1.    Iron –Rich Cereals. This should be the first solid food type that your baby should try. Generally babies should be given solid foods at about four to six months of age. At about this time the babies iron supplies will be dwindling. This is why cereals such as rice, barley or oats, which are rich in iron, are the usual first solid food that the babies try. At the beginning you should try to mix the cereals up with breast milk, or formula, to give it a soup texture, but you shouldn’t sweeten it by adding things like mashed bananas or apple juice. If you do this form the beginning than the baby would want anything you give him or her to eat to be sweat. Rice is the most popular of these cereals but barley and oats are just as healthy; when it comes to wheat you should lay of it in the babies first year, because they can be allergic to it. Consistency wise, you should start with a very runny mixture, four parts milk, one part cereal, and than slowly, thicken the consistency.  So, iron-rich cereals with milk are the answer to the question what to feed your baby for the first time when it comes to solid foods.

2.    Puréed Fruits Or Vegetables. The next stage in the diet of baby will be t introduce fruits and vegetables. This should be done at around six to eight months of age. You might want to try with fruits and vegetables that don’t have very strong flavors, and gradually work your way thru. You will see that your baby is very picky at first, so you should be perseverant and try offering him or her, the same kind of fruit or vegetable over and over again at different times, until it gets used to it. You should start with mashed bananas, applesauce or pear purée. All of these fruit have a milder flavor, and your baby should take instantly to them. When it comes to vegetables you should start with orange or yellow colored ones, such as sweet potato or well-cooked carrots, and gradually work your way to the greens such as spinach or string beans. So, this is what to feed the baby after six months of age.

3.    Puréed Meat. After you get the baby used to eating some solid foods you should make the next step at around the age of eight months and introduce him or her to meat. You should start off with well cooked poultry, and boneless fish. Use a blender or any other way to ensure that your baby doesn’t need to chew a lot, because his teeth aren’t ready for that yet. Fish is very important in a baby’s diet because it is one of the principal foods that contain Omega-3, a fatty acid that has been linked to longevity and better brain function. You can also introduce the baby to beef or pork, because by now he will be curious to taste everything there is to taste. By this age you could also try giving the baby un-mashed pieces of ripe bananas, apple juice and you could even start them on pasta. Cow’s milk is of the table until the age of one, but things like soft pasteurized cheese, yogurt or cottage cheese get the green light. By the end of the baby’s first year the question of what to feed the baby gets a very simple answer: everything.

A baby’s diet is very important in the first year of his or her life. So you should be very careful, and consult with specialist about the right time to introduce certain foods. Every baby has its own distinctive personality, so no diet is going to be exactly alike. The foods I have mentioned above are the usual thing that doctors recommend, but you must always take into consideration your own babies particularities. 

Pregnancy means treating your body with more care because it isn’t just your life and health any more, but your babies as well. Many people tell you that there are some things that you shouldn’t do during pregnancy, and most of them are myths. There are however, valid scientific facts that strongly advise against certain foods or activities during pregnancy. I have made a short list of these facts bellow. I hope they can be of use and will help you have a strong, healthy, happy baby.

1.    Avoid raw meats and un-pasteurized milk or cheese products. Things like sushi or feta cheese should be of the table. They have chemicals that can affect the immune system when it is not at its full capacity, which is the case during pregnancy. You should always cook your meat products thoroughly, and give up for while blue vain chesses, or other soft chesses that haven’t been pasteurized. Liver should be consumed in limited amounts because it is very rich in vitamin A, which in large quantities can be damaging for the embryo. Also uncooked hot-dogs can be harmful. So, remember, eating raw meats or un-pasteurized cheese are definitely things you shouldn’t do during pregnancy.  

2.    Avoid dehydration. This is one of the problems that can occur during pregnancies. The doctor’s advice of drinking plenty of liquids should be adamant for all mothers. Dehydration can lead to a number of minor and major problems for your baby. So, you must avoid overheating, and most important of all drink plenty of water. You shouldn’t count on other liquids such as sodas, juices, or tea, because they can sometimes be counter-indicated for some women during pregnancy. Bottled water is the safest and in most cases the best way to re-hydrate.

3.    No alcohol. If you take anything away from this article than I hope it is this: consuming alcohol is the one thing you shouldn’t do during pregnancy, along with smoking. There is no safe amount of alcohol that you can consume during pregnancy. This is because alcohol freely passes thru the placenta. So if you’re drinking something, than your baby is as well. The risk of your baby suffering from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome goes up with every drink you take. And the effects of this illness are irreversible and will last for the baby’s entire life. This syndrome can cause birth defects, along with other problems involving decreased mental capacity, or physical disorders.  

4.    No smoking. I can’t be adamant enough about this: smoking will have grave implications on your baby’s health. As with alcohol, the placenta doesn’t filter all the damaging chemicals that you ingest while smoking. Second hand smoke is almost as dangerous, so you should definitely let people know, that no matter the occasion, smoking is not allowed in your house. Some of the effects of smoking are premature births, and babies that have low body weight at birth. Recreational drugs such as marijuana are also forbidden, even though some studies that are emerging place marijuana with a lower risk of causing illnesses in reference to tobacco and alcohol.

5.    Don’t drink excessive amounts of coffee. Studies have shown that low birth weight along with other minor problems of the fetus can be traced to excessive ingesting of caffeine. The limit should be around three cups of coffee a day, anything above that will be harmful for the baby. Caffeine can be found in sodas as well, along with other chemicals such as sweeteners that have been proven to cause cancer and affect a baby while still in the womb, if consumed in excessive quantities. This doesn’t man that you can’t have you’re regular diet Coke once in a while, the idea is not to over do it.  

6.    Pets are not such a good idea. It would be ideal if you could limit your contact with pets during your pregnancy. Every contact with an animal can be potentially dangerous. If you have a cat, let your partner take care of the kitty litter, because there is a chance of infection with toxoplasmosis. You should take more precautions in order to protect yourself from tick bites. They are a carrier of lyme disease that can be exacerbated during pregnancy. So getting a pet to celebrate the future addition to the family is definitely one of the things you shouldn’t do during pregnancy. 

There are many other things you shouldn’t do during pregnancy, but these I believe are the essential. If you are a drinker or a smoker, I’m afraid you will have to make a choice: your baby or your addiction, because the two can’t mix during pregnancy, because the risks of illness for your fetus are just too big. So the main thing you need to remember is that having a healthy diet and a healthy way of life will ensure the best chances for having a healthy, happy baby.  

With more and more super foods appearing on the market each day, a real concern for women has become what to eat during pregnancy. I am against the strict diet of only this or only that. I believe that a healthy diet is a balanced one, with no excesses of any sort, and all the food groups taken into consideration. Of course you shouldn’t eat fast food or something similar because it has been proven that it is not good for you, but this doesn’t mean that you should be paranoid about it and not take a bite once in a while if you really crave it. The only key word is moderation, never an excess of anything, and you should be just fine. Having said that, let’s take a look at some of the most recommended foods that can have a positive effect on you during labor.

1.      Foods that contain folic acid. In the first three months of pregnancy and preferably before getting pregnant, a high intake of folic acid is necessary. This is part of the B vitamin category and it is also known as B9. The folic acid has an important role in developing the fetus’s nervous system. The folic acid is believed to prevent certain tube defects such as spin bifida and others. Folic acid can be found in such foods as: green vegetables, fruit, lentils, and orange juice, peas, rice, and barley beans. To get its full effect, pregnant woman need to take a four hundred microgram supplement of folic acid a day for about two months before the pregnancy, and three during. You should consider foods that contain folic acid if you are wondering what to eat during pregnancy.

2.      Iron rich foods. Iron is one of the key components in creating additional supplies of blood in order to provide nutrition to the placenta.  Iron can be absorbed much easier by the body if it is taken in conjunction with vitamin C, either as a supplement or from citric fruits and juice. Iron can be found in green vegetables such as broccoli or spinach, in strawberries, or muesli. You should also know that tea and coffee affect the intake of iron in the body. If you’ve had a healthy diet before your pregnancy and you are not anemic than iron supplements aren’t absolutely necessary. If not you should take iron supplements from the 20^th week of pregnancy. You might also want to know that these iron supplements may cause constipation. Still, a bigger dose of iron in your diet is definitely something worth considering if you want to know what to eat during pregnancy.   

3.      Sugar rich and fatty foods. Contrary to almost all diets, during pregnancy you should have a high intake of fat and sugar, because they are very rich in calories which you would need. Things like ice cream, chips, pastries cake, can be on your regular menu, but it is necessary to remember the golden rule: never in excess. If you eat this kind of sugary, fatty foods with moderation, than you won’t get the problems associated with them such as tooth decay, or high cholesterol level and weight gain. If you can, you should limit the amount of saturated fat intake and focus more o unsaturated fats that can be found in fish oil, avocados, walnuts, seeds, and sunflower or olive oil.

4.      Healthy snacks. For the cravings in between meals it is important to focus on other types of snacks other than just sugar and fat rich foods. This is why you should consider having one of these kind of sandwiches laying around the house: dairy products with less fat such as low fat yogurt that also helps with digestive problems; salads with lots of vegetables especially celery, carrot or cucumber, breakfast cereals such as corn flakes and other unsweetened verities; baked potatoes, or baked beans on bread; berries which are incredibly nutritious, and other ready to eat fruit such as figs or apricots.

5.      Calcium and zinc. These minerals are very important for the developing embryo as well. You can consider food supplements, but if you follow a varied diet you should have enough minerals.

I have already told you the golden rule about what to eat during pregnancy and that is nothing in excess. At the same time you should get blood and other types of tests on a regular basis to make sure every parameter is normal. If you have any deficiencies in any of the nutrients I have mentioned above than you should consider taking supplements. As well as knowing what you’re body needs when you are pregnant you should also know what it doesn’t need, and an example of that is vitamin A in excess, so you should limit your intake of liver, which is very rich in this vitamin, that can prove damaging for the embryo.

Many mothers and nanny’s have their own tips for baby care. It is pretty hard to make a general rule about what the best tips are because they depend very much on the personality of the baby and how it responds to you. I have tried to make a short list of what I consider to be the most useful tips for baby care, and I hope they can be of help to you. Remember that the only tip you really need to know is to love your baby unconditionally.

1.      Swaddling. This is comfort to many newborn babies. It reminds them of being in their mother’s whom. The thing you should watch out for if your going to swaddle your baby is overheating. A baby should be dressed in the same number of layers as adults plus one thinner layer, so don’t over do it with the bundling up. I need to point out that swaddling can make most babies feel at ease and comfortable while others might get irritated. So as I said before, this is one of those bay care tips that depend very much on the newborn’s personality.

2.      Give the baby a lot of care and attention. In opposition to how you should behave with a young child who will take advantage, if you spoil him, with a baby you have nothing to worry about from this issue. There is no such thing as spoiling your baby. When they are this young they need to know that you will be there for them no matter what. So you should always comfort and cuddle your baby when it is crying. Of course, because this will happen pretty often, and you might be in the middle of doing something important, there is no harm done in letting your baby cry as long as it doesn’t happen often.

3.      Get a swing. Many people worry that a swing will be too much spoiling for the baby. Trust me, if your baby is having problems sleeping in his crib, but manages to fall asleep easily in his swing than, this is a very good solution for you. Swings are not dangerous, so for the first few months I believe this is a welcome help for you. I must point out that you should never leave your baby to sleep overnight in a swing or unattended, because there is a concern about breathing issues if the baby curls up. So if your baby likes it than getting a swing is one of the best tips for baby care.

4.      Make a bedtime routine. Trying to establish a bedtime routine can prove to be an extremely good idea in order to spend as much quality time as you can with your baby. It will make him aware and prepare him for sleep, and it will be something they will be looking forward to. A good idea for a bedtime routine is telling stories to your baby. Combining sleep with a pleasurable activity such as being read to will ensure that your baby will get all the rest he needs, even if sometimes, he can be a little fussy. Another thing you could use for a bed time routine is giving the baby a bath before sleep and playing with him.

5.      Use a pacifier. I have heard that some parents consider this form of comforting as being   inadequate, and will not use it on their babies. Scientific studies suggest that a third of all babies find the pacifier as a great comfort, so I can’t see the reason why not to use it. If your baby doesn’t like one pacifier you might want to try different brands and eventually you might find the right one.

6.      TV and PC. I believe that playtime should be an active experience and the PC or game consoles should never take the place of real toys. Having said that I believe that there is no problem with introducing babies to technology, because they will learn to use it very fast. Of course, you should never exaggerate and make shore that your baby doesn’t end up for to much time in front of the TV or monitor. Also you shouldn’t let your baby watch TV for an hour before sleep, because this will affect their normal restful sleep.

There are many tips for baby care. I have written down what I think are the most important. And if you should remain only with one thing from reading this article than it should be this: nothing can substitute a mother or a father’s love. So make sure you make time to spend with your baby. This is the only way to have a perfect, loving relationship.  

1)     See a doctor. One of the first things to try to get pregnant is to see your doctor. That seems pretty straight forward, doesn’t it, but it’s surprising how few couples do this, and they do it only after they have been trying for a while to have child. I believe this is the first step you need to take in order to get pregnant. Make sure that everything is ok, both for you and your partner. Sexually transmitted disease, poor hygiene, or some minor infections can easily prevent getting pregnant. So, first thing’s first: see the doctor and get the thumbs up.

2)     Have sex at least three times a week. Knowing when you’re ovulating is an important step in trying to get later, and there are several ways to do this, but we will get to that soon enough. The idea is that you need to have intercourse on a regular basis in order to increase your chances. There are many methods of telling when you will be ovulating but you will find out that sometimes you will not be ovulating when you think you are. This is why you should not just have sex when ovulating, although otherwise it will not result in pregnancy, but since you can’t be a hundred per cent shore when that time is, you should cover all your basis and have sex at least three times a week.

3)     Find out when you are ovulating. There are many methods to do this, and in order to increase your chances of getting pregnant it is a very big help. The most basic method used for telling when you should be ovulating is the calendar method. I strongly advise against it because it relies on the fact that you will always have a twenty-eight day cycle, which is not always the case. This method suggests that you should begin ovulation around the fourteenth day of the cycle. A more reliable form of knowing when you are ovulating is the so called ovulation prediction kits. They work by measuring surges in a hormone called LH that happen prior to ovulation. They are pretty easy to use and are generally accurate, but probably the most reliable tool in the field is the fertility monitor. It to works by measuring spikes in LH but it correlates them with levels of other hormones in your body. At the same time they are very user friendly, so you can get used to them very fast.  Finding out when you’re ovulating is one of the first things to try to get pregnant.

4)     Have sex before ovulation. The egg of the female is only viable for 24 hours, so the window to get pregnant is very small. In order to increase your chances have sex a day or to before when you should be ovulating because the sperm can live from three up to five days. If you put all your eggs in one basket sort of speak, you may end up missing the opportunity to get pregnant.

5)     Have pleasurable sex. Recent studies have shown that your psychological state is connected to your ability to get impregnated. If you enjoy having sex, than there are more chances of getting a baby, so don’t map everything out, and synchronize schedules in order to have sex in exactly the right time in order to have a baby. Keep some romance, and don’t forget foreplay. It will actually increase your chances of getting pregnant. So, actually enjoying sex is one of the things to try to get pregnant.

There are many things to try to get pregnant, but there are no full proof solutions. Some so called solutions have no scientific basis, and are mostly myths, but there are a lot of things that you need to try before even considering the fact that you won’t be able to have a baby. Advances in medicine are making some things possible today, that others wouldn’t even dream of decades ago, such as in vitro fertilization, or surgeries that make people with infertility in their genes, fertile again. So if, you really ant a child never give up, because there is bound to be a solution right behind the next corner, for any problem.