| Sister
Lilians frequently asked questions and answers |
|
| Feeding
at night |
Q.
I have a baby girl of six months who still breastfeeds. I wouldn't
mind carrying on until she's a year old, but she wakes four
times a night and by the time I get back to sleep at least half
an hour has passed, which means I lose about two hours sleep
a night. If I don't give in to her, she cries bitterly and it
takes even longer to settle her. She is with me all day at this
stage but eats very little during the day. Please help.
Maria,
Sandown |
|
A. Believe it or not it is not abnormal for a six-month-old
baby to still need a few feeds at night. The problem of your
tiredness can easily be solved by feeding her while lying
beside her, either in a bed in her room or in your bed. Just
as she sleeps while nursing, so too can you. From now on she
will gradually increase her solids and that will affect the
night feeding positively, but do not force more food than
she wants. Babies also notice their mom's resentment and become
anxious. She doesn't realise that you are simply tired, she
thinks something is wrong and that can lead to her waking
even more frequently just to reassure herself that all is
well. Make sure, too, that you are given at least one break
of a few hours each week so that you can relax.
|
| Nappy
rash |
Q.My
son is two months old and has already had three bad nappy rashes,
which are very stubborn. I've tried many creams, even for thrush,
because the clinic sister said they can get thrush rashes, but
it is slow to clear and always recurs. Is there a foolproof
way of preventing nappy rash?
Bronwyn, Cape Town |
|
A. Some babies do tend to get nappy rashes more easily
than others but I can almost guarantee you a rash free bum
if you stick to these simple steps! When changing the nappy,
always wash baby's buttocks in water - do not just wipe down.
Expose to air for a while after the occasional nappy change
and sun the buttocks for just five minutes twice a day if
he has a rash. Add a potful of strong rooibos tea to the water
used to wash his buttocks as this soothes and heals the skin.
Place a slightly moistened rooibos tea-bag (two teaspoons
of boiling water to a tea bag and allow to cool) on any particularly
bad patch and leave iside the nappy until the next change
for an amazing result. Apply Calendula cream to heal the area.
Thrush can cause some nappy rashes and then you should give
your baby oral homeopathic Buso drops - which you should take,
too, in case you are the source of the infection. Use wet
wipes only for convenience when you're out.
|
| Sibling
rivalry |
Q.
Our children, aged five years and 18 months, display an inordinate
amount of sibling rivalry. They fight about everything, hurt
each other and always interrupt when the other one is trying
to talk to one of us. How do I handle this?
Lee, e-mail. |
|
A. Children do not get on well with their siblings simply
because they are family. There might be strong personality
clashes. How you handle this will show them how to treat each
other with greater respect. Spend some time with each child
each day (even 10 minutes will do on busy days), where you
concentrate exclusively on them. Tell the other that they
are not allowed to interrupt or their special time will also
not be exclusive. Then introduce a time when both children
and at lease one parent play a game together, and you take
the role of facilitator. Do not become angry if they fight
but rather use the art of distraction to prevent it from becoming
serious. Distraction offers you r child a practical and very
successful way of learning that there are positive, satisfying
alternatives to fighting. If it develops into a brawl anyway,
simply leave them and pretend not to hear or care, unless
one hurts the other. By spending significant time with them
will less inclined to resent attention given to the other.
By ignorant spats they will soon learn that this is not way
to get your attention or involvement
|
|
|
