Category — Baby Tips

Many people wonder what age is okay for a baby or child to wear jewelry. Although there are no hard and fast rules about when the child should wear jewelry, the decision should be left to the gift giver and the child’s parents. When considering buying a gift of jewelry for a child, consider the following:

• Will the child be responsible enough to wear jewelry? Could the jewelry be lost? Will the child possibly flush it down the toilet, even by accident?
• Are there any allergies to gold or silver?
• Is there a choking hazard? It is important to know what to be aware of when buying jewery for a child.
• What type of jewelry would be best for the child? Necklace, bracelet, ring, earrings?

Ask Yourself a Few Questions

These are just a few questions to ask yourself before you invest in baby jewelry. It is always a good idea to talk to the child’s parents first, as well. After the parents tell you okay consider the following tips for buying the perfect baby jewelry gift:

• What is the child’s birth stone? Birthstone jewelry is always a hit!
• If you are buying for a little girl, consider small stud earrings.

You could select little gold beads or gold ball earrings, small diamond studs, or perhaps small pearl earrings. (Make sure she has pierced ears). If you are buying for a boy, and you want to buy him a ring, make sure the ring is at least a little bit masculine. You probably don’t want to get him a ring with a stone or a lot of sparkle.

Also, for an older boy you may want to consider buying him a necklace. A necklace will never go out of style. Plus, he will be less likely to lose a necklace, and he can always grow into it. Also, with a necklace, you can add a charm. Does he like basketball or baseball? Buy him a charm to go with his favorite sport.

Talk To the Parents

Are you considering a star or a cross? Talk to the baby’s parents. You may want to know their wishes or their religious affiliation. You don’t want to be caught off guard giving a cross to someone of the Jewish faith.

Something else to definitely consider when buying jewelry for a baby is to perhaps select a matching piece for mommy. It would easily be a nice touch, and it would become a keepsake for both mother and child. Matching jewelry for mommy and baby can certainly help out the new daddy.

Many men have depended on gifts of jewelry to make their women happy. So, it stands to reason that a new daddy will really score some points if he brings two pieces of jewelry to the hospital – one for his wife and one for his new baby. When mommy has her first portrait taken with the new baby, imagine how thrilled she will be to see the matching pieces.

There is nothing more sentimental than the gift of jewelry for a tiny loved one. And remember, you can buy children’s jewelry for special occasions such as the little one’s first steps, first word or first haircut.

Baby Bracelets

Usually when speaking of baby jewelry, bracelets are what come to mind. That is because they are the safest jewelry for a baby. There is much less of a choking hazard. Many baby bracelets are very plain and can often be engraved with the child’s name.

Other times, you’ll see baby bracelets with little blocks on them that spell out the name. I have heard that some childtren have actually learned how to spell their name, because they continually saw it on their bracelet. Now that is a keepsake worth remembering.

Some bracelets come with charms that rattle. These types of charm bracelets often cause concerns for the mother. They are worried the baby will put the bracelet in its mouth. This too, could cause a choking hazard.

Another concern is that the baby may be sensitive to the silver or gold. Although most baby jewelry is considered hypo-allergenic, if your little one is wearing any kind of jewelry, you will want to keep your eye on them just in case there is some sensitivity to the metal.

Also keep in mind that charms that come with a bracelet are normally tightly woven in, so the child cannot bite it off. Infant jewelry also has very safe clasps. Pins or sharp latches are definitely out.

Heirlooms

Sometimes a family member will aquire jewelry that is considered an heirloom and it will be passed down from generation to generation. Another neat idea is something that has been popular for many years.

You buy the brand-new baby girl a necklace with a simple gold bead or pearl on it. Then for each special occassion such as birthdays, Easter, Christmas, Baptism or other religious occasions, you add another gold bead or pearl. By the time she is all grown up, she has a fully beaded necklace or a lovely pearl necklace. She can wear this for years to come and throughout her adult life.

Toddler Jewelry

Besides infant jewelry you may get excited to buy for a toddler. This age group is usually interested in some type of jewelry and body adornment. Little girls generally love to wear hair clips and barrettes, so if you are considering jewelry, I am sure it will be a big hit. And they are more interested in fun pieces.

Toddlers might like sports jewelry such as we spoke of earlier for older boys. Or they may enjoy something fun and sparkly. Often times mom and dad will let their child pick out their own jewelry, and this helps them appreciate it more and longer.

One popular style of jewelry for toddlers is ladybug pieces. Ladybugs are symbols for good luck. Although a child’s first jewelry piece may be a simple gold band or bracelet, as the child gets older, you will want to consider adding to their jewelry collection.

Ladybugs are very cute and boys and girls alike will love to wear a jewelry piece with a little bug on it. I am not quite sure what the fascination is, but I have seen many children wear ladybug jewelry. You can purchase jewelry for all age groups at your favorite retailer, or you can shop at various online jewelry sites.

About the Author

Sara was a Jewelry sales profesional for 25 years. She now writes for Glitter Secrets.com and other sites to inform readers on buying jewelry.

If you’re trying to conceive your first baby, or you are working on baby #2, #3, etc., it helps to have some tips that can make you conceive sooner. I’ve got a few for you today:

Chillax. Stress is thought to be a factor in infertility. Trying to conceive can be extremely stressful. You can help relieve stress by exercising, getting enough sleep, and meditation. You can also relax with some regular yoga and massages.

Become a health nut. Cut out habits like smoking, alcohol and caffeine. Start eating a healthy diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats. Get organize, natural food as much as possible. Foods that contain hormones and other chemicals can decrease your chances of conceiving.

Make sex fun. Don’t let it become an item to check off on your “to do list”. Add some variety, if ya know what I’m sayin’. There is no evidence to prove that one position is best, so try them all!

Roll out the welcome wagon. Douches, vaginal sprays, scented tampons, lubricants, etc. can all mess with your vagina’s environment and pH levels. Avoid them while you’re trying to conceive.

Monitor your cycle. Fertility monitors will take the guesswork out of knowing when you’re most likely to conceive. The window of opportunity is small, so it’s helpful to know your cycle as best as you can.

Wait a couple days in between “tries”. Having sex too often can lower a man’s sperm count. Waiting about two days will allow it to go back up so you can get a good dose the next time.

Start taking a prenatal vitamin. A regular multi-vitamin doesn’t contain the right combination for a woman trying to conceive or who is already pregnant.

Don’t let gravity do it’s job. Stay horizontal for as long as you can after having sex. Give those little guys a chance to reach their destination. You don’t need to stand on your head, but laying down with a pillow under your hips for at least 20 minutes will help.

Talk with your doctor. They can offer you advice tailored specifically for you, your body, and your lifestyle. They can also test both you and your partner to see how fertile you each are.

Lots of parents find it difficult – if not impossible – to find a sippy cup that their baby will drink out of. Some babies refuse to even hold certain sippy cups. I know I had this problem with my daughter.

I tried too many brands and types of sippy cups to count, but after a lot of trial and error, we found just the one.

I’ve compiled a short list of the best sippy cups for babies. These sippy cups are all BPA-free and lots of parents have discovered that their baby will not drink out of anything else. You can view the list here:

What’s the Best Sippy Cup for my Baby?

Baby Tips readers picked #5 on the list as their favorite.

I recently received this question from a reader and I know a lot of parents wonder the same thing so I thought I’d share my answer with you.

Question: How do you get your baby to drink cow’s milk. Or can you give them chocolate milk?

My Answer: Pediatricians don’t recommend cow’s milk for babies until they’re at least 12 months old, so if your baby is older than a year, my best advice would be to gradually introduce milk in a sippy cup or a regular plastic cup a little bit each day.

It sometimes takes quite a few tries for them to develop a taste for it since it tastes so different than breastmilk and formula. Start with whole milk so baby can still benefit from the extra fat.

If that doesn’t work you can try mixing half cow’s milk and half formula or breastmilk together so the taste isn’t such a drastic change.

I would avoid giving baby any chocolate milk. Not only is the added sugar unnecessary but problems can develop in the future. It could be very difficult to get baby to drink regular milk after having a taste of chocolate milk. If you really want to, I’d only use it as a treat once in awhile.

In my previous post I mentioned a few of the benefits of breastfeeding your baby. In today’s post I wanted to talk about the not-so-pleasant side of breastfeeding, specifically – clogged milk ducts which is something I experienced when I breastfed my daughter a couple months after she was born.

What is a clogged milk duct?

Your breastmilk flows through “ducts” in your breast which can sometimes get plugged for various reasons. You’ll probably notice a hard lump in your breast which can be very sore or downright painful.

If the sore area is warm to the touch and you start to feel feverish or achy, it has most likely become infected. This can lead to mastitis so it’s important to deal with a clogged milk duct as soon as you can.

What causes plugged milk ducts?

In my case, I think the fact that I didn’t vary nursing positions often enough was the cause. Clogged ducts will occur when your breastmilk isn’t drained completely. This can also be caused by:

• an improperly fitted or poor quality nursing bra
• breastfeeding infrequently
• using a crappy quality breast pump
• sickness or stress

Not everyone will experience this but even if you do, there are a few ways to get that puppy unplugged.

How to treat a clogged milk duct

The best way to unclog a plugged up milk duct is to breastfeed as often as possible even though it can be extremely uncomfortable.

Try a different nursing position each time. For example, I held my daughter on my lap during one feeding, then I’d lay down and breastfeed her while laying down the next time.

The football hold was my favorite breastfeeding position at that time because her chin was pointed toward the clogged duct.

Something else I did to relieve the pain in between feedings was to keep applying a warm compress to my chest. Massaging the sore area with a warm cloth really helped.

I also stopped pumping since the first pump I used was a cheap, poor quality pump and I’m still not sure if that might have played a part in the clogged milk duct. (I recommend a good breast pump here.) If you already have a good quality pump, you may want to try pumping more often until the duct becomes unclogged.

I tried to hand-express milk while sitting in a warm bath which was suggested to me by a nurse, but it didn’t seem to make any difference.

When my milk duct finally came unclogged, I could actually feel it happen. Hopefully this won’t gross you out, but during a feeding (and it’s useful to note that I was using a breastfeeding position that I had never tried before), I could feel a little “pop” in my breast and I instantly felt 100% better. I asked the nurse how that plugged up, hardened milk would affect my baby and she said it doesn’t affect them at all.

How to avoid getting clogged ducts

With my second baby, I was more careful to vary my breastfeeding positions to prevent uneven pressure.

I also made sure to dish out on a set of good quality nursing bras. My favorite was actually the Playtex nursing bra because it was easy to use with one hand. So comfortable, I even wore it for a year after I stopped breastfeeding.

My favorite position to sleep is on my stomach, but I tried to stay on my back as much as possible because the added pressure to your breasts can cause clogged ducts.

I didn’t experience a clogged duct with my second child so I’ll be sure to follow the same steps the next time as well.

During pregnancy, you may have decided to breastfeed your baby because of all the benefits for both you and baby that breastfeeding provides. However, the closer your due date gets, the more anxious you may feel.

Chances are, other well-meaning but possibly irritating mothers might have told you all their breastfeeding horror stories and now you’re starting to get the jitters. I know I did.

My mother in law told me numerous times about the yeast infection she got in her breast while she was breastfeeding and it scared the you-know-what out of me!

Even though there can be complications that arise when it comes to breastfeeding, all the benefits make it all worth it. I managed to get a clogged milk duct but it didn’t last long and it was easy to remedy. It wasn’t terrifying like so many moms made it out to be.

Here are just some of the reasons why more and more moms are “braving it” and choosing to breastfeed:

• Babies require fewer hospitalizations
• They develop fewer respiratory, urinary tract, and ear infections among others
• Babies are at a lesser risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• They suffer from fewer bouts of allergies and asthma as they age
• They’ll have higher I.Q. scores
• Obesity and cancer risk will drop in later years

Moms are benefiting from breastfeeding too. Here are a few reasons why:

• Less bleeding and quicker recovery after childbirth
• Menstrual cycle is suppressed so you may experience lighter or fewer periods, or none at all for months
• Chances of developing ovarian and breast cancer are reduced
• It’s free
• Weight loss is significantly more efficient during breastfeeding

With all these benefits, it’s easy to overlook any of the cons of breastfeeding. In my next post, I’ll be talking about some of the complications you can experience during breastfeeding and how to avoid them. Make sure to subscribe to my RSS feed so you don’t miss it.

You can read more about breastfeeding during the first few days as well as how to deal with engorgement after your milk comes in.

I remember going through the “separation anxiety” stage when my daughter was 7 months old. I went to work for my old boss temporarily while she was recovering from surgery so instead of spending every second of the day with my daughter, I was spending 8 hours apart from her every day.

It was a big change for both of us, and also perfectly normal that we both cried every morning before I headed to work.

Almost every child will go through separation anxiety. At what age differs greatly – it could start before they turn a year old (like my daughter) or it could start when they begin their first day of school.

My son just got over his separation anxiety and he turned 3 years old in February.

Separation anxiety in babies is completely normal and healthy. It shows signs of bonding between you and your child. It doesn’t mean it’s easy though.

Babies with separation anxiety may cry every time you leave the room while toddlers will throw tantrums when you take them to daycare or preschool. Whatever the situation, it’s not pleasant! However, this is a learning opportunity for them because they’re figuring out recognition and trust.

How to cope with separation anxiety

My solution for dealing with separation anxiety? Quick goodbyes and distraction.

When I left my daughter to go to work, I’d say good bye and leave (and sob all the way to the car!). Hanging around and trying to calm her down just made the situation even worse. She picked up on my own anxiety and it would get her worked up even more.

My mom was watching her during the day so we also made sure to have some sort of distraction while I left like a video or breakfast.

Speaking of my mom, her solution when I was going through separation anxiety was to leave me with her sweater. She used to work very early hours and I wouldn’t let her leave so she gave me her sweater to sleep with like a teddy bear. Worked like a charm.

As for my own adventures to work every morning, sneaking out of the house was sometimes the only way. It was easy, but I wanted my daughter to learn how to deal with it so I avoided “sneaking” as much as possible. As much as I would have loved to spend all my time with her, it just wasn’t possible. She needed to learn how to be OK without me and she needed to trust other people. Sneaking out just prolonged that learning experience.

It was difficult while it lasted, but it didn’t go on for more than a month. If it lasts longer than you think it should, and it’s affecting their eating and sleeping habits, you may want to ask for some advice from your doctor. In the majority of cases though, it passes with time just like teething. It may be tough, but it’s all part of the process!

You can learn more about separation anxiety and how to cope with it here.

Whether you’re weaning from the bottle or from the breast, it can be a stressful time for you and your baby. A lot of mothers find weaning to be a huge struggle.

I was very fortunate that the weaning experience was a smooth one and the whole transition took very little time for both my babies.

I breastfed my first child as long as I could (5 months) but after visiting my doctor and trying everything I could, I just couldn’t produce enough milk for her. Eventually she was feeding exclusively from the bottle so when it was time to wean her, I only had to wean her from the bottle.

My mother had told me as soon as she was born to never let her hold her own bottle. I remembered that and stuck to her advice. I believe that made a huge difference when it was time to wean her off the bottle.

When she was a year old, I gradually introduced more sippy cups
with milk and less bottles until she was completely weaned. The whole process took a few weeks.

When my son was born, I was determined to make a better go at breastfeeding. I was devastated when I had to have surgery one day after he was born and couldn’t breastfeed him. I tried pumping but with the nurse’s help and a hospital-grade pump, I could barely get an ounce of milk.

By the time the drugs from the surgery had worn off and I was able to breastfeed again, my short supply of milk had almost dwindled to nothing. My son and I both suffered for seven weeks trying to breastfeed until I finally switched to the bottle permanently.

Thus, my son was weaned from the bottle at one year of age as well. The process was virtually the same. I never let him hold the bottle and when it was time to wean, I slowly added more sippy cups as the days went on. He was completely weaned from the bottle within a few weeks.

The biggest obstacle for me with both my children during the weaning phase was that they always wanted the bottle to fall asleep. I expected this long before it was time to wean so I made sure to develop some strong sleep routines.

I would always wrap them in a blanket right before bedtime, then sit and rock with them in a rocking chair while listening to Baby Einstein music and feeding them. This put them to sleep every time. Sometimes their little eyes would roll back and they’d fall asleep as soon as they’d hear the music. They were used to the same routine every single time they went to sleep

When I started to wean them, I took the bottle away but kept the same routine of swaddling them and rocking them while listening to music. They hardly fussed or put up a fight at all.

You can read the article I wrote about weaning here:

How To Wean Baby Off The Bottle

I’d love to hear your own thoughts, questions or experiences with weaning your baby.

My kids love to eat fruits and raw vegetables, but I usually have trouble getting them to eat salads. However, I’ve discovered that they’ll eat waldorf salad until the cow’s come home so I try and make it fairly often. It’s easy to make and very versatile. Here’s the recipe I use:

Kid-Friendly Waldorf Salad

1/2 cup celery, diced very thin
1/2 cup red seedless grapes (I chop these in half to prevent choking)
2 apples, cored and diced (I use gala apples but any will do)
1 cup raisins
3 cups lettuce (I always use iceberg)
3 tbsp mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1 tbsp lemon juice (fresh is best)

I like to dice my celery really thin or it just doesn’t seem right eating a huge crunchy thing while everything else is soft and juicy. Sometimes I leave the celery out completely. Next, I chop up the grapes. It’s easier to eat when they’re cut in half, plus I feel safer knowing my kids won’t choke on a whole grape. In the meantime, I let a cup of raisins soak in some water, then squeeze them dry with paper tower. I leave the apples until last to keep them from browning before they’re mixed in.

I mix up the mayo and lemon juice in a measuring cup and let it sit in the fridge until I’m ready to complete the salad. Next up is the lettuce. Iceberg lettuce works great as it’s nice and crispy.

Sidenote: I was reading a magazine and saw this Prepara Salad Prep Set. Kitchen utensils rock my world (and I know that cutting lettuce with a metal blade will brown the leaves) so I rushed to see if it was on Amazon. The price in the magazine was $15 for the set, but it’s $9.95 at Amazon. Yay! Don’t they look fun? It makes me want to chop lettuce and veggies all day.

Anyhoo, I always prepare all the ingredients beforehand and then throw them all together right before it’s time to eat to keep the salad from getting too soggy. There usually isn’t anything left over but if there is, it keeps well for about a day.

It’s a great way for your kids to get a healthy dose of fruits and veggies without all the complaining. When I make this, my daughter always says, “Mommy, you’re the bestest cook in the whole world!”.

Don’t forget: You’ll get lots more recipes like this when you sign up for my free Baby Tips Newsletter – plus you’ll receive exclusive baby tips delivered right to your inbox.

My son recently woke in the middle of the night with croup cough. Normally I would have been extremely alarmed but I had experienced croup cough with my daughter a few years ago so I recognized the sound at once.

Croup cough has a very distinct sound when your child coughs. It sounds like a bark. Some say it sounds like a seal barking, but since I’ve never heard a seal bark, I’m going to say it sounds like an old dog! Or maybe even a cat coughing up a hairball. Either way, it’s not pleasant.

Croup cough is fairly common in young kids. My daughter was not quite one year old when she had it. My son has just turned three and this was the first time he ever had it.

When I first heard him coughing, I checked on him first and was scared to see that he could hardly breathe. My daughter was prescribed all kinds of medication and had to be on a breathing machine so I was worried for my son. However, it was about 2 a.m. and I wasn’t able to take him to the doctor so I hoped Vicks VapoRub would suffice until the morning.

I rubbed a bit of Vicks on the sides of his neck and at the base of his throat, just above his chest. He was instantly quiet. I was amazed how quickly and effectively it worked. I went back to bed and didn’t hear another peep out of him.

The next day he had almost no signs at all that he had croup cough. I got lucky this time. He was back to his usual cute and trouble-making self. My daughter was a lot younger and was extremely fussy for at least a week.

Croup cough can come and go very quickly, but it can also become serious so if you’re at all worried about your child, take them to your physician. If they’re having a lot of difficulty breathing you may need to take them straight to the emergency room. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.