Baby Care Tips
Read these 58 Baby Care Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Parent tips and hundreds of other topics.
Soothing A Baby
Relax when handling a crying baby. Be as low-key as possibe when trying to soothe a crying baby. A baby rushed from pacifier to rocker to swing may get overstimulated.
Tote Baby Food Safely
Carrying home a plastic bag full of baby food jars can be very troublesome and wasteful if the jars bang against each other and break. To prevent this, bring along a cardboard six-pack container. Slide the jars into the container, and it easily and safely holds up to 18 jars. As an extra bonus, it comes with its' own handle.
Double-Duty Baby Gift
For an easy and practical gift for a new baby boy, simpy buy a colorful toy dump truck and place a flowering plant inside it. New parents enjoy the flowers, and can use the truck to decorate their son's room until he is old enough to play with it. And, you don't have to wrap it!
Sleeping Positions
Remember to place your infant on their back to go to sleep. Around 6 months they'll find a comfortable position and are at less of a risk of SIDS. You can also buy a sleep positioner to keep them sleeping on their backs. SIDS usually affects babies 0-6 months so doctors recommend babies sleep on their backs until then.
Going Out With Baby
Breastfed babies are so portable! You can go anywear with just an extra diaper in your pocket. Practice nursing in public. If you feel uncomfortable, just put a receiving blanket over the baby. Everyone will assume she's asleep. If you're in a mall you can grab a dress and go to the ladies changing rooms and pretend you're trying on clothes.
Nursing in Public
Don't be shy about nursing your baby in public. Lift your shirt up from the bottom to nurse. No one will see anything. Practice in front of a mirror, a friend or your partner. Many moms nurse for the first time at their La Leche League meeting - a great place to practice.
Discreet Breastfeeding
You don't have to take off your shirt and expose yourself to the world to breastfeed your baby. Wear two piece outfits, like a shirt and pants. Lift your shirt up from the bottom - don't unbutton from the top down.
Carrying Your Baby
Carry your baby in a sling. It's safe, easy to put on, comfortable, and lightweight. And best of all it leaves both your hands free. Babies love them!
Feeding a Baby Water
Most doctors do not recommend giving your baby water until he/she is eating solids. Healthy infants who are fed exclusively on breast milk or formula do not need additional water under ordinary circumstances. Babies may fill up on water and not meet their nutritional needs from nursing or feeding since they do not feel hungry.
Bathing Newborns
Do not give your newborn a bath until her umbilical cord has fallen off and the scab has healed (usually about two weeks).
After that, daily baths are not required, but also will not be harmful. Two or three times a week is enough, but if you and your baby enjoy the ritual, it is a great time for bonding, and feel free to indulge.
Best Beginning
Put your baby to the breast as soon as possible after the birth. For many mothers this is as soon as the baby is born! Babies are alert and receptive for the first hour or two after birth. This is a wonderful time to practice breastfeeding before they fall asleep.
Personalized Baby Shower Gifts
Provide each guest at a baby shower with a plain white Onesie or sleeper, in various sizes, and several tubes of fabric paint. Each guest decorates the Onesie, and the mom-to-be receives several very personalized gifts.
Positioning
Hold your baby facing you. People can't swallow very well with their heads turned. Try it yourself! Your baby will be able to swallow better if his or her whole body if facing you, tummy to tummy.
Homemade Baby Fast Food
When making homemade baby food, make large batches, and freeze in ice-cube trays. Store ready made portions in a freezer bag for quick and easy meals in a hurry.
Too Much Talc
Too much talcum powder on your baby can cause breathing problems and even pneumonia. So be careful how much you use or use dustless powder wipes.
Multi-purpose Mittens
If your infant dislikes mittens, try using infant socks with sewn-in rattles. Babies can shake their hands and make them jingle, and their hands will be warm. Now you only have to get her to take them off!
Avoiding Engorgement
Nursing your baby early and often is the best way to avoid engorgement. Nursing during the night is especially helpful. Nurse at least 8-12 times around the clock. Every hour or hour and half is even better.
Diaper Pail Odor
To eliminate the odor of a diaper pail, try tossing a few fabric softener sheets into the pail. This should keep the room smelling fresh and clean.
Readiness for Solids
To decide if your baby is ready to start solids, check for the following points, and check with your doctor. (Most babies start between 4 and 6 months of age.)
- Your baby can hold her head up well on her own, to prevent choking.
- Baby is able to draw the lower lip in so that food can be taken from a spoon.
- Baby shows an interest in and reaches for table foods from other members of the family.
- The tongue thrust reflex has disappeared. (This is a reflex that causes young infants to push foreign materials out of their mouths. To test, try placing some thinned out cereal in your baby's mouth with your finger to see if it gets pushed back out or swallowed. If it gets pushed back out, the reflex remains.)
NOTE: If allergies are present in your family, most doctors recommend waiting until the end of the first year to introduce solids.
Getting Babies to Eat Solids
If your baby is reluctant to try solid food, and you think he is ready, these ideas might help.
1) Let him watch other people eat, especially other babies.
2) Let him dip his hands in the food and suck on them.
3) Offer the food at his normal feeding time, when he is the hungriest.
4) If you're breastfeeding, have someone else feed him, so he won't be thinking of nursing.
Older siblings
Breastfeeding your baby will make it easier to care for your older siblings. You don't have to spend time washing bottles and preparing formula, and you'll always have one hand free to read them a book, pour some juice or help with a puzzle.
Easier Diaper Disposal
Line your diaper pail with several kitchen-sized garbage bags. When you empty the pail, simply take out the top, full bag, and you will be left with an already-lined diaper pail, ready for action.
Sleeper Stretchers
If your baby is growing out of her sleepers too quickly, simply cut the feet off the sleepers and sew on a pair of socks, preferably the type with rubberized soles.
Weaning From Formula or Breastmilk
Most doctors recommend feeding a baby formula or breast milk until at least 12 months of age. This ensures that your baby is getting all necessary nutrients, and lessen the chances of your baby developing milk allergies. When you do switch, be sure to use whole milk until age two. If you have more specific questions, be sure to check with your doctor to know exactly what is right for your baby.
Weaning Night-Time Feedings
If you're having difficulty getting baby to give up night-time feedings and sleep through the night, once he is old enough, you may try offering only water during these feedings. He will probably soon decide that it's not worth waking up for.
Cradle Cap
Cradle cap is common in babies. A good way to rid your baby's scalp of this dry flaky skin is to use a gentle baby shampoo and conditioner and while his scalp is lathered up take a soft bristled baby brush and gentley brush his scalp in a circular motion. For extreme cases you may want to add a small amount of baby oil or lotion to his scalp after his bath to keep skin from drying out.
Dressing Comfortably
A lot of parents wonder if they have over or underdressed their child. One thing I've learned is to dress my son the same way I am and to keep lighter or heavier articles of clothing in the car. It helps when you're on the road so you don't have to keep running back and forth to the house for wardrobe changes.
Preventing SIDS
The proven best sleep position for prevention of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) in babies is sleeping on the back. Always put your baby to sleep on their back. Also, do not allow smoking in your household as second-hand smoke is known to increase chances of SIDS.
Finger foods
The best time to teach your child how to feed themselves is when they start solid foods. Gerber makes toddler size foods that are great for little hands to grab. Try giving them small pancakes, french toast sticks and other finger foods.
Nursing Frequency
Breastfeed your new baby as often as possible, at least eight to twelve times in 24 hours. This gives your baby practice nursing as well as plenty to eat.
Goldfish????
Surprise! This is a great way to calm your infant down. You can buy feeder goldfish for$.12-$.25 and keep a little goldfish bowl. Infants love to watch them swim and will usually sit there for a while. My son and niece are about 11 months old and can sit there all day long. They are low maintence and inexpensive if you stick to goldfish.
Getting Some Sleep
You've just had a baby and you're exhausted. How do you get some sleep? Take the baby into bed with you! The baby will go to sleep easy and sleep longer if you nurse him to sleep in bed with you. The sound of your heartbeat will make him feel secure and your body will keep him warm.
Cradle Cap
Cradle cap is a common condition in a newborn's hair. It consists of dry, flaky skin covering the scalp. To treat this condition, shampoo daily with a gentle baby shampoo to get rid of the oils and bacteria that cause it.
Sentimental Baby Gift
A wonderful and unusual baby gift to give new parents is a flowering bush or tree seedling. The parents can plant it and watch it as it grows along with the child. It makes a wonderful reminder of the happy occasion.
Changing Made Easy
Newborn babies tend to need several clothing changes each day (and night). To make it easier to put together an outfit when needed, try using an over-the-door shoe holder. When you are folding your baby's laundry, simply place a complete outfit in each pocket (shirt, pants, undershirt, etc.). You won't have to search through drawers with an infant in your arms, and it's helpful for anyone else who might change your baby.
Watch Them Grow
An easy way to track a child's rapid growth, particularly during the first year is to take your child's photo next to a favorite toy or stuffed animal each month. Use the same pose and location, and the changes in the baby will really stand out.
Frequency of Diaper Changes
To know how often to change your baby's diaper, check for wetness every hour or so. Do this by pinching the diaper to see if it feels thick and bumpy (this is a sign that urine is being absorbed). If you are not sure, a quick peek will usually tell. To prevent rash, always clean the skin in your baby's diaper area thoroughly.
Baby Hearing Impairment
Early detection of hearing impairments is vital for corrective treatment in children. Be sure to contact your pediatrician immediately if your child shows any of the following symptoms:
- responds to speech only when he can see the speaker's face.
- is not speaking or making sounds appropriate to his age level.
- does not respond to sudden loud noises while awake.
Why Do Babies Cry?
The primary reason kids cry is to communicate needs and discomforts that require outside intervention. This stress mechanism of crying can allow children to heal from the effects of a frustrating day, fearful moment for a difficult situation.
Keeping Cat From Baby's Room
If you have a family cat that tries to sleep with baby, replace the bedroom door on your baby's room with a light wooden screen door. You can see and hear anything that goes on in the room, but the cat cannot get in to sleep with baby or on baby's bed.
Tie Bibs in a Snap
If you are having trouble tying a bib onto a squirming infant, simply thread the bib ties through a plastic cord stop (the kind you see on sleeping bags and windbreakers). Now you can simply slip on the bib and slide the cord to the right length. (The stops can be purchased at fabric stores.)
Weaning From a Pacifier
To cut down on pacifier use, start setting limits as to where your child can use the pacifier. For example, start by only allowing it in your house, then limit it to certain rooms, ending with your child's room. Then start limiting the time your child can use it. To make the pacifier less appealing, poke holes in the end or clip the end off it. Your child may just toss it if it doesn't provide any pleasure. If all else fails, lose it, and explain that he/she is too big now to buy a new one. Also, you can try having your dentist or doctor talking to your child and telling him why he should stop, perhaps to prevent getting crooked teeth.
Water Intake While Nursing
To ensure that you are getting enough water while you are breast feeding, make a habit out of drinking a glass of water every time you feed your baby. This will ensure that you are getting your water, and help your body produce enough milk.
Sweet Sound of Mom
To a sick or upset child, there is nothing more soothing than the familiar tones of a mother's voice. Here is a few tips to help soothe your child. Sing calm, slow songs such as lullibies, read to your child with soft music in the back ground, or if you are going to be away make a recording of yourself singing or reading in a soft, consoling tone.
Severe Engorgement
Try to avoid severe engorgement because it can damage the milk ducts and reduce your ability to breastfeed successfully in the future. To treat severe engorgement use cold, raw, green cabbage leaves in the bra, and change as soon as they become wilted. And call a La Leche League leader or an IBCLC lactation consultant to help you.
When Is Baby Done?
Let your baby stay on the breast for as long as they want. When they are done they will let go on their own or just fall asleep. Most babies will need to stay on the breast *actively swallowing* for at least ten minutes to get a good feed. Your baby should look like a "drunken sailor" - happy, satisfied and asleep.
Bundling Up Baby
Parents of newborns often have a tendency to overdress their babies in cold weather. It is best to dress babies in layers so it is easy to add on or take off if necessary. A quick way to check if your baby is too cold is to feel his tummy and his toes. It's normal for his toes to be slightly cooler than his tummy. If both are cool, add another layer.
Uncircumcised Penis Care
No special care is needed for an uncircumcised penis. Simply wash the outside with soap and water - the same as you would the rest of the body. It is not only unnecessary to forcibly retract the foreskin, or clean under it with antiseptics, cotton swabs, etc., but it can be harmful. By the age of puberty most foreskins will be retractable, and at that time your son can learn to retract his and clean under it himself.
Baby Fat
Young babies are designed to be chubby for a good reason. In the first days of life, the baby can live off his extra fat until his mother´s milk supply is steady. A fatter trunk also helps to keep the baby´s body warm. Those chunky babies younger than 1 year can be very cute, but making comments about a child's weight isn't productive. This very well could be normal for the child's growth and development. If the pediatrician or health care provider says the child is on track, no worries.
By the time a child is 3, the weight will be more evenly distributed and the cuddly layer of baby fat will disappear. The child starts to grow taller and stretches out.
Between the ages of 4-7 years, the child should be the skinniest he/she will be in their entire life. Parents often complain that they can see their child's ribs and that means they are too thin. Again, if the child's growth on the growth curve per the pediatrician is good, then don't worry. Understand, there is a big difference between a (normal) skinny kid and an unhealthy one.
Honey Safety
Children under the age of one year should not be given honey or corn syrup. These foods, which carry the spores which cause botulism, can cause food poisoning in young children.
Baby Shower Advice
For a useful gift at a first-time mom's baby shower, provide each guest with a 3X5 index card in the invitation. Ask everyone to write a piece of advice on the card. Alphabetize the cards according to subject, and place in a recipe box. The new mom now has easy-to-access "recipes for life" and a wonderful keepsake.
Dealing With Engorgement
Some new moms get engorged no matter what they do. The milk usually "comes in" on the third day. Nurse as often as possible, and use cold compresses between nursing sessions. If baby can't latch pump or hand express milk to soften breasts.
Baby Water Swallowing
For a baby, swallowing water is a common instinctive response whenever they place their face in water. Although babies instinctively hold their breath under water, they continue to swallow. For this reason, it is important to prevent her from ever having her face submerged until she grows out of this. Swallowing large quantities of water, which babies do during water play, can dilute the blood, leading to water intoxication and illness. Also, if she is getting her ears under the water, it can increase chances of ear infections.
Stork Bite
"Stork bite" is a common condition in newborns which is simply red mark caused by a group of tiny blood vessels visible throught the skin. It appears on the back of the neck where the skin is thin, and therefore the mark is more noticeable, particularly at times of stress. As a child's skin thickens, the stork bite will fade. By the age of 4 or 5 the mark will not likely be noticeable.
Super Shower Gift
A great idea for a shower or baby gift for a new mom is a pre-paid telephone calling card. Most new moms need to make many long distance calls to spread the good news once the baby comes, and this cuts down on their expenses.
Disposable Diaper Waste
Each baby that uses disposable diapers produces approximately 1.4 tons of waste from the diapers which ends up in our landfill sites.
Easier Bottle Weaning
To make your life easier at weaning time, ensure right from the start that you never use your baby's bottle as a comfort or pacifier. Do not let your baby take it to bed. This way, it is simply a source of food, not comfort, and the switch to a cup as another source of food will go much smoother. This also prevents your baby from associating food with comfort, which can lead to many eating disorders.
