By Ifeoluwa Akinola
Recognizing the indispensable needs of your infant and how to meet it.
Infants
Your child is an infant from birth till around 1-2years old. At this point infants are helpless and harmless. He can’t talk, expresses his discomfort in cries. He develops from just staring, to having to smile (if properly taking care of), then he begins to mumble words.
Attributes of Infants
He is constantly wanting a tender and compassionate touch of his parent. He loves to be loved and adored. No matter what situation surrounds his birth, he has to be well accepted to fit well into the society.
Infants are blessings
There is nothing like a ‘mistake child’, there is no need to term him a bastard. Every child is a gift from God and should be regarded as so. Don’t say we were not planning for a baby, we really don’t need another child.
God who has allowed the baby to stay till birth has a purpose for the child. See that you guide him jealously and trust God to provide you with everything you need and replenish anything you have lost.
I discussed in this article the needs of your infants and the various dilemma in your heart in a dialogue of a couple and a counsellor.
Read on to gain wisdom. I will list the various needs in succession after the dialogue.
How will I regain my shape back? I have to go back to work soon and look prettier. After all, my look adds more value to my personality, it was the reason I got the job offer in the first place mentioned the wife.
My husband also liked the way I looked and has being a bit agitated since I got pregnant. Pregnancy was a serious torment to my beauty. I can’t allow this young fellow to disrupt my career. I was able to stay though at work during pregnancy with heavy make-up, expensive wigs and clothes.
It wasn’t convenient for me but I have to do the spending. I can’t wait for any year in this condition, therefore, I have decided not going to breastfeed. I can’t wait another year to regain by figure 8 back.
Hello Pretty, the counsellor interrupted… wait a minute, what’s going on in your mind? Why do you allow your mind to be clouded to utter words like this? There are ‘Guide lines for effective child care‘ OK.
This child in your hand is a blessing from God. I understand your career is important to you but your child should be more. How did you feel holding him in your hand for the first time?
The motherly love that flowed, why do you want to disrupt it and talk as if you really don’t care. I know deep down within your heart you are yearning for your baby and you would do anything beneficial to him.
You may be ignorant to what he needs from you, but I am here to educate you. If you have to pay the price of about 2 years to partner with God in creation, what other career is greater than that.
A lot of people are trying for a child yet they don’t have. Appreciate this one with you and be sensitive to his need. Don’t be selfish and self-centered, let him have all the care he needs through you.
I have told her earlier that I want her to breastfeed my child the husband further compliment. At least she enjoyed her mother breast feeding her. I don’t know who talk her out of breastfeeding. That was not our plan during courtship.
Can’t plans change, I am talking about my body and my career in this case. You were not the one affected. You can decide to do anything with your time and come home to us when you like. I am the one to baby sit and still met up with getting fit in 3 months.
Little do you know the kind of emotion my body shape gives me when I look into the mirror? When least did you compliment my look, to help me see how much you adore me. Haven’t I lost the shape you admire and you want me to live with this for another year, no way.
Breast Feeding Infants
Please calm down madam. I need you to see that breastfeeding is crucial for your infant’s health and well-being as well as yours, don’t because of the excuse of losing your shape shy away from it.
Any woman who does not have any ailment of the body that prevent her from breastfeeding is advised to do so till her child becomes a toddler. Your child needs the breast milk God has provided through you till he becomes a toddler.
It is a means of building a strong body immune system to stay healthy through life as reported from WHO, UNICEF and CDC research. The breastfeeding you are shying away from is also necessary for a quick healing of your stressed vagina as a woman.
Considering you went through normal vagina delivery. When you meet your infant’s nutritional need you are also meeting your own body need. Sure you won’t like to embrace ‘Common mistakes in parenting infants‘
Infants Parenting
Hello counsellor, I get your point. There are still some things bothering me. First, I really love my husband and I consider this child as a little threat. I know my child is not a part of our marriage vow and I can’t allow him come between me and my spouse.
I have hired a nanny to take care of him and paid her for it. I can enjoy life to its fullest with my spouse. I can’t miss the night parties and business trips for anything. I don’t want my husband in the hands of those small girls.
I want to be there for him. If not for the African culture of asking for children, I was not ready to give birth yet.
It may sound unheard off to abort as a married woman, I would have considered that option. I was also considering the grave consequences of abortion, and that was why I kept the baby.
Infants Upbringing is collective efforts
Hmmm, I understand you point madam. It is a good thing to love your husband. Although your baby is not a part of your marital vow, he is one of the purpose for your marriage. God instituted marriage as His lay down way for procreation, so your child is not a mistake. Thank God you didn’t abort him.
It is important to note that God has given you both this child to cater for. You can both cut down the night parties to take good care of him. The nanny idea is a good one, but nanny cannot take your place in your infant’s life.
He needs the father figure and mother figure in his life. Your child needs your acceptance, affection and attention, it is needed for a balance psychologically and emotional balance.
It helps your child to imbibe a good family life which is the bedrock of the society. He needs to be assured that he matters to you. Beyond the candies, ice-cream and wears. He needs a father to instruct and a mother to guide.
The nanny can’t produce the kind of child you would. Your dream for you child can come true by bending down to train and nurture him. Spend quality time with you infant. Pray for him and with him. Sing him songs to cheer him up.
He spend much time sleeping and eating. Be there for him when he is active and be actively involved in his life. He has the feeling of love if you love him and he will grow up to be a lovable person.
Infants Needs
Counsellor, I really like my child to appear note worthy, so I told my wife to buy his clothing at a particular bouquet but she insisted to go to the general market and pick up a few clothes instead insisting that she can save money for other things. I see this act as being callous. Please talk to her.
The need of your infant is way beyond clothing. He will soon outgrow the clothes he wears as infant but this does not rule out the fact that he should be well clothed. You can get your infant decent clothing within your budget.
However, see that you have a holistic budget that cater for his nutrition, education, cleaning up, daycare, and recreation as well as clothing. Don’t forget to include your wife’s nursing clothing.
Thank you so much for your time dear counsellor. From what you have mentioned about I have been able to see some needs of our infant. I would like to state what I have gotten and see if you have any addition.
My child is a blessing from God and needs to be accepted, appreciated and adored. His needs which are physical, emotional, psychological, intellectual and social should be well met.
Thank you so much for your time sir and ma. I believe that with what you have gotten you will be able to take good care of your infant. I will be glad to see you around again when there is any question. I can see madam smiling now. Your baby is waiting for your arm of love. Bye for now.
Just like this couple, most of us parent assumes a lot and have so many misunderstanding and mal-information on the meets of our children and how to take care of them.
Though women go for antenatal clinics, there is factually no time to take antenatal classes in the midst of our busy schedule, sometimes we have it but not necessarily take it to heart.
Men on the other hand are the most hit. No one sit men down to teach on how to be a good father. Few men take to read book to get some things out of it while a lot of others resign to experimenting.
Basic Needs of Infants and how to meet it?
Below are basic needs of your infant and how to meet them.
Infants Physical needs:
The physical need of your infant entails feeding, clothing, cleaning up, rest and sleep. Your infant need to be fed with breast milk till 1-2 years to stay healthy and strong, exclusive breast feeding for the first 6month is encouraged with introduction of nutritious meal from 6 month upward.
Proper attention should be given to hygiene to safe guard your infant from infection. You should ensure your infant is well bathed, with his teeth well brushed, twice a day. You should also ensure proper cleaning up of your infant when he urinates or excretes to avoid bad body odor.
Dress your child properly and appropriately when at home, in a daycare center or out with you. Your infant’s cot, cradle or bed should be comfortable and safe for resting and sleeping. The room should be well ventilated and your infant should be well protected from cold or mosquito.
Physiological and emotional needs of Infants
He needs to be accepted as member of your family with show of affection and attention. He should be played with, talked with and laughed with. He should know he has people around him who loves him.
Infants Intellectual and recreational needs
His intellectual capacity can be built while playing with him. He learn how to hold objects for example. How to grip and release. He learns how to crawl, and later stand before he later begins to work. Be part of his learning process. When he begins to pick sounds you can begin to play him wonderful songs and educative audios and videos.
Social and relational needs of an Infant
He begins to learn how to relate with stranger and familiar faces. Don’t allow your child to be too loose with everybody. Let him learn to stay more comfortably with familiar faces.
Take him out sometimes to see the sun and the moon and enjoy nature. Your child can also socialize in daycare center or infant day out. You can occasionally visit friends with infants or plan a day out with your infants together with them. This helps them to learn how to develop relationship.
I hope this article has been of help. You can also get more tips from “Proven Tips for Good Parenting” and other related articles. Thanks for reading through.
DFlourishingKids™ 