Babies Only

Babies begin to hear noises while still inside the mother.  They hear the mother’s heartbeat and can also hear many external noises such as human voices and music.

Newborns will usually respond to mother’s voice over father’s voice, because mom spent a lot of those 9 months talking to baby.  When people raise the pitch of their voice in talking to baby, it is called “motherese”.  Laud or sudden noises can startle and scare a newborn.  Maybe you have seen a baby just start crying for what seems to be for no reason.  Well, an unexpected noise will scare baby.  Newborns react to sounds that they heard as a regular noise of their prenatal environment.  This is why many people recommend playing soft music and spending quiet time talking to baby while it is still in mother’s womb.

When we see a new baby, the first thing we think of is: How Cute.  Oh yea, it probably is cute and precious and darling and “I Want One”.  Well, before you get one of these “cute little darlings” you need to give it considerable thought.

Ask yourself: do I want to spend the next 20 years or so making this child my top priority. Do I want to give up my good sleep at night to get up and feed the baby or change a diaper several times a night.  Do I want to never wear white pants again, because of little dirty fingers.  Do I never want to see the ladies department of a department store because I only have time or money to visit the infant and children’s departments.  Forget going out for a nice quite dinner, reading a good book, spending a day or even a couple hours at the spa or hair dresser.  These and many other things that you now enjoy will be a thing of the past.

New things fill you time such as, washing clothes, running to the store for diapers that you forgot to get the day before, trying to put a complete meal together that is still warm when you eat it, and finding time to take a shower or wash your hair, or putting the house back together because you didn’t find time to do this the day before.

As they grow, you are getting them to and from and watching sports, gymnastics, dancing, scouts, sleepovers, school plays, fun raising events, award ceremony, the list never ends.  This will be your new life.  As the age changes, so does the events.  Even when they are old enough to drive new problems and worries come.  You are still spending much time waiting and worrying until they are home safe again.  You say a little prayer of “Thank you” and go to the next time.

Having said all of this, having a baby and raising a child is the hardest, most joyful, frustrating, and rewarding job that you will ever have.  I would not trade the time my husband and I spent raising our two boy for anything in the world.  I can not take all the credit for them being responsible, giving, caring and loving men, but I do think that my husband and I did something right.  They are our joy fullfilled.

Another baby product on the top of your list when you are preparing for a new baby is crib and mattress.  Usually when you purchase a baby  crib, you also purchase the mattress.  You need to look for 2 main things: Safety and comfort.

Baby mattresses are said to be a standard size, but be sure that it fits your crib tight.  You do not want baby to get trapped between crib and mattress.  You also do not want a saft mattress.  Purchase one that is fairly firm.

Crib mattresses come in two;styles: foam and coils.  The choice is yours, as they are both good.  A good matress will have a multi-layer cover.  Check for tight seals and strong seams.  You can also find matresses that have an anti-microbial layer on top and this is good.  A good mattress should cost between $90.00 and $200.00.

A special mattress that you may want is an allerty-reducing or natural materials organic mattress.  These come with a JPMA seal which stands for Juvenile Products Manufacturers Asssociation.

There are six major brands of mattresses (foam and innerspring crib mattresses).  Colgate, DaVince, Dream on Me, Kolcraft (which offers other brands as Baby Prestige, Pediatric, and Sealy).  Moonlight Slumber, and Simmons Kids.

Today diaper bags come in every style, price,color, and use there can be.  Finding one that meets your wants and needs may take a little time and effort.

Prices can very from 10.00 to over 100.00.  What makes up the price can be the name of the manufacturer (a designer name will always add to the cost), fabrics used, style, size, and any extras that come with the diaper bag.  Durability is an important thing to think about when purchasing a diaper bag.  Will you be using this bag everyday or just several times a week.  How do you expect to clean this bag.  It will need cleaning after awhile, not matter how careful you are.  Spills happen.  Size will depend on what you plan to put into this bag.  If you nurse, you will not need to carry many bottles, so this leaves room for other things. A change of clothes for baby, blanket, toys, maybe even your own wallet, car keys, phone, etc.

Think of who will be carrying this diaper bag most.  Daddy may not be comfortable with a “pink flowery” bag.  There you need to choose a neutral color and style.  There are many out there that will meet this requirement.  Maybe even a backpack style.  Try it on to see how it feels, you will be wearing this awhile, so you want it to be comfortable.  If an over the shoulder style is chosen, be sure that the straps are wide so they do not cut into your shoulder.  All diaper bags tend to get full and heavy with the “stuff” that you will be putting into it.  Whatever your choice, spent some time thinking about it and looking out there to see what is available.

CPSIA stands for the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act.  This new law was passed on August 14, 2008, and effects just about everything that baby will come in contact with and more.  It will effect baby clothes, infant toys, plush toys, bedding, books, care products, jewelry, strollers, furniture, car seats to name a few.

The Children’s Product Safety Act consists of:

Children’s products containing lead.

Mandatory third party testing for certain childrens products. (This includes all clothing.)

Tracking labels for childrens products.

Standards and consumer registration of durable nursery products.

Labeling requirement for advertising toys and games.

Mandatory toy safety standards.

Study of preventable injuries and deaths in minority children related to consumer products.

Prohibition on sale of certain products containing specified phthalates.

Because of the wide nature of this law, many manufacturers and resellers of baby clothes and infant toys will loose their business.  The cost of mandatory third party testing is very expensive.  This is not to say that the law is bad, it is that with good comes some bad.

With every product that new parents purchase, there is one singular goal in mind: they are trying to make their new little one as happy and healthy as possible. This is the goal whether parents purchase a special crib or a personalized t-shirt. To that end, baby clothes should always be purchased with the comfort of the new child in mind. Most importantly, they should be made with soft fabrics that won’t irritate the sensitive skin of newborns.

These clothes should also be made with pre-washed and pre-shrunk material. This way, the clothes are sure to fit the same way as when you purchased them. Making sure clothes fit your kid correctly is one way to help ensure that your kid is as comfortable as possible. If you can’t find pre-shrunk material, make sure to order outfits that are just one or two sizes too large. That way, if they shrink, they should fit well. And if they don’t, your kid can always grow into the clothing.

Baby strollers are one of the many baby products that you will purchase when you have a baby around the house and you want to be mobile. So where do you start? One very import thing: It’s like the car commercial:  The woman ask, how many cup holders does it have?  Well, whey you buy a baby stroller, this is a very important question.

I know that you can find strollers with just about anything and everything you might want and then some things that you don’t want on them. (I’m surprised that they haven’t come out with one that is self-driven.  And maybe they have. But I haven’t seem them). I also know that the most important thing is Safety.  But after you have decided that the stroller is a safe one and has all the things and attachments that you think you want, then there is: How many Cup Holders? Sounds silly, yes, but when was the last time you were trying to drive this stroller with a bottle for baby and bottle for yourself in you hands?  You Need Cup  Holders.  Ask your friends that have already been down this road.  See what they tell you.

The age old problem of how baby should be put to sleep is alive and well today.  We get advise from all directions.  Manufacturers, medical people, grandparents, retailer, the list can go on and on.  One of the newer products is the sleep sack.

Sleep sacks come in different kinds of fabric being used depending on the weather.  Like fleece for colder times and maybe a light weight cotton for warmer weather.  A study published in The European Journal of Pediatrics in August 1998 has shown the protective effects of a sleep sack as reducing the incidence of turning from back to front during sleep.  They also conclude in their sutdy “The use of a sleep sack should be paricularly promoted for infants with a low birth weight”.  The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends sleep sacks as a type of bedding that warms the baby without covering its head.

Baby blankets are a must when you are having a new arrival to your family.  They come in many different styles and colors. There is more to color now than ever before.  The traditional pink, blue, and neutral yellow or green, while still available, have been pushed aside for the new bright and modern colors.  Such as bright pink, turquoise and brown.

Many are artfully decorated with appliques and machine embroidery.  Ranging from the traditional baby designs to the modern.  The snuggle and plush blankets have replaced the traditional heavy weight blankets. Sleep sacks have also been add to the blanket line.  If you are looking for the traditional or for something special, it’s out there.  You can find baby blankets in knits, plush, cottons, organics, flannels and polyester.  The choice is yours. Happy Shopping.

As parents you will find that there is much more to caring for baby than buying baby clothes or furniture or any other material things that we think are so important. The following is a copy of a reprint that I cut out of the newspaper from a column by Ann Landers many years ago.  I kept it and have reread it several times over the years.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

A Child’s Plea To His Parents

Give me more than food to nourish me.  Give me the warmth and the security of your love.

Le me enjoy all five senses.  Give me plenty of things to look at, to feel, to smell, to listen to, to taste. And even some things to break.

Teach me to take my turn.  Watch me play so you can see how I am trying to work out my problems and what I am up against.

When you tell me to do something, please tell me why I should do it.  Let me feel that I am a contributing member of the family.  And be sure to include me in making the family plans when you can.

Please don’t keep me your baby when I want to feel grown up.  Don’t transfer your fears to me.  I have enough of my own to cope with and I don’t need any more.

Help me not to act when I am angry.  But don’t make me so afraid of showing anger that I lose my capacity to feel strongly about anything.

Let me learn bit by bit to bear pain, to want things but to be strong enough to postpone gratification of certain feelings I am not yet ready to experience.

Let me try out my new powers as by body develops–to creep, to stand, to walk, climb, jump and run when I am ready.  Don’t limit the natural needs of my body because you have unresolved hang-ups.

Give me a little corner in the house that is all mine and nobody else’s.  I need moments of peace and quiet that cannot be invaded by anyone.

Give me my share of consideration and attentions.  I must know every day , even if for just a few moments, that I am the only one you are thinking about and loving.

Let me ask any question that pops into my head.  don’t make me ashamed for having asked it, even if it seems stupid.  And give me as honest an answer as you can.  If you don’t know the answer, please say so.  It’s good training to hear someone say, “I don’t know, but I will try to find out for you.

Be patient with me when I don’t do things very well at first.  Remember I have so many things to learn and almost everything takes some practice.

Let me bear the consequences for whatever I do.  I need to be punished as well as rewarded.  And when you punish me, make sure the punishment fits the “crime.”

Above all, grant me, with reservation, your debt to me–unconditional love.  For if I know it is there, I will be able to give the same to my children–and they will be able to give it to their children.–Your Child.