Everything You Need to Know About Freezing your Sperm

Why do men freeze their sperm? There are, of course, sperm banks where men can donate sperm to childless couples. This sperm is frozen and kept until it’s needed, but that’s certainly not the only reason for freezing sperm. Men who have been diagnosed with cancer may bank their sperm if their treatment plan is likely to cause infertility. Similarly, men who are undergoing surgery or treatment that could impact their chances of conceiving a child might want to freeze their sperm, and so might men with hazardous jobs. Most commonly, though, couples decide to freeze sperm- and eggs- because they want to wait a little while to grow their families. If you fall into any of these categories, and are considering freezing your sperm, here’s what you need to know.

• Sperm-freezing, also known as semen cryopreservation, is simpler and less invasive than freezing eggs. In fact, while most samples are collected at the fertility clinic, there are home kits available for men who don’t feel comfortable in a clinical setting. Men with low sperm counts are encouraged to freeze a sample ahead of IVF, in case their fresh sample does not contain sperm when it’s time to perform the procedure.
• The cost of freezing sperm varies and is dependent on several different factors. The price includes the entire process, from collection through storage, and varies based on location, individual clinic, and insurance. Typically, it costs anywhere from $250 to $1,000. However, if you intend to store your sample for a long time, the storage costs can really add up. Then, too, there are medical shipping costs to move the sperm from the place where they’re stored to the place where they’ll be used. It’s smart to have a plan in place before you get started, and work with a fertility clinic.
• Some men are better candidates for sperm freezing than others. Healthy people can bank sperm. In fact, even children who have been diagnosed with cancer can bank sperm, for the sake of future fertility. Men who are undergoing chemotherapy should not bank their sperm, and men who have no sperm in their semen won’t be able to, either.
• A doctor has to make the request to bank your sperm. The choice to freeze sperm is a personal one, and one you’ll need to discuss with your doctor. Testing will be required, to screen for sexually transmitted diseases as well as assessing the sperm quality.
• Sperm freezing is low risk. There are no risks to the men themselves, but there is a risk that when the sample is frozen, it may not actually contain sperm. Freezing doesn’t damage sperm, and there’s no increased risk of birth defects for children conceived with frozen sperm. Sperm freezing has been done since 1953, and it’s a very effective method of preserving fertility.
• Men who want to hold off on fatherhood should bank their sperm. Men can father children late in life, so they don’t have the same biological urgency as women to conceive in a certain time frame. However, the risk of certain conditions, including autism, increases when a man passes age 50, so if he’s planning to conceive after that, it’s better to preserve the sperm in advance.
• Semen has no expiration date. Theoretically, sperm can be frozen forever, as long as it’s stored correctly. Sperm that has been frozen for 20 years has still been used to successfully conceive a child.
• Here’s how the process works. Before the appointment, you’ll be asked to abstain from sexual activity for two or three days. Once you get to the clinic, there’s paperwork and bloodwork, and then the sample is collected. Freshness impacts fertility, so it’s best to collect it at the clinic. Once the sample is in the cup, the sperm is analyzed for quantity, shape, and movement, to determine whether more samples are necessary. The sample is divided into different vials and frozen by an experienced lab technician trained to protect the sperm cells with cryoprotectant agents.

Many men freeze sperm before undergoing a vasectomy, but if that wasn’t the case for you, there’s still hope. At the Center for Vasectomy Reversal, we pride ourselves on helping men improve their fertility through uncompromising, concierge-level patient care. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other fertility concerns. To learn more, contact us through our website or call 941-894-6428.

The Best and Worst Holiday Foods to Eat

It’s the holiday season, and that means plenty of opportunities for feasting. It doesn’t matter, because the foods you eat at the holidays don’t count, right? Well, not so fast. Research indicates that weight gained over the holidays tends to stick around, and a 2013 study showed that people gain about two pounds on average during this festive time of year, along with increasing their body fat, blood pressure, and heart rate. So, does that mean you have to forego the holiday meals and sit dolefully eating steamed veggies all season? No, but there are a few favorites that you might want to skip.

• We have some bad news about eggnog. Packed with sugar, eggs, and cream, it’s full of calories, cholesterol, and saturated fat. In fact, drinking a cup of eggnog is approximately the nutritional equivalent of eating two glazed donuts. What’s more, homemade eggnog often contains raw eggs, which can be a health hazard. Does this mean you should only drink water all season? Water is great for your body, but if you want something a little more festive, hot cocoa is a good egg-nog alternative. Not only can it be made to have far fewer calories and much less fat, using unsweetened cocoa, low-fat milk, and minimal sugar, but hot cocoa contains flavanols, a type of antioxidant that can improve blood vessel function. One study even found that cocoa boosts blood circulation in the brain and may even enhance cognitive function.
• Pecan pie and mincemeat pie are definitely on the naughty list. Because pecan pie is made with karo syrup and sugar, this sweet treat weighs in at about 500 calories, 27 grams of fat, and 15 teaspoons of sugar in a single slice. Mincemeat pie is made of sugar, butter, shortening, and eggs, and has almost as many calories and as much fat and sugar as pecan pie. Want some better options? Oatmeal raisin cookies have the flavor of mincemeat for far less nutritional cost, and gingerbread is a great option because lower fat and calorie content than many cookies. It contains molasses, too, which means it’s a good source of iron. Pumpkin pie is also a more nutritious sweet. Full of beta carotene, it also has half your recommended daily allowance of vitamin A.
• Stuffing and potatoes can be good or bad, depending on how they’re prepared. When stuffing is prepared with butter and turkey fat, it’s high in fat and calories. Made with vegetables and stock, baked outside the bird instead of inside it, it becomes a healthier option. Potatoes made with butter and cream or smothered in gravy are also a poor choice, but if you make your mashed potatoes with milk or non-fat Greek yogurt, or you roast them and sprinkle them with rosemary, you’ll reap the benefits of the potatoes themselves. Potatoes are low calorie, low carb, and full of nutrients like potassium, magnesium, iron, and vitamin C. Sweet potatoes are also packed with nutrition, with vitamins A and C, antioxidants, and fiber, and they don’t need sugar, butter, and marshmallows to make them flavorful and delicious.
• Skip the prime rib if you’re trying to make your holiday table healthful. The reason prime rib is so succulent is that it comes from the fattiest part of the cow. If your holiday traditions call for beef, you’re better off with a leaner cut like sirloin.
• Turkey is a holiday tradition worth keeping. Without the skin, a four-ounce serving of turkey breast only contains 168 calories and two grams of fat! It also has plenty of protein, along with vitamins B3, B6, and B12, selenium, zinc, phosphorus, choline, magnesium, and potassium.
• There are other holiday favorites worth the indulgence, as well. Cranberries are powerhouses of nutrition, boasting healthy amounts of vitamin C, manganese, vitamin E, vitamin K, copper, and plant compounds known as polyphenols, which can help the body process glucose. Commercial cranberry sauces are full of sugar, but you can cut back if you’re making it at home, or replace it with fruit juice. Nuts, especially chestnuts, are healthy holiday fare, and shrimp cocktail is a festive appetizer that’s low in fat and calories and high in nutritional value.

A healthy lifestyle means packing your plate with nutritious foods, and a healthy diet can help promote a healthy pregnancy. At the Center for Vasectomy Reversal, we love helping people start families with healthy pregnancies. We pride ourselves on helping men improve their fertility through uncompromising, concierge-level patient care. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other fertility concerns. To learn more, contact us through our website or call 941-894-6428.

How to Teach your Children the Spirit of Giving

All the traits we want to instill in our children, generosity is among the most important. When your little one is yelling “mine” and snatching a toy away from a friend, this may seem like an insurmountable task. Children will surprise you, however, and a little guidance will nudge your children toward giving, and may reveal their true, empathetic, generous nature. Parents tend to think about this a lot around the holiday season, but really, it’s the example you set all year long that teaches your children the spirit of giving. Here are some ideas to help you get started.

• Start in your neighborhood. Build good relationships with your neighbors, and teach your kids to pay attention and notice when someone needs help. This could mean mowing an elderly neighbor’s lawn, helping a military family while the servicemember is away, or bringing a casserole to a neighbor who is sick. Even little kids can help with simple chores and yard work when a neighbor needs assistance.
• Make it personal. Let your child choose a toy from the toy store to put in the donation box. “Adopt” a child or family to shop for during the holidays, and let your children help choose the gifts you give. get your kids to clean out their toy collections and donate to people in need.
• Create giving traditions. Serve dinner as a family at a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Attend volunteer events at your church or spiritual center, where people work together to clean up a rundown property, repair someone’s home, or pack lunches for needy schoolkids. Remember, giving doesn’t always mean “stuff.” Take your kids caroling at a nursing home once a year to spread holiday cheer.
• Bring them along. Whether you’re donating your money, your goods, or your time, involve your children. Volunteer at their school, take them with you when you shop for items to donate or drop things off at a shelter, and let them see you drop change in the donation jar at the store or put a check into the offering plate. Let them know why you believe giving is important, and they’re likely to follow your lead.
• Model kindness. Open the door for a stranger. Give up your seat on the bus. Smile at the world around you, help when you see a need, and listen to the stories people want to tell. Look for ways to be kind to the people around you, and your kids will notice.
• Give kids opportunities to be generous. Find opportunities throughout the year to let your kids give something that matters. If you have an animal lover, visit the local shelter to donate pet supplies or take a lonely dog for a walk. When you shop for school supplies, buy some extra and donate them to the school. Keep granola bars and bottled water in your car to give to homeless people. A big part of teaching kids to be generous it’s just showing them how to open their eyes to the world around them and notice people who need help.

When you instill in your children the spirit of giving, you’re helping to make the world a better place, now and in the future. At the Center for Vasectomy Reversal, we love making the world better by helping people grow their families. We pride ourselves on helping men improve their fertility through uncompromising, concierge-level patient care. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other fertility concerns. To learn more, contact us through our website or call 941-894-6428.

When do babies start talking?

Of all the milestones that babies reach during their first two years of life, talking is one of the most exciting. New parents can hardly wait to hear what their little ones have to say! In the meantime, there are a lot of questions. When do babies start talking? For that matter, what counts as talking? How long will you have to wait for your baby’s coos and babbles to turn into words?

• Babies communicate before they talk. As soon as they’re born, babies communicate with their parents and caregivers by crying. Soon, you’ll understand what your baby’s different cries mean, but this is only one way that babies let you know what they need. They grimace and squirm, and by about two months, babies start cooing and gurgling. By four months they babble and may even try to copy your sounds and respond to your speech, and as this back and forth increases, by about six months your baby may use particular sounds to respond to your questions. Six month old babies have refined their babbling, and use more m and b sounds, as well as squealing and blowing raspberries. By about nine months, your baby will probably be making a lot of “mamama” and “bababa” sounds, will look at you when you call his or her name, and will hold up arms to be held.
• Every baby is different. Generally, babies speak their first words between nine and 12 months of age. However, this is just a range, and babies develop at different rates. While it’s helpful to have an idea of the typical timeline, it’s also good to remember that your baby will do things on his or her own schedule.
• Toddlers develop speech quickly. Once they say those first words, things escalate quickly. By the end of their 12^th month, babies can usually say a few words, like “mama” and “dada,” and can respond to short requests. By 18 months they can say several simple words, and by two years they’ll be able to string together short phrases. 18 to 24 month old babies learn new words every day, and by two years may know as many as 50 to 100 words! A three year old is likely to have a vocabulary of more than 200 words, and is beginning not only to speak in sentences but also to speak more clearly. At this stage, children begin to understand symbolic and abstract language, as well, and this development is furthered by imaginative play.
• You can facilitate language development. Talk to your baby, naming things during play, mealtime, and bath time. Use names, so that your baby begins to associate names with faces. Speak slowly and enunciate your words, and repeat words so that they’ll stick in your baby’s mind. Sing songs to your little ones, read books and nursery rhymes, and narrate your day together. Encourage your baby’s attempts at speech, and praise imitation. Listen to your little one, and respond to what’s being communicated.
• Know when to worry about speech delay. As long as your baby’s babbling is progressing, don’t worry too much about timing. However, if you suspect a problem, talk to your pediatrician. If language development seems to stop or regress, your baby is not babbling or gesturing, or words don’t begin to emerge by about 15 months, have your child screened for problems. A hearing test may be needed, or a visit to a speech-language pathologist. You might also want to consider developmental screening, to rule out autism spectrum disorder or cognitive disability, which can delay speech.

A healthy life for your child begins in the womb, and at the Center for Vasectomy Reversal, we love helping people start families with healthy pregnancies. We pride ourselves on helping men improve their fertility through uncompromising, concierge-level patient care. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other fertility concerns. To learn more, contact us through our website or call 941-894-6428.

Tips and Advice Every New Parent Should Consider

Are you about to become a parent? Congratulations! You’re about to enter one of the most exciting and overwhelming times of your life. It pays to get some guidance from people who have been there, so we’ve compiled some tips and advice from experienced parents to help you through those early days.

• Expect it to be challenging. Many people think that having a baby will just mean incorporating that new little person into their existing lifestyle, but this is rarely the case. The first year of parenting is a major adjustment, because having a baby means your life and schedule have to go revolve around the baby’s needs instead of yours. Even an easy baby requires a lot of maintenance, and you’ll spend most of your life feeding, changing, comforting, holding, rocking, and doing whatever else is required.
• Take naps. You’ll often be advised to sleep when the baby sleeps, and this is excellent advice. Babies don’t sleep very much, and you’ll find it difficult to care for a baby when you’re sleep deprived. It may be tempting to spend your baby’s nap time cleaning house or catching up on your favorite TV shows, but this is unwise. Let everything else go for a little while, and go ahead and nap when you can.
• Take a shower. When you’re a new parent, self-care tends to fall by the wayside. You may feel like you’re in a fog and suddenly realize that you haven’t had a shower in days. Don’t let this happen! Showering daily, even if it’s for a quick five minutes, can make you feel refreshed, which helps you stay on top of all the things you need to do.
• Take a walk.
• Don’t keep things too quiet. If you want your baby to be a good sleeper, don’t shut down the house while he or she is sleeping. Doing this will train your baby to be a light sleeper who wakes at every noise, and this is definitely not what you want.
• Do what works for you. Advice is wonderful, but too much advice can be overwhelming. Take a breath and trust your gut, doing what works for you and your baby. Breast-feed or bottle-feed, swaddle or don’t, use cloth diapers or disposable. As long as your baby is happy and healthy, keep doing what feels best for your family.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It goes without saying that you and your partner should share in the responsibilities of parenting. Beyond that, there are probably many people in your life who will help if you just ask. While you’re in the survival mode of early parenting, accept offers of food, childcare, house cleaning, and anything else anyone in your life is willing to give.
• Enjoy it! While parenting is a lot of work, it’s also a lot of joy. Reveling in your amazing newborn will give way to delighting in your quickly growing child, and it will all pass much more quickly than you think. Take time to bond with your baby, celebrate each age and stage, and make mini-traditions that will create wonderful memories together. Be mindful of the moments, and spend time just enjoying your baby.

At the Center for Vasectomy Reversal, we love helping people start families with healthy pregnancies. We pride ourselves on helping men improve their fertility through uncompromising, concierge-level patient care. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other fertility concerns. To learn more, contact us through our website or call 941-894-6428.

How Alcohol Can Affect Your Sperm Health

When it comes to pregnancy, women hear a lot about the negative impact of drinking alcohol. It’s commonly understood that women should cut down their drinking when they’re trying to conceive and stop drinking entirely once they become pregnant. What is less known is the effect alcohol has on a man’s fertility. How does alcohol affect your sperm health? Should men be concerned enough to cut back when trying to conceive a child?

• Alcohol definitely affects male fertility. Multiple studies back up this fact. This is because alcohol consumption impacts sperm health, and the quantity and quality of sperm determines how easy it will be to conceive. Drinking heavily can lower testosterone levels and raising estrogen levels, thereby reducing sperm production. Alcohol consumption can also cause early or decreased ejaculation and alter the size and movement of sperm. If you use drugs like marijuana or opioids with alcohol, you can further lower fertility. Alcohol can also affect your overall health, raising your risk of conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, liver disease, anxiety, and depression. It can diminish your libido, making it more difficult to conceive.
• How much you drink matters. The occasional drink won’t cause much damage, although even in moderate amounts, it can cause a loss of libido. However, heavy, consistent drinking can cause a major problem, as can binge drinking. A man who has five or more drinks is at risk of sperm damage, and having more than 14 mixed drinks in a week can affect sperm count and lower testosterone levels. It’s recommended that men have no more than four drinks in a day or 10 in a week, but one in four men drink more than this.
• The damage is reversible. This is great news! Even if you’ve been a heavy drinker, if you stop drinking, it will only take about three months for healthy sperm production to return. To reduce your drinking, try scheduling a few days each week that are entirely alcohol free. Set limits on yourself, and when you are drinking, alternate alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic. Don’t drink without eating something, and limit how much alcohol you keep in the house. If you use alcohol to de-stress, consider finding other ways to manage your stress, like exercising or picking up a hobby.
• A healthy lifestyle promotes fertility. The same factors that promote health in other systems of the body are important for male fertility. If you’re trying to conceive a child, exercise regularly to boost your testosterone levels. Keep your cortisol levels down by managing your stress. Get plenty of sleep, and eat a nutrient-dense diet, talking to your doctor if you have questions about your nutritional needs.

If you are struggling with fertility, because of a vasectomy or another issue, contact the Center for Vasectomy Reversal. We pride ourselves on helping men improve their fertility through uncompromising, concierge-level patient care. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other fertility concerns. To learn more, contact us through our website or call 941-894-6428.

How to Be More Patient with Your Kids

Parenting is a roller coaster, rewarding yet frustrating, blissful yet infuriating. You love your children beyond all reason, yet sometimes being patient with them feels like an impossible task. If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Learning to be more patient with your kids can be a difficult task, but it’s totally worth it. Recent research has found that children with parents who are supportive, nurturing, and, yes, patient, do better in school, are less likely to be depressed, cope more effectively with stress and adversity, and literally have more brain growth. If knowing the benefits of being more patient makes you want to work towards that goal, here are some tips to help you get there.

• Set yourself, and your children, up for success. Often, bad behavior from children is the result of unmet needs. Children who are tired, hungry, or overwhelmed are far more likely to act out than they normally would. You’ll have less cause for impatience if you work around your child’s needs and schedule. Don’t run errands at naptime or mealtime, and take care to pay attention to the meaning behind the behavior.
• Identify triggers. Do you tend to lose patience in the mornings, when everything is hectic, and your children fail to quickly get ready for the day? Get ready for the morning the night before, so that things will go more smoothly in the morning. Do tantrums from your child trigger you? Learn to listen to your children, getting down on their level so that you can look them in the eyes and repeat back key phrases, letting them know you understand. Redirect negative behavior before it gets out of hand.
• Take care of yourself so you can take care of your kids. Eat well, rest well, and take a time out when you need a break from the children. Sometimes, stepping out of the room will be enough to help you regroup, other times you will need to take a night off to feel refreshed and better able to cope. Just as your kids will be less likely to try your patience if their needs are met, you’ll be better able to maintain that patience if your needs are met. Try to keep things in perspective, understanding that your children’s brains are not fully formed and they’re still learning.
• Don’t hesitate to call for reinforcements. This could mean asking a friend or family member to keep the kids for a little while so that you can take a breather. It could also mean seeking help from a social worker or your child’s pediatrician. Therapy for your children can help mold their behavior; therapy for you can help you find coping mechanisms of your own.

Patient parenting can lead to a happier, healthier family, and at the Center for Vasectomy Reversal, we love helping people start families with healthy pregnancies. We pride ourselves on helping men improve their fertility through uncompromising, concierge-level patient care. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other fertility concerns. To learn more, contact us through our website or call 941-894-6428.

Why it’s Okay to be a Stay-at-Home Dad

Are you expecting a little one and determining how life will change when your bundle of joy arrives? With the rising cost of childcare, more parents are deciding to have one partner stay home with the kids. Traditionally, this has been the woman’s role, but more men are opting to be stay-at-home dads while moms go to work. Only you and your partner can decide what’s best, but here are the reasons and benefits behind being a stay-at-home dad.

Why Do Some Men Become Stay-at-Home Dads?

Fathers may stay at home with the little ones for many different reasons. Here are some factors that may apply to you:

• You want to improve your family’s financial stability, and you know your partner has better income opportunities than you do.
• You want to care for your family and be closer to your kids.
• You have a chronic illness, disability, or criminal record that keeps you from getting a job.
• You recently lost your job, and becoming a stay-at-home dad is a natural career change for you.
• You’re in a same-sex relationship, so it’s a stay-at-home dad situation, whether you or your partner choose to stay home.

Benefits of Being a Stay-at-Home Dad

Just like any job, there are certainly challenges to staying home with the kids. Still, here are the benefits that await you if you make this decision:

1. Strengthen the bond with your kids: When you become the primary caregiver for your children, you can’t help but get to know them better. You’ll revel in the uniqueness of each child’s personality and be the first to know when their favorite color changes. This is a privilege most dads don’t get to enjoy.
2. Be a positive male role model: Children who grow up with an involved father are more likely to develop into healthy, well-balanced adults than kids raised in homes with a “deadbeat dad.”
3. Strengthen the relationship with your partner: A study of working moms and stay-at-home dads found that partners connected more when the man stayed home. This was especially true when their roles were reversed because each person gained a mutual understanding of the challenges of raising children.
4. Help your children see beyond stereotypes: Simply by being a stay-at-home dad, you flip the traditional gender roles upside-down. This helps your children perceive masculinity, caregiving, and fatherhood as one and the same.
5. Evaluate your career path: As your children reach school age, the opportunity to re-enter the workforce may become available. This might be your chance to go back to school, seek additional training, or start a new career in a higher-paying job.

At the Center for Vasectomy Reversal, we would be thrilled to help you and your partner become parents. Working under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our medical team performs state-of-the-art vasectomy reversals to restore male fertility. To schedule a free consultation with Dr. Green, please contact our clinic in Sarasota, FL, at 941-894-6428.

How to Spend More Time with Your Kids

Dr. Anthony P. Witham, president of the American Family Institute, coined the phrase, “Children spell love…T-I-M-E.” But if you’re like most parents, time is a resource you have very little to spare. You know spending quality time with your kids is vital for their health and happiness, but how can you possibly squeeze an extra hour or two out of your already jam-packed day? Just follow these tips.

1. Integrate together time into your daily routine: Children love to help, so bring them along to the grocery store, post office, or other errands you have to run. Then, let them help you prepare dinner, bake cookies, or do chores. You can even do yoga stretches or go running together, which benefits you and your child’s health alike.
2. Carve out 15 minutes in the morning: Can you get up 15 minutes early to give your child one-on-one attention before work? Maybe eat breakfast together or go for a quick walk around the block. 15 minutes might not sound like much, but it could make a world of difference to your child.
3. Make bedtime stories a must: If you can squeeze more time out of your mornings, you can probably find another 15 minutes at bedtime to read a short story or a chapter of a book together.
4. Schedule recurring dates: You might do weekly family movie nights, family game nights, or rotating one-on-one dates with each of your kids every Saturday. Whatever it is, put it on the calendar and schedule your busy life around it.
5. Camp in the backyard: You may not have a whole weekend to spare for a family camping trip, but how about one evening? Your kids will love setting up tents in the backyard or even sleeping in the living room. Just a slight change of pace is all you need to make lasting memories together.
6. Choose time with your child over time on your phone: You may think you have no free time, but track your phone usage, and you might discover you have more time to spare than you realized. Trade some of this “tech time” for one-on-one time with your kids.
7. Prioritize family meals: Make an effort to eat at least one meal with your children every day. When you’re short on time, look for meals and snacks requiring very little preparation. Then, chat while you eat.
8. Write notes: When together time just isn’t possible that day, write a message to your child and leave it in their lunch box, by their toothbrush, or on the fridge for them to find.

Do you need help reaching your goal of becoming a dad? Dr. Joshua Green of the Center for Vasectomy Reversal is here for you. We believe healthy families start with healthy pregnancies, and we’ll help you get there by performing a safe, effective vasectomy reversal. To discuss your surgical options, please contact our clinic in Sarasota, FL, at 941-894-6428 and schedule your free consultation today.

When Does a Baby Start Walking?

The average age for a baby to walk unassisted is about 12 months. Still, some babies take their first steps before nine months old, while others don’t reach this milestone until 18 months or older. So how can you tell when your baby is almost ready to walk? And can walking toys help your baby learn to walk at a younger age?

Signs Your Baby will Start Walking Soon

Babies must hit a few milestones before they’re ready to walk. These include:

• Pulling up into a standing position: In an attempt to change their vantage point, babies will grip furniture or hold onto someone to pull themselves up to standing. On average, babies learn this ability about four months before taking their first independent steps.
• Walking with support: At this stage, babies have the strength and coordination to shift their weight from one leg to another. They can walk while holding Mom or Dad’s hands and cruise along the edge of the sofa. Independent walking usually emerges about three months after babies start walking with support.
• Standing unassisted for several seconds: Many babies start walking within two to three months of standing on their own. But some will enthusiastically try and try again, taking their first surefooted steps within just a few days of learning to stand.
• What about crawling? Many parents are surprised to learn that crawling is not a required milestone for walking. In fact, some babies never crawl before they learn to walk.

Can Walking Toys Help Babies Walk Sooner?

Walking toys, also called locomotor toys, are designed to be pushed, pulled, or rolled along the ground. While these toys reward babies with fun sounds or motions as the toy moves, studies show that walking toys don’t motivate babies who aren’t yet walking to take their first steps. However, they do encourage babies who are already on the go to take a few more steps before coming to a halt.

So what about baby walkers? These rigid-framed devices on wheels with a seat suspended in the middle might sound like a shortcut for learning to walk. However, experts warn parents against them. Instead of being a helpful aid, walkers are a counterproductive crutch, encouraging infants to develop abnormal postures and gait patterns that may actually delay independent walking.

When to be Concerned About a Late Walker

A vast majority of children who still aren’t walking after their first birthday go on to develop normally. But if your baby still can’t walk independently by 18 months, it’s time to bring it up with your pediatrician.

Are you ready to welcome a baby into your home, who will eventually take their first wobbly steps with your help? If you had a vasectomy in your younger years, don’t fret—Dr. Joshua Green of the Center for Vasectomy Reversal can help you become a father through safe, effective vasectomy reversal. To learn more about your surgical options, please contact our clinic in Sarasota, FL, by calling 941-894-6428.