Sleep Time and Bath Time for Baby Tips

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Nursery that will turn into older child's room

If you are going to be at your current house for the long run, then you might consider non-permanent decorating when first getting the nursery together. Of course it's exciting to get the baby's room ready and decorated just right, but try not to use too many permanent items. You can get a great looking nursery with a flexible design that will easily transition into a toddler's and later an older child's room.

Use removable wall stickers and keep the wall colors light so they can be easily painted over. Also, don't go overboard with the furniture and just stick to the basics, once your child is a toddler you can start stocking the room with new dressers and shelves that reflect his style.

If you buy a convertible crib that later becomes a toddler bed, try to get it in a light wood color or white, this way it can be painted later to match the room decor you and your older child will decide on.

   

Getting Baby to Sleep

Some babies love to sleep and do so very easily. Others can take a long time or may be tired but too restless to fall sleep. A good tactic to calm them down and get them relaxed is to rub their forehead. This doesn't always work, but it's worth a try and it does seem to calm babies.

Rub their forehead very softly in a circular motion, you can also sing to them while doing this. Try it for a few minutes and most likely your little one will be very relaxed and more susceptible to sleep.

   

Pacifiers in the crib

In the beginning your baby won't know how to put the pacifier back into her mouth once it falls out. So you may find yourself getting up a couple of times a night when she awakes because her beloved binky has dropped out to the side and needs it put back in. But don't despair, soon enough she will figure out how to get the binky back into her mouth anytime she needs it. You may start to see her trying to do this by the age of four-five months or so.

When she learns to grab her own paci a good idea is to place 4 or 5 of them in the crib, this way when she's half asleep in the dark and the binky falls out, she can grab around and feel for one; with a few of them in there, chances are she will find one. As she grows accustomed to this she won't cry out anymore for you to go fetch the paci for her, but she will happily get it on her own.

   
What sorts of things should I purchase to begin decorating and furnishing my baby nursery?

Baby Nursery Decorating

Nursery decorating can be a lot of fun. There are so many ways to decorate it, though, that you may not know which way to go. One easy way to get a great baby room is to pick one already made up fromt the store. But if you prefer to have fun and come up with an original room, here are some ideas:


  1. Do a space theme room. Paint stars on the ceiling and planets on the walls. Or if you are artistically challenged, then look for some wallpaper or stickers in children's and crafts stores. See of you can find spot rugs of celestial objects as well. Look for sheets that match the theme, such as ones with stars, moons etc... or of you can't find any, simple black or blue sheets will work too. Get a crib mobile of the solar system and maybe one of those star projecting lamps to add a light effect when the baby sleeps.

  2. Bubbles room. Paint colored bubbles all around hte room, or see if you can find bubble wall paper or a sticker alternative. Hang some colored paper lamps from the ceiling and get all the accessories in a round shape wherever possible. Place a few colored round rugs around the room and get sheets with multicolored dots for the crib. If the room is big enough get a couple of big colored balls (those fitness balls could work well) to have rolling around on the floor.

  3. Beach fun. Turn your baby's nursery into a beach! Put light colored laminate wood flooring or beige (sand colored) carpeting. Paint palm trees on the walls with the sea behind them, or try and see of you can find ocean wallpaper. Place big sea shell plates on top of the dresser drawers or shelves to hold things like baby's brush, medicines, cotton balls, etc... Hang a few seagull dolls from the ceiling and paint a few clouds up there too.

  4. Underwater aquarium room. Paint the walls a dark blue and draw colorful tropical fish and corals. You can also see if you find large fish stickers you can place all around the walls. Get a fish or underwater themed mobile for the crib and lots of baby friendly stuffed sea animals to place on the furniture and shelves. Put dark blue carpeting on the floor and, if you can find them, fish shaped spot rugs. Hang some fish from the ceiling and also, if yu want a real underwater effect, paint the ceiling dark blue as well.

These are just a few ideas to make it easier, you can pick from these or add your own touches to them or make your own theme. You can find most of the items like themed wall paper, wall stickers or spot rugs on the Internet. Just do a Google search and you'll get quite a few to choose from.

   

Naps

Naps are very important for babies and toddlers. In the first months of life a baby will spend much if his time sleeping, this is necessary and it is good for him to replenish his energy as he uses lots of it at this stage. From 1 to 3 months babies should sleep about 15 total hours and get 3 naps during the day. From 3 to 9 months they should be getting about 14 hours and napping twice daily. Then from 9 to about 16 months they should sleep 13 to 14 total hours with two naps. From 16 months to 3 years babies should be sleeping 11 total hours with just one nap. These are general figures as each child is different so adjust it to what suits you and your baby best. Also keep in mind that the total hours of sleep include nap time hours.

You will also find that when your baby gets his naps he will sleep better at night. When babies get overtired they tend to get cranky and find it hard to calm down and fall asleep.

   

Baby Bath Time Toys

Most babies love baths, splashing and playing with the water is a great way for them to learn not to be afraid of it. Another way to add to the fun is by getting a few good toys for the bath. Not only can bath toys make for a playful time, but the right ones can also help with the baby's development.

Here is a list of some toys that will keep your baby entertained while learning all through bath time:


  • The always popular rubber duckie

  • Bath toys that squirt water

  • Colorful boats

  • Simple containers they can fill with water

  • Bath mitts with cute characters to use

  • Crayons and paints to use in the bath

  • Floating letters and numbers

  • Interactive bath books

  • Color changing ducks

  • 'Bug' catching nets



Bath time can be a fun and educational time that your baby will always look forward to.

   
How can I ensure that my baby nursery is a safe place for my baby?

Baby Nursery Safety

Creating a completely safe baby nursery is essential before bringing your baby home. The following is a list of things that you can do to ensure a safe baby environment:


  • Keep drapery or blind cords out of baby's reach and completely away from the crib.

  • Place a working smoke detector in baby's nursery and near baby's room.

  • Guarantee that window guards are securely in place to keep baby from falling out of an open window.

  • Never place a crib, playpen or other climbable furniture near a window or wall opening.

  • Insert plug protectors in all unused electrical outlets and plastic covers for outlets in use.

  • When necessary, use a cool-air humidifier instead of a warm-air vaporizer to prevent burns (be sure to change the water frequently to avoid the growth of mold).

These are just a few ideas to get you started on safe and secure baby nursery. The best way to analyze a room for safety is to get down on the floor and crawl around looking for hazards, just as your baby would.

   

How Often to Bathe Your Baby

Babies do not need to be bathed every day. They don't really get dirty except for when they go to the bathroom, but they do that in a diaper and they get wiped multiple times a day so the area stays pretty clean.

It's up to you when you want to give baby a bath, but there is nothing wrong in doing so twice or three times a week. As the baby gets older and starts walking, then you may need to increase the frequency of her baths. Once babies start walking and playing outside they are more prone to getting themselves dirty, especially if they like to get into everything.

Of course, once they start to go to day care or pre-school, then it is a good idea to implement a daily bath.

   

Transitioning to the Big Bathtub

It's fine to bathe your baby in the kitchen sink or the baby bathtub until she's simply too big to fit. By then she should be able to sit up on her own and you can start using the big bathtub. It's a good idea to get some non-slip mats to put down the floor of the tub so your baby stays put without slipping. Also, don't fill the tub too high with water; keep it to the level of her belly or so.

It's also a good idea to get some floaty toys to keep the baby entertained while in the tub. You may also want to get a kneepad for yourself so it's more comfortable as you kneel over the tub.

And of course as you well know, never, ever leave your baby unattended in the tub or near any water.

   

Quick Bath

Bath time is fun for many babies. They like splashing the water and playing with their bath toys. Of course, you probably have the little plastic tub and all the baby shampoos and soaps for a thorough bath. But when you are in a pinch and need baby cleaned fast you may not have time to get all those things set up.

A good and fast way to get the baby clean is to put him right in the kitchen sink. Just lay a couple of towels town and sit the baby right on top of them; turn the water on to lukewarm and go to town! This way you can get him cleaned quickly and easily when you are in a hurry to go out, or if he's had a diaper explosion and you need a quick cleanup.

*If your bathroom sink is big enough you can use that one as well.

   
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