LilSugar

Baby's Here! 9 Creative Birth Announcements

Nicole Abbott — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:59:15 PST

Mommy and daddy aren't the only ones who have been expecting the stork's arrival, so announcing baby's debut is big deal to new parents. Lots of mamas prefer to go with a custom birth announcement as unique as their new baby - and nothing says custom like letterpress announcements or photo birth announcements. Click through to check out nine creative custom birth announcements for a little inspiration.

Been There Done That: 6 Tips For New Moms From One That Was Just There

BabyCenter — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:31:18 PDT

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts over on BabyCenter, including this post from Sabrina Garibian about her tips for other new moms!

Now that my son is almost a month old, I feel like I can share mom advice.

Ha. That’s a joke. I still don’t know what I’m doing. I’m like a camel in an ocean just trying to survive. And sleep deprivation makes you think of weird analogies like that.

Anyway, we did survive the very difficult first two weeks well. Of course, there is the standard advice of sleep when the baby sleeps and so on, but I have some even more practical tips for the new moms who might need a little help just surviving. Here they are:

Go paper. For the first two weeks use paper plates and plastic cups and silverware. It felt very wasteful to me to do that, but it was also a lifesaver. Just finding the time to heat up a meal was difficult in itself. The dishes would never have gotten done had we used them.
Use straws. If you plan on nursing, you won’t have free hands available for drinking, yet you’ll be very thirsty. Fill up a few cups of water for your nursing station and use a straw to drink up.
Take advantage of Diapers.com. Their shipping policies are incredible, and you will get anything you need within a day or two. I placed three or four orders for random items in the first two weeks and was so thankful to wake up the following morning to a package.
Hire a lactation consultant before you have issues. This is for the breastfeeding moms. I had a lactation consultant come three days after we came home from the hospital. It was a great decision as she helped me fine tune our technique. Breastfeeding is going really well (aside from an oversupply issue), and I have that early visit to thank.
Plan meals. We only had a few freezer meals at our disposal, and I wish I had made more. You will not find time to cook unless you are supermom.
Don’t cut your hair. This might seem silly, but it was a crucial mistake I made. I have this one piece of shorter hair in the front that keeps falling into my face at the most inopportune times. Until I could figure out how to juggle a baby in my hand and doing something else, I had to deal with hair in my eyes. Don’t make the same mistake I did.

What tips do you have to add?

More great stories from BabyCenter.com:
Finding time for my second child
7 easy Halloween treats for kids
Should you take your kids to an ultrasound?
7 tips for great newborn pictures

Source: Flickr User kevinphaines

Simple Outfits For Bringing Baby Home From the Hospital

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 05:32:50 PDT

Get dressed for the occasion! Bringing home baby is a big deal and 81 percent of our readers bought a special ensemble for their newborn to wear on the special day. For many new parents, getting their tot ready for the ride home is the first time they've ever dressed their lil one. With that in mind, its important to pick out an outfit that is easy to put on a squirmy baby. Look for clothes with buttons, ties or snaps to close them, rather than those that go over the head. Many new parents also like to buy pieces that close on the side, kimono-style, to avoid having anything rub the umbilical cord stump that is most likely still in tact. For those looking for a simple set to include in their hospital bag, check out these classic options.

Source: Flickr User Jacobim Mugatu

5 Biggest Concerns of New Dads (and How to Overcome Them)

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 06:30:00 PDT

Let's hear it for dear ole dad! While mom may spend her pregnancy thinking about kick counts, delivery, and early breastfeeding, the father-to-be has other worries of his own. From ways to bond with his new offspring to concerns of a monetary nature, check out pop's biggest concerns and ways to quell his fears before your lil one arrives.

Hospital Bans Photography Until Baby Is Five Minutes Old

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 20:52:48 PST

Hold off on that hospital photo shoot! Baby's first picture is a keepsake that mamas hold onto forever, but just how soon after birth can the camera be used? While many laboring moms assign photographer duties to a friend or family member to capture their lil one's arrival, a hospital in western Maryland is putting a delay on that first image with a new policy prohibiting video and still photography of deliveries until five minutes after the baby's arrival. According to the hospital, the rule is intended to "protect patient privacy and reduce potential staff distractions."

Would a hospital's photography rules factor into your decision to deliver there?

How to Decide Whether to Circumcise

LilSugar — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 23:14:18 PST

Hearing "It's a boy!" is a thrilling experience for parents who hoped to raise a son, but one of the first major decisions a mom and dad has to make is whether or not to circumcise their son. A San Francisco man wants to outlaw this practice because he believes it be genital mutilation. While the procedure is a common one when performed shortly after the boy's arrival, it can be more complicated if the parents choose to hold off until later in their son's life. It's a choice that shouldn't be made lightly so we've rounded up some issues to take into consideration.

Dr. Oz's Guidelines For Newborn's First Month of Life

Heather Maddan — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 06:00:00 PDT

Everybody wants to hold, hug, kiss, and love a new baby! But Dr. Mehmet Oz says parents should be a bit cautious. The cardiac surgeon and author, whose latest book You: Raising Your Child (The Owner's Manual From First Breath to First Grade) ($14) is a must read, speaks from experience, as he is also a father of four!

LilSugar: Are there some general guidelines for protecting a newborn from germs?
Dr. Oz: I would not take the child out. There's no reason to expose the child to illnesses which they can easily weather as they get older. Infants are not small adults, they have very immature immune systems and are primarily protected by your breast milk (and if it doesn't come in normally then there are some gaps in their immune system) so why take a chance? In the first couple weeks, I'd limit visitation to very close relatives who are healthy and people can come and look at the child, but they just should avoid touching the child.

LilSugar: At what point is it appropriate to let people hold the baby?
Dr. Oz: I think a month is a pretty rational time period. It allows the child to work through some of the early problems with jaundice, breastfeeding issues, the umbilical cord would have fallen off. You know for six months they are a different species and when we learn about children in med school, we learn about the first six months and then the rest. For that first month, they are really fragile. Then you can loosen up a little. I'd still be cautious about having people come over who aren't feeling well. The child will be exposed enough to their siblings who are sick. The older the child is, the more I would expose them because you do want them picking up things that are out there and overcoming them, because it strengthens their immune system and helps them practice for life.

Check back for more from our interview with Dr. Oz tomorrow! If you missed yesterday's portion read it here!

Does It Take Dad Longer to See His Newborn's Beauty?

LilSugar — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:05:28 PDT

It's hard to find a mom who doesn't think her newborn's beautiful. But sometimes dad can take a while to see beyond the infant's cone head, purple complexion, or scrunched face. Justin at @sh*tmydadsays tweeted his father's frank perspective this morning:

"You came out of your mom looking like sh*t. She thought you were beautiful. Don't know what scared me most, your looks or her judgment."

What's your opinion?

Bottles Up! Earthlust Birds & Bees Stainless Steel Canteen

babysugar — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:00:31 PDT

Trendy tots sip from stainless steel bottles! New mamas looking to bypass the plastic bottle drama have other shatter-resistant options than glass. Earthlust's Birds & Bees stainless steel bottles ($24) are eye candy. Insulated to keep beverages cold or warm for up to four hours, the containers are designed to grow with tots, coming with pieces to transition from a slow-flow bottle to non-spill sippy cup. Like Earthlust's grown-up water bottles, the Birds & Bees collection is BPA-, PVC- and phthalate-free, making it a safer choice.

Mamas and Papas Astro Magic Bouncer Gets Lil Feet Kicking

babysugar — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:00:34 PDT

Bounce around! Following our introduction to Mamas and Papas strollers last month, we were excited to get our hands on the British import's adorably sleek Astro Magic Bouncer ($200). The bouncy seat can be used with MP3 players or one of four different entertainment packs ($30 each). With kick-activated light shows and three vibration settings, we were eager to put the chair to the test when the company sent us one to review.

Who is this product designed for? Though it says it is designed for newborns through 6 month olds, it seems more appropriate for infants of at least 4 months who can hold their heads steadily on their own.

Is it practical? The Astro Magic Bouncer isn't a necessity, but it is fun!. Larger than the standard bouncy seat, it is not as portable as its competitors which can easily be moved from room-to-room.

What sets it apart? The extra-large plush seat is like a luxurious easy chair for infants! Its positioning also places tots higher than other seats, allowing curious babies to see the world around them. Best of all, it connects to your iPod, allowing mama to choose the music her lil one listens to, while giving the wee ones the ability to make the music play by kicking their feet on an interactive kick pad. The seat's Toy Bar features a light show that mesmerized our lil tester.

What could be better? The size/portability could be better. It takes up a lot of room, does not fold for travel, and isn't very portable. The seat's height is not adjustable, making it hard to use with newborns. And while it is built with bells and whistles, it is rather pricey for a toy that will only last until a tot can sit up on his own (around six months).

Did it make baby happy? Yes, very happy! Our 5-month-old tester spent a good 30 minutes in the seat and was never bored. In fact, we felt the need to remove him before he did!

Would I buy it? Probably not. It isn't practical, it takes up a lot of room, and it is expensive. However, I wouldn't return it if someone gifted one to me! The Astro Magic Bouncer has awesome features that will entertain a baby, but the chair isn't a necessary addition to the nursery.

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