Just A Few Tips, I Found Useful That May Help A New Parent
-Congratulations on becoming a new parent. Your in for an adventure, I’m sure. Having children is the most difficult thing you will ever love. Children will indeed change your life, so embrace the change, accept it with open arms and never complain about it. They are not like a puppy or kitten, your in it for the rest of your life and they rarely appreciate all you do for them, until they become parents themselves. This is useful information and I hope you take a minute to read it. have also included a really great baby stroller that is well worth the investment and you may be able to find a used one as well, if you check around.
Rotate Your Baby
Be sure you do not allow your baby to favor one side or another when laying, or sleeping. This can cause your baby to have an irregular shaped head. Each night I would have my baby sleep on a different side than the night before. I admit it, my babies did not always sleep on their backs, but never on their tummy. I would some times let them fall asleep on their tummy, but as soon as they were sleeping I’d place them on their back. If your baby likes a swing or baby seat of some kind, do not let them continue to lean one way or another. Until the baby is able to move their head on their own, it’s the caregivers responsibility to help them out. I will never forget a cousin, by marriage, that did not rotate their baby. I saw them at a clinic when it was vaccination time and I looked down at the baby and thought to myself, “that poor baby”, because her head was very flat on one side and kind of bulging on the other. The side that was flat was the side she favored as a preferred side to lean on. I looked up and her dad said hello. I was surprised to see it was someone I knew. My daughter at the time was about the same age and I was told by a friend to rotate my baby to make sure her head developed evenly and it was evident that there was something to what they had told me. Help make sure your baby’s head has a nice shape and give each side, including the back equal alternating time. Here is a good article published in the Seattle Children’s .org site about, positional plagiocephaly.
Nursing
I’ll do a post with a few tips to get you through this beneficial task of feeding, but for now, I’d just like to say this. If your very sleepy, which more than likely you will be, sit on the floor to feed your baby. I began sitting on the floor after I snapped out of it after dozing off and my daughter was extremely close to slipping off my lap. Nursing makes a mom very sleepy and waking up in the middle of the night, when your body is use to sleeping for several hours during this time, makes it very hard to stay alert and awake. A new parent needs to adjust to this and be aware of how nursing is affecting you. If you can feed the baby and pass them off to your partner to burp and to put back to bed is best. Having that warm, soothing baby on your chest after nursing, is like a lullaby for mommy. If your sitting on the floor leaning your back against something, you’ll be less comfortable and if you should happen to doze off, your baby will not fall. Be sure to have your pets in another room to keep them away from a “mother’s milk breath” baby. I hear that is what happens when a cat “sucks the life from a new baby”. It licks the milk off the nose and mouth area and the baby will continue gasping as the cat licks and tickles the baby’s face. If you blow lightly at your baby’s face, you will see the baby will gasp and hold their breath.
Keep Baby Out Of The Breeze
When your outside with your new baby, do what you can to keep the wind from hitting their face. Even a nice warm breeze will cause your baby to gasp. When your baby does this, they will often swallow air and you will have a very cranky baby in no time. A new parent may not know this, I know I learned this one on my own, the hard way. I soon made a cover for their carrier and stroller, so the wind would not hit their face as I carried them from place to place or when outside with them. I also covered their face with a very lightweight baby blanket when carrying them outside. Baby buggies use to allow your baby to lay down below the sides and it would keep breezes from hitting their faces, when they are infants. The strollers of today do not do this, so modifications made by the caregivers are needed to keep the breeze off their faces. Gasping and swallowing air gives baby a very painful tummy and no one wants this.
This has been circulating on FB and I think all parents need to look this over and read some of the comments. It’s shocking and scary, but it’s also true,… unfortunately.
The State Of Michigan Has A Dirty Little Secret. It is called Child Protection Services
It’s not only Michigan, so don’t let the title fool you. Every New Parent needs to know this. So do parents with older children. Your children are not your children, the State you live in dictates how you raise them and you have to follow their rules or your children could end up living with a stranger.
Best Stroller I’ve Seen and Some Stroller Tips
I’ve found a really great stroller I would recommend to my readers, it’s a great investment and you won’t need to buy a bassinet. You can easily move your infant from room to room, place by a window to gaze at the sky or keep the baby sleeping safely near by. There is a nice little attachment for these strollers that will allow your toddler to easily stand behind the stroller on a wheeled base, to catch a ride too. When used safely bassinets are great, educate yourself and you will love it. Having your infant sit upright (when able to do so) in the bassinet, as you walk slowly, will help improve balance and build muscles in their backs, as they adjust to the movement. Be sure to always watch them closely and no longer allow this once they begin to reach over the sides of the bassinet. Once they start pulling on the sides, it’s time to put it away or only use it for a supervised napping place with it on the floor. This stroller should handle all your needs, for as long as you need a stroller for one of your children.
Things to look for are the wheels and if they are fixed or swivel. Fixed wheels are no good. Swivel wheels in the front, with locks are the way to go.
Many of these strollers have child seats that recline back too far, when in the upright position. Children should not be leaning back all the time and if the seat forces them too, it’s no good.
Be sure the bassinet is durable and the walls are fairly high and sturdy.
The canopy should be high enough to use with the taller older child using the seat. It should also flip open from the back so you can watch your baby or make eye contact if the child is facing you.
I’m not a big fan of joggers with infants. Walking will drop the pounds just as quickly and it is much safer for your baby. Infants will sleep when they get startled or scared. Have you ever seen babies sleeping at noisy events such as parades? It’s just an instinct they have because their nervous system is so new to them. Being in a jogger gives this same effect. Walking and talking to your baby, will in time assure them they are safe and that it is an enjoyable event, to go on a walk and be outside. Bond with your infant, they are only this little for a short period of time and it’s important for all of you. A family needs to form, it doesn’t just happen.
Look at reviews, see what people complain about as a feature a stroller may not have and see if it’s something that might matter to you. Look at 3 and 4 star reviews. It means they don’t hate it, but it could use improvements.