About Baby Care

Archive for the ‘For Parents’ Category

Long before your baby starts making his first steps you should think of how to make that process most funny and joyful for him. Help him overcome all the difficulties related to walking. Remember not to torture him all day long to have a good result; every baby is unique and if you see your neighbor’s daughter has the same age and is already walking, but your baby is not, you don’t have to worry. We don’t talk about 5 years-old children, but very little ones, so if he is 1 year-old, don’t force him into walking; just prepare comforts to make him do his first steps with pleasure.

Your baby will start moving from one side to another and will learn how to roll over from two to six months. You can expect him to raise his head while pushing himself up on his arms before flipping to his backstage. Encourage him to roll over from his backside to his stomach by holding a toy over him while he is lying on his back. Then when he reaches it, move the toy across his body until he reaches even further for it and rolls over. This will help him a lot to improve legs, neck and back being ready for the next steps.

From already the fourth month he can start sitting if you support him and in the sixth month he may even sit by himself. Help him make a sitting position while he is lying on his back by carefully pulling him up by his hands.

When he is already six months you can teach him to reach the things he wants of course by helping. Start placing different colorful and favorite objects in different places not very far and make him reach those. Show him these things and explain that they are waiting for him, make it fun and enjoy the moment.

Help him also strengthen his leg muscles. Your curious baby will soon start pulling himself up onto objects like furniture, mommy’s leg or anything else to prop himself up. He will start organizing his way to stand up without any support and this usually happens from seven to twelve months. It will help him develop leg muscles, so help him and sometimes let him do it himself, but watching is a must.

There is nothing more pleasant than walking together. So take his hand and walk together; help him with his first steps, show him how mommy is walking. This will not only create desire in hm for walking, but he will also be very encouraged and happy to take mommy’s hand and enjoy sunny weather together in a green park.

Enjoy your walking and make every step  of your baby simple and joyful!

Photos credits to 1

Do you think your one-year-old baby doesn’t talk and only makes some sounds? Your baby talks and talks exactly with you. Sometimes he can even sing, so you have to encourage him and not make him keep silent. Baby’s reaction can be a little bit slower than you think, but you have to wait for his communication and help him improve his language skills. We suggest you some funny and useful things to do together with him. Be attentive and you will have success.

1. Babies cry almost every day. During the first year crying is their main ‘work’ and the basic way of communication. Babies learn how to behave when you respond to their cries; they feel safe when mommy talks to them while crying, so respond to your baby’s cries.
2. Talk to your baby, it’s very important. They look at you expecting something from you; a nice word or a warm welcome. So you can practice your conversation skills together and have a good result.
3. Even when you are in supermarket with your toddler, don’t hesitate to communicate with him. Show him things and say why you are going to take them, try to choose colorful ones and let him take the small one; he will be very happy to see you trust him.
4. Sing songs for him or together. Babies like singing in their own way and if parents encourage them it’s the greatest thing. Sing together and tell him that he perfectly does everything.
5. Read books for your kid. Choose a very kind fairytale for him and before going to sleep read a book for him, tell him about good things and kind angels, make him love the world he is going to live in. Don’t tell him about bad people; you will have much time for that.
6. When your baby looks for example into your eyes, tell him, “These are my eyes, see, you have them too,” or when the phone rings and he concentrates on the sound just say, “Oh, you heard a sound? Maybe it’s dad calling? Let’s take the phone and talk to him.”

The most important thing is to never talk to the baby like a baby. Talk to him in a simple language, but never primitive. Don’t scream at him when talking, explaining or showing something to him. It’s very useful to make him listen to different songs about children and the nice world.

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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.

 Photos credits to 1

You spend whole nine months waiting for your baby’s birth. Those nine months are truly emotional especially if we consider the so-called processes of searching for names, stopping at every baby-shop hoping to find something as special as your baby and reading various baby-care books to learn the ways of bringing up your little angel as a good person for the society. But everyone is unique in their own way and very possibly what you have planned for your baby can remain pictured in your mind and never come true. So what? Is it “the end of the world?”

Definitely no, you just need to know that you should help him in building his way, but never ever force your own ideas on him, because in the end it’s him who should create his future. If you want to educate a civil person with multifarious interests you have to firstly educate an individual.

We offer you some important points to avoid or solve various problems you are sure to face when educating your child.

Don’t humiliate your child!

Imagine your two year-old child has painted something you think is awful. Oh, you were expecting a masterpiece to hang in Louvre? Try to understand how much love he has put in it. He is expecting inspiring words from you, don’t disappoint him. So be careful not to hurt him saying, “What’s this? Couldn’t you do something better?” With every other such “good” remark, you will break a piece of talent him.

Don’t threaten your child!

Children are very vulnerable and they need protection, but never threat. Be careful while threatening your child. Avoid expressions like this, “If you do it next time, I will show you.” He is just a child, even if he is too naughty, he is still a child. So threats are not a way out. Talk to your child quietly, give him examples and try to explain everything in details, so that he knows what bad consequences his actions can result in. This will help you build friendly relations as well.

Don’t expect quick obedience!

Imagine you are very busy doing something. And your husband asks you to put everything aside and make a hot chocolate for him. What a horrible request! The same goes for the child — when he is playing with his favorite toys and you ask him to put them aside and come to have dinner, he becomes nervous and doesn’t want to do that. What to do? Simply let him know about dinner ten minutes before.

Don’t demand more than your child is able!

Comparing your child with your, let’s say, neighbor’s child will not help him become better. Unlike your neighbor’s four-five year-old child your child is only two-years old. It’s not right. If your baby is not gifted he’ll hardly manage to write down the alphabet at that age. So don’t force him to and don’t downgrade his skills and abilities. He’s yet not grown enough to do all that by himself. Help him, but don’t judge.

Serve a good example for your child!

You educate your child as much as possible every time trying to punish him when he does something wrong. But suddenly you understand that all efforts were feckless and ask yourself — why? Seems you did everything right, so which was your mistake? If you teach your child to respect older people, but you shout at his grandpa, he will never consider your words. He doubts the accuracy of your words because you gave him a reason to. Parents are but a perfect example for children, because what they do in a broader sense is the imitation of your own actions, at least until they are still kids.

Love your child no matter what. Communicate with him as much as possible. Don’t expect anything back. Just don’t cut his wings, give him a chance to fly, let him make his future and one day he’ll be back with his gratitude and love towards you for everything you did for him. This way he’ll not be just someone else in the crowd but an individual standing out in it.

Let your love towards your baby be great, endless, devoted, but never selfish. Be happy and create a good person out of him.

Talking

Your baby will gradually learn to use words to describe what she sees, hears, feels, and thinks as she makes mental, emotional, and behavioural leaps. Researchers now know that long before a baby utters her first word, she’s learning the rules of language and how adults use it to communicate.

When it develops

Children learn to talk during their first two years of life. Your baby will begin by using her tongue, lips, palate, and any emerging teeth to make sounds (ooh and ahhs in the first month or two; babbling starts shortly thereafter). Soon those sounds become real words (“mama” and “dada” may slip out and bring tears to your eyes as early as four to five months). From then on your baby will pick up more words from you, your partner, and everyone else around her. And between one and two years, she’ll begin to form two- to three-word sentences.

How it develops

Your child’s wail at birth is her first foray into the world of language. She’s expressing the shock of being out of the confines of the womb and in a new and unfamiliar place. From then on, she’s absorbing sounds, tones, and words that later shape the way she speaks.

Talking is inextricably linked to hearing. By listening to others speak, your baby learns what words sound like and how sentences are structured. In fact, many researchers believe the work of understanding language begins while a baby is in utero. Just as your unborn baby got used to the steady beat of your heart, she tuned into the sound of your voice. Just days after birth, she was able to discern your voice among others.

1-3 months

Your child’s first form of communication is crying. A piercing scream may mean she’s hungry, while a whimpering, staccato cry may signal that she needs a nappy change. As she gets older, she’ll develop a delightful repertoire of gurgles, sighs, and coos, becoming a mini sound factory. As for her ability to understand lanugage, linguists say babies as young as four weeks can distinguish between similar syllables, such as “ma” and “na.”

4 months

At this stage, your child will start to babble, combining consonants and vowels (such as “baba” or “yaya”). The first “mama” or “dada” may slip out now and then, and though it’s sure to melt your heart, your baby doesn’t quite yet equate those words with you. That comes later, when she’s almost a year old.

Her attempts at talking will sound like stream of consciousness monologues in another language, endless words strung together. Vocalisation is a game to your baby, who is experimenting with using her tongue, teeth, palate, and vocal chords to make all sorts of funny noises. At this stage, babbling sounds the same, whether you speak English, French, or Japanese in your home. You may notice your child favouring certain sounds (“ka” or “da,” for example), repeating them over and over because she likes the way they sound and how her mouth feels when she says them.

6-9 months

When she babbles and vocalises, she’ll sound as if she’s making sense now. That’s because she’s using tones and patterns similar to the ones you use. Foster your baby’s babbling by reading to her.

12-17 months

She’s using one or more words and knows what they mean. She’ll even practise inflection, raising her tone when asking a question, saying “Up-py?” when she wants to be carried, for example. She’s realising the importance of talking and how powerful it is to be able to communicate her needs.

18-24 months

Between 18 and 20 months, children learn words at a rate of 10 or more a day. Some learn new words every 90 minutes, so watch your language. She’ll even string two words together, making basic sentences such as “Carry me.” By the time she’s two, she’ll use three-word sentences and sing simple tunes. Her sense of self will mature, and she’ll start talking about herself — what she likes and doesn’t, what she thinks and feels. Pronouns may confuse her, and you may catch her avoiding them, saying “Baby throw” instead of “I throw.”

25-36 months

She’ll struggle for a while to find the appropriate volume to use when talking, but she’ll learn soon enough. She’s also starting to get the hang of pronouns, such as I, me, and you. Between ages two and three, her vocabulary will increase to up to 300 words. She’ll string nouns and verbs together to form complete though simple sentences such as “I go now.”

By the time she turns three, your child will be a more sophisticated talker. She’ll be able to carry on a sustained conversation and adjust her tone, speech patterns, and vocabulary to her conversation partner. For instance, she’ll use simpler words with another child, but be more verbal with you. By now she may be almost completely intelligible. She’ll be fluent at saying her name and her age, and will readily oblige when asked.

What comes next

As your child grows, she’ll become more of a chatterbox. You’ll scarcely remember the time when she hardly spoke at all, and you’ll enjoy hearing about what projects she did at playgroup, what her friend Cassie had for lunch, what she thinks about Cinderella’s wicked stepmother, and anything else that occupies her mind. She’ll also start to tackle the more complicated skill of writing.

Your role

It’s simple: talk to your child. Research shows that children whose parents spoke to them extensively when they were babies have significantly higher IQs than other children. Their vocabularies are also richer than those of kids who didn’t receive much verbal stimulation. You can start as early as when you’re pregnant, so your baby gets used to the sound of your voice. Read a book out loud or sing to your baby when you are in the bath. When the baby’s born, talk to her as you change her nappy, feed, or bathe her, and give her time to respond with a smile or eye to eye contact. At around five months, you may notice her watching your mouth intently. Keep talking, and soon she’ll start trying to talk back.

Baby talk has its place, but also speak in real sentences. Your child will learn to speak well only if you teach her to do so. You don’t have to avoid using complicated words. While you may need to simplify the way you talk so your child will understand what you mean, the best way for her to expand her vocabulary is to hear you using new words. The same goes for toddlers and preschoolers, whose language skills will continue to grow as long as you continue to stimulate them with conversation.

Reading is a great way to help develop your child’s language skills. Babies will delight in the sound of your voice, toddlers will enjoy the stories, and preschoolers may even jump in to tell you what’s going on in a book.

When to be concerned

Babies with hearing problems stop babbling at around six months. If yours isn’t making any sounds (or even attempting to) or eye contact with you, consult your doctor. While some kids start forming words at nine months, many will wait until they are 13 or 14 months. If your child isn’t saying any words by 15 months, or you still can’t understand a word she’s saying, discuss the matter with your doctor or health visitor.

If by age three your child continues to drop consonants (saying “ca” for “cat,” for example) or substitute one sound or syllable for another (saying “car” as “tar”, for example, or “fish” as “sish”), she may have a speech or hearing problem. Talk to your GP or health visitor, who can arrange for her to be assessed.

All toddlers sometimes stammer and stutter from time to time. Sometimes they’re so excited to tell you what’s on their mind that they can’t get the words out easily. Allow her to finish her sentences, and avoid jumping in to help her out. That can feel like a put-down and won’t help her learning.

However, a persistent stutter should be checked out by a speech and language therapist. A child will usually make best progress if he is seen in the first six to 12 months after the stutter is first noticed, regardless of his age. You could ask your GP for a referral, but most speech and language therapy departments will also accept referrals directly from concerned parents.

During the first 12 months of baby development, your baby responds best to a warm, loving environment.

Holding your baby and responding to baby cries are essential in building a strong, healthy relationship by bonding with your baby.

Use the following guidelines to offer age-appropriate activities for your baby.

These are just guidelines, and a healthy baby may achieve a milestone later than average.

If your baby is lagging in several areas, contact your pediatrician.

First month

• Lifts head for short periods of time
• Moves head from side to side
• Prefers the human face to other shapes
• Makes jerky, arm movements
• Brings hands to face
• Has strong reflex movements
• Can focus on items 8 to 12 inches away
• May turn towards familiar sounds or voices
• Responds to loud sounds
• Blinks at bright lights

Baby keeps the hands clenched and arms and legs curled in. This is a familiar, comforting fetal position to baby who has never known anything but this closeness. Baby will relax the muscles during the next several weeks.

The baby’s first few days are guided primarily by instinct. Already at birth baby is able to recognize mother’s voice and, you will likely notice baby turn the head toward that single sound even when visitors crowd the room. Soon baby will identify other familiar voices that the baby heard from the womb.

Second month

• Smiles
• Tracks objects with his eyes
• Makes noises other than crying
• May repeat vowel noises, such as “ah” or “ooh”

Baby will start to relax her muscles and straighten her body. Expect her hands to remain clenched except during periods of sleep or quiet alertness.

Witness displays of strength as your seemingly helpless baby lifts her head approximately 45 degrees when placed on the floor on her tummy.

Improved eye sight now allows her to glance around the room and take in her surroundings.

Baby will now begin to cry to elicit a specific response from you. Feed her at the first sign of hunger rather than the first cry. At this young age, you will not spoil her by offering too much attention, cuddling or feeding on demand. Conversely, baby will learn that baby is secure and that her needs will be met promptly without the need to cry for attention. You may also notice her cry when you attempt to put her down. Your baby has realized how comforting it is to be in her parents arms and close to your breast.

You may witness her first social smile. Unlike sleep grins, which are in fact, adorable glimpses of the smiles to come, these first responsive smiles are her true reactions to outside stimuli such as over-exaggerated facial expressions. Baby will probably attempt to mimic your expressions.

Motor skill development is prominent at this age. Though baby doesn’t yet have the hand-eye coordination, or necessary muscle tone to effectively reach for an object, he will most likely squeal in delight as his arms flail about in the air above him. The discovery of her hands and emerging muscle control will enable her thumb to find its way to her mouth on a regular basis.

Third month

• Raises head and chest when put on tummy
• Lifts head up 45 degrees
• Kicks and straightens legs when on back
• Open and shuts hands
• Pushes down with legs when placed on a hard surface
• Reaches for dangling objects
• Grasps and shakes hand toys
• Tracks moving objects
• Begins to imitate sounds
• Recognizes familiar objects and parents, even at a distance
• Begins to develop a social smile
• Begins to develop hand-eye coordination
• Brings both hands together
• Interested in circular and spiral patterns
• Kicks legs energetically
• Holds head up with control

Baby is growing every day. He may seem even bigger as baby begins to stretch out his body. He’s growing strong enough to roll over and move around. Be careful to supervise him closely, especially when he’s laying on a changing table, bed or other piece of furniture.

While baby may not have the hand-eye coordination to aim correctly on the first attempt, you’ll quickly discover which items baby wants to touch. Chances are baby’ll continue to play with her own hands frequently, directly in front of her face. Baby is now able to track an object with her eyes from one side to a midline (directly in front of her face). Baby may even continue following it all the way to the other side — a full 180 degrees.

Baby is now strong enough to sit in this semi-reclined position, especially when propped with a small pillow or rolled receiving blanket. Be certain these objects are not placed near her head where baby can turn his face into them. While her neck and back have grown significantly stronger in the past few weeks, you may notice her head is still a bit wobbly. Keep her comfortable, by providing support as needed.

Your baby is well on her way to mastering the concept of cause and effect. Baby ’s already learned that her cries evoke a response from you and other caregivers. Baby will now begin to vary her cry to signal different needs. You’ll soon learn the difference between, “I’m hungry,” “I’m wet,” and “Someone pick me up, please.”

Your baby is also learning that he can physically effect her environment. When baby shakes her rattle, it makes noise! Expect her to make noise as well.

Her coos, squeals and throaty sounds will appear more frequently. Baby will begin using these happy sounds as baby plays or socializes. Her smiles will become truly spontaneous.

Somewhere around the age of three months, most babies begin sleeping for extended periods of time each night. These stretches may last six hours or longer.

Baby will be increasingly social. He’ll flash that wonderful smile and invite you and other caregivers to play.

Fourth month

• May sleep about six hours at night before waking (total sleep typically 14 to 17 hours)
• Rolls over (usually stomach to back is first)
• Sits with support
• Lifts head up 90 degrees
• Can follow a moving object for a 180-degree arc
• Babbles and amuses self with new noises
• Responds to all colors and shades
• Explores objects with his mouth
• Recognizes a bottle or breast
• Communicates pain, fear, loneliness and discomfort through crying
• Responds to a rattle or bell

Baby will enjoy experimenting with his voice. He’s probably developing quite the “vocabulary” lately. He will say vowel sounds like “ooh” and “aah” and has learned that he can change the sound at will by simply changing the shape of his mouth. In addition to these vowel sounds he will continue gurgling and making throaty sounds. He may also enjoy blowing bubbles.

His legs continue to strengthen as he stands with your support, bearing his own weight. Depending on his strength he may even be able to sit (propped up) very soon though most babies are in their sixth month before they’re able to sit without assistance.

His mind is hard at work as well. He’s starting to develop mental images of the things that will happen when he “asks” for assistance. He’s able to envision certain cause and effect relationships.

Baby ‘s still developing her hand-eye coordination. Baby may also protest when it’s time to put her precious items away for a little while.

In addition to favorite toys, baby will continue to occupy herself with her hands. And, baby will surely enjoy cuddling and snuggling as baby nurses or winds down for the evening’s rest.

He’s learning that every object has a label. Though it will be some time before you will hear true words, he will being to understand that the furry animal he loves to watch is called a dog (or a cat) and that every other object has a specific name.

Keep a close eye on him now as he’s probably able to roll over (usually from tummy to side first). Be careful to keep him properly restrained and within arms reach whenever he’s lifted off the ground.

Baby is now more able to accurately track objects with his eyes and grasp them with both hands. His eyes are maturing and he will begin to have improved depth perception and generally clearer vision. He will delight in pulling dangling objects. Favorite items are sure to include your hair, jewelry and clothing.

Keep your ears tuned in as he learns to laugh. Great big belly laughs are wonderful to hear. Elicit a few by tickling him and watching him squirm and giggle.

You will notice him turn toward a voice when someone speaks to him. It will be increasingly easy for him to do this as he props himself up on his arms when he’s placed on his tummy.

Fifth month

• Pays attention to small objects
• Experiments with the concept of cause and effect
• Can see across the room
• Begins to use hands in a raking fashion to bring toys near
• Begins teething process

While he is not yet able to sit unassisted, he will love the view offered by being perched in a high chair if he’s firmly supported by pillows or rolled towels and receiving blankets. Your lap will be another wonderful place to sit and view the world’s happenings. He will continue to enjoy standing with your support.

During playtime you may witness baby taking an interest in his feet.

Baby has learned which cries and sounds will grab your attention and will display her skills often. You may soon be able to tell what baby needs by the tone of her cry.

Baby is developing strong leg muscles and will discover that baby can use them to push herself around. Now diaper changes may become a challenge as baby tries to scoot away either in protest or just to move about.

Baby is also mastered the art of rolling over. Chances are baby will begin by rolling from her tummy to her back. This position allows her to push with her hands as baby tries to flip. As before, never leave her unattended. Baby is likely to be very resourceful and use this as a means to move around the area.

Her desire to be in an upright position may leave you looking for an entertaining device that will allow her to stand while providing your arms with a much-needed rest.

You’ve long understood that baby has definite likes and dislikes. He’ll begin making his desires known in a more physical manner. Now, attempts to introduce a new food or administer medications may meet with an outstretched arm just waiting to purposefully push you away.

Baby will now begin to reach for her toys and will soon begin moving them from hand to hand and then right on to her mouth. Watch her carefully and take care to give her safe toys and teething rings baby will be able to suck on without harm.

Baby will enjoy the challenge of squeezing toys to make them squeak. You’ll notice her making conscious decisions as baby plays. Baby will begin to play with blocks although baby will not be very accurate in stacking or sorting them quite yet.

Baby will closely observe your mouth movements while you speak and will attempt to imitate your sounds and the inflection in your voice. Baby will babble specific sounds in an attempt to get attention. Watch as baby also mimics your gestures.

Her eyesight has improved dramatically. Now, in addition to her black and white toys, baby will begin taking an interest in the many colors the world has to offer. Offer her toys and objects of many colors and watch how quickly baby makes her preferences known!

Sixth month

• Keeps head level when pulled to sitting position
• Makes some vowel-consonant sounds
• Sits by self with minimal support
• Opens mouth for spoon
• Reaches for and grabs objects
• Rolls over and back
• Drinks from a cup with help
• Can hold bottle
• Copies some facial expressions
• Makes two-syllable sounds

Now, when baby wants to play with a specific toy he’s able to reach for it himself. And, his aim may be accurate enough to grasp it.

He’s probably discovered the joy of being somewhat independent and whenever allowed, will push himself around with his hands and feet to move closer to out-of-reach objects.

Your baby is probably now strong enough to sit in an upright position.

Baby ’s not quite able to pull herself into a sitting position, but will be able to support herself if you seat her on a mat on the floor. Baby will begin by supporting herself with her hands and will soon graduate to sitting steadily while toys occupy her hands. Baby will thrust her arms out and will attempt to break her fall with her arms and hands when tipping forward.

In addition to sitting by herself, baby may be able to stand without assistance if you place her next to a piece of furniture.

During playtime baby will begin to make more intentional movements. Baby will study toys for longer periods of time and attempt to make them work together.

Baby has learned how to effectively communicate his needs. Now he’ll begin to display his every emotion as well. You’ll find that he’s like an open book and you can read his moods as they change simply by observing the expression on his face and his body language.

You’ll witness smiles and animated movements when he’s happy and a more quiet, withdrawn demeanor when he’s tired, sad or lonely. (Expect him to continue crying as he has in the past to signal the need for attention, food, a diaper change or a nap.)

He’ll continue to experiment with his voice. You’ll hear loud outbursts, soft babbling and long strings of seemingly unrelated sounds. He’s attempting to speak as you do and make the noises he hears around him every day.

Infant swings and bouncing chairs will be favorites at this age. Baby may be quietly lulled to sleep by the gentle motion of a swing or be kept happily playing by himself as he bounces in a stationary entertainer chair.

Your baby will use his whole hand like a little rake to reach for and drag nearby objects closer to him. Baby may become frustrated and cry when he can’t reach items that have peaked his interest. Though he may be able to scoot about the floor this movement is somewhat difficult and cumbersome.

Baby may begin to show an interest in the foods you are eating.

Seventh month

• Can self-feed some finger foods
• Makes wet razzing sounds
• Turns in the direction of a voice
• Plays peekaboo
• Imitates many sounds
• Distinguishes emotions by tone of voice

Displays of frustration at not being able to move around freely should begin to disappear as baby learns to crawl. While on average babies crawl around six months of age, be aware that it may be weeks or even months before baby is fully mobile.

Baby will likely be pulling herself around using hands and feet with her tummy on the floor, or by getting up on her hands and knees and rocking back and forth without going anywhere.

Expect continued babbling as he learns he can use his tongue, as well as the shape of his mouth to create and change sounds. Remember too, that some of his loud outbursts may be nothing more than his attempt to see how far he can make his voice heard.

Help him develop the gross motor skills he’ll need for walking, climbing, riding a bike,and playing ball by providing plenty of opportunity.

Expect him to focus on, and try to pick up, small objects. He’ll be able to rake in and pick up objects as small as a raisin or pebble. He’ll use his whole fist to grasp the tiny object and it’ll surely be destined for his mouth.

Baby may become anxious when you are out of sight. This “separation anxiety” is common during the second half of the first year and even into the early part of the second year.

His eyes have matured and he’s now able to track objects well from one side of his head all the way to the other. In addition, he can now see across the room and will enjoy looking around at every object he can find.

Eighth month

• Chews on objects
• Reaches for utensils when being fed
• Turns head away when finished eating
• May sleep between 11 and 13 hours a night; takes 2 to 3 naps (may vary)
• Rolls all the way around
• Sits unsupported
• Gets on arms and knees in crawling position
• Has specific cries for various needs
• Babbles enthusiastically
• Tests gravity by dropping objects over edge of high chair
• Responds to own name
• Has different reactions for different family members
• Shows some anxiety when removed from parent

Baby is now mobile. Baby will enjoy crawling around picking up every exciting object baby finds and they’re all destined for her mouth.

While some begin much earlier, the average infant begins teething between six and twelve months of age. Generally, the incisors erupt first (four on top and four on the bottom), then four molars. These are followed by the four canine (eye) teeth and finally by the two year molars somewhere around two years of age. Watch for signs of teething, including drooling (and a related rash, cough or diarrhea caused by the excess of saliva), night waking, biting, loss of appetite and irritability.

Baby has developed his own manner of expressing his needs. Expect his repertoire to grow steadily as he adds gestures to the mix. For example, he may hold his arms above his head in an attempt to ask you to pick him up.

You may find yourself wondering why he seems to “act up” when you’re around while other caregivers report that he’s a joy to care for. He’s already figuring out how to manipulate Mom and Dad

Around this time, baby may develop a fear of strangers. The once outgoing baby who would allow anyone and everyone to touch him and pick him up may appear anxious when a stranger enters the room. He may decide to hide his head in your shoulder or cling to your legs.

Ninth month

• Reaches for toys
• Drops objects and then looks for them
• Becomes interested in grabbing the spoon during feedings
• Goes from tummy to sitting by self
• Picks up tiny objects
• Begins to identify self in a mirror’s reflection

Most children this age are able to wave “bye-bye,”.

The development of the pincer grip, grasping a small object between her thumb and forefinger, allowing her greater freedom in self-feeding. Help her master this skill by introducing small, easy to eat foods like Cheerios, or small pieces of soft, cooked fruits and vegetables.

Baby will be able to say Mama and Dada now and may even be able to say another familiar word.

He understands that when you say “cat” you are talking about the furry animal that sits all day on the sunny window ledge safely out of reach. Now he’ll begin creating mental images of the cat when you say the name and it’s not within sight. He’ll soon make these associations about every object even if he can’t yet say the words.

Baby has probably mastered the fine art of crawling on her hands and knees. This perfected position affords greater flexibility and faster speeds. Baby will be able to pull herself to a standing position and will lean on furniture for support. Baby may even be able to pivot in a circle to take in new views of her surroundings.

Baby is ready for new advancements in the self-feeding area as well. He’s now able to drink from a sippy cup though this may take a few introductions before he’s able to easily take a drink.

Tenth month

• Understands the concept of object permanence
• Gets upset if toy is removed
• Transfers object from hand to hand
• Stands holding onto someone
• Pulls to standing

Baby will become increasingly mobile. Now he’ll have perfected his crawling abilities and will be on the go whenever he’s placed on the floor. He’ll alternate hand, then knee, first one side, then the other. This new, more mature motion, will allow him to balance on one hand while reaching for an object with the other.

He’s also learned how to move from a crawling position to a sitting position, enabling him to fully inspect and enjoy the toy he’s grasped. You’ll find that he’ll also sit frequently just to rest his tired limbs.

He’ll also learn to crawl up stairs and will delight in displaying his newfound abilities, whenever the opportunity presents itself. Unfortunately, he has not yet learned how to go back down the stairs once he’s climbed up.

New sounds continue to flow from of baby’s mouth each day. Baby will test her ability to make these noises by babbling streams of random vowel sounds. Very soon, these strings of seeming meaningless sounds will take shape as individual “words” with very clear definitions. In addition to these sounds, baby will also begin to imitate non-verbal noises such as coughs and sneezes. Baby will discover that certain sounds (such as a cough) will cause you to turn and check on her. Baby may delight in making these sounds simply to attract your attention.

Her now well-developed pincer grasp will enable her to pick up very small items.

Watching the baby in the mirror is sure to be one of baby’s favorite past times.

His memory is steadily evolving now. He’s able to form mental images of familiar objects when they’re out of sight. Expect him to remember a favorite toy even after it’s been carefully put away. He’s mastering the concept of object permanence.

When it’s time to unwind, you’ll notice how baby will enjoy cuddling on your lap while you read a book or two. Baby begins to take an interest in the pages. Colors captivate. Familiar sounds intrigue. Baby may have enjoyed story time in the past, but as the next few weeks and months unfold, baby will take on a new appreciation for this daily ritual.

Eleventh month

• Says “ma-ma” and “da-da” discriminately
• Understands “no”
• Claps hands
• Waves bye-bye

Your baby is now likely to pull herself up to a standing position and will begin to “cruise” from one piece of furniture to another. Baby will begin to alternate feet and “walk” if you offer encouragement and physical support by holding both of her hands.

More advanced exploration is also possible, as baby learns to scale and climb furniture and other obstacles. Expect frequent tumbles and falls as baby learns to balance more effectively.

His cognitive abilities have been growing steadily during recent weeks as well. Expect that he’s now able to understand and respond to a one-step command. For instance, when he picks up an object you’d rather he not have, ask him to “Please bring that to Mommy (or Daddy).”

Language skills continue to evolve as he beings to make more and more two syllable sounds. He may even learn another word or two. Don’t worry if he doesn’t seem to “talk” as much as friends his age.

Baby is now able to pick up small, snack-like foods such as Cheerios and diced, soft fruits and vegetables. You’re probably amazed at how baby gets excited to feed herself each time you offer such a snack.

Baby is beginning to understand certain trigger words and their associated cause and effect relationships. Though her comprehension is still limited, baby will now anticipate the departure that is to follow when baby hears you say “bye-bye.” When you’ve stepped out of the room and baby begins to cry, the words “Mommy (or Daddy) is coming right back” may help to calm her as baby forms a mental picture of her beloved parent.

Twelfth month

• May take one to two naps daily
• Triples birth weight and is 29 to 32 inches long
• Bangs two cubes together
• Puts objects into containers and then takes them out
• Voluntarily lets objects go
• Shakes head “no”
• Has fun opening and closing cabinet doors
• Crawls well
• “Cruises” furniture
• Walks with adult help
• Says “ma-ma” and “da-da”
• “Dances” to music
• Interested in books and may identify some things
• May understand some simple commands
• Fearful of strangers
• Shares toys but wants them back
• May form attachment to an item
• Pushes away what he doesn’t want
• Prefers to push, pull and dump items
• Pulls off hat and socks
• Understands use of certain objects
• Tests parental responses to behavior
• Extends arm or leg when getting dressed
• Identifies self in mirror

Your baby is about to become increasingly independent. He’s now able to stand without holding on and, if he’s extremely adventurous, he may attempt to take his first unassisted steps. Expect his feet to be spread apart. This wide stance will help increase his ability to balance. You may notice that his feet are primarily flat and that his toes point in a bit as he steps. He’ll be quite unsteady on his feet at first and will stumble and fall frequently.

Playing with baby is becoming increasingly interactive. Now, baby will take great joy in participating fully in these games and even initiating them. Baby will enjoy clapping her hands and will continue to learn about social interaction as baby plays.

Allow her to play often with kids near her age. While baby may enjoy being with her friend, expect that although they may sit side by side, each child will continue to play by herself. This “parallel play” is normal behavior for a young toddler.

Baby will probably become upset and possessive if another child takes interest in her toy and attempts to take it away for a time. Early lessons in sharing might begin now, but expect it will take quite some time to master this skill.

Compartments, drawers and cabinets will become favorite places to search now. He’ll entertain himself by opening any door or drawer within his reach, pulling the contents out onto the floor.

Baby has learned the meaning of the word, “No.” Help her to follow your instruction regularly by simply telling “No” without making animated faces or gestures as these can easily be mistaken for play.

If you are both enjoying your nursing relationship, consider continuing for another few weeks or months. The benefits of breastfeeding continue far past the first birthday. The worldwide average age of weaning is between three and four years of age. Not only will baby continue to receive a very beneficial boost of infection-fighting antibodies each time baby nurses, baby will continue to enjoy a wonderfully nurturing time with Mom.

Before your new baby arrived, your toddler was told he’d have a wonderful little brother to play with and how much fun it would be. Then the little brother was born and your toddler started thinking, “This squirming, red-faced baby that takes up all your time and attention is supposed to be fun?” Here are 10 ways to help him make the transition from only child to eldest:

1. Teach him how to interact

Your first goal is to protect the baby. Your second, to teach your older child how to interact properly. You can teach your toddler how to play with the baby in the same way you teach him anything else. Talk to him, demonstrate, guide and encourage. Until you feel confident that you’ve achieved your second goal, however, do not leave the children alone together. If you see your toddler about to get rough, pick up the baby and distract the older sibling with a song, a toy, an activity or a snack. This action protects the baby while helping you avoid a constant string of “Nos,” which could encourage the aggressive behavior.

2. Teach soft touches

Teach your toddler how to give the baby a back rub. Tell him how this kind of touching calms the baby and praise the older child for a job well done. This teaches him how to be physical with the baby in a positive way. Your toddler will be watching as you handle the baby and learning from your actions, so you are his most important teacher.

3. Act quickly

Every time you see your child act roughly with the baby, respond quickly. You might firmly announce, “No hitting, time out.” Place the child in a time-out chair and say, “You can get up when you can use your hands in the right way.” Allow him to get right up if he wants–as long as he is careful and gentle with the baby. This isn’t punishment, it’s just helping him learn that rough actions aren’t permitted.

4. Praise your toddler often

Whenever you see your older child touching the baby gently, make a positive comment. Make a big fuss about the important “older brother.” Hug and kiss him and tell him how proud you are.

5. Don’t blame everything on the new baby

Be careful not to say things like: “We can’t go to the park because the baby’s sleeping;” “Be quiet, you’ll wake the baby;” or “After I change the baby I’ll help you.” At this point, your child would just as soon sell the baby! Instead, use alternate reasons. “My hands are busy now;” “We’ll go after lunch;” “I’ll help you in three minutes.”

6. Be supportive

Acknowledge your toddler’s unspoken feelings, by saying things like, “Things sure have changed with the new baby here. It’s going to take us all some time to get used to this.” Keep your comments mild and general. Don’t say, “I bet you hate the new baby.” Instead, say, “It must be hard to have Mommy spending so much time with the baby.” When your child knows that you understand his feelings, he’ll have less need to act up to get your attention.

7. Give extra love

Increase your little demonstrations of love for your child. Say extra I love yous, increase your daily dose of hugs and find time to read a book or play a game. Temporary regressions or behavior problems are normal, and can be eased with an extra dose of time and attention.

8. Involve your toddler

Teach the older sibling how to be helpful with the baby or how to entertain the baby. Let your toddler open the baby gifts and use the camera to take pictures of the baby. Teach him how to put the baby’s socks on. Let him sprinkle the powder. Praise and encourage whenever possible.

9. Make each feel special

Avoid comparing siblings, even about seemingly innocent topics such as birth weight, when each first crawled or walked, or who had more hair-children can interpret these comments as criticisms.

10. Take a deep breath and be calm.

This is a time of adjustment for everyone in the family. Reduce outside activities, relax your housekeeping standards and focus on your current priority–adjusting to your new family size.

1. Know who you want to help you for the first week or two that you are home with baby.

It’s unrealistic to assume you can do it all on your own or that you have to! And if you don’t plan ahead, you could have every neighbor, cousin and coworker stopping by to gawk at your new little one. While it’s nice that people care, set limits because you and baby need rest and one-on-one time.

Be honest by letting others know how they can be most helpful (visiting at a certain time so you can nap or bringing a meal for your family). People genuinely do want to help you so relish in it!

2. Know that a new baby uses a lot of diapers, and not always “newborn” size.

You can never have too many diapers on hand! Most babies outgrow the newborn size very quickly so make sure you have size one available too. If getting out of the house proves difficult, don’t forget miraculous two-day shipping via the Internet!

3. Know that your breasts will probably become engorged when your milk comes in and you should have a breast pump available.

Don’t delay the purchase or rental of a breast pump because you don’t think you’ll need it until you introduce the bottle or return to work! Engorgement happens and it happens fast. Being ready with a breast pump, even an inexpensive manual one, will bring you much needed relief. While it is different with every baby, your milk typically comes in three or four days after delivery.

4. Know that it’s okay if your baby does not sleep in her crib or bassinet right away.

Those first couple of nights at home with your baby are likely to be challenging. Because it is so important that you get some sleep and that baby doesn’t get her nights and days mixed up, consider letting your baby sleep in her carrier, swing or bouncy chair. It’s unrealistic to think that baby will automatically sleep wonderfully in her bassinet (and if she does you will be surprised and overjoyed)!

5. Know that you will bleed for a while.

I had no idea this would happen. Seriously. I knew that there would, naturally, be a lot of blood during the delivery but I had no idea about the immense amount of menstrual-like bleeding that would take place afterwards. And having not had my period for the last nine months I had no women’s products on hand. Make sure you have plenty of pads to address this issue! This postpartum bleeding could last up to six weeks. If bleeding is excessively heavy, bright red (for more than 7 days after delivery), accompanied by a discharge that smells bad, a fever or chills, you need to contact your health care provider or go to the emergency room.

6. Know that babies like to be warm.

It was during my pregnancy that I was first introduced to the concept of swaddling a baby. Sounded kind of silly to me, but it totally made sense. Learning how to swaddle your baby could help your baby sleep for longer than 20 minute increments (which was super important to me). And because you should never cover an infant with a blanket, I recommend using bag sleepers (or sleep sacks) once your baby outgrows swaddling.

7. Know that batteries are every mother’s best friend.

If a new mom could choose one item to invest money in, I would highly recommend it be batteries. Everything from baby swings to freakish dancing Elmo dolls require these little power packs. Not much is worse than having a hysterical newborn who won’t stop crying unless she’s constantly in motion except having a hysterical newborn who won’t stop crying and then finding out that the batteries in her swing are dead [again]! Stock up on batteries– lots and lots of batteries.

8. Know that you need to take care of yourself.

Perhaps the best piece I advice I could offer for the postpartum period is that as a new mom you need to take care of yourself! I know, I know, you just had a baby you’ve got loads of wash to launder, dozens of diapers to change, lots of bottles to scrub and oh-so-much cuddling to do. And, don’t get me wrong, all of those things are important (especially the last one) but it is also very important that you take a few minutes to yourself. I always rolled my eyes when someone said I needed to be napping while my baby napped (especially after the delivery of my third) but it really is important. Most other things can wait. Your body just underwent huge stresses and it needs to recover. Taking time for yourself might look like napping but it could also be a nice, hot shower while hubby holds baby or a short walk down the block while grandma spoils baby. Whatever it is, it is necessary and you deserve it!