Child Raising Consultation Q&A
Do not know if there is a problem with my milk supply. (3-month old)
My baby does not eat well and pushes foods out with tongue. (5-month old)
My baby does not like to eat rice porridge. (5-month old)
My baby’s stool with visible bits of undigested vegetables.
Is it right that I was told that it is ok to let grandparents chew solids for my baby? (6-month old)
My baby eats a lot since birth. Should I feed him/her whenever he/she wants? (6-month old)
Is it good to force my baby to eat the food he/she dislikes? (6-month old)
As long as my baby eats, I only feed him/her whatever he/she wants. (7-month old)
My baby has no interest in any solids but rice. (8-month old)
How long does the feeding bottle need to be sterilized?
My baby’s irregular eating is awful .
Soft stools many times a day. (7～9 months old)
My baby no longer likes milk or formula since solids have been added. (9～11 months old)
My baby has no interest in eating but playing (8～12 months old)
How many solids should I feed my baby? (9～11 months old)
Start worrying that my baby is overweight. (10 months old ～)
My baby eats very little and is about underweight. (10 months old ～)
My baby does not like solids but milk. (9～12 months old)
What should I prepare for weaning during going out and traveling with my baby? (9～12 months old)
My baby does not eagerly eat but waiting for foods with mouth opened. (12-month old)
My baby does not chew solids before swallowing. (9-month old)
How many snakes should I offer my baby? (12-month old)
My baby cries so badly at night. (8～10 months old)
My baby does not fall asleep at night (9～12 months old)
Constipation？ (7～12 months old）
My baby does not take fluids. (7-month old)
My baby has diarrhea. I was told that soft food is good but he does like it. (almost 9-month old)
My baby merrily throws foods on the floor. （15-month old）
My child acts like a little baby.
I want to remove my baby’s diaper earlier. （1 yr old）
Toilet training is not well established.
Use training pants or regular pants during daytime?
Can I feed my baby cool jelly or pudding straight from the refrigerator? (10-month old)
Should I use baby powder?
My baby begins to cry 1-2 hours after my breast feeding. Do I produce enough milk? (1 1/2 months old)
My baby is drinking the formula since birht. It is said that follow-on milks begin when a baby is 9-month old. Do I need to change my baby’s formula? (9-month old)
| Is it right that I was told that it is ok to let grandparents chew foods for my baby? (6-month old) |
| It often had before, but is insanitation. Grandparents should stop chewing foods for your baby because the bacteria in |
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| My baby eats a lot since birth. Should I feed him/her whenever he/she wants? (6-month old) |
| If there is no vomiting or diarrhea after eating, it is ok to feed him/her whenever he/she wants. However, by 6-month old, his/her gastrointestinal tract is immature, and you need to pay attention to do so. |
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| Is it good to force my baby to eat the food he/she dislikes? (6-month old) |
| In many cases around this age, it is not the matter with your child’s dislike but the matters of your cooking method, seasoning, and food hardness. Do not simply make a conclusion that your child dislikes the food but keep trying. Changing cooking methods, seasoning, and food hardness may make a big different. One day, when you sever it, your child may like it. Moreover, do not force your child to eat but try your best to make your baby like the food. |
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| As long as my baby eats, I only feed him/her whatever he/she wants. (7-month old) |
| If Moms consider that “eat something is better than eat nothing”, your child is able to tell and will always want whatever he/she likes. Your child’s dislike will become sharp. Moms need to do your best to help your child to learn new foods and try a wide rage of foods. |
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| My baby has no interest in any solids but rice. (8-month old) |
| The hardness, bits, or flavor of solids may be the reasons of your child’s dislike. Do not give up. If your child rejects to eat. Try to change cooking methods and make solids easier to eat. |
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| How long does the feeding bottle need to be sterilized? |
| Generally, feeding bottles will need to be sterilized for 3 months. When your child starts to suck thumbs and lick toys, it will be useless to sterilize feeding bottles alone. It is recommended to sterilize feeding bottles for 1 month, later on, wash and dry them after one use, and wash them again in hot water before using. If you still worry and feel unsure, sterilize them until 3-month of age. |
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| My baby’s irregular eating is awful. |
| Just like adults, there are fluctuations in baby’s appetite. Do not force him to eat. Check his life rhythm first to see if you have given the child too much snacks or juice; if your breast or bottle feeding is irregular, if there is time for a walk, playing outdoor or sunbathing etc. If all of them are ok, pay attention for a while. Children’s irregular eating will be gone as they grow. |
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| Soft stools many times a day. (7～9 months old) |
| Stools are 3-5 times a day, the child has good appetite and is healthy and active, so there is nothing to worry about. Some babies’ digestive system may be naturally active, the others who eat more carbohydrates may have stool whenever they are eating. The important thing is to make a well balanced meal with carbohydrates, proteins, and vegetables. However, if your child stools 10-20 times a day and is inactive, go to see a doctor. |
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| My baby no longer likes milk or formula since solids have been added (9～11 months old) |
| If your child eats enough solids, it seems there is no need to force him to drink milk. However, about 400cc milk a day is still recommended. Using more milk into your menus is a way to let your child have more milk. |
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| My baby has no interest in eating but playing (8～12 months old) |
| By this age, babies are interested in many things. It may take one more hour for a meal. A common scene may be that your child runs around the room with a handful food or eats one mouth then back to playing, and you are following and feeding him/her with a spoonful food. It is recommended that always let your baby sit down for a meal. Make repeated requests “sit here and eat”. If it does not work, finish the meal in 30 minutes. Do not give and allow your child to eat between meals even if he/she is crying for foods. It is important to have a good mealtime behavior. |
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| How many solids should I feed my baby? (9～11 months old) |
| There is a long period for children to learn to chew. How many solids should feed is different during the early period and later period of learning to chew. During the early period, One meal may have eighty percent～1 child bowl of grains, 8～12 weaning spoons of protein foods such as fish, meat or milk products; and 12 weaning spoons of vegetables. In the later period, one meal may have 1 child bowl of grain, 12～16 spoons of protein products, 16 spoons of vegetables. However, the amount of food intake differs among babies, and some may only eat half or less than half of the above amounts. It is wise of you to devise your own weaning plan which will fit for your baby’s natural feeding needs. |
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| I start worrying that my baby is overweight. (10 months old ～) |
| Babies’ plumps are more likely to become tight naturally around one and half years old. From now on, however, Moms should make a nutritious and well balanced meal plan for your child. If you worry about the weight, first check the meal plan; weather the amounts of protein and starch in the child’s diet are well balanced, weather you have over-used batter or cooking oil, or weather you have given him/her too many sweets. If so, correct them now. If the child eats well-balanced diet, there is no need to worry about his/her plump. |
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| My baby eats very little and is thin. (10 months old ～) |
| Your child does not eat that much and is thin, but is healthy, he/she may naturally come in that way. This kind of children won’t eat a lot even they are forced to eat more. On the contrary, if you force your child to eat, it may result in more rejection. Because your child eats a little and is thin but is healthy and active, he/she just comes naturally in that way. And, there is no need to add high caloric foods, fatty or high protein foods to gain weight. It is more important to have well-balanced diets than forcing the child to eat more. |
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| My baby does not like solids but only milk. (9～12 months old) |
| It is common that many children do like solids but only milk. However, is this in Moms’ minds that my baby does not like solids, but it is ok that he likes milk? If you feed your child with milk instead of water, he/she will not be hungry at mealtimes so that the weaning won’t go on well. During weaning period, we recommend 400cc milk a day for a child. In other ways, has your child learnt to chew foods? Have you tried to make the solids softer and easier to eat? Try to change your cooking method first. As your child becomes accustomed the food, try to make the food harder. Do not forget to praise your baby [you are being good] even he only ate a little. |
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| What should I prepare for weaning during going out and traveling with my baby? (9～12 months old) |
| 旅行中や一日中外出するときなどは、やはりベビーフードを持っていかれると安心です。もし飲食店で食べる場合は、大人の分を少し取り分けて与えるという感 じになりますが、味が濃いので薄められるものなら薄めて与えるようにしてください。外に出ると赤ちゃんはのどが渇きますから、麦茶や湯冷ましなどの用意を 忘れずに。 |
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| My baby does not fall asleep at night (9～12 months old) |
| First, try to get up early and fix the child’s morning wake up time. During the day, going for walks outside, let your child run around the room, or play actively. Taking a nap in the morning and afternoon, or only in afternoon. Try to wake your child up before 3pm, otherwise, it may not be easy to fall asleep at night. Try to put your child to bed around 9pm. Going to bed early and getting up early can set the rhythms of life. |
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| Constipation？(7～12 months old |
| You may think “is it constipation?” if your child does not loose stools in 2-3 days. If your child does eliminate himself / herself and there is no hard stools come out, it is not constipation. Constipation is when the stools are hard to pass, your child seems in distress, and there is a slight tearing in the anus etc. It is very difficult if the constipation happened before your baby can chew foods because what you can choose for your baby’s diet is very limited. If you have started weaning your child, first check the meal plan. If vegetables are not enough, feed more ground high-fiber vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, and sweet potato etc. It is effective to use eaweeds such as wakame and agar, and beans such as natto and soybean flour. Yogurts and citrus fruits can soft stools; it is also effective to use white sauce, stir- frying, batter and cooking oils into the diet. Considering of baby’s months of age, the constipation can also occur if there is less amount of breast milk, less weaning solids, or irregular mealtimes. Try to make a regular life rhythm including meal plan. |
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| My baby does not take fluids. (7-month old) |
| During the weaning stage, fluids containing in solids may be enough for your child. The individual needs for fluids differ among babies. There is no need to force him to drink if he does not want. As the weather turns hot and when your child looks being thirsty, try to feed him more fluids and he may take them. |
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| My baby has diarrhea. I was told that soft food is good but he does like it. (almost 9-month old) |
| Probably your baby has started to enjoy chewing. It is a good thing. Now your baby is active and has no fever, even the diarrhea will last a few days, you can still use the weaning plan― with more grains and less milk products, meats, and fishes. |
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| My baby merrily throws foods on the floor.（15-month old） |
| Likes and dislikes occur as children’s taste develop.A child may throw the food he/she does not like. Try to simply teach your child “do not throw foods, have it! ”. At family meal time, let your child join and share the moods as you all enjoy foods. Praise your child if he/she ate some foods “you did not throw foods, you are being good”. |
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| My child acts like a little baby. |
| It is important to understand the child and satisfy his/her feelings. If the child can get your attention when he/she needs, he/she may get confidence that Mom still loves me even my sister (brother) was born. If the child is eager for “hug”, hug him/her firmly because this may give him/her a sense of security. Confidence and security are very important for a child. Try to spend more time with the big one except feeding your little one. Give him/her opportunities to help. Remember to praise him/her whenever he/she helps you, and talk to him/her with a smile. |
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| I want to remove my baby’s diaper earlier. （1 yr old） |
| The right time for toilet training depends on your child’s development but not parents. By this age, he/she may be not able to tell he’d /she’d pee/poop or he/she wants to get to toilet. In the beginning of toilet training, he/she may not pee or poop even you have him/her sit on a potty or toile. However, as the toilet training is going on, your child will be well on the way to using toilet. The followings three are the readiness signals to start toilet training. ①can walk－get himself/herself to toilet. ②understand words.③keep a diaper dry for 2-3 hours. |
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| Toilet training is not well established. |
| Have your child sit on the potty or toilet ① after your child wakes up being in good mood. ② keep a diaper dry for 2-3 hours. ③suddenly stopping an activity when he is playing. Do not make your child sit on the potty or toilet if he/she is not willing. Your forcing may make your child escape whenever you call him/her for potty or toilet. Toilet training is often a frustrating task for Moms, but there is no need to hurry, sooner or later your baby will use toilet. |
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| Use training pants or regular diapers during daytime? |
| Regular diapers may be better then training pants in the way it is easy to know when they are wet. But there is no problem with Moms’ likes. |
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| Can I feed my baby cool jelly or pudding straight from the refrigerator? (10-month old) |
| たまに与える程度なら大丈夫でしょう。しかし赤ちゃんの腸はまだ未熟です。体温と温度差がありますと刺激になっておなかが緩くなることがあります。 |
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| Should I use baby powder? |
| Before, baby powder is used in heat rashes. As overusing can block the sweat glands and cause the opposite results, it is no longer recommended now. |
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| My baby begins to cry 1-2 hours after my breast feeding. Do I produce enough milk? (1 1/2 months old) |
| Have you fed your baby whenever he is crying? If so, the feeding interval may be irregular, and your child may be not fed on demand from one feeding. Feeding interval in the first month may be irregular, but now it is time to make a regular feeding schedule for your child. （a 3 hours interval for a 3-month old, 3-4 hours interval and 5-6 times a day for a 3-4 month old.） If your child gains weight regularly, there is no need to worry about your milk supply. |
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| My child is drinking the formula since birth. It is said that follow-on milks begin 9-month old. Do I need to change my baby’s formula? (9-month old) |
| You can start follow-on milks after using up the formula you still have. If you are worrying about atopy, go to talk to your child’s doctor. |
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