Talking With Your Baby

The ways that you can communicate with your baby can vary in format, and the manner may differ from parent to parent. However, its never to early to begin talking to your baby and helping her to learn about rules of her native language.

Her are a few tips that you may find useful:

Keep it simple:
Simple conversation about anything is sure to delight your baby because its the actual words, phonetics and the way that sentences flow that are of most interest to babies. You can spend time speaking simple ordinary words and sentences which help with language development, such words as "mommy","daddy" "baby" are just a few example words. Most babies first words begin with the constants "b","d" and "m", hence words like "ba-ba" "da-da" and "ma-ma".

Make reading fun:
Many parents begin to ready to their baby while in utero and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. You can also begin reading to your newborn which can be a great activity that you can continue in a more engaged manner as your baby becomes older. You can read anything to your baby, perhaps your favorite novel, the daily newspaper or even magazine article, its all beneficial to your baby!

Grammar rules:
Many young talkers have difficulty with the usage of pronouns such as "I" "he", "she" and "me" and quite often will use them incorrectly because they don't understand that "I" can still refer to you (mommy) for example. You can structure simple sentences without the usage of those pronouns to make it easier until that concept is grasped.

Initiative conversation
If your baby is happily babbling, join right in and engage in some good conversation. Try taking turns while allowing her to babble for a while and see if she stops so that you can talk back to her for a while, then you stop and see if she responds back. The key point is that you are talking with your baby in a conversational exchange versus simply talking to her which is less interactive. This is great when your baby is more advances and has gained some verbal ability. You can engage as long as he wants to, and the sessions can vary in length, however, take cues from your baby when to end the conversation. Your baby may begin to look away,become fussy or cry which are indicative of conversation over.


Questions galore:
When the time is right, you will be flooded with questions from your curious toddler about anything and everything. However, in the mean time you can ask your baby lots of questions until then. You may certainly find that you have already been having conversations with your baby about the task that you are about to begin such as a diaper change or even bath. Perhaps you have even been asking questions and although you certainly don't expect an answer its just something that naturally occurs between a parent and their baby. Many studies have shown that babies whose parents to them consistently develop language skills and become early talkers.

Baby Types: Which One Is Yours?

The wonderful aspect of being a parent is the appreciation for the uniqueness of your baby. Here are few types of personas categories of babies and how to face the challenges of each.

Active Baby
Usually babies who are active tend to right from the very beginning. These are the babies who are in constant motion, wiggling,twisting and just want constant movement. You may face challenges because your baby dislikes anything that will restrain movement. As well, these babies are most challenging to parents because they tend to require more supervision as they get into


Active Baby Tips:
Never leave your baby unattended- active babies tend to be more developmentally advanced for their age. This is especially important for places such as changing tables and beds where he can roll over and fall off of.
crib safety: lower the crib mattress to the lowest level,once your baby learns to sit/pull up. Keep toys out of the crib which can he can stand on and help climb out of the crib.
Babyproof your home, having an active baby will require you to make safety changes in your home earlier than expected. The best way to access safety for your baby is to get down on his level (yes you have to crawl) and view the world from his eyes. Think like your baby and see what may pose a danger to him, what does he have access to such as cabinets,electrical outlets/cords,room assess,stairs. The usage of safety gates can restrict your baby and keep him safe. You should also keep in mind that as your baby grows and advances you will constantly have to change your safety approach.

High Intensity Baby
These babies are most sensitive to things in their environment, such a sounds, sights, tastes and more. They may cry louder with great intensity, immediately grabbing your attention. Although you may feel frazzled initially, there are ways that you can accommodate your baby and help him to feel more relaxed.

High Intensity Baby Tips:
Keep the noise level down in your home, lower the radio,television,door bell and even the ringer on the telephone.
Minimize the amount of light that comes into your baby's room. Try to use keep the blinds closed and use heavy lined curtains which can help keep bright light from entering.
Reduce the amount of exposure to intense food smells such as garlic/onions, chemical products, and perfumes/colognes which may be unpleasant to the nose.
Certain fabrics may be irritating to your baby's skin such as wool,clothing tags or even specific clothing. While many babies dislike clothing altogether, if you notice a reaction to certain items you may want to refrain from using them on your baby. You can also cut the tags out of clothing if its bothering your baby. Many manufactures have tagless clothing for that very reason.

The Unhappy Baby
Seems that no matter what you do, you can seem to make your baby happy. Instead of smiles, there are constant tears and a state of unhappiness. While it seems hard to believe there are some babies that one can be difficult to please even though their needs are met. Although such babies seem miserable constantly, it may not be a reflection on your behalf as a parent. It can be difficult to parent a baby that is this way, remain consistent in your love and care.

The Unhappy Baby Tips:
Consult your pediatrician with any questions and or concerns regarding your baby. A through assessment can determine any medical/developmental issues that could be a contributing factor.
Seek the comfort of a support group with other parents who share your plight. You may find relief knowing that you can get through this, as well as tips on how to cope.
Stay positive: many times as babies mature they can learn more self expression and communication skills which can help alleviate their frustration

The Unadaptable Baby
The constant changes that occur in your baby's life are objectionable and faced with great protest. New places,faces and things can be a source of tears for your baby. Change is simply disliked and your baby can feel anxious. The key to happiness for your baby is consistency on a daily basis with a solid routine so that transitions are smooth and he knows what to expect. Although there may be times where the familiar routine has to be broken there are some ways to make maintain sanity.

The Unhappy Baby Tips:

Set up a daily schedule with set times for feedings,diaper changes,naptimes and even baths. Work with your baby initially to get him into the set routine and adhere to it as best as possible. He will know what to expect daily, transitions are smoother, which will help reduce the tears.
Gradually introduce new things to your baby when he is ready, by not overwhelming him with many things at once. If you have a new toys,offer one at a time and allow him to become used to it before giving him another one. If he doesn't like it, remove it and try again the next day.
New people can also be a source of stress for your baby. Explain to the individual that they shouldn't try to immediately approach him but allow your baby to become accommodated to their presence. Allow your baby to give the cue when they are ready to be held or even interact with the individual. Don't force your baby.
Feeding challenges: avoid any sudden changes in things like formula/solid food introduction which can be immediately detected. Gradual introduction at a slow pace may work best. If you are introducing solids begin with simple single ingredients and gradually add one new food per week. That is especially important for determining if your baby is allergic to any specific food as well.

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Caring for the difficult baby

Lack of tummy time may slow infant development

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Infants who spend too much time on their backs have an increased risk of developing a misshapen head along with certain developmental delays, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) warns in a statement issued this month.
Infants need "tummy time" while they are awake to develop properly, the APTA notes.
The 1992 "Back to Sleep" campaign, which educated parents on the importance of putting their infants to sleep on their backs, rather than their stomachs, led to a dramatic reduction in the number of deaths from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

"As a result though, new parents were afraid to put their babies on their bellies at all, even when awake," Colleen Coulter-O'Berry, a physical therapist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta noted in an interview with Reuters Health.

"I see new parents all the time that, by 4 months of age, have never put their babies on their bellies because they are afraid the baby is going to suffocate," she said.

The combination of babies sleeping on their backs, as well as spending long periods of time in infant carriers that double as car seats, puts pressure on the head, which can flatten the skull, she explained.

"As a result, we've seen an alarming increase in skull deformation," Coulter-O'Berry said.
Babies who do not get enough time on their tummies can also develop tight neck muscles or neck muscle imbalance - a condition known as torticollis. "If a baby doesn't get early tummy time, they don't push up on their elbows, they don't get their heads up and looking around, and they don't gain strength in their neck and back muscles," she explained.

"Increasing the amount of time your baby lies on his or her tummy promotes muscle development in the neck and shoulders; helps prevent tight neck muscles and the development of flat areas on the back of the baby's head; and helps build the muscles baby needs to roll, sit, and crawl," Coulter-O'Berry added.

She said 90 percent of children with torticollis also have changes in their head shape.
Her message to new parents: "Don't be afraid to put your baby on their tummy for short periods of time while they are awake. After a nap, diaper change or feeding, roll the baby onto his or her stomach and encourage the infant to find, focus, and follow your face or a toy with their eyes looking up."

The football hold, where the baby's belly is facing down in the palm of the hand and the baby is looking up, is another good way to get extra tummy time, she said.
Coulter-O'Berry is co-author of "Tummy Time Tools" - a brochure that provides caregivers ideas and activities to ensure that babies get enough tummy time. It is available on the APTA website -- www.apta.org/consumer.

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