Sister Lilian’s Babycare Companion: Complimentary and traditional care. Lilian Paramor

a little blood sometimes. This is usually just a reaction to the mother’s hormones and will soon settle. You need only see a doctor if bleeding is substantial or persists.

      •Baby’s stool might also reflect mom’s diet and medicines. Iron supplements and green veggies can cause green stools.

      •Babies with allergy tendencies often react to dairy and grain products and other commonly allergenic foods by passing mucus with their stools. This can range from just a little to quite a lot of frothy mucus. If this occurs, nursing mothers should avoid these products.

      •If the baby has been on medication, the stool may also change, mostly becoming looser.

      •If the stool of an exclusively breastfed baby is malodorous and he is very windy or crampy, evaluate your diet carefully and make the necessary changes. If the problem still persists, see the doctor.

      •Should your baby become jaundiced, you will notice that his urine stains the nappy a darker colour than that to which you have become accustomed. This is simply the pigment called bilirubin, which the kidneys are helping to excrete, and is not a cause for concern.

      •When Mom takes an iron supplement, her baby’s stools may be tinged a green-brown and tend to be far firmer or even a bit constipated.

      Formula babies’ bowel action

      Formula-fed babies’ stools are usually brown and pasty, and are mostly passed once to twice daily. However a small baby will seldom demonstrate a pattern to its bowel action, apart from the motion accompanying feeding. In time you might detect a pattern, but a regular excretory routine cannot be forced. Green tinges can be due to iron added to the formula milk powder and are not a cause for concern unless accompanied by constipation.

      The following deviations need attention:

      •Constipation is quite common if the formula milk does not agree with Baby. These stools are pellet-like and painful to pass. At times a little diarrhoea-like stool might seep past the constipated stool, and should not fool one.

      •Should you notice rather substantial quantities of mucus in the stool, it might be an indication that your child is sensitive to the formula. Alternatively, it might be a passing symptom of an, as yet, immature bowel. Should it persist and seem to cause discomfort in your baby, consult your practitioner.

      •Some babies’ stools are passed explosively, others almost unnoticeably. Formula adjustments are sometimes required, but only if you see that your baby is uncomfortable. Homeopathic remedies like Rescue Digest and the tissue salt Mag phos may also provide distinct relief, as can massaging Baby’s lower abdomen and back.

      •Green, watery stools are a definite cause for concern and if they persist after one or two episodes, have your practitioner check your baby. This is especially true if accompanied by fever and if your baby is disinclined to feed.

      The best way to clean a baby after a soiled nappy is simply to wipe off most of the pasty matter and then dunk the baby’s buttocks in a basin of warm water and clean with baby soap.

      CARING FOR BABY’S SENSITIVE AREAS

      There are many questions about Baby’s sensitive areas and how to care for them: Baby’s eyes, ears, nose, mouth, fontanelle, genitals, nails and belly button. This guide will see you through every stage, ensuring that Baby is perfectly cared for.

      Head

      Many parents are concerned about the soft spots on a baby’s head and wonder if they will not hurt their babies when washing hair or cleaning the head. As long as you do not press on these areas, especially the large anterior fontanelle, all will be well.

      To clean Baby’s head routinely, simply wipe down with a warm, damp facecloth. If Baby has a thick shock of hair, or perspires freely on the scalp, you might need to do so once or twice daily, or wash his hair with gentle shampoo at each bathtime.

      Some babies have cradle cap, which is a thick, sticky, yellow layer on the scalp and sometimes the eyebrows. The cause is not totally clear, but it is not serious, nor does it trouble Baby. Moms don’t like the look of cradle cap of course, and fortunately there are a number of self-help solutions to be found in this guide.

      Eyes

      Many babies awake with their eyelids stuck together and thick mucus accumulating in the inner corner of the eye. There is seldom need for concern. For the first two to three months of life, clean Baby’s eyelids regularly if crusty by dipping cotton wool balls in boiled, cooled water and wiping from the inner corner of the eye outwards. Use one cotton ball for the upper lid and a fresh one for the lower lid of each eye to prevent infection.

      From three months use a separate facecloth for Baby’s face and eyes, but it is no longer necessary to pay special attention to the eyes unless there is chronic blockage of the tear ducts.

      Ears

      Baby’s ears are self-cleaning and one should not try to reach into the external ear canal to remove wax, as delicate structures could be harmed. If using a cotton bud, clean only the shell of the ear. Always use a cotton bud with an extra swollen tip to prevent penetration of the canal. When washing Baby’s hair, block the ears with the thumb and middle finger of your hand holding the head, to prevent water from entering the ear canal.

      If Baby has a profuse or malodorous discharge from the ear, clean away only that which drains out and see your doctor as soon as possible, as the tympanic membrane may have ruptured and Baby will need medication.

      Remember always to feed a bottle baby at a 45-degree angle in your arms, never lying flat, to prevent formula milk from flowing into the ear from the throat, possibly causing earache or infection.

      Nose

      There is no need to follow a specific cleansing routine for Baby’s nose. Some very snuffly babies sound like a steam train, have difficulty feeding, or wake from sleep because of dry membranes from mouth breathing. Insert one or two drops of saline into each nostril to loosen any mucus you cannot see. Baby will probably sneeze it out soon after. Homeopathic nasal drops and creams are also very effective, or you can tickle your baby’s nostrils with a tissue to induce a bout of sneezing. One can use a nasal mucus extractor safely, but take care to avoid injury to the delicate membranes. If Baby has a chronic problem with mucus or there are other signs of ill health, like fever or pain, apply the self-help tips elsewhere in this guide, or see your doctor.

      Mouth

      Baby’s mouth needs no special cleaning, but do take a regular peek inside to see that all is well. If there is a white, slightly raised coating on the tongue, the insides of the cheeks and on the gums, Baby may have oral thrush, which will need treatment. You can use homeopathic Calendula Tablets, the tissue salt Kali mur and/or probiotic therapy to treat this. If there is not speedy relief, see your doctor for an oral or systemic anti-fungal treatment. Applying gentian violet to the areas often helps, but is a very messy option. If breastfeeding, you will also need treatment, to prevent cross-infection to your nipples.

      Breasts

      Do not be concerned if you notice swelling of Baby’s breast tissue in the first two weeks of life. This is in response to your hormones while Baby was in the womb and will soon dissipate. Do not prod or squeeze and simply clean as you would the rest of the body. Sometimes there might even be a little discharge, which will soon clear.

      Navel

      A newborn’s umbilical cord stump and navel need to be cleaned at each nappy change. Use calendula lotion or surgical spirits to disinfect the clamp, stump, and in all the crevices of the navel as the stump dries and the belly button becomes accessible. Use cotton wool balls initially, and cotton buds as the stump shrivels. The navel may spot a little blood up to six weeks, but should not bleed freely. It will be a little moist in the first week to ten days with yellow crusting, but only needs special treatment if pus forms or there is a bad smell. The cord will fall off at about eight to ten days, or can be cut if just hanging by a dry thread. If very moist, apply homeopathic healing powders or ointment.