Babies

Colic in Babies: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

Photo Credit: Milan Jurek

Babies cry — quite frequently. Since infants can’t talk yet, crying is their way of communicating when they’re hungry or tired. Sometimes, your baby’s cries are his or her way of indicating that something is wrong. If you’ve tried every soothing technique imaginable and your infant just constantly cries, he or she may actually suffer from colic.

What is Colic?

Colic is a condition that affects some infants’ gastrointestinal system, causing acute abdominal pain, bloating, and intense cramping. It can be some of the most intense pain your child will ever face during their infancy stages—hence the excessive crying.

While it typically affects babies only in their first month of life, it can in fact last up into a year (although this is rare). Colic tends to be worse when babies are between 6 to 8 weeks old, and it usually disappears by the time they’re 14 weeks old. [Read more…] about Colic in Babies: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

Decorating Your Baby’s Nursery

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“Babies are such a nice way to start people.” ~Don Herrold

The other day I had tea with my best friend, Zenovia, who is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her first baby. She had a happy pregnancy glow which seemed to make everything about her a little brighter. As we chatted about her upcoming arrival, she began sharing the details of how tough it had been to figure out how to put together a nursery, but her nesting instincts had dictated that she get it all worked out before the ninth month. I had to laugh as I listened to her tale of woe. I remembered going through the exact same worries and frustrations when I was pregnant, too! I’d be willing to bet that most expectant moms share similar challenges, especially when it comes to the baby’s nursery. [Read more…] about Decorating Your Baby’s Nursery

New Baby Checklist: Must-Have Baby Products

by DP Nguyen 2 Comments

One of the best parts of pregnancy is getting your home ready for your new baby. There are a million baby products out there, and sometimes it can get confusing on what you need for your baby’s first year and what you really don’t need. I’ve broken it down to what I think are must-have products for a new baby.

You definitely want to have all the essentials in your home in the final trimester. Although your due date is around 40 weeks of pregnancy, full-term babies can arrive anytime between 37 and 40 weeks. You want to make sure that your home is stocked up with all the essentials and must-have first year baby products before your little one comes home from the hospital.

How to Swaddle a Baby

by DP Nguyen 4 Comments

Your baby has spent the last nine months in a cozy, warm, and secure watery world. Now, he suddenly finds himself in the real world – where it’s cold and filled with bright lights, loud noises, and weird smells. This “alien” world can be alarming and even scary to a newborn baby. That’s why mothers have swaddled their babies for thousands of years.

Swaddling – which is the act of snugly wrapping a newborn in a blanket – is comforting and soothing to babies. It helps calm cranky babies, and it mimics the tightness and security of the womb. Another reason that mothers swaddle their babies is practical. Swaddling keeps the new baby warm in the first few days after birth. Since newborns can’t regulate their body temperature yet, swaddling is one of the best ways to keep them toasty and comfy in this new world. Swaddling a baby on his back also decreases the risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Introducing Baby to Solid Food

by DP Nguyen 2 Comments

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all babies are exclusively breastfed (or formula fed) for at least six months, but some babies are ready to eat solid foods earlier than this. Many parents introduce solid food to their babies between 4 and 6 months. When you introduce solids to your baby is up to you, but age isn’t the only consideration you need to make. Your baby will also give you clues that he or she is ready to move beyond breast milk or formula.

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Teething FAQs – Age, Signs and Symptoms, and Remedies

by DP Nguyen 2 Comments

Nearly all newborns are born with a gummy grin and no teeth. (In rare cases, 1 out of every 2,000 to 3,000 babies is born with teeth on their lower gum. These teeth are called natal teeth). Teething isn’t a developmental milestone that your baby hits all at once. It can take up to two or three years before your child has all his or her beautiful full set of baby teeth – 20 in total.

Teething – which is defined as the appearance of your baby’s first teeth through his or her gums – is a frustrating experience for babies and their parents. Teething can be painful and uncomfortable for your little one, and it can turn a perfect baby into a cranky, fussy, and drooling monster.