Finger food for babies

a copy n paste from homemade baby food recipes

All babies are different. Some like lumpy food, some don’t. Some will try to grab the food from your plate, some will appear totally disinterested! Anxiety starts creeping in when we try to compare one child to another, or try to stick rigidly to a feeding schedule.

Instead, it’s useful to trust your instincts and watch your baby for signs of readiness … with a little guidance, of course!

Generally, babies become interested in finger foods anywhere from 6 to 9 months of age, although most babies tend to start at around 8 months.

By this stage, your baby is usually developing the “pincer grip” – i.e. grasping objects between the thumb and index finger. Finger feeding actually encourages this development and helps with hand-to-mouth co-ordination – after all, a tasty morsel of food is a great incentive!

Your little one will probably be sitting well, without support – it’s not a good idea to offer your baby finger foods before he can sit unsupported as there is a higher risk of choking.

My baby seems ready for finger foods, but he doesn’t have any teeth …

Contrary to what many parents are led to believe, he doesn’t need them and can manage certain foods very nicely by mashing them between his gums. In fact, babies’ gums are pretty hard, as any breast-feeding mother can confirm! Baby finger foods should, therefore, be soft enough to break into small pieces, be swallowed easily, or simply melt in the mouth.

Baby finger foods – handy hints and tips

• Introduce finger foods one at a time and slowly add new ones. Offer a variety of colours and textures.
• Your baby will want to touch, smell, taste and play with his food … stay relaxed about the mess and let him experiment.
• To keep mess to a minimum, only give your baby two or three pieces of food at a time – any more will probably end up on the floor! Put the food in a suction-type bowl that will stick to the table, or straight on to the high chair table itself.
• Coat slippery foods, like banana or avocado, in finely crushed cereal powder or nutritious wheat germ – it makes them easier to pick up.
• If your baby doesn’t like a certain type of food, try it again a few weeks later – babies tastes change all the time. If he refuses all finger foods, be patient and keep trying – you’re sure to offer him something to catch his interest eventually!
• Baby finger foods make perfect snacks between meals, to “tide your baby over”. But be careful not to allow your baby more snacks than he really needs, as he may become less interested at meal times.
• If your baby is teething, offer him cold finger foods to soothe his gums – try freezing pieces of melon or banana for the ultimate in gum relief!
• Pack some healthy finger food for baby wherever you go – it will keep him occupied and makes life a lot easier, particularly if you go out for a meal.
• ALWAYS supervise your baby and NEVER leave him to feed himself alone.

Enjoy watching your little one come to grips with these healthy baby finger foods …

By feeding himself, your baby has gained a little independence and you can feel confident that he is enjoying a safe and nutritious menu.

Blood counts

:: copy n paste from http://www.cancer.org…interesting.. ::
There are three important measurements from blood counts:

The hemoglobin percent measures the ability of the red blood cells to carry oxygen. A normal hemoglobin range is about 14.5 to18 for men and 12 to 16 for women. Most people still feel well with a hemoglobin as low as 10. A low hemoglobin level is called anemia.

The white blood cell count measures your body’s ability to fight infection. A normal white blood cell count is about 5,000 to 10,000. A low white blood cell count may mean that you are at higher risk of infection. You will want to watch for signs of infection so that you can go to your doctor for treatment right away. A high white blood cell count may be a sign of an infection, or it may be due to certain types of disease.

The platelet count looks at the cells that help your blood to clot. A normal platelet count is about 150,000 to 450,000. Normal clotting is still possible with a platelet count of 100,000. Dangerous bleeding may occur when the platelet count goes below 20,000.

It may take a few weeks after cancer treatment for your counts to get back to normal. If you see any other doctors or dentists during this time, be sure they know your counts are low. Some very common treatments may cause problems for you. Call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 and ask for a copy of Understanding Your Lab Results if you would like to know more about what your lab values mean.

Low Hemoglobin

What to Look For

• New or worsening tiredness making it harder to do your regular activities
• Chest pain or shortness of breath
• Blood in stool (bright red, dark red or black stools)
• Vomiting dark brown or bright red material
• Pale skin, nail beds, or gums
• Dizziness
• Weakness

What the Patient Can Do

• Balance rest and activities.
• Tell the doctor if you’re not able to get around as well as usual.
• Plan your important activities when you have the most energy.
• Eat a balanced diet that includes protein (meat, eggs, cheese, and legumes such as peas and beans) and drink 8-10 glasses of water a day, unless your care team gives you other instructions.

What Caregivers Can Do

• Help schedule friends and family members to prepare meals, clean house, do yard work, or run errands for the patient.
• Watch for confusion, faintness or dizziness, as noted below.

Call the doctor if the patient:

• has chest pains when resting
• has shortness of breath when resting
• feels dizzy or faint
• has blood in his or her stool
• becomes confused or cannot concentrate
• cannot get out of bed for more than 24 hours

Low White Blood Cell Count

What to Look For

• Temperature more than 100.5°F taken in the mouth
• Any new area of redness or swelling
• Pus or yellowish discharge from an injury or other location
• New cough or shortness of breath
• New abdominal pain
• Shaking chills, which may be followed by sweating
• Burning or pain when urinating
• Sore throat
• Sores or white patches in the mouth

What the Patient Can Do

• Check temperature by mouth or under armpit if you can’t keep a thermometer in your mouth.
• Take acetaminophen (Tylenol^®) for a fever after calling your doctor.
• Keep warm.
• Take antibiotics or other medicine as prescribed.
• Drink fluids, but do not force more than you can tolerate.
• Avoid activities that can cause cuts in the skin.
• Wash cuts and scrapes with soap and water every day, apply antibiotic ointment, and keep covered until healed.
• Keep your body clean by bathing daily and washing hands after using the bathroom.
• Avoid crowds and don’t visit with people who have infections, coughs, or fevers.
• Talk with your doctor or nurse about eating raw fruits and vegetables. Some suggest eating only cooked fruits and vegetables until the white blood cell counts come up again. If you eat raw foods, wash them carefully and peel them to avoid germs.
• Keep your mouth clean by brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing once daily (unless you were told not to floss).
• Use a stool softener to avoid constipation and straining to have a bowel movement. Do not use enemas or suppositories of any kind (see section on constipation).
• If constipated, see section on constipation. Check with your doctor before using laxatives.
• Drink two to three quarts of liquid each day, if your doctor approves.

What Caregivers Can Do

• Watch for shaking chills, and check the patient’s temperature after the shaking stops.
• Check temperature by placing the thermometer in the patient’s mouth or under armpit. (Do not take a rectal temperature.)
• Encourage visitors who have fevers or the flu to visit the patient only by phone until they are well.
• Offer extra fluids.
• Help the patient take medicines on schedule.

Call the doctor if the patient:

• has a temperature of more than 100.5°F taken by mouth
• has shaking chills
• feels or seems “different” to others
• cannot take fluids

Low Platelet Count

What to Look For

• Bleeding from anywhere (such as mouth, nose, or rectum)
• New bruises on the skin
• Red rash that looks like pinpoint dots, usually starting on feet and legs
• Bad headaches, dizziness, or blurred vision
• Weakness that gets worse
• Pain in joints and/or muscles
• Vomiting blood or dark material that looks like coffee grounds
• Blood in stool (bright red, dark red, or black stools)
• More than the usual amount of vaginal bleeding during monthly periods

What the Patient Can Do

• Use only an electric razor (not blade) for shaving.
• Avoid contact sports (such as wrestling, boxing, or football) and any other activities that might result in injury.
• Protect skin from cuts, scrapes, and sharp objects.
• Use a soft toothbrush.
• For mouth bleeding, rinse mouth with cold water.
• Talk to your doctor or nurse about whether you should put off flossing your teeth until platelet counts improve.
• Do not blow your nose or cough with great force.
• Stay upright; keep your head level with or above your heart.
• Avoid placing anything in the rectum, including suppositories, thermometers, etc.
• Stay away from anti-inflammatory pain medicine, such as naproxen or ibuprofen, or aspirin-containing medicines unless you clear it with your doctor.
• If bleeding starts, stay calm. Sit or lie down and get help.

What Caregivers Can Do

• For nosebleeds, have the patient sit up with head tilted forward, to keep blood from dripping down the back of the throat. Put ice on the nose and pinch the nostrils shut for 5 minutes before releasing them. Ice on the back of the neck may also help.
• For bleeding from other areas, press on the bleeding area with a clean, dry washcloth until bleeding stops.

Call the doctor if the patient:

• has bleeding or any of the symptoms listed above in “What to Look for”
• has trouble speaking or moving

Chicken pox during pregnancy

~ copy n paste from baby center.com ~

Is it risky to be exposed to chicken pox during pregnancy?
It depends. If you’ve had chicken pox before, you’re probably immune, so there’s no need to worry. Up to 95 percent of adults in the United States are immune, including many people who had chicken pox and never even knew it. If you got the chicken pox vaccine (available in the United States since 1995), you’re probably immune — it works for more than 80 percent of those who get it.

If you’re not sure whether you’re immune, a simple blood test can give you the answer. If you’re not immune and you do happen to catch chicken pox while you’re pregnant, there’s a chance that it will affect your baby and that you could get quite sick.

What can happen to my baby if I get chicken pox while I’m pregnant?
Chances are good that no harm will come to your baby, but timing is a factor.

If you get chicken pox during the first half of pregnancy, there’s a slight risk that your baby will get something called congenital varicella syndrome. This condition is characterized by birth defects, including skin scarring, malformed limbs, an abnormally small head, vision or hearing problems, and motor or mental developmental disabilities. A baby with congenital varicella syndrome may also suffer poor growth in utero.

If you do contract chicken pox, you’ll have a detailed ultrasound at 18 to 20 weeks to look for signs of defects or other problems and at least one follow-up sonogram later to see how your baby is doing. You may also choose to meet with a genetic counselor to discuss the risks in your particular case and decide how you want to proceed.

If you get chicken pox in the second half of pregnancy but more than five days before giving birth, your baby will probably be fine. Here’s why: About five days after coming down with chicken pox, your body develops antibodies to the virus and passes them to your baby through the placenta, offering protection that his own immature immune system can’t provide.

If you develop chicken pox five to 21 days before your baby is born, he might develop chicken pox days after birth, but because of the antibodies he received from you, it’s much less likely to be serious. (Some babies exposed to chicken pox in utero, particularly those exposed five to 21 days before birth, develop a case of shingles during infancy or early childhood without having had chicken pox after birth, but it’s usually not serious.)

The most risky time to come down with chicken pox is between five days before giving birth and two days after delivery, because then your baby is exposed to the virus but doesn’t have had time to receive antibodies from you before birth. In this case, he has a 30 to 40 percent chance of developing what’s called neonatal varicella, or newborn chicken pox, which can be serious and even life threatening, especially if left untreated.

My story: I discovered that I had chicken pox during my 5th week of pregnancy.I thought it was a weird rash at first.When i knew it was chicken pox i got really scared because i heard it was dangerous for pregnant woman to have them.Called my mum, n my mum asked to do an abortion if the doctor said the baby might have complication if be born.I cried some more while waiting for my husband to pick me up from home to go to obgyn.She did a quick scan and said that if the baby was infected i will probably have a natural miscarriage in about a week.It is rare for babies to be infected,but if happens it could lead to very serious complications,including mental retardation.However it was our decision to have the baby or not.I was so torn.So i asked her opinion.She said that she would recommend us to continue the pregnancy,and said that if it was not meant to be,i know it would happen.She gave the anti virus n scheduled for another appointment the next week,n she scheduled a detailed scan on our 16 weeks.After i was recovered,my husband got the chicken pox and despite all that,our baby grew healthily in the womb.