Bathing Your Newborn Baby

by: Michelle Higgins

Your newborn baby is so small and tender that giving him a bath might be a little scary. However, in spite of all your concerns, you will find that bathing the baby will soon be a fun thing for both him and you.

For the first few days, stick to a sponge bath, only wetting the towel in warm water and giving a baby a thorough sponging with it. Once the umbilical cord stump falls off, baby is ready for his foray into water.

Make sure that the towel, soap, shampoo and sponge are all at hand before you begin.

Fill baby's portable bathtub with not more than 3 inches of water. Check if baby's bath water is just the right temperature (which is a bit warm and not more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit).

Most babies usually cry through their bath for the initial months until they begin to enjoy it.

Immerse your baby slowly into the tub, feet first, and use your left hand to support his neck and head. Let him get a feel of the water and with your free hand, splash the water lightly over his body.

Wet the sponge and use mild baby soap to wash his body. Do not use soap on his face. Wash his scalp with a cloth and clean the corners of his eyes and nose with moistened cotton balls.

There is no need to draw back the foreskin to clean a baby boy's genitals; wash the penis with soap as you would do for any other part of his body.

Use a mild shampoo, squeezing out a little bit on you palm first.

Lift him up from the tub and wrap him in a towel. Once you've dried his hair, work on the rest of his body.

A mild body lotion will make him smell good and feel soft, although it is not necessary to use powder or lotion on babies. Diaper and dress him, and presto! You are done.

If your baby is a bath-hater, it is not necessary to make him go through the ordeal everyday especially in the precrawling stage. Giving him a sponge bath regularly and a bath every other day will keep him clean enough.

Safety comes first

Make sure you follow these safety measures while bathing your baby.

Don't make the mistake of leaving your baby unattended in the bath for even for a second. If the doorbell is ringing or you must answer the phone, carry him with you, wrapped in a towel. Drowning can occur in less than one inch of water within a minute.

Baby's bath water should not be too cold or too warm. Always test the water before you begin.

Wet babies are slippery babies. Take extra care while you hold baby in the bath.

Bathing baby immediately after a meal is not a good idea as it might result in his spitting up.

Never run the water with baby in the bath cause a sudden change of temperature can be dangerous.

Bathing baby only takes a little practice (which you will soon get) before you learn to do it just right for your baby.

About The Author

Michelle Higgins

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Naming Your Baby According To Kabbalah

by: Tali Saar

Naming your baby according to the kabbalah Many believe the name of a person holds much more than can be seen. The kabbalah states that the name of a person will certainly determine their faith: success, health, character, career, romantic life, disappointments, illness, setbacks, divorce, stress and separation. It is ones choice to stick with his born name, or make adjustment in order to change his life energy. According to Kabbalah experts, each letter of the alpha-bet is the continuation of a revitalizing light. A special and unique force lies in each different letter, and is not found in other letters. This power can be investigated through the shape of the letter, and kabbalarian numbers which reveal valuable information by combining the numbers assigned to each letter in the name. Each person lives by the effect of these forces, combined in his name. An ideal name would create a mixture of forces to balance the persons other influences coming from his birth date, name of his mother, his last name and so forth. In the case of a newborn baby, knowing the names of the parents, and the last name, are sufficient in order to choose a balanced name. Each change in combination of the letters in the name will result in a change in balance of powers. The order of the letters matters as well – The first letter is the most significant in its influence. The letters reveal three aspects of a person: thought, speech, and action. Action lies in the written name, Speech lies in the sound of the name being called, and thought lies in the thought about a person carrying this name. These three aspects create a great meaningful pattern which can be detected and analyzed by kabbalah experts. The mathematical principal in naming according to kabbalah is called gematria. Each letter in Hebrew is associated with a number. Adding up the numbers of all letters will result in a number that represents the person. For example – Jacob, in Hebrew is spelled with the letters yud-ayin-kuf-bet, and give the number 182, which is 7 times the name of God (yud-heh-vav-heh) . The number 7 represents harmony and completeness – seven days a week, seven notes in a musical scale. Jacob therefore represents the complete and harmonious expression of God's name. Non recommended choices in the kabbalah are two letter names, which do not posses enough strength, and also unisex names. It is important to keep in mind that each letter determines the faith of the baby. Choosing the right and balanced name for your baby is a serious thing, and should be done with the help of a kabbalah expert. This is mainly because there are many aspects to be aware of as the last name, the date of birth, names of the parents and even location of birth. All of these might make a name that is right for one person, very misfortunate for another. For more information and advice on choosing a baby name that is right for you and your child please visit http://www.babyhold.com

10 Tips On Finding A Name For Your Baby

by: Tali Saar

Having a new baby means a lot of preparation. Taking child birth classes, preparing the nursery, picking cloths, changing the arrangement of the whole house and of course coming up with the right name for your child. This might not be an easy assignment. Many different options and opinions, many different reasons for naming them one way or another. So how do you decide?? Here are ten tips to guide you along the way, and help you make the right choice.

1. Start off with making a list. This list will consist of ideas you like, and also suggestions made by others (family members, friends etc.). It is important to keep an open mind while making this list and not reject any name without a second thought. Even if you don’t have a warm feeling for one name, and are not seriously considering using it, just having this name on your list might help you come up with new ideas – perhaps you will come up with a nice baby name that sounds similar, maybe you will like that name with a different spelling, and maybe you would like this name when it is combined with the right middle name. Your list should be updated all the time, whenever a new possibility comes to mind.

2. Divide your list into categories: why is this specific name on your list? Is it there to honor a family member? Is it a name that has a nice sound and good feel to it? Is it a popular name? Is it an original name you came up with? Is it a name which bares great meaning to you or to your culture? It is important to realize there are many different reasons for choosing one name over the other, and with time you may find out some reasons are more important to you than others. When having a categorized list, you might realize some of your favorite names fall into the same category – maybe it is time to follow this direction and think of more names in that category.

Some of these categories are now discussed:

3. Honoring family members - naming your baby after a relative.

It is important that you don’t feel obliged to stick with any family tradition when choosing the right name for your baby. If you really like a certain baby name, use it. However, honoring a loved family member by passing on his/her name to your child might be a great way of showing your respect and appreciation. You should consult other family members, brothers and cousins, to hear how they feel about it. This will also help avoid a problematic situation in case any of them planned to use the same name, which might be a potential conflict.

4. Popular names – a great way to avoid wrong decisions?

The answer is yes. If you happen to like a certain name which is also very popular, you can be pretty sure this name will not cause trouble for your child in the future. A few factors to be taken into consideration:

A popular name means others will use this name with ease and comfort, Also, there will be no problem in finding personalized gifts (t shirts, hats etc.) for your child. They will never have to explain or spell out their name, and it will ease their way to social acceptance.

The main disadvantage of choosing a common name for your child, is they will find themselves surrounded by more people who carry the same name. This might cause confusion, and the use of last names or nicknames will be required in order to distinguish them (a subject discussed later).

5. Choosing an original and unique name

Today more than ever, everyone needs to feel they are not just one of many.

Having a unique name causes one to feel special, unordinary. Whenever they introduce themselves their name becomes a cause of interest. However, this should be done with caution, and with the future of your child on mind. Many children are picked upon because of their strange sounding names. Make sure the name you choose is relatively easy to pronounce and read. Avoid names which might result in embarrassing nicknames.

6. Think about nick names.

Often the name you originally gave your child will be altered and shortened by his friends, and even family. Andrew might turn into Andy, Jennifer could be known as Jen. You should consider whether or not you like these nicknames, since they have a better chance of sticking with your child through out their life.

7. Consider the middle and last name as well

Choosing a first name is one thing. But a nice first name which is easy to pronounce and blends well with the middle/last name might be harder to find.

If you have a very original idea but are afraid your child might suffer baring it as a first name – why not use it for a middle name? The combination of the three names should be considered. Can you pronounce them easily? Are the three names somehow connected? It might not be a wise idea to give your child a first name originating in Greek with a middle name originating in Hebrew and an all American last name. Also consider the initials, and make sure they don’t spell out anything embarrassing.

8. Avoid names that remind you of people you genuinely dislike

It might be a wonderful name. But do you really want to be reminded of someone you don't care for when you hear your own child's name? Even if it is the perfect name, think twice. You might consider altering the name a little, with a different pronunciation or spelling. This might solve your conflict.

9. It is a good idea to use the internet as a source of ideas for baby names.

The site http://www.babyhold.com/ contains many tools that will assist you in choosing the right name for your baby. http://www.babyhold.com/ lists the most popular baby names by year, and also offers many ideas for unique baby names, baby names from different origins, baby names by country ( i.e American baby names, Italian baby names etc) and many baby names lists organized by category. You can also try the baby name list tool, offering a different short baby names list each time, for you to get ideas and inspiration.

10. Go with your heart.

Hearing what others think, taking advice and ideas from others is okay. But if you feel strongly about a name even though others seem to dislike it, use it anyway. After all it is your own personal decision, and if no one convinced you otherwise, it means you should go with it.

Good luck!