Sister Lilian’s Babycare Companion: Complimentary and traditional care. Lilian Paramor
•Crush a Sister Lilian Calendula Tablet, mix with a little water to a paste and apply for itching and healing.
If you have been to a malaria area and Baby seems ill or develops a fever, seek immediate medical attention. Also give the tissue salt Nat sulph every hour until Baby improves. It must be stressed, however, that it is extremely irresponsible to take babies and small children to malaria areas.
Cradle cap
Cradle cap is a crusty, yellow layer clinging to the skin of Baby’s scalp and possibly also the eyebrows. It is related to a certain type of eczema and Baby may well develop this later if preventative measures are not taken. Cradle cap responds very well to the following measures:
•Give the homeopathic remedy Calendula Tablets and the tissue salt remedies Kali mur and Kali sulph, one tablet of each crushed and dissolved in 5 ml cooled boiled water 3 times a day.
•Massage olive oil into the scalp, leave overnight and wash out the next day, or use a fine-tooth comb to remove crusts.
•Make a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water, apply to cradle cap and remove by rinsing after five minutes.
•If cradle cap persists, you might need to change Baby’s formula milk to a special allergy formula. If breastfeeding, reduce dairy and grain products in your diet.
•Do not introduce cereals to Baby as a first or early food.
Milia/pimples in Baby
Milia (pimples on a baby’s face, usually over the cheeks and nose) usually disappears by three months and seems to occur because of blocked pores as the sweat glands and skin mature. It is often called ‘babasuur’ in Afrikaans. Milia resolves of its own accord within a month or two but these tips may speed healing:
•Do not squeeze the pimple-like eruption, to prevent secondary infection.
•Rinse the area with cooled rooibos tea.
•Apply a very light layer of Calendula cream daily.
•It often helps to reduce dairy, grain and acid-forming foods such as coffee, pickles and red meat in your diet if you are breastfeeding.
Baby powder
Baby powder’s reputation far exceeds its real worth! Of course, it gives that delightful, ‘real baby’ smell, but that is appealing to the sentimentality in each of us.
Because babies have such sensitive skins, all baby cosmetics should be chosen carefully. Preferably try dermatologically tested products, bearing in mind that what suits one skin will not necessarily work for another.
Powder will absorb moisture, but can irritate sensitive skin, and tends to make crumbs which can also irritate the skin. Use sparingly and choose baby-sensitive products.
Powders, if used, should be spread on the hand first and then applied so that a cloud does not form, as these particles may be breathed in, irritating the respiratory membranes. If Baby’s skin is sensitive but you really like that special smell, pat a little on the outside of the nappy or vest.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NAPPIES
Buttock care tips
This is something that you will do at least 4 000 times for each baby you have, so it is worth doing it well! Good buttock care at each nappy change will prevent painful, unsightly rashes. These tips will keep your baby’s buttocks as smooth as they should be:
•Change soiled nappies promptly.
•If at home, wash Baby’s buttocks in the basin or a bowl with sufficient water and a gentle soap at every change.
•Avoid cleaning with cotton wool and oil.
•Do not routinely wipe Baby’s buttocks down with a moist flannel.
•Pre-soaped wipes should only be used for convenience when away from home – choose baby-sensitive ones.
•Once cleaned, leave Baby to play without a nappy for ten minutes to allow the area to dry well.
•If Baby has a sensitive skin or a rash in this area, expose the buttocks to five to ten minutes of direct non-midday sun each day to speed healing.
•If Baby has a bad rash, moisten a rooibos teabag with two teaspoons boiling water, allow to cool, place on the affected area. Leave on until the next change, as rooibos has skin-healing properties.
•Stubborn rashes often indicate a thrush infection, and this should be treated with an antifungal cream or homeopathic Calendula Tablets.
•Choosing a good quality disposable nappy helps ensure fewer problems with rashes and irritations.
How many nappies will Baby need in the early weeks?
Remember babies’ sizes vary so rather don’t buy too many disposable nappies in one size until you see how your baby grows.
•In the first six weeks of life, especially if breastfeeding, almost every nappy is soiled and a baby can easily need between six and ten nappies a day.
•From six to twelve weeks this should settle at about six nappies a day (breast babies will be soiling a lot less by this stage, sometimes only one nappy a week, because breastmilk is so perfectly digested).
•After three months, right up to six months, five to six nappies a day will be fine unless there is a tummy bug doing the rounds.
•From six months, five nappies a day is usually sufficient.
•After one year, as few as four a day until off nappies altogether.
TOWELLING NAPPY FOLDING TECHNIQUE
Breast babies’ bowel action
Breastfed babies’ bowel actions in the early months, before any supplemented milk is given or solids are introduced, have a typical pattern. For the first few days after birth meconium stools are passed – this is a sticky dark green/black substance that has filled the intestines while the baby was in the womb. Almost every nappy will be soiled with this, sometimes more, sometimes less, as the early mother’s milk, called colostrum, has a laxative effect to help clear the system of this sticky stool. Over the first three days, the colour gradually changes to become lighter and soon it will be the usual mustard colour of a normal breastmilk stool. Meconium is best cleaned with cotton wool balls dipped in baby oil.
Once breastfeeding is established, from about three days after birth, a typical stool is mustard-coloured, the consistency of a soft paste, almost without any odour and certainly not at all unpleasant smelling. A normal stool contains little whitish ‘seeds’. Almost every nappy will be soiled, sometimes just a smear, sometimes a huge amount. This is not diarrhoea and is no cause for concern. The digestive system is just maturing and this will soon settle. Frequent stools continue for about six to eight weeks. Thereafter, if the baby is still exclusively breastfed, stools will become far less frequent, sometimes occurring as seldom as once in seven to ten days. If the stool is still soft, this is not constipation. A constipated stool is always hard, dry and irregular.
Parents are often convinced their babies must be badly constipated in this phase as it seems so unlikely that a baby can pass a stool so seldom and still be healthy. Remember, though, that breastmilk contains very little waste matter and so there is little to pass through the colon. Babies often seem to be in discomfort when not passing a stool more regularly, but take into consideration that they are very aware of their digestive systems and make very dramatic faces from the rumblings on the inside! This does not mean that they are in pain – you will soon be able to tell the difference, so enjoy this unexpected benefit of breastfeeding!
There are some variations of this normal pattern that parents might need to know more about:
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