When you have a new baby, you can feel isolated, left at home all day. You are not the only one! There are many other new parents in your local area and it's easy to meet up at playgroups and other organised activities. Read our top tips.
Top Tips for How to Meet Other Parents
Posted in: postnatal health,
baby
Nappies 101 - nappy choices explained and top nappy changing tips
Nappy choices explained - disposable, eco-disposable, modern cloth or terry towelling? Read the pros and cons and make an informed choice. And whilst you're there, read up on our top tips for safe and easy nappy changing.
Infant Car Seats & Infant Child Restraint Safety
All children should be seated in a suitable age-appropriate restraint when travelling in a car for their own safety. Recent changes to the law concerning child restraints will come into effect in many states from November 9, 2009. Do the new changes affect you and how your children currently travel? Read on to understand how the new law will impact on your family.
McHappy Day 2009
Queensland mum, Karren Sewell, understands what it's like to have a baby daughter who's spent most of her short life in hospital. Karren's daughter Jamie was born by emergency Caesarean at 39 weeks. On her first day of life, she had a colostomy bag put in place. She required heart surgery at three-and-a-half months. Read the full story on this little girl's fight for survival...
What To Do When Your Child Has A Febrile Convulsion
Febrile convulsions in young children are traumatic - and more common than you'd think. Here, first-aid trainer Michelle Fiddian explains why you need to be alert, not alarmed. This article is important for all parents to read.
7 Top Tips for Dads
Parenting is not a job that most people take lightly. Fathers sometimes do it extra tough, as they are not always as available to their children as they would like to be. It can't be forgotten that children still look to their fathers for love and nurturing, even if the time they spend together is limited.
Breastfeeding - Where do I start?
Everyone agrees that breastfeeding is best for baby. Breast milk is
made especially for your baby. It provides a convenient, safe and
natural source of the right protein, carbohydrate, fat, minerals and
vitamins, as well as valuable protection against infections, diseases,
allergies and food intolerances. But where do you start? What will you need? And where can you go for help if it's not going smoothly? Find out in our Breastfeeding 101 Guide.
Tips for travelling by plane with children
Posted in: holidays & travel,
baby
Travelling by plane with a baby? Read our top tips for successful airtravel with young children.
How To Stop Night Terrors
Night terrors, like many medical afflictions, have a curious history. Once thought to be devil possession, with exorcism as the "cure", they are now understood to be a common physical disorder affecting around five percent of children under the age of five.
How Does Chiropractic Help the Development of My Child?
It is said that as much as 65% of our neurological development occurs within the first year of life! In children, much of this development is stimulated from our environment, ie; play, movement, touch, inter-actions with others, sickness (cold etc) and emotional events. Unfortunately, our developmental processes do not filter what is good and what is not so good.
Iodine and Pregnancy
There is now irrefutable evidence that mild to moderate iodine deficiency is widespread in Australia and New Zealand. Recent research data gathered in both countries (and many other countries in the world for that matter) has opened our eyes to a previously hidden and worsening epidemic of iodine deficiency afflicting more than 50% of pregnant women and their offspring.
Guide to Government Family Benefit Payments
Posted in: baby,
household & budget
Having a baby is expensive. Read our guide to available government family benefit payments to ensure you receive all the payments and financial assistance you are entitled to.
Starting Feeding Baby First Solids
Many parents hope that any sleep or fussing issues will magically
disappear with the introduction of solid foods. Often this does not
happen though. Like learning to sit up, crawl or walk, everything takes
practice. Starting solid food is no different...
Heart Kids
Did you know that six children are born each day in Australia with a Congenital Heart Disease/Defect (CHD) -making CHDs the most common of all birth defects and affecting one in every 100 babies? It is also a fact that there is no cure for CHDs - and its time to do something about it.
Homoeopathy Explained
Bub Hub asked Brisbane homoeopath, Patricia Hatherly, if she could provide our readers with an insight into the conditions that homoeopaths could treat from pre-pregnancy through to childhood - all naturally! Here's our 'interview'...
Mosquitoes
Just picture it... a balmy evening in the backyard, BBQ sizzling, kids playing happily and cool drink in hand. Perfect except for the whine of a dive bombing mosquito. Second only on the irritation ladder to the lone mosquito in the dark who won't let you get to sleep at night. Here's a few remedies for you to try!
Is the Perfect Parent a Mythological Creature?
In the wake of her new book release, No Sweat Parenting, we invited author Renée Mill to share with us her thoughts on pressures that today's parents are experiencing and whether or not the load can be lightened.
Do You Have A Fussy Eater?
Inevitably, every parent will face a stage in their child's life when they are not interested in eating. Why is your child not eating? Is he/she sick, jealous of a new baby, attention seeking, tired? There can be many factors, or it could be as simple as their growth pattern. Children's food needs vary depending on their rate of growth and level of physical activity.
I Want a Doula
"I want a doula for this birth, what do you think about them?" Jodie asked. I'm a midwife and people stop me in the street to ask advice so I'm use to it. I'm usually happy to give advice but this time I was stuck?
Multiples
Twins? Triplets, quads and even more...! The discovery of this being a reality in a family is usually a huge shock, as you can imagine! Even if you were aware that you had a better than average chance of conceiving multiples by either having had fraternal multiples run through your mothers' side of the family, having assisted conception or having conceived fraternal multiples previously, the reality is something completely different.
The Importance of Breastfeeding
Like learning any new skill, breastfeeding can take patience and perseverance to get right. Producing breastmilk may be a natural process, but the art of actually breastfeeding needs to be learned.
Good Mental Health During Pregnancy and Parenthood
We all have beliefs and ideas about the way things should be. Buddhists believe that it is our attachment to these expectations that leads us to suffering - stress, disappointment, anxiety, anger and so on. If we can learn to let go of our expectations we are free to take each moment as it comes, to enjoy what we have got rather than focusing on what is missing or not happening.
Pets & Babies
The arrival of a baby can dramatically affect the family dynamics - including the furry members. TV vet and mother Dr Katrina Warren shares some practical advice on preparing for the change and keeping all your kids safe and happy.
Preparing for a New Baby
Having a baby is the most amazing, beautiful and often daunting experience of your lives. The anticipation of what it will be like can be intense as your expected date of delivery draws near.
Teething
That first sighting of a pearly speck in your baby's mouth is a much anticipated and much admired affair. But once the excitement of discovering your child's first tooth has died down, it's time to start the lifelong task of caring for them.
Baby Humour Development
The first little smile and the heaven-sent gurgles of laughter that baby shares with us are truly magic moments in the early days of parenthood. But when does a baby chuckle start to develop into a true sense of humour?
Storing Cord Blood
There's a new question making the rounds among pregnant women across the country, 'Are you storing your baby's cord blood?' Great, you're thinking, just when you had enough to worry about along comes another decision you have to make! While it is a complex area - not without controversy - we've looked into the subject to help you make the best decision for you and your baby.
Colic and Colic Relief Ideas
Find out what infant colic is, how to relieve symptoms of infant colic and what other parents with children suffering from colic are doing that works!
Naming Ceremony
Posted in:
baby
What is a naming ceremony? A naming ceremony is a non-religious celebration of the arrival of a new child. It is a way of welcoming the child and officially introducing him/her to family and friends.
Top Tips for Taking Great Photos
In this modern era, we have no excuse for not having enough photos of our children and loved ones. In fact, so high tech are we these days that it is nearly impossible to buy even a mobile phone without an inbuilt camera and movie function. This alone means we should never have to miss a photo op if the need arises.
Breastfeeding - A Learned Skill
Breastfeeding, while natural, is a learned skill. For thousands of years new mums had watched their own mothers, aunties and sisters breastfeed and had a large family and community around to help them learn this skill.
10 Rules Every Toddler Should Break
Set bedtimes, nutritious meals, a tidy home and polite children. There's no shortage of rules and regulations we know we ought to stick to in order to raise the perfect child. But how boring would a perfect child be? And how boring would us mums become in the process? Sometimes, it's okay to lower your standards, throw out the rule-book and let anarchy rule.
Can babies really read?
As parents we put enough pressure on ourselves to give our children the best possible start in life. Be it teaching them to sleep as a baby, or helping them learn to tie their own shoelaces as a toddler. Now, there's a new reading program from the United States (only in America!) that has us pondering our responsibilities even further.
Why Teach your Baby to Sign?
Start teaching your baby sign language at six months and be able to communicate with them at nine. It may sound far-fetched but sign language in infants and toddlers has been proven to work.
Childbirth triggers hormonal shockwaves
Posted in: postnatal health,
baby
Pregnancy and childbirth triggers many hormonal changes which can lead to a postnatal hormonal imbalance, resulting in symptoms such as postnatal depression, low libido, weight gain, hair loss, tiredness and more...
7 Secrets to Surviving your Baby's First Year
Babies are demanding little creatures. They test us physically, mentally and emotionally. They provoke incredible joy, profound love, and astounding gratification, but they also trigger exasperation, frustration, anger, and anxiety. You may be unprepared for such an emotional ride. Here are seven ways to cope with the highs and the lows.
Eco-Friendly Nappy Options
As we become more environmentally aware, find out what nappy options are available to you and which you can choose to minimise the effects of nappies on our environment.
The Post-Baby Conversation - Five tips for achieving 'happy couple' status post-baby
The Post-Baby Conversation - Five tips for achieving 'happy couple' status post-baby. Life changes when a baby is born, find out how to adjust and keep your relationship on track.
Eczema - Food for Thought
Is your child's ezcema the result of a food sensitivity or intolerance? Discover how some ezcema suffers are researching which foods trigger their ezcema and finding ezcema relief.
How to make Travelling with Baby a Breeze
Posted in: holidays & travel,
baby
Ready to take to the skies with your new baby or busy toddler? Follow
these useful tips from a jet-setting mother of two busy and very active
toddler sons, Donna Sheppard-Wright, and you'll certainly be winging
your way to a relaxed holiday.
Bringing home twins - twice as overwhelming
Posted in:
baby
Bringing one baby home from hospital is overwhelming; bringing two home is twice as overwhelming. Very little prepares you for having two babies at once. Read our survival guide from a mum of twins.
Weaning Baby from Liquids to Solids
The introduction of solid foods is an exciting time for both parents
and bubs. This milestone should be approached in a methodical way, with
an emphasis on the quality of the foods being offered. The eating habits, foods and flavours that are introduced from the
beginning, will establish behaviour and eating practices for your bub
for the rest of their life. Use the easy-to-follow table included in this article!
Learn to Swim
Teaching learn to swim to any age group follows certain basic principles. They include; water familiarisation, breath control, submersion, free floating, prolusion and breathing. It is important that these learn to swim principles are followed meticulously to maximise results. Tyring to force or hurry the learn-to-swim process will result in poor swimming skills.
Postnatal Exercise
Early motherhood is a demanding time both physically and emotionally. Finding time to exercise can be just as challenging. However, making time for exercise is of vital importance. Research has proven exercise to assist with weight loss, improved sense of wellbeing, decreased symptoms of depression, decreased pain and increased energy...
Baby Humour
Did you hear the one about the baby with a sense of humour? From your baby's first smile to toddler giggles, there's something magical and healthy about laughter.
Controlling Eczema
Eczema affects up to 30% of the Australian population at some time of life. Although there is no known cure for eczema, the condition can be controlled...
A To Z of Sleep
As any parent will tell you, sleep is the all-important ingredient to a succesful family recipe, and not only for you but also for your baby and toddler. Sleep patterns will alter with each stage, but having a guide on what to do and what not to do will help you to manage and balance the changes, without tipping the scales. Read our A-To-Z Guide for all the helpful tips and hints.
Protect Against Gastro
Each year thousands of young children will suffer from some variety of gastroenteritis (gastro) - a bowel infection that results in diarrhoea and may also cause vomiting and fever. Gastro is caused by a number of different viruses and bacteria with the most common culprit of "gastro", particularly in young children, being a virus known as 'rotavirus'.
Is Feeding Your Baby Taking Too Much Time?
It can feel reassuring to have specific instructions about when to feed your baby, especially when everything about caring for a baby is new and uncertain to you. However, when you are expected to time how many minutes you breastfeed, watch the hours between feeds or count how many feeds your baby has in a day, with the ultimate goal being how many hours you can make your baby sleep, you will soon see feeding your baby as a chore.
Asthma Prevention
Asthma is common among Australian children with approximately 15% of children having currently diagnosed asthma. Effective treatments for controlling asthma and allergy symptoms are available. However, there are no cures, so prevention is an ideal approach.
Successful Sleep - Adjusting to Daylight Savings Time
Posted in:
baby
Getting your baby into a successful sleep routine can be a challenge - but when the clocks change, how do you get your baby to adjust?
Swimming - When to Start?
Numerous speakers at the recent World Aquatic Babies Congress's Conference in Wellington, New Zealand, reinforced the many developmental benefits gained by infants and toddlers from 'swimming lessons'. The sensory-motor stimulation, particularly in such a weight-bearing medium, is enormous - and unique. Factor in the close bonding time with the parent(s) and interaction with others, and one can readily appreciate what a wonderful contribution the lessons can make to the little one's physical, social and emotional wellbeing.
Children and Movement - What Dads can do to Help
Eleven month old Annabel is always on the go - climbing the stairs, pulling herself up onto the furniture and creeping into every available space in the house. Her busy body was exploring the world around her, saturating her senses, feeding her brain with lots of information from her eyes, ears, hands, feet, muscles and skin. While her movements may still be clumsy she is not only learning to move, but she is moving to learn.
What can Bub Hub do for Dads?
We at the Bub Hub are making a concerted effort to match the large amount of resources we provide for parents and mums with specific stuff for the dads as well; from support from other dads in the forum, information and resources, to tipping competitions.
Being an Active Father
For My Child fatherhood expert, Sean Tonnet, a counsellor and father to one, with another on the way, active fathering is the key to having a more socially, emotionally and cognitively healthy child.
TV and Young Children
TV or no TV? ...That is the question many of us struggle with as soon as our infant/toddler reaches the unrelenting button-pushing stage. So is it ok to succumb to the TV option from time to time? How much should we allow? What types of programs should we choose and for which age bracket?
Music and Development in Children
As exciting as discovering the next musical genius is, music and movement classes offer great developmental opportunities for all children.
Aqua Movement - Warm Water Massage for Babies
Posted in:
baby
Aqua Movement is a warm water program which combines elements of massage, floating, stretching and creates a feeling of well being. Massage is about touch, skin to skin contact and using warm water is a wonderful medium to create this. The weightlessness of the water allows more freedom of movement for young babies...
Choosing baby safe nursery furniture
Baby safe nursery items and
furniture are an absolute must. But what are the key points that you
need to think about? Here are some of the main factors to consider
when buying, borrowing or hiring nursery furniture, prams or strollers.
Quick guide to weaning baby onto solids
Our quick guide to when to start weaning your baby onto solids - the signs to look for, the pitfalls and the foods to avoid!
Bottlefeeding
It is important to know the basics of bottlefeeding - from the equipment needed to correct sterilisation techniques. Read our bottlefeeding guide.
Tips for travelling by bus, train, tram or ferry with a baby
Posted in: holidays & travel,
baby
Travelling by public transport is a new experience for baby but it's
not always easy to get on and off the various modes of public transport
when you are carrying a baby, a pram, a nappy bag, clutching a ticket
or change and trying to negotiate steps and other passengers. Here are our top tips for travelling on public transport with your baby.
How to Bath a Baby & Baby Skincare
Posted in:
baby
Our guide to how to bath a baby together with top tips for looking after your baby's sensitive skin.
Sun care for baby skin - sun protection for babies
Baby skin is particularly susceptible to sun damage, with research
having shown that infant skin is thinner and produces less melanin than
adult skin. Damage at a young age can have permanent, serious effects
and you should always take precautions to protect your child's skin. Read our top tips for sun protection for babies.
Mum, Let Dad Do It!
Mothers frequently complain that their partners, the fathers of their children, are not as involved as much as they would like. In this article, author, mother, wife and clinical psychologist, Renee Mills offers us great insight into what mothers can do to share the parenting load and save their sanity.
What is the WHO Code?
What is the WHO Code and how does it affect you? The WHO Code is a set of marketing rules for breastmilk substitutes (most often known as 'formula') designed to protect your family in a number of ways.
Reuseable Modern Cloth Nappies - the Planet-Friendly Alternative to Disposable Nappies
Reuseable modern cloth nappies are the answer to happy babies and a happy, greener environment without the landfill created by disposable nappies. Easy to use, and stylish to boot, have you considered modern cloth?
The many advantages of Babywearing and Baby Slings
Posted in:
baby
Babywearing allows a busy parent the freedom to continue their normal
daily routine while providing the richest and most desirable
environment for their child. It is an instinctive parenting style where
a baby is held close to the parent or caregiver in a baby sling or baby
carrier.
What is Baby Sign Language?
Baby Sign Language is a collection of easy to remember, simple gestures that hearing babies and toddlers can use to communicate with you long before they can speak. These babies and toddlers don't communicate in the verbal sense. Instead babies and toddles as young as 6 months use their hands as a way to temporarily bridge the communication gap.
Fire Safety - Safety Begins At Home
Having a new baby is one of the most rewarding and challenging times of
anyone's life and amongst a million new responsibilities you are
probably now facing, you also need to consider how safe your home
environment is for your growing family.
The Power of Play - Enhancing Your Child's Social & Cognitive Development
As a parent, you become the prime candidate for channeling your child's play experiences in a way that is challenging and developmentally appropriate. Here are some key points regarding play behaviour to guide you in the process of enhancing your child's social and cognitive development.
Summer First Aid for Babies and Children
Dealing with babies and children in the summer heat, in the backyard or at the beach can be an anxious time with creepy crawlies and flying insects aplenty. Follow our guide to Summer First Aid to make sure you know what to do.
Infant Reflux | Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux in Children
Having a baby with infant reflux can be a very trying time for parents. What is infant reflux and Gastro-oesophageal reflux? Should you be worried? What steps can you take to alleviate the issues associated with baby reflux and where can you get support? See our guide and top survival tips for families to get all your questions answered.
Food Allergies in Babies and Children
Foods can cause a wide variety of reactions in children. A food allergy
can be life threatening in some rare cases but most reactions are less
severe. So what foods can cause allergies, what are the signs and what should you do if a reaction occurs?
Accidentally 'in love' - Baby Sleep Naturally
Posted in:
baby
Learn the benefits of calm parenting and natural baby sleep from Pinky McKay, one of Australia's foremost parenting experts.
Breastfeeding - a guide for the first few days
Breastfeeding in the first few days can be an anxious time. Is this normal? Am I doing this right? You are not alone, read about common concerns and feelings.
Caring for Baby and Toddler Teeth
A beautiful smile showing beautiful teeth is what everybody wants, but caring for baby and toddler teeth
is not always an easy thing. Getting your child to eat the right thing
and then cleaning their teeth can be difficult, whilst getting them to
even open their mouth when they go to the dentist can be an achievement
in itself.
The Benefits of Baby Massage
Posted in: baby,
premature babies
What are the benefits of baby massage? Stroking and caressing your
baby is instinctive. Who can resist those tiny, tender toes or that
fine, silky skin, let alone the delicious smell of a newborn? It is
no accident that babies are designed this way - research studies show
that loving touch has profound effects on infant development.
Postnatal Exercise - Getting Back into Shape
Posted in: baby,
postnatal health
Postnatal exercise - getting back to your pre-pregnancy exercise routine, posture, shape and tone can be a daunting task given the stresses of new motherhood. The sudden physical changes from the birthing process along with the steadier changes from pregnancy combine to leave many new mums feeling flabby and deflated, often physically and mentally.
Trying New Foods
Parents dream of their children being 'great eaters'. Few parents
realize that we often need to teach our children how to try new foods. New foods need to be offered 10-15 times...
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