Rock-A-Bye-Baby

Friday 01 October 2010 by Helen

This morning, I stumbled across an interesting article about David Cameron's baby sleeping in a cardboard box. It made me wonder if this is a first, or if there are other even stranger places where parents put their babies to sleep?

As the Cameron story goes, apparently, he and his family were on holiday when his wife Samantha gave birth. They had no cot, so his daughter decorated a cardboard box, transforming it into a cardboard cot. (Cornwall may be rural in places, but they do have shops, and surely a cot can't be that hard to come by?) Anyway, as much as I find the whole thing quite hard to believe, and suspect that the story may have been exaggerated slightly, I salute them on their resourcefulness, and the story did raise a smile. That said, I have concocted my own version of events...

It is possible that one rainy day during their holiday (or should I say staycation) they indulged their daughter when she had an arts and crafts moment and encouraged her to make a cot for her new baby sister, perhaps as part of an effort to make her feel included and not pushed out by the new arrival. Another potential scenario could be that they put the baby in a cardboard box, only temporarily, for a photo opportunity and, to their surprise, baby actually settled or even fell asleep. ‘Baby fell asleep in' became 'baby sleeps in.’ I'm also guessing the box was the Rolls Royce of cardboard boxes, as opposed to just any old shoebox. Pushing any scepticism to one side, and assuming that we do buy into the story 100 per cent, it does demonstrate a refreshingly healthy, relaxed and non-smothering approach to parenting. It is worth remembering though that this was David Cameron’s third child, and, going on what I've heard from other parents you're more likely to be relaxed and less neurotic with your second or third child.

So, I've had a browse through some blogs to seek out other tales of the stranger places where babies have fallen asleep... Interesting sleeping spots include; washing baskets, wheelbarrows and sinks. And I did manage to find one slightly bizarre picture of a baby sleeping peacefully in the window of a Chinese medicine shop...

photo of a baby asleep in a shop window

Photo Credit; via Flickr - AndrewCParnell

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Articles,

Babies who sleep less are more likely to become obese

Tuesday 14 September 2010 by Helen

A new study, published last week, revealed that babies and children under the age of 5 who are getting less than 10 hours of sleep at night are more likely to be overweight or obese five years later.

Probably not what you want to hear if you’re currently struggling to establish your baby’s sleeping patterns. As the bearer of the news, I might not be the best person to then go on and advise you to try and take this information with a pinch of salt. At the end of the day, sleeping patterns are largely psychological, so, if you become too worried about how many hours of sleep baby isn't getting, the tension will transfer to your baby and create further sleeping problems. The study is not saying lack of sleep equals obesity, it’s implying an increased risk. I’m going to take a closer look at the research behind this revelation, take the common sense approach (as opposed to the neurotic one) and hopefully provide a balanced, more reassuring viewpoint...

colour photo of baby sleeping

What the study says

Apparently researchers have found that insufficient sleep at night could contribute to obesity in later life, this is a according to a study published in the journal ‘Archives of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.’ The same study also suggests that napping cannot replace the benefits of a decent nights sleep. Dr Janice Bell, from the University of Washington, who conducted the study is promoting the view that at least it's something that's within our power to change as part of our aims to tackle obesity. She studied data from a nationwide survey in 1997 and 2002. The findings were that children up to the age of four who didn't sleep enough at night were 80 % more likely to be obese 5 years later when compared to others who were getting more sleep. Interestingly, there was not the same link when older children between the ages of 5 and 13 didn't get enough sleep.

Napping doesn't count

Naps will obviously aid your child's general well being and alertness, but according to the research they are not comparable with night time sleep in terms of benefits. Peadiatrician, Dr Jennifer Shu also puts a positive spin on the lack of sleep increasing risk of obesity findings by stating 'it is just giving parents another reason to prioritise healthy sleeping habits.'

Why does lack of sleep contribute to weight gain?

There are several theories as to how lack of night-time sleep contributes to weight gain. The three main ones being the following;

The longer a child is awake for, the more time they have to eat.
In adults shortened sleep leads to changes in hormones, which can increase hunger and decreases metabolism. This quite possibly transfers to children.
The less sleep a child has had, the less energy they have to do substantial excercise.

I can certainly see some logic in all three theories, from an adult's perspective. If I take myself for example, when I'm up early, I'm more likely to consume a greater amount of food. Particularly throughout the morning, mainly due to the much longer gap between breakfast and lunch. And if I am tired, I'm far more likely to reach for a sugary snack or just eat more in general to give myself energy. I think that's why, despite best intentions, a Monday is always a hard day to start a healthy eating plan, as the tiredness from the weekend kicks in, and you just about do what you can to stay awake and get through the day. When it comes to exercise, although it does give you an energy boost, it requires you to have the energy to do it in the first place, so that theory also makes sense. But this study is talking about children under 4, so as much as an adult's behavior is relevant to some extent, adults are in control of thier habits and routines, whereas babies and toddlers are not, it's solely down to thier parents.

Every parent wants their child to sleep well. The act of sleeping is out of your control. All you can do is work on what factors you do have control over, so trying to establish a routine for example. Though this may not be a magic solution, it's one way you can positively influence your little one's sleep pattern.

Photo credit: via flickr - Gaglias

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Tags: sleep |

Articles, Baby advice,

Feng Shui For Baby's Nursery

Wednesday 08 September 2010 by Helen

Tips for decorating the nursery

It might sound a bit new age and kooky, but feng shui is something a lot of people consider when making decisions about their baby’s nursery. Some obviously take it more seriously than others, but it is a common belief that the arrangement of a room can have a real effect on its general aura, and on the well being of the people inside it. So it might be worth some consideration, if for no other reason than to help you settle on a decision about where the cot should go, when you’ve grown tired of pushing it back and forth from one side of the room to the other!

a colour photo of a baby's nursery

What is Feng Shui?

It is a 3,000 year old Chinese practice of interior decorating. It is said to encourage the open flow of energy, the idea being that you arrange a room so that the energy can flow freely, and fill everything and everyone in it with positive vibes.

Why is Feng shui important for babies?

Experts agree that the nursery is a really important place to start putting the feng shui principles into practice. I think it’s the main room that most parents will spend the majority of their time preparing, it’s the baby’s personal space, even if they’re not necessarily conscious of that fact, they will subconsciously be affected by what surrounds them in their first little kingdom. It is said that in maximising the energy in baby’s room, there are several factors to consider, such as room location, colours and furniture arrangement, all of which lay good foundations. According to feng shui consultant Kathryn Weber, feng shui can promote well being and help to make babies less fussy.

Striking a balance

You’re going to want to put your own stamp on your baby’s nursery, make it special, and fill it with all the lovely presents you’ve been writing endless thank you cards for. But, I do believe, whether its related to feng shui or not, there’s a lot to be said for the notion that a clutter free space promotes a clutter free mind. In order to create a calming environment when it comes to the nursery, it might be worth trying not to get carried away with too many toys and decorations. I guess it's hard to strike the balance between a room that has character and is cosy and welcoming for your baby, and a room that is a bit hectic and claustrophobic.

Furniture

Apparently it is a good idea to set the nursery up towards the back of the home. It is believed that rooms at the back of a house have a more peaceful energy, while rooms at the front have a more lively and active energy.

Place furniture securely. In particular, ensure that any furniture you or your child are likely to rest on is against a solid wall and is placed somewhere with a clear view of the window. It’s also recommended that you don’t place furniture facing a door and that you don’t place any shelving above cots or changing tables.

The use of natural materials is recommended when it comes to baby’s bedding, curtains and furniture, and choose wood over plastic where possible.

Choosing colours

Common colours for nurseries are pink for a girl and blue for a boy. I found it interesting discovering what vibes these colours give off. It is said pink encourages love and blue promotes relaxation, but there are other colours to consider in feng shui practice. Orange, for example, is often referred to as the ‘social’ colour. It promotes lively conversations and good times in your home, so it might not be the best colour for baby’s nursery if you’re trying to get a peaceful night’s sleep.

Other advice suggests the use of simple shades that reflect nature, such as trees, birds and flowers. The consensus seems to be that calming neutral colours are more suitable for newborns . You can always move onto purples and oranges, the more playful colours, when the nursery becomes less of a sleep-zone and more of a play-zone.

Technology-free zone

Every article I've read has emphasised the detrimental effect that an electrical overload can have within a baby’s sleeping environment. Where possible, keep electric gadgets to a minimum in the nursery. So it’s definitely time to peel that iPhone or BlackBerry away from your palm and perhaps even create a designated technology-free zone in your home, assuming there isn’t one already. Technology and electrical devices are pretty hard to escape and obviously (this advice is within reason) some devices are necessary, for example baby monitors. Keep the necessary items, just cut back on the number of plugs in sockets, around the cot in particular. This does also extend to the nursery in general, and in an ideal world, to the surrounding bedrooms. But, these are just cautionary words, don’t let them stop you from nipping in on baby occassionally, armed with a video camera, to capture their feng-shui induced peaceful sleep!

Photo and image credits: via Flickr Home Space & AnnaHape Gallery

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Tags: Baby | new babies | sleep | tips |

Baby advice,

When will my baby sleep through the night?

Tuesday 10 August 2010 by Erika

Being pregnant with my first baby was daunting. I was excited, but I think everyone around me was determined to scare me half to death. All I heard were horror stories about sleepless nights, but I consoled myself with reassurance that my baby would be different.

Photo: sleeping baby wrapped up with cuddly toy

My baby was not different. If anything, my little bundle of joy was fully determined to prove me wrong. Those first few months passed by in a blur as I tried to adjust to my new, regularly interrupted and reduced sleeping pattern.

Of course I expected this. It comes with having babies, right? But I didn’t expect it to go on quite as long as it did. A friend of mine had his daughter around 6 months before I had my son, and he revelled in telling me how she slept through the night within her first few weeks. I turned to friends, family and the internet to find out if there was anything I could do to help baby sleep easier.

The first thing I learned was that breastfed babies tend to sleep more lightly and will probably wake up more often. It was comforting to know that this might at least partially explain why my son was waking so regularly. I also found out that newborns generally sleep for around 8 hours a night, but this can be broken up into periods of just one hour all the way up to 4 or 5 hours at a time.

I had been trying to get my baby into some kind of routine, but apparently in the first months, it’s more beneficial to ‘go with the flow’. Initially, let them sleep when they need to, and they’ll learn the difference between night and day as they get older.

I looked forward to the end of this initial stage, when I hoped I might start to get some sleep again. But as usual, I was wrong! In my case, as my son got older, he began to have less restful nights and I found it difficult to settle him. I was told this was normal, so I tried to pick up some tips on how to get him down for his rest. I was worried that by staying with him for too long as he dropped off, he might become increasingly reliant on me being there as he got older.

So I set up this routine:

Bedtime at the same time each night. Before bed, feed and bath him. Make sure that he doesn’t go from lively activity straight to bed, giving him time to wind down.
Put him down to bed, staying with him as he settles down. Always get him settled in the bedroom and not in other, noisier areas in the house.
Quietly sit in a chair a few feet away from the cot, and leave after a few minutes. If he cries I return, reassure him that I’m there and follow the same procedure.

Eventually, I hope to be able to put him down and be able to leave immediately. When he’s really tired I can do this already, but not all of the time.

Now he’s nearly 2 years old, he regularly sleeps through the night uninterrupted. I can usually get 6 or 7 hours sleep a night, and I’m finally feeling human again!

Photo credit: Abardwell on Flickr

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Tags: development | advice | sleep |

Baby advice,