What is Preventing Your Baby from Sleeping Through the Night?

Here’s something that may really surprise you: As much as we may want our babies to sleep through the night, our own subconscious emotions sometimes hold us back from encouraging change in our babies’ sleeping habits. You yourself may be the very obstacle preventing a change in a routine that disrupts your life. So let’s figure out if anything is standing in your way.

Examine Your Own Needs and Goals

Today’s society leads us to believe that “normal babies” sleep through the night from about two months; my research indicates that this is more the exception than the rule. The number of families in your boat could fill a fleet of cruise ships.

“At our last day-care parent meeting, one father brought up the fact that his two-year-old daughter wasn’t sleeping through the night. I discovered that out of 24 toddlers only six stayed asleep all night long.” …Robin, mother of thirteen-month-old Alicia

You must figure out where your own problem lies. Is it in your baby’s routine, in your management of it, or simply in the minds of others? If you can honestly say you want to change your baby’s sleep habits because they are truly disruptive to you and your family, then you’re ready to make changes. But if you feel coerced into changing Baby’s patterns because Great Grandma Beulah or your friend from playgroup says that’s the way it should be, it’s time for a long, hard think.

Certainly, if your little one is waking you up every hour or two, you don’t have to think long on the question, “Is this disruptive to me?” It obviously is. However, if your baby is waking up only once or twice a night, it’s important that you determine exactly how much this pattern is disturbing to you, and decide on a realistic goal. Be honest in assessing the situation’s effect on your life. Begin today by contemplating these questions:

Am I content with the way things are, or am I becoming resentful, angry, or frustrated?

Is my baby’s nighttime routine negatively affecting my marriage, job, or relationships with my other children?

Is my baby happy, healthy, and seemingly well rested?

Am I happy, healthy, and well rested?

Once you answer these questions, you will have a better understanding of not only what is happening with regard to your baby’s sleep, but also how motivated you are to make a change.

Reluctance to Let Go of Those Nighttime Moments

A good, long, honest look into your heart may truly surprise you. You may find you actually relish those quiet night wakings when no one else is around. I remember in the middle of one night, I lay nursing Coleton by the light of the moon. The house was perfectly, peacefully quiet. As I gently stroked his downy hair and soft baby skin, I marveled at this tiny being beside me—and the thought hit me, “I love this! I love these silent moments that we share in the night.” It was then that I realized that even though I struggled through my baby’s hourly nighttime wakings, I needed to want to make a change in our night waking habits before I would see any changes in his sleeping patterns.

You may need to take a look at your own feelings. And if you find you’re truly ready to make a change, you’ll need to give yourself permission to let go of this stage of your baby’s life and move on to a different phase in your relationship. There will be lots of time to hug, cuddle, and love your little one, but you must truly feel ready to move those moments out of your sleeping time and into the light of day.

Worry About Your Baby’s Safety

We parents worry about our babies, and we should! With every night waking, as we have been tending to our child’s nightly needs, we have also been reassured that our baby is doing fine — every hour or two all night long. We get used to these checks; they provide continual reassurance of Baby’s safety.

“The first time my baby slept five straight hours, I woke up in a cold sweat. I nearly fell out of bed and ran down the hall. I was so sure that something was horribly wrong. I nearly wept when I found her sleeping peacefully.” …Azza, mother of seven-month-old Laila

Co-sleeping parents are not exempt from these fears. Even if you are sleeping right next to your baby, you’ll find that you have become used to checking on her frequently through the night. Even when she’s sleeping longer stretches, you aren’t sleeping, because you’re still on security duty.

These are very normal worries, rooted in your natural instincts to protect your baby. Therefore, for you to allow your baby to sleep for longer stretches, you’ll need to find ways to feel confident that your baby is safe—all night long.

Once you reassure yourself that your baby is safe while you sleep, you’ll have taken that first step toward helping her sleep all night.

Belief That Things Will Change on Their Own

You may hope, pray, and wish that one fine night, your baby will magically begin to sleep through the night. Maybe you’re crossing your fingers that he’ll just “outgrow” this stage, and you won’t have to do anything different at all. It’s a very rare night-waking baby who suddenly decides to sleep through the night all on his own. Granted, this may happen to you—but your baby may be two, three or four years old when it does! Decide now whether you have the patience to wait that long, or if you are ready to gently move the process along.

Too Fatigued to Work Toward Change

Change requires effort, and effort requires energy. In an exhausted state, we may find it easier just to keep things as they are than try something different. In other words, when Baby wakes for the fifth time that night, and I’m desperate for sleep, it’s so much easier just to resort to the easiest way to get him back to sleep (rock, nurse, or replace the pacifier) than it is to try something different.

Only a parent who is truly sleep deprived can understand what I’m saying here. Others may calmly advise, “Well if things aren’t working for you, just change what you’re doing.” However, every night waking puts you in that foggy state where the only thing you crave is going back to sleep—plans and ideas seem like too much effort.

If you are to help your baby sleep all night, you will have to force yourself to make some changes and follow your plan, even in the middle of the night, even if it’s the tenth time your baby has called out for you.

So, after reading this section and you’re sure you and your baby are ready, it’s time for you to make a commitment to change. That is the first important step to helping your baby sleep through the night.


Author,
Elizabeth Pantley

Importance of Child Health Care

With their youth and vitality, most children are relatively healthy. Issues, however, can arise that impact a youngster's wellbeing. To ensure that you discover any problems quickly, schedule regular child health care appointments with a practitioner. An active relationship with a physician will enable you to quickly address concerns.

Importance of a Healthy Childhood

Kids are vital to the overall future of society. For humankind to continue to prosper and grow, kids must be alive and well to carry on the race. Youngsters will play a vital role in the ongoing creation of families, filling positions in the workforce, and participating in democracy. To achieve these lifetime goals, kids need to have good health. Wellbeing during childhood often carries over into adulthood, resulting in healthier adults.

Keeping Kids Healthy

Parents play a vital role in child health care. To maintain wellbeing, offer a variety of whole foods containing vitamins and minerals. Ensure that offspring get sufficient sleep every night. A lack of sleep can lead to both physical and emotional problems. Everyone needs regular exercise every day to maintain a strong cardiovascular system and to burn calories. A lack of exercise could lead to the development of diseases and obesity. Children also need ongoing supervision to ensure safety. Parents must oversee activities to keep kids from injuries.

Importance of Care

Because of their dependence on adult caregivers, youngsters need parents or other responsible adults to seek appropriate services to maintain wellbeing. Kids cannot make their own decisions about care, they cannot purchase it independently, and they cannot evaluate services to judge necessity. The rapid growth and development of bones and muscles may place young bodies at an elevated risk level for some illnesses and injuries. Without ongoing evaluations, problems may not be identified and treated in a timely fashion. Kids may experience marked physical, cognitive, and emotional issues if an undiagnosed condition continues. Some of these issues could impact long-term development and growth, even having a permanent effect on a youngster.

Wellness Exams

Wellness exams are examinations that occur at regular intervals to assess physical development and growth. Youngsters are generally well when they receive these examinations. During infancy, babies often receive wellness exams at increased intervals due to rapid growth. As growing slows into childhood, the frequency lengthens to once each year or longer. During these examinations, a physician will evaluate growth, administer immunizations, assess or identify conditions, answer questions, and give recommendations for care. Follow physician recommendations for the frequency of these wellness exams.

Reasons to Seek Additional Care

Kids of school age should see a physician if unusual symptoms occur. These symptoms include a significant change in weight, disturbances in sleep or behavior, a fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit, skin rashes, recurring sore throat, and issues with breathing.

By seeking child health care on an ongoing basis, you ensure that any underlying issues are discovered and addressed. Your youngster's overall wellbeing can be impacted by the level and frequency of physical examinations.


Author,
Andrea Avery

Using Tap Water to Wash My Baby - Is This Safe?

Is it safe using tap water to wash my baby? This question is quite prevalent among first time mothers of a new born child. If you are also asking this question for yourself then it is a good sign that you are very concerned about the safety of your child, when it comes to using tap water for washing your baby.

To answer your question on using tap water to wash your baby, keep in mind that most tap water nowadays is contaminated with all sorts of things that may be harmful for both young ones and adults. In fact, these chemicals are usually in the form of chemical contaminants and various harmful microorganisms that can cause several health issues.

Consequently, the presence of various contaminants in the tap water has already caused many waterborne diseases. Research has shown that about 65% of adult health problems were traced to contamination in water; while around 85% of health issues in children are water-borne. This is due to the fact that most tap water today is already contaminated with various microorganism that are harmful to humans. This data alone should alert you on the safety of tap water in various uses like drinking, for mixing with baby formula, washing, and showering.

Bear in mind the fact that if tap water can cause various health illnesses and skin problem to adults, just think about how much damage it can do to the very fragile baby with a very weak immune system. You must observe extra precautionary measures when using water to clean and wash your infant by using only filtered or purified water for utmost safety of the child. This may be quite costly on your part; but it will also tend to become more cost-effective in the long run by preventing sicknesses and other water-borne health problems on the child which may usually require more expensive treatment.

But setting the cost aside, what is important is the health of your baby; even it may require you to spend a little bit just to make sure that the child is safe. In this case, it is best to use only purified or filtered water.

D Leveque has built his career installing and servicing water filtration systems and is offering his experience about reliable clean water for everyone. To learn more about these systems including, Reverse Osmosis, water ionizers, well and lake water systems visit Daves website, http://clean-water-store.com

Author,

D Leveque

9 Home Remedies For Baby Eczema

It is a widespread common disease. But in general, babies are more likely to suffer from eczema. And as baby skin is soft and sensitive, it requires more gentle treatment. Thankfully there are quite a few home remedies for baby eczema you can try.

1. Oatmeal baths are recommended by doctors, grandmothers and mothers for the healing power of oatmeal baths. While this bath may be a bit messy, it soothes and clams the dry skin and itchy parts of the body naturally. See the resources below on how to make your own oatmeal bath or buy your own. 

Either way, remember to purchase only organic products.

2. Use a natural aloe Vera lotion several times a day, especially after bathing baby. Reapply as often as need to keep baby's skin from drying out. Avoid any harsh cleansers and make sure baby is getting plenty to drink to moisturize from the inside out as well. Incidentally breastfed babies experience fewer and milder episodes of eczema.

3. As you know that dry skin can be the reason for eczema, so you ought to prevent your baby's skin from drying out. Nevertheless, you ought to not use any scented products, or products that contain alcohol. Kid lotion ought to be no issue, and it ought to be applied around two times a day.

4. Virgin Coconut Oil. One of the many health benefits of virgin coconut oil is the healing properties of the skin. Virgin coconut oil is also an antibacterial which may be especially helpful for those people with very raw eczema conditions who may be prone to infections of the skin. This oil is now widely available in may health food stores and grocery stores.

5. Eczema can also occur as a result of food allergies. If you have a family history of food or environmental allergy, your baby may also be experiencing sensitivities to something in his diet or environment. Check with your baby's health care provider and consider an elimination diet or other measures to track down allergens.

6. Keep bedrooms, living areas free of dust mites (a common eczema causing agent).

7. Avoid scratching at all cost. This is thought about to be the most important system to cure your kid eczema. However, this is not an simple thing to do at all because your kid does not understand that scratching makes things worse. Most children instinctively scratch. So, what you ought to do is to keep your baby's nails short.

8. Some babies experience eczema because they are allergic to detergents, which are found in nearly all personal care, cleaning and laundry products. You may want to investigate using pure soap for all cleaning and laundry as well as bathing for some time to see if your baby's eczema improves.

9. Besides, try not to make use of any strong soaps, or bubble bath which could irritate the baby's skin. After that, apply natural moisturizer in order to lock in water from the bath.

Author,

Charles Zoe

Bathing Your Baby Safely and Easily

Many mothers keep maids to bathe their babies as they are scared and not used to handling the little one. However, the truth is no one else other than a mother can handle the baby with care. Hence, I am here to make you confident in bathing your baby safely and easily, by providing simple tips.

Tips to bathe baby safely and easily

Baby bath time brings fun for both the baby and the mother. It brings you closer to your baby, and produces warmth, skin to skin contact and joy. The baby loves to be in the bathtub and play with water. But, being in the water for very long time can be harmful for the baby's health. Therefore, as a mother or even a father sometimes, one has to be careful while bathing the little one. Some of you might feel that it is easy to bathe your baby but, initially it may be difficult as the behavior of the baby at the time of bathing is unpredictable. He/she becomes excited and can go out of your control leading to severe consequences. Even the accidents occurring in the bathroom because of electricity, slipperiness, etc., are common and should be taken into consideration. To make you aware and guide you in giving your baby a bath properly and safely, there are some tips in the following paragraph.

Tips for Bathing a Newborn Baby

The most difficult task is to bathe a newborn as the skin is soapy and slippery and there is no head control achieved yet by the baby. Follow the tips listed below to make the bathing easy and safe.

Decide the number of baths you want to give the baby in a week and also the time of the bath. Plan it in the morning because, warm water will relax the baby and make him/her sleepy. Newborns are supposed to sleep for maximum hours in a day. Generally, it is recommended that bathing a newborn once or twice in a week is more than enough. Between the baths, you can just wipe the body with warm water once in a day and clean the genitals at regular intervals.

The time chosen should be such that there are no interruptions in between the bath like doorbells or phone calls. I know, it is difficult to find lots of free time but, you can consider the frequency of the interruptions and plan accordingly.

Arrange for a baby bathtub and other required materials like soap, oil, warm water, towel, etc., beforehand. Clumsiness at the time of bathing might result in an accident.

The bathtub must be suitable for the size of the baby. It should have a rubber mat at the bottom to avoid slipperiness.

Bring the baby to the bathroom after everything is ready and remove his /her clothes in the bathroom.

 

 Remember, the baby needs as much warmth as he/she had in the womb because the newborn takes time to adjust to the temperature outside the womb.

Hence, the temperature of the bathroom should be approximately 75ºF and that of the bathwater should be 90 to 100ºF.

It is advisable to be with the baby in the tub, if it is a bigger size tub, to give the baby a cozy and comfort feel like the womb and prevent the baby from crying. You can hold him/her to your chest with one hand and wash the body slowly with the other.

If the above guideline cannot be followed, don't worry. You can still give your baby a proper bath. When the bathtub is ready with water, check the temperature of the water by putting your finger into it. Otherwise it can cause burns to the child. Slide the baby inside the tub carefully and hold your hand under the baby's neck.

Make sure that the level of the water is not more than 2-3 inches, which means it should reach only till the baby's belly.

Apply unperfumed soap on the baby's body except the face as it might go into his/her eyes and cause irritation. It is convenient to use disposable washcloths instead of soaps and shampoos as they are chemical free. You can wipe the face just once, at the end of the bath.

Cover the baby with a towel immediately after the bath to keep the warmth intact.

It is always better to take help from someone else for initial bathing sessions as it will be convenient and less stressful.

Tips for Bathing Toddlers and Older Kids

To bathe a toddler or even a kid older than that, is much easier than bathing a newborn only when you have control over the child. These children love to stay in the tub for hours. Hence, here are a few general tips to follow while bathing toddlers and other children.

The water temperature matters here as well because, the requirement of hot water of a newborn and a toddler are different.

You should be careful with the time span of the bath.

Make your child sit in the tub and not stand, to prevent falling. You can also sit inside and keep the child on your stretched legs.

Do not allow the kid to play in the soap water for long as it can cause rashes and skin irritation. It can also affect the genital organ severely. You can allow the child to play in the plain water for some time and then make it soapy.

In case of a rebellious child, keep talking to him/her to give comfort and make the bath longer and enjoyable.

Arrange some bright-colored toys to engage the child while you are cleaning him/her.
Never keep the child unwatched in the bathtub.

Once you bath your baby a couple of times, you will get over your fear and you will not need a maid for bathing your baby. Follow the above guidelines and make the bath time enjoyable for the baby and memorable for yourself.

Caring For Your Baby’s Skin

According to Professor Michael Cork, Head of Academic Dermatology at University of Sheffield Medical School and world renowned expert on paediatric eczema and skin care, children’s skin allergies have increased dramatically since the 1950s and now one in five children suffer from eczema.

This has coincided with the rapid rise in baby skincare products.
So how can you protect your child from developing skin irritations or eczema? It all starts with your daily skin care routine – the right routine.

Walk down the aisle of any supermarket, chemist or baby boutique and the choice in skincare is overwhelming. You are inundated with soap, shampoo, moisturising lotions, creams, ointments, bubble bath, bath oil, powders and the list goes on. How do you choose?

For many parents the two most important factors behind their choices in skincare are performance and value for money. But there are points parents need to consider when choosing a product is their baby’s skin.

Check list

How much do you want to spend? Spending more doesn’t necessarily mean a better product.

Do you want to use synthetic or a natural, organic product? All products are potential irritants regardless of whether they are synthetic, natural or organic.

Does your baby have any allergies to peanuts, soy, wheat or milk products? Some products contain these ingredients eg: Sweet Almond Oil, Soybean Oil, Cassein, Peanut Oil, Wheatgerm oil.

Do you have a family history of eczema, asthma or hay fever? The chances of your child having eczema will increase by 30% if you do and 50% to 80% if both parents do.

When you have answered these questions you should have narrowed the field considerably.

Where to now?

Causes of skin irritations

Fragrances - One of the biggest causes of skin irritations in babies is fragrance, they can be either synthetic or natural.
Essential oils – Natural, highly fragrant oils extracted from plants mainly used for its therapeutic properties but these oils are highly potent and can be irritating to a baby’s skin.
Colours – Again natural or synthetic they are both potential irritants. Does baby really need bright pink bubble bath?
Soap and surfactants – are high foaming like bubble bath the higher the foam the more drying they can be to the skin. One common culprit is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. It receives a great deal of bad press but did you know it is actually derived from coconuts (remember what I said about natural and organic products being potential irritants)? Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is commonly used in bath wash and shampoo products for its cleansing action. As it is high foaming it has been associated with skin dryness and skin irritation.
Preservatives – products that combine water and oil need a preservative, without it various bacteria and fungus can pollute the product within months, but again preservatives can be potential skin irritants.

So armed with the correct information, shopping for your baby’s skincare will no longer be a hassle.

LOVE THE SKIN YOU’RE IN

Skin Make –up

Broadly speaking skin is made up of 3 layers, the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous fatty layer. The epidermis is the top layer of skin which holds the stratum corneum and is the barrier to the outside world, the dermis is the middle layer that provides strength and structure and the subcutaneous fatty layer is the bottom layer which insulates the organs from heat and cold.

Differences between Adult and Baby Skin

A baby’s epidermis and stratum corneum isn’t fully developed which makes their skin 5 times thinner than an adults, it has some advantages but mostly disadvantages.

Advantages – a baby’s skin can absorb and hold more water than an adult’s skin

Disadvantages – baby’s skin loses water faster than an adult’s skin. Because their skin can absorb more water it also means they can absorb more potential irritants. When this occurs it can result in dryness, itching, burning, rashes and eczema.

Nadine Hall is an Aromatherapist, Creator of Nature Within, Organic Skincare and Sleepwear for babies and mother of two.

Visit her website: http://www.naturewithin.com.au 

By: Nadine Hall

Online Shopping Tips For Baby Care Products

We all know how there is hardly anything you won't buy online. There is an increasing number of online stores that you can buy from ranging from collector's stamps to car insurance policies. Surely buying your baby's needs is also not a problem. Buying baby care products online isn't without advantages. For often busy parents, not having to leave home and their babies to buy baby care products is reason enough to shop online. Online shopping also helps them stay within the budget since they need not spend cash on other expenses like transportation. Also, it is easier to buy affordable baby care products online since parents can compare various products from several online suppliers easily. This is possible because you can check out more than two websites at a time. Despite the convenience though, there are still a number of online shopping tips you need to keep in mind.

First of all, you need to remember you're shopping for stuff you will use on your baby. So you shouldn't compromise quality at all for the sake of saving a few dollars. While there's nothing wrong with being economical, try to avoid buying baby care products from online stores you hardly know, or nobody seems to recommend or heard about. The same rings true when buying medications or energy supplements, for instance. You should not compromise quality over economy. Compare at least two or three stores from each other if you must find affordable deals, but compare only popular online baby product suppliers. Do not buy from stores you know almost nothing about, regardless of how affordable their prices are. Recommendations matter a lot when it comes to buying online. To get background information, check out reviews and testimonials from earlier buyers to get an idea about the baby products you're about to spend on.

Second, you need to know exactly what it is you're buying. If you want to try a new line of baby care products sold online, take time to research as much as you can about these products before you use them on your baby. Ask among close friends or relatives who may have tried or heard about these baby products. This will give you firsthand information about the stuff you plan to buy. You also need to spend time doing research about the companies that manufacture these baby products. Learn more about their credentials, their history and their business goals. Buying from a reputable company is the best way you can make sure that the baby products are of a high standard. Carefully study all your available options before you finally decide whether a certain baby product is something you'd like to use for your baby.

Invite Health offers a range of products ranging from vitamins, herbal and energy supplements to hair and skin care. Invite Health also has a great line of baby care products to suit your needs. Contact Invite Health for all of your health care products.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6990728

Top 4 Parenting Tips on Baby Care

Each baby comes in with so much of happiness. They make every moment of our life exceptional. They are so chaste and pure. Hence each parent is anxious about caring their baby. Today the world has changed. There are lot many people, to assist to you, to address all your qualms. Even the market offers you so much of baby care products that serve every single need of your baby.

There are some crucial areas, where your care plays a vital role. Navigate through this page to find some baby care tips.

Hold your baby right.

Are you a 'new born' mother? The first thing you should learn about baby care is to hold your baby right. They are so delicate. Their neck bone will be so tender that they will not be strong enough to bear even their head. Support your baby from top to bottom. Hold their head in the palm and let them rest on your arm. If you find it difficult during the first few days you can use a nursing pillow to support.

Feeding

Feed your baby with breast milk alone for the first few months. It is always better to sit upright while feeding your baby. Remember to pat the baby on back after each time you feed. This is to avoid vomiting caused due to gas formation. You can start with solid foods from the third or fourth month. Always prefer for vegetables, than fruits. If you are feeding them with fruit juices, it is better to avoid acidic fruits. Including soya in the diet will foster growth.

Sleeping

To put your baby into sleep is indeed a difficult task for at least some of you. But you should be very careful while rocking your babe into sleep. Don't ever try to shake your baby or wobble the cradle, especially when the kid cries. It may cause a skull stroke which leads to many neurological problems.

 Remember, they were resting in a cozy warm womb for last 40 weeks. It will take time to get adjusted to the lights and noise outside. Wrap them in a blanket, and rock them in cradle softly. Try to establish a routine. Your tiny tot may not adjust to the schedule first. It is always good for their health and our convenience to force them to a schedule.

Bathing

It needs so much of serenity and composure to bathe your kid. What your baby need is a gentle wash. It is always better to get the assistance of an experienced nurse while bathing your baby for the first few weeks.Gradually you will get used.Different types of tubs are available in the market. Choose the right one that suits your chap's age. Try using gentle baby care shower gels or cleanser than using soaps.Be conscious that your baby is perfectly wiped up after the bath. Apply lotions or creams to maintain the moisture.

So, are you prepared to take care of your junior? Always pay attention to their each gesture. Slowly you will start learning the meaning of their little smiles and their language. You will explore a new world. The art of parenting is not be taught, it is to be learned from experience and experience alone.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6778451

Baby Sleep Training - How to Mimic the Feeling of the Womb

For the entire beginning of their lives, babies are accustomed to one environment: the womb. It can be very jarring to come into a new world with so much new stimuli, and it can cause a feeling of insecurity in baby. The best way to help baby sleep more soundly, make the transition, and feel safe is to mimic some of the feelings of the womb.

Characteristics of The Womb

So what does the womb have that your house doesn't? Let's think about the environment baby is familiar with:

• Lots of white noise - he's used to a very loud environment, what with the outside noises mixing with the sounds of the body's machinery
• Cramped quarters - he's used to existing in a very small space, where everything is close together
• Feeling supported - he's used to being touched and supported on the sides and bottom of the womb, which creates a sense of comfort from being touched
• Fetal position - he's accustomed to laying in the fetal position, with the arms and legs drawn up and close to the body

As you read this, birth might seem to come as a relief. To us, the womb doesn't seem very comfortable, but to baby, it's home. You can ease the transition and help baby sleep by mimicking some of these qualities

Why Does This Feeling Help Baby Sleep? We've already talked about this, but it's important enough to say again. Babies, even in the womb, are extremely sensitive to emotions and feelings. Just like you, baby doesn't sleep well if she's not relaxed and feeling safe.

It comes as a domino effect: if baby is anxious or in some other way emotionally upset, she can't relax. When she can't relax, and you put her to bed and leave, she gets more upset, which makes it take even longer to relax. Until she relaxes, she can't fall asleep, and crying ensues.

Swaddle baby

Swaddling baby can help her relax and settle down because it mimics the close quarters of the womb. Babies can be unsettled by the free use of their arms and legs after birth, a feeling they didn't have in the womb. Additionally, babies tend to jerk a bit upon falling asleep and can wake themselves up or become startled by these natural movements.

Swaddling baby all the time is fine for the first month of life; after that, baby needs access to her arms and legs to develop properly. However, you can still swaddle baby for naps and nighttime to help her sleep.

So what is swaddling?

Swaddling is wrapping baby tightly in a blanket to mimic the feeling of the womb. Swaddling reminds baby of the safety and compact feeling of the womb.

How to swaddle baby

1. Lay a baby blanket on the floor and fold one corner into the center about 6 inches
2. Lay baby on her back on the blanket, with her head at the folded-down corner. The head should be off the blanket so it's free
3. Take the corner near baby's left hand and pull it across baby to the right, securing it underneath baby
4. Fold up the bottom of the blanket towards baby's chin, enclosing baby's feet
5. Take the corner near baby's right hand and pull it across baby to the left, securing it underneath baby

Important tips

• Swaddle baby when she is full, clean, and dry. Swaddling is meant to be a comfortable, comforting experience for baby, and if she is in some way unsettled, she will associate bad memories with swaddling.
• Don't swaddle baby when it is very hot. Keep baby from overheating by not swaddling when it is very hot outside or when baby is in a warm room. This is especially important when baby is going to sleep, as overheating is a risk factor for SIDS.
• Listen to baby so you know when she wants out. Baby will kick or squirm when she wants to be free, so pay attention for these actions. Let baby out if you know she is uncomfortable, or the feeling can cause distress and keep baby from relaxing.
• Don't swaddle baby constantly after the age of one month. She needs access to her limbs in order to develop correctly.

Action Items:

• Find or buy a baby blanket
• Practice swaddling a doll before attempting it on your live, squirming baby
• Pay attention to baby's reaction to being swaddled and adjust if necessary

Strategies for Mimicking the Womb Bathe baby in a bucket

There are a host of products available that offer an alternative to a mini-adult-like bath. Baths can be a pivotal relaxation tool each day to help baby sleep, mostly because being immersed in water reminds them of being in the womb.

Naturally, you can see that how you bathe baby becomes an important part of helping baby calm down and fall asleep. Babies feel most comfortable in the fetal position, and a bucket provides this capability. It supports baby's weight and allows her to be touched on the sides and the bottom of the bucket, again reminding her of the womb.

A bucket is a natural choice for a bath because it almost forces baby into the fetal position. This combined with warm water and the tightness of baby touching the sides and bottom of the bucket work together to recreate the feeling of the womb. As opposed to a bucket, a mini-adult-like bath gives baby the feeling of swimming, like in the womb, but makes her feel a bit lost, with nothing to control her arms and legs from floating around.

I know, it seems almost cruel to put your baby in a bucket, right? Think outside the box! It only seems strange because not many people do it...in the United States, that is. Bathing baby in a bucket is a popular form of baby care in Europe and is accepted as helping to calm and reassure babies in this big new world.

Quick tip: there's no need to go buy an expensive baby bathing bucket, though you certainly can. Use what you have at home, but be sure to choose a bucket you have not used with harsh chemicals. Think of a bucket used to build sand castles, perhaps. If possible, find a bucket with flexible sides, so that baby is supported softly and without any sharp edges or seams.

Action Items:

• Find a baby-sized bucket in the house and thoroughly clean it, or purchase a new one
• Confirm that the bucket is flexible, smooth, and won't tip over when baby is inside
• Test a bath to see if baby likes the feeling of a bucket better than a traditional baby bath

Sway and Shush Your Baby To Sleep

When a mother moves around doing daily tasks, a baby in the womb is naturally swung gently from side to side. This swaying motion becomes familiar and comforting, so parents can try using this as a means of calming baby before sleep. Remember, this isn't the kind of thing that you want to do every time that baby wakes up, or you will have to repeatedly get up in the middle of the night.

Instead, this is what you want to do to help settle baby down so that she can fall asleep on her own. When swaying baby, be gentle and consistent. She should fall into a sort of rhythm that helps calm her. Swaying shouldn't be fast or exciting, as it's meant to relax baby. Sway her too fast and she'll think it's playtime instead!

Shushing is another technique that mimics the womb. This is similar to the sounds that baby hears in the womb and can also be quieting. As with swaying, shushing should be gentle and rhythmic. It should be smooth and mimic the pattern of baby's breathing - one "shush" per exhale.

Shushing should be soft, not harsh; avoid the sound a teacher makes when quieting her classroom. Instead, use shushing as a sort of white noise, meant to calm baby without her ever even realizing it.

Action Items:

• Sing a song in your head while you sway or shush to help create a slow rhythm
• Try different speeds and voice levels to find out what quiets baby best

Wear Baby

Another solution that feels similar to the womb is wearing baby in a sling, wrap, or pouch. This has benefits for you, because it allows you to be close to baby while keeping your hands free, and it makes baby feel protected, safe, and comfortable.

Wearing baby helps keep baby warm, lets her hear your heartbeat, and builds a close relationship that is fostered through personal contact. Listed here are a few options for wearing baby, but it's up to you to decide which solution is best and most comfortable for you and baby:

• Wrap - wraps are long pieces of fabric tied to the wearer in various positions. Baby folds up inside it and it is very versatile. This is best for small babies; larger children will have trouble fitting, and it could be uncomfortable for the wearer.
• Mei Tai - an Asian-inspired carrier with more structure than a wrap. It can be worn on the front, back, or hip, depending on comfort and baby's size. This is a viable option for larger or older babies.
• Adjustable pouch - a pouch is a circle of fabric tied onto the wearer's front that holds the baby into the wearer's chest. It is similar to a Mei Tai and is also good for babies of all sizes.

Action Items:

• Evaluate your needs and baby's size to determine which style is right for you
• Practice tying on a wrap, sling or pouch with a doll prior to working with baby
• Adjust the fit as necessary - if baby seems uncomfortable, evaluate her fit to see if anything is rubbing or pinching. Try putting baby in while sitting down to see if this helps
• Consider different options as baby grows and your activities change. Some ways to wear baby are more appropriate for some types of activities than others

Naomi Knight is a contributor for http://www.parentinghq.com/ your best source for baby sleep, breastfeeding, colic, and crying advice from top baby care experts. For more articles on baby sleep training techniques, visit our baby sleep section at http://www.parentinghq.com/category/baby-sleep/

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