Can’t Agree on a Baby Name? Try Meeting in the Middle.

February 20th, 2012

Are you and your partner struggling to decide on a name for your baby? If you can’t seem to agree on a name, try meeting in the middle. Use these tips to strike a satisfying compromise.

Trouble deciding on a baby name can be unpleasant, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. Many parents struggle with deciding on a baby name as it is, and when it comes time for both parents to agree on one single name, the task of choosing a baby name can become even more difficult. Choosing a baby name can be even trickier when the parents find it nearly impossible to compromise. Thankfully, there are ways to meet in the middle and select a baby name that is satisfying for both parents and for the baby. After all, it will be your little one who has to live with the name!

Here are some ways to compromise when choosing a baby name:

Don’t limit your options—One way parents limit their options when deciding on a baby name is by focusing solely on the first name. While it’s natural (and tempting!) to want your favorite name to be the baby’s first name, consider using it for baby’s middle name or hyphenating it with the first, last, or middle name. You might be surprised by how some of the name combinations sound.

Choose a nickname—Some nicknames sound better or are more appealing than the actual name they’re derived from. If your partner isn’t crazy about a name idea that you’re particularly fond of, consider nickname derivatives and see if they like any of those ideas instead. Likewise, consider nickname ideas that come with your partner’s favorite baby name ideas and see if any of them appeal to you.

Focus on legacy—Another option parents can consider when they’re having a difficult time agreeing on a baby name is to bypass their favorite name options all together and instead focus on family legacy. Create a list of names you both like that relate to your family legacy or history and see if there is a name idea that appeals to you both from that list. This gives you a meaningful, fun way to select a name, and it might be more satisfying for you both to choose a name that is related to family and the message you want your baby’s name to convey.

The key to finding and agreeing on a baby name idea is to be open minded, so use these tips to strike a compromise and don’t be afraid to think outside of the box!

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Learn the Benefits of Infant Massage

February 16th, 2012

Have you heard of infant massage but aren’t sure what it is? Do you wonder why parents would bother or if there are any benefits? If you are intrigued by the idea but want to learn more, here are the basics and benefits of infant massage.

Infant massage is not new, but the benefits have made it an increasingly popular way for parents to soothe and connect with their babies. Yet there are still many parents that are just hearing about infant massage for the first time. So what is it? How do you do it? What are the benefits? Keep reading and find out!

What is Infant Massage?

Infant massage is a type of massage that parents perform on their infants. It is very similar to the type of massage an adult might receive, but it is done in a way that does not address muscle tension or knots, since infants are generally free of these types of ailments. Still, the benefits of infant massage aren’t much different from the benefits of adult massage.

Benefits of Infant Massage

Studies have shown that infants who receive regular massages from their parents are overall more relaxed and less fussy. Infant massage can also calm fussy infants and create a bonding experience between parent and child. Sleep and growth patterns may also be enhanced and improved through massage as well. It is also important to know that infants who suffer from colic are less likely to enjoy the massage, but they often enjoy the benefit of less gas throughout the day.

How to Perform Infant Massage

Most parents who massage their babies do it at least once daily, often starting right after birth. You will want to be certain that you create a warm and quiet environment, especially for newborns that can get chilly easily. Turn the heat up just a little, turn on some soft music, and create a small, soft space for baby to rest. Some parents prefer to use lotion or baby oil, but you can also use olive oil to reduce the chemicals. This will ensure that your baby is able to enjoy the benefits of infant massage without sacrificing your concern over chemicals on your baby’s skin.

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Posted in Caring for Baby, Colicky Baby, Health, Parenting, Post Birth | No Comments »

Helpful Tips for Traveling with Your Baby

February 14th, 2012

When your baby first comes home, you may spend a lot of time at home. But before you know it, your life will commence and errands can become a nightmare if you don’t know how to prepare for your first outings with baby. Use these helpful hints for traveling with your baby so that you can be ready when the time comes.

Traveling with your baby the first few times can be extremely hectic. It can become a nightmare if you forget to bring something important. Like most parents, you can learn from mistakes or experience. Or you can learn from the mistakes of others and use these helpful tips for traveling with your baby and be a bit more prepared.

Feeding Items

You should always bring what you need to feed your baby when you go out. It doesn’t matter if you feed your baby right before you leave or if you’re only leaving for a few minutes. Every outing takes a bit longer than it used to when you have a new baby in tow. Add that to the many things in life that can slow you down and you have a formula for disaster, especially if you forget feeding supplies.

For breastfeeding mothers, traveling with your baby means bringing lots of water for you to drink as well as a cover, if you plan to use one. For bottle feeding parents, that means bringing bottles filled with distilled water, and a formula container. Please keep in mind that you should never mix the bottle until you are ready to feed your baby.

Diapering Items

Another common mistake new parents often make is forgetting diaper items. This includes clean diapers, a bag to put dirty diapers in, a changing pad, rash cream or baby powder, and baby wipes. Remember, no matter how long you plan to be gone, something can always go wrong when traveling with your baby.

Miscellaneous Items

Other items you will want to bring along include: extra blankets, burp rags, rattle toys, extra clothing, an extra pair of socks, a hat, and a thermometer. While you may not always need these items, they are good things to bring along when traveling with your baby.

Posted in Baby Items, Caring for Baby, Feeding, Parenting, Post Birth | No Comments »

Learn How to Wash Your Baby’s Clothing

February 9th, 2012

Having a baby? Be prepared for more laundry than you have ever seen! Spit-up, diaper blowouts, and more all warrant the changing of outfits at least a few times a day. But did you know there is a special way to wash your little one’s laundry? Discover the right way to handle your infant’s dirty clothing.

If you don’t know how to wash your baby’s clothing, you’re not alone. Many parents are unaware that there are a few rules for washing their infant’s clothing. As a result, many infants suffer from dry, irritated skin or other adverse reactions. Infant clothing can also become ruined because it wasn’t washed with the right type of care. If you learn how to wash your baby’s clothing, however, you can prevent these common problems.

Separating the Loads

The first thing you need to know when learning how to wash your baby’s clothing is that you should never mix adult clothing with baby clothing. The soil on your clothing can stain and ruin your infant’s clothing. Additionally, the perfumes, dyes, and other chemical elements you come into contact with throughout the day are too much for your baby’s skin. Even if you wash the clothing, some of that residue can make its way into the fibers of your infant’s clothes.

Pretreat Stains

Changing baby because of a messy lunch, spit up mess, or diaper blowout? Rinse and pretreat the stain first. This will help prevent permanent stains on your infant’s clothing. And because infant clothing is expensive and babies make a lot of messes, the more items you can save, the better.

Which Detergent?

When choosing your infant’s detergent, it is essential that you choose the right one. Harsh laundry soaps can irritate baby’s skin and cause adverse reactions in your infant. Baby’s laundry should only be washed with soap that is dye free and perfume free. If at all possible, look for “green” laundry soap, because the ingredients used in these soaps aren’t as harsh as the chemicals found in conventional laundry soaps. Using a “green” soap, however, is not an essential part of learning how to wash your baby’s clothing.

Posted in Caring for Baby, Health, Parenting, Post Birth | No Comments »

Expectant Mommy Shopping Essentials Checklist

February 8th, 2012

Are you expecting? Not sure how to stock up for the little one on the way? Here are some shopping essentials that every new mom should have on hand before baby arrives.

Knowing what items to shop for is tough when you’re expecting, which is why every expectant mommy needs a shopping essentials checklist before baby arrives. Although you’ll receive plenty of baby basics from family and friends at your shower and after baby is born, it doesn’t hurt to have certain things on hand yourself. You never know what you are going to get or what you’re going to need more of. Just because you create a registry for your shower doesn’t necessarily mean every item you request will be accounted for, so it’s a good idea to stock up on certain items yourself.

Use the following expectant mommy shopping essentials checklist to get ready for baby’s arrival:

Hygiene essentials—All of those little hygiene items will really come in handy from day one. You’ll need everything from baby nail clippers and shampoo to skin cream, and don’t forget to research the best brands for baby’s sensitive skin.

Diapers, diapers, and more diapers—No, you can never have enough diapers. Just assume you’ll receive tons of diaper products from your shower. However, pick up a few packs yourself while you’re at it, because they will go fast!

Nursery essentials—Some nursery essentials you’ll need to have on hand include basic furniture pieces, including a crib, dresser, and changing table. There are tons of options out there now that include cribs with built in drawers and even side changing table consoles that are attached to the actual crib.

Transportation essentials—You’ll also need a high-quality, convenient, comfortable car seat for your child, as well as trays and storage accessories to feed baby while you are on the road. Don’t forget diaper and duffle bags as well. Convertible car seats are especially helpful as they can accommodate your child as he or she grows.

This expectant mommy shopping essentials checklist can help get you started as you begin shopping for the little one on the way.

Posted in Baby Nursery, Caring for Baby, Parenting, Pre-Birth, Pregnancy | No Comments »

Infant Basics: When to Breastfeed Your Newborn

February 2nd, 2012

Worried about whether or not your baby is getting enough to eat? Find some tips that will help you determine when to feed your baby and how you can make feeding times a little easier for both mom and baby. 

Not sure when to breastfeed your newborn? Worried that your baby isn’t getting enough to eat? Unlike formula feeding, there isn’t a way to really determine how much your baby is getting at each feeding. This can be further complicated by a sleepy newborn that won’t stay awake at feedings. If you are concerned about your when to breastfeed your baby or just need some help making sure they get enough to eat, these tips can help.

Four Hour Maximum

In the first few weeks, you will notice that your infant sleeps…a lot! This sleepy phase can make it really difficult to know when to breastfeed your baby. Because of this, there may be times that you have to wake your newborn, no matter how sleepy they are or how much you hate to do it. Breastfed infants should never go more than four hours without a feeding. To help them stay on track, many new moms set an alarm every four hours. This trick can help you know when to breastfeed your newborn.

Waking Up Your Sleepy Baby

So how exactly do you wake that sleeping baby when it’s time to nurse? It is a task that seems next to impossible. During the first couple of weeks, you may even find that your infant falls asleep during feedings. A few things you can do to make sure they wake stay awake include:

Stripping them to a diaper – infants really don’t like to be cold, so the cool air on their skin will help them stay awake.

Use a wet rag on their heads – newborns dislike water in the first few months. A wet cloth nearby will give you a way to wake them while nursing.

Tickle their feet – gentle tickles work best and they are great for waking your infant while they are at the breast.

In addition to these tips, you may want to refrain from pacifier use until you better know when to breastfeed your baby or when your baby is more alert during the day.

Posted in Caring for Baby, Feeding, Post Birth | No Comments »

How to Help Stop Your Baby from Biting

January 30th, 2012

Biting is an extremely common behavior in older infants and toddlers. The effects, however, are extremely painful for the victim and the behavior is unacceptable for the biter. Learn how you can curb biting in your child with these tips.

If you are the parent of a biting child, you may wonder how you can stop your baby from biting. While it is a normal developmental behavior, it is also an unacceptable behavior. Play dates can become embarrassing and frustrating. Play time at home can become stressful as well. If biting has become your baby’s communication method of choice, learn what you can do to help stop your baby from biting.

Start by Comforting the Victim

If you are not your child’s most recent victim, take a moment to comfort the bitten child. Addressing your child first can actually reinforce the behavior and it is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when trying to stop your baby from biting. Once the hurt child is calm, you can move on to the next step.

Calm but Firm Words

Talk to your child in a calm but firm voice. Use simple phrases that let them know that biting is not okay. “No biting,” or “biting hurts,” are some good choices. Avoid using lengthy explanations when talking to your young child about biting. For most children two and under, long discussions will cause the important message to be lost to your child, which will not help you as you try to help stop your baby from biting.

Comfort Your Child if Necessary

It may seem counterproductive to comfort your child when you are trying to stop your baby from biting. However, what many parents learn is that their baby wasn’t even aware of the fact that biting hurts. In fact, this is pretty much a given unless your child has been bitten by another child at some time or another. So, if your child is upset after being corrected, take a moment to comfort them. Don’t use phrases like “it’s okay.” Instead say, “I know,” and “I love you.”

Give Your Child Word Tools

If your child is biting out of aggression, then your baby needs some communication tools. Jump into an argument when you see your child getting frustrated or being treated unfairly. Teach them words like, “no,” “stop,” and “mine.” You will have time to help your child communicate and share when they get older, but right now, your focus is to stop your baby biting.

Posted in Baby Safety, Caring for Baby, Feeding, Parenting | No Comments »

Returning to Work? Find the Right Child Care Provider for Your Baby.

January 23rd, 2012

Returning to work after having a baby can be hard. Your little one is everything to you and you want to be sure that the person caring for your baby is deserving and capable. Here are some simple tips that can help you find the right child care provider for your baby.

If you’re like most parents, you understand just how important it is to find the right child care provider for your baby. You may worry about all of the horror stories you’ve heard about child care providers that have been abusive or neglectful. And while these cases are rare, they do happen.

In your heart, you also know that no one could ever give your baby what you can, but you want to find someone that can offer as close to that as possible. If you are trying to find the right child care provider for your baby, use these helpful hints.

Begin Your Hunt Now

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when trying to find the right child care provider for your baby is starting your search later as opposed to sooner. The sooner you start, the more selective you can be about your child care choices. By giving yourself an ample amount of time to find the right child care provider for your baby, you can also avoid making split minute decisions.

Use an On-line Child Care Review Site

On-line child care review sites contain reviews from other parents. They can be an invaluable tool when trying to find the right child care provider for your baby. These reviews should give you an idea as to whether or not other parents have been happy with the level of care their children received from potential child care facilities.

When looking at reviews, try to remember that a bad experience can happen to anyone, and sometimes disagreements about minor things can fuel bad reviews. However, if you’re noticing, that the facility has more bad reviews than good, consider it a red flag.

Visit the Facility Unannounced

One of the best ways to determine if a child care facility is honest and upfront about their care is to arrive unannounced. Avoid high-traffic times, like parent drop offs and pick-ups, but try to visit at times that might be busy for the children, such as lunch time, mid-morning, and after school. This should give you a pretty clear indication of how they handle children when parents aren’t around, which is something you need to know when you are trying to find the right child care facility for your baby.

Posted in Baby Nursery, Baby Safety, Caring for Baby, Child Care Providers, Day Care | No Comments »

Symptoms You Should Never Ignore in a Newborn

January 19th, 2012

When you have your first baby, you may feel like an incessant worrier. You call your doctor for everything and you are constantly assured that everything is fine. For new parents, however, there are some symptoms that you should never ignore in a newborn. Find out what they are and what you should do here.

There are some symptoms you should never ignore in a newborn; this applies whether you have just had your first child or your twentieth child. In most cases, these symptoms are an indication of a serious health condition. Most of them require immediate medical attention. All of them require you to at least call your child’s pediatrician. Before you shrug off your baby’s symptoms, read over this list of symptoms you should never ignore in a newborn.

Red, Brown, or Bright Green Vomit

Babies spit up—a lot! But vomit that is red, brown, or bright green is one of the symptoms that you should never ignore in a newborn. Vomit with these colors can indicate intestinal bleeding or blockage and your baby should be evaluated by a health care professional immediately.

Not Enough Wet Diapers

At six days of age, your baby should have at least six wet diapers a day. A lack of wet diapers is an indication that your baby is dehydrated, making this another one of the symptoms that you should never ignore in a newborn. This symptom may not warrant a visit to the emergency room, but you should at least contact your infant’s pediatrician. More severe signs of dehydration can include sunken eyes, lethargy, and dry mouth. You should seek immediate medical help at this point, but counting wet diapers can help you catch dehydration before it reaches this point.

Labored Breathing

Because babies make funny sounds and their breathing still isn’t regulated, it may be hard to tell if your baby is having trouble breathing. If you suspect that your infant is struggling with their breathing, watch their nose. A nose that flares could be a sign of respiratory distress. Infants that are using their abdominal muscles are in respiratory distress and they should be seen by a health care professional immediately because this is also one of the symptoms that you should never ignore in a newborn.

Posted in Baby Safety, Caring for Baby, Feeding, Health, Parenting, Post Birth | No Comments »

How to Determine if Your Baby is Hungry

January 17th, 2012

The first few weeks of parenthood are an adjustment, to say the least. Your entire life is altered by the tiny, wrinkly body you tote everywhere. There are so many things to learn. One of those big learning struggles is learning how to determine if your baby is hungry. These tips will help you know when to feed your baby.

Not sure how to determine whether your baby is hungry or not? Feeding a newborn can be tricky, whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding. Extreme sleepiness and fussiness can further complicate the issue. Learn how to determine if your baby is hungry before the crying starts and save a little of your sanity.

A Sleeping Baby Does Not Mean a Satisfied Baby

Newborns will often sleep right through their hunger, only waking when they are really hungry. By this time, your infant is probably screaming and almost inconsolable. The crying can give your baby gas, which will only make the rest of your day a more difficult. Waiting until your baby is extremely hungry can also make for poor weight gain and even weight loss. So how do you determine if your baby is hungry when they are sleeping? Watch for these signs:

Lip smacking in their sleep

Suckling motion in their sleep

Restlessness without waking

Digit sucking in their sleep

These signs don’t always mean that your baby is hungry, but more often than not, in those first few weeks, this is how your baby will let you know they need to eat while they are still sleeping.

Other Signs That Your Baby is Hungry

There are other methods for determining if your baby is hungry. If you are holding your baby and they turn towards your nipple with their mouth open, they are hungry. Newborns are instinctively drawn to the breast, so this applies to newborns that are formula fed as well.

If your baby is inconsolable, they may be hungry, even if they just ate. During growth spurts, babies eat more. But remember, a fussy baby is a starving baby. It should not take your baby crying to determine if your baby is hungry.

Posted in Baby Nursery, Caring for Baby, Feeding | No Comments »

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