such as clinginess, hyperactivity, anxiety, restlessness and lying.

Researchers were quick to point out that ­all children misbehave and can be aggressive on the odd occasion. What they were concerned ­about was this kind of behaviour occurring repeatedly over time.

This is because it can have an unfortunate impact on a child’s development and interfere with the daily lives of the child and family.

So yes, this is yet another reason to breastfeed your baby.

Researchers also suggested possible reasons ­for the better behaviour ­of ­breastfed children.

The first is that breast milk contains lots of omega-3 essential fats, which are known to have an important role in the development and function of the brain, so much ­so that formula manufacturers have supplemented their products with essential fatty acids.

But the probable answer is that breastfeeding leads to more interaction with a mother and child.

As a result the infant is better at learning acceptable behaviour, which can result in fewer behavioural problems in the long run.

Of course, we ought to bear in mind also that some mums aren’t able to breastfeed for medical reasons.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t bond at all. Latest statistics have revealed that nearly four out of ten parents manage fewer than seven hours interaction a week, which is the equivalent to just fifteen days a year.

This would result in the children in 40% of families having far too little parental time and parental bonding.

In this respect, breastfeeding is a good way of giving your baby a flying start.

(Source: Mirror, June 7th, 2011)