Advice for Pregnant Women

What should you do while being pregnant?

• first of all, follow your instincts. If you want the fetus to grow normally, be physically active. You should move a lot. If the mother’s heart works actively, the child receives more of the useful substances which her blood contains.

But be careful:

• to be active doesn’t mean to be fond of parachute jumping or to become a rock-climber;
• don’t love yourself more than earlier, pregnancy is not an illness;
• keep fit and pay attention to your appearance (eyes, lips, chicks, nails, hair-do…) and don’t think that now your husband will stay with you forever;
• don’t do a lot of sun tanning and don’t forget about hats.
• use less aerosols (deodorants, hairspray). Generally try to use less chemicals (detergent, mineral fertilizers).
• work and study have great positive meaning as they give you a chance to think less about pregnancy;
• keep in mind: each infection is really dangerous for a fetus. Of course it’s very difficult not to catch a cold during 9 months, but try to prevent it by avoiding places with a lot of people. The most dangerous virus for a pregnant woman is German measles, which influences a fetus badly. Avoid visiting children hospitals. Don’t eat products which may cause diarrhea (be careful with the food you eat and don’t forget to wash your hands);
• don’t treat any illness yourself, such as a heavy cold or indigestion, with the help of various pills;
• don’t travel a lot during the last months of pregnancy. A plane or a train is not the best alternative to a maternity hospital.

A special question concerns different sets of exercises for pregnant women. A woman who is ready to do exercises regularly will find time to buy or borrow a book written by specialists.

It’s important, nevertheless, to understand that all exercises are secondary compared to the importance of lifestyle (fresh air, physical activity). It’s strange, but I often face the situation when a future mother lies on the sofa for 12 hours, does some exercise for 15 minutes, then rests for another 11 hours and 45 minutes. This should not be considered an effective lifestyle to be ready for childbirth.

Choosing the Right Daycare

Once you’ve made the decision to return to work after your baby has been born, it’s time to start searching for a daycare center. This can be an emotional time for you, and sometimes overwhelming especially if there are numerous daycare centers to choose from.
Here are a few tips you can use to help you choose a daycare provider that’s right for you and your child:

• The first step is to get a list of daycare centers in your area. Check your local yellow pages, online, or get some recommendations from other parents.

• Find out of there are any openings available for you to enroll your child.

• Are there any age restrictions?

• Write down the locations and hours of operation for each daycare center on your list.

• What is the cost to enroll your child?

• How many other children are currently attending and what are their ages?

• Are healthy meals and snacks supplied by the daycare center?

Once you’ve narrowed your search down to a few daycare centers, it’s time to ask some important questions to ensure that you’re choosing the right daycare for your child. Here are some questions to keep in mind when visiting or speaking with each daycare center.

• Is it clean and safe for your child?

• What is the ratio of caregivers to children?

• Are the children at the daycare actively engaged in activities and do they seem happy and well taken care of?

• Are there plenty of educational toys and activities for the children?

• Are the caregivers warm and friendly? How do they interact with the children?

• Ask the daycare administrator for some background information on the staff, especially regarding licenses or degrees.

• Ensure that the daycare staff have received the proper training and have good credentials and experience.

• Are there safety exits in case of a fire or other emergency?

Once you’re satisfied that you have the answers to these questions, you should be able to determine which daycare center is the best choice for your child. The closest daycare may not always be the best, and the most inexpensive option may not always be the best either.

You’ll know what’s best for your child, and which daycare center will be the most suitable environment for him to be in while you’re working.

Childproofing Your Kitchen

Your kitchen can be a very dangerous place for your child if it isn’t properly baby proofed. Here are some important tips you should follow to prevent kitchen accidents.

1. Use outlet plugs. This is must. These handy little plastic covers plug right into your wall sockets. It’s important to get the best possible plugs available since those little fingers can get quite good at pulling out the cheap ones.

2. Lock cabinet doors – I couldn’t live without the latches that keep drawers and cupboard doors closed. They’re easy to get into for adults, but impossible for little hands to open.

3. Keep cleaning supplies away. Even if you use latches on your cupboard doors, it’s better to be safe than sorry and keep your cleaning products out of your child’s reach. I keep mine in the cupboard above the sink.

4. Use oven and fridge latches. It’s amazing how easily your little one can open the fridge and oven doors. Without me knowing it, my daughter had snuck into the fridge and taken an entire carton of eggs out, then broke them all over the basement. I’ve had a latch on my fridge ever since!

5. Common sense. Regularly sweet and mop your kitchen floors, and keep the counters clear of things like sharp knives or heavy appliances that can be pulled off.


I’ve used quite a few different child proofing products, and I’ve found that Safety 1st is one of the best and least expensive.

Important Points to Consider When Buying Baby Clothes As Gifts

Now I have a child, one of the things I find really challenging is receiving gifts (in particular clothes) for my little girl, which turn out to be useless. This isn't about Wholesale Baby Clothing, as I want to share my biggest frustrations, especially when others take the time to shop for baby clothing. Even more important is the thought that people spent their hard earned money on things that will never see the light of the day.

Over the past twelve weeks, I have received numerous little dresses, jackets, jumpsuits, bibs and other beautiful clothes that are now all sitting in a bag ready to go onto eBay never being worn by my little girl. Why may you ask?

When it comes to baby clothes, there are four simple criteria's that I stick to:

1. Is it easy to put on? There's nothing worse than trying to get a very complicated outfit onto a little squirming infant. Particularly after bathing, it is quite common for the little ones to get a bit restless especially if you take your time trying to dry out well all of the little folds around the neck, underarms and so on. Avoid buying outfits that contain many buttons on the back or long sleeve shirts and jumpsuits that need to be put over the head. Ideally, little jumpsuits that button up all the way down the front are an ideal solution for newborns.

2. What is it made of? This is a big one for me. Many of us don't like to wear clothes made out of synthetic fibres as they simply don't breathe inturn causing sweating and general discomfort. If an adult is either hot or uncomfortable, they can simply change. A baby however cannot. Instead, babies either cry, or if still unchanged, put up with the situation in discomfort. Secondly, many studies show that all babies should only ever sleep in clothing made from natural fibres such as cotton, as there is a lower risk of SIDS. Babies sleeping in items made from synthetic fibres such as polyester can over heat during the night without your knowledge, thus increasing the risks.

3. Is it appropriate for the weather? It's lovely jumping online or going to the shops to find funky baby clothing that dazzles you with the gorgeous range of baby girl dresses, or little shorts and T-shirt sets for boys. You need to however take into consideration whether they these outfits are appropriate for the season. Avoid little sleeveless dresses and short sleeve outfits in wintertime; likewise thick jumpsuits may not be the best solution for summer either. If you are set on buying that little dress, and it is winter time, make sure that you buy it in a larger size.

4. What about the size - Most mothers (especially first time mums) tend to get over excited and buy a whole heap of baby clothes before the little one arrives into our world. Usually, they will be well stocked up for the first 6 - 8 weeks. When buying baby clothes, try to purchase items that the child can wear 3-6 months down the track. Also around that time, the families would have spent a great deal of money on the multitude of items that a baby needs so cash may become a little scarce - especially if the mother is intending on taking long maternity leave. Always remember though, if the baby is born in the middle of the winter, don't buy winter clothes; rather look at items suitable for spring.

When buying baby clothes as a gift it's quite easy to get it right. Simply consider the following: Is this outfit going to be useful, is it going to be comfortable, will it be easy to put on, and by the time the bub grows into it, will it be appropriate for the current season.