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What are the Right Crib and Mattress Size?

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What are the Right Crib and Mattress Size?

There are a number of factors that must be considered when purchasing a crib and mattress, and one of the most important aspects is the mattress size. There is a standard size for cribs and mattresses but sometimes people require non-standard sizes. If you are in such a situation, be sure to get your non-standard crib and mattress from a reputable manufacturer.

Studies show that one possible cause for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other health hazards is the crib and mattress size. Newborn babies are in their cribs most of the time. Once they start moving around, they could get trapped between the edge of the crib and the mattress, and suffocate. There is also the risk of harm to the baby since the baby can fall in between the gaps and get injured. Manufactures consider the right sizing as a major concern and will even go to the extent of recalling their productions if the mattresses do not meet strict specification requirements and fit properly in the cribs. Manufacturers also consider the principles of ergonomics when designing their cribs and mattresses. Ergonomics takes biological factors into consideration. When designing the cribs, they ensure everything is in accordance to standard specifications, such as the distance between slats and overall dimensions. The quality of the material is also included in their considerations. The standards are meant to address safety and health concerns of the baby. Considering the length of time the baby stays in the crib and the degree of the baby’s movement as they grow older, the crib and mattress must be able to withstand constant usage and provide adequate safety measures to protect the child against harm.

The standard specifications may have been based on studies conducted on the average size and weight of the baby, as well as their movements and activities in the crib. The standard full-size crib mattress is twenty-seven and a quarter inches by fifty-two inches, while the crib is thirty inches by fifty-four inches. Portable and compact cribs are twenty-six and a quarter inches by thirty-nine and a half inches. You can put pillows and other beddings on the sides of the mattress if there is any space remaining between the mattress and the sides of the crib.

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Standards defined by ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) and Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association set the openings between the slats to be no greater than two and three-eight inches to prevent the baby’s head from getting caught in between the slats. The corner posts of the crib should not rise more than one-sixteenth of an inch above the side. If they do rise, then it should be at least sixteen inches high. These precautions are intended to ensure baby’s clothing does not snag and get caught on the protruding posts. The standards are intended for a baby less than thirty-five inches high and under two years old. Taller or older babies run the risk of falling out the crib. ASTM is an international non-profit organization that develops and publishes internationally-agreed standards for materials, products, systems, and services. These standards become the basis for manufacturing, acquisition, and regulatory activities of organizations worldwide.

Crib sheets are twenty-eight inches by fifty-two inches. Nowadays they are sold as fitted sheets and should easily fit into the standard mattress. Crib blankets are normally forty-five inches by sixty inches. The thickness of the foam mattress ranges from four to six inches, while a coil mattress may have a range of five to six inches. If you plan to get a non-standard crib, be sure the manufacturer is reputable and has a wide array of accessories, since in most probability you will be purchasing all your requirements from them to conform to your non-standard crib.

What are the Right Crib and Mattress Size?

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Reasons for infant gas review

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Reasons for infant gas review

It is natural for babies to encounter gas pains. There are various causes of gas pains in infants. Knowing the various reasons will help you determine the cure and remedy for the gas pains. When a baby cries, it is hard to determine at first glance the cause for the baby’s discomfort and irritability. Definitely, the baby is calling attention to you. You have to isolate the different possible causes for a baby’s crying, such as hunger, a diaper change or other discomforts that need your attention. Here are some reasons that could cause infant gas to develop in the baby.

A baby swallows air and builds up gas in the stomach. Air is swallowed for various reasons, such as during breast or bottle feeding and eating solid food. As they take in food and drinks, they also swallow air in the process. This is a normal occurrence and cannot be totally prevented. You can make sure that the nipples are the right size and baby’s feeding is not too fast but it’s not certain you can stop the possibility of swallowing air. You can, however, ease their potential discomfort by burping them immediately after meals. Don’t wait for them to start crying before you apply burping procedures. Other possible reasons for swallowing air is during moments of intense crying, swallowing saliva and sucking on a pacifier. Parents give pacifiers to babies as a way of keeping them quiet and providing a respite from feeding. However, the implications may be a build-up of infant gas from sucking endlessly on the pacifier.

Gas also develops from the normal digestion process. As the food is digested in the stomach, gas can develop as a by-product. Some gas passes through the lungs and is expelled by burping. Other gas may pass through the bowels and be expelled from the bottom. There is some food that may be difficult to digest. These can cause loose bowel movements and excessive gas. Gastric symptoms can occur when the baby starts taking solid food. Lactose intolerance or other types of food allergy can make digestion difficult and activate excessive gases within the body. Check on the types of food that the baby eats and observe the baby’s reaction. Fruits and food rich in starches may be difficult to digest for some babies. Food with fiber, such as beans and peas can impact the amount of gas produced in the body. However, there is other fibrous food that does not produce gas. Be selective in the fruits, vegetables and other food that you provide to the baby. Vegetables, like cabbage, carrot, broccoli, asparagus, and legumes are known to increase the amount of gas produced in the body.

Reasons for infant gas review

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Studies show babies do not have sufficient digestive enzymes to digest solid food before the age of 4 months. Doctors recommend giving solid food to babies at a later age, such as 6 months or more. Parents sometimes try giving the baby solid food as early as possible because of their enjoyment in feeding the baby all types of solid food, not realizing the impact it may have on the baby’s digestive system.

Do not be alarmed if the baby is experiencing excess gas. It is a normal occurrence and knowing the various causes for the build-up will help you take steps to prevent the gases from building up in the baby’s body. Take the effort to burp the baby regularly to eliminate the potential discomforts of gas pains. Failure to treat the excessive gases immediately will cause the baby discomfort and pain which could lead to a sleepless night for you and the baby.

If there are excessive gases all the time, take the baby for a regular checkup with the doctor. There might be some disorders that can only be discovered after a thorough checkup. It is a good practice to have the baby checked regularly so the doctor can help you monitor the child’s progress and well being.

Before and after feeding baby review

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Before and after feeding baby review

Feeding baby sounds like an easy task but there are preparations that need to be done prior to the actual feeding and tasks that must be considered after feeding them. Here are some of the considerations when you plan to feed the baby.

The feeding bottles should be either glass or plastic with collapsible liners. Glass bottles are easier to clean and there is no after smell stuck in the bottle. However, there is a greater chance of the baby swallowing air when they drink their milk. There is less air swallowed in the plastic bottles but cleaning plastic bottles can be more difficult and harder to maintain. Have several size bottles available, such as the 8-ounce and 4-ounce bottles with various nipples, caps, and hoods. The baby might not want to take a big bottle, so the smaller bottle provides a better option for the baby. You save on milk and there is less wastage if the baby does not finish the bottle. Nipples and caps might break in the middle of the night and having a few spare will solve that problem. Cleaning the bottles can be done by batches. Be sure the bottles are properly sterilized and cleaned thoroughly. A few germs in the bottle is enough to make the baby get a virus and become ill. With a sufficient quantity of bottles, you can have a shifting schedule so you can be assured the baby will have a ready supply of bottles at hand.

Some parents prefer making a large supply of milk and pouring them into bottles as the need arises. Be sure you only make enough to last for less than a day as too much-mixed milk might just spoil if left for a long period of time. Keeping them in the refrigerator may lengthen their life span slightly. Another method is to have boiled water placed in the individual bottles and mix the powdered milk into the individual bottles when it is needed. The terminal method means the formula is sterilized at the same time as the bottles. Pour the formula into the bottles and place the bottles in the sterilizer. This implies that most, if not all, bottles already contain the formula. The bottles have to be consumed within a given time period or the formula will become stale.

Before and after feeding baby review

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After feeding the baby, there are several things that must be done to ensure the comfort and ease of the baby. Removing potential gas is vital after the baby finishes feeding. The baby could swallow air while feeding or acquire gas by eating too fast and not digesting the food properly. Don’t wait for the baby to experience gas pains. Prevent the possibility of gas pains by taking precautionary measures right after feeding. Burping the baby is a good way of ensuring that gas is expelled expediently.

There are several methods of burping the baby, all of which can be efficient and effective. Putting the baby on your shoulders and walk around while patting firmly the back of the baby is one common method.  You get some exercise by walking around and the movement aside from patting the back will help expel the gas. You can also talk or sing to them at the same time so they become at ease and comfortable. If you get tired of walking around or carrying them, lay them on their stomachs and pat the back firmly. Stroke their back up and down to induce the gas to come out. Be sure the baby does not fall asleep until they have expelled the gases. It is more troublesome if they wake up in the middle of the night with gas pains. Some doctors advise not to wait until the baby has finished feeding but rather burp the baby midway through their feeding.  Sometimes, the baby might spit out or vomit some milk. There is no cause for immediate alarm as it is possible the baby took too much and is expelling the excess through the burping process. However, if the vomiting continues, consult a physician.

Keep a close watch on what to do before and after feeding the baby. These are vital activities that will help baby have a healthy and relaxed feeding.

Preparing Baby Food review

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Preparing Baby Food review

Some parents buy baby food from the supermarket as it is more convenient than making their own. The baby food may have some vitamins or other calcium mixed in with the baby food. On the other hand, baby food might contain preservatives and other chemicals that are not healthy for the baby. It is, however, an essential ingredient to keep the baby food lasting for a long time. Some parents contend that it is better to make their own baby food. The baby food is fresh and they can put selected vitamins and calcium for the baby’s well being. They can leave out the preservatives and other chemicals that are not healthy for the baby.

Preparing baby food is not as complicated as it seems. In most instances, it is a fruit or a vegetable or a combination of both. If you are serving fruits, be sure the fruit is properly peeled and all seeds are taken out of the fruit. Pass the fruit through a blender until it becomes soft and mushy. Be sure the result is very soft without any lumps. Baby’s teeth are very small and cannot chew on hard objects. In some cases, the baby’s teeth might just be coming out of the gums. The food has to be adequately soft and mushy so baby can swallow it easily without choking. Fruits do not have to be flavored since there is a natural sweetness in the fruit. Vegetables, on the other hand, require a little bit more preparation. Vegetables have to be boiled to soften it and make it easier to pass through the blender. You might have to apply some salt and sugar to give it some flavor other than the vegetable itself. When you pass the carrots through the blender, include some of the water used in boiling them. Some vegetables, like carrots and beets, can be quite hard and will take some time to soften. Be patient and make sure it is completely soft and mushy. Hard objects, no matter how small, can be hard for the baby to swallow and they might choke on it. Remember the baby’s mouth and throat are still small and delicate. You don’t want rough food hurting their mouth and throat when they eat.

Babies eat small quantities in every feeding because their stomach is small. However, they feed frequently and gain a lot of weight during their first year. You should give them only fresh food with appropriate vitamins and calcium mixed in the food. Since you do not add preservatives, make just enough food to last a few days to avoid excessive spoilage. The disadvantage in preparing food is you cannot stock up on a variety of fruits and vegetables as they will only spoil, and you are limited on what is currently available in the market place.

Preparing Baby Food review

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Nutrition is critical in food preparation. Check with your doctor and nutritionist on the appropriate vitamins and calcium you should be mixing in the food. Check on the quantity and dosage of vitamins. Homemade food is always better than processed food since it’s fresh and contains the proper taste and flavors that you want the baby to enjoy. There are portable blenders that function on batteries which you can carry with you on long trips. It gives you the opportunity to prepare fresh food all the time regardless of where you are.

You can change the texture of the food as the baby grows older. From thin purees, you can advance to thicker and more textured foods slowly and at the baby’s convenience. You can wear them on different food slowly. It makes it easier for baby to get accustomed to the flavor and taste since you know the type of tastes the baby is used to having. Vitamins and calcium can also be adjusted to meet the requirements for their age bracket. The transition to thicker textures is a lot easier since you can gauge the actual thickness, consistency, and flavor for the next stage of baby food. If the baby has a hard time with the new texture, you can temper it down and build up slowly to the desired texture and consistency. There is more flexibility and variety when you make home-cooked food.

Laundering Baby clothes and accessories review

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Laundering Baby clothes and accessories review

It is always enjoyed dressing up the baby and making them look presentable. But it can be costly and a time-consuming task. Clothes make the person but remember that baby grows fast when they are small and they will quickly outgrow those beautiful expensive clothes that you just recently bought. It is nice seeing them all dressed up but those outdoor clothes can only be worn on those occasions that you take them out of the house which might not be often considering your other household chores and office work.

When you consider the cost of the clothes, laundering cost and time and the effort of dressing up the baby, you might want to reconsider the number of clothes you will buy for them at such a young age. Bedding material is just as critical and maybe more important than clothes. The only clothes you should be concerned about are diapers. Look for bargain sales as you will need to stock up on diapers. The baby will be using a lot of diapers during their young age and it is best to keep some quantity available in case you cannot launder them immediately. Disposable diapers are an option that does not require laundering time and money.  It can, however, get very costly depending on the number of diapers the baby uses daily.

If you decide to get a few clothes for baby, make sure they are loose and allow for growing space. Choose clothes you can expand into a bigger size but be sure the clothes fit well and are comfortable for baby to wear and use. Try to optimize the use of clothes and see if they can wear it for a few extra months or so before it becomes too small for them.  The garments should be easy to launder. There are clothes that come with the wash and wear a tag. You don’t waste time ironing and pressing their clothes.  The clothes should not be too fussy and hard to put on or take off. Garments have hooks and snap fasteners which make it easy to dress up the baby. Some clothes even use Velcro to keep them in place. It’s sturdy and easy undressing the infant.

Laundering Baby clothes and accessories review

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Trendy fashionable clothes look great on a baby but might be impractical if you have to spend a lot of time dressing and undressing them. The baby gets bored and exasperated if you spend too much time putting their clothes on. In fact, you yourself may get irritated and annoyed if the baby keeps moving around and makes it difficult for you to put on their outfit. Companies understand the difficulty of dressing infants and try to simplify the design for easy wearing. They also consider the safety and security of the child. Babies might chew the buttons and slipovers require tugging and pulling the clothes over the baby’s head.  These could affect the baby’s skin which is still delicate and sensitive. Take out the labels as they could stick out and irritate the baby’s skin.

Launder all the clothes that will touch the baby’s skin. Be sure to rinse the clothes well. Any remaining soap or detergent could affect the skin. The baby might also get infected if they start biting on the clothes. Take note the most important article is the diaper. Be prepared with disposable and cloth diapers. Disposable diapers are not as absorbent but they are perfect for traveling. You don’t have to worry about washing and lugging them along during the entire trip. Some people prefer cloth diapers. Be thorough when washing the cloth diapers. You don’t want any waste residue remaining in the diaper and you want to be sure to wash out any detergent or soap from the diapers.

Baby Safety comes first review

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Baby Safety comes to the first review

Parents are so thrilled with having a new member in the family that they lose sight of the dangers and risks that exist around the house. Some dangers look obvious but there are also cases when the risk is not too evident. You have to put yourself in the shoes of the child and think like a child to recognize and understand the different dangers that are present in the house.

While the child is still a baby, take note of the crib and the changing table. Make sure there are barriers that will keep the baby from rolling off the crib or the changing table. Have the bottles placed on a tabletop away from the baby’s reach. Clothes should be conveniently accessible. You don’t want to look for baby clothes while you are changing them. They will be exposed to drafts and cold while you are searching for their clothes. When the baby starts crawling and moving around, you have to be more observant of the things around the house.

Think like a crawling baby and look at all the things that are strewn on the floor. Small items, that appear innocent and harmless, can be very risky to the baby. They could swallow these small items or step on them and get hurt. Be sure the floor is always clean and free of dirt and small toys.  Carpets and mats are good as they can act as soft cushions for the baby to roll and play on. Be sure there is no lint or other material stuck on the carpet and mats. Use the vacuum cleaner regularly to pick up the stray dirt and lint.

Baby Safety comes the first review

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Electric fans are essential to keep the house cool and air circulating around the house. It is also an object of curiosity to the child. They get enthralled at the fan turning around and feeling the breeze on their body. They are unaware of the mechanics involved in an electric fan and curiosity will make them stick their fingers in the fan to see what will happen. Electric cords are fun to pull and yank around. Children have no idea of the implications if they touch the electric socket or pull arbitrarily on the electric cord and cause sparks to fly around. Bed covers are essential to keep the bed clean and dust-free.  However, children can pull the bed covers and roll around in them. They could get entangled in the bed covers and suffocate.

Looking at items near the floor will give you an idea of the dangers that lie around. However, do not lose sight of other items that are out of reach but can be seen by the child. If the child gets attracted to an item, they will try to get it despite the difficulties involved in accessing the item. The child is ingenious and can figure out ways and means to get items that appear to be beyond their reach. Make sure chairs are sturdy and will not topple over easily. Chest drawers have to be firmly in place. Children will find a way of climbing up chairs, tables and other types of furniture to get the items. You cannot watch them all the time but you can make sure that the furniture is sturdy and cannot be easily moved around the room. These precautions might prevent them from climbing up the furniture or at least ensure some form of safety in case they fall off the furniture.

Keep thinking like a child and see what other accidents or dangers can happen. Remember moving around is a new experience to the child and they want to eagerly explore and learn about everything.  You can’t stop them but you can make sure they do their explorations in a safe and secure environment.