baby monitor?

dirty4dirt

Any suggestions for a decent one for under 100? The reviews I've read in the $50 range haven't been great but any suggestions would be helpful.
I was looking at just a traditional monitor. I would like to spend under $50. Its hard to go by alot of reviews online because most people live in subdivisions with alot of activity.. I dont. I live in the boonies hah.. so maybe interference wouldnt be as bad..

Answer
I have the Graco Ultra Clear II Monitor with Nightlight. It was about $29 and I've been using it for 10 months with minimal problems. It gets really good reviews considering it's priced so low. Once or twice I have gotten a little static sound from it but it went away quickly and only came from the part I keep downstairs (basically the part that is upstairs with the sleeping baby has never had that problem). I do a lot of product research before I buy and it seems when it comes to non-video monitors even the pricey ones have problems.

Whats the best baby monitor under 50 bucks?

Sweetest S

We are hoping to find one that will work well in my 2 bedroom apartment that's not fuzzy. We just recently purchased a safety 1st monitor from walmart and its horrible! I couldn't imagine sleeping with all the fuzz.

Answer
I think i have the same one as the women above BUT i don't really recommend it. MOst of the times it's great but sometimes it's horrible. I think it catches signal from cell phones or even computers because even BEFORE my phone sounds off when i receive a text message the monitor makes a fuzzy light beeping noise. I actually still like it thought because it came with 2 portable monitors and the one to put in your baby's room has a night light that you can leave on or turn off. I paid $30 for it. Here it is: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7977222

I would assume that the newer Fisher Price monitor but the one that comes with only 1 works better, this one: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10727389

Also the lights light up red when there's sound and that's what i liked the most about it! When i thought i heard something i would just wait to see the red lights and that's how i knew if it was my son or not.

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Whats the best Digital Baby Monitor for under $50?

best baby monitor under $50 image

hoffmancha

We are looking for a good digital baby monitor for under $50. What are our options and are there any reviews on them.

Answer
I know you said under $50, but the iMonitor is the best on the market currently - and it's only $10 more. I have one and the reception is great anywhere in my 2-story house.

The iMonitor is by Graco - you can search for it here:
http://www.target.com It has wonderful reviews.

What us a good schedule and ideas for babysitting?

taimie

I will be babysitting 2 girls aged 4&2. They are very well behaved.

Answer
I babysit all ages (at the moment it varies from 7 month to 14 years) for all hours and generally stick to the same routine for all...

08.00 - Waking up and independent play while I prepare breakfast
08.15 - All sit at the table to eat breakfast
08.45 - Cleaning up from breakfast
08.50 - Getting washed and dressed
09.00 - Watch TV
09.30 - Painting or colouring activity
10.00 - Go for a walk (whatever the weather)
11.00 - Wash up from the walk
11.15 – All sit at the table for snacks
11.30 - Board game or jigsaws
12.00 - Independent play while I prepare lunch
12.30 – All sit at the table for lunch
13.00 - Outdoor play for over 2’s and put under 2’s down for a nap
13.30 - Craft activity
14.30 – Wake up the napping children and read together
15.00 – All sit at the table for snacks
15.15 - Educational tasks
15.45 - Independent play
16.00 - Group game
17.00 - Independent play while I prepare dinner
17.30 – All sit at the table for dinner
18.00 - Watching a film
18.30 - Bath time for under 10's and over 10's continue with the film
19.00 - Bedtime for under 5's and over 5's return to film
19.30 - Reading with over 5's
20.00 - Bedtime for 5-10's and reading with over 10-12's and TV for over 12’s
20.30 - Bedtime for under 12’s and reading for over 12’s
21.00 – Bed time for under 14’s.

You can then spend the rest of your evening ensuring the house is cleaned up from the days activities and that the children remain in their beds.

Independent play – This is when you leave the children to play by themselves, keep them within eye shot and supervise what they are doing but allow them to explore their own imagination. Two and five year old girls will usually play make believe something still and quiet. This is your opportunity to catch your breath from the day and to get on with the other chores you need to do.

Go for a walk – No matter what the weather is you should always get the kids outside! This is important because children need fresh air and when they are trapped inside they become more easily agitated and bored. Don’t forget to wrap them up warm if it is raining or take a hat of it is sunny. You may consider collecting leave, pine cones, etc to create a nature collage at your afternoon craft project.

Outdoor play – If you have napping children then remember to take a baby monitor into the garden with you and to leave their bedroom window open in case they wake up. Outdoors you should get the kids running around to wear them out, play with a ball or race them around etc.

Educational tasks – This could include a worksheet you have printed off the internet (Just Google “kid’s worksheets” and you’ll find tonnes) or a colour matching game for younger children.

Group game – This is also important a good game is a treasure hunt, or hide and seek, something everyone can do together.

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Whats the best baby monitor under 50 bucks?

best baby monitor under $50 image

Sweetest S

We are hoping to find one that will work well in my 2 bedroom apartment that's not fuzzy. We just recently purchased a safety 1st monitor from walmart and its horrible! I couldn't imagine sleeping with all the fuzz.

Answer
I think i have the same one as the women above BUT i don't really recommend it. MOst of the times it's great but sometimes it's horrible. I think it catches signal from cell phones or even computers because even BEFORE my phone sounds off when i receive a text message the monitor makes a fuzzy light beeping noise. I actually still like it thought because it came with 2 portable monitors and the one to put in your baby's room has a night light that you can leave on or turn off. I paid $30 for it. Here it is: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7977222

I would assume that the newer Fisher Price monitor but the one that comes with only 1 works better, this one: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10727389

Also the lights light up red when there's sound and that's what i liked the most about it! When i thought i heard something i would just wait to see the red lights and that's how i knew if it was my son or not.

How much does it cost the first year to raise a baby and other questions.?

Katie-Lynn

I am not pregnant. This is a protect for school.

What is the annual cost the first year to raise a baby?

Second question. Im going to give you a list of newborn items. Tell me which items are TRULY NECESSARY.

Crib
diaper changing table
rocking chair
baby monitor
baby bathtub
bottles
bottle brush
bottle drying rack
baby swing
pacifiers
infant bouncer
swaddling blanket
play mat
play pen
carseat

Answer
Crib
Carseat
Bottles
Swaddling blanket
Play mat (can be used on floor as changing mat too)
These are the basic basic needs for me. You can get by without the others but not these.

The annual costs for a baby each year is different for every person. Some woman breast feed which is cheaper than formula. Others use cloth diapers which are cheaper than disposable etc.
I bought a pack of 15 reusable pea pod diapers for $70. These can be used from newborn right up to 3 years, so I only bought 1 pack of disposable diapers during the first year, to see what was better. Diapers are about $10 (new Zealand dollars) a pack. Babies go through about 5-10 nappies each day in the first few weeks, and then about 3-5 a day from around 4 months to a year. So do the math and it'll give you an approximate answer (get the price of diapers from your local supermarket).
If breast fed, it cost nothing. I breast fed, but I also bought a breast pump and baby bottles for $150 in case baby needed to be left with another person etc. if formula feeding, do some research online on the average formula used a month, and then times that by 12 (12 months in a year) get a price from your local supermarket.
Clothes- this depends on where you buy from etc, but I spent about $800 on all clothes up to 12 months. (including shoes, socks, togs, pyjamas etc)
I spent about $20 or so on baby shampoo, soap and powder every 6 or so weeks, so that's about $180 a year.
I bought baby towels and facecloths before my baby was born and they lasted right up until she was four. I spent $30 on 5 towels and a couple packs of facecloths.
Bibs- got given some at baby shower, but bought a few packs for $20 around about, these lasted the whole time needed.
Bassinet/Moses basket - needed for first 8 weeks, cost me $80
Crib- needed up until about 2- cost me $250
Stroller- needed up until about 3- cost me $150
Car seat- Bought a seat that was used from birth til 4 years. Cost $150
Blankets, sheets, duvets for crib- got given some at baby shower but probably costs about $100 for a couple pairs of sheets, blankets etc
Swaddling blankets- needed for first few weeks (I used them but not necessary) depending on brand etc but I got a few muslin wraps for $30.
Baby bath- optional, but I used one. $30
Medication such as baby Tylenol, gripe water, teething gel, teething powder etc about $50 all up the first year (depends)
Baby food- baby cereals, rusks, custards and other tinned foods probably about $90 a month (depends how much food baby eats. This price is based on my baby who at 7 months ate 2 tins a day, at $1.50 each) I also bought veggies and meat, and puréed these myself for baby. (this price will depend, as some babies don't start real food until a year old) my girl at 10-12 months was eating the same foods as I was.
Some people will put their children into childcare, this is another cost.
Where I live, medical attention for under 5's is free, but many people will have to pay for this as well.
Hope I haven't forgotten anything :)
Hope I helped!

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How can i get rid of ants? help me please.?

best baby monitor under $50 image

eliteway13

okay i have tried all the products and all the remedies on yahoo answers. still no help. im already thinking about moving. i have never had this problem before. my house is really infested with ants. it is the sweet lovong ants. the ones that are brown. they are every were on my computer on my monitor right now under the bed on the sink i mean every were and in millions.

Answer
Those kind of ants HATE baby powder...try sprinkling that around, it should get rid of them soon or you can use a mixture of 50/50 water and vinegar and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the surface with the solution several times a day. Ants guide themselves with their scent. Vinegar has a natural chemical that alters ants' scent and which ants avoid. OR this one may sound crazy but...outside set a pop can with a tiny bit of pop left in it. They will end up going there instead of the home.

How to help a pregnant friend?

Rowan's Mo

I just found out my friend that's 3 months pregnant is in danger. She has a mass growing in or around her uterus (not sure exactly I heard this from my mom, whom she works with.) They are going to have to remove the baby at 6 months because of it. Is there any way I can reassure her that the baby should be fine and she will be too, without sounding like a liar?
I mean I'm sure the baby will be fine but I'm worried that if it's a cancerous mass and they can't do anything about it for 3 more months that I may lose her.

Answer
The baby is going to be very sick and will need to be in the NICU. The NICU is designed to provide an atmosphere that limits stress to the infant and meets basic needs of warmth, nutrition, and protection to assure proper growth and development. Due to many recent advances, more than 90% of premature babies who weigh 800 grams or more (a little less than 2 pounds) survive. Those who weigh more than 500 grams (a little more than 1 pound) have a 40% to 50% chance of survival, although their chances of complications are greater
Premature babies lack the body fat necessary to maintain their body temperature, even when swaddled with blankets. Therefore, incubators or radiant warmers are used to keep the babies warm. Incubators are made of transparent plastic, and they completely surround an infant to keep him or her warm, decrease the chance of infection, and limit water loss. Radiant warmers are electrically warmed beds open to the air. These are used when the medical staff needs frequent access to the baby for care.
Premature babies have special nutritional needs because they grow at a faster rate than full-term babies and their digestive systems are immature. Neonatologists (pediatricians who specialize in the care of newborns) measure their weight in grams, not pounds and ounces. Full-term babies usually weigh more than 2,500 grams (about 5 pounds, 8 ounces), whereas premature babies weigh anywhere from about 500 to 2,500 grams.
Premature infants are prone to a number of problems, mostly because their internal organs aren't completely ready to function on their own. In general, the more premature the infant, the higher the risk of complications.
A common treatable condition of premature babies is hyperbilirubinemia, which affects 80% of premature infants. Infants with hyperbilirubinemia have high levels of bilirubin, a compound that results from the natural breakdown of blood. This high level of bilirubin causes them to develop jaundice, a yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes. Although mild jaundice is fairly common in full-term babies (about 60%), it's much more common in premature babies. Extremely high levels of bilirubin can cause brain damage, so premature infants are monitored for jaundice and treated quickly, before bilirubin reaches dangerous levels. Jaundiced infants are placed under special lights that help the body eliminate bilirubin. Rarely, blood exchange transfusions are used to treat severe jaundice.
Apnea is another common health problem among premature babies. During an apnea spell, a baby stops breathing, the heart rate may decrease, and the skin may turn pale, purplish, or blue. Apnea is usually caused by immaturity in the area of the brain that controls the drive to breathe. Almost all babies born at 30 weeks or less will experience apnea. Apnea spells become less frequent with age.
Low blood pressure is a relatively common complication that may occur shortly after birth. It can be due to infection, blood loss, fluid loss, or medications given to the mother before delivery. Low blood pressure is treated by increasing fluid intake or prescribing medications. Infants who have low blood pressure due to blood loss may need a blood transfusion.
One of the most common and immediate problems facing premature infants is difficulty breathing. Although there are many causes of breathing difficulties in premature infants, the most common is called respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). In RDS, the infant's immature lungs don't produce enough of an important substance called surfactant. Surfactant allows the inner surface of the lungs to expand properly when the infant makes the change from the womb to breathing air after birth. Fortunately, RDS is treatable and many infants do quite well. When premature delivery can't be stopped, most pregnant women can be given medication just before delivery to hasten the production of surfactant in the infant's lungs and help prevent RDS. Then, immediately after birth and several times later, artificial surfactant can be given to the infant if needed. Although most premature babies who lack surfactant will require a breathing machine, or ventilator, for a while, the use of artificial surfactant has greatly decreased the amount of time that infants spend on the ventilator.
As for your friend, since they saw the mass and know how soon they need to get the baby out before it can cause major problems then she'll probably be fine. She may need to undergo chemotherapy and possibly radiation if it is cancerous but chances are they'll get it all. Hopefully they don't have to do a hysterectomy just in case the baby doesn't pull through at such an early age. Your friend is going to be going through a lot throughout that time and will just need a friend. Remember if she pushes you away it's only because life is going to be really difficult for her for awhile. Good luck to her and the baby.

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Whats the best Digital Baby Monitor for under $50?

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hoffmancha

We are looking for a good digital baby monitor for under $50. What are our options and are there any reviews on them.

Answer
I know you said under $50, but the iMonitor is the best on the market currently - and it's only $10 more. I have one and the reception is great anywhere in my 2-story house.

The iMonitor is by Graco - you can search for it here:
http://www.target.com It has wonderful reviews.

How much do you spend a month on baby supplies?

Jessica

Im 18 just found out im 4 weeks along
I was just wondering what's the price range for the essential; wipes, diapers, formula, ect.
Everything else im already going to have like crib, clothes, car seat.
Please let me know what your estimate is, thank you :)

Answer
I would highly recommend breast feeding your child instead of formula feeding. You will save a ton of money breast feeding- trust me. It is not only beneficial to your baby's health, but also to your health to breast feed. Women who breast feed for their children past 1 year (for 2 years) had a significant decrease in cervical and breast cancers than women who breast fed for only a year. Woman who breast fed for over a year had a decreased risk of breast and cervical cancer than those who didn't breast feed at all.. It will also save you a ton of money and time. Instead of waking up in the night to prepare a bottle, you just take your baby and breast feed :) Breast feeding will also help you loose the weight you gained during your pregnancy. Each time you breast feed you burn calories.

Car seats are expensive. To save money, skip the infant seat. Instead buy a convertible car seat. Infant seats are a convenience thing- you install the car seat base in the car and you click in the carrier. This way, you can carry a sleeping baby in the house. I know that this is convenient, but it is not good for a baby's health for the baby to stay in a reclined position. It is hard on a baby's body. That is why hospitals issue car seat tests- they strap your baby in the car seat and monitor your baby's heart rate and oxygen levels to make sure your baby can withstand being in a reclined postioned. The only time your baby should be in a reclined position is when your baby is in a moving vehicle. Most infant seats are outgrown before your baby is a year old. This means you will have to buy a convertible car seat anyways.

A convertible car seat has a higher weight limit for rear facing and a taller shell. This way you can rear face your child longer. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends to rear face a child until the child is at LEAST 2 years old. It is 5 times safer to rear face a child until age 2! The AAP recommends to rear face a child as long as possible. This means to rear face a child until they outgrow their convertible car seat. I would buy the Cosco Scenera convertible car seat with the 40 lb rear facing weight limit. Be careful- there are 2 different Cosco Sceneras - one has a 35 lb weight limit rear facing and the other has a 40 lb weight limit rear facing. Read the labels carefully. You can buy the Cosco Scenera with the 40 lb weight limit at target- it costs around $50 and will last you 3-4 years. Most kids can stay rear facing until age 3, and if your baby is small, then until age 4, which is the preferable age to transition to forward facing.

The most important thing that you can do to protect your child is to have a properly installed car seat that is used correctly. Car crashes are the leading cause of injury, disability, and death for children under 12 years of age! I would highly recommend that all parents get their car seats checked by a child passenger safety technician. Studies have shown that 95% of car seats are installed incorrectly and used incorrectly. You can go to seatcheck.org to find a child passenger safety technician.

There are two ways to install a car seat- one way is called LATCH and the other way is using the seat belt for installation. LATCH stands for lower anchors and tethers for children. This is a government standard used to install a car seat. There are metal anchors in your car to attach the car seat to the car. All car seats have them and some cars made after 2001 have the LATCH system. All cars made in 2003 have the LATCH system. Never use both the latch system and the seat belt to install a car seat- use one or the other. It could cause too much stress on the car seat so it might not perform as intended by the manufacturer.

You cannot use the LATCH system in the center seating position unless specifically stated by your vehicle owner's manual. This is because the lower anchors on the outboard positions are connected and supported by a metal bar. In the center, the bar may not be there to connect the anchors. Also, the weight limit on the lower anchors is 40 lbs unless your vehicle owner's manual says differently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg4zBeU7md4
Above link: Video about rear facing for babies and toddlers; explains the difference between infant seats and convertible car seats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvyIv9QVRBE
Above link: Shows pictures of children rear facing in convertible car seats- as you can see, many kids are over the age 2 minimum recommendation!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8gU9zzCGA8
Above link: Joel at 18 months and 33 lbs broke his neck while in a front facing car seat! Click on the link to hear his story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4unJ6Ut71Fo
Above link: How to install a graco infant car seat with lap/shoulder belt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULJ8Vx79Vv4
Above link: Video on the AAP recommendations

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How do I tell if my baby Chinchilla is nursing?

best baby monitor under $50 image

Emokid

I often see the baby hiding under her mother, though sometimes it does not appear as if she is nursing. Also, sometimes when she looks like she is trying to nurse, her mom will walk away from her. Is this bad?

Answer
If you want to know for sure that the kit is nursing, you need to buy a gram scale and monitor her weight once a day at the same time. A kit should gain 2 gm of weight a day to start out and then progress from there. They will sometimes gain 7-8 in a day once they really get going.

Other ways to tell if she's nursing well is if her tummy feels warm and round, and if her tail curls up over her back. If she's not gaining weight, she doesn't display the things I mentioned, and mom is constantly walking away, you may need to step in and take over.

Here is an FAQ I wrote regarding kit care:
Most of the time, the chinchilla mom will take care of everything and you can just have fun with the kits. The more you handle, play, and socialize with the kits, the tamer they will become. However, there are several things to watch for and do, for even healthy, thriving kits and mom.

1. To help with the milk production you can give mom an additional water bottle with 1/2 cranberry or apple juice (non sweetened) and 1/2 water. Make sure she still has her bottle of plain water also.
5. Kits will be left with mom until they are weaned at 6-8 weeks of age. You may notice your little one eating hay the very first day, but they still need all the nutrition they can get from mom. Many people say wean at 200 gm, but if your kit is a month old and 200 gm, it doesn't mean you have to wean them that soon.
6. An 8-week-old male kit should be removed from their mother and from any female siblings. The female kits can stay with mom, as long as dad is in a separate cage.

Hand Feeding
If it does become necessary to hand feed the kits, there are no commercial formulas available. One possible supplement is 1 can of goats milk, 1 can of water, 1 tablespoon baby rice cereal

Also, as a handy tip, since the formula makes such a great amount, and you only use a small amount at a time, use ice cube trays to freeze your formula. Pour it into the trays, cover them with saran wrap, then once frozen put them in a Ziplock freezer bag. When you need them, simply remove one ice cube at a time, let it thaw, and throw away the unused formula. The formula should not be kept more than 48-hours at a time. Once the 48-hour mark is reached, it's time to throw away that formula, and bring out a new ice cube.

The formula should be room temperature or slightly warmer when used, never hot. Test it as you would baby formula, against the underside of your wrist. An insulin syringe works wonderfully for supplementing kits and is easy to control, though some people have good luck with glass eye droppers. When you feed the kits, DO NOT put the food directly into the kits mouth. If you do, you could cause them to aspirate and result in their deaths. Instead, place a drop of formula at a time on their lower lip, allowing them to lick the formula off. They may struggle and hate it at first, but once they get the hang of it, they'll do great. If you need a bit of help, place the chin in a washcloth, burrito style, to help gently restrain them for feeding. You will need to feed the kits a minimum of every two (2) hours. Once they are taking 2-3 syringes full at a feeding, you will be well on your way to having healthy growing kits. As they start to get older the formula intake may increase but then once they start to eat pellets and hay the formula intake will decrease.

As an added nutritional boost, you can place the following formula that the JAGS developed in the cage with mom and the babies. Moms seem to enjoy it just as much as the kits. Be sure to provide hay, pellets, and fresh water along with this formula.

1 part calf or goat milk replacer (a dry formula-purchase at a feed store)
1 part crushed pellets
1 part 50/50 mixture of dry rice and oatmeal baby cereal

(Tip - A coffee grinder makes quick work of the pellets.)

I edited out the parts that were not pertinent to your little one at this time, because there's not enough room to post it all! If you want to read it in it's entirety, or if you have any more questions, please go to http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com. It's under the FAQ section and has some weaning information contained in it as well.

Good luck!

How should i take care of my baby Western Painted Turtles?

KoopDaKill

I have two baby Western Painted turtles. What should be doing to keep them healthy.

Answer
Paints actually only get to about ten inches...

The rule of thumb posted by one poster is correct... however, a 50 gallon tank is a decent size for a SINGLE adult Paint. Since you have two, you'll want a minimum 75 gallon to give your turtles enough space. There's really no need to buy 100 gallon tank.

You need a submerged heater to keep the water at about 80 degrees, and a floating thermometer to monitor it.

Give them a nice habitat to live in... with plenty of artificial plants floating around to hide in, and something to lay on or under on the bottom of the tank-- like a rock cave, maybe or log.

They also need a dock to bask on with a heat lamp over it-- the lamp should maintain about 90 degrees. The lamp doesn't need to be on 24/7. I turn mine on for several hours a day-- some keep the lamps on all day and only switch them off at night. Either way is fine, so long as the turtles get some basking time each day.

For their diet, I recommend Repto Min floating sticks. You can get this at pretty much any pet store. Feed them the sticks once a a day, and and another food source once a day. Try fresh lettuce greens like romaine, kale, or mustard greens. Cherry tomatoes are great, too. And though adult turtles are primarily herbivore, the occasional meat is great in their diet. Mine get worms once a week and shrimp once a week. Try night crawlers, crickets, ghost shrimp, guppies, or shad. Also, the occasional cray fish.

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How much do you spend a month on baby supplies?

Q. Im 18 just found out im 4 weeks along
I was just wondering what's the price range for the essential; wipes, diapers, formula, ect.
Everything else im already going to have like crib, clothes, car seat.
Please let me know what your estimate is, thank you :)

A. I would highly recommend breast feeding your child instead of formula feeding. You will save a ton of money breast feeding- trust me. It is not only beneficial to your baby's health, but also to your health to breast feed. Women who breast feed for their children past 1 year (for 2 years) had a significant decrease in cervical and breast cancers than women who breast fed for only a year. Woman who breast fed for over a year had a decreased risk of breast and cervical cancer than those who didn't breast feed at all.. It will also save you a ton of money and time. Instead of waking up in the night to prepare a bottle, you just take your baby and breast feed :) Breast feeding will also help you loose the weight you gained during your pregnancy. Each time you breast feed you burn calories.

Car seats are expensive. To save money, skip the infant seat. Instead buy a convertible car seat. Infant seats are a convenience thing- you install the car seat base in the car and you click in the carrier. This way, you can carry a sleeping baby in the house. I know that this is convenient, but it is not good for a baby's health for the baby to stay in a reclined position. It is hard on a baby's body. That is why hospitals issue car seat tests- they strap your baby in the car seat and monitor your baby's heart rate and oxygen levels to make sure your baby can withstand being in a reclined postioned. The only time your baby should be in a reclined position is when your baby is in a moving vehicle. Most infant seats are outgrown before your baby is a year old. This means you will have to buy a convertible car seat anyways.

A convertible car seat has a higher weight limit for rear facing and a taller shell. This way you can rear face your child longer. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends to rear face a child until the child is at LEAST 2 years old. It is 5 times safer to rear face a child until age 2! The AAP recommends to rear face a child as long as possible. This means to rear face a child until they outgrow their convertible car seat. I would buy the Cosco Scenera convertible car seat with the 40 lb rear facing weight limit. Be careful- there are 2 different Cosco Sceneras - one has a 35 lb weight limit rear facing and the other has a 40 lb weight limit rear facing. Read the labels carefully. You can buy the Cosco Scenera with the 40 lb weight limit at target- it costs around $50 and will last you 3-4 years. Most kids can stay rear facing until age 3, and if your baby is small, then until age 4, which is the preferable age to transition to forward facing.

The most important thing that you can do to protect your child is to have a properly installed car seat that is used correctly. Car crashes are the leading cause of injury, disability, and death for children under 12 years of age! I would highly recommend that all parents get their car seats checked by a child passenger safety technician. Studies have shown that 95% of car seats are installed incorrectly and used incorrectly. You can go to seatcheck.org to find a child passenger safety technician.

There are two ways to install a car seat- one way is called LATCH and the other way is using the seat belt for installation. LATCH stands for lower anchors and tethers for children. This is a government standard used to install a car seat. There are metal anchors in your car to attach the car seat to the car. All car seats have them and some cars made after 2001 have the LATCH system. All cars made in 2003 have the LATCH system. Never use both the latch system and the seat belt to install a car seat- use one or the other. It could cause too much stress on the car seat so it might not perform as intended by the manufacturer.

You cannot use the LATCH system in the center seating position unless specifically stated by your vehicle owner's manual. This is because the lower anchors on the outboard positions are connected and supported by a metal bar. In the center, the bar may not be there to connect the anchors. Also, the weight limit on the lower anchors is 40 lbs unless your vehicle owner's manual says differently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg4zBeU7md4
Above link: Video about rear facing for babies and toddlers; explains the difference between infant seats and convertible car seats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvyIv9QVRBE
Above link: Shows pictures of children rear facing in convertible car seats- as you can see, many kids are over the age 2 minimum recommendation!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8gU9zzCGA8
Above link: Joel at 18 months and 33 lbs broke his neck while in a front facing car seat! Click on the link to hear his story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4unJ6Ut71Fo
Above link: How to install a graco infant car seat with lap/shoulder belt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULJ8Vx79Vv4
Above link: Video on the AAP recommendations

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