WHAT SHOULD SHE EAT?

Your baby is now getting food smart! Here are some tips to help you see that she eats well:
 

• Big-sized portions may overwhelm her, so keep very small, baby-sized mounds on her plate.
• Be patient. If your baby rejects a particular food, try cooking it in a different way next time and feed it. She might still reject it. It could take you 5 to 8 times to get her to accept the food.
• Serve her a variety of foods. Eat them yourself to set her a good example.
• Never force food down your child’s throat. She has to set the pace and decide how much she wants to eat.
• Give her time to chew, swallow and observe her food, even play with it , if it is a new food. Playing with the food is all a part of her learning process, and if you rush her into eating, a lot of stress could be created.
   

WHAT WILL SHE DO AT THIS TIME?

At around this time, your baby could be learning to nurture and care! Yes! Have you seen her comforting her favorite doll or patting a pet dog? Children are really good mimics, and while they are taking in everything around them, they are also learning to empathize and sympathize with their world!

Have you seen the concerned look in her eyes when she sees another baby cry? She might even go over to the baby and try comforting her!

She might thin out more during this time, as she enters the toddler phase. Instead of baby fat lining her thighs, you will now see them disappearing and instead, leg muscles will begin to appear, for she needs strong muscles  now, for her to be able to run around, grow and develop into the toddler that she will soon become.

WHAT YOU COULD HELP HER DO!

Your baby is a whirlwind of independence, but this is only when she wants it. Just when you start doing your household chores, thinking she is busy doing something, she will come claiming your attention. But if you drop everything else and decide to play with her, she might just turn her back on you and go the other way. As long as she has your attention, she will stay happily out of the way. So you could keep talking to her while you keep doing your work, or if you are in the kitchen, you could keep her in front of you in her high-chair and allow her to feel important, by giving her a vegetable and letting her brush it out for you.

WHAT ABOUT HER SLEEP?

To avoid danger to your baby while she is sleeping, you could well keep in mind the following suggestions:

• Always keep your baby on her back when she sleeps.
• Smoking is a strict no-no when you are pregnant. Even after your baby is born, do not let anyone smoke around your baby. Fathers, please note!
• Do not keep her too hot or overheated!
• When she is sleeping, keep her head uncovered, always place her with her feet to the lower end of the cot to prevent her from wriggling in between the covers.
• Never  go to sleep on a sofa or chair seater with your baby.
   


WHAT SHE WILL WEIGH

Do not stress if your child shows a slight drop in the weight scales this time of her growth chart. It is normal as she is entering the toddler phase, and most infants grow in height faster than they gain weight. If your baby is still breastfeeding, most certainly continue. Cow’s milk is generally given only after the first year, and that too only if you feel so.  Consult your doctor on this.

Calculate Your Kids Weight ?