Baby Care Guide

Keeping a Pregnant Woman Happy - I realised fairly early on in my wife's pregnancy what my role should be in the whole process. I decided that like everything else there would be an ideal position for me in how everything would play out. I couldn't have the baby, and I couldn't carry the baby for the term. I couldn't make sure that the baby was healthy, and I couldn't make sure that my wife was healthy throughout the pregnancy, but what I could do was support my wife's every decision and be at her beck and call for the duration of the pregnancy. After all, she was carrying my child, and if I wanted the best for my child, then all I could do to safeguard that was to make my wife as comfortable as possible.

I also didn't want my wife to be worn out. I had read how tiring a pregnancy can be, and I vowed to dedicate myself to the cause.

I did many things throughout the pregnancy which were probably above and beyond the call of duty, but the one thing that sticks in my head was the craving runs! My wife became almost obsessed with cream cheese with raspberry jam on toast when she was about 21 weeks pregnant and I used to go wherever I needed to go to get the ingredients for her, morning noon or night! On one occasion ,she woke in the night and I could hear her moaning! She was just so desperate that I got out of bed, into my car and drove the fifteen miles to the nearest 24 hour supermarket! It seems so stupid now but it made me feel useful at the time, and sometimes as a helpless partner, that is all you crave.

Life with Your Partner after Giving Birth - If you and your partner have both been going out to work and shared equally in household tasks, you may find that things are different now that you are at home with your baby. Your partner may assume that, because you are at home and not working, responsibility for household tasks falls more on your shoulders. If you have always played a domestic role, you may feel that it is all too much to cope with at once and may find that, with the baby to look after, you are not getting all the shopping, cooking and housework done as before.

Cellulite during Pregnancy - When woman finds out she is pregnant, that was the happiest moment of her life. But do you know that pregnancy comes with numbers of health related problems.

Baby Sleeping Patterns - Most parents hope that by about three or four months their baby will be sleeping through the night, but many are not. Some babies may have slept through on occasions but then, perhaps because of teething problems or a cold, develop a habit of waking regularly again in the night.

Clothing and Toys for Your Baby - As your baby grows and you go out more together he will probably need more clothes. He may require warmer, thicker stretch suits or jogging suits for daytime wear in the winter, or larger woolen cardigans and sweaters. If it is cold, a snow suit will keep the baby warm and dry outdoors, without wrapping him under layers of blankets in a pram.

Leaving Your Baby at Home - By the time your baby has turned three months old you should feel ready to start going out and doing some of the things you did before she was born, even if it is only a trip to the cinema or a restaurant in the evening, or to have your hair cut during the day. The first time you leave your baby and go out can be rather alarming - many mothers feel as if they have inadvertently left something behind!

Baby in the Daytime - As your baby approaches four months the range of things he can handle increases. At this age lying him on a mat on the floor, with rattles and other safe objects, can provide fairly long periods of contented play. He may enjoy lying on his tummy and lifting himself up on his hands to reach out for any toys or objects within his reach. He may even be able to move his body a little by rolling over.

Feeding Your Baby Solids - Around now you will probably be wondering when to start offering solid food. A young baby is unable to digest solid foods before at least three months, so don't be tempted to give solids earlier than this. Also, the earlier you give other foods, the more likely she is to develop an allergy to them. However, there will come a time when your baby starts to demand more food, and milk alone seems not to satisfy her. This often coincides with the baby wanting to put things in her mouth and also with a decline in her need to suck.

Meeting with Other Mothers and Babies - If you are at home on your own with the baby there are going to be times when you feel at a loss for what to do. Perhaps the baby is unusually wakeful or fractious one day and you are unable to meet his demands. At such times it is a great help if you can go out and meet someone or do something enjoyable together. A trip round the park or to the shops on your own may help a little, but most mothers will want a purpose to their outing and would prefer to be able to talk to someone who understands.

Playing Games with Your Baby - Babies of this age need to put everything in their mouth if they are to understand what it is: it is therefore important to give the baby things to touch and hold which are safe and relatively clean, with no sharp edges. You don't have to sterilize toys, but it is a good idea to wash them regularly.

Baby's Meals - By the time your baby has become used to first solids on a spoon and perhaps had tastes of two or three different foods, you can start to build up these tastes into proper meals. It is best to proceed quite slowly, but to start giving the baby more at one particular meal - usually either lunch or tea, whichever is most convenient for you. The best foods are still cereals and puréed fruits and vegetables, but you can try adding a little unsalted gravy or sieved meat. It is best to steer clear of eggs and cheese for a while yet because some babies are allergic to them or find them indigestible.

Baby Nappy Rash - Many mothers find that, once they start introducing their baby to a mixed diet, the baby's bowel movements change and in some cases nappy rash may result. Some babies become a little constipated when starting solids, while others have loose and frequent motions. The baby's digestive system needs time to adjust to new foods and also the bacteria present in the baby's gut tend to change when other substances are introduced. Mothers who have so far breast- fed their babies may find nappy rash becomes a problem when they introduce formula milk.

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