The postpartum period begins after the delivery of the baby and ends when the mother’s body has returned as closely as possible to its pre-pregnant state. This period usually lasts six to eight weeks.

The postpartum period involves the mother progressing through many changes, both emotionally and physically, while learning how to deal with all the changes and adjustments required with becoming a new mother. The postpartum period also involves the parents learning how to care for their newborn and learning how to function as a changed family unit.

A mother needs to take good care of herself to rebuild her strength. You will need plenty of rest, good nutrition, and help during the first few weeks.

(1) rest:
Every new parent soon learns that babies have different time clocks than adults. A typical newborn awakens about every three hours and needs to be fed, changed, and comforted. Especially if this is their first baby, parents - especially the mother - can become overwhelmed by exhaustion. While a solid eight hours of sleep for you may not happen again for several months, the following suggestions may be helpful in finding ways to get more rest now.

1. In the first few weeks, a mother needs to be relieved of all responsibilities other than feeding the baby and taking care of herself.

2. Sleep when the baby sleeps. This may be only a few minutes rest several times a day, but these minutes can add up.

3. Save steps and time. Have your baby’s bed near yours for feedings at night.

4. Many new parents enjoy visits from friends and family, but new mothers should not feel obligated to entertain. Feel free to excuse yourself for a nap or to feed your baby.

5. Get outside for a few minutes each day. You can begin walking and postpartum exercises, as advised by your physician.

6. After the first two to three weeks, introduce a bottle to breastfed babies for an occasional night-time feeding. This way, someone else can feed the baby, and you can have a longer period of uninterrupted sleep.

(2) nutrition:
A mother’s body has undergone many changes during pregnancy, as well as with the birth of her baby. She needs to heal and recover from pregnancy and childbirth. In addition to rest, all mothers need to maintain a healthy diet to promote healing and recovery.

The weight gained in pregnancy helps build stores for your recovery and for breastfeeding. After delivery, all mothers need continued nutrition so that they can be healthy and active and able to care for their baby.

Whether they breastfeed or formula feed, all mothers need to eat a healthy and balanced diet. Most lactation experts recommend that breastfeeding mothers should eat when they are hungry. But many mothers may be so tired or busy that food gets forgotten. So, it is essential to plan simple and healthy meals that include choices from all of the recommended groups from the food pyramid.The food guide pyramid is a guideline to help you eat a healthy diet.

The food guide pyramid can help you eat a variety of foods while encouraging the right amount of calories and fat. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Department of Health and Human Services have prepared the following food pyramid to guide you in selecting foods.

The Food Pyramid is divided into 6 colored bands representing the 5 food groups plus oils:

1. Orange represents grains: Make half the grains consumed each day whole grains. Whole-grain foods include oatmeal, whole-wheat flour, whole cornmeal, brown rice, and whole-wheat bread. Check the food label on processed foods - the words “whole” or “whole grain” should be listed before the specific grain in the product.
2. Green represents vegetables: Vary your vegetables. Choose a variety of vegetables, including dark green- and orange-colored kinds, legumes (peas and beans), starchy vegetables, and other vegetables.
3. Red represents fruits: Focus on fruits. Any fruit or 100 percent fruit juice counts as part of the fruit group. Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut-up, or pureed.
4. Yellow represents oils: Know the limits on fats, sugars, and salt (sodium). Make most of your fat sources from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. Limit solid fats like butter, stick margarine, shortening, and lard, as well as foods that contain these.
5. Blue represents milk: Get your calcium-rich foods. Milk and milk products contain calcium and vitamin D, both important ingredients in building and maintaining bone tissue.
6. Purple represents meat and beans: Go lean on protein. Choose low fat or lean meats and poultry. Vary your protein routine - choose more fish, nuts, seeds, peas, and beans.

Activity is also represented on the pyramid by the steps and the person climbing them, as a reminder of the importance of daily physical activity.

To find more information about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 and to determine the appropriate dietary recommendations for your age, sex, and physical activity level, visit the Online Resources page for the links to the Food Pyramid and 2005 Dietary Guidelines sites. Please note that the Food Pyramid is designed for persons over the age of two who do not have chronic health conditions.

Although most mothers want to lose their pregnancy weight, extreme dieting and rapid weight loss can be hazardous to your health and to your baby’s if you are breastfeeding. It can take several months for a mother to lose the weight she gained during pregnancy. This can be accomplished by cutting out high-fat snacks and concentrating on a diet with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, balanced with proteins and carbohydrates. Exercise also helps burn calories and tone muscles and limbs.

Along with balanced meals, breastfeeding mothers should increase fluids. Many mothers find they become very thirsty while the baby is nursing. Water, milk, and fruit juices are excellent choices. It is helpful to keep a pitcher of water and even some healthy snacks beside your bed or breastfeeding chair.

Consult your physician or a registered dietitian if you want to learn more about postpartum nutrition. Certified lactation consultants can also help with advice about nutrition while breastfeeding.

Ringworm of the head, also referred to as tinea capitis, is a very common condition in children generally occurring between the ages of 3 – 7 years. Tinea capitis is an infection caused by fungus. Millions of people are carriers of the fungus that causes tinea capitis, but do not show symptoms. In the United States, infection is usually transferred from human to human or from animal (pets) to human. This transfer can occur anywhere but for children it often occurs at daycare and at school. This infection does not pose a significant health risk to the child, but hair loss can occur and treatment can improve the child’s self-esteem, especially if the infection and resulting hair loss are extensive.

The appearance of tinea capitis may vary and depends upon the amount of inflammation involved. There may be one or several scaly (flaky) circular patches. Alternatively, the scales may be widespread, similar to dandruff. Some infected areas may have broken hairs giving the appearance of small black dots. In some cases, crusted yellow patches accumulate around a hair shaft. This patch can thicken producing a cheese or mouse-like odor. Tinea capitis can also cause localized boggy swelling and pus filled bump formation which can be accompanied by enlarged neck lymph nodes and fever. The pus filled bumps can also spread throughout the scalp.

Diagnosis of tinea capitis may require scraping of the scales from the scalp or removing infected hairs for culture. Without treatment, tinea capitis can spread to other body locations or lead to permanent hair loss. For children, there is only one approved drug for treatment in the United States, griseofulvin by mouth. This medication works best when taken with fatty foods. Typically, the child has to take the medication for 6 to 8 weeks. Re-infection can be avoided by throwing away all combs, brushes, hair ornaments, hat and helmets one treatment has been started. Children should be taught never to share combs, brushes, hats, etc.

The psychological impact on children from this disease can be extensive due to the scaling and hair loss. Rejection from family members and mockery by classmates can be devastating. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment should be sought as it can be a great comfort to these children.

It’s as simple as providing a doctor’s certificate and getting your money back - minus child-care benefits.

“When you are trying to work and you have young children in child care and they are unwell it gets very expensive,” Ms King said.

“You have to pay the fees to keep the place. I thought, wouldn’t it be great if there was some kind of insurance around that covered that gap.” Ms King, who runs baby expo company Parenting Australia, took her proposal to Telstra Businesswoman of the Year, Carole-Anne Priest, chief executive of Altiora Insurance Solutions.

“She thought it was great and the product came to the market really quickly because there was nothing out there like it,” Ms King said.

The idea of pitching insurance at the young parent market has caught on. Ms Priest visited Lloyds of London last week to discuss a number of other specifically tailored insurance products.

The child-care cover costs $61 a year for people who pay up to $200 a week in fees and $91 for those who pay more than $200 a week.

Ms King said the daily cost of child care in Sydney ranged from $70 to $120 depending on the child-care centre.

Working mother Julie Blair took out the cover after her 14-month-old baby Connor fell ill with gastroenteritis.

When Mrs Blair went back to full-time work as a scientist in September, her son picked up the stomach bug in his first week in child care. He then had three colds.

“In the first six weeks he came down with something different each week,” she said.

Connor attends the Stella Maris Child Care Centre in Frenchs Forest five days a week.

If he is sick for a week, the Blairs are left $425 out of pocket.

Mrs Blair decided to take out the insurance in October. “It’s more for our own peace of mind,” she said.

The cover meant that she did not have to pay out for child care on top of staying at home and losing income.

Tanya Durant from Glenwood is a single mother who works full-time.

She got the cover a few months ago after being stuck when her four-year-old daughter, Abi, had gastroenteritis and was in hospital for a week.

“Both my children are in day care. It’s a bit like a tag team - one’s sick when the other isn’t,” she said.

“I’m running out of sick days and there’s the double compounded cost factor … which is what motivated me to get the insurance.”

An important part of helping your child be ready for school success is making sure your child gets healthy meals and snacks and regular physical activity at home and in child care. Follow the simple guidelines and tips below at home, and talk to your child’s caregiver about healthy eating and physical activity.

Healthy Eating

Healthy eating means choosing foods from all the food groups that will provide the nutrients (vitamins, minerals, fiber) needed for strong bodies and minds. It also means paying attention to portion and serving sizes. Portion sizes and servings should be smaller for children than for adults.

The basic food groups are:

* meats and poultry,

* milk and dairy,

* grains and bread,

* vegetables, and

* fruits.

For more information on the many varieties of foods and the recommended daily requirements, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s web site that has the Food Pyramid and other helpful nutritional information. You can also ask your family physician for nutritional guidance.

Try these tips to help your children eat healthy:

* Talk about it. Teach your children about the different food groups and how important it is to eat a variety of good foods.

* Eat together as a family. Practice what you teach. Parents serve as role models for developing lifelong habits.

* Limit or eliminate foods with sugar: candies, pastries, soft drinks.

* Give younger children small portions. Let them ask for more if they want more.

* Give younger children 5 or 6 mini-meals a day. They have smaller stomachs. It may be an easier way to make sure they get a variety of foods throughout the day. The whole family may want to try this as well. Small mini-meals throughout the day can prevent overeating and high calorie snacking.

* Provide nutritious snacks: fresh fruits, low fat cheese, and cereal with low fat milk.

* Limit eating at fast food restaurants. Fast foods are typically high in fat.

* Don’t expect a clean plate. This can lead to overeating.

* Try a variety of low-fat cooking recipes. Find healthy foods your children will love.

Fitness Fun

Along with eating healthy parents will want to make sure their children are physical fit. Eating and fitness go hand-in-hand. The body was meant to be nourished and it was meant to move. Watch young children and you will see how natural it is to run, skip, and jump. If your children are already physically active every day, encourage them to continue. Try these tips to help your children get moving:

* Let your infant roam around, safely, as much as possible-limit time in strollers and playpens.

* Make sure your children get outside to play at least 20 to 30 minutes everyday.

* Plan weekly family outings that involve being outdoors: biking, swimming, Frisbee.

* Have a variety of fun equipment that promotes fitness: bouncing balls, basketballs, soccer balls, jump ropes, badminton, hula hoops, and bicycles.

Healthy Child Care

Talk to your child’s caregiver about healthy eating and fitness. First, you will want to make sure you have any dietary restrictions or requirements in writing to avoid miscommunication. In addition, you can share these kinds of articles with your child’s caregiver, and encourage practices that support health and nutrition. For example, find out if children are being fed family style. Family style eating is ideal, because it allows your child to practice pouring and serving, and enjoy social time with the caregivers and adults.

Also ask about and observe the types of physical activity your child is getting at child care. Even babies need chances to move around and be outside every day!

When you partner with your child’s caregiver for nutritious eating and fitness routines, you are giving your child a healthy start to school success.

One of the common worries of a mother is about the adequacy of her child’s diet. A child requires more calories and protein for growth and tissue repair. If the child does not get adequate nutrition during this period, overall growth of the child is affected. Eating habits are always set in the first few years of life. That is the time to ingrain a healthy eating pattern in children. Velocity of growth varies in different age and sex group. Child’s nutritional requirements do vary accordingly.

How to make eating enjoyable?

There must be regularity in meal times. In between munching must be discouraged. There is no need to worry about occasionally not eating a meal properly or about over eating. It is perfectly normal. There must be some changes in the menu and the environment, otherwise it will become monotonous. Try to make food more appealing by using appropriate flavouring agents and syrups. There is no point in forcing a child to eat; this will make a child rebellious. Try avoiding discussing about each ones likes and dislike regarding food while eating. The difficulty to make your child eat vegetables can be overcome by catering to the taste in colour and texture. When introducing new foods try offering one at time and give small amounts at first. It is a good idea to try out new foods at the beginning of the meal while a child is still hungry. A little imagination in preparation and serving can be very rewarding. When you do all this, you must be cautious not to encourage your child’s pranks.

Food for 0 - 3 months

The best food for the newborn baby is mother’s milk. Breast milk is free from contamination and adulteration and supplies nutrients in almost correct amounts and propositions needed by the infants. It also provides an opportunity for close contact and emotional satisfaction of both mother and child. Breast milk contains immunoglobulin’s (protective proteins) that protect the child to some extent against infections.

Some mothers practice giving boiled water, fruit juices or glucose water, which is not essential. With breast milk there are less serious illness and allergies. Babies who were breast-fed have lesser chance of developing asthma in later life. The infant of less than 34 weeks has poor sucking and swallowing reflexes. In such cases expressed breast milk can be given.

During the first 3 months the mother’s diet should be given great importance. She must have a well balanced diet. Major handicap of breast milk is deficiency of iron. Till three months of age iron store in the baby is sufficient for the requirement. After three months iron has to be supplemented.

Food for 3 - 6 months

Nutritional supplementation starts during this period .The infants diet pattern is gradually changed from exclusive breast milk to breast milk with cooked solid foods. One can start supplementation with cereal foods provided the food is cooked soft and mashed to a thin consistency.

The new foods should be first introduced at lunchtime and extended gradually to other meals. When you start any food item give for at least one week, if possible two weeks before starting any another food item. Initially there may be mild indigestion.

Ragi powder, suji, and raw plantain powder can be cooked in milk with sugar and can be given. Make sure not to feed these in bottles, which will delay the child to eat the solid food and have more chances to develop lose motion. Rice can be cooked soft and mixed with curd and can be given. When child gets used to this, khichdi (rice and moong dhal) can be given. Soups and strained vegetables and fruits may be gradually introduced during the supplementation period. The fruits and vegetables will correct the deficiency of iron in breast milk. Fruit must be fully ripe.

The well nourished infant doubles his birth weight by 5 months of age

Diet for Children (1 To 6 Years)

A balanced and adequate diet is required to supply the nutrients and energy needed for the growing child. The requirement of all nutrients is increased, but the pattern of increase varies for different nutrients in relation to their role in growth of specific tissues.

A child of one year old can eat most of the dishes that are prepared for the rest of the family. They require less spicy food. The appetite normally decreases during this period. Fuzzy eating starts at this time so make sure the food is interesting and attractive. They need five to six meals a day because of their smaller appetites. Healthy foods such as whole wheat bread, cereals, fruits and vegetables should make up the major part of the diet of the children. Foods such as meat, fish, soya products, milk, pulses and cereals will provide the protein necessary for this age group.

Under 5 year old children should not use skimmed milk to restrict on fat and cholesterol as they need the extra calories, but grilled and baked foods are always preferable to fried and fatty ones. The growth rate of the child is slow in this group.

Protein has a very important role in the diet of the preschool child because there is considerable increase in muscular development during these years. The requirements for essential amino acids are higher for children than adults. So protein should be selected from complete protein foods such as milk, egg and meat.

The calorie requirements are also increased due to the high cellular activity. Whole grains or enriched cereals increase the calories. Concentrated sweets and foods that are very high in fat should be avoided.

Vitamins and minerals must be supplemented adequately. Calcium and iron requirements are relatively greater during early childhood. Deficiency of calcium can affect the bones of growing children. Foods rich in calcium such as milk and milk products, ragi, green leafy vegetable and fish should be included in the diet of children.

Aneamia, a common medical problem seen during this period is due to dietary lack of iron and / or by hookworm infestation. To meet this increased need for iron, iron rich foods, like rice flakes, green leafy vegetables, egg, and liver should be included in the diet. Preferably food must be given after children enjoyed his or her favorite activities such as TV programs or games to avoid them rush to leave the table.

Can a child eat Sweets and Candies

Let your children have occasional sweets. It is not going to cause much harm if taken in moderation. The draw back of excessive consumption of sweets and candies are it spoils the appetite and cause tooth decay. Sweet containing fermentable carbohydrate which adheres to the tooth surface is the major dietary factor influencing tooth decay. The greater cariogenic effect depends up on longer the sugar stays in the mouth. This is due to stickiness of the carbohydrate. Encourage children to brush their teeth before and after going to bed. Ice cream and cakes are marginally better than hard candies because there are at least some nutrients in the milk and grains.

Tips to help your child develop good eating habits

(1). Encourage your child to eat slowly and chew the food properly.

(2). Eat meals with the family as often as possible.

(3). Discourage eating while watching TV.

(4). Encourage Healthy Snacks.

(5). Include a variety of delicious healthy foods for meals and snacks.

(6). Set a good example for your children by eating a healthy and balanced diet.

(7). Don’t place your children on any restrictive diet with out proper supervision.

(8). Do not use food to punish your child.

(9). Occasional change of place and crowd will over come the monotony.

(10). Regularity in meal timing is essential.

(11). Tea and coffee should be restricted as they over stimulate the system.

(12). Salads can be made interesting for them by adding crushed peanuts or incorporating in sandwiches.

(13). Encourage children to enjoy fruits and vegetables by giving them different varieties from an early age.

(14). Do not add unnecessary sugar to drinks and foods.

(15). Don’t give skimmed milk to less than five year old.

(16). Don’t give whole nuts to children under four years old since they may choke.