gr8-apartments.com

Babies are God’s way of letting us know that life is beautiful. They may seek constant attention yet are one of the most adorable creations. Ever wondered what it takes to keep a baby from crying? An introduction to baby care and baby products may prove to be useful.

Today, the market is profuse with baby products ranging from diapers, to baby soaps, baby oil and baby shampoo. There are a few renowned brands catering to the ever increasing demands of a growing baby. Baby products may be classified as follows:

Baby skin care:
The tender and delicate skin of babies needs extra attention. Baby skin care is therefore a pivotal part of grooming. Babies require mild creams and appropriate baby lotion that would keep the skin supple and moisturized. Bathing time is almost the most taxing as babies need extra attention and care. Baby products that aid in a lavish bath include exclusive baby soaps, baby shampoo, baby powder and moisturizing creams, ideally suited for an incredibly smooth skin.

Baby hair care:
Baby products for hair comprise shampoos and baby hair oil. There are several brands available in the market today which pay extra attention to formulae that is gentle on the hair and eyes. Baby oil is lightly perfumed and mild on the scalp while shampoos are lathery baby products. Despite this, care has been taken to make it light on the baby’s hair, eyes and scalp.

Accessories – significant baby products:
There are a few accessories which are indispensable to baby care especially during the different stages of growth. A few of them are explored below:

Baby bedding:
Bedding materials for a baby include baby blankets, baby fix pillow set and baby sleeping bag. They provide a cozy space for the baby and aid in an undisturbed slumber.

Baby carrier:
Baby carrier is useful when you consider taking the baby for an outing. They can be sometimes tied around your waist or hung around the shoulder.

Bouncer:
A bouncer is the safest baby care item during the little one’s early days. They are comfortable and keep the baby amused. Bouncers may be of two types namely battery operated and manual. The battery operated ones are expensive yet keep the baby happy with vibrations while the manual ones use the baby’s body weight to provide gentle rocking. You may choose the one, ideally suited for your baby.

Baby diapers:
An integral part of a baby’s life is diapers so much so that they almost delineate baby care and baby products. The types of diapers vary with the age of the little one and are classified as diapers for newborns, babies and toddlers. They were initially very expensive; but with the influx of myriad brands in the market; competitive pricing is inevitable. Soft and cottony baby diapers which are not too thick are ideal to keep your baby comfortable.

Besides the above mentioned products, there are quite a few aspects to baby grooming. You may choose from the array of baby products depending on what is idyllically suited for your little one.

Shopping online for baby products is an ideal option. Decide on what your baby needs and log in to get started. This is, by far, the easiest shopping option as the product display is wide; enhanced with informative description on each of the baby products.

Choosing the baby products cautiously and making the most of the options available will minimize the time and energy consumed in silencing a crying baby.

Gifts to India – Infibeam.com is an exciting new online destination and community that focuses on selling latest Mobiles, Books, Cameras, Apparels, Jewellery and Send Baby Care Products to India at guaranteed lowest price.

As a result of the “green living” movement, Low or Zero VOC paints are becoming more mainstream. If you’re gearing up to paint your baby’s nursery, here’s what you should know about these new paint alternatives.

Traditional Paints
If you’ve ever painted a room in the past with traditional paint, you probably had to open the windows because of the strong odor. Traditional paints contain volatile organic compounds also known as VOCs. VOCs are comprised of a variety of chemicals that can adversely affect your health. In fact, according to The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), VOCs can trigger eye, nose and throat irritations, headaches, nausea, and a loss of coordination. Significant exposure may even lead to problems with the kidney, liver and central nervous system.

Many people mistakenly believe that once their paint is dry and the smell is gone, the chemicals are too. However VOCs tend to concentrate indoors and may persist in the air long after painting is finished. To decrease this risk, consider choosing a non toxic paint for the nursery and other rooms in your home as well. There are many benefits to using non toxic paints including:

• Easier clean-up with soap and water
• Easier disposal options
• Less odor during application and usually no odor once the paint is dry
• A shorter waiting period to safely occupy the room
• Significant reduction in toxins released into the air

 

Non toxic or Natural Paints
These paints are produced by a variety of manufacturers and come in several options. Many of the paints are now available at mainstream home improvement stores as well as at local specialty paint stores. As with many eco-friendly products, there are no official federal guidelines regarding labeling, so VOC standards may vary by manufacturer. Consult the paint labels or ask your in-store paint specialist for clarification if you have questions. You can also look for paints that have Green Seal certifications.

Types of Non toxic Paints

Low VOC: These paints use water instead of petroleum to carry the paint. To be considered Low VOC, a paint may only contain 250 grams of VOC per liter. Likewise, varnishes are limited to 380 grams of VOC per liter. However, many reputable paint companies offer paints with even lower VOC levels. Look for Green Seal Certifications.

Zero VOC: These paints still contain VOCs but are limited to less than 5 grams of VOC per liter.

Natural Paints: These safe paints are made solely from natural ingredients, including substances like water, clay, chalk, plant dyes, natural latex and even milk and beeswax. You can search for natural paints online.

Decorating a baby nursery can be a loving way to prepare for your newborn’s arrival. If your plans involve painting the walls, choosing non toxic or natural paints is great way to reduce potential household toxins and give your precious baby the gift of healthy indoor air.

The baby shower games played at a baby shower are usually one of the most memorable experiences during the pre-baby events. However, to ensure the baby shower games are successful there should be some thoughtful baby shower party planning, All About Baby Showers. Before starting the baby shower games, it’s a good idea to go around the room and have everyone introduce themselves and their relationship to the Mommy-to-Be.

Here are some of the more popular baby shower games you can play during the baby shower:

Guess Mommy-to-Be’s Tummy Size: You will need some string / yarn and scissors for this game. Have each participant pull the yarn to the size they believe would fit perfectly around the Mommy-to-Be’s center of her pregnant tummy. After everyone cuts their string, compare the results to the Mommy-to-Be’s actual tummy. Give a prize to the guest who is the closest! This baby shower game is an ole favorite and will be enjoyed by all.

Say “Baby”: You will need baby safety pins or another type of baby object you can place on a string for each guests at the baby shower as well as string or yarn, enough for each woman to wear as a necklace. Have each guest place the necklace with the baby safety pins around her neck when she gets to the party. The rules for this baby shower game are given at the beginning of the baby shower. Whenever someone says the word “baby” during the baby shower, any woman who calls it out gets a pin from the other woman who stated the word. At the end of the baby shower, the woman with the most pins wins a prize.

Naming Baby Items: You will need a pad of paper and pen for each guest. Have each guest write down as many baby products as they can name, such as bottle, blanket, pacifier, etc during a five minute period. This sounds easy, and IS at first, but during last few minutes, the participants will start racking their brains for more baby items. The guest with the most baby products named will win and receive a prize.

Make The Mommy-to-Be’s Baby: You will need baby magazines, scissors, glue and paper. Divide the guests into teams with each team having three members, and give each team some baby magazines. Ask each team to cut out pieces of different baby qualities and put together a picture of what they think the Mommy-to-Be’s baby will look like. Ask the Mommy-to-Be pick the baby she likes the best. Prizes will go to the winning team. This is another of the most popular baby shower games.

Guess The Gerber’s: You will need Gerber’s infant food, pads of paper and pens. You will need to take the labels off of the baby food jars and have the guests at the baby shower guess the food, i.e. carrots, peas, sweet potato. This game usually has ten different jars or more of different baby food. The winner is the guest with the most correct guesses.

Guess the Number of Safety Pins: You will need a lot of safety pins and a jar. Pass a jar full of baby safety pins around so all the guests can view it. Each guess will then guess the number of safety pins they think are in the jar. The one who guesses the closest wins a baby shower prize. This another baby shower game favorite.

Place The Baby On The Mommy-to-Be: You will need cutouts of a baby, tape and blindfolds. This is a version of Pin The Tail on the Donkey, a game kids love to play. Blindfold each guests and give them a paper baby to place the baby as close to the Mommy-to-Be’s tummy as possible. The one who gets closest to placing the paper baby on the pregnant tummy wins.

Bottle Races: You will need several baby bottles with milk. Have each guest take a bottle filled with a milk (you may substitute milk for another liquid) and suck the bottle as a baby would. The woman who drinks the most during an allotted time wins the baby shower gift. This is always a laughter filled baby shower game.

Baby Bingo: You will need pens and bingo cards. Before opening the baby shower gifts, number each baby shower gift on the box starting with one. If you know that 35 people will be attending the baby shower, pre-print bingo cards with numbers 1 through 35 and randomly place them on 35 cards. When the Mommy-to-Be’s decides to open the presents, she grabs the present she wants to open and reads the number out loud. As soon as someone receives bingo, they win the baby shower game and the baby shower prize.

What’s the baby item: You will need various baby products and a blindfold. A bag of baby items are placed in front of the Mommy-to-Be for her to take one item out at a time blindfolded and tell the baby shower guests what item she has in her hands. This is really fun baby shower game when you choose some crazy baby toys or products.

Complete the Baby Rhyme: You will need a book containing baby rhymes. The host will read out loud to all the guest a part of the rhyme, which is to be completed by the other women.

Baby Bingo: You will need pens and bingo cards. Before opening the baby shower gifts, number each baby shower gift on the box starting with one. If you know that 35 people will be attending the baby shower, pre-print bingo cards with numbers 1 through 35 and randomly place them on 35 cards. When the Mommy-to-Be’s decides to open the presents, she grabs the present she wants to open and reads the number out loud. As soon as someone receives bingo, they win the baby shower game and the baby shower prize.

How’s the Baby: Ask all guests to bring a baby picture of themselves before the baby shower. Have all the pictures in a collage and draw lines for people to fill in who they think the babies are out of the people at the baby shower. If most guests don’t know each other, just have the pictures of the mother, mother-in-law, sisters, and Mommy-to-Be. See how many people guess right. You can make copies of the baby picture collage to see how many can guess right.

Baby Scrambler: Another fun baby shower game is to choose 25 baby related items and scramble the spelling. For instance, pacifier can be changed to reiifpca. Ask the guests to unscramble the words. The one who gets the most right in five minutes receives a baby shower prize.

Name that Baby Song: You will need a pad of paper and pen for each guest. Have each guest write down all the songs that have baby in their titles, like baby love, Santa baby, one for my baby and so on. Allow five minutes for this game. This baby shower game can be made more difficult by asking who also wrote the songs.

Dirty Diaper Circle: You will need a diaper, chocolate and music player. Although one of our “dirtiest” baby shower games, it is one of the favorites. The host takes a diaper that has been “fixed” with warm chocolate in the right place and have the guests pass it to the person next to them is in a circle. When the host stops the music, whoever is holding the diaper is out of the game.

Pacifier in the baby’s mouth: You will need a blindfold, a baby picture and a pacifier drawing for each guest. Tape a picture or drawing of a baby on the wall and have the blindfolded women try to tape the pacifier as close to the mouth of the baby as possible. The one who gets the closest ones.

Blindfold Diapering: You will need a blindfold, baby doll (life size) and diapers. One of the funniest baby shower games. It calls for the guests to be divided into teams of up to five people. Each team has a doll, blindfold and diapers. The object is for each participant to place the blindfold on, take the current diaper off the doll and place the new one on while blindfolded. After the first person completes diapering, they run to the next teammate who places the blindfold on and has to do the same. The first team to finish diapering wins!

Baby Tic-Tac-Toe: You will need a large erasable board to use for the tic-tac-toe board, writing utensil, and baby facts. Baby shower guests are divided into teams and are ask to answer a question about a baby fact. If they get the answer right, they get to choose a space, like the classic tic-tac-toe game.

The baby shower games are a very important part of your baby shower. You want to do everything you can to ensure the baby shower games are enjoyed by all and are a huge success. Here’s some tips for ensuring your baby shower games are successful:

a. Be sure you have writing utensils for everyone

b. Wrap games prizes

c. Make sure to have extra prizes in case of tie games

You can view lot of printable Baby Shower Announcements, Baby Shower Invitations and imprinted Baby Shower Cards, add your personal message, along with your favorite fonts, ink color and then Preview your personalized baby card. This process allows you to see your baby card before you buy!

Types of Baby Showers

After you decide to host a baby shower, one of the first decisions will be the type baby shower you want to give. However, this decision is made somewhat easier based on the purpose of the baby shower. For instance, if it is for new parents adopting an infant, baby or older child, the decision is obvious. Or, if you wanted to invite the guys, then you would want to have a co-ed or couples baby shower. A surprise baby shower might be held when you want to throw the party and surprise the new Mom-to-Be. Other types include sprinkle baby shower, multiple triples and twins baby shower, single mom baby shower and welcome home baby shower. The personalized baby shower invitations you send will depend on the type baby shower you are throwing. Read More About Types of Baby Showers.

Adoption Baby Showers

Adopting a baby is an exciting time in a couple’s life. Whether the new parents are adopting an infant, baby or older child, an adoption baby shower is a great way to introduce the addition to the family. The new parents will still need the basic necessities that any baby or child requires. When planning for an adoption baby shower, ask the new parents what they will need for the baby or child. Since adoptions can bring a certain amount of uncertainty until the baby arrives home with the adoptive parents, it may be best to wait to hold the baby shower until the parents bring their new addition home. Read More About Adoption Baby Showers.

After the new parents have identified some needed items, the personalized adoption baby shower invitations can be sent. These adoption baby shower cards should provide clear communication to the invited guests that it is an adoption baby shower. Given that it is an adoption, every effort should be made to not differentiate a child through adoption versus natural means. Of course identifying on the adoption baby shower invitations that it is an adoption baby shower will help guests know; however, the types of gifts and advice given will not be any different.

Co-ed Baby Showers for the Guys and Girls

Hosting a co-ed baby shower will definitely be a different celebration than a traditional baby shower. Since this will be a co-ed baby shower, you should remember the different types of guests that will be attending when determining the various aspects of the co-ed baby shower, such as the food and activities. Read More About Co-ed Baby Showers for Guys and Girls.

Since it will be a co-ed shower, decorating with less frilly colors, such as pink, (yes, even if it is a girl) will be more guy-friendly. Be sure to include where the expectant parents are registered in the personalized co-ed baby shower invitations cards. There are lots of unique baby shower invitations wordings, verses and sayings for co-ed baby showers invitations on many websites. Having a menu that will appeal to both men and women will be important. Plus if children are invited to attend then serving enticing kid-type food for them will be important.

Couples Baby Showers for the Dad-to-Be and Mom-to-Be and Their Friends

Baby showers were traditionally for the Mom-to-Be. However, times have definitely changed. With fathers taking a more active role in their family, particularly when it comes to planning for their new baby’s arrival, Dads-to-Be have felt left out of the baby shower party celebrations. Thus having a couples baby shower has become more a normal occurrence rather than the exception. The imprinted couples baby shower invitations should clearly indicate that the baby shower is a couples baby shower. Read More About Couples Baby Showers for the Expecting Parents.

The unique couples baby shower invitations should appeal to both the men and women, which will help to bring the men so that the father-to-be will not be the only guy at the baby party. At traditional baby showers, the Mom-to-Be is given something for her, not just the baby. When hosting a couples baby shower, ensure that there is a little something just for the Dad-to-Be, such as a ‘coach’ t-shirt, etc. Baby shower favors can also be given out the guests, but the items should be something that would be appreciated by the couple, such as candles or food items.

When sending affordable couples baby shower invitations, be sure and inform the invited guests that it is for couples – the father-to-be does not want to be the only guy there. Since the Mom-to-Be will need to send baby shower thank you cards after the baby shower, it is a good idea order the baby shower thank you cards at the time the couples baby shower invitations are ordered so they will have the same baby shower theme. There are websites that have sample couples baby shower invitations sayings, verses and wording ideas.

Single Mom Baby Showers

Planning single mom baby showers have lots of possibilities, particularly for selecting a theme for the shower. When choosing a baby theme, ensure that it reflects the expectant mom’s personality. With a single mom baby shower, it is important to remember that she may have some needs that a couple would not need, such as extra help financially or added support from a friend. When planning the shower, get the list of guests who the Mom-to-Be would like to see at the baby shower. The single mom baby shower invitations should definitely reflect the theme that has been chosen.

By offering time or purchasing a gift that will help her with daily tasks is always a good option. Of course, a gift certificate for a massage is always good. Taking pictures of mom and baby together would be something that a single mom would not necessarily think about and is a nice treat. Whatever the theme of the baby shower, the single mom baby shower invitations will set the stage for what the expectant mother will need for her baby.

Sprinkle Baby Showers for the Second, Third, Fourth & Additional Baby

The sprinkle baby shower is usually a smaller scale shower where the guests “sprinkle” the new mom with the little necessities the new baby will need. It is not the same as the traditional shower, but rather sort of like a sprinkling of gifts for the new baby. This clever term has been gaining popularity over the years and is becoming a new trend. A sprinkle baby shower is a great idea for parents-to-be who have other children. Read More About Sprinkle Baby Showers for the Second, Third, Fourth & Additional Baby.

The sprinkle baby shower invitations should indicate that it is a sprinkle baby shower. When planning the sprinkle baby shower, the sprinkle baby shower invitations cards can be fun and theme-oriented, such as a theme around what the needs might be. Regardless of what the sprinkle baby shower is called, ensure that the sprinkle baby shower announcements cards announce the type of celebration that will be held for the parents-to-be for the new life. There are lots of sample sprinkle baby shower invitations wording ideas, wording verses and sayings to help you get your personalized sprinkle baby shower invitations just right.

Surprise Baby Showers for the New Mom-to-Be

Planning a surprise baby shower can be a lot of fun provided that the Mom-to-Be is ‘game’ for surprises. To pull off the surprise baby shower, the hostess will need to enlist the help of others, such as the guest list, ensuring no one who should be invited is omitted, and getting someone to bring the Mom-to-Be to the baby shower party. It is important to remember to include in the personalized surprise baby shower invitations that it is a surprise baby shower. Read More About Surprise Baby Showers.

The invitations for surprise baby shower should indicate that the shower is a surprise. Next, pulling off the surprise will take more than just one person to ensure the secret is kept. The personalized surprise baby shower invitations should clearly state that it is a “surprise baby shower”, so no one will let the ‘cat out of the bag’ before the day of the surprise shower party.

When ordering the custom surprise baby shower announcements, be sure and order the matching baby shower thank you cards for the new Mom-to-Be. There are a few websites with excellent sample baby shower invitations wording ideas, verses and saying for baby invitations and baby thank you cards.

Twins, Triplets & Multiple Baby Showers

Twins, triplets and multiple baby showers are even more exciting and sometimes more stressful to plan than a traditional baby shower. And, you are just the friend or family helping to plan the shower, imagine how Mom and Dad must be feeling Read More About Twins, Triplets and Multiples Baby Showers.

Additionally, whether preparing twins baby shower invitations or triplets baby shower cards, the hostess should include in the shower invitations to all the invited guests of how many expected babies there are. Another thing to include on the twin baby shower invitations is whether the Mom-to-Be would prefer having non-matching outfits. This may be hard to communicate, but it is an important item to find out from her, particularly if the babies are the same gender or identical twins, triplets or multiples.

When purchasing baby shower gifts for multiple babies, it is not necessary to purchase multiples sets of everything. There are plenty of things that can be shared between the babies. Of course, having multiple babies will increase the cost of diapers, wipes, etc. that much more, so those types of gifts are always appreciated. But giving something fun is a nice idea too. Mothers of twins, triplets and multiples will usually forgo the fun, cute items for more practical, everyday items, such as books on rearing twins, triplets or multiple babies. Don’t forget about dad—with so many fathers playing larger roles in their children’s lives, inviting other men might be worthwhile and fun.

Welcome Home Baby Showers for After the Birth of Baby and New Mom and Baby are Home

A welcome home baby shower is a shower that is held after the baby has been born. While this may not be a traditional way of celebrating the impending birth of a child, this is definitely a great way for people to get together who might not have been able to make it to the baby showers given before the baby is born. This is also a fun time for the new parents to introduce the newest member of their family and friends. Read More About Welcome Home Baby Showers.

When planning the welcome home baby shower, sending the personalized welcome home baby shower invitations should be done within four weeks before the date of the welcome home baby shower party. Planning a welcome home baby shower will be a lot simpler than a traditional baby shower as the party will be a lot more relaxed. When planning, don’t forget the welcome home baby shower announcements and matching baby shower thank you cards as this will set the stage for a great party. Also ask the new parents of their preferences for food, date and time of day, as they now have a little one to cater.

Probably one of the hardest adjustments of having a new baby is the lack of sleep that goes hand in hand with your baby needing regular feeds throughout the night. If your baby is hungry it needs to be fed, but there are a few things that can help your baby settle for longer until it is only hunger that will wake him or her in the night. By six months most babies do not need a night time feed if they have fed well during the day and are not ill.

First 9 Months Sleep Advice

• When your baby is newborn, after having 9 months of a nice snug womb and your body noises and motions to settle them, sometimes the adjustment to the outside world can cause more night wakings than is just down to hunger. It is important to remember newborn babies have no concept of time, night or day, so it will take time for them to fall into a pattern. With your help though, it is perfectly possible to have them sleeping through by six months.
• Making sure your baby is ready to sleep first of all is most important. With newborns, as they are so tiny they will mostly drift off to sleep when they are ready but from around 3 months this can change and they may need you to notice the signs of tiredness and help them to settle.

Ready to Sleep Checklist

• Is your baby well fed, clean, dry and winded?
• Is your baby in good health? Illness can either make babies sleep more or make them find it hard to sleep.
• Is your baby tired enough? Some say most newborns up to three months of age find it hard to stay awake more than two hours without becoming overtired and miserable. Some babies yawn, rub their eyes or pull at their ears when they are tired, watch for signs.
• Is your baby too tired? Overtiredness can mean that a baby will find it very hard to settle due to too much stimulation and lack of sleep. A nice dim lit room, a bit of soothing can help your baby to sleep in this case. Trying to catch your baby before he or she becomes overtired will also help.

If your baby is most of these he or she will most likely be ready for a sleep.

• Getting a balance with day time naps can also help your baby to sleep longer. It is generally agreed most babies before 6 months need around 3 naps in a day and will sleep roughly an hour before waking, however all babies are different! If your baby is waking a lot int he night and you dont think it is caused by anything but lack or tiredness have a look at your babies sleep in the day and see if you can help encourage your baby to have less or more at certain times. You can never force a baby though, so if your baby really wont tweak his or her naps, you may have to try again in a few weeks or so.
• Have a think about your babies sleeping place as well to help encourage a more settled sleep. Is the room warm but not too warm? It is recommended a babies sleeping room should be constant between 16-18 degrees. Is the room very light? Some babies may find it hard to settle in a bright room, having the room kept dim can help them settle better and also begin to teach them the difference between night and day as well as teach them that when they go into a dark room it is most likely time for a sleep. Is the room noisy or the surroundings of it? Some babies like to hear noise when sleeping, others can be easily disturbed by it so it could be something to watch for.
• Swaddling is something that can be considered for helping your baby to sleep well. Swaddling is the method of wrapping your baby nice and snug in a blanket, with arms and legs by its sides and only the top of the shoulders and head uncovered. The reason this is believed to work so well with some babies is that it replicates the snug feeling of the womb and also that babies are born with the ‘moro reflex’ (startle reflex) meaning that sometimes when they are drifting off to sleep and their arms and legs begin to go limp, they can get the sensation of falling and suddenly jerk awake. Also any loud noises near by can cause a new baby to fling out its arms and legs in shock and begin to cry. Having your baby swaddled helps control the moro reflex, but it should be understood that not all babies necessarily will like being swaddled. By six months old the moro reflex is minimal or totally gone. Swaddling is really only for the first 3-4 months of a babies life after that, your baby will need to move about a bit and be able to release body heat to prevent over heating.
• If your baby is one who does not like to swaddled, some mums swear by a baby gro bag (baby sleeping bag) that leaves babies arms out and whilst the legs are obviously inside they are not held firm like the swaddle. Being in a baby gro bag has the added benefit that baby will not wriggle out of it and so wake up cold in the night. Be aware though that like duvets there are different thicknesses of gro bags from 0.5 tog being extra light to 3 tog being extra warm. Most gro bags come with instructions regarding this but make sure you have a read before use.
• Having a ‘wind down’ routine can help as well. Although babies below six months are very young to use a routine with, it is possible to have the beginnings of one. Giving your baby a nice lukewarm bath, a baby massage with some oil (even f you dont know how to do this, your baby will love you to just stroke him or her) followed by a breastfeed or a warm bottle of milk in a dim lit room, perhaps even with some low music playing will help your baby realise that when all this is happening, he or she will be in bed soon and be ready to sleep.
• Using aids such as rocking, dummies or feeding to sleep do all help though sometimes your baby can begin to rely on whichever as the only way he or she can settle to sleep, so when your baby wakes in the early hours of the morning, he or she could come to need you to provide whichever aid they are used to sleeping with. If you would like to avoid this, it can help to use rocking or dummy or a feed as a wind down to get your baby sleepy but try to avoid them actually falling alseep whilst in the process. Gently rousing your baby slightly as you settle him or her into bed for the night will help them begin to learn how to settle off to sleep by themselves. If your baby is waking for a feed after 6 months of age and you are certain he or she does not really need to be feeding (talk to health visitor first) then you can begin to dilute down your babies milk to encourage him or her to drop the feed.

10 months to 18 months Sleep Advice

• As your baby gets older, his or her sleeping patterns can change. He or she may need less sleep during the day and become harder to settle.
• Having a set bedtime routine will now be very effective in helping your growing baby understand the signals and become sleepy for bedtime. Again, giving your baby a warm bath, a baby massage with baby oil, and then perhaps going into your babies room and sitting down together, reading a book to your baby, will make for a good bedtime routine. If your baby is old enough, offering a beaker of milk whilst reading will keep your baby calm and settled.
• Some babies like to have a comforter during the long hours of the night. A soft cuddly toy or special comforters such as cuskees bought from mothercare or such places can become your child’s firm friend and help them sleep better. Sleeping with your chosen comforter for a night or two before giving to your child will provide comfort to your child in the fact he or she will be able to smell you from the toy.
• Avoid watching tv too close to bedtime. Most studies conclude babies who watch a lot of tv especially before bed are much more likely to have unsettled sleeps.
• Your child may still be happy to be in a gro bag at this stage, which is totally acceptable and can help gently restrict your babies ability to try to get up and about in the cot. However from12 months of age, it can be a novelty to your baby to introduce a child’s duvet and pillow, especially if you let your child pick his or her own (more around 18 months).
• If you find your baby is waking in the night and the timing is pretty regular, it could be a habit your child has made. To gently break this, there is a method called ‘gradual withdrawl’. This means when your baby cries, you can go in and soothe your baby but without picking your baby up. You can do this perhaps by humming softly or stroking babies forehead. Reassure your baby that you are there. Try to avoid turning bright lights on and talking loudly, keep it nice and quiet and sleepy. After a few minutes, sit by the cot on a chair and keep very softly reassuring your baby that you are there. If your baby is happy to settle knowing you are near by, the following evening if your baby again wakes, this time you can move the chair further away from the cot. Continue moving the chair further away until you are by the door. Once you reach the door you may now find that after a quick reassurance your baby will settle if you leave the room. It can take a few weeks and you should avoid letting your baby become hysterical but being patient, gentle and reassuring and providing there is no other reason for your abby to be waking that for reassurance, he or she should begin to settle soon.