Are Teething Tablets Safe?

As a Mother, I want only the best for my child. As I’m sure we all do. And we also, don’t want our baby to suffer through the pain of teething. When my child started to cut teeth, she wouldn’t eat and she didn’t want to sleep. We had to take her to the ER, because we were afraid she was getting dehydrated. It was a rough time for us each tooth that came in. I would know that the nights she would not sleep were the nights that her teeth were cutting through the skin.

So I looked for ways to sooth her pain, and I came across a highly debated topic.. Teething Medicines. Some doctors recommended it, and some do not. Some parents allow it, and some will not. I collected some information and links, so that you will be able to read the ingredients, the doctor opinions, and other Mother’s opinions. As for me, I am not saying one way is right or wrong, every parent has a different parenting style. My opinion will be at the bottom of the page. Read my article "Teething Tips and Remedies"

What are Teething Tablets?

Brands such as Hyland’s and Orajel make Teething Tablets, which are tiny little dissolvable pills that go under your child’s tongue or can be dissolved in their bottles. They are meant to help with your child’s pain due to teething, however, most will say they are homeopathic and contain no pain or numbing medicine.

This link is for the Hyland’s Teething Products and will tell you all the facts about their teething products that you need to know.

What is homeopathic?

“Homeopathy demonstrates that a substance that produces a certain set of symptoms in a healthy person can cure a sick person experiencing those same symptoms. For instance, onions make your eyes water when you cut them. If you have a cold or allergies and your symptoms include a runny nose, the likely remedy to treat your runny nose would be Allium Cepa, which is made from onions.” (hylands.com)

What is the debate about?

Teething tablets, like Hyland’s contain belladonna. Belladonna is a plant that can be poisonous when ingested by the mouth. Some people will think that it is not FDA approved, and because the bottles were recalled in 2010. However, the tablets were voluntarily recalled because there were different amounts of Belladonna in each tablet and they did not have child proof caps. The amount of Belladonna in each tablet is now 0.0000000000003%. Hyland’s says “to further clarify the homeopathic dosages of Belladonna in Baby Teething Tablets, a 10-pound child would have to accidentally ingest, all at the same time, more than a dozen bottles of 135 Baby Teething Tablets before experiencing even dry mouth from the product.”

This link will tell you about Belladonna, what it is, what is it used for in medicine, and the effectiveness of is.

This link will take you to FDA’s statement about Hyland’s Teething Tablet’s when they were recalled in 2010.

This link will take you to Hyland’s statement from when it was recalled.

What are other Mom’s saying about these products?

You can read the comments below, as well as my own opinion on teething tablets.

This link will take you to a Circle of Mom’s forum about using teething tablets.

This is a good current article that about teething that also says that Orajel for babies was recalled.

My opinion:

As a Mother I wanted my daughter to be comfortable. I used the Hyland’s teething tablets, and found them to work wonderful! I researched them and talked to my child’s Pediatrician before giving them to her. I did have one person who called me out as a bad mom because I recommended them to someone she knew. Well, this lady, who I don’t know, said it was putting unnecessary ingredients into my child’s body. She also, informed me that the product was recalled, but she had the reason wrong, which I had already known because I have looked it up. When another Mother asks my opinion on anything, I will always say the same thing.. "this is what I did, but Mommy knows best, so do what is best for your child". I am not judging any parent, this is just my opinion. And unlike the woman, who claimed to have a 20-something year old child that she never gave medicine to, but just let them “suffer through it”, I can realize that different people have different opinions and I am not trying to force mine onto anyone.

My Mother and Mother-In-Law have both tried to tell me things that they did. But as I tell them, we are rapidly advancing in technology and medicine from 20 or 30 years ago. So if there was a medicine that could give my child some comfort, help her eat, and get both of us some sleep, I would look into it.

The medicine worked great for me. I would give her some at night when it was the worst, and some when she woke up during the night sometimes. These let her sleep good and be comfortable. She had stopped eating, because it hurt so bad, and we were almost hospitalized for dehydration. But after giving her these, we never had another problem.

If you have used any type of teething tablet or teething gel, or have an opinion on why you didn’t, PLEASE COMMENT! I want other Mom’s to read what another Mom has experienced. You can also, leave links to any pages you found that were helpful in making your decision. Thank You!

Surviving Baby's 1st Cold

I know that feeling where your baby wakes up screaming in the middle of night with a fever, tons of mucous and the most heart breaking “I don’t feel good” cry. I’ve been there. When you get ready to give birth and bring your baby home, most people don’t plan for when they get sick. Yes, you have a humidifier, thermometer and nasal aspirator. But do you really know handle this? When babies get sick, it comes on fast, there are no warning signs, or things leading up to it. It will just happen sometimes when you least expect it. My advice it to be prepared. Whether you are pregnant, or have a little one who hasn’t had a cold, or has and it really rough on the both you, be prepared for when the next time comes around.

This is a list of Must Haves Items for Babies 1^st Cold! Trust me, you should make sure you have everything on this list, so you won’t wake up at 3am and need to run out for some fever medicine. I have also, included a list of Tips for Surviving Babies 1^st Cold, so check that out too!

1. Pedialyte: Babies get dehydrated fast when they run a fever or have diarrhea. They will also have a very small appetite and might not want to eat food, or even drink milk. Try to keep a bottle of this on hand at all times. Remember, that it doesn’t stay good for long after its open!

2. Fever Wipes: This is just an alternative product to a wet wash cloth that you could hold onto your baby’s head to keep them cool when a fever strikes.

3. Boogie Wipes: I love these! They are grape scented, saline covered wipes and will get off all that dried on snot off your baby’s face!

4. Baby Cold Rub: This will help your baby to breathe better, and to clear out their stuffy noses!

5. Fever Reducer Medicine: ALWAYS keep this stocked at your house. Make sure you have an accurate dosing chart, I recommend printing one out, verifying it with your Pediatrician’s office and keeping on hand for middle of the night fevers!

6. Thermometer: Make sure you know what your baby’s temperature is and watch for it to go up. You may want to call your Pediatrician or take your baby to the ER if it gets too high (I’ve done it!).

7. Vaseline: this has multiple uses, but if you take your child temperature rectally, this is a must!

8. Humidifier: this is a must! It will keep the moisture in the air and help you baby to breath better and to loosen up mucous in their nose. You can even buy the vapor blocks to go into the water, check with your Pediatrician that your baby is old enough before using it.

9. Johnson’s Soothing Vapor Bath: when all else fails to get baby to rest or calm down, give them a bath. This vapor bath wash, will help you baby breathe easier and get their noses clean!

10. Nasal Aspirator:  the picture looks like the generic one a hospital will give you, but there are many different kinds to buy. This is the one I prefer. You might have to clean your baby’s nose out every few minutes, but that’s ok.

11. Saline Spray: Make sure you use this with the nasal aspirator to loosen up mucous in your baby’s nose; it will get their nose clean faster by using this! 

12 Tips for Surviving Baby’s 1^st Cold

1. Stay Calm: It is hard for any parent to see their baby sick. Try to stay calm and focus just on getting them better. Know that you are prepared and that this won’t last long.

2. Know When to Call the Doctor: Check their fever often, if it won’t go down or keeps rising with medicine, call your doctor. Call if your baby starts vomiting or has diarrhea. Call if your baby is under 6 months old. Go to the ER if your baby has trouble breathing or an extremely high fever.

3. Treat Fevers: If your baby has a fever, give the right dosage of fever reducer. I recommend printing out a chart with the correct dosages on it. You can also use a cool wash cloth or use fever wipes to put on their fore heads.

4. Clean Out Their Nose: Do this often! Sometimes, you might have to do it every few minutes. Clean their nose out before giving them a bottle or trying to put them to sleep, they won’t eat or sleep if they can’t breathe well threw their nose.

5. Use Humidifier: Put this in their room to help them breathe better when they sleep. You might have to go fill it up while their still asleep.

6. Keep Them Comfortable:  Dress them in light clothing. There is no need to keep their room extremely warm. Just make sure they are comfortable. If you normally cover them with a blanket or rock them with a blanket, continue to do that. It will make your baby feel more secure and comfortable.

7. Keep Them Hydrated: Babies tend to have a low appetite when they are sick, make sure they are at least drinking milk. If they refuse to drink milk try pedilyte and call your Doctor.

8. Sit In A Steamy Bathroom: If your baby is fussy, try to sit in the bathroom with the hot water going. It will calm your baby down and help to clear out their noses. Do this for 15-20 minutes before putting them to sleep, if you have had trouble getting them to sleep.

9. Give Them a Bath: a lukewarm bath will help your child start to feel better. They may even want to splash and play.

10. Prop Up Their Bed: When a baby has a stuffy nose, they can breathe easier at an angle. So prop up some comforters UNDERNEATH the mattress, NEVER in the crib with the baby. Make sure it is enough of an angle to help their breathing, but not too much where  

11. Let Them Cuddle With You: Babies need their Mommies when they’re sick! Spend as much time as they need cuddling and rocking them.

12. Don’t Spread the Germs: If you have other kids or other babies, make sure they aren’t around the sick baby. Limit visitors and going out with the baby, you don’t want to pick up new germs or spread your baby’s germs to another baby!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope this has helped prepare you for your babies first cold, or get through one! 

Leave a comment about what helped you the best for other Mom's to read! 

Registry Must Haves for the First Year

As a new mom, there are a lot of things that I have had to learn. When it comes to being a mom, you try to be prepared as best as you can be. I read countless books and articles and would spend hours researching things online. But, in my opinion, no advice or book or article can prepare you for motherhood. Some babies are polar opposites of others, so one thing that worked for someone else, might not work for you. I am sure that it is probably easier with the second baby you have, maybe labor won’t seem so scary. But for a first time mom, the process of getting ready for the baby can be quite stressful. I can remember going to register and bringing along 3 different checklist of “must have registry items,” and while that was a tremendous help, I had no idea just how MUCH I really needed.

I found myself asking questions like, “Do I really need a wipe warmer?” or “Will I need this use the cold medicine before it expires?” I had no idea how fast babies grow up. My daughter is advanced in my eyes. She held could sit up in her Bumbo at 3 weeks old, she was holding toys shortly after, she said her first word at 4 months old, she took her first steps a 8 months old and could walk completely by 9 months. It’s amazing how fast they learn. One minute, she had just learned to sit up, and the next time I look, my baby was crawling away. It definitely didn’t occur to me how many toys and teething items I needed for the first year!

I made a list of 1^st Year Registry Must Haves.. this doesn’t mean that you should buy ALL of this before you even have a baby. But just keep in mind, that these are the things that will help your baby grow and develop throughout the first year. It is definitely expensive, especially on top of food, clothes, and formula. But babies grow up so fast in the first year, and these toys and items are just for stages, they will grow out of them fast! Enjoy your little one’s while their little. These are the toys and products that I have found to be the most helpful throughout my babies first year, all divided up into separate categories!  I hope this help as you plan for your baby and enjoy their first year of life! 

1. Boppy Pillow: I loved this. You can use it when you breast feed, for propping up a small baby, for tummy time, and as a safety pillow for when baby is learning to sit up!  
2. Mittens: These are for a newborn’s hands so they won’t scratch their face with their nails. Keep in mind, that the Carter’s Sleepers in Newborn and 3 month size, have a hand cover built into the sleeves.

3. Sleep N’ Play: Love these for a newborn! They keep them warm, are easy to change, and are easy for diaper changes. A must for a newborn!

4. Bassinet: There are a lot of different varieties of bassinets, some are available for sleeping next to mom and dad’s bed. Pick one that works for you! These are great for newborns so they can sleep in the same room as you, babies get up so often when they are that little. It keeps the nerves away, some mom’s worry about if her baby is ok, this way they are right by you to check on. I love the ones that have night lights, music, vibrate, or rock. The storage containers are great for a quick diaper or clothes change in the middle of the night!

5. Activity Mat: This is a great developmental toy. Babies love to just lay back and look at their toys or some even have mirrors! Eventually they will pull their toys and roll over on this mat.

6. Infant Car Seat: A must! I love how easy these are to carry babies out with you when you leave the house. They sleep so much when their little and baby can sleep in this when you’re out. There are convertible car seats that will fit a newborn, but I prefer this for a younger baby.

7. Security Blanket: It’s never too early for a security toy, which will one day be comforting to your baby. I have a few, my daughter will sleep with one.

8. Pacifier and Pacifier Clip: If your baby will take a pacifier, the Nubbie brand is the most popular and the one that most hospitals use. There are thousands of designs of clips and pacifiers to choose from!

9. Teething Rings: Babies teeth very early, these little rings can go in the fridge to help sooth your babies gums and they are small enough for your baby to hold it themselves when they are old enough. You can hook these to the pacifier clips, so that your baby won't drop it on the ground and get it dirty! 

10. Hats: A newborn babies body temperatures need to be regulated. Even if it is not cold to you, a newborn is very small and not yet used to regulating their body temperature. Make sure you have a few hats on hand, especially at night. Remember that the hospital will give you one when you leave.

11. Receiving Blankets: Newborn babies love to be swaddled! It reminds them of the womb. They do sell a specific blanket for swaddling, and wearable blankets, but you can also use a receiving blanket as long as you know how to swaddle!

12. Pack N’ Play: For me this was a must. If you live in bigger house or a house with more than one story, it can be challenging to have to keep going up the stairs so often! Whether it be to lay them down in bed, change their diaper or change their clothes. I put this in my living room when my baby was a newborn. I could lay her down in the same room when we had company over, and it has a changing table built into it. I used the play pen part to store diaper rash creams, medicine, extra burp clothes and clothes.. anything! Then when they are old enough, you can just have a play pen. These also fold up, and they work well when you go out of town.

13. Lap Pads: I am so glad I had these when my baby was a newborn! A lot of newborns have diarrhea, and it comes from their body getting rid of jaundice. Some babies will start using the bathroom right when you go to change their diaper! Trust me, these make clean up so much easier! They will keep your changing pad and changing table clean.  

14. Waterproof Teething Bibs: These are a must for teethers who drool a lot. These are expensive for bibs, but it beats changing clothes 5 times a day just from all the drool!

15. Bouncer: Babies loved to get soothed by the gentle bouncing motion.

16. Sophie the Giraffe Teether: A teether’s best friend!

17. Infant Bath with Sling: There are many different type of baths. I prefer one with a tub and a sling. I never washed a baby in the sink before, but I know they make slings especially for that. The sling is great for a small baby with an umbilical cord and when they can’t sit up. The tub is great to have for after the umbilical cord falls off and when baby starts learning to sit up.

18. Swing: Another soothing toy that comes with many different varieties of features. 

1. Crib and Bedding: This is where you get to have fun decorating! The new cribs will be available to convert into a toddler bed and then into a headboard for a bigger bed. I would advise having at least 2 bed sheets for middle of the night changes!

2. Changing Table: Make sure there is storage for all the diapers, wipes or clothes!

3. Changing Pad and Changing Pad Cover: I would advise having more than one cover, babies will make a mess!

4. Diaper Pail: A must to keep those smelly diapers locked up.

5. Glider with Foot Rest: Pick out a comfortable one, mom! You will probably be spending a lot of time in it!

6. Mattress Cover: So those baby mattresses are hard, right? And I know they need to be, but I found this mattress cover that goes under the sheet to make it a little more soft and its waterproof!

7. Noise Maker/Music Player: I highly recommend this. It will help babies sleep, know that it’s time to sleep and some will even play a mom’s heart beat!

8. Diaper Caddy: this is great to carry around the house all the things you might need.

9. Mattress Pads: these go under the sheet and make for a very easy clean up when it comes to messy diapers in bed, a leaked through diaper or a sick baby that will throw up!

10. Black Out Curtains: I love these. It helps to keep the room dark when it’s time for baby to sleep and it’s hard to do that during the day. These work great at keeping the sunlight out when it’s nap time or bedtime.

11. Diaper Organizer: to store all your diapers for easy reach, and they will match the crib bed set! 

1. High Chair/Shopping Cart Cover: I love this. It keeps all the germs from other kids off of your baby and it go into the washing machine. The one I have has storage pockets and hooks for toys.

2. Car Seat Strap Covers: Some car seat comes with this, if they don’t, I suggest getting one. They are padded and can protect your child during a car crash and can make them more comfortable in their seat.

3. Baby Sling/Carrier: these are great for going somewhere that you will be walking around a lot, or to just take a walk! It’s great for new mom’s trying to exercise and loose that baby weight.. some moms will put this on and do squats with their baby!

4.  Car Seat and Stroller Combo: I love how these hook together, so you can use a stroller for a small baby!   

5. Car Seat Head Rest: A lot of car seats come with these. The body part is great for a newborn or a preemie baby. It gives them extra padding and comfort. 

6. Bottle Case: An insulated case for breast feeding moms.

7. Convertible Car Seat: Love that these can transform into a booster seat!

8. Car Seat Cover: These are great for places with snow, and during cold weather. It will also protect baby from rain. You can buy a custom cover or use a receiving blanket for an infant car seat.

9. Pacifier Case:  Keep babies pacifier clean and in the same place, so you don’t have to search forever for it!

10. Diaper Bag with Changing Pad Cover:  A diaper bag is a must. Most come with changing pad covers, but make sure you have one.. it works great for public changing tables, or at someone else’s house. You would be surprised at the public places that don’t have a changing table!!

1. Breast Milk Storage Containers: They are available in either containers or bags.. pick one that works best for you and the bottles you have!

2. Nursing Pads: either disposable or reusable gel ones that sooth at the same time. I’ve heard of some that collect breast milk, but the reviews weren’t great.

3. Nipple Cream:  Helps to sooth sore nipples from breast feeding and is safe for baby!

4. Nursing Cover: Perfect for nursing your baby in public and they come in such cute styles for Mom!

5. Breast Pump: Available in single or double and electric or manual.. you choose what is best for you! This will also help increase your milk supply.

6. Burp Cloths: A must for either breast feeding or bottle feeding!

7. Bottles: I personally recommend the Tommee Tippee brand, I love ALL their products.

8. Dishwasher Bottle Organizer: has a slot for straws, nipples, and lids!

9. Bottle Brush with Nipple Tip: gets all the milk out every spot! 

10. Formula Dispenser: Great way to store your formula in the diaper bag.

1. High Chair: A must! There are also portable high chairs, so baby can sit and eat at the table at someone else’s house!

2. Bowls: Lots of these.. for baby food or snacks, and some with lids to carry with you in the diaper bag.

3. Silicone Bib with Pouch: these are wonderful! They wash right off with water and the pouch will catch all that dropped food!

4. Baby Bullet: Great for the Mom who wants to make homemade baby food!

5. Sippy Cups: lots of them, try a lot of different brands if your baby doesn’t like one.

6. No Slip Baby Mat: these are perfect for when your baby starts picking up food. It keeps its place and some will even suction a plate to it.

7. Soft Tipped Spoons: soft for babies delicate and sensitive gums!

1. Inflatable Bathtub: these are very useful for a baby who is just learning to sit up, it will keep them safer than being in a regular bath tub! And it looks like it would be fun! They also make bath rings that your child will sit in, similar to a pool tube. If you don’t use a tub, make sure you have no slip floor mat in the tub.

2. Bath Rinser: These are great for rinsing off the baby in the tub, and they come in a variety of colors and themes.

3. Towels and Wash Cloths: Wash Cloths can be used for a variety of reasons around the house for your baby.. such as treating diaper rash, cleaning spit up, washing babies face or hands after feeding. I love the hooded towels!

4. Bath Thermometer: this will make sure that the bath water isn’t too hot. There also some that are sold, that just light up hot when it is too hot.

5. Bathtub Corner Toy Caddy: I love all the bath time toys, but you need somewhere to put them, and this works great. Keeps all the toys organized in a no-mildew container.

6. Bathtub Toys: These cups are a great developmental toy, baby can spend time dumping water out of containers. I also love the letters and shapes that stick to the walls when wet.

7. Faucet Cover: This will protect your baby from accidentally hitting their head on the faucet and it looks cute! They make some that make water come out like a waterfall or has a slot for bubble bath to mix in. 

**A lot of these items will come in a baby's first year medical kit or some might be given to you at the hospital when you leave**

1. Gripe Water: treats colic and the hiccups.

2. Tooth and Gum Cleanser: great for a teething baby and to clean teeth after they come in, it gets the child in the habit of learning to brush their teeth.

3. Gas Drops: gas can be painful or wake a baby up, so keep them comfortable.

4. Pain Reliever and Fever Reducer: most Pediatrician’s will tell you to give the baby a fever reducer medicine if a fever occurs after having vaccinations or due to teething. Have this on hand before you need it, just in case! Make sure you have the right dosing by asking your Pediatrician, there is concentrated drops and a liquid suspension with different dosages!

5. Zout: So far this is the BEST stain remover for baby food stains. I went back and cleaned clothes I had already packed up and the stains still came out!

6. Laundry Detergent: babies have very sensitive skin, so use a no perfume and no dye laundry detergent, such as Dreft or All.

7. Humidifier: this is a must to have for when babies have runny noses or colds, some people will leave theirs running constantly.

8. Baby Cold Rub: for when a bad cold starts, have this on hand to make baby feel better. Look at the ages before giving it to your child.

9. Pacifier Wipes: these are good to have in the diaper bag for when a pacifier falls and you don’t have the resources available to wash it off.

10. Saline Spray and Nasal Syringe: the hospital will probably give you a nasal syringe, but make sure to use the saline spray to get the snot loose before cleaning out a babies nose.  

11. Hyland’s Teething Tablets: now, every Mom is entitled to her own opinion. I researched it, talked to my Pediatrician and put care thought into it before giving my child these. Some people have negative reviews and some have positive. They worked great for my child. They have no pain medicine in it, which is great because a lot of babies will run a fever when they teeth, which could be dangerous. My baby slept through the night and played during the day when her teeth came in, she was completely happy. I suggest looking into it or talking to child’s Pediatrician if you are unsure if these are right for you.

12. Natural Essentials Fever, First Aid, and Nose Wipes: I haven’t used these yet, but I plan on buying them. The fever wipes would work great for a sick baby.

13. Nail Clippers: babies nails grow fast and the will scratch their faces or their ears, so cut them when they get too long. There a variety of nail clippers to chooses from, so have lights, gripes, or a magnifier on them. Be careful not to cut the babies fingers, they have extra blood vessels in the tips of their fingers at this age and it will bleed pretty bad.

14. Vaseline: they make a kind especially for babies, this will be useful for heat rash on the face, diaper rash, irritation due to spit up, or taking babies temperature.

15. Boogie Wipes: I love these! They are saline covered wipes and they take dried on snot right off! And they are grape scented, they smell so good!

16. Thermometer: most hospitals will give you a generic thermometer when you leave. There are also others that are taken on the head, have removable tips, are taken in the ear, or one that doesn’t even have to touch your baby. A thermometer is a must, fevers can be dangerous for babies!

17. Safety Swab Q-tips: I love these, you can clean your child’s ear out, and know that it won’t hurt them because of the safety guard!

18. Boudreaux's Maximum Strength Butt Paste: this is THE BEST diaper rash cream ever! It will clear it up in the same day! This is a must!

1. Bumbo Seat with Tray: I love this! The seat helps babies learn to sit up on their own. You can feed your baby in this when they aren’t big enough for a high chair yet. It is so easily portable! The tray is sold separately, but makes it easier to feed them and let them play with toys.

2. Stuffed Animals: even boys like stuffed animals. The one in the picture is actually a Scentsy Buddy, and I want one for my little girl so bad!! I think it would be cute to watch her smell it!

3. Riding Toys: there are so many different types out there, but I think they are so fun and are a great learning toy!

4. Saucer: babies won’t play in these much after they start moving around and wanting to explore. But these are great for when they start learning to sit up. There are a lot of different varieties; some even have a jumping pad on the bottom!

5. Car Seat Toys: these toys can hook onto car seats, saucers, swings, high chair covers, activity mats. Definitely get a few of these, even if your baby can’t hold them, they will love to watch them move around in the car.

6. Books: this is a huge learning and developmental toy. It also makes for a great bonding time, by reading books together! This is my daughter’s favorite thing to do. We literally have hundreds of books and she is only 1!

7. Push Toys: These are a great learning toy for a baby learning to hold themselves up or to walk. There are some to buy that lay flat for them to play with until they are old enough to push them.

1. Door Knob Covers

2. Wind-Up Window Blind Cords: these could be a choking hazard.

3. Baby Gate: A must! Keep your baby away from the stairs or the kitchen without putting them in play pen.

4. Stove Knob Covers: for gas stoves, this is essential to protect a very fatal situation.

5. Oven Door Lock

6. Refrigerator Lock

7. Car Baby On Board Decal

8. Cabinet and Drawer Locks

9. Baby Monitor: there are many different kinds and some are quite expensive. There are regular noise monitors, video monitor, hand held monitors and even Wifi camera monitors. Some will allow you to talk through the monitor to your baby, tell the temperature or measure a baby’s heart beats.

10. Table Corner Covers: get the expensive kinds, the cheap one’s will tear up your furniture. And babies might chew on these, so be careful.

11. TV and Furniture Secures: for babies that will pull up on things, this is essential to make sure a TV or book case won’t fall on them.

12. Nightlight: be able to see into a baby’s room without turning on the light, and they might be comforted by a little bit of light.

13. Car Mirror: great for keeping an eye on your baby while you drive, some mirrors have lights and some will play music.

14. Outlet Covers: some need a magnet key or coin to unlock to get off.

15. Car Sun Shade: keep the sun out of the your babies eyes!

I hope this helps, these are what has helped make my life easier and what my little girl LOVES.. leave a comment about your favorite baby item at the moment!! I'd love to hear from you! :)

Starting A Bedtime Routine

Its easier to get your child on a schedule or to sleep if you have a routine. This lets your child know that soon it will be time to sleep, and no longer time to play. I started a bedtime routine when my little girl was about 3 weeks old, and it took. It just happens that 1 am was her dedicated bedtime. She went to sleep, because she knew it was bedtime. Now, Emma, wouldn't sleep in her own bed.. ever. But, after starting her bedtime routine, she would sleep in her own bed. Then 3-4 hours later she would wake up to eat and wouldn't go back into her own bed. Eventually, she slept through the night and grew out of that. 

Its very easy to make a bedtime routine. Basically, you need to do the same thing every night. You can do this starting from a newborn, or wait until their a little older. Whenever you feel it is time to put them on a schedule.

Here's how you do it:

First: Pick a bedtime.

Now, this is completely your choice. Different families have different lives, so different times work better. Until after a year old, your baby should sleep 10-12 hours at night (depending on the child), so think about the time that they will be wanting to get up when you make their bedtime. For instance, if you have to drop your baby off at a baby sitter or daycare, or take other kids to school, pick the time you would need to get the baby up and work backwards, allowing them 10-12 hours of sleep. In my case, her daddy work late a lot, so we kept her up a little later, so she could see him before going to bed. I choose to put her to sleep at about 8:30, and then she wakes up at about 8:30. Now remember, this is the time you put your child in their bed asleep, not when you start your routine.

Second: Choose Your Routine.

This is the same thing you will do every night. It's good to spend quality time with your child doing these things. You can pick one or two things or more. Try it out and do what works for you. I'll list a few suggestions to get you thinking, but it can be anything you like.

Routine Ideas:

Getting a bath

Reading a bedtime story

Putting on lotion (maybe the nighttime one?)

Saying your prayers

Getting a bottle

Eating dinner (if they are old enough)

Giving mommy/daddy/brother/sister/pet hugs and kisses

Changing into bedclothes

Sleeping with the same blanket

Sleeping with the same stuffed animal

Getting rocked to sleep

Getting sung a lullaby

Cleaning out babies nose

Cleaning out babies ears

Cleaning belly button (after the umbilical cord falls off, its still dirty for a little while)

Saying good night to a stuffed animal

Snuggling with mommy or daddy

Rocking in the same rocking chair

Eating dinner together

This was our routine

1. Eat dinner: usually rice cereal or a vegetable (or both)

2. Clean out nose: she was a very stuffy baby

3. Bath: this is what helped me a lot, I noticed she fell asleep easier after a bath, so I started giving her one every night. She cried, and I think that is what made her tired, but eventually she grew out of that. 

4. New diaper and lotion: I used the Johnson's bedtime lotion and a face lotion

5.Clean out ears: babies get ear wax too, and comes right out after you take a shower. Plus they sell baby q-tips (which, I love!)

5. Bed Clothes: I made the decision when she was 1 month old, that the sleepers with the feet were just for bed. 

6. Reading a bedtime story.

7. Saying our prayer: She had this bunny that when you pressed it, it said a bedtime prayer. so every night we said goodnight to the bunny and said our prayers.

8. Getting a Bottle/Nursing: this was done in the same rocking chair, with the same blanket and a stuffed animal to cuddle with.

9. Singing lullabies: she loved this, she would actual "sing" with me until she fell asleep.

This routine took about 2 hours every night, yes its long, but then she was all snug in her bed! 

Once your baby is fine with the nighttime routine, you can make a nap time routing. Just let it be very simple and quick. Maybe reading a story or getting rocked to sleep? And let dad or big brothers or sisters help out! Maybe they can help with the bath, sing a lullaby or read the bedtime story?

Good Luck! Comment or Email me for any questions! :)

How To Get a Baby To Sleep Alone

When my baby was born everyone told me that you cannot spoil a baby, that you cannot hold them too much. Well, I don't know if that's true, but I do know that my little girl did not sleep in her own bed until she was almost 4 months old! She was perfectly content being held or sleeping in bed with mommy and daddy. 

When Emma was a few days old she started not wanting to be put down, at all! She woke up the second you put her down, she screamed when she got a bath or a diaper change and she hated the swing we had bought her. Every baby is different. Some won't mind being put down to sleep, and others like mine, just aren't having it. If this is how your baby is, just know that you are not alone! I must have tried everything until she finally started to be alright with laying in her own bed. I remember being excited for her to even lay in her bed for 15 mins by herself, it was just THAT bad. 

There was one morning when Emma was about a week old and she started crying and her dad picked her up, I was asleep. He woke me up and I begged him to hold her for a few more minutes (I averaged about 3-4 hours of sleep a day, so I was desperate), but he had to leave to go to work. then he said, "She wants you anyway". He handed her to me and she instantly stopped crying a fell asleep on my chest. I was very reluctant, to be the "co-sleeper parent". But like I said, I was desperate. So, she slept with me for 4 hours, the longest she had slept ever!  Through out the next day, I tried to get her to sleep alone, and when I got really desperate, I gave in. 

I was nursing at the time, so I would lay on my side, and lay her next to me and nurse. I would burp her and then she would fall asleep next to me. Sometimes I would fall asleep while I was nursing. I was so nervous about her laying with me that I would wake up every hour. I had to lay on my side because of nursing her, and even after nursing, there wasn't much room left. It was kind of uncomfortable, but I was getting some much needed sleep. After I caught up on a little sleep, we started to really try and get her to sleep in her own bed. At 4 months old she finally, slept in her own bed for 8 hours. By 6 months she was completely on a schedule: 2, 2 hour naps a day and bed for 12 hours a night. It might have took me longer than it will take someone else, but I'm proud of having a sleeping baby in her own bed. 

These are some of the things I tried. If one doesn't work for you, try another one. Just don't give up! Everything a baby does is a phase, so enjoy the cute one's and remember that the tough one's won't last long!

1. Make a Bedtime and Nap Time Routine

This is the most important thing. Start with a bed time routine, do the same thing every night, so they know what is coming. Then, do something similar for nap time, so they began to make connections with the routine and time to sleep. Younger babies don't need scheduled naps because they sleep so much. But when they are a little older, you can put them on scheduled naps and feedings (which is great!). If you don't pick their bed time, they might make their own bed time and not want to sleep until 2 am. Go here to see my article on ideas for making a routine that works for you.

2. Try a Pacifier. 

Emma, my stubborn baby, wouldn't take one. She tried it for the first few days, but then realized it wasn't giving her milk. She also only took one bottle, The Tommee Tippee Bottles (sold at Babies R Us). Try a pacifier, if you are really set on getting your baby to use one and they won't take it, try a bunch of different brands, the Soothie Pacifiers are one of the most popular pacifiers. The same style comes in different brands, and this is what most hospitals use. Just keep putting it back in their mouth when they spit it out. If they still never take to it (like my baby), at least you don't have to wean them off the pacifier! 

Ways to get your baby to take a pacifier:

1. Soak the pacifier in sugar water in the fridge. 

2. Use a pacifier medicine taker and fill it with breast milk, formula, or sugar water. 

3. Use the bottle nipples as a pacifier. 

3. Swaddle Them

This imitates the womb when they were so tight they could hardly move. Try swaddling your little one, some babies love it and others hate it. Learn how to correctly swaddle a baby here. 

4. Rock Your Baby to Sleep

Remember how your little one kept you up all night kicking when you were pregnant? That's because you moving through out the day would put them to sleep, so they were awake when you wanted to sleep. Rocking the imitates how they feel asleep in the womb. You can try a glider or rocking chair, most people get these for the nursery. You can even bounce you baby in an up down motion while rocking around. Rocking them will put them into a deeper sleep and they might not wake up when you move them to their own bed. 

5. Keep the Lights Low

Try to keep it dark, don't turn on a light when you go to get them from their crib if they haven't slept. Let them know that when it's dark, its time to sleep. You might have to buy black out curtains for the babies room, so that it stays dark. 

6. Keep Them The Right Temperature

Try to cover them with a blanket, or put them in a sleeping shirts for babies. Make sure that they aren't to hot or to cold. Dress them in the right clothes and make sure your temperature in the house follows. We had to close her vents sometimes because it would get too cold in our babies room. Sometimes babies will get overheated when they are swaddled or when they are crying. 

7. Stay Quiet

Never yell at your baby. If you get frustrated walk away, take a few deep breaths and come back. They can't help it, they don't know what to do. If your baby won't sleep don't talk to them, or to someone else. Don't talk on the phone or watch tv if you rock them. Try to stay quiet and talk them in a low soothing voice letting them know that its ok. 

8. Play Music

We didn't have a cd player and cd.. but we did have an old phone and an sd card. So we have a phone that plays music in her room constantly. You can get the baby lullaby songs, or the baby classical music. We played Enya for a while, because she has really soft music that I used to play to help me sleep when I was pregnant. Music can help sooth the baby. If you want, you can even record yourself singing your babies favorite lullaby and play that. It would be just like you were in the room singing to them.

9. Sing to Them

I am a terrible singer, but my baby doesn't think so! :) She loves to be rocked and sung to sleep. You can sing anything, but learning lullabies isn't so bad either. I even made up my own song for her. After you lay your baby down keep singing. Sing until you slowly walk out of the room. If they start to cry, move into their eye sight and keep singing. It might take a while, but staying in their eye sight lets the know that they are still safe in the crib. 

10. Make Their Bed Soft

Baby mattresses are hard, and it is not recommended to lay them on pillows or anything that can conform around their face and be hazardous of suffocation. But, they do sell mattress covers, that go under the sheet and makes the crib bed softer. With the bassinet, you can wrap the mattress in a soft blanket, but make sure there are no ends sticking up.

11. Make Them Full

If your baby is fairly less than 4 months old, nurse them, or bottle feed them. Some babies fall asleep eating. Let them be completely full and then try to get them to sleep. For older babies, try rice cereal. Some people put it in their bottle before they go to bed, because it helps them stay full longer. This isn't recommended, its more recommended to have them learn that they are full from a spoon. But you can do what is best for your family. 

12. Lay Them on Their Side

Some babies like to lay in different positions. Try laying your baby on their side and see if they will sleep better in a new position. 

13. Lay Them on Their Tummy

This is what worked for my baby. I would rock her to sleep and then lay her on her tummy, when she would start to fuss I would pat her back/bottom, and she would go back to sleep. Eventually, I had to pat her less and less, but at first, I might stand there for almost and hour before she would finally fall back asleep and stay asleep. If you do this, make sure your baby can hold their head up enough to turn it to the other side. The first time you try this, I recommend watching them on a camera screen baby monitor or going into the room every 15 mins, just to make sure that they aren't laying face down on their mattress. 

14. Prop Their Mattress Up

For some reason babies sleep better when laying at an angle. Even in the hospital they prop their beds up at an angle. You can put some blankets under neath the mattress (crib or bassinet), but just at a small angle, nothing dramatic. 

15. Put Mommy's clothes in the crib or bassinet

A baby knows it's mommies smell, and it comforts them. Put the clothes you wear that day in the crib (yes, the dirty spit up on clothes that you wore that day). If they are clean, they won't smell like you. If you wear perfume everyday, you can even try spraying a little on the clothes before you put it in the babies crib. I have done this several different ways: putting it above or next to the baby, laying the clothes flat underneath the baby, wrapping the baby in the clothes and rolling the clothes up in a log style roll and laying them next to the baby. This method tries to trick the baby into thinking that you are still there.

16. Warm Blankets

Babies love to be warm. You can put a blanket, towel, their bed sheet, or even your clothes (from #15) into the dryer and try to wrap them in it, lay them on it, or roll it up in a log style roll next to them. I felt very silly putting a shirt that had spit up on it into the dryer, and then into my babies crib, but if it helps both of us get some sleep I would be a very happy mommy!

17. Lay a Pillow Next To Them

If you put a pillow or a rolled up blanket next to them, it helps to trick them into thinking that someone is still laying with them.

18. The Cry It Out Method

I personally, don't believe in this. When Emma got out of the hospital she had jaundice, so she had to be on a bellibed (looks like a baby tanning bed) all day. The longer she was on there the more she hated it. But the doctor simply explained to me that crying doesn't hurt her, and that she would eventually stop. The truth is: Hearing them cry hurts you more than it hurts them. Babies need to know its bed time, and that they are not going to be held all the time. Put them in their bed asleep, if they wake up leave them for 5 -10 minutes. If they stop, or sound like they might be falling asleep but the cry again, start counting all over. If you have to go get them, put them back to sleep, and do the process over. It might take a week or so, but eventually, they will stop crying so much. But at least they know you will always come back for them. 

19. Car Rides

This may be the most overused new baby fear, that you will have to drive them around in the middle of the night. Emma would fall right asleep in the car and most of the time, she stayed asleep in her car seat when we carried it in somewhere. She would cry when you slowed down or stopped at red light. I would be lying if I said I didn't drive her around a couple times at 3 or 6 am. Car rides work, but use them as a last resort. You don't want your baby getting dependent on falling asleep like that.

20. Let Them Sleep With You

Many people love co-sleeping. I wasn't comfortable with it, it made me more nervous and woke everyone up a lot more. I won't lie. She would spit up on my bed, kick me, and one time she leaked through her diaper and I woke up with my face laying on a wet bed sheet. The only good thing was that she slept a lot longer, I didn't have to get up through the night and that I knew she was safe. She also learned to fall asleep on her own, which may have helped her in the long run.