Head control
It is very important to give enough support for baby’s neck during the first 3 months as baby’s neck. Keep your hand or arm arched under baby’s neck, and while travelling make sure to keep baby’s head securely in car seats, prams and carriers.

Infections of the naval
This can be quite common, specially if water is left in the naval. Always remember to pat dry baby’s naval and visit a doctor for treating any infection.

Colic, fussiness and vomiting
Although this can be normal vomiting can make most parents very anxious. It is important to visit your pediatrician and check for any serious signs or complications however this is very common in most newborns. Some of the reasons are not scientifically explained, but often attributed to gas in the stomach or indigestion.

Being prone to flues and colds
This is very common in baby”s who are still building their immunity. Mums and dads should keep in mind that breast milk has enough nutrition and is a precious source of antibodies to fight most illnesses and should be continued during this time. If mums are unable to breastfeed it is still important to keep baby hydrated.

Body temperature
In the first 3 months baby cannot control his body temperature and will need to be kept warm. Feel baby’s hands and feet to check for any signs of being too cold. However over heating is also a problem in most hot countries like Sri Lanka, so be wise and make sure baby is comfortable.

Second time parents will know more about these and might not even take these issues too seriously. But if there are any doubts it is always important to consult your pediatrician for advise.

This is a list that will be updated overtime. If you would like to contribute to this and comment please submit your views through our contact us page.

It is indeed a dilemma to new parents to know whether they are in the right track when they introduce games to their little one. Most of our Sri Lankan mothers said that they are not sure if playing with their baby was enough to help her/him to develop both physically and mentally.

What you need to know is that child’s play has its own benefits, especially when it comes to the development of your child. Encouraging your baby to take part in active play will help the her/him to stay fit and develop many life skills including interaction, understanding another person, teamwork, communication, patience and even get a hang of social rules.

Seems very interesting doesn’t it? It is almost like catching 20 birds with a single stone. But, what are these day to day active games? How can you introduce it to your baby?

The BabySpace will explore these questions in this article. But there is one thing that we be aware of before we start- safety.

Baby Safety

You would know better how important minimizing risks is when it involves your baby. But, we have to assure 100 per cent safety and listed below are some safe tips we put together for you.

• Make sure that there is enough room for your baby to move (if he/she has started to crawl). This way you could minimize accidents and the baby will feel free to move about.
• Dress your baby in a comfortable clothing that will help him/her to move with ease
• Always be around if the baby is playing with objects
• Maintain a routine check on objects that was used during play time. This is to ensure that the baby has not swallowed any.
• Try to use objects that cannot be swallowed
• It is also important to involve activities that is suitable for your baby’s age to avoid confusion and frustration

Now that we have taken necessary precautions it is time to move on. The following are some easy games that you could introduce to your baby. If you have any other suggestions that other mothers could also try don’t forget to leave a comment.

Peek-a-boo

Peek-a-boo or jack in the box is a very exiting game. When you baby is only a few months old he/she will find it confusing to understand where a person goes, when he leaves the room or is out of sight. They will naturally conclude that the person would never return.

This game will help the baby understander the concept of existence even when someone or something is not insight or object permanence.

Playing peek-a-boo will also help the little one to develop abstract thinking and strengthen memory.

How to play

One player (in this case a parent) hides his/her face with hands and suddenly uncovers, showing the face saying peek-a-boo or ‘I see you’. When you hide you face give a little time for the baby to understand what happened.

Another way to play the game is by hiding behind a furniture or if you are in your garden behind a tree and jumping out into view saying the same.

You can get more information about the game on this BBC article http://www.bbc.com/news/health-24553877

Sing a song

This is another interesting and fun game to do. Repeating a catchy and easy song will help your child to enhance his/her memory. If you baby is older try adopting a few easy steps to develop his/her mobility. Some of the songs that you can sing are ‘tikki tikiri tikiriliya’ or ‘Jonny Jonny. Yes, papa’.

How to play

hold the baby on your lap comfortably or let him/her lie on the bed and sign a song slow and clear. Every time the song ends tickle him/her a little. Do this a couple of times till the baby start laughing before the end of a song anticipating your next move.

If you baby is moving try curling and uncurling his/her fingers and toes when singing the song.

Catch a toy (for a baby under six years of age)

This game will help your baby to perceive and develop hand eye coordination. The baby will also learn how to hold things in a fun way without getting tired. Another benefit of this game is the understanding of give and take with another person and interaction.

How to play

You can use a number of toys to play this game. We recommend you to use a ball small enough for your baby to hold because it is round and can be moved around easily. Also balls are full of surprises, it would bounce and roll.

Choose a bright coloured ball and sit your baby of the floor. Show the ball to the baby until you get her/his full attention on it. Then slowly roll it towards her. Watch how he/she follow the ball with eyes. If the baby doesn’t try more slowly. Then encourage the baby to throw it back to you. Always appreciate his/her every move to help the baby feel accomplished after doing the task.

Babble time (for a baby under six months)

This is the age your baby will try to communicate in words or small sounds. Babble time will help your baby to use the tongue and lips to form words. The game will help your baby to understand conversations and gradually speak out meaningful words.

How to play

Sit or stand facing your baby. Repeat more loudly and clearly every word he/she says. This could be a simple ‘aahh’ or ‘baa’. Repeat his/her words for sometime and then gradually introduce new sounds. Such as ‘bahaa’ or ‘oohh’.

Fill the basket (for babies under nine months)

This game will help your baby to hold and place objects of different sizes. It will develop you baby’s mobility and cognition. He/She will understand the concept of different sizes and emptiness and fullness.

However it is also important to remember that expressing your breast milk is not an option to leave your little one at home with a family member, friend or a nanny because a bottle of milk per day is not enough to keep your baby well nourished the whole day.

Another reason for mothers to express breast milk is when her baby is having a medical condition that does not allow the mother to feed properly. Thus, if your baby is premature or has special needs don’t hesitate to feed him or her with expressed breast milk.

What is the best time to express breast milk?
This is an aspect most mothers are confused with and they start expressing milk at different times as their friends or relatives propose. We recommend doing it when your baby starts his or her feed. Doing this exactly the same time your baby feeds every day, even at work, will help your milk supply going strong and bond with your baby when you two are apart.

What is expressing milk?

• There are two methods of expressing milk and one is by pumping (via a machine) and hand expressing. Hand expressing is cheaper. We discuss more on these two methods below.
• When you start to express or pump breast milk you find days that you won’t produce milk as much as the days before. This does not mean you’re necessarily producing a low or inadequate amount of milk. Give it a couple of times, eat food products that’ll help enhance milk production and if this does not work consult your doctor.
• There are various types of pumps in the market and you should always make sure you buy the best, not the cheapest or that is expensive and seem to be the best. Stroll down many markets before you buy one and also, get an expert’s help to choose one.
• If your baby is breast feeding, the BabySpace recommend you to pump or express milk after feeding the baby. As the baby naturally respond to an easy and fast flow of milk expressing or pumping milk before the feed will slow it making your baby to put extra energy to draw milk. This should be avoided as far as you can because babies will later get used to having little amounts of feeds.
• Make sure that you know every aspect that needs to be known about expressing and especially pumping milk. So instructions and observing a demonstration will help you get a cue of the process.
• It will help you if you select a quiet and comfortable spot to express milk or to do the pumping. This encourages letdown. You can also massage the breast for a few minutes or lean over and gently shake your breast which will help the flow of milk. You can also cuddle your baby for a while so that your breasts will start the feeding process but make sure you don’t irritate your baby by keeping him or her near milk that won’t be fed. Or if you are away look at a photo of your baby and if you don’t have one close your eyes and remember him or her.

How to hand express milk?
Most mothers in Sri Lanka are used to hand expression and always acknowledge this. There is nothing wrong in hand expressed milk but you have to make sure about the hygiene of the process because it is easy for milk to get contaminated for the slightest mistake you make. It is also understood that hand expression will help you draw more milk than pumping.

The following tips will show you how you can easily go through this process.

• Wash your hands thoroughly. Even a bit of soap left in your hand will create health conditions in your baby. Do not use hand sanitizers to keep your hands clean before expressing milk.
• Place your thumb and your index finger on the sides of the nipple. It should be 1-2 inches from the nipple.
• Gently press the nipple toward the rib cage (if this process hurts consult your doctor).
• Then roll your fingers together in a slight downward motion to draw milk

The pumping method
Pumping can be hectic and tiring but some mothers in Sri Lanka, who spoke to us, said that they prefer pumping so let’s see how you can pump milk from your breast. Remember that if you do not pump is the required way your nipples will start to sore.

• Make sure that you wash your hands. We know that you already washed your hands when you started to feed your little one but we recommend doing it again to avoid clichés.
• You should always remember to sterilize the pump before it is being used. To do this put the pump in hot water and wash with soap.
• Start pumping immediately after you feed your baby because then the flow of milk is still on the move and it’ll be easier to pump milk that way.
• Gently place your nipple in the center of the flange of the pump
• Make sure that you start pumping at the lowest setting and then gradually go up
• Keep pumping for fifteen minutes on each breast and if the beast goes dry before fifteen minutes add two minutes and then stop.
• If you feel uncomfortable or the process hurts try lowering the suction setting, make sure that your nipple is centered well in the flange or try doing it for a shorter period. If it continues to hurt consult your doctor.
• After the process leave the pumping kit other than the tubes or the motor in the refrigerator. If not wash the pump, each part that needs to be washed, with hot water the next time you use it.

A brief introduction into some of these vaccines can be found in our related article Important Vaccines for your baby.

Note: You should get a vaccine schedule card from the hospital you go to, and this will be referred back to each time you go for a new vaccination. Some vaccine doses will change between private hospitals and government hospitals, so it is always recommended to meet your pediatrician before getting the next scheduled vaccine.

Note: This Vaccine can change according to Government and Medical regulations within the country. Always consult your doctor before any vaccinations.

Optional Other Vaccines
Pneumococcal conjugate
Chickenpox
Hepatitis A
Varicella
Hepatitis B
Meningococcal Polysaccharide

While physical development, as well as language development (which we will look at in the next segment when we talk about the cognitive development of a toddler), is important. Furthermore, it is also important for a child to learn how to interact with others as well as to understand their emotions. Furthermore, it is important to be able to control one’s own emotions, something even difficult for us adults to do.

This will largely determine how many positive relationships the toddler would be able to maintain growing up. Mastering these skills is a long process, and/ children continue to develop in this area well into their teenage years or even until young adulthood.

At the age of 12-24 months, the young toddler understands that they are independent beings and also that others have thoughts and feelings just like themselves. It is during this time that we should make them feel safe and loved while they deal with new challenges. as well as being able to develop important components such as a sense of conscience which they will carry on towards adulthood.

If the toddler is not taught right from wrong and also provided a nurturing, loving environment, they are more likely to develop conduct problems and antisocial behaviours later in life.Parents play a vital role during this time, as to how you respond to your toddler would determine how confident they become and how much of trust they place in others.

Following are a few things to help support your toddler’s social and emotional development include;

• Giving your toddler enough time to try and figure out a problem on his/her own (such as tying their shoelace). Only provide support when/if you see them frustrated
• Encourage and support toddlers in their efforts, offer praise while they are attempting to do something
• Develop the concept of sharing by showing them how to share. Introduce games where they need to wait their turn
• Demonstrate polite ways of asking for what they want as well as for asking permission to use what does not belong to them
• Try distracting them in order to reduce conflict (such as showing them a different object or drawing their attention to something more interesting)
• Create an environment where they know they can depend on you and feel safe
• Establish routines which will help your toddler to prepare for the challenges they may face

At the age of 24-36 months, toddlers start to really engage in interactive play with others which may also include imaginative play like pretending to play house and/or looking after a baby doll

Their understanding of other’s feeling will also tend to gradually increase, you might notice them always wanting to be right in an argument. It is therefore important to focus on helping toddlers understand their feelings. How can you help your toddler do this?

• Creative methods could be used such as reading story book or even using puppets. Some other aspects of how you can help your toddler
• Help them understand healthy and non-harmful ways to express feelings, especially negative ones such as anger. For example, it is not ok to hit when you’re angry, rather express feelings by using appropriate words.
• Try to avoid always directing your toddler. Let them come up with play ideas so that they are not always dependent on you. Support older toddler’s developing skills by empathizing with their frustration, asking if they know what caused the problem and if they have a solution, offering your observation and if they would like to hear your suggestions etc.
• Talk about rules and limits you would like to set in a language your toddler can understand.
• Give consequences to help your toddler understand the cause and effect involved in a rule. If a punishment is being given this should be done immediately after the undesirable behaviour has occurred so that your toddler understands what you are punishing them for

Other Important Aspects to Remember

Remember that consistency in your parenting is of utmost importance. A common mistake parents tend to make is to adapt two different parenting styles. This will create confusion in the toddler’s mind.

Another common mistake is the lack of stimulation. Allowing a child to simply sit in front of a TV will not help them in their development. There have been many instances where parents come to consultation stating their child is not engaging with other children or is finding it difficult to sit in Montessori.

More often than not these problems can be traced back to the lack of appropriately supporting them in their social and emotional development. If a child is not allowed the opportunity to play they might struggle with not knowing how to play and how to interact with other children.

If there is no structure provided for a young toddler, they would tend to struggle when put into a setting that demands structure. Therefore, supporting them appropriately early on in life would help them be more prepared for challenges they would face not only in childhood but also in later life. If you would like to know more tips on how you can support your developing toddler with their social and emotional development, leave us a comment and we will be able to support your individual queries.

Keep in mind that even though most privileges are born by state sector workers, it is becoming common for private companies to respect most women and their partner with respect to pregnancy and maternity leave.

How many days will I be getting as Maternity leave?
Any mother, regardless of being employed in the State Sector or in the Private Sector, is entitled for 84 days as Maternity Leave from the day of delivery. These 84 days are calculated excluding Saturdays and Sundays of the respective months that you will be nursing your baby at home. Therefore, you will most probably be at home until your baby turns 4 months. You, anyway, can enjoy the full salary for the months at home during this period.

State Sector employees, however, have special privileges in applying for “Half-pay Leave” and “No-pay Leave” in addition to the first formal 84 days that any mother would be entitled to have as Maternity Leave.

• “Half-pay Leave”: If you are a State Sector employee, at the end of the first formal 84 days you can apply for another period of 84 days to nurse your baby at home. Unlike the first 84 days, the 84 days considered for “Half-pay Leave” will be calculated including both Saturdays and Sundays and therefore will extend maximally for a period of 3 months. You, however, will be enjoying only half the amount of your pay for the respective months on leave.
• “No-pay Leave: If you decide to go on “No-pay Leave”, you can enjoy yet another fresh 84 days without salary. Similar to “Half-pay Leave”, “No-pay Leave” will also be calculated including Saturdays and Sundays and therefore will last for a period of 3 months.

Are there any leave for the Father due to a baby birth?
Yes. But, at present, this is only applicable to State Sector employees. If you are a father working in a government institution, you are entitled for 3 days off on behalf of your newborn baby. These 3 days should be taken only after and within the first 3 months of the baby birth.

When would I be returning to office after Maternity Leave?
Private Sector employees will have to get back to office after the first 84 days of Maternity Leave, that is when your baby is about 4 months. State Sector employees can decide to enjoy other privileges available for them and as a result, can choose to come after 7 months or 10 months if they decide to use “Half-pay Leave” and “No-pay Leave” respectively.

Am I entitled for any other leave once I returning to office after Maternity Leave?
Yes, mothers with new-born babies are entitled to take 1 ½ hours off daily. This short leave could be obtained according to your wish, either in the morning or in the afternoon until your baby completes 6 months (i.e. to come 1 ½ hours late to the office from the normal starting time, if taken in the morning hours or to leave office 1 ½ hours before the normal signing off time, if taken in the afternoon.)

However, State Sector employees can choose to enjoy the same leave during pregnancy, forgoing the leave after returning to office. In that case, you are entitled for it once you complete 5 months in pregnancy until the day of delivery.

How can I keep my employer informed about my leave requirement?
You can make a formal request for your employer’s approval in due course, especially when you are applying for extensions for Maternity Leave and leave mentioned under the point mentioned above. Do not forget to attach copies of relevant documents such as “Clinic Cards” with your request letter as a proof. This will help your employer to verify dates and other details.

More the attention, more the myths revolve around this. Your elders, friends, neighbours will say many things about it. However, is there a truth in these?

Just to list a few such common myths in Sri Lanka, surrounding pregnancy.

Myth: If the mother turns beautiful during pregnancy – It is a sign of a baby-girl

Some look at the mother and try to predict the gender of the baby. They predict a baby-girl, if the mother becomes beautiful during pregnancy, and if otherwise a baby-boy can be predicted. Especially, if certain parts of the pregnant mother’s body turn dark, such as the neck area, a baby-boy is predicted.

Fact:
Average Sri Lankans are generally black or brown. When a woman is pregnant the darkening hormone called melanocyte stimulating hormones levels increases. Because of that, she may get darker skin in the armpits, groin area, below the naval, up to the hairline, around the neck or eyes, or faces. At the same time because of retention of fluid in the body leads to puffed up appearance. This is a normal thing. One cannot predict the sex of the baby by this sort of changes.

Myth: A large tummy – a sign of a baby-girl
The size and the shape of the belly are also used to predict the gender of the baby. If the mother has a large belly, the prediction is for a baby- girl. A baby boy is predicted, if the belly is small. Size and the shape of the belly, however, do not have any link with the gender of the baby.

Fact:
If the tummy is bigger one may have to exclude twin pregnancies diabetes of the mother or increased fluid levels around the baby in the womb. If these things are, excluded one cannot predict whether the size of the tummy, will lead to a boy a girl. Generally, baby boys are heavier than girls are. However, there are exceptions to the rule. Furthermore, the size and direction of the belly can change based on the body structure of the mother and the position of the baby.

Myth: The food taken determines the skin colour of the baby
Any mother would love to have a fair cutie. Traditionally, it says that if you take certain foods, it can change the skin tone of the baby.

Fact:
It is important to know that skin tone is genetic. It cannot be determined by the food you take. The colour of the baby will depend on the genetic composition that will be contributed from the mother and father or their grandparents. Instead of taking food to make you baby fair, take food rich with nutrients to make your baby healthy. Healthy babies naturally have a healthy skin that looks nice and bright.

Myth: Now that you are pregnant, you can eat for two
You may have heard you elders asking you to eat for two since you are pregnant. This, however, does not have any base.

Fact:
It is important to eat more because you need more nutrients for the healthy growth of your fetus. If your wish is a healthy baby, having a diet full of necessary nutrients is extremely important during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor, get advice on your diet, and make sure you take essential nutrients in right quantities daily.

Myth: You should not work more when you are pregnant
Pregnant mothers are mostly freed from their normal day-to-day heavy work due to pregnancy. It says that heavy activities are not good during this period.

Fact:
The baby’s growth and the weight will be determined by the mother’s general health status, nutrition, and the body size of the father and mother. If the mother is doing extremely heavy work like manual labourer who is a poor woman, who does not have enough nutritious food, tend to have small babies, anyway. The small babies are healthy and they will catch up growth after birth. In certain cases you may have to avoid certain activities, but not all. Therefore, you should try to spend a normal life as much as possible doing routine things that you used to do. You can talk to your doctor before deciding.

Myth: Dola Duka

In addition to afore mentioned, there are some commonly known signs during pregnancy. Morning symptoms, Preference for certain foods (Dola Duka) and Repugnance towards food cooked by self are prominent among them. These also can vary from person to person. Some will get it, some will not. The same mother will experience it for one child and not for the other child. Therefore, you should not get pre-occupied with these and scare yourself.

Fact:
Pregnancy craving and pica is an unusual psychological expression due to  hormones and socio cultural reasons. Some women will not like some smells. Even they will not like husbands coming closer to them. Some women get the craving to eat sour foods or exceptional they will eat starch clay and some other odd items. This again will disappear and nothing to be frowned upon.

The only option to avoid unwanted confusions and disappointments during pregnancy is to depend on a reliable person like your doctor for advice. Today the technology is very advanced and doctors can predict many things accurately, including the gender of the baby. Consult your doctor all the time to clear any doubts you have about pregnancy. This will make your life a lot easier and help enjoy your pregnancy days and motherhood later on.

The next question is what to pack and how many in numbers to take. In general, you will have to stay over one night in the hospital after the delivery, especially if it is a normal delivery. But, sometimes you may have to stay longer for couple of days, in situations such as a caesarean. So, prepare accordingly. Or else, you can pack two bags as an option, so you can take one with adequate items for one night and the other left behind at home with spare items for someone to bring to the hospital if the stay is longer.

Now, let us see what we can have in our hospital bag. You can pack for you, for your baby and for your partner who is going to stay with you in the hospital. The items you might need are listed down. You can tick-in as you pack.

You may get certain items such as sanitary napkins from the hospital too. But, you can take them to avoid hassle. Also, make sure that you will not take any valuable items such as cash and jewellery. It will give you unwanted stress in protecting them.

The BabySpace in this article would be addressing one condition that a considerable percentage of babies in Sri Lanka are born with- Autism.

What is Autism?

Autism is a mental condition that develops in early childhood. It causes a child to have difficulties in reaching most of the development milestones such as speech, perception and forming relationships with those around him or her, sometimes including the parents themselves.

Symptoms of Autism

Most of you would already know a few symptoms of this condition but these signs would differ, at least vaguely, from case to case. Thus, effects of Autism are not always the same and with this treatment would also change in many ways.

However, if your child has any of these following symptoms that could mean that the little one is having Autism.

• Having trouble communicating with words or using signs
• Having difficulty thinking and behaving in the right given a situation
• Not interacting with people or seem distant

Autism in Toddlers

Detecting the condition in your infant or toddler can be challenging but the BabySpace have compiled some of the symptoms,with the help of experts, which you could easily see in your little one.

• Difficulty in keeping or even making eye contact
• Have trouble in visually following objects
• Doesn’t react when his or her name is spoken out
• Doesn’t use sign languages to get your attention or help
• Seem distant when around other people and not initiate communication or play
• Doesn’t look out for the parent’s affection or want to be cuddled
• Delay in speaking out words or make babbling sounds when an infant
• Never reach out to pick dropped objects
• Seem irritable
• The child would not imitate facial expressions or smile back when smiled at

Causes of Autism

There are no precise reasons laid out as causes of the condition. But, the available research says that Autism can be a result of many things combined from the age of the parents to the food that a mother consumes when the baby is conceived. Let’s take a few minutes to talk about them.

Accordingly medication such as antidepressants can cause Autism. It is more risky if a mother takes these medications in the first quarter of the pregnancy. To deliver a healthy child the mother should stay healthy. Nutritional deficiency during the pregnancy, again mainly in the first quarter, would lead to many conditions including Autism.

In addition to these, maternal infections and the mother being subjected to chemicals pollutants are also found to be affecting the baby.

Knowing the signs and symptoms will not be enough to understand the condition and know for sure that your baby is autistic. We believe that the best way to know what a baby is going through or suffering from is by closely observing every movement and reading each concealed hint. If you do believe that there is something wrong don’t hesitate to get help. You would prefer to give it time and wait till the baby improves but this will not work for your advantage.

According to BabySpace experts the best time for treatment- in order to recover, is before the child turns two to three years. Early detection is the key to successful treatment.

Sadly, most of the Sri Lankan parents are not aware of Autism and some not willing to accept that their child is autistic or different from other children. The stigma attached to conditions such as this is stressful.

Treatment for Autism includes play therapy, speech therapy, music therapy, occupational therapy and group therapy. Autism cannot be medically treated.

Treatment takes time and patience of both the therapist and parents. It is not an easy task.

Building trust with an autistic child is not always easy and it requires unlimited attention and tolerance. Experts sometimes would even act like the child to get into the child’s world. Later, step by step, they would start therapy.

Accordingly, therapists would identify skills and talents of the child and aim to improve it. Most autistic children are found to be creative, artistic and athletic. There are isolated cases where they are extremely good in studies. Focusing on these talents would help children to perform normally in the society. Autistic children should always be encouraged to interact with other children.

Children are not the only ones who are suffering when Autism strikes- often, parents are too. Parents should have a positive outlook always. He said that this would help them and the child too to recover.