Understanding the APGAR Score in a Newborn Post Birth
Every time a baby is born he or she is looked over and given an test score. Doctors call this the APGAR test, which was designed by Dr. Virginia Apgar in 1952. APGAR is short for: AppearanceSkin color is checked for blue or pink tonesPulseBest score is a heart rate...
Pregnancy And Infant Loss: Supporting Someone Through It
This month happens to be October. It can be a beautiful month in some parts of the world with leaves changing and beautiful scenery. It also happens to be pregnancy and infant loss awareness month. Throughout the month of October, some of those who have lost a...
Tummy Time – When To Start And How To Do It!
In the world of social media and parenting you may read or hear a lot of different things about tummy time. When do I start? How long is necessary? Why does my kid scream through it all?? Today, tummy time is necessary because you should be placing your baby flat on...
Newborn Development Series – Week 4: Gross Motor Development in Newborns through 1 year old
We already covered fine motor development, so now it is time to cover gross motor development. The use of large muscle groups that aid in the development of walking, running, kicking, etc. defines what gross motor is. Gross motor development in newborns starts in...
Newborn Development Series – Week 3: Language From Birth to Age 2
Language development begins while the baby's hearing develops in the womb. The baby is able to hear sounds before many of their other organs fully develop. Once babies are born, their primary use of language begins with crying. Newborns cry when they need something,...
Newborn Development Series – Week 2: Fine Motor
Fine motor development is the development of the small muscle movements in the body. Newborns don't have much for fine motor skills when they are first born, but like you'll see throughout this series, they develop quickly over the course of the first year. During the...
Infant Development Series- Week 1: Eyesight
This month we are going to talk about different areas of infant development and what to expect. The first one we are starting with is eyesight. Newborns are not born with perfect vision. They are not able to easily tell the difference between two objects or move their...
Pace Feeding a Breastfed Baby a Bottle
While some mothers exclusively breastfeed directly from the breast, some may need to, or choose to have their baby drink from a bottle. This could be due to needing to go to work or just needed a break from time to time. One thing most don't think about is that if you...
Is Baby Getting Enough Breast Milk? Signs To Look For To Help Your Clients Know
When newborns drink from bottles it is easy to see how much they are drinking, but if they drink breast milk straight from the breast it is harder to tell. In fact, it is probably one of the number one worries new mothers have. Their newborns lose weight after birth...
Breast Pumps: Watch Out For Mold!
I recently saw a picture shared on Facebook where someone found mold inside their Medela Pump and Style Advanced pump. It was 3 1/2 years old and she had used it for a year. She heard about it happening to someone else so she decided to check hers out. She was shocked...
First Baths at Home – How To’s and What Not To Do
The first baths at home with a new baby can be super scary! You have this new little squish of a newborn who can feel so delicate to you, and now you have to get him or her wet and slippery! I promise you it isn't as hard as you may think. Here are some tips and...
Keeping and Infant Safe While Asleep
When it comes to infants, safety is so important. One way to keep them as safe as possible is how they sleep. There are so many different types of baby gear out there that can allow you to put your infant down almost anywhere, but even if they say they are, they all...
How to Properly Prepare and Store Formula
Formula is a great choice for when breastfeeding is either not chosen, not successful or not an option. It is also great for supplemental purposes. It is important, though, to know how to properly prepare powdered infant formula. It is more than just following the...
Newborn Skin…What is Normal?
When you are around newborns you may notice that more often than not they have something going on with their skin. Their skin goes through so much soon after birth. It is good to know what is normal so you can ease the minds of your clients who may be worried. Here...
Encouraging Skin to Skin Contact With Your Newborn Care Clients
There are so many great benefits of skin to skin contact for newborns AND their parents. As a Newborn Care Specialist it is great to encourage it. Most think of it as just something to help develop the bond between mother and child, but there are many more benefits....
Car Seat Safety Tips Everyone Who Works With Children Should Know (And Pass Along)
If you have any type of connection to children at all you should at least know the basics of car seat safety. Being able to know how to properly restrain a child so they are safe and be able to show others how can help lessen the amount of car related injuries or even...
Supporting Your Clients Through Cluster Feeding
Cluster feeding is one of those things that most parents don't hear about until they have a newborn and go through it themselves. Usually when the cluster feeding starts to happen the new mom is wondering what may be wrong. She may think the newborn isn't getting...
Helping Clients Identify Possible Lip and Tongue Tie Symptoms
While some newborns can come out and be champs at eating straight away, others may hit some obstacles. They may have trouble latching, have lots of gas, have trouble gaining weight, etc. Most are unaware that lip and tongue ties can be the underlying cause. As a...