1. Your baby shower is an important day. This is the day where all of your friends, family, and anyone else comes together to celebrate your pregnancy/baby with you. The tip? This event should be huge. Sure, a small intimate gathering would be more comfortable. But let's be honest, people bring gifts to baby showers and as a young mother, possibly in college, possibly working, you need as much stuff as you can possibly get. So, invite as many people as can possibly fit in your chosen venue and make sure you have enough room in your vehicle to fit everything.
2. If you're having a baby boy, you need to make the decision of either having a circumcision performed or leaving everything be. Seeing as I think circumcision is important, we went ahead with it. HOWEVER, there is a new procedure using a plastibell that I will recommend EVERYONE to stay away from. With a normal circumcision, they cut the foreskin off and it's over with. You run the risk of your baby getting an infection, but if you keep it clean, that's unlikely. With that damned plastibell? Your baby runs the risk of infection, yes, but it's also possible that it WON'T fall off, or that it will fall off partially and end up cutting things off that shouldn't be cut off! Your little man needs his big man parts someday, so as parents, we sort of need to take care of them NOW. I had no idea what the plastibell was before they performed his circumcision so when a few days later I opened his diaper and saw that his little baby parts were infected and just NOT looking right, I freaked out. It turns out that it had fallen off part of the way but was still attached and STILL 'working'. After going to a billion doctors and only finding ONE that knew what they were talking about, they told us that on top of being infected, the ring may or may not fall off all the way, but may still be cutting off areas it shouldn't be. If in the next few days most of it came off but part of it was still on there? They'd have to cut it off much like they would have with a normal circumcision, which is BOGUS. Luckily, James ended up being fine and it ended up falling off without too many problems. Regardless, this was the most stressful experience ever, and I truly advise just having the doctor do the NORMAL procedure.
3. Diapers. Diapers are a pretty huge thing seeing as your'e going to be dealing with them for the next two years of your child's life. The best way to buy diapers is in bulk. This is probably the only time I'll say this, but don't go to a Dollar Store for your diapers. They have a few boxes of diapers, but they're still pretty small packages. And paying ten dollars for a pack of 40 diapers isn't how I roll. Instead, Jesse and I always buy the biggest box available. Why? Because buying in bulk almost always lowers your Cost Per Unit, which is the price you SHOULD be looking at. An extra large box will last James over a month, (We use Pampers Baby Dry) costs around 40 dollars and they are AMAZING. We love Pampers and despise Huggies, simply because Huggies are EXTREMELY difficult to put on. You have to have three hands in order to put it on correctly. Pampers on the other hand are easy to put on and work really well. That, and if you happen to have a problem with your diapers? Give them a call! They almost always take care of it in the best possible fashion.
4. Formula. Formula is by far the most expensive thing you'll be buying for your baby if you decide that you don't want to breastfeed at all, or only breastfeed for a short time. If you qualify for WIC, tell your WIC provider that you plan on supplementing, which means that you want to Breastfeed most of the time, but formula feed on occasion. You can receive up to 8 cans of formula a month and if you breastfeed a bunch and only end up using one can that month? SAVE THE REST OF THEM FOR LATER MONTHS! This is THE biggest money saver. Now that James is nearly ten months old, he received 7 cans of formula a month from WIC, but he runs out about halfway through. Now we spend over 200 dollars a month out of pocket to pay for the rest of it and it definitely puts a damper on things. So again, if you qualify for WIC, try to supplement. Breastfeed as much as you can so you can stock up on formula, and then when you're ready to switch to just formula, you'll have your own little 800 dollar stock pile =]
5. Umbilical cords are weird to look at, especially if you haven't had a child before. You're afraid to touch it because it looks disgusting and you might even be afraid that your'e going to hurt your baby if you go anywhere near it. However, this needs to be kept CLEAN. Meaning, your baby should have regular baths and outfit changes, as well as diaper changes. Upon cleaning the umbilical cord, it needs to be dried. Just carefully dab it with a towel and wipe around it really well. What's more disgusting than the umbilical cord? Your babies belly button when it finally falls off. Their belly button may be tender, but it still needs cleaned. Give your baby a bath and pour water over the belly button several time to wash the gunk away.
6. Bath time is different for every baby, especially newborns. Some babies would rather have a wash cloth bath while you cradle them over the sink. Others just luke warm water, others like really warm water. Some like water an inch or two deep while others like to be almost completely submerged. Whatever the case may be, it's important to find out what your baby likes most. James absolutely HATES wash cloth baths, and instead likes really warm water and lots of it. Figuring out what your baby is like is going to make bath time a lot easier, and less loud. Also, Never in any point before your baby is a year old should your baby be on their stomach in a full with a few inches of water or more. Babies can literally drown in seconds and turning away for even a moment can be fatal. Why am I writing this? This tip goes to the mother that posted pictures of her 6 month old laying on his stomach in a tub with enough water to cover his back. YOU, my friend, are a special kind of stupid.
7. There are guidelines for what food you should feed your baby at what age for a reason. 6 and 7 month olds really should eat Thin Mints for multiple reasons. 1. Your baby may or may not have teeth, which are sort of crucial for hard foods like cookies. 2. Chocolate before one year old can cause your child to have an allergic reaction to chocolate, and may trigger them to adopt poor eating habits as adults. Not to mention, cookies and candies are complex foods. There are a lot of different ingredients rolled into that cookie and that goes against the whole 'introduce one food at a time' rule. As you can see with baby food, there are limited ingredients in each package. Apples, prunes, carrots, squash... the list goes on for quite some time. And then you have the packages with applies and cherries, or mixed vegetables, or even meat and potatoes. But you'll notice that the more complex foods are Stage 3 foods, which are baby foods that you'll give your baby as they get older. You introduce one ingredient at a time in order to know if they're allergic to it. So when you feed your baby a hand full of thin mints, a couple of Caramel Delights and a peanut butter patty, you have NO IDEA what they're allergic to if they have a reaction! Also, peanut butter? NOT okay for a baby.
8. No, you don't have to buy hundreds of dollars worth of baby proofing equipment in order to baby proof your home. However, thirty dollars could go a long way. You can buy a package of 75 outlet plugs as well as cabinet locks for like, five dollars. Believe me, you aren't going to use all of the outlet covers, so feel free to give them to relatives and friends so they can make their homes safe too. That, and furniture straps are a must. A child is sent to the emergency room every 45 minutes because of a dresser or TV falling on top of them. Many of these children don't walk away from this. Furniture straps are around seven dollars and will take only a few minutes of your time to install. Attach these to ALL of the heavy furniture. It doesn't matter if the dresser is so short it doesn't even touch your knees, it can still tip over. How do I know? Because James was playing in his bedroom and decided to pull out both of the two drawers on his tiny little dresser. The weight of both the drawers being pulled out caused it to tip over. The piggy bank broke in half, a picture frame shattered, and baby James bumped his chin. We were LUCKY that James wasn't underneath the dresser, had we not been so lucky? I'm not sure that James would be with us today. So even the shortest of furniture really does need to be secured. To cut your baby proofing costs, block off rooms that you don't want your baby to get into. Whether you simply close the door, or buy baby gates, blocking off the room can save you a little bit of money, and keep your little one safe.
9. This one is pretty simple. Vacuum daily. I'm dead serious when I say that your baby can find THE most microscopic piece of fuzz, and this fuzz immediately gets put in their mouths. Now, a tiny little piece of fuzz really isn't a big deal, but when your baby finds coins, or wrappers, or pieces of plastic, these can cause a choking hazard. Your baby is going to put things in their mouth, that's just the truth, and you're not going to be able to get everything out of their mouths. So if you know that hey, that tiny itty bitty crumb from last nights dinner really isn't a choking hazard, then let it slide. But if your baby picks up something larger than a pea, a wrapper, or something that's large and ISN'T food, that's when you fish it out of their mouth and throw it away. To recap, itty bitty teeny tiny crumbs aren't going to hurt your baby, other non-food items should be taken away.
10. Pop cans are the devil. Little fingers have a funny way of making their way inside the can and this is a MAJOR cut hazard. The solution? Pop bottles. When you're finished with the soda, screw the lid back on reaaaaaaaaaally tight, and not only is your baby going to be safe, but they will seriously love playing with that empty pop bottle of yours.
11. A lot of parents worry if their baby is hitting the milestones for their age limit. They worry that their baby isn't developing fast enough, or if they're ever going to do anything that they're 'supposed' to for that age. But you can't rush crawling, or teething, or walking, or talking, and that's the end of it. Your baby is going to do these things in their own time, it'll happen when it happens! I have a good friend who's little boy just turned one and he still hasn't spoken any words yet, while James is a little chatter box at 10 months old. Her doctor told her that as long as he starts to talk before he's 2, there really isn't a problem. The reason her doctor told her this? Because although there isn't a set date that your baby should learn a skill, but there's a pretty open time frame. For example, most babies learn to crawl between 5-10 months, and if they haven't learned the skill quite yet after that five month period, then it may be time to start asking questions. All babies develop at different rates and though you can help the process by demonstrating the skill that you want them to learn, there really is no need to rush it. So again, don't rush it! But if you're noticing that your baby still hasn't gotten the hang of certain things yet and you're starting to get worried, then ask your doctor about it to see what they think and what you may be able to do to help your baby along.
12. Choking is a scary thing. A REALLY scary thing. Just yesterday Jesse and I went out to eat, were feeding James a few of his Graduate's Puffs, as well as some crackers, and he started to choke. Choking is not necessarily coughing and when a baby is truly choking, they aren't making any noise. So to give you a visual of what it may look like, your baby's mouth may be open, they may look like they're about to throw up, and they might not be able to make any noise at all. If this is what it looks like, they're choking. Because I do NOT want to give the wrong information on this, or have someone interpret something the wrong way and then incorrectly handle the situation, I'm going to copy and paste an article about Infant First Aid for Choking.
Choking
Step 1: Assess the situation quickly.
If a baby is suddenly unable to cry or cough, something is probably blocking her airway, and you'll need to help her get it out. She may make odd noises or no sound at all while opening her mouth. Her skin may turn bright red or blue.
If a baby is suddenly unable to cry or cough, something is probably blocking her airway, and you'll need to help her get it out. She may make odd noises or no sound at all while opening her mouth. Her skin may turn bright red or blue.
If she's coughing or gagging, it means her airway is only partially blocked. If that's the case, let her continue to cough. Coughing is the most effective way to dislodge a blockage.
If the baby isn't able to cough up the object, ask someone to call 911 or the local emergency number while you begin back blows and chest thrusts (see step 2, below).
If you're alone with the baby, give two minutes of care, then call 911.
On the other hand, if you suspect that the baby's airway is closed because her throat has swollen shut, call 911 immediately. She may be having an allergic reaction – to food or to an insect bite, for example – or she may have an illness, such as croup.
Also call 911 right away if the baby is at high risk for heart problems.
Step 2: Try to dislodge the object with back blows and chest thrusts.
First do back blows
If a baby is conscious but can't cough, cry, or breathe and you believe something is trapped in his airway, carefully position him faceup on one forearm, cradling the back of his head with that hand.
Place the other hand and forearm on his front. He is now sandwiched between your forearms.
Use your thumb and fingers to hold his jaw and turn him over so that he's facedown along the other forearm. Lower your arm onto your thigh so that the baby's head is lower than his chest.
Using the heel of your hand, deliver five firm and distinct back blows between the baby's shoulder blades to try to dislodge the object. Maintain support of his head and neck by firmly holding his jaw between your thumb and forefinger.
Next, place your free hand (the one that had been delivering the back blows) on the back of the baby's head with your arm along his spine. Carefully turn him over while keeping your other hand and forearm on his front.
Then do chest thrusts
Use your thumb and fingers to hold his jaw while sandwiching him between your forearms to support his head and neck. Lower your arm that is supporting his back onto your opposite thigh, still keeping the baby's head lower than the rest of his body.
Place the pads of two or three fingers in the center of the baby's chest, just below an imaginary line running between his nipples. To do a chest thrust, push straight down on the chest about 1 1/2 inches. Then allow the chest to come back to its normal position.
Do five chest thrusts. Keep your fingers in contact with the baby's breastbone. The chest thrusts should be smooth, not jerky.
Repeat back blows and chest thrusts
Continue alternating five back blows and five chest thrusts until the object is forced out or the baby starts to cough forcefully, cry, or breathe on his own. If he's coughing, let him try to cough up the object.
If the baby becomes unconscious
If a baby who is choking on something becomes unconscious, you'll need to do what's called modified CPR. Here's how to do modified CPR on a baby:
Open his mouth and look for an object. If you can see an object, remove it with your little finger.
Give him two rescue breaths. If the air doesn't go in (you don't see his chest rise), tilt his head and try two rescue breaths again.
If his chest still doesn't rise, do 30 chest compressions.
If his chest still doesn't rise, do 30 chest compressions.
Look in his mouth and remove the object if you see it. Give him two more rescue breaths.
Repeat the chest compressions and so on, until help arrives.
Jesse and I haven't ever had to do back blows on James, because his airway has only ever been partially blocked, but regardless, this information is extremely useful and should be referenced in case of choking.
13. Read as much as you possibly can. Take in every ounce of information possible so you know exactly what to do, what to look outfox, and how to react to any possible situation. Knowing what to do when a baby is choking, what should an shouldn't be in a babies crib, what kinds of foods are safe and not safe are all crucial to keeping your baby happy, healthy, and out of harms way.
14. Don't take advice from people just because they're older than you. There's this strange phenomenon happening that involves childless people giving parenting advice. Strange, eh? That, and often times people that had children 20 years ago, aren't up to date on today's parenting world. Children's health and safety guidelines change EVERY DAY. Carseats get recalled, cribs become illegal, and things just change in general. Sure, we survived the age of sleeping on our tummies, but there are many babies that didn't, which is why the new safety guideline calls to keep babies on their backs, in an empty crib, with no blankets or toys. Why? Because suffocation was and still is a really big deal! Things, for the most part, are changed for a reason. Reason being, to prevent infant death and to promote safety. So sure, that carseat at that garage is only 3 dollars, but does it meet safety guidelines? Probably not!
15. Ultimately, you know best. You know which foods your baby likes and doesn't like, when they like to nap, if they like to cuddle or play, you know which blankies are the softest and which bottles your baby likes to use the most. In the first few weeks especially, you're learning all sorts of stuff about your baby, and you're learning about yourself, and who you are as a parent. Are you thinking about what's best for your baby? Are you putting your baby's needs before your own in order to secure their well being? Well, then you're trying, and that's something that everyone can appreciate. =]
Did you ever have a question and you didn't really know who to ask? Feel free to post a comment and I'll try to give you an answer from my own experience. If I have absolutely no idea? I'll try to find an answer for you! Comment or follow us at amazingjames.blogspot.com !
