boys’ foreskins are firmly attached to the penis and should not be retracted to clean. The foreskin will only loosen close to four years or even a lot later, at which stage they should be shown how to retract and clean the glans underneath to prevent infection. It used to be believed that forcing it back in babies was necessary, but this will only cause tearing and pain in uncircumcised boys. If you notice swelling and redness around the head of the penis and urine accumulates in a balloon under the foreskin because it is too tight, surgical intervention might be necessary, but otherwise it is best left alone.
Circumcisions are usually done within a few days of birth but some parents decide to have it done later – there seems to be no great advantage or disadvantage in the timing. The procedure is quite quick, easy and heals within a few days in most cases. A local anaesthetic injection is usually given in the groin area to ease pain. Most babies still resist and cry a lot because of being restrained during the procedure and the strange faces and voices. Circumcision is seldom necessary for medical reasons, unless the foreskin is overly tight or there is constant infection. Circumcising is a very personal decision, but do not feel forced to do so just because dad had one, or for fear of health complications. Religious and cultural traditions should, of course, be respected.
A little girl’s labia (the lips around the vagina) need to be gently spread when cleaning at a nappy change, as traces of stool readily accumulate there and could cause infection. Initially you might notice a vaginal discharge of mucus and blood that spots the nappy. This is no cause for concern but simply a reaction to your hormones from the time in the womb and will soon pass.
The genitals of both baby boys and girls are usually swollen at birth and can be quite distended. This, too, is hormonal and partially due to pressure from the birth process. It subsides within a few weeks, so do not be concerned.
Nails
Babies’ nails grow very rapidly and need regular attention. If Baby was born after her due date, her nails might be quite long and sharp. Keeping them short helps prevent scratching of the face, which is common in small babies.
Scratches to Baby’s face from sharp, long nails fortunately heal very quickly due to the excellent blood supply to the face. The best way of trimming nails is to use a little emery board. Nail clippers are better and safer to use than scissors.
If cutting nails with scissors or clippers, do so when Baby is asleep, just a few fingers at a time, so as not to disturb. This avoids the risk of cutting a finger. Some moms chew the nails off, but this is not advisable as it might tear the nail.
SLEEP IN SMALL BABIES
Consider these perspectives and hints to help you understand and cope, but also consult the extensive chapter devoted to this topic:
Sleep perspectives
•Most babies do not sleep to their parents’ satisfaction – expectations are possibly incorrect.
•Babies’ physiological sleep patterns are different from those of older children and adults.
•Poor sleep patterns often run in families.
•Traumatic pregnancies and births contribute to restless sleeping.
•Anxious parents tend to have babies who sleep poorly.
•First children usually have more restless sleep.
•Babies of parents who both work outside of the home all day often wake more frequently at night.
•Many things in the life of a baby and small child, like colic, teething, illness, immunisation and anxiety, predispose them to waking at night.
•Some babies change day and night around in the early weeks.
•Poor sleep patterns can become a habit if incorrectly handled.
•Parents who prefer not to sleep alone themselves maybe have unrealistic expectations of their babies.
•Some babies have active dream lives that jolt them from sleep.
•Babies’ sleep patterns sometimes become worse after vaccination.
Sleep hints
•Treat your own anxiety with relaxation techniques, homeopathic Rescue Emotion and greater regularity in lifestyle habits.
•Take care not to resent your baby’s night waking as he will sense this and then wake more frequently from anxiety.
•Never look at the clock when waking or count the times Baby called.
•Put Baby down in her own room or cot for daytime naps and when going to sleep at night, but take her into bed with you or directly alongside you from the first time they wake after you go to bed, so that you do not have to wake altogether when attending to her needs at night.
•There is no need to change nappies at night from about six weeks, unless Baby has a rash or a soiled nappy.
•Do not feed or pick Baby up at the very first sound at night.
•Do not wake Baby for a final feed just before you go to sleep thinking that this will let them sleep for longer – disrupting the ‘core night’ disturbs sleep patterns.
•Keep interaction with your baby to a minimum at night as talking, eye contact and light will waken Baby altogether.
•Do not fear the family bed – it is often only time that is needed until Baby’s sleep pattern matures and until this happens, you need to use any survival tips you can!
•If Baby is wakeful at night, ensure that the daytime caregiver is not allowing her to sleep for longer than two hours at a time.
•Have a regular wind-down routine to Baby’s day that progresses from more boisterous to calm activities.
•Massage a poor sleeper before bedtime, and between his eyebrows and on his temples when he wakes at night.
•Put Baby down to sleep before she falls into a deep sleep at the breast or on the bottle. Pat her to complete the process.
•If Baby is generally restless, give homeopathic Rescue Rest or Chamomilla Tablets.
HEALTH CONCERNS
Every mom hates to see her baby unwell and it is especially distressing when illness strikes at such an early age. In this section, we will take a look at a few of the common health concerns of the first three months of life. But first, prevention is better than cure:
Tips to help prevent illness at this stage
•Continue to breastfeed exclusively.
•Do not introduce solid food at this early stage.
•Give your baby lots of love as a happy baby is more likely to be well.
•Treat excess mucus promptly.
•Treat your own illness with natural remedies as soon as possible.
Blocked nose
Blocked noses are quite common in small babies and are often not as bad as they seem, but mostly occur because Baby cannot blow his nose yet. It is more likely at night because Baby is not upright much, preventing mucus from draining off. A drop of saline in each nostril often sorts this out, causing Baby to sneeze it all out. Sometimes dairy and grain products in a breastfeeding mom’s diet or a dairy- and sometimes soy-based formula can trigger this too, even if just at night. If it persists, you might need to make changes in this regard. You can also use homeopathic MucoCare if it is recurrent, and/or run a humidifier at night, with a little Eucalyptus oil added. This must, however, be cleaned and dried thoroughly each morning. A few drops of Eucalyptus oil under the hot water tap when running Baby’s bath may also help for the night.
Constipation
Constipation is a rather common problem when weaning Baby from breastmilk to formula