A Facebook event initiated by L’il Aussie Prems founder has united strangers and generated cash in recognition and celebration of babies born prematurely.

On 6 April, 19,364 Facebook users wore green clothing or purchased green wristbands to publicly recognise the struggle of premature babies and their families.

Over 2000 wristbands were sold through the L’il Aussie Prems website in four weeks, with international orders from Ireland, United States, United Kingdom and Canada. Wristbands were designed by a group of parents and included messages that were voted for on the website. Sales of wristbands enabled L’il Aussie Prems to donate $2300 to five charities.

Event organiser and L’il Aussie Prems founder Ms Julia Toivonen said the online attendees and wristband sales far exceeded her expectations.

“We have just over a 1000 members on our Facebook page so to receive over 19,000 attendees through the Facebook medium is just phenomenal” she said.

“It shows that people are enthusiastic about recognising the issue and social media is allowing the topic to hit mainstream interest.”

A participant of the online Green for Prems event, Ms Hoodless of Somerville, Victoria said it was “a time to reflect how far both my premmie boys have come. We brought bands for all of our family members and sent them out in the post so they could proudly wear them. This was a special day for all premmie families.”

The lack of web resources and support available for parents and families of premature babies led Ms Toivonen to launch L’il Aussie Prems online four years ago, after giving birth to her baby thirteen weeks too early.

“Premature babies can develop lung complications, vision and hearing impairments, Sensory Processing Disorder and delayed speech among a range of other developmental complications” Ms Toivonen said.

Parents of premature babies are often in new and unexpected territory and generally have a desire to share their own stories and seek information. The website offers this support to over 1600 registered users and is not only for families of newborns, but also toddlers who face new challenges as their bodies develop.

National Premmie Week is in November with events being coordinated by the National Premmie Foundation & its member groups to raise awareness about prematurity. Parents and families affected by the challenges and sometimes fatal nature of premature babies who require support or who would like to help support others can visit the website.

Website: www.lilaussieprems.com.au

As much as you adore your baby and love holding him, there are times when you need to set him down. The Fisher Price My Little Lamb Cradle ‘n Swing allows you to set your baby down where she will be safe, comfortable, and as peaceful as a lamb.

Versatility
Most swings simply rock from side to side. The My Little Lamb swing can be turned to also rock baby from front to back. Whichever way your baby prefers to glide, this swing allows it to happen. The attached canopy can offer baby more shade when used in areas where there is more light. The swing can also turn in either direction, so wherever you are in the room, you can still see how your sweet little lamb is doing in her swing.

Easy Storage
Families travel, and so do babies. This swing by Fisher Price folds for easy storage and traveling. The sturdy metal legs fold in, allowing the swing to fit in a smaller area. This folding feature also allows the swing to easily be moved from one room to another.

Toys!
Babies want to be engaged, and if yours is awake in the swing, he’ll be delighted by the Fisher Price toys that are hanging directly above his head. The playful mobile features a mirror, so baby can check out her new hair style, and a series of barnyard toys. Let her reach up for the gracefully leaping lambs, or delicate little stars. She’ll be delighted with the toys that are right in her reach, and you’ll be delighted to be able to get some cleaning done. The swing itself has a removable tray with bead bar and plush fried attached. He’ll be thrilled to have his choice of toys to reach for, until the motion lulls him off to sleep, that is.

Babies love music, and it can help yours rock gently off to sleep. The Fisher Price Little Lamb Cradle ‘n Swing features eight different musical selections, as well as the sounds of nature. This swing has a weight limit of 25 pounds, giving your baby several months of swinging enjoyment. There are six speeds on this Fisher Price swing, allowing the swing to grow with your baby during the first few months. The My Little Lamb Cradle ‘n Swing is the perfect addition to any nursery, including the one at Grandma’s house.

Website: www.playdex.com.au

Mums…between changing nappies, cooking dinner, cleaning the house, taking the kids to school and the multitude of other tasks you have to fit into a day, do you find there’s never usually any time left for you?! But as everyone knows, looking and feeling good is still just as important as it was pre-children.
Mother’s of Australia, we have some exciting news!
Keeping a sexy, smooth, wrinkle free décolletage, can now take less time than changing a nappy!
Sally Krieger, décolleté expert and owner of Skinvigor8 www.skinvigor8.com.au – the Australian based distributor of the world-famous décolleté pad – brings the mothers of Australia: The 5 easy steps to a décolletage smooth as a baby’s bottom!
First there are the Obvious….
1. Sunscreen is your holy grail! The décolleté is often the forgotten area when applying sunscreen. Be sure to cover your décolleté with sunscreen every time you head out into the sun. A burnt décolleté equals a wrinkly décolletage later!
2. It’s all about posture, posture, posture! Droopy shoulders are not just bad for your back; they can cause creases to form on your décolletage. Eeek!
3. Avoid spending extended periods of time laying on your side. Laying on your side creases the skin in the décolleté area, which again can lead to wrinkles.
4. We could all use a little support! It’s extremely important to wear a correctly fitted, supportive bra. Support the girls to reduce the wrinkles!
Then there is the New….
5. Skinvigor8 Décolleté Pads! Skinvigor8 Décolleté Pads are the revolutionary, non-invasive answer to a stunning, smooth and wrinkle-free décolletage. Simply placed on the chest overnight, the inexpensive and easy-to-use Skinvigor8 Décolleté Pad, made from 100% medical-grade silicone, will turn back your ‘chest-clock’ and reveal a smooth and wrinkle free décolletage.

LeapFrog creates the future of learning…again
LeapFrog has announced the arrival of LeapPad Explorer™, a multifunctional learning tablet device that introduces the next generation of learning, digital reading, and personal creativity for children ages 4 and up - available in Australia from September 2011.
LeapPad Explorer is just like an adult tablet, but with endless fun experiences for kids, housed in a durable package. The new device combines the latest technology, educational curricula, and entertainment properties.
Stewart Downs, CEO of LeapFrog’s Australian distributor, Funtastic, believes LeapPad Explorer breaks the boundary of what’s possible in kid’s educational toys. “This product is the most innovative and intuitive product I’ve seen in the toy category this decade,” Stewart said. “It’s fantastic to see LeapFrog delivering cutting edge product designed specifically to be kid tough.”
“In 2010 Funtastic delivered over 30% growth* for LeapFrog here in Australia. The kind of world-class innovation evident in the LeapPad Explorer means we’ll continue to see LeapFrog’s popularity growing with Aussie families.”
LeapPad Explorer builds on the success of the award winning handheld, Leapster Explorer, and is designed to change the way children learn and play.
Key features:

• Largest-ever learning library at launch: inclusive of learning games, videos, e-Books, flash cards and more, featuring kid’s favourite characters. Fully compatible with the existing Leapster Explorer library

• Education: From spelling and maths to creativity, science, music, geography and more. The nifty stylus also lets children perfect their writing skills

• Creativity: The first tablet device with a built-in camera, video recorder, microphone and animation studio, allowing for creative exploration that can be shared with family and friends

• Personalisation: Automatically adjusts the learning across all experiences so children can learn at their own pace

• Engagement: Accelerometer and 5” brilliant colour touch screen create an interactive experience that puts kids in the middle of the action with HD-like graphics

• Durability: Sleek and thin in its design, the LeapPad Explorer can also withstand rough play and is designed for little hands

MyBust, a new revolutionary technology that will have women feeling sexier and more confident in bras personalised to fit.
Leading maternity &nursing lingerie brand, Cake Lingerie, revolutionises the maternity and nursing bra with ‘MyBust’;the first ever bra tailored to the individual needs of pregnant and breastfeeding women. Designed to enhance a woman’s sillouette, whilst providing her with an exquisite fit; MyBust creates for a sexier, more elegantly fitting bra that offers an amazing profile with superior shape and support. This cutting edge design includes a graduation of the centre front and the introduction of different cup construction depending on the cup size; plunge styles for B-­‐D cup and balconette styles for DD-­‐G cup. “Pregnant and breastfeeding women have had to choose a bra that fits or one that’s pretty, for far too long. We have engineered a unique bra that provides both; no matter what your bust size ” says Tracey Montford, Founder & Creative Director at Cake Lingerie. Cake Lingerie understands that no two
sizes are alike and that one bra style cannot cater for the different shapes and sizes, especially in pregnant and nursing mothers. Hence understanding the needs of women in each size has been fundamental in creating this fitting platform. “The simple, one size fits all styled bras is an approach of the past, women will be delighted with their new personalised fit”. The radiant ‘Turkish Delight’ and the exquisite ‘Velvet Delight’ incorporate the new MyBust innovation with the added support of the flexible wire, approved by the Breastfeeding Association. MyBust will give women of every size the desired fit, shape and functionality in one beautifully designed bra, with extraordinary attention to detail. Cake Lingerie is available in over 300 of the world’s finest boutique stores in sizes from 10-­‐16, B-­‐G cups and retails for AUD$59.90.
Briefs and G-­‐string options are available in sizes S-­‐XL.

While motherhood is one of the biggest blessings that a woman can receive in her life, it can change her body drastically for the worst. Excess body fat and stretch marks are both signs that a woman has carried and birthed a child. Those things have started one of the most popular crazes in cosmetic plastic surgery today called the “mummy makeover.” The usual mummy makeover procedures are breast lifts, breast implants, tummy tucks, and liposuction that help restore a woman’s body to its pre-pregnancy state. While this might be a quick fix, a woman should take into consideration her own health the price, and the recovery time before opting to do something that is so vain.

Generally women takes great pride in looking good because it gives that great feeling which some men does not get. When a woman sees that she looks good in the mirror and gets complimented on looking her best that usually adds more self confidence points. A woman’s health is the primary reason why she should be thinking twice about getting that mummy makeover procedure. It takes a while for a woman’s body to adjust to not being pregnant, so going under the knife may not be the best option. Most cosmetic surgeons advise a woman to wait at least 6 months after delivering her child before having cosmetic plastic surgery. Another thing that a woman should take into consideration before having this unnecessary surgery is the price. A recent survey for women who has just given birth shows a large number of them wants to lose the extra pounds gained while some who are thinking of undergoing mummy makeovers also considers breast implants but is usually taking into consideration the breast implants recovery as some of them are breast feeding. Most mothers would agree that having a child is something that can place a huge financial burden on a family. The high cost of plastic surgery can make that burden even greater.

Additionally, since mothers are usually the primary caretakers of their children, they also need to take into consideration the length of the recovery time. Recovery time of most procedures can take up to a few weeks, so a woman has to make sure that she has made provisions for someone else to care for her child doing that time. A woman needs to ask herself is it really worth leaving her child to be cared for by someone else to get this surgery?

While the mummy makeover can greatly improve a woman’s body and confidence, it should be used as a last resort. If a woman wants to get back to her pre pregnancy body she should exercise and eat right. The exercise should be done most days a week for at least 30 minutes and should incorporate resistance training and cardiovascular training. A woman’s diet should be low in fat, cholesterol, and sugars, and should be high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fiber.

Her first baby steps
Your darling is now already a year old and will take her first baby steps without any support. Some babies won’t take their first steps until they are at least 14 months old. So, don’t worry if your baby doesn’t take her first steps this month. Keep a video camera ready to record her important developmental milestone. Share it with her grandparents who will be so proud of her.

Beginning of new kind of games
It may sound annoying to you but your baby thinks it is fun to drop objects, push things and bang toys together. She is gaining strength in her arms each month and this is her way of testing her motor skills. Her attention span for quiet activities will be short – think two minutes and five minutes if you are really lucky. There is not much you can do when she starts banging pots and pans in the kitchen – this is mainly because she has got a strong grasp and she wants to test it.

Making a fuss at bedtime
Lack of sleep is common for mums of infants. A whole year of changing nappies and getting up for frequent feeds in the middle of the night will have taken its toll on you. As your baby gets older you will be looking forward to some precious sleep time. However your baby will start creating a fuss at her bedtime by refusing to go to sleep and staying up past her bedtime.

Following an established routine will indicate to your baby that it is bed time. Give her a warm shower, feed her if she is hungry, put her in her nightclothes, read to her or play her favorite music – all these things will tell her it’s time to sleep and you will find her naturally drifting off to sleep without much fuss.

It’s hard to say bye
Your baby will have experienced severe separation anxiety in the past few months. She won’t be completely free of feeling unhappy and distressed when you are not around even when she is a year old. You might feel guilty when she is crying to leave her with a baby sitter. When heading out for dinner with friends and family ask your baby sitter to come early so that your tot can adjust to the baby sitter while you are around. Leave when your baby is distracted - don’t make a big fuss by saying “Goodbye darling”. This might create more tantrums from her.

Encourage your baby to be independent so that she doesn’t need you around all the time. Allow her to spend some time with her grandparents without you around. At home don’t hover over her all the time. When she crawls to the next room wait for a minute or two before you rush behind her.

Learning to communicate with language
Your baby will now be starting to use words in her vocabulary. She might even respond to simple phrases like “Do you want to eat” by shaking her head to say “no”. You might not understand her when she babbles short sentences but your baby is learning the importance of language to communicate.

Now is the perfect time to teach her to be well mannered by including phrases like “please”, “thank you” and “sorry” in her vocabulary.

Connection between objects and its names
When she is a year old your baby will start to realize the objects she has been playing with has a name. Help her label things by using a picture book or real life objects. For example you can hold an apple in your hand and repeat “apple”. Such a simple gesture will help her realize that the red shiny object is an “apple”. You can continue this to include other objects like “socks”, “spoons” or “books”. You can teach her about colors by saying “red socks” or “blue socks”. Your baby might not repeat after you but she is getting the idea.

How do I know if my baby is developing normally?
The first thing your doctor would have said when you are expecting is ‘every woman’s pregnancy is different’. Similarly each baby is unique when it comes to achieving growth milestones. Your baby may respond differently to the milestones given here. If your baby was born before 37 weeks it will need more time to do same things as other children of similar chronological age. You will hear baby’s doctors usually give two ages to children born prematurely – chronological age (calculated on the day the baby is born) and adjusted age (calculated from your baby’s due date).

If you have any concerns about your baby’s growth and development consult a doctor.

Growing physical independence
As she draws near her first birthday, your baby still requires a great deal of attention and sustenance but you would now notice that she is now growing more independent by the day. She might now be able to stand upright, bend, tour the house using wall and the furniture for support. She may not be able to walk all by herself but it`s certain that she’s trying hard and is well on her way.

At this stage, your amazing eleven month old baby is making considerable progress. For instance, she may now be able to guzzle her milk from her cup all by herself and also eat most of her meals by herself (although she might spill some of it on herself and the floor).

She might also surprise you and thrust her arms through her sleeves when you are dressing her up.

Books for your little reader
Your little one may also like to glance though books. She may leaf through the pages randomly and may like books which have plenty of illustrations or pictures. It would be best advised to keep expensive books out of her reach as she may also sometimes be tempted to tear the pages of books for no particular reason.

Becoming her own person
Your 11 month old baby may now also try to join in games with her siblings and friends. She will start to identify toys and also have a few favorites of her own, to which she might cling to all day.

Time to start setting limits
It’s time for you to start communicating and handing out simple instructions to your eleven month old, as she is now capable of linking certain actions with specific words. Your child is now capable of moving around the house and grabbing objects, hence it is important tell her which objects are safe to touch and which are not. Children at this age tend to have a very short memory so you may have to repeat the instructions a few times before your baby actually starts following them.

Your child has now entered the phase where she is naturally very curious about the world and she has a very strong desire to explore the world. She may start tugging at the tail of your pet cat/dog or may try and stuff objects into her mouth. Remember that your child is doing most things for the first time in her life and is not aware of the consequences so
It’s up to you to try and set the limits for her on what is permitted and what is not. It is always advisable to communicate gently and lovingly to your child, to avoid upsetting her.

Talking up a storm
Your amazing eleven month old baby is now also learning to use words or baby sounds to communicate with you. This is also the time when her cognitive development is shaping up. It is important that you encourage her efforts and try to engage her in two way conversations. Try and teach her to say one word clearly and then proceed to another word.

Although your child may not comprehend most of the things you say, it is crucial that you keep talking to her whenever you can. You can also hold up objects or pictures whist slowly repeating the name of the object. Doing this repeatedly will help your eleven month old to identify the object.

Your baby could soon be forming her first sentence (Although you may not recognize most of the words in the sentence). These are moments which you would treasure for the rest of your lives.

How do I know if my baby is developing normally?
The first thing your doctor would have said when you are expecting is ‘every woman’s pregnancy is different’. Similarly each baby is unique when it comes to achieving growth milestones. Your baby may respond differently to the milestones given here. If your baby was born before 37 weeks it will need more time to do same things as other children of similar chronological age. You will hear baby’s doctors usually give two ages to children born prematurely – chronological age (calculated on the day the baby is born) and adjusted age (calculated from your baby’s due date).

If you have any concerns about your baby’s growth and development consult a doctor.

Mobility development
Now your baby is becoming even more mobile and curious about her environment. Crawling for the past few months would have actually made your baby’s leg muscles stronger. Don’t be surprised if she is able to stand up on her own with little support. Even though she may wobble a little bit it won’t stop her mobility.

You can help your baby by removing weak furniture from your house and replace it with stronger couches, tables and chair. Your little one will use the furniture in your house for support.

Greater control over her hand and fingers
Your baby’s control over her hands and fingers is increasing month by month. Her pincer grasp will be stronger now. Pincer grasp is where your baby will be able to pick up small and delicate things without resting her wrists.

Unique personality
Another developmental milestone of your 10 month old is her bubbly personality. Don’t be surprised if she smiles at strangers when you are outdoors. She will love being around people and other tiny tots. Take her to the park so that she can see other children play. See her squeal with joy when she gets to mingle with lots of children.

Chatterbox
All your hard work of reading aloud to your baby and talking to her will now bear fruit. She will have a basic understanding of common words like “yes”, “no” and “go”. Baby talk was cute when your baby was a babbler. Now that she understands phrases quickly politely correct her if she mispronounces.

Try talking to your baby like a grown up and have real conversations with her. You might feel silly talking to her like this, but this is going to improve your baby’s verbal skills.

When it’s time for her shower tell her “Its bath time darling” or “Are you ready for your bath?” When fixing dinner you can tell her what’s for dinner and how you are going to prepare it. This will expose her to a variety of words. It’s also a good idea to play TV or radio in the background when she is playing.

Soon she will use words like “mama” or “papa” understanding that mama refers to you and papa refers to her dad.

Dealing with your baby’s fears
You may be surprised to hear that even babies feel insecure and can have bad dreams. She can cry out suddenly when she hears an airplane pass by not knowing what’s making that loud noise. Sing to her or talk to her calmly to soothe her fears. If she won’t stop crying and is really terrified hold her in your arms until she calms down. You could also try giving your baby her favorite toy.

How do I know if my baby is developing normally?
The first thing your doctor would have said when you are expecting is ‘every woman’s pregnancy is different’. Similarly each baby is unique when it comes to achieving growth milestones. Your baby may respond differently to the milestones given here. If your baby was born before 37 weeks it will need more time to do same things as other children of similar chronological age. You will hear baby’s doctors usually give two ages to children born prematurely – chronological age (calculated on the day the baby is born) and adjusted age (calculated from your baby’s due date).

If you have any concerns about your baby’s growth and development consult a doctor.

Starting to walk
Your nine month old will start to take her first baby steps at this stage. By the time she is 14 or 15 months old she will be able to walk well. At this age your baby’s mobility is improving rapidly. She can crawl from one place to another really well. She can stand upright and bend her knees with proper support. She has enough intelligence to know she can get up if she grabs on to the couch or table.

You can encourage her to walk by sitting at her level and giving your hands for support. There are many toys available today that your baby can hold on to for support and push. While picking toys make sure the toys are not rickety and have a strong support at the bottom to support her weight.

When should I put shoes on my baby?
Now that your baby is starting to walk you might want to put some shoes on her tiny feet to keep them warm and clean. Experts suggest don’t put shoes on your daughter’s feet until she is walking outside of the house. The benefit of being shoeless is it give’s your daughter great support when she tries to stand up and reduces her chance of tripping. Feet without shoes can also help strengthen her leg muscles and arches.

Playing and learning
Your baby is learning quickly to play with toys she likes and how to remove them from her toy box. Try to take her toy away from her when she is playing, she will let you know she is not pleased. Make sure you give your precious daughter age appropriate toys. Avoid giving toys with smaller parts where there’s a risk of her swallowing it. Infants this age mostly like toy cars and tucks that they can move and roll around the floor or table.

You can encourage her development by giving her toys into her palms rather than taking away her toys from her.

Separation anxiety at its peak
Separation anxiety is when your child can’t bear to be away from you even for a short while. She can get extremely distressed or unhappy when you are away from her sight. Separation anxiety mostly depends on the child’s temperament – your baby might not throw any tantrum at all and might be happy to spend some time in the company of her baby sitter.

To help your child cope with separation anxiety teach her to self soothe. Self soothing is a technique where she feels secure by holding onto her favorite toy or a security blanket. Allow as many relatives and friends to hug your child so that she doesn’t feel insecure when she is with them in your absence.

Travel time
Travelling with a nine month old to attend your friends wedding or taking a much needed holiday can be really tough. Your nine month old is used to her routines and schedules by this age. Travelling means disruption of her sleep time, feed time, play time and bath time. Luckily you can keep her calm on her travels by distracting her. Travel well prepared; make sure you have her favorite toys, books and music on hand to distract her.

Understanding of language
Your baby will continue her babble and start using more real sounding syllables with single consonants like “pa”, “ma” or “ba”. Don’t get excited yet as she might be repeating those words that she hears constantly than actually understanding them.

Start adding new words to her vocabulary like “no”, “go” and “yes”. Talk to her as much as you can. Play the TV or radio when fixing dinner so that she can listen to more words. Practices like this help build your baby’s vocabulary and makes her understand the importance of language in communicating.

How do I know if my baby is developing normally?
The first thing your doctor would have said when you are expecting is ‘every woman’s pregnancy is different’. Similarly each baby is unique when it comes to achieving growth milestones. Your baby may respond differently to the milestones given here. If your baby was born before 37 weeks it will need more time to do same things as other children of similar chronological age. You will hear baby’s doctors usually give two ages to children born prematurely – chronological age (calculated on the day the baby is born) and adjusted age (calculated from your baby’s due date).

If you have any concerns about your baby’s growth and development consult a doctor.