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WHEN CAN I CHECK MY BABY’S GENOTYPE?

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Beatrice’s daughter kept falling ill.

Regardless of all the care and attention she got from her parents, the painful episode just didn’t stop. After another one of these episodes, the doctor asked Beatrice if her daughter was a sickler.

Of course, she had no answer to this question.

After a simple genotype test, the results showed that Beatrice and her husband were both AS and their daughter, SS.

In this article, we’d answer every question you have about genotype and the best time to confirm your baby’s genotype. In addition, we’ve added a few tips on genotype compatibility just for you.

First, What Is Genotype?

All things being equal, genes define and determine our character, behaviour, and personality peculiarities.

Genes

They determine the physical and genetic composition of a person including colour, hair type, height, behaviour, and even susceptibility to illness among others.

The genotype is a set of genes containing some specific info about the genetic composition of an individual. In this case, we are referring to the genotype of haemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in our red blood cells.

There are three common human haemoglobin genotypes. These are AA, AS, and SS. Other forms of genotype include AC, SC and CC.

Do I Need To Know My Partner’s Genotype?

The earlier you and your partner confirm your genotype, the better it is for everyone.

This will help you know if you are compatible genetically. Incompatibility put you at risk of giving birth to sickle cell (SS) genotype.

When Can I Check My Baby’s Genotype?

Depending on your location, the answer is simple; Whenever you’re ready. It is even possible to confirm a baby’s genotype before birth. This can even be done as early as the 14th to 20th week of pregnancy.

On the other hand, the rules are different in Nigeria.

Due to the fact that there is no neonatal (pre-birth) screening program for sickle cell disease in Nigeria, patients are only diagnosed when they show symptoms six months after birth.

The main reason for checking genotype before birth is to know whether your baby is a sickle cell carrier or not. Early diagnosis is helpful in the management of the dreaded sickle cell disease.

However, prevention is more helpful. That’s why you should confirm your genotype and your spouse’s before marriage.

Checking Your Baby’s Genotype Before and After Birth

It is very possible to know your baby’s genotype during pregnancy.

Knowing your baby’s genotype before birth has been shown to improve the quality of life and reduce the death rate among individuals with sickle cell disease. Genotype can be checked between week 14 and 20 of pregnancy.

In Nigeria, there is no neonatal screening program for sickle cell disease and patients are only diagnosed when they show symptoms after birth.

After birth, the genotype of the baby can be confirmed after 6 months. This is because at birth, HbF (Haemoglobin F ) level is very high and the main haemoglobin of the child does not manifest until after six months even though they are present at birth. (HbF is the foetal haemoglobin the baby’s blood cells use in the womb which is still present at birth).

Therefore, six months after birth, your baby’s haemoglobin cannot be accurately determined.

Tips on Compatibility

Knowing your genotype is important. This will guide your choice of a partner.

Here’s a simple compatibility chart to guide you:

Okoduwa, S.I.R.. (2013). Blood Group and Genotype Compatibility. Info. Emerald Publishers (1) 84-87.

It is possible to marry someone with an incompatible genotype and have your babies through a combination of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and IVF (Invitrovertilisation). This is done by a fertility specialist in a specialised centre and comes with at a relatively significant cost.

Final words

It’s possible to check your baby’s genotype before birth and six months after birth. Nonetheless, why go through all that hassle when you can easily prevent the sickle cell disease by being with a genetically compatible partner? Having a child with sickle cell disease sets up your child for a number of health challenges which equally affect conception and pregnancy.

sickle cell disease in pregnancy
REFERENCES
  • Chukwu BF, Ezenwosu OU, Eke CB, Chinawa JM, Ikefuna AN and Emodi IJ (2014). What Factors Influence the Age at Diagnosis of Sickle Cell Anemia in Enugu, Nigeria? Journal of Blood Disorders and Transfer. Accessed on 21st September 2020 from https://doi:10.4172/2155-9864.1000231
  • Akodu SO, Diaku-Akinwumi IN, and Njokanma OF (2012). “Age at Diagnosis of Sickle Cell Anaemia in Lagos, Nigeria.” Mediterranean Journal of Hematology and Infectious Diseases. Accessed on 21st September 2020 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3552728/
  • Okoduwa, S.I.R.. (2013). Blood Group and Genotype Compatibility. Info.  Emerald Publishers (1) 84-87.

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GLANDULAR HYPOPLASIA AND BREASTFEEDING

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“Maybe you just need to give it a little more effort”

“Have you tried drinking more water?”

“I heard fenugreek helps mothers like you”

Many mothers who have difficulties with milk production receive this sort of advice countless times from family and friends (well, most have good intentions).

While most women produce more than enough milk for their babies, a small percentage of mothers find breastfeeding to be quite challenging.

Why Can’t I Make Enough Milk For My Baby?

Some mothers feel that they can not make enough milk for their babies because they have small breasts.

However, this is not true.

The size of a woman’s breast does not influence how much milk she can produce in anyway. A more reasonable cause for insufficient milk production is insufficient glandular tissue (IGT).

Glandular tissue is the milk-making tissue in a woman’s breast.

Therefore, breast milk production will be low if the glandular tissue present is insufficient to produce enough milk. Women with insufficient glandular tissue struggle with producing enough milk for their babies, even after practicing good breastfeeding management.

A word of caution!

Insufficient glandular tissue is a diagnosis of exclusion. Other factors that can affect breastmilk supply must be investigated first by your health provider or lactation consultant and found to be absent. Some of these include:

  • Hormonal imbalances (eg. thyroid or due to retained placenta)
  • Previous breast surgery
  • Issues with the baby’s ability to suckle and drain the breast (latching, tongue tie, cleft lip)
  • Not putting baby to breast enough.

Physical Signs of Insufficient Glandular Tissue 

Signs In Mother

It is important to emphasize that the size of your breast has no bearing on your glandular tissue or ability to breastfeed.

Women with small and large breast can suffer from glandular hypoplasia

Women with small and large breast can suffer from insufficient glandular tissue. Some physicals signs that can indicate insufficient glandular tissue are;

  • Asymmetric Breasts; In this case, one breast being much larger than the other
  • Breasts that are tubular shaped (narrow at the base and long instead of round, quite like bananas)
  • Very large and bulbous areolae; The areola is the dark skin around your nipple. When this occurs. the areola may look as if they are a separate structure from the breasts.
  • Wide-spaced breasts (The gap between both breasts can be up to 4cm )
  • No breast changes during or after pregnancy. This is something that should be taken note of during your antenatal. We expected your areola to darken, breasts to become larger and so on.

The more of these signs a woman has, the greater her chances of having insufficient glandular tissue. 

Signs In Baby

In the setting of glandular hypoplasia, the baby will show signs they aren’t getting enough breast milk. Some of these include:

  • loosing more than 10% of birth weight,
  • failure to return to birth weight by 2 weeks,
  • having less than the required number of wet or poopy diapers for their age,
  • gaining less than 20g of weight daily between 2 weeks old to 3 months old.

What Can You Do? 

Some mothers who have difficulty breastfeeding can easily adapt to using other measures like formula feeding.

With glandular hypoplasia , the reality of being unable to breastfeed can be a very hard pill to swallow.

However, for a mother who anticipated breastfeeding as an important part of her mothering journey, the reality of being unable to breastfeed can be a very hard pill to swallow.

Fortunately, there are some things these mothers can do to preserve the breastfeeding experience.

1. Use A Breastfeeding Supplement Tool

One thing some mothers with insufficient glandular tissue can try is using an at-breast supplementing tool.

A mother using a supplemental nursing system (SNS)

This tool is made up of a small, thin tube with one end attached to the skin around the mother’s nipple. This is the end that goes into the baby’s mouth. The other end is connected to a container that contains the feeding supplement.

This supplement could be the mother’s own expressed milk, milk from a donor, or infant formula. The amount of supplement required will depend largely on the amount of milk the mother is able to produce on her own. With this method, it is possible for mother who has difficulty with milk production to still experience breastfeeding.

2. Prescribed Medications

Some mothers with insufficient glandular tissue may still be able to breastfeed and produce most of the milk their babies will need.

Certain approved medication can greatly increase their milk supply and reduce the need of supplements to just once or twice a day. Before considering this option, remember to consult your doctor.

3. Bottle Feed First, Breastfeed Later

This is also an effective method of maintaining a breastfeeding relationship with your baby.

Since your body can not produce enough milk, you can feed your child with infant formula first. Then once she is beginning to have her fill, you let her finish at your breast.

A Final Note

No matter how little milk you may be able to make, it is still very precious and valuable to your baby.

Thankfully, most mothers with insufficient glandular tissue find that their breast milk supply improves with subsequent babies. This is because each pregnancy and breastfeeding experience causes an increase in glandular tissue.

With support from a lactation specialist many mothers with insufficient glandular tissue can still enjoy fulfilling breastfeeding experiences.

We understand that being unable to produce enough milk to breastfeed your child may be difficult to accept.

However, all hope is not lost.

With support from a lactation specialist many mothers with insufficient glandular tissue can still enjoy fulfilling breastfeeding experiences.

REFERENCES
Nigerian food that help increase breastmilk supply

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HOW CAN I TELL IF MY BABY IS GETTING ENOUGH?

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“Is my baby getting enough milk? ” New mums all over the world are constantly asking this quetsion. Newborn feeding constantly leads to friction between new mothers and their mother and mothers-in-law in Nigeria.

Is my baby getting enough? is a constant source of arguments

The anxiety this causes tempts us to introduce water or formula in the first few days of life when our actual goal was to breastfeed exclusively.  

Anxiety and fearof starving the baby causes mums to introduce formula

These conflicts stem from:

  • Ignorance of individual and general signs of hunger and feeding patterns in newborns
  • Lack of knowledge of the normal progression of weight gain/ fluctuations
  • Not knowing the signs that a baby is being adequately nourished.
  • Poor infant feeding practices or alternatives when challenges arise

What are the general signs of hunger in newborns?

Babies are usually good communicators.

The trouble is we don’t often pay attention or know what to look out for. The following are common signs that your baby is hungry: 

  • Baby keeps opening the mouth
  • Sticking out the tongue
  • Making sucking movements 
  • Your little one is constantly bringing their hands up to their mouth
  • Moving their limbs as though crawling or cycling in the air
  • Turning their head towards the chest or breast of whoever is carrying them
  • Crying and being irritable. When they cry, it is a late sign of hunger. Some may get so worked up that they won’t want to latch onto your breast or teat of the bottle! Alternatively, they could latch onto your nipple in their haste and annoyance.

This, I assure you, will bring you exquisite pain while breastfeeding

Are Preemies Different?

When preemies are hungry they could lick their lips, become restless, stick out their tongue or flutter their eyes.

Conversely, when they have had enough they relax and their colour changes if they are light-skinned). Some of them may change the rhythm of their nursing and they may touch the breast.

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7 Signs your baby is hungry

A satisfied baby is relaxed with inactive limbs. The baby may turn away from your chest, lets go from breast or bottle feeding and fall asleep.

Baby’s tend to cluster feed at times when they are experiencing rapid growth. Cluster feeding is characterised by showing signs of hunger more frequently than usual.

This is often observed by mothers who schedule their baby feeding times at intervals (as opposed to feeding baby on demand). A baby who usually feeds every 3 hours may demand food every 2 hours for a span of 3 days. For breastfeeding mothers, it’s natures way of increasing your milk supply. Demanding more milk from you in response to your babies next stage of growth characterised by the need for larger quantities of milk. Growth spurts can be observed at 2 days old, 3 months old, and  6- 9 months old

How much milk does my baby need?

Your newborn’s stomach size is really small at first.

At the first to the third day of life, your baby’s tummy is the size of a cherry or 1 grape and can only hold a teaspoon of milk ie. 5-7 mls per meal. By day three to five, it is the size of a table tennis ball or walnut.

From six days old up to 3 weeks old baby’s stomach is the size of an egg and so on.  Knowing this should restrain you from overfeeding your baby which could cause undue discomfort and distract you from the real cause of why our child may be fussy.

All babies lose no more than 10% of their body weight within the first 5-7 days of life before returning to their birth weight by week 2. Baby’s weight should increase by 50% at 6-8 weeks old and double his/her birth weight at 4-5 months old.

This topic, weight gain, is another source of anxiety and potential conflict with loved ones as far as a first-time mum is concerned. Look out for these variations and verify during your first well-baby visit after childbirth. Make sure you use an appropriate infant weighing scale.

Any deviation from this may then prompt investigation of your baby’s nutrition or breastfeeding practices. The weight and length measurements for your baby should be entered in a chart which usually comes with your immunisation card. Each entry is benchmarked against the normal range for baby’s age within our environment which is also indicated on the chart. This forms a more objective view of if your baby is being adequately nourished.

Signs That Your Baby Is Being Adequately Fed

A well fed baby will :

  • Have 4 -6 wet diapers (urine) and 3-4 poopy diapers daily. Note that exclusively breastfed babies can go up to 3 days without passing stool at 3 months old. Also, formula-fed babies can get easily constipated if you fail to follow the instructions for proportions of water to formula while preparing their meal.
  • Gain weight in accordance with the normal range for his/her age and race as entered in the growth monitoring chart mentioned above

Is there a need for vitamin supplements in infants? Formula-fed babies do not need multivites. However, babies being exclusively breastfed are required to get vitamin D drops. There apparently isn’t enough vitamin D in breast milk and babies and mums don’t get as much sunlight as needed.

What Can I do When Challenges Arise

The bedrock of a breastfed newborn getting enough milk from its mother is ensuring your little one is draining the breast adequately. Next mother has to have an adequate supply.

Your infant will drain your breast if he/she latches on properly ie. your nipple and most of the areola complex are in baby’s mouth with the areola in contact with baby’s hard palate and tongue.

If your breast is constantly being drained by the end of each feeding session, the initial increase in milk production and supply which is governed by demand and supply feedback will be activated.

Nigerian food that help increase your supply

Some structural challenges such as tongue-tie in the baby or a mismatch between the size of your their mouth and your nipple-areola complex can hinder adequate feeding. It is important that these are found early and addressed by a trained health professional or lactaction specialist.

As mentioned above, it is important that the exact instructions for preparing a baby’s formula are followed. This prevents them from developing hard stools that are difficult to pass out (constipation). Constipation will come up from a concentrated mix of formula. On the other hand, a formula mix that’s too dilute will result in their not getting enough calories.

What if my baby doesn’t like feeding on a bottle?

This is a question that worries mothers who may need to return to work or leave their baby in the care of others for a few hours. If they refuse to breastfeed or accept a feeding bottle, the following alternatives are viable feeding options:

  • Cup and baby spoon 
  • A small syringe (without the needle)
  • Feeding cup 

Feeding a newborn as a first time mum can seem daunting. It is important to arm yourself with the right information to avoid common mistakes. Furthermore, information gives you the confidence to push back and advocate for yourself and your little one when the need arises. These are tips you should learn during an antenatal visit or birthing and breastfeeding class.

References

Wagner C. Counselling the Breastfeeding Mother. Emedicine. February 2015 Accessed September 9th 2019
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/979458-overview

How to increase your supply and build a stash of breast milk

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Is It Possible To Breastfeed Exclusively With A 9-5 Job?

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As mums, we’ve all heard of the amazing benefits of exclusively breastfeeding our babies. The list ranges from building baby’s immunity, protection from diarrheal diseases to breastfeeding being relatively easier on the pocket compared to breastmilk substitutes.

Going back to your 9-5 job after childbirth.


Breastfeeding is challenging. If exclusive breastfeeding is your goal, the thought of keeping up with it and going back to your 9-5 job can seem daunting. It’s my hope that a few of these tips can help you navigate this.


Building a stash of milk

Breastfeeding is challenging. If exclusive breastfeeding is your goal, the thought of keeping up with it and going back to your 9-5 job can seem daunting


Start preparing now or at most two months before you are due to return from maternity leave.

Pump a little each day.

I advise you to store your milk in labelled bags or bottles with ice packs in a large plastic container in your a freezer to protect it from power outages. Find out how much milk your baby normally takes at each feeding. This, of course, will vary as your baby gets older.

For our demonstration, let’s say the baby drinks 50mls of milk with each feed. If you are going to be away for 8 hours every day and your baby eats every 2 hours that means your baby will feed 4 times while you are away. Add an extra 50mls (just in case there’s a spill). That means your baby will need 250mls of milk ((4x 50mls) +50mls).

You’ll need to figure out how much milk your exclusively breastfed baby takes per session​
You’ll need to figure out how much milk your exclusively breastfed baby takes per session

So, to build up a stash that will last 5 workdays you’ll need (5x250mls). That comes to a total of 1250mls of milk.

It’s important to label your breastmilk storage bags to indicate the date and time you expressed the breastmilk

Ensure your bags or bottles are labelled with the date and time pumped as well as the amount of milk in each bag or bottle. Make sure they are then sealed properly for storage.

Make sure your breast milk storage bags are sealed properly when you are done
Make sure your breast milk storage bags are sealed properly when you are done


How long can I store breastmilk for with the weather in Nigeria ?

In our environment, breast milk can last up to:

  • 6 to 9 months in the chest freezer,
  • 6 days in a fridge and
  • 4 -6 hours out of the fridge at room temperature and
  • 24 hours in a cooler with an icepack.

So if you pump milk at work and store it in a cooler bag with an ice pack you are good till you get home.

Please note…

Breast milk separates when stored with a layer of fat at the top. Once thawed gently swirl (don’t shake) the bag or bottle to mix.

What guidance do I give my baby’s carer about thawing breastmilk ?

Breastmilk is liquid gold.

It’s alive. It has infection-fighting cells, protective proteins as well as nutrients. Thawing it the wrong way can destroy all that good stuff. For milk from the freezer, bring it out the night before to thaw in the fridge. Alternatively, dip it in a bowl of tepid water. Please don’t microwave or put your milk in boiling or hot water. Breastmilk stored in bags thaws faster than milk in bottles.

It’s best to store your milk in serving sized portions that your baby will finish at a go. Any bit of milk left can be stored in the fridge but must be consumed within 24 hours.


Can breastmilk turn sour?

I’ve had mums worry about being engorged by the end of a workday or after a trip out of town but reluctant to breastfeed their babies.

They were told by relatives that their breast milk would have gone sour by then. I’ve also been told of some babies who reject stored milk or mums who noticed that the taste of their milk changed compared to when it was first expressed.

The taste of your breast milk depends on several factors:-

  • Your diet
  • The action of enzymes found in breastmilk
  • Where you store it
  • What you store beside it in the fridge or freezer.

Milk that is fed to your baby directly from your breast even after a break away from baby is still good and cannot have “gone off”. Secondly just because the milk that has been stored properly tastes funny at a given point in time does not mean it’s gone off. The only issue is that some babies may reject breast milk at a time because of a change in taste.

Let’s break it down

One of the enzymes (lipoprotein lipase) in breast milk breaks down triglycerides into several fatty acids when it’s stored.

The levels of this enzyme in breast milk are higher right after you have had a meal especially a high-fat one. These fatty acids can give your milk a soapy, musty, goaty or metallic taste.
Further break down (by oxidation) can give your milk a metallic taste.
Some babies don’t care about this, some do.

5 Things you can do about this change in the taste of your breastmilk

  1. Freeze your milk once it’s expressed instead of putting it in the fridge.
  2. Thaw your frozen milk gradually in the fridge instead of warm water.
  3. Some advocate scalding your milk at 82 degrees C before storage. This works but destroys protective antibodies in your milk.
  4. Adding antioxidants such as Vit E and C to your diet.
  5. Cutting down on polyunsaturated fats in your diet.

Exclusive breastfeeding is challenging. However, it can be an immensely fulfilling experience for mums who can pull through. There are situations where it is absolutely impossible to breastfeed or have a good supply. These challenges faced can potentially can put a mum’s mental health at risk. In such cases be rest assured that as long as your baby is being fed enough (breast milk or formula) all will be well. 

Your ability to breastfeed does not in any way reflect on your ability to be a good mother.

Why breatsfeed?
References

Nichola Singletary. 2019. “Funny Tasting Milk: Biochemistry and Clinical Applications of Human Milk Oxidation”. Lecture delivered at 2019 Gold Lactation Online Conference

10 meals you can use to wean your baby off breast milk

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While most parents would prefer to wean their child on canned/pureed food, the Nigerian economy makes constant shopping for imported meals very difficult. In this article, we would run through markers showing you that your child is old enough to be weaned and local foods that you can use to wean your baby.

Yep!

We have everything in our Nigerian food basket to increase your breastmilk supply and keep our babies nourished.

How do you know if baby is old enough to be weaned?

Your baby can sit upright and hold their head straight up without lagging.

The baby shows interest in your meals and can open their mouth when food comes their way.

Your baby can swallow food from a spoon into his/her throat

Your baby should be able to hold her back straight by themselves and swallow from a spoon if they are ready for weaning.
Your baby should be able to hold her back straight by themselves and swallow from a spoon

What foods can I use to wean my baby?

Pap/Ogi/Akamu

Who hasn’t taken Ogi before? This jack-of-all-trades meal is especially better for babies as it does not have to be chewed. To make this more nutritious for your baby, you should get involved in making it from scratch. You could make a blend of more than one cereal; guinea corn, millet, maize. Soya beans, groundnuts, ginger and others can be blended in. It can be sweetened with mashed fruit such as banana and milk. Pap to be fed to babies should however be waterier in order to aid digestion.

Custard

Ogi that travelled abroad, the custard is similar to pap but is industrially processed instead. Like ogi, it can be spiced up for better nutrition for the baby. It comes with the added advantage of being ‘relatively’ more hygienic for the baby than pap bought from the roadside. Do you know you can also make custard from scratch at home?

Semovita

Another versatile meal, semo can be consumed by the baby in solid or semi-liquid form. Semo can be taken with soup in its solid form. In semi-solid form, please ensure that it Is slightly thick. You can also add ground crayfish or milk to make it more nutritious.

Fruits

Fruits are jampacked with nutrients which are very integral to your baby’s health. Depending on the type of fruits, they can be mashed (e.g. bananas, avocado pear), blended (e.g. watermelons) and even mixed to give variety. Unripe Banana’s particularly can be made into a blended savory porridge with fish powder and green vegetables.

bananas are a great fruit to start weaning with
Source :Shutterstock

Eggs

A great source of protein, eggs should be boiled and properly mashed before being fed to the baby. The quantity should also be slowly increased from half an egg to a whole egg over a period of six months.

Vegetables

Vegetables are nutrient-laden foods and very good for the baby. You can prepare delicious meals with okra or ewedu prepared with mashed mackerel. Local pumpkin can also be boiled or steamed and pureed for baby.

Avocados

Avocados contain omega-3 fatty acids which are very good for the heart. They can be mashed and eaten alone or blended with other fruits.

Avocados contain omega-3 fatty acids which are very good for the heart.
Avocados can be served alone or in combination with other pureed vegetables

Potatoes

You can use Irish or sweet potatoes. They are alternative sources of carbohydrates for babies. However, potatoes that would be fed to babies should be properly cooked and mashed. You can also cook it with blended crayfish, scent leaves (nchowu aka ntong) and “Titus” (mackerel) fish.

Beans

Beans are a good source of fibre for the baby, thus easing bowel movement for the baby. However, please cook the beans till soft and mash before giving the baby.

Rice

While this is a staple for many Nigerian families, it is a delicate meal for babies. Unpolished (brown) rice is rich in vitamin B. It should be boiled till soft and mashed or blended so that the baby can easily eat. It can be served as a sweet pudding with pureed bananas, cinamon and coconut milk.

Brown rice can be boiled till soft and blended with cooked mashed fishor bananas and coconut milk
Rice especially brown rice can be made as a savoury or pudding for babies
Image: Shutterstock
Nutrients for childhood development
Nigerian foods that can increase breastmilk supply
References

16/7/2020; https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Starting-Solid-Foods.aspx

12 Best Nigerian Foods for 6-month-old Babies

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NIGERIAN FOODS THAT CAN HELP BABIES GAIN WEIGHT

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In Nigeria, we love to see chubby babies. We know you do too.

In addition to this, we know you’re wondering what kind of food would make your baby gain weight quickly. As usual, we are here for you.

In this article, we’d introduce you to a variety of accessible and affordable Nigerian foods that can make your baby look chubby and healthy.  

In addition to availability, these meals are easy to prepare and digest.

1. Tom Brown

It is a thick brown powder made from a combination of yellow corn, millet, guinea corn (cereals), groundnut (peanut), and soy beans (legumes). Tom Brown is an easy meal to prepare that is essential for your baby.

In addition to this, it is quick and easy to prepare (just as you make your normal pap).

2. Rice Pudding.

To make rice pudding, you need unpolished (brown) rice, milk and a little pinch of salt. First, boil the rice until it gets tender. After that, add the milk and boil again until it is soft. You can do this with milk from soya beans, coconut or tigernut. interesting things you can add include finely ground cashews, dates or pureed fruit.

3. Boiled mashed beans.

Beans is a meal that’d certainly make your baby nice and cherubic. This is because it contains high amounts of protein which promotes growth. To make beans, wash the beans and boil in water until it is very soft. You can add ground dry fish powder or mashed steamed fresh fish or make tomato stew to go with it.

4.Nigerian Pap

Nigerian foods that boost breast milk production - pap

Pap can be made from maize, guinea corn, sorghum, millet alone or in combination. You may choose to add protein source e.g. milk or powders from legumes or nuts such as soy, tiger nut, dried fish, cray fish while cooking it. sweeten and fortify with pureed fruit or dates.

Ensure your pap is not bland so as to entice your baby to drink it. To achieve this, you can fortify it with breast milk, nuts or even sugar.

5. Rice

This is a good source of carbohydrate for your little one. While preparing rice for your little one, remember to boil until it is soft enough for him/her. That is to say, your baby should be able to swallow the rice without necessarily chewing it.

Thankfully, babies can eat any form of rice ranging from white rice to jollof rice, fried rice and even coconut rice.

However, make sure the stew isn’t too peppery Likewise, the vegetables you use must be soft enough for your little one.

6. Yam & Beans Porridge.

This is one meal we’re certain your baby will enjoy!

To make yam and beans porridge, boil the beans until it is tender, then add the small pieces of yam. Remember to add salt, some chopped tomato and crayfish, mashed deboned steamed fish powder and palm oil to taste. Furthermore, you can usehoney beans, black eyed beans, black beans (akidi) instead of the regular beans .

7. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potato

Just like the name, it is sweet! Boil the potatoes until they are very soft. It can be made as a porridge with onions, cray fish, scent leaves or pumpkin leaves. Furthermore, mash the potatoes when the porridge is cooked to make swallowing or chewing easy for your child.

8. Oatmeal

This food is rich in fibre which aids digestion and adds bulk to stool. This will help your baby’s digestive system. You can choose to add any sort of plaint or dairy milk and honey or fruit slices to taste.

Image: shutterstock

9. Boiled Ripe Plantain.

Plantain is sure to make your baby fat in no time.

ripe and unripe plantain

First, peel the plantain and cut into slices. Then boil until it is soft , blend in chopped onions, fish powder or fresh deboned fish, cray fish and palm oil. Consider adding finely chopped scent leaves, uziza leaves or pumpkin leaves (ugwu) while still in the pot and serve. Unripe bananas can also be substituted for plantain. A sweet variant could be made by adding ground cashew nut powder and coconut milk to the mashed plantains.

10. Okro Soup

Okro (okra) can be grated to bits or blended and used to prepare a runny viscous soup with crayfish powder, chicken, beef or fish stock, ground ogbono (african bush mango) and a teaspoon of palm oil. Your infant can have this alone or accompanied with very soft amala (from yam or plantan), agidi (cold gelatinised pap), or tuwo (ground rice meal). Infants also love soups made from ewedu (jute mallow leaves) which have a similar consistency and are easy to swallow.

In Conclusion

Make sure your baby is above six months before you start feeding with solid foods. This is because every child should be breastfed for about six months to aid proper development. There are other signs that tell you your baby is ready for solids.

Certainly, these foods are effective for weight gain. Nonetheless, your baby may  not like all of these items. You and your partner should carefully discover your baby’s preferences and focus on them.

Even as you try to make your baby grow fat, watch out for obesity. One way to track this is by calculating your baby’s body mass index (BMI).

REFERENCES
  • Eya Ayambem (2019). Food for Babies to Gain Weight. Accessed on 19th August, 2020 from https://www.wivestownhallconnection.com/2019/04/food-for-babies-to-gain-weight.html
  • AfricaParent (2019) Five Nigerian Foods that Can Make Your Toddler Gain Weight. Accessed on 19th August, 2020 from https://lifestyle.thecable.ng/five-nigerian-foods-that-can-help-toddler-gain-weight/

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HOW TO MAKE PAP FROM SCRATCH FOR BABIES

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Pap; our very own local custard which goes by many names on the streets of Nigeria.

The Igbos call it Akamu, Yorubas call it Ogi, and for the Hausas, it is Koko.

Nigerian foods that boost breast milk production: Nunu

Due to its affordability, pap is often offered to babies during weaning. Nonetheless, brown pap is a better option for baby food compared to the white variant.

Brown pap, also known as Baby’s pap, can be made from 3 different grains; corn, millet and guinea corn. Corn is a good source of carbohydrate, while Millet and Guinea Corn provide proteins, vitamins and minerals. Other grains that can be used include drum millet (called joro in Hausa) .This combination makes it a very healthy choice for babies, and Nigerian mums surely agree!

Yello w or white maize can be used for pap
Yellow maize

Of course, we know you’re eager to know how to make this nutritious goodness. Thankfully, we are always here to help you.

In this article, we’d guide your through the process of making this ‘meal of love’ for your little one.

Ingredients

  • 3 cup dry yellow or white corn
  • 4 cups guinea corn (white or red)
  • 2 cups millet
  • Ginger, Cloves, Cinnamon Stick, Flavour (optional these may make it spicey)
  • Water
  • Muslin/ Chiffon cloth or large scarf
  • Thick cotton bag or salt bag (ensure it has no salt).
  • Paint bucket or Big bowl

Preparation

Step 1

Wash the grains (corn, millet, and guinea corn) separately and thoroughly. This is necessary to remove the stones, sand, bad grains, and chaff.                    

Millet is a source of protein
Millet

After washing, transfer all the grains into a bowl, then pour enough water to immerse the grain completely. Cover the bowl, and allow the gains to ferment for 2-3days.

In addition, remember to rinse and change the water every day.

Step 2

On the second or third day, drain the water out from your grains.

Then blend them together with your ginger, cloves, cinnamon or any other flavouring you choose. You might have to go to a local grinding mill to blend if you do not have a powerful blender at home. The end result after blending should be a very very smooth paste .

Step 3

Now is the time to use your muslin / chiffon cloth or scarf.

pink chiffon cloth

Tie it tightly around your big bowl and then put the bowl on a flat, solid surface.

Scoop a small quantity of the corn paste on the chiffon cloth. Using your hands and little amount of water, sieve the paste through the chiffon cloth and into the bowl. What you are left with is a murky colloidal solution in your bowl and the chaff sediment left behind on the cloth.

Sadly, this is where the hard work is; you have to keep sieving until all that is left is a completely dry chaff.

The pap paste is seived with a large muslin or chiffon sloth tied over a bowl

Step 4

After sieving, remove your chiffon cloth from the bowl and cover the bowl.

Then leave it for about 3 hours to allow the mixture settle. Once settled, the thick pap would be at the bottom with clear water on top.

Step 5

Gently decant the water at the top and stir your pap.

After stirring well, pour the pap into the clean cotton (salt) bag and wring the top of the bag squeezing tightly. This would help remove any excess water. To drain it further, tie the bag tightly with a rope and place it on a flat surface or in a sink.

Place a heavy object on it and leave it overnight to completely drain all the water out.

Step 6

After all the water has completely drained, untie the bag and viola, your pap is ready! You can cut it into small serving sizes and preserve it in the freezer in transparent bags.

To make your pap:

First, dissolve some paste in a bowl with lukewarm water. You should aim for a consistency that is not too thick and not too watery. Second, pour boiling hot water into your mixture and stir simultaneously until it thickens. If it is not thick enough, add a bit more dissolved paste and heat it up in a pot for about a minute on low heat.

You can fortify your pap with additions like breast milk, ground soya beans, ground nuts (almond, tiger-nut, cashew, peanuts) fruit or vegetable purees and even ground fish and crayfish, to make your pap meal more nutritious.

Did you try this out? Let us know in the comments section.

REFERENCES
  • Chioma 2020, 7-Steps to Making Baby’s Brown Pap, Mummy’s Yum, Viewed on August 15, 2020, https://mummysyum.com/7-steps-to-making-babys-brown-pap/.
  • Nago, Mathurin Coffi; Hounhouigan, Joseph D.; Akissoe, Noël; Zanou, Elisabeth; Mestres, Christian (June 1998). “Characterization of the Beninese traditional ogi, a fermented maize slurry: physicochemical and microbiological aspects”. International Journal of Food Science & Technology. 33 (3): 307–315. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2621.1998.00169.x.
  • Shutterstock

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Why Does Your Child Need To Sleep Early?

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The benefits and dangers of inadequate quality sleep

Sleep is an essential part of human development. Sleeping early and adequately is as important as food to the body.

Lack of adequate sleep can spell dangers in the body, but I won’t be going into the science details of it.

How do you feel as a parent when you’ve not had enough consolidated sleep? Imagine sleeping for 3-4 hours consecutively for about 3 days. Tell me: tired, cranky, unhappy, exhausted, unproductive, the list is not exhaustive. Now, imagine what your children go through each day when they are not having enough good sleep. Mainly due to frequent wakes and late nights .

How do you feel as a parent when you have not had enough sleep?

6 Benefits of good consolidated sleep

  • Children are more alert at school, easily grasp and comprehend things. Which parent wouldn’t want this for their child? Yes, we know children can be forgetful, but it’s totally different from not being able to comprehend things quicker.
  • Increase in concentration level. 
  • Physically and emotionally healthy as the brain repair and recovery takes place during a consolidated sleep period.
  • Your child’s growth hormone is developed adequately during sleep.
  • You get to have Me time for yourself when your child is fast asleep. You get to be more productive, have mummy time to make things happen.You can read a book or even raise your leg up and watch your favourite TV shows..
  • It also provides more hours for bonding time with your partner. Don’t you love the sound of this….no interruption from your adorable one.

Mistakes parents make that hinder good sleep habits in their children:

  • Bad habits by allowing your child to share the bed with you and your partner.
  • Guilt:  As a working parent as you give yourself the excuse that you need to bond with your child. However, most times, you don’t bond, rather everyone gets occupied with gadgets.
  • Convenience to you due to lack of patience in putting your child to bed. You just don’t want to stop what you’re doing at the expense of your child’s health.
  • You just want to give in or do not want your child to cry. Your child doesn’t want to go to bed. You then agree to let your child call the shots. Who is the parent? Who is the child?

5 Signs that show your child’s pattern needs to be improved

Frequent tantrums may be a sign your child needs more sleep
Frequent tantrums may be a sign your child needs more sleep
  • Your child throws too many unnecessary tantrums.
  • Your child cries too much especially in the mornings.
  • If you have to wake the child up in the mornings and the child is refusing to wake up or is sleepy till he or she is ready for school.
  • You are in and out of hospital many days except your child has a form of health challenge.
  • You aren’t as productive as you should be as a mum.
getting your kids to bed at a good time will give you more time for selfcare and productivity

Creating a pattern for your child needs consistency and a realistic sleep routine.

If you are having challenges creating a great consolidated sleep pattern for your child, you are advised to train your child.

Sleep training is basically a process of helping a baby learn to sleep well. Children need an average of about 10-14 hours of consolidated sleep everyday depending on their age. Newborns need about 14-16 hours.

Some mums say “I wasn’t sleep trained and I grew up great, why should I train my children?”. But what we forget as parents is that LIFE sleep trained us.

Remember those days of no gadgets, cable TV, or unlimited access to the internet. Remember, children’s TV stations close by 7pm. Your parents went to bed after 10pm news. There was no generator and when power goes off, everyone retires in bed. So we were sleeping well and having our uninterrupted sleep. Fast forward to this digital age with everything running 24 hours. 24-hour access to the internet, electricity, generators, TV, phones, etc. This lifestyle is greatly affecting our sleep patterns thus affecting the quality of our health.

Hence it is necessary to help your child develop a great sleep pattern now. Imagine their lives just 10 years down the line if nothing is done now in this digital age.

If your child isn’t having enough sleep or you as a mum aren’t either , you are harming both of you. Is this what you really want or will you do something about it today? 

Think about it.….

Image: Shutterstock

Do you want to take a step in creating great sleep habits and lifestyle for your child? Click here to enjoy 20% discount on our several sleep packages.

You aren’t sure if purchasing a sleep package or hiring a child sleep consultant would be a good fit for your family? Email us so we can decide together or book a Free 15-minute phone consultation – Schedule now! 

Can’t wait to work with you!

TEMI OLAJIDE is a Certified Child Sleep/Potty Training Consultant and Child Psychologist, and Nigeria’s first Child Sleep Consultant.

She’s the founder of Mummyclinicc, which hosts an online platform that provides strategies and result-driven solutions to the challenges of child rearing in the digital age.

Her latest book , Wi-Fi Kids and Analog Parents, equips parents on how to raise well-rounded kids in the digital age in Africa.

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“Wifi Kids And Analogue Parents” : A review of Temi Olajide’s debut guide for intentional parenting .

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For the past few months, as parents, have been stuck at home. Staying safe and trying to keep our heads above water. Working… for those who still have jobs and who can. Juggling chasing “pepper” and keeping our kids learning in some form or the other. Ensuring they are entertained…. to keep the peace, keep them safe from catching COVID-19.

The quest for this engagement and some sanity around the house may have led the best of us parents to resort to screens to baby – sit our children. Are we trading our children’s safety for a few hours of reprieve?

“Wifi kids and Analogue Parents” begins immediately with relatable , shocking and sometimes funny accounts. Tales of the first time parents where confronted with the issue that their kids may have been exposed to something inappropriate for their age.

First impressions can be deceptive….

At first glance you think its about the dangers of electronic devices. Nope, it goes further, delving into communication with children and sexual education.

“Wifi Kids And Analogue Parents” explores the risks of exposure to sexual and financial exploitation, aggressive behaviour in children, addiction. It outlines the physical and mental health hazards and antisocial behaviour associated with exposure to electronic media.

Just in case you stumbled on the book, she spells out the dangers and strategies used by predators online on unsuspecting minors.

The book does a sweep through all the social platforms… just in case you are very very analogue, sorry I mean behind the times. She does this analysis for each platform, citing real life accounts from parents she interviewed as case studies.

She doesn’t leave you hanging. The author painstakingly lists concrete steps. Interestingly, she shares adaptive strategies for protecting your children from themselves and potential predators in a fast changing world.

Reading through it was as though I was chatting with a friend.

I was left with some requests though…

  • How do you protect your child from the screens on devices of relatives, domestic staff and friends?
  • Where do you draw the line?
  • I wish she went into details about the cartoon with sexual innuendos . This was from a case study she cited. I’m curious to know which cartoon it was, but I’ll do my research.

Taking charge…

The introduction suggests that even thinking about reading this book means you are an intentional parent. Are you an intentional parent?

Click Here To Order A Copy Of The Book
Cover of Wifi Kids, Analogue Parents: Raising Disciplined And Well Rounded Kids In This Digital Age
Image: Temi Olajide

TEMI OLAJIDE is a Certified Child Sleep/Potty Training Consultant and Child Psychologist, and Nigeria’s first Child Sleep Consultant.

She’s the founder of Mummyclinicc, which hosts an online platform that provides strategies and result-driven solutions to the challenges of child rearing in the digital age.

Aids for keeping babies engaged from Always Me by Anne Li 2018

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How does breastfeeding help my baby develop?

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Breastfeeding is the direct feeding of babies with milk produced from the mother’s breast. And while this may seem pretty commonplace and straightforward, the World Health Organisation says that only about 2 of every 3 children are exclusively breastfed.

How does breastfeeding aid your child’s development?

Breast milk has the nutrients your baby needs.

Breast milk contains the perfect combination of all nutrients that a growing baby can need for proper development. What is even more fascinating is that the composition of breast milk evolves with your baby’s age and needs. Immediately after birth, the mother produces a thick, yellow form of milk called colostrum. It has high protein content, has a lot of beneficial compounds, is low in sugar and helps the baby’s digestive tract develop. As time goes on, the breast then produces more and more milk to boost the baby’s development. Breast milk is also easier for a growing baby to digest than infant feed. This is why the relevant heath authorities recommend six months of pure breastfeeding for your baby and a year of continued breastfeeding as other meals are being introduced into your baby’s diet.  

Breastfeeding reduces your baby’s chances of illness

Breastfeeding lowers your baby’s risk of having ear infections, respiratory illnesses, diarrhoea, Respiratory tract infections, Colds and infections, Gut infections, Intestinal tissue damage, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Allergic diseases, Celiac disease, Inflammatory bowel disease, Diabetes, Childhood leukaemia. This protection means they more likely to have less hospital visits and admissions .

Mother Breastfeeding baby
Breastfeeding has a lot of benefits to the mother and the child.

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of obesity


Studies have shown that breastfeeding for the right period of time significantly reduces the chances of obesity in babies. This may be because breastfeeding aides the development of the right bacteria in the baby’s gut. Breastfed babies also have higher leptin, a hormone which regulates fat storage and appetite, than formula-fed babies. In addition to this, babies can regulate how much milk they consume, thus reducing the risk of overfeeding and obesity.

Breastfeeding boosts immunity


Breast milk contains a lot of antibodies which boosts the baby’s immunity. This particularly applies to colostrum, the first milk. Colostrum provides immunoglobulin A (IgA), as well as several other antibodies which protects the baby. The body forms these antibodies when the mother is exposed to an infection and are the body’s means of fighting the infection. During breastfeeding, these antibodies are passed to the child. Formula doesn’t provide antibody protection for babies and in fact, may put babies at risk if the water source is unhygienic and feeding bottles aren’t washed and sterilised with care.

Breastfeeding is linked to higher IQ scores in later childhood in some studies. The physical touch also helps to increase the bonding between mother and child, thus making the baby feel safe and warm. Concurrently, breastfeeding also has some important benefits for mothers. It can help you lose pregnancy weight. It also helps reduce the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and osteoporosis. Learn about Nigerian foods that improve breastmilk supply If you have a 9 to 5 job click here for some tips on how to cope.

Breastfeeding guidance the during COVID – 19 pandemic by WHO
Learn how to increase your breast milk supply
References

Adda Bjarnadottir; 18/7/2020; https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-benefits-of-breastfeeding

18/7/2020; https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/nursing-basics#1

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