National nutrition week is an annual event that is introduced by Food and Nutrition Board, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India. It is celebrated every year from 1^st September to 7^th September. The week is mainly focused upon the nutrition level of the common people so that it can have a good impact on their overall health that may lead to economic growth and nation’s development.

This year during National nutrition week, the Government has decided an agenda “Prevention of Anaemia” and will be extended for the entire month known as nutrition month or “Poshan Maah”.

What is Anaemia?

The blood of a human being consists of a pigment called haemoglobin, especially known for carrying oxygen to different parts of the body. Haemoglobin (Hb) is formed from a proper amount of nutrients such as folic acid, iron, protein, vitamin C and vitamin B12. Deficiency in these nutrients causes anaemia which is mostly found in the pregnant women and babies.

This deficit causes decrease in the amount of Hb in the blood which reduces the supply of oxygen throughout the body. Iron deficiency which is the main cause of Anaemia occurs due to improper nutrition or lack of nutrition.

In addition, to the above-mentioned nutrients, lack of vitamin A in diet can also cause anaemia.

Symptoms of Anaemia

1. Fatigue
2. Shortness of breath
3. Dizziness
4. Pale skin
5. Insomnia

Proper nutrition is necessary for every individual to prevent anaemia but a pregnant woman requires extra attention for proper growth of the baby. Provided below is a list of some nutrients essential for a pregnant woman:

• Iron – During pregnancy, a woman needs twice the amount of iron than normal time. The reason behind is the body of a pregnant woman needs to produce extra blood for the baby. So, it is necessary to consume iron-rich foods such as raisins, kidney beans, soybeans and spinach.
• Folic Acid – Foods such as green leafy vegetables, beetroot, broccoli and orange contains high amount of folate that can help in preventing spinal cord abnormalities and anencephaly in the growing foetus.
• Vitamin C – Consume broccoli, citrus fruits and guava as they contain vitamin C which is essential for the absorption of iron and formation of collagen in the blood vessels.

Anaemia may turn fatal for the expecting lady as it may lead to varied complications, such as low birth weight of the baby or premature birth. It is always a challenge to provide the deficit nutrients to the baby, post-birth. Hence, it is advisable to consume healthy and nutritious food during the course of pregnancy, which would help in maintaining the required amount of haemoglobin in the blood.

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If we had to choose between the natural and the artificial, undisputed, we lean towards the natural product unless the artificial one has undeniable properties. Nature has equipped womankind with ready made milk when they give birth to their child. Probably, this was nothing but the only option early humans. Since there was no rearing of cattle or no scope to feed the infant with formula milk, the breast milk was nothing but necessary and so was it rewarded to women. But with the generations passing by, humans became more civilized and discovered and invented many things to make their lives comfortable. Alternative sources of milk thus became extensively popular and a source of debate while attracting criticism.

There had been extensive distribution of literature on the benefits of breastfeeding for ages and it is an apparent fact that all the women want to feed their child with this exclusive food source meant only for their offspring. However, due to work commitments, health reasons or time clashes, many of them are unable to feed their younger ones.
It has been considered for years that mothers and babies enter into a special bond while the baby is being fed. However, mothers who feed their infants with formula milk can build a stronger bond too with their care giving and affection. Keeping the debate aside, many pediatric academics globally suggest feeding the baby for at least 6 months with breast milk exclusively and for one year with top foods.

Let us understand the benefits of both breast milk and bottle milk to let women choose the option that they are comfortable with.

Benefits for the baby:

• As we all know that breast milk provides the necessary nutrients to the baby as it is customized according to the baby’s age and requirement.
• The natural milk protects the baby from infections and they are less likely to be hospitalized. The mother’s milk builds immunity system for the lifetime by strengthening the immune system.
• Mothers pass antibodies to the baby while feeding which help building up a protective wall against many diseases.
• It is easy to digest and lessens the chance for the baby to fall sick due to indigestion issues. Colic, constipation and diarrhea are less likely when compared to formula fed babies.

Benefits for mothers:

• Nursing is much easier when compared to feeding with formula milk. Sterilizing bottles is a pain. Preparation time is saved as mother’s milk is ready made.
• Women who breastfeed have lesser chances of getting breast cancer and ovarian cancers.
• The women who breastfeed have faster recovery post delivery and their uterus goes back to normalcy within six weeks thereby helping the mother to lose the baby weight as they lose many calories while feeding.
• Breastfeeding can be used as a natural contraception method under some stipulated guidelines which is popularly known as Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM).

Adverse elements of breastfeeding:

• Sore nipples initially trouble many women who start off breastfeeding.
• While breastfeeding, it is hard to understand whether the baby had enough milk or not as it cannot be measured unlike the formula feed.
• Breastfed babies require more frequent nursing episodes than the formula fed babies and hence this can be considered as a time consuming task and may be a hindrance to working mothers.
• Bottle feeding is more convenient when you are in public places.
• Nursing mothers need to take care of their diet as good nutrition helps them in producing healthier milk. They should avoid smoking drinking and substance intake.

With the established factors, it is upto the mothers to decide on the effective method of feeding that is in the best interest of their child after considering the entire circumstances surrounding them. Since both the methods have their own advantages and disadvantages, any method chosen should be trusted as the best source for the child.

Sources:
https://www.livescience.com/51260-breast-vs-bottle.html
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/tc/breast-feeding-as-birth-control-topic-overview

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I have grown up hearing that infants learn multiple things in their growing years towards toddlerhood. When I had my first baby, I already knew this but I have got a different experience from what I have heard over the years. Although it is true that kids learn many things, the reality can be completely different to what I have heard in the past. Right from childbirth, you happen to witness many things they learn on a “daily basis”. You heard it right!! You will see them learning new things every day and it is a sheer joy to watch them picking up brand new things one after the other.

Identifying the bottle or the breast, fixing vision, turning aside, turning upside down, moving on the belly, responsive sounds, crawling, sitting, teething, standing, walking a few steps holding, walking without support, initial conversations through signs, developing speech, learning to hold a pencil, alphabets and so on….inherently, the child develops cognitive and motor skills in the course of crossing all these milestones. Developing speech involves a long period of time with variable steps comprised in it. They start communicating with the caregivers or parents when they are few months old.

They make responsive sounds at the sight of a milk bottle which may be the initial sign of communicating. The parents can make out the way their infants communicate when they are sleepy, irritated, hungry or when they need attention with the help of their facial gestures. Slowly signs develop into conversations and these progresses with the amount of conversations the child is able to have. The more the child hears, the more the communication is. It does not mean that kids do not learn conversing if we do not make much effort. They still learn it at their own pace. Then why is it important to start conversing with them to teach them our language.

• Teaching language increases the communication between the child and the caregivers or parents in order to understand the child better in emotional, psychological and physical aspects.
• Caregivers can understand the necessities of a child although the child is not well versed with the language.
• It becomes easier for the child to explore the world in a better manner with partially learnt language.
• It helps in safeguarding the child to a greater extent.
• It helps the child in learning proper etiquette during early childhood.
• It is possible to develop a loving bond with the child due to the understanding levels.
• Cognitive skills and motor skills develop in their early childhood.
• Responsive caregiving is possible with better conversing abilities.
• Language increases the socialization abilities of a child.

We can take it for granted that children learn conversing at their own speed even though sign language is not taught. However, to increase the overall ability of understanding a child, language and communication skills help parents a lot. The day to day usages such as foods, greeting gestures, activities like eating, drinking, walking, running, sleeping, sitting etc. body parts, friends’ and relatives, fruits and veggies can all be included in the sign language. We can in fact develop our own language at home making easy gestures creatively for the baby to understand. If it is a tedious job for you, there are experts who run tutorials to teach sign language for babies. Also, it would help channelizing the babies’ energy by engaging them in an interesting activity. The same language learnt can be used for the second and third child as well. Making this little effort towards conversing with your children in their early childhood will help them to explore the surroundings better and in a channelized way.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_sign_language
http://www.parents.com/baby/development/sign-language/baby-sign-language-first-foods/

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Although it is a mother’s responsibility to feed a child, nature has still equipped us with an internal feeding resource with amazing properties which cater to nutrition for life time and we all know what that resource is. We have proven facts that breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for infants not only in humans but in all mammals.  Despite the experts suggestions to feed the babies breastmilk for 6 months, few enthusiastic mothers prefer to add external semi-solid diet from the fourth month onwards. Instead of getting into the debate of when to start the baby food, let us understand what a baby food should comprise of. It is also important to know the correct source between homemade baby food and store bought food.

As long as the infant has meager activities, the breastmilk or formula was sufficient. However, with a progression in the child’s activities, additional nutrition is also required especially in the first year for necessary growth and bone development. Eating capabilities also increase in a baby with the months passing by and parents should start accommodating the necessary solids in a child’s diet.

Why Is It Necessary To Make Homemade Baby Food?

Though a lot of effort is involved in making baby food at home, it has deserving benefits.

Affordable and Economic

If the food is made in various batches by preserving additional units for later, the homemade stuff undoubtedly saves money as there is a huge price difference between these two foods.

Nutritious

You are the one who decide what to include in your baby food and what not thereby having complete control on what the baby consumes. This result in feeding the infant with nutritious food free of preservatives, sodium fillers, food grade dyes etc. which are not necessary for them and are not nutritious as well. Children who are vulnerable for allergies are safe.

Too Many Options

As pediatricians suggest acquainting all the foods to a baby that adults eat by the ninth month, we get a lot of options to try habituating to the child. You don’t have to settle down with the limited options in the baby food available in the market. Instead, you can mix up multiple ingredients to make the meal wholesome and tasty.

Which Is The Better Choice Between Homemade and Store Bought Food?

Many numbers of children from ages have been dwelling on the store bought infant food and you are still a mother undoubtedly if you have decided to avoid making food from scratch. There are merits and demerits to both the foods and you are the one to decide which a better choice is for your baby. In fact, you can opt for both by preparing some fruit purees at home and getting store bought food for the days when you are really low. Either which ways, you are emphasizing on the importance of nutrition before you get some food.

Many working mothers find it extremely convincing to balance the child’s nutrition and the work pressures by opting both the foods. Potato purees, fresh fruits smoothies, vegetable juices etc. are the best ideas to make at home. Use whole ingredients while making homemade food as it can help nourish the child. The store bought cereals are ready made and are instant for mixing and consuming on busy days. However, be wary of the ingredients of the store bought food and opt for a whole meal instead of foods using fillers. These fillers make the baby put on necessary weight but contain meager nutrition.

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Pregnancy is the best time to learn about the benefits of breastfeeding so that you can give your baby a healthy start in life. Knowing what to expect will help you make the decision to breastfeed and make it easier to get through the rough patches.

Breast milk is the ideal nutrition for newborns as it contains everything your baby needs to grow. It has just the right combination of protein, vitamins, fat and is easy on the baby’s immature digestive system. It also contains antibodies that help your baby fight common illnesses like ear infections, colds, etc. No wonder breastfed babies tend to get sick much lesser. Breastfeeding is good for the mother too. The hormones released during breastfeeding help the mother’s body recover from childbirth and make the uterus contract back to its pre pregnancy size.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6months of the baby’s life after which nutritious solid foods must be introduced. Breastfeeding can be continued beyond the 6 month mark, alongside complementary foods, for as long as is desired by mother and baby.

It takes about 3 to 4 days for breast milk to come in and most new moms have similar questions when they start their breastfeeding journey. How much milk does my baby need? Am I making enough? The good news is that babies do not need much during the first couple of days.  As days go by your baby’s demand will go up and so will your supply.  You can tell if your baby is getting enough and feeding well if,

• Your baby wets 6 to 8 diapers a day
• He seems settled after a feed
• Your breasts get soft after the baby feeds
• Your baby unlatches on his own
• Your baby is putting on weight

It is essential that both mother and baby are comfortable during the feed. Poor latching and incorrect positions can make it uncomfortable and difficult to continue breastfeeding for 6 long months. Sore nipples, excessive back pain and general discomfort during feeds can discourage a new mother. Work on establishing a good latch with the help of experienced moms or a lactation consultation. There are many positions and holds like the cradle hold, football hold and reclining position. Finding a position that works for both you and your baby will go a long way in making your breastfeeding journey comfortable.

Priya, first time mother of a healthy 9month old says, “I almost gave up on breastfeeding when I had to go back to work 3 months after my little one was born. That’s when I turned to the breast pump.” Pumping breast milk has become a common practice amongst mothers. Mothers need not have to stop breastfeeding when direct breastfeeding becomes infeasible.

However, if for any reason you are not able to breastfeed in spite of your best efforts, fret not as there are alternatives.  Speak to your healthcare provider about it.

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