Baby Stories | Better Parenting

Struggling with Getting Pregnant?

December 27, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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If you are struggling with becoming pregnant, don’t be discouraged too quickly—you may not be infertile. Let these facts encourage you:

There is only a 25% chance of getting pregnant from month to month. So you if you have been trying for three months, relax. What’s more, there is plenty of information about the best times of the month to try that take into account ovulation and other things. If you haven’t done any research on how to get pregnant, and haven’t been keeping track of your cycle to see when you are most fertile, do so. Otherwise, your chances drop from 25% to 11% per month.

What you are eating can make a difference. Following the same diet recommended for when you are pregnant may also be good to follow when you are trying to get pregnant. This includes cutting out caffeine, and increasing green and leafy vegetables. You want to prepare your body for supporting your baby, and that means not only getting your hormones up but putting your body and immune system in better health.

How to know if you are struggling with infertility: if you have been trying to get pregnant for over 18 months, you should make an appointment with your obstetrician. Resolve.org recommends that you make an appointment if you have been trying for a year and are under 35, or if you have been trying for six months and are over 35.

If you do think that you could be infertile, these sites can help encourage you, inform you, and let you know that you are not alone.

Health.google.com. This site offers a good overview of what fertility means, what can cause it, and what can treat it. If you are just beginning your research on why you are infertile, this could be a good starting point.

Resolve.org. While offering an enormous amount of information on causes and treatments for infertility, this site also offers support groups all over the nation.

source: notgettingpregnant.org

Filed Under: Baby Stories, Child Care, Parenting Tagged With: Health, Infertility, Pregnancy

The Importance of a Birth Plan

December 6, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Designing a birth plan is similar to planning a vacation, but with many differences. Instead of setting out for a beach for relaxation, you are bringing another person or persons into the world. Preparing for the birth of a child is a psychological and physical experience and it will not always go as planned. Regardless of some changes in a birth plan, you should always have one so you are prepared.

A birthing plan can prepare you for some issues you may encounter during the pregnancy and birth of your child. A healthy child is the most important result that you want after giving birth. You may not like the idea of being in labor for several hours or days, but the health of your child is more important. If this is your first child, you may struggle with a birthing plan. If this is not your first child, you may have ideas on what you would like to change from your previous labors.

There are many things that women fear when having a child. The pain is a major fear among all women. As you prepare to give birth, you will learn how to read your body and you will realize that the pain is not the biggest concern you have. There are other circumstances that a woman will fear more than the pain of giving birth like something goes wrong during the labor, your partner is unable to get to the hospital in time, or the doctor does not listen to your needs. The most important thing to do is to forget all of the horror stories you have heard over the years and to take the labor as it comes. You will be much more capable of handling your labor if you are not concerned with what happened with others.

Filed Under: Baby Stories Tagged With: Child, Childbirth, Health, Infant, Midwifery, Pregnancy, Pregnancy and Birth, Reproductive Health

Better Health for the Whole Family

November 16, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image by kevandem via Flickr

One of the big rules for parents, adoptive or not, is that the first few months to a year are likely to be spent with only the baby getting a lot of sleep. Infants have a lot of fear of the unknown. After all, everything in the world is unknown to them. So they tend not to sleep through the night especially well. And while you can always sleep with them in your bed, this can tend to cause tensions between parents who may want to continue attempting to have the next baby… or just those who want to connect carnally. It can even have a negative impact on your baby’s health, if you tend to roll around in your sleep.

So keeping the child in bed with you might not be the best option. And if you suffer from enough sleep deprivation, your health will begin to deteriorate. So you might want to consider using the car trick. Now, this is not some kind of stunt work, or a circus act, but simple pragmatism. Simply put, you take your baby in the car (obviously, in its car seat), take a little drive, and the child conks out within a matter of minutes. The car trick may not work with every child, because some have differing temperaments than others.

But with a lot of babies, there is just something about being inside of a moving vehicle. Maybe it reminds them of being back inside the womb. So whip out your Volvo models, or even your regular car, and take a little spin around the block. Make it something romantic for you and your partner, while the child begins to nod off in the back seat. After awhile, you might find this turning into something of a tradition, whenever your baby has a little bit of extra energy. A peacefully sleeping baby is better for everybody.

Filed Under: Baby Foods, Baby Products, Baby Stories, Baby Toys Tagged With: Child, Conditions and Diseases, Health, Sleep, Sleep deprivation, Sleep disorder, University of Canterbury, Volvo

Let a Guide to Online Education Help You with Parenting

October 14, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Parenting and baby care is never easy. If you are a first-time parent, then some obstacles might look insurmountable to you at the start. The key to it all is to remember that nobody was born a parent. Quite honestly, your little one will have no one else to compare you to and so you are destined to be the best parents ever.

Love is a very important factor in any relationship, especially with an infant who may not understand what you are saying but will always remember the feel of your hands, the warm glow in your eyes and the smile teasing your lips when you look at them. Changes might be hard to deal with but as long as you keep your mind open to options, you will do just fine.

One major aspect that needs to be looked into seriously is the goals you have for your future. In today’s day and age, higher education courses give you an edge over competitors in terms of getting that dream job. Parenting and baby care need not be the end of your dreams. In fact, it need not even put a stopper on them for a while. What you need is a guide to online education. Explore all the options available online and pick the right course for yourself. Ensure that your choice of course is being offered by an accredited online college. This will mean that it is internationally viable and recognized.

Online courses are not easy, particularly if you are trying to juggle it with the responsibilities of a new baby in your life. A guide to online education will be able to help you sort out your priorities and choose the most feasible option in terms of time limits, educational value and course material. You really can have it all!

Filed Under: Baby Foods, Baby Products, Baby Stories, Baby Toys Tagged With: Distance education, E-learning, Education, Family, Higher education, Home, Parent, PRWEB

Teaching Children about Money

October 11, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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You are a new parent and have a baby to feed and care for now. Congratulations! One of the things to keep in mind is that as your children grow older, you want to create a savings plan so that when it’s time for them to go to college, you can afford to send them to a good university. That means it’s a good idea to start saving now. Many parents are aware of this and start bank accounts for their children, taking advantage of college savings plans and similar savings plans. However, it is equally important that you develop sound financial management skills that you can later teach your children. Don’t wait until they’re in college to do so, because that may be too late.

Sound financial management can begin right from childhood. As toddlers learn about playing with other children, they should learn a balanced form of play in which there is give and take. If they keep giving, then they will not have the chance to play with the toys they want to play with. If they keep hoarding, they will not learn the joy of giving and playing. One creative idea is that whenever you buy something for your children, they should give away something from their toy collection to the poor or needy. These are simple but important skills that you can teach your child right when they’re young.

As they grow into their teenage years, they should also learn the importance of saving money and investing. That way, when they enter college and later look for work, they will have sound financial skills and you will be proud and confident about their money management skills. Avoiding credit card debt and refinancing a mortgage will be easy for children who have learned about money all their lives.

Filed Under: Baby Foods, Baby Products, Baby Stories, Baby Toys Tagged With: Bank account, Child, Education, Family, Home, Learning, Management, Saving

Unwanted Advice for New Moms

October 11, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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How often do you get advice from people when they see you holding a new baby? People you know, people you don’t know–it doesn’t matter, does it? When there’s a woman holding an infant in public, strangers become a fount of sage advice–or so they think. The advice they want to share may be valid information, and perhaps it even worked for them, but why do they think that you want to take their advice?

Most pregnant women begin studying those mommy manuals shortly after they see that little pink plus sign on the pregnancy test. They have a pretty good idea how they would like to raise their child. They know which medications they will use when the baby has a fever, who their child’s pediatrician will be, and whether they should breastfeed or bottle feed. Sure, a new mother might panic for a second when they feel the first warm forehead or when they spend that first night pacing the floor with a colicky baby. A little moral support might come in handy at those times but not advice that comes across as judgment.

There are some things a new mother doesn’t need to hear. Some of those things include, “Can you really afford to buy that baby Nike shoes? That baby can’t even walk.” Here’s a good one: “When babies have colic you should put pickle juice in their bottle.” Or how about, “That diaper rash will go away if you use butter instead of ointment.”

New mothers should give experienced mothers a pass. Sometimes they want to be helpful, but sometimes they miss their babies and giving advice helps them get back to the moment when they were a new mother. If new moms only knew how quickly the baby years pass, they’d understand. Still, buy your baby those Nike shoes, even if your baby can’t walk yet.

Filed Under: Baby Foods, Baby Products, Baby Stories Tagged With: Breastfeeding, Family, Home, Infant, Mother, Pregnancy, Shopping, The New Baby

Growing into Motherhood

August 20, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

As the youngest child in my family, I was never interested in babies. My oldest sister loved to carry them, talk to them, and hold them. I, on the other hand, was awkward around them. Their fragility terrified me—I envisioned dropping my little nephew on his head and having to rush him to the hospital, or worse. Even the openness and curiosity of older children unnerved me. As an already awkward teen, I didn’t know what to do with a child’s frank questions and forwardness.

None of this affected the way I lived until I got married, and then when I got pregnant. Before then, I simply declined the opportunity to baby sit my sister’s brood of children and was happy to hold my nephew for only a few minutes here and there. Suddenly, however, I realized that I was going to have a child of my own, and that I had no idea how to take care of a baby, or how to relate to a child.

I had always assumed that “being a mom” is just something that comes naturally and which you don’t really need to work on, but now I wasn’t so sure. To help me prepare for motherhood, I took every chance to play with young ones. After some time, I was surprised by how I no longer found infants mysterious or extremely unnerving (now they were just a little bit unnerving!). Just spending time with htem helped explain how they function, why they cry, and how to understand and comfort them.

Tending to my own baby did reveal a whole capacity for love and understanding that I didn’t know I had. While spending time with my nephew before my little girl was born did put me more at ease, it was still so natural to care for my baby, to understand what she wanted, and to nurture and cherish her. When she was born, I didn’t feel awkward or worry that I didn’t understand her. A mother and her baby have a beautiful and unique connection, and I have loved being a mother.

Filed Under: Baby Stories, Child Care, Health Tips Tagged With: Family, Mother, Pregnancy

Baby Style

August 16, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Moms love keeping their children looking in top shape. With so much adorableness, it’s hard to keep your little guy from looking his best. Want to keep your kid in the height of cuteness? These style tips are the timeless ones that never go away and that keep your kids looking their cutest.

Ruffles for Girls. Every baby girl has at least some ruffles. Whether its just the ruffle on the edge of her sock, or the completely ruffled bloomers, no little girl looks so precious as when she is put in a little bit of frill. Want to go all-out on the ruffles? Go to rufflebutts.com. It’s worth checking out when even the name is so cute.

Polos for Boys. Nothing makes a boy look more like a little man than a polo shirt. You can buy a solid color t shirt, or get one with stripes. You can even find them with a design on them—trucks are another classic item of boy fashion. Want to make your little guy look even more like a stud? Match his polo shirt with a pair of dark-wash jeans.

Footed Pajamas for older kids. No Christmas morning is complete without one of your children wearing footed pajamas. Endearingly known as “footie” pajamas, this classic brings back so many warm and fuzzy memories that even really older kids—college students—will still wear them. This makes them the longest-standing clothing item for children, for infants to adults can (and do) wear them.

There are two reasons for this: the first is that kids find the idea of footed pajamas the coolest thing ever. But, if you buy a good pair, the second reason is comfort: footed pajamas are extremely warm in the wintertime, and even the cotton ones offer a sense of security that some kids will love. When buying them, however, be sure to get a good quality. Kids think they are so cool, they will wear them regardless of comfort, but they will absolutely love them if the inside of the fleece doesn’t scratch their skin, and if the feet have comfortable padding.

Filed Under: Baby Foods, Baby Stories, Child Care Tagged With: Children, Clothing, Fashion, Shopping

Connecting with your Unborn Baby

August 15, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Want to form a relationship with your baby before she is even out of the womb? With 4-D ultrasounds and mp3 players that can record your baby’s heartbeat, you can know a lot about your baby. Here are two ways that you can let your baby know more about you.

Music. Research shows that your baby is listening to the sounds going on around you, even though she is still in your womb. This is why, when she is born, she will automatically be drawn to you and feel safe with you—she knows your voice! You can do the same thing with music. Play whatever music you like to your baby—use it as a way to connect with to let know you more. Other research has suggested that your baby will remember the music you play and be comforted by it.

Since your baby is already listening to the sounds around her and you, she should be able to here music played on a stereo. However, if you feel like making use modern technology, you can buy Lullabelly, a prenatal music belt that plays music to your baby while in the womb.

Read. Having the child’s father read a story out loud can help increase the emotional bond between father and child. One of the most familiar and comforting sounds to a baby is her mother’s voice, which she has heard loudest and clearest all nine months in the womb. Making sure that your baby feels equally connected to her father before even being born is just as important.

Research suggests that your baby will be able to recognize the sound of a short story that you read often, and will feel comforted by it, much like it will feel comforted by familiar music. While you can read any book to your baby, there are books specifically written for your unborn little ones, such as Oh, Baby, the Places You’ll Go!: A book to be read in Utero by Tish Rabe and Dr. Seuss, and I Can’t Wait to Meet My Daddy by Kathleen Blease.

Sources: bbc.co.uk/music, associatedcontent.com

Filed Under: Baby Products, Baby Stories, Child Care, Parenting Tagged With: Baby, Children, Pregnancy, Uterus

Finding the Perfect Babysitter

August 14, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Basically every decent babysitter will be attuned to your children’s needs and behavior and should be able to give you a report on how the night went while you were gone. They will also try to honor the normal schedule (dinnertime, bedtime) that your family usually follows, and interact with your kids by watching a movie or playing a game with them, or even helping them with (or getting them to work on) their homework. However, an amazing babysitter should also have these traits.

Most importantly, your child should feel safe and comfortable with the person you hire. This is where hiring somebody you already know comes in handy. If this is not possible, however, leave the babysitter with your kids for a shorter amount of time, and then ask your kids how they liked her. If they are more than ambivalent, follow their instincts and don’t hire that babysitter again.

You also want a sitter that your kids will be able to bond with. If you come home and your kids run up to you with stories about how their sitter played make-believe with them, and even made a construction-paper princess crown, and sat on the end of their double bed and read them a bedtime story, you know you’ve found a gem. This is someone who has the creativity to discover and embrace your child’s personality and imagination. Other worthy sitters will bring projects or crafts, or will help them with their homework.

A good sitter will also leave a house in the same or better condition as when she arrived. This is especially true if your babysitter is staying a significant time after your child’s bedtime. While it is unreasonable to expect a sitter to clean significantly more than their own mess, they should have had plenty of time to clean up any mess they made while watching the kids.

Finally, try working with your sitter before outright firing her. If she is great at playing and bonding with the kids, but leaves the house messier than she found it, point it out to her and ask her to change. If she does, you’ve got an even better sitter!

Filed Under: Baby Stories, Child Birth, Child Care Tagged With: Babysitting, Family