Adding Baby Cereal to Bottles

By the time your baby is a few weeks old, chances are someone has suggested adding cereal to her bottle to make her sleep longer at night. In fact, many parents swear by this method and encourage everyone they know to follow suit.

Yet, there is no scientific evidence to back up this claim. The medical and parenting communities actually say this practice can be harmful! Let’s take a closer look.

(There is a small group of babies who pediatricians may advise adding cereal to their bottles: babies with severe reflux. Always follow your doctor’s advice).

1. Parents claim that adding cereal to the bottle makes baby sleep longer.

Many research studies have been conducted, comparing sleep habits of babies who had cereal added to their bottle and those who did not. Under research conditions, no difference has been found. Babies will “sleep through the night” when they are ready; each one reaches that milestone at a different rate.

2. Cereal is empty calories at this age.

Babies have definite nutrition requirements. Adding cereal to the bottle only adds empty calories to baby’s diet, which isn’t a habit you want to establish at such a young age!

3. Introducing solid foods too early can aggravate food allergies.

Many in the dietetic community feel that food allergies may be triggered by early exposure to the allergen, before the body is ready to process it. Exposing a baby to grains in the form of cereal in their bottle could possibly increase the chance they’ll develop a food allergy.

4. Baby’s feeding mechanisms aren’t designed for processing solids this early.

Young babies have a reflex that pushes their tongue against whatever comes into their mouth. This is necessary for the sucking required at the breast or bottle. This reflex naturally begins to go away around four months of age, making it easier to begin using a spoon to feed baby.

Also, some babies struggle to coordinate everything required in order to suckle properly. Introducing cereal to their bottles could aggravate this, causing them to choke (and potentially aspirate cereal into their lungs).

5. Adding cereal to the bottle alters baby’s fullness cues.

Babies have internal mechanisms that regulate feeding, so they only eat what they need. Adding cereal to the bottle interferes with these mechanisms, causing them to take in more calories than necessary. Researchers fear this can lead to a lifetime habit of overeating, and could contribute to the obesity epidemic we face today.

For all intents and purposes, it appears better to save solid foods until baby is four to six months of age and ready to accept food from a spoon. You can help encourage your baby to sleep better at night by following some of the tips I’ve shared in previous articles. In the meantime, try to snuggle your way through middle-of-the-night feedings with a smile. They won’t last forever, I promise!

Disclaimer: The previous article is not medical advice from a medical professional.  Always consult your physician for medical advice in the health care and treatment of medical concerns with your baby.

Related Articles:

• Nighttime Tips for Sleep Deprived Moms of Newborns
• Newborns: How to Treat Cradle Cap
• Newborn Care: Blocked Tear Ducts
• Moms of Newborns: Dealing with Sleep Deprivation
• Baby’s First Year: Must Capture Photo Moments

How to Treat Cradle Cap

Cradle cap is a condition that most mothers are well aware of. Somewhere in the vicinity of half of all babies have cradle cap in the first few months of life.

Although not pretty, and annoying to deal with, cradle cap isn’t harmful to your baby and can be easily treated at home. Here’s a quick rundown on this common condition and how to treat cradle cap.

What is Cradle Cap?

Cradle cap looks like dandruff on an infant’s scalp. It can also appear as yellow, oily, scaly patches of skin. The dry rash often extends to the area around the ears and the eyebrows.

What Causes Cradle Cap?

Medical professionals think cradle cap is caused by hormonal fluctuations after birth. Maternal hormones circulating in the baby’s system cause glands in the scalp to go into overdrive. These glands release a sticky substance, which makes it difficult for old skin cells to be shed, so they pile up on the scalp. Cradle cap is NOT caused by poor hygiene, infection, or illness.

How is Cradle Cap Treated?

There are many home remedies for cradle cap. Often it takes some experimentation to find which method will work for your baby. Some moms swear by rubbing baby oil on their baby’s scalp, letting it sit awhile, and then using a comb or soft-bristled hair brush to loosen the flakes. You could also use olive oil as a more natural alternative to baby oil. Be sure to shampoo after using this method, as residual oil can clog the pores and cause buildup.

Another home remedy is simply to wash baby’s hair. There are mixed opinions on this method; some people say more frequent shampoos help, others say less frequent. Regardless of how often you shampoo, be sure to use a gentle formula designed for babies. Don’t use dandruff or medicated shampoo unless directed by your pediatrician. Rinse well, and use a soft-bristled brush or comb to loosen the flakes.

There are also many products on the market today designed to treat cradle cap. Many of them can be helpful. If the cradle cap becomes especially bothersome, seek the advice of your pediatrician, who can prescribe medicated shampoos and other treatments.

If the dry patches extend to the eyebrows and facial area, apply a baby-safe lotion to those spots as needed.

How Long Does Cradle Cap Last?

Cradle cap usually clears up by the time a baby reaches six to twelve months of age. Rarely will it persist into the toddler years.

Stay tuned for Life with a Newborn next Thursday for “The Real Deal with Cereal in Baby’s Bottle”.

Disclaimer: The previous article is not medical advice from a medical professional.  Always consult your physician for medical advice in the health care and treatment of medical concerns with your baby.

Related Articles:

• Newborn Care: Blocked Tear Ducts
• Nighttime Tips for Sleep Deprived Moms of Newborns
• Adding Baby Cereal to Newborns’ Bottles
• Moms of Newborns: Dealing with Sleep Deprivation
• Baby’s First Year: Must Capture Photo Moments

Baby’s First Year: Must Capture Photo Milestones

What’s the first thing people ask when talking about babies? “Do you have a picture?” Babies are probably one of the cutest things to photograph. They change so much over the first year, you won’t want to miss a thing. By planning ahead you can be sure to capture all the important milestones on film.

Investing in extra rechargeable batteries for your camera means you’ll always have fresh batteries available when you need them (just remember to keep them charged!). On my personal blog I share some great tips on photographing newborns from Professional Photographers.

Here are some newborn moments you won’t want to miss:

1. Birth/hospital stay (Include any first meetings with relatives!)

2. Religious Ceremonies (i.e. Baptism)

3. First bath

4. First smile

5. Pushing up on arms, and later all fours

6. Crawling

7. Learning to sit

8. Starting solid foods

9. Pulling up/standing

10. First steps

Use your daily activities as a guide too:

• If baby goes to daycare, include some shots of the building and his caretakers.
• If it snows, capture baby’s first experience in the snow.
• If you visit the beach, capture baby playing in the sand.

And don’t forget holiday pictures! You can dress baby up for Halloween even if she’s too young to Trick or Treat. Have your own photo shoot at home, with baby in her costume. Tuck her in an Easter basket for a great Spring shot. You don’t have to pay a fortune to get adorable holiday photographs. Use your own props and you’ll end up with much more personal memories!

By keeping your camera ready for action, and thinking ahead to the moments you want to capture, you’ll be sure to have a great photo collection of baby’s first year. Although you may still want to include some professional studio portraits, you can save time and money by staging your own photo session at home.

Stay tuned for Life with a Newborn next Thursday for Treating Your Newborn’s Cradle Cap.

Related Articles:

• Nighttime Tips for Sleep Deprived Moms of Newborns
• Newborn Care: Blocked Tear Ducts
• Newborns: How to Treat Cradle Cap
• Moms of Newborns: Dealing with Sleep Deprivation
• Family Friday: Colic Cures for a Crying Baby

Moms of Newborns: Dealing with Sleep Deprivation

Having a newborn baby goes hand in hand with sleep deprivation. There’s just no way to avoid it. Some nights are better than others, but each night includes interrupted and lost sleep.

During the worst of the worst nights there may be no sleep at all. Baby may be going through a growth spurt, have her days and nights mixed up, teething, or sick. No matter the cause, she may just simply refuse to sleep at all one night. Obviously, that means no sleep for mom and dad either.

Sleep deprivation is a serious thing. Studies have shown that people who suffer chronic sleep deprivation actually operate at a level comparable to someone under the influence! Losing sleep definitely affects mental agility and response time, but it affects your mood as well! Go one too many nights on too little sleep and you’ll probably become a bit grouchy.

To cope with sleep deprivation, most parents reach for that mug of coffee or can of soda. Caffeine will do the trick, in the short term. If you’re looking for a little longer energy boost, try drinking water and eating a healthy snack with a good mix of carbs and protein. Any form of exercise can help as well, as it gets oxygen circulating and improves your mood.

My favorite way to deal with a rough night? I give myself permission to relax the next day. I don’t worry about my to-do list or the chores I “should” be doing. I just plop on the couch and relax when I’m not tending to the baby. I may even catch a nap if all goes well. If the weather is nice I may sit on the porch for some fresh air, or open a window. But I don’t push myself. I allow myself to recuperate and recover from the lack of sleep, instead of putting too much pressure on myself to be up to speed.

If you work outside the home this can be more difficult to accomplish. How about treating yourself to lunch the next day? Or stopping for take-out on the way home? Don’t worry about the household chores that evening. Instead, soak in a bubble bath or take in your favorite TV show. However you choose to do it, giving yourself permission to relax can go a long way towards easing the fallout from a sleepless night.

Stay tuned for Life with a Newborn next Thursday with Tiffany! In the meantime, you might enjoy reading Colic in Babies – Why Does Baby Cry?

Get more mom tips at Works for Me Wednesday.

Related Articles:

• Nighttime Tips for Sleep Deprived Moms of Newborns
• Newborn Care: Blocked Tear Ducts
• How to Get Things Done When You Have a Baby: The Practical Parent’s Guide
• Newborns: How to Treat Cradle Cap
• Family Friday: Colic Cures for a Crying Baby

Nighttime Tips for Sleep Deprived Moms of Newborns

When there’s a newborn baby in the house, it can be easy to lose track of time. Days and nights are whirlwinds of feedings and diaper changes, every two hours or so. It’s important to try and keep some sort of routine in the house though, especially if there are other children in the family. It can be difficult, but will pay off for everyone.

What helped our family was to focus on getting through each night as peacefully as possible. Nights seem to be the worst; everyone is tired, and it’s difficult to adjust to the lack of sleep. One of the best things we did was to prepare for each night ahead of time. By setting ourselves up for success, it made nighttime feedings much smoother.

3 Nighttime Tips

1. Get diapers and wipes ready.  We cloth diaper, so I make sure I have clean diapers stuffed and ready to go. For the first few weeks I used disposable diapers, so I made sure I had them stacked near my changing area. I also make sure I have enough wipes for the night, and set those next to the diapers.

2. Have bottles ready.  If you bottle feed, make sure your bottles are clean and ready. If you use powdered infant formula, measure and fill your bottles with water so all you have to do at night is scoop the formula in.

3. Keep lights low, limit noise, and don’t interact too much with baby.  Many babies get their days and nights mixed up. To prevent this, it’s helpful to keep the lights dim at night, and the noise level low. This sends the message to baby that night is different than day, and can help baby associate night with sleep. In this regard, don’t interact too much with baby. Feed, change diapers, and snuggle, but try not to play and arouse baby any more than necessary.

By preparing yourself and helping baby differentiate night and day, you can make your night feedings go fairly smooth. I think you’ll find this will help everyone transition into a better night schedule, and get a little more rest!

Stay tuned for Tiffany’s Life with a Newborn article next Thursday – “Moms of Newborns: Dealing with Sleep Deprivation”.  If you can’t wait that long, read How to Get Things Done When You Have a Baby: The Practical Parent’s Guide now!

Get more mom tips at Works for Me Wednesday.

Related Articles:

• Moms of Newborns: Dealing with Sleep Deprivation
• Newborn Care: Blocked Tear Ducts
• Newborns: How to Treat Cradle Cap
• How to Get Things Done When You Have a Baby: The Practical Parent’s Guide
• Baby’s First Year: Must Capture Photo Moments

Newborn Care: Blocked Tear Ducts

Shortly after my daughter was born, I noticed her left eye had a lot of sticky discharge. It looked like a buildup of “sleep” in the corner of her eye. I’d wipe it away only to have it reappear a few minutes later.

The pediatrician in the hospital told me it appeared to be a blocked tear duct, and is very common in newborns (some sources report that 6 out of 100 babies are born with this condition).

Tear ducts begin in the corner of the eye and drain into the nose. In many newborns, there is a thin tissue at the end of the tear duct that doesn’t allow drainage. Since the tears can’t drain, they build up in the eye and it will appear as if the baby is crying. What I thought was “sleep” is a buildup of mucous, which is commonly seen with blocked tear ducts. It will collect in the corner of the eye and can even cause the eyelids to stick together.

A blocked tear duct will usually clear up on its own within baby’s first year. To help it along, we were instructed to wipe away the excess mucous and tears with a warm washcloth as needed. Then, massage the duct in a downward motion, starting at the corner of the eye and pressing down along the side of the nose. The combination of heat and gentle pressure can help move the fluid down the duct, and can aid in opening the blockage. I generally do this at each feeding, if I notice the eye needs attention.

If a blocked tear duct hasn’t resolved itself on its own within a year, most doctors will refer the child to a pediatric ophthalmologist. A simple procedure is performed with a tiny probe to open the duct. This treatment is successful in about 90% of cases. Very few children require additional surgery.

If your baby is born with a blocked tear duct, follow your pediatrician’s advice and treatment plan. Having a blocked tear duct can increase the chance of eye infections, so be sure to practice good hand washing and always use a clean washcloth each time you wipe baby’s eye. Soon enough those beautiful baby blues (or browns, or greens!) that you’re lovingly tending to will be focusing on you!

Stay tuned for Life with a Newborn next Thursday to learn about setting up a routine for yourself once you’re sleep-deprived from your newborn!  Get more tips to make life easier at Works for Me Wednesday.

Related Articles:

• Nighttime Tips for Sleep Deprived Moms of Newborns
• Newborns: How to Treat Cradle Cap
• Moms of Newborns: Dealing with Sleep Deprivation
• Family Friday: Colic Cures for a Crying Baby
• Colic in Babies – Why Does Baby Cry?

As a side point- I have to say that I am amazed at the stamina of this woman.  She had a wonderful birth this time (thank the Lord) and said she feels great. Crystal has been blogging at and above her normal tempo, while still on a limited computer time schedule, even the very next day after giving birth!  Now, I’m not saying everyone should or even can do that (I certainly couldn’t last time), but I just wanted to say that I admire Crystal’s spirit and zest for life immensely. 

In a new article on one of her blogs, she talks about the adjustment of going from 2 kids to 3.  I’m pregnant and getting ready to go from 2 children to 3 in a few months, with what I’m hoping to be twins gestating right now! 

It really is a helpful article for anyone getting ready to add more children to their families.  She talks about planning your day:

“Having a Basic Plan for Each Day from the Beginning. While life is quite unpredictable in the beginning, I’ve found it has been very helpful to still have a basic framework for our days.  Having a plan has been tremendously helpful as I’ve been juggling all three little ones by myself for most of the day these last two weeks.” -Crystal

I also love the point she makes here, which is something that I’ve long held as a bonus of having a big family:  “I’m really beginning to see how the work load can decrease as you have more children and more willing hands to help!”

Congratulations, Crystal, on your new little one!  You can read the rest of her article here: Adjusting to life with three littles.

Photo by Flickr’s Manassas Cakery.

Related Articles:

• Nighttime Tips for Sleep Deprived Moms of Newborns
• Newborn Care: Blocked Tear Ducts
• Moms of Newborns: Dealing with Sleep Deprivation
• How To Give Small Baby Shower Gifts
• How to Get Things Done When You Have a Baby: The Practical Parent’s Guide

It is fun to see how people tell if you are having a boy or a girl, and take guesses with their own theories and past experiences. These are all mysterious and fun ways of baby gender prediction, but there is no definite way of telling if it’s a boy or girl besides an ultrasound. Although none of these baby gender predictors have any scientific basis, each one is guaranteed to have a 50% chance of being right! 

Boy or Girl – Famous Wives Tales for Predicting Baby Gender

Some people swear these methods are the real deal for how to tell if you are having a boy or a girl without having to undergo any medical tests and examinations.  Okay, let’s have some fun! Don’t be surprised if you hear 1 (or more) of these methods of predicting your baby’s gender while you’re pregnant:

1.  What is the position of your stomach? Are you carrying your stomach high, or has it dropped low? The age old theory says that if you are carrying high it is a girl, and it’s a boy if you are carrying low. However science defies this logic straight out.

2.  What color does a sample of your urine turn to when mixed with a small quantity of Drano?  Statistics do not prove this method, as the results keep varying. However, it is believed that if your urine turns a darker shade of blue or brown you are having a boy. If it turns shade a greenish brown or blue you are having a girl.

3.  How was your morning sickness at the initial stages of the pregnancy? If you used to feel very nauseous through that period then you are having a baby girl. If the nauseous feeling was relatively low you are having a boy.

4.  Have you tried the lucky charm test?  To perform this baby gender predictor, you hold a charm or a necklace over your stomach, or preferably have someone hold it over your stomach for you. If the charm swings back and forth you are having a boy, and if it moves in a circular motion you are having a girl.

5.  What foods do you crave more, sweet things or sour stuff? If you can’t have enough of the chocolates and pastries, you are said to be having a girl. If you crave for the limes and lemons, you said to be having a boy.

6.  Do you have a beautiful glow on your face and has it become round and full? The weight gain on the face speaks many stories. Some theories say if you glowing and look rosy you are having a boy, but if you feel bloated then you are having girl.

These are just different ways people through the ages have used to predict the gender of unborn babies.  If you are really interested in knowing the gender with a high degree of accuracy, you should have an ultrasound and ask your doctor the all-important question:  boy or girl?

To all you moms out there, please let us know your baby gender prediction wives’ tales!  What did people tell you when you were pregnant?  How did they guess, and were their guesses right?  Let us know in the comments!

Family Friday: Time to Share!

Now it’s time for you to share your Family Friday post with the rest of us!  If you’re not sure how it works, read the directions and guidelines for Family Friday here.

Please add your family-related blog post below in the Mr. Linky. Remember, you MUST link your post back to HomemakerBarbi.com. (If your link was deleted, email us.)

Related Articles:

• How To Give Small Baby Shower Gifts
• Family Friday: Colic Cures for a Crying Baby
• Best Mother’s Day Present in the World – I’m Pregnant!
• 10 Ways Not to Break the Bank When Baby Comes
• How to Get Things Done When You Have a Baby: The Practical Parent’s Guide

It’s a very Happy Mother’s Day to me…  We got wonderful news yesterday that I’m pregnant! 

I don’t usually post personal information on Homemaker Barbi, but this was just so big that I wanted to share it with all my wonderful readers and friends!  My husband was cooking dinner, chopping up cauliflower, actually, when we found out the news last night. 

I’m exactly 20 days pregnant today, and my approximate due date is January 16th.  Needless to say, I’ll be hugely pregnant at Blog World Expo in October!  Strangely, this will be the 2nd pregnancy in a row that I am in Las Vegas while very pregnant (I was 9 months along last time)…

Due to this unexpected news, I won’t be able to complete the 23 pounds in 23 days challenge that I was blogging about over at DanelleIce.com.  I’ll still blog about staying fit during pregnancy and eating clean, but no rapid weight loss due to the new baby!

My wonderful husband insisted on taking me out to dinner to celebrate and then having an impromptu photo shoot of his jubilant glowing pregnant wife!  Thanks to all of the wonderful Facebook, Twitter and bloggy friends who wished us luck in our trying and prayed for us.  This is the best Mother’s Day present ever!

Related Articles:

• How To Give Small Baby Shower Gifts
• Family Friday: Boy or Girl – Can You Predict Baby Gender?
• 10 Ways Not to Break the Bank When Baby Comes
• How to Get Things Done When You Have a Baby: The Practical Parent’s Guide
• Crystal Paine’s New Baby & Tips For Going From 2 Kids to 3

Editor’s Note:

Colic Cures for a Crying Baby

Soothing a crying baby suffering from colic is not an easy task. When a crying baby refuses to settle down even after many attempts from the parents, it can be very frustrating and traumatic.  First, read Colic in Babies – Why Does Baby Cry? to learn what colic is and its possible causes.  Then read on to find out possible cures for colic.

How can you help your baby?

• First of all, notice the time of the day when the baby starts crying and keep a daily record. Check if there are any patterns, pertaining to reactions to the feed or sleeping habits.
• Certain foods, such as diary products, in the mother’s diet could be one of the main reasons for colic if you are breast feeding you baby. Eliminate dairy products and any other food which you think could be the reason for a while and check if your baby is getting any relief.  Make sure to only eliminate one food at a time, so you’ll know which one is responsible for the colic symptoms.
• If you are feeding your baby from a bottle, make sure the shape of the bottle is appropriate and doesn’t cause the baby to suck too much air during the feed.
• Consult your doctor if these steps do not bring relief for your colicky baby.  He or she may have other recommendations for you to try.

What are the immediate steps you can take?

• Some colicky babies calm down if they are rocked in a cradle or held in your arms while you are in a rocking chair.
• Let your baby move its legs freely. Ease the pressure on the stomach by loosening clothing or diaper tapes.
• Cajoling and carrying the crying baby while walking around can help some babies. Your body heat and soothing can help the baby ease the pain.
• You can play music or sing to your baby.
• Taking your baby for a walk in the pram/stroller or for a ride in the car could help.
• While feeding the baby, you should go slow and let the baby take its own time.
• Let your baby burp more often after and during feeds to help eliminate gas.
• Since it’s mostly the stomach of your baby that hurts, try a simple massage or a warm water sponge bath to soothe the pain.
• Holding your baby tight or swaddling/wrapping it up in a light blanket can help ease the crying.

What should you avoid?

• Don’t overfeed your crying baby, it will only worsen the situation.
• Avoid noisy places with many people, it could aggravate the colic.
• Don’t feed your baby any food products with high concentration of sugar.
• Don’t get anxious, upset or excited. A calm environment is a must for a crying baby suffering from colic.

Be calm and help your baby overcome this situation; your soothing is the best immediate cure for colic.  Remember that colic will eventually go away on its own if none of the remedies work for your baby.

Baby photo by Ollie Crafoord.

Family Friday: Time to Share!

Now it’s time for you to share your Family Friday post with the rest of us!  If you’re not sure how it works, read the directions and guidelines for Family Friday here.

Please add your family-related blog post below in the Mr. Linky. Remember, you MUST link your post back to HomemakerBarbi.com. (If your link was deleted, email us.)

Related Articles:

• Colic in Babies – Why Does Baby Cry?
• Newborn Care: Blocked Tear Ducts
• Family Friday: Boy or Girl – Can You Predict Baby Gender?
• Nighttime Tips for Sleep Deprived Moms of Newborns
• Moms of Newborns: Dealing with Sleep Deprivation