Before we become parents, we all have a picture in our heads of what that will look like. Admit it: you went into this whole parenting thing with a few ideas about what you would and would not allow, long before you ever first peered into your baby’s eyes. On that list, perhaps you had it in your head that your baby would never use a pacifier or suck his or her thumb. Your baby wasn’t going to rely on a clutch.

Isn’t it funny how our pre-conceived ideas about parenthood tend to get thrown out the window once we’re actually in the midst of parenthood?

Okay, so maybe you didn’t care all that much about thumb sucking or pacifier use to begin with. Maybe neither was on your list of things to worry about. Or maybe you were just a little bit smug because your baby never seemed to show much interest in either. But now, your little one has found his or her thumb, and you are wondering when (or if) you should be concerned.

For now, rest assured, thumb sucking can be a completely normal habit for little ones, and it can even have some positive applications. After all, anytime a child gains the ability to self-soothe, it’s a good thing.

The thing about thumbs is, they are always there. So a child who self-soothes by sucking his or her thumb is a little one who won’t be calling out for you in the middle of the night to find a dropped toy or pacifier. Their thumb is always accessible to them. No matter what. Which makes thumb-sucking a really great way to calm themselves down or soothe themselves back to sleep.

Of course, the big concerns with thumb sucking are that it can push new teeth out and can eventually be seen as socially unacceptable. But the truth is, right now, neither should be a concern of yours. Before age 2 (and realistically, before age 4 in most cases) thumb sucking won’t likely cause any long-term damage to your child’s mouth. And no one is going to judge a baby for self-soothing with their own little thumb.

Most children stop thumb sucking on their own by age four, which is about the age when long-term damage can occur. And for those who don’t, there are various solutions you can employ to help them give up their thumb sucking habit. So for now, while your baby is still under the age of 1 especially, there is very little reason to try to curb this behavior. Which is good, because it can be difficult to keep that little thumb from finding its way to your baby’s mouth!

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.

Here you are, past the halfway point of your baby’s first year. What happened to that sweet, snuggly, helpless little bit you first brought into the world? Now you have a squirmy, mobile, into-everything-I-can-get-my hands on babe who is growing and changing at a crazy rate!

It is both so fun and so terrifying at the same time. Because, whoa… a mobile baby is one who needs way more supervision.

Of course, a mobile baby is also a baby who makes much bigger messes. Particularly now that your little one is eating solid foods, and somehow managing to get most of those offerings up his or her little nose, in his or her little hair, and wedged into every other bodily crevice that can possibly be found.

Double chins, anyone? Yeah… those are definitely holding places for yesterday’s avocados.

Given that, bath time has become especially important these days. Unfortunately, so has finding ways to entertain your little one in the tub. Gone are the days when you could plan on snuggling into the bath with your baby for a quiet and relaxing time. He or she is far more interested in splashing all the water out of the tub and finding ways to—gasp—drop the occasional poop right there in the water for you to fish out these days.

Aren’t babies fun?!?

First things first: never, ever, leave your little one unattended in the tub. We know, we know—you already know this. But we just have to remind you, simply because as baby gets better about sitting up and moving around, it’s sometimes easy to think they might be okay for a second or two while you poke your head out of the bathroom to grab a towel or answer the phone. Don’t do it! Your baby needs constant supervision around water. Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye.

Now that that’s out of the way, what kind of activities can you do to help make bath time even more fun for your little?

Why not start with a bonus safety trick? You can buy all kinds of non-stick pads for the bottom of your tub, often in the shapes of animals and characters your kiddo already loves. Having fish or froggies “swimming” along the bottom of the bath will keep your little one occupied and give them something to look at, all while preventing any slips and spills in the tub.

Another great idea is to make up a batch of colored ice cubes. Put one or two in the tub with your babe, and watch as he or she swats at them and tries to catch them before they melt.

Now is also a great time to pick up some fun bath toys, like a small basketball hoop with a suction cup for tub action, or some foam alphabet letters that will stick to the side of the tub.

If your little one doesn’t seem to love the bath just yet, don’t worry—it will come. In the meantime, don’t force it. Yes, babies need baths, but not every day. And a baby who is unhappy in the tub might do better with quick baths every two or three days instead of every night.

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.

Leaving your baby with a sitter for the first time is a monumental parenting milestone, and you’re likely to be feeling emotional as the big day approaches. All moms are different, and it can take some longer than others to feel ready to make the leap. Don’t rush yourself, wait until you feel ready for that long awaited night out. There’s no pressure, people will understand that you might want to skip a few nights out in favor of spending time with your baby.

When you are ready to take off your mama cap for the night, let your hair down and enjoy some quality adult time, the following tips might help:

1. Pick a sitter you trust

To get the most out of your night of freedom, you need to make sure your baby is left in capable hands. If not, you’ll spend most of the evening worrying and texting the sitter. Choose somebody you can trust. Somebody who knows and loves your baby, and who your baby feels comfortable with. Choose somebody who will follow your directions to the letter, somebody who you know will take just as good care of your baby as you would. Many parents choose to enlist the help of a family member or trusted friend as their first sitter. If you book a babysitter via an agency, always make sure his or her background is officially checked, the babysitter is CPR trained and personally interviewed by the agency.

2. Leave instructions

Remember that feeling when you were first left alone with your new baby? When you gazed lovingly into her eyes and thought, “Why didn’t this come with an instruction manual?” Well, now you have months of experience so you can be the person to write that manual. Leave clear instructions with your babysitter. Make sure they know how to reach you, where you’ll be and what time you’ll be home. Write down any feeds your baby will be due whilst you’re away, as well as things to try if your baby becomes upset.

3. Start small

For your first night out, you may want to stay local so you can get home quickly if needed. It’s also an idea to start out with a shorter engagement that first time. You could go for a meal at your local restaurant or meet friends for a drink at a nearby bar. This short burst of freedom will give you and your baby an opportunity to get used to spending a little bit of time apart. Then when the night comes for you to attend a birthday party out of town, you’ll feel confident that your baby will be ok without you.

4. Say goodbye

It can be tempting to just disappear, especially when your baby seems settled with the sitter. Why risk upsetting her before you dash for the door? In reality, however, your baby needs to know that you leaving is nothing to worry about. That means a goodbye kiss and a cheery goodbye. Let your baby know that you’ll be back soon. Your baby may not yet understand all the words you say, but she’ll be able to tell from your body language and tone that there’s nothing to worry about.

5. Don’t feel guilty

No, leaving your baby doesn’t make you a terrible mother. No, your baby won’t grow up with severe emotional troubles because you went out to a party. Yes, your baby knows you love her. Don’t let yourself feel guilty about taking a night for yourself. It’s perfectly ok to carve out a little bit of time for yourself amidst the chaos of nappy changes, feeds and night wakings. This is your night of freedom, so start enjoying yourself. Have fun, enjoy the adult conversation, and enjoy feeling a little bit more like you for a change.

How old was your baby when you had your first night out?

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.

You’re a mom now, and a lot has changed. Before you had your baby, you might not have spent a lot of time thinking about how your close friendships might change. But then suddenly, your little bundle arrives, and it’s not as easy to hang out with your BFF’s. Your priorities may have shifted, and you don’t have as much free time.

But being a mom does not mean you have to neglect your friendships. In fact, you need your friends as much as ever to lend a sympathetic ear, give advice or enjoy a night out with.

Keep in mind, similar to other relationships, friendships can go through a period of transition. For example, you might find you’re gravitating towards your friends who also have children. It just might be easier to plan activities where you can bring your babies. You might also be meeting other moms and making new friends.

But is it possible to stay close to your friends who don’t have kids? The answer is yes. Consider some of the following suggestions:

Be realistic about your expectations. In your pre-baby life, you may have gone for drinks every Friday night or went on marathon shopping trips. But now your time is limited. Don’t expect to spend the same amount of time with your friends as you used to, especially while your child is still a baby.

Respect your friend’s choices. Few things are as annoying as marginalizing your friend’s life if they don’t have kids. If your buddies enjoy hanging out at clubs or doing things you don’t enjoy, don’t belittle their choices.

Make time to connect. Friendships need to be nurtured. Even if you don’t have as much time as you used to, make time to connect. For example, you might not have an entire evening to hang out, but maybe you can catch up over coffee or go for a run together. The bottom line is you want your friends to know they are still important to you.

Don’t always bring your baby: Sure, you love your baby and everyone else should too, right? But sometimes your friends want to visit with you and not your mini-me. Also, while you’re at it, don’t monopolize the conversation talking about every cute thing your baby does. Of course, you want to share your experiences as a mom, just not every minute.

Know when it’s time to let go: There may be instances, where certain friendships are hard to maintain. You may just be in entirely different places, with different interests and priorities. While it might be sad to have a friendship seem to run its course, it may not be for good. Things may change, and your friendship may get renewed if your friend becomes a parent.

Written by MaryAnn DePietro@writerlady34

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.

If your baby was born prematurely, she may have two ages. She will have an ‘actual age’ calculated from the day she was born, but she will also have an ‘adjusted age’ calculated from her due date. This is because babies are supposed to spend around 40 weeks in the womb, preparing for birth. Babies born prematurely sometimes need a little bit of time to catch up on the time they missed in utero.

Why do premature babies have an adjusted age?

Premature babies are not expected to meet milestones at the same time as other babies, this is why an adjusted age is used. If your baby was born 10 weeks early, she wouldn’t be expected to smile at around six weeks like other babies. Six weeks after her birth date, your baby still wouldn’t be passed her due date and so wouldn’t be expected to meet the same milestones as full-term babies born on the same day. Instead, you should expect your daughter to smile for the first time when she is six weeks old according to her adjusted age. That is, around six weeks after your due date.

Premature babies often spend the first few weeks of life trying to catch up. Your baby has been busy working on skills like maintaining her body temperature and breathing on her own. Your baby is likely to catch up with her peers, though how long this takes can vary from baby to baby. Most experts recommend that the adjusted age should be used until your child is around two years old, by then most premature children have caught up with their peers.

Talking to friends and family

You may find it useful to explain the difference between actual and adjusted age to your friends and family. It can be hurtful to hear people comparing your baby to babies born at full-term and questioning why your baby isn’t on the same level developmentally. Simply explain that while babies born at full-term were born with many basic skills, your powerful little baby had to work on all that when she was born. Not only is this incredible, but hopefully it will encourage people to readjust their expectations and gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be born premature.

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.

Many parents wonder if and when they should be offering their babies water. This is especially true if your grandma keeps hinting that your baby is crying because he is thirsty (ignore her, she’s probably wrong). The rules are different for breastfed and formula fed babies, so you’ll need to make sure you’re following the correct advice for your baby.

Should my breastfed baby start drinking water?

Simply put, no. Breast milk consists of over 80% water and provides all of the thirst-quenching water your baby needs throughout the day. Exclusively breastfed babies don’t require additional water, as long as baby is allowed to nurse as needed. But what about on hot days? Fear not, you have very clever boobs. On warm days, your breast milk actually contains more water to prevent your baby from becoming dehydrated. Isn’t your body the most amazing and brilliant thing in existence?!

Should my formula fed baby start drinking water?

Formula fed babies don’t need to be offered water during the first six months. During this time, the formula milk will provide enough hydration. However, some people recommend offering sips of water on very hot days, though formula milk should offer all of the hydration your baby needs. In certain circumstances, your doctor may advise you to offer water to a baby who is unwell. If you are unsure whether your baby should be offered water during bouts of illness, speak to your healthcare provider for advice.

When should water become a regular part of my baby’s diet?

At six months, your baby will be starting to experiment with solid foods. Around this time, you may want to offer water in a sippy cup at meals. This will teach your baby how to drink from a cup. Consuming water with solid food may also help to prevent constipation. Your baby will still need to have either breast or formula milk throughout the day.

Should I offer juice?

You may be wondering whether you can swap the water for a fruit cordial or fruit juice, but it’s best not to. These sugary drinks are filled with empty calories and contain sugars that could be harmful to your baby’s teeth. There is no need for babies and small children to drink anything other than water and milk.

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.