From the moment you bring your precious infant home, his or her (or their!) room will become a special place for you and your child. Even if you keep your baby in your bedroom at night for the first few settling-in months, you’ll probably use the baby’s room for ch­anging diapers and other everyday tasks. The sooner you and your child feel comfortable in the nursery, the better. (Yes, you need to feel at home in the baby’s room, too, as you’ll be spending a lot of hours there!)

Once you’ve got the crib, comfy chair, changing table, and optional extra bed in place, the rest is child’s play. If your family includes older ­children who share baby’s room, their needs will obviously dictate a lot of the furnishings and accessories. If the room is for the baby only, you may be tempted to go for broke with decorative treatments. There’s no harm in doing this as long as you avoid items with small parts or cords, but you don’t have to spend a fortune on special effects. Babies can’t really see details or pick out the nuances of color until they’re six months old or so. Until then, bold patterns in black and white serve much better to stimulate their eyes and brains.

If your taste tends toward the lively and modern, a baby’s room in black and white with red accents may be just the ticket. If not, however, you can provide short-term toys and board books that stimulate baby just as well and decorate in a way that better suits your style.

1. Buy storage-friendly furniture
Get a crib with drawers underneath or buy a crib skirt and some under-bed boxes, which are great for stashing all those excess diapers and wipes. Still short on storage? Consider a cube system like the IKEA Expedit, which can grow with your tot and be outfitted with drawers and doors to hold toys and books on the bottom. Plus, you can stash clothes they’re growing into or growing out of on the top.

2. Trick out your closet
Use every inch of space already available in your nursery by maximizing your closet’s storage. Little outfits are short, so double your closet space easily using a double-hang closet rod on one side. Then use a portion of your closet to create flexible shelving by adding a sweater bag. Both can be found at The Container Store.

3. Containerize everything
Find attractive open bins for the shelves of your changing table and give each bin a specific category. Inside your closet you’ll want to use clear, stackable containers so you can see exactly what’s there. Label them with size and season. For example, seeing “12-month, summer clothes” is a lot more helpful than having to take down a huge bin of hand-me-downs from the top shelf and then having to dig through. Important: Whatever you do, skip the toy bin! It just becomes a repository for all the tiny pieces, and ends up with stuff on top of it, so your child will never be able to open it to retrieve those stuffed animals anyway.

4. Go vertical
Have a small nursery? No problem! Utilize your vertical space — backs of doors and even the walls are often overlooked areas. Have excess toiletries or tiny shoes? Put an over-the-door shoe bag with clear pockets on the inside of your closet door so that you can compartmentalize all the small stuff and keep it from cluttering up your surfaces. Stick the thermometer in the top row right next to the Infants’ Tylenol, so next time your baby has a fever in the middle of the night you know exactly how to find it (and it’ll be too high for them to reach as they grow!). Have a ton of pictures or other keepsakes to display? Don’t clutter your dresser — hang floating shelves on the wall to show off your treasures. It will look intentional instead of haphazard, and once your child is more mobile, he won’t be able to destroy them so easily.

5. Toss the junk
Having a baby often means you’re showered with gifts. But that doesn’t mean you have to keep and love everything Cousin Gertrude gave you! Take a picture of your kiddo wearing the item or playing with it, write her a thank-you note and put it in the outbound pile. As a parent you need to constantly manage both the inflow and outflow of stuff in your space, so dedicate a bag or two for things that are no longer in active use, and once they are full, get them out. Store the items that you love that make the cut for a future child, but pass others along to a mommy friend with different taste or donate them. Swimming in excess samples from the hospital? Stash a few in your diaper bag, use up the ones you love and toss the rest! You don’t need random stuff you’ll rarely use.

A real health risk for new mothers

During your pregnancy, your doctor probably warned you about additional precautions you should take against certain illnesses that pregnant women are more susceptible to getting than other adults are.

For example, pregnant women are encouraged to get a flu shot because of the severe complications that can arise when a pregnant woman and her developing child get the flu.

While breastfeeding, you should also be careful of certain threats to your health, as you are more prone to certain things than you were before. Staph infections are one of these things, as women who are breastfeeding are more likely to get this type of infection than most other healthy adults.

What is staph?

Staph infections are a type of bacterial infection that results from a fairly common type of bacteria, staphylococcus aureas. Staph infections can have very mild side effects but they can also develop into severe medical complications.

Preventing staph infections while breastfeeding

As staph bacteria can be found on the skin of about one in four healthy adults, the best way to prevent staph infections is to keep those bacteria from getting into open wounds and killing it whenever possible. Good hygiene is the best defense against bacteria infections of this nature.

Steps you should take to minimize the likelihood of a staph infection while breastfeeding include:

• Frequent hand washing with an anti-bacterial soap
• Sterilize all breast pumping equipment regularly
• Clean and bandage any wounds properly to prevent contamination
• Change bras regularly, especially if your nipples are sore and chaffed

Diet “don’ts” for breastfeeding moms

In a previous post, we discussed good things to make sure that you incorporate in your diet while breastfeeding, including fruits, whole grains, sources of calcium, and lots of water.

However, there are also certain things that you should make sure to keep OUT of your diet while breastfeeding, as they can be dangerous to you and possibly to your infant.

Some of the things to stay away from while you are breastfeeding include:

-         Alcohol. This toxin is dangerous to development while your baby is in the womb and now that he or she is born as well.

-         Mercury. High levels of mercury are found in some types of fish including swordfish and halibut, so be careful with seafood.

-         Caffeine. This stimulant can be found in soft drinks, coffee, and tea, among other products, so read labels carefully before drinking or eating anything you think might contain caffeine.

-         Artificial sweeteners. These chemicals can be found in diet drinks and low-calorie foods and may be harmful to your baby.

-         Nutritional supplements. While it is important to get vitamins and minerals while breastfeeding, it is best to get them from fruits and vegetables than to take a multivitamin or other supplement. These supplements are not monitored by the FDA, so it is difficult to be certain that what you are putting into your body is safe for you and for your baby.

Have a question?  Ask your doctor.

If you have any questions about what to eat while breastfeeding, be sure to ask your doctor about specific issues. Being healthy will help you be the best mom you can be, so take care of yourself during this bonding time with your infant.

Diet “Do’s” while breastfeeding

You know that you had to watch what you ate while you were pregnant – certain foods could make you feel nauseated, while others were off-limits because they contained certain ingredients or chemicals that could hurt the developing baby.

However, now that you have gone through childbirth and are preparing to breastfeed your little one, you may be uncertain about the dietary rules for this new phase with your little one.

As with most things in life, moderation is the key

The good news is that there are not a ton of rules about what you have to eat in order to successfully breastfeed. Your body will produce a consistent quantity of high quality milk as long as you eat a varied, nutritious diet. However, certain things can be beneficial to your health and to your baby, so it is a good idea to incorporate them into your diet.

The following list is a few things you may want to keep in mind while breastfeeding:

-         Whole grains are a great source of fiber which can help with constipation

-         Hydration is essential. Breast milk is up to 87% water, so it is easy to get dehydrated when breastfeeding. Try to avoid carbonated drinks because they contain sodium – stick to plain water instead.

-         Fruit is always a good choice. Fruit contains water and fiber along with vitamins and minerals, helping a new mom get many of the things she needs in a single food source.

-         Don’t forget about milk for yourself as well. Both pregnancy and breastfeeding can take calcium from your bones, so be sure to give your body plenty of extra during this time in your life.

Stay tuned for more

In our next blog post – we’ll discuss foods you should avoid while nursing a baby.

Infant swings versus baby bouncers

For many parents deciding between what they actually need and what they simply want be a challenge, especially when it comes to products for their baby. One great example of this can be seen when comparing an infant swing to an infant bouncer.

The truth is, there is absolutely no need to purchase both of these products.  They have a limited lifespan of usefulness and they serve the same purpose. But with a little research, you can easily decide which one make more sense for your home, your needs, and your infant.

The Case for the Infant Swing

Pros: Often have more features than baby bouncers, great for infants who are soothed by the motion of a rocking chair, larger and more stable than a traditional baby bouncer

Cons: More expensive than baby bouncers, not as portable, take up more space

The Case for the Baby Bouncer:

Pros: Portability – take it with you on short trips or even just to go outside, less expensive than baby swings, smaller than a swing so easier to fit into apartments

Cons: Can have stability concerns because it is smaller and lighter, not as many features on the inexpensive models, limited range of motion

More factors to consider

Both baby bouncers and infant swings have height, weight, and sometimes even age restrictions. They are generally not meant for use by babies who are too young to support their own head, so there is a limited window of time when a baby can use these products. If you still are not sure which one is right for your baby, talk to other moms to see if you can try their swing or bouncer. If your infant loves their swing or bouncer, you will have a clear indication of which will work best.

Bouncing for all the right reasons

With all the products on the market aimed at parents and promising to be the best soothing product available, it can be hard to discern what works and what doesn’t, or what you really want versus products that end up being a waste of time and money.

One product that many parents are interested in is the infant bouncer. There are a variety of models available, but overall this seems to be a pretty effective soothing method for many infants.

Soothing with a bouncer

Babies enjoy repetitive motion. This may be due to the fact that they were often in motion while in their mother’s womb, or because it is simply enjoyable to be bounced. Whatever the explanation, it can be hard on tired parents to bounce their infant constantly, which is where the infant bouncer is very useful.

When your baby is in the bouncer, he or she can be stimulated or soothed, and your hands are free to attend to other tasks. Bouncers come with a variety of features, including some that have multiple motion settings, so your baby will be entertained while he or she is awake and a more gentle setting can be used to lull the little one to sleep.

Remember, safety first

While there are a variety of infant bouncer models to choose from, make sure that any bouncer you use is sturdy, has a wide frame to avoid tipping issues, has a three or five point safety harness like the one on a car seat, and that your child is within the height and weight limitations for that particular model. This will ensure that your baby is safe while being soothed.

Colic – not just for infants

When most parents hear the word “colic,” they immediately think of the infant colic that some babies develop – the crying that is inconsolable, occurs for no apparent reason, and is still a pretty big mystery to the medical community.

However, this is not the only type of colic that exists, despite what the parent of a child with colic might try to tell you!

That’s right – adults can get colic too, and unfortunately a swaddle blanket may not be able to help you get through it!

So what is biliary colic?

Biliary colic is a condition in which the patient feels sharp pain in his or her upper abdomen, either in the center or on the right side. This pain is the most common symptom experienced by people with gallstones, the hardened masses that form in the gallbladder.

These masses form when there is an abundance of certain elements, usually cholesterol, and they move from the gallbladder into the liver and intestines. Along the way, they can bump into sensitive areas or become lodged in certain openings or connections, causing blockages.

In either case, they cause the patient extreme pain and will continue to cause pain until they are removed. The pain usually comes and goes if the gallstones are mobile but will continue to occur until the gallstones are removed.

So who gets it?

Characteristics that make some individuals more likely to experience biliary colic include:

• Being overweight
• Eating foods that are high in fat
• Over twenty years of age

While biliary colic may not be a central concern to new parents, it is something to be aware of, particularly if you have any of the characteristics listed above. If you believe you may have biliary colic, contact your medical professional immediately.

Colic is one of those things that you probably don’t care about – that is until you become a parent and have your new baby suffering from its effects. That’s when you need to learn everything you can – and fast!

Over the last month or so, Luna Lullaby has taken on this subject and is offering parents an in-depth look at the various types of colic, what causes colic, as well as lots of information on how to help soothe your infant and possibly avoid dealing with colic.

We sincerely hope that this information might help you learn something you didn’t already know and maybe give your little one a little comfort!

Advice from parents

Please note that all of our articles and blog posts are thoroughly researched before we post them. However, they should be considered as friendly advice from one parent to another, and never considered to be actual medical advice.

In fact, that’s how Luna Lullaby came to be in the first place. Parents helping other parents learn to soothe their children using the best techniques and products they can!

Summer is definitely here and most of us are taking every opportunity to get outside and take enjoy the sunshine and warm weather. For those with young children and infants, this is a great time to do new activities together as a family.

However, there are some safety concerns unique to summer, so it is a good idea to review these to make sure that you are keeping your little ones safe.

Sun safety

Babies are much more sensitive to sun exposure than adults or even children, so babies under six months should not be in the sunlight if possible. Putting sunscreen on a child this young is also not advised on a regular basis but can be done if there is no other option.

Hydration

As the temperatures go up, it is easier to get dehydrated. You will want to drink more water, but babies under six months should not be given water. They will probably want to feed more often to compensate for the loss of fluids, so you may want to speak to your doctor about how to adjust accordingly. After six months, small amounts of water along with juicy fruit are a great way to keep him or her hydrated!

Water safety

This is the biggest safety concern for infants and toddlers. There is no substitute for parental supervision near the water, but here are some other things to keep in mind:

• Buy a hard-sided splashy pool rather than an inflatable one
• A flotation device is not the same as a safety one. Use Coast Guard approved devices only.
• Do not allow a child in a kiddie pool if he or she is under 1 year of age.

With these tips, you are on your way to a great summer with your baby!

Colic is a condition that occurs among infants fairly frequently. About one out of five babies can develop colic, although the severity of each case can vary.

The main way to tell if a child has colic is by the frequency and duration of his or her crying. Babies with colic are healthy, well-fed infants with no reason to cry; yet they cry loudly and seem to be in pain because they clench their fists, arch their backs, and flex their abdominal muscles. One way to tell if an infant has colic as opposed to just being fussy is by the rule of threes – A child that cries for three or more hours a day on three or more days per week for at least three consecutive weeks probably has colic.

If you suspect that your little one may have colic, it is important to discuss this with your medical professional to get a definitive diagnosis and ensure that it is not a more serious condition.

Colic – normal and usually temporary

It is important for parents of infants to remember that colic is a normal and temporary condition. Colic does not reflect any health problems or illnesses in an infant, and although the crying fits are painful to watch, the infant will not suffer in either development or growth.

Additionally, colic is temporary. Children generally outgrow colic around three months of age, although some continue to exhibit symptoms until six months. As the cause of colic is not fully understood, it is hard to explain why the condition passes on its own, but fortunately for parents who are raising a colicky infant, it does!