5 tips for figuring out why your baby is crying.

Babies cry. They cry and cry and cry. Sometimes you know why they are crying, like when they are hungry, tired, lonely and when they have gas, and sometimes there is no obvious reason for all the hollerin'. After you have been a parent for a few months, you will get much better at deciphering your little megaphone's yelps, but there will still be times when the underlying cause remains a mystery. Here are a few lesser-known reasons why your baby might be crying, and some tips on what might help.

1. Cramping.
Your little china doll's insides are delicate. Every time gas or solids move through her bowels during the first few months it is quite a workout. Gas stretches tissue, solids require her abdominal muscles to continually contract and release, to move things along. The discomfort that your baby experiences feels something like a cross between how you feel after doing 50 crunches, and how a woman feels while having her period each month. Some babies are more sensitive to this type of pain than others, but if your sweet little cherry blossom is crying and you are not sure why this could be the reason. Now don't go rushing off for the Ibuprofen just yet, medicating your baby is tricky, and should only be done under the direction of a pediatrician. Instead try some homeopathic remedies first, like a warm towel, gentle clockwise abdominal baby massage and lavender or rosemary aromatherapy oils (just a drop or two on a favorite blanket will be sufficient), though be sure these oils are aromatherapy grade and do not contain any chemicals such as turpentine.

2. Motion sickness.
Just as your little snugglicious huggy monster is getting used to the world as a solid object, something happens that turns everything on it's head. Whether that is a bumpy stroller ride, a weaving car ride, or even being tossed into the air by a fun-loving daddy, sudden motion can sometimes trigger a panicked screaming fit from your baby that you have never experienced before. This type of crying can be very hard to soothe, but the solution is really quite simple. Bouncing. Yes, motion sickness can be cured by more motion. I am not entirely sure of the reasons this works (a pediatrician once talked to me about small "pebbles" in your baby's ear canal, that are not secured yet because they are so young, which somehow become dislodged from time to time and which can be relocated to their position of origin by bouncing your baby up and down while holding him upright against your chest) but the fact remains that a baby who is screaming for no reason can sometimes be greatly soothed by being held close to you while you jump straight up and down, or sit on an exercise ball and bounce. The calming should be obvious within a minute or two of bouncing if this is the reason your baby is crying.

3. Over-stimulation.
People talk a lot about over-stimulation when it comes to babies, but what does it mean, and what can you do if this is causing your baby to cry? First of all it should be remembered that stimulation is great. It is how your baby learns about the world around her. Everything around your baby is stimulating in the beginning, from the feel of her blanket, to the sound of the clock ticking, to the subtle currents of air that circulate over her sensitive skin. Your baby files the information she gathers from stimulation away while she is sleeping, and as she processes different types of stimuli, she files them away in her mind for future reference. This makes the most common types of stimulation not as demanding of her attention as she gets older. Often large amounts of stimulation will lead to a very sleepy baby who dozes off in order to process it all. However, when so much stimulation is coming in that it disrupts your baby's ability to relax and go to sleep, there can be a build-up of stimulation that still needs to be processed. This build-up is basically what over-stimulation is. At this point if you try to bounce your baby, sing to your baby, or take your baby on a walk, chances are that it will only make her more unhappy. Strangely enough the counter intuitive solution for over stimulation is noise. Not just any noise, a loud and unvaried noise that can block out all others just long enough for your baby to relax and go to sleep. I recommend a hair-dryer, a vacuum cleaner or best of all, a loud fan. Combined with a dark room and familiar scents, this form of soothing can really save a baby (and her parents) a lot of grief.

4. Fear.
In the beginning everything in this world is unfamiliar to your little wide-eyed blankie bug. But as time goes by, there are certain sights, sounds and smells that your baby learns to associate with safety. For some babies some of these things are more important than others. If as soon as your baby's great aunt who prefers a very pungent type of perfume picks him up he starts to scream like someone is pulling his hair out, it is most likely a case of unfamiliarity. This type of fear can be triggered by many things. Sometimes it is a new sound (remember that your baby's hearing is much better than yours. Since he is sensitive enough to perceive very high frequencies even turning on and off of a light bulb is something he can hear.), unfamiliar facial features, an uncomfortable texture of a new blanket or the absence of a familiar smell which could happen simply from changing your bathroom hand soap. Don't worry though, as soon as your baby is surrounded by familiar smells, motions and imagery he will calm down. Try not to be discouraged, give your baby a second or third try at the cause of his distress after a nap or two. Chances are that after one or two exposures he will overcome his fears and go to his great aunt without a fuss.

5. Charley-horse.
A charley-horse or a small muscle spasm, can cause your baby a sudden rush of pain, which could last anywhere from a few seconds to 20 minutes. To figure out if your baby is crying because of a charley-horse, gently squeeze her legs feeling for tight balled-up muscle bunches. You should also check your baby's arms and neck, because some times charley-horses can happen there as well. If you find the tightly knotted muscle, place a warm towel over the muscle and massage the area around it softly with your finger tips. Then very gently try to stretch the muscle as if your baby was preparing for a run. Charley horses can be caused by several things, too much exercise (was your baby in the jumper too long today?), injury (sometimes your baby's body can interpret things like getting a shot at the pediatrician's as an injury), dehydration (was it too hot out today?) and a low supply of calcium or potassium (have you been taking your multi-vitamin if you are breastfeeding?). Most of the time charley-horses are isolated incidents, however, if you find that your baby is having these muscle spasms on a regular basis, or more than once every couple of months, be sure to bring it up with your pediatrician.

The sun shines, rain falls and babies cry. Try as we might, we parents will never be able to eliminate all of the reasons our babies cry, but it doesn't hurt to know a few more things to look for and a couple more ways to make it better. Add these possible causes for crying to your list, and you will be just that much better prepared the next time your baby cries and you don't know why. If you have found these tips helpful please pass them on to any new or expecting parents you might know. Questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome. Happy parenting!

By: Naomi Tripi
http://tripibabytips.blogspot.com

5 tips for helping your baby nap better.

"How often should a new baby nap?", "When and why do napping schedules change?" and "How can I get my baby to sleep better during the day?" Are all questions that most new parents will have at some point during their baby's development. Napping is such an inconsistent habit, always changing and developing along with your baby. It is hard to know if your baby's day-time sleep is normal for her age, and encouraging a healthy sleeping pattern isn't exactly something they teach you in pregnancy school. However, I do have a few tips that might prove helpful for parents who are struggling with keeping their double-snuggler on an appropriated napping schedule.

1. Keep in mind how often your baby "should" be napping at different ages.
Keeping this general schedule in mind will help you understand why your baby's naps are suddenly changing in frequency or why your baby suddenly refuses to nap at all at certain times.
Birth to 1 month: Napping should be on-demand, and very frequent during the day.
From 1 month to 6 months: Your baby will begin to gravitate toward four predictable naps a day, early morning, noon, afternoon, and evening.
6 months to 1 year: The evening nap will be dropped, or turn into the start of night-time sleep, but the other three naps will stay about the same. One of the naps, usually the noon nap, will be longer than the other two.
1year to 2 years: One more nap will be dropped, either the early morning one or the afternoon one. The bulk of day-sleep will probably take place during the noon nap.
From 2 years on: Only the noon nap is commonly kept after this point, and by 2.5 years or 3 years, your baby could drop their nap all together.
This schedule is just a basic framework, if your baby keeps an extra nap a bit longer, or drops a nap a bit earlier than I've described, don't worry, it is natural for babies to refuse to conform to blanket statements about what they should or should not be doing at any given time. Only if your baby is consistently getting a significantly smaller amount of sleep than described for longer than a week should you begin to be concerned. If you have any nagging worry about your baby's lack of naps, or if you think your baby is sleeping too much, ask your pediatrician for a more focused assessment.

2. Differentiate for your baby between night and day sleep.
It has been argued recently that it is important for really refreshing and restorative day sleep, that the circumstances be different than for night sleep. It is a theory that I have always encouraged simply because I have observed that babies tend to sleep better if they have naps in loud, bright areas of the house than if people try to tip toe around them in the middle of the day. At night after the third month, night sleep should be in a fairly dark environment, with white/or no noise, your baby should be swaddled and the smells in their room should be consistently associated with night sleep. For naps, there should be light, noises that are consistent but not too loud, usually no swaddle and the smells should reflect daytime activities like cooking and cleaning. This encourages your baby to block out light, sounds and smells during the day, and that makes it harder to accidentally wake him up. If your baby is used to this kind of day sleep it is a lot easier to be out and about with him because he will have the ability to nap in different environments more easily. If his day time sleep is full of light, smells and sounds, he is already conditioned to block out his surroundings during a nap. The earlier you start implementing this strategy the more effective it is. I recommend starting at the very beginning, and keeping the separation of sleep environments consistent. If you start later on, say at 8 or 9 months old, the adjustment will be very difficult and may never take hold all the way.

3. Use an appropriate progression of play and feeding.
When your baby begins to have consistent sleeping periods throughout the day you can encourage good sleep by engaging in intense, stimulating play with her one hour before her expected nap time. Then, about 30 minutes before you expect her to fall asleep, give her a nice big feeding, and make sure to get a burp up afterward. Change your baby's diaper and lay her down, chances are she will be asleep within moments. A major function of naps is to process the mental stimulation that your baby experiences through out the day. However some of the most common disruptions of day sleep can be wet or dirty diapers, and hunger. So if you give your baby a lot of stimulation, then address her other needs, she should sleep deep and long. Keeping up this routing for a few weeks will also encourage a healthy napping habit in your baby that should last even if you stop using the full progression routine.

4. Use a portable cot for your babies naps.
Using a portable cot will make traveling or going on holiday with your sweet little sun bear a lot easier. Even a play-date will be easier if your baby can go down for a nap in his portable cot. Imagine, if you don't have to rush home for nap time, you can stay and have some grown up mommy-time with your friend while the babies nap. As long as your boo has the familiarity of the same cot, it will be easier for him to adjust to sleeping in a new environment. For vacations where your baby will be using the cot for night sleep I would bring some elements from his night sleep area, like a familiar bed sheet and maybe a mobile to help with the continuity. However, even if the things you bring are all from your baby's day sleep routine, they will help to comfort your baby in a new environment and will smooth the transition to night sleep in a new place.

5. Utilizing the educational opportunity with sound and scent encourages deeper sleep.
There is no sense as powerfully tied to memory as the sense of smell, and there is no better time to stimulate your baby's early mental development than nap time. Day time sleep is when new neural pathways are being formed in your baby's brain that will constitute the framework of her cognitive processes later in life. As part of putting your baby down for a nap, try dabbing a small spot of scented lotion on your baby's earlobe, and then playing classical music or audio tapes of literary masterpieces. Your baby is way too young to understand or grasp any of the higher concepts of such works, but the brain development is still stimulated by the input. Also as your child gets older she can continue to use the olfactory assisted study method (which is basically applying a distinctive scent when studying, then applying that scent again just before a test). Try to choose a scent that your baby will not mind wearing when she is all grown up. Giving your little Einstein a heavy dose of mental stimulation while they are sleeping gives their subconscious mind something to do, and makes it that much easier for them to sleep deeply and serenely.

Your baby might still have napping issues from time to time. As babies develop they often will hit little "sleep hiccups" that throw off their whole routine. However, if you have some tricks up your sleeve you can get them back on track a lot faster(I share one of my very favorite tricks for better naps here). One common mistake many parents make is to try and limit the amount of day sleep their babies get in order to encourage night sleep. Though it may work in some cases, the sleep a sleep-deprived child gets will be less restful, and more easily startled out of. To help a baby sleep better at night one of the first things I recommend to parents is that they try to increase the quality, and the amount, of sleep that their baby is getting during the day. Not only does day sleep do wonders for your baby's mood, it can be just what the doctor ordered for a tired new parent.I hope you find these tips and tricks helpful, if you know any new or expecting parents please forward this information to them. Happy parenting!

5 tips for soothing a colicky baby.

Colic. The dreaded, the mythical, the bane of parental existence... colic. It's such a cute little word when you look at it, yet the meaning it carries is ugly indeed. Crying. Your baby crying and there seems to be nothing you can do to help. The definition of colic is basically a baby who cries at predictable times during the day for around three hours at a time. There is no known cause or cure. Helpful huh? Of course colic has existed since babies have, and mothers over the years have learned a few things to try that might help you and your little screamer through the rough patches. Also, my 5 tips for gas and reflux can also be tried to help remedy colic.

1. The Superman hold.

Hold your baby tummy down, feet pointing at you, with one hand under her belly button and one hand supporting her head. Stand with your legs spread apart and swing your baby through your legs backward and forward, supporting the majority of her weight with the hand on her belly button. You can continue to hold her this way while seated, suspending her between your knees, bouncing a bit. The reason i think that this sometimes works is partly because it helps expel gas, partly because it provides a bit of warmth from your hand that may soothe your baby's abdominal muscles if they are sore and partly because the motion of swinging or bouncing can help a baby focus on her internal equilibrium which takes the focus off of whatever is causing the colic.

2. Examine your diet.

One possible explanation for colic is that it is actually your baby expressing discomfort because of food allergies. If your baby is bottle fed there are many other types of formula you can try, your pediatrician will be able to recommend one that is right for you and your baby. However, if you are breastfeeding, there are a thousand things it could be. Many mothers try to eliminate suspicious foods from their diet one at a time, which can take forever, and is still not guaranteed to help. I recommend a bland your diet for 2 days, then adding foods back in over a couple weeks. Try oatmeal (no milk or sugar) and an apple for breakfast, a baked potato with olive oil (no dairy) and roasted turkey breast for lunch and brown rice, carrots and grilled chicken (no onions) for dinner. As you'll notice the things cut out of this meal plan are dairy, wheat, legumes and most fruits and veggies. The fruits and veggies that are most often the culprit seem to be things like broccoli, onions, beans, acidic fruits, If you are on this diet for a couple of days and see no changes in your babies temperament then chances are it is not something you are eating, and you can either switch out the bland foods for other bland foods to rule out the few things that you were eating, or just go back to your normal eating habits. If your baby suddenly calms though, try reintroducing a few foods a day until your baby begins to be colicky again. Then slowly scale back to pin point which food was the issue. In rare instances there can be more than one allergen causing your baby discomfort, and quite often the cause is not rooted in your diet at all, but eliminating your diet as a cause will save you a lot of guilt and worry.

3. Try sleep-in-motion.

I am not a big fan of using sleep in motion (swings, cars, strollers), because of potential sleep problems that can develop as a result of over using it. However, there are times when helping your baby get some sleep (no matter how) outweighs everything else. First try the baby swing, since that will be the most convenient, then the stroller, and only as a last resort try the car. Though the car can often be the most effective, it is also the most work and the hardest on the environment. If you have a bicycle, and a baby-safe trailer, it is also a good method to try depending on the weather. After your baby is asleep, if you can stop the motion and they stay asleep I highly recommend it. Their sleep will be deeper and more restorative with less outside stimulation to contend with.

4. Use a hair dryer.
The most strange secret weapon against colic is sound. Though no one is certain why, the sound of a hair dryer, vacuum, car engine or fan can get your colicky baby's attention and calm their stress like nothing else. Though I'm sure there is a rational explanation for why this so often works, right now it seems a little like magic. Because leaving electronic devices running for too long both wastes energy and can be a fire hazard using a prerecorded source for the noise is the best option. You can record it yourself or buy recordings here. Just remember that keeping the noise at a fairly high level also seems to help. I recommend starting with the sounds on lower, and slowly turning it up until your baby begins to react positively. Before investing time or money in this solution try the real sound so you can be sure it will work for your baby.

5. A vibrating back massager on the tummy.
When all else seems to be failing, a technique that has worked for me a few times is to get a vibrating back massage device, wrap it in a towel to mute the strength of the vibrations, and apply it gently to your baby's belly. Be careful not to keep the massage device in any one place for too long (over 2 minutes), and try to keep the entire massage under 10 minutes. If you sometimes go as long as 15 it should be okay, but shoot for short sessions. If your baby responds well and falls asleep, stop the massage device and put it away.

Though colic is a difficult thing to go through with your baby, even if all the tips, tricks and hints in the world do not help you can at least take comfort in knowing that it does not last forever. Most colic resolves by 4 months, and %90 of cases resolve by 9 months. I know that it is a small comfort but sometimes even a distant hope is better than none at all. Always remember to keep an eye on your own stress and frustration levels. If you begin to be overwhelmed, laying your baby down in a safe crib and taking a short break, even while they are crying, to calm your nerves can make a huge difference to your ability to cope well with the stress of the situation.

Try to work together with your spouse or partner or supportive friend to give each other support and comfort, assigning blame and picking at each other, though natural, will only add more stress to the situation. Keep your spirits up, lean on each other and try try again until that magical day when your little human cacophony stops crying for no reason and spends the majority of his time being cute. Happy parenting!

5 tips for better sleep during baby's 2nd month.

So your baby is in the second month of development now, starting to do things like focus on your face while eating, smiling and sometimes laughing in their sleep. This is a very cute stage, and it's even cuter when they sleep well at night. Babies at this age still need to eat at night, but they should be sleeping longer and eating a bit less over all. This is a great time to begin to lay some very basic groundwork for future sleep training. Whether the sleep-solution you go with has crying, or no crying, the adjustment will be smoother if your baby is already sleeping well with some basic positive associations in place.

1. Warm your baby's crib mattress before you lay baby down.
Whether you use a heating pad or a sack of lentils heated in the oven, warming up your baby's bed mattress will help when transferring him into bed, or even relaxing him when placed there awake. For an adult the feel of crisp cool sheets might feel like the most relaxing and comfortable place in the world, but for your baby, your arms are the most safe and relaxing place and they are warm. So it makes perfect sense that your baby would associate a warm surface with safety. Do not leave the heating pad in you baby's crib for too long (over an hour) or heat it too hot (it should feel about as warm as your baby's forehead) and if you are using an electric heating pad check the cord regularly for any hot-spots or fraying. I really recommend using the lentils since they are not a fire-hazard, if you don't have a good bag, you could use a pillow-case or a large sock.


2. Place a recently worn T-shirt in the crib with your baby.
Your baby's eyes might not work so well, and their hearing largely lacks focus and reference points at the age of two months, but their sense of smell is already working quite well. A mother has certain pheromones in her scent that a baby responds to very powerfully. Preemie babies who are given a "scent doll" that their mother has slept with while she was pregnant are calmer, eat more, and sleep better than preemies who aren't. I've observed that this holds true for older babies as well. When a baby can smell her mommies natural body scent, she will be more relaxed and sleep longer. I think it is best to only use the T-shirt at night, because it will encourage a sense of safety and security that will hopefully become associated with their sleeping area and with night time in general.

3. Extend time between feedings by 15 minutes.
Eventually your baby will need to give up the feedings in the middle of the night, and with a little prep work that should be a lot easier. As soon as you hear your baby begin fussing respond, but instead of offering them the feeding right away, try to soothe them without it first. Use a pacifier (or dummy), bounce, sway, sing, hum and jiggle. Try to put off your baby's feeding as long as you can, to a minimum of 15 minutes and a maximum of 30. If your baby falls back to sleep without eating, then the next time they wake up, go ahead and feed them right then. Your baby still needs about 2-3 feeds a night at this point, so the delay in the feeds only serves to prepare your baby for sleep training by widening the gap between when they expect to be fed. If your baby is not responding well to your attempts to soothe them without food, discontinue the delays for a while, some babies are not ready to try this until the third month.

4. Pull the night cap down over your baby's eyes.
This trick won't work for long, just a month or so. Your baby's eyes are just starting to develop enough that they can see more distinct shapes, and they are fascinated with high-contrast images like black and white mobiles and posters. They are often so intent on looking around it is hard to relax and let their eyes close. However if you just pull down the front of their hat to cover their eyes they are still too young to realize why they can't see and begin resisting. It is a great way to help your baby relax and drift off to sleep, but like I said it won't be long before your baby catches on to what you are doing and starts to turn their head back and forth to wiggle out of the hat.

5. Use a metronome in the nursery at night.
The rhythmic might be reminiscent of your heart beat, though I think the reason this works is because it gives your baby's conscious mind something to focus on and that makes relaxing easier. Years ago mothers used to tuck a pocket watch under their baby's pillow to help sooth them to sleep. It was this old tradition that led me to try the metronome with one of the baby's i was taking care of a few years ago. He had a particularly hard time going to sleep during the day while I was tending him and his mother was at work, but one day I tried the metronome, and he calmed right down and was asleep in his crib before I knew it. I've been a believer ever since. In homes where there is no metronome, I'll some times tap a pencil on the night stand in a steady rhythm, and it seems to help most of the time too.

The second month is usually a bit easier for parents than the first month, whether that is because your baby is finding a more predictable routine, or because the you are getting used to the sleepless nights it's nice to feel it getting easier. Hopefully these tips can help for those times when your baby has forgotten that the second month is supposed to be easier, and help prepare you all for the next few months (One more great sleep tip can be found here: http://www.everythingmom.com). If you find these tips helpful, please refer them to any new or expecting parents. Happy parenting!