Don’t be concerned if your baby sucks thumb for a few minutes before mealtimes. It is just because he or she is hungry. Appetite is one of the many reasons babies suck their thumb.
Breastfeeding and thumb sucking
Babies who are breastfed are less likely to suck their thumbs. Breastfeeding usually satisfies the baby’s need to suck. [...]
Children suck their thumbs because it’s comforting and calming. Thumb sucking usually starts before birth and can be a very helpful way for babies to handle tension. As it becomes a habit, children turn to their thumb when tired, hungry, scared, bored, sick, or trying to adjust to challenges. They also use their thumb to [...]
Premature babies may be a few months behind in getting their teeth. If by the end of the first year you still don’t see any sign of a tooth appearing, bring the matter up at your child’s next checkup. If your child has all the signs of teething (heavy drooling, swollen gums) but also seems [...]
Cutting teeth isn’t one of those milestones a baby reaches all at once. It can take your child his first 3 years to complete. Baby teeth won’t fall out until your child’s permanent teeth are ready to come in, sometime around age 6.
Once teeth are in, it’s up to you to keep them clean. For [...]
Pick up a water-filled teething ring at the department store or baby store, chill it in the refrigerator, and let your baby chew on it. The cold temperature numbs the gums and brings pain relief. Just don’t put it in the freezer. Objects that have been frozen can cause frostbitten gums.
Babies older than 6 months [...]
For many babies and parents, the arrival of the first tooth isn’t much fun, and it can be a long process. The early symptoms, heavy drooling and a fair amount of pain, often precede the actual event by a month or 2. You could be up nights trying to console a child waiting for a [...]
The journey starts in the womb. While you were pregnant your baby developed tooth buds, the foundation for baby teeth. The buds begin to break through the gum surface sometime between 3 and 12 months. And, one in 2.000 babies is born with a tooth or two!
The majority get their first tooth at 6 to [...]
When a baby cuts a new tooth, both baby and parents suffer. The baby-care section in your local pharmacy offers over-the-counter baby painkillers that can ease the pain, but be sure to consult with your paediatrician and follow label directions. Of course, that’s just one option for relieving your child’s teething troubles. For plenty more, [...]
Don’t deny what you feel: it is fine to feel angry, disappointed, guilty, or depressed. Admitting these feelings to yourself is the first step to working through them.
Talk about it!: talk about how you feel with your partner, a family member or a healthcare professional like a midwife or therapist specializing in women’s mental health.
Take [...]
Teaching mothers skills such as controlling the baby’s crying often reduces depressive symptoms during the first 2 to 4 months after delivery.
If your symptoms can’t be controlled with counseling or medicine, and you are thinking about hurting yourself or your baby, then your doctor may consider admitting you to the hospital.
Follow the recommendations of your [...]
