Baby Sleep Tips - Develop A Reasonable Attitude

It's impossible to list all the different skills you need, and decisions that you have to make, as a new parent. Although you should try to educate yourself and talk to other parents, in most cases the best solution for any questions you may have is to follow your instincts. Parenting is, after all, one of the most natural things in the world. One of the most common and difficult things you'll deal with as the parent of a newborn is in getting your child to sleep well and throughout the night. Often, the process of achieving this seems to be a combination of science, art, and just plain luck. There are many baby sleep tips out there, and many of them are useful, but before you begin researching and applying them, you should develop a realistic and healthy attitude towards sleep. If you don't do this, you risk applying tips in a rigid and scattershot manner, which isn't likely to work.

One of the keys to this is understanding that you should be developing a long term goal, in terms of your baby's sleep habits. As much as any parent's short term goal is simply to get their child to go to sleep, so that she can get some sleep herself, you should be thinking of the long term goal of instilling healthy sleep habits in your child. A successful way to implement this goal is to be realistic and flexible. Your child is not going to sleep the same way or in the same manner every night. What you should be trying to do, therefore, is creating an environment that is conducive to sleep, so that your child can slowly learn to fall asleep on his own.

The best thing you can do is help your child develop an attitude in which sleep is both an enjoyable and secure state. Your child should think of sleep as a comforting thing that comes naturally. One way you can help foster this idea is by avoiding too much interference with your child's sleeping habits. Although it can be tempting to follow guides and implement rigid rules regarding your child's sleep, in many cases this can cause problems down the road.

If you rouse or put your child to bed at set hours, you may achieve a short term goal of getting some rest, but you may also be altering your child's attitudes towards sleep. Instead of thinking of sleep as an enjoyable activity, he will begin to think of it as something he "has to do" like eating his dinner. By altering your child's attitude towards sleep in this way - by making him think of it as a task rather than an enjoyable activity - you risk problems developing later.

In older children and adults who have sleeping problems, doctors can often trace the source of the problem back to sleeping habits enforced at an extremely young age. If as a baby the subject was put to bed at a set hour, for example, regardless of weather he was tired or not. By trying to stay more in tune with how your baby is feeling and what he wants, you will encourage a healthier attitude towards sleep, which will benefit both you and your child in the future.

Baby Cribs - Finding The Right One

Before you go looking at baby cribs you should determine your budget. A good idea is to have a price range to work with. This will allow for more choices in the long run.

The main concern you should have whether you are buying a new crib or a used one. The crib must meet government standards. When you put the crib together be sure to so following the manufacturer's directions exactly to ensure the greatest amount of safety for your child. It should also be used properly.

Safety concerns include the mattress. The mattress must be firm and tight fitting and there should be no missing or broken hardware. There should be no missing or loose slats. The slats should not be any more than 2 3/8 inches apart - about the width of a soda can. There should be no cutouts in the foot or headboards. If there are corner posts they should be no more than a sixteenth of an inch above the foot or head bar.

Drop sides on a crib is very convenient and is probably the most used feature on any crib. Fixed sides do not have the drop down feature and is great for tall people or those who will only be occasionally using the crib. Most parents opt for a single drop down sided crib that allows them to easily lift baby out of the crib and to place him in the crib. This is especially convenient if your crib is placed against the wall. Double drop down sided cribs are a popular option among those parents who have room to place the crib so it's not against the wall.

There are several ways in which drop sides can be lowered. There is the knee push lever and all you have to do is lean your knee against the crib side and it will drop. This is convenient if you have your baby in your arms. The knee push sides may be the most common type available. Another common type is the foot bar. You balance on one foot and push the bar down with the other to lower the side. There is the double trigger drop mechanism. There are levers on both ends of the crib and you need both hands free to use them. You squeeze the triggers and then the side will drop. The problem with this type is that if you have the baby in your arms it will be next to impossible to operate.

The wheels on a crib are a great asset because it makes the crib easier to move to clean under or retrieve dropped toys as well as changing bedding. Make sure the casters are strong and turn easily. If you don't think you will need them you can put them aside in case you change your mind. There are adjustable mattress heights available on all cribs with the exception of the cheapest models of cribs. The three position option is available and is the wisest choice. Two height position are acceptable. Single height mattress is not a safe choice because as your child grows the mattress should be lowered to prevent him from climbing out of the crib or toppling out of the crib.

You should look at the mattress supports as well. Some have vinyl straps that could wear out and break others have metal bar supports which is a better option. The best option however is a metal spring system where the entire mattress is supported and is the most durable of the three options.

Baby Shower Gift Baskets - Practical But Perfect

So you have received a special invitation to attend a friend's baby shower party, now headache time wondering what gift to purchase for the expectant mother. Do not worry you will have no problem in deciding as the list for what to buy for new born babies are endless.

The best idea worth considering when giving presents is to give several of them in a baby shower gift basket. You will be certain that one of the goodies you placed into the basket will surprise and excite the receiver. In a Gift basket expect to find all sorts from blankets, undergarments, changing pads, teething toy, soft toys, hats, sleeping gowns, cuddly bears and more.

Contents of a gift basket are very useful for mum-to-be for when she brings the new arrival home. Your particular gift basket can be made up by yourself but if you prefer there are people who are trained in this department and fully aware of the needs of mother/baby. Expect to find gift basket organizers to be mothers themselves which is better as they know what is best to help mother when raising the baby.

Baby gift shower baskets are a wonderful present to bestow. The variety of essentials contained in the basket for baby's well being is warmly welcomed. Themes and styles are normally used in the presentation of a Baby shower gift basket. You have bath time goody baskets filled with towels, comb, hairbrush, baby soaps and smellies like talcum powder. Then we have the beddy bye creel laden with hanging mobiles, cuddly toys, bedding, and fairy tale books.

Prices of a gift basket differ; total cost depends on items chosen to fill the baby shower gift basket. White lemon and peach are colours that trail behind blue and pink for most popular shades behind a theme. If the sex of the baby is unknown when you place your order for the baby gift basket then opt for white or lemon this way you can not go wrong.

Baby shower gift baskets can be bought online if time is a problem for you. Online shopping for gift baskets is so simple you even get to see what is included in the baby gift basket before you make a purchase. Prettily packaged, gift wrapped and tied with bows is how the finished product looks. Do not forget to place a card inside with a personal greeting from you to mother and baby wishing them both well.

I would like to put my penny worth in and break tradition. I would fill the basket with envelopes containing gift vouchers for different mother/baby shops. This way no headache trying to decide on what gifts for inside the basket and no headache for the mother in returning presents that are not to her taste. A happy Mother-to-be is one with a fist full of vouchers before the birth or after.

That's what I call getting it right.

Choosing Your Baby’s Bedding

Your expecting a baby soon and have begun designing your baby's nursery. You want everything to be perfect but there are so many decisions to make. What type of theme are you trying to achieve? What colors scheme are you going to use? What Baby bedding design will you choose? While picking out your Baby Bedding there are some things that should be considered before making your purchase. It is important to make sure that your baby bedding materials are flame resistant. It is also a good idea to find out what the thread count of your baby bedding is. The higher thread count in your baby bedding the higher the quality of the fabric and the softer it will feel to your baby. You would not want a scratchy fabric rubbing against your babies delicate skin. Your Crib Bedding should be as comfortable as it is interesting for your baby to look at. After all they will be spending quite a bit of time in their crib. When you purchase your baby bedding you may notice it has a stiff feel to it. This is normal. Most Designer Baby Bedding manufacturers use products on the bedding to make it stays wrinkle-free and looking new. You may want to wash your new crib bedding set before using it for the first time. This will help soften it up and make your baby more comfortable.

Once you decide on your crib bedding design, you may want to shop around. Shopping around can save you a great deal of money as many online retailers offer discounts and bonus items with your baby bedding purchase. Many also offer free shipping with your purchase. It is also important to find a retailer that carries coordinating accessories for your baby bedding. You may also want to ask if the retailer offers any discount on their accessories with a crib bedding purchase.

You may only use your Baby Bedding for what seems like a short period of time but it is a very special time for both you and your baby. Years from now when your kids are grown and you take it out of that old cedar chest you will say, this was their first baby blanket and those fond memories of watching your baby laying their content, just staring at their Crib Bedding patterns or their musical mobile will surely bring you joy and maybe a tear or two.

Preparing for Baby- Birth Announcements

Pregnancy and birth is such an exciting time, for expectant mothers and fathers, and grandparents too. It is a time in the parents life when everything is about to change forever. Many parents choose to welcome this time with announcing to friends and family of the newest addition to their lives.

Birth announcements are the best way for new parents to share their baby's arrival. Depending on the couple, the birth announcement can be any type of style. Some choose gender specific announcements if the sex of the baby is known. Others choose to send a more generic baby birth announcement.

The baby birth announcement should reflect the personality of the parents as well. If it is a family just about to start out, the announcement should reflect this. If the family is welcoming another child, this can also be incorporated into the announcement.

The couple may also choose to have a baby shower in anticipation of the new addition. A shower is a great time to get together before the baby's arrival to provide all the essential gifts for caring for baby. Baby showers can have number of themes. It can be a boy or girl themed baby shower, or can be themed around a favorite animal or story book character. This is a great time to prepare the nursery.

However the parents decide to welcome their new child into the world, it is a very special time. As the family grows, so does the love and care of those closest.