The first step, according to Dr. Sears, is giving your baby a healthy womb environment. Although the SIDS risk in premature babies is higher, the good news is that over 99 percent of premature infants don’t die of SIDS and that mothers-to-be can take pre-emptive steps to lessen their baby??s risk to SIDS with smart prenatal choices.??? He advises getting good prenatal care, feeding yourself properly with lots of high-nutrition foods, and giving your baby a drug-free and smoke-free womb are three great ways to decrease the risk.???
He also advises keeping your baby comfortably warm, but not too warm. Over-bundling, and consequently overheating, has been shown to increase the risk of SIDS. Overheating may disrupt the normal neurological control of sleep and breathing. The respiratory control center in the brain is affected by abnormal changes in temperature, and SIDS researchers believe that overheating may cause respiratory control centers in some babies to fail.

Make sure your baby??s head is uncovered, and put your baby to sleep on his side or back. When baby sleeps on her stomach, or prone, with her cheek and abdominal organs against the bedding, these prime areas of heat release are covered, thus conserving heat. Also, never bundle a sick baby, as babies who are sick tend to have fevers, and bundling only increases body temperature.??? Keep the room temperature where your baby sleeps around 68 degrees, unless you have a preterm or newborn weighing less than eight pounds; then you might want to increase the temperature by a few degrees. As a general guide, dress and cover your infant in as much, or as little, clothing and blankets as you would put on yourself. Then, let your hands be a thermostat. Babies who are overheated tend to be more restless as well.

To maximize the energy in baby’s room, there are several important factors to consider, such as room location, safety, colors, and furniture arrangement. Using feng shui in the nursery will help to make babies less fussy, who will feel more comfortable in their surroundings, and who will be healthy and flourish. What does it take to accomplish this? Following some basic considerations will help both baby and parents create a room that makes them both happy.

First of all, put the baby??s room in a good location. A new baby should have a bedroom that is not over a garage or has an empty space below. The bedroom also shouldn’t be located where there is excessive noise that might keep the baby from sleeping, such as close to a living room where the TV is on, or close to a noisy street or neighbor.

The bed should not be against a window or be directly in line with the door. Make sure the baby does not sleep or is placed against a slanted wall. Avoid placing the baby against a wall that is shared with a bathroom, toilet, storage, or utility-type room.??? Create good, but soft energy and movement, with mobiles hung close to a window to move gently in the breeze and keep soft music playing in the room.???

The baby??s nursery should always be clutter free.??? Nothing at all should be underneath the crib.??? Few things should line the walls, keep it minimal.??? Each night, the dirty diapers should be taken out so a clean, fresh smell circulates.??? A small air filter can be placed to ensure clean crisp air 24/7.

Some things that can affect your milk supply are:???
> What mom eats
> How much mom rests and sleeps
> Her state of mind
> The age of the mom
> How many children you have
> Your desire to breastfeed
> Your nursing capabilities
> Your nursing techniques
> Baby??s latch on abilities

If you choose to breastfeed, it is very important that you take your baby for their check-ups as needed.??? If you don??t, how will you know if he is getting enough milk and growing at the correct rate???? There is no way for you to tell that your child is getting enough nutrition for sure without your child being weighed.???

During the first week of your baby??s life, your breasts will produce colostrum for them to drink.??? Colostrum is rich in antibodies and aids the baby??s immune system.??? It also helps him pass his first bowel movement, which is called meconium.??? Meconium is black and tarry looking and is in the first few diapers after birth.??? Then he begins to transition to a brown substance and after your milk comes in, it becomes a yellow, mustardy stool that is loose and watery.??? Bottle-fed baby??s pass firmer, tannish stools than breastfed baby??s.???

After 24-48 hours after birth, your baby will start having wet diapers that will increase to two or three a day.???

While your baby drinks colostrum and then milk, you should listen for a pattern of ??suck, suck, suck, swallow.????? This pattern will be rhythmic and there should be no ??clicking?? noises.??? The ??clicking?? sound can indicate that your baby is not properly latched on and may not be getting enough milk from you.??? If you start to hear this, you need to unlatch him and then reattach him.??? If you continue to hear this sound after reattaching him several times, then you may want to consult a lactation consultant or your pediatrician.???

After the first week of life, you should see 6-8 wet diapers each day and at least 3 bowel movements a day.??? His urine should be clear and he should become more alert with each passing day.??? Your baby should also be gaining weight and growing, as this is the surest way to tell that they are getting enough nutrition.??? If you have two days in a row that deviates from the above indicators, then you should call your pediatrician immediately.???

All parents know their baby will grow teeth, but there is no set pattern to know when a baby will begin teething, nor is there a set pattern as to how long a baby will teethe, or how painful it will be. One baby might painlessly and easily cut a tooth over the course of one night, while another might have to go through a protracted, painful experience. You may see a rise or lump in the gums for several weeks. Other times there may be no visible hint until you can actual see the tooth.

Teething most likely will follow hereditary patterns. If the mother and father teethed early or late, there is a good chance that the baby could follow that same pattern. On average, the first tooth is likely to come around the sixth month. It can, however, arrive as early as the third month or as late as one year. In rare cases, it can be even earlier or even later; there is a wide range of normal and there is just no way to predict when this will occur.

There are a total of twenty primary teeth. A full grown adult has twelve more teeth than the full complement of primary teeth. Most children have all their primary teeth by the time they are 2 or 3 years old. Primary teeth usually remain until the child is approximately 6 years old. That’s when they start getting loose and coming out, as the permanent teeth grow in to replace them. The primary teeth continue being replaced by the permanent teeth through about the age of twelve. Again, bear in mind that these are only averages, and different timing is not an indication of abnormal development in your child.

Teething symptoms vary widely from one child to anther. Because of this, parents and physicians don’t always agree as to how severe the symptoms of teething are, and how painful they are. Check with your pediatrician to make sure your baby is not ill if your baby is experiencing these symptoms.

Irritability is a common symptom of teething. The rise of the new tooth causes the baby’s gums to become more and more painful, and this will make your baby very cranky. The pain and discomfort is worse when the first teeth are coming in, and later when the molars come in (they are the largest teeth). Babies can become accustomed to teething, so they are less cranky after the first few teeth.

Babies also drool and cough more during teething. The extra saliva caused by teething can result in some coughing. As long as there are no signs of a cold or flu, this extra saliva and drooling should be nothing to worry about. Your baby may also develop a chin rash during teething, especially if he or she drools a lot. To help prevent chin rash, gently wipe your baby’s chin and mouth at intervals throughout the day.

Some ways to help ease teething pain are chilled teething toys or teething rings, or even frozen bagels. Cold water can also help. Additionally, you can do activities that can distract your child to help him or her ‘forget’ the pain of teething. Keep in mind that teething is a phase and will not last forever, and the end result will be a wonderful smile for your child.