Sound and compatibility

During your baby’s 1st month of life, he/she will achieve some or all of the following milestones:

Lifts Head

Stares at Faces

Responds to Sound

Follows Objects

Oohs and Aahs

Can see black & white Patterns

Smiles

Holds head at 45 degree Angle

Ideas to stop yourself going crazy when yo have a new baby:

• Remember to keep your sense of humour and trust your own instincts
• Try to get involved in groups where you will meet other new mums
• Forget about being a domestic goddess. Spend more time with your children and less time hovering
• Make the most of your child’s early years as are over all too quickly
• Never refuse an offer of help. If a friend or neighbour offers help, accept graciously
• Treat yourself if you are feeling sluggish or fed up, this may lift your spirits and get you through the day

Choosing the right type of car seat depends on the age or size of your child. Newborn babies will need an infant car seat and an older child will need a booster seat.

An infant car seat is designed for newborns up to approximately 15 months or until the reach a weight of around 29lbs. These are rear facing seats and the baby faces the back of the car. The importance of a child car seat is to protect your baby in case of an accident. The rear facing style car seat is designed to spread any impact across the strongest part of a baby’s body which is their back.

These seats have a 3 point safety harness and it is secured with the car seat belt. The seats are portable so that you can transport your child without waking them.

Your young child will really enjoy these popular books that children have read time and time again:

1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
2. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
3. Baby’s Catalogue by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
4. Where’s spot by Eric Hall
5. We’re Going On a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
6. Mr Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham
7. Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
8. The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett
9. Hug by Jes Alborough
10. Handa’s Surprise, Walker by Eileen Browne

Conjoined twins Rital and Ritag can grow up normally thanks to the expertise of more than two dozen medics. 11 month old Rital and Ritag Gaboura have survived 4 operations against the odds. British doctors operated at London’s Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital when the babies were brought to the UK from Sudan. The girls suffered from the rare condition of craniopagus. Rital and Ritag were born with one of the most serious forms of the condition as they shared blood vessels and there was significant blood flow between their brains. It is hoped that very soon they will be able to return home healthy little girls.

Karen aged 36 and Robert Gallacher from Inverness has given birth to Britain’s biggest baby girl. Farrah Gallacher weighed 12lbs 9oz when she was born in August. Farrah is now five weeks old and is wearing clothing for a 3 month old baby. Mum Karen is only 5ft 2in and her husband Robert is 5ft 10.5in. Nursing staff tried to induce the birth three times before Farrah was delivered by Caesarean. Karen had been told by staff that they thought she was expecting a big baby of about 9lbs. The couple had been together for 18 years and only got married a year ago and consider the birth of their recording breaking baby to be a blessing.

Michele and James Dawson are celebrating the birth of identical twin girls Isabella and Chloe who join their older identical twin sisters Lilly and Sophie aged 6. A team at King’s College Hospital, London, performed keyhole laser surgery to separate the babies. At 32 weeks they were delivered by Caesarean section at St Mary’s Hospital in London weighing 3lb 3oz. Lilly and Sophie were born on April 22, 2005 and weighed 4lb 8oz and 3lb 6oz. Michele and James both 35 decided to have one more child but were shocked when the 12 week scan showed that they were expecting twin girls, especially since there is no history of twins on either side of their families. Dad James called the Capital Breakfast show with Johnny Vaughan and Lisa Snowdon and asked them to announce the births on the radio news. The baby girls are now well and being cared for back home in Northaw.

Twins Seth and Preston Campbell were born 2 days apart in 2 different counties. Seth was born in Camberley, Surrey whilst brother Preston arrived 50 hours later in Paddington, London where mum Donna had be taken for treatment.  Seth was born weighing 2lb 6oz and Preston 2lb 12oz. The twin boys and Donna developed various infections suffered other serious complications. The specialist doctors were able to save all three and they recovered during a ten week hospital stay. The family are all back at home now and enjoying life as a new family. They think it is very funny that the babies have different birth dates.

Here are some helpful hints to be the perfect dad in the first few days…

Try to stay calm when your baby is crying and remind your partner they she is doing a great job. Keep a list of key phone numbers next to the phone or key them into your mobile. Make sure you have plenty of food in your cupboards and that your freezer is full. Meals may be a bit crazy for the first few days as there is just too much to do in one day which does not allow for cooking. Make sure that you have plenty of baby essentials at hand or make yourself aware where these items are stocked in your local supermarket. You will find that you and your new baby will be very popular in these first few days. Everyone will be very excited to visit the new addition and this can be exhausting. Likewise your phone will being going like crazy as people want to hear all of your baby news. Try to limit your calls and call people back if it becomes too tiring. Remember to look after your partner. This can simply be running a bath or getting her fresh cold drinks and snacks whilst she breastfeeds. Try to be honest about how you feel as this is a life changing experience for you both. Do not bottle your feelings up and listen to each other as there will be both good and bad times for you both. You both need plenty of love and support!