Videos you might be interested in
Videos you might be interested in
Videos you might be interested in
Suggested for you
Baby Frequently Waking Up - Reasons and Remedies
If your baby wakes up every hour at night and catches a glimpse of you every fleeting moment, then it's probably a case of frequent waking. Chances are he may be involving you in his sleep time woes, and it's time to pay some attention. Although frequent waking in babies is a common phenomenon in up to six month-old babies, it could be linked to other reasons too. Here's what you have to know about the subject.
Is it Normal for Babies to Wake Up Frequently and have Short Sleeping Cycles?
Frequent short-sleeping cycles are normal for six-month-old babies and younger infants. Babies sleep very lightly, very lightly, in fact, their sleep duration usually comes in 50-minute chunks after which they wake up and drift away to sleep again. Your baby will slowly learn how to sleep for longer stretches and master how to lull or soothe himself to sleep. Think of this as priming themselves up for longer nap-times or sleep cycles.
In some cases, however, when they wake up, they may not go back to sleep, and it could be linked to various reasons, be it medical or nutrition. We discuss them below.
Reasons why Some Babies are Unable to Sleep Longer?
Here are some of the reasons why newborn wakes up every hour:
1. Nutrition and Diet
Did your baby get to meet his RDA for nutrients and did you feed him well? If your baby's not getting proper nutrition or not eating enough, that could be the reason as hunger is a cause for frequent waking in babies. You may try increasing the amount of food slowly or add breastmilk and observe what happens in their sleep cycles.
2. Make Him Comfortable
Your baby's not at an age where he can speak. Look for signs to see if he's uncomfortable and needs some soothing. His discomfort may stem from bruises or bumps which he receives in the middle of the day, often going unnoticed until late at night since he's busy playing and enjoying himself. These little things may bother him and prevent him from sleeping well.
3. Stomach Pain
Air in the stomach is responsible for frequent waking in babies. The trapped air in tummies leads to stomach pain, this waking them up every so often. Burping is a nice way to fix that.
4. Silent Reflux
Reflux symptoms prevent babies from sleeping well at night. Watch out for silent reflux and ask your doctor for medication recommendations.
5. Noisy Environment
Noisy homes and too much unpleasant sounds during the day makes babies unhappy and unable to settle down at night. Every baby needs a bit of downtime to drift off into slumber.
6. Teething
Teething is a natural physiological process that disrupts sleeping patterns in babies. Teething begins around six months of age and sometimes may continue waking up babies right up to toddler hood.
7. Habit
If your baby's too used to sleeping in irregular patterns, it may have become a habit. You'll have to work on rewiring it, and that takes a bit of patience and time. Habits get hardwired over time, and you'll have to keep in mind that you'll have to change up the routines completely to rewire them.
For example, you can try reducing the duration of their daytime naps to get them ready for their night-time sleep. It's effective, but they may not be happy with it in the beginning.
8. Infections
A baby's immune system is in its developing stages which makes them more prone to catching illnesses, infections, and let's not forget the common cold.
Since your baby is able to grab and move objects, he will be exposing himself to germs more and more as the hours go by. Putting objects in their mouths increases the chances of upper respiratory tract infections and may cause congestion and coughing if he already has a cold.
Diarrhoea, irregular bowel movements, and fever are common waking factors in babies as well. Check with the doctor regarding infections and ask what medications or supplements you could give them. Avoid exposing your baby to people who have contagious infections and practice proper hygiene at home as precautionary measures.
Useful Tips to Help your Baby Get Good Sleep
Here are some useful tips to get your baby a good night's sleep.
1. Feed Him Well
Make sure you give him his breastmilk and formulae and meet the requirement nutritional intakes for the day. This applies to fruits, veggies, lean meats, and dairy. Feed small portions frequently if your baby is facing low appetite to improve it. Read nutrition labels for the formulae and check whether any ingredients cause allergies. Try using sleep aids like pacifiers and ask the doctor regarding medications or nutritional supplements in case you are worried about any nutritional deficiencies.
2. Set A Schedule
Set a sleeping schedule and allow your baby to wind down one hour prior to going to bed. Make him comfortable by singing his favourite nightly tunes and focus on giving them high-quality naps throughout the day.
3. Add White Noise
There is good noise and bad noise. White noise is the former and very useful in drifting babies away to deep sleep. A fan blowing in the corner of the room works to remedy their bedtime woes.
4. Help Him Sleep and Wake Up
Help your baby out by allowing him to learn how to soothe himself to sleep. Softly speak to him when he is waking up and don't suddenly pick him up or hold him. Your baby will gradually learn how to go back to sleep on his own this way, even in your absence.
5. Monitor His Naps
Maybe your little one had too many naps or too much time to sleep throughout the day which is why he hesitates to go back to bed at night. Gradually move his nap times around and ensure that they aren't set too late during the day.
6. Change The Environment
Changing the sleep environment for your baby works wonders for their sleep. Try to establish sleeping cues like turning on the fan as background noise and closing the curtains. Softly speak to your baby before lulling them to sleep and follow through these cues as consistently as possible since your baby will identify them and get ready to sleep.
Minimize environmental noise, turn down the lights and play bedtime songs if needed. Babies love the ambience.
7. Use A Crib Wedge
If your baby's having a hard time sleeping on a flat surface like a traditional crib or mattress, you may try giving a crib wedge a shot. Elevating one end of the mattress works too and placing a crib wedge under that adjusts their sleeping angle, thus allowing them to sleep comfortably.
8. Avoid Eye Contact
No, we're not telling to run away and leave your little one completely alone from the very minute. Eye contact or animated movements stimulate their brains and gets them overexcited. This may prevent them from sleeping and averting your gaze for a while and gradually leave the room after singing bedtime tunes may help.
9. Do Not Hold Him
If your baby happens to wake up in the middle of his sleep, don't hold him up. This wakes them up. Instead, let the fan noise keep playing in the background and give them the time and space they need to fall back asleep.
10. Change Their Diapers
Changing diapers strategically makes your baby feel cosy and worry-free. Thoughts and anguish aside, make sure to change their diapers before a midnight feeding session and re-swaddle him. Changing the diaper after night feedings make it difficult for them to fall back asleep since they get excited. Change it the moment he wakes up and also, it's considered good hygiene.
You can't change your baby's irregular routines in a single day. They just don't work that way. You'll need to give them lots of love, time, and patience to make them feel safe and not uneasy or separation anxiety.
Don't let their naps be too long and make sure they take the time to fall back asleep whenever they wake up. It's the cue you have to watch out for. Ask yourself - do they wake up normally or is something else waking them up? Once you've determined what it is, do what you can to fix it followed by giving time and space. They say it takes 2 weeks to grasp the nuances of a new habit and the same stands for bedtime routines.
If you still feel something's wrong despite trying out the above solutions, then it's best to have your baby checked by a paediatrician.
Also Read:
How to Make Baby Sleep At Night
Ferber Method – Getting Your Baby to Sleep
How to Get Your Baby to Nap
Lullaby Songs for Babies to Sleep
Read more
Suggested for you
Diet Plan for 17 Month 3 Week Old Toddler
Introduction:
Did your baby enjoy the foods in last week’s meal plan? We’re already into the second half of the month, and we’re sure your little one is having a great time tasting different flavours and textures. You’ve also, most probably, got acquainted with certain ingredients he loves, and subsequently, ones he doesn’t love. This is also a great time to track his food favourites, dislikes, and allergies, which will make your life much simpler, down the line. Your baby will still be teething, affecting his food habits, so avoid force-feeding him. This wholesome diet plan includes delicious dishes and ensures that your baby’s nutiritonal needs are met. Week 3 of the diet plan includes some favourites and essentials from week one and two, along with some new delicious dishes for your little one to try out and enjoy. Let’s look at week three of your 17-month-old baby’s diet plan.
Food Menu & Schedule for 17 Month 3 Week Old Toddler
Diet for a 17-month-old – Week 3, Day 1
Breakfast
Homemade ragi (finger millet) cake with milk
Mid-morning
Chopped guava
Lunch
Multigrain roti + dal + a sabzi of choice + a few slices of tomato + hand pounded rice
Evening
Anjeer (fig)-walnut ladoo
Dinner
Rajma (kidney bean) chawal with tomato soup
Diet for a 17-month-old – Week 3, Day 2
Breakfast
Mint parathas with date-tomato chutney + chikoo (sapota) milkshake
Mid-morning
Boiled chana (chickpea) chaat
Lunch
Roti + dal + a sabzi of choice + a few slices of cucumber + hand pounded rice
Evening
Plain dahi (curd) with a fruit of choice (except pomegranate and grapes)
Dinner
Tofu bhurji with jowar (sorghum)-wheat roti and grated carrot raita
Diet for a 17-month-old – Week 3, Day 3
Breakfast
Scrambled eggs or paneer (cottage cheese) ladoo + anjeer (fig) milkshake
Mid-morning
Murmura (puffed rice) sev
Lunch
Chole paratha and pumpkin soup
Evening
Chopped mango
Dinner
Pongal with vegetable soup
Diet for a 17-month-old – Week 3, Day 4
Breakfast
Bajra (pearl millet) roti with milk
Mid-morning
Stewed pear -chopped
Lunch
Roti + dal + a sabzi of choice + a few slices of cucumber + hand pounded rice
Evening
Crushed khakhara with milk
Dinner
Thalipeeth with white butter and buttermilk
Diet for a 17-month-old – Week 3, Day 5
Breakfast
Apple kheer + carrot paratha
Mid-morning
2-3 mathris
Lunch
Multigrain roti + dal + a sabzi of choice + a few slices of boiled beetroot + hand pounded rice
Evening
Banana milkshake
Dinner
Bajra (pearl millet)-wheat roti with dal methi
Diet for a 17-month-old – Week 3, Day 6
Breakfast
Dalia (broken wheat)
Mid-morning
Sprouted moong (green gram) chaat
Lunch
Jowar (sorghum)- wheat roti + masoor (red lentil) palak (spinach) + a few cherry tomatoes
Evening
Phirni
Dinner
Pudina (mint) paratha with lauki (bottle gourd) soup
Diet for a 17-month-old – Week 3, Day 7
Breakfast
Omelette or besan chilla with bread and butter
Mid-morning
Papaya
Lunch
Paneer (cottage cheese) pulao with pumpkin soup
Evening
Ragi (finger millet) satva
Dinner
Sabudana (sago) khichdi with cucumber raita
Conclusion:
Week three’s diet plan is all about retaining some dishes and introducing new ones for your 17-month-old to try. Make sure to take his likes and dislikes into account when preparing the dishes, as well as any food allergies he may have. With this diet plan, you can sit back, relax, and refer to food ideas that ensure your toddler is getting the nutrition he needs. For Week four of your 17-month-old’s diet plan, click here. Read more
Rashmi has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
7 hours ago
Q. Can I check baby heartbeat in 9th week of pregancy?
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 8 m old girl
7 hours ago
A. See that can only be monitored with a proper ultrasound or a machine which can check the heartbeat of the child otherwise there is no third way to figure it out further if you need to know more you can get a sonography done with your gynaecologist to have better clarity
Suggested for you
Suggested for you
Toys For Your Newborn - All You Need To Know
Much before your little one’s arrival the toys start arriving and lo and behold your bedroom transforms overnight into a fairytale nursery! You are all set to welcome the newest addition to the family. While your little angel will not be able to start playing immediately with most of these toys, these soft, glowy, squeaky toys will begin to play a big role in the overall development of your baby.
Newborn babies spend most of their initial weeks sleeping. Waking hours are mostly spent gazing at the mother’s face or listening to her sweet voice. In a couple of months when your baby becomes a little more alert, you can start interacting more by playing simple games and introducing some toys.
A newborn’s vision is fuzzy initially and can focus only till a distance of 8-12 inches. So it’s best to introduce your darling to toys which titillate the sense of hearing and are placed close to her vision.
Choose the Right Toys for Your Newborn Baby
You should find the following toys most suitable as the first toys for your little angel:
1. Baby Rattles
Babies are born with grasping reflex. Brightly coloured, lightweight rattles not only make for a great musical pastime but also help in developing co-ordination. Socks and wrist rattles are a great source of safe musical entertainment.
2. Cot Mobiles
Musical mobiles hung within your baby’s vision range which turn or sway and play a tune are great for entertaining your baby. Take care to hang them well out of reach of your baby and watch how he’s able to fix his attention gradually.
3. Soft Toys
While your little one’s grasp is not yet strong enough to hold onto toys, you can still use soft toys made of plush fabric. As your baby discovers different textures you can also discover her preferences for which toys she likes more.
4. Musical/Sensory Toys
Chiming toys, squeaky toys and music boxes which tweet or coo when pressed set the perfect tone for some fun time with your baby. Your baby can starts discovering different sounds as well as the phenomenon of cause and effect. Make sure you avoid sounds which are shrill and sudden and can startle your baby.
5. Soft Books
Brightly coloured books are a perfect way to start bonding emotionally with your baby. They will enjoy looking at the big bright pictures. Plus, hearing you read out helps them learn rhythm, language and speech in the future.
6. Baby Mirrors
Unbreakable baby mirrors can be fascinating for babies as they learn to discover themselves. Soon your baby might start a smiling friendship with her own reflection in the mirror!
7. Playmats
These are invaluable once your baby learns to turn on her sides or tummy. These soft textured mats come fitted with toys, squeakers, mirrors, rattles, etc. and are also portable. An absolute must have for your baby!
Safety Precautions You Must Observe with Newborn Toys
To enjoy hazard free, blissful playtime with your newborn, the following precautions should always be maintained:
Toys should be non-toxic, safe, durable, age specific and conform to quality standards.
Fabric toys should be kept away from fire.
All labels, ribbons and tags should be removed prior to playing.
All toys should be removed from baby’s sleep area prior to bedtime.
Toys with long hair or fibres are a strict no for newborns.
Never leave your baby unsupervised even if older children around.
Cot mobiles should be strictly out of reach of your baby.
A baby at home allows you to relive your childhood again. So, become a baby again with all those toys and enjoy your playtime with your little one! Read more
Suggested for you
Fruity Lemonade Popsicles
The cold wintry days are waning and the mercury is rising with every passing day. As the summer approaches, you are surely going to look forward to enjoy some cold dishes. Well, when it comes to beating the heat, we have got you covered with our ‘Fruity Lemonade Popsicles’. Not only it is pretty easy to make them; but also are amazingly colorful and quite healthy too.
Serves
Preparation Time
Cooking Time
6 People
10 Minutes
00 Minutes
Ingredients
For the Lemonade
¾ cup water
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp powdered sugar
A pinch of black salt
About ¾ cup mixed fruits (sliced strawberries, melons, kiwi, black and green grapes)
Method
Step 1
To make the lemonade, in a medium vessel, add the sugar, black salt and water. Stir till the sugar is dissolved. Add the lemon juice and stir again. Check for sweetness. If you like it sweeter you can add additional sugar as per your taste.
Step 2
Now, fill the popsicle molds evenly with the chopped mixed fruits, and top them up with the lemonade, such that it fills the space in between the fruits. Cover them with the cap and refrigerate in the freezer for about 6-8 hours.
Step 3
Before serving take them out of the freezer and let them sit at the counter for 4-5 minutes. This way it will be easier to unmold them.
Step 4
Serve immediately.
Nutritional Information
Calories
30 K cal
Proteins
0.3 g
Total Fat
0.1 g
Total Carbohydrates
7.2 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
30 mg
Potassium
66 mg
Tip: Instead of lemonade, you can use orange juice, orange lemonade or any other fruit juice of choice. You can add any other fruits of your choice, but the idea is to keep it colorful. Read more
Suggested for you
Parenting related issues and anger - How to deal with it?
Over the years we have seen our parents get angry amd lash out on every little mistake we made as a kid, which in return had become their parenting style and that resulted in them and our generation being prone to anger issues.
Anger comes easy when dealing with any issues in our lives, it is made clear that there is "no room for mistakes " in raising your kids which puts immense pressure on us in our day to day lives.
So what the key here is to take that pressure off;
To have the freedom so we raise our kids the way they should be.
To take some pressure off of us, so no pressure on our kids.
Although, it's a huge step in parenting for us new generation parents to break old patterns of anger and fearful raising of our kids but also the most important in today's world.
Make room for mistakes for the kids and yourself;
It's okay to drop that juice on the floor, it's okay to break that toy.
Mistakes are meant to learn from for us and them darling babies of ours.
Let then learn themselves, if that juice is dropped on the floor then there's no more juice to drink and if that toy is broken they cant play with it anymore.
Hitting and lashing out on kids is the worst way to go affects their brain that leads to traumas in teens and later anger issues in adults. That continues the same patterns of parenting and hence same traumas throughout generations.
We have the key to change things to break the pattern.
And for yourself when the anger hits you, take those big deep breaths first. Do what makes you happy and keeps you sane. Talk to your friends about different styles of parenting, ask what they do when they get angry and discuss with your partner on what can be done differently to raise good kids what their input is on raising them babies right. And remember you can always make your mistakes right. Don't be too hard on yourself.
Remind yourself to go easy on you, we are all learning. Will get through it; One step at a time.
Take time for yourself, let's start parenting again.
Happy Parenting y'all! Read more
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Father of a 6 yr 4 m old child
10 hours ago
Q. my son is now 7 yrs and and last 3 three days ,he is complaining that he had bad and negative thoughts and this is too hilarious that.
we r too worried ,pls suggest 🙏
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
10 hours ago
A. it is quite natural small babies will be having different moods different types of behaviour please continue to interact the baby engage activities like drawing painting even clay sculpture o k
Rashmi has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
8 hours ago
Q. Hi this is pooja I am 6 weeks 3 days pregnant n m 31 yrs old my doctor prescribed me this interjection called choriotec 5000 once a week for a month .. I have already took two times but now my lil scared so can u pls tell me anyone here is it safe to take more ??? It’s not harmful nah ??? Pls ans dr
Read moreRashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 8 m old girl
8 hours ago
A. Your doctor must have given it to you for a particular reason so I’m just going to advise you to follow what she says yet if you have a doubt or you’re scared about anything then why don’t you just prospect with your Dr as to what what purpose are you taking this and what is meant to be done in case you do not take the injection or you do not want to take
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
5 hours ago
Q. Mam last perioda mujhe 10 april ko aye the aur aj mene pregnancy test kiya hai to 1 line light ayi h to mujhe kya krna chahiye
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
5 hours ago
A. beta HCG test kare ok. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 7 months
4 hours ago
Q. can I eat egg daily?
now I am in 1st trimester
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
3 hours ago
A. yes you can eat egg daily even in first trimester. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Vandan H Kumar has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
2 hours ago
Q. #asktheexperts
Which are the safe sites to hire japas in New Delhi (EDD July)
Dr Vandan H Kumar
Paediatrician
2 hours ago
A. you can always ask questions related to the health of child and mother in this section and it can bez either related to diet or food or vaccination or any type of medicine goingz on and given by your doctor.
Check out this new Memory
Reet kaur
Mom of a 1 yr 1 m old boy
New Memory
#bestphoto
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
Amrita Sharma
Mom of a 2 m old boy
New Memory
#megaphoto
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
Revathi Dammalapati
Mom of a 1 yr 9 m old girl
2 mins ago
#Barbie Doll
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
Prerna Singla
Mom of a 5 yr old boy
2 mins ago
#megaphoto
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
AYESHA BANO SHAIK
Mom of a 10 m old girl
3 mins ago
0 Likes
0 Comment
Tell us more about yourself get More Personalised
- Infant0 to 6 Months
- Baby6 Months to 2 Yrs
- Toddler2 to 4 yrs
- Kids4-6 yrs
- Big Kids6+ yrs
- Expecting
- Trying to Conceive