It's been a year like no other for the Bendigo Babies of 2020

Special Publication
A warm welcome to all our 2020 babies.
A new baby is a wonderful event; a joy for parents and grandparents alike.
To say welcome and to help celebrate the arrival in your family, The Bendigo Advertiser Babies of 2020 is a wonderful memento of the occasion and a keepsake for the year your baby was born.
As they go through life, you may find this year's babies will form an intricate weave in the pattern of their lives, and help make a strong foundation for the next generation of Bendigonians.
In our magazine you'll find helpful advice on routine, milestone, baby names, a couple of fun nursery rhymes, and so much more.
The babies are the stars of the show, so don't miss the pages of their beautiful faces, but there is also timely information like baby feeding cues and routine, both essential for a semblance of peace in your home.
Feeding cues...
How do you know when your baby is ready for a feed? Here's a chance to learn to read the signals when it comes to feeding time. It can be tricky.
Your newborn baby doesn't come with an instruction manual, but this might be the next best thing.

While every baby is different, there are some universal signals babies give to tell you that they're hungry and these can be easily understood once you know what to look for.
In most cases, you won't need to wake a sleeping baby for a feed as they'll wake up when they're hungry.
Once a baby is awake you'll be able to tell if he or she is ready for a feed by reading their body language.
These are known as early cues and are your baby's way of telling you she's hungry.
Source: http://www.kidspot.com.au
And routine, who doesn't try to work out if and when your baby even knows the term!
Five keys to creating a successful baby routine
Getting into a regular routine for sleep, feeding, and activities can make life easier for you and your baby. But where do you start? Here are five guidelines for creating a routine that works for you both.
1. Get your baby used to a bedtime routine early on.
Once you have a consistent bedtime worked out, it will be easier to establish a daytime routine for your baby. And the easiest way to establish a regular bedtime is to start a predictable bedtime routine that you and your baby can depend on night after night.
You can't force it in the first few months, but you can start practising at about two months. Keep it simple: a warm bath, pyjamas or sleep suit on, a breastfeed or bottle, then lights-out.
2. Teach your baby the difference between night and day
The prospect of ever establishing a routine when you have a new baby may seem an impossibility, and you should certainly expect to put everything on hold in the early days. But over the first few weeks, take time to observe your baby's patterns and you may be able to build a simple routine around them.
Many babies mix up their days and nights at first, sleeping long stretches during the day, only to perk up at night-time. Helping your baby learn to tell day from night is an important first step to getting into a workable routine.
During the day, keep the house bright. At night, do the opposite, keeping the house dim and quiet. Don't talk to your baby much during night feeds, teaching that night is for sleeping and daytime is for socialising and playtime.
And there is so much more.
Read the Babies Magazine 2020 to see the babies born and to catch up on the latest information on all things babies here