The child must sleep. And you must sleep.
1. The baby should be washed with soap every day.
It is unlikely that he has time to get so dirty. In addition, soap dries the skin, washes away natural lubrication, and can cause irritation. Useful daily baths with decoctions of herbs, coniferous extract, sea salt. For a child up to a year, 2-3 " soapy wash" in Week. If you wash it well, then you can rarely wash it with soap.
2. Powder or oil is a must.
If the child spends enough time naked (several hours a day), then you can do without these funds. The powder is used if weeping irritation appears in the skin folds. It should be sprinkled on your hand, and then pat on the irritated place. If you use powder, make sure to wash it off often, otherwise it can mix with sweat and create an environment conducive to bacterial growth. It is advisable to apply oil only to those areas that are peeling and peeling off (points of contact with diaper elastic bands, deep skin folds). The main part of the skin should remain clean, as the skin needs to breathe. For a child, the skin is the second lungs.
3. Diaper rash in babies is common.
There shouldn't be any rashes. They can be an indicator that the child does not spend enough time undressed or that he is not washed well enough, as well as a form of diathesis. An irritating factor can also be the wrong type of diapers. There are children who can only wear diapers from one company. You can select a company only by the "poke" method.
4. Red cheeks - always diathesis.
Before running for tests for diathesis, try to wash your baby thoroughly (but without soap) after any meal for several days. If the redness goes away completely, then the visit to the doctor can be postponed. It was just irritation from contact with active substances.
5. Meat is necessary for the child every day.
Eating meat every day is bad. A child, especially. Meat is hard and slow to digest and can overtax the digestive system. Children need at least 2 fast days per week. Excess heavy food allergenizes the body. You should not introduce meat into the diet of a child before the 8th month of life. In general, the later the better.
6. The main thing is to have more vitamin C.
In infants, too early uncontrolled introduction of lemon juice, sour apples and, moreover, artificial vitamin C into the diet can cause swelling of the pancreas, and many other "joys". In older children, it settles in the kidneys. Like all vitamins, vitamin C has a daily allowance, which should not be exceeded. Everyone knows that the excess of this vitamin is excreted from the body, but, with a constant excess of the norm, the system can deteriorate. If oxalates are found in the urine of a child, then there are violations. Most of these disorders are reversible, but sometimes require significant effort. These problems can occur at any age.
7. Herbal treatment is absolutely safe.
Any medicine can be dangerous if taken incorrectly. Do not experiment on a child by giving herbal mixtures simply "for prevention." At a minimum, read the annotation on the box. For children, herbs are brewed in a lower concentration, for infants - 3 times weaker than for adults. Herbs should be used especially carefully for children with a tendency to allergic reactions. Do not cook decoctions with a child - herbal dust can cause an exacerbation.
8. Appearance navel depends on how it is "tied".
If you read a normal book about childbirth, it becomes clear that there is no direct connection. The skin part is different lengths This is individual for each child. In addition, the navel, often protruding at first, gradually retracts due to a decrease in intra-abdominal pressure even in the case when it simply did not fit in the newborn's stomach.
9. Babies need water.
If the child is on breastfeeding and he is fed as often as he wants, then he practically does not need water (with the exception of the very first days of life, while the mother does not produce milk, but colostrum). Moreover, there are studies showing that the body of a newborn removes water much more slowly than the body of an adult. Therefore, firstly, analogies are inappropriate (you drink 2 liters a day yourself, but you don’t give it to your child), and secondly, excessive water consumption can adversely affect the baby’s kidneys. You can determine that the baby has drunk too much by swelling of the lower abdomen and inner thighs. The skin cannot be folded. In this case, the child does not need to drink for a while. It is necessary to ensure freedom of movement of the legs, do not swaddle. After a while, the swelling should go away.
No need to force the baby to drink. But you need to teach him to drink from a spoon so that he can use it whenever he wants (and knows about this possibility). Usually children drink in hot weather. Sometimes they have to drink dill water from gases. At first, this is enough, unless, of course, the child is a “water drink” by nature. In this case, there is no need to restrict. Children who are on artificial feeding, should, on the contrary, receive quite a lot of water.
10. At the age of 1 year, only sick children do not walk.
The child has the right not to want to walk until 16 months. No connection between the time of the first steps and the further development of the child, according to our data, was found.
11. The child should sleep in a separate room from the first days of life.
The child must sleep. And you must sleep. Therefore, places to sleep should be chosen so that everyone is comfortable. And if everyone is happy in the same bed, then this is quite normal, unless, of course, you have the habit of tossing about in your sleep. You can put a stroller box in your bed. You can put the crib close to the parent's bed. You can send the baby to sleep in the next room if you like to run into the distance in the middle of the night to an alarming call (nostalgia for wild youth). As long as everyone is good. But keep in mind that it is useful for a child to listen to the mother's breathing in a dream. For 9 months, your breathing set the pace for his breathing. Your heartbeat is his heartbeat. Sleeping in a shared room will make it easier for your child to transition to an independent life.
12. The child should be planted on the pot as soon as he takes the first steps.
There is no indication that early potty training improves a child's intelligence. Otherwise, it doesn't matter when you start doing it, it's important that it doesn't become a problem. Therefore, if you are annoyed that you have explained ten times, and he still pisses in his pants, then stop explaining and postpone training until better times. In various literature are called different dates- from the first day of life (a child from birth begins to worry before defecation), up to 4 years (friends in the yard will start laughing at him and he will learn on his own), so you should not make a problem out of this.
There are several periods when it is better to start learning to use the potty:
* when the child begins to understand the words of the parents;
* when the child can take off his pants and sit on the potty;
* when before a bowel movement he says "ka-ka" or "wee-wee";
* when he says "mom, I'm not comfortable climbing on the toilet."
Still, it's better not to bring it to the end.
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* Bathing *
209. It is necessary to bathe before feeding.
Mothers usually find it convenient to bathe their baby before the 10 pm feed. However, you can bathe before any feeding (but not after it, because after feeding the baby usually falls asleep). Many fathers enjoy bathing their children before the 6 o'clock or 10 o'clock evening feed. When the child gets older and goes to bed not immediately after dinner, it will be possible to bathe him before bedtime. So that the child does not feel hungry while he is being bathed, give him juice before bathing. You need to bathe the child in a warm room, for example, in the kitchen.
210. Washing.
According to a long-established custom, the child is bathed or bathed entirely every day. However, there is no particular need for such frequent bathing. In cool weather, it is enough to bathe the child once or twice a week, provided that the face and lower body are kept clean, i.e. are washed on days when the child is not bathed. Many inexperienced mothers are initially afraid to bathe their baby. The child seems so helpless to them. In addition, it is slippery, especially when lathered. The baby is also uncomfortable and scary in the bath, as it is difficult to support him while he is so small. Therefore, in the first few weeks or even months, you can wash it until both you and the child feel more confident. Some mothers prefer to bathe the baby until he sits up, after which they start bathing him in the tub. Usually, until the newborn's navel has healed, he is not bathed. Wash the child either on the table or holding him on his knees. If you wash it on the table, spread an oilcloth, and put something soft under the oilcloth (a large pillow, a folded blanket, etc.) so that a small child does not roll on the table, this may frighten him. Wash the head and face with a cotton or soft cloth and clean water. With soap, the head is washed once or twice a week. The body is lightly washed with a hand, a cloth or cotton wool. Then wipe it at least twice with cotton wool or a cloth soaked in water, turning Special attention on skin folds.
211. Bathing in a tub.
Before you start swimming, make sure you have everything you need ready. If you forget your towel, you will have to go after it with a wet baby in your arms.
Don't forget to take off your watch. Put on an apron so you don't get your dress wet. Prepare the following items: soap (any non-alkaline), cloth (or cotton wool), towel, cotton wool to clean the nose and ears of the child, if necessary, oil or powder, if you use them, undershirts, diapers.
You can bathe the child in an enamel basin or in a bath. You can bathe in an ordinary large bath, but it is difficult for a mother to bend down so low. For convenience, you can put the bath on the table near which you will sit, or on something else (above the table), near which you will stand. The water temperature should be approximately the same as body temperature (32-38°). At first, until you learn how to support the baby well in the water, pour very little water into the tub. If you are using a metal bath, put a diaper on the bottom so that the bottom is not slippery. First, wash the child's face with a cotton swab without soap, then wash the head. Rinse the soap twice with wet cotton. The cotton wool should not be too wet so that soapy water does not get into the eyes. Then lather the baby's body with your hand.
Dry the child with a soft towel, but do not rub, but blot. If you bathe him while the navel has not yet healed, then after bathing, thoroughly wipe the navel with sterile cotton.
Most babies begin to enjoy bathing immensely after a few weeks. Take your time and enjoy bathing him as he enjoys bathing.
212. Ears, nose, eyes, mouth, nails.
Wash only the ears, not the ear canal. Wax forms and accumulates in the ear canal to protect and cleanse it. The ear canal is lined with tiny, almost invisible hairs that slowly move wax and accumulated dirt to the exit.
The eyes are flushed with tears that form all the time, not just when the baby cries. Therefore, healthy eyes do not need to be washed.
As a rule, the mouth also does not need care.
A newborn's nails should be trimmed when he sleeps. It is more convenient to use nail clippers rather than scissors.
The nose is equipped with an excellent self-cleaning system. Tiny hairs in the nose move mucus and dirt to the exit, where they accumulate on long hairs near the exit, which causes a tickling sensation in the nose, and the child either sneezes or rubs the nose to clear the accumulated mucus and dirt.
Wiping the child after bathing, clean his nose with a damp cotton swab rolled up with a flagellum. Do it quickly.
213. If the nose is clogged with dried mucus.
In this case, it is difficult for the child to breathe. Older children and adults in this case breathe through their mouths. But it is difficult for newborns to breathe through their mouths. If the child's nose is clogged, clean it as described.
214. Oil or powder (powder).
Many mothers like to use powder or oil after bathing. But in reality this is not necessary (if there was such a need, then nature would take care of it). Powder helps if the child has sensitive skin who is easily irritated. Sprinkle a little powder on your hand, and then apply it in a thin layer on the skin of the child, lightly stroking his body. You can use any baby powder or even simple talc.
If the child has dry skin, it is better to use oil.
* Navel *
215. Healing of the navel.
Developing in the uterus, the baby is fed through the blood vessels of the umbilical cord. Immediately after birth, the doctor cuts the baby's umbilical cord. The remaining piece dries up and falls off, usually after a week, and sometimes later. After the umbilical cord falls off, an open area remains, which heals after a few days, and in exceptional cases - after a few weeks. If the belly button heals slowly, granular tissue may form. But this is not a disease and will soon pass. The navel does not require any treatment. It just needs to be kept clean and dry to keep dangerous bacteria out. If the navel is dry, it scabs and then heals. Modern doctors recommend not bandaging the navel so that it stays dry all the time. Sometimes doctors advise not to bathe the baby until the navel has healed. But if you wipe your navel with sterile cotton after bathing, then everything will be in order. Make sure that the wet diaper does not touch the unhealed navel, as this can irritate it.
If the navel becomes wet and festering, it should be wiped daily with alcohol and even more carefully ensure that a wet diaper does not touch it. If the belly button and the skin around it turn red, then you have an infection and you should immediately consult a doctor. Until the doctor examines the inflamed navel, apply a compress to it (see section 690).
If the crust on the healing navel is torn off by clothes, 1-2 drops of blood may come out. Let it not worry you.
216. Umbilical hernia.
After the skin of the navel has healed, there is still a hollow space inside (the umbilical ring) where the blood vessels used to be. When a baby cries, part of his intestines fills this hollow space and pushes out his navel. It is called umbilical hernia. If the umbilical ring is small, then the navel protrudes quite a bit (0.5 cm). The small umbilical ring closes after a few weeks (or months). If the umbilical ring is large, then the navel will protrude 1 cm and it will close only after a few months (or even years).
Previously, it was believed that elastic bandages help close the umbilical ring. It is now known that this measure does nothing. Don't bother bandaging your belly button.
An umbilical hernia is not dangerous. It rarely bothers the child the way other hernias do (see section 674).
When a fatty layer appears under the skin of the abdomen, the navel appears to be drawn into the abdomen. But it will happen after 2-3 years. And at small child the navel (looking like a rosebud) protrudes above the surface of the abdomen. This should not be confused with a hernia. The hernia is palpable under the skin, like a soft balloon. With a hernia, the navel protrudes much further.
*Genital Organs*
217. The simplest and most common method is to do nothing with the genitals of boys.
Its disadvantage is that there is a risk of infection of the foreskin, however, with careful care of the child, this is extremely rare. As for girls, washing is considered as a mandatory hygienic procedure.
* Rodnichek*
218. Don't be afraid to damage it.
The soft spot on a child's head is the junction of the four bones that form the top of the skull. Gradually, the bones will grow together and the fontanel will disappear. The size of the fontanel in all children is different. Don't let it scare you if the child has a large fontanel. It will just close later. In some children, the fontanelles close as early as 9 months; as a rule, they overgrow at 12-18 months, occasionally - only at 2 years. In good light, you can see how the fontanel pulsates in the rhythm of the pulsation of the heart.
Mothers are unnecessarily afraid of damaging the fontanelle: it is protected by a film as strong as a tarpaulin and it is practically impossible to damage it.
* Clothes, fresh air and sun *
219. How to dress a child at room temperature.
This is a very difficult question for a doctor. I can only give very rough advice. A child weighing less than 2.5 kg must be heated externally (or even kept in an incubator), as he cannot yet control his own body temperature. A child weighing 2.5 to 4 kg does not need additional heating. He will thrive at room temperature (20-22°C) under one or two light woolen blankets, dressed in cotton underwear.
By the time the baby weighs 4 kg, his body will learn to better regulate body temperature. In addition, a fatty layer is formed under the skin, which will help it to keep warm. Now, when the child sleeps in his room in cool weather, it can be about 16 °.
There is no need to reduce the temperature in the room below 16°. At this temperature, the child should be covered warmer.
In the room for playing and eating, it can be 20-22 °. This temperature is suitable for newborns weighing over 2.5 kg, as well as for older children and adults. At this temperature, the child can be covered with a light blanket, but while he is small, put on a light blouse over his vest. Mothers in most cases wrap their children too much, which is very harmful. If a child is always dressed too warmly, his body loses the ability to adapt to changes in temperature. Such a child is more likely to catch a cold. Therefore, it is better to wear less than too much. Watch your child. When he gets cold, his cheeks lose color and he may even cry from the cold. The complexion is the most accurate way to tell if a baby is cold. Don't look that he has cold fingers. It is better to feel the neck or legs or arms.
When putting a sweater or shirt over your child's head, remember that his head is not round, like a ball, but ovoid. Therefore, first gather the sweater with your hands and then pull it over your head from the back of your head forward. And when you take off the sweater, first remove the child's arms from the sleeves, then pull the sweater off the face first, while the opposite side of the opening is held behind the back of the neck. Then take the sweater off completely.
220. Don't wrap up a child.
The best blankets are woolen or synthetic; they are both the warmest and the lightest at the same time. But knitted shawls are even better. They are more comfortable to wrap your baby in and you can wrap them in as many layers as the temperature requires, as they are thinner than regular blankets. It is not recommended to cover the baby with thick, heavy blankets, such as quilted ones.
All blankets and sheets should be large enough to fit well under the mattress so that the baby will not unfold. Oilcloths and linings must be tucked under the mattress or secured with ribbons sewn to their corners and tied behind the bars of the back or behind the bed frame. The mattress should be flat and firm enough so that the child does not lie in an arched position. The mattress in the stroller must cover the entire bottom of the stroller. To a small child no pillow needed in bed or stroller.
Children's caps must be knitted. If such a cap slips onto the face during sleep, then the child will be able to breathe through it. You can use any hats, provided that the mother is nearby.
Many mothers use sleeping bags that zip up, tie around the neck, and tie to the corners of the bed. Of course, such bags are very convenient, but I would not recommend using them for two reasons: firstly, the child risks strangling himself, being tied to the bed and at the same time tightened around the throat; secondly, some psychologists believe that if a child spends a lot of time in infancy, when his emotions are formed, attached, helpless and immobile, this can distort his spiritual world and take away his sense of ease.
You can sew a sleeping suit for your child from a thick blanket. Or you can use the romper that your oldest child grew out of. You can also make a bag that will be fastened with safety pins at armpit level; at the same time, one or two blouses are put on the child. Even if the child gets up in such a bag, he will still be well covered. Such a bag can be made from an old blanket. Leave the seam open at the top by one third. After putting the baby in the bag, wrap the two halves so that they tightly wrap around the body, and fasten with two safety pins on the back where he can't get to them. If the weather is very cold, put on two bags.
221. Fresh air.
Changes in air temperature contribute to the fact that the body learns to adapt to both cold and heat. A bank clerk is more likely to catch a cold in cold weather than a tramp who is used to any weather. Cool and cold air increases appetite, blushes cheeks and invigorates people of all ages. A child who is constantly in a warm room is usually pale and has a poor appetite.
Cold air is drier than warm air. Therefore, when such air is heated by central heating, it becomes even drier, especially if the temperature in the room is above 22°. Dry, hot air dries out moisture in the nose and inflames the lining of the upper respiratory tract. This causes the child anxiety and, apparently, generally reduces the ability of his body to resist infections.
It is good for every child (and every adult) to be outdoors for 2-3 hours a day, especially when the house has central heating.
During sleep, it is necessary to open the window in the room so that the temperature
fell to 16°. When the child is awake, the room should be 20-22 °. You must
have a thermometer at home and look at it several times a day until
learn to feel when the temperature exceeds 22°.
It happens that an inexperienced mother, unnecessarily worrying about the child and striving
to prevent a cold, keeps him in a hot room, and even warmly covered. IN
as a result, the child develops prickly heat in winter.
222. When and how much to walk with a child.
It is useful for a newborn weighing 4.5 kg or more to be in the fresh air for 2-3 hours a day. A child weighing 3.5 kg or more, of course, can be in the open air at a temperature of 16 ° and above. Temperature is not that important in itself. Cold and humid air is colder than dry air of the same temperature, and even colder with wind. A child weighing 10.5 kg can walk in sub-zero temperatures if there is no wind, preferably in the sun. In winter, it is best to walk with the child in the middle of the day (between the 10-hour morning and 2-hour afternoon feeding). If you live outside the city and you have your own yard, then when the weather permits, you can put the child outside for a longer time. Let his face be in the sun for a while if that doesn't bother him (see section 223).
As the child grows up, the periods of his wakefulness increase and the human society becomes more and more necessary for him. Therefore, try not to leave him alone for more than an hour if he is sleeping. Even when the child is having fun on his own, there should be people around him.
If you live in a city, you will have to carry your baby in a stroller down the street. Warm underwear, trousers and woolen stockings will brighten up this watch for parents. If you like to be outdoors and time allows you, then the longer you walk with your baby, the better.
In hot summer weather, if your apartment becomes very stuffy, try to find a cool place in the yard. The longer the child stays there during sleep, the better. If it’s cool in your apartment and it’s hot outside, still take the child out into the air for at least two hours: for an hour in the morning and for an hour in the afternoon.
When you switch the child to three meals a day, you will obviously have to change the hours of walking. But the rule remains the same: take your child out for at least 2-3 hours a day.
The older the child becomes, the more his interest in the environment grows. If after dinner you go out with him for a walk, then he may no longer fall asleep, as before. Therefore, after dinner you will have to put him to sleep in a room. In this case, you will have little time for a walk in the afternoon, especially in winter. You can walk with your child in the morning for 1-2 hours and in the afternoon for another hour. The hours of the morning walk depend on the hours of his morning sleep. Some children in the second half of the first year fall asleep almost immediately after breakfast, while others - later, at 11 am. If your child can't sleep in the stroller during the walk, then you will have to put him to bed to sleep, and walk with him the rest of the time.
223. Sun and sunbathing.
Direct sunlight contains ultraviolet rays, which promote the formation of vitamin D directly in the skin. Therefore, it is wise to leave the child in the sun for a while. But remember three precautions. First, the duration of sunbathing should be increased gradually to avoid burns, especially in clean, clear air and strong sun. Too long sunbathing should be avoided, even if the skin is gradually tanning. The very ability of the skin to tan - protective agent against excessive sunlight. The body needs a moderate amount of sunlight, it is not able to cope with their excess. A severe sunburn is just as dangerous as a heat burn. Keep this in mind and do not leave the child in the sun for too long. When the child's weight reaches 4.5 kg, begin to irradiate his body with sunlight in warm weather. A moderately well-fed child will not freeze if he is half-dressed. In cool but sunny weather, leave only the legs bare. The face of a small child should be protected from the strong sun.
In winter, if you like, you can sunbathe near an open window if the room is warm and there is no draft. Initially, the duration of sunbathing should be 2 minutes. Gradually increase this time by 2 minutes each day. Half of this time, irradiate the back, and half - the tummy. Increasing the duration of sunbathing, do not get carried away. I would not advise keeping a child in the sun for more than 30-40 minutes, especially in summer. Make sure that the child does not overheat in the sun. It is better to place it on a flat surface (on a mat on the ground or on the floor), and not in a stroller. If it is blown with air, it will not overheat. If the child is flushed, then he is too hot.
If sunlight intense (for example, on the beach), the child should remain in the shade all the time, at least the first 2-3 days. With too delicate skin, sunburn can occur even in the shade, the reflected rays can be so strong. If the child is already sitting and crawling, then in the sun it is necessary to protect his head with a panama hat. Remember that sunburn only shows up after a few hours.
224. How much a child should sleep.
Mothers often ask this question. Only the child can answer. One child needs a lot of sleep, while another needs very little. If the child is well fed, well-groomed, spends a lot of time outdoors and sleeps in a cool room, you can let him decide how much he sleeps. Most newborns, if they are full and the stomach is working normally, sleep from feed to feed. But some children from birth sleep little and not at all because something bothers them. You don't need to take any action.
The older the child gets, the less he sleeps. Usually the first period of wakefulness begins at about 4-5 pm. Over time, the child will be awake at other times of the day. Every child has their own sleep schedule. By the end of the first year of life, he will most likely sleep only 2 times during the day. And between a year and a year and a half, he will switch to a one-time daytime sleep. Only in infancy can you be sure that the child sleeps as much as he wants. At 2 years old, a child is a complex human being. He may sleep less than his body requires due to excitement, anxiety, and other reasons.
225. Falling asleep.
It is advisable to accustom the child to the idea that immediately after eating he should sleep. Some children like to play after meals. I would advise you to try to wean them from this habit. Teach your child to fall asleep in his bed without anyone else present, at least after 3 months, when he will no longer be bothered by colic from gases.
Most children get used to both silence and moderate noise. Therefore, no need to tiptoe and whisper. By doing this, you will only accustom him to silence and he will easily wake up from unexpected sounds. If the child is accustomed to the usual home sounds, then you can safely receive guests in the next room, watch TV or listen to the radio. You can even enter a child's room without waking them up.
226. On the back or on the stomach.
Most babies are more comfortable sleeping on their stomachs from birth, especially those with gas, as pressure on the stomach relieves some of these pains. Other babies sleep on their stomach and back, or just on their back. Lying on your back has two drawbacks. First, if the child vomits, he may choke on his own vomit; secondly, when a child sleeps on his back, his head is always turned in the direction opposite to the wall, so it can be flattened on one side. This will not damage his brain and the shape of his head will straighten out over time, but not immediately (this may take about 2 years). You can avoid deformation of the head by putting the child in bed with his head in one direction, then in the other, where his legs used to be. He will still turn his head in the direction he likes to look, and thus his head will lie half the time on one side and half on the other. A few weeks after birth, the baby chooses a position - on the back or on the stomach - and it is difficult to get him to change this position.
It is advisable to teach a child to sleep on his stomach from birth, if he does not mind. Subsequently, when he learns to roll over, he will be able to change the position himself if he wants.
227. Try to teach your child to wake up later in the morning or teach him to calmly wait until you wake up.
Newborns usually wake up unforgivably early - at 5-6 o'clock in the morning. But in the second half of the first year, the children themselves want to sleep longer. Many parents develop the habit of waking up and running to the child as soon as he moves. Thus, they deprive him of the opportunity to fall asleep again or play quietly in his crib while waiting for his parents to wake up. As a result, their child may wake up before 7 am even at 2-3 years old. A child who is used to being approached will demand it as soon as he wakes up. So if you want to get up in the morning at 7-8 o'clock, try the following method: set the alarm 5 minutes later than your child usually wakes up. Then every few days, wind it up another 5 minutes later. Perhaps, waking up before the alarm goes off, the child will learn to fall asleep again or lie quietly. If he wakes up and cries, wait a little - maybe he will calm down. But, of course, if it does not calm down and cries more and more, then you will have to get up. But try to do the same in a month.
228. After 6 months, if possible, place the baby in a separate room.
A baby can sleep in a separate room from birth if it's convenient for you and if you're close enough to hear him cry. If at first his bed is in the parents' room, then at 6 months of age it is advisable to move the child to another room. I would not recommend leaving the baby overnight in the parents' room after 9 months. The child gets used to sleeping with parents and will be afraid to sleep in their absence. The older he is, the more difficult it is to transfer him to a separate room.
In addition, the child may be frightened by the sexual intercourse of the parents, he will not understand what is happening, and will be frightened. Parents will think that the child is sleeping, but child psychiatrists say that often the child wakes up and lies silently in fear, and the parents do not notice this. However, do not think that the risk of scaring the child or making him too dependent on his parents is so great. If you have nowhere else to keep the child, except for your room, fence off his bed with a curtain or screen.
229. Don't put your baby in your bed.
Young children have periods when they wake up frightened at night and come to their parents' room crying frantically. The parents take the child to their bed. At such a moment, this seems to them the most practical measure, but this is a mistake. Even when the child stops being scared at night, he can continue to come to his parents, having fallen in love with sleeping in their warm cozy bed. You will have a hard time weaning him from this habit. Therefore, if the child comes to your room at night, calm him down, but be firm and put him back in bed. I think it is reasonable under no pretext not to take the child to the parent's bed.
*when baby is awake*
230. Calm friendliness should be the main feature of your relationship with your child.
When you feed him, dress him, bathe him, talk to him, change his diaper, hold him in your arms, or just be in the same room with him, he is increasingly aware of how much he means to you, and you to him. When you caress him, hug him and show him that he is the best baby in the world, you make him happy. Caress is as important for the emotional development of the child as milk is for the physical. Maybe that's why we, adults, always strive to please the child, instinctively starting to lisp, nod your head, etc. Even respectable and unsociable people behave this way. The main disadvantage of parental inexperience is unnecessarily serious attitude to parenthood, which interferes with the enjoyment of motherhood. In this case, both the mother and the child are deprived of great joy in life.
Of course, I do not mean that you should chat with your child non-stop all the time when he is awake, or constantly shake and tickle him. This will only tire him, and in the end will lead to inner stiffness or spoilage. Both for the child and for the mother, affectionate friendliness is more important. It manifests itself in the warmth of your hands, in the loving peaceful expression of your face, in the gentle intonations of your voice.
231. Friendliness without pampering.
Of course, it is useful for a child to be close to his mother (brothers and sisters, if any) when he is awake, so that he can see his mother, babble, turning to her, hear her voice. But it is unwise to constantly carry a child in your arms or entertain him without leaving one for a minute. The company of the mother gives the child great pleasure and benefits, but at the same time the child must learn to occupy himself. It happens that a mother adores her firstborn so much that she holds him in her arms, plays with him all the time until he sleeps. The child may become accustomed to the constant attention of the mother and will gradually become more demanding (see sections 256, 257).
232. Toys.
The older the child becomes, the more the periods of his wakefulness increase, especially in the afternoon. While children are awake, they are looking for someone else's company and they want to do something. At 2, 3 and 4 months, babies love to look at bright moving objects. On a walk, they enjoy watching the movements of the leaves, the play of light and shadows. At home, they study their pens, drawing wallpaper. You can hang bright plastic toys on a string stretched between the railing of the bed. Hang them high enough (not right next to the child's nose), but so that he can reach them when he starts to reach for objects. You can make your own turntables out of cardboard covered with colored paper that rotate with the slightest breeze. Hang them from the ceiling or from a chandelier so your child can't reach them, as they are too fragile to play with and not suitable for chewing. You can also hang household items: spoons, plastic cups, etc. Remember that everything ends up in the child's mouth. For about 6 months, the main joy for him will be to grab, hold and take in his mouth a variety of objects: rattles, dolls, toy animals, household items. Do not allow your child to pick up and chew on objects painted with paint containing lead. Don't let him play with celluloid toys as he may bite into small, sharp pieces. Do not give your child beads or other small items that he can swallow and choke on. Remove metal squeakers from rubber toys.
In the afternoon, when the child gets bored of lying in the crib, put him in the playpen, which you will place near the place where you work or just sit. If you are going to use the playpen at all, start teaching your child about 3-4 months of age, before he can sit and crawl and learn the beauty of free movement. Otherwise, the child will perceive the playpen as a cage. When he learns to sit and crawl, he will amuse himself by moving from one object to another. When the child gets tired of being in the arena, put him at a table or in a rocking chair. And when he gets bored there, lower him to the floor. It is both useful and pleasant for him.
233. Arena.
It is not necessary to have a harness. Some psychologists and doctors do not approve of this idea, believing that the playpen does not give the child the opportunity to explore the world and develop independence. This, of course, has not been proven. Arena - very practical and useful thing especially for a busy mother. Placed in the kitchen or in the room where the mother works, the playpen gives the child the opportunity to be with people and see everything that is happening around. Later, the child will have fun throwing toys out of the playpen and getting them back. When the child begins to stand up, he will be able to cling to his handrails, while at the same time having a solid foundation under his feet. In good weather, you can put the arena on the veranda, balcony or courtyard, from where the child will watch everything that happens.
234. Rocking chair.
It can be useful when the child learns to sit up straight, and before he learns to walk. If the base of the chair is not long enough, then the child may, by swinging strongly, roll over. The father can correct this trouble by lengthening the runners of the rocking chair or by limiting the amplitude of the rocking.
Do not keep your child in a rocking chair for too long. The baby needs time to crawl and learn to stand.
235. Meconium.
In the first 2-3 days, a newborn's stool consists of a substance called meconium, black-green in color, thin and viscous. Then its color becomes yellow-brown. If within 2 days after birth the child does not have a chair, you should consult a doctor.
236. Chair in a child with breastfeeding.
The chair can be several and even many times a day. In the first weeks, a newborn may have a stool after each feeding. The color is usually light yellow. The consistency of a newborn's stool is usually like a thick soup or dough and is almost never too hard. In the first 2-3 months, the child's stool is often, sometimes rarely. Some children have it every day, while others - only every other day or two. This can frighten the mother, who is used to believing that the chair should be every day. You have nothing to worry about if the child is doing well. The stool of a breastfed baby remains soft, even if it happens after 2-3 days.
It happens that the child hardly squeezes out the feces accumulated in 2-3 days, and in consistency it is like soup-puree. I can only explain this by the fact that the stool is so liquid that it does not create enough pressure on the inside of the anus. Usually, with the introduction of solid food in the baby's diet, the stool is getting better. Check with your doctor, he may recommend introducing solid foods earlier. Two to four tablespoons of boiled prunes puree will help the child. Laxatives in such cases are not needed. Avoid taking laxatives or enemas regularly as the child will get used to them. Try to make do with prunes or other solid foods.
237. Chair in a child with artificial feeding.
At first, the chair is 1-4, and sometimes 6 times a day. The number of bowel movements does not matter if the consistency of the feces is normal and the child is gaining weight well.
The feces of a child fed on cow's milk are light yellow or beige in color. However, in some newborns, feces resemble soft scrambled eggs or pieces of cottage cheese in a liquid medium. If the child feels well and is gaining weight normally, then you have nothing to worry about.
The most common difficulty that occurs with artificial feeding is a predisposition to constipation (see section 269). In the first months, formula-fed babies rarely have liquid, greenish, or curdled stools. If you increase the amount of sugar in the milk formula, the quality of the stool will deteriorate. If the stool of the newborn is characterized by the mentioned signs, it is necessary to show the child to the doctor as often as possible. Try to completely eliminate sugar from your child's diet. But, if the child always has a somewhat liquid stool, and at the same time he is cheerful, gains weight well and the doctor does not find any disease, then you can consider the stool normal.
238. Changes in the stool.
You have seen that if the child is gaining weight well and his stool is always the same, then the consistency and color of the feces do not matter. But, if the stool changes dramatically in quality, it is necessary to consult a doctor. If, for example, it was viscous, and then suddenly became thinner with pieces of undigested food and became more frequent, this may be a sign of indigestion. If the feces become very thin, frequent, greenish in color and have a different smell, then this almost certainly means an intestinal disease (diarrhea) in severe or mild form. If there was no stool for a long time, and then the feces appeared unusually hard and dry, then sometimes (but not necessarily) this means the onset of a cold or other illness. The fact is that the infection not only reduces appetite, but changes bowel function. Generally speaking, changes in stool color and frequency are not as important as changes in consistency and smell.
IN loose stool often there is mucus, the presence of which confirms bowel disease. Mucus gets into the feces if the child has a runny nose or bronchitis. Often, healthy newborns produce a lot of mucus in the first weeks.
When the child is introduced into the diet the new kind vegetables, some of them may pass undigested in the feces. If at the same time the stool becomes thinner and mucus appears in it, next time give him just a little of these vegetables. Otherwise, keep giving the same amount or gradually increase portions until the child gets used to this type of vegetable. Beets can turn red stools. Exposed to air, feces may turn brown or green. It doesn't mean anything.
Traces of blood on the surface of the feces indicate that there are scratches on the walls of the rectum from too hard feces. Although this is not a disease, but still consult a doctor in order to cure the child of constipation in time. Constipation has a harmful effect not only on the physical but also on the mental state of the child (see section 362).
If there is a lot of blood in the stool, which is extremely rare, then the cause may be an abnormal bowel structure or severe diarrhea or intussusception (see section 671). Call a doctor immediately or take the child to a clinic.
For diarrhea, see section 275-277.
* Diaper *
239. How to use diapers.
It depends on the size of both the baby and the diaper. The main principle is that the thickest part of the diaper should be where the most urine gets, but do not fold the diaper too many times, otherwise it will be difficult for the child to move the legs.
Most mothers change diapers before and after feedings. But very busy mothers find that it is enough to change the diaper either before feeding or after, which saves time and laundry.
If the baby urinates a lot, so that the whole bed becomes wet, you can use two diapers at once. But put the second one not between the legs, like the first one, but wrap it around the hips.
After a bowel movement, you can wipe the baby's buttocks with baby cream, glycerin, or plain water and cotton. If necessary, you can wash the buttocks with soap (wash off the soap thoroughly). When changing a wet diaper, it is not necessary to wash the baby.
Bathing for a newborn child and his parents is a whole event (especially if it is the first after the hospital). Like any very responsible business, this process raises many questions: how and when to bathe, boil water or not, whether it is possible to add decoctions of herbs and how often to do this, is it dangerous to get water in the ears, and so on. The well-known pediatrician Yevgeny Komarovsky in his books and articles has repeatedly talked about the basic rules and principles for organizing water procedures for a baby.
It is worth considering the most important points, which you should know so that bathing brings pleasure and benefit to both the child and his parents.
Peculiarities
Water procedures are absolutely useful for all babies from the very first days of life. In the womb, the crumbs are in the aquatic environment, and therefore it is familiar and familiar to them. In the water, the little one feels at home. Bathing is not only a hygienic procedure aimed at keeping the skin and hair of the child clean. Bathing promotes physical development, carries an element of the game, and therefore has a positive effect on the mental and emotional development baby.
A few decades ago, pediatricians categorically forbade bathing a child with an unhealed umbilical wound, opposed raw unboiled water, and set quite a few rather stringent requirements and restrictions for parents.
Modern doctors look at bathing more democratically.
Experienced parents, as a rule, have much less difficulties when bathing a newborn at home for the first time than new moms and dads who just a few hours ago received their first child in their arms. Komarovsky advises to keep the Spartan calm. It is this that guarantees success in the difficult task of bathing the baby.
Preparation
Should I bathe with an unhealed umbilical wound?
This question comes up quite often. Some pediatricians allow bathing even with a clothespin on the navel, others recommend refraining from taking water procedures until the umbilical cord dries. Yevgeny Komarovsky says that the choice is, of course, for the parents. However, if the child is kept in acceptable living conditions, does not sweat, does not overheat, does not get dirty, then nothing terrible will happen to him if the baby does not swim for a week or two. It doesn't bother him at all. If anyone is worried, then only mom and dad, but in this case there are wet baby sanitary napkins that you can wipe problem areas and folds at any time.
However, if you still decide to bathe, then the doctor advises doing this only with boiled water until the umbilical wound heals.
For a long time doctors advised bathing in water with a solution of potassium permanganate. However, here you need to be extremely careful, undissolved grains of potassium permanganate can cause serious burns on the delicate skin and mucous membranes of the baby. The solution should be pale pink and should be added to the water just before bathing. Komarovsky does not recommend potassium permanganate at all, since in small doses it is useless, and in large doses it is dangerous. It is better to replace it with an infusion of a string.
Massage
Massage before evening bathing is a very useful and important procedure, Yevgeny Komarovsky believes. During stroking and patting, the blood supply to the muscles and skin improves, and the benefits will be even more noticeable if the baby is bathed immediately after the manipulations. To master a simple massage is within the power of all parents without exception. You do not need to enroll in special courses for this.
Massage before the bath Komarovsky recommends making it light and soothing. At first, with baby cream, mom can easily massage the hands (stroking and in a circular motion, this should be done thumbs hands). Then the legs are massaged in the same way. The tummy is stroked with the palm of your hand or fingertips clockwise. Then the crumbs are laid out on the tummy and the back is gently massaged - first with circular and arcuate movements, and then with light pats.
Mom's movements should not hurt the baby, he should not go to the bath too overexcited and screaming from the heart.
Water temperature
Doctors recommend keeping the temperature at 37 degrees. It should be followed for at least the first 10-14 days. Then you can experiment - slightly raising or lowering the temperature (maximum - by 1 degree).
Some parents try to warm up the bathroom in advance, bring heaters into it (especially in cases where the first bathing at home takes place in winter). Komarovsky does not advise doing this. The temperature in the bathroom should be about the same as in the rest of the apartment (optimum values are 18-20 degrees), and it is harmful to overheat the air in the bathing room.
Komarovsky for sound sleep at night advises to practice bathing in cool water, the temperature of which is not higher than 32 degrees.
Such procedures will not cause any harm, but the general strengthening effect will be evident, besides, in a cool bath, it is more difficult for a child to fall asleep while bathing. However, do not immediately rush to implement this recommendation. This should be started gradually. The initial water temperature for a newborn is 34 degrees. In a month, a child can reduce it by 2 degrees - up to 32 degrees, and increase the bathing time from 15 minutes to half an hour. In two months, the temperature of cool water can be lowered to 28-30 degrees, bathing time is half an hour.
These figures Komarovsky advises to take rather conditionally. If a child at 1 month calmly perceives bathing in water, the temperature of which is 24 degrees, there is nothing wrong with that. He sleeps soundly, has a great rest, worries himself less and lets his parents sleep.
Time
The first bath should not be made very long. It is better to start with 3 minutes, the next day extend the procedure to 5 minutes, then add a little more time. The best duration of bathing Komarovsky considers 15-20 minutes. If a quarter of an hour has passed, and the baby is calm and determined to continue the procedure, nothing bad will happen if the bath is extended.
A newborn does not have time to get dirty enough to need to be bathed every day.
Although Komarovsky strongly advises washing the baby every day. When the baby begins to crawl, get dirty, actively explore the world, water procedures before bedtime should become regular and mandatory - you will have to bathe the baby daily.
It seems to Komarovsky that evening swimming is not a dogma. Parents themselves have the right to choose the most convenient bathing time for the family. some party hygiene procedures rescheduled for lunch. However, Komarovsky warns that evening swimming has its benefits - for example, it promotes relaxation for a sound and healthy night's sleep.
Herbs and decoctions
Whatever traditional healers say, it is better to coordinate any use of phytotherapeutic agents when bathing with the attending pediatrician. Grandmothers, of course, will advise you to bathe your granddaughter in a row more often or be sure to brew nine forces for him, but the common sense of parents should be above all. If a child suffers from atopic dermatitis, diaper rash, a tendency (genetic) to allergies, be sure to consult a doctor.
For healthy children, bathing with the addition of decoctions of medicinal herbs is a rather useful procedure, Yevgeny Komarovsky believes. However, measure is good in everything, you should not prepare herbal baths daily, and you should be more careful with the dosage of decoctions and infusions.
Naturally, it will not work to treat something with the help of herbal decoctions added to water, since this is impossible, says Dr. Komarovsky. But also great harm with moderate dosage will not happen.
What to do if the child does not like to wash and screams?
Such situations do occur, says Komarovsky. But the point here is not at all in the child, and not even in the fact that he is afraid of something. Most likely, according to a well-known pediatrician, bathing conditions should be adjusted. Maybe the temperature of the water does not suit the baby - it is too high or too low for him. After experimenting for several days, parents will be able to understand which water is most comfortable for the child. Bathing should begin with it - and only then adjust the temperature in favor of cooling (adding a thin stream cold water) or heating (adding hot in the same way).
Another reason for a child's cry in the bathroom, according to Komarovsky, lies in the rejection of the baby's bathing process, since it goes against his internal biological clock.
For example, a mother tries to bathe her baby only at night, and it is at this time that the child wants to sleep, not bathe. Therefore, Komarovsky gives some advice that will help parents whose children are rowdy in the water:
Change the time of day.
Change the order of eating and bathing. If the baby screams when bathing half an hour after eating, then try bathing him half an hour before eating (or vice versa).
Practice bathing with your child.
Large bath
This can be done already in 2-3 months, says Evgeny Komarovsky. At first, a child can get used to a large body of water with a circle around his neck. This is a special inflatable device with a notch for the chin and Velcro at the back of the neck. The kid is fixed in such a circle, his head is always above the water, and he can practice swimming on his back, stomach, turning over in the water on his own. Usually this picture leads the parents of the crumbs into indescribable delight.
You can swim without a circle. For this, Evgeny Komarovsky advises three poses:
The baby is completely immersed in water, only the face remains on the surface. At the same time, it is supported index fingers under the neck. There is nothing dangerous in getting water into the ears and eyes, says the doctor. The main thing is that water does not get into the nose and mouth. Even if the baby takes a sip of it a little, nothing bad will happen either.
Tell me, are your children taught to wash their hands? For example, before meals or after a walk. And they do everything themselves, without your next reminder? If still not, then urgently begin to educate the child in conscientious hand hygiene.
Adults, of course, have more experience and examples from life than ignoring the rules of personal hygiene can threaten. How do you convey this to a child? If for each of your reminders “you need to wash your hands”, the answer is ready: “Why wash them - they are already clean, I didn’t take anything.”
Why should you wash your hands often?
First, you must explain again and again that the skill of washing hands is not only useful for every person (regardless of age), but also valuable for others. For example, because of one lazy irresponsible child, his whole family can get sick, and also children in kindergarten or at school.
Be sure to tell them that from dirty hands, bacteria get on objects that many people use (toys, dishes, door handles), and then both adults and children become infected and end up in the hospital with an intestinal infection. And if you touch your face with dirty hands, you can also get diseases of the skin and mucous membranes of the eyes. If you have ever treated a baby with barley, just remind him how painful and unpleasant it was.
Secondly, try to demonstrate the rules of hygiene in person. Remind your child daily to wash their hands:
Before eating;
After visiting the toilet;
Upon returning from a walk in the street;
After communicating with animals - even with pets, which are the cleanest and most well-groomed;
After sneezing, coughing, communicating with a sick person.
After a trip to public transport hands should be wiped with a damp disinfectant wipe if it is not possible to rinse them with water.
How to teach to wash your hands?
For young children, any process can quickly get bored due to monotony, lack of variety of actions and impressions. If this is the case with your hand washing, then try resorting to tricks.
1. Play while washing your hands. The words “should” and “should” carry aggression and hostility. Get them out of your vocabulary! It is better to tell and show the baby how to wash their hands to the "accompaniment" of a funny nursery rhyme or a funny song. And success will be guaranteed! For example, learn these verses:
almonds, almonds,
Wash my paws with soap.
clean palms,
Here's your bread and spoons!
2. Purchase beautiful accessories. Now in children's goods stores you can get beautiful soap dishes, baby soap self made in the form of animals, heroes of fairy tales or cartoons. A bright children's towel with an interesting pattern or embroidery will also come in handy. So, the child will look forward to the next opportunity to wash their hands.
3. Get a chair in the bathroom. Pay attention to whether it is convenient for the child to be near the sink. Maybe he is simply not able to reach the tap or get soap from a high shelf? Then it makes sense to put a chair or stool for the baby. So he will feel taller, more mature, more important, and the process of washing hands will be easy and without whims.
Go wash your hands!
The parental obligation to explain to children the importance of washing their hands can be compared to the eternal struggle of two opposites. Every day you prove, follow, teach. And the kid, that there is strength, resists and tries to "evade" this procedure.
Of course, in early age children will not remember your lecture about what types of pathogenic bacteria love to settle on the skin of their hands. Your story about the myriad of bacilli on the palms of dirty kids who do not listen to their elders is also not very impressive. In this matter, attention should not be paid to 2-3-year-olds, rather, it should be emphasized that it will be much more pleasant for mom and dad to see a child with clean, beautiful hands than dirty ones. And let “Moydodyr” by Korney Chukovsky become your reference book during this period.
In the process of learning to wash hands, it is very important that the child remembers the sequence of actions.
So, first you need to roll up the sleeves of your clothes well. Next, dampen the brushes with water. Pick up soap and make a lot of foam. Rinse your hands thoroughly - both from the side of the palms and from the back. And between the fingers and under the nails. You can use a special brush for hands. Then thoroughly wash your hands under running water from soap suds, dip in a towel or dry with a special dryer.
It seems that there is nothing complicated. But, for some reason, kids have difficulty rolling up their sleeves. Either they forget or they are lazy. And this leads to the fact that the child walks in wet clothes and hypothermia.