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First teeth! Consult your dentist about fluoride for your child’s teeth. Until a child learns to brush his teeth, the mother must clean them for him.

Discuss questions or concerns you or your partner may have with your caregiver at any stage of your pregnancy.

Clinics and primary health services are freely available in most countries in Southern Africa. Locate your closest clinic and the telephone number from your local authority or hospital.

The aim of immunisation is to prevent disease. It protects the community as well as individuals.

Clinics and primary health services are freely available in most countries in Southern Africa. Locate your closest clinic and the telephone number from your local authority or hospital.

About halfway through the first year of life, babies begin to outgrow their liquid diet, which no longer supply them with enough nutrients to support their rate of growth.

The adult’s role is to provide children with nutritious foods. Adults are responsible for what and when their children are fed.

Birth to six months

It is too early to introduce solids if your baby:

There is an increased risk of allergy when solids are introduced too early, i.e. before

Here are a few tips for getting your baby ready to take that first spoonful of baby food.

THE WEANING GUIDE: INTRODUCING SOLIDS

Not all sugars are created equal and therefore not all sugars are bad. The main role of food is to provide energy and nutrients for growth and development.

The choice of your baby’s first solid food is very important. It must be suitable for her developing digestive system and be finely textured and easy to swallow.

Safety Tips

NUTRITION CHECKLIST

Are you eating enough nutritious food with sufficient nutrients, kilojoules, vitamins?

How a baby is fed may be as important as what foods are offered. Your baby is growing in leaps and bounds. The first year, a baby multiplies his weight by 3 and his size increases by 50%!

Energy

You need extra energy:

Look out, baby’s on the move!

Your baby sits alone and pivots into a crawling position. He crawls on extended limbs and holds on to furniture to pull himself up to stand.

By taking responsibility for your body, you can maximise your level of wellbeing and enjoy good health.

Good nutrition is of the utmost importance during your pregnancy

Protein (and the amino acids within) is the most important building blocks for all human cells. Given the rapid cell development of your baby-to-be it should be an essential part of your diet.

As a mom, whether you have a child yet or not, you look into the lens of the future to envision memorable moment after memorable moment together.

Exercise leads to improved circulation, which in turn can reduce the severity of varicosities (varicose veins).

Your safety and that of your baby are of prime importance at all times. You may begin to exercise in early pregnancy and continue for as long as you feel comfortable.

Take particular care of your back during and after pregnancy – protect it from strain and possible injury.

Stimulating the cardiovascular system through aerobic exercise helps to maintain and improve your fitness during pregnancy.

It is important to monitor your response to your exercise programme by taking your pulse-rate before, during and after exercise.

First trimester

Your fitness is likely to decrease. Listen to your body and only do what you feel comfortable doing.

Second trimester

As your pregnancy advances, the uterus exerts an increased upward pressure on your diaphragm. As you near your due date you may find that you breathe less deeply, although more efficiently.

Before exercising, during or before pregnancy, it is advisable to eat high fibre, high carbohydrate snacks, such as an apple, dried fruit, banana or whole wheat muffin, as your metabolic functions

“I am pregnant – can I exercise?”