After your first week home with your baby, you may begin to feel confident enough to try getting out of the house for more than a few hours. However, this means you may be faced with one of the personal struggles that every breastfeeding mother has to confront. Breastfeeding in public. Here are a few options for ways to address the awkward situation.
1. The invisi-boob.
This strategy is great once you master it. Basically, you lift just enough of one section of your shirt to let your baby latch on, Then you hold your little sweet potato over any bare skin on your midriff, and your shirt drapes right down to your baby's mouth, so no one can see a thing, but you don't have to wrestle with a big blanket either. The tricky part of this technique is getting your baby latched on without showing skin. I recommend practicing at home first, and wearing something with a little room in it.
2. Strategic scarf placement.
This is a play on the old "drape the baby blanket" method, but a bit more stylish. In this method, you just drape one end of a nice fashionable scarf you are wearing specifically for this purpose over the most exposed part of your breast to camouflage your baby's lunchtime activity. This strategy is best for moms who are not embarrassed to be breastfeeding in public, but also do not want to be ogled by ignorant folks who may not be able to keep their opinions to themselves.
3. Inside a baby-wrap carrier.
This is a great way to have both a touch of privacy, and a great amount of freedom. Your baby is well supported, and you are completely covered. The difficult part of this method is getting the latch. You will need to have your carrier tied a little more loosely than normal on top so that you can reach in from the sides to both hold your breast in an accessible position, and guide your baby's head to the nipple. Once you have a good latch, make sure your baby's face isn't pressed to tightly against your breast or he may not be able to breath comfortably. Once your little "joey" is suckling away, you will have at least one hand free, and be able to walk around while nursing. I like "Sugar Sweet Baby" baby wraps. They are fashionable, comfortable and made of bamboo cloth which is naturally antibacterial.
4. Under a decorative cover up.
There are many brands of hide-a-boob cover-ups out there. Most do a great job of shielding the outsider's view, and some actually still allow you to have a clear view. Being able to see what is going on with your baby while he is nursing is a very valuable feature, if you do choose to go with one of these, look for one that has good consumer reviews about being able to view the baby.
5. Bold brash and bare.
To try this option you need to be confident of your body, very proud of your roll as a breastfeeding mom and be able to separate your personal sense of modesty from your baby's meal times. Other people will give you looks, some will even make nasty comments, but the more normal people who are out there proudly nursing their babies in public, the less strange and out of place it will become. Besides being a breastfeeding activist, this option is great because you can clearly see your baby, your baby can see you and you don't have to wrestle with any cloth. Obviously, it would be great if all nursing mothers could just whip out a boob like they do at home, without any social backlash or personal embarrassment. But until that day, only the bravest and most secure breastfeeding mothers will probably feel comfortable being this brave. However you decide to go about breastfeeding, the most important part is that you ARE breastfeeding.
Hopefully, if you have been worried or intimidated at the prospect of venturing out into the world because of the difficulty of public nursing, you will now have a couple viable options for things to try. Happy "World Breastfeeding Week"! If you have found these tips to be helpful, please forward them to any new or expecting parents you know. Questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome. Happy parenting!
Showing posts with label techniques. Show all posts
Showing posts with label techniques. Show all posts
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Toddler Tuesday! 5 tips for toddler road trips.
Now that you have a wiggly and wild toddler, hitting the road for a quick weekend getaway might sound like less of a vacation and more like "enhanced interrogation techniques". For some toddlers a ride in the car is no big deal, while for others, even ten minutes is a struggle. But any child who has to remain in their car seat for more than an hour or two will most likely be pretty unhappy about it. Hopefully these tips will give you a few ideas for things you can do to keep your little back seat screamer from losing his patience.
1. Pack a small toy box behind the driver's seat.
While the box needs to be small to fit behind the driver's seat, the toys in it can be pretty big. Interactive toys like a xylophone, a see-n-say, or any one of the Leap Frog brand toys are great for travelling with. Smaller toys are good too, but they should be softer. If your little fuzzy-bunny suddenly throws a fit, you don't want her to also throw a small hard object inside the car. Though she may not be able to cause any real damage to anything herself, the distraction to the driver is potentially serious. Some soft small toys that are good for travel are Beanie Babies, finger puppets and cloth books.
2. Bring some gum.
One of the first things I think of when I think of chewing gum is how my mother would always tell me that my teeth would rot if I had it too often. Turns out that though my mom was right back then, times have changed. Now it is actually recommended that you have your children chew sugar free gum with xylitol a few times a day to fight cavities! Also, as you drive up and down mountains your toddler's ears might need help to relieve the pressure from altitude changes and chewing gum is great for that. If your little caterpillar thinks that he is getting a special treat, all the better. Just be sure to cover your car's seat cushions with towels or blankets if your toddler is not used to chewing gum.
3. Bring music and headphones.
If you have any type of mp3 player be sure to download a few fun songs for your funky little chicken to groove to while you roll on down the road. Since you might have a different taste in music than your little one, bringing earphones can be a great relief. Your toddler will probably think they are way cool, and enjoy putting them on and taking them off several times before settling down to listen. This should buy you a good chunk of time to relax and enjoy the scenery.
4. Make a schedule of stops.
One of the worst hazards of road trips for toddlers is diaper rashes. If your toddler makes a mess in his pants and sits in it for even 10 to 15 minutes it can result in a much worse rash than normal. Taking a rest stop every 2 to 3 hours to change your little poopers poopies is a great idea. Since it can be easy to lose track of time when you are on the road, planning where you are going to stop before you leave will help keep you on a good schedule.
5. Have special labor-intensive snacks on hand.
My favorite versions of the labor intensive snacks are food necklaces. Froot loops, popcorn and Cheerios are easy to thread onto a length of string and hang around you little muncher's neck. I only recommend this type of snack for times when you will be able to closely supervise your toddler, because if left unsupervised, even a simple snack necklace could be a hazard for your child. If you are uncomfortable with placing the snack necklace around your toddlers neck, you can also tie it around one of your little piranha's car seat straps. Other fairly tricky snacks are a box of raisins, jello in a Ziploc bag with a small hole cut in the corner for your toddler to squeeze the treat out and sugar free lollipops.
Trick: Iphone toddler games.
One more little trick you can use if you have an Iphone, is to download a free toddler game like "memory" or a simple vocabulary "touch the picture" game. These games can captivate your little passenger's attention for quite a long time. The only problems are, you might want to be playing a game on there yourself, and your toddler could mess up your phone if you don't keep an eye on him.
Having a successful road trip with your little adventurer is not really all that hard for most families. Starting off with a plan, and lots of strategies for helping your little buddy stay occupied is key. Don't forget to bring several sippy cups with water in them for hydration, and a blanket for propping up your toddlers head if she falls asleep. If you have found these tips helpful, please forward them to other parents of toddlers that you know. Questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome. Happy parenting!
1. Pack a small toy box behind the driver's seat.
While the box needs to be small to fit behind the driver's seat, the toys in it can be pretty big. Interactive toys like a xylophone, a see-n-say, or any one of the Leap Frog brand toys are great for travelling with. Smaller toys are good too, but they should be softer. If your little fuzzy-bunny suddenly throws a fit, you don't want her to also throw a small hard object inside the car. Though she may not be able to cause any real damage to anything herself, the distraction to the driver is potentially serious. Some soft small toys that are good for travel are Beanie Babies, finger puppets and cloth books.
2. Bring some gum.
One of the first things I think of when I think of chewing gum is how my mother would always tell me that my teeth would rot if I had it too often. Turns out that though my mom was right back then, times have changed. Now it is actually recommended that you have your children chew sugar free gum with xylitol a few times a day to fight cavities! Also, as you drive up and down mountains your toddler's ears might need help to relieve the pressure from altitude changes and chewing gum is great for that. If your little caterpillar thinks that he is getting a special treat, all the better. Just be sure to cover your car's seat cushions with towels or blankets if your toddler is not used to chewing gum.
3. Bring music and headphones.
If you have any type of mp3 player be sure to download a few fun songs for your funky little chicken to groove to while you roll on down the road. Since you might have a different taste in music than your little one, bringing earphones can be a great relief. Your toddler will probably think they are way cool, and enjoy putting them on and taking them off several times before settling down to listen. This should buy you a good chunk of time to relax and enjoy the scenery.
4. Make a schedule of stops.
One of the worst hazards of road trips for toddlers is diaper rashes. If your toddler makes a mess in his pants and sits in it for even 10 to 15 minutes it can result in a much worse rash than normal. Taking a rest stop every 2 to 3 hours to change your little poopers poopies is a great idea. Since it can be easy to lose track of time when you are on the road, planning where you are going to stop before you leave will help keep you on a good schedule.
5. Have special labor-intensive snacks on hand.
My favorite versions of the labor intensive snacks are food necklaces. Froot loops, popcorn and Cheerios are easy to thread onto a length of string and hang around you little muncher's neck. I only recommend this type of snack for times when you will be able to closely supervise your toddler, because if left unsupervised, even a simple snack necklace could be a hazard for your child. If you are uncomfortable with placing the snack necklace around your toddlers neck, you can also tie it around one of your little piranha's car seat straps. Other fairly tricky snacks are a box of raisins, jello in a Ziploc bag with a small hole cut in the corner for your toddler to squeeze the treat out and sugar free lollipops.
Trick: Iphone toddler games.
One more little trick you can use if you have an Iphone, is to download a free toddler game like "memory" or a simple vocabulary "touch the picture" game. These games can captivate your little passenger's attention for quite a long time. The only problems are, you might want to be playing a game on there yourself, and your toddler could mess up your phone if you don't keep an eye on him.
Having a successful road trip with your little adventurer is not really all that hard for most families. Starting off with a plan, and lots of strategies for helping your little buddy stay occupied is key. Don't forget to bring several sippy cups with water in them for hydration, and a blanket for propping up your toddlers head if she falls asleep. If you have found these tips helpful, please forward them to other parents of toddlers that you know. Questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome. Happy parenting!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
5 tips for changing a baby's diaper.
Learning to change a baby's diaper is rather tricky. They seem to be determined to stick their feet right in the middle of the mess, and then they pee everywhere. Cleaning your little chickadee's undercarriage can be frustrating to say the least. Here are a few tricks that I have learned over the years that have made the dirty job a little cleaner.
1. Always use a changing pad, even on the changing table.
Even when your baby is only wet, having a changing pad is a great idea. A baby who is getting changed often feels inspired by all of the commotion down there to add a little more excitement to the party. This can mean a big mess, and a lot of laundry, unless you were prepared with a changing pad. Often when mid-diapering accidents happen an changing pad will catch all of the extra goop. This will save you from having to own three or four changing table covers, and needing to constantly launder them.
2. Hold both of your baby's feet in one hand to lift her bottom up.
This maneuver sounds more tricky than it is. if you can hold one ankle with your pointer finger and thumb, then wrap your other three fingers around the second ankle, you can do it. Then when both ankles are secure, bring your baby's feet up near her face. This should gently and naturally lift your baby's bottom an inch or two off of the diaper and make it easier to reach. Babies are very flexible, and though this position may look uncomfortable, it is not for most babies. One exception is, if you baby spits up every time you try to do this, she probably has reflux, and this position will not be ideal for her. If this is the case, try rolling your baby away from you onto her side to expose her booty for washing.
3. Use the clean front of the diaper for the first wipe of dirty diapers.
Sometimes our babies make quite large sticky messes in their fluffy little butt covers. These can use up a huge amount of wipes, which don't come cheap. To save a little elbow grease and a little extra change, when you first open your little food processor's diaper, take a hold of the front of the diaper and wipe from front to back. One big wipe is all that this move is good for. It doesn't clean the whole mess, it just takes off the top layer, so that what is left is easier to deal with. When you reach the back of your baby's rear end with the front of the diaper, just leave it there. This keeps your baby from re-dipping into the mess while you begin cleaning the rest of his hiney. You can also take the diaper away, if you have a handy place to stash it until you can deal with it by itself. The reason I leave the diaper there, is it is one more thing between my changing pad and changing table, so that even if I can't keep both completely clean, I can often reduce the mess.
4. Drape a baby washcloth over your boy's little fire hose.
This can apply to girls who spray when they are being changed too. For some reason, the cool air maybe, babies love to go wee-wee when they are naked. Since getting urine squirted all over the room is probably not one of the things you want to deal with, simply draping a bit of cloth, or a baby-wipe over the front section of your little fire-fighter during a diaper change can save you a major headache.
5. Have a squirt bottle with your cleanser in it handy.
If you have read my tips for natural remedies for diaper rash, you know that I prefer to have natural ingredients with which to wash my little ones buns. I got a great tip from JJ Keith (@jj_keith on twitter, a great person to follow) to keep my natural cleansers in a squirt bottle, and it is SO much easier! Make sure to always clean in the folds. It can be awkward, but it is very important to remove all of the waste. I also recommend keeping any powders (like cornstarch) in old spice bottles (It is much easier to sprinkle if the lid has holes than if it is just open), and oils (like olive oil) work great in old hand-soap pump style bottles. Always be sure to clean any recycled containers thoroughly before using them for your baby's rear-end care kit.
Changing diapers is not fun, not easy and not tidy, but it can be a little less work with a few handy techniques, and a little practice. If you have found these tips helpful, please forward them to any new or expecting parents you might know. Questions, Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Happy parenting!
1. Always use a changing pad, even on the changing table.
Even when your baby is only wet, having a changing pad is a great idea. A baby who is getting changed often feels inspired by all of the commotion down there to add a little more excitement to the party. This can mean a big mess, and a lot of laundry, unless you were prepared with a changing pad. Often when mid-diapering accidents happen an changing pad will catch all of the extra goop. This will save you from having to own three or four changing table covers, and needing to constantly launder them.
2. Hold both of your baby's feet in one hand to lift her bottom up.
This maneuver sounds more tricky than it is. if you can hold one ankle with your pointer finger and thumb, then wrap your other three fingers around the second ankle, you can do it. Then when both ankles are secure, bring your baby's feet up near her face. This should gently and naturally lift your baby's bottom an inch or two off of the diaper and make it easier to reach. Babies are very flexible, and though this position may look uncomfortable, it is not for most babies. One exception is, if you baby spits up every time you try to do this, she probably has reflux, and this position will not be ideal for her. If this is the case, try rolling your baby away from you onto her side to expose her booty for washing.
3. Use the clean front of the diaper for the first wipe of dirty diapers.
Sometimes our babies make quite large sticky messes in their fluffy little butt covers. These can use up a huge amount of wipes, which don't come cheap. To save a little elbow grease and a little extra change, when you first open your little food processor's diaper, take a hold of the front of the diaper and wipe from front to back. One big wipe is all that this move is good for. It doesn't clean the whole mess, it just takes off the top layer, so that what is left is easier to deal with. When you reach the back of your baby's rear end with the front of the diaper, just leave it there. This keeps your baby from re-dipping into the mess while you begin cleaning the rest of his hiney. You can also take the diaper away, if you have a handy place to stash it until you can deal with it by itself. The reason I leave the diaper there, is it is one more thing between my changing pad and changing table, so that even if I can't keep both completely clean, I can often reduce the mess.
4. Drape a baby washcloth over your boy's little fire hose.
This can apply to girls who spray when they are being changed too. For some reason, the cool air maybe, babies love to go wee-wee when they are naked. Since getting urine squirted all over the room is probably not one of the things you want to deal with, simply draping a bit of cloth, or a baby-wipe over the front section of your little fire-fighter during a diaper change can save you a major headache.
5. Have a squirt bottle with your cleanser in it handy.
If you have read my tips for natural remedies for diaper rash, you know that I prefer to have natural ingredients with which to wash my little ones buns. I got a great tip from JJ Keith (@jj_keith on twitter, a great person to follow) to keep my natural cleansers in a squirt bottle, and it is SO much easier! Make sure to always clean in the folds. It can be awkward, but it is very important to remove all of the waste. I also recommend keeping any powders (like cornstarch) in old spice bottles (It is much easier to sprinkle if the lid has holes than if it is just open), and oils (like olive oil) work great in old hand-soap pump style bottles. Always be sure to clean any recycled containers thoroughly before using them for your baby's rear-end care kit.
Changing diapers is not fun, not easy and not tidy, but it can be a little less work with a few handy techniques, and a little practice. If you have found these tips helpful, please forward them to any new or expecting parents you might know. Questions, Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Happy parenting!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
5 tips for burping your baby.
Why is it that so many parents seem to have such an easy time burping their babies? It seems like when most infants have gas and need to burp, their parents just prop them up on their shoulder and pat their back for a couple minutes. The fact is, there are many babies that are extremely hard to burp, and learning the right way to help your little one is not nearly as straightforward as you might have thought it would be. The reason it is important to help your baby burp after being fed is that if there is air in your baby's stomach and you don't help it up, it can be forced to exit the other way, which is very uncomfortable for your little tooter. Though the shoulder laying, back patting method is an effective way to relieve newborn gas for some babies, there are many more ways you can try if this method doesn't seem to be working.
1. Dance out the burp.
To help your baby work a bubble up, sometimes some movement side-to-side helps. Take one hand and place it on your baby's chest, cupping her chin with your thumb and forefinger. Now sit her up on your knee, leaning on your hand that is on her chest. Take your other hand and spread it across her back, using a couple of fingers to stabilize her head from behind. Then holding her securely between your two hands, in a sitting position on your knee, rock the top half of her body gently left-to-right and back in a rhythmic repetitive motion. She will look like she's doing a bad eighties dance if you are doing it right. I often combine the dance with some gentle bouncing from my knee. This should help release any gas bubbles that are lodged in odd little nooks and crannies in your baby's belly. If you don't hear any results after about 5 minutes of this, you may want to try something else, since this type of burping is usually immediately effective if it is going to work at all. I usually start with this technique, because it is generally very effective.
2. Bounce out the burp.
If you have a medium to large exercise ball, break it out! You're finally going to get some use out of that thing! Hold your baby close to your chest, with one hand on his hind end and one supporting his neck and head. Then straddle your exercise ball, being careful not to sit too far back on it, and gently bounce straight up and down. Each time you come down from a bounce, a very small amount of pressure will be applied to your baby's abdomen. This repetitive pressure acts almost like a gentle massage, compressing the lower part of your baby's abdomen and encouraging any air bubbles to exit the way they came. This is also a great remedy for colic and motion sickness, but not so great for reflux or excessive spit up. Be sure to protect your shirt with a burp-cloth.
3. Massage out the burp.
For this technique lay your baby stomach down on an incline with her head raised a few inches. When your snuggle buns is comfortable, take one hand and place it at the base of her spine across her hips. Then gently, without using too much pressure, slide your hand up your baby's back until you reach the shoulder blades. Don't go all the way up to the neck, because pressure on a baby's neck is unsafe. Place your other hand at the base of your baby's spine while your first hand is sliding up, and then begin sliding the second one up when the first one reaches your baby's shoulder blades. This creates a kind of "water wheel" effect and can be very effective for some babies.
4. Consolidate the burp.
Now, for some reason, some babies are able to keep a whole bunch of smaller individual bubbles in their tummies. These bubbles can be a little frustrating, because you will finish feeding your sweet little twinkle toes, burp him, and lay him down, and within ten minutes he will be screaming at the top of his lungs from another gas bubble. This sleep-repellent routine can sometimes happen 4 or 5 times in a row before all of the gas is gone. For these babies gas drops like Mylicon can be very beneficial. Be sure to read the directions on the bottle, and follow them carefully. What Mylicon does is break the surface tension between several separate gas bubbles, this makes one large bubble which is a lot easier to get up. It is very important that you get your baby to burp after using Mylicon though, because if that large consolidated gas bubble does pass into the intestines, it will be very uncomfortable, and your baby will most likely have a very sad painful 3 or 4 hours until the gas is able to be passed from below the belt. When Mylicon is used properly it is a great tool to try.
5. Wait out the burp.
There is another kind of baby out there, one that seems incapable of burping. You pat and pat, bounce, jiggle and dance away with no results. Then when you give up and lay your adorable little bunny rabbit down her eyes pop open and she launches into a baby operetta about your shortcomings as a parent. So you pick her up and then, 1 to 2 hours after the feeding, she burps. In my experience, this type of baby will not respond to any amount or type of burp-producing trick. In fact the best way to get her to release her bubble hostage, is to give her some time. Tummy time is best, unless she is asleep, if she is asleep, I recommend wearing her in a nice snug wrap until you hear the magical belch of freedom. If neither of these options are viable for any reason, simply lay her down on her back and tuck her in, then take advantage of the time you have until she wakes crying with an impending burp, instead of burning yourself out with a lot of wasted effort in the meantime.
Preventing gas problems for your baby can be hard, especially at first when they are so small and delicate, but with effective burping, baby gas can be reduced and even eliminated in rare instances. It is good to keep in mind that over the first couple of years your baby's burping habits will change, they may get more difficult or may vanish entirely. So if what you have been doing suddenly doesn't work any more, just keep trying something new. If you have found these tips helpful, please forward them to any new or expecting parents you know. Questions, comments and followers are always welcome! Happy parenting!
1. Dance out the burp.
To help your baby work a bubble up, sometimes some movement side-to-side helps. Take one hand and place it on your baby's chest, cupping her chin with your thumb and forefinger. Now sit her up on your knee, leaning on your hand that is on her chest. Take your other hand and spread it across her back, using a couple of fingers to stabilize her head from behind. Then holding her securely between your two hands, in a sitting position on your knee, rock the top half of her body gently left-to-right and back in a rhythmic repetitive motion. She will look like she's doing a bad eighties dance if you are doing it right. I often combine the dance with some gentle bouncing from my knee. This should help release any gas bubbles that are lodged in odd little nooks and crannies in your baby's belly. If you don't hear any results after about 5 minutes of this, you may want to try something else, since this type of burping is usually immediately effective if it is going to work at all. I usually start with this technique, because it is generally very effective.
2. Bounce out the burp.
If you have a medium to large exercise ball, break it out! You're finally going to get some use out of that thing! Hold your baby close to your chest, with one hand on his hind end and one supporting his neck and head. Then straddle your exercise ball, being careful not to sit too far back on it, and gently bounce straight up and down. Each time you come down from a bounce, a very small amount of pressure will be applied to your baby's abdomen. This repetitive pressure acts almost like a gentle massage, compressing the lower part of your baby's abdomen and encouraging any air bubbles to exit the way they came. This is also a great remedy for colic and motion sickness, but not so great for reflux or excessive spit up. Be sure to protect your shirt with a burp-cloth.
3. Massage out the burp.
For this technique lay your baby stomach down on an incline with her head raised a few inches. When your snuggle buns is comfortable, take one hand and place it at the base of her spine across her hips. Then gently, without using too much pressure, slide your hand up your baby's back until you reach the shoulder blades. Don't go all the way up to the neck, because pressure on a baby's neck is unsafe. Place your other hand at the base of your baby's spine while your first hand is sliding up, and then begin sliding the second one up when the first one reaches your baby's shoulder blades. This creates a kind of "water wheel" effect and can be very effective for some babies.
4. Consolidate the burp.
Now, for some reason, some babies are able to keep a whole bunch of smaller individual bubbles in their tummies. These bubbles can be a little frustrating, because you will finish feeding your sweet little twinkle toes, burp him, and lay him down, and within ten minutes he will be screaming at the top of his lungs from another gas bubble. This sleep-repellent routine can sometimes happen 4 or 5 times in a row before all of the gas is gone. For these babies gas drops like Mylicon can be very beneficial. Be sure to read the directions on the bottle, and follow them carefully. What Mylicon does is break the surface tension between several separate gas bubbles, this makes one large bubble which is a lot easier to get up. It is very important that you get your baby to burp after using Mylicon though, because if that large consolidated gas bubble does pass into the intestines, it will be very uncomfortable, and your baby will most likely have a very sad painful 3 or 4 hours until the gas is able to be passed from below the belt. When Mylicon is used properly it is a great tool to try.
5. Wait out the burp.
There is another kind of baby out there, one that seems incapable of burping. You pat and pat, bounce, jiggle and dance away with no results. Then when you give up and lay your adorable little bunny rabbit down her eyes pop open and she launches into a baby operetta about your shortcomings as a parent. So you pick her up and then, 1 to 2 hours after the feeding, she burps. In my experience, this type of baby will not respond to any amount or type of burp-producing trick. In fact the best way to get her to release her bubble hostage, is to give her some time. Tummy time is best, unless she is asleep, if she is asleep, I recommend wearing her in a nice snug wrap until you hear the magical belch of freedom. If neither of these options are viable for any reason, simply lay her down on her back and tuck her in, then take advantage of the time you have until she wakes crying with an impending burp, instead of burning yourself out with a lot of wasted effort in the meantime.
Preventing gas problems for your baby can be hard, especially at first when they are so small and delicate, but with effective burping, baby gas can be reduced and even eliminated in rare instances. It is good to keep in mind that over the first couple of years your baby's burping habits will change, they may get more difficult or may vanish entirely. So if what you have been doing suddenly doesn't work any more, just keep trying something new. If you have found these tips helpful, please forward them to any new or expecting parents you know. Questions, comments and followers are always welcome! Happy parenting!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
5 tips for better sleep during baby's 3rd month.
The first two months of a baby's unpredictable sleep routine can really take a toll on a new parent. The wakeful nights, the crying and gas, it is a constant struggle for parents to get enough sleep of their own at night. Though the magical "end of the third month" when sleep is supposed to even out, is just around the corner, there are a few things you can do in the meantime to help prepare your baby to slip naturally into a long and healthy sleep routine.
If you have followed my baby tips for better night sleep during the first two months, hopefully your baby is only getting up to eat 2 or 3 times during the night. The tips from the second month still apply to babies who are in their third month, as a matter of fact, if you have successfully extended the times between your babies feedings by 15 minutes, for the third month I would suggest that you attempt to extend the time further to 25 or 30 minutes. Your goal in doing this should be to have at least 4 hours between the start of each feed. Here are 5 more things you can do to encourage longer periods of night sleep during your baby's third month.
1. Integrate aromatic associations into bedtime routine.
I know I have mentioned in other posts how smell is our most powerful sense tied to memory, and one of the most fully developed senses that our babies have, but this is a different use for that association. As you begin establishing a bedtime routine, if you integrate a special soothing scent into it, your baby will begin to associate that scent with bedtime. As your baby grows, and sleep disruptions occur, when you need to re-establish the bedtime routine, using the scent will help remind your baby that night is a time for sleep. I used a lightly scented lotion to massage my son as a part of his bedtime routine for his first 8 months after coming home from the hospital, so he has that scent associated with relaxation, mommy and sleeping. When he is sick I will rub a little of the scented lotion on the collar of his pajamas, and it soothes him even now at 2 years old.
2. Try different swaddles.
At different stages of development your baby will resist different types of swaddling. For a few weeks you may need to leave one of your baby's arms free, or use a swaddling technique that folds your love-burrito's arms across his chest instead of straight down to his sides. Nearly all babies will insist on having their feet free after the second month, which is fine. You can return to a full swaddle any time if your baby's sleep begins to suffer.
3. Establish a bedtime routine.
Now is the time to start creating the a routine that will signal to your little snuggle-bug that it is time to bid farewell to the conscious world for awhile. The exact elements of your routine don't particularly matter, as long as they are calming and consistent. Since you will need to perform the exact same routine every night from now on you will probably want to choose elements that are easy and flexible, like reading a story, "brushing teeth", baby massage, singing a song and rocking together. If you want to include a bath in your bedtime routine, try to have it earlier. Baths can be more stimulating than relaxing for babies, and are hard to remain consistent with especially while traveling. Feeding will most likely be a part of the bedtime routine, but I do encourage parents to try NOT to have it be the very last part. It is a good idea to wipe out your babies mouth after eating especially before night sleep to reduce the risk of thrush, and eventually that mouth-wiping out part of the bedtime routine can be replaced with teeth-brushing. Whatever routine you develop be sure that everyone who puts the babies to bed for night sleep maintains a very similar version, since consistency is the real key here. You do not need to use this same routine for naps because of the amount of time involved, but if you find that it works for you, then there is nothing wrong with it either.
4. Reduce your baby's night feeding amount.
Your baby still needs a large amount of food spread over full 24 hour periods. However, in order to begin reducing subliminal expected feedings, try to offer your baby about half an ounce less than you would normally offer at night feedings(for breastfeeding mothers this would translate into reducing the time spent breastfeeding by about 3 or 4 minutes, though you should probably pump afterward to completely empty your breast, in order to preserve your milk production). This will most likely be difficult at first, and if your baby insists that she is still hungry after about 15 minutes of after-meal soothing, bouncing and burping, go ahead and give her a little top-off. In time your wee wiggly giggler will be satisfied with less at night and will instead bulk up by eating more during the days.
Though it may seem like the third month will never end, if you have some things to focus on in the meantime it will help time to pass while laying a useful frame work for any kind of sleep training that you might want to do in the future. Whether you think that a no-cry solution will work best for your family, or if you are leaning toward a quick-but-painful cry-it-out method, the process will be easier and faster overall if your baby has some of the skills she will need to adapt. I do not recommend that parents plan on implementing any sleep-training on the eve of their baby's third month "birthday", it is rare that any baby will develop so exactly as to actually change over night from an infant who needs on-demand-feedings to a baby that is ready to adjust to a whole new sleep schedule. If you watch your baby's schedule closely you will see a subtle shift over the fourth month, and at some point it will be apparent that your baby does not need to wake for food, but is waking more out of habit. This is when you will want to be ready with your sleep training plan already decided upon. What ever your parenting philosophy is, it will be easier once you start being able to get a decent amount of sleep at night again. Chin up, keep your eye on the ball, and keep telling yourself: "It DOES get easier" (for another tip that might help when laying your baby down to sleep check here). Happy parenting!
If you have followed my baby tips for better night sleep during the first two months, hopefully your baby is only getting up to eat 2 or 3 times during the night. The tips from the second month still apply to babies who are in their third month, as a matter of fact, if you have successfully extended the times between your babies feedings by 15 minutes, for the third month I would suggest that you attempt to extend the time further to 25 or 30 minutes. Your goal in doing this should be to have at least 4 hours between the start of each feed. Here are 5 more things you can do to encourage longer periods of night sleep during your baby's third month.
1. Integrate aromatic associations into bedtime routine.
I know I have mentioned in other posts how smell is our most powerful sense tied to memory, and one of the most fully developed senses that our babies have, but this is a different use for that association. As you begin establishing a bedtime routine, if you integrate a special soothing scent into it, your baby will begin to associate that scent with bedtime. As your baby grows, and sleep disruptions occur, when you need to re-establish the bedtime routine, using the scent will help remind your baby that night is a time for sleep. I used a lightly scented lotion to massage my son as a part of his bedtime routine for his first 8 months after coming home from the hospital, so he has that scent associated with relaxation, mommy and sleeping. When he is sick I will rub a little of the scented lotion on the collar of his pajamas, and it soothes him even now at 2 years old.
2. Try different swaddles.
At different stages of development your baby will resist different types of swaddling. For a few weeks you may need to leave one of your baby's arms free, or use a swaddling technique that folds your love-burrito's arms across his chest instead of straight down to his sides. Nearly all babies will insist on having their feet free after the second month, which is fine. You can return to a full swaddle any time if your baby's sleep begins to suffer.
3. Establish a bedtime routine.
Now is the time to start creating the a routine that will signal to your little snuggle-bug that it is time to bid farewell to the conscious world for awhile. The exact elements of your routine don't particularly matter, as long as they are calming and consistent. Since you will need to perform the exact same routine every night from now on you will probably want to choose elements that are easy and flexible, like reading a story, "brushing teeth", baby massage, singing a song and rocking together. If you want to include a bath in your bedtime routine, try to have it earlier. Baths can be more stimulating than relaxing for babies, and are hard to remain consistent with especially while traveling. Feeding will most likely be a part of the bedtime routine, but I do encourage parents to try NOT to have it be the very last part. It is a good idea to wipe out your babies mouth after eating especially before night sleep to reduce the risk of thrush, and eventually that mouth-wiping out part of the bedtime routine can be replaced with teeth-brushing. Whatever routine you develop be sure that everyone who puts the babies to bed for night sleep maintains a very similar version, since consistency is the real key here. You do not need to use this same routine for naps because of the amount of time involved, but if you find that it works for you, then there is nothing wrong with it either.
4. Reduce your baby's night feeding amount.
Your baby still needs a large amount of food spread over full 24 hour periods. However, in order to begin reducing subliminal expected feedings, try to offer your baby about half an ounce less than you would normally offer at night feedings(for breastfeeding mothers this would translate into reducing the time spent breastfeeding by about 3 or 4 minutes, though you should probably pump afterward to completely empty your breast, in order to preserve your milk production). This will most likely be difficult at first, and if your baby insists that she is still hungry after about 15 minutes of after-meal soothing, bouncing and burping, go ahead and give her a little top-off. In time your wee wiggly giggler will be satisfied with less at night and will instead bulk up by eating more during the days.
5. Soothe your baby while laying down.
Wherever your baby sleeps at night, when he begins to fuss, try to sooth him back to sleep while he is still in bed. If it is obvious that he needs to be picked up, try to pick him up when he is not crying. Of course, this is not always possible, so if your baby is beginning to get really worked up, pick him up immediately. If you can soothe your fluffy little nightingale back to sleep at night, or at least into a calm state before being picked up, it will help to create the expectation in your baby that comfort can be found without being swept up into your arms every few hours or so. This change in expectation lends itself very well to the development of natural self-soothing habits. Quiet long-sleep periods at night are reliant on your baby's ability to develop healthy self-soothing techniques.Though it may seem like the third month will never end, if you have some things to focus on in the meantime it will help time to pass while laying a useful frame work for any kind of sleep training that you might want to do in the future. Whether you think that a no-cry solution will work best for your family, or if you are leaning toward a quick-but-painful cry-it-out method, the process will be easier and faster overall if your baby has some of the skills she will need to adapt. I do not recommend that parents plan on implementing any sleep-training on the eve of their baby's third month "birthday", it is rare that any baby will develop so exactly as to actually change over night from an infant who needs on-demand-feedings to a baby that is ready to adjust to a whole new sleep schedule. If you watch your baby's schedule closely you will see a subtle shift over the fourth month, and at some point it will be apparent that your baby does not need to wake for food, but is waking more out of habit. This is when you will want to be ready with your sleep training plan already decided upon. What ever your parenting philosophy is, it will be easier once you start being able to get a decent amount of sleep at night again. Chin up, keep your eye on the ball, and keep telling yourself: "It DOES get easier" (for another tip that might help when laying your baby down to sleep check here). Happy parenting!
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