Veena came to my office very tensed. I asked her why she seemed so tensed. Her 5 month old baby was in her hands and was smiling. The baby was very active and as soon as she put her baby on the examination table the baby turned around and was smiling looking at my bracelet.

hould you call a DoctorIt is the end of a long tiring day for you and your baby and you are a whisker away from sound sleep. Well! not yet ..looks like your baby is not very happy and ready to sleep. she has been crying since evening and doesn't seem to stop in spite of rocking, bouncing or singing to her. Why does she seem so uncomfortable today? Could it be colic!

Colic is unexplained crying of babies for longer than three hours a day, more than a three days a week. Repeated crying, irritability, cry as in pain and prolonged wailing for no obvious reason which is inconsolable, can be colic. About 25 per cent of colicky babies fit in this description.

Many new mothers are eager to start babies on solid food.

Introduction to solid food can be a significant milestone for the baby and in a way to the mother too. This switch can sometimes change the bowel pattern of the baby. He or she can get constipated and sometimes strain while passing stools. The little tummy of the baby can take some time to get through changeover in its diet. But, knowing that subtle bowel changes are normal can make you spend happy time with your baby.

Advice stream-in via phone calls, guests, friends, grannies and neighbours when you have announced your pregnancy. After the uphill of pregnancy, once the baby arrives,  The story continues. This time around it is from baby food, baby sleep to advice on breastfeeding. I am sure most of them are well intended, but a few common myths about breastfeeding which we recommend you not to believe are 

The health department in August stated that the new mothers will be discharged only after a doctor on duty stamps the discharge form and milk bank counsellor certifies it saying the mother is fit for breastfeeding. The statement also orders the new mothers to sign their commitment to exclusively breastfeeding the baby for the first six months on the discharge ticket. 

While parents are always eager to introduce new tastes and foods to their infant it is better to avoid certain foods until your baby is one year old. 

New mothers always worry if they are producing enough milk for their babies. I receive many questions regarding breastfeeding and ways to increase the breast milk supply. This week happens to be the breastfeeding week. Breastfeeding is the most natural way to feed your baby. Breastmilk is the best food for your baby. There is no magic pill to increase your milk supply.

I always get many questions from viewers asking about ways to make sure the baby is of a particular gender. Some parents are inquisitive to know if eating certain foods can guarantee a particular gender, while some want to know if a particular herbal medicine or timing of sex helps in having a  boy or a girl. So let us find out about some myths and some facts. 

Breast milk is the best for your baby - There is no bigger truth than this. Even if you can only breastfeed for a short while, your baby will still benefit. But the longer you breastfeed, the longer your baby is protected. Breast milk is the best choice nutritionally for the baby.

Most parents are keen to transition to cow’s milk from formula milk to their baby. Reasons could be

• Formula is expensive. Cow’s milk, on the other hand, is purchased for the whole family anyway making it a cheap alternative.
• Making the formula over time the baby needs milk is cumbersome, especially during travel or in the night.

Is cow's milk safe for babies?

Man is probably the only mammal who drinks the milk of other mammals. A cow produces milk during her lactation period for her calf. So, Cow’s milk is more specific to a baby cow than a baby human. Many infants have problems with cow’s milk. Babies who are exposed to cow’s milk before their first birthday are more likely to be anemic, have diarrhea or vomiting, and/or experience an allergic reaction.

The time has come and your baby has arrived, your bundle of joy is in your hands now and as a mother, you can go through mixed feelings of joy, excitement and sometimes anxiety. Both Yourself and the baby may be exhausted from the events of labor and delivery.  This is quite normal. It’s a good idea to keep visitors away for the first day at least and concentrate completely on your baby’s needs. 

Congratulations to the new mother. You have delivered a beautiful baby. You are happy and so is the entire family. The first few days are going to be tough taking care of your baby. Your baby is new and does not have any prefixed pattern in terms of food or sleep habits and you can be lost figuring out what his/her cry means - Is he/she hungry? Is she/he sleepy? Is she/he in pain? Is it the diaper? Is it the temperature?

The day has arrived and you have given birth to a beautiful baby. Congratulations! Anjali, the protagonist of our Series was a little concerned if everything was normal with her baby. She wanted to find out form the Doctor about any tests which are advised to check for any newborn diseases.

You just don’t carry your baby when you are going out or traveling a long distance but a lot of stuff too which your baby may need at any time. Yes, being a parent is being prepared. All you need is a diaper bag which fits all your baby necessities and you are an all set go.

You have heard from doctors or friends about different milestones of a baby - When he/she first sat without support or walked or talked. Similar to these the babies learn to see over a period of time similar to learning to sit, walk or talk. The ability of the baby to move both eyes together, focus on objects close and far and understand what they are seeing are all skills learned over a period of time.

I tell you what, babies are not so easy to handle. They ask for love, sounds, songs, toys, attention and food/feeding… yes, they ask for diapers too to catch up all the mess they can create and to be healthy and hygiene. Thus, diapers do become an important thing for your baby.

Priya noticed that her newborn would spit up a lot after every feed. She also observed that her weeks old baby would not feed for more than 5 minutes and would get uncomfortable. She was worried if the baby was getting enough of her milk.

It is always a challenge and a period of anxiety for a new mother to know what is it that she can give her baby as a complementary food apart from breastfeeding. Complementary foods made Many of my subscribers ask me this question as to when is a good time to start the baby on solid foods and what is a good solid food to start?

You must have heard from your Doctor, Nurses and form your elders about the first milk after delivery. This is the thin yellowy substance which is produced soon after delivery. You may be producing not more than a couple of tablespoons of it but it is very nutritious milk and provides lifelong nutrition for the baby. Some women report producing milk before delivery in the later months of pregnancy.

Choosing to breastfeed or formula feed for your baby can be the biggest decision you may have to take. Some mothers may not be fortunate to have this choice and may be forced to formula feed their baby if they are not able to produce breast milk.

A few facts about MMR vaccination

MMR stands for Mumps, Measles, and Rubella. Measles, mumps, and rubella are viral diseases and before the vaccines for these diseases were invented they occurred in children commonly. These diseases can have serious consequences.

A baby monitor, also known as a baby alarm, is a radio system used to remotely listen to sounds made by an infant. An audio monitor consists of a transmitter unit, equipped with a microphone, placed near to the child. It transmits the sounds by radio waves to a receiver unit with a speaker carried by, or near to, the person caring for the infant. Some baby monitors provide two-way communication which allows the parent to speak back to the baby (parent talk-back). Some allow music to be played to the child. A monitor with a video camera and receiver is often called a baby cam.

I had written a blog about the importance of immunization for babies. The BCG vaccine is normally given to children as it has been shown to provide very good protection against the disseminated forms of TB in children, including TB meningitis.

People tend to have their own reservations about vaccinations. One of my patients had asked me - Doctor, why should I get my child injections in the name of vaccinations. She is healthy and does not have any disease. I tend to tell my patients - Vaccinations are like an insurance policy. You buy insurance, to protect yourself from any unforeseen accidents or illness that may happen.

Early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life followed by continued breastfeeding for up to two years and beyond with adequate complementary foods after completion of 6 months of age is the most appropriate feeding strategy for infants and young children.

I have new parents asking me questions about newborn babies and thus decided to write a few articles on various aspects of newborn care and development. A newborn baby breathes more rapidly than an adult. An adult takes about 18-20 breaths in a minute compared with a newborn, who breathes in and out around 40-60 times/minute. This is because Newborn’s don’t have the lung capacity to hold a lot of oxygen so they need to breathe in and out more often.