Should I breastfeed my baby? Why should I breastfeed my little one?

What are the advantages of breastfeeding? Why should I consider breastfeeding? Is breastfeeding a better choice for my baby?

There are many reasons why one would opt to breastfeed. I will list these below. 

1. It’s healthier. Breastfeeding provides the baby with all the nutrients and vitamins it needs. It allows the baby to be adequately nourished and well fed. Besides this, your antibodies are transferred to the baby through your breast milk building up his/her immune system and protecting him/her from germs, colds, flu's, etc. It is very often that in a family where everyone has a cold or flu the breastfed baby will be the only one who isn’t sick or if he/she is sick, he/she will not be as sick as the rest of the family members.
   
2. It’s cheaper / free.
   Your breast milk does not cost a thing. This is in contrast to formulas and other milk substitutes.
   
3. It’s more convenient.
   It is so much easier to do nighttime feeds. It's a quick and easy process breastfeeding in contrast to getting out of bed and mixing a bottle for the baby or warming one.
   
4. There is an innate bonding experience. Little comes close to the feeling experienced when looking down at your little one while feeding him/her and knowing that you are solely responsible for providing mike for him/her. Watching your little one feeding draws you closer together and allows a deeper experience of bonding - this can be experienced with other forms of feeding (bottle, etc) but is so much ore intense with breastfeeding.
   
5. It accelerates weight loss.By tightening of the uterus and burning calories this attributes to and results in a flatter tummy quicker allowing you to return to your pre-pregnancy weight .

How should I dress my baby? How much should my newborn / baby wear?

How many layers should I dress my baby in? Do I need to cover my baby with a blanket in warm weather? How do I know what to dress my infant in?

With one of the causes of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) being overheating, it is important to monitor your baby's clothing and heat levels closely. The general and advised rule of dressing up and covering up your baby whether out and about or before putting him/her to bed is – dress your baby similarly to your clothing with one added layer if needed.

This means if it is hot enough for you to be wearing a sleeveless vest or tank top, don’t dress your baby in a long sleeve crawler with a jacket and two blankets. That’s a definite no-no. Have your baby in something shorter sleeved and maybe cover him / her with a thin or light blanket. On colder days you may want to be sure that your baby has socks or booties and a thicker blanket.

Keep tabs on your baby and his/her temperature. It’s a great help to have a little thermometer with you. You could also do a quick check by feeling your little ones tummy. The tummy is more reliable for taking the babies temperature than his/her hands and feet. 

Is it normal for newborns to have rashes? My newborn has a rash – What could it be?

Why does my newborn have a rash? Should I be concerned about my newborns rash? Is there any information on newborns and rashes?

There are numerous possibilities for a rash on a newborn. If you are overly concerned you should probably follow up or check in with your doctor. Most newborns do however develop or are born with rashes or what appears to be pimples on their faces or all over their bodies. This is a normal occurrence and usually fades or disappears with time.

There are many reasons for this – some are heat or diaper rashes, others can be attributed to cradle cap while others may be due to over bathing your little one.

There is no quick fix for an infant rash. The important thing to remember is to monitor the use of products you put on your babies skin. Stick to basics like Vaseline and aqueous cream. Wash affected areas with plain water and never over dress or over bath your baby.

How to get your baby to sleep through the night: Tips to getting your baby to sleep through the night

How can I get my baby to sleep through the night? What would make my baby sleep through the night? Why won't my baby sleep through the night?

If your baby is hungry, he/she will not sleep through the night. This being said, a full tummy equals a longer night of sleep. Other disturbances such as a wet diaper (if the type you use isn’t absorbent enough), a dirty diaper (these don’t usually absorb well if at all and can be annoying to the baby), a cold or flu, being gassy or having slept too long during the day, can all hamper a long stretch of sleep at night.

To aid in having your baby have a good nights rest, develop a good night time routine. Work towards a long stretch by considering everything you do throughout the day and leading towards bedtime.

1.      Try and keep your baby awake at least for a few hours during the day leading towards bedtime. From around 4pm or 5pm depending on what time bedtime is, find ways of entertaining your baby and keeping him/her awake. You need to adjust this according to your bedtime. Try and make it no more then 4 or 5 hours before bed as keeping him/her awake for too long can result in a crabby, cranky unhappy baby which may take longer to put to bed.

2.      Make sure that your baby goes to bed on a full tummy. Feed your baby as often as you can throughout the day and leading to bedtime. Give him/her a sufficient serving right before you go to bed. If he/she is asleep, wake him/her for a final feeding right before you go to bed as this will make your stretch of sleep just as long as his/hers.

3.      Help him/her differentiate between nighttime and daytime. All babies have no way of differentiating between daytime and nighttime - for them it’s all the same. By you helping them differentiate you can ensure that they sleep longer at night and are more alert or spend more time awake during the day. A good way to differentiate would be to differ with feedings. During the day while feeding him/her speak to him/her, be playful and engaging. During a nighttime feed allow for more quiet and calm time – dim the lights, speak in a low tone and rock him/her. Try and get him/her to go to sleep straight after a feeding – no games or stimulation. You cannot force sleep on your little one but with the right attitude and atmosphere you can encourage it.

When will my newborn / baby start sleeping through the night?

What does it mean to sleep through the night? How can I get my baby to sleep through the night?

Before being able to denote an approximate or average time for a baby to ‘sleep through the night’ it’s important to understand what is meant by the term. The term ‘sleeping through the night’ has been defined as a baby sleeping for at least 5 hours. For example, if your baby sleeps for at least 5 hours straight (from midnight to 5am, 11pm to 4am, 1am to 6am, etc) then he or she is sleeping through the night.

If your baby is waking up every hour, two hours, three or four hours for feeding or anything else then he or she isn’t sleeping through the night yet.

Babies develop and grow differently. There is no set time or period for any milestone when it comes to babies. There is an average or estimated period or range to help you gain an idea on when you could expect or hope for your baby to sleep for longer periods – including sleeping through the night. This may range from 6 weeks to 3 months. Most babies sleep longer stretches once solids are introduced as this keeps them fuller for longer.

How often should I bath my newborn? - How often should newborns be bathed?

How often should I bath my baby? Should I bath my newborn every day? How many baths should my newborn have a week? Why should I limit bathing my newborn?

Newborns do not need to be bathed every day. Sue to them being limited in movement (they don't play outside or crawl around in dirty places) they aren't dirty enough to warrant daily baths. Bathing your newborn on a daily basis often results in rashes and dry skin due to the fact that daily bathing removes the skins natural; oils which protect the baby from this. Use of the wrong or excessive baby skin products may also damage the babies skin.

Until your newborns umbilical cord stump has fallen off, it's a good idea to wash your  newborn with a soft sponge or cloth instead of putting him or her directly in a bath tub. When the cord has fallen off and healed properly you could then immerse him or her fully in water - by giving him or her a bath.

It's advised that for the first few months of your babies life you should bath him or her only once or twice a week allowing your babies natural oils to do what they're meant for. If you feel that your baby needs a little freshening up - maybe from spit ups or drooling it's okay to wipe affected area with a clean cloth, sponge or cotton ball. Whenever you do bath your baby or freshen him or her up, be sure to use a good moisturizer after.

Some Early Pregnancy Signs - Early signs that you may be pregnant

Am I pregnant? How do I know if I'm pregnant? What are some early signs and symptoms of pregnancy?

There are tons of signs out there that could hint at the fact that you may be pregnant. Many symptoms are clearly visible in pregnancy but there are also many signs that are not exclusive to pregnancy and depending on what you're wishing for these can either excite you unnecessarily or stress you out without reason.

The following are some common Early pregnancy signs (before 6 weeks):