+961 76411577 Free Delivery over $ 40
on@optimalmedics.com
USD
+961 76411577 Free Delivery over $ 40
USD
0
Cart 0 $0.00
Shop by category
on@optimalmedics.com

Year: 2023

Home / 2023

Introducing Your Baby to Solid Food

July 12, 2023

Learn when to start introducing solid food to your baby for optimal nutrition and growth. Your child can begin eating solid foods at about 6 months old. Find the signs of readiness and consult your pediatrician for personalized advice. Optimal Medics ensures your baby’s health and well-being during this crucial phase.

What Solid Food is Usually Introduced First to Babies:

Discover the best solid food choices for your baby’s first meals. From iron-rich baby cereals to pureed fruits, vegetables, and grains. Start with single-ingredient foods to monitor any allergic reactions or digestive issues.

Introducing Variety for Optimal Nutrition:

Promote a well-rounded diet by introducing a variety of foods to your baby. Optimal Medics recommends a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables to ensure a diverse nutrient intake. We provide expert advice on incorporating different textures and flavors to develop your baby’s palate and promote optimal nutrition.

Allergens Baby Solid Food:

Learn how to manage and reduce the risk of food allergies when introducing solid foods. Optimal Medics highlights recent studies that suggest the early introduction of potentially allergenic foods, such as peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, eggs, wheat, and soy, may help prevent allergies. However, consult your pediatrician for personalized guidance based on your baby’s specific needs.

How to Introduce Solid Food for Babies:

Gradually transition your baby from purees to mashed or finely chopped foods to promote their chewing skills and adaptability to different textures. Optimal Medics provides tips on introducing soft finger foods to encourage self-feeding under your supervision. Ensure your baby’s safety and enjoyable eating experience.

Conclusion:

Introducing your baby to solid foods is an important milestone in their development. With Optimal Medics’ comprehensive guide, you can navigate this transition with confidence. Discover when to start, choose the right foods, manage food allergies, and ensure a smooth transition to textured foods. Promote your baby’s optimal health and set them on the path to lifelong healthy eating habits

Benefits of Breastfeeding

July 11, 2023

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding offers numerous benefits for both the mother and the baby.

What are the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers?

  1. Breastfeeding saves the mother’s health by reducing the risk of developing breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, and ovarian cancer.
  2. Helps the uterus contract and return to its pre-pregnancy size through the release of oxytocin.
  3. Helps the mother lose weight gained during pregnancy
  4. Reduces the risk of postpartum depression
  5. Enhances bonding between mother and baby

Benefits of breastfeeding for baby:

  1. Provides optimal nutrition an infant need during the first six months of life
  2. Boosts the infant’s immune system since the mother’s breast milk contains antibodies that protect the infant against infections (such as ear infections, respiratory infections, and diarrhea)
  3. reduces the risk of allergies and asthma
  4. Reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
  5. Promotes healthy weight gain at a healthy pace
  6. Improves cognitive development

How to schedule breastfeeding and pumping?

  1. Breastfeed at least 8-12 times a day: Newborn babies need to be fed frequently, typically every 2-3 hours. As the baby grows, the frequency of feedings may decrease.
  2. Watch for hunger cues: Signs that a baby is hungry include rooting, sucking on hands or fingers, and making sucking noises.
  3. Time feedings: Aim for each feeding to last around 20-30 minutes. If the baby is still hungry after one breast, offer the other breast until they’re satisfied.
  4. Offer both breasts: It’s important to offer both breasts during each feeding to ensure that the baby gets enough milk and that both breasts are stimulated to produce milk.

Why nipple shield is used:

  1. Helps with latch issues: It can be helpful for babies who have difficulty latching onto the breast due to flat or inverted nipples, or if they have a tongue-tie or other oral issues.
  2. Helps to reduce pain and soreness associated with breastfeeding.
  3. Helps maintain milk supply by ensuring that the baby can extract milk from the breast effectively

Pumping breast milk has several benefits for both the mother and the baby:

  1. Maintains milk supply by ensuring that the breasts are regularly emptied
  2. Relieves breast engorgement, which can be uncomfortable and lead to plugged ducts or mastitis
  3. Provides the same nutritional benefits as breastfeeding providing the protective factors and antibodies found in the breast milk
  4. Stimulates milk production for mothers struggling with low milk supply
  5. Helps with premature or sick babies

How to deal with tantrums

March 24, 2023

A tantrum is common in children aged 1-3 years and it is an unplanned outburst of anger and frustration; these outbursts can be physical, verbal, or both. Your child may act out, be disruptive, and generally display unpleasant behaviors – when your child “loses it”. Some of the triggers may be tiredness, jealousy, hunger, lifestyle changes, excessive pampering, and strict parental intervention or authoritative discipline. So the real problem is how to deal with tantrums.

Here are some of the ways to deal with tantrums:

Communicate with your child instead of arguing. Ask and allow them to answer by providing different scenarios of the current situation. For example, if they were playing with the pet ask them: “If you play roughly with the pet, what would happen? Would you enjoy playtime more than if you treated it nicely?”. This conversational approach will develop common sense and analytical skills.

Provide options rather than bossing them around. Make them feel as if they are in charge of their own decisions. For example, if they had to pick up their toys and have lunch, ask them: “Would you like to pick up your toys first then have lunch? Or the other way around. Freedom of choice gets things done smoothly and desirably.

 

Use Distractions. Add a fun factor before things go out of control. For example, if you were going for a car ride and your child starts screaming and wobbling around in refusal of sitting in the car seat, tell them: “I’ve got your favorite coloring book and some crayons. They’re all yours… go wild!”. This approach will lure them in and keep them occupied the whole time.

 

Allow them to steam out. Give your child permission to scream and shout until they’re ready to stop. For example, if you were at home and a tantrum suddenly occurs, tell them: ‘You can yell louder if you want to. We’re home and no one is bothered by that

This paradoxical instruction would relieve and calm them down instantly.

Make way for learning through risk-free experiences. Acquiring skills and good habits happens effectively through experiments. For example, if you were cooking and they were bored and constantly nagging tell them: “How about we get messy and bake a cake together? Would you like to prepare and mix all the ingredients by yourself?”. Being involved in new situations will certainly boost their confidence and entertain them.

 

Observe, Identify the trigger, and work your way around it. Set a time limit to his/her activities. For example, if they always refuse to turn off the TV to go wash up and head to bed, tell them: “I will set a 5-minute timer and when it goes off, you have to go brush your teeth and sleep”. This will train their mind to respect and manage time.

Patiently discuss the situation post-outburst. Approach them quietly and speak to them about what has happened and why. For example, if they had an intense outburst at the supermarket over a chocolate bar, sit them down and discuss why they wanted that candy so badly and if all that screaming was necessary. Making them feel safe and understood would bring them closer to you.

It is always better to work with tantrums, not against them. Tantrums and/or stubbornness can have a positive outcome as well!

Stubbornness can undeniably:

Boost self-confidence

Cultivate a courageous attitude

Develop a strong personality

Accelerate learning

Promote positivity and maturity

Everything can be of benefit to your child’s development and character when treated wisely.

Try these tips and witness an immediate change in your child’s behavior!

Importance of Breastfeeding

March 24, 2023

Breastfeeding benefits

Breastfeeding is the most effective method for nurturing strong and healthy babies. That is because breast milk invincibly boosts the immune system, provides unmatched nutrients, is easily digestible, and facilitates the emotional bonding between a mother and her newborn baby.

Is it an easy process, though? Does it come naturally to every mother out there? Here is where it gets tricky!

Tons of mothers, particularly new ones, battle with anxiety and depression due to the stress of the breastfeeding process. They tend to get infuriated by how demanding and complex it might get, add to that the burden of direct peer pressure.

In this article, we will tackle some of those circulating concerns of new or existing mothers:

Is it normal for my breasts to hurt during breastfeeding?

It is absolutely normal to feel some discomfort at the very early stages of breastfeeding, but it shouldn’t hurt. Pain may be due to “Improper Latching” or “Breast Engorgement”.

For proper latching, place your baby’s tongue under the nipple and as much of the areola (the dark ring around your nipple) in the baby’s mouth.

For relief from breast engorgement, apply a warm towel or an ice pack prior to feeding or simply express some milk using a breast pump. Keep in mind that this is a temporary condition and it will improve once you learn how to remove excess milk.

Is my baby getting enough breastmilk?

Majority of mothers worry about servings and the amount of milk given to the baby. It is crucial to point out here that whatever goes in will certainly come out! So, keeping track of your baby’s diapers is an excellent indicator to what the right amount should be. For example:

  • During the first 24 hours post-birth: A baby must have 1-2 wet diapers and 1-2 soiled diapers.
  • During days 2 & 3 post-birth: A baby must have 3-4 wet diapers and 2-3 soiled diapers.
  • During days 4 & 5 and onwards: A baby must have at least 5-6 wet diapers and 3-4 soiled diapers.

Anything above or below is alarming and should be addressed as soon as possible.

How often should I breastfeed my baby?

Overfeeding can backfire as much as Underfeeding. Avoid both!

Before anything, find a quiet place to breastfeed, preferably at home, because babies can get easily distracted in crowded rooms which might irritate or bother them.

On an average, a baby should be fed every 1.5-3 hours and for 10-15 minutes on each breast. Warning: Don’t forget to burp your baby after each feeding to prevent an upset stomach.  

For safe and smooth breastfeeding, try not to exceed those recommended timeframes.

Breastfeeding brings comfort to your child

Babies can never be spoiled, but as a matter of fact they are born with a need to be loved, comforted, fed and held. So, please don’t deprive them of that. Always attend to your babies’ needs to gain their full trust.

Breastfeeding is not an easy process, but definitely worth all the efforts.

  • Shop by category
Menu
0
+961 76411577 Free Delivery over $ 40
on@optimalmedics.com
USD

Search for products

Back to Top
Product has been added to your cart