Tag Archives: babies

June 21, 2021 · 10:42 am

Last-Minute Shopping for the New Family Member

By Katie Tejada

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When your little one is about to come home for the first time, your to-do list for preparing can feel endless. You only really need clothes, food, and shelter for a new baby — but it’s the 21st century, and there are a variety of products available to make your life with your new bundle of joy so much easier!

Not sure where to start? We’ll discuss some must-have items for taking care of your new family member, as well as things you can get at the last minute that you may not have thought of before.

  1. Zip-Up Onesies

You can never have too many clothes for your newborn. These are the outfits your little one will be wearing most of the time, and chances are you’ll be going through them quickly. Babies seemingly double in size overnight, so you’ll want to have lots of options available in different colors and sizes.

When choosing a onesie for your newborn, you’ll inevitably have to decide between zippers and snap buttons. While snap buttons are the more common option, most parents will tell you that no one likes to wake up in the middle of the night and snap a bunch of buttons together when they’re half asleep. With zip-up onesies, you’ll have a much easier time dressing and undressing your baby, which you’ll be thankful for when you’re busy dealing with a thousand other things.

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  1. Plushies

Stuffed animals are a popular toy for children of all ages, and they’re guaranteed to become your baby’s favorite comfort object. They come in all different shapes and sizes, from licensed characters to adorable animals. Whether you want tutu-wearing rabbits or funky, rainbow-colored characters, the possibilities are truly endless and depend only on your personal taste.

These toys are seriously cute, entertaining, and will make a fun addition to any newborn’s nursery. Begin building your child’s collection of plushies today!

  1. Blankets and Rattles

Beyond stuffed animals and onesies, you’ll want to make sure your child has other comfort objects and sources of stimulation, like a baby blanket and rattle set. Rattles make noise to entertain your newborn and encourage their brain’s development. Tracking the sounds the rattle makes can help your child improve their hand-eye coordination while grasping and releasing it can strengthen their fine motor skills. Most rattles double as teething toys, as well, with textured edges that will soothe your baby’s aching gums as they grow.

By combining these rattles with an adorable, super-soft blanket, you’re sure to keep your newborn happy and entertained. They may even fall asleep curled up with their new, fuzzy blanket.

  1. Baby Bracelets

These baby bracelets aren’t an absolute necessity, but they would make a great last-minute present for any newborn. These delicate, beautiful pieces come in a variety of colors and feature unique charms. They’re a sweet gift that can be passed down for generations to come, and they’re perfect for baptisms, first birthdays, and other important events in your child’s life. Just be aware they can present a choking hazard so may be best displayed rather than worn for the first few years.

  1. Lots of Diapers

Last but certainly not least, you’ll want to make sure that you have the true essentials before bringing your little one home. Odds are you’ve already stocked up on diapers (or had others buy them for you), but if not, you’re going to need them! From sustainable diapers with colorful prints to classic disposable diapers from the grocery store, there are tons of options to choose from to keep your little one clean and dry. 

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

Stay Prepared

No matter how prepared you think you are, there will always be something you’re missing when that magic moment finally arrives. Zip-up onesies and extra diapers are essential for keeping your little one looking fresh and feeling clean, while plushies, blankets, and rattles help them stay cozy and entertained throughout the day. To commemorate special occasions, like their first night at home, a delicate baby bracelet may be the perfect gift.

With this list, you’ll be one step closer to making sure your new baby has absolutely everything they need to feel safe, warm, and welcome in your home. Are there any items you think we’re missing? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments below!

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March 13, 2014 · 3:49 pm

Messy is Necessary

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

I heard from a parent today that they don’t allow their 11 month old to make a mess when he eats.

Now before you start sniggering, I knew exactly what she meant. If little Goggins throws his food everywhere just to make a point/see the reaction/get out of eating it/see the reaction (oh wait, I said that already) they don’t turn a blind eye. They are trying to teach him some rules. I do the same. 11 months old is an appropriate age to start asking your child to hand you food they don’t want when they’re finished, not throw it against a wall, and it’s perfectly fine to tell an 11 month old” no” if they tip their food on the floor 5 times in a row while screaming at you.

But if there’s also an element of simply not liking the aesthetics of yoghurt in your baby’s eyebrows, and of wanting to keep the shaggy white rug under her highchair as snowy as they day you bought it (the day before you found out you were pregnant no doubt), then I’m afraid it’s time someone told you – babies are messy.

If you want to keep your white rug white, your wooden floors scratch-free, your vintage dresses & designer tea towels & first edition books & original art works and hand blown glasswear pristine, you have two choices:

  1. Keep them in a part of the house your child never goes (and at some point, rest assured, they will still go to that part of the house). 
  2. Don’t have children.

I know it’s tempting to think the third choice is to keep your children under control and clean and calm. And even though you can probably do those things sometimes, hell, most of the time if you’re focused, there’s almost no chance you’ll do it All the time.

Babies make mess.

They are exploring and learning. Often it requires pushing your hands into your porridge and then rubbing into your eyes, sometimes feeding yourself is so hard that only half of it makes it to your mouth and rest falls innocently on the floor, and sometimes it means feeling so frustrated that your limited coping skills induce you to throw half a peach at the wall.

By all means, try to keep eating under control and try to keep your house clean enough to feel comfortable in, but it’s best if you also try not to worry about a bit of mess at meal time. It’s a necessary part of being a baby.

Does your baby make a mess at meal times?
Do you have any handy tips to keep the mess (slightly) under control?

You might also like:

Messy kids who play with their food may be faster leaners: Huffington Post

Top 5 reasons why kids want to get messy with food: One Handed Cooks

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July 5, 2013 · 11:42 am

Baby and Toddler Toileting Gadgets – crazy or genius?

peepee-teepee (1)

Every now and then someone comes up with a new piece of gear for baby and toddler care that is pure genius.  When they first invented the baby monitor I’m sure parents everywhere were relieved to be able to move their ear away from the nursery door. When non spill valves were added to sippy cups toddlers rejoiced at the freedom to upturn their drinks with wanton abandon. But when some bright spark started selling the Peepee Teepee, basically a little hat for your baby boy’s penis, not everyone was convinced.

In fact, there are hundreds of innovations aimed squarely at your baby or toddler’s toileting habits. But since we’ve got some of the basics to a fairly fine art (think disposable nappies, baby wipes, portable potties…) there are still entrepreneurs out there pushing at the glass ceiling of baby ablutions and eliminations. 

Here are three baby and toddler toileting gadgets that just might be crazy enough to be genius. Unless they are just crazy.

Baby Bathroom Harness

Baby-Keeper-Basic

The Babykeeper is a harness for a baby aged 6-18 months that is designed, not to be worn by an adult, but to hang over the door of a public toilet.

This one’s more about your toileting habits, but if you’ve ever had to go to a public toilet with a baby you know the choices you’re faced with are all crap (pun intended!). You can leave your baby in their pram just outside the locked door where they will no doubt be abducted and raised by a cult. You can leave the stall door open with the pram just outside so the cult members coming to use the public bathroom can watch you wee. You can try and cradle your baby in your lap while using the toilet, and probably drop them, Baby 59 style, straight into the bowl. Or you can set them on the floor and pray the germs are no worse than anywhere else your baby sits (side-note: apparently they probably are actually no worse than anywhere else).

This over-the-door-harness may make you feel slightly as if you’re treating you baby like a handbag, but provided you don’t forget to collect them as you leave, may just be the answer to the question: “What happens if I can’t hold it until I get home?”

iPad Potty

ipad potty

The iPotty is a plastic potty with an activity stand for an iPad attached.

Though there is what seems to be incessant talk about whether or not toddlers and young children should use technology like iPads (note to self, write post about whether or not toddlers and children should use technology like iPads) the fact is, millions do. Much advice about potty training centers on the dual issues of keeping the child actually sitting on the potty long enough to see some action, and finding the experience rewarding, or at least not finding the experience upsetting. Having a TV show to watch or an app to play with while learning to use the potty addresses both issues smoothly and simply.

You may cringe at the idea of introducing your child to iPads in general, let alone encouraging them to hunker down on the loo staring at a screen for long periods of time, but when your toddler starts asking to use the potty instead of weeing on your lap or smearing poo on the walls above their cot I suspect it won’t seem such a problem.

Toddler Urinal

toddler-urinal

The Peter Potty website announces that it is the world’s only flushable toddler urinal. It is exactly what it sounds like, a urinal small enough for the smallest of urinaters, and adjustable as they grow.

Children of both sexes are usually taught to wee sitting down. But many little boys want to stand, like they see their Daddy doing. An adult toilet is too high for a toddler to wee into standing but a regular potty on the floor is too small to aim at. You either have to resign yourself to urine all over the bathroom floor or insist your boy sits to wee until he is much taller.

It’s important to note if you’re using wet wipes to clean up after your toddler, that you do not flush those into the sewer system. Our toilets may take it, but plumbers say that can come back to haunt you when it clogs up the sewers. 

Adding a urinal to your bathroom at home may seem like overkill, but despite the instinct to link them with the smell of stale urine and the general distaste of some public men’s bathrooms, the toddler urinal could be be best way to keep your bathroom floor wee-free while keeping your little man happy.

Join the discussion below, are these gadgets crazy or genius?

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July 3, 2013 · 2:26 pm

Guest Post: Babies and exercise

This week’s guest post is from Katrina Naish. There are lots of insights in the life of a busy mum in her blog Juggling Me Myself and Motherhood.

If you would like to contribute a guest post please send me a message!
Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

After 2 babies I decided to give myself an overhaul. While doing this it has made me think of the imprints we leave on our babies/children.  One of the things that I have kicked off my overhaul with is joining a group training session.

Now, unlike most group sessions this one is targeted at mothers with babies/children and we all generally bring a baby/child (unless we are lucky enough for a loved one to take care of them).The trainer, Charlotte Hay from SOLMAMAS Slice of Life Fitness www.solfitness.com.au, understands what it is like being a mother and trying to squeeze in time for You. While we might be willing to find a sitter to go out to dinner every now and then, it’s not on a high priority to find yourself a sitter/carer on a weekly biases to look after your baby/child while you workout.

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June 28, 2013 · 12:32 pm

Red Nose Day: SIDS Awareness

The last Friday in June is Red Nose Day in Australia. That’s today. Red Nose Day is all about promoting awareness of SIDS and how to prevent the sudden unexplained death of infants under 2 years old. SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is, by its very definition, a mysterious killer.

A plot of SIDS rate from 1988 to 2006 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Though we don’t have a perfect picture of why some babies die suddenly and seemingly without reason, we do know there are ways to lessen your risk factor. SIDS and Kids is an Australian organisation dedicated to saving the lives of babies and children during pregnancy, birth, infancy and childhood and to supporting bereaved families. Red Nose Day is their annual fundraising day and awareness campaign.

Guidelines from SIDS and Kids for safe sleeping in infants under 2

1. Sleep baby on the back from birth, not on the tummy or side

2. Sleep baby with head and face uncovered

3. Keep baby smoke free before birth and after

4. Provide a safe sleeping environment night and day

5. Sleep baby in their own safe sleeping place in the same room as an adult caregiver for the first six to twelve months

6. Breastfeed baby

photo courtesy of healthdirect.org.au

What you can do to get involved

This year SIDS and Kids celebrates the 26th anniversary of the Red Nose Day awareness campaign. Funds raised from Red Nose Day have supported Australian families with education and support services and provided over $16m in funding for research into SIDS and Stillbirth.

The cause of SIDS is still unknown. Over 50% of stillbirths in Australia are also due to unknown causes. Through the Red Nose Day fundraising campaign SIDS and Kids are able to continue to work towards preventing Sudden Infant Death. You can buy Red Nose Day merchandise, get involved in community events, or just donate.

Where the money goes:

  • 24 hour, 365 days a year crisis outreach and ongoing bereavement support for families and the community following the sudden and unexpected death of an infant or young child from 20 weeks gestation to 6 years.
  • The SIDS and Kids Safe Sleeping Program, an evidence-based health promotion campaign which offers practical advice to parents and health professionals about how to best reduce the risks of SIDS and sleep accidents.
  • Research into the causes and prevention of sudden and unexpected death in the perinatal period and infancy.

Be silly for a serious cause

and help save more babies’ lives!

Make your donation today and be part of the solution!

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