Your Baby and You: Week Fifty One
YOUR BABY
Physical Development: Voluntarily releasing grip
You will start to see over the next 6 months, that your baby has more and more control over not just grasping objects - but in letting them go. Of course this first manifests itself very often by deliberately dropping food to the floor at mealtimes. Frustrating, yes, but not naughty - not really. Encourage your baby to experiment with dropping (and in time, throwing) away from meal times and with appropriate objects such as a ball.
Behavioural Development: He's been fine for me!
Nearly all parents experience this at some stage in bringing up children, and it often starts as babies. They develop difficult behaviours at home that test the patience of their parents, and yet their nursery teacher, childminder or grandparents report that they've never seen them act in that way. Although this can be a little frustrating for parents, first of all it is a good thing that they aren't doing this for everybody, and secondly - it is normal for them to reserve tantrums, resistance to meals or whatever it is, for when they are at home. A lot of this will be to do with tiredness, especially if you are largely dealing with the tail end of their day on a regular basis. But in addition, your baby is most comfortable in your presence and is therefore more comfortable experimenting with different behaviours and with provoking different reactions from you. Show them lots of love and affection and take heart that this pattern is a very normal for children across a broad range of ages.
Social & Emotional Development: Using mummy as a 'safe base'
It is common at this age for babies to need the reassurance of your presence when in social situations, even if they are quite sociable with other children and adults. You might notice at play groups that your child will venture away from you, but will often look back to check where you are and may actually keep returning to you time after time. By moving from your spot when they aren't looking, you might frighten your baby and damage their confidence when it comes to leaving your side. If you want to move to another seat, to get a coffee or to go to the bathroom then tell your baby first so as not to unnecessarily surprise them with a disappearing act!
Feeding: Pudding becoming the norm?
Pudding isn't a necessity after every meal - it certainly isn't for adults, so why should it be for babies? It's a good way to get fruit into them when their 5-a-day needs a boost, but if they have enough to eat in their main meal then don't put yourself under pressure to 'create' another course each time. And remember, that if you do give them a pudding after every lunch and dinner, then this is something that they will come to expect. Health-wise this isn't an issue, provided they only ever expect something healthy, but setting a president now could pave the way for strong demands from a vocal toddler in the months and years to come!
Care Advice: MMR Immunisation & Weaning off the bottle
If you haven't yet been given an appointment for your baby to have their MMR vaccination then contact your doctors' surgery. The vaccination will protect your baby from 3 potentially serious illnesses: measles, mumps and rubella. The vaccination is considered safe and highly important for all children. Most children have their first vaccination shortly after their first birthday. They will then need a second vaccination, sometimes referred to as a 'booster', before they start school. You can read more here about the MMR vaccination.
If your baby is still using a bottle for her milk feeds then it is a good idea to start introducing a cup instead. If you wait much longer then it will become harder to break her attachment to sucking on the bottle teat as a means of comfort. Cups without lids, or ones that are free flowing, are the best type for babies. This is because they teach a baby to sip drinks, rather than to suck. Cups with non-spill valves, and bottles with teats flow very slowly and can cause problems with tooth decay and speech development.
Safety Advice: Go barefoot
Remember that socks and tights can be very slippery for your baby, especially as they are learning to pull up, stand, or even walk. The safest option is to leave them barefoot for as much of the time as you can. If you want to give them shoes for when they are out and about then make sure that they are appropriate for their developmental stage and that they fit them properly. You can find out more about buying shoes for your little one here.
Common illnesses and ailments: Hand, foot & mouth disease
Before you get too worried, this is not the same as foot and mouth disease that affects farm animals. Hand, foot and mouth is a pretty common illness that mainly affects children, and it is usually quite mild. Serious complications are very rare. Symptoms of the illness are as follows:
- A fever to begin with, accompanied by a general feeling of being unwell
- A sore throat and spots inside the mouth
- Skin rash - most commonly found on hands and feet, but sometimes on their bottom and in their groin area
Your child may not develop all of these symptoms. The illness is not treated with medicine and should go away on its own, although discomfort and fever can be treated in the usual way with paracetamol or ibuprofen - provided your child has no medical reason not to take these medicines. The symptoms usually pass quite quickly, often gone within 3-7 days. Check with your childcare provider about whether they can still attend whilst they have hand, foot and mouth. Official guidelines say that children should not be kept off school for this illness, but many nurseries and childminders prefer children to be kept away until the spots have gone because it is very contagious.
THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR BABY THIS WEEK
Entertainment: Reading
Try to read to your baby as much as possible, at least once a day if you can manage it. Involve your baby in the story by using books with durable hard pages that they can turn themselves. Using lift-the-flap books is very entertaining for babies of this age, and it helps to teach them about object permanence, the notion that something can still be there even if you can't see it. Remember that babies love repetition and will tire of books less quickly than most adults!
ALL ABOUT YOU THIS WEEK
Your Emotions: The sensitive chef
If you cook for other children sometimes, prepare to be thick-skinned about their reception to your food! Babies and children of all ages can be quite unpredictable in their tastes, preferences and behaviour on any given day. It is a waste to see 4 plates of uneaten food around a table, but it isn't a personal insult on your culinary skills. Many babies don't eat particularly well when excited about being around other children. Serve small portions and top up their plates when they finish. If you suspect you might have some fussy eaters coming to tea then you can of course check with their mums first, ask them what they particularly like, but don't feel obliged to do so!
YOUR WEEKLY CHECKLIST
(Helping to keep you organised!)
Routine medical appointments: MMR Immunisation
Contact your surgery for an appointment for your baby's first MMR vaccination. They normally have it within a month of their first birthday.
