(1) Never let your baby play with balloons or plastic bags — they could be a choking hazard.

(2) Never put stuffed animals or dolls that hold cassette tapes near your baby when she sleeps because if the tape unwinds it could cause strangulation.

(3) Never let your baby snack on crackers or other bread products all day. These can maker her less interested in more nutritious foods and can fill her up.

(4) Never leave your baby with someone you don’t know.

(5) Never put magnets on the refrigerator door because these magnets can break and the small spieces can cause a choking hazard.

(6) Never put off decorating your nursery because you might not have time after the baby arrives.

(7) Never put solid foods, like cereal, in your baby’s bottle since it may pose a choking hazard and it also adds unnecessary calories.

(8) Never put clothes that has loose ties or strings on your baby because these could cause strangulation.

(9) Never put too many large toys in the playpen with an older baby who can pull herself up. She might use these to climb out.

(10) Never give your infant any small, hard foods, such as nuts, popcorn or raisins.

(11) Never heat bottles in the microwave because the milk could get too hot and burn your baby.

(12) Never keep loose objects in the back seat of the car when baby is in the car seat. If the car suddenly stops, the objects can fall on your baby.

(13) Never leave a baby alone in a parked car for any reason.

(14) Never leave your newborn baby with a toddler, even if they seem to be getting along. Toddlers may endanger the baby without even knowing it because they are sometimes unpredictable.

(15) Never leave plastic dry cleaner bags near the baby’s room because your baby can pull off pieces and choke on them.

(16) Never leave your baby alone, except in a crib.

(17) Never leave your child in the bathtub alone.

(18) Never leave your window screens open.

(19) Never let your baby sleep or nap with a bottle of juice or even milk. This may cause tooth decay.

(20) Never use pressure gates at the top of stairs because your baby could lean against it, push it over and go tumbling.

If you have loved this article, what out for my next issue titled: “DON’T Do This If You Have A Baby! Here Are 18 Practical Tips”. You’ll definitely like it!

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(2) Don’t let your baby fall asleep with a pacifier because she may wake up and start crying if it falls out.

(3) Don’t keep loose objects inthe back seat of the car when baby is in the car seat. Sudden stops may cause objects to fall on the baby.

(4) Don’t heat bottles in the microwave because the milk could get too hot and burn your baby.

(5) Don’t forget to make time for a romantic rendezvous with your husband after the new baby comes.

(6) Don’t feel pressured to finish housework – caring for your newborn is top priority.

(7) Don’t feed your baby with honey – it can cause health problems.

(8) Don’t dress your baby in any clothing that has strings or loose ties because these could cause strangulation.

(9) Don’t give your infant any small, hard foods, such as nuts, popcorn or raisins.

(10) Don’t use pressure gates at the top of stairs because your baby could lean against it, push it over and go tumbling.

(11) Don’t take your baby out of the car seat to breastfeed, even for a few minutes, while taking a car trip. Take the time to pull over and prevent any accidents before they happen.

(12) Don’t put too many large toys in the playpen with an older baby who can pull herself up. She might use these to climb out.

(13) Don’t put off decorating your nursery because you might not have time after the baby arrives.

(14) Don’t put magnets on the refrigerator door because they can break and the small magnetic piece is a choking hazard.

(15) Don’t let your baby snack on crackers or other bread products all day. These can fill her up, making her less interested in more nutritious foods at mealtimes.

(16) Don’t let your baby sleep with dolls or stuffed animals that hold cassette tapes because if the tape unwinds it could cause strangulation.

(17) Don’t let your baby play with balloons or plastic bags - they could be a choking hazard.

(18) Don’t bathe your baby more than 2 to 3 times a week during her first year or her skin may get dried out. If a bath is part of the daily bedtime routine, then keep it brief.

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Now is the time where you will realize exactly how prepared you are! Do you know everything there is to know about looking after your babys skin? Do you know what skin care products to use? The answer is, probably not! However, it is completely normal to know little about keeping your babies skin nice and
healthy. Luckily, there is help at hand!

Looking after Babies Skin

On the television, adverts always tell you the obvious – that a babys skin is very fragile. However, for some new parents they might be unaware of this and therefore it is best to try and find out sooner, rather than later about what is needed. Some baby care products can cause irritation to the baby or can cause allergic reactions so it is always better to know which products to actually go for.

There are several types of skin care products which are used most frequently for all newborn babies. However, before buying these products, you should always check to see what is in them.

You can use a small amount of soap on the baby, but always make sure that it is a mild soap containing ingredients such as olive, coconut, or even palm oil. You should refrain from using antibacterial soaps, as this can often cause skin irritations.

After you have used soap on the baby, you need to replenish the skins oils, so try to use a soothing oil or lotion which contains saturated oils. The benefit of this, is that most babies are not sensitive to the saturated oils and so they are a lot safer to sue overall.

You should never give young babies bubble baths, as the ingredients can cause some serious problems. A way around this is to add maybe some lavender oil to the water (a small amount). It would be safer to mix the Lavender oil with carrier oil, such as almond oil, before adding it to the water. This is because most essential oils are too harsh on the skin when used alone. Before using any aromatherapy oils you should consult your doctor to check that they are not harmful to the baby.

All babies have different types of hair and whilst some babies tend to have a lot of hair, others have hardly any what so ever. For the babies with hardly any hair shampooing does not need to be done very often at all. However for babies with oily, longer hair, a mild shampoo is often recommended.

Some babies can suffer terribly from skin conditions including nappy rash. Massaging certain lotions and oils into the babys skin can relieve the irritation and sooth inflammation. Make sure you that you get the right one for your baby though, in order to prevent making the problem worse. Ingredients you should look for in baby products include chamomile and aloe, as these two ingredients have been proven to help soothe and to moisturize the babies skin.

A good product to use on babies is the Johnson baby range. The Johnson brand baby lotion is ideal for newborn skin and it really does help to keep the skin soft and smooth.

Overall, having a baby can be hard work but there are hundreds of products out there to choose from. It is all a matter of trial and error and nobody is expected to get things right the first time around. Parenthood is about making mistakes and finding out what works best for your baby. If you are unsure as to which products to use, you can always consult your doctor or midwife. They will be able to tell you exactly what you can and cannot use and it will really help to put your mind at ease!

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Must Have Knowledge Regarding the Top Skin Care Products for Babies

There are a few main types of skin care products which are regularly used for taking care of our babies skin, but just what should you know about each one?

Bubble Bath

Whilst you may think that your baby will love bubble bath, the bubble bath may not necessarily love your baby! Most bubble baths that are created for children tend to damage a babies acid mantel.

They also tend to cause infections such as vaginitis and urinary tract infections in babies. If you do wish to add a little fragrance to your babies bath, you could always add a couple of drops of Lavender oil into it. You will only need around five drops and it is important not to overdo it!

Shampoo

The shampoo that you use on your babies will all depend upon what type of hair your baby has and how long it is. Usually during the first year, babies who have really thin hair do not need their hair shampooing that often. When a shampoo is needed it is always better to choose a really mild one which does not contain synthetic fragrances or artificial colors. It is also important to avoid shampoos which contain Diethanolamine (DEA) or Triethanolamine (TEA), as these ingredients often penetrate the skin. You can always find good baby shampoos in health food stores.

Oils and Lotions

Oils and lotions really do come in handy with newborn babies as they help to relieve any skin irritation. However, it is really important that you make sure that the products which you use are completely free of petrochemicals. These include mineral oils and they are often irritants which will irritate your babies soft skin. Some of the best lotions and oils contain healing herbs.

If you are looking for some good ones, ones which contain Chamomile or Aloe are often the best to go for. They are really gentle on the skin and they have soothing properties which can really help baby skin. You should always avoid lotions and oils which contain artificial colors and use only gentle preservatives.

One ingredient you may notice which is used a lot in baby lotions is Lanolin and unfortunately that can sometimes be harmful to the skin. It is derived from sheeps wool and can sometimes contain parts of insecticide if the sheep was subjected to them. The ingredient can be quite harmful as it is absorbed through the babies skin and it can cause problems with the nervous system and also it can potentially cause cancer.

Baby Powder

Baby powder is often used on babies in order to keep their skin soft and smooth. However, most parents do not realize that a lot of baby powders actually contain particles that can irritate the skin and the ones with fragrance often cause allergies and irritations. It is advised that you avoid baby powders which contain talc as in recent studies; talc has been linked to cancer.

Overall, baby products should be carefully looked at before you subject your baby to them. Once you know what you can and cannot use, you will find looking after your newborn is fairly easy apart from the sleepless nights! Just take the time to research what you are putting on your babies skin and never be afraid to ask your doctor or nurse which products are better for your baby.

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The hands and feet of many newborns look blue, especially if they are at all cool. Some babies with pale skin also show a bluish mottling all over their bodies when undressed. These color changes are caused by slow blood circulation in the skin and are not a sign of illness.

Babies often have bluish lips. Blueness of the gums orthe skin around the mouth sometimes signals low blood oxygen, especially if there is also difficulty breathing or feeding. If you see this, call your doctor or nurse practitioner.

New parents usually worry some about a new baby’sbreathing because it is often irregular and at times so shallow that they can’t hear it or see it. They may worry, too, the first time they hear their baby snoring faintly.

Both of these conditions are normal. If anything concerns you about your baby’s breathing, however, it’s always right to ask the doctor or nurse practitioner.

After the skin of the navel heals over, there is often still an opening in the deeper, muscular layer of the abdomen where the umbilical vessels passed through. When the baby cries, a small part of the intestine is pushed through this hole (umbilical ring), making the navel puff out somewhat.

This is called and umbilical hernia. When the ring is small, the protrusion of the hernia is never much larger than a pea and the ring closes over in a few weeks or months. When the ring is large, the protrusion may be larger than a cherry and it may take months or even years to close. It used to be thought that the closing of theumbilical ring could be hastened by putting a tight strap of adhesive and a coin across the navel to keep it from poking out.

Actually, that doesn’t make any difference.

Keeping the baby from crying is impossible and also doesn’t help. Umbilical hernias almost never cause any trouble, as other hernias sometimes do, and time almost always does the trick.

If an umbilical hernia is still large at six to eight years and shows no decrease, surgical repair may be recommended. Very rarely, a hard and tender swelling develops at the site of an umbilical hernia. This condition needs prompt medical attention (but it is very, very rare).

The Author “Tom Schavo” is an expert baby careadviser who worked for several multinational companies. Although a professional with rich experience, he quit his position in these companies tofinally open up his own Baby Care consulting forum. He also provides free advise on baby care related problems and runs a site on baby care.

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It’s possible that you will find yourself feeling discouraged for a while when you begin taking care ofyour baby. It’s a fairly common feeling. Especially with the first one. You may not be able to put your finger on anything that is definitely wrong. You just weep easily, or you may feel bad about certain things.

A feeling of depression may come on a few days after the baby is born or not until several weeks later. The commonest time is when a mother comes home from the hospital. It isn’t just the work that gets her down; it’s the feeling of being responsible for the household plus theentirely new responsibility of the baby’s care and safety.

A woman who was used to going to work every day is bound to miss the companionship of colleagues. This is something that worst effects the new mother who is not at all used to anything that she is undergoing when having a baby to take care of.

The health also keeps changing continously from time to time. There are the physical and hormonal changes at the time of birth, which will probably alter the mother’s mood to some degree.

If you begin to feel blue or discouraged, try to get some relief from the constant care of the baby in the first month or two, especially if your child cries a great deal. Go for a walk or work out. Work on some new or unfinished project—writing, painting, sewing, building; something creative and satisfying.

Visit a good friend, or get your friends to come and see you.

Activities like these can help lift your mood. At first you may not feel like doing anything. But if you make yourself take action, you will feel better. And that’s important for you baby and your family, as well as for yourself.

The Author “Tom Schavo” is an expert baby careadviser who worked for several multinational companies. Although a professional with rich experience, he quit his position in these companies tofinally open up his own Baby Care consulting forum. He also provides free advise on baby care related problems and runs a site on baby care.

source from: articleslash

It is very important to plan and devise out a proper sleeping schedule for your baby. This would cut down the great trouble that babies tend to give to rest of the family. Generally babies change their sleeping time and end up with exactly opposite of what the family has. Thisscheduling will take care of that part.

Sleeping habits has been well researched and several practical formula’s have been suggested to parents. Among the many, parents found that Feber sleep method is one of the best methods of setting up a baby’s sleeping schedule. This method got the highest voting from parents when they saw practical results.

In a nutshell, the Ferber method states that you should let your baby cry a bit in the Crib on their own. After a few minutes of their crying, you stop by and comfort your baby. Do not pick your baby up out of their crib… Simply try to soothe the baby in the Crib and let them know that you are there.

Then, leave the baby to go to sleep again. This next time, wait a few more minutes longer (i. e however much you can stand) and go back in and repeat the process. For the first night, it could take you a numerous amount of entries into the baby’s room. However, after a few nights, your baby should be on their way tosleeping on their own.

With our baby, as opposed to running this sleep routine in a matter of one weekend or a few nights, we practiced a method similar to the Ferber method over a month. We invested in a Summer Video monitor, which is definitely a good investment.

We would devise an after feeding routine whereby we soothe our baby with books, light music, sounds, etc.

After the baby was finally getting tired, we would put our baby in the crib while the baby was awake and take notice of the babies cues on the video monitor. All in all, he learned to soothe himself to sleep, all the while chewing on his hands. However, that seems to be our baby’s way of soothing himself. I would recommend not using a pacifier so you can teach your baby to soothe and fall asleep without it.

Good luck with getting your baby to sleep on their own and creating a great baby care technique and sleep routine to provide your family with peace in the evening!

The Author “Tom Schavo” is an expert baby careadviser who worked for several multinational companies. Although a professional with rich experience, he quit his position in these companies to finally open up his own Baby Care consulting forum. He also provides free advise on baby care related problems and runs a site on baby care.

source from: articleslash

You may soon have a baby or maybe you have one already. If you haven’t had much experience, you may wonder whether you are going to know how to do a good job. If you feel good about how you have raised your baby, you may still have questions about the next challenge, whether that’s a new sibling, toilet training or the first day of preschool.

There may have been a time when parents knew exactly how to bring up their children or thought they did. But for most of us now there simply aren’t clear cut rules to follow. We have more options, but there are also more choices that have to be made. Is breast feeding really necessary?

Should always pick up a crying baby, and what happens if you don’t? Is it okay to return to work, and when? Iseducational TV really good for your toddler? And what about all those immunizations? Everywhere you turn, there are experts telling you what to do. The problem is, they often don’t agree with each other!

Don’t take seriously all that the neighbors say. Don’t be overawed by what they experts say. Don’t be afraid to trust your own common sense. Bringing up your child won’t be a complicated job if you take it easy, Trust your instincts, and share concerns with your friends, family and doctor or nurse practitioner.

So don’t panic thinking whether you would do your job good or not as a parent, just concentrate on learning from others experiences.

Children learn from what their parents do right, but they also learn from what their parents do wrong.

If you don’t always respond instantly when your babycries, your baby has the opportunity to learn self soothing. When you lose your patience with your toddler and every parent does sometime or the other, then your toddler learn that you have feelings too and has a chance to see how you get yourself back together.

Children are driven from within themselves to grow, explore, experience, learn and build relationships with other people. A lot of good parenting lies in simply allowing your child to go with these powerful drives. So while you are trusting yourself, remember also to trust your child.

The Author “Tom Schavo” is an expert baby careadviser who worked for several multinational companies. Although a professional with rich experience, he quit his position in these companies to finally open up his own Baby Care consulting forum. He also provides free advise on baby care related problems and runs a site on baby care.

source from: articleslash

For some babies, however, the crying just goes on an on, hour after hour, week after week, no matter what the well-meaning, frantic parents do. A standard definition of colic is inconsolable crying for more than three hours a day for more than three days a week and for more than three weeks.

In reality, any crying, screaming, or fussing that lasts much longer than expected in an otherwise healthy babywho has no apparent reason to cry qualifies as colic. Colic means pain from the intestines, but it’s not at all clear that this is the cause of crying in these infants.

There seem to be two distinct patterns of crying by infants with colic. For some, the crying is generally limited to one period in the evening—typically five to eight. The infant is contented and easy to soothe for most of the day; then when evening rolls around, the trouble begins. He cries, sometimes inconsolably, for the next few hours.

This raises a question: What happens in the early evening that makes him so fretful?

If it were indigestion, for example, he would have it anytime of day, not just in the evening. Other infants cry at any and all times of day or night. Some of these infants also seem to be generally tense and jumpy. Their bodies don’t relax well. They are easily startled or cry at slight noises or on any quick change of position.

If, for instance, a baby is laid on his back on a firmsurface and rolls to one side, is held too loosely in the arms, or the person carrying him moves him suddenly, he may almost jump out of his skin. He may hate a tub bath for the first couple of months for this reason.

The Author “Tom Schavo” is an expert baby careadviser who runs a site on baby care.

source from: articleslash

Parents need to share in the fun but also set appropriate limits (“You can pick up your mashed potatoes, but if you throw them, dinner is over”).

You know that feeding is going well if both you and your baby come away feeling happy. If mealtimes regularly leave you tense, worried, or angry, it’s time to make a change. A good place to start is by talking with your baby’s doctor.

Around nine months, a baby may start showing signs of independence in feeding. He wants to hold the spoon himself, and he turns his head to the side if you try to do it for him. This behavior is often the first sign that the baby is developing a will of his own, a development that will continue full force in the coming years.

A good way to handle the spoon issue, by the way, is to give your baby one spoon to hold and use as best he can while you use a second spoon to actually get someoatmeal in his mouth.

Babies roughly double their birth weight by about four months and triple it by a year. Doctors usually plot children’s weight, length, and head size on growth charts that give the average and normal range for each age. These charts can be reassuring: A healthy growth pattern is a good sign that your baby is getting enough food (but not too much) and that other body systems are working well.

Occasionally I feel I have to discourage a parent from focusing too much on the numbers. Bigger is not necessary better, and while a growth curve at the 95th percentile means that a child is likely to be one of the largest in his preschool class, it doesn’t mean much more than that.

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