Babies

How to Get Started with Cloth Diapers

By Guest Blogger, April from Mama on a Green Mission

When you think of cloth diapers, do you think of the plain foldable diapers that are closed with diaper pins? Those were the diapers of years ago! The cloth diapering world of today has actually become very hip and versatile. There is a type of cloth diaper for pretty much anyone!

I want to give a brief description of some of the most common types of cloth diapers on the market today, and then explain exactly how you can get started using cloth diapers.

Types of Cloth Diapers

First, we do have the flats or prefolds which are the closest to the cloth diapers of years ago. These diapers are rectangular shaped diapers (think dish towel) and can be laid in a waterproof cover to prevent leaking and then put on a baby like a disposable diaper. The covers come in various colors and prints. Many people love this option and find it to be the most economical. (Photo of Flats or Prefold Cloth Diapers above.) [Read more…]

10 Surprising Facts about Having a Baby

by DP Nguyen 6 Comments

Having a baby is an exciting and joyous event in any woman’s life, but people don’t always tell you everything that having a baby entails.

What No One Tells You about Having a Baby

Here are 10 surprising facts about having a baby.

1. You’ll still look pregnant for several months after you give birth. Even if you were a marathon-running, obsessive exercising machine before you got pregnant, it’s going to take some time before your uterus shrinks back to normal. You will still look six or seven months pregnant right after you have a baby. Try not to snap at strangers who ask you, “So when are you due?”

For a majority of women, it takes them at least a year before they return to their pre-pregnancy size. Some women never go back to their original weight. (Don’t be misled by the supermodels who look amazingly fit within two months of giving birth. They probably starved and exercised like crazy to regain their shape; all while nannies and other people took care of their kids.)
[Read more…] about 10 Surprising Facts about Having a Baby

Mom’s Guide to Finance: 10 Ways to Save Money on Baby

by DP Nguyen 6 Comments

Having a baby is expensive. That’s a given.

In fact, in a BabyCenter exclusively survey, which interviewed over 3,000 women, over 42 percent of these women said they expected to spend $10,000 or more in the first year of raising their baby. Obviously, there are many factors that play into the total cost of raising a baby – including where you live, what year your baby will be born, your annual income, the type of household you’re in, and etc.

$10,000 is a huge chunk of change to spend for raising a baby for one year. That’s 365 days. And roughly $27 a day spent on your baby. Crazy, huh?

However, if you’re smart about financially planning, there are easy ways to save hundreds – maybe even thousands of dollars on your baby. [Read more…] about Mom’s Guide to Finance: 10 Ways to Save Money on Baby

Baby Wearing Safety – Tips to Keep Your Baby Safe

by DP Nguyen 8 Comments

Baby wearing has gotten a bad rep in recent years, due to all the baby sling recalls and infant suffocation cases. This shouldn’t deter you from baby wearing, though.

In many of these cases, parents were not wearing their baby correctly and not reading the sling instructions. Baby wearing is safe when it’s properly done and you keep safety in mind. (Remember that mothers have been wearing their babies for centuries.)

It is sad when baby sling manufacturers have to give common sense warnings. Here are a few of my favorites:

“Do not wear your baby in a moving vehicle. Slings are not approved safety seats.”
“Use caution around equipment.”
“Fabric is not flame resistant. Do not wear the sling near open flames . . . Never wear your baby while carrying a hot beverage.”
“Do not bend over while your baby is in the sling, as baby could fall out.”
“Never bike or engage in vigorous activity with baby in the sling.”

The world must be full of parents without common sense with a baby sling company has to print warnings like these. [Read more…] about Baby Wearing Safety – Tips to Keep Your Baby Safe

How to Get Babies to Nap: Methods for Success

by DP Nguyen 15 Comments

All babies need regular naps. Napping during the day helps babies get the rest that they need for healthy growth and development. How much sleep a baby needs depends on his age.

Newborn babies generally sleep between 16 and 20 hours a day, which is divided between day and night. Until your infant’s weight gain is established, you should wake him up every 3 to 4 hours to nurse or feed. After that, it’s acceptable to allow your baby to sleep for longer periods of time. However, you shouldn’t expect to your newborn to sleep through the night. Babies do get hungry.

Once your baby reaches six months old, he will have a more predictable pattern of sleep. A six-month-old baby generally requires two or three naps during the day, and he may sleep for 9 to 11 hours at night. A typical nap schedule for babies between 6 and 9 months old includes a nap in the morning, one in the early afternoon, and a third nap in the early evening.

When your baby reaches 9 and 12 months old, he only needs two solid naps each day – once in the morning, and once in the afternoon.

Though napping is a healthy part of development, getting babies to nap can be frustrating to say the least. So how can you get your baby to nap? What are some methods of success? [Read more…] about How to Get Babies to Nap: Methods for Success

Breastfeeding Mom Shares Her Personal Journey

by Guest Writer 9 Comments

By Guest Blogger, Hannah from It’s Your Journey.

I was told I was a breast fed baby. My mother never had the opportunity to share her story with me. She had passed on when I was ten. Maybe that was why breastfeeding was more of an instinct rather than desire for me. I had every intention of supplementing my breast milk, because that way I was giving my babe the best of both worlds, as I was convinced to believe.

However it began, my intention to supplement my breast milk stopped cold the moment my firstborn daughter was born. I knew I would NEVER give her the stuff. From that point on, I would go on to breastfeed every child exclusively and extensively and I have seven children in all.