Can a Baby Monitor Give Peace of Mind?

One of the modern mom’s favorite nursery items, a baby monitor, allows her to keep an eye or ear on the baby while taking care of other needs in her home. Monitors come in a wide variety of styles, and you can get a basic monitor for as little as $30 or you can pay as much as $200 for one of the more advanced models.

Basic monitors allow you to hear what is going on in the nursery while you are in another room of the house. Most monitors come with a portable receiver, so you can take it with you from room to room.

Some monitors have a silent mode, with a light that comes on when the baby begins to make noise. This is handy when you are vacuuming, or doing other chores, where it might be hard to hear the monitor.

Other monitors are designed to work like walkie-talkies. This is nice if you are in with the baby and you need something from another room, and call for someone to bring it.

Another feature that is nice to have is a low battery indicator, so you aren’t caught off guard when you may need it most.

Some of the more advanced monitors include video-monitoring features as well, so you can watch the baby’s activities. Another monitor has a sensor that can be placed under the mattress to alert the parents to stopped movement, indicating that the baby may have stopped breathing. There are even monitors that have a remote button that allows you to activate a vibrating unit that helps calm a fussy baby.

When choosing a monitor, you have to consider how many units you want, or if you simply need one base and one portable receiver. It’s always best to get a monitor that has a variety of frequencies, especially if you live in a fairly busy neighborhood, so you have less chance of interference from other electronic devices around.

Some parents may want to purchase a gently used monitor in a second hand store. And while this can be a good savings, be sure to check on past recalls on monitors, to ensure that the model you are getting hasn’t had problems.

And it’s worth mentioning: while baby monitors are very useful and effective in alerting the parents about the baby and giving them peace of mind, they can also pose a problem for your family’s privacy. So, make sure that when the baby monitor is on you make sure your discussions are OK to be heard by others.

Baby Sling: The Perfect Tool for Bringing Parent and Baby Closer

A baby sling provides a safe and secure way to tote your baby around without taking up extra space; it also promotes a calmer, happier baby!

Most newborns love to be held and comforted for hours on end. The use of a baby sling will help new mothers accomplish this task, yet still remain mobile.

In many countries outside of the United States, babies are hauled around in baby slings for most of the day. Some moms even nurse their babies while they are carrying them around in a baby sling.

There are several different varieties of infant carriers on the market. Selecting the one that is right for you will depend on several different factors. One is the age of your infant. Some baby slings are designed with newborns in mind, while others are better suited for toddlers. Some offer more head support while others allow baby to move about slightly more freely.

A baby sling will allow you the opportunity to maintain constant contact with your infant, thus further strengthening the bond between mom and baby. Studies have shown that babies who are carried around for longer periods of time generally cry less and are more content. In many countries where babies are carried for a longer part of the day, colic is virtually non-existent. Carrying your infant around in a baby sling also allows more time for learning, as visual alertness and quite alertness often increase as a result of carrier usage.

One of the more popular types of baby slings is the pouch sling, also referred to as the tube of pocket sling, where baby is carried in a semi-prone position. This type of sling often fits around one arm, with baby hanging at about stomach level. There are other types of slings that mom or dad can wear like a backpack, with baby nestled in either facing in or facing out.

Use of a baby sling is often more convenient than trying to carry baby around in her car seat. A baby sling also provides a neat way to carry your baby around if you don’t want to pack a bulky stroller. Slings can be used to tote your baby around while shopping, going for a walk, and even vacuuming around the house.

Keep in mind that there are weight limits on some slings: often children over 35 pounds are too heavy to be carried around. Some tips for wearing a baby sling include the following:

- Always keep one hand on your baby when bending over or moving abruptly, to prevent your baby from accidentally falling out.

- Be aware of your movements when using a baby sling; remember that babies can be bumped by doorways or sharp corners, always be aware that your babies head or limbs might extend outside of the framework of your baby sling.

- Though baby slings are useful for accomplishing a variety of tasks, it is not recommended that you wear your baby in a carrier while cooking. The risk of hot substances splashing on baby is too great.

- Remember that older children might figure out how to climb out of their carriers, be certain that you utilize an age appropriate baby sling at all times.

- A baby sling should not be used in lieu of a car seat or other infant protection device.

Massage Therapy for Infants and Babies

You've probably heard about how effective massage therapy for infants and babies is by now, but you probably don't know why it is considered so beneficial. Well, although massage therapy has been practiced for a long time, the general public has only recently started to open their minds and hearts to this technique in recent years. It is now known, and proven, that touch therapy and massage helps reduce stress in infants and babies - a baby who is given the massage and touch therapy sleeps deeper and longer.

Massage therapy provides infants and babies with a very nurturing feeling and it is especially helpful for babies with medical or physical problems. The more times they experience your touch, the calmer they will become. The calmer they are, the better they are able to deal with the medical interventions that they have to go through at their young age!

Massage therapy and touch therapy have a lot in common because they have a lot to do with motion of the hands over various parts of the infant's or baby's body. The technique involves a lot of touching, stroking, and massaging of body parts. For adults, massage therapy might even be a little bit on the painful side - but for infants and babies, this is not the case.

For an infant or baby, massage therapy has a lot to do with skin-to-skin contact. This could be something as simple as holding a baby to a naked chest, holding an infant's or baby's hand when the baby is in a cubicle. Some massage therapists offer services of providing massage therapy to infants or babies in a critical or unstable condition. In fact, massage therapy is so well accepted that The International Infant Massage Therapy Association was formed in 1986.

Some nursing professionals offer massage therapy services to babies or infants they deliver. Professional nurses who offer these services will provide the technique to critically or seriously ill babies or infants. These nurses work closely with the baby or infant's doctor and other nurses to ensure that the baby or infant's health is in no way endangered at all.

The most wonderful thing about massage therapy is that it not only benefits the infant or baby, it also benefits the parents or main caregivers. The baby sleeps better, grows faster, while the parents will get an extra few hours sleep each night. Not only will the baby or infant sleep better, massage therapy could eliminate colic, tummy aches, headaches, and even a stressful day at school or even fever. Seeing the benefits of massage therapy, it is no wonder that there are so many more parents who are open to the idea of using massage therapy for their infant or baby today, as compared to a decade ago.

Babies or infants who are not medically challenged will also benefit from massage therapy. It has been shown that babies or infants who are given massage therapy from an early age tend to grow up more alert, smarter, and healthier in general.