Babies and Infants

Babies are very fragile when first born.  We know that we must support a neworn’s head because muscles have not developed enough to allow the newborn to support his own head.  As parents, we accept the responsibility of caring for the newborn’s every need. And we are responsible for the quality of care given.

Besides feeding and diaper changing, we need to learn about proper care.  We provide a firm crib mattress and place the infant on his back to sleep. Care of an infant is not just those basic things, it is also caring for the infant’s mental and emotional development. 

Although a newborn actually sleeps most of the time, he requires a lot of your time and energy. An infant also needs your attention and intimacy when awake. Housekeeping and chores can be put on hold, your newborn cannot.  A baby grows quickly.  A second lost cannot ever be regained.

Receiving blankets are great for brining home your newborn.  They are generally smaller than crib blankets and make it easier to swaddle your baby.  They also can be used in bassinets or car seats.  Receiving blankets are a little small for the crib, so you will most likely want to have crib blankets.

You might want to consider buying several receiving and crib blankets.  Having more than one baby blanket will allow for washing the blanket and still have your baby covered with a blanket.  Or if there is an accident, you will have extra to place on your baby while waiting for the others to be laundered.  Also, you can buy blankets in organic cotton or organic wool for any type of weather.

To help save money with the new baby, you might think about re-using your crib mattress.  Even though the United States does not recognize chemicals in mattresses as being the possible cause of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), I believe there is a link and this should be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not to re-use a mattress.

If you have an organic crib mattress, you should have no worries with re-using the mattress.  If you have a non-organic mattress, then take into consideration the possibility that it contains harmful chemicals that have already started to seep from the mattress through its use.  You can buy covers that are designed to keep the harmful chemicals away from your baby, so it would be safe to re-use a mattress.  Otherwise I would recommend not re-using the mattress.

Infant clothing, what chemicals may be lurking in infants clothing? Typically non-organic infant clothing may contain traces of formaldehyde, caustic soda, sulfuric acid, urea resins, sulfonamides, halogens, and bromine. These chemicals may cause reactions such as hives and dermatitis. Some chemicals have been linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Parents may want to consider Organic Infant Clothing to avoid these risks. Organic clothing does not contain any harmful chemicals. Your infant can be snuggled in his soft cozy clothing and while being assured he is safe from these chemicals. You can find both organic cotton and organic wool.

I have five children, only one is a boy.  Early on, I thought babies were babies. That is to say, girl babies were no different than boy babies.  I had not expected the difference to show up until they were much older.

I was surprised when my son was stronger than any of the girls-right from birth.  Even in his baby crib he was able to turn over sooner than any of the girls.  However, he was harder to potty train.

One example of the difference was the day my neighbor got a piano. We all went over to see.  My little girls, ages two to eight, sat on the piano bench and gently tapped the keys.  They oohed and aahed over the sounds.  My little boy was, age a little over three, lay on the floor on his stomach trying to figure out where the sound came from.

Your experiences may be different from mine, but I expect that all boys are different from girls right from birth.

Your infant and baby will at times require a baby blanket.  The blanket will help keep your baby warm and cozy.  Blankets also make the nursery look beautiful.  You can buy different colors even in organic cotton or organic wool.

But, you will want to make sure to place the blanket properly on your baby.  Infants and young babies can have breathing problems if the blanket covers their mouth.  It is recommeded to tuck the blanket securely under the crib mattress and have it only go up to the babies under arms.

At the time when a baby’s bones are soft and growing faster than at any time in his life, he needs the support of a firm crib mattress. Some pediatricians discourage parents having a baby sleep in an adult’s bed because the mattress may not be firm enough to properly support the growing baby’s needs. 

The mattress should also be sturdy enough to withstand the baby’s activities during the period when he is practicing standing and jumping.  Babies may use the crib as a playpen at times and the mattress needs to be able to withstand the wear and still retain its firmness.

Boric acid is one of the chemicals used in many mattresses as a fire retardant and is required by law in most states.  Boric acid is a known toxin that is harmful to babies.  Fortunately,  alternative manufacturing allows for other means of fireproofing. This may be accomplished by building the mattress with a plastic cover or by using natural materials such as cotton and wool that are naturally fire retardant.

Organic cotton and wool are more expensive, however the term “organic” means that the material is free from any chemicals.  An organic baby crib mattress meets all legal requirements for fireproofing while keeping your baby safe from toxic chemicals.

What is wrong with this picture?  Possibly nothing, it depends on the age and capability of the baby.  Infants should not be placed on their stomachs. This is an old rule.  Infants can suffocate if their face sags into a soft mattress.  Or they can rebreath their own air so much that they do not get enough oxygen. 

Infants should be placed on their backs on a firm mattress.  It is best not to have soft items in your baby crib, where the baby might get tangled up or if the item is so close to the baby’s mouth it interferes with his breathing.

When your baby is ready to use a toddler bed, they can use a toddler mattress.  The toddler mattress is designed to have extra support around the edge so the mattress does not break down.  Crib mattresses are usually firmer than toddler mattresses, to help keep babies from suffocating.  Infants and young babies cannot push themselves up if their face sinks into a soft mattress.  Most toddler mattresses are less firm to provide more comfort to the toddler.

Normally a toddler is transitioned to the toddler bed between 1 ½ - 3 years of age.  When the child is using the toddler bed you would want to use a toddler mattress because they have the support needed for when your child is going in and out of the toddler bed.

The difference between a daybed and a toddler bed is the guardrail.  When your are transitioning your baby from the crib to a bed, the daybed provides a guardrail to keep your young one from falling out of bed.  Your toddler will still be able to get himself out of bed to be able to go to the bathroom.

The toddler bed has no guardrail.  It will usually still have 3 sides but the front side is totally removed.  The toddler bed will help get your child ready to use a regular size bed.  The toddler bed will generally use crib baby bedding, so you do not need to acquire new bedding to start your child using the bed.