1 Month Baby

Do you remember the day when your baby was born ? were u feeling ecstatic?

Well, for us, she was our bundle of joy when she was first born. And now, a month down the line, she is a gurgling, fascinating 1 month baby. While the pride and joy continues to remain, there are also a number of things that you need to know regarding your 1 month baby now. When your baby was born, he/she was very fragile. Having been forced out of a safe and secure womb, he was thrust into a world that he was ill prepared to handle. In short, he was probably terrified about being out in the open. And as such, he tackled it in the only way he knew – by gathering himself in the fetal position and shutting the world out.

But as a 1 month baby, your baby is better prepared to handle the world. He has been breathing in, lung full of fresh, clear oxygen for a month now and is beginning to get used to the sights, smells and sounds that constitute the world. The 1 month baby is slowly but steadily waking up to the fact that he has an entire world around him that he is but a small, yet important part of. And he expresses this knowledge in several ways.

First and foremost, there is a glint in the eyes of the 1 month baby when he looks at the parents, familiar strangers and other people who surround him through the day and notice and observe his every action. He is slowly but steadily beginning to recognize these people who surround him. And this recognition begins to manifest itself as smiles and even frowns.

The other thing that the 1 month baby discovers for himself is that he has some thing known as appendages. When he was born, he had no idea that there were limbs linked to his body that could move on their own. But the gradual process of familiarization with the world enables him to first and foremost, recognize the fact that he has limbs and next, to move them around and to use them to explore the limitations of his world.

More than ever, the 1 month baby needs tender loving care. Even as he learns to suckle on a teat to extract the nourishing milk, he realizes that the sucking action is the most soothing one. And he will continue to suck at anything and everything that comes within the grasp of his toothless gums. Sucking not only strengthens the muscles around his mouth, but also prepares his jaw bones and other muscles that he will use later in life.

Your baby's next check up will be in a month's time -- when he or she is 2 months old. Your baby will receive several immunizations during this visit.

by: Chris Lakatos

Choking prevention

When babies start to crawl and eat solid foods, parents need to be particularly vigilant about the dangers and risks of choking.

Choking happens when food or small objects get caught in the throat and block the airway. This prevents oxygen from getting to the lungs and brain. When the brain goes without oxygen for more than 4 minutes, brain damage or even death may occur.

Food can be a trigger for choking. When infants and young children do not grind or chew their food well, they may attempt to swallow it whole. If the food is in large pieces, it can lodge in their throat and cause choking.

You can help reduce the chances of choking by not feeding round, smooth food to children under 4 years old unless it is chopped completely.

Parents should be mindful that nuts and seeds, whole grapes, raw vegetables, raisins, sticky candy, and chunks of peanut butter are all choking hazards.

Written and reviewed by the MediResource Clinical Team

Five Reasons For Preparing Your Own Baby Food

by: Nancy Miller

Are you unsure whether you should make your own baby food at home or just buy it from the store? If so, then take a look at these five good reasons for doing it yourself - they may help you make up your mind...

1. Home-made Baby Food is Healthier and More Nutritious

Commercial baby foods contain additional fat, salt, sugar, fillers or other ingredients that are completely unnecessary (and often inappropriate) to your baby's diet. These additives are an attempt to add flavor, texture and bulk to poor-quality products. They contribute nothing at all to your baby's health or well-being. By preparing the food yourself, you can be sure that your baby is getting exactly what his/her little body needs - and nothing that it doesn't.

2. You're in Control

By preparing your baby's food yourself, you know exactly what your baby is eating. When you prepare an apple sauce, you know he/she is getting fresh, pure apple and all the goodness it contains. However, when you buy apple-sauce at the store, you'd almost need a degree in nutrition just to decipher the list of ingredients.

3. It's Easy to Make Your Own Baby Food

Once you get started cooking for your baby, you'll quickly realize just how easy it is. All you need is a food blender and some fresh ingredients to quickly prepare healthy, tasty, home-made meals for your little one. Furthermore, by making large amounts of his/her favorite meals in advance, and then freezing them for later, you'll be able to serve up delicious, healthy meals in minutes -- every day of the week.

4. It's Much Cheaper

The prices that baby food manufacturers charge for their products is nothing short of scandalous and are in no way justifiable. The reason they can charge so much is because they've conditioned most parents to believe that they have no choice but to buy from them. By preparing your baby's food yourself, you can avoid being a victim of this daylight robbery, and find yourself with extra cash to spend on all those other things that a growing baby needs.

5. It's Very Gratifying

Watching your baby enjoy the meal you've just prepared for him/her is already a very gratifying experience. On top of that, however, you have the satisfaction and pride of knowing that you're giving your child the gift of a healthy and nutritious diet - and saving yourself money as well.

And finally...

If all that weren't enough, here's another great reason to do it yourself: home-made baby food is much tastier than any commercial product. Delicious food is one of life's great pleasures and your baby deserves to enjoy the rich flavor and texture of real home cooking just as much as you or I. After all, none of us would enjoy eating 'TV Dinners' morning, noon and night - and that goes for your baby too!

So, don't put it off. Get started today. Your baby will thank you for it in more ways than one.