Misc
Babythings4u.co.uk, helping inform you to make the right decisions

Summer is here, so now is the perfect time to introduce your baby to the fun of swimming. Here are 5 top reasons why you should get swimming!

1. Swimming is a great way to exercise for you and your baby. Water is supportive, so your baby can do lots more things in the water than on land.

2. Regular swimming from a young age means your child is more likely to be a strong, and confident swimmer later on…which can be a life-saving skill.

3. Even very young babies can start swimming and be introduced to water. Special swimming nappies are available now in extra small, for babies under 6 months (Huggies).

4. By swimming you could support a good cause. Tommy’s the baby charity’s Splashathon, for under 5’s runs during the summer. All your tot has to do is splash a width/length of your local pool. Money raised funds research into the causes of miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth. Visit Tommy’s.org for more details.

5. Swiming is a great social activity, you and your tot could meet lots of new friends! Why not contact your local pool to see if they offer a mother and baby swimming class.

Get Swimming!

Choosing a name for a baby has to be one of the most difficult choices to make.  There are are so many names in books and on websites to choose from, there are all sorts of weird and wonderful ones,  where do you start?

1.  My advice would be to first of all think about the style of name you prefer.  Think to youself ‘Do i like traditional names?, or do i want something modern?’.  Let this be your starting point from which to move foward. Remember that if you want to go for a name that is more unconventional, you can always give your child a more traditional middle name incase they want to change it when they are older.

2.  Make some time to spend with your partner to discuss some names.  Start by making a shortlist of your top ten names, maybe you and your partner could make your own seperate lists to start with, to see if you come up with anything different names that you both like.

3.  Once you have your top ten list, try saying the possible names outloud to your partner (and them saying it to you), and saying the fullname, including your surname.  You might find that by saying the full name, that this might confirm names that you do and don’t like, allowing you to cross some off you list.

4.  Try to reduce your top ten list to five names (it should be getting easier at this stage).  If you keep saying the names to you partner and vice versa, everntually i think you will both find the one that is right.  Make sure when you are saying the names to each other, that they are easy to pronounce, remember, a middle name can give your child’s whole name a completely different rhythm.

5.  Take alook on the internet for baby name websites, and there are lots of books in the shops you can flick through too.  Gather together a variety of books, and start reading through them.  Get a highlighter pen to mark ones that stand out to you as you read.

6.  Don’t let other peoples likes or dislikes on names sway your opinion, it doesn’t matter if your Aunty doesnt like a certain name….it is up to you.

7.  You can always get inspiration for modern or unusual names from the latest fashion and celebrity magazines!

Hello Reader(s),

Have you ever seen a picture like the following on the internet and wonders how you get them / make them ?

                lllllll_______
             _,_  llllllllllll
___         /     llllllllllll
          | @ @ |  llllllllllll
    -----oOO---Ooo-------------/
     lllllllllllllllllllllllll/
      lllllllllllllllllllllll/
       lllllllllllllllllllll/
            //            \
           ||             ||
           OO             OO

Well today a friend pointed me to: http://chris.com/ascii/.
This is an excellent ASCII art website, and here you can also find the Baby ASCII Art.
Although its not the most pretty or usable art. Quite cool to see the high quality pieces that can be made.

I have found this pushchair to be fantastic.

It is reasonably priced, and very practical.

It folds down with just one hand (which is so important for mums)!

The system comes with a carseat, which is suitable for 0 to 13kg in weight.

The pushchair is suitable for a child up to 3 years old, so it means you will get alot of use out of it. It is lightweight (so no struggling to lift it into the car), the seat has a washable cover and so is easy to keep clean. It has a basket which is a good size for putting shopping in, or extra bits and pieces for your child. As for maneuverability, it has front swivel autolock wheels, and is very easy for whizzing around town, it fits through most doorways with ease.
Overall it is great value for money, for a good quality and practical pushchair. The Butterscotch colour is particularly stylish. I would give this pushchair 8/10.

Dimensions are as follows:Open – (L)100 x (W)53 x (H)103 cm

Folded – (L)45 x (W)40 x (H)99 cm

Wheels – 19 cm

Seat width – 30 cm

Seat height – 40 cm

Handle height – 103 cm

Weight 8.9kg

Stage 3

As solid food becomes a large part of your baby’s diet, it’s important to offer a range of different foods. This is to provide your baby with all the vitamins and minerals he or she needs. Your baby should still be having a minimum of 500-600ml of breast or formula milk a day.

Try to give two to three servings a day of starchy foods such as potatoes, yams, rice or bread. Fruit and vegetables make good finger foods and should be included at two or more meals each day. Your baby should have one serving of soft cooked meat, fish, egg, tofu or pulses such as beans or lentils (dahl) a day. Red meat such as beef, lamb and pork is an excellent source of iron. Eggs (well cooked) are a quick, nutritious and cheap source of protein.

As babies continue to develop, foods with a thicker consistency and a lumpier texture can be introduced to encourage them to learn to chew and manage small pieces of food, even if they don’t have teeth yet. Give finger foods such as toast, bread, breadsticks, pitta bread or chapatti, peeled apple, banana, carrot sticks, or cubes of cheese. Avoid sweet biscuits and rusks, so that your baby doesn’t get into the habit of expecting sweet snacks.

Always stay near your baby during feeding to give encouragement and to make sure he or she doesn’t choke.

Stage 4

As your baby becomes increasingly used to eating solid foods, he or she should be learning to fit in with the family by eating three minced or chopped meals a day, plus breast or formula milk as the main drink (around 500 - 600ml a day). Give your baby fruit or other healthy snacks between meals.

If your baby is on the move, (he or she may have started crawling), you may need to increase the amount of food you give. Babies have small stomachs and they need energy to grow, so make sure you give them full-fat dairy products. Cutting back on fat is sensible for adults, but not for babies or young children.

Give three to four servings a day of starchy foods and of fruit and vegetables. Don’t encourage a sweet tooth by giving biscuits and cakes to your baby, because these foods will fill your baby up without providing the right nutrients.

If you have decided not to give your baby meat or fish
Make sure you give two servings a day of pulses (such as red lentils, beans or chickpeas), or tofu to make sure they get all the energy and nutrients they need. The vitamin C in fruit and vegetables helps our bodies absorb iron, so remember to give your baby fruit and vegetables at mealtimes.

Stage 2

Feeds will still be mainly breast or formula milk (around 500-600ml a day). But when you’re both ready, you can start very gradually increasing the amount of solid food you give, either before, during, or after the milk feed. Try to react to your baby’s appetite, so if he or she is still hungry, you can give a little more.

At the same time, you can move gradually from solid food at one feed in the day to solid food at two, and then three feeds.

You can give your baby full-fat cows’ milk products, such as yoghurt or cheese sauce as a solid food.

Try to give cereals to your baby just once a day. Begin to add different foods and different tastes. You’ll be able to use lots of the foods you already cook for yourself. Just mash, sieve, or purée a small amount, but remember, don’t add salt, honey or sugar.

Using your own food is cheaper than buying baby foods, you’ll know what the ingredients are, and your baby will get used to eating like the rest of the family. Preparing larger quantities than you need and freezing small portions for later, for example in an ice cube tray, can save you time and effort.

More first foods to try
Add to the vegetable, fruit and cereal purées other foods such as:

• Purées of meat and poultry
• Purées of pulses such as lentils (dahl), hummus
• Full-fat milk products such as yoghurt or fromage frais - unless you’ve been advised otherwise by your health visitor or GP
• Full-fat milk can also be used for cooking, for example in cheese sauce, but avoid giving it to your baby as a drink until after he or she is a year old

Stage 1

When you start giving your baby solid foods, mix a teaspoon of one of the following with your baby’s usual milk (breast or formula):

• smooth vegetable purée such as carrot, parsnip, potato or yam, or
• fruit purée such as banana, cooked apple, pear or mango, or
• cereal (not wheat-based) such as baby rice, sago, maize, cornmeal or millet.

Offer this to your baby before or after one of your usual milk feeds, or in the middle of a feed, if that works better. If the food is hot, make sure you stir and cool it and test it before giving it to your baby.

Most babies take time to learn how to take food from a spoon. So be patient and be prepared for some mess. Your baby may cry at first between mouthfuls - until now, food has come in one continuous stream, but now there are frustrating pauses.

Don’t press the food on your baby. If the food really doesn’t seem to be wanted, stop and wait until next time. The main aim at this stage is to get your baby used to the idea of taking food from a spoon. He or she will still be getting most of their nourishment from breast or formula milk (around 500-600ml a day).

Starting on solid foods

When to start From six months old, you can gradually increase the amount of solid foods you give your baby so that by twelve months, solid foods become the main part of your baby’s diet, with breast or formula milk making up the balance. Remember that cows’ milk isn’t suitable as a drink for babies under a year old.

By giving your baby solid foods you will be introducing them gradually to a wide range of non-milk foods. So, by a year old, they will be eating a varied diet.  But remember that all babies are different. Some start solid foods earlier, some later. Some take to it quickly and some take longer. Some are choosy, others seem to like everything.

Here are some suggestions to make this process easier and safer:

• Go at your baby’s pace. Allow plenty of time for feeding, particularly at first. Your baby needs to learn to move solid food from the front of the tongue to the back, to swallow it. The food is going to taste and feel different - so it’s bound to take time.
• Spoon out the amount you think your baby will eat and heat this, rather than heating a large amount that then goes to waste. This is because you’ll need to throw away any of the heated food that your baby doesn’t eat, as it’s not safe to reheat previously warmed food. It’s important to heat food thoroughly and allow it to cool, stir well and test, before offering it to your baby. Also, don’t refreeze any food that’s been warmed or previously frozen. And remember that everything you use for feeding your baby needs to be really clean.
• Always stay nearby when your baby is eating to make sure that he or she doesn’t choke.
• Don’t rush or ‘force feed’. Most babies know when they’ve had enough to eat. Don’t spend a lot of time persuading your baby to take food - they soon learn that refusing food is a good way of getting attention.
• Ideally, choose a time of day when both you and your baby are relaxed.
• Encourage your baby to help with feeding. When your baby shows an interest in feeding him or herself, this is a good sign. So encourage this by giving your baby the spoon, while you try to spoon in most of the meal with another spoon. It will be messy at first, but try not to worry about it.
• Offer a wide variety of foods that you and your family usually eat, as this might help avoid choosiness later on. Avoid giving your baby any eggs, or salty, sugary or processed foods that haven’t been specifically designed for babies (see What foods should be avoided? below). Aim to encourage your baby to eat a variety of family foods and adapt to your pattern of eating.
• Use mashed-up family food when you can. This way, you’ll know what the ingredients are and you’ll be getting your baby used to eating what you eat. Commercial baby foods can be useful but don’t let them replace family foods altogether.

Remember, cows’ milk isn’t suitable as a drink for babies under a year old.

Baby-Bouquets hand-make unique gift baskets of babywear with silk flowers and leaves for new mothers and babies making an excellent gift as they not only look like a beautiful basket of flowers for the proud mum, but also provide a practical gift of good quality clothes for the adorable baby, and, unlike fresh flowers, they last!

I think they are a perfect gift to welcome a beautiful new baby. The Teddy Bouquet in particular is gorgeous, comprising of a hand-made soft teddy designed by Keel Toys. It is surface washable and fully conforms to European safety standards. The small teddy’s bouquet contains 3 pairs of socks, silk flowers and leaves and the large teddy’s bouquet is made up with 1 bib, 4 pairs of socks, silk flowers and leaves.

You can view more Baby-Bouquets at www.baby-bouquets.co.uk

Crawling helps your baby strengthen her muscles enough to walk and is her first way of getting around efficiently on her own. In the traditional crawl, she’ll first learn to balance on her hands and knees. Then she’ll figure out how to move forward and backward from this posture by pushing off with her knees.
Most babies learn to crawl between six and 10 months. But some children never crawl, instead opting for bottom shuffling, slithering on their stomach, or moving directly to pulling up, standing, and walking. It’s getting mobile that’s important, no matter how your baby does it.  Crawling typically comes after a baby is able to sit well without support, which most children can do by the time they’re six or seven months old. After this point, she can hold her head up to look around, and her arm, leg, and back muscles are strong enough to keep her from falling on the floor when she gets on her hands and knees.  Over the next couple of months, your baby gradually learns to move confidently from a sitting position to being on all fours, and she soon realizes she can rock back and forth when she’s got her limbs straight and her body parallel to the floor.

Somewhere around nine or 10 months, she’ll figure out that pushing off with her knees gives her just the boost she needs to get mobile. As she gains proficiency, she’ll learn to go from a crawling position back into a sitting position. She’ll also master the advanced technique of cross-crawling: moving one arm and the opposite leg together when she moves forward, rather than using an arm and a leg from the same side. After that, it’s just a matter of practice making perfect — look for her to be a really competent crawler by the time she’s a year old.

If your baby crawls backward, is a bottom shuffler (scoots around on her posterior using a hand behind her and a foot in front of her to propel herself), or skips the crawling stage in favour of walking, don’t worry. As long as she’s getting mobile — no matter how she does it — she’s fine.

Whats next?

After your baby has mastered crawling, the only thing standing between her and complete mobility is learning to walk. To that end, she’ll soon begin pulling herself up on everything she can reach, whether it’s the coffee table or grandma’s leg. Once she gets the feel of balancing on her legs, she’ll be ready to stand on her own and cruise while holding onto furniture, and then it’s just a matter of time till she’s walking, running, jumping, and leaping.

Your Role

As with skills such as reaching and grabbing, the best way to encourage crawling is to place toys and other desirable objects — even yourself — just beyond your baby’s reach. You can also use pillows, boxes, and sofa cushions to create obstacle courses for her to negotiate. This will help improve her confidence, speed, and agility. Just don’t leave her alone — if she gets stuck under a pillow or box, she’ll surely be frightened and may be in danger of smothering.

A crawling baby can get into a lot of mischief. Make sure your house is childproofed, and put a special emphasis on stairway gates. Your baby will be drawn to stairs like an explorer to Mount Everest, but they can be dangerous, so keep them off-limits until your baby has really mastered this skill (usually at about 12 months) — and even then, supervise her expeditions.

You don’t have to invest in shoes just yet. Your baby won’t need to wear footwear regularly until she’s mastered walking.