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...
The Period of PURPLE Crying…What Exactly Is That?
I don't know about you, but when I first heard about purple crying I automatically picture a baby crying so hard that she turns purple. Thankfully, that is not it at all! The period of PURPLE crying is a time when babies can cry a lot. Some babies may be told they...
Educating your Newborn Care Clients on How Light Affects Sleep
We all know that newborns can sleep a lot, and usually not when we want them to. It takes helping your clients create good habits that they can continue to use when you leave. One of the things that you can teach them about is how light affects sleep. When there is a...
Normal or Not? Things You May See In A Newborn’s Diaper
It may not be the highlight of your job, but as a Newborn Care Specialist you'll need to be able to know all about what is normal or not when it comes to what may be found in a newborn's diaper. Most moms don't have any idea what is normal so educating them can help...
Oregon Could Become the First State with Universal Home Visits for All Newborns
Oregon governor Kate Brown recently proposed a home-visitation program for the families of new infants as part of her 2019 agenda. This would make Oregon the first state to provide in-home visits by a health professional to check on the newborn. This proposal could...
Helping Newborns Find Their Calming Reflex
As a Newborn Care Specialist if you haven't already read The Happiest Baby on the Block, by Harvery Karp, M.D. then you better get reading! Dr. Karp shares his insights on many things including calming reflexes, infant sleep and SIDS risks to name a few. For now, we...
How to Help Keep Newborns Healthy This Winter as a Newborn Care Specialist
As a Newborn Care Specialist you will have close contact with newborns, and therefore, may easily share germs with them. There are ways to help prevent the spread of germs. Here are some tips! Some may seem obvious, but reminders can always be...