New for Infants

Getting ready for a new baby is both exciting and nerve racking. There are a lot of things to consider like having the crib ready, having enough diapers for the first few days and enough new born baby clothes.

There are now lots of specialist baby stores such as Babies R Us where you can find everything under one roof. And stores such as Wal-Mart, Target and Burlington Coat Factory also have specialist baby sections where again you can find everything for your new baby. At least when everything is under one roof you don’t have to trek from store to store.

When you think about the necessary equipment you need for your baby you immediately think of car seat, stroller and crib. But of equally there is also the question of what basic baby clothes will you need for the first few weeks? And how many of each item do you need?

There is no hard and fast rule about how many baby girl clothes or baby boy clothes you have for your precious new bundle but most moms would suggest that there are some things that are essential to make life easier in the first few weeks. Whether you are a first time mom or expecting your second or third baby anything that makes life easier in the early days can’t be bad.

Practical baby clothes are all that your newborn and you need in the early weeks there will be plenty of time for the more trendy baby clothes when you’ve both got the hang of this dressing business! Below is a list of ten items considered essential for a new baby.

* Make sure you have at least 5-10 onesies, either plain ones for use underneath pants and tops or the fancier ones as outerwear when its warmer.

* Use baby one piece sleeper suits in the first few weeks during the day – you’ll need 5-10 of these.

* 4 – 5 baby gowns – I wish these had been around when my children were small, they make diaper changing in the middle of the night so much easier!

* 5-10 bibs – although babies don’t take solid food they do have a tendency to drool and spit up.

* Buy a large amount of burp cloths so that your clothes can last for more than just one burp session!

* Socks: 5 pairs to protect against cold no matter how air conditioned or heated the house is.

* 2 hats – it depends on the time of year your baby is born and the climate you live in as to type of hat i.e. knitted hat or sun hat.

* Coat – depends on what the climate is like when the baby is born.

* 2-3 hooded towels – makes drying baby’s hair easier.

* At least 2 pairs of cotton mittens – no matter how short their nails, babies always seem to scratch themselves.

Every baby’s needs and habits are different so the list of newborn baby clothes above cannot be exact. In particular, the frequency with which you wish to change your baby will add or subtract from the numbers. Nevertheless, I recommend that you use the list as a general guide to make the jobs of diaper changing and baby dressing as simple as possible, then add to it any additional outfits that you want for special occasions.

Today, it seems as if every celebrity is designing and marketing his or her own perfume. Cosmetics and fragrances are among the three most profitable consumer products in the United States. Fragrances, perfumes, and colognes are more popular now than ever, and the act of designing your own perfume has become a recent trend. This trend does not only have to apply to the business world or the celebrity atmosphere.

You can design, make, bottle, decorate your very own perfume to your taste, and give out mini fragrances as party favors at your baby shower. There are many fragrance companies and labs that provide all the necessary ingredients and materials and offer their facilities for a fee. You can also decide to make your perfume on your own, purchase all the necessary ingredients, and complete the whole process in the comfort of your own home. Which ever route you decide to go in, there are a few basics that you should know before you make your own fragrance for your baby shower party favors.

First of all, perfumes have three components: the essential oils, alcohol, and water. Essential oils are the natural components derived from plants that will give your perfume its fragrance; they carry specific scents that you can choose from when making your own perfume. Now, there is such a thing called fragrance oil that you can also use instead of essential oils.

Essential oils and fragrance oils have pros and cons. Although fragrance oils have a significantly lower cost and have a wide variety of scents, essential oils carry health benefits derived from the plants, and, some people argue that essential oils are necessary for top quality perfume. Really, whether you use essential oils or fragrance oils is completely up to you and your preference. Perfume alcohol is pretty hard to find in most countries, so most of the time, people use 100 proof vodka for the alcohol component in the perfume.

The water component cannot just be tap water; it will need to be spring or distilled water. The ratio of the components can vary slightly depending on how strong you desire your fragrance to be, but a rough estimate of the ratio goes as follows: about 15-35% essential or fragrance oils, 70-85% 100 proof alcohol (perfume alcohol or vodka, preferably), and 5% spring or distilled water.

If you are going to make your fragrance at home, a first suggestion is to read up on the different notes of a perfume. Perfumes have four kids of notes: base, middle, top, and bridge notes. Base notes last the longest on your skin and remain strongest when the other notes fade. Middle notes stand out once top notes have faded, and top notes are the first ones you smell when you first apply the perfume.

Bridge notes tie all the notes together. Popular bridge notes are lavender and vanilla. Combine all the ingredients together and pass them through a coffee filter, Distribute among small bottles and decorate them for an unforgettable and totally unique party favor.

Breastfeeding your baby can prevent illness and disease. Women who choose formula over breast milk are unaware that the beginning stage of production for formula is with a cow. Cows milk is collected, dried up and manipulated for use in infant formula. The milk from an animal is not the same as human milk therefore cannot and will not function the same way, no matter how many additives are placed in the recipe. For moms who have trouble breastfeeding, modern technology has provided us with a third option; using a breast milk pump. You can either purchase a manual breast pump or an electrical breast pump depending on how often you plan to use it.

Many modern pumps are trendy, compact and easy to tote around with you. This modern invention has made it possible for mothers to go back to work, to let dad feed the new baby and provide relief for the mom who desperately wanted to breastfeed but ran into difficulties.

Jaundice – The 1st week of an infant’s life is precarious and critical. Unfortunately, a significant percentage of infants are prone to jaundice. The number one way to combat jaundice is natural sunlight, but an extremely important sidekick to sunlight is breast milk. Did you know that the first “milk” that a mother produces is a thick, sticky substance called colostrum? Colostrum is THE most nutritious, jaundice and other disease-preventing substance for infants on the planet. Even if you never breastfeed after the 1st week, it is critical to get the colostrum to the baby any way you can, especially if it’s easy to do using an electric breast pump.

In the US we are fortunate enough to have labor and delivery closely monitored to ensure the safety and health of our babies but not every country is so fortunate. For many third world countries, breastfeeding is the primary way moms fight off jaundice.

INFECTION AND DISEASE Breastfeeding develops the strongest protection for babies against respiratory problems, ear infections, inflammatory bowel diseases and diarrhea. All these appear to be less acute but can seriously damage organs and body system of infants. Again the first milk is the best natural medication for all these conditions. As you continue with breastfeeding, the contents of the milk will help your infants body fight back against the germs attacking the immune system. The immune system built during the first two years of a babys life will have lifelong effects.

THE SKIN The thickness of infant skin and its strength as well as inner capacity to protect germs are other crucial aspects one should consider as benefits of breast feeding. A babys skin is extremely sensitive and with weather changes, air humidity and other environmental factors it is essential for your babys skin to be healthy and nourished.

Babies tend to show problems with infection first on their skin. Because newborns don’t have a fully-functioning immune system, they are prone to problems like eczema, cuts, scrapes, and more. An easy and healthy solution is to rub a baby’s skin with the mother’s breastmilk to keep the baby’s skin healthy. Yes, breast milk is an amazing thing, and it can help a baby in a myriad of ways.

Nothing can replace mothers milk. There is no substitution when it comes to the way nature intended. Many moms are discovering the vast array of benefits and reasons for providing breast milk for their babies whether naturally or with a manual breast pump or electric breast pump. It helps cure jaundice, fights away infections and disease and helps keep the skin moist and protected from our harsh world. There are many resources that can be found at your OB office or hospital on the benefits of breastfeeding your baby. Take some time to educate yourself and have your eyes opened to one of natures best gift to mom and baby.