Babies grow much faster in their first year of life than at any other stage. Following, some of the most common size and growth concerns are covered.

During the fist 12 months of your baby’s life, some incredible changes will occur. This will be a period of amazing growth. By the time you are proudly sending out his first birthday invitations, he will have tripled his birth weight and grown about ten inches. This development will be hard to see on a day to day basis, but will be well noted at his regular checkups. Your baby’s weight, height and head circumference will be closely monitored to make sure he’s growing at a healthy rate. You will probably have lots of questions about how your child is doing compared to other babies his age.

You’ll remember your baby’s birth weight forever but it really is temporary. Newborns typically lose up to 10 percent of the weight in their first week. A healthy baby will then begin to gain a half an ounce a day (a pound or so a month) for the first 6 months, then the rate will slow down a bit. Babies that are born preterm grow at a slower rate and don’t generally catch up until about age 2.

At first, breast fed babies may not gain weight as quickly as formula fed babies. Many women don’t produce a great quantity of breast milk early on, but it’s ok because early breast milk is rich and babies are born with natural fat stores that will sustain them. If your Doctor is concerned that your baby isn’t gaining enough weight from breastfeeding alone, she may recommend supplementing with formula.

At each check-up, your Doctor will mark your baby’s growth statistics on a chart to assess how he compares with other kids his age. An infant who is in the 15th percentile for weight, for example, is heavier than 15percent of babies the same age.) Many parents view growth charts as if they were grades in school, wanting their baby to fall above the 90th percentile. However, like adults, babies come in all sizes and there is a wide range of what is normal. What Doctors look for is whether your child stays around the same percentile from one visit to the next, not where he is on the curve.

You can expect that your little guy will be rounder by the 6 month mark. He’s probably an expert by now at feeding, but isn’t moving around too much. Once he starts to crawl, he’ll even out. If his weight is increasing while his height is not, it could be a cause for concern. Studies have shown that babies whose weight gain outpaces growth in height in the first 6 months have a 40 percent greater risk of being overweight by the time they reach the age of 3. If this becomes the case, your Doctor may suggest that you watch his portions and that you make sure you are giving him food for nutrition, not comfort.

Typically, infants go through a growth spurt at 2weeks, 6 weeks, and again at around 4 months. If your baby’s appetite seems insatiable, he’s fussier than usual, and he wakes up more often for feedings, he may be going through a growth spurt. Sleep is absolutely essential for growth and studies show that 80 percent of growth hormone is released during baby’s sleep.

A common question that Doctors hear is addressed to whether infant’s size has any bearing on his adult stature. The answer in most cases is no. Several factors affect a person’s ultimate height including nutrition, health habits, and genetics. Tall parents tend to produce tall children, and short parents have smaller kids. If one parent is tall and the other is short, then all bets are off. Who know? Your tiny infant may grow up to be a tall guy!

Kat Hafen is a veteran mom of 5. Kat is an avid baby carrier supporter because of the positive impact it can have on babies. HugaMonkey has $25 baby carriers and offers free shipping. Get your baby carrier at http://www.hugamonkey.com.

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We’ve all heard how beneficial the study of martial arts can be for teens and adults, but did you know that the earlier you start your child with martial arts such as karate or Tae Kwon Do, the more it can help him or her through some important developmental stages? Putting your child into a martial arts class can encourage social interaction, increase motor skill coordination, concentration and self confidence. In addition there is the whole Eastern philosophy of uniting body, mind and spirit for a well balanced boy or girl.

Between the ages of two and five, your toddler is growing in mind, body and spirit. These ages are distinctly important, as they set the tone for your toddler’s life pattern of behavior. Childhood development experts recommend that toddlers participate in physical and mental activities to encourage personality growth, physical maturity, and socialization with others. The martial arts effectively provide these experiences in a variety of ways.

While your toddler is growing, his muscles and bones must develop strength and agility. Physical development occurs only when a toddler receives adequate exercise that including stretching, bending and muscle-building movements.

Have you noticed how clumsy toddlers can be? Although they have mastered the fine art of walking, they seem to trip over many things, including their own two feet! The martial arts excel at teaching your toddler motor skill coordination, precision movements that increase hand-eye coordination and foot/leg movements that help him learn balance and move him past the toddler “wobbles.”

How long is your toddler’s attention span? How about his ability to focus on tasks until they’re completed? Is he able to memorize and retain information at a rate appropriate for his age? The martial arts require toddlers to concentrate and pay close attention to the instructions of the sensei (teacher); to be successful in the martial arts and in their lives, toddlers must learn to listen and thoroughly absorb the lessons. Your toddler will also learn to focus and follow through on tasks; dawdling and impulsivity aren’t allowed! The sensei will re-direct your child’s focus to mastering the task at hand; movements that can only be learned by strict focus. Your toddler will be required to memorize the order and types of movements, performing them flawlessly when prompted by the sensei. Thus, when he begins school, your toddler will have a distinct edge in learning language and abstract arithmetic skills.

Toddlers want everything they want whenever they want it. We know that the world doesn’t work this way; we must earn what we receive, and have the patience to work our way towards a goal. In the martial arts, toddlers learn that instant gratification isn’t realistic and self discipline exists. Each set of movements must be learned in sequence rather than in a haphazard manner. Your toddler will learn respect for authority by showing respect for his sensei in all things.

Your toddler will learn that unprovoked aggression is never appropriate. The martial arts are defensive in nature; your toddler will learn that amicably getting along with others results from the self confidence of knowing that he isn’t going to be harmed by schoolyard bullies. As he bows to his opponent, your toddler learns to show respect to others, increasing his own confidence. His mastery of the martial arts also teaches him that he can succeed in life tasks, thus building a confident, intrepid adult.

Your toddler’s sensei will expose him to the enduring wisdom of Eastern philosophy and the ancient world. These are the concepts of avoiding foolish and self-destructive behavior, service to others, tolerance for differences, patience, loyalty and caution.

These days finding a martial arts program for your child isn’t difficult. A reputable school (dojo) will allow you to sit in a class at any time and watch your child’s progress. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and stay for a couple of classes to see how the instructors interact with all the students. Who knows? You might want to join the fun too!

Lee Hagan is an accomplished writer in the area of parenting, children’s health and family fun. For more family fun check out Disney Videos and Drumming Videos. Lee is also an experienced internet marketing consultant specializing in PPC Management.

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So, you think your little guy might be the next Tiger Woods? If you think your child has a propensity for golf, or if you have a love for the game that you want to share, how can you best teach your youngster the game? How can you tell that they are ready to learn? What age is best to start a child on learning golf if you want to develop a quality player?

Golf is an extremely detailed sport, and even those who are naturals at the sport must spend years and years practicing before they head to the professional circuit. Because of this, the earlier you start your child learning the game, the better chance you have of developing an avid golfer.

Once a child is walking well independently and able to hold a child-sized golf club, he or she is probably ready for the first introduction to the sport. This can happen when the child is as young as two or three years old. Preschool children will not be ready to play golf as a game, but they can be given small putters and practice swinging the club correctly.

Children at this age learn almost everything through imitation. The best way to teach them proper swinging and putting techniques is to demonstrate, and then have them imitate the motions. But use caution that you do not make this tedious for the child. These imitation sessions should be short and fun. Try having the child hit a small balloon. Not only will this be fun, but the child will also have success in hitting the balloon, which will keep the frustration at bay. To make it even more fun, try filling the balloons with water for added resistance! This is a great summer time activity for you and for your child!

Once the child has entered school and has a good handle on the swinging and putting techniques learned through observation, it is time to start teaching the game of golf. School aged children are accustomed to verbal instruction and can listen to explanations about the game better than their preschool counterparts. You need to keep in mind, however, that they are still children! They will thrive on encouragement, and all teaching sessions should be kept upbeat!

Start by taking your child to the driving range. Show your son or daughter how to hit the ball correctly, aiming for distance. The driving range is a good place to start since there is not a specific target they must reach, so the child is less likely to get frustrated. After the child demonstrates aptitude on the driving range, you can head to the course. By this point you should be able to tell whether or not your child is going to share your love for the game of golf.

The most important factor to remember is that not all children like the same things that parents like. Do not push your child into the game of golf if it is not their thing as they will resent you forever for doing so. Instead, give them experience and opportunity and allow them to reach their own conclusions about golf and any other opportunity that you present in their path.

Lee Hagan is an accomplished writer in the area of parenting, children’s health and family fun. For more family fun check out Disney Videos and Drumming Videos. Lee is also an experienced internet marketing consultant specializing in PPC Management.

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I often wonder if little kids are so fascinated with the discovery of themselves that they have to share all their incredible information with the world. Perhaps because subjects are so openly discussed at home, children feel that it’s alright to discuss private affairs in public. Whatever the reason, kids often say the funniest things, and what they say usually involves body functions.

Because they’re darling innocents, that’s why. The world hasn’t taught them yet that such conversation with total strangers isn’t socially appropriate. If Mommy is concerned about a rash on a toddler’s pee-pee, why can’t that concern be related to the postman, the grocery store clerk, or the neighbors? Little kids just don’t comprehend the censorship that our society will eventually inflict upon them. If it can be said at home, why can’t it be said in public? Again, toddlers have no concept of personal privacy; just ask any frazzled mother whose child just has to go “number two” right this minute! Or so the child agonizingly informs everyone in the checkout lane at Wal-Mart.

So you think you’ve heard it all, do you? Here are some excerpts from real life that will have you chuckling - only because it wasn’t you in that situation.

“I was breast feeding my little girl when the doorbell rang. I covered up quickly and answered the door with my child still in my arms. To my dismay, there were two young, very polite young men; Mormon missionaries they were! My daughter, who’s a very friendly child, pulled aside my shirt and gleefully announced ‘See Mommy’s boobies!’ I’ll never forget the look on those nice young fellas’ faces. I was so embarrassed; I excused myself and shut the door. Glaring at my daughter, who looked at me with wide, innocent eyes, I started to laugh. And every time I tell this story, I still laugh!”

“I took my four-year-old son to the hardware store with me,” one red-faced father recounted. “I thought it was time to introduce him to the world of tools, like big kids. Together, we picked out a new hammer and screwdriver, and some brackets I needed to hang our new drapes. At the counter, the elderly owner of the store rang up my purchases. About this time, my son announces at the top of his lungs, ‘Daddy’s tool is a lot bigger than mine, but he says mine’s gonna grow a lot.’ The old gentleman never batted an eye. He just said ‘I sure hope so, sonny.’

“It was Christmas,” said the mother of an adorable three-year-old daughter. “Of course all we were hearing were Christmas carols. My daughter was just learning about God and Jesus and what Christmas is really all about. When “Silent Night” came on the radio, my daughter turned to me and asked ‘Mommy, what’s a virgin?’ I thought about it for a moment - how to explain virginity to a little girl? Finally, I said ‘A virgin is a young unmarried woman.’ ‘Oh,’ said my daughter with wisdom beyond her years, ‘then my cousin CeCe is a virgin cause she’s only sixteen.’ From behind the newspaper, my husband snickered and said, ‘I wouldn’t count on it.’ From then on, every time I saw CeCe I couldn’t help laughing.”

Out of the mouth of babes. Nothing could be truer. Children will speak their minds, regardless of the social circumstances around them. You spend several months coaxing those first words from your baby and then spend the next couple of years telling them to be quiet or not to say that. You can’t win, so the next best thing you can do is laugh and enjoy your children’s’ faux pas. Don’t try to tell your toddler to hush; that tactic won’t work and may even make the situation worse. You’ll get a never-ending string of “Why”? One day, when your toddler is grown and bringing home that one true love to meet the family, you can be sure that their significant other will want to hear stories and anecdotes about the sparkle in their life. Then you can regale them and entertain with tales of a certain chatty toddler in the line at Wal-Mart.

Lee Hagan is an accomplished writer in the area of parenting, children’s health and family fun. For more family fun check out Disney Videos and Drumming Videos. Lee is also an experienced internet marketing consultant specializing in PPC Management.

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Here are a few important tips and expert opinions for starting your baby on solid foods.

You’re likely to receive more advice and help regarding the first few months of parenthood than you will know what to do with. Those well-intentioned family, friends, and neighbors will no doubt have many stories and advice to help you get your baby going on the transition of getting your baby ready for solid foods. How do you know whose advice to take? When is the right time?

No one can tell you when it’s the right time. This one comes down to you trusting your instincts and paying more attention to your baby’s cues than that calendar everyone keeps reminding you of. That’s not to say that first feedings don’t come with a healthy measure of trial and error as well.

MAKE YOUR BEST GUESS
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you offer nothing but breast milk or formula until your baby is at least 6 months old. Your neighbors and grandma will tell you 3 to 4 months. On average, most babies start solids between 4 and 6 months of age.

Look for some of these cues from your baby to indicate if your baby is ready for real food:

1- Baby is able to eat sitting up and has good control of her head.

2- Baby is showing an interest in the food on your plate and grabs at your fork or your food.

3- Baby’s tongue does not stick out; she can keep food in her mouth, and move it to the back of her mouth and swallow it. This indicates a loss of tongue-thrust reflex.

4- Her mouth opens easily when a spoon touches her lips or if food is being offered.

5- Baby wakes often at night or wakes earlier and earlier in the morning after having a regular sleep routine.

TAKING THE PLUNGE
Once you’ve decided to try your baby on solids, pick a time when both you and she are relaxed and rested. Make sure she isn’t too hungry either-try after she’s had a good portion of her normal feeding. Even though this can be an exciting time, it can also be stressful. Don’t seem too eager or stressed, plan to take the time and come at it with the right attitude. Expect some degree of mess and confusion from your baby. A successful first meal of solid foods is not likely to happen the first time around.

Have the food prepared before you get your baby safely and comfortably seated in her high chair. A good first choice for baby’s introduction to solids is fortified infant rice cereal that has been mixed with hot water, formula or breast milk. The consistency should be quite thin at first. Have 2 spoons on hand, a bib and a wet cloth. After you’ve tested the food’s temperature on your lips, feed your baby the first small bite and BAM! she’ll spit it out!

Not to worry-rejection is going to be a normal response for a few tries. Be patient and try again. If baby seems to be having a hard time with spoon-feeding, try rubbing a little bit of food on her lips with your finger, or letting her suck some cereal from your finger to get used to the flavor and texture. Next time you try the spoon, slowly put the spoon inside her mouth up against the roof of her mouth and gently pull the spoon up and out, so that the gums help remove the food. This will help her to grasp the new art of swallowing from a spoon. Remember to smile, have patience and be positive. If you seem nervous or frustrated during this learning process, your baby is going to pick up on that anxiety and not be relaxed.

Once your baby has gotten used to cereal, you can begin to introduce soft-cooked, pureed

vegetables and fruits. Offer a single ingredient, one new food at a time for three days. This allows your baby to get used to the flavor and texture and allows you to see if she has an allergic reaction to this particular food. Try to get your baby use to vegetables before fruits. If baby gets used to eating more savory types of foods before sweeter ones, the risk of developing a sweet tooth are less.

If your baby refuses a certain food, stop feeding it and try another, but reintroduce the refused food at a later date. The more different foods your baby is exposed to early in life, the better eater you’ll have for years to come.

Remember, feeding time is a learning experience and can be fun and rewarding.

Kat Hafen is a veteran mom of 5. Kat is an avid baby carrier supporter because of the positive impact it can have on babies. HugaMonkey has $25 baby carriers and offers free shipping. Get your baby carrier at http://www.hugamonkey.com.

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The name of your baby is something that you and your baby will have to live with for the rest of your lives! So make sure that when you are considering baby names you are going to be happy with the result. Make sure you consider all the options and alternatives before deciding on the name. Naming your child can be a fantastic experience for both you and your partner. It certainly creates a special feeling when you both sit down to pick baby names for your child. Here in this article we look at some tips on choosing your baby’s name.

Some parents like to choose their baby names after the baby has been born, but it is worth considering that child labour is a stressful and exhausting process. Directly after birth making a rational decision regarding the name may not be as simple as you think. A woman is not usually aware of her thoughts after giving birth and what may have seemed cute at the time may be considered a mistake later on.

One good idea is to try out with baby names, is the sound of the entire name rather than just the name individually. A good name should be easy to pronounce and flow well, but try the name and the surname together to see how they sound together and if they can be spoken easily. Sometimes names and surnames sound a bit of mess when they are placed together, especially when they are the same syllables.

A good way of testing out a potential baby’s name is by calling the name out loud a few times as if you were calling your child to dinner. Does the name make you feel uncomfortable? If the answer is yes then imagine calling the name out in a public place or if your child was with a group of people. Select a name that both you and your child will both be comfortable with, in public a couple of years down the line.

Try to avoid choosing baby names that are really long, many parents give their child names that a three or four syllables long and they end up disappointed when they are shortened. If you do choose to give your child a long name, there is no doubt that at some point in their life they will be given a nickname. This may set a stage of your child being given embarrassing shortened names which they may not want. Eventually this could put your child in a situation where they don’t like their name, which you don’t really want! Finding baby names for you child need not be a harrowing experience; it just needs careful thought and consideration.

Dominic Donaldson is a family planning advisor.
Find out more about Baby Names and how the site available has advice for expectant parents.

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Kids personalized music can give a great boost to their creativity. Children’s creativity can be nurtured and you may even end up creating another famous singer in the process. The personalized kids CDs are a tremendous hit with the children. It gives them creative ideas and inspires them to bring out the best in themselves. You just need to be a part of their innocent childhood and help the tiny seedlings take the shape of plants with the help of these CDs.

Singing

The first thing that kids personalized music teaches a child is to sing. You can certainly increase children’s creativity by encouraging them to sing. Singing with passion can bring out the deepest emotions in children. It helps them to emote and portray their expressions in a variety of ways.

Singing brings forth the hidden talents and leads them to perfection. It also lends strength to the voice and helps in pronouncing the words better. You can even witness the happiness inside a child when he is singing. Personalized kids CDs are certainly partners to harboring the creativity in children.

Dancing

Dancing is perhaps the single most enjoyable activity of children. Children’s creativity increases by leaps and bounds when they dance away to glory. The movements are orchestrated to derive maximum pleasure. Through these movements, the different parts of the body get coordinated. Kids personalized music helps in building hand-eye coordination which also brings out the heretofore undiscovered talent of the young kids. Their creativity in dancing will improve with the help of personalized kids CDs.

Composing music

Children also learn to compose tunes through kids personalized music. They learn the knack of understanding the beats. They follow the rhythm and can later compose music. With the help of personalized kids CDs, children’s creativity regarding making new tunes increases. They can understand contemporary music patterns and their ears are trained to distinguish between different types of sounds. They can distinguish the sound of a banjo to a drum. The beats will help them frame interesting tunes.

Writing lyrics

The lyrics are another important part of the kids personalized music. The parents or the teachers can derive new ways to teach the kids how to write lyrics. By going through the personalized kids CDs, the children’s creativity is summoned to task. He listens attentively to the discs and gets ideas to write the songs when he grows up. His foray into the world of lyrics-writing can be helped along by inspiration from parents and teachers. They have to guide the children in the right direction.

Musical instruments

Children also develop interest in playing various musical instruments when they listen to these CDs. The different sounds spur them on to find out the source of these tunes. They feel curious to find out how a guitar or a synthesizer can be played. He feels inclined to try the instruments and learn how to play them himself. His creativity in this direction receives a fresh impetus. After all, he might turn out to be the next jazz music performer on stage to take the world by storm.

Stage artists

Personalized kids CDs are thus a powerful medium to bring out the children’s creativity. Besides all the above mentioned talents, kids personalized music also makes great artists out of young children. They can even become stage artists and portray various characters flawlessly. The experience in playing out various animals and other famous characters like kings and princesses of the well known fables will pay off when they turn actors and actresses in their youth. Your child will achieve success and you will be happier for it.

Z Kids Music specializes in offering kids personalized music by incorporating the child’s name in the song. You can order your personalized kids CDs at http://zkidsmusic.com.

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Are baby carriers useful? Are they safe? If you’re the proud parent of a new baby and looking into possibly buying a baby carrier, you may have reservations. What if it’s not safe? What if the baby is not getting enough direct attention and nurturing due to not being able to see your face?

Good quality baby carriers are safe. They have been being used for many, many years. So that solves that one. It’s ok to use a baby carrier. It’s not a sin and no one in their right mind is going to fault you for using one.

Baby carriers do present quite a few advantages. For one thing, when you’re doing housework you may not want to leave your baby sitting across the room. This is especially true if the duties you are tending to require you to use both hands. In the old days before baby carriers, parents had to hold the baby while doing chores and moving about. That can be very inconvenient and even could prevent you from accomplishing certain tasks at all.

Think of it this way. You would store expensive (sometimes irreplaceable) items in a backpack and strap it on, right? So how is a baby carrier any different? Granted, your baby is the most precious “merchandise” you’re ever going to strap on your back, but it’s ok to use a baby carrier!

After having a baby, a parent can end up a little out of shape due to all of the limitations a pregnancy poses on one’s lifestyle (also due to the natural changes that happen in a mother’s body while pregnant). A baby carrier allows you to be active and walk about outdoors without holding the baby directly in your arms.

To address the earlier issue of how a baby carrier could cause a baby to feel less nurtured, there is a solution for this. Some baby carriers can be strapped onto the front of your body so that you can see, talk to, and otherwise interact with your baby. Again, all this while still having both hands free to do other things.

It is important when using a baby carrier to exhibit caution. This is true with any device you utilize with regards to childcare. Make sure your baby carrier is affixed properly and securely before you move around. Each baby carrier is a little different. So always read the instructions included very carefully and thoroughly before using a baby carrier.

To ensure you have found the best baby carrier do some research online if possible. Discover which baby carriers are rated to be the most safe and comfortable. Look at professional opinions, but also consider the comments left by other mothers. Major website retailers which offer baby carriers have reviews and commentary at the bottom of the product listing for their baby carriers. Read these and check out the ratings!

Once you find the right baby carrier, use it wisely and only use one when it’s truly needed.

As the oldest of six children, Zach Thompson has held more than one baby! A Soft baby carrier can help make the baby feel light and keep your hands free.

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There are huge lists of reasons you may decide to create photo books, but there is one that many people will want to create. If like most parents and grand parents you have hundreds of pictures of your baby’s first year of life you may wish to find a suitable way of documenting all of the baby events in a chronological order. Baby photo books are fantastic way of keeping all of your favourite photos in a special place. Within your photo book you can document all milestone events and add text to special events such as christenings.

The hardest part of organising your baby photo book is getting started, but once you have organised which photos you wish to use the rest is pretty easy. One good idea is to place all of the photos you want to use in one folder on your computer so they are easily accessible when you need to upload them to the site that is creating your photo books.

‘Before and after’ is a great theme idea for your photo book and really easy to make, why not take pictures of your baby’s nursery before the arrival and show how clean and calm things are! You can then focus all of your pictures on the preparation of your newborn, normally you may not have taken pictures like this and your book will show memories you may have otherwise lost.

Then you can start to document the chaos your bundle of joy has created since their arrival, once it is all placed together in the photobook you will find the contrast looks rather good and fun. You then need to start taking pictures of all close relatives and friends and their first meeting with the baby. This is a great idea for your photo books and once your child has grown up they will be able to see everyone holding them when they were born.

If you like to get creative with your photos then try to take pictures that accentuate the details parent’s love about the baby. How small their little toes are, the first teeth that come through, first proper outfit that is brought for them, their hospital ID, stuffed toys that they are given and note down things such as first words that you can at a later date add as text to the photo book.

Lastly, why not add photos of yourself as a baby to your photo book, photos can easily be scanned into the computer and then added to your other pictures. This is a lovely way of showing the similarities in the generations and keeping your precious photos in a safe place forever.

Dominic Donaldson is an expert in photography.
Find out more about Photo Books and how the services available can create amazing digital photography gifts.

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An infant carrier can be very handy. Considering getting one? Here are some things to keep in mind.

First of all, safety is always important. There is nothing wrong with using an infant carrier. However, you should always use caution when you use one. Make sure that your infant carrier is strapped on securely before you move around with one. That is obvious, granted, but in order to do this you must read and implicitly follow the instructions included with your infant carrier.

Infant carriers are handy to help you get things done around the house. Let’s say you want to do dishes or walk around and use the phone or do laundry. You can strap on your infant carrier and get things done. One of the greatest advantages is that an infant carrier that attaches on your back frees you up to haul larger objects like laundry baskets.

If you use an infant carrier that mounts to your front, you still have use of both hands and can interact with the baby while staying productive. There is no hurry to get overly active while you are nursing and your baby is young. But at some point you want to feel more mobile while not leaving your infant unattended. An infant carrier presents just the solution for this need.

Going out for a walk to get some fresh air or taking a stroll through the park are so much easier with an infant carrier. A stroller can be handy as well. One thing that’s nice about an infant carrier, though, is that it allows you to burn extra calories while you go about your day. This obviously is not the reason one would use an infant carrier in the first place, but it sure is a nice bonus!

An infant carrier isn’t just for mom, either. Even dad (and other family members) can get in on the infant carrier action! If you keep the baby with you, he or she will feel more loved, nurtured, involved and included.

Also, an infant carrier allows the child to see and experience a wider variety of surroundings (as opposed to staying sedentary until he or she learns to crawl and walk). This aspect of using an infant carrier increases the child’s desire to become mobile more quickly, makes him or her more curious about (and fascinated) by the world around us, and could even positively impact his or her intelligence. Mental stimulation (particularly of the visual) at an early age has been shown to significantly increase intellectual development.

Choose an infant carrier carefully. When you select your infant carrier, look up reviews of that particular brand and model. You’ll want to find an infant carrier that has the most comfort and durability. This is hard to gauge simply based on a product description. That’s why infant carrier reviews are a good reference in your search. You can get an idea of what other parents thought of the one you are considering for purchase.

As the oldest of six children, Zach Thompson has held more than one baby! Comfortable Infant Carriers can determinately make the baby feel light and keep your hands free.

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