My Toddler Died - Every Parent’s Nightmare.

Grief No Comments

It was 10:10 a.m., March 9th, 1989, when I returned home with my six month old son, Jack, from our next-door neighbour’s house. My husband Michael was playing Duplo (blocks) with Ben on the lounge-room rug.

Michael told me that he’d been outside chain-sawing some branches he’d trimmed off a tree, when he had an intense attack of guilt about Ben.

He said that Ben had asked him to stay inside and play with him about fifteen minutes earlier, so he’d put down the saw and come inside.

I sat down to breast-feed Jack, while Michael went to make a cup of coffee. Ben quietly went upstairs. Only a few minutes had passed when I went upstairs to check on him. It was then that I found him sitting on the floor with a box of medical supplies. Some quinine sulphate tablets were scattered around him.

At first, I thought he’d only sucked the sugar coating off, as I tasted them and they were very bitter.

We immediately called the poison information service and they said to expect vomiting and disorientation from ringing in the ears.

It seemed that they didn’t think the situation was very serious.

But it was….

Finally, the time came to leave the hospital, where we had brought our son only seven hours earlier. I couldn’t have imagined then that we would never bring him home again.

We got into the van and just sat there stunned.

Driving out the gate, there was a toddler playing on the swings. How could it be, that he was still playing and Ben wasn’t?

Read the full story in my journal.

A Fallen Petal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baby Favourite Foods

Baby behaviour, Nutrition 2 Comments

 

 

 

 

I am always looking for great food ideas for babies between 5 months and 12 months.
Here is a favourite I know of.

Avocado Milk
2 teaspoons of soft ripe avocado
2 teaspoons of breast milk or made up infant formula

Mash and Mix
Serve warm  YUM!!!
Suitable for baby at 18 weeks old as a milk feed chaser.

I would love you to add one of your baby food favourites below.

Baby Poo – What’s normal?

Baby behaviour No Comments


Baby poo
is a good indicator of how a baby is tolerating feeding.

 

What can a normal baby poop look like?

 

A newborn baby’s first bowel movement will be greenish-black, thick and sticky. A good one for the dads to learn how to change!

 

These first poos consists of epithelial cells, lanugo, mucus, amniotic fluid, bile, and water which are intestinal substances that an unborn foetus ingests while in the womb.

 

As a newborn begins to ingest colostrum (mother’s first breast liquid), breast milk and or infant formula this poo will begin to change into a dark brown colour and be less sticky.

 

When a baby is breastfeeding the poo will progress to a more mustard colour with tiny, white, grainy seed like pieces in it. It will be a very loose consistency and can occur at every nappy change or every few days or even up to 14 days. Unlike a formula fed baby a breast fed baby does not get constipated.

 

All is normal if a breast fed baby’s poo is mainly mustard yellow and occasionally has green specks and streaks but then goes back to being like seeded mustard.

 

When a baby is regularly ingesting an infant formula their poo will be a pasty consistency and often green in colour. Each brand of infant formula creates a slightly different variation of the colour green.

Bowel movements may be less frequent than a breast fed baby but to avoid constipation a baby will need to be passing a poo every day or every second day.

 

A baby that is breastfeeding but has top ups of infant formula will have a variation in between these two poos depending on the ratio of breast milk to formula.

 

 

BABY POOP THAT IS NOT NORMAL AND INDICATES THE NEED FOR FURTHER ASSESSMENT BY A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL

 

  1. Green frothy poo and possibly associated with unsettledness, bloating, wind and nappy rash
  2. Very liquid consistency with no white seedy bits
  3. A formula fed baby who cries when they poo and the stool is a pebble like consistency
  4. A formula fed baby who has not passed a poo for 3 or  more days
  5. A poo that has streaks of blood in it
  6. A poo that is green with a stringy egg white consistency
  7. Projectile vomiting after 3 consecutive feeds associated with no bowel movement

How to Swaddle a Young Baby

Baby behaviour, Sleep and Settling No Comments

With today’s knowledge on SIDS, it is safer to sleep young babies on their back and not on their tummy. For this reason, it is important to give your baby a snug and secure feeling in another way; swaddling. 

Three misconceptions about swaddling a baby:

1.    They don’t like their hands wrapped up tight

2.    They fight the wrap when I put them in it

3.    They are struggling to get free

Three benefits to swaddling a baby my way:

1.   Their hands are wrapped and placed in a natural position (you will notice that your baby places their hands on the chest when you have them lying contented and unwrapped on their back)

2.   Wrap them securely before their nervous system is out of control and over loaded

3.   Once they are asleep it prevents the startle reflex waking them between sleep cycles; allowing for a longer more settled sleep

Swaddling a baby to aid in them having a settled sleep is appropriate until they are 6 months old.

The swaddling technique shown in this video is appropriate until a baby is 3 months old, after that you can leave their arms free of the wrap which allows a baby to be able to suck their fist or fingers to self settle.

Being Tired makes a Toddler’s Tantrum Worse

Parenting, Toddler, discipline No Comments

 

A toddler will have tantrums. After all that is what they are known for!!!

Toddler’s are at an age where they are learning how things work and what sort of attention their behaviour will attract. This is normal however everything is harder to cope with when a person is tired. Most parents have probably experienced that in their own lives.

A day in the life of a toddler requires a feed, play, sleep balance to minimize fluctuating behaviour.

A toddler needs 5 meals evenly spaced over a day. All foods should contain proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. They should not be highly processed or contain refine sugars, preservatives and additives.

A toddler generally requires one or two sleeps during the day and 10 hours sleep overnight to function at their best.

When a child is given nutritious food at regular intervals and adequate rest their tantrums are much more short lived and easier to control allowing boundaries easier to establish and adhere to.

Moving a Child from a Cot into a Big Bed…

Sleep and Settling, Toddler No Comments

You can help your child make the transition from a cot to a bed when you and your child are ready. You will find this transition is the easiest to manage after your child turns 2 years old.

Below are some signs that indicate that it is time for your infant to move out of their cot.

  •      Climbs or falls head first out of their cot
  •      Thrashes around in their cot and seems unable to get comfortable
  •      Asks you for a “big bed”
  •      When they are toilet trained by day and then start to call out at night to use the toilet 
  •      A new baby coming and the cot will be needed

 



Suggestions that can help your child move out of a cot and into a bed…

  • Make the changes when there are no other changes happening in the child’s life
  • If another baby is on the way, make the changes at least 2 months before or after their arrival
  • They may like to help you chose the sheets
  • Idea 1: Take away the cot surrounds and place the cot mattress on the floor in the same spot for a few days or a week before changing into the bed
  • Idea 2: Bring the big bed into the same room as the cot, leaving cot assembled and start day naps and reading books on their new bed for a week before sleeping in it
  • Have a calm and comforting pre-bedtime routine established before making the transition
  • Have some of this on the big bed reading or chatting
  • Tuck them in and ensure they know you expect them to stay in bed
  • If they get out of bed, take their hand and walk them back to bed calmly and confidently, with no eye contact or conversation. Continue walking them back in this manner until they stay there. Do this consistently for 3 weeks before a new habit is established.

Read more infant sleep tips in “Putting them to Sleep” eBook/mp3
 

 

Tired Temper Tantrum

Baby behaviour, Sleep and Settling No Comments
 
 

 

This video clip shows what can happen when an older baby (about 7 – 8 months ) gets over tired.

At this stage they are much harder to settle to sleep.

Give yourself a helping hand by understanding tired signs and acting on them appropriately.

To help you understand what tired signs are, when they are likely to happen and what to do about them I have written down my tried and tested theories and knowledge in an eBook for you to download and read. It is available here

It is also available on CD here

I know the information I share will bring you more understanding and confidence to help you enjoy your days and nights with your baby.

Jan

Introducing Solids to your Baby

Baby behaviour, Nutrition No Comments

Do you know when to introduce solid foods to your baby?

Perhaps you are ready to start but you are not sure what foods to give them and how.

Give them the best possible start so you don’t end up with a fussy eater.

Here are 7 important tips to consider:

·    Use a soft long handle spoon

·    sitting in an upright position

·    not starting before your baby is 17 weeks old

·    protective clothing!! (perhaps everyone that is involved!!!)

·    start solids at a time of the day that they are happiest, interested and able to absorb the nutrients and watch for allergy reactions.

·    Start with sloppy puree consistency

·    Start with foods that your baby’s system will tolerate the best.

For more up to date and relevant information on introducing solids to your baby visit the link below.

“Starting Solids and Food Antics”

Enjoy parenting

Jan

 

Plagiocephalie or Flattened Head Area.

Baby behaviour, Sleep and Settling No Comments

 
Did you realise that the first 6 - 8 weeks of your baby’s life is the most important time to avoid a flattened head area developing in your baby.(Plagiocephalie)

Plagiocephalie can develop after birth from your baby applying constant  pressure on one part of their head.

This is due to the bones of a newborn baby’s head being thin and flexible and the head being soft and easy to mould.
Flat areas may happen when:

 

1. Lying in one position for long periods of time (such as on their back while they sleep)

2. By always turning their head to the same side when lying on their back (favouring looking at a window of light)

3. Always sitting in a propped up position; occurring in babies who suffer from Reflux

4. Birth trauma resulting in neck pain; leaving the baby to favour a pain free position


Some important steps that you can do to facilitate a baby developing muscle balance and decrease the risk of developing a flattened head area.

1. Alternate their head position when putting them down in their sleeping area

2. Alternate putting them at different ends of the cot when putting them to bed.

3. A period of tummy time during every play time.

4. Change the position of their toys when they are on the floor so they move their head to different angles.

5. Vary their holding and carrying positions

6. Changing the side that you wear a baby carry sling on

7. When picking your baby up, approach them from different sides of their body.

8. An appointment with a baby accredited Chiropractor

or Physiotherapist maybe necessary to assess your baby’s head alignment.

It is not unusual for babies to need a gentle adjustment after

a Caesarean birth, forceps assisted birth, breech birth and prolonged 2nd stage.

Babies who do not feed well from a particular side, hate tummy time

or have considerable gas may have an alignment issue requiring attention.

Seek professional help EARLY if you see that your baby’s head is becoming flattened in areas. A physiotherapist may need to fit a cranial helmet if the head remains flat past 5-6 months.

 

 


Information on ‘Plagiocephalie’ came across my desk

from the Plagiocephalie Clinic  at the Mater Children’s Hospital , Brisbane.

“Research is showing that baby’s that remain

with marked plagiocephalie may skip crawling

and have slower milestones with motor skills.

As they get older they may have reduced ability

with mathematics and in particular judging distances”.

So, tummy time it is!!

Start today.

Enjoy parenting

Jan
http://www.settlepetal.com
 

 

 

 

Communicate and Read to your Baby and they will Learn to Talk Back!!!

Funny Things that Children Say, Language Development No Comments

As I mentioned in a previous post it is great to read and communicate to your children.

By doing this it will help them to learn how to talk and communicate back to you; even if at the start it is in their own type of language.

Enjoy parenting

Jan

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