Painless V/s Regular Vaccination ( DTaP V/s DTP)

Hi Everyone Welcome to Cheekoo Garden

         Painless Vaccination, I heard about this when my girl was 14 weeks old and I took her for vacciantion. Initially I thought painless vaccination is something which will have no pain at all. Later after some research I understood few things regarding painless vacciantion. Which I will be sharing through this post. Hope it will be helpful to other mommies.
          DTP is a Vaccination against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis, which is scheduled at 6, 10 & 14 weeks followed by two booster shots at 16-18 months & 4.5 - 5 years. For more details about complete vacciantion schedule please check my Baby Vaccination post.


Regular Vaccination (DTP or DTwP) :

 DTwP stands for Diphtheria, Tetanus and whole-cell Pertussis which provides immunity against Diphtheria, Tetanus and whooping Cough.

Painless Vaccination (DTaP) : 

    DTaP stands for  Diphtheria, Tetanus and acellular Pertussis. As the name itself says it consists fewer acellular antigens of Pertussis vacciantion. 
    It is not that Painless Vaccination does not have any pain and is equally painful as the other during administration. It is just that post vaccination side effects are less, like fever, swelling, redness, pain etc.
There are still lot of debate happening on the immunity provided by DTaP.

Are Painless Vaccination Effective?? :

      Painless vacciantion do prove immunization against the diseases but fails to prevent transmission and spread of Pertussis. In simple the person who has undergone DTwP is himself safe against the disease but can spread it to others, as the Pertussis can still live inside. 

DTP V/s DTaP :

* Effect of painless vaccination does not stay for long time in body when compared to regular ones.
* Regular vaccination provides better immunity.
* Both regular and painless are equally painful during administration.
* Cost of painless vaccination is much higher than that of the regular once. 

       IAP recommends DTP vaccine for Primary shots which are given at 6th, 10th & 14th week and DTaP vaccine for booster shots. DTaP vaccine is used for primary shots under certain conditions. Consult pediatrician before administration. 
I hope this information will be useful for new parents.



  

            


     

10 Must haves of Baby Medical kit

Hi Everyone welcome to Cheekoo Garden.

      
          There are many baby medical kits which are readily available in the market today, but i always preferred making a own medical kit for my baby. Because who knows what is best for my baby better than me. Each and every baby is different. No parents like to see their child unwell or crying and do everything to keep the child healthy and happy... But you can never guess when what goes wrong with your little ones.


        Morning the temperature will be normal but suddenly it shoots up by noon or evening. It is very important that we are always ready with the solution or basic medications... Its always better to have a handy baby medical kit. 
         I have put down a list of such ten must have things in baby medical kit, which you might need anytime.

1) A Digital Thermometer : Any time you feel that your baby is unwell, first thing you need to do is measure the temperature.
2) Paracetamol : depending on age and weight of the baby doctor will suggest you the medication and dosage. Don't forget to get it prescribed.
3) Nasal congestion drops and bulb syringe : Babies can have nasal congestion any time so it's better that you always have a congestion drops handy. It's necessary that you clean baby's nose regularly.
4) Medicine for cold and cough
5) Gas relief drops : Babies tend to get gassy very often, keeping a gas relief drops will easy your life.
6) Baby rub : when ever I get a hint that my girl is going to catch cold, I apply Vicks baby rub on her feet and chest and put on socks and dress her warmly and it really works.
7) Band aids & Antiseptic solutions.
8) Rash creams.
9) Cotton balls & swabs.
10) Baby nail cutter & Scissors.

Colic in Newborn : How to handle

Hi Everyone welcome to Cheekoo Garden

      
        Colic... What is that?? Is my baby colic?? This was  my reaction when my baby suddenly started this crying episodes... Is your new born crying continuously for hours without reason or are you not able to find the reason why your new born is crying? Is he/she colic?
      
         Well, in simple "When your baby is healthy and has no medical history, but still he /she cries uncontrollably at particular time of the day for at least three to four hours,then it might be a sign that your baby is Colic."
         Post my delivery everything was going so good, I was on cloud nine seeing my baby girl. Then this Colic episode kicked in which made my life miserable.
          She was just 5 weeks old when she suddenly started crying at around 11 P.M. It is very common as a new mom to get upset when your baby cries and you are not able to figure out the reason behind it. I was ready to do everything on earth which will soothe the baby... But what will i do?? 
          This was just the beginning, her cries used to reach the sky every night. It used to start some where around 11 to 12 in the night and used to reach its peak by 1 A.M or so... Then as if some magic has happened her cries used to drastically reduce and she used to go back to sleep by around 4 A.M.... 
          Oh god!!! My days where miserable when my girl was undergoing this colic episode. But why was she crying!? So many crazy assumptions as answer for this question... Is she gassy?? Ear infection?? Diaper rash?? Mosquito bite?? Does she has any serious issue?? What the hell has happened....
          Then I took her to doctor, after ruling out all the above, doctor said she might be "Colic"... Then I got this simple explanation from my doctor "When your baby is healthy and has no medical history, but still he /she cries uncontrollably at particular time of the day for at least three to four then it might be a sign that your baby is Colic". There is no proven evidence why some babies are prone to this. Colic does not need any treatment. It is not going to cause any long term effect to your baby. In most of the babies it goes off by six months of age, some might carry it on till one year... 
         All you need is to have patience and help your child to go through this phase... I was lucky that my girls crying episodes lasted for just few weeks and she was fine when she hit her 12th week. But there were times, when me and mom had to carry her in arms alternatively for whole night to soothe her... She used to refuse feeds and become so fussy... As days passed her colic episodes where over and she developed a proper sleep cycle like how adults do. Yes she do wake up in between for her feed and goes back to sleep after feed which is very normal. Today am a happy mom of my cute little doll.
         Dear mommies if you are in the same boat then please have patience. Your days will definitely get better when your baby develops his/her proper sleep cycle.
        Are you also the mom who is undergoing this or had undergone this with your baby. What did you do to soothe your baby? Please share your suggestions.
        

Tribute to all Mothers!

Hi Everyone Welcome to Cheekoo Garden


  "Thank You Mom... Love You..."


             It's not mother's day today, its just another ordinary day in our busy life. " Thank You Mom... Love You... " This is the first thing which i told my mom as soon as i got up. 

             Somewhere in the midnight when I was in deep sleep my 10 month old daughter got up for her feed, while feeding her I was just thinking how easy my life was before being a mom. I had no diapers to change, no mid night waking ups, cooking, cleaning etc., Life has become so complicated after having a baby, but then i just looked at my girl's face who had by then finished her feed n was back to sleep. Seeing her cute face my heart said nothing is difficult when it comes to my little girl, I can do anything and everything for her. Then i thought about my mother, who has done lot more for me. She has taken care of me since the time i was in her womb, did everything which i am doing for my baby now.
           In fact she has done lot more than this. Don't know how many days she has sacrificed her sleep for me. Even she might have changed all her priorities and made me as her priority. I was then very young to understand all this at that time. I remember since my childhood there are so many instances when i have yelled at her, had so many complaints, was some times not happy about what she did.But she never complained, she kept taking care of me even if my words had hurt her. I never understood how much love she had for me as a mom. 
          Even today when i am a mother myself my mom is with me taking care of me, guiding me in each and every step of life. She has been a support of my life, what ever I am today is all because of her, because of her sacrifice and her caring.
           Then I thought, have I ever  told her thank you for what she has been doing since so many years, or have I ever told her sorry for hurting her. No i have never, because i never understood what it takes being a mother. 
           Yes I have wished her on mother's day, but wishing her now is completely different. It's a wish from a mother to mother for being a great mother. Now i understand her greatness and my mistakes. Early morning as soon as i got up i went to my mom and said.
" Thank You Mom... Love You.... I don't know if i can be a good mother like you to my daughter but i will definitely try to follow you.Sorry for hurting you."

 Have you ever felt same ?? Have you ever wished you mom ?? If not please do it, we don't have to wait for another mother's day  to say thank you or sorry to our dear moms. 





Recovery Post Delivery

Hello mommies and soon to be mommies Welcome to Cheekoo Garden

          Postpartum recovery is something which doesn't happen in few days or weeks. Your body has gone through so much from past nine months. Post delivery you'll be on the peak of happiness seeing your cute little baby. But ladies remember now its not only your baby who needs your attention, its also your body. Yes, you are as important as your baby. 

  It doesn't matter you had a normal delivery or C-section, your body has done so much of hard work and now it really really needs some caring. This post is all about my experience of post delivery recovery. If you are a new mommy or soon going to a mommy then this is really going to help you.

1)Take Rest:

            You will be happy seeing your little bundle of joy, but make sure you get plenty of rest for yourself. Because your body has under gone so much of trauma during the delivery and also from past nine months to successfully shape your baby.
  Take it easy even if you feel better at first, initially you might be on pain killers when in hospital. Your Uterus starts to shrink back to normal post delivery doesn't happen in a single day.


2)Follow healthy diet 

            Maintain a healthy diet, also you are the source of nutrition for your baby. Postpartum constipation is very common, talk to your doctor and get some stool softener prescribed. Consume plenty of fluids.


3)Maintain proper Hygiene

You had  Normal delivery or C-Section, maintaining proper hygiene is very very important. If you had a C-section you'll be off dressing by a week or 10 days, don't forget to get some antiseptic powder prescribed from your doctor. Do not apply anything to the surgery area without your doctors consent.

4)Massage and Hot bath

Its a good idea to get body massage for few days. Massage and hot bath helps you in feeling fresh and also helps your body to come back in shape soon. Its better to hire a professional massage ladies who are specialized in postpartum body massage, they give massage to you as well as your baby. Its worth investing.


5)Take your supplements

Iron and Calcium pills are must taken supplements post delivery. Remember you are going to bleed for days or even month post delivery. Your bones are weak and needs to be strengthened. Doctors prescribe them for three months or six months or even more depending on your body condition. 
For some ladies multivitamin tablets are prescribed depending on their condition.


6) Keep yourself warm

            Post delivery your immunity will be very low and you'll be in high risk of catching cold and cough. So keep yourself warm and take extra care that you don't catch cold or any allergy. Coughing after C-Section there might be chances of the stitches to loosen. 
Also remember its you who is very close to your baby. So if you get cold there are high chances that you pass it on to your baby and your babies immune system is still developing and is not yet ready for it.

So ladies this is it, take a very good care of yourself and your baby. I wish you a happy Motherhood



Baby Vaccination


Hello Mommies Welcome to "Cheekoo Garden"

          Vaccinations to babies, all the mommies through out the world are very familiar with this word called "Vaccination". Each and every baby should be Vaccinated in time.

* How important is it to vaccinate your baby??
* What are the different vaccination and when it should be given ??
* What are the important things you should note prior to vacciantion??
* What are the side effects of the vaccination and how should you take care of your baby after vaccination?

How important is it to Vaccinate your baby?? 

 Its very simple "Prevention is better than Cure".Every parents wants their children to be safe and healthy and not become a victim of any diseases. Few disease which were once life threatening now has vaccinations. As a responsible parents its our duty to get the children vaccinated. 
Also the cost of prevention is much more lesser than cost of cure as well as the pain of prevention is much more lesser than pain of cure.

What are the different vaccination and when it should be given ??

Below table shows you the different vacciantion and when it should be given. You can use this to maintain a record of the vaccination. you can ask your doctor to note the given date and next vaccination due date which will help in not missing any vaccination.


What are the important things you should note prior to vaccination??

    Prior to Vaccination inform your doctor if the baby has any previous medical history or currently if child is unwell and has any fever, cough or cold.
Feed your baby at least an hour before vaccination and let baby sleep well.
Dress your baby accordingly for vaccination so that baby can be undressed easily post vacciantion
     Distract your baby while vaccinating.

What are the side effects of the vaccination and how should you take care of your baby after vaccination?

Fever is one of the common side effects of vaccination in babies which will last for a day or two. Usually Paracetamol drops can be used to treat the fever.
Swelling or Redness of the vaccination area is another common side effect, you can some cold packs to soothe the area.
Poor Appetite, baby might refuse feeds after vaccination because of the pain, cuddle your baby and try to feed your baby. 

All the above side effects just last for a day or two, if it persists more than three days please visit your doctor immediately.







Baby Walk - Caring a New Born Baby


Hi Mommies welcome to cheekoo garden.

Are you a new mother or soon going to be a mom then this post is for you.I am here with my experience of caring my new born baby.


Caring new born baby is a really challenging task especially for first time mothers. It was really a big challenge for me too, but thanks for my dear Mom & Mother-in-law who guided me how to take care of a new born baby. In this post i would like share some of the tips about caring your new born baby.

Dear Mommies first thing you need to have is patience, yes you really need a lot of it. Your new born baby requires a lot of your time, love and cuddling.



1) Breastfeeding your baby :

Feed your baby as much as possible, it helps in creating a bond between you and your baby. Also Breastfeeding has many advantages for both mom and baby. Mother's milk contains natural antibodies which helps baby fight against many diseases. Doctor's suggest breastfeeding your baby exclusively at least for the first six months.
Some tips on breastfeeding :

* Don't forget to burp your baby after each feed. 
* Always feed your baby in sitting position at least for first 3 months.
* Feed your baby every two hours at least for 15 to 20 minutes.
* Make sure you feed on both breasts every time or alternatively.

2) Umbilical cord :

Your babies Umbilical cord falls off after few days of birth. Take extra care of it, clean it gently.
Its better to give sponge bath to babies till it dries completely or take special care of the area while bathing the baby.


3) Handling a newborn baby : 

* support your baby's head and neck well while holding your baby in hand
* Take care of soft spots (also called Fontanelles) on your baby's head.

4) Sleeping : 

A new born baby sleeps most of the time almost around 18 hours a day, but make sure that you feed your baby every two hours. Be gently while waking your baby for feed. Always make your baby to sleeps on their back and not in stomach down position.
       Some babies sleeps throughout the day and awakes up in the night ( Like my little girl did ). Dear mommies this is the time when you really need to have patience. Few babies tend to cry so much in night (Colic), which will eventually reduce and they will soon develop a proper sleep cycle.


5) Changing baby diaper:

Change your baby diapers often. This is very important as diaper rashes make your baby  really fussy. 

Some tips on diapering :

* Change your baby's diaper every two to three hours
* Clean the area well and let it air dry before putting on an new diaper
* Keep some reuseable cloth diapers to use when your baby has diaper rashes
* Use correct size diapers
* Use diaper rash cream before putting on diaper.

6) Dressing your Little Bud :

Dress your baby in such a way that baby's body is not too cold nor too hot. Swaddling your baby is really a good idea which makes baby to feel in womb.

7) Massaging and Bathing : 

Massaging your baby is very important, it helps baby in many ways. But what matters is the way how you massage your baby. Different types of oils are used to massage a new born depending on the climatic condition. You can use coconut oil, mustard oil, almond oil, olive oil etc.   
Water should not be too cold nor too hot while bathing your baby. 

Some tips on bathing your baby :

* Take extra care of the babies navel while giving bath till it dries completely. 
* Be careful while giving head bath to your baby as babies fontanelles are still soft and babies head and neck are not so strong and needs support.
* Wipe your baby well especially below neck, armpit area, near thighs and their genital area.


Few More General Parenting tips

* Always keep your baby's skin Moisturized.
* Minimize the use of baby powder.
* Use Vitamin D3 drops daily (Consult your doctor regarding dosage).
* Wash your hands well before touching baby.
* Avoid any unwell person coming near your baby.
* Vaccinate your baby in time.

  




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