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Baby Sucking On Bottom Lip: What Does it Mean?

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Baby sleeping in a basket

When you notice your baby sucking on bottom lip, you probably get curious about the reason behind this behavior. Moreover, this sucking behavior should only be a phase in your baby’s development. But, there might come a time that adverse effects may arise from this behavior. Let’s find out in this article.

When are babies predisposed to lip sucking behavior?

Most babies go through the phase of lip sucking behavior. Moreover, it is quite normal as your baby discovers more about his or her body. Also, lip sucking behavior is the initial communication of your baby to you. Lip sucking is normal for babies. This behavior usually starts at 2 months old when your baby has formed his or her body map in the brain.

Why is Baby Sucking On Bottom Lip?

When your baby sucks on his or her bottom lip, there might be various reasons behind it. However, it is usually totally normal and it should be manageable. Besides, babies usually outgrow the behavior at around 6 months of age and it seldom leads to Dermatophagia in childhood.

Lip sucking behavior is normal for babies since babies are too young to be diagnosed with any form of Dermatophagia, so they can be ruled out. Here are some of the reasons why your baby is sucking on his or her lip:

  • Soothing to babies
  • Form of communication
  • Sensory developmental milestone
  • Enhance neurological activity
  • Sign of hunger
  • Curiosity about your food
  • Indication of teething
  • Nervousness

Adverse effects of lip sucking behavior

Lip sucking behavior is usually harmless in infants. However, as your baby grows and teeth begin to emerge, your baby may eventually have blisters or minor lip injuries due to consistent lip sucking. Therefore, minor injuries might be noticed, but it may go away on its own once your baby outgrows the lip sucking behavior at about 6 months of age.

Dermatophagia is a condition that makes a person obsessed about biting himself or herself. However, in babies, it is a developmental phase instead of a disorder. If babies do not grow out of lip sucking behavior beyond 7 months old, then it might lead to Dermatophagia, so the behavior may have to be addressed by a physician by then.

How to ease the adverse effects of lip sucking behavior?

Usually, the effects of lip sucking behavior are relatively mild and may not need medication or ointments. However, if you notice that your baby is experiencing too much discomfort because of a lip blister or sore due to the behavior, you may apply ice for a few minutes in the affected area to reduce the pain or swelling.

How to prevent babies from sucking their lip?

You don’t really have to prevent your baby from sucking his or her lip, because it is just a developmental phase and not a serious condition. However, if you would like to limit the lip sucking behavior of your baby, you may use a pacifier, so your baby has something to suck, instead of his or her lip.

Once you know the reason why your baby is sucking his or her lip, you may minimize the lip sucking behavior if you immediately address the reason why your baby is sucking his or her lip. Moreover, if it is due to hunger, you may set a feeding schedule for your baby. Besides, if you have twins or multiples, having a schedule may really help you raise your twin babies efficiently.

If your baby is sucking his or her lip due to hunger or food curiosity, you may address this by feeding your baby or letting your baby try the food that you are eating, if it is safe for your baby. As your baby grows, he or she becomes more curious about food and some non-food items that he or she would attempt to put almost anything in his or her mouth.

Once your baby is teething, you may prevent your baby from sucking his or her lip by providing cold teething rings to soothe the gums while the tooth is preparing to erupt. 3 to 5 days before the eruption of the tooth, your baby may feel huge discomfort or even pain, so it may trigger lip sucking behavior, but it may then cause the lips to get injured if your baby sucks his or her lip too much.

Do not ever get mad at your baby for persistently sucking his or her lip. It is normal for babies 2-6 months old. However, if your baby continues to suck on his or her lip beyond that age, you may use diversions such as baby food or pacifier to prevent your baby from lip sucking. Remember that at this stage, your baby is still too young to understand when you get mad at them, so it is unnecessary and it may startle your baby.

When should you get concerned about your baby’s lip sucking behavior?

Once your baby reaches about a year old and the lip sucking behavior only intensifies, it might be a sign that you need to get in touch with a pediatrician to help you address the problem or potential Dermatophagia in childhood. Moreover, if your baby continues to suck his or her lip very hard and his or her teeth milk teeth have completely emerged, it may lead to injury. Besides, regularly having lip injuries may predispose your baby to infection.

Conclusion

Once you notice that your baby is sucking on bottom lip, do not get concerned if your baby is 2-6 months of age. It is a normal phase that most babies go through without a problem. Moreover, it is your baby’s first way of communicating with you while he or she is still unable to speak.

Baby Cries After Eating: Causes and Steps to Take

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Baby Cries After Eating

As a new parent, you might get baffled when your baby cries after eating. Moreover, you have to consider plenty of reasons why your baby is acting up even after feeding.

Oftentimes, crying is usually a classic sign that your baby is hungry, but if your baby continues to cry even after feeding, there might be something that you are missing out on in your baby’s feeding routine. Let’s find out in this article.

Baby Cries After Eating

It is normal for babies to cry. However, when your baby cries for more than 3 hours a day it may be classified as colic in babies. On the other hand, if your baby cries right after your feeding routine, you might be forgetting to burp your baby and your baby is already feeling discomfort due to being gassy.

Depending on your baby’s age, he or she may be able to burp on his or her own. However, if your baby is below 3 months old, you may have to burp your baby to avoid discomfort due to ingesting air after feeding. If your baby is being bottle-fed using a fast-feeding bottle, your baby is more likely to ingest more air, making your baby gassy.

If you are feeding your baby with formula milk, you may want to check the ingredients of your formula if your baby cries shortly after ingesting the milk, even after burping. Your baby might be allergic to one or more ingredients in your formula milk and it might be causing discomfort in your baby’s digestive system, causing your baby to cry excessively after feeding.

If your baby has already begun eating mashed or solid foods, and your baby cries shortly after eating, the food might not be well tolerated by your baby’s digestive system. Moreover, it might also be caused by food intolerance that is causing discomfort in your baby, causing him or her to cry after feeding.

Food allergy or intolerance in babies may be exhibited in many ways. Moreover, food allergy and intolerance can almost surely cause your baby to cry excessively after a meal. To prevent this, you may introduce the new food gradually in your baby’s diet to make sure that the food does not trigger any unwanted reactions in your baby’s system.

Is Your Baby Gassy?

When your baby cries after eating, your baby might be gassy. However, it is quite normal that your baby feels gassy after eating. Your baby would normally ingest air together with the milk. But, the same happens when your baby ingests mashed or solid foods.

best baby monitor for twins
Twins brother baby crying

Here are some ways to prevent your baby from being gassy and avoiding post-feeding crying sessions:

  • Burp your baby after feeding
  • Feed-in an upright position
  • Exercise your baby’s legs
  • Prevent colic to reduce air ingestion
  • Don’t let your baby sleep immediately after feeding, wait for 20-30 minutes
  • Avoid food that may cause allergies or intolerance
  • Bottle-feed your baby slowly

Acid Reflux

Acid reflux happens when ingested food backs up or refluxes from a baby’s stomach. When acid reflux occurs after feeding, your baby may then cry excessively. Even though acid reflux may not be a serious condition and may go away as your baby grows, it causes discomfort to your baby and may cause your baby to cry after feeding.

Twins and multiples that were born prematurely may be more prone to acid reflux as newborns. Moreover, if your babies often lie flat on their backs, especially after feeding, they are more prone to having acid reflux. Changing your baby’s position regularly and exercising their leg muscles regularly may help prevent acid reflux.

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a more serious form of acid reflux that may contain enough acids from the stomach to potentially damage the lining in your baby’s esophagus. This is already a complication of acid reflux that may inhibit your baby’s growth.

Furthermore, if acid reflux persists when your baby is already beyond 18 months old, you may have to consult your baby’s pediatrician for possible interventions.

Your Baby is Teething

Teething is another milestone that parents usually celebrate. However, teething may also cause discomfort in infants. Once your baby is teething some gum sores may develop accompanying the growing tooth. Furthermore, sucking may cause these gum sores to hurt when your baby is feeding.

When your baby is teething, he or she may feel discomfort 3-5 days before the tooth emerges. During this time, your baby may cry more frequently due to the discomfort caused by the growing tooth. After breastfeeding or sucking milk from a bottle, your baby may then feel pain from the gum sores that may cause your baby to cry during or after feeding.

Mouth Sores

Mouth sores may also occur in children below 1 year old. When this happens, your baby may have difficulty in feeding and may sometimes refuse milk or soft food due to the pain. Furthermore, after your regular feeding routine, your baby may also cry excessively due to the pain caused by mouth sores that may last for 7-10 days.

Do Babies Sleep More When Teething

Oral Thrush

Oral thrush is an overgrowth of naturally occurring fungi in a baby’s mouth. However, this type of fungi is supposed to be harmless under normal levels. When oral thrush occurs in your baby, there may be a visible appearance of patches that looks like cottage cheese that may not go away when wiped. Oral thrush may cause your baby to cry during and after feeding.

Conclusion

When your baby cries after eating, it may be caused by various things. However, most of these things usually go away on their own or they are easy to prevent. But, when your baby becomes fussy after eating and you notice signs of oral thrush or mouth sores, you may need to consult your pediatrician immediately.

What Age Do You Stop Burping Babies?

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Baby sleeping peacefully

Bringing a baby to the world is always a pleasurable experience. However, babies don’t come with instructional manuals which leave you wondering about certain details about their growth and development. After a few months of caring for your baby, you may wonder, “What age do you stop burping babies?” Let’s find out in this article.

Why do you need to burp your baby?

You need to burp babies to get rid of excess gas that they ingest during either bottle-feeding or breastfeeding. Moreover, if you don’t allow your baby to burp after feeding, the air bubble in their tiny digestive systems may cause discomfort and probably further complications.

Burping your baby is important for your baby’s health. However, if you notice other complications such as acid reflux and severe colic, you may want to consult your pediatrician to identify any underlying problem in your baby’s health. Moreover, your baby might be allergic to the formula that you are feeding him or her, so you might want to consider changing to a formula that works better for your baby.

What age do you stop burping babies?

There is no exact age that you have to stop burping babies since there are many factors that may affect this development. Moreover, breast milk and formula milk may also affect when your baby is ready to burp on his or her own. Generally, when your baby is about 4-9 months old, he or she is ready to burp on his or her own.

When you stop burping your baby between 4-9 months old, you may also notice that your baby burps during some physical activity. Usually, this age range is also the time that your baby may drop to one nap and get ready to walk. Moreover, when you stop burping your baby, it means that your baby has reached a new milestone that can make any parent proud.

This age range of 4-9 months old is a big gap that may confuse first-time parents when they really need to stop burping their babies. Moreover, if you have twins or multiples, you might get overwhelmed and not know when to exactly stop burping your babies. There are some signs that you can look out for when you should stop burping your babies.

Signs that you can stop burping your baby

A newborn will have to be burped more frequently than babies that are a few months old. However, first-time parents may not immediately know when they should stop burping their baby. Here are some tell-tale signs that you can stop burping your baby:

Do you always need to burp a baby after feeding?

You would always need to burp a baby after feeding when he or she is 3 months old and below. However, once your baby reaches the 4-month mark, depending on your baby’s diet and activity he or she may be able to burp on his or her own. On the other hand, you may need to burp your baby up to 9 months of age when you notice that he or she is still experiencing gastric discomfort after feeding or is still unable to burp on his or her own.

Burping formula-fed babies vs. breastfed babies

Formula-fed babies and breastfed babies may have certain differences when it comes to burping. Moreover, you may stop burping breastfed babies sooner than you would stop burping a formula-fed baby. Formula-fed babies may have to be burped for a longer time, depending on their feeding bottle and formula milk.

Bottle-feeding may introduce more air to the digestive tract while your baby is feeding. Moreover, if you are using a fast feeding bottle, more air may get ingested by your baby. This means that you may have to burp your baby right after bottle-feeding almost always, because it may be difficult for your baby to get rid of this excess gas in the digestive tract. The solution to this is that you may use a slow feeding bottle for your baby to prevent excess gas.

Breastfed babies usually ingest less air compared to their bottle-fed counterparts. So, you can stop burping them sooner as they may be able to get rid of ingested air easily. Moreover, if breastfed babies are only able to ingest very little air, they may be able to burp or fart on their own without assistance. However, if you notice that your breastfed baby is still gassy, you may still need to burp him or her.

What to do if your baby is still feeling gastric discomfort after burping?

If you have already burped your baby, yet you still notice that your baby is still feeling gastric discomfort, you may contact your pediatrician right away to immediately address the problem. Your baby may experience more complicated gastric problems that might not be addressed by simple burping. Furthermore, your baby might be allergic to the formula milk that you are using or is intolerant to the food that you recently introduced.

Conclusion

What age do you stop burping babies? You may stop burping babies anywhere between 4-9 months of age, depending on various factors, such as your baby’s milk and activity. Oftentimes, you may stop burping breastfed babies sooner than bottle-fed babies. The need to burp babies varies greatly depending on the amount of air that babies ingest during feeding. Furthermore, if your baby eats solid food quite well, it may also be a good time to stop burping your baby.

When Do Babies Stop Wearing Diapers?

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When Do Babies Stop Wearing Diapers

As new parents, you may have several questions in mind about the progress of your baby. However, as your baby grows, you probably want to know when they can achieve the milestone of not wearing diapers. So, when do babies stop wearing diapers? Let’s find out in this article.

When to start potty training your baby?

You may start potty training your baby is able to stand and walk on his or her own. Usually, walking and potty training may begin at 24 months old. It is essential to start potty training your baby when he or she begins to walk, so your baby can approach their first baby toilet or baby toilet seat. Moreover, your baby may also begin to develop diaper rash as he or she slowly begins to grow out of the available diaper sizes.

Even though your baby may be potty trained at 24 months old, you may still expect some accidents to occur. In the US, babies are often completely potty trained at 35-39 months old. However, the beginning of potty training may greatly vary depending on the parents, but 24 months and older is often the ideal age for potty training babies.

How do you begin potty training your baby?

You may begin potty training your baby by introducing the baby toilet and showing your baby how it is supposed to be used. However, if you are raising twins, make sure to provide a baby toilet for each of your twins. So, twins may be potty trained at the same time with their own baby toilets.

Here are some steps to begin potty training your baby:

  • Initially use pull up diapers at first to prevent “accidents”
  • Teach your babies to tell you when they need to pee or poop
  • Demonstrate how a toilet is used
  • Have a potty routine or schedule
  • Encourage the use of underwear, not diapers
  • Celebrate potty milestones
  • Add some fun factor to your potty routine

Can diaper accessibility make potty training more difficult?

As parents, it is all up to you to decide when you would like to begin potty training your baby. However, always having access to diapers may sometimes make potty training more difficult. Besides, once you decide to remove diapers and resort to using it once again, it may confuse your baby, and this might make potty training more difficult than you expect.

When Do Babies Stop Wearing Diapers?

It depends on the parents when you would like to teach your baby to get out of diapers. Moreover, it is just like the milestone of babies when they drop to one nap. It is always up for the parents to decide when they would like to help their baby in these developmental milestones. Usually, parents begin potty training at 24 months old. But, parents would usually make their baby completely diaper-free at about 4-5 years old.

Some parents also choose to stop their babies from using diapers when their babies are already experiencing diaper rash due to the smaller available sizes of baby diapers. This means that their baby is already outgrowing the common diaper sizes available, hence they can stop their babies from wearing diapers altogether and prevent the diaper rash.

Stopping a baby from wearing diapers is another milestone that any parent can be proud of. Moreover, this milestone is often the transition of babies into toddlers. It is very advantageous for your baby to stop wearing diapers once he or she is completely potty trained and knows how to communicate to you when they need to go to the toilet.

Teaching your baby to stop wearing diapers may take time. But, it is definitely worth it because once your baby is already toilet trained; you can save money on diapers. Some babies may stop wearing diapers a few days after they are initially taught to use the toilet. However, for some babies, it may take more time to learn how to use the toilet or how to tell their parents when they need it. Nevertheless, potty training has to be consistent and success may be rewarded to encourage the milestone achieved.

Nighttime potty training might be more difficult. Sometimes, your baby might not feel the urge to use the toilet when asleep. This may cause your baby to wet the bed at night. To prevent this, you may use diapers or pull-ups at night until your baby knows how to tell you that he or she needs to go potty in the middle of the night.

When is your baby ready to get out of diapers?

You can safely say that your baby is ready to get out of diapers once he or she can already communicate whenever he or she needs to go to the toilet. This may also be when your baby begins to speak clearly. However, even with baby talk or twin language, you might be able to understand when your babies need to go and you may assist them in the toilet. Once you notice that your babies already know when to tell you that they need to go, even at night, it might be safe to say that they are ready to get out of diapers.

Conclusion

When do babies stop wearing diapers? The exact time on when babies begin to stop wearing diapers greatly varies depending on their parents. Moreover, the development of babies may also vary. Hence, potty training may also be different for every baby because learning how to stand, sit, and talk are a prerequisite to effective potty training as your baby enters toddlerhood. Once you notice that your baby is able to tell you when he or she needs to go during the day and night, then it is possible that your baby is ready to stop wearing diapers.

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When Do Babies Drop to One Nap?

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Baby sleeping peacefully

When do babies drop to one nap? This might be a question that every parent has. Knowing the changes in the sleeping patterns of babies is essential in scheduling your daily life, especially if you have twins or multiples. As your baby grows, you can expect various changes in their sleeping habits.

First-time parents may also be very curious when they can expect their baby to take a nap once a day. Moreover, some parents also want to understand the sleeping patterns of their babies further. Let’s find out more about it in this article.

How long should babies normally sleep?

The duration of sleep in babies greatly varies with their age. However, newborns really sleep for longer hours than babies that are already several months old. Newborns generally sleep throughout the day and wake up when they need to feed. On the other hand, babies that are already several months old may have more energy as they may already want to play, crawl or stand.

Newborns that are 0-3 months of age need to sleep for about 14-17 hours in a day divided either short or long naps. However, when they reach 4-6 months of age, babies may need less sleep during the day and may sleep for longer hours at night. When babies are about 4-6 months old, they may sleep for up to 8-12 hours in a single night and take about 3-5 hours of nap during the day.

When your baby is about 6 months old, you may expect him or her to be more active and want to play a little bit more. However, at this age, your baby may still need to sleep for 11-12 hours at night and may need to take 2-4 short naps during the day. But during this stage, the sleeping patterns of babies may greatly vary depending on their activity.

When do babies drop to one nap?

Babies normally take a single nap during the day when they become toddlers at about 12-24 months old. However, during this age, some babies may still need two naps a day. You may help your baby to transition to having a single nap per day, but it may take some effort to do so.

When babies take two naps a day, they would usually have one in the morning and one in the afternoon. However, when they sleep at night, they may or may not wake up in the middle of it. This transition in sleeping patterns may not always turn out smoothly since babies may either give up their morning nap or afternoon nap to just have a single nap per day. But, some babies may alternately sleep in the morning or afternoon during this sleep transition period.

baby crib

Parents usually want their baby to have one nap a day and longer sleep at night because it is another milestone for any baby. Moreover, during this time that babies may need a single nap in a day, they may be more active, too. Then as parents, you begin to look forward to their first steps and the rest of your baby’s firsts.

Sleeping obstacles with twins and multiples

Having multiples or twins have their own set of obstacles to overcome when it comes to getting your baby to sleep to one nap. However, having multiples and twins has its own set of benefits. Oftentimes, twins may sleep at the same time due to their twin language when you prepare them to sleep. Moreover, twins prefer to be active at the same time, so their sleeping patterns are very likely to be similar.

The main obstacle in getting your twins or multiples to sleep is when one of your babies has a different sleeping schedule from the rest. However, you may gradually help your baby to sleep a similar schedule with the rest of their siblings by helping your baby distinguish the difference between night and day. Also, when your babies transition to having a single nap per day, help them adjust their sleeping patterns together with their twin at the same time.

When should babies be awakened during naps?

Babies that are older than 6 months of age or older may be gently awakened from naps when they are already sleeping for more than 2 hours at a time. Because, if babies sleep for more than 3 hours per nap, they may have difficulty sleeping at night or they may wake up from their slumber several times the middle of the night.

How to overcome sleeping obstacles in babies?

There are several ways that you can overcome your babies’ sleeping obstacles. Moreover, you also have to understand that babies may adjust differently when you help them change their sleeping patterns. Here are some tips on how to overcome sleeping obstacles with your baby:

  • Help your baby distinguish night from day to stimulate natural circadian rhythm
  • Allow your baby to calm down from night terrors
  • Set a feeding schedule
  • Interact with your baby more during the day and less at night
  • Have a routine with our baby before bedtime
  • Play soft music during bed time
  • Allow your baby to fall asleep when he or she is exhausted
  • Understand your baby’s sleepy cues
  • Don’t allow your baby to take very long naps (more than 3 hours) during the day, to prevent trouble in sleeping at night

Conclusion

When do babies drop to one nap? Normally, babies that are 12-24 months old take a single nap during the day. However, this may also depend on how you transition their sleeping patterns from having more than one nap to having a single nap during the day. Nevertheless, there are ways to overcome sleeping obstacles in your babies’ and you always have to look for your cues if they are comfortable with it.

Signs Baby Will Walk Soon

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Baby learning how to walk

Walking is one of the milestones that babies achieve. Moreover, this can make any parent really proud. When a baby begins to walk, it is also a sign that his or her growth and development is just right on track. Parents often want to know: what are the signs baby will walk soon. Let’s find out in this article.

Signs baby will walk soon

As a parent, you are probably excited to know exactly when your baby is going to walk. However, babies don’t immediately take baby steps when they want to. There are some tell-tale signs that your baby is about to take his or her first steps soon. Here are the signs to look out for when you are expecting your baby to walk:

The baby begins to roll and move more frequently

When a baby starts to be more mobile, then it is a good sign that he or she is about to walk soon. Moreover, during this time your baby attempts to reach out for their toys above them. Also, when a baby begins to move more frequently, the baby is trying to strengthen his or her muscles to get ready for walking.

Your baby begins to bounce while sitting

Before your baby learns to stand or walk, he or she may learn how to sit on his or her own first. Then, once your baby has learned how to sit, on the bed or on your lap, you may notice that your baby is attempting to bounce in an up and down motion. This means that your baby is strengthening his or her muscles in preparation for walking.

Baby becomes restless

When babies want to walk, you may notice that they become really restless. Moreover, if you have twins or multiples you can see that they are interacting with each other more frequently as they also begin to move their arms and legs more often as if to communicate with each other. Once you notice that your babies are getting restless, it might be a sign that they are about to walk soon.

The baby begins to crawl

Crawling is a tell-tale sign that your baby or babies want to walk really soon. Moreover, as they discover mobility in the form of crawling, they become more curious about the world around them and this also urges them to explore further. Their curiosity, coupled with their new-found crawling mobility may encourage your babies or baby to walk really soon.

Baby begins to pull up

Walking requires the coordination and the strength of your babies’ muscles that have not yet fully developed while in the womb. However, when your babies see the outside world, they begin to strengthen their muscles as they have more freedom to move around more freely. This may also mean that they may begin to pull themselves up in an attempt to strength and learn posture. Pulling up is a good indication that your babies may walk soon.

Baby learns to transfer weight

Walking involves the transfer of weight from one leg to another, alternately. So, when babies learn to transfer weight in either of their legs when you are trying to hold them up, it is a good sign that your baby is really going to walk soon. Transferring weight from one leg to another helps your babies strengthen their muscles as they learn to stand and eventually walk.

Baby learns to stand

The ultimate tell-tale sign that your baby is almost ready to walk is standing. When a baby learns to stand and transfer weight from one leg to another alternately, it means that your baby is about to walk either with assistance or on their own. However, this is also the time that you need to take extra care in our baby’s surroundings and supervise him or her at all times.

Even though your baby may have learned how to stand on his or her own, the balance may not be perfect, so they may still fall. It is important to keep your baby away from hard objects that they may hit in case they are to fall. When your baby learns to stand, you may also attempt to assist walking your baby by holding his or her hand while encouraging walking.

The baby begins to hold on to furniture to help with balance

Once your baby learns to stand on their own, they may continue to stand on their own with the help of furniture. Moreover, even though they may not yet know how to walk properly, yet, babies may pull themselves using the furniture as leverage. Then, you might notice that your baby may be able to move from one place to another with the help of the nearby furniture.

This is the most crucial stage when your baby is about to walk. Besides, this is the time that your baby is most prone to accidents by potentially hitting other furniture. Also, it might help prevent injuries if you put a cushion on the edges of hard furniture in case your baby might accidentally hit them.

Ways to encourage your baby to walk

There are various ways to encourage your baby to walk. Moreover, if you have twins or multiples, you may ask your partner to help you assist one of your babies in their attempt to walk. Here are some ways to encourage your baby to walk further:

  • Assist with your baby’s balance
  • Give verbal encouragement
  • Ask your baby to walk towards you

Conclusion

Signs baby will walk soon are virtually impossible to miss if you are a hands-on parent. Moreover, there are ways that you can encourage your baby to walk once you notice these tell-tale signs that your baby is physically getting ready to walk.

When Do Cravings Start In Pregnancy?

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Woman eating pizza

In either singleton or multiple pregnancies, cravings are inevitable. However, in multiple pregnancies, craving might be more intense due to the surge of heightened hormones in twins or multiples. You are probably wondering, “When do cravings start in pregnancy?” so you know when to expect those odd and late-night cravings.

Sometimes in pregnancy, your husband or partner might think that your pregnancy food cravings are insatiable, but is it? Moreover, you are probably wondering when the cravings would fade away, so you can just go through your regular diet during pregnancy. Let’s find out about pregnancy food cravings in this article.

Are pregnancy food cravings real?

Yes, pregnancy food cravings are real. However, some people who have not yet gone through pregnancy might think that pregnancy food cravings are just like any other craving that is experienced by anyone who gets hungry. After all, the intense cravings of various foods during hunger aren’t rare. Moreover, during pregnancy, it is expected that more food is necessary to support the growing fetus in the womb.

Pregnancy food cravings are real and it is not like any other cravings that people who are not pregnant actually experience that is often referred to as pica. However, in pica, the cravings usually involve food or non-food items that have very little or no nutritional value at all. On the other hand, pregnancy food craving usually involve foods that are rich in macro or micronutrients that are essential for the growth and development of your baby.

What is pregnancy food craving?

Pregnancy food craving is your body telling you to eat specific food that is beneficial for the growth and development of your baby. It is the sometimes unexplainable urgent need to eat specific foods that may or may not be a part of your normal diet. Various factors may cause pregnancy food cravings. Furthermore, people around you might even find it bizarre that you are craving for an odd combination of food.

Causes of pregnancy food cravings

Pregnancy food cravings might be caused by different things. It can either be triggered by hormonal, psychological or physical responses. Furthermore, if you have different nutritional needs when you are pregnant, in contrary when you are not pregnant, so your body also adjusts to this by triggering certain cravings.

Cravings can be triggered by hormones when there is a sudden change in the levels of certain hormones in your body. Moreover, cravings are not the only reaction that your body may have to these hormones; you might also feel agitated, aroused and other things that your hormones may trigger.

When you are thinking of eating something constantly to the point that you begin to crave badly for it, and then this might be caused by your brain. Our brains know the various foods that can provide the nutrition that our bodies need at any given time. However, during pregnancy, it is in overdrive, so you begin to crave for various or even weird food combinations intensely.

Physical responses are the actual feeling that you are hungry and you begin to crave for food due to this intense hunger. When you are pregnant, this physical response to hunger become stronger than ever before, so you crave for odd foods that may provide adequate nutrition. Pregnancy food cravings often involve foods that are rich in macro and micronutrients that your body needs.

Your age during pregnancy also matters when it comes to cravings. When cravings and aversions of pregnant adolescents were assessed, it showed that 86% of pregnant adolescents reported cravings during pregnancy and these cravings slowly subsided after a month of post-partum. Age may also play a role in cravings during pregnancy since younger pregnant women are more susceptible to various physiological changes in their bodies.

To sum it all up, the common causes of pregnancy food cravings are:

  • Nutrition deficiency or insufficiency
  • Psychosocial factors
  • Age during pregnancy
  • Cultural factors
  • Active nutrients in desired food items

When do cravings start in pregnancy?

Cravings during pregnancy begin during the first trimester and peaks during the second trimester. Nevertheless, some women may experience intense cravings all throughout pregnancy. Pregnancy food cravings might also be caused by nutrition imbalances during a specific time. Furthermore, if you are not getting enough nutrition to support the growth and development of the baby in your womb, then your brain and body begin to crave for various foods.

Cravings during pregnancy greatly vary depending on the woman. But, generally, the peak of pregnancy food cravings happens during the second trimester. The first and second trimester of pregnancy is the most vital in the growth and development of your baby and this is also when you need the best nutrition that you can probably get. However, you still have to eat nutritious food throughout your pregnancy to maintain your baby’s and your health.

Risk attributed to food cravings during pregnancy

Cravings during pregnancy may predispose the mother to gestational weight gain that may cause some health complications to the mother and fetus in her womb. Furthermore, obesity prior to pregnancy that is coupled with gestational weight gain might lead to further complications during childbirth for both the mother and the baby. Cravings during pregnancy still have to be managed to maintain a healthy weight throughout the pregnancy.

Conclusion

When do cravings start in pregnancy? Cravings during pregnancy usually begin at the first trimester of the pregnancy while being at its peak during the second trimester. However, pregnancy food cravings may happen throughout your pregnancy in various stages. Pregnancy food cravings may be caused by a lot of things, but it is very normal as your body adapts to the additional nutritional needs.

Do Baby Teeth Have Roots?

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Smiling baby showing off his teeth

Your baby’s smile is priceless. Moreover, there is no greater joy for a parent than seeing your baby happy. Every time you see your baby’s smile you can’t help but notice their growing teeth. Then, you may wonder, “Do baby teeth have roots?” Milk teeth are meant to fall off later in your baby’s life to make way for permanent teeth. Let’s find out more about baby teeth in this article.

What Are Baby Teeth Made Of?

Just like any other teeth, deciduous teeth or baby teeth are also made of enamel, dentin, pulp, cementum, and periodontal ligament. This provides the teeth the strength and sensation to allow babies to chew their food. Moreover, baby teeth are also attached to the gums and bone.

 

Enamel is very hard since it is made of calcium phosphate. Moreover, calcium and phosphorus are usually obtained from dietary sources of the baby which includes food and breast or formula milk. These nutrients are essential for the healthy growth of your baby’s teeth, so a proper diet and choosing the right type of milk are important for your baby.

Types of Baby Teeth

Deciduous teeth also have various types which are similar to that of adults. However, milk teeth are just a lot smaller than permanent teeth. Nevertheless, these types of teeth play various roles in helping your baby chew food as he or she grows. These are the types of baby teeth:

  • Incisors – Type of teeth responsible for cutting food that babies bit into.
  • Canine teeth – The teeth found at the end of each side of incisors are also called cuspids or eyeteeth.
  • Premolars – Behind the canine teeth are the premolars that are also known as bicuspids. These teeth are responsible for mashing food.
  • Molars – The last set of teeth that lie behind the premolars. This set of teeth is slightly larger and has more grooves for chewing.

Do Baby Teeth Have Roots

Normally, twenty baby teeth will emerge. Moreover, these teeth begin to develop prior to birth and often fully emerge when your child reaches approximately 5 or 6 years old. However, in rare cases, not all deciduous teeth emerge or not all of the deciduous teeth fall off.

Do Baby Teeth Have Roots?

Yes, just like any other teeth, deciduous teeth also have a root structure. However, in baby teeth, the root structure is a lot smaller than that of adult teeth. Once you obtain a fallen milk tooth, you are probably unable to find its roots, no matter how hard you look. This is because the roots of the milk teeth are so small that it only gets reabsorbed by your baby’s gums.

Since you don’t find any roots in a fallen milk tooth, you might immediately assume that baby teeth do not have roots. However, the roots are just so small and it doesn’t fall off together with the tooth since it has already been absorbed by your baby’s gums. Furthermore, the root of a milk tooth gets absorbed even before the tooth falls off.

Baby teeth clearly have roots. However, once deciduous teeth have served their purpose, they would then fall off to prevent tooth impactions and “double parking” of teeth. Moreover, baby teeth have to make way for a stronger set of permanent teeth. Baby teeth and permanent teeth have three main differences namely the color, size, and number.

Do Babies Sleep More When Teething

Why Do Milk Teeth Fall Off?

Baby teeth fall off because their roots get reabsorbed by the body through the gums. This is because their place is needed for the growth of the second set of teeth which are the permanent teeth. Permanent teeth are the right set of teeth for the age of your child when the milk teeth begin to fall off. Moreover, baby teeth have to fall off to allow the permanent teeth to align properly as it grows.

When Do Deciduous Teeth Begin to Emerge?

Baby teeth begin to develop even while the baby is still in the womb. However, milk teeth usually begin to emerge when a baby is about 6 months old. But, it has been recorded that some babies’ teeth began to erupt as early as 3 months of age.

It is expected that all of the twenty milk teeth have erupted by around 33 months of age. However, some teeth may grow sooner or later than others. As long as it is not impacted or the gums aren’t inflamed, then your baby’s teeth are just growing normally. Babies are unique; therefore even the emergence of their teeth may vary.

As long as teeth are growing properly, all you have to do is provide the right nutrition to support the development of your baby.

crib for twins

When Do Milk Teeth Begin To Fall Off?

Usually, baby teeth begin to fall off at the age of about 5 or 6 years old. However, it may be a bit sooner or later for some kids. When the initial shedding of milk teeth happens, the rest of the milk teeth soon follow and all of the milk teeth may have fallen off when a child is about 10-12 years of age. But, simultaneously with some milk teeth falling off, some permanent teeth are also beginning to erupt if they are not impacted and are emerging normally.

Conclusion

Do baby teeth have roots? Yes! Baby teeth also have roots, but you won’t be able to see them when your baby’s teeth fall off. The emergence and shedding of teeth is a normal process that is not a cause for concern as long as a tooth is not impacted or the gums aren’t inflamed. Baby teeth and adult teeth aren’t very much different when it comes to tooth structure.