When you bring your baby home from the hospital most parents choose to have he or she spend his first several weeks in the bed room with them.  It is just easier.  In the beginning they wake so frequently and need to eat and be changed so often it just saves time to have the baby right near the caregivers.

Some parents choose to have their new baby sleep in a pack and play (a play yard), a co-sleeper, or a cradle.  Still others opt to bring the full size crib into their room.  Each choice has advantages and disadvantages.  It really depends on what works best for the family at the time.  Remember, you can change your mind if it is not working.

Traditionally, cradles are associated with newborn babies.  There is even a lullaby about them (which when you think about it is pretty scary- a cradle falling out of a tree? Definitely nightmare material).  Anyhow, cradles are a wonderful option because they are smaller and the small confined space can make a baby more comfortable than a big expanse.   Remember, newborns are pretty accustomed to cramped quarters.  At this point, familiarity breeds contentment.  Babies are soothed by familiar things, rocking, touch, warmth, swaddling all help a baby feel secure.  Cradles, though, are only to be used until a baby is three months old or so.  Typically, when the baby starts moving around more it is time to switch sleeping arraignments.

A baby grows from a newborn to a baby to a kid in what seems like the blink of an eye.  Of course, some days seem like they last for years, but the years seem to fly by.  When I brought my first daughter home she was so painfully tiny.  She was a preemie so she was even smaller than most.  I held her and I looked at the 0-3 month clothes and honestly could not picture her being large enough to fit in them.  Now she is a fifty pound seven year old, so obviously she grew to fit those clothes.

One of the biggest milestones that parents look forward to is potty training.  Honestly, looking back, it is almost easier to have a child in diapers than dealing with the potty.  When a 2 year old says they have to  go they have to go NOW.  Not in five minutes.  You have to worry about finding a decent bathroom, because kids are apt to touch everything.

At home it is easier to train a child if you have a little potty for him or her to sit on.  In addition to having less of a risk of falling off, it is easier for a child to master the skills necessary to have toilet independence if there is no climbing involved.  Also, actually producing is easier on a chair designed for kids’ smaller bodies.

Learn from my numerous mistakes in selecting a potty chair though.  Kids do not need a fancy potty chair- really it does not matter that much.   If you can avoid getting a potty that has a drawer that you pull out dump and rinse.  Trust me, if it falls of the tracks and spills it is a pain to clean up, if it splashes when you are pulling it, it is just gross.  Go for a life out container or a one piece design.

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Taking your Child’s Temperature

Kids get sick.  It is what they do. Children are fantastic at sharing germs when they cannot seem to share anything else.  There are few things as stressful to a new parent as their baby’s first cold or fever.  My pediatrician has been victim to several phone calls at all hours from me trying to make sure my children were ok.

While a fever in a newborn three months or younger warrants an urgent visit to a doctor, most of the time fevers in babies are just passing illnesses that do more harm to the parents with stress and worry.  Never the less, you as a parent will need to know how to accurately take your infant’s temperature so you will be able to report to your pediatrician.

Seeing as telling your newborn to hold the thermometer on his or her tongue will most likely not be very useful you will need to use other strategies for getting a reading.  Rectal temperatures are usually the most accurate way of getting a number, but they are not exactly pleasant for anyone involved and a parent needs to be careful not to insert the thermometer too far.  Other ways of taking a babies temperature include axillary (under the arm), an ear scan, or a forehead scan.  There are thermometers available that have interchangeable probes so you can use it more than one way.  Remember though, that once a probe is used for a rectal temperature, it should never be used as an oral thermometer again.

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Dressing your baby

Baby clothes are just so cute aren’t they? They are so small and just adorable.  I think you’d have to have a heart of stone to not love them.  The moment I learned I was pregnant I was considering what clothes I would buy my new baby.

I would caution new parents not to go too crazy buying the super cute newborn clothes.  This is for a few reasons: first, new babies grow notoriously fast.  Some newborns do not wear newborn clothes at all, but start in size 0-3 months.

Second, if the families are anything like mine, there will be no need, as my mother bought more clothes than my child could ever wear.  Lastly, if you are finding out the babies gender or not, consider some unisex clothes, ultrasounds can be interpreted incorrectly my first daughter, was supposed to be a boy.

One item that you will need is a hat.  Babies are used to being kept warm inside mama, so learning to control their own temperature can take some time.   The JJ Cole Bundle me hats look so cozy and super soft that I almost want to wear one.   It does not hurt that they are also absolutely adorable.

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Baby Bath Time

Giving my kids baths was always great fun for me.  After I got over the sheer terror of it and they were old enough to like it.

When your baby first comes home he or she will probably still have his or her umbilical cord stump on- which means a reprieve.  No full on baths until it has dried up and fallen off, only sponge baths.  Soon enough though the cord will fall off and your baby will develop a funky smell from milk dribbles and similar.  It will be time for a bath.  Any parent in their right mind is a little overwhelmed about the first bath.  It is a lot to do! Babies are so slippery when they are wet! Water can be dangerous! What do you do?

First, take a deep breath and get everything together that you’ll need.  Never leave a baby alone in water.  Ever.  Even for a moment.  So get everything ready first.  You will need a towel (I grab two, just in case), a wash cloth the baby bath tub, baby wash, baby lotion, a fresh diaper, fresh clothes, and the baby.

I like to run a super hot shower for a few minutes before I give my newborn a bath, it warms up the bathroom.  New born babies are not so good at regulating body temperature yet, so they get cold fast.  When you fill the baby bath tub the first few times add less water than you think you’ll need.  Test the water first; you do not want it too hot or to cold.

When bathing your baby use one hand to help him or her stay up in the water.  Use the other hand for washing.  The parts that I typically really pay attention too are the baby’s diaper area and the area around his or her neck with all of the little creases.  They get dribbles in there and it can get messy fast.  Typically, doing a quick bath is enough.  Then get him/her dried off, lotioned up and dressed again so he or she does not get to cold.

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Baby Manicures

New babies hands are super cute.  There are few things as adorable as a new born hands balled up into teeny tiny fists.  Be careful though, on the teeny tiny hands are even tinier nails.  They look innocent enough but they can be unexpectedly sharp.

Little babies do not realize that they have little talons on the ends of their hands; they do not even realize that they have hands, many time they accidentally scratch themselves and then are devastated and shocked by the pain. There are few things as heartbreaking as seeing a new born cry in pain.  So prevent it.  Take care of his or her little nails so there is not the chance to scratch.

It is best to wait for your newborn to doze off before attempting nail care.  New born nails are so tiny and new babies often move in unpredictable ways.  So rather than risk cutting your little one, it is just easier and safer to wait until he or she is sound asleep.

Rather than using your grown up nail clippers on her, get the baby sized ones.  Again, new baby fingers are unbelievably small; it is so much easier to be accurate with smaller tools.  Do not forget to file down the sharp corners.  I have made this mistake.  I am not sure who cried more, my daughter or me.

Maclaren Strollers

Quest Sport Stroller

Maclaren is a British company founded by a retired aeronautical engineer (so the strollers actually have something in common with airplanes, maybe that is why they are so expensive).  The stroller he invented in 1965 would revolutionize the stroller world. Maclaren’s stroller was the first stroller to collapse like an umbrella; which allowed for ease in travel and versatility in storage.

Since Maclaren’s inception they have been innovators and leaders in safety in the stroller industry.  Continually inducing new products and features, Maclaren strollers have long been at the height of fashion and technology.   Maclaren launched the front swivel wheel, with linked breaks, and a double umbrella stroller (that is suitable from newborns to toddler).  Also Maclaren developed a balloon foam wheel to allow for a soft ride.  Aside from umbrella collapsing strollers, Maclaren also introduced the first stroller to fold flat, much like a folding chair for a card table.  This stroller was the first stroller that was suitable for use from birth until toddler-hood.

Maclaren has never followed the crowd.  They have always been leading the way, developing new technology and products to help guide children and family through life.  Maclaren has done this while always exceeding safety and quality standards set out by governments.

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Submit Now: Application Deadline April 14th 2011

BareBabies Boutique program is all about highlighting small businesses and the goods created by innovative and resourceful Americans.  If you create custom products for infants, toddlers, or small children, BareBabies wants to give you an opportunity to sell your items. Whatever your niche and no matter the focus of your efforts, we want to hear your story.  Apply today!

BareBabies is now accepting nominations for its Boutique and the winners will be announced online at www.facebook.com/barebabies May 2, 2011. Five (5) winners will be selected to have up to 20 distinct items added to BareBabies online retail store in a new boutique area.

Evaluation Criteria
Unique quality products are the first requirement for any successful boutique participant. BareBabies is looking for partners who offer products that are exciting, provide lasting quality and performance, and appeal to today’s mother and child.  Applicants must be able to provide professional product images, descriptive product language, keywords and meta tags/descriptions. Applicants must be able to provide frequent updates of inventory.

*BareBabies reserves the right to reject images or language that is deemed inappropriate.

Applicants will be further screened on:

• Customer Service – Participants must provide exceptional customer service and care about the well-being of those purchasing their products.
• Delivery – Participants should be able to demonstrate the ability to deliver products in a timely manner and in accordance to accepted shipping practices.
• Cost – Participants must be willing to offer competitive pricing for similar products.

Who Can Participate?

All organizations that are not vendors or service providers are eligible and encouraged to apply including:

• Small to Mid-size Businesses
• All Product Types
• US Organizations or Companies

HOW TO Apply

Applicants need to provide a write up describing their product and highlight how it demonstrates value.  Outline cost structures, connectivity options, delivery, returns and exchanges and time lines.

Award submissions will only be accepted via nominations@barebabies.com. No other forms of entry submission will be accepted.

baby bjorn active baby carrier

Baby Bjorn carriers are the most well known and recognizable carrier on the market.  They have brought baby-wearing to the mainstream.  This is fantastic.  Recently, “bag slings” have been recalled due to the unsafe way babies were often positioned and the tragedy that could ensue.  Baby Bjorns however, avoid this particular issue.  Study after study* confirms the crucial nature of baby/caregiver contact.  Infants who are worn are happier, learn more, are more involved in day to day life, most notably, premature infant weight better, grow more, and generally are healthier than other babies.  In my experience, babies with reflux or colic often have immense relief from being worn in an upright position which is great for everyone involved.

The benefits are not just for the baby though.  Caregivers also reap rewards from wearing their babies.  Caregivers are more able to get around:  it is a lot easier to not have to worry about dragging a stroller with you,  it is easier to get things done around the house, it promotes bonding, provides exercise, also wearing your baby allows you to learn how to communicate with her/him and respond in a nurturing way.  Personally- with four children, wearing a baby is a simple matter of necessity.  It evens the odds a little.  If I have one baby in a carrier, I then have two free hands to wrangle whichever of my other children need it at the moment.

^“Current knowledge about skin-to-skin (kangaroo) care for pre-term infants”. J Perinatol. 1991 Sep;11(3):216-26.

Beaba Babycook

BEABA = The Best for a baby. BEABA was born in 1989 in France under the umbrella idea of associating DESIGN and TECHNOLOGY to create innovative products for the juvenile industry and has quickly became a popular brand with mothers asking for truly practical, multifunctional, compact and smartly designed accessories. Every parenting problem has a BEABA solution which moms love and appreciate.

The Beaba Babycook is company’s most popular product  and is a compact steamer, blender, warmer and defroster to prepare fresh, healthy meals for baby. It comes in both Sorbet or Latte/Mint styles.

You can quickly steam cook vegetables, fruits and meats in 15 minutes or less, while preserving their vitamins and flavors. By saving the condensed water after steaming, you’re able to add valuable nutrients back into baby’s food. Puree and blend food making it super smooth, chunky or anywhere in between for baby.

Mommies and Daddies can also use the Babycook to quickly reheat or defrost precooked foods. Clean up is quick and easy with a top-rack dishwasher safe bowl and basket.

Multi-Stage, Multi-Functional Cooking Options – The Babycook steams, blends, reheats and defrosts all in one compact appliance. It can make an array of foods from simple purees for baby’s first meals up to steamed fish and rice and mixed drinks. The Beaba Babycook Book, which is sold separately, provides many options for quick, healthy meal preparation to introduce baby to a world of flavor.

Saves Time – Spend more time with your family by conveniently and quickly preparing fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, legumes, and grains in under 15 minutes.

Save Money AND Be Healthy – Why spend excess money on processed baby food when baby can eat the same food as the rest of the family? Enjoy the satisfaction of providing your little ones nutritious, yet easily cooked, meals free of additives, fillers and preservatives.

Go Green – Improve your home’s sustainability and be more environmentally friendly by eliminating the packaging of pre-processed baby foods.

Only the Best for Baby – The award winning Babycook is the original and longest standing product of its kind on the market. Only the best materials are used to ensure that every meal is prepared perfectly and is backed with a one-year manufactures warranty.

For a limited time, get 10% off the purchase price of the babycook and/or the cookbook by using the coupon code babycook10 at checkout. http://www.barebabies.com/beaba-babycook-babyfoBeaba babyod-maker-sorbet.html