Sunday, November 4, 2012
For new parents, you want to make absolutely certain that you know everything there is to know before your newborn arrives. Preparation will allow you to get everything into place beforehand, so you can fully concentrate on giving your baby the tender loving care it needs when it arrives into the big wide world.
As such, you’ll probably have a million and one questions to ask about the right ways to do things when caring for your baby. One area that new parents are particularly focussed on is the baby’s sleep. The first few weeks and months after giving birth are the most important for any parent, so it can be particularly worrying parting from your new born when it needs to sleep.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Suffocation
One of the most frequently asked questions from any new parenting couple concerns when their newborns can start to sleep with blankets and stuffed toys. Whilst this question may sound a little unnecessary, it’s actually anything but. A crucial question to ask, knowing when your baby can start to use a blanket or stuffed toy will help ensure your newborn not only gets a good night’s rest, but also a safe night’s rest.
The sad and uncomforting truth is that many babies actually die from what’s known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), or through suffocation. In most cases, the reasons for this is because the baby has either rolled over onto their stomach, covering their faces into soft bedding, or they’ve gotten caught up inside a blanket or buried their heads into a soft toy or pillow. This is why it’s important to know when you can start using blankets and soft toys.
It is therefore recommended that blankets are not used until the baby is at least twelve months old. Research has shown that after this age, the likelihood of any child dying from SIDS or suffocation actually plummets. Why? Well this is because babies after 12 months old have the ability to roll over, as well as the dexterity to remove blankets from their faces if they happen to accidently cover themselves during the night.
Therefore, the ideal sleeping environment for your child is one that is quiet, dark, and slightly cool temperature wise. Blankets can actually over-constrict and over-bundle newborns, so if your child is comfortable just sleeping in sleepwear or pyjamas alone, then try not to use a blanket. There will however be situations when your child may need a little extra warmth during the night, so blankets can’t be ruled out all together. In this situation, it’s important to use a thin blanket, which is firmly tucked into the foot of the mattress, coming up only to the baby’s chest – never cover the baby’s head with a blanket.
New parents will no doubt receive many thoughtful gifts for their newborn, perhaps some cute clothes or stuffed toys. Whilst it may seem desirable to put the stuffed toys into a baby’s crib, as mentioned above, it can be very risky doing so. If a baby accidently manages to wedge its face into a stuffed toy, then if it isn’t strong enough the consequences could be disastrous.
The peak age for SIDS is between 4 to 16 weeks, so it is generally advised that children under the age of 6 months should not have any stuffed toys and animals in their crib with them when they sleep. This also means avoiding fluffy pillows and blankets as mentioned above. Children will start to experience separation anxiety from their parents after about 8 months or so. In this case, a safe stuffed toy or animal is the perfect way for the baby to ease such anxiety, allowing them to get the good night’s rest they need.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
More Stay-At-Home Dads are Only Half a Victory
More men are becoming stay-at-home dads and theNew York Times is ON IT. In all reality, though, the article reports an interesting, if small, trend: over the last decade, “the number of men who have left the work force entirely to raise children has more than doubled, to 176,000, according to recent United States census data.” The article writes about this trend as a leveling of the gender playing field and an undoing of some of society’s rock hard masculinity norms. And it is important that those constraints have loosened and that men are taking a larger role in their children’s lives. But the trend is a bit overblown – and even if it weren’t, we shouldn’t necessarily applaud a rising tide of domestic dads. They are but a symptom of the larger struggles all working parents have to face.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Baby sleep: Helping baby sleep through the night
Tired of being awake at all hours with your baby? Use these simple tips to help your baby sleep through the night.
By Mayo Clinic staff
If you haven't had a good night's sleep since your baby was born, you're not alone. Sleepless nights are a rite of passage for most new parents — but don't despair. You can help your baby sleep all night. Honestly!
Developing a rhythm
Newborns sleep 16 or more hours a day, but often in stretches of just a few hours at a time. Although the pattern might be erratic at first, a more consistent sleep schedule will emerge as your baby matures and can go longer between feedings.
By age 3 months, many babies sleep at least five hours at a time. By age 6 months, nighttime stretches of nine to 12 hours are possible.
Encouraging good sleep habits
For the first few months, middle-of-the-night feedings are sure to disrupt sleep for parents and babies alike — but it's never too soon to help your baby become a good sleeper. Consider these tips:
- Encourage activity during the day. When your baby is awake, engage him or her by talking, singing and playing. Stimulation during the day can help promote better sleep at night.
- Follow a consistent bedtime routine. Try relaxing favorites such as bathing, cuddling, singing, playing quiet music or reading. Soon your baby will associate these activities with sleep.
- Put your baby to bed drowsy, but awake. This will help your baby associate bed with the process of falling asleep. Remember to place your baby to sleep on his or her back, and clear the crib or bassinet of blankets and other soft items.
- Give your baby time to settle down. Your baby might fuss or cry before finding a comfortable position and falling asleep. If the crying doesn't stop, speak to your baby calmly and stroke his or her back. Your reassuring presence might be all your baby needs to fall asleep.
- Consider a pacifier. If your baby has trouble settling down, a pacifier might do the trick. In fact, research suggests that using a pacifier during sleep helps reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
- Expect frequent stirring at night. Babies often wriggle, squirm and twitch in their sleep. They can be noisy, too. Unless you suspect that your baby is hungry or uncomfortable, it's OK to wait a few minutes to see if he or she falls back asleep.
- Keep nighttime care low-key. When your baby needs care or feeding during the night, use dim lights, a soft voice and calm movements. This will tell your baby that it's time to sleep — not play.
- Don't 'bed share' during sleep. This can make it harder for your baby to fall asleep on his or her own. Bed sharing might also increase your baby's risk of SIDS. If you'd like to keep your baby close, consider placing your baby's bed in your bedroom.
- Respect your baby's preferences. If your baby is a night owl or an early bird, you might want to adjust routines and schedules based on these natural patterns.
Keeping it in perspective
Getting your baby to sleep through the night is a worthy goal, but it's not a measure of your parenting skills. Take time to understand your baby's habits and ways of communicating so that you can help him or her become a better sleeper. If you continue to have concerns, consult your baby's doctor for additional suggestions.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Can you believe that the Olympic games are over already. Have a lot of people watched the games? What are your favorite sports or events to watch?
I have watched them every night since they started and I know that I will miss watching them and seeing all the athletes each evening when I get home from work.
The closing ceremonies are really good and I am enjoying them and the music they are playing is great! They had some great artists from Great Britain!
Have a great evening everyone and enjoy the rest of the closing games!
Friday, July 27, 2012
I have a heavy heart tonight and I have for a couple days now. I have a high school friend that lives in England that has shared a very sad story with her friends and colleagues. My friends, Debora Cackler Harding, who lives in England, told us today of her son's passing. He was 14.5 years old, a wonderful and full of life boy and his life was taken in an instant when he was out on a bike ride with his father and 6 other people. His life was gone in an instant and now they have to sift through the thoughts and love they had for this special boy. Deb, as I remember her, was a girl that was full of life, laughing, smiling, and always happy! It sounds like her son was the same as she was, he resembled her in her facial features and she so enjoyed her mom and Kaiden time. I cannot express the sadness and heaviness I feel in my heart for her and her family. We need to stop and think about how lucky we are with what we have. I know Deb and her family will cherish every single day that they had with their boy and my heart breaks as I sift through the pictures of her son, Kaiden and know that he was out doing something he loves when his short, young life was so quickly taken. God Bless you Deb, Thomas, Sam as you deal with this acceptance of the young life of Kaiden being cut short. I cannot express my sorrow, my tears for a boy I didn't know, my broken heart for a friend......You were blessed to have this special boy, Kaiden, to be in your life for his short and special life. My love and thoughts are with you all!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Good Evening, I am the new owner of Bliss Baby and Maternity.com. I have so many things for the new mom whether she is in her first months of pregnancy, getting ready for the birth of her baby, or if she has already had her baby. My website has products that will get you through your pregnancy and also get you supplied with everything you need to welcome you new baby into your home.
Dressing fun and stylish throughout your pregnancy is key to making you feel good and look good. As we all know, being pregnant and gaining weight is a challenge so we all want to look stylish and have the most up to date items and feel good about ourselves.
Browse through my website, email me with any questions on my products and if you read my blog and email me, I will send you a coupon code to get a discount on your first order!
Email me at blissbabyandmaternity.com@gmail.com. The first ten people that email me will get a 25% discount on their total order.
I will post the winners here once I get the first 10 emails and have the orders processed!
Thanks so much and check back often!
Shirlee Hallman
Dressing fun and stylish throughout your pregnancy is key to making you feel good and look good. As we all know, being pregnant and gaining weight is a challenge so we all want to look stylish and have the most up to date items and feel good about ourselves.
Browse through my website, email me with any questions on my products and if you read my blog and email me, I will send you a coupon code to get a discount on your first order!
Email me at blissbabyandmaternity.com@gmail.com. The first ten people that email me will get a 25% discount on their total order.
I will post the winners here once I get the first 10 emails and have the orders processed!
Thanks so much and check back often!
Shirlee Hallman
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