Birth and Babies

By seven weeks, your baby is about the size of a raspberry

By two months, your baby is about the size of a kidney bean

By three months, your baby is about as long as a lime

By four months, your baby is about the size of an avacado

By five months, your baby is about 10 inches long

By six months, your baby is about a foot long!

By seven months, your baby is about 15 inches long

By eight months, your baby is nearly the size he or she will be at birth - generally around 6-7 lbs

At nine months, the average baby is about 18 inches long.

Did you know that right after your baby is born, he or she will be able to recognize your voice?  Your baby will be able to recognize the voices that spoke to him/her a lot during pregnancy - including your partner and other children!

When your baby is born, if you speak or call for your baby, your baby will turn his or her head trying to find you!

When you have a baby, either at home or a hospital, a peri-bottle is usually included after birth.  This is a squeeze bottle with a top that clamps down/is pulled up and has three holes in it.  Its purpose is to help cleanse your perineum after using the bathroom so you don’t have to wipe.  Simply squeeze warm water to cleanse and pat dry.  After having a baby, those first few trips to the bathroom might make you cringe but a peri-bottle can help add an extra level of comfort.  Some moms will also add herbs to the water for an additional comfort measure.

Many moms, myself included, find this to be incredibly helpful to transport home made diaper wipe solution in the diaper bag while out (using washclothes as a wipe).  Because the lid clamps down, it’s a leak proof way to carry your solution around.

My favorite recipe? 2c water, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 drops lavendar oil and 4 drops tea tree oil.  Mix and pour over wipes.  I contain mine (thin baby washcloths and home made wipes using 8×8 flannel and terry, sew, turn, topstitch) in an old plastic Huggies wipe container.

A report from a Toledo news channel states that a BABY has died from a car accident.  Was the baby in a proper carseat?  NO!  Neither was the other 3 year old involved (who was also injured).   Neither were restrained at all.

Seriously.  Aren’t children worth protecting?  With all of the pregnancy centers offering carseats and the use of freecycle, I find it hard to believe any parent can’t, for any reason, get a proper carseat for their children.  Of course, I don’t know the full story as to WHY the children in the accident were not in proper carseats but quite frankly - does it matter?  They weren’t secured. Period.  And now a one month old baby girl is dead. 

I get so mad when I drive through Monroe and I see children bouncing around in the backseat, with no carseat or booster seat to be seen.  I just want to scream! 

You will never be able to tell when an accident will happen.  Even if you think you’re a good driver, there is no promise someone else may not hit you.  Whether it’s a short drive through town or a drive cross country.. Please… For the sake of your children get them a proper carseat.  If for any reason you can’t find one, contact me and I will gather some resources you can try - I have a list on hand for my students.  Don’t let this happen to you. 

Shower curtain rings can be used to link your baby’s toys to strollers, high chairs, carseats, etc. instead of the links sold specifically for this purpose.  The simple ones seem to be much cheaper than the colorful links sold specifically for this purpose, but they’re not as fun (will your baby even care?)