Watching your baby grow and develop is an exciting and rewarding experience for new parents. You spend all of your baby's wakeful hours introducing her to the world, exploring new sights and sounds, and playing games together. Your baby likes to hear your voice and tries to use the same sounds and patterns. She is also very responsive to your facial expressions, smiles and laughter.

Each new phase of development brings you and your baby closer. At around 6 months old, your baby is sitting up and looking around, using her hands to reach and grasp, and putting things in her mouth. Discovery on a minute by minute basis takes a lot of energy and concentration for your baby.

Along with this discovery and growth phase comes the excitement of introducing your baby to a whole world of solid foods, above and beyond regular breast milk or formula feedings. Below are some tips to help your baby learn and enjoy the solid food experience:

• When introducing solids, start with single-ingredient foods first to check for allergies. Most pediatricians recommend starting with a single-grain cereal because it's easier for babies to digest. Once baby has tried a single-grain cereal, start introducing single-ingredient foods, one at a time to detect allergies, for three to five days.

• The best way to ensure that your baby is prepared to take on the day is to start with a good breakfast, like Beech-Nut Good Morning cereals, that contain a healthy balance of carbohydrates from whole grains, along with protein, vitamins, minerals and no added refined sugar.

• Each breakfast, your baby can have up to one gram of soluble fibre per serving for a slow release of energy that keeps your baby alert and ready to learn and play all day.

• Read labels to ensure the baby foods you choose are made with all-natural ingredients and some are even formulated to feed babies the right kind of food at the right time of day. This keeps your baby satisfied and contributes to better attention span, concentration and memory, the essentials to good learning.

This is the time to relish and enjoy your baby's developmental phases. Start the day off right for you and your baby with a nutritious and enjoyable breakfast.
For further information on healthy nutrition for your baby, call the Beech-Nut Helpline at 1-800-BEECH-NUT (1-800-233-2468) weekdays 9a.m. to 6p.m. Eastern Time.

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Although it's not always easy to determine why your little one is crying, according to a new survey of Canadian physicians, three-quarters of them agree that the crying can often be linked back to some type of digestive discomfort — like spit-up, gas and constipation. The good news is that if your baby is among the 78 per cent who suffer from these tummy troubles, there are things you can do to help ease their discomfort:

Breast is best: The best thing for babies to digest is breast milk. If you are breastfeeding, be sure to avoid certain foods, like cauliflower, or acidic foods, which can cause digestive discomforts for baby.

Bottle basics: If you cannot or choose not to breastfeed, choose an infant formula like Nestlé Good Start that is made from 100% whey protein and is partially broken down which makes it easier for baby to digest.

Burp me!: Most babies will swallow some air during a feed. Depending on the baby and the amount of air swallowed, these air bubbles can cause discomfort and contribute to gassiness. To help baby out, try rubbing the left side of his back. Start at the lower back then slowly rub up to the shoulder.
Take time out: Limiting active play and keeping your child upright for about 30 minutes after feedings can help keep food down.

Your baby's mood can often be a clue to their condition. If your baby is irritable, distressed during feedings or experiences symptoms like excessive spit-up, gas, or constipation, they may be suffering from digestive discomfort. Consult with your physician before making any feeding changes.

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Babies are virtual learning machines. Research shows that even the smallest newborns spend every waking moment learning. And they learn best through play with age-appropriate toys and loving interaction with their caregivers.

“It’s important to focus on ways to nurture babies’ changing needs through the multiple stages of their development,” says Ryan Gunnigle, president and CEO of Kids II, Inc., an infant and toddler toy and baby gear company. “Parents often look to get some help from toys to keep their babies engaged. Products that adapt as babies grow and their sense of play evolves are the ones to seek out for both versatility and value.”

So, this holiday, what type of toy and play is best for the baby in your life? Recent research by Kids II sheds some light on how to help babies play through multiple phases of development.

Newborns

Newborn babies spend a lot of floor time lying on their backs. Because of this stationary position, it is important to engage baby in visual and auditory stimulation. To do this, place toys and other stimulating objects hanging overhead whether from a play gym’s bar or a bouncer seat’s toy bar. Products that have dancing lights that help develop eye tracking or long-playing melodies tend to provide the best stimulation at this stage.

Tummy Time

Doctors recommend tummy time two to three times a day to help babies develop strength, balance and coordination. Research reveals that keeping more toys and activities around baby while he is on his tummy helps keep him engaged in play longer. Three-dimensional surface features found on some play mats, such as crinkle and textured flaps, provide baby with additional tactile stimulation. Once baby moves past tummy time, he will become even more curious of the world around him and will crave more movement.

Active Discovery

Between about four and six months, babies are at the active discovery stage -- between lying and sitting up. Parents may find babies are less interested in standard gyms at this stage because they tend to roll away from the gym once they are able to move on their own. Kids II research has shown that adults often find themselves continually standing near babies as they play in these traditional gyms – constantly repositioning them under the toy bars. Infant play environments like the Bright Starts Baby’s PlayPlace help babies develop through play by keeping them totally engaged in the fun, using soft fold-up walls accompanied by adjustable toy bars and stimulating toys to help ensure babies stay focused on the fun and don’t roll away.

Crawling

At this stage of development, baby is ready and rearing to go. Flexible infant play environments, such as Baby’s PlayPlace can actually grow with baby as it is easily converted into an extra-long, soft tunnel. Toys hanging from toy bars and sides panels provide fun interaction as baby crawls through, encouraging crawling and exploration. Preventing injury is important, so try to choose toys that also offer protective elements.

Active Play

Once babies can fully sit up, they require 360 degrees of stimulation, Kids II research indicates. Toys and play environments that are versatile are ideal for this stage of baby’s development because they provide constant stimulation for baby even when he is actively discovering his surroundings. Babies need extra space to give them room for playtime and stimulation now that they are moving around, so choosing products that can expand and cover large floor areas providing a soft place for play are ideal.

For additional information on Baby’s PlayPlace and other developmentally appropriate toys and products for infants and toddlers, visit www.brightstarts.com.