Babies and Their Baby Things

If you're on your first tiny human, then I am guessing you know the feeling of sheer panic when they break out in hives or have a raging fever that is hot to the touch. Seems like, these days, it's hard to even trust the pediatricians because when you report that "hey, my baby has been projectile vomiting for two days," all they really seem to say is that you're crazy and the baby is fine. What, with all the vaccine propaganda going on, we don't know whether it is best to vaccinate or not vaccinate. Well, that is fine because this article is going to share ALL of the information that you could possibly need.

Let's start out with illnesses and fevers; what you can do to make the journey a lot easier. So I think we all know by now that a lot of things can cause fevers, such as: common cold, vaccines, pneumonia, influenza a & b, ear infections, bacterial infections, etc. The most common cause of fever is vaccines. This is not because they are toxic or killing your baby. The fever is actually a reaction to protect the human body, so when the vaccines can be a little too much on your baby, then their bodies go into survival mode. I know, that sounds incredibly scary, but it's actually a good thing. So, things you can to do break the fever: lukewarm baths (NOT hot & NOT cold. Lukewarm only), cold wash cloth on their forehead and chest. I personally would recommend ibuprofen/motrin instead of tylenol (give 1.25ml for six months and up), picking them up while cradling them and bouncing/rocking them is a good way to comfort them (my son screams bloody murder when he isn't feeling very good). Never mix the ibuprofen/motrin with other medicines until it has worn off. Those are all my best techniques for fever reducing.

Now we can move on to illnesses and what to do when they occur. We will start with the common cold: you will need to keep their airways clear considering with the common cold they can get rather clogged. I recommend the Frida Baby Nose Sucker; it works better than any other device I have used to clear my son's nose. Also, do not obstruct the mouth with bottles or binkies, because if their nose is clogged, they will not be able to breathe with those things in their mouth. Make sure to give ibuprofen when recommended on the box to reduce fevers and coughing if those things occur. Always remember that sickness may make your baby very clingy, so do not get annoyed or upset, because they will feed off of that and become more upset. Okay, next thing would be ear infection: out of all the suggestions I have, the number one thing you should do is take your baby to the doctor, because the infection can damage their ear drum. But if you have already done that, I suggest the Ibuprofen and to subside from cleaning the ear/ears with the baby safety Q-tips because, although they are "baby safety," they can shove the ear wax further into the ear canal and cause more damage. Now, for the more serious sicknesses such as: pneumonia, bronchitis, influenza a&b, and whooping cough, I only recommend to seek IMMEDIATE medical attention the moment you feel that something is not right.

I'd like to talk about the vaccines for a second. I know that there are moms out there that are not vaccinating their children because they think it causes Autism. Well, that is incorrect. Here is an article explaining the truth about vaccines. So, basically, my point here is that vaccines are necessary. Everyone has their own opinions, I agree with that, but measles and mumps are now making a comeback because of parents choosing not to vaccinate their children. Please get the vaccinations for the safety of all children, especially the ones too young to get the vaccine and who are now in danger.

Now, lets talk about the more common issues like teething! Some babies don't react at all, but if your baby is like my son, you will experience the no-sleep, crying, snot/boogers everywhere, etc. So the best thing I can recommend is an amber teething necklace. Those stop ALL side effects of teething. However, some of us cannot afford those (they are pretty spendy), so I would also recommend the ibuprofen, but only as a last resort. You can do the frozen teething toys but be sure to let them thaw out a little bit or, better yet, put them in the refrigerator, because they can cause frost bite on the gums. Orajel works great, too, but don't forget that babies can overdose if it is used more than directed. That's just about all I know about babies, medically.

Moving on, we can talk about simple things like baths, feedings, when and what to feed them, sleep schedules, and things like that. We'll start with baths; babies don't need to be bathed as much as one would think. A good wipe down would suffice just fine. Babies need to bathe I'd say two, maybe three times, in a seven day week. Be sure not to fill the tub too much because babies can drown in as little as one inch of water. Always keep an eye on them and never leave them unattended in the bath. We can now talk about feedings; how much, and how old. I personally wouldn't start your baby on solids until six months. The earlier you start them, the more susceptible they are to food allergies. Make sure to do one type of food at a time, to be sure they aren't allergic to certain foods. Usually one little container of food can do the job, but my son needs one and a half sometimes or he is grumpy for the rest of the day.

About sleep! We love sleep. So your baby, depending on age, should actually be getting 12 hours of sleep every 24 hours. I know that seems crazy, but if you actually pay attention to all the naps and the bedtime, it actually adds up. We all hope for the perfect sleeping schedules, but let's be real, that is rare. A good bed time is around 8:30 so that they usually wake up around 8 or 9 AM. Try not to let them sleep so much during the day or you will have hell to pay at bedtime.

But that's all I really know about babies. See, I too, am a new mom and am just sharing, with all of you, what I have learned along the way! I hope that this was helpful to some people. You're only as good of a mom as you believe you can be.