Parenting & New Baby Advice Blog

Archive for the ‘Safety’ Category

It used to be that a parent had to be in the room at all times in order to see and hear their baby. Those days are gone for good now that technology has stepped in. Babies can now be monitored for every movement and cry. But which monitor is best for your family? Audio? Video?  When choosing, you should consult consumer reports but also consider these specifics. If you're debating giving the monitor as part of a baby gift basket, then you're in the right place. It's great to first learn the difference between the two.

Audio baby monitors are still a good option for the parent who just wants to listen in for baby’s waking cries or to hear if baby has fallen asleep. They are portable, so you can take the receiver downstairs or out on the porch while the monitor end stays in baby’s room. These are good for basic sound monitoring. The clarity is good, but there can often be static and they do not allow you to go very far away from the monitor. You may, with some units, be able to go to the mailbox or to the garden depending on how far they are from the house.

But also consider the video baby monitor. Technology has finally caught up with moms’ and dads’ concerns. Not only is it possible to hear your baby in his room, but now you can see him as well. Many companies sell them and they offer varying levels of capabilities.

Geeks.com (www.geeks.com) is one company that sells a very high-end video and audio baby monitoring system. It’s called the "2.4GHz Wireless Baby Monitor Color Camera Kit w/Pan & Tilt Infrared Night Vision Camera & Handheld Monitor/Controller". This is intelligent electronic surveillance at its best. Parents now can watch their baby on a 2.4” LCD color receiver. Every move baby makes can be seen even in the daylight or the dark. Several small LED lights make it possible for baby to be viewed even in a dark room. It will record baby from up to 32 feet away. You can take the receiver end with you and transmission is clear without static. You can even use the included ear buds so no one else is disturbed by baby’s cries. One drawback is that it is only for indoor use. But most parents tend to stay in the house while baby is sleeping anyway. It does feature a two-way speaker so you can coo and talk to baby from downstairs and let your voice reassure him. If you know a parent who worries, this would make a nice baby shower gift. And it’s under $100.

There are all sorts of baby monitoring products that go from simple audio to in-shower receivers so a parent can take a shower while listening for baby. There are also monitors that pick up on baby’s sleep movements. The transmitter can be placed under baby’s mattress and if no movement is detected for 20 seconds, the monitor tone goes off. That may be too much information for some parents, but for parents of high-risk babies or preemies, this may be just the thing to reassure them baby’s ok. Another type of monitor is the window/motion sensor. For parents who worry about baby’s safety, this monitor is perfect. It will go off if any movement is detected in the room or at the window.

It’s up to you to decide how much monitoring you want to do. If your house is small and baby will be on the same floor as you for easy check-ins, maybe an audio monitor is all you need. If you have a large house or have a caregiver monitoring baby, you might want to go high-tech with a video monitor. Today’s monitors have drastically improved from the olden days. And they have actually come down to a decent price that will allow any concerned parent to own one. They make excellent new mom gifts and come in adorable shapes, colors, and styles to fit every nursery décor.

More Helpful Parenting Articles:

• What to Bring For An Overnight Trip with Baby or Toddler
• How To Babyproof Your Home
• Choosing the Right Babysitter
• Baby Teething Timetable

Is there a new mother on earth who hasn’t worried about giving her newborn his first bath? What do you do once the nurses are gone and you’re left there alone to bathe this delicate little person? First, you relax. Know that you are just like every first time mom. No one is born knowing how to bathe a newborn. But after about five minutes, you’ll feel like an old pro. If possible, get used to bathing baby along with another family member there to help you.

Here are some baby bathing tips to keep in mind for newborns and young infants:

• The most important rule is Never Walk Away. Don’t walk away from an infant in a tub or sink for any reason whatsoever. Your Aunt Margaret can call back. The UPS guy can leave the package at the door. You are chained to the tub or sink until baby’s bath is over. Infants can drown in less than one inch of water in less than a few seconds. So, don’t be scared, but don’t be careless.
• Use warm water only. Babies have such tender skin that they can be sensitive to temperatures adults would consider fine. Use a baby bath thermometer. These come in cute shapes and you probably got one at your shower. Test the water first before putting baby in and never run the faucet directly on baby.
• It’s best to bathe baby in a sink fitted with a plastic baby bath tub. You won’t have to bend over a tub and besides, baby is too small for a full tub bath. Just clear out the dishes and place the bath tub right in the sink.
• Fill the bath water before baby gets in. Ensure that it is the right temperature (your thermometer will have markings to tell you when it’s safe) and then gently place baby into the baby bath tub.
• You only need a dime sized dot of baby bath. The less the better. It’s hard to rinse a wiggling infant, so just use a little on a washcloth. Never pour baby bath directly on a newborn’s head as it may get in their eyes and will be hard to rinse out.
• You’re there to hold the baby at all times. You may want another pair of hands there for your first few baby baths. Don’t move from baby to grab lotion or a towel. Your hands stay on baby at all times.
• Support his head and talk to baby during the bath. Most babies love their bath, but the first few times he may be cold or sense your nervousness. Don’t worry. It gets better and soon he’ll be cooing right back at you.
• You don’t need to run the faucet water over baby to rinse him. Gently clean between baby’s toes and fingers where formula or breast milk can hide and then use a plastic cup to gently run some of the tub water over baby to rinse.
• Because tiny infants get cold quickly, make bath time a fast in and out. Save the toys from the baby bath gift baskets til later. As baby gets older you can spend more time playing and splashing. But tiny infants need to be dried off and swaddled in a blanket or hooded towel before they have time to catch a chill.
• Arrange to have help getting baby dressed after the bath at least for the first few times. You’ll wrap baby in a dry towel and carry him to his changing area. Have pjs or a new outfit ready to go. You’ll need diapers, socks, t-shirt and pants along with any other layers. Be sure that you send someone to get them for you and never walk away from a baby on a changing table. Not even for one short second while you reach for a diaper. If you find you are missing something at the changing table, carry baby with you to get the item. Even the smallest of infants can fall off a changing table in a fraction of a second. Better safe than terribly sorry.

More Newborn Tips:

• What to Bring For An Overnight Trip with Baby or Toddler
• How To Babyproof Your Home
• Tips for Introducing the New Baby to Your Pet
• Eco-Friendly Baby Tips

It’s your first time to bathe your newborn all by yourself. The nurses from the hospital showed you how to do it, but now they are gone. Don’t worry! You can do it. If possible, wait until there’s someone else to help you and you’ll feel even better about the whole thing. It’s going to become second nature to you very quickly and you’ll be bathing your little one by yourself in no time.

Gather the following supplies: a baby bath tub that fits in the sink, a wash cloth, a bath towel or baby’s hoodie towel, and a bottle of baby bath. That’s all you need and you’re ready to head over to the sink.

Bathe a newborn in the kitchen sink for a couple of reasons. First, it’s easier for you since you won’t have to bend over a bath tub. Second, it’s easier for you to maneuver and hold on to baby in her bathtub in the sink.

Rid the sink of any dishes and then place the baby bathtub in the sink. Fill it with warm water, about two inches high. That’s all you need. You don’t want to fill the bathtub too much as babies can squirm around and also don’t need a lot of water to be washed. Their bodies are so little.

Stores do sell baby bath water thermometers. If you are a first time mom and worried about not getting the temperature of the water right, go out and get yourself one. You may have even gotten one for your shower. It’s basically just a cute shaped thermometer with markings that tell you if the water is too hot for baby. You can also test the water the old fashioned way by putting your elbow into the water. If it feels right to your elbow—not too hot or too cold—then it will be perfect for baby’s soft skin.

Place baby in the bath tub. From this point on, you are anchored to the sink. You can’t answer the phone if it rings, or the doorbell, or attend to a barking dog. Your mind is now 100% focused on baby so she doesn’t slip down into the water.

Keep your hand on baby at all times. There will only be an inch of water, but it can be enough to cause a baby to drown if left unattended. Be cautious but not terrified. You’re right there holding baby, so all will be well.

Next take the washcloth and dunk it into the bath water. Put a dime-sized squirt of baby bath on the washcloth and start washing baby. Wash her head by rubbing it gently with the soap. Then continue down baby’s body. Wash under the folds of the neck where milk can accumulate. Wash between little toes and fingers, too. Don’t turn the water on to rinse baby. You don’t want to scald her. Instead, just gently use the wash cloth to rinse her by drizzling the bath water over her.

Talk to baby as you bathe her. She’ll start to look forward to baby bath time with you. Baths can be short and sweet, and should be, for newborns. Prolonged exposure to the water will give her the chills. So dress her in her pjs or outfit for the day right away.

Don’t use a blow dryer on baby’s head. Her hair is probably so fine that it needs little more than a light towel dry. You don’t want all that hot air from the dryer to scald her sensitive skin. Comb her hair with a tiny baby brush.

When you’re all done dressing baby, lay her down on her back to sleep in her bassinette or place her in her baby swing while you go dump out the bath water. You’ll need the sink again soon and you’ll want the space cleared. Keep the bathing supplies nearby so you don’t have to run around looking for them next time.

You’ve probably seen a toddler out at the playground or in church with a security baby blanket. You may smile and think it’s cute or you might wonder why the mother and father don’t take the blanket away from an older toddler. He’s not a baby anymore, right? Does he really need to take that blanket everywhere?

Surprisingly, experts say that toddlers should be allowed to have security blankets if they want them. Security blankets can be a source of comfort for a toddler or a baby who can’t otherwise talk or make their requests known.

There are no health or developmental risks associated with the use of security baby blankets. Starting from when babies are first swaddled up in blankets at the hospital when they are born, blankets can bring comfort and soothe a crying baby. The warmth and coziness associated with a blanket can often stand in for mom when a child is separated from her, whether she’s a room away or away at work. Small babies need to be swaddled to keep them warm, and also to keep them from flailing their arms around and scratching themselves.

Older babies should not be left alone in their cribs with blankets due to suffocation risk.  They can certainly play with their favorite blanket on the floor or in the playpen when they are being supervised.

As children grow older, their need for the blanket changes from a desire for warmth to a desire for reassurance. As long as their blanket is nearby, they can face the first day of playgroup or meeting a new friend. Some children never take to the idea of a security blanket, while others demand to have a favorite blanket with them at all times. Beware to the mom who tries to take the blanket away to wash it! Children who love their security blankets are reluctant to give them up for any reason, even if they are covered in mud. So most parents wash their child’s blanket while the child is sleeping.

Many parents worry that their children are going to be made fun of if they carry a security blanket after a certain age.  What is that age? Is a two-year-old too old to carry a blanket? A three-year-old? Who can say?

Experts agree that if the child is entering school, it’s probably best to wean them off their blanket slowly. This can be difficult especially if their blanket has been their best friend. A parent can start asking for the blanket to be left at home during short trips to the grocery store, and then longer and longer trips until the child is finally able to board the bus for Kindergarten without his blanket.

There is nothing wrong with allowing a child to have his favorite security blanket. It’s a way for the child to deal with stress, uncertain circumstances like divorce, and many other issues that children deal with every day. The blanket may be their best source of reassurance that everything is going to turn out ok. The only time to begin to be concerned is if the child is about to head off to school where blankets aren’t allowed or he’s reached the age where other children may tease him about it.

Ask your pediatrician for advice if the baby blanket situation is getting out of hand in your house. She can offer suggestions that will allow your child to comfortably and slowly give up their attachment to their blanket. Don’t expect it to happen overnight.  Also, don’t feel like you did something wrong if your child is older and still wants his blanket. You can always arrange for your child’s blanket to be waiting for him when he returns home from school and to stay on his bed until he’s much older and no longer wants it. You can also make the blanket into a pillow or include it as part of a robe so the child can keep it forever.

Security blankets can be wonderful stress relievers for children. Discuss any concerns you may have with your doctor and you and your child will be more at ease.

Today’s cribs are thankfully safer than their predecessors. The cribs of old are lovely to look at, but short on safety features. Children used to get their heads stuck between the bars all the time. Since mattresses didn’t adjust, bigger babies as they grew could one day stand up and flip themselves out of their cribs. Today’s cribs will let you sleep a little sounder at night, don’t worry.

First, buy a new crib. It can be tempting to take on an old or used one, but there are a few problems with that. Yes, you will be saving money, but you don’t know if important screws and safety bars are missing. Even if you’re just bringing your own baby crib down from mom’s attic, remember, in just a few years, no less decades since you’ve used it, crib safety has improved greatly. There are now standards in place that were not even considered even as recently as the 1980s. Choosing a new crib in a modern model will give you peace of mind. It’s worth the extra money. You can register for it and hope you get it for your baby shower. Or, you can just go out and pick it out yourself. Don’t worry that it’s a chunk of change. If you invest in convertible crib, you can get a piece of baby furniture that your child will use from infant to college. These cribs change from crib to day bed to full bed with just a few quick turns of a screw. Some even have nightstands incorporated in them that switch out from changing table form when baby outgrows diapers. Amazing!

As for other safety issues you should be concerned with are the spacing of the bars. If they are not close enough together, baby’s head could be caught. If you purchased a new crib, don’t worry as the manufacturers have to abide by crib bar spacing regulations.

Never put crib linens in the crib other than a fitted sheet. You may want to add bumpers and pillows and blankets which all look cute, but are actually choking hazards. Babies can get caught in and under crib bumpers and have suffocated under blankets without having the mobility to get themselves out from under them. Babies do not need pillows, so don’t feel like you’re robbing them of comfort. They are supposed to sleep on their backs to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, SIDS, so be perfectly confident in laying them on their backs without pillows to sleep.

Don’t hang a mobile over the crib that could fall and become tangled. If you want to use a mobile, make sure it’s new and secure. Older models, again, are cute but questionable as to their safety.

Adjust the crib mattress so that as baby grows, the mattress goes lower and lower. That way he can’t climb out. New cribs have adjustment levers that allow you to raise or lower the mattress for this purpose.

Use a monitor so you can hear what’s going on in baby’s room when he’s in the crib. Video monitors will also let you see him, so you’ll have another confirmation that he’s ok. If you follow common sense precautions, you’ll actually be able to fall asleep at night and leave all your worries behind.