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Optimizing Development of Your Baby

We all want a happy, healthy baby and. although the uterus is an exceptionally safe and comfortable environment for your growing baby, there are additional precautions that all expectant mothers can undertake to ensure that their baby receives the best start in life. Eat an adequate and balanced diet before and during pregnancy The nutritional needs of your developing baby as well as your own depend on a sound diet. Serious malnutrition, not only from lack of food but lack of nutritious food, can interfere with normal prenatal growth and may limit your baby’s intelligence. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption Studies … Continue reading →

Great Games for Baby’s Development

I have mentioned in past blogs how I’m not a big fan of television and other electronics that supposedly make your baby smarter. Research has shown that human interaction is what babies need in order to develop cognitively, socially and physically. But what kinds of things should you talk about with your baby? Here are some great games to help your baby learn, grow, and develop! Pretend and Make Believe One of the fun things about having twins is that they are so much more socially aware than any of my other children were. Perhaps it is just them, but … Continue reading →

Baby Massage and Muscle Development

Many parents are now discovering the multiple benefits of baby massage. Using a small amount of oil or cream for the baby’s sensitive skin, a gentle massage can promote better sleep, help with digestion, calm anxiety, improvement muscle development, and more. As your baby begins to grow, his or her body will begin to change – bones grow, mobility increases, and muscle develops. Over time, your baby will begin to experiment with turning, crawling, and eventually walking. Using muscles, the baby will sit up, pull up, and reach for things, and so on, all a natural process. However, to help … Continue reading →

Helping Your Baby’s Development

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We talked about when will your baby walk yesterday and I mentioned that it is better not to rush them. Your baby develops at his or her own personal rate. Still there are things you can do to help facilitate your baby’s development without rushing them or pushing them beyond what they are ready for. How Can I Help My Baby? When your baby begins to try and pull him or herself up to stand, you may have to help them figure out how to sit back down again. It sounds funny, but remember – your baby has never walked … Continue reading →

There is a New Gerber Baby

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Parents have likely seen the adorable face of the Gerber Baby many times! Few know the history behind that drawing. Gerber stated that in 1928, the company held a contest to find a face to represent a baby food advertising campaign.  Artist Dorothy Hope Smith entered her simple charcoal sketch of a “tousle-haired, bright-eyed cherub of a baby with endearing pursed lips.” In her entry, Smith noted that she would finish the sketch if she won. Her drawing was chosen as the winner, and the judges insisted it remain as a sketch. The illustration became so popular that Gerber adopted … Continue reading →

CDC Updated Their Developmental Milestones

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated their Developmental Milestones checklist. Parents can now download the CDC’s free Milestone Tracker app from the App Store and Google Play. The Developmental Milestones checklist are intended to help parents understand if their babies and young children are hitting important milestones in a timely manner.  2-month olds:  Social/Emotional Milestones  Calms down when spoken to or picked up; Looks at your face; Seems happy to see you when you walk up to her; Smiles when you talk to or smile at her. Language/Communication Milestones: Makes sounds other than crying; Reacts to … Continue reading →

Study: Mom’s Parenting Behavior Changes After First Baby

The stereotypical story of parenting involves nervous first-time parents attempting to make everything perfect for their firstborn. By the time the second child is born, the parents have become much more relaxed. A study reveals that this stereotype is more accurate than you may have thought. A study that was published in Social Development involved 55 families, each of which included a mother and her 20-month-old firstborn. An average of three years later, the same mothers participated in the study again, with their 20-month-old second born children. The researchers observed the mother’s interacting with their firstborn child. The researchers returned … Continue reading →

Why you Should Read to your Baby

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Do you read to your baby? The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines that recommend that parents read to their newborn infants. Some parents may not be doing that because it never occurred to them that babies benefit from being read to. There are some very good reasons for parents to read to their babies and young children! The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that parents who read to their children nurture not only their children’s literary skills, but also much more. They have put together some easy to read information that points out the benefits that come … Continue reading →

Baby Advice Can Become Outdated

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New parents are often overwhelmed with pieces of baby advice. Sometimes, the advice comes from family members who really do mean well by giving you a piece of baby advice that they used on their children. Other times, some random person at the grocery store feels the need to toss unwanted baby advice at you. It can become difficult to tell the good advice from the bad. One way to sort things out is to see if the advice you were given is in this list of outdated baby advice. All of the baby advice in this list started out … Continue reading →

Some Thoughts on Strollers and Baby Carriers

Over the weekend, we had some very nice weather. Even though the dirt road that we live on is muddy and full of deep ruts, I really wanted to take the boys out for a walk. Dylan really wanted me to take the double stroller out so that he could ride with his baby brother for part of our walk. I thought that it might be fun to see whether our beat up double jogging stroller (which we got from the thrift store last year) was up to the challenge. We enjoyed a wonderful walk, and since the stroller is … Continue reading →