Most new parents choose their crib bedding for aesthetic reasons. Some realize crib sheets must also be hardy to cope with the pee, vomit, perspiration, not to mention constant washing, all of which takes its toll. But how many parents consider the safety of their crib sheets?

How can crib sheets be dangerous?! If a crib sheet comes off the mattress your baby can grasp the fabric and roll, wrapping themselves in the sheet. The consequences can be fatal due to strangulation or suffocation. Don’t let this happen to you and your baby. Consider the following safety checklist:

1. Use a firm and well fitting mattress and securely fitting crib sheets.

There should be no gaps between the mattress and the edge of the crib, where a baby’s head or limbs could get jammed. On your mattress, use snug fitted sheets with elastic that goes the whole way around the sheet. Check that you have at least 2″ of material under the mattress on all four sides and corners. Never use a top sheet as a bottom sheet (check at hotels).

2. Take the “Pull Test”.

If you can pull up the bottom sheet of your ladybug crib set then so might your child. Do not use sheets that fail this test, even if they are your favorite.

3. Check after playing or jumping.

Make sure that if baby has been playing or jumping in the crib the sheet has not been pulled up.

4. After each wash conduct a safety inspection:

• check for shrinkage, particularly after tumble drying.
• check the elastic. If the elastic has stretched or broken, do not use the sheet.
• if the sheet has elastic straps or ties, ensure they cannot come undone and haven’t stretched.

5. Consider alternatives

• Safer Bedding

Several manufacturers have developed a safer solution to the traditional fitted crib sheet. Priva have developed the Baby Luxe range with Safety Stay-On corners that ensure the sheet cannot come loose. A similar product is the Hallo Secure Fit Crib Sheet that features deep pockets and uses Velcro to keep the sheet on tight.

Some manufacturers produce sheets that slip onto the mattress like a pillow case or use zippers to enclose the mattress. The disadvantage of these products is that the mattress must be lifted to remove the sheet – not much fun in the middle of the night! An alternative is the innovative QuickZip Sheet Set which has a two piece sheet where the top comes off for easy changing.

• Baby Sleeping Bags and Sleeping Suits.

Many experts recommend that baby is put to bed on his/her back in a crib with only a tight fitting bottom sheet and kept warm using a baby sleeping bag or sleeping suit. With no comforter, top sheet, pillow, blanket or soft toys in the crib there is minimal risk of suffocation by accidentally covering baby’s head and face. The added advantage of sleeping bags and suits is they are not able to be kicked off during sleep.

About the Author

Alan Riley is the publisher of www.beautifulbeddingsets.com, a site devoted to helping people find the perfect bedding for their needs. From JoJo Designs Crib Bedding to comforter sets, you’ll find just what you need.

Establishing a good relationship with your baby’s doctor before she gets sick is important so you can have a good understanding of how to communicate with the doctor at a time when you need their attention the most. Most doctors are very busy and have only a little time (if any) to communicate with patients who don’t have an appointment. You can often call the advice nurse at the doctor’s office and she can help guide you about next steps or she will take a message and talk to the doctor when she’s free.

It is also a good idea to get a list from your doctor at a well-baby check up with which sick baby symptoms warrant calling the doctor about. These might include a high fever for several days, non-stop crying, vomiting or loss of appetite. If you have a premature baby, or an infant with other health issues, then your doctor may have a special set of instructions for what to watch out for when your baby has a cold.

Having a sick baby can be stressful and if your baby isn’t sleeping well when she’s sick, then chances are you will be tired as well. Tracking baby’s illness symptoms, temperature and medication when she’s sick will be helpful not only for identifying when there have been significant changes as well as being able to report to the doctor and answer any questions he might have.

Doctors appreciate information such as baby’s current temperature, how much she is eating and drinking and how many wet diapers she has had each day. Fewer wet diapers than usual might indicate baby is not getting enough liquids.

When you do call your doctor, keep the following in mind:

1. Know what questions you want to ask before you call.
2. Be able to provide a concise and explicit list of the symptoms you are concerned about and how long the symptoms have lasted.
3. Don’t expect the doctor to automatically prescribe medication or ask to see your baby in the office. Listen carefully to the doctor’s instructions and ask any additional questions to clarify what the doctor has said.
4. Don’t be afraid to provide feedback. Doctors and nurses can get busy so sometimes it might seem as though they don’t feel your baby’s illness is as serious as you do. It’s okay to gently and tactfully remind them if you feel as though you haven’t got the attention or information that you needed.

You may also be interested in “Sick Baby: How to Care for Your Baby’s Cold, so She Can Get Better Fast!”

1. Fever- Be sure to keep a close eye on your baby’s temperature for signs of a fever. Keep a good baby thermometer on hand that helps make it simple and easy for monitoring your child’s temperature. Check with your pediatrician about the appropriate dosage to bring down a fever with Infant Tylenol or Motrin. Also, depending on the age of your baby, you may want to call your doctor if your baby’s temperature reaches between 101 and 103, to determine the best course of action for ruling out other illnesses or infection. Keep track of how much and how often you are giving your baby medication. This is important to avoid overdosing as well as it may be something you’ll need to know if you need to talk to your doctor. Baby Insights Day Tracker is one option for an easy way to track medications.

2. Doctor’s Office Phone Number- Keep your pediatrician’s or the on-call nurse’s phone number handy so you can easily find it when your baby is sick. Having a sick baby can be stressful, so the last thing you want to do is spend time searching for a phone number.

3. Keep Baby Hydrated- If your baby is vomiting, has diarrhea or a fever, it will be very important to make sure your baby is drinking plenty of breastmilk, formula or water. Diarrhea in babies can dehydrate a baby, so be sure to keep an eye on how many wet diapers your baby has when she is sick. If your baby seems to have an upset stomach and is eating solids, you will want to keep her diet limited to the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast).

4. Dealing with congestion- If your baby has a cough or runny nose, you can use a humidifier in her room at night to help calm her cough and to sleep better at night. You might also want to suction her nose several times a day or check with your pediatrician about using a decongestant.

5. Your Patience and Love- Often what a sick baby wants most is to snuggle up with mom and dad. Most babies will want to be held more than when they are sick. Part of caring for your baby when she has a cold is just helping make baby comfortable until she starts to feel better.

If your baby was born prematurely, parents should be especially vigilant to caring for baby when she has an illness and to be aware of any changes in baby’s behavior or symptoms. Colds or illness with a premature or special needs baby can be a more serious event in the first few months, so be sure to track changes such as inconsolable crying or difficulty in breathing and do not hesitate to call your doctor for advice on treating your baby’s symptoms.

Each year The Baby Sleep Site™, recognizes SIDS Awareness month and strives to help inform readers about how to reduce the risks associated with SIDS. It is important that not only parents now about how to help prevent SIDS, but also child care providers, grandparents, relatives, babysitters and health care providers.

Some of the recommendations for safe sleep practices from the American Academy of Pediatrics include:

• Place baby on her back to sleep for bedtime and naps. Because baby can roll onto her tummy from her side, placing baby to sleep on her side is not recommended.
• Don’t put baby to sleep with a blanket or over-bundle them in clothing to sleep.
• Avoid letting baby get too hot when sleeping. Baby could be too hot while sleeping if you notice that your baby is sweaty, flushed or has a heat rash.

You can read more here about the recommendations from AAP for safe sleep environments and tummy time:
American Academy of Pediatrics Parent’s Guide to Safe Sleep

Many parents use baby sleep bags or baby sleep sacks as an alternatively to blankets or other bedding in baby’s crib to avoid the possibility of blankets cover the face of a baby. New research suggests that the type of material the baby sleep bags is made from can also help protect baby from overheating and to help regulate body temperature. Specifically, merino wool has shown to be a better regulator of baby temperature than synthetic materials such as fleece.

The Baby Sleep Site™ has teamed up  Baby Sleep Bags and will be giving away one Merino Kids Baby Sleep Bag (retail value $119). Merino Kids Baby Sleep Bags come in two sizes, 0-2 years of age and 2-4 years of age and the winner of the giveaway can choose the appropriate size. You can read more here about the properties of the Merino Kids Baby Sleep Bags help regulate body temperature.

Additionally, The Baby Sleep Site™ will be donating $1 per entry to First Candle, a national nonprofit health organization to advance infant health and survival.

You can enter the giveaway (and help raise money for SIDS) just by leaving a comment over on Baby Sleep Site™.

Enter SIDS Awareness Giveaway here.

How Do Babies Learn To Talk?
Babies communicate in many different ways. Even though they can’t yet talk, their repertoire is amazing – facial expressions, smiling, crying, babbling, moving nearer to Mommy, arm gestures, whining, screeching. The list is endless. Speech plays a small part in communication before the age of two – the ways in which babies communicate their needs are as individual and special as they are.

One of the best ways to encourage language development is to simply talk to your baby. Babies learn by imitation and repetition. Whether he is playing, watching or listening, your baby is learning from you and from the world around him. Imitation and repetition are important if he is to develop any new skill – how to talk, how to sign, or just how to interact with the world.

Baby sign language gives babies and parents another tool for communication. Many studies show that signing does not replace speech, but actually aids its development, by improving a baby’s confidence in his ability to communicate.

How Are Confidence And Communication Linked?
Babies who able to communicate their needs successfully will become more confident than babies who struggle to be understood. Every time you respond to your baby correctly – validating his efforts at communication – his confidence grows. As your baby’s confidence grows, so does his ability to communicate. This is a positive spiral. Sadly, the opposite is also true – when a baby is not shown that his efforts at communication are working, he may withdraw. Some babies go on to develop very extreme ways of getting your attention – also known as tantrums!

How Should You Respond To Your Baby’s Messages?
To help with speech development, babies need to know you have received their messages when they try to communicate with you. Nod, smile, or pick him up, but make sure your response fits what your baby is trying to communicate.

Is Baby Sign Language Important For Communication?
Talking is only one small part of communication. For pre-school children it is often only a small part of their range of skills. Children – and adults – communicate with each other through touch, facial expressions, tone and volume of voice. Babies instinctively communicate by using hand gestures. Learning baby sign language can help your baby make sense of the world in this natural way.

Speech development is a natural progression for children as they listen to what’s going on around them. Talking to your baby, reading stories, explaining every day chores and activities, are positive ways to encourage speech. Adding sign language gives your baby another tool for communication. There is no evidence to suggest that baby sign language slows down speech development – but the opposite may in fact be true.

I hope you enjoyed this guest post. It is brought to you by the Baby Sign Language website. We know signing to your baby is very important so we are a FREE resource to help answer any questions you may have.

~Misty Weaver, Chief Editor, Baby Sign Language

Image by daveynin via Flickr

We are excited about partnering with Midwest Nannies to offer their customers an easy way to try our Baby Insights application. Our goal is to make the transition into parenthood easier by taking away some of the worry about whether baby is getting what he or she needs. We know Midwest Nannies offers quality care, which makes our partnership such a good fit. The partnership with Midwest Nannies and using the Baby Insights Day Tracker can be a critical component to any family-friendly back-to-work arrangement.

After returning to work, new moms and dads will want to know how much baby ate or slept, how many wet diapers they had, or what their mood was throughout the day. If their baby is on medication, then it’s also important to know when dosages where given. The Baby Insights Day Tracker makes it easy for parents and caregivers to track and share this information. Not only can working parents easily access and track how their baby is doing on a daily basis, but it also helps the caregiver to track and see patterns over time or to provide parents with the ability to see weekly reports. Tracking data and information in Baby Insights also helps parents to feel bonded with baby and to lessen feelings of missing out on baby’s daily activities and developmental milestones.

Parents and caregivers both have the same goal…to make sure baby is receiving the best care possible. Using the Baby Insights Day Tracker can help bridge the information gap between parents and caregivers. For instance, if baby is not sleeping well at night, parents can easily go in see their napping pattern for the past two weeks along with their nighttime sleep and identify patterns or areas to work on to help improve baby’s sleep. It also helps to be able to combine the sleeping patterns with baby’s eating habits as another way to gauge why baby may not be sleeping well. These data can also be used when parents meet with baby’s pediatrician for well baby check-ups.

For mom who is still breastfeeding and pumping while at work, using Baby Insights Day Tracker can help mom adjust her pumping schedule to make sure baby has enough milk during the day and caregivers can use it to help support mom with her breastfeeding efforts by planning or scheduling baby’s feedings to coincide with mom’s breastfeeding schedule.

Keeping a daily record of baby’s eating and sleeping habits not only helps to ensure good quality care for baby but it supports good communication between parents and caregivers which leads to the best possible care for baby.

If you have a nanny agency, contact us for your free subscriptions today. If you are a parent working with a nanny agency talk to your nanny agency about partnering with Babble Soft.

Contact Babble Soft Here

About Midwest Nannies, Ltd.

Midwest Nannies, Ltd. is a private employment agency specializing in childcare needs. Midwest Nannies, Ltd. recognizes the importance of having quality childcare. We believe your childcare provider has the most important job there is; caring for your children! Midwest Nannies, Ltd. knows the worry and frustration parents go through while searching for childcare. Midwest Nannies, Ltd. is committed to serve our clients on an individual basis to meet their special needs and/or requirements. Midwest Nannies, Ltd. is “Committed to Personal and Quality Service.” We stress service, honesty and a caring attitude!

Babies born before their due date need special care, especially if they were very small at birth (less than 3 pounds).  Feeding premature babies is a unique challenge; it mainly depends on how early they were born, whether they have any medical issues and the severity of those issues.  It is also important to track how often your baby eats so you can share this information with healthcare providers and other caregivers.

Breast milk is ultimately the best source of nutrition for a new baby; it has proteins in it that can help fight infection and to promote growth.  If your baby was born before 34 weeks they often can’t feed from a bottle or breast due to the fact that they have trouble coordinating sucking, breathing and swallowing all at the same time.  However those born after 34 weeks may be able to feed from a bottle or the mother’s breast.

A good rule of thumb is to feed your premature baby 8 to 10 times per day and that will help prevent dehydration.  Six to 8 wet diapers a day is one indication that your baby is getting enough fluids.  If your head is now spinning with the “how many”, the “when” and the “how much” you may find it helpful to take a moment and track this information.  Premature babies tend to sleep more often than full-term ones but the duration is usually shorter.  In addition, with premature babies, sometimes you need to awaken them to feed them.

Soon after the birth of your premature baby start pumping if your baby is not able to breast feed.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help and do not hesitate to make sure those caring for you know your desire to breastfeed.   Once your milk supply is strong enough you can decrease how often you pump.  At 36 to 40 weeks, premature babies usually are able to suck and will most likely breast feed every 3 to 4 hours, but they may still need additional formula.  Once your baby is able to start nursing be prepared to nurse frequently and since they cannot take in much as milk at each feeding until they’re closer to term pump afterward to keep your milk supply up.  Some new mothers find it helpful to track this; either how often pumping occurs and how much, how much formula is given at each feeding and information on whether or not the baby was content, fussy or tired.

The video below shows you how to track breast and bottle feedings using the Babble Soft Baby Insights Day Tracker. These online tools are meant to help new parents easily track feedings and monitor baby’s fluid intake. There is also a feed tracking worksheet that you can print out to quickly write down feeding information to input later. By entering the feeding and intake data into Baby Insights, then parents can take advantage of the various graphs and reporting that is readily available and can help you identify patterns and monitor baby’s weekly intake or intake across multiple days. Parents of premature infants have found these charts and graphs especially helpful when meeting with baby’s pediatrician.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Research indicates that food allergies in children are on the rise and are more common in children, especially children who have parents with food allergies. The good news is that children can often outgrow food allergies or intolerances but this requires some vigilant tracking of what they eat in their early years and keeping a good record of food allergy symptoms. There currently is no cure for food allergies but there have been some advances made in food allergy treatment. There continue to be many food allergy research initiatives and studies which are helping to make advances towards a better understanding of how to cure and treat food allergies.

A child can have a food allergy or sensitivity to any food or food combination but the most common foods are wheat, eggs, soy, fish, milk and tree nuts. Allergic reactions can range from very mild to severe. For babies or toddlers, it’s especially important for parents to be aware of food allergy symptoms since young children may not be able to articulate how they feel after eating a certain food. Allergic symptoms include hives, wheezing and swelling within 2 minutes to 2 hours of eating an allergic food. Other less severe symptoms may appear after longer periods of time including within several days and can be chronic and on-going. These symptoms might include eczema or other skin irritation, vomiting or diarrhea, runny nose and mood changes such as clinginess, increased fussiness or periods of stomach pain.  This is why its often a good idea to keep a food diary of how much and how often baby eats a food when introducing new foods.

For babies, other symptoms might include increased night wakings, frequent diaper rashes, mucous or specks of blood in bowel movements, frequent spitting up or burping which can also include reflux. Reflux is sometimes a symptom of a food allergy or food intolerance. Keep in mind that children can have an allergic reaction to food even if they have eaten it before without a problem. Some food proteins build up in a child’s system over time and once a threshold is reach, a reaction can occur.

If you suspect your child might have a food allergy or a food sensitivity, check your doctor for information on how to track food allergy symptoms and test for food allergies. Here at Babble Soft, we offer an easy, online tracking program for helping with baby food allergy tracking which you can try for FREE for two weeks.

Here are some food allergy information sources that you might want to check out as part of Food Allergy Awareness Week.

Food Allergy Initiative- Take part in their “Give It Up” campaign which encourages everyone to give up their favorite food this week in effort to show their support for others who suffer from food allergies. You can also find resources here to write to your elected officials to voice your support for continued food allergy research. Join the Food Allergy Initiative on Facebook too!

FAAN- Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network: Find all the information you might ever need about food allergies along with recipes, alerts and support from others who deal with food allergies. You can also join FAAN on Facebook.

Take a moment to review this public service announcement from FAAN called “Respect Every Bite.”

Being a new mom is full of choices.  If you’ve made the choice to breastfeed your new baby rest assured that that is one of the most important decisions you will make as a new mother.  It’s hard to refute the benefits of breastfeeding and nowadays there are a lot of resources out there to help you along on this new journey such as how to find a certified lactation consultants, workplace accommodations for breastfeeding moms in the new health care law and health insurance plans that may cover breastfeeding related expenses.

The past few years has seen resurgence in the popularity of breastfeeding.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that mothers feed their babies only breast milk for the first six months. Breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of many issues including ear and respiratory infections, diabetes and sudden infant death syndrome for babies and a lower risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer for mothers.  More recent is the study published in the journal Pediatrics, which states that if most new moms would breastfeed their babies for the first six months of life, it would save nearly 1,000 lives and billions of dollars each year.

If you are a new mom returning to work who does breastfeed then you probably are already thinking about what to do.  The need for a reliable, efficient and easy to use breast pump is almost essential to keep up with breastfeeding at work.  A good breast pump is also a necessity for moms of premature infants who may initially be unable to breastfeed and need to express their milk.  A high quality breast pump can be an additional expense for families that they might not have counted on. At this point you may want to contact your health insurance company to find out if they offer any assistance/programs for new moms; surprisingly many of them do.  And be sure to look into using your health-care flexible spending account (FSA) for breastfeeding related expenses too – many will cover breast pumps with a doctor’s note.

You may also want to consider having a visit from a certified lactation consultant either prior to returning to work for tips on pumping or at any point after baby has come home.  A lactation consultant is a health care professional who is knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced in lactation (breastfeeding). The lactation consultant’s primary focus is to provide education, assistance and support to breastfeeding women, including how to help and support those new moms returning to work. Services and visits from a lactation consultant may also be covered by your insurance.

One really good source of breastfeeding information on whether or not health insurance will cover a breast pump or a visit from a certified lactation consultant recently became available on Medela’s website. While Medela is best known for its breast pumps and accessories, they are also very invested in helping moms succeed in breastfeeding.  This online resource will help new moms with their questions about whether or not their health insurance will cover certain breastfeeding-related expenses, including for example, lactation consultant services, breast pump rental/purchase and other costs.

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