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Baby cereal made from rice is a good first solid food. It is bland but nourishing, and unlikely to cause allergies. You can mix baby rice with a little warm formula milk, breast milk, or some cooled, boiled water. Your baby should not have cow’s milk as a milk drink until he is a year old, although he can have some dairy products before then. However, you can use cow’s milk in cooking from when he is six months old.
Avoid any nut products until he is two years old and whole nuts until he is five; honey until he is a year old; hard-boiled eggs and wheat until he is six-months old; and fruit with small seeds, like raspberries , until he is five months. You can mix your baby’s cereal with ordinary pasteurized cow’s milk and give him some dairy products, but remember that cow’s milk contains too little vitamin D and iron for a baby under a year.
It is important to change your babies diaper frequently. Prolonged contact with stools or urine causes diaper rash. He may need ten changes a day – more if he has loose, frequent stools. Don’t use baby wipes or lotions – these can cause diaper rash. Always wipe the area gently and apply a thin layer of barrier cream (for instance, zinc and lanoline cream) to clean, dry skin.
The best way to treat diaper rash is to leave your baby’s diaper and clothes off as much as possible. Ideally, he should have several sessions of diaper-free play every day. If he is crawling, then spread some towels, shut the door, and let him move about freely without his diaper.
Five minutes is usually long enough to leave your baby to cry. It will seem much longer to you, so check your watch. During this time, you should move out of earshot and take a short break. Playing soothing music in your baby’s room may help to quiet her. If she is still crying after five minutes, go back to her, settle her down, and then leave the room again for about another five minutes.
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