Newborn and baby advice

@scribblingal - about the cereal... My cousin said that we should use cerelac's rice cereal as that one tasts the nicest, purity is apparently not nice at all... I tasted the cerelac and it tastes very yummy... I will try it and see... I think Karla may be ready, going to buy a spoon and a bowl on monday.

I decided to also get her some of those cute sunglasses they have at Baby City with the sunscreen, because we are going to Magalies Park in Hartebeespoortdam for the week and hopefully we will be swimming!!!

Bronz those teething symptoms are great - Emily has had all of them for ages now;) She weighed 6.5kg at her four-month innoculations, but don't stress too much about the weight gain. As long as he's healthy and happy, that's fine.

What are you playing catch-up on? I also forget to drink water. Which reminds me..... going to get some now.

Pinky, Emily's five months old today. I'm thinking of starting her on rice cereal soon - this month definitely... Just putting it off as long as we can. I'm sure we'll know if she's ready. What are you going to start her on?? There are so many products available it can get quite confusing. Which one's the best??

Desiree you've been quiet this week. Everything ok? Anyone heard from Jacadebra??

I think they're meant to double by 6m but it's a rough guide only. Your baby's weight should only be considered in conjuction with his or her height and body type so I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. As Claudia says be grateful he's not a fatty. At 9.2kgs it is impossible for me to have him in his carrier anymore and I no longer have the strength to carry him in his car seat. Plus I've spent a fortune on clothing he's worn for only 2-3weeks. They'll all grow up soon enough

@ Bronz, James is only 6.8kgs and hes 4 months 3 weeks old, so not much heavier. at 4 months we weighed 6.38kgs. I'm happy hes not a fatty, my arms are already crying under his weight (also remeber ne was 3.9 at birth)

My skinny baby just hit 6kilos at 4 months. Haha. Wonder if he will ever double his birth weight. When was it they were meant to? (I am not worried as he is gaining well albiet a bit slow)

I can't believe what a difference making sure I drink enough water has on my supply. So lets hope I can keep it up and may be G will gain some extra this way.

Hope every one has a great weekend. I will be playing catch up, I really messed (was going to used another word) up this week, so need to make sure I fix it.

I found these can be some of the teething symptoms:

Irritability: As the sharp little tooth rises closer to the surface your baby’s gums may become increasingly more sore and painful, leading to your baby being very fussy. The pain and discomfort is most often worse during the first teeth coming in and later when the molars come in because of their bigger size. This is most often the case since babies become accustomed to the sensations of teething and learn to live with them. But you may find your baby may be fussy during the whole time that every tooth comes in. Every child reacts differently.

Drooling: From three to four months of age you may see your baby start drooling more often than normal. Teething stimulates drooling, which is often worse with some babies than others.

Coughing: The extra saliva can cause your baby to occasionally cough or gag. This is usually nothing to worry about as long as your baby seems fine and shows no signs of a cold or flu and does not run a high fever.

Chin rash: If your baby is a big drooler, the constant contact with saliva can cause the skin around the chin and mouth to become irritated. To help prevent this, gently wipe your baby’s mouth and chin periodically throughout the day.

Biting & gnawing: A baby that is teething will gnaw and gum down on anything she or he can get their mouth around. The counter pressure from biting on something helps relieve the pressure from under the gums.

Cheek rubbing and ear pulling: Pain in the gums may travel to the ears and cheeks particularly when the back molars begin coming in. This is why you may see your baby rubbing their cheeks or pulling at their ears. However, keep in mind that pulling at an ear can also be a sign of an ear infection.

Diarrhea: While this is a symptom that is disagreed upon by physicians, researchers and parents, most parents usually notice slightly looser bowel movements when a baby is teething. While the recent study done by the Children’s Hospital in Australia found this to be the most common symptom of teething, there are still many people that will agree and disagree with this recent study. It is believed that the most likely cause of this is the extra saliva swallowed, which then loosens the stool. Be sure and report any diarrhea to your doctor that lasts more than two bowel movements.

Low-grade fever: A fever is another symptom that doctors are sometimes hesitant to directly link with teething. But there are many parents who will disagree with this and find their baby gets a slight fever while teething. The best thing to do is be extra safe and notify your doctor if a fever last more than two days.

Not sleeping well: With teething pain happening during the day and night, you may find your child wakes more often at night when the pain gets bad enough. Most parents agree that the night waking happens more often during the first set of teeth and with the molars.

Cold like symptoms (runny nose, etc.): Some parents find that their baby will show signs of having a cold. Runny noses, coughing and general cold symptoms are believed to come from the baby having their hands in their mouth more often. Play it safe and always notify your doctor if symptoms such as this occur.

Hi ScribblingAl. She did not do it yesterday and slept through. I guess it was nothing serious.

My cousin adviced me to use sweet oil in the ars to avoid infection. Is it true? I do not know about using stuff to treat ailments that do not exist. Has anyone heard of this?