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    The latest news regarding SIDS

    Posted by admin in Attachment Parenting, Babies 0-6 months, Breastfeeding, Safety, Sleep on January 23rd, 2017

    Scientists have identified a possible biological cause for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) that was never known before. There has been a recent breakthrough in research into SIDS with results that could help prevent even more of these tragic deaths. SIDS is defined as the unexplained death of a seemingly healthy infant under 12 months of age. There has been extensive research and awareness campaigns conducted around the world over the last 20 years that have resulted in an 80% reduction in SIDS deaths. However, last year there were still 113 infant and newborn SIDS deaths. The aim is for that number to be 0.

    Scientists at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, have discovered that babies who die from SIDS are deficient in a protein called Orexin. This protein is responsible for regulating sleep arousal in babies and adults. A cohort study of more than 27 SIDS cases and 19 controls found the level of Orexin was 20 per cent lower in the brains of those babies who had died from SIDS. What this means is that the message to wake up may not be getting through to babies’ brains.

    Associate Professor Alexandra Martiniuk from The George Institute for Global Health at the University of Sydney says that the study found it was the Orexin deficiency along with environmental factors that resulted in the deaths. She stated that in most cases of SIDS related deaths, the baby was found either face down or with their head between the mattress and something else. The conclusions were that in most cases Orexin deficiency along with other factors resulted in the deaths. The discovery of this protein deficiency may be able to help health professionals identify babies at greater risk of SIDS. They hope to have a screening test within 10 years.

    What the researchers and SIDS experts do emphasize is the need for all parents and carers to follow safe sleep practice guidelines. This is still considered the best method of preventing SIDS. The research may also have significant implications for how parents choose sleeping arrangements for their baby. Many parents are choosing co-sleeping arrangements these days with very positive outcomes. Research into these practices has found that when babies are in the same room as parents then the parent often wakes up when there is an adverse event. However, it is still recommended that babies under 3 months sleep on their own surface.

    An excellent method for addressing both issues is by using a co-sleeper bassinet. A cosleeper is a baby bed that can securely attach to the parents bed, meaning both parent and baby have their own sleep surface but baby is easily accessible for nighttime cuddles, feeds and settling and can wake and see and smell his or her parents.

    As a former Neonatal ICU nurse specialist, I am particularly focused on the health and safety of vulnerable babies. While it is great to have a test to see which babies will be most vulnerable to SIDS, its vitally important to continue safe sleeping practices. Those guidelines are listed by www.rednose.com.au and recommended by all medical experts and midwives. They include:

    1. Sleep baby on the back from birth, not on the tummy or side
    2. Sleep baby with head and face uncovered
    3. Keep baby smoke free before birth and after
    4. Provide a safe sleeping environment night and day
    5. Sleep baby in their own safe sleeping place in the same room as an adult care-giver for the first six to twelve months
    6. Breastfeed baby

    Emma Hutton RN Post Grad. Cert. NICU
    Owner Rock-A-Bye Baby Hire (North Branch)
    www.rockabyebabyhire.com.au

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    How to choose the best baby capsule or carseat

    Posted by admin in Babies 0-6 months, Babies 6 months - 4 years, General, How to, Safety on March 27th, 2016

    There is a lot to consider when choosing a car restraint for your new baby. With all the products on offer, the shiny colourful products and the pushy salespeople it can feel overwhelming. We’re often asked what should parents look out for when buying a new car seat/capsule etc? What features are important? What safety certification should they have? Our guide to choosing the right baby carseat or capsule will hopefully help you to make the right choice.

    What to look for:

    • Ensure the Australian Standard sticker is on the restraint – remember overseas manufactured restraints are illegal and cannot be used Australia.
    • Consider whether you want your baby capsule just for the car or if you’d like to use it on your pram to (creating a Travel System)? In that case you’ll need to find out which capsule is compatible with your pram. The manufacturer of your pram will have adaptors available for a variety of capsules to enable you to use your pram with the capsule instead of carseat on top.
    • Check with CREP. CREP is the “Child Restraint Evaluation Program”. CREP  is the independent body that assesses the crash protection performance of infant restraints using three simulated crash tests (frontal, side and oblique). Restraints are then give star rating (X stars out of 5 stars) for safety and ease of use with 5 out of 5 stars the highest rating awarded.
    • Weight – how heavy is the restraint out of the base? Add a 9 kg baby and will you be able to carry this in and out of the car?
    • Will it fit in your car? Consider how many other restraints are in the car and what space is available for the new addition. Its worth trying a few restraints in your car before making a final decision.
    • Remember – the most expensive/most popular is not necessarily the safest (see ChildCarSeats for safety information). Choose on safety, ease of use and the product’s compatibility with your lifestyle and vehicle.

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    10 car seat safety tips from our Expert Team of Restraint Fitters

    Posted by admin in Babies 0-6 months, Babies 6 months - 4 years, General, Safety on September 28th, 2015

    Did you know – Road trauma is the leading cause of death for Australian children up to 14.

    You can however keep your children safer from harm by having properly installed restraints and correctly using your car and booster seats in your car. And before you roll your eyes and say, “Yeah, yeah I know all this already I have 4 kids” know this: Various studies have shown that even for parents who are on their third or even fourth child, car seat use and installation is one of the few things that people tend not to get better at.

    Correct installation and ongoing use can be a matter of life and death – so please sit down and read.

    1. Keep children rear facing for as long as possible
      Turning from rear or forward facing is not a milestone that you should be excited to meet. Forward facing is far more dangerous full stop. Its not like walking or saying their first words.

      Once your child outgrows their baby capsule or baby carseat (which are always rear facing) then you’re ready to move them to a convertible carseat. There’s no reason why that seat needs to be forward facing. There are plenty of seats on the market that allow extended rear facing. Legally children can forward face at 6 months of age. But “can” and “should” are two different things. You should always keep your child rear facing until they reach the rear-facing limits of their convertible seat. With most modern seats that will happen from around 18 months old to 2 years plus.

      A common misconception we hear from parents is that they are concerned that their child’s legs will be squashed or in a dangerous position while rear facing. The fact is that children are actually at greater risk for leg injuries when they are forward facing in the car because in an accident, their feet make contact with the seat in front of them, which is simultaneously moving backward. Yep – in an accident – everything moves. The result is a compression injury, something that doesn’t happen when the child is rear-facing.

    2. Keep the car seat straps firm
      You may have noticed a little label on your carseat or capsule that says “A loose harness is dangerous”. That’s the truth. We see lots of people who are worried about having the straps firm on their baby in the seat but please make sure that yours are nice and tight. In the event of an accident a loose harness can be ineffective and can allow a child to fly forward very fast. You don’t want them to “jump into” the harness in an accident but rather to stay where they are in their restraint nice and safe.  The best way to check is the pinch test -when the harness is done up on your child can you pinch it? If not then its tight enough.
    3. Use the top tether
      We have been surprised sometimes by customers handing us the top tether strap from their capsule and saying they didn’t bother using it because it was annoying. Please don’t be this person. The top tether is a vital part of the restraint system and it decreases how far the child and the restraint will move in an accident by a great many cms.
    4. Don’t start using a Booster too soon
      A booster seat is really just a seatbelt positioning device – its purpose is to position the child so that the car seatbelt can be safely used and the belts will remain in a safe position on the child’s body. The lap section should remain low on the thighs (not on the tummy) and be completely flat and the shoulder belts need to be across the chest and rest between the child’s neck and shoulder. A lap belt that is on the tummy can cause life-altering injuries to the spinal cord and internal organs.
    5. Don’t stop using a Booster too soon
      Again, legally kids can stop using a booster when they’re 7 years of age. But “can” doesn’t equal “should”. Our simple 5 step test can help you decide whether or not your child is ready to stop using their booster:

      • Can the child sit with their back against the vehicle seat back?
      • Do the child’s knees bend in front of the edge of the seat?
      • Does the sash belt sit across the middle of the shoulder?
      • Is the lap belt sitting low across the hips touching the thighs?
      • Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
    6. Check your restraint daily
      Once you’ve been and had your seat professionally installed the responsibility to ensure its used safely every time is up to you. We give our customers a checklist of things to check daily and weekly post-installation so that they know how to safely use their restraint once they’ve gone home.

      Some of the daily checks we suggest include:
      • Is the car seatbelt still buckled up (*you can’t imagine how many times we’ve seen carseats that have been unbuckled by a toddler and no one knew for months!)- Are the shoulder straps free of twists (twists in the shoulder straps can cause very nasty bruising and more)
      • Is there any slack in the top tether?
      • Are there any loose items in the vehicle that could become a missile in an accident?
      Weekly checks we suggest:
      • Is the child too heavy for this restraint now?
      • Is the child too tall for this restraint now?- Are the child’s shoulders above the shoulder slots? Do they need an adjustment?
    7. Use the dedicated Child Restraint Anchor Points in your car
      If you’re installing your seat yourself, check your vehicle’s manufacturer manual that came with the car and be sure that you’re tethering the restraint to an anchor point and not a luggage tie down instead. In some cars it can be really confusing working out what is what so always refer to your car manual or an accredited restraint fitter to confirm that you’ve anchored the restraint to the right point. If not there is a chance that in an accident the anchor won’t hold and the child will fly into the seat in front face first.
    8. Check with CREP
      Surprisingly our most popular baby capsule for hire in 2013 was also the unsafest capsule on the market. The product shall remain nameless but that goes to show the power of marketing. Baby capsules aren’t a fashion symbol but a safety device so its best to choose one that has the best safety rating and put looks down the list of must-haves. Thankfully the highest rating products are often really affordable too being locally made and manufactured. You can get all the ratings information from Child Car Seats.

      Child Car Seats is an initiative of the Child Restraint Evaluation Program (CREP), a consortium of government agencies and motorist organisations who aims to provide consumers with information to help choose safe child car seats and to apply pressure on car seat manufacturers to only market seats that perform well beyond the Australian Standard.

    9. How tight is tight enough?
      For many parents, the idea that the seat be installed the tighter it can go the better. For many reasons including the engineering that goes into the restraints and crash dynamics this is somewhat untrue and can cause unnecessary anxiety. Despite a common opinion, pushing on a restraint particularly at the end that it is not attached to the car, and pushing it with your hand from side to side to see if it moves is not a valid test and may only loosen the seatbelt’s relationship with the restraint leaving it requiring reinstallation. Going by the Australian Standards, engineering and testing processes a restraint does not have to be ‘rock solid’ to be safe. As long as the restraint is fitted to the manufacturer’s specifications and the restraint is not moving more than an 1 inch at the belt path area it is in fact fine.
    10. Don’t text or talk while driving
      Don’t. Whatever it is can wait, or you can pull over, grab a cold drink and do your texting then return, safely to the road. Your children are relying on you to safely transport them wherever you’re going and these days there’s plenty of distractions on the road without taking your eyes off it to have a chat on the phone.

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    Which is the lightest baby capsule for hire?

    Posted by admin in Babies 0-6 months, General, How to, Safety on September 7th, 2015

    We are often asked which of our baby capsules for hire are the lightest in weight or the smallest in size so to make it nice and easy we’ve prepared a simple comparison table for you here. The table lists all our current capsules for rent and their weight and dimensions as well as their CREP (safety) rating where that rating is available.

    Weight and size of our baby capsules for hire

    Product Capsule weight (out of base) Product dimensions Pram compatibility 2nd base available for hire from Rockabye Baby Hire
    Safety 1st One Safe Infant capsule 3.5 kgs H 440 mm x D 660 x W 430 Safety 1st, Maxi Cosi Yes
    Babylove Snap’nGo Series BL620A/2010 3.8kgs H 405 mm x D 660 x  W 430 Babylove, Valco Yes
    Chicco KeyFit Plus 79046 4.8 kgs H: 415mm x D: 710 x W 435 Chicco, Bugaboo, Baby Jogger, Mountain Buggy Yes
    Arlo Baby capsule (with or without ISOFIX) 3.8 kgs H: 540 mm x D: 745 x W: 460 Arlo Stroller available for hire Yes
    PegPerego Primo Viaggio PP01/2010 5 kgs H 430 mm x  D 720 x W 440 Peg Perego, Bugaboo, Baby Jogger, Phil & Teds, Mountain Buggy Yes
    Maxi-Cosi MICO  AP (with or without ISOFIX) 3.9 kgs H 415  mm x  D 760 x W 430 Quinny, Maxi Cosi, Bugaboo (Mico only), Baby Jogger, Phil & Teds, Mamas & Papas, Icandy, Valco, Joolz, Jane Rider Yes

    If you have other questions please don’t hesitate to contact one of our friendly staff either via email on jess@rockabyebabyhire.com.au or by telephoning 02 95894942.

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    Ready to get back into your fitness?

    Posted by admin in Attachment Parenting, Babies 0-6 months, Babies 6 months - 4 years, How to, Maternal Health on August 10th, 2015

    From Bub to Fit Mumma.. Here’s how you can do it too!

    We are super excited to bring you these awesome tips from our friends at Run Faster Gear and Fit Mumma Kylah Edwards!
    So you want to get fit, get active, feel good and be happy after having a baby?

    But how oh how do you find the time to workout?

    The first thing you need to do is shift your mindset… A workout, doesn’t need to be in a busy gym smashing out kms on a treadmill or bike… It doesn’t have to be getting yelled at by a burly trainer in a park… It doesn’t have to be impossible to figure out how to get to a class around nap times… And it definitely doesn’t have to cost and arm and a leg… In fact you can easily workout around your home, with bubs, at your own pace and get results!

    My daughter is 17 months… I’ve been doing some form of exercise since she was 6 weeks old (as soon as I had clearance from my Dr of course).  I took it easy to begin with, getting my head around the sleep deprivation, I tried lots of walks with her in the pram or wrapped to my chest, and found the days I managed to get my exhausted butt outside for a walk I felt about a million times better… Just actually taking the first steps out side were the hardest, but so so worth it!

    I got stronger, more motivated and more energetic and started doing squats… Any chance I got… when I was hanging out washing, or in between washing each dish in the sink, in the shower, brushing my teeth, even during those long long breastfeeds!!

    I would lunge walk around the house from room to room instead of walking, jump lunge folding the washing, add a random burpee in here and there for good measure and hey, presto! I have a good excuse for wearing my mummy uniform standard issue RunFaster tights and runners all day!!

    If you like being out and about invest in a good baby carrier… (You will likely have a baby wearing group in your area that you can join for free and try some options out before you buy). Not only will bubs love it, but you can set out on big bush walks, go climbing stairs and exploring with your very own squishy lovable weight vest! Plus you can show off your funky new RunFaster tights in the process!!!

    Some other mini exercises that are effective and easy to do at the drop of a wet nappy are;
    • Push ups, (Nel loves it when we do push ups and raspberries on her tummy or neck.. )
    • Planks (again a good opportunity to plaster kisses over your bubba)
    • Mountain climbers
    • Burpees
    • Squats (jumping squats will elevate your heart rate a lot more if you want more cardio in your workout)
    • Crunches
    • Star jumps
    • Lunges (walking around the house/standing in the kitchen/ or jumping if you want more)
    So you see, there is always time for a workout!(Please remember to drink plenty of water, eat healthy, and listen to your body)

    Kylah xx

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    Hooded sleeping bags – a warning

    Posted by admin in Attachment Parenting, Babies 0-6 months, Babies 6 months - 4 years, How to, Safety, Sleep on July 21st, 2015

    Infant sleeping bags can be a great option for babies as they eliminate the need for any extra bedding and for babies who roll around lots in bed it means they can’t get completely uncovered and cold. Sleeping bags also eliminate the need for lots of bedding which can become a suffocation risk in bed.

    However, some baby sleeping bags on the market – particularly but not limited to those sold overseas and on online auction sites – have hoods despite hoods posing a significant safety risk to babies.

    Hooded sleeping bags can potentially cover a baby’s face while they sleep, increasing the risk of suffocation significantly.

    There are a few important things to look out for when you’re choosing a sleeping bag for your baby:
    • make sure the sleeping bag is the right size and fit for your child;
    • make sure the sleeping bag is the correct weight for the season and the temperature in your child’s room. Thicker higher weight/tog bags should be kept for winter months and the thinner lighter weight/tog bags for warmer seasons and climates;
    • you can always add another layer of clothing under the bag when necessary;
    • ensure that the sleeping bag has a fitted neck (that can’t slip up and over baby’s face), well fitted arm holes and no hood.

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    How to make up your baby’s cot

    Posted by admin in Attachment Parenting, Babies 0-6 months, Babies 6 months - 4 years, How to, Sleep on July 19th, 2015

    So, you’ve painted the nursery, bought the pram, set up the cot and are ready for baby to come home. Its very important to understand and follow the safe sleep guidelines to keep your baby sleeping safely day and night.

    The guidelines for making up your baby’s cot have been prepared by SIDS and Kids and are a set of simple easy to follow recommendations to reduce the SIDS risk. SIDS and Kids Safe Sleeping is an evidence-based health promotion campaign developed for health professionals, childcare workers, new and expectant mothers, parents and anyone who cares for babies and infants. Since its inception in the early 1990s, the Safe Sleep campaign has reduced the incidence of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy by 80% saving 8,480 babies’ lives.

    How to make up your baby’s cot:
    • Put the baby’s cot in parents room for the first 6-12 months of life
    • Use a safe cot that meets the current Australian Standard AS2172
    • Use a safe mattress: clean, firm, flat (not tilted or elevated) and the right size for your cot
    • Sleep your baby flat on his or her back
    • Keep your baby’s head and face uncovered
    • Position your baby’s feet at the foot of the cot (see image)
    • Tuck the linen and blankets in firmly or use a safe sleeping bag – see our post here on safe sleeping bags
    • Do not allow pillows, doonas, soft toys, cot bumpers or lambswool anywhere in the cot
    • Do not put your baby to sleep on a water bed or on a beanbag

      • For more information on Safe Sleep please visit SIDS and Kids.

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    Are second hand cot mattresses safe?

    Posted by admin in Attachment Parenting, Babies 0-6 months, Breastfeeding, How to, Safety, Sleep on July 17th, 2015

    When you are becoming a parent you’ll often find yourself bombarded with lots of information – some helpful, some not so much so. One of the things as a parent you will need to learn about are how to put your baby to bed safely. SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is a genuine concern for all parents and at present the cause of SIDS remains unknown.

    For some time there was a theory that there may be a link between SIDS events and the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) which can be present in baby’s bed mattresses. SIDS and Kids has reviewed the research to date and has found that there is no evidence to show that there is an increased risk of SIDS for babies who sleep on the back and on a firm, clean, well fitting mattress that is in good condition. There is no reason for you to buy a brand new mattress for every baby if the mattress you have or are hiring is clean, firm, it fits the bed its being used in well without any gaps it is perfectly safe.

    A complete copy of the Information Statement can be found by following this link to the SIDS and Kids Website.

    The Safe Sleep Guidelines as recommended by SIDS and Kids are:
    1. Sleep baby on the back from birth, not on the tummy or side
    2. Sleep baby with head and face uncovered
    3. Keep baby smoke free before birth and after
    4. Provide a safe sleeping environment night and day
    5. Sleep baby in their own safe sleeping place in the same room as an adult caregiver for the first six to twelve months
    6. Breastfeed baby

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    Breastfeeding and expressing: 10 tips to pumping succesfully

    Posted by admin in Attachment Parenting, Babies 0-6 months, Babies 6 months - 4 years, Breastfeeding, General, Pregnancy on June 12th, 2015

    There’s many reasons why mothers might express their breastmilk to feed their babies.
    Some are short term issues that need to be overcome such as having to take a medication that is incompatible with breastfeeding;
    or to manage breast engorgement or allow sore or damaged nipples to heal. Sometimes using an electric breastpump such as a Medela Symphony is recommended as a way of increasing a mother’s milk supply.
    For some mums expressing is a longer-term plan for managing times when you can’t physically be with your baby – perhaps you’re going back to work or study or your baby is in hospital still and you need to pump and feed that way.
    For occasional short term separations (such as a weekly evening out), hand expression or a manual pump may be all you need.
    But if you’re going to be expressing most of your baby’s feeds then you’d be best to consider a hospital grade breastpump like the Medela Symphony. These generally aren’t available as retail items due to their very high price tag (in the thousands) so its definately an item that you’d hire rather than buy.
    Hospital grade breast pumps are extremely powerful, long-lasting, super efficient at extracting breastmilk yet very gentle and comfortable to use. Most importantly, the Medela Symphony has been designed to be able to be safely and hygienically used by multiple users.
    When you hire you have a “single user sterile pumping kit” that contains all the parts that come into contact with you, your breast, your milk and your baby so hiring is quite safe.

    Our 10 tips for successful expressing:
    1. Choose your time
      Find the time that suits you best to express. Allow yourself this time to rest, read a magazine or listen to a radio programme. If you can make it a regular set appointment time in the same place.
    2. Get a pumping bra
      It allows for hands-free pumping by holding the bottles for you. You can pump while working, typing, and talking on the phone.
    3. Keep a hand towel handy
      Having a little handtowel or facecloth handy to clear up any drips is essential and will save you doing a load more laundry.
    4. Look at your baby
      Even looking at a picture of your baby or holding an item of their clothing will help to stimulate your let down reflex and get your milk flowing.
    5. Store your milk in small batches
      You can always add or heat more but you don’t want to waste liquid gold.
    6. Make Breastmilk Cubes
      Freeze your expressed milk in ice cube trays then pop the cubes in a freezer-lock bag. Much cheaper than buying breastmilk specific bags.
    7. Date your milk
      Remember to write the date the milk was expressed so you can use the oldest first and rotate your supply through the fridge.
    8. Have your own esky
      It’s fine to leave breast milk out at room temperature for six to eight hours if you don’t have a fridge. But to be safe, and if you work or are out for a longer day, have your own cooler bag with an ice pack to keep your milk fresh. When you get home, transfer your milk to the refrigerator or freezer ASAP.
    9. Ask for special treatment
      Don’t be shy – you are entitled to a safe clean place to express at work and you don’t have to do it in the toilet.
    10. Learn to hand express
      Just in case you forget your pump one day, or you get stuck in a meeting or whatever. If something falls over in the plan, being able to hand-express will prevent engorgement and mean you’ve still got something to give to baby.

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    10 things you should do before your baby is born

    Posted by admin in Attachment Parenting, Babies 0-6 months, General, How to, Maternal Health, Pregnancy on May 27th, 2015

    When you first fall pregnant, 9 months can seem like FOREVER. All the shopping and appointments and excitement among family and friends is so wonderful and you can’t wait to hold your very own baby in your arms. But before you know it, you have your baby shower or gender reveal party behind you and and just a big belly in the front and wham! your due date is just weeks away. Why not check out our list of 10 things you should get done BEFORE bubs arrives.

    1. Sign up for a Prenatal Class
      Most likely your hospital will offer an array of classes to choose from, and a birthing class should be one you don’t miss. There’s also privately run classes that focus on different birthing ideas, such as CalmBirth and Transition to Parenthood. No matter if you’re planning to go 100% natural or take every relief option available, the classes truly are helpful explaining about the stages of labor, how the baby progresses, and what you can expect during your baby’s birth. Knowledge is power here sistas!
    2. Put a waterproof mattress cover on your bed
      Your waters may very well break when you’re in bed. Don’t ruin your $5,000 pillow top latex mattress!
    3. Do a little cooking
      While it may seem ridiculous to make dinners for a month or two in advance, believe me, you’ll be thanking this article for a nice hot dinner you didn’t have to cook when you can hardly keep both eyes open from sleep deprivation. There are tons of websites that offer easy freezer meal recipes that you can make in bulk and reheat easily for a comforting warm meal. Casseroles, bolognese, stews, soups and curries all freeze well and only require the addition of some hot rice or pasta and you have a complete meal ready in minutes.
    4. Go on a Babymoon
      Whether it’s a full blown no expense spared holiday, a romatic weekend away or even just a “Last Supper” before your new baby comes, spend some much needed time with your partner before it’s not just the 2 of you anymore. Take pictures and keepsakes, you won’t be sad you did. Before you know it, you’ll hardly remember what it was like before a baby was in the house!
    5. Book your baby capsule and hospital bassinette
      You know our motto – why buy when you can hire? Hiring a baby capsule and their first bed makes perfect sense. When you hire your capsule remember $10 automatically goes to Sydney Children’s Hospital, you get free professional installation of your hired restraint and a lesson in how to use it. And if you’re hiring a bed too we can have it all home delivered for you, and we’ll pick it up once you’re done with it all.
    6. Binge-watch some TV
      There’s nothing like watching a whole boxed set of your favorite stories in one go. Whether its Downton Abbey, The Wire or How I Met Your Mother, binge watching on a weekend with lots of yummy snacks and company is a great way to waste some time. Or why not grab a few movies from our list of movies to watch when you’re pregnant?
    7. Prewash all the wee baby clothes
      Oh there’s nothing at all like a line full of tiny little baby vests and rompers and socks. And prewashing means they’re all ready to wear when baby gets home and – just between you and I – for such small people they make a fair bit of mess so a few changes a day? Perfectly normal.
    8. Pre-prepare the birth announcement
      If you live far from family and friends, or if you just want to show off your perfect new baby (who doesn’t want that?), a birth announcement is a great way to introduce your newborn. You can either do something simple yourself or use a handy website like Shutterfly or Tiny Prints. There are tons of templates and you can order as many as you would like. You just upload your pictures and enter in the name and size of your baby. Super easy, super fast. And if you’ve already looked through the many templates before your baby is born, you won’t have to stress about picking one after they’re born. Also – having all the envelopes pre-addressed and ready for filling will also save you time you won’t want to spend away from your baby.
    9. Charge the battery for your camera
      Yes, I know that like everyone has a smart phone and can take pictures on their phones, but it is a good idea to bring your camera with a full battery to the hospital. My camera takes really nice pictures, and it was nice to be able to have my phone as a backup instead just in case.

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    Our 10 Best Gender Reveal Ideas

    Posted by admin in Attachment Parenting, Babies 0-6 months, General, How to, Pregnancy on May 26th, 2015

    Whether you’re hosting a Gender Reveal Party or you just want a cute way to tell family and friends that you are having a baby boy or girl, we’ve got our top 10 gender revealing ideas to help you make the big announcement.

    Ballooon reveal
    1. Coloured Cakes
      Who doesn’t like cake? By adding pink or blue food coloring to a white cake mix and covering the cake completely with frosting, you have a fun way to reveal your baby’s gender. Make sure you ice the cake completely so that no colour peeks through and spoils the surprise.
    2. Gender Reveal Balloons In A Box
      In the world of gender reveal parties, helium balloons in a box may be gaining on cake and cupcakes as the hottest gender announcement trend around! All you need is large packing box and the assistance of your local party supplier to fill the box with blue or pink coloured helium balloons then you open the box and let the reveal happen.
    3. The Envelope, Please…
      If you can handle the anticipation, have your ultrasound technician or OB write your baby’s gender on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope. Open the envelope in front of your guests, or let an honored guest (mother in law perhaps???) open it and announce what you’re expecting.
    4. Confetti Push Pops
      When it’s time for the big reveal, gather your guests and hand out these poppers available from When it’s time for the big reveal, gather your guests and hand out these poppers. Leave the caps on, and don’t hold back—a big push works best—then watch the blue or pink confetti mix fly! Gender Reveal on Etsy. Leave the caps on, and don’t hold back—a big push works best—then watch the blue or pink confetti mix fly!
    5. Gender Reveal Party Piñata
      Don’t let the kids have all the fun! Announce the gender of your baby with a gender reveal piñata. Most pinatas can be purchased empty from Spotlight or party supply stores, just pack yours with pink or blue confetti, lollies, glitter or whatever takes your fancy then have your guests take turns trying to crack it open.
    6. Pop goes the News!
      Buy a balloon for every person at the gender reveal. Before you blow them up, put some pink or blue confetti inside each balloon. Hand everybody a balloon and a pin. Count to three and have everyone pop their balloon. The confetti will scatter and everyone will know if it’s a boy or a girl.
    7. Siblings say it best
      A no-fuss, no mess way of doing your gender reveal that can involve your other child(ren). This reveal involves having an older child wearing a cute tee like the one above. They can get changed right before announcement time or you could sneak the tee on at a random time, then let the child roam around until someone notices!
    8. Fur Baby announcement
      For all the pet lovers out there! Would you like to get your pet involved in the act? If you have a cat or dog for example, you can organise for them to come out to the guests at announcement time – wearing something around their neck to announce the gender. It might be a pink or blue ribbon or bow, a dummy tied to a ribbon or anything else you can think of.
    9. Silly String reveal
      There are a couple of ways you can do this, either way you’ll need to cover up the outside of the cans, so no-one picks the colour of the spray. To announce the gender, you can: a) At the announcement time, mum and dad-to-be count to three and spray each other with silly spray in pink or blue; or b) Have a countdown, after which all the guests spray each other with pink or blue silly spray.
    10. Team Pink or Team Blue?
      This can be a fun game or the main event for the party. Pop a bunch of Team Pink and Team Blue badges in a bowl and the guests get to place their bet by wearing one or the other. After the reveal the winning Team the losing team has to clean up! Only kidding.

      11. Gender reveal parties are a fun way to include family and friends in the joy and excitement that comes with a new baby. Feel free to share your own gender reveal party ideas below or your pics on our Facebook page.

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    What is the safest capsule on the market?

    Posted by admin in Babies 0-6 months, General, Safety on May 11th, 2015

    With so many different capsules and carseats available on the market today in Australia, it can be really difficult to choose. So many brands, names, colours, recommendations from friends and family – new parents can be quite overwhelmed with so much to choose from and so many questions including:

    • Which capsule is the safest?
    • Which is the lightest?
    • Which will fit in my car?  What if I have a small car?  What if I already have one or two car sears already in the car?
    • Which will fit onto my pram to make a travel system?

    To help answer all of these questions we have put together a summary below as well as some information on safety testing and ratings of our current range of baby capsules for hire.

    The website www.childcarseats.com.au is an initiative of the Child Restraint Evaluation Program (CREP), a consortium of government agencies and motorist organisations who share a common interest in improving safety for children travelling in vehicles. CREP provides parents with independent and unbiased information on the levels of child protection from injury in a crash provided by child car seats and the ease with which they can be used correctly.

    The Child Restraint Evaluation Program (CREP) assesses the crash protection performance of car seats using three simulated crash tests:

    1. Frontal impact test
    2. Side impact test
    3. Oblique impact test.

    In all tests, crash test dummies that are equal to or above the upper end of the mass limit for each type of child car seat are used to measure the forces experienced by the dummy during the test. The data gathered is then analysed and the car seats are scored based on several performance aspects.

    Latest safety ratings of baby capsules

    Product CREP Safety Test result (out of 5 stars) Product dimensions and weight Pram compatibility 2nd base available for hire from Rockabye Baby Hire
    Safety 1st One Safe Infant capsule 5 out of 5 stars H 440 x D 660 x W 430
    3.5 kgs    		 Safety 1st, Maxi Cosi Yes
    Babylove Snap’nGo Series BL620A/2010 4 out of 5 stars H 405 mm D 660 mm W 430 3.8kgs Babylove, Valco Yes
    Chicco KeyFit Plus 79046 4 out of 5 stars H: 415mm D: 710mm W: 435
    4.8 kgs    		 Chicco, Bugaboo, Baby Jogger Yes
    Nuna Pipa CF-03 4 out of 5 stars H: 470mm D: 745mm W: 450mm 60 + compatible prams! Yes
    PegPerego Primo Viaggio PP01/2010 3 out of 5 stars H 430 mm D 720 mm W 440 mm
    5 kgs    		 Peg Perego, Bugaboo, Baby Jogger, Phil & Teds, Mountain Buggy Yes
    Maxi-Cosi MICO Air MCM 2010 3 out of 5 stars H 415 mm D 760 mm W 430 mm
    3.9 kgs    		 Quinny, Maxi Cosi, Bugaboo (Mico only), Baby Jogger, Phil & Teds, Mamas & Papas, Icandy, Valco, Joolz, Jane Rider Yes

    Baby capsules for hire in Sydney – just call Rock-A-Bye Baby Equipment Hire prices range from just $60 for 6 months and all capsule hires come with free professional installation by one of our ACRI accredited restraint fitters.

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