Tips For Dealing With Both A New Dog And A New Baby

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Dealing with a new dog can be challenging enough on its own, but when you combine that with a new baby you’ve got a perfect storm. If you can avoid this mix of circumstances then it should be advised, but unfortunately, sometimes life offers you a mixed bag and you’ve got to take it! With that in mind, here are some top tips to help you navigate this bizarre new set of circumstances!

Never let your dog play with your baby unsupervised

This should really go without saying, but some people do need to be reminded. You may think that your new dog is the cutest, most harmless creature in the world but you must remember that it is still an animal with a very limited understanding of the world. Unfortunately, it could turn and indulge its base animal instincts at any time, and if your baby is at the receiving end of this then the results could be horrible. Always be around when your baby and new dog are in the same area. Allow them to become familiar with each other, and bonding sessions are to be encouraged, but you should always supervise the interaction closely. If your dog gets used to playing with the baby then it might become too rough and cause the baby injury inadvertently, even if it just thinks it is playing.

There are downsides to the dog as well. A baby or toddler can easily wear out a puppy, especially if it too is just getting used to the new surroundings. Crate training also helps for your dog to learn to stay in their space.

New babies and new dogs need rest

This is vital and is often overlooked. Your baby may need up to 20 hours of rest a day, and your new dog is also likely to need a lot of peaceful rest time. Make sure you keep them separate for this time and make sure that neither disturbs the other during this precious time of peace.

Keep your baby away from the dog food

Babies love to experiment and try new things. One of their favorite means of experimentation is by putting new things in their mouth. This is one of the main reasons why you need to keep your dog’s food (and water) far away from your baby. This will not be healthy for your baby and could lead to an upset stomach or worse. As well as that, anything your dog puts in their mouth, including any chew toys, is likely to be full of germs that could be harmful to your baby. Make sure you disinfect any item or space shared between your dog and baby.

Obviously, your dog could eat the baby’s food either, but this is not usually such a serious issue!

Do some bonding activities together

Your new baby and dog neet to get acquainted with each other in a safe and controlled manner. You should do shared activities together, such as going for a walk. This will help build a strong bond between baby and puppy, and in many cases, the dog will grow up to be very caring and protective of their young charge.

Newborn

Gift Ideas For The New Mom

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Someone you know has just become a new mom. She already has the most amazing gift she could ever receive. You can’t top a new baby, but there are still plenty of presents that can put a smile on her face when she knows you are thinking about her. Consider some of the following ideas as you plan something special for a new mother. Your thoughtfulness is sure to be appreciated when you put time and care into your gift.

Gift Cards for New Clothes are a New Place to Start

Your friend has been wearing maternity clothes for months. She’s tired of wearing clothes that are much bigger than the norm. It’s time to try out a new style. The tough part will be choosing the right size. It takes time to get back to that pre-baby figure. Consider choosing gift cards from your friend’s favorite clothing stores to make her feel like she is dressed in her best. Whether she is in the comfort of her own home or going out and about, new clothes can make your friend feel like a million dollars.

Have a Lunch Date

Once the baby comes along, a new mom doesn’t have much time to herself. Give her a treat by taking her out to lunch. Make arrangements for someone else to watch the baby. A new mother needs a break. It might be hard to take a whole day, but an hour or two for lunch can really make a difference. She’ll have the chance to talk with an adult and enjoy the pleasure of your company.

Splurge on a Trip to the Spa

A new mother is going to be sore and tired. Her body has gone through some major changes. Nine months of carrying another person inside, the strain of labor, and the effects of a natural delivery can really take a toll on her. Add long nights of staying up for feedings or to calm a crying baby to make each day more of a challenge. A trip to the spa can soothe her muscles and help her to relax, refreshing her when she returns home.

Give Her Some Extra TLC at Home

There is nothing like a care package at home. Skin lotion, bubble bath, candles, books, and movies can really give a new mom a boost. Shampoo, conditioner, and cosmetics can make your friend feel beautiful as she gets used to life with a new baby.

How About a Visit to the Hair Salon?

Expectant mothers tend to pick simple hairstyles while they are pregnant because they are low maintenance. Coloring is usually out of the question to be safe while the baby is developing. After delivery, the new mom could be ready for a makeover. Whether you take her to the salon or bring her a certificate, she will be able to pick a new style that makes her feel vibrant and stylish.

Offer to Babysit

A new mom needs a night off to enjoy an evening out with her partner. Make the offer to babysit while she heads out on the town. It can even be as simple as giving her an hour or two during the day to let her catch up on any chores, errands, or get some badly needed rest. A new mother is so wrapped up in taking care of the baby that she forgets about taking care of herself. You can remind her by giving her the gift of some time to herself.

Volunteer to be a Housekeeper for the Day or Once a Week

Household chores can be overwhelming for a new mother. It can feel like everything is piling up. She may barely have the energy to get up in the morning after being up with the baby. If she has had a C-section, it is even more difficult to take care of a household and baby. You can offer to do some light housekeeping or hire someone to give the new mom’s home a lick and a promise. Consider finding someone to come once a week while a new mom is home on maternity leave. It will help her to get back to normal sooner. Your efforts can really lift her spirits and take away some of the stress.

Newborn, Planning

Choosing the Right Headphones To Calm Your Newborn

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Sometimes it is stressful to calm a crying child. Everybody hates the noise of a crying baby. People try many ways to ease their babies like walking around, taking them to shower, and enticing them with some home-made pieces of stuff. Crying babies are stressful when traveling on a plane, bus, and even cars. The entire family members take turns in helping soothe the child. The child will make it difficult when working on a farm or shop where you need to keep the baby down and do manual work with your both hands. Sometimes one is required to employ a person who can look after the baby while you work, which is costly.

It is good to have a plan on how to calm the baby so that one can get time to take a rest. Many parents acquire some headphones for their kids where they can listen to some cool music. However, it is susceptible to have your toddler listening to some loud music. It is not advisable to have earphones that can fit within the ear of your child. You need those with ear muffs which can cover the ears. The baby’s ear-drum can get damaged by loud noise. Thus, the parent should take keen on the volume the earphones can produce. The amount should be less than 85 decibels per eight hours.

Many kids are sensitive to noise. Much noise can cause panic and stress to the child affecting the general body health to the baby. Headphones with good earmuffs can help cancel noise in places like firework displays, sporting events, and concerts. The kid cannot hear the annoying loud sounds in the background. The headphones can keep off the loud noises for children who have auditory processing issue. Kids with autism have difficulty with loud sounds. Some kids will cry a lot when they are sleepy but cannot sleep due to noise in the surrounding. Noise cancelling headphones will help your kid sleep tight even when traveling in noisy places by kipping off the strange sounds.

When shopping for the toddler’s headphones, here are the properties you should take note on;

• Type of protection – you may use earmuffs in winter to keep off cold and muff the sounds. Headphones should provide some volume limiting features, and designed to cancel the background sounds.

• Volume limiting – when you go for cheap headphones, you will find that they do not define volume accurately. The gadgets should have a feature to reduce the amount to less than 85 decibels.

• Size – toddlers should not wear earbuds. Instead, headphones can help to cover their entire small sized head.

• Connection – whether wired or wireless, the headphone should connect clearly to your device.

• Overall look – it is easier to get your child to wear the headphones since they like it when they look “cool” and “fun”.

Newborn, Pregnancy, What to Expect