There’s nothing that compares to holding your baby in your arms - watching and feeling him against your chest. When a baby is first born, we have time to enjoy these moments. If you are like most moms, living in today’s hectic world, life goes on, and there is always too much to do. But we don’t have to give up keeping our baby close. We can accomplish tasks that need to be done and still enjoy our baby’s companionship by wearing him in a carrier, sling, or pouch.

The benefits of bonding with your baby while the two of you share the world around you is beyond measure. He will feel more a part of your life and you a part of his. Baby wearing has been shown to positively contribute to baby’s development physically, emotionally, and socially.

When a baby is attached to his mother, he is in tune with the rhythm of her breathing, the sound of her heartbeat, and the movements she makes – walking, bending, and reaching. We learn much from watching other and this is an up close lesson for your baby. Being held close to a parent acts as an extension to baby’s peaceful time in the womb. Research has shown that premature babies who are touched and held gain weight faster and are healthier.

It is a well-known fact that most babies cry and fuss less when they are held. In some cultures where baby wearing is the norm, babies often cry for only a few minutes a day, compared to a few hours a day for western babies. Crying is exhausting for both the baby and his parents, and may cause long-term damage to the baby’s developing brain as it is continually flooded with stress hormones. Babies naturally feel calmer and have a greater sense of security, just by your touch. You will quickly discover that your newborn will sleep while in their arms, comforted by the rise and fall of your chest.

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Studies indicate that babies worn are less prone to develop fears of loss or loneliness, often becoming independent earlier.

Baby-wearing can be healthy for you and other family members. It can be challenging for new mothers to find time to exercise, but if you go for a walk with your baby in her sling, you will enjoy the dual benefits of walking and weightlifting. It makes me smile when I see a new father going for a walk with his baby. The baby is becoming used to his voice, heartbeat, movements and facial expressions, and the two are forging a strong attachment of their own.

Baby wearing is the most comfortable way to hold a baby. You can use a sling on your shoulders, back or hip distributing your baby’s weight evenly. It is perfect for a day at the beach or an evening stroll through the park. Leaving the house doesn’t require as much preparation. No large stroller to pack into the car and navigate through crowds. Carriers can be folded up and stuffed into a diaper.

Baby wearing is usually associated with infants but it is also very useful for toddlers. This world can be a scary place for toddlers. They will feel more confident when they know they can retreat to the security of trusting arms. Most slings accommodate children up to 35 or 40 pounds.

Using a sling or other type of baby carrier takes some practice. It may take a few tries for you and your baby to feel comfortable and secure. But since both of you will benefit from baby wearing for months, even years, to come, it’s worth the effort. One suggestion for getting the baby used to the sling is to start walking as soon as you get things adjusted. The baby will be comforted by the movement as he gets used to being carried in a new way.

Parents use baby carriers for many different reasons and in all kinds of situations. Carriers allow baby to enjoy being in your presence even when you are concentrating on other activities. You can interact with your baby throughout the day and still play with an older child and accomplish necessary tasks. It’s also fun for baby, because when he is up at eye level, other adults notice and interacts with him more. Whenever you find yourself trying to juggle the needs of your baby and the demands of everyday life, it’s likely that baby wearing will make things easier.

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When a woman who smokes starts to think about having children, she needs to think about quitting smoking. Women who smoke during their pregnancy take a huge risk with their unborn baby’s health. When she smokes during pregnancy, so does her baby. If your health isn’t enough to make you quit smoking, then the health of your baby should be. If she is willing to take such risk with her potential baby’s health, maybe she’s not ready.

Why am I so harsh on the subject? Smoking during pregnancy affects your baby’s health before, during, and after your baby is born. There is a greater chance that she will lose the baby during pregnancy. The baby could also be born too early, before the lungs are ready, so he or she will have trouble breathing. The baby will be smaller and more likely to need special care and stay longer in the hospital. Some may die either at birth or within the first year.

Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals; the worst of these chemicals are nicotine and carbon monoxide. When a women smokes during pregnancy, the toxins gets into their bloodstream. This is her baby’s only source of oxygen and nutrients. A shortage of oxygen can have devastating effects on her baby’s growth and development. Smoking during pregnancy doubles the chances that a baby will be born too early or weigh less than 5 1/2 pounds at birth. Smoking also more than doubles the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.

Undersize babies tend to have underdeveloped bodies. Their lungs may not be ready to work on their own, which means they may spend their first days or weeks attached to a respirator. After they’re breathing on their own (or even if they did from the start), these babies may have continuing breathing problems — because of delayed lung development or other adverse effects of nicotine. Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are especially vulnerable to asthma, and have double or even triple the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Not to mention stunting a baby’s growth in the womb can have negative consequences that last a lifetime.

Smoking during pregnancy can have lifelong effects on your baby’s brain. Children of pregnant smokers are especially likely to have a learning disorder, behavioral problems, and relatively low IQs. Recent animal studies suggest that nicotine in the womb can program a baby’s brain for a future addiction.

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Cutting Down vs. Quitting? The more cigarettes you smoke per day, the greater chances of developing these health problems. There is no “safe” level of smoking while pregnant. The only way to really protect her baby is to quit. Cutting down is better than doing nothing but it does not eliminate your problems just decreases them a little. A smoker’s body is especially sensitive to the first doses of nicotine each day, and even just a few will significantly tighten blood vessels. A few cigarettes a day are safer than a whole pack, but the difference isn’t as great as you might think.

When to Quit? NOW! If you’re pregnant don’t wait any longer. The best time to quit is when a woman is planning to get pregnant before becoming pregnant or soon after she finds out that she is already pregnant. If she does quit before 16 weeks, her baby will probably weigh the same as the baby of a woman who has never smoked. If she quits within the first three or four months of her pregnancy she can lower her baby’s chance of being born too small and with lots of health problems. Even if a woman quits at the end of her pregnancy, she can help her baby get more oxygen and have a better chance of making it. It’s never too late to quit, but the earlier the better for both the mother and her baby!

How to Quit? Even though you’re aware of the dangers of smoking, it’s not always easy to give up the habit. The pull of nicotine can overwhelm your good intentions.

1. She can ask for help from her doctor for different ways to quit.
2. Make a list of her reasons for wanting to quit, for herself as well as for her baby.
3. Talk to family and friends. Support can make all the difference.
4. Ask people who smoke not to smoke around you.
5. Do not go to places where many people are smoking such as bars or clubs, and smoking sections of restaurants.
6. Set a Quit-Date; the sooner the better. If a woman is not ready to set a date, she can begin to cut down on smoking.
7. She can try the four D’s: Delay, Deep Breathe, Drink Water, and Do Something Else.
8. Keep mints or gum (preferably sugarless) on hand for those times when you get the urge to smoke.
9. Drink less caffeinated beverages; caffeine may stimulate your urge to smoke. Also avoid alcohol, as it may also increase your urge to smoke and can be harmful to your baby.
10. Stay active to keep your mind off smoking and help relieve tension: take a walk, exercise, read a book, or try a new a hobby.
11. Change your habits connected with smoking. If you smoked while driving or when feeling stressed, try other activities to replace smoking.
12. I think the best way for a pregnant woman to quit is to think of her baby being born healthy.

How Does Secondhand Smoke Affect Pregnancy? If you are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke, you increase your and your baby’s risk of developing lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, allergies, asthma, and other health problems.

Babies exposed to secondhand smoke may also develop reduced lung capacity and are at higher risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Smoking after the Baby is Born. It makes no sense at all for her to go back to smoking! Even after the baby is born, her smoking can hurt the baby.

Babies have very small lungs and airways which get even smaller when they breathe smoke-filled air. Smoking can make it hard for the baby to breathe. It can cause lung problems like bronchitis and pneumonia that could put the baby back in the hospital.

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Baby Bingo
Your guests will have a blast playing BINGO while the mommy-to-be opens her presents.

Directions: When mommy opens a gift, the guest check their Baby BINGO card for the item. If you have the item, place a small diaper pin (or whatever you have to use) on that item. When you get a Baby BINGO you must yell “Baby BINGO”. If you just yell BINGO, you must take off one of your diaper pins on your Baby Bingo. Then continue playing. Whoever gets a Baby Bingo first wins.

Celebrity Baby Match
Who doesn’t love some celebrity gossip?

Directions: Match the baby name with the correct celebrity parents (Maddox to Angelina Jolie, for example). The first person to correctly finish the list wins.

Unscramble the Words
Challenge your guests to unscramble words that have to do with childbirth and babies.

Directions: The first to correctly unscramble or the person who correctly unscramble the most within a time limit wins. (ex: sitbenas is bassinet and peidar is diaper).

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Mommy-to-be Pregnancy Trivia
This is supposed to be all about Mommy and her pregnancy. Let’s test everyone to see who has been the best friend or family member.

Directions: Make a list of questions about the mom’s pregnancy. Ask the guest the questions first and have them write their answers down. Then ask the mom-to-be the questions and as she answers everyone can check their answers. Whoever gets the most right wins. (ex. When did you find out you were pregnant?)

Guess the Girth
Now don’t be shy. It’s time to guess momma’s size.

Directions: Ask guests to cut a length of string that they think will stretch around the future mom’s belly. After everyone has had a turn, the mother-to-be measures and cuts a string that fits her belly. Compare her string to the pieces of string from each guest. The person who is closest wins. You’ll be amazed at what people’s estimates are. It’s a great icebreaker and always good for some laughs.

Some People Never Change
Guess the characteristics of the parents-to-be when they were babies.

Directions: Ask the grandparents to write down what the parents were like as babies (ex. time of birth, height, weight, first tooth, first smile, age when toilet-trained, and early signs of their personality. Based on that information, make up a mommy or daddy quiz. The person with the most correct answers wins a prize.

My Water Broke
Just sit back and wait.

Directions: The day before the shower, freeze diaper pins, miniature pacifiers, tiny plastic babies, or similar items in ice cube trays. Give each guest an ice cube in a glass of water or other drink. The first person whose ice has melted so that the frozen item floats freely in the glass shouts, “My water broke!” and wins the game.

Dress the Baby
Who doesn’t love to play house?

Directions: Get a life-size baby doll, receiving blanket, cloth diaper, diaper wrap, and onesie. Guests take turns trying dressing the baby. Time each guest — the one who does it fastest wins.

Diaper Bag Memory Game
One of those memory games you add onto the list until it becomes too long to remember.

Directions: The first player starts by saying the name of an item that would normally be found in a diaper bag. The second player lists that item plus one of their own. Each subsequent person must list everything already mentioned, in the proper order, and then add one more item. If you forget an item or list them out of order, you’re “out.” The last person still in the game is the winner.

Guess the Baby Food
Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Peaches, and more.
Directions: Buy six to eight jars of baby food, all different flavors, and enough plastic spoons for all of the guests. Remove the labels from the jars and number them. At the shower, have everyone taste each jar and write down what kind of food they think it is, without letting fellow guests see their answers. Whoever gets the most right wins a prize.

Don’t Say “Baby”
Imaging a bunch of women at a baby shower, this can be hard.

Give every guest a clothespin to attach to her clothing and wear during the shower. Tell everyone not to say the word “baby” for the rest of the shower. If someone hears another guest say the forbidden word, she gets to take the other guest’s clothespin(s). Whoever has the most clothespins at the end of the shower wins.

Baby Animal
Animals have babies too.

Directions: Write a list of animals and each guest writes down the baby name of that animal. (ex. Bear is Cub, Cow is Calf) Whoever gets the most right wins.

Fill in the Song and Name the Song
Old Mother Hubbard, Humpty Dumpy, or Cat and the Fiddle.

Directions: Write part of the lyric or play part of the song and the guest fill in the missing lyrics and song title.

PRIZE SUGGESTIONS: Lotions, candles, frames, books, plants, items for the kitchen, small photo albums, chocolates, and gift certificates for coffee.

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It is very common in families for children to feel bummed about the baby on the way. Feelings of resentment, jealousy and unhappiness start to develop as the date gets closer. In some cases your child may feel excited about their new little brother or sister to be born, these feelings may arise after your new baby is delivered. Children often worry that a baby will in some way replace them as mommy’s special little girl or boy.

And when your child sees all the attention you’re giving to your new baby, she’ll become even more concerned. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent your child feeling this way, and help ensure a happy household with your growing family…

Get Your Child Involved
Try to involve your older child in decision making while preparing for the baby like deciding on a name or a nursery theme. It will help your child to see that he/she plays an important roll in the family.

1-On-1 Time
It can be so easy to put aside the one-on-one time when you are preparing for your new baby or when he/she arrives. Of course, the most recent addition to the family will demand a great deal of your time but it is very important to set aside quality time with your other child. Your child really needs your undivided attention every so often.  Be sure when you schedule this one-on-one time that you are not holding the baby and have the least amount of interruptions.

Encourage time together
Encouraging your child to spend time with the baby will greatly improve the chances of her accepting her new brother or sister. Sometimes it takes just two or three bonding sessions for feelings of rivalry to be replaced with love and affection. But remember, no matter how well your young child seems to be getting along with your baby, never stop giving that special attention.

Don’t expect instant love
Many parents expect their children to instantly fall in love with the newest addition to the family. Although some children do, most kids will take a little while to get used to their baby brother or sister. It’s perfectly understandable for them to initially feel indifferent or indeed jealous of the new addition. Be patient and soon you’ll be one big happy family.

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