Most babies are still waking throughout the night in week 25. Don’t worry, you’re not the only mama using matchsticks to keep her eyelids open this week. Sleep deprivation isn’t fun and can leave you feeling pretty rotten. There are so many different parenting styles when it comes to sleep and you may have reached a stage where you’re willing to try anything.

The self-soothing sleep method

The self-soothing sleep method is based on the idea that babies can learn to settle themselves back to sleep if given the opportunity. It’s seen as quite a controversial method with some experts claiming young babies are developmentally unable to learn how to self-soothe. Many moms swear by it as a way of getting more sleep and, of course, it’s up to you how you decide to parent your child. If you want to give the self-soothing method a try, here are some tips to help you on your way:

1. Create a bedtime routine

A regular bedtime routine is important for this method because your baby needs to learn to anticipate bedtime and what will happen next. It’s totally up to you what your bedtime routine looks like. Many parents choose to incorporate bathtime, bedtime stories and quiet cuddles in the bedroom. You could also consider adding in baby massage or listening to soothing music as part of your routine. It doesn’t really matter, as long as it is consistent and regular so that your baby can learn to anticipate bedtime.

2. Do the soothing

Many experts believe that children learn to self-soothe because they have learned how to regulate their emotions thanks to the caring adults in their lives. If you take an active role in soothing your baby when she is upset, your baby will learn how to make herself feel better without your help in time.

3. Wait a little bit

If you want your baby to learn to self-soothe, your baby will need time to practice this skill. That means, when your baby begins to cry, you might want to hold off on rushing to the rescue. This is a personal choice and it may not be one you’re comfortable with. If it is, then you can leave your baby to cry for a few minutes before going in to offer reassurance.

Have you tried the self-soothing sleep method?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

You might be sticking to your sleep routine like clockwork. But despite the bath, feeding, lullabies and snuggles, your baby has other ideas and won’t sleep. If you’re having trouble getting your little one to sleep at night, you’re not alone. Many bleary-eyed new parents struggle with sleep issues.

It’s important to remember, you should probably not expect your baby to sleep through the night or self-soothe until he is about six months. But what do you do when your baby is developmentally capable of self-soothing and still has trouble sleeping? There are several different sleep strategies you can try including the following:

Soothing Your Baby to Sleep

This method of putting your baby to sleep is not much of a strategy and may be your natural instinct. It involves holding your baby until she falls asleep. If this is your preference, don’t feel you have to alter your method. The challenge may be when your little one wakes up in the middle of the night, and she can’t go back to sleep unless you soothe her back to dreamland.

Self-Soothing

If you opt for the self-soothing strategy, a bedtime routine is a must. The idea is to have your baby associate her routine with nite-nite time. After your routine, put your baby to bed while she is still awake, but sleepy. The goal is for her to fall asleep on her own. If she cries, a reassuring pat on the back and a gentle voice are fine. But if you know nothing is wrong, you should avoid picking her up, so she soothes herself to sleep. Some research indicates that babies who self-soothe tend to sleep better than babies who don’t.

A Little at a Time

This sleep strategy involves gradually sitting further from your baby each night after you put her to bed. It is used to decrease your baby’s dependence on you in order to fall asleep. The way it works is you put your baby in his bed and sit next to him. Each night you place your chair a little bit further and until your baby learns to fall sleep without seeing you.

A Few Tears

Another sleep strategy some parents may choose is the cry it out method. This strategy, also known as Ferberizing, was named after Richard Ferber, the doctor who popularized it through his books. It is similar to the self-soothing strategy, but it involves allowing your baby to cry for increasing lengths of time before going in to comfort her. The idea is eventually she will learn to soothe herself to sleep even if she resists at first. These techniques are generally not recommended for babies under 6 months of age.

Keep in mind, there is not a one size fits all sleep strategy for all babies. Some babies may do better than others with certain strategies. You might have to try different techniques until you find one that feel right. Trust your instincts and do what works best for you and your baby.

Written by MaryAnn DePietro@writerlady34

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

You’ve known throughout your pregnancy that you were having a little boy. Or maybe you waited until the birth, anticipating the exciting surprise as each day passed by. So when the doctor announced, “It’s a boy!” you immediately rejoiced and began to picture all the adventures you would have with your son in the years to come.

But then, something was wrong. Ten fingers, ten toes, one penis, and… no testicles.

Don’t panic! This can actually be a fairly normal condition, and one that often requires no treatment at all.

Here’s what you need to know:

How Does it Happen?

A baby’s testicles form in the womb, within their stomach to start. It is only shortly before birth that these testicles will drop (or descend).

For some babies, though, that doesn’t happen before birth, a condition known as “undescended testicles.” This happens 30 percent of the time with premature babies and 4 percent of the time with births that were otherwise on time.

How is it Diagnosed?

Your baby’s undescended testicles might not be caught immediately. After all, there is a lot of excitement going on, and it might be missed in the counting of fingers and toes. But usually, a doctor or nurse will alert you to the issue during one of your baby’s early exams.

When the testes are undescended, 70 percent of the time the doctor should still be able to feel them by palpating around where they should be. When they can’t be located that way, they may still be in the abdomen. In rarer cases, it is possible your baby may not have testicles at all—but that can be determined quickly with scanning equipment.

What Happens Next?

Assuming your baby’s testicles are simply undescended, most doctors will adopt a wait and see approach. Usually, his testicles will drop to where they should by 6 months of age, with no treatment necessary at all.

If this doesn’t happen naturally, surgery may be required. While that can be a scary thing for any parent to face, it is necessary. Undescended testicles that don’t drop and aren’t treated can lead to male factor infertility and an increased risk of certain cancers and injury.

Surgery involves a small cut made in the groin, where the testicles can then be physically repositioned in the scrotum. Your little one will typically recover completely within a week.

While this can be a scary thing to face, your baby is going to be just fine! And years from now, this will be just a blip on the radar from your memories of those early baby months.

Written by Leah Campbell, infertility advocate, adoptive mama, writer and editor. Find me @sifinalaska on Twitter.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general informational basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Months before your baby was born, you probably sat down and made a list of all the items you might possibly need over the first year of his or her life. On that list was likely a playpen; an item you probably didn’t think much about, just added.

Because playpens are kind of a given for a new baby, right?

Well, not necessarily… but we’ll get to that.

If this was your first baby, you then likely took that list to your local baby supply store and created a gift registry. Onesies! Baby monitors! Slings! Swings! It was all on your list, and you might have made out pretty well when your baby shower came along.

But if that playpen never came to fruition, do you need one now?

The Benefits of a Playpen

So why do people get playpens, anyway? What’s the point?

Well, for starters…

• Playpens can provide a safe place to put your baby once he or she becomes mobile while you go to the bathroom, or cook dinner, or just get 5 minutes of much-needed mommy time.
• Many playpens nowadays are multi-purpose. They can be converted to a baby gate, or serve as a secondary changing station. And most of them can be easily broken down and thrown in the car for travel purposes.
• Your little one may benefit from a play area of his or her own that can become a safe place for independent play.

The Drawbacks

So why wouldn’t you get a playpen?

If your home is small, it simply may not be necessary—and could become another burden, just taking up space. It’s possible in a smaller home that you would just be better off using your baby’s crib as a playpen.

Beyond that, some critics believe that playpens can encourage parents to put down and ignore their children, no longer engaging because they feel their baby is safely contained. Being aware of that possibility, and the reasons it is undesirable (because babies thrive with interaction) is important, but it is certainly something you can avoid, even with a playpen.

The Considerations

If you’ve decided a playpen is for you, you just want to make sure you’ve selected a brand that has not been recently recalled for safety concerns (this can be easily checked online) and one that is clean and in good condition, should you use a second-hand playpen.

Also, remember that the same rules apply to the playpen as the crib. No heavy bedding or toys your baby could suffocate on, and nothing your baby could use to help him or her crawl out.

Written by Leah Campbell, infertility advocate, adoptive mama, writer and editor. Find me @sifinalaska on Twitter.

 This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general informational basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Let’s be honest: being a single parent is hard. Whether you intentionally pursued single parenthood (as a growing number of men and women are these days), or you found yourself here unintentionally, you’re single parenting now. And figuring out how to deal with the struggles of that is going to be important for both you and your little one.

So first things first: it’s time to figure out who you can count on. You will need more support as a single parent than you ever have before in your life. You need people you can call, people you can rely on, and friends and family who care about both you and your baby. And if you are truly raising this little one on your own, without the help and support of an ex, then you also probably need to consider having a few important people of the opposite sex in your life so that your baby can grow and learn from them as well.

Find your support system. Having them in place will make a world of difference.

Beyond that, establishing a routine is going to be important for both you and your little one. When you know what to expect from the day to day, it can make it easier for you to tackle the hurdles and to create a sense of safety and security for your baby.

You also need to make some time for yourself. It can be so easy to become so invested in caring for your baby that you forget to nurture your own body and soul. But making time to see friends, to work out, to get sleep, and to take care of your own appearance can be so important for living a happy and healthy life; and your baby deserves to have a happy and healthy parent.

So reach out to that support system every once in a while, and allow them to watch your little one so that you can do something for yourself. It doesn’t have to be long; even just a few hours can be rejuvenating. And the added bonus is that your baby will then have the opportunity to form bonds with other people. Sometimes having that one-on-one time with someone other than mom or dad can be great for your little ones development.

Most importantly, go easy on yourself. Parenting is hard, and single parenting is harder, but you can do this. When in doubt, reach out to your support system for a reminder of that!

Written by Leah Campbell, infertility advocate, adoptive mama, writer and editor. Find me @sifinalaska on Twitter.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general informational basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

What is a hair tourniquet?

If you’ve never heard the term ‘hair tourniquet’ before, you can be forgiven for assuming it is something quite harmless. It sounds like the name of the latest fashion hairstyle, perhaps something you’ll need to master before your daughter’s first day of school, but in reality, it is something much more sinister. You may not have heard of a hair tourniquet before, but it is a condition that all new parents need to be aware of.

A hair tourniquet occurs when a hair wraps itself tightly around the finger, toe or genitals of a baby. If unnoticed, the tightly wrapped hair can cut off circulation and cause injury. You may find the affected area is swollen until it has healed. Though rare, there have been cases of babies losing fingers or toes as a result of hair tourniquets.

Hair tourniquets are surprisingly common and yet many parents are completely unaware of the risk. They are dangerous because babies are simply unable to communicate what is wrong. As a new parent, you can end up feeling quite helpless when all of your usual tricks don’t work to soothe your upset child. If your baby is crying and irritable and you can’t work out why, it is always worth removing your baby’s clothing to determine if a hair tourniquet could be to blame. It’s not just hair that puts your baby’s digits in danger, loose threads can become tourniquets, too. If you notice a tourniquet wrapped tightly around your baby’s appendage, you’ll need to remove the tourniquet quickly and carefully. If you find a very tight tourniquet that looks to be embedded, call for urgent medical assistance immediately.

How to prevent hair tourniquets

To prevent hair tourniquets, you should check your baby’s body after each bath. Make sure there are no tourniquets before getting your child dressed each day. And remember, if you ever find yourself with an unhappy and miserable baby, do a quick check for hair tourniquets.

Awareness of hair tourniquets is growing thanks to social media. A number of parents have shared photos of their baby’s hair tourniquets online to raise awareness of this condition. As you might expect, these photos quickly went viral allowing parents across the world to recognize the signs of this condition.

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Pretty soon, your baby is chomping down on strawberries, steamed carrots and sweet potato mash like there’s no tomorrow. Like many parents, you may be wondering how this will affect his milk intake. Should you offer fewer milk feeds throughout the day or do you continue to prioritize milk feeds? How can you make sure your baby is getting the right amount of both milk and solid food?

When your baby first starts enjoying solid food, he may not really be eating as much as you think. Ever wondered why there’s so much food smushed into the high chair and so much soup in his hair by the end of lunchtime? That’s because mealtimes at this age are more about playing than eating. Your baby is exploring food the only way he knows how – messy play!

Aside from the obvious problem of your food-covered dining room floor, this leaves many parents wondering whether their child has eaten enough. Remember, for the first year of your baby’s life, breast or formula milk is the most important part of your baby’s diet. Around the time of your child’s first birthday, he will start to rely on milk less and will be eating a greater variety of foods.

Breastfed babies

If your baby is breastfed, you should continue to offer feeds throughout the day. In fact, you should make sure your baby has been fed recently at each mealtime because this will mean he’s happy to play with his food for longer. It takes babies a while to understand that solid food can fill their tummies, so it’s best to introduce solid food to a baby who isn’t in the midst of a hangry rage.

As your baby consumes more solid food, you will probably notice that he asks for less frequent or shorter milk feeds throughout the day. Follow your baby’s lead on this one, remember your baby is the best judge of whether he has had too much or too little to eat.

Formula fed babies

Formula fed babies drink, on average, 900ml of formula milk a day at six months old. By the time your baby is eating a good mix of solid foods, his milk intake will probably decrease to around 600ml a day. These numbers are averages so don’t worry too much if your baby is consuming more or less than this.

Regardless of whether your baby is breast or formula fed, milk should still make up a decent chunk of his daily intake of calories. Breast and formula milk are specially formulated to meet your baby’s needs. Formula and breast milk are rich in nutrients and an essential part of your baby’s diet for at least the first year of his life.

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.