Parenthood

As your pregnancy progresses, it is likely that you will be thinking more about what your baby will be like when he or she arrives. It is perfectly natural for parents to focus on their child's development but it is important to remember that every child is an individual who will progress at their own rate. However, we have provided some general information about child development below:

Milestones in your child's first year

0-3 months: Your baby will learn to lift their head while lying on their front; they will be startled by sudden, loud noises; by two weeks, your baby will be able to recognise its parents; by four to six weeks it may start to smile and by six weeks, will be able to follow the movement of a brightly coloured toy held about 20cm away. During this time, your baby will begin to experiment with making different noises.

3-6 months: Your baby will begin to reach out for objects and later, hold and suck an object, although learning to let go does not come until a few months later; their noises will become more repetitive and varied; by six months, your baby will be able to see across a room.

6-9 months: During this time, your baby will learn to sit unsupported and will start trying to crawl - some babies crawl forwards, others backwards or by shuffling on their bottom; some children learn to walk without crawling at all. Your child will begin to pull themselves upright and stand by holding on to the furniture; they learn to pass objects from hand to hand and, by seven months, will turn to the sound of your voice or quiet noises. From about eight months onwards, they may also respond to their own name and begin to say 'mama' or 'dada' to their parents.

9-12 months: From about nine months, your baby will learn to let go of an object; from ten months onwards, they may walk alone (although some children walk as late as 18 months).

Postnatal Exercise and Womens Health

If you are experiencing any physical or mental health problems since giving birth, then it is advised that you address these with your GP.

You will receive your post-natal check between 6 – 8 weeks post pregnancy, where you will have your blood pressure checked if you had problems during or straight after your baby’s birth, you will be offered an examination to see if your stiches have healed if you had an episiotomy or caesarean section, discuss if you still have any vaginal discharge or if you have had a period since birth, discuss forms of contraception and the use of vitamin D supplements if you are breastfeeding your baby.

You may be experiencing some physical symptoms after the birth of your baby, such as

• Back pain
• Incontinence
• Pressure around your vaginal area
• Separation of your stomach muscles
• Piles
• Bleeding after given birth

You can start introducing gentle exercises after the birth of your baby such as walking, yoga, pelvic floor and stomach exercises or swimming (although it is advised to wait at least 7 days after post-natal bleeding has stopped). It is advised to wait until after your 6 week check to make sure that you can start introducing more physical activities like running or aerobic activities.

If you were active before and during your pregnancy, then you may be able to introduce exercises earlier but it is always advisable to speak to your GP or midwife first and if you start to experience any pain from exercising then stop and speak to your GP or Midwife.

Feeding your baby

Healthcare professional advice for new mothers is that 'breastmilk is the ideal food for y our baby'. The Department of Health recommendations follow those of the World Health Organisation which advises breast milk exclusively for at least the first 6 months of the baby's life.

If you have any concerns talk them through with your midwife and health visitor whose priority is that you and your baby are healthy and thriving. Don't be worried about asking for advice; as well as your immediate health care professional contacts, there are a number of excellent support services available. These include the Breastfeeding Network, the La Leche League and the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers, your hospital may have its own breastfeeding counsellor or you can pay privatey for a lactation consultant to visit you in your home if y u are having difficulties and need some extra support.

You can also call the National Breastfeeding helpline: 0300 100 0212 or visit the Start4Life website www.nhs.uk/start4life. which has lots of useful information about breastfeeding. also visit www.breastfeedinginpublic.co.uk

Benefits of breastfeeding

The benefits of breastfeeding to ensure your baby's best start can be summarised as follows:

• Your milk provides all the nutrients your baby needs as it changes on a daily basis to meet your growing baby&apos:s requirements
• It helps to protect your baby from infection and other diseases
• Breastfeeding helps you and your baby bond, physically and emotionally.

Breastfeeding also has added benefits for you:

• Can lower your risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer
• Uses up about 500 calories a day leading to easier pregnancy weight loss
• Saves money - formula can cost as much as £80-£100 per month.

Not breastfeeding your baby can increase the risk of it suffering from:

• Diarrhoea and vomiting leading to hospital visits
• Chest infections
• Ear infections
• Being fussy about new foods
• Being constipated
• Being obese leading to possible type 2 diabetes
• Developing eczema

Weaning your baby

Generally most babies are ready to start solids by the age of six months. If you have any concerns about this or if your baby was premature, it is best to ask your GP or health visitor about when it is appropriate to introduce solids. New parents often worry about how they will know when it is the right time to start introducing solids. As a rough guide, it's worth looking out for the following signs:

1. Your baby can hold their head up, maintaining a steady, upright position in order to take first foods from a spoon;
2. Your little one sits well when supported in a highchair;
3. Your child makes chewing motions and starts to display a curiosity in what you are eating, watching you eat and reaching for your food;
4. They have gained weight steadily and are approximately double their birth weight.

Baby rice and pureed fruits or root vegetables make ideal first foods. You should let your child take the lead as they may only want a teaspoon or two of food to start off with (remember, they have tiny stomachs and have been used to a liquid diet before now). Gradually increase solid foods between six and twelve months so that they become the main part of your baby's diet; you should still give breast milk or formula alongside these solids. Your health visitor will give you information on weaning and a number of good books on this subject are currently available.

The World Health Organisation recommends extended breastfeeding for the first two years of a child's life. By the time your little one reaches their first birthday, they should be eating three meals a day as well as two nutritious snacks to keep up their energy levels. In fact, many children of this age prefer to 'graze' throughout the day as they concentrate their energies on their newfound mobility!

Baby-led Weaning

An increasing number of parents are choosing to forgo purees and spoons and allow their babies to feed themselves finger foods from the outset - this is known as Baby-led Weaning or BLW.

Weaning a baby on purees came about in the 1960s when parents typically started giving their children solids as early as three or four months old, when a child is generally unable to sit , grasp or move food to the back of its mouth.

Over recent years, the UK government has changed its advice about weaning to fall in with the World Health Organisation, which recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months before then introducing solids.

At six months old, a baby is usually able to sit well in a highchair, support its own head, grasp a spoon or finger foods, move them to its mouth and use its tongue to move food to the back of its mouth in order to swallow.

The theory behind baby-led weaning is that the child will only take into its mouth what it wants because it has control, which means that the risk of choking is minimal, although, of course, no child should ever be left to eat unattended.

Baby-led weaning means that children do not have to make the often difficult transition from smooth food to lumps, and they become very comfortable with food textures because they are used to handling food from their earliest experiences of eating solids.

Foods that lend themselves to baby led weaning include broccoli and cauliflower florets, pita bread, cooked carrots, peas, sweetcorn, courgettes, banana, strawberries, blueberries, cheese and many others.

Of course, some foods are not suitable finger foods, so many Parents choose to make up pureed dinners but give their child fingers of cooked vegetables or bread, for example, to dip into the puree and feed themselves (see www.babyleadweaning.com for more information).

Tongue-tie

This is a piece of skin that connects to the tongue and the bottom of the mouth and is shorter or tighter than normal. It is most common in babies and it may cause difficulties when breast or bottle feeding. If you are having difficulties feeding your baby and you think your baby has tonguetie, speak to your midwife, health visitor of GP and they will discuss what options are available to you.

Food Allergies

Evidence suggests that waiting until six months to introduce solid foods into your baby's diet will help minimise the risk of them developing allergies and adverse reactions to foods. This is particularly important if you have a family history of allergies, as the incidence of adverse food reactions, allergies and coeliac disease does decrease if you delay weaning until this time.

Some foods for example, wheat or cow's milk are difficult for some children to digest. Food intolerance or allergies can cause sickness, diarrhoea, eczema, coughs or wheezing but are usually outgrown in early childhood. If you suspect your child is reacting to a food, always speak to your GP or health visitor immediately. Do not experiment with cutting out a specific food, such as milk, without the guidance of a qualified dietician.

If your child is diagnosed with an allergy or intolerance, you will be given advice about modifying their diet and there are now many good, healthy alternatives to milk and wheat, for example. You may also wish to seek more information from Allergy UK on 01322 619 898 or visit their website at www.allergyuk.org.

Sleeping

Being a new parent can be very tiring, and most newborn babies only sleep for short stretches at a time during the night. It is important for new mothers to sleep or rest up when your baby sleeps, especially if you’re breastfeeding or recovering from a C-section. If you have a partner consider asking them to support with nappy changes or dressing the baby so you can rest. If you are a single parent, ask for help from a trusted family member or a friend. Even an hour of rest can make a difference.

Every baby and child has their own sleep pattern. The ranges below show the average amount of sleep babies and children may need across a 24 hour period.

Newborn babies - up to 16 to 18 hours in 1-3 hour blocks throughout the day and night. Healthcare professionals may recommend waking your baby to feed after about 3 hours, especially in the early weeks.

3 - 6 Months – Some sleep for up to 8 hours or longer during the night with multiple naps; settling into 3-4 naps a day by around 6 months. As hormones mature allowing for longer stretches at night.

6 Month to 1 year – up to 13-16 total hours with 2-3 naps.

1-2 years – 13-15 total hours with 1-2 naps (one long, one short).

2-3 years – 12-14 total hours with 1-2 naps, gradually dropping to none by around age 3.

3-4 years – 10-12 total hours, with occasional afternoon naps being normal.

For the first 6 months your baby should sleep in the same room as you. This can reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Other key safer sleep points include:

• Lie your baby on their back
• Keep their cot clear
• Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress
• Avoid all smoking, vaping, alcohol and illicit drug use during and after pregnancy
• Keep your baby at a comfortable temperature (16-20°C), ideally with a well fitting sleeping bag

For full safer sleep guidance, visit the Lullaby Trust website at www. ullabytrust.org.uk

You may also find that your baby will only fall asleep in your arms (only safe to do so as long as you are awake) or when you are close to their cot. This is common. As they begin to spend a little more time awake, you can gently introduce the idea of falling asleep in their cot by placing them down when they are drowsy or just after a feed.

It helps to introduce a simple bedtime ritual early on. A short, predictable sequence such as a feed, a brief cuddle, dim lights and a calm goodnight phrase can cue your baby for sleep without being rigid. Periods of disrupted sleep or more frequent waking are normal at many stages.

If you are finding sleep difficult, a short daily walk with your child in the morning, and ideally again in the afternoon before 4pm, can help. Exposure to daylight supports mood and helps babies begin to understand the difference between day and night.

If you feel you or your baby need more support with sleep, you can speak to your GP or health visitor or seek guidance from a qualified child sleep specialist/consultant.

Re-usable Nappies

There is a wide range of re-usable nappies now on the market. These nappies are shaped and secured with velcro like disposable nappies for ease of use and can be washed easily in your washing machine. Re-usable nappies have less environmental impact than disposable nappies, which take hundreds of years to decompose. The natural materials are kind to babies’ skin but, because they can feel when they’re wet, children who have worn re-usable nappies tend to toilet train earlier.

For many families, the most significant benefit of using re-usable nappies is the amount of money saved. Typically, re-usable nappies can save you £600 per child. There are no bulky packs of nappies to bring home from the supermarket each week either, which is great if your family doesn’t have a car.

Potty And Toilet Training

The time at which children gain bladder and bowel control varies enormously, so try not to worry or compare your child with others. It is usual for your child to be able to control their bowels before their bladder. As a rough guideline, at the age of two, one in two children are dry during the daytime; by the age of three, nine out of ten children are dry most days but even then the odd accident is inevitable if your child is upset or distracted by an absorbing activity.

Learning to stay dry throughout the night usually takes a child longer than staying dry during the day. This is because a full bladder at night demands one of two responses, waking up and going to the toilet or waking up and holding it in until morning. However, night time dryness is usually learnt between the ages of three and five.