By Sharon Von Der Merwe
SharonvanderMerweQ: If I am breastfeeding how can I make sure my baby is eating enough?

A: After the feeding, if the baby spits out milk, that will be a clear indication that your baby has consumed enough.

Q:How can I get my baby to sleep longer stretches in the evening?

A: After a complete feeding, your baby will sleep longer but try to feed your baby in a dark lit setting, so the baby recognizes that it’s nighttime and will naturally sleep a longer duration.

Q: What is the safest most effective product to use for dry skin?

A: Aquaphor has worked the best in my experiences with dry skin. Rub a thin layer of Aquophor on the affected area until visibly softer.

Q: What is your secret to calming a crying baby?

A: It varies from case to case, however the most effective methods of calming your baby down, will be to rock him or her from side to side and/ or cuddling with your baby, standing up.

Q: What can I do to stop my baby from spitting up so much?

A: Slowly feeding your baby will ensure that you minimize the spitting. Feed your baby in intervals. So for example, feed continually for two minutes and then break for one minute. Of course each baby is different so there will be some trial and error on your part before you find an interval that your baby likes. However, from my experience I’ve found that the 2:1 ratio works the best.

Sharon Van Der Merwe is a certified baby nurse with over twenty years of experience, working with single and multiple births. She travels the world taking care of newborns. Sharon can be reached at sharon.infantcare@yahoo.com