Bye Bye Bottles

Some parents find it very difficult to ween their infant off the bottle. One parent I spoke with said,

"We have been trying to ween him from the bottle, but  he just continues to cry". I shook my head with understanding  to let her know that I knew weening from the bottle isn't easy. If you are a parent and want to know how to make the transition from the bottle to a sippy cup, here are a few suggestions I shared with the mother who had been trying to ween her infant from the bottle. 

Start with placing milk in a sippy cup and offer the cup during every meal or snack. Do this for about one to two weeks depending on your infant. If your infant needs a bottle before going to bed, go ahead and offer the bottle, because you want to make weening from the bottle a smooth transition. (Note: Don't allow the infant to go to sleep in the crib,sucking a bottle, Studies show ear infections and cavities will develop if the infant is allowed sucking while sleeping.). Next, depending on the number of bottles your infant takes with him/her to the baby sitter or daycare, take one bottle with milk, one sippy cup with milk and a sippy cup with water. Again, offer the sippy cup with every meal or snack  This plan can work if you don't give into the crying. Eventually the infant will learn if he/she wants a drink of milk or water he/she will drink from a sippy cup. Once you notice the infant is drinking from the sippy cup and doesn't need the bottle anymore, then pat your self on the back and say, "Yay! Bye Bye Bottle".      

Ask Dee...

Today I was driving home from work and thought about all the working women and men who not only put in eight to ten hour a day at work, then come home to care for the family/children. I thought, what if women and men could ask any question that he/she may have thought about, but could never find the words to say out loud. Today is your day to ask any questions concerning your infants and toddlers. No question is off limits, but I do ask that your language be appropriate and don't ask or write something your mom or grandmother would be embarrass to read.

I thought forward to your questions and comments

How To Find The Right Daycare Provider

Being a stay home mom is such a wonderful experience. You get to watch your baby grow, you experience the joys of nursing, bonding with your baby,changing diapers, and rocking the baby to sleep (you doze off to sleep while holding the baby in your arms). You experience your first doctor's visit and you see your baby's first steps. You get the point.

Now it's time to go back to work. Some women are excited about rejoining the working class. While others find returning to work difficult and hard for many reasons. The thought of leaving your baby with strangers makes your stomach turn, but you know this transition back to work must be done.

Don't worry Ms. Dee is here to help.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the right place for you and your family. Do your research. Find out if the childcare facility is licensed with the state. This information covers a lot concerns that some mothers have about sanitation, state visits as well as laws and policies that governs licence daycare facilities.Once you have chosen a potential provider, set up an appointment. Now it's time to be Sherlock Holmes. (An investigator)

Here are a few tips.

Pay attention to class size.

Teacher to child ratio.

Star Rated

The smell of the facility.

Running noses.

Education and experience of the staff.

The curriculum

There are many other things to look for during your tour of the facility, but here are a few more to get you started. Don't forget to ask questions. The only dumb question is the one not asked. Remember this is your bundle of joy and you have every right and obligation to your baby to place him/her in the care of people who will love your baby as much as you.

Hope this helps

How To Wean An Infant From A Pacifier

When a infant comes into the world crying is very normal. It's their way to communicate. Than there are times when the crying doesn't stop. You try nursing, changing the diaper ,you hold and rock the infant but that doesn't seem to work and you try teaching the infant to self sooth. Then you try the pacifier to stop the crying. Oh how quite the room is. As the infant grows and becomes more dependent on the (Binky) pacifier, you notice the infant doesn't babble as much. (Note: I know all infants and toddlers babble and talk at different stages) However we will use my scenario. At fifteen months, you understand that it's time to start weaning the baby from the pacifier because you know research says that pacifiers could have negative effects on oral health and can contribute to ear infections.

This decision to wean your infant from the pacifier can be stressful because you know their will be some crying. Hear are a couple of suggestion you can try.

Try giving the infant the pacifier when their is a need for it, such as when the child is hurt or scared. Don't use the pacifier for a just in case situation. Another way to wean an infant from using a pacifier is to only offer the pacifier at nap time or bedtime, when it is difficult for some infants to go to sleep. Offer a favorite teddy bear, blanket or what ever is a favorite to stop the crying.

If you choose a plan to wean the infant off the pacifier, stick to it because eventually the infant won't need the pacifier to stop crying.

Breast Feeding

New and Expecting mothers.

If you are an expecting mother and wondered about breast feeding, you are not alone. New and expecting mothers want to know what it will feel like while breast feeding and what to expect. This question can be hard to answer for some women, but hear is what I know for sure. Most women will experience the physical sensation of nursing. A tingling in the breast when she starts to nurse, this sensation is also felt when the milk starts to flow.  Some women also feel a sense of pleasure, being satisfied and relaxed. This sensation also  stimulates the release of two  hormones Oxytocin and Prolactin. According to Medical News Today, Oxytocin is the reflex that gives the women a feeling of relaxation.The Prolactin produces the milk.  

Now that you have an idea about breastfeeding and what to expect while nursing, lets talk about dieting while breast feeding. During your nine months of being pregnant you are going to gain some weight. If you are lucky you will lose most of the weight after the baby is born. However, dieting is not recommended while breastfeeding. There are ways for mothers to maintain healthy eating habits while nursing. The first thing you want to do is consult your doctor before starting any diet plan and get medical advise to protect you and your baby from any health risks. My recommendation is make sure you eat from all food groups.Proteins, grains, fruits and vegetables for your body. You will be surprise to know that eating different types of food changes the taste of your breast milk. If you eat right now, than your baby will be a better eater in the future.

I hope this helps.

Copyright 2016

Ways to Prevent a Diaper Rash

Today's discussion is ways to prevent a diaper rash.

Diaper rashes are caused by a number of things such as irritation to the skin, fungal(yeast infection) and wearing the diaper to long. Diaper rashes can get worse and become very painful if not treated right away. Today I am going to provide you with three ways to prevent and heal a diaper rash.

Irritation: The skin gets irritated by urine, feces and or soap.To prevent the skin from getting irritated, apply a dime size of Aquaphor healing ointment to the infants bottom every diaper change.This is a preventive measure.

Fungal: Once the skin is infected, fungal (yeast infection)  has set in giving the skin a reddish  tint. Fungal is caused by the warmth and moister that has set inside the diaper. To heal this type of rash you can use your traditional Desitin diaper cream, but I recommend a good old fashion use of baking soda bath which is a  remedy my mother and grandmother would use to treat a diaper rash. Place one table spoon full of baking soda in warm water and let the infant sit for ten minutes.Then rinse the infant off'. Pat dry, then place ointment of choice onto the infants bottom,

Change diaper:Wearing a diaper too long can cause a diaper rash as well The simple solution to this problem is too change your infant every two hours or as needed.

Tell me what you think after trying these top three ways to prevent a diaper rash.

Copyright 2016

HOW TO SOOTH AN INFANT CRYING

Parent are not able to sooth their infant crying for a number of reason. First the infant could be hungry, Secondly, the infant is crying because  he/she is wet and or soiled. The may also need the touch of his or her caregiver.

If your infant is crying because he or she is hungry, feed the infant the formula or breast milk needed to satisfy hunger. Its important to stay on schedule with feedings which can reduce the amount of crying. Secondly, your infant is crying because he/she is wet/soiled. Change your infant every 2 hours or sooner or as needed when soiled. Lastly, your infant is crying because he/she needs to be held. Hold your infant as much as you can to create a bond of trust and security that can last a life time.  

In conclusion, there are many ways to sooth your infant crying,but I would start by choosing one of my methods first and let me know how it works for you.



Copyright 20016