14th May
A stork bit my baby – not really! But it looks like one did.
Heard of a birth mark called a ‘stork bite’? What is a stork bite birth mark? It’s one that appears on the forehead, eyelids, nose, upper lip, and on the back of the neck or head – just like a stork picked your baby up by the head and dropped him/her on your doorstep… as the story goes.
Soon after my baby girl was born, I noticed a faint pink patch on her left eyelid and just above her nose on her forehead… and also on the back of her head. Strangely, she wasn’t born with the birth mark; it appeared maybe a week after she popped out (well… not quite ‘popped’). Her stork bite is a flat, irregularly-shaped pink patch on her face – it’s unobtrusive and quite sweet really.
Apparently, a stork bite affects a third of newborns, and is usually temporary (a friend’s baby had just about the same birth mark as my babs, which eventually faded).
The scientific name for a ‘stork bite’ is “nevus simplex”, and it is also called a ‘salmon patch’ or ‘angel’s kiss’. It’s caused by the stretching (dilation) of certain blood vessels.
29th Apr
If you wake up one morning and it appears that your beautiful baby has morphed into a scaly dragon cub overnight, fear not; it’s most likely cradle cap.
Okay, so I may have exaggerated a little. Cradle cap is a little scaly but far from all encompassing – it only affects a baby’s scalp and it usually lasts only a few weeks or months.
Cradle cap is described by the NHS as: “yellowish, greasy scaly patches that appear on the scalp of [SOME] young babies. It is a very common, harmless condition that doesn’t usually itch or cause discomfort to the baby.”
The scales will eventually start to flake off and may make the affected skin appear red. Sometimes the hair may also come away with the flakes.
In other words, cradle cap usually clears up by itself but if you’d like some help. Maybe an organic remedy for cradle cap? Rock The Cradles’s Organic Cradle Cap Oil is definitely worth a try.
The remedy is a gentle, nourishing blend of organic oils, which aims to relieve dryness and irritation. It will help to soften and loosen the cradle cap, making it easier to gently remove with a soft brush or dry washcloth.
Written by: Andrea Zanin
9th Apr
Changing a newborn’s nappy takes practice. What I mean is: getting it right takes practice.
So, what exactly is ‘getting it right’? Doing it: no mess, no fuss. It’s no easy task and here’s why: new babies’ poo and wee at random – it comes out of nowhere, when you least expect it! Their toilet schedules are unpredictable, haphazard, erratic, accidental – you get the idea.
The solution on how to change a newborns nappy is to plan for the unexpected.
My baby girl’s favourite poo/wee technique was to do ‘it’ while I was changing her. I’d clean her bottom, remove her nappy, and as I was reaching for a new one she’d wee.
So, I’d clean it all up, whilst mentally cursing myself for deciding to change her on my bed, get a new nappy in place and… more poo. *sigh*
It took a few mishaps – soiled bedspreads, throws and blankets – to get the technique right.
Here’s how to change a newborns nappy: undo nappy, PLACE SMALL PLASTIC CHANGING SHEET UNDER BOTTOM, clean bottom, remove old nappy, WITHOUT ANY ‘DITHER DATHER’ place new nappy under bottom – if your babs wees or poos now, at least it’s caught by a nappy and not your designer sheets, and do it up.
Written by: Andrea Zanin
5th Apr
You’re walking with your buggy, at night. It’s winter – translation: dark and cold. Drivers are racing to get back to their heated homes and pedestrians are missioning with heads down, ears covered and hands in pockets.
No one seems to notice you and your pram, facing the wind head-on so as to ensure the safety of your baby.
If only you had a pair of buggy headlights.
If this little story is something with which you are all too familiar, perhaps a set of buglights – buggy headlights – are in order. These nifty little lights clip on to the majority of prams and buggies to ensure maximum visibility.
When switched on, they emit an eye-catching, attention-grabbing light to alert road (and pavement) users to your presence. You can opt for a constant light or, if you’re feeling a party vibe, set them to flash – cyclists and runners are sure never nick the side of your pram ever again!
Written by: Andrea Zanin
4th Apr
Tummy time – my baby girl hated it! It would start off okay… and then she would squeal with displeasure; arms flapping up and down and face planted into the floor. I guess you have to ease them into it.
If your babs is not a fan of lying belly flat on the floor, or you aren’t keen on placing your little one on the floor, there is an off-the-floor-tummy-time activity centre that places your baby at an angle. It comes complete with a soft fleece mat and safety harness and it all cleverly folds away completely flat for easy storage and travel.
The Tummy Time Activity Centre multifunctions as a seat and a recliner as well as a tummy time platform. It has high sides, a solid back and a safety harness – baby’s safety is paramount.
Letting babies spend time on their tummies is important for their development; assisting with co-ordination, balance, and posture, it increases confidence and helps strengthen back, neck and arm muscles.
Written by: Andrea Zanin
Written by: Andrea Zanin