Tag: babies

Development of Newborn Senses

| February 27, 2012

Early Learning Activity Toys

Your baby’s development is amazing and takes place with rapid speed, but what is your baby aware of when they’re a newborn?

SIGHT

Newborn’s can only see things close up, about 20cms away from them. So when your baby’s being held they’ll be able to see your face, which makes this close contact a great way to bond.

Contrasting colours such as black and white are great for newborns to look at. At around 2 months your baby can distinguish colours and will enjoy mobiles.

At 6 months, new faces and objects are catching your baby’s attention and at 8 months your baby’s vision will be fully developed.

TASTE

It’s no wonder babies like sweet tasting foods, milk is naturally sweet. From 3 months onwards your baby will probably try to put what they can into their mouth, and when teething starts this will heighten their desire to have a good chew on things!

HEARING

Your baby listened to your voice in utero so will recognise it when they’re born and associate this with comfort. Hearing isn’t properly developed when a baby is newborn. At around 1 month old they’ll react to loud noises. Babies learn to associate certain sounds with happy events, so it’s important to make singing and music a fun and special part of the day with your baby. Music is a wonderful way to soothe your baby and develop their hearing and sense of tone.

TOUCH

Touch is essential for babies, kisses and cuddles make your baby feel secure. Babies love to explore with their hands and when weaning, will often squash food before eating it to understand what it feels like. Toys and books with texture really encourage play and development.

SMELL

Newborns have a good sense of smell and will know your natural scent from birth. Babies find your natural scent comforting, so try not to wear any perfume or scented creams for the first few months so your baby can enjoy your natural scent. By the age of 1 your baby will be able to recognise foods by their smell.

For further baby sensory development and a great way to have fun with your baby, you can join a local Baby Sensory Class.

The Moby Wrap

| February 15, 2012

Have you heard of the fourth trimester? I hadn’t but I soon found out about it when my baby was born!

The fourth trimester refers to the time from birth to approximately 4 months old. This is the time when your newborn is very vulnerable and needs constant physical contact and attention from other human beings. The fourth trimester is about recreating the womb environment whilst your baby is adjusting from womb to world.

Here are some tips for doing this:

  • Swaddling – helps to keep baby close to you and feeling secure,
    the Moby Wrapcreates an environment where your baby is wrapped tightly and kept warm.
  • Shushing Sounds – recreate the continual whooshing-like noise your baby heard constantly when in the womb.
  • Swinging – when in utero your baby was always in a rocking motion when you moved or walked, wrapped in a Moby Wrapyour baby will be in a state of gentle swinging.
  • Sucking – creates a deep calming influence on your baby, whether it’s sucking on the breast, bottle, a Pacifieror your finger.

When held close they will be very content, thus the need for a Moby Wrapwhich makes it ever so easy to achieve that closeness and bonding that your baby is craving.

My baby would get upset and didn’t sleep well unless she was snuggled next to me or my husband in the Moby Wrap. It’s really comfortable to wear and I found I could go about the house easily whilst she slept happily, as well as using it during spring and summer to go out and about.

Another benefit of the Moby Wrapis the flexibility with the positions you can have your baby in whilst in the wrap, making it easy to breastfeed on demand.

The Moby Wrap is made from 100% soft cotton and is breathable and machine washable.

The Best Baby Carrier

| February 11, 2012

best baby carrierI was looking forward to getting active again and shifting my post baby weight!

This baby carrier really is the best baby carrier, it gives us the freedom to go out and about comfortably and without hassle. And it’s hugely beneficial if you live in a city as it makes getting on and off public transport a breeze, not to mention fighting your way through crowded streets or busy shopping malls!

In the early days our BabyBjorn Active Baby Carrierallowed me to leave the house when our baby was still too young for a pram (newborns love to be snuggled close to Mummy or Daddy for comfort, warmth and the reassuring smell of their parents).

We bought the BabyBjorn Active Baby Carrierwhen I was still pregnant, in anticipation of our newborn baby and being able to go out and about for walks with her.

We used the BabyBjorn Active Baby Carrierdaily in the first few months, often going out more than once a day when we wanted some fresh air, or I craved a caffeine fix or my baby needed a sleep during the day.

We absolutely made the right choice with this baby carrier the BabyBjorn Active Baby Carrieris invaluable.

A gentle rocking motion is created when you walk your baby in the BabyBjorn Active Baby Carrierwhich will help to soothe your baby to sleep. I found taking my baby out in the baby carrier was one of the best ways to guarantee my baby would sleep during the day.

Once your baby is around 3 months old their neck muscles will become increasingly strong and it will enable your baby to hold their head up and move their head from side to side. The baby carrier allows your baby to face inwards or outwards. Our baby started facing outwards at around 5 months old and loved travelling in a forwards facing position and being able to see the world in front of her, and she still successfully slept in the baby carrier. I think the excitement of everything going on around her often helped to tire her out!

The BabyBjorn Active Baby Carrieris extremely comfortable to wear with your baby in as the design provides extra lower back support.

The Baby Bjorn Active Baby Carrier is Paediatritian recommended and guaranteed free from harmful substances (Oeko-tex class 1 for babies certified).