A baby carrier on your front or a baby sling are wonderful for carrying your baby in the first few months. Your baby gets to be close to you while you can move around more freely.

You may have bought clothes and other things for your baby before it was born. Or friends and relatives may have offered to buy some well-needed clothes. Remember not only to choose clothes in the smallest size, since your baby will grow out of them in a couple of weeks.

If you or anyone in your family smokes, your baby will be a passive smoker. Passive smoking is bad for babies in several ways.

No matter the care you take, it's hard to avoid the skin on your baby's bottom getting red and sore now and then. Nappy/diaper rash, which in rare cases results in nappy thrush and weeping sores, stings and causes pain.

Does your baby have spots, rash or dry skin? See below for facts and tips about babies' skin.

Do you suspect your child is sick? Has their snot turned from clear to greenish yellow? Does your child feel hot and feverish? Here is some advice on what to do if your young child has a temperature.

Has your child's hand slipped out of the mitten, so their fingers are ice cold? Is the tip of their nose white, or do their cheeks have pale patches? Read up, so you know how to deal with frostbite and hypothermia properly should an accident happen.

If you are a single parent, a large, active social network is the best support you can have. It needn't be difficult to build up this network. Start here.

Is your baby teething? When the baby's first teeth start appearing, it can cause painful, itching gums and general discomfort.

Here are some practical tips about infants, food and eating habits.

It's best to childproof your home before your infant starts crawling or standing up. Go through the check list below to reduce the risk of accidents.

Crawling, walking, gripping, standing... there's no point trying to speed up a baby's development. Each child is unique, and even siblings differ from each other. If your baby is healthy, it will develop in its own time.