4 Ways to Encourage Babies & Pets to Get Along

Babies, though very good at looking adorable, are not particularly good with animals. They love them, of course, but see them more as toys than sentient beings. Since your baby and you pets are going to be spending a lot of time together, it makes sense to try and encourage them to get along.

Helping babies and pets to like each other

Try the following tips to create a healthy relationship between your baby and pets:

  1. Never leave them unsupervised

You should never leave babies and pets together unsupervised. Both are unpredictable and in need of guidance on how to interact properly. Smaller animals could be at risk of injury when left with your child. For bigger animals, it could be your baby who is at risk if the two are left alone unsupervised. If you have a cat, you should make sure he can’t get into the room where your baby sleeps. Cats love to sleep in warm places and may develop an attachment to your baby’s cot which could be potentially dangerous for your sleeping baby.

  1. Spend time together

You should spend time as a family, furry members included. If you have a dog, this could mean long family walks in the countryside. If you have a cat, try playing with your baby whilst the cat sleeps nearby. If you have rabbits, spend time in the garden and carefully supervise any interactions between your baby and animals.

  1. Spend time with your pets

The pets are part of your family, and though it can be difficult to spend as much time with them as you did before the baby, you should try to ensure they still feel loved and cared for. The easiest way to do this is to spend time together as a family. This will help your baby to observe the proper way to interact with the pets, and will also allow the pets to adapt to the new family dynamic.

  1. Encourage safe interaction

Babies love animals, so you’ll probably find that once your baby is mobile, she spends her time trying to play with the pets. By modeling appropriate interactions, you can teach your baby how to interact with the pets safely. You can also help your baby to interact with them by taking her hand and gently stroking the cat’s fur. Only do this if your pets seem happy to be around the baby, and always make sure both the baby and pet are safe. Talk to your baby about the things your pets like and don’t like.

Has your baby fallen in love with your household pets?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

5 Tips for Night Weaning

New parents are tired, always. As a breastfeeding mother, you may be finding the exhaustion even more of a struggle. After all, you’re likely to be the one awake with a hungry baby at 3am. Your baby probably goes through periods of frequent night wakings, and during these phases, you’re likely to feel like a zombie. It’s no wonder that so many parents are attracted to the idea of night weaning. When you start feeling bone-achingly sleep-deprived, you’ll probably be willing to do absolutely anything to get just a few more hours of sleep each night. Here are five tips to help you get to grips with night weaning:

  1. Set realistic expectations

I know, you wanted a baby who would sleep through from day 1 and that is certainly not what you got. It’s important to remember, however, that young babies aren’t really designed to sleep through the night. In fact, there are plenty of benefits to night feeds, though it may not seem that way at 2am. As your baby grows older, however, he may be ready to sleep for longer stretches during the night. Don’t forget, though, night weaning doesn’t necessarily guarantee that your child will wake less frequently, it just means you won’t be able to boob her back to sleep if she does wake.

  1. Be gentle

Night weaning doesn’t need to be a difficult transition for your baby, there are ways to stop night feeds without your child becoming upset. To achieve this, you’ll need to take your time and tread gently. Follow your child’s cues and look out for signs that things are moving too quickly for her.

  1. Provide other sleep cues

To prepare your child for night weaning, you’ll need to create other cues to help your child fall asleep each night. This could be a piece of music played softly in the background or the presence of a particular toy or comforter. You’ll need to introduce it at bedtime for a month or so before you plan to start night weaning. This will help your child associate the new cue with sleep, so that when you stop breastfeeding, your child will still have a sleep aid at her disposal. After four weeks, you can try guiding your child back to sleep with the sleep aid instead of the breast.

  1. Keep feeding in the day

Keep breastfeeding on demand during the day, this will help to ensure your child continues to get enough breast milk. You may find that your baby wants to feed more often during the day when you begin night weaning, this is normal and should settle down as your child adjusts to the change.

  1. Expect setbacks

This is one thing parents always have to be prepared for. No matter what stage your child is at, there will always be moments of regression. Regression is a normal part of child development. If your child is feeling unwell or about to take a huge developmental leap, you may find that the night wakings increase. Unfortunately, this is something you can’t avoid. These regressions won’t last forever, though. In just a couple of days or weeks, your child will be back to her usual self and you’ll be able to get some sleep again.

Are you thinking of night weaning your baby?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

How to Play Music on Music Baby Toys?

Chances are you already have some kind of music toy for your baby – a toy with piano-like keys, a xylophone, or perhaps a baby piano. With a rare exception, these toys come with no manual. If you don’t play a musical instrument you will have a hard time playing anything music-like on this toy! Moreover, these toys are diatonic, meaning if they were a real piano they would only have the white keys. With the black keys missing there’s a limitation on what you can play.

If you would like to play music for your baby on her toy you can use these notes. Music toys can normally play 8 notes. Instead of musical notation the notes are written down using numbers from 1 through 8. To make it easier you can even use a permanent marker to mark the notes on the toy. You can also sing along to help yourself keep the rhythm. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Song
1121 43
1121 54
1186 4432
6664 54

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
11 55 665 44 33 221
55 44 332
55 44 332
11 55 665 44 33 221

Frère Jacques
1231 1231
345 345
565431 565431
414 414

Brahms Lullaby
335 335 3587 665
234 234 24765 78
118 645 3145 65
118 645 3143 21

Jingle Bells
333 333 35123
4445433
432232 5
333 333 35123
4445433 3355 421

London Bridge
5654 345
234 345
5654 345
2531

Hush Little Baby
2778766
2266667655
2778766
2266667655

Shaun the Sheep Theme Song
1345 3231
1345 1345 3231
4342 5678
6 535 653 231
6 535 655 678

Flea Waltz
651 88 651 88
651 83 84 77
654 77 654 77
654 73 71 88
18 38 4 77
47 37 1 88

Vivaldi – The four seasons – Spring
1333 215
54 333 215
54 345 432
15 434 565
15 434 565
165 4321 211

Offenbach – Can Can
1 2432 55 563422
24321 8765432
1 2432 55 5634 22
24321 5231 1

What other tunes can you come up with? Let us know!

Written by Georgiy, a father and a self-taught recorder player

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice.  All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Help! I’m Not Enjoying Motherhood

Motherhood, like pregnancy, is meant to be filled with sunshine, lollipops and rainbows, right? Moms are always happy and filled with joy. After all, motherhood is the best job is the world. Isn’t it?

Erm, no, not always. Sometimes motherhood sucks. Sometimes being a mom is all about being covered in crap, cleaning up puke and listening to babies scream. It’s not always fun or wonderful, like anything else in life, it has its bad days.

It’s perfectly ok for you to not love every minute of motherhood. Singing nursery rhymes and spending hours talking about poop isn’t for everyone. Looking after a baby all day can be tough. The baby can’t talk back, so you may find yourself feeling bored at times. You may also find the repetitive chores of diaper changes and feeds to be tiring sometimes, especially when they seem to fill your entire day.

Here are a few things to try if you feel you’re not enjoying motherhood:

  1. Let go of the guilt

There is nothing wrong with not loving motherhood. You’re allowed to have bad days. You’re allowed to have days where you don’t want to change another diaper. You can have days where you’re bored out of your mind. It’s fine, it’s normal. Every mom feels like that sometimes. You don’t need to feel guilty because you’re not a picture of the joyous mom you see represented in the media. You’re a real person, you’re going to have bad days.

  1. Talk about it

You don’t need to keep these feelings to yourself. This isn’t a hideous secret you need to take to your grave. In fact, talking about it with friends might just help you to see how normal these feelings are. You’re not a terrible mom, you’re just like everybody else. Speak to your close friends about how you feel, and let your partner in on it too. While your mom friends will be able to reassure you that what you’re feeling is normal, your partner may be able to free up a little me-time for you so you can de-stress.

  1. Get out of the house

A change of scenery can do the world of good when you’re having a bad day. If it’s just you and the baby stuck at home all day, getting out of the house might cheer you up. Pack your diaper bag, grab your handbag and head off on an adventure. You could meet up with some mom friends for a coffee or head out for a walk in the countryside. Do whatever you think will lift your mood. You deserve a treat, being a mom isn’t easy, so head out and enjoy yourself.

  1. Recognize your triumphs

It’s easy to obsess over your perceived feelings. If you feel like everything is going wrong at the moment, that’s probably more to do with your mood than anything else. When you feel negative, it’s all too easy to only see the negative things around you. Spend some time focusing on the good things in life. Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. Make a list of all the reasons you’re a great mom and refer to it whenever you’re feeling down.

  1. Ask for help

If you’re worried that perhaps the way you’re feeling isn’t normal, you should ask your healthcare provider for advice. Postpartum depression is treatable, but you need to reach out for help before you can get treatment. Nobody will judge you for speaking up, so be honest and ask for help if you think you need it.

Do you sometimes feel like you’re not enjoying motherhood?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

The Number One Tsk of Grandmothers Everywhere

“Tsk, tsk! Your baby is too cold!” or “Too hot!” or “You don’t have enough clothes on that baby!”

You’ve been a parent long enough now to know that the number one criticism you are likely to get from the grandmothers in your life (and even those you just happen to meet on the street) is that your baby is not appropriately dressed for the weather.

“Tsk, tsk!” You’ve heard it too many times.

But is it possible that those tsk’ing are onto something?

The truth is, little ones aren’t as good at regulating their own body temperature as adults—in fact, it takes until about 6 months of age before they’re bodies fully adapt to that self-regulation. Which means it’s highly possible that your baby is too hot, or too cold. So you want to avoid both overdressing and underdressing your little, depending on the situation—because the clothes they wear will have a big impact on their body temperature.

A good habit to get into is layers. Layers can be removed or added as needed, and having them on hand means you never have to worry about your baby being either too cold or too warm. Keeping your baby’s feet covered is always a good idea as well, except perhaps in the truly warm summer months. And as winter rolls around—you want to provide the same protection to their little hands. Baby mittens can serve a dual purpose: not only do they keep little fingers warm, but they also protect your baby from inadvertently scratching him or herself.

Another thing to keep in mind is that babies haven’t yet built up much of a protection against the sun’s rays, and you want to avoid sunscreen in those early months—so a wide brimmed hat when going outside can be a good idea, along with light layers that will protect your little one’s skin.

Of course, anytime you’re outside in the warmth, you have to worry about your baby overheating. Pay attention to your little one’s eyes and any signs of distress when outside, and plan for frequent trips back inside to cool off and give your baby a break from the outdoor elements—no matter what time of year it may be.

If you’re ever concerned that your baby might be too hot or too cold, run your hand across his or her neck and see how the skin feels there. That can usually be a good indicator of whether or not it might be time to add or remove another layer to ensure your baby is appropriately dressed for the weather!

Written by Leah Campbell, infertility advocate, adoptive mama, writer and editor. Find me @sifinalaska on Twitter.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general informational basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

5 Ways to Make Returning to Work Bearable

Talk to 10 different women, and you’ll likely hear 10 different opinions on returning to work after having a baby. For some women, doing so is a necessity, though not something they are excited about. For others, going back to a job they love is something they’re actually looking forward to. But for those women who do re-enter the working force after baby, no matter where they fall in terms of their desire to do so, those first few days back can still be an adjustment.

Thankfully, there are ways to make that returning to work adjustment easier—for both you and your little one.

  1. Find Childcare You Trust: The biggest key to reducing anxiety as you prepare to return to work is finding childcare options you feel good about. Some families are lucky enough to have grandparents nearby who are willing to take on that task, but if you don’t have that option, start looking into local daycares sooner rather than later. Ask friends for recommendations, conduct tours, and get on waiting lists whenever necessary. Feeling comfortable with where you are leaving your baby (and who you are leaving him or her with) is half the battle.
  2. Ease In: It’s silly to go from weeks (or months) on end at home with your little one, to diving right back into a full-time work schedule. Instead, talk to your manager or HR supervisor about easing back into the work world. Maybe you could work half-days for the first few weeks, or just Tuesdays and Thursdays at first. Easing back in will make your whole transition less traumatic.
  3. Break for Facetime: The beauty of our current technological landscape is that it allows you to stay connected, so use that! Talk to your childcare providers about sending you photos and updates throughout the day, and take advantage of Facetime or Skype when you find yourself really missing your little bug.
  4. Look for Positives: If you’re truly struggling with returning to work, it can be hard to find silver linings, but they do exist. Think of this as your opportunity to talk to other adults throughout the day; as your excuse to take care of yourself and get some Mommy time! Sure, that time is probably less enjoyable when spent at work than it might be doing something you really love, but you may find you come to appreciate it more than you ever thought you would.
  5. Savor Pickup Time: There is nothing better than the way little ones light up when they see Mommy or Daddy at the end of a long daycare day. Soak those gleeful smiles and hugs up; they are the reminder of how very loved you are!

Written by Leah Campbell, infertility advocate, adoptive mama, writer and editor. Find me @sifinalaska on Twitter.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general informational basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.