Baby Articles
Even the most experienced mum will tell you that each baby is different - what works for one baby may not necessarily work for the other! BellyBelly has a collection of fantastic articles for baby, designed to give you a range of options to try with your own, unique bundle of joy. You'll also find many useful and practical articles written by BellyBelly's 'Gentle' Parenting Expert, Pinky McKay.
"But You're Doing It All Wrong..."
Do family, friends or even complete strangers have you thinking that sometimes you are 'doing it wrong' with raising your baby? Mothers are becoming increasingly insecure and feeling guilty about the way they raise their babies. Parenting expert Pinky McKay offers some sensible and wise advice if you feel that you're 'doing it all wrong'.
10 Reasons Why Parents Choose Not To Vaccinate
The Australian Vaccination Network is contacted by more than 10,000 Australian parents each year who have health concerns about vaccinations. If you would like to know the top 10 reasons why parents choose not to vaccinate, read on.
Accidentally In Love
So many of us have been told that we have inadvertently caused (or will cause) our baby to have sleeping difficulties if we encourage 'bad habits' such as letting baby fall asleep in our arms or not following a strict regime of sorts. Find out why an efficient program of sleep management seemed so sensible while you were pregnant, but now make you feel like a failure as neither your baby nor you seem able to slot neatly into the prescribed timetable.
Artificial Feeding - Nothing To Do With Breastfeeding
In this thought provoking article, Yvette O'Dowd asks why there such a divide between women who breastfeed and those who resort to artificial baby milk. What led to the divide and who is to blame? A must read for all mothers, no matter how you feed your baby.
Babies and Sleep
Babies and sleep. It can seem that the two are mutually exclusive, and recent Brisbane research has even suggested that many mothers who have been diagnosed as having post-natal depression are actually suffering extreme fatigue from waking to their babies at night.
Baby Clothes - What Clothes Does Your Baby Need?
You would think buying clothes for a baby would be quite simple - with so many cute and gorgeous outfits available these days, how can one go wrong?! But with a myriad of clothing designs and styles that are either practical time-savers or frustrating time-fizzers for parents, BellyBelly Mum, Janelle (nellbe) set out to compile this very informative article, designed to help you with the task of clothing your newborn baby.
Baby Formula: What They Wont Tell You About Baby Formula
Baby formula is considered the next best thing for a baby only where there is no breastmilk available. While baby formula is not allowed to be advertised in Australia, you may see these same formula companies advertising 'nutritious' toddler drinks in similar colours and designs as the baby formula tins. Want to find out what the baby formula manufacturers don't want you to know?
Baby Not Sleeping? Here's 15 Ways To Help Your Baby Sleep
Need some ideas to help get your baby to sleep? These great sleep tips are ideal for any baby an you can start using them now! Baby sleep tips compiled by baby sleep expert and Lactation Consultant, Pinky McKay.
Babymoon - What Is a Babymoon and Why Should You Plan One?
According to Dr Buckley, who advises new mums to stay in their pyjamas for two weeks, this 'baby-moon' time has huge implications for women's recovery and establishing bonding with their babies.
Babywearing - The Benefits of Carrying Your Baby
Babywearing calms fussy babies and helps decrease the occurrence of postnatal depression. The close proximity of the baby enables parents to respond to 'non-crying' signals, which results in less frustration and stress and most of all... less crying.
Biting and Breastfeeding - Why Babies Bite When Breastfeeding
Being the recipient of a bite while your baby is breastfeeding can be quite unpleasant - so why do babies bite? It might not be for the reason you think. Read on for some suggestions as to why your breastfeeding baby might be taking a bite instead of a suck!
Breast Refusal - When Your Baby Doesn't Want The Breast
A baby's refusal to suck at the breast is a most distressing problem to a breastfeeding mother. She cannot help feeling upset when her baby screams and turns away from her breast. She may feel that her baby is rejecting her as a mother and doesn't want her, need her, or even like her very much. So why does it happen and what can you do?
Bringing Your Second (or Third or More!) Baby Home
'Imagine: Your partner has just brought home a new lover and announced that you are all going to live together. It will be fun! You will be best friends! After hearing that you and the new lover will be loved equally by your partner, you are asked to share your things (all of them) with the new lover.' Pinky McKay provides some great tips on helping to encourage sibling harmony when a new baby comes into your home.
Circumcision - To Circumcise or Not Circumcise?
Parents want to make the best decisions for the health of their children, but it can be confusing trying to make a decision with so many differing opinions and misinformation on circumcision. This article includes some FAQ's on infant circumcison with facts to help you decide.
Co-Sleeping: Is It Part Of Bonding?
Judging by my email box and the conversations I share with parents and health professionals, infant sleep has become a veritable industry. An industry, it seems, that is driven by fear, particularly the fear that if we dare to respond to little night howls with too many cuddles or, heaven forbid, cuddles in parental beds, our babies may never learn to sleep alone.
Controlled Crying, Controlled Comforting or Sleep Training
Controlled crying (also known as controlled comforting and sleep training) is a technique which is widely used as a way of managing infants and young children who do not settle alone or who wake at night. Controlled crying involves leaving the infant to cry for increasingly longer periods of time before providing comfort.
Controlled Crying: The Con Of Controlled Crying
Controlled crying - is it really worth it? The very principle that makes controlled crying 'work' that is of greatest concern: when controlled crying 'succeeds' in teaching a baby to fall asleep alone, it is due to a process that neurobiologist Bruce Perry calls the 'defeat response'. Normally, when humans feel threatened, our bodies flood with stress hormones and we go into 'fight' or 'flight'. However, babies can't fight and they can't flee. So what does this mean for your baby? Pinky McKay explains.
Could Your Baby or Toddler's Diet Be Keeping You Awake At Night?
Do you have a wakeful baby or toddler at bedtime? Could the foods that you're feeding your toddler or the foods that you are eating (if breastfeeding) be keeping him or her awake? Read on to find out if the food your little one is eating is preventing him - and you - from getting a good nights sleep.
Cuddle Me Mum - I Need a Cuddle...
When your competence as a mother comes under scrutiny, it's easy for doubts to creep in that you just might be 'giving in' to your baby or that she really is a little rascal plotting to wrap you around her proverbial little finger. Find out why you should listen to your instincts and cuddle your baby.
Do It MY Way! When Daddy Does It Differently...
It isn’t only cleaners who can get a short shift when they don’t meet the exacting expectations of a control freak mummy. Fathers too can bear the brunt when they don’t do things just right. Get some tips on how to down 'Super Mummy' and let go of the control freak inside of you with a new baby!
Eczema and Your Baby - All About Eczema
Many parents are faced with the problems associated with having a baby or young child with eczema. It can be heart-breaking seeing your little one suffering, trying to do all you can to cope with the condition and not finding relief.
Expressing and Storing Breastmilk
If you need to store or express milk for your baby, here's a great starting guide from the Australian Breastfeeding Association on expressing and storing breastmilk. Find out how to best store expressed milk and when to discard it.
Falling In Love Again With Your First Born
I remember sitting with Matt just before Gracie was born saying, "How will we ever love another baby as much as Tilly?" says Penny Attiwill, mother of 5 year old Tilly and eighteen month old Gracie.
Feeding Your Baby - Is It Taking Too Much Time?
It may feel reassuring to have specific instructions about when to feed your baby, especially when everything about caring for a baby is new and uncertain to you. However, there are real risks which are important to consider before buying into certain feeding routines. Read on for some great advice for both breastfed and bottlefed babies.
Gastro in Young Children
Gastro, an infection of the bowel, is very common in young children. This is usually the result of a virus, which are easily contracted from other people, even if they are immune to the virus.
Infant / Baby Massage - Touch Me and Help Me Grow
There are so many powerful benefits to massaging your baby - from ages premmie and onwards. If you haven't yet discovered the benefits of massage, Infant Massage Instructor and Parenting Expert Pinky McKay explains the many wonderful benefits you can offer when you massage your baby.
Is My Baby Hungry? Do I Have Enough Milk?
As your baby's cries escalate, you can be sure to hear well meant enquiries of, "are you sure you have enough milk?" or "maybe your milk isn't strong enough?" (By the way this second proposition is NEVER true, even though it was a common belief in your mother's day). Find out how to tell if your baby is really hungry.
Lactose Intolerance - Your Baby and Lactose
Is your baby lactose intolerant or do you suspect lactose intolerance? Wondering what this might mean for you or your baby? Find out all about lactose intolerance in babies and if this means that you'll need to stop breastfeeding your baby. Read all the common facts and fallacies.
Loving Two - How Can I Love Another Child As Much?
I walk along holding your 2-year-old hand, basking in the glow of our magical relationship. Suddenly I feel a kick from within, as if to remind me that our time alone is limited. And I wonder: how could I ever love another child as I love you?
Mum's Top 3 Things I Didn't Need For Baby
Having a baby opens your eyes to a whole new market of products, gadgets, gizmos and contraptions. It can be so very confusing, with some parents left wondering what they actually need to buy and what is truly essential.
Mum's Top 5 Things For Baby
Each month, we'll publish a BellyBelly Member's Top 5 Things For Baby. Find out the 5 best things a mother bought for her baby and why she thought it was such a great investment.
Nasal Congestion & Colds In Babies
A young baby's natural instinct is to breathe through their nose - even when it is blocked. It is therefore important to keep your baby's nose clear as a blocked nose can disrupt sleeping and feeding.
Not Enough Milk? Concerned About Your Milk Supply?
Do you have enough milk for your baby? One of the most common reasons a mother weans her baby before she might want to is that she is worried that she doesn't have enough milk. Read on to find out how you can tell if you have enough milk for your baby.
Parenting With Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Bringing up children is not an easy task, and Multiple Sclerosis can add extra challenges. Often parents feel this is a task for which they are unprepared or inadequate.
Reflux in Babies - Dealing With Reflux
Gastro-oesophageal reflux, or reflux for short, occurs when food and stomach acid flows back into the oesophagus (foodpipe). Find out what factors are suspected of causing reflux, what you can do and some survival tips for parents of reflux babies.
Saving Money With a Baby: Mother's Tips
When baby is born, financially this usually means that a) there is now an extra person generating expenses and b) there is one less income in the house. This can put a great deal of pressure on the household budget
Sexual Abuse - Protecting Your Child Against Sexual Abuse
While talking to children about sexual abuse may prompt parental discomfort, the concept of prevention programs in schools, especially at primary level, arouses outright controversy. Yet, protective behaviours can and should be taught to all children - even preschoolers.
Starting/Introducing Solid Foods - When Is My Baby Ready?
The recommended age for starting solid foods with a breastfed baby's diet has varied over the centuries. In times gone by, babies have been given a wide range of supplements from as early as the first hours after birth! So when is the best time to introduce solid food?
Subsequent Children After SIDS
For all parents, the thought of cot death is there until that magical “12-month” mark where the child apparently becomes invulnerable. So much greater the shock therefore when on a September morning, I found my little boy, still, in his cot.
Surviving The Arsenic Hour
The arsenic hour... it conjures up images of evil forces and supernatural powers let loose. During this time we may become out of control, lose our senses and succumb to our dark side. Sound familiar? Read on for some fantastic tips on how you can survive the arsenic hour in your household!
The Crying Baby - Understanding Your Baby's Cries
Crying is your baby's language. At first, it is pretty much the only way an infant can express feelings like discomfort, hunger, exhaustion and loneliness. It is also the only way he can release pent up stress.
Velcro Baby - The Baby That Clings!
Clingy, fussy, high need - she doesn't give a damn about the labels. Unless she's attached to you (constantly), she yells! Meet 'Velcro baby!'.
Weaning Your Baby - A Respectful Approach to Weaning
The time to start weaning your baby is when you or your baby decide that it is right, taking into account the needs of your baby, yourself and your home and family situation. No matter if it's infant led or mother led, here's more information on weaning your baby.
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