Parenting Guide on your Babies Yardstick of Growth

Baby will follow his own pattern of growth and development, not according to a fixed set of standards. Do not be surprised or dismayed, therefore, if the activities listed are reached before this yardstick says he might or if Baby appears backwards compared with other babies of the same age.

FIRST MONTH

Hearing is fully developed, but eyes do not focus and may appear crossed. Yawns a lot, hiccups, sneezes. Hands tightly curled, head needs support. Sleeps most of the time when not feeding.

SECOND MONTH

Turns head to voices. Cries vary for food, discomfort, and excitement. May begin to sleep through the night. Settles into regular routine.

THIRD MONTH

Smiles, babbles and finds that crying gets results. Can turn from side to back, holds up head. Enjoys bright colors and can hold rattle if put in hand.

FOURTH MONTH

Holds up head without support. Coos and smiles in response. Reaches for toes. Plays with hands and can grasp toys.

FIFTH MONTH

Birth weight usually doubled by now. Reaches for objects. Carries everything to mouth. Can turn from back to side. More selective in taste. Raises hands to be lifted.

SIXTH MONTH

Eyes and hands work together. Sits with some propping. Definite emotions. Makes sounds like "mamma," "dadda." First teeth may appear, usually the lower ones.

SEVEN TO EIGHT MONTHS

Sits without support. may start crawling. Transfers toys from hand to hand. Associates ideas with words.

NONE TO TWELVE MONTHS

Crawls. Stands with support. May even take first steps. Can say word or two, understands many. Probably has 6 to 8 teeth. Triples birth weight.

Important Facts About Breast Feeding

Doctors generally encourage breast feeding because human milk is the ideal food, the natural food intended for human infants.

For the first few days after Baby is born, your breast will secrete a thin, milky fluid called colostrum. During this time Baby will probably oblige by not being too hungry. After this your milk develops and fills the sinuses located behind the areola, the dark colored area around the nipples.

During the first weeks, it is more comfortable to lie down to nurse your baby. You may lie down on your side with baby resting on your arm.

Your Baby has a hard Time Pooping, How can You make it Easier for him?

A child's abdominal muscles are not fully developed until the age of one. So before then, expect him to have a harder time pushing. In the meantime, you have to be conscious of his poop schedule. It takes some babies every two or three days to poop. Every child has his own schedule. If this is his own growth spurt time, he will consume almost everything he eats. Breastfed babies absorb breast milk completely.

If you child is still having a hard time. Gently giving him an abdominal massage on his left side, where the large intestines are. You may also try using a glycerin suppository to tickle his anus. This will create a reflex, causing your baby to push.

Should You Let Your Child Eat Junk Food

The name speaks for its self "Junk", but..if sweets or junk food aren't introduced early to a child, he wouldn't know what he's missing. Kids may be allowed some junk food if their eating habits have already stabilized. Meaning they can eat their veggies, fruits, and meats in a regular basis. But I don;t encourage giving junk food because it might be habit forming. So give everything in moderation. Lastly if you want your kids to eat healthy food, you have to model that behavior for them by choosing healthy food yourself.

Practical Guide on your Baby's First Visit to the Dentist

A baby should see a dentist by age 1, says Dr. Bessie Buendia, a pediatrician. Some parents put off visiting the dentist since baby's milk teeth will fall off anyway. But starting good oral care early is best.

What you can do:

1. See a pediatric dentist, specifically. Ask your pediatrician for referrals. A pediatric dentist usually has a more child friendly clinic, with toys or even television on the ceiling to keep your child entertained during check ups.
2. Tell your child about the visit and what to expect (even if you think your baby doesn't understand you yet). Assure him that the dentist will take good care of him.
3. Be sure he has no cracked lips or mouth sore because oral inspection may cause pain.

Characteristics of the Only Child

The Only Child, considered as the parents "only hope".

TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

• Is unfamiliar with relating to other children and may have difficulty sharing as he has few opportunities to learn how to successfully share.

• Prefers the company of, and gets along better with, adults; may seem mature for his age.

• Is not used to competition and can be demanding, unforgiving, and sensitive.

• Feels special because he is used to being the center of attention.

• May not take criticisms well.

HOW TO DEAL:

Parents should be careful of the 'onlies' because they will place all the 'eggs' in this one basket. Parents expectations should be realistic; they can place the child in play groups early on to teach about sharing and getting along with others.

As simple sleep routine for your baby

Here is a simple sleep routine you can do to help your baby sleep better, longer and have less awakenings.

1. Start with a warm bath. The warm water not only cleanses, but also winds baby down, preparing her for a good night's rest. This helps tell baby that it is time to sleep.

2. Follow with a gentle massage. A soothing massage is a wonderful way to promote bonding between you and your baby. Massage or touch therapy, helps promote weight gain and immunity, in addition to improving your baby's sleep pattern.

3. Spend some quiet time. Ease your baby off to sleep with quiet time together. You can read to her, sing her lullabies or play soothing music, as you watch her drift off into slumber.

SIDS( Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

Ever heard of SIDS(Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)??? Ive run into an article at the net about SIDS.

Sudden infant death syndrome is the leading cause of death among healthy infants, affecting 0.57 per 1,000 live births. The most easily modifiable risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome is sleeping position. To reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, parents should be advised to place infants on their backs to sleep and avoid exposing the infant to cigarette smoke. Other recommendations include use of a firm sleeping surface and avoidance of sleeping with soft objects, bed sharing, and overheating the infant. Pacifier use appears to decrease the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, but should be avoided until one month of age in infants who are breastfed. The occurrence of apparent life-threatening events does not increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, and home apnea monitoring does not lower the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Supine sleeping position has increased the incidence of flattening of the occiput (deformational plagiocephaly), but this condition can be prevented and treated by encouraging supervised "tummy time," meaning that when awake, infants should spend as much time as possible on their stomachs.

Man that's really scary, especially since im new to parenting, sometimes when me and my wife sleep at night, there's like this alarm clock on my head that suddenly rings and tells me to wake up and check if my baby is not lying flat on her tummy. Scary but its nice to know that Ive bump into this article at the net, this information really is very very helpful.