Milestones: don't let comparison rob your sanity
When it comes to baby milestones, comparison is definitely the thief of joy – and parental sanity, writes Hazel Squair. As …
Growth and Development
12 tips to optimise movement in your baby's first year
Chiropractor and parent educator, Dr Ainslee shares 12 simple tips to optimise movement in your baby's first year of life. Motor development in babies is a contentious topic. People have different ideas around what is needed, what isn’t needed …
What is Elimination Communication...and why you should try it with your baby
Eco warrior and CaliWoods founder, Shay Lawrence shares the lost knowledge of using the potty from birth, otherwise known as Elimination Communication. Anyone who has spent time around babies knows their magic. They draw people in like a fairy …
Latest Research: Is tummy time really important? Or just a fad?
What's the latest research on tummy time? Dr Ainslee, chiropractor and parent educator, talks to us about the ins and outs, and whether it’s a fad or here to stay. Is tummy time really needed? To answer this question we must delve into a most …
Bonding with your baby can take time
Bonding with your baby may not be the instant enamourment you expected. Melanie Woodfield explains why attachment, a fundamental in healthy development, can take time and consideration. If we're honest, most of us would admit to an hour/day/week …
The first 1000 days PART THREE: babyhood & toddlerdom
This is the third in our series of four articles on the first 1000 days of life. Research has proven this a critical and unparalleled window of time, which has a lifelong influence on an individual’s growth, brain development and relationships. Here …
Tips to help your teething baby sleep comfortably
Getting your newborn to sleep can be plenty challenging without any further obstacles and baby teeth poking through only adds another layer of painful frustration. Finding inner strength amidst a screaming child in the middle of the night can leave …
Dummy dilemma: what will you choose for baby?
Whether or not to give your baby a dummy is a controversial topic among parents. Some parents feel it's an essential tool; others think it's an unnecessary vice. Elizabeth Gasson explains why she gave her son a dummy, and looks at the pros and cons …
Three techniques for understanding what your baby is trying to say
Ever wondered what your baby is trying to tell you? Good news, folks, Neuroscientists and behaviourists have discovered that babies are not, after all, born a few wet wipes short of a pack. In fact, they come pre-programmed with startlingly …
How to help your child get from “goo-goo” to “Grandma”
It may sound like babble, but as Alice Cranfield writes, you can have a big role in helping your child get from “goo-goo” to “Grandma”. The first word to come out of our daughter’s mouth was "Dada". She said it clear as day while looking directly …
Some simple ideas to encourage baby's development
Encouraging your baby's development starts from birth. Lots of kisses cuddles and love help your baby to feel secure and loved. Breastfeeding also instills that sense of love and bonding that your baby needs. Gently stimulating your baby through …
Teething and teeth
Your baby has been moody or fussy for a few days now, for no apparent reason. Until you see that first tooth appearing and now you understand. The days of that gummy smile are numbered! When do babies start teething? The first teething symptoms in …
Baby's brain development and the implications for raising a child
Ever wanted to know what's going on in your baby's head? Miriam McCaleb reports on the latest findings in brain development that could have major implications for how you raise your child. I've got some shocking news about your baby. Her brain is …
Free printables: fun milestone cards for your baby
Celebrate your baby’s development with our OHbaby! milestone cards, especially designed to help you capture those precious moments. Pop them in a photo so you’re guaranteed to remember each stage with the passing of time. Click on the image …
Little steps: your baby's milestones month by month
Every baby is different, and baby development milestones will happen at his or her own unique pace. Below are some of the occasions you can expect your baby to achieve during his or her first few years of life. Bear in mind that if your baby was …
How you can help baby form those first words
Some babies move around more in the womb when they hear certain sounds - their mum's voice or music. This suggests that babies in utero are already finding sound enjoyable and are responding to it. But how can you help get your baby …
When will my baby start crawling?
Are you wondering when your baby is finally going to start crawling? They may have been rolling around the room for a couple of months, and inching along on their tummy, or even getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth, they haven't quite …
Crawling and Walking
When does a baby start crawling? If they’ve been rolling around for a few months, or rocking, or commando-style pulling themselves along on their tummy, they are well on their way. But, they haven't quite figured out how to get their arms and legs …
Watch this clever baby 'read' a book at 13 months!
Watch 13 month old Milly reading a homemade book full of pictures, using the signs she and her mum learned through www.PalmerstonBabySigns.co.nz …
Why loving mothers improve their baby's health
Research recently released has shown that being a loving, nurturing mother pays off on your children beyond childhood, even if they have grown up in a poor family. The study by Professor Margie Lachman of Brandeis University in Massachusetts, …
Why is my baby crying?
Crying is one way in which your baby will communicate with you. Unfortunately, crying can mean many different things, such as, "I'm hungry" and, "I'm tired", and it’s often hard to tell what it means. A baby will almost never suffer in silence …
Singing calms babies for longer
In a new study from the University of Montreal, infants remained calm twice as long when listening to a song, which they didn't even know, as they did when listening to speech. The findings are important because mothers, and Western mothers in …
Typical Child Development
Most parents, at one time or another, worry that their child isn't developing 'normally'. But rather than focusing so much on what our babies are not doing, we should be celebrating what they are capable of, explains Dr Melanie Woodfield. …
GALLERY: Baby's first year in photo's - month by month
From day one to first birthday — at no other time do we change as much as we do in our first year of life. Such a lot happens in a relatively short space of time; blink and you might miss something! Every baby is different and every baby develops …
From 'goo' to 'go': baby's language development
From "goo" to "go", language development can be both a subject of fascinating conversation and a topic of concern, as Dr Anne Tait describes. It’s quite remarkable to think that babies are born with crying as their only form of vocalisation, yet …
VIDEO: Watch me grow - Zac's first year
Baby, you're a star! Last year we had a great idea: how amazing would it be to film a baby's first year, capturing their milestones and growth month to month? So we set about doing it, and one year later, you can now watch the result. A huge …
VIDEO: Newborn to toddler - your baby's growth journey
From newborn to toddler, baby's first year is an impressive journey of growth and development. Watching your baby learn new skills is a fascinating business. No wonder Facebook newsfeeds are full of baby milestones – nothing makes a new parent …
Teething Tips & Tools
Handy advice and tools to minimise teething problems Your baby’s teeth will start cutting through any time between six months and two-and-a-half-years. Some children will be irritable and in quite a lot of pain. With others, you may not realise …
