Reasons Why Babies Cry

• Hunger is the main reason why babies cry. If you are able to learn the signs of hunger, feed the baby before he/she cries to communicate hunger. Some signs to look for in a newborn are - fusing, lip smacking, putting their hands in their mouth.
• Need for sleep may be another reason for your baby to cry. Adults think that it is easy for the babies to go off to sleep. The fact is that it is not all that easy for them. They may fuss and cry when they are too tired, instead of just dozing off.
• A dirty diaper is one of the common reasons for a baby to cry. It is very easy to check for a dirty diaper and if attended on time, you can prevent your baby from crying. Some of them will let you know right away, but some babies tolerate it for some time, and crying when they can no more tolerate it.
• You might face a situation wherein you have catered to all the needs of your baby and still he/she is crying. Yes, it is time to call your doctor. Your baby may fall sick because of many reasons and they have can only resort to crying to show they are in discomfort.
• Babies are very sensitive and anything too cold or warm can make them uncomfortable. Newborns like to be fully covered and kept warm, so when you remove their clothes for changing them or wipe their bottom while changing the diaper, they may protest by crying. Similarly, they don’t like too much of warmth also and may cry to signal you to unbutton some of their clothes.
• Babies love cuddling and crave for someone to lift them up and love them. They love their parents to be around them. Crying is their way to ask you to keep them close to you.
• Dentition or teething can be very painful for your baby, as each new gum pushes its way through their tender young gums. Some babies suffer more than others, but all are likely to get fussy and tearful at some point. If you are wondering why your baby is crying, try feeling their gums, you may be surprised to feel a hard nub of a baby tooth on its way.

• Tummy problems because of gas and colic can lead to a lot of crying. If your baby tends to get restless after every meal, he/she might be having some pain in the stomach. Colic is rather a mysterious condition that can make your baby cry for three hours a day.
• If your baby cries after feeding, all he needs is just a burp may be. Babies swallow air while being fed and if the air is not out, it may cause discomfort. So, they need to burp out the air.
• Lights, noise, getting passed from hand to hand may make the baby feel irritated. Crying is the only way through which they can say enough is enough.

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Tips On Baby Clothes

• When buying children's clothes, the first thing to remember is that they must be easy to put on, easily washable and above everything else, comfortable to wear.
• It is always advisable to buy trousers or skirts with elasticized waistbands and shoulder straps, for a baby.
• Prefer buying clothes that can be stretched and have a wide neck, because they are easier to wear as well as take off.
• Avoid buying clothes that are adorned by lace, as babies can get their fingers caught in the lace.
• Always go for natural fibers as far as baby clothes are concerned, especially in summers.
• Clothes that open in the front and have poppers are easier to put on as well as take off the baby.
• Try to avoid buying clothes that have buttons, as buttons can get off and the baby might swallow them.
• Avoid clothes that have ties attached to them, as the ties can come off easily and you will have to sew them on again.
• Never ever opt for clothes that have rough stitching. They can be uncomfortable for the baby.
• Since babies tend to be picked up by so many people, so many times, it is best to go for clothes that do not need ironing.

Basic Wardrobe For A Newborn

• 6-8 stretch suits (always buy according to weight not age)
• 2 nightgowns (comfortable and easy to put on and take off)
• 4 sleeveless vests, with poppers under the crotch
• 3 pairs of socks
• 3 cardigans (for winters)
• A sunhat and a light jacket (for summers)
• A warm hat, mittens and snow suit (for winters)

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Baby Acne Treatment Tips

Treatment For Baby Acne

• Always use a mild baby soap on the acnes and do not rub the skin much, make sure your own hands are clean enough before you treat your baby’s face and have a clean towel to pat it dry in order to reduce further complications.
• To ease out your baby’s discomfort, dress him/her up in cool, comfortable cotton clothes that are not harsh against your baby’s skin. Use soft natural detergents to wash their clothes.
• Do not use any lotions or creams on the acne site, as it will exacerbate the condition and make it difficult for the toddler or you to deal with it.
• Take advice from your dermatologist about using some diluted vinegar solution on the face of your baby. It is known to have some curable properties and can be helpful to treat your baby’s rashes.
• Remember, never expose your babies to direct sunrays as it will harm them and may cause the skin to inflame further.
• Overall hygiene is crucial to your baby’s health. Dirty and unhygienic conditions will only add to your bundle of worries. Keep your baby’s body clean and germ free.
• Just keeping our babies in hygienic condition is not enough. Remember to wipe your baby’s face with clean cotton wipes after every few hours. Also, regularly apply prescribed medication to the affected areas to heal the acnes as soon as possible.

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Feeding Your Premature Baby Tips

Methods For Feeding A Premature Baby

TPN
Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) is a method of feeding used for extremely premature babies or one who are very sick. In this method, nutrients such as glucose, protein and fat solutions are introduced directly into the baby’s bloodstream through a vein. Babies have an immature digestive system, so this method is brought to use. This method also helps the kids to preserve their energy. TPN provides all necessary nutrients to your baby to help him/her grow and thrive.

Tube Feeding Method
Supply of adequate amount of nutrients to the baby is necessary for them to grow properly. Tube method makes sure that baby gets enough nutrients. Babies have a higher metabolism, their brain is developing and they are growing fast. However, premature babies have limited supply of energy and nutrients. Thus it becomes important to tube feed them, so that they can take in small intake of nutrients without using too much of energy. The coordination of sucking, swallowing, and breathing needed for feeding is not developed in babies before 34-36 weeks, so a tube is passed through their nose or mouth down to their stomach.

Nursing
Nursing is the best way to protect your kids from different illnesses. Your body produces specialized proteins called antibodies to fight off infection. Mothers transfer these antibodies to their babies through placenta during last three months of pregnancy. This process is broken if a baby is born prematurely. Mothers also can transfer these antibodies through breastfeeding. This will help to defend the babies against any virus or infection.

Supplementary Feeding
In the early stages of your baby’s development, proper supply of enough energy and fluids is important. Sometimes, it may get difficult for mothers to express enough milk because of some illness during pregnancy. Two of the alternatives that can be used in such a case can be; to use additional breast milk donated to some hospitals by other mothers, or to use formula milk. This is a temporary method to be adopted. Full inspection of the donated milk will be conducted by the doctors before feeding it to babies.

Bottle Feeding
When in hospital, babies are fed on formula milk, made particularly for their nutritional needs. When your baby is out of hospital and ready for coordinating sucking, swallowing and breathing, he/she can be fed by a bottle. These formulas contain more of nutrients that a premature baby requires, such as iron, fat, protein, several vitamins, calcium, phosphorous and magnesium

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Folding Cloth Diapers

How To Fold Cloth Diapers ?

Hour Glass Fold

• Place the diaper on a smooth surface and even out the creases.
• Position your baby on the diaper and fold in the middle of the diaper towards the center creating an hourglass shape. Draw the other half of the diaper around the front part of the baby.
• If you are using diaper covers, secure the corners with the help of a Velcro or a snap.
• In case of pull up covers, use safety pins to close the corners and then pull the cover over the diaper.
• In case you wish to go for a folded hour glass diaper, fold the diaper from one sewn corner to another and repeat the above mentioned process.

Baby Boy Friendly Folds

• Place the diaper on a smooth surface.
• Fold 1/3 of the cloth diaper up and then fold the edges towards the center.
• Place your baby on the diaper and pull out the remaining half of the nappy around the baby's front.
• Pull the corners of the diaper to the front and secure it with a Velcro or snap.
• This fold is particularly helpful if you are using pull up covers. In this case, you can tie the back corners to the front layer of the cloth of the front corners.

Baby Girl Friendly Folds

• Place the diaper on a smooth surface and even out all the creases.
• Fold 1/3 of the cloth down from the top and fold the bottom sides to the center.
• Place your baby on the diaper and pull around the remaining half to the front.
• Pull the corners of the diaper to the front and secure it with a Velcro or snap.
• This fold is particularly useful, if you are using pull up covers. You can fasten the front corners of the diaper to the front layers of cloth of the back corners.

Using Flat-fold Diapers

• For the flat-fold diaper, you can start with folding your diaper in half.
• Fold about two-third of each side of the diaper with one side, partly covering the other to create extra absorbency in the center.
• The flat-fold diaper is the most versatile and it can be adjusted to different sizes.

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