Sometimes it's hard to choose that perfect baby gift. If you find yourself in this situation and want a gift that will always be remembered consider a new baby gift in the form of a blanket. A new baby blanket that has been crocheted is a wonderful gift as well as being a keepsake. This is the kind of gift that can be kept for the child as he or she grows up. It seems that when people hear about a pregnancy one of their first instincts is to purchase something for the baby. There are so many items that are available for infants. It is amazing the amount of money people will spend to purchase things that will be used for a matter on months.
There are also people that want to make something for a baby. Many times these are people that do not make any other homemade items. When my daughter was born we got a lot of be blankets as gifts. Though most of these were store bought, we did get a few crocheted baby blankets from friends and family. Many of these blankets were useful, but some of them had to be given away as there only so many babies by get you can use it once. Though I really liked the crocheted blankets, I found that many of them were not suitable for a newborn. I ended up giving a few of them away, and putting the rest away until she was older. The crocheted baby blankets looked as if they might be the warmest blankets, but there was a problem that we kept having with them.
My daughter's tiny toes and tiny fingers would often slip the holes causing her discomfort many times. She would cry when she got her fingers or toes caught, and this would wake her up in the middle of a nap. Because of the nature of crocheted baby blankets, they often aren't the best things for newborns. Unless you have one with very tight stitches, it might cause your baby some discomfort. There is however, something very comforting about crocheted baby blankets. These are often given as gifts from friends and family, and that makes them extra special.
Many times they are made in the colors of your nursery, or can be pink or blue, depending on the sex of your baby. Quite often crocheted baby blankets are something that you will wish to save long after your child has outgrown them. I know that most of the baby blankets I have saved from when my daughter was an infant are indeed ones that were crocheted for me by family members. And also my sister is one of these people who want something for her baby. When she was still in high school our oldest sister became pregnant with twins. My school aged sister decided that she was going to make crocheted baby blankets for the twins. She was just learning to crochet, so this was a big project for her. This was back in the day when the sex of the baby was not known prior to the birth.
My sister decided that she would make the crocheted baby blankets in soft pastel colors. She would make each one different so that people would be able to tell the twins apart. She started on the crocheted baby blankets when our sister was five months pregnant. It took her several tries to get the baby blankets started. She knew how to do the chain stitch and how to single crochet, however the instructions for the crocheted baby blankets included double and triple crocheting to create a pattern. Our mother did not crochet, so she was unable to help my sister. After several trips down the block to visit a neighbor woman that knew how to crochet the blankets started to grow. My sister had the first blanket completed and had started on the second blanket when our pregnant sister had to go on bed rest. She was starting to dilate and she still had six weeks to go before the twins would be developed enough to live. My pregnant sister was very bored laying around waiting for the twins. My mom suggested to my other sister that she should teach her how to crochet.
This would give her something constructive to do to pass the time. My two sisters got together and the crocheting began. This was the beginning of a hobby for both of them. To this day they both crochet. My two children still have their crocheted baby blankets that they received from their aunts. I also have Afghans that they have made as well as beautiful dollies. The two of them get together for coffee and crocheting at least twice a month. This has been a rewarding hobby for both of them. If you have a collection of crocheted baby blankets for your newborn, make sure you watch them properly. Use the gentle cycle on your washer, and make sure used baby detergent when washing them. Do not put crocheted baby blankets in the dryer. When you're done washing them you want to lay them out a flat surface to dry. You can lay them on a towel to get them to dry faster if you want to, but remember a dryer will probably ruin them. If you take good care of them they will be around for a long time to come.
They are something you can save to remind you of when your baby was still a baby. Babies often become so attached to the blanket that they keep it for years. Remember also that you and your baby will spend a lot of time in his or her nursery. So make sure all the blankets, beddings and décor make it a place you both love to be. So relax, take your time, and release your imagination and select the baby blankets and bedding to make our child's sleep time perfect.
About the Author
Crizza baby blanket
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Monday, September 03, 2007
Baby Formula For Your Child
Baby formula is a nutritionally balanced substitute for a mother's breast milk. Most baby formula is made with a combination of ingredients, primarily either soy or cow's milk. It is manufactured under dozens of name brands and sold in powder, liquid, and concentrate forms. Besides breast milk, baby formula is the only recommended infant milk recommended by medical experts - and that recommendation come with severe qualifications.
In recent times, as medical research has shown the benefits of breastfeeding, the use of baby formula has declined dramatically in many nations. Nevertheless, doctors will still recommend baby formula over breastfeeding in some special rare cases.
Early History
The earliest baby formulas were homemade and meant to provide a means for mothers to feed their children without breastfeeding or use of a wet nurse. These early formulas were usually made from animal milk or what was available to their economic means. As food manufacturing and technology advanced, commercially produced baby formula became a staple of baby nutrition.
By the 1920s evaporated milk formula was readily available through much of the United States, and breastfeeding diminished as mothers increased formula use. In the 1950s, agressive marketing of Similac and Enfamil provoked a shift away from evaporated milk formula to formulas that chemically approximated real mother's breast milk. These campaigns were so successful that by the 1970s more than 75% of American babies were fed on baby formulas.
The success was short-lived. With increased women's liberation and a publicly fostered return to breastfeeding, the use of commercial baby formula quickly diminished. At the same time, medical research began to show breastfeeding offered vastly superior health benefits to babies over commercially produced formula, including the prevention of ear infections, asthma, and many other disorders.
Baby Formula Ingredients
All baby formula manufacturers are required by law to meet nutritional guidelines supplied by the Food and Drug Administration. These guidelines are taken from recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics' committee on nutrition.
Baby formula must contain protein, niacin, folic acid, vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B6 and B12. There should also be minimum percentages of calcium, iodine, and iron.
The recipes for baby formula vary according to each manufacturer, with each one advertising they have the most healthy ingredients or the most recommended by pediatricians. The choice of baby formula for each child is then left to the parent or family doctor. Overall, however, any store bought baby formula brand will at least satisfy your baby's most basic nutritional requirements.
Baby Formula & Breastfeeding
Pediatricians warn against the use of baby formula as even a supplement to breast milk, for fear the mother's lactation will slow due to decreased demand. Recent studies attempting to bolster baby formula's public image have also been of mixed success, with little conclusive results.
Corner Stork Baby Gifts offers a complete selection of unique baby gifts, baby shower gifts, baby shower favors, as well as diaper cakes and hundreds of lovely baby gift items. Visit http://www.cornerstorkbabygifts.com to visit their online catalog and browse our complete selection.
About the Author
Michael Kabel is senior staff writer for www.cornerstorkbabygifts.com. Stop by for parenting and baby resources, unique baby gifts, baby gift baskets and baby shower favors.
In recent times, as medical research has shown the benefits of breastfeeding, the use of baby formula has declined dramatically in many nations. Nevertheless, doctors will still recommend baby formula over breastfeeding in some special rare cases.
Early History
The earliest baby formulas were homemade and meant to provide a means for mothers to feed their children without breastfeeding or use of a wet nurse. These early formulas were usually made from animal milk or what was available to their economic means. As food manufacturing and technology advanced, commercially produced baby formula became a staple of baby nutrition.
By the 1920s evaporated milk formula was readily available through much of the United States, and breastfeeding diminished as mothers increased formula use. In the 1950s, agressive marketing of Similac and Enfamil provoked a shift away from evaporated milk formula to formulas that chemically approximated real mother's breast milk. These campaigns were so successful that by the 1970s more than 75% of American babies were fed on baby formulas.
The success was short-lived. With increased women's liberation and a publicly fostered return to breastfeeding, the use of commercial baby formula quickly diminished. At the same time, medical research began to show breastfeeding offered vastly superior health benefits to babies over commercially produced formula, including the prevention of ear infections, asthma, and many other disorders.
Baby Formula Ingredients
All baby formula manufacturers are required by law to meet nutritional guidelines supplied by the Food and Drug Administration. These guidelines are taken from recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics' committee on nutrition.
Baby formula must contain protein, niacin, folic acid, vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B6 and B12. There should also be minimum percentages of calcium, iodine, and iron.
The recipes for baby formula vary according to each manufacturer, with each one advertising they have the most healthy ingredients or the most recommended by pediatricians. The choice of baby formula for each child is then left to the parent or family doctor. Overall, however, any store bought baby formula brand will at least satisfy your baby's most basic nutritional requirements.
Baby Formula & Breastfeeding
Pediatricians warn against the use of baby formula as even a supplement to breast milk, for fear the mother's lactation will slow due to decreased demand. Recent studies attempting to bolster baby formula's public image have also been of mixed success, with little conclusive results.
Corner Stork Baby Gifts offers a complete selection of unique baby gifts, baby shower gifts, baby shower favors, as well as diaper cakes and hundreds of lovely baby gift items. Visit http://www.cornerstorkbabygifts.com to visit their online catalog and browse our complete selection.
About the Author
Michael Kabel is senior staff writer for www.cornerstorkbabygifts.com. Stop by for parenting and baby resources, unique baby gifts, baby gift baskets and baby shower favors.
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