| When you’re a first time Mother, you’re
always worried about your baby’s development. Sometimes, we get
downright obsessed with knowing when our child will sit up, crawl, walk
and talk. And, if they’re one week later than we think they should
be, we’re concerned that something’s wrong.
Well, here’s the scoop on approximately when the big milestones
take place. Remember, each baby is different. If you think your baby is
not progressing as he should, speak with your pediatrician.· First
Smile – The first real smile (meaning in response to your smile
or some other external social stimulation) usually happens around four
to six weeks. Babies do smile earlier than this, though.
They often smile as they are falling asleep, and yes, when they have
gas.· First Tooth- Timing of that first tooth can vary widely.
If you can find out when you and your husband first popped a pearly white,
you’ll have a better idea as to when to expect your baby’s,
as it is largely hereditary. Teeth can show up as early as three months,
and as late as after the first birthday, but the average is about seven
months.·
Sitting Up
This one can happen as early as four months, though for most babies about
six months is average. If your baby has not accomplished this milestone
by seven or eight months, you might mention it to your doctor.·
Standing Unsupported.
Your baby will be able to bear weight on his legs with you holding his
arms by age five or six months, usually. But standing unsupported may
not happen until nearly a year old, though some babies accomplish this
at around nine months. It takes a while for those legs to get strong,
and for the balance to be there.·
Saying Mama or Dada – By this I mean actually
using Mama to refer to you or Dada to refer to his father – not
just making the sound. This can happen as early as 10 months, but happens
most often at around a year old. Get used to it, he’s probably going
to say Dada first – it’s just easier for babies to say.·
Crawling – Some babies never crawl, which, by
the way, is completely normal. But most babies who crawl do so between
seven and nine months, with some starting as early as six months. Time
to plug up those electrical outlets!· Walking – Most babies
walk between the ages of 13 and 15 months, though many start as early
as nine months. Don’t be in too much of a hurry for this one, as
your whole life changes once that baby starts to walk!Again, all of the
times I mentioned above are estimates about when these milestones occur.
If your baby is attending regular well baby checkups, your pediatrician
will be monitoring his progress, and will alert you if there is any need
to be concerned.
All mothers watch their children’s development closely. We get
worried if they’re too small, or too big, too short or too tall.
But, just like adults, babies come in all shapes and sizes. When you take
your baby to the pediatrician for her well baby checkups, they will rank
your baby’s size. Here’s some idea of how it will work.
When your baby is weighed and measured, the pediatrician will tell you
where your baby’s weight and length rank in terms of a “percentile”.
This simply tells you how your baby compares to other babies of the same
age. For example, if your baby’s weight falls into the 80th percentile,
it means she weighs more than 80 percent of babies her age. Some people
seem to think ranking in a high percentile is a good thing, because it
means the baby is thriving.
However, this is not necessarily the case. A baby in the 40th percentile
might be thriving, but just destined to be a small person. For example,
my daughter has consistently ranked in about the 50th percentile, and
she is very healthy, and has plenty of meat on her bones. My husband and
I are not very large people, and it seems that she has simply inherited
our body size.Your baby’s length will be ranked in exactly the same
way, and can give you an idea of whether your baby will be tall, medium
or average in height.
If both you and your husband are short, don’t expect a baby to
rank in the 90th percentile in height, though it can happen.One thing
you do need to look for is a major difference between the height and weight
percentiles. They should be pretty close. If your baby is in the 40th
percentile in height, and 90th in weight, you might be feeding her a bit
too much. On the other hand, a baby in the 90th percentile in height that
ranks in the 30th percentile in weight is probably a bit on the thin side.
Your doctor will advise you if your child’s diet needs attention.The
most important thing you can do to monitor your child’s development
is to attend those well baby visits with your pediatrician. Your doctor
will be monitoring your baby’s progress, and in the event that any
area needs attention, he will be able to alert you to the issues. This
first year of development is critical, and it is good to keep tabs on
the progress.
Your little one is growing like a weed and drinking you out of house
and home. You may be wondering if your little one is ready for some solid
food. Here are a few tips to help you determine if your baby is ready
to take the next step.Gone are the days when anxious moms start their
little ones on cereal somewhere between six and twelve weeks.
To be honest, these moms did this for their own convenience, rather than
the baby’s health. Starting a baby on cereal early can help them
sleep through the night sooner, which, I know, sounds heavenly. But here’s
why it’s not a good idea. Your baby’s tummy is just not developed
enough to properly digest solids, even watered down cereal, just yet.
If you force the issue, you are inviting a tummy ache, or worse, a true
gastric disorder.
So, when those older ladies give you this advice, smile and ignore it.
But don’t fault them too much. About 30 years ago, this was considered
the thing to do, and even pediatricians endorsed it.Today, most pediatricians
will recommend that you wait until your baby is five to six months old
to start solids. In addition to using this age as a guideline, there are
some signs you can look for that indicates that your child is really ready.
If you wait until you see some signs of readiness in your child, you
will likely have much better success than if you just pick a day and start.
First, is your baby interested in what you are eating for dinner? At four
and a half months, my daughter was literally grabbing for my plate when
she sat with us at the table. Since she was clearly interested, we started
her just a bit before she turned five months.
Another good indicator is that your child can sit fairly well, with only
a little support. It’s much easier to feed them solids when they
are somewhat able to support themselves. You will probably still have
to support them with pillows or rolled up towels for a while, especially
if you put them straight into the high chair. There are some great feeding
chairs for younger children that can work better than a high chair in
the early days.
Sarah Vede is a 41 year old wife and mother of two boys and one girl.
She spent many years as a manager in the corporate world, and gave it
up to be a stay at home mom. http://www.infantresources.com
Baby Bedding Buying Made Simple
There is a near endless array of baby bedding on the market that includes
sets that are gender specific and others that can be used for either a
boy or a girl. You can buy each piece separately but if you really think
about it, it is the most expensive way to go. Just as there are ‘bed-in-a-bag’
sets for adults they have them for your nursery as well.A bed in a bag
set includes sheet, pillow cases, a comforter, shams, and skirts for adult
beds.
Bed sets for the baby is the same way. If you are looking to have your
bedding co-ordinate the theme of your nursery then purchase sets. You
can purchase single sheets so that you can mix and match your bedding.
When you are shopping for be aware that the bedding will be separated
by fabric, colors, and styles. Your preferences will no doubt influence
your purchase. Do you want cotton, flannel, fleece, or silk?
Many parents prefer the cotton or flannel fabric because they are less
expensive than silk sheets and are easier to clean. The advantages to
buying your bedding in sets is that everything already matches. You won’t
be mixing fabrics, colors, or themes. With everything in one bag you can
actually change the atmosphere of the room buy the bedding sets you purchase.
It is important that you match your bedding with the gender of your child.
You wouldn’t want to, for example, saturate your son’s room
in pink. In a girl’s room however, it is ok to put blue. Most manufacturers
are knowledgeable about current thinking regarding gender and what is
believed to be acceptable or not. They tend to know what customers want.
You most likely won’t have any trouble finding what you want.Generally
accepted themes for boys rooms include airplanes, trucks, or fire engines.
Sports is another theme to look for boys. They are generally designed
in bright colors - reds, blues, greens, and oranges.
Themes for girls could include ballerinas, faeries, Barbie, princess,
butterflies, or flowers. Girl’s bedding generally comes in softer
colors such as pink, yellow, mauve, blue, and teal among others. Girl’s
rooms themes are not limited to the above mentioned themes.Non-gender
specific themes for bedding include animals, the solar system, favorite
characters such as Barney, the Smurfs, Jimmy Neutron, Sponge Bob Square
Pants, and others.
You also have the option of having your crib bedding custom made. There
is a chance that you might not find just the right pattern you are looking
for. If this is the case you can have someone make you bedding with your
exact pattern. If you sew you can create your own bedding sets for your
baby.
There are even materials in gold and silver to use for your child’s
bedding so they can sleep in the lap of luxury.Crib bedding doesn’t
refer to sheets only. You can get bed in a bag as mentioned earlier. You
will find a sheet, a baby blanket, and a baby quilt in most sets. If you
prefer to buy separate pieces you can still do that.
Most stores have single pieces as well as bedding sets.As you can see
buying bedding for you baby can be a challenging task. Keep your budget
in mind as well as your preferences. You can create a theme in your baby’s
room with the types of bedding you use. You can use character bedding
but know that kids often outgrow certain characters and as your child
grows you will likely have to change your themes.
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers
on purchasing a variety of http://www.1st-babies.com
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