Fitting The New Baby In

I thought this was worth a read because most people have problems finding room for the new arrival.

Sometimes all the talk in the baby magazines and websites can ring a bit hollow when the subject turns to putting together a baby's room for your newborn. Those articles and books about decorating an adorable baby's room work from the presumption that you have an entire room you can give over to the baby.

But if you live in a small apartment like many of us do, you are going to have to adapt that dream. You are just as excited about the coming of that new baby to your home as anyone else. But you have to be a bit more creative especially when it comes to baby furniture.


Often the solution for how to accommodate the baby is simply to superimpose the baby's stuff on top of your stuff. For her crib or cradle, at least at first, you may need to bring the baby into the same room with mom and dad. This is where a crib that attaches to your bed so it doesn't get far away is a good choice. And for the nursing months, this is actually preferable so when baby wakes up hungry, mom or dad is right there.

As the baby gets older and perhaps needs a crib separate from parents, this is where some creative use of dividers can be very effective at creating the illusion of two rooms out of one. You can create a small space in the master bedroom perhaps no bigger than the crib itself and let baby sleep back there out of the glare of lights and separate from daddy's snoring at least a little bit.

But because you really don't have a separate space to set aside for baby, you may have to integrate the baby furniture in with the living room or dining room things. You can keep a baby's dresser in the living room and when the time comes to entertain, drape it with an elegant cloth to disguise what it is and then decorate it with potpourri and other decorative items so the baby furniture converts to a nondescript display piece that nobody needs to know why its there.

Similarly, toy chests, changing tables and other items that are needed from time to time can be stored away behind other things to be brought out when needed and slipped away again when not needed. Items needed to go out with baby such as a baby carrier, stroller and baby car seat can just live in the car back seat or trunk and never come into the apartment at all.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to find some overflow storage to use for items you must be able to lay your hands on but they don't need to be around every day. Or this storage could be used for mom and dad's stuff while baby takes up space in the apartment on the hedge that at some time in the near future you will move into a place with more space so that storage unit can be cancelled.

Raising a family in any setting takes creative thinking and the ability to solve problems. So if you need to make some accommodations to allow baby into your life, it wont be the last time that your lifestyle got a significant restructuring because of this sweet little life that basically moves in and takes over. But it's worth it for her little smile and the joy she brings you. And so you are a bit crowded. You're a family now and that is what is important.

By: Marie Wilson
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If you are interested in learning more about baby nursery furniture or wood baby furniture then visit us at BabyCribset.net.

What Does Proper Skin Care for Babies Include?

What Does Proper Skin Care for Babies Include?
By: Louise Forrest

You are a brand new parent, and you are just bringing your first child home. You are naturally excited and cannot wait to get the newborn baby back home. However, there is so much to do now and everything is down to you.

Now is the time where you will realize exactly how prepared you are! Do you know everything there is to know about looking after your babys skin? Do you know what skin care products to use? The answer is, probably not! However, it is completely normal to know little about keeping your babies skin nice and
healthy. Luckily, there is help at hand!

Looking after Babies Skin
On the television, adverts always tell you the obvious - that a babys skin is very fragile. However, for some new parents they might be unaware of this and therefore it is best to try and find out sooner, rather than later about what is needed. Some baby care products can cause irritation to the baby or can cause allergic reactions so it is always better to know which products to actually go for.

There are several types of skin care products which are used most frequently for all newborn babies. However, before buying these products, you should always check to see what is in them.

You can use a small amount of soap on the baby, but always make sure that it is a mild soap containing ingredients such as olive, coconut, or even palm oil. You should refrain from using antibacterial soaps, as this can often cause skin irritations.

After you have used soap on the baby, you need to replenish the skins oils, so try to use a soothing oil or lotion which contains saturated oils. The benefit of this, is that most babies are not sensitive to the saturated oils and so they are a lot safer to sue overall.

You should never give young babies bubble baths, as the ingredients can cause some serious problems. A way around this is to add maybe some lavender oil to the water (a small amount). It would be safer to mix the Lavender oil with carrier oil, such as almond oil, before adding it to the water. This is because most essential oils are too harsh on the skin when used alone. Before using any aromatherapy oils you should consult your doctor to check that they are not harmful to the baby.

All babies have different types of hair and whilst some babies tend to have a lot of hair, others have hardly any what so ever. For the babies with hardly any hair shampooing does not need to be done very often at all. However for babies with oily, longer hair, a mild shampoo is often recommended.

Some babies can suffer terribly from skin conditions including nappy rash. Massaging certain lotions and oils into the babys skin can relieve the irritation and sooth inflammation. Make sure you that you get the right one for your baby though, in order to prevent making the problem worse. Ingredients you should look for in baby products include chamomile and aloe, as these two ingredients have been proven to help soothe and to moisturize the babies skin.

A good product to use on babies is the Johnson baby range. The Johnson brand baby lotion is ideal for newborn skin and it really does help to keep the skin soft and smooth.

Overall, having a baby can be hard work but there are hundreds of products out there to choose from. It is all a matter of trial and error and nobody is expected to get things right the first time around. Parenthood is about making mistakes and finding out what works best for your baby. If you are unsure as to which products to use, you can always consult your doctor or midwife. They will be able to tell you exactly what you can and cannot use and it will really help to put your mind at ease!

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Louise Forrest has created the ultimate FREE Health & Beauty guide. Find out how you can gain access to FREE natural skin care articles, tips and techniques at www.NaturalElements.co.uk See how your new born baby will benefit from a range oforganic baby skin care products at www.NaturalElements.co.uk

How a New Mother Can Use Her Breast Pump With Less Time and Bother

How a New Mother Can Use Her Breast Pump With Less Time and Bother
By Matia Bryson | Published 09/19/2006 | Parenting |

Many times a new mother is surprised at how time consuming feeding an infant can be. Add to the regular breast feeding schedule the time to use a breast pump and mothers are even more pressed. Timesavers can be found in making wise clothing choices, multi-tasking while pumping, and organizing the breast pumping routine better.

Dress for Successful Breast Pumping.
Wear two-piece outfits with easy access to your breasts. A loose top that can be pulled up from the bottom makes breast feeding and breast pumping more convenient. Another choice would be a dress or shirt that buttons all the way down the front. Buttons that go down only to the waist are not usually sufficient for double pumping because you need to be able to open the shirt wide. Also you could buy nursing tops or dresses with discreet slits at the breast for convenience when nursing or pumping.
Use a pumping bra for hands-free pumping or Medela’s Pumping-Free Attachment Kit. The strapless variety of pumping bra makes it convenient to put on and take off only while pumping in a two-piece outfit if you prefer your ordinary nursing brassieres for most of the day. Some women have made their own pumping bras by cutting slits in an old bra. You could also try the old rubber band trick.
While you are making clothing choices, note that prints will not show wetness as easily as solids, and breast milk will stain your silk blouses. Other wise (or unwise) fabric choices may come to mind. Leaning forward slightly while pumping will help to keep the milk going into the bottles and not running out on your clothes. Some users tuck a towel under their breasts.

Multi-tasking while Breast Pumping.
If you would rather not buy hands-free pumping bras, you can have at least one hand free while double pumping with the following technique. Sit at a desk or a table. Use the edge of the table and one arm to hold your funnels in place. That gives you a free hand to read something that will lay flat on the table or eat a snack. Some users put the breast pump motor on the floor and operate the controls with a toe. With the Avent Isis IQ Duo Breast Pump, the controls are in one button on the part that is near the breast and the user’s hand. Another option for multi-tasking is the hands-free breast pump by Whisper Wear, the self-contained breast pump worn inside your bra. Although not absolutely silent and it makes one’s chest look larger than usual, this breast pump may still be an option for many mothers.
Some women multitask by pumping one breast while nursing the baby on the other breast. Some babies are bothered by the noise of an electric pump so their mothers have more success with a quality one-handed manual pump like the Medela Harmony, Ameda One-Hand, or Avent Isis breast pumps. A good time to try this technique is early in the morning when milk supply and the prolactin hormone is the greatest. Baby will usually be sated with the one side at this time of day – no need to switch sides unless you feel lopsided. Women who have difficulty getting their milk to let-down when pumping alone can often fill a bottle with their baby helping to stimulate their let-down.

Organize Your Breast Pumping Routine Better.
Follow a set routine: assemble your equipment the same way each time. Disassemble and wash the parts the same way each time. Like the pit crew for a race car, you will get faster and more efficient each time.
If you use your breast pump more than once a day, you could try the following. Instead of washing your parts after every session, just give the breast shield assembly a quick rinse and seal it in a clean plastic bag in the refrigerator between uses. Do give the parts a thorough hot, soapy wash at least once daily and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for sterilizing when needed.
Some users advise buying extra breast pump parts as a convenience. Have a couple of sets of the washable parts and you can wash only half as often. Some women buy three sets if they are pumping three times daily while at work. They bag the parts without washing them and bring them home for one washing. It saves time at work, and you can take advantage of your home dishwasher. Some women assign the task of parts-washing to another family member so they can have more time nursing and re-bonding with their baby in the evening. Another advantage to owning at least one extra set of parts is as a little insurance in case you lose something essential. If you are not lucky enough to have a retailer in your area that sells all the parts individually, you need to call the manufacturer and have one shipped to you. It can take days for your part to arrive. That can be a real inconvenience for mothers who must pump every day.

Finally, if you are breast pumping several times a day, buy or rent an efficient, high-quality breast pump. A double electric pump will finish the job in sometimes less than half the time, usually ten minutes when you become experienced. A pump that is slow is not only inconvenient, but some users find them uncomfortable too. A breast pump that wastes your time will cause you aggravation you do not need.

Matia Bryson is the mother of seven previously breast fed children and wants to help other mothers to breast feed their children as long as they desire to do so. The “old rubber band trick” can be found at the Hands-Free Breast Pumping Page. For information on how to get more out of one’s breast pump, read the Breast Pump Articles at the Baby Loves Your Milk website. For tips on buying a new breast pump on eBay, go to EBay Breast Pump Watch.

Matia Bryson is a mother of seven previously breastfed children and reviews breast pumps at the Baby Loves Your Milk website.

Eczema Treatment

My first son suffered with this condition so I thought it was a good article to include.

Eczema Treatment - Stay Close to Stay Healthy by ADDAM DEVIN
In this fast paced world of the 21st century, one of the biggest things been ignored by humans is their health. There is a sort of outburst of health diseases and disorders prevailing throughout the planet as people helplessly fiddle with precious time wasted on the professional front or simply fail to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This problem poses as a serious threat, especially for newborns who have just stepped into the world and need proper care.
When it comes to babies, one of the commonest ailments that they can suffer from is eczema, which has been recorded to affect about one out of ten babies in today's world. As an ailment, eczema, or atopic dermatitis as it is particularly known, targets the pretty delicate skin of the infants. This disease has been observed to particularly attack the scalp and the face in babies, while young people can develop it in areas like the face, neck, wrists, ankles and between the fingers. To cut the advance of this disease short, prompt eczema treatment is quite necessary.

The effect of this disease can shape up in the form of inflammation, skin rashes, uncontrollable itching, oozing skin and even getting encrusted. This ailment can prolong in babies for some months, although there aren't any harmful effects to look out for in the future. As the disease is quite common, the market is flooded with various forms of eczema treatments in the form of essential oils, moisturising cream, scalp care tonics and bath therapies.

Since there is no dearth of eczema treatment methods to ward off this skin ailment, you can easily take care of your baby and even yourself. All you need to do is follow a healthy regime and experience the wonders of this non medicated treatment as it relieves you from the disease completely.

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How to Massage New Born Babies

We have tried this on our new baby and it does help them go to sleep in a nice relaxed way and its very good for the parents to. Thats why we have included this article.
P.S
How to Massage New Born Babies by JAMES CANDELL

Family & Parenting

Newborns simply love to be touched and cuddled. The skin to skin touch helps you and your baby bond, comforts your baby when she is upset or uneasy with gas or colic problems. Hence, touch is a critical part of growth and development.
The massage strokes used on adults are completely different from the strokes to be used on newborns. You can adapt the adult strokes to massage your child. Just make sure that your strokes are lighter on them. The younger they are, more delicate and smaller will be the strokes be.

It is ideal that you take your child either on your lap or lay him on any kind of elevated soft surface such as few thick towels put together. Be very gentle while massaging. If your child cries or does not enjoy it, stop massaging till it feels comfortable about the whole thing.

Massage steps for the front of the body

- Lay the child on the back. Start by stroking gently the face, move to the middle of the forehead and temples

- Stroke the cheeks from nose to ears and back moving down to the chin. Gently stroke the area around the eyes.

- Stroke the front of the body along the arms. Make clockwise circles around the navel with both hands. Do gentle wringing action across the abdomen and up the body.

- Take one arm at a time, start stroking from shoulder to hand to fingers. Massage the hand, squeeze and rotate each of the fingers in turn. Do the same for other arm.

- Take one leg at time. Do a gentle wring or squeeze up the leg and stroke down the leg. Do the same for other arm. Massage steps for the back of the body

- Lay the child stomach down. Stoke up and over the back and along the arms.

- Do a gentle kneading on the child's shoulder

- Do a gentle wringing stroke all over the body. Massage the rear side with gentle kneading or pinching strokes.

- Slide smoothly down the spine alternating with both the hands. Start from the base of the neck and move to working down to the base of spine.

- Gently stroke the legs, bending the knee up and working all the way to the foot.

- Hold the anklebone between your fingertips and move both the hands in circular motion.

- Squeeze the heal with one hand and use the thumb of your other hand to massage the sole of the foot.

- Massage the toes by gentle squeezing, rotating and pulling it in turns. Hold the foot firmly between your hands for few seconds. Repeat the same for massaging the backside of other leg.

Lastly, turn the baby over and give it a final massage in two strokes. Start from one foot up the leg, across the lower abdomen and move down the other leg. Do light strokes from the top of head right down to the feet.

To massage the baby having gas or digestive problems, use the "I Love You" technique.

- Lay the baby on the back and undress it completely or just leave the diaper on.

- Use two or three fingers of your right hand to trace the alphabet "I" on the right side of the abdomen with gentle, yet firm movements.

- Next do a gentle stroke from left to right across the baby's abdomen and then do a small downward stroke along the right side of his stomach forming upside down "L" alphabet.

- Last, stroke up from the left side of your baby's hipbone moving towards the left side of the abdomen, across the baby’s body from left to right horizontally along the stomach and finally finish by stroking down the right side in the same manner, forming the "U" alphabet in upside down direction.

James Mother and Baby Shop

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stretch marks

Cream For Stretch Marks - Surviving Pregnancy by ALIEN SHENG

Oh how things change after having a new baby. Don't you just love it? You will usually have a few extra pounds to try and shave off, and let's not forget the stretch marks. Oh, and I almost forgot, we tend to wrinkle-up and acquire a few age spots.
Isn't the circle of life grand? Oh well, there's really nothing that can be done about this other than slowing the process by taking good care of ourselves.

However, some people go to the lengths of having plastic surgery done to retain their youth. Now, I'm not necessarily knocking this concept, but I personally don't look forward to going under the knife. There are simpler alternatives, you know.

Take stretch marks for example. You could go and attempt to have them surgically removed, or you could purchase some cream for stretch marks. Doesn't that sound a tad less frightening? Creams For Stretch Marks

What do you know about cream for stretch marks? Well, if you're a man, then you probably know virtually nothing. However, if you are of the softer sex, and have had a bout or two with the old stretch mark fairy, then you're probably looking into cream for stretch marks. There must be a way to reduce their visibility or simply vanquish them altogether.

I can recall going shopping with my wife a few years back and she was in the market for a quality cream for stretch marks. Who has one you might ask? The heck if I know. She ended up trying some serum from Clarins, but it caused irritation where she applied it.

Needless to say this was not a keeper for her. After browsing through several other products, she decided to just leave well enough alone. However, now days she is wanting to banish those irksome stretch marks once again. So it's back to the drawing board. Luckily there are more treatments and remedies to choose from now. That ideal cream for stretch marks is probably out there if you can actually pinpoint it.

One great place to start this journey is on the World-Wide-Web. The Internet is filled with cosmetics and reviews to give you the scoop on their quality. Sometimes you'll find that certain upper-scale products aren't rated so well. Go ahead and pop open your Mac or PC. It's time to find that perfect cream for stretch marks today. Alien writes for pregnancy signs . He also writes for weight loss tips and herbal remedies

Bedtime

Having had 3 children all completly unique as all baby's are, one thing I know is absolutely true baby's love rountine, Yes its boring, it interups your previously "I'll just do this, go here lifestyle but believe me it pays you dividends.

Also please please remember anything you start with for baby care when they are tiny and new and cute in this rountine is with you for years!!!