New-Parent Concerns: From Spitting Up to Baby's Firsts, Here's Some Tips

As parents, we worry about our children. It's just a fact of life. New parents often worry needlessly about things that are of no cause for concern. Many problems that a new parent may feel they are alone in dealing with are actually more common than they think. Here are some of the things that you need not be concerned about and will hopefully ease your mind.

"My baby spits up huge amounts of formula/breastmilk." In most cases, that huge amount of spit up isn't as much as you believe it is. If your child is gaining weight healthily and does not show any signs of pain (arching of back and wailing) then it's not really a problem. To help minimize spit up remember to burp your baby often, for formula fed babies it is best to burp them as often as every ounce whereas breastfed babies need only to be burped during a natural break. Most breastfed babies do not spit up as much as formula fed babies. It's not always true though, as my breastfed baby has spit up quite a bit more than other breastfed babies. If your baby does show signs of being in pain contact their doctor. The pain could be caused by acid reflux and there are medications out there to handle the problem. Another important note is that most babies begin to outgrow spitting up by six months of age and usually stop altogether by eight months of age.

"My baby is (insert age) and still isn't doing what the other babies his/her age are doing (crawling, sitting up, walking, talking)." Every baby develops differently, some faster or slower than others. My first baby did not sit up unsupported until she was eight months of age while my second was sitting up unsupported at six months. Both my first and second were walking by age one while my friend's baby and my brother's baby are still not walking at 15 months. No matter what other bragging Mothers tell you, their baby doing things before other babies their age doesn't make them smarter. If you feel that there is cause for concern, such as if your baby has gone beyond the typical timeline and still shows no signs of being ready, than you can make an appointment with your doctor to discuss the issue.