5 Months week 3

Hey who is that in the mirror? Babies this age smile at other babies, especially the one in the mirror?.She might take a look at her then burst out with laughter, mimicking sounds and turns to look at you if you’re standing beside her looking at the mirror. She may be able to sit briefly with no support and wiggle forward on the ground. Make sure she is safe and surrounded by pillows incase she falls back, front or sideways. She can now entertain herself with her hands and feet by grabbing them and pulling them towards her mouth, this will cause her to be real quiet, you might even wonder if she’s fallen asleep all by herself. Use this time to catch up on some parenting forum. One eye on your PC and the other on baby.

Teething

Teething usually begins at 6-10 months but it can begin as early as 3 months. Symptoms of teething may include drooling, decrease in appetite, irritability, sleeplessness, sucking, ear pulling and possibly a low fever. The drooling may also cause a rash around her mouth and neck, make sure she stays cool and dry.

Not all babies are in pain during teething but if your baby is, there is so much that you can try to ease baby’s pain. Some will work for your baby and some won’t, here are some of the methods used by moms: rubber teething toys, teething rings and letting baby chew on your finger (make sure it is clean). Some parents have found that cold foods such as yoghurt as well as placing the teething ring in the freezer then giving baby to munch on helps as it provides a cooling and soothing feeling.

You should start cleaning your infant’s teeth as soon as the first one appears, use a clean wet cloth to gently clean baby’s teeth and gums. After that you should start using a soft small baby brush and a fluoride free toothpaste for babies, it is safe to swallow as baby can’t spit out yet.

Single parenting

When you are a single parent, taking care of your baby all alone can be a difficult task which can generally result in giving mom or dad a terrible headache daily.

Single parenting will require you to be a sympathetic mother plus a strict providing father at the same time or visa versa.

Taking care of your baby alone can be physically and emotionally draining! But remember that you don’t have to do it alone, help from grandparents, aunts and friends will benefit you and baby, so take them up on their offers. You spending some time away from your baby does not mean you love her any less but it just means you need some time off to recharge so you can come back to her refreshed and relaxed, this way you will enjoy your baby.

Concerns: Earache

As a parent it is very important to know your baby and pay attention to her behavior. This makes it easier to tell if she’s unwell as you can pick it up in her actions and your motherly instincts never fail you!

It is every parent’s nightmare. Your child is in pain and you suspect an infection, earache can hurt a lot and can be serious to the point of causing hearing loss and in rare cases may lead to infection of the bone around the ear. The younger the child and the more severe the pain the more upsetting it can be for parents and the baby. This is when your nurturing skills will be called upon, when your ability to be calm and reassuring and comforting may be stretched to the limit.

How can i tell if my baby has an earache? Earache may cause your baby to:

• Cry or grizzle more than usual, be very irritable, difficulty falling and staying asleep.
• Keep touching an ear again and again, decrease in appetite and may have a fever.
• Have a yellow, green or white discharge from the ear, usually known as a runny or leaking ear.

Some babies may have a cold as well as earache, if your baby has any of these signs, it may be earache. If a hug, clean nappies or some food do not settle your baby,

it may be earache. You know what your baby is usually like. If you think your baby has earache talk it over with your doctor or nurse straight away. Do not use cotton buds to clean baby’s ears. Never poke anything into a baby’s ear. The eardrum can be easily damaged.

What causes earache? Earache occurs when a cold or infection spreads up the small tubes that connect the ear to the back of the nose and throat. The tubes become blocked and the infection spreads into the middle ear then the eardrum bulges out and becomes red and painful. When the eardrum bursts, the infected fluid can then leak out of the ear, when this happens the pressure is relieved and the pain subsides so your baby might seem better. However the infection is still present and the baby still needs to see a doctor who will then make sure the eardrum heals properly.

What can I do to prevent ear infections from occurring in the future?

Babies who attend daycare or play in groups with other children are more prone to getting ear infections because they are exposed to more germs. That does not mean you should keep your baby bottled up at home all the time though. That’s no fun or even practical, even if you did manage to do it, your baby would still get sick. Instead take a deep breath and try out these preventative measures:

• Breastfeed your baby for a minimum of 6 months if you can.
• Never bottle feed a baby lying down flat, hold baby nearly upright when bottle feeding. Ear infections can be caused by formula flowing into the middle ear through the Eustachian tubes, if the baby is lying flat.
• Take your baby for well baby check-ups.
• Keep your home and car smoke free. Even a weekend spent in a house with a smoker can harm a baby and increase her chances of getting an ear infection. Tobacco weakens baby’s immune system, making it more difficult for your baby to fight off infections.

Giving antibiotics to your baby

Not all earaches need antibiotics, your doctor will advise on which treatment is best.

• Give the medicine exactly as the doctor or chemist advised you to.
• Keep giving your child the medicine until it is finished.
• When the medicine is finished, take your baby back to the doctor or health nurse who will then examine and tell if the infection has healed properly.

If the doctor gave you antibiotics, you should notice some improvement after two days, the infection should be getting better and the pain should be less, if not, take your baby back to the doctor, he may want to try a different antibiotic.

If your baby is prone to re-occurring ear infections your doctor may suggest ear tubes (this procedure is known as Tympanostomy) and is performed under general anaesthetia, where a tiny incision is made in the baby’s ear drum and inserted is a 1 millimeter-long tube which drains the fluid and let’s air in so bacteria can flourish. If you think your baby can benefit from having tubes inserted in her ears, discuss it with your doctor who will explain further.