Sounds to Help Your Baby Sleep

By: Elizabeth Pantley

The environment that your baby enjoyed for nine long months in the womb was not one of absolute quiet. There was a constant symphony of sound — your heartbeat and fluids rushing in and out of the placenta.

(Remember those sounds from when you listened to your baby’s heartbeat with the Doppler stethoscope?) Research indicates that “white noise” sounds or soft bedtime music helps many babies to relax and fall asleep more easily. This is most certainly because these sounds create an environment more familiar to your baby than a very quiet room.

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Keep Your Toddler Safe During the Holidays

By: J Gardener

For families with small children, gearing up for Christmas is like running a triathlon.

There’s list-making, shopping, party planning, wrapping, gift-hiding, travel planning, tree-choosing, tree-trimming, cookie-baking, toy assembling…it seems endless and impossible, until that blissful morning-December 26th, when parents everywhere wake up for the first time since Thanksgiving, without wondering what they’ve forgotten to do.

The most important thing parents must not forget throughout the entire season is safety. Holidays may be full of joy, but they also have potential dangers all their own.

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Hiring a Full-Time Nanny for Your Baby

By: Jenny Parker

Hiring a full-time nanny is one of the ways to care for your baby once both parents return to work. There are obvious pros and cons to this.

Having a nanny means a dedicated person whose job is to care for your precious child, rather than the typical 1 to 4 baby per adult ratio in most child care facilities, and often this means your child will get fewer colds and ear infections.

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Get Your Baby Out Into The Fresh Air

By: Heather Owens

Breathing in fresh air - there’s nothing quite like it. For baby, too, it’s very important to get out in the fresh air regularly, if you possibly can. If not, try and make sure the nursery is well ventilated, allowing a reasonable flow of fresh air through the room.

Stale, stagnant air tends to harbour germs and dust mites, neither of which does baby any good. Avoid enclosing the crib with curtains or anything else that might restrict the flow of air.

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The Benefits of Infant Massage

By: Anne Morris

Most mothers instinctively lovingly massage their babies. Perhaps it was by understanding this and observing the effect upon the infant that the idea of infant massage was born.

Actually infant massage has been in practice for many years. But recently its popularity has taken off worldwide. It should really come as no surprise since both babies and parents enjoy the benefits. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of infant massage below:

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Making the Most of Those Monthly Baby Checkups

By: Carolyn Joana

Even healthy babies spend a lot of time at the doctors clinic. Well-baby checkups, which are scheduled every month or two during the first year, allow the doctor to keep track of your baby’s growth and development, ensuring that everything’s on target.

But they’re also the perfect time for you to ask the long list of questions you’ve accumulated since your last visit, and to walk away with a wealth of advice on how to keep your ‘well baby’ well.

Here are some tips to help you make the most of your monthly baby checkups.
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Preparing the Family Pet to Welcome The Newborn

By: Carolyn Joana

Is your dog intensely jealous of your affections? Does she always try to come between you and your spouse when you get close?

Then naturally her reaction towards the new addition in the family who will certainly grab all the attention may not be pleasant.

You need to prepare her for the change to be followed so as to make her interactions with the new baby safe. It’s hard for a dog who’s always been treated like a baby to roll over and play dog when a real baby appears on the scene. But that’s exactly what she’ll have to do when her place in your heart has to be shared by that tiny but threatening new addition you’ll soon be bringing home from the hospital.

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Baby Shoes - 6 Criteria To Buy The Best For Your Baby

By: Brooke Hayles

Dressing your baby in a stylish outfit isn’t complete without baby shoes. However, you need to be aware of some health facts before you rush out and buy those cute shoes in the boutique baby store.

To begin with, baby shoes are only necessary once your baby starts to walk. In fact, 6 weeks after they start to walk is the best time to start putting on the first shoes. This is because the bones in a baby’s feet are soft and easily misshapen.

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Bottle Feeding: Is Baby Getting Too Much?

By: Robin OBrien

Recent studies have linked adult obesity with being over fed bottle milk in infancy. So, are you giving too much milk to your baby?

If you’re bottle feeding your baby it’s easy to see how much baby is getting. Manufacturers provide instructions on how to make formula milk and how much milk a baby should consume. The guidelines state how much to feed a baby for a particular age and weight. So, why do babies run a greater risk of being overweight when they are bottle fed?

Listen to Your Baby

The biggest reason for excessive weight gain is because parents ignore a baby’s signals that she’s had enough. Breastfeeding mothers are taught to follow baby’s lead. Breastfeeding mothers are taught to offer breast milk when the baby wants it and to stop breastfeeding when she sees signs that baby has had enough.

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The Five Stages Of Teething

By: Robin OBrien

Baby teething is a major baby development milestone. The timetable of teething is different for each baby, although the vast majority will begin the teething process around the same age and the appearance of teeth will usually follow a certain order.

The appearance of milk teeth is the precursor to weaning; a physical manifestation of a child’s burgeoning independence. Most children sail through the whole process but for some it can be a distressing and painful time. Many parents can feel helpless and somewhat taken by surprise when their baby begins to cut its first teeth. Understanding the physical changes and anticipating when, and how, is the key to helping your baby. (more…)