Parenting Blog

The life of newborn babies is mostly all about feeding and sleeping. After all, he/she is in the inertia of the long cozy sleep inside the mother’s body. Parents do need to know how much a newborn baby normally sleeps in 24 hours. 

While newborn babies do not follow a set routine for sleep, for most babies, the sleeping time is up to 18 hours daily (in 24 hours). But the sleep is often intermittent and the baby wakes every 2 to 3 hours to be fed. Also, most babies will sleep for 3 to 5 hours maximum at a stretch. Following are some common sleep patterns for newborn babies of varying ages: 

Up to 3 Months

Newborn babies, ranging in age from their natal day up to 3 months, usually take 16 to 18 hours of sleep daily. The sleep is divided into 2-3 hours sessions. Their sleep does not have to do much with night or day and they will sleep almost equally at day as they do at night. The day-night awareness appears in the baby at an age of around 6 to 8 weeks. By the age of 2 to 3 months, a sleep pattern is developed by the child. The parent can then anticipate when the child is going to sleep and how long the sleep is going to continue at a particular time. 

3 to 6 Months

The total daily sleep of the baby at this age is about 14 to 16 hours. It is usually 8 hours of sleep at night and 6 hours at day (divided in three stretches of 2 hours each). The child gets asleep more readily and does not wake in the absence of much disturbance. Some babies at this age may not wake at all during the night. However, most would wake once to be fed. By the age of 6 months, the daytime sleep drops to 2 naps, each lasting about 2 hours. 

6 to 12 Months

During the 6 months to one year, the total daily sleep of a baby is 12 to 14 hours. Most babies take a daily nap of about 2 to 3 hours each. A 6 month sold baby is able to sleep well through the night, without waking at all. But many kids do wake once. Before the baby’s first birthday, a long stretch of sleep (about 11 hours or more) is less likely to occur.

There is not a universal answer as to when you should move your precious little one out of the crib into their own bed. Only you will know when you feel is the right time. Most little ones make this transition between 18 months and three years old. However, there are quite a few circumstances that may be pushing you in that direction.

One may be that there is a new baby on the way who will be needing to use the crib. If this is the case try not to kick your toddler out of the crib too suddenly. You don’t want them to feel that they are being set aside or forced out of the way for their new brother or sister. Gradually work on the transition and allow plenty of time to do so. This means don’t wait until Mom is in labor to do it! Give yourself at least a few months so your toddler will have time to adjust and won’t feel second best to the new baby.

If they are beginning to climb out of their crib, it may be time to start mapping out your plans for their transition. Safety can become an important factor at this stage. If the rails on the crib are meeting up mid-way to high on their chest, they should be moving to their own bed more than likely. Climbing out becomes increasingly easier and will increase the risk of injury at this point.

If your little toddler is potty training or has already been basically potty trained, it only makes sense for them to be sleeping in a bed. They will need the freedom to get in and out of bed when they need to so they can go use the potty.

Once you have decided that it is time for the big occasion, remember that you will need to have a big pool of understanding. There are several ways to try to get your little one excited about the change.

Talk about the big change well in advance of actually implementing it. Try to get a sense of excitement built up around the occasion. If your little one has a favorite cartoon or such, you may try sprucing up the new bed with sheets and pillows of that character. Take your toddler shopping with you and let them see all of the wonderful, new choices they have now that they will be sleeping in a real bed. Let them help you pick out what will go on the bed.

If you can, you may want to place the bed in the exact same place that the crib was at. This will allow your little one to keep a feeling of security. They will be in the same surroundings, and have the same views.

You can even try just using a mattress on the floor. Toddler beds normally have the same size mattress so you can even begin the transition by using the crib mattress on the floor. Once they are accustomed to this, and then transfer the mattress into a toddler bed frame.

The transition out of the crib is a milestone and can be a delightful experience. Just make sure that your toddler is ready and carry around lots of patience and understanding in your pocket!

One of the most common ailments of babies today is the infamous ear infection. In fact, the National Institute of Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) says that three out of four children will suffer from one by the time they are three years old.

It is worrisome when you think there may be something wrong with you baby because they can’t tell you directly. However, there are normally small signs that something is wrong. If your baby is not eating, or doesn’t seem to be sleeping as well as they normally do it should draw your attention. With an ear infection there is commonly a fever, but not always.

Your baby may pull at their ears when they have an ear infection. However, since some babies pull on their ears anyways (out of fascination, boredom?), it does not necessarily mean there is an infection.

There can be a foul smell coming from the ear in some cases. There isn’t a specific method to determining if they have an ear infection, though, without seeing your doctor.

There are a few things you can do to try preventing, or at least reduce the risk of your little one getting an ear infection. From the start, the best thing is to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months if at all possible. Research has shown again and again that breastfed babies will suffer from a significantly less number of ear infections than those who are not.

Of course, being around a multitude of people day in, day out, and in close quarters always runs a small risk. Whatever is in the air, and anything they come into contact with is a potential threat. Therefore, the more time they spend in daycare, the more time they spend exposed to possible risks.

It’s almost common sense, but another way of greatly reducing the risk of ear infection in your baby is to not smoke around them. Likewise, don’t let them spend time around smokers. The secondhand smoke is a great risk to them for causing ear infections, among many other things.

Keep your baby up to date on their vaccines. Some of the illnesses that are prevented through these can also cause an ear infection. Ensuring they do not get one of these will be that much more risk that you have removed.

An ear infection does not seem like that big of a deal, and normally it is a simple thing to treat. However, you should know that in rare cases they can be very dangerous. A sever infection can rupture the eardrum. Although they normally heal very quickly and easily, you should follow you’re your doctor’s orders closely.

Repeated ear infections can lead to a loss in hearing, and scarring inside the ear.

Ear infections are probably going to be something you will deal with at one point of time with your baby. They can be painful for your little one, so pay attention to their cues. If you start to notice any of the little signs, call and make an appointment with your doctor for a check up. If it is an ear infection, it will likely be over with soon. You and your little one will be back to laughing, snuggling, and playing all day long before you know it.

When your child starts walking and exploring the house, you have reason to rejoice. At the same time, you must be conscious of the need for greater care for your young one. Children in their first couple of years of walking are particularly prone to domestic accidents including burning. Surveys show that approximately 45, 000 children under the age of 5 years are burnt in accidents in homes. Pediatricians have found the following two facts relating burning accidents among young children:

• Most accidents happen in kitchen and bathroom and the most serious injuries are caused by hot bath, boiling water, and cups of hot drinks.
• The most common burns are imparted by hot irons, cookers, oven doors, and heaters.

What You Do if Your Child Gets a Burn

If your child gets a minor burn or scald (affecting only a finger or a hand) by accident, follow the following steps before taking him to a physician:

• Plunge the burnt area into cool water or run cool water over it for 15 minutes.
• Don’t apply any cream or lotion to the burn.
• If a blister develops over the scald, don’t pop it. Blisters protect against infection.
• Cover with clingfilm or a clean plastic bag.
• Take your child to a doctor.

If the burn is Extensive or Severe, covering more area of the body, follow these guidelines:

• If the burn is the cause of an electric shock, immediately switch off the household current.
• Pour cool water on the burnt area for 15 minutes.
• Bare the area of any clothing but remember not to pull any fabric sticking to the skin; doing so may tear the skin. Cut around the sticking fabric and continue to cool with water.
• Do not apply any cream or lotion.
• Cover with a clean dressing.
• Check your child for signs of breathing difficulty and call the emergency service if any signs of shock or danger can be seen.

In case your child gets fire by accident, be quick in taking action. Stop his/her running around, drop her to the floor, and roll her in a coat or blankets. Remember not to remove her clothes. Seek immediate medical attention.

Caring moms are always concerned about their child’s safety and do a lot of useful things to ensure that their children stay out of danger inside and outside home. While it is important to provide safety in places like kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, stairs, and classrooms etc., clothing the child also has some points that ensure greater safety and minimum chances of accidents. Following are some guidelines for safety measures in your child’s clothing.

• Select flame-retardant fabrics that, if ignited by accident, don’t burn quickly. These fabrics provide greater time for rescuing the child in case of an accidental fire.
• See that the pants your child wears fit well and don’t interfere with his/her movement. Too loose, long, or tight pants may trip the child.
• Shoes with laces frequently cause the child to fall. Select shoes with non-slip soles and without laces.
• Garments with decorative trims and buttons are not advisable for children’s wearing because these items may be pulled off and swallowed by little kids.
• Don’t form large hoods that may block the child’s vision.
• Long and loose strings, skirts, and scarves are not safe for daily use of children. They can get caught on play equipment and hence are good only for some stage play in a school function or family party.