Some Advice for New Parents

Bed time note
When your baby is two months old

●Begin establishing routine nap and sleep time
●Avoid timing naps too close to bedtime
●Darken the room and ensure a quiet, calm environment
●Watch your baby for signs of sleepiness including crying, fussing or pulling on his ears
●Put your baby to bed when he's drowsy so that he can learn to fall asleep on his own

Top Tip
Talk to your baby

It's never too early to introduce your little one to the use of speech. The best environment for him to pick up words is a quiet one - background noise such as a radio or television can be distracting, so switch them off. Take time out to read to baby, even though he may not understand yet, and with an older child, emphasize single words in isolation, rather than in complete sentences. You can even help your child's speech when you're busy with your household chores, just by describing aloud what you're doing

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Understand Your Baby

You can communicate with your baby long before she says her first words Finds out how

One of the most exiting discoveries you'll make as a new mum is that you can communicate with your baby right from the word go. Just think of those first experiments when your newborn tries to imitate shapes you make with your mouth (try catching her attention and making an 'oo' with your lips, and watch her copy!) or the fact that you can often gauge what mood she's in, and you will see that you already have a two-way line of 'conversation' up and running

Why dos she cry?

The most obvious way your baby has of communicating is trough crying. Leading American child development expert Dr. T Berry Braselton has identified some definite crying styles.

● ' I'm hungry/thirsty! ' It tends to have a pleading quality, and will stop when you show signs of starting a feed
● ' I've got a pain! ' Real pain is often signalled by a screeching cry, followed by a sharp intake of breath, then more screeching. The crying will continue even when you pick your baby up, until you can identify and take away the pain.
● ' I need a changing! ' A scaled-down version of the pain cry. The crying will stop when you have made your baby comfy.
● ' I want a cuddle!' This type sounds like an appeal and is interspersed with other attention-seeking behaviour, such as smiling, waving the arms or babbling.
● ' I'm tired.' This distinctive, plaintive cry comes in bursts. She might be wriggly and seeking comfort, such as looking for her thumb or dummy. If you're holding her, she might nuzzle into you or look away.
● ' I've had enough for now.' This is a whimpering cry that, if ignored, will build into a pain-type cry. She wants space to wind down, so settle her into her cot and check on her every few minutes until she falls asleep or stops crying.
If your baby is crying loudly, angrily and inconsolably, and if she seems at all unwell, seek medical advice. Give your health visitor or midwife a call, and if you can't get hold of her, call your GP's surgery. If she is vomiting or has a raised temperature and you can't find medical help, take her to your nearest Accident & Emergency department.

Body Language

Your baby will probably develop her own gestures to communicate things to you - particularly her mood. There are, however, a few standard body language indicators that might be helpful to know

Body - If she arches her back, eyes wide, and fingers and toes flexed, it means she's started or in pain. If she drawn her knees tight into her chest, she may have a tummy ache or wind.
Face - If she wrinkles her nose and purses her lips, she may be telling you she doesn't like something. If she meets your gaze with bright eyes, she is generally happy and ready for interaction; if she won't make eye contact, it could be that she is over stimulated. Eyes half-shut and a wrinkled brow could mean that she's uncomfortable.
Hands - At a few weeks old, your baby's hands will unfurl from their clenched position. A child with open, loosely held hands is usually happy and relaxed, and ready for some interaction. If, however, her fingers are splayed or she is holding her hands in closed fists, she may be irritated or in some discomfort.

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