Welcome to the world baby. I have no idea how to swaddle you!

1. “How to swaddle a baby?”

Expert Answer:

What's more delicious than a baby burrito? Nursery professional Annalisa Thomas of Olio Studio describes these steps to squish that baby into a swaddle. “Start by laying a blanket flat in a diamond shape and folding down the top corner. Place your baby face-up on the blanket with their head at the folded corner. Gently position their right arm by their side and wrap the right corner over them, tucking it under their left side. Next, fold the bottom corner of the blanket up over their feet towards their shoulders, keeping the neck and face uncovered. Then, place the left arm by their side and wrap the left corner over, tucking it under their left side as well. Make sure the swaddle isn't too tight, particularly around the hips and legs, allowing them to fall into a natural frog-like position.”

If you’re a visual learner, this might help! 

Parent Chime-in:

More power to the parents who are up for origami-folding a feral infant at 3am, but my kids always did just fine in the Velcro swaddles which were simple, straightforward, and relatively foolproof. 

2. “How much should a baby weigh to face forward in a car seat?"

Expert Answer: 

Many states require babies under two to be rear-facing by law. UNC Pediatric Emergency Medicine Doctor, Maura Olcese M.D. explains: “Riding rear-facing in a car seat is the safest way a baby can travel, so babies should be rear-facing for as long as possible. Follow your specific car seat’s guidelines on weight and length, as they can differ.” 

Parent Chime-in:

I remember telling my pediatrician at my son’s 2-year check-up that his legs seemed too long to be rear-facing. She said, "Would you rather him be protected from a cervical spine injury or have him a little scrunched?” And that was all the reality check I needed. He remained rear-facing until he was almost four in a convertible car seat that could remain backwards until he was 40 lbs.

Just like you might treat yourself for a fever, a cool bath, ibuprofen, and water can help babies.

3. "How to reduce a baby’s fever naturally?"

Expert Answer: 

Dr. Olcese says “A fever is the body’s way of trying to fight an infection and may be beneficial to ridding the body of whatever it’s fighting. It is not always dangerous for a baby to have a fever, but there are trade-offs—if a baby is not feeding or drinking well because of the fever (i.e. too sleepy or fussy to feed well), then it's recommended to treat with acetaminophen if the baby is less than 6 months old. If the baby is at least 6 months or older acetaminophen and/or ibuprofen can be used. It’s also important to remember that a fever of 100.4 or more before the age of 2 months is always an emergency.”

Parent Chime-in:

I'm pretty liberal with the Tylenol when my kids are cranky from a fever, especially before bedtime. Some of our Mommy Poppins writers who prefer a more natural route share that they use lukewarm baths and damp washcloths to cool a baby down. 

4. "How to get rid of baby hiccups?"

Expert Answer: 

"Hiccups are benign and babies don’t usually care that they have them!" says Dr. Olcese. But, she adds, "Hiccups may develop when a baby needs to burp after feeds or has gas, so focusing on that may help ease their hiccups, too.” (More on that in question 10!)

Parent Chime-in:

In our family, we always say that hiccups mean you're growing! My pediatrician jokes that they mean someone is thinking of you. Basically, if you can’t beat ‘em, come up with a cute explanation. 

5. “When do baby teeth come in?"

Expert Answer: 

Awaiting those teeny tiny teeth? Dr. Olcese advises, “Baby teeth can start to develop around 6 months of age, usually starting with the bottom middle teeth. As soon as they have teeth, you should start brushing with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Even before 6 months, massaging the gums with a toothbrush gets them used to and comfortable with brushing.” 

Parent Chime-in:

I spent the entire first year of my son’s life blaming teething for his constant crankiness, only for his first tooth to emerge well after one year. Embrace the wide range of normal and before you know it you’ll be Googling the going rate for the tooth fairy. 

As we note in our developmental milestones for babies article, each baby is a unique individual, and will hit milestones like teething on their own time!

Babies are the cutest, most expensive creatures on earth. 

6. "How much does it cost to have a baby?"

Expert Answer: 

In terms of birth and delivery expenses, Annalisa Thomas shares “Forbes reports that the average cost to have a baby without insurance is $18,865, while the out-of-pocket expense with insurance is, on average, $2,854. In general, vaginal births are less expensive than cesarean sections.”  

Parent Chime-in:

It’s all the money. Just all of it, for everything, always.

7. “How to burp a baby?”

Expert Answer: 

Annalisa Thomas says: “The best way to burp a baby is to place them on the parent’s chest with their face over the parent's shoulder. This puts the parent in the perfect position to massage or gently pat the baby’s back, which helps encourage them to burp. Some spit-up might accompany the burp, so place a towel over your shoulder.”

Parent Chime-in:

A fun fact about me is that every time I burp my baby, I burp. Anyone else? I know it's not that helpful… but fascinating?

Babies work hard even when they're sleeping. Growing up is hard work!

8. “Why is my baby breathing fast while sleeping”?

Expert Answer: 

Got a grunter? Dr. Olcese says: "Babies have very active sleep states, spend a lot of time in REM sleep, and they breathe fast during this busy time. As long as it's transient, they don’t have a fever, and they aren’t working hard to breathe, just fast breathing during sleep is a sign your baby is dreaming!” 

Parent Chime-in:

Welcome to the many weird things babies do that will freak you out. I have so many anxious videos of my first baby grunting, panting, and doing what my pediatrician told me was called “periodic breathing” while sleeping. Never hesitate to call your doctor for guidance if you’re worried about your child’s breathing, but keep in mind that newborns are naturally noisy sleepers.

9. "How many bones does a baby have?"

Expert Answer: 

One of the questions that surprised me the most, with an answer that's equally surprising. “Adults have 206 bones. Depending on when babies are born and how old they are now, they can have anywhere from 270 to 300 separate bones that eventually fuse during their normal development,” says Dr. Olcese. 

Parent Chime-in:

I thought I was Queen Google, but this is one that’s never crossed my mind! 

10. "How to get rid of baby gas fast?"

Expert Answer:

Gas can be a culprit of those baby hiccups. Dr. Olcese says that "gas is very common in babies and can worsen during feeds or when crying. Burping during or right after feeding, massaging the baby’s belly, doing tummy time, and “bike pedaling” legs can help move and relieve gas. Some parents find that simethicone drops help, but there isn’t much evidence here.” 

Parent Chime-in:

Everyone I talked to at Mommy Poppins is a big fan of bicycle legs and tummy massages for our gassy babies. I dabbled in gas drops with my firstborn, and though I’m not sure they worked, they did offer me a short-lived placebo effect, which I'd say was worth it!

Note: The top ten list of questions was provided by Olio Studio, who used the keyword analysis software ahrefs.com to find the most asked new parent Google questions, with a focus on the United States.  They used 60 targeted keywords, focusing on the following topics: General Parenting Questions, Newborn and Infant Care, Health and Safety, Baby Development, and Behavioral and Emotional Concerns.

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Photos by Sara Marentette