The first day you spend on your own with your child will be a very special one.
It is an opportunity for you both to get to know each other and to bond. When you are looking after your baby, you’ll get practice at handling him. Also, taking sole responsibility for your baby for during the afternoon or morning will be important in building your ongoing relationship with your partner. Here are a few points that will help to make the day easier and more relaxed (from personal experience).

Be prepared
Preparation is the key to a successful experience. You should make sure you are well equipped to deal with your first day alone by running through all the routines with your partner and having everything you’ll need to hand:

* Keep the changing mat, nappies, wipes and nappy sacks handy, so you don’t have to rummage through cupboards to find them (as I did).
* For feeding, have at least one or two bottles of breast or formula milk made up in the fridge ready to warm.
* Know where your baby’s clean clothes are kept as you may have to change him several times during the day.

After the door closes and your partner leaves you both to fend for yourselves, don’t panic – try to appreciate this time you can spend with your baby.

Try not to plan to do too much. Your baby’s needs will rule the day and any other jobs will have to be put aside until later; slow down, and try to take things at his pace. Make the most of playing with him. There are lots of things you can do together, even from a very young age. For example play ‘This Little Piggy’ with his toes – this will make him aware of his body and help him learn to control his movements. Be theatrical in your responses to him and always keep eye contact, he will love to look at your face and its expressions. Give him differently textured toys to touch and name his toys and objects around the room. Hold him up under his armpits while he balances on his feet – this will help to strengthen his leg muscles.

Why is my baby crying and how can I comfort him?
All babies cry and some cry more than others. Crying is a baby’s way of communicating with you, all you have to do is work out what it is your little one is trying to tell you. Go through a checklist of possible causes: is he hungry, thirsty or tired? Is his nappy full, has he got wind, is he too hot or cold or does he just want a cuddle? Always respond to your baby’s cries as promptly as possible. If your baby seems unwell, give him a quick check over to see if it is anything serious, and if you are in any doubt at all, call your GP or health visitor. If the crying becomes unbearable, try taking him for a walk because this often helps.

If he is hungry or thirsty…
If your partner is breastfeeding, she can express milk for you to use. If you are bottle-feeding be sure to following the instructions on the box. Never be tempted to put extra formula in the bottle because it will cause your baby to dehydrate. Use boiled then cooled water and sterilized bottles. If you take a ready-made-up bottle straight from the fridge, place it in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes to warm it up. Make sure this is well away from baby. Test a couple of drops on your wrist. It’s ready when it feels tepid. Sit down in a comfortable position, cuddle your baby close to you so he can look at your face; he should be semi-upright so he can breathe and swallow easily. Keep eye contact and let him draw the teat into his mouth, keeping the bottle tilted so he can suck the milk rather than air. Be patient and don’t force him to feed if he doesn’t want it. He will let you know when he’s had enough or wants a break. When he has finished, wind him by sitting him on your knee or putting him over your shoulder and gently rubbing his back.

If he is tired…
Cuddle him and sing to him in a soft voice (don’t worry about how bad your singing voice is – nobody else is around). Hold your baby, against your bare skin so he will get to know your smell and feel comforted by your familiar presence. You could also try putting on some soft music to lull him to sleep. He will not be bothered about how light or dark it is, and will drift into a light sleep for about 20 minutes before falling soundly asleep.

Changing his nappy
This will need to be done frequently (unfortunately): first thing in the morning, after every feed and before your baby goes to sleep at night. Lay him on his changing mat then undo his clothing and his nappy. Remove the nappy and put it into a nappy sack. Holding his feet together in one hand, lift his legs up and use nappy wipes or moistened cotton wool balls to wipe from front to back, using a fresh wipe each time, until his bottom is clean. Take care to clean all the creases at the tops of his legs, but do not clean inside a girl’s labia or under a boy’s foreskin. Get a clean nappy and place under his bottom and lie him back down. Pull the front of the nappy up and fasten it at the sides with sticky tapes.

If you have problems keeping your baby still, provide a distraction: a mobile, a rattle or small toy to hold – babies love to look at themselves in mirrors.

Bathing
If you are on your own just for a day, you can get away with simply ‘topping and tailing’ your baby. This means using pieces of cotton wool dipped in cooled, boiled water, then squeezed dry to wipe his eyes (from inside outwards), behind his ears, over his face and around his neck. Clean his hands, arms, body and legs the same way, always using a new ball of cotton wool each time. Wipe around his bottom downwards and away from his body. Keep talking to him as you wash him and try to make it fun. Wrap him in the towel, patting him dry, taking care to dry all his skin creases. Pop him in a clean nappy and put his clothes on.

Things to do together
Your baby loves rocking movement, so put on a front sling, if he is quite small, and take him out for a walk, otherwise use a buggy or pram. The fresh air will tire him out – and probably you, plus there will be plenty of interesting things to look at and listen to. Make sure your baby is wearing one more layer than you would normally wear to make sure that he is warm enough.

Baby massage classes are a fun activity that both fathers and babies can enjoy. Also, once he has reasonable head control and is able to maintain his body temperature (at approximately 8 to 12 weeks of age), you can take your baby swimming; many babies love splashing around in water as long as it is warm enough and you are watchful at all times.

Talk to him as much as possible – your baby will recognise your voice from when he was in the womb and will associate its sound with security and affection. You can help your child’s mind develop by reading to him. He will follow the tones and rhythm of your voice and will enjoy listening to what you are saying.

Spending time with your baby is enjoyable for you both and giving your partner a break will always be appreciated. So send your partner off for a day out, to visit friends or just for a coffee in town, safe in the knowledge that you are perfectly equipped to look after your baby.

It’s your baby’s 1st birthday, and just think how far he has come in those past 12 months. This is an exciting stage when your little one makes the big step from baby to toddler.

Baby’s first steps
One of the major milestones when leaving the baby stage behind is walking. Most babies start to walk between the ages of 10 and 18 months – so if your baby’s still not on two feet by then have a word with your GP.

They are many things you can do to encourage your child in taking their first steps. Watch Gurgle.com’s video on how to help your baby learn to walk.

Step by step
Step one to walking is when your baby takes his weight on his legs and bounces on your lap with your support (this can happen any time from five months onwards). He’s strengthening his muscles and getting ready for the off.

The next stage is pulling himself up to a standing position.
After that comes ‘cruising’ – moving around holding onto furniture for balance. Then some babies let go tentatively and practise their balance for a while before taking the first step. Others may simply let go and charge. These early steps will be unsteady – and even when he gets going your baby’s first real toddle will be a waddle, with feet turned out and his nappy-bottom swaying. From now on he’ll get more and more skilful and his walk more fluid.

How you can help
* Give him as much time out of the pushchair or car seat. He needs practice.
* Make the house safe so you can give his attempts free rein – and remember there will be many tumbles before he’s proficient at walking.
* Keep him barefoot – shoes aren’t necessary until he’s walking confidently alone – they can be clumsy.
* Give him confidence by holding his hands and walking behind him.
* Get him a pushalong truck to hold and walk with – keep it well away from steps and other dangers.

All in his head
Your baby’s new found mobility and strength are giving him the tools to become more knowledgeable about the world around him – for example, the difference between dry and wet (bath-time), warm and cold (meal times). He can also work out ‘cause and effect’ – for example, bang a drum and it produces a loud noise. And he’s beginning to match objects to the task in hand, such as a nappy goes on his bottom and a flannel is used to wash his face – all important for later on when he starts trying to match spoken words to the relevant object.

By 12 months, his fear of strangers is quite strong and you’ll notice him being clingier with you around people he doesn’t know. He’ll also be much more able to express his emotions (for example, anger or frustration if you take away his favourite toy) and he’ll understand that ‘no’ means ‘no’ even if he chooses to ignore it

MMR
At about 13 months your baby will get called for his first MMR jab (he’ll get a booster between the ages of 3 and 5). MMR stands for measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) and protects your baby from these three illnesses, all of which are highly infectious and easily spread. Measles and mumps can be serious (occasionally measles can even kill). German measles won’t make your child too ill, but if caught by a woman during early pregnancy will seriously harm her unborn baby. So it’s important to make sure your child is immune and can’t pass rubella on to a pregnant mum.

Occasionally there may be side-effects from the MMR jab. · Between six and 10 days after the jab, when the measles vaccine kicks in, your child may have a slight rash and a fever Very rarely – at about 21 days after the jab, when the mumps element kicks in – a child may have swollen glands and a temperature. If your child gets a rash of what looks like small bruises any time in the six weeks after the jab, get your doctor to check it out.

The supposed link between autism and the MMR jab which frightened many mums 10 years ago has now been dismissed by most experts. If you are concerned in any way, though, do discuss it with your GP. Don’t forget! Just after his first birthday your baby will be due a booster jab for Meningitis C and Hib. For more information on immunisations see www.immunisation.nhs.uk.