This is important because it will give you a chance to see what the room looks like that you will be staying in, meet some of the nurses, and see where the baby will be when the nurses are giving them baths.

More importantly,  this is a great time to tell them if you plan on using any pain medication, and who you plan on allowing in the room as you give birth.  If there is anyone in particular that you do not want to come and visit, this is the time to tell them.

It can be hard for the father to feel like they are getting the bonding time with your new baby that you are getting. He may even feel a little left out. I’m going to give you some tips to help with this.

The first and most obvious one is to pump when you have extra milk. This way you can bottle it and this will allow the daddy to do some of the feedings too!

Another way is to let your husband do the burping. This way the feeding is more of a team effort. You do the feeding and he does the burping. He will be able to rub your baby’s back for about 5 minutes or so to try and get a burp, but it will also be a great bonding time for them. This will also allow you to get some rest.

The last one is when you start your baby on solids, involve dad. It could just be that you are so used to doing all of the feedings that you don’t think about having that extra help.

Some dads really do want to be involved, but just don’t know how to going about asking. They may feel like you are the only one that can do the feedings since you supply the milk, so it may be up to you to get that ball rolling, and in the end everyone will be happier!

This is actually a pretty common question, and there are a few different answers.  First thing is if you see any changes that your dog is going to have to make when the baby gets here start changing now.  If you wait for the baby to be born before you make those changes there is a good chance that the dog will blame the baby for these changes.

An example of some changes would be does your dog sleep in the bed with you, is he/she snappy, and does he/she jump on you?  It will be the most difficult with a dog that is used to being the center of attention.

Other things that you will need to do will be to make the baby’s room off limits and slowly train your dog how to act in baby’s room.  Also teach your dog the difference between baby toys and doggy toys.

Plan ahead, hire someone to come over and walk your dog for the first little while when your baby is born.  This will help you to have some alone time with your baby without worrying about your pup, and will give your pup some time to run around!

A lot of this depends on the child.  In general I would say around 18 months, but if your child tends to put things in his/her mouth, ears, or nose I would suggest waiting a little bit longer.

When you do decide to give it a try use the non-toxic brands, this way if a piece does make it to the mouth it wont be that bad.

Only allow your child to use the clay with an adult that is paying very close attention, just like with anything else you never know what could happen.

This really depends on the child.  After looking up some information I found that most babies are beginning to burp on their own anywhere from 4 to 9 months, with the majority being at around 6 months.

If you think that your baby is starting to burp on their own simply just stop trying.  If you notice that he/she starts spitting up more, or getting more gassy than normal, you may want to go back to burping your baby.

It may be that your baby is burping on their own, but if you don’t think he/she is but he/she is doing fine without you burping her/him, it may be that they are just swallowing less air while eating.

You should ask what type of curriculum that the preschool uses. There are many different kinds, then ask why they use that particular curriculum. My favorite out of the ones that I have reviewed has been High/Scope.

I like it because it is about teaching children through active learning. Kids are more likely to remember something that they learned through playing.

In the High/Scope Philosophy it states: “Young children build or “construct” their knowledge of the world. That means learning is not simply a process of adults giving information to children. Rather, children participate actively in the leaning process. They discoverer things through direct experience with people, objects, events, and ideas.”

*From the book: Essentials of Active Learning in Preschool. Getting to know the High/Scope Curriculum, by Ann S. Epstein, Ph.D.*

Not necessarily.  In any labor if the plan is to give birth naturally, it is hard to guarantee that will happen.  Here are some things that you should know and some to discuss with your doctor about wanting to try for a natural child birth.

• You have only one low, side-to-side scar from a previous C-section.
• You have had 2 cesareans before, but you have also had a vaginal delivery.
• The hospital has prepared to do a C-section just is case.
• You there is no reason to do C-section in this pregnancy, such as a placenta previa.

Vaginal birth would not be considered safe if any of the following are true:

• Two previous scars from C-section, and had never given birth vaginally before.
• If there is any scaring above the thinner, lower part of your uterus.
• More than three scars from previous C-sections.

I hope that this helps you, and good luck with your next birth.  I think you have as good as a chance as anyone else.

I think that too much TV for anyone isn’t the greatest things because if your inside watching TV your not out doing other things, just as running around or even learning how to entertain yourself.  I let Alex watch some of his favorite shows, such as Sesame Street and Super Why, things that are educational.  What I have noticed that I do and I’m really trying to get out of the habit of, is having the TV on when we aren’t watching it.  Then we just end up sitting in front of it even we don’t want to be.   If this is the same thing that you are doing, try replacing it with music!  Get up and dance with your baby/toddler!  This is much more fun for any child, and gives more movement to everyone involved!

TV isn’t a bad thing, but too much of it could be.  It is really important for children to be able to occupy themselves.  One of the best ways to help them learn this is less TV.  So if there is nothing that is worth watching turn it off and play play play!!

This is similar to a birth plan, just at home. Many new mom’s and dad’s would love to spend the first couple of days at home alone bonding with their newborn instead of passing them around. If you have a coming home plan you can let all of your family and friends know in advance that they will be more than welcome to see the new baby after a few days to adjust to being at home with the parents.

When doing a coming home plan it is also a great time to stock your house for the things that you will need when you get home for the hospital to save yourself unwanted trips to the store.

No, you don’t have to invite every child just because you went to their parties. You really don’t want to overwhelm your baby especially on the first party. Invite kids that your child plays with and has fun with, I also invite their parents. Alex is still pretty young and I couldn’t handle a party and a lot of kids with just me and Lucas, other parents are great because it is another set of eyes. I still stick to close family and friends when it comes to birthday parties.