BaiBoo

In the first weeks, as long as the umbilical cord stump hasn’t fallen off yet, it’s better not to bathe your baby in a tub. Get everything ready first and put it all within your reach. Just put your baby on a flat surface, on a blanket or towel. Always keep one hand on your baby. Use a damp cotton ball or clean cotton cloth to wipe each eyelid, from the inside to the outside corner. Using plain water is usually fine, but using Bepanthen Baby Bath will gently clean your baby’s skin and also nourish and protect it. The added Provitamin B5 and skin lipids reinforce your baby’s skin’s natural protection barrier.

Recently we’ve come across a new quality baby product: Bepanthen Baby Bath. Just like the well known Bepanthen nappy rash ointment, Bepanthen Baby Bath is very mild and effective. It’s important to know that it’s free from soap, preservative and fragrances. For better baby skin care, Bepanthen Baby Bath is enriched with skin lipids and dexpanthenol; this helps to protect your baby’s skin. Just add a little bit of Bepanthen Baby Bath to the running water and swirl it around with your hand. Nice to know: it’s hypoallergenic and has a tearless formula. We like the sound of that!

Bepanthen Baby Bath is available at all major pharmacies.

Dear mums and dads, in the past months we’ve shared the possibilities, fun and ease of filming and sharing special moments. How wonderful is it to be able to relive your baby’s first steps, the smiles and laughs, birthdays and holidays. Videocams are really easy to operate and Sony Handycams combine ease of use with superior features and image quality.

You can walk into any Sony Centre and someone will be happy to teach you all the basics of using a Handycam.

Capturing a special moment is only half the joy; the other half is in sharing it with everyone else. With the revolutionary features and technologies in the newest range of Sony Handycam® camcorders, you’ll find shooting and sharing the best moments in life better and easier than ever before!

Some helpful tips to share:

Keep it real

You’re shooting your own reality soap and we all know that life doesn’t only consist of beautiful moments. Don’t avoid your baby’s upsets or fits. It’s part of how she or he is growing up.

Edit

Nowadays editing your video is a breeze. You can even do basic editing on the handycam itself without having to upload it to your PC first. Take out the obsolete or faulty shots, shorten the parts that are too lengthy, repeat shots for increased impact. Invest a little bit of time into getting yourself acquainted with basic editing skills. Last but not least, a baby video doesn’t need to be all video. Adding still photos in between filmed footage is a great way to add diversity.

Share!

Don’t let your videos ‘catch dust’, but share them with your loved ones! They will definitely enjoy watching them, just like you will enjoy it also. Upload clips to YouTube or another video sharing platform. Every now and then, burn a longer video on a CD or DVD to show to the grandparents. The newest of the newest? A camcorder with a projector built in! Just shoot, edit on the camera and project your ‘production’ onto any wall

Tiny now, but your little one will grow up so fast! Every moment is a first time, a memory that you want to keep forever. An image you want to share. Think of all the times with your baby, that you would want to relive again and that you would want to show the grandparents, the family and friends. And as your baby grows up, he would be so thrilled to see images of his own early years.

Some helpful tips to share:

Act silly – every now and then

In many cases it’s just great to grab your handycam and only act as an observer. Be as quiet and unobtrusive as possible, just shooting great images of your little one being busy with something. Capture the sheer fun or concentration your baby can display. But sometimes it’s just a lot of fun to evoke a reaction and have your baby look ‘in camera’. This is when you need to pull out the stops, act silly, bring out the baby voices and funny faces.

Use your voice

You’re not only the one holding the camera. You’re the one seeing and the one recording. It’s fun and valuable to comment as you’re filming. When you start you can state the date, time and location, even give a brief introduction. Keep it light and fun. Sometimes it can be good fun to interview grandma or an uncle.

More tips to be shared next month…

Memories are unique: that’s why capturing them is so important. From innovative features that make shooting easier, to professional-quality lenses and advanced image processors for optimum picture performance, Handycam® camcorders from Sony make the difference between a good memory and a great one. Record more precious memories with specially designed accessories for your Handycam. Start seeing things in a different light, get closer to yo your subjects, or even capture a whole new world underwater for an amazing recording experience.

Some helpful tips to share:

Off centre

Technically, artistically it’s best to make sure that the centre of your attention is not in the centre of your image. So, keep your baby just off-centre. It will give you the nicest images.

Zoommmm

Video cameras have 2 zoom capabilities: optical and digital zoom. The optical zoom will get you closer at the same high picture sharpness. Digital zoom is much different. With digital zoom the camera basically enlarges the image and as a result the sharpness decreases significantly. So, for the best picture quality avoid using the digital zoom.

Slow zoom

Very young babies don’t move or do a lot. There’s a simple trick that will make your footage less monotonous. Put your handycam on a tripod and make sure that your baby is well-lit (which is not the same as under high voltage spotlights). Then, and here is the trick, zoom in (or out) very slowly. If you want to take it a step further you can pan (left-right move) slowly at the same time.

More tips to be shared next month…

Family photos and videos are priceless. They allow us to relive the most precious and important moments of our lives. For new parents a video camera has become a ‘must have’, much like a baby bed, stroller or baby car seat. Of course not everyone has Steven Spielberg qualities, but filming is much easier than you probably think.

Some helpful tips to share:

How’s the light?

Lighting is very important. In many situations you will be able to increase the amount of light available. For example, open the curtains or blinds if you’re filming in the house during the day. The natural light from outside is difficult to beat. Switching on some of the lights in the house can also help. The newest handycams have a so-called ‘Exmor R’ CMOS Sensor. This hi-tech feature allows you to shoot high quality images in low-light situations.

Vary your view

You want to avoid staying in one and the same position, filming your baby in a downward angle. Start with a so-called wide shot to have an overview of where you are; the kitchen, living room, the baby’s room; hold that wide angle for at least 10 seconds. Then, zoom in a bit to a ‘medium wide shot’. Now you see your baby in his crib or crawling on the carpet. You see your little angel eating in his high chair. After this you can zoom in to get the details; the face smudged with food, the hands playing with a toy. Vary your angles also. Get on the same level as your baby, lie down on the floor, walk around. Get shots of other people in the room also.

More tips will be share next month’s…

Every moment is a first time, a memory that you want to keep forever. Your baby’s first glance, the first smile, the first babble, the first steps, the first birthday… Truly magic moments that are so wonderful to capture, to keep and to share with family and friends. Taking pictures is a must, of course, but isn’t it even more magical to save the actual experience? To video life’s most beautiful moments? The newest Handycams are so easy to use that it’s never been easier to create wonderful family videos.

A Handycam is a great investment for saving moments and memories.

Let us give you some tips on how to get started.

Don’t be too selective

Don’t only use your handycam at special occasions, like holidays or birthdays. The normal everyday happenings, such as bathing, eating, nappy changing, even sleeping are great to film. Handycams are so compact that you can take them everywhere. Try to get into the habit of keeping your handycam with you and grab every opportunity to use it.

Prepare your camera

Consider switching off the date and time stamping; it can be distracting when you watch back what you’ve filmed. Consider using a tripod for rock-steady shooting. You don’t have to worry about standing still and it frees you up to get in front of the camera also.

More tips in the October Newsletter!

There are ants in the house again, so you get out the spray to target problem spots in the kitchen. Meanwhile, in the basement, you’ve set out bait to tempt the mouse you heard scurrying around. On the porch is a big can of bug spray to fend off mosquitoes when the family is outside. Upstairs, on the bathroom counter, is a bottle of lotion to treat your child’s head lice.

You may not think twice about keeping these pesticides in and around your home. But you should stop and consider where and how you store and use them.

Pesticide facts
A pesticide is a substance designed to kill pests – usually insects and rodents. Sprays, powders, liquids, or bait used for this purpose are pesticides. You might be surprised to learn that even certain germ-destroying cleaners are considered pesticides because they kill bacteria (a type of “pest”).

But pesticides aren’t just harmful to the critters they’re designed to kill. They can also cause serious health problems if accidentally swallowed or in some cases simply come in contact with the skin. Babies and children are especially at risk for pesticide poisoning. They crawl and play close to the ground, where the chemicals are often applied or stored.

How to protect your family
Thousands of children are exposed to dangerous pesticides every year and require treatment. Here are some tips for reducing the risk in your own home:

• Lock them up. Store hazardous substances in a cabinet high above the level a child can reach. Keeping them under lock and key is even safer.
• Keep the original containers. Do not transfer pesticides or other chemicals into containers that were previously used for other things, especially food or drinks.
• Reseal containers after use. Even if you are stepping away for just a moment, replace all child-resistant lids and place them back on a high shelf and locked cabinet.
• Read all product instructions. Pay close attention to whether you need to wait a certain amount of time before letting children or pets back in the treated area.
• Get down on their level. The best way to identify potential hazards is to look at the world through a child’s eyes – on your hands and knees.
• Educate your kids. Teach children that pesticides – even seemingly mild ones like insect repellant – are harmful. Make sure kids know to leave these items alone if they come across them. Also remind them to alert an adult if they find poisons left out in the open.
• Educate caregivers, too. Babysitters should also be aware of the potential dangers and warning signs of poisoning. Post the number for Poison Control near the phone.

Know the warning signs

A child who has been poisoned by pesticides may have symptoms similar to the flu, such as headache, dizziness, and weakness. If you suspect your child has been exposed to a dangerous substance, call the Poison Control Center (603-2615 3333) at and seek emergency medical help right away.

(Source: MyOptumHealth, July 2011)