Think newborns, what is the first image you see? A crib with a mobile. I never thought it matters what kind of mobile I get for the baby. If it was left up to me, I don’t know what I would get.

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1. My little ones didn’t have mobiles. Maybe because the crib didn’t get used until around 6-7 months old which is the point when you are supposed to get rid of them anyway.

   Comment by LaToya — June 20, 2009 @ 1:12 pm

2. So much for my set of stereotypes - I couldn’t imagine a crib without mobile on it :) Did you play any music to your babies?

   Comment by Emma — June 21, 2009 @ 3:46 am

3. The mobile I chose was a rainforest one with soft animals, a light and music. I put it up at about 6 months when she started sleeping in her crib, and it’s still up now at 19 months. I don’t see that there’s anything on it to strangle her as the hanging toys are just small, stuffed animals and their strings are very short. She loves that she can turn it on/off or change the music for herself. After I got the mobile, I wished I had gotten one much sooner since she used her crib for naps or at night on occasion.

   Comment by Isha — June 22, 2009 @ 12:51 pm

4. I tried playing soft music for Bubba to sleep with but it didn’t work. We dance all the time to the radio or a CD though so they still have a great love for music. Chubba actually will crawl over to the radio and push buttons until music comes on and then smile and start dancing.

   Comment by LaToya — June 22, 2009 @ 5:25 pm

5. Same here, music distracted my Eric and he couldn’t sleep. He loves listening and dancing to it though :) Those are the cutest little dances I’ve ever seen.

   Comment by Emma — June 24, 2009 @ 12:04 am
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How do I make sure my baby has a nice round head?

Change baby’s orientation in the crib every day.
One day, place your baby with her head at the head of the crib. The next day place your baby with her head at the foot of the crib.

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1. Hey! It was a surprise to find my picture on your blog! For our son, we tried many things like you suggested but in the end it was to no avail. Our son got fitted with the helmet on our pedi’s suggestion, and was fitted at 7 months. He wore it until he was 12 months.

   There is another reason for flat-headedness too, which is that for some babies, their neck muscles aren’t developing symmetrically, and so one side is weaker, and so they prefer having their head turned one way (towards the strong side). So in addition to the potential flat head, the pedi will also try to take care (or at least observe) that neck condition too. At the orthopedics office we went to there were at least one or two babies like that - and their “flat spot” is on the side of head!

   Interestingly my mom always said that she rubbed my head as if to make it round, daily, when I was a baby. She insists that it works! Heh Heh.

   Anyways, here’s the link to my original, copyrighted picture.
   http://www.flickr.com/photos/40275313@N00/2767365720/
   I have no problems with you using my picture here, just wished you asked for permission next time, or at least gave credit for the photo :-)

   Comment by Vincent — May 23, 2009 @ 11:14 pm

2. Hi Vincent! Thanks for the comment. My hubby’s mom says that she used to press his ears to the head so that he doesn’t get floppy ears :) Sorry if I was out of line using your photo here - I thought linking to your Flikr profile was enough in terms of giving the credit. I’ve added “all rights reserved” and it appear when you hover over the photo, so everyone knows it’s copyrighted.

   Comment by Emma — May 23, 2009 @ 11:48 pm

3. I have a flatted-head baby. he always sleep looking to the right that makes his head flat in right side. my mother-in-law seems a bit dissapointed of how I take care my baby. moreover, he is my first baby.
   I know it’s my fault. Because this is my first time to take care a baby. I never like babies before I have one. So I never asked people how to take care of a baby. And now I get the hardest part of what i’ve never think before. I must to raise my baby without my parents. because I lived overseas from them. So, no one told me how to take care my baby boy. Maybe just the neighbours who visit me sometimes. Moreover, I am just 20yrs old.
   So please tell me what I exactly have to do to make my baby boy has a perfect-round head again. That is now become my obsession.
   thanks for your advice before:)

   Comment by Rissa — July 25, 2009 @ 8:23 pm

4. Hi Rissa, I know exactly how you feel. My parents live overseas too and when I found out my baby’s head was flat, I freaked out.

   So take your baby to the doctor and if he says that this flatness is dangerous for baby, he will tell you what you can do to fix it. But otherwise, just don’t let your baby lie on just one side. Put him in cot on his other side, if you have a changing table - turn it around so that you will stand on another side while changing your baby and he will start turning his head to another side. Depending on how old your baby is, flatness can be fixed this way. Give him a lot of tummy time, when he lies on his stomach and you’re watching him. Don’t worry, you can fix it.

   Comment by Emma — July 25, 2009 @ 10:18 pm
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My baby has a flat head and every time I look at him, I blame myself. How could I have been so stupid? How could I let this happen?

Now, with his hair covering the flat spot on the back of his head it is hardly noticeable, but I know that it is there. Luckily, it’s getting better over time and this little asymmetry is not life threatening, but the fact remains the same - it was an issue I overlooked and it could have been much worse.

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1. [...] the discussion of SIDS and flat heads in babies that started here, we’re finally getting to the [...]

   Pingback by How to prevent SIDS and avoid flat head in babies - part 2 @ Baby-Log| Learning to be a Mother, raise a Baby and live as a Family — January 22, 2009 @ 12:59 am

2. [...] presents How to prevent SIDS and avoid flat head in babies - part 1 posted at Baby-Log, saying, “I failed to prevent flat head syndrome for my baby - but you [...]

   Pingback by Parents Helping Parents Carnival: 7th Edition : Parenting Advice and Tips: Modern Parent — January 30, 2009 @ 6:12 pm

3. That is why tummy time is so important. Our little ones spend so much time on their backs as they have to sleep that way to prevent SIDS that during awake times we need to remember to use tummy time.

   Comment by Lisa — January 31, 2009 @ 1:55 pm
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Hey, you’re new! I love new people, welcome. You may want to subscribe to Baby-Log via RSS feed or via email. Thanks for visiting!It is funny how many old wives’ tales there are about babies and we get used to them to the extent that we never even think they might be wrong.
I have [...]

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1. I will suggest amber teething necklaces. They’ve been super. It might be too early to tell, but both of the kids have been way less irritable today. They sleep much better and longer. I haven’t given them any tylenol for teething pain, but they seem happy and pain free with the necklaces. Plus, the necklaces are adorable. I took the kids strolling in the mall today and got many compliments.

   http://www.amber-teething-necklaces.co.uk

   Comment by Emma — March 2, 2010 @ 2:47 pm
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When I was a new mom, my first worry was about whether or not the baby is getting enough milk. I was looking for some guidelines and found them. Some came from books, some from lactation consultants, some from other moms - but all of them worked for us and you too may find them useful.

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1. Add your URL to our Directory Listings…

   Add your parenting related website to our web directory…

   Trackback by Baby-Parenting.com — December 11, 2008 @ 10:06 am

2. baby food coupons…

   I found your post comments while searching Google. Very relevant especially as this is not an issue which a lot of peaople are conversant with….

   Trackback by baby food coupons — December 21, 2008 @ 4:20 am

3. Hi, it is me again :)
   I feel a bit dissapointed because I cant give my almost-3months-baby boy breast-milk anymore. So I use formula. But maybe the difference between us is my step-mother never complain about this ;)
   My baby’s weight is 5,4kg when he was newly 2 months and he is now going to be a 3months on 29th next month.
   I usually feed him 120ml every feed but from what I read in the Milk Feeding Suggestion (written in the formula’s can of my baby’s milk) that the dose is become higher according to baby’s age and according to that Suggestion, my baby should be feed 240ml every feed.
   So, which is true?

   Comment by Rissa — July 25, 2009 @ 8:46 pm

4. Hi Rissa,
   It depends how many times a day you’re feeding. There is a guideline that says for 5kg baby it is 750ml of breast milk/formula a day. If the baby feeds 6 times a day, that would mean 125ml every feed.

   But above everything else - just try and let the baby have as much as he wants, and then watch his weight. You do go to a doctor / nurse to check your baby’s development, right? So see that your baby is gaining weight normally and remains in the same percentile and that means you’re feeding him just fine.

   Every baby is different, so you need to find what’s right for yours.

   Comment by Emma — July 25, 2009 @ 10:23 pm
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Anyone who is expecting or raising a baby knows - we get a lot of advice, whether we need it or not. All well-intentioned, because they are “trying” to help, but for some reason we just don’t feel grateful. In fact, we often feel like blowing up and letting them have it.

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1. [...] presents Seven Things I Would Never Say To a New Mom posted at [...]

   Pingback by Carnival of Family Life ~ Snowman edition : Suburban Wife’s Daily Dollar Diary — December 1, 2008 @ 2:23 am

2. When my son was born, my MIL kept giving a lot of advice about how to manage him. Some good, some not so good. But the thing is, she took offence whenever I rejected her advice. In the end, I took hubby’s advice and gave her the impression I was listening to her advice (even when I was totally ignoring it). So when she asked if I was doing something, I would reply, “Yes, Mum,” even when I wasn’t.

   It worked really well until one day she followed me up to the room when I was giving my son a bath and insisted on “helping” me apply “prickly powder” on my son. In case you’re not aware, the powder is supposed to help reduce the red rash he was developing in his joints because he was a hot and sweaty baby, although our paediatrician told us not to apply the powder because he said it would make it worse.

   I stood there totally mortified, unable to say a word because I had given her the impression I had been using the powder. After that, I told hubby, “She’s your Mum. Please tell her to butt out.”

   I know husbands don’t like confrontations between wife and their Mums but, hey, if it had been my Mum, I would have told her flat out.

   Comment by Shen-Li — December 4, 2008 @ 1:58 pm

3. I know exactly what you mean! This is why I was saying in the post that advice from family members should be handled differently. Sometimes confrontation is the only way to get them off your back, and I would have done the same thing as you.

   Off topic, when I read your blog, I thought “OMG, she is my identical twin.” I too used to do rock climbing before I had Eric and it was almost a religion foe me :) Keep the great stuff coming!

   Comment by Emma — December 4, 2008 @ 7:24 pm

4. I was doing the same thing even with my own mom. I just tell her, yes mum, i am doing what you taught me. But I am not really doing it! ;) I just tell her that so she won’t get angry with me. Luckily, she hasn’t caught me lying yet. Ohh! sooo bad of me :)

   Comment by Baby Formula — December 6, 2008 @ 8:35 am
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Once Eric was 2 months old, my mother came to meet her first grandson, she stayed with us for a month. I consciously postponed her visit because I wanted to use the first two months to bond with Eric, get used to this whole new situation, start to understand my baby’s needs. It is my understanding that if you start to rely on advice of “more experienced people” from the very beginning, then you do not develop your own ability to observe, understand what’s going on and make your own decisions - so I tried to avoid that as much as I could.

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know for a fact that many young and not so young couples rely on family (grandparents mainly) for babysitting and help with the kids. I also know how that a couple can do just fine on their own without any extra help – Rob and I did. My friends were talking about not being able to move to another city because they were terrified of loosing the support that Nan and Pop are providing and I thought - you can’t allow that kind of fears rule your life. So this post is all about how a couple can have a baby and survive - on their own, in a strange city, where they barely know 5 people.

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1. [...] As promised, the story goes on. This bit is about us (Emma the mom, Rob the daddy and Eric the baby) surviving from 2 to 6 months. You can read how we made it through the most difficult first two months here. [...]

   Pingback by First time parents, new baby, no help - how to survive (part 2) @ Baby-Log| Learning to be a Mother, raise a Baby and live as a Family — November 5, 2008 @ 5:13 am

2. [...] us surviving with a new baby, all that happened between his 6 to 12 months. You can read about the first two months here and 2 to 6 months [...]

   Pingback by First time parents, new baby, no help - how to survive (part 3) @ Baby-Log| Learning to be a Mother, raise a Baby and live as a Family — November 7, 2008 @ 11:09 pm
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Did you notice how quickly they outgrow practically everything? I had a couple of months when I was shopping for baby clothes every other week - and I hate shopping.

So here is some tips I came up with to reduce the shopping and the hassle to the minimum:

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1. District Cotton Logo Organic Apparel … join the district mailing list, win free stuff · Organic cotton · the district blog. The District …

   Comment by baby clothes — December 21, 2008 @ 5:20 pm
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I knew that it’s a great idea to do exercises with my baby. It is pretty obvious that a small baby that can’t move needs someone else to exercise him - but what exactly should I do, for how long, how often etc, I had no idea.

So I started to look for instructions online and found this great program by Carrie Myers-Smith. It’s a complete course on how to exercise your baby and yourself while you’re at it. It starts with easy to follow instructions for a baby massage and continues to the complete baby (and mom!) workout.

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