Don’t automatically give her more. Resist the temptation to keep feeding her until she refuses to take any more. Remind yourself that she doesn’t have to be “full” all the time.

There is a difference between having enough to eat and being full. She doesn’t have to be so stuffed she cannot swallow another drop.

Encourage breaks during mealtimes. Your baby should not gulp down the entire contents of the bottle in one go without a break. Make sure she pauses every so often. The same applies to your hungry one-year-old.

Avoid using food as a comforter. Try not to give your baby food or sweets whenever she cries.

The chances are that she is not crying from hunger. If you feed her every time she cries, she’ll soon cry just for the sake of getting more.

Instead of reaching for that extra bottle of milk during the night, give her a drink of water. She might only be thirsty, not hungry.

Erika recommends reading to baby regularly, twice a day, every day. Start with a short span of five to six minutes for each reading session and as your baby’s attention span increases, lengthen the reading time.

HOW TO READ

Read slowly and deliberately. Remember you are reading to your baby, not to yourself!

Make appropriate pauses, giving time for baby to look at the pictures.

Repeat key words; point out and elaborate on details, e.g., “This is a cat – a cat says. “meow” or “look at the spider – it is black and has eight legs.” Vary your volume and pace of reading according to the storyline, eg, a louder volume and faster pace for exciting lines in the story.

Talk about what is happening in the story, what happened earlier and what might happen next. These are important concepts for sequencing events and will help your child understand the concept of the beginning, middle and end of a story – prediction is a valuable comprehension skill. Try to make connections between the story you are reading and the world around your baby.

Carry baby in four ways! Newborns can be carried while they lie down as the stiff pouch provides all the necessary support. When baby is older and able to support her neck, carry her facing you or facing front. Toddlers can be carried on your back like a backpack. The side buckles are very secure as they require a (simple) two- step procedure to lock in place. The beige straps are made of a soft cotton material which are soft against the skin but expect them to dirty pretty fast. The biggest drawback is that the instructions are in Japanese so unless you know the language, you’ll be fumbling and making guesswork out of the illustrations.

Ergo Baby Carrier

A breeze to put on with minimal buckling and tugging at straps. Can be worn in front, back and hip position (baby sitting on your hips). A padded seat you secure around your waist supports the baby’s weight through the upper thigh rather than weighing down the spine. as baby is in a seated position. It takes a maximum weight of 18kg so it can accommodate the child from birth through toddler-hood. A sleeping hood keeps the child’s head from flopping about when in slumber.

Jeep 2-in-1 Baby Carrier

This well-padded carrier can take a baby from 3.5 to 11.5kg, in a forward or back- facing position. For infants, you need to make the crotch area shallower. This is done through a zip that comes in two settings. The front of the carrier has reflective strips making it extra safe when you are out at night. A nice touch is the ventilation flap. For more air circulation, unzip the flap and roll-up the portion covering baby’s tummy to reveal a breezy mesh cut-out.

Baby Bjorn Baby Carrier Air

This version of the wildly popular Baby Bjorn is made from a mesh material that dissipates heat and moisture better. You can’t go wrong buckling up as the left and right side of the buckles and latches are color coded (match red to red, blue to blue). A sliding buckle at the crotch area allows you to fit the carrier to baby’s height for a comfortable and safe ride. It takes a baby from 53cm to 90cm in height and 3.5kg to 11kg in weight. Carries baby in a forward and rear facing positions.

Combi Ninna Nanna Carrier

You can carry your newborn in a prone position, upright facing forward, upright facing back and on your back. You can also choose between placing baby’s arms within the armholes or letting them free when she’s older for more mobility. The fabric on this carrier is luxuriously soft, great for baby and you! It takes a while to figure out how to use it but once you’ve got it, it should be a breeze switching from one position to another. Comes in a see-through plastic carrying case so it’s easy to pack away. Maximum weight is 14.9kg.

Mother-care 4 Way Carrier

Made of super soft cotton, this one carries your baby in a forward or rear-facing position, on the back and in a nursing position. There is a removable head support for use with newborns and comes in a hip camouflage print. Additional features: a dribble bib, toy, pacifier holder and a storage pocket. The carrier uses buckles and velcro to fasten. The latter are a little noisy to undo, especially if baby is sleeping. The breathable fabric lining prevents parent and child from becoming too warm. Maximum weight is 12kg.

Because your three-month-old will probably drink every drop of milk she gets, and your one-year-old will most likely gulp down one bowl of cereal after the other without the slightest prompting. The tendency to put on weight is partly an inherited characteristic. Some babies put on more weight than others even though they eat approximately the same amount.

In many instances, obesity is simply due to over-feeding. Research also shows that adults who are fat were more likely to have been fat as babies, when compared to adults who are thin. And the habit of over-eating, which starts during babyhood, can be hard to break later on.

Happy and Healthy But Not Fat

The first step, especially in the first year, is to have a rough idea of the typical food intake for someone her age and size.

You will be able to get advice from your local baby clinic. Of course there are wide variations between babies in terms of weight and food intake, but you should have a guideline regarding her recommended intake of mills (and of solids when she has started weaning).

Weigh her regularly. Your doctor will do this anyway. Doctors know the upper and lower limits of weight gain during each stage of development, and will give you the necessary feedback.

Some adults think that a fat, chubby baby is very pretty. But she is no prettier than a slimmer baby and she is certainly no healthier. In fact, doctors can list a whole series of health problems that are associated with obesity. Your baby doesn’t need to be over-fed in order to look attractive.

The outside is made from hand printed batik (printed in Bali), which has been made waterproof and breathable and leak- free. Inside, soft fleece keeps baby’s skin dry by drawing pee into the absorbent insert placed inside the pocket of the diaper. Each insert consists of three layers of microfiber terry cloth that can absorb ^-10 times its weight in liquid. Inserts are also anti­allergenic and anti-bacterial. It can be adjusted to fit different sizes. The front panel can be folded down to reveal another row of snaps. Use this row to downsize the diaper for smaller babies.

Bummis Super Whisper Wrap

Made from a super resistant waterproof laminate sandwiched between two layers of soft polyester knit, this one’s made to last through rigorous washing. The outer fabric isn’t as soft as the others, but is slightly stretchy for a snug fit. The comfortable elasticised legs keeps the contents from leaking out. Use it over prefolds, velcroed or snap-closing diapers. Comes in four different sizes to fit babies 4kg to 18+kg.

Mommy’s Touch One Size Pocket Diaper

As it is one size fits all, you can use it to fit any children of different sizes. Two rows of snaps allow you to size the diaper to fit a newborn or a toddler. Adjust the depth of the crotch (or rise) by choosing the top or bottom row of snaps. Extender tabs are available separately to up-size the diaper even more. The outer layer is a polyurethane laminate while the inside is extremely soft micro fleece. The leg casings are elasticized and encased (there is stitching on both sides of the elastic) so that only soft micro fleece touches baby’s legs. It comes in 39 great colors from black to mint.

Bummis Cotton

Use this as a diaper cover with a folded cloth nappy inside to absorb pee and poo or as a swim diaper. To use, place an insert or pre-fold on top of the cover, then baby on top of the insert and fasten. It fastens with velcro, making it a cinch when handling a wriggly baby. The velcro loop panel on the tummy area is wide, allowing a variety of fits. The inside mesh lining increases air flow and helps to hold the diaper in place. Not recommended for night time use or heavy wetters. Can be used as a swim diaper (without any inserts). Comes in fun, cheerful prints, from small to extra large.

Fuzzi Bun

To use, place an insert (or more for longer periods like night time) into the pocket, then fasten around baby. The soft outer material acts as a moisture barrier keeping all wetness and messes inside, hence leaks are prevented. Made of polyester, it’s stain-free, so you don’t have laundry woes. The inside fleece which is in contact with baby’s skin draws moisture away from the baby’s bottom, into the insert. Comes in four sizes to fit 3kg to 16+kg babies/toddlers.