Babies Articles & News
Baby Your Baby -- And Give Birth To A Big Reader
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 ...
Mommy & Baby: Establishing Your Baby’s Routine
Whether you have one baby or a passel of them, consistency of care will establish peace for all in your family. What do I mean by this? Basically, you’re going to fall in to a pattern of routine for your baby and your family as you care for your bundle of joy and her needs. The first week you may struggle with keeping her awake enough to properly feed; that’s okay—newborns are sleepy heads! Wakefulness is a goal to strive for. By the second week, you’ll probably see her more ...
Baby Names - Book Review Roundup
Best Baby Name Book In The Whole World This book lists over 13,00 names and offers up meanings and lists. However, these are some basic baby name book requirements and certainly aren't enough to earn a "Best" title. Unfortunately, this is where the book falls. Not quite great, but not necessarily bad. It doesn't have a huge number of names, it doesn't offer oodles of extras, and some of its meanings are even a bit questionable. There are better books out ...
Mommy & Baby: Questioning Your Milk Supply
Regardless of which feeding philosophy you follow, you cannot add to what nature has left out. The anxiety created by the fear of failure (and in some cases, the fear of judgment from others) is a contributor in its own right to milk deficiency. In most cultures, up to 5% of women during peacetime and 10% during wartime are not able to produce adequate milk for their infants. Some mothers experience sufficiency that wanes to insufficiency by the third month. This can take place ...
Special Occasion Baby Wear
Finding special suits for baptisms, christenings, and other ceremonies Religious ceremonies, celebrations, and occasions are a big part of a newborn baby’s life in many families. Naming ceremonies, christenings, baptisms, and dedications ceremonies carry a degree of importance in the lives of followers of many different religions and are generally considered to be special occasions of some importance. When planning one of these events there are many details that the parents of ...
Special Baby Clothes For Those Special Days
Baby clothes are a necessity more than anything else, but there are a couple of special occasions that make the baby the center of attention. It is moments like this that the mother's keen sense of fashion gets to shine. Here, the fact that the baby will undoubtedly grow out of the outfit quickly is of little to no concern, and style is of the utmost importance. In most cases, so is tradition. Perhaps the most obvious of these occasions is baby's homecoming. Almost any mother ...
Retro Baby Clothing
If it was cool when you were a kid, it’s cool for your kids! Baby clothing is quite a bit different today than it was when you were an infant. From the designer styles of Baby Dior and Baby Phat to the bizarre offerings of the alternative baby clothing market, there’s now something for every parent to adorn her children with in an effort to transfer a bit of her own personality onto her offspring. One of the latest trends in baby fashions is the “retro” look in baby ...
Mommy & Baby: Styles Of Parenting
As a parent, you have the opportunity to set the tone in your home based on the style of parenting you choose. You can choose child-centered parenting or family-centered parenting—the differences will be discussed here. Child-centered Parenting o Intensely pursue the child’s happiness, taking great strains to avoid discomfort or emotional stress for the child. o The child receives what she wants when she wants it: no delay, no ...
The Basics Of Baby Laundry
Ah, the sweet smell of a clean baby! You may be tempted to enhance that clean, fresh smell by running baby diapers and onesies through a final rinse with fabric softener - but don't! The perfumes in fabric softener can irritate a baby's sensitive skin, or spark allergies that cause uncomfortable rashes. With all those adorable babies and teddy bears on fabric softener packages, who would have guessed? Here's another handful of tips for taking care of baby's clothes during the ...
Mommy & Baby: Teething & Weaning
These are two topics that strike fear in the hearts of all parents: what will happen when my baby starts teething? How will he respond when it’s time to wean him (from the breast)? Teething Teething is not a disease, but a condition of growth. It shouldn’t be dreaded, but simply seen as an accomplishment of a healthy, growing child. Most babies begin teething between 6-8 months of age, but as in all children, it may vary wildly. Some babies are known to teethe ...
The First Pair Of Baby Shoes
NEVER JUDGE A BABY UNTIL YOU’VE WOBBLED A MILE IN HER WEEBOK’S Any parent will tell you that there is nothing quite like watching as your child takes her first steps. When little Tom or Katie start to teeter around upright for the first time there are a few messages that should flash through your mind in order of importance. Somewhere after “please don’t fall, oh please don’t fall” and “hmmm… the ‘out of baby reach’ shelves need to be a bit higher now” should be “time to get ...
Baby Names - Considering Your Last Name
It's overwhelming enough to decide on a perfect first name for your baby, but if you're not considering its effects on your baby's last name you may be setting him up for future disaster. It's easy to overlook how the combination of your baby's first name and last name will work together. Let's look at a few pointers in this area. Perhaps the most obvious place to start is using a duplicate name for your baby's first and last names. William Williams or John Johnson for example. ...
Three Kinds Of Baby Clothes
When buying baby clothes parents are suddenly inundated with multiple choices that can become quite confusing. How many cute and adorable outfits does little Bill or Hillary need? How many “Onesie” body suits are enough? For little people that grow so quickly there are certainly a wide variety of clothing options, how does a new parent know what to get? To help settle the dilemma and answer these questions, parents need to keep in mind a simple “rule of three.” Babies need ...
Baby Needs A New Pair Of Shoes
Baby's first Nike's may be absolutely adorable, but are they necessary? According to most experts - and not just modern ones but for at least the last thirty years - babies don't need shoes till they're up and walking around. Even at that point, it's good for the little tikes to get in lots of barefoot time so they get used to their balance and how their little toesies work. Still, by the time they're spending more time on their feet than on their knees, it's time to get them ...
Mommy & Baby: More Parenting Tidbits
Diapers: as a rule, most PDF babies will need a diaper change that corresponds with their feeding times. This will total 6-8 diapers per day, or more if you manage to change your baby prior to her pooping. Most new parents learn to “time” the diaper change to correspond with the after-meal expulsion of solid waste, but if you miss it, you’ll have a few more diapers to go through in the course of the day. Diaper rash: some babies have sensitive skin and will get a rash due to ...
Buying Baby Clothes At A Discount
Dressing your little darling doesn’t have to cost a fortune It is no secret that having and providing for a new baby is an expensive job. With the expense of those all-important early doctor’s visits, necessary items for the nursery, and the rising prices of formula, diapers, and various infant accessories, it seems a wonder that anyone can afford to reproduce anymore. While it’s difficult to argue in favor of cutting corners when it comes to your baby, there are a few ways ...
Wearing Your Baby
If you're looking for the perfect gift for the parents-to-be, nothing comes close to the gift of a wearable baby. Years ago, the only way to take your baby along was in a stroller or pram, or to carry her in your arms. All that changed with the introduction of the soft baby carrier, a way to carry your baby and still leave your arms and hands free for other things. Wearable babies are not a concept new to this culture. Native American women carried their babies on papoose ...
Mommy & Baby: Weight Gain & Failure To Thrive
A guide to appropriate weight-gain and what to look for if you suspect failure-to-thrive: Weight Gain: Birth – 2 weeks of age Regain birth weight plus some 2 weeks – 3 months of age Two pounds per month or one ounce per day 4 – 6 months of age One pound per month or one-half ounce per day (should double birth weight by 6 months) One year of age 2.5 to 3 times her birth ...
Buying Baby Clothes Online
Today’s parents have more options available to them when it comes to finding and purchasing clothes and other items for their babies than ever before. With the advent of the internet, shopping for baby clothes has never been easier as there are numerous online retailers that can provide almost anything a parent needs. What follows are some of the best web sites for buying baby clothes online. Discount Baby Clothes Not surprisingly, some of the best physical ...
Out, Darn Spot! Removing Stains From Babies’ Clothing
Do you remember the television commercials for the laundry detergent that claimed to remove the embarrassing “ring around the collar?” The husband and wife would be at some social gathering, perhaps dining on Lobster Thermador at the Rotary Club or some such thing, when one of the Gladys Kravitz-esque attendees would notice a stain on Mr. Commercial’s shirt collar and point it out loudly enough for everyone this side of Brooklyn to hear, “He’s got ring around the collar!” The singsong nasal ...
Mommy & Baby: How To Establish Good Sleeping Patterns
Do you want your child to be smart and excel? Help him to establish healthy nighttime sleep patterns as an infant! It sounds lofty and unattainable, but I assure you, it is not. Dr. Marc Weissbluth, author of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, references the intelligence research of Dr. Lewis M. Terman. Dr. Terman’s research, completed in 1925, is unchallenged even today, according to Dr. Weissbluth. Using the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test, Terman looked at over 3,000 ...
Mommy & Baby: How Should Your Baby Sleep?
What can affect your baby’s disposition and well-being more than the feeding she gets? Sleeping! The sleep your precious bundle gets will affect every part of her waking life, including how she eats, how she interacts, and how she learns. Additionally, how your baby sleeps deeply affects you, as mommy. A fatigued and weary mom simply cannot adequately meet her baby’s needs, or anyone else’s, for that matter. Parent-Directed Feeding (PDF) directly ties in to sleeping patterns of ...
Mommy & Baby: Having A Party With Multiples
So your ultrasound showed more than what you expected, huh? Congratulations! One baby is a blessing, so multiple babies equal multiple blessings! As multiples are at a high risk for prematurity, you may have to deal with monitors and other issues that surround babies who have been in the NICU for several weeks. As you bring them home, you’ll discover a whole new level of exhaustion—between middle of the night feedings and the alarm of apnea monitors, you will need to ...
Have Fun With Baby Halloween Clothes
There are lots of great things about being a new parent. For example, the joy of bringing a new life into the world, the thrill of shaping a young mind, the pride with each new stage of your baby's life. Few things are more exciting, however, than the license to be a kid again. What better way to celebrate your newfound childhood with your baby than by dressing up with them for Halloween? There are a few basic rules of babies and Halloween. First, it is probably best to attach ...
Hand-Crocheted Baby Booties And Sweater
There's very little in this world that's more rewarding than dressing your baby in a special sweater, bunting - or even booties - that you've crocheted yourself. Crochet is one of the easiest of the clothing crafts to learn. Even if you've never looped yarn around a hook before, you can crochet these simple booties for your baby in an evening - and the matching sweater in a weekend. The basic stitches for the baby booties are: chain stitch (cs), single crochet (sc), dec (pull ...
Mommy & Baby: Before The Baby Arrives
Congratulations — you’re going to be a mom! Whether it’s your first or sixth baby, there are things to consider and plan for: Do you have your birth-plan worked out with your family and obstetrician (nurse-midwife)? Do you have your suitcase packed (or things organized if you’re having a home-birth)? Do you have your emergency contacts in case you go in to labour at a less-than-convenient ...
Mommy & Baby: Feeding
If you are a mom who intends to breastfeed her baby, start as soon as practical after the baby is born. Some of this will depend on the hospital’s procedures with newborns; there are hospitals which test a newborn, often returning him to you after several hours time has elapsed; others who deliver via caesarian will have to be in post-op for several hours. Your milk will not be “in” immediately; typically this takes 3-5 days after birth. But your baby will receive nutritionally ...
Budgeting For Baby
If you are expecting an addition to your family, or just planning on having a baby in the future, you need to start thinking about how you are going to budget for your little one. Many first-time parents are shocked when they realize how much having a baby can cost. And I am not just talking about the doctor bills. It's all the little things, such as diapers, clothes, formula, baby food, and toys, that add up to cost big bucks! When my wife and I had our first child, we learned ...
Preparing For The Birth Of A Baby - Essential Baby Clothes
If you are expecting a baby in the next few months, the chances are you will have started planning for some of her important things, if not doing them and buying them already. Her crib may be chosen; her nursery may be painted and decorated; you may have some beautiful bedding to match the baby decor of her room; and you may have bought a few gorgeous newborn outfits with which to adorn your newborn. However, there may be a whole host of things you have not really thought of ...
Global Mamas – Baby Clothes With A Conscience
There are a lot of options in today’s world for parents seeking to purchase baby clothes for the newest members of their families. The trends in baby clothing run from the simplistic and traditional (average, low cost baby clothing purchased second-hand or from discount stores like Kmart and Wal-Mart) to the seemingly extravagant (“designer” baby clothing created by the likes of Christian Dior and Kimora Lee) and the wildly untraditional (“alternative” baby clothing based on the punk rock and ...