Consumer Escort

When it comes to babies and sleep everyone will have an opinion for you that they are sure will be the answer to your sleepless nights. This is one of those times that you will have to be firm and make your own decisions about what type of sleeping routine and schedule you are going to have. There are baby experts out there who will tell you that you should never let your baby cry as he is trying to fall asleep. The next expert will tell you that you should never give in to your crying baby once you have put him to bed. Which method is right and which is wrong? It all depends on your needs and the needs of your baby. The guidelines in this chapter on sleep are simply that: a variety of tips and ideas that you either can or cannot attempt to incorporate into your bedtime routine.

Before you make the decision about what to do with that baby that won’t sleep is where is that baby sleeping. Some parents insist that your baby sleep in his own crib in his own room. Still other parents want their baby in their bedroom. Neither is right or wrong and there are advantages to both. If your baby sleeps in her room you will likely get more rest for yourself since you won’t be disturbed by the snufflings and other sleeping noises that newborn babies make. Your baby may wake less often if she is in her own room but this is not always the case. If your baby is sleeping in the same room as you are, you might find it less disturbing and easy to be able to attend to your baby’s needs right there. If you not only have your baby in the same room as you but also in the same bed, you should be aware of some of the dangers of sleeping in the same bed together. Baby experts are completely divided over the issue of sharing the same bed with your baby. You will have to research the safety versus the emotional issues and decide for yourself if you are going to be bringing your baby into bed with you.

You will likely need more sleep than your new baby. New babies most often are not able to sleep through the night until they have at least doubled their weight. This usually happens when your baby is between four and five months old. The following table shows the amount of sleep that babies should be getting. Keep in mind that this is just a guideline and don’t be discouraged if your baby doesn’t fall within the norm.

Age……………Total Hours of Sleep Needed Per Day (including naps)

1-15 days……….16-22

3 weeks…………16-18

6 weeks…………15-16

4-6 months………14-16

9 months………..13-16

1 year………….12-15

Once you have decided how you are going to handle where your baby sleeps and just how much sleep the charts say she should have, you will want to think about getting into some sort of a routine whether or not she is going to sleep any better because of it or not. A sleep routine can be a soothing and comforting part of your baby’s nighttime ritual. It is a way for you and your family to incorporate sleep into the daily routine without it becoming a battle of mind over baby. As your baby grows she will understand that bedtime comes after bath time and may start to settle down if she is comforted by the bedtime routine.

There are many ways that you can establish the bedtime routine. Here are some tips and ideas for bedtime routines that you might want to consider:

1. Start the bedtime routine with a bath, some cuddle time, a song or story, a feeding, more cuddling, and then bed.

2. Sing a soothing lullaby just before you put your baby to bed.

3. Try to do things in the same order, with the same people involved, at that same time each night so that you create a pattern that your baby will recognize as a pre-sleep routine.

4. Make sure the lights are low and dim. You want to make your baby recognize that when it’s dark, it’s time to sleep.

5. Make sure that whatever routine you set up for you and your baby that there is a finality to it at the end. Your baby should learn that when you put him into bed, no matter how pleasant the bedtime routine has been, that it’s time to sleep. Give him some time to fuss.

Number five in the above list is a very important point to remember when it comes to establishing your bedtime routine. If you cuddle your baby, lay down with him, or sing to him one more time after you have put him to bed, he will come to expect that anytime he isn’t ready for sleep all he has to do is fuss and the pleasure of being rocked will be his again. You are not trying to play a game of control with him or deny him your affection after he has been put into bed. After all, it’s normal for him to want to be with you. What you are trying to do is make him understand that after the bedtime routine is complete, it is time to sleep.

A quick note on nighttime feedings, which will be further discussed in the chapter entitled From Milk to Solids. If you are feeding your baby during the night you won’t be able to establish that bedtime routine. If your baby needs to have a feeding at night you may have to delay a good sleeping pattern until he is ready to stop feeding during the night.
Most babies stop feeding during the night around five to six months.

Lullabies. Still on the subject of sleep, but on the more entertaining side: Lullabies. Using music to lull and soothe your baby to sleep can be an enjoyable experience for both of you. More about music in the next chapter entitled Using Music to Calm Your Baby.

The Lullaby, or Cradle Song, has been around for centuries. Whether you are singing Brahm’s Lullaby or stumbling through a tune from Sesame Street, what matters is that you are using the power of music and your voice to communicate with your baby. Singing a lullaby at some point during baby’s nighttime routine will settle him down and prepare him of the stillness of sleep.

There is so much more that can be covered under the “sleep” topic when it comes to your baby. You will have to establish your own nighttime rules by trial and error. As your baby grows older you will find that his sleep patterns are constantly changing. What you will have established with the use of baths and lullabies are certain characteristics that can be adapted to whatever nighttime routine you come up with to fit to your baby’s age and needs. With a lot of patience and love you will able to make it through the ever-changing world of baby’s sleep.

Mia LaCron is the founder of 123-baby-quilt-patterns.info - http://www.123-baby-quilt-patterns.info - devoted to helping families care for their new-born babies

The method know as three dimensional ultrasound is used during early pregnancy, it provides 3d images of the unborn baby. Most of the time these pictures are collected and joined together to produce a 4d ultrasound scan.

Three dimensional scanning works in the same way to the normal scanning methods except that the ultrasound scanning waves can be sent from many directions. The waves are reflected back then captured to provide info to construct a 3 d image in much the same way as 3d pictures. 3d ultrasound was started by stephen smith and olaf von ramm.

It is important to understand that sonologists all over the world have always conjured three-dimensional images of the body in their minds while doing 2d scans. However, until recently it was impossible to do this kind of reconstruction on patient data acquired using ultrasound. The advent of 4d baby scans for the first time allowed us a view into the thinking of a sonologist and so allowing us see the images on the ultrasound machine.

The 3d/4d ultrasound image should utilize ultrasound energy following the same limits as conventional 2d ultrasound to create the 3d images. There is no data to suggest harm due to 3d ultasound scanning, its use in none medical situations needs to be undertaken with an understanding of the risks.

Sounds great - doesn’t it?

Or does it sound too good to be true?

It all comes down to perspective and expectations.

If these words evoke the idea of a magic pill image in your mind - i.e. all I have to do is spend some money here and boom, my child will be potty trained in one day - that’s it - s/he will go from diapers/pull-ups to potty training pants and will not have accidents and we will all live happily ever after.

Well, a magic pill it is not!! It will take effort and energy on your part and yes, you will have to clean up accidents. We all learn from our mistakes and your child will not be any different.

It is however a proven method that has successfully worked for many parents. The one day is the “Big Day” (see Figure 1 below). This is the day when the actual potty training is done and your child will give up diapers forever and start using “big kid” potty training pants.

PREPARATION & PLANNING===>”THE BIG DAY”===>THE FOLLOW UP

Figure 1: The Potty Training in One Day Process - modified for this article

(The preparation & planning can take from 1 hour to 2 week or more, depending on your and your child’s readiness. The “Big Day” is the day you potty train your child - and it take anywhere from an hour to the whole day. The follow-up can take anywhere from 0-2 weeks depending on your child.)

However, as many other things in life, in order for you to have a pleasant and successful “Big Day” you will have to spend some time preparing and planning for this day. The planning and preparation could take anywhere from one hour to a few weeks depending on how ready you and your child are. The time required for the follow-up after the “Big Day” really depends on your child. Some children do not require any follow-up, but others may require more.

So, what is Potty Training in One Day?

It is a proven method to potty train your child; Your child will give up diapers on this day and will learn to pee on the potty and will also learn what is expected of him/her as far as going to the potty goes.

You on the other hand; will have to expend some time, effort and energy before this day by getting all the supplies together and then preparing your child and yourself for this day (you are already doing this by reading this article!!). You will have to mentally and physically get ready to handle potty accidents and clean ups from these potty accidents. After the big day, you will also have to clean up more potty accidents and follow up with your child and make sure that s/he is clear on what you expect from him/her.

Most people who choose to use this method are surprised by how quickly their child learns and that the potty accidents are limited to a few days. Most children will be accident free in one week, however, you have the ones that never have accidents, and then you have the ones that will have accidents for a couple of weeks.

Stick with it and your child will be accident free in two weeks or less!! No more diapers or pull-ups!!

Copyright 2004-2005. Potty Training Concepts. All Rights Reserved.

Visit our website to learn How to Potty Train in One Day from Potty Training Concepts - www.PottyTrainingConcepts.com

Narmin Parpia, inventor of the Potty Training in One Day - The Complete System for Girls and for Boys with potty training dolls Potty Scotty and Potty Patty. Narmin has been dispensing products, information and advice online. Her products have been featured nationally on the Today Show, in Time Magazine, and on Mr Dad - Armin Brott’s talk show.

Baby showers are thrown for the main purpose of bestowing well wishes and gifts upon a couple that is having their first child. Usually, gifts come in the form of baby items that the baby will need on its arrival.

With the popularity of baby gift registries today, looking for that perfect gift that the baby will need and the couple will truly appreciate has become easy. But for those will-be parents who did not sign up for a gift registry, or if you want to choose a baby gift on your own, this list of baby shower gift ideas may truly be helpful.

1. Disposable Diapers

Diapers may not be the most fancy gift to give for a baby shower. But this would definitely be the most thoughtful and most appreciated.

Diapers are expensive and babies will use them up very quickly. The new parents will appreciate them. Even those parents who opt to use cloth diapers may also find disposable diapers useful when traveling.

A tip when buying diapers, pick the larger size ones instead of newborn diapers. After all, babies nowadays grow very fast and the newborn-size diapers may not be useful for very long. And while you are at it, why not thrown in some baby wipes as well.

2. Bottles and Pacifiers

Babies may sometimes be picky on bottles and pacifiers. Some babies prefer to use only a particular brand or shape for these items.

If the parents-to-be have specified in the baby registry a brand or shape of bottles, nipples, and pacifiers, these items may be a safe choice for a baby shower gift. Otherwise, just steer clear from these baby items.

To continue reading this article go now to http://www.babyshowerportal.com/Baby-Shower-Gift-Ideas.html

Learn more about how to host a baby shower by visiting Maria Frost’s baby shower resource site ideas for baby showers.