Making noise to help your baby sleep can seem like just about the most unnatural thing in the world to do, but there is a method to this madness. Until he was born, your baby spent his entire existence inside the mother’s womb, which is, quite frankly, a very loud place. Consider this; prior to being born, your baby spent his entire existence surrounded by fluid. Although fluid greatly muffles sound quality, it does transmit sound. Actually, it transmits sound quite efficiently. Consider the last time you were under water. You probably could not make out clearly anything that was being said above the surface of the water, but you were able to hear noise quite clearly. Studies have shown that the average noise level inside the mother’s womb is about twice as loud as a typical vacuum cleaner, making it a very loud place indeed for baby.

Your baby spent most of her time in the womb asleep. The muffled noise, as loud as it was, not only did not hinder her from sleeping, but actually helped her to get the sleep she needed so that her developing body could get the rest it needed. White noise, fairly level tones played at a volume roughly equal to that of a vacuum cleaner, can simulate that environment for your baby, helping her filter out noises that may be more stimulating, and cause baby to want to stay awake to satisfy her curiosity.

White noise can come in many forms. CDs are available with a variety of white noise sounds, as are machines specially designed to create white noise. If you don’t wish to use one of those items, you can get by without spending any extra money by simply turning a fan on in the room where baby sleeps, or even by vacuuming the floors when it’s time for baby’s nap. Fans are perhaps the best source of white noise, because they offer the added benefit of circulating the air in the room, something which has been shown to reduce instances of SIDS.

Whatever you use to create the white noise, try to keep the volume at about the same level as a vacuum cleaner. While this is not as loud as it is in the womb, it is generally loud enough to drown out outside noises without hurting your baby’s ears.

No one enjoys seeing their baby suffer from an illness. Unfortunately, things like colds and the flu are a normal and unavoidable part of what it means to be a child. In terms of your baby, a stuffy nose is one of the more difficult and often frustrating events, both for her and for you.

This is in part because when a baby is born he only knows how to breathe through his nose.  It is especially important for your tiny one to have clear nasal passages.  Unfortunately, babies cannot take the same medications that are so effective in adults and in older children. This means you need to find other ways to go about clearing up baby’s stuffed nose.

One of the best ways to help your baby with her nasal congestion is through the use of baby-safe nasal sprays and aspirators. Of course, you should check with your doctor before using any of these products, but there are many designed specifically for infant safety in mind.

Here are the steps involved in using an aspirator and nasal spray to help clear up baby’s stuffed nose:

• Sit the baby so she is in an upright or a semi-upright position.  You can use her high chair, car seat, baby carrier, or a spouse to accomplish this.
• Insert the nasal spray bottle just in the nasal opening.  Spray 1 or two squirts into your baby’s nose.  If your baby is laying down, most nasal sprays will stream instead of mist, and this can irritate your baby.
• After a little while, you can use the nasal aspirator.  Squeeze the bulb of the aspirator, and then insert the open end of the aspirator just into the nasal opening.
• Release the bulb on the aspirator slowly.  This will cause the mucus to be sucked into the aspirator.
• Wipe off the nasal aspirator.
• Repeat the procedure for the other nostril.

You should know that using an aspirator too much can cause some serious irritation to your baby’s nasal passages. You might supplement the use of the aspirator with steam, such as can come from sitting in the bathroom while the shower is running, or using a cool mist vaporizer.

As a parent, it can sometimes be difficult to determine when nausea in your children should be checked by a doctor.  Most children will become nauseous at some time or another.  In fact, children under the age of five are likely to have a cold or a virus around seven times each year.  Often these illnesses will also be accompanied by nausea.  In addition, children are often prone to other causes of nausea, such as motion sickness.  So, how does a parent determine when nausea in children should be checked by a doctor?

To start with, it is important to consider your child’s age.  The requirements for infants and younger children, for example, are different than they are for older children.  If you have a very young baby, under the age of three months, you should contact a doctor if she is vomiting (beyond the normal spitting-up that babies are famous for).  If nausea in your baby also has a fever of 100.4 or higher, and has a cough or diarrhea, you should contact your doctor immediately.

For older children, the requirements are different.  If your child is six years old or younger and his nausea lasts more than a few hours he should be checked by a doctor.  If he also has signs of dehydration, such as diarrhea, you should contact a doctor.  If he has a fever over 101 degrees, he should be check by a doctor.

If your child is older than six years old, there are also times you should have her checked by a doctor for his nausea.  If she has vomiting and diarrhea for more than 1 day, you should have her checked by a doctor.  Also, if her fever is over 102 degrees, you should have her checked by a doctor.  As with infants and younger children, if there are signs of dehydration you should have her checked by a doctor.

If any of the following occur, you should take your nauseous child of any age to a doctor in the emergency room:  blood in the vomit, a severe headache, lethargy, confusion or decreased attentiveness, severe pain in the abdomen, or rapid breathing or pulse.  These symptoms can indicate a more serious problem, and require immediate attention.

There are many different factors that will go into determining how your baby sleeps, and her blanket is one of those factors. Picking the right blankets for your baby is key not only to how well she’s going to sleep at night, but in many ways may impact her safety, as well. Choosing the right blanket for your baby is especially difficult because there are so many different options out there on the market.

Here are some important things to keep in mind when choosing blankets for your baby:

• Different blankets have different purposes. Some blankets are meant to keep your baby warm at night. Other blankets are meant to keep out the elements when your baby is outside. Some are designed to offer you a discreet way to feed your baby when you’re in public. Blankets serve a variety of purposes, and choosing the right blanket for the right purpose is important.
• Material matters. When you’re buying baby’s blanket, you need to pay attention to the material it’s made of. You want a breathable cotton blanket. This lets more air circulate through the fibers of the blanket, which keeps your baby from overheating. Don’t buy blankets that have fringes or ones that aren’t tightly woven. These kinds of blankets could unravel, and baby’s fingers can get caught in them. You need a durable blanket that can withstand all of the use and washing that you’re going to give it.
• Consider swaddling blankets or sleep sacks for nighttime and naptime use. Having a loose blanket in your baby’s crib can increase the risk of SIDS. Using a swaddling blanket can be useful, especially if your baby tends to be a bit fussy at bedtime. A swaddling blanket helps your baby to feel comfortable and cozy. Likewise, a sleep sack can give your baby the comfort and warmth of a blanket without having to worry about the blanket covering his airway and creating a problem of re-breathing.

Ultimately, your choice of blanket for your baby is about much more than what will match the curtains in her room. Her comfort and safety need to be first and foremost in your mind when making that blanket choice.

Every new parent discovers that it can be a real challenge to get baby to sleep at times. Babies end up sleeping up to eighteen hours per day, but sometimes falling asleep is a tough process for baby and parents alike. Part of this is because the entire world is new and different for newborns.

Many parents try to keep things very quiet so that the baby can fall asleep, but studies show that this might not be the best thing to do. After all, when baby was in the womb, she was surrounded by constant sound. In addition to your talking and the activity going on around you (much of which baby was able to hear), your baby was exposed to the constant sounds of your breathing, your heartbeat, and other bodily noises. Of course, all of these noises are muffled somewhat by the amniotic fluid.

By the time your baby is born, she has become very accustomed to being nice and warm and surrounded by muffled noise. So, when things are too quiet, it can be somewhat disconcerting to your baby.

Many parents find that introducing white noise can help a fussy baby fall asleep. Researchers believe this is because most forms of white noise replicate (more or less) the sounds baby heard while she was in your womb.

There are several ways you can use white noise to help your baby sleep. Perhaps the easiest way is to purchase a CD or mp3 file specially made to replicate the sounds inside mom’s womb.

In a pinch, you can simply run a vacuum cleaner in the area where baby is trying to sleep, or lay baby down near the washer or dryer. Some parents even put baby in a car seat and place her on top of the clothes dryer while it is running, In addition to creating plenty of white noise, the vibrations help soothe babies. Of course, you should stay with your baby if you do so. Never leave baby unattended on top of the dryer.

Another good way to introduce white noise into your baby’s sleeping area is by running a fan in baby’s room. This has the added benefit of adding some circulation to baby’s room, which reduces the risk of SIDS.

Whichever method you choose, using white noise can help your baby fall asleep faster and stay asleep a while longer. Using white noise also has the benefit of allowing you to hold a conversation without disturbing baby’s sleep.