The Hushamok

Have you ever wanted a cradle that also functions a swing? The 'old fangled' swinging crib is back and several companies are manufacturing them. This stylish and very safe kind of baby bed is also called a Hushamok. That is because the Hushamok company makes the best of these types of suspension cradles. These types of cradles were originally very popular in the seventies and they haven't been much in evidence until just recently. Perhaps this is because they are such large unwieldy objects. Buying one is practically like agreeing to have a huge metal sculpture in your house. As gorgeous as they are these Hushamok cribs are simply not that compact.
Basically this swinging freestanding crib consists of a canoe shaped hammock style bed that is suspended inside a large metal armature. The cradle itself is made of cotton or nylon. The suspended crib actually looks a bit like an extended papoose with a zipper. You can safely zip your baby into this crib just like you would a tent but the baby is not completely encapsulated by the tent's fabric.
The Hushamok is not exactly a space saver. The actual stand that holds baby crib is huge and C shaped and you would need an entire corner of a room to set it up. My neighbor who had this crib actually had it set up in the very center of her room because it is so tall unwieldy and big. It is just a giant C shape that is connected to a T-shaped hangar on spring. The actual cradle hangs from the T by a huge spring of metal.
The fact that the Hushamok is a suspended cradle allows us to give it a gentle shove. It will then proceed to gently rock the baby back and forth in a subtle manner for hours.
Many contemporary young couples just adore this bed. For one thing it is really unique looking. It does look like it belongs in a Swedish furniture museum even it is really large. The cribs themselves come in cool colors like electric pink or neon green. .
Furthermore it is approved by the American SIDS Institute because the way it is constructed forces the baby to sleep on its back and discourages the side sleeping that can lead to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. If the baby tries to roll over the cradle starts to rock and prevents the baby from doing so. The result is less worried parents because they realize that their child is not going to suddenly end up on its belly or its side. You also don't have to worry about the child falling out of the crib either as the suspension on the crib will compensate for the movement of the child and nudge it gently back into the center of the cradle. There is no way this child can actually fall out of the Hushamok!

Baby Bottles Can’t Minimize Gas

A baby with gas or colic can make your life a living hell. It seems that there are as many bottle systems as there are formulas on the market. Don't fall for bottles that claim to minimize gas. This is just not scientifically possible.

The bottle is nothing more than a reservoir fro fluid so there is no way it can be designed to stop your baby from gulping air. Your baby has to do that on your own.

Unless you are shaking the formula vigorously before you serve it up to your baby there is no reason that your baby should be gulping bubbles from the bottle no matter what the bottle looks like or how it is designed. Every time you tilt up a bottle you may have noticed that all of the air goes to the opposite end of where the nipple of the bootleg is so bottle design has very little to do with it.

However when it comes to reducing the amount of air that can travel into your baby's stomach the actual nipple on the bottle could make a difference. A nipple that is too hard will be difficult to pull milk from. A nipple that is too soft will collapse when a baby begins to suck. In both cases the nipple squeaks a lot as air around it escapes and the baby starts sucking air.

While you may need to shop around to find what is best for you many pediatricians recommend the Avnet bottle system.

When mixing formula in a bottle it is a good idea to stir it and not shake it as shaking it to mix it causes extra air to accumulate in the body. These bubbles of air are minuscule usually but they could end up in your baby's stomach.

In addition many babies end up being bottle fed because it is inconvenient for the mother. She may feel it is ruining the shape of her breasts or that it is embarrassing to do in public. Unfortunately studies show that it is babies that are weaned who are more likely to develop colic and symptoms of acid reflux.

Despite the fact that the formula manufacturers have sought reflux solutions nothing they produce matches the qualities of breast milk as far as helping our baby with reflux. Breast milk empties very efficiently from the stomach compared with formula and impaired stomach emptying is one of the major factors contributing to colic in infancy.

Sometimes parents are their own worst enemies when it comes to colic. They have unknowingly created it by making the baby adept to their work, sleep and work out schedules. No baby should be force-fed or denied food because you have a spinning class at four.

As gas is one of the key causes of colic it is important to know how to get rid of any air your baby may have swallowed before it ends up in the stomach. Under normal circumstances a baby who is held upright will accumulate air in the upper dome of the stomach. To free the baby of this air you have to burp him or her.