A Special Christmas

Baby gifts are really great for me as a mum and ofcourse for my baby. Christmas morning was like none other for me. My son is 20 months old, so it was the first time he got to open presents. Of course, Mommy and I helped, but he still did a great job tearing up the paper. It’s amazing how happy got from this. He giggled and rolled around with the wrapping paper for several minutes prior to even seeing his gift. When he finally did get to his gift, he noticed it was an animal puzzle. His face lit up and he looked right at us. Then he did his patented screech of excitement and went to work.

It only took a few tries before he knew where the elephant, zebra, pig, and other animals went. Every time he completed the puzzle on his own, we clapped for him, and he followed suit, cheering himself on. I can only hope future Christmases will be as rewarding.

Risks of Aspiration for Infants who Sleep on Their Backs

Baby sleeping positions are something that parents stress about all the time. Older generations always had babies sleep on their bellies, newer generations are told to have babies sleep on their backs. It can be confusing and scary for new parents trying to figure out what is best. Pediatricians have adopted the phrase, “back is best” to help parents remember this important information.

Doctors recommend babies be laid down on their backs, period. The risks of a baby aspirating are slim to none while they are sleeping on their back. Aspiration occurs when a baby spits up or vomits while sleeping. Although this is not common, the concern is real. It is important that parents realize placing a baby on their belly can actually cause aspiration. If a baby is diagnosed with acid reflux disease or digestive problems, a doctor will most likely recommend the head of the crib or bassinet be slightly elevated. The baby must still be placed on their back to sleep.

A baby laying on his/her back has a more open airway versus lying on the stomach. It is true a baby that sleeps on his/her back may not fall into a deep sleep, but this is a good thing. If a baby sleeps to deeply it increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS). Babies can be placed on their bellies throughout the day with close supervision.

Safe Infant Sleep Tips

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) kills about 2500 infants every year. However that is the lowest number that it has even been at due to extensive research. There are plenty of tips to keep your babies safe while they sleep. The most important thing to remember is to lie your child on his/her back while they sleep. Some people may claim that their infant fall asleep easier and faster while they are on their stomach. It is proven that infants may fall asleep easier on their stomach and wake up less while on stomach. However, putting your child to sleep on his/her stomach has almost 13 times the risk of death than putting your child to sleep on her back. So it's safe to say that the benefits of infants sleeping on their backs overpowers sleeping on their stomach. Along with the higher risk, infants sleeping on their stomach are more likely to have a pause in breathing and are to re-breathe air they have just exhaled. So remember to place your infant on his back while he sleeps. There are plenty of products out there that securely keep your child on his back in place while in the crib.

How to Protect Your Baby's Skin this Winter

With old man winter knocking at the door, and the brutal cold winds that threaten and dry out a babies delicate skin, the question on the tip of every mothers tongue is how do I protect my infants skin? There are multiple precautions that you can do to insure that your baby stays soft, snuggly and free of irritation. Follow a few simple steps and let your worries blow away.

Proper bathing is always important, but isn’t necessary every day, especially with a infant. There skin is thin and fragile and easily irritated. Don’t over bathe the baby, you can implement wash-ups every other day. When you do bathe the baby insure you are using the right products for example, Dove is ranked highly among pediatricians due to the fact that it is lipid free and created just for sensitive skin, especially infants prone to eczema.

Protect your infant from the elements by bundling them up properly. Mittens, hats, and hoods are great protection against Jack Frost nipping at the nose. When dressing your infant in layers, always be considerate of them overheating. A t-shirt, clothes and proper outerwear is sufficient. Don’t keep them out in the cold too long and try to protect them from heavy winds as much as possible.

Remember, moisturizing is very important. Choosing a good lotion that doesn’t irritate your infants skin does not have to be pricy. Vaseline is one of the best items on the market and you can use it to protect the skin and the lips from chapping, cracking and peeling.