Moms

Dad's and Babies - A Special Word to Fathers

2011-08-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

As a father, you have an important role to play in taking care of your
baby. Your baby needs you. And mom needs you to share many of the
responsibilities of taking care of your new baby. When you do things
with your baby, you and your baby get closer. You and your baby form
a bond that helps her feel safe and happy.
You may feel nervous around a newborn. Or you may be afraid to
touch your baby because you have never done it before. The best way
for you to get over the uneasiness is to hold your baby.
Here are some things you can do to be a part of your baby’s life. You
will find that the more you do with her, the more comfortable you will
be.
 Hold and cuddle your baby.
 Smile and laugh with your baby.
 Talk to your baby. Your baby will quickly learn your voice and know
that you are her daddy.
 Change your baby’s diapers.
 Cuddle with mom and your baby during breastfeeding.
 When mom’s breast milk or formula has been put in a bottle, you
can give your baby the bottle. Cuddle with and talk and sing to your
baby during bottle time.
 Take your baby for a walk. Babies love the sights and sounds of the
outdoors.
 Play with your baby.

Safe Sleep For Your Baby Questions and answers #5

2011-08-14T04:23:00.000-07:00

Q. Are there times when my baby can be on his or her stomach?

A. Yes, place your baby on his or her stomach for “tummy time,” when he or she is awake and someone is watching. When the baby is awake,

tummy time is good because it helps your baby’s neck and shoulder muscles get stronger.

Safe Sleep For Your Baby Questions and answers #4

2011-08-13T04:22:00.000-07:00

Q. What about side sleeping?

A. To keep your baby safest when he or she is sleeping, always use the back sleep position rather than the side position. Babies who sleep on their sides can roll onto their stomachs. A baby sleeping on his or her stomach is at greater risk of SIDS. Some infants may have health conditions that require them to sleep on their stomachs. If you are unsure about the best sleep position for your baby, be sure to talk to your doctor or nurse. Some products claim to be designed to keepa baby in one position. These products havenot been tested for safety and are NOT recommended.

Safe Sleep For Your Baby Questions and answers #3

2011-08-12T04:22:00.000-07:00

Q. Is there a risk of choking when my baby sleeps on his or her back?

A. No, babies automatically swallow or cough up fluids. Doctors have found no increase in choking or other problems in babies sleeping on their backs.

Safe Sleep For Your Baby Questions and answers #2

2011-08-10T04:21:00.000-07:00

Q. Will my baby get “flat spots” on his or her head from back sleeping?

A. For the most part, flat spots on the back of the baby’s head go away a few months after the baby learns to sit up. Tummy time, when your baby is awake, is one way to reduce flat spots. Another way is to change the direction you place your baby down to sleep. Doing this means the baby is not always sleeping on the same side of his or her head. If you think your baby has a more serious problem, talk to your doctor or nurse. Enjoy Your Baby!

Safe Sleep For Your Baby Questions and answers #1

2011-08-09T04:20:00.000-07:00

Q. Can my baby share a bed with her brother or sister?

A. Bed-sharing with other children, including brothers and sisters is unsafe for your baby. It increases the risk for SIDS as well as

suffocation. There have been reports of infants being suffocated from overlying by an adult, brother, sister, or other family member that was

sharing a bed with an infant.

Babies Check-ups - what to expect

2011-08-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

Your baby needs medical checkups during her first days, weeks and
months so the doctor can see if she is growing right. The way your
baby grows in her first year can affect her health for life.
Checkups are a normal and important thing for babies. Even though
your baby seems healthy, she should get checkups at one to two
weeks of age, and at two, four, six, nine, and 12 months of age.
Your baby's first visit to the doctor will be a week or two after birth.
Ask your doctor for the results of the hearing screening if it was done
in the hospital. If a hearing test was not done, ask your doctor for a
referral for the test. You need to know as soon as possible if your baby
has hearing problems. If she does, she may need special help now so
she can communicate with people. This will help her when she learns
to talk and read.
At each checkup, the doctor or nurse will:
 Examine your baby's head, eyes, ears, heart, lungs and other body
parts
 Measure your baby's length, weight and head size
 Ask about your baby’s hearing and vision
 Ask you questions about how she eats, sleeps and acts
 Give you information about how a baby develops and grows

Newborn Reflexes #4

2011-08-07T04:13:00.000-07:00

 Stepping reflex: If you hold a newborn baby upright under her arms
with her feet on a hard surface, her feet will make a stepping
action. This happens even though it is a long time before she is
ready to stand or walk. This usually lasts a couple of months.

Ask your doctor if you have any questions about your baby's reflexes.

Newborn Reflexes #3

2011-08-06T04:12:00.000-07:00

 Grasp reflex: Your baby will clench her fist around anything pressed
into the palm of her hand. You can show this to a big brother or
sister. Say, “The baby wants to hold on to your finger.” This reflex
goes away at five to six months.

Ask your doctor if you have any questions about your baby's reflexes.

Newborn Reflexes #2

2011-08-05T04:12:00.000-07:00

 Rooting reflex: This is how your baby hunts for her mother's breast.
If you gently stroke the side of her cheek with your finger, she will
turn her head toward your finger. This lasts for three to four
months.

Ask your doctor if you have any questions about your baby's reflexes.

Newborn Reflexes #1

2011-08-04T04:11:00.000-07:00

Babies have special reflexes that last only a few months. It helps to
know what the reflexes are so you are not alarmed when they occur.
The following reflexes are normal for newborns:

 Moro or “startle” reflex: This occurs when your baby's head shifts
position quickly. Or when her head falls backward. Or when your
baby is startled by something loud. She will react by throwing out
her arms and legs and extending her neck. Your baby will then
quickly bring her arms together. She may cry when doing this. This
reflex should go away after two months.

Healthy Newborn - what does a healthy baby Looks Like

2011-08-03T04:08:00.000-07:00

Newborn babies don't usually look like the cute babies in diaper ads.

Newborns' heads are often more pointed than round. Their skin may
be wrinkly and reddish in color. This is normal.

In the center of your baby's head is a “soft spot” where the skull bones
have not yet joined. This allows your baby's head to be flexible during
the birthing process. The skull bones will grow together to cover this
spot as your baby grows. Meantime, the soft spot allows your baby's
brain to grow.

Sometimes there are dark red patches on the baby's eyelids. They can
also be on the bridge of the nose or back of the neck. No one knows
what causes these. They usually go away during the first year.
Some babies are born bald, some have thin hair, and others are born
with thick, dark hair. For many babies, this first hair rubs off. For
others, the color may change.

Eye color can also change after birth. Eye color is usually set by the
end of the first year.

The umbilical cord that is left on the navel at birth will drop off in five
to 10 days. The place where it falls off will become your baby’s belly
button.

Sometimes baby girls bleed from the vagina. Sometimes boys or girls
will have swollen breasts. They may even produce a few drops of milk
at birth. Hormones from the mother cause this. The discharge is
harmless and will soon disappear.

Babies First Year - New Born Screening Test

2011-08-02T04:04:00.000-07:00

Your baby is tested for certain medical conditions when she is born.
Many conditions can be treated if they are found early enough. Early
treatment means your baby can grow up healthier.

Newborn tests are given in the hospital right after birth.

A small amount of your baby’s blood will be taken. It will be tested and
you will be told if there is any cause for concern.

Your doctor or nurse can answer questions about the tests and the results.

To learn more, call 1-877-KIDSNOW or visit their Web site at
www.insurekidsnow.gov/.

SAFETY DEVICES TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN #12

2011-08-01T03:52:00.000-07:00

CORDLESS PHONES help you watch your child continuously, without leaving the vicinity to answer a phone call. Cordless phones are especially helpful when children are in or near water, whether it's the bathtub, the swimming pool, or the beach.

SAFETY DEVICES TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN #11

2011-07-31T03:52:00.000-07:00

DOOR STOPS and DOOR HOLDERS on doors and door hinges can help prevent small fingers and hands from being pinched or crushed in doors and door hinges.

Be sure any safety device for doors is easy to use and is not likely to break into small parts, which could be a choking hazard for young children.

SAFETY DEVICES TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN #10

2011-07-30T03:52:00.000-07:00

WINDOW BLIND CORD SAFETY TASSELS on miniblinds and tension devices on vertical blinds and drapery cords can help prevent deaths and injuries from strangulation in the loops of cords.

For older miniblinds, cut the card loop, remove the buckle, and put safety tassels on each cord. Be sure that older vertical blinds and drapery cords have tension or tie-down devices to hold the cords tight. When buying new miniblinds, verticals, and draperies, ask for safety features to prevent child strangulation.

SAFETY DEVICES TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN #9

2011-07-29T03:52:00.000-07:00

A CARBON MONOXIDE (C0) DETECTOR can help prevent CO poisoning.

Consumers should install CO detectors near sleeping areas in their homes. Households that should use CO detectors include those with gas or oil heat or with attached garages.

SAFETY DEVICES TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN #8

2011-07-28T03:52:00.000-07:00

OUTLET COVERS and OUTLET PLATES can help protect children from electrical shock and possible electrocution.

Be sure the outlet protectors cannot be easily removed by children and are large enough so that children cannot choke on them.

New Parents: The Benefits of Owning an Air Purifier

2011-07-28T03:44:00.000-07:00

Are you a new parent? If not, are you expecting to become on in the future? If so, when that moment comes, your life will literally change forever. Like most parents, there is a good chance that you would do just about anything to ensure the health and safety of your new baby. When doing this, do you know what an air purifier can do for you and your child?

There is a good chance that you have heard of air purifiers before. If you haven’t, they are machines, which are electronic. The goal of these machines is to help clean the air indoors. This is often done with filters and collection grids. These filters and collection grids tend to trap bacteria and air particles, preventing them from circulating around inside your home. Of course, clean air is important for all, but it is especially important for young children.

If the air inside your home or your child’s room is unhealthy, whether it be due to smoking, pets, or a lack of fresh air, do you know the impact it may have on your child? Smoking, pet hair, and the lack of fresh air has been known to cause numerous health problems. These problems may include asthma. That is why it is important that you do everything in your power to keep the air inside your home, or at least the air inside your child’s room clean and pure. If you are a smoker or a pet owner, the best option may be to quit smoking or get rid of your pets, but if that is not an option an air purifier may do.

When it comes to purchasing an air purifier, especially if you would like it to have benefits to your child, you have a number of different options. Air purifiers tend to come in two main styles. These styles include individual room air purifiers and whole house air purifiers. Individual room air purifiers tend to clean the air in a specific amount of space, usually anywhere from 200 to 500 square feet. Depending on the size of the room in question, certain air purifiers may even be able to clean the air inside one or two rooms. As you might assume, whole house air purifiers are air purifiers that clean the air inside a whole house. This is done when the air purifier is connected to a home’s heating and cooling system.
Once you have decided whether you would like to purchase a whole house air purifier or an individual room air purifier, you will have to decide on a specific air purifier make and model. When doing this, you will want to keep a number of things in mind. Perhaps, the most important thing to keep in mind is the overall cost of owning an air purifier. A number of air purifiers are filter-less, but not all are; in fact, most require a filter. In many cases, you will find that these filters need to be replaced, every so often. It is important that you examine the cost of all replacement parts, including the filters. It is the only way to ensure that you are really getting a good deal.

In addition to examining the overall cost of an air purifier, you will also want to examine your uses. If you would just like to have the air inside your child’s room be fresh and clean, you should be able to purchase just about any air purifier that is currently on the market. However, if you would like an air purifier to remove the remnants of cigarette smoke or pet hair, you may need to look for an air purifier that specifically treats them. What you plan on using your air purifier for is important; it is the key to making your purchase worthwhile.

SAFETY DEVICES TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN #7

2011-07-27T03:52:00.000-07:00

CORNER and EDGE BUMPERS can be used with furniture and fireplace hearths to help prevent injuries from falls or to soften falls against sharp or rough edges.

Be sure to look for bumpers that stay securely on furniture or hearth edges.

SAFETY DEVICES TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN #6

2011-07-26T03:52:00.000-07:00

WINDOW GUARDS and SAFETY NETTING for balconies and decks can help prevent serious falls.

Check these safety devices frequently to make sure they are secure and properly installed and maintained. There should be no more than four inches between the bars of the window guard. If you have window guards, be sure at least one window in each room can be easily used for escape in a fire. Window screens are not effective for preventing children from falling out of windows.

SAFETY DEVICES TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN #5

2011-07-25T03:51:00.000-07:00

SMOKE DETECTORS are essential safety devices for protection against fire deaths and injuries.

Check smoke detectors once a month to make sure they're working. If detectors are battery-operated, change batteries at least once a year or consider using 10-year batteries.

SAFETY DEVICES TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN #4

2011-07-24T03:51:00.000-07:00

ANTI-SCALD DEVICES for regulating water temperature can help prevent burns.

Consider using anti-scald devices for faucets and showerheads. A plumber may need to install these. In addition, if you live in your own home, set water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help prevent burns from hot water.

SAFETY DEVICES TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN #3

2011-07-23T03:51:00.000-07:00

DOOR KNOB COVERS and DOOR LOCKS can help keep children away from places with hazards, including swimming pools.

Be sure the door knob cover is sturdy enough not to break, but allows a door to be opened quickly by an adult in case of emergency. By restricting access to potentially hazardous rooms in the home, door knob covers could help prevent many kinds of injuries. To prevent access to swimming pools, door locks should be placed high out of reach of young children. Locks should be used in addition to fences and door alarms. Sliding glass doors, with locks that must be re-secured after each use, are often not an effective barrier to pools.

SAFETY DEVICES TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN #2

2011-07-22T03:51:00.000-07:00

SAFETY GATES can help keep children away from stairs or rooms that have hazards in them.

Look for safety gates that children cannot dislodge easily, but that adults can open and close without difficulty. For the top of stairs, gates that screw to the wall are more secure than pressure gates."

New safety gates that meet safety standards display a certification seal from the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). If you have an older safety gate, he sure it doesn't have "V'' shapes that are large enough for a child's head and neck to fit into.

SAFETY DEVICES TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN #1

2011-07-21T03:51:00.000-07:00

SAFETY LATCHES and LOCKS -

on cabinets and drawers can help prevent children from gaining access to medicines and household cleaners, as well as knives and other sharp objects.

Look for safety latches and locks that adults can easily install and use, but are sturdy enough to withstand pulls and tugs from children. Safety latches are not a guarantee of protection, but they can make it more difficult for children to reach dangerous substances. Even products with child-resistant packaging should he locked away, out of reach; this packaging is not childproof.

BATHING AND CLEANLINESS DURING CHILDHOOD.

2011-07-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

When this period arrives, or shortly after, bathing is but too frequently left off; the hands and face of the child are kept clean, and with this the nurse is satisfied; the daily ablution of the whole body, however, is still necessary, not only for the preservation of cleanliness, but because it promotes in a high degree the health of the child.

A child of a vigorous constitution and robust health, as he rises from his bed refreshed and active by his night's repose, should be put into the shower-bath, or, if this excites and alarms him too much, must be sponged from head to foot with salt water. If the weather be very cold, the water may be made slightly tepid, but if his constitution will bear it, the water should be cold throughout the year. Then the body should be speedily dried, and hastily but well rubbed with a somewhat coarse towel, and the clothes put on without any unnecessary delay. This should be done every morning of the child's life.

If such a child is at the sea-side, advantage should be taken of this circumstance, and seabathing should be substituted. The best time is two or three hours after breakfast; but he must not be fatigued beforehand, for if so, the cold bath cannot be used without danger. Care must be taken that he does not remain in too long, as the animal heat will be lowered below the proper degree, which would be most injurious. In boys of a feeble constitution, great mischief is often produced in this way. It is a matter also of great consequence in bathing children that they should not be terrified by the immersion, and every precaution should be taken to prevent this. The healthy and robust boy, too, should early be taught to swim, whenever this is practicable, for it is attended with the most beneficial effects; it is a most invigorating exercise, and the cold bath thus becomes doubly serviceable.

If a child is of a delicate and strumous constitution, the cold bath during the summer is one of the best tonics that can be employed; and if living on the coast, sea-bathing will be found of singular benefit. The effects, however, of sea-bathing upon such a constitution must be particularly watched, for unless it is succeeded by a glow, a feeling of increased strength, and a keen appetite, it will do no good, and ought at once to be abandoned for the warm or tepid bath. The opinion that warm baths generally relax and weaken, is erroneous; for in this case, as in all cases when properly employed, they would give tone and vigour to the whole system; in fact, the tepid bath is to this child what the cold bath is to the more robust.

In conclusion: if the bath in any shape cannot from circumstances be obtained, then cold saltwater sponging must be used daily, and all the year round, so long as the proper reaction or glow follows its use; but when this is not the case, and this will generally occur, if the child is delicate and the weather cold, tepid vinegar and water, or tepid salt water, must be substituted.

BATHING AND CLEANLINESS DURING INFANCY

2011-07-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

Cleanliness is essential to the infant's health. The principal points to which especial attention must be paid by the parent for this purpose are the following:

At first the infant should be washed daily with warm water; and a bath every night, for the purpose of thoroughly cleaning the body, is highly necessary. To bathe a delicate infant of a few days or even weeks old in cold water with a view "to harden" the constitution (as it is called), is the most effectual way to undermine its health and entail future disease. By degrees, however, the water with which it is sponged in the morning should be made tepid, the evening bath being continued warm enough to be grateful to the feelings.

A few months having passed by, the temperature of the water may be gradually lowered until cold is employed, with which it may be either sponged or even plunged into it, every morning during summer. If plunged into cold water, however, it must be kept in but a minute; for at this period, especially, the impression of cold continued for any considerable time depresses the vital energies, and prevents that healthy glow on the surface which usually follows the momentary and brief action of cold, and upon which its usefulness depends. With some children, indeed, there is such extreme delicacy and deficient reaction as to render the cold bath hazardous; no warm glow over the surface takes place when its use inevitably does harm: its effects, therefore, must be carefully watched.

The surface of the skin should always be carefully and thoroughly rubbed dry with flannel, indeed, more than dry, for the skin should be warmed and stimulated by the assiduous gentle friction made use of. For this process of washing and drying must not be done languidly, but briskly and expeditiously; and will then be found to be one of the most effectual means of strengthening the infant. It is especially necessary carefully to dry the arm-pits, groins, and nates; and if the child is very fat, it will be well to dust over these parts with hair-powder or starch: this prevents excoriations and sores, which are frequently very troublesome. Soap is only required to those parts of the body which are exposed to the reception of dirt.

Potty Training in 3 Days

2011-07-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

Whether potty training in 3 days or in a much longer time, it is utterly important to motivate and support your child all throughout the training period. It is of utmost importance not to force the child if he or she does not want to go and use the potty. In case the parents do this, then the child will only associate potty time with something negative and will always remember that there is something negative about the potty moment. The result they will obtain when the child is to use the potty is mere resistance on the part of the kid, and what you need is a cooperative, relaxed child in those moments of training.
During the potty training in 3 days it is also recommended that the child should not be already stressed by other things. In case you have recently moved into a new house or there has been a sad event in the family, it is better to postpone the potty training in order to achieve better and faster results. The child needs to feel secure and comforted when he is supposed to learn a new thing.
Again, if you want the child to successfully complete potty training in 3 days or even in a longer time, it is best to not make a big fuss about his potty accidents. You should think that it is only natural for him to wet his pants to until he gets full control over this new skill you want him to acquire.
Please do not use punishments as well as pressure to the kid, then what will naturally happen is more accidents and you will attract the child’s attention to something that is not so important. If the accident is treated only as something natural or casual and you keep insisting more on the use of the potty, success will come faster your way.
Potty training in 3 days is a method that works. Some people and specialists believe however that it is too idealistic and that it cannot possibly work with all children since their personalities vary so much. Truly successful in 3 days or not, parents who have read the book have learned new methods and tips of how to deal with their child while potty training.
All in all, whatever tip can be offered will surely be useful for the new learning parent and his child.

Potty Training Problems

2011-07-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

Many parents have encountered potty training problems. There is no method the in a guaranteed manner works with all children regardless of age and character. That is why there are many methods that parents can resort to. Some of them require a longer time, others promise success in as fast as three days or even only in one day. For the shorter time methods, it is more likely that there will be more potty training problems than it is with longer time methods especially if you do not go about the specific method as it is specifically required.

One of the problems is that the parent does not have sufficient time to dedicate to this stage of the child’s life. It is natural for the child to pose some resistance to using the potty especially if the child has been wearing diapers for some time. Parents now have to understand that first they have to fight an old habit and then instate a new one in its place. If patience is not one of the strong points of the parent and pressure is put on the child, then it is likely that there will appear some potty training problems.

Another potty training problems arise from the fact that the child presents resistance to going potty. It might be because he or she is afraid of the toilet seat, so one good suggestion is to buy a potty seat or a potty chair. This way you will ask the child to perform a new task using something that is more appropriate to his age and height. Resistance can also emerge on the part of the child because you have used deadlines and you have already made a lot of fuss about the accidents the child has had in his pants.

Remember that it is more important that the child should remember how much you insisted on the potty than on the accident. So, a good tip would be not to set any deadlines for the child and not to create agitation having accidents as starting points for it.

Potty training problems may also appear because your child is not motivated enough. Try to identify what the child enjoys most and then use that as a reward for him the first time he goes potty either helped by you or on his own. The reward will teach him that the potty is a good way of getting what he likes and he will surely repeat the potty going. Children learn very fast and are very good at getting what they want. It is only the method of getting what they want that you have to suggest to them.

Potty Training

2011-07-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

Every child is different from any other and may give hints to parents as to whether they are ready for potty training or not. Studies say that usually potty training is to be initiated somewhere between eighteen months and twenty four months, however your child may be different and may not show that he or she is ready to begin this new stage in their lives. Potty training may bring along more stress into your child’s life, therefore it would be a good idea for you to resort to various techniques that will transform this type of task into something rewarding not only for you but also for the kid – and free potty training charts from the internet are a good way of leading the kid out of stress.

Potty Training Charts

2011-07-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Free potty training charts are all over the internet.

Just as easy as it is to find tips on training your kid to use the toilet, so it is with potty training information. Many sites allow their readers and visitors to view and download free potty training charts. From this perspective it is much cheaper for parents to resort to the internet than to a library that sells expensive books. Many reviews and testimonials on the internet from previous users of the free potty training charts point to the success of these forms of training.

Free potty training charts are meant to encourage and motivate your child into using the potty and keep focusing on this new acquired habit. Some of them are sticker charts which mark the days and the times when your child used the potty and after downloading and printing you can motivate your child to put the stickers onto the chart every time they use the potty. The colors and the clip art or the beautiful child attracting pictures will become very appealing to the kid in no time.

One nice example of free potty training charts are the ones in which the child advances a favorite character to the place where he feels safest and happiest; once his character gets to that place he is allowed to place a sticker in one of the boxes they are provided with. Some of the free potty training charts have ocean themes, others have space themes; as with the ocean theme, the child can move the dolphin from one starfish to another every time he uses the potty. When the dolphin reaches the island, the reward for the kid is to place the sticker in one of the boxes.

The best advantage of the free potty training charts is that the child will definitely feel rewarded for using the porry and will become more confident in himself or herself.

Confident Toddlers 3

2011-07-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

Toys

As for toys, don’t opt for the most expensive item – you will only please the marketing company behind it! Kids have no real conception of money and they are likely to get a lot more long term enjoyment out of the box that the toy came in rather than the figure from the latest movie. Believe me, my son so love the box rather than the toy this age that it is very difficult for me to throw away the box even though it is very ugly looking already.

Also buy age appropriate toys – you won’t inspire your child to become the next Albert Einstein by giving him a chemistry set when he is 2 - just let him be a child when he is a baby. he will have enough problems when the time comes

Confident Toddlers 2

2011-07-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

Play

Children learn from play – it is very important to give them as much opportunity and encouragement to let their imaginations run wild.

Moms have to feed their inner belief that they can do or achieve anything they want to in life. This would mean giving them paint and messy stuff to play with and see what they get up to.

Confident Toddlers 1

2011-07-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

The baby phase passes so quickly – like a blink of the eye and as Mom you should try and enjoy as much of it as possible as once a child has grown you cannot recapture this magical time.

Leaving babyhood behind your child becomes a toddler. How do you know when your baby has become a toddler? There is no specific age but believe me you will know when it happens. The defining moment for me is when you realise that the baby who did everything you said now wants to put his own mark on the day.

When you have a toddler, take some time out to sit down and play with him every day.

Get down onto the floor at his level and spend quality time with him. He will love the attention and he won’t be a toddler for very long.
Also by putting yourself on his level, you can see potentially dangerous hazards that you may not have noticed from your taller viewpoint!

Creating Confident Babies 4

2011-07-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

Moms, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you have to amuse your baby all day.

That will only exhaust both of you.

Babies need to learn to spend quality time on their own just as older children need to learn to amuse themselves. You cannot love yourself and be confident in who you are if you have never got to know yourself. So let baby spend some time in his cot or playpen with a couple of favourite toys. If you listen carefully, you could just hear him having a great chat with his new friends.

2011-07-09T17:14:00.000-07:00

Baby massage is wonderful for generating a close bond between parents and child. But massage also instills confidence in an infant. The gentle touch causes his body to release feel good hormones and make him feel safe.
In the early years especially, a child views his parents as his whole universe. He wants to keep mummy and daddy happy. He basks in your love and attention. He expects to get your approval when he tries new things.
All babies will try things at different times. Depending on his learning style, some things will come easy to him whilst others will take a little longer to master. By all means encourage him to explore his boundaries but do it in a relaxed way.

Baby Bottoms - Tip-Top Treatment

2011-07-08T03:22:00.000-07:00

How to take care of your baby's bottom? Until recently, mothers have had to rely on adult over-the-counter antifungal creams to treat their babies' cases of diaper rash complicated by yeast infections. For the first time, a prescription product-Vusion™ (0.25% miconazole nitrate, 15% zinc oxide and 81.35% white petrolatum) Ointment-is available and is indicated and specifically formulated for the treatment of this condition, called diaper dermatitis complicated by candidiasis (DDCC), in infants 4 weeks and older. Confirmation of DDCC is determined by microscopic evaluation for presence of pseudohyphae or budding yeast.
DDCC is a highly prevalent rash in infants that can cause great discomfort and distress. Typically, DDCC infections are characterized by a rash of bright red patches with irregular, raised borders and white scales on the surface. The main patches are often surrounded by smaller patches and painful sores or blisters.
Infants often get DDCC when their diapers chafe and break the surface of the skin, making it easier for microorganisms such as yeast to invade the skin. Other risk factors for DDCC include diarrhea, prolonged diaper rash, skin hygiene and the recent use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. The condition can occur anytime of year, but DDCC is often triggered in the winter months when the use of antibiotics commonly prescribed for illnesses such as ear infections is at its peak.
Treatment options have included the use of antifungal products, steroids and combination products that are not specifically approved for the treatment of DDCC or for use on infants.
"With Vusion™ Ointment now approved for the U.S. market, pediatricians and dermatologists can prescribe a treatment specifically meant for the condition that it was designed for and that is well tolerated for use on infants," said Dr. Mary Spraker, a pediatric dermatologist and associate professor in Emory University's Department of Dermatology, who assisted in the design of a Phase 3 clinical trial of the product. "Doctors are no longer reliant on prescribing antifungal agents intended for adults that have not been tested on children with DDCC."
Vusion™ Ointment was developed by Barrier Therapeutics, a Princeton, N.J.-based pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of products in the field of dermatology.

Creating Confident Babies 2

2011-07-07T17:09:00.000-07:00

1. A baby who is held and cuddled will grow more secure knowing he is valued and loved. That is why I hate a parenting trend that developed a few years ago which suggested that babies should be left to cry. In my opinion this is very cruel and potentially damaging to the child. How can a baby trust his parents if they ignore him when he needs them most?
2. Watch your verbal and non verbal communications with your baby. .
3. Listen to them when they communicate with you. For example, babies use crying to communicate. Generally a baby will only cry when he needs something i.e. nappy to be changed, he is hungry or he is scared and wants a cuddle

Creating Confident Babies 1

2011-07-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

Despite not being able to talk in a language we comprehend, babies do probably understand more than you can imagine.

It is important that you speak to your baby encouraging them to mimic you and the noises he hears around him.
Sing to him – most babies love singing and they don’t mind if you are tone deaf!

Baby Strollers - Types

2010-12-23T03:29:00.000-08:00

Baby strollers - as you know there is a wide variety of baby strollers available to choose from. Your choice of strollers will be affected by how many children you plan to use it for, how you are going to use the stroller and where, and finally your budget. All things aside your baby’s comfort and safety will also influence your choice. Let’s take a look at some of the types of strollers available to you.
The standard stroller will fit one child and there are many different features on standard strollers such as play trays, parent trays, fabrics, and handlebars. On many strollers handlebars are now height adjustable which is great back saver.
Double strollers have two seats. There is a variety of seating arrangements for double strollers. The traditional double seat is one behind the other - tandem style. Tandem seating has the first child with a good view and he one in the rear seat sees the back of the other’s head. A variant of the tandem seating is stadium seating. Think of bleachers where each seat is raised slightly above the one in front of it allowing those in the rear to see what’s going on. There is side by side seating as well as face to face seating.
Jogging strollers are very popular because they enable you to bring your child along on a run. The jogging stroller has a triangular wheel base with two large wheels in the rear and one wheel in the front. They have many attractive features. An added safety feature is a wrist strap on the handle bar. This is worn so that when you stop, the stroller doesn’t roll away from you. As always whenever you stop your stroller the break should always be applied. The wrist strap is added protection. Jogging strollers are available for multiple seating as well.
Triple strollers are terrific for triplets or three children. Seating arrangements can be side by side but most have tandem seating or stadium seating. When the stroller is full of kids and you are pushing it will help you achieve your goals of fitness.
Convertible multiple strollers are available where they can be made into double seater's with additional seats and a transverse bar. You might want to check if this option is available for the particular stroller you are considering.
Umbrella strollers are very inexpensive. They are generally easier to fold and unfold. They are very lightweight and store easily in a car trunk. They are terrific for short trips to the Mall or short walks. They do not work well on all terrain. They do come in multiple seating as well. The only drawback I had with umbrella strollers is that if anything was hung on the handle it caused the carriage to tip backwards.
Light weight strollers are slightly heavier than the umbrella strollers and slightly less than the standard stroller. They typically fold in a single hand motion. They also resemble the standard type stroller. They also come in multiple seating.
Carriage Strollers are convertible strollers in that you can change them from a carriage (a bed on wheels) to a stroller. This is great for infants that are unable to sit up yet. The handle is reversible so you can turn it into a stroller which is great for children who are sitting up.
Bike strollers or trailers are installed by attaching it to the rear wheel. There are two seated models available. They can be converted from a trailer to a stroller with no tools. The restraint system is a five-point harness for each child.

Tips To Make Life Easier -Travelling With Baby

2010-12-22T03:28:00.000-08:00

How to travel with an infant? It may sound daunting, but travelling with baby does not have to be a nightmare! A little preparation and forward planning is all you need for a successful trip with your tiny traveller.
There are certain supplies that are essential for any trip with your baby. The most important, of course, is enough food and milk for the journey. Always pack more than you think you'll need and include plenty of finger foods if your baby is old enough -- these are great for helping to keep him occupied! If you are breastfeeding and need to express milk, you can store it in a cooler, with ice, for up to 24 hours. You can also store bottles of pre-made formula in the same way -- alternatively, you can add pre-measured powdered formula to the bottles, then top it up with cooled, boiled water as required.
Another option is to bring "ready to drink" cartons of formula. Whilst ideal for the journey itself, be aware that you may not be allowed to take these cartons with you into certain countries. Sealed containers of formula do not normally present a problem.
Solid foods can be packed into a cooler, although a better idea is to bring foods with you that you can easily prepare during the journey. Avocado pears and bananas are good examples, as they can be simply peeled, mashed and served to your baby at room temperature.
Always bring your own feeding bowls and utensils when travelling with baby - many eating establishments do not have cutlery appropriate for an infant's use. A travel high chair is incredibly useful, too -- and means that you can comfortably feed your baby wherever you go. Disposable bibs, or a wipe-clean plastic bib, can be very convenient when travelling and they certainly cut down on the laundry!
If you ask for food or milk to be warmed for you, be VERY careful to check the temperature on its return. Busy waiters or cabin crew may overheat the food and you will need to wait for it to cool down. With this in mind, ask for any food or milk to be warmed well before you're actually going to need it!
Many parents worry about how to sterilise feeding equipment when travelling with baby. There are many products available to assist with this, from microwave steriliser bags to disposable bottle liners. Most stores dealing with infant feeding equipment will offer a range of travelling accessories such as these.
Other essential items for your trip will include nappies/diapers and scented diaper bags. If you're heading to a warm destination, adequate sun protection is a must! Also, consider bringing a small nightlight - if you're breastfeeding, it can be very useful in a dark, unfamiliar hotel room.
To help your baby cope with the trip and to reassure him in new surroundings, be sure to bring his favourite blanket. This can also serve as a handy "curtain" to shield an aeroplane sky cot/bassinet from the light, or for naps in his stroller when out and about.
Dress your baby in light layers when travelling -- not only does this make it easier to cope with fluctuating temperatures, but if your baby spills his food, for example, you can easily remove the top layer of clothing. Bring a change of clothes for yourself, too -- baby's mess tends to have a habit of transferring itself to his parents!
Enjoy your trip!

Nursing Questions & Answers - Mommy and Baby

2010-12-20T03:19:00.000-08:00

the following questions are usually raised by moms especially when taking care of new borns

Q. How often should I nurse a newborn infant?
A. No fewer than 8 times per day, depending on how long he gives you at night. If he can go 4 hours, you’ll probably see two feedings in between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. If you tank him up right before you go to bed, you may only have one.
Q. How often should I nurse an older baby?
A. Depending on your child’s age, you should be on a 3-4 hour routine during the day. Remember, as your child gets older, the frequency of nursing sessions will drop off, but he will be eating more at each session. If you are committed to nursing past 6 months of age, it’s not recommended that you drop below 5 feedings per day. If you believe your milk supply is waning and you don’t want to stop breastfeeding, add a feeding or two to your daily routine in order to increase your milk supply
Q. How do I drop a feeding as my baby grows?
A. The most common changes are moms who want to switch from a 3 to a 3.5 hour routine or a 3.5 to a 4 hour routine, babies who are ready to drop their middle of the night feeding, or parents who are ready to stop the late-night feeding.
Most often you’ll know when your baby is ready to switch by a change in his sleep patterns. A baby on a 3 hour routine typically takes 3 naps per day (morning, afternoon, late afternoon) and the switchover to a 3.5 hour routine will see a shortening of one of those naps or the dropping of the last nap of the day. Babies are generally ready for this switch by about 12 weeks of age.
Dropping the middle of the night feeding is most often accomplished by the baby himself between 7-14 weeks of age. You’ll know your baby is ready when he doesn’t wake you up until 6:00 a.m. or so, and you’ll probably wake in a panic that morning, realizing you weren’t beckoned in the middle of the night. He will require more food during the day from this point on, and your breasts will likely be overly full for several days, but it’s all good!
Stopping the late night feeding is typically the trickiest to do. Many parents are reluctant to drop it, thinking that if they do, their baby will wake in the middle of the night, starving. If you think he cannot drop the feeding completely, back it up in 15-minute increments until you arrive at your desired time. If his last two feedings of the day are closer than your flexible schedule says it “should be,” don’t worry. It’s a temporary fix, and that’s what flexibility is all about. The routine serves you, not the other way around!

The Easy Way - Make Your Own Baby Food

2010-12-19T03:17:00.000-08:00

6 months! It is the start of the new chapter of baby feeding .... Is your baby about to start solid foods? Are you thinking of making your own baby food?
When you make baby's first foods, you can save money and reduce waste. You also can choose more nutritious options. Fresh foods are typically more nutritious than canned, and you can purchase organic food to prepare for baby if you wish. You can also avoid unwholesome ingredients that show up in commercial baby food.
Making baby food doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming. In fact, the easiest and cheapest way is the best way!
The easy way to making your own baby food:
1) Don't bother with buying one of those baby food grinders. They're hard to clean and too much hassle.
2) If you wait until your baby is 6 months old to start solids, you can almost always just mash with a fork to the desired consistency.
If you're breastfeeding, you can even wait until baby's "pincer grasp" is developed and offer him small finger foods like peas, bits of grated apple, and the like. The pincer grasp is developed when baby can pinch small objects (like those bits of carpet fluff or food on the kitchen floor!) inbetween his thumb and first finger. In fact, if you have a family tendency towards food allergy, waiting longer to start solids may be preferable. No matter what baby's age, always offer one food at a time and wait several days to watch for signs of allergy before offering another. Take it slow.
3) Start with fresh single ingredient foods like:
Banana
Steamed carrot, turnip, potato, yam
Avocado
Ripe pear, peach, melon, plum
Cooked squash
Grated apple- raw or steamed
Peas
Well cooked beans
Hard cooked egg yolks (avoid the whites until 1 year)
Some of these foods could be served raw. Others are lightly steamed (steaming retains more nutrients than canning), to make them softer for baby.
4) It's not necessary to make a big deal of preparing baby's food.
If you want to take a lot of time blending food and freezing them in ice cube trays, you could certainly do that. But I'm all for the easy approach!
Although you do want to avoid giving baby salt and sugar (and spices that may upset the tummy), you can usually just take an ingredient from your own menu and "make" baby's dinner.
For instance, if you're steaming veggies to serve at dinner, take a tablespoon of them out of the pan before you add butter and salt. Put this in baby's plate and mash away. Voila! Instant baby food with no extra work. Or take a bit of beef from your roast and mash mash mash until it's very soft.
Even when you're at a restaurant, you can either bring an apple with you and "grate" it finely with a spoon at your table, or bring along a banana or other portable food. Any restaurant with a salad bar would have cooked beans or avocado. Or give baby a bit of your baked potato (before you add the goodies on top).
Life with a new baby is challenging enough. Keep starting solids simple!
For more helpful tips on simplifying life with kids, visit: http://www.natural-moms.com/homekeeping_organization.html

Hospital Care for Your Baby

2010-12-18T03:14:00.000-08:00

"you're baby need's to be Hospitalized." those words are the hardest to swallow. Baby sickness is always a hard trial for family, and if the matter concerns baby’s hospitalization, then you can become panic-stricken only at the thought of the fact that a baby will be estranged from his family, painful procedures expect him, and strangers will surround him.
Because of hospitalization, a baby can get the whole complex of serious psychological problems, caused by sickness, isolation from home and conditions of hospital. Even adult person experiences stress, when he needs to apply to a doctor and moreover, while necessity of long staying in hospital. Needless to say about baby’s stress! Strange atmosphere, strange people, new, constantly renewed children collective, forced separation from parents, fear of medical procedures – all this is quite enough for psychological discomfort. And all these factors accompany symptoms of disease.

However, you shouldn’t dramatize situation. Of course, disease and necessity of hospitalization - are traumatizing factors. But for majority of children staying at hospital can become an important stage in formation of personality, bring lots of new impressions and knowledge, and give possibility to try themselves in difficult life circumstances. This experience will be useful in further life of a child.

Processes of adaptation are individual for each child. This depends on many reasons: whether he had diseases earlier, stage of disease, is he staying at hospital for the first time or not, baby’s age, whether he was separated from his family before etc. Often everything passes quite smoothly, due to presence of inner reserves of a baby and correct behavior of parents.

It’s quite normal, if period of adaptation at hospital lasts during 3-5 days. There’re no reasons for anxiety, if a baby is rather careless during first days of hospitalization, asks to take him home, gets into contact with coevals not at once. Excess care and parental inclination for dramatizing situation can only damage. On the other hand, you shouldn’t leave a baby alone with his problems. He shouldn’t feel abandoned and lonely.
Quite often parents of sick children need more psychological help, then children themselves, as it is their correct behavior that influences a baby’s mood for recovery.

Here’re several recommendations of experts. Never frighten your baby with hospital. Don’t create future problems, as there’s hardly any baby, who hasn’t been at hospital for his life. During conversations with other people avoid such phrases, like: “There doctors hardly understand something, I wish only they don’t harm my child” etc.

In case of baby hospitalization do your best to reduce stress and melancholy because of coming separation from home and parents. Adults themselves should be confident in future, calm and wise, so that a baby would treat staying at hospital calmly. If hospitalization is planned and you have at least 1-2 days for preparation, involve baby in preparations, as if he would be going to health centre or camp.

Try to dispose your baby to optimism. Children have great intuition, and it’s almost impossible to persuade them in things, which you don’t believe yourself in. So, first of all you should analyze your own emotions and forget about affirmation: “Hospital – pain, fear, danger”. Replace it by “Hospital – help, relieve, recovery”. You confidence and peace of mind will be passed to your daughter and son. Talk to your child about coming hospitalization softly-softly. You can explain to schoolchild, that sickness is not a catastrophe, but a peculiar exam for courage and firmness. Tell your child that you will be thinking of him constantly and you’re always ready to help him. Think and discuss ways of your contacts.

During separation avoid touching scenes, restrain excessive emotions. Try to behave the way, so that a baby would treat hospital not as punishment, but as a place, where he will be helped to recover sooner and return to usual life. Form positive attitude, both to improvement of health and doctors’ work. Explain your child an objective necessity of medical assistance.

Don’t persuade him that he is guilty of his sickness, trauma etc. himself. By doing this, you will increase sense of guilt and fear, which can cause undesirable psychological complications. Of course, there’re situations, when it is important to discuss wrong behavior of a child, which caused disease. But it is also very important that a result of your conversation would be not a sense of guilt, but understanding of cause and effect connection between wring behavior and disease.

Discuss schedule of visiting a child with relatives for sure, to avoid situations, when there’re several visits per one day and no visits at all other day. This is very important, as excess of visitors can lead to emotional overloads of a sick baby, and their absence – to increase of longing for home and relatives.

Try not to hung up on topic of disease and treatment. Life goes on. Ask your child about his new friends, news, what he does in spare time. Keep all your doubts concerning effectiveness of treatment inside of you. Don’t overload patient with your doubts and fears. As medicine, which you doubt, will not help, as doctor, whom you don’t trust, won’t be able to help. Try to avoid unpleasant topics, wait a little with information about bad news: sick baby need not to know that his favorite doggie eats bad or that cat ate hamster. While talking to a baby, pay attention to positive moments of staying at hospital. Think about things you can compliment him for: he bears procedures with fortitude, doesn’t play about, could make friends with somebody, drew a good picture etc.

Unfilled spare time increases feeling of loneliness, longing for home. So you should definitely worry about things your child should do. Bring him an interesting book, meccano, some new game, paints, crayons etc. Bring a toy for a small baby surely. You can tell that a new “friend” came to him specially to protect him at nights (if a baby is predisposed to night fears). It will be very good, if you bring him a toy bear, elephant, lion, tiger, i.e. any big animal, which will be able to personify power and protection (size of toy is not important).
After discharge talk to your baby about time he spent at hospital. Ask him about things he learned to do, what he understood about himself and his relations with other people, help him to realize value of experience he gained.

Breastfeeding Your Baby - keeping it pure and Simple

2010-12-17T03:15:00.000-08:00

Mother's milk is the best food for our children. Most mothers bottle feed their baby and there is no doubt that breastfeeding can sometimes be difficult to get started, but if a mother persists, she finds that it is a lot less bother than bottle feeding. Breastfeeding is actually less stressful and less work than bottle-feeding.
Mothers who give up breastfeeding, state that it is because of the discomfort or embarrassment they feel. Both of these reasons are understandable, but they can both be overcome. All it takes is patience.
A mother can avoid the pain of sore nipples by making sure that her baby is ‘latched on’ properly. This means that the baby sucks on the breast in the correct position. The nipple should be placed well in to the baby’s mouth. It is the areola (the dark area surrounding the nipple) that the baby actually sucks on; not the nipple. Getting the baby to latch on reduces the baby's chances of becoming "gassy", and also allows the baby to control the flow of milk - something that is easier for the baby to do when breastfeeding rather than bottle feeding.
Also, the mother can take some general steps to avoid painful nipples. Nipples should be exposed to air as much as possible. If this isn’t possible, then plastic dome-shaped breast shells (not nipple shields) can be worn to protect your nipples from rubbing by your clothing. Don’t over wash the nipples; bathing once a day is more than enough.
Engorgement of the breasts usually occurs 3 to 4 days after birth but can be avoided by getting the baby to latch on correctly. However, if your breasts become engorged to the point of severe discomfort or if the baby is not able to suckle, cabbage leaves seem to help decrease the engorgement more rapidly than ice packs or other treatments. If you are unable to get the baby latched on, start cabbage leaves, start expressing your milk and give the expressed milk to the baby by spoon, cup, finger feeding or eyedropper. If it persists consult your midwife or health visitor.
Embarrassment of breastfeeding is something that Western society seems to condone. It was not always so. If you feel this way you should discuss this with your partner and family. If the support is not forthcoming, then try to educate them! Finally, use your doctor or midwife as a support. Attitudes in the medical profession have changed drastically in recent years and you should find a lot of support at your local clinic. If you don’t then change clinic, midwife or doctor.
Breastfeeding really is a lot easier than bottle feeding and it is certainly a lot better for your baby. Companies making milk formula tell us how their formula is ‘the most like breast milk it has ever been’. Maybe this is true, but it never will be as good as breast milk. If you read the ingredients on the side of the tin you will find many of the following: vegetable oils; disodium guanosine-5, monophosphate, taurine, magnesium, sodium citrate, pantothenic acid, potassium chloride, beta-carotene and biotin. What exactly is disodium guanosine-5? Companies have been making formula for only the past century; women have been making breast milk a lot longer than that. Also, formula is made for everyone’s baby, whereas a mother’s breast milk is unique; it’s made only for her child.
Getting up in the middle of the night to feed a baby is incredibly tiring. Why make it even more tiring than it already is by bottle feeding? When you bottle feed, you have to get out of bed and boil water, make the formula and then wait for it to cool before you can feed baby. When you breastfeed you don’t have to even get out of bed, if you child is in a crib beside you. You can feed your child and go back to sleep far sooner than if you bottle feed.
Some other things that make breastfeeding easier than bottle feeding;
1. It’s cheaper.
2. It’s a lot easier to clean your breasts than a whole stack of bottles.
3. Breast milk doesn’t leave permanent stains on clothes, unlike formula.
4. You can go anywhere, at anytime on the spur of the moment. You don’t have to worry about having enough formula.
5. You also travel light; no need to bring a bag full of bottles and formula
Breastfeeding may be harder to get started than bottle-feeding for a lot of mothers, but the benefits outweigh these early problems. So, if you were thinking of bottle-feeding rather than breastfeeding, think again. Breast milk is pure goodness for your child and breastfeeding makes life a lot simpler for mothers.

The Right Child Care For Your Baby - How to find it

2010-12-16T03:11:00.000-08:00

Going back to work after maternity leave means sleepkless nights for us working moms. If you’re planning to go back to work after your baby is born, child care is a major concern. Your childcare provider will be spending a lot of time with your child, so it is critical that you be comfortable with the environment and the style of care your child will be receiving. There are several alternatives, each with pros and cons. Spend some time evaluating each option, so that you can make the choice that best suits your needs.
The first option is in-home child care, meaning a sitter, or nanny who comes to your home to watch the child. This is by far the most expensive option, but it has many advantages. Your child will be at home, and will have the full attention of the nanny. In addition, your child will be exposed to fewer illnesses, and you will not have to transport her back and forth on your way to and from work. The main disadvantage is that you have no real backup if your nanny gets sick or wants to take vacation. Another thing to consider is your feelings if your child develops a very strong bond with the nanny. More than one mother has been hurt by the sense that the baby is more comfortable with the nanny than with her.
The second option is a small home daycare, meaning you find someone who will keep your child in her home, perhaps with her own children or one or two others. This is a good option if you want your child in a home atmosphere, but can’t afford the full time nanny. This option shares the same disadvantages of having a nanny in terms of no backup plan.
The third option is a traditional daycare center. Traditional daycares are affordable, and there is no need to worry about a caretaker getting sick or wanting to take vacation. A daycare might also be more of a learning environment than home care, which will become more important to you as your child gets older. The main disadvantages of daycares are that your child is exposed to all the germs of all the children. Be prepared for the both of you to be sick for a year. The other disadvantage is the numbers of children being cared for. For example, in most states, the law requires one caretaker per eight babies. Now, I don’t know about you, but I could not effectively care for eight babies alone. So, if you decide to use a daycare center, be sure to ask their caretaker to child ratio. Look for one with about five babies per caretaker.
Choosing your baby’s childcare arrangement is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Even after you’ve chosen a care option, be diligent about ensuring that your child is receiving the best care. Drop in unannounced at odd times of day to see what’s going on. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and let the caretaker know what’s important to you. It’s critical not only to your child’s well being, but to your own piece of mind.

Baby clothes

2010-12-15T03:09:00.000-08:00

Baby Clothes could really cost you if you are not carefull. If you have spent any time in the brick and mortar world shopping around for clothing for your baby, you may feel discouraged. The costs associated with clothing for babies is running higher each and every month. Nevertheless, you obviously do need to find appropriate clothing for your little one.
If you have found yourself frustrated with shopping for baby clothes in the brick and mortar world, you might want to spend some time on the Internet and the World Wide Web. In regard to seeking baby clothes on the Internet you will want to pay a visit to one or another of the overstock sites that are in operation on the World Wide Web at this point in time. These sites can offer you a number of benefits in your own search for baby clothing.
Of course, one of the most significant benefits to be had by shopping for clothes for your baby at an overstock site is found in price. Generally speaking, you can save a good deal of money when shopping for baby clothes at an overstock site on the Internet. Indeed, many parents maintain that they have saved hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars by shopping for baby clothes at overstock sites on the Net over time.
In addition to price, another of the benefits to be found by shopping for baby clothes at an Internet based overstock website merchant is convenience. By shopping at these types of websites, you can make your purchases of baby clothes any time of the day or night. If you are like most parents, you simply do not have time to run out and shop around in the brick and mortar world looking for reasonably priced clothes for your baby. By using an overstock site on the Net, you need only spend a few minutes to find what you are looking for in the way of baby clothes.
Another benefit to be had by shopping at an overstock site for baby clothes is selection. In this day and age, the selection to be had at one or another of these Internet website that specialize in overstocked products is significant. Long gone are the days when an overstock site had only a measly selection.
Again, as you look for the perfect outfits for your baby, take the time to surf by and visit one or another of the overstock sites in operation on the World Wide Web.

Baby Video Monitors

2010-12-14T03:06:00.000-08:00

We all want peace of mind especially with regards to the safety of our new borns. Baby monitors are designed to give parents peace of mind, and if used correctly they do just that. It is virtually impossible to stay with your new baby every moment of the day and night, and by having a baby monitor nearby you can hear your baby’s every breath and movement. The monitor operates much like a cordless cell phone and has multiple channels so there is always a clear frequency. Each monitor comes with a receiver that can go with you around the house, so where ever you, you can hear your baby. Baby monitors will not take away your worries and apprehensions as a new parent completely, but they sure do alleviate a lot of it, giving you more freedom as well.
There are many different baby monitors on the market, and all are very similar. Some baby monitors operate on AC and/or battery. Those models with a battery back up provide parents with added assurance in case of a power failure. Most baby monitors have a lighted display that coordinates with the level of sound the monitor picks up. The baby monitor is placed near the baby attached to the crib so that the sensitive transmitter picks up only the sounds of the baby, and not background noise. The baby’s sounds are then transmitted through the receiver to the parents as long as the receiver is within range of the monitor, which is usually conveyed to the parent by an out of range indicator light. Most models also come with a low battery indicator as well to let you know its time to change the batteries.
Baby monitors average $40 in price, some more, some less. It just depends on the manufacturer and what features the baby monitor has. You can shop online and compare prices and features of various baby monitors and buy there, or you can buy at most discount stores, or any store that carries baby products. There are also sights that compare models and are rated by consumer review which should help you decide which baby monitor is the best to buy. After all, you are entrusting the safety of your baby to the monitor when you are not right in the nursery, and you want to make sure that you purchase a reliable unit. Baby monitors make great gifts at baby showers also, you don’t have to be the one expecting, but you can give the gift of added assurance to your friend or family member. Baby monitors can save baby’s lives.

Baby Formula Goes Organic

2010-12-13T03:06:00.000-08:00

Organic foods may finally get a seat at the kids' table. This is the most healthiest choice.
Seven out of 10 Americans said they prefer organic alternatives. It's probably no surprise that many parents say they want to give their babies the benefits of an organic product when it comes to feeding them baby formula. However, the problem has been that until recently, there hasn't been an organic formula available that provides babies with two key nutrients for mental and visual development: the lipids DHA and ARA.
The Role Of Nutrition
"These lipids are naturally supplied from mom to baby in breast milk, but in reality, not all moms can breast feed. If parents formula feed, and choose an organic infant formula, it's essential that they use an organic formula enriched with DHA and ARA," explains Dr. Barbara Levine, director of the Nutrition Information Center and associate professor of nutrition in clinical medicine at Weill College of Medicine of Cornell University.
The only nationally distributed organic baby formula with DHA and ARA is available at Wal-Mart and is called Parent's Choice Organic Infant Formula, made by PBM Nutritionals. In addition to having the essential lipids, the formula is enriched with the same nutrients as other baby formulas and meets the strict infant formula guidelines set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Finding Affordable Formula
The formula helps parents looking for organic alternatives in a second way as well: It can save them some green. PBM got around the problem of high-priced organic foods by distributing its product nationally through Wal-Mart stores. Doing so allowed the manufacturer to reach many parents who did not have access to organic formulas-and to keep prices relatively low.

Pure and Simple - Breastfeeding Your Baby

2010-11-22T16:48:00.000-08:00

I Love to Breastfeed. I have breastfed my son for a year and 2 months and now my daughter is currently breastfed. Breastfeeding really is a lot easier than bottle feeding and it is certainly a lot better for your baby. Companies making milk formula tell us how their formula is ‘the most like breast milk it has ever been’. Maybe this is true, but it never will be as good as breast milk. If you read the ingredients on the side of the tin you will find many of the following: vegetable oils; disodium guanosine-5, monophosphate, taurine, magnesium, sodium citrate, pantothenic acid, potassium chloride, beta-carotene and biotin. What exactly is disodium guanosine-5? Companies have been making formula for only the past century; women have been making breast milk a lot longer than that. Also, formula is made for everyone’s baby, whereas a mother’s breast milk is unique; it’s made only for her child.

Getting up in the middle of the night to feed a baby is incredibly tiring. Why make it even more tiring than it already is by bottle feeding? When you bottle feed, you have to get out of bed and boil water, make the formula and then wait for it to cool before you can feed baby. When you breastfeed you don’t have to even get out of bed, if you child is in a crib beside you. You can feed your child and go back to sleep far sooner than if you bottle feed.

Some other things that make breastfeeding easier than bottle feeding aside from the ultimate thing - gets you back to being skinny or lose weight;

1. It’s cheaper.
2. It’s a lot easier to clean your breasts than a whole stack of bottles.
3. Breast milk doesn’t leave permanent stains on clothes, unlike formula.
4. You can go anywhere, at anytime on the spur of the moment. You don’t have to worry about having enough formula.
5. You also travel light; no need to bring a bag full of bottles and formula

Breastfeeding may be harder to get started than bottle-feeding for a lot of mothers, but the benefits outweigh these early problems. So, if you were thinking of bottle-feeding rather than breastfeeding, think again. Breast milk is pure goodness for your child and breastfeeding makes life a lot simpler for mothers.

Some books to consider:

Support for breast feeding mothers:

Bella Materna Women's Full Cup Adjustable Anytime Nursing Bralet #1266,Bare,34G/H My Brest

Storage supplies:

Latch Assist

Breastfeeding - what mothers think

2010-11-22T16:19:00.000-08:00

Most mothers bottle feed their baby and there is no doubt that breastfeeding can sometimes be difficult to get started, but if a mother persists, she finds that it is a lot less bother than bottle feeding. Breastfeeding is actually less stressful and less work than bottle-feeding.

Mothers who give up breastfeeding, state that it is because of the discomfort or embarrassment they feel. Both of these reasons are understandable, but they can both be overcome. All it takes is patience.

A mother can avoid the pain of sore nipples by making sure that her baby is ‘latched on’ properly. This means that the baby sucks on the breast in the correct position. The nipple should be placed well in to the baby’s mouth. It is the areola (the dark area surrounding the nipple) that the baby actually sucks on; not the nipple. Getting the baby to latch on reduces the baby's chances of becoming "gassy", and also allows the baby to control the flow of milk - something that is easier for the baby to do when breastfeeding rather than bottle feeding.

Also, the mother can take some general steps to avoid painful nipples. Nipples should be exposed to air as much as possible. If this isn’t possible, then plastic dome-shaped breast shells (not nipple shields) can be worn to protect your nipples from rubbing by your clothing. Don’t over wash the nipples; bathing once a day is more than enough.

Engorgement of the breasts usually occurs 3 to 4 days after birth but can be avoided by getting the baby to latch on correctly. However, if your breasts become engorged to the point of severe discomfort or if the baby is not able to suckle, cabbage leaves seem to help decrease the engorgement more rapidly than ice packs or other treatments. If you are unable to get the baby latched on, start cabbage leaves, start expressing your milk and give the expressed milk to the baby by spoon, cup, finger feeding or eyedropper. If it persists consult your midwife or health visitor.

Embarrassment of breastfeeding is something that Western society seems to condone. It was not always so. If you feel this way you should discuss this with your partner and family. If the support is not forthcoming, then try to educate them! Finally, use your doctor or midwife as a support. Attitudes in the medical profession have changed drastically in recent years and you should find a lot of support at your local clinic. If you don’t then change clinic, midwife or doctor.

Hib Vaccine Protects Against Dreaded Disease

2010-11-20T16:34:00.000-08:00

We want to give our child the best shot at a long, healthy life. A key to ensuring your child's well- being is on-time vaccination against devastating but avoidable diseases.
One such disease is Haemophilus influenzae type b, commonly referred to as Hib. Hib disease usually occurs in infants and preschool children and is caused by bacteria. Hib can develop into a serious, often life-threatening illness. Most children will survive a Hib infection, but they may experience a number of potentially life-long complications. A disease called bacterial meningitis, which causes swelling of the protective covering of the brain and spinal cord, is the most common Hib infection. Survivors of Hib meningitis may suffer mental retardation, deafness, learning disabilities, motor abnormalities or seizures.

Prevention Is Key

The good news is that prevention is available. "Hib vaccination in this country has been so successful that many parents and pediatricians have never even seen the disease, much less the permanent damage it can cause," said David Greenberg, M.D., Director, Scientific & Medical Affairs, sanofi pasteur. "As long as parents and health care providers continue to vaccinate infants and children on time, we can prevent the return of this disease. Even one case is too many."
Amazingly, just two short decades ago, about 20,000 people-most under the age of 5-suffered from Hib infections each year. But today, thanks to the introduction of ActHIB (Haemophilus b Conjugate Vaccine [Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate]) and other vaccines that protect against the disease, fewer than 100 cases are reported annually.
While the number of Hib cases is currently low, health experts caution parents that they shouldn't let their guard down and remind them that the best protection is through on-time immunization. Your child can get Hib by being around children and adults who may be carriers of the bacteria and not know it. Day care attendance, having school-aged siblings and living in a large household each increase the risk for disease.

On-Time Vaccination Is The Goal

Since the late 1980s, immunization during infancy has been the most effective way to prevent Hib. Protection starts with a series of vaccinations between 2 and 6 months of age, followed by a booster dose between 12 and 18 months of age. The injections should be received at these specific ages, so no matter how busy you are, be sure to bring your child in for all scheduled vaccination visits.
Today, Hib is rare, but it is still a threat. That is why it is important that babies receive recommended immunizations on time. Talk to your health care provider or local health department about Hib vaccination, or go to http://www.hibdisease.com/ or http://www.hib.com/ for more information about Hib and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

Safety Information

There are risks associated with all vaccines. Local and systemic adverse reactions to ActHIB vaccine may include injection-site redness, swelling and tenderness, as well as fever, irritability and drowsiness. Other local and systemic adverse reactions may occur. ActHIB vaccine is contraindicated in children known to have experienced a severe allergic reaction to any vaccine component or following a prior dose of the vaccine, as well as in children who are less than 6 weeks of age because of the potential for development of immunologic tolerance. Because intramuscular injections can cause injection-site bruising, if it is determined that the potential benefits clearly outweigh the risk, intramuscular injections should be given with caution to persons with any bleeding disorder. Vaccination should be delayed in children with moderate or severe acute illnesses; however, minor illnesses (such as mild upper respiratory infection) are not contraindications to vaccination.

Essential Supplies for your New Baby

2010-11-19T16:24:00.000-08:00

When the baby is nearly ready to come out, you are never quite prepared for the arrival of your new baby. No matter how much time and effort you might put into preparing yourselves and your home for your new arrival, there are always a few things that tend to get overlooked. This is not without good reason, mind you. It is such a wonderfully exciting time for expectant parents, so naturally you are going to be less focused on trivial day-to-day matters. For all of the expectant parents our there, this article is for you!

The Nursery
The nursery is the first place to start when you are preparing your home for your new baby. The crib is likely the first major piece of furniture you will purchase for your child. Be sure that the crib you purchase meets all of the mandatory and voluntary safety guidelines. You will also want to invest in a quality crib mattress, as your baby will be spending upwards of 70% of his or her first year on it. Bedding is another consideration, and very much a matter of personal preference. Just don't forget to pick up a mattress cover! A changing table is another option, but not entirely necessary. Alternately, a baby monitor is an absolute must-have for your child's nursery.

Baby Supplies

The next area to focus your attention on is that of baby supplies. While most people have a reasonable idea of what their children's needs are, it is a good idea to pause and reflect every so often. Baby supplies are very popular, and there are so many choices to make. Be sure you purchase mild baby soap and shampoo, as chemicals and fragrances can have a terrible impact on a baby's fresh skin. For me, I really do not use moisturizer, but if you would like, please use a high quality, all-natural, moisturizer should also be used. Some parents are keen on using baby powder to help keep their baby's bottom dry. although my doctor said not to use baby powder especially baby powder with talcum. It can be terribly dangerous if inhaled, so be on the lookout for one with a cornstarch base.

Fun and Educational Games
After all of the necessary supplies and furniture have been secured, it is time to think about fun and entertainment for your baby. While the world itself will provide hours of fun and discovery for your child, certain toys and playthings can considerably enhance their experiences. A mobile is an excellent toy for new babies, as they spend a lot of time in their crib at that age. Some soft, fluffy toys are also nice, especially if they are designed to provide some sensory stimulation of some sort. Teething toys are an absolute necessity as your child grows older. There are some wonderful toys on the market for young children, just be sure to consult the consumer reports for information about recalls and other possible dangers associated with children's toys.

Give Birth To A Smart Baby

2010-11-18T16:24:00.000-08:00

How do I bring up a smart baby? There are a lot of options out there when it comes to helping your baby's development along, including piping Mozart to your child in the womb or teaching her to sign shortly after she's born. But you're still giving your baby a great start just by providing her with the building blocks she'll need to learn to read.

Just about all the important things that modern science suggests when it comes to helping your baby's brain develop have been practiced by parents for millennia. Now as ever, these steps are important:

Sing to your baby. Babies and toddlers love rhyme almost as much as they love the soothing sound of your voice.
Talk to your baby. Even when your baby is tiny, talk to her as if she already understands what you're saying. Use gestures, body language and tone of voice to keep her attention and dramatize your message.
Imitate your baby. When she makes those first experimental sounds, make them back to her. Your baby will feel how important she is to you, and get excited by the effort of language.
Play "where's the?" games. Ask your baby, "Where's your toes?" "Find" her toes and touch them, then switch the playing field to her fingers or nose.
Touch your baby. Whenever possible, hold your baby in your lap and cuddle her while you talk or sing to her. Even when she's much older, she'll still associate the warmth and coziness of this early experience with language.
Start out with books. Even as early as six weeks of age, you can start introducing books to your baby. Pick bright, tactile books with clear pictures of things your baby might recognize, like puppies or cribs. Sturdy books they can touch or pet are ideal; look for classic "touch-and-feel" titles like Baby Animal Kisses or Pat the Bunny. The classic fabric "Quiet Book," with its embroideries, braids, buckles and buttons, is an unbeatable way to interest a slightly older baby. Cuddle your baby in your lap and read for short periods of time, so it never becomes arduous for either you or her.

Some more ideas that I used for my kids came from the book 125 Brain Games for Babies. it is an easy read and it gives the explanation for the why's this is done and why it is important.

We are having a baby!

2010-11-17T11:03:00.000-08:00

Congratulations!
However, having said that, there are a few things you need to know – things that people are unlikely to tell you about, but which might worry you if you don’t know about them in advance.

You should know that when your baby is born, there is a high probability that it will look very strange indeed. Babies can often be born blue or grey, and may have a deformed head from having to fit through such a small gap. They are generally bloody and bruised, and may be covered in body hair, especially if they were born prematurely. All this adds up to a very startling sight if you weren’t expecting it.

You shouldn’t worry, though, as the baby will return to normal quite quickly – the skin will go the right colour after a few minutes, when the baby starts to breathe, and any head injuries and odd hair should clear up after a few days. Just realise that it will take a few weeks before your baby starts to look like the cute little thing you were expecting.

Of course, the next thing you need to know is just what you should do with the baby after that. The most important thing is to breastfeed the baby. Baby ‘formula’ is like junk food for babies, and you should avoid it at all costs – it lacks most of the natural nutrients the baby needs, and will instead fill your baby with whatever chemicals you have in your water supply. Babies can see, hear and smell, although not very well, and the most important thing is for the baby to be near its mother – the sight of her, the sound of her voice and the smell and taste of her milk will soothe it better than any toy or gadget ever could. The trick is to drink lots and lots of water or juices to keep the breastmilk flowing. Do not worry if you feel that the milk is not enough especially during the first few days as you will produce what the baby needs.

Advice For New Parents

2010-11-17T10:54:00.000-08:00

Newborns do not come with an instruction book so here is some information on some things that you need to know about.

Bathing your baby: Your baby’s umbilical cord will fall off in about one to two weeks (sometimes less than 1 week) after they are born. Until it falls out, you should only give your baby sponge baths. You could dampen a cotton ball or cotton swab with alcohol to help dry the umbilical stump or simply follow your pediatrician’s directions. You can give him a bath in a sink or shallow tub after the stump falls off.
Circumcision: A lot of doctors feel that there are many benefits to having your baby circumcised, but it may not be absolutely necessary. It may help to reduce the risk of urinary tract infections and eliminates just about any chance of penile cancer. Circumcision will not cause any long-term emotional problems for your child. I suggest that you would just wait until your son is ready.
Crib death (SIDS): Many studies have been done regarding SIDS. Although the cause of SIDS has not been definitely defined, there are some correlations that have been made between SIDS and the following things:

Female babies are less likely to die from SIDS than Male Babies

The risk is greater with premature birth

Smoking in the home greatly increases the risk of SIDS

You should never put pillows, blankets, stuffed animals or anything that might put your baby at risk in their bed.
Most pediatricians recommend that babies sleep on their back to decrease the risk of SIDS.

If you have concerns please talk to your pediatrician. There are no dumb questions when it comes to the health and safety of your child, so please don’t be afraid to ask for help.