Baby tips

Should You Train Baby To Sleep Or Not?

Baby’s sleep is a big issue with many parents. The big question of whether or not to sleep train a baby plays on many parent’s minds. Well, you’ll be glad to know from the video below that either way works. You just need to choose what works best for you and your family. Check out the video:

With my babies, I never did sleep training. Guess I just wasn’t cut out for it. I’ve had my share of sleepless nights. All of my babies were different. Some were better sleepers than others. I did try to train one of my babies to fall asleep on his own (and not suck on the breast to sleep) and that didn’t turn out well at all. In the end, all I did was made that baby more clingy to me. So I decided then that I would just do my best and let the baby guide my decisions. Now that they are all older (my eldest is 11 and my youngest is 3 years old), I don’t have problems with their sleeping. I have just learned that some of my kids are night owls and no matter what I do, I just can’t change that. So, why stress out about it.

So, what’s your experience on this issue? Did you sleep train your baby or not?

What Would You Advice A New Mom?

I have a few friends who are expecting their first baby. I can feel their excitement and anticipation. It brings back memories of when I was expecting my first. Throughout my growing up years, I’ve never had any experience with babies. I didn’t know how to play with them, I didn’t have any younger siblings and I didn’t do any babysitting. So it was quite scary to embark into the world of babyhood for the first time.

So, how did I do it?

Here’s some advice I would give to new moms.

• First of all, read up all you can about being a parent. Subscribe to motherhood magazines and read the experiences of other mothers. It helps to know what other mothers go through and how they cope. You may not have the same experiences but it is comforting to know that you are not the only one struggling. You may even find good ideas and tips that you never thought of.
• Get a good baby book that you can refer to that first year. And yes, I guarantee you’ll be looking up stuff about feeding, sleeping, pooping, diaper rash, teething etc…. You’ll wonder when the drooling stops, at what month baby can sit, when can they say “mama”, what’s going on if they cry non-stop and many more questions. One book that comes highly recommended is The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two . This book isn’t a bible that you must follow every word it says. It really advocates the idea that a mother knows best. So you have all these suggestions on what you can do and then you decide what works best for you and your baby.
  
• Get to know other mothers, whether in your neighborhood, town or join an online community. This has been one of my greatest pillar of support. I got to know a group of mothers online and if I had any doubts or questions, they were there to give clear things up. Plus they were there to encourage and lift up my spirits. Believe me, there will be days when you feel alone and down in the dumps. That was 11 years ago. They are still my best friends even though I’ve never ever met some of them face to face before.
• Trust and believe in yourself. You’ll hear people giving you all sorts of advice. Some may even shake their head at what you’re doing. Remember, they don’t walk in your shoes so they’ll never really understand what you’re going through. Each child is different and each mother is different. That makes each mother-child relationship different. Sometimes, you just can’t compare. It’s really not fair to compare too. So, if you’re doing the best that you can and you have your baby’s best interest at heart, just let those negative remarks go in one ear and out the other. Of course I’m not asking you to discard every single advice that come your way. Some people do make sense and are worth listening to. You have to practice good judgement when it comes to parenting advice.
• Take care of yourself. I know it sounds a bit selfish but seriously, if you let yourself get too tired, frustrated or sick, how good a mother can you be? When the baby comes along, it is natural that the whole world suddenly evolves around the baby. And being a new mother, you feel like you need to sacrifice yourself for your little helpless child. That’s true that a mother does sacrifice for a child’s benefit but there has to be a balance. You can’t give and give and give of yourself until the point of exhaustion. You need to do things that make you happy too. Even a 1 hour break does wonders. So arrange for your husband, grandparents, relatives, friend or babysitter to take care of your baby for a while and then go and rejuvenate yourself.
• Cry if you need to. Yeah, if you feel like crying, just let it out. You’ll feel better after that. And if anybody asks, just blame it on your hormones. That’s probably the reason anyway

Many people ask me how I handle my 4 kids. Well, I just take it one day at a time, one step at a time, do what I can and try not to sweat the small stuff. Focus more on the positive and try to do better each day. I know that one day, when I’m old and the house is empty, I’ll probably say that the days when my kids were young, were the best days of my life.

Changing minds about cloth diapers

(ARA) – “Cloth diapers are hard to use.” “Cloth diapers are inconvenient.” “Cloth diapers don’t fit my busy lifestyle.” These are some of the many reasons expressed by families about why they don’t or won’t cloth diaper, according to author and cloth diaper advocate, Kelly Wels.

Wels is a determined mom of three who will stop at nothing to get moms to open their minds about cloth diapering and stop the excuses.

“I find that many moms are unsure about cloth diapering their babies, but if they knew how easy it was and how much money they would save, I think they would give it a go,” says Wels.

In her mission to change minds, Wels wrote a book, “Changing Diapers. The Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering,” where she lists five reasons why a parent might choose to cloth diaper:

1. Cloth diapers are best for baby

2. Cloth diapers can save a family a lot of money

3. Cloth diapering is eco-friendly

4. Cloth diapers are convenient to use

5. Cloth diapering is fun

After years of selling cloth diapers direct to consumer through a dotcom, Wels hung up her hat so she could spend more time with her family. She sold her multimillion dollar cloth diaper retail business and took a much needed break. That’s when she began focusing on writing and publishing a book about modern cloth diapering.

Wels says the word “modern” is key to the book’s title.

“Modern cloth diapering requires fewer resources than cloth diapering of the past. Modern cloth diapers like bumGenius and Rumparooz fit just like disposable diapers except instead of a tape closure, modern cloth diapers use durable snaps or Velcro-like closures to secure on the baby. This means less time securing pins and plastic pants like moms did decades ago,” says Wels. “Modern cloth diapers also are easily cleaned at home in a washing machine and require no soaking, swirling or any of that icky stuff of yesteryear.”

Wels says she couldn’t wait to share her love of modern cloth diapers with others around the world and help them save money in these trying economic times.

“Disposable diapers can drain a family’s wallet, forcing them to spend $25 or more each week on diapers. With cloth diapers, a family only spends a few hundred dollars upfront and is set for their baby’s entire diapering years,” she says. “The savings really adds up when you factor in the costs of a second or third baby using the same cloth diaper stash as baby No. 1.”

Wels adds that families should be aware of other “costs” too.

“Our natural resources are so few and so precious. Disposable diapers, no matter how you slice it, require natural resources to make, package, ship and haul away to the trash dump every week.”

With cloth diapers, she adds, “You buy your diapers once and you never have to worry about buying again. Many busy moms use disposables strictly out of convenience, but I’m here to tell them that having everything you need to cloth diaper your baby in your home offers all the convenience needed.”

She adds, “If I can get just one more mom to become more open-minded about cloth diapering and maybe even encourage her to give it a try, I would consider my mission a success.”

Secrets of safe sleep: What parents need to know before putting baby to bed

(ARA) – When a baby arrives in your home, the world changes. Even after the months of preparation and planning for the little one’s arrival, the love a parent feels is stronger than could have been imagined – and so is the protective instinct. Giving your baby the finest of everything and keeping her safe are the top priorities for parents, but the gap between what seems like the right thing to do and what will actually be best for your child can be wide.

It’s second nature to plan an adorable nursery that’s coordinated from the art on the walls to the crib to the changing table. But while there’s an infinite supply of bedding sets that appeal to your taste in decorating, those sets might not be safe. In fact, the breathing hazards presented by soft, cushy bedding have caused organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics to recommend against using plush pillows, blankets and bumpers.

Creating a safe sleeping environment for your baby is easy, and you can rest easy – or as easily as new parents can – knowing that your baby is both comfortable and safe. Consider these tips to give your baby the best sleeping environment.

* Always place your baby on her back whenever you’re laying her down to sleep. Since the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched its “Back to Sleep” campaign in 1994, urging parents to put babies to sleep on their backs, deaths from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) have been reduced by nearly half, according to a study published in the journal “Pediatrics” in March 2012. Whether it’s nap time or night time, this is the safest position.

* Use a crib that meets current safety standards. While there might be sentimental value attached to a crib passed down through generations of family members, it’s not likely to meet the most up-to-date ideas of safety. Even if you have a modern crib, it’s important to pay attention to recalls – millions of drop-side cribs have been recalled in recent years. To see if your crib has been affected, check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website at www.cpsc.gov.

* In your crib, place a firm mattress that fits in place snugly. Try out the “two finger test” – if mom can fit two or more fingers between the mattress and the side of the crib, the mattress is too small.

* Choose a bedding set that supports baby’s safety. Quilt and bumper sets might be cute, but the importance of safe sleep for your baby should be paramount. A simple sheet is enough for your baby’s crib, when combined with a comforting wearable blanket  that keeps baby feeling secure. Crib sets offered by Halo have won multiple awards for safety and include SleepSack wearable blankets, crib sheets and a decorative crib skirt. More information can be found at HaloCribSet.com.

* Breastfeed, if possible, but when finished, put baby back to sleep in her own safe sleep area near your bed. It’s perfectly fine to share a room, but sharing a bed presents hazards for your baby.

* Encourage your baby to use a pacifier, once breastfeeding has been established. Pacifier use has been reported to be associated with a reduced risk of SIDS.

* Don’t dress baby too warmly for sleep, even if that’s what you think is comfortable. Keeping baby’s temperature at a safe level is important, so avoid overdressing and keep the room temperature at 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.  Using a SleepSack will also help to keep baby’s temperature regulated all night  long.

* Never put your baby down for sleep – either for a nap or overnight – on any soft surface or furniture, such as sofas, chairs, adult beds, quilts or sheepskins.

It’s easy to feel as though you should give your baby a soft, snuggly place to sleep, but taking a practical and informed approach to baby’s sleep environment is best. When it comes to what’s safest, remember to decorate the room, not the crib. For more information about safe sleep for your baby, visit www.halosleep.com.

What kind of parent do you want to be?

Baby may still be small but you can never be too early in planning what kind of parent you want to be. It does without saying that how you parent influences your child’s behavior and character. It is better to practice early the parenting style that will allow your children to become happy, independent individuals. If you decide to just go with the flow of things, you may make wrong decisions and then have a hard time later trying to undo your mistakes.

Let’s take a look at 3 parenting styles: Authoritative, Authoritarian and Permissive.

• Authoritative parenting is the one you want to strive for. You have rules for your children but you enforce them in a nurturing way. You don’t punish without reason and you don’t demand obedience out of fear. You allow your children to choose their course of action and teach them problem solving skills. You acknowledge your children’s feelings instead of shutting them up. You could say this way of parenting strikes a good balance between rules and freedom. Children grow up confident, happy and successful.
• Authoritarian parenting is like the strict parent that you can’t negotiate with. Your children must do everything you say and if they don’t, there will be harsh punishments. A child is obedient out of fear, rather than respect. Because they have no say in anything, their self esteem becomes low. They are not very happy either.
• Permissive parenting is a parent who can’t say “no” to their children. You don’t have many rules and allow your children lots of freedom.You are more like their children’s good friend rather than a parent. In the end, you will have a brat for a child that do not respect authority.

Authoritative parenting doesn’t come naturally. It is a learned skill and you have to make a conscience effort to practice it. It is in the best interest of your children that you learn how to parent the right way.