Baby Hacks - Baby/Child Proofing

I have reached the stage where it's time to baby proof the house. Baby is so mobile now and one of his favourite things is to try to stick his finger in the power outlet. Nowadays, there are so many gadgets parents can purchase to child-proof their home. My time is finally here and I like so many other parents have to research to find what I need to protect baby from his inquisitiveness.

What are some of the tricks you as parents use to avoid your little ones from slamming that door on the finger or throwing that expensive tablet/phone of yours in the "you know what"?!!

Here are some of the things I came across when doing my 'research'. I hope this helps for when your time approaches!!

Finger Pinch Guard for Doors to
prevent slamming baby's finger

Toilet Lid-Lock

Universal Outlet Cover

Corner Guards for a table's sharp edges

Doorknob Lock

Gates for Stairs and Problem Areas

Hospital Bag Checklist

This post is for the expectant mummies.... and daddies who are approaching term and the pregnancy journey is almost at its end!! I know, this is an extremely exciting time yet probably the most scarey part of pregnancy.... but we still have to be prepared for that special moment when we get to meet baby for the very first time!

Below is a checklist to help when packing for the hospital or wherever you choose to deliver your little bundle of joy. 

Source: Baby Centre

Baby Hacks - Irritable and Crying Baby

Have you experienced a time when your baby was crying and so miserable and no matter what you tried to do to stop the crying nothing worked? Well I have gone through this so many times as well and one time my husband decided to try something different. So many parents did the same thing as well and said it worked like a charm. Baby stopped crying instantly!!

The video below posted by LittleBabyBum solved our baby crying problems and I hope it eases your little one as well when he/she is miserable!

Baby on Board!

I found this to be so informative for all those mummy and daddy drivers out there! I bought one for my vehicle soon after I saw this.

Reading to Baby

How many of you parents have heard that you should read to baby even before he/she leaves the womb? How many of us have heard that reading encourages the child to like books and makes them more intelligent? Do you believe this is indeed a fact or just a plain myth?

Swaddling Baby

Swaddling is a technique I used for my baby boy when he was a new born. It helped him fall asleep faster as the snuggled feeling reminded him of the warm and restricted space while in the womb.

What do you think about swaddling your baby? Did it help baby fall asleep easily or do you think that it really didn't make a difference?

Not too sure how to swaddle your newborn baby. The picture below guides you on how to master the art using a regular blanket!

Baby Hacks - Sleeping

So baby is cranky and you're not too sure what the problem is. The baby's fed, checked the diapers and it's clean so what's the issue??? The chart below may be able to help you when it comes to baby and his/her sleeping time requirements.

Baby/toddler sleep requirement chart (based on Weissbluth's Healthy Sleep Habits).

Baby Hacks - Teething

So baby is in the teething stages and you're not sure the exact location of the pain. Here is a picture to help with sourcing it so you know where to rub that soothing gel to help baby cope with that uncomfortable feeling. It shows the age of baby and where teeth are emerging at each stage. Hope this helps!

Feeding Baby

My LO is approaching 12 months already! How time flies! When it comes to his belly he doesn't mix matters. He loves his food. I introduced him to solids at about four months. His dad and I started him with the store bought bottle foods which were made to a very 'liquidy' consistency. This way made it easy for baby to swallow. By six months, I started making foods at home for him such as sweet potatoes, pumpkin and carrots which were steamed and then mashed till all the pieces were crushed. For snack time I would cut up pawpaw (papaya) and blend or mash with a fork as well till it was soft enough for baby. He also loved bananas and seedless grapes which I would have to peel before crushing. At 9 months I introduced him to yogurt and he loved it (probably because it tasted somewhat like ice-cream)!

Don't forget that water is also very important for baby as we live in the tropics where it can tend to get very hot and baby can become very dehydrated. Water is essential!

What are some of the methods you use when it comes to feeding your baby?