Baby Food Ideas

We all want our little ones to eat well. It`s good to start babies on mashed vegetables, its easy to make and there is a huge variety of vegies to give to your baby.
Mashed pumpkin & potato, you can also mash up some zucchini with this as well.
With mashed vegies, you can add rice or small noodles to make a nutritious meal. You shouldn`t add salt to his food, let him taste vegetables as they are.
Another idea is to puree fruit such as apples, pears, apricots & nectarines. You may choose to mix together or have them as they are.
Once your baby is ready for solids, you can add the pureed fruits on top of his cereal in the mornings. This is really good for them and they will love you for it as it tastes great.

Baby Food Ideas

My Secret To Conceiving

When i was 32 i decided to start a family. Trying to conceive was an effort. It took me nearly two years!! It was depressing to me at times also. I came up with a theory that worked for me. I came to the conclusion after deep thought, that if a woman climaxes after the male has, the muscles contracting and expanding in her uterus should help the sperm reach the egg better. I tryed this for two months on my fertile days and it worked. I gave birth to a gorgeous baby boy 9 months later.
You have nothing to lose by giving it a shot. You can also have fun with your partner too and it costs nothing.



My Secret To Conceiving

Losing Weight After Baby Is Born

We all want to go back to our normal size once the baby is born. It`s easier said than done though. This is not a quick easy process, so for heavens sake, don`t crash diet or anything silly like that.
Especially if you are breastfeeding. Your baby needs you to eat good meals, nutritious meals that will give him the nourishment that he needs.
It took me 12 months to get back to my normal size and feel totally recovered. I am quite lucky that i managed to lose all the weight. I basically did it gradually and ate good meals. I was breastfeeding too, so i didn't diet, i just ate healthy, no junk foods or soft drinks.
Remember what you eat your baby eats too!
I remember when my son was born i was still quite big and swollen for a while. My ankles blew up and i felt really puffy. Nobody told me about that when i was pregnant. You`d imagine you`d have a flatter belly again seeing the baby is no longer in there. But no, it takes a while for your tummy to lose that post baby bulge. But some ladies have a quicker healing time. Everyone is different.
Mainly to lose that weight you need to get out and walk with your baby. Take him to the park in the pram. Babies love walks also. It`s a whole new world for them.
Walk once a day, even if it`s around the block.
Make sure you eat well and drinks lots of water. Include fresh fruit and vegetables. If you like to pick or snack, do so, make up some carrot and celery sticks and dip in cottage cheese or some dip. No fatty fried foods or fizzy drinks, they are full of calories and aren`t good for you anyway.
Stretching is another thing i did, just 10 minutes a day is all you need. Do this when your baby is asleep so its quiet and you can relax.
Really it`s just common sense.
Why don`t you make a big pot of soup, lamb shank is my favourite, or pasta sauce and freeze it in containers. It`s healthy, good for you and your whole family, and you`ll thank me when you don`t have to cook as much when you can just defrost what you want and it`s done.
Keep a bottle of water with you and sip it throughout the day. If water is too boring, add a dash of diet cordial.

I thought that i wouldn`t go back to my normal size, i felt depressed sometimes in the beginning wondering how i`m gonna do it. But after a while i started fitting into some of my old clothes again, and i began to think more positive. Trust me, you can do it too.
Don`t forget that you have brought life into this world and your baby is well worth that extra weight you have put on. Big deal, you can lose it.

Losing Weight After baby Is Born

Your Baby`s Day

Colic
This usually refers to distressed crying for long periods, with baby pulling up his legs and going red in the face, with pain that comes and goes.
If you are breastfeeding, it may be what you are eating. Don`t easy spicy or hot foods, too much chocolate, cabbage, nuts, citrus or dried fruits. Perhaps your baby is drinking too quickly or feeding too often. A good help to me was to rub a bit of luke warm olive oil onto your baby`s tummy in a slow round circular motion.
Handy hint: Burp your baby half way and at the end of feeding him, instead of just at the end of his feed. Also sit baby up a little when feeding....
Colic does end, usually between 3-6 months.

Playtime Tips
Some tummy time on the floor on a colorful blanket with some toys is good.
You can both listen to music while he is in his bouncer or rocker while you do some housework or cooking. Babies love music, especially repetitive tunes. For the first few months, your baby will respond to black and white contrasts, so a mobile hanging over their change table with these two colors with amuse him for a while. When my baby was a new born, he used to stare at a black and white picture on our lounge room wall.

Crying
Crying is the only way babies communicate with us. Its quite normal to have a couple of unsettled periods during the day for the first few months. Mabey your baby is overtired. This can happen if you miss their cues` that they want to sleep and then become irritated. It`s harder to settle an overtired baby. But be persistent, take him for a walk, or roll the pram back and forward on a joint in the carpet or on the floor. This helps them drop off to sleep.

Skin Care & Nappy Rash
Baby`s skin is very sensitive. It is not necessary to use shampoos, soaps or even baby wipes. Some products contain perfumes and other ingredients that may irritate baby`s skin.
Simple is best. All you need is water, sorbolene & glycerine cream, zinc and castor oil.
Buy a small plastic squeeze bottle with a flip top lid. Mix up a solution of warm water and two teaspoons of sorbolene and glycerine cream. Use this with cotton balls or tissues to clean baby`s bottom. Do not store, it needs to be made daily. This will keep baby`s skin soft and clean without any irritation.
*Change baby`s nappy at least after each feed.
*Let baby have some time without a nappy on, a few minutes after each change is good to let his skin breath and air out.
*When using disposable nappies, choose a good brand as some cheap brands may irritate baby`s skin.
*Do not add soap powder or softener to cloth nappies as this also may irritate baby`s skin.

Is Your baby Ready For Solids?
Usually your baby will be ready for solids at around six months of age. I began a little earlier as my baby was giving me signals that he wanted to try food. He was always interested in watching me eat, so i just began him on one meal of solids per day, then gradually increasing to 3 meals per day by about 10 months.
Mabey your baby always seems hungry, wakes during the night when he is usually sleeping or is not putting on much weight.
*Give solids after the breats or bottle feed.
*Rice Cereal is great as its the best first food to start him on as it contains iron and is less likely to give him an allergic reaction.
*mashed vegetables are another great idea, don`t add salt as baby doesn`t need it. Let your baby taste vegetables plain so later on he won`t be fussy ( hopefully).
*Mashed pumpkin is one idea, or also add some mashed potato together with the pumpkin.
*Make large quantities and freeze in small containers.
*Mashed potato does not freeze well, it`s always better with another vegetable mashed in with it, such as pumpkin or zucchini.


Your baby`s day

Settling & Putting Your Baby To Sleep

As a mum i know how hard it is sometimes to get your baby to sleep. At times they wake shortly after falling asleep also. It can be frustrating, but if you do a few simple things that i have done, it may assist in keeping your baby calm and in his or her own cot.

Your baby will be ready for sleep once you have fed him, changed his nappy and had some quiet play time. By 8 weeks you should include some tummy time on the floor.
You`ll know when your baby is tired when they start to grizzle, becomes tense or agitated, kicks and thrashes arms and legs or when they frown or pulls a distressed face.

Talk calmly to your baby, close the bedroom door and walk around with him, showing him things around the room. Sing to him in a soft calm voice, as your baby becomes sleepy, sit down with him, cradle him in your arms and continue singing in a soft calm voice, keeping eye contact.
Place him in his cot and gently pat him on the bottom or rock his bed, slowing down as they become more sleepy until they drop off.
Remember, during the first few weeks, baby`s day is a continuous cycle of feed, quiet time, settling and sleep. It`s important at this time to develop a settling technique when your baby needs to go to sleep. This relaxes them, reassures them and prepares them for bed.

Remember if you get flustered your baby will sense this and become irritable. Get your partner to take over for a few minutes while you take some time out.

If he becomes a little grizzly after he has fallen asleep, place your hands firmly but gently on his body, like you are wrapping him with your hands so he feels secure, knowing you are still there.
This helped me alot when my son used to wake up grizzling.

Once you are satisfied your baby is settled and asleep, leave the room.

If your baby wakes, do no take him out of his bed. Try to settle him while he is still in there.

If your baby doesn`t settle, perhaps he needs something.
Sometimes babies just want a little extra milk, the suckling will make them drop off also. It may be that they need a nappy change, or even need to burp.

Babies don`t know how to settle themselves easily, they rely on us to do it for them.

Also you can place a breast pad in his cot so he can smell you near.

Remember if you get frustrated you really need someone to take over for a few minutes. Your baby will pick up on your mood very quickly, so it`s pointless trying to settle him if you are not calm your self.

Babies sleep patters will vary, but for the first 30 minutes once baby is sleeping, is the time when they are in a deep sleep. After this time they are easily stirred. If your baby stirs after this time, go into their room to reassure them, don`t take baby out of his cot. Try to settle him by talking softly, and patting them on the bottom, slowing down as he settles. If you must pick them up, do so, but try to resettle without removing them from their bed first. Remember patience is the key.....

Putting Your Baby To Sleep

Safe Sleeping For Your Baby

Your baby's cot is probably one of the first things that we organize in the nursery. Decorative items look gorgeous but can be dangerous also. Mobiles are a great hanging item that will keep your little one amused for ages. If your baby is old enough to be able to stand up in his cot, be sure that he cannot reach anything that he can pull down. Babies are wanting to touch anything they can to experiment with new things, so if there is something in reach, they will attempt to pull it down.
We are all aware of cot death these days, and even though there is no particular reason why cot death occurs, we can make sure our baby's sleeping place is safe and secure. DO NOT place pillows in your baby s bed. Babies can roll over and suffocate, especially when they are really young because when they roll, they cannot roll back. Bumpers should be left out of the bed also. Babies tend to move around alot once they get older and you will often find them in a different position to how you put them down. Don`t be alarmed. They will be fine as long as there is nothing in their bed that they can get caught up in, or roll onto such as a pillow, or even soft toys.
Babies don`t wake up if their breathing is restricted. It`s up to us to make sure they are safe in their bed.
Secure all sheets or blankets well, tucked away under the mattress so if baby moves around these items will stay in place and not get tangled around him.

Bedtime Safety Tips
*Place baby to sleep on his back ALWAYS
*Make sure you make up his cot with the arrangment that his feet will be at the bottom end of his bed. This avoids baby wriggling around and slipping underneath the bed linen.
*No pillows, doonas, quilts, canopies, bumpers or fluffy toys in babies cot or bassinet.
*Use a well fitting mattress.
*If swaddling, don`t cover their head, just their body only.
*Don`t overheat with heavy blankets.
*Make sure the room is smoke free.

Safe Sleeping For Your baby

Teething Babies

How do we know when our babies are teething? When they are dribbling alot is the main sign, but some will differ from the other. Sometimes you wont even know they are teething, then one day you see a tooth growing. This happened to my son. I noticed two, yes two bottom teeth coming out of his gums. I gather they didn`t bother him too much, but his top teeth are a different story.
Signs of teething can differ from one baby to another. Dribbling is the main sign. Many have flushed red cheeks, and putting fingers and objects into their mouths to bite on. My girlfriend caught her 11 month old biting furniture. This can also happen just because they want to taste new things.
Purchase teething rings that you can place in the fridge for them to bite on. The cold sensation on their gums is soothing for them.
Bonjela Gel is another good soother. The taste isn`t that great for them, but once you rub it in their gums, it creates a numbing feeling that helps with the pain.
Baby Panadol or Nurofen for babies i found to help with the pain also.
The time frame for teething differs from baby to baby.
One baby boy i know of had six top teeth and two bottom teeth at 10 months old. My son is one month older and only had his two bottom teeth.


Teething Babies