Every action of babies seems super cute. From a warm smile on their face to sucking the fingers, parents find such activities a sign of cuteness. Right? But when you watch your baby shaking his head, then it’s time to sit straight and take this matter seriously. Such behavior of your baby is a cause of concern for you. As we all know very well, when a baby turns one month old, then they will be able to shake their head. And what’s allowing them to shake their head is the muscles that continuously grow faster and help them to turn their head. By nine months old, infants start shaking their heads side to side. You may find it normal, but in most of the cases, it points towards the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other neurological or developmental disorders. This acts as a warning sign for parents to take necessary actions towards it. 

Therefore, we are here with this article listing everything you need to know about why your baby shakes his head side to side and how to stop it. So, what are you waiting for? Read this article thoroughly to know- 

• What are the common reasons why babies shake their heads?

• Is it a warning sign of Autism Spectrum Disorder?

• How to stop your infant from shaking his head?

What are the common reasons why babies shake their head?

If the baby is shaking his head, then it can be a sign of growth. But at the same time, it also gives birth to serious problems which can affect your infant’s growth as well as their bright future. As a parent, you never want to let it happen. Right, mums? If your baby is shaking their head to answer “Yes” or “No,” then it’s normal, but if they are doing the same all of a sudden, then it’s time to know the reasons behind it. The below-listed points are some common reasons why your baby is shaking his head. 

• Exploring Their Body Moves

Yes, sometimes babies shake their heads to test how their body moves and works. Because their muscles develop faster, they start discovering their body’s working and exploring their increased range of motion. At this point, you can conclude that shaking the heads is just another way of baby’s reaction. 

• Fatigue

Another reason for baby’s such behavior of shaking their heads is to soothe themselves and create dizziness that makes them fall asleep easier in a few minutes. So, if your baby is shaking their head, then it can be just a way to fall asleep. 

• Gaining attention

Babies could be shaking their heads to gain everyone’s attention. They love that happy reaction and gain your attention while doing so. 

• Ear Infection

Yes, it could be a reason why your baby is shaking their head. When there is an infection in the ear, they do so to feel more comfortable. On the other hand, they also shake their heads from side to side while teething or when they have a cold. In such a case, you should definitely consult a doctor and ask for the proper medical advice. 

• Nursing

Babies, most of the time, shake their heads to show that they have enough feeding. So it is basically a signal of excitement when they nurse or when they attempt to latch while breastfeeding. When they do so, it is important to support your baby’s head during the first three months of his life.

Is it a warning sign of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?

The shaking of the head and certain other signs points towards the serious problem of Autism Spectrum Disorder. But shaking the head is not only the sign of autism. There are also many other symptoms that do not seem normal. As a mum, you must pay attention to the health of your infant; after all, they are the precious part of your life without whom your life seems impossible. By the time your baby turns 18 months old, one can notice the strange behavioral patterns which point directly to the ASD.

Below, we have listed the signs that are commonly observed in the babies who are on the spectrum. Take a look- 

• Repetitive Behaviours

Yes! Unusual repetitive behaviors that can harm your baby is one of the signs that shows that they might be at risk of autism. So, it is important never to ignore such signs and take medical advice from a pediatrician.

• Slower Physical Growth

Slower physical growth is also a big reason to worry as it straight points that your baby may have autism. Your infant’s growth consistently gets slower as compared to others their age. If your baby has such signs, then it’s time to pamper them a little more.

• Headbanging

If your baby bangs their head on objects or other maneuvers that can cause self-harm, then you should take such behaviors seriously. Be careful whenever they shake their head violently to react during the moments of anxiety.

• Less Eye Contact

Babies start making eye contact with every month of their life. It is also considered as a positive sign of the better growth and development of their body. But if your baby makes less eye contact, then this could be the symptom that they are on the autism. This disorder symptom is generally observed between 9-12 months of age. 

• Lack of Social Interaction

Yes! The lack of interaction with parents & anyone clearly shows that your baby is at risk of ASD. If you have noticed the lack of response to their name or sounds, display no interest, hold an unusual gaze, or respond to smiles that may require medical intervention. Consult the pediatrician today before it’s too late!

Head-shaking and the above-listed signs basically alarmed you to take your infant for a complete checkup to the child’s healthcare specialist and confirm if they are at risk of autism or not. We hope that the above signs help you to ease your worries in a better way. 

How to stop your infant from shaking his head?

Now you very well know the reasons why your baby shakes his head from side to side. When you know the causes, then it’s time to take some necessary steps to avoid such behavior. Below, we have mentioned some tips to get your baby to stop shaking his head. Read it thoroughly- 

• Ignore the behavior

Babies basically shake their heads to gain attention, so you must ignore it and show no reaction. Do not pay attention when they shake their head. It will also avoid fueling their behavior. 

• Keep an eye on the frequency & duration

Keep the complete track of frequency and duration of how many times your baby shakes his head. In this way, you can easily figure out whether it’s normal head shaking or autism. This step from your side will help you to pay attention to your baby and take some necessary steps. 

• Change the environment a little bit

It’s important to alter the environment around the baby that always leads them to start shaking their head. Such a smart move from your side will help your baby to shake their head. Yes, it will. If you find your child doing this action, then try to distract them with toys and doing such activities that can work best to achieve your goal. 

• Give the Baby a Massage

Yes! This is a great way to calm your baby. Massage is the most relaxing technique that will not only assist you in ending such behavior of your baby but also give them a bundle of happiness and joy as well. After all, their happiness is the reason for yours. 

The above-listed tips are ideal to stop your baby from shaking his head. So, what are you waiting for? Try these tips today and give your baby a healthy and bright future ahead. 

The Bottom Line

Head shaking is a common behavior among babies that most of the parents do not take it seriously. With continuous research on a child’s behavior, experts cleared that it can be a sign of autism. In such a case, the thing you need to do is to remain calm & find a proper way to pull out your infant from such a situation. You can consult the pediatrician and have the complete checkup of your child. Your baby is your lifeline. As a mother, you can cross any limits for their bright future. Right? And the head-shaking of your baby is also a reason to worry. 

We hope that this blog assists you to know everything about the signs and symptoms of ASD ( Autism Spectrum Disorder) along with shaking the head of a baby continuously. If your infant is also suffering through this, then it’s best to get medical advice from a professional. 

Be the best mum taking care of your child to a great extent. We hope you like this blog!

The post Reasons Why Babies Shake Their Head appeared first on Nappies Direct Parenting Blog.

Sleep needs deficiency in new mothers – an approach to maximising sleep

It is vital to take care of sleep needs for the new mother during the first few weeks of giving birth.

Prince William and Duchess Catherine welcomed their third royal baby and surely they would be facing sleep shortage till the few weeks at least. The royal couple has better access to assistance than other average couple but they are none other than hands-on parents.

There is constant feeding needed for a newborn baby at around the clock for every three to four hours. The small doses of sleep could toll the sleeping pattern of the parents within a few weeks of enjoying parenthood.

A prominent research shares that around two weeks of sleep gets lost by the new mums within the first year of becoming parent, there is an average sleep of five hours per night is received by 25 percentage of new mothers.

The first four to six weeks for a new mother comes as a hit to a wall, the first time parents generally had no idea to deal with the situation. Sleep deficiency poses a challenge to new parents as that can result in postnatal depression. The mental health gets impacted and it influences the coping ability of new parents. The need is to set priority around getting sound sleep.

There are some valuable tips for new parents to maximise the sleep during early weeks of becoming a parent.

A good diet for better sleep

The sugary food and carb-laden diet became part of craving during being tired and such food don’t support the nutrient needs of bodies. A whole food, protein rich, lean red meat, fruit and veggies diet can help meet the needs of a balanced diet.

Sleep prevention can take place through eating refined sugar in high quantity which is commonly found in sweets and processed foods. The diet that supports hormones of sleep inducing is required and that includes herbs, cherries, bananas and almonds so that it enables calcium rich, magnesium, melatonin and tryptophan.

Sleeping pattern in line with baby sleeps

It is not suitable to do the housework during the little baby naps, get a cleaner if sleep gets impacted due to housework pressure. It is important to take ample rest whenever there is an opportunity to get it.

Schedule to discuss: The nap time of my first baby was used by me to do pre-cooking, cleaning bathroom, taking care of visitors and doing vacuum.

Exhausted by week four: I had a sleep disorder, started seeing double. I slept for four hours in one such afternoon while trying to catch a quick nap. I just got myself on the couch and went into a deep sleep, luckily newborn also slept that long.

I realised that I was not able to adjust myself with the changing life, my life went dramatically changed after becoming a parent and now I have to take care of a totally dependent little person. The realization helped me with taking a decision to manage a nap each afternoon and that assisted me to improve my level of energy and coping ability.

Seek help – don’t be afraid about getting any assistance

It is useful to seek help from others, don’t be afraid or hesitated while getting any assistance. The family and friends come handy to do the ease of load – they can take a baby to walk in a pram and that time can be used to manage sleep. Someone’s assistance can be taken to watch the baby while doing the cooking, taking a shower, doing washing or to go out for groceries.

Keep a check on the intake of caffeine

Coffee temptation needs to be controlled, a high intake of caffeine can impact the ability to take a sound sleep. The morning cup of coffee is fine but then it should be avoided throughout the day.

Make baby learn about day and night difference

A baby needs to be taught between day and night difference. The loose routine gets set through it, the practice of a few weeks can help the baby to adopt the right sleeping pattern and that includes timely awake in the day and getting overnight sleeps for a longer time.

The dim light can be used during night feeding, there should be minimum chatting with baby, at a lower tone. Get them straight to the bed after the feeding. The opposite approach needs to be followed for a day, baby can be indulged in playing and talking during the feed time.

Bath-time can be introduced in the evening and that can bring the bedtime routine at winding down.

Journal at bed for noting down ‘to-do list’

The control of thoughts became difficult after giving the night feeds especially if something is bothering you. Journals can be kept by the bed so that it could help with noting down thoughts and to make a to-do list to be remembered. An assured rest can be taken after noting down the things to be done and it can be further checked in the morning.

Night feeds to have avoidance for screens

It is a daunting task to manage night feeds while keeping ourselves awake, but there should be no TV watching, checking the feed of social media or to watch Netflix. The longer time spends at screens makes it hard to get back to sleep.  

The no-screen rule has to be followed before bedtime so that the sleep-inducing hormone named as melatonin remained intact and doesn’t get affected by emitted lights from the screens. The rule is equally applicable for the parents taking care of night feed for their babies.

You are not the only one The interrupted form of night sleep is not going to last forever. The ray of light will finally appear after a certain period of time. There are other parents who are witnessing similar stages, you are not the only one. Stay there.

The post How much sleep a new mother actually gets – and how you can maximise appeared first on Nappies Direct Parenting Blog.

Cutting baby’s nails can be a frightening suggestion for any new parent. Is it safe? How would you actually go about it? Imagine a scenario in which you accidentally cut the baby’s finger. Since you can’t pay your pediatrician to trim those baby nails for you (we’ve attempted), this is what to remember.

BABY’S NAILS – DO YOU REALLY NEED TO CUT?

Unfortunately, yes. This is a unique little something you truly would prefer not to do as a parent however need to at any rate. “Cutting baby’s nails is important to keep the nails clean and to help baby maintain a strategic distance from undesirable and unexpected scratches,” says Dane Snyder, MD, section chief of ambulatory pediatrics at Across the nation Children’s Medical Clinic in Columbus, Ohio.

With respect to when to cut baby’s nails, there’s actually no set time—you ought to do it at whatever point they’re long. Yet, remember that baby nails become quicker than grown-ups’, and typically require cutting around once every week, says Kristen Slack, MD, a pediatrician at Children’s Clinic of Philadelphia. A few babies are born with long fingernails, so you should begin recording or cutting newborn nails immediately. Be that as it may, you may need to trim those baby toenails less much of the time. “Frequently, toenails don’t develop as quickly in the newborn time frame, so you may notice they don’t should be cut as regularly as fingernails,” Snyder says.

Once you’ve surrendered yourself to the truth that baby nails need an ordinary trim, there are a couple approaches to approach the undertaking: You can utilize a nail record to sand the nails down or nail clippers to cut them. Peruse on to become familiar with the best possible technique for the two strategies.

BABY’S NAILS – THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD

Each pediatrician is extraordinary, however “I by and large recommend families exclusively record a newborn’s nails for an initial couple of long periods of life,” Slack says. “Indeed, even the most careful parent can accidentally cut the tip of a baby’s finger with scissors or clippers.”

To start with, get your hands on a baby nail record (they will, in general, be littler than grown-up variants), says Gina Posner, MD, a pediatrician at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Wellspring Valley, California. At that point record baby’s nails to shorten them, adjusting the edges so the corners aren’t sharp. “It’s frequently simpler to document baby nails in the wake of washing when they’re gentler than expected, or while a baby is resting, when they’re more still than expected,” Slack says. Same goes for baby toenails.

BABY’S NAILS – STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO CUT 

The recording brings down the chances of accidentally cutting baby’s finger, yet “sometimes baby nails are bendable, so it’s difficult to document them,” Posner says.

To cut baby’s nails, get a baby nail clipper (many have security watchmen to bring down the danger of cutting baby). You presumably won’t have the option to get an adjusted nail corner with clippers, so it’s frequently useful to scrape down sharp corners subsequently, in the event that you can, Slack says. We’re not going to mislead anybody: That first baby mani-pedi can expedite heart palpitations. In any case, you’ll get the hang of it before long.

It very well may entice to avoid cutting those baby nails through and through and chomp them down rather—however, fight the temptation. “Parents shouldn’t utilize their teeth to keep away from the danger of infection and create a more controlled cutting process,” Snyder says. You’ll additionally need to take a pass on detaching the nails. “Certainly don’t tear,” Posner says. “You can tear excessively low and harm your child.”

WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT THAT YOU CUT BABY’S FINGER

Regardless of how careful you are, pinching baby’s skin is a distinct probability. On the off chance that you do happen to cut baby’s finger, you’ll most likely feel horrible yet you unquestionably wouldn’t be the principal parent to do it.

First of all: Don’t freak out. Rather, attempt to survey the injury. “On the off chance that you cut a great deal, go to the ER,” Posner says. In the event that it doesn’t look extreme, Slack recommends applying weight with a clean towel until the draining stops, at that point tenderly clean the zone with cleanser and water. “On the off chance that the cut continues to seep following a couple of minutes, call your pediatrician for advice,” she says. You ought to likewise call your pediatrician on the off chance that you see any redness, swelling or discharge like discharge from the damage or nailbed.

You can apply Neosporin to the cut twice per day until scab forms—yet avoid the Bandage, since it tends to be a choking risk. “In the event that a wrap is necessary, you’ll have to tape or securely cover the territory to keep any pieces from coming free,” Slack says. Additionally, don’t suck on the injury with your mouth, since you would prefer not to introduce any bacteria.

In the event that you cut baby’s finger, rest guaranteed it’s no big deal. “A great many people simply cut a small piece of skin, which is unnerving,” Posner says. “Be that as it may, actually, it will recuperate fine and dandy.”

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From choosing the right nappy to holding your newborn, here’s a complete guide to master you in pampering your infant. Check it out now!

Hello new parents! You are blessed with a newborn who is now a source of new happiness and hopes in your life. Besides this moment of merriment, you always feel worried about your baby; after all, you’re a first time-parents with little prior experience in pampering them. From changing nappies to burping, you might have felt like you have no idea where to start or what to do. Right? Stop stressing because we are here with a complete guide that can help even the most nervous parents feel confident about caring for a newborn in a very much good manner. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s start our guide!

New Parents : Hold Your Little Baby with Care

When your baby is first handed to you, you may be unaware of how to hold them. Newborns have the most delicate neck and the whole body is so light and soft that you only want them to be pampered in the best manner. Being a new parent, you must know how to hold your tiny and little infant correctly. Whenever you pick your child, keep your hand under their head. You must be careful of the soft spots on the head of the newborn. Give your baby a cozy and comfortable feel, keeping them closer to your chest.

New Parents : Swaddle Your Baby Correctly

Yes, it’s important! It’s a key factor to calm your baby. Let’s know how to swaddle your newborn. Fold the sheet in a diamond shape. Fold the top corner and put the baby on the sheet. Gently, wrap the corner across the baby’s chest and tuck the corner under the arms. Then, fold the leftover bottom corner of the sheet over the feet and tuck it behind the shoulders. Pull the remaining side of the sheet across the baby’s chest and tuck it underneath the baby. In this way, you can easily learn to swaddle your baby in an appropriate manner. Now you can hold your baby and make them fall asleep quicker. 

New Parents : First Thirty Days are Important

The first thirty days for a newborn are very crucial. You have to take care of your child in the best possible way. From the dressing to the feeding, cutting the nails to the burping, every aspect of pampering your child is necessary. Your baby is seeing the world for the very first time, so it’s your duty to give your child a better life without compromising their health. 

New Parents : Proper Infant Massage

A routine massage is essential for the baby’s muscular growth. This practice helps you to make their bones and muscles stronger, stimulates the nervous system. Before they get a baby, make sure the infants must complete one month of their life. Just lay your baby on a towel as it helps to absorb the excess oil. Start massaging with baby oil. There are no set guidelines to give your baby a successful massage. So, you can start with legs, followed by the arms and finally the baby’s back. Remember that you should never do it before or after the feed. 

New Parents : Bathing

New Parents : Don’t Need to Bath the Baby Daily

Yes! When it comes to bathing a newborn, it is always recommended to give them a sponge bath because they have sensitive skin. Just go with an occasional tub bath. You don’t need to give them a daily bath. Before putting the baby into the water, you must also check the temperature and should never leave the baby alone. 

The perfect baby care starts with bathing which is quite challenging for any new mum. Because you are unaware of how to bathe a baby, you can check out different videos or blogs to learn the best tips related to this task. Before you take your infant for the bath, make sure you have all the bath supplies ready. Although bathing your baby is a nice moment when a warm smile on your baby’s face calms you, at the same time, you must tackle them with the soft hands. You must use a gentle and chemical-free cleanser so that it couldn’t harm your baby’s skin.

New Parents : Nappy Changing

There is no rocket science in nappy changing. Your little one will dirty nappies about 10 times a day, so every time, you have to face this nappy challenge. You can easily accomplish this task by saying, one, two, three. All you need is a clean nappy, wipes to clean the skin and an ointment or moisturiser to avoid the redness or rash on their body. 

New Parents : Choose the right nappies to avoid rash

Newborns will need an average of seven to eight nappies a day. So, choosing the right nappies is an important tip that every parent must take seriously. A right nappy has a good absorbency property with the soft shield over it to avoid any kind of rash to the baby’s skin. As we have discussed earlier the average nappies used by an infant throughout a day, you must store plenty of nappies. You should also be prepared for nappy rashes as it’s common among babies. When you see the redness, apply a safe cream on the nappy area. To avoid the rash, you must change your baby’s nappies ahead of time. This tip will surely help you to take extra care of your little one.  

New Parents : Baby Wipes

New Parents : Choose the right baby products

New Parents : Skin-to-Skin Baby Bond

This is the most powerful way to say, “I care for you.” Your gentle skin to skin touch gives the baby a comfy space. You can talk with them and show your pampering nature easily. Babies love these kinds of gestures. You may find this practice a little weird, but it always works in expressing your love to your newborn in a kind manner. 

We hope the above-mentioned guide is helped to pamper your baby to the fullest. Because you are a new parent, it will surely help you to keep your fears aside and take care of your baby in the best way.

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