How to Choose a Godparent That Isn’t a Family Member

While the tradition of choosing godparents for a new baby is typically affiliated with the Roman Catholic faith, there are some parents who are of different religions or no religion at all that are eager to confer the honor upon someone close to them. Choosing godparents for your child can be a difficult task, especially if you are worried about offending members of your family by passing them over. There are a few ways that you can manage the situation with as much grace as possible, however, hopefully staving off any hurt feelings or family feuds.

Look Outside of the Family

Sometimes choosing godparents outside of your family is the best option. Make it known to your relatives that you’re doing so because there are too many of them that you’d like to honor and no way of deciding fairly without offending someone. Under Catholic tradition, a sibling of the mother and a sibling of the father are generally chosen as godparents. This is an especially good tactic if you and your partner have several siblings. Because part of the godparenting tradition for some families also includes caring for your children in the event of your untimely demise, many new parents feel more comfortable opting for a couple to act as godparents, over tangentially-related adults. Explaining to your respective siblings or other relatives that you feel more comfortable leaving the future of your children in the hands of an established couple may also take some of the sting out of a perceived rejection.

Honorary Title Versus Legal Guardianship

For some parents, choosing godparents is a strictly ceremonial gesture with other plans made for the legal guardianship of their child in the event of a tragedy. For others, the primary reason for choosing godparents is to designate a legal guardian to prevent confusion. If you’re determined to choose a godparent outside of your family, you should consider what capacity you’ll be expecting them to act. For the purely ceremonial purposes of being a special person in your child’s life, you can feel a bit more secure asking a friend who is very close to you. If you will be moving for legal guardianship as part of your godparents’ duties, the decision justifiably becomes a bit more difficult.

The Question of Faith

If you’re choosing godparents as a tradition connected with your spirituality and have strong convictions about your children being raised in that faith, should you be taken from them, it’s wise to consider the implications of choosing godparents from outside of your faith. If you expect your child’s godparents to be responsible for his upbringing in the event of a tragedy, you should also expect that they would naturally be likely to instill more of their own religious beliefs than your own. If your family members don’t share your religious affiliation, this can be another talking point you bring up in order to gently explain your choice to opt for godparents outside of the family.

Stand Firm

While it’s obviously important to be considerate of your relatives’ feelings, it’s also important that you not allow yourself to be manipulated or dissuaded from a decision that has significant meaning to you. If you’re closer to your childhood best friend than the sister you rarely see, there is no shame in naming your best friend the godmother. Keeping a grasp on your composure in the face of blatant disappointment or disapproval is never easy, but refusing to argue or be drawn into a debate can prevent dramatic scenes that are difficult to overcome. Stating that you have made your decision and that you hope your family members can respect it as one of your first major choices as a new parent can help to diffuse some anger, especially if you remain calm and respectful throughout the conversation.

This post was proposed to me for publication by Kaitlyn Johnson. If you wanto know more about this, please just click on the belowed link:

http://www.newborncare.com/blog/how-to-choose-a-godparent-that-isnt-a-family-member/

How to Make Your Own Baby Wipes

Baby wipes have long been hailed as a godsend for parents, and many parents use them for far more than just their intended purpose. In addition to being used to clean up messy babies during a much-need diaper change, lots of parents swear by using them to wipe up messes, act as a mini-shower, and serve as tissues, paper towels, and napkins. However have you ever taken the time to look at the ingredients listed on your baby wipes packaging?  Are the ingredients listed full of words that you can’t pronounce?  Babies have sensitive skin, and the harsh ingredients in commercial wipes can irritate a baby’s soft bottom, not to mention while wipes are super convenient, they can also get pretty expensive. By making your own baby wipes you will not only save money, but you can use gentle ingredients that won’t harm or irritate your baby’s delicate skin.

Gather together the following items:

• 4 qt. round or square container with a lid (wide enough for paper towel roll to fit in and tall enough for ½ of the roll to fit)
• Roll of 2-ply paper towel (Bounty select-a-size work well)
• 2 tablespoons of baby wash
• 2 tablespoons of mineral oil (use coconut oil or vegetable oil if sensitive skin)
• 2 ½ cups of hot water
• Cutting board
• Knife

Start by cutting the roll of paper towel in half using the knife.  Pull the cardboard core out of the paper towel halves.  The last paper towel is usually glued on, but with a little work you can get it to come loose.  Place half of the paper towels into the container, cut side down.  Measure the hot water, add the baby wash and oil to the water, and stir.  Pour this mixture over the paper towels.  Put the lid on and turn the container upside down.  Allow the container to sit for about 5 minutes.  Flip container back over and now the wipes are ready to use.  Cut an “X” in the lid of the container if you’d like to pull the wipes through.  Otherwise you can just take the lid off each time.  Start pulling wipes from the center.

Since there are no preservatives in these wipes there is a chance for mold to form.  To avoid this keep them in a cool place that is out of direct sunlight.  If you are worried about mold you can add 4 drops of tea tree oil to the water before adding it to the paper towels.  Tea tree is a natural antiseptic and will help to prevent any mold from forming.

You can also customize these wipes to suit you and your baby’s needs.  It’s simple to add a few drops of lavender essential oil if you’d like to have scented wipes.  Lavender also has antiseptic properties.

Homemade wipes can also be used in your travel wipes container, or you can simply throw some in a zip top bag and go.

The savings on these wipes will vary by where you live, but on average you can save about $10 a month by making your own wipes.  Homemade wipes tend to be moister then store bought ones, so some parents think they work better as well. If the wipes seem too wet for your liking just decrease the amount of water you use the next time you make them.

 P. S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Kaitlyn Johnson   I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

 http://www.newborncare.com/blog/how-to-make-your-own-baby-wipes/

Baby Crib Safety: Before and After You Buy

For many expecting parents, visions of pastel, color-coordinated nurseries dance alongside mounds of fluffy pillows and luxurious baby bedding. Unfortunately, these bedding sets are almost always more stylish than safe, and in some cases they can be downright dangerous. There are some guidelines that new parents should adhere to when choosing a crib and bedding for their upcoming bundle of joy, making sure that certain requirements are met and dangers avoided before Baby’s first slumber in her new nursery.

• Avoid SIDS by Eschewing Soft Bedding – The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends that new parents eschew all crib bedding apart from a fitted sheet for the first twelve months of their baby’s life. Opting for wearable blankets rather than loose blankets and placing babies on their backs to sleep with no pillows or plush toys can prevent the risk of suffocation. If you do choose to use a blanket in your infant’s crib, the Consumer Product Safety Commission suggests positioning your baby so that her feet are touching the bottom rails of her crib, tucking the blanket in at the bottom and sides of the mattress, and only pulling the blanket up to her chest. Keep in mind that babies can overheat much more easily than adults, and you should use only lightweight blankets to ensure that she stays warm.
• Make Sure Your Mattress Fits Tightly in the Crib – Your baby’s crib mattress should be firm, not soft, to help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and suffocation. It should also fit tightly into the crib to prevent suffocation or entrapment between the mattress and the crib’s sides. Ideally, you should be able to fit no more than two fingers between the side of the mattress and the frame of the crib. The surface of the mattress shouldn’t conform to an adult hand when pressed into the mattress, and it should snap back into place as soon as the hand is removed.
• Forgo the Antiques – The ornate, antique crib used by three generations of your family might be a beautiful piece of furniture, and every child that used it may have survived their infancy, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a safe choice. In addition to the unlikelihood of slats and bars being properly spaced on very old cribs, they may also feature drop sides, which have been banned, and even a layer or two of lead-based paint. Let good sense trump sentimentality, and choose a new crib that adheres to modern safety standards.
• If You Do Choose Decorative Bedding, Play it Smart – If you simply can’t bear the idea of skipping the magazine layout-worthy crib bedding to show off Baby’s nursery to the fullest, be smart about your decision and make sure that the fitted sheet is snug, thin, and breathable. When it’s time to put your baby down, be sure to pull every pillow, stuffed toy, comforter and any other soft objects out of the crib first. Parents determined to have a nursery ready for photographs as well as a lowered risk of their baby suffering from SIDS, suffocation, or injury are forced to compromise in just such a manner, but can have the best of both worlds by playing it safe and smart.
• Do Your Homework About Crib Bumpers – The city of Chicago has banned the sale of crib bumpers altogether, with advocacy groups across the country crying out for similar bans on a national level. Parents are largely divided into two camps these days: pro-bumper and anti-bumper. If you fall into the former, be sure to research the subject thoroughly and apprise yourself of all the risks before tying those bumpers onto Baby’s crib; namely, the risk of suffocation and the impediment of air flow in the crucial area at your baby’s face level on all four sides of her crib. Also, don’t be fooled into thinking that bumpers are safe once the threat of SIDS has largely passed; older babies and young toddlers have been known to use bumpers as a means of climbing out of their cribs, leading to messy falls and giving them access to dangerous situations. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission have given crib bumpers a thumbs-down, so it might be wise to think twice before springing for those adorable but potentially-deadly accessories.
• Do a Recall Check – Before purchasing nursery furniture or bedding, make sure that you check for any recalls; repeat these checks regularly after you’ve made your purchase as well to ensure that safety hazards haven’t been discovered since the last time you looked. The Consumer Product Safety Commission website is a great resource for recall information.

In addition to making sure that you’ve chosen furniture and bedding that adhere to the standards set by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Juvenile Product Manufactures Association, parents should also take care to place cribs away from windows, and to secure blind cords and curtain ties to prevent strangulation.

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Kaitlyn Johnson. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:


 http://www.newborncare.com/blog/baby-crib-safety-before-and-after-you-buy/

Nothing ir really better than this (for a newborn child)

Since long time past manhood have found in the breast milk their first nutrition.

According to the  majority of pediatricians breast milk contains antiviruses and antibatterical qualities, unable to be replaced in any other milk or food from industrial productions.

That's why is so important, for working new moms, to know how to handle breast milk for storage.

Also poetically, the sight of a mother feeding her own child at her breast is one of the most emotional and enchanting visions.

If you want to find a clear and complete explanation on this great subject, please go to the link below and read Kaitlyn Johnson's report.

http://www.newborncare.com/blog/how-to-properly-handle-and-store-breast-milk/

Six Months? Not really: say six days!

Six must be his magic number for the giant newborn in South Yorkshire, England.

His name is Harry and when was born he weighed more than six kilos, but he looks like a six month year old baby, though is only six days (see the picture).

It's a record for the hospital where he was born at, since the records began.

Best wishes to his parents mother Sharon and father Paul, who feel very proud of the newborn, though had to dump the too small clothes they had taken ready to use.

Meet Harry the newborn heavyweight: The baby who tips the scales at almost a STONE
By Daily Mail Reporter

Meet Harry Crossland, the giant newborn baby who made his heavyweight arrival into the world tipping the scales at almost a stone.
Harry weighed in at an amazing 13lb 15oz, leaving hospital staff - and mother Sharon Needham - stunned.
And Harry is a record breaker at Doncaster Royal Infirmary where he is the heaviest birth since records began.

Miss Needham, 35, and partner Mechanic Paul Crossland, 51, have had to dump the smaller clothes they were planning to use for their son, who is double the size of the average newborn.
Instead he is already in clothes ordinary babies would wear at age six.
Mother of five Miss Needham, of Bessacarr, Doncaster, had to give birth by Caesarean section because Harry was too big for a normal birth.
She was conscious during the operation but was shielded from the operation by a curtain as Paul held her hand. But they were left speechless when the midwife handed Harry over.
She said: ‘We were both flabbergasted . When the nurses popped him over the curtain we were both speechless. I thought they'd given me someone else's baby.
‘I had a growth scan the day before and the staff said he would be about nine and a half pounds so it was a massive shock.
‘The nurses were shocked as well . They said he was the biggest baby the hospital had ever delivered.
‘When we went up to the special care ward, they couldn't believe he was newborn, they thought he had been transferred to the wrong ward and should have gone to the paediatric ward.’
Harry weighed more than the combined weight of his 13-year-old twin siblings, Siobhan and Kyle, who were born totalling 12lb 14oz.

Proud: Harry with parents Sharon Needham and Paul Crossland at home in Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Miss Needham's eldest Nikkita, 15, weighed 8lb 11oz and daughter Elisha, ten was 7lb 2oz.
The astonished mother, who herself weighed 7lb 7oz, said: ‘There has never been a history of big babies in the family but I knew he would be fairly heavy because I couldn't walk with Harry in the final days of pregnancy.
‘I never experienced that with any of the other children, even with the twins, I could walk fine when I was pregnant with them.’
Medical staff calculated that she was carrying around three litres of water with Harry and her placenta weighed much heavier than normal - at 1.6kg.
But she can't explain why her son was so heavy and she didn't eat large amounts of food during pregnancy.
Miss Needham added: ‘I couldn't eat at all because I felt full after every mouthful.
‘He must have been putting pressure on my stomach.’
Mr Crossland said: ‘It was a huge surprise.’
Britain's heaviest newborn was Guy Warwick Carr, delivered in Cumbria in 1992 weighing 15lb 8oz .
The heaviest baby ever born was produced by Anna Bates of Canada in 1879, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
She weighed 23lb 12lb and died 11 hours after birth.
The record for a baby which survived is held by a boy born weighing 22lb 8oz at Aversa, Italy, in 1955.
The heaviest recent birth was a boy born last September to a woman in Northern Sumatra Indonesia at 19lb 3oz.Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1268124/Harry-heavywight-Newborn-tips-scales-STONE.html#ixzz0ltTbPGq5