Secret of Aditya's Soft Skin

New to parenting can be a tedious job especially if it's your first child. I have experienced this as recently I have entered the world of motherhood. Aditya, our son, has just completed eight months now.  But these months have been ups and downs. From sudden crying & sleeping tantrums to his 1st smile, it has been a roller coaster ride. 

One of the factors to look for when you have a baby  is to retain that soft skin of your little one. I am not an expert in this, but here are according to me, based on my recent encounter, the 5 important aspects to look for when it comes to maintaining soft & safe skin of your infant.

Breast feeding

Question arises, is breast feeding an important factor for babies skin!

My thought is that to keep babies skin safe, we would need to make sure they are well immune to bacterial & other infections. Skin damage can be from frequent infections. While Breast feeding increase immune system of the babies; we can try avoiding skin damage to certain extend by breast feeding.

Also breast milk contains lots of vitamins, mineral and other nutritional substances; which can act as skin protector

For instance, during his 1st month, he had red spots on his face. As a home remedy, mom suggested to apply breast milk to these spots. It was effective & natural compare to other chemical lotions.

Lotions, Soap, Powder, Wipes:

Moisturizing is most important for maintaining a soft skin. Market is filled with different variety of brands of baby products; hence choosing a  suitable one as per your babies need is crucial.

We apply lotions to Aditya after bath and during bedtime. We also use it while potty cleaning, especially if he had a rough time. Along with lotion we sprinkle talcum powder to retain the moisture content. Many Pediatricians are against talcum powder, but according to my experience, a minimum quantity of powder is a must. Also, there are a variety of powder puffs in the market, which assures only a few grains falls to your little one's body.

Aditya is a sweaty person. He gets heat rashes; especially during summer season. We use prickly heat powder as a remedy.

During Rainy season, he had got diaper rashes due to frequent urination. On such occasions, a Diaper rash cream comes handy.

Utilizing a recommended soap is best for maintaining a soft skin. It should be free from harsh chemicals and should not hurt babies cute eyes while bathing. 

Clothes can harm the soft skin while potty cleaning. Utilizing water many at times can damage skin or he can catch a cold. To avoid such hassle, we use wipes. It prevents rashes & very convenient while travelling too. Few wipes can be used to clean faces too.

Oil Massage:

Before Bathing, applying baby oil for a few minutes is a good practice. While oiling, massages is a must. This makes bones & skin flexible, which helps in developmental activity. For skin, oiling prevents dryness and massaging result in advocate blood flow, which in turn helps skin glow.

Timing for bathing is also important. Bathing should be done before 11 am, preferably early morning hours. This practice has been done from ages as it said that an early morning bath boasts body and mind. Evening hours are for short showers. Short showers are needed when you start them with solid foods as dirt will be accumulating in the neck, ear hands & legs. .

Clothes and toys

Baby clothes with beautiful prints, attractive design, colorful buttons are in the market these days, but are those soft for your lo skin?

We prefer white cotton clothes as bed sheets and blankets as we can identify dust easily. We used 1st 3 months white nappies instead of diapers. Diapers were used only during nights. As he was born in summer and climate here is sunny we prefer cotton thin clothes. After Bath, we swaddled for 1st 4 months to retain babies skin moisture and prevent from damage. Selecting good towel  & soft brush for combing is advisable. 

During rainy season as mosquito can harm his skin, we used mosquito nets or full sleeves shirt and pants.

Now he has started crawling and as a result, we see skin darkening near his knee. So we have started wearing knee pad for protection. These are made up of soft woolens, hence are soft for skin. We also have huge  play mats so that his playtime is skin friendly. 

Toys should be baby friendly too, as  babies have a thumb rule, i.e. 'anything on hand is in the mouth'.

Search for no sharp edges toys, as minuet sharp edges can rip of their soft skin easily. 

As they start with their developmental activity like rolling over, crawling, sitting and standing; they are bound to fall. So we need to make sure that surfaces where they play or sleep are safe, soft and clean.

Last but not the Least

Diaper:

The hardest job of parenting is to make sure your child has a good night sleep. Babies are very sensitive ;wakes up immediately after urinating. Diaper are savior in these cases and better than protective sheets.

Selecting right brand which is compatible for your kid is a difficult task. I have been using many brands based on his body structure as first 6 months he used to gain weight spontaneously and we had to shift from one size to another. If  Diapers are too tight it can lead to red rashes and if it's loose, it leads to leakage.

But a key point when  it comes to choosing diapers is we need to make sure water retained should not create moisture inside the diaper. This moisture makes them irritated and later creates rashes. If your LO is urinating frequently, diapers need to be changed frequently. Pedestrian recommends changing diapers every 4 hours is best practice.

Best among them are Pampers active and Pampers Pant. During the early months as I had to change diapers on a regular basis, I preferred active as it was open diapers. As of now he sleeps for 6 hours continuously, hence I prefer Pants.

I have recently purchased Pamper Premium and yet to try it out. The product targets soft skin as its main goal and this feature has lured me into it.

Here is a little intro of Premium from the makers themselves; It is sure to attract everyone.

Pampers brings you the softest ever Pampers Premium Care Pants. Its cotton-like softness is #SoftestForBabySkin and allows it to breathe, thus keeping baby’s skin soft and healthy, and your baby happy.

To conclude, it's all about the experience which matter when it comes to taking care of  that innocent little one. So make sure you have your elders at hand length when in need. Try to be cautious about major road blocks, but we don't need to worry too much about the minute ones. As motherhood comes only once in life, we need to enjoy it along with these warnings. 

At the end, it's their happy smile which matters the most. 

Isn't it!!
Prathi

Dry Baby Happy Baby

Radhika was shopping in a Mall when she saw her best friend, Namratha. 

Radhika : hey Namratha, how are you?

Namratha: Hii Radhika. Long time. I am fine. How about you?  how is Anjali, your daughter. how old she is now?

Radhika: She is fine. She is nearing 2 now. what about your son. I think he would be completing 1 year soon. Is he as naughty as Anjali (winking)

Namratha: Yes Radhika, Amog is becoming naughty day by day. But there is something about him which I wanted to talk. Hey, are you free now? Can we go somewhere and have a chat?

Radhika: Yeah, sure, why not!. I just saw a coffee shop outside. Lets go there. We can have some snacks if you don't mind. All this shopping is making me hungry.

Namratha: I don't mind. Yes, this shopping has made me hungry too. Lets have that famous Pav Bajji which they serve!

At the coffee shop,

Radhika: So now when we have ordered our Pav Bajji, tell me Namratha what do you need from me? What is about Amog which is  worrying you?

Namratha:  Radhika, I don't know where to start. Amog is always crying. I can't find out what's wrong with him. It's usually during the morning hours, just after he wakes up. It's annoying & hurtful to watch him cry. I think he has started to get rashes.

Radhika: Oh gosh! Aren't you using Pampers dry pants? These are amazing diapers, especially during nights. They have dryness control gel lock system which avoids accumulation of moisture & hence reduces rashes. I assure you Namratha, this will reduce the crying. Also, as he is now above 6 months old, start feeding him with healthy food. This will make him more energetic & you can see the difference.


I remember with Anjali too, I had a similar issue. Its those difficult times where it is hard to decide from where to start. Anyways, when Anjali was 4 months old, I had to come to Bangalore to stay with my husband. I had to manage myself without any support or help. From the day I had come to Bangalore, Anjali became more silent. She used to enjoy 'Gagam style' songs & dance to that tune. But after she came to Bangalore, she started crying even when she heard the song. First, I thought that she missed my parents. But when my parents came during our holidays, her crying never stopped. My Parents got their pet dog 'Rocky' with them. She just loves him. But there was no reaction. And one morning I noticed it was the rashes which was creating this behavior. Then my doctor advised Pamper dry pants. It was amazing and I could feel the difference in a day or two. She started interacting and murmuring a lot. She even started interacting with our neighbor's kids. Even when she started crawling, I could see her eagerness on wanting to come to the kitchen where I am and wanting to do things as I do. 

Also Namratha, do check on Amog's eating habit. Make his tummy full. Few times kids act weirdly when hungry. They become restless due to it. Anjali used to throw stuff when she was hungry and it was a signal for us.

But once they are happy you can really see their fun activity & it can be sometime really funny.

I can reside you once such incident. My husband reads newspaper with his reading glasses on. He drinks his morning Tea with his paper. My daughter took her bangles; put it on her face as if wearing reading glasses, ordered me to get a cup of Tea (murmuring of course) and started reading the paper. She was not talking then & hence she started murmuring as if reading aloud from the paper.  Myself & my husband had a great laugh. When our kids are happy it's the precious time in our life. Isn't it?

Namirtha: So true Radhika.  I think I need to take your suggestion on the diapers. It might be the rashes which are making him cry. Because once I change the diaper he is fully active. He loves cricket & cars. He keeps playing with them if he is happy. But if he is crying, he throws it around. I surely will try your advice on using Pampers. Oh, what say, I will buy from that baby shop we just saw on the way.

Radhika : Sounds great. Do let me know the results.

Both Namratha & Radhika left the mall after few hours.

After a month, Both of them had planned to meet at the same coffee shop. Now Namratha was all happy

Namratha: Radhika!! Seriously, thanks for the advice. You were so true. It was the diapers, which were creating this restlessness. Now I can see Amog playing with his toys; murmuring with his dad and having a great time. He has started playing with water in the bathroom, which is a headache for me, but seeing him happy splashing all the water makes my heart bliss.

I think I soon will have  lots of happy fun stories to reside.

Radhika: Yes Namratha. You sure will.

This  blog post is written as a part of  a campaign held from Pampers (http://www.rewardme.in/tag/Pampers.) 

For a day-to-day Quite Sleep

Hello Tanya, 

Congrats for the Baby Girl. Heard from Rajiv that you wanted to know some details on how to make your princes go to sleep. I can understand, as I too had faced this challenge in-spite of  being a doctor myself. Ria was very arrogant when it was about sleep. At times, it can be dreadful. Even many of my patients asked me for Tips. Recently I wrote my experience in a form of an article in a leading magazine and would like to share it with you. 

In a sentence, if you want me to convey then it is that, 'always follow a routine before going to bed & use Diapers for soundless sleep'.

PS: In my below article, I have pen down my experience with Ria too, just for fun. Read one, hope it helps. 

Take care
Vibha ( Pediatrician )

For a day-to-day Quite Sleep 

by Vibha

Welcoming the world by giving a birth is an amazing feeling. For 9 months you have preserved the precious in your tummy and when able to see it in front of you creates goosebumps all over your body. 

But this newborn is very delicate & innocent. At-least for first one year of its wonderful life in this world, we as a parent, should ensure we take good care & make its day & night pleasant; with less cry & more happy. This can ensure that when he/she grows up, it has an energetic and positive attitude towards life.

 Nap time is very important during the primary years. If due to any circumstance babies are disturbed during their sleep it can be a devastating result. Scientists say that if we follow a routine during bedtime, baby sleeping disorders can be avoided.

What are the routines we should follow?

Preliminary set ups:

1. Baby should be made to go to bed when it is feeling sleepy and not when it is fast asleep. It would be difficult for us to identify the sleepy behavior of our baby, at the beginning. But with constant watch out, we can identify some behavior like rubbing the eyes, constant yawning which conveys that 'Please let me sleep'. It's better to take these orders.

" When Ria was born, lots of relatives visited to see her. On greeting our guests, we usually neglect sleepy behaviors of her. Later, it would be a nightmare for me & Rajath. So always keep a track of it and obey those signs :)"


2.Few a times, Baby sleeps at day & not at night. Making an awareness, that night time is for sleeping and day is for fun is a must for parents, otherwise we would have to stay awake during nights.

Make your baby sleep in a calm & quite place at night & well lighted place during the day.  Don't rush to turn off phones or television or neighbor aunties noise at day. Ensure such precautions only if it didn't have a soundless sleep at night. This makes the baby know that day time is no nap time.

"I had her room filled with stars & moons which you get in the market.It will shine brightly when lights are turned off. Ria used to sleep quickly by gazing at it. You can also arrange for some playtime mats for the day part so that it is active throughout the day" 

3.We should also ensure that we are not constantly talking or show active signs when baby are sleepy. This can turn them on and make them think that it is not the time to sleep, even if it is.

"Once I was super active to see her after I was back from 2 day official trip. That excitement led to her being awake the whole time. I was really exhausted as I had done lots of travelling and wanted to spend only an hour or so. But my smile, chattering and eye contact led to her staying awake for almost 4-5 hrs. So be careful during nap hours"

Bedtime practice:

1.Swing/Cradle: Utilization of swings or cradles for baby to sleep is common in India. It sets up a drowsy feeling and makes your sweet one to sleep easily. During summer, swing can also help them to get that extra wind or air, which makes them cool & have a good warm rest.

As there is pros so is the cons that, after few months, when our baby is all grown up, it can be difficult for them to escape from this routine. Hence, during the mid of 3-4 month, it's better to make them sleep in the cradle without swinging and gently pat him/her to sleep. You can also shift them to bed/crib once they are fast asleep, to experience sleeping in beds. 

"2nd Paragraph solely explains my difficult times where I used to juggle it out, making Ria sleep in Bed/Crib rather than Cradle"

2.Singing Lullaby/Story telling: These are age old technique, where we sing in a melodious song for the newborn, so it gets used to mom's voice & also the melody can make it drowsy & sleepy. Now a days there are some music CD's available which can make the room, sleepy and avoid your singing, if you feel your voice is not appealing.

"I used baby rhymes , my voice is pathetic. You get them in online portal easily. And when it came to stories, my father used to narrate Mahabharata, Ramayana & Akbar & Birbal stories."

You can also make the room, night friendly by adding a dim lamp in green/blue color, which creates a sleepy mood. Telling stories can make them sleepy too, but be aware; If the story is more interesting than the sleep, this can turn them on.

Altogether both stories & singing can create dreams which can help them to have a soundless sleep.

3.Use Diapers: Pee & Potty is a horror for parents. Keeping a track of it, is a must otherwise it can result in rashes & other skin problems. Also, its presence can make your little one uncomfortable. At night this is challenging as its rest time for both you and baby. Nappies or Diapers are a must during these times. Make sure you have clean diapers worn before your baby goes to sleep.

Cloth diapers are hugely recommended during the first 3 months of baby's life. But this can be tedious as we need to remove it as and when it gets wet. This might also wake the babies. And, if you are a working woman, this can add as a extra load on you. To avoid these circumstances, diapers are available starting from the age of zero. Old diapers used to create rashes very quickly. But nowadays we have 24 hrs protective dryness control diapers in the market from Pampers which can help us get through. Basically, using these protective diapers, can help the baby irradiate that irritation & also the rashes. Hence it results in plenty of good sleep to your baby & you too. 

" Use Pampers Active baby diapers - While other diapers only focus on keeping dry on the outside, the new Pampers Baby Dry Pants promises dryness on the inside too. It is also recommended by many doctors and Pediatricians. It is also easy to make them wear. Ria used to love to wear it, as it was comfortable. "

Baby is all happy & active after that complete rest & as a parent, this is what you would love to see; "A glowing happy face of the sweet little one". Hence always have a bedtime routine & follow it.

Active Baby, Active You

This Blog is written as a part of a Happy Hours campaign held by Indiblogger & Pampers (https://www.rewardme.in/tag/Pampers) on topic " Fun bedtime rituals you share with your little one, and how they help give your baby a good night’s rest."

*Image source is from the campaign page itself.