The best start in life for your child 1 2 The best start in life for your child The best start in life for your child 3 *In this booklet babies are between the baby referred to as ‘he’. and parent or main carer. Your baby’s early years, from conception to 3 years, are Here are 5 key deeply significant as his brain messages to is developing every minute support every of every day. His experience parent and carer of life during his first few in the Western years directly relates to how Health and Social his mental and emotional Care Trust health will develop into (WHSCT). adolescence and adulthood. “Give me the child and I will show you the man,” St Ignatius Loyola The easiest and most important way to nurture and develop positive mental and emotional wellbeing in babies and young children is through the relationship 4 The best start in life for your child Without the right support • An increased risk of These 5 key messages will during these early years participating in anti-social, help to support every baby our children might grow up violent and aggressive through their journey from to experience: behaviour childhood into adult life. • Difficulty with forming long • A lack of empathy term loving relationships and compassion for others • Lower academic achievement • An increased risk of depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviours • An increased risk of drug and/or alcohol use • An increased risk of eating disorders The best start in life for your child 5 Happy parent, happy child As a parent or carer you even 5 minutes a day can Nurture your relationships have a vital and most make a big difference to How are you feeling? Share privileged role in bringing up how you feel. your thoughts with your your child. It is important to partner, close friends or look after your own mental There are lots of ways another family member. and emotional wellbeing you can look after your Supportive relationships because your emotions own mental and emotional are important for your own are reflected to the baby. health and well-being: wellbeing. According in Dr Suzanne Zeedyk1 babies arrive Nurture yourself Be sociable with your baby, already connected so if you Look after your physical find out about local parent feel sad, your baby might feel and emotional needs, eat a and baby groups that you sad. Babies are very good balanced diet, try to get as can attend; this is a great at picking up on emotional much sleep as you can, e.g. way to meet other parents states. This is their language. sleep when baby sleeps, who understand what it is exercise, take time out to like to be a parent. Make time for yourself each recharge your energy. day. Do things that make you happy and help you unwind, 6 The best start in life for your child No smoking or drinking alcohol during pregnancy In every culture the mother to Smoking This is why babies born be is encouraged to become We know that smoking is bad to smokers can be physically and emotionally for us; it is especially bad underweight and more prepared for pregnancy and for the unborn baby. When vulnerable to infections. motherhood. This includes a pregnant woman smokes stopping smoking as well as each cigarette restricts During labour, the mother cutting down or abstaining oxygen supply to her baby. uses the power of her breath from alcohol. The baby is not protected to cope with the strength from the 4,000 chemicals of contractions and help contained in a cigarette as control the careful birth of these all pass through the her baby. Lung capacity is placenta (afterbirth) greater if you do not smoke and affect growth and and helps mums stay in development. control of their birth. The best start in life for your child 7 Alcohol and failure to catch up with For further information The UK Chief Medical children of a similar age. contact your local GP or Officer advised that, Midwife for more support. “Pregnant women or women There is little evidence to trying to conceive should show exactly how much www.communitypharmacyni. avoid drinking; if they choose alcohol has to be drunk co.uk to drink, to minimise the before it has an effect on risk to the baby, they should the development of a baby: Smokers Helpline 0808 812 not drink more than one to evidence does show the 8008 www.want2stop.info two units of alcohol once or more alcohol taken, the twice a week and should not greater the risk of harm to the Alcohol and drug services get drunk.”2 developing baby. So for this • 028 7186 5239 reason, no alcohol when • 028 7186 5240 Drinking alcohol when pregnant is the best and • 028 6638 2073 pregnant increases the risk safest choice. of miscarriage, learning Addiction support: 028 7186 disabilities, growth restriction 0086 or 028 8225 3950 Drinkline: 0800 917 8282 8 The best start in life for your child Breastfeed your baby Have you thought about ovarian); and women who Breast milk contains how you are going to feed breastfeed their children are antibodies and hormones your baby when he is born? able to lose weight gained which help strengthen the Here are some things to during pregnancy more baby’s immune system. consider about the benefits easily.3 These antibodies and special of breastfeeding. immune factors help to Breast milk is convenient as protect a breastfed baby The hormones a breastfeeding you do not have to get up from infections or health mum produces help to in the middle of the night to conditions including: nurture a close and loving prepare bottles! It’s also free. • Chest and ear infections relationship with her baby. Breast milk provides all the • Constipation Breastfeeding has significant food and liquid a baby needs • Diabetes benefits for women, including for the first six months of its a lower risk of osteoporosis, life. It is easy to digest so • Allergies type 2 diabetes and female puts no stress on the baby’s • Heart disease cancers (breast, uterine and digestive system. • Overweight/ obesity in • later childhood The best start in life for your child 9 The current advice is that breastfeeding will benefit For further information babies should be breastfed the baby. contact your Midwife or exclusively until 6 months Health Visitor. old and up to one year old Look out for the breastfeeding along with their weaning friendly logo in lots of local For information on support diet. However we know cafes and groups and trained that the longer a restaurants. breastfeeding support baby is breastfed volunteers go to www. the greater the health breastfedbabies.org benefits National Breastfeeding and any Helpline: 0300 100 0212 (9.30am-9.30pm) SureStart – see page 16 for your local SureStart contact Milk Bank Irvinestown 028 6862 8333 NCT - www.nct.org.uk or 0300 330 0700 10 The best start in life for your child Read a story to your child every day Start talking, singing and Have fun sharing a book or Children often have favourite reading to your baby even story with your child. stories that will be repeated before he is born! Reading is over and over again. This a great way to help develop helps build memory skills their speech, language and such as remembering words communication skills. or phrases from the book. “Speech, language and communication skills are fundamental to the development of learning, and social and emotional well-being and are essential to support the development of skills for life and work.”4 The best start in life for your child 11 Sharing a book with your It’s best to read little and For further information: child helps to develop often, so try to put aside www.bookstart.org.uk empathy and emotional some time for it every day. www.thecommunicationtrust. intelligence as the more Bedtime is perfect as reading org.uk words he learns and can become part of the understands the better bedtime routine which helps www.literacytrust.org.uk/talk_ he is able to communicate children settle down and to_your_baby his thoughts and feelings. unwind. www.ni-libraries.net Reading together also deepens attachment as Quiet and focused reading www.nidirect.gov.uk/education- it provides special one time helps to develop your works on one time between you child’s listening skills and SureStart: Details pg 16 and your child. concentration. So turn off your TV, mobile and radio Adult literacy “Essential Skills Help develop your baby’s to give your child your full Literacy” courses: Limavady or motor skills by letting him attention. Londonderry: 028 7127 6080 turn the pages. Strabane: 028 7127 6080 Omagh or Enniskillen: 084 5603 1881 12 The best start in life for your child Give your child lots of love, affection and praise Babies and children need Trust your instincts: Praise your child when they lots of love, affection and responding quickly to your achieve things, specific praise to blossom into baby’s cries will not ‘spoil’ and earned praise builds happy, confident children. him but make him feel safe optimism and encourages Developing a loving and and loved and help him grow good behaviour. supportive relationship with up to be confident and happy. your child is vital to their Nurture him when he feels emotional and mental health. discouraged, this helps to develop resilience and coping skills. The best start in life for your child 13 ‘Serve and return’ is another will improve the quality of For further information way to describe how you your relationship and result in contact your local GP, can respond to your baby’s a happier child and happier Midwife or Health Visitor.