Choosing Your Baby’s Name

There is never a ‘too early’ date to choose a baby’s name. Although choosing a baby’s name is a husband and wife thing to do, in my case, I already have a name in mind for my first born baby boy. The only thing for me to do then when my wife got pregnant was to convince her to use that name.

What is the best way to choose your baby’s name? Is there a rule? A guide perhaps? Is there a trend or is it just something that you can pick this instant?

For my second baby (coming real soon!), we already have a name prepared, well, at least I have. My wife still have some suggestions of her own. Important thing is we agree on it.

Personally, here are some things to consider when naming your precious baby.

Popular Names

There are some parents who like names that are popular and easy to remember. Although there are good, popular names, we have to consider that these names don’t stay popular forever.

Also, if you did choose a popular name, chances are you are not the only one who picked that name and it and your child could have a name that everyone else has.

Celebrity Names

This one I’m guilty of. Yes, i must admit that my first born was named after a famous fiction writer and a TV/comedy actor. Good thing about picking a name from celebrities is that most of them has common enough names that does not get worn out over time. A name Stephen will always be Stephen and will always remain a good choice for a name. Right?

Nicknames

When choosing a name, you can also consider the nicknames that comes along with the name. You may plan on your child never being called by a nickname, but you can’t always prevent this from happening.

You may want others to use your child’s full name (like Joseph), but there will always be someone who calls him by a pet name, (Joe or Joey).

If you really don’t like your child to be called by a name other than his real name, consider giving him a name that has no or are hard to associate a nickname. Examples are Jude, Adam, Blake, Carl or Ross.
Unique Names

What are these unique names? Well, that will definitely depends on you creativity. You could coined in a new name from your name and your wife’s. You could research a named from mythology or some old stories. You could use weather names or nature (summer, river, forest). It really depends on you and your partner’s creativity.

The danger of using a unique name, however, especially if it is very unusual, is that while it may make your child stand out from the crowd, he may stand out too much and can lead to teasing. Also,some unique names can be difficult to spell, so watch out for that.

And finally,

Find a name that both of you like and feel positive about. The most important thing is you and your partner agree on it.

A readers view

Parenting Tips for Helping Baby Sleep Through the Night

If there is one thing that all new parents have in common, it is sleep deprivation. Some babies get up every two hours, some every four, and for those really lucky parents, some babies stay up all night long. Whatever the case is, parents don’t get much sleep when a baby comes into the household. But when baby starts reaching about three months of age, they should settle down and start to sleep through the night. There are a few things that parents can do to help speed this process along.The first is to start a sleep routine. This should start about half an hour before baby’s bedtime and end with them in their crib or bassinet, about to drift off to sleep but not actually sleeping. There are generally four “B’s” involved in a baby’s sleep routine. These are: bath, bottle, book, and bed.

Start by giving baby a nice relaxing bath, perhaps with one of the many calming lavender baby soaps that are on the market today. Once they are all snuggly, give them a bottle. This can help soothe any crankiness that resulted from the bath and it will also give them a full tummy. Then sit quietly together and read a short book. Even at this young age, babies love being read to and the sound of your voice will reassure and relax them. Then place them down in bed while they are starting to fall asleep. Placing them in bed before they fall asleep will allow them to learn how to fall asleep on their own so should they wake during the night, they have a better chance of falling back asleep on their own.

Make sure the room they are laid down in is dark and quiet. This will tell baby that it’s time to sleep. A little bit of noise is okay. If the house is kept completely silent because baby’s sleeping, it will not only be a huge inconvenience for the parents but it will also make him become an extremely light sleeper well into his adult years.

Top 5 Concerns of a New Mom

1. Is my baby getting enough breastmilk?

This is possibly one of the most often asked questions to our medical team. Most mothers are concerned whether they are producing enough breast milk, or whether their child is drinking enough milk. Pressure from family and friends add to the worries of a mother, who starts feeling that if her child doesn’t feed as often as the neighbour’s child, something’s not quite right. Relax. Psychological stress can affect breastfeeding, so pay no heed to what those around you are saying. As long as your child is gaining adequate weight, you have no cause for concern. 
2. My baby usually vomits after I breastfeed her. Why is this? Should I be worried?

Often babies vomit after breastfeeding, due to overfeeding, gas or colic. If the child is gaining weight adequately, even though she vomits once in a while, there should be no cause for concern. But if your baby is irritable when being breastfed, if she seems to be in pain, and if she is not gaining weight, it could indicate a reflux problem, and you should contact your child’s doctor. 
3. Should my baby sleep on her back or on her tummy?

Your baby should definitely be put to sleep on her back or on her side. Numerous studies have shown that children who sleep on their tummies are at a greater risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). SIDS occurs when an infant dies in his sleep for no apparent reason. Get your child a firm mattress that covers the entire floor of the crib, and which doesn’t shift around, to minimize the chance of your child suffocating. 
4. Why does my baby cry so much? She seems to be crying all the time! Does she have colic?

Realise that crying is one of the only ways your baby can express her feeling or her wants. If she is hungry, tired or sleepy, she will let you know this by crying. If she refuses to stop crying, try this: 

• Lie down in a warm bath, and hold her in your arms. The warm water should relax her.
• Take her for a drive. Babies find the rhythmic movement of the car soothing. In addition, the change of being outdoors should distract her from crying. 
• Sometimes, no matter how hard a parent tries to comfort their baby, she will just not stop crying. This worries parents, and leads them to suspect that their child may be suffering from colic. Colic is a stomachache, or more specifically, an intestinal pain, due to which a child cries non-stop. The pain generally begins in the evening, and carries on for a couple of hours. Colic begins when a child is around 2 weeks old, and could carry only until the child is around 3 months. At times, if you are not breastfeeding your child at this age and she develops colic, she may be allergic to a particular formula. She could also be suffering from some other condition like reflux. If your child cries inconsolably almost everyday, it makes sense to show her to her pediatrician. 

5. When will my baby sleep through the night?

The older your baby grows, the less often he will wake up at night. The initial months, however, are difficult, as babies seem to wake up constantly at night. Though babies sleep around 18 hours a day, most of this sleep is in short spans. Babies keep waking up every few hours, and need to be patted back to sleep. New mothers often don’t get a full night’s sleep, so it is best for them to adjust their timing according to the baby’s timings. Sleep when the baby’s sleeping, and wake up when the baby wakes up.