Newborns are soft and smell good. You might be scared to cuddle them too much because you don’t want he baby to become needy, but you can never cuddle too much with your baby. Here are some quick tips on how you can bond with your new born.

Baby Massages
You can use some baby safe oil or your baby’s body lotion. Rub some into your palm and warm it up. Then take your baby’s arm, leg, foot, hand, back or belly and rub it in gently and in slow moving circles. You may find that your baby enjoys this so much that he/she falls asleep.

Skin-to-Skin
You and the father should spend some time skin-to-skin, which is shirtless with the unclothed baby. You can do this in a pool, or shower, or on a hot summer day, or snuggled under a blanket in the winter time.

Baby Talk
Talking to your baby using “baby talk” comforts your baby and makes them feel safe and all right.

Doing any of these are sure to make for perfect bonding time with you and your baby.

There is a lot of literature and differing advice about starting solids with a baby, but here are some general rules of thumb to guide you through this new phase.

Most babies start solids between 5-6 months, or when they are more hungry and the milk supply isn’t enough to satisfy them. Breast feeding mothers may not have enough milk for the demand, and bottle fed babies will be looking for more not too long after they’ve finished their bottle. If this is what you are experiencing then your baby is ready to try solids.

It’s recommended that you start with vegetables since the fruit will obviously taste better and the baby will favour them over their vegetables, so start with the vegetables and introduce the fruit after you’ve gone through all the vegetables. If your baby genuinely doesn’t like the vegetable or fruit do not force feed your baby. This won’t make feeding time a happy time. Play games and use positive reinforcement to reward your little one, let them know they’ve done a good job.

Do not feed your baby something that you yourself are allergic to before consulting with your pediatrician. Food allergies that are easy to spot will react shortly to the food being eaten. A delayed reaction is harder to spot, but is becoming increasingly more common. Delayed reactions usually take the form of diarrhea, colic, reflux, constipation or eczema.

Start with the food that isn’t mixed with something else, like a jar of carrots and only feed your baby from this jar for the first week. If there is no reaction, then your baby is okay to continue eating this food and you can start on another jar of your choice as long as it consists of only one vegetable.

If your baby has allergies to a specific food he/she will have one of these symptoms; develop hives around the mouth, eyes and nose, swelling of lips or eyes and face, sneezing or blocked nose and watery eyes, itchy mouth and irritated throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or eczema that breaks out on the skin.

If your baby has a severe allergy they will go into anaphylactic shock. This is wheezing, drop in blood pressure or trouble breathing. If this occurs, call 911 immediately. Anaphylaxis can be deadly if the infant isn’t given proper medicine and care within a specific time frame.

Don’t let this make you nervous to feed your baby, these reactions are rare, most babies have a mild reaction if any at all. Just remember to take it slow and feed only one type of food a week until you’ve tried them all. Afterward you can mix foods together. Enjoy feeding time with your baby!

New born babies cry, some more than others, but that is their only means of communication. It doesn’t mean that you are necessarily doing anything wrong, it’s just how they let you know they’re uncomfortable. These are the main reasons your baby is crying: hungry, dirty diaper, tired, wants to be held, gas or tummy troubles, needs to burp, feeling too hot or cold, teething, wants more or less stimulation, or they’re not feeling well.

Ask yourself if you have tried to satisfy any of these problems. If it’s hunger your baby will eat once they are less distressed and you introduce the breast or bottle. Newborns tend to eat on a cycle of every  hour and fifteen minutes. As long as it’s once every one-two hours. If you notice your baby sucking in their sleep, this is a clear sign that they are hungry, other signs are stirring and stretching.

After the baby has fed try to burp them. Don’t give up burping your baby, if they don’t burp after they eat the gas will cause tummy trouble and crying. Just rub the back and pat until your baby burps.

A dirty diaper simply needs to be changed and then your baby would probably enjoy a good cuddling. If snuggling with your baby calms them down then it was your presence they wanted, but make sure you’re not turning into a helicopter mother who is always standing over her baby. They need some alone time too. Tired babies need their sleep, try rocking, swaddling, singing, swinging, anything you have noticed calms them down, do this and they will fall asleep.

Always be aware of the temperature of your rooms and your newborn. Babies should dress for the season. If it’s a hot summers day put the baby in a summer outfit. If it’s a cold winter day dress your baby warmly. Just be sure that you’re not going overboard. If after you dress your baby a few minutes later they crying but it’s not from hunger or dirty diapers, it could be you’ve under or over dressed them.

Teething will always cause crying, it’s a painful experience. The best thing to do for your baby is to buy leak proof, PSB free teething rings, or freeze a damp facecloth for your baby to munch on. This will numb the gums naturally and provide some relief. Over the counter medicines that are advertised as teething aids may contain chemicals that your baby will become used to and become useless the more you use them. Research natural remedies such as Camilia.

If you check your baby and they are hotter than normal take their temperature under the arm in the armpit for the most reliable temperature. Any temperature in a baby less than six months old that is more than 93 degrees or more you should take the baby to see a doctor. Newborns do not typically get fevers, so if your new born has one take them immediately to see your pediatrician.

If you have checked all of the above and the baby is still crying, what should you do? Just relax, the baby is just working through something. It can be hard to listen to, but if you’ve taken care of them then you have done your job. If you feel that it is upsetting you, it’s okay to walk away and take a breather. You’re not a bad parent if you need to do this, all mothers need a break, so just take five and relax, then you can go back to your baby with a clear mind.

You’re little on is growing so fast, before you know it they’re awake more throughout the day and then comes the crawling and walking. Once you’ve jumped over all those hurdles you may start to wonder how soon can you start the potty training.

There is a lot of differing advice by baby experts about how old the child should be before you start potty training, and each person has their own tricks and lessons on how to do it, but in the end you will find that your child is an individual and will do things at their own pace.

Even if you find yourself ready to start, doesn’t mean that your child is. Even age doesn’t mean that they’re ready to start. One thing you will find out soon enough is unless you and your child are on the same page it will be a long and frustrating journey.

Look for the signs that your child is ready. It may begin with a curiosity about the toilet. They’ll ask questions about your use, and if they’re in daycare they will see the other children using it and may start to feel ready watching their friends use the potty.

If your child is aware of their bowel movements and informs you of their diaper status this is another sign that they are ready. Children need to have language to be able to tell you what’s going on, otherwise you’ll just be running behind them checking their diaper.

Potty training takes time and accidents are going to happen. Don’t get discouraged and don’t discourage your little one, they’re doing the best they can. Some children have fears about the toilet. For some going pee is easier than doing a number two. And sometimes the child thinks they’re ready when in fact they are not. But no worries, nobody stays in diapers forever.

If I had to pick an age I would say 3 year sold is a good time to start. At this age children are more aware of their bodies, and have developed a language that you can understand. These are important because if your child is telling you they need to use the toilet and you can’t understand them, then they will get frustrated with you.

Always make a big deal of them on the potty. Give them treats and make them feel special and loved. This is positive reinforcement and means you are more likely to have repeated success at potty training then if there is stress.

Sometimes transitioning from diapers to training pants encourages the children, and makes them feel like a ‘big’ kid, buying underwear can be helpful too.

Just remember that some kids will be easy to train and others will take more time, but in the end it will all work out.