ALL ABOUT BABY

Bloggerwave

2007-10-08T23:14:00.000-07:00

BLOGGERWAVE.COM

Do you have a blog? Well you should. If you don't you are missing out on one of the easiest oppertunities to make money on the Internet today.

You see bloggerwave.com has advertisers that want you to write about there products on your blog and they are willing to pay you to do just that. This is a really cool way for stay at home moms and even teenagers to make a little extra cash.

So chances are that you are blogging already so why not get paid for it. It take a couple minutes and you can make extra cash. This is one of the easiest ways that I have seen to make money on the Internet. So what are you waiting for join bloggerwave.com and start earning some extra money today.

Masterseek

2007-10-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

MASTERSEEK

I just wanted to let all of you moms out there know of a new website called www.masterseek.com. I am sure many of you that read my blog are also entrepreneurs as well as successful mothers. Masterseek.com is a cool website where you can find new ways of doing business.

Even if you don't work your spouse can benefit from this company as well. So visit this website and tell whoever you know about it. It is awesome.

Materseek.com provides it's users with a global search engine that is quick and has free access to companies and there profiles as well as descriptions of those companies and there products and services.

There is around 45 million companies in 75 countries. You can also search in your own country and find businesses to partner with, new business opportunities, as well as ways to increase your companies profitability.

All you have to do is sign up with them and your company will get recognition worldwide. Join now and a year membership is free. You can't beat this kind of exposure and it's free so why not join? It's your business and your life, let millions of people know about your services and start exposing your company to thousands of potential costumers today.

For more information visit Masterseek.com

Diaper Cakes

2007-10-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

This diaper cake thing is such a new and trendy thing to show up at any baby shower with. There are so many different ones to choose from but why are they so popular? Maybe it is because every mother to be needs diapers or maybe it is because they are so cute, who knows but it has now become a business oppertunity as well.

I got into this business because I made a diaper cake for my sister and it got so many ohh's and ahh's that I was amazed at how cute the diaper cake was and how much attention that it got, and then someone said you should make these and I said you are right and so that it what I did.

I am a single mom and to tell you the truth I just love making them. I guarentee a price that is resonable and much cheaper then my competitors, I can do this because I work at a retail store and get great discounts on the things needed to make these cute diaper cakes.

The Tremendous Twos

2007-07-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

My son is two and it seems like in the past couple of weeks he has turned into a little monster. He is starting to really talk and is saying words like NOW and SELF basically he wants things right now and he wants to do this by himself and if he can't all hell breaks lose. Seriously up to a few weeks ago he was the sweetest, cutest boy in the world wide world and he still is until he opens his mouth. I'm just kidding it's not that bad but the kid does have his moments.

So what is a single mother to do if she is doing everything in her power to help her son to behave and stop throwing fits. Well I can let you in on a little secret. After a couple days of NO, NOW and SELF I have learned to pick my battles and my son has a brand new naughty seat. I designated a place for time outs and well if he wants to say no when I ask him to do something he goes in time out. If he says now he must say please afterwards, and if he wants to try things by himself I let him and if he can't do something then he asks me for help.

Also I have learned to avoid saying No and Don't you see instead of saying don't whine I say talk nice and say please and this seems to be working. When I am positive and do not focus on the negative he seems to act better and more pleasant and I must report that I have experienced less drama and fits from him and all it took was being positive.

Potty Training

2007-06-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

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They say to start potty training when you child is ready but how do you know when they are ready and how do you get them excited to go to the potty by themselves?

What I did was buy my son the book A Potty For Me by Karen Katz, we read this every night before we go to bed and my son says all the words and actually wants to read this book every night. I make little comments............. like you went potty didn't you, your such a big boy, and you have big boy pants just like the little boy in the book, don't you? he says Ya and smiles and is very excited about pottying.

In the book the little boy gets a potty as a present so I followed the book and for his second birthday I bought a potty that makes a song when he pottys. He opened it and was interested right away. I said here is a potty just like the little boy got in your book. Now he associates the toilet with the book and likes sitting on it with a book or a puzzle.

Training pants also help they stay up just like big boy underwear and protect just like diapers, having Lightning McQueen and Mater from the Disney Pixar movie Cars also helps as well. He loves wearing cars underwear and has started telling me poop or pee when he has to go.

I have just added marshmallows into the mix to make this more consistent, I only give him marshmallows when he goes not when he wants to sit on the potty which was about every five minutes for the first day when he realized he got marshmallows for going potty.

He also gets stickers if he behaves good and likes putting stickers on a reward sheet that we have on the refrigerator. He gets a big sticker if he potty's.

Here are a couple tricks I have learned is right when they wake up and there training pants are not wet then they will have to go so say were gonna go potty and sit them on the potty. When I did this he went and was really surprised when his potty started playing a song, then he said I made water which was so cute. So when they wake up from a nap or first thing in the morning take them to the potty. Also right after breakfast, lunch, and dinner take them to the bathroom they will just have drank a lot so this is a good time. Soon they will start telling you they have to go.

You also have to be consistent because if your not then they are not going to be. It is not so much fun at first but with a positive attitude your child will catch on and like it. Good Luck with potty training.

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My Son Did The Cutest Thing

2007-06-28T09:50:00.001-07:00

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This is sort of a little warning to you mothers out there, especially you mothers that work at home. You need to watch what your children watch on television. Fortunately the story I am about to tell you is a positive story and thank goodness he hasn't learned anything negative from watching TV.

I recently purchased The Max Lucado series of Hermie the Caterpillar and friends. I own 2 different movies one is Hermie the Common Caterpillar which is about a little caterpillar who thinks he is just regular and wants to be a butterfly or anything else except for a caterpillar and when Hermie talks to God and asks God why he made him so ordinary God just says I'm not done with you yet. Great lesson in my opinion but that is not the best part; I will get to the best part in just a minute, but first the second movie.....

The other movie I purchased from Family Christian book stores is Flo the Lyin Fly, this movie is about a little girl fly named Flo that lies all the time and when a big band called The Water Beetles no one believes her story. This teaches the children not to tell lies. When Flo talks to God, God tells her he never lies and she shouldn't lie either because it is a sin. A very good story to teach your children not to lie. But this isn't the best part I am getting to that.

The best part is my 2 year old talks to God. You see just Yesterday when I was at my night time job my mom was feeding my son dinner. She was also watching my sister's baby who was upstairs and just woke up and was crying, so my mom went upstairs to get the baby and when she came down she looked around the corner because she saw my son talking to whom else but God.He was looking up and saying God and saying sorry because he spilled his Tea. It actually came out something like this. "God", "sorry", "tea". You know how 2 year olds talk.

We pray at night before we go to bed, but a 2 year old talking to God just melts a mother’s heart.This morning while I was feeding him breakfast he talked to God again, this time he said Hi, God and said he wanted to go to the park please. That went a little something like this. I speak baby so I will translate. "Hi, God outside park please.This was so adorable and sweet I felt like I should share it with the world.
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Wisk 3X multi action, The Laundry Detergent for Mom's

2007-06-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

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Let’s get one thing clear, I only want to put things on my blog that are honest and will actually help people and not mislead them in any way. So this particular review is on Laundry Detergent. I am not necessarily promoting this product I am just letting mom’s know that this particular laundry detergent works.

I know that when you said “I DO” you didn’t mean laundry. Some people love laundry, I am not one of them, but I do like to look nice and I also want my 2 year old to look nice as well. If you are a mom like me and you have 2 year olds then I’m sure you know what I mean. How do there mouths get dirty and stay dirty no matter what you do, or how many times you wipe there little mouths clean. It’s like there mouths are little dirt magnets, and let’s face it so are their clothes.

My son is just learning to talk and he actually just experienced the joys of The Ice Cream Truck and can actually say these words now and won’t stop saying them until he gets a yummy Popsicle from the ice cream man. Well the first time he had a Popsicle he was wearing a green and white stripped shirt that a lady from church gave him and he got Popsicle all down the front. Well you see this is expected except for he hadn’t worn this little outfit to church yet so she could see it. PROBLEM!!!!

I was thinking “OH GREAT” what am I going to do now maybe I can go get another one or maybe we switch churches. I’m just kidding but how do you explain to a sweet little old lady that you let your son eat a red Popsicle in a brand new outfit that was a present. There is no explaining that and well you can’t let your little one wear a shirt with a stain on it. I am maybe being a little dramatic but I was a little panicky to be quite honest.

Well when I got home I poured Wisk 3x multi action on the stain and I let it soak in water with a little Wisk 3x multi action in it overnight. In the morning I put in a load of laundry and added the brand new not even washed yet stained from a Popsicle shirt that the sweet little old lady from church gave to my son as a birthday present. I’m being dramatic again. But anyway I washed the whole load with Wisk 3X multi action and to my surprise when I was putting the clothes in the dryer I looked at the wet shirt and the stain was gone.

Well I have been using Wisk for years but when I went grocery shopping they were out of what I usually get which is Wisk stain dissolving power which works super great and is gentle on my son’s skin which has broken out from other detergents, that is a whole other story. So anyways I bought Wisk 3X multi action because I had a coupon and it was on sale. I am quite the bargain shopper. Needless to say Wisk laundry detergent is the only laundry detergent that I will ever use.

So if you mom’s out there are looking for a laundry detergent that can wipe out virtually any stain then try Wisk 3X multi action and have your children looking presentable for at least a little while.
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How to Let the World Know that you are Pregnant Part 2

2007-06-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

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So you just found out that you are pregnant. Congratulations!! Do you tell dad first or do you get on the phone with your mom and blab the exciting news to her? Well in this article I will suggest some fun ways to surprise your family and friends with your exciting news.

I suggest that you tell the dad to be first and then you both decide together how to tell your friends and family. So here are some fun ideas to surprise your family and friends with the wonderful news of expecting.

Buy a maternity shirt that says baby or something babyish on it that you would not regularly wear and wear it but make a little bump so it is obvious you are wearing a maternity shirt. Your family will wonder what is going on.

This is fun have your friends and family over for dinner put obvious baby things around the house that they will see and see if they guess that you are expecting, if this doesn’t work because let’s face it sometimes people are not all that observant. After dinner have your friends and family join you in a game of charades and put a pillow in your shirt they will guess pregnant but then point to yourself and your husband and then write on the board “were pregnant!!!!” this is a really fun way to tell your friends and family you are pregnant.

Get a shirt or bib that says I love my grandma, and I love my grandpa wrap it up and give it to them as presents they will figure it out that you are pregnant and they will cherish these gifts for life.

Make a t-shirt that says something like “baby on board” or “future mother to be” and wear it to the next family get together. People will start asking questions and there will be much speculation then at dinner make a toast and announce that you are expecting.

Get a baby on board bumper sticker and put it on your car then make sure grandma and grandpa and friends see your car before you leave. If they don’t see the bumper sticker and ask questions on there own then say, want to see my new bumper sticker? They will come out and see it and then let it sink in and then say we are expecting or say I am pregnant.

Which ever way that you choose to tell your family and friends the good news, whether it is one of these ways or a creative fun way of your own, remember that you do not become pregnant everyday so that you should make a big deal out of it and make it fun for your family and friends which will be so excited about your news. Congratulations on becoming pregnant and the best of luck to you and your new family.
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How to Tell the World That You Are Pregnant

2007-06-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

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So you are in the bathroom waiting for three of the longest minutes of your life. Trying not to peak, you wait a couple extra minutes just to make sure and then you take a look, the look that will change your life forever. You take that look and there are two pink lines and you can’t believe it, you are PREGNANT!!!! You go to the store and you buy three more pregnancy tests to make sure and yes you are definitely pregnant. Now what? How do you tell the world that you are pregnant? Well in this article I will let you in on a couple of cute ideas on how to break the news to dad and all of your family and friends.

For the new Daddy to be here are a few fun ideas…… You can have so much fun telling dad.

Fix a dinner with all sorts of baby food. Not actual baby food but baby corn, baby carrots and make everything little, as in miniature even the silverware as in small plates and cups and don’t put very much food on his plate, that will definitely get his attention and the dad to be will wonder what on earth is going on with all the baby food and then you can tell him you are pregnant. You can also use this one with family and friends. Tell your family and friends that you have an announcement and want to have them over for dinner, they will be wondering what is going on and when you feed them miniature food then they will most likely guess that you are pregnant.

Stick pillows in your shirt and make it look like you are 9 months pregnant, when dad gets home don’t say anything just act as if nothing is going on and continue with your regular activities, when he asks you what you are doing with pillows in your shirt. Ask him if he thinks you look good like that because this is what you are going to look like. Let it sink in and then say yes I’m pregnant then feed him a great romantic dinner. For this one it is a good idea to make sure he has nothing planned that night or he doesn’t bring a friend home for dinner you don’t want anything to ruin your surprise.

You could buy some baby items or borrow some from a friend and lay them out around the house you know your husband will be wondering what is going on.

Another one is to buy a baby book and leave it where your husband will find it and inside have some names you like highlighted he will most likely wonder what is going on and ask you about it.

If you send your husband on honey do’s like to the grocery store or you go grocery shopping together have on the list diapers and some other baby items he will most likely
Call you on the cell phone, or ask you why they are on the list and you say it’s for the baby and he will say what, let it sink in and then you can tell him you are pregnant and it will be a great story and memory for you too to tell people the rest of your lives.

Join me in How to Tell the World You Are Pregnant Part 2 for ideas on how to tell your family.
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What Contributes to Your Babies Birthweight?

2007-05-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

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I had a baby boy that weighed only 5lbs 12oz which seemed really small compared to my neighbors baby that weighed close to 11 pounds. So what contributes to your baby’s birth weight and what things determine how much your baby will weigh when he or she is born? In this article you will find out what contributes to how much your baby will weigh at birth.

Babies come in all shapes and sizes and if you went full term with your baby and the doctor determines that your baby is healthy then you should not worry. You see babies can weigh very little and be very healthy. There are many, many factors that can affect your baby’s size and weight.

Some of these factors are race, African American, Indian, and oriental babies tend to be smaller then white or Caucasian babies. This is not always true but generally it is. Another factor that can play into your baby’s size is multiple pregnancies. If you are having twins or triplets or even more then these babies tend to be smaller because the womb can only get so big. If you have more then one kid usually your first will be the smallest and then they can get bigger as they go so your third child will most likely be bigger then your first. Boys tend to be heavier then girls although this is not always true.

Genetics can play a large part in this. If dad and mom are small they will most likely have a small baby. If both parents are big or large then chances are that, that couple will have a larger baby. If mom is small and dad is bigger then your baby will often take after the mom and be on the smaller side. This is nature’s way of helping the small mom out during labor.

If you the mother weighed for example 6 lbs then chances are your first baby will follow in your footsteps. The later children might be bigger but it all depends on the individual mother. The mother’s weight before pregnancy can determine your baby’s weight. If the mother was heavier before her pregnancy then she will most likely have a heavier baby. If the mother to be weight was normal or if mom was skinny she will most likely have a smaller baby.

There are many more factors that can determine your baby’s weight; your doctor will let you know how big your baby will be and if your baby is going to be healthy. Babies can be healthy even at what is considered to be a smaller baby and babies can be healthy even if they are considered large. So don’t worry if your baby is small, chances are your baby is just fine, your baby is unique so don’t compare her or him to other babies.
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Co-ed Baby Showers

2007-03-08T10:26:00.000-08:00

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There is a new trend sweeping baby showers all over the United States and it's called a co-ed baby shower. Instead of the mother-to-be celebrating the new precious life that is about to come into this world. Now both the mother and father to be can celebrate together with friends and family, and yes boys are invited.

This seemed odd to me at first because most guys I know wouldn't want to come to a baby shower, but a couples baby shower can actually be a lot of fun. So if you want a co-ed baby shower here are some things to consider before actually having one.

Make sure you have more then one guy, aka the father to be attending the baby shower. Your husband will most likely be clear on if he would even attend the co-ed baby shower. We all know how guys are. So make sure his buddies are willing to come and they aren't going to be loud and obnoxious. This is still a baby shower not a football party. Again we all know how some guys can be. I think every guy has that one friend that there spouse can't stand.

Make sure that you can include family as well, if you can't you might want to have two baby showers. If you have a lot of family that is older or you are going to serve alcohol at your party it is better not to mix fun and family.

Make sure to keep the boys entertained with funny baby shower games like: Have baby bottles filled with beer or wine or whatever you choose to drink, if this is a non-alcoholic party then milk or juice. Line up a bunch of guys and have a drinking contest out of baby bottles. This can get a little wild so again make sure your other guests are okay with boys being at a baby shower.

Another fun game is having around five or so plastic baby dolls all with diapers on, but the diapers are dirty. Put mustard or candy bars in the diapers, have the boys have a diaper changing contest with baby wipes and all, you can even have diaper rash cream. You can have little baby changing stations set up on a table with everything they may need to change a diaper. The boy that changes the diaper correctly, the fastest wins a prize.

Have prizes that both men and woman would like also include the girls in some games as well. Make sure your invitations include the couples name and have it say something like co-ed baby shower so people will know.

Don't be afraid to decorate all babyish, after all everyone knows it is a baby shower. There will just be guys there. Have fun and remember co-ed baby showers can be a blast if you plan it right.

For more information on anything and everything you may need to know on babies please visit my website at: http://baby.ideas-from.us/

Just How Do You Determine Your Babies Due Date?

2007-02-28T09:32:00.000-08:00

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Just how do you determine your babies due date? That's a good question. Well there is a formula your doctor uses, to tell you when your baby will be born, and although this is usually accurate, there is a formula you can use as well. So here is the formula to figure out just when your little bundle of joy is going to come into this world.

Your babies due date is usually an estimate, a baby can come before or after the due date, it is a guess when your baby should come. A pregnant woman is usually pregnant for 40 weeks or 280 days. 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the due date is usually considered a normal pregnancy.

The first day is usually determined by the first day of your last normal period. To determine your estimated due date calculate the following. (I know, I know, being pregnant is hard enough, you didn't think there would be math involved too). So get out your calculator and pen and paper and lets calculate. Things you will need to calculate your babies due date are a pen, a piece of paper, and a calender. You won't really need a calculator. That was a joke.

OK first establish the first day of your last period this is day one so write that date down and write day one next to it. Then go back 3 months from that date. Circle that month and date and write that down. Next just add one year and 7 days to that date and that's it, that is your approximate due date. I don't know you might need a calculator!!!!!

Of course cheek with your doctor to make sure you both have come up with a date at least with in the same month. That wouldn't be good if you both were three months off. If this happens go with your doctor's due date, not yours. Chances are you may have miscalculated. Just make sure day 1 is the same for both you and your doctor.

Most woman don't have their babies on there due date. So a fun thing to do with co-workers or at your baby shower is to make a baby due date contest and have people bet when your baby will be born this is really fun. Whom ever is closest wins.

For more info on anything and everything you may need to know about babies, please visit my website at: http://baby.ideas-from.us/

Signs That You Might Be Pregnant

2007-02-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

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Wondering if you are pregnant? This can be a woman's dream or biggest fear depending on the situation. Such as, the age of the woman, (teenage pregnancy) and other factors such as your life situation, your lifestyle. Weather or not your married or single. If you were trying or if the pregnancy is unexpected. Lots of factors play in to this wonderful or dreadful surprise. Not that pregnancy or having a baby is dreadful, but sometimes getting pregnant can happen at the wrong time. It can and will change your life.

I think God gives us 9 months to prepare for this big event. Some woman can't wait for their little arrival to come and others need time to become prepared. Whatever your situation there are signs to look for when your pregnant, of course you can't be really sure unless you visit your doctor.

Sometimes it can be hard to tell if you are pregnant. You can still get spotting when time for your period, which is not actually your period but implantation bleeding. Light bleeding also can occur when taking birth control as well.

You may just be late. Lots of factors play into this as well, such as birth control. If you are trying to become pregnant and just stopping your birth control, your period can be late. Your body has not regulated yet and you just may be late. I had a friend that was 2 weeks late before and thought she was pregnant. This was in high school so it was kinda a big deal.

Some signs of being pregnant can also be the same as PMS or if you are experiencing the Flu. Your breasts can get sore and swell, which can also happen on your period. You can have light bleeding, also you can be nauseous and vomiting which may be a 24 hour flu bug.

But if these symptoms occur you may most likely be pregnant: Missing your period, if you are always on time then you are most likely pregnant, of course taking a at home pregnancy test is good to do after a missed period. Increased urination is a good sign you are pregnant, unless you have increased your intake of water. Nauseous all the time and vomiting is a good sign you are pregnant, this usually can happen anytime from 2 to 8 weeks after the conception of your baby. If you get sick every morning after getting up or after eating something. Being tired a lot, and just feeling pregnant, especially if you have been pregnant before.

You won't know for sure you are pregnant until you take a pregnancy test at the doctor's. You may know you are pregnant, but need to confirm this at your doctor's. I had no doubt when I was vomiting every time I ate anything. The doctors will give you a pregnancy test that is accurate as well as do an ultrasound and listen for the fetal heartbeat. They can't determine the heart beat until around the 10-11 week of pregnancy and many times this is early, so your doctor might wait until the 20 week to listen for the heartbeat. So be sure to see your doctor as soon as possible after you suspect you are pregnant.

For more information on anything and everything you may need to know about your baby please visit my website at: http://baby.ideas-from.us/

Keeping A Pregnancy Journal

2007-02-26T15:47:00.000-08:00

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With the world as busy as it is, keeping a pregnancy journal to some may be just one more thing to do, one more thing that has to be added to a list of "To Do's" that is already too long. But if you can find the time, a pregnancy journal is something fun to do, and later in life fun to share with the precious baby to be.

Believe it or not but in a few years you might forget about what it feels like to be pregnant. My son is 2 and I have already forgot the feeling of what is was like. At Babies R Us I saw a journal made especially for this purpose. I wish that I would have kept a journal, I think that it would have been fun to reread it and remember the most precious time in my life, Being Pregnant.

Nothing can beat becoming a mother, but it is an amazing experience to be pregnant, to have a precious life growing inside of you. That is after the morning sickness goes away. Am I right?

Write about things like morning sickness, the first time you felt your baby move, your doctor's visits, the first pictures of your baby, (the ultrasound). Other things like what you were doing, when right before going into labor. The first time that you realized that you were barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, you know that old saying. What TV shows you watched the most while pregnant. The feelings you have about being pregnant, your moodiness. That cramp you keep getting in your butt, bumping things with your huge pregnant stomach. Anything and everything about your pregnancy makes great content for your journal.

Looking back you will be so happy that you wrote all these feelings down. Also can you imagine 5 or 10 years down the road when your son or daughter asks where they came from. You will have your pregnancy journal to show them. It will be a special memory to share with your children. Also a great keepsake for your children when you are no longer here. Your words can last forever.

Remember to include the date and time it makes the journal so much better. If you like scrap booking you can do that too. Put pictures of the first ultrasound or pictures of what you looked like when you were pregnant. Any other little keepsakes you may have, your pregnancy test, or the box, any papers you may get at the doctor. Now a days you can keep a journal online as well. You also don't have to get a pregnancy journal at Babies R Us, you can just get a pretty journal, things like handwriting are important, and more personal then an online pregnancy journal.

If you have any pregnancy stories you would like to share with us please e-mail them to me at Schuman426@msn.com Your baby journal is a great thing to publish, other mothers to be are always curious about what happens to other pregnant woman. So write down you stories and e-mail them to us.

If you need more information on anything and everything to do about babies you can visit my website at: http://baby.ideas-from.us/

Giving Birth In Water

2007-02-26T15:07:00.000-08:00

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Water births it sounds weird we aren't after all dolphins, but to my surprise more and more woman today are having there babies in water. Growing in popularity, celebrities such as Pamela Anderson and Kate Winslet have all reportedly had water births. So in today's world of choices is a water birth right for you?

The main reason woman have water births is because the water minimizes the pain that goes along with the laboring process. When sitting in a warm pool of water woman get so relaxed that there baby just comes out. Well I'm sure it is a little harder then that, but it reduces the pain quite a bit. Water also provides buoyancy so the pressure on the back and stomach are relieved, and it is very relaxing for the mother.

Some benefits for you and your baby are that your baby is used to water from being in the womb so babies introduction to life is much easier, as well as babies first breath coming out of the water. Another benefit for baby is that the atmosphere under water stimulates the womb and makes it more comfortable and relaxing for you and your baby.

You can also have a water birth at your home in a bath tub or you can rent a birthing pool, or for a cheaper option buy a kiddie pool, it sounds funny but it can be done. Now I don't know about you but when I think about a kiddie pool, I think about a plastic one that sits outside on my lawn with a picture of spider man on it. These aren't the kiddie pools I'm talking about. I don't know about you but I don't want the first image my baby sees to be a floating image of Spider man. So I would suggest renting a birthing pool they are bigger and can fit 2 people, so you and your partner, can both experience the joys of a water birth.

If you have a high risk pregnancy or are having any complications what so ever, a water birth may not be for you. Also you should ask your doctor or midwife about what the hospital has in terms of a birthing pool, some hospitals just don't have the facilities. Good Luck in whatever form of labor you choose.

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What Is A Doula?

2007-02-26T14:31:00.000-08:00

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According to the Wikipedia, the definition of a doula is as follows: A doula is a non-medical assistant in prenatal care, childbirth, and during the postpartum period. Now a days a doula isn't so much called a doula but more so a labor assistant. Someone who is there to support you through labor. So if your going through the birthing process and would like some sort of support then a doula may be for you.

There are three types of doulas, the labor support doula, the postpartum doula and the community doula. The labor support doula helps the mother to be during the laboring process. The doula does not do any medical tasks but is there to help the expecting mother to make informed medical decisions as well as to offer massage and aromatherapy. The labor process especially if going through natural childbirth goes a lot easier typically when a doula is there helping you through birth.

The postpartum doula is good for a first time mother who is on her own or if you have other children and just need help for a week or so after your baby has come. This doula comes home with you to help you with things such as breastfeeding tips and also help you while learning to become a new mother.

A community doula is a doula who is both a labor support doula as well as a postpartum doula. You will get to know this doula a lot better, and this will help you with better support for both you and your baby.

A doula is there for extra support, not to take place of the husband or father or significant other, sometimes the father is overwhelmed and doesn't know what to do so it is good to have a doula there for additional support.

In the US and Canada you have to be certified to be a doula. So anyone that goes through the certification classes can be a doula. So if you know of a friend or someone you want to help with your birth you can find a class locally and get trained to be a doula. This would be a great experience, to be trained in such a miracle of life.

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Lamaze

2007-02-23T10:01:00.000-08:00

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The Lamaze Method is a method used by the expecting mother who wants to go through natural child birth. This method teaches you how to relax and breath during the labor process. It also teaches concentration and focusing on a focal point to help keep your mind off of the contractions. You may have seen on TV shows the hard breathing that they do in labor, the hooo hooo hees which are a little more dramatic then in actual labor.

The Lamaze method also shows couples how to manage the pain without the usage of drugs, which is good for a mother who wants to have the baby naturally. The Lamaze method is not just for the mother who wants to have the baby naturally. In a Lamaze class they will also go over the pain medication used with labor, although Lamaze supports natural birth.

You can take a Lamaze class in your area locally. You can take a Lamaze class toward the end of your pregnancy. You and your partner take these classes to help with the delivery of your baby. Along with teaching the mother to be, breathing techniques Lamaze teaches the husband or partner massaging techniques to help with the pain.

Some beliefs of Lamaze are, that birth is normal natural and healthy, that woman's inter wisdom guides them through childbirth, and childbirth education helps woman make informed health care decisions, to take responsibility for there health and to trust there inner wisdom. These are just a few of the beliefs of the Lamaze method. For more information on the Lamaze method and other birthing methods talk to your doctor or health care provider.

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How To Know When You Are In Labor

2007-02-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

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For first time mothers, labor can be a little scary. I was on bed rest and I watched A Baby Story on the TLC channel every day. Well despite what they show you on half hour TV shows, labor takes awhile. For first time mothers the average laboring process takes up to nine hours. Some can take longer, some faster. So the question is how do you know if you are really in labor? So here are some things that you can ask yourself to see if you are actually in labor or if you still have time to get a Starbucks on the way to the hospital.

My sister and I joke about how we are procrastinators. She is pregnant and we joke that when her water breaks she will have to take a shower, shave her legs and get ready, including curling her hair and putting her makeup on and then pack her bags. Then on the way to the hospital get a Starbucks and some McDonald's on the way. Even though this is a little far fetched it is true. You will have time to get to the hospital and get settled before your real labor starts. Most first time mothers I have talked to say that they wish they would have stayed home longer. So here are some things that you can ask yourself to make sure you know you are in labor.

First of all if you have any questions weather or not you are in labor then you should call your doctor and he/she will let you know if and when you need to go to the hospital to have your baby. Also don't wait to long , I would rather have my baby in the hospital and be there for awhile then have my baby while ordering Starbucks. Also if you have any pregnancy issues you shouldn't wait to get to the hospital.

Pre labor contractions feel like menstrual cramps and they can start up to a week or so before you actual labor begins. You usually will feel these contractions in your uterus and not in your back. Back labor usually signifies real labor. So ask yourself are you having mild cramping or is my contractions so bad that I can't walk or talk while having one. If your contractions are this intense you need to go to the hospital.

Time your contractions and keep a log of them this will help your doctor figure out where you are in labor. If your contractions last a full minute and are 3 to 5 minutes apart then you should go to the hospital or at least call your doctor to see if it is time. Most likely it will be time.

If your water breaks in a gush before you are having these contractions then you should go to the hospital, your contractions after your water breaks usually gets stronger and faster and longer, signifying the start of real labor.

Use common sense when it comes to having your baby, don't wait until the last minute or you will have a scene like the one from the movie nine months. Where Hugh Grant hits a guy on his bike, gives a lady a heart attack all while driving on the way to the hospital, trying to get his wife to the hospital in time to have her baby. It was a funny scene, if you have scene this movie you know what I am talking about. Funny in the movies but not so funny in real life. Trust your instincts and go to the hospital when you feel it is time, and remember if you have any questions then call your doctor.

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What To Eat During Your Third Trimester

2007-02-20T09:33:00.000-08:00

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Your baby is going to be here soon and is developing fast to ensure survival in the outside world. Your body is also preparing itself for breastfeeding. As well as your babies kidneys, lungs, and brain growing at a fast pace, so is babies body. You baby typically gains about a half pound a week. Usually you the mom gains about a pound a week as well. So make sure you and your baby are getting the proper nutrition, both of you need to ensure healthy development. Here are some tips on eating well for you and your baby.

During the third trimester you should try to add about 300 extra calories to what you are already eating. Never try to diet or watch what you are eating when you are pregnant. Watch what you eat, don't eat McDonald's 2 times a day, but eat healthy and eat when your hungry. Your body will tell you when you have had enough to eat.

During pregnancy you also need a lot of protein to help ensure proper development of both breast milk production as well as your healthy baby. The food pyramid says that you need 5 to 7 serving of meat a day and about 3 cups of milk to meet your protein requirements. You should definitely eat meat, poultry, eggs, fish and dairy while pregnant. Watch your fish intake though, fish can be high in mercury and can be harmful to the fetus. If eating fish, stay away from fish such as swordfish and King Mackerel. you can consume 12 ounces of cod, salmon, and light tuna a week. Of course consult your doctor before eating fish.

You also need iron and folic acid your need for these vitamins increase by 50% when pregnant. Along with taking your prenatal vitamins you can eat foods such as high fiber cereals and foods rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron. Eat a lot of grains, meats, poultry, beans, and dark green vegetables. These contain both iron and folic acid.

Drink a lot of fluids as well. Drink at least 8 to 10 8 ounce glasses of water or milk a day. You digest things slower so you can get constipated so make sure to drink plenty of fluids.

Eat when your hungry, let your body tell you how much you need to eat. Don't wait until you are starving to eat then you will eat large amounts of unhealthy food. Eat when feeling hungry that way you can choose healthy foods instead of junk food. Healthy choices during the last trimester is healthy for you and your baby, so be conscious of what you are eating and enjoy eating anything you want, because odds are you will have to diet and watch your calories the rest of your life.

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Registering For Your Baby Shower

2007-02-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

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So your having a baby, and you just can't wait to go shopping for your little bundle of joy. If your friends are throwing you a baby shower then you get to go click happy with the baby registry gun. But instead of going crazy and registering for the whole baby section at Baby's R Us, here is a couple of tips to make sure that you get everything you need for your baby.

If you feel uncomfortable about registering for your baby, DON"T! Most people would rather get you something you need instead of having to guess what you would like. Registering takes the guesswork out of what the mother to be really wants. So it is a good idea to register at for items that are at different price levels. A good variety to choose from will make all people feel comfortable buying baby a gift. Try to keep half of what you register for around $20 or under and then mark a couple higher priced items. Grandma and Grandpa and a lot of your relatives tend to spend more on baby gifts and you don't want to burden people that can't afford or don't want to spend a lot of money on a gift for baby.

Don't be afraid to ask for the essentials of what your baby needs, for example a stroller, car seat, a baby monitor, or safety gates, diaper bag, diaper pail, night lights, crib sheets, blankets, onsies, and other things that your baby will need don't just register for clothes. You will get plenty of clothes anyways. Although some may be expensive a lot is around $20 or under which is great for your guests.

Only register at one place that way you will eliminate duplicates, and limit returning items later. You can register online or go to the actual store to do this. Registering at Babies R Us is a great place but Target is also good. A registry can be pulled up for baby shower attendees, and they can see what other people have bought so they don't duplicate gifts.

A good thing to do when registering at a store is go look first before registering, that way you have an idea of what you want, before you go click happy. Then go and register. Did you know that you can always go back and add things to your registry and you can also remove things as well which is really cool because if you are as picky as me then you want you registry to be just perfect.

Have fun registering for your baby shower and congratulations!!!

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Placenta Previa

2007-02-19T13:14:00.000-08:00

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You are most likely reading this article thinking what is Placenta Previa? Well for those of you that have had placenta previa you know that it can be very scary. Let me share with you my story.

Placenta Previa is a condition in pregnancy, when your placenta or part of your placenta is covering your cervix. Your placenta attaches to your uterine wall, and this is what your baby uses to grow while inside of you. All your babies blood and nutrients flow through your placenta. Your placenta is attached to your babies unbilical cord. Your cervix is where your baby comes out. You have a cervix plug that is like a mucus plug that keeps everything inside of you until your water breaks and then it thins out when you go into labor.

I was diagnosed with full blown placenta previa when I was 6 months pregnant. If your placenta is on your cervix then you can't give birth to your baby because the placenta will come out first, if any of you know anything about giving birth there are 2 stages of labor, your baby and your placenta. Your baby must have full usage of your placenta when giving birth because this is your babies blood and oxygen supply. So I was scheduled for a Cesarean section.

Well everything was going just fine until I was 6 months pregnant and then I just started bleeding out of the blue. At the time I was a hairstylist and I was cutting someones hair. I asked my Co workers to call 911 and the ambulance came and took me to the hospital.

At the hospital I was rushed to the ER, and they gave me something to stop my contractions by now I was in labor and I was 26 weeks pregnant. The thought they were going to have to deliver my baby right then but my contractions stopped and I was sent home a week later, on strict bed rest. I was on bed rest for about 2 months and then I had a cesarean section. My baby was a month premature and had some complications when he was born. They cut through my placenta, and my baby lost 1/3 of his blood he also had fluid in his lungs. He had a blood transfusion and was on oxygen for 24 hours and after that he was fine.

Most Placenta Previa cases are not this severe so if you have it don't worry most times the placenta moves away from the cervix as your baby grows but sometimes it moves the other way and you have full blown placenta previa.

Doctors aren't sure what causes placenta previa so there is really nothing you can do to prevent this. Some links have been shown in placenta previa and smoking. So don't smoke or drink and eat healthy and take your vitamins. I did all these things and I still got it, so you can't prevent bad things from happening, but you can try to prevent them, by eating right and taking good care of yourselves.

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What To Take To The Hospital

2007-02-19T10:30:00.000-08:00

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When you are a first time mother, you don't know what to expect period. People tell you all about their personal experiences and this just tends to be more nerve wracking for you the expectant mother. You hear that you need to pack a bag and get it ready for the hospital, because you will be in such a rush to get there. But what do you take with you to the hospital? Well here are some helpful tips so you have everything ready to go when your water breaks.

First of all, you shouldn't wait until your water breaks to pack your bags. Have your bag packed and waiting by the door you leave out of, at least a week before your due date.

Make sure that when its time to go to the hospital, you or your husband has a watch with a second hand. This way you can time your contractions, this will be very helpful for when you get to the hospital.

Make sure you have a cell phone, and on your way to the hospital make the necessary calls to family and relatives that you want to be at the hospital. Grandparents, sisters, and brothers, mothers in laws etc. Let your husband concentrate on driving and if your not in to much pain then you should try to make the calls.

For your laboring room when you are in labor, you should bring warm socks, hospital rooms are usually cold, a couple of washcloths for sweating and if you would like your own birthing gown, which can be a nightgown or whatever you want it to be. The hospital usually supplies these things for you so if you are a light packer you can leave these things at home.

For your hospital room you are going to need a robe, and some nightgowns, again the hospital will provide these if you don't want to take these. Slippers and some sweatpants and a sweatshirt, your makeup and everything you are going to need to get ready, hairdryer curling iron etc. You most likely won't look so hot after you have your baby, and since you will have visitors it's a good idea to bring thes thing. Also if you have a preference on sanitary napkins bring these or else the hospital will have these as well.

For going home you are going to need, an outfit, a nursing bra, if planning to breast feed, or just a bra. Underwear, shoes you get the point. A jacket if it's cold outside. Last but not least a couple bags to bring home flowers and presents

For the babies ride home you are going to need a car seat, an outfit including an undershirt and socks or booties, a couple of heavy baby blankets, one to swaddle baby in and if it's cold outside another one to cover babies head.

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Circumcision and Your Baby Boy

2007-02-19T09:53:00.000-08:00

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So you just found out that you are having a baby boy, Congratulations! So now comes the decision to have your baby circumcised, or to not. In today's society it is more likely then not to have a circumcision, but some parents choose not to do this. Here are some reasons why your child should get circumcised.

Well first if you are Jewish then it is required by your religion that you circumcise your baby boy. This is the oldest practiced medical procedure, dating back to biblical times. Circumcision was used to show peoples covenant to God. Well now a days most everybody circumcises there babies not for religious purposes but because well it is a lot cleaner then being uncircumcised.

Circumcision reduces the risk of infections, or other problems such as circumcision later on in life.

For appearance purposes, parents want there son to look like other peoples kids, they don't want there child to be different.

Easier to keep clean, being uncircumcised can actually be harder to keep clean causing once again infection.

You can have your doctor circumcise your baby in the hospital or wait until baby is home from the hospital and have an ritual circumciser come to your house and do the procedure there.

Here are some reasons why parents choose not to circumcise there baby:

Parents are concerned about the pain, there is most likely some pain that goes along with circumcision but doctors can give baby something for the pain.

There is less risk of diaper rash on the penis because the foreskin protects from this

Some parents fear infection, but don't realize they might fear that and have to deal with that without circumcision.

Some parents want there child to decide this when they are old enough to make this decision on there own.

Whatever you choose it is your choice, and one you can make when in the hospital or before your baby is born. I guess some people have to make a decision some people just know right away.

Good Luck making your decision.

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Becoming A Mother

2007-02-19T08:43:00.000-08:00

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Let's face it, babies don't come out of the birth canal with an instruction manual. But if they did life would be so much easier. You would know why your baby is screaming at 3 in the morning, instead of desperately wondering what you are doing wrong.If you are a first time mother it is natural to be more than nervous about becoming a mom. When you found out you were pregnant you were most likely so excited, and now that you are almost due you are still excited but also scared. I'm here to tell you that's natural, all first time moms feel that way.

I didn't even hold a baby until I held my own. I also didn't ever change a diaper until I had my son, so the thought of being this responsible adult and having a baby depend on me, Freaked me out. Not to mention I am a single mom, so I was feeling pretty overwhelmed. But you can become at least a little prepared. So here are a few tips to help you prepare for motherhood.

Read some books about infants and children, but don't only go by the book. Some babies never do anything by the book. But studying and having some background can definitely help out when becoming a mother.

Listen to your mother or your family, or someone close to you. While some advice they give you, might not be the best advice possible. Your parents or your elders know a little something about babies. You may not agree on some things they tell you for instance putting some whiskey on your child's teething gums. Today that's called child abuse! But it is a great opportunity to learn the good things your mother knows, or your family or whoever is close to you. Also ask other parents and then you will have some idea about how to be a mother, after all they are parents.

When interviewing a pediatrician for your baby, which you should have done before your baby is born. Write down some questions to ask the pediatrician about your baby. They won't mind telling you in fact, most doctors would be glad to. There is also a nurses line or call the hospital where your baby is going to be born and ask questions.

Take a parenting class, some hospitals or doctors offices offer them locally. So does some local YMCA's or health clubs. They will teach you how to change a diaper, CPR, how to swaddle your baby, and all the basics you need to know to take care of a baby. This can be very helpful especially if you don't have much experience around infants.

Spend some time if possible with babies, if you have friends or there are babies at church. Ask the parents if you can hold them or change a diaper. Most parents will be grateful for the break and you will be getting baby experience.

Remember mothers are not born they are made. We all get better at something the more experience we have at it. We are going to make mistakes, we are only human. But your baby will hardly notice a small mistake, (they may notice a big thing like dropping them, so don't do that.) but your baby will love you even though you made a mistake. If you care about your baby and give your child everything he/she needs, then you will be a great mom.

Good Luck with motherhood. I hope you find out as I did that I would rather be a mom to my son then do anything else in the world. Having a son is so fulfilling. It is the greatest gift God could bless us with.

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Diaper Changing 101

2007-02-16T09:17:00.000-08:00

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It sounds stupid, I know but I never even changed a diaper until after I had my baby. I knew nothing about diapers, babies or anything else. I was totally lost, thank goodness for the help of my mom and the nurses at the hospital. So here are the basics for such a simple task, changing diapers. Welcome to Diaper Changing 101.

First of all, you are going to need a diaper, a place to change the baby, baby wipes, diaper rash ointment, paper towels for drying off babies bottom, you only need this if baby has diaper rash, For older babies you are going to need something for baby to play with.

Now that you have your supplies lets get started. If you are using disposable diapers then this is how you change a disposable diaper. There are also cloth diapers which our parents and parents parents used. Not really the best thing for your babies behind. There is no absorption so baby is more likely to get diaper rash.

First you are going to have to get all the supplies you need to change a diaper, because you should never be more than an arms length away from your baby, at any time, if your baby is on a changing table. If you have a changing table then all of your supplies are usually right there anyways. If changing baby on the floor this doesn't apply.

Secondly you will have to get your baby and place baby on the changing table, if changing table has a security seat belt then buckle that. Cheek to see if baby has soiled her clothes if she did remove all her clothes and cover the top part of her with a blanket so she doesn't get cold.

Remove the dirty diaper, if it's a poopy diaper make sure to have a baby wipe ready and immediately place on your child's bottom. Proceed to clean up all the poopy. There are baby wipe warmers so you don't place an ice cold baby wipe on your babies bottom, This would most likey not be pleasent for your baby. If your changing a boy, BEWARE OF THE SPRAY. it seems like when you change a boy's diaper the second you take the diaper off boy's pee. So before removing the boys diaper cheek to see if it looks like your little boy is going to pee on you. If it looks like they are then wait a second or two and cover baby back up with the dirty diaper until your baby is done.

If your baby has diaper rash avoid baby wipes. Use a warm paper towel or washcloth and gently clean the area. After the area is clean, dry off with a dry paper towel and let your babies bottom be exposed to air for a couple minutes before putting diaper rash ointment on.

After baby is clean then is is time to put the diaper back on, unfold the diaper and slide under your babies bottom, Velcro tabs go on the bottom, Lift up babies legs and proceed to put on diaper rash ointment, don't be afraid to put on a lot of diaper rash ointment. You don't want to put on half the tube but don't be shy. Then fold the top up over babies tummy and proceed to tuck the sides in and Velcro each side, making sure the diaper is not to tight around babies tummy. If baby is new and still has the umbilical cord then fold the diaper down so you don't irritate it.

Proceed to put back on your babies clothes, and CONGRATULATIONS! you have succeeded in changing a diaper. You have passed Diaper Changing 101 with flying colors.

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Immunizations For Your Baby

2007-02-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

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The human body is amazing, did you know that once you contract a disease it is unlikely that you will get the same disease again. This is because are bodies produce antibodies to these illnesses, your body then recognizes these diseases and can then destroy them. This is what vaccinations do. They act in the body as if you had actually contracted the disease, thus saving lives. Doctors have actually almost altogether eliminated smallpox. Although vaccinations have saved many lives, there are some concerns when it comes to your child. I wondered as I'm sure many other concerned parents do, if there are any side effects.

Here are the shots that doctors will most likely give your infant to protect them from many childhood diseases, and what side effects to look for after your child has gotten vaccinated:

DTP is most likely the first shot that your Doctor will give your baby. This is the diphtheria and tetanus, and pertussis, or whopping cough vaccine. Doctors have also combined DTP and the Hib vaccinations into one shot called DTaP.

Your child will also get a vaccine for chicken pox this vaccine is called the Varicella vaccine.
Your child will get a Hepatitis B vaccine, the Hemophilus B vaccine, or Hib for short which can cause meningitis. The HbOC-DTP which is a combination of the DTP and HIB shots are available, this means there are less shots for your little one.

A flu vaccine can be given every year for your child, the flu can hospitalize your baby and possible even kill them, so get your baby vaccinated with the flu vaccine every year. The flu makes us all sick but the elderly and babies are the ones most effected by the flu.

The last shot your baby will be given is the MMR or the measles mumps and rubella shots. This shot isn't given until 1 year of age, given earlier this vaccination is ineffective. This shot causes some controversy. In the news the percentage of autism is up and some parents are concerned that this is because of the MMR shot. Doctors say this is not the case.

There can be side effects to giving your baby immunizations so here are some things to watch out for, if baby is having a reaction to the shot you should definitely call your Doctor and not have your baby vaccinated until older.

Watch your baby for 72 hours after the shot and call the doctor if your baby cry's for more than 3 hours, if baby has a fever of 104 degrees, and doesn't go down within an hour of administering Tylenol, or if your baby is hard to wake, or if your baby is having convulsions. These are signs of serious reactions and you should call the doctor right away.

Some common side effects for immunizations are pain where the shot was given so be careful when handling your baby, a low fever, over 100 degrees, give baby Tylenol, fussiness, red and swollen where the shot was given, baby may loss his appetite for a couple of days, and drowsiness. You may notice your baby is more sleepy then usual. It is a good idea to give your baby Tylenol after shots and every 4-6 hours for the first 24 hours to help comfort your baby. Of course ask your Doctor if this is okay before doing so.

It is your choice to give your baby immunizations. Your child has to have them before attending pre-school, but not until then so take your time and think about it. After a year your baby doesn't need a lot of these shots. Cheek with your doctor if you have any questions.

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Vitamins For Your Baby

2007-02-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

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It seems that everyone has a different opinion when it comes to giving vitamins to your baby. This decision has to come down to you the parent. Some Dr's will say that your baby doesn't need vitamins, and others will say go ahead and give them a multi- vitamin, it depends on your doctor but for your babies safety you should definitely follow your Dr's advice.

When your baby is first born, your baby is healthy and doesn't need vitamins. Your baby is getting vitamins through breast milk or formula. It isn't until your baby quits breastfeeding or drinking formula that you may want to consider giving a vitamin supplement to your baby.

Once baby starts on solids it is more difficult to know that baby is eating a healthy diet. Baby may one day eat really good and the next take a couple bites of something and spit out all her vegetables. If my baby is anything like any of yours, he will eat the favorite food of the week and most of the time it is not the most nutritious thing for him to eat. But if you mothers are like me you are just thankful that he is eating something, anything! So if your baby is a fussy eater and you are not sure weather or not he is eating a healthy balanced diet, then I suggest a liquid multi-vitamin specifically designed for infants. You can find these sort of vitamins at your local health food store.

Stay away from gummy vitamins until at least the age of 3 or 4 . There are some things that your baby isn't allowed to have yet. Liquid infant multi-vitamins give dosage usually by weight which is good because then you know how much vitamins are safe for your baby. You never should give your baby adult vitamins as these contain a higher dosage of vitamins that is way to much for your babies body to handle. To much of anything can harm your body, with the exception of love.

Babies as well as adults do need some vitamins to stay healthy. Vitamin D for example. We get Vitamin D through the sun, so make sure your baby gets out at least 30 min a week. Of course in the winter time when there is frigid temperatures no one wants to go outside. That is why a vitamin supplement is so good. When looking for a vitamin supplement for your baby look at how much Vitamin D is in it. If the amount of Vitamin D exceeds 400 IU per day don't buy it. To much Vitamin D can be toxic to your baby.

Babies and Toddlers also need Iron and Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a great preventative vitamin, it boosts the immune system and is good to give when baby has a cold. They have vitamin C liquid drops for infants as well. Vitamin C can help the absorption of Iron so it has that benefit as well. Your multi-vitamin will have Vitamin C in it already so until baby is sick there is no need for extra Vitamin C.

Iron is essential for babies up to 18 months. An Iron deficiency can cause developmental as well as behavioral problems in infants. Although in some babies to much iron can be constipating, it is essential for there growth. There is iron enriched cereals and formulas for younger babies and iron will most likely be in your multi-vitmamin. You should always read the labels to make sure.

With our food and soil not being enriched with the vitamins and minerals it once had, I am all for giving my child vitamins. I feel good knowing that my son is getting all the things he needs to grow and thrive. Always cheek with your child's doctor before starting a vitamin regimen. I have noticed since I have started giving my son a multi- vitamin he hasn't been sick.

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Tips For Surviving a Colicky Baby

2007-02-13T15:40:00.000-08:00

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What is colic? It's when a baby cries for no reason once a day for hours on end. The cause no one really knows. Parents do know one thing though, having a colicky baby is not fun what so ever. Trying to get a colicky baby to calm down can often be frustrating and often tiring. You can be relieved to know that by the end of 3 or 4 months colic should disappear as fast as it came. Well here are some tips to help you and your family survive a colicky baby.

First of all, dealing with a screaming baby night after night can be exhausting and frustrating, everyone understands that. But if you feel like you are going to harm your baby, if you have violent feelings toward your baby, please get help. A good idea if your by yourself is go to your neighbor and hand the baby off to her, or just put the baby down in his crib while you go to a different room and cry it out and get your composure. Also to make sure that you don't harm your baby, since you are having these feelings, don't be by yourself. Have someone help you even if you have to hire someone.

It is important to give yourself a break. It won't hurt your baby to cry for a little while, without you trying to comfort her. So put baby down in a crib or bassinet with some soothing music and do something like enjoy a snack or catch up on a chore or two. You will be more refreshed and although your baby will be crying, she will get a break from you as well. A happy mom is a good mom. If the crying bothers you turn up your music or get some ear plugs. This sounds harsh but, it will help you cope with colic.

Remember it's okay to cry, can you imagine going through 3 months of your baby crying for hours on end. Nothing makes you feel worse then a baby you can't calm down, you feel like bad parent but remember it's not your fault and thousands of parents go through this every day. So let it out, cry on your husbands shoulder, a friends shoulder, anybody's shoulder. It's hard what your going through and talking about it can help.

Remember it's okay to ask for a little help. If you have a mom or a husband or a friend ask them to come take care of your screaming baby for about an hour while you get some chores done, or if your help is really great then go shopping, or get a coffee, or just get out of the house.

Do these things and any other things that can keep you sane. Good luck with your colicky baby. I give you my sympathy's, I know what your going through, it's hard but hang in there.

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How To Choose The Right Physician For Your Baby

2007-02-13T14:11:00.000-08:00

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When your pregnant it's hard to imagine this little bundle of joy, so procrastinating when it comes time to find a doctor for your little one is more common then you might think. It is really important to find a physician before your little one is born. Here are some things to keep in mind when selecting the right physician for your baby.

If this is your first baby this can get confusing especially when there are so many different kinds of doctors to choose from.

Like the family doctor whom can see you for your problems as well as your babies. If you have older children, or a large family this is your best bet. You can usually group your Dr. appointments together so if all your kids get sick at the same time then this makes it easier not having to run to 2 different Dr. offices, as well as taking the kids with you to your exams, the children will sometimes be more comfortable having the same Dr.

There is also the pediatrician whom specializes only in babies, children, and depending on the Dr. sometimes early adolescence. The benefit to a pediatrician is they have advanced training in dealing with babies and children. A family doctor has this same training but not to the intensity that a pediatrician does. If you have children close in age, or this is your first baby then I would recommend a pediatrician.

There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing the right doctor. You should do some investigating and maybe go and visit the Dr. office to see if it seems like a good environment to you or not. Here are just a few.

A nice recommendation is finding a doctor within a couple of miles of you. You don't need to make traveling to the doctor a major event, for you and your baby. You will be going to the doctor every few months until your baby is 18 months and sometimes even more if baby is sick. So keep distance in mind when selecting your Dr.

When you find a location you like then look into the Dr's credentials. Make sure all his medical exams and licensing are legitimate. You can even make an appointment with some Dr's to see if you like them or not. You can write down some questions and ask the Dr. at the interviews. Some Dr's charge for an interview, some don't, it really just depends on the Dr.

It would be nice to have a Dr that is affiliated with a hospital so if there is an emergency, care is better and they can access the proper files for treatment, sometimes your Dr can even help out, or come to the hospital to help with treating your child in case of an emergency, if your Dr. is available.

These are just some of the things to consider when choosing a Dr. of course some things like wait time or a snotty receptionist, or simply not agreeing with your Dr. aren't things you can really experience until your babies first Dr. appointment. We all don't have as many choices in health care as maybe we would like. We have to go to whatever Dr. that accepts our insurance, and sometimes our choices can be limited. Just make sure you are comfortable and you have proper care for your baby. Good Luck finding a Doctor.

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Feeding Formula with Love

2007-02-12T12:19:00.000-08:00

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We all know that breastfeeding can also be a bonding experience with your new baby. But what if you can't breastfeed? Or what if your career or life style doesn't allow you to breastfeed, so you choose the alternative, formula? Is it possible to bond with your baby when feeding her a bottle? The answer is YES, you can. So here are some tips and/or don't when feeding formula to your baby with love.

Don't Rush- Babies who breastfeed take a long time to do so, to fulfill the sucking reflex that all infants have. So take your time when feeding your baby, don't rush through it because babies need to suck. If baby finishes the bottle fast, slow it down by buying a bottle a with smaller hole, or maybe your baby is still hungry so try feeding her a ounce or two more.

To bond with baby don't let multiple people feed your baby. Try to limit feeding your baby to mom and dad during the first couple months. Multiple people feeding your baby can make your baby feel insecure.

Rock baby and cuddle baby and maybe sing to her while feeding during the first couple months, this can help comfort baby and make baby feel more secure.

Make eye contact, avoid watching T.V or doing other activities while feeding your baby. Hold baby tight and feed baby in her own room with very little noises and distractions. Eye contact will help you and your baby bond, give her smiles and tell her that you love her. Baby will feel what your feeling and know that she is loved.

This one sounds a little over the top, but for a mother who wants to breastfeed, put your baby to your breast while feeding a bottle to her, skin to skin contact is very good for your baby and will help her feel very safe and secure. Also for mothers who want to breastfeed and can't there is a way of putting your baby to your breast and supplementing them with formula. You can ask your Doctor if this is right for you.

Avoid propping the bottle up, and letting baby drink a bottle herself. This one is tempting because let's face it mothers have tons to do, but you will be missing out on bonding with your baby. These special times will never happen again so enjoy them. So what if your laundry is piling up and the dishes are dirty you can do all that later. Show your baby love while feeding them.

Your baby will get adequate nutrition and will thrive while on formula so don't worry if you can't breastfeed. Have fun formula feeding your baby with love.

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What To Buy For Your Newborn Baby

2007-02-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

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If your a first time mother you may find yourself wanting to buy every cute outfit that you see. Every stuffed animal, every little diaper, every little toy. You get my point. So before you buy out Babies R Us, here are some tips to help you figure out what your baby will need, without overbuying.

If your not a first time mother than you know that your baby will grow out of clothes before your baby has even worn them once. My baby skipped the whole 3 to 6 month sized clothes leaving me with a wardrobe he couldn't even use. To avoid this, buy larger clothes as your baby grows. Of course there are gifts for baby that you will receive so keep them in mind and don't forget about them.

Before buying for your baby, that you are going to have a baby shower, and when you register, register for the things that you will need, first and then register for the things you want. That way at your baby shower you will get both things you want and things you need. Also you won't have to buy as much for your baby, saving you both time and money. With a brand new baby on the way, every penny counts.

Keep in mind any hand me downs that you may receive from a friend or family member and although you may want all brand new things for your baby. Your baby will grow so fast that these hand me downs can really help you out.

Don't buy items that your baby won't need right away, i.e a highchair, or toys that your baby can't use right away, they will just sit there and take up room. Wait until you need them and then buy what you need. You won't need a highchair or feeding chair until your baby is 4-6 months in age.

A good thing to do is to buy mostly 6-9 month clothes, it is better that your baby has some growing room then to have a shirt that baby will grow out of in a matter of weeks. Of course if your baby is a preemie or just extremely small buy what size your baby will need.

Remember that you don't know how big your baby will be when your baby is born, so keep all your receipts and keep everything in its packages, so if baby is bigger then newborn or 3-6 month clothes you haven't wasted money on a ward robe that you can't use.

When buying clothes for your baby, think comfort not fashion, a few ohs and ahs aren't worth a uncomfortable fussy baby.

Wait to see what you get for gifts, and then see what you will need, it's better to have a few things that you baby will need then have 3 of everything. You need the necessities, undershirts, warm pajamas, diapers, but you don't need to go overboard.

Have fun shopping for your baby.

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When You Should Not Breastfeed

2007-02-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

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All of us at sometime or another will have to experience some kind of health issue. Health issues are usually the reason why a woman who would like to breastfeed can not. Your doctor will let you know if breastfeeding is right for you and your baby. Here are some reasons why you shouldn't breastfeed, and formula would be right for you and your baby.

The number one reason a person shouldn't breastfeed is drug abuse while breastfeeding. The same reason you shouldn't abuse drugs, alcohol, or tobacco while pregnant applies to breastfeeding as well. This is very dangerous to your baby. You have heard of crack babies, this can happen to a baby when breastfeeding too. Even alcohol can harm your baby while breastfeeding, I think most parents would prefer the first time there child experiments with alcohol is when they are 21. The same goes for tobacco as well. Although the consequences for smoking is not as harmful as drugs and alcohol, your baby would be getting the same chemicals that you inhale, but through your breast milk. It's basically like having your precious little baby drink poison.

If you take some long term medications that can be expressed through breast milk, it is best not to breastfeed. You and your doctors have no ideas what the effects of baby taking your medicine might be. You should never take medication unless you need it, so don't feed your baby any unwanted medications. This can be very harmful. Only your doctor knows what medications are safe for your baby. So if you are taking medication be sure to let your doctor know.

If you are diagnosed with HIV or the AIDS virus you must not breastfeed. If baby doesn't already have HIV, breast milk is one of the ways that HIV can be passed on. Also if you have another illness such as Tuberculosis, or Hepatitis B you should not breastfeed. Only your doctor can tell you weather you can or can't breastfeed with these conditions.

If you are underweight or you have a illness such as heart or kidney disease, or if you have anemia, you should not breastfeed. Again your doctor will let you know if you can breastfeed or not.

Sometimes a baby can not breastfeed because of an abnormality such as a cleft lip or a cleft palette. This makes it nearly impossible for your baby to suck therefore having to get nutrition another way.

Don't worry if you can't breastfeed, millions of babies have thrived on formula. You can make having a bottle a very loving experience for you and your baby.

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Breastfeeding Myths Uncovered

2007-02-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

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In today's society breastfeeding is on the outs, becoming more unacceptable throughout the years. But why? With so much sex on television, it astounds me that our society as a whole can look down on a mother who is naturally feeding her baby in public. I admit that it is uncomfortable to be around, but as a mother who breastfed her child, i can get over it. So here are some myths about breastfeeding that might help you the mother determine if breastfeeding is right for you.

Myth #1- You have to go through a lot of trouble when breastfeeding.
The truth is never ever ever again will it be so easy to feed your child again. When your tired at 3 in the morning, you don't have to get up, your husband can go get the baby and bring baby to you and you can lay on your side and breastfeed. You don't have to get up and warm a bottle every 2 hours you can hold your baby, and bond with your baby. Also your breasts are ready when your baby is. It is actually easier to breastfeed once you get the hang of it.

Myth #2- You have to be around your baby all the time, breastfeeding ties the mother down.
The truth is yes breastfeeding can tie you down, but since the invention of breast pumps and 15 min of expressing milk, any one can feed baby when you have to be away for a couple of hours. When your on the go and baby is going with you, your breasts are attached so you can feed baby anywhere. I have known mothers who have a cute shawl on, and breastfeed baby while grocery shopping. Now that's easy.

Myth #3- Your breasts will be ruined because of breastfeeding.
Well the truth to this one I think depends on the person. Like any woman who has given birth to a few children, minus a few lucky genetically skinny women, know that a woman body is never the same after a baby is born. Those of us that didn't have hips before do now, and those of us that have breastfed know that although our breasts are not ruined per say, they may not be as perky or as full as they used to be. But this may not be due to breastfeeding. Like I said this all depends on the individual, say you gained a lot of weight when you were pregnant, this can cause your breasts to be different, also unsupported breasts can pose a problem after pregnancy. So the question is can you sacrifice your body to do whats best for baby. That's up to you.

Good Luck with breastfeeding if you decide to, it really is more healthy for your baby.

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What To Do About Your Fussy Eater

2007-02-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

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Is your baby a fussy eater? Well this is more common then you may think. While some babies eat almost anything they can get there little hands on, other babies are a little more picky. I don't think my son would eat sometimes if I left it up to him to decide when its time to eat. So here are some tips to help your little fussy eater learn to eat better, while giving you the mom some piece of mind.

My doctor was kind enough to let me know that babies even toddlers know how much they need to eat to grow. If you are worried about nutrition you can give your baby a multi vitamin to ensure proper development and growth. Always ask your doctor before supplementing your baby with vitamins, your baby may not need vitamins, and to many vitamins can harm your little one. So be sure to talk to your doctor before giving baby vitamins.

Give your baby the food he/she wants. Some babies will only eat one food and refuse all other foods. If this is the case give baby bread or bananas or whatever the food of the week is. For example, my son loved a ham sandwich one week and the next week he wouldn't touch it. But make sure if baby is only eating one thing to make it as nutritious as possible. For example, if all baby is eating is bread make it whole wheat bread. If baby loves oranges try to sneak in some peaches, or apricots.

While forcing food on your baby is not good, sneaking food is. There is nothing wrong with helping your baby try new foods, add on when you can. This not only will help baby like a more variety of food, it will be more nutritious for your baby. For example, if baby will only eat bread try putting butter or jelly, or cinnamon and sugar on it. Then add in some mashed banana, or try some apple sauce. If baby loves cereal put the cereal in milk and add bananas or raisins. Try to get baby to eat more than just one thing at meal times.

Although snacks are important, don't ruin babies appetite with juices filled with sugar or junk food. Give baby a glass of watered down juice instead and a healthy snack like oranges instead of fruit snacks or crackers which have very little nutritional value. If you feed your baby snacks in between breakfast lunch and dinner baby will not be hungry to enjoy breakfast lunch and dinner.

Change babies menu, maybe the reason your baby isn't eating is because baby is sick and tired of the same food each and every day, so switch it up a little and baby will eat more

Let baby feed him/herself, When baby has the responsibility of feeding himself then chances are you will have a better chance of baby eating then if you are feeding him. If you help feed him hold on to the spoon and encourage good eating. If you don't like something then your baby won't either. Baby watches your face so keep a smile, and don't get discouraged if baby isn't eating.

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What To Expect When You First Meet Your New Baby

2007-02-01T11:07:00.000-08:00

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If you are a first time expecting mother, you are not just nervous about the delivery, but about meeting your little bundle of joy for the first time. You are most likely expecting like I did that your baby would be cute, have perfect skin and a head full of hair. Well I'm here to let you know that this is not always the case. Many newborns aren't that cute.

Many babies, have a battered swollen head from going through the birth canal. Many times newborns will have random strands of hair that stick up, or a head full of unruly hair. Your newborn may also have squinty swollen eyes that your baby can barley open due to the birthing process. Your baby will have a huge head that looks way to big for it's little body and little tiny chicken legs.

Due to babies skin being thin you may be able to see babies blood vessels, and it also may appear a pale pinkish color. You may be able to see babies heart beat in the soft spot on top of babies head. Baby may have what is called a cephalohematoma, or a bruise on the top of babies head depending on how hard your labor was. Baby may also have a pointy head, especially if it was a tight squeeze for your baby. The nose may appear flat and the chin may appear a little off due to being squeezed through the pelvis.

When baby is delivered by cesarean section, the abnormalities to the head usually don't occur although it still can. Baby may still not be cute but baby won't have quite the swollen head as a baby that was delivered through the birth canal.

So I know this may all be overwhelming especially when you were expecting this cute little adorable angel of a baby, but not to worry all these little abnormalities will disappear within a couple of days, in rare instances a couple of weeks.

When my son was born his head was extremely lopsided because the frontal bones of his head were overlapping, and it appeared that he didn't have much of a chin. The nurses assured me that in a couple of days he would have a magnificent head, also his chin would be more prominent in the coming days.

So not to worry my friends your baby will be ready for those newborn photos in just a couple days. You can then show off your cute newborn baby, and get all of those oohs and ahhs that you were originally expecting when you delivered your newborn baby.

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Baby's Security Blankie

2007-01-24T10:56:00.000-08:00

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All of a sudden, one morning my son picked up one of his stuffed animals and it seems like he hasn't put it down since. This little frog comes with us everywhere. Just the three of us. So like many parents I wondered if being attached to a stuffed animal was a good thing or a bad thing.

I did some investigating and came up with this conclusion. My son is a year and a half and when he was younger he didn't have a security object. But he has started to show so much Independence. He wants to try everything on his own, he wants to do everything by himself, and he doesn't want any help, until he gets frustrated. Well since it's just the three of us now. I have noticed that having his little buddy there helps him cope with whatever new frustrating challenge he might run into playing day after day.

Whether your baby has a pacifier, a bottle, a stuffed animal, or a blanket, it is a normal healthy part of many babies infant development. So here are some things to help you out in this security comfort phase.

Try to limit taking your babies stuffed animal or blanket at home, and then eventually just to night time, showing baby that he doesn't really need his baby all the time. Make exceptions, like when baby goes to the doctors office or is sick, or when you go on vacation or stay overnight somewhere.

Have 2 of the same stuffed animal, or 2 blankets, or 5 pacifiers, you get what I'm saying. To advert a major crisis situation when your babies stuffed animal is MIA or missing in action, invest in a duplicate so your baby has a extra when your babies little lovey is lost.

Make sure to keep the blanket or stuffed animal clean. Wash frequently, because your babies little lovey can be a germ infested nightmare. That cute little stuffed animal can carry nasty bacteria, and viruses that you don't want your baby to catch.

If your babies thing is a bottle at bedtime, switch this liquid from milk to water. Explain that baby just brushed his teeth and that milk is bad for babies teeth. If your baby is anything like mine, he loves to brush his teeth and milk doesn't taste good after you use safe to swallow, fluoride free toothpaste of course.

Of course, make sure that your baby is getting enough attention so baby doesn't get way attached to his little lovey. Spend quality time at least once a day, just playing together, or reading, or both. Just you and your baby, no interruptions, and make sure your baby has your undivided attention. Have fun during this exciting time of your babies life. Enjoy!

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Fear of Strangers

2007-01-24T09:46:00.000-08:00

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When my baby was a couple months old he was happy when anyone would hold him. Now that he is older he is more cautious about who he will let hold him. This is called Stranger Anxiety, and quite a few babies experience this.

Sometimes in public I will try to put him down and he will start crying, or unfamiliar people at church will try to hold him and he will cry. Even putting him in the Nursery during church turns into a battle. But not to worry mothers of babies who cling to you like glue. This is just a phase and baby will get over it just as soon as baby became afraid of these strangers.

A lot of times baby will scream when you are trying to leave him with someone, but as soon as your gone or a couple minutes afterwards baby will quit crying and be just fine. If your worried about baby crying or leaving your baby while crying, don't be. Take a cell phone with you and periodically cheek in with your baby sitter to see if baby is okay.

Another way to help baby get over stranger anxiety is to let your company know that baby is shy right now and that they should try to warm up to baby first before trying to hold baby. While baby is sitting in your lap have your company tickle your baby or play peek-a-boo with baby, and soon your baby will warm up to your company. Don't ever force baby to go to someone, this could prolong the stranger anxiety.

It is rare but there are some babies that have severe lack of mommy syndrome, usually this occurs in breastfed infants, and it doesn't matter who baby is left with weather it is daddy, or Grandma or Grandpa. Baby only wants mommy. But not to worry baby will get over this fear as well. My suggestion is that for a month or so until baby gets over the whole I can't go on without my mom routine, you the mom stick around as much as possible. If you do leave try to go when baby is napping.

You can help baby get over the I want my mommy fear by having daddy get more involved. Daddy can pick baby up when baby wakes up from naps. In the middle of the night, dad can go get the baby and bring baby to mom to breastfeed and then daddy can put baby back in the crib. Baby will get used to daddy and it won't be a big issue when mommy wants to leave for a couple hours.

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Finding Time for Yourself

2007-01-23T16:08:00.000-08:00

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It seems like even having time for a shower can be difficult when you have a new baby. But you have to make time for yourself or you'll go crazy. Without neglecting your baby, here are some tips for making time for yourself. A well rested, happy mother is a better mother.

Put baby in the bathroom with you while you shower. Put baby in a bouncy seat or even a baby carrier and sit baby on the floor, while you shower. Cheeking every now and then to see if baby is alright.

You can also do this while taking a relaxing bath. It's okay to let baby fuss a little, when the baby doesn't need anything, such as a bottle or a diaper change. This will in time let baby know that other people besides baby have needs too.

It's okay to let baby fuss while your getting ready, you know drying your hair, brushing your teeth, putting on a little makeup. Putting baby safely in a playpen or crib and letting baby fuss a little bit is definitely okay.

Include your baby in your activities. If you work at home sit baby next to you and talk to her and look at her while doing your work. Eat your lunch with your baby, while you enjoy a good meal, play peek-a-boo with your baby.

Depend on dad. Take a shower in the morning while dad and baby are eating breakfast. Have dad watch baby while you take a nap. Go shopping or grocery shopping without baby. Do something by yourself that is relaxing and don't feel guilty on having dad pitch in and help. Your job being mom is just as hard as his paying job.

Hire some help. Ask a teenager or an Aunt or Uncle or Grandparent to watch baby at your house for a couple of hours while you do some chores or catch up on some bills, this will give you a break from baby, and a chance to catch up on much needed housekeeping.

While a 30 min break is no vacation you will find yourself refreshed and actually missing your baby, so go get some much needed ME time. Have a blast being a mom.

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Keeping Your Baby Warm When Indoors.

2007-01-18T11:08:00.000-08:00

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Since it seems like half the country right now is experiencing extremely cold weather, it is important to keep baby warm while inside. So instead of turning your heat way up and paying hundreds for your electric bill, here are some ideas for keeping your baby warm when indoors.

During the day keep baby dressed in layers, a undershirt, a t-shirt and a sweatshirt, socks, and slippers if you have them. Also sweatpants, and if its really cold some long johns. Also if your not going anywhere baby can where footie pajamas they are warm and tend to keep all parts of baby warm during the day. You can always take layers off if baby seems to be a little warm.

At night it is a good idea to dress baby in layers as well especially if baby kicks the covers off. It is okay to warm babies room with a space heater but don't leave on all night or while unsupervised, space heaters can cause fires if left on for a long time. If baby kicks blankets off, use flannel sheets and tuck them in to the sides of the bed so baby can't kick them off. Also a sleeping bag is a good idea for this problem as well.

Remember not to over dress your baby, this can cause sweating making baby even colder.

When taking baby outside bundle baby up in layers and make sure the head and ears and hands are covered so baby doesn't get chapped skin. Also when taking baby from the car to for instance the grocery store, cover up babies mouth and nose. Cold air is not good for baby to breath in, it can also give baby a runny nose. I put a blanket around my sons mouth and nose so just his eyes are showing until we get inside.

Good Luck!!!! and keep warm.

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Helping the Older Sibling Adapt to the New Baby

2007-01-18T10:41:00.000-08:00

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A new baby to an older sibling can be a nightmare and he/she can act out. The older sibling might feel less loved like they are not the favorite anymore, or feel lonely and jealous because the new baby gets all the attention that he/she used to get before the baby. So here are some tips to make this transition easier for the whole family.

Explain that he is the older sibling and you the parent need help in raising this little baby. Children love to help and will be happy that you are including him/her.

Have your child go and get diapers and clothes for you they love to help out.

Have your baby help you put the baby to sleep by reading to the baby and singing little songs.

If possible rock them both at the same time so the older one doesn't feel left out.

Spend separate alone time with the older sibling at least once a day so they still feel important.

Hang the older siblings drawings and other things child has done on the refrigerator, tell him/her how proud you are of them and how special they are to you.

Keep visitors down to a minimum, for the older child's sake. The visitors came to see the new baby, and chances are they won't pay attention to the older child making the older sibling feel less important.

Just remember to include the older sibling and let him/her know you are proud of them, and that they are special, and you love them. Good Luck with this new and exciting transition.

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Airplanes and Babies

2007-01-18T10:18:00.000-08:00

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Traveling, It isn't as bad or as stressful as you might think, when traveling with a baby. You may be concerned when flying because of other peoples reaction to a screaming infant. As well as any discomfort felt by others when a mother is breastfeeding her baby. But not to worry people are more understanding than you may think. You can also follow these tips to keep baby happy and occupied on your flight.

Arrive early so you can board the airplane before everyone else and pick your seats, or ask the fight attendant what seating arrangement would be best in your situation.

Breastfeed baby when taking off and landing because baby's ears are more sensitive than adults when it comes to the air pressure. The sucking will help babies ears pop when taking off and landing. Also this will help with any pain if there is any.

Give baby lots of liquid when flying, this will help baby stay busy, calm, and quiet.

Disregard those who give you dirty looks when baby is crying, they most likely don't have kids and don't understand, my advice give them dirty looks back.

Be the last off of the plane, so you can avoid you and baby getting bumped.

Good Luck traveling with your baby.

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Watching what you eat and drink while Breastfeeding.

2007-01-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

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So for nine months you had to watch what you ate and drank, and now you have to be careful while breastfeeding to. I know this might seem like a bummer to the occasional glass of wine you want to have with dinner, but just know that it's not forever.

Things you should avoid while breastfeeding are: Alcohol!!!! If you do decide to have a little wine with dinner, then you should pump and throw away your milk for 24 hrs. While supplementing baby with stored breast milk or formula. I know I know, your thinking a glass of wine? Yes even just a glass of wine can hurt your baby. Baby could get drunk and if your any parent at all you want your baby to wait till he/she is 21 yrs old before your baby experiences that. Everything you eat and drink goes through to your baby.

Other things you should avoid is really gassy foods, such as garlic onions, Green beans, and really spicy foods, anything that you may need an antacid for, can and most likely will upset baby's fragile tummy.

Another good tip is to always tell your doctor you are breastfeeding because there are certain medications that can hurt baby if taken.

So watch what you eat and before you know it, you can have that glass of wine with dinner.

Good Luck Breastfeeding!!!

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Eating Dirt

2007-01-15T15:23:00.000-08:00

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While my son was playing outside with the neighbor kids, and me right beside him talking to a neighbor, I look down and see my son put dirt in his mouth. ICKY!!! I said and we went inside to wash out his little mouth. I was freaking out, just like any normal new mother would do. But nothing bad happened. He just ate dirt. I'm sure he is not the first little guy to eat dirt, or there wouldn't be that saying "God made dirt so dirt don't hurt."

The point to my little story is that babies are curious by nature and will put anything they can get there hands on in there little mouths, from dirt to small objects found on the ground. My son even ate some toilet paper one time. Not that I wasn't watching him, I was, its just that crawling babies are fast. Walking babies even faster. While dirt may not hurt your little one things like house hold cleaners, shampoo, makeup, deodorant, can. They can all be very dangerous for your little one to ingest.

So do a couple things to keep your baby safe. Put all of these dangerous items out of babies reach, close bathroom doors and doors to the laundry room or other rooms that have chemicals and other house hold items. Put vitamins and other medications out of your babies reach as well. Watch your baby closely and when you can't put baby in a play pen close to you. Last but not least know your poison control number just in case of a accidental ingestion and get to a hospital right away. Better safe than sorry.

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Allergies and Your Baby

2007-01-15T15:09:00.000-08:00

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Does your baby have allergies? This will be hard to tell until baby starts eating solids, and then it is best to give baby one new food at a time, for about a week or so to make sure there are no allergies.

For example, when you first start out giving baby solids give baby sweet potato's for a week along with breast milk or formula, and then move on the next week. Do this until all foods are tried and there are no allergies. When there are no allergies then baby can eat anything and everything that you can get them to open there mouths for.

If you suspect allergies let your doctor know, and at around 18 months maybe even sooner the doctor can do an allergy test to see what baby is allergic to.

Most babies even grow out of there allergy's, so good luck feeding solids to your baby.

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Teach Your Baby Sign Language

2007-01-11T15:48:00.000-08:00

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Starting at around 6 months of age, you can start to communicate with your baby. You can teach baby sign language, this may take a couple months for baby to catch on but by around 8 or 9 months. Baby will be able to tell you all sorts of things.

Baby can tell you if he's hungry, sleepy, even if it's time for milk.

My son is almost 2 years now and while he can speak some words, I believe that sign language has helped him to communicate better then he could have if he didn't know sign language. My son can now tell me if he wants more of something, he says please and thank you, he says hello and sleepy and help and a lot of other words.

There has been some arguments that teaching baby sign language can delay talking, but I personally haven't experienced this to be true. In fact my son says the word as he is doing sign language.

Instead of wondering why your baby is crying why don't you teach baby to tell you. It doesn't take that much time and baby will be able to communicate much easier. In fact babies that learn sign language do less crying then baby's who don't know sign language. So teach your child sign language, it's worth it.

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Video Games For Babies

2007-01-11T11:16:00.000-08:00

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Recently my son got a Vsmile Baby as a gift. This is a awesome product. There are different Vsmile carterages like Pooh's hundred acre wood adventure. Vsmile baby is for babies 9-36 months of age.

This video game system has interactive games that you can play with your baby such as colors, baby sign language, oppisites, first words and more.

For around 40 dollers I would say that this is quality time you can spend with your baby, and its great for keeping baby entertained for hours.

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What Diapers to use

2007-01-11T10:37:00.000-08:00

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What diapers should you use? That is a good question. There are literally hundreds to choose from, so how do you pick? Well you can try each kind of diaper until you find something that works for you, or you can just use Luvs.

Luvs are thinner and cover more of baby so baby will not leak. I have used Luvs for almost a year now and I wouldn't go back to anything else. Also Luvs diapers are cheaper than pampers and huggies. I used to use huggies and a lot of the time my son would wake up wet. The whole side of his pajamas would be wet. When I use Luvs, that doesn't happen. He is soaked when he wakes up and his diaper weighs about a pound but hasn't leaked yet.

Also I have never had a blowout. You moms out there know what I'm talking about. Poop everywhere!!!!! This has never happened with my son. It's awesome, how these diapers don't leak.

Luvs diapers also have blues clues on them which can be used for boys or girls.

I don't know how Luvs would work for girls but for boys, you couldn't get better for you money.

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Getting Baby To Sleep Through the Night

2007-01-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

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So you are having trouble getting your baby to sleep through thenight. Well you are not the only parents that struggle with this. This is a common problem because baby has to be taught how to fall asleep on his/her own. So here are some tips to help you and your baby get some sleep.

First of all you need to establish a bedtime routine. A bedtime routine is the key to helping baby settle down. Try to put baby to bed at the same time every single night and try to keep naps at the same time each day as well. When baby does the samething every night then baby will know that its time for bed. A bedtime routine could consist of... Giving baby a bath, getting baby ready for bed, putting on pajamas, reading baby a story, some cuddling and then put baby in the crib. Baby may reject at first but in a few days baby will catch on and won't reject the bedtime routine.

Baby will know that it is time to go to bed and go down happily. You will be amazed as I was how easy it was to put my baby to sleep. You should put baby to sleep in the same place every time. This may be hard especially when baby is in day care and takes naps there. When you can, put baby to sleep in the same place everytime. Baby should fall asleep in his/her crib every time, this way baby is familiar with his/her surroundings and will feel safe and secure falling asleep there. Baby should be put in his/her crib when awake and then put his/her to sleep. Babies wake up in the night and then go back tosleep. If baby is going to sleep while being rocked or nursingand then you put baby in the crib when baby wakes up he/she willwant mom, and will become fully awake, and will have troublegetting back to sleep.

All bedtime routine activities need to take place in your baby’s room. So putting baby's pajamas on, reading a bedtime story and any other activities that happen about 30 min before bed should be in baby's room. Try to have everything that you may need with you so that you don't have to leave the room, undoing everything you have already done to prepare baby for bed. Every bedtime routine will vary.

Tell your baby every night when it's time to go to sleep. This is how I start my bedtime routine. I say it's bedtime, tell everyone goodnight. So we go around and say goodnight to everyone and then we go to his room. Telling your baby this every night followed by the bedtime routine will let baby know what is expected of him/her. Baby will know that it is time for bed, and go down happily. Of course there are many other factors that go into baby sleeping through the night, you should see an improvement in babies sleep, by just establishing a bed time routine, and having baby put him/herself to sleep.

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What to expect during Your Baby's First month of Life

2006-12-14T12:04:00.000-08:00

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You have a brand new baby. Congratulations!!! Now what? Well here are some things to expect from baby in the first month of life. Some of these things may or may not happen with your baby. All babies are different, so don't be concerned if they do not happen to your baby, in fact your life may be easier if you don't have to go through them.

Jaundice- The yellowing of baby due to an increased amount of bili reuben in the blood. Usually this will disappear within about two weeks or 14 days. In some cases especially in premature babies, babies need to be treated and stay under a special bili rueben light until bili Reuben levels return to normal. Jaundice is more common in boys and in babies that are premature, jaundice is nothing to be to concerned about, your Dr will let you know if baby needs treatment or not.

Infant Acne- You might find it odd as I did, that your newborn little angel has what looks like little zits all over his/her little face. This is most common in breastfeed babies because the baby is getting extra hormones through there mother’s milk. Not to worry this will go away just as quickly as it started it might take a few weeks, but it won't leave scars or marks. In a few weeks you will have that beautiful soft as a baby's butt skin you always imagined.

Taking care of the umbilical cord- Don't give baby a full bath until the umbilical cord falls off. Sponge baths will do just fine. Keep the umbilical cord dry and exposed to a lot of air. Clean the umbilical cord with alcohol.
Turn the diaper down and the shirt up. Also try and protect the skin around the umbilical cord. Alcohol can irritate the skin and make it red. Try putting lotion or baby powder around the belly button, and try using a cotton swab to dab on the alcohol. The umbilical cord stub will fall off in a week or two, and then you can give baby his/her first bath.

Circumcision- To take care of a baby after circumcision is usually not a pleasant experience for you or your baby. To make baby more comfortable use double diapers to help cushion baby from rubbing against the circumcision. Now a days Dr's use a circumcision ring and that will fall off when the area has healed.

Bowel Movements- Your newborn baby should have 5 or more dirty diapers a day. This seems like quite a lot but its normal. In newborn babies watery loose stools are also normal.

Spitting Up- It may seem like more is coming back up then going down, but this is not the case. Chances are a teaspoon or two is all that is coming up although it looks like a lot more. If baby is drinking formula the formula may not agree with him/her, so discuss your concerns with your Doctor.

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When your Baby is Choking

2006-11-16T11:29:00.000-08:00

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When baby starts eating solids, it is a very exciting milestone, but it can also be very scary because the threat of choking is very real. You should be prepared and know what to do in case your baby starts to choke—it could save your child’s life.

Coughing is how we get foreign objects out of our throat. If baby is coughing and can breath there is no need to interfere, but if baby is coughing for about three minutes then he is seriously choking and you need to help him immediately. When baby (under the age of one) is struggling to breath, turning blue, or unconscious you should follow these guidelines.

1. Get Help- If someone is with you have them call 911. If you’re alone, take baby with you to the phone and dial 911. The 911 operator will help you the best they can until help arrives.

2. Position Baby- Turn baby upside down, straddling your forearm at about a 60 degree angle. If baby is small enough you can sit down and this better supports you. If baby is too big you can hold baby on your lap at a 60 degree angle.

3. Back blows- Give five blows in a row to the back between baby's shoulder blades with the palm of your free hand. Back blows will usually help expel a foreign object. If object is still lodged, continue with chest thrusts.

4. Chest thrusts- If baby hasn't returned to normal breathing or the object hasn't shot out of baby’s mouth, turn baby’s face up and take your index and middle fingers and place them on the sternum bone in between the nipples. Do about five chest thrusts. If your baby is conscious, then you can repeat the back blows and chest thrusts until the airway has become clear. If baby has become unconscious, stop chest thrusts and back blows and do a foreign object check.

5. Foreign object check- If there is no sign that the object has been removed, check to see if an object can be seen. Open baby’s mouth and with your thumb hold down babies tongue and open the jaw and see if you can see anything. If you see something, try to remove it with the sweep of your pinky finger. Never ever try and remove a foreign object with anything besides your finger (i.e. pinchers, tongs or tweezers may seem like a good idea in a stressful situation, but they can push the foreign object farther down and make the situation worse).

6 Check the airway- If baby is still having trouble breathing, open the airway by doing a head tilt chin lift. Cover baby’s nose and mouth with your mouth and blow two rescue breaths by giving two slow, light breaths. If baby's chest moves up and down then baby’s airway is clear.

7. Repeat the steps.... Repeat the steps above until the foreign object comes out and baby is breathing on his/her own, or until the paramedics arrive and can take over for you.

Hopefully this doesn't happen to you, but it is always best to be prepared. So take a class at your local hospital or recreation center.

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First Aid for Babies

2006-11-16T11:14:00.000-08:00

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Every parent should take a class on how to administer CPR, on a baby and on a child. You can find out where these classes are by visiting your local hospital, YMCA, or recreational center. Do this for your child it could end up saving their lives. These are just some tips on how to administer CPR you shouldn't use this article as a lifeline at all. These are just some tips or guidelines that could help you out in case of an emergency.

Did you know that CPR on adults is different then on babies? These procedures should only be done on a baby that has stopped breathing completely or is turning blue.

1. Cheek for Unresponsiveness: Try to wake baby up if unresponsive, if that doesn't work yell babies name loudly, and tap baby on bottom of feet, if baby is still not responding as a last resort shake baby very gently, or tap baby on shoulders. Never shake baby hard at all and don't shake baby if there is a chance of any broken bones, if baby has fallen for instance.

2. Get Help: Call 911, if you know CPR well, continue with CPR but if you don't right away dial 911 and the operator will be able to assist you in what to do. If you have another adult there with you have them call 911, while you proceed with CPR.

3. Move baby to a flat surface such as a kitchen counter or a table, if not available the floor will do just fine. Then perform the ABCs of CPR.

A. Clear the Airway - Using the head tilt chin lift technique, tilt head back and lift the chin making sure there is nothing in the mouth, with a baby the tongue could be blocking the airway. Never push the soft tissue underneath the chin. Don't let the babies lips close if necessary insert your finger while performing the head tilt chin lift technique. If you suspect a neck, spine or head injury, skip to B, and try not to move baby.

B. Check for breathing- check to see if baby is breathing. Look, listen and feel. Look to see if baby is breathing, look at the chest, is it rising and falling? Listen to baby put your ear by baby’s nose and mouth and try to determine whether or not baby is breathing. Feel if baby is breathing, you can put your hand out a little way from the nose and mouth and try to determine whether or not you can feel breath on your hand. If not breathing you must get air into baby’s airway at once. Blow two light slow breaths into baby’s mouth and nose, if baby is under one year. Baby’s chest should rise and fall. Be careful breathing into babies lungs too hard and it can damage baby’s lungs.

C. Check Circulation- As soon as you have determined that the airway is clear, look for a pulse if there is a pulse continue with rescue breathing is there is not a pulse continue CPR. It is dangerous to perform CPR on an infant with a heartbeat so be sure there isn't one.

Hopefully you will never have to be in this situation but it's best to be prepared, so go take a CPR class, it could save your babies life!!

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How to Wean Your Baby from Breastfeeding

2006-10-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

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Weaning your child from breastfeeding is not the easiest thing to do. As I understand it, weaning a baby from breastfeeding is like quitting smoking or giving up chocolate. It's best not to quit cold turkey. It's not easy for you or the baby, but it has to be done. You can wean baby to a bottle or a cup. I recommend weaning baby to a sippy cup. Some babies will make it easier on you the mom, and start to lose interest in breastfeeding usually around nine months or so, and some babies need their nightly night cap, making it close to impossible for you to wean your baby. Well for all you moms out there, whose baby needs their nightly night cap, here are some tips to help make it easier for you to wean your baby from breastfeeding.

-Long before you even try to start weaning your baby from breastfeeding you should get baby used to drinking from an alternative source, a cup or a bottle; preferably a cup as mentioned earlier. Still continue to breastfeed but give baby either water, juice or breast milk from a cup. Try this at mealtimes when feeding baby solids or when giving baby a snack.

-For the stubborn baby who refuses to take a cup or bottle, it can be a good idea to skip a breastfeeding session once daily usually after breakfast or lunch, and only offer him/her what's in the cup. This may be hard for three or four days, but after that baby will get the idea. Once baby is used to drinking out of a cup once daily, you can skip another breastfeeding session and drink what's in the cup. Do this until you are only nursing once at night before bedtime.

-Wait at least a week in-between skipping a breastfeeding session, so both your baby and your breasts get used to the changes.

-If baby is sick or there is another event such as a move or a change in daycare postpone weaning baby for a couple weeks to ensure baby is okay and ready to wean.

-The last feedings to go are usually the morning and the night time feedings, I recommend cutting out the morning feeding first. Your baby will be hungry and will eat a good nutritious breakfast.

-When it is finally time to wean baby from the night time feedings, it is easier to have your breasts out of sight. Having your spouse put baby down for bed can make this transition easier. Tell your baby goodnight and hand baby off to dad. It takes a good week of dad putting baby to sleep for baby to get the hang of it. Before you put baby to bed make sure baby is full. Give baby a nighttime snack and a full cup of milk. When the week is complete go back to your regular bedtime routine only replacing breastfeeding with milk.

This isn't the easiest thing to do and it takes quite a bit of time, but with some patience it will happen for you and your baby. Good Luck!!

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What To Not Feed Your Baby

2006-10-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

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In this world we live in, we are so busy that buying food and microwaving it, is much easier than slaving over a hot stove for a couple hours especially when we don't have time. We barley have time to think, none the less cook. But not everything out there is healthy for baby. Many manufactured foods have chemicals, nitrates, and some fruits and vegetables can have potentially dangerous pesticides, or can be contaminated. So use caution, and when baby starts eating solids follow these basic rules when preparing baby's food.

-On the news, there is a story every now and then about contaminated food. Ex. A month or so ago we had an eccoli scare with spinach and bagged lettuce. Obviously you wouldn't buy these fruits and vegetables, but feeding these foods to baby could cause serious illness or even death. So avoid these foods at all costs until they are deemed safe by the FDA, for you and your baby’s health.

-Don't give baby tap water. Use filtered water or bottled water, or boil babies water before letting baby drink it. Tap water can have lead, and other hazardous materials that in high doses can be potentially dangerous to baby. It's better not to chance it, if you don't have to.

-Don't let baby eat raw fish, it can have parasites or bacteria that baby's digestive system can't handle, potentially causing serious illness.

-Avoid imitation foods or fruit drinks that contain too many chemicals and unneeded sugars.

-Avoid caffeine in foods like chocolate, and drinks like coffee, tea, soda pop, and cocoa. Caffeine can make baby shaky or jittery, and worse it can take away from the absorption of much needed calcium.

-Don't give baby cured meats, bacon, bologna, or hot dogs, these meats are high in fat and cholesterol, as well as nitrates that are unhealthy for baby. Every now and then isn't so bad, but you should try and stay away from these foods as much as possible.

-Try to stay away from artificial sweeteners, some may be safe but some have been proven to cause cancer. Stay away from artificial juices, some contain artificial sweeteners. Try to buy juices that have no added sugars.

-Peel fruits and vegetables, always wash ones you can't peel such as broccoli and wash well under warm water with mild detergent.

-Only give baby meats from animals that have been fed without chemicals and antibiotics.

-Cook with oil or margarine, instead of butter as it is much better for babies heart. Animal fat is okay to give baby in milk and formula, but don't over do it with butter and high fat foods.

Remember that these are just some of the things that you shouldn't feed your baby. As always use common sense when feeding your child. For further information on what not to feed your child, contact your health care professional. Stick to a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as natural meats and foods. Remember to follow these tips and you and your baby will stay happy and healthy. After all we all want what's best for baby.

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When Your Baby is Not Yet Walking

2006-10-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

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Moms worry. Let's face it; we worry about everything from baby eating, to sleeping, to walking. So what if your baby isn't walking yet, even though all of your baby’s friends at church, play group, or daycare are already running around? Some babies start walking around 9 or 10 months old, but yours is still just crawling and doesn't show any interest in walking. Should you be worried? The answer is NO. Baby just isn't ready yet. In fact many babies don't start walking till well after their first birthdays. Usually between 13 and 15 months, but sometimes as late as 18 months in some cases. My child didn't walk until he was 17 months old. There are many factors that play into when your baby will start walking. So here are some factors that may influence when your baby takes his first steps.

-Your baby’s genetic makeup determines whether your baby will walk early or late.

-A baby’s weight and build also determines when your baby will walk. A baby with short legs will most likely walk before a baby with long legs that are difficult to balance on. A short baby will probably walk before a taller baby. A more muscular baby will probably walk before a skinny baby. You get the point.

-If your baby is happy crawling, chances are baby will crawl longer because there is no need to walk. Also, babies that are carried a lot seem to walk later. A baby that doesn't crawl much will probably walk earlier.

-A bad fall can discourage your baby from walking. The first time baby lets go of mom’s hand and hurts himself can be discouraging. Baby will probably wait until he is more sturdy to take his first steps.

-An environment that is small can discourage walking because baby can crawl anywhere he may want to go.

-When you encourage baby to walk several times a day, baby may rebel. My theory is that baby gets more attention from not walking, so he refuses to walk. Baby's can be stubborn.

-Usually babies that aren't around other children seem to walk later because they have no one to keep up with. That is why the he first child tends to walk later then the second or third child.

-A baby who is sick with the flu or an ear infection will limit walking and prolong walking for a couple of weeks.

-Putting your baby in playpens or strollers can hinder the development of leg muscles which can slow down the walking process.

A good thing to know is that walking later has nothing to do with baby's intellectual development. As soon as baby starts walking, you--the mom--will be more active as well. Baby will be exploring everything. So sit back and enjoy some peace and quiet while you can. Remember, kids that walk later learn to run soon after.

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How to prevent baby from getting dry skin

2006-10-23T11:03:00.000-07:00

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It seems like more and more babies are struggling with eczema or really dry skin. As a mother I have had to deal with my child's struggle with really dry skin. Ever since my son's birth, he has been getting rough, dry patches on his skin. For tips on how to keep baby's skin "soft as a babies butt" go to:

http://www.ideas-from-us/baby/baby-dry-skin.html
or for any questions you have about baby go to:
http://baby.ideas-from.us

Tips on Keeping Your Baby Safe

2006-10-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

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Your baby is on the move. He/she just learned to roll over, sit up, or crawl. Without realizing this, they are a danger to themselves. Bookshelves, bathrooms, electrical outlets, all can cause extreme injury or even death. To make sure that your home, as well as your baby, are as safe as they can be vist us at:

http://www.ideas-from.us/baby/baby-safety.html
and for all your baby needs vist:
http://baby.ideas-from.us

How to Baby Proof Your Home

2006-10-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

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Is your baby crawling, and pulling himself up on everything? Then it's time to baby proof your house. For some ideas on making your home safe for your baby go to:

http://www.ideas-from.us/baby/baby-proof-home.html
and for any baby questions that you might have vist us at:
http://baby.ideas-from.us

The Do's and Don'ts of Naming Your Baby

2006-10-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

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Naming your baby is a big decision to make. So how do you find just the right one? How do you make sure that your baby will grow up liking his/her name? In a world where the trend is creativity, it's still best to follow the basics. Read my article to find out the do's and don'ts of naming your baby.

http://www.ideas-from.us/baby/baby-name.html
or to find out more on babies go to
http://baby.ideas-from.us

Homemade Baby Food

2006-10-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

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Who says that we have to go to the store and buy baby food. It is so much more nutritious to make it yourself, and chances are your baby will like homemade baby food better than store bought anyways. Homemade baby food smells better and is better for you baby. To view free recipes for your baby go to.

http://www.ideas-from.us/baby/homemade-baby-food.html
or find almost anything you want to know about babies at
http://baby.ideas-from.us

Baby Care Tips for your Newborn Baby

2006-10-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

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Before I was a mom, I had never changed a diaper or had even held a newborn baby in my life. I was never really the babysitting type, in fact I had no clue what I was doing. I was in need of some major help. Of course the nurses at the hospital showed me what to do, before I took my little bundle of joy home with me. But I had wished that I was better prepared. So in my article there are baby care tips that every mom should know. So you can take extra care of your newborn baby. To read my article go to:

http://www.ideas-from.us/baby/baby-care-newborn.html
or for more questions on anything related to babies go to
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Baby Formula- benefits of the Bottle

2006-10-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

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There has been much debate over whether breastfeeding or formula is better for baby. Although breastfeeding is healthier for baby, there are many benefits of bottle feedings, to find out more about bottle feeding you baby go to:

http://www.ideas-from.us/baby/baby-formula.html

or to find out almost anything about babies go to

http://baby.ideas-from.us

Baby Shower Games

2006-10-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

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Let's face it sometimes baby showers aren't that fun. So if your planning a baby shower, how do you make sure that your guests as well as the mother to be has a great time? It's simple play fun baby shower games. I have listed easy instructions to play these fun games in my article. So have fun at your baby shower and read my article here at:

http://www.ideas-from.us/baby/baby-shower-games.html

or to read other fun articles about babies go to

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How to Throw a Baby Shower on a Budget

2006-10-04T14:12:00.000-07:00

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Are you throwing a baby shower? Do you have no idea what your doing? Where to go, or what to do? Well in my article I show you what you need, and the best part is that I can help you plan a baby shower on a budget. You can do a lot of it yourselves, there is no need to spend a lot of money on supplies. To read more about this go to:

http://www.ideas-from.us/baby/how-to-plan-a-baby-shower.html

to learn more about babies go to

http://baby.ideas-from.us

Baby Sitting Safety

2006-10-03T21:57:00.000-07:00

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Finding a babysitter can be stressful. We love our kids so much that it can be hard to trust someone else with our kids. To veiw some safety tips that you can share with your babysitter read my article here at

http://www.ideas-from.us/baby/babysitting-safety.html

or to learn more about babies go to

http://baby.ideas-from.us

The Benifits of Breastfeeding

2006-10-03T21:16:00.000-07:00

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There are many benifits to breastfeeding. Although breastfeeding isn't the easiest thing to do, and is time consuming there are many benifits for your baby that will last a life time. To see more on the benifits of breastfeeding read my article here at:

http://www.ideas-from.us/baby/benefits-of-breastfeeding.html

or to learn more about babies go to

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Breastfeeding Your Baby

2006-10-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

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Breastfeeding your baby is not as easy as it looks. It takes a lot of practice. In fact many woman have difficulties and decide to feed their babies formula. But because breastfeeding is healthier, and easier in the long run. Breastfeeding is what I personally recommend. So to find out more about breastfeeding and to read some helpful do's and don'ts read my article here at:

http://www.ideas-from.us/baby/baby-breastfeeding.html

or to learn more about babies go to

http://baby.ideas-from.us/

Car Seat Safety

2006-10-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

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Did you know that car accidents kill and injure more children then all major childhood illness combined?

Here are some other facts about car accidents:

Most accidents occur with in 25 miles of your home, not on major highways like most people think.

A crash at thirty miles an hour can create as much force as falling from a third story window.

If that doesn't get your attention, I don't know what will. If you want some tips on how to make your child safe in your car vist

http://www.ideas-from.us/baby/infant-car-seat-safety.html

or to learn more about babies vist

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When should your child start walking?

2006-09-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

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"My child is almost 17 months and still not walking, "I said to the doctor. This being my first child I was worried. All of the kids at church his age are already walking and have been for weeks now, and I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't anything wrong with my child.
Children walk at all different times, the doctor told me. She assured me that nothing was wrong with him, and he will walk when he is ready. A week later he was trying to walk, he takes a couple of steps on his own now and then falls down.
As long as they can stand up and move holding on to things then there is nothing to worry about, she also said that taller kids are more likely to walk later on. They are a little higher up from the ground. This may not be true for all babies but it seems to hold true for mine.
If your child isn't walking don't be worried, and if you are consult your doctor. I go to the doctor every time my son sneezes, and chances are that your doctor is as nice as mine and the doctor doesn't mind you asking questions. Better safe than sorry I always say.

To learn more about babies go to:

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Baby Names

2006-09-10T20:32:00.000-07:00

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Most Popular Baby Names

Girls Names- my favorite 25 girl names

Avari
Bailey
Brooke
Brooklynn
Chloe
Dahlia
Grace
Hailey
Jaden
Jordan
Jozy
Kayla
Kaylee
Keagen
Lily
Mackezie
Madison
Mikayla
Paige
Peyton
Piper
Savannah
Shelby
Sydney
Taylor

Boys Names- my favorite 30 boy names

Austin
Caleb
Carter
Chance
Christian
Colin
Dominic
Dustin
Easton
Ethan
Forrest
Hayden
Hunter
Ian
Jackson
Jaden
Josiah
Kingston
Lance
Landon
Lucus
Maddox
Malcolm
Mason
Preston
River
Stefan
Tennyson
Tristian
Wyatt

Meaning of these names:

Girls Names:

Avari- Of the heavens, from the sky
Bailey- Bailiff, Steward
Brooke- Brook, Stream
Brooklynn- New York Borough
Chloe- Verdant and blooming
Dahlia- Flower named for botanist A. Dahlia
Grace- Grace of God
Hailey- From the hay clearing
Jaden- God has healed
Jordan- Descendant
Jozy- God will add
Kayla- Pure and beloved
Kaylee- pure lass
Keagan- fiery
Lily-flower
Mackezie- son of Kenneth
Madison- son of Matthew
Mikayla- form of Michaela
Paige- Assistant
Payton- Village of the Warrior
Piper- flute player
Savannah- open plain, feild
Shelby- A sheltered town
Sydney- Contraction of St. Deny's
Taylor- tailor

Boy's names:

Austin- Great
Caleb- Faithful
Carter- Driver of a cart
Chance- Fortune, Luck
Christian- Christian
Colin- Diminutive form of Nicholas
Dominic- Belonging to God
Dustin- fighter
Easton- East
Eathan- firm, strong
Forrest- of the woods, forrest
Hayden- from the hay downs
Hunter- one who hunts
Ian- God is gracious
Jackson- son of Jack
Jaden- God has heard
Josiah- God has healed
Kingston- town of the King
Lance- spear
Landon-Grassy plain
Lucus- Light
Maddox- son of Madog
Malcolm- follower of St. Columbus
Mason- stone worker
Preston-Preist's town
River- Vessel of God
Stefan- Crowned one
Tennyson- tennis
Tristian- bold, melancholy
Wyatt- son of Guy

To find more baby names go to

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