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Your 12 Week Old Baby - Development, Milestones & Care
A full 3 months. 90 days. That is how long you’ve been with your baby, staying awake at nights, feeding him at absurd hours, cleaning an endless supply of dirty diapers, and so on. But all of that has been worth it when you see your baby at the 12 week mark. He is grown up quite a lot and will be close to understanding the family that he has.
12 Week Old Baby Development
A 3 month mark is a huge development for you as well as your baby. Even the baby’s body realises the amount of growth that has happened, and the growth that is yet to take place. This is mostly the time when your baby will undergo yet another phase of rapid growth. This means more feeding and possibly erratic feeding times, with lesser breaks in between and even nighttime awakenings.
[Also Read: 3 Months Old Baby Development]
Twelve Week Old Baby Milestones
Within a span of 3 months, a baby tends to learn a lot of what is around him, start picking up things from people and begin understanding the call and response logic when communicating. Physically, the average weight of a 12-week-old baby is about 1.5-1.8 kg higher than what it was earlier. That physical growth is just going to keep increasing.
In the span of 12 weeks, your baby does get a hang of what’s going on around him and how things work. At least the ones related to him. Therefore, when the feeding time is imminent and he sees you approach, he will inherently understand that he is going to be fed and prepare for it. Similarly, sleeping times might also start affecting him such that he begins to fall asleep around the same time as before. These might be interrupted in the phase when growth spurt occurs.
If your child manages to get through the sleep cycle properly, it is a good time to grab all the pending sleep you missed in the last 3 months. A quarter of a full year's growth has been successfully completed and you can have a small dinner party at your home to celebrate that, too. Keep the party short because you would want to feed your baby quickly and then doze off into a slumber the moment you get an opportunity.
[Also Read: 3 Months Old Baby Milestones]
Feeding
With the rapid growth occurring around this stage, your baby’s feeding demands might ramp up a bit. At times, if the growth is substantial, there might be instances where you are barely done with one feed and it is already time for the next. A lot of energy is spent in the growing of the body and also the daily activities of your child. Maximum growth occurs while your baby sleep, which is why he might wake up with an intense hunger and cry out for food.
An increased demand for food doesn’t automatically entail switching to different food products to satisfy it. Initially, your breasts may not be able to give as much as milk as your little one requires, and you might need to supplement that with some formula. But in most cases, within a few days, your body understands the increased demand, and internally ramps up the production of breastmilk, too.
[Also Read: 3 Months Old Baby Food]
Sleeping
Since the growth phase is on them, there are slight chances that your baby might wake up at night and demand food. Apart from that, a 12 week old sleep schedule of the baby is pretty much in place and most of them sleep for a good portion of the night once they are fed.
Your baby might be used to being cuddled to sleep and that could soon spell a problem for you if he refuses to sleep unless cuddled. Alternatively, when really sleepy, you could lay him down on his bed and hum to him as he drifts off to sleep. A few days might be required but soon he will get used to sleeping without cuddling constantly. If you are extremely tired and have missed sleep for multiple nights, rope in your spouse to help out by preparing formula milk at night and feeding it to the baby using a bottle. If you choose to breastfeed instead, do not fall asleep with your baby on the breast since that could pose a risk of harm to both of you.
Babies at 12 weeks old will be eager to start rolling around. Therefore, keeping them wrapped up when they sleep and laying them securely on their back is more important than before. You can secure their position by using small pillows to keep them facing upwards at all times.
[Also Read: 3 Months Old Baby Sleep]
Behaviour
The concept of cause and effect starts developing inside your baby’s brain around this time and he begins to understand why something seems to work the way it does. If they have been used to seeing a rattle or other noisy soft toys, they will begin to understand that shaking the rattle will make the sound that they want.
Funnily, their hands will not have the coordination they require and, in the process of shaking the rattle, they may end up whacking themselves in the face. As hilarious as it might be, do ensure that your baby doesn’t harm himself and opt for using softer toys instead. With an increase in strength, the grip of your baby’s fist will soon be extremely powerful and you will start seeing that if they grab your finger, they won’t let go of it that easily. Their feet begin to move a lot and the classic foot-in-mouth tendencies begin to manifest.
At times, if your baby gets a little too excited, or make guttural sounds, you might spot some drops of milk in the mouth which he has regurgitated. This is normal as long as the amount is not too much, else it might be a sign of his vomiting. Your baby’s demeanour is a good sign for it.
Crying
It is still a long time to go before your baby stops crying without reason. But, by now, you would be at a much better position to understand what your baby is asking for when he cries. If you are one of those mothers who have a baby that seems to be crying all the time, it can soon get overwhelming. Take the help of other family members to keep your baby engaged while you go take a break for yourself. Getting angry or irritated with your baby will just aggravate his crying and leave you even more frustrated.
12 Week Old Baby Care Tips
The growth spurt of the baby will make him demand more food. Keep formula at hand or pump out breast milk and store it to be fed via a bottle later at night or so.
Make sure that no hard or sharp objects are kept near your child since his eager hands will find them in no time and start playing around.
Keep a routine of feeding, pooping, play and sleep that is repeated on a daily basis. Your baby will start getting used to it and feel safe and secure since he will know what to expect next.
[Also Read: 3 Months Old Baby Care]
Tests And Vaccinations
Even at the 3 month mark, no other vaccinations are necessitated by the doctor as long as all the previous vaccines around the 2 month mark have been successfully administered.
Games And Activities
As your baby grows, he begins to understand that certain sounds and what they make you feel go hand in hand. This is especially true with certain words and the same can be demonstrated to them in a fun-filled game. Using words like “clap” or “bang” and making that noise while doing a relevant facial expression can help your kid connect all the three. By understanding that when you clap your hands and say “clap clap”, they will attempt to do the same to show you, when you say clap. Babies learn a lot by mimicking us and giving them more opportunities to do the same is necessary. This can also be done with nursery rhymes or any favourite song of their kid, which brings together the excitement of listening to their favourite music and clapping along to it.
If your baby is able to hold his head up a little bit and sit up with good support, you can further strengthen your bond with him. Sitting cross-legged on a soft mattress, let your kid sit in the centre between your stomach and the crossed feet. Then, either bend over him or use a soft blanket to cover the both of you and make soft sounds. Open up the blanket and make different sounds to make your child laugh. If your spouse or other child is around, you could play peek-a-boo but join your baby in it as well.
[Also Read: 3 Months Old Baby Games and Activities]
Consult A Doctor If
Certain kids might pick up a few things later than other kids. But if your kid has barely any signs of growth, response, or recognition, such as eyes failing to follow you, or absolutely unaffected by music or sounds, it is important to get your doctor to take a look at your child.
With 3 months already completed, you might be on the verge of saying goodbye to taking care of your child. But the process has just begun and as your baby grows, he brings along new challenges, as well as new adorable behaviour to look at. These would all make the entire journey of motherhood a memorable one.
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5 Major Stages of Child Development
When children are in their growth phase, they go through a few distinct phases that can be easily segregated based on the stage and age they are in. These phases of growth have been documented to allow parents to understand their growing child better and also handle them accordingly. Based on this, parents can follow a few tips and tricks that will enable them to understand their child better and focus on their overall holistic growth.
Children go through a lot of changes physically and mentally and what occurs exactly during these phases is determined genetically. By reading about the different phases that a child goes through, you as a new parent will be able to provide him with the much-needed support to help him develop in a positive manner.
By taking note of these different stages and keeping an eye out for any sort of developmental habits, you will be able to understand your child better.
What Are the Stages of Childhood Development?
There are different stages of childhood development that have been segregated based on the age of the children and their progress. Each of these phases has distinct periods which require a different sort of parenting approach and once you read through them, you’ll be able to acknowledge these behavioural, physical and emotional traits in the early childhood development stages:
The stages of development in a child are broadly classified as:
Birth
Baby Development
Toddler Development
Pre-Schooler Development
School-aged children development
1. Birth
When the baby is around one-month-old, he is considered to be in the birth stage of his development cycle. Here, the baby is generally trying to make sense of the world around it and is very attached to the mother as she provides him food, shelter, and takes care of his other needs.
If you’re a parent who has an infant in this stage of development, you’ll be able to notice certain signs such as the baby holding his head erect and steady when you hold them upright.
Parenting tips
The baby will be at the stage where he is recognizing faces around him. He may begin to coo and babble as well by 2-4 months of age, so take note of the different sounds he makes at this age of development.
The baby will slowly learn to develop his motor skills by lifting his head while being on his tummy and will prefer looking at colours. So, pay attention and give them enough opportunity to explore. It is also important that you can give them at least 20 to 30 seconds of short tummy time sessions right from their 2nd week and gradually increase the time as they grow older.
Infants at this age will also begin displaying certain reflexes at this age such as opening his mouth, moving his head when you stroke his cheeks and trying to grasp the things you put in his hands.
2. Baby Development
Between the ages of one to twelve months, babies are in the “baby development stage” of childhood development. They begin to exhibit characteristics that are pertinent to this particular stage.
Babies during this age are able to now easily identify their parents and other close relatives and will feel at ease. They will also be more comfortable expressing themselves with time.
Parenting tips
Babies here will begin understanding their bodies a little bit better and will start improving their motor skills. Parents can provide them with toys that will help improve stimuli like sound, touch, and sight.
They will also be able to sit up when you prop them but may find it hard to balance. Ensure you’re able to strengthen their core muscles to help them do the same.
Babies also love putting things in their mouth as they begin teething at this stage of life. Make sure that you do not provide any harmful objects for them to insert into their mouths.
By the time they are in their 7-12 month stage, babies can understand names and other commonly used words. Try seeing if they respond to certain words at this age.
Kids love being in motion towards the end of this stage and will almost be able to sit up on their own. They will also try walking and building strength in their legs, so try helping them out.
3. Toddler development
Between one to three years old, children are in their toddler development stage. This is one of the early childhood development stages and kids begin showing parts of their personality here. It is important that you keep an eye out because they love to explore the independence bought on with the freedom of walking around.
Parenting tips
Kids at this age will begin understanding things like a bedtime routine and this gives them a sense of comfort. Make sure you stick to a disciplined timing of putting them to bed at this age.
As they can walk pretty much independently at this age, parents must keep an eye out if they wander or come in contact with hazardous items.
They might be clumsy, but they have decent motor skills now. Provide them with stationery like crayons or building blocks to aid their mental development at this stage.
Take some time out and talk to your child and develop their language speaking skills. They can begin to form short sentences that may be a bit incoherent, but with practice, they will improve.
4. Pre-schooler development
This is the age between 3 and 5-years-old, where the child is no longer a baby anymore. He is now able to do things such as run and have conversations. Parents need to help their child grow from a mental perspective and ensure that he is developing in kindergarten. You can talk to your child’s teachers and gauge the kind of activities that he enjoys at school.
Parenting tips
Kids at this age love talking about anything and everything under the moon. Keep talking and indulge in their little conversations.
Also, since they can now read, have a few books ready to help them better their pronunciation and creative skills.
Let them run around and get much-needed exercise in the evening as they are at an age where they have bundles of energy.
5. School-aged children development
School-aged children fall within the six and 12-year-old age bracket and at this age, they may tend to be a little annoying as they’re influenced by the world around them. However, if nurtured the right way, kids will begin showing traits of intelligence and thought beyond what is deemed capable of their age.
Parenting tips
Kids at this age have fully developed motor skills and you as a parent, need to find ways to channel that energy. See if they are interested in sports and make sure that they get exercise on a day-to-day basis.
Also, they begin to form peer relationships at this age, so make sure that you’re involved in the social development. Some kids may find it hard to communicate to new people, so be there for support in case they find it difficult to make friends.
They also begin developing secondary sexual characteristics at this age, so keep an eye out for the same.
Some kids can begin showing traits of independence at this age. As long as they’re able to take care of themselves, you can begin loosening the reigns a little and allowing them to make their own decisions.
Thus, early development stages of a child are a challenging time and will require parents to be on their toes at all times. Everything that a child sees, smells, and touches can influence their behaviour and it is up to parents to ensure that they are given an environment to develop. At home as well as outside home, kids will tend to experiment a lot, so don’t leave anything to chance.
At the same time, don’t forget to enjoy your little one’s behaviour and antics. This is the age when they are truly themselves without anything restricting them, so try to make sure that they have a childhood that is worth remembering.
Also Read: Importance Of Preschool Education For Your Kid Read more
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5 Tips for Teaching Essay Writing for Kids
As kids, we’ve all experienced what it means to write an essay. From choosing a topic to understanding what exactly we know about it, to penning it down on the paper, the entire process has a quite a learning curve initially. The essay writing format for kids has undergone some changes over the years, and your child may require some help to get the grips of the situation by themselves. Writing an essay in itself is one of the first creative challenges any child faces in a curriculum that is highly focused on the logical, scientific and mathematical angles. In such cases, children find themselves in an open pasture with no idea which path to take, where to proceed, and what exactly to say.
How to Teach Essay Writing to Children?
When parents and teachers alike wonder about how to teach essay writing to weak students, it is generally because of being unaware of the basic tips one needs to know to begin writing the same. Here are some handy ones you can employ to help your child write one.
1. Brainstorming
Before writing anything down, one needs to know what exactly they’d like to write. The points that need to be covered, the flow and the structure, needs to be clarified before words can actually be formed on paper. In brainstorming, you can teach your child to make use of mind-maps and start forming associations between the theme and any ideas or words that pop into their head. As more and more ideas start forming on the map, these can then be arranged in a logical flow that makes sense going from one idea to another. Once the structure is in place, building on those points and expressing them, in brief, is all it takes to write an essay.
2. Research
The only aspect better than writing your own ideas is to find newer ones out there. Not all topics can be creative or opinion-based, and even those might require a certain amount of integrity and research to take place. By teaching your child how to research intelligently without browsing on the Internet for random articles, they start developing their thought process and begin answering the questions they have by themselves. Referring to popular quotes or news articles in an essay can strengthen the facts it carries, making it more true and well-read for the teachers themselves.
3. Editing
If writing once is tough, rewriting it to fit certain criteria is even tougher. Editing, however, forces your kid to focus on that which matters most. Stripping away all the flab and keeping only the most important items is necessary for making an essay concise, compact, and not be boring. Editing can also be a starting exercise as well. Give your child existing essays from different books and ask them to edit them down to a concise level. This will give them an idea about which points are the most important and help them save time when they are thinking about their own.
4. Practice, And More Practice
Nothing can teach essay writing better than essay writing itself. As with any discipline, the more one practices, the more one gets the hang of it. While practising, your child will learn to start thinking ahead. While they are completing a section about one point, their mind will automatically be thinking of the next section and formulating points for it. This not only helps maintain a strong structure of logical thought but helps save time during examinations or competitions, that might go waste in thinking blindly without knowing where you’re headed.
5. Keep It Fun
All the practice, all the tips and tricks, all the mind-mapping is absolutely pointless if your child starts hating the very idea of writing an essay. Pushing them constantly to write better and write faster and write and write will burn them out of any ideas or any zest to express an opinion on paper. Just as creating an essay is important, so is consumption and brewing of ideas, too. Let your child take a break from all this. Let them engage in other activities that take their mind off of it. The brain continues to function in the background unknown to us. So that when they return back to the essay with fresh eyes, they will begin to see ideas and patterns that weren’t evident before.
Essay writing is easy for a few kids but quite a challenge to most of them. Governed in a curriculum where there’s only one right answer, most kids cannot see the open creative aspect of writing an essay which allows you to express your thoughts and opinions in the manner of their choosing. The point that there is no “correct” answer for an essay, but only the best answer, is something many children and parents take time to wrap their head around. With constant practice and an open mind that is curious and eager to learn more, essay writing will soon be one of the most natural things your child has ever attempted to do.
Also Read: Improve Child’s Handwriting Read more
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5 Hair Hacks to Get the Perfect Ponytail
Ponytail hairstyles are pretty much your go-to style whenever you’re really pressed for time. It’s just the thing you need to transform your look with minutes to spare. Be it the high ponytail or the soft and romantic messy ponytail, you’ll love these quick ways to style your hair.
Your ponytail allows you to get away with dirty or messy hair and is especially handy when you have no time for trying a fancy do. It’s just the perfect hairstyle for anyone, but there’s no harm in improving on perfection! All you need is a set of really simple hacks to transform even the simplest ponytail into something wow.
5 Ponytail Styles for Long Hair
1. Double Knot
The quick and easy double knot ponytail is quite a chic look. You’ll be grabbing eyeballs with this hairstyle but only you know how easy it is to fashion! The double knot requires you to take two sections of hair from either side of your head and tie them into two knots, one below the other. Secure with a hair tie and you're good to go!
2. Illusion of Length
There's nothing like a high ponytail with long hair cascading down your back. But if you don’t have very long hair and can’t wait for it to grow, you need to resort to a clever ponytail hairstyle. Section off a portion from your crown and tie it in a ponytail. Make another ponytail at the base like you usually do. Stack them, tie them together and voila! You can now show off seemingly long hair.
3. Twist and Turns
You have to meet hubby for a romantic candlelight dinner, but there’s no time to create an intricate hairstyle. The fix? A simple do that looks fancy. Take a portion of hair from the crown and clip it aside. Start your ponytail from right below that point. Once you've secured your ponytail, twist the rest of your hair tightly and wrap it around the ponytail, keeping it as close to the base as possible. Secure with bobby pins for a really pretty look.
4. Creating Volume
If you’re wondering how to style a ponytail to make it look fuller, we have just the trick you need. Make your usual high ponytail and tie it securely. Lift up a section of hair from the top of the ponytail and attach a small hair clip in a colour closely matching your hair. Place the section of hair back on the clip to cover it and you get instant volume in your ponytail.
5. Sleek Is In
Starting work tomorrow? Impress your colleagues not only with your efficiency but also your ability to stay stylish all day long. Learn how to do a ponytail that’s sleek, semi-formal and oh-so-different. Begin by tying your hair in a ponytail. Take a section of hair from the side and twist while wrapping it around the hair band tightly so that the band doesn’t show.
While women with long hair can definitely try more variations to create that perfect hairstyle, there’s no need to feel sad if you’ve cut yours a little short. You can always wait for it to grow back or even use hair extensions. Add a few hair accessories and you’re set to wow everyone! Read more
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Thick Tomato Soup Recipe for Babies
My baby enjoys this tomato soup recipe. I keep the consistency thick as it helps to feed a liquid consistency food to a baby. Otherwise, mostly liquid drips out of their mouth.
Ingredients:
2 tomatoes (red, ripe and juicy)
1/2 a potato
2 beans
1 carrot small
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon butter (salted)
Salt to taste
A pinch of black pepper powder (optional)
Method:
Chop all the above-given vegetables. Boil them for 10 minutes or until cooked well.
You can also cook in a pressure cooker for 4 to 5 whistles. Let it cool.
Strain with a strainer and save the water. You can discard the bay leaf.
Transfer all the ingredients (vegetables) to a mixer and make a paste-like consistency.
Add the saved water if required.
In a pan, heat a teaspoon of butter on a low flame.
Again strain the vegetable paste and add to the heated butter. Also, add the leftover saved water in which the vegetables were boiled to this paste.
Mix well and let it boil.
The soup is ready. The consistency of this soup should be a little thick. Then it's easy to feed the baby.
Note:
If you like then you can add a little pinch of black pepper powder to this soup.
Salted butter is usually used. So, taste and check the salt as babies food does not require much salt.
You can add more vegetables of your choice.
With nutritional content, I add potato to this soup to make it thick.
Consistency: Thick
Serving: I serve it with a slice of brown bread lightly toasted soft on a tawa/pan with butter spread on both sides. You can dip small pieces of the toast in soup and feed them to your baby. Or they may also enjoy having this bread separately and soup separately.
And 2-3 pieces of homemade paneer. You can also add some steamed or boiled vegetables to your baby's plate.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and positions (including content in any form) expressed within this post are those of the author alone. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The responsibility for intellectual property rights of this content rests with the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with him/her. Read more
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
10 hours ago
Q. hllo am in 34 week of pregnancy,cramps in my hand and foots,my pulses is very fast,i feel tiredness internally,are these symptoms are normal
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
10 hours ago
A. get investigations particularly hemoglobin level. 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
Guardian of 0 children
10 hours ago
Q. i feel some fever internally also
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
10 hours ago
A. please check the temperature and get the investigations. fever can be because of different reasons most of the times viral bacterial sometimes due to less immunity there can be recurrence better to treat only with paracetamol if the fever more than 100degr
Rashmi has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
9 hours ago
Q. Now I am having pain till then my miscarriage has been done at home
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 8 m old girl
9 hours ago
A. I’m sorry I’m unable to understand your query as you haven’t given any detail about it so whatever the situation is you should get a check with your gynaecologist the doctor would be able to give you better help in whatever treatment of precaution you need to require further
shilpi Bhandari has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
5 hours ago
Q. Hello
What is better normal or csec?
shilpi Bhandari
Mom of 2 children
4 hours ago
A. hello dear this is not about which is better this is all about your body and the condition of the baby no doubt the normal procedure is the painful but side effect are not there but after C6 you have to be little more careful and you have to take more precaution but again I am saying that this is not about the better one this is about the condition of your pregnancy
Santu has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due this month
3 hours ago
Q. #asktheexpert
1) till how many days after delivery baby needs to keep on uterus temperatures/warm temperature?
2) Can baby & mother both take bath after 24 hours of delivery?
Santu
Mom of 2 children
2 hours ago
A. It depends on moms and babys health I feel and suggest It's better to check with your doctor and follow their advise. That would be one of the best and safest option for your baby as of now. Take care.
shilpi Bhandari has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
2 hours ago
Q. dual marker test is for what purpose??
shilpi Bhandari
Mom of 2 children
2 hours ago
A. The double marker test helps determine whether the unborn baby has any risk of developing neurological abnormalities or mental disorders
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