When presented with her newborn, the new mum may be exhausted and the last thing she wants is to have anyone else poking at her. The result? All her good intentions to breastfeed become overshadowed when a bottle is produced and the exhausted mum is told that she can try to give a breastfeed later on in the day!

To stand the best chance of successfully breastfeeding, pregnant women need to prepare during their pregnancy. Successful breastfeeding results from careful planning. And the most important way to successfully breastfeed is to give the newborn baby a breastfeed within half an hour of her birth! Not later on!

Being committed to breastfeeding, but not placing too much pressure on oneself, can work wonders! If a new mum pressurises herself she is likely to end up feeling stressed and, as a result, will be more like to give up breastfeeding early. Having a new baby is stressful enough! By preparing to breastfeed whilst you are still pregnant, you will feel more relaxed about it when the baby is born.

The following will certainly aid you in your breastfeeding experience:

Join a Breastfeeding Support Group to chat to new and experienced breastfeeding mums. Ask questions about breastfeeding and enquire if you can watch some babies being offered the breast.

Observe how each baby is put on the breast.

Look at how different mums hold their babies. Getting the right position is essential to avoid early problems.

Also ask for advice about breastfeeding friendly shops and changing facilities!

Read books, magazines or online articles, to find out as much as you can about breastfeeding successfully.

Get measured for a nursing bra when you are around 38 weeks pregnant. Many baby stores now offer this service. Try a few different styles to find one that is comfortable. Also purchase a couple of night-time nursing bras.

Nursing pads are essential for absorbing leaks and avoiding embarrassing stains!

Nursing shells can be very useful on nights out, as they will catch leaks. Or you can use them during breastfeeding to collect milk from the breast not being used, storing the milk for later use.

Nipple Creams can help soothe sore nipples.

Front-opening or Nursing Nightdresses or Pyjamas can make it easier to breastfeed at night.

Loose- fitting tops can be comfortable during the day. Try layering so that your back is not exposed when you are feeding. Or use a poncho or wrap if you feel anxious about breastfeeding in front of other people.

A Breast-pump is a fantastic investment as it can be used to collect milk for bottle feeds, making up first solids or when you are away from the baby to prevent engorgement or ease mastitis. Ask other mums to recommend one they liked.

A V-shaped Cushion can make breastfeeding more comfortable as it offers good support for mums back. Or a Nursing Pillow can be used to raise the baby up to a more comfortable height for mum.

A Steriliser is a compact way to keep baby utensils and breast-pump attachments clean and sterile.
Some mums find a Gliding chair very useful, particularly for night feeds.

If you are well prepared for breastfeeding there is no reason why you should not succeed.

Breast-milk is nature’s diet for babies; perfectly balanced for a great start to life.

First of all — forget what your mom told you about having you potty trained by the time you were eighteen months old. She probably just had herself trained to sit you on the toilet at regular intervals, which is not the same as being fully potty trained. It’s really best not to even think about potty training until your child is two. But, for most children, the right time will hit sometime between the ages of two and three.

When your child is ready to begin potty training, he will show an interest. He will begin to want to observe your toilet habits and will ask questions. Explain that big people go to the potty instead of using a diaper. Even if it makes you uncomfortable, let your child go to the bathroom with you and watch. If you have a son, make sure Daddy is taking him to the bathroom with him, too. Daddy will probably resist this, though I’m not really sure why, since public restrooms make public urination a regular occurrence for the average male! There are several good story books on the market about potty training that you can start reading to him your child at this stage, to help encourage an interest in going potty. There are books geared specifically to boys and those geared to girls, which is helpful.

Another good sign that your child is ready for potty training is his ability to pull his pants up and down by himself. If your child has mastered this step of dressing, potty training will go much more smoothly.

Another important physical sign of potty training readiness is the frequency with which your child urinates. If he is still wetting his diaper every half and hour or so, he is not ready. But, if he’s going one to two hours between wet diapers, then he is able to hold his urine, which is critical to being truly potty trained, at any age.

If you think your child is ready for potty training, check out my article in “Mommy to Mommy — the Truth About Taking Care Of Baby-, where I outline some potty training strategies designed to make this developmental hurdle as painless as possible, for you and the little one. You can pick up this book at http://www.educatedmother.com.

White: Predominently representing cleanliness and purity, white also symbolizes peace and joy. Rooms will feel larger and brighter because this color reflects 80% of light. Maybe not the most exciting color for a child’s room but could create a beautiful room when accented with a bright colorful kids bedding set and coordinating accessories.

Blue: Peace, wisdom and confidence are all affects of a room painted in a soft blue shade. This is a great color for either a baby nursery or for a kids bedroom because it produces a calming affect that prepares the body for sleep.

Green: A refreshing color that is known to reinforce self-esteem and suggest hope. Green is a very uplifting color for a teen bedroom because often that is the stage in life where they are feeling a lot of peer pressure and they need to really feel strong in their self-esteem.

Red: Bright reds increase desire, excitability and passion. Red can be used as an accent color to brighten up a room but is not recommended as a primary decor color. Especially for a child how may already struggle with having quiet times.

Purple: When darker shades of purple are used, they typically represent royalty, power, and luxury. However, these deep tones can also evoke feelings of sadness and frustration. Lighter shades create a more peaceful and nostalgic feeling and are often used in a girls bedroom.

Earth Tones: Greys, browns and beige are an excellent choice for hyperactive children. These colors represent warmth, comfort, and relaxation. The muted ground colors are best and would look great with a camouflage boys bedding set.

Whichever color you choose to paint your baby nursery, child room, or teen bedroom, the decision should be a fun one. Don’t over analyze, just try to take into consideration your child’s personality and also the furniture and space that you are working with. Put a lot of focus on the lighting in the room because natural vs false light makes and amazing amount of difference on the wall color.

Your budget is the first thing to consider when you are choosing from among the many different types of strollers. Stroller costs can range from $10 to $400 and higher. The lower end strollers are generally the light weight umbrella strollers.

These strollers are advantageous because they are easy to fold and can store almost anywhere. The features and quality of the stroller may increase as the prices increase. Strollers come with a variety of features and you must decide which ones are most important to you.

Do you prefer a regular stroller and a car seat or a convertible travel system? There are travel systems that come with a stay in the car base, an infant carrier/ car safety seat, and a stroller frame for the infant seat to which it is attached.

These are wonderful especially for your newborn baby. A play tray that has places for a bottle or juice cup come with strollers. Canopies with a vinyl window come with many strollers so you can keep an eye on the baby.

Many strollers come with easily applied footbrakes that are attached to the both rear wheels and some include a wrist strap break that is used with the foot break. It provides a bit of extra safety preventing the stroller from rolling away while you are stopped while you use have the strap on.

Many strollers are now coming with a parent tray that fits over the handlebar and a large storage basket under the seat(s). It has insets for a cup of coffee or a soda, your cell phone, keys, and a snack. Now on many strollers the handle bars are reversible and can be moved from front to rear or vice versa and they are height adjustable.

The reversible handle bars can help you to see your baby while he rides if necessary and the height adjustable feature is a great back saver. The seat must be considered next. Is the seat able to recline and if it is will your newborn be able to lie almost flat if it reclines enough.

Is the seat comfortable and well padded for your baby? Can you remove the seat padding to wash it? Most strollers that have blankets that attach under the seat are on the upper end. These blankets on your baby’s stroller like a bunting on wheels.

Rain hood can be detached and are used also to protect your baby from wind and harsh sunlight. The decision about your baby stroller has another twist. Your friend has a free almost brand new stroller that you can have.

She agrees to clean it and have it ready for you. Will it be a safe choice to use a used stroller for your baby? For you and your baby this could be a good choice but you will have to look over some things before your baby rides in it.

There should be cracks, dents, or gaps in the frame. Bolts and screws must all be in place Anything less could cause an accident, seriously injuring your baby. Are there any sharp spots on the frame? Are there screws sticking out that could cut your baby or that are loose?

The frame must be properly joined to the frame; is it? Do you need to check of leaks in the air pressure of the wheels or are they solid? The wheels; are they worn? The wheels, do they need replacing?

Are the wheels turning appropriately? The axels; are they straight? Do the brakes operate correctly by holding when they are applied? No matter if the seat is in straight us position or reclining position, does the seat hold? A seat that does not hold its place could cause serious injury to the baby.

Does the seat lining fit the frame properly and is it clean? A variety of options, styles and types of strollers are available. Strollers are available with multiple seats for two or more children.

There is a variety of seating arrangements including tandem and side by seating as well as stadium seating which a variation of tandem seating where the rear seat is higher than the front allowing the second child to see more than just the back of a head.

Jogging strollers have one large wheel out in front and two rear wheels. Multiple seating is also an option with jogging strollers. Whether the stroller is used or new! Enjoy outings with your child or children.

A baby shower party is simply not complete without games, fun, and prizes and gifts. Depending on your party theme and atmosphere you can plan some game events to make it enjoyable for kids and adults alike. A great start would be Baby Shower Bingo, which is just like normal Bingo. Instead of conventional bingo, it would have fun baby theme phrases. This is a game that each guest of all ages would love to play. You can always combine them with some other baby shower games for really fun a event.

Baby shower games otherwise come as blessings to the hosts who remain perpetually confused to what to do at a baby shower party. Some interactive and fun games keep the little ones engaged and entertained as well. Baby word scramble or tray memory games are fun and everybody would love to participate in them. Organizing these games is easy too.

Before the game starts, you can put 10 to 15 small baby items on a tray for the guests to have a look at. After taking them away in some other corner, change the arrangements or replace some items with another closely matching the previous one. Now bring them back, ask guests to identify the changes. On the right guess he or she wins that item. For example, you can initially keep some Pastel Baby Bottle Containers with pink tops but replace it with blue ones and so on.

If you organize some games for the kids, keep Vinyl Princess Rubber Duckys, whistles, pink or blue feather boa for all as a gift. They are inexpensive yet brings smile to innocent faces. Some White Rock Candy Sticks or lollipops are also great party treats

The rice and safety pins game is also quite popular. Here, you mix some small golden pins or other small glittery objects in a bowl filled with rice and ask the guests to find them all within a set time period.

Ask every invitee to bring a picture of themselves as a baby while coming for the party. Display them in a board and ask them to identify the one in the picture. The prize for the right guess can be Glass photo Coasters or photo frames.

Pass the Parcel or a musical chair can bring a fun atmosphere to the party. Wrap a small favor or gift in several pieces of paper by fastening each layer with tape. Each participant opens one layer and hands it over to the next. Whosoever opens the last layer gets the gift.