Tips on Parenting

Many things about watching babies hasn’t changed for thousands of years. But, happily, technology has improved one aspect dramatically. Baby monitors allow for remote viewing and listening that provides security and safety for the child and peace of mind for parents.

Not surprisingly, since consumer electronics has developed to such an extent over the past 10-20 years, baby monitors are now equally sophisticated. Many have become a combination of TV/Security camera, microphone and speaker, and computer all rolled into one.

Not only do they provide the basic audio and/or visual ability that is basic to any baby monitor, but with added motion sensors and other features they increase security and safety well beyond previous generations.

The most basic models offer only audio. They’re chiefly a microphone that transmits sound to a speaker in another room. But even these low-end types can make that much more convenient and useful than models of the past. The speaker, for example, no longer is just a cheap little box that sits on a table. It can be in the form of a cell-phone style unit that is easily carried on the belt or in a pocket.

More expensive but more functional models add a visual feature. The camera is focused on the baby’s room or bed. The receiving unit, here too, can be of one of two basic types. The less expensive models feature a small TV-style receiver that can be conveniently set on a kitchen counter or living room table. Others are a mobile monitor the size of a cell phone LCD.

One other aspect that has improved enormously over the years is the range. Just as with portable phones, higher frequency baby monitors now allow the receiver and transmitter to be much further apart than in years past. No longer restricted to a few yards away within the home, the mobile receiver can be placed outside next to the pool or garden fence, in the garage… anywhere your phone will reach. Just as with phones, interference is virtually a thing of the past, too.

Still other models incorporate computer and Internet technology. These types can transmit audio-video to your computer in the home office or at work miles away. While not intended to allow parents to leave a baby unsupervised, it makes it easy for the parent at work to know instantly what the one at home sees or hears.

That feature also opens up the option of recording. Like any security camera-style device, much of that footage is going to be uninteresting. Thank heavens! But when something is amiss it can often be very helpful to be able to view the preceding and following minutes.

That provides the ultimate in security. But it’s also helpful in less extreme situations. Babies who become ill or injured can be better diagnosed when there’s a continual, real-time record of their actions. Multiple transmitting units can send data for more than one room to a single location, as well. That’s handy for keeping an ‘eye’ on more than one child at a time.

Still more sophisticated systems are available that sense the baby’s movements and provide alarms when they reach certain limits of distance or force. That’s highly useful for babies who are a little restless when sleeping or when you want to know they are waking up. It provides the next best thing to having a robot continually watch and report back on anything of interest or concern. Wait a few years and that may be an option, too!

Parents often arrive home from the hospital a day or two after a birth exhausted. But that quickly passes. The urge to take your newborn to visit grandparents and others will soon become very strong. Then there are the inevitable pediatrician visits for exams, vaccinations and other medical events. While minimizing travel during the first three months is desirable, whenever you choose to travel with your newborn there are a few things to keep in mind.

Traveling with your baby can seem like planning a 13th century caravan across the desert. There are a thousand things, it seems, to consider. But with modern transportation, communication and baby-friendly facilities in so many places, it’s really not that bad.

Naturally, you won’t forget to bring the basic supplies. You’ll want a supply of diapers, diaper rash cream and a bag for soiled diapers. You should bring some teething gel and infant paracetamol for pain relief on the road. Newborns should not be given aspirin. Petroleum jelly is a must. Sunscreen is helpful for those circumstances where you can’t keep the sun entirely off. Babies have very sensitive skin.

You’ll want a good bonnet and the ability to layer clothing for changes in temperature. That change can be from an air-conditioned car to the hot sun at grandmother’s house. Or, it can equally be from the heated car to a house that is a little chilly for the newborn. Be prepared for either eventuality.

Avoid traveling by air for the first year whenever possible. This isn’t just a courtesy to the other passengers. Pressurized cabins, recycled air, pressure changes from takeoff and landing, and other issues represent a stress to your baby’s system. Breastfeeding mothers will find it hard to find privacy at feeding time and both parent and onlooker can be made uncomfortable.

For auto travel, you’ll need a good child safety seat, one that is specifically designed for infants. It should be rear facing and be installed in the back seat. An air bag that deploys in the front seat can cause serious harm, both from direct impact and the hard jerk to a baby’s neck. Always take the time to secure the car seat properly.

However you travel, food and drink are essential bring-alongs. Babies get hungry on an internal schedule that is not synchronized with parental convenience. Telling them to ‘wait until we get there’ is not an option, as it is with older children. The ability to breastfeed conveniently and safely is best. For those on formula, having some means of warming formula is good. Special warmers are available that plug into the cigarette lighter socket.

The ability to perform a diaper change on the road is another must. The alternative isn’t merely discomfort, but a bad smell for you and increased likelihood of diaper rash for the infant. A portable changing station or pad will make that chore much easier.

Newborns are much more susceptible to germs than older children, since their immune systems are still developing. Keeping exposure at a minimum is important. Avoid having every family member and friend breath on or touch the newborn. Insist that only those with clean hands and no colds get close.

Sure, there are lots of challenges to face when traveling with a newborn. But, like that 13th century caravan, it can be an adventure!

In generations past, nannies were extremely common. Then, for a while, they fell out of fashion. Though they never disappeared. Now, they’re back in style – probably to stay. Not just for the rich, they provide expertise, an often badly needed extra pair of hands, and – not least – a sometimes more objective perspective on your baby.

Next to choosing a pediatrician, selecting the perfect nanny could be the most daunting task facing a parent. But it doesn’t have to be an occasion for tearing one’s hair out.

There’s that all important and difficult to state ’something’, of course, that makes nanny and parent click. That is, the perfect nanny is one whose character and values reflect what the parents themselves aim for. You’ll want someone who is willing to follow your rules without resistance. Offering suggestions and advice is valuable. Ignoring the way you choose to run your home is not. Finding that combination leads effortlessly to trust, confidence in the nanny and a smooth working relationship.

Not far behind is whether that same simpatico exists between nanny and child. Any serious candidate should be introduced to the newborn. Babies operate by sense of smell, touch and limited vision. But they do make implicit value judgments, just as adults do. The infants reaction can range everywhere from instant crying to instant mother-love. Naturally, you’ll want to get a nanny who evokes something closer to the latter.

There are practical considerations, as well.

Some adults are naturally more disease resistant than others. Circumstances may lead them to less frequent exposure, too. A part-time nanny may have more than one family to care for. That introduces the possibility of exposing your somewhat fragile child to germs from others. This should be covered delicately, but decidedly. The perfect nanny will understand your concern and address it forthrightly and honestly.

Any reputable agency, and their employees or sub-contractors, will provide thorough reference checking. That includes personal references from past clients, criminal background checks, DMV history and evidence of a good health certificate.

Even a person just finding their first nanny job can still be the perfect choice, though. Everyone must start somewhere and a first-timer may well be the eager-to-please, determined-to-do-well nanny you are looking for.

It isn’t necessarily the case that he or she will lack experience with children, either. Many mothers, grandmothers, nurses and others regard the prospect of being a nanny as very fulfilling. The best way to find out, of course, is simply to ask.

Once you’ve narrowed down the list to one or two, discuss details.

Propose a contract. An agency will usually have one they use. Include a 90-day trial period in which either can back out without penalty. Look into what options for a replacement nanny (at least temporarily) may be provided if it doesn’t work out. Ask about sick leave and discuss paid vacations and medical insurance.

Remember, as emotional as the choice may be in some respects, you are hiring a professional to do an important job. Some aspects need to be approached like a business.

Blocks and building sets have been popular toys for generations. In this age of electronic toys, you might think they would have faded. Yet, they now sell more than ever. That’s because they continue to serve the same purpose they always have: providing fun and education in an unbeatable package.

Building sets come in such a great variety today that just listing all the options would fill a catalog. LEGO continues to be the king, but there are a dozen other manufacturers that make fine sets, too. K’Nex, Guidecraft and others offer creative choices that will make you wish you were a child again.

Start them off with something simple, like the Arch and Tunnel Set from Guidecraft. A set of two tunnels and eight arches, even this simple toy offers dozens of ways to assemble some very cool structures.

Move up a step and introduce a great new feature with the Shimmering Water Blocks. Rectangles and half circles filled with colored water offer a new dimension to explore. Stack them in dozens of ways and watch the water slosh back and forth as they settle. Great for learning shapes in a fun and stimulating way.

Add to the fun with a 45-piece set of unit blocks. Triangles, rectangular blocks, wedges and half-moons let kids put together ancient buildings in wood. There are 14 shapes in all and the possible combinations are practically endless.

Let them build some truly exotic structures with the 75-piece set of hardwood building blocks. Shaped to allow creating Roman or Gothic buildings, the U-shaped pillars complement the medieval towers perfectly. With 16 different shapes they’ll be able to build entire cities.

Then move ahead in history and up in number to the Lincoln Logs Yukon Express 250-Piece Set. Blue roof parts, characters, a train, tracks and dozens of brown logs let them build colorful, accurate homes and forts. Your child will have years of fun with this set creating entire villages of the frontier.

Enter the modern age with the Mega Bloks Cars Super Building Set. Filled with their favorite characters from the popular animated film, they can make Lightening McQueen, Mater and more. Comes with a storage case that makes it easy to put the pieces away for safe play another day.

Then zoom off into the future with the Star Wars LEGO building kits. Star Wars is an enduring theme for building sets and the LEGO Star Wars Sandcrawler set is just one of many examples. Inside the center section is the Jawa workshop. A crane loads droids inside. The cockpit opens to place a driver in the seat. With almost 1,700 pieces, your young one will never run out of fun.

Your baby may or may not be a future Frank Lloyd Wright. But every child enjoys playing with blocks and building sets. They exercise their active imaginations in countless ways as they learn essentials about shape and the forces of nature. Great fun and super learning toys. It doesn’t get any better than that for you or them.

While the fetus is developing, it gets all its needed nutrients from the mother through the umbilical cord. This includes compounds that help the baby’s immune system to protect it from harm. But even after birth the baby’s immune system is still not fully mature. Fortunately, nature has cleverly developed a solution. The added help it needs it gets in part from colostrum and milk via breastfeeding.

During the first few days of the baby’s life, the mother’s breast forms and delivers colostrum. This is a thin, whitish or yellowish fluid that comes through the nipple, just as milk does. It is rich with fats, carbohydrates, white blood cells and other compounds that both nourish and provide immune system protection.

Colostrum contains proteins, most especially immunoglobulins, a type of antibody. These antibodies are one of the body’s foremost weapons against invading bacteria, fungi, viruses and other disease causing organisms. Among other benefits, the antibodies from colostrum coat the GI (gastrointestinal) tract and help prevent bacteria in the gut from entering the bloodstream. The colostrum also contains numerous macrophages, small cells that envelop and carry away disease causing germs.

At the same time, the breastfed baby receives the best nutrition possible. Nature has evolved breast milk to contain everything the newborn needs.

Fats, for example, which adults strive so hard to minimize, are essential for the proper development of the nervous system. They help regulate the hormone system, too.

Carbohydrates are the body’s energy source. They’re another category of food calories that dieting adults will often try to keep down. But babies should never be put on a diet. Breast milk is rich in carbohydrates of just the right type and amount to help them develop in an optimal way.

Numerous studies have shown that breastfeeding is highly beneficial for babies. Most strongly suggest that breastfed babies have a better head start in life than those who are only bottle fed. The rate of infectious disease is lower among newborns who are breastfed. The odds of infant diabetes are lower  according to some studies. Breastfed babies see fewer hospital and doctor visits.

But breastfeeding is also good for the mother.

When a mother doesn’t breastfeed, she may experience an uncomfortable sensation in the breast. Artificial pumping to extract the milk is usually required. Breastfeeding eliminates the need to do so. Some may wish to use a pump anyway, in order to have a store of mother’s milk available.

The bonding that takes place between mother and newborn during breastfeeding may be hard to measure medically. But the benefits are observable and real. This quiet time between mother and child are good for both.

Some reliable studies suggest that breastfeeding also helps lower the odds of ovarian and breast cancers. Breastfeeding also delays the return of ovulation and menstruation. That gives the recovering mother a break from having to deal with periods during a very busy time of life. At the same time, it reduces the odds of another pregnancy right away.

Give your newborn the best possible start in life by breastfeeding. Give yourself the benefits as well. Nature has evolved this excellent method for optimizing the health of mother and child. Take advantage of all it has to offer.

Most babies will get some degree of diaper rash during the first year or two. Newborns are particularly prone to acquiring this red, inflamed area on the buttocks, thighs or genitals. Also, the skin itself may be warmer than normal. Fortunately, treating it at home is often simplicity itself.

Anything which irritates the skin can cause diaper rash. A baby’s skin is very sensitive. Still, there are a few common causes.

Long exposure to urine and feces is one example. Pure urine is not infectious. But it mixes readily with organisms, providing them with a growing medium. Bacteria are often found in feces, as a normal part of the body’s disposal of potentially harmful ‘invaders’.

One organism in particular accounts for a large number of diaper rash cases: yeast. This common fungus grows well in moist, warm environments, such as soiled diapers. Even when waste isn’t present, excessive humidity in the air encourages moisture under the diaper. That condition is especially likely in skin folds that trap moisture.

Other causes are possible, as well.

A change in diet can increase stool production, which increases the time the baby’s skin is exposed to it. Ironically, even a new cleansing product can cause diaper rash. Though rarely the cause, thanks to considerable testing, some babies are sensitive to certain products. A new detergent or fabric softener, or even a new disposable wipe, can irritate the skin.

And, not least, some babies are simply more sensitive than others to potential irritants. Tight diapers that are perfect for one will chafe another.

Home treatment is all that’s required in the overwhelming majority of cases of diaper rash.

In most cases, simply cleaning your baby gently but thoroughly will provide the right environment for time to do the rest. Changing diapers promptly and often will help prevent any instance or reoccurrence. Rinsing with warm water during a change to remove all trace of urine and feces is a good idea.

There’s rarely a need for swabbing with alcohol and it can often be counterproductive. It tends to dry the skin excessively. Patting with a soft towel followed by air drying is best. Allow the area to dry thoroughly before fitting the baby with a new diaper.

For babies that tend to develop diaper rash, avoid diapers or outer pants that have elastic bands that tighten against the legs. This blocks air flow that helps to keep the area dry. They may also chafe.

For more serious cases, an antifungal cream may be called for. There are over the counter ointments and prescription strength creams. Which is needed depends of course on individual factors that should be discussed with your physician.

With proper care almost all cases of diaper rash can be conquered within a few days. For those that persist or grow, see your doctor. Any time the rash is accompanied by pus or boils you should seek professional treatment for your baby at once.