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The Do’s and Don’ts of Infant Dental Care
Here at Mums Baby Magazine we know how hard it can be being a parent, suddenly there are a great number of roles which you suddenly seem to be landed with: cleaner, carer, nurse, teacher, DIY expert, cook, waiter/ waitress, hairdresser, fashion consultant, dentist… any many more as the years go by. It can be difficult trying to keep track of the many things that we are expected to do, let alone be an expert at when and how we should be carrying out these chores. To make things a little easier, we have put together a quick guide upon infant dental health to help you along the way…
- Parents should begin cleaning their children’s teeth from the moment that a tooth comes through (breaks through the skin), it is therefore important that as parents we regularly check our babies mouths for impending teeth.
- Make an appointment for your child with the Dentist once their teeth have started to come through (this can be as soon as they acquire their first tooth).
- Most dentists ask that appointments are made for your child every six months.
- Infants/ children’s teeth should be cleaned at least twice a day (usually once in the morning and once before bed time).
- Toothpaste and brushes appropriate for your child’s age group should be purchased beforehand, these are widely available from supermarket stores UK wide.
- Avoid purchasing fruity based toothpaste as these may be widely available for infants and toddlers but are not featured on the market for children, teens and adults. Therefore if your child took a liking to a fruity based toothpaste, there is a possibility that they could take a disliking to popular minty based toothpastes later in life. Try to stick to a minty option from the start, this way you can avoid any preferences for flavour later in life.
- Change your child’s toothbrush every month or so.
- Most children acquire their first tooth between the age of six to twelve months. However, many children are born with teeth or acquire them shortly after.
- Your child will most likely have their full set of milk teeth by the time that they reach three years of age, this usually consists of ten teeth on the top and ten teeth on the bottom.
- If your child uses a pacifier then you should aim to stop this habit by the time that they are three years old to avoid any dental damage.
- In order to make cleaning your child’s teeth easier, face your child away from you and tip their head back into your arms. From this angle you should have both easy access and a good view for cleaning their teeth.
- If your child becomes anxious whilst having their teeth cleaned and you find it difficult keeping their mouth open, try using a story based upon a house with an upstairs and a downstairs (top and bottom sets of teeth) where someone/ something is being chased around the house or needs to be found, ask them to open their mouth a little wider so that you can see where this fictional character may be… By making teeth cleaning a fun activity, you will avoid any future anxiety problems and provide your child with a positive association towards cleaning their teeth.
We hope that our twelve teeth cleaning tips are helpful and enable you to really ‘get your teeth’ into your parental dental duties!
Bath Time Buys for Babes with Sensitive Skin: The Little Green Sheep Baby Body Wash & Sea Sponge
The Little Green Sheep specialise in a range of natural, organic products including clothing, bedding, furniture, toys, gifts, and bath products.
Why Organic?
- Organic products are free from harmful chemicals, pesticides and dyes which can prove harmful to young children.
- Organic products tend to be higher quality and longer-lasting.
- Avoiding the use of pesticides, herbicides, bleaches, dyes and other chemicals helps to protect the environment.
Mums Baby Magazine put The Little Green Sheep Baby Body Wash and Organic Natural Sea Sponge to the test with a toddler with sensitive skin.
The Little Green Sheep Baby Body Wash
Naturally organic, The Little Green Sheep ‘Baby Body Wash’ is handmade using a blend of 80% organic ingredients. The Little Green Sheep products are ‘kind to the planet’ and are not tested upon animals.
The Little Green Sheep Baby Body Wash is to be used externally all over the body. However, contact with the eyes should be avoided. The Little Green Sheep Baby Body Wash gently moisturises and cleanses sensitive skin.
The Little Green Sheep Baby Body Wash has a pleasant aroma of Lavender which is ideal for bedtime bathing as Lavender is said to be both soothing and relaxing, promoting a good nights sleep. Only thirty minutes after having a bath, our toddler fell sound asleep!
We found that The Little Green Sheep Baby Body Wash lathered up well into a silky, smooth foam when applied to our toddlers skin. Although the Little Green Sheep Baby Body Wash only comes in a 200ml bottle, it certainly seems to last as a little truly does go a long way!
As we have previously mentioned, the toddler who tested this product has sensitive skin. We can confirm that this product did not have any negative effect upon his skin. We did notice however, that his skin seemed less dry and far softer, therefore we would like to give The Little Green Sheep Baby Body Wash 9/10.
Little Green Sheep Baby Body Wash is available from www.thelittlegreensheep.com for £4.95 per bottle. Alternatively you can buy both The Little Green Sheep Baby Body Wash along with an Organic Natural Sea Sponge for £9.95 (making a saving of 95p!).
The Little Green Sheep Organic Natural Sea Sponge
Organically grown, sustainably harvested and hand-picked from the Mediterranean Sea, The Little Green Sheep Sea Sponges are ideal for using upon soft, sensitive skin.
Mums Baby Magazine used a Little Green Sheep Organic Natural Sea Sponge along with The Little Green Sheep Baby Body Wash during bath time with a toddler.
The Sea Sponge felt incredibly soft to the touch, so soft that our toddler seemed fascinated with it and spent much of his bath time stroking and patting the Sea Sponge!
Sea Sponges hold more water than synthetically produced sponges and are much softer to use upon delicate skin. We can clarify this fact as we compared a synthetic sponge with the Sea Sponge and found that the Sea Sponge held almost a third more water than the synthetically produced sponge. Our toddler also enjoyed squeezing the water from the sea sponge and he too seemed surprised by the amount which it had soaked up!
Mums Baby Magazine give The Little Green Sheep Organic Natural Sea Sponge 10/10. The Little Green Sheep Organic, Natural Sea Sponges are available for £5.95 each from www.thelittlegreensheep.com
The Baby Nose Clear Nasal Aspirator, because Allergies and Colds Suck!
Whether your little one has a cold or simply a touch of hay fever, The Baby Nose Clear Nasal Aspirator is the ideal drug free and non invasive method to relieve your babies blocked nose and nasal congestion.
The Baby Nose Clear Nasal Aspirator is the drug free and non invasive method to relieve your babies blocked nose and nasal congestion recently won the Queens Award for Enterprise for Outstanding Innovation, The Baby Nose Clear Nasal Aspirator is Paediatrician approved to use from birth onwards.
The Baby Nose Clear Nasal Aspirator is designed to physically remove the excess nasal mucus which could other lead to a secondary complications such as a coughs, ear infections and stomach upsets.
The Baby Nose Clear Nasal Aspirator features a transparent tube, filter (medical grade ensuring ultimate hygiene) and sucking device enabling parents to visually see mucus removed.
The Baby Nose Clear Nasal Aspirator can be used with newborn babies, often during the first few weeks babies can struggle to feed due to a build up of mucus. Did you know that babies are ‘obligate nasal breathers’ which means that they naturally breathe through their nose, when tiny nasal passages are blocked babies can find breathing a problem. The only time which babies breathe naturally is during crying when they breathe through their mouth.
Invented by a Mother of pre-term triplets, the Baby Nose-Clear Infant Nasal Aspirator tends to be much 
more effective than ‘bulb style’ aspirators and is recommended by health professionals. Mums Baby Magazine put the Baby Nose Clear Nasal Aspirator to the test with a sniffly toddler suffering from summertime allergies, we were impressed with how easily mucus could be targeted and removed enabling better breathing. Simply place the mouthpiece between your teeth therefore leaving your hands free to hold your little one and target mucus with the device. If mucus is dry then it is suggested to use a small amount of saline solution prior to using the Baby Nose-clear Infant Nasal Aspirator. In order to do this, gently tilt your little ones head back and insert one to two drops of the solution into the nose.
The Baby Nose-clear Infant Nasal Aspirator is very quiet to use. Designed with safety and hygiene in mind, the Baby Nose-clear Infant Nasal Aspirator cannot ‘over suck’, the strength of the suction can be tested on the back of your hand. The Baby Nose-clear Infant Nasal Aspirator removes any mucus safely into a chamber which is protected by a filter. The Baby Nose-clear Infant Nasal Aspirator comes in a specially designed plastic contained which features a holder for a spare filter (a spare filter is also provided). Spare filters can also be purchased from the www.4little1.com website for £2.03 or alternatively £4.07 for a pack of 3 with free postage and packaging. However, it is suggested that filters are built to last and therefore shouldn’t need replacing.
The Baby Nose-clear Infant Nasal Aspirator can be easily washed in warm, soapy water or alternatively if you are using this product with more than one child it can be sterilised. Ensure that the filter is completely dry before using this product as water particles can block the filter.
This device can be used as little or as often as you please and is ideal to use during the following times:
- Before a feed (to ensure mucus is removed to aid feeding)
- Before bed time (to ensure a clear nights sleep)
- After a bath (to remove excess mucus stimulated from steam/ hot water)
- In the morning (after a nights rest in which mucus can build up)
- During a cold
- Throughout the day for allergy sufferers.
Mums Baby Magazine give The Baby Nose-clear Infant Nasal Aspirator 10/10 for congestion relief. The Baby Nose-Clear Infant Nasal Aspirator is available from http://www.4little1.com for £7.14 or alternatively this item can be purchased as part of a Care Set (including Baby Nose-Clear Room Vapour and Massage Oil) for £19.39
Building a better bath time bond with the My Munchkin Baby Apron Towel.
Bath time with little ones provides magical moments for both parents and children. Bath time is the ideal opportunity for bonding to take place between parent and child.
Many first time parents find bath time a nerve wracking experience as they try to support their new-born’s head and body whilst washing them with the other hand.
In order to make things a little easier for you and your little one why not try getting in the tub with them and resting them in your legs or against your chest so that you are more able to support their head and body, whilst washing them and at the same time offering your little one skin to skin contact. Alternatively bath supports are available which can be put into the bath for your little one to rest upon whilst you wash them.
Try to include both parents (if possible) in the bath time routine, many hands make light work! Try to relax and enjoy bath times with your little one, children pick up on your feelings very easily and if they sense that you are tense then they will mirror this. In order to lighten the mood, include wash cloth puppets or small bath toys to keep your little one entertained whilst in the water.
Water temperature needs to be at 37 degrees Celsius, in order to check temperature it is suggested that the parent dips their elbow into the water. Bath thermometers are widely available and are a more accurate way in which to assure that the water is of the correct temperature. Never leave the water running when your little one is in the bath as you could risk scalding your infant.
For new-borns and babies (up to six months of age) you need to fill the bath with approximately 13cm (5”) of water or alternatively ensure that there is enough water to allow your little one to be in the water with their shoulders covered.
Once your little one has finished being washed and is removed from the bath then they need to be kept warm as their body temperature will drop quickly once out of the water. Try to ensure that the room is warm and that you have a towel and the equipment that you will need (clothes, a nappy, a towel and any other lotions or talc’s) at ready to hand.
My Munchkin Baby Apron Towels provide the ideal solution for drying young children. The My Munchkin Baby Apron Towel is an award winning towel which features a hooded corner in which you can place your little ones head to keep them warm and dry hair easily. The My Munchkin Baby Apron Towel also features a Velcro tab which can be securely fastened around the back of the parents neck, securing the towel in place enabling parents to dry little ones easily whilst providing them warmth and comfort.
The My Munchkin Baby Apron Towel is shaped as a butterfly to aid simple wrapping of your baby after they have had a bath. The My Munchkin Baby Apron Towel is made with 100% pure organic cotton and is designed to offer parents to be ‘hands free’ during bath time.
The My Munchkin Baby Apron Towel is available in three colours (sky blue, candy pink or luxury white) and comes in a beautiful, drawstring bag for storage.
Mums Baby Magazine put the My Munchkin Baby Apron Towel to the test during ‘splash time’. We really liked the drawstring bag which also provides enough space to fit in a small comb, a nappy and a set of pyjamas so that parents can easily carry equipment to and from the bathroom. The towel itself is wonderfully soft and being organic cotton is ideal for sensitive, soft skin. The design of the towel is ideal for providing comfortable and secure cuddles after bath time, enabling the parent to get on with the job of getting their little ones dry without worrying that the towel will move around especially if their little ones are fidgety.
Mums Baby Magazine found that the My Munchkin Baby Apron Towel is the ideal towel to take along to baby massage sessions as parents are able to maintain contact with their child without having to adjust the towels position. Although The My Munchkin Baby Apron Towel is suitable from birth to eighteen 
months, we found that the towel itself was a little larger than the average baby towel providing even more comfort. Mums Baby Magazine give the My Munchkin Baby Apron Towel 9/10, this towel really does offer a ‘better bath time’ experience for both parents and children.
The My Munchkin Baby Apron Towel is available from www.mymunchkin.co.uk for £24.99.
Making ‘Eco-Easy’ with Monkey Doodlez ‘Wipe Cubes’ for Cloth Wipes
We as parents are the ones who have responsibility for our children. We are humans are the ones who have responsibility for our planet. Being Eco-friendly isn’t necessarily easy, especially when we have become accustomed to the ‘convenience lifestyle’ where we are at ease with throwing away most of the material goods which we purchase once we have made use of them.
Today’s World is a fast pace, it seems we have less and less time to carry out the household chores such as washing up or laundering our clothes. If you were given the choice to simply throw away a nappy or to put it into the washing machine, which would you choose and why?
Those parents who do choose to make use of reusable, cloth nappies soon find that the effort and extra work that they expected to come with cloth nappying is far less than they first imagined. The sheer cost of throw away nappies and bin space that dirty nappies take up far out measure the negative aspects when in comparison with the effort it takes to put a cloth nappy into the wash. Those parents who choose to use cloth nappies with their little ones make savings of up to £2000 (or even more if the nappies are used with another child) throughout birth- potty training!
Another saving with parents can make for their pockets and the planet is to ‘go eco’ with wipes. How many wipes do you use a day? How many packets of wipes do you buy at the supermarket each month? No doubt, it’s at least £10 a month… Rather than continuing to ‘bin your cash’ why not try using cloth wipes?
Cloth wipes needn’t be purchased, they can be made from old flannels or towels by cutting them up into wipe size strips and then sewing a hem along the edge to prevent fraying. If you aren’t ofay with a sewing machine then cloth wipes are purchasable in many baby stores or online. Cloth wipes can be stored in a wipe box/ container just like disposable wipes, they can be then be thrown in the wash once used along with your usual laundry (there is no need to put wipes to wash on a separate cycle).
Rather than just using baby baby and oil products along with water to soak your wipes, try using Monkey Doodlez Wipe Cubes. These cubes are designed specifically for cloth wipes. Mums Baby Magazine put the Monkey Doodlez Wipe Cubes to the test. Here is a quick guide on how to prepare your cloth wipes, this will take you the amount of time it takes to make a cup of tea, in fact you could even make a cup of tea whilst your doing it!
Boil the kettle- Fill a jug/ container with 500ml of water
- Add your Monkey Doodlez Wipe Cube (for instant dissolving the water needs to be at boiling temperature).
Put a pile of cloth wipes into your wipe box and open the lid.- Once the Monkey Doodlez Wipe Cube has dissolved, pour the solution over your wipes.
- Cloth the wipes box and leave to cool
- Use the wipes as and when (discard any wipes which haven’t been used after seven days).
Alternatively, you can make up the solution and then store it in a bottle which can then be poured upon/ sprayed upon wipes as and when needed.
Mums Baby Magazine made two batches of wipes using the Monkey Doodlez Wipe Cubes. We found that the wipes had a sweet and fresh smell to them (even after several days). Upon using these wipes (once soaked in the solution) we found that they left babies skin soft and clean.
In comparison to using disposable wipes, cloth wipes seem to remove more of the dirt whereas disposable wipes somehow tend to smear it in (especially when cleaning a child who has had a soiled nappy). In reality, the Monkey Doodlez Wipe Cubes actually made the cloth wipes smell very similar to disposable wipes. However, they don’t leave babies skin feeling dry as disposable wipes often tend to.
Mums Baby Magazine give the Monkey Doodlez Wipe Cubes 8/10. Monkey Doodlez Wipe Cubes are a Canadian product which are $10 for a 100g jar (refills and sample packs can also be purchased if required) from www.monkeydoodlez.com
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