Baby 0 - 18 months
This section provides information, advice and resources to use with your baby in their earliest years. Find information and articles on issues related to feeding, sleeping and their first health checks, as well as information on key development milestones at this age. Use the discussion forum to connect with other parents who have children of the same age, and with professionals who can help.
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Behaviour
Breastfeeding
Childcare
Development
Health
Nutrition
Parenting
Play
Sleep
Speech and language
Parenting books put to the test - ‘Secrets of the Baby Whisperer’
‘Secrets of the Baby Whisperer’ by Tracy Hogg Tracy Hogg has been dubbed the ‘Baby Whisperer’ because of her claims to be able to understand the language of babies and so calm even the most distressed or difficult infant. Tracy teaches parents hoSource: Made for mums
Newborn Behaviour
Many new parents might not know what is considered "normal" newborn behavior. Babies develop at different rates, but they still display many of the same behaviors. Don’t be alarmed if your baby seems a little behind. It is important to know what kind ofSource: Cleveland Clinic
Newborn Baby Behaviour
Right from birth, your newborn baby comes into the world capable of doing many things. Your baby will coo and gurgle, listen to sounds, and try to orient his head towards voices.Source: About Kids Health
Introducing discipline to baby
Discipline, undeniably one of the most important elements of parenting, is also among the most misunderstood, difficult, and anxiety provoking.Source: Parents.com
Soothing a crying baby
All babies cry, and some cry a lot. Crying is your baby’s way of telling you they need comfort and care. Sometimes it’s easy to work out what they want, and sometimes it isn’t.Source: NHS Choices
The best sleep advice you've ever heard
"People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one." – Leo J. Burke. Ah, blessed, luxurious sleep ... remember what it was like to get eight uninterrupted hours a night? If you have young children, it probably seems like a distant memory.Source: Baby Center
Colic and Crying
Shandi, age 5 weeks, seems to cry most in the afternoon and evening. By bedtime, her mother, Carlene, is exhausted and impatient. Very little seems to soothe Shandi—sometimes feeding calms her, sometimes swaddling does the trick. Sometimes it takes a waSource: zerotothree.org
When Changing Clothes Makes Him Cry
Expert advice on how you can change your baby's clothes without making him cry.Source: parents.com
Your baby at 1 month
In month one, your baby will go through a range of developments, linked not only to their appearance and growth but also their senses and motor skills. OK, so it will be a while before they will be debating the finer points of War and Peace, but your babySource: Bounty
Understanding baby behaviour and awareness
Your baby’s awareness is developing all the time. She’s learning where she fits in the world – about the people and things that are important to her. As she gets better at communicating, it gets easier for you to work out what her behaviour means.Source: Raising children
Immunisations: What to expect on the day
How will I know when my baby's immunisations are due? When you register your baby's birth you’ll be given a card to sign and take to your doctor's surgery. This is so your doctor will have a record of your baby. The surgery can then send you a remindSource: baby centre - immunisations
Secrets of Baby Behaviour: babies' development from 6 to 8 weeks
For most parents, getting through the first 6 weeks with a newborn is one of the most physically and emotionally challenging experiences of their lives. Time seems to almost stand still as a cloud of distracted half-awareness descends over day-to-day routSource: Secrets of Baby Behaviour
Behaviour and Development
The first three years of life are a period of incredible growth in all areas of a baby’s development. Below is a list of key behavior and development topics you will find on our site.Source: Zero to Three
Breastfeeding Advice: Breastfeeding Tips
While breastfeeding is one of the most natural things in the world, it doesn’t come easily to everyone, so it’s good to get tips and advice, as well as chatting to other mums about how to do it and what you’re going through if you’re struggling. HSource: netmums.com
Breastfeeding Advice: Breastfeeding Tips
While breastfeeding is one of the most natural things in the world, it doesn’t come easily to everyone, so it’s good to get tips and advice, as well as chatting to other mums about how to do it and what you’re going through if you’re struggling. HSource: netmums.com
Why breastfeed?
It’s never too early to start thinking about how you're going to feed your baby. Today, most women in England are choosing to breastfeed. Breast milk is the only natural food designed for your baby. Breastfeeding protects your baby from infections andSource: NHS Choice
Breastfeeding: Getting started
In this article How to start breastfeeding How often you should nurse How to get comfortable What you should eat Problems you may encounter Where to get helpSource: babycenter.com
Breastfeeding: the first few days
In the first few days, you and your baby will be getting to know each other. It may take time for both of you to get the hang of breastfeeding. This happens more quickly for some women than others. But nearly all women can produce the amount of milk theiSource: NHS Choices
Breastfeeding for Beginners
If you've just started breastfeeding, you're doing the right thing for you and your baby. But if breastfeeding doesn't come naturally at first, don't worry. Plenty of new mums and babies have to practise and persevere until they get the hang of it.Source: Babycentre.co.uk
Choosing Childcare
Finding good quality childcare can be a difficult task for parents. There are lots of things to look out for and remember to ask when you visit a childcare setting. How do you know if your child will be happy? Will they cater for your child's needs? Do thSource: Family and childcare trust
Are nurseries bad for our kids?
Safe, stimulating and blessed by the government, nurseries have become the No1 choice of new parents struggling to balance work and bringing up kids. In the past decade, private nursery places have quadrupled in Britain, transforming the early years of miSource: The Guardian
Tips for Parents: Identifying Quality Childcare
Good childcare encourages babies and young children to develop and learn. It helps them to share, make friends, and find out new things for themselves – and therefore have a happy experience.Source: Barnardos
Emotional and Social Development: Birth to 3 Months
By the second month, your baby will spend much of each day watching and listening to the people around him. He learns that they will entertain and soothe him, feed him, and make him comfortable.Source: healthychildren.org
Your baby at Two months
Drum roll please... It’s the moment you've been waiting for since you met your tiny little baby all those weeks ago. Around now you should be getting your first lopsided smile – not wind, but a perfect little smile. Hopefully it will make all those slSource: Bounty
Your baby at 3 months
Between two and three months your baby will discover their hands, maybe staring at them in fascination and trying to bring them towards their mouth. Efforts to control their hands may not be quite successful yet, but it’s a great spectator sport.Source: Bounty
Baby's Tummy Troubles
So many new parents often worry about their baby vomiting every time they have a bottle. Often however, the baby is not vomiting but possetting. So what is possetting and what is the difference between this and vomiting!!Source: helpme2parent.ie
Soothers - Friend or Foe?
Soothers, dummies, pacifiers – we have many different names for them and they are a life saver for many parents! Why do soothers work for babies?Source: helpme2parent.ie
How to give your baby medicine
Seeing your baby feeling poorly can be stressful enough without having a battle every time you try to give her medicine. Check out our step-by-step guides to giving different kinds of medicine, complete with tips for what to do if your baby struggles.Source: babycentre.co.uk
Caring for a sick baby - dehydration
How can I tell if my baby is dehydrated? If your baby is dehydrated, it means she’s losing too much fluid or not taking in enough. It’s quite common for babies to get dehydrated. They are sensitive to fluid loss because they’re small. DehydrationSource: babycentre.co.uk
Teething Habits in Infants
When your sweet baby becomes unusually cranky and irritable, it could be because she's about to cut her first tooth.Source: livestrong.com
Caring for your sick baby - fever
My baby has a high temperature. Should I worry? It’s hard not to worry when your baby is crying and her temperature is soaring, but a fever rarely causes any harm. A fever is part of your baby’s natural defence against an infection.Source: Baby Centre
Moving on to solids
When your baby’s about six months old, you may find you start getting a few hints that it’s time for weaning.Source: smamums.ie
Introducing the bottle to babies
If you’re going back to work, or you haven’t been able to breastfeed, you might want to consider bottle feeding. Some babies take to it straightaway, others need a little gentle encouragement.Source: Smamums.ie
Nutritional Needs of Babies
New moms always have a lot on their minds, including serving up the best foods for their babies. The happy news is that it's pretty easy to provide the nutrients babies need once you learn what they are.Source: Whattoexpect.com
Advice for Dads
Hear what dads have to say about being a parent and find out what kind of advice experienced dads think the new recruits need to know.Source: Parents.com
New Parent and Attachment Anxiety
Can you be too close to your baby? Some say yes.Source: parents.com
How to Make the Toughest New-Parent Decisions
From vaccinations to circumcision, becoming a mom (or dad) means making tough decisions about controversial parenting issues. Here's help!Source: Parents.com
baby advice and support for new parents
Congratulations! Bringing a new baby home marks the start of a whole new chapter, and with so much different advice out there, it can be hard to know exactly where to start.Source: Netmums
Why is play so important?
Is play necessary for development? Absolutely. Play is crucial for your child's social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth. It's your child's way of learning about his body and the world, and he'll use all five senses to do it, especially in theSource: Babycentre
Why play is important
We all know that playing is fun. It's also the most effective way for young children to learn. By playing, children can practise all the skills they'll need as they grow up. To grow and develop, children need time and attention from someone who's happy tSource: NHS Choices
Homemade Toys and free activities for babies
Young children don’t need special or expensive toys for learning and development. In fact, with a little imagination, you can turn ordinary things around the house into homemade toys and free activities for kids.Source: Raising children
How babies learn through play.
From the moment they're born, babies love to play. But how do you choose the right toy or game for your infant? Here's what to expect developmentally in your baby's first year -- and the best toys and games for each stage.Source: Parentscom
Baby sleep Basics: birth to 3 months
Newborns sleep a lot – typically up to 16 to 17 hours a day. But most babies don't stay asleep for more than two to four hours at a time, day or night, during the first few weeks of life.Source: Babycentre
How can I get my baby to sleep through the night?
Why won't my baby sleep properly? You're not alone. About a quarter of children under five have sleep problems. Refusing to go to bed or waking in the night are both common, and the two often go together.Source: Babycentre.co.uk
Putting a Baby to Sleep After Feeding
Article on how to put a baby to sleep after feeding When you're the parent of a newborn or an infant, you might feel like your life revolves around your baby's sleeping and eating schedule, and it probably does.Source: livestrong.com
What is a 2-Month-Old's Typical Sleep Routine
Newborns rarely sleep more than two to four hours at a time, frequently leading to exhausted, sleep-starved parents.Source: livestrong.com
Communication: Toddler milestones
Understanding language is far more important to your toddler than actually speaking it. Once they really understand, they will communicate with you. Your toddler’s first words are almost always labels (ie: names for people, animals) or other things thatSource: Children's Therapy and Family Resource Centre
Your baby from 16-18 months
Ask your toddler to bring you her favorite toy, and she'll cheerily oblige. Tell her you're off to the playground, and she'll dash to the front door. Remind her that it's bedtime, and you may provoke an opposite -- but equally definite -- response, as sheSource: parents.com
milestones of speech, language and communication development
The rate of children's speech and language development can vary, depending on the child. Some children will develop certain skills quicker than others, and some children will be slow to develop certain skills compared to their peers, even if there are noSource: icommunicatetherapy.com
Ready, Steady … Talk!
The first three years of life are considered to be a critical period for language development. Children are especially prewired during this time of life to absorb and learn from the language models they hear in their environment.Source: Everyday Family
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