To save you the stress of moving all around the market in order to get the products, here is a list of some baby stores you can visit in Nigeria:

Mothercare Nigeria

Mothercare is a Retail store that deals with baby products, clothing, toys, maternity clothes and every other nursery item. Their store can be found at the Victoria Island, Eti Osa, Lagos and few other places in Lagos.

As an expectant mother, you can visit them to get your quality product at very good and affordable rates.

Yeshua Babies

For expectant mothers that will prefer to do their shopping on the mainland, you can visit the Yeshua Babies store at Isolo Lagos. They provide products and services for babies and adolescent. You can also shop for your baby snacks at this store.

 Simply infants

Just as the name implies, this retail store deals with everything you need as an expectant mother. Their goal is to make shopping easy for their customers even while supplying them the best products and services. They products are mainly gotten from the United States of America, just to ensure that their clients gets the best.

They also take supplies for people outside Lagos, which they will be simply delivered to your doorstep.

New Bee

Newbee.ng is an online store that provides fast delivery services for mothers that are quite busy and would want to spend less time running around buying stuffs at the market. They deal in baby diapers, baby food, formula and different toys the baby that make do with. All you are required to do is to visit the stores to make the purchase right in the comfort of your home which will be delivered to school as soon as expected.

Cradlepal Kiddies Limited

This store specializes in children clothing, accessories, maternity wears and wears for the nursing mothers. They serve children of any age range with quality products and services.

They can be located at the Arena shopping complex at oshodi Lagos.

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Make Up Your Mind

The travails of potty training might be challenging due to the convenience and dependence you get from using diapers. But if you really think about it, the 5-6k spent on diapers can be converted to fruit money for the family. Once you think about good this can do to your pocket, the determination to make it happen will rise up in you. There will be hits and misses but the fact that the benefits outweigh all the odds will help you manage your expectations.

Get a Colourful Potty

A perfect potty will be one with a cartoon character, many colours and a support for the back. Children are fascinated by colours and patterns. This is no different as it is important to get a potty that will get your little one’s attention. If he/she is a fan of a particular cartoon character like Mickey or Winnie da pooh, you can buy a potty with that design. Also, comfort must be considered. This means that the potty should have a support for your little one’s back.

Add Fun to the Mix

Children love to laugh and play. Their innocence also means that they can get bored if they are not enjoying the experience. This is why children learn faster when they are taught with songs. Songs have a rhythm that makes it easy to remember, making kids sing aloud on their own. Therefore, making up a song for potty time will not only make them squeal with joy, it will also make them look forward to potty time while helping them condition their minds to hum the seemingly interesting song.

Work With a Structure

Children are like blank slates, they learn due to continuous exposure and repetition. The blend of these two factors creates a structure. Hence, to get the best of this adventure, you must help the baby adapt by working with a time plan e.g. taking him to the potty every 2-3 hours. After a while, the child will go to the potty on his own within the time frame based on the structure you have created.

Reduce Diaper Usage

Diapers give your little one a feeling of security and comfort. This simply means they are free to urinate (pee) or do number 2 (poop) in the diaper knowing that the adults will change the soiled one and replace it with a fresh one. However, when the time for potty training comes, you should limit the use of diapers to only outings and replace same with baby pants or pull-ups. This will not only help them to let go of the security they enjoy, it will also help them to understand the need to follow your lead to use the potty. More importantly, it will help your little one to train themselves to hold back until they get to the potty. Eventually they will appreciate the fact that they don’t have to wear wet diapers and embrace the “use as you go” approach.

Wake Your Baby at Night

It is one thing to train your baby when he or she is awake, it is another thing to help the baby understand that this training applies whether it is day or night-time. It might not be convenient for you to wake up at intervals to put your little one on the potty so you can set an alarm on your phone for potty breaks once every four hours. This will help activate your internal clock while helping your baby build a structure for waking at night even before you get up to help.

Get a Rubber Underlay

After a period of training, you will gain enough confidence to allow your child sleep without wearing a diaper. This is good progress however here is a word of caution; In order to enjoy this small victory, it is necessary to get a rubber underlay for those nights of misses. The rubber underlay is soft enough to allow your baby sleep comfortably yet strong enough to prevent the urine from wetting the bed. All you have to do is place the underlay on the bed and spread the bed sheet over it. This underlay can be gotten from baby shops and it is not expensive.

The ideal age for potty training is about 1-1.2 year. By this time, your baby is already smart and is able to walk and sit on his own. However, you can start before or after this age based on how much you know your child. You can also start wearing pants for your child based on hisher number of pee-breaks. A pee-break is that period when your child wears a diaper but does not wet it before you change it. This will give you a rough idea of the intervals and frequency with which the child will pee before getting to the potty.

This is only a guide and changes should be made based on discretion. If you try to potty train your child and there is a resistance, you can take a break for a period and go back to the plan, making changes where necessary to promote quick adaptation without tears. Now that you have the potty-training formula, go on and save that diaper money.

The post How to Potty-Train Your Little One: 7 Major Steps to Eliminate the Diaper Factor appeared first on Hermaze | Relationship, Beauty, Fashion, Family Articles for Women.

How do you prepare for what you have never experienced? Here are a few factors that must be properly managed to make the journey a memorable one:

Child-birth

Nothing prepares you for the experience of birthing a child. It is the most beautiful miracle there is. Watching the life you have carried rush out of you after unusual sensations in your body can be overwhelming. Some mothers laugh out loud in excitement. For others, crying is the next thing because of the reality that sets in. In all, this phase has to be enjoyed and endured for the whole journey to be a truly rewarding one.

Natural Birth/ Caesarian Section Problem

This is one challenge that a few mothers encounter. It is important to keep an open mind when it is time for the baby to be delivered. You might plan to have your baby naturally but something comes up and you are advised to do a C-section. Don’t refuse for religious purpose or because you want the world to call you strong, remember that the major thing is to have you and your child alive and well. Listen to the doctor and follow their instructions while you hope for the best.

No Me-Time

The motherhood phase is so much work that you practically get to kiss personal time goodbye. You can dump the alarm clock for the first three months because that little baby controls your day as he/she depends on you for everything. One way to enjoy the phase is to get help from friends and relatives so you can rest and get back the strength to nurse your baby while taking care of yourself. Having people at home to help you will make it easy for you to sleep when the baby is asleep and wake up in time to attend to the baby’s needs.

Unexpected Changes

It feels great to have a life that is comfortable and steady but nothing prepares you for the reality that stares you in the face after the children show up. It is a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly. Your body becomes different and you have so much on your plate that you sometimes ask God to take you home, lol. Stay sane by telling yourself it is a phase. It will get more tasking but easier as the children grow.

The Six-week Holiday

Contrary to the meaning of this word, this is not a walk in the park. It is not a trip to an exotic island to have fun, it is the time you are required to stay off sex after the baby shows up. Though you might choose to cut the holiday short for personal reasons, the doctors generally advise that you take at least 6 weeks off to help your body heal and prepare itself for the future.

Unsolicited Advice

This is one thing that has a way of rubbing you the wrong way. With all the baggage you get to deal with and the doubt you experience, having people lord their opinions over you can make you snap. However, you need to be careful so that you don’t lose relationships. You can avoid those who are fond of telling you what to do or grow a thick skin. Pick out what you find useful and discard other bits that are not alright by you. You are a mother with instincts and you will eventually find out what works for you.

Post-partum Depression

Studies have shown that a lot of new mothers suffer from depression. The roller-coaster of emotional turmoil and the weight of being responsible for a new life can push you off the edge, mentally. Unfortunately, a lot of women do not speak up because of the high expectations the society has of mothers. A lot of women are told to shut up and get over their issues or told that it is all in their mind. Post-partum depression is real and it is important to get help before suicidal thoughts surface.

Exclusive Breastfeeding/Formula Feeding

Once the baby is born, you are left with caring for the child and ensuring he/she is well fed. It is not uncommon for this to cause issues between husband and wife or even relatives. EBF is the medically advised form of feeding because it is less expensive and neater since the breasts are usually washed. Wisdom is however profitable to direct. It makes no sense to lose your child or sanity due to underfeeding. Therefore, if you are not lactating enough, kindly add formula to the mix. Formula feeding requires extra care and neatness so as not to expose your child to infections. It is important to read the instructions on the tin and follow same through.

Birth Control Options

Getting pregnant immediately after having a child is not only expensive, it can affect your relationship with your husband and get you depressed. This is why you need to speak with your husband and work out a way to keep child-bearing on hold until you are mentally, emotionally and financially ready to go through the cycle again. Before the end of the six weeks holiday, you need to visit the hospital together and go through the options available. Consider the pros and cons and do the necessary tests to ascertain how the option will affect your health. It is important to give your doctor your medical history so you can get an option that suits you.

You might want to consider the following solutions to help manage the factors mentioned above

Counselling

A problem shared is a problem half solved. If you feel like you are losing your mind, speak with a counsellor. A counsellor is trained to hear you pour out your mind and offer soothing words where necessary. You should go with your husband for such sessions so that he can benefit from it. Husbands often feel neglected because of the responsibility and shifted focus that comes with nursing a child. Talking about it and having him pour out his mind to a neutral person will help both of you bond as you work together to manage life as new parents.

Join a Support Group

New mothers are often frustrated because they are expected to be perfect and matured. Having a group of experienced mothers who are sympathetic to your plight to walk you through this stage will help you feel better and happier.

Work with your Spouse

It is important that you carry your husband along so you can bond with each passing day. The presence of relatives who want you to do things their way can frustrate you but your husband can speak for you and make your life easy so you don’t come across as rude when you are not comfortable with some suggestions. Tell him your challenges while you listen to his suggestions and work out a middle ground to sort out all the issues that comes with the new phase.

Mind Control

The mind is the seat of power. Your will can get you through the toughest season of your life. Draw strength from within and do the best you can for you and your family. Don’t strive to be perfect, just live each day as it comes. Do what you can do and leave the rest. You can also get someone to help with the chores so that you don’t crumble under pressure.

While motherhood is both tasking and exciting, it is a beautiful experience with wonderful memories. Do your best and enjoy all that comes with it.

The post The Motherhood Phase-9 Factors That Can Make Or Break You appeared first on Hermaze | Relationship, Beauty, Fashion, Family Articles for Women.

Colour

The effect of colour should not be ignored as it determines how cool and comfortable the room will be for the child. Picking a nice colour will help the child’s room look quite colourful and beautiful; you can even pick colours based on the sex of the child, for example using pink for a female and brown for a male. Also note that a lot of people will want to come see the baby, ensure you do not pick colours and materials that will get dirty when touched.

Baby Cradle

This is a quite important one as it is where the baby will be laid most of the time because an infant does more of sleeping than any other thing, so getting a very good bed should not be overlooked. Do not just go for any bed you see in the store, ensure it is properly checked, avoid an overtly hard bed, it should not be too soft either. The cradle also has to be beautiful and with good protection by the side to keep the baby warm. Do not also forget to keep a good and clean bedspread.

Wardrobe

 This is another important item that should be in a baby’s room, the child’s clothing needs to be properly kept in a cool hygienic place. Which makes getting a wardrobe very important. There are different types of wardrobe you can get for your child, just ensure it is of a good quality.

Stuffed Animals

One thing peculiar to most babies is their love for teddies. You can put a few of these in the room, some can even be on the bed so when he/she wakes up when you are out of the room there will be something to play with or distract them as the case may be.

Swing

 In the child’s room can also be a swing, it can be hung in some places in the room. It makes it easy for the child and mother to have some special time of bonding. Instead of the child getting so used to being carried they can get used to playing on their swing.

Throw Pillows

On the baby’s cradle and also the floor of the room, you can have some throw pillows. Apart from being a fun thing for the child, it also serves as a form of protection for the child and makes the room quite exquisite.

Light

Light is a vital part of furnishing the room, the kind of light you have in your room as a mother should be different from the one you will have in your baby’s room. Get a nice kids lamp and ceiling light that will lighten up the room and beautify it.

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