Taking Care of Twin Babies

Share

Parents especially mothers may be overwhelmed at the thought of taking care of twin babies. They know that one baby to attend to will take much of their time and energy but with two babies at the same time will require them to render twice the effort and twice the exhaustion to be felt. Mothers in this particular situation need more support aside from what their husbands may provide them.

Parents need to make some arrangements in this case especially while the mothers are still recovering. They may also try to check if their insurance plan would cover home visits from a nurse during the first days when the twin babies are brought home. Mothers have to be humble enough to accept that taking care of twin babies maybe beyond their capacity especially if they have to do it alone. They may enlist the help of friends and relatives who can spare a few hours to come and help them.

Mothers who choose to breastfeed their twin babies may also do so as they will have sufficient supply of breast milk to feed two babies. Simultaneous breastfeeding is possible as mothers can make use of twin nursing pillow. Taking care of twin babies is challenging and exciting as well. However, parents have to plan ahead of time and prepare themselves before their twins arrive home. While mothers are still pregnant, they can make their plans already. Accepting the help of others will make things easier when the time comes.

Other people may also be able to adjust their activities in time when they need to render their help to mothers who are taking care of twin babies. Mothers may also get more information about taking care of twin babies. They may be able to prepare all the things that they need before they give birth. They also have to talk to their husbands or partners especially when it comes to waking up during the night for feeding and changing diapers. Mothers may also be ready about the things that they have to do for their twin babies.

They will be tired most of the time but it is possible to take short naps when their babies are having theirs too. Taking care of twin babies may also bring some negative feelings as in the case of mothers who only have one baby to take care of. If there are older children at home, they can help too and this would also give the opportunity to build better bonding moments among all of the family members. There are lots of things to learn about taking care of twin babies but with some help, parents especially mothers will just be fine.

Share

Baby Talk

Share

There are various speech sounds that babies make such as babbling or cooing and these may be considered also as baby talk. It is interesting to know that babies around the world produce sounds that are more or less similar. Parents may just be very excited waiting for their real first baby words.

However, babies’ speech development may depend on the baby talk skills of both the babies and the adults around them.
Parents though have to understand that baby talk starts at birth through the non-verbal cues that their babies are manifesting. Babies smile, they cry and squirm and at times make faces like grimaces. These non-verbal cues tell parents of their emotions and their needs. Parents have to learn more about these types of first signs of baby talk so that they may be able to provide all of the needs of their babies.
There are also developmental tasks that parents should be aware of especially those that are related to speech development. The rate at which babies learn to communicate starting with their baby talk may vary from one baby to another. However, if parents observe that their babies are somewhat delayed in their speech development, they need to consult with their doctors to determine what is causing it. There may be problems with the parts of their speech organ that need to be dealt with medically.
Baby talk is improved by the time the babies are about three months old. They begin to coo especially when they are happy and playful. At six months, they should be able to babble different sounds although they are not yet able to associate it with any meaning.

They also start to respond when their names are being called. Baby talk is further enhanced when they reach 9 months old. They are now able to identify a few words that are used often like “no” or “bye-bye.” At 12 months old, they can already use a combination of consonant together with vowel sounds that they can form into simple words like “mama.” They also begin to understand very simple instructions.
Baby talk continues to develop as babies grow physically and mentally. When they are about 18 months old, babies are already able to say at least 10 simple words though they may have their own versions of the words that the adults use. At the age of 2, they can now put together words to form short phrases. They also start understanding not only the physical objects but simple abstract concepts as well.

As they grow, their baby talk advances as well and in time, they learn to communicate not only with a few words but are already able to completely comprehend what the adults around them are talking about.

Share

Caring for the Umbilical Cord of a Baby

Share

One of the things that a new mother has to learn is the caring for the umbilical cord of a baby. Mothers may not yet have any problem with their umbilical cords of their babies while they are still inside the womb. However, they will have to know how to take care of it as their babies are born. A new mother need to know a little more about her baby’s umbilical cord and she also need to learn what to do with it when she goes home with her baby.

After delivery, the umbilical cord of a baby is clamped and then it is cut by using a painless process. What will be left is a stump which will dry up and then fall on its own after several days. A new mother need to keep the stump always clean and dry and she must fold the diaper just below the stump to expose it to air and to prevent it from being soaked in urine. A new mother is also advised not to bathe her baby in the tub until the stump has fallen off. There might be some small blood that may be observed as it falls off though this is just normal not unless that she sees some heavy bleeding.

A new mother who is caring for the umbilical cord of a baby should never attempt to pull the stump even if there is only being held by a very fine thread. She will have to be patient and wait for it to just fall on its own.  There are times though that some flesh may still remain when the umbilical cord of a baby falls off. There is no need to worry as this will disappear in time or it may also be treated painlessly by a doctor.

Caring for the umbilical cord of a baby starts as the doctor swabs it with some antiseptic before putting a clamp on it. A mother is then instructed to swab it at least once or even twice a day with a cotton or gauze that is dipped in alcohol. However, there may be some doctors who would advice a new mother to just let it on its own to dry. If the baby is healthy and has a strong immune system, his or her umbilical cord will heal in a lesser time than expected. A new mother though has to consult her doctor immediately if she observes any sign of infection while she is caring for the umbilical cord of her baby.

Share