Case Studies

How to Tell When Your Baby Becomes a Toddler

When is a baby a toddler?

Parents excitedly await each milestone their child crosses. From newborn to infant to toddler, it seems like they can’t grow fast enough. While it’s easy to determine when a newborn becomes an infant, how do parents know when their child is on the verge of turning into a toddler?

For almost every parent, their babies will always be a “baby” in their eyes. However, the terms newborn, infant, and toddler all refer to various stages of development in a child’s life. Parents should know that while every child grows at their own pace, each of the following definitions refers to a different stage in their child’s life:

NewbornRefers to babies from birth until they are about 2 months old.
InfantThe term infant typically refers to a newborn until it is a one-year-old.
BabyBaby refers to a child that is a newborn until they are four-years-old. This term can be used to refer to a newborn, infant, and toddler.

When a Baby Becomes a Toddler

If a baby is no longer a newborn or an infant, when is a baby a toddler? The term toddler generally refers to children that have just learned to walk. This term generally applies to children around one- and two-years-old.

This precious time between leaving infancy and exploring the rest of their childhood is when a baby becomes a toddler. Everything that your child goes through during this stage is incredibly meaningful. As your child learns new skills and continues to grow, remember what they learn now will inform the type of children and adults they will one day become.

As this toddler stage is shaped by change, mood swings, and growth, it can be challenging for parents to determine what milestones should be reached during a specific timeline. Since toddlers are growing so quickly but are often just gaining their bearings in walking, talking, and eating, they easily become frustrated with their lack of skill. This leads to tantrums, which is why so many parents describe the time a baby becomes a toddler as “the terrible twos”.

Helping Your Baby Become a Toddler

Toddlers have incredibly high levels of energy and love to explore. Parents should accommodate their sense of adventure by creating a safe environment for toddlers to be independent. As one-year-olds get ready to make the shift into toddler-hood, you’ll notice they are improving at feeding themselves and try to do more on their own.

As they progress rapidly, between one and two, your new toddler will be able to stack blocks, drink from cups with help, and scribble. Now is the time that parents should expect temper tantrums and possessiveness. This is where lessons in sharing and apologizing come into play.

Your Growing Two Year Old

Around two years old, parents will see more of their toddlers’ physical development. At this age, your baby will climb, run, walk, jump, and dig. Around this age, they’ll start to unscrew and screw lids. It is at this age that they are the most active, so keep this in mind as you schedule playdates and arrange for trips to the park.

Help your two-year-old develop socially and emotionally by allowing them to assist you with simple tasks and letting them make their own decisions. Give your two-year-old the opportunity to play with other children and prepare them for the social interaction they’ll experience in school.

To boost your two-year-old’s intellectual development, encourage them to follow basic directions. Use simple games to help them learn to listen more attentively and focus during a conversation. Help them make choices and start zeroing in on their communication skills.

Understanding Toddler Behavior

Even as you monitor your baby’s age and milestones, you can identify key habits of toddlers based on their behavior. When your baby becomes a toddler, you’ll see that they are distinctly more verbal and opinionated than they have been as newborns or infants. One of the most tell-tale traits for a toddler is their bossiness.

As a baby becomes a toddler, they are coming into their own. They like to do what they want, wear what they want, and say “No” more than you ever thought possible. Even though toddlers are a force to be reckoned with at this age, they are just understanding how to communicate and may behave in confusing ways.

Wondering how to tell when a baby becomes a toddler? Look out for these behaviors:

Your baby doesn’t look into your eyes.

When babies look away and fail to make eye contact, this can mean they’re tired or embarrassed. When a baby becomes a toddler, they start developing the ability to feel self-conscious emotions. For example, if Mom or Dad is angry at them, a toddler may feel embarrassed or ashamed.

In the situation that your toddler is embarrassed or upset after doing something they know is wrong, acknowledge this. Then, give them an opportunity to make it right and let them know it’s okay to make mistakes.

Your baby wants all of their toys at bedtime.

As a baby becomes a toddler, they will experience the milestone of moving into a big boy or girl bed. While this is an exciting step forward for kids, it can be a scary time as well. The transition to this next phase in their life can make them nervous to sleep alone.

When a baby becomes a toddler, they may not like sleeping alone at first. Having familiar objects like toys and stuffed animals in bed with your toddler will likely make them feel more secure as they fall asleep.

As your baby prepares for bed, try to comfort them. Let them know that they are safe and let them make the decision of what toys they take to bed. Limit them to three animals, one toy, and two board books for the night.

Your toddler hides when they poop in their diaper.

Babies often don’t think twice about pooping in their diaper, but by the time a baby becomes a toddler, they may start acting differently. When is a baby a toddler? When they take up the habit of hiding behind furniture as they poop in their diaper. While this seems strange to Mom or Dad, to a toddler, this is their way of getting privacy.

As a baby becomes a toddler, they likely already know when a bowel movement is coming on and they’ve observed how adults go to the bathroom for privacy. This sign of hiding at the first sign of a BM is a positive clue that your toddler is ready to be potty trained. Another clue is that your growing toddler asks immediately to heave their dirty diaper changed.

When you notice your little toddler hiding to go number two, encourage them to actually go into the bathroom. Even if you haven’t potty trained them yet, having them in this room will help prepare them to be potty trained.

Conclusion

There isn’t a clear point when a baby becomes a toddler, but children grow at a rapid pace. While each child develops on their own timeline, understanding the basic behavior of toddlers will help you better identify these cues. Keep this information in mind as you watch your little one grow into a wild and adventurous toddler.

When Do Babies Walk? Everything to Know

When will my baby start walking?

When a baby starts walking, it’s one of the most monumental moments for a parent. It starts a new phase of life for the child. When babies start walking, they are able to explore the world in a brand new way. The world becomes very different for them. It will become very different for you, too. Babies start walking, and you as a parent must watch them very closely. It’s a beautiful thing to see them grow, but you may want them to go back to their previous state. However, they’re inevitably going to grow. For that reason, here is everything you need to know about when babies start walking.

As a parent, you need to know when babies start walking. You will probably also want to learn how you can help them if they are behind. If they are behind, you’ll also want to know when to be worried.

When do babies walk?

Many new parents wonder exactly when do babies walk? Babies walk when they are between 9 and 15 months old. That’s a very wide range because many babies are different. On average, babies walk when they are between 10 – 12 months. That is to say they take their first steps at this time. They will probably still be pretty wobbly when babies start walking. These first steps are one of the most important aspects of a child’s development. However, there are a number of different milestones in the process.

The steps that a baby takes to get to walking almost always follow the same order. First, a child will start to sit up. This generally happens at about 6 months. Then, they will learn to stand at around nine months. You will notice your baby trying to hold onto things and bounce around. They will also learn to crawl at this time. Next, they will start crawling all over the house. Finally, they will learn how to actually make their first steps. Soon after that, they’ll be walking like normal. After babies start walking, they will start to walk very quickly, getting into absolutely everything. Be ready!

Tips to Help Them Walk

Babies will walk when they’re ready. However, it’s a good idea to learn what things will and will not help them on their journey. Here are some things to consider to help your baby walk.

Allow your baby to be mobile

Babies walk when they are on the floor playing. Many mothers have a tendency to hold their babies throughout the day or keep them in their crib. It’s a good idea to allow them to play and explore as much as possible. This will allow them to develop their leg muscles. It’ll also give you a break from holding your baby all day. Don’t be afraid to let your child go.

Help them walk while you hold their hands

You’ve probably seen parents do it in the movies. Let your baby hold your hands and help them walk. Babies walk when they are comfortable, and this will help them feel comfortable on their feet. If your baby enjoys it, play with them in this way as much as you can. Eventually, they will let go and start going on their own.

Let them walk barefoot

Many of us think that it must be easier for babies to walk in shoes, but that’s not the case. Babies walk when they have good grip to the ground. Walking barefoot is the best way to get a good grip. As long as the floors are clean, let them take their shoes and socks off.

Toys won’t help

Contrary to popular belief, push toys and the like will not help your baby learn to walk any faster. If anything, it’s just helping them get into things that they shouldn’t get into. Babies walk when they don’t need the support of these toys anymore.

Things that Can Influence How Quickly Your Baby Walks

We know that babies walk when they are able to physically hold themselves up. They also need to be personally motivated to walk. Of course, that doesn’t mean that this happens at the same time for every child. Here are just a couple of things that affect when babies start walking:

Cautious personality

If your baby isn’t walking yet, you may get worried. Don’t stress, though. Some babies are just more cautious by nature. These babies will take a little bit longer because they want to feel secure when they take their steps. Babies walk when they are confident enough in their footing to walk.

Size

Babies walk when they are strong enough to walk. A longer baby may take a little longer to walk because they have to support more weight.

Older siblings

Younger siblings always want to copy their older siblings. The same goes for walking. babies walk sooner when they see their older sibling walking and having fun without them.

Health concerns

Unfortunately, sometimes a child takes longer to walk because of health problems. Ear infections, cognitive problems, and physical issues can cause a baby to start walking late or not at all. Many new parents jump to the worst conclusion right away. Do not worry until a doctor tells you that there is a problem. If there is a health concern, you will handle it as it develops.

What to Do if Child is Behind

Ultimately, babies will walk when they are ready to walk. Unfortunately, this may take some time. Many parents get worried when they notice that their child is the only one in preschool who isn’t walking yet, but it might not be time to worry yet. If it does get to be about 15 months and your child still hasn’t walked, it is time to talk to a doctor. This is more of a checkup to ensure that there isn’t a problem. It doesn’t mean that there actually is a problem.

Don’t only look at when babies start walking to determine their health. Look for other signs. Is your baby growing normally? Is the baby able to stand up? Is the baby able to crawl? Is the baby stimulated by the things around them? These are other indicators of your babies health that can help determine what the problem is if there is a problem.

Conclusion

Some parents get worried if their baby prefers to crawl after they learn to walk. However, it’s very common for babies to continue to crawl even after they know how to walk. In some ways, crawling can be easier for a baby. If they want to get to a location as quickly as possible, they may choose to crawl if it’s faster or easier for them.

When do babies walk? Well, babies walk when they are strong enough and when they want to. While there’s variation, babies generally start walking at around the same time. Most babies start to walk by 15 months. If your child still isn’t walking at this point, it’s probably time to talk to a professional to ensure that there isn’t anything bigger happening. Don’t get too excited for your child to walk, though. It means your child is turning into a toddler, and parenting will become much more difficult.

When Do Babies Start Talking?

When will my baby start talking?

Human speech is one of the fundamental things that sets us apart from everything else in the animal kingdom. The power of speech completely changes the way that human beings interact with each other and appreciate the world around them. Can you imagine a world where people didn’t have the basic power to say yes or no to something? A world without language would be a very different and perhaps scary world indeed. It’s during the first year of life that babies begin both listening to language and absorbing it. Eventually, babies start talking and you’ve got a true blue human being on your hands that you can communicate with, albeit in a different way than a fully formed adult. When babies start talking, it’s an exciting time, but the timetable for every baby’s first words is different.

In the first 4 weeks of life alone, babies are honing their listening abilities. They can differentiate between specific simple syllables, although of course it’s a simple differentiation. By two months, they’ll correlate lip movements with sounds. That beautiful baby of yours is learning constantly and more quickly than a grown adult would be capable of, although they can’t do much with the knowledge yet. The first year of life is when your baby will generally say a first word and your interaction with them will often determine exactly when that first word is spoken. That’s right. You as a parent will interact with your child in a back and forth of baby talk that will influence exactly when that first “ma-ma” or “da-da” is spoken.

Talking Milestones

A baby’s first experimentation with language will be a series of cooing and babbling. Adorable baby cooing usually begins to happen at 3 months old. A baby at 3 months old will respond to voices, hear music, and truly listen to these noises and absorb them. They’re warming up for greater things to come. At about 6 months old, a baby will recognize his or her own name and know that his or her name denotes himself. This is a huge milestone in a baby’s life because it’s that fascinating moment when that baby first knows who they are as defined by language. By this time, there has probably still been no real “true” first words, although it’s not entirely impossible that your baby will blurt out “ma-ma” and “ba-ba” by age 6 months. When babies start talking in this way, it’s a great relief and joy for parents.

Basic words are recognized by babies at about 9 months old. It’s at this age that they can also use different tones of voice. Most true first words, that your baby actually understands, will occur in 12-18 months of age. It’s during this critical period that your baby will truly start to talk and understand. The first “ma-ma” and “da-da” at 6 months is often considered just babbling and the baby may not understand their first words all that well when babies start talking. When babies start talking – making those initial sounds – it’s at first very likely that they don’t understand what those words mean. And that’s okay! Absorbing the world around them in those critical first 6 months is how a baby learns the foundation of sound and language, and it’s a necessary thing.

How To Encourage Babies To Start Talking

Parents who have investigated this subject and find that their children don’t seem to be following the typical path to talking may be concerned and want to encourage their babies to start talking. Even if your child seems to be hitting all the language milestones, you may just want to help them develop a healthy use of language and continue learning and enjoying the spoken word. When babies talk, it tends to thrill parents and onlookers alike. Everyone makes sure to denote the moment with the appropriate level of praise and joy. Giving a child reasons to talk is never a bad idea, as children who have a better grasp of language will navigate the world better.

If you’ve been trying to spark an interest in talking for a baby that just doesn’t seem to be catching on as quickly as they could, there are a lot of ways you can inspire your baby to talk more. If the first words have already been spoken, you can encourage more to follow. To get your baby to start talking more, try these helpful tips.

When you’re around your child, don’t always use baby talk. If it’s a toddler, use appropriate “real” words to denote things like a baby bottle or a bed. Baby talk is okay for younger babies, but toddlers benefit from hearing real words.
Take the time to make reading to your child unhurried. Read slowly and take the time to really talk about what you’re reading about.
Respond to the words your child is saying and let them know in a positive way that you understood. Even if it’s a word or two response, you’re communicating with your baby in language and it’s communicative
Your child is learning new words all the time, so the more you talk to them the better, but let it be a natural conversation. Don’t force things.
Pretend play and storytelling are great for helping babies start talking

Every parent is at a different stage in a baby’s language life. These tips are best for those babies who have already started to talk and are in the process of learning to string together words. Younger babies simply need terrific praise when they say words, a lot of speech from you to help them learn talking, and a very gentle, positive attitude when you’re conversing with your baby. Before your baby ever says a word, they are listening to you and learning how to talk by the things you’re saying around them. They’re listening! Never forget that as your baby develops, even though they can’t talk, they can hear you, and how you use language can encourage them to begin talking.

Every Child Is Different

Like all other life milestones, when babies start to talk is unique to every baby. Many babies who were slow to pick up language turn out just fine and later go on to be intelligent and successful. It’s only when there is a severe delay that you should have a talk with your pediatrician and see if there might be a problem. Each baby begins talking at a different time. It’s not always right at 6 months on the nose. It may be a little earlier or a little later, but for most children those words are going to start flowing soon enough. Before you know it you and your toddler will be having regular conversations, albeit much different than the ones you have with friends or adult family members.

Conclusion

As a general rule, babies start talking when babies start talking. That may sound a little generic, but it’s absolutely true. The most important thing is that when babies do start talking, you respond with positive energy and language that encourages them to interact with you using the language that they are capable of using. Reading stories to your very young baby is never a bad idea. They are listening to those words and their quick-to-learn brains are absorbing everything you’re saying. The more children hear speech, the more likely they are to use it as a tool. And for every human being on earth, communication is often the most important thing in their lives. We all need to be able to communicate. Language is often the best way to do that.

When Do Babies Start Laughing?

When will my baby start laughing?

Laughter is the spice of life for just about every human being. When people laugh, they enter an entirely different state of being. An adult laughing can sometimes even inspire another adult to start laughing as well. It’s contagious. Nothing in the world, though, is as heartwarming and comforting as an infant’s first chuckle out loud. It’s a milestone in a baby’s life that parents often try to capture on video because it’s just so darn cute. The laugh itself is the beginning of your child’s sense of humor, that all important facet of the personality that sets out what people find funny or unfunny.

Seeing a baby laugh for the first time is really going to tug on the old heartstrings of any parent, and it may even make you laugh out loud as well. Do! Sharing a good chuckle with your infant is never a bad idea for brightening an otherwise bland day. There’s a lot of science behind laughter itself, but you don’t have to concern yourself with that to understand that a baby’s laugh is precious. Babies don’t laugh in the first couple of months of life, so it will be awhile before your newborn’s laugh makes its way to the surface. When it does, it’s a moment to remember.

When Babies Start Laughing

Babies start laughing usually around 3 to 4 months old. Don’t panic if your child hasn’t let out a chuckle for a little after that, and some children may even laugh before that. Every baby is different, but on the whole, you can expect the first laughter between 3 and 4 months of age. And what a moment that is! What triggers laughter in a baby is something you’ll definitely want to learn about. Since you’re the one who can share a good laugh with your baby, it’s natural to want to know what makes the little ones bust out into that cute little baby chuckle.

Babies start laughing typically around 3-4 months, but don’t be surprised if it happens in month 4 or even 5 for some babies. Many parents worry if their baby hasn’t started busting out into laughter by 4 months, but there’s no reason to worry most of the time. Every human being is different. We all have a different sense of humor and so different things will make us laugh. Babies are just the same as we are, only in their initial forms. One day they’ll turn into folks just like us, but for now they’re learning the ropes of social interaction. The study of humor and laughter is called gelotology. It’s a subject a few parents might want to look up and read more about because those are the dynamics behind your baby’s first laughter.

A Baby’s Sense Of Humor

When babies start laughing, it’s natural for parents to want to know how to inspire more of that good stuff. The first laugh can be spontaneous with almost no external stimuli, or it can be in direct response to a parent’s touch, voice, or even an object that is placed in front of them. What makes babies start laughing is a fun mystery to try to solve, but the scientific body of work on infant laughter is just as lacking as the study of laughter in general. That’s a shame because laughter is really one of the things in life that brings people joy and that signify something positive in human society. Of course, laughter can also be a sign of nervousness and shyness for adults. For infant’s, though. laughter comes across as pure, unfettered joy.

All babies are different, so babies start laughing for different reasons, too. If you’re one of those parents who has already seen the first laugh and can’t get enough of it, you will be happy to know that a lot of things inspire laughter from babies. Here are a few of those things that can make babies start laughing.

A very young infant will sometimes laugh at funny faces made by people
Objects that make noises, such as squeaky toys, can make a baby laugh
Gentle tickling of that infinitely cute baby belly will sometimes get a chuckle out of a baby
As infants get older, they will laugh at being held up in the air and brought back down
Funny sounds and sensations, like raspberries on the baby’s belly, can get a huge chuckle out of them

A baby doesn’t have the cognitive capacity to have what is traditionally known as a “sense of humor,” but they do find many different things funny. Whether it’s raspberries on the belly or a certain tone of voice from mom and/or dad, babies start laughing at some of the most unusual things. Tickling feet can sometimes work wonders, too, in getting your 4-6 month old to break out into hysterical laughter. Belly tickling is a good strategy, too, but you’re certain to find out dozens of ways to make your baby start laughing for and with you over the many months that follow the first laugh.

Appreciating When Babies Start Laughing

Parents will likely laugh along with their adorable infants as both parent and baby explore new things to find funny. Young infants who just start laughing will laugh at very limited things because there is a limited understanding of language and the fascinating world around him. As a baby grows older – around the 9 month mark – you’ll find that your baby’s sense of humor truly begins to develop. Thanks to a greater grasp of language and understanding, lots of things will suddenly become funny. Objects thrown in the air might nab you a chuckle. Certain words or phrases might tickle their funny bone.

After babies start laughing, you can make a mental note of it and find what triggered the laugh. If it was a light belly tickle, you can repeat that action and find great satisfaction in the fact that it’s you who is making your baby laugh. Over time, your baby will learn to laugh at things by themselves. For example, you might notice your baby whirl a piece of food across a room, only to bust out into uproarious laughter. Sure, it’s a mess to clean up, but it’s natural for babies to start laughing at things such as this because they’re exploring a category of humor called “breaking the rules,” or Violation Of Rules. This type of humor is present in adults as well who think it’s uproariously funny when they break the rules and something unusual happens.

Conclusion

Different types of humor will become more apparent as your baby grows into the personality. Babies start laughing spontaneously sometimes when they’re just playing by themselves, and things really get fun when they start being able to say words and communicate through language. Funny words will abound as your baby gets older. Sharing a laugh with your baby is perhaps one of life’s greatest joys for parents. Just like you, they have things that they find funny or not funny. Exploring those many things will bring both of you closer together as the bond becomes stronger between parent and baby. Sometimes you both will just have to laugh through the adventure.

When Do Babies Start Eating Baby Food?

Baby Food: Knowing When To Start Solids

Your baby’s first year of life will be full of new experiences and adventures. One of those new experiences is trying baby food for the first time. Knowing when to start feeding solids and how to go about giving those first few bites is an important thing for parents to understand. Following an appropriate timeline for solid feeding can lead to a successful diet for your child in the future.

When Is The Right Time?

Many parents wonder when their baby might be ready to start solid food. Babies should start eating baby food when they begin exhibiting signs of readiness and when your child’s doctor has given the okay.

Growth Milestones

There are several milestones that your baby needs to hit before being ready for solids. Babies should start eating baby food when they:

Are able to steadily hold their head up.
Are beginning to sit up with or without support.
Are constantly chewing on their hands and toys.
Are showing interest in food when you eat.
Do not seem full or satisfied, even after having at least 32 ounces of breast milk or formula per day.

Talking To Your Child’s Doctor

Your child’s doctor will probably bring up the topic of when babies should start eating baby food at the four-month checkup. By then, most babies are reaching the important growth milestones that indicate readiness to begin solids. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies should start eating baby food around six months of age, pediatricians know that some parents may be eager to start feeding solids prior to that.

Reaching A Consensus

If your baby is developing appropriately and hitting all of their growth milestones, and you and your child’s doctor are in agreement, then you can go forward with starting to introduce solid foods. It’s important that you and your child’s doctor are on the same page in regards to solid foods since they will be the ones you turn to with any dietary questions. Having the support of your child’s doctor can make this new stage much easier.

How To Begin Introducing Solids

Correctly introducing solids to your child is imperative to their long-term relationship with food. Babies should start eating baby food only when they have reached the appropriate developmental milestones. Starting solid foods too early can lead to frustration for both you and your child.

The First Food

Baby cereal is typically the first food pediatricians recommend that parents start with when introducing solids. Rice cereal, oatmeal, and barley are the three most popular choices among parents and doctors. Avoid giving strictly rice cereal since rice may contain small amounts of arsenic that, when given in large quantities over time, can cause health problems.

Properly Mixing Cereal

To start, baby cereal should only be given in very small amounts. A majority of your baby’s calories should still come from breast milk or formula.

For the first several feedings, stir one to two tablespoons of baby cereal with four to five tablespoons of breast milk or formula to make a very runny mixture. As your baby begins grasping the art of pushing food from the front of their mouth to the back of their mouth and swallowing, you can increase the amount and thickness of the cereal mixture.

Tools And Tricks

A small baby spoon should be used to feed solids. Not only are baby spoons specifically designed to fit an infant’s mouth, it also ensures that you are not giving your baby too much food at once. To get your baby used to feeding themselves, have them hold a spoon in their hand while you feed them.

Hold your baby upright when feeding them. Another reason babies should start eating baby food only when they have the proper head control is to avoid choking. Once your baby is able to sit upright on their own, you can introduce them to a highchair.

Baby cereal does not have to be warmed; however, if your child is used to having their breast milk or formula heated, you can do so prior to stirring it with the cereal.

Thing To Avoid When Starting Solids

Babies should start eating baby food when they are ready, but there are still some things to avoid once you’ve started feeding solids. Not following certain steps can lead to your child developing an aversion to certain foods or dangers like choking.

Use The Right Equipment

What you feed your baby with is just as important as the food you feed them. Never feed your baby from a bottle. Not only is this a potential choking hazard, since younger infants have not yet learned how to coordinate their sucking and swallowing actions, but it can also encourage overeating which can lead to obesity later in life.

Always feed your baby from a bowl with a spoon specifically designed for feeding infants. This is safer for them and will help your baby learn portion control, even at such a young age.

Don’t Force Feed

Sleep is often minimal for parents of a young infant. While it may be tempting to feed your baby extra solid food in hopes that they sleep in longer increments, there is no scientific evidence that links overfeeding with an extended sleep schedule.

Instead, pay close attention to your baby’s cues to determine when they are full. If they turn away from the spoon or continue to push food out of their mouth after they have had several bites, then stop the feeding. Babies should never be punished for not finishing everything on their plate. That will only lead to them developing issues with food later on in life.

Expanding Your Baby’s Diet

Once a baby has conquered a variety of baby cereal, you can move on to other solid foods. Babies should start eating baby food like pureed vegetables and fruits with no added sugar or salt once they have taken to eating several different types of baby cereal.

Food Allergy Basics

Whenever you introduce your baby to a new food, you should keep an eye out for signs of a food allergy. Symptoms can be as mild as diarrhea, rash, or vomiting, or as severe as hives, swelling of the face or tongue, and difficulty breathing.

Wait at least three days, or up to one week, between each new food to ensure there are no food allergies present. If you’re trying a new food that you think may cause a potential reaction, such as eggs, shellfish, or peanuts, give them at home the first time and have an antihistamine on standby. If someone in your immediate family has a severe food allergy, consult with your pediatrician before introducing that food to your baby.

Adding More Texture

We know that babies should start eating baby food around six months of age, but when should parents introduce finger foods? The general rule is between eight to ten months, but it depends on your baby’s development and tastes.

You can begin by giving your baby the same foods they’ve already tried, just not pureed as smoothly. Fruits, vegetables, and meats should be cooked very well and chopped into tiny pieces- large enough for their fingers to grab but small enough to avoid any choking hazards.

From there, some ideal foods to try include dry cereals, cooked pasta, small cubes of cheese, yogurt, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, cooked beans, and lentils.

Keys For Long-Term Success

We all want our babies to grow into healthy, happy toddlers who will then turn out to be successful adults. Part of that success starts with teaching them how to properly feed themselves and maintain a good diet. Knowing when babies should start eating baby food is the first step to achieving that success.

The Do’s Of Feeding

Do introduce solids at the right time. Introducing baby food too early can lead to severe consequences down the road. Do use the proper tools and techniques when feeding your baby. This will teach them how to correctly feed themselves once they are able.

Do have fun with your baby’s food. Feed them a wide array of healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, and dairy to ensure they are eating a balanced diet.

The Don’ts Of Feeding

Don’t start solids too soon. Knowing when babies should start eating baby food can help avoid this mistake. Don’t overfeed your baby. This can cause them to have a difficult relationship with food and lead to eating disorders or obesity when they get older.

Don’t stress too much about when babies should start eating baby food. Your pediatrician is a great source of information on all the basics of solid feeding.

When Do Babies Sleep Through the Night? What to Know

When will my baby sleep through the night?

Parents with a newborn baby at home may feel like a good night’s rest is now something of a myth. While it is true that your current sleeping schedule may be out of whack, this won’t be the case forever. With a lot of patience and a few sleep training techniques, parents see that sooner or later, their babies sleep through the night and adopt a predictable sleeping routine.

Newborn babies wake up and go to sleep at all hours of the day and night. As their bodies and minds are constantly growing, these little babies need their sleep now more than ever. However, enforcing a new sleep schedule may take a considerable amount of effort.

Most babies sleep through the night only once they’ve reached a certain stage in their development. The baby’s weight, age, environment, temperament, and the family’s routine all affect the quality, quantity, and schedule of sleep a baby experiences.

A Baby’s Timeline to Sleeping Through the Night

Babies start sleeping through the night after they’ve experienced a few key milestones in their cognitive and physical development.

Decreased Moro or startle reflex. This startle reflex is the culprit that causes a baby to jerk itself awake in response to triggers like a temperature change, loud noise, sudden movement, or a bad dream. Babies with a strong Moro reflex likely wake up with their arms flailing. This reflex tends to decrease or disappear around the four-month mark, which helps babies sleep through the night.
Increased weight gain and feeding.
Decreased feeding throughout the night.
Decreased feedings at night.
Increased ability in self-soothing (by sucking on hands, fingers, or pacifiers).

When Babies Sleep Through the Night

Doctors expect that babies sleep through the night around the time they are four- and six-months-old. Sleeping for a period longer than eight hours will generally occur after six months.

Parents can help babies sleep through the night by eliminating nighttime feedings around the time the baby is six-months-old. However, this timeline may be delayed for mothers that breastfeed, as babies can metabolize their mom’s breastmilk faster and may require feedings more frequently.

What Does “Sleeping Through the Night” Mean?

Sleeping through the night may mean different things for parents and babies. Babies sleep through the night when they reach an uninterrupted period of three to eight hours a night. A newborn that sleeps a three-hour stretch is just starting to sleep through the night at this time.

When a newborn reaches four or five months old, they likely won’t need to have a midnight meal. However, it is the parent’s job to curtail this midnight feeding as most babies will want the comfort of this nightly meal.

The age of your newborn will also affect the duration of their sleep:

Newborns typically sleep restfully for three hours each night.
At four months, babies often sleep seven or eight hours every night. If your baby is around 11 pounds, they no longer need to have nighttime feedings.
By the time babies are between five and six months, these babies sleep through the night for eight hours without any feedings in between. Though they are capable of sleeping without feeding, they also may wake up crying for a snack before the day begins.

With this timeline in mind, parents must realize that babies start sleeping through the night generally around the six-month mark. Parents will likely need to get used to napping whenever they find the time to during the first few months with their newborn.

Tips to Help Babies Sleep Through The Night

Parents anxiously waiting for their babies to start sleeping through the night must realize that they don’t get there on their own. The more intentional parents are about setting their child up for successful sleeping habits, the sooner their babies start sleeping through the night.

Wake Baby Before You Go to Sleep

Before you’re ready to go to sleep, go ahead and wake up your newborn for one last late night feeding. Even if your baby is sleepy, taking a few minutes to feed them now may give you a couple of extra hours of uninterrupted sleep. However, keep in mind that this tip may backfire and cause the baby to wake up more often.

Alternatively, try to give the baby a bigger feeding during their last meal before bed. Babies often nod off before they finish feeding. If this is the case, try waking your child and make sure they finish getting their fill before turning in for the night. Guaranteeing your baby has eaten enough will help to keep baby from waking you up in the night out of hunger.

Stretch Out Baby’s Feedings

Newborns often need to be fed in two – three hour intervals. However, when they reach the three – four month mark, the parent needs to start stretching out the time between their feedings. At night, parents should gradually stretch out the feeding intervals by adding 30 minutes between meals every other night. By stretching out these feedings, parents will be able to help their babies sleep through the night.

Shorten Your Baby’s Nighttime Feeding

Babies start sleeping through the night when they have shorter nighttime feedings. Start weaning your baby by putting less formula or breastmilk in their bottle during the nighttime wakings. By decreasing this amount of milk or time of nursing throughout the week, your baby will soon be able to give up this nighttime feeding completely.

Don’t Rush in When Your Baby Cries

If your baby is used to you coming in and feeding them as soon as they start crying, try to give them a few minutes before coming in to feed them. Your baby should be able to entertain themselves or doze off, effectively skipping this midnight feeding.

While the goal is for them to self-soothe, you may need to go in to gently caress your baby if they are protesting loudly. However, the sooner your baby learns that their nightly waking won’t lead to instant feedings, the likelier they will sleep restfully through the night.

Start Sleep Training Your Baby

If parents believe that their child has reached the point when babies start sleeping through the night, they can begin following some best practices of sleep training. Babies should be put down at the proper bedtime. Depending on your child’s age, this is typically 7 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. if they are under the age of one. Babies that are up later are more likely to become overtired, which will mean they take a long amount of time to fall asleep and wake up during the night.

Establish a Bedtime Routine

Additionally implementing routines is a must during this stage of sleep training. While this routine needn’t be extremely strict, there needs to be a regular and constant routine that both you and your baby follow each night. Babies start sleeping through the night when they are provided the consistency that allows them to feel secure and safe. Parents should try to keep this same consistency every night so their baby knows what to expect at bedtime.

If Baby Won’t Sleep Through the Night

Despite all your best attempts, you may find that your baby doesn’t sleep through the night. Some babies simply need more time to adjust to this new life of sleeping for six or eight uninterrupted hours.

Babies start sleeping through the night when they’re ready, so parents should take that into account regardless of how long it takes for their child to begin sleeping through the night. Oftentimes, children that are underweight need frequent feedings. If this is the case for your baby, it’s likely that they will need more time with nightly feedings.

Not all babies sleep through the night at six months. Parents must realize that what works for one baby might not work in their situation. If your baby needs nighttime feedings, regular naps, and comfort in the night, that’s perfectly fine.

Exhausted parents won’t be tired forever. Babies start sleeping through the night when they are the right age, weight, and when they have adopted a working sleeping schedule. Keep this guide in mind when trying to help your babies sleep through the night.

When Do Babies Get Teeth?

When will my baby get teeth?

Most parents are overly cautious about the timing of their baby’s teeth. In reality, teething is a natural process that can start as early as two months or it can take almost one year for babies to get teeth. Most babies get teeth when they are 6 months old; however, there is no defined pattern.

On average, your baby will have 20 teeth before they are 3 years of age. These teeth are also known as milk teeth, which are replaced by permanent teeth at a later stage during the lifecycle.

As babies start to grow, they explore their world using their tongue. During the early stages of development, many of them will try to put everything they find in their mouth. As a result, the excretion of saliva makes parents think that the baby is getting teeth. Usually, drooling is among the first signs of tooth emergence.

If you want to look for signs of teeth development, observe the lower front portion of the mouth because the first teeth will appear in the lower front incisors. By the age of 3 years, your baby will have a full set of teeth. During the entire development stage, you don’t need to worry about teeth development because general pediatricians are able to guide you about dental care.

Understanding teeth development when babies get teeth

Teeth development in babies is a natural process that may not have any set pattern. Doctors have also noted that the development may also depend on genetics. Depending on family history, some babies will get their teeth early compared to other babies, who are usually described as late teethers. There is nothing wrong if your baby is among the late teethers because it’s a genetic process, which differs from one family to another.

Similarly, you should only care about what your pediatrician tells you instead of listening to the suggestions of other parents. Most pediatricians will wait until 18 months for any signs of teeth before they ask parents to consult a professional.

Based on genetics, teeth growth and eruption in some babies follow a distinct pattern where teeth emerge in a regular sequence after a standard interval. In contrast, large proportions of babies do not have a set pattern of teeth formation, which means that they will have multiple teeth emerging at the same time.

During these tooth eruptions, it’s common for a baby to feel uncomfortable as the tooth penetrates the gum. The area around the gum may also get swollen or it can also turn red, which are signs of tooth penetration. Sometimes, you may also see a liquid substance similar to a blood blister around the teeth. Mostly, these are typical signs of development that should not be alarming for anyone.

When babies get teeth, they respond differently to other babies depending on the development cycle and pain. Depending on the individual circumstances, your baby may or may not feel the discomfort. Some babies may not feel anything, while others are irritated regularly. As a responsible parent, you should know that every baby will respond to teeth development differently based on the changes taking places inside their jaws.

Regarding discomfort during teeth eruption, it is also useful to understand that it is common for babies to feel pain as large teeth will generally take more time to penetrate the gum compared to other incisors. Due to a large surface area of first and second molars, the baby may feel pain. These molars are large teeth on both sides of the upper and lower jaws.

If you feel that your child is crying excessively due to an emerging tooth, it is better to take them to a pediatrician. Your doctor will recommend pain-killer syrup, which should help solve the problem.

Common symptoms when babies get teeth

It’s also common for pediatricians to associate every type of pain to teething. Under these circumstances, you should keep an eye on any irregular symptoms that are not associated with the teething process. Some of the most common symptoms of teething include:

Increased drooling in babies as they produce excess saliva while trying to interact with the environment around them.
Restlessness during sleep due to the pain. Sometimes, babies get very little sleep during teething.
Refusing to eat solid food due to the slight soreness around the gum region. If the area around the gum is swelling, babies may also resist taking liquids and syrups.
Bringing their hands to mouth to explore erupting teeth and gums.
Experiencing rash around their mouth close to the area of teeth development. These are external rashes caused due to irritation.
Touching the side of the ear and jaw, excessively. The behavior is a result of molar eruptions on the sides, which are large teeth on the upper and lower jaws.

When babies get teeth, these symptoms often serve as an important guideline for parents to take appropriate action, when required. It’s important to understand the teething process because a large number of parents associate high fever, diarrhea, and other health problems with teething.A high fever, over 101 degrees, is not due to teething. Similarly, runny nose, coughing, and diarrhea are also not caused due to the teething process. If your child displays prolong sign of fussiness or there is an excess rash on the body, don’t ignore the signs because these symptoms have nothing to do with the development of teeth.

How to alleviate the discomfort when babies get teeth?

Teething is a natural process that should not cause health problems in your child. Most parents can immediately recognize signs of teething because their children will likely show symptoms described earlier. At this stage, many babies will also try to touch their gums, which is a part of the exploration process. When babies get teeth, they drool excessively or show signs of discomfort.

There are various methods you can use to alleviate the pain and discomfort. Many doctors ask parents to put gentle pressure on the gums to relieve the discomfort. You should either put pressure with your clean fingers or you can also use a clean cloth to let the baby bite it to avoid discomfort.

When babies get teeth, they may also experience feeding problems. To improve conditions, try changing the feeding cup or nipple. Often, a very soft nipple or a small feeding cup can help with such issues. It is also not uncommon to use teething toys, which can alleviate irritation and fussiness among babies.

Using cold objects is another time-tested home remedy that can help address the issues. Cold wet clothes, cold pacifiers, frozen spoons, and other objects are useful in relaxing the baby. Before using the object, make sure that there is no choking hazard. It also makes sense to read instructions on baby pacifiers and toys before giving them to babies.

In exceptional circumstances, your doctor may ask you to use children Tylenol or Ibuprofen. These syrups should only be used according to the strict recommendation and dosage guidelines because over-dosage can often backfire. Similarly, don’t give babies any product that contains aspirin.

Homeopathic medicines are also used widely when babies get teeth. There is not enough scientific research on homeopathic medicine; therefore, the effectiveness of ginger root, olive oil, and other natural ingredients are not well-known.

Conclusion

Overall, you should not worry when babies get teeth because it is a naturally evolving process that everyone experiences once in a lifetime. Many babies will not feel the effect of teething; however, you should be ready to confront any irritating situation. Instead of worrying about the process, it is important to understand how to handle such situations.

Once you feel that the baby is getting teeth, allow the child to experience the development process without intervening. If the child doesn’t show any discomfort, there is no need to intervene as the teeth will grow naturally. In contrast, any discomfort should be treated normally as you would treat any other mild health issue.

If there are signs of increased agitation and discomfort, it may be time to consult a pediatrician who will guide you accordingly. Also, you should not ignore signs of high fever because there is enough scientific proof to indicate that teething does not cause a temperature beyond 100.4 Fahrenheit. If your baby experiences fever of more than 101 degrees, it’s time to see a doctor.

When Can Babies Drink Regular Milk? What to Know

When Can Babies Drink Regular Milk?

Whether mothers are breastfeeding or formula feeding, there typically comes a time when both Mom and Dad wonder “When can babies drink regular milk?” Parents that are hoping to give their child cow’s milk must remember that each child will take to regular milk differently.

Searching “babies can drink regular milk when” will return several results regarding weaning your child, giving your baby cow’s milk, and how to determine if they have a dairy allergy or not. When considering giving regular milk to a baby, parents need to consider their child’s age and their current diet.

Babies can drink regular milk when they are between the ages of nine and 12 months. Feeding babies regular milk before this age isn’t healthy. Before this age, newborns cannot digest regular milk. In fact, younger babies can easily develop an iron deficiency if they drink regular milk and aren’t eating the recommended amount of iron-rich foods.

Babies Can Drink Regular Milk When They’re Ready for Solid Food

As infants start eating solid foods, this is around the time that milk may be introduced into their diet as a supplement, which may be after nine months or before 12 months. However, parents must choose the right kind of milk. It’s safest to say that babies can drink regular milk when they are between one- and two-years-old. Once their babies are ready to drink milk, parents should purchase 23.25% homogenized and pasteurized milk or whole milk.

Two-year-olds experience an accelerated period of brain development and need higher fat content and calories in their diet. While goat’s milk may also be used, parents should search for milk that has high amounts of folic acid and vitamin D. Nut, rice, and soy beverages aren’t as beneficial to babies as regular cow’s milk but can be used in the event that a baby can’t consume regular milk.

Parents that prefer low-fat options will find that this type of milk is also healthy for their child as well. To ensure babies are still getting the right amount of other food, they should consume a maximum amount of 750 ml of milk a day. This will prevent them from becoming deficient in other nutrients.

The Benefits of Regular Milk

The general rule of thumb for babies consuming regular milk is that babies can drink regular milk when they have reached their first birthday. While babies have grown up on breast milk or formula milk until this point, feeding them cow’s milk is the next best step.

Milk is an excellent source of bone-boosting calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin D is a powerful super-nutrient that helps to protect against conditions like cancer and diabetes. For babies, regular whole milk should be fine, however, some pediatricians do recommend reduced-fat milk in specific situations.

After speaking with your pediatrician, you’ll learn that babies can drink regular milk when it doesn’t interfere with their diet. By limiting their milk intake to at three servings or less each day, your baby will still have room to take in all the other nutrients they need.

How to Give Your Child Regular Milk

Most parents looking to wean their child from the bottle or the breast are ready to serve their child regular milk. While moms may be ready to start integrating regular milk into their child’s diet as soon as possible, there’s a reason that their baby can drink regular milk when they’re around the age of 12 months.

When weaning your child, keep the following in mind:

Younger children aren’t able to digest the milk proteins, so drinking milk too soon can easily lead to the development of a milk allergy.
Cow’s milk won’t have nutrients like zinc and vitamin E that the baby desperately needs for growth and development in their first year.
Babies can drink regular milk when their kidneys are able to process the milk. As cow’s milk has more chloride, potassium, and sodium, a child’s kidneys may be overtaxed if they are consuming regular milk before they are able to handle it.
Drinking regular milk too soon can lead to an iron deficiency. Babies can drink regular milk when they are older than one year because they will be able to absorb the iron in the cow’s milk at that time.

Basically, parents should realize that babies can drink regular milk when their bodies are ready. If your baby isn’t taking as well to cow’s milk, you may have to try a few different tactics to get them to drink it.

Mix it Up

Help your child get a taste for cow’s milk by blending it up with formula or breast milk. Parents often find that starting with 3/4 cup of formula or breast milk and a 1/4 cup of milk will do the trick. After a few days, increase the amount of regular milk in the mixture.

Sneak in the Milk

When can babies drink regular milk? If your child is already eating solids, try to sneak in the milk with their cereal or oatmeal. Another option is to start putting milk into mac and cheese, soups, and smoothies.

Serve Milk Before Dinner

Serving milk with dinner may work for some parents, but babies often like to fill up on tastier foods rather than drink their milk. By giving milk to your baby before dinner, you’ll make sure they get their fill of dairy nutrients while having enough room for their dinner later.

What to Do If Your Child Doesn’t Like Regular Milk

Babies that have been breastfed may not take to milk as fast as formula fed babies. However, as breastfeeding is encouraged until the baby is two years of age, a slower transition to regular milk is perfectly fine. Babies can drink regular milk when they grow more familiar with it.

If babies don’t take an initial liking to regular milk, it is recommended that parents mix it with other types of familiar milk. Parents can use expressed breastmilk or formula to create a dairy mix to help ease their baby into drinking regular milk.

If Your Child is Allergic to Regular Milk

Babies can drink regular milk when it is clear they do not have a milk allergy. When first giving your child regular milk, carefully watch their reaction. If your child begins to have labored breathing, breaks out in hives, or starts vomiting in the minutes or hours directly following consuming cow’s milk or other dairy products, this is a sign that they have a dairy allergy.

In a situation where your child has constricted breathing or they are experiencing multiple symptoms at once (such as vomiting and hives at the same time), it’s important to call emergency services or go to the hospital as soon as possible. In addition to clear signs of a dairy allergy, parents should pay attention to milder reactions like diarrhea, rashes, constipation, or vomiting.

While babies do experience negative reactions to regular milk at times, these symptoms are rare for children that are one-year-old and older. In the event that a child does have a milk allergy, it usually presents itself when they are first consuming certain formulas or drinking Mom’s milk (assuming she also consumes dairy products). However, it is possible that children can develop a milk allergy later on.

Dairy Milk Alternatives

If your child is experiencing a negative reaction to regular milk, parents can try using soy-based formula instead. Breastfed babies are typically advised to keep breastfeeding if they have an allergy to regular milk. If parents are considering using soy milk, they should also monitor their child to see if they have any issues with the soy as well.

Children that are unable to drink soy milk may need a hydrolyzed formula. This type of formula breaks down the milk protein so the baby’s system won’t see that it is a threat.

With all the various options of nut milk, cow’s milk, goat’s milk, and the like, parents can easily be overwhelmed when trying to choose the most nutritious option for their child. Avoid any confusion by visiting a dietician to help choose the right type of milk for your baby.

Conclusion

Additionally, parents will learn that babies can drink regular milk when their child’s dietician says that they are physically ready. Most want to wait for until the child has reached a healthy weight and can guarantee that the milk doesn’t become the child’s main source of nutrition.

Milk is a staple in any growing baby’s diet. Since babies can have milk by the age of one, it’s time to start determining how you will make milk a daily part of their diet. By speaking with a dietician or pediatrician, you’ll be able to guarantee your child is getting the nutrients they need from milk and the other foods they are consuming.

What Will My Baby Look Like?

Meet the New Baby: What Will Your Baby Look Like?

Waiting for your baby to be born means having plenty of time to ask the big questions. You might wonder what kind of person he or she will be, or how much he or she will let you sleep. One common thing for new parents to wonder, though, is what your baby will look like. Typically speaking, what your baby will look like depends on a few factors that include:

Genetics
Environment
Personality

When they all come together, these factors all play a role in your child’s looks. The tough part, though, is figuring out the role that each factor plays.

The Heredity Factor

Heredity is one of the primary factors that determine how your child will look. Most babies look like the people to whom they are related, though the resemblance may be more subtle in some children than others. If you are really interested in figuring out what your child will look like, the first (and most logical) place at which you should look is the child’s family. The more immediate the family, the more likely it is that you will see some kind of resemblance in the baby’s features. Take a look at your family for a good hint at what your baby will look like.

Mom and Dad

If you really want to know what your baby will look like, mom and dad are the most obvious people to whom you should look. After all, the child’s genetic make-up is a combination of the two parents, so it makes sense that the child would have a mix of their features. Each parent makes a fifty-percent contribution to their child’s make-up, though it’s normal for a child to favor one parent more than the other. Most children, though, have features from both parents.

It’s normal to think that a baby doesn’t look like one parent or the other. When you are thinking about what your baby will look like, try to remember that you’re still looking at a baby – not a fully formed person. As such, your child’s features will still be in the process of growing and changing. If he or she doesn’t look like mom or dad immediately, there’s a good chance that this will change over time.

Ancestry

Parents aren’t the only people who contribute to what your baby will look like. In many cases, what your baby will look like is largely determined by the genetics of all who came before you. From grandparents to distant ancestors, you are carrying the information of generations inside you. From time to time, this information will express itself in how a baby looks. It’s never a bad idea to look at the past to figure out what your baby will look like, as doing so reveal the source of many prominent features.

It’s especially important to look to the past to get a good idea for the surprises that might be in store. Things like skin color or hair color can often be explained by looking at your own ancestors. In fact, there are certain physical features that can stay dormant for decades, only revealing themselves when both parents have the right combination of genes. If you feel like your baby doesn’t look like you, take solace in the fact that it probably looks a lot like to the people to whom you are related. It might not be quite the same, but that still marks the child as part of your family.

Environmental Factors

Environment plays a huge role in what your baby will look like. While your genetics are usually thought of as the primary reason for why you look how you look, the truth is that the lifestyle that you have chosen and your environment are largely responsible for how those looks at expressed. For a baby, those environmental stimuli are relatively limited, but they are still there. When you want to know what your baby will look like, you’re going to have to remember how birth impacts a child and how their health might impact his or her looks.

The Early Days

If you’re wondering what your baby will look like, you’re going to want to remember that the early days aren’t going to be much of a reflection of what the child will look like in just a few weeks. Birth is a fairly traumatic process, and your child will still be in recovery for some time. Many people think that newborns look like scrunched-up little aliens, and for good reason – they’re still acclimating to the world around them, and their features aren’t quite set when they are first born.

The way you want to picture your baby probably isn’t exactly what it will look like at first. Instead, you may want to think about what your baby will look like after it’s been cleaned up, had time to rest for a moment, and you have a few quiet moments. The baby first few weeks actually see a great deal of change, so don’t be surprised to see features gradually appear over time. How your child looks at the moment of birth won’t necessarily have much, if any, reflection upon how your child will look as it gets older.

Birth and Health

It is also important to remember that what your baby will look like can be impacted by a number of health factors. There are plenty of conditions that occur at or near birth that can have a temporary impact on your child’s looks, from the shape of the child’s head to the coloration of his or her skin. Children who are born underweight also have a tendency to look quite different than they will look when they finally reach an ideal weight. As such, it’s difficult to understand exactly how your child will look until you know exactly how healthy he or she will be when born.

It’s also important, if not always pleasant, to remember that there are a number of genetic conditions that result in profound differences in a child’s features. Chromosomal differences, the choices of the mother in utero, and other health conditions may change the structure of your child’s face. While some of these conditions have a well-known ‘look’ about them, that doesn’t mean that your child won’t look like you. It simply means that your child, like every other person, has been shaped by the world around him or her even when in the womb.

The Human Factor

Don’t forget that a huge part of how your child looks is how you perceive your child to look. When your child is born, you’re going to have a host of people telling you that your child looks exactly like a certain person – or that the child doesn’t look like someone else. It is important to remember that how you perceive your child to look is subjective. As you get to know your child better, you’ll start to have different opinions on how he or she looks. In time, the child’s looks might even start to change because of how he or she acts.

Personality

Your child’s personality will play a big role in how you think he or she looks. While most people think of a baby having mom’s eyes or dad’s nose, you’ll start to notice little things that really impact the appearance. Your baby may look more like dad when he laughs, or more like mom when she is asleep. Your child might have the same expression of concentration as a grandparent, or even the same crying face as an aunt. If you’re wondering how your baby will look, you have to remember that your baby will rarely be still. How your baby looks in action is really what’s the most important.

As your baby develops more of a personality, you’ll start to get more opinions on how he or she looks. Happy or sad, angry or laughing, your child will constantly express different features. A prominent nose might not be so prominent when the child is in one mood, while big ears might not seem so big when the child is constantly in motion. You’ll be surprised how quickly your baby develops a unique personality and how that personality makes him or her look different than when he or she was first born.

Conclusion

It can be difficult to determine what your baby will look like because so many factors impact a baby’s appearance. Genetics, environment, and even personality will play a role. While you can make some educated guesses based on the parents and on your relatives, the truth is that you really cannot predict what a child will look like until after he or she is born. What’s important, though, is that your baby will absolutely look like the child for whom you have been waiting.

What a Baby Should Wear to Sleep: Dressing for Sleep Success!

What should my baby wear to sleep?

There’s nothing more fun than dressing your baby in cute little outfits and onesies. When it comes to bedtime, your baby needs to be dressed the right way. Knowing what a baby should wear to sleep can keep your little one safe and happy.

That’s an important question. When you choose your baby’s sleep outfits, you should take safety, comfort and convenience into account. Your baby’s sleep attire might also depend on the time of year.

Choosing what a baby should wear to sleep isn’t as easy as it looks. There are seemingly millions of adorable baby nighties and pajamas that just seem irresistible. Before you plunk down money on those cute pajamas, think carefully about what a baby should wear to sleep for the most comfort, safety and sleep success.

Keeping Your Baby Safe

Safety is clearly a top priority when it comes to getting your little one dressed for sleep.

Go for a Snug Fit

In order to keep your baby safe while he or she is snoozing away, look for sleepwear that fits snugly. This ensures that your baby’s clothing won’t catch or snag on anything. Catching on sharp objects can tear the clothing and injure your baby. Snug clothing won’t catch fire as easily. Always make the choice for safety when you’re choosing what a baby should wear to sleep.

Do You Need Flame-Retardant Sleepwear?

Some people are reluctant to buy fabrics with flame retardant. These parents worry that the chemicals are harmful to growing children.

Parents who want to avoid introducing toxins into their homes or their babies’ cribs are avoiding these chemically treated fabrics. Fortunately, there is a better way.

Natural Fabrics Are Fine

Many parents think that they should avoid natural fabrics because these fabrics are more likely to burn. In truth, soft, natural fabrics ae wonderful for babies. They’re lightweight, breathable and less likely to cause skin irritations. These fabrics are also washable.

If you’re concerned about safety, refer to the point above about snug-fitting clothing. Any garment that fits your baby close to the skin will keep your baby safe. If you want to buy a cute nightgown or pajama because it’s irresistible or just irresistibly priced, go right ahead. It doesn’t have to have flame-retardant chemicals in it.

If you’re staying up nights worrying about fire safety, it’s more sensible and more useful to take the following steps:

Make sure your home’s fire alarms are in good working order.
Keep a fire extinguisher in your home.
Remind yourself that most deaths from fires come from smoke inhalation and not from burns.

Avoid Embellishments

Trimmings, ribbons and buttons can make any child’s outfit look adorable. Just be careful when you’re choosing what a baby should wear to sleep. Those extra trimmings can get loose and create a choking hazard.

Don’t Overheat Your Baby

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your baby needs extra warmth. When you’re deciding what a baby should wear to sleep, you might think that babies need to be warm at night.

Babies are just like the rest of us. We all sleep better in slightly cool conditions. Your body temperature needs to drop in order to allow sleep to take over.

Keep the temperature of your baby’s room between 65 and 70 degrees. That’s an ideal temperature that keeps most people comfortable when sleeping.

Love Those Layers

A good rule of thumb when dressing your baby for sleep or deciding what a baby should wear to sleep is to check your own comfort level. If you’re wearing one sweater and you feel fine, give your baby two layers. If you’re wearing a sweater and a cardigan and you feel comfortable, your baby needs three layers.

Keep in mind that one of those layers can be your baby’s blanket. It’s better to use several light layers than one or two heavy ones.

Keep Your Baby Comfortable

Babies move around while they’re sleeping. We all do, but you tend to notice it more with babies. Tossing and turning won’t hurt your baby. Babies who learn to find their own favorite sleeping position are more likely to develop healthy sleeping habits.

Single Pieces

One-piece outfits are best for babies. They allow babies to move around freely while they’re sleeping. This freedom of movement leads to better sleep and the ability to sleep through the night. Those are goals you want to encourage.

To really keep your baby comfortable, consider the following tips.

Don’t use footed pajamas. Many foot doctors say that growing feet need to breathe to stay healthy.
Choose smooth, lightweight and breathable fabrics.
Select a firm mattress for your baby’s crib. This is especially important if your baby is sleeping while swaddled.
Babies don’t need heavy blankets or comforters.

What a Baby Should Wear to Sleep in Certain Situations

What should a baby wear to sleep if it’s genuinely cold or hot in your baby’s room?

Cooler Temperatures

If you’re dressing your baby for cooler temperatures, add some layers when you’re deciding what a baby should wear to sleep. If it’s going to be genuinely chilly, consider the following:

Have your baby wear a onesie under their pajama.
Add socks or booties.
A lightweight cap adds extra warmth.
Don’t pile on heavy blankets or quilts. These can be dangerous to babies and they’re not necessary. The right layers of clothing will keep your baby cozy.

Warmer Weather

In hot weather, start subtracting layers. Your baby will feel cool in lightweight cotton pajamas. You can let your baby sleep in just a onesie if he or she is more comfortable that way.

While we like to have a covering when we sleep, even if it’s just a light sheet, babies don’t need that. If your baby is warm, don’t think you have to add a sheet to the crib. Your baby will sleep well without a cover.

Fabric Choices

When choosing what a baby should wear to sleep, fabric choice is a key consideration. The best fabrics for babies’ sleepwear are:

Lightweight.
Non-irritating to a baby’s tender skin.
Easy to wash.
Quick to dry.
Easy to move in.

Here are some of the best fabrics to consider.

Cotton Jersey

This smooth, supple fabric lets your little one move around freely. It’s stretchy and soft. Cotton jersey won’t bind your baby’s movements. It’s very cool and easy to wear.

Cotton blends with a touch of spandex keep their shape and wrinkle less than pure cottons do.

Microfiber

Babies with sensitive skin will appreciate this silky, pliable fabric. Like cotton jersey, it allows for easy movement. Microfiber is synthetic. It has the properties of a good cotton jersey.

Bamboo Rayon

If you’re looking for a hypoallergenic and environmentally conscious choice, look for bamboo rayon. This is even softer and it’s also a better choice for babies whose skin is easily irritated. Bamboo rayon has thermal properties. It helps a baby’s skin temperature stay cool.

Cotton Gauze

This is an airy fabric that is extremely breathable. Gauze is soft and lightweight. It often has a crinkled look. If you don’t mind the slightly rumpled look that it has, cotton gauze is an excellent choice for a baby’s sleepwear. It’s a good choice if you live in a hot climate.

Fleece

Soft, fluffy fleece is ideal for cold weather. It’s a popular fabric for pajamas. You can also find fleece caps, booties and mittens for those cold nights that require extra layers on your baby.

Can Your Baby Sleep Naked?

Some parents feel that sleeping naked is the most healthy and natural choice for babies. Instead of trying to figure out what a baby should wear to sleep, they choose this approach.

Other parents don’t have a choice. They find that their babies are uncomfortable in any pajamas or onesies. Their babies end up wriggling out of their pajamas in order to get comfortable.

If that’s the case, don’t force your little nudist to cover up. If it’s not cold, they will be just fine.

Conclusion

It’s not hard to decide what a baby should wear to sleep. Choose light, stretchy fabrics that are easy to care for. Make sure the sleepwear fits snugly. Keep your baby’s bedroom cool. You’ll both sleep easy.

What Is Sleep Training? A Crash Course.

What is sleep training and how do you do it?

When you were expecting, what did you friends tell you? Did they say that after the baby was born you would never sleep again? As silly as that sounds, it’s not completely untrue.

Well, a little untrue, however, if you don’t implement proper sleep habits at an early age, you chances of catching enough winks could become a distant memory.

Understanding what sleep training is, how it works and how implementing it isn’t as difficult as it may seem. But before we go any further, what is sleep training?

Continue reading to learn what sleep training is and how it benefits both you and your baby:

What is Sleep Training?

When you research “what is sleep training online,” what pops up? Even with the abundance of information about sleep training available, it can still be confusing to new parents.

Sleep training is all about teaching your baby how to fall asleep and remain asleep on their own. For some people, it may seem odd that going to sleep doesn’t come naturally to everyone.

If you’re new to the world of parenting or have children who just don’t want to follow a schedule, you are probably well aware of the truth.

But if you baby is having trouble sleeping peacefully, it’s important to establish proper sleep hygiene habits as early as possible. Even though babies spend a majority of time sleeping during their first few months of life, they still have to learn when and how to sleep.

Once the middle-of-the-night feedings are over, most babies have already developed a sleep-wake cycle. Effective sleep training can help both you and the baby get a good night’s rest

Before they’re able to sleep on their own, babies need the help of their parents, which makes it all the more important to learn what sleep training is.

Sleep training is more than simply putting your baby in their room. It’s all about self-soothing and teaching your baby how to stay asleep on their own. There are plenty of benefits that come with sleep training your baby.

One of the top benefits that comes with sleep training is that everyone gets to sleep through the night without having to worry about a fussy baby.

Regardless of reason, broken sleep leads to decreased levels of concentration, memory fog and makes it dangerous to drive a car.

In addition, your baby needs proper amount of sleep to develop and reach all of those wonderful milestones that await them!

Now, keep in mind that sleep training is not exactly a must for all babies. In fact, many families who skip sleep training have children without sleep disturbances.

A common misconception is that some pediatricians may try to force you into sleep training. However, this is not the case. Medical experts have stated that the best way to approach sleep training is the one that’s best suited for your family.

When to Start Sleep Training

Worn-out parents may be extremely eager to start their baby’s sleep training right away. Knowing when to start sleep training can be difficult to figure out for new parents.

Some babies are able to start their sleep training when they’re four to six months old. However, there is no “perfect time” to start your baby’s sleep training. While four months is considered the best time to start, it’s perfectly okay to start when your baby is around seven to 10 months.

During the first few months of your baby’s life or when you were pregnant, you may have researched various forms of sleep training. Doing research is fine, but remember it’s important that you discuss sleep training with your pediatrician before starting getting started.

Some descriptions of sleep training you’ve read online are not entirely accurate. In fact, they can be downright false. Your pediatrician is a trained medical professional who understands how beneficial sleep training can be.

For instance, let’s say that your baby is slow to gain weight or was born prematurely. They might not be ready to stop night-time feedings and will need a sleep schedule that has adapted to waking up in the middle of the night.

How to Sleep Train

Now that your question of “what is sleep training?” has been answered, it’s time to get into how to sleep train your baby. There are several ways to implement sleep training into your baby’s routine.

One way is called gentle sleep training. with this method, you pick up your child and gently rock them back and forth until they fall asleep. It’s also to soothe your baby if they’re crying. Other methods include letting your baby soothe themselves for the night and not open their door until the morning.

While neither of these methods are considered right or wrong, it does depend on what works best for you and your family.

Every method of sleep training has its pros and cons, so it’s important to understand each method works.

Below are some of the most popular forms of sleep training:

The No-Tears Method

This method was created by a sleep expert Elizabeth Pantley. The no-tears method involves you subtly changing your baby’s sleep habits. For example, if your child always needs to be rocked back and forth, you will rock them less and less until they can be put down to sleep without the need for it.

This technique is known as fading, which means that you slowly but surely ease your baby out of their go-to-sleep strategy.

The CIO Method

Also known as the cry-it-out method, this form of sleep training involves letting your child learn to soothe themselves. This means you do not interfere as they’re trying to fall asleep. The general idea of this method is that babies are able to learn how to self-soothe and stop crying in order to sleep through the night.

The Weissbluth Method

There’s a bit more to this sleep training method than the other two. Basically, it involves setting up a sleep routine for your baby. For example, you may give your baby a warm bath followed by story time and a lullaby. Once the baby falls asleep, close the door and do not enter until morning.

If you choose to try this method when your baby around four months old, know that it may not be so easy at first. You may have to deal with a lot of crying, however, it will gradually fade as your baby becomes more accustomed to the routine.

Again, it all depends on your baby’s needs and whether they’ve stopped nursing during the night.

The Pick Up and Put Down Method

Similar to the Ferber method, you put your baby to bed while they’re still awake and check on them a few times. However, unlike the Ferber method, you can pick your baby up, comfort them, hold them for a few more minutes before finally putting them back down again.

Over time, your child will become sleepy and end up going to sleep on their own.

Regardless of what method you choose, it’s important that you understand that sleep training is a different experience for every parent. You’re bound to hear about a baby who was able to sleep through the night on day one, but that doesn’t mean they can sleep on their own.

So, the question is, how long does sleep training take? Most medical experts estimate that most forms of sleep training at least a week to implement. Sticking to them is what will ultimately make them work.

What are Sleeping Training Alternatives?

If the idea of letting your baby cry it out sends shivers down your spine, it’s okay to try other ways to get some rest. First and foremost, make the most out of your own personal sleep time.

Allow yourself at least six to seven hours of uninterrupted sleep, even on alternate nights.

By doing so, you’ll be better equipped to deal with your little night owl. In addition, nap when your baby naps. Even if it’s for 20 minutes, nothing feels better than a cat nap.

What are Sleep Training Contraindications?

There are various books can answer the question,”What is sleep training?”. However, you should always speak to your pediatrician before embarking on a sleep training regimen. There are situations that warrant holding off, which includes low birth weight or other medical issues.

Sleep training is not always a viable option for every baby.

Conclusion

As stated above, the best way to succeed with sleep training is finding a method that works for you and your family. Sleeping training is always able to be tweaked to suit the situation. Keep an accurate record of which methods you try, so you can weed out ones that aren’t doing the trick.

Although sleep training is one of the best ways to teach your little one proper sleep habits, don’t feel bad if it doesn’t work the first time around. When it comes to parenting, it’s all about trial and error. Rest assured, no matter how long it persists, your sleepless nights will eventually end.

What Do Babies Think About? Well, It’s Complicated.

What is my baby thinking about?

If you’re someone who has spent large portions of time around babies, you’ve probably been in this situation: after a lot of thinking and pondering, you start to wonder about what babies think about. After all, being alone taking care of a baby gives you a lot of mental downtime, causing your mind to wander all over the place—if that happens with you, what happens to the baby? Even though they can’t communicate on the same level as adults, are they still able to think? And, if so, what do babies think about?

What babies think about is more complicated than you might think. In this article, we’ll be taking a closer look into what babies think about showing you how there is much more going on than just cluelessness and adjusting to the world.

Babies Are Smarter Than We Think

One of the biggest misconceptions about babies is that they don’t have brains that function on a comparable level to children and adults. This is false, but the reason why people believe it has to do with a bit of correct science. Because the brain isn’t fully developed much later into life, people make the assumption that babies aren’t born with brains capable of the same things as adults are able to do.

This is true, but it doesn’t necessarily work in the way you might think. Just because babies do not have brains that are as capable as adults, it doesn’t mean that their brains aren’t capable of thinking in the first place. In fact, as soon as they are born, babies carry with them brains that are fully functioning, allowing them to absorb and subsequently process information in a similar way to adults.

How Do Babies Perceive the World?

What babies think about is different than what we might guess. For example, babies can be very alert. According to the educator Ann Lewin-Benham, babies switch between moments of passiveness and moments of alertness, the latter of which being the times where they are most open to processing the world around them. These moments typically occur once a baby has “charged their batteries”, with common moments being just after waking up or having one’s diaper changed. This is because the baby is put at ease during these moments, having enough energy to then devote time to observing the world around them. It’s also during these moments that babies will retain information most efficiently.

However, it’s important to note that what babies think about isn’t something that is necessarily consistent for every single baby. Because each baby will have their own preferences and personalities, they will inevitably react differently to different things.

Despite babies only being able to perceive the world fully during moments of rest and relaxation, there are still some key components to their perception that you will likely be surprised about. You see, babies are able to take in and communicate with the world mainly through their senses, as their brains have not yet developed cognitive thinking on the level of adults.

What Are Babies Able to Analyze?

Babies develop an understanding of personality and human nature quite early on in their development.This has been shown by babies as young as 6 months being able to distinguish between a kind puppet and an unkind one, preferring the former. This shows that—not only are they able to differentiate between kinds of people—but they’re also able to analyze the situation to form an opinion on which type they prefer.

Babies are also able to think critically about language. For instance, it’s been shown that babies who are only 8 months old can differentiate between linguistic patterns that are spoken around them. Though this isn’t the same as being able to say their first words, distinguishing between linguistic patterns is a first step towards that feat. Babies are also able to distinguish the sounds of language from their normal background sounds, something that is also representative of their overall intelligence.

When babies are thinking about language, they are typically separating the sounds from one another. You can help speed up this development by continuing to over exaggerate your voice and speak slow, simple phrases alongside communicating in their own “baby speak”. This might sound silly, but it can seriously help your baby further their linguistic processing by allowing them to have more experience separating certain sounds from one another.

Linguistics isn’t the only thing babies can distinguish from an early age—it’s also common that babies who are only 6 months old or younger can differentiate between different amounts of objects. For example, these babies can start to notice the difference between two bottles of water and ten of them, showing that they also develop senses for mathematics early on as well.

Do Babies Pay Attention in Different Ways Based on Interaction?

To put it simply, YES. Interacting with and offering comfort to babies is integral to their psychological development, with proper care from parents directly relating to a baby being able to grow smarter. When a baby is making noises or trying to reach for things, it’s likely because they are trying to say what babies think about. This is why it’s important to try and understand what they’re saying, as having constant communication with other humans will allow them to continually understand themselves better, allowing them to filter and communicate their thoughts more effectively.

One of the most important things to understand about the brain growth of babies is that (like we’ve mentioned previously) they learn the most about the world through their senses and motion. This means that they have to continually engage those aspects of their understanding of the world in order to continue growing, If you want to make sure that you’re engaging your baby in a way that is truly productive for them, you should be aware of the activities that help them the most. Familiarizing yourself with this list from Scholastic is a great way to begin helping your baby develop quicker through consistent engagement!

Babies Might Be More Intelligent Than Adults

When we think of what babies think about, we typically assume that they’re not on the same level as adults, not being able to think about complex issues or other matters in the same way that we are. In one way, this is true, but there are also some ways that babies might actually be just as intelligent (if not more) than adults!

Author of The Philosophical Baby Alison Gopnik has devoted a good deal of her time to this specific conundrum, showing how what babies think about is surprisingly nuanced! In a recent interview with NPR, Gopnik went on to say that—while adults are good at things such as cognitive thinking and organization—babies are able to focus their minds creatively and not feel inhibited by their mental processes in the same way that adults might.

While adults are mostly able to focus on one thing at a time, concentrating entirely on the object of focus, babies aren’t able to do the same. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re less intelligent, though. Instead of being able to focus on one thing at a time, babies are often focused on everything occurring around them as a result of not being able to distinguish between various elements. Because of this, their attention is consistently divided between many different things, allowing them to not just perceive but understand a variety of different things at the same time.

Though this ability to perceive the world differently might feel consequential, it’s actually at the root of what babies think about. Because they can think about many different things at the same time without being distracted in the same way adults might be, they are highly intelligent, even if they don’t fully understand everything they come in contact with right away.

In Conclusion

Finding out what babies think about is an abstract question, as the baby psyche values things differently than normal adults do. In the same manner, baby brains also think about different things than adults might, such as distinguishing sounds as opposed to words. As you can see, though, the answer to the question “what do babies think about?” is more nuanced than many people expect due to how different babies perceive the world.

One of the best ways that you can figure out what your baby is thinking about is to consistently engage them and let them communicate to you. Not only will you learn more about their world and how they’re thinking, but you’ll also be able to encourage their further development!

Help! Something Is Wrong With My Baby!

Is something wrong with my baby?

As a parent, you’ve become accustomed to the cries of your child. You know when they are hungry, when they need their diaper changed, and when it’s time to snuggle. However, there are times as a parent when you want to throw your hands up and cry right along with them. When something is wrong with baby, it can take some investigative work to figure it out. You don’t have all the answers as it’s impossible to know everything. Sometimes, their cries are a signal that there is an underlying issue that requires immediate medical attention. Here are health-related issues that can plaque a newborn and cause them great distress.

1. Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

A virus attacks the immune system causing hands-foot-and-mouth. This condition causes painful sores to appear in and around the mouth. It’s not uncommon to see blisters on the butt cheeks, legs, feet, hands, and trunk. Thankfully, this condition looks worse than it is.

You will most commonly see this problem in children under ten years of age. Keep in mind that if you have an older child that contracts this illness that it’s highly contagious. You may be upset because something is wrong with baby, but it will pass quickly.

2. Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV

While the hand-foot-and-mouth disease is not serious, RSV can be deadly. Caused by a virus in the upper respiratory system, RSV is serious because it causes problems with breathing. It’s typically found in children under the age of two, but it affects those who have a compromised immune system, or those that were born prematurely more harshly.

RSV is highly contagious, so you should not take your child out around other babies while they are sick. About two out of 100 children with this condition will require hospitalization. It’s the same virus that causes the common cold in other children, but in a baby, it’s a whole different ballgame. The virus takes one or two weeks to run its course. You should call the doctor if you are concerned that something is wrong with baby and they have been crying, have a runny nose, low-grade fever, and problems breathing.

3. Scarlet Fever

Scarlet fever was once a very dangerous condition that often-caused death in many infants. Thankfully, today, it can easily be treated. The bacterial based disease is caused by the same virus that gives strep throat. Its hallmark is a fever that presents with a bright red rash on the hands, arms, face, and trunk area. It’s often called scarlatina too.

When a child contracts the beta-hemolytic Streptococcus germ, and the strep throat isn’t promptly treated, then they can develop scarlet fever. It requires antibiotics to help clear up this infection as it’s bacterial based. The rash looks worse than it feels. There is usually no itching or discomfort with it and doesn’t need cream. It clears up with the antibiotics too. If something is wrong with baby and they are covered in a rash, then you should get medical attention.

4. Impetigo

It’s essential that you make sure your child doesn’t put other children’s toys or bottles in their mouth. Impetigo is one of the most contagious conditions for an infant. It’s caused by either strep or staph infections that are inside the body and attach themselves to the object they touch. As soon as your child puts the contaminated object in their mouth, the virus transfers.

You can tell if your child has impetigo because they will get blisters all around their mouth. They look like small cold sores. Though they are painful, they are not harmful. This condition is very contagious, and even adults can catch it too. When something is wrong with baby, and they have blisters around their mouth, it’s probably from impetigo. Both oral and topical antibiotics can treat this condition with ease.

5. Kawasaki Disease

When the blood vessels throughout the body become seriously inflamed, then a child is diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease. Though it’s not a contagious condition, it’s very serious in nature. Sometimes, the vessels around the heart are involved, and the illness can become life-threatening. You will most likely see this disease in children under the age of five, but infants are at a higher risk due to their week immune systems.

You may think something is wrong with baby when they have a bright red tongue, a rash that covers their hands and feet, and a fever that won’t go away. Expect the symptoms to last about five to seven days on average. However, if there are complications, then a child can fight this illness for an extended period.

6. Whooping Cough

Whooping cough is a horrible condition. The nagging cough can affect people of all ages, but it seems more serious when an infant is affected. The scientific name is Pertussis, and early treatment is the goal. A child that is treated early will have a better chance of getting over it quickly.

You can notice the distinct cough by the ‘whooping” sound that it makes. Getting a vaccination by the age of two can provide immunity from this once fatal condition. Antibiotics can help to lessen the symptoms and bring relief. If you hear your child coughing and making weird noises, then something is wrong with baby that requires medical intervention.

7. Autism

Though it’s not a medical emergency, it’s possible to see the signs of Autism in an infant. Your parental instincts will kick into high gear if you see your child flapping their arms, staring at lights, fixating on objects, little to no crying, not babbling or speaking by the age of two, missing milestones, and they don’t want to engage with the parent.

Some parents with autistic children had stated that they knew something was wrong with baby when they didn’t want to be held. They felt like the very touch to their child was causing them pain. Though an infant won’t get a diagnosis at such a young age, it’s essential to keep a journal of anything out of the ordinary. Your pediatrician will use your notes and further testing to help make a diagnosis.

8. Eczema

Eczema is not a serious condition, but it’s one that requires regimented treatments. Numerous creams can help to nourish the dry and flaky skin. Cradle cap is not a form of eczema, and it goes away. You will usually see this flaky skin on the sides of the arms, legs, and feet. Unfortunately, infants who fight with this condition often have a lifelong battle with these skin conditions. It’s sometimes called chicken or goose flesh too.

9. Acrocyanosis

Babies have beautiful skin. Their skin is often a rosy shade with a hint of pink. However, when they are born, they are still developing. It’s not uncommon for them to have a circulation problem that causes the skin to have a bluish color.

Your first instinct will be to think something is wrong with baby that needs immediate medical attention; however, it’s nothing that needs medically evaluated if it goes back to a rosy hue. If your child shows signs of labored breathing or other symptoms that may indicate something serious in nature, then take them to the emergency room.

10. Alopecia

Some children are born with a full head of hair, and others don’t get a single hair until they are a toddler. There is no rhyme or reason for why one is blessed with luscious locks, and the other child is bald as an onion. However, you may think something is wrong with baby if they are born with ample hair, and it begins to fall out. Rest assured; this is quite normal in an infant.

An infant is always lying down or sitting against something that supports their head most of the time. The constant friction causes the hair to fall out. Although it appears that something is wrong with baby and their hair, it’s nothing to worry about. The hair will grow back once they get out of the stage where they are laying continuously.

When To Get help When Something Is Wrong With Baby?

As a parent, when something is wrong with baby, you want to get help. However, you will rack up big doctor bills if you run to the hospital every time something is amiss. Use your intuition and skills to see if it’s something that is an emergency. Things like eczema and hand-foot-and-mouth disease seem serious, but these are things that they can get over without medical intervention.

When it comes to fevers, rashes, and behaving in a way that is not typical for them, then it’s time to get an expert opinion to make sure they are okay. Some infant problems are severe and can be a matter of life and death if not treated.

6 Sleep Training Methods to Quickly Put Your Baby to Sleep

What are the best sleep training methods?

A defining moment for any caretaker or parent raising a child is that period during which it’s hard to get any consistent sleep. Because your baby is constantly waking you, your nights are filled with continually getting up and having to check on them to make sure everything is fine.

For many people, this is typically a defining moment in a stressful way. Though you are able to spend a lot of one-on-one time with your child and understand what it truly means to love your baby, it can also be very inconvenient and overbearing, especially when you are trying to get enough sleep and stay on top of all of your responsibilities.

This is why many people resort to sleep training methods to use with their children. Sleep training methods are essentially anything that can be used to show your baby good sleep habits, encouraging them to maintain healthy patterns as opposed to waking up intermittently throughout the night and day.

As you can imagine, there are many different approaches to sleep training that each method will assert that it is the best one available. This couldn’t be further from the truth—there are actually a wide variety of different methods possible, making sleep training a very nuanced activity to do.

However, there are some common methods you can look into to help your baby sleep better at night. To help you in your decision making process, we’ve made a list of 6 sleep training methods that are definitely worth trying.

BEFORE WE BEGIN, IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL BEFORE INCORPORATING A SLEEP TRAINING CYCLE INTO YOUR ROUTINE. This is because all babies are different and might react differently to various sleep training methods. While these sleep training methods are helpful, you should have a doctor’s permission before introducing them to your baby’s routine.

#1. The Fading Technique

If you are somebody who has a baby who spends a lot of time moving around in bed before finally falling asleep, this sleep training method is helpful for gradually moving their bedtime earlier. To do this method, simply put them to bed at the time you normally do for a few nights. Once you’ve done that for four or five nights, move the interval to 15 minutes earlier and do that for a few days.

Continue to bring their bedtime earlier by 15 minute intervals until you’re satisfied with the results! This is one of the more effective sleep training methods due to how direct and easy it is to use. However, it takes commitment. To make this method work correctly, you need to be incredibly precise about the time at which you put your child to bed. If you don’t put them to bed at the exact same time each night, you will ruin the effectiveness of this method.

#2. Routine Fading

This method is slightly different than the previous fading technique. Instead of making your baby’s bedtime slowly earlier and earlier, you do one of the techniques you currently do to make your baby fall asleep. For example, many caretakers or parents who have trouble getting their children to sleep end up having to rock them to sleep after a while of the baby not being able to go to sleep on their own.

For the routine fading method, you should continue doing this, but slightly lower the amount that you rock them each night. You should be very precise about this, decreasing the time you rock them in noticeable, but small intervals. For instance, if you typically rock them for 5 minutes, try lowering it by 1 minute every few days. If you have to rock them for 20 minutes, try removing 4 minutes every few days. Regardless of how long you do it for, make sure to incrementally diminish the amount that you rock them until they don’t need it anymore.

#3. Distanced Comfort

As one of the more intensive sleep training methods, this one involves being in the same room as the baby that is having trouble falling asleep, only picking them up and patting them on the back every once in a while. By doing this, you provide them with a distanced sense of comfort, allowing them to feel calmer without needing the physical reinforcement. Getting them used to more abstract ideas of comfort also opens the door to simply tucking them in and leaving the room, making it easier for them to sleep.

When do you get up and comfort them? Typically when they start fussing. This is to ensure them that you are still there when they get nervous, making them less likely to continue to fuss later on into the night. The only potential downside to this method is that you might have to be in the room for a while on a nightly basis to get the desired effects, making this one of the more intensive methods.

#4. The Chair Method

This one is a very helpful one for those who have babies that continually wake up multiple times throughout the night. All you have to do is put a chair next to the baby’s crib, sitting in it quietly until they fall asleep. When they fall asleep, get up and leave the room, but when they wake up again, come back in and sit down again. The idea is to continue doing this every night, slowly moving the chair further away from the crib until it is out of the room.

This method is useful for helping the baby get used to you not being in the room, subsequently leading them to fall asleep on their own.

#5. The Crying Method

This is one of the more emotional sleep training methods as it requires you to completely leave your child once you put them down to sleep. It’s important to note that this method has been heavily criticized over the years for being a bit harsh for the baby, though some experts also believe it’s effective. Because this method can be a bit difficult and also depends on how the baby is developing, you should ask a medical professional to make sure it’s right for your child.

#6. Interval Training

If you are a person who prefers to structure and compartmentalize, this might be the easiest method for you to employ. Interval training involves you coming in and checking in on your baby at regular intervals throughout the night. Check back every few minutes until they fall asleep and then continue doing it for nights on end, eventually decreasing the amount of intervals at which you check in until they don’t need you to be there anymore.

An interval training schedule might look like the following:

5 minute intervals
10 minute intervals
15 minute intervals
20 minute intervals

This is one of the most tried and true sleep training methods due to how regular you’re able to keep it. It’s important to note that sometimes sleep training isn’t a linear progression and those who employ this method might have to decrease the intervals again due to the baby not responding so well. This is normal and is easy to adjust with this method of sleep training!

In Conclusion

There are many different types of sleep training methods, but at the end of the day the most important thing is that you are helping your baby adopt a healthier lifestyle. Sleep training methods are a great way to make sure that your child maintains a healthy lifestyle, encouraging their development and making sure that they continue to stay healthy!

We hope that you’ve enjoyed these sleep training methods and that you or someone you know can use them in the future to help your baby stay happy and healthy!

Piercing Baby’s Ears: Pros and Cons

Infant Ear Piercing: To Pierce Or Not To Pierce

Moms and dads face a host of challenges in all phases of a child’s life, but one of the earliest of those challenges is ear piercing. Many new moms, and even dads, love the thought of a cute little baby’s ears pierced, and who can blame them? Pierced ears are undeniably most adorable when it’s an infant’s little ears you’re looking at. Even in this modern era, though, people face a moral dilemma when deciding if ear piercing is right for children so young that they won’t remember the experience. Most importantly, parents generally worry most about health in general. The implications of piercing a baby’s ears need to be looked at first and foremost through the lens of health.

A host of reasons exist for wanting to pierce a baby’s ears. First of all, it begins them off in life with a common beauty practice that they will be more comfortable with when they’re exposed to it earliest in life. Believe it or not, some teenagers even struggle with the idea of ear piercing and whether or not they should do it. Making the decision for them early in life can make it easier for them to decide, and of course just because ears are pierced doesn’t mean a child has to keep them that way when they’re old enough to make their own decisions. This decision is a lot like many others you’ll make for your child. If you decide to pierce baby ears, we’d like to tell you’re not alone out there! It’s actually a much more common practice these days than people realize. The Internet connects so many of us so that we can explore the ups and downs of issues, and that’s one of the most helpful and beautiful things about it. Like anything else, piercing baby ears will have its pros and cons.

baby ear piercing Pros

If you’re reading this article, you’ve obviously taken a fancy to piercing your infant’s ears and want to do the right thing in this situation. It might even be an exciting thing for you to think of and a wonderful thing you want to share with your infant daughter. Sure, she won’t have a memory of it, but that’s what pictures are for! If you’re hooked on the idea of piercing your baby’s ears, there’s great news for you. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) official stance on the matter is that piercing a baby’s ears is perfectly safe, so long as you follow a few simple rules. They recommend waiting until two months of age. The reason for this is simple: Your child will have their first mass of vaccinations around this same time, including the critically important tetanus vaccination.

We’ll get into the cons when we discuss those all important rules you should follow when you take the plunge and pierce baby ears, but as you can see there’s a host of good reasons to pierce a baby’s ears.

As long as it’s after 2 months of age, it’s a lot of fun and safe!
Parents and daughter will have pleasant memories to look back on in pictures
You may have fond memories of pierced ears and want to share that experience with your baby as early as possible
When you pierce baby ears, you decorate what amounts to some of the cutest ears in the whole world and make them even cuter
You introduce pierced ears to your child earlier in life, making it feel more natural to them as they grow

infant ear piercing Cons

When you pierce baby ears, you are piercing ears that you and society as a whole are especially protective of. Babies are sweet, especially when they’re your own, and you don’t want to do anything that could bring harm to your baby. That’s understandable and natural. Even the cons of piercing a baby’s ears, though, are pretty minimal when you look at the advantages. And while those advantages are mostly cosmetic, they may eventually be some of the fondest memories you have of your child’s childhood. It all depends on your parenting style and what’s important to you.

The primary concern parents will have about piercing a baby’s ears is that an infection is possible when you pierce ears. This is why it’s highly recommended for you to have your baby’s ears pierced in a doctor’s office, where everything is most apt to be sterile and hygienic. When you pierce baby ears, there is a small chance that the child will fiddle with the earrings and potentially cause an infection, and it can be almost impossible to monitor a child 24 hours a day and keep them from tugging on those ears. If the child is in the neighborhood of 5 or 6 months, it’s even more likely that they will be active at tugging at the ears. It’s important to remember that while an infection is possible, it’s highly unlikely, and thanks to vaccinations and a good doctor’s care, you can address those problems should they arise.

If you decide to pierce your baby’s ears, always keep the infection con in mind. Just because it’s an overall con doesn’t mean it can’t be dealt with. Most infants will not develop an infection, but for those that do there’s compassionate healthcare to take care of the issue. It’s like many things in your child’s growing life. Even the cons can be dealt with like the obstacles they are. Obstacles don’t have to keep you and your child from enjoying the experience.

The Decision Is Always Yours

Parents are likely to get a lot of advice about whether or not to pierce baby ears. All those folks are well-meaning, but the decision is ultimately yours and yours alone, as it should be. Parents have the right pierce baby ears whenever they feel the time is right, but once again, remember that 2 months is the general rule because of the timing of first vaccines. You do want to make sure that baby has their first tetanus shot first. Once you’re passed the 2 month mark, though, it’s time to weigh those pros and cons. Pierced ears are a huge part of many cultures, a cosmetic issue for most, but for babies it’s also a health issue. With their more fragile immune systems and overall helplessness, it’s all up to parents to make the right decisions for them.

The general consensus is that it’s okay to pierce baby ears as long as the child is 2 months old or older. Once you hit that milestone, it’s time to consider where to pierce their ears and how best to prevent infections. That’s one reason it’s so important to have the child’s ears pierced in a doctor’s office. Your doctor can help you share a wonderful experience with your baby while at the same time doing it in the healthiest way possible. And of course you’ll get that great doctor’s advice along the way. Raising a child is in some ways sharing life with them, and if your beauty routine includes picking out the latest fashionable earrings, this is more than just cosmetic. It’s also a connection from your heart to your baby’s heart, an experience you’re sharing with them before they’re quite old enough to remember it. They’ll still see all those snappy family photos of themselves, though, in the cutest little baby earrings ever, and that’s sure to bring a smile to both of you in later years.

Conclusion

If you’re still concerned about whether to pierce baby ears, it’s okay. If you’re all psyched up and ready to get to it, rest assured that you are not the only person in the world who wants to pierce baby ears! Thousands of parents make this decision every year, and it’s always an exciting decision to make and one that you obviously take very seriously, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this. Sharing life with your child is what it’s all about, and ear piercing was a huge rite of passage for many women. It signified womanhood. By piercing your infant’s ears, you’re changing the experience for them a little bit, but you’re sharing something you love just the same. As they grow older, they’ll pick out their own earrings. It’ll be like second nature to them instead of a huge deal.

Now it’s time to make the decision. To pierce or not to pierce? Ultimately, that decision is yours as the parent (lucky you). Carefully consider the pros and cons, perhaps talk to your doctor about the procedure, and then look at your child. Even if they can’t say a word yet, it’s likely that in their eyes you’ll find the answer to your question. Always search your mind for logic and your heart for answers, and you’ll generally always come up with the right answer for both you and your child.

Overtired Baby Won’t Nap or Sleep?

Overtired Baby Won’t Sleep or Nap?

You know how important it is for your baby to sleep. You also know that by the end of the day, you’re often both exhausted. Why is your overtired baby refusing to get to sleep?

It’s frustrating to watch your baby suddenly turn cranky and start yowling instead of snoring. Here are some common reasons that your baby might getting overtired. We’ll also give you some tips on coping with an overtired baby so you can both get some much-needed rest.

How to Know if You Have an Overtired Baby

Babies give us clear signs to how they’re feeling. If you have a cranky, crying baby on your hands, you may be wondering if you missed a sign along the way.

She Avoids Sources of Stimulation

Your baby will try to shut out sounds and sights that are overtaxing her brain and her nervous system. She’ll start by closing her eyes, rubbing her eyes and trying to hide.

He Tries to Calm Himself

Your overstimulated baby may try to comfort himself. He may suck his thumb or hug a favorite toy. He may also close his eyes and turn away from the source of noise.

You See These Physical Symptoms

An exhausted, worn-out baby will eventually start shaking, hiccupping, sneezing and breathing rapidly. At this point, she may also start crying uncontrollably and writhing as if she’s in pain.

An Overtired Baby is a Frightened Baby

In simple terms, an overtired baby is a baby who’s overstressed and frightened. You need to take quick action to soothe your baby and help her get to sleep.

What Causes a Baby to Get Overtired?

She’s Getting Too Much Stimulation

Your baby might be getting too stimulated during the hours that she’s awake. Babies are extremely sensitive to visual stimuli, noise and movements. That’s why they prefer quiet, familiar surroundings where they’re not exposed to noise and commotion. They find it exciting, but it also stimulates a stress reaction in them after a certain point.

Most infants can only cope with about an hour a day of all this excitement. Babies who are about six months old can tolerate about two hours a day of visual and auditory stimulus. The stress reaction kicks in and leaves your baby overtired.

What to Do

Make sure your baby is left in a quiet room for a good part of the day. Don’t insist on having your baby with you during noisy, brightly lit activities.

Old-Fashioned Techniques Still Work

If your baby is too worked up and frightened to sleep, start with some old-fashioned techniques to calm him down.

Swaddling. Swaddling a baby can help him stop crying and feel secure enough to fall asleep. You should not swaddle any infant who is old enough to roll over on his own.
Rocking. Some parents don’t believe in frequent rocking. If you have an overtired baby on your hands, you need to do whatever works to help your baby calm down. Gentle, brief rocking can sometimes do this.
Soothing or shushing sounds. If your baby enjoys hearing you make soothing sounds, add this to your rocking or swaddling. If you normally sing to your baby, try this too.
If your baby is more than six months old, sit with her in your arms for several minutes before putting her into her crib. You can read to her, play music, sing or just talk softly to her. Let her rest with you until she seems to be getting drowsy.
Use a swing. A baby swing can calm down a crying, fussing baby without tiring you out. It provides both gentle rocking and a warm, secure feeling.
Avoid eye contact. An overtired baby might not fall asleep if she thinks she must engage with you visually.
Hold your baby. Hold your baby gently and make soft, soothing noises to him. Some parents like to walk around the room or the house to help babies get drowsy. If you do this, make sure you stay out of areas where there’s noise or lots of activity.

other tips to help a overtired baby

Often, simply feeding a cranky, overtired baby can help him calm down. Babies calm down when they’re nursing or drinking from a bottle. Filling your baby’s tummy can help your baby feel drowsy. A pacifier also works if your baby isn’t hungry.

Give Her a Bath

Baths make many people feel relaxed and sleepy. They work on babies, too. To make bath time soothing rather than scary, turn the bathroom lights low. Make the bath quiet, slow and gentle. Use warm water and avoid splashing or playing with your baby.

Set Up a Routine

A regular bedtime routine lets your baby know that it’s time to get ready for sleep. You can set up your own involving any of the following:

- Lay out your baby’s pajamas or nightgown.
- Talk about sleep in a soothing, cheerful voice.
- Spend a few minutes holding your baby before putting him in his crib.
- Turn off lights, close curtains and shut off music at every bedtime. Make these actions part of your baby’s nightly routine.

Keep Yourself Calm

Part of keeping your overtired baby calm and happy is keeping yourself calm. That isn’t always easy. Try to ensure that the time you spend with your baby isn’t stressful. Do whatever you need to keep yourself relaxed. Don’t transfer your worries or anxieties to your baby.

It’s Hormonal

Like the rest of us, babies are governed by hormonal action. When your baby starts to feel natural drowsiness, his levels of the sleep hormone melatonin go up. This hormonal surge causes your baby to fall asleep easily.

If your baby continues to get stimulation past that point, his body will release high levels of stress hormones. Those hormones keep your baby awake and prevent sleeping. The result is an overexcited, overtired baby.

Babies who are repeatedly put into stressful situations can develop poor sleeping habits. This can have long-term effects on their mental and physical health.

What to Do

Once your baby starts showing signs of being overstimulated and ready to sleep, allow them the quiet, soothing time to do just that. Settle your baby into her crib. Get her ready for sleep with your usual bedtime routine. Doing this regularly will help your overtired baby develop a good sleep schedule.

He’s Not Sleeping Well During Naptime

If your baby frequently goes out and about with you, it can be fun for both of you. It’s also a lot of stimulation for your baby. After a while, babies can’t cope with too much noise, attention and visual stimulation. He’s going to shut down and go to sleep as an escape.

You probably think that’s great. After all, your baby is napping and getting that all-important rest. The problem is that your little one isn’t getting deep sleep. That’s why you get home to discover that he’s grumpy and exhausted even though you saw him sleeping for several hours. He never reached deep sleep during those naps.

The same can be true for babies who go to sleep in other places. Sleeping in someone else’s home or in a daycare might upset your baby’s sleep cycle.

What to Do

Sometimes, you don’t have any choice when it comes to leaving your baby with other caretakers. If you enjoy taking your baby out with you or you have no option, make sure that your time at home is quiet and filled with familiar routine.

Help Your Overtired Baby Get to Sleep

The best way to cope with an overtired baby is to avoid letting your baby get overstimulated in the first place. Your baby should have a safe, quiet place to retreat to when sleep starts calling. Incorporate regular routines into your daily life to help your baby relax.

Create a Quiet, Soothing Environment

Make sure your baby’s room is quiet, cool and dark. Your baby will sleep best in room that’s between 65 and 70 degrees in temperature.

Dark rooms make sleep easier. Use curtains that block sunlight. Avoid leaving a TV or radio on in the baby’s room. Some people find that playing white noise or gentle music can help babies fall asleep.

Conclusion: Restful Routines Help Your Baby

An overtired baby needs a calm, soothing environment and some encouragement to fall asleep. Avoid overtiring your baby by setting up regular routines, ensuring that your baby’s sleep environment is restful and avoiding over-stimulation. You and your baby will appreciate the rest.

Why Is My Newborn Fighting Sleep?

Why do some newborns fight sleep?

Newborns are essentially born to sleep. The average newborn baby will sleep a whopping 16 to 17 hours a day, a total that’s by far more than the average adult sleeps. So it’s sometimes puzzling to people who hear new parents talking about a newborn fighting sleep. I mean, how much could they be fighting sleep if they’re still sleeping 16 or 17 hours a day? And of course the new parent will roll their eyes at people who don’t understand baby basics. Newborns sleep a lot, but they are awake every 3-4 hours to feed, and they don’t sleep on a regular schedule like the adult population does. They’re on a different dimension of sleep, and it can be a war to get newborns to sleep sometimes.

Newborns fighting sleep has been a parental dilemma since newborns were created. Thankfully in this more modern age of information, we’ve got a lot of knowledge about what creates the problem and how to fix it. And if the problem can’t always be fixed, there’s a lot of good stories about how parents made it through the struggle without losing their minds. When a newborn routinely won’t sleep even when it feels like they should be sleeping, it’s time to take some action and get to the crux of the problem. Newborns can have sleep difficulties for many different reasons.

Why A Newborn Is Fighting Sleep

From birth to 3 months, your child will usually have a certain amount of time where they stay awake. This window ranges from 45-60 minutes from birth to 6 weeks and 1 to 1.5 hours for 2 and 3 month old babies. If your newborn is fighting sleep and staying awake a much noticeably longer time, there can be a few reasons for this.

Over-stimulation might be one reason your newborn is fighting sleep
Baby might be hungry
They may be sleeping too lighting and not getting into a deep sleep, causing sleep disruption
The temperature in the room can cause discomfort for a baby
Baby isn’t on a consistent sleep schedule

These are but a few of the reasons that a newborn is fighting sleep. Just like all problems that have a specific cause, the solution will depend on the problem. Your job is to figure out precisely why your newborn is fighting sleep and then solve the dilemma for them. If you know that your baby is staying awake far too long or not getting enough sleep, it’s time to kick into parenting gear and help your newborn get on a better sleep schedule. To help a newborn who is fighting sleep finally get into a peaceful slumber, it’s best to begin with a positive attitude and demeanor, thereby calming your newborn as well.

Parents understandably have difficulty maintaining calmness when it’s 3 AM, they have work at 6 AM, and baby is just not settling into a good sleep. It can be maddening. It’s good to know, then, that there are actually some techniques that might just help you avoid that “no sleep” work day. When a newborn fights sleep, they change your schedule around, too, and this can lead to even greater sleep problems for you and your newborn because a tired parent often forgets a feeding or a diaper change. If chaos has been the rule in your household since your newborn declared a war on sleep, it’s time to get to the heart of the problem and fix it.

How To Help A Newborn Fighting Sleep

Your job as a parent is to create a sleep schedule that works for your baby, but with newborns sleep schedules can be all but out the window because of the newborn’s lack of knowledge about life and sleep in general. They’re just starting out here, so it’s always so very important to make sure that you are gentle and kind with a newborn, even when they’re causing massive sleep deprivation and some very understandable anxiety in your life.

Your disposition will frequently rub off on your newborn. Even at this tender age, a baby can pick up on emotional cues from their parents and look to those same parents to guide their emotional states. Sure, they’re not consciously thinking in those thoughts or terms, but it’s a well-established principle among some experts. There’s always room for debate in this area, and it’s shocking how little we truly understand of the newborn’s emotional world, but suffice it to say that you’re a very big part of their world. They look to you for all their needs and especially for comfort. If your newborn is fighting sleep, you can try some of the following things to soothe them and make sleep more appealing.

Limit sleep to just one part of the house. Newborns thrive on routine and predictability. As we get a bit more accustomed to them, we might switch up areas of the house they sleep in so that they can be near us while they’re sleeping. A good suggestion might be to go back to just sleep confined to the crib.
Focus more on the sleep routine. Have a healthy sleep schedule in place and stick to it. Life certainly happens, and it can be easy to just wing it, but for the good of your newborn, let’s get them back on a truly dependable sleep schedule. They will very likely benefit from this, and you will, too.
Make sure that your newborn is getting enough milk. Babies need to eat regularly, and even skipping one meal can make sleep time a nightmare later on. With all of your other responsibilities, it could be you’re accidentally missing those scheduled feeding times, paving the way for your baby to wake up because he or she is hungry. Focus on the meal time schedule, too.
Get on a good diaper changing schedule. The fact is, when your baby is uncomfortable, it’s possible your newborn is fighting sleep because they need to be changed. If you stick are more diligent about changing diapers, it can really help. And of course, it’s understandable if this is one of the areas where you just wing it. A lot of parents do, and a newborn’s pooping habits don’t exactly stick to a set routine. A diaper change right before bedtime can really excite them and make it hard for them to sleep. Realize that babies don’t usually mind that wet diaper and can sleep right through it.
Avoid eye contact with your newborn before sleep. This is so hard to do for many parents because a newborn is just so darn cute. Eye contact can make a baby very excited because they enjoy eye contact with you just as much as you do with them. At sleep time, this can present a real problem and make it harder for them to go to sleep. Avoid looking at those gorgeous peepers until waking time.

You Can Win Every Battle!

Go into every instance of a newborn fighting sleep with a positive attitude. This is really hard to do at times, especially if your newborn is fighting sleep so much that it’s causing sleep deprivation for you, but with a lot of love for your little one and the idea that they will eventually fall asleep, you can prevail in this overall war, making every battle a little easier for both you and your newborn. The newborn is really a creature of habit, so when you’re creating your strategy here, think of schedule as king. When you stick to the schedule, they’re going to be more apt to be comfortable with that, and comfort spells sleep for a newborn.

Conclusion

Any new parent of a newborn is going to struggle with the sleep issue sometimes. It’s one of the most common newborn problems for parents, and it’s a maddening one. Parents have a lot to do during the day, and a baby who is fighting sleep can cause so much frustration and exhaustion for parents. Parents who have a newborn who is fighting sleep will find much relief in the form of routine, non-stimulating only activity before putting the newborn to bed, and a little bit of positivity when you can muster it. A calm parent makes for a calmer newborn. With a little practice, you can master the art of patience even in the event of extremely haywire sleep habits from newborns.

7 Best Lullabies for Baby to Sleep

Do Lullabies Help Babies Sleep?

For many people, music is one of the unsolved mysteries of our world, stimulating the human mind in ways we are still learning about. This is why so many people in recent years have begun using music as a way to treat patients dealing with Alzheimer’s and other forms of degenerative illness, as music can help people access memories and other aspects of their personality that they might have already lost due to the illness.

However, it’s important to note that the healing benefits of music for the elderly are only part of the greater picture. In fact, music can also be a method to helping your baby, allowing them to feel comforted and encourage their development.

What music are we referring to? Lullabies, of course! Many people use lullabies as ways to get babies to sleep, but there is much more to baby sleep lullabies than you might think.

This is why we’re here to help clarify what exactly lullabies do and give you a list of some of the most classic lullabies for you to sing to your child.

What IS a baby Lullaby?

Though you are likely familiar with the purpose of a lullaby or examples of lullabies in pop culture, do you actually know what a baby sleep lullaby means and how to define one?

A lullaby is a word typically used to refer to a type of song that is meant A) for children and B) to be soothing. These two points are the main criteria for what constitutes a lullaby, having the genre itself be a very open-ended and abstract precedent. The word itself originates from the Hebrew phrase “Lilith-Abi” (“Lilith, begone” in English), a sentiment that references trying to ward off the demon Lilith from stealing babies in the middle of the night.

From this origin, the word came to be associated with the types of songs and melodies that would be able to put a baby to sleep, giving them soothing amounts of comfort. Since the goal is to make babies feel calm enough to fall asleep, lullabies usually focus on subject content about that very struggle, singing about the baby sleeping as a way of encouraging the baby to fall asleep.

Do babies like music and lullabies?

Musically, melodies used in baby sleep lullabies are very simple. From a technical standpoint, lullabies are almost always diatonic, meaning that if you were to put the song in C major, it would only fit on the white keys of the keyboard. Because songs that are diatonic use intervals that are considered very easy and natural, it’s easy for babies to pay attention and retain the information. Even for adults diatonic songs are easier to understand, being the main impetus for many commercial jingles and other songs that need to be catchy and capture one’s attention as quick as possible.

If a certain melody was to introduce too much dissonance or notes outside of the diatonic scale, a baby might lose interest and stop paying attention. This is because the baby’s mind can only pay attention to melodies of certain complexity. If the baby stops paying attention, you run the risk of not getting them to fall asleep due to their distraction keeping their brain active and subsequently not tired.

The 7 Most Famous Baby Sleep Lullabies

Like with many different types of music, the baby sleep lullabies that have stood the test of time and remained popular throughout the years are also the ones that have the most significant effects on children.

We’ve made a list of some of the most iconic baby sleep lullabies that are not only incredibly helpful for your baby to fall asleep to, but also to help them develop their way of communicating!

“Rock a Bye Baby”
“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
“The Alphabet Song”
“All of Me”
“Hush Little Baby”
“Frere Jacques”
“You Are My Sunshine”

What you should know about these lullabies:

Another important thing to note about baby sleep lullabies is that the lyrics often revolve around a comforting, but relentless image. A good example of this is the famous baby sleep lullaby “Rock a Bye Baby”. Throughout the song, the narrator is reassuring the baby that (no matter what happens) they will always be there for the baby, helping their cradle to rock gently.

However, an important part of this song lyrically is that there are so many different verses that it’s possible to continue singing the song for very long periods of time if you have to. This large amount of verses causes a repetitive effect that allows the baby’s mind to be stimulated in a similar way to other sleeping methods that adults might be used to.

For example, have you ever tried to count sheep at night to fall asleep? If you have, you’ve employed similar methods to classic baby sleep lullabies, using repetition as a way of meditation. By focusing on one thing at a time, the mind is able to calm down, re-focus and eventually find enough peace to sleep soundly.

The Rhythm of Baby Sleep Lullabies

The most important part of why baby sleep lullabies are so successful is that they have very specific rhythms that allow them to be matched perfectly with a rocking motion. This is typically represented by certain lullabies being in 3/4 or 6/8 time, both options being time signatures that are paired quite well with a rocking motion. This is how baby sleep lullabies have become incredibly intertwined with the act of rocking, with many of the lyrics also referencing the motion (i.e. the aforementioned famous “Rock a Bye Baby”).

The rhythm of baby sleep lullabies is reportedly the most important part of getting a baby to actually fall asleep, as the involved rocking motions make the baby feel comforted and reassured. The repetitive nature of rocking also stimulates the minds of the babies in a similar way to the lyrics of lullabies, allowing them to feel calm and tired through stimulation. Rocking a baby also gives them the warmth and security that comes with being swaddled or hugged by their caretaker, making the action all the more comforting.

This is why baby sleep lullabies can be so effective, as they continually engage multiple aspects of a baby’s senses so they’re able to fall asleep much quicker than they might on their own.

Baby Sleep Lullabies During Pregnancy

Baby sleep lullabies are wonderful, but you don’t have to wait until your baby is actually born for you to introduce them to the concept! To make sure your baby is familiar with soothing music as a means of relaxation from early on, you should play relaxing music for your baby in late stages of pregnancy. This can be anything from traditional lullabies to relaxing ambient music, so feel free to adjust our recommendations to your specific taste in music!

It’s also recommended that you play soothing music or lullabies for your baby up until three months after they are born, giving them plenty of time to familiarize themselves with the soothing sounds. It’s also said that singing lullabies to your baby during the late stages of pregnancy can be another great way of calming them, as they will become more interested in and acquainted with their caretaker’s voice from early on.

Babies Grow From Interaction

Another benefit of baby sleep lullabies is that the constant exchange of singing to your baby in a way that is simple enough for them to grasp actually encourages them to grow their own understanding of communication. This is why you might notice that your baby starts to babble in response to your singing—they’re trying to tell you something!

Conclusion

Singing lullabies to your baby can be one of the most effective ways of getting them to go to sleep each night. However, there are also many other benefits possible that also help encourage your baby’s overall development and growth. This is why we believe they are an incredibly important activity that every parent should engage in with their child. We hope this blog post has been helpful for you understanding the many different benefits of lullabies and how they can affect a baby’s overall growth!

How to Stop Toddler from Biting

The world of the toddler is a full-on wonderland for both parents and toddlers alike. They are freshly introduced to the world of language, walking, talking, and human relationships, and things can be a roller coaster ride for parents. It’s a delicate mix of loving a toddler but not loving all the things they do. The same loving toddler who gives you a hug in the morning may draw very unwelcome pictures on their bedroom wall in permanent magic marker. You may find them eating an orange peel or two. Remember that their world is entirely different from yours. They’re experiencing the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the world for the very first time and often don’t have any idea of our embedded manners and rules.

Biting is a behavior that is often exhibited by children in the toddler stage of life. There’s a general consensus that the toddler stage begins at about a year old and extends up to the third year of life. These little beings are on another planet from the rest of the world, and they’re starting to get their first chompers, too, so things can become very confusing for parents very quickly when they notice their child is beginning to bite things and even people on any given day. This is a behavior that’s not entirely uncommon among toddlers, so don’t worry. It’s not a sign that your child is going to go to prison later in life, and it often doesn’t even have anything to do with aggression.

Why Toddlers Bite

The ever exciting world of the toddler is a fascinating place. It’s also one of extreme confusion for parents who won’t remember their own toddler stage. Teething begins in early toddler life, and this can make children prone to biting objects. Some of this is because the gums because swollen and irritated, and biting helps to relieve some of the pain and irritation. Toddlers love to put objects in their mouth, too. This is part experimentation and part because they like the feel of objects in their mouths. It’s normal! That’s the good news. The bad news is that it’s still probably a good idea to stop a toddler from biting.

Biting people is entirely different from biting objects. Despite the fact that those adorable toddler teeth are tiny and, well, adorable, they’re still going to inflict some pain on the recipient of the bite. It can also sometimes be embarrassing to have your toddler walking around biting family, friends, and strangers who might stop to ask for directions. While the behavior is entirely normal for children of this age, it’s time for you to once again go into parent mode and figure out your strategy for keeping your toddler from biting everything and everyone in sight. The stop a toddler from biting challenge is a challenge that you’re up for.

How To Stop A Toddler From Biting

Your little toddler critter is biting everything and everyone in sight. They’ve bitten grandma, their older sibling, you, a few random objects around the house, and maybe even their own arm. It’s adorable to look at sometimes, but as the toddler ages these bites will become more forceful and problematic. It’s time for you to spring in action and come up with that parenting gusto you know you have inside you. How to stop a toddler from biting is a mystery just about every parent on earth will have to solve at one time or another, but since it’s a very common problem you can bet there are parents who have already solved the dilemma of how to stop a toddler from biting. You can, too.

For some parents, this is a really big problem because older toddlers can even inflict some real damage on friendly targets. If your toddler has a people biting problem, it’s especially serious to get this behavior under control. There are some simple strategies you can use when the situation arises and your little vampire creates a true problem by biting a sibling or another child or adult. You’re the boss in this situation, and you’re going to take command. That’s your job as a parent, and often times you don’t feel like a superhero, but you should. You’re the captain of the stop a toddler from biting ship.

To stop a toddler from biting, the following strategies can truly save the day:

Take charge of the situation by using a phrase that teaches your toddler biting is wrong. Some parents will use a firm “No!” Others will prefer a phrase like “Don’t bite!”
If your child has bitten another child or adult, you need to make sure the bite victim is okay and not injured. If they are, clean the wound and in some cases you might even need to get medical help for the person your child decided to chomp on
If this is the first time your toddler bites a person, they may not even know they’ve done anything wrong. They don’t know right from wrong yet. Teach them! Remind them that biting hurts other people and that they should never bite anything
Calm your child if they are hysterical or bit something out of anger. You need to be firm, but don’t be heartless. Toddlers are still learning this life thing.
Distract your child and direct their energies to something less harmful. If no one was hurt, diffuse the situation by turning to something fun for a toddler, like singing, dancing, or even television

If you’ve tried all of these things to stop your toddler from biting, you might turn to your pediatrician for tips. Maybe if you explain the behavior to a professional, they will be able to know from their vast experience what might be causing the behavior and how to stop your toddler from biting. Pediatricians are near wizards at helping parents sort through problems like this, and thank God for them. Sometimes when all other strategies fail to stop a toddler from biting, it’s that one trick from your pediatrician that can finally save the day.

You Can Stop A Toddler From Biting

Some parents who have serious biters on their hands may feel like they’re powerless to stop the behavior. You’re not. Even toddlers who bring a bit of blood from a biting victim are going to make it through this somewhat normal behavior in life and turn out to be fine, decent citizens. Toddlers are often going through teething problems. Since they haven’t learned just about anything in life, they don’t realize when their behaviors harm other people. Parents really have to dish out some real guidance in these situations and gently, but firmly, show the toddler that biting is wrong. And it is. Don’t laugh at the toddler and teach him or her that biting is cute. A little firmness will go a long way in helping your child refrain from biting behavior. Don’t leave out the calmness and the gentleness either (sometimes easier said than done).

If you’ve been struggling for a way to stop a toddler from biting, you’re not alone. You’re facing this dilemma with many other parents who are horrified that their adorable little toddler has bitten a playmate so hard that they have to whip out some soap and water to clean a wound. If it’s a sibling who was bitten, it can be equally disturbing. And of course, if the bite seemed to be overly aggressive, parents will naturally worry whether or not they may have an aggression problem on their hands. The important thing is that you’re not alone. Millions of parents solve this problem, and millions of toddlers who’ve bitten other people turn out to be great people.

Toddlers are roaming the earth, learning all of the rules we’ve known for years. If you’re lucky, a biting incident will be a one-time thing. If you’re not, you may have to really buckle down and get firm with your toddler to show them that they simply can’t bite people and things. Aggression is a true problem for toddlers sometimes. They can’t yet speak well enough to properly convey their feelings and will sometimes express frustration through biting. Even though you understand why the behavior is taking place, you simply can’t let the behavior go on. The great news is that you can experiment and try different phrases and strategies for stopping the behavior.

Conclusion

Now that you know your mission – to stop your toddler from biting – it’s time to put some of these strategies to use and see if they work. You may be surprised that with a little gentle firmness (that’s a trick only parents know) your toddler learns that biting is wrong in just a few lessons and goes on their way without biting a single other person or thing.

How to Stop a Toddler from Hitting

How to Stop a Toddler from Hitting Siblings and Others

Have you encountered the problem of seeing your child hit another child or even a sibling? Perhaps while playing with your child, he or she suddenly hits you. Do not worry. This is not a sign that you are failing as a mother or dad. There is also nothing wrong with your child. You do want to stop your toddler from hitting and that will take a little patience on your part.

Emotional forces are at work when your child hits another person. You may see a silly look on your child’s face, or he or she may be laughing while hitting another person. That aggression in your child is compelled by emotions. That emotion is usually fear. To stop your toddler from hitting, you cannot add more emotional feelings to their fears by yelling at your toddler.

Your toddler does not want to be a bad child or hurt another person. Toddler’s do not need punishment when they hit, what they need is you. If you give them a punishment for hitting, they are more than likely to hit again in the future. Sitting in a corner or taking away a child’s playtime is not a way to stop toddlers from hitting.

A Toddlers Experimental Hitting Will Subside

Toddlers experiment every day. They get enthusiastic about learning and want to see how things work. Toddlers are curious little people. They store up their understanding of playmates, parents, and their whole world around them. Hitting is one thing that most toddlers will experiment with at a very early age.

When you see your child hitting another person, do not get all upset. Simply remove the toddler’s hand away from the person he or she is trying to hit. This way the toddler cannot hit again. You can let the toddler try and hit again, but just keep his hand from landing the hit on the other person or yourself.

To stop toddlers from hitting, they need some instructions. Do not give the toddler a loud reaction. Tell the child that hitting does not feel good, or hitting is not something you like him or her to do. A tiny instruction may be a helpful touch that your toddler needs. As long as the toddler is not seeing a lot of hitting going on in the house, his or her hitting experiment will end up playing itself out. After a few times of trying to hit someone and not succeeding, the child will lose interest and move onto something else.

When Responding with Harshness, It May Trigger Your Toddlers Hitting to Continue

Toddlers and children will bottle up feelings when parents show that they are upset. This builds up in a child’s mind and it frightens them. When your toddler feels the fear, he or she will want to start hitting again. The toddler or child does not understand you yelling, grabbing his arm, or hitting back. The toddler’s mind cannot make any logical meaning for your actions.

The child becomes scared and the only way to make any sense of it is for the child to start hitting again. This begins to form a pattern. When the child is scared or alone, he or she is in fear, then the child’s mind says to hit, in order to feel better. The child has now learned that when you feel bad, you hit. Parents who discipline their toddlers and children with harshness and yelling are building up fears in their children. The hitting pattern develops stronger the more the child is in fear or not feeling good.

A Child’s Fear Causes Hitting

Not every child will start hitting when they are scared. Hitting is not the only reaction that the child may have when feeling fear. It is, however, the child’s natural response. If your child is hitting with a smile on his face, or looks unemotional, or hits only when he is upset, it usually means it is because he is scared.

Laughter releases feelings of fear that the child is holding inside. The child puts the two together. Laughter and hitting to release tension. Most of the time laughter cannot take away the tension or fears fast enough, so the child starts hitting.

Hiding fear comes at an early age. We all try and stop our child from crying by soothing their feelings. The child picks up on our uneasiness and that creates a fear in the child. We want our children to be safe at all times and take away their feelings of being upset.

Repressed Feelings Do Not Go Away

Parents are often giving their children signals that they are not interested in how the child is feeling. What the child does is hold all those feelings inside and sooner or later those pent-up feelings come out in misbehavior. Some of the misbehaviors are, hitting and biting or pushing other children for no reason. Hitting is just one example of a child with feelings that are bottled up inside. These hidden fears can show up in many different ways. You know your child is dealing with troubling feelings if;

they begin to sleep walk
start having temper tantrums
thumb-sucking
reject new things
behavior becomes picky

These are signs that your child has built up feelings that he or she is holding inside. It is hard for them to manage all these emotions but it is not hard to stop toddlers from hitting.

Offer a Gentle Barricade to Stop Toddlers from Hitting

As a mom, you are always keeping an eye out for the impulsive toddler who has a hitting problem. It is really somewhat simple to stop your toddler from hitting. By anticipating your child’s moves, you will be one step ahead of the outburst that might have happened, when your child goes to hit someone.

Your mind will be ready with a quiet solution as to how to handle your toddler’s situation. Instead of your mind wondering if he or she is going to hit another child, you will be able to stay calm. Being prepared before you need to stop your toddler from hitting someone else will help you to handle the problem safely.

The Friendly Patrol

When you need to stop your child from hitting another person, get up close to your child and be friendly. Do not give your child a verbal warning. Warnings do nothing to end the fear inside of your child’s mind. That fear is what is making your child want to hit someone.

When your child reaches out for another child or person, catch your child’s arm and gently hold onto the arm or hand. Hold on gently as he or she goes towards a sibling or playmate so the child cannot strike a hit all of a sudden. You are the friendly patrol that stops the hit from landing on another person. Keep good eye contact with your child, and let the child know that you cannot let him or her hit another person.

Speak gently and softly. Stay with your child and do not scold or punish. Keep holding onto your child’s arm or hand and be with your child for as long as it takes to calm your child down. Always be gentle and stay in eye contact. This is a good way to stop your toddler from hitting and staying calm yourself.

The Child’s Fears Will Find Another Way Out

Because you have stayed calm and quiet, you have prevented your child from hitting someone. The feelings that are making your child hit someone are now going to start bubbling up inside your child. He or she will become extremely uncomfortable. Your child will cry, tremble, fall down in a tantrum or sweat. This is what you want to happen. You want the child’s feelings to come pouring out so they are not bottled up inside the child. It will be a big emotional wave when all those negative feelings leave your child mind. This is one of the steps to help stop your toddler from hitting. You want to stay calm and hold your child and talk gently.

Listen to Your Child and Give Support

Support your child by staying calm and loving to your child. When you are calm, your child does not have to be afraid of your disapproval or you’re becoming loud. This way your child can let out all their tensions and fears. You might experience your child throwing him or herself on the ground, arching his or her back while in your arms or even screaming. It is all ok, as long as you stay calm. This is another step to help you stop your toddler from hitting.

The more the child pours out in distress, the more the child is getting rid of his or her fears. All the bad feelings are being expelled and the fears are slowly leaving the child. By staying calm, the child reacts to your sense of love and compassion. The child feels free to let out all his or her fears.

What You Need to Say

You need to let the child know that you are understanding that he or she is letting go of all the fears that have built up inside. Be supportive by listening and talking gently to your child. You could state that you know he or she likes this playmate and that you are not going to let him or her hit anyone. Reinforce that you are not mad and that your child is special to you and you will stay right there with him or her until the fears pass. Remind your child that you will keep him or her safe and everyone can have a good day when everything calms down.

How to Put a Baby to Sleep: 10 Tricks

How to Put a Baby to Sleep

One of the most exhausting parts of becoming a new parent is the lack of sleep that generally comes with having a newborn. While those first few weeks and months may be overwhelming and leave you feeling out of control, the sooner you can get into a bedtime routine when you put a baby to sleep, the sooner that baby will develop good nighttime habits that benefit both her and her parents. Start with these tips for a good night’s sleep for both of you:

1. Create a Soothing Environment

Think about how much better you sleep when the conditions in your bedroom are just right. With this in mind, you want to put a baby to sleep in a nursery that is soothing and comfortable. Before you start your new bedtime routine, follow this checklist to ensure your nursery is a place that promotes sleeping:

Make sure the room is at a comfortable temperature — not too hot and not too cold.
Some babies sleep better with a little background noise, so consider adding a white noise machine, radio, or fan.
The room doesn’t have to be completely dark, but any bright lights should be dimmed. You may consider adding a small nightlight.
Your baby should have a new high-quality mattress that is firm yet comfortable in her crib.
Make sure the mattress is covered with a clean fitted sheet. You shouldn’t put a baby to sleep with a blanket or other bedding until after the first year.
Don’t add any toys or stuffed animals to the crib. It’s not only a safety hazard, but it can distract your baby.

2. Don’t Rock Your Baby to Sleep

It’s temping to snuggle up with your little one in a rocking chair before bed, and while that’s fine, you should never put a baby to sleep while she is still outside of the bed. You can rock her until she’s drowsy, but make sure she’s actually in the crib when she falls asleep. Otherwise, she’ll come to expect you to rock her every night. If she does accidentally fall asleep while rocking, playing, or riding in a stroller, place her in her crib immediately.

3. Consider a Nighttime Bath

Need a little extra help soothing your baby at night? Consider a bath just before bedtime. The water and the touch that comes along with bathing is soothing enough to help your baby wind down at the end of the day. Some say using chamomile or lavender bath products can help calm your little one even more during bath time.

4. Make Sure She is Comfortable

After that bath, make sure you dress her in comfortable clothing. Never put a baby to sleep in anything that is too tight or too lose. You’ll also want to consider the temperature in the nursery. Babies who get overheated at night don’t sleep well, and more importantly, they are at a greater risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

5. Don’t Get a Late Start

Some parents assume that they shouldn’t put a baby to sleep unless she is exhausted, and this couldn’t be further from the truth. Unfortunately, this idea leads to behaviors such as staying up too late, being more active at night, and waiting until the baby is overly cranky for bedtime. All of these can make it nearly impossible to put a baby to sleep without a fight. Instead, provide your baby with a full and active day, and stick to a daily and nightly routine for good sleep results.

6. Never Go to Bed Hungry

If you’ve ever awoken in the night to a growling stomach, you know just how painful and miserable it can be to go to bed hungry. This feeling applies to infants too. Never put a baby to sleep without feeding her first. A warm bottle or time spent breastfeeding can easily be a part of your soothing nighttime routine. However, don’t let your baby fall asleep while she’s eating. Just like rocking her to sleep, she’ll come to expect it each night and won’t be able to fall asleep without it.

7. Create a Bedtime Ritual

Baths, bottles, a story, a quiet activity — whatever you choose to do to help your little one wind down at night, keep it up. Use the same words and phrases while you do it. This provides clues to your baby that it’s time for bed. Eventually, she’ll come to associate certain activities with going to bed, and that may help her fall asleep and stay asleep easily.

8. Avoid Too Much Excitement at Night

Just don’t get too excited during that bedtime ritual. Keep your voice lowered, avoid noisy toys, and again, dim the lights. During your last few waking moments together before you put a baby to sleep, read a story or listen to quiet music instead. it’s also best to avoid eye contact when holding your little one just before bedtime. When you look into each other’s eyes, your baby may feel persuaded to stay awake to play and spend more time with you. Nighttime should always be calm and peaceful — you may even find that you sleep better when you create this type of environment in your home.

9. What to Do If She Cries

You’ve followed all of the tips so far, but no matter what you do, your baby still cries when you put her into her crib. Start by leaving the room. Give her a few minutes to clam down. Much of the time, you’ll find that when you put a baby to sleep, she’ll cry for a minute and then drift off into dreamland. If she is still crying after three to four minutes, step back into the nursery and console her without holding her. Rub her stomach (you should always put a baby to sleep on her back to help prevent SIDS). Make soothing sounds. Allow her to see you standing there. Stick around for a few minutes and then leave again. Try it a few more times if necessary.

10. Be Consistent and Realistic

No matter what routine you create to put a baby to sleep, the key is to be consistent and don’t expect magic to happen on the first or even the second night. While babies are quick to learn routines, it may still take a few days or weeks to get there. And if your baby is under three months old, remember that the need to eat frequently will prevent her from sleeping through the night. The best thing you can do it keep up that routine until it works and be willing to make any necessary adjustments along the way.

Conclusion

If you’re conflicted about what type of routine to create, think about what you like when you go to bed. A calm environment, comfortable clothing, a full stomach, quiet time, a few minutes spent reading or listening to music, and a good mood are all usually a part of that. At the end of the day, your baby is just a smaller version of you who appreciates the same conditions. Learning what they are can set you both up for a lifetime of healthy sleeping patterns.

How to Potty Train a Toddler Calmly and Successfully

Potty training will seem like an overwhelming task to parents, but when your child is showing signs of understanding his or her body functions, there is nothing to worry about. Many parents feel they are just training themselves, but in reality, one day the child will just decide it is time for the potty chair.

When your child is ready to go on the potty, they will do it. Some children are ready at around a year and a half and others will not be ready until they are three. You can learn how to potty train a toddler by following a few simple steps.

Introducing the Potty

When you are thinking about how to potty train a toddler, pick up a couple of books on the subject and read them to your child during the day. Usually, a good time to start this plan is when your child is around 18 to 30 months old. Every now and then mention the words potty training in front of your toddler so it stimulates your toddler’s interest.

You could ask your toddler if his or her favorite stuffed toy needs to go potty and see what kind of a reaction you will get. You could also raise awareness about potty training by saying that you need to go to the potty and allow your toddler to come in with you. This will get your toddler comfortable with the idea of using a bathroom or potty.

Signs of Readiness

A sure sign of a child being ready for the potty is if they are dry after naps or they can go two hours or more staying dry. How to potty train a toddler starts with knowing if your child has the knowledge on how to sit down on the potty and pull down his or her training pants.

You will know if your child is ready to potty train if you see your child fussing after wetting his or her pants or see strange postures from your child or funny facial expression. These are the beginning signs on how to potty train a toddler that is ready for the procedure.

Choosing the Right Potty and Where to Put the Potty

Some toddlers are afraid of falling into the toilet or hearing it flush. If your toddler is comfortable with the bathroom routines then try getting a potty seat that fits over the toilet. If not then buy a stand-alone potty. This way your toddler becomes aware of the potty and why it is in the bathroom. If there is not enough room in the bathroom for the stand-alone potty, place it in the laundry room, if it is close by or in the toddler’s bedroom.

Once the toddler is ready to give it a try, move the potty to the bathroom. How to potty train a toddler will be different for each child. Try not to let the toddler learn how to use the potty seat in his or her bedroom. It is only there for the child to get used to seeing it and learning what it is for.

This way you will not have to retrain the toddler to use the potty seat in the bathroom. Get a stepstool for the bathroom if you buy the potty that goes on the toilet seat. The toddler will need to be able to put his or her feet on the floor or stool so they can empty their bladder properly.

Some Helpful Hints for Placement of Potty and Learning

Many toddlers feel more secure with a potty chair of their own. Their own potty chair will give them a sense of balance and security when they can put their feet on the floor.

Make sure the potty chair is accessible to the toddler.

Make sure you allow your toddler to explore the potty chair. Let your toddler know that the potty chair is just for him or her and it is special.

You could have your child practice sitting on the potty fully dressed, once or twice a day. This will help your toddler to become comfortable with the potty.

Once your toddler is comfortable sitting on the potty with clothes, have the toddler sit on the potty without clothes. This will let the toddler become familiar with remover clothes before going on the potty. It will also teach the toddler what the seat feels like next to skin.

How to potty train a toddler
when your toddler has his or her next bowel movement in the diaper, is to put it in the potty so the child can see where it should go. Children at this age are just learning where certain things go and their proper places.

Watch for signs that your toddler needs to use the potty. Ask the toddler if he or she needs to go. Many children will be able to answer you yes or no. Put your toddler on the potty chair and give him or her plenty of time to make potty.

Boys should be seated down even to pee at first. It will help them to know those bowel movements go in the same place.

Have your toddler wash their hands with soap and water even if they did nothing in the potty. This will teach them good hygiene habits.

How to potty train a toddler is easier if you keep your toddler in loose clothing. Put pants that have elastic waists in them so the toddler can pull his or her pants down fast when needed. Never leave your toddler in wet or soiled training pants or diapers. This will only make training your child harder.

Timing Is Everything

Avoid trying to train your toddler during stressful times. If you are going on vacation, moving, or expecting a new baby, wait until life calms down first. How to potty train a toddler is difficult enough without you or your toddler going through anything else. Toddlers who are relaxed and on their regular routine will be able to be trained easier.

Parents often boast how their child was trained in just two or three days, but they only have a few accidents a day. This is not a child that has been potty trained. When a child is really ready to be potty trained, the child will go on the potty all by him or herself, all on their own.

How to Potty Train a Toddler with Independence

It is not a good idea to try and potty train a toddler who is still in the crib. The toddler should be in a transitional bed and be able to get in and out of the bed on his or her own. How to potty train a toddler should include allowing for the child to get to the bathroom or their potty chair during the night as quickly as during the day. Many toddlers wake up in the middle of the night and will need to pee. As long as they are in a bed that they can get in and out of easily, they will make it to the potty on their own.

The pathway to the bathroom and the child’s potty chair must be well lite so the child is not afraid to get out of bed at night. A nightlight in the child’s room and one or two down the hallway will guide your child through the night. If your toddler is not ready for a big kid’s bed, then keeping the toddler in diapers during the night is not a bad thing to do.

Each child is different and potty training will depend on when the toddler and the parents are ready. Kids should be completely trained during the day by age 3, but it might take a little longer for the night time.

Praise and Rewards Should Be Offered

Offer lots of praise once your toddler has started using the potty. Whether it is on his own or because you have reminded your toddler to use the potty, great praise goes a long way. Accidents happen, and your toddler will experience them along the way. How to potty train a toddler means never to punish them for accidents. If they wet or soil their underwear, do not yell. Offer help, and let the toddler know that it is alright. Remind the child that he or she is just learning and that you understand that it was an accident.

Many children get playing so intensely that they miss the sign of needing to go to the potty. Some wait too long to get up from what they are doing and wet or soil their pants along the way. Accidents happen and the child should not get scared when one does happen.

Conclusion

When your toddler does use the potty properly, give the child some praise and offer a little reward. You might consider a sticker chart and when the child gets so many stickers in a row, he or she will get a small prize. Do not go overboard as to what you offer for a prize. It can be an extra cookie that night, or ice cream at the park the next day. The toddler learns that he or she has kept the promise to go potty like the big kids.

How to Make a Toddler Talk: 15 Ways

How to Make a Toddler Talk: Giving Your Toddler the Gift of Gab

New parents often can’t wait to hear their baby speak. While googling “how to make my toddler talk” is a good way to begin your child’s language journey, there are a few key things every parent should do to get their toddler started with learning to speak.

Teaching Your Toddler to Talk

A toddler’s language of knowledge expands at a rapid rate. Between the ages of 2 – 3, children’s words expand from 20 – 200 words at two-years-old to around 1,000 words at three-years-old. What is the catalyst for this rapid vocab expansion? The parents.

The following guide details everything needed to make your toddler talk:

Always Articulate

Toddlers are growing in their knowledge of words, but they need the practice to learn how to properly form and pronounce them. In order for your child to build the necessary muscles, parents must focus on teaching their child to articulate.

Consider the following tips for articulation:

Use a Mirror

With a mirror handy, parents can help their children pronounce words. Showing your child the way your mouth moves when you say certain words and letters in the mirror will allow them to do the same. As they watch themselves through the mirror, they’ll be able to get a better understanding of how to properly move their mouth.

Use Tissues for “P”

Toddlers often struggle with the letter “P”. Use a tissue to help your child understand how to form the letter. Holding the tissue a few inches from your toddler’s mouth, practice saying “P” with your child. As they repeat the letter, they’ll watch with excitement when they see the tissue move.

Use Peanut Butter to Make Your toddler Talk

Believe it or not, peanut butter can play a significant role in your child’s language learning. If your toddler isn’t allergic to peanut butter, place a dab of it behind their front teeth. Then, ask them to touch it with their tongue.

As they touch the peanut butter, explain that this is the spot they will use to say letters like “T” and “D”.

Build Their Vocabulary

As your toddler gets the hang of pronouncing their first few words, it’s time to expand their vocabulary. One of the best ways to make your toddler talk is by narrating the day’s activities. As you go through your day with your toddler, explain basic activities like putting on shoes, brushing your teeth, or making food.

When adding to your toddler’s vocabulary, try the following tips:

Repeat Yourself

When introducing new words, don’t just use it once. Come up with different sentences that use the same word in other ways. While your child won’t always pick up new words immediately, repetition will help reinforce the sound of this word in your child’s memory.

Oftentimes, toddlers need to listen to particular phrases and words multiple times before it becomes a staple in their vocabulary.

Be Descriptive

When building your child’s vocabulary, make sure to be descriptive. Think about the five senses as you speak to your child. Always talk about how certain things taste, feel, look, and sound to help engage your toddler’s creativity. For example, when at the grocery store, introduce new fruits and vegetables by touching them, describing their color, and saying their name repeatedly.

Focus on Comprehension

When attempting to make toddlers speak, parents need to prioritize comprehension. This is how children make sense of the way their newly learned words are used.

The following activities will help to improve a toddler’s comprehension of language:

Play Simon Says

Playing Simon Says is an excellent way to teach your toddler comprehension and make your toddler talk. The parent should use simple instructions to help their children to grasp the meaning of new words. These instructions can include telling your child to pick up a ball or to show you their hand will help stimulate their comprehension abilities.

Start Scavenger Hunts

Take advantage of your toddler’s love of running and exploring by setting up a scavenger hunt to make your toddler talk. Hide their favorite toy or a secret surprise and give them easy clues to help them understand their words. Instructions like, “Look in front of the blue chair” will allow them to understand what their vocabulary means in relation to the real world.

Don’t Forget to Demonstrate

Toddlers learn their biggest language lessons from emulating their parents. Parents can do everything from playing music to scheduling playdates with other toddlers to make your toddler talk.

Sing Songs and Repeat Them

Singing songs is an excellent way to teach a toddler how to speak. However, this language lesson needn’t end when the song is over. After you’ve finished singing, repeat these lyrics back slowly so they understand what words are being said. After your toddler has grasped the song, encourage them to sing it out loud on their own.

Talk on the Phone

Parents looking for an innovative way to teach their child how to speak should break out the play phone. Get your toddler talking by pretending to have a conversation on the phone. Keep the game going by passing the phone on to the toddler and encourage them to start talking.

Help your child get creative by pretending Grandma, Grandpa, or the neighbors are on the phone.

Plan Playdates

Another way to make toddlers talk is to have them chat with their friends. When your child hears other children of the same age talking to one another, they’ll want to start communicating as well. By planning more playdates, parents will encourage their children to practice their speaking and improve their communication and social skills.

Point out Tongue Trippers

As toddlers are just learning to form many of their new words, they tend to have trouble with many difficult consonants like M, B, P, T, J, and K. As they grow, they may have difficulty with L, th, sh, and ch sounds, as well as S and R.

Experts say that it may take some children until elementary school to be able to master the perfect pronunciation. However, parents should keep an ear out for any difficulties with the aforementioned letters and sounds when trying to make toddlers talk. If you can’t understand the majority of what your toddler is saying by three years old, there may be a problem. In the situation where a three-year-old toddler doesn’t talk or babble and communicates with grunts, it is time to speak to a doctor.

Consider the following best practices when working on language lessons with your child:

Talk: Talking to your child will help to build their vocabulary. Whether you’re narrating your day or you’re reading to them, the more you talk, the more opportunities they have to listen.When your child starts saying words like “ball”, “Mom”, and “Dad”, take these words and repeat them back by expanding them. This method is known as language expansion and expands your child’s utterance, without adding new information.
Listen: When trying to make your toddler talk, you must also take time to listen. Children need to know their parents are paying attention and are listening to them. By engaging with your child during their babbling, singing, and speaking, you are letting them know that they are important to you and what they’re saying matters.
Avoid Baby Talk: Many parents find baby talk to be adorable, but most experts discourage speaking this way all together. The only baby talk that should be had are the words coming from your infant. These shortened versions of real words are part of their natural development, but it is the job of the parent to enhance their linguistic abilities and reinforce words the way they should be said. Do this by using language expansion with the correct versions of these baby words.
Be Animated: Parents hoping to make their toddler talk should remember to be animated. With a lot of facial expression and melodies, parents will find that their baby is able to focus better and learn faster.
Limit Your Child’s Screen Time: TV’s, tablets, and laptops aren’t able to teach toddlers language. While Baby Einstein and Sesame Street have their roles, parents can’t rely on them completely. To teach children communication and language, parents need to be interactive.

Conclusion

Every child will learn to speak in their own time. However, parents looking to strengthen their child’s communication skills should keep this information in mind. By practicing the methods in this guide to make your toddler talk, any parent will be able to help their child grow during these beginning stages of their language learning journey.

How to Make a Toddler Poop When Constipated

How to Make a Constipated Toddler Poop

Parents already know the turmoil that can follow toddler constipation. It’s not just constipation. It’s toddler constipation, and everything’s a bit more complicated when a toddler is going through it. If you’re not familiar with the average bathroom habits of toddlers, you might not realize that toddlers usually have a bowel movement once a day. This is the norm, but as always, the norm can vary.

Not going to the bathroom is only one sign of constipation. The American Academy of Pediatrics also points out that another sign of constipation is large, hard stools that cause a painful bowel movement. So even if your toddler is regularly going to the bathroom, they may strain to go and end up with blood in their stool as a result of constipation.

An infrequent round of toddler constipation is usually nothing to worry about. It’ll happen. Once in a great while, you’ll have to figure out a way to make toddler poop when constipated. You’re a parent. This is part of the job. What you also want to look for is just how frequent the constipation is. If it’s routine, then it might be time to discuss diet or other causes with your doctor, but for the most part it’s just going to be you against the problem. What can you do to make toddler poop when constipated?

Make Toddler Poop When Constipated

Toddler bathroom habits can sometimes be shocking when you first see them. After all, these little boys and girls are just now learning how to use the bathroom. You may have to lift them on the toilet and supervise them. These little human beings are learning literally everything for the first time. So if a bout of toddler constipation hits, they may be frightened or in a bit of pain. They might even cry. This is perfectly normal and if we had to experience constipation again for the first time, we’d probably cry, too. Be gentle with them.

When your child has constipation, you can help make toddler poop by:

Crafting a high fiber diet consists of foods like fruit juices (containing sorbitol), fruits, whole grain breads, and even high fiber cereals
Making your toddler get more exercise (30-60 minutes a day)
Creating a regular bathroom schedule to help put them more at ease in the bathroom
Visiting a doctor and getting medication that can help make toddler poop when constipated

No parent enjoys waking up and finding out that their toddler has constipation. Not only is it inconvenient for you and increases bathroom time, but it also can be painful for your toddler. There’s nothing on earth quite as pitiful as a toddler who is in pain, and they will certainly make sure that you’re aware of their dilemma. Most of the time, cases of constipation among toddlers are preventable, so it might be time to look at the causes. Instead of having to make toddler poop when constipated, you’ll get to forego this frustrating experience.

A talk with your toddler about the need to go to the bathroom regularly, done in a simple, easy to understand way can help them know the importance of regular pooping habits. Once they eat, let them know that they can go to the bathroom any time they need you to take them. Showing them that you don’t dread bathroom time is also important. Toddlers live for the approval of parents, and if they sense that you don’t like this bathroom time and see it as an inconvenient part of your day it could affect how often they go as well. You can make toddler poop when constipated, but it’s easier to prevent it in the first place with good diet and letting your child know that you want them to go to the bathroom whenever they need to.

What Causes Constipation

After having to make toddler poop when constipated, you might be wondering what caused this unpleasant situation. There are a few things that cause constipation among toddlers, but by far the most common cause is diet. Processed foods and fast foods are a notorious culprit of toddler constipation and the less of those things in your toddler’s diet the better. Other normally healthy dairy foods can also cause you to have to make toddler poop when constipated. Too much dairy is frequently a cause.

Fluid consumption is an integral part of healthy pooping habits. If you don’t give your toddler enough of the right fluids – water namely – constipation episodes may follow. Make sure that your toddler consumes the right amount of fluid everyday, and you won’t find yourself having to make toddler poop when constipated as often. How much water your toddler should drink depends on weight.

Finally, holding in bowel movements are something that toddlers often do. They’re living busy lives after all. They may have a favorite TV show, friend, or toy that prevents them from wanting to go to the bathroom. After all, this is completely new to them and often as inconvenient for them as it is for you. Bathroom time isn’t exactly fun for a toddler. So if they have the urge to go, they may try their best to hold it in and continue doing whatever fun thing they’re doing at the moment. And for a toddler, so many things are more fun than bathroom breaks.

A Game Plan To Battle Toddler Constipation

If your toddler has been experiencing constipation and you’re committed to eliminating it, mostly, from their life, you have a lot of options. For one, you can completely structure their diet to be anti-constipation. This means making sure they get enough fluids, have enough fiber in their diet, and don’t consume a lot of processed foods. You can speak to your pediatrician about other anti-constipation friendly foods that can really cut down on your need to make toddler poop when constipated. Your toddler’s diet will usually be the primary culprit for constipation, and its vital to make sure that fiber and un-processed foods with plenty of water.

If you try these methods and your toddler is still constipated, it’s time for a trip to a pediatrician. While you can definitely make toddler poop when constipated, they should not constantly be experiencing constipation unless the above mentioned practices are neglected. If they’re getting plenty of fiber and fluids, there could be an underlying condition causing the constipation. Although they may be secretly holding in their bowel movements, it’s still better to be safe than sorry and consult your pediatrician.

Conclusion

Constipation is rarely serious and will usually resolve itself with a few simple diet changes and more liquids. The fact remains, though, that toddlers can experience pain while constipated, and a parent’s job is to protect a child from pain. If your little one is struggling, you can make toddler poop when constipated and help them avoid the pain of constipation with better dieting decisions and perhaps even having a talk with them about holding in their poop when they need to go. If all else fails, there’s always the faithful pediatrician’s office to discuss these problems. Medications will sometimes come in handy in those tougher cases of constipation.

How To Keep Toddler In Bed: 5 Ways

How To Keep Your Toddler In Bed

Parents, we know you’re sleep deprived—-we’ve been there. One of the most exhausting things you can go through as a parent is the process of “sleep training”, where you set your child up for success with some healthy bedtime routines that promote restful, through-the-night sleep (for everyone).

When your children are in the toddler stage, they are starting to exert their independence; they will state their preferences—very loudly at times—they will push the envelope when it comes to discipline, and they will in general test the limits of what you deem acceptable bedtime behaviors. All of this is done in innocence; they are merely trying to find their way in the world, and they need to know what the parameters are. If you are wondering how to keep toddler in bed, read on for some tips and tricks that, when used with patience and consistency, really do work.

How to keep toddler in bed for good

This might be an easy process for your child, and it might take weeks, even months, to keep toddler in bed. After all, you are removing your child’s biggest source of comfort up to this point—-you—and asking them to achieve sleep independence. Here are some simple steps to use if you are reading this while sleep deprived:

Complete your bedtime routine as you normally would. Hugs, kisses, encouragement are perfect for setting up a positive nighttime experience.
Leave quickly and without apologies or fanfare. Do not respond to last minute requests or pleas for a few more minutes.
If your child does get up, calmly guide them back to bed and tuck them in. Remind them that this is the safest place to be at night, and that they must stay there. Repeat this behavior as many times as needed to keep toddler in bed.
Should your child repeat the behavior, repeat the same guiding motion back to their bed, but now do so silently. Repeat as many times as needed. The more you can consistently reinforce good behavior and ignore off task behaviors, the more your child will crave that positive reinforcement.
Repeat, repeat, repeat. Some nights will be great. Others will not be so swell; keep the thought that you are setting your child up with healthy behaviors for life, and that you must do this right in order to create a healthy habit. You must keep toddler in bed!

Are there exceptions to the rules?

The answer to this question lies with you, strong one. How rigid do you want to be? Is a sick child cause to bend the rules once in awhile, so you can keep a close eye on them? Is it fair to keep toddler in bed when a strong storm comes through at night, scaring everyone in the family? You ultimately decide what is right for you and your child; if you feel you can keep toddler in bed with these periodic, off course deviations, then feel free to make exceptions when you need to comfort or care for your child.

All about the headstrong toddler

A toddler is curious and excited about life; they have reached the developmental stage where they prefer to explore the world around them rather than to passively observe. They want to desperately to be “in charge”, and they will look for every opportunity to try to exert their will and independence, often to the detriment of others in the family. These little people have big emotions and big experience, but cannot always express themselves in ways we understand, so conflict and tantrums can be common phases that we all must weather as parents.

Toddlers are delightful little people who show us that life is still magic—even the mundane and small experiences in our days hold their interest and make us look at things from a different perspective. These kiddos live full throttle, and with all of the energy that they expend during a day of exploring, playing, and testing, you’d think it would be easy to keep toddler in bed at night, right?

Wrong. Dead wrong.

Some nights are great, some nights it feels like you have another newborn in the house. Regression with nighttime sleep habits is common in toddlers, as they are still trying to test the limits of independence while finding their safety. To keep toddler in bed is the ultimate challenge for a parent, and to do so while getting some semblance of an adequate night’s rest for yourself is a feat worthy of a Nobel prize. Every child is different, every night is different, so pull yourself up by your bootstraps, dear parent, and get ready for this opportunity for greatness. Try some of these tips to keep toddler in bed:

Stick to a routine

While your toddler might not ask for it, he/she is craving routine around bedtime in order to feel safe and secure. When transitioning from crib to toddler bed, realize that your smartie pants will eventually realize that they have a lot more freedom when it comes to getting in and out of bed. If you establish a routine and clear expectations about what you need your little angel to do, he/she will be more likely to stick to that routine when things seem unpredictable or temporarily scary. Examine reasons for “off task” behavior—-did they nap too close to bedtime? Are they going through a phase where they are experiencing bad dreams an a vivid imagination that makes the shadows in the room come alive? Be compassionate but firm in your expectations, and if there is a deviation in the routine, do your best to correct it quickly and efficiently. Your child will soon recognize that this routine is non-negotiable, and will soon acquiesce.

Plan and prep

Set your child up for success by talking about what your expectations are. Praise your child for good behavior, and refuse to focus on the negative if your child is slow to respond to this new routine. Get a drink of water, read a bedtime story, and use the bathroom before tucking junior in for the night, so there is no chance to use stall tactics as an avoidance technique. Have favorite stuffies and blankets at hand, ready to use as a source of comfort. For kiddos that need a little extra incentive, provide a sticker chart that they can visibly see, and celebrate successes with little prizes and treats along the way. Anticipate their needs, and think one step ahead of them to make sure that they can’t “wiggle” free.

conclusion

Sometimes, all it takes to keep toddler in bed is to create a sense of excitement about their room and their bed. If you can make sleep feel like drifting off to a fantasy world with special pillows, new sheets, and even decorative elements in their room that are warm and inviting, they will look forward to that time when they can enjoy their personal space.

A white noise machine or comforting music played nightly is a source of great comfort for some children; for others a special night light or nighttime ritual of gratitude and hugs is enough to instill a sense of peace and tranquility that promotes restful sleep. It isn’t impossible to keep toddler in bed, but it will likely be one of the more challenging things you will face as you train your little angels to become more independent. Here’s to happy, healthy, restful sleep for everyone!

How to Help a Teething Baby

How can I help my teething baby?

Teething is one of those things that new parents dread most. If a baby understood what was coming, they would probably dread it, too, but thankfully they don’t know until the moment it begins. When your baby is born, there are 20 primary teeth below the gumline that are just waiting for their chance to shine later on. Their time to reveal themselves will be around the ages of 6-12 months, and when they decide to make their first appearance, things can become very difficult for your infant and for you. Teething causes a host of symptoms that are unpleasant for your baby. When things get unpleasant for your baby, things can become unpleasant for you.

Your baby’s behavior during teething may be unpleasant, but it’s necessary and completely normal. Your job as a parent is to find out ways to soothe your baby’s discomfort and by extension your own. Sometimes knowledge itself is comforting, so let’s take a look at exactly what teething is. Once you understand what teething is and the symptoms, you can help your teething baby. The bottom two teeth are usually the first to appear. Then you can expect to see the top two teeth. That’s the way teething usually happens. And now, on to what you can do to help your teething baby.

What Is Teething?

When your baby is born, they have all their primary teeth below their gums. You won’t see these teeth for many months – usually between 6 and 12 months – but they’re there. Teething is the process by which these teeth make their way outside of the gums and into your baby’s mouth. These deciduous teeth are sometimes called “milk teeth.” Unfortunately there’s no set time for these first teeth to appear. It could be anywhere from 6 months old to a full year old before you see those adorable little teeth begin to pop up and say hi to you and the world. Another instance of misfortune is that teething can be very uncomfortable and sometimes even painful for your child.

Your first priority after it’s apparent that your child is teething will be to schedule an appointment with a dentist. This will be your baby’s first trip to that all-important doctor’s office, and the sooner you get them an appointment after teething begins, the better. Not only will this help give you wonderful advice about how to handle teething, but you’ll also make your child more likely to be comfortable in a dental setting in the future. Acquainting them with a dentist’s office is vital to their future, as it will help give them an early start taking good care of their teeth. They won’t remember these first visits consciously but the experience is there in their mind for future reference.

How To Help Teething Baby

The first signs of teething are very obvious, painful to watch, and often frustrating for a parent. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by signs of teething, don’t feel bad. This is a natural response for a parent who sees their child in discomfort or pain. Every baby is different. Some will handle teething better than others, but almost every teething baby is going to have some discomfort and show signs that a parent will instantly recognize as teething (with a little research that is). You can help your teething baby by recognizing the general signs of teething. These signs include:

Swollen gums
Crying
Trying to chew on hard objects
Drooling
Abnormally difficult time sleeping

If you notice any of these signs, it’s likely that your child is teething, and it’s time to schedule an appointment with a dentist. In the meantime, there are some things you can do to make this difficult physical process easier for your baby. Naturally, learning about teething will make you calmer because you will know what’s going on when those first signs appear. If the crying begins before any obvious physical signs, and you’re not sure if it’s a teething problem, it never hurts to schedule an appointment with a pediatrician. An unusually large amount of crying should obviously be a very alarming sign for any parent, so if you’re unsure if it’s teething or not, a doctor’s visit will probably give you an idea. If it is teething, there are some simple steps you can take to make life easier in your household.

You should also be aware that sometimes a teething baby will run a fever. It’s usually a lower-grade fever, but it’s a fever nonetheless, so it’s very important to monitor that fever just in case it’s not coming from the teething process. If it goes higher than normal for a teething baby, you should help your teething baby by taking them to their pediatrician to make sure they don’t have another problem in addition to teething. 99 degrees Fahrenheit, as gauged by a rectal thermometer, will be the typical fever if it’s teething. Anything higher than that should probably send you to a pediatrician.

soothing a Teething Baby

During the teething process, your baby’s gums will be very sore. Here are the specific things you can do to help your baby during the teething process. Here are just a few of those things.

Wet a gauze pad and very gently massage your baby’s gums. This can help your teething baby.
Teething rings have long been the friend of teething babies. Grab one for your child and let them keep it as a constant companion during the teething process
Dry your baby’s chin frequently to keep excessive drool off
Children’s Tylenol or other over-the-counter pain relievers approved for children can really help your teething baby
Gentle cuddling and soothing can really help a teething baby. They need your love and support.

Many people use a cold spoon or even let their baby chew on their finger (providing the teeth haven’t come in yet) in order to help their teething baby. All of these things are perfectly okay, too. Just make sure your finger is clean before placing it in the child’s mouth to allow them to chew. And of course if their teeth have already sprouted, it’s probably not a good idea to let them bite on a finger of yours. Try one of the other methods in this case.

It’s okay if you’re panicking a little when the teething process starts. Most parents can’t stand to see their baby in any type of pain. Your first instinct might be to feel anxious and worried about your baby. Remember that they’re just going through a natural process in life, and it’s your job to guide them through it. Consider it the first of many times you will guide and soothe your child during life. It’s great practice for you to practice soothing them and terrific practice for them to practice being soothed by you. With the right tools, you’re going to make it.

Conclusion

As a final note, teething isn’t just difficult for babies. You can help your teething baby by also helping yourself during the time they’re teething. Get plenty of rest, ask for help with the crying, and make sure to continuously look for things that can soothe your baby while they’re feeling the pain of teething. By taking good care of yourself, you’ll always have a stronger and happier bond with your baby. If a crying and teething baby becomes overwhelming, ask a friend or family member to take over for a little while. You deserve rest as well. Following these few helpful tips will help your teething baby endure the process of teething, and it will help you help them endure it better.

How to Help a Baby Crawl

How to Help Your Baby Crawl

Crawling is a much more intricate process than people realize. That future crawler of yours has a long road ahead to get to the stage where they’re a fluent crawler. Crawling is one of the ways your baby is going to advance into the world of their future and finally be able to move on their own. Up to the time they crawl, babies are parent-bound. If they want to get anywhere, it’s you who’s going to have to take them. They’re going to become mobile by crawling before they become mobile by walking, so crawling is the natural gateway to that all important first step.

The window for crawling is generally 6-10 months of age, although some babies will crawl earlier and some will crawl later. To help your baby crawl, you’ll want to first make sure that your home is baby-proof. In other words, if your baby started to crawl tomorrow, are they going to be safe in every area of the house? Right when you notice that first sign that your baby is attempting to crawl – often an adorable action where they scoot backwards – you’ll want to make your home a safe place for your baby to explore. If you believe your baby is just about ready to take that crawl forward, you can help baby crawl in a lot of different ways.

How To Help Your Baby Crawl

It takes a lot of muscle development and strength for babies to crawl. They need massive amounts of strength in their torso (trunk, arms, shoulders, and back) in order to crawl, so anything that promotes strength in this region is going to promote a stronger crawler. Belly time is the way to develop the muscle strength your baby will need, so giving your older baby a lot of time on the stomach is going to help your baby crawl later on. Babies are naturals on their bellies and will eventually begin to squirm and wiggle and engage in a sort of play here, and you’ll notice this well before they begin to crawl.

When your baby begins getting on all fours, and they will, you can put your hand behind their feet to give them a sort of platform to crawl off of. It can give them the momentum they need to begin to take that all important first crawl forward. Just doing this alone help your baby crawl any sooner, but it can really help to promote the strength they need to finally push forward. Crawling is much about strength. Chances are your baby already has the will to crawl, just not the strength, so if they’re not crawling yet, belly time and engaging in this hand-behind-feet method while they’re on all fours is a good strengthening exercise.

What makes adults want to go forward? Well, sometimes adults go forward toward something because it’s interesting to them. For example, if you put a free soda on a counter and an adult who loves soda spots it, they’ll walk in that general direction. The same principle applies to your crawler. Putting fascinating toys or objects in front of them can sometimes inspire them to take that first crawl forward. Make sure that they spot the object and understand that it’s within their reach if they just crawl forward. Sometimes babies will first crawl toward a toy a parent or family member has placed in front of them just because the strength was developed in their torso, and the toy gave them something awesome to crawl forward to.

Why You Want To Help Baby Crawl

Crawling is one of the milestones of babies. It’s a big deal. Since it requires so much coordination and muscle strength, it’s a natural wonder that any child ever crawls, and it never ceases to be fascinating when another baby takes that first crawl. When it’s your own child, though, it’s something really special, so it’s natural for parents to look forward to the day that their baby crawls. It serves another purpose, too. When you can help baby crawl, it means less work for you. They’re not completely dependent on you anymore, and even though you’ll still need to supervise them for a long time, they’re going to be taking their first crawl toward independence. That means an extra coffee break or two for you while your little one crawls around and explores the world.

Many parents use devices that support their baby, such as high chairs and strollers. These miracle devices are of great help to parents and an essential part of your baby’s life, but sometimes they can delay muscle development if your baby spends to much time in them. To help your baby crawl, make sure that they get plenty of play time on their belly instead of just always putting them in that high chair or stroller. When they’re on their stomach, they’re developing muscle strength. When they’re in a high chair, they’re completely supported and no muscles are being exercised.

A final suggestion about helping your baby crawl is that you need to have a lot of patience in this area. Many parents will work with their children and try to get them to crawl early because, let’s just be honest, this is an awesome thing for a parent to see, and it’s a big moment in a baby’s life. No one blames you for being anxious to see your child happily move forward and reach that milestone. Don’t rush it, though. A baby’s muscles really need time to develop and some children will crawl later than others. It’s only when they pass that general time frame for crawling and still don’t seem to get it that you need to worry or speak to your pediatrician to see what the hold up is. Your little one will reach every milestone. Be willing to wait a bit.

A Giant Crawl Forward

As a parent, you have every right to look forward to the day your baby’s muscles are in crawling shape. And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to help your baby crawl. Let them use your hands to push themselves forward when they’re on all fours. Put toys in front of them sometimes and coax them forward. And by all means, give them that all-important belly time play to develop muscles so that they can crawl when they’re ready. Like most milestones, this one will come when you least expect it, and it’ll be a memorable moment for you and everyone who loves your baby.

Conclusion

No matter how much you try to help your baby crawl, though, it’s likely that they’re going to do it on their own time. Many parents do have success with some of the methods mentioned here, so it’s possible your baby will be one of the ones who does take that first crawl forward to reach a toy, but your baby is only going to do that when the physical development is there, and some babies develop slower than others. The important thing is to remember that there’s nothing wrong with your little one taking its sweet time to learn how to crawl. When you help baby crawl, you’re doing your job as a parent, but when you sit back and let the baby kind of find his or her own world, you’re being a patient parent. A patient parent is a good parent.

How to Handle Toddler Tantrums: A Complete Guide

How to Handle Toddler Tantrums

As parents, we all have our “war stories” about how to handle toddler tantrums. Who hasn’t been in the middle of the grocery store and watched their lovely child re-enact a scene from The Exorcist? Does this scenario sound familiar? Do you usually give in to your little darling’s demands out of frustration and public embarrassment?

We have all been that frazzled shopper. For some youngsters, getting them to eat their vegetables or go to bed ends up in a meltdown that is exhausting for everyone. It helps to do some research and advanced planning to know how to handle toddler tantrums effectively. When you understand the root of the problem, you may find solutions that can make life a little easier for the whole family.

Why do toddlers have tantrums? You work so hard to teach them the right way to behave, yet they don’t always listen. Like all human emotions, anger is part of your child’s genetic makeup. Even an infant has its own will and will wail in frustration when it is not satisfied. As they get into the “terrible twos”, many toddlers are ready to test their anger skills to the limit.

Children throw tantrums for the same reason we adults do, just on a different level. Anger is the easiest emotion to show. When we are tired, frustrated, or feel like things are out of control, anger is often our first response. The same is for our youngsters. When they see that their little fit has produced the right response from you, toddlers can continue this manipulation. Here are some useful insights that may help you learn how to handle toddler tantrums:

Know the toddler Tantrum Triggers

Chaotic Schedules
Since every child’s personality is different, what works for one may not work for another. During the day, do you notice times when your child is more alert, cheerful, and cooperative? Some kids may not be early birds and can be grumpy in the mornings, while some are a ray of sunshine. Having a daily schedule gives your child a sense of security and control. Knowing your child’s personality and incorporating it into your regular schedule may keep their frustration in check. Even during hectic times like vacations and holidays, keeping your child on schedule can keep them calmer.
Exhaustion
Put yourself in your toddler’s place. What are some situations that put you on edge and make you more likely to snap in anger? Fatigue is often the main culprit for adults and children. When your little one is stomping and raging, it may be a sign that he is just tired. Keeping regular nap and bedtime schedules can ward off exhaustion and keep moods level. If your toddler has experienced an exhausting day, minimizing activities may bring a sense of calm that they need.
Hunger
Nutrition experts warn us never to go shopping hungry. When you are strolling down the grocery aisle with a growling stomach, junk food is more appealing, and your fuse is probably short. If your child is hungry, no wonder he is grouchy and howling for a bag of marshmallows. Shopping on a full stomach may thwart embarrassing scenes. Maybe bringing a little snack along can help if your child gets the munchies. Being prepared can help you know how to handle toddler tantrums.
Boredom
How many times have you heard your children whine, “I’m bored!” While hearing this constant complaint may sound like nails scraping across a chalkboard, it has validity. To keep focused attention, a child’s mind must be challenged. It is how the brain develops necessary life skills. Even adults feel listless and irritable when they are bored. Keep your little one’s mind busy with small toys, games, or coloring books. Take a walk outside and let them discover the joys of nature. Curiosity will keep boredom at bay, and It will make the toddler less likely to have a tantrum.
Being Overwhelmed
Do you know how you feel at the office when the boss dumps a stack of papers in your “to do” box at 4:30 p.m.? In your sense of being overwhelmed, you might snap at a coworker with little provocation. Children will also react in anger when they are overstimulated. Even a festive holiday with a crowd of people and a pile of gifts can short-circuit a little one’s mood.

Sometimes, taking your toddler to the side and having some quiet time may calm their nerves. Instead of having an angry meltdown, they might fall asleep. If you know how to handle toddler tantrums before they happen, holidays and other busy times may be less stressful.

In the Eye of the Storm

Even with advanced planning and playing out scenarios in your mind, your child is still human and can throw an embarrassing fit. How you react as the parent can make the difference between a resolution or an exhausting struggle. If you know how to handle toddler tantrums before they get out of hand, it is best for you and your child.

Your family is gathered at a public place, and your little angel decides that they would rather be playing outside. After he holds his breath until he turns blue and then starts to wail, what do you do? Take a deep breath, and try some of these strategies:

Take Away the Spotlight
At the earliest age, children learn that getting attention can often mean they get their demands met. If possible, take your toddler to a public nursery or to a quiet room at home. While he is stomping and screaming, try your best not to be a captive audience. Throwing a temper tantrum requires a tremendous amount of physical and emotional energy. If your child sees that you are unaffected by his outburst and no one is watching, he may settle down.
Don’t Be Bullied
It sounds ludicrous that a tiny two-year-old could corner an adult. Bullying is manipulating someone to what they want. When a toddler stomps their foot and screams demands, they are learning how to be a bully. What is the best strategy for defusing a bully? Calmly taking a stand, and don’t give in to their demands. By knowing how to handle toddler tantrums in a firm, gentle way, the child learns that their tantrums will not work. They will be more receptive to learning how to be obedient and the right way to get privileges.
Try to Redirect
Children are creatures of habit. When your child has a tantrum and knows the usual outcome, he will continue the behavior. Instead of getting angry, yelling, and finally giving in, try to redirect your child. Sing a silly song or pick up a toy and talk to it. When you go past the norm with the unexpected, it can redirect your child into forgetting the tantrum and becoming interested in something else. Being proactive instead of reacting is a positive way to know how to handle toddler tantrums.
Remember That You Are The Adult
When you are exasperated, and a child is defying you to your face, it is easy to fly off the handle and get into a shouting match. When you allow yourself to be drawn into your child’s emotional storm, no one wins. If your child sees that your way of handling situations is to have a tantrum too, then they will follow your example.

Keep your voice as calm and quiet as possible. If you feel like your temper is getting the best of you, count to ten, and breathe slowly. Spanking your child in a rage is never the answer. If you are home, you may step out of the room, and let the toddler fuss until he tires out. By creating a calm atmosphere, you can settle your child’s fit in a short time.

Learning To Handle Toddler Tantrums As You Go

Knowing how to handle toddler tantrums is not an easy task. If your child has fits of anger regardless of how hard you try to avoid them, don’t guilt yourself. As frustrating and tiresome as they are, tantrums are a natural side effect of children learning how to be independent and to test boundaries. As a parent, we redirect our children and model the right way to get positive responses to requests. If your child’s tantrums increase or become violent, then it is time to talk to your pediatrician. There could be an underlying physical or mental condition that is causing the outbursts.

Conclusion

With these suggestions in mind, you may calm a tantrum or prevent one from happening in the first place. Providing security and healthy boundaries for your child are an effective way to handle toddler tantrums. A peaceful home that is full of love and acceptance can turn your child’s angry outbursts into a more positive direction. In time, you will be a master and know how to handle toddler tantrums with ease.

How to Get Toddler to Take Medicine

When you’ve got that medicine in your hand, sometimes it seems more like toddler repellent. You might be understandably nervous or even angry if they refuse to take it. First things first. It’s time for you to take a deep breath, count to ten, and let your toddler settle down a bit. After the situation is a little more muted, you can apply some of the following helpful tips.

Create a calming environment for medicine time: Where you give your toddler medicine can help you get toddler to take medicine. Pick the room of your residence that your child feels the most comfortable in. You don’t always have to give out medicine in the kitchen or room where your medicine cabinet is.
Give your child a comforting toy or blanket: Some children carry blankets around like a lifeline. Others are more prone to have favorite toys. Make medicine time a more soothing adventure by handing your child their security blanket or even favorite toy before medicine time.
Flavoring your child’s medicine can be particularly helpful. Most of the time it’s the icky taste that makes it difficult to get toddler to take medicine. Pharmacies are enormously helpful to parents who struggle with how to get toddler to take medicine. They keep flavoring on hand in the form of grape, orange, cherry, or whatever else you suspect might be something your child will like.
Stay clam. Your child will be able to see your anger or frustration and it may make them even more uneasy. Remember, it’s not their fault they got sick, just like it’s not your fault that they won’t take their medicine. This is a natural struggle between toddlers and parents, and sometimes it’s just about the way the medicine tastes, while other times it’s about how the child just simply doesn’t feel like doing this right now. They’re already sick. This can exacerbate the problem even more. Your calmness will go a long way in letting them know everything is okay.
Sometimes you’ll be able to add the medicine to regular food. This is sometimes the best way to get toddler to take medicine. If they have a favorite food that you can easily mix the medicine into, they may not even know they’re taking medicine. Some parents may feel sneaky or bad about doing this, but don’t! Your child is sick and needs to get well. Any way you can get toddler to take medicine is for their good and yours.
Chewable medicines may be the answer to your prayers. Sometimes liquid medicines can be particular untasty to toddlers, so it’s vital that you choose a form of medication that your child can safely and comfortably take. If a medication comes in a chewable form, this form may be something that your child is more likely to take. Liquids tend to have a lot of volume to them, especially cough syrups, so chewing a tiny tablet may be something your toddler is more apt to go for.
Experimentation goes a long way. You know your child best! There may be other comforting words or objects that can help them take their medication comfortably. Use your creativity.

Toddlers are notorious for their power struggles with parents. Any parent of a child freshly reaching toddlerhood will tell you that suddenly your sometimes-cooperative infant turns into something else altogether. Your baby reaches the toddler stage when they’re between one and two years old. The universally frightening term “terrible twos” is a well known stereotype that sometimes scares parents into thinking that when their children reach that stage, life is going to become exceedingly difficult. And sometimes it does. Getting a one or two year old to do just about anything you ask is sometimes going to be difficult. There are a few reasons for this.

When a child reaches a year old, they are going through a staggering amount of developmental changes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mark periods in a toddler’s life that they call developmental milestones, and these milestones give you a fascinating look into the development of your toddler. There are two separate toddler stages documented by the CDC, the first between 1-2 years and the second between 2-3 years. During the toddler stage, your child is going to:

Take their first steps
Say their first words
Learn to follow instructions
Spot themselves in the mirror for the first time
Begin to challenge your instructions for the first time

This newfound self-awareness and independence is going to be the reason for the power struggles between you and your toddler. Because a toddler can recognize things they don’t like to do now, they’re going to sometimes disobey your orders. Power struggles are especially common when it comes to taking yicky tasting medicine for the first time.

Toddler Power Struggles 101

You’ve been on earth for a long time, and you have your own particular set of likes and dislikes. Your toddler has those same likes and dislikes. Some medicines that your doctor gives you to give to your child are going to obviously be in liquid form, and they’re also going to taste pretty terrible to your toddler. Why a toddler refuses medicine is really simple: It tastes bad! What a toddler doesn’t have the capacity to understand is that they are sick and need to take this medicine regardless of how it tastes. This is something you probably won’t be able to convince your toddler of. They’ll simply want to say, “No way!”

It’s a power struggle that has gone on since the dawn of modern medicine. If a medicine tastes bad, that little bundle of joy of yours can turn into an infernal terror pretty quickly. Toddlers may turn their head away when you try to give them the medicine. They may cry. Some toddlers may even try to grab the medicine and throw it (let’s hope you’re not in this category of frustrated parent). And while all of this is pretty common behavior for a toddler, it’s going to be a nightmare for you, the well-meaning parent who just wants to make your child better again.

Thankfully, you’ve got a few things working on your side in this situation, the first of which is your toddler’s newfound revelation of language. They can understand some of what you’re saying (not all, especially if it’s a younger toddler). Even if they don’t understand every word you’re saying, using a soothing tone with them is going to help diffuse the situation a bit. Parents have struggled with this particular situation for a long time, so there are plenty of great tips lingering in the air about how to get toddler to take medicine.

You Can Win This Struggle!

Freshly formed toddlers generally struggle more with this issue than other toddlers. Over time you’ll develop a good medicine routine with your little one. Things will calm down and it’ll become easier to get toddler to take medicine. Every toddler is a different person, and they’re all going to respond to different strategies. Don’t be afraid to come up with some creative strategies on your own, too. Parents become incredibly creative and effective when their child’s health is on the line. You’re certain to find other methods or tweaks to these particular methods that get toddler to take medicine even better than the above ways.

For those parents who are exhausted and who just can’t ever get medicine time right, seeking the advice of a pediatrician is always a good idea. Pediatricians deal with so many toddlers over the course of their career that they’re certain to have experienced this problem before. Since medicine is the result of a pediatrician visit in the first place, this is a convenient time to address the issue with your doctor. If you’re a parent about to try to get toddler to take medicine for the first time, you may be understandably nervous. Your pediatrician can give you great tips on how to make this possible and may even be able to recommend additional help on this issue.

Conclusion

Of all the issues that you’ll face with a toddler, how to get toddler to take medicine will be among the most important. You may feel guilty for tricking your child – if that’s the route you go – but remember that it’s their health that is at stake, and their health comes before anything else. When they’re older it may even be a favorite memory you share with them. Those tug of war sessions while you try to get toddler to take medicine may be a family store passed down through a lifetime relationship between you and your finicky little one. And they’ll be there down the line to share those memories with you because you were caring and loving enough to find ways to make medicine time a safer, more loving place for them.

How to Get a Toddler to Eat

How to Get Toddler to Eat

If you’re the parent of a new toddler, you may notice that their eating habits are a tad different from the adults in your life. Toddlers are those human beings in the 16 to 36 month age range, and things can get very difficult with them very quickly. Since they’re not growing as fast as babies younger than 16 months, they’re not going to need to eat as often, and it can often be frustrating to get them to eat what you put on the table. The blog world is full of parents who are struggling to get a toddler to eat. The good news is that it’s completely normal for a toddler to refuse to eat. The bad news is that it can be a frustrating problem to fix.

Frustration is a part of parenthood. You may have already noticed that. Given the joy and rewards of parenthood, though, it’s well worth the struggle you’re going through. To make things a little easier on you, it’s time to take in a few tips that will help you during this difficult journey. There’s no quick fix, and you’re certain to benefit from listening to other new parents who might have encountered this problem and fixed it, but there is a short list of things you can do to help get a toddler to eat. Use every tool at your disposal. This is for sure a war, but it’s a war you can both win together.

Why Toddlers Refuse To Eat

You’ve prepared a beautiful meal for your entire family. Dad is eating. Mom is eating. Your other children are eating. And then, there with a very determined and stubborn look on his or her face is your nemesis. That’s your toddler, and they aren’t eating anything you’ve put down. The first thing to always remember in this situation is that your toddler is just like millions of other toddlers in the world. This is the stage of life where just about everything is the most difficult. Your toddler is beginning to walk. They’re talking a bit. They’re off a bottle and exploring adult foods for the first time. Everything new takes time to learn, so settle down and try to understand the world from your toddler’s perspective.

Your toddler doesn’t need as much food as a child in the first year of life, so their appetite is drastically different than yours or a 14 month old baby. Many parents mistakenly believe their children need more calories than they really need, and often the first problem you might want to consider is whether you’re trying to get your toddler to eat too much. A toddler will need about 35-40 calories per pound. Do a quick math lesson and make sure that you’re not trying to overfeed your toddler. Many well meaning parents do this as a mistake, believing that their toddler needs more food than they really need or may want. Find out what’s healthy and see if there’s still a problem. Toddlers refuse to eat for a host of reasons, some mysterious, others pretty simple. Toddlers refuse to eat because:

Toddlers are in a perpetual state of testing boundaries and may simply be instigating a power struggle between you both
They may not be hungry
They may not really like the food you’ve served them
They may have a belly ache but not be able to communicate that because they have a limited grasp on language
There may be something else going on in their head that they can’t communicate in language

In the toddler range, they’re just beginning to walk, understand language, and learn about the family they’re in. They can’t yet effectively communicate all their feelings and thoughts to you, and this can create a communication barrier that sometimes feels insurmountable. They’re also learning that you’re the boss, and they don’t particularly like that very much! If your toddler is eating an unhealthy amount of food a day, it’s time to take some action. If they’re eating a healthy number of calories, it might be time for you to scale back their food. Your solution will depend on which problem you have.

Tips To Get A Toddler To Eat

In order to get a toddler to eat, you are going to have to pinpoint what the problem is, and that can be frustrating to do given that they can’t always tell you. Maybe you want your child to eat something that they don’t particularly like. It could simply be a matter of them not liking the food. Toddlers have taste buds that are much more sensitive than an adults, so they’re going to taste food in a more robust way than you will. Keep this in mind when you pick out foods to make for your child. Also consider re-structuring your meal times and try to keep things as simple as possible for your toddler.

If it’s a power struggle that’s happening, this is something you might be able to talk to your doctor about, as a pediatrician is going to have experienced this kind of problem before.

If your child has very little appetite at all or is eating a very low number of calories compared to what’s healthy, this may be a matter for a doctor to explore.
There are some childhood illnesses that will cause weight loss and cause a child to have trouble eating. It’s not always psychological or a power struggle.
Whatever the problem is, there are some solutions you can always try to make meal time less frustrating for your toddler and you.

Toddlers thrive on routine, so the first thing you can do is schedule regular meal times. Snacks are sometimes a problem, too. Handling a toddler a cup of juice is always a great way to keep them happy and occupied, but it can alo make them less hungry come meal time. Hand your toddler water instead if you want to get your toddler to eat at meal time.

Another great tip is to always make sure that at every meal there is a food that your toddler likes. If he or she is especially picky, make sure it’s one of his or her favorite foods. This can get your toddler to eat by just generally putting them in the mood to eat. Like all people, toddlers like what they like. Don’t expect them to eat a food they don’t like if there’s a healthy substitute for it that they do really like. There’s nothing wrong with seeing things your toddler’s way sometimes. They can’t help how their taste buds turned out, and they’re inevitably going to like foods that they like.

Some Final Thoughts On How To Get A Toddler To Eat

Power struggles and plays for attention will inevitably be a part of life with a toddler. They’re going to test you. They’re going to want their way. Sometimes they may even intentionally refuse to eat just because they’re aware that it’s one way they can get attention from you. No one knows everything that goes on in the mind of those precious toddlers because they can’t always effectively communicate their feelings through words. One thing is for certain, though, and that’s the fact that you love your toddler and want what’s best for them. Following the few simple tips you’ve learned about here can really make things easier for them and you.

If you’ve tried all of these tips and dozens more and your toddler still isn’t consuming a healthy amount of food everyday, it’s time to go to the old pediatrician and speak with them about the problem. There’s always the slim possibility that a medical issue could be causing the problem, and that’s nothing to delay seeing a pediatrician about. Pediatricians are also very well trained on just about everything having to do with those toddlers, so you can always count on them even in matters of dinner time and everyday problems. Just talking to a pediatrician and learning that all of this is usually normal is a great way to sooth your mind.

Conclusion

Trying to get a toddler to eat is a normal part of parenthood. It’s often a memorable one. Billions of toddlers around the world have refused their meals, and billions of parents have sighed over it for as long as people have been on earth. There’s no reason to panic over this simple issue. With a little time, patience, and love, you can get a toddler to eat a healthy amount of food, even if everything doesn’t always go smoothly. As you use simple time-tested techniques and get your toddler to eat more, you’ll feel a huge sense of accomplishment. After all, almost any parent who’s ever had a toddler will tell you that it truly is an accomplishment every time you get a toddler to eat.

How to Get Sleep with a Newborn

If you’re reading this, you’re probably at wit’s end trying to figure out how to get sleep with a newborn. First things first. Relax. What you’re going through is completely normal, and you’re going to get through this. You’re going to understand your baby’s world a little better by the time you finish reading this, and you’re going to learn how to get sleep with a newborn. That you’re reaching out for help and trying to pace yourself so that you can give the best quality of life to your newborn is a great sign that you’re a good parent. Just about every parent at one time or another has wondered how in the world to get sleep with a newborn. Now let’s look at the problem and how to fix it!

Newborn Sleep Basics

Newborns sleep much more than adults. That’s undeniable. The average newborn will sleep 16-17 hours a day. It’s only natural, then, that any new parent is going to wonder exactly why the infant is sleeping so much and still managing to leave the new parent with a disturbing amount of sleep deprivation at times. The short and long answer is that it’s hard to get sleep with a newborn because newborns don’t have a regular sleep pattern like adults attempt to have. In fact, newborns don’t even know night from day, so while you’re snoozing away and enjoying the comfort of your bed, your newborn is still going to get hungry at the most inconvenient times. It may even be just a few hours before you need to go to work when you hear that adorable little newborn howl letting you know it’s time for them to eat or time for you to change a diaper.

Why Don’t Newborns Sleep On A Schedule?

As we’ve gone over, a newborn sleeps over twice as much as the average adult, so the problem isn’t that they don’t sleep. It’s that they don’t quite know when to sleep yet. Newborns need to be fed every 3-4 hours in order to be healthy. Sometimes they need a diaper change. Sometimes they get sick. And then sometimes, their little brains just feel like crying for a little while and getting a few snuggles from parents. The timing of their feedings can greatly interfere in your life and cause you exhaustion and sometimes even sleep deprivation. If your baby needs to be fed 5 hours before work, it can be almost impossible to get everything done and get back to sleep. Over time, the exhaustion becomes overwhelming, and you are left wondering how to get sleep with a newborn crying so often.

The symptoms of sleep deprivation on parents can be more severe than you might think. It’s well-known that sleep deprivation slows mental faculties and can make you very sluggish, and depending on your line of work the effects of this can range from annoying to dangerous. Because of the symptoms of sleep deprivation can be so devastating to your ability to function, it’s vital to find ways to get sleep with a newborn. If you’ve been up constantly at night tending to your newborn, you may experience the following symptoms of sleep deprivation:

Tired parents will appear sadder than fully rested parents, and your newborn might be able to sense these emotions from you
Sleep deprivation has been known to encourage more negative speech patterns, and this can make things difficult for the people in your life
Sleep deprived people have fewer “happy” facial expressions, and this can make interaction difficult
Concentration difficulties will be the most dangerous effect to deal with because if you have a concentration lapse on a dangerous job, you or someone else could get hurt

As you can see, sleep deprived parents face fewer positive reactions to parenthood. It’s vital that you get your sleep problems under control and learn how to get sleep with a newborn. That’s easier said than done when you have a newborn who needs to be fed every 3-4 hours and who can wake up at any time of the day or night. In the first two weeks of life, newborns don’t even know night from day, so they’re more apt to wake up at times that put you at risk for sleep deprivation. There are many things you can do to combat sleep deprivation and get sleep with a newborn.

How To Get Sleep With A Newborn

This is the crux of what you need to focus on during very early parenthood. Good sleep isn’t going to just fall in your lap, and it’s likely you’re going to still face some day’s low on sleep, but your job right now is to minimize the sleep deprivation and live a healthier lifestyle. Since your moods can sometimes affect your baby’s, it’s vital to get a good game plan going forward, and that’s exactly what you’re here to learn. This isn’t a 1-2-3 fix, but there are some things you can do to make life brighter for yourself going forward. If your newborn isn’t letting you sleep, here’s how you can get sleep with a newborn who just isn’t being very cooperative about sleeping.

Just Say No: Many new parents take on too many extra projects while they’re coping with those first couple of months. If you have to tell a friend that you can’t meet for coffee that day because you need to snooze a bit, that’s okay! Don’t be afraid to make room in your schedule for cat naps here and there. Lazy days with no other plans, other than work, are okay. Clear out from your social life a little if you find yourself falling into the realm of sleep deprivation.
Speak With Your Partner: If you have a partner, speak with them about the need for additional sleep and extra help. If you have family who can help you, let them know that a night at your house is free of charge and that you need a little help grabbing extra sleep. Even one sleepover with a friend or family member can net you a good night’s sleep if they’re willing to take care of baby’s needs while you sleep.
Talk To A Doctor: If you’re experiencing mood swings, low mood, and even postpartem depression, it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor and see if he can help you. There are times when the lack of sleep won’t come from your baby not sleeping. It may come because you have depression. There are many good anti-depressants and other medications that can help you weather this storm.
Buy A Baby Monitor: If your baby doesn’t sleep in the same room with you, many new mothers worry that they’re going to sleep through their baby’s crying. This alone can cause you to be unable to fall asleep. With a baby monitor, you have a constant link to that adorable little sound that isn’t always so adorable. It will lessen your worry and enable you to sleep more peacefully.
Talk To A Pediatrician: If this is a case of a baby that isn’t sleeping enough or simply doesn’t seem to want to sleep at all, then it is always wise to talk to a pediatrician! Babies can have sleep disorders, too, that make you unable to get sleep with a newborn.

Weathering The Storm

The first few months of a baby’s life will disrupt your sleep unlike anything else on earth. It’s an experience that so many new parents struggle with, and it’s perfectly natural to look for relief. Don’t be afraid to reach out to other people for help and look to doctors and pediatricians for the relief you need. Sleep deprivation can have serious consequences for both your physical and mental health and will interfere for the bonding experience you desperately want to have with your child. There’s no need to suffer needlessly from sleep deprivation when switching up a few of your routines can bring relief.

Conclusion

When you get sleep with a newborn, it’s sometimes the sweetest sleep you’ve ever had. It’s the kind of sleep that you really have to earn, so it’s all the sweeter when you’re finally in that dreamland you dream of while feeding a baby at 3 AM. So many new parents are afraid to ask for help or don’t feel it’s right to ask for help, and that’s a shame. Overall, it’s the quality of time you have with your newborn that will matter the most.

Taking care of their immediate needs is paramount, and it’s okay to let friends, family, and your significant other lend a hand when you’re dangerously close to that realm of sleep deprivation. Instead of weathering the storm and trying to be strong, it’s okay to break down and let someone else help you out. It’ll be good for you and in turn better for your child in the long run because you’re going to be a happier, more attentive parent when you’re happy and well-rested instead of worn out and struggling to keep up with the routine. Follow these few simple tips, and you’re going to be having sweeter dreams in no time.

How to Get Newborn to Sleep Without Being Held

When your newborn arrives home with you one of the problems many parents face is making sure their baby starts their life sleeping in the correct way. One of the major problems you may face is getting your newborn to sleep without being held. Most sleep experts now agree the major mistakes a new parent makes when arriving home with their newborn is the failure to establish a routine based around getting an infant to sleep.

You can often find yourself struggling under the problem of helping your newborn to sleep without being held. A regular pattern of the same actions taking place after every feed to help your infant to sleep in a crib can be established with a few easy steps.

Recognizing the signs of sleepiness

When you arrive home with your newborn one of the first things you want to do is spend time enjoying the company of your baby. The problem you will face is the issue of your baby sleeping the majority of the day over the first few weeks of life. From birth through to being six weeks old, your newborn will generally sleep between 16 and 20 hours per day, often only waking to feed.

Feeding should not be a time for sleep

In the early days of life, getting your newborn to sleep without being held can be difficult as they often fall asleep while being breast or bottle fed. The first step to avoiding the mistake of starting life without wanting to sleep while being held is to make sure you recognize the early signs of drowsiness. This is often described as the first stage of sleep and in a newborn is seen as yawning and droopy eyelids. Even if your newborn is wanting to stay awake, they may struggle to do so when they are first born.

Once you have recognized your baby is starting to feel sleepy, you should stop the feed as this is usually a sign they have eaten enough and are preparing to return to sleep. If your newborn is expected to return to sleep relatively quickly it is vital you do not decide to simply rock your baby to sleep in your arms after every feed. This will not help you in the future when you hope to get your newborn to sleep without being held. Over the course of the first few weeks of life, your newborn will begin to the routine which will form the basis of life in the first few years.

The majority of experts do not recommend allowing your newborn to fall asleep when feeding as this can be a choking hazard and cause problems for your child. Helping your newborn to sleep without being held should begin in the first few weeks of life when routines are easily established.

Creating a sleep routine

It is not always easy to get your newborn to sleep without being held, but it is possible to do so for most parents like yourself. The most simple way of helping your newborn to sleep without being held is to create a routine with the same actions taking place before your baby returns to sleep after every feed. The common routine your baby can follow to help your newborn to sleep without being held can include:

Feeding
Changing the diaper
Holding your newborn until they become sleepy
Placing your baby on their back in a crib

Your newborn is learning all the time

Most experts agree that the first few years of life are important in forming the routine for the life of your infant. If in the first few days of life, your newborn becomes used to you holding them in your arms as they fall asleep, this will be the action they come to expect in the coming months. Just think, your newborn will sleep between 16 and 20 hours per day, according to some experts over the first six weeks of their life. From six weeks to four months they will sleep an average of between 15 and 16 hours per day. By allowing your newborn to get used to sleeping in your arms you are committing to spending the majority of your time holding your infant as they sleep.

A newborn is a light sleeper

You should remember your need to help your newborn to sleep without being held has practical reasons behind it. Your newborn often spends the majority of their time asleep in what is known as the Rapid Eye Movement, REM, stage of sleep. This is the lightest stage of sleep and is often marked by the ability of your child to wake with ease at the slightest sound of movement. Experts often argue a parent who does not allow their newborn to sleep without being held may struggle to place them in their bed without waking or disturbing their latest sleep cycle. If your baby wakes during a sleep cycle and is struggling to return to sleep, they will often struggle to return to sleep without being held in your arms.

The difference between night and day

One major part of teaching your child to sleep at the correct times of the night and day can be found in marking the difference between night and day. You may be trying to help your newborn to fall asleep without being held and not considering the issue of when you wish to sleep for the majority of your night. Most experts believe your newborn should be looking to sleep through the night by the time they reach between four and six months of age.

The question you are now facing is how to get your newborn to sleep without being held while beginning to understand the difference between night and day. Many experts believe the best way of doing this is to use different forms of lighting for your newborn in their bedroom to mark the difference between night and day. Firstly, the initial step should be to allow natural light to flood into your newborn’s bedroom during the daytime hours. It is also important to allow some light to enter your newborn infant’s room during the nighttime hours but to ensure this is lower than the lighting in the day to encourage sleep.

A pacifier is an option

One of the most important questions a new parent asks is whether they should use a pacifier to help their newborn sleep on their own. If you are looking to help your newborn to sleep without being held you can look to use a pacifier in an attempt to aid sleep. The use of a pacifier should never be forced onto the child with it being offered instead of pushed into the mouth of the infant. among the benefits of using a pacifier is the reduction in the chances of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome which has been proven among infants who use a pacifier on a regular basis.

How to Get a Baby to Sleep Through the Night

How to Make a Baby Sleep Through the Night

There is nothing sweeter than watching your baby sleep. While most newborns wake up every few hours to eat, you should see your baby start to sleep through the night once they begin to eat more at each feeding. Yet, some babies just seem to be born to be night owls, and this can leave you feeling exhausted throughout the day. When you just can’t figure out how to get baby to sleep through the night, you can use these tips to find the perfect solution.

Develop a Routine

One of the first things that you learn is a new parent is that kids thrive on routines, and you can use a routine to send signals to your newborn that it is time to sleep. Your baby’s routine may look different from someone else’s. It may also take some trial and error to find what works for your baby. While some babies get sleepy after a bath, others get energetic. Be willing to experiment with your baby’s routine until you find the perfect series of steps to follow.

Once you find the magical formula, be sure to share it with your child’s other parent and caregivers such as grandparents. This way, they can use it to figure out how to get baby to sleep through the night. Keeping things consistent also helps your baby to continue to respond to your signals that they need to rest.

Include One of These Activities In Your Baby’s Routine

The final event in your baby’s routine should be one that is calm and leaves them feeling soothed and loved. Here are a few options that you can try, but remember to only pick one or two so that you don’t cause your baby to get overstimulated.

listening to a lullaby
enjoying a bath
getting a baby massage from you
looking at a picture book

Create a Soothing Sleep Environment

Setting up the nursery is always exciting, and you can find curtains and bedding to fit just about any theme. While butterflies and jungle animals are pretty adorable, you also want to avoid going overboard and making the room to stimulating. Stick to soothing colors in pastel or lighter shades. You will also want to make sure that your baby’s room is a comfortable temperature and shielded from outside lights that could cause them to wake up.

Add These Items to the Nursery

As you set up the nursery, consider adding these features that can help you figure out how to get baby to sleep through the night.

white noise machine
small radio or music player
rocking chair or glider
light-blocking curtains

Try Swaddling

Most newborns enjoy being swaddled, and this is one trick for how to get baby to sleep through the night that you might even learn in the hospital before you come home. There is something about being tightly wrapped up in a blanket that makes them feel secure as though they are still in the womb. If your baby likes swaddling, you can use special sleepers that help keep them in that position. Once they get older, you can use blanket sleepers to give them a similar sensation of being snuggled close.

Lay Them Down While They Are Awake

Knowing how to get baby to sleep through the night also involves being aware of the perfect moment to lay them down in their bed. Although you may want to keep cuddling with your baby until they fall asleep on your chest, this often creates problems when you try to lay them down. Once your baby falls asleep, any changes in their environment can wake them up. Instead, try waiting until your baby is just starting to get sleepy. Then, lay them down in their crib, turn off the lights and go in another room. In most cases, your baby may move around for a few minutes, but they’ll quickly succumb to the fatigue and fall asleep.

Avoid Tiptoeing Around

While you want to create a soothing sleep environment, you also want to avoid letting your baby think that they must have complete silence to sleep. In most instances, your baby should have a fairly routine bedtime that occurs before yours. This means that you may need to spend an hour or two after they go to bed doing things such as chores around the house. You may also want to talk to your partner or watch a show on television. For this reason, you want to live out your normal routine after your baby falls asleep from the moment that you bring them home. You will still need to avoid making loud random noises that might startle your baby, but you should also be able to walk around and talk normally.

Take Note of What Wakes Them Up

In the first few weeks, your baby will naturally wake up for feedings or to have their diaper changed. However, you may start to notice them waking up for other reasons as they get older. When your baby cries during the night, try to take note of what caused their sleep to be disrupted. For instance, your baby may wake up to a neighbor’s dog barking, and you can solve this by playing the white noise machine. Alternatively, your baby may get hot and sweaty as they sleep. What that’s the case, you can adjust the thermostat or dress your baby in lighter clothing for bedtime.

Teach Them to Self-Soothe

Putting your baby to bed before they fall asleep is one way to help them learn how to self-soothe. Depending upon your baby’s age, you can also give them things such as a pacifier as another way to figure out how to get baby to sleep through the night. Keep in mind, however, that some babies wake up if the pacifier falls out of their mouth, so you will have to watch to see if this could be why they are waking up.

Avoid Rushing In

When you are first learning how to get baby to sleep through the night, you may struggle with overcoming the instinct to rush immediately to their cries. Many babies cry briefly in the middle of the night for normal reasons such as having a bad dream or feeling slightly uncomfortable. When your baby cries, wait just a minute or two to see if they stop. Often, your baby will start to self soothe so that they don’t wake all the way up. If you share parenting duties with a partner, then make sure that they also know this simple trick to learn how to get baby to sleep through the night.

Make Bed Checks Boring

When your baby cries for long enough to be a concern, you will need to check on them. This helps your baby learn that they are secure during the night because you are always close by. During these late night visits to your baby’s room, remember the basic strategies for determining how to get baby to sleep through the night such as keeping things very calm. Whether your baby needs a diaper change or a feeding, try to keep the lights dim. A nightlight works well for this purpose. You will also want to use a quieter voice than normal such as a whisper as you speak to your newborn. After you complete the mission, try to resist the urge to rock them back to sleep. Just place them back in their bed like you do at the beginning of the evening.

Be Prepared for Things to Change

You will also need to remember that knowing how to get baby to sleep through the night is a only the beginning. As your baby matures, they will experience new things that affect their sleep patterns. Teething, a renewed appetite and being sick can all change how to get baby to sleep through the night. When this happens, keep your basic essentials such as a routine, but try adding a new strategy or two such as giving your baby a gum massage to ease their teething pain. Over time, your baby will adjust to the changes and start sleeping through the night again.

Conclusion

There is no single formula for figuring out how to get baby to sleep through the night since all babies are different. Yet, you don’t have to suffer with sleeplessness for long when you know the right tricks for helping your baby to feel secure and calm. As you get started with your baby’s care routine, try out a few of these tips and watch as you both enjoy more restful sleep.

How to Get a Toddler to Sleep: What to Know

How to get a toddler to sleep? Toddler bedtime schedules!

Toddlers are in one of the most exciting phases of life, but since adult parents can’t remember how exciting it was to have a brand new rapidly forming mind, they won’t be able to relate to a toddler’s insistence on staying awake when all other signs point to a child that desperately needs to sleep. Toddlers can become incredibly difficult to handle when they’re over-tired or under-tired, and parents sometimes become exasperated trying to find ways to get their toddlers to stick to a healthy sleep schedule. You’re not alone if you’re having this trouble. Toddlers are notorious for bedtime temper tantrums and outright refusal to sleep.

Toddler Sleep Schedule

A healthy and regular bedtime sleep schedule will help to cut down on these nighttime refusals to sleep. Recommended sleep schedules for toddler age children (1-3 years of age) vary by the expert you ask, but the general consensus is that a toddler needs about 12 hours of sleep every 24 hour period. When these 12 hours occur will vary by parental schedule, but one thing is for certain. You want that child to sleep through the night, and you’re going to want to follow a regular sleep schedule to reduce nighttime fussing by your toddler. You can get a toddler to sleep much easier when they’re accustomed to a schedule.

Naps Are A Parent’s Best Friend

To get a toddler to sleep during naps is often one of the hardest things for any stay-at-home parent. That’s because toddlers don’t want to sleep sometimes. They want to explore, play, and enjoy their new experiences. There’s nothing wrong with that, but when nap time rolls around, you’ve got a problem on your hands if your toddler refuses to go sleep. You’re going to need a game plan for certain, and it’s going to need to be carried out with a lot of love and care by you. That’s easier said than done because a fussing toddler who doesn’t want to sleep is one of nature’s many furies. They sometimes scream, cry, run around, refuse to sit down, and overall make your life very difficult.

Many pesky things can serve as outright distractions that make it impossible for you to get a toddler to sleep. These distractions are numerous and troublesome:

TV
Outside noise
Noise in the household
Colorful toys and interesting things a toddler spots in their room
A toddler’s brain may be busy overthinking when nap time or bedtime first starts

Just like you, your toddler has a lot of reasons for being unable to sleep. They’re just not as capable of communicating those things to you as an adult might be, and even if they could tell you why they can’t sleep, chances are that would make them even more wide awake, and that’s exactly what you’re trying to avoid. When a toddler has missed out on a nap time and becomes over-tired, that alone can make them unable to go to sleep. You also might be unable to get a toddler to sleep if they are hungry or in need of water or juice. And then there are those unexpected bathroom breaks that will sometimes wake your toddler up and prematurely end a nap time or bedtime.

Here’s How To Get A Toddler To Sleep

Not a single tip is going to work every single time, and perhaps the best advice you can get for weathering the storm of a very angry, wakeful toddler is that you simply have to weather the storm. Becoming angry is perhaps the one universal thing that parents might do but shouldn’t. When you become upset and angry at a toddler who can’t sleep, you’re likely going to stimulate them more, pass your own bad mood onto them, and cause an intense power struggle instead of something like a short bathroom break. Pinpointing the reason your toddler isn’t sleeping will be a first step.

Toddler sleep basics:

If you can’t get a toddler to sleep, go through your checklist of basics. Are they hungry? Are they over-tired? Are they in need of a bathroom break or diaper change (if it’s a toddler who hasn’t been potty trained yet)? If you’ve gone through all of the basic needs that a toddler might have and you still can’t get a toddler to sleep, it’s time to apply some soothing tactics that will promote sleep. And if you have a toddler who chronically won’t go to sleep, you might begin to look for environmental issues that might be causing the inability to sleep. Just like adults, toddlers will sometimes have trouble sleeping naturally, and sometimes all you can do is calm them.

No distractions!

Remove distractions from the room if you feel like there’s a certain toy. Try to make the sleeping environment for a toddler as quiet as possible. If you’re up banging pots and pans around while your child is asleep, just like any human being trying to sleep, it might make it impossible for them to sleep. Turn the TV off. Toddlers don’t need any distractions while they’re trying to doze off. If the child is still upset and just absolutely throwing a temper tantrum over having to go to sleep, it’s time to apply a parent’s touch. Cradle the child if you have to as far up on your chest as possible, and go into infant mode. You’ll be surprised that this might work for a toddler as well. When you put the toddler down for sleep again, firmly and reassuringly pressing your hand on their back may help.

Creating Reassuring Sleep Environments

To get a toddler to sleep, you need to create a truly soothing and safe environment for them to enjoy their sleep in. Almost any parent will reassure you that even if you do this, some days may be so hectic that your toddler will still struggle to sleep, and as adults know, that’s probably going to be a lifetime thing. Sometimes people have trouble sleeping, and toddlers are no exception. It’s just more upsetting to see a toddler struggling to sleep than it is an adult because toddlers tend to cry and fuss over their dilemma. You’re the captain in this situation, and it’s going to be you who soothes your toddler and helps them finally get to sleep.

What does the perfect sleep environment look like?

The most reassuring sleep environment will be one with no noise, no distractions, and a very comfortable bed to enjoy sleep in. Toddler sleep time should be something the whole family respects. By clearing out distractions and reducing the noise in the room, you increase the chances that you can get a toddler to sleep. Making sure they have a regular sleep schedule and that their basic needs are taken care of before bedtime will also increase the chances you can get a toddler to sleep. If the refusal to sleep turns out to be a power struggle and a toddler fighting sleep for this reason, it can be a struggle, but you can do things to soothe the child and increase the chances that you can get a toddler to sleep through calmness and a gentle touch to the back.

Conclusion

Toddler sleep difficulties will usually begin to appear at about a year of age. Be aware that this is on the way if your child is slowly getting to that age. For well-seasoned veteran parents of toddlers who might now have another toddler to contend with, they know the battle they’re up again. Toddlers may fight sleep sometimes for reasons that even they don’t know, but through practice, you can confidently handle these situations as time goes by. This is another of those parental situations where practice makes perfect. This is the kind of practice you don’t want, though, so creating the best sleep environment and initiating a regular bedtime schedule, you increase your chances to get a toddler to sleep.

How to Get a Baby to Sleep: Instructions

How to Get a Baby to Sleep

There are so many joys that come with a new baby. That first smile, the first giggle, the joy of the endless cuddles. However, with parenthood, there are a few things that new parents wish they had a handbook to give all the tips and secrets to caring for a baby. One of those things is how to get a baby to sleep. Many parents are faced with the loss of sleep because their baby is having trouble sleeping themselves. There are many reasons a baby may have difficulty falling, and staying asleep. However, with this guide, parents can rest easy by trying these tips on how to get a baby to sleep.

Starting and Keeping a Routine

From the first days home, it is important to start a bedtime, or naptime, routine with your baby. This can consist of many things, such as getting a warm bath, having a bottle, reading a story, singing songs, and wearing comfortable pajamas. Finding this routine is something only you and your baby can do together. Having different cues from the environment is what will give your baby the idea that it is time to go to sleep. The routine you establish should be consistent in order for your baby to become familiar with it. It is important to remember that if it doesn’t seem to work at first, keep trying. When learning how to get a baby to sleep, parents are often faced with finding the right routine.

Don’t Feed to Go To Sleep

Having a full tummy is essential to get a baby to sleep, but feeding should not be associated with going to sleep. The problem begins when the baby wakes up at night and the only way to fall asleep is by feeding. Additionally, for breastfeeding moms, it can become a problem when only mom can get baby to sleep. Of course, newborns fall asleep all the time while feeding, but by age 4-5 months, babies should not be stuck in this habit. If this is still the case, it is best to begin the bed/nap time routine earlier. Feed your baby earlier and then go through the rest of the routine, whether it be a book or song. When you tuck your baby in for the night, he should be awake, but drowsy.

Keep An Early Bedtime

Babies should stay consistent with their bedtime. In the winter this can be a much easier task, since the sun sets earlier. However, in the summer it can be harder because the sun doesn’t set until much later. Picking a bedtime and keeping it the same is very important when it comes to being able to get a baby to sleep. Bedtime should not be too late, as this can cause baby to be overstimulated, making it much more difficult to get a baby to sleep. Picking a time, such as 7:30, can keep the baby on a routine. The time may differ depending on your baby’s needs,but should not be much later. You can tell when a baby is tired by his calm mood. Rather than being active, he may appear to be bored. During the summer when sunset is later, make sure to put the baby asleep in a darkened room with the shades down. This will help with keeping the bedtime routine consistent.

Keep Napping Set To Guidelines

The younger a baby is, the more he needs to nap. As tempting as it might be, you need to let your little one take naps in their bed. This allows them to get used to their crib and sets the routine that this is rest time. Of course, sometimes cuddling with baby at nap time is great for bonding. But, the more you can get them used to the crib, the easier it will be to get a baby to sleep at bed time. This will also allow you time for yourself to either get rest or take on household chores. Naps should be set for the same time each day, such as one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Also, they should be roughly 1-2 hours long to ensure they got enough rest, but not too much that it will effect when you get baby to sleep at bedtime.

Swaddle

One method that seems to never fail when it comes time to get a baby to sleep is swaddling. Babies feel safe and comfortable when they are swaddled, as they feel like they are back in the womb. Swaddling is the method of wrapping a baby up in a blanket so movement is limited. There are many tutorials to show how to properly swaddle a baby and many products on the market to make it much easier to do. It is important to remember that before swaddling a baby, make sure they have a clean diaper. This will make things much easier later on and prevent waking in the middle of the night.

White Noise and Lullabies

If it becomes difficult to get a baby to sleep, consider playing soft lullabies or white noise. White noise has been shown to help get babies to sleep as it blocks out other noises around the house and tends to be soothing. Or, playing soft lullabies that come from a mobile or stuffed animal can help soothe baby to sleep. The best way to decide what to use is playing to your baby’s cues. They will show you what is working and what isn’t.

Active Playtime

By keeping babies active during playtime, they will be more ready to sleep at bedtime. During playtime, keep them stimulated through a variety of activities, such as talking to her, including her in your daily activities, singing, reading, and even independent play with toys. This will make getting baby to sleep much easier as they will be more tired. As mentioned before, be sure not keep them active right before bedtime, since this will make the task of being able get a baby to sleep that much harder.

When Baby Wakes Up…

Even after successfully doing these tips to get a baby to sleep, they might wake up and have trouble getting back to sleep. When you hear baby cry, try to give her a few minutes to see if she can fall back asleep on her own. If not, quietly go to her to determine if anything is wrong. Perhaps she is uncomfortable from a full diaper or needs to be swaddled again. When fixing these problems, try no to make too much of a distraction. Keep the lights at a minimum, as well as the noise. Once baby is comfortable again, try to get her back to sleep without picking her up. If all else fails, meet her needs and do what has gotten her to sleep in the past.

Be Prepared For Sleep Changes

At various points in a babies development, their sleep patterns may change. This might result in a more difficult time when it comes time to get a baby to sleep and more waking up during the night. This happens during developmental milestones and major changes that might occur in the babies life, such as moving or a new family member. It is very important to continue to stick to the routine and not make any changes. If after a few days there still seems to be a problem, it may be time to add something new to the routine, such as a night light or white noise.

How to Discipline a Toddler – 12 Tips

How To Discipline A Toddler

How do you effectively discipline a toddler? Gone are the days where spanking is an acceptable form of correction, but other methods can get their attention and teach them a lesson. Parents that stand by and do nothing will learn that they soon have a “little monster” on their hands. It’s essential to instruct and educate how they should behave on a level that they can comprehend. Here are some things to consider for those who wonder how to discipline a toddler.

12 Toddler Discipline Tips

1. Never Yell at A Child

If you really want to get your child’s attention, then you need to learn to whisper rather than yell. When you yell, you are putting them in defense mode. Sometimes, the most effective forms of punishment are the ones where you look them right in the eye and speak in hushed tones.

Remember, it’s not the volume you use but the tone of your voice that they will respond to. Most kids expect you to yell. However, when you are speaking quietly, they must stop talking and listen carefully to hear what you have to say. If you wonder how to discipline a toddler, then you need to adjust your tone.

2. Remember, They Are Not an Adult

Learning how to discipline a toddler can be challenging, but remember they are not adults. They don’t have the deductive reasoning skills that you do. They are going to touch the stove because they don’t know that it’s unsafe. They will walk in front of a car or bite someone because their brain hasn’t made the connection between right and wrong. You must educate them that the behavior they are engaging in is dangerous. Don’t just assume that they should already know what’s good and bad as that is your job to teach them.

3. Time Out Is Your Friend

Time out is a great way to discipline your child from a toddler clear through to the early school years. Have a dedicated spot that they sit in when they have been naughty. Don’t make them sit for extended periods as it will lose its effectiveness. Rule of thumb is to give one minute for each year of age. Learning how to discipline a toddler with time out may take practice. It’s going to be hard to get them to sit in the naughty chair, and they may kick, scream, and throw a temper tantrum. However, no matter how many times they get up, put them right back in the chair. Keep reminding them of the wrong choice they made and why they are taking a break.

4. Avoid Spanking or Hitting

Spanking or hitting on the bum or hand may seem like a great way to get their attention. One thing you will learn in your journey of how to discipline a toddler is that if you show violence, then they feel it’s okay. Children who are spanked may hit, bite, pinch, or do other acts of violence towards their parents. Some say that spanking a child is an adult having a temper tantrum due to the stress of the moment, but these are things you learn as you gain knowledge on how to discipline a toddler. Count to five and use another method of discipline.

5. Always Use Love

Your child needs to know that you are by their side no matter what they have done. One of the reasons why screaming and yelling is not okay is because it brings out a side of you that they are not comfortable with seeing. Reinforce your decisions with love. In the journey on how to discipline a toddler, you always use love as the basis. Say something like “mommy loves you and doesn’t want you to get burnt by the stove, so I need to put you in time out to teach you a lesson.” They will respond better to discipline done in love rather than in anger.

6. Never Use Bribery

Bribery is one of the worst things you can use when you are learning how to discipline a toddler. Never tell your child that if they stop doing a specific behavior that you will buy them a truck or dolly. If you start it when they are young, then you can expect to be bribing them through their teenage years to get them to behave. Unless you want a child, who learns how to manipulate the system with your permission, never bribe them. They should respect your authority without money or gifts.

7. Pick Your Battles

If you were to punish a toddler for everything that they do wrong in a day’s time, then they would never get out of the naughty chair. In the grand scheme of things, you need to pick your battles. Sometimes if you just ignore things, then they will stop doing them. For instance, if your child screams every time you get on the phone, then stop giving them the attention they want.

They will eventually learn that when you are on the phone, you are not going to be as attentive to them. When learning how to discipline a toddler, rank their offenses as small, medium, or large. If it’s a minor infraction, and you’ve already yelled ten times that day, then you might just let it go. However, you always punish significant infractions no matter how many times they have been told. The punishments should also escalate for repeat offenses.

8. Redirect Their Behaviors

Sometimes you don’t need to make a big deal as you are discovering how to discipline a toddler. Rather, redirect them into something else. If they are screaming and getting upset because they can’t get the blocks to stack without falling over, simply show them something else to do. A child can easily be distracted and redirected, and there is no need for any disciplinary action.

9. Expect Transition Difficulties

As you begin to introduce discipline, you should expect that it won’t go over well. There will be massive temper tantrums, kicking, screaming, crying, and you will be rocked to your core. Always walk away from the situation and breathe before correcting. Remember, you don’t want to scream, yell, or say things that you might regret.

Toddlers are in their formative years, and they are still learning many things. They are going to try your patience because they don’t like these changes. It’s okay to be distraught, but you should never let them see you upset. Make sure to have someone else reinforce discipline and help you when you need a time out to rest.

10. Take Preventative Measures

Some people believe that they should never have to put things up because they have a toddler. Rather, they feel that the toddler should learn what things they can and cannot touch. While that’s a good thought, it doesn’t always work out that way. If your child doesn’t leave a vase that you have on the coffee table alone, then if you don’t want it broken, you should put it up. Remember, they are still a child and have much to learn. If it’s something valuable to you, save yourself the heartache and put it up.

11. Use A Behavior Chart

As your child gets a bit older, you can introduce a star chart. Children love getting stars for things like brushing their teeth, not getting into time out, and picking up their toys. Use positive reinforcements, and the need for discipline will become less frequent. Have them put the stars on the chart to enhance their feeling of accomplishment. Here are some things to use a chart for:

Good behavior
Eating all their vegetables
Helping with clean up
Making their bed

12. Discipline the Behavior – Not The Child

It’s easy to become very frustrated when your child has been in trouble many times that day. However, on your journey to learn how to discipline a toddler, you will find that it’s natural to become mad at them. You must always correct the behavior. Let them know that you don’t like that they hit their little sister but remember to enforce that your love for them hasn’t changed. Tell them why they shouldn’t hit their sister and correct the action, but make sure they know that it doesn’t change how you feel about them. Toddlers that feel they are disappointing their parents may act out trying to get your attention.

Conclusion

Children certainly don’t come with a manual. Many things are about trial and error in your efforts to learn how to discipline a toddler. What works for one child doesn’t necessarily work for another. This process will be just as difficult for you as it’s for them. Remember to stand your ground and don’t give in to their behaviors. If you give in just one time, then they will feel they can manipulate you and gain control.

How to Deliver a Baby: Steps for an Emergency Delivery

As you progress through your pregnancy and inch closer to actual childbirth, you may find yourself feeling anxious, excited, and even panicky. It is perfectly normal for your nerves to kick in regardless of whether this is your first pregnancy or if you are a well-seasoned pro. Many women find themselves making things worse with all sorts of “what if” scenarios racing through their heads. It can be difficult to clear your mind of these hypothetical events and now is not the time to stress yourself out.

take a deep breath.

One of the top worries women have is concerning the possibility of not making it to the hospital on time once labor hits. Though there is typically plenty of warning and statistically only happens in one percent of births, this fear is one of those that really hangs in there because it is a perfectly feasible incident that could totally happen. So, how do you put your mind at ease? The best way to squash that fear is to be prepared in case it does happen by learning how to deliver a baby in an emergency.

How to Deliver a Baby

Prep an emergency bag

Having your hospital bag ready to go well in advance is a good idea. It can be easily grabbed or already packed into your vehicle so it is ready for the trip to the hospital. Having an emergency bag packed in addition to your hospital bag can come in handy if your baby decides not to wait and becomes part of that one percent statistic. Here is a rundown of what to include in your emergency bag:

Phone charger – Just in case your phone is low on power, your phone charger can give you a way to ensure you have a way to contact necessary parties such as your OB, 911 to help talk you through the delivery, or to give the hospital a heads up.
A tarp and clean sheets – In the event you can tell you are not going to make it, you may have a few minutes to prepare. A tarp or shower curtain layered under some clean sheets can easily turn an area into a clean and comfortable delivery space.
Gloves and sanitizer – Clean hands are an important step in knowing how to deliver a baby. So having some latex-free disposable gloves on hand as well as some hand sanitizer for anyone who will come in contact with the new baby is a must.
Clean and dry towels – Once the baby has been born, clean towels can be used to clean him off. They also come in handy for any other cleanup so, pack several.
Bulb syringe – This is an important item that can help clear the baby’s airway if needed.
Sterilized shoelaces and scissors – To be used for cutting the umbilical cord.
Cotton balls and rubbing alcohol – These items are useful for cleaning off the umbilical cord once it is cut. It can also be used to clean the scissors before using them to cut.
Garbage bags – One for the placenta and one for cleaning up the used towels and other items.
Items for mom – An icepack, sanitary pads, and pain medication
Items for baby – Baby blanket, baby hat, a few diapers.

11 Steps You Need to Know

Keep Calm – I know, that is going to be easier said than done especially since this is likely going to be the first time you get to use your how to deliver a baby knowledge but the more level-headed you and your partner can remain- the easier it will be for you to remember these how to deliver a baby steps and smoothly navigate through the process.
Stop Driving! – If you are not going to make it, you are not going to make it. You are already going to be full of nervous adrenaline and at this point, the safety of everyone, including that baby-to-be, is the most important aspect to consider. So, the first real step in how to deliver a baby is to pull over, grab your emergency bag, and take a few deep breaths.
Make Contact – Give 911 a call so that an ambulance can get en route to your location. The operator may stay on the line with you to help talk you through the delivery. They can also be a great source of support and can give you more specific instructions that are geared more towards your specific situation.
Prepare the Area – Use the tarp or shower curtain as a protective layer under the bed sheets you brought in your emergency bag. Have mom slide onto the sheet so she is more comfortable. Keep your clean towels, scissors, laces, and other supplies nearby.
Prepare Yourself – If you are the one helping with the delivery, clean your hands using the sanitizer and slip on some gloves. Then get into a position where you will be able to catch the baby. When learning how to deliver a baby, be advised, babies are slippery!
Show Time – The mother will begin contracting and you will know the baby is coming when you see it begin to crown. There will likely be a big push to get its head out followed by a pause before the next contraction gets the rest of its body out. You are there to give the baby a safe and comforting set of hands to be delivered into. Do not pull to help deliver the baby. If you notice the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck, allow the baby to be delivered before unwrapping it. Most babies will actually deliver fine right through the loop of the cord.
Once the Baby has Arrived – The best action immediately after birth is to place the baby skin-to-skin on the mother’s chest. This first intimate contact with your baby helps him relax, helps regulate his body temperature, stabilizes his heart rate, and regulates his breathing. With the baby on mom’s chest, cover them both with a soft towel to begin to clean the baby. Then replace it with the warm baby blanket you packed in your how to deliver a baby emergency kit.
Cutting the Cord – If help is on the way you do not have to cut the cord. Your best bet is to wait and allow the EMTs to take care of the umbilical cord. However, if some situation calls for it to be cut, use your sterilized laces or string to tie the cord in two spots- three inches from the baby’s tummy and the second about two inches farther from that one. Then cut between the two strings.
Silent Baby – If your baby is not crying right from the start, do not panic. Let the 911 operator know and stay on the line with them. While you wait for the ambulance to arrive, you can use your how to deliver a baby knowledge and remember that you can encourage the baby’s breathing by briskly cleaning the baby. Use your bulb syringe to clean the baby’s nose and throat out.
After Baby – Once the baby is delivered, you will see a large gush of blood. This is normal and is actually more amniotic fluid than anything. Next, the placenta will be delivered approximately 5 to 30 minutes after. The ambulance will likely have arrived and they can help cut the baby’s cord.
Take a Breath – Congratulations, you did it! You have successfully used your how to deliver a baby knowledge and should be heading off to the hospital where mom and baby can be checked out.

Conclusion

Pregnancy is a beautiful experience. As you approach delivery time you can experience all sorts of anxiety related to worrisome thoughts like making it to the hospital on time. Being prepared and knowing how to deliver a baby is a great way to put your mind at ease even if you never need to use what you’ve learned. If there comes a time where your knowledge of how to deliver a baby comes in handy, you will at least have a great story to tell.

How to Adopt a Baby: Everything to Know

How to Adopt a Baby

Adoption is a beautiful thing. A child who has become orphaned or has a parent that can no longer care for them has the opportunity for a great life. If you are wondering how to adopt a baby, there are many ways to consider. Indeed, your financial resources will dictate the best route for your family. If you are plagued by infertility or want to give back to a child in need, then adoption may be right for you.

Understanding the Special Needs Of Adoption

You should realize that many of the children that come available through adoption are special needs. For instance, in China, it’s said that all the children have some sort of issues. The medical need is often correctable, like a cleft palate, but it’s still something to consider.

A child that has a birth mother that drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes, or used illegal drugs can have a plethora of problems. The problems might not always manifest at birth, and some issues may take years to diagnose. You need to know exactly what you are getting into, and you need an agency that is going to be upfront and honest. Children from both international and domestic adoptions often have medical and mental issues such as:

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Reactive Attachment Disorder
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Conduct Disorder
Identify Disorder
Autism

Remember that giving birth to a child comes with some risks. Many children have ADHD, and their birth mother never took any toxic substances. You need to be aware of the dangers of adoption, but it shouldn’t stop you from pursuing your dream. Adopting a child at a young age helps to ensure proper nurturing and to make sure that many of these issues can be handled appropriately with the right medical team. Proper medical care can be lax in some areas where international adoption is affordable.

International Adoption

When considering how to adopt a baby, one of the first things that come to mind is international adoption. If you have the financial resources, you can adopt a child from one of many countries around the world. You need to do some extensive research to choose the right area. You will need to locate an agency that will handle the adoption, and these agencies all have different price ranges. Some of the guidelines are rather strict. For instance, those who have a BMI of over 40 won’t be able to adopt internationally. There are marriage stipulations, and some even say you can’t be divorced more than one time.

There is a great deal of red tape to get through. For instance, you will have to travel back and forth, and some countries require you to stay in their land for a length of time during the proceedings. Then, you must also consider getting the paperwork to get the child into America. The Hague Convention was created in 1993 to help adoptive parents quickly get their child legally from one of their adoptive lands to their home. Many countries participate in this program, and it makes it much easier on all parties.

Adoption Costs Per Country?

You probably don’t know much about how to adopt a baby from another country, but you should familiarize yourself with the costs right away. If you want to know how to adopt a baby internationally, then you first must get your finances in order. You will need anywhere from $20,000 through $40,000 from start to finish.

Numerous expenses make up the total cost, and these expenses include airline tickets, documentation to get the baby into the United States, fees charged by the agency, and other miscellaneous costs. Choosing the right country may be difficult. Here are some of the most popular areas and the average cost for adoption:

China

The Peoples Republic of China will cost around $25-$30,000 to adopt an infant. Keep in mind that their system is overpopulated with chidren. They make it easy to adopt a girl as the Chinese people favor boys. They require that both parents be between the ages of 30-49, and at least one person must be a United States Citizen. They will accept both married couples as well as a single mother. Additionally, each person that applies for adoption must have at least a $10,000 income. A medical examination is required. The BMI cannot exceed 40.

The Philippines

Many people wonder how to adopt a baby in the Philippines due to its affordable costs. You can expect to spend anywhere from $15-$20,000, which won’t include travel expenses. The government here requires that the adoptive parent be at least 16 years older than the child. Additionally, all persons must be at least 27 years of age. They require a psychological and medical evaluation as well as a statement of finances. The BMI cannot be over 35 in this country.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia is one of the better countries to adopt from for those who want plenty of children to choose from and little red tape. They require that a couple be married for at least five years, cannot be 45 years older than the child, must be a man/woman marriage, and no single men can adopt. The timeline is about 24 months. As long as a person is healthy, then they do not have a BMI specification.

The most expensive countries to adopt from are South Korea, Haiti, Uganda, and Russia. Be sure to check the status as many of these countries suspend adoptions during specific periods.

Domestic Adoptions

If you are wondering how to adopt a baby when you have little money, you should consider a domestic adoption. There are tens of thousands of kids just waiting for a home. If you want a baby, it’s best that you become a foster parent first and move towards the fostering to adopt programs. Keep in mind that it’s not easy to be a foster parent. You get attached to the kids, and it hurts when they go back home. The goal of the public system is always reunification whenever possible, but many times, that isn’t an option. Domestic adoptions are not for everyone, but foster parents get first preference for newborns.

Whether you choose a domestic or international adoption, you will need to complete a home study. The home study includes a criminal background check, medical report, a fire, and safety inspection of your home, as well as proof of income. While the international world is charging thousands of dollars, you get paid to keep kids in domestic programs. Additionally, you get a medical card and a stipend of at least $250 until the child is 18 years of age.

The total cost of adoption stateside is anywhere from $1-$5,000, and there are often vouchers that will help cover the costs. It’s not the best situation for everyone, but getting in the graces of an agency in the US can open many doors to you. Both public and private agencies in American can help you in your journey to learn how to adopt a baby. Opening your home to sibling groups, toddlers, and children under five years old will open the pool of available kids.

Other Adoption Options

If you’ve wracked your mind regarding how to adopt a baby and still don’t know which direction to turn, then you have other options. Private adoptions happen every day in the United States. While they can be a bit risky, you can work with a person who knows they can simply not provide what the child will need. The birth mother interviews with prospective parents. Keep in mind that they can and may change their mind when the baby arrives, and if you have paid anything in the way of medical expenses or a flat fee, then you will be out a great deal of money.

Have you ever wondered how to adopt a baby using a surrogate? Surrogate parents can use sperm or eggs from one or both parties. There is a contract drawn between all parties, and medical costs are almost always the responsibility of the parents. Many states don’t recognize surrogate agreements, which is essential to find out before entering into a contract. There have been many successful cases and some real nightmares in this type of adoption.

How to Adopt A Baby for Your Family?

The desire to become a mom or dad is an essential part of being human. Most people want to have a child to share their love and life with. When you are considering how to adopt a baby for your family, you have a lot of things to deliberate. To adopt internationally requires a great deal of time, patience, and money. Domestic adoptions come with a lower price tag; however, there are many hoops to jump through if you want a child under five years of age. Surrogacy and private adoptions are risky, but they are still options to consider.

There is no easy way when you are trying to find how to adopt a baby to join your family. You must find the best method and be willing to wait until you get the call you’ve waited so long for.

How Old Is Too Old to Have a Baby?

How old is too old to have a baby?

In this current era, many women opt to have babies after succeeding in their careers to gain that financial stability. This is due to pursuing personal careers and the harsh economic conditions added to raising a baby. At the end of the day, how old is it too old to have a baby?

When is the perfect time to conceive?

There exists no such thing as the perfect time to have a baby or get pregnant. Deciding on when to try to have a baby is a personal choice surrounded by various factors. Potential parents often consider career choices, financial stability, and life goals before being prepared to raise a child.

However, when the central chapter is productiveness, then age becomes a factor. You can be too old to have a baby. A 30 year old woman has a 95% potential of conceiving after a year of consummation. When you are past 30 years, the chances of conceiving decrease by 3 % annually. At age 40, you have a 5% to 10 % potential of naturally conceiving with the odds falling less than 5% when you turn 45. This is what many people can loosely call too old to have a baby.

This is because as a woman, your ovaries have a limited count of eggs. With the advancement in age, the quality and quantity of your eggs begin to decline. This does not necessarily indicate that as a woman you won’t naturally conceive when you hit the 35-40 age mark — there cases of women conceiving at older ages. Additionally, age becomes an essential factor that you should remember in case you are planning for a family.

am i too old to have a baby?

With the advancement in age, you are prone to increase in risks which are related with conceiving. This includes the potential of procuring a stillbirth, which is rated at 40% to 50% potential for women above 40 years.

What are the risks?

The risk is followed with the development of a pregnancy-related condition, which enhances with advancement in years. If you are 40 years old, you bear an increase in risk of development of gestational diabetes during your pregnancy. According to research, it is revealed that in older maternal age that it leads to an elevated risk of untimely births followed with emergency cesarean delivery.

Another likely development for women if you are older is genetic disorders. At 35 years, there is a 0.002 potential that your baby bear will have Down syndrome. Above age 40, the chances of having a baby with Down syndrome are at 0.02.

Other essential factors which call for considerations in case you are conceiving past the 30 years age mark. First off, your energy is bound to reduce.

When you hit 35-39 years of age, the fertility begins to decline at 32 and rapidly at 37 you might be approaching too old to have a baby range. There are fertility assistance successes which fall, thus adding to the costs of treatment. Health risks such as diabetes, hypertension are also bound to occur. Women in this age group should consider seeking help from gynecologists or even REI specialists after six months.

However, achieving financial stability can increase your confidence in tackling the challenges associated with motherhood. It is upon you to choose the appropriate time in your life to have a baby since we take on different paths.

Pregnancy Checklist for having a baby past 30

In case you are over 30 years age mark and in the process of conceiving or already with a bun in the oven, there are various tips which will aid in preparing you for childbirth. Here some things which can assist when conceiving past 30:

Begin taking the supplements

When you have decided that you want to conceive, you should start taking prenatal supplements which contain folic acid. During the initial stages of fetal development in the first weeks, it is crucial since it assists with your pregnancy.

Starting living healthy

It is high time you get rid of harmful habits. Start creating a daily healthy routine which includes a properly balanced diet. It has been scientifically proven that healthy living is essential in boosting your fertility. In addition, living healthy will energize you when you are conceiving. It will also make the recovery process easier while reducing related pregnancy risks.

You should research and learn more concerning delivery and pregnancy

As a first time mother, the experience will render you anxious despite the age. However, it is impossible to adequately prepare to be a mother, but gaining knowledge concerning these matters will prepare you to face the challenges. There is information which can learn related to fetal development on a regular basis.

Seek professional help when things get out of hand

As a rule of thumb, it is highly recommended for first-time parents under 35 years to seek advice from a healthcare professional. This is especially if you have not been successful after 12 months of consummation. In case you are over 35 years or living with a condition, it is recommended that you should seek professional help if you cannot conceive.

If you can conceive, ensure that have the basics taken care of

This refers to preparing for the delivery and essential when the baby has arrived. All potential mothers have these concerns despite the age.

There are always other options for motherhood. In case your fertility specialist determines that the fertility treatment methods have not worked out, it is not the end of the road sine there exists different ways of becoming a mother. Adoption is another viable option. There are also hosts of surrogate mothers and donation of eggs, which can be alternatives if you are too old to have a baby.

Family planning benefits

Family planning allows couple to gain emotional maturity, financial stability while you advance in your prospects in life then start a family later. This means that you will be in charge of when you are ready to conceive. This is whether you are a long time couple or even when trying to be a single mother..

Further related benefits associated are:

Enhanced education
Decrease in birth deaths
Prevention of spread of STIs
Enough time to pursue their goals
Sustainable population growth

Even though your fertility is highest at 24 years old, most women are not ready for motherhood at that age gap. In case you are bend on beginning a family between ages of 30 to 35 years, it is highly recommended by experts to start planning for your childbirth when you hit 37 years and approach the unproven too old to have a baby range. This increases the potential of conceiving a child before the declination of your fertility. If you are above 35 years and hope to have a small family, egg freezing is a viable option.

Deciding when to get pregnant is a decision which lies upon the parents. Every mother undergoes motherhood differently. In case your dreams are having a child, you are required to take into account for your age while making plans. When you are still young, the chances of conceiving and a healthy pregnancy are very high.

If it is too old to have a baby, what are the other options?

Unfortunately, it is a heartbreaking moment for most women who face infertility issues to realize that they cannot conceive. The pain of not experiencing motherhood can be too hard for most people to bear. However, if you believe that you still have the potential to care for a child, there are various options which you can use to become a mother. This is either naturally or through methods such as surrogacy or egg donation.

In case you are interested in vitro fertilization, whether currently or in the future, you can also choose to free some of your eggs to use when you feel it is the right time to conceive. This will allow you to make use of your younger eggs even when you are mature in life. Surrogacy is another viable alternative. Surrogates in the current generation range between 21-38 years, who have already delivered a child of their own. The surrogates also have access to the wealth of resources which can benefit both of you especially if you are too old to have a baby and have been trying to.

The biggest concern for wondering whether you are too old to have a baby are the medical risks which are involved. Women who are over 40 years old face an increase in early pregnancy complications including miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies together with pregnancy complications including diabetes, preeclampsia and placenta previa, preterm labor, low birth weight and higher rates of fetal death.

Experts and mothers all agree that there is no right time or age to get pregnant. There is no fixed figure defining too old to have a baby range. Therefore, you should not worry that you are too old to have a baby. Biologically, the right time to have a baby is in your 20s, but there are numerous factors which must be considered, which differs according to the individual. The best plan of action which you can do is going by what your heart feels.

How Often Do Newborns Eat?

Newborn Needs

A newborn baby is as helpless as helpless can be. During those first critical three months of life, you’re the person who will clothe, feed, snuggle, and grow along with that child as they reach milestone after milestone in front of your very delighted face. New parents are some of the most joyful, and exhausted, human beings that exist, and new babies are fascinating in their own right. Since food is one of the essentials to sustain life among newborns, it’s natural that you’re wondering how often newborns eat. Your parenting instincts are already ringing out loud and strong. Pat yourself on the back.

Whether you breastfeed or bottle feed, your baby is going to need something altogether precious to new life: Milk. That’s the life force of all newborns! You probably knew at least this much and you’ve stocked up on bottles and/or breast pumps. You’ve successfully completed the first parenting chore you’ll get to know more of over the coming months. Your newborn is home and everyday, that newborn is going to need to feed. To explore this subject, we’ll break it down into two parts: breastfeeding and bottle feeding.

How Often Do Newborns Eat

If you’re breastfeeding, you’ll like want a breast pump to have fresh milk ready for your newborn at all times. And you better have that formula ready at all times because a hungry baby is a loud baby! Your precious newborn can turn extremely contrary in a mere moment if you fail to adhere to their one major complaint in life at this point: I’m hungry! When your newborn is hungry, they will most likely let you know in the loudest way possible. And parents, especially mothers, tend to be very in tune with their newborns (don’t worry if you’re not quite there yet!). Many new mothers are extremely exhausted from the birthing experience or may even have postpartem depression. You’re not alone if this is the case. Just get help because that newborn of yours is hungry. A lot.

How often newborns eat will vary a little bit by newborn. Some newborns are naturally hungry than others, and it’s nothing to worry about for parents. The first rule of how often do newborns eat is easy. Your baby needs to eat when they’re hungry. If they’re crying and take a bottle, they probably need to eat. On average, a newborn will feed every 3-4 hours. Just because this is the average doesn’t mean your baby is going to become hungry every 3-4 hours just like clockwork. If your baby isn’t letting you know he or she is hungry every 3-4 hours, though, you might decide to wake baby to feed (a tough one for parents). There’s something else called on demand feeding that means whenever your baby shows signs of being hungry, you give that little bundle of joy a bottle or breast.

Signs A Newborn Is Hungry

Beyond the question of how often newborns eat is the subject of how they act when they’re hungry. As a parent, you’ll soon learn to recognize all the signs that your baby is craving a bottle, and you’ll become very in tune to the process of feeding. It’ll be second nature. With newborns, though, you’re just getting to know their signs of hunger and habits, so don’t feel bad if you miss a cue or two. Many people don’t know how to tell if a baby is hungry. That’s perfectly okay. Just like your newborn is learning, you’re learning, too. Signs a newborn is hungry can include:

Opening mouth
Sticking out those adorable newborn tongues
Putting parts of hands in mouth
If the newborn’s head moves side to side as if looking for something
Crying (this one’s pretty obvious to recognize)

How often newborns eat will vary, but these signs are almost universally signs that a newborn wants to have a milk meal. How often newborns eat will also sometimes depend on how much they eat at each feeding. Just like you, your baby will sometimes have a quick snack and other times a full feeding. Knowing how much to feed your baby is as important as how often newborns eat. Newborns will consume a range of 1.5-3 ounces of milk at each feeding. If they eat a little less, don’t panic. And if they eat a little more, maybe they fell a bit short at each feeding. As a parent, you’ll learn how often newborns eat by observing how often your particular newborn eats. Some newborns eat every 2 hours! If you’ve got one of those, it can be challenging, but you’re going to be just fine.

Safe, Secure Feeding Habits

Feeding time is a special moment between mothers and babies. Daddies often enjoy the moment, too, and will take the time to bottle feed their children if the parents have decided on bottle feeding (some parents may even do a combination of both so that dad can share in the experience). Just as important as how often newborns eat is how the parents make the moment as secure as possible and a truly safe environment for the baby. This is the substance of life here. A newborn’s milk is going to make their minds and bodies grow healthy and strong over time, and you’re sharing that experience with your child in the most special way possible.

Bottle feeding vs breastfeeding proponents often argue back and forth, but the truth is that your child needs milk. What’s healthier could be debated on for eternity, but the important thing is that newborns grow up healthy and strong with both methods of feeding. Now that you know how often newborns eat, you have a better idea of how to successfully create a safe, secure environment for your newborn as they feed. Remember, too, that each feeding is a chance for you to hold and bond with your baby. You’re giving them the food they need to grow healthy and strong and doing it in the most intimate way. It’s your life and love spent giving them what they need to maintain their own life and love.

Conclusion

A final word about how often newborns eat is that you will notice your baby eats more as time goes along. They might start consuming more milk in the second month of life than the first and more in the third month of life than the second. That’s perfectly natural. As they grow healthier and bigger, babies are going to need more of that sweet, sweet milk you keep giving them, whether it’s from a bottle or a breast. If they seem to be eating more or more often, just know that it’s perfectly natural and you’re still doing your job as a parent. It’s all good and well, and there’s nothing wrong with your baby.

The only time you should consult a pediatrician is when you notice that your baby isn’t eating enough or seems to be constantly hungry and eating much more than normal. At this point you might want to have a conversation with your pediatrician and find out what the problem is. It could be something very simple that needs to be adjusted about feeding time or a health condition your pediatrician will need to address. Either way, you’re doing your job as a parent at each and every turn and deserve to have some praise. Good job!

How Often Do Babies Poop?

How often do babies poop?

When you are pregnant you tend to be focused on how your baby will be born and what the right conditions are for keeping both mother and infant safe and well. However, once you have given birth, the focus of your attention will switch to issues such as sleep, feeding, and how often babies poop to stay healthy.

The first poop

As an expectant parent, you will have heard all the horror stories of the different types and messiness of bowel movements completed by the children of your friends and family. Over the first two days of the life of your newborn, you will probably be shocked to discover you are left waiting to clean that first poopy diaper. This is a normal reaction to being born for an infant with the first poop of all babies often taking a little time to arrive.

This is because the majority of the first poop your newborn completes will be made up of the skin cells consumed while your baby was in the womb. This first poop your baby will complete is known as meconium and is made up of a dark, thick, sticky paste which is removed from the body before regular bowel movements commence. This first bowel movement occurs within the first 48 hours of life and will allow clearing of the bowels to allow the milk being taken in to be processed correctly.

Breast milk Vs formula

The decision to provide your newborn with breast milk or formula will have an impact on how often babies poop. The issue of how often babies poop to stay healthy is a tough one and takes into account the type of milk they are being fed as an infant and how often they are eating.

Breast milk and pooping

It is estimated the majority of newborn babies will produce around 2,000 dirty diapers over the course of the first year of life. This may seem like a large amount but you could be looking at changing more than 2,000 diapers over the course of the first year of life as a breastfed baby will usually produce more stools than a baby fed with formula.

When an infant is fed with breast milk they will usually produce numerous small poops throughout each day and night which will need to be changed. Breastfeeding will also produce a sticky stool with a color similar to that of mustard which will have a texture similar to seeds which can make these a messy diaper to work with. During the first two weeks of life, the regularity of stools can vary but by two weeks of age, a breastfed baby will be producing between eight and ten stools each day.

Formula feeding

In contrast, the baby fed with formula milk will experience larger and smellier stools throughout their first few weeks of life. Formula fed babies do not have the same stools as those who are fed breast milk. How often babies poop when they are fed formula is usually less but these stools are much thicker than from babies fed with breast milk taking on the consistency of pudding. The color of a stool produced by a baby fed with formula can vary from yellow to light brown depending on the type and volume of formula drunk.

Your baby gets older

As your infant grows you may begin to see a change in how often babies poop between the four to six week period of time. During these periods, the ability of a child to pass a stool should remain regular but the number of stools produced each day should fall as the baby grows.

During this period of time, you may find yourself asking how often do babies poop as they age. The simple answer is if your baby is still fed with breast milk when they reach between four and six weeks of age the frequency of their stools should fall to around four per day. Even those babies fed with formula will start to see a fall in the number of poops completed each day. A formula-fed baby will usually be passing just two stools per day by the time they reach six weeks of age.

In breastfed babies you should see:

A green-yellow color by the fourth day
Runny yellow stool by sweek four
Up to 12 stools per day but at least four

Formula-fed babies will produce:

A light green to yellow color by day four
Between two and four stools per day is common
By the end of the first month bowel movements may only occur every other day

Beginninig to eat solid foods

One of the major changes to the consistency of stools and how often babies poop will come when you introduce solid foods to the diet of your child. This usually occurs sometime around month four to month six and can cause a little upset to the stomach of your baby when first introduced.

Colors can affect stools

As your infant grows your attention may shift from how often babies poop to why the color of the stool has changed so significantly. In general, the color and consistency of the stool your child is producing will be affected by the food being consumed. During the first attempts at eating solid foods, the body of your infant will struggle to process the food being consumed and the stool will often take on the color of the food. For example, a baby eating food made up largely of carrots will usually produce an orange or yellow stool. If you choose to feed your baby foods based on peas or spinach you will often see a green stool produced.

It is not uncommon for a parent to see stools produced by their infant of green, yellow, orange, and brown colors when the child first begins to eat solid foods. How often babies poop during this first solid eating phase is usually limited to once or twice per day.

Getting older

How often babies poop as they grow older is largely a question of what they eat and how often. By the time your baby is 12 months old, they should be consuming table food and drinking whole milk. In most cases, the switch to a more mature diet coincides with a shift to one to two stools per day and a more common consistency to your babies poop.

Potential problems

We now know how often babies poop through their first year of life so you should be better able to spot any potential problems with your baby and their bowel movements. A newborn who does not poop for four or more days should be seen by a pediatrician to check they are not constipated. Despite milk being the main diet for your baby, the milk consumed can cause problems as they grow older and consume more than 32 ounces per day. Constipation makes it difficult to pass a stool and results in heavy straining and pushing by your baby. A few common cures for constipation include pushing your baby’s knees towards their chest and simply picking them up as they begin to poop.

How Much Sleep Does a Toddler Need?

Toddler Sleep Patterns

Because a newborn sleeps 16-17 hours a day, it can be a shock when your child reaches one year of age and enters the toddler stage. According to some people, the toddler stage goes all the way up to age 3 and leaves parents sometimes baffled about the sleeping habits of their toddlers. This isn’t the adorable little being that you snuggled in your arms during the first few months of life. Believe it or not, that’s a great thing. Your toddler’s sleep habits may be baffling at times, but they’re also a sign that they’re developing the way they should. The amount of sleep they need will be less than a newborn, but they still need a great deal of sleep. If you’re a parent asking yourself how much sleep toddlers need because you’re at wit’s end with a toddler who won’t sleep, you’ve found the right information.

Every toddler is different, but on average, how much sleep toddlers need is a solid 12 hours a night. That’s significantly less than they needed as a newborn in the beginning year of life, but it’s also much more than the average adult needs (7-9 hours in most phases of adulthood). What needs to change in the toddler stage is exactly when children sleep. Your goal as a parent is to have a toddler who sleeps all night long, with an early bedtime and early waking time. Most parents who have toddlers or remember this phase of life will laugh at the daydream of a toddler who always sleeps the whole night through.

How much sleep toddlers need may also depend on their own individual developing brains. Just like some adults seem to need less sleep, some toddlers may not be hardwired to sleep enough and others may be predispositioned to less sleep than the traditional 12 hours. As a general rule, 12 hours a night of sleep is your goal with toddlers, but as they grow older into the toddler phase, you may experience some speed bumps along the way.

Toddler Sleep Issues

If your toddler seems to resist bedtime, they’re in a very large club of toddlers who simply don’t like to shut their brains down for the night. You may notice some difficulties with your toddler’s sleep that include:

Waking up in the middle of the night and crawling in your bed
Crying at bedtime because they don’t want to go to sleep
Temper tantrums and challenging your bedtime rules
Some toddlers may even throw things or scream out at you because they don’t want to go to sleep

These bedtime dilemmas have been experienced by parents the world over, and all of these things can challenge a peaceful bedtime routine. Despite all of this unpleasantness, how much sleep toddlers need remains the same, and it’s going to be up to you to as the parent to follow the basic rules of how much sleep toddlers need. If your toddler isn’t sleeping regularly through the night, leaving a gaping hole in your own sleep schedule, it might be time to take some action.

Sleep Training For Toddlers

Some experts recommend sleep training for certain cases of toddler bedtime turmoil. If your toddler is waking up in the middle of the night and crawling in your bed with you, it is possible that sleep training could help. Usually sleep training starts at about 6 months of age, but it can sometimes be effective with toddlers as well. Experts believe that this behavioral technique for sleep disturbances among toddlers help to literally train the child to sleep through the night. It might take some patience and work, but it can happen for you.

recommended toddler sleep schedule

A gentle, soothing bedtime routine, about 30 minutes before you want them to attempt sleep, helps to ease the toddler into the sleeping routine. When should toddlers go to sleep? Well, how much sleep toddlers need figure into this. Since they need 12 hours, some of it will depend on what time they need to be up in the morning. Most of the time, bedtime should be between 6 PM and 8 PM. Parents can tweak this schedule depending on what their own schedule demands are.

The before bedtime routine can be something that gently relaxes your child. It might be reading them a story. It could be a bath. Anything that might relax your toddler is a great idea. You’ll find that with some experimentation, that bedtime routine will leave you and your toddler feeling closer together and perhaps it will even work (nothing is guaranteed with every single session of sleep training). Just do your best and know that your toddler is probably doing the best they can to, given their excitable natures.

Finally, you have to confront the real problem: the toddler refusing to sleep the whole night through. They may be getting up and wandering around the house, throwing a tantrum at bedtime, or insisting on sleeping with you in your bed. It’s time to nix those behaviors, and this is the really challenging part because you have to truly stand up to a toddler and let them know what the rules are. That can be like breaking your own heart for a little while. Their screaming and crying is obviously going to be upsetting, but you’ve made the rules. Consistency and sticking to those rules will increase the chances that sleep training will work. If you’re lucky, by the end of your hard work, how much sleep toddlers need on average will match what your precious toddler is getting per 24 hour period.

How Much Sleep Toddlers Need?

If you came here looking for a base number for how much sleep toddlers need, it’s 12 hours, but every parent know that this isn’t always going to happen, even with the most sleep-cooperative little one. There will be times when your toddler is too excited to sleep, other times when they might have a nightmare, and still other times when your schedule might interfere with your toddler’s sleep schedule. All of these things affect how much sleep your toddler gets, but it will never change how much sleep your toddler needs. If you know your toddler is missing a bit of sleep, it might be time to let them catch up.

It’s also worthwhile to note that toddlers need one-two naps per day. Day time sleeping is okay for toddlers, and some adults don’t know this because they believe it might interfere with nighttime sleep. In reality, how much sleep toddlers need still outdoes how much sleep adults need, so those day time naps are must if you want to keep your toddler functioning at top capacity and as sweet as they can be. Lack of sleep for a toddler can cause all kinds of behavioral difficulties, including irritability, and any parent knows that with all the other ups and downs of life with a toddler, lack of sleep is not what you want to deal with.

Conclusion

Now that you know how much sleep toddlers need, and a particular method of addressing sleep problems, it’s time to put that information to good use. If you have a toddler who is picky about sleep and simply throws a fit every time it’s bedtime, sleep training can help. Be aware there are other methods to try as well, and there are a lot of different bedtime routines you can try within the method of sleep training. Remember that your toddler is just like you. They’re a unique human being who will respond to some things and not to others, especially when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep. How much sleep toddlers need is important knowledge to have in your parental toolbox. Good luck putting it to use!

How Much Should a Newborn Sleep?

Is your newborn baby sleeping too much?

One of the most common questions new parents ask is how much a newborn should sleep? This question is often asked alongside other common thoughts, such as “is my newborn eating enough?” The answer in the majority of cases is yes, but the sheer number of hours a newborn sleeps can raise questions for every parent no matter how many children they already have. When you have a baby, your entire outlook at life and the love felt for your child will often leave you questioning whether everything is perfect for your newborn infant.

How much should your baby sleep?

Let’s start at the beginning. Your newborn will be born and spend the next few weeks growing at a fast rate aided by regular feeds and more sleep than you could probably imagine then needing. A baby is usually classed as a newborn from birth until they are six weeks old when they should see a little less sleep needed. So how much a newborn should sleep is not an exact science with each infant sleeping as much as they need. However, we can look at the average and give you a guide to how much a newborn should sleep in general.

A newborn will generally sleep for between 16 and 20 hours a day only waking to eat at regular intervals. You may worry about your newborn sleeping too much but the general rule of thumb regarding sleep is your baby will sleep happily and mostly extremely lightly over the course of most days. How much a newborn should sleep is a question you can answer with the statement, pretty much all the time. A newborn will usually sleep longer than an infant which is a little older and begins to become more active. The average amount of sleep needed includes:

Newborn 16-20 hours
Six weeks 15-16 hours
Four months 9-12 hours plus naps
Six months 11 hours plus naps

Sleep patterns

One of the most difficult aspects of understanding how much a newborn should sleep is the fact the sleep cycle of an infant differs a little from that of an adult. There are four stages of sleep which fit into each sleep cycle, made up of:

Drowsiness
Light sleep
Deep sleep
Very deep sleep

The first thing to understand is your newborn will spend more time in REM sleep, which stands for Rapid Eye Movement. This is a light form of sleep which is highlighted by a large amount of dreaming and lightness your newborn will experience when sleeping. How much a newborn should sleep is not a question we can answer definitively, but we do know your baby will start out in stage one of drowsiness often highlighted by the falling of eyelids by your infant.

Once drowsiness has passed, your newborn will slip into a light sleep before passing into the next two stages. Your newborn will slip through the other stages of sleep before returning to REM, a stage your newborn will remain in which is why soft noises can wake a baby with ease. This new sleep cycle is something your newborn will need to understand and learn to cope with during the first months of life. In many cases, your newborn may move easily through stages two, three, and four of their sleep cycle before sliding back to stage two, light sleep. May newborns will struggle to remain asleep during these periods over the first few weeks of life.

Newborns sleep and feeding

There are a number of things you will have to consider when your newborn arrives home with you. Firstly, how much a newborn should sleep and when will your newborn need to eat. You may be shocked to discover your newborn will spend much of their time sleeping and eating, and this could be the way they spend their entire life for the first few weeks. Your newborn will generally need to feed every three hours or so, which means your baby may not understand you are hoping to sleep through the night during their first few months. In general, your infant will only sleep through the night when they are close to six months old.

Let’s start with how much a newborn should sleep and eat? Your newborn will sleep in bursts and could remain asleep pretty much all day in the first few weeks apart from when they are feeding. Some newborns will sleep for a burst of 30 to 45 minutes while others will sleep for the entire three hours before they need to feed. Feeding can offer a number of benefits for you as a new parent to an infant as this is often a comforting moment for your baby and aids them in moving from waking to sleep.

Over the course of the first few weeks, you may question how much a newborn should sleep and eat as they do little else. A popular option for most new parents like you is to try and put a child on a schedule as soon as possible, which should include waking the infant to feed before they are so hungry they reach the stage of crying. Your newborn should not begin to use breastfeeding or a bottle as a crutch to aid their sleep as this can cause sleep problems in the coming months and years. A schedule for your newborn should not revolve around how much a newborn should sleep, but should include the same actions taking place. You should try to feed your newborn infant and follow this with a change of diaper to prepare your child for sleep.

Creating the right mood for sleep

It can often be difficult to create the right mood for your child to sleep but you should create the right setting for your infant to sleep. Not only should you be concerned about how much a newborn should sleep, but you should also make sure your infant begins to understand the difference between night and day.

One problem the parents of a newborn face is not allowing a baby to fall asleep in their bed. Many parents do not place their newborn in a crib as soon as they begin to grow drowsy and slide towards the first stages of sleep. You may be concerned about how much a newborn should sleep, but you should also worry about how they are moving into the various stages of sleep. A newborn will often hope to be held or breastfed until they enter the different stages of sleep. This can often cause problems because of the fact your newborn may expect to be held throughout their sleep cycle.

You should also make sure you are following the latest advice about the correct position for your newborn to sleep, which should be with your newborn laying flat on their back. Babies sleeping on their stomach have been proven by various studies to have a greater risk of SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Making sure your baby is sleeping in the correct way should be just as much of a consideration as understanding how much a newborn should sleep during the first few weeks of life.

How Much Does It Cost to Have a Baby?

What’s Math Got To Do With It?

Having a baby is one of the most personal decisions a couple will ever make. It always sounds like a good idea to a happy couple. However, it’s more than just rainbows and unicorns when it comes to deciding whether or not to bring a child into the world. Economics will, and should, play a part in the decision. Of course, if you’ve recently found out you’re having a baby unplanned, the numbers can still be important. Whether it’s planning out a decision to have or not have a child or calculating the amount of money you’ll need to raise one already on the way, it’s important to sit down and budget how much you should set aside for the little bundle of joy you’re thinking about. The cost of having a baby goes up year after year, so it’s vital to have accurate and reliable information.

There are two primary costs to consider when you’re trying to figure out how much a baby costs. The first is delivery itself. Depending on your health insurance, you may incur costs along the way, and then of course if you don’t have health insurance, you’re looking at a much greater amount of money to spend just to give birth to the baby. The cost of having a baby also includes a second figure to consider, and this would be the daily cost of having a baby. Those diapers and bottles don’t pay for themselves. You do. For the good of you and your growing family, it’s wise to get an idea of the financial picture you have before having a baby, but sometimes those precious bundles of joy are on the way whether you planned it or not. Here’s what to expect when figuring up how much a baby costs.

Medical Costs

The first portion of how much a baby costs will come from medical costs. During your time growing that new life inside you, you’ll obviously need more medical attention than you usually would, and if you have any complications it will be even more expensive. There’s also the delivery itself to consider. There’s a national average on all of these things, but state health insurance fluctuates wildly, so depending on your state, the cost of having a baby can be even more expensive than the average. Certain states will include a higher cost of having a baby, while other states require less of how much a baby costs to make the baby’s first few years a great one.

Fair Health Data reports that the national average cost for a vaginal delivery is $10,681 in the state of Alaska (Over $19,000 without health insurance). A state like Alabama has much cheaper healthcare costs: $4884 (a little over $9,000 if you don’t have health insurance). The result is that childbirth alone can range from $4,000 to $20,000, and that’s a big spread to consider. It’s important to look at the average costs for your specific state to get a more accurate depiction of what your care and delivery bill will be. And that’s just the beginning of how much a baby costs. Once that little bundle of joy is born and in your household, it’s going to have needs as well, and how much a baby costs can be very exorbitant in the first few years of life.

The medical portion of having a baby is perhaps the most overwhelming because it’s over a period of 9 months. Once you’ve depleted your money on actually having the baby, it can be a double whammy to realize that you’re now going to be spending thousands more raising that child. Budgeting will be extremely important after the birth. Since the health insurance costs alone can really drain your bank account, it’s important to save as much as possible for post-birth priorities like baby bottles and diapers. No parent ever wants to face a day where they don’t have enough diapers for Jr.

Everyday Baby Expenses

Many people are understandably so excited about having a baby that they forget just how much a baby is going to need during those precious first few years of life. It’s okay to forget this fact sometimes, as it’s simply a joy to be having a baby. Once the excitement dies down a bit, though, it’s time to get real about the everyday household cost of having a baby in this day and age. Folks often think about things like diapers and bottles but forget the other everyday things you have to buy for your child. A baby can’t take care of itself, so if you plan to continue working outside the home, you’re already looking at some hefty daycare fees, and that can really hike the cost of having a baby up very quickly. Consider these few things as a bare minimum of what you’re going to spend on average for every part of baby’s life:

Childcare clocks in at a hefty $400-$2000 a month
Diapers will run you $50 a month
Bottles and toys vary, but most parents spend at least $200 a month on these if able
Maternity leave is important to consider and can sometimes result in the loss of $3,000 in income or even more
Clothes will be a varying expense, but expect at least $200 a year

If you’re getting a headache adding all of that up and thinking about your income and/or budget, it’s okay. Many new parents are shocked at the things they didn’t consider before conceiving. Everyone thinks diapers and bottles will do it, but in reality that little one of yours is going to be very needy those first 18 months of life especially, and even just the delivery can really drain your budget. That’s why it’s so important to begin budgeting very early on in the pregnancy. As soon as you get the news, it’s time to sit down and budget out how much a baby costs in your particular goal set. Sure, it’s going to be a pretty penny, but the fact is that your child is going to give you so many things that are worth more than money.

How Much A Baby Costs Overall

We’ve already looked at the healthcare expenses, and those are shocking enough, but now that you’ve got a baby in the world, you’re going to have a constant flow of expenses. The average middle class American family spends a whopping $12,000 a year on their children in the first year of life. It’s absolutely okay to budget this down a bit – a shirt less here, a toy less there – but overall, you’re looking at some pretty hefty expenses the first year of life. The cost of the second year is even more: $12,500. How much a baby costs is far less than what that baby brings into your household, though. There are many more things that will add to the cost of having a baby, and some of those things will be unforeseen.

Whenever you’re thinking about the cost of having a baby, how much a baby costs just to deliver, it’s perhaps also worthwhile to think of all of the things you’ll receive from your child. Those late night little baby smiles in their sleep, the first word, the first step, and the first hug are all more important than the money you’re going to be spending. And as that child grows over time and begins to share its world with you, suddenly how much a baby costs doesn’t matter so much anymore. In conclusion, the cost of having a baby can be overwhelming to think about at first. And it’s good to consider how much a baby costs before having it. What should be first and foremost on your mind is what the child is going to contribute to the household over the years. It doesn’t hurt to think of that child someday growing up, getting a high school job, and giving back some of the cost of having a baby. It’s a nice thought. To put it simply, the cost of having a baby is outweighed by far from all of the love and memories you gain over the years. You’re making a new person, and that’s priceless.

How Much Does a Baby Cost?

How much does a baby cost? From feeding to furniture to fun…

Most people will find it no surprise that how much a baby costs can add up fast. The final number on the calculator might well provide a certain amount of sticker shock, but a first baby, in particular, requires a lot of equipment. New furniture tends to be purchased when a baby is on the way, which also feeds into the expense of how much a baby costs. The following categories give an idea of what will be necessary to buy so that anyone can consider roughly how much cost to expect.

Basic Essentials

You have got to have certain essentials on hand when you have a baby and a significant part of how much a baby costs is because of this category over the length of the infancy. Diapers, baby food, and formula are simple facts of life with a baby in the house. And parents can rely on spending roughly fifty dollars a week on these items. Prices do vary, of course, if you are breastfeeding the baby, or are going the reusable cloth diaper route. But then there are breast pumps to consider, and the larger initial cost of cloth diapers that will withstand repeated soilings and washings. Then there are the ointments, the diaper powder, and other little daily use items that add up over time.

Other basic essentials are not consumed as they are used; items for feeding serve as one example. A high chair, bottles and nipples, plates and bowls, utensils, sippy cups and regular cups, burp cloths, a bottle brush, and of course bibs are all part of feeding the baby and cleaning up afterward. Breastfeeding involves either an electric or manual breast pump, breast pads, shields, ice packs, and bags for milk storage, nursing bras, and for the comfort of all, a nursing pillow. How much a baby costs involves all of these items as well.

Clothing the Baby

Babies grow, and they grow fast. How much a baby costs also includes a steady stream of clothing in different sizes, for different seasons and various occasions. Multiple outfits are helpful to have on hand in case of spit-ups or other spills or accidents. Accessories such as sunhats and shoes are important for the complete protection of the baby in a variety of circumstances.

Furnishing the Nursery

A wide assortment of furniture awaits in the baby departments of stores, or in specialty shops. Everything from bassinets to cradles to cribs to rocking chairs is positioned for your selection. Changing tables with a whole host of storage features are available, with adorable designs to melt your heart and make your credit card hand itch. Dressers and hampers, gliders or more standard rocking chairs, crib mattresses and bedding sets, lamps and decorations, all are ready to be selected to kit out your nursery and drain your bank account. While furniture is a one-time purchase when it comes to how much a baby costs, a significant amount can fall into this category.

Playtime Accessories

Playtime is important for babies. It is how they begin to explore their world, learning how to interact with objects, learning how their own bodies work as they learn how mobiles and toys work. Play mats and playpens, boards and books with different textures and closures, all are available to help your baby get a grip on the world and how it works. Toys in bright colors and varied textures that make sounds ranging from rattles to squeaks to speaking will amaze your baby and fill playtime hours with fun and giggles.

Keeping Active from an Early Age

Babies quickly gain ability and mobility in movement as they grow, and to encourage a healthy amount of movement, certain equipment is in order. A play mat can be paired with a gym that allows the baby to swat and swing at objects, grasping and releasing tantalizing shapes and colors while kicking in delight. Bouncers and bouncy seats are popular with babies who love the motion. Swings are also high in favor with infants of varying ages and stages of development. A doorway jumper can help burn off a lot of infant energy and help build healthy bodies.

Supplies on the Go

Safety while traveling out and about is a vital category when considering how much a baby will cost. A convertible car seat is more expensive than a basic seat but has greater versatility. Strollers of various types run the gamut from forty to nine hundred dollars, including basic strollers, snap-on frames, jogging strollers, and double strollers. A baby backpack or front carrier are great ways to let infants see the world while you are walking about. A sling or wrap carrier is another valid option that can be less expensive. And then, of course, a diaper bag needs to be selected, one that is fully stocked for an infant on the go.

Maintaining Good Health and Hygiene

This is quite an expensive category when considering how much a baby costs, as it does not only encompass bath time but doctor visits and health insurance. Adding an infant to health insurance can be costly depending on particular insurance plans. Babies require regular checkups to ensure healthy growth and development as well as vaccinations and any additional visits for sickness or accidents.

As far as hygiene goes, the supplies for a baby are fairly simple. An infant bathtub and, later, a tub for an older baby, only cost fifteen or twenty dollars apiece. A baby towel with a hood will help keep the infant warm while drying off from the bath. Extra soft, gentle baby washcloths and baby soap and shampoo cap off bath time supplies. A brush and comb and baby nail clippers round out the grooming collection. These items do not make a large dent in how much a baby costs.

Childcare Costs

Child care is another significant portion of how much a baby costs. If you plan to go back to work, and do not have a convenient relative to watch the baby, daycare or a babysitter are required. Child care costs vary by the area where you live, how old your child is, how much care the child requires and the type of care you use. In-center child care costs can be estimated at just under ten thousand dollars annually. This ranges from people paying four hundred monthly to those paying nearly fifteen hundred a month, however, so results vary widely. The average cost of a nanny is not far shy of thirty thousand a year.

A Substantial Surprise

With so many factors lumped into how much a baby costs, nobody should be surprised that having a baby is expensive. However, people who are pregnant or planning to have a baby within the next three years have, according to studies, estimated far less expense in their future than is likely to be the case. Thirty-six percent of this category think that raising a baby during its first year costs between one and five thousand dollars. Half that number think how much a baby costs that first year is one thousand dollars or even less. The truth is that a household earning $40,000 dollars annually can expect to spend over half of that annual income on baby’s first year. This includes child care, transportation, housing, food, miscellaneous equipment expenses, and health insurance and out of pocket care costs, but no college savings.

Ways to Save Money with How Much a Baby Costs

Seek out thrift or consignment stores for items that are gently used or even brand new.
Borrow items from friends and family.
Register for baby shower gifts and make good use of them.
Call on family and friends for backup daycare when your baby is sick.

Babies are far from inexpensive. Their needs range from furniture to items that provide them with fun. Baby monitors, baby thermometers, and other technological items run the gamut from expensive to friendly on the wallet; all are necessary for the wellbeing of both baby and parents. Do not let the cost catch you by surprise, but enter the adventure with eyes wide open and some sound financial planning behind you.

How Many Hours Do Newborns Sleep?

Newborns Change The Way You Sleep Too

Many a new parent will tell a friend a horror story about a newborn baby that seems to never sleep, and parents really do feel like their child is never sleeping. That’s because when newborn babies are awake, they cry a lot, and that can make the wakefulness a wee bit more difficult to handle at times. The truth is, though, that newborn babies sleep more than they are awake. They just haven’t adapted to adult sleep patterns and habits, and of course, there’s no such thing as politeness with a newborn. The only tool a newborn has at its disposal is its screaming and crying, so if that baby wants something, it’s going to let you know. And that’s a good thing for you because you need and want to know if your baby is hungry or sick. It doesn’t matter if it’s 10 PM or 3 AM. The baby has needs, and you’re going to have to tend to them, so how many hours newborns sleep is an important average rule to remember.

Sleep is very different for those freshly formed newborn brains out there, so it might interest you to learn a little bit about how your baby sleeps and wakes. The first three months of life are the most frustrating for parents. Until a newborn is about 3 months old, he or she will not sleep a full 6-8 hours a night. That newborn is going to need 8-9 hours of daytime sleep and 8 hours of night sleep, but this is not uninterrupted sleep, and that’s the major dilemma for parents. It’s very common for a screaming newborn to wake parents at the most inconvenient times or throughout the day, depending on if there’s a need like food or a diaper change. Learning about your newborn’s sleep habits will help to make the transition to parenthood a little easier for you. The more you know about how many hours newborns sleep, the easier it will be to understand your mission as a parent.

Newborn Sleep Pattern Basics

You might be wondering why your little one wakes up so often. The answer is that they wake up because they have a greater need to eat more often than adults do. Since their little brains are developing and their little bodies are growing so quickly, they’ll have a real need to eat every few hours. Adults do things a little differently. We have our breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and we know the proper social etiquette for when to eat. Newborns don’t have this built in routine. They wake up whenever their bodies and little minds tell them that they’re hungry, and that means you may have to crawl out of a very comfortable bed to go take care of your newborn’s needs. If your newborn seems to be sleeping less than average, it’s good to remember that how many hours newborns sleep can be increased if there’s a problem reducing their sleep to something below normal.

A very important thing to remember as a parent is that if you have a newborn who doesn’t wake up to eat often enough, you need to wake them up for regular feeding times. This keeps them on a good feeding schedule and is healthier for them and you. Since you’re regularly waking the infant up, they are more likely to get on a better sleep schedule and one that more closely coincides with your needs. Babies can very unexpectedly have another need, though, such as a diaper change. In general, waking a newborn up every 3-4 hours is the recommended schedule for feeding. Don’t let it go beyond 4 hours. That little one of yours is rapidly growing in every way and their nourishment is vital. The most pressing thing most people wonder about in terms of newborn sleep is how many hours newborns sleep in a 24 hour period.

How Many Hours Newborns Sleep

Every newborn has its own sleeping world, and every newborn will be different. Some infants will sleep less than others, and that’s usually nothing to worry about. How many hours newborns sleep will depend on their overall needs. It’s based on how often they get hungry, how often they need their diaper changed, and of course, how often they get sick and need your extra attention. On average, how many hours newborns sleep usually falls in the realm of about 16-17 hours a day. This would be considered the norm in terms of how many hours newborns sleep. They typically wake up every few hours to eat, and if they don’t, it’s your job to jostle that little bundle of joy and give them their breastfeeding or bottle.

The important thing for you to remember on the subject of how many hours newborns sleep is that if your newborn deviates from this general rule, it may or may not be a sign that something is wrong. Obviously if your infant is sleeping less than 16-17 hours a day/night, then it might be time for a visit to your pediatrician. If it’s just a little less, it may not be anything at all, but not sleeping is sometimes a sign of serious illnesses in infants. While rare, general sleep disorders like Central Sleep Apnea, Insomnia, and even Restless Leg Syndrome can occur in infants. And of course, we’ve all heard about children who have an illness like cholera not being able to sleep at all and crying constantly. Any particular illness your newborn gets can cause your little one to stop sleeping as often or to cry more often. That’s because they’re trying to let you know that something is wrong. So when you think of how many hours newborns sleep in a 24 hour period – 16-17 – you can measure that against the sleep pattern of your own newborn and get a clue when something serious may be wrong.

Settling Into A Safe Sleep Routine

Newborns do have a fairly steady 16-17 hours a night of sleep, but their sleep is going to be sporadic, while yours is on a schedule. That’s really the only difference. In terms of how many hours newborns sleep, they usually sleep more than twice the number of hours that you as an adult sleep, and that’s a lot! It’s the sporadic nature of the sleep that can seriously throw your sleep off schedule and make life more difficult for you. Some parents try something called “room-share” where they keep the newborn’s crib in their bedroom so that they have easier access to the child and the baby has a constant sense of their presence. This is not for everyone, but some parents have found that their infants sleep more steadily if the crib is in the same room.

Sleep environments vary for all infants, depending on your parenting style, and there’s generally a safe sleep environment for most newborns, but if you need a few pointers, here are just a few things you should remember when setting up your child’s sleep environment:

Clutter-free Sleep Area: No toys or other objects in the crib during sleep time
Pacifiers sometimes help infants sleep, but you should never make the child take a pacifier if they don’t want it
Double check to make sure the crib meets all safety regulations
Some infants sleep better on firmer sleep surfaces, so if your child is having trouble sleeping, try a different mattress
Remember to always be soothing to the child, especially if it’s in the first few weeks. They don’t know night or day yet!

As you can see, there’s a lot of complexity to infant sleep patterns, and newborn sleep patterns are especially tricky. In those first few weeks, the little one is learning the difference between what is night and what is day, so this can be extremely frustrating for new parents who have to keep to a work schedule and still take care of everything with the infant and household. Just remember that if you’re frustrated, the newborn can sometimes pick up on those feelings, so it’s good for you to get help when you need it. Ask a spouse or family member to help you with that trying time. Your newborn is precious, and they for the most part really don’t know that they’re in the world yet. They’re learning things as simple as night and day, so don’t be afraid to ask for help if you are struggling to keep up with the newborn’s sleep schedule. How many hours a newborn sleeps is something that’s just not in your control, so go with the flow.

Conclusion

As time goes by, your newborn will adjust and begin to be on a more regular sleep schedule. This is a small part of your overall life with your child, and it will slowly even itself out over time. If you suspect your newborn may have a sleep disorder or something really seems off with their sleep, it’s important to get to your pediatrician right away. They are the person who can examine your child and perform tests that will help you know what’s wrong with your infant. Remember, how many hours newborns sleep will depend on a great number of things, but it’s generally 16-17 hours a day. They will still wake up every few hours to eat, and this is completely normal.

How Long Should Naps Be?

How long should naps be?

My baby’s napping. How long until they should wake up?

We’ve all heard those trying-to-be-helpful remarks from other people that we should do all the non-baby things in life while our baby is sleeping. However, those of us with children know that the length of time that our children sleep can vary, and it changes based on what’s going on, how old they are, and a variety of other factors.

Also, as a parent, it can be nerve wracking thinking about how long a baby nap should be. When should they go to sleep? Are they sleeping enough? Should I wake them up?
This guide can provide you with some milestones for thinking about your baby’s naps and how long a baby nap should be. While every baby is different, they all need to nap.

Nap Schedule by age

How long a baby nap should be really depends on the age of your child. As babies grow and develop, their needs evolve. One of those needs is how much sleep they need and when they get it. Let’s take a look at how long a baby nap should be based on the age of your infant. At a glance:

0-3 Months: 12-18 hours of sleep, multiple naps
4-6 Months: 3-5 naps, 45-90 minutes apieces
7-9 Months: 2-4 naps, 1-2 hours apiece
10-12 Months: 2 naps, 1-2 hours apiece

0-4 Months

During these first four months with your baby, they will be sleeping all the time! Newborns don’t know if it’s day or if it’s night, so they will be sleeping around the clock. It’s hard to call any of this sleeping a “nap.” Basically, when your baby is tired, they’ll sleep. It’s not uncommon for a newborn to sleep 12-18 hours a day as they start to develop their natural rhythm.

Babies during this period may take up to 6 naps in a day. How long a baby nap should be during this period can be anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes before they will wake up and need your loving attention.

4-6 Months

Once you’ve hit this milestone, you may start to find that your baby is developing a more natural routine. There starts to be a flow and a rhythm today, and naps are more easily set apart from longer periods of nighttime rest. Many recommend giving your baby the chance to nap at the same time each day starting in this period.

Most babies take between 3 and 5 naps a day during this period. These naps will last anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes. As they settle into this nap routine, how long a baby nap should be will start to become routine as well.

6-9 Months

At six months, the shorter napping periods from the earlier points in your child’s development are coming to a close. How long a baby nap should be is starting to lengthen. Because of this, the nap routine will change and evolve as they sleep for longer periods of time during a shorter number of naps. Naps typically taper down to between and 2 and 4 a day during these months.

As your baby stays awake longer between naps, they should start to sleep about 1-2 hours every time they go down for a nap. Helping your baby adjust to a nap schedule that accommodates this new napping cycle will help them fall asleep and stay asleep.

10-12 Months

Now that your baby is getting a little older, the number of naps they take will start to taper off. At the start of this period, they may be taking 3 or 4 naps a day. By the time your baby is a year old, the number of naps will drop to 2 each day. Typically, they will have one nap in the morning and then they will have another nap in the afternoon.

Your baby should be sleeping much more consistently now. How long a baby nap should be at this stage is about 1-2 hours. Over the course of the day, your baby will be getting 2-3 hours of daytime sleep to complement what they are getting during the night. This is preparing them for becoming a toddler and entering a 1 nap per day schedule.

What to do if your baby isn’t following the schedule

If your baby isn’t following the schedule above exactly, that is no cause for alarm. Every child is different, and each baby has their own unique temperament and energy. How long a baby nap should be depends on the baby. That being said, every child needs daytime sleep.
If your baby is consistently hitting the 2-3 hours of daytime napping starting at 5 months, then how long a baby nap should be is however long your baby is sleeping. If you’re concerned though, consult your pediatrician. They can give you the best advice on making sure your baby is getting the right kind of rest for their health and development.

Nap Regressions and Nap Transitions

Sometimes when you’re reading about how long a baby nap should be, you’ll come across two terms: nap regression and nap transition. Let’s explore what these mean.

Nap Regressions

A nap regression, also known as a sleep regression, is a period of a few weeks where the length of time your baby sleeps at a single time shortens dramatically as their body adapts to having sleep cycles. How long a baby should nap during this period shortens. This can be a trying time for parents, but this is a natural part of your baby growing and developing their sleep rhythm. During this period, your baby may resist naps, making it harder to get that needed daytime rest in.

Typically, many parents see nap regressions happening at the 4 and 8 month marks. However, some babies have their first regression as early as 8 weeks, and sometimes the second regression doesn’t happen until 10 months. They can last for a few weeks until your baby settles into a new way of sleeping. This typically means taking fewer naps for longer periods of time.

Nap Transitions

A nap transition is similar to a regression, but it can happen a little more gradually. Nap transitions occur every few months as your baby is growing and they gradually move from 6 or more naps a day to fewer and fewer. Typically by the time your child hits 18 months, they will only be taking 1 nap each day in the afternoon.

Transitioning from a larger number of naps to a lower number is a gradual process. It necessitates a change in your baby’s routine. It will also change how long a baby nap should be, creating a new standard with every transition.

Letting Your Baby Sleep

Napping is an important part of your baby’s development. During these early months, this rest is vital to their growth and development. However, when you’re thinking about how long a baby nap should be, remember that it’s less important how long any individual nap is. Rather, it’s more important how much total sleep your baby is getting.

Some naps are not going to be as long as others. Sometimes the phone rings, the dog barks, someone slams a door, or something else occurs that wakes your baby from their nap and they didn’t get their normal full naps. That nap time can be made up later, and it may change how long a baby a nap should be for that day.

Remember that these milestones and guidelines are averages and that every baby is unique. Don’t feel like you have to wake your baby up if they go over the “limit” or that you have to try to force a nap if it doesn’t seem like it’s going to work. Babies come in all forms, from those that sleep in many short snatches to those who naturally fall into longer naps. How long a baby nap should be depends on your particular situation, and you and your baby will find it together.

How Long Is a Baby Considered a Newborn?

Developmental Stages Of Babyhood

Each baby is unique in its own way, developing at his or her own pace, but there are some clear stages of development that mark the progress of babyhood. The first of these stages is the newborn stage. What is considered the newborn stage will depend on just who you ask. Everyone from the World Health Organization to The Merriam-Webster dictionary has a definition for what a newborn is, and if you’re the parent of a newborn, you might want to know whether you have a newborn. Since the definitions differ from source to source, it’s helpful to acknowledge that there is room to compromise in defining a newborn, and your definition may differ from an official source.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a newborn as a recently born baby. This is perhaps the most vague definition of “newborn” and doesn’t tell you a thing about how long a baby is considered a newborn. Scrap that definition if you’re here to discover a more precise definition. A more precise definition was offered by the World Health Organization – known as WHO – and answers more clearly how long a baby is considered a newborn. This well-known organization says that your baby is a newborn from birth to the 28th day of life, but more informal sources and the general population of people commonly refer to a baby who’s 2 months old as a newborn. Clouding this even further is the instance of premature births where the baby is born early. These babies often look like “newborns” by traditional standards even when they’re not quite anymore.

The World Of Your Newborn

The birth of a baby is an experience unlike any other you’ll ever live through in your life. It’s joy, pain, and new life, all in one moment, and you’ll of course never forget that moment your newborn enters the world. No matter how long a baby is considered a newborn, you can be certain that on the day of your baby’s birth, that’s a newborn! Whether they’re a newborn for 28 days, 2 months, or just until they grow enough not to look like a newborn, you’re going to experience that glorious newborn stage and every moment that takes place in it. What takes place in this stage transcends the debate over how long a baby is considered a newborn. Even if you extend your definition of newborn to a couple of months in instead of the WHO’s 28 days, you’re going to see some fascinating things.

Despite sleeping 16-17 hours a day, a newborn’s milestones will be numerous and important to parents. This is a truly new life, unaffected by the external world and completely protected by parental love. It’s life in its purest form, and it’s a pleasure to watch as that newborn makes it way through the first month of life. In that first month, you’re going to see beautiful and entertaining things like:

Reflexes like swallowing and sucking that allow them to bottle or breast feed
Little jerky arm and leg movements when a loud noise is heard
By the end of the first month, your baby can hear very well, so they know you’re there now
Grasping your finger if you place it in front of them
Make a fist
As long as you’re 8-12 inches away from your baby, they can even see you during the newborn stage

As you can see, it’s an eventful first month for your baby, and it’s an even more eventful month for you. Your child will never be as helpless as they are in the newborn stage. No matter how long a baby is considered a newborn, it’s during these first couple of months of life (or 28 days depending on who you ask) that your baby needs you the very most. Newborns are physically helpless, unable to walk, unable to talk, and completely dependent on you for life. It’s a fortunate thing that most parents instinctively realize this before the baby is born and prepare themselves mightily for the day of the birth and beyond.

Newborn Needs

How long a baby is considered a newborn is generally recognized by the general population as those first days of life when everything is so vital and the child is so dependent. This can be 28 days or two months. That child is going to have a host of needs when they arrive, and new parents know it. This might be why you’ve looked up how long a baby is considered a newborn, so that you can prepare for this pivotal stage of life. Physical needs include a baby crib, plenty of bottles (if you plan to breastfeed), a breast pump (if you plan to use one of these and/or breastfeed), clothing, a baby carrier, a car seat, and just so many things it might be difficult to even think of all of them. When baby gets there, they’ll quickly let you know what else they need.

The emotional needs of a newborn are extremely important as well. Your newborn’s emotional needs will often be met at the expense of your own, and that’s okay. Sacrifice is often a part of parenthood. For most parents, though, it’s all worthwhile! What you get back emotionally from your little one is going to be memorable for the rest of your days. The emotional needs of newborns are different from those of adults, and those needs include a lot of nurturing and cuddling. Every newborn is different and will want a different amount of your time, but a few things that almost all newborns universally need for a good emotional start include:

Security: This means that the baby feels as if you take care of his or her needs
Trust: Babies need to be able to trust you
Nurturing: This can include those gentle snuggles and soothing words when baby is crying

How long a baby is considered a newborn will vary, but all of these things are healthy for babies, and it’s less important to measure the newborn phase in time than to look at it as that very beginning period in life when you’re the one who is going to give this child what they need. Parents are often naturals at meeting the needs of their babies, and you’ll get better with this over time.

How Long A Baby Is Considered A Newborn

To review, a baby is usually considered a newborn at least up to the first 28 days, but many parents see babies as newborns into the 2nd month or even a little further on. There’s no one consensus on how long a baby is considered a newborn, but we all agree that newborns are in the most fragile stage of life, and it’s the very first stage of development for that new human being that’s just been born. Your baby will go through many other developmental stages over his or her lifetime, and you’re going to be the one to usher in each of those new phases with love and grace. Okay, you can’t always be loving or graceful, but you can wing it when you have to if it means a happier life for your newborn.

Conclusion

If you’re still wondering how long a baby is considered a newborn, you’re not alone. Scientists, doctors, and parents alike constantly try to define the developmental stages of life so that they can make newborns more secure and safer. Defining the developmental stages of a baby’s life is an important way to mark each different phase and give parents better guidance on how to handle those stages, but that’s a subject for another day. For now, just know that how long a baby is considered a newborn is entirely up to you. Newborn is a word that’s usually used to describe a “recently born” baby, according to Merriam-Webster, and what may be recent to you may not be recent to another person.

How Long Do Babies Sleep?

How long do babies sleep?

They’re so beautiful when they’re sleeping. How long until they wake up?!

There’s nothing that looks so at peace as a sleeping child. Their calm can inject a wonderful serenity into your day. Babies need a lot of sleep, especially in the early months. These sleep needs are going to keep changing as they grow, though, and it can be hard to figure out how much sleep is enough or to estimate how long a baby sleeps during each development period.

How long a baby sleeps

How long a baby sleeps depends on numerous factors. These factors include the age of your child, whether it’s a nap or nighttime sleep, whether your baby is in sleep regression, and the general temperament of your baby, among other things. In short though, over the course of each day, how long a baby sleeps will be:

0-2 Months: 15-17 hours
2-4 Months: 14-16 hours
4-6 Months: 12-15 hours
6-9 Months: 11-15 hours
9-12 Months: 11-14 hours

In short, approximately every 2-3 months, how much a baby sleeps will drop by about an hour as your baby continues to develop and grow.

Your baby’s changing sleep needs

As your baby grows, their sleep needs are going to change. What was normal at the beginning is going to evolve, and while every baby is different, there are some good rules of thumb you can keep in mind when thinking about how long a baby sleeps.

0-2 Months

During this period, your baby needs a ton of sleep. It’s not unusual for a baby to sleep between 15 and 17 hours a day during this period. Typically, this will cycle in a series of naps that last between 2 and 4 hours.

Daytime naps may last anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours, and in these early months, most babies don’t sleep through the night. The longest night stretches of how long a baby sleeps are usually 2 to 4 hours, interrupted by the need for feeding and other stimulation. This period can be a little rough since it doesn’t match the typical adult’s sleeping schedule, but it will change as your baby continues to grow and head into their next stage of sleep development.

2-4 Months

Once your baby hits about 8 weeks old, their sleep pattern will start to more closely resemble a normal rhythmic sleep cycle. However, how long a baby sleeps over the course of the day is still large, usually about 14 to 16 hours.

As your baby starts to sleep longer through the night, you can expect periods of night time sleep that last up to 6 hours. During the day, your baby will still be napping consistently. The naps will vary in length between 30 minutes and 3 hours, and how long a baby sleeps during each one is going to depend on each individual infant.

4-6 Months

At 4 months, many babies will experience a hiccup in their sleep routine that had been previously established. This is known as the 4 month regression, and it can result in your baby not sleeping through the night and being more irritable. This happens because this is when your baby is developing their sleep cycle of light and deep sleep. This is also a period when some recommend moving away from swaddling. All of these changes can have a big impact on your baby’s sleep, but they still need it!

How long a baby sleeps during this period drops during this stage of development. Typically, your baby will sleep anywhere from a total of 12 to 15 hours. Once they’ve overcome the milestone of the 4 month sleep regression, their nighttime sleep will also start to extend and can last anywhere from 5 to 8 hours. Naps are still an important part of sleep during this period, though. You can expect your baby to take up to 3 naps each day, lasting anywhere from 1 to 3 hours apiece.

6-9 Months

Your baby sleep needs will continue to evolve. As they grow older, the amount that they need to sleep in a day gradually declines. During the 6-9 month age, how much sleep a baby needs drops to 11 to 15 hours per day. Now that their sleep cycle and new sleep routine is established, your baby will also most likely become a much better night sleeper. Nighttime rest may last anywhere from 6 to 10 hours. 6-9 month old babies are still napping regularly as part of their sleep routine. You can expect your baby to take either 2 or 3 naps each day, and to sleep for 1 to 3 hours at a time.

Your baby may experience another sleep regression during this period that may make sleeping difficult. The length of naps may change, and your baby may not be sleeping through the night. In that case, shorter naps are better than no naps, and extra sleep during the day can make up for fitful nights. All of this will add up as how much a baby sleeps contributes to their overall rest.

10-12 Months

As your baby nears their first birthday, how much sleep a baby needs continues to shrink. Most babies will need between 11 and 14 hours each day of sleep. However, unlike in previous stages, the bulk of your baby’s sleep will come from their nighttime rest from this point forward. Most babies will be sleeping through the night during most nights, clocking in between 7 and 11 hours each night.

Nap routines will also become more regular, as babies start to transition from 2 daily naps (morning and afternoon) to just 1 nap each day in the afternoon of between 1 to 2 hours. In this way, your baby’s routine will start to mirror that of toddlers and older children.

What if your baby doesn’t match the guidelines

Every baby is different, and because of this, your baby may not fall neatly into the categories above. That’s okay! Some babies are immediately great sleepers and sleep through the night from the early months. Other babies are champion nappers and never have any trouble going down. On the other hand, some babies are fitful sleepers and have trouble napping. How long a baby sleeps is unique to each child.

Another thing to think about when considering how long a baby sleeps is that a baby’s day doesn’t necessarily start and end at midnight. When people refer to how much sleep a baby should get in a day, they are generally referring to how long a baby sleeps over a 24 hour period. If it’s easier for you to keep track of rest from morning to morning instead of trying to split the night in half, do that!

Getting to sleep

As you can see, your baby needs a lot of rest. Getting them to sleep can sometimes be a challenge, but this can be alleviated by cultivating good sleep habits. Work with your baby to establish a regular nap routine so that their body can get into a natural rhythm. Be on the lookout for signs like yawning, fussing, and rubbing eyes that may indicate that your baby is getting sleepy and needs some rest. Be understanding that sleep transition periods can be tough, but that a new routine will get established, and your baby will start to more easily get the rest that they need.

How long a baby sleeps changes over time as they develop into toddlers and young children. What doesn’t change is the importance of quality sleep and rest.

How Do Babies Get Thrush?

How do babies get thrush?

What Is Thrush?

When babies get thrush, a parent’s life becomes a mix of worry and long nights. If you’re not familiar with this common infection, it’s easy to misunderstand the symptoms when they first appear. First-time parents are especially prone to not knowing what the disease is, but even a seasoned veteran of childbearing may completely overlook the disease if they haven’t encountered it before with previous children. Thrush is an oral yeast infection that babies frequently contract. It’s not usually a serious infection, and it is easily treated, so that’s terrific news for parents who know their infants have thrush.

Learning more about what thrush is can help you keep your children from contracting thrush or can help you know what to do when babies get thrush. The signs and symptoms of thrush are well documented and visible to the naked eye, so you’re not up against an invisible disease. Your baby’s behavior will be affected as well, so you have even more help in knowing what the problem might be. If you’re wondering how babies get thrush, your answers have been a part of medical knowledge for many decades now, and that’s always helpful.

The Symptoms Of Thrush

Thrush causes white and/or yellow splotches in a baby’s mouth. This very easy to see and recognize sign will be your most useful aid in knowing what the problem might be. There are other signs of thrush that you can look out for, too, including:

Since thrush is oral, the white patches can become irritated and raw, causing red sores
When feeding, the baby may show visible signs of discomfort or even be hesitant to feed
Babies may also avoid sucking on pacifiers because this can irritate the patches inside the mouth even more

When babies get thrush, they may also cry more than usual. That’s because the white patches will cause irritation, especially during feeding or when they’re using a pacifier. If you see the white patches in their mouth and discover that a baby who normally loves a pacifier is suddenly refusing it, that can also be a sign that they’ve developed this pesky oral infection.

Milk residue can also cause white patches that look similar to thrush. To know the difference, you’ll need to use a very clean object like a gauze pad to gently wipe the tongue of your baby and see if the white patches disappear. If they do, it’s very likely that those white patches are thrush. Since thrush is a medical condition, you’ll definitely need to make an appointment with your pediatrician to confirm that the condition your baby suffers from is thrush. So many infections can be confused for other conditions, so it’s vital to rule out other conditions under the guidance of a great pediatrician. A great doctor will know from looking at the condition if it is indeed thrush. It’s a very common condition among infants.

How Babies Get Thrush

Thrush is a very early infant infection, usually diagnosed in the first two months of life. That’s because thrush is contracted during the birth process itself. Candida thrives in the vagina, and it’s present when your child is on the way out. Normally, there’s not an abnormal amount of it in there, and it actually keeps other more pesky organisms in check, but on rare occasions when the woman is using antibiotics or is on hormones, it will be more numerous than usual and your child can be exposed to it during the birth process. Mothers, don’t feel guilty! This has nothing to do with you, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do to prevent this form of thrush. You can, however, prevent the infections in the future as you go about your daily routine of breastfeeding or bottle feeding.

A second less common way that babies get thrush is from yeast developing on breasts after breastfeeding (yes this happens). If you don’t properly clean and dry nipples after breastfeeding your baby, you can develop yeast on your breasts that might pass on a yeast infection to your baby. And it goes without saying that if your baby has oral thrush – and a thriving batch of oral yeast – they can also cause you to develop a yeast infection on your breasts when they breast feed. It’s not a pleasant though, but in order to prevent these infections in both you and your infant, it’s preferable to face the facts and do everything possible to prevent these types of infection.

Now that you know how babies get thrush, you can be wiser in the future and make sure any yeast infection you have during pregnancy is immediately treated or that you seek the advice of a doctor who can tell you how to prevent thrush when your baby is born. Also, clean and dry your breasts after breastfeeding. Yeast grows in very wet environments. It thrives there. The best way to repel it and never invite it into your life is to keep your breasts dry after breastfeeding your baby. This can be taxing for a tired mother to remember to do, but it’s part of an overall healthy lifestyle for you and your little one.

Medical Treatments For Thrush

Babies get thrush fairly commonly, and it’s one of the top things that new parents need to be aware of. Since it is so common, medical science has done an excellent job of providing sound treatments for thrush. If babies get thrush, it’s easy to treat, and most likely the doctor will want to treat both baby and mother. It can easily be passed from mother to baby or from baby to mother, so treating one without treating the other is a bad idea. A doctor will likely prescribe an antifungal antibiotic for both baby and mother. Nystatin is one of the most common medicines prescribed when babies get thrush. For the mother, a similar medication will be prescribed, only it will be prescribed for application to the nipple.

Conclusion

The easiest way to help you and your baby not develop thrush is to do everything in your power to prevent it. If your baby didn’t develop thrush through the birthing process, you’re one of the lucky ones. It happens frequently. Yeast that grows on breast or bottles because of improper drying is where you have ultimate control. Make sure to sterilize and dry your bottles very well so that you create an environment where yeast doesn’t want to live. It’s also important to dry breasts before feeding your baby so that they don’t pick up yeast that way.

There are babies who get thrush all over the world. It’s common, but it’s not something you want to let go for too long. Infants are fragile little beings, and any type of infection that threatens them is important to address as quickly as possible. If you see white patches in your infant’s mouth and confirm that they aren’t just milk residue, it’s time for a trip to your pediatrician’s office. Babies get thrush, but they don’t have to keep it for long. With effective topical treatment, most instances of thrush are completely clear after only 10 days. And while it’s always worrying when your child is sick, it’s something that you have control over. Thrush is easily recognizable, easily treatable, and after instances of thrush from the birthing process, it’s easily preventable.