As first-time parents, navigating the highs and lows of parenthood is already challenging enough. At the same time, your lack of experience may also cause you to get easily swayed by unverified information you see online or hear from people around you.
With so much info and advice out there about how you should care for your baby, it becomes overwhelming and a struggle for you to discern what is best for your child.
Thus, to help make your life easier, we have gathered some of the common myths about babies and will be debunking them to give you peace of mind.
Keep reading to find out more!
1. Teething causes a wide range of symptoms
Once your baby progresses through the newborn phase, the next thing to pay attention to is the teething stage. Most babies start teething at around 6 months of age - sometimes, baby teeth emerge with no problems or discomfort and other times, you may notice a mild temperature of less than 38C and more dribbling than usual. These are usually not a cause for concern and teething should not be accompanied by other serious symptoms.
So if you notice a high fever or diarrhoea, your baby could have fallen ill or contracted an infection and seeking prompt medical attention is important.
Otherwise, making use of the teethers often included in baby gift boxes is one of the ways to provide relief to sore gums, making the teething stage more comfortable for your child.
Learn more: 4 Basic Considerations When Shopping For Newborn Hampers
2. Baby walkers will help my child learn to walk faster
Contrary to popular belief, baby walkers do not help babies learn to walk faster but rather delay important milestones like your child taking their first steps.
As babies tend to be on their toes when using a walker, their leg muscles and Achilles tendons tighten in return, interfering with their normal walking development. Baby walkers do not require your child to balance on their own, which can also slow down the process in which they learn essential balancing skills that help them walk.
3. Carrying a crying baby spoils them
You may have also heard of how you should not pick up your crying baby so soon, as you risk spoiling them. However, there has been no scientific evidence to back up the claim that responding to a crying baby causes them to become clingy.
In fact, nurturing interactions help to build trust between you and your baby, which is crucial to help them feel emotionally safe and secure.
You can also try using colourful and eye-catching objects often included in baby gift baskets, like soft toys and storybooks, to divert your child’s attention to stop them from crying.
4. Placing more soft toys in my baby’s crib protects them
Avoid placing soft toys in your baby’s crib to prevent SIDS, also known as sudden infant death syndrome. The baby cot should always be a safe and clear space to sleep in to reduce the risk of suffocation or accidents.
If you have received soft toys in a baby gift box, make sure to keep them away from your newborn until they are around a year old when the risk of SIDS is much lower.
Babies can drink water
A baby’s tiny tummy and developing kidneys put them at risk of water intoxication, which happens when their kidneys are given more water than they can handle. Breastmilk and formula milk are the only food and drink your baby needs - water should not be included in their diet until they are 6 months old and even then, their water intake should be limited.
Diluting milk with water is also a big no-no, as it deprives your baby of the essential nutrients to help them grow and may also lead to water intoxication.
Now that you are more familiar with common misconceptions and know what to do or avoid, we are confident you will be able to make more informed decisions when shopping for baby gift baskets for yourself or a fellow parent.
Pineapple! provides baby hamper delivery in Singapore and has a wide selection of baby gift boxes and baskets for you to choose from.
