I love going shopping in the 21st century. Yes, shopping has become so easy and fun. I however remember a time when large shopping was a nightmare because one had to carry wads of cash when buying presents for loved ones, particularly during the festive season. In my mind I can visualise this very tired…

Strawberry, banana, raspberry, you name it, there’s a flavor that exists in yoghurt form and so are the number of children who have perfected the art of persuasion when it comes to convincing an adamant parent to buy some. But is yoghurt all sweetness and no nourishment? We went out to unearth the nutritious component…

Incase you’re wondering what a butternut is, it is a type of a pumpkin that is shaped like a gourd and when fully grown, it shines forth a rich yellow color. The difference between a butternut and other pumpkins is that it is sweet and easy on the palate. Its soup is a delicacy you…

In the previous edition of Pregnant, we discussed why some babies refuse to be fed by their mothers, sometimes preferring auntie’s (nanny’s) feeding. We now focus on babies who refuse to eat irrespective of who feeds them. There are foods which we, as adults, loathe to taste, let alone eat, irrespective of where they are…

BCG is a live vaccine against Tuberculosis (TB). BCG stands for Bacillus Calmette-Guerin. It was named after two doctors who developed and introduced the vaccine in the 1920s. To date it remains the only available vaccination against TB. It is given to infants to help prevent the more serious forms of TB. The BCG Tuberculosis…

Where my ancestors came from, when a child got mumps, they would be advised or led to a certain tree and urged to sing certain songs and dance around the tree to cast away the mumps. After which the child will be required to walk back to their home without looking back. It was believed…

By speaking to the child and imitating the child’s sounds, a parent not only teaches the child sound patterns, but encourages taking turns, a process necessary for conversation. Studies have shown that babies whose parents spoke to them more often know many more words by age two. Children who are unable to communicate effectively through…

Guidelines Rigid timings should not be set for feeding. As a general guideline, five minutes per breast per feed on the first day, 10 minutes on the second day and 15 minutes thereafter can be tried. Early initiation of breast- feeding is important. The baby should be put to the breast as soon as possible. In the…

Unless you are a parent or a newborn, your knowledge of immunization is likely to be very scant. I dare say many parents walk into motherhood without a clue of which injection comes first and why. Yet we all have tell tale signs on parts of our bodies, especially near the elbow and on our shoulders, that suggest we were…