5 Tips for Dressing Your Baby

5 Tips for Dressing Your Baby

by | Infant, Newborn, Parenting Tools

http://www.joinedatthehip.caIt is my pleasure to have Miranda from Joined at the Hip as a guest blogger. I asked Miranda to provide advice on dressing our little ones. As a mom to three beautiful little girls, Miranda had to quickly figure out how to dress her daughters in a timely fashion. Miranda has developed an amazing clothing line that helps take the stress out of dressing an infant or toddler.

Five Tips for Dressing Your Baby

I’ve dressed a baby or two in the last few years.  I have three gorgeous little girls and I’ve learned a lot from them.  They are the reason that Joined At The Hip exists and the experience of dressing them has heavily influenced the features of my styles.  Here are my top 5 tips for dressing your baby:

  1. Dress your baby in one extra layer than you’d wear.  For example: If you would wear jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, then baby would do best in a long-sleeved outfit plus a light sweater.
  2. 11181442_346389652217420_1642005965_oTo tell if baby is hot or cold don’t judge by the temperature of their hands. Instead, check their back or neck.  Babies generally have poor circulation so their hands and feet often feel cold even if they are not.
  3. Look for clothing made from 100% cotton.  Cotton is soft and gentle on a baby’s skin and is 100% natural, so it is non-allergenic.  Cotton washes well, aerates baby’s skin and wicks moisture, but do note that it will shrink up to 10%. All J.A.T.H. outfits are made from 100% cotton.
  4. Avoid pieces that snap in the back.  Generally baby will be lying on their back while you dress them so doing up those snaps is a giant pain in the…back.  Heh heh.
  5. Try to make it fun!  If you sing songs and make silly faces, baby will be less resistant to getting dressed.  Play peek-a-boo with an item before you put it on or blow a giant raspberry on that soft little baby tummy.

headshot1Hope this was helpful.  Have a fabulous day!

Miranda

To Swaddle or Not to Swaddle: A Loaded Question

To Swaddle or Not to Swaddle: A Loaded Question

by | Child Sleep, Parenting Tools

I frequently get asked questions about swaddling a baby.  Some of the questions I get asked are:

  • How do I get my baby to like being swaddled?
  • Why do I need to swaddle my baby?
  • When should we stop swaddling?
  • Will it hurt my baby?

There is so much information out there that it even confuses me sometimes.

The internet is a wonderful thing most of the time (especially for reading awesome blogs) and a confusing place other times.  There is so much information that contradicts each other it can be mind-boggling.

When preparing for this blog post, I read information that stated the following: swaddling can cause hip problems, swaddling helps the baby feel like they did in the womb, and babies have a hard time controlling their arms so swaddling helps them.  So should you swaddle or not?

Quick answer: Swaddle as long as it is done properly.  You will get a quick lesson from the staff at the hospital or from your midwife before you are left with your baby on your own.

You can also find plenty of videos on YouTube to teach you how to swaddle effectively.  My favourite technique was from Dr. Karp author of “The Happiest Baby on the Block.”  My little guy escaped from many swaddles, so I tried many swaddle bags. I finally found the one that he could not get out of – that was a happy moment.

Longer answer: When babies are first born they do not have complete control over their limbs, this muscle control takes time to develop.  In the meantime, babies will wave their arms in their sleep which often results in them hitting themselves which wakes them up.  At about 4 months of age, infants gain the control over their limbs and can be moved out of a swaddle.

Some people report that their baby does not like to be swaddled.  If that is your little one, and they seem to be waking up every 20 minutes, I recommend trying to swaddle them again.

Why and when do I remove my infant from the swaddle?  It is hard to find a swaddle blanket that fits a preschooler!  Children can get used to the swaddle and then it becomes a prop they depend on to go to sleep.

Most babies respond well when you remove the swaddle around 4 months of age when it is done in stages.  I recommend removing one arm for a few days, then remove both arms and tighten the swaddle under their arms for a few days, and then move them into a sleep sack. I recommend the sleep sacks because blankets are not recommended in the crib until at least age one.

Happy swaddling and sleeping!