Welcome to the index for the whole of our babies' section - everything you need to know during the first year.

Babies grow fast and the right diet is crucial to their natural development. Breast or bottle - which is best for you and your baby?

Read our guide to nappy changing, and find out about nappy rash. You can learn more about newborns' sleeping patterns and other useful tips, advice, and more!

Childcare For Your Baby (Menu)
Leaving a baby in someone else's care can be an anxious time for parent and child. more...

Getting To Know You: Your Baby & Your Childminder
Babies, on the whole, don't like strangers so take the time to introduce your childminder slowly. more...

Don't Leave Me This Way: Tackling Separation Anxiety
Some babies take more time to adapt to new situations, and children develop at different speeds. It's not a competition. more...

0-1 Yrs: Development (Menu)
From the first month to being up and about, babies don't follow timetables and neither should you. more...

Infant Development: Your Newborn's 'Magic Window'
Here are some reasons why it's worth delaying the brandy and cigars for a couple of hours. more...

The First Month: Look What Your Baby Can Do Already!
She knows your voice and smell, is ready to communicate and, by the end of the 1st month, is showing a preference for familiar faces. more...

Development 2-3 Months: How Your Baby Grows
He'll go 3-4 hours between feeds and may treat you to an 'almost reasonable' night's sleep occasionally - but don't bank on it! more...

Development 2-3 Months: Giggling & Grabbing
Newborns tend to work on reflex but by 3 months your baby should be giggling, gurgling and grabbing. more...

Development 2-3 Months: Sounds & Words
A little person is emerging. Although conversation is a long way off, your baby's communication skills are developing fast. more...

Development 2-3 months: Look & Learn
Some babies are prickly, others touchy-feely. It isn't important, as long as your baby's happy and communicative in every other way. more...

Development 4-6 Months: Food, Teeth & Speech
Your baby's making lots of progress - and quite a bit of noise - as the drive to communicate gains momentum. more...

Development 4-6 Months: Gaining More Control
Let's get going! Rocking on hands and knees, rolling over or thrusting forward, are the first steps towards crawling. more...

Development 4-6 Months: A World Of Wonder
Your baby is playful and curious about everything - have fun with him and help him learn. more...

Development 4-6 Months: Fascinated By People
Your baby leaves the 'high demand' infant stage and becomes a little character with her own personality. more...

Development 7-9 Months: Growing Fast
It's time to introduce stair guards and other safety measures as your baby develops wide-ranging movement. more...

Development 7-9 Months: Learning To Talk
Did you know... babies as young as 7 months can understand basic rules of grammar? more...

Development 7-9 Months: Cause & Effect
Your baby wants to discover how things work and - more importantly - how he can make things happen. more...

Development 7-9 Months: Strong Feelings
Don't be concerned if she becomes fearful of strangers. It's is a normal stage and will pass. more...

Development 7-9 Months: Attachment
'Attachment' is what psychologists call the special bonding between mother and baby. more...

Development 10-12 Months: First Words
Did you know... by 10 months old, babies can tell the difference between their own regional accent and 'foreign' ones? more...

Development 10-12 Months: Up & About
You can't take your eyes off him for a minute - not when there's a fascinating world out there to explore! more...

Development 10-12 Months: Copycat!
Give her a toy phone and she will hold it to her ear, talking into it very seriously. more...

Development 10-12 Months: Laugh & Play
He's generous with affection, enthusiastically hugging and kissing you. He may also kiss soft toys or dolls and even live cats or dogs. more...

0-1 Yrs: Your Baby's Diet (Menu)
What do parents need to know about a infant's nutritional needs? What's the best diet for your baby? more...

Feeding Your Baby
What do parents need to know about a infant's nutritional needs? What's the best diet for your baby? more...

Bottle Or Breast?
Breast-feeding doesn't necessarily work for every mother and baby. If you do end up bottle-feeding, don't feel guilty. more...

Bottle-Feeding Your Baby
Frustration, anxiety and pain are more likely to interfere with bonding with your baby than a plastic teat. more...

Bottle-feeding Tips
Buy more bottles than you think you'll need. If you have plenty of bottles, you'll always have a sterile one at hand. more...

How To Breast-feed
Breast-feeding may be natural, but it doesn't come naturally to all mothers. Like learning to ride a bicycle, it takes perseverance. more...

How To Wean Your Baby
Weaning creates all sorts of anxieties. Suddenly, you're juggling ice-cube trays, sterilizing kit and fiddling with drinking cups. more...

0-1 Yrs: How To Parent Your Newborn (Menu)
New parents can be sure of only one thing - their lives are about to change dramatically! more...

Newborn? Expect The Unexpected!
Most newborns look a bit weird You may find that your baby isn't as immediately lovable as you had expected. more...

Back To Work After Baby
Your own misgivings, which may include guilt and even grief at the separation, can make this a very difficult step for both of you. more...

New Baby, New Responsibilities
Your visitors have gone home. Your baby's settling down to sleep. Now the awesome responsibility of being a parent kicks in. more...

0-1 Yrs: Nappies (Menu)
For new parents, and particularly new fathers, changing nappies can be the most off-putting part of the whole experience. more...

Nappies: Towelling Or Disposable?
Environmentally-aware parents-to-be agonize over the choice between towelling and disposable nappies. more...

Nappy Rash & How To Avoid It
Nappy rash is very common. It's a rare baby who survives 2 years in nappies without getting a rash. more...

A Beginner's Guide To Changing Nappies
The average baby goes through 15 nappies a day - a daunting prospect for a novice with a newborn! more...

Your Baby's Sleeping Patterns
The average baby spends 14-16 hours sleeping... but who on earth has an 'average baby'? more...

Rock-a-bye-baby - Sleep Tips
Establish a good sleeping routine so your baby sleeps through the night and you can get your well-needed rest too. more...