Traveling between time zones with a baby is tough! Many parents worry about how to adjust their baby’s sleep to a new time zone when traveling.

Here are some things to consider:

How long are you going to be away?

If you are traveling for only a few days, I would encourage you to stay on your home time, if possible.

Which direction are you traveling?

Traveling east to west:

Maybe it’s 7pm at home, but only 4pm in the new time zone. What do you do? One…

If you’ve been here awhile, you’ve probably heard me talk about evidence-based research or evidence-based practice. Maybe you’re wondering what that means, especially what it means when we think about how to handle baby sleep. Let me tell you.

Evidence-based practice is a combination of three things: evidence-based research, clinical experience, and the personal priorities and experience of a family.

You’ll find evidence-based practice in everything Taking Cara Babies offers:…

I want to tell you about my journey with sleep training. My entire life, more than anything else in this world, I wanted to be a mom. That’s what I wanted. My heart’s desire was to be a mom. And then, I had Ella.

Here I am, a baby nurse; her dad is a pediatrician. Wouldn’t you assume we’d be incredible? We thought “How hard can it be? We’re good at taking care of babies!”

As a doctor and nurse, we knew the importance of baby sleep. We know how vital sleep is for a baby’s…

Baby suddenly taking short naps and you’re not sure why? Or maybe your baby only ever naps for 30 minutes? I know short naps can be challenging for both you and your baby. I can help! Let me answer your questions about short naps and give you tools to help your baby sleep longer at nap time.

How short is too short for naps?

Short naps are typically naps that last less than one sleep cycle (about 50 minutes). A nap 50 minutes or longer demonstrates your baby’s ability to…

Pacifier, Binky, Nuk, Soother, Dummy. I love pacifiers….yes, even for newborns, sleeping babies, and breastfed babies! I get so many questions from parents about newborns sleeping with a pacifier. Let’s talk about why I love pacifiers, how to introduce the pacifier, and what to do if the pacifier keeps falling out of your baby’s mouth.

Should my baby use a pacifier?

My answer will always be “It’s up to you and your little one!” There truly is no “right or wrong” approach when it…

Pacifier, Binky, Nuk, Soother, Dummy. I love pacifiers….yes, even for newborns, sleeping babies, and breastfed babies! I get so many questions from parents about newborns sleeping with a pacifier. Let’s talk about why I love pacifiers, how to introduce the pacifier, and what to do if the pacifier keeps falling out of your baby’s mouth.

Should my baby use a pacifier?

My answer will always be “It’s up to you and your little one!” There truly is no “right or wrong” approach when it…

It has always been a dream of man to simply spread his arms and take off like a bird. For us, birds are a symbol of longing, freedom, and peace. So it is a wonderful idea to give your child such a meaningful name, in the hope that they will always be free as a bird.

There are a surprising number of names for girls and boys whose meanings have something to do with birds. We have collected the most beautiful names for you. The (u) stands for unisex names.

Should your baby be a…

Autumn-inspired names for girls born in the fall

The leaves turn orange, red and yellow, the weather gets windier, it gets dark and rainy and Christmas is nocking on the door: autumn is coming!

These are the cosy days between hot summer and cold winter, when it smells of pumpkin and the squirrels bury their nuts. A great time to give birth to your child.

If you’re pregnant and due to have your little girl in September, October or November, check out these stunning autumnal…

If you read my post a few months ago, I talked about how I went for a cyst surgery and the doctor advised me to try more often in the following months as there is a higher chance of getting pregnant. Hoping that was it, we gave our best shot (or he did, HAHAHA!).

It has been 5 months since and we have not seen any results. So we thought maybe it’s time to seek help again. We did our fertility check 2 years ago and felt that we should go for another round of checks together. So after…

Teething is a process that not only frustrates parents but babies too – sadly! The good news is, you are not alone! Every parent will go through or have gone through the process.

How do you know if your baby is teething? Look for these signs*:

Excessive drooling

Crying and irritability

Restlessness due to gum discomfort

Biting

Random fussiness

Bringing hands to the mouth

*Some babies may experience fever and/or diarrhoea while they are teething,…

Having had four kids within 6 years meant there was always at least 2 young ones in diapers at any time. My two older boys are currently 7 and 5 years old, while my two younger girls are 3 and 1 years old, and my two girls are still rocking their diapers. My 3-year-old needs a diaper at night, while my 1-year-old is still in diapers throughout the day and will continue to be for quite some time.

My two boys never had any trouble with diapers or wet wipe brands, I just chose whichever…

There are times I feel that I’ve spent almost all of my 20s in some state of pregnancy, but with almost nothing to show for it. Married at 22, by my first wedding anniversary I had already miscarried twice. I would go on to miscarry one more time, go through 2 cycles of IUI and 2 cycles of IVF before meeting my first child.

A cerclage was performed to arrest the risk of my cervical incompetence, and finally, after 4 years, I had my rainbow baby. We were over the moon.

We had…

It’s been a while, and yes, baby Gemma is here! She’s already over a month old at the time of writing this post. I’ve completely forgotten what sleep is! Time does fly.

It wasn’t too long ago when I was feeling rather panicky about the whole rushing to the hospital due to labour pains situation that my husband found time to practice/rehearse with me on when it does happen. The hospital bag has also been packed way in advance! And oh just a suggestion, pack in your make-up if you want…

Happy new year everyone! Hope you guys enjoyed the festive holidays and looking forward to another short break in Feb.

John and I will be celebrating our fourth wedding anniversary this month and it kinda served as a reminder to me that we have gone by four years without a kid. This, compared to many other couples who have tried longer than us is probably nothing. I have met couples who have tried for more than 10 years (and are still trying) and I admire their fighting spirit and the…

Happy new year everyone! Hope you guys enjoyed the festive holidays and looking forward to another short break in Feb.

John and I will be celebrating our fourth wedding anniversary this month and it kinda served as a reminder to me that we have gone by four years without a kid. This, compared to many other couples who have tried longer than us is probably nothing. I have met couples who have tried for more than 10 years (and are still trying) and I admire their fighting spirit and the…

Vaccinating our children is nothing new. For the first 18 months of life, babies in Singapore go through a myriad of inoculations along with developmental checks. Being a mum of 4 adorable kids, I’ve been through this process many times, and each time I am thankful that we live in an era where children do not needlessly have to get ill and suffer from preventable diseases.

In Dec 2021, when the government announced their plans to begin vaccinating children aged 5 to 11, I knew I would…

Here Are 13 Thoughts On Parenting In A Pandemic, Three Months In:

Here are 13 thoughts of parenting in a pandemic, but firstly, how are you? How are you doing, really?

And secondly, if you’d told us all on 1st January 2020 that we’d be spending much of the upcoming year on lockdown, parenting in a pandemic and homeschooling our kids, I’m not sure anyone would have believed it, would we?

UK Lockdown And School Closures

Coronavirus, lockdown and the UK school…

Here’s everything I wish I’d known about my child starting school…

Is your child starting school soon?

I know how you feel! Last September it was my child starting school, and I walked her to the gate, in her too-big dress and her too-shiny shoes, desperately trying not to make it too obvious how much I was trying not to cry.

Predictably, as soon as she’d gone in and we left the playground, I did.

Starting School – It’s a Learning Curve (For You)

Your child…

Pull your gardening hats out of storage because spring is in the air, and that means freshening up the garden and mowing the lawn. Well, spring is here and that means yard work and trimming hedges.

One of the best ways to tackle the heat and keep the sun off your back is with a hat. I once saw a guy mow his lawn without a hat, in Florida, I thought he was insane. It's just way too hot out there. So we've got some suggestions for you on what hats work best in the yard. We're also…

Stetson Hats - An American Legacy

Since 1865 Stetson Hats has been the powerhouse of hat manufacturers. They're credited with the creation of the American cowboy hat, and pioneering the hat industry we all know and love today. John B. Stetson founded the company with only $100. He rented a small room, purchased all the necessary tools and $10 in fur; that's all it took to bring the famous "Boss of the Plains" Stetson cowboy hat to life.

How a Stetson Hat is Made - The Felting…