Baby Care

Posts Tagged ‘child’

Each stage of the child’s development has its own peculiarities. In the first six months of life are developed their reflexes and skills. At this time the child should motor activity. The development of muscles, coordination of movements, skills form the foundation for the intellectual leap into the future.
Newborn baby can not play in a meaningful way yet. All its actions with rattles are spontaneous, but it does not mean that toys should be postponed “until better times.” You can start exercising with a baby since the first days of his life. It’s important to keep in mind that children from birth to six months develop very quickly. How to deal with a baby from birth to six months we will tell you now.

From 0 to 2 months
In order to develop movements, the child will not need plastic rattles. Sew some balls from fabric scraps of different textures (knitted, flannel, silk, wool). The size of these balls should be small.

You can fill the ball with synthetic padding, foam rubber and wool threads. The details should be well secured.

Games with rattles in the period up to two months should not be frequent and active. It’s enough to show them.

From 2 to 4 months
During this period child’s feelings, emotions and will are fused together. His/her perception of the world is based on the collective image of who appears before him/her. That is why the baby likes to allocate from an object a toy, mother and brother.

At this time, a great toy for the baby may become even an ordinary handkerchief!
For the development of hearing, vision, tactile sensations you can play hide and seek with your child. This game also helps him/her to distinguish himself/herself from the surrounding (mother, father).

Put a sheet onto the floor, put on it the child, and lie nearby. For a while talk with the child. Then show him/her the handkerchief and cover your face with it saying: “Cuckoo! Where are you?” Remove the handkerchief from your face and cheerfully say:” Oh, and here you are!” Touch the baby so that he/she realized that you talk to him/her. After a few days, you can change the rules of the game. Cover his/her face with a handkerchief, and then rapidly rejoice that he/she is “found”. Do not forget to hug and kiss the baby at this moment!

Another useful toy for 2-4-month-old kids is a ball. Put your baby on his/her stomach, lie nearby. Put the toy in front of him/her, and then roll the ball. Your task is to encourage the baby to make a simple action. The child sooner or later will try to get the ball with hands. Help him/her: creating a support for his/her legs with your arm. This game develops the baby’s neck.

From 4 to 6 months
At this age, coordination of movements is actively developing. Emotional and psychological relationship with their parents is also formed at this period. Finally – the time has come for active use of rattles and rubber toys! And you can play with them in the following way:

Put the colorful toys of different sizes in a box. In advance, make sure that there were no items that baby can insert into the nose or ear, swallow.

Sit on the floor with the child. Shake the box in front of him/her. After the child starts showing interest to it, ask him/her to look inside. Most likely, the kid tries to get the toys out of the box. Help him/her along the way telling what kind of object it is, what color and shape it has, etc. When all the toys will be outside, begin to collect them back.

For convenience, keep a notebook of observations. You can record all changes with the child. These records will help you in studies. Let your baby grows clever and healthy!

Nowadays there are many proposals. But in this article you can find all the necessary information. You can of course concede the principle “better, brighter, more expensive.” But this is not always true. Price and size of toys is not an indicator of its quality and benefit to the child.

When choosing a toy for a 2-year-old child, you must remember that in this age all the senses continue to develop. This means that a child should have a variety of toys. If you buy a toy to your child – you should not buy what he/she already has. That is, there is no need to create a “collection” of cars, dolls, horses, etc. If you are going to make a gift not for your baby, try to find out what toys he has. Remember that at this age the child is already beginning to show independence and he/she will be anxious to manipulate the gift toy himself/herself. For example, take off the shoes of the doll or carry something on truck.

At this age the child’s speech is formed, ie word-stock. As you know, the development of small hand movements has a big impact on this. This can be a manipulation of fingers with small and medium-sized objects. For example: doing and undoing zippers, lacing, stringing together different forms and sizes of beads, etc.
Now there are very beautiful wooden toys, lacing, which can serve as a useful gift. In addition, there are toys on thestickers.
After all this, you child learns names of body parts, and puts clothing on them correctly. A very attractive gift can be a doll house. There are enough choices with the sound and light accompaniment. The child will be happy to play with tiny chairs, feed them from toy dishes, and watch with them from a tiny window.

A good gift for a child can be a set for modeling. Now they are made from plant materials that do not stick to hands and clothes, thus not creating unnecessary problems for parents. Modeling allows the child to develop imagination, color perception. In addition, a gift can be a set of finger paints. If you are going to introduce your child to paint for the first time, do not forget to buy cloth and a special apron for a child, as well as a drawing paper. Surely your artist wants to see how the print on hands will look like on clothes. Painting has a positive influence on the mood of the child, helps in the perception of color.
Do not forget to praise the child for his/her drawing. The first experience in drawing is the key to all creative activities of the child.

For the development of the imagination a good gift can be a special set of braces blowing soap bubbles – a very interesting thing, especially important for summer. The game will gather a lot of children around you.

A useful gift can be a doll. Of course, if it is properly selected, ie taking into account the age and capabilities of the child. I have already talked about that all details should be easily removed. 2-year-old children like a medium sized doll, which can be taken into the bathroom, easily put to sleep (better if the eyes are closed), which has a pleasant appearance. With the help of a doll baby learns to express his/her emotions. Help him/her to play with it. Show how the doll cries, laughs, is angry, delighted. By the way, psychologists say that learning to play with dolls is not only for girls but also for boys. For a boy you can buy a doll-boy. You can simply put in a conspicuous place and say that Sam (give the name to the doll) will be your friend. And, you’ll see, your baby will definitely share with it his secrets.

Doll-gloves (ie, a puppet theater) can also be a perfect gift. The child can put his/her into the hands of the hero and play together – be brave or cowardly, happy or sad. The experience of these feelings helps to correct psychological development of children. Through these toys child can share his/her fears with an adult, get rid of negative emotions.

And, finally, the beloved soft toys come. Corresponding to age, they are different. With the help of soft toys we show the child kindness towards others.
Dear Parents, remember, please, that the best gift for your child will still remain your attention, love and care. Give children your time playing with them with these toys!

Choosing carriage is a very important task for parents – comfort and safety of the child outside the house depends on your choice. There is a variety of models and types of carriages. If you choose a carriage for the first time, then you might want to save it for your other children.
Before going to the store, you must decide for yourself the following questions. At what time of year the stroller will be used? As well as the age of the child. Would you use it for walks in the park or going shopping? The size, weight of the carriage, the possibility of its transformation, open or closed, heat-shielding properties, ability to use for your younger children – this is a moment that you should take into account when selecting a carriage.

Types of carriages
What type of carriage will suit you most? There are several types of carriages:
Carriages – transformers with some simple manipulation acquire different functional purpose.
Usual carriage – it has a flat surface and is used for newborns. This type of carriage can be used until the child beganto sit independently. Once the child begins to sit down, increases the risk of falling baby from the carriage.
Transformer of usual and promenade carriages. This type of carriages doesn’t usually have flat surface. The back of the child is slightly bent, which is acceptable for newborns. When the child gets older, you change the angle of inclination of the back part of the carriage s, transforming it from ordinary to the promenade. This type of a carriage is convenient because of the soft stitched inside of the carriage.
Carriage – umbrella. To this type belong very light and easy folding carriages. When folded, they can easily fit in the trunk of a car; a bus, plane. If you travel with a baby carriage through the city this may be indispensable, but for a child it is not very convenient, as the inner surface is not soft and stitched. The prolonged stay of the child in such a stroller is not desirable.
Double carriage. Such carriage is needed in case of twins. If the difference between the ages of your children is 1-2 years, then you can use a double stroller for the movement of both of your kids.
Three-wheeled carriage. This carriage is designed for use in difficult road conditions. For example, it equally good moves on the wet sand, pebbles, gravel. It has an unusual design. Instead of the usual four wheels it has only three. Front wheel is unmatched. This type of carriage is very handy for the baby. Interior is soft, back angle is well-adjusted.
Transformer carriage and car seat. This combination of functions can be used as during a pedestrian walk, as well as during a trip.
When selecting a carriage, it is important to take into account the properties of the materials from which it is made. Can I wash a part of the fabric? The existence of the hood is very necessary, as in summer it largely protects the child from sunburn.

Carefully check the reliability of a carriage
When buying a carriage, check that it is a certified product. In addition, please note the following for the safety of your child.
• Each carriage should be equipped with safety belts. Belts must be securely attached to the base of the carriage. As a rule, five points fixation of the child is used in a carriage. Two belts pass through the shoulder girdle of the child on the surface of the chest to the stomach. These belts provide a record of the upper half of the body of the child. The lower part of the body fixed T-shaped straps. One of the belts passed between the legs, and two others – over the hips. Theupper and lower belts converge in the area of the navel. They buckle with a double degree of protection. Remember, placing the child in the carriage, immediately fasten seat belts.
• If you use a collapsible carriage, umbrella or carriage -transformer, then before you put the child in it, be sure to block all the points at which implemented a change in shape of carriage.
• Before starting moving check the brake system. It’s better to choose a carriage which has 2 breaks.
If a carriage is equipped with a basket for shopping or large pocket, located behind the carriage, remember that the heavy laden, can contribute to the reversal of the carriage. Never hang business or traveler’s bags on the handles of the carriage, as they change the location of the center of gravity of the carriage and also contribute to its reversal.
Useful details of the construction of a carriage:
• High convenient handles make it easy to manage carriage even with one hand.
• Double wheels in front and back give greater stability to the carriage.
• cape will protect the child from rain, wind, snow.

What can you say about a woman who does need to work on her body after giving birth to her child? Lucky! But these cases, unfortunately, are very rare. Most of the lucky moms have to mobilize all forces to lose weight after giving birth, or at least not gain weight even more. Such changes in the female body, of course, happen due to the change of hormonal background: lactation may contribute to a strong increase in weight, although there are cases when a woman, on the contrary, becomes much thinner during the period of lactation.
Naturally, the influence of so many factors, not everyone can, and will want to resist. That is why there is a large percentage of these young mothers, who, waving their hand at their own body, blissfully relax for a while on maternity leave. How does this usually end? With an empty wardrobe by the time to work. Dislike for her own reflection in the mirror. Remorse. IN order to prevent this, let’s begin to take care of our own body immediately after birth.

Haste – makes waste.
The first thing to remember on the path of self-improvement for women after childbirth: in this matter it is not necessary to hurry. Accept an axiom that reliably for a long time and irrevocably overweight takes only slowly and gradually. All that is quickly dropped can quickly return, often in double quantities. Young mothers have nowhere to hurry – the whole maternity leave is ahead – so you can go to the ideal body with small but consistent steps. There are two things that mothers in no case should not be allowed: the physical and nervous exhaustion. After the first few days the results of your efforts, of course, will not be visible. But this is quite a natural thing, so be prepared beforehand.

Drop can hew the stone.
Do you know why the drop hews the stone? Because it is stubborn and constant in its actions. And if you follow the example of the wise drop very soon you will realize that the regular and permanent occupation will give stunning results. If you already decided to do physical exercises, then make them permanent. If you limit yourself in some products, you do not need to organize so-called “boot day”, allowing yourself all at once, and a lot. Everything should be – regular and constant.
The main thing is both victory and participation.
Getting started to weight loss after pregnancy, you should tune in just for a positive result. You can not argue with olympic point of view, where “the main thing – do not win, but to participate. For us the main thing is both.

Starting the process of self-improvement, you must clearly understand what you are doing in order to get the result. And if next time standing up on the scales you visit frustration and a desire to stop all this weight loss, burn, saying that it is a blue flame, just remember how much effort was expended to ensure that. You can get a photo album with those pictures where you had the best body, and look at what you can do. And then all the doubts will go away.

And now – let’s start.

Step One, gym.

We start with the exercise. Women after childbirth are particularly concerned about the state of their breasts, which can lose shape, abdomen and thighs and buttocks, which are distributed after the birth, which is understandable when you consider what processes had just occurred in women during their most active participation.

You can save the former form of the chest, as well as make it even more beautiful very easily: First, do not skimp on underwear. Bra, which enjoys mummy after birth during breastfeeding, should be above reproach. This includes the addition of bra that is designed specifically for feeding. Pay attention to the fact that it had strong and broad straps, as the chest, full of milk, is quite heavy, but it must keep, as they say, “at the height! Make sure also that the bra is equally well-supported chest from different angles.

Second, keep a few secrets, which, according to experts, will help you maintain the shape of the breast. Breastfeed your baby in a prone position. Do not press on the chest. Always check to see that the baby was in an awkward position. Keep the breast away from cooling and drafts.

If you consider it necessary, use special creams that prevent stretch marks. But before you buy any of them, ask, whether it contains an element that is incompatible with breastfeeding. And, of course, buy these kind of creams only in specialized pharmacies.

Forget about cosmetic surgery. The effect of breast surgery can not be compared with those complications that can occur after few years. Plastic surgery is not our method.

As for the stomach, the changes in its size and general appearance are quite a natural phenomenon, though it affects us woefully. This does not mean that you can do nothing. Never! Abdomen, more than anything now needs your attention.

Exercise your press, but only after a few months after birth. Raise the head and chest while lying with bent knees, lift the legs bent at the knees. Try an exercise program, which is offered by Cindy Crawford, the famous and very beautiful young mummy. Another young mommy Jennifer Lopez offers exercise, in which you turn left and right, while sitting cross-legged with the clutch behind the head with your hands. Do not forget to pay attention to your hips. The best thing is a belly dance. Latin American dances are also efficient, which, moreover, will add a cheer and merry mood.

Step two, gastronomic.

As for diet, the lactating mothers should not abide by them. Child should receive the full range of necessary nutrients, so do not try to limit yourself to anything. Another thing that is important to review your diet, make it maximum stable, uniform and consistent, and most importantly, healthy. You will see that a normal healthy meal is a sure way to lose extra pounds. Fatty or salted, smoked or flour – all this can not be called healthy, so you can cut yourself in all these goodies.

As you see, to become not only very good, but the most beautiful mom in the world for your child is not so difficult. It is only necessary, as they say in the good old movie, “To see the goal, believe in yourself and ignore the obstacles.” Take Action! Good luck, success and patience!

A miracle happened: a tiny creature lives inside you! Perhaps you yourself still have no idea about this, but very soon massive changes will begin in your life.

The first sign of pregnancy can be disorders concerning menstrual cycle. However, sometimes this may be due to other causes, such as inflammatory processes, stressful experiences, a change of climate, etc. In order to determine pregnancy, you can use rapid tests. The level of the hormone in the urine in morning and evening hours vary, so while buying test in a drugstore, ask for what time of the day it is suitable. Pregnancy can also be identified with such characteristics: the swelling chest, some have breast tenderness, mood changes, appetite, etc.

This invisible show
At this time rapid and dramatic events happen in the body. A day after conception, gaining strength and energy the fertilized egg (zygote) begins to share. Every day their number is doubled. Divided egg cell, transformed into a fetal egg, moves through the fallopian tubes and striving to achieve the ultimate goal of his journey get into the uterus and find here a comfortable “home”. On the seventh day the trip is over: the egg membranes as they are screwed into the uterine lining are plunging deeper and deeper. This process is called implantation.

The first critical period
It begins with the seventh day of pregnancy and lasts one to two weeks, until the egg is fixed in the membranes lining of the uterus. At this super-early period, mother’s organism may refuse to take the embryo. This may happen, for example, due to mucosal injury caused by the recent abortion because of severe stress, heavy exercise, under the influence of adverse external factors (taking certain medications), fetal genetic abnormalities, etc.

Like a grape core
If implantation is successful, the tiny embryo begins to grow rapidly. Fetal egg is covered with villus, they extract from the mother’s blood necessary food for future baby. Later villus remain only on the side of the egg membranes, which is directly adjacent to the uterine wall. Here villus grows, formed by the placenta (afterbirth), connected with the fetus umbilical cord. This is a major organ, which also belongs to a mother and an unborn child.

Fetus receives nutrients and oxygen through the placenta, get rid of their waste. In addition, this body provides immune protection, missing maternal antibodies to the child. And finally, the placenta synthesizes hormones.

At the same time the so-called germinal layers of which will be formed all the organs and tissues of the child are formed. From the outside – the nervous system, cells of sensory organs, skin, hair, nails, from the middle – the heart, internal organs, bones, blood vessels, muscle system, sex glands, from the inner – the epithelium of the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory, digestive and endocrine glands .

In the second week the embryo’s heart is stating to develop. By the end of the first month the embryo forms a neuraltube, begins to form the main internal organs, and is surrounded by amniotic fluid and three shells. There are all conditions for the future child to grow and develop normally.
Do not risk and win

During early pregnancy, rubella virus, which causes fetal heart, sight and hearing disease is particularly dangerous for the child. Therefore, if you have not been ill with rubella or been vaccinated against it, you need to pass a blood test as soon as possible. If you find that you do not have immunity against rubella, you’d better avoid communicating with children who has not been ill or they have not done vaccinations. Especially be careful in spring and autumn, when the infection is most active.

Severe malformations of the unborn child can cause infectious diseases, sexually transmitted infections (chlamydia, ureplazmoz, mycoplasmosis) and TORCH-infections: Toxoplasma, herpes virus, cytomegalovirus.

In our country, these viruses infected almost two-thirds of the population, but if the immunity is not weakened, the body suppresses them. Do a survey of these infections. Ideally, this should be before pregnancy. Do not delay it! In order to prevent relapse, strengthen immunity with the help of special therapy.

The desire to have a child, to take care for him/her, feed; cuddle a native little body – what can be more beautiful in this world!
Sometimes I sincerely regret our favorite men as they are not given a sense of all this.
However, the pregnancy is not only a great joy but also a great test- not only from a physiological point of view, but from the viewpoint of psychology. Before pregnancy woman could control her body. She could put on a few pounds, and then safely lose the weight in a few days, but now the obstetrician-gynecologist will follow your gained weight.
Previously, you could have a bad mood and easily to get rid of it, but now you will suddenly feel such anguish and fear that you do not know what to do and how to escape from its embrace.
How can you make all these nine months of happiness be really happy?
Fears during pregnancy
Experienced mothers say that they were not afraid of giving birth, but do not believe them; the fear of childbirth is always present in the female subconscious. If your experienced girlfriends say that they did not have fears when going to give birth – do not believe them. They were afraid! From the first days after you learn that a small and dear life is growing in your body, together with joy a fear comes to you. It applies literally to everything and it is not always easy to get rid of it.
For a fairly long time I have worked as a midwife in the hospital and if you only knew how much fear I’ve been listening! When I myself was pregnant, I was afraid of two things: to die during childbirth and that something should happen to the baby during childbirth. But these two terrors visited literally every pregnant woman. And they are natural. Because fear for relatives and fear of death should not be perceived as something wrong, it will always be typical only if it does not turn into a painful state.
But I’ve heard such things that the hair stood up on their top! I will never forget a young woman, who was holding my hand, crying and saying: “I haven’t gone to make ultrasonic observation, so I do not know who will be born – a boy or a girl. My husband wants a boy, and if it will be a girl he will not love me and won’t take her”. It’s very difficult to reassure the future mother that it does not matter who will be born – a boy or a girl, in any case the child will be a beloved one.
By the way, then, when I met the future father, he was very much surprised when I told him about the fears of his wife. He, at the very beginning of the pregnancy, jokingly said that it would be good to have a boy and only then a little girl! And since then, all nine months, the unfortunate kept this fear in her heart. Looking ahead, I want to say that she just gave birth to a boy. And everyone was happy, though, I’m sure, that if it were a girl, happiness would be no less. But the woman’s mind is ready to accept any detail.

The fear of the child appearance

As soon as you take your child in hands, the instinct will tell you what to do. But some women are afraid of a child. Especially if it is her first birth. “What to do with him/her? How do I take care?” For example, even a century before, pregnant women sewed clothes for their unborn babies – shirts, hats, socks, etc. Now, because of the very widespread prejudice, it is believed that you can not buy anything for the unborn child. Well, all right! We will not buy! But you can take a nice notebook and write in it, what you should buy, after your family will have a new member!

Once, I met a woman who in a colored notebook had written everything she needed to buy once the baby was born. She laughed and said that at every month of her pregnancy, she added new things. Then her husband, at her request, taking this notebook, after almost five days got absolutely everything! Then the happy father even complained that he had not even had time to celebrate the momentous event with friends. So much has been written in this notebook!

So do not be afraid! As soon as you take your child in your hands, the instinct will let you know what to do. And in the hospital, medical staff is always ready to show how to properly bathe and swaddle your baby and how to look after it.

The fear of pain during childbirth

Visit childbirth courses of pain fear. Do I need to talk about it? I think that’s necessary. Because, no matter how would a woman have a child, no matter how she is going to give birth, subconsciously she is afraid of pain. We all have different sensitivity. Some may be long enough to endure even the most severe pain, while others lose consciousness, even when they make the vaccine, or give the analysis of blood from the finger. It is very important to prepare psychologically. And it is very desirable to attend courses of preparing for childbirth, where pregnant women are taught methods of removal of pain during labor, how to learn to breathe during delivery.

By the way, I can say that these courses help very much. There are special exercises that can really take the twinge. And they are very simple, the main thing – do not panic and remember them when they need to be used.

Well, perhaps, the last … If you feel that you are unable to cope with these feelings and fears during pregnancy, do not hesitate and do not be afraid to ask for a good psychologist. Believe me, the advice of a good specialist can completely change your life! By the way, I have such an experience. Being pregnant, I was very afraid to walk on the streets with heavy traffic. I could not bring myself to cross the road and waited sometimes for 10-15 minutes, until the horizon was clean, and only then crossed the road. Well, I could not get rid of this fear of being put under the wheels of the car! And only the good advice of the psychologist completely freed me from this obsessive feeling.

Finally, I want to say that the pregnancy – is not a painful condition, but the most responsible and happiest time of your life. And if you understand and accept this from the very first days of pregnancy – it will be much better both for you and your baby!

So, your child is already 1 year old. Every day, he/she requires more and more attention, and he/she can not be left alone in the company of a musical rug. So what he/she needs?

Toys for 1-2 year-old children
First you need to revise the arsenal of toys that are already available at home. It is necessary to remove those toys with which the baby does not play quite as well as those which are already not suitable for his/her age. Do not be afraid to do it, because you always have the opportunity to get them, believe me, the child often perceives them as entirely new.
Now let’s talk about those children toys, which should be purchased. For convenience, we have combined toys into groups by type of activity.

Handling objects
You have probably noticed yourself that after 1 year your child has become much more self-sufficient: he/she learns to use everyday objects, manipulating them in every way, trying to imitate adults. Therefore, to maintain and develop those skills they need such toys, which are small-scale analogues of real objects:
- Children cooking utensils, clothing, combs;
- Toy food;
- Dolls;
- Shovels, rakes, watering cans, fishing rods;
- A toy phone, bag or backpack.
While playing with these toys, the child learns not only to manipulate them, but also develops the skills of using them.

Visual-effective thinking
A child learns through visual-efficient thinking that is, using his/her hands. Therefore, for the development of this field the toys for children should be of different sizes and shapes that have common features. While playing with these toys, the child learns to compare their size and color, resulting in a presentation to the properties of objects. These include:
- Pyramid;
- Cubes (including soft);
- Mosaics;
- Nesting dolls.
We draw your attention to the fact that these toys should be diverse in color, shape and size. For example, if your child likes to collect a pyramid, buy him/her plastic and wooden, small and large ones.

Cognitive Activity
As you know, a child by nature is very, very inquisitive. Offer him/her toys that encourage experimentation and self-discovery.
- Boxes and jars with a secret;
- Small bowls.
Again, we note that the boxes, jars and molds should be of different sizes, colors and shapes.

Language development
Language development takes place in the process of direct communication with older child, so you need to stock up various toys and materials that encourage this communication. For exaple:
- Pictures of animals;
- Figures of animals;
- Audio recordings of children songs and poems;
- Slides (as a harmless alternative to cartoons).

Creativity and perception
For the development of creative abilities of the child he/she needs such toys as:
- Pens, pencils, paint;
- Clay;
- A set of colored paper (for applications).
By using these materials, the child will develop creativity and create the concept of colors (paint) and forms (clay).

Musical toys are designed to develop the perception of ambient sounds. These include:

- Rattles, whistles;
- Children’s musical instruments (maracas, tambourine, drum, xylophone).
Note that you should not pay much attention to electronic musical toys, because they produce sounds which do not contribute to the development of musical perception in due measure.

Physical development
Physical development plays a very important role in the overall development of the young child. For this we offer the following toys:
- Balls of different sizes (ball game);
- Mats with various surfaces;
- Slides, ladders.

Conclusions
So, we have listed the toys that a 1-2 year-old child needs for the harmonious development of all spheres of his/her activities. Of course, we encourage you to buy all these toys but do not guarantee the results. Returning to the beginning of this article, we’d like to say that a child should play and communicate, and toys are only the helpers in this game.

Here is plasticine! Some parents think that it is very “dangerous” for home furniture: sticks to everything and leaves a greasy stain, as well as the fact that a child can simply swallow it. We hasten to reassure: plasticine is an excellent material for creative work, you just need to learn how to use it.

What to build from plasticine?
Building and designing is a very important lesson for a child who develops the creativity of hand movements, spatial thinking, the concept of color, shape of objects. In addition, modeling (not necessarily from plasticine) has beneficial effect on the nervous system. In general, the benefits of modeling studies are enormous.

What kind of plasticine is better to choose?
You should choose high quality plasticine; it should be neither too hard nor too soft and stretchy. If it sticks to your hands, it will be difficult to work with it. And if it’s too hard, the children find it difficult to stretch, and parts can fall apart.
Young children in any case should not be given plasticine with a fruit odor. If the yellow clay smells like lemon, orange – orange, and red one – strawberries, then the child will not model, but lick it, but it’s not what we want him to teach.
How to start plasticine building
First, remember that during teaching you have to be near the child, not only as a “guard” (to avoid eating it), but also as a designer (to model yourself, together with the child).
Secondly, do not overdo it with the complexity of tasks for your child; do not ask him/her too much. Remember that child is only familiar with the properties of plasticine, studying them and experimenting with methods of modeling.

What can a two year-old baby do with a plasticine?

• pinch off a piece of plasticine;
• flatten plasticine throughout the palm;
• poke a finger in rolled out layer;
• roll out of it “sausages”;
• a ball that the mother rolls, а little finger to make tortillas.
• cleave it to the paper or table;
• roll large balls of palms;
• cut “sausages”.

These actions are а basis of building classes. Develop these skills, expand and improve them.

How and what to design with your baby?

Select Color
Start by selecting the color of plasticine: suggest baby to choose, for example, from two colors (you should not just offer the whole box of clay). Do not select yourself – your preferences may strongly disagree.

Warming up
When color is selected, you can not expect that the baby will start to model something. First of all, each of you “train” a little bit and then start modeling.

Main activities
Show your child how to knead the plasticine, nip off a piece for him/her and make a cake … In general, follow the basic steps described above. For the first class execution, a simple manipulation will be enough to interest the child.

”Sausages” and balls
Rolling “sausages” and balls from plasticine: two palms and one palm on a piece of cardboard or paper. The “sausage” can turn into a ring or a snake. Small balls could crush fingers.

Imprints
One of the most fascinating lessons for kids is making imprints on plasticine. You roll a flat cake of plasticine, and the baby pokes him in every way possible (or rather all that you offer him): a toy fork cap from the pen, his own finger, a spoon.

Modeling
Suggest your child to stick plasticine to a cup or any other capacity, which you can then decorate with beads or any other material – get a great bowl. For younger kids you can cut out a pattern of different figures and stick them on plasticine.

Plasticine and other materials
In plasticine modeling you can (and should!) use other materials: peas, beans, buckwheat, pasta of different shapes and colors, buttons, etc.
Roll out a cake from plasticine and ask the child to cleave small objects to them. Make sure that all these remarkable objects were placed on the plasticine, but not in his/her mouth.

Do you know that breastfeeding gives a baby not only saturation, but also love? It establishes relationship between mother and child. Perhaps, therefore, the truth remains unchanged that the best way is to breastfeed the child. But there are situations in a woman’s life when she has to feed a baby from the bottle, and squeezing becomes simply indispensable. How to overcome this problem? We tried to give some solution in this article:

When to squeeze milk?
In some cases, woman simply can not do without squeezing. It’s better to consider these cases beforehand in order to avoid feeding problems.

If you have too much milk (it happens between the second and fifth day after birth) squeezing helps the breast to relax, and your child can take it easier.

There are situations when only milk is not enough. In such cases, a woman usually wants to stop feeding. But wait! Sueezing with the help of a milk sucker will contribute to generating new milk.

After feeding your baby, you feel that your breast is not empty and you need to squeeze it, because extra milk in the breas can lead to such diseases as mastitis.

It’s not a secret that children often get sick. So if your baby is ill and does not want to suck the breast, don’t forget to squeeze breast milk every three hours. This will help to maintain lactation. If you work and want to continue to feed the baby, regular squeezing also contributes to lactation.

How else can you use the squeezed milk? For example, if you decide to go to the cinema or meet with friends, squeezed milk will be given to your child. Remember that breast milk is equally useful both in bottle, and when sucking from the breast.

How to squeeze?
Now you already know when to squeeze milk, so we’ll tell you how to do it.

First of all, it can be done manually. However, this process is laborious and time-consuming. In addition, some women argue that this is painful. Therefore, you need a professional help (preferably hospital staff, who teach this).

It is important to remember that the squeezing will be successful only if you relax and rest. First of all you should wash your hands (always before contacting with food), and wipe chest with a damp towel. Then sit comfortably and think about your kid (you can look at his/her picture) and only then begin squeezing.

A simpler version of the efficient and pain-free squeezing is to use milk suckers.

You should pay particular attention to Premium Canpol milk sucker. It has several advantages, for example, mimics the natural process of sucking the baby (if you press the knob and keep it in this position, the pumping power is reduced, just as feeding the baby). Squeeze milk safely, gently and quickly (so in case of a milk overflow it will help to keep from stagnation and inflammation of the breast). You can regulate this milk sucker yourself (you decide how often to press the handle, and how to apply the force). In addition, Premium Canpol is small and quiet, it can be used even in public places. It has a silicone mouthpiece, which stimulates milk ducts in the allocation of milk. Among other things, it is hygienic and easy to use (it consists of 5 elements). Decant the milk directly into the bottle from which you can then feed the baby, or tighten its lid, put in the refrigerator. But at the same time do not forget that squeezed milk can be stored, only observing special conditions. Here they are:

12 hours at room temperature.
48 hours in the refrigerator (temp 3 – 5 ° C).
A week in the freezer (temp – 10 ° C). First, cool the milk in the fridge.
6 months in the freezer (temp. -18 To -20 ° C).
Choose the best!
Now in pharmacies there is a very large selection of milk suckers. Electric milk suckers are the most popular ones. They, of course, squeeze milk in a better way, but many women complain of psychological discomfort. They need rest, but the sound of the engine is loud and unpleasant. The most convenient are manual ones. They mimic the natural process of child sucking. You should choose the most convenient variant yourself.

Why is it important to be engaged in sports during pregnancy? What is recommended and what should be avoided? What do you need to eat and in what quantity?

During pregnancy, various changes occur in the body. Sports and nutrition should be given an important place in maintaining the health of the expectant mother and her child.

What happens to the body during pregnancy?
Pregnancy requires huge strength. During this period the body has to deal with increased metabolism and with increasing needs for nutrients. Fortunately, the body has several mechanisms that help to save energy in favor of the developing fetus. One of the mechanisms is a change in appetite and taste. Typically, a woman eats more and selects certain foods. The second mechanism is an increasing absorption of food in the intestinal wall.
Additional mechanisms are the decreased rate of accumulation of fat and reduced physical activity. The physiological mechanism gives a woman signals to reduce the load. If you do not listen to it, the intense stress can harm the health of a mother and the developing fetus.

What is important to change in the diet during pregnancy?
The most common problem among pregnant women is the number of calories eaten per day. The answer variesdepending on the duration of pregnancy. From 1 st to 15 th week, there is no need to change the usual amount. From 15 th to 28 th week it is recommended to consume 25-30 calories for every 1 kg of your weight. From 29 th to 42 th week it is recommended to consume 30-35 calories per 1 kg of your weight. These recommendations are perfectly suited to women who do moderate exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes. But if training is given more attention, you need to add the missing calories.

Why is it important to be engaged in sports during pregnancy?
Sport during pregnancy has several positive aspects. For example, it controls weight, reduces the risk of high blood pressure, controls blood sugar and reduces the risk of diabetes, maintaining strength in the muscles and ligaments, improving the general well-being. Some studies has shown that sport during pregnancy shortens labor, reduces the risk of caesarean section and shortens post-partum recovery. However, this is very important that women do not use sports as a means to reduce weight, because at this stage of their life this is not a priority.

What load should future mothers take?
Modern medicine recommends continuing fitness activities before pregnancy, but in accordance with the terms they exclude certain exercises. Women, who do not have certain medical problems, can start with moderate intensity 30 minutes a day 3-4 times a week. You can do walking at a moderate pace, to participate in yoga class. Women with experience in the classroom in the gym may continue but reduce the load in accordance with the changes in the body.

Can we start doing it during pregnancy?
Moderate and regular load will only be beneficial. It is important not to begin with an intensive workload, and work smoothly.

What load should be avoided?
Expectant mothers should avoid sport activities, in which there is full contact – kick boxing and various forms of struggle. So it is necessary to give up extreme sports – rock climbing, scuba diving, etc. After the first trimester, it is important to avoid stress, which occurs in the supine position or stomach.

Can I use weight training?
Yes. This helps to maintain good muscle tone. You can perform one approach every 2-3 times a week. Between workouts there should always be a holiday in at least 24 hours.
Using weight during exercise will strengthen joints and ligaments, which will help to protect them from injury. But a dumbbell weight of 1-3 kg should be fine for exercising the muscles of the hands.

Why is it important to use vitamins and minerals?
Pregnant woman involved in fitness should be sufficient to monitor the use of vitamins and minerals. For example, calcium is needed to prevent the appearance of convulsions. Iron will keep the normal hemoglobin level, which in turn will ensure the delivery of oxygen to the muscles. It is recommended to eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals.

What should pregnant women do before classes?
Any woman sports must consume enough carbohydrates (whole wheat bread, buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, etc.) 2-2,5 hours before. Immediately before beginning you need to eat another small portion of carbohydrates – fruit, a slice of whole meal bread, energy bars, etc. If during the trainings you feel reduction in blood glucose levels, you can use sweet drinks. These quickly raise the level of glucose.

Fluid intake during exercise
The temperature in the cavity of the uterus is one degree above the temperature of mother’s body. During exercise the body temperature rises. In this connection it is necessary to strictly ensure that the temperature does not greatly exceed (maximum allowed – 38 º). The water helps to cool and prevent the emergence of fluid loss in the body. General recommendation on the use of the liquid: 1-2 glasses of water just before the start of the training and 2-3 glasses of water for every hour.

How many calories should be added in case of daily training?
Despite the fact that at the later stages of pregnancy the intensity of training decreases, the number of burnt calories during exercise increases due to body weight and changes in metabolism. Studies has shown that pedestrian walk at a moderate pace during pregnancy burns 20% more calories than the same trip before pregnancy. A walk up the stairs burns 22-25% more. From this it follows that even if the intensity of training does not increase, you will still need enough to compensate for the loss of calories. Approximate calculations suggest additional 350-400 calories per training day for each hour of exercises during pregnancy. More accurate calculations are made by a specialist in accordance with the load, weight, duration of training of the woman.