ABOUT BABY

DESIGN OF TATTOO: body tattoo painting

2010-12-18T18:34:00.000-08:00

DESIGN OF TATTOO: body tattoo painting: "tattoo on body, full color, unik tattoo design"

about baby : Summertime Safety

2009-01-03T10:11:00.000-08:00

"Fun in the Sun" is the theme for summertime. Everyone heads outdoors for picnics, barbecues,
wilderness treks and theme park visits. What does this mean for you and your little one? Here are some tips to help you have a fun and SAFE summer:
Water- Everyone loves to get wet in the summer. Infants can enjoy this as well, with a little extra caution.Most importantly, your infant should ALWAYS be within an arm's length of the responsible adult. Try to keep their little ears out of the water to avoid swimmer's ear and general discomfort. There are inflatable rings with an infant harness that babies will love, but you must be sure not to rely on this as a life saving device and continue to remain within arm's length. Remember that the AAP does NOT recommend swimming lessons for infants.
Be careful when visiting public pools as there is always the threat of contacting E-coli by swallowing pool water contaminated with diarrhea or stool remnants. To help prevent this make certain the pool's chlorine level is checked hourly, use swim diapers, don't change diapers near the pool, and be certain to wash your hands after changing diapers. Be aware of other water hazards near your baby. Infants can drown in a very short time in a very small amount of water such as in pools, jacuzzis, toilets, and even a regular 5 gallon bucket. Being top-heavy and having immature balance, a baby can fall headfirst into a bucket and be unable to get out. Even a dog's water dish can be hazardous to a crawling baby. Sun It is possible for infants who experience sunburn to have permanent damage. Babies under 6 months of age should be kept out of direct sunlight by use of shade, light clothing, brimmed hats, etc. Sunscreen may be used on small areas of the body such as the face and the back of the hands if adequate clothing and shade are not available. For older babies, sunscreen should be applied at least 30 minutes before going outside, even on cloudy days. The SPF of your sunscreen should be 15 or higher. Even waterproof sunscreens will likely need to be reapplied every hour or so. Bugs Another annoying factor of life outdoors is insects, especially those that bite! Help your little one stay bug free by avoiding areas where insects nest or congregate, such as stagnant pools of water, uncovered foods and blooming flowers. Avoid dressing your baby in clothing with bright colors or flowery prints and don't use scented soaps or other perfumed products on your child. Otherwise the bugs might mistake him for a flower! In the case a sting or bite does occur, be sure to watch your baby for any abnormal or allergic reaction and call your pediatrician immediately if one occurs. For stings with a visible stinger remaining, remove it by gently scraping it off with a credit card or your fingernail. You may have to use tweezers or your fingers to pinch it out. Soak a cloth in cold water and press it over the area of the sting to reduce pain and swelling. To relieve the itchiness that accompanies bites by mosquitoes, flies, fleas, etc., apply calamine lotion freely onto any part of your child's body except the areas around his eyes and genitals.

Tips FOR Nursing Bras

2008-12-29T22:05:00.000-08:00

By Jane Bear

A baby's cries for milk can come at any time and breastfeeding clothes can make the whole experience easier. One of the most necessary pieces of breastfeeding clothes that a nursing mother requires is a good quality nursing bra.

Making certain a nursing bra fits correctly is important. You should not buy your bra too early in your pregnancy as your breasts will be nearing their full size prior to breastfeeding your baby, buy during the last months instead. The best people to consult about the perfect bra for nursing are the experts.

A nursing bra that does not fit correctly will fail to support your breasts and can block your milk duct causing milk production to decrease, and in extreme cases blocked ducts caused by a badly fitted one can lead to mastitis.

One of the more popular types of nursing bras are those that have under wires. Under wires provide extra support, especially to those who have bigger bust lines. However, these bras, particularly if they are too small or tight, can dig into your breast tissue and clog a milk duct, which can lead to mastitis. If you do opt for an under wire bra, make certain that the bra fits properly and that the wire is not pressing on any part of your breast.

For mothers who want a quick and comfortable nursing experience, an option is to choose nursing bras that have flaps. Bras with flaps allow for just the breast-area material to be removed instead of the entire bra during feeding time. This is very useful, because it makes for discreet, convenient breastfeeding for mothers who nurse in public. Choose the one that is easiest for you to fasten and unfasten with one hand.

But there are also bras that have no flaps and under wire, which some mothers prefer strictly based on comfort. However, these kinds of nursing bras are not especially comfortable for women who have larger breasts, as they find it does not give them as much support as those nursing bras with an under wire.

You should invest in a number of nursing bras because you'll need a clean one each day. Look for bras that are made of cotton or materials such as micro fiber that allow you to breathe and move in comfort. Also, go for wide, comfortable shoulder straps to support the extra weight.

Don't be fooled into thinking that nursing bras have to be unflattering. There are various styles and colors to choose from, and they are every bit as sexy as the bras you wore before you were pregnant. There is no such thing as the best nursing bra. Buy the one that gives you the best support, is easy for you to use and gives you the greatest confidence. The Internet is a great place to find the maternity clothing that is right for you.

About the Author:

About the author: Jane Bear is the best writer since Shakespeare. See more of her stuff at Free Maternity Clothing Guide Get your free report on Maternity Clothes and Apparel

Mom's Fail-Safe Checklist for Traveling with Kids

2008-12-19T16:54:00.000-08:00

by Karyn Zielinski, Fun Places to Go With Kids.com
You've finally planned that big day out with the kids. You've got the destination. You've got the
kids. You've got the car keys. You're about to head out the door􀂫but wait! Are you really
prepared? Diapers, wipes, sun screen, blankies􀂫you hope you remembered everything! Why leave yourself open to chance? You need an easy way to make sure you really are prepared. You need Mom's Fail-Safe Checklist!
This checklist includes the basic travel items you'll need to ensure you are prepared for most trips with your kids, as well as some ideas for maximizing safety and enhancing your day. Just print out this list and hang it on your refrigerator so that you can refer to it whenever you are planning a special day out with your kids. Remember the Essentials
l Maps and directions
l Money/tickets
l Walkie-talkies
l Bus/train schedules
l Diaper bag
l Diapers or Pull-Ups
l Baby wipes
l Hand sanitizer
l Medications such as Baby or Children's Tylenol or Motrin
l Thermometer
l Change of clothes
l Pacifiers, blankies, dolls, or favorite stuffed animal
l Baby food, bowl, and 2 spoons
l Lunch, including sandwiches and fruit
l Kids' snacks in bagged individual portions
l Water bottles filled with water, juice, or milk
l Thermal carrier with ice pack to hold food and drinks
l Paper towels/napkins/tissues
l Sunglasses
l Hats
l Sunscreen
l Lip balm
l Insect repellent
Put Safety First
l Car seat, booster seat, baby carrier, stroller
l Cell phone and list of emergency numbers
l First Aid Kit that includes bandages, antiseptics, cotton balls, antibiotic ointment, and
doctors' phone numbers
l Bee sting kit if allergic
l Allergy/asthma medicines and inhalers
l Blanket, flashlight, and roadside emergency kit
l Spare tire and jack Maximize Comfort For All Seasons
l Swimsuits, towels, goggles, flotation devices (Summer)

So Many Carseats, Only One Kid

2008-12-19T16:50:00.001-08:00

Perhaps the most important baby/toddler/child product you will ever purchase is a car seat. A good car seat will protect your most valued treasure 􀂲 your child. This purchase should not be taken lightly. You want a car seat that is safe, user-friendly and comfortable. Now is not the time to skimp on quality to save a few bucks. Thanks to online shopping, you can find great car seats at even better prices. But before you start clicking, you need to know what you are looking for. Here are some key tips you should keep in mind when purchasing a car seat:
Infant Car Seats These seats are meant for infants only, up to 20 to 22 pounds. Nowadays, most of these seats come off of the base that stays in your car, and acts as infant carriers. Most have sophisticated handles, and many will even attach to shopping carts rather easily. These seats are only to be used with the baby facing the rear of the car. Many believe that using infant car seats (as opposed to using a convertible car seat that can be used with infants) is safest, and I agree. Infant car seats are designed for itty-bitty bodies. They are smaller in size so your baby isn't flopping around the seat. The reclining position they are in is safest for babies while driving too. And, who wants to wake a sleeping baby to get him out of a car seat and into the grocery cart? With infant car seats, you just snap the seat off the base and off you go! Prices generally run about $40 on up, and you can only use them for a year at most (when your baby becomes too heavy for the seat and too tall), but this is chump change when you consider it is the safest bet for your baby. Convertible Car Seats These seats are the traditional ones you see in all the stores. They are called convertible because they can be rear facing for babies less then one year old and 20 pounds (baby must be both), and then switched to forward facing for toddlers. Generally, these seats can be used until your child is about 40 pounds and at least 3 years old, preferably 4 years old (child must be both). Convertible car seats start at about $45 and can go up to $150, depending on model and features. Here's where manufacturers have had fun with options. Many offer reclining, extra padding for little tikes, removable and washable fabrics and several harness options. If you can, get a seat that has a recline option, extra padding and removable/washable fabric. As far as harness types go, there are two main types nowadays: the 5-point harness and the shield harness. the shield harness is very common 􀂲 a big padded bar swings over the child's head and locks at the waist. Usually, the safety belt that accompanies the shield harness is a 3-point harness 􀂲 it goes over the child's head and buckles between his legs, with the plastic connector at the child's armpits, connecting the two together (just like infant car seats). The 5-point harness does not have a shield. Instead, one strap goes over each shoulder, the plastic connector connects the two at the armpit level, and each strap is buckled into the strap between the legs. Experts believe (and again, I agree) that the 5-point harness is the safest for children, and if you think about it, this makes sense. The 5-point harness is designed to evenly distribute the impact of an accident. The same accident with a shield harness will distribute the impact mainly to the abdominal area. Play it safe, get a seat with a 5-point harness.

Car Safety for Children

2008-12-17T03:43:00.000-08:00

by Christa Koch, PreSchoolEducation.com
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in children in the United States! This horrible
statistic is made worse when we discover that 75% of child fatalities and 50% of child injuries
could be eliminated with the consistent and correct use of child safety seats and safety belts!
Educate yourself about your responsibility as a caregiver/parent to provide the children in your
care with the protection that law and common sense dictate. When you drive with children in the
car, children must be in safety seats and belts and in them correctly!
Placing children in safety seats is not the end of the problem. Statistics indicate that up to 50% of
children who are placed in seats may be placed incorrectly. This can lead to injury or death!
It is important to educate yourself in order to protect your child. Safety seats are safety
equipment! Buy the correct child seat according to the child's weight, height, and developmental
ability. Check safety seat and vehicle safety belt system compatibility.
If buying second hand, ensure that the seat has not been in an accident, that it meets federal
standards, has all necessary belts, buckles, and clips and that manufacturer directions are
available. If it is missing any of the mentioned, pass it by.Not all child seats can be installed in all vehicles and all seating positions. With numerous models of child seats, almost 300 models of passenger vehicles, and the wide range of belt systems available today, correctly installing a child seat can be challenging. The best way to be sure your child seat is compatible with the vehicle you are considering is to test it before you purchase or lease the vehicle. Be sure to read the child seat􀂶s instruction manual and review all information in the vehicle owner􀂶s manual concerning correct installation. Once the seat is installed, check it by firmly pulling the base of the child seat from side to side and forward. The child seat should not move more than one inch in any direction. Whether you have a front passenger side air bag in your vehicle or not, remember that children are always safer in the back seat. When children out-grow forward-facing safety seats, they need to be restrained in beltpositioning booster seats 􀂱 until they are big enough to fit properly in an adult seat belt. Children who cannot sit with their backs straight against the vehicle seat back cushion, with knees bent over a vehicle􀂶s seat edge without slouching, are not big enough for adult seat belts. Many Parents skip this very important step.
Children generally outgrow convertible child safety seats when they are about 40 lbs. From 40 to about 80 lbs. and about 4􀂶􀀜􀂴 tall, children should always be seated in a belt-positioning booster; lifting them so adult lap/shoulder seat belts are 􀂳positioned􀂴 correctly and safely. Plus, booster seats offer children better visibility and comfort. Conditioning your children at a young age to wear a seatbelt is the only way to go. Not only is your child safer, but the driver will have their attention more on the road and driving then on what their child is doing or getting into.
Many car companies are adding child safety seats to their car models. These permanent seats are designed to restrain children at least 1 year old and at least 20 pounds in a forward-facing position. Because they are built into the vehicle, these seats are an effective restraint system for children. Built-in child seats have an advantage over add-on child seats because they do not have
compatibility problems with the vehicle􀂶s seat design or seat belt systems.

Keeping Baby Safe - Two Minutes

2008-12-15T20:49:00.000-08:00

When we were babies, our mothers were probably warned not to take us out for at least the first
two weeks of our lives. In today's hectic world, that would be a recipe for going absolutely stircrazy. The truth is, you and baby can and should get outside as soon as you feel able (although you might want to limit baby's exposure to others during the first month). We know a mom who took hers to Wal-Mart the day they got back to the hospital (granted, this was mom's third child and the older two needed to buy presents for a birthday party). That might be a little on the radical side for most of us, but it's good to know that newborn is now a strapping six-year-old and doing fine... and that mom's lifestyle did not radically change because of the family's little newcomer. Here we offer some tips for staying safe - even when you are out of the house...

Two Minutes

by Jeri Sires, Towel Buddies.com
Two minutes isn't very long. You can't do much in two minutes. Not much can happen in two
minutes. Not much can be accomplished in two minutes. Or can it?
Yesterday I accomplished a lot in just two minutes. I took the trash outside in just two minutes. I
responded to an email message in just two minutes. I started a load of laundry in just two
minutes. I made an important phone call in just two minutes. You see, you can do a lot in just two minutes. Yesterday, in two minutes, both of my sons swallowed half of a bottle of pretty pills they found. Yesterday, in two minutes, my niece fell into a swimming pool. In two minutes.
My husband said, "Weren't you watching the children?" " Yes," I cried, "I only turned my back for two minutes!" Two minutes. My boys are fine. My niece is lying in a hospital bed in a coma.
Two minutes turned into 4 hours of vomiting and a life hanging in the balance.

A Solid Start to Your Infant's Nutrition

2008-12-15T07:05:00.000-08:00

As parents we never stop worrying about the little one. One of the first big topics of concern is
when to start giving solid foods to your newborn. While it is important to remember that each baby is unique in his or her needs, here are a few guidelines to help you as you start this journey.
Remember that breast milk or formula should be your baby's main source of nutrition for his first year of life. In fact, breast milk or formula should be enough to meet all of his needs until he
reaches at least 4-6 months of age. Most doctors recommend beginning to introduce solid foods
around 4-6 months of age while continuing to breast or bottle feed. Many parents do choose to
prolong the event further. Discuss this with your doctor to decide what is best for your child. Your child may be ready to start eating solid foods if several of the following are true:
l Baby can hold head steady when sitting l Baby is between four and six months of age
l Baby sometimes opens mouth when food approaches l Baby is interested in food when others eat . l Baby has the ability to swallow baby food placed on tongue. The most often recommended "first food" is rice cereal because it is easily digested and not likely to produce an allergic reaction. Other good first foods, are mashed avocados and bananas. The first feedings should be done after your baby has had some breast milk or formula but hasn't gotten totally full. Be sure you are not in a hurry for this event. Using a small spoon (rubber coated or plastic) place a small amount of food on the back of his tongue. He may make faces or push the food back out but don't give up. He needs to get used to the texture of foods and learn what to do with his tongue. Beginning portions should be 1 to 2 tablespoons. Feedings will gradually increase to two to four tablespoons of cereal. After several weeks most babies eat cereal twice a day, totaling about 1/3 to 1/2 cup a day. Always make sure the baby is sitting up to eat and drink.
Between 7 and 9 months of age your baby may be ready to begin finger foods. The baby should be able to sit up straight in a high chair, be able to grasp food with his hands or finger tips, and move the food from his hand to his mouth. Finger foods such as chopped pieces of ripe banana or dry unsweetened cereal, crackers, or teething biscuits are good choices. Avoid giving your baby foods that could be swallowed and cause choking, including raw carrots, large pieces of raw apple, whole hot dogs or hot dog coins, whole grapes, large cookies, peanuts and hard candy. Always stay with your baby while he or she is eating. It is important to be aware of your baby's reaction to any new foods introduced. It's not unusual for the baby's stool to change color upon eating new foods. However, a skin rash, diarrhea, vomiting, wheezing or stuffy nose may be signs of a food allergy or intolerance. If this occurs, stop feeding the new food and tell your doctor about the reaction at the next visit. Be sure to keep a food diary of what foods you introduce and any reactions. It is best to wait 3-5 days before introducing additional new foods. If you have a family history of food allergies, you may want to wait even later to introduce those foods.
A printable food chart listing appropriate ages to introduce various foods is found here.
Make feeding time fun time. You can sing or play silly games with your baby while feeding him.
Most of all, enjoy being a mom!
by Tamitha Lynch

Choosing Quality Childcare

2008-12-13T07:53:00.000-08:00

Every year, more parents are joining the workforce. In the near future it is likely that two out of
every three children under the age of six will live with two working parents or a single working
parent. All of these parents have one thing in common: how to care for their children while they go off to work. This article contains information, ideas and suggestions to help you make the best
possible choice of child care in community setting.

Types of Care

There are five basic types of child care:
l Full Day Child Care Centers - Groups of children usually by age, in non-residential
settings. l Family Child Care Homes - Care offered in the home of the provider, licensing or regulation vary from state to state. Mixed age groups.
l Part Day Preschool - 3-5 year olds, normally a part day, part week, school year program.
l School Time Out Programs - School Aged Care, normally before and after school hours
and school holidays. l In-Home Care - Care provided in a child's home by a relative or other person hired by the parent.

Considerations

Important considerations when choosing care:
1. Age and personality of your child: You are the best judge of the right atmosphere for your
child. Some children are shy or fearful and need quiet, small group settings while others do just
fine in a large group with lots of noise and activity.
2. Your family's needs: Do you need care for more than one child? Do you want them in care
together? If an older school aged child is also in need of care you will want to look in the area of
the school. You may want to look close to home or close to work, depending on your transportation situation.
3. Hours: Most child care centers accommodate only standard workdays and hours. Family child
care homes may be more flexible and offer evening and weekend schedules although this varies
from area to area.
Getting Started Visits
by Charlotte Dedman, HerChildCare.com

KISS - KEEP IT SIMPLY SWEET

2008-12-13T07:15:00.000-08:00

Throwing a successful baby shower for the mom-to-be can be easily done by following the K.I.S.S. ( for our purposes here Keep It Simply Sweet ).Making a major production of the baby shower can be stressful for the hostess, family and friends, not to mention the mom-to-be. while a 'surprise' shower may be nice, it may be much more practical to ask the mom-to-be about her preferences. She may be tiring easy and a morning time shower would work best. Then again, can she not sleep at night and so gets up late in the mornings? See how these questions can make a difference?Consulting with the mom-to-be can also answer questions about nursery colors, diaper preferences, even who should be on the guest list. So please do ask these things before making 'your plans'. Utmost in mind should be the guest of honor's comfort and happiness with the details.Then go ahead and K.I.S.S. it....KEEP IT SIMPLY SWEET!Light, simple finger foods, punch and cake of course...maybe 'baby size' cookies, 'baby veggies and dip'? Of course even chocolate kisses may be appropriate and can sometimes be found in pastel wrappers.Traditional ice breaker games like 'name the baby', unscrambling letters to come up with baby names in a list.Again, don't overwhelm the mom-to-be.Provide comfortable seating arranged so everyone can see the gifts as they are open. Designate a guest to act as secretary and make a list of who gave which gifts so mom can send thank you notes out after baby arrives.TAKE PICTURES! A 'Baby Brag Book' and an IOU for copies of the pictures would be a welcome gift.Another cute gift that can double as a centerpiece to go home with the guest of honor is a basket or baby tub filled with small baby items such as bottles, socks, rattles, a yellow rubber ducky, baby wipes and any other such small but useful items! Plan no more than two hours from start to finish, people have a busy schedule and mom needs her rest. Party favors and a slice of cake sent with each guest can make the day a pleasant memory for everyone.

source : baby shower tips

trying to conceive a baby boy

2008-12-13T06:09:00.000-08:00

Dreaming of a blue nursery followed by many years of cars, trucks and all things creepy crawly? There is no shortage of information on choosing your baby's gender before conception, from simple dietary changes to time consuming charts and graphs. The one thing to remember as you delve further and further into the chromosome battle is that many theories can contradict one another, nothing is foolproof and all methods have yet to be proven. Every bit of advice must be taken with a grain of salt (especially when reading this article- see dietary recommendation below) and a physician's opinion should always be sought before attempting anything that could affect your body and/or health.

What dietary recommendations are there prior to trying to conceive a baby boy?

The majority theorize that in order to have a boy you should plan on following this manly menu: salty foods, red meats, pickles, olives, fish, eggs peas, sweet corn, soda bread, figs, apricots, raisons, dried prunes, beans, avocado, zucchini and mushrooms. Try to keep your diet anti-acidic and drink 2-3 cups of green tea starting the day your period is over. Get hubby involved by having him drink a strong cup of coffee about a1/2 hour before bed to make the "little guys" more active. (Nothing is mentioned if the "little girls" daintily refuse such an obnoxious push.)

What does a woman's body condition have to do with determining a baby's gender?

from source : http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/35740/how_to_have_a_baby_boy.html

first-time parents

2008-12-13T01:29:00.000-08:00

Like many other first-time parents, I read every parenting book, often asked my mom and friends for advice and called the pediatrician frequently "just to make sure" everything was normal. By the time my second child was born, I packed away the parenting books, no longer had the time to consult friends and family on every facet of parenting and called the pediatrician only in the event of an emergency. Recently, my one-year old's strep throat infection made me realize that I needed to dust off those parenting books and reacquaint myself with the basics. So here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics in case you're like me and need a refresher course on "When to Call the Doctor."
When to Call the Doctor If your child has any of the following symptoms, call to find out if he or she needs to be seen right away:
l Vomiting and diarrhea that last more than a few hours in a child of any age. l Rash, especially if there is also a fever. Any cough or cold that does not get better in several days, or a cold that gets worse or has a fever. l Cut that might need stitches. l Limping or is not able to move an arm or leg. l Ear pain or drainage from an ear. l Sore throat or problems swallowing. l Sharp or persistent pains in the abdomen or stomach. l Any fever in a baby younger that 3 to 4 months of age. l Fever and vomiting at the same time. l Not eating for more than a day. Call your pediatrician immediately if your infant or child has bleeding that can't be stopped; poisoning; seizures; trouble breathing; high fever; head injury with loss of consciousness, vomiting
or poor skin color; blood in urine; bloody diarrhea or diarrhea that won't go away; or sudden lack
of energy or is not able to move. Always feel free to call your pediatrician. Call right away if you are worried about your child. Sometimes a parent feels there is a problem before symptoms actually show up. When you're not sure whether to call, trust your instincts.
When you do call, make the most of the phone. Report your child's temperature, remind the doctor about past medical problems, mention medications and keep immunization records at hand. If possible, have your child near the phone when you call your pediatrician. An older child may be able to tell you where or it hurts or you can easily answer questions about a rash or cut.
To call or not to call? If you're not sure your child needs to see a pediatrician, always call his or her office. The office staff can often tell you over the phone if your child needs to be seen or can give medical advice over the phone if an office visit is not needed.

Baby First Cold

2008-12-13T01:01:00.000-08:00

Everyone dreads the cold season. It can be especially hard when you have a baby with a cold.
Babies are too young for most medicine and so I will introduce you to some tips that may help a
little. These tips are not to make up for a trip to the doctor when needed:
Use a soft cloth for a runny nose instead of tissues. It is gentler on baby's nose and saves
money. Be sure to offer a drink often to help replace lost fluids.
Use a humidifier to moisten the air. Don't keep the bedroom too warm. For fast relief from
stuffiness, run a hot shower or bath with the door closed until the whole room is steamy. Turn the
water off and sit with the baby on your lap, or walk around the bathroom for a few minutes while
the baby breathes in the steam.
Babies can't have medicated rubs (like Vicks) applied to their sensitive skin until they are much
older. I have a trick I like to do with Vicks as it is effective in loosening stuffiness and helping
coughs. I take a bit of Vicks and rub it onto a cloth or washcloth. I place the cloth inside the baby's
shirt with the Vicks side facing outward toward the shirt. Make sure that the baby doesn't get too
hot with this added to their clothing. Especially if they have a fever.
Cool a Fever Naturally. With a low fever, I have the baby wearing his t-shirt and diaper and a
blanket that can be removed quickly when his fever rises. I like to use a wet washcloth on his
forehead to help with bringing his fever down.
A high fever that does not come down could be the sign of a secondary infection and may require
medication. Babies who have experienced febrile convulsions should be monitored closely; in this
case your pediatrician may instruct you to administer fever reducing medication. Never give
medication to a young infant without explicit instructions from your pediatrician.
Congestion can be a problem when the baby is sleeping. Elevate the mattress by placing a
folded blanket underneath. I find myself holding the baby alot and usually cuddling up so it is easy
to check on him all through the night.
Everything else comes second to this little baby who needs you so much right now. Before you
know it, all will be well again and you and baby will be able to get back to your normal routine.
Wendy Shepherd is married to Michael and stay-at-home mother of three vibrant, young children
who she homeschools. She is the founder and owner of TipzTime.com & ComputerMommy.com
with ComputerChildren.com & ChartJungle.com (due to open this year).

For Crying Out Loud

2008-12-11T19:51:00.000-08:00

For Crying Out Loud!
by Kristine Roberson
So you bring your new baby home from the hospital, and you are full of excitement. You're in awe over just how cute and adorable this little person is, and your heart fills with more love than you ever thought it was capable of holding.
A few harried weeks go by and you are starting to notice that your perfect little baby is crying 􀂲 a lot. As a matter of fact, he won't stop crying. You try everything you can think of, and he just won't stop crying. Suddenly, the cuteness starts to wear off. Suddenly, the reality of your new life sets in. And your baby has colic. And nothing you do is working.
Sound familiar? It sure does to me! Although my son did not have colic (he didn't cry for months
straight), he did have "colicy" moments (he would often pull an all-day crying fest). At any rate,
helping a baby with colic is trying, tortuous, exhasberating and tiring 􀂲 and very drawn out.
Classic colic can set in at two to three months of age and last up until about six months of age.
I've heard some horror stories and have a couple of my own. I've also heard a plethora of
suggestions on how to help a baby with colic. Here are the best tips I've been given or read:
Tip #1: If you think gas is a problem, try Mylecon infant drops (no, not for your husband, silly,
your baby!). I used them on my son a few times and he would stop crying and be a happy baby
again after about 10 minutes.
Tip #2: Breastfeeding? Watch your diet! Stick to a basic diet with little to no spices and try
eliminating dairy for a week or so. Your baby may be having an allergic reaction to it.
Tip #3: Breastfeeding enough? Maybe your baby really does want to nurse every other hour 􀂲
mine did! Most babies are comforted by nursing enough to fall right to sleep (and they usually
don't cry in their sleep!).
Tip #4: OK, you may not believe me on this one, but I've had two professionals coroborate the
theory. Was your baby delivered via forceps or vacuum extraction? I've had doulas and
chiropractors tell me that this type of delivery can take the baby out of alignment and a round of
baby chiropractic treatments can be extremely helpful. I've heard stories of colicy babies getting a couple of chiropractic treatments and they turn into totally different 􀂲 and calm 􀂲 babies! Check around and find a reputable chiropractor who specializes in infants and give it a try. You never know. My mother tells me I was delivered via forceps and had colic for three months straight!
Tip #5: Try infant massage. Lay baby on his back and massage his tummy in an upside down U,
starting at one side of his pelvis area, working up to his diaphgram and then down to the other
side. This technique is actually referenced in William and Martha Sears' "Baby Book: Everything
You Need To Know About Your Baby - From Birth To Age Two"
Tip #6: Try a little chamomile tea. I've heard from British moms that a little chamomile tea does
wonders, and I believe it. Chamomile is known for its tummy-soothing properties.
Tip #7: Turn on the vacuum cleaner! I'm serious! The white noise might calm him right down and put him to sleep! We tried this on my son and it worked everytime. Not most times 􀂲 100 percent of the time. We actually burned up the vacuum engine and had to buy a new one!
Tip #8: Formula-fed baby? The formula you are giving him may be contributing to the problem. If you are feeding him a milk-based formula, try a soy-based formula. If that doesn't work, there are formulas specifically targeted to allergic babies. Consult your pediatrician, then give them a shot.
Tip #9: Warm his tummy. Try a warmed towel on his crib mattress and laying him on that (put
baby on his side).
Tip #10: Movement, movement, movement. Rock him, walk him. Put him in his infant carrier, turn on the clothes dryer and place him on top of it. Go for a long drive.
Tip #11: OK, this one was suggested to me and never worked with my son, but you may find it
helpful. Try the "colic hold." Hold your baby on your forearm so that his tummy is resting on your arm, his head is at your elbow and his diaper is in your hand.
Of all the tips above, #7 is my favorite. The vacuum cleaner has truly become my best friend! Just make sure to get your husband to clean the carpets while it's on!
Good luck, and keep your spirits up! Colic is no fun, but it will end. I promise!
Kristine Roberson is mom to 2-year-old Kaleb (who has given his personal stamp of approval on
homemade baby food) and owner of MyMamaSaid.com, a web site with tips, advice and support for all moms. She and her husband run Roberson Publishing, a desktop publishing and web design business. Visit MyMamaSaid.com for more baby food recipes.

Breastfeeding, Pumping and the Working Mom

2008-12-11T10:13:00.000-08:00

Breastfeeding, Pumping and the Working Mom
by Kenyatta Thomas, Cubby Mom at StorkNet
This topic is near and dear to my heart. As a mom who works outside the home, one of the things I worried about while out on maternity leave, was continuing the breastfeeding relationship I
established while on maternity leave the past five months. It was something that I KNEW I would do - even before going out on maternity leave - so I had
everything in place, a room to pump, supervisors understanding I would need several breaks
during the day to pump - and that I had no time set as to when I would stop. I'm always amazed that I managed to do it for 18 months! It was not a set goal that had been
planned - but more a mind set that I would provide breastmilk for Christian any way I could - for as long as I could - and that I would take it one day at a time. After doing lots of research, I purchased the Medela Pump In Style about 3 weeks before I returned to work, and it was probably the best purchase I could have ever made. The price was steep, $250.00, but it was WELL worth it when I took into consideration the milk I sent to daycare each day, and the short amount of time it took to pump. About two and a half weeks before I returned to work - and after I purchased the pump, I called my manager to confirm the arrangements I'd made with him before I'd gone on maternity leave. I wanted to follow Christian's nursing schedule as closely as I could, and by the time I was ready to return to work, at four and a half months old, Christian was nursing every 3-3.5 hours. The following was a typical day of nursing and pumping during the week for me: Before I left for work, I nursed: l 5:30 AM Started work:
l 6:00 AM First pumping session: l 9:00 AM (15-20 min ~ 9-12 oz of EBM pumped)**
l Second pumping session: 12 NOON (15-20 min ~ 8-10 oz of EBM pumped)**
l Off work: 2-2:30 PM l 3:00 PM nurse Christian after picking him up from daycare
Now while my schedule WAS smooth - my relationship with one of my supervisors and her
attitudes towards my pumping was not. Luckily I had the support of one of the company VP's, and after a tense couple of months, I was allowed to continue pumping. With this in mind, not to discourage you - but to better prepare you - I do think there are some things you can do to prepare yourself JUST in case you run into problems. l Your first step is to obtain information on the laws of the state you live in by calling up your local Department of Labor Office.
l Are you hourly or exempt employee? -- It makes a difference. Exempt employees can alter
their work schedule without it affecting wage and hourly laws. Hourly (or non-exempt)
employees must stick to wage and hour laws. This includes provisions for breaks. Most states
do not have provisions for breaks for exempt employees. l Analyze other employee breaks. See if they are sticking to company policy. After you've gathered all of this information, take this to your personnel office. Tell them that you are willing to negotiate on work time for them to allow you to pump -- still maintaining an eight-

hour workday.
l There should be no reason for the company not to work around a pump schedule providing
you are exempt. It does become more difficult if you are hourly and that's why it's important
to document what OTHER hourly employees do on their breaks (such as smoke breaks).
l It is always best to speak with your direct supervisor first, and if they are not willing to
negotiate, tell them that "unfortunately you are unsatisfied with their response and would
like to speak with someone from your personnel department - or another manager."
l It is important that you follow the chain of command and most times bosses *will* negotiate
- so that their boss does not have to be involved. Remember to NOT lose your temper and be
respectful in your meetings discussing this. Working and nursing is something that can be done successfully with the right planning - and the right attitude. With a little planning in advance, a good breastpump, and a comfortable work environment, you can continue the breastfeeding relationship you started with your infant. Going back to work doesn't necessarily mean you have to stop nursing.
Kenyatta Thomas is a technical editor to a government contractor, and says that after the birth of son Christian, she went to work with her briefcase in one hand, and her breast pump in the other -- really began to realize what being a Professional Mom is all about. Kenyatta is the Working Parents 'Cubby Mom' at StorkNet.com, "the friendliest parenting and pregnancy community online!"

3 post in One ( needed tips over )

2008-12-10T19:57:00.000-08:00

All the Baby Gear You Need! - Breastfeeding Tips - A Second Look at Cloth Diapers

All the Baby Gear You Need!

I can't believe how much stuff my kids have, and they aren't even two years old! I knew they would take over my life, but I didn't realize they would take over my purse, my bathroom, my dresser, my craft box, everything! People love it when pacifiers and those little suction things for baby snot fall out of my purse - they think it's cute. I think "oh how I can't wait until they can fall asleep on their own and blow their nose." Actually I don't mind the little items that collect everywhere. What bothers me is that I buy a big ticket item like a double stroller, and they won't let me take it home and try it for a day. Seriously, I can't tell you how many strollers
we've bought, three to be exact, until we found the one that could be opened by one person without a single swear word. They make it look so easy in the store. Then comes the problem of getting it home. We have sworn we will never own a minivan. But how do you fit the stroller you already own, two kids in car seats, two adults and a new stroller, in a Plymouth Neon? You can't. So I've switched to ordering out of catalogs or online. If you are expecting a baby let me give you a few tips on the products you won't be able to live without. First off is a carseat. I suggest buying one that has a separate base - you leave the base in the car and then the carrier
holds the baby - that can be attached to a stroller - so you don't have to wake the baby when moving them to the stroller - and that rocks. Most of the car seats that are available for a newborn are pretty much the same. I do not recommend buying one from a second hand store, you don't know if they have ever been in an accident. Next you will definitely want a stroller. I do suggest actually going to a store to try them out - but then order them online so you don't have to pay taxes or deal with the headache of getting them home. Things to look for, ease of
use is number one. Can you lift it, open and close it without your blood pressure soaring past 300? Also look for seat covers that are removable, we had a Peg Perego that couldn't be washed and it looked absolutely horrible and couldn't be given away or resold. Make sure all of the wheels turn, this is very important for maneuvering, some only have the front or back wheels adjusted to swivel. Make sure you think about what you will be using the stroller for and features that you want such as baskets, sun shades, lightweight for travel on planes.
Now let's talk about swings and bouncers. My daughter loved her bouncer. It had a little vibrator in it also that would put her to sleep instantaneously. It was great for when we starting giving her baby food also. My son on the other hand, was a swinger. For the first two months of his life he spent almost every moment in the swing. He wouldn't even sleep in his bassinet. Things to look for in a swing, don't go for the crank kind. You will drive yourself and your child nuts. Yes they are cheap, there's a reason for that. We have a battery powered swing with 3 speed levels. Check out the speed in the store, the highest setting on our swing would send my son into orbit
around Earth. If you don't want the expense of batteries, buy rechargables, trust me you'll use them in the years to come for all the toys you'll be buying at holidays. Speaking of toys. I honestly don't know how to choose toys in a toy store. I become a babbling idiot as soon as I
walk into one. I have no idea where I'm supposed to start or how to look for toys that are appropriate for my child. And I would never take them with me, that's just a nightmare waiting to happen. I like the toy sites on the Internet that separate toys into age categories and developmental stages. I simply put my child's age in and up come the toys that are right for them. It can't get any easier. I especially like the developmental toys that are designed to
teach them some important, life altering lesson that will make them Nobel Prize winners! A mother's dream. My favorite ??toy' my children have is their play yards. These things are great for moms who work at home or moms who just want time to themselves but can't convince their children that it's nap time. They have great activities appropriate for active babies to keep themselves occupied and happy. With an assortment of mirrors, different textures and attached toys that are completely safe, you can be assured your baby is being entertained. Lastly I would like to mention the hi-chair. My grandmother found a great chair for my daughter before she was born. It can be used as a high chair, then a booster seat, than a chair and table. It has grown with her! She absolutely loves the thing too, she knows right where to go at meal time. Things I look for in a hi-chair are stability, it must have a lap belt that goes between the legs and a tray in front of the baby. Also make sure it is easy to clean, you don't want food getting stuck in a lot of crevices. Just remember, someday they will be all grown and you can have your house back to yourself, and then you'll long for these days!

A Second Look at Cloth Diapers

When I was pregnant with my first child, I remember a friend telling me to buy those flat cloth
diapers for burp rags. She commented, "I don't know how people use those for diapers, they are so thin!" It turns out that people don't use those! At least not anymore. Actually there is quite a broad selection with today's cloth diaper. Diapers come as prefolds, fitted or all-in-one (AIO). You can get them in plain white or with patterns and prints. You can also fasten them with pins, Velcro or snaps. In fact, there is such a selection in cloth diapers that it can be quite overwhelming. Diaper Dictionary The main types of diapers are pre-fold, fitted and all-in-ones. Pre-fold diapers are rectangular shaped and are divided into 3 sections than span the length of the diaper. The middle is the thickest section with 6 to 8 layers of fabric. The outer sections usually are four layers. Then there are fitted diapers which resemble disposable diapers. They have a contoured shape and have gathered elastic edges around the legs. Instead of tape, they are fastened with Velcro or snaps. You can also have them made without fasteners so you can pin or fold into a waterproof cover. I have already mentioned the waterproof cover a few times. Cloth diapering requires two pieces, the diaper and a waterproof cover. The main the reason for separating the diapers from the covers is that diapers require more rigorous cleaning and can wear out the waterproof quality of an attached cover. I find that having these two pieces separate just makes buying diapers more fun. You can mix and match covers, find covers with cute prints, or buy different kind for day or evening wear. Separate covers can be reused several times between washings and can be hand or machine-washed when necessary. Still if you want, you can invest in AIOs (All In Ones). These are basically fitted diapers with the waterproof cover already sewn on. Since these are more expensive and require more care most parents prefer to reserve these for outings. No more pins While there are many cloth diaperers that prefer to pin, pins are no longer a necessity with cloth. You have already read about fitted diapers and AIOs that can be closed with attached fasteners like Velcro or snaps. However if you want to stick with the economical prefold, you have pin-less alternatives. You can enclose your prefold in a waterproof cover. Alternately you can use snappi clips, which are Y shaped plastic fasteners that have claws at each end to grab and hold the diapers in place. Personally I love the way my baby looks in a pinned prefold. Pinning is easy once you get the hang of it. One trick I use is to stick my pins in a bar of soap between uses. The soap provides a coating that makes the pin slide right through the diaper the next time??this makes a big difference when trying to diaper a wriggly child. Caring for diapers If dirty diapers scare you, don't worry. Today's washing machines do all of the work. For dirty diapers, simply shake out loose pieces into the toilet bowl and dunk if necessary and put the diaper in the pail. If this still bothers you use paper-thin flushable liners between your baby's bottom and the diaper. You never have to touch the yucky stuff!
My method for washing diapers consists of 4 steps:
l Overnight Soak. I place all diapers in the washer with cold water and ½ cup of baking soda.
Baking soda is key here. It is very effective in whitening and removing the urine smell from
the diapers. I let the diapers soak in a baking soda solution for at least 8 hours, usually
overnight. l Hot Wash. I drain the water from the soak and re-fill the washing machine with hot water, liquid fragrance-free laundry detergent and more baking soda. l Rinse. For the rinse I use cold water, add ½ cup of vinegar, this softens the diapers and balances the pH balance of the diapers. l 2nd Rinse. For this final rinse I use cold water only.
Worried about the smell?
Many parents think a cloth diaper pail is smellier than a disposable diaper one. I found the contrary to be true. Since I flush poops down the toilet there is less to stink up the baby's room. With disposable diapers, you usually have dirty diapers sitting for days. Even through a diaper genie, I have been able to detect the scent of a dirty diaper. Therefore unless you take the diaper genie out to the garage to remove the diapers when it is full, your baby's room will stink of week old dirty diapers for a few hours. On the few occasions when my diaper pail starts to emit a bad odor, I simply sprinkle baking soda (again!) This does the trick.
The truth about Diaper Rash It is a myth that cloth diapered babies get diaper rash more frequently than disposable diapered ones. Procter & Gamble's own studies have shown that the occurrence of diaper rash increases from 7.1 percent to 61 percent with the increased use of disposable diapers. ("A Review of Procter & Gamble's Environmental Balances for Disposable and Re-usable Nappies" The Landbank Consultancy Limited, 1991.)
If your baby gets diaper rash with cloth diapers chances are you have done something wrong.
When washing diapers make sure to use fragrance free detergent in the wash and vinegar in rinse. Also avoid borax, bleach, soap detergents and fabric softener. Bleach and borax break down diaper fibers. Soap and fabric softener reduce the absorbency of diapers. So there you have it cloth diapering in a nutshell. Now you that have the basic information try it out for yourself! It's fun, fashionable and easier than you thought. Jennifer Liptrot is wife to Michael and mama to two young bright, energetic children, both of whom wear their cloth diapers proudly. She is the founder and owner of DiaperPin.com, a comprehensive cloth diapering resource.

Breastfeeding Tips

Elaine: To get off to a great start with breastfeeding, learn as much as you can about breastfeeding ahead of time . . . read read read . . . ask questions . . . seek support from friends,
family, local breastfeeding support groups, and breastfeeding support forums on websites such as StorkNet. Buy a tube of Lansinoh to help PREVENT sore nipples and take it to the hospital with you. Don't wait until you are in pain to send someone out to buy it. It is a specific form of ultra purified lanolin which is soothing to the nipples and helps prevent sore nipples and promote healing if damage has already occurred. Make sure baby opens his mouth WIDE to latch on. Don't allow him to suck on just the 'tip' of the nipple. Proper latch on will eliminate much of the pain and soreness often associated with breastfeeding, and it will allow the baby to get milk more easily. Something that helped me with good positioning was putting a pillow in my lap to help support baby. The baby only weighs 7-8 lbs but still, having her AT BREAST LEVEL did keep me from trying to lean in to her. The specially designed nursing pillows are great, but regular old bed pillows work just fine too! You can find great nursing pillows at the BabyCenter Store. Learn to nurse lying down if possible!!!! This will make night time feedings so much less tiring. Or if you absolutely can't nurse lying down buy a 'stuffed hubby' . . . it's one of those big firm pillows that's shaped like the back of a chair with arms. I think they are mainly marketed for reading or watching TV in bed. It is so much easier to prop up against it than to try to arrange three or four pillows comfortably against the headboard in the middle of the night. And you can lean back and maybe even doze as baby nurses. I think there is some kind of animalistic 'mother instinct' that keeps us holding them as we sleep. Cath: The single most important thing I learned was to put the baby to the breast . . . not the breast to the baby. Sounds simple but in reality it's so easy to hold the baby on your lap, lean forward and try to put the nipple into the baby's mouth. This is not only a recipe for backache, but for bad latch and total misery. I had to learn after many weeks, to hold the baby's head close to the breast, and when he opened his mouth to latch on, virtually push his head towards the breast and we were both happy. Libramom: Invest in a Boppy or Nursing Pillow. Mine has become my best friend AND my son's favorite pillow. It fits to the body, and it's especially soothing for us Mom's who had c-sections. If you plan on pumping at work, try and make your arrangements in advance so far as place to pump, etc. Purchase the best quality pump you can afford. A little extra investment up front is well worth it in the long run. When I first started breastfeeding, my son would never empty both breasts, and I would always forget which side I left off at. I finally put a tiny safety pin on one of the straps of my bra, and whatever side I would leave off at, would be the side the pin went on. Another thing to remember is, with some women, your milk doesn't start to "flow" as soon as the baby is born. There's fluid, and it's colostrum, and it's VERY IMPORTANT that your baby gets this as well. It took my milk about two days to come. The thing that I also had to "LEARN" was that there would be times when my baby would be hungrier than other times . . . that there would be growth spurts . . . and that I had enough milk to sustain him. IRDovev: One thing that really helped me get started was a video put out by Medela called Breastfeeding Your Baby - Positioning. Really seeing how to position the baby and what to look for to make sure that the baby was latched on correctly really helped. I would like to add that a good Baby Tips for New Parents: Breastfeeding Tips from the Moms at StorkNet. lactation consultant really came in handy also. Don't hesitate to stop back at the hospital several times if you are having problems. Imichel: If you are not too large breasted, buy "sleep" bras that don't have hooks on them. I could never get the hooks rehooked. You just pull the sleep bras down and when you're done, snap them back up. Much easier. Jill1babe: I have very large breasts (DDD) and the best positioning for us was the football or clutch hold. If your milk comes in suddenly (like mine did) you can become engorged. Something that helped me was hot showers and letting the water flow over my breasts! I also used a manual pump while in the shower. This relieved me enough so my daughter could latch on. Once she could latch on, I let her nurse like crazy!
Leigh: The best tip I got was to NOT try and hold my breast away from baby's nose. The lactation consultant showed me that baby would adjust. They won't just suffocate and by pushing down to keep my breast out of the way, I was changing the shape of the nipple inside baby's mouth leading to sore nipples. kathywitak: Go to a La Leche League meeting!!!!! The moms who attend LLL meetings are breastfeeding pros and they are willing to help! It's always comforting to know you have an experienced ear to bounce *any* question off. LaLeche League Web Site has a great article on how to find a LLL leader near you. Bookmark breastfeeding bulletin boards (especially this one!). You can get lots of good information just reading others' questions. And if *you* think of a question while you're awake in the middle of the night, chances are by morning you will have several responses. Get a sling and practice with it at home. They make nursing in public much easier and more discreet. Not to mention they are great for still being able to get things done when baby is going through a growth spurt and wants to stay attached to your breast all day. I recommend the Nojo Baby Sling. Boppy pillows are great for nursing while on the computer. Cararocky: Wearing nursing clothes is optional, however, with my first baby it was easier going out wearing a nursing top and bra. But anything in your closet can do. If its a button down shirt, unbutton from the bottom so the top part covers you. A blanket always works also. Most people will think your baby is sleeping, unless you run into a nursing mother who like me, will always give you a little smile. nabs: If you have large breasts, roll up a cloth diaper and place it underneath your breast for extra support. It frees up one hand and keeps your baby from having to support extra weight. These breastfeeding "Quick Tips" were collected from the message boards at StorkNet.com, "the friendliest parenting and pregnancy community online!"

Tips for New Parents

2008-12-09T04:39:00.000-08:00

by Sheila Somerlock Ruth, MyCinnamonToast.com
It happened to me about 6 or 7 months into my pregnancy - that sudden realization that in just a
few short months, my husband and I would be completely and totally responsible for the care of a new baby. Until that time, I had been focused on the details of the pregnancy: the changes in my body, the development of the fetus inside me, and our plans for the delivery. I hadn't really
thought about what would happen when we came home from the hospital with our new baby. Panic set in. Would we know what to do? What if we made mistakes?
In a frenzy, I dragged my husband to a parenting class. I didn't learn very much from the class.
About all I remember of it was pretending to bathe a doll. But it did give me some confidence that, just maybe, I could do this parenting thing after all. In truth, nothing can really prepare you for parenting. It's strictly on-the-job training. No matter what you learn or know about parenting, your children will surprise you and force you to learn new things and come up with creative solutions. So, while it is important to learn as much as we can about taking care of these small beings that have been entrusted to us, it's also important to realize that it's not like studying for a test. We don't have to know everything! But in case you're feeling edgy, as I was, here's some tips to help you get started on your parenting journey:
1. Trust your instincts! No matter what the books say, no matter what the doctors say, in the
end it comes down to you. You have to do what you think is right, even if it goes against what
everyone else is saying. Remember that 40 years ago, breastfeeding was frowned on, and those
mothers who did nurse their children had to go against powerful social pressure to do what they
thought was right. Now of course, we know that nursing your child is one of the best things that
you can do to give them a good start. Will you make mistakes? Probably. But most of the mistakes parents make do not cause lasting damage.
2. Read as much as you can. While it is important to trust your instincts, it is also important to have a lot of information to draw on in making your decisions. You shouldn't necessarily take
anything you read as absolute truth; many parenting books will offer conflicting advice on any
given subject. If you rely on only one book, even a good one, then you are not getting the whole
story. But if you read a lot of books and articles, you can use the knowledge you've gained to make up your own mind. There are things I wish that I had known about when my child was a baby that I didn't learn until much later.
3. Be thorough about childproofing. If there is one area in which mistakes can have a lasting
impact, it is safety. Don't delay; you'll be surprised at how quickly most babies become mobile.
4. Buy a good pediatric health reference. My husband and I have consulted ours more than
once in the middle of the night. It can sometimes help you figure out how to deal with health
issues without having to call the doctor. Just don't get carried away; it's easy to find all sorts of
exotic illnesses that fit your child's symptoms.
5. When in doubt, call the pediatrician, even if it is the middle of the night. If you're not sure if
your child's symptoms are serious, it's always better to call the pediatrician. As you become more experienced, you'll have a better feel for when you need to call the doctor, but in the beginning it's hard to know. If your pediatrician makes you feel stupid for calling, get a new pediatrician. A good pediatrician understands that new parents don't have the experience to know when there is really a problem.
6. Buy a good diaper bag. You'll be carrying it around a lot, so it is important to find one which is
easy to carry and easy to organize. You may even want to consider a backpack which will leave
your hands free (trust me - you'll need them!)
7. You may want to think about using cloth diapers, at least part of the time. Cloth diapers
are better for your baby's skin and may help them to become aware of their bodily functions earlier (an important step in potty readiness). Today's cloth diapers are nothing like those shapeless rags that mothers used to have to make do with. Of course if your baby will be in day care, you will probably have to use disposables there, but you can still use cloth diapers when your baby is home. I used cloth diapers when my son was a baby, except when traveling.
8. Talk, sing, and read to your baby. Although they won't understand what you are saying for a
while, the more they hear language, the better their minds will learn to process it. And the sound
of your voice is comforting to them.
Finally, remember that you are not alone. You are surrounded by people willing to help. Don't be
afraid to ask family and friends for help. And the Internet is not only a wonderful place to find
information, it is a wonderful source of community and support. There are many wonderful
communities of moms and dads on the Internet who help each other out with advice and support. Remember the old saying, that it "takes a village to raise a child." We are lucky to live in a time when the world is our village.

Seeing is Believing

2008-12-09T04:07:00.000-08:00

Rays of colored light fell on the face of my toddler as he put his hand in the colorful light from the stained glass windows. In our pew, he sat up straight at the swell of sound as voices all around were lifted in song together. He grinned at the many people sitting around us and chortled to the delighted older woman behind us. Yes, Sunday service with our toddler! We often say babies are like little sponges, because they absorb so much, from the very first moments after birth onward. When our faith is part of our family lives, our children absorb it along with everything else they're learning. Sabbath candles, chanted blessings, special bread. Grace before meals, holding hands. Daily prayers, prayer beads, special clothes, and holy days and seasons. The details of how we express our faith in our daily lives are noticed by our children of every age, and they do not need words to absorb the richness in these details. Neither talking nor reading is necessary for our littlest children to be the sponges for information that they naturally are. We can confidently let our family life of faith prepare our children for later explanations and teaching. Talk with parents of two- or three-year-olds and you'll discover almost everyone has a story about the time their child referred to an experience that had happened before the child could use words. It's an amazing moment, realizing how much of the last year or more of your lives together was poured into your child and, rather than disappearing, was being absorbed! Only after he or she begins to talk can your child turn on the spigot and give you a hint of those experiences and that understanding. This means you can trust your faith to make rich impressions on your baby and child in the first months and years. Actually, the importance of living your faith in your family life
will continue throughout the many years until your child is able to put into words any sort of theological understanding. Take advantage of the attention your baby or toddler gives you. Go about your life of faith and expect your child to notice everything about that aspect of your life together. When your baby becomes a preschooler, the time will be right to teach brief prayers or songs, and talk about what you're doing. By then they'll be ready for those words. For now, rely on the wordless riches of your family's life of faith.

Baby Name Origins

2008-11-16T11:24:00.000-08:00

Baby Name Origins:
Are you planning a wedding any time soon? If so, head on over to SurviveTheWedding.com to find out everything you need to know about planning the perfect wedding...

Albanian Aramaic Armenian s Asian Australian Basque Belgian Bulgarian Burmese Cambodian Celtic Chinese Croatian Czech Danish Dutch Egyptian Eskimo Ethiopian Finnish French German Greek Hawaiian Hungarian baby names Icelandic baby names Irish baby names Italian baby names Japanese baby names Korean Latin Lithuanian Maori Nigerian Nordic Norse Norwegian Persian Polish Polynesian Portuguese Russian Sanskrit Scandinavian Scottish Slavic Somoan Spanish Swahili Swedish Teutonic Thai Turkish baby names Ukrainian baby names Vietnamese baby names Welsh baby names Yiddish baby names

Baby Toxic Bottle

2008-11-14T00:22:00.000-08:00

Baby’s Toxic Bottle

Executive Summary

Bisphenol A, a hormone-disrupting

chemical that is the building block of polycarbonate plastic, has been found to leach out of six major brands of popular baby bottles sold in the United States and Canada. Baby’s Toxic Bottle: Bisphenol A Leaching from Popular Brands of Baby Bottles, commissioned by a coalition of U.S. and Canadian environmental health organizations, tested plastic baby bottles in the U.S. and Canada, including products made by Avent, Disney/ The First Years, Dr. Brown’s, Evenflo, Gerber, and Playtex, for leaching of bisphenol A. The U.S. bottles were purchased in nine states at major retailers: Babies”R”Us, CVS, Target, Toys”R”Us, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart. Tests found these popular bottle brands leach levels of bisphenol A (5-8 parts per billion) when heated. Laboratory experiments with animals show that exposure to this level of bisphenol A causes a range of adverse effects. Bisphenol A, first synthesized in 1895, was discovered in 1936 to be a synthetic estrogen. The chemical is now utilized in hard, polycarbonate plastics, as well as the epoxy resins used in the linings of some food and beverage containers, dental sealants and numerous other consumer products. Bisphenol A is a developmental, neural, and reproductive toxicant that mimics estrogen and can interfere with healthy growth and body function. Animal studies demonstrate that the chemical causes damage to reproductive, neurological and immune systems during critical stages of development, such as infancy and in the womb. The levels sufficient to cause harm in animals are beneath the average levels reported in people living throughout the developed world2. Many scientists now suggest similar damage may be occurring in the human population. The objectives of this report are to a) determine whether bisphenol A leaches at measurable levels from baby bottles widely available in the United States and Canada; b) add to the growing body of knowledge highlighting the extent to which humans are exposed to bisphenol A; c) identify a responsible and precautionary legislative

approach to managing bisphenol A and other harmful chemicals, and d) help parents decrease their children’s exposure to bisphenol A. The test results of our study indicate that the

United States’ current lack of regulation of bisphenol A exposes infants and children to potentially

dangerous levels of this unnecessary toxic chemical. Our study confirms the findings of the 2007 Environment California study that tested Avent, Dr. Brown’s, Evenflo, Gerber and Playtex baby bottles. All five brands of the popular polycarbonate bottles tested in Environment California’s

study leached bisphenol A the range of 5–10 ppb.3 This report is the first dual-nation study to measure BPA leaching from baby bottles purchased from U.S. and Canadian retailers.

Key Findings

• Popular brands Avent, Disney/The First Years, Dr. Brown’s, Evenflo, Gerber, and Playtex market baby bottles that leach bisphenol A when heated;

• The laboratory tests detected between 5-8 ng/ml (parts per billion) bisphenol A leached from all bottles when heated; • Based on over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles on bisphenol A, we onclude that the amount leaching from heated bottles is within the range shown to cause harm in animal studies and is therefore a health concern for infants; • This report is the first dual-nation U.S./ Canadian study to measure the extent of bisphenol A leaching from plastic baby bottles

• Dr. Brown’s brand bottles had the overall

highest levels of bisphenol A leaching, while Avent brand bottles had the overall lowest

levels of leaching in U.S. bottles; Canadian results differ.

• The levels of bisphenol A leaching increased dramatically when the bottles were heated, with highest concentrations reported from Dr. Brown’s brand bottles. These findings are significant as baby bottles are often heated, and/or very warm liquids are poured into

bottles;

• Heating bottles to 80°C provides evidence of leaching when bottles are heated; heating to 80°C has been found to simulate 60–100 bottle washings and normal wear and use conditions;

• Major retailers including Babies”R”Us, CVS, Target, Toys”R”Us, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart sell baby bottles that leach bisphenol A when heated.

Recommendations

Based on the results of this study and the research that precedes it, Baby’s Toxic Bottle calls on major retailers and manufacturers of baby bottles to switch to safer products and phase out bisphenol A. Research shows5 that most people are exposed to bisphenol A at levels higher than those that cause health effects in animal studies. We support state policy efforts to safeguard our health by working to pass laws that phase out bisphenol A in baby bottles and other consumer products. And, we urge the federal government to reform chemical regulations to be more protective of human health, particularly the health of pregnant women and the in-utero child, as well as infants and children. In detail: • Manufacturers and retailers should immediately phase out use of BPA-containing baby bottles in favor of available, safer products. • States should act quickly to adopt policies to protect consumers and restrict BPA use in all food and beverage containers, including

those intended for use by infants and children.

• The Food and Drug Administration and manufacturers of BPA-lined infact formula cans should respond urgently and with full disclosure to the landmark investigation by Reps. Dingell/Stupak into BPA leaching from infant formula cans.

• Champions at all levels of government should work to reform America's outdated chemical policies that are failing to protect Americans from chemicals already on the market. Policies must be adopted that prevent he leaching of some of these chemicals from our consumer goods into our food and water.

• The federal law regulating industrial chemicals is 30 years old. It is outdated and does not protect Americans. We need to reform this law to protect consumers. The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) must be amended to:

– Require comprehensive, publicly available health data on industrial chemicals

– Require product manufacturers to test and disclose the chemical contents of their products

– Prohibit the use of dangerous chemicals in products, especially those targeted at infants and children

– Arm consumers with useful information to make safer product choices

– Provide information and technical resources to businesses so they can make products safe for consumers, and invest in green economic development to spur innovation of safer products.

Background on Bisphenol A (BPA)

In 1936, scientists discovered that bisphenol A (BPA) could be used as a synthetic hormone that mimicked estrogen, which they thought might be useful to help control difficult pregnancies. Bisphenol A took a back seat to a similar chemical called diethyl sylbestral (DES), which was determined to be more effective in this application. It was not until after it had been given to millions of women that DES was identified as a cancer-causing agent and the cause of serious reproductive defects, including rare vaginal cancer, in the daughters of mothers who had taken DES during pregnancy. In the 1950s chemists found that BPA could be polymerized to produce commercially viable plastics. Bisphenol A is now used to make polycarbonate plastics—the clear or tinted, unbendable plastic used to make some of the most popular baby bottle brands and reusable water

bottles, including most Nalgene bottles. Polycarbonate plastic bottles often have the number 7 in the recycling triangle on the bottom of the bottle, falling into the “other” category of plastics, and/or the letters “PC” near the recycling triangle. Other products that often contain BPA include CDs, DVDs, eyeglasses, dental sealants, and epoxy resins used in the lining of food and beverage containers. Currently, 95 percent of baby bottles on the market are made with BPA. Worldwide production of bisphenol A exceeds six billion pounds per year and demand for the chemical has risen significantly in recent years. Exposure to bisphenol A is widespread. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 95 percent of Americans tested have detectable levels of BPA in their bodies, and a 2008 study shows that BPA levels are lowest in adults, mid-range in adolescents and

highest in children.10 The chemical bond between bisphenol A molecules is unstable, and with

time and use, the chemical leaches from bottles into materials it comes into contact with (for

example, milk). Heating bottles or pouring hot liquids into bottles, the presence of acidic or

basic foods and beverages, and repeated washing have all been shown to increase the

rate of BPA leaching from bottles. A January 2008 University of Cincinnati study found BPA

Heating bottles or pouring hot liquids into bottles, the presence of acidic or basic foods and beverages, and repeated washing have all been shown to increase the rate of BPA leaching from bottles.

leaching from Nalgene bottles. An August 2007 Environmental Working Group study found BPA leaches from the inner lining of popular infant formula cans. In March 2007, independent laboratory tests found BPA in over half of 97 cans of name-brand fruit, vegetables, soda, and other commonly eaten canned goods. A recent consensus statement by of over 30 expert scientists states that adverse health effects occur at levels in animals within the exposure range typical for people in developed countries,14 levels well below the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ”acceptable” human exposure level of 50 μg/kg/day. The EPA standard was set in 1993 on studies completed in the 1980s. A recent review of scientific literature demonstrates a wide range of health effects resulting from bisphenol A at significantly lower levels than considered “acceptable”, as low as 2 parts per billion in some studies

Health Effects of Bisphenol A

Mounting evidence indicates that low dose exposure to bisphenol A can lead to adverse health effects. As a hormone disruptor, bisphenol A causes a response in cells similar to the effect

of estradiol (estrogen hormone). Bisphenol A binds with estrogen-related receptors but does not replace the activity of estrogen. As a result, bisphenol A may be adding a “false” estrogen effect in the body, off-setting the hormonal balance required for healthy human development. Experiments with animals link exposure at very low doses to a range of serious health problems including:

• prostate and breast cancer

• early onset of puberty

• obesity

• hyperactivity

• lowered sperm count

• miscarriage

• diabetes

• altered immune system

Scientists and international organizations have identified bisphenol A as a potential reproductive and developmental toxin, as well as a hormone disrupting chemical leading to a variety of adverse health effects. In addition, two recent panels in the U.S. have pointed to potential health effects of exposure to bisphenol A.

Reproductive and Developmental Effects

A recent review of scientific literature affirms that bisphenol A can alter brain chemistry and the reproductive and immune systems in a variety of animals.20 Some research also indicates that the sexual behavior and sexual development of mice can be impaired and variably altered from bisphenol A-induced hormone disruption. Another study found that female mice exposed to short-term, low doses of bisphenol A experienced sudden and significant increases in genetic abnormalities in their eggs. In preliminary research based on these genetic abnormalities, researchers have also found that women with a history of recurrent miscarriage had higher blood serum levels of bisphenol A than women with successful pregnancies. Bisphenol A has been reported to suppress the activation of thyroid hormone-regulated genes in rats. These results show that low doses of bisphenol A can disrupt hormone action within cells by competitively displacing naturally occurring hormones. These hormones regulate the rate of metabolism and the growth of many systems in the body. Thyroid hormones play a significant role in brain development during

fetal life. Studies have shown that bisphenol A can, at low doses, significantly stimulate the release

of the hormone prolactin and activate breast cancer cells.

The Work Group for Safe Markets Low Doses Can Be Dangerous

Recent studies have challenged the current acceptable daily intake level of bisphenol A, as new scientific evidence shows that even low doses of this chemical can disrupt development. The current acceptable level of bisphenol A is set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at 50 μg/kg bodyweight/day, which is a measure in parts per billion (ppb). While Baby’s Toxic Bottle measured bisphenol A leaching in levels below the 50 μg/kg/day acceptable daily intake from polycarbonate baby bottles, a number of other scientific studies have shown that bisphenol A levels as low as parts per trillion have been found to alter cell function. Parts per trillion expresses a concentration 1,000 times smaller than parts per billion, indicating that extremely low-doses of bisphenol A can be potent. Moreover, exposure to BPA from baby bottles may not be an individual’s only source of exposure to BPA, making it difficult to calculate any one person’s actual daily dose. Finally, we lack studies to determine the synergistic effect of BPA exposure with other chemicals that an infant, child or adult might be exposed to. This further complicates the accuracy of the EPA’s current acceptable daily exposure limit for BPA.

Exposure

Testing of Americans done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 95 per cent of adults studied had bisphenol A in their urine. This demonstrates the extent of human exposure since bisphenol A spends approximately 10 hours in the body28 and indicates that we are continuously exposed to bisphenol A . Animal studies suggest that bisphenol A is quickly absorbed and eliminated, but some residual BPA remains in the intestines, liver and
kidneys for a period of several days. A recent U. S. biomonitoring project titled Is It In Us? Chemical Contamination of Our Bodies tested 35 men, women and young people for the presence of a variety of chemicals in their bodies. All of the participants who submitted urine samples had bisphenol A in their urine, and more than half had it in their blood. The levels of bisphenol A found in the blood and urine of those studied was within the range shown to cause effects in laboratory animal studies, including impacts on cell function. A November 2007 U.S. National Institute of nvironmental Health Sciences expert panel of 38 leading scientists32 found that most people are exposed to bisphenol A at levels higher than those that cause health effects in animal studies. The Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group found high levels of bisphenol A in canned food, including infant formula, ravioli and chicken soup.33 A 2008 University of Cincinnati study found BPA leaches from the popular polycarbonate Nalgene reusable water bottles.

Children

Children are especially vulnerable to bisphenol A because endocrine disruptors affect how their bodies grow and develop. Young children still have immature organ systems, high metabolic rates, relatively low bodyweight, and are going through rapid physical development; therefore, even low levels of repeated exposure may lead to adverse health effects. An expert panel of the U.S. National Toxicology Program concluded recently that bisphenol A exposure to fetuses and to children could impact their behavioral and neural systems. Exposure in the womb is particularly worrisome as fetuses have immature detoxification systems, not equivalent to adults’, and they are at a delicate

stage of development. Bisphenol A is very much present in children’s lives. A recent investigation of bisphenol A exposure in preschool children in North Carolina and Ohio (2000–2001) over a 48-hour period found that more than 68 percent of children’s liquid food and more than 83 percent of their solid food samples contained bisphenol A.

Real World Laboratory

Linking the animal and laboratory evidence for bisphenol A with human health effects is diffiBaby’s toxic bott le: bisphenol A leaching from popular baby bott les cult for many reasons, including a lack of oncrete data on human exposure, other factors contributing to diseases, and the delay between exposure and some health effects. What cannot be disputed is that a number of tests have detected bisphenol A in human tissue and this indicates widespread exposure Coupled with the knowledge of increasing rates of infertility, prostate and breast cancer and other conditions such as diabetes and obesity in the human population, the possible effects of hormone disruptors like bisphenol A cannot be ignored.

N o n - D e t e c t

Ten new polycarbonate baby bottles were purchased from a variety of retailers in California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, Oregon, Minnesota, Connecticut, Maine and Washington in December 2007. We selected popular, easily available brands from well-known retail outlets, ranging from 4 oz. to 9 oz. in size. (See Appendix 1: Retail Locations.) The laboratory of Dr. Frederick S. vom Saal, a leading researcher on bisphenol A at the University of Missouri-Columbia, conducted the analysis. The lab subjected these bottles to a test designed at the University of Missouri to simulate repeated washing. Each bottle was filled with water, sealed and left undisturbed for 24 hours. Two tests were conducted; all bottles were first tested at room temperature and then at 80ºC/176ºF.

Step in the Right Direction

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At the University of California, with the assistance of a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, we have begun a family-friendly initiative for faculty that aims to alter the workplace to accommodate families and promote cultural change (see box below). The university hopes the initiative will help it become more competitive in recruiting and retaining talented faculty, particularly women who may be the stars of their graduate programs but who are reluctant to continue in academia. Many of the program's features are attractive to fathers as well as mothers and will benefit faculty members who are caring for other family members, such as aging relatives. The new initiative adds to a series of family-friendly programs already in place in the UC system. Introduced in 1988, they were progressive for their time but have had low use rates, mostly because of a discouraging campus culture. Existing policies include an active service-modified duties program that enables tenured and tenure-track faculty members with a newborn or newly adopted child to request a grant of temporary relief from duties (normally partial or full relief from teaching for one semester); a tenure-clock stoppage, which allows a tenure-track faculty member to ask that the tenure clock be stopped for a year; paid leave, which grants a leave with base pay of up to six weeks before, during, or after pregnancy; and unpaid leave of up to one year, which may be granted by the chancellor for care of one's own child or the child of one's spouse or domestic partner. Our survey found that faculty underuse these programs for several reasons. Some programs are unknown to the faculty. Some go unused because of confusion over eligibility. And some opportunities to take advantage of the programs are waived because of the workplace climate in which they are offered: many faculty members fear that using these policies will be met with retribution. One survey respondent noted, "My chair argued that relief from teaching duties was exceptional." Another noted, "Over the course of my career, I have observed the university increasingly taking on the model of corporate culture. I am not surprised that so few of my junior colleagues have decided to have children. Graduate students pick up the signal very early: devote time to family or community at your own risk." The new UC initiative focuses not just on building extra features onto an existing framework, but also on ensuring that the entire package becomes institutionalized into the campus culture. Some of the new proposals, such as introducing part-time tenure-track positions, are controversial. It will take much groundwork to convince all constituencies that the changes are worth the time and money. But they are necessary to ensure gender equity-in both career and family goals-for the next generation of academics. We want to be able respond to the question, frequently asked by our women graduate students, "When is a good time to have a baby?" with a resounding, "Any time."

Baby Gap Test

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The “Baby Gap Test”

current structure of American research universities forces men and women on the fast track, but particularly women, to choose between work and family. Many faculty members reported having sacrificed time with family to demonstrate they were committed to their work. One faculty member advised, "Avoid having kids before getting tenure. I wish it wasn't so, but I had to learn it the hard way myself." Another faculty member observed, "You should know that female graduate students are telling us over and over again across the nation that they are not going to become faculty members because they do not see how they can combine work and family in a way that is reasonable." Achieving gender equity in terms of careers and families in the academy requires a restructuring of the workplace. We now know that structural changes must be put in place to tackle some of the greatest obstacles to success for women. We also know what many of these changes must be and that they must happen during the "probationary period"— the time of maximum demand in the fast-track academic career, the years leading to tenure. They include stopping the tenure clock for childbirth, generous childbirth leaves, modified duties, and on-site child care. Many other initiatives could also help attract women job candidates and assist them in achieving professional success and family goals. All of them, however, depend on a collective will to change the campus culture. Passive and active resistance on the part of men (and even many women) poses a serious roadblock to cultural change.

Gender Equity and the Baby Gap

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Of course, many factors influence why women do or do not have children. Yet the UC survey suggests that the time women spend on child care compared with men is important. Women between thirty and fifty with children clock over a hundred hours each week on caregiving, housework, and professional responsibilities, compared with a little more than eighty-five for men with children (see figure 7). This model is not very attractive for women who hope to succeed in academia. Looking at faculty members' family lives in this way suggests that gender equity in terms of family goals is even more unbalanced than it is in terms of career aspirations, raising the fundamental issue of what gender equity means. Women have changed their family formation patterns to pursue the elusive goal of equality in the workplace. Women aiming for high positions in the professional, corporate, and academic worlds neither marry nor have children in their early twenties as their mothers did. The culture has shifted to a delay mode, where a good boost up the career ladder is considered the prudent preface to starting a family. In focusing on professional outcomes as the measure of gender equality, we have failed to notice the widening gap between men and women in forming the families they want, as measured by marriage and children. A true measure of gender equity in the academy would look at both career and family outcomes. We call this two-pronged measure the "baby gap test," because it takes into account both the gap in professional outcomes for women with children compared with men and the gap in family formation for academically successful women. We need to ask not only how many women are professors and deans relative to their male counterparts; we also need to ask how many women with children are in high places compared with men with children. Viewing the situation in this way reveals that women have much further to go than would otherwise be evident

mom and baby

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short answer: men do, but women don't. "Married with children" is the success formula
for men, but the opposite is true for women, for whom there is a serious "baby gap."1
For this study and our previous one, we used the incredibly rich Survey of Doctorate
Recipients (SDR).2 It is perhaps the best life-course employment database in the United
States. A biennial weighted, longitudinal study, it follows more than 160,000 PhD
recipients across all disciplines until they reach age seventy-six. The scope of the SDR is
similar to famous longitudinal clinical trials such as the Nurses' Health Study and the
Framingham Heart Study. Tracking a huge population for years allows researchers to
isolate specific factors and, with a great deal of certainty, to determine their importance.
Using the SDR data set, we analyzed the life courses of PhD recipients, including their
decisions about marriage and fertility, to determine whether an academic career affects
family formation. We found that careers matter: the life trajectories of tenured women
differ from those of tenured men (see figure 2).%
Only one in three women who takes a fast-track university job before having a child ever
becomes a mother. Women who achieve tenure are more than twice as likely as their
male counterparts to be single twelve years after earning the PhD (see figure 3). And, as
figure 4 indicates, women who are married when they begin their faculty careers are
much more likely than men in the same position to divorce or separate from their
spouses. Women, it seems, cannot have it all—tenure and a family—while men can.

The Right Baby Clothes

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When you are expecting a new baby boy you want to be sure you have everything you need. Usually you will wait until after the baby shower and all of the gifts have come in before you know what you really need to buy. Most often it is impractical boy clothing you receive the most of.

Baby showers are a lot of fun because your friends and family shower you with gifts for your new baby. The gifts for boys usually include cool baby clothes. Sometimes the cool clothes are a lot of fun but they aren't too practical for a newborn baby. Unless the outfits are for your newborn to grow into when he is around six months old the cool and stylish boy clothing might not ever be worn by your baby.

In addition to the boy clothes you will receive at your baby shower you should also expect a lot of blankets. If you have the opportunity to create a list of items you want then you should. Your list shout include bottles, a baby bath tub, baby shampoo, body wash, lotion, powder, oil, a hair brush, and more. Many gifts for boys can include socks, t-shirts, pajamas, and outfits that are practical.

When you receive gifts for boys many of the items may not be practical. This is because most people who don't already have kids don't know what you will need. If this is your first baby you also might not know what is practical. Your baby is going to sleep the majority of the time for the first month or too. Cool baby clothes are fun but not top priority.

You want to be sure to stock up on newborn diapers, wipes, pajamas, t-shirts, bottles, pacifiers, and blankets. You can never have enough blankets and burp rags. If the delivery of your baby is rough, you won't be up and around doing laundry right away so you want to have plenty to use before you have to be up and about.

Boy clothing is a lot of fun to receive at your baby shower but sometimes it is not the most practical items for your baby. If you have the opportunity to make a list of the things you want to receive at your shower, you should. This will ensure the gifts are practical. You might even think about creating a registry for your guests.

1st Year Birthday Parties Gifts

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When you go to a first year birthday party there are usually so many toddler boy gifts including toys. No one ever really considers buying toddler boy clothes. It is important to remember that toddlers are still in diapers and going through quite a few at age one. Plus, they are still on formula and have many other expenses. Babies are expensive. Clothing is expensive. Moms love to dress their babies in cool outfits but they don't often have much money due to the other expenses.

When you buy gifts for a baby's 1st year birthday you are really buying for mom. This is your chance to help out mom with some of the expenses. When you consider gifts for boys it is best to think about things you can help her for the baby.

These things include shoes, clothes, more diapers, and more. You might even consider a toddler bed if the baby is almost ready to transition out of the crib and more. Practical gifts are the most important.

A one year old is going to play with the wrapping paper more than he will the toddler boy gifts themselves. Babies are intrigued by the different colors in the wrapping papers. The cake is fun and the party with all of the attention is a great day. The birthday will be fantastic no matter what. However, the best thing you can do is help mom out with something practical.

First year birthday parties are a lot of fun when you have to buy toddler boy gifts. You should consider toddler boy clothes to help out mom. This is because the expenses of a baby can be outrageous and it will be more appreciated if you can help with practical items. When you buy gifts for boys that are toys at the age of one, the baby won't even know what it is.

Gifts For Baby

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Baby showers can be boring if everyone is buying mom the same gifts for boys. You usually see an overwhelming stack of blankets and onesies. You should buy something fun and unique for the baby that will be absolutely cute. Some of the fun things you can buy include accessories that a baby can never have too many off.

These things include hats, pacifiers, bottles, socks, and more. A newborn needs to wear a hat for the first couple of weeks to maintain the warmth. Why wear the standard issue hospital hat when you can find something adorable. You can never have enough pacifiers either. Why not get one that has text or a funny saying on it.

Baby showers can be dull if the gifts for boys are all the same. You want to be sure to think about cool baby boy clothes. Baby boy gifts are a lot of fun to shop for when you are at the right place.

There is nothing wrong with dressing a baby in the cutest styles as long as the baby is comfortable. Why not? The typical pajamas and one piece outfits are boring. It is hard to tell it is even a boy most of the time with the typical outfits today.

When you are shopping for a baby shower you have to be sure to find baby boy gifts that are fun and unique. You don't want to bring the same gift everyone else did. Get something fun for the baby to wear that will make a statement. It is the unique and fun items that create the memorable photos for later.

Now What

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So you found out you are going to have a boy. Its time to get ready and be sure you have everything you need for when your baby comes. You will have the most fun when you buy boy clothes for your baby but you need much more than just that.

When you consider the baby clothes for boys it is important to remember you are shopping for a newborn. A newborn is going to be wrapped up inside of blankets for the first couple of weeks and sleep most of the time. If your baby is born in the summer and you have poor air conditioning then your baby may not be wrapped up so much.

However, the doctors will recommend you wrap the baby. This is because the baby is used to being in a tight space and it needs to feel cozy. Before you check out the baby clothes for boys you need to look at the cozy blankets. The hospital usually has the best receiving blankets because they are bigger.

The boy clothes are a lot of fun to shop for. You will need to get at least 5 one piece outfits. These are like t-shirts that snap at the diaper area. You should get at least 5 t-shirts. The most comfortable of the baby clothing for boys as an infant is the full body outfit with the feet in them. Your baby will most likely kick off any socks and he needs to keep his feet warm. You can never have enough full body outfits and t-shirts for a baby to lounge around in. Pants with elastic around the waste may be uncomfortable for a newborn though. You should keep that in mind when you are shopping for baby clothing for boys.

It is fun to buy a few cool outfits for your newborn baby. Your boy won?t spend a lot of time all dressed up. However, you have to buy a couple of baby clothes for boys that are styling. You should be sure to have a hat if you plan on being outdoors. Your baby shouldn't be in the sun. You might want to avoid shoes altogether because this could hurt your baby?s legs if they are too heavy.

When you get ready for your new baby the first thing you will want to do is buy boy clothes. It is fun to shop for baby clothing for boys but don?t forget the extras. You should stock up on diapers, pacifiers, sheets, blankets and other items too. Don?t stock up on formula though because you don?t know which formula your baby?s tummy will accept.

About the Author:

Visit Trendy Remedy's site for information on cool Baby Boy Clothes and Baby Boy Gifts.

Dressing Up Your Baby

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By Terry Stanfield

There are many reasons and occasions you will find you want to dress up your toddler. Toddler boy clothing can get expensive when it comes to certain events. It is a lot of fun to dress up your baby.

When you are going on trips or to family events you always want to be sure you have the right toddler boy clothing for the pictures. You should also be prepared to bring extra boy clothes with you in case something gets spilled all over his clothes.

You don't want pictures with stains on the front of them. This even includes picture day at the day care center, with Santa, the Easter Bunny, or any other occasion where your son is getting his picture taken. There are many other events you want to dress up your baby.

When it comes to a birthday it is the perfect time to ask for gifts for boys in the form of nice dress up outfits. You will need an outfit for the Christmas party and one for possibly New Year's. You will need an outfit for any formal event or party you go to with your friends. If you go to church on Sundays you should also have a few nice outfits for each weekend. These outfits can be rather expensive having to continuously buy them. It is best to receive boy clothes as gifts.

When you dress up your baby it is a lot of fun because of the attention you and your baby get. People notice your baby almost more than they do you and you want him looking super cool.

You should remember though when you dress up your baby you should be sure he is comfortable. Don't forget to bring an extra set of clothes to an important event in case there is a spill. Remember, people like to buy toddler boy clothing as gifts for boys and it is the perfect way to absorb some of the costs.

About the Author:

Visit Trendy Remedy's site for information on Cool Baby Boy Clothes and Baby Boy Gifts.

Cool Accessories for Babies and Toddlers

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By Terry Stanfield

There are many accessories for babies and toddlers you might consider. If you are looking for a baby boy gift or a toddler boy gift you can find the perfect gift. Boy clothing is a lot of fun but you need to top of the trendy little outfit with some cool accessories.

Most accessories for babies include things they need the most. Most often people don't think about buying the accessories a baby needs or mom needs for the baby.

One of the most important accessories you can buy for a baby boy gift includes a pacifier. Most babies use pacifiers and there aren't many that don't. In addition to a pacifier you should also consider the pacifier clip for the clothing. Once a baby becomes slightly mobile or begins to spit out the pacifier it helps to clip it on. This way the pacifier is not lost and easy for the baby to reach. Many parents don't even realize these accessories even exist until their baby is not using a pacifier anymore.

Toddler boy gift accessories can include an abundance of things. Sunglasses and hats are the most important because you want to protect toddlers from the harmful ultra-violet rays from the sun. They eyes need to be protected too. You should never forget about the scalp. It can be very painful for a toddler if he burns his scalp.

You also need the most important thing for your baby or toddler of all. That includes a diaper bag to carry all of your accessories and boy clothing in. The hospital will always give you one for free but you should have one that is stylish and matches your personality. Many of the diaper bags often are not the style you want them to be.

When you are looking for a cool baby boy gift you should think about accessories. There are plenty of things parents don't get or even know exist for their baby. People often buy clothes and things but forget about the useful accessories like bottle holders, pacifier clips, bandanas, hats, and more.

About the Author:

Visit Trendy Remedy's site for information on Cool Baby Boy Clothes and Baby Boy Gifts.

Toilet Training

2008-11-13T00:06:00.000-08:00

By Paul Jason James

Everyone has an opinion on when a child should be toilet trained. First time parents are often bombarded with comments of "isn't he potty trained yet?" and

"My baby was potty trained at eighteen months". The conflicting advice can be confusing.

Are You Ready?

Toilet training isn't something you wake up one morning and decide to do. Before you begin, there are preparations that can make the whole thing easier. First, both parents need to decide the method that they're most comfortable with. Do you want to use a potty chair? A potty seat? What words are you comfortable teaching your child to communicate the need to use the bathroom. Next, decide if you're going to use a reward system. What will it be? A sticker chart?

What does the child get for how many stickers? Is this the best time to start? Is there something major coming up in the near future that will throw the potty training program off schedule? If you're planning a marathon cross-country trip in two weeks, this probably is not the time to try to toilet train your baby unless you're ready to make potty stops every ten minutes.

Is Baby Ready?

Unless your child is ready to begin toilet training, you're in for a long haul and a lot of resistance. Until a child's neurological development reaches the point that the signal from the bladder reaches the brain in time to act, potty training will be futile.

You'll know your child is ready to begin toilet training when he expresses curiosity about the toilet and follows you into the bathroom to see what you are doing. You should encourage this and answer his questions. He'll also start having longer periods of clean diapers as he develops more control over his bladder and bowels. Ease Into It

Toilet Training is a process, not an event. It can very well take several months for daytime toilet training to be successful and nighttime toilet training can take even longer so prepare yourself and your expectations accordingly.

If you look at this as the final step from babyhood to childhood, the time flies. Just like Potty Training, this is a process which required focused effort.

About the Author:

Great tips from http://www.pottytrainingtipsonline.com/

Serving A Delicious Baby Shower Cake

2008-11-13T00:03:00.000-08:00

Cakes are one of the good things about baby showers, and they can be made using diverse standard methods, such as the following:

1. All-in-together - this is done by putting the dry ingredients in a food mixer (together with the shortening) before bit by bit adding together the liquid ingredients.

2. Creaming technique - this is by 'creaming' butter and sugar together before gradually adding the rest of the ingredients.

3. Rubbing technique - this is accomplished by 'rubbing' the butter into the dry ingredients before adding the liquid ones.

4. Melt-and-mix - this is done by first mixing the dry ingredients together, adding the liquid butter and the different liquid ingredients later on to finish the cake.

5. Sponge-making - this is accomplished by whisking the eggs and sugar into a foam, with the flour slowly combined in. Producing a light sponge requires good skill, as it does not use any raising agent or fats. Finished Up cakes are normally dressed up with the aid of frosting or toppings such as sprinkles.

There are various kinds of baby shower cakes to select from. Many of them are listed here such as Angel food Cake, Butter Cake, Butterfly Cake, Carrot Cake, Pound Cake, Spice Cake, Sponge Cake, Cheesecake, Chocolate Cake these are just some of the traditional cakes that can be witnessed at a baby shower party. With some supplemental inquiry online you will be able to find some very spectacular baby shower cakes that are not enclosed here.

Apart from the cake assortments above-mentioned, there are also a lot of baby shower cake ideas that can make a baby shower festivity more special for all the guests and the parents to be:

1. Belly Cake Theme. One great thought is to design a baby shower cake and make it look like a pregnant belly. This can be done by placing a roundish cake in front of a rectangular cake and frosting them together to resemble that of a expectant belly.

2. Toy Blocks Baby Shower Cake. Another idea is to design a baby shower cake and make it look like babies play blocks (either one big cube or 3 to 4 smaller blocks). Toy block cakes can be even more exaggerated by fencing them with lollies or small toy motorcars.

Of course, you can also experiment and strive to come up with inventive thoughts of your own. Think that the 'goal' is not only to create a tasty sweet, but as well a special centerpiece that will stand out in the thoughts of the parents-to-be.

5 Habits to Ditch to Lose Pregnancy Weight Fast

2008-11-12T23:59:00.000-08:00

By Teresa Brown

A mother's life is so focused on her family that she has a tendency to "let herself go" resulting in a mom with a weight problem. The inability to lose pregnancy weight fast is strongly correlated with how you deal with food and the kind of lifestyle you live. The following reasons are some of the most common obstacles that prevent women from losing the excess body fat and keeping it off.

1. Making Poor Food Choices

Do you eat foods that are bad for you? Whether it's because of your busy schedule or you just hate cooking, eating unhealthy foods adds excess body fat to your waistline, hips and thighs. Cutting out processed foods such as packaged luncheon meats, canned foods high in salt and sugar, refined breads and pastas, packaged snack foods, frozen dinners or boxed meals will help you lose pregnancy weight fast. Although these foods are convenient and taste good, many are high in saturated and trans fats (bad fats), salt and sugar which increases your chances of developing diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

Not all processed foods are bad. Frozen fruit or vegetables are good because they still retain their nutrients. As a general rule, shop mainly around the perimeter of the grocery store because that's where the fresh produce and meats are. When buying processed foods remember to read the ingredients and product labels to know the salt, fat, and sugar content in the products.

2. Super Size Me

Fast food is addictive. The convenience of fast food is an easy meal solution for moms on the go. But due to the high in saturated fat, sugar, salt content, these foods are just empty calories. Eating too much fast food will increase your size and is a definite self-sabotage to losing the pregnancy weight fast.

One way to cut back on frequenting the fast food restaurants is to buy fresh food and cook at home. You can find hundreds of mouth watering recipes that don't take much time to prepare and are healthy. Need some inspiration? Watch the Food channels or go to the library and check out cookbooks or ask friends for their favorite recipes. Make it a fun thing to do!

3. Bad Eating Habits

Do you eat during the wrong times of the day? Some moms are so preoccupied with looking after the baby, running errands, and so on that they forget to eat until the end of their day. Not fueling your body properly and frequently will affect your metabolism's normal rate of activity and prevent you from losing your pregnancy weight fast. Skipping meals such as breakfast or eating just one big meal for the day only serves to make your body conserve energy instead of burning it.

Just think of how often you feed your baby and how often you feed yourself. A baby feeds often because a baby's body needs frequent nourishment to provide energy to fuel proper development and growth. Likewise, in order for your metabolism to be able to sustain your daily activities and to lose pregnancy weight fast you should eat six small healthy meals per day.

4. Emotional Eating

How often do you find yourself watching favorite Soap Opera with some junk food? Or if you are depressed about your current body image, you soothe your depression with your favorite pint of Haagen-Dazs ice cream. Bad eating habits prevent you from losing pregnancy weight fast.

A reliable method to aid your efforts to lose pregnancy weight fast is to refrain from purchasing junk food. If you can't go cold turkey, try substituting junk snacks for healthier snacks. Take responsibility for your actions and seek help if you have emotional eating issues or disorders, or learn behavioral tools that help you overcome your food dependency.

5. Lack of Exercise

A busy mom's life maybe fast paced, but if she's not losing the pregnancy weight fast, it's because she's not getting enough exercise. Driving around town doing errands, picking up after your toddler and looking after a household can keep you busy but not burning the baby fat.

Exercise and health go hand in hand. If you want to lose the pregnancy weight fast, you have to work your heart and skeletal muscles. Living an active lifestyle doesn't require a gym membership or spending hours on a treadmill. Just playing some basketball with the kids, taking the stairs instead to the elevator or walking your dog to the park are simple activities to make exercise a necessary part of your day-to-day life.

Everyone on a self-improvement journey will encounter failure from time to time. Nobody's perfect. Be careful not to let yourself fall back into your old eating patterns once you are committed to living a healthy lifestyle. The moms that succeed to lose pregnancy weight fast for the long term are those that climb right back on the horse when they fall off, before it gets too far ahead of them.

About the Author:

The journey to lose the pregnancy weight can be daunting but there is no time like the present to start today. Being able to lose your tummy today is the difference between the size you wear today and the size you want to be. Teresa Brown is an enthusiastic supporter of women's health and wellness.

Avoid Begin Caught

2008-11-11T12:12:00.000-08:00

Where do the rip offs come in when planning a do it yourself (DIY) project like building a outdoor storage shed or a woodwork project ? Thats easy to resolve. Possibly anyplace along the step of the way. Having said that ,doesnt mean it constantly happens or even frequently occurs.

They are a few things you can do to spot this is happening. The very first thing is to cultivate yourself by doing your preparation. If you are inquiring if you need to purchase a kit, discover what it all means. If you have access to the internet, this is the perfect location to use as your source. People often fail to use this resource for items such as shed kit, as its problematic to purchase an item this size for delivery. So they tend to head to their local home improvement store. This is a mistake. Even though you cant buy the merchandise on line you sure can discover all about it. There are many websites that will provide you will ample information on what a superb kit should comprise of, and the types and quality of materials that should be used. So all you to do is follow their example.

The next step is try and deal with a well established store. Stores that have forged the habit of cheating people will not be in business for long, and there will be signs that business is breaking . Word of mouth from other customers goes a long way. One of the ways that you could be cheated with is through the supplements. At first you may be led to think that the floor model you see is precisely the same as the one in the kit you just bought.

People tend to forget to ask if they are identical. Most respected stores will now place signs in front of their floor models explaining what the optional and supplement items are. If you dont see this then just be a little more guarded. Then theres the case where you purchase the kit and they dont tell you that its the end of the line of the specific model. If you happen to make a mistake when putting it together and harm some of the material, you may not be able to substitute it. The shop is unlikely to take the package back because it was your fault.

Be careful with woodworking plans that you have had designed by a local home improvement store. Remember this is a free service they offer in order to lure you to buy the items you will need from them. They will draft these plans most likely using the highest quality items on hand. If you have done your internet research you will have a good idea if this is befalling.

You can then just make it self-explanatory that you are learned, and replace the pricey material with what is acceptable. This not only applies to larger items but can also apply to your smaller woodworking projects.

Burn the Baby Fat - 4 Tips to Get in that Morning Workout

2008-11-11T07:53:00.000-08:00

A morning for the average mom signals a new day of the usual and sometimes-unpredictable family morning rush. Getting your children ready and out the door for school in time can put your morning workout on the back burner and this only makes it less likely that you'll do it later that afternoon. But as busy as you are, exercising in the morning is the best way to re-stimulate your metabolism to burn the baby fat for your entire day. This is easier said than done but there are some things you can do to get the most out of your morning and your day.

1. Get Ready the Day Before

Organizing and keeping things simple will certainly lower the morning stress and open the window of opportunity to workout in the morning to burn your baby fat. Making a morning chart or schedule listing the duties of family members can dilute the morning chaos. Weekday breakfasts should be simple and healthy such as whole grain toast, low fat yogurt, fresh fruit or some low sugar, high fiber cereal with skim milk.

2. Are you Getting Enough Sleep?

Not getting enough sleep makes it more difficult to get motivated to go out and get proper exercise. A mom is usually either too busy or too tired to get enough exercise to burn the baby fat. Moms who fail to maintain or change to healthy sleeping habits are more likely to abandon their workout regime within three weeks. Get back into the habit of having a regular "10 p.m." bedtime to better prepare your body for the demands of the following day.

3. Use the Power of Positive Thinking

Stop negative thoughts and substitute them with positive ones. Thinking positively requires a conscious effort on your part but it will help you to re-direct your actions towards living a healthier lifestyle to burning the baby fat. Having a positive outlook can improve your self-confidence and help you to see your weight problem for what it is - temporary. A positive attitude permeates into all aspects of your life changing how you sleep, deal with your children, re-act to stress, etc.

4. Give your Body some Time to Wake Up

Falling asleep takes time and so does waking up. Make the time to wake yourself up mentally with some positive thoughts or just reviewing your itinerary for the day. And physically with some deep breathing or a few good stretches. Drink a tall glass of water to help wake up your digestive system. Getting ready without the rush will keep your mood up to motivate you to burn the baby fat with a good workout.

5. Start your Day with Breakfast

Eating breakfast is an important part of attaining and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A morning meal enables your body to refuel itself after enduring a nightlong ten-hour or more fast. Eating breakfast is good for many reasons, but especially so for moms trying to lose the pregnancy weight. The main benefit in eating breakfast is that it speeds the metabolism, which is necessary for burning the baby fat.

Exercising in the morning is the best time for you to burn the baby fat because this increases your metabolic rate and sustains it for the rest of your day. Prepare and organize your morning ahead of time and get enough sleep. Try to focus your energy on positive thinking rather than negative thinking, and find reasons to feel happy and hopeful every day. If you put your positive energy toward wellness, you will find ways to stay healthy and make your life more enjoyable.

Baby Shower Cake And Party Ideas

2008-11-11T07:52:00.000-08:00

Getting everything ready for a baby shower party can be a trying time for the host. With all the arrangements you need to make from choosing the guests to deciding on a theme, then ordering or printing out the shower invitations to send out, and then lastly making sure you are ready for this special day.

Another aspect of organizing the baby shower is that you need to be thinking about what decorations to purchase or make for the venue, what will be the planned events, such as what games to have, what baby shower favors to give to your guests, and what food and beverages to serve on the day.

During the baby shower party, the table centerpiece is most likely to be a baby shower cake. The baby shower cake cannot be similar to the cake that can just be bought from the local bakeshop. Some hosts will go to great lengths to also design a diaper cake to have as a centerpiece at the party.

It is always a good idea to have some one who is attending the baby shower to bake the cake. This will show the mother-to-be that you are dedicated to supporting her and the newborn as well having the added benefit of being perfectly themed for the table centerpiece and the theme of the party.

If you have to pre-order the baby shower cake it is better to meet with the person who will be creating this special cake, after all it is a very special day. In doing this you will have peace of mind that the cake will be designed the way you require and it should be organized well before the commencement of the baby shower party.

For those that fancy they have baking skills, or or maybe there is someone who can follow the recipe from the cake cookbook as well, it is a much better idea to try and prepare the cake yourself. Doing it this way you get a chance to show your creativity with the design and you always have the option to ask for assistance from friends that are attending the shower. It is also a cheaper solution to help keep down the costs of the baby shower.

Make sure you use your resources when designing the baby shower cake such as the internet to find some suitable cake recipes that you can make easily. There are many different styles and designs to choose from when you research this online.

The most popular colors for the baby shower cake are pink, yellow, blue, white and green with the design of the cake usually reflecting a flower, baby toys, butterflies and even birds. Again though you can come up with many ideas after using the internet to research this topic.

If the baby has already arrived you might consider having a photo taken of the little one and then having that placed on the top of the baby shower cake using edible icing. This can be placed on top of the cake whether you have created it or you have had the cake ordered.

If you are not interested in eating the baby shower cake then a good way to still present a cake is by creating it from diapers. This is known as a diaper cake and has been very popular amongst baby shower hosts around the world. It also serves as a great gift after the party with all those diapers ready to go.

Its fairy simple to prepare a diaper cake, all you need to get start is some rolled diapers that are several layers deep. For beginners it is suggested to only use three levels. You can then use pretty ribbon or laces to tie the diapers in place. Making sure that you do not tie the diapers to tightly as to crush them or the diaper cake will lose its shape. If you damage them during this process you will not get the result you are looking for and will possibly have to discard them to the trash.

The table centerpiece would now be your masterpiece the baby shower diaper cake for all to enjoy during the baby shower. For those that have decided on creating or purchasing their own custom cake this to could become the centerpiece of the party ensuring a fun and enjoyable day for all.

Now that the cake is out of the way you need to decide on what foods you will be serving. Usually you will see punches, tea, finger food and deserts being served. Another alternative especially if it is a mixed occasion is to have a barbecue accompanied with some grilled foods. This is a great time for the fathers to get to know each other while standing around the barbecue. The benefit of a Mixed baby shower is that all the parents and friends can have an opportunity to welcome the new baby into the world.

About the Author:

Cathrina has been hosting baby shower functions for many years with great results. With some great Baby Shower Cake recipes found on the way as well as a indepth guide to hosting your very own Baby Shower Party from games, invitations to decorating the venue every thing is covered from start to finish.

to build a storage or garden shed

2008-11-11T07:38:00.000-08:00

Do you want to build a storage or garden shed? You will need some plans to get started.. It doesnt matter if you are a beginner or a professional, you need guidelines. There are many sources to get free shed blueprints and plans. If you are a beginner and the word blueprint scares you, relax. These are elementary detailed drawings that show everything that you are going to want to know how to construct your shed. They are no different than a travel map. It merely tells you that you require to travel from one step to the next, and what you require to get there.

So why bother with free shed plans? How often have you purchased an item, and then when you got it home, you wished you had bought the deluxe version, or vice versa? Its the same with plans. You go to all the fuss of picking one, purchasing it, then get it home, and for one of different reasons and it just isnt what you wanted. If its free, then you have lost nothing, you can just go and acquire another one. You can do this several times if you require to until you ascertain the perfect one for you.

Ok its a super idea. Now where do we go to find these free shed blueprints and plans? To begin with, you could check out your local home improvement shops. Some of these have some fantastic options. They oftentimes will have a series of standard plans in stock. They will give some of these to you free of charge, in the desires that you will buy your materials from them. These plans usually consist of the absolute majority of items they carry in their store. Some of them have even wrote their own series.

Another alternative is take in a raw outline of the items of what you are searching for. Many building providers will draft up blueprints and plans for you. They may volunteer to do this for you with some type of commitment that you will buy supplies from them. Sometimes they will offer this as free deal as a promotion.

Then there is always the internet. A Good Deal of sites are happy to give away the publishes and plans for free. One such example is MyShedPlans. Not as they are generous, but due to the fact that they hope it will entice you to purchase some of the other items they carry.

These items are ordinarily relevant to what they are giving you at no charge. For illustration if they give you all the drawings and plans you require., then you are going to have to know how to do the things that the plan says. This is where the extras come in. Possibly the company that passed you the free shed plans sells some self help, or do it yourself ebooks. They would be pleased to sell these to you. This is not being underhanded. In fact its an superb business proposal. They help you describe what you need and then provide support where you need it. With the combination of your plans, and the self help materials you need, you're prepared to build one tremendous shed!

Using Shed Kits Instead Of Building a Shed From Scratch

2008-11-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

If you are interested to construct any shed, whether it is a storage or garden shed,, make a point that you do some homework first. If you are a carpenter or experienced handyman you have the advantage over the initiate, in a few ways. You will be able to discover what would be best for you, either using a shed kit or building from scratch. With your experience your have more options based on your knowledge.

You novice builders have the same alternatives, but its a matter of what would be the advisable for you. It genuinely would be worth your while to check the tremendous range of selections that are available. I know, you truly wanted to construct this from scratch, and maybe feel like youre cheating if you use a kit. On the contrary, you are doing a informed decision, and besides someone has to still put it together, plus you can custom-make it. Its that all-purpose completed look that a person takes pride in, not in how many parts of wood they had to cut.

These prefab store units give you many picks and have lots of vantages. First of all, you can have a pick of materials such as wood, vinyl or metal. If you were to construct the shed from scratch, you likely would only be able to use wood, if you didnt have any knowledge or tools to work with vinyl or metal. With some shed kits due to the fact that of the way they are manufactured you dont need to worry to much about insulating, because of the way they are made. So that wipes out your problem of having to work with insulations.

If you purchase one of the self locking units, then you dont have to be worried about putting in rafters, which is special, as it also passes you more functional space on the inside. You never have to worry about warping provided you have put it together properly.

Think Of I said that you could accessorize it? In other words add your own creativeness to it. For example, you can plan where you want the windowpanes to be. You could even choose to put in skylights which not only is practical ,it modernizes the decor as well. What you want to do, and with what accessories are useable to you, counts on the style of shed you are taking, plus the material. If you are accessorizing, it is usually an added expense.

You will be pleased with how easy it is to erect one of these sheds when you purchase the bundle. There are so many advantages to it. For example.

-It is an all-in-all package. Everything gets inside and you don't have to find anything else
-You can build it even if you have limited knowledge of woodworking
-Your option of material grants you to prefer something that will blend in and enhance your house and property
-They are hardy, useable and a real bonus is they are maintenance free
-If your demands grow, and you require more storage space then you can either add an addition to the existing one, or buy another one the same.
-There are no concealed prices. Everything you want is in the package and paid for at the time of purchase., so you know what its going to cost you.
Although remember if you dont purchase one that comes with a base, you will incur extra costs with that, plus dont forget about the accessories.

5 Tips to Stop you from Quitting

2008-11-11T07:26:00.000-08:00

Lose your Tummy - 5 Tips to Stop you from Quitting

Trying to lose weight after giving birth can give you a headache especially when you're trying to lose your tummy. Rules, diets, schedules, and a new baby can be a lot to handle but here are five simple stress releasing ways you can toss the extra pounds without losing your mind.

1. Yoga - This is a popular exercise for moms who are keen to lose the tummy and get toned and lean. Yoga comes in various traditions so find one that suites your tastes and sign up and get stretching. If you like saunas and don't mind sweating, you should try a 90 minute session of Bikram Yoga to burn the baby fat and sweat out those toxins from your body. Or you can join a Yin Yoga class for deeper stretching and challenge your muscles with its longer duration of the poses. No time to leave the house? Then rent or buy a Yoga DVD and workout at home.

2. Kickboxing - On the flip side of the coin, a good way to lose your tummy fast while freeing stress is to take up Kickboxing. The pacing of your feet, the muscles used in your legs and the intensity of the workout ensures knockout results when burning the baby fat.

3. Tea Time - If you like a good cup of coffee, you can get to like a good cup of tea. Drinking teas such as Green or White tea gives you a three fold benefit by providing you with anti-oxidants, satisfying your caffeine needs and helping you to lose your tummy. Compared to a specialty coffee at your local cafe, a cup of Green tea will save you the calories and the money.

4. Beef is Back - Beef is an excellent source of protein, zinc, iron and B vitamins. Maintaining a healthy diet to lose your tummy includes ensuring a balance in the nutrients your body receives and in keeping your size portions small. Beef is no exception and like any good protein source, it needs to be eaten lean and in moderation. Also switching to lean meats helps to sustain low saturated fats in your diet.

5. Laughter - Laughing really is the best medicine when stuck in the stressful chore of losing pregnancy weight. Rent a comedy or play some games over dinner with friends. Laughter releases endorphins just like your morning jog and can take your mind off your bodies weight gain and loss.

Losing your tummy can be a long and unpleasant journey but only if you make it that way. Getting healthy and staying that way will require throwing out the old bad lifestyle habits to embrace new healthy ones and having fun along the way.

4 Ways to Stay Keen to Lose your Tummy

2008-11-11T07:21:00.000-08:00

Autumn is a beautiful season that comes with the cool nip in the air that reminds us of the long winter that is to come. Unfortunately fall usually finds us being less active and being more of a homebody, which can do more harm than good especially if you are on a mission to lose your tummy. Here are some health tips to get the most out of autumn and keep you motivated to losing the baby fat.

1. Trick or Treat

When summer turns to fall our local fruit and vegetable selection become sparse. The harvest calendar brings to the table sweet potatoes and other starchy veggies keeping us properly fed during the winter. Instead of piling on the mash potatoes due to the lack of fresh garden salads try some soups! The trick with Turkey Noodle, Minestrone or any hearty soup is that they contain all the nutrients, proteins and fats we need in one warm meal. Cook a big pot at the start of the week and enjoy the treat of a quick and healthy fall dinner that helps with losing your tummy.

2. Fall TV

Everyone loves getting back into the swing of things and its no surprise TV networks start their new series when fall comes around. Instead of eating a bag of Doritos on the couch during your favorite sitcom try exercising! Pick a few nights of the week and organize a floor routine around your shows. Sit-ups, crunches, stretches and even a few free weight exercises will fill up that 30-minute TV time slot and you'll be rewarding yourself while still working hard to lose your tummy.

3. Seasonal Sports

Lose your tummy by embracing the sports that come along with the fantastic fall season. Ice hockey, Skiing, and Snow shoeing are just some of the outdoor activities that give you a great cardio workout while still being fun. Even just going for a hike amongst all the changing leaves can be breath taking and you'll be losing pregnancy weight while having fun.

4. Join a Fitness class

Fall is the season to start losing your tummy by taking advantage of the new autumn fitness programs at your local community center. The great thing about community centers is that they serve the need of the public and are inexpensive. Find a class that fits your interest and fitness level. From Total Body workouts to Classic stretch classes, signing up for one or more of the many fitness classes offered could be the breath of fresh air you need for your workout routines.

With Halloween candy and Shortbread cookies just around the corner at Christmas, try and stick to your healthy eating guns. Remember to eat in moderation and allow yourself a treat day once a week where you won't feel guilty. Lose your tummy with these tips the easy way and no matter what you decide to do this fall, make sure you don't fall off the fitness wagon.

Look Good Feel Great After Pregnancy

2008-11-11T07:18:00.000-08:00

One of the determining factors to how much weight you will lose after your pregnancy is just how much additional weight you gained while you were pregnant but there are things to consider as well. Of course anything up to 14 pounds will be lost within the first 14 days after birth which will include the weight of the baby and the afterbirth.

After the baby is born the uterus gradually reverts to its original size and hormone levels which have been elevated during the pregnancy will also gradually reduce so any additional weight also begin disappear and bear in mind that around 7 pounds of fat are added hen a woman is pregnant. Energy is stored in this excess fat ready for breast feeding the baby but how quickly each woman loses weight is dependent on factors like genetics, the mother's health, how much exercise they get and the type of food they eat.

After all, it did take nine moths to put the weight on and you cannot expect to lose it all overnight but having said that some women are fortunate enough to lose almost all of this weight within a matter of months after the birth. Often the last few pounds are the hardest to lose and that may be because the body often holds onto a little weight to ensure the baby has sufficient milk but even this is not a certainty as every woman experiences this differently.

Nevertheless with a good nutritional diet plan and regular physical activity there is no reason why normal weight or close to it should not return within the year. Many women in fact will be back to their original weight within a year of having their child providing they follow good dietary and exercise regimes. Of course the annoying thing is when you see or hear about women that have regained their weight and shape in less than twelve weeks.

What it is not taken into account is the number of physical changes that happen to woman once she has given birth and will alter some things she may have taken for granted. To enjoy permanent weight loss after pregnancy, a mother must realize that it should be achieved slowly as the long term benefits of this action will be improved health and fitness.

Sometimes weight loss after pregnancy is not recommended as additional energy is required by the mother to breast feed and take care of the baby and this can last anything up to twelve months. While it may take over half a year for a mother to get close to her old metabolic rate and hormone level there may be some changes that are permanent.

Most women will lose up to fourteen pounds when they give birth but seeing as they may have put on over thirty, there will still be some way to go.

Although this weight loss after pregnancy is almost immediate, there is still a long way to go with perhaps another 21 pounds or so to lose but it needs to be done slowly perhaps even up to nine months.
About the Author:
Cathy has spent many years speaking to mothers about Weight Loss After Pregnancy and has compiled a indepth guide on this subject. This guide is an easy read and comes with an audio file you can download to listen to on your ipod or while you are driving in your car.

Protect Your Baby from Listeriosis

2008-11-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

How can you safe your baby from Listeriosis diseases?, the diseases that not many people care about it. Actually this is very simple thing and become very bad diseases in the future for your and your baby. If you are still pregnant, then you should care about your baby in your body. Listeriosis is actually comes from the bacteria that inside many foods, and usually junk food. If you have this, especially for pregnant, then you can get premature delivery and the fatal one is death of newborn baby.

The first signal if you have the problem with Listeriosis diseases is that fever and flu. You should really careful with your baby's health and your health also because they will take part of your body, which is milk, so if you are sick then your baby too. Later on you can get the headache, stiff neck and convulsions. The right thing to combat this bacteria problem is doing some clean activities just like washing your hands before and after you touch your baby, separate the food from its origin and type, then you should cook with the proper temperature to make sure that the bacteria are died.

Our baby health is more important then anything. Protecting them from any threats become our main concern, so that we should care about any single changes in them. Protect them from anything that could harm them.

don't kiss your baby On The Mouth!

2008-11-08T09:22:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. I am a potty mouth. Yep, yes I am. I rotted Garren’s teeth out when he was a baby. At 16 months old he had to be put under general anesthesia and have fillings put in his four top teeth.

Why?

Because I got the brilliant idea to clean his pacifier with my own mouth a couple times when he was a baby. I am not a koolaid mom I swear! This child was nursed and had NO sugar or sweets of any kind. Didn’t matter. The bacteria was in his mouth waiting for his little teeth to show up.

You can say, well on occasion I’ve put the handle of the pacifier in my mouth, but never the nipple, doesn’t matter. Little babies LOVE to grab at that pacifier handle and then stick their fingers in their mouths. I’ve also taken a bit of their food with their spoon to encourage them to eat. DUMB! DUMB! DUMB!

Why didn’t anyone tell me this? I realize you shouldn’t kiss all over baby when you’re sick because you don’t want to give them a cold, but no one told me about this bacteria called strep mutans. I wasn’t sick. I didn’t have anything to worry about. UGH! So wrong.

One of his teeth wound up getting an abscess when he was two and had to be removed. For those of you who’ve had children have medical procedures, you know how horrible it is when they administer that medicine that makes your child’s eyes roll back in his head and knock him unconscious. It’s awful. This all could have been prevented with a little knowledge.

I was even a dental assistant and didn’t have this kind of information. In fact, a lot of dentists don’t even realize this. I remember the reproving looks I got from the dentists who were oh, so, certain I was giving my child Coca Cola in his bottle. I finally found out what was wrong when we moved to Jacksonville and got my child a pedi dentist who had a state of the art facility and was current with his dental knowledge.

I suppose the snotty attitude I got from the dentists was karma. I remember being smug knowing I would do a better job with my child, even though I had no children yet, as I saw my nephew’s front teeth rot out. I had no proof that she fed her child unhealthy foods, but she must have right? Or was she just not brushing his teeth? What a jerk I was. In hindsight I remember she fed her child extremely healthy foods, better than I do my own kids now. I also remember watching her chew her food for her baby and giving it to him. Before you get all grossed out, she’s from another country and their ideas on things might be different than ours. That was most likely where his dental problems came from. Her mouth, her bacteria.

Now granted, this doesn’t happen to everyone, I’m just lucky. We don’t have this bacteria when we’re born. I’m pretty sure I got it making out with Bobby in between classes my freshman year. Even though it doesn’t happen to everyone, I still don’t understand why they don’t tell you this at the hospital with all that other crap they tell you after you have a baby. It’s such a simple, preventable thing. Now whenever I see a mom kiss their baby on the mouth, I cringe. That’s a shame.

Here’s a little article about it for further clarification.

http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bhealth/0,,46v9,00.html

Don’t kiss your baby on the mouth, don’t put anything in your mouth that will come in contact with your child’s mouth or hands. Don’t do what I did. Eat those cheeks up, but stay away from the lips, the pacifier and spoons. Chewing gum with xylitol greatly reduces or eliminates this particular bacteria in moms’ mouths.

talk ( baby talk)

2008-11-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

Shore and other researchers believe that baby talk contributes to mental development, as it helps teach the childs the basic function and structure language.
Some researchers have pointed out that baby talks is not among world's cultures, and argue thats its role in "helping children learn grammar"has been overestimated.
A Parent might refer only to objects and events in the immediate vicinity, and will often repeat
the child's utterences back to him/her.
In anyu case, the normal child will eventually acquire the local language without difficulty, regardless of the degree of exposure to baby talk.
However, the use of motherese could have an mportant role in affecting the rate and quality of
language acquisition.

AS note above, baby talk often involves shortening and simpliying words, with the possible addition of slurred words and nonverbal utterances, and can invoke a vocabulary of its own.

BABY DRINK

2008-09-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Ministry of Health recommends that babies were weaned on food and drinks free of sugars, including fruit sugar. Parents are advised to ensure that breast milk or formula, boiled and cooled water form the majority of drinks for children under one year. Fruit juices and other sweet drinks should be highly diluted and is limited to food. They must not in bottles, leading to increased risk of damage to the teeth. All infants should be fluent. Since running weaning babies consume less milk and thus need more liquid. Cooling boiled water is recommended for infants drink this age, but sometimes not babies. Many adult beverages are unsuitable for infants because they may contain artificial additives such as dyes and artificial sweeteners, which are not allowed in baby foods.
However, children's drinks, like fruit juices and other fruit drinks, baby-based, contributing to additional liquid and vitamin C. Commercial baby foods and drinks, not necessarily contain much sugar levels are kept to the absolute minimum necessary for an acceptable taste and most of the sugar comes naturally from the fruit. Baby drinks and juices are a suitable alternative to breast or formula milk or water as many adult beverages, which often are more acidic and may contain more sugar. But in the interest of good dental hygiene to the manufacturer instructions for use and dilution should always be followed.

step for Change a Baby's Diaper

2008-09-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

Wash your hands before and after any change of the diaper, and to remember that often the changes in order to prevent diaper rash.
Baby never unattended, the changing table.
Talc or baby powder, in which the negotiations can cause breathing problems at the top of the babies. Instead, use cornstarch powder, and applies to ga carefully to prevent inhalation.

Put a fresh diaper, changing table, or a towel or mat on the ground. Place your baby, the belly side, is at the top of diaper.Unfasten a clean diaper in view of the dirty diaper.Hold the baby's legs together, and very slowly lift, to raise the bottom of babies. Use a clean napkin belongs to, wipe out all over the place, then fold over soiled diaper and a number of old aside.Wipe diaper a baby's buttocks and genital gently from back to front, the baby wipes. Remember, the skin folds, the lower back and legs. (The girl will have access to the baby's chair for her vagina for others and the Labia, the so-clean area lightly baby wipes.)
Reduce your baby is at the bottom of a clean diaper.
Pat the area with dry towel, cornstarch powder is optional.Apply diaper rash cream to the area necessary.Make sure to pull back, the napkin to clean high enough to prevent leaks. Kano at the leading edge of the baby's diaper only in accordance with the stomach.
Bring cards from around the back of napkin and paste it in the face. Put diapers, play peek-a-Boo lead to the baby.

dont leave your kid

2008-09-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

Children are therefore seen as the digital people and more formal approaches to education have been criticised as an old-fashioned and outdated. Critics have condemned that they want to return to the lost golden age, it seems, when the professors in the class ahead of preaching from Chair and learning is learning based on intelligence.

As always, the truth is not as simple as that. As the baby-boomer teachers should remember, do not have any new information in a call to the lifting of the conservative teaching styles, and how to plan and program as soon as the matter and it is based on the World was a student.

Teacher training during the late 1960s and alkuvuodesta'70s it is time for radical space, such as Ivan Illich, Paulo Freire, AS Neil and Neil Postman. The traditional teaching styles, such as ineffective denounced, deadening, and is guilty of reinforcing at a disadvantage and inequality.

When I first Doctrine of Melbourne's western suburbs in 1975, student-focus on learning, in which the traditional subjects became a secondary process of learning and students' interests were in the foreground, was lauded as a path to the future.

Teacher unions, and scientists argued against the teacher as cultural gatekeepers, and we were told that all were equal in the classroom, and that is what students can be a commitment by the terms of experience, interests and motivations, it is of paramount importance.

The Whitlam government schools, the Commission stated that "no desire to strengthen traditional methods," and that each student got a chance to "learn his identity, to learn how to shape their values and make decisions and find the meaning of his formal training."

As a result, the Commonwealth-funded initiatives, such as disadvantaged schools participate in the program, and oman capital program - which aims to develop a more formal alternative ordo practice - many of us during the'80s experimenting with innovations such as team teaching , Group work and consult with the curriculum. In its extreme, the classroom walls disappeared, the tables will no longer face the front of the room and rituals, when they give respect and discipline - such as students' standing, even when the teacher came into the room, or will be raised their hands before asking to speak - has declined.

In England, the formal teaching of grammar and technical aspects of the essay writing on a large extent disappeared from the teaching plan and program the result of innovations, such as the process of writing, and all is language in which the focus was on the individual child's creation.

Themes such as history and geography have been merged into amorphous, politically correct blancmange studies represent the society and the environment, and learning became consumed by the tyranny of sense if the student's World took center stage.

As our history says that many innovations related to teaching,'70s and'80s failed. Those who taught during those years, began to understand, as claimed, the Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci, that the education and training without the discipline or the traditional issues could be behind the privileged students whose home background gave them cultural capital to succeed, but still disadvantage of those who have the most at risk.

Expecting students, especially primary schools, fashion their own learning is naive, as it was to be able to go to school without encountering a rigorous educational experience, which Victoria Blackburn's 1985 report also called "the best validated knowledge and artistic achievements."

Many of us have learned the hard way that it is giving students restriction of freedom was negative and short-sighted.

Freedom to achieve something difficult to require focus and a willingness to separate the immediate needs and gratitude. Pressure teachers to monitor, evaluate and record each student's progress made in a form which is "in progress, diagnostic and participatory" - but a random test has been marked AE, or numerically - sets debilitating job, turning teachers into bookkeepers and destroy the joy of teaching.

But, to stay in classrooms for long enough, how much is an old hand is well known, and the wheel turns full circle surrounding experimentation, and begins again. As a result, Australia has adopted a results-based education in the mid's 90, criticism of traditional styles of teaching has renewed and, again, teachers are pressured to change.

Teachers are called facilitators and students become independent and self-directed lifelong disciples.

Instead, that behind the well-established disciplines, syllabus priority should be oriented to the future, must be able to work in teams and social justice.

Mirror'60s ja'70s, the Ministry of Education has changed - from words to the father of American based on the results of education William Spady - "control the content of academic subjects," "direct engagement with life in the role of emerging challenges" and "personal control over their own learning and development. "

Based on the theory of learning, known as Constructivism - a model suitable to Australia's teacher training institutions and subject to a number of NGOs - was the belief that children learn best when he assumed control of their own learning and practice ordo should be involved in your hands, so-called " real world.

As and hundreds of Learning Outcomes and detailed results-based education in the style of study documents and expectation that teachers should be followed and that responds to the unique needs of each student, it is no surprise, classroom practice has become more than a recording of classes.

State and territory governments' plan for 2007 Australian Education, federalist Paper 2, also is required of teachers in the adoption of a progressive, student center teaching style, with its advocacy of individual learning.

As part of Tony Blair's education revolution, the British after the school standards minister David Miliband described as a personal learning in 2004, in his speech as a radically new approach in the classroom, the organization is based on learning things, the meeting is unique abilities of each child and to respect different students tax rates and learning styles.

Tailor-made learning and focuses on the use of information technology, the classroom, such as computers, Internet, electronic whiteboards and PowerPoint presentations. Teachers were told, children are now in print-averse, such as a greater level of SMS messaging and multi-modal texts.

If the economy known as the dismal science, then education should be invited on one inaccurate. From myöhään'60s, various curricular changes forced the people is classrooms had more to do with ideology, fads, political opportunism and bureaucratic interference as evidence of what works. As stated in the 1995 NSW ELTIS report, Australia was adopting the results of training took place when he was little, if any, research proving the benefits, or that it is successfully implemented elsewhere.

A 2007 report to the Victorian Department of Education, Personalising Education: From the research, policy and practice, but noted that new learning has some advantages, says: "Tailor-made learning is still in the stage embryos, so that there is little evidence for the entire performance. "

As it is impractical and underfunded, Kevin Rudd in the 2007 election campaign promise to give every high school student computer and fast Internet flies in the face of mounting evidence that the technology is not a panacea that many are doing so May will be.

A recent survey of U.S. students showed that they understood that learning to write a formal, academic way, it is of crucial importance for their future independence and success, and that is a kind of communications will be used Facebook or when the SMS messaging is not suitable for the classroom .

Suggest that recent history, change the curriculum was lacking a strong foundation is not to say that the study was conducted. Take the perennial debate between advocates of more formal teaching styles, more than what is known in America as a direct guidelines for the more progressive views.

The track, a four-year, $ 1billion project will examine the different approaches to teaching, concluded that the teacher-directed, formal style, teaching was more effective than those associated with Constructivism, and based on the results of training.

U.S. study supports the NSW academic John Sweller, who argues: "This is not a part of human cognitive architecture, which suggests that the survey is based on learning would be better to direct instructions, and much that is likely to be worse."

In particular, disadvantaged children, rote learning and activities, such as mental arithmetic are the foundation of learning, which must be mastered before moving to a higher order, more abstract, skills and know-how.

The study to assess how the classes are taught strong education systems, as measured by international tests, concludes that the actual classrooms with little disruption, and more time for teachers to give their explicit direction, students will receive regular feedback and curriculum is academically rigorous and focused on learning essential.

As an Australian academic mathematics Rhonda Farkota "comprehensive comparison of all the literature and research, student-directed approach to learning with teacher-directed learning, show that the empirical data, strongly favored the latter is more effective."

It is also true that, if they meet the developing countries in the curriculum are ready to listen ordo teachers about what is and does not work and what best suits the needs of students, followed by a significant number of teachers frustration should be avoided.

Good teachers vary their styles and approaches, depending on the task at hand, the nature of their students and physical limitations and restrictions of time. Class' A'30 ga seems difficult for individual learning of each child and teacher-directed approach is often necessary when introducing a new topic. Teaching styles and vary depending on the subject is taught, and especially the school's philosophy and pedagogical approach.

There are different types of schools, particularly in the non-government and the Catholic, which ends on those committed to competitive, academic curriculum with traditional ordo environment, which are often smaller, community-based schools are interested in a broader, less formal look at education. Under the Australian Constitution states, control training. As a result, different state education systems have developed their own curriculums and systems.

A crucial aspect of the prime minister, the education revolution is concentrate control of education, particularly with regard to the teaching styles, what is taught and how teachers are trained and rewarded. The federal government intends to allow responsible for the situation of education in order to implement a one size fits all approach. The dangers are obvious. Progressive, the new-age approaches to education, such as whole language, and the results are based on education, writing large classrooms across the nation, a recipe for destruction.

exclusive breast milk

2008-09-08T01:24:00.000-07:00

The aim of this study is to learn the difference between the frequency diarrhoe between the baby be done exclusive breast milk, baby formula in a particular 1 Milk Gandrungmangu Public Health Centre Cilacap Regency (central java of indonesia ). This use of a descriptive studied comparative study examines the Art Analysis of the population are infants, age 11-12 per month. The sample was the target, with the methods of sampling and there were 36 babies, meet the criteria for inclusion. The collection, with enquette, then analysed with the Chi-square. This study will take place 15-30 June 2006. The result was noted that the number of diarrhoea is a baby, exclusive is mother's milk is 36.1%, while the number of diarrhoea is a baby in a certain formula milk is 52.8%. Based on the result of a calculation falls Chi-square value of 21.42 which are in a different frequency of diarrhoea between the baby be done exclusive breast milk, baby in a certain formula milk. This study conclution there is a significant difference in the incidence of diarrhoea between the baby be done Exclusive breast milk, baby in a certain formula milk.

Crying baby to send a message to serious harm

2008-09-07T00:16:00.000-07:00

Babies born to cry, but we, the parents spend a lot of time, anxiety and energy to try to make them stop. Sometimes, crying is a very good baby.

Most of us try to keep the child, crying. But crying healthy is a form of communication, it strengthens the lungs, and even help the Sante eye. Keep in mind that the baby cry is his way of communicating with you. To listen and respond appropriately is much more important than trying to stop it.

What is the average baby cries

After a certain time and attention, May you be able to see that your baby cries differently for different needs. You'll soon as you can distinguere between when it is hungry, tired or wet only by listening to her cry. Listen to his cry, and learn what to calm him, so you can know better the next time it tries to communicate to you. This is useful because it helps you to meet its needs more quickly and help you to identify when something is out of the ordinary.
Crying babies sleep aid

Studies have shown that babies who cry to sleep really sleep more securely. So it is ok for the baby to bed and let him cry until he falls asleep, if tired, and it is time to sleep. Crying is a long hale and can do for a baby to fall asleep more quickly, too. Sometimes the baby is better to go back to sleep, when the vigerous few tears.

Crying releases tension and the baby is the only form of communication for quite a long period. It is normal for crying babies, late afternoon or early evening, only because it was a long day. Consider compensation by the baby!
Crying is a cyclical

Doctors say that the tears will monitor the curve. From birth, crying increases by two or three weeks, the summit between six and eight weeks, then slow down after that, in general, hitting the lowest level in nearly four months. So if your baby crying, it may not be a part of the cycle.

Crying baby to send a message to serious harm

As you can see, most of crying is normal. But there are times when crying shows that the real problem. If your baby cries abnormally, check for fever or other signs of illness. In babies before 4 months, crying can mean colic. Crying May also noted constipation, abdominal pain or tenderness of the environment (light, touch and sound). It is not crying for everyone can also be a cause for concern, very sick children will be too weak to cry. If you find that your child is crying more or less so that is not normal for him, please do not hesitate to call the pediatrician.

Babies born to cry, it is a natural part of their development. So, listen, learn and relax. Given that this is a CRY BABY may be a good decision.

speaking lesson for your baby

2008-09-05T01:59:00.000-07:00

The baby SOFTWARE of sounds and syllables to expand between now and the start of the first birthday. The next couple of months, then add a consonant, gradually approaching the beginning of an explosive p and B, the hum of men and konsonantin vowel combinations for the first time in their sound as the story of a baby. They may sound, for example, if they are, "maaaamaaaa, maaamaaa" and "paapaa, paapaa." But their children. Baby name of the phone only. These words mean just as much (or how little), for his "baaabaaa, baaabaaa." Root at this stage, it is a good noise.

Five or six months, your baby is a meaningless string sounds together to keep attention yet sweet. This is always a good practice in the upcoming negotiations. 6 months, your baby will probably want to practice their new language skills and prepared to listen to anyone. 6 months of age is very social. Children are most likely to welcome the company's other and start talking about (talk about the Gaga and China) to almost everyone.
Talk is, are we?

When the baby to begin lute, he gave himself to begin a real debate. This is hardly a problem, you will not be able to understand him, he can not understand. (After all, the same can be said of the debate between the number of adults.) Preference to talk about the baby the same way that listening to his story.

The first hour surprise when you see your baby as the wait for a response from the increase. I can not believe that just six months after the debate, and to pick up nuances of his style. He was at the beginning of the break (presumably to ask you please), the whole conversation, you can discuss. Preliminary discussions with the baby and to listen to, he knows he should speak to activate your turn. In fact, to stop, to hear him speak, when you can. Please judgement. Child conversationalists civilians much more than many adults.
If your baby out of "debate" polite. Babies respond to all the same way as adults, the story began. Stop what you are doing (at least several hours) and face-to-face conversation. He listened to heaving. If your baby a break, he is likely to be waiting for your answer. (He can also hear the sounds, and you will receive only a break before him, if he had a question.) In real terms, you can respond to, or echo the sound the baby. When you stop talking to the baby in May, and to continue the discussion is intended to include in it.

In this interview, your child is not just a polite, but your child's learning speed up the process. As a general rule, there is more talk, more talk about the baby. If the rippling of the baby to start a conversation, at least initially, that he had always been a number of social practices. But the next few months, the instrument of the baby has been discussed, take a look at a complex tone. Speeches in the fact that the child, if you can not monopolize the conversation. I remember oman diets have the opportunity to listen to children.

if your baby cry

2008-08-27T03:42:00.000-07:00

They cry because they are hungry, cold, wet, tired, bored, warm, or just uncomfortable.All babies cry.

Doctors have found that during the first 7 weeks of life, a baby may cry 21/2 hours a day. Babies usually cry less as they grow older and they find other ways to calm themselves, like sucking on pacifiers or fingers or playing with their hands. While crying is normal, some babies seem to cry for no reason. They are not easily calmed, and they cry for long periods of time. These babies are often referred to as having colic.
What Is Colic?

These signs may mean that a baby has colic:

* Unexplained crying and fussiness (not due to hunger or pain)
* Crying that begins in baby's first month (usually in the first weeks)
* Irregular crying, one or more times a day
* Excessive crying (from 20 minutes to 2 hours each time, or more than 4 hours total each day)
* Nothing seems to calm baby

A colicky baby may also do one or more of these things:

* Cry a loud, piercing cry
* Swing her arms and legs while crying
* Arch his back while crying
* Pull her knees up to her stomach while crying

What Causes Colic?

We don't know for sure, but babies may cry because ...

* Gases passing through the baby's stomach cause pain.
* Painful cramps occur because of changes in hormones after birth.
* The baby is too stimulated by the outside world. A colicky baby may not be able to "ignore" sights and sounds.
* The baby cries to release tension.
* The baby cannot stop unwanted behaviors, such as crying, because don't yet know ways of the baby.

Tips for Remedy and Relief

There is no cure for colic, but there are some things you can do to comfort a fussy baby. To help baby cry less, follow these tips:

* Feed just the right amount-not too much, not too little. Babies who cry after eating may want to suck rather than eat more, or they may need to cry a little as they fall asleep. Talk with your doctor if you aren't sure if your baby is eating enough.
* Give the baby things to look at or listen to earlier in the day. To keep baby calm, avoid active play late in the day.
* Change the baby's position. If you are holding the baby, put her down and let her kick. If the baby is lying down, pick him up and talk to him.
* Handle baby gently. Don't shake or move the baby roughly.

Try these ideas, too:

* Hold your baby in your arms. Keep his arms close to his body. Walk or rock the baby gently, while talking to him softly. Remember gentle! Shaking or bouncing too roughly can harm your baby, or even cause death.
* Sit and hold your baby face down with your hand under her tummy. Slowly rock your legs back and forth, or lift them gently up and down.
* Lie on your back and lay your baby on top of you with his tummy down. Massage or pat his back slowly and gently.
* Give your baby a warm bath, gently massaging her tummy with your hand, soap, or a soft cloth.
* Turn on a radio, vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, clothes dryer, or water faucet. Some babies are calmed by steady sounds and noises.
* Offer your baby a pacifier (again, remember to be gentle-you can injure the baby's mouth if you are too rough).
* Take your baby for a ride. If you use a car, be sure to place baby in a safety seat.
* Place the baby in a wind-up swing; be sure that his neck is supported.

Seeking Medical Help

If you find that your newborn cries a great deal, see a doctor to be sure there isn't a medical problem. Parents of colicky babies shouldn't be afraid to talk openly with their doctors. It's important to mention any concerns you have so you can put them at rest. In some situations a doctor may prescribe medicine, but there is not any medicine yet that completely cures colic in all infants. If medication is prescribed, ask your doctor to talk about the possible side effects.
Coping Techniques for Parents

Caring for a colicky infant can be very difficult. The frustration may become overwhelming. Parents of a colicky baby need to have a plan to help them get through the stress of colic. Keep these ideas and tips in mind:

* Remember not to take the crying personally. Your baby's crying is not a comment on you as a parent.
* Take deep breaths. Try to relax as much as possible. A crying baby can be very frustrating, so try not to "lose your head."
* Take turns with the baby (with your spouse or someone else).
* Try taking 15 minutes to calm your baby. If she is still crying, put her down and let her cry. After 15 minutes, try to calm her again.
* Your first concern should be to make sure baby is safe and secure. It is normal for babies to sometimes cry.
* Take a break from your baby. Ask a trusted friend or relative to babysit so you can spend some time away from your infant.
* Talk to other parents, especially people who have had colicky babies themselves. These may be friends, relatives, or people in a parent support group.
* Don't be afraid to accept or ask for help from friends or relatives who offer. If you can, hire someone to help you around the home.

It can really try your patience to have a baby with colic.

Just remember that the crying should happen less often as baby grows older, and be sure to ask others for the help you need during these difficult months.

do you love celebrities baby names ??

2008-08-27T03:13:00.000-07:00

Celebrities have always been known to give their baby’s unusual and unique names, like apple and blanket. Maybe you need to think a thousand times to give the baby name like celebrities, because of the following questions:

1. Why we need to give our baby names like celebrities?
2. Do the baby will be growth as famous as celebrities?
3. Where i can find the best list of celebrities name?
4. Do the child will be proud with his/her name in the next time?
5. etc..

Do you love your baby and loved to named him/her like celebrities?

So we have the solutions for All the questions above. First time, you need the celebrities’ baby names list to make sure that your choice is right. Then go to our partner site to take another programs included.

There you can Find Celebrity baby names included the meanings of names. We hope you enjoy and have fun to surfing this list and make sure to see the other lists.

According to your baby’s birthday is one of your choice, it seems like Avril, May, or June and another mounths or days name. Please Check out this spectacular list for your new baby’s name, including boy or girl names. So what are you waiting for, your baby will born soon, then choose your favourite celebrities baby names.

baby firt word

2008-08-20T09:42:00.001-07:00

Before babies learn to talk in a real language -- English, say, or French -- they babble and coo, playing with sound. That's baby talk, and baby talk sounds similar the world over.

But when will you hear your baby's first words? Critical milestones for a baby learning to talk happen in the first three years of life, when a baby's brain is rapidly developing. During that time, your baby's speech development depends on your "baby talk" skills as well as your baby's.
When will you hear your baby's first words?

The first "baby talk" is nonverbal and happens soon after birth. Your baby smiles, grimaces, cries, and squirms to express a range of emotions and physical needs, from fear and hunger to frustration and sensory overload. Good parents learn to listen and interpret their baby's different cries.

Just when your baby will say those magical first words varies greatly from individual baby to individual baby. But if your baby misses any of the following milestones in speech development, talk to your pediatrician or family doctor about your concerns.

Baby Talk Milestones

* Baby talk at 3 months. At three months, your baby listens to your voice, watches your face as you talk, and turns toward other voices, sounds, and music that can be heard around the home. Many infants prefer a woman's voice over a man's. Many also prefer voices and music they heard while they were still in the womb. By the end of three months, babies begin "cooing" -- a happy, gentle, repetitive, sing-song vocalization.
* Baby talk at 6 months. At six months, your baby begins babbling with different sounds. For example, your baby may say "ba-ba" or "da-da." By the end of the sixth or seventh month, babies respond to their own names, recognize their native language, and use their tone of voice to tell you they're happy or upset. Some eager parents interpret a string of "da-da" babbles as their baby's first words -- "daddy!" But babbling at this age is usually still made up of random syllables without real meaning or comprehension.
* Baby talk at 9 months. After nine months, babies can understand a few basic words like "no" and "bye-bye." They also may begin to use a wider range of consonant sounds and tones of voice.
* Baby talk at 12 months. Most babies say a few simple words like "mama" and "dadda" by the end of 12 months -- and now know what they're saying. They respond to -- or at least understand, if not obey -- your short, one-step requests such as, "Please put that down."
* Baby talk at 18 months. Babies at this age say up to 10 simple words and can point to people, objects, and body parts you name for them. They repeat words or sounds they hear you say, like the last word in a sentence. But they often leave off endings or beginnings of words. For example, they may say "daw" for "dog" or "noo-noo's" for "noodles."
* Baby talk at 2 years. By the age of two, babies string together a few words in short phrases of two to four words, such as "Mommy bye-bye" or "me milk." They're learning that words mean more than objects like "cup" -- they also mean abstract ideas like "mine."
* Baby talk at 3 years. By the time your baby is 3, his or her vocabulary expands rapidly, and "make-believe" play spurs an understanding of symbolic and abstract language like "now," feelings like "sad," and spatial concepts like "in."

Can you teach babies to talk?

Babies understand what you're saying long before they can clearly speak. Many babies learning to talk use only one or two words at first, even when they understand 25 or more.

You can help your baby learn to talk if you:

* Watch. Your baby may reach both arms up to say she wants to be picked up, hand you a toy to say she wants to play, or push food off her plate to say she's had enough. Smile, make eye contact, and respond to encourage these early, nonverbal attempts at baby talk.
* Listen. Pay attention to your baby's cooing and babbling, and coo and babble those same sounds right back to your baby. Babies try to imitate sounds their parents are making and to vary pitch and tone to match the language heard around them. So be patient and give your baby lots of time to "talk" to you.
* Praise. Smile and applaud even the smallest or most confusing attempts at baby talk. Babies learn the power of speech by the reactions of adults around them.
* Imitate. Babies love to hear their parents' voices. And when parents talk to them, imitating their baby talk, it helps speech develop. The more you talk their "baby talk" with them, using short, simple words, the more babies will keep trying to talk.
* Elaborate. If your baby points to the table and makes noise, don't just give him more noodles. Instead, point to the noodles and say, "Do you want some more noodles? These noodles taste good with cheese, don't they?"
* Narrate. Talk about what you're doing as you wash, dress, feed, and change your baby -- "Let's put on these blue socks now" or "I'm cutting up your chicken for you" -- so your baby connects your speech to these objects and experiences.
* Hang in there. Even when you don't understand what your baby is saying, keep trying. Gently repeat back what you think is being said, and ask if that's right. Keep offering your loving attention so your baby feels rewarded for trying to talk.
* Let your child lead. During playtime, follow your child's attention and interests to show that communication is a two-way game of talking and listening, leading and following.
* Play. Encourage children to play, pretend, and imagine out loud to develop verbal skills as they become toddlers.
* Read aloud. Lifelong readers come from young children who have plenty of fun, relaxing experiences of being read to out loud.

If you're concerned about a speech delay

Watch for any sign of a major speech delay in your baby, and talk with your doctor if you sense there's a problem. A speech delay can happen for a number of reasons, but the earlier a speech problem in babies is diagnosed, the more time you'll have to correct it and help your child reach his or her full potential before school age. Here are things to do to help with delayed speech:

* Have a hearing test done. As many as three out of 1,000 newborns have hearing loss, which can cause delayed speech development. Be sure to have your infant screened for hearing loss before leaving the hospital right after birth -- or by 1 month old at the latest. Give your baby a full hearing exam by 3 months old if he or she doesn't pass the initial hearing screening.
* See a speech-language pathologist. A speech therapist can diagnose and treat specific speech, language, or voice disorders that delay speech. Treatment may include giving parents tips and games to improve speech problems in babies and improve a child's language skills.
* Consider developmental screening. Up to 17% of children in the U.S. have a developmental or behavioral disability such as autism, intellectual disability (also called mental retardation), or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Ask your baby's doctor about screening for these developmental problems, which can cause speech delays.

What's the first step for babies learning to talk? Encourage your baby's first words with your frequent cooing, babbling, talking, and singing. Keep responding positively and showing you care. When it comes to baby talk, that's the best building block.

from source : http://www.webmd.com

WHY Baby Cry ?

2008-08-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

Have a new babies are pretty predictable. They sleep, cry, eat, cry, soil their diapers, and cry some more. In fact, some babies seem to cry all the time. Crying is the only way a baby can communicate a need. If your baby is crying, it’s usually for one of the following reasons:

Hunger. Most newborns feed every two to four hours, with breastfed babies feeding more frequently than those who are bottle fed. Simply feeding the baby can stop a cry of hunger. Remember to burp the baby during a feeding to avoid gas or indigestion. Babies who cry between feedings may need to suck more often, which can be satisfied with a pacifier or your clean finger. Because extremely active babies can work themselves into a frenzy when they get hungry, you may need to learn to anticipate when your baby is going to be hungry and offer the feeding before he or she becomes upset. Babies that cry often are more likely to have a lot of gas from gulping air, and are more likely to spit up frequently.
Pain. A cry of pain is usually a high-pitched, screaming cry. Some babies have a disorder called colic, which may be caused by too much gas in the intestine. An infant with belly pain may pull his or her legs up to the chest. Rocking or holding the baby may calm a colicky infant. Of course, there are many possible causes of pain, including illness and injury. If your baby cries for an unusual period of time and you can find no source of his or her pain, call your doctor.
Discomfort. A cry of discomfort can be caused by too much time in a wet or soiled diaper, being too cold or too hot, a little gas, being in one position for too long, or the need to have a bowel movement. Changing the baby’s diaper, burping him or her, or a little walking or rocking can usually calm this type of cry. Many babies cry right before they have a bowel movement, and then stop after their diapers are changed.
Overstimulation. It’s a whole new world to a baby, and sometimes it can get to be too much. Many babies become fussy in the evening. A baby that is overstimulated can be calmed by a little quiet time, a warm bath, or rocking.
Sleepiness. Most people get fussy when they are tired. Tired babies often rub their eyes, or rub their faces against your shoulder. A crying, sleepy baby needs to lie down and take a nap. You might want to take advantage of this quiet time and do the same.
Fear. That whole new world can be scary to a little person. A baby will cry when startled by a loud noise or sudden activity. You’ll find that certain people or animals may scare your baby. Soothe the baby by holding him or her close. Your presence makes your baby feel safe.
Boredom. Sometimes babies cry because they have nothing better to do, or because they need some attention.

After a time, many parents find they can identify why their baby is crying just from the sound of his or her cry.

It is important to note that extremely active babies may cry more often than calmer babies. This can be very frustrating for a parent. It’s okay to put the baby down in a safe place, such as his or her crib, close the door, and let the baby cry for 15 to 20 minutes. You should remain in a place where you can hear the baby. Many babies will calm down and even fall asleep within that time period. If your baby does not, go back to him or her after 15 to 20 minutes, pick the baby up, and check again for any of the reasons listed above that can cause a baby to cry.

Remember that the baby is not crying just to annoy you or because you are a bad parent. If you have a very active, fussy baby, take advantage of a support system, such as grandparents or a reliable friend or babysitter, who can give you a break for a short time. Talk to your doctor about your baby’s crying in case there is a medical reason for his or her distress. If your baby’s crying makes you feel angry or extremely stressed, place the baby in his or her crib, and call someone who can help you, such as a crisis hotline, your doctor, or a family member or friend. Never hit or shake the baby. It will not stop the crying and can cause permanent damage or death.

when baby leaves the house

2008-08-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

While the whole concept of having a new baby can be overwhelming for dads, many new dads I know were almost as overwhelmed by the amount of "stuff" a new baby needs. It seems like the new addition to your home almost requires a new addition on your home to manage the cribs, changing tables, diapers, clothes, and other baby supplies.

But when baby leaves the house, whether for a day's outing or to be left with a caring caregiver, how much of all that "stuff" will the baby really need?

Experienced dads offer the following checklist for things to include in the mobile baby care kit--often known as a diaper bag.

Diapers. Clearly, a diaper bag needs diapers. But how many? Every baby will be a little different, but a good rule of thumb is to keep about four diapers in the bag all the time. We kept a few in the car just in case, but four is a reasonable number for the diaper bag.

Wipes. Pre-moistened baby wipes are great for cleaning up from the messy diaper, wiping baby's dirty hands, or spot cleaning dad's shirt that was on the receiving end of the diaper changing process. They are also great for wiping down the handles of grocery carts, on which babies notoriously teethe.

Hand sanitizer. A small bottle of hand sanitizer is a welcome and light weight addition for the diaper bag. After a diaper change, it is a nice feeling to know you aren't transmitting too many germs to everyone you meet.

Changing pad. Having a changing pad in your baby kit can allow you to put baby on his or her own personal surface for a diaper change, and not straight onto a bathroom counter or changing table. And if it gets dirty, you can throw it in the wash when you get home.

Plastic bags. A few quart sized plastic bags, preferably with the sealable opening, are really handy in the diaper bag. If the baby leaks on his clothes, you can put them in the bag for later laundering. If there is not a convenient place to pitch the dirty diaper, a sealable bag can carry that diaper without an odor until you have a place to dispose of it.

Change of clothes. It is always a good idea to carry one change of clothes for baby in the diaper bag. Babies seem to go through outfits faster than teenagers go through chewing gum. A "onesie" is a light weight one-piece change of clothes that will fit well in a diaper bag and get you and the baby by in a pinch.

Bib. If your baby is teething, takes a bottle, or is starting with solid food, a bib is an important take-along. It will probably save at least one change of clothes, and will keep baby a lot more comfortable (translated: less crying).

Burp cloth. Speaking of keeping clean and comfortable, a burp cloth will help dad stay that way. After baby eats, or when you are just holding the baby over your shoulder, baby will often spit up. It's just a part of a new baby's digestive process. So protecting yourself with a burp cloth will help you avoid that unsightly stain on your shoulder or down the back of your shirt, sports coat or jacket.

Digital thermometer. It is always a good idea to keep a digital thermometer in your diaper bag. When baby starts acting ill or has a warmer than normal head, the doctor will always ask about baby's temperature. You can use a digital thermometer with a flexible tip to check his or her temperature rectally or under the armpit. A more recent invention is a pacifier-based digital thermometer that gets an oral temperature reading. Either one is a good item to include in the diaper bag in case of illness.

Emergency card. I always recommend keeping an emergency card in the diaper bag with contact information, medical information and more, just in case of emergency. Certainly, if you are leaving baby and the diaper bag with a caregiver, the emergency card is even more important.

Hat. This one is not as intuitive as it should be, but baby's scalp is pretty fragile. We learned this one day after taking our baby with us on a visit to a national park. Even though he was in a front-pack carrier all day (and, we thought, in the shade), his scalp was really sunburned the next morning. We had to try to find a hat at a souvenir stand, which of course was way too big for the baby. So we started always carrying a little hat in the mobile baby kit for just such an event.

It's a pretty long list, but most items here are small and easily packed. And your baby may need some other specialized equipment based on her own needs, and your preferences. But this is a good list for a basic baby care kit to help make your outings more pleasant for you and your baby.

Nurseries

2008-08-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

Growing into Baby Nurseries

Baby nurseries can be fun to decorate while you’re awaiting the arrival of your precious little bundle of joy. Make sure that you take the proper safety precautions, though, before your little one arrives. Nurseries that have potentially hazardous furniture or decorations can be dangerous nurseries. Online tips for nurseries such as the ones below can keep your baby safe throughout childhood.

• Use plug protectors or covers for unused electrical outlets.
• If you’re going to have a humidifier, choose one that uses cool air instead of a vaporizer to avoid burning a crawling toddler, and make sure to clean the unit frequently to prevent the growth of mold and harmful bacteria.
• A smoke detector is a must-have for all homes with small children, placed either in or near baby nurseries.
• Make sure that no drapery or cords are within baby’s reach, and never place any furniture that your child could climb up on near a window.
• Use window guards to prevent children falling out the window.
• Never choose furniture for baby nurseries that has sharp edges, small pieces that could accidentally be swallowed. Chests with heavy lids also present a danger of entraping the child.

In addition to baby-proofing nurseries, it’s also important to give your child something he or she can grow into comfortably. Plan ahead, so that the room can last through childhood without looking too babyish. Definitely avoid wall-to-wall carpeting, not only because of possible allergens harbored in the fibers, but also for easy cleanups. Make sure you select furniture fit initially for nurseries, but that can also double later as something else, to get more value from each item. And most importantly, don’t forget a place for yourself in your baby’s nursery. A comfortable armchair or rocker will provide you many hours of joy as you read, sing or rock your child to sleep.

Baby Bedding Themes Article

2008-08-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

Choosing baby bedding themes for a crib set depends on a few specifics, such as how much you want to spend, whether you know for certain if your baby is a boy or a girl and also whether you already have a particular scheme, theme or color chosen for the nursery. You and your child will spend a lot of time in the nursery, so choose something that both you and your child will love.

There is a draw toward bold, vibrant colors as well as cool neutrals these days. Stylish, classical, elegant, retro, designer and modern are among the words that many parents want to hear when they hear their nursery bedding described. There is a huge variety of trendy ensembles and accessories for both boy and baby girl nurseries. Many designers are creating designs that have more appeal to adults while still being soft and sweet. Matching cradle bedding is also popular.

You may be drawn more towards cute, traditional or whimsical choices. There are a huge variety of styles, colors and designs available for today. Storybook characters, favorite movie characters, popular cartoons/TV characters, fairy tale themes, nursery rhymes, ABC's, angels, whimsical shapes, crayons, circus themes; the choices are endless!

Animals are a common selection and can easily be found in stores. This motif could include teddy bears, farm animals, baby animals, puppies, ducks, kittens, bunnies, Noah's Ark, dolphins, underwater sea creatures, safari and jungle themes (everything from monkeys to elephants), animal prints, insects (from ladybugs to bumble bees), turtles, frogs; you can find just about any animal pattern imaginable!

There are soft colors, dark colors, candy colors, deep/rich tones, calming tones, pastel colors, primary colors, plaids, checks, polka-dots,toile, patchwork, stripes and denim. Stay with one color palette and you can mix and match patterns and prints. Babies are thrilled with the bright colors and geometric shapes, sharply contrasting colors are easier on your child's eyes- black, white and red are best. You can even find glow-in-the-dark patterns!

There are many different types of baby designs that are very gender-specific. Good themes for baby girls are: princess, ballerina, flowers, butterflies, carousels and pastel colors such as pinks and purples. Colors tend to be darker and brighter for most baby boy nurseries. Bedding in camouflage, sports, country, western, cowboys, bugs, reptiles, dinosaurs, cars, trucks, trains, fire trucks, airplanes and construction themes are perfect for baby boys.

Many parents-to-be tend to go with neutral colors for their baby, if they are unsure of what gender their little one is. Also, sometimes ultrasounds can be wrong and by sticking with a gender-neutral, parents don't have to worry about exchanging anything if he/she is born the opposite gender they expected. The many gender-neutral types can be such things as cartoon themes, certain animals and whimsical moon-and-stars.

When there is an older child in the house that may have been into Dora, Snoopy, Winnie the Pooh, Nemo, Disney Princesses, or another Disney theme, a parent may sway in that direction for their nursery theme.

Even with the hundreds of designs, colors and patterns available, there is still a slight chance that there won't be baby nursery bedding to match your style. There is always the option of having your's custom made. Any seamstress should be able to make your selections quickly and fairly easily for your precious child.

Buying Baby Clothes Tips

2008-08-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

Buying clothes for a growing baby is a bit challenging for many new parents, because none of the sizes printed on the labels correspond to the baby's actual age. Particularly if the baby was large at birth (9 pounds or more), you might have to skip the 0 to 3 months clothing right from the start and go directly to a 3 to 6 month wardrobe.

Basic layette consists of: a half dozen undershirts and onesies, non-flammable sleepers/rompers (with covered feet), a couple of gowns, at least four pairs of socks or booties, a couple of sweaters, a light jacket, pants/tops, 2 hats/caps or bonnets (knitted for winter; brimmed for summer), 4-6 receiving blankets, buntings and snowsuits (for colder climates), and absorbent bibs.

After you have your basic layette, you should be okay for at least a few weeks. What to buy after that time depends mainly on your baby's growth spurts and also your budget. Not everyone can afford to buy brand-new clothes every few weeks. If your baby is progressing as most do, you should expect to buy larger sizes of clothing (including diapers) every few months. Buying even 9 to 12 month sized clothes on clearance when your baby is only three months old can save you a lot of money.

You will want to buy clothes for both playtime and for special occasions. When it comes to fancy and frilly special-event outfits for baby girls, make sure the material isn't scratchy and that it doesn't get in the way of regular activities.

You can buy as little or as much clothing as you like for your baby- the ranges and choices are seemingly endless. But do bear in mind you will more than likely be flooded with cute babywear at your baby shower (as well as after the birth), since there's always an abundance of baby clothing given as gifts. If you want to buy your baby clothes before the birth try to opt for outfits in bigger sizes. Your new little one will grow an incredible amount in his or her first year and babies generally aren't picky about what they wear as long as it's comfortable.

Make sure the baby clothes you buy say "machine washable" on the labels, because you'll have neither the time, nor the energy to wash clothes by hand. As a general rule, you should always wash new clothes before dressing your baby in them. Not only does it clean them up after they've been hanging and handled in the stores, but it also makes them softer. Also, some say that washing first can help prevent skin rashes or irritation for babies with sensitive skin.

Once your children have outgrown their baby clothes, you can make a valuable contribution to society by donating your old baby clothes to various charities and organizations.

Bathing Your Baby Tips

2008-08-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

Bathing Baby Tips

Bathing your baby becomes a special responsibility often enjoyed by a new parent. Always stay within arm's length of baby at all times. Do not take your eyes off baby.

A bath seat will give your child added support while in the bathtub, but it will not protect the child from injury or drowning. Keep the following tips in mind while using a bath seat or bath ring.

Bath seats and bath rings should only be used with children who are capable of sitting upright unassisted.

Collect all bathing materials (soap, shampoo, cloth, comb) before bringing the baby into the bathroom. More tips below:

More bathing safety tips for your baby...

Place bathing materials within hands' reach of where you will be bathing baby. Be sure the bottom of the tub is clean and free of any soap residue.

If the bath seat or bath ring has suction cups, make sure they adhere to the bottom of the tub. Pull up on the bath seat/bath ring to test.

Never use a bath seat on textured or non-skid surfaces unless the manufacturer's instructions specifically state the seat is intended for such surfaces.

Place the bath seat in the tub so that baby cannot reach faucets or the spout.

Never lift the bath seat or ring with your baby in it as he or she could fall out.

After bathing, lift your child out of the seat or ring before removing it from the tub.

If bath seat/bath ring moves or tips while baby is in it, discontinue use.

The source of this nformation is provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Products on this site are not endorsed by the CPSC.

When Will My Baby Start Walking?

2008-08-11T02:07:00.000-07:00

Most parents would love to be able to boast about their children reaching their milestones on time but the reality is, milestone charts are just indicators of what you can expect from your child. A little variation either way does not mean your child isn’t healthy. Some babies skip the crawling stage altogether and practically run before they can walk! Others seem like they’ll never be able to sit up unattended, usually if they’re a bit more ‘roly poly’ than their siblings or other children.

As for the walking milestone, well, it’s entirely variable but usually you can expect to hear the pitter patter of little feet by about your child’s first birthday. Some kids, however, reach eighteen months and they’re still trying to remain upright on their feet, but as long as they are developing normal in other areas, there will not be cause for concern. Obviously, if you are worried, you can take him to your doctor for an examination.

Walking is about balance, motor development and not being in too much of a rush! For some littlies, to be up on their feet is achievement enough; for others, putting one foot in front of the other is a goal that they won’t rest without reaching.

There are ways you can assist your child in learning to walk. Encourage him to stand and hold on to furniture to increase the sensation of stability, and to help him to learn to balance properly. Once his confidence grows, he will rather like the idea of moving around the furniture to reach certain goals, like moving towards a brightly colored ball on the sofa, or his favorite toy on the coffee table. Have Grandma crouch, arms outstretched, calling your child and he’s likely to set off on a path to reach her. Falling down is par for the course so don’t worry.

Baby walkers
Contraptions made of seats with wheels and a frame are not the best tools to help your child to walk earlier. Sure, they’re fun and it’s very cute to see your baby zooming around the floor on wheels, but walkers can actually hinder a child’s natural progression towards walking. Babies who use walkers tend to rely on them for balance and movement, and the results is that the muscles they need for walking are not as well developed. Walkers are also responsible for thousands of child injuries across the United States each year, so use with extreme caution.

Barefoot
Nature provided us with padded soles on our feet, and toes to help keep our balance. Putting shoes on a child learning to walk is anything but natural, so avoid if possible. Also let your child get used to different surfaces such as grass, carpet, wood and sand. It keeps things fun and interesting.

Hand holding
It might seem like the best way to help your child, but holding his hand actually offsets his balance. Try holding him around the torso to keep him upright.

Interaction
Learning to walk is thrilling for a little child. A whole new world opens up when he can be upright and he will see his environment from a brand new perspective. Delight in his excitement. Spend lots of time giving him the confidence to pull himself up and make his foot movements and when he falls over, laugh playfully and encourage him to try again.

Your one year old will be into everything once he’s up on his feet. As exciting as his milestone will be, you may just find yourself longing for the time when he stayed put for a bit longer!

Dress Your Baby For Bedtime

2008-08-10T23:53:00.000-07:00

One of the best ways to determine if your baby is wearing cool enough or warm enough clothes is to realize what we ourselves are wearing. Chances are, if you’re feeling cool enough for a sweater, then so is your baby. One exception however, is in the case of premature babies who have less body fat to insulate them against the cold. An extra layer of clothing is recommended then.

Little babies don’t need pyjamas, as such.

They need clothing that is comfortable, warm, dry and clean. Cotton is perhaps the best fabric for baby clothing, especially for sleepwear as air circulates freely and the material absorbs moisture from the body. Special flame retardant sleepwear is available for babies.

For sleeping, clothing should be loose enough to enable freedom of movement but not too loose so that it can come off during sleep. Sleepwear that includes the covering for feet is popular because it means that the legs of the garment don’t ‘ride up’ and expose the skin to cool air. Cold feet is a reason why some babies wake up.

Sleepwear should not be too warm. The risks of SIDS increase in babies who have become overheated during sleep. That said, however, it is better to dress your baby in warmer clothes and allow for lighter bed coverings so that in case the coverings come off altogether, he is still protected by his clothes.

Check in on your baby to see if his face feels warm or cool to the touch and adjust the bedclothes accordingly. Try to maintain a bedroom temperature of around 70 degrees for optimal comfort.

What you dress your baby in for bed needs to be safe because you will be providing less supervision than at any other time of day. Steer clear of clothing that features hanging strings or ribbons, because of the risk of strangulation. If there are any buttons, make sure they are securely attached so that they don’t come loose and present a choking hazard. Elastic shouldn’t be too tight or restricting and clothes should fit well; not too small and not too big, as each brings its own problems.

One-piece outfits with a zipper up the front are ideal for sleepwear, especially if they are made of cotton. They are warm, comfortable, non-restricting and generally have no superfluous trims that can be hazardous. One consideration to make, though, is that in winter, if you need to change your baby’s diaper, it means his whole body will be exposed to the cooler air, unless you are able to unfasten only the bottom half.

As with all baby clothing, sleepwear should be easy to launder. Babies can sometimes spit up in their sleep, and also a little leakage can sometimes occur out of the diaper.

Don’t be seduced into buying pyjamas simply because they’re cute and colorful. When it comes to babies, practical and safe is always the best option.

baby first birthday

2008-08-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

First Birthday Ideas

Tweety Bird 1st Birthday Party:
Invitations: Wood cut-outs of Tweety made into magnets, double as souvenirs. Paste party information on the back.

Fall 1st Birthday:
Purchase Anne Geddes plain note cards (the one with the pumpkin - may be difficult to find). Print on paper for inside (I understand these are hard to find)
"Our Little Pun'kin is turning ONE!"
Cake: Pumpkin cake made in a bundt pan.

Frosted orange and decorated with autumn foliage (artificial) in the center. Mini bundt cakes for children with tootsie roll for stem. Serve with pecan praline ice cream.
Activity: Go to the pumpkin patch and choose your pumpkins. Have a pumpkin carving contest.

Baby's Year in Review
Invitations:
Can be printed to look like newspaper headlines.
" ______ Just Turned One"

OR

Made by printing it on acid-free scrapbook paper
Print on them a little story of his/her past year

angel blessed our lives.
We named her Mary Madeline
In the past year she has learned so much,
how to drink from a cup, feed herself, crawl, almost walk
talk, laugh, and love.
Now she is calling on all her favorite friends and family
to help celebrate a wonderful past year and a big kick off
for the next.
Your presence is requested at the very first birthday
party for Maddie.
Where:
When:

Decorations:
Balloons, streamers, baby books, photo albums and photos of the birthday child. For a special reminder of the day, make an album celebrating baby's 1st year. The front could be set up like a news magazine. Include newspaper items from the day he was born.

Cake and Food:
Typical finger foods with a cake with a huge one on it.
Gift for guests: Make paper roll thanks you's, tied with a ribbon, attach a pretty flower or favorite symbol.
Tie up Hershey's Hugs and Kisses in tulle with a ribbon. Attach a hand made tag (business card size on the computer) that says "hugs and kisses from name of child to you" "Thanks for coming to my 1st Birthday" and the date.

Games:
Make up questions from the baby book or for fun. Pass out paper and pencils, let the guests answer them.
When did he sleep through the night?
What was his first words?
When did he first crawl? Walk? Sleep through the night?
Who does he look like? etc.

Time Capsule:
Have stationery, envelopes, pens and colored pencils. Everyone writes a letter to the child to be opened when they turn a predetermined age! Some of these beloved relatives may not even be around then so it will be especially precious. Let the guests know about it in advance so that if they want to, they can write their letter ahead of time and then just deposit it in the capsule.
Use a large metal can that you can tape shut (large popcorn cans work great). Put a label on it that says, "Do not open until year XXXX" and included Child's name.
Other items that will work in the capsule - Time magazine, newspaper clippings, photos and information on where you live, where parents work, what you do for fun, etc.

Who's Who?:
Have all the guests bring their own baby pictures and try to guess, 'who is who.'

"Hopes and Dreams" box
Guests take a piece of paper and write down their hopes and dreams for the child's future, whether it be to make it simply to the next birthday or dreams of becoming a professional athlete or brain surgeon. The idea is that on the next birthday, the box can either be opened, read, and have a new one started, or it can be left alone and added to. Then many years down the road it can be opened and shared when he/she is old enough to understand.

First Foods For Your Baby’s

2008-08-10T02:50:00.000-07:00

First Foods For Your Baby’s

From birth to 6 months of age

Breast milk is the best food for your baby. Offer iron-fortified formula to babies who are not breastfed. Babies do not need solid foods until they are 6 months old.

Breastfed babies need 400 IU of vitamin D each day from a vitamin supplement. Formula fed babies may need a vitamin D supplement depending on how much formula they drink. Babies who drink both breast milk and formula need a vitamin D supplement.

Ask your doctor or a registered dietitian about whether your formula fed baby needs a vitamin D supplement.

Why start foods at 6 months of age?

• At 6 months of age your baby needs more nutrients, especially iron.

• Your baby needs to try different tastes and textures.

• Most babies are ready for solid foods. Signs of readiness include:

- baby sits and holds her head up, and

- watches and opens her mouth for the spoon, and

- does not push food out with her tongue.

• Before 6 months high-nitrate vegetables (home-prepared carrots, spinach, turnips and beets) should not be offered.

How much should I offer my baby?

• Let your baby decide how much to eat. When feeding your baby, look for signs of hunger and fullness.

• Babies will shut their mouth, turn their head, or push food away when they have had enough to eat. Do not force your baby to eat more when he has had enough.

• Babies who are still hungry will continue to open their mouths for food and may be upset when the food is taken away.

Use the amounts of food listed here as a general guideline only.

How do I start?

• Offer one new food at a time.

• Wait a few days before adding another new food.

• Do not put cereal or other solids in a bottle.

From 6 to 9 months of age

• Continue to breastfeed or offer iron-fortified infant

formula whenever your baby is hungry – about 720-960 mL (24-32 oz) each day. As your baby eats more solids, he will gradually drink less breast milk or formula.

• Sips of water may be offered in a cup, but don’t let your baby fill up on water.

• Your baby does not need juice. If offering juice, limit to 60-125 mL (1/4-1/2 cup) per day, served in a cup. Offer 100% juice only.

When starting solids, choose a time when baby is content, interested and alert. Begin by offering solids 2 to 3 times per day and increase to 3 to 4 times per day. Sit down and eat with your baby.

• Start with small amounts of high iron foods like single-grain iron-fortified infant cereal or well-cooked finely minced meat, poultry or fish. Mix with breast milk, formula, or water.

• Gradually increase cereal to about 60-125 mL (4-8 Tbsp) each day. If your baby does not eat meat, aim for at least 125 mL (8 Tbsp) of cereal, on average, each day by 9 months of age.

• Offer cooked, well-mashed vegetables like yams, sweet potatoes, potatoes, squash, carrots, and mashed fruit like pears, peaches, and bananas. Start with small amounts and gradually increase to about 60-125 mL (4-8 Tbsp) per day.

• Continue to offer meat, poultry and fish, while adding other high iron foods like cooked egg yolk, lentils, beans, and tofu - about 100 mL (6 Tbsp) total per day.

• Around 9 months of age, try cottage cheese, plain yogurt, and small pieces of hard cheese like cheddar or gouda, and pasteurized soft cheese.

Pureed foods are not needed. Baby can enjoy mashed foods and finger foods before teeth appear.

• Offer finger foods such as:

- pieces of cooked vegetables or soft fruit without the peel, such as potato, yam, avocado, apricot, pear, banana, peach, plum

- pieces of toast, roti or tortilla

- cooked rice or pasta

- “oat rings” cereal

From 9 to 12 months of age

• Breast milk or iron-fortified formula – about 720-840 mL (24-28 oz) per day.

• Offer water in a cup.

• Your baby does not need juice. If offering juice, limit to 60-125 mL (1/4-1/2 cup) per day, served in a cup. Offer 100% juice only.

• Do not let your baby sip on juice (or diluted juice) between meals or snacks as this can cause tooth decay.

Offer foods 3 to 4 times per day. Offer solid foods before breast or formula feeding.

• Iron-fortified infant cereal, about 125 mL (1/2 cup) or more per day.

• Meat, fish, poultry, cooked egg yolk, lentils, beans, and tofu – about 100-125 mL (6-8 Tbsp) total per day.

• Soft vegetables and fruit – about 125-250 mL (1/2-1 cup) per day.

• Let baby try self-feeding with fingers or a spoon.

• By 1 year of age your baby can eat the same meals as the rest of the family (soft and diced). See information under safety tips.

Health professionals recommend that egg white not be given to babies until 1 year of age to lower the chance of an allergic reaction.

What about cow’s milk?

Breastfeeding is recommended until your baby is 2 years-old and beyond. When your baby is 9-12 months old and taking a variety of iron rich solid foods, it is okay to start substituting whole milk for breast milk or formula.

Babies and toddlers need fat for brain development, so choose whole milk until 2 years of age. Lower-fat milk (1% and 2%) can be offered after 2 years of age. Other drinks such as soy or rice beverages may be offered after 2 years of age, but check the label to make sure they are fortified with calcium and vitamin D.

If you choose whole goat milk, make sure it is pasteurized. Most goat milk does not contain vitamin D, in which case your baby would need a vitamin D supplement.

Tips for enjoyable mealtimes

Help your baby develop healthy food habits and a relaxed feeling about eating.

• Offer food at the same times each day.

• Sit down and eat with your child. Babies and children enjoy company while eating.

• You decide what foods to offer.

• Let your baby decide how much and whether to eat.

• Expect a mess. It is part of learning to eat!

• If you have questions or concerns about feeding your baby solids, talk to a registered dietitian.

Safety tips

• Always stay with your baby while he or she is eating or drinking.

• Do not give foods that can cause choking such as popcorn, peanuts, nuts, hard candies, hard raw vegetables like carrots, whole marshmallows, jellybeans, globs of peanut butter, ice cubes, and chips.

• Hot dogs and grapes should be sliced lengthwise first, and then into small pieces.

• Honey can cause botulism poisoning in babies and is not recommended for babies under 1 year of age.

• Milk, juice, and soft cheeses, such as brie, camembert and feta should be pasteurized.

Allergy Alert:

Are you concerned about food allergies? Talk to your baby’s doctor, a registered dietitian or a public health nurse.

7 Tips on Baby Tooth Care

2008-08-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

Practical tips for keeping baby's brand-new teeth healthy.

Now that your baby's teeth are on their way in, it's time to start taking care of them. Even though this set will only be around for a short time, their health essential to your baby's gums and those future permanent teeth.

Make sure your baby's new teeth get the best care:

1. Start cleaning your child's mouth even before her teeth come in. Wipe the gums off after each feeding with a warm, wet washcloth or a dampened piece of gauze wrapped around your finger. You can also buy thimblelike, soft rubbery devices (they fit over your index finger) to use for rubbing off excess food.

2. Once the teeth begin coming in, start taking care of them right away. Many parents think baby teeth aren't important because they're eventually replaced by permanent ones. But these first teeth preserve the spacing for the permanent ones and help baby chew and talk. If they're not cared for properly the can decay, leading to a gum infection called gingivitis, which can affect the spacing of permanent teeth.

3. Watch for cavities. The first signs of cavities in baby teeth are discoloration and minor pitting. Putting baby to bed with a bottle of milk (or worse, juice) is notorious for causing cavities. Don't leave your infant with a bottle for long periods of time, especially if you notice he's no longer feeding and is just using the bottle for comfort.

4. Follow meals with water. Most infant foods easily wash off baby's teeth with just a drink of water after meals. But it's good to introduce a toothbrush (choose a very soft one) as soon as possible, so baby can get used to having it in his mouth. You probably won't need to use the brush to actually clean baby's teeth until he's eating only table foods (and has a significant number of teeth), at around 18 months. However, you'll want to gently clean your child's teeth with a toothbrush or thimblelike cleaner and some bicarbonate of soda if your toddler has eaten sticky, sugary foods.

5. Begin using a pea-size amount of nonfluoride toothpaste once baby is about age 2. Wait until at least age 3, when your child is old enough not to swallow the toothpaste, before introducing the fluoride kind.

6. Regulate baby's fluoride intake. Even though your baby isn't using a fluoride toothpaste, he should get enough fluoride -- important for preventing tooth decay -- from drinking tap water. Most communal water supplies have it added just for this beneficial purpose. Ask your doctor about fluoride supplements baby can take once he's 6 months old if your tap water is not fluoridated or your child doesn't drink any tap water.

7. Schedule a dental exam. The American Dental Association recommends that baby get his first dental exam at age 1, but most pediatricians agree that the first visit can wait until age 3, as long as you practice good home care.

If you take good care of this first set of pearly whites, you can establish good dental habits for years to come.

All content here, including advice from doctors and other health professionals, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.

BABY GROW

2008-08-08T23:12:00.000-07:00

Nobody can tell exactly when your baby was
conceived. But fertilization usually occurs
about two weeks after the beginning of your
last menstrual cycle.

Within a few hours after the egg is penetrated
by the sperm in the fallopian tube, the egg
begins to divide. In the next three to five
days, a cluster of up to 50 cells floats down
the fallopian tube to the uterus, where it
continues to develop. By the tenth day, the
ovum is firmly implanted in the uterine wall.
Here it burrows little finger-like projections
called "villi" into the blood supply of the
uterine lining from which it will take its nourishment... and begins the miraculous growth
that will make it a real live baby.

Second Week After Fertilization
As the cluster of cells begins to elongate, a
water-tight sac forms around it, gradually
filling with fluid. This will serve to
cushion the growing life from shocks.
Next to this, a tiny yolk sac forms,
preparing to produce little blood vessels.
Now the placenta--the round, flat
membrane that will lie inside the uterine
wall--begins to develop. Joined to the
umbilical cord, it will take over the job of
the more primitive villi, bringing food,
water and minerals from the maternal blood
to the fetus, and carrying fetal waste to the
blood.

Third Week
The cell cluster is now a hollow structure filled with fluid, measuring only about 1/100 of
an inch in diameter (the thickness of a heavy pencil dot). But already there are primitive
lung buds...a tube that will be your baby's heart...and a thickening that is the beginning of
the central nervous system. The cluster begins to curl up now so that it will fit in its
compact home as it grows.

Fourth Week
A primitive face is taking form, with large
circles where eyes will appear. The mouth,
lower jaw, and throat are developing.
Little tubules foreshadow internal organs
such as the gallbladder, liver, and stomach.
Blood corpuscles are taking shape, and the
circulation is beginning. The tiny "heart"
tube will be beating 65 times a minute by
the end of this week. The embryo as it is
now called, will be 3/16 of an inch in
length by the end of the week. In one
month, the single fertilized egg has grown
10,000 times bigger than when it started.

Fifth Week
By the end of this week, ears begin to develop from two folds of tissue, buds emerge that
will become arms and legs, and your baby's eye lenses begin taking form. There is a tiny
depression where the nose will be and an equally tiny thickening that will be the tongue.
Eight to ten vertebrae of the backbone have been laid down. The brain, spinal cord, and
nervous system are well established. Your baby's primitive blood vessels have begun to
function.

Sixth Week
By now the beating heart can be seen with special instruments. It is still outside the
baby's body, but its four chambers are beginning to form. The mouth is still closed, but
the digestive tract is developing downward from the mouth cavity. By the end of the
sixth week, hollows appear where eyes and ears will form; the beginnings of testes or
ovaries have appeared; the brain is growing rapidly; and the entire backbone has been
laid down. There is even a skeleton, though it is mostly made up of cartilage, not yet real
bone. A "tail" extends from the spinal cord; at this stage, the human embryo resembles
that of a pig, rabbit, or elephant. It is now 1/4 of an inch in length.
Seventh Week
The embryo has become a fetus. Its heart is now within its chest cavity. The tail has all
but disappeared. Nasal openings are breaking through. Eyes can now be perceived
through closed lids. Little buds signal the beginning of fingers and toes and delicate little
muscle fibers are starting. The fetus is 1/2 an inch long and weights 1/1000 of an ounce.

Eighth Week
Human facial features, particularly the
jaws, are becoming well defined. Teeth are
being formed. Fingers and toes are present,
and external ears form elevations on either
side of the head. In boys the penis begins
to appear. The fetus is no 7/8 of an inch
long and weighs 1/30 of an ounce.

Ninth Week
The baby's face is now completely formed. The clitoris appears in girls. Your baby now
resembles a miniature human, slightly more than one inch in length, weighing 1/5 of an
ounce.

Tenth Week
Your baby's eyes have moved from the sides of its head, where they were originally, to
the front. In males, the scrotum appears. Major blood vessels have almost reached final
form. The heart waves are similar to those of an adult. The baby looks top-yeavy, for the
head is almost half its entire size.

End of Third Month
Upper and lower eyelids have met and
fused and tear glands are starting to appear.
Primitive hair follicles are forming and so
are the beginnings of vocal cords.
Fingernails are already present and your
baby can close his fingers to make tiny
fists. He can also open his mouth, purse
his lips, and squint up his face. He is now
three inches long, and weights about one
ounce.

Fourth Month
Your baby's heartbeat is now audible to the doctor's stethoscope. Its brain looks like a
miniature adult brain. Sweat glands are forming on palms and soles, and the skin is
thickening into various layers. Your baby now has eyebrows and eyelashes, has grown to
six ounces, and is 8 1/2 inches in length. It is at this time that many babies start to such
their thumbs.

Fifth Month
Your baby's muscles are active now, and by the midpoint of pregnancy, 20 weeks, you
will probably have felt "quickening"--the baby's movements. There is hair on his head.
He is skinny, but fat is beginning to be deposited under his translucent skin. Twelve
inches in length, he weighs about one pound.

Sixth Month
Your baby's skin is wrinkled and has developed a cheese-like protective material called
"vernix" which will remain right through birth. The eyes are open and will soon be
sensitive to light (although color and form won't be perceived until long after birth).
Your baby can now hear sounds. And wonder of wonders--with skin ridges fully formed
on palms and soles, your baby now has finger- and footprints. Length, 14 inches.
Weight, 2 pounds.
Seventh Month

Fine downy hair covers your baby's body. Taste buds have developed. The male's
testicles have descended into the scrotum. By the end of this month, your baby is about
16 inches long, and 3 1/2 pounds in weight. Its organ systems are now adequately well
developed so that even if born prematurely, it could probably survive. But the next two
months will be periods of growth and maturation to ensure a healthy entry into the world.
Eighth Month
Baby is getting plumper and plumper, and the skin is somewhat less wrinkled as fat takes
up the slack. He may now weight more than five pounds, and may be some 18 inches in
length. His fingernails are long, extending beyond the fingertips.
Ninth Month
The baby's skin is red but smooth. It looks polished. The only downy hair remaining
now is on arms and shoulders. On the head, the hair is about one inch long. Deposit of
subcutaneous fat continues. By the end of this month, what was begun from you egg cell
measuring 1/200 of an inch in diameter, and your husband's sperm cell, only 1/80,000 the
size of the egg, will emerge as a bouncy little infant some 20 inches in length, and
weighing an average of 7 pounds.

TIPS TO CHOOSE THE FINEST TOY FOR YOUR BABY

2008-08-08T22:37:00.001-07:00

Infant under 3 years shall not play with toys which are very small or consist of small parts which simply can take off.The generally valuable thing is safety As the mainly valuable factor is safety you have to be very careful and focused during buying a toy. It generally is a good idea to read the information on the package where it must be written about the age of the child this plaything can be given. Choking hazards are very dangerous for tiny children for the reason that they always strive the taste of any thing they come across and might choke. A not dangerous toy is the one which can not hit your infant if it take place to go down on him or her, so it doesn't have to be very strong. A toy mustn't have sharp edges they might hurt your toddler. Selecting a careful baby toys for your infant, make sure that you check to see if the plaything you're regard as is safe meets the safety norms that it should.What helps improvement? Have you ever seen a baby's eyes, when a toy he was given, created some sounds, it can be a phrase or a part of tune? The mainly striking and intriguing toy to the babies specially at the age of first months is those that make noise Euphonious tune has a exclusive and auspicious impression on babies, newborns for example can not focus on exclusive shapes, but they clearly hear noises, yet being in the womb. Talking toy is not simply funny device but the one which assists to develop the baby as properly. It stimulates your baby's feels which facilitates improvement and motivation to mingle with others.What can be sweeter and more pleasant than a smiling toddler with pleasure in his eyes who has a minute ago received a toy from you, saying "thank you" impatiently trying to unwrap it and very soon he will be deeply immersed in a another miraculous place where he struck up a companionship with his new plaything. It is simply a joy to have a look at your merry and rejoicing child. That is why we pay out a lot of cash and time select the right toy for our kid, and every time we are in doubt selecting out toys for our children we want to be confident that this toy is actually the one which will do our newborn look pleased. It is not an easy task to get the true decision. And if you feeling a bit confused and worried about purchasing the finest plaything for your baby here are some points that will help you to do it effectively.

Doing some investigation is helpful Be grateful to today technology and the Internet which gives chance to a lot of nations to communicate and share their opinions about the offered products. This explore will guard you from purchasing bad terms or even risky. Buying a toy piano for your child you want to be sure that the toy you pay for is not going to last a week or two. Quality is not the one decisive factor you can follow while picking a toy. Their reviews can help you to find out whether the proposed wooden baby toys are good or harmful. If the review about a selected toy is negative but has convincing facts you may not want to purchase that toy for your babe.We strive to recommend a wide assortment of toys of different forms, texture, material and dimension. We have baby toys to all choice, toys for all skills and development that your child wishes at the second. You can buy wooden baby toys at brilliant rates and we take full responsibility for their quality.

the Ways to Make Your Baby to Sleep Tonight

2008-08-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

the Ways to Make Your Baby to Sleep Tonight

For the first year and a half of his life, your little boy may have gone down with a bottle at a regular time every night. Oh how blessed those days were. But then one day a switch flipped in that slumbering angel and now the little man won’t sleep at all. It’s midnight and Johnny Wired is bounding through the house and yelling like he’s just realized his rushing for frat. By now, you’ve learned when baby don’t sleep, you don’t sleep. And when you don’t sleep, the earth stands still; zombies rise and walk the earth (and by zombies, we mean you). If you're going to survive you need to come up with a plan. You need to lay some strategery on that kid’s butt. Here are some tactics you can employ.

Wear them out during the day. Take them to the park. Run them hard.

Shorten or cut out the nap. Wait, you’re kid isn’t sleeping at night and you are still giving them a nap? Are you nuts?!

Stick to the rules. If you say “only one story and then bed,” it better only be one story. Or else you’ll spend countless hours every night bargaining.

Set up a consistent routine. For instance, do bath, teeth, story, bed. Do it the same way every night and they will learn to wind down with the routine.

Create a soothing environment. If you make your kid sleep on top of a running washing machine, now is the time to rethink that strategy.

Stay as close as he needs you to. Some children are happy to go to sleep after a quick goodnight kiss, while others prefer to snuggle, hold hands or go to sleep with an adult in a nearby chair. This will change as your child grows and becomes more self-confident, so don't worry ' you won't have to rock your teenager to sleep.

Let them know you’ll be there. Sometimes the root of the problem is nightmares or fear of the dark. Assure where you will be, install a nightlight and general remove the fear factor.

tips To Conceive A Boy or Girl

2008-07-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to influence what sex the child turn out to be. As everyone knows what it takes to make a baby, many people believe you can, so let us give you some advice you may wish to try if you want increase those chances of a baby boy.

1: Nature’s Way; It is important to understand how the sex of a child is decided by nature. All human beings have 46 chromosomes in 23 matching pairs, all of which are present in every cell in our body. The exception to this is the sex cells, sperm, and oocytes or eggs, as these contain only 23 single chromosomes. The 23rd chromosome in all oocytes is always an X chromosome. This way, any egg can become male or female depending on which sperm fertilizes it.
This is because there are two types of sperm produced in equal amounts; one carrying a X chromosome, and one carrying a Y chromosome. If a Y-bearing sperm fertilizes the egg then the baby will be male, and if the X-bearing sperm is the first past the post the baby will be a female.

: Timing with ovulation | The Best Time To Conceive; The timing of intercourse in relation to ovulation is considered to be important factor due to X and Y chromosome carrying sperm having different characteristics. Y-bearing sperm are faster swimmers but have a shorter life-expectancy than X-bearing sperm so there’s no point in having intercourse with 4-5 days to go until ovulation as it’s likely that there’ll only be X-bearing sperm left. Instead you need to be thinking about having intercourse as close to ovulation as possible really if you want a boy.
There are a number of ovulation prediction kits available on the market that can help you to get as accurate a reading as possible.

3: Depth of penetration; Deeper penetration during intercourse is recommended when trying to conceive a boy. The average distance between the sperm and the egg is about 4 inches, which sounds like nothing, but if the sperm were the size of a salmon it would equate to a 43 mile trip!
The closer the sperm are ejaculated to the cervix the better, so try intercourse in the missionary position or with the woman on all fours to give the Y-bearing sperm the best chance!
The cervical fluid closer to the cervix is also less hostile towards Y-bearing sperm than that found at shallower penetration, increasing their chances of survival and the conception of a baby boy even further.

4: Chinese Birth Chart; Discovered over 700 years ago, the Chinese conception chart, or Chinese pregnancy calendar as it is sometimes known, is thought to predict whether you conceive a boy or girl. It works by cross-referencing the
mother’s age with the month when the moment of conception took place. So by pre-planning the time you want to conceive, you should be able to decide the gender of your baby, or in theory anyway.

5: Dietary Supplements and Medications; Although scientifically unproven as yet, it is believed that a woman’s diet may be able to influence the eventual gender of a baby at conception. Being healthy and having a healthy diet is good for your general fertility anyway, but if the woman has a capsule of Evening Primrose oil per day and some Guaifensin tablets for the 5 days before ovulation it’ll help them to produce better quality and thinner cervical mucus which favours Y-bearing sperm.

name for your baby

2008-07-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

Need help finding baby names?

Here's your step-by-step baby names guide!

Drowning in a sea of Isabelles and Isadoras? Don't know your Horatio from your Hortensia? Want a bit of action... organization... and inspiration in your quest for that special name for your child?

Choosing a name for your baby can be such fun - yet for many parents, it can be one of the most stressful decisions they ever make!

How do people choose baby names?

There's so much to think about when choosing the right name for your baby;

your own ideas
your partner's thoughts
family tradition
names you've already given to baby's brother or sister...

- the list goes on and on. It's easy to get into a muddle, and then the stress sets in.

Research... reflect... and relax!

Consider unique names

Exotic and uncommon choices are a must for some parents. Are they a good idea? This step on your journey takes you to some very interesting places, and will give many of you pause for thought.

Think about meanings!
This is another crucial part of your journey. Your final choice will almost certainly have its own associations. Better to know now... than later.

Need help on finding that perfect name?

The end is nigh... but stop. Don't decide yet. See if these words mean something to you...

twins
middle names
in-laws
initials
nicknames

There's never a dull moment when you're choosing a name - or two!

Prepare for action
Approaching the challenge of deciding the formal identity of your child... is one big responsibility! But rest assured - your son or daughter will have a name! So - who will your child turn out to be? By following these steps, the answer may come sooner than you think!

you can choose name :

Emily

Emma

Madison

Isabella

Ava

Abigail

Olivia

Hannah

Sophia

Samantha

Elizabeth

Ashley

Mia

Alexis

Sarah

Natalie

Grace

Chloe

Alyssa

Brianna

Ella

Taylor

Anna

Lauren

Hailey

Kayla

Addison

Victoria

Jasmine

Savannah

Julia

Jessica

Lily

Sydney

Morgan

Katherine

Destiny

Lillian

Alexa

Alexandra

Kaitlyn

Kaylee

Nevaeh

Brooke

Makayla

Allison

Maria

Angelina

Rachel

Gabriella

Jennifer

Avery

Mackenzie

Zoe

Riley

Sofia

Maya

Kimberly

Andrea

Megan

Katelyn

Gabrielle

Trinity

Faith

Evelyn

Kylie

Brooklyn

Audrey

Leah

Stephanie

Madeline

Sara

Jocelyn

Nicole

Haley

Paige

Arianna

Ariana

Vanessa

Michelle

Mariah

Amelia

Melanie

Mary

Isabelle

Claire

Isabel

Jenna

Caroline

Valeria

Aaliyah

Aubrey

Jada

Natalia

Autumn

Rebecca

Jordan

Gianna

Jayla

Layla

Mya

Amanda

Gracie

Marissa

Molly

Adriana

Katie

Leslie

Keira

Gabriela

Jade

Bailey

Madelyn

Angela

Kennedy

Danielle

Melissa

Jacqueline

Zoey

Diana

Briana

Catherine

Charlotte

Eva

Sophie

Breanna

Valerie

Amy

Naomi

Erin

Lydia

Daniela

Shelby

Rylee

Serenity

Amber

Ruby

Peyton

Miranda

Ashlyn

Sierra

Kate

Ana

Kathryn

Skylar

Kylee

Alexandria

Kendall

Daisy

Liliana

Lilly

Lucy

Mikayla

Summer

Reagan

Jazmin

Sadie

Christina

Reese

Angel

Margaret

Juliana

Payton

Alexia

Mckenzie

Alana

Alicia

Giselle

Genesis

Alondra

Cheyenne

Laura

Karen

Jillian

Ellie

Mariana

Sienna

Jordyn

Adrianna

Camila

Bella

Bianca

Jasmin

Kelsey

Kiara

Lindsey

Elena

Nadia

Maggie

Courtney

Dakota

Chelsea

Delaney

Julianna

Kyra

Makenzie

Sabrina

Cassidy

Caitlyn

Hope

Crystal

Ariel

Jayden

Kyla

Abby

Annabelle

Caitlin

Angelica

Karla

Tiffany

Veronica

Kelly

Ciara

Cadence

Amaya

Camryn

Mckenna

Elise

Cassandra

Aniyah

Josephine

Erica

Vivian

Esmeralda

Julissa

Jazmine

Karina

Fatima

Allie

Savanna

Makenna

Alejandra

Clara

Mallory

Laila

Aliyah

Brooklynn

Erika

Brenda

Cynthia

Stella

Jamie

Kendra

Bethany

Nora

Piper

Haylee

Alaina

Kira

Monica

Carly

Tessa

Heaven

Alivia

Guadalupe

Joanna

Kailey

Carmen

Allyson

Paris

Violet

Aniya

Lindsay

Ayla

Cecilia

Kayleigh

Macy

Alayna

Hanna

Katelynn

Alison

Nina

Georgia

Dulce

Kamryn

Rebekah

Eleanor

Kaylie

Kara

Lola

Carolina

Eliana

Tatiana

Leila

Selena

Jadyn

Anahi

Anastasia

Cameron

Izabella

Josie

Miriam

Ashlynn

Jayda

Heidi

Julie

Scarlett

Esther

Melody

Desiree

Kiera

Paola

Callie

Jaden

Emerson

Hayley

Daniella

Camille

Emely

Meredith

Estrella

Aurora

Leilani

Joselyn

Skyler

Diamond

Rylie

Brittany

April

Eden

Marisol

Meghan

Lizbeth

Yasmin

Eliza

Nancy

Celeste

Ryleigh

Lila

Shayla

Michaela

Asia

Fiona

Ivy

Annika

Sasha

Madeleine

Ashlee

Claudia

Lucia

Heather

Harmony

Helen

Kaitlin

Lexi

Holly

Bridget

Presley

Tatum

Rose

Samara

Danica

London

Wendy

Alina

Kaydence

Natasha

Madalyn

Shannon

Kyleigh

Alessandra

Sherlyn

Talia

Sandra

Cindy

Phoebe

Kaelyn

Genevieve

Iris

Addyson

Kathleen

Priscilla

Ruth

Kristen

Emilee

Johanna

Alissa

Itzel

Denise

Nia

Brenna

Katrina

Alice

Cora

Nyla

Janiya

Perla

Harley

Angie

Janelle

Kadence

Rachael

Ximena

Nayeli

Dana

Serena

Nataly

Annie

Kaylin

Rosa

Kiana

Brynn

Maddison

Kristina

Anya

Marina

Kirsten

Madyson

Imani

Malia

Casey

Lana

Patricia

Madisyn

Marley

Hayden

Sage

Yesenia

Lesly

Emilia

Kassandra

Kimora

Sidney

Bryanna

Teagan

Aubree

Haylie

Francesca

Kiley

Lauryn

Fernanda

Logan

Skye

Raegan

Dayanara

Madilyn

Christine

Valentina

Lilian

Mercedes

Raven

Jaelyn

Sarai

Taryn

Lilliana

Lacey

Tania

Elaina

Viviana

Hallie

Noelle

Tori

Gloria

Hailee

Ryan

Ainsley

Kassidy

America

Brielle

Anne

Janiyah

Linda

Tara

Jaiden

Hazel

Melany

Adeline

Clarissa

Baylee

Isabela

Alyson

Jimena

Alanna

Britney

Jenny

Amya

Tiana

Jane

Macie

Elle

Penelope

Miracle

Laney

Lillie

Anika

Anaya

Shania

Kaleigh

Lena

Abbigail

Emilie

Kailyn

Halle

Hadley

Cristina

Maritza

Natalee

Marisa

Paulina

Raquel

Kierra

Cali

Regina

Aubrie

Brisa

Daphne

Sanaa

Tia

Damaris

Haven

Susan

Addisyn

Lea

Jolie

Rubi

Alma

Felicity

Karissa

Ingrid

Jazmyn

Kaylynn

Kennedi

Sharon

Kayden

Savanah

Brittney

Yareli

Jaylin

Siena

Ally

Gwendolyn

Jaylynn

Larissa

Noemi

Amiyah

Macey

Parker

Edith

Lyla

Kaya

Mikaela

Rowan

Gia

Lyric

Maeve

Shaniya

Myah

Dominique

Karlee

Abbie

Bailee

Aryanna

Arabella

Carlee

Monique

Mayra

Cheyanne

Juliette

Campbell

Cristal

Aria

Tyra

Clare

Taniya

Alena

Maci

Aleah

Jacquelyn

Cecelia

Kaley

Paula

Stacy

Charity

Evelin

Esperanza

Deborah

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Janae

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Ashleigh

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Lizeth

Mariam

Angelique

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Abbey

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Krista

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Rosemary

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Lorena

Roselyn

Celia

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Princess

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Joslyn

Micah

Ada

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Zaria

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Shyanne

Iliana

Lucille

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Ann

Cassie

Dylan

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Taliyah

Adrienne

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Tyler

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Emery

Frances

Ashly

Lilyana

Nathaly

Nathalia

Amelie

Chaya

Rhianna

Katlyn

Shaylee

Zariah

Chelsey

Shakira

Elsa

Jaelynn

Madalynn

Noelia

Jaylyn

Leticia

Libby

Stephany

Blanca

Brandy

Makena

Maribel

Meadow

Saige

Xiomara

Nyasia

Mariela

Belinda

Shayna

Rayna

Trista

Sariah

Kendal

Lilianna

Phoenix

Zion

Jaylee

Toni

Tatyana

Kallie

Journey

Aryana

Janiah

Camilla

Corinne

Mattie

Natalya

Litzy

Aleena

Joyce

Donna

Jayleen

Lara

Paisley

Frida

Yaretzi

Selah

Essence

Galilea

Keyla

Sarahi

Scarlet

Breana

Abril

Laurel

Maleah

Annabel

Dalia

Johana

Kaiya

Karma

Paloma

Rebeca

Braelyn

Aliza

Elliana

Zara

Carrie

Jaclyn

Jewel

Sheyla

Angeline

Carina

Karli

Kaylen

Lilah

Montana

Anais

Bria

Maliyah

Cailyn

Kamila

Kenia

Susana

Kinsley

Adyson

Bethzy

Elsie

Iyana

Annette

Ashanti

Desirae

Julianne

Brylee

Cayla

Kayli

Naima

Abigale

Alisa

Taniyah

Joselin

Shea

Yuridia

Abagail

Mariyah

Yaritza

Kinsey

Averie

Moriah

Selina

Colleen

Jaylah

Kinley

Estefani

Katharine

Kathy

Magdalena

Amaris

Finley

Tayler

Jaylene

Yvette

Belen

Charlee

Karley

Chanel

Myla

Shyla

Adamaris

Adelaide

Maura

Tayla

Kenna

Raina

Jasmyn

Luciana

Alia

Destini

Lilia

Savana

Tina

Alani

Makaila

Mira

Armani

Halie

Reina

Malaya

Rocio

Cloe

Karis

Kya

Margarita

Nichole

Sheila

Yuliana

Citlali

Jalynn

Justine

Kaylah

Lacie

Marin

Maryam

Bree

Jalyn

Leia

Riya

Alize

Briley

Micaela

Tatianna

Khloe

Mckinley

Akira

Beatrice

Brandi

Carol

Jorja

Miya

Amirah

Destiney

Lucero

Sanai

Shyann

Stacey

Nya

Amina

Areli

Fabiola

Lina

Hillary

Mireya

Christiana

Dania

Leyla

Selene

Dahlia

Lorelai

Chana

Iyanna

Rayne

Ericka

Janice

Mina

Neveah

Nicolette

Izabelle

Joana

Flor

hope you helped

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Baby First Cold

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Baby Shower Cake And Party Ideas

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Nurseries

Growing into Baby Nurseries

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Buying Baby Clothes Tips

Bathing Your Baby Tips

Bathing Baby Tips

When Will My Baby Start Walking?

Dress Your Baby For Bedtime

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BABY GROW

TIPS TO CHOOSE THE FINEST TOY FOR YOUR BABY

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tips To Conceive A Boy or Girl

Nature’s Way

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Chinese Birth Chart

Dietary Supplements and Medications

name for your baby

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