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VALUABLE TIPS FROM A NEW MUMAs it has been some thirty odd years since I have had any dealings with babies I was delighted to receive some up to the minute tips from a "new mum" (Tessa L), though goodness knows how she finds time to send them to me - obviously far more organised than I was! My son had gotten so used to sleeping next to me while breast feeding that he could not get to sleep without me at all. So, each night I take a clean receiving blanket and sleep with it under my night shirt. Then the next day while my son is napping and at night sleeping in his crib, I cover him with it. My scent on the blanket soothes and comforts him much more than one that I simply pull from his dresser. The only added advice about this I would say to nursing moms is do not allow your milk to leak onto the blanket as this may confuse the baby into thinking it's feeding time rather than sleeping time.As a new mom I ask a lot of questions! I've learned a lot from friends and family about how their children interact with others. Many of them say that the only troubles they find when interacting with other children is the "sharing" issue. So, I've decided that as my son gets older I will keep a separate box of toys for company only. I am hoping that this will ensure him not to get too attached to one specific toy that he refuses to share. Of course, he will be allowed to play with the children with these toys but only when they are over, whereby letting him know that they are not "necessarily" his but that they are for everyone to share. If he begins showing a keen interest in a specific toy, I will then add it to his private box and purchase something new for the company box. I've started compiling this box inexpensively by purchasing kids meals at fast food places which include free age-appropriate toys and shopping yard sales and "dollar" stores. I do not own a dishwasher and my hands were looking and feeling horrible from having to boil nipples and bottles myself. So, now I rub my hands with petroleum jelly and then wear medical latex gloves while washing dishes and taking care of my son's bottles. This, I have found to be a very inexpensive way to moisturize and soothe my hands because the heat of the water allows the jelly to penetrate the skin and eases the drying and cracking that I had been experiencing.I don't know if this one is common knowledge or just common sense, but I alternate anti-rash cream and powder at each diaper change as a preventative measure to diaper rash. So far, so good! If you have no diaper bag or pail handy for a soiled diaper, use a zipper freezer bag until you can dispose of the diaper.For hair washing, wet a cotton ball and apply a dab of shampoo to the cotton ball and then rub onto baby's wet hair. This contains the shampoo a lot better than your fingers and helps prevent from getting in the eyes. Keep a medicine "tote" separate from the diaper bag so that you're not digging at the bottom of the bag when you need something in a hurry. A doctor friend gave us a shower gift of all baby type medicines and paraphernalia that we keep handy and separate from the clothes, diapers, wipes, and bottles.I'm not sure if you endorse many products on your site but I have to say that I love the "Numi Med." My son had his first summer cold and I was using the syringe type medicine dispenser and I would have to squirt it in his mouth and half would go down his chin and the other half he'd try to spit out. It was miserable. But this "Numi Med" is designed as a pacifier with larger holes and an adjustable flow door. He sucked down every drop, so I thing it's wonderful. I only wish I had gotten it right off. Since infants are supposed to use at least 8 to 10 diapers per day I have two separate diaper containers in order to keep better track of my son's usage. The one is a hanging basket type which holds about 30 diapers hanging from the side of the crib. Then I have a cute teddy bear wall hanger with five deep pockets right above the changing table, each pocket holding two diapers and when the day is done I'll know how many he has used rather than try to remember how many I've discarded throughout the day. (I also keep 10 in a plastic bag which snaps closed in his diaper bag for travelling...The bag first contained an outfit that someone had purchased for us. Again, free is good.)Most of the time I use refillable wipes to replace when the original tubs run out of wipes. However, when a new tub is purchased and it empties I let it dry out, cut or remove the lid, and then use them as drawer dividers in my son's dresser. There's a different tub for bibs, socks, caps/hats, gowns, rompers, etc. I waste no time finding what I need this way. And again for product endorsement, only this time with a twist...literally :-) There is a product called Diaper Genie. This machine is used to cut down the stench of used diapers in the nursery. For my baby shower, I received the refill bag, but not the machine. This bag comes out of the container like tubing. So, I decided to try to be the "genie" myself. I first cut a long piece of the tubing and then tied a slip knot at the bottom. When the first diaper was added I then twisted around the top of the diaper, tied another slip knot now leaving the rest of the tubing clean and ready for the next diaper. So on and so on until you have about four or five diapers looking rather like a sausage link. Then when you dump the whole link, your trash can smells better. Suggest you sterilize and make up bottles of boiled water and refrigerate. Then you can choose - try your baby with water (it maybe comfort and not hunger) and add powder once its established the crying is for food. Also it means you can heat the WATER in the microwave (shaking to avoid hot spots) you are NOT supposed to warm baby milk in the microwave. Additionally get your baby used to drinking milk at room temperature - then you don't need to faff heating bottles when you are out - just add the powder and shake well! If you like to use products such as Infacol or Gripe juice and find it difficult to get your baby to take this - just add it to the bottle before serving - it works just as well. Cradlecap is helped by smearing olive oil over the scalp and leaving (put a cotton hat on to prevent it rubbing off) and then washing off with shampoo Tiny fingernails can be filed with the fine side of an emery board - it feels less 'nerve-noggling' than trying clippers or scissors and prevents snagging too. Although all views are given in good faith we have no qualifications to confirm or otherwise; visitors should carry out their own research. Copyright © 2000-2020 Hints and Things cannot be held responsible for any information given on this site nor do they necessarily agree with, or endorse, the views given by third parties. |