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!

Sleep is essential to wellbeing for everybody especially kids, because of their quick development and improvement from such tender age. It is evaluated that kids should sleep for roughly half of the day. This is fundamental to the advancement of a kid as their memory, behavior and social abilities develop altogether throughout this time. Sleep researchers demonstrate that if a kid is denied of sleep, they may not learn and develop to their maximum capacity and furthermore their physical wellbeing could be poor. Thus it is vital to guarantee kids get the right measure of sleep to make sure their growth isn’t compromised.

Sleep is a vital part of your kid's psychological and physical wellbeing since it enables their brain and body to rest and recuperate. There are numerous things you can do to enable your kid to get great quality sleep as frequently as could reasonably be expected.

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

Having a baby with eczema can be very overwhelming, especially for rookie mommies. According to research, 10-20% of infants develop eczema at some point. Most common among infants, eczema is generally caused by the skin overreacting to irritants. With no available cure, we do our best to minimize triggers and cope with flare-ups.

[toc] If you have a baby with sensitive skin or eczema, make sure to take a look at clothing materials. Sometimes the right pyjamas, romper or onesie is just what your baby needs to get relief.

If you are a parent, you already know that getting your kid to go to bed can be quite a challenge. They are still in the age when they don’t look forward to sleeping. Young kids don’t understand the importance of rest, and its influence on their lives.

One of the most important things that you can do for your children is to help them develop proper sleep habits and teach them about the importance of these habits. Kids that don’t get enough sleep during the night can be irritable and have a hard time controlling their emotions. 

Additionally, if they are sleep-deprived, they will be more prone to behavior issues and have troubles paying attention. They will also be at risk of becoming overweight and having impaired memory. It is up to you as a parent to do everything you can for your child so that he or she develops healthy sleep habits.

If your kids develop and maintain healthy habits, they will fall asleep without any difficulties, stay asleep, and wake up refreshed and well-rested. Every child is different, and the best thing you can do for them is to build a routine and stick with it. Set a routine that promotes a good night’s sleep.

One of the most important purchases that you will make when preparing your nursery is the mattress. Newborns spend about 16 hours a day in their crib. Toddlers aged 3 to 5 sleep for 11 to 13 hours, so comfort and security are among top priorities. Looking for the best baby crib mattress for your little one can be daunting as there are hundreds of products and brands on the market.

To help parents pick the right mattress, we have provided crucial buying guide and shortlisted the top rated items.

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.

If you are thinking about switching to a more eco-friendly diapering route, cloth diapers are your best bet! The best cloth diapers for newborns are not just good your baby and the environment but this is also good to your wallet.

Without research, however, finding the best cloth diapers may result in a lot of trial and error. Read on to learn more about the factors to consider when choosing the best cloth diapers for newborns and the top picks of cloth diapers.

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.