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What you need to know about your hiccupping baby
Just like you, your baby also gets hiccups sometimes. This can startle you, because you can't explain to your hiccupping baby what's happening. No worries, everything will be fine. We'll explain what hiccups are and what you can do. Hiccups in the womb Your baby can have hiccups in the womb from the second trimester onwards. You'll feel this through regular "jolts". Hiccups in the womb occur when your baby drinks amniotic fluid. When the stomach gets too full, the diaphragm contracts in a reflex. Often it lasts a while and goes away on its own. Nothing to worry about, it's not dangerous. You can also have a hiccupping baby outside the womb. Below we explain the ins and outs of hiccups in your little one. First of all: What are hiccups anyway? Just like in the womb, hiccups work the same way outside the womb. It's a sudden contraction of the diaphragm when the stomach is too full with food and/or air; the same muscle you use to breathe. The hiccupping sound occurs because the vocal cords close quickly. How do hiccups develop in your little one? Did you know that a baby gets hiccups more often than you do? Why this happens isn't entirely clear, but usually it's because your hiccupping baby eats and drinks too quickly or too much, causing them to swallow air. The stomach then presses against the diaphragm. Hiccups and Reflux Babies with reflux often get hiccups, because some of the food comes back up and irritates the diaphragm again. This often comes with spitting up and coughing. It's sad to see and the only thing you can do is stay with your child and keep them upright. This way you prevent your child from choking. A hiccupping baby, how do you prevent it? You can't completely prevent a hiccupping baby. But you can pay attention to the points below. 1. Limit the air your child swallows If you're breastfeeding, make sure your child latches on properly. With bottle feeding, make sure the hole in the nipple isn't too big. 2. Let your baby burp after feeding Wait until the burp comes out and hold them upright. This can take a while, but do it anyway. Putting your baby down while there's still air in the stomach is uncomfortable and unpleasant for your child. You can also massage your baby's back with your hand, which relaxes your little one and makes the burp come out more easily. 3. Take breaks during feeding Some babies are wonderfully greedy. This can cause air to come in while drinking. So during feeding, take the breast or bottle out of your baby's mouth for a moment and let your baby sit upright. Maybe a small (or big!) burp will come out. 4. A calm baby = calm feeding Do you see that your baby is hungry, or is it feeding time? Let's feed and don't stall too long. When your baby is restless or extremely hungry, the chance of them swallowing more air is greater. 5. Wait before bathing your baby Wait with bathing your baby after feeding. The food needs to settle first. So bathe your little one before feeding or half an hour after. Can you stop the hiccups? While we adults have learned that scaring, patting on the back, and holding your breath sometimes works, we absolutely don't recommend this for a baby. Besides this being somewhat strange, it's not proven that it works at all. Just hold your little one close and wait until the hiccups pass. Do you notice that it happens really frequently, and does it affect your baby's eating and sleeping rhythm? Then contact your doctor.
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When does my baby get teeth and first aid for pain!
How strange. My baby has been drooling like crazy the past few days and puts everything in their mouth to bite on. I also see a white dot appearing in the gums. Tada! There they are. Your baby's first teeth. But, when does your baby actually get teeth? Should you start brushing teeth right away? And what can you do to ease the pain? Naïf tells you. When do babies actually get teeth?That varies from child to child, of course, but you can expect them somewhere between four and seven months, usually around six months. First, the two middle lower incisors come through. A couple of months later, the two middle upper incisors. Around twelve months, the outer incisors appear above and below, and your child has eight teeth. Often around sixteen months, the front molars come through above and below. The back molars appear around two years. Eventually, your child has twenty teeth and molars; ten on top, ten on the bottom.Symptoms of teethingWith this too; some children are bothered by it, others are not. But there are a number of symptoms to watch out for. Such as: clingy, moody, red cheeks, lots of drooling, crying, slight fever, loose stools, and the urge to chew on everything. You can always check yourself with a (clean) finger to see if you feel a little point.Ouch, red bottom!If your baby is experiencing loose stools from teething, it can happen that a red bottom develops. This loose stool is often a bit more acidic. Therefore, change the diaper frequently, especially if your baby has just pooped or peed, this prevents the skin from coming into contact with the stool. Use wipes that don't irritate for this. And of course, it's even nicer if they don't contain plastic, so you're also thinking about the environment. Then smear the bottom with a generous layer of diaper cream full of zinc oxide and chamomile. This helps to calm the skin.Brush!From brushing the bottom to brushing teeth. Because getting teeth also means it needs to be taken care of! Time to brush. In the first year of life, once a day is enough. With a soft toothbrush and a very small amount of toothpaste that is suitable for babies. Nowadays you also have nice, natural toothpastes with or without fluoride. Do what you feel comfortable with. And of course; watch out for sweets, sugary drinks, etc. You don't want to overload the young teeth with sugars. The teeth won't like that. And your child won't either in the end.First aid for painThe process of getting teeth apparently can be quite painful. We can no longer remember that, but when we see a crying baby, we can imagine it. How can you ease the pain? Give a teething ring. You have wooden ones, but also special ones that you can put in the refrigerator, which provide cooling. You could also think of a (homeopathic) remedy. Get information about this from your (health) drugstore. You can massage your little one's sore gums. Wash your hands first. Just push through. It's not nice to see your baby like this, but ultimately the pain serves a purpose. And last but not least: cuddle, cuddle, cuddle. Your little one needs attention and love when they're not feeling well, so good reason to give extra cuddles.
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From this moment on your baby will laugh (and these are the different types of laughs)!
Your baby's first laugh. Priceless. You become a little emotional inside. Your heart melts. It seems like a sign of recognition, of your bond growing stronger. But, at what age does your baby actually start laughing? And what types of "laughs" are there? When does your baby start laughing?First, a fun fact: Some Native American tribes organize a laugh festival for the first smile, so it's definitely something special. A sign of joy in life. Okay, but when does your little one start laughing? The first laugh appears just a few days after birth. You know this laugh well; that satisfied laugh, usually during sleep. Babies already practice facial expressions in the womb and continue this after they are born.What about laughing and development?Laughing is innate and very good for both the cognitive and socio-emotional development of your little one. It helps with language development, it strengthens tongue, lip and mouth muscles, but also helps clarify things. After all, a baby can only communicate by crying or showing their facial expressions. Hello mommy, I love you!Different types of laughs Reflex laugh. You usually see this smile appear in the first few days after birth. And as much as we want to believe that this is a very genuine smile, it's a reflex. But… That doesn't make it any less special. Your heart still skips a beat. And you know, maybe it's just a smile of bliss. The real smile. Yes! There it is. After about six weeks your baby gets better at distinguishing things and also recognizes your face. The closer you hold your head to your little one, the more likely you are to get a laugh. It won't be long before sounds come along too. So incredibly cute. Belly laugh. You often see this laugh around four months old. The cutest laugh! Because your child sees more and more situations for the first time and consciously experiences them, which are already very familiar to us (for example, a bird flying away), a child can find it hilarious. Just observing this gives pure endorphins. Also, when situations occur that are different from what a child expected, a belly laugh often results. Wonderful. Making funny faces out of nowhere, making weird sounds, letting the Naïf Splashing Bath Bombs melt in the bath; your baby will love it. The beautiful thing about this is also: a child immediately looks to see if their parents still laugh a little themselves. They keep us young! Laughing is healthy. Really. Specific laugh. When your little one is six months old, they start to recognize more and more people. That's why your baby laughs more and more towards grandpa, grandma or for example the daycare staff around that age. It can also be that when there's a strange face, there's no laugh at all. And that's okay too. Peekaboo and TicklingTo stimulate laughing you can play a peekaboo game or tickle your little one. These are two fairly innocent activities and your child will laugh from them. Belly laugh even. Still, it's good to keep the following in mind. In the peekaboo game, your baby gets the idea that mom or dad are gone and fortunately come back. So it's a bit on the edge of 'fun/not fun'. It can also be exciting for your baby. Pay attention to how your child reacts. As for tickling; it causes your child to lose control of their body. A child who can't speak with words yet, can't defend themselves either. The belly laughter is fun, but you can also choose to use this game a bit later.
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