What’s All This About Baby Showers?

What’s All This About Baby Showers?

Seen most often in the USA, the tradition of throwing a baby shower for your best friend, your sister or yourself before baby turns up is something that has been in recent years more widely adopted around the world. The chances are that if you haven’t been to one yourself that you’ve been invited or at least know someone that has been. They are also commonly seen on TV, hilariously portrayed on some shows whereas most baby showers are a little more sedate /don’t involve strippers.

What is a Baby Shower?

A baby shower is basically a hen / stag night for your soon to arrive baby. It’s a last proper get together of special friends and family to toast the Mother, the new arrival to be and to have some fun! There’s no set schedule that dictates how a baby shower should run however they usually involve games (baby related), food (nibbles or something more substantial) and gifts for the baby / Mum. A baby shower is usually arranged for later on in the pregnancy.

Yay or Nay?

Some people love the idea of a baby shower! It’s probably your last proper chance to get together before baby arrives and of course who wouldn’t want to have a baby themed party? There is of course the added benefit of receiving often practical and useful gifts for baby, from cute clothing to nappies / diapers.

There are some people who really don’t like baby showers as they don’t sit right with them. They see the occasion as one put on purely to get baby gifts and dislike this much in the same way others dislike the pressure of a wedding gift list. It really is an “each to their own” thing although here at ParentsNeed we think they can be great fun!

When to Host a Baby Shower

There’s a fine art to organising a baby shower, particularly when it comes to choosing the right date. Most people wait until a pregnancy is well on its way, usually during the third trimester to organise a baby shower but of course you wouldn’t want to leave it too late and have the young Master or Miss arrive before (or during!) their party, would you? You also need to consider who will come and when is the best time to make sure key members of the group can attend. This makes throwing a secret or surprise baby shower a little more difficult!

Surprise?

Some people love surprises, some people hate them. Some people used to like them and then their pregnancy hormones got in the way and now they shudder at the idea of people surprising them. At the end of the day we’d say that given that the guest star of the occasion is the Mum, it might be best that she knows what’s going on. Anyone who is or has been pregnant will remember how feeling and looking “party ready” is something arranged with care, not something that can be pulled together at short notice after your bestie tells you the girls will be over in ten minutes. We’d go with safety in mind and make sure Mum knows what’s what in advance!

Where to Hold a Baby Shower

Some people have baby showers in the back room of a restaurant or pub with food and drinks on tap. Others go for a more intimate setting such as the Mum-to-be’s home or the host’s home. There’s no right or wrong place to host a baby shower, you could even make it a garden affair if the weather is good and you’ve a decent pop-up gazebo or similar.

What we would advise is to consider your budget (someone’s house or garden is free!), the number of people you are planning on inviting and of course the amount of space you will need to do whatever games you have planned (if you do games). Also make sure that wherever you go has easy access to a decent toilet because, well, pregnancy!

A Themed Baby Shower

Yes, traditionally a baby shower is baby themed (for reasons that don’t need to be explained). There’s no reason why you can’t theme the fun / party in the same way that hen nights are often themed though. We’re not saying that a blow up doll and tequila shots should be on the list but what about a pamper party or chocolate party? Get someone in to do skincare and make-up demos (with Mum-to-Be getting a makeover if she wishes) or something similar. This could be great if there has been a load of baby showers recently and you’re looking for something different.

Baby Shower Games

A large part of many baby showers is dedicated to fun games. These aren’t as daunting as they sound (no mini school sports day here!) and can be an absolute hoot!

Baby Bingo

There are some great templates for this on Pinterest and it’s a fun game that can be played sat down (always appreciated when you’re heavily pregnant). Make the cards as funny or as personal to Mum as you like. Make sure there’s a prize for the winner (a little bag of sweets or something will do).

Make a Baby

It sounds like a game from a whole different kind of party doesn’t it? Make a Baby involves all party goers being given a small lump of playdough and racing against a timer to create a cute baby figure. It’s guaranteed to raise a few giggles as not all of us are great with art and the host or Mum gets to choose a winner.

Nappy Races

You have your doll / teddy, you have your nappy. Ready, Set, Go! Who can successfully undress, change and redress their “baby” first (without putting the nappy on back to front or the baby grown inside out?

Find the Pelvic Floor

It’s treasure hunt time! If you can get to the venue in advance (easier if it is a home party) set up a fun treasure hunt with clues. The aim being for individuals or teams to solve riddles or similar, follow the trail and find the elusive pelvic floor / prize.

Decorate a Baby Grow or Vest

Set up a creation station for guests to decorate plain white babygrows and vests using fabric paints or pens. The results will be funny, cute, downright outrageous and hopefully there will be at least one awesome enough to go in the baby memory box (more on this later). How fab would it be if Mum and Dad dressed their new baby in these vests or babygrows at a later date for photos. The hilarity never ends!

Don’t Say Baby!

Give everyone 5 safety pins (diaper pins) to wear at the beginning of the party. If you hear someone say “baby” you call them out and get to take one of their pins. This game runs throughout the shower and whomever has the most pins at the end wins.

Nappy Messages

Open a box of first or second size nappies and give everyone a marker pen. Have everyone write a message on the back of every nappy and then put them away for Mum and Dad to find during those all-so-cute (!) 4am nappy changes. Nothing takes away the frowning caused by a mini nappy explosion in the wee hours than a hilarious nappy message from a best friend. The more silly and funny the messages the better. Mum and Dad will (almost) look forward to bum change times.

These are just a few basic games that may be played during a baby shower. A little internet research and / or a conversation or two with others who have hosted or been to a baby shower will help you decide on the best (most hilarious) yet easiest to put together baby games. Remember though that a baby shower is supposed to be a time of great fun, not an endurance sport and not a time where people share horror stories (unless they are very funny) about birth and beyond.​

Baby Shower Gifts

It is traditional to gift Mum, Dad and Baby gifts during a baby shower. How you arrange this however is up to you.

Some hosts run a sort of informal baby gift list, based on covert research into what the parents have bought already (or not). This doesn’t have to be a store-based gift list, although some opt for this for ease. It could simply be a list of things you know baby will need such as a pack of size two diapers / nappies, two packs of baby wipes, five muslin squares, a babygrow (x however many and split up between guests). Obviously you’d need to know the attendees fairly well or be confident enough to talk to them about gift buying.

Often people bring their own gifts or everyone chips in for a baby hamper / gifts / a large item such as a cot or vouchers for a Mother/Father/Baby store. How gifts are organised depends on how the host depends to handle this. On the other hand, some baby showers are gift free zones, with the aim of the party being purely a fun get-together to celebrate the upcoming birth and have a giggle before a treasured friend of family member disappears for while into the world of dirty nappies and spit ups.​

Keepsakes and Memories

Anyone with children will tell you how incredibly fast those first days, weeks and months go by. Many of you will have memory or baby boxes tucked away safe with a first curl, their baby ID and more. A baby shower is a great opportunity to help start the memory process and if you’re looking for a gift idea, keepsake gifts are always much appreciated (as long as not everyone buys the same photo album).

During a baby shower make sure there are plenty of photographs taken as this is the end of one era in one way and the beginning or another, especially if this is a first baby. That’s not to say that you’ll never see each other again, it simply means that Mum-to-Be will be a Mum (a different creature altogether) or Mum to another child! Besides, what better opportunity for a photo with your nearest and dearest than at a fun-filled baby shower.

A guest book is a must at a baby shower, or something like it. You could cut out baby shapes and provide pens for people to write a fun, cute, cheeky or heartfelt message for the parents to pull out and read later (and of course pop in the baby box!). 

A baby box is something else the baby shower party could provide. Why not have everyone write message directly onto a big keepsake box or decorate it themselves. All these keepsake related efforts will be much appreciated, trust us! A baby shower should be a fabulous milestone-type event, regardless of how low-key it is so make sure you find a way to capture the event and it’s many crazy-fun memories.

A Successful Baby Shower

A baby shower that has gone really well is one where the Mum-to-Be (and at least one or two others) have had to run to the loo because they’ve been laughing so much. It’s supposed be a time where good friends can laugh like hyenas, share stories, and generally have a hoot. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate in advance the birth of a new member of the extended family.

Originally posted 2016-08-24 09:10:39.

The post What’s All This About Baby Showers? appeared first on ParentsNeed.

Language Development and Speech Delay in Children

Language Development and Speech Delay in Children

Mama... Dada... Babababababa!!!

They may be simple syllables but these syllables make us the happiest parents on earth! There's no denying it when our baby starts to blabber; it makes us have that jittery feeling inside that we just can't comprehend. Then we start capturing it on video just so we can share it on social media.

When dealing with babies, they can start gurgling at any time and start producing different words even at the first two months. Babies can really amaze us. They can do some things way earlier than other babies can do, but they can also do other things at a later period of time. Anyway, there are so many things we don't know about one of the biggest baby milestones which is the talking phase. Talking is far different from babbling and gurgling. But when exactly should our kids start to make conversation with other people?

Let's first talk about when do babies start to talk and what is communication to them when they are born.

Baby Talk: From Age 0 to 3 months

Communications start at such an early age and babies learn how to communicate first by crying. Crying is everything for your little one; they cry when they're hungry, when their diaper is full or when they just want your warm presence. But what we don't know is that they listen. And when we say listen, they really pay attention to sounds all around us.

By the time they turn a month old, they already know how to distinguish common syllables. And by two months of age, they can associate sounds that we speak to certain lip movements. They can already identify that 'm' is made by pursing your lips together as compared to 's' where you put your teeth together to make a sound.

Baby Talk: From Age 4 to 6 months

This is the time things begin to get exciting. From 4 months onwards, your baby begins to mimic sounds. Your little one is ready to make certain sounds like gurgling and cooing. This is the time where sounds that you make sound like words—they may not know the meaning but they know that what you’re saying is a word.

By 6 months, however, your baby can already communicate by smiling back at you or laughs at your presence. They are well-adept to cooing and laughing once you play with them. This is also a great time to start reading a book to your baby. As you say a word and point to a picture, your little tot can associate these words with a certain image.

Baby Talk: From Age 7 to 12 months

This is the time when your baby already knows his or her own name. The babbling becomes more prominent and your baby starts talking in one or two syllables. So, when does a baby start talking straight? Well, most experts consider this stage as the primary linguistic development since your baby learns how to imitate the way you talk. They can blabber whatever syllables but copy the way you act or move. So no matter what syllables they say over and over again, this is their way of trying to use their lips, their palate, and their tongue to make sounds.

They can greet others by saying 'hi' and 'bye'. They can already point to certain objects and say something close to how it sounds like 'dod' for 'dog', 'maw' for 'meow' referring to a cat, 'nummie' for 'mommy's milk' and so on. They can understand full words that you utter; they can relate words with common things they see and work with every day like a bottle, crib, bed, sleep, and certain common greetings.

Baby Talk: From Age 13 to 18 months

Speaking is slow but the sound is there. Your baby already knows what 'NO' or 'STOP' means. They know that certain intonations mean happy and some intonations mean angry. They can already respond to your reactions and your words. Your little one can already understand what commands are and respond to your requests. At this point, your little one already understands most of what you say though they cannot say it back.

This is an age where nursery rhymes are perfect for your toddler. They are absorbing everything that they hear and everything just seems to make sense even though he/ she cannot say it properly. They are already aware of basic grammar and know the difference between 'mommy ate your cookie' to 'mommy made you a cookie'.​

They can already make one-worded requests like 'eat', 'play' and most especially 'no'! They are already great at saying 'No'! And it just excites us and intrigues us more and more. Experts say that our babies learn nouns first. Well, that’s because they can already associate an object to a name. Verbs can be shown but adjectives like colors and sizes are still too vague for them to understand.

The Language Explosion

Age two is known as the Terrible Two Stage. Your little ones are running around screaming and wailing in sheer laughter and joy and wrecking havoc to your home. So, make sure you childproof your entire house. When your baby is about to turn two or just turned two, he seems to have suddenly gained the tongue to speak. They can learn up to nine words a day. And to add more surprise, they can even put them together in proper grammar—of course lacking some pronouns and prepositions here and there.

This is the pinnacle of language acquisition for your child. From a slow paced syllable babbles and gurgles, your tot is already beginning to shower you with words that sound almost like what they are pointing at. They can already say 'poopie' for 'I wanna go potty', 'pay' for 'let's play', 'teehee eesh' for 'brush teeth' and so much more!

Your little one can make words or phrases to make a request or make their thoughts known to you and surprisingly, you can actually understand what they mean even without them saying it properly or in a complete and more defined speech.

Your baby begins to copy every word you say, so take this time to be a stay at home parent and learn rhymes and talk to each other. Anyway, your child learns a ton and whatever you say is gold to them. So, wording some cuss words should definitely be a BIG NO NO!​

Words, Words to More Words!

When do babies first talk in phrases? On average, your little one is expected to be speaking in phrases by the time they are two and onwards. Linguistic development does not stop at this stage and your little one will advance from one worded requests to actually making phrases. They already learn how to tattletale and they also learn how to continuously speak-- even if they do stumble oftentimes in grammar, but the complete sense is there.

They are well past speaking in one or two words; they can already communicate in complete phrases that they are able to communicate well with other kids of the same age. They can already learn from each other and play well with each other with the complete understanding of what the other wants and needs—and oftentimes, they have a conflict. So that's pretty normal.

Moreover, your children already know when kids of their age are angry or happy or sad. They can relate emotions and things via complete thought and understand. It's only that their limited vocabulary cannot completely express it all. Their box is primarily empty and learning words like verbs and adjectives are already comprehensible to them. So, spend time to balance work and home and go outside with your little one. Take them somewhere fun yet educational. Go to a place where you know you can teach your child a lot of words.​

Phrases to Sentences

When should kids start talking? Well, that is a pretty vague question since talking has a lot of definitions but are you asking at what age should kids start talking complete sense? Well then, you should know that by the time they turn three, they have already refined the basics speaking in sentences.

This is already a preparation time where your little one can go to preschool. They are already capable of making sentences of their own and learn new words to incorporate to make new sentences. Sentence patterns are instinctively coming out and you and your child can now have a decent conversation with each other.

Age three is the time where you can actually say that kids should start talking. The brain is already programmed for speech and communication. Your little one is already able to make requests, make commands, describe events and tell stories—in fact, tattle tale is included too. So, your secrets are not really that safe with your kids.​

Language Development Delay

There are kids, however, who are delayed in speech acquisition. How would you know if your child is a late bloomer or has a speech disability? Well, start first with doing s couple of home tests of your own. Here are some things you could do to rule out a language problem:

Hearing test. One of the ways to see what's affecting your child's delayed speech progress is by knowing if they have trouble in hearing. This can easily be noticed at home. If your child responds slowly or not at all to sounds, then you should have your little one checked out.

Gestures no sound. If your toddler is only copying movements and gestures by the time he/ she is 18 months old, then there is a possibility of language delay. Your child prefers to point, wave or copy some movements—like repetitively putting the hand over the mouth indicating 'hungry'. But if your child keeps copying the way your lips move but only produces nasal sounds or sounds that cannot be associated with word formation, you may opt to have your child checked.

Lack of verbal imitation. By 18 to 20 months, toddlers already know what sounds are and what words are. One of the ways to know if your child is a late bloomer or one who has a language impairment, then you should try and do oral exercises like making sounds—animal sounds, musical tones and such.​

Only produces sounds. If you notice that your little one often mouths or copies the way you speak but can only make out some unusual sounds or some sort of wailing, this is a sign that you need to take into big consideration. You need to have your little one checked because the possibility that your child has a language disability is there.​

Physical Impairment. There are some instances where physical impairment like having a short frenulum (fold underneath the tongue), tongue-tie or ankyloglossia, a deformity in the palate or the lips can impair speech significantly.​

Communication Disorder

A communication disorder is not a major thing to be so concerned about. It requires a bit more patience and a lot of positive encouragement from dad and mom. If you suspect that your child is a bit too late, it is better to rule out a speech impairment rather than thinking that your child is a late bloomer.

Late bloomers can be assisted but when babies talk way later than normal, you may need to find the help of a Speech Pathologist. They will assess if your child is just a late bloomer. They can let you know and understand child’s receptive language (what your little one understands) and expressive language (what your child can say). They will also be able to help guide your child in learning how to speak and recommend other means of communication.​

REMEMBER: Speech delay, language impairment or any problems in your baby learning how to talk is only a disability if you make it be. Be positive and always find that this hurdle is just a hurdle and not a dead end.​

What's next in line?

Now that your kids can talk or communicate, what's next? What comes after when babies start talking? Well, there are plenty more steps to go from there. There are instances when talking becomes a rant, so how would you deal with your kid if he or she talks back?

Talking or speaking is not just limited to words but the entire concept of communicating. So, when babies start talking or none at all, communication doesn't stop there. Kids are like sponges who learn with great speed and it doesn't take long for you and your little one develop your own personal touch in communicating.

Once your child learns how to communicate, it is all uphill from then on! When kids learn to speak or communicate, they already have the world in their hands! Be patient and be encouraging, teach your kids how language is supposed to be used—with respect to others!

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Reasons Why Kids Wet the Bed (and what you can do about it)

Reasons Why Kids Wet the Bed (and what you can do about it!)

You are finally relieved of your diaper changing duties! Congratulations! You have already converted your diaper changing table into a full blown toy storage area. Gone are the days of counting how much diapers you use in a year and how much expense you go through in cleaning your baby and their little cute bum. However, even if your child has mastered the daily routine of going to the potty, accidents still happen, especially at night.

Bedwetting is pretty common for kids from age 2 to 8 and some go up to age 10. Your child wetting the bed suddenly is not a rare instance. It is something that a lot of kids experience, but there are ways to help your child achieve that perfectly dry night! And it starts with knowing what causes your child to wet the bed.

So, Mommies and Daddies, let's begin by knowing a simple term called ENURESIS. This is actually the medical term for your child's “accident”; while “bed-wetting” is called nocturnal enuresis. Your child loses control over his/ her bladder and ends up peeing accidentally. But just because it has a medical term, it doesn't mean that it is a disease, illness or disorder, ok? About 5 to 7 million kids wet the bed, so that's pretty common. In other words, about 1 out of 5 kids of age five, and 1 out of 10 kids at the age of 10 still wet the bed.

There are common reasons why kids wet the bed

1. Heredity

Let's admit it; you are once a bed wetter. If you were a child wetting the bed at age 10, then chances are that your little one would be a bed wetter too. It only means that your genes tell your body make-up that you still have a weak control of your bladder for long periods of time. It is common for this to happen and that kids do eventually grow out of it. But make sure you don't make fun of your kid wetting the bed. It is already embarrassing enough as it is and letting them know about it makes them feel lesser about themselves.

2. Oversleeping and Deep Sleeping

Some kids have a difficulty in waking up. They often wake up lazy, grumpy annoyed and end up having dreams of waking up and going to the toilet and pee—OOPS! This is one reason why kids wet the bed. Kids have this overwhelming feeling of sleeping in and this restricts them from actually waking up. When they are deeply asleep or in the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage, their awareness of having a full bladder flies out the door causing the wetting his bed sensation. This is pretty easy to overcome though. Setting a bedtime and wake-up schedule allows you to help them have a better understanding of their body clock. They will eventually have this instinct of waking up at certain hours of the day and go on with their daily routine.

3. Night Scare

This is obviously a very common reason why kids wet the bed. Horror movies, thrillers and nerve-wracking shows and movies can scare your child senseless, even in their sleep. Kids often get mortified over things they watch especially if you use it to scare them. They control their bladders in fear of monsters and ghosts being in their presence. And this leads to wetting the bed due to a full bladder.

4. Liquid Monster

It takes about two to five hours for the body to process liquids and turns it into pee. But if your child kept drinking a lot just before going to sleep, you better prepare for a diaper. There is a huge possibility that your child will end up peeing in the middle of the night leaving you with a messy clean-up, a broken night's sleep, and a very irritated child.

5. Late Bloomer

Potty training can be difficult but if your child is a late bloomer but it does not make you a failure. Meaning, your little one only started to feel the urge to pee at a later time in his/ her life. Some kids take early, some kids walk late and some kids just happen to find going to the potty challenging. Introducing potty training to your kids does not have a time limit. You can start early or anytime you think your child is ready. But if your little one is a late bloomer, keep trying on introducing potty tricks and routines to help your child understand the concept of going to the potty.

Medical Concerns Causing Bedwetting

There are also some concerns where parents deal not just with your child wetting the bed at age 7 or 8 or 9 or more, but there are also some parents and kids who need to deal with bedwetting as a symptom of an underlying problem. Here are some medical reasons why your child wets the bed.

Constipation

You may not know it but your child being constipated can make them wet the bed. That's because when the bowels are full of poop, it presses against the bladder. This then limits the capacity of the bladder to hold liquid making your child wet his bed.

Hormonal Factors

The body produces this hormone called arginine vasopressin or ADH. This hormone is an antidiuretic hormone. What it does is that it helps your kidney manage a certain amount of liquid in your body. It also tells your bladder how much water it can hold. Lacking this hormone means that your child may have shorter bladder control leading to sudden accidents both in daytime or night time.

Infections in the Urinary Tract

Urinary tract infection or UTI is pretty painful for your child. Once your child contracts UTI, they will have a hard time controlling their bladder. Infections can be contained and treated if detected early so your job is to monitor your child and to administer the needed medication given and prescribed by your pediatrician.

Abnormalities in the Spinal Cord or in the Central Nervous System

This is a more serious concern that can lead to bedwetting among other stuff. The central nervous system controls the entire functions of your body and one of them is the ability to go to the toilet. A problem in the spinal cord prevents the body from functioning the proper way. This abnormality in the spinal cord limits the body from being able to control the way the urinary system works and these results to your child bedwetting even until his/ her teens.

What to do Next...

Go to the Doctor

Going to the doctor is a precautionary thing. It's better to be safe than sorry. So, go ahead and schedule an appointment with your pediatrician. The thing is, you already know how your little child does. If you find something odd, you go ahead with your instinct and don't act on a 'let's wait and see' mindset.

If you have a child who has been having dry nights for months now, and your child wets the bed suddenly, don't be too alarmed. Just ask your child some basics. Did they have too much milk the night before? Did you happen to watch a scary movie that evening? Does he/she hurt when peeing? Do they feel anything else aside from wetting the bed? Are there any other symptoms to bedwetting at night? Is it more than the routine bedwetting or more than that? Ask and evaluate. If something is off, schedule an appointment with your pediatrician.

What can the doctor do to help?

Well, first of all, the doctor will evaluate your child. If needed, the doctor will have your child undergo a series of tests like urinalysis or a pee test to rule out Urinary tract infection. The doctor will also have your child undergo a more thorough physical to rule out many possibilities causing the unusual bedwetting. If things are alright, then your doctor will just send you home with your child ail-free and happy.

Behavioral Therapy

This means that your doctor's appointment went well. You just need to help deal with your child having 'accidents'. Now, let's talk! There are so many ways for your child to overcome the sudden or occasional bedwetting. Here is a list of things you can do for your child when bedwetting has become a more than occasional scenario.

Be Honest

Did you know that three out of four bedwetters have either a parent or a really close relative who used to wet the bed? Now that you know, you have to be honest with your child. Kids need to know that they shouldn't be ashamed for the accident they had last night.

Kids who know that their parent or parents or other relatives also used to wet the bed gives them a boost of confidence and a more open relationship to you and a more open mind to overcome the bedwetting. Knowing that they are not alone in this ordeal makes them realize that they shouldn't feel bad about themselves and that they should be optimistic to have a dry night tonight.​

Be Patient

You really have to be patient. If you are done with diapers, you may opt to have your child try out mats underneath the sheets. You don't want to get the mattress wet, do you? Anyway, get a nylon mat or waterproof mat and put it underneath the sheets. That way, the mattress stays dry. If not, just get your child some absorbent pants.

Your child will find bladder maturity soon; you are just a few more steps away before achieving a completely dry night. So keep up with a patient and optimistic mind and heart and it will rub off on your little one. Because, to be honest, whenever your child sees how disappointed you are when they wet the bed, they take it more seriously than ever. On the other hand, a positive reinforcement will give them a boost to targeting a dry night.​

Lessen Fluid Intake

Drinking too much milk or tea at night can be a big problem. You may want to change the bedtime routine of drinking milk before going to bed, so try reading a book, developing a sleep routine or sing your child a lullaby. Drinking milk or tea at night has its repercussion which is a very wet problem in the morning. Did you know that 50% of bedwetting finds excess fluid intake as the culprit? It's true, even adults find themselves rushing to the toilet because of a full bladder due to extra liquid intake.

Toilet Routine

Make sure your child has easy access to the toilet. Some parents already prep the toilet with the lights on at night or with a nightlight and a step stool ready at the toilet. Setting a goal for your child to go to the toilet in the middle of the night is a great way to have them stay dry and to give them that pinch of bravery. Make sure that you tell your child to always go to the toilet before going to sleep.

Medication

Bedwetting culprits are usually easy to overcome with time and with great parenting principles of involvement and discipline in developing good potty habits. But the reality is about 3% of the bedwetting are caused by things that need medical attention like constipation and UTI. Some are more serious like abnormalities in the central nervous system or the urinary system.

Urinary Tract Infections

Once your child is diagnosed with UTI, you have to be faithful in giving them their antibiotics. This can easily be overcome in a week. You have to make sure that your child develops good potty habits like wiping with a tissue after peeing. For girls, always instill the routine of wiping from FRONT to BACK! And for boys, always let daddy tell them to shake, shake, shake!

Always have a clean environment because bacteria are the main cause of UTI. Constantly changing the underwear and keeping the underwear dry is one of the ways to easily help your child with UTI. Changing the underwear twice or thrice in a day is alright. Once your child's underwear gets wet with a bit of pee, you can let them change it. Remember, wet underwear is a breeding ground for bacteria.

Central Nervous System Abnormality

This is a very rare cause of bedwetting. It doesn't even cover 1% of all bedwetters. Anyway, this can be identified along with other symptoms like poor motor skill and other developmental milestones that came in later in time. This can be diagnosed and treated with therapy and other more advanced medical treatment.

To sum it all up...

Bedwetting is completely normal. It is a part of a more advanced potty training that needs more attention to achieve a completely dry night. There are many reasons why kids wet the bed at night and knowing these causes is also a great way of how to stop bedwetting. So, no matter how old your child is, bedwetting can happen, even in adults! So be patient and be alert!

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Top 5 Best Pool Tables | 2017 Reviews

Picture a shabby early-to-mid 20th century storefront with a thick haze of smoke hanging beneath harsh lighting, and a group of shady-looking characters and ne’er do wells unproductively whiling away their days and nights. Now visualize an impeccably-decorated mansion with servants bustling to and fro, serving refreshments to well-dressed and well-coifed ladies and gentlemen enjoying their leisure time and each others’ company, while gathered in a large room designed for entertainment.

There’s only one furnishing which would fit perfectly into each of those “low-end” and “upper crust” settings – and that’s a pool table.

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Olhausen Huntington Pool Table

Brunswick Bridgeport Pool Table

Connelly Billiards Catalina Pool Table

Imperial Pool Table – The Westwood

Mizerak Donovan II 8-Foot Billiard Table

Pool (and its older cousin, billiards) has been played in the Western world for hundreds of years. Pool’s popularity has declined a bit over time, particularly among those who enjoy a friendly wager or two and have taken up tournament or online poker. But there’s still no piece of indoor sports equipment that’s more desirable than a pool table, whether it’s as the centerpiece of a home game room, a man cave, or the “rumpus room” in that impeccably-decorated mansion we mentioned a moment ago.

High-quality pool tables aren’t cheap. In fact, they’re quite expensive, although you can certainly pick up functional models or portable tables for a few hundred dollars which will be just fine for the kids to use in the basement. Those aren’t the ones we’ll focus on in these reviews, however. We’ll be looking at the top 5 best pool tables, which by definition means full-size tables with slate beds, rather than inexpensive beds which are cheap to manufacture and easy to move but prone to unsatisfactory play and long-term degradation.

That doesn’t mean you have to fork over anything close to a year’s salary for the models in our rankings. Each manufacturer that’s represented has an enormous range of pool tables in many price ranges; we’ll try to focus on ones that exemplify the best qualities of each brand, while still providing an affordable selection you can choose from.

​You may want to read our Best Pool Table Buying Guide here.

Rack ‘em up.

Quick Comparison Table

Olhausen Huntington Pool Table	Brunswick Bridgeport Pool Table	Connelly Billiards Catalina Pool Table	Imperial Pool Table – The Westwood	Mizerak Donovan II 8-Foot Billiard Table
$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$
7, 8, 8½, 9 feet	8 feet	8 feet	8 feet	8 feet
Hand-crafted solid wood	Solid wood, two finishes	Solid wood, two finishes	Solid wood, three finishes	Laminate, black

Olhausen Huntington Pool Table

Ask any unbiased player or pool table dealer and their verdict will be unanimous: Olhausen makes the best pool tables in the world. The company produces ten different lines of tables encompassing dozens of different models, including standard and non-standard sizes and offering a mind-boggling array of customization options to choose from.

What’s uniform among Olhausen tables, though, is their quality. They are completely hand-crafted and assembled by master woodworkers in the firm’s American manufacturing plant (many companies that assemble in the U.S.A. purchase components from China), and they all have slate beds and are built from solid hardwood (except for the three models in the brushed aluminum series and those in the modern series which can be upgraded to aluminum).

We’ve chosen the Huntington, one of the eighteen models in Olhausen’s Signature Series, as our best pool table; that’s because we think it represents everything that’s exceptional about the tables produced by this family-owned and operated business. The classic Huntington design draws on influences from the 19th century, but has been updated to fit perfectly with modern decors.

The Huntington is produced from solid wood, of course, and the most popular option chosen by customers is a strong maple table with hard maple rails. However, it can also be ordered in solid oak, walnut or cherry. Whichever you decide on, this is a durable and dense table. There are numerous finishes you can choose (for example, there are 22 finishes available for maple tables), from light colors such as matte champagne or butternut, to dark ones including cherry, ebony and onyx. Naturally, you can also select the color of premium felt you prefer to complete the look.

Olhausen uses its highest-end components for pool tables in the Signature Series, and the Huntington is no exception. That includes the company’s tournament-quality, proprietary Accu-Fast cushions, made from the highest grade of rubber treated with chemicals that ensure accurate and consistent play while preventing the rubber from softening over time. There are also large leather shield pockets and thick support columns on every Huntington table, completing their elegant yet modern look and guaranteeing a table that will remain in the exact same position and state for years.

We’ve left the best for last, and that’s Olhausen’s play surface. The one-inch backed, diamond-honed and matched three-piece slate bed plays fast, plays accurately and plays uniformly. There’s no chance you’ll be left staring at the table and wondering why the shot you never have a problem with veered off a little this time; the Huntington is rock-solid, predictable and a pure pleasure to play. You can buy this table as a standard nine-foot model, and also in 7, 8 and 8½ versions; prices will run well north of $3500, but you’ll have to work with an authorized dealer (who will usually offer prices below list).

In the spirit of full disclosure, we have to admit that we didn’t have to do extensive research and testing to sing the praises of this pool table; we bought one a number of years ago after doing our own personal research and testing, and we love it just as much today as we did the day we brought it home.

Details of the Olhausen Huntington Pool Table
Sizes	7, 8, 8½, 9 feet
Table	Hand-crafted solid wood (choices: maple, oak, walnut, cherry), 35 finishes
Bed	Slate, three pieces
Cushions	K-55
Warranty	Lifetime

Brunswick Bridgeport Pool Table

Remember that mansion we mentioned at the start? There’s a good chance there was a Brunswick table there, since the company has been making extraordinary pool tables since the late 19th century. Today they still make exquisite and extremely expensive models, as well as lower-level entry models and everything in between. We’ve chosen the Bridgeport as the second entry on our list of the top 5 best pool tables, because it’s the least-expensive Brunswick model to feature the high-quality we expect from a table – even though it may actually cost you a bit more than the Olhausen Huntington with fewer features to choose from.

This is another rock-solid table with a touch of the old-school look but owing more of its design to modern aesthetics, able to blend with almost any style of room. It is made from “select” solid wood (they don’t specify the type of wood used) with either chestnut or espresso finishes available, hardwood rails and distinctive, thick square legs. Some of the materials do come from overseas, but assembly is done in America and the construction is impressive with details like galvanized steel leg plates, dovetail joinery connecting the frame and high performance plates attaching the rails to the slate.

Speaking of the slate, it is diamond-honed, precision-machined one-inch cured slate which has been double-checked for flatness four times during machining and curing to ensure reliable and accurate play. The Bridgeport has drop pockets which match the look of the table, many choices of championship-level felt, and the same acclaimed SuperSpeed cushions Brunswick that has been using for more than seventy years which provide accurate rebounds and an extremely consistent rail. The extra touches include mother-of-pearl rail sights and optional accessory drawers built into both sides of the table.

The Brunswick is only available in an eight-foot model, but if you’re not married to a tournament-sized nine-footer, it’s a wonderful pool table that plays like a champ.

Details of the Brunswick Bridgeport Pool Table
Sizes	8 feet
Table	Solid wood, two finishes
Bed	Slate
Cushions	K-55
Warranty	Lifetime

Connelly Billiards Catalina Pool Table

Many aficionados (and pool sharks) swear by higher-end Connelly tables, believing they play even truer than Olhausens and Brunswicks. We think they might be onto something because the Catalina (again, one of the lower-priced slate tables offered by Connelly) is a joy to play on. We rank it at #3 because the tight fits of the pockets, the incredibly heavy body and complicated hardware make it a bear to install, and you’ll definitely need to call a pro to do it (and may have to convince him to do it once he knows it’s a Connelly).

This table is American-made and crafted from solid wood, in your choice of maple, oak, pine, cherry hickory or walnut; you can choose from nine different stains (with seven matching color options for the scroll leather pockets and just as many options for the cloth and its colors, plus four styles of carved, claw-style legs. It’s available in 7, 8 and 9 foot models.

As for construction and performance, the Catalina is a winner. The tournament-grade slate is 1¼ inches thick, there is a four-bolt rail system (industry standard is three bolts) with its six-inch “aerospace” cushioned Rapid Rails making play a delight, and the slate bolts directly to the frame. The cabinets and crossbeams are thicker than the competition as well, adding to the table’s weight but also its stability and durability.

This Connelly model is priced similarly to the first two models on our list, and plays exceptionally well. If you’re ready to tackle the hassles of transport and installation, it’s an outstanding choice.

Details of the Connelly Billiards Catalina Pool Table
Sizes	8 feet
Table	Solid wood, two finishes
Bed	Slate
Cushions	K-55
Warranty	Lifetime

Imperial Pool Table – The Westwood

We’re well aware that not everyone has $3,000, $4,000 or $5,000 to spend, so we’ve included two less-expensive slate tables to close our list of the top 5 best pool tables. They’re not as exceptional as our first three entries, but you’ll find these tables play well above their prices.

You can figure on spending about $2000 for the Westwood (although the felt has to be purchased separately), and for that price you’ll get a solid wood body and routed post legs with a chestnut finish (antique walnut or mahogany are also available from some suppliers), classic yet modern design with leather shielded drop pockets, and solid performance. One reason for the nice play of this Imperial table is the one-inch K-pattern backed slate bed, along with K66 rubber rails for true rebounds.

This is a well-manufactured pool table, albeit without the hand-crafted attention paid to detail seen on some of our higher-priced selections. There is uni-body construction that makes assembling the Westwood easier to assemble than many similar models, and strong crossbeams support the slate well and add to the stability of the table.

Let’s be honest; Imperial tables aren’t the equals of Olhausens. But at half the price, what you’re looking for is a strong slate table that will stand up to wear and provide great play. That’s exactly what you’ll get with the Westwood, and you can order it online without having to haggle with dealers.

Details of the Imperial Pool Table – The Westwood
Sizes	8 feet
Table	Solid wood, three finishes
Bed	Slate
Cushions	K-55
Warranty	Lifetime

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Mizerak Donovan II 8-Foot Billiard Table

Our second less-expensive option is the Donovan II from Mizerak, which sells for a little over $1,000 (you can get it for less if you opt for a “slatron” bed made of particle board and plastic instead of slate – but don’t) and can be purchased from big box stores or Amazon. Don’t expect solid wood cabinetry or rails at this price level; the materials used are laminate for the cabinet and rails and metal for the frame, and there are reinforced pedestal legs with chrome levelers. The red wool cloth works well with the black table, chrome accents and drop pockets for a contemporary look.

The reason we’re comfortable including this Mizerak table on our list (other than the fact that it has a slate bed for a bargain price) is that the playing experience is much better than we would have ever expected. The K66 nose rubber on the rails isn’t top-quality but it provides consistent, predictable rebounds, the felt is more than satisfactory, and the table is level and sturdy.

Pro-level players wouldn’t be caught dead playing the Donovan II, but you’ll be very happy using it in your playroom – and even happier looking at your credit card bill after you buy it.

Details of the Mizerak Donovan II 8-Foot Billiard Table
Sizes	8 feet
Table	Laminate, black
Bed	Slate
Cushions	K-55
Warranty	90 days

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Originally posted 2016-06-07 03:00:14.

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