Are you a new parent or expecting a child soon? If so, How Smart Is Your Baby? is an invaluable resource that can help you ensure your baby gets the best possible start in life. This guide is packed with life-changing insights that can benefit both your child and you as a parent. It’s important to remember that every child develops at their own pace, and that’s perfectly normal. However, not providing them with the best possible tools and knowledge due to a lack of information is something we can and should avoid. This resource shares personal experiences, videos, how-tos, and materials to help you support your baby’s development effectively.

Newborn Development: Understanding the Basics

The book delves into the fascinating details of infant development. When a baby is born, they are unable to see, hear, or speak effectively. This is due to their underdeveloped nervous system. As your baby grows, they gradually begin to see more clearly, hear more sounds, and start learning about the world around them. Our role as parents is to offer them every opportunity to develop these senses as quickly and fully as possible, helping them transition out of this vulnerable stage and start enjoying their surroundings.

Being an Educated Parent: Making Informed Choices

From the book How to Raise a Healthy Child…in Spite of Your Doctor written by Robert M. Mendelsohn M.D., we learn that there are several medical interventions commonly performed on newborns that parents may not be aware of. For instance, many newborns receive antibiotics in their eyes right after birth unless parents request otherwise. Additionally, while vitamin K is often given via injection, you can ask for it to be administered as oral drops instead. Hepatitis B vaccines are also typically given immediately after birth unless parents state otherwise. Beyond medical procedures, there are other choices you can make to support your newborn’s health:

• Antibiotics: Newborns are given antibiotics directly into their eyes as soon as they are born unless told otherwise.
• Vitamin K: Vitamin K can be given as oral drops instead of injection, upon request.
• Hepatitis B Vaccine: Newborns are injected with the Hepatitis B vaccine as soon as they enter this world unless stated otherwise.
• Skin-to-Skin Contact: Place your newborn directly on your chest (skin to skin) immediately upon birth. This practice fosters bonding and helps regulate the baby’s temperature and breathing.
• Delay the First Bath: Do not wash your baby for 12-24 hours after birth. Allowing the fluid to soak into their skin helps build immunity.
• Delay Cord Cutting: Delay cord cutting until the cord completely collapses. Many immune-building factors are still in the cord, which will stop pulsing and collapse in 5-10 minutes. Only then should it be cut.

Vision Development: Exercises to Enhance Sight

In How Smart Is Your Baby?, the importance of vision development is emphasized. Your baby’s vision will evolve from only being able to perceive light and dark to recognizing shapes, colors, and eventually seeing clearly. To aid in this development, light/dark stimulation exercises are recommended. Using a dimmable light switch, you can help your baby’s eyes adjust and strengthen by turning the light on and off while saying “Light” and “Dark” in a clear, loud voice. This exercise not only strengthens their eye muscles but also introduces them to new words. Many parents, including the author, found this to be a fun and rewarding family activity.

Hearing Development: Stimulating the Pathways

Just like vision, hearing development requires stimulation. How Smart Is Your Baby? suggests using simple tools, such as wooden blocks, to create sounds that can help develop your baby’s auditory pathways. By regularly engaging in these auditory exercises, you can help your baby’s hearing develop more effectively, allowing them to respond to and enjoy sounds in their environment sooner.

Lung Development: Encouraging Movement

Breathing centers in newborns are often underdeveloped, leading to irregular breathing patterns. According to the book, movement is crucial for lung development. Encouraging your baby to move, even at a very young age, can significantly enhance their lung capacity and overall strength. The book even describes how the author’s infant showed a desire to crawl just days after birth! By reducing gravity’s resistance with the use of an inclined ramp, parents can help their infants practice crawling, which in turn supports lung development and reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Building a Crawling Ramp: Materials and Instructions

To create an environment where your baby can move freely and safely, the book provides a guide on building a crawling ramp. Using a few basic materials like smooth plywood, upholstery foam, and fabric, you can construct a ramp that will allow your baby to practice crawling without the full weight of gravity. This can be a fun DIY project that supports your baby’s physical development from a very early age. See the directions below.

Final Thoughts: Early Development Matters

How Smart Is Your Baby? is not just a book—it’s a guide for parents who want to give their children the best start in life. By understanding the stages of development and using the exercises and tools recommended, you can help your baby reach their full potential sooner. Early development is critical, and with the right support, your child can thrive from the very beginning.

For more detailed instructions, videos, and materials, make sure to get your copy of How Smart Is Your Baby? and start your journey as an empowered and educated parent today!

Building a Baby Crawling Ramp: A Step-by-Step Guide

To support your baby’s lung development and encourage movement, you can create a simple crawling ramp that reduces the effects of gravity and allows your infant to move more freely. This ramp is an excellent tool for helping babies strengthen their muscles, develop coordination, and advance their motor skills—all while reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Here’s how you can build one:

Materials Needed:

• Plywood: 1 sheet, 3/4 inch thick, 8 feet long, with a smooth finish.
• Upholstery Foam: 1 inch thick, 3 packs of High-Density foam (1″ height x 36″ width x 96″ length).
• Upholstery Fabric: Choose a fabric that is slobber-resistant and easy to clean, such as leather or vinyl. You’ll need two colors: one dark and one light to help the baby see their progress.
• Upholstery Staple Gun & Staples
• Utility Knife
• Upholstery Sewing Machine (optional)
• Table Saw (or request cuts where you buy the plywood)
• Drill
• 2 1/2″ Torx Head Deck Screws (50-100 screws)

Building Instructions:

1. Cut the Plywood:
   • Cut one piece of plywood to 16 inches wide by 96 inches long for the base/floor.
   • Cut two pieces to 6 inches wide by 95 inches long for the sides.
   • Cut one piece to 6 inches wide by 16 inches long for the end cap.
2. Prepare Upholstery & Foam:
   • Cut strips of upholstery fabric and foam to fit each of the four plywood pieces. Leave some overlap to staple the fabric securely.
   • If using an upholstery sewing machine, sew the upholstery fabric and foam together for a cleaner finish.
3. Wrap the Plywood:
   • Wrap each plywood piece with the upholstery and foam, ensuring a snug fit. Use the staple gun to secure the fabric to the wood.
   • For added visual contrast, stretch and staple 10-inch white strips over the dark upholstery, as pictured in the guide.
4. Assemble the Ramp:
   • Begin by screwing the end cap piece into place at one end of the baseboard.
   • Next, attach the side rails by screwing them from the baseboard’s bottom up through the rails and into the end cap. This ensures a sturdy construction.
5. Final Setup:
   • Once the ramp is assembled, place it at a 30-degree angle, as recommended in the book. This incline helps balance the baby’s movement with the force of gravity, making it easier for them to practice crawling.

Vision: One Of The Simplest, However, Most Important Exercises!

5 Days Old & Wants to Crawl!!

15 Days Old

20 Days Old

1 Month & 2 Days Old

6 Weeks & 3 Days Old (Parental Mistake)

12 Weeks & 2 Days Old

4 Months 1 Week & 5 Days Old