Sometimes when talking to my mom on the phone in the evening, my little one would just be so fussy. My little one isn't normally fussy, she's an "angel baby" and is very happy go lucky! So this bout of evening fussing was quite unusual. My mom would often say - oh it's just her fussy time, lots of babies seem to have a fussy time in the early evening.
What can you do to combat this "fussy time"?
Keep to a schedule.
We've discussed it before on here and every baby seems to thrive on a schedule.
Normally a fed baby is a happy baby
Plan the schedule to have a feeding during the early evening.
Nap.
My little one enjoys her naps. A friend suggested that I should try to keep her up through the evening and then she'll sleep through the night better/easier. This was not for my baby, she enjoys her naps too much to give one up. So if your baby needs a 45 minute "power snooze" in the evening, let 'em have it! My baby slept through the night with no issues even with this 45 min. nap.
Keep stimulation to a minimum.
When Dad comes home we know that he loves to have his play time with baby. Which is great and endearing, but it can also be a little much for the baby. Show Dad more subtle ways to play with baby during this time. Keep TV and Radio to a minimum unless that is soothing!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Heat Rash
The combination of summer and a child with sensitive skin has brought about my education on heat rash. Since it's very common in hot and humid conditions I thought I'd share the love.
Heat rash is when sweat forms a barrier over the skin, clogging sweat ducts and trapping moisture. This causes red blisters and bumps to form which can also be itchy or painful. At first I thought that Vivi's eczema had gotten worse and I was putting lotion on her. Big mistake, lotions and creme block moisture even more causing the rash to worsen. Poor Vivi. Heat rash is most likely seen on the neck, chest, and in other places with creases. Vivi has it on the back of her neck, going up into her hairline and down onto her upper back, on her chest and chin, and in her left elbow crease. When I put her down for a nap today it must have been bothering her because when she got up her fingers were bloody and her neck was a mass of scratches. Broke my heart!
So here's some things that I found and am implementing to treat heat rash-
1. I'm having Vivi sleep on a cotton towel to absorb her sweat at night. I also put her to bed with just her diaper to see if that would cut down on how much she sweats at night.
2. I'm letting Vivi air-dry after pools, showers, baths, and water time. I'm not sure what this is supposed to do but I got that from babycenter.com.
3. I'm putting pure melaleuca oil on the rash where she scratches the most. It's a natural antiseptic so it should protect from infection plus, because it's clear, it shouldn't trap moisture. I'm going to try it and see how it goes.
4. She will get wiped down with cool washcloths several times a day, especially when outside. This will keep her cool, plus wash away the sweat on the outer layer of skin.
Hopefully this will clear up soon and hopefully none of you will have to deal with heat rash. But if you do, at least you won't make the same mistakes that I did.
Heat rash is when sweat forms a barrier over the skin, clogging sweat ducts and trapping moisture. This causes red blisters and bumps to form which can also be itchy or painful. At first I thought that Vivi's eczema had gotten worse and I was putting lotion on her. Big mistake, lotions and creme block moisture even more causing the rash to worsen. Poor Vivi. Heat rash is most likely seen on the neck, chest, and in other places with creases. Vivi has it on the back of her neck, going up into her hairline and down onto her upper back, on her chest and chin, and in her left elbow crease. When I put her down for a nap today it must have been bothering her because when she got up her fingers were bloody and her neck was a mass of scratches. Broke my heart!
So here's some things that I found and am implementing to treat heat rash-
1. I'm having Vivi sleep on a cotton towel to absorb her sweat at night. I also put her to bed with just her diaper to see if that would cut down on how much she sweats at night.
2. I'm letting Vivi air-dry after pools, showers, baths, and water time. I'm not sure what this is supposed to do but I got that from babycenter.com.
3. I'm putting pure melaleuca oil on the rash where she scratches the most. It's a natural antiseptic so it should protect from infection plus, because it's clear, it shouldn't trap moisture. I'm going to try it and see how it goes.
4. She will get wiped down with cool washcloths several times a day, especially when outside. This will keep her cool, plus wash away the sweat on the outer layer of skin.
Hopefully this will clear up soon and hopefully none of you will have to deal with heat rash. But if you do, at least you won't make the same mistakes that I did.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Fingernail Infection
Children can get a variety of infections from a variety of places. Yesterday I noticed that the skin by my baby's fingernail was red and puffy. It looked sore. My little one does not seem to be one to complain all that much and she didn't treat it like it hurt. It didn't seem to change her behavior at all. Well, after some internet searching I did see that there is an infection called Paronychia.
If you notice that the finger is red and puffy, has a possible pimple and probably pus draining from the area then there is a probably bacterial infection. The infection is caused when there is a small cut or opening, usually from the skin cracking or a hangnail being torn off rather than cut off with fingernail clippers. The infection is normally caused by Staphylococcus bacteria that is normally found in your mouth or other water sources (such as a swimming pool). This is something to watch for if your baby enjoys sucking on their fingers!!
If there is pus causing a pimple on the skin, it will need to be drained and cleansed. An antibacterial soap is the best for cleaning. You may also want to soak the area a few times a day in water and antibacterial soap. The place a bandage over the area so that it can have time to heal without possible further infection. The infection should clear up within a week, if it doesn't you should seek further medical help. Also if the infection is accompanied with a fever - seek help right away!!
If you notice that the finger is red and puffy, has a possible pimple and probably pus draining from the area then there is a probably bacterial infection. The infection is caused when there is a small cut or opening, usually from the skin cracking or a hangnail being torn off rather than cut off with fingernail clippers. The infection is normally caused by Staphylococcus bacteria that is normally found in your mouth or other water sources (such as a swimming pool). This is something to watch for if your baby enjoys sucking on their fingers!!
If there is pus causing a pimple on the skin, it will need to be drained and cleansed. An antibacterial soap is the best for cleaning. You may also want to soak the area a few times a day in water and antibacterial soap. The place a bandage over the area so that it can have time to heal without possible further infection. The infection should clear up within a week, if it doesn't you should seek further medical help. Also if the infection is accompanied with a fever - seek help right away!!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Book Review: The Girlfriends' Guide
I just recently finished up the book The Girlfriends' Guide to Surviving the First Year of Motherhood by Vicki Iovine.
This book is a quick, easy read with lots of witty commentary that brings humor to the rough few months of motherhood. I wish I would have read this book before I had Lily but better late than never at all.
One key message that is repeated over and over again in the book is that you are not alone. That you are not alone in your thoughts, stresses, baby illnesses, breastfeeding issues, post partum emotions, post partum sex and the ever ominous question - When to have the second baby?
I would recommend this book to help you feel apart of the 'Mommy community' not for fantastic, scientific information on babies.
This book is a quick, easy read with lots of witty commentary that brings humor to the rough few months of motherhood. I wish I would have read this book before I had Lily but better late than never at all.
One key message that is repeated over and over again in the book is that you are not alone. That you are not alone in your thoughts, stresses, baby illnesses, breastfeeding issues, post partum emotions, post partum sex and the ever ominous question - When to have the second baby?
Her topics include:
-In the hospital
-Going home
-Assessing the damage
-Baby euphoria
-Blue, baby, blue
-And the baby makes three
-I am soooo tired, I haven't slept a wink
-I want my old body back!
-Sex? What sex?
-Food, glorious food!
-Keeping everybody healthy
-Going back to work
-The second baby
I would recommend this book to help you feel apart of the 'Mommy community' not for fantastic, scientific information on babies.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mothers Day
Just like to wish all of you a happy Mom's day - we should all get more than just one day!!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Hello Readers!!
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And if you have any suggestions - just email us! We'd be happy to hear from you!
And if you have any suggestions - just email us! We'd be happy to hear from you!
Wake Time/Activity Time
I am a follower of the Babywise/Baby Whisperer routines which are pretty much the same thing:
Baby wise: Wake/play/sleep routine
Baby Whisperer: E(eat).A(activity).S(sleep).Y(you) routine
One of the trickiest elements of this type of routine is... when is my baby ready for a nap? How long should their wake time be? What happens when they have had too much play or activity?
When is she ready for a nap?
Look for sleepy cues, which vary from newborn to older babies. Note that some babies do not show sleepy cues so let the clock help you in deciding when your little one may become tired. Also, newborns until around 3 months can only use a head turn or yawning since they do not have control over their limbs - yet!
-Yawns
-Fidgeting/loss of coordination
-Involuntary movements
-Eye rubbing or red around the eye
-Unexplained fussiness (this can be the trickiest cue)
-Stare (as if they are looking 7 miles into the distance without wavering)
-Turns head away from objects
-If carried, burys head into your neck (as if they are trying to block out all things visual)
How long should their waketime be?
Waketime varies by age and temperment but always becomes increasingly longer the older the baby; note this includes feeding time as well.
-Newborn: 1 hour
-3 months: 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes
-6 months: 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours
-9 months: 2 hours
-12 months: 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes
*Note* These are averages and I have noticed that the first waketime of the day is the shortest and the following waketimes will be longer. Example: 1 hour, 1.25 hours, 1.5 hours, 2 hours)
What happens when they have too much play or activity?
In our society we are always filling our schedules to the maximum. Be very careful to not overstimulate your baby with toys the jiggle, bounce, sing, flash, light up or are too busy. Even though we may think 'There is no way you can be tired!' the little one may be!
-Overstimulation: most common result of too much anything. The length of wake time may be just right but the activity during the waketime may be too much. Lily can play in her jumperoo/exersaucer at the beginning of waketime but if I put her in them right before nap, she is too amped to settle down.
-Short naps: YUCK! 30-45 minutes naps are the bane of my existance! After the baby's first sleep cycle has concluded (around 40 minutes), the baby will awaken and will be unable to fall back asleep because she was too buzzed from her previous play time.
-Fussiness when waking: Around 3-5 months, your baby should be waking happy from naps. If they played too much/were up for too long during the past waketime, they will still be grumpy.
-Unable to fall asleep easily for nap or at all: You could rock, sing, hum, bounce and shh the little one until no end and they still won't want to nap! If I sense I have overstimulated Lily, I take her to a dark room with her blankie, rock her or sit with her until she sucks her thumb. Sometimes this is for 10-15 minutes.
-Meltdowns: This is the last resort for overstimulated babies. It seems as though they are done with life, forever. They scream, kick, cry, squirm and can become aggressive! This is the baby trying to tell you, 'Mom., please take note you kept me up too long and those hanging toys are too much.'
Learn from your baby, watch her. She will tell you in her banguage (baby language) that she is done with play time and is ready for some rest. Respect the fact that some waketimes will be shorter than others and that it may throw off your 3 or 4 hour schedule. For goodness sakes, listen to the baby when she is tired and act immeadiately instead of worrying about what time it is!
Baby wise: Wake/play/sleep routine
Baby Whisperer: E(eat).A(activity).S(sleep).Y(you) routine
One of the trickiest elements of this type of routine is... when is my baby ready for a nap? How long should their wake time be? What happens when they have had too much play or activity?
When is she ready for a nap?
Look for sleepy cues, which vary from newborn to older babies. Note that some babies do not show sleepy cues so let the clock help you in deciding when your little one may become tired. Also, newborns until around 3 months can only use a head turn or yawning since they do not have control over their limbs - yet!
-Yawns
-Fidgeting/loss of coordination
-Involuntary movements
-Eye rubbing or red around the eye
-Unexplained fussiness (this can be the trickiest cue)
-Stare (as if they are looking 7 miles into the distance without wavering)
-Turns head away from objects
-If carried, burys head into your neck (as if they are trying to block out all things visual)
How long should their waketime be?
Waketime varies by age and temperment but always becomes increasingly longer the older the baby; note this includes feeding time as well.
-Newborn: 1 hour
-3 months: 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes
-6 months: 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours
-9 months: 2 hours
-12 months: 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes
*Note* These are averages and I have noticed that the first waketime of the day is the shortest and the following waketimes will be longer. Example: 1 hour, 1.25 hours, 1.5 hours, 2 hours)
What happens when they have too much play or activity?
In our society we are always filling our schedules to the maximum. Be very careful to not overstimulate your baby with toys the jiggle, bounce, sing, flash, light up or are too busy. Even though we may think 'There is no way you can be tired!' the little one may be!
-Overstimulation: most common result of too much anything. The length of wake time may be just right but the activity during the waketime may be too much. Lily can play in her jumperoo/exersaucer at the beginning of waketime but if I put her in them right before nap, she is too amped to settle down.
-Short naps: YUCK! 30-45 minutes naps are the bane of my existance! After the baby's first sleep cycle has concluded (around 40 minutes), the baby will awaken and will be unable to fall back asleep because she was too buzzed from her previous play time.
-Fussiness when waking: Around 3-5 months, your baby should be waking happy from naps. If they played too much/were up for too long during the past waketime, they will still be grumpy.
-Unable to fall asleep easily for nap or at all: You could rock, sing, hum, bounce and shh the little one until no end and they still won't want to nap! If I sense I have overstimulated Lily, I take her to a dark room with her blankie, rock her or sit with her until she sucks her thumb. Sometimes this is for 10-15 minutes.
-Meltdowns: This is the last resort for overstimulated babies. It seems as though they are done with life, forever. They scream, kick, cry, squirm and can become aggressive! This is the baby trying to tell you, 'Mom., please take note you kept me up too long and those hanging toys are too much.'
Learn from your baby, watch her. She will tell you in her banguage (baby language) that she is done with play time and is ready for some rest. Respect the fact that some waketimes will be shorter than others and that it may throw off your 3 or 4 hour schedule. For goodness sakes, listen to the baby when she is tired and act immeadiately instead of worrying about what time it is!
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