If a mother is being infected by common illnesses, such as colds, flu, skin infections, or diarrhea, it normally cannot be passed through breast milk. In fact, it will help mothers to create antibodies which the antibodies will transfer to the baby via the breast milk and protect her baby from those same illnesses. However, if a mother is being infected by serious viruses, for example a mother who is HIV positive, then, breast-fed should totally be avoided as the HIV will cause AIDS in which the virus can be transmitted through breast milk.

Illnesses such as herpes, hepatitis and beta streptococcus infections can also be passed through breast milk. However, it is not necessary means that a mother with those diseases cannot be breast-fed, but it is advisable that the mother should consult with the woman’s doctor beforehand. This is to ensure the safeness of breastfeeding as each case of the above-mentioned diseases is being evaluated on an individual basis.

Besides, a drug abusers’ mother should obviously not breastfeed their children. Drugs such as tranquilizers, cocaine, heroin, methadone, marijuana, or alcohol can be transmitted to the child through the breast milk.

FOOD TO AVOID
It is advisable that before breastfeed, we should know whether any foods in the mother’s diet that will appear some negative reactions towards baby. A baby may become fussy like having trouble in sleeping or develop gas after the mother consumed certain type of foods. Foods that may triggers of fussiness in babies include chocolate, spices, citrus fruits; and gas-causing vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli. However, not all babies will have the same reaction to the above-mentioned foods.

It is recommend that not to consume caffeine while breastfeeding as high levels of caffeine may cause the fussiness of babies or disturb the baby’s sleep patterns. Alcoholic beverage is also strongly not recommended it can increase blood alcohol levels to a point where the alcohol transmit into breast milk. And the alcohol also can interfere with the body’s ability in enabling the free flow of breast milk while breastfeeding.

A breastfeeding mother should limit their exposure to mercury in fish due to it may causing the mercury poisoning. It is advisable to limit in consuming the canned white or light tuna and should be totally avoided in taking shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish (so called golden or white snapper) because of the potentially high levels of mercury.

WAYS FOR BREASTFEEDING
There are few ways for a mother to choose for breastfeeding. You, as a breastfeed mother can find your own comfort position to breastfeed your cute baby.
Cradle Hold
This is the classic breastfeeding position whereby a mother requires cradle baby’s head with the crook of the arm. It means that cradling the baby with the mother’s arm on the same side as the breast presented so that the baby can reach the nipple without turning his or her head. If he or she is nursed on the right breast, rest their head in the crook of your right arm. Hold the baby in your lap and lying her with the face, stomach and knees directly facing you and tuck her under your lower arm. Extend your forearm and hand down her back to support her neck, spine, and bottom. Secure her knees against your body, across or just below your left breast and lying horizontally, or at a slight angle.
Cross-Over Hold
This way need not support the baby’s head with the crook of the arm but hold your baby with your hand and arm. It’s just opposite with cradle hold because if you’re nursing from your right breast, you need to use your left hand and arm to hold your baby. Hold your baby in a way that her chest and tummy are directly facing you and with your thumb and fingers behind her head and below her ears, guide her mouth to your breast.
Clutch or Football Hold
In this position, you need to tuck your baby under your arm at the same side that you are nursing from, just like you are holding a handbag or a football. The baby should be facing you with her nose level with your nipple and her feet pointing toward your back. Rest your arm on a pillow in your lap or right beside you, and support her shoulders, neck, and head with your hand. Using a C-hold position, guide her to your nipple, chin first and use your forearm to support her upper back.

Get Your 10 Free Parenting Ebooks Now!

There are some good tips that help you to develop your kids healthy eating habits
- Always tell your kids about the food they are eating and make the meal time fun and without stress.
- Introduce and teach your baby about vegetables and fruits.
- Be a role model for our baby when encourage them to drink. Show them you like to drink water too when ask them to drink more water.
- Offer plenty of variety because your baby’s taste will change very fast.
- Always prepare food in small portion and more choices because your baby needs a balanced diet.
- Relax and enjoy the meal time. Don’t rush or scold your kids for unfinished meal.
- Don’t force your baby to eat when they are unwilling to eat due to not feeling well or sick.
- It’s good to make meal times a family event and enjoy the meal all together.
- Set timing for breakfast, lunch and dinner so that they prepare themselve and expect to eat.
- Do remember your baby learns by mimicking you. So you must show them good example if you want them to have healthy eating habits.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that healthy foods for children should include:
- Vegetable Group
- Rice, cereal, breads
- Fruits
- Milk, yogurt and cheese
- Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans and eggs

Foods below are not suitable to give your toddler too early and you should only introduce to them when they are 2-3 years old.
- Raw hard fruits and vegetables
- Sunflower seeds
- Raisins
- Popcorn
- hard candy
- nuts
- whole grapes
- pieces of bacon
- hot dogs
- peanut butter
- green beans
- gum

You should also try to avoid foods that contain high amounts of salt, sugar or caffeine because those foods normally do not contain many vitamins and minerals.

Child’s bad eating habit:
- Eating rampage
- Picky eating

A great way to get children involved and committed to healthy food choices is to invite them to participate in the family food shopping and preparation.

The examples of unhealthy eating habits and things to avoid for your toddler.
- Don’t add unnecessary sugar to drinks and foods.
- DOn’t give your toddler skim or non-fat milk under the age of five.
- Don’t force your children to eat more than they want.
- Don’t make your kids feel guilty about eating any type of food.
- Minimum the consumption of juices and soft drinks.

The best way for kids to learn healthy habits is to watch their parents model healthy habits. Practice the eating and exercise habits you’d like your children to have. Your example is your child’s most powerful learning tool.

Get Your 10 Free Parenting Ebooks Now!

The children’s stomach is as small as their fist and here are some tips to encourage toddlers to have the meal.
- This is parent’s duty to provide a range of nutritious food and let them have a choice.
- Avoid snack foods like soft drinks, biscuits and sweets in the house and don’t let them have it before the meals.
- Try not to fill your child up on milk or fruit juice before the meal too.
- Too much of fruit juice or cordials would take away the appetite for the meal.
- To encourage your child’s interest in the food, let them participate in preparing the meal.
- Encourage your toddler to ask for more during the meal time and remove uneaten food without scolding.
- It’s not good to use dessert as a bribe to finish the meal. This makes dessert too special and toddler would pay more attention on the dessert rather than the meal.
- Nutrious desserts such as fruit or puddings are allowed but do give them small serve.
- Always fix the meal time for your toddler so that he knows that is the time for meal and he would expect to have meal before the time arrives.
- Don’t force your toddler to eat. Even adults would not like to be forced to eat food that they don’t like. It would make your child dislike the food if try to force him to eat.
- Keep the eating environment relax and leave the eating up to your toddler.

Drinks that can give your toddler
- Always give your child plenty of water because water is the best drink for thirst.
- Be your toddler’s role model and show them that you enjoy drinking water too.
- Avoid fruit juices that contain a lot of sugar.
- Don’t offer them cordial and soft drinks and save them only for special occasions.
- Children are not suitable for tea, coffee, sport or energy drinks.

Important
- Don’t leave your kid alone to feed himself. They will put all the food into their mouth which could cause coking or vomiting.
- Make sure they swallowed the food before the next mouthful.
- Always prepare soft and easy to chew foods and in small serves.
- Prepare your toddler warm foods or drinks. Cold foods or drinks could damage the stomach and intestines, inhibiting the capacity to digest.
- It’s not good to give kids cold drinks with their meals.
- Fizzy drinks would also cause too much gas in the stomach and it’s not a good idea to give your child drink coke.
- Don’t let your child eat in front of television. It’s not a good habit.
- All the foods you prepare should be yummy and always be your child’s role model in eating.

Lastly, don’t let meal times become a battlefield because food is to be enjoyed. Don’t try to force your toddler to eat or punish them for not eating. If you find meal times very stressful with them you might need to try a different approach. Let your toddler master the skill of feeding himself and let him be independent. He will not want you to feed him anymore once he is able to feed himself.

Get Your 10 Free Parenting Ebooks Now!

Why you should wait until your baby is at least 4 months?

- Digestion system is immature. Your baby’s digestion system is still immature for the solid foods before 4 months. He does not have a lot of saliva to help digest food although he can suck very well before he reaches 4 months. Given solid foods too early may cause problems with your baby’s immature kidneys.

- Throat muscles are not developed enough. Your baby is not developmentally ready to eat solid foods and his throat muscles are not developed enough to swallow solid foods. Only until he is about 4 months old, he is able to use his tongue to transfer food from the front to the back of his mouth.

- To young to let you know he has had enough of solid food. Your baby is inability to let you know he is enough of solid food before 4 months old. Therefore some people consider feeding solid foods to a too young baby is a method of force feeding.

- Your milk production may be decreased if you are breastfeeding and give your baby solid foods too early.

There is no definite guidelines on how much solid food to give your toddler. You can start to offer more if your baby gives you signs that she is still hungry or not satisfied. For example, she might gobble down that tablespoon of porridge and seems to eat more, then you should give another tablespoon or two. If she isn’t ready for more, she would turns away from the baby spoon and this time she has already full and lost interest.

Start to introduce by 3-4 tablespoons per meal and by the time your baby is about 7-8 months, you should have 3 regular meals during the day.

There are some guidelines to help ease your baby’s transition to solid foods:
- Start your solid foods when your baby is showing signs of being ready and can eat from a spoon and normally is sometime between 4-6 months.
- The first solid food that your baby should eat is iron fortified rice cereal.
- Before, after, or at a separate time from formula or breastfeeding is the best time to feed your baby solids.
- Only introduce new ingredient food every 3-4 days time to easily detect food allergies. If you find that your baby allergies to the food, you could stop feeding her the ingredient.
- Always begin with a teaspoon and then go to a tablespoon as your baby gets the hang of eating solid foods.
- Other than rice cereal, you could slowly introduce her vegetables, fruits and meats.
- Don’t stop on the iron fortified cereal as it is a good source of iron for your growing infant.
- They will eat different amounts on different days. This depends on your toddlers’ day’s activity, or they are tired or unwell.
- Eggs provide good source of protein, energy. It’s fine to give your toddler an egg as eggs are an excellent food to them.

You should also take note that you need to avoid feeding your baby the following foods.
- Honey is suitable only after 1 year old.
- Cow’s milk also need to be avoided until 1 year old.
- Eggs are good source os protein but it’s better to feed until 2 years of age.
- Foods with added salt, sugar or spices are not good for your baby’s health.
- Peanuts, fish and shellfish should wait till your baby is 3 years of age.
- Canned foods might contain too much nitrate that may harm your baby.

Do remember that toddler may not be able to cope with a lot of fiber and a lot of fruit juice or high fiber food may cause them tummy pain and diarrhea.

Get Your 10 Free Parenting Ebooks Now!

Congratulations on your newborn baby!! Being awaited for 10 months finally you’ve first met your loves one. As a new parent, we always hope and wish to give our cutie baby the very best. Yes! When it comes to nutrition, no doubt breast milk is the first and the best gift that you can present to your cutie. Breastfeeding is the most intimate and the healthiest way we do with our loves one.  Furthermore, breast milk is the best food that we can provide to our babies as we can assure the best quality of milk being fed, in which, it is unable being substituted by any other infant milk formula.

BREAST MILK VS FORMULA MILK

Breast milk is the perfect source of nutrition for our lovely babies. It contains just the right amounts of carbohydrate, digestive proteins, fatty, minerals, vitamins, acids, lactose, water, and hormones that fit your baby needs and growth.
As we know, formula milk is usually made from cow’s milk. Even cow’s milk contains most of the same components as breast milk, but it is not in the same amount. Cow’s milk has hard to digest proteins and it also lacks the immune factors (the antibodies found in breast milk) that help protect infants until their own immune system fully develops.

WHY BREAST MILK IS THE BEST?

We know that breast milk contains of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an essential long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids which are important to the development of infants, particularly as regards their eyes and brain. Research shows that breast-fed children score higher on cognitive development as well as IQ test on school age and on tests of visual acuity. For a premature infant who receives breast milk, their future IQ tends to have 8-15 points higher than a formula infant.
Besides, breast milk also contains of valuable antibodies from the mother. This is because when the breastfeeding mother comes into contact with the infection, they makes specific antibodies and these antibodies transfer to her milk which is readily for the baby to receive when they exercise breast-fed. These antibodies may help the babies to protect against infection, for examples, gastroenteritis, respiratory illness, urinary infections and ear infections.
If breast-fed exclusively for at least 4 months, it helps to reduce the risk of juvenile onset diabetes and leukemia, and other allergic conditions such as asthma and eczema. That is why the breast-fed infants are always healthier and having the lower rates of hospital admissions, allergies and other illness than formula-fed babies.
The proteins present in breast milk are easily digested and absorbed by babies and hence, breast-fed infant seldom facing constipation problem. Unlike the cow’s milk as mentioned earlier, the proteins need to digest slowly and that is why the formula-fed baby does not starve as soon as a breast-fed baby will.
As breast milk contains all the nutrients that your baby needs and it is naturally produces especially only for our babies, they will stop sucking at the breast when they are enough for the milk. So, no excessive drinking milk will happen for infants as well as overweight.
Besides, sucking at the breast promotes good jaw development as well. The exercise strengthens the jaws and encourages the growth of straight, healthy teeth for babies.

BREASTFEEDING BENEFITS MOTHERS

Breastfeeding brings a lot of benefits to a newborn baby as well as for new mothers. It may be easier for a nursing mother to lose the pounds of pregnancy since nursing daily easily uses up approximately 500 calories, and hence, reduces the risk for long-term obesity. Lactation also stimulates the uterus to contract back to its original size.
Breastfeeding is the most precious time for both mummy and the baby. When nursing baby, a nursing mother must cuddle and hold her infant closely many times in a day. The skin-to-skin contact is a source of warmth and comfort and nursing baby sense the security from the warmth and presence of the mother in which, it improves the intimacy among mothers and babies.
A nursing mother may reduce the risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and fractures from osteoporosis. Hence, breastfeeding improves healthiness of mothers.
No doubt breastfeeding is the most economy and a convenient way. A nursing mother needs more food and calories, but the extra food for her is not as expensive as buying a formula milk for the baby. Besides, through breast-fed, mothers have nothing to wash, sterilize or prepare. No one has to stumble to the kitchen during midnight for preparing bottle milk while the baby cries and a mother can doze while she nurses.
A breastfeeding mother enjoys a quicker recovery rate after childbirth, with reduced risk of postpartum bleeding, and risk of anemia by delaying the return of the menstrual cycle for 20 to 30 weeks.
As breastfeeding benefited both mothers and babies, why doubted?  There are no reasons why a healthy mother shouldn’t breastfeed. Start it from today as your baby deserves it!

Baby Moon is feeding herself

AVA has advised parents don’t put boiling water in baby’s bottles as hot water causes BPA to migrate out of the bottle at a higher rate. The boiled water should be transferred to milk bottles only after it is cool to lukewarm in a non-polycarbonate container for our baby’s safety. There are study said that hot liquids actually dramatically increase the amount of harmful chemicals released by plastic bottles. This means the boiling water released bisphenol A from the bottles up to 55 times more quickly than the lower temperature water.

BPA-free bottles are now available in the market and parents can consider to get one for their baby. They can also consider to use the glass bottles if they are still concerned about the negative effects of BPA. And for the question of how long should we change the milk bottle, their advise is to change the milk bottles every four to six months.

Newborn babies are at a very sensitive stage of their development and parents should always make sure their baby’s milk bottles are properly sterilized. We should always clean the bottles and confirm it is germ free as the baby’s immune system is not as strong as adults.

Baby Moon has two milk bottles, one for the plain water and another one for formula milk. She is using the two bottles since day 1 and we totally didn’t change the bottles for her. We only change the teats quite frequently for hygience purposes. Since I have read the news about changing the new milk bottles for babies’ safety, I’m getting her new bottles.

OLD Bottles This is Baby Moon’s NEW milk bottles and she is still taking not more than 120ml each time.

How about you? When you are going to get new bottles for your little one? =)

What is Elken Spirulina? Elken Spirulina is a highly nutritious health food which is an excellent source of 5 major nutrients (Protein, Fat, Carbohydrate, Vitamins and Minerals) and 4 natural pigments (Chlorophyll, Beta Carotene, Xanthopyll and Phycocyanin). This highly alkaline seaweed can be readily digested and easily assimilated by the human body. It is an ideal food supplement for achieving vital health and energy.

I started to consume Elken Spirulina since year 2001 and during my pregnancy in year 2006, I continued to consume and I double up the tablets taken compare to my normal days. I truly believe the nutritional values of Elken Spirulina could deliver me a healthy baby.

The Nutritional Values of Elken Spirulina

• Nutritional value is 14 times higher than cow’s milk
• Excellent source of quick supply of glucose to the blood
• Contains over 13 types of vitamins and is the richest vegetative source of B12 in the world
• Excellent source of minerals (more than 13 types of minerals)
• Contains 4 types of natural pigments including beta carotene
• Contains all the 8 essential amino acids
• Complete in nutritional value that it is used as food for astronauts.

I also let my Baby Moon take Elken Spirulina because it is not a medicine but a nutritious health food. It is recognised a safe and nutritious food source by:

• UN Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAO)
• World Health Organisation
• Certified free of microcystins (Health Canada)

The reasons of me to choose ELKEN Spirulina are:

• Over 12 types of vitamins, over 12 types of minerals, 4 natural pigments, 8 essential amino acids & 100% alkaline content
• Top-grade spirulina produced by World’s first pure clean cultivation pool
• Manufacturing process designed by Prof. Keiun Kodo results in 100% pure spirulina
• Produced by ISO 9001:2000 & GMP plant certified by National Pharmaceutical Council Bureau

Professor Keiun Kodo (The Expert in Spirulina) – Spirulina rich and balanced nutrients are perfect for the development of brain cells. It is a well-known source of nutrients for children and adults for the development and maintenance of brain cells.

I always feel safe to let my Baby Moon take Elken Spirulina and many of my friends do so, they let their baby take Elken Spirulina too.

My Baby Moon loves to take Spirulina and she would request more if I just give her 1 tablet. 1 tablet is just too little for her and everyday she likes to have 3 tablets.

My observation after Baby Moon takes spirulina:

• Have good appetite and consume lots of food
• Not easy to get sick when stay with sick family member
• Always full of energy and active
• Fast response (boost brain functions)
• Faster recover time when get sick (enhances Immune System)

I think most kids like junk food. My Baby Moon likes to eat french fries, chocolate, potato chips, ice cream etc and those food are junk food. I do not stop her from eating those junk food and in fact I would buy for her sometimes. I understand many of you don’t agree to let the kids have junk food for the healthy purposes.

For me, I do care a lot about my Baby Moon’s healthy but I also think that let her taste different foods are also one kind of joy. Of course I do not let her take junk food every day. She has take her 3 meals and I’m believe that “developing children’s attitude toward food is important, giving them growing responsibility along with sensible access. Let them properly prepared, and they are more likely to make healthy food choices once they enter school.”

So, how about you? you let your kids have junk food?

Yummy yummy, I love ice cream! You want some? I share with you! =)

I feel that this poisoned milk scandal is a very heart-pained one. 3 infants have been killed by the powder while 158 are fighting acute kidney failure. When I saw the pictures of sick children receives treatment for kidney stones after consuming tainted milk formula, I’m very pity about those children and I know how their parents feelings. I feel blessing also because the milk formula in Singapore are always safe to consume.

Milk recall: A Chinese woman takes care of her child hospitalised after drinking contaminated milk powder in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei province

In Singapore, Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said in a statement that its tests found melamine in two samples of Yili brand iced yoghurt. AVA also found the chemical in the Dutch Lady brand of strawberry flavoured milk manufactured in China. They later removed those products from market shelves and destroyed them. The import and sale of all milk and milk products from China has also immediately been suspended.

People lost confident to products with the “made in China” label and from now on, I think I will be more careful when choosing products for my Baby Moon.

If you know what is name of the chocolate stick, please tell me. Mummy didn’t tell me and maybe she doesn’t want me to know the name so that I won’t request to have it in future! But I’m clever Baby Moon, if let me see it again I will recognize it! Kakakaaa…