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Answered: How to help baby crawl

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 18:40:53 +0000

Experts suggest that babies that are a bit bigger than average (in other words, heavier), may be slower to crawl than smaller babies, since they find it more difficult to push up off the floor with their extra weight. It’s also normal for premature babies to crawl a bit later than average, so if your nephew/niece is in either of these categories, it may be a good idea to let your sister know so she doesn’t stress too much.

Answered: How to teach kids to write

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 11:05:41 +0000

I disagree with the first answer completely. The question is about how to teach kids to write, sure, but it is followed up by the clarification that they’re looking for “exercise or games I can give her which would help her to develop this skill later on down the track”. There is absolutely nothing wrong with helping babies/toddlers to develop skills that will better equip them for life as they get older. As a former kindergarten teacher and private nanny, I can attest to the fact that little things early on can make a big difference later. Your grand-daughter probably won’t understand the concept of writing until she’s about three, but in the meantime, spend time drawing with her. Even if you are just drawing letters or numbers with crayons alongside her, she will see that this is an activity that is fun and that you enjoy, making her more likely to want to copy you later. This will also give her practice with holding a crayon or pencil – a big step towards being able to write later on. I think it sounds like you’re doing a wonderful job as a grandparent and I encourage you to continue.

Answered: Why do babies get hiccups?

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 19:38:01 +0000

Why do babies get hiccups? Your baby might be trying very hard to access the breast milk or he might be eating very fast. Either of the two can cause severe hiccups in your baby, especially in very tiny babies. Make sure you check the bottle's orifice to make sure the size is not too large. The larger the size of the orifice, the faster your baby's food comes out, and this can lead to some serious hiccups. If your baby often experiences hiccups in the night, this can lead to excessive night cries and sleeplessness. You must consult your doctor or pediatrician to seek medical advice or help. It might be as a result of a reflux disease, which is quite treatable.

Answered: Why does sperm leak out?

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 22:28:18 +0000

Why does sperm leak out is a common questions asked by so many couples who’re trying for a baby. Sperm leaking out is totally normal. It isn’t affected by the position, just the composition of the semen itself. While the sperms is the most important part, with 200 to 400 million tiny little swimmers at any one time. To get pregnant, you just need one to reach the egg. The rest of the ejaculate is made up of various liquid, some for lubrication and some to help the delivery, giving the sperms a place to swim. The majority of the semen is made of these liquid, these are usually the ones that leaked out, so no worries.

What matters is the one that gets inside. It will stay at the back of the vagina and some of the amounts will continue going down the cervix and tubes that lead to the egg. Just take it easy, quality of the sperm matters more than quantity. In fact, having more sperm retained inside, you won’t increase the chances of conceiving, regularity of intercourse will more likely to help. You are making a baby, a future to care for, you don’t want to rush it anyway. Just relax and enjoy the sex while you still can!

Answered: Why do babies suck their thumbs?

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 15:37:48 +0000

Babies are wired with an instinct to suck on things. It ordinarily reduces after the period of about 6 months. However, many babies will keep the habit, as it helps them self-soothe. Thumb-sucking is often observed in babies and toddlers who do it to calm down when they’re feeling hungry, scared, or restless.

In some cases, thumb-sucking in children over the age of 5 is a symptom of an emotional disorder, like anxiety.

For kids under 4, thumb-sucking is generally fine. Youngsters who do it frequently around 4 or 5, or kids who continue to suck their thumbs at age 6 could develop dental problems or speech impediments.

Continued thumb-sucking can cause the teeth to develop incorrectly aligned, or push them forward. However, this problem is commonly corrected on its own once the child has stopped thumb-sucking. But the more time the habit persists, the higher the likelihood the child will need orthodontic treatment later.

Speech problems can result also, such as lisping, pushing the tongue out when speaking, or having trouble saying the letters T and D.

For more information on thumb-sucking and how to stop this behavior, check out this website:

http://www.newkidscenter.com/Baby-Thumb-Sucking.html

Answered: How to use cloth diapers

Sun, 21 Jul 2019 06:09:44 +0000

There are definitely a lot of benefits to using cloth diapers, but there are also a lot of different kinds that have different advantages and weaknesses. So if you want to use cloth diapers and not spend a fortune, get just a couple of different kinds to try out once you have your baby. You want the perfect fit for both of you! Some of the most popular kinds of cloth diapers are pre-folded, pocket, fitted, and all-in-one. There’s nothing wrong with grabbing a couple of them all!

Answered: Why do babies put everything in their mouth?

Sun, 14 Jul 2019 06:12:08 +0000

I assume this is your first baby? You may find that as your baby gets a little older, you constantly have to pick up everything within reach for fear that baby will put it directly in their mouth. You also take great care in making sure that all of their toys are cleaned on a regular basis because no matter what kind of object it is, baby always finds a way to get it in their mouth.

So why do babies put everything in their mouth? Babies have no way of really feeling an object in their hands because they have motor skills that have not been fined, tuned or developed properly. Babies’ mouth is full of nerve endings and babies typically have complete control of their mouth and tongue. When babies pick an object up, no matter what it may be, they will typically go straight to their mouth with it so that they can feel and try to understand whatever it is they are holding in their hands. As babies grow older and gain better use of their hands, less things go in their mouth because they are able to grasp on to an object and study it better.

Answered: Why do babies fight sleep?

Sun, 12 May 2019 11:04:04 +0000

Having a baby is a lot like playing a game of chance. Hour to hour you never know what you’re going to get. They are crying one minute and cooing the next. You would think that when a baby gets tired they would simply sleep. However, that never seems to be the case and most often babies fight sleep.

From a parenting perspective this is one of the most difficult things to do with. A baby will stay up and cry for hours upon hours for no other reason other than they need to go to sleep. They will go from being almost asleep to wide awake a few seconds later, almost as though they don’t want to miss something. Did you know that babies have six different states that they move in and out of? From crying, irritable, alert, drowsy, active sleep, to quiet sleep, a baby never really knows what state they will be in next. As they get older, fighting sleep doesn’t become as much of an issue because they learn to control these type of functions.

Answered: Why do babies smile in their sleep?

Mon, 06 May 2019 23:55:31 +0000

I grew up with the belief that a newborn smiles when communicating with angels, I love this idea because the older we get, the harder it is for us to believe there is any higher power than the ones we wield. I don't know if I ever met any angel- perhaps when I was still innocent and had little understanding.

Answered: How to make a baby laugh

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 08:41:20 +0000

There is not much else sweeter in the world than the sound of baby’s laughter. It is enough to warm our hearts in any situation. However, people are not born to have the skill of laugh… The first thing everyone learned after birth is crying… A baby will flash their first real smile at around 6-12 weeks old, and when they reach three and half months or so, you’ll hear the blissful sound of their laughter.

If you’re trying to coax this out of them, here are some fun tips for how to make a baby laugh. Trying some of these will help you discover how to make a baby laugh, but don’t overstimulate the baby, as it will impact on adjusting the baby's emotional processes.

1. Pretend You’re an Animal

If you start making funny noises, your baby will probably think you’re silly and funny. You can bark like a dog, meow like a cat, bounce around the room like a chimp, or staring mooing like a cow. Your baby will love you for it; maybe they will even try to mimic your sounds!

2. Peek-A-Boo

For a baby, what they cannot see does not exist. Therefore, hiding your face behind your hands and then revealing yourself while enthusiastically proclaiming “peek-a-boo!” will excite your baby to no end.

3. Tickling

Being tickled is a classic way to get anyone to laugh, especially a baby. Tickle their bellies, necks, feet with gentle fingers. Rename your pointer finger as The Tickle Monster, so your baby knows what’s coming and they’ll probably laugh before you even touch them! You can also try tickling your baby using a feather (which you should freeze overnight to kill any bacteria), a cotton ball, or a tissue.

4. Sing and Dance

Your baby loves you and everything that you do. Prop your baby up in front of a mirror while singing a fun song and dancing with them. Hold their hands and make them dance with you, show them how impressed you are with their moves, spin them around, lift them up high, hug them in close and keep moving.

5. Eskimo Kisses

An Eskimo Kiss is when you rub the tip of your nose with your baby’s nose. This is such a sweet bonding activity that is likely to make your little one burst with glee.

6. Blow Your Nose

It sounds absolutely ridiculous, but if you can manage a honking sound out of your schnozzle, then grab a tissue and fire it up, because this is how to make a baby laugh. Who doesn’t love a silly “honk, honk” coming straight out of the face of the one you love the most? If you can’t make that sound, then give your baby a big, dramatic sneeze. Build it up with the, “aah, aaaah, aaaaaaaaah!” and then let out a huge “ah-choooooo!” It works every time. Your baby will think you are a comedic genius.

7. Gobble Your Baby Up

Most babies get a real kick out of their parents’ trying to eat them. Put their toes in your mouth and make some silly “nom, nom, nom” sounds, then move up to their irresistible chubby thighs, bellies, necks, cheeks. Of course don’t use your teeth! Baby will love it.

8. Where’s Baby?

Playing this fun game of hide-and-seek is how to make a baby laugh. Sit right next to your baby, and ask yourself out loud where he or she is. Pretend like you can’t see them at all, frantically look about in search of your honey pie, and when you finally “find” your baby, give big gasp in total shock.

9. Whisper Secrets

Your baby wants to know everything about you, because you are the most interesting thing in the world to them. So tell your baby all your secrets. Even if you’re just speaking in gibberish, or saying “googoo, gaga,” when you whisper in your baby’s ear, they’ll be so tickled by just the sensation of air blowing into their ears and they’re sure to chuckle.

10. Play Chase

If your little ball of fun is already on the move, even if they are only crawling a bit, you can engage in a playful and exciting chase! Get down to your baby’s level and tell them, “I’m going to get you!” and crawl up to catch them! You’ll win every time, and baby definitely wants to be caught, but how thrilling the chase is for them. Any chance you have to get your baby riled up with delight like this will definitely bring the laughter out of them.

11. Stinky Feet

When your baby is lying down in front of you, take their precious little feet in your hands and take a big whiff of them. Scrunch your face up and shout “phew! Stinky feet!” Repeat over and over until your baby is overcome with laughter, because surely they will be!

12. Take ‘em for a Ride

On a horse, of course! The horse that is your knee! Bounce your baby up and down, you can even make some horse-y sounds, say “giddy up!” and keep bouncing until they nearly burst with glee. Slow down and stop, pretend that you are very tired, and then suddenly get to bouncing again. Your baby will never want to stop!

13. Raspberries

Anyone who knows babies will tell you that blowing raspberries is a surefire answer for how to make a baby laugh. These hilarious fart sounds, otherwise known as “zerbits” or belly bubbles, raspberries sound funny and feel funny for a baby. Blow raspberries on your baby’s belly, or on their back or side, on their thighs, or anywhere you can find enough surface area to let it loose and you’ll both be cracking up in no time!

14. Wear a Silly Hat

It doesn’t even have to be a hat, it could be anything: a pot from the kitchen, a laundry basket, a handbag, a towel, anything that would look funny on your head. Your baby is smart enough to know you’re joking around and will likely get a huge kick out of it!

15. Put on a Show

General clowning around is what you need to do to get your baby to laugh. Make a big fuss over everything, even if it’s just picking something up that you dropped. Carry on like you are performing a show for your baby and they’ll find so much delight in everything you do.

Answered: How to wake a sleeping baby

Sun, 10 Feb 2019 09:05:55 +0000

Once your baby is older than 2 weeks, you won't need to wake him up to eat because he will always let you know when he is hungry with loud wails and incessant kicks. But since you are dealing with a 3 days old infant, it is important to wake him up to feed him because at that age, he only knows when and how to sleep-which is always. But before we delve into how to wake your baby up, note the two important points below:

Do not allow bright lights in the room. New babies have high sensitivity to bright lights, and the light can force him to keep his eyes tightly shut.
During REM sleep, wake him up. You can easily recognize this light sleep stage through your baby's fluttering eyelids, clenched fists, and sleep grins. It is much harder to wake a baby when he is in a deep sleep.

That said, below are some effective ways to wake up your sleeping little angel:

For a start, begin gentler, kinder techniques like singing, talking, stimulating your baby, picking him up, moving his feet and arms, talking to him, tickling him, maintaining eye contact with him, anything that works to wake him.
Before giving him the natural juice, consider changing his diaper. Most newborn babies don't like this, and it will anger him enough to become fully awake. Switch breasts whenever he slows down his sucking rate.
Hold him straight. Raise his shoulders, legs, torso, and bend him into a sit-up position on your lap. Repeat this after a while. Be careful not to raise up his legs when he is in a sitting position to avoid causing him any internal damage. You should be gentle in all the moves, you know how fragile he still is.
When everything fails, you can take it a step further by wiping its face with cool, damp towel or giving him a bath. Do not resort to the bathing approach except when the baby is due for a bath and has not eaten for a while. In all these it is important to make sure you do not use any measure of force in any way in order not to hurt the baby.
Do not get tired of waking your baby until he has sucked the breast milk for at least ten minutes. If he falls asleep while feeding, wake him up and place him on the other breast. When he is done feeding, you can let him sleep off on your chest with his tongue still licking your nipples. This innocent action force the hormones responsible for manufacturing breast milk to go into action.

The actions and techniques described above on how to wake a sleeping baby is given with the belief that you have a healthy infant in your hands. Inasmuch as it can be quite difficult to wake a sleeping baby, babies who fail to respond to much efforts may need some urgent medical help.

Answered: Why do parents abuse their children?

Sat, 09 Feb 2019 13:18:02 +0000

From the theoretic perspectives, there are five main areas of reasons that cause parents to abuse their own children:

Parent’s upbringing: If a person is abused when they are a child, they are very likely to abuse their own children. Parents usually learn from their own parents on how to parent. If their parents used very strict and harmful discipline actions, they will most likely use the same discipline actions on their own children.
High expectations: Some parents, especially young parents are not ready for the needs of a child. They may not realize what costs (not only money) a child will incur. This is especially true if the child has handicaps which the parent has never dealt with. These parents usually become overwhelmed or resentful to the child and may abuse them as their own release of their own emotions.
No parenting support: When a parent feels stressed and overwhelmed, and has no outlet to share his or her feelings, they may become abusive towards the child that they feel is making them have these stressors.
Drugs and alcohol: A parent under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol may lose control and are very prone to either abusing or neglecting their children. Single-parent addicts are more likely to abuse their children because there is usually no one there to intervene.
Mental and emotional disabilities and disorders: Parents who have different mental or emotional issues have harder times dealing with the stressors of parenthood. Those with extreme cases of disorder may not be able to care for themselves properly, none-the-less, care for another very needful human being. Some disorders that should be treated to prevent the possibility of abuse are Anxiety, Depression, Bi-Polar Disorder, PTSD, and Post-Partum Depression.

If you need some help, visit the following link:

http://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect.htm

Answered: Why am I not getting pregnant?

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 21:32:12 +0000

I really empathize with you. When you truly want to be a parent, it’s hard to see your period every month. Especially when it seems like everyone else in your life is getting pregnant without any trouble. I found out I had fertility issues when I was 18. It took me 7 years to conceive. Why am I not getting pregnant? I was also asking this question. The correct thing you should do is: Schedule an appointment with your doctor and get a full examination to see if there’s something wrong with your body. Don’t try home remedies or drugs, because those can be risky. Just trust your doctor, they can help you.

Answered: How to avoid pregnancy

Sat, 20 Oct 2018 17:12:12 +0000

Condoms do break once in a while during sex, though not often. If it does, most people will wonder how to avoid pregnancy. In such situations, ECP-emergency contraceptive pills can go a long way to help your girlfriend stay away from pregnancy. Different types of ECPs, often referred to as the morning-after exist. Levonorgestrel with brand names Next Choice and Plan B are one of them. You can get this over-the-counter for people who are up to the age of 15 and above. It is said to be affective for up to 5 days after the sexual encounter.

Ulipristal acetate with brand name Ella is yet another type. It is only available by prescription. It can also work for 5 days after the unprotected sexual encounter, and is believed to be more effective than the levonorgestrel pills.

Call your doctor, nurse, or any health center if you need ECPs. You can also buy levonorgestrel from any pharmacy if your girlfriend is up to 15 and above.

ECPs can be taken within 5 days (120 hours) after the unprotected sexual encounter, but it works better within the first 24 hours. Which means the sooner it is taken, the more chances of preventing the pregnancy. The working mechanism of these ECPs is to delay the ovulation, prevent the fertilization, or prevent the fertilized egg from being implanted. ECPs does not terminate or interrupt a developed pregnancy; it only prevents the occurrence of pregnancy. That means once you are certified pregnant, taking ECPs won't help you get rid of the pregnancy. According to researches, ECPs help reduce the chances of pregnancy by about 89%.

ECPs will not help you prevent pregnancy if they are taken before the sex. It does not prevent pregnancy from future sexual encounters. It is only for emergency situations, especially when regular contraception becomes ineffective. It does not in any way protect you from contacting STDs. It is always good to go for tests and treatments when necessary. There are no known serious side effects, but it can lead to vomiting or nausea for a few days. You can request for anti-nausea drugs from your healthcare provider to combat any symptoms that may develop. Vomiting will reduce the effectiveness of the treatment, so always consult your healthcare provider first.

Though most emergency contraceptives cost around $45, but you can get one free or at a reduced rate from health centers and family planning clinics. You can always visit www.not-2-late.com.

You can as well use some of brands of the more common birth control pills when ECPs is not readily available.

For more info on brands of emergency contraceptives, visit the following link.

http://ec.princeton.edu/questions/dose.html#dose

That is how to avoid pregnancy! Good luck and I’m glad you asked. Men should take care of the life of themselves and that of women!