Baby Care Information & Advice

When you make the decision to get a new household member of the small fluffy furry kind there are several things you should know about taking care of a new puppy before you go and look at them.

You first of all need to decide what breed of dog you want although taking care of a new puppy of any breed requires the same attention when they are young but they do grow very quickly and you do not want to get a breed that will grow into a big dog if you feel that you will not be able to take care of it as you did when it was young.

When you bring a puppy home, he or she will usually be around 8 weeks old. Most good breeders will not allow them to leave their mother much before this date. Taking care of a new puppy at this young age requires a warm room and a warm place to sleep. You will also need to have several supplies for taking care of your new puppy. At that time, you will find that you need to make sure that you have several supplies ready. You should have a place that the puppy can be during the day, where he can play, eat, and piddle, without a problem.

Young Puppies:

If you are taking care of a new puppy that has just been born and is still with the mother you need to have an environment where you can have the puppies where you can easily control the temperature, and you have to be sure that the puppies are warm. You also should provide a place that is safe for them so that they don’t get hurt by accident. You will also need to make sure that the mother is comfortable with fresh drinking water at all times. Taking care of a new puppy at this stage must be carefully monitored to ensure that the mother does not accidentally trample on or suffocate her new puppies.

One of the best general puppy care tips in taking care of your new puppy is that you need to remember to socialize your puppy. No matter what kind of puppy you have, you will see that it is important you socialize them all of the time. Your puppy will be fine around anything you want, as long as you expose them to these things when they are young. This means that you have to let them be around children and babies and other animals to make sure that they are socialized but only when they reach about eight weeks old.

Safe And Healthy

When taking care of a new puppy there are many general puppy care tips that involve keeping your dog safe and healthy. You will need to take your puppy to the vets so that he or she can be checked over and weighed and given any appropriate medication. You will also be given advice on taking care of your new puppy with the type and amounts of food and exercise you should be giving to him or her. The vet will also advise you when its vaccinations, worming and flea treatments are due.

One of the best general puppy care tips that you can get is to make sure that your puppy has the proper amount of love. It might sound silly, but a puppy needs love to thrive on more than anything. You have to be sure that you are always being kind and gentle with your puppy, because that is the best way to have your puppy grow into the dog you want him to be. Taking care of a new puppy is hard work and it will require commitment and training from you but the rewards of taking care of a new puppy far outweigh the work involved. You must remember that one day the little puppy will grow into a dog and will be relying on you for the next 10-15 years.

To get your puppy off to a good start, schedule a veterinary check-up within the first 48 hours of bringing it home. You can then get a clean bill of health, a schedule for future vaccinations and spay/neuter surgeries and advice on food, training, parasite preventatives and trainer recommendations.

What to consider before getting a puppy?

* Investigate the breeds and mixes. * Ensure you are familiar with the breed’s adult size & personality traits. * Estimate costs of regular veterinary care, flea/tick and heartworm prevention. * Estimate costs of grooming, food and how it fits into your lifestyle or family life.

How to keep your puppy safe?

* Create a safe environment at your home. A puppy, just like a human baby, finds the tiniest nooks and crannies to get into and they often get into trouble playing with computer cables, electric cords, cleaning products, pantyhose, etc. Hide or contain wires and cables, put baby locks on low cabinets (little paws and noses can pry doors open), pick up stray strings, needles, paperclips, shoelaces, and move valuables, books and breakables to new heights. * Crate – search for one with enough room for your puppy to turn around, lie down and sleep but not too spacious as this leaves room for it to eliminate in areas where it doesn’t sleep. * Until your puppy has finished all rounds of immunisation, he should not mix with a lot of strange dogs or be where there is a high volume of other dogs walking, as he needs to be fully protected before venturing in public places.

What are the handy things you need to have to care for a puppy?

* Use non-tipping metal food and water dishes – this helps keep the dishes from sliding.

* Buy some stain and odour neutralizer – your puppy will always be drawn to areas where “accidents” took place, a good neutralizer will eliminate odours from its urine or stool.

* Buy a brush, nail clipper and a comb if your puppy will eventually grow into a dog with a medium to long coat.

* Get an adjustable collar, identification tag and a six-foot nylon or leather leash with a small clip. Try to avoid chain collars or leashes.

How to house-train (potty-train) your puppy?

* House-training a puppy is not difficult if you’re consistent and stick to a schedule. You will probably be feeding three times a day. First thing in the morning, take the puppy out of its crate and quickly take it outside to where you’d like it to eliminate. Be patient, and as soon as your puppy starts to eliminate, CALMLY praise it with “Good dog” (or whatever term you’d like to use). When your puppy has finished all its business, take a few minutes to play or cuddle it. What you want to teach your puppy is the sooner it eliminates, the sooner it gets to play with you. When playtime is over, bring it inside, feed your puppy breakfast and let it have water. In about 15-20 minutes, take it outside again and repeat the routine. Once back inside, if you have time to monitor your puppy, you may let it explore its surroundings. After that, put it back in its crate.

* Never leave your puppy in the crate for more than its limit in controlling its bladder. Usually a puppy can hold it for as many hours as its age in months. For example, a 2-month old puppy can stay in the crate for no more than 2 hours, as long as it has eliminated before being crated. Repeat the feeding, elimination, play routine at lunch and dinner, then no more water or food 2 hours before bedtime. If the weather is very warm, a few ice cubes in your puppy’s water bowl will quench its thirst but not stimulate its bladder like water will. Generally, at 8 weeks to 3 months, your puppy will have developed better bladder and bowel control and is capable of sleeping through the night. But remember to take your puppy out first thing in the morning!

* When your puppy pees on one spot, he tends to go back to exactly the same place over and over because your puppy recognises the smell. Therefore take your puppy to the same spot every time. If your puppy does it in the right spot, lavish him with lots of praises! Use your happy voice, your puppy will soon know he did it right and will want to do it right the next time.

* If your puppy had an accident somewhere inside the house, make sure you clean the floor or the carpet thoroughly to neutralise the smell. A good quality pet odour remover should do the trick.

* Each time you want your puppy to defecate or urinate, teach you puppy a specific word by repeating the same word many times, for example “go poop”, “go potty”. By repeating the same words each time, it will become another command for your puppy and he will be able to do it when you mention the command.

* Ideally you will have a dog door installed so that your puppy can be trained to go outside when it needs to eliminate. If this is not practical, keep an eye on your puppy, try to observe how your puppy normally acts before he pees, and take him outside as soon as you see the signs. You can also teach your puppy to ask for the door, but that might take some time.

* Establish a routine – for example, after a nap or before play time, take your puppy outside to eliminate.

What are the development stages and behaviours you can expect from a puppy to a dog?

* The Juvenile Stage: 3 to 4 Months

The Juvenile stage typically lasts from 3 to 4 months of age, and it’s during this time your puppy behaves a little more independent – he might start ignoring the commands he’s only recently learned and tries to exert his new-found independence with its “I don’t have to listen to you” attitude!

You will need to apply firm and gentle reinforcement of commands and training at this stage. Your puppy might even start biting you, play biting or even a real attempt to challenge your authority. A sharp “No!” or “No biting!” command, followed by several minutes of ignoring him should take care of this problem.

When you bond with your puppy, avoid games like tug of war or wrestling with him. He may perceive tug of war as a game of dominance – especially if he wins and wrestling is another game that can rapidly get out of control. As your puppy’s strength grows, he will want to play-fight to see who is stronger – even if you win, the message your puppy receives is that it’s alright to fight with you but this is NOT the message you want to send out!

* The Brat Stage: 4 to 6 Months

Your puppy will demonstrate even more independence and wilfulness during the Brat Stage which begins at about 4 months and runs until about 6 months. You may observe a decline in his urge to please you – expect to see more “testing the limits” type behaviours. During this time he’ll be going through a teething cycle and will also be looking for things to chew on to relieve the pain and pressure. Frozen doggie bones can help sooth him during this period.

Your puppy may try to assert his new “dominance” over other family members, especially children. It is common for puppies at this age to ignore commands to return or come to their owners, which can be a dangerous, even fatal, breakdown in your dog’s response to you. If you turn him loose in a public place, and he bolts, the chances of injury or even death can result – so don’t take the chance. Continue his obedience and basic commands training, but make sure to never let him off his leash during this time unless you’re in a confined area.

Your puppy will now begin to go through the hormonal changes brought on by his growing sexual maturity and you may see signs of rebelliousness. (Think adolescent teen-age boy!) If you haven’t already, you should have your puppy neutered (or spayed if you have a female) during this time.

* The Young Adult Stage: 6 to 18 Months

From 6 months to approximately 18 months, the Young Adulthood stage takes place and is usually a stabilising time in your puppy’s life. He’s young, he’s exuberant, he’s bursting with energy and yet he’s learning all the things he needs to become a full-fledged adult dog. Be realistic in your expectations of your dog at this time, just because he’s approaching his full growth and may look like an adult dog, he’s not as seasoned and experienced as you might expect.

Slowly increase the scope of activities and training for your dog. You can start more advanced training during this period, such as herding or agility training. Otherwise, extend his activities to include more people and other animals – allow him to interact with non-threatening or non-aggressive dogs.

This episode of ‘Chamayam’ on Kairali TV focuses on the various baby care products available in Ernakulam, Kerala.

The terminology used in describing baby cribs can be confusing. Manufacturers don’t make it any easier either and often give their own name to a more generic term. What follows is a concise definition of the different types of baby cribs that are available.

The main difference between a bassinet and a cradle is that a bassinet is placed in a stand and is stationary. For more help visit to: www.create-super-baby.com. A cradle is usually designed so that it can be rocked back and forth. Many parents will choose to use either one of these after the birth of the child as these have low sides and are very easy and convenient to use. When the baby reaches 3 or 4 months of age it’s time for other sleeping arrangements.

Sometimes referred to as a conventional baby crib, this type usually comes with single or double drop sides making it easy to put in and take out a small baby. As this has drop sides there’s no need to adjust mattress height. The Jenny Lind is a good example of this type of crib. A standard baby crib is usually quite cheap to buy and will serve your baby until about the age of two.

This sort has become quite fashionable in recent years. Many parents say that this type uses less space than a traditional one. These types of cribs can be rather expensive.

Sometimes referred to as a bonnet crib, this is for those who like a ‘fairytale’ or ‘princess’ look. The canopy serves no real purpose except for ‘presentation’. Again, they are more expensive than traditional models.

There are two types: 3-in-1 and lifetime. The 3-1-in baby crib can be converted from crib, to toddler bed, to day bed. These convert by simply removing one side of the crib. Some brands come with optional straight rails that can be used on the toddler bed – they help in preventing the baby from rolling out. Some 3-in-1 models also come with storage drawers. Lifetime cribs can also be converted to full size beds, which mean a child can use it until their early teens. This type does cost more but they can save money in the long run.

These are second hand cribs that have been used by another baby. Whilst it may seem a good idea to use or buy one of these, the advice from most safety organizations is never to buy a used crib. For more detail go to: www.babies-tips.com.Ones that were made a number of years ago may not have the safety features that are required today. If you do buy a used baby crib, use the following guidelines.

www.baby-care-book.com

www.create-super-baby.com

Here are some of our favorites. But before you get started with the games, be sure to get some prizes first. Prizes to consider are full size (not bite size), candy bars, blue or pink pens for the sex of the baby. Additionally, blue or pink balloons with a face drawn on the front, or the words “winner” written across in permanent marker make for really fun prizes as well.

After you have some up with some prizes, here our some of our favorite games to play.

Fastest Diaper Changer in the West. Have smaller size balloons blown up and hand them out to everyone who will be playing. Next give them two diapers. Have the guest carefully put the diapers on the balloon before the game starts. After they have already placed on diaper on the balloon, give them the instructions that junior has just had an accident and being the careful and delicate parent that they are , there objective is to change the diaper without pooping the balloon. Anyone who pops a balloon will be disqualified and whoever changes the diaper first, will win a prize.

How does Mommy Measure Up? Begin by passing out some yarn to everyone who will be playing. Next pass around some scissors and have each guest cut the amount of yarn that will fit Mommy perfectly at her widest point without being over or under. The person who is the closest is the winner.

Guess the Number of Kisses. This is used everywhere and everyone already know how to play. Fill a jar with Kisses (jelly beans are too typical) and have each one guess at the number of Kisses, the closest one will win the jar of kisses.

The Price is Right. For this one, it is played much like the game shows you see on television. Visit some online merchants who have both pictures and descriptions of Baby items and print them up. Pass around some paper and pens. Have the host narrate the online product description and pass it around with the price blacked out. The person who is closest to the item without going over will win a point. After all of the items have been passed around, the person with the most point wins.

As your can see, there are a plethora of baby shower games that can be played for your shower. What is important to remember is to know who your audience is going to be. This means, are the games that you are thinking about playing fit both the audience and the theme you are trying to create?

Make way in the shower ladies. The baby shower that is – because the male invasion into this previously all-female affair has begun. And it’s not necessarily a bad thing. This is the modern baby shower in action. The advent of more males attending baby showers has tended to turn the baby shower gathering into less of a game playing event and more of a social gathering where couples get to share in the excitement of the coming baby while enjoying each other’s company.

Baby shower invitations for the men means the baby shower menu might lean more toward some poolside barbecue action and less indoor finger foods and baby games. Not many men will be vying to see how fast they can dress and undress a baby doll. Though, on the other hand, that could make for an interesting competition with the women.

Likewise, the more men that are invited the less feminine the baby shower theme. Celebrating the coming of a brand new baby is an important occasion and with the age of equality seems to be spreading towards men. More and more men are attending baby showers and with this comes the evolution of planning as well as the event itself.

Inviting more men to a baby shower doesn’t change much on the invitation front. It is still the same procedure when it comes to invites. Most men who attend for the first time would probably thing that there is nothing for them to do there and there should be no reason to go. This is simply not true. The same way men go to bars and socialize the same action can be done when attending a baby shower only with a little more discretion and a lot more happiness.

The role of men at a baby shower doesn’t change much at all. Everyone is still there for one common goal and one specific reason; to celebrate with the mother and father the coming of their new born child. It is an amazing celebration and one that has taken a path of becoming a common place to attend for both men and woman. It is no longer solely for the woman these days.

Buying gifts for an expecting mother shouldn’t be a major task. Coordination takes planning and a little socializing with your fellow guests to come in with the perfect gift, which shouldn’t be a problem for any intelligent man.

Times are changing and as the saying goes you either get in the boat or get left behind. As society changes so do its celebrations and with the coming of men to a once all woman event this simple fact is as plain to see as anything.

Babies today are born into a world where they will be bombarded with chemicals which they are ill equipped to deal with. In fact, the process starts before birth, with the mother’s diet likely to be laced with a chemical concoction the human immune system is not fully designed to handle. Add to that the polluted air she breathes and water she drinks, and the deadly drugs she may be taking, that innocent baby is brought into a world that is immediately hostile to their health. However, there is much a parent can do to minimize the effect of that chemical invasion, and one of those is to use organic baby care wherever possible.

What is Organic Baby Care?

There is no globally accepted definition of organic, although some countries have tried to establish enforceable standards. For simplicity, let us say that organic products should not have been grown or developed with the use of pesticides, herbicides, or artificial fertilizers, and have not been genetically modified in any way.

Organic baby care, then, is to bring up a baby using as many organically grown products as possible. Most parents would want to extend that to include as many eco-friendly products as well. So, what sort of “organic” products can play a part in your baby’s development.

Organic Baby Food

Ideally, feeding your baby organic foods should start while she is still in the womb. What the baby’s mother eats and drinks, breathes and has injected into her affect the quality of the baby’s sustenance before birth, and in the breast milk after birth. A mother who lives on organic food as far as possible will get her baby off to a good start.

Once the baby comes off breast milk to solids, it is important to keep as much control over her food as possible. It is very easy to avoid processed and canned food, whose origins you know little about, and may contain contaminants not only in the food itself but the lining of the can. Wherever possible use organic foods and chemical free juices and water in order to give the baby a good start in life so far as nourishment goes. If possible, follow the advice of a holistically trained professional nutritionist to find the right balance of food.

Organic Bedding & Clothing

Many parents these days seek out what they call organic bedding. It may be very difficult to find, but baby bedding does exist that has been made from natural fibers that have been organically grown. However, do look for some genuine indication that the cotton or wool is organic. An item that is just labeled 100% cotton, without any organic certification, is unlikely to be organic but chemically laden. The same applies to baby clothes.

Organic Baby Accessories

There are many baby accessories that can be eco-friendly or even organic. Organic baby wipes and diapers are now quite easily available, and they are items that parents need every day for their baby. Using organic bio-degradable diapers can be a great benefit to the environment compared to using the old style disposables. Many children’s toys are made of natural materials rather than plastics, and even organic teethers, made from 100% cotton, can be found if you search hard enough.

While it may not be possible in this day and age to bring up a completely organic baby, you do at least have the chance to minimize the chemical intake of your children. With trends as they are, more products will be developed as time passes, making your task that much easier.

Colic is a really annoying problem for a baby to have. Both of my children suffered with colic as babies, and it was around the time when not many people believed that colic existed! (it was thought it was just a bad case of wind!)

Some doctors and health professionals had mixed feelings on the whole colic subject.

I can tell you now that colic can be awful for everyone. Your poor baby suffers from terrible symptoms, and poor Mum and Dad are nearly driven mad by their baby’s constant crying! It can cause sleepless nights and tension in the household. You may start to dread a certain time of the day or evening because you know that’s when the crying will start.

If your baby’s crying is high pitched, accompanied by a fever or your baby seems floppy or in any way unwell, then seek medical attention straight the way.

So let’s look at some symptoms of baby colic

Your baby’s crying may last for several hours.

Your baby’s crying normally starts at around the same time. Maybe afternoon to early evening time (sometimes later)

When you pick up your baby she may stop crying. Some positions you hold her in will make the crying stop, others can make her worse.

She may bring her legs into her tummy, and then stretch them back out again.

Your baby may clench her hands.

Your baby may be very fussy with her foods, or just after a feed.

She may pass a lot of wind.

Your baby may struggle to get to sleep, and if she does nod off, she make keep waking.

So do you think your baby has colic? It’s always best to get her checked over by your health professional, and if it does turn out to be colic, there are ways to get the problem under control.

The hardest thing about colic is finding a remedy that works for your baby. If you’re armed with enough knowledge, you have a good chance of helping to relieve this tiresome problem!

I had different ways to calm the colic with my babies. What worked for Joe, didn’t work for Lauren!

For Joe I would run him a nice warm bath, the water soon calmed the crying and ten minutes later he would be fast asleep in his chair. For Lauren I would put her in her pram, and dance around with it to some music. Maybe it was the vibration through the pram, (maybe it was just Mum looking silly!) but after a few minutes she would be happily nodding off.

Infacol is a great help, and can be purchased from your local chemist. These are drops that you give to your baby just before a feed, in theory it works by binding together the gas in baby’s tummy, and making it easier to pass.

To learn more about colic remedies, visit me – Julie at: http://www.new-baby-and-beyond.com/baby-colic-relief.html

Since baby guinea pigs are so small and tiny it’s always a good idea to take more precautions to help to make them safe while they are in their cage.  Take their little heads for example, their heads could easily become stuck in between the bars and this would lead to asphyxiation.

One way to prevent this from happening is to line the cage walls with cardboard from the bottom up to around one foot.  If your cage is made from wire grid, then you could add a new wall by placing more grid on the outside and then putting cardboard in between the two cage walls.  After the babies have gotten to be around 4-6 months old this extra wall or cardboard can be removed.  They have now gotten big enough to not worry about their little heads becoming stuck.

After the new babies are born and mom has had time to sufficiently bond and clean them it will be safe for you to touch the newborn pups.  Your smell on the new pups will not affect the mom from taking care of them herself.  This would also be a great time to monitor their weight.  By keeping track of their weight this will give you some idea of how well their health is coming along.

If by chance your baby pup is not growing at the same rate an another one then you will need to step in and place this pup with the mom alone at feeding time.  This will ensure that this little pup is receiving their fair share.  If this pups weight does not improve or any of the others are not gaining weight, then you need to get in contact with your veterinarian as quickly as possible.

Baby pups also require alfalfa rich hay in the form of pellets as it is beneficial to their growing needs and is also good for a pregnant guinea pig.  Since guinea pigs are a plant based eater they need to not be given, sugars, fats, seeds/nut or animal products.  They do need a fresh supply of water kept at hand and timothy hay.

Regardless of how well equipped and secure newbie parents show on the surface, each one of them faces times of tension in between all of the anticipation. Getting ready for the new member of the family entails a lot of things to be well thought-out, such as setting up the nursery, figuring out what assistance will be considered necessary and purchasing more than adequate newborn baby garments.

As far as clothing are concerned, luckily there are now plenty of places to purchase both baby garments and baby paraphernalia. The option of clothes has definitely extended since the 1970s when I had my kids. Not only do shops and stores like Target and Wal-Mart have particular baby sections, but there are also specific baby shops like Babies r Us so it is already a one stop shopping. A new source is the Internet so you can select almost anything for the new baby in the ease of your own home.

When you consider the required gear needed for your newborn you instantly think of car seats, baby stroller and cribs. But evenly significant is also the question of what essential baby clothes will you have to have for the first couple of weeks? And how many of every item do you need?

Whether you are purchasing baby garments for a girl or a boy there is no specific number of items of clothing that is necessary. It is significant to have sufficient quantity of fundamental baby clothing for a day or two so that you don’t have to be frequently fretting about having to wash the soiled clothes every day.

Newborn babies can run through an astonishing quantity of clothes changes in a day so clothing that are easy to get on and take off make good logic. So which baby clothing does it makes sense to have? Here is a list of baby garments that are sensible for the newborn:

1. Ensure that you have no less than six to ten snap suits, either plain ones to be used underneath pants and tops or the adorned ones as outdoor wear when the climate is warmer.

2. Use baby onesies in the first couple of weeks during the day – you’ll need around six to ten of these.

3. For use throughout those night-time diaper changes, make sure to have at least four to five baby gowns since they help make the job a lot simpler.

4. Five to ten bibs – even though kids can’t take solid food yet, they do tend to drool and spit a lot.

5. Make sure to keep infant’s feet warm with socks, regardless of how well the home is heated. You’ll need five to six pairs of socks.

6. Purchase a large quantity of burp cloths so that your clothes can endure for more burp sessions!

7. Settle on which kind of hat goes with the weather you’re likely to experience. Make sure to get at least two of them.

Please always remember that every infant’s needs and behavior are diverse and as a result the list of infant’s clothes above cannot be really exact. Specifically, the rate with which you want to change your baby’s garments will affect the numbers.