Soothing Babies
Many parents find soothing babies both a delight and a challenge. Every parent has to learn how to soothe their new baby. While sometimes this is easy and happens very quickly, other times it seems nothing you do is good enough. One method will not work with every baby every time. One reason is that every baby is different and has an individual personality. Each baby has different needs that need to be met at different times, and it takes time to figure out which need must be met at which time. Some of those needs are food, a clean diaper, sleep, and security. This article will focus on meeting the need to feel secure.
Once a baby is changed, fed, and well rested, he may still cry. As parents, we wonder why soothing babies is so difficult. Why, when we are doing everything in our power, that little bundle still cries like his world is falling apart. While the reasons are many, from gas bubbles to wanting attention, one reason is the need for feeling secure. For approximately nine months, babies are safe and snug in a warm, stable environment, being constantly nourished and lulled by soft swishes and sounds. In one fell swoop, he is introduced to an environment that is often much colder and has many loud and unfamiliar sounds and lights. He is also no longer attached to his mother but often laying on his own. No wonder babies cry!
While it is impossible and unnecessary to completely recreate the womb environment, including some of the things a baby was accustomed to for those nine months in her new environment may help her to adjust better and feel more secure. One way to recreate that environment is for Mother to hold the baby close to her chest while rocking. This is very effective while nursing or bottle feeding. First of all, this method of soothing babies recreates at least four aspects of the womb environment: hearing mother’s heartbeat, being body-temperature warm, feeling the rocking motion, and being nourished. If mother and father speak to baby, she feels even more secure as she was used to hearing those voices.
So what about when baby is not being held but needs to sleep in her own bed? The first thing to make sure about is temperature. Make sure the crib or room is a comfortable temperature. Many newborn babies like to be swaddled, as it increases their feelings of security. Finally, having comforting and familiar sounds can help greatly when soothing babies. A scientific research study conducted by Dr. L. Salk found of children placed in a hospital nursery, those who heard a heartbeat sound were calmer and developed better than those who did not hear the sound.
Babies are used to hearing sound: heartbeat, mother’s voice, the swishing of fluid inside Mommy, etc. Placing an object in or on the side of the crib that produces soothing sounds, such as heartbeat, nature sounds, or soft music, even a recording of mother speaking is an option, may go a long way for soothing babies. You can purchase musical mobiles, crib toys that make musical or mother-type sounds, or even some baby monitors come with a device that makes comforting sounds to place on baby’s crib. When my son was just a few months old, he pointed to the CD player like he wanted to listen to music before we put him to bed. He is now 2 and prefers to sleep with the soft music. We have very little difficulty with getting him to go to bed and stay there.
In conclusion, though no one method will work every time when soothing babies, recreating some of the aspects of the womb environment, such as warmth, motion, and soothing sounds, help to create the feeling of security every infant wants and needs for positive growth and development.
January 17 2011 | Home And Family | Comments Off
Baby Songs Help Heal Sick Babies
“Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast”. And baby songs, classical music and other gentle melodies can soothe sick babies and speed healing.
A three-year study by the University of Western Sydney in collaboration with the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne found that playing baby songs including lullabies, light classical, and New Age melodies, to sick babies in intensive care helped calm and sustain their behavior while babies who did not have the therapy deteriorated noticeably, coping less well with their hospitalization.
40 infants were divided into groups: the first group received music therapy while in hospital the second group received no music therapy.
The first group had up to 12 sessions with a therapist singing baby songs to them. Researchers found these infants maintained the same levels of irritability and crying they had at admission.
The second group, who did not have any music therapy, showed an increase in crying and irritability as time went on.
Babies who are less irritable use less energy, which has implications for the rate of healing and weight gain which leads to shorter hospital stays.
Another study at the Yale School of Medicine showed that adult surgery patients who listened to music required much less sedation. And a 1999 study found that listening to music after surgery can reduce post-operative pain.
And everyone has experienced the power of music to create mood and feeling, you hear a sad song that immediately reminds you of a lost love, an up-tempo song from your teenage years plays on the car radio and you start driving faster, a haunting melody brings a lump to your throat, and patriotic songs inspire people to fight for their country.
Many hospitals play baby songs and classical music in their neonatal and pediatric units in order to provide a calming, healing, and soothing environment for the babies. And in Florida, all state funded pre-schools are required to play classical music to the children by law!
In every culture and every country mothers sing to their babies to help calm them and lull them to sleep (hence the word lullaby).
Babies are great listeners and are extremely attentive to their acoustical environment so search out the best baby songs, lullabies and other calming music you can find. If you can find music that you enjoy as well as your baby, it will not only help maintain your baby’s health and speed healing if your baby is sick, but it will also help keep your own blood pressure down at the same time.
January 17 2011 | Home And Family | Comments Off
How to Create a Fixed Schedule For Baby
In the first 4 months, you would not be able to control your baby’s sleep and feeding schedule. He will dose off whenever he is tired and this occurs most of the time. If you can, do have someone to help you in the first 4 months as you need rest too.
After that you would be able to see a pattern in his sleep. Engage a certain activity to put baby to sleep. You may change his diapers, read a book or play some soothing music or sing a lullaby. Your baby will be able to take the cue.
Every baby is different. Some takes 2 naps a day. Try not to skip naps because baby needs as much sleep as possible to grow.
A strict feeding schedule is also not possible at first as baby needs to be fed every time he is hungry. After baby is 3 months old, you may have a schedule for him to be fed every 2 to 3 hours. You need to experiment to see what suits your baby best. Some like their feed the minute they wake up. Some like to play first and have their feed just before their nap.
Remember that they will drink more at times and less when they are not feeling well.
When you introduce solids to baby at around 6 months, do continue feeding baby with milk 5 to 7 times a day.
When baby wakes up, play lively games like peek-a-boo. Then do some tummy rolling exercises. The nurses at your clinic will advice you on the exercises. You also need to take baby out for some fresh air. Your baby will tell you when he is tired. He will turn away and become fussy.
Always have a fix time for bedtime. You may start when baby is one week old. However newborns need feeds at night. Baby needs 9 to 12 hours of sleep in his first year.
Prepare baby to sleep by giving him a sponge; change his diaper; play soft music or read a book and then give him a feed. You may change the schedule to suit baby best. Baby should sleep well and is happy in the morning.
January 17 2011 | Home And Family | Comments Off
Vintage Sewing Machines
Sewing machine is one of the key inventions that have helped to shape the modern world. There are many popular vintage sewing machines. Most popular vintage sewing machine companies trading over the Internet are Bradbury, Singer, Jones, Frister and Rossmann.
Vintage sewing machines are both collectible and usable. Old sewing machines are still popular because they are well-engineered, well-made workhorses. The value of a vintage sewing machine is great. There are a number of variables involved in determining the value of an old sewing machine; they are condition and completeness of the machine, rarity of the machine and geographic location of the machine.
Most vintage sewing machines date back to the beginning of the 1900′s. Most of them are still very popular. Singer machine models 301A, 221 Featherweight and 66 are the popular vintage sewing machines. Of these, the Singer Featherweight 221 is a classic model manufactured by the company between 1933 and 1964. It is a “collectible” of the first order and is featured on many Web pages which cater to antique sewing machine collectors.
Vintage sewing machines can be bought from stores or antique shops. Some suppliers of vintage sewing machines offer certificates of guarantee, or even warranties.
Before buying a vintage machine, check for authenticity and buy only from trustworthy sellers. Online auctions are dangerous places to buy expensive vintage sewing machines. As buyers don’t know anything about the seller, they may cheat in the course of dealing. There are many helpful sites on the Internet providing relevant information about vintage sewing machines. EBay is popular among vintage sewing machine collectors.
Many individuals are now using vintage sewing machines as decorative pieces at home. They may be well-placed in a hallway, entryway, or a family room to showcase the beautiful craftsmanship. So if you possess a vintage sewing machine, take good care of it by consulting an antique dealer to find out the proper way to clean and maintain it. Vintage sewing machines are always an asset for future generations.
January 09 2011 | Home And Family | Comments Off
Old Singer Sewing Machines – The Featherweight Series Are A Must Have
Perhaps the survival of an old Singer sewing machine can be attributed to the fact that the company has always placed high regard not just on quality but also durability. They are made of the strongest materials, and they are highly resistant to any substance that can easily cause deterioration.
Knowing the Age of Your Singer Sewing Machine
The first commercially sold sewing machines from Singer were released in the market during 1851. The company has then stopped manufacturing any of the older models today, though you can still search for their reproductions or replicas. A long time ago, these old Singer sewing machines were identified based on their serial number, which is then recorded in their log book.
Thus, if you want to know how old your sewing equipment is or if it’s truly a real Singer machine, you can check out their official website. You are provided with a list of serial numbers, which can either have one- or two-letter prefixes. The earliest ones use numbers, not letter. However, because there are some log books that have got lost, you will not be able to confirm the authenticity of those manufactured from 1851 to 1870.
Featherweight Portable Singer: A Certified Old Singer Sewing Machine
One of the oldest Singer sewing machines is the Featherweight Portable. It was first launched in the market sometime in the 1930s. This portable sewing machine is paired with a 3-way table, with legs that are very strong.
The working surface was very large, which means it could accommodate wider fabrics and much bigger sewing projects. The surface was left smooth and finished finely so you will be able to sew and cut the fabrics without any hassle. Owners even used it as their dining or poker table.
Because it’s portable, this old Singer sewing machine can be easily kept aside or stored in your cabinet. This had also been ideal for those who were living in smaller houses or for students who need a sewing machine for their classes or in their dorm rooms. If you wish to add extra space, you could make use of the extension table.
Today, the original Featherweight Portable comes by real hard. You have to scour for them intently in the World Wide Web. A perfect alternative for it, meanwhile, can be the Singer 132 Featherweight Compact Efficiency Sewing Machine.
Just like the Featherweight portable, the Singer 132 Featherweight Compact Efficiency sewing machine is extremely handy. In fact, it only weighs a mere 15 pounds. The design is also compact. What you can’t deny, however, is its exceptional work. It has the ability to produce 32 stitch functions and is extremely easy to operate, making it an ideal sewing equipment for beginners.
One of the greatest obstacles in old Singer sewing machines is how you can conveniently place your thread into your sewing machine. This is completely eliminated in this newer technology. Within 6 seconds, you can already place the thread into the system. It can also immediately adjust the tension of your needle threads to prevent any creases or waves in your sewn fabrics.
January 09 2011 | Home And Family | Comments Off
How to Sew 2 – Machine Gathering
Gathering is the sewing technique used for many applications in different sewing projects. Ruffles are an example of gathered fabric, as are puffy sleeve caps. Gathering is accomplished by first applying long stitches, called basting, and gently pulling up on the threads to gather the fabric.
To machine baste, set your sewing machine to its longest available stitch length. Stitch this basting stitch along where your seam line will be, on most commercial patterns 5/8 inch from the fabric edge. Stitch again 1/4 of an inch inside the seam allowance. Two lines of stitching will keep your gathering more even, and hold your gather in case one thread breaks. This is especially important on long gathering lengths such as waistline areas. Gently pull up on one thread to gather the material. Evenly distribute the gathering, and finish sewing your seam according to directions.
For very thin or slippery fabrics, you may need to use a slightly smaller stitch length to keep your stitches smooth. Always mark your patterns, as you will need to line up the gathered area with particular areas of another piece of your garment. If you don’t have it marked, you won’t know where to match up the pieces.
When you’re gathering a small area, you can wrap one end of the thread around a pin to keep it anchored in place and prevent the thread from being pulled totally out of your sewing piece.
Machine gathering is a technique that you’ll use in many sewing patterns. Practice it a few times on fabric scraps until you’re comfortable with the technique, and you’re on your way to more successful sewing projects.
January 09 2011 | Home And Family | Comments Off
Customizing Pedal Cars
When you think of pedal cars, you probably assume that they’re just a children’s toy. Well, you’d be wrong. Across the world, thousands of adult collectors enjoy them. They may purchase an original or restored version of a vintage car, or even a newer model designed to look like one of these classics.
A growing area of pedal car collecting is in customization. This involves the process of turning a vintage or newer car into your own unique design. In fact, it is much the same as customizing a real hot rod, except that there are no interior parts that you’ll need to upgrade.
Although they can be found in many different styles today, some collectors prefer to begin with the plainest model they can find, making it completely their own. One of the most popular customizations, for example, is the addition of flames or other graphics in the paint along the sides and chrome accessories. However, you can also find some that already have such detailing.
When customizing pedal cars, first you’ll need to decide on a paint color. If the car already has some paint, it will need to be removed. The car can then be painted, and flames, pinstriping, and two-tone paint added, just like if it were a real full-size car. Skilled artists can even create much more complex graphics on the side and front of the car. Some collectors even reshape the fenders or make other body modifications first. Once the exterior is painted, new accessories may be added, and interior will be re-upholstered, sometimes with real automobile upholstery.
Flames, chrome, and other details are also popular additions when restoring a vintage car. Restorations may be done to return the car to its authentic original state, or they may be done to improve its appearance with a unique idea in mind. The choices you’ll make here are very similar to the choices for restoring full-size cars. You can follow the original design of the vintage car you have chosen for restoration, or come up with a plan all your own.
Many of the most well-known customizations have been done by names that are big in the hot rod world. Pedal cars offer a fun opportunity to use their skills in a new way. The ones most talked about within the collecting world are often those created to be sold for charity purposes. These may fetch thousands of dollars at auction, and the owner will have a one-of-a-kind, completely unique pedal car. Others are customized as projects created by a group of hot rod club members.
While you may assume that pedal cars are small and simple toys, too simple, in fact, for customizations to be very detailed, this is far from the case. You may be surprised with the wide variety of customized models existing within the collector world. Like real hot rods, there are hundreds of different directions you can go with customization. They are not just for kids, and there is a booming adult market for pedal cars, whether they are vintage or new.
November 30 2010 | Home And Family | Comments Off
Murray Pedal Cars
One of the most popular pedal car types is the Murray. Murray Manufacturing was founded in the early 1900′s, with a factory in Ohio to produce pedal cars, bicycles, toys, and automobile parts. In the years prior to World War II, they produced many Steelcraft toys, including smaller metal toys and pull toys. They also produced a few cars under the Steelcraft name during the 1920′s and 1930′s. What they are really known for, however, is the production of ride in cars and bicycles in the 1940′s and 1950′s, during the height of pedal toy popularity. The ‘Murray’ name was not actually used on their products until 1940; today, it is nearly synonymous with the classic pedal toy.
Although pedal cars date to around the time the Murray company was founded, they are not known to have offered a range of pedal toys until 1940. In 1940 and 1941, they produced many different Murray/Steelcraft toys, mainly modeled after Chrysler, Pontiac, and several other actual car makes rather than new designs specifically meant for pedal cars. Because of World War II, the factory was unable to make children’s toys during the mid-1940′s, though production picked up again in 1947 at a rate much higher than before.
During the height of the pedal car craze in the 1950′s and 1960′s, Murray was one of the most well-known manufacturers of these toys. Their famous ride on toys were marked ‘Murray’ or ‘Murray Ohio’ to distinguish these high-quality steel pedal toys from other companies’. Murray cars are most often the type of car that people think of when they think of a classic steel kids car, with the classic styling of an actual full-sized car model. They produced many different versions, including hot rods, fire trucks, dump trucks, and station wagons. Each of the dozens of different models is known for the Murray trademark detailing, including shiny chrome trim, windshields, working lights, and other features.
By the early 1970s, a declining birth rate and the advent of plastic ride-on toys brought an end to this craze. This sales decline was enough to take out even the biggest pedal car manufacturers. Murray stopped making these treasured toys altogether, and began manufacturing newly popular power lawn mowers instead. Today, the same Murray company is known for go karts, lawnmowers, and other equipment; currently, no toys such as pedal cars or bicycles are produced by Murray.
Today, these classic Murray cars are prized by collectors, who even snap up reproductions of the original Murray models, some of which the Murray company stopped producing over fifty years ago. Hobbyists are even reproducing parts of these original Murray cars in the hopes of restoring cherished toys of the 1950′s and 1960′s. They are even memorialized in a series of Hallmark ornaments. Restored versions can cost thousands of dollars, depending on rarity. A powder blue Champion sports car built by Murray sold at auction for over seventy thousand dollars, enough to purchase a brand new full-size car.
November 30 2010 | Home And Family | Comments Off
Can a Woman With PCOS Get Pregnant?
One of the most common questions I get from women who are newly diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome is “Will I ever get pregnant?” I have not been able to find specific studies regarding fertility and PCOS-likely because it is so hard to track those who are successful in getting pregnant without medical intervention. One source said that women with PCOS have an 80-90 percent chance of having a baby, but I was unable to find any research studies to back this up. While some women with polycystic ovarian syndrome will not be able to get pregnant, I believe that the majority can and do eventually have healthy babies.
First, 5-10% of women of childbearing age have PCOS. If their symptoms are mild they are often undiagnosed. If they have even one child, many physicians will say they can not have PCOS. This is ridiculous if you look at the diagnostic criteria. The most common criteria for diagnosis include a failure to ovulate regularly. However, for many women this means they have long cycles (35 days or longer in many cases) but they DO ovulate.
Some women with PCOS have unhealthy eggs because their periods are too far apart, in many cases this is correctable with herbs, diet or drugs. Many women with PCOS also have a thyroid condition. Frequently, if this is treated they begin to ovulate. Many women with PCOS have frequent miscarriages, but they eventually have a healthy baby-often with the help of progesterone cream or suppositories. Some women find that losing weight, taking vitex or other herbs, or reducing stress cause them to begin ovulating (for me it was all three!). Some learn to detect ovulation through cervical mucus and basal body temperatures (BBT or temperature charting). Again, these women often have healthy babies without medical intervention.
It is hard to know how many women with PCOS become pregnant without help since many women are first diagnosed with PCOS because they are having trouble getting pregnant. Often metformin or other insulin-sensitizing drugs work wonders and they are able to get pregnant and carry a baby to term.
The fact is, only a small percentage of women with PCOS ever make it to the stage of trying fertility drugs. Clomid (clomiphene citrate) is often the first drug of choice since it is cheap and easy to take. I did find studies indicating that Clomid alone works for 70% of women with PCOS. Other women find that they need Clomid and metformin or stronger fertility drugs. The success rate tends to drop a bit as time passes and stronger methods are tried, but the bottom line is that most women who have PCOS and want children have them.
Even for those who are told they will never succeed at getting and staying pregnant, there is much reason to hope. Several close friends of mine have surprised themselves and their doctors by getting pregnant after years of infertility. “Lisa” adopted three children and then found herself pregnant in her late 30′s. It seems that for many women their PCOS symptoms mellow out as they get older. “Anne” went to the doctor to find out why she was infertile after several years of marriage-she was 3 already months pregnant and boy number two followed just 15 months later. “Susan” had three miscarriages and was told she would never carry a baby to term. Four months later she was pregnant with her daughter and her son is two years younger. “Barb” got pregnant when she was not even thinking of fertility and now counts herself extremely blessed to have two healthy boys.
I know many women who have done everything possible to get pregnant, even IVF, and have not succeeded. But the majority of women with PCOS DO get pregnant. There is even more reason to hope for the young women who are just now learning they have PCOS. First, they are more likely to be diagnosed at all. This means many women will be diagnosed who would have been overlooked ten or fifteen years ago when my generation was first beginning the march from doctor to doctor looking for answers. We know so much more than we did then. Treatments, both natural and medical, are much, much better than ever. In addition, being diagnosed now means they have the chance to prevent much of the physical and emotional trauma older women have experienced because our doctors just didn’t know how to help us.
My advice to any particular woman is to do all you can to increase your fertility (see my other articles and my books for more information about this). Then do your best to relax and let your body work. The odds are with you in the long run.
November 20 2010 | Home And Family | Comments Off
How To Get Pregnant With A Baby Girl: Simple Secrets You Need To Know
A lot of married couples nowadays have a higher affinity for girl kids either with or without specific reasons. If you are on the same boat as these guys, you don’t have to feel guilty at all because choosing the gender of the baby that you’re going to get pregnant with is a sign that you would like through the intricate details of the family that you and your partner are going to form. On the other hand, if you already have a son or sons, it would be a good idea for you to learn how to get pregnant with a baby girl so that you can get the chance to have princess in your family.
The whole process concerning how to get pregnant with a baby girl is not a very complicated task. However, doing this requires considering different factors and I will be discussing each one of them in here. Keep in mind that what I will be presenting to you here are not 100% guaranteed to work however; they have proven to increase the chances of couples on conceiving a baby girl. First on my list of tips would be timing sexual intercourse. Timing is very important when it comes to pre-determining the gender of the baby that you are going to conceive. Sex should be scheduled at least 3 to 4 days before ovulation takes place if a girl is to be conceived. This needs to be done since the type of sperm cells specifically the female sperm cells that are responsible for conceiving a girl are slow swimmers but they have a good resistance to the acidic reproductive tract of a woman. This is in contrast to male sperm cells, which are fast swimmers but have a low resistance against acidic environments. Based on this, you need to have sex before ovulation takes place so that you can let the male sperm cells die out as to the reason that during this time an egg cell has not yet been released.
The next factor that you need to have a look at would be sex positions. If you want a baby girl, you need to choose positions that cause shallow penetration because these will give male sperm cells a hard time because they need to travel a longer distance. This in turn will expose them for a longer duration to the acids of the female reproductive tract, which will eventually lead to them dying out. A good example of sex positions that promote shallow penetration would be the missionary position.
Last to be considered would be the pH levels of the woman’s reproductive tract. Since male sperm cells are easily weakened by acidic environments, lowering the pH levels or making the reproductive tract of a woman more acidic will give the female sperm cells the advantage that they need. This can be done through avoiding an orgasm from the woman during sexual intercourse. On the other hand, the woman can also increase her intake of acidic foods.
November 20 2010 | Home And Family | Comments Off