Mothering Corner

I stumbled upon this article when I was searching for family life insurance lead online. Since there are some mothers who are interested in packing bentos for their toddlers (or even if you don’t pack any), please check out this article on forbidden baby and toddler food from Parents.com.

Infants and young children have trouble chewing completely, so certain foods pose a choking hazard until they reach age 4. Check out our list of foods to avoid giving babies and toddlers — plus tips for worry-free, healthy eating.

 

Skip: Large Chunks of Meat, Cheese, or Fruit

Smart Solution: With a little more preparation time, meat, cheese, or fruit can be fine for children to munch on. Cut meat into pieces no larger than the length of your fingertips. Cheese can be sliced into the same size or shredded. For fruit, serve well-cooked apple or chunks of very ripe pear.

 

Stay Away From: Whole Grapes

Smart Solution: Babies can eat thinly sliced grapes (not just cut in half). Or take an extra precaution and puree fruits before mealtime.

 

Watch Out For: Hard, Gooey, or Sticky Candy

Smart Solution: Candy is too small and slippery for your little one, but KidsHealth.org recommends trying French toast without the egg white as a healthier sweet snack.

 

Pass Up: Globs of Peanut Butter

Smart Solution: Sticky peanut butter is especially dangerous for children younger than 2. The Mayo Clinic’s tip for satisfying a toddler’s sweet tooth is to give your child fat-free pudding instead.

 

Cut Out: Popcorn

Smart Solution: For a dry food that isn’t as tough for babies and toddlers to chew, KidsHealth.org suggests a 1/2 cup of low-sugar breakfast cereal as an easy alternative.

 

Steer Clear Of: Raw Vegetables

Smart Solution: While babies are learning to chew or gum their food, skip crunchy raw vegetables and give them soft-cooked peas, beans, and carrots.

Forgo: Whole Hot Dogs

Smart Solution: The University of Michigan Health System suggests buying safer nitrite- and nitrate-free hot dogs and cutting them into noodle-like strips.
Copyright © 2008 Meredith Corporation.

All content on this Web site, including medical opinion and any other health-related information, is for informational purposes only and should not be considered to be a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation. Use of this site and the information contained herein does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.

 I still remembered those days when I had to peel off the skin of the grapes and cut them into tiny pieces, so that my toddlers could eat well. The carrots sticks must be blanched to soften them before serving. Not to mention, I went out with a pair of small scissors in my handbag which I used to cut the food, especially veggies and noodles. Gosh… LOL!

BTW, like most mothers, I do have concern about wieners, ham and other processed food. But if possible, get safer nitrite- and nitrate-free hot dogs (if you can find) like suggested above. For me, I try to get from “reputable” food manufacturing company which strict compliance rules, and control the serving portion.

We haven’t brought our kids to any pediatrician here in Bangkok so when my gal had flu days ago, we just tried some simple home remedy. She didn’t have fever, so we didn’t get her any prescriptions, even if I know that we can just buy over the counter medicine from those medical supplies shops.

By just boasting up her vitamin C and garlic supplies in daily food, she managed to get well in just 2 days. But we have an infant nasal aspirator just in case we need to clear her nose but we didn’t use it this time. I would suggest that you keep one at home too, as not every toddler knows how to blow her nose.

I don’t have much problem brushing my boy’s teeth when he was younger, but for my gal, it’s a struggle. She likes to do things by herself, and I am really proud of her. But when it comes to brushing teeth, I hope that I can give her some help. She has a tooth with minor decay now, and the dentist advised us to brush for her to prevent it from getting worse. But it’s not easy to do so as she refuses and wants to rain away from us. I don’t want to risk her from falling on the bathroom floor or hit herself on the bathroom faucets, so I surrender most of the time.

Frankly, I blame myself partly for letting her have her way with brushing teeth, that’s why she has tooth decay now as she can’t brush them well yet. So, what can I do now? The dentist said it’s not a good idea to remove that tooth because it’s not serious. We just have to prevent it from getting worse and delay tooth removal as long as possible. My gal is only 2 years old and she will not cooperate at the clinic. There’s no point scaring her at seeing a dentist now.

Gee…I should just stop buying those sweets and jelly beans, but she loves it!

It’s been some time since my kids take medication, and they don’t fuss that much now when they take the med. Yesterday, I helped SIL to feed her 6 months old baby some medicine, and her baby choked and vomited. She had a good feed before that, so I guess she vomited due to too much crying. I could see SIL’s fear in her eyes, but for a more experienced mother, I had to comfort the baby, and make sure that everything was coming out from her mouth instead of going backwards. My kids vomited a lot too when they were babies, especially when they took their medicine. It’s not an easy task to “force” the liquid into their mouth, so it not easy for most new mothers.

Check out this article on how to feed a baby his medication. Maybe it will make things easier for you and your baby.

Even if I don’t have plan for another baby, but sometimes, it does come across my mind that some baby names are perfect for our kids’ little sister or brother because they rhyme well. LOL! The same goes for Chinese names, I think the children will share one of the words to show that they are siblings. Actually, we supposed to follow the family name list which is carried out from one generation to another, but we didn’t do so. The word doesn’t sound nice for my children’s generation and none of their cousins are using it too.

Some Chinese prefer to have their baby’s names predicted and chosen according to lunar calendar or by sifu, and most of us believe that it will bring more luck to the baby. We didn’t do so for our kids because we don’t think that it’s necessary. Besides that, we are not that superstitious!

But then again, a baby’s name lies on his parent’s or immediate family’s choice. I think I will just choose one that sounds nice and not too hard to pronounce!

We stored the stem cell of our second child because we felt that it’s important to do so even if we do not wish to use the stem cell in the future. It is just like getting an insurance coverage, you will be well protected if there is a medical condition. We didn’t do so for our first child, hopefully the stem cells are compatible for him as well. If you can afford it, keep the stem cell of your babies, and even if there are a few other methods of collecting stem cells now, but getting them from the umbilical cord blood is painless and easier.

At the same time, the baby’s stem cell might be able to protect the mother as well as stated by Cryo-Cell’s “Protect Baby, Protect Mom”. Most stem cell specimens are match for siblings and the mother, but more tests will have to be done before they can be used. Nonetheless, just treat it like a health care investment. No one hopes for illness or sickness, but if there is a better step of precaution, why don’t we give it a try? If you are interested with Cryo-Cell Innovative Stem Cell Solutions, check out the “Protect Baby, Protect Mom” Special Limited-Time Introductory Offer.

I think diaper bag is a great gift for daddy who likes to bring his baby out for some bonding session. My hubby likes to take care of his kids but when they were babies, he had not brought them out by himself once. Maybe the diaper bag doesn’t look nice to him, or he was lack of confidence. Nonetheless, it’s nice to bring your baby out once in a while, and maybe it’s a bit scary for the first time for some daddies, but trust me, things will come easily after more practice.

Just don’t forget that you might need to bring some stuffs like clean diapers, handkerchiefs, formula milk or expressed breast milk in bottles, a changing mat and etc. So, a handy diaper bag is great for storing all those stuffs. If you are one of those daddies who are particular about looks, get this diaper bag.

Diaper Dude Diaper Bag

So, daddies, do you like it?

When I was a first time mother, I was pretty paranoid about anything. I would check on my baby’s breath just to ensure that he’s still breathing and sleeping soundly. Maybe I was doing nothing else except taking care of my first baby 24/7 so I had so much time to watch over him day and night. But when my second one came along, I was more relax and I knew how to take things easily. I was so at ease at handling a newborn baby, but of course, my time was split for a toddler, a baby, and my other daily stuffs. I’m aware of sudden infant death syndrome, but the fear was not there anymore for second baby.

SIDS would normally affects babies between 2 to 4 months, and most of the babies were found death in the crib without any particular reason, so it’s extremely hard for parents of SIDS babies. That’s why most hospitals would advice babies not to be placed in a tummy down position when they sleep. But in Asia, most of us have the tendency to sleep in the same room with the babies, so it’s easier to check on the babies during the night. Most mothers won’t let their babies cry for hunger too, and will attend to their babies as soon as possible, so I guess this would reduce the risk of having anything bad happens to the babies.

The real cause of SIDS are still unknown, but some babies have a higher risk than others, like the factors listed here by Baby Center:

• Having a parent or caregiver who smokes
• Being born prematurely or at a very low birth weight
• Overheating while sleeping
• Sleeping on a soft surface
• Being born to a mother who smoked or abused drugs during pregnancy
• Being born to a mother under the age of 20
• Suffering an apparent life-threatening event (ALTE)
• Having certain ethnic backgrounds
• Being a boy

Just take note of the factors, but try not to be over paranoid. When I first had my baby, I was worried too much about anything. I hardly slept for the first few weeks and I was totally exhausted. But for my second baby, I tried my best to arrange some free time for myself, despite being so busy all day long. I still managed to apply some body firming cream and put on my corset and body shaper to help me get back in shape faster. I didn’t have time for this when I was handling only a baby! So, it’s all about time management and being informed but not over worried about our babies.

Nonetheless, new mothers are always advised to read more and talk to the doctors about things like this, if you are not sure about facts and myths. I found that it’s more comforting know more than just a fraction of it. Talk to your doctor to know more about SIDS, or you can always search for more information on the internet.

I was all over my pubbing years when I decided to get married. Besides that, I don’t drink and thus I don’t miss the taste of alcohol at all. But there was once when I saw a pregnant lady took a few sip of beer at a wedding dinner. I know that some mothers will think that taking a few sips is not hurting their babies in the wombs but if who knows how frequent this is done? If possible, just stay away from alcohol as soon as you know you are pregnant and during those months when you are breastfeeding.

But if the pregnant mother still continue her excessive drinking habit without fail, her baby will most probably suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome when he is born. Babies with fetal alcohol syndrome are generally suffering from mental retardation. They might have learning disability and the head size is smaller than a normal baby too. Some babies have deformed facial features and poor coordination of limbs.

The effects are permanent on the baby, so it’s hard to understand why some pregnant mothers are totally ignorant with their drinking habits. Let’s just say that if you love your unborn baby and want him to be as healthy as possible, stay away from your wine clubs until he’s born. Of course, try to breastfeed him and stop drinking until you wean him off.

One of the readers asked if my kids slept in baby cribs when they were babies, and actually, they hardly slept in baby cribs. I didn’t buy any baby crib for them even if I longed to have a pretty baby crib too.

That’s something I had in mind! But we have at least 3 baby cribs at home which are belonged to SIL. They were given to me when I was pregnant. Nonetheless, my babies only slept in the cribs when I was away for a shower or doing something else. Most of the time, they slept by myself as we practiced co-sleeping for breastfeeding. It’s more convenient for me to breastfeed my babies lying down instead of getting up and carrying them for nursing and putting them back to sleep again. I was so tired, I could just asleep while nursing my babies. Of course, there’s a risk of suffocating your babies if you accidentally overlie on your baby. If hubby is drunk or too exhausted, he’s not allowed to sleep with our babies as well.

If you are interested to know more about the pros and cons of co-sleeping with your baby, check this out.