Your 29-Week-Old Baby

Food, Glorious (Bite-Sized) Food!

Now that your kiddo is getting the hang of eating mashed and pureed foods (ie: food is going in their tummy rather than everywhere else!), you can start introducing small, soft finger foods.

Place bite-sized pieces of steamed veggies, avocado, cut-up pasta and fruit (such as blueberries and bananas) on your baby’s high chair tray. They’ll be excited to try solid forms of their favorite foods and even begin to feed themselves.

At first, your little one may eagerly scoop food with their whole hand, pick up whatever they can with their fist and shove it all in their face (adorable, but not very effective). Eventually, they’ll use their thumb and forefinger to grasp individual pieces and manage to get them in their mouth. Mastering the “pincer grasp” takes time, so offer finger foods daily to help your baby boost this important skill.

Keep in mind: Your baby may only have a couple teeth (or none at all!) so choose mushy foods that gums can easily break down. Avoid choking hazards like nuts, hot dogs, popcorn, whole grapes and raw fruits and vegetables.

What to Do About Babies and Constipation

Introducing new foods can also introduce some (not-so-pleasant) constipation. So if you notice that your baby is straining to poop, has hard or painful bowel movements that look like little pellets or goes several days without a #2, you know what’s behind it. Here’s what you can do to help:

• Make sure your baby is hydrated. In addition to regular water intake, babies can have a couple ounces of prune, apple or pear juice daily to soften their stools if they’re constipated.
• Offer high-fiber foods. These are some foods that can help ease constipation: pureed or soft prunes, peaches, pears, plums, apricots, beans and vegetables. Brown rice, whole wheat pasta and oatmeal also can help get things moving.
• Cut back on “binding foods.” Think bananas, white rice and white pasta. Too much cereal or puff snacks can contribute to constipation as well.
• Write it down. Keep track of your baby’s diet so you can figure out which foods may be causing constipation.

If you’re concerned, or don’t see any improvement, be sure to talk to your pediatrician for guidance on treating constipation.

Your Body: Lactational Amenorrhea

Exclusive breastfeeding may reduce your chances of getting pregnant, but it is not a reliable form of birth control. It’s known as the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM). How does LAM work? According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, when breastfeeding, the baby naturally puts pressure on the mother’s nipple, sending a message to her body to produce a hormone that prevents ovulation.

But here’s the catch—LAM only happens if:

• Your baby is less than six months old
• Your baby is fed on demand—by nursing exclusively from your breast—at least every four hours during the day and at least every six hours during the night (that means no water, formula, food or even pumping)
• You haven’t gotten your period or experienced any spotting

Now that your baby is most likely eating solids and drinking other liquids, it’s important to use a method of contraception (if you’re not looking to add to your family).