Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.
Dov J Berkowitz | How Do You Know If You Are You A Good Candidate For Dental Implants?
Dov J Berkowitz | Losing a permanent tooth can cause changes to the way a person talks, eats, or how they smile. Before the popularity and availability of dental implants, patients were only able to choose between fixed bridges or a removable partial denture. The problem with fixed bridges and partial dentures is that they wear away at the remaining teeth and often have to be replaced every seven to 15 years. They also can break down the existing bone area where the missing tooth was located.
What is a Dental Implant?
Dental implants are becoming a popular choice for those patients missing permanent teeth. These implants look and feel like the natural tooth that was lost. It is fitted with a titanium root that is implanted into the bone of the jaw. The process can take several months and multiple trips to a dental office. The reason is that patients have to heal in-between steps of the process.
Criteria for Dental Implantation
For patients who are missing permanent teeth, they may be a logical long-term replacement option. The following criteria is used to determine if a patient is an ideal candidate for implants:
- More than one permanent tooth is missing
- Jawbone is fully grown and developed
- Has an adequate amount of bone remaining to help secure the implants
- The oral tissues of the mouth are healthy
- The patient has no health issues that would affect the bone from healing
- Doesn’t want to or can’t wear dentures
- Looking to have speech improved
- Willing to commit to the process, which takes several months to complete
69% of adults ages 35 to 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth. 26% of adults over the age of 74 have lost all of their permanent teeth. The most common causes for permanent tooth loss include gum disease, tooth decay, a root canal that failed, or an accident to the teeth.
Is Dental Implant the Right Choice?
Dental patients are the ones who have to make the final decision on a dental implant. Implants are a new enough technique, and it requires specialized training on the part of the dentist.
Dov J Berkowitz | Some patients cannot wear a partial, denture, or fixed bridge, making a dental implant the only logical solution to fix their teeth and to restore their quality of life. If a patient meets all of the criteria listed above, they should talk with their dentist about the possibility of using a dental implant to complete their smile.
Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz | Diet and Dental Health
Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz | We all know eating lots of sugary treats, candy and soda causes tooth decay. That’s a no-brainer. But this deeper dive into the specifics of diet and how it impacts dental health and cavities will be as fascinating to you as it was to me.
Most of us believe that once you have tooth decay, that cavity cannot be reversed and the only solution is to have part of your tooth drilled out and filled with a synthetic material. However, it’s been proven that there are ways to reverse cavities naturally. Studies have shown that cavities and tooth decay could potentially be reversed with diet.
Sixty-two children with cavities were divided into three different diet groups. Group 1 ate a standard diet plus oatmeal, which is rich in phytic acid. Group 2 consumed a normal diet and supplemented with vitamin D3. Group 3 ate a grain-free diet and supplemented with vitamin D3.
The results revealed that Group 1 who ate the diet high in grains and phytic acid had an increase in cavities. Group 2 showed improvements in the number of cavities. Group 3, who followed a grain-free diet with nutrient-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, meat, milk and took vitamin D3, saw the greatest improvements. Nearly all cavities in this group were healed.
According to the insights of Dr. Weston Price and several others, there are four main things that contribute to tooth decay:
Lack of minerals in the diet (calcium deficiency, magnesium deficiency and phosphorus deficiency)
Lack of fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K, especially vitamin D3 deficiency)
Consuming too much phytic acid-rich food
Too much consumption of processed sugar
The bottom line for me was the destructive nature of phytic acid-rich foods, which many of us consume regularly, if not daily. If you are unfamiliar with the term, phytic acid or phytate, is a mineral blocker and enzyme inhibitor found in grains, nuts, seeds and beans that can cause serious health problems in our diets.
The main reason phytic acid has become an issue today is because we have stopped ancient food preparation techniques, such as soaking, sprouting or fermentation, which kills off the phytic acid.
Too much phytic acid causes mineral deficiencies in two ways – by preventing you from absorbing minerals and also causing them to be leached from your bones and teeth – both of which can lead to osteoporosis as well as dental problems.
Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz | So do you have to completely give up your favorite morning oatmeal forever? No, not necessarily. I would suggest limiting it to 2 or 3 times a week and not daily. I would also recommend soaking any grain for 3 or 4 hours or overnight before cooking to deactivate most if not all of the phytates. Sprouting is another great method.
Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz | Easy Steps to an Incredible Immune System
- Meditate – less stress will bring out your very best. Meditation is a great prescription for stress. Excessive stress can weaken the immune system hugely. There are numerous studies that show how meditation will boost your immune system.
- Keep Good Company – have a support system. A master mind group and loving family members would be ideal. A master mind group consists of people on higher consciousness. They read and consistently feed themselves uplifting and empowering information When your feelings are bad they help make them good again. Be around loving family members that have your best interest in mind.
- Laugh – laugh, celebrate, have fun, explore, play with kids and be adventurous. Look at funny movies or your favorites comedians. Read the comics and massage your self in giggles and smiles. Researchers have discovered that laughter increases immunity.
- Drink Water – drink at least 6 cups of water a day. In addition rotate between adding lemon drops and a teaspoon of chlorophyll to your water.
- Take Astralagus – astralagus is a member of the pea family and is a native of Northern China. It is known as an immune booster, energizer and is use to treat lung issues. The three best ways to take it is in a tea, a soup or extract. There are no known toxic effects associated with astralagus.
- Practice Yoga – specifically practice three poses cobra, fish and bridge. You can get a book on yoga or Google the poses and simply emulate what you see for at least 5 minutes a day. Include all three poses which stimulate blood flow to the thymus which is vital in the growth of T-cells, the immune system front line army.
Dr. Dov J Berkowitz | How is the Condition of Your Heart?
Dr. Dov J Berkowitz | Do you have a bad heart condition? I am not speaking of the organ in your chest which pumps blood throughout your body; I am referring to the spiritual heart. This is the place where our innermost ideas, perceptions, and desires reside in each of us. The spiritual heart actually reflects our true nature and will. This is our secret place where man can never know our true intentions; therefore, it cannot be judged by man, but it will certainly be judged by God.
Is your heart being governed by God or the world? Let’s explore both of these options. Do we truly want Him to come into our hearts and become ruler over our life? Are we genuine and are our intentions good? The only way we can be committed to God is to allow the Word of God to govern our ideas, perceptions, and desires. All aspects of our lives should be based on godly principles. Human nature, the sin within us, is an enemy of God. (Dr. Dov J Berkowitz ) Because of our sinful nature, our human understanding convinces us to trust in our own knowledge and goodness; therefore, misleading us to think that we are capable of orchestrating our own plan for our lives. God states in His Word that there is nothing good about the flesh and can do nothing of itself (Romans 7:18).
The flesh will always lead us to base our intentions and motives on self gratification. Really, our sinful nature is a barrier between us and God. That is the reason we need an advocate, Jesus Christ to approach a holy God. The Spirit of the Lord is the only way the heart can be purified.
A heart that is governed by worldly concepts is wicked. Our society encourages us to get what we can, all that we can, sat on the can, and do not share the can with anyone. The world and our flesh gives us a false sense of security; that with our own careful planning, the end results will always be in our favor.
Should we hold fast to our own ideas, traditions and religious rituals? Should we continue to plot to take revenge on those who despitefully use us? Do we continue to selfishly use people for our own material and monetary gain? (Dr. Dov J Berkowitz) Should we continue to let our human blood ties override the blood sacrifice Jesus Christ gave on the Cross? Do we continue to plan our own lives with worldly motives but expect Godly results? I just wanted to present a few scenarios that we all may have been guilty of at one point in our lives. These are a few things that take place within our hearts that no human may never know about; but God will always no our true intentions. He has stated in His Word that only what we do for Him will last (1 Corinthians 5:10).
Dr. Dov J Berkowitz | So, we need to carefully guard our hearts and make sure that our intentions, ideas, motives, and will is being governed by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. If we detect a bad heart condition, we should pray for healing and cleansing; because the heart will not escape the judgment of Christ.
Dr. Dov J Berkowitz | How to Make Your Body Slim In Lockdown
Dr. Dov J Berkowitz | There are many ways to lose weight and many ways to tone up. This article will do its best to show how to make your body slim. How many times have you wished you looked like that front cover model in a fitness magazine? How many times have you wished people looked at you on a night out? How many times have you wished that you lost an extra few pounds on your physique? There’s no need to wonder, you just have to get on and be positive.
Making your body slim is all about mentality to begin; like anything in life you need to remain positive and need to have the drive to succeed. (Dr. Dov J Berkowitz) Without this positive mentality, you will struggle to do well. In fact, being stressed whilst exercising can be even worse. Imagine your overweight and already straining your organs, if you are putting more stress on by a negative attitude and even more stress from exercising, then your body will be overstressed big time. Wanting to know how to make your body slim? Remain positive!
Another way how to make your body slim is by eating nutritious foods and diet. It’s important that you eat high nutritious foods especially if your are doing an exercise program. The reason for this is because you need to replenish the nutrients and energy you lost during exercise. Another reason why you need to eat nutritious foods is because you need to boost your metabolism. In order to do this, you must eat smaller amounts but more regularly. Boosting your metabolism is a huge step to make your body slim.
Wanting to know how to make your body slim? Another way to lose weight and tone up is to drink more water. Water is the key to life; it improves immune function as well as helping to boost your metabolism. As highlighted earlier, eating small amounts of food helps boost your metabolism but so does drinking more water. Essentially, when you boost your metabolism, you are increasing the rate at which you burn fat and burn energy. A low metabolism means you are burning less energy which consequently means you are essentially gaining weight.
Making your body slim requires hard work mentally and physically. You need to look at ways of increasing activity in your life whether it be going to the gym or going for a walk. Sitting at your computer desk constantly eating chocolate will not do you justice. Try to incorporate exercise into your daily routine maybe three times a week. A typical routine will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Start off light so maybe some cardiovascular exercises and then perhaps incorporate some weights into your workout to tone up.
Dr. Dov J Berkowitz – Hopefully this article has shown how to make your body slim. You need to revise these points and incorporate them into your lifestyle. Remember, the first most important thing is to remain positive and have a positive attitude and the rest will follow I can assure you.
Dr. Dov J Berkowitz | Health Tips to Live Longer
Dr. Dov J Berkowitz | There are a few simple changes you can make to your daily life to make yourself a healthier person, and ultimately let you live a longer life. These simple health tips can give you more energy throughout your day and even give you a “natural high” that can improve your mood and self-esteem.
The first tip is to exercise at least three times per week for roughly thirty minutes to an hour per exercise. Some good exercises can be as simple as walking around the neighborhood or taking a swim at a local swimming pool. If you’re hesitant to start, try beginning with smaller time limits and work your way up to the right amount. By doing so you’ll train your mind to make exercise one of your top priorities.
The second health tip is to stretch before going to sleep. This loosens your muscles and tendons to make you more flexible and limber. Most people don’t know this, but when you’re more flexible you reduce the chance of injury to your body, because your body is more likely to give to forces rather than break.
The last of my health tips is to drink at least eight to nine glasses of water each day. Water helps to (Dr. Dov J Berkowitz) flush out your system of harmful toxins. It also helps to reduce your hunger throughout the day by giving you a sense of “fullness,” preventing unnecessary snacking.
If you start integrating these simple, yet effective health tips into your daily life I’m sure you’ll start to notice a difference in your body as well as your mood. Yet possibly the most you’ll gain from these small changes will be the long term effects that you’ll attain, such as living a longer, more fulfilling life. I challenge you to start using these tips today and begin living a healthier life!
Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz | Tips for Staying Heart Healthy
The Perfect Gift
Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz | We are in the month of February, which means that it is National Heart Month. Love is leaping in the air and people like to share what’s in their hearts with those they care most about every single Valentine’s Day. Let this year be the year to give the gift of a healthy heart, the most perfect gift which continually gives to others.
The heart is the most valuable organ in the body, yet it is often the most mistreated. Heart disease is the number one killer disease in the United States. It is a silent killer that has extreme consequences, such as heart attack and stroke. Clogged arteries and stress on the body can create high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, which are attributed to coronary heart disease, coronary artery disease and cardiovascular disease. These diseases all have one thing in common, they kill your heart.
Love Takes Action
The causes of heart disease are fairly common, detectable and most importantly are adjustable. Most people do not change their lifestyle until it is too late because heart attacks and stroke don’t always happen to young people. However, the causes of heart disease can now be detected early on and doctors are finding them in patients at much younger age. Heart attacks in older adults can be prevented if action is taken now.
Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz – Listed below are the common causes, as well as helpful tips, for getting the hearts of Americans on the right track.
Smoking
We all know how bad smoking is for our lungs, but not so much about the damage it does to our hearts. Smoking causes blood pressure to rise and increases the risk of blood clots, a sure way of developing heart disease. The first and foremost way to help make better choices about heart health is to start here. If you refuse to put down a “cancer stick”, you’re more likely not going to make good choices about the other causes listed below.
Alcohol
Drinking too much alcohol raises triglycerides (fat levels in blood), as well as leads to conditions such as high blood pressure, heart failure and obesity. Alcohol also toxifies the liver, which slows metabolism and does not work the heart as well for burning fat. Fat can clog the arteries, which can also destroy the heart. Try exercising instead of drinking. Aerobic exercise will give the same good feeling and strengthen your heart without the use of bad habits that work against your vital organs.
Stress
Studies have shown that increased levels of stress in individuals resulted in heart attacks in some age groups. It is also clear that stress can lead to the development of bad behaviors, such as the two causes mentioned above. Getting more sleep at night will significantly reduce the amount of stress on the heart, as well as exercise, instead of relying on other bad behaviors such as excessive drinking or smoking. Try listening to soothing music without words. Many of our thoughts alone can clutter our thinking and can lead to stress. Sometimes we need to relax and start the process of dealing with these thoughts in a more productive way.
Exercise
The strongest muscle in your body is your heart. Just like the rest of your body needs to be worked, your heart is the leader overall and needs your attention. Regular exercise can lower your LOL (bad cholesterol) and blood pressure. As mentioned before, exercise will also help reduce stress which will in turn put the focus on healthy habits that are good for your heart. Regular exercise will also help promote a good night’s sleep.
Sleep
Not getting enough sleep at night causes a buildup of plaque in the arteries, which also raises levels of a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol leads to inflammation and causes plaque to break apart that travels to the heart and brain, which causes heart attack and stroke. Getting at least eight hours of sleep per night not only helps reduce plaque buildup but reduces stress that leads to unhealthy habits.
Diet by Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz
America is the most obese country in the world, which is no wonder why we are the forerunners of heart disease. High salt content, high saturated fat and Trans fats are a common place in the restaurant business for Americans and a growing number around the world. Eating a high salt content can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease. High saturated fats will clog the arteries if they are not healthy saturated fats such as nuts, olive oil or avocados. Trans fats are man-made fats and are very bad for your health. They are used for frying in many fast food and fine dining restaurants. Try eating fruits and vegetables before every meal, as this will help create healthy habits and be a reminder of how much value you place on your health. In time dangerous foods will no longer be second nature but become a back burner.
Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz | Regular Fitness Tips To Keep You Healthy And Fit
Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz | Staying fit and healthy is a great way to improve your overall health and mental stability. It’s a regular struggle for most people to stay fit. With a few motivation and practices, you easily can maintain your physical and mental fitness for years long. You will feel great once you take a step forward towards getting in perfect shape. A lot of people tend to spend their whole day eating all junks and watching TV. This is not encouraging when you are thinking of starting regular exercise to enhance your general health condition. Here, we’ve summed up a few effective tips to keep your body healthy and fit.
Exercise daily: Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz
Come up with a daily schedule of exercise for at least an hour a day. Don’t need to get yourself exhausted from running, cardio or HIIT workout sessions. You must include a few moderate activities to keep your body toned. Are you looking to burn extra pounds fast, an advanced level of cardio workout may help you the best. For example, going on a walk maintaining a brisk pace is really effective. If you feel difficulties to set up a suitable workout schedule, get a subscription at your local gym. Or maybe you don’t get time to go to the gym while maintaining a busy daily routine. Don’t worry. Consult with a physical trainer to make a suitable workout schedule for you.
Try including physical activities in your daily jobs.
When you are going to the supermarket, park your car at the farthest point to make yourself forced to walk those extra steps.
Opt for walking or biking to reach to your workplace instead of driving a car or boarding on a public vehicle.
Make sure you are jogging, walking and cycling daily to keep your lungs and heart healthy. Your speed doesn’t matter here. You just need to keep your body strong and watch out the body pains or aches.
Invest in a healthy diet plan:
Once you have started with a daily workout routine, you may feel aches in the muscles but that means your body is adopting a better practice. Now, you need to concentrate on your meals. Make sure you keep your body hydrated. Also, you need to intake a decent amount of protein and other nutrients after each of the sessions of your workout routine. Protein helps to keep your muscles and rebuilding them while obstructing to gain fat.
Strictly avoid junks. Maybe your tongue is demanding a cheesy pizza a French fries over healthy food. A big no to all these pizzas, burgers, French fries, candies and sweets.
Include more fruits and fresh vegetables in your daily meals. For example, have an apple instead of a slice of pizza. Broccoli or other green vegetables keep our digestive system running.
Increase water intake. It’s truly necessary to keep your body fit and healthy. 3-4 liters of water an average person should intake every day. It keeps our body clean, extracts toxin and improves the digestive system and thus the general immunity system.
Naturazi Health will help you to decide on healthy food and other substitutions to keep your body strong and to develop the overall immunity system.
Get a good sleep time every day: Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz
It’s crucial to get at least 8 hours of sleep during the night. Good sleep helps our body to recharge and thus it can improve the general functionalities as well. You will feel more energetic after a tight sleep.
These are the most important factors that decide a person’s overall physical health and inner strength. Now, it’s your duty to maintain a healthy daily routine to remain in shape and healthy for years.
Dr. Dov J Berkowitz | Deciding on a Doctor for Your Baby
Dr. Dov J Berkowitz – For new parents, the early stages of pregnancy are all about keeping the mother healthy and preparing for labor. You might be so preoccupied with these concerns that you forget about the years of parenting that will follow the birth. While some tasks can be saved until later, there is one thing that must be taken care of as early as possible: finding a doctor for the baby. Parents should start thinking about this early in the pregnancy, and it is best to have a doctor chosen by the seventh or eight month.
This is an important decision. Of course, you may move out of the neighborhood eventually, or you may decide to find a different doctor. But assuming everything goes well and you stay in the area, this is long-term commitment. The doctor who meets your baby for an early check-up in the first weeks of life is the same person who will be seeing your child as a teenager. And you must trust this doctor and feel comfortable with him or her. This is the person you will call when your child has a fever or aches and pains, so you need to feel that you can reach out at any time.
Types of doctors by Dr. Dov J Berkowitz
Many new parents assume that every child needs a pediatrician, but this is not necessarily the case. Family practitioners are general doctors who are trained in dealing with routine health concerns for all types of people. If you already have a general doctor whom you trust a great deal, you may not need to find a pediatrician at all. Everyone in your family can use the same doctor.
But while using a family practitioner can be a great choice if you have a great relationship with your doctor, there are some advantages to having a pediatrician. Pediatricians receive deeper training in all issues relating to child health, so they are generally more attuned to what is going on with kids’ health.
Meanwhile, there are a few other important decision when it comes to the type of doctor you work with for your child. There are solo practitioners, who provide great, personalized care but are generally less available than the alternatives. There are partnerships in which one doctor is available at any time. And there are larger, group practices, which are often less personal, but it is nice to know that you can get an appointment at practically any time.
Important considerations by Dr. Dov J Berkowitz
Other than the type of doctor and size of the practice, here are some other important considerations to keep in mind when choosing your child’s doctor:
Location: When your baby cries inexplicably or your child gets sick, you do not want to have to drive a long distance to see your doctor. Try to find someone nearby.
Hospital affiliation: Many doctors are affiliated with hospitals. In the event that your child needs a specialist or emergency care, it is nice to have a doctor who can refer you to the proper place at a nearby hospital.
Office atmosphere: You want to feel welcome at your doctor’s office. You do not want to feel that you are being rushed through your appointment or that your questions are annoying. Choose an office where the staff is friendly and the doctors have time to give you personal care. Plus, remember that pediatricians’ offices can be hectic places and you might have to wait a while, so make sure the waiting room is clean and kid-friendly.
Call availability: You will not have to bring your child into the office for every concern you may have. Sometimes a phone call is all you need. Many doctors set aside a certain amount of time every day to field phone calls. Find out what your doctor does, and make sure that phone calls are accepted daily or as often as possible.
Prenatal interview?
Many pediatricians welcome the prospect of a prenatal interview prior to making your final decision. If you have questions or concerns or simply want to get a feel for a doctor’s style, do not hesitate to make an appointment, and bring plenty of questions. This will help you get a feel for the doctor’s philosophy and make sure it meshes with your own.
Prenatal interviews are not always necessary. If a particular doctor comes well recommended from people whom you trust, then you may not feel an interview is necessary. Meanwhile, many first-time parents are unsure of what exactly they need from a doctor, in which case they may simply pick one who is reputable and adjust later on if needed. There is nothing stopping you from changing doctors if and when you feel the need.
By Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz
Dov J Berkowitz | Baby Care Tips For You And For Baby
What baby care tips are essential for you and your newborn??
Dov J Berkowitz | The mother of a baby is the busiest person on earth, and these baby care tips are designed to put a little order and routine back into your day to day routine. In no time at all, these baby care tips will become second nature for you and your baby helping you to get back to a somewhat ‘normal’ life.
Breastfeeding Baby Care : Dov J Berkowitz
There is, has and always will be a lot of controversy on breastfeeding depending on where you live in the world. In some countries it’s the norm and most people would not bat an eyelid if they saw a mother sit down in a restaurant and start to breastfeed her baby. In other countries such as the UK and the US, surprisingly and quite sadly, breastfeeding is frowned upon by many. I personally breastfed both my children and though I made a point of being discreet, I valued my right to feed my child where, when and how I chose to.
However, I also appreciated the fact that I was lucky to be able to breastfeed as I know many mothers want to but can’t for whatever reason. Even those that choose not to breast feed should not be maligned. The majority of us live in a society where we have a freedom of choice and whatever our feelings or opinions on a matter, we should allow everyone the right to choose what is best for them and their baby.
That said it is common knowledge that there are huge health benefits to breastfeeding for both mom and baby so that’s why this is key to baby care. Baby’s first drink of breast milk is colostrum which is full of antibodies which help babies immune system and is full of fat and protein to help baby put on weight in their first few days. Breastfeeding also helps mom’s uterus to contract more quickly. A weird sensation when it happens but utterly amazing when you think about it.
Then consider the other positives of breastfeeding to baby care. Milk is on tap, ready to go at the right temperature whatever the time of day and if baby emptied one ‘bottle’ or boob, there was another ready and waiting to go. I did co-sleeping with my second baby as I was concerned about waking the house up in the middle of the night for feeds which worked out well for all as most times throughout the night, she would latch on herself and feed without me being barely aware. Baby care doesn’t really get any easier than that.
I did express so that my husband could also be involved and there were times that he did the night feeds with both children so that I could get a complete nights rest.
Bottle Feeding Baby Care
If you are bottle-feeding your baby then make sure that the bottles are well sterilized and clean. There are many makes of bottle sterilizers that are available. There are some that you can put in the microwave and some that will continually sterilize throughout the day so that you always have clean bottles and teats available to go when you need them.
Also consider your formula well. Check the ingredients and look for those that have the friendly bacteria for the gut. Make sure that you buy the formula appropriate for your baby’s age. To rich and it may cause constipation, too thin and lacking in vitamins etc, and your baby may not gain weight as they should.
Baby Sleeping Baby Care : Dov J Berkowitz
With your first child, you will have probably read numerous books about how to put your baby to bed and have bought a moses basket, then a cot or cot bed. Come your subsequent children, you then realise though nice to have, the most important thing is whether your baby is comfortable, safe and warm or cool enough. My first child went into his own cot bed when he was 3 weeks old as we couldn’t stand anymore of his warthog snoring. He was also in a baby sleeping bag. Our daughter slept with me in our bed until she slept through most of the night before moving to her own bed. Especially as I was breast feeding both, I made sure that I didn’t drink a lot (the odd glass of wine at a weekend is fine), I don’t do drugs, they weren’t too hot or cold and the room was well ventilated. Use your common sense here regarding baby care and use and do what’s best for you.
Clothing Baby Care : Dov J Berkowitz
Summer clothes should be light cotton ones. When baby is taken out, make sure that his head does not get the direct sun. Make the most of parasols or stroller sun covers. The covers in particular also help against wasps. An important baby care tip to remember for all – sun cream is essential even if your baby is dark skinned. My children are mixed race and even with factor 50, they still tan.
In winter, there may be sweaters, trousers and other woollens. Just bear in mind that if they are in nappies or diapers still, you need quick and easy access to change them especially when you are out and about. Some changing facilities are tiny or cramped and you don’t really want to spend more time there than you should. Remember a change of clothes too. My son was the worst but they both had explosive poos the force of which sent their poo right up their backs and it was far easier to take the whole lot off than to try and clean around it!
Changing Baby Care : Dov J Berkowitz
Changing of nappies or diapers whether disposable or not should take place regularly. Sometimes babies will let you know in their own particular way but it’s best to get into the habit of checking their bottoms at least every 3 hours. That way you’ll soon get to know baby’s toilet habits and can adjust it accordingly.
Bathing Baby Care
I hope that I don’t sound too patronising but the best advice here is common sense. Make sure that you have everything that you need BEFORE you start bathing. Have baby’s towel ready on his changing mat, his nappy and night clothes all in place before you start.
Please ensure that the bath water is not too hot and not too cold – 9of or 32c is ideal. It should only be a couple of inches deep if it is in a family bath. At this age baby doesn’t need bubble bath, just gentle no-tears formula soap should suffice.
Ensure that you support baby’s head safely. Once washed and dried, massage a little moisturizing cream into baby’s skin and get him dressed for bed.
Immunisation Baby Care
The baby should be immunized against Small Pox & Measles with BCG within 3 months of its age. The first DPT (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Psertussis, Polio, HIB, Meningitis C) is due within the first 2 months followed by the 2nd and the 3rd one at one month intervals. The MMR vaccination against Measles, Mumps and Rubella should be done within 1 years of age. The boosters should be taken after the baby is 4 years old.
Training and Education Baby Care
Babies learn by watching and listening. Yes I babble baby talk to my two but I also talked sensibly to them like an adult. When getting them dressed I would put their left arm in its sleeve and say to them, ‘let’s put your left arm in your sleeve’. By 18 months both children knew their right from their left, could say things like open door, shut door, roof, bus, sky drink, biscuit etc because I constantly read or pointed things like this out to them. Learning can and at this age, should be fun.
The most important baby care tip of all
The parents should find enough time to spend quality with the baby but also together and by themselves. Find time for baby time, couple time and me time!
Dov J Berkowitz – Erin Costello was an industry executive but is now a mother of two.
Dr. Dov Jay Berkowitz 