Teddy Bear Blog

A difficult thing for moms

You know what the hardest part of being a mother is? I think many mothers agree with me that seeing our child in any type of pain and being unable to take away that pain is by far one of the hardest things. I recently had to take my 8 months old to get his shots that are needed at that age and it seriously broke my heart. For one, they stick them in their legs which cannot feel nice. Also, they seem to stick the needle in quite a lot which probably bothers me more than it bothers the baby.

When I have to take the baby for shots, I find myself glaring at the nurses. Although I know their only doing what’s in his best interest, but anyone who causes my son any type of pain is automatically moved to my bad list. So, how can we make this time easier for our little ones?

I like to bring my baby a nice treat in one of those mesh feeders so that his mind is taken away from what just happened and put onto something that he enjoys. I usually fill it with frozen grapes so they are still cold and fresh once he is done with his shots. I also give him a dose of Tylenol prior to getting the shots and he seems to be a lot less cranky once they are over. Also, of course spend the remained of the day giving baby extra love and cuddles, because I think they really need that after going through a stressful experience such as shots.

Baby won't you sleep for me?

I was going to start sleep training with my 8 month old about a week ago, but we both got sick with the flu and I knew it was certainly the wrong time to impose any changes on him. Well, as soon as he was completely well, I started the process and just wanted to share my experience so far with those of you thinking of using sleep training for your baby.

Honestly, I am somewhat against letting your child cry it out, but when it comes to this baby- I simply needed to get a decent night’s sleep so I could be a better mom to him. As I’ve mentioned in the past, he has been waking every 2 hours since he was born, not napping and simply whining all day because of the face that he is tired all the time yet refuses to sleep. So, after many talks with his pediatrician, we decided this was the best method not only for my sanity, but his as well.

The first night was utter torture. He cried for 3 and a half hours. Obviously, not straight, I went in to comfort him often, but there seemed to be no end once I’d leave the room. He cried, I cried and honestly it was the hardest day of my life- I kid you not. Just when I was about to have a breakdown and go get my baby there was a silence. What is this, I thought? Freaked out, I ran up the steps, into his room and long behold he was sleeping.

The next couple of nights got better and better with less and less crying, until finally there was no crying. I have some mommy time back and he is a happy baby again because he’s finally getting the sleep he needs. Baby sleep seems to be one of the most common issues in my life at this time, and for those mommies out there who are at their wits end, I just wanted to tell you not to give up because this too shall pass.

Helping your baby through separation anxiety

Separation anxiety can start as young as 7 months and can very hard on both you and your baby. This anxiety occurs when you little one starts to realize that they are a separate being from you. As they begin to realize this, they can get very upset when they are separated from you. This is because young babies have no concept of time and they don’t realize that you will in fact come back. What is 5 minutes to us, can feel like an eternity to your little one, giving them high amounts of separation anxiety.

If your baby is going through this, trust me you’ll know. It can begin to get impossible to put your baby down for only a few minutes without them crying. They may cry when you leave the room, wake more often in the night crying and may just generally need more of your attention than they required in the past. Some parents can feel a bit frustrated when this is going on because it makes it difficult to get anything done. However, there are things you can do to make this phase pass quickly with your little tot.

It may sound difficult to hold your child more during this time, but you should consider investing in a sling. A sling will let you carry baby around the house while leaving your hands free. This is a good option for parents of babies who refuse to be put down. You can also help make your child feel more secure by presenting them with a lovely. You may want to wear the lovely under your shirt for a day or two, as baby is more likely to feel comforted if the lovely smells like you. Just be strong, do all you can to help your baby feel secure during this difficult time and remember- this too shall pass.

The new terror that is causing night waking

It’s 3AM and your little one is finally in a deep sleep.. after waking up a few times prior. Your just about to hop in bed yourself when out of nowhere your baby starts to scream as if someone were holding him upside down by his toes. Could it be teething? Well you already gave him some baby teething ointment and that’s sure to be in effect still. Could he be hungry? No way. It’s only been 20 minutes since his last full bottle. Attachment anxiety? No. His lovey is in full effect and has him feeling totally comforted. What is it then you ask? Well it’s a little thing called night terrors and studies show that babies around 6 months start to experience these on a regular basis.

Night terrors are basically like a nightmare for us. It wakes the baby up because they experience a great fear and parents often make the mistake of running in to comfort baby when this is going on. That is actually the worse thing a parent can do. When the baby wakes up crying from the night terror, they are not all the way up. They’ll often sooth themselves back to sleep if you let them alone for a few minutes. Going in and soothing baby just prolongs the night terror and actually makes the experience worse for them.

Many parents wonder if they can prevent these terrors. The answer is no. It’s a natural phase and it will pass like anything else. The best you can do is create a loving bedtime routine and a safe, secure sleeping environment for your little one. With time, these will go away and your little one will be back to sleeping deeply once again.

Oh' teething pain

Every mother new and old knows about the devastating effects of teething pain. The babies crying, hasn’t slept in days and your right there with them. I’m currently going through this with my almost 7 month old and it had me thinking. It’s really unfair how it happens. Babies a newborn, they cry and need you and cry because everything is so new to them. Finally you assure baby that you are there, everything is okay and this world is a great place. They are sleeping calming, relaxed, happy then BAM, first tooth.. and it all does downhill from there.

So what can you do to get through this time? Well other than grin and bear it, there are great ways that you can ease your poor baby’s pain- and it’d like to share some I’m familiar with. How many of you have head of Hyland’s teething tablets? Well, I certainly have and my experience was less than great. A friend suggested these to me and while they did seem to help, I noticed my baby was becoming much, much crankier during hours he normally wasn’t. Turns out the teething tablets constipate them, so trust me on this please and avoid them at all costs.

As far as numbing goes, the Orajel easy snap sticks have worked wonders for me. They are also great when you child is creaming at 3AM and you can barely see, none-the-less find a Q-tip and measure out some teething gel. I know many of you have heard of cool teething rings to ease your child’s sore gums. Well, for my son, I bought all the expensive teething devices out there that made false promises of obtaining babies love. My son had absolutely no interest in them at all. But, I throw a few ice cubes in a wash cloth, fasten it with a rubber band and he does to town- absolutely love it. So try it out and save yourself the wasted pennies.

Another trick I’ve learned is creating a binky teether. Simply submerge your child’s favorite pacifier in some water, squeeze it until it is full and put it in the freezer. My son absolutely loves it and it lets baby numb their mouth without freezing their baby hands off. Good luck on your teething endeavors to all.

Exposing your baby to toxic chemicals?

Green living is a new phenomenon that is quickly sweeping the nation. Not only are we saving the environment, but we are also lessening the amount of exposures we have to toxic chemicals. Everyday products that are used to clean your baby’s items are filled with many of these toxic chemicals. The chemicals have been tested and proven to cause brain defects, growth damage and even cancer. Eliminating these products from your baby’s area will keep their body free from the damaging effects.

It took me a long time to figure out what products were safe to use around my babies. Many do not know this, but several of the ‘natural’ products on the market contain very dangerous chemicals that are found in everyday products. They often claim their product is natural because the packaging is, while the product inside is anything but natural. One product I know and trust for use around my babies is Babyganics.

The Babyganics line has everything you need, from counter cleaners to room sprays. They are affordable and truly an all-natural product! I love their line; especially the lavender and vanilla products, because I can wash my babies clothes, do their dishes and mop the floor with products I know are 100% safe. Would you really want your baby eating their food and crawling around in chemicals that are known to cause all of these issues? I didn’t think so. If you are looking for a good product, try Babyganics. EO, is another favorite of mine that is truly all natural and the French lavender smells fantastic.

To cry or not to cry?

"I’ve read basically ever book on both methods and I feel that it is something that can only be decided based on your personal preferences"

One baby sleep issue that has a large amount of controversy is the ‘cry it out method’. Some specialists say that this method helps your baby to self-sooth, thus developing future independence. Other professionals say that allowing your baby to cry it out breaks the trust they have for you and makes them insecure throughout their lifetime. So which of the two is the right choice when it comes to your baby?

I’ve read basically ever book on both methods and I feel that it is something that can only be decided based on your personal preferences. I have never been able to let my children cry, but I know that some of the bad sleep habits my children developed probably have to do with the fact that mommy was there the second they made a noise. I read tons of studies trying to convince myself that I should let my child cry and that I shouldn’t be waking several times a night with my 7 month old- but they slept eventually, it just took a lot longer than it probably would if I had let him cry it out.

A few things I’ve learned for those who do believe in the method; give them a security objects such as a teddy bear. This object will help comfort baby while you’re not there. It takes about a week of listening to them cry until they sleep through the night and the method should be stopped while baby is teething or if they are generally hungry. One method I thought sounded somewhat doable was the gradual method. Baby cries for 5 minutes, you go in and comfort. Then you add 5 more minutes on each time you leave the room. I may try this with my son, but I feel I should wait until he’s about 9 months until I start sleep training.

Baby bliss

Raising a baby is one of the great, yet most difficult things any person will even do. My oldest son Leland taught me this quickly. He was my first child and he was quite a handful from the day he was born. Before I ever knew what parenting was like, I figured I’d wake up, have my morning cup of coffee. Afterwards I’d wake up the baby, we’d have play time, I’d change him and then sit him in his lovely bassinette for a nap. Nothing turned out even close to being true to that.

From day one, my son could not be put down for a single minute without crying. He was a very high needs baby and I could see that in him immediately. When he was very small, he only wanted his mom. No one else would do and the minute I would walk out the door- he would start crying. I lived with my parents at the time, and my father- his grandfather was convinced that the baby was born with a grudge against him.

Things eventually got better through. I bought a swing; I let him sleep in a fisher price glider for a few weeks and eventually moved him into my bed. After becoming very familiar with attachment parenting (something I feel all moms should read) I knew that this was the best parenting method for his sensitive personality.

At 8 months he was still crying often for mommy and sleeping next to me. Although it wasn’t ideal, my son turned out to be a very independent, self-sufficient adult and I feel much of this had to do with the attachment parenting style I used for him.