Signs a Baby Needs Burping

Babies drink milk or formula, and then they burp. It seems simple enough. Yet, for new moms who question and worry about everything, don't worry. That's natural. How and when to burp their baby is a question worth pondering. Babies don't move around like kids and adults do. When they swallow air during feedings, it stays trapped in their tummies. Burping gets rid of this air, so it doesn't end up in the intestines, causing gas pains for the baby. Most babies swallow air while eating, and then they often show signs that let their mothers know it's time to burp them.

Signs That Baby Needs to Burp

When a baby has air in her tummy, it should not cause pain, but it may create a feeling of fullness, just enough that she will offer her mom some signs that she needs to burp. If she stops eating or begins to fidget, squirm or fuss while she is still feeding, she may have some trapped air that needs to come out. Sometimes, she will bring her legs up to her chest to signal distress, but this does not mean she is in pain. If the baby gulps her feedings or spits up a lot after eating, this may also be a sign that she needs to be burped more often.

How to Burp Baby

You'll need a cloth diaper or a small clean rag, as burping babies often spit up a bit. Try one of the burping techniques for three to four minutes. If he hasn't burped by then, stop. Popular positions for baby include holding him over your shoulder while you pat his back, placing him on his tummy on your lap while you rub or pat his back or holding him in a sitting position while you support his head with one hand and pat his back with the other. You'll get to know your baby and which position works best after a little trial and error.

Breastfeeding and Burping

If your baby is breastfed, she will give the same signs as a bottle-fed baby when she needs to burp. Babies might swallow air during the beginning of a feeding, while the mother's milk is letting down. If your baby doesn't latch on well or gulps her milk while breastfeeding, she may need to be burped as well. If a breastfed baby doesn't bring up air after trying to burp her, she may not need burping. Breastfed babies tend to eat more often and in slightly more upright positions than bottle-fed babies, reducing their air intake during feeding.

According to by Debbi Donovan, a lactation consultant, if a breastfed baby seems overly gassy and burps a lot after feedings, the mother can try altering her diet. For instance, she may try cutting down on--or eliminating--dairy if there is a family history of allergies.

How to Stop a Teething Baby From Biting

When a baby has sore teeth or gums, she will gnaw on just about anything to help relieve the pain ' even people. Biting doesn't have to be a fact of life, though; it's actually fairly easy to deal with.

Instructions

1

Treat the teething pain. Whether you use homeopathic teething tablets, natural teething gels, or pharmaceutical teething pain relievers, find something that will help ease your baby's discomfort. For severe teething pain, children's acetaminophen may help.

2

Take away things that shouldn't be ingested. Some toys have paint that may come off in your baby's mouth if she chews hard on them; other objects may break into pieces and become choking hazards. Put these objects away until your baby's teething episode has subsided.

3

Be consistent and firm without frightening your baby. If she bites you or someone else, say "Don't bite!" or "No biting!" firmly, and put her down gently for a minute if you are holding her. She should realize fairly quickly that biting is not OK.

4

Provide alternatives. Teething rings, teething toys or bagels you can freeze or refrigerate, and dampened, frozen washcloths are all appropriate objects for your baby to bite or chew on.

5

Keep these alternatives close at hand so that you can do a quick switch. When you put your baby down, hand her a teething toy immediately ' this will send the message that some things are OK to chew on, while others most definitely aren't.

Peer Counseling Certification

Peer counselors provide guidance to people dealing with the same problems that they have struggled with themselves at some point in their lives. Peer counselors work over the phone and in individual or group settings. Certification training and requirements vary by organization and location.

State Requirements

Some states such as Washington require peer counselors to complete state-approved training before beginning work. Training covers topics such as the mental health system, helping clients set and realize goals, how to share your story and encourage clients to do likewise, referrals, documentation and confidentiality.

Training by Organization

Requirements for peer counseling certification vary by organization but cover several similar training topics. These include counseling basics, awareness of local resources for clients and sensitivity training. Other training is specific to the organization or the problem being addressed, such as unemployment or cancer.

Examination

An examination follows training requirements and is the final step in many certification programs. Examinations may be available for retake if you do not pass on the first try. The examination ensures a thorough understanding of the counseling process and the delivery of professional services to clients.

Additional Requirements

Peer counselors must identify themselves as belonging to the group with which they wish to work, be in recovery from their own experience and demonstrate coping skills in their own lives. This enables them to provide satisfactory help to people seeking their services. Background checks or shadowing may be required.

Diet for Pregnant & Nursing at the Same Time

If you are still breastfeeding your infant or toddler when another pregnancy begins, you and your child may wish to continue the nursing relationship throughout the pregnancy and beyond. La Leche League, the breastfeeding support group, asserts that breastfeeding remains safe for most mothers and unborn babies during pregnancy. With your doctor's support and proper nutrition, both you and your child can continue to benefit from nursing while your unborn baby grows. A healthy diet and sufficient calorie intake aid a healthy pregnancy.

Calorie Intake

A nursing mother needs to gain the same amount of weight during pregnancy as a non-nursing mother. Since milk production burns calories, you may need to increase your daily calorie intake to keep gaining weight. If you are breastfeeding while pregnant, you are eating for three rather than two. A nursing mother needs approximately 500 to 650 additional calories per day during milk production, depending on how frequently her baby breastfeeds.

Eat whenever you are hungry. Fatigue can be a signal that your body is not getting enough calories, so eat more if your energy wanes. Snack frequently; small meals may be easier for your body to digest.

Eat a varied diet rich in vitamins and minerals that includes vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy products and whole-grain carbohydrates. Choose foods high in calories and healthy fats like avocado and olive oil. Try sauteing vegetables in olive oil and drizzling olive oil over whole-grain pasta. Full-fat dairy products and cheeses are healthy choices during pregnancy.

Avoid junk food that fills you up with empty calories. If you have trouble getting enough calories or nutrition, consider supplementation or consult a dietitian for advice.

Vitamins and Minerals

Consider taking a vitamin D supplement while you are pregnant and nursing. Your vitamin D stores will determine your unborn baby's vitamin D level, and many Americans do not get enough vitamin D.

Eat foods high in iron such as red meat and baked potatoes in their skin to prevent anemia. Organ meats are good iron sources, but eat them in small quantities during pregnancy to avoid an excess of vitamin A. If you do become anemic, consider taking iron supplements. Zinc helps your body absorb iron, so a zinc supplement can also help; be sure to take it several hours before or after you take your the iron supplement. If you do not eat animal products, you may need vitamin B-12 supplements in addition to iron.

Nursing mothers may need additional calcium while pregnant. Eat yogurt and cheese and drink cow's milk to obtain this mineral. Eat several portions of dark green vegetables like broccoli or kale, which contain calcium, each day. If you do not include dairy in your diet, drink orange juice fortified with calcium or take a calcium supplement.

Fluids

Milk production requires your body to be adequately hydrated, and pregnancy increases your blood volume. Drink plenty of fluids to make sure your body can accomplish these two tasks simultaneously. Drink any time you are thirsty, and every time you sit down to breastfeed. Avoid coffee and tea, which act as diuretics, taking fluid from your body.

Other Considerations

If you have a history of miscarriage or preterm labor, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of continuing to nurse your baby during your pregnancy. Some factors like sore nipples or a decreased milk supply may encourage you or your nursing child to wean. If you do wean during pregnancy, it's not unusual for the weaned child to begin nursing again once the new baby comes. This is known as tandem nursing.

Breast-Feed a Premature Baby

A premature baby may be too tiny and weak to latch onto a mother's breast at birth, but it is still possible to build a successful nursing relationship and to provide the baby with many of the benefits of your milk from the first day of life.

Instructions

1

Start pumping as soon as your baby is born. Your colostrum (the milk you secrete for a few days after your baby's birth) can be fed to your baby through a tube at the first feeding, followed by feedings of your fresh milk. The colostrum is important because premature babies are extremely vulnerable to infection.

2

Buy or rent a hospital-grade electric pump; this will help to build your milk supply so that you have enough milk to nurse your baby when it becomes possible.

3

Fortify your milk if medically necessary - ask about this option before agreeing to formula supplements.

4

Try to avoid artificial nipples when your baby is ready to make the transition to your breast. Feeding the baby your expressed milk by gavage tube rather than by bottle will help to prevent nipple confusion.

5

Try tickling your baby's lips and chin and expressing a few drops of milk onto the tip of your nipple to get her interested, since a premature baby may need extra encouragement to open her mouth wide and latch on.

6

Follow your baby's cues when she's nursing well, and let her nurse as long as she wants to. If her suck still is not strong, she may need extra time at the breast to stimulate the letdown and get the milk flowing well.

7

Build and stabilize your milk supply with the help of a breast pump until your baby is able to maintain the supply on her own.

8

Contact a lactation consultant and your local La Leche League for support. You may be able to arrange both hospital visits and follow-up home visits.

9

Place a breast pad soaked with your milk next to your baby, even when you can't hold her; this will familiarize the baby with the smell of your milk, and may make her more willing to breast-feed when she is able to do so.

10

Enlist the assistance and support of neonatal nursing staff. Try to let them know in advance when you plan to be with your baby.

How to Use a Breastpump

When you breastfeed your baby, chances are, you will have to use a breast pump. You may need to pump to relieve engorgement, collect milk for feedings while you are at work or away from home, or to maintain your milk supply when you are ill or taking medication that prevents nursing. There are several different types of breast pumps, including electric pumps, battery-operated pumps, and manual pumps. No matter what type of pump you choose, there are some basic steps that you should take in preparation.

Instructions

1

Wash your pump and hands before use. Also be sure to wash your pumping equpment in warm, soapy water after each use.

2

Choose the right time. Pump at a time of day when your breasts are usually full. If you are away from your baby, try to pump at the same time that you would typically nurse. If you are with your baby and you are pumping in order to stockpile milk, pump an hour after your baby nurses in the morning.

3

Choose a quiet, comfortable environment to pump. Find some place where you will have some privacy and where you won't be interrupted.

4

Get comfortable. Relax for several minutes before pumping and put your feet up. Enjoy the quiet time to watch TV or read a book.

5

Keep hydrated. Drink juice, water, or milk right before pumping.

6

Encourage let-down. Think about your baby nursing or look at or cuddle your baby. You can also apply a warm cloth to your nipples for a few minutes or take a warm shower before pumping.

Labor Laws for Nursing Mothers

Around the United States, the decision to breastfeed is on the rise among a diverse amount of mothers. Nursing mothers that decide to return to the workplace require adequate support and resources to enable the continuance of breastfeeding. Labor laws for nursing mothers are in place at national and state levels.

National

In 2010, Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act was amended with a law regarding break time for nursing mothers. The law was put into practice in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The law requires employers to enable nursing employees to take suitable break times throughout the day to express breast milk for their infants that are under 1 year of age. The amount of break times will vary on an individual basis depending on the needs of the mother and child. Employers must also provide a clean and private area, other than a restroom, for nursing employees to express breast milk. The area must be functional for nursing mothers and available when needed. Only nursing employees that are not exempt from overtime pay standards established by the Fair Labor Standards Act are allowed the allocated break times. Employers do not have to provide compensation unless the break times are taken during other compensated breaks, such as lunch hours. Employers that have less than 50 employees are not required to provide break times.

Colorado

In 2008, Colorado passed a Workplace Accommodations for Nursing Mothers Law. The law states that Colorado employers of public and private organizations with at least one employee must provide reasonable break times to nursing mothers for up to two years following the birth of a child. The break time can be unpaid or paid using other paid break time, such as meals. The law also states the employer must make rational attempts to accommodate nursing mothers by providing a nearby space other than a stall of toilet for employees to privately express breast milk. The attempts are considered reasonable if they do not cause undue hardships to the organization, such as significant expense and disruption of operations. If a disagreement occurs between employers and employees, the law states that a nonbinding mediation meeting will take place before an employee can pursue litigation efforts.

New York

Also in 2008, the state of New York enacted a law regarding the rights of working nursing mothers under its Labor Standards. The law states that all employers must provide nursing employees with reasonable break times to express breast milk for up to three years after the birth of a child. The breaks can be unpaid or employers can enable employers to use paid break times. The law also states employers must reasonably attempt to provide a space close to the work area to enable nursing employees to express their milk. The law prohibits employer discrimination against nursing employees who decide to express breast milk during the workday. The law applies to all New York State employers no matter the size and type.