Archive for the ‘Newborn’ Category

Getting your baby to sleep can be a very stressful task at times.  You want nothing more than to make sure your baby gets the amount of sleep that he needs.  When a baby won’t sleep, especially at night, it can take a toll on the parents as well.  Lack of sleep can lead to losses in concentration and lower productivity.  Your performance at work can become effected and it can make it very hard to get through the day.  It is important to overcome any baby sleeping problems as fast as you can.

Your baby’s feedings has an effect on his sleeping patterns.   If you feed your child until he goes to sleep, he will soon begin to realize that you feed him at bedtime.  This will then become something your baby expects before they go to sleep including each waking throughout the night as well.  Try feeding your baby, then have playtime for a little while before you put your baby down for a nap.  This will help the baby not depend on a feeding to go to sleep. 

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It can be overwhelming when you head out to find your new baby the right car seat.  There is certain criteria to look for when shopping for that perfect car seat.  What really matters is to choose the car seat that bests fits your vehicle, your budget, and your baby.  Here are some ideas to follow when you are looking to purchase a new car seat. 

Safety is one of the biggest factors.  All car seats must pass the same federal crash tests.  Proper installation is the key to a car seat.  Some car seats have extra features such as clicking in when locked or not-twisting straps.  These features might also add peace of mind that you know you little one is locked in properly.  But remember even the cheapest car seat with no extra features have been through the same  basic crash tests. 

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Many parents find themselves eager to get their child started on solid foods as soon as they can. While there are understandable reasons for wanting to get your child to start eating solid food items, it is important that you do not begin feeding your baby solids too early.

It is generally recommended to begin with solids somewhere between four and six months of age. Your breast milk or infant formula will be able to provide your baby with all of the nutrients that he or she needs for the first 6 months or so, so there’s no need to rush to start baby foods. It is also believed that starting solids too early can cause your child to develop food allergies.

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There are few things that are scarier to new parents than the prospect of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is defined  as the “sudden death of an infant under one year of age that remains unexplained after a complete investigation, which includes an autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the symptoms or illnesses the infant had prior to dying and any other pertinent medical history.” Sounds pretty terrifying, right?

While there is no way to absolutely eliminate the risk of SIDS, there are several practices that you can do to reduce your baby’s risk. SIDS most often affects babies between the ages of 1 and 4 months. The most important thing you can do to reduce the risk of SIDS for your baby is to ALWAYS put your baby to sleep on his or her back and never on his stomach or sides. You should  also be sure not to ever put your infant down alone in a bean bag, waterbed, or blanket that can cover the baby’s face. Read the rest of this entry »

There are so many questions on what is best for your new bundle of  joy when you first come home from the hospital.  Making sure you properly groom your baby is so important when they are new to the world.  There are numerous products today to make this easier on parents. 

A couple important items to have are small scissors and baby clippers to give your baby mini-manicures.  Your baby’s fingernails grow so fast that they can actually be a danger to her.   Having the task of cutting those tiny nails can be very nerve racking to a new parent.  The best time to trim your baby’s nails is after a bath when her nails are soft or when she is sleeping.  When your baby is sleeping she won’t even realize you are cutting her nails and she is more apt to not move which makes it easier on you.  You can also use a soft emery board to smooth rough edges between trims.  Keeping her nails short will help prevent those scratches on her face that you hate to see!  There are also small mittens available to put on their hand to help prevent your baby from harming herself. Read the rest of this entry »