Babycare – Ear and Nails

Nail Care

The baby’s nails are softer then the adult nails
Babies nails are sharp and a newborn, who has little control over his flailing limbs, can easily end up scratching his own face.
Longer nails also easily become ingrown, and in turn, infected.
Little fingernails grow so fast you may have to cut them as often as a few times a week.
Toenails require less-frequent trimming.

Procedure:

Wash your hands.
The best time to trim nails is while he is sleeping, and after a recent bath when they are still very soft.
Press the finger pad away from the nail to avoid nicking the skin, keep a firm hold on your child’s hand as you clip, and cut straight across.
It might be easier and safer to use a nail file.
Clean the Baby hand with wet wipe and Replace the articles.
Wash your hands using 7 steps.

Ear Care

How to clean ears of a baby

You don’t need to clean the inside of your baby’s ears. Wash behind his ears where spit-up milk can run.
It’s OK to get water in your baby’s ears.
Don’t try to dry the inside of your baby’s ears with cotton swabs (Q-tips); you can damage the eardrum.
Because a cotton swab is often what causes a wax buildup in the first place, you should never use one to clean a baby’s ear canals,
To get the water out, just gently turn her head to the side and let the water run out, then dry the outside of the ear with a soft towel.

How to take care of ear piercing?

We need to take precautions before and after piercing the ear.

The main precautions which we should follow before piercing is:-

Avoiding blood thinners: – Aspirin, alcohol and excessive amounts of caffeine are all blood thinners, so we should avoid these things the day you get pierced. If ignored it can leads to bleeding.

Precautions after piercing the ear:-

There are numbers of precautions to be taken after ear piercing. Hygiene is important to avoid the infection. Other precautions are: –

Wash your hands with antibacterial soap to avoid chances of infection.
Avoid touching the pierced area often.
Starter earrings- do not remove them prematurely; piercings may close or heal improperly.
Do not change the earrings for the first time eight weeks after getting pierced.
Do not use soap as it is harmful for healing ear piercings. It can dry out your skin and make more susceptible for developing a piercing infection.
Be careful with items that could snag your earrings. Hats, scarves, and other items that may catch on your earrings should be worn with care.
Avoid getting shampoo, conditioner, and other hair products on your ears, since the ingredients in these products could lead to an infection.
Sleeping with ear against the pillow can irritate your piercings.
Clean them three times a day
Clean both the front and the back of the piercing; making sure the entire area gets covered.
Gently rotate the earring two or three times to make sure the antiseptic gets inside the piercing.

See a doctor if there is any pus discharge, excessive itching, redness, and extreme pain are signs of an infection. Either remove the earring immediately yourself, or if it is too painful, have a doctor remove it.

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Content Courtesy : Portea

Breast pump and storage

Expressing milk means squeezing milk out of the breast with the help of pump or by hand.

When should you express milk?

To collect milk to feed a premature baby or one who can’t latch on to your breast
When mother needs rest .
When mother goes to work
When the breasts are too engorged or swollen due to excess milk production.
Flat nipples
To keep your milk supply up if your healthcare provider advises you to stop nursing temporarily because you’re taking medication that might be harmful to your baby (this is rarely necessary) or if you’re hospitalized for a short time and can’t breastfeed throughout the day.

There are 2 ways breast milk can be expressed:

Manual or by Hand
Using Breast pump (Manual and electrical pump)

Preparation for expressing breast milk:

Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit.
Have a glass of milk or warm water or some snack.
Plug in your pump or make sure it has working batteries.
Wash your hands with soap and water.
Assemble the pump kit.
Clean the breast with warm water with the help of cotton.

Using a manual Breast pump:

Place the breast shield over your nipple. Make sure that you have the appropriate-sized shield for your breast. Selecting an inappropriately sized shield can result in failed suction efforts, pain, and irritation.
Use the squeeze or plunging mechanism to begin pumping. Hold the shield in place with one hand and squeeze the mechanism with the other. The milk will begin pumping into the bottle.
Reposition the pump’s handle if necessary. Changing the position of the pump’s handle can affect its suction ability, so move it around until you find an appropriate suction level that makes your breast pumping efforts easier.
Try leaning forward to make milk express more easily. Remember that at the beginning milk flows drop by drop and gradually it increases the flow when pumping is happening continuously.
Continue until the milk flow slows. When pumping with a manual pump, it usually takes about 45 minutes.

Using an electrical ot battery operated pump:

Position the breast shield over your nipple correctly.
Turn the machine on and let it work. The milk will automatically begin pumping from your breast into the container.

Adjust the automatic suction as necessary. If the milk seems to be pumping slowly or the suction feels painful, adjust it. Try repositioning your breasts and the rest of your body. The process should not be painful, although it may feel strange at first.
Remain calm while the suction occurs. However, if you’re relaxed, you will often produce more milk in less time than you would while anxious.
Continue until the milk flow slows. When using an electric or battery-operated pump, you should be finished within 15 to 20 minutes.

Remember:

Keep going! You’ll find pumping gets quicker and easier with practice.
Get relaxed. The pumping process is easiest and least uncomfortable when you’re feeling relaxed and calm.
Always clean your breast pump and its removable parts after a breast pumping session to avoid contamination.

Storing milk:

Mum’s milk can be kept at room temperature for upto 6 hours
You can store mum’s milk in the fridge for up to 5 days at 4C or lower (usually at the back, never in the door).
Mum’s milk can be stored for 2 weeks in the ice compartment of a fridge or for up to 6 months in a freezer.
Store away from meat products, eggs or any uncooked foods. Use the back of the fridge and not the door.
The more often the fridge door is opened, the more likely the temperature will rise.
Try to check the temperature of Every fridge (or bag) used for storing your milk each time you use it.

Using stored breast milk:

Don’t use a microwave or gas stove to heat up or defrost breast milk as it can cause hot spots, which can burn your baby’s mouth.
Heat Refrigerated expressed breast milk by placing in warm water
Check the temperature before feeding the baby use defrosted breast milk immediately and throw away any unused milk.
If the milk smells sour -DO NOT USE.
When stored, the cream and milk may separate out. This is normal. Shake gently to mix before use.
Some babies are reluctant to take expressed breast milk, particularly at first. Try offering milk from a cup or spoon.

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Baby Safety

Baby Proofing is the act of making an environment or object safer for children.

Safety Tips for Toys

Walkers: Avoid them, as they are associated with high chances of head injuries.
Choking hazard: Do not buy small toys or toys with detachable parts less than a one rupee coin for children less than 3 years .Never give young children small balls, balloons – as a baby might swallow them or choke on them while playing with them.
Magnetic toys: Keep magnetic toys with powerful magnets, away from children under six years.
Toxic Chemicals: Avoid toys made of PVC plastic and lead painted wooden toys when buying a wooden toy specifically ask if the paint on it has lead in it.
Noise: Children’s ears are sensitive. If a toy makes sounds loud for your ear then it is probably too loud for your child.
Strangulation Hazard: Strings, plastic bags and ropes can get entangled around your child’s neck.

Around the house

Put rubber mats to prevent slipping. Check the furniture is stable. Keep heavy object such as books , electrical items, coins, house hold things, etc keep in a safe place. Keep the house clean it prevent infections.
In The Kitchen, in lower cupboard contain non- breakable things and plastic items. Keep sharp items like knife, scissors etc keep in upper cupboard .Keep the place clean . Don’t allow baby to come inside kitchen. Close the kitchen door always.
In The Bathroom, all beauty products ,cleaning products like floor cleaner, soap powder, toilet cleaner, soap, shampoo etc keep in a lockable cupboard where baby hand not reach. Keep your bathroom clean. Close the bathroom door always.

Safety and Discipline

Around 9 months your baby will be naturally curious and will be moving quickly. When your see your child approaching a bad situation, remove him from the situation and say NO’ firmly. He may not yet be able to developmentally mind his parents and my repeat the act. This is not disobedience just natural curiosity and exploration. Do not punish your child, rather encourage his independence and exploration by providing a safe home.
No matter how safe your house is, children this age need constant watching unless they are in playpen or a crib.
They are prone to falling injuries. Use gates at stairs .Remove all sharp edged objects like glass –table and breakable objects from the ground.
Be sure crib mattresses are as low as possible. If the crib railing comes to children’s chest level, there are chance of your child falling from it.
Do not use table cloths, as children may grab these to pull themselves up, in turn risking falling of heavy or hot objects placed on them.
Put medicines and poisonous items like detergents, toilet cleaners etc. In high or locked up places.
Cover all electrical outlets and do not leave mobile charges etc. Hanging from them.
Turn the handles of pots and skillets away from stove edge .Keep the gas cylinder switched off when not in use.
Never leave your child alone in the bathtub, pool or bucket of water.

Baby Safety [crib or bed]

Providing a safe environment is an important part of caring for your new baby. Babies need to be safe at home and when they’re away from home. There are some simple things you can do to help keep your baby safe and secure. Always consult your healthcare professional if you have concerns about your baby.

Good sleeping habits are important for your babies physical and emotional well beings. Babies under one year of age should sleep on their backs in their own cribs.

Baby Sleeping Safety.

All infants should be put down for sleep on their backs to reduce the risk for sudden Infant Death Syndrome, also called SIDS. Give your baby a pacifier before he goes to sleep. … Avoid soft bedding that might suffocate your baby, such as pillows, blankets, plush toys, and bumpers in the crib.
When you buy a crib, it comes with those ominous words: “Some Assembly Required.” Follow the instruction manual carefully, and make sure the hardware is tightened properly and that there are no sharp edges. After you start using it, check the crib periodically to make sure nothing has come loose.

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