Nothing prepares you for parenting. You can read all the books ever written, watch all the online tutorials available and speak to as many moms as you can find, but nothing prepares you for parenting. It’s amazing, terrifying, energising and exhausting in equal measure.

Nothing is quite as disconcerting for new moms as nighttime. The first time you lay your little one down to sleep at night chances are you’re going to get almost zero sleep yourself. You will be so enchanting by their tiny snuffling snores and so petrified that something may happen in the night that causes them harm that you will sleep with one eye open.

Worrying too much does nobody any good but being aware of the very real dangers is essential. More than 3,500 infants are lost suddenly and unexpectedly each year while sleeping in the U.S. These accidental deaths are often due to suffocation, strangulation or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Obviously you can’t keep vigil each and every night, that’s simply not realistic. A good parent is a well-rested parent. So what can you do to give yourself some peace of mind and ensure your baby is in a safe sleeping environment.

Well, read on below and I will give you some essential tips to ensure your little bundle of beautiful gets the safe sleep they need to blossom…

Chances are you’re not going to want to let the little one too far from your side anyway so this should be an easy one – keep the baby’s sleeping area in the same room as you sleep for at least the first six months, ideally a year.

Try and keep the baby’s crib as close to your own bed as possible. Some parents advocate bed sharing but unless a lot of precautions are taken this can result in added danger.

When a baby share a common sleeping apace the calm presence of the mom actually helps to settle the child. Heart rate, breathing, anxiety levels and body temperature are all better regulated when sleeping close to their parents.

It’s been stated by the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) that room sharing can reduce the risk o​​f SIDS by as much 50%.

Room sharing will also bring the added benefit of making easier for you to feed, change and generally comfort the baby throughout the night.

Ensure The Baby Sleeps On Its Back And The Bed Is Hard

While you may think that a baby’s bed should be as nice and soft as possible to ensure they get a comfortable sleep, you would be quite mistaken. The surface on which your baby sleeps should be firm. How firm? Well firm enough that it doesn’t indent when your baby is placed upon it.

Studies have shown that babies who sleep on soft surfaces are at an increased risk of SIDS. Similarly placing infants to sleep on a couch or in another child’s or adult’s bed can also increase the risk.

The risk of SIDS is also increased if babies are allowed to sleep on their sides or stomach. It’s very important to ensure that a baby is placed to sleep on their backs at all time, this is equally true for nap times as it is for bedtimes.

It’s understandable that some parents worry that babies can choke while on their backs but in reality, the anatomy of a child’s airwave won’t let that happen, the gag reflex will be engaged.

Ensure The Baby’s Mattress Fits The Crib

As well as being firm enough you need to ensure that your baby’s mattress fits the crib or bassinet they sleep in with an extremely snug fit.

Ensuring a tight fit is vitally important, without a firm edge your baby can get trapped between the mattress and crib walls, this can easily lead to injury and can sometimes result in something far worse.

So, when you making the purchase of your baby’s crib and mattress always check the fit, and then check it again. One rule of thumb to be aware of is that if you can squeeze more than two fingers between the mattress and the side of the crib, then the mattress is too small and you need to keep shopping around.

Some cribs are advertised to reduce the risk of SIDS, there isn’t a huge amount of evidence to support these claims. You should always buy a crib that meets the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Ensure The Crib Is Empty

The AAP’s safe sleep rules also stress that there should nothing else present in the crib at night apart from a fitted sheet. This means absolutely no toys, rattles etc. It also means no soft bedding, no sleep positioners, no extra blankets and no bumper pads. Anything extra left in the crib can potentially lead to strangulation or suffocation.

Well, there you have it, four tips to help ensure your better get a safe sleep and you have some peace of mind. I know it can be scary but the chances of anything happening to your little one are extremely rare, that however doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be as prepared as possible.

Remember also, if you’re ever in doubt about anything to with safe baby sleeping always refer to the AAP guidelines for advice.

Happy parenting!

Breastfeeding is a beautiful gift given to us mothers, by nature!

It is important to remember that breastfeeding does not always come easy to everyone and that our journeys are all different.

Ask for help early on if you need it. There are many wonderful support groups and specialist feeding clinics available that are designed to support new mums.

Be kind to yourself and persevere, as the first few weeks can be tough. Once your breasts learn to regulate its milk supply, your nipples harden and baby becomes familiar with the feeding technique. The journey will be an easier one.

However long you decide to breastfeed is your choice and yours alone. Don’t be feel pressured into giving up before you or your child is ready.

Women are successfully returning to work and continuing to provide their babies with the benefits of breast milk. Small compact & discreet breast pumps make this possible, as mums are able to express milk at work and provide nutritious milk for their children via bottles during the day.

Breast milk can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen in the freezer for use much later.

Why Breastfeed?

Mother and baby both receive many wonderful long lasting benefits from breastfeeding.

Benefits To Mom

Benefits To Baby

Are There Any On Going Benefits Later In Life?

Children continue to reap the benefits from breastfeeding long after they have stopped. Children who are breastfeed as babies are said to have:

About The Author

You might have an infant already pooping and peeing on the go; or maybe you have a bun in the oven. Either way you are interested in the process of cloth diapering a munchkin and that is why you’re reading this. Shall we get down to the nitty - gritty evolution of the cloth diaper closure. Today the top system is voted by consumers; the Snappi. Let’s take it back to 1850’s though, they had the basic diaper pin.

Parent’s were scared to prick their little ones skin so they laid it flat on the child’s diaper to ensure it was safe. Then in the 1900’s was the good ol’ diaper suspenders to hold up the child's diaper, how inconvenient does that sound. The 1950’s is when the buckles came into play; invented by Joseph Lakritz “the first pinless diaper”. It got a bit better in the 1940’s when the metal snaps were utilized by mothers, but, then things got weird again in 1960’s with velcro or diaper clips!

Are you concerned if you are not producing enough milk for your baby? If yes, then you are not alone as nearly all breastfeeding moms have the same fear. The confusion arises because of their child’s uncomfortable behavior, making mothers feel uncertain about their supply.

Before jumping on how to increase milk supply, it is important to check if your supply is deficient. If your baby is well and gaining weight from breast milk alone, there is no problem with your milk supply. Breastfeeding is a supply-and-demand process. The more you feed, the more milk your body will produce.

As much as breastfeeding is deemed to be one of the most natural acts for moms and their babies, it is not a thing that comes naturally to all women. Some perfect the nursing process within a very short period while others take a little bit longer to master the new experience. 

If breastfeeding is not a walk in the park for you don’t get disappointed- once you master the right techniques and practice them often, the experience will get easier for you. Here is a guide to properly breastfeeding that will ascertain that you are on the right track when it comes to nursing your baby.

It is a terrible feeling to hear your baby crying in pain from their teething experience. For a mother that breastfeed, this can be an even more difficult situation. All you want to do is help you baby, and keep them healthy. They can’t be healthy if they don't want to breastfeed so helping with their teething symptoms will help keep them healthy and happy. 

Baltic amber teething necklaces are a safe and natural method to help teething symptoms. It can limit the amount of medication you have to give your child, giving you greater peace of mind.

Is your baby rubbing face while sleeping? If you're a new parent, you may often feel clueless when it comes to what your little one wants and needs. All the little things your baby does can look intimidating, especially if they seem troubling and you don't know what they mean. This can get very frustrating if you don't figure out what to do.

A common issue that parents face is when babies rub their face while sleeping. This can cause your baby to get restless and even wake up because of it. There can be many reasons why babies do this. These reasons can be simple and something more serious can be causing them.

To be able to deal with the problem, then you need to learn what is causing your baby to rub his/her face. Read on to learn all about this concern and whether you should be worried about it.

How does your baby sleep? There are several conflicting views on what is the best position on how a baby infant should sleep. This issue is important in relation to crib death in infants. It's a serious issue which is known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Breastfeeding is a very intimate bonding for both the newborn and the mother. It is also the most natural art for moms and babies. However, it is not easy for every mother hence proper breastfeeding techniques and skills should be taught to new moms to help them take good care of their newborns.

Anything you drink or eat while breastfeeding can actually find its way into your breast milk and that would include alcohol. With this concern in mind, many nursing mothers wonder and ask they can drink alcohol while breastfeeding.

If you do not take precautions, the amount of alcohol that you drink will make it into your bloodstream and into your breast milk.

Basically, the amount of alcohol that is transferred is relatively small. However, since your baby is still small and has an immature liver, this can be harmful to your baby. Babies cannot process the alcohol the way regular adults can.