Robin's Page

 

Robin Barker's  regular granddaughter diary, and baby care column. Granddaughter Sage also joins us with a baby persepective on life.

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Diary - January, 2004 (OK, so we are late. Sorry)

I can’t believe the end of January is nigh and I still haven’t written up Sage’s diary after making ambitious promises to follow up December’s entry very quickly. And what’s more I don’t really have an excuse. I don’t think anyone has the old ‘I’m that busy…’ excuse unless they have at least one baby or toddler to look after – all else in life is relatively simple.

A friend of mine had four children aged under eighteen months (a single followed by triplets) thirty odd years ago; she and her husband did all the hard yakka themselves, their kids are now four great adults. Recently one of them gave birth to their first grandchild – a baby girl. The new mother now views her parents with open-mouthed wonder.

I can promise you that most, if not all writers of baby books would collapse in a heap if they had to mind four toddlers for twenty-four hours let alone for five years. I think it’s good to bear in mind that experts (especially the blokes) write and speak from a lofty distance, well away from the nitty-gritty of temper tantrums, sleep disturbances, cracked nipples, poo and long days with toddlers that never seem to end.

Which is why I stayed with a friend some years ago for the births of both of her babies then hung around afterwards for a few weeks. I also visit them every year and do all the hands-on with the kids. Great experience and a good reminder of what it’s all about.

It has stood me in good stead with the arrival of Sage, getting in there and doing the stuff. The struggle to change her nappy as she tries to wriggle free, the hassle of putting her in the car seat with the arching back, the times when she won’t go down happily for a nap, the business of getting a stroller around a shop without killing anyone.

I have decided that practical refresher periods of twenty hours a week, hands on babycare should be mandatory (at least once a year) for all baby book writers and advisors.

Get out of your offices you lot, away from the computers and the lecture circuit and see if you can do what you tell everyone else to do.

After all what better way to find out whether what you’re writing is actually going to help the parents who buy the books.

I’ve recently found it reassuring to know first hand that a nine-month old baby will drink happily from a small cup and a spout. And eat chunks. And go off to sleep after twenty minutes of performing and sleep for a couple of hours.

And to remind us how delicious and rewarding a baby can be, especially when that bond forms and she gets to know you:
The ear-splitting beam I get when Sage arrives at the front door brings tears to my eyes. There’s nothing like those the plump arms winding around my neck, and those the talking noises and crows of delight when I read her the favourite book with the flaps makes me delirious with joy.

But I’m diverging – I believe January was supposed to be about introducing solids (highly scientific).

First a word about food intolerance and allergies, which seem to be taking over our lives:

Allergy
Is an over-reaction of foreign antibodies. Food allergies usually only involve one or two foods and are most common in babies and children under five who come from families with histories of eczema, hay fever and asthma. Allergies appear to be on the increase in Western society with about 35% of children affected. Most children grow out of their allergies before they start school. Less than 1% of adults have food allergy. Life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock) to food (or medications or insect stings) are relatively rare but the incidence of this happening also seems to be rising.

Food Intolerance
Food intolerance is much more common than allergy. It is an adverse reaction to chemicals in food. Food intolerance can occur at any age and reactions usually depend on the amount of particular food that has been eaten. For example, a toddler may show no symptoms after eating the food in small doses or a one-off dose but may react after eating or drinking a larger amount or following a build-up of the chemical(s) over time. For more info on both allergy and intolerance go to www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au (Food allergy and intolerance).

In relation to starting solids:
If food allergy or intolerance is a problem in your family, or if there is a family history of asthma and eczema special care should be taken. This may involve seeing a dietician or an allergist if you are unsure. Foods most commonly involved with allergy/intolerance: Peanut, nuts, egg, milk, sesame, fish, rye, wheat, oats, soy, seafood, berries, tomato, cucumber, white potato and mustard.

As a rough guide:
Avoid citrus fruit, berry fruit, banana, corn, mushrooms, avocado, tomato, wheat, beef, veal, pork, cheese until nine months.
Wait until after twelve months for eggs (yolk first).
Put off peanuts, peanut products indefinitely.
Introduce milk slowly, mix a teaspoon with vegies or cereal from nine months and increase slowly.

Here are the basics for the non-allergy prone:
Choose from the following:
· Rice cereal (any brand or make your own)
· Lightly cooked apples and pears

· Mashed or blended avocado
· Mashed or blended banana
· Steamed and blended vegetables - try potato, carrot and pumpkin to begin with as they are easy to mash. Once you ascertain your baby likes vegies you can branch out and try the full range
· Yoghurt - full fat, natural
· Ricotta cheese

Pick one of the items from the list. Traditionally rice cereal is the first choice but feel free to try one of the others first if you would rather.

If you are using rice cereal try one or two teaspoons mixed with 15-30ml of expressed breastmilk, boiled water, prepared formula or fruit juice.

How to proceed
The way babies respond to food varies a lot and a precise approach leads to tension and unnecessary stress.

Don’t get too bogged down by ‘rules’. Be flexible, be relaxed and above all be guided by your baby.

If after a day or two it’s going down with a minimum of fuss, increase an extra teaspoon of food every day or two until she is having up to one or two tablespoons at a time.

When she is happily doing this once a day try a second meal.

A months or so later try a third.

Never try to force the food if your baby doesn’t want it.

If you have an interested eater resist the temptation to try everything on the menu in 3 days. Try a new food every 2-3 days.

Some normal variations

1. Eats well then suddenly refuses:
Don't panic.
Stop completely and try again in a month.
Remember food from the spoon is an optional extra at this stage.
Continue milk only for the time being.

2. Complete refusal:
Don’t worry. If, after you try a few different things over a week or two and you are getting nowhere STOP - try again in a month. Continue milk only for the time being.

3. Loves some things, refuses others:
Give her what she likes even when it is the same old boring things each day. Avoid the temptation to try sugary baby biscuits, flavoured custards and added sugar to vary the diet. They are not needed.

4. Keeps refusing all food from a spoon indefinitely:
About twenty percent of all babies are finger food babies who constantly refuse food until they can feed themselves with their fingers.

5. No food at all for a long time:
A number of very healthy thriving breastfed babies have mothers with such an abundant milk supply that they refuse to eat anything and end up exclusively breastfed until they are 9 to twelve months old. The issue of iron deficiency in babies who are exclusively breastfed beyond six months has been raised in the last few years.
Some evidence suggests that 10-thirty per cent of babies who are exclusively breastfed after six months may become iron deficient. Unfortunately when babies are obviously thriving and look healthy the only way to monitor this is to take blood tests or give all babies in the second six months who are exclusively breastfed iron supplements.

In view of the fact that the usefulness of such strategies is still being debated I suggest feeding on.
Try your baby with food in a relaxed way.

If you are worried about the possibility of iron deficiency talk it over with your early childhood nurse or paediatrician.

If anyone’s advice puts you in panic mode seek a second opinion.


Next month: Stage two of food.

Robin Barker 20©04

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