What Prevents Baby from Sleeping?
Many babies fall asleep and establish a good routine right from the start; others need a little help from their mother in establishing the correct sleeping patterns. Still others seem to cry at night for no rhyme or reason and the whole household is upset and disturbed for months – sometimes years. So what are the things that might prevent baby from sleeping well during the night? Continue reading
Use of a Night Light During Baby’s Sleep Time
A newborn baby does not need to have a night light to sleep well. Tiny babies can sleep well anywhere, at any time of the day or night. It is only as they get older that some toddlers develop a fear of the darkness and need a night light. But many nurseries are not completely dark anyway, there are frequently street lights close by that shine in through the curtains and traffic lights may also flash by. Continue reading
Training Baby to Sleep
Probably the worst thing about having a new baby is the number of times mother must get up through the night either to feed or settle the new addition to the family. Sleep deprivation makes everyone feel crabby and unable to cope. It is not so bad if this only lasts for a few weeks, but when it goes on for months life is certainly not enjoyable. So what can be done?
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Sleep vs. Night Feeding
In some rare cases, lucky mothers find their baby sleeps through the night almost from the time they are brought home. But most are not so fortunate. Nearly all new babies need to be fed through the night; some even require more than one feed. Continue reading
Day Sleeps for Baby
Newborn babies can be expected to sleep most of the time including through the day. They will awaken when they get hungry – and be awake to be bathed and tended to, but for the most part newborns do sleep a lot. Naturally, as the baby gets a little older he or she will be awake for longer periods of time until at about four to six months you can expect them to be mainly awake for two hours and asleep for two hours alternately throughout the day. Continue reading
Tips for Bottle-Feeding Your Baby
Not everyone can breastfeed-feed their baby and bottle feeding is an accepted substitute, so the new mother should not feel guilty if she is unable – or chooses not – to breastfeed. It will certainly cost more to buy the formula, bottles and teats and the sterilizing gear, but baby must be fed. Continue reading
Problems with Solids
Most babies get started on solids without too many problems. It is a baby’s nature to chew on everything in his hands – and many things that are not, such as the top rail of the cot. This means that they simply put the food that is in their hands into their mouths and chew on it. When it tastes good they find that eating food is a pleasant experience. Continue reading
Introducing Solids
Most babies do not need solids until they are six months old, though some can start at five months. The first solids usually consist of a powdered cereal product with formula, water or breast milk added until it is of a creamy consistency. The first few weeks it should be of a thin consistency and then gradually made thicker once baby is happy to accept it. Continue reading
Tips for Breastfeeding Your Baby
Much has been said about the importance of breastfeeding your baby. Not only does it give the baby many of the antibodies needed for optimal health both now and later, it provides food that is perfect for the baby – and is already sterilised and so doesn’t need to be boiled. Continue reading
The 411 on Baby Gas Problems
Many babies seem to be disturbed by abdominal gas; they either ingest bubbles of air while feeding or gas forms in the gut as bacteria breaks down undigested sugars. When this problem is really bad it is usually called colic. Two things can contribute to the problem of gas – fast feeding and failure to burp halfway between the feed and after completion. Continue reading