Understanding the Crawling Milestone for Your Baby

Understanding the Crawling Milestone for Your Baby

June 9th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

The one thing that you will learn early on as a parent is that no two babies are created equal. You will quickly learn that just because one baby is doing something at a certain point in their development doesn’t mean that every baby will do it the same way. Even amongst siblings, developmental patterns can be totally different. This is an important lesson to learn early on as a parent so that you ignore the urge to compare your little one to others.

If you’re in a playgroup or have friends with a baby about the same age, then you may be tempted to look from their baby to yours and wonder why the milestones are happening as they are. It’s natural but it can be a destructive behavior! Understanding how the milestones work is a good idea, particularly when it comes to one such as crawling.

Is Your Baby Crawling On Time?

You will hear experts say that the typical baby crawls anywhere between six and ten months. This is an average and therefore not something to be taken as anything but a guideline. There are some babies that will crawl far earlier than that, and then some babies that will crawl far later than that. Some babies may not even crawl at all because they prefer scooting and can get to where they want to be using this method. Add to that the fact that some babies will skip over crawling altogether. They may roll or scoot and get what they want until they one day get up and start standing and walking.

So as you start fearing that your baby is behind, know that there is no real set time limit. If you are ever in doubt or concerned, then by all means talk to your pediatrician. Know though that every baby handles this rather large milestone in a totally different way.

They All Do Things Differently

Babies get mobile in the first place to get to items that they want. They see something across the floor that they want and then they go for it. As you can see even experts such as Dr. Greene are reluctant to give true time limits to crawling. If the baby sees something that they want, then they will start off by rolling to get to it. This can quickly evolve into crawling, though it usually does take time and has a process involved with it.

If you see your baby “army crawling”, that is using their forearm to move them along and bringing their bottom half up behind, then they may be getting close. They may use these alternate methods solely as it’s easy for them to get around. So be sure not to put any pressure on your baby or your expectations because they are still doing what they are conditioned to do.

Ignore the myths that say if a baby avoids crawling or is late to crawl that they may not be as coordinated. This is simply not true and if your baby is moving around and doing everything else that they are supposed to do, then they are right on track. It’s easy to get caught up in measuring the milestones, but remember that every baby is different and that crawling is an activity that is quite different for everyone.

Baby’s First Tooth

Baby’s First Tooth

June 6th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Has your baby not quite seemed like themselves lately? Many parents can tend to pinpoint when something is amiss and when their baby seems to just be a bit off. It can be a sign of the baby being sick, or it may be a sign of something more routine and common that every baby goes through.

Teething is an aspect of baby’s first year that is on the minds of parent, and it can be a rather challenging one to contend with. The reality is that every baby is different and therefore to say when it will happen or how strenuous it will be on parent and child is hard to predict. Some parents will tell you that their baby was virtually unaffected by the teething ritual. Others will tell you that it was one of the most challenging parts of the first year. Every baby is different and therefore how they cope with teething can be a completely unique experience.

Planning for the Milestone

Every parent looks anxiously in their baby’s mouth from early on to see if that first tooth has finally popped through. Even when they are showing signs of teething, though, it may be a long road until you see the first tooth. As you can see from this baby development chart, the average age for a baby to get their first tooth is anywhere between four and seven months. This, however, is a rather wide range and there are babies at either end of the spectrum. Some may not even have their first tooth by their first birthday, and that’s just the way they are built. This is not a sign of imperfection nor of any sort of developmental issues. This is just how each baby is built and how they develop, so it’s nothing to be concerned about. You can plan for the milestone with a few simple supplies that can make any potential teething issues run much smoother.

Are They Showing Any Signs?

Sure there are some parents that will tell you that they had no idea that it was coming. That they woke up one morning, looked in their baby’s mouth, and suddenly a tooth was staring back up at them. While this does happen, it’s an exception to the rule. Even if your baby doesn’t necessarily have a difficult time with teething, they will often show some sort of signs to indicate that it’s coming.

So what are the signs? One of the first and most obvious signs is that the baby is drooling a lot. This is due in large part to the excess fluids gathering in the mouth as a result of the teething, and therefore comes out almost constantly. You will see your baby drooling, sometimes almost like a faucet, and the only thing you can do to contain it is to put a bib on them.

Many babies are also known to put absolutely everything in their mouth. If they are chewing on their toys, your hand, or anything else in sight that they can fit in or around their mouth, then they may be teething.

You will notice in some babies that they get fussy or that their sleeping or eating patterns get disrupted. This may go on for a bit of a while as the tooth actually breaks through, but it’s a good thing overall. That tooth will come in no time and you can enjoy yet another milestone with your little love.

Getting Your Child Ready for Preschool

Getting Your Child Ready for Preschool

June 2nd, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

The first years of your child’s life fly by so very quickly. In an instant, you may feel as though you are dealing with a baby one day and a big kid the next. Though it may not seem like it at the time, the years fly by and so too do all of the many milestones. Before you know it, you are looking at an almost school aged child and wondering to yourself if they are ready for the next big step.

Preschool can be a huge step for many kids, while others just float into it with great ease. Just as every child has a different upbringing and different care each and every day, they will be different in their readiness for preschool. Though age is a big determining factor in their readiness, it’s certainly not the only one. You should think through other factors, particularly personality, when you make the decision to put them into preschool or not.

Is Your Child Really Ready?

First and foremost, there are certain age limits or restrictions that may help to make the decision for you. In many preschool programs, kids can start by the age of three but they must have turned three by December first of the current year. If they aren’t there yet, then they’ll need to wait for the next school year to start. This isn’t always a bad thing as it can give you plenty of time to prepare for the big step, but it is something worth looking into before you get them signed up for a preschool program. Some kids start preschool at four years old, but it is becoming more and more common these days that they start at three years old and then work their way up.

You also want to decide if they are ready in other ways too. Take a look at this preschool guide for example. Consider if your child can bear to be without you for a couple of mornings a week. If they have never been away from you at all, then this can be a shock to the system. It can also make their adjustment to preschool very difficult so plan accordingly. You also need to ensure that your child is potty trained before you enroll them in preschool. Many schools won’t even take a child unless they are potty trained and can work independently in this and other areas.

Helping to Prepare Your Child

Preschool is a big step for both of you, so it’s important to work with your child ahead of time to get them ready for it. First and foremost any exposure that you can give them to a school like setting can be a big help. Sign them up for a parent and toddler class beforehand to get them acclimated with the structure and feel of a real classroom. Be sure that they get plenty of exposure to other kids, because this will be a big help.

Though you want to be present for every big moment in their life, do your best to let them work independently whenever possible so they get used to that feeling. Work with them on lessons like the “ABC’s” or painting. Though you don’t need to put them through boot camp, any steps that you can take to get your child ready will really benefit them when that first day of preschool comes upon you.

Planning for Baby’s First Birthday

Planning for Baby’s First Birthday

May 29th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

It may be hard to believe, but you are staring down a major milestone. Baby’s first birthday is just around the corner and you feel just amazed by this fact. Wasn’t it just yesterday that you had that little bundle of joy?

If it feels like the time has simply gone by too fast, you’re not alone. Many parents are in awe of just how quickly the first year goes by and aren’t sure what to do when the milestone of a first birthday comes upon them. Many parents not only feel overwhelmed by the fact that their baby is turning one, but they may not know quite where to start in terms of the planning. This is a huge milestone and you do want to celebrate it with glee, but you have to ask yourself how much money, time, and effort that’s ultimately worth. So here are a few guidelines that can help to make planning your baby’s first birthday much easier and more enjoyable.

Keep It Simple

Here’s the reality of the situation-your little darling isn’t going to remember a thing! Sure they’ll look back on pictures and therefore you want it to be something special, but they are not going to remember any details of the event whatsoever. So before you get yourself all crazy thinking of which theme to select or what sort of elements to incorporate, remember that this is a party that is really more for you than for your baby. Not to burst any parent’s bubble, but the parents get far more out of the first birthday party than the kids do. That will change in years to come, but for now suffice it to say that simple is the way to go.

If they have taken to a favorite cartoon character or symbol then by all means incorporate it. If not though, don’t worry and just go with simple and effective. Fortunately there are many different first birthday “themes” out there that you can run with. Keep the decorations simple and just use the plates, napkins, and any decorations in a certain color theme or something else unified in nature. A cute idea is to put out pictures of your little one throughout their first year. These can serve as centerpieces on tables or just adorn the space of the venue that you’re working with. So try this out as a way of honoring your little one, and of course as a way to help decorate the party space.

Make The Baby the Center of Attention

Spend some of the money that you may have spent on extraordinary decorations on a cute outfit for your little one. This is their special day after all, so be sure that they are dressed in something cute and fitting for the occasion. Invite close friends and family, as the first birthday is usually one of the larger celebrations to mark such a special and memorable milestone. Have everybody around that is meaningful to you and your baby, as they will surely want to be a part of the celebration.

One of the most important parts of the first birthday party is most definitely the cake. Be sure to not only make or buy an adorable cake for your adorable guy or girl, but get them their own little smash cake as well. A first birthday party isn’t complete until you put that cake in front of the birthday person and let them go wild as they eat their way to stardom. That’s what first birthday parties are all about after all!

When to Start Baby-Proofing your House

When to Start Baby-Proofing your House

May 8th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

When you first bring home that tiny newborn baby who doesn’t do much besides eating and sleeping, it’s hard to imagine that one day he will be getting into everything in sight. But that day will come before you know it, so stay ahead of the game by baby-proofing early, and watching for improvements to your baby-proofing as baby grows.

How Early Should I Start?

While baby isn’t likely to find much to get into until he really starts crawling, you should start baby-proofing around the time that he starts to roll. Baby-proofing is a process, and as you go, you will notice things you didn’t think of before. So start early, and hopefully by the time baby does start to get up on hands and knees you will be one step ahead of him.

On average, a baby will start to roll over from tummy to back at around 4 months old. By 6 months old, he will be rolling from back to front as well. Once he masters both directions, he will quite literally be on a roll. You’ll see him using this new trick to make his way across the room. He’ll probably roll until he runs into something that stops him, and then roll back. Every baby is a little different as to when they will hit these milestones, so go by your own child’s abilities. At this point baby will also likely be pushing himself up on his hands.

Where Should I Start?

When you see him start to roll from front to back, it’s time to baby-proof. Start with the dangers that baby is most likely to encounter – this means dangers that are at his level. The best way to do this is to get down on the floor and see things from baby’s angle. Start with the rooms where baby spends the most time on the floor.

Things that baby can reach even from lying on the floor such as outlets, low shelves, drawers and cupboards are a good place to start. Watch for any small items baby could get into his mouth and choke on, or breakable items. Baby gates are an early investment well worth making. They will keep baby safe from stairs and also help to keep him contained in one part of the house, so that you can concentrate your baby-proofing efforts there.

Continual Baby-proofing

Baby-proofing is a continual process. Just when you think you have everything covered, baby will grow taller, or learn a new skill. First she’ll crawl, and then she’ll pull up on furniture, cruise around it, and eventually walk. Somewhere in there she will learn to climb too. And before you know it, she will be able to push a chair to where she wants it and climb up to reach something even higher. She will also learn how to open doors into new rooms.

Take your baby-proofing cues from your baby, and try to stay one step ahead. When she is rolling, go ahead and baby-proof for crawling, and when she crawls, baby-proof for pulling up. Think of baby-proofing as an ongoing process; there will always be something new that needs to be made safe against your baby’s curiosity.

Your baby-proofing will also need to expand to new rooms as she becomes more mobile. Thinking ahead and getting your house ready for baby before she gets moving will keep you from discovering a hazard the wrong way – by baby getting hurt.

A Room by Room Guide to Baby-Proofing Your Home

A Room by Room Guide to Baby-Proofing Your Home

May 7th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

When your baby starts to get moving, it’s time to make sure your house is safe for her to roam. Keep baby safe as she explores with this easy guide to baby-proofing, room by room.

Living Room and/or Family Room

Start with the room where your baby likely spends the most time playing. This will probably be your living room or family room. Look for these common dangers:

  • Secure any furniture to the wall that could potentially tip over onto baby. This includes bookshelves, entertainment units, and televisions. If you have a flat-panel television, consider having it wall-mounted.
  • Remove any breakable or dangerous items from low shelves or coffee tables.
  • If you have a fireplace, secure the doors or block access to it any way you can.
  • Secure doors to any cabinets that might contain breakable or dangerous items
  • Consider replacing floor lamps with models that can be placed out of reach. As there is no way to secure them properly, they could easily tip over on baby. They can also be placed behind furniture.
  • Cover all electrical outlets with secure covers.
  • Tie up cords for blinds, or better yet, replace them with cordless blinds.
  • Cover sharp corners of furniture with soft corner covers

Kitchen and Dining Room

The kitchen is a place full of dangerous items that should be kept out of baby’s reach. In addition to these security measures, be sure never to leave baby unattended in the kitchen.

  • Secure all cabinets and drawers. There are several systems on the market today to make accessing the cabinets you use most easier.
  • Secure the fridge, oven, and dishwasher.
  • During cooking, use back burners as much as possible, and keep handles turned inward
  • Keep fridge magnets that are small enough to get into baby’s mouth up high, out of reach.
  • Don’t leave knives or glasses near the edge of the counter, even if you think baby can’t reach that high.
  • Push chairs in under tables to discourage climbing
  • Cover sharp table corners with soft corner covers.

Bathroom

The bathroom is another room that requires careful baby-proofing. Even if you keep the door closed and don’t allow baby access, take measures to be sure the room is safe.

  • Secure the lid to the toilet.
  • Secure all cabinets and drawers.
  • Make sure that any medication is kept out of baby’s reach and in a locked cabinet.
  • Cover the tub faucet with a soft cover to protect baby’s head
  • Install slip-proof grips on the bottom of the tub

Bedrooms

Baby’s bedroom should be a top priority for baby-proofing, but don’t forget your bedroom and any others in the house as well.

  • Secure any cords that are dangling from blinds so that they are out of baby’s reach, or replace them with cordless blinds. No matter which blinds you have, try to place baby’s crib away from the window.
  • Make sure any furniture that could potentially tip over is secured to the wall
  • Do not keep any medications in baby’s room.
  • Cover all electrical outlets.
  • Make sure to drop the crib mattress to its lowest position when baby learns to pull up on the rail, to avoid a potential fall.

Other Parts of the House

Watch for potential hazards in the small sections of the house that might not be included in these rooms.

  • Place gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
  • Keep exterior, garage doors and basement doors locked at all times
  • Install outlet covers in hallways and entrances.
  • If you have a laundry room, keep the door closed and secured if possible. If not, consider installing a gate.
  • Keep all detergents and other cleaning supplies in a secure cabinet out of reach.
  • Place latches on closet doors.
Enjoying Meals Together

Enjoying Meals Together

May 6th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Eating a meal together has a number of benefits for your family. While sitting down to a meal together can be a challenge with busy schedules, it’s worth the effort to get your family to the table at the same time for at least one meal a day.

Teaching Good Habits

Sitting down to a meal together helps your children to form good habits that will last a lifetime. This includes both healthy eating habits and table manners. When you sit down to eat with your family, you have an opportunity to teach them how to behave at the table. If they learn good manners at home, you won’t have to worry about how they will behave at a restaurant, or if they are invited to a meal at a friend’s house.

Eating meals together also encourages healthy eating habits. Seeing you eating the same healthy foods you have been encouraging your kids to eat will make them more likely to give it a try. They will also learn to slow down, and enjoy their food, rather than rushing through a meal which can cause indigestion.

Seeing you prepare a meal every day will give your child a better appreciation for what goes into the food you serve. Making everyone a part of the meal preparation and clean up process will also teach your children responsibility. And when everyone has a share of the responsibility for making a great family meal, they will enjoy the food more and dinner time battles will start to disappear.

Time to Talk

Family meal time might be the only time you are all in the same room and not focused on something else. Make it a time to talk, catch up with each other, and get to know what is going on in everyone’s busy life. Even for the youngest child, it’s a great time to see mom and dad interacting and chatting about something other than the bills or who is driving carpool this week.

This daily opportunity to reconnect will foster a sense of closeness and security in the family. Your children will start to open up to you more when it becomes normal to spend this time talking. You might hear about things going on in their lives you would otherwise never have known about. Once you have get in to the habit, you will find everyone looks forward to meal time as a chance to spend time together, not just a necessary break for food.

Starting this habit early in life has ramifications for your children as they grow older as well. Research shows that kids who eat meals with the family regularly have better grades and are less likely to get in trouble with drugs and alcohol down the road.

Better meals, Better Budget

Eating at home has many benefits, but the two most important are better meals and saving money too! Eating out can be very costly, and it usually means a less nutritious meal.

When you prepare your own food at home, you know what goes into it. You can use fresh produce, choose organic ingredients if you prefer, and watch the salt and fat content. You can also control your portion sizes, which is difficult to do at a restaurant. Making an effort to eat meals at home will save your family money, which can be spent instead on something everyone can enjoy, like a family vacation.

Quick Meals for Busy Families

Quick Meals for Busy Families

May 5th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

With everything else that has to be fit into a busy family’s schedule, it can be difficult to prepare a healthful yet fast and easy meal. Too often meals are the one thing that falls through the cracks of our busy lives, and we wind up with take out, frozen dinners, or the same old thing time and again. It doesn’t have to be that way. With a few simple tips you can have a new and different meal on the table every night in less time than it takes to gather up the family to eat.

Soup Reinvented

Canned soups are a staple of the pantry in most busy households. Cracking open a can and heating it in the microwave is the quickest way to have dinner on the table in no time flat. But with just a little extra effort and a slightly longer cook time, you can have a home made soup that tastes better and is better for you.

Keep the basics of a soup in the house. While homemade broth might taste great, it’s not realistic for most families on the go. Buy cartons of store bought broth. It’s available in chicken, beef, and vegetable. By mixing together broth, a few seasonings, and some fresh chopped vegetables, you will have a tasty homemade soup in no time. Quick and easy soup recipes are readily available online, or you can make up your own. Toss in leftover chicken or potatoes; add whatever vegetables you have on hand. You can also choose from noodles, rice, or even beans. There are endless possibilities, and all you need is the basic broth. As soon as the veggies are tender, your soup is ready to serve.

Make it even easier on yourself by throwing the soup fixings in a slow cooker before you leave the house in the morning. You will come home to a lovely aroma and a meal ready to eat.

Wrap It Up

Take the boring sandwich and the same old burrito to a new level using tortillas and interesting fillings to create delicious wraps. Look for tortillas in different flavors, such as spinach and cheese to add flair and taste to your wraps. Then lay out a buffet of possibilities for filling them!

Try a Southwest wrap with fillings of beans, rice, corn, spicy chicken, cheese and ranch dressing. Go Asian with some crispy chow mein noodles, cooked chicken or pork, fresh greens and a sesame-ginger dressing. Or roll romaine lettuce, chicken, Caesar dressing and parmesan cheese into a tortilla, skip the fork and eat your chicken Caesar salad with your hands. The possibilities are endless.

Switch Up Your Pasta

If your family groans every time you serve up spaghetti and meatballs, change things up a bit. Try some different noodles, such as penne or rigatoni. Toss with pesto and chicken instead of tomato sauce, or try fettuccine alfredo at home – it really isn’t all that hard to make. These meals can be on the table just as fast as that tired old spaghetti.

Add chopped fresh vegetables to cold pasta and toss with a salad dressing such as Italian. Who says a pasta dinner has to be hot? On a summer evening a cold pasta salad is sure to be a hit.

These are just a few of the ways you can come up with a fast meal your family will love. Look to old standards and change them up for a fresh look at dinner, and your family will thank you for it!

Supporting Baby’s Immune Health

Supporting Baby’s Immune Health

May 4th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

We all know that the immune system exists to protect our bodies from harmful invaders, and that it is vital to keeping us healthy. The complex immune system is a powerful force for identifying and eliminating dangerous foreign matter that enters the body. A baby’s immune system, however, is not yet developed enough to successfully defend that tiny body – it needs a little help. Do you know how to best support your baby’s immune system so that it can do its job keeping your little one healthy? Answer these three basic questions to find out!

What is the Number One Way to Boost a Newborn’s Immune System?

When it comes to strengthening your newborn’s fledgling immune system, the absolute best thing you can do is to choose to breastfeed. Breast milk, especially the early, darker colored milk called colostrum, is packed with antibodies that your baby can’t get anywhere else. These antibodies are the building blocks of immunity. They give your newborn a fighting chance against the bacteria and viruses that are new to his body. Your baby received antibodies through the placenta during your pregnancy, but from the moment of birth that protection begins to wane. The only way to continue to protect him is to keep the supply of antibodies up through breast milk.

While formulas have come a long way over the years, they simply can not provide these antibodies to your baby, so if you can, breastfeed for as long as possible. When you stop breastfeeding, the same effect will occur as when you gave birth – the antibodies will become less and less effective. The longer you breastfeed, the more time you allow for your baby to grow bigger and stronger, and for his immune system to make its own antibodies.

What Does a Fever Mean?

Fever is a sign that your baby’s immune system has kicked into gear to fight off an invading force. In the first few months of life, a fever in your baby is your first clue that something is not right. While older children and adults will come through most fevers just fine, a newborn doesn’t have the strength to fight off whatever the fever is signaling. Any fever in a newborn warrants a call to your doctor’s office. Antibiotics might be necessary to help her immune system fight off the illness causing the fever.

Recognize the signs that your baby is getting sick, such as fever and others – lethargy, changes in appetite and sleep habits – and help your baby’s immune system fight off the illness by stepping in quickly.

Is Exposing Baby to Germs Good or Bad?

It might sound like a silly question, but it’s a good one. Exposure to germs is what triggers the immune system to respond, and create antibodies that will fight off illness. However, a baby’s body isn’t strong enough to fight off many of the germs he might encounter. So what is the right answer? Avoid exposure to germs as much as possible for the first few months of life, when baby is still very small and vulnerable. During those early months, a simple illness can quickly become very serious, so be very careful.

As she grows and becomes stronger, you can be a little less militant on the germ patrol. This doesn’t mean exposing her to people you know are sick so she can build antibodies! Just that you can take her to more places and let her body start to build its defenses against what it encounters.

With the answers to all three of these questions, you arm yourself with the knowledge to boost your baby’s immune system so that eventually her body will be able to defend itself.

Sun Safety for Your Baby

Sun Safety for Your Baby

May 3rd, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

There’s nothing more fun than spending a sunny day enjoying the outdoors with your baby. Before you head out to enjoy the sunshine, make sure to take a few precautions to protect baby’s delicate skin and eyes from those bright rays.

Sunscreen for All

It doesn’t matter what shade your baby’s skin is; sunscreen is an absolute must. Many people believe that having darker skin will protect them from the harmful effects of the sun, but while darker skin tones are less susceptible to burning than lighter ones, they aren’t impervious to the sun. No matter what your baby’s skin tone, you should use sunscreen every time you go out to play.

Choose a sunscreen with broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays. The minimum recommended SPF is 15, but it’s a good idea to go higher – as high as you can find. Look for a formula that is designed for babies – it won’t sting baby’s eyes if it gets in them by accident.

When applying sunscreen to babies under 6 months old, apply sparingly, on small areas of the body that are not otherwise protected. When your baby is this young, it’s best to stay out of direct sunlight altogether as much as possible, and use hats and protective clothing. Over 6 months old, apply sunscreen to all exposed parts of the body. Make sure to apply the sunscreen about 30 minutes before heading outside, to give it time to absorb into the skin, and rub it in well. Sunscreen should be reapplied every 2 hours and after swimming.

Remember that even if it’s cloudy, the sun is still up there; harmful UV rays can make it through the cloud cover. Use sunscreen every time you are going to be outside for any space of time. This includes the winter! Sunlight can reflect off the snow, and although the sun’s rays may be weaker in the wintertime, they are still damaging. If your baby is enjoying a snow day, winter clothing will probably cover most skin, but dab some sunscreen on any part of the face that is exposed.

Protective Clothing and Eyewear

So your baby doesn’t like wearing a hat? Keep trying. A hat will shade sensitive eyes and protect the skin on the top of the head, where it can be difficult to apply sunscreen because of baby’s hair. Try a hat with a chin strap that stays on, but if that bothers baby, just keep putting it back on. It might be frustrating, but it’s the best way to protect his head and face.

Sunglasses with UV protection are now available in small sizes for babies, and include a strap to help keep them on. Baby’s eyes are very sensitive, so keep them protected as best you can.

Look for swimsuits and clothing that include UV protection. Entire lines of baby clothes are now available with this feature, from swim shirts to sun hats. These fabrics will help to protect baby from rays that can get through the clothing’s weave. Tightly woven fabrics will also help.

Remember to limit your time in the sun with baby, especially on days when the UV index is particularly high. This information is available from your weather channel or online, but it’s easy enough to see that a very hot, sunny day will have a high UV index. Sunburn and future risk of skin cancer aren’t the only dangers on a hot day. Heat stroke can occur too, so don’t stay out too long, and make sure baby has plenty of fluids.

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