How To Get Your Baby To Sleep Through The Night?

Every parent has had those sleepless nights where
baby just won't settle down. Unfortunately, a lot of
parents go through this every night. Whether you
stay at home with your baby, or you leave the house
to work during the day, endless nights of waking up
around the clock will eventually wear you down.
You'll get exhausted, moody and won't be able to
even think straight! Or maybe this already sounds
familiar to you.

Most parents suffer from sleep deprivation at some point. Its just part of parenthood. Even those lucky enough to have babies who are good sleepers eventually have to deal with getting their toddlers to stay in bed.

What gets really frustrating is reading so much conflicting information about getting your baby to sleep through the night. But what you must understand is that every baby is different, so not every sleeping method works. That's why there are so many different opinions out there. But I'm not here to give you an opinion or tell you what to do. I'm just going to tell you exactly what I did to get my son to sleep through the night.

How I got my son to sleep through the night

First, you have to understand that I only breastfed my son until he was seven weeks old. I had to have surgery shortly after he was born and couldn't breastfeed for a few days. I tried hard to pump and keep my milk supply up, but I finally had to stop torturing myself and my son and start feeding him formula.

A few weeks after that, he started sleeping through the night. What also happened at the same time is I started putting him down awake (breastfeeding would always put him to sleep). At just over 2 months, I was sure that it wouldn't work, but to my surprise it did. The trick was to put him down at the precise moment he started to get sleepy. I watched him like a hawk and eventually I could tell when he looked tired. His eyes would get red around the rims and they would start to look heavy. This was the only sign. Occasionally he would yawn, but his eyes would give him away sooner.

I had always read to watch for babies rubbing their eyes when they were tired, but neither of my babies did that until they were a little older.

I had also read to create a bed-time routine, but I have yet to do that with my son and he's now 8 months at the time of writing this. My daughter didn't have a bed-time routine established until she was almost a year old. So far, both my children have been excellent sleepers.

Why does it work?

Now, you may be wondering how putting a baby down when he's awake will help him sleep through the night. Here's my thoughts from experience. When a baby is put down after they are asleep, they'll eventually stir and will probably wake up. If they aren't being held in your arms anymore, they might get upset and want to be back in your arms. So they'll cry until they are.

If you put them down while they're awake and they fall asleep on their own, they won't be startled when they wake up because they'll be right where they were before they fell asleep.

Of course, I have no idea what goes on inside a baby's head - so this is just what I think, not what I know. I do however know that when my babies were put down awake, they slept through the night more than they did if they were put down already asleep. They also slept longer into the next morning which is sure nice. The better they sleep at night, the better they nap during the day. And the better they nap during the day, the better they sleep at night.

If my son does happen to wake up in the night, I usually just put his pacifier back in his mouth and he falls right back to sleep. Some mothers may want to crucify me for this, but hey - it works! He's happy, healthy, and well rested. (And so am I!)

Getting your baby to sleep through the night probably won't happen in one day, so here are a few things to think about to keep you sane during those sleepless nights:

Listen to your instincts. Remember you know your baby best. Take all advice you get as what it is, "advice". Never let it replace your own personal judgment. You know your baby best and only YOU know what's really right for him. If it feels right to rock your baby to sleep, then do it. If it feels right to bring your baby into bed with you then do it.

Stop the guilt. Don't take it personally. A lot of us suddenly feel instant guilt when our baby cries. Are we doing the right thing? Does she need feeding? Is his diaper wet?And on and on…

Comfort them. Remember your baby could be crying for a number of reasons and some are out of your control. Did you know that babies are born with the crying reflex but not the laughing reflex? Well they are… it's instinctive for babies to cry. We're going back to primitive times. Babies cry to have their needs met. Sometimes those needs are just to simply cry it out for a bit while feeling the warmth and comfort of their most loved person … you!

Become an expert. Go online or to the library and read a few books on baby sleep and sleep patterns. Arm yourself with all the knowledge that you can so that when others come your way offering advice you can politely say you know exactly what you're doing.

Whatever you decide, the main thing to remember is that sleepless nights are part of having a baby. Do what feels best for you and remember that this is a normal phase of your baby's development and will soon end. Those tiny little treasures will soon be running all over the house creating havoc. So enjoy each precious moment (even if its a sleepless one) as much as you can, because it sure doesn't last long.

Does Your Toddler Hate Bath Time?

Why is my toddler afraid of the tub?

Sometimes, for no apparent reason, your toddler may decide she hates having baths. Even if you don't know why she is afraid, it's best to keep her out of the tub for now. Forcing her to stay in the tub will only make the problem worse.
First of all, make sure your toddler doesn't have any cuts or rashes that could be irritated by the water. If there isn't anything obvious, there might have been an experience from last bathtime that was scary for her.

Did she slip in the tub? Did she get soap in their eyes? Did she swallow some water? Maybe there is no 'real' reason for her fears. Sometimes toddlers (and even adults) develop fears for no apparent reason.

How do I get my toddler to bath again?

There are a few things you can do to gradually ease your toddler back into the tub. This is a common phase, and one that usually does not last long.

Some parents start by giving their toddler a sponge bath each time. This can be done on a towel, in the sink, or beside the sink. Then after she is used to that, try sitting her in the sink with some water in it. If this is comfortable for her, you can gradually reintroduce her to the tub.

Try to make bath time really fun to distract her. Bring lots of colorful toys to the tub or sink, or try blowing bubbles. You might need two people at first, one to play and one to wash. By the time your toddler is done being washed, she may not have even noticed that she was in the water.

My daughter suddently became afraid of the tub a few weeks ago. The last bath I gave her, she was her usually cheery self. She played with her toys and splashed in the water.

The next time I put her in the tub, she cried hysterically and wouldn't calm down. She refused to even stand in the tub. I was forced to take her out without washing her.

Instead of putting her in the tub alone the next time, I sat in the tub with her. She was hesitant at first, but she didn't cry. She sat in my lap for awhile and played, then she worked up the courage to sit on her own while she splashed in the water. Now, bath time is just like it used to be. (Check out what I've discovered that makes bath time even more fun!)

Accept the fear

Don't ignore your toddler's fears. If they are genuinely afraid of bath time, don't increase their fears by forcing them to bath anyway. You will only instill the fear, and you will jeopardize the trust they have in you.

When Should Your Baby Start Drinking Juice?

Many moms like to think that as soon as their baby
turns 6 months of age, they should start giving
them juice. But this couldn't be further from the
truth. In fact, juice is not necessary for an infant.

Here's why:

• Because of the sugars in juice, it can cause diarrhea.

• Too much juice can cause a child to be overweight or obese.

• Juice contains sugars and acids that can cause tooth decay.

• Giving your baby too much juice can hinder growth and development, and can cause malnutrition and anemia due to lack of nutrients like proteins and complex carbohydrates.

• If you are still breastfeeding, juice can cause your baby to nurse less.

Although juice contains Vitamin C and other nutrients, you don't want to give them too much. It should never be considered a supplement. If you must give your baby juice, consider these guidelines.

• Choose juices that are 100% juice and not fruit medleys or cocktails. Check the nutritional labels to make sure.

• Wait until your baby is at least 6 months old. But even then, babies at this age still do not require it.

• Dilute juice by at least half and half with water. Most grocery stores have a baby aisle with juice specially diluted for babies. These juices also contain more Vitamin C than regular juices, but are also more expensive.

• Never give your baby juice from a bottle. And never give them juice from a cup to suck on all day. This can cause tooth decay.

• Don't give your baby juice at bedtime.

• Babies shouldn't have more than 150ml (one half cup) of juice a day.

• Instead of giving fruits in liquid form, try giving them real fruit!

• If your baby is thirsty, give them water instead. If your baby doesn't like water, try flavoring the water with a little bit of juice.

• If you start feeding your baby water from the beginning, they won't naturally prefer juice instead of water.

How To Wean Baby Off The Bottle

"Here's how I successfully and easily weaned my babies from the bottle. It was quick and painless!"

Weaning baby from the bottle can be difficult for both you and your child. By following these tips, the transition of weaning your baby from bottle to cup should be a lot easier on you both.

Why and when should you wean your baby off the bottle:

Your child should be sitting on their own, eating from a spoon and showing interest in solid food when they are ready to be weaned. Meals and snack times should be consistent to help your baby get into a feeding routine.

The longer your baby is fed from a bottle, the more likely they are to develop tooth decay and improper dental development.

By not weaning your child, the solid foods they should be eating during the day are replaced with milk. While milk does provide some nourishment, it does not provide enough for a growing baby or toddler.

Parents are finding that the Thinkbaby 9oz Trainer Cup with Handles are the best sippy cups for picky babies who refuse to drink out of any other sippy cup.

Most importantly is that these sippy cups are BPA free!
Things you should know before weaning your baby from a bottle:

When you decide to wean your baby, make sure there is nothing else going on at the time - like renovations, a new baby, moving, etc. This can cause distractions and make the weaning process longer and a lot more difficult.

Never let your baby use the bottle as a toy or pacifier. If your child only associates the bottle with eating and not as a toy or form of comfort, they will be less concerned with the transition. This should be implemented from the first time they drink from a bottle.

When feeding from the bottle, always hold it yourself. I never let my daughter hold the bottle, and weaning was a snap. I learned this trick from my mother who did the same thing with myself and my brother. We were also weaned quickly and easily.

Your baby may need some extra comfort and attention during this period, so be prepared to give them the extra attention they need to help them overcome the transition phase. You may want to introduct a blankie or stuffed animal for them to comfort themselves.

When you and your baby are ready to wean from a bottle to a cup:

Introduce a sippy cup at around 6 months of age. Your baby will probably use it as a toy for awhile which is fine. Every few days, re-introduce the cup and by 8 - 10 months, they should be able to drink out of it fairly well.

As soon as you start the weaning process, stay consistent. It is extremely important that you stick to your plan or the process will just continue to drag on.

Once your child is familiar with a cup (around 8 - 10 months), use it for one feeding each day for a week. The next week, replace another bottle with a cup. Do this each week until your baby is completely weaned from the bottle. Remember to stay consistent.

Feeding your baby from a cup can take a lot longer than a bottle, so you must be very patient. As long as you keep cool and persevere, it will pay off in the end.

Things you shouldn't do while weaning your baby off the bottle:

Never feed your baby juice from a bottle. Juice should also not be fed by cup while weaning, or your child will expect it instead of milk. Feeding them juice will only prolong the weaning process.

Don't switch back from cup to a bottle if you are getting frustrated. This will only confuse your baby and make the weaning process even longer.