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When can babies take vitamins? There are parents who don’t consult with doctors and give different vitamin pills to their babies without thinking they are useful or not. This is not right.

The vitamins your baby needs, he can get from what he eats, starting from breast milk to fruits. In this regard, there is no need to give him special vitamin pills. But this is the common approach, since many babies, particularly breastfed infants, should start taking vitamins.

Let’s firstly understand what vitamins are and what their function is. Vitamins are compounds the baby’s body needs. They aid in proper growth and development. Make sure you give your baby only a certain amount of vitamins because their big amount can cause an opposite reaction. Babies and children need a total of 13 vitamins such as A, C, D, E, K and more. A breastfed infant usually doesn’t get vitamin D, which is necessary for strong bone development.

Breast milk doesn’t contain high levels of Vitamin D, so she must daily get that Vitamin D from some other food. Breastfeeding moms should consume many vegetables, dairy products and healthy food without fat.

But there are babies who don’t take breast milk, so they have to take vitamins. What to do? There are special fruit foods and also useful juices, take carrot juices. But first and foremost ask your doctor to examine the baby, because he might be allergic.

Vitamins are very useful if taken in necessary amounts. They will improve your baby’s organism development and help him avoid many viruses and bacteria.

 Consider the following:

1. Fully or partly breastfed babies should start having a daily supplement of 400 IU of vitamin D within a few days of birth.

2. Babies who are not breastfed and older children who consume less than one quart (about 2 pints or 1 liter) of vitamin D-fortified formula or milk a day should also be taking a daily supplement of 400 IU of Vitamin D.

3. Adolescents should also take a daily supplement of 400 IU of Vitamin D if their diet does not give them this amount every day.

4. Some children may need higher doses, for instance if they are taking certain medications, which can put them at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency.

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At what age should parents leave a child alone at home? Honestly nobody can give an exact answer, it depends on the age of your child as well as on how independent he gets and on how independently he can act and behave. But the one thing is clear; you should educate your child in a way he feels safe while alone at home.

• Scientists have proved children recognize numbers earlier than letters, thus you can explain to him in what case where to call. For example, you can write on a paper three main numbers of the fire service, ambulance and police. To make it even easier you can draw matches on the fire service paper, a red cross on the ambulance paper and so on. Kids like calling here and there, it’s fun for them, but do your best to teach your child not to call these services just for his pleasure. Explain to him the possible consequences. Besides these numbers, give him the phone-numbers of mom and dad, close relatives or neighbors in order to call someone in case of emergency.

• Close the windows before leaving, because a child can open and fall down. Take care of acute and incisive tools you have in your house because those can injure your child.

• Close the bathroom door because  the child can use hot water, or fall into the bathtub. And one of  the most scary things is the child can switch on the washing-machine.

• Allow your child to answer phone calls, but teach him not to tell he’s alone. This way you’ll be sure your baby’s naivety won’t serve for “bad people” as a source of information, which can threaten his safety.
• Educate your child not to open doors to unknown people, even if the strangers claim to be your relatives. Explain this in a way he doesn’t get scared of the idea someone might knock on the door and present a danger for him.

• One place all kids love in the house is the kitchen, with its fridge (I believe if the fridge were in the balcony, we’d refer to the balcony as their favorite place in the house). Don’t put your pills in the fridge, he can easily get them and eat just like a candy. In any way, even if you have to leave the pills in the fridge, put them on the very top. Alcohols are also sure to attract kids, so put them in out-of-the-reach places in your fridge, or if you feel there is no such a place, then just take them out from there. Some two hours or so won’t spoil them.

These are points you should consider once your child’s alone at home or you are in another room. Be attentive to the most minute things, and you’ll ensure your baby’s safety at the most.

Pregnancy is a period of amazing nine months during which mothers spend most of their time on looking for beautiful names for their baby and buying every little detail to make their babies’ childhood unforgettable and wonderful.

But pregnancy period is not a process, which always goes smooth and problem-free. Future mothers can face various problems, thus for them it is a must to know how to solve them. I know many women interested in whether it’s OK to travel while pregnant or not. So today we’ll talk about how safe it is to travel during pregnancy. We’ll also offer you points to make your travel both safe and enjoyable.

The perfect time to travel is the second trimester because during the first one different symptoms like morning sickness (nausea) can occur. Third trimester travels are not a good idea as well, because they make you tired and exhausted — it’s not safe.

Everyone is an individual, so the pregnancy is individual too. To avoid problems, right before traveling consult your healthcare doctor to learn if  you have any medical problems to worry about or not. Your doctor will tell you if it’s normal to travel or no. This is what you should do by all means because sometimes a woman needs to be under the strong and constant control to deliver a healthy baby as well as avoid possible difficulties.

During travel take all documents related to pregnancy (all the prenatal tests) — this way you will be prepared in case of emergency and you’ll get right medical help at the right time without delays, which can occur because of lack of your pregnancy test history. Make sure you take the medications you need — there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to find the pills and vitamins you use in the other country. If you want to protect the growing baby, you must also take into account that not using seat belts can be too dangerous for both of you. Hereby, no matter you’re traveling by car, train or airplane use the belts.

Air travel

If your pregnancy is normal and there are no any difficulties, air travel is the safest one. The period between 14 to 27 weeks is an ideal time for travels, because you won’t suffer from morning sickness anymore and you will feel much more comfortable. But, be attentive not to fly after the 36th week. Many airlines even don’t let women travel at the end of the pregnancy because it’s a big responsibility and risk.

Car Travel

Though car travel might seem scary, traveling by car is also normal. You just need to follow certain safety steps. Wear the seat belts, especially if you are sitting near the driver. Pregnant women always need fresh air, so keep the window open so that fresh air goes in. If it’s cold outside, at least make sure the window is half open. And very importantly, if you want to avoid the possibility of feeling nausea, concentrate on the horizon or on a subject far away.

Train Travel

If you ask me which the safest way of travel is, I’ll answer “travel by train.” It’s not only safe, but also comfortable. You are allowed to walk in the train enjoying the freedom of your movements. If you feel fatigue, you can go and lie. Travel by train also gives an opportunity to enjoy the glaring view from the window. To make it complete you can listen to relaxing or favorite music/songs. You can also read a book about pregnancy and get more informed about the pleasant “situation” you are in. : )

You know, I see no reason to say “no travel” during pregnancy, this, of course, refers to the second trimester pregnancy. Follow all the steps correctly, and you’ll both feel happy and perfect. Travels always bring good emotions and feelings, so why not travel while your baby’s still on his way to this beautiful world? I believe he’ll love it too. So enjoy the most incredible nine months of your life in every possible way, including by travels.

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Being a mother is a unique specialization and you have to be very “well-educated” to make your baby’s life full of joy and fun, at the same time keeping him away from troubles.

When your child is 2-3 years old, you wash his hands yourself explaining the importance of cleanliness. But when in kindergarten with friends, he hardly remembers your advice. So you have to use every possible and impossible way to make him understand the importance and necessity of washing hands. It should become a pleasant habit for him.

To help you with this problem, we offer you steps to make your child enjoy water and understand why he needs to wash hands.

1. Instead of telling him fearful stories about illnesses caused by dirty hands, try to be a good example for him. Shouting all the time about the importance of washing hands will not make him love this process. Wash your hands together! Start playing with the soap bubbles; it will be very funny for both of you.

2. Make an experiment together. Take him to the bathroom and open the water. Show him the purity of the water. Ask him to wash the hands. That’s when the experiment will start. While washing, he’ll notice the water getting dirty. At the same time he’ll keep on playing with the water. That’s an interesting process for every child, you just need to revive that interest in him. While he’s enjoying his “hand-soap-water” communication, tell him about the naughty things called “bacteria.” Afterwards you can leave him; he will enjoy being a hero and fighting against the “entire army of bacteria.”

3. Take him to any market and let him choose the soap he wants. This will be a process you’ll both love — you’ll enjoy his shopping and spend a good time together, and he’ll appreciate your trust in him. Liquid soaps are very common and the bottles are quite well-decorated to attract a child. He will choose his favorite flavor and will surely hurry home to use his “new discovery.”

4. After playing with favorite toys on the floor, he will open the door of the fridge, absolutely forgetting about washing hands. Look no further, take a cream for hands and ask him to follow you. While applying the cream he will see it become unimaginably dirty and will be surprised why Mommy’s hands are not like his. Explain to him that before using the cream you washed your hands. As the cream process is very enjoyable he will surely follow your advice.

These steps will help you make your baby’s childhood not only happy, but also “clean” and why not, risk-free. Every child is an individual demanding unique approach, so if one suggestion doesn’t work, try the rest to see which one helps in your goal.

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The key to good nail care is keeping finger and toe nails short. This helps keep them clean, prevents your baby from scratching himself or others and prevents nails from breaking and tearing.

Newborn babies’ nails are very fragile, so resist cutting them for the first few weeks. If they are very long, a pair of scratch mitts will keep her from scratching her face. After a few weeks, you can start using baby scissors with round ends or special clippers. Avoid cutting too close to the quick.

Remember to check older children’s toenails regularly – small children’s nails grow very fast, and unless they are in open-toed shoes in summer, we may not see much of their feet, so be sure to have a look at bath time and check whether trimming is in order. Ill-fitting shoes can cause all sorts of problems for growing feet, including growing toenails, so be sure to have your children’s shoe size measured regularly.

Remember that most children dislike the feeling of having their nails cut, or may be afraid of scissors, so a good time to try and do this is when they are asleep. Keeping a pair of scissors handy (in the car, for example, for when you take a long journey and your baby or toddler might have a nap).

What colour your baby’s eyes are is determined by melanin, a dark pigment contained in the iris. The more melanin there is, the darker the colour of the eye is. This means that the less melanin there is, the lighter the colour of the eye is. The iris controls the amount of light allowed into the eye. A newborn baby’s pigmentation process in the iris is not yet complete. When trying to find out when do newborn babies eyes change, it is usually during the first year of a babies life.

The lighter skinned your baby is, the lighter the eye colour usually is. It is usually a blue to bluish-grey colour at birth. After about a year, this colour will deepen becoming darker. If your baby is dark skinned, he will probably have a dark eye colour at birth and they will probably stay relatively dark.

It is not only the colour of a newborn baby’s eye that will change. The pressure on your baby’s face during the delivery process can cause your baby’s eyelids to be puffy and to have blood spots on the whites of the eyes. Eye medicines used to prevent infections after birth can also leave your baby with red eyes.
The redness and puffiness of the eyes usually only lasts about 3 days, it could take up to 3 weeks for the blood spots on the white of the eyes to go.

If you notice that your baby is not opening his eyes, it might be that the light in the room is too bright for him. Try dimming the lights to encourage him. A newborn cannot see very well. The optic nerve that sends information from the eyes to the brain does not function yet. Their vision will be hazy. The eyesight will improve by the time your baby is about 4 to 5 months old, allowing them to see colour and objects. By the time your baby is 8 to 12 months old, they will be able to see clearly. Their brain has matured a great deal in this time.

Don’t be alarmed if your baby cries without actually producing tears. A baby usually only creates enough tears to keep the eyes wet. A baby will start to produce more tears by the age of about 8 months. Blocked tear ducts are not uncommon in newborns. A sign of this is a yellow sticky discharge in one or both of the eyes. If you suspect that your baby might have a blocked tear duct, speak to your caregiver and they will be able to advise you on how to massage your baby’s tear ducts to unblock them.

Parents  of young children are kept busy looking after their children’s myriad needs. In all this, the hair often gets neglected. Proper hair care, even at this age, is important for your child. It will also help to make hair care a habit with your child as he grows up.

Here are some tips to help you care for your children’s hair:

• Always keep your child’s scalp clean; this is important even if your baby has no hair yet.
• Wash your child’s hair every few days; due to their scanty growth, it is not necessary to wash your baby’s hair everyday.
• Gently ease out any tangles in your baby’s hair before washing it.
• Be gentle and exercise caution. Do not exert pressure on the baby’s soft spot on the scalp.
• Use a gentle baby shampoo that will not hurt the baby’s eyes.
• Many children may find the process of having their hair washed distressing. Speak to your child gently and in comforting tones. Encourage your child to enjoy having the hair washed.
• ‘Cradle cap,’ a condition marked by red or flaky skin on the scalp, is prevalent amongst young children. It can be controlled by regularly washing the scalp with a gentle shampoo; your doctor may prescribe a cortisone cream.
• Remember: It is a myth that shaving off an infant’s hair helps it grow thicker and better.

Soothing a crying baby can be a daunting task if you are unsure of what method you should employ. The good news is that there are lots of effective ways to dry up those heart-wrenching tears.

Babies love to be held, rocked and comforted. Responding to your baby’s crying as soon as you can is worthwhile and can nip a crying episode in the bud before it really gets going.

You will usually be able to tell what is wrong with him, as you will have come to understand the sound of his cries. Even when you know what the problem is, you may not be able to address it at that second. So, for those occasions when you need to soothe your crying baby, here are some tried and tested ideas:

• Respond to your baby’s tears as soon as possible; this does not mean you are ‘spoiling’ him as some people suggest. In fact, research has proven that babies who feel secure develop better. If you leave him to cry, he will feel insecure and confused.

• Put on some calming music (possibly music you played when he was in utero), the radio or even the television. The noise may be a big enough distraction to halt the crying.

• Cuddle your baby. Hold him in your arms and rock him. Babies love to be rocked as it transports them back to the safety and movement of being inside the amniotic sac.

• Reassure your baby by talking to him in a calm voice. If you become stressed, he will pick up on your tension and you could make it worse.

• Singing to your baby is usually a big hit. Don’t worry if you are tone deaf, any lullaby you sing to your baby will sound like beautiful music to his ear. He loves the sound of your voice.

• Brightly coloured toys: hard rattles, cloth books and mobiles can distract and calm a baby.

• Sometimes, putting a baby in his pushchair and going for a quick walk can solve all your problems. Likewise, certain babies just love to sit in a bouncy chair or rocking cradle and be rocked while watching what is going on in the house around him.

• If you really cannot soothe your baby, a drive around the block in a car may help.

Although it’s important to ensure your baby sleeps safe by placing her on her back in her crib for naps and at night time, spending time on her tummy is also important for her development. New research suggests that if babies don’t get enough ‘tummy time’ they can have delays in motor development.

Sleeping your baby on her back is a vital safeguard against sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and the incidence of SIDS has dropped by 40% since the Back to Sleep campaign was launched in 1992. However, safe sleep, combined with the fact that many babies spend long periods of time in their infant carrier and swing, means they don’t get to experience the variety of positions that can help them progress. And they’re also at risk of flat head syndrome, where the back of the head can take on a flattened appearance due to resting against their crib mattress, car seat or swing.

Tummy time helps strengthen the muscles in your baby’s neck, shoulders and back and also gives her the opportunity to track objects with her eyes: fundamental for head control, rolling and crawling. So what can you do to ensure your baby gets enough time on her front during the day, when she is awake and you’re there to keep a close eye on her? Here are gurgle’s tips for incorporating tummy time into your baby’s day, whether she’s being carried, nappied, fed or played with…

Keep her safe

Always supervise your baby during tummy time – don’t leave her by herself even for a second. If she isn’t accustomed to spending time on her front start off with just a minute or two at a time and increase gradually. If she becomes very distressed, try to distract her with a toy before changing her position.

1 . Switch your newborn from side to side
Most mums tend to carry their newborn up against their shoulder, supporting their head with one hand. You’ll likely have a shoulder preference depending on whether you’re right or left handed but try to get into the habit of regularly switching your baby to the other side and turning her head the opposite way from the way you lay it on your other shoulder. This plants the idea in her head that she can turn her head – and once she’s able to support it she’ll have a try at doing it herself. Once she gets the hang of it she’ll do it when she’s lying on her back, which will help avoid flattening at the back of her skull.

2.  Carry her on her front
Carrying your baby draped along your arm on her front is a great colic-soothing method and it also ensures some tummy time. When she’s tiny your baby will need you to support her head with your hand but as she grows and gains strength in her head and trunk muscles, she’ll need less support – when she’s at this stage you can increase the fun factor by playing aeroplanes with her and flying her around the room!

3.  Lay her on your chest
It’s not only great for bonding and skin-to-skin time; it also encourages your baby to try to raise her head so she can see your face. Encourage her attempts by calling her name and singing to her, and turning her head from side to side. You’ll see her growing stronger every day and once she’s able to lift and turn her head all by herself you can place a folded towel or blankie under her chest to help raise her shoulders.

4.  Give her something to see
Tummy time on a well-padded play mat is even more fun when you place toys in front of your baby, within her line of vision – and once she’s able to support her head and top half, she’ll try to reach for them. Plus, if you – or an older brother or sister – gets down on the floor with her it’s great for social interaction!

5. Roll her over
Gently rolling your baby from side to side as you dry her after her bath, change her nappy or get her dressed, turns these everyday babycare chores into a fun activity for you and your baby.

6. Wind her on her front
Try placing your baby belly down over your lap when you’re winding her – it’s a great way to introduce tummy time to a young baby (and it might just help bring up that last bit of wind that’s making her cranky!). You can also drape her across your lap in this way for a few minutes if you’re sitting watching TV.