Rock-a-Bye Baby Read Free

least six straps or ties (cut off any excess).
    â€¢ Check the teething rails. If they are damaged, fix, replace, or remove them immediately.

    â€¢ To prevent possible entanglement, mobiles and crib gyms, which are meant to be hung over or across the crib, should be removed when your child is five months old, or first able to stand or climb.
    â€¢ Keep the crib clear of plastic sheets, pillows, and large stuffed animals or toys, which can be suffocation hazards and can also enable your child to climb out of the crib.
    CRIB ENVIRONMENT
    â€¢ Do not place the crib by the window. Drapes and blind cords are dangerous—children can get caught in them. Also, there’s the risk of falling out the window as your baby becomes able to climb up and stand.
    â€¢ Install a smoke detector in your baby’s room, following the manufacturer’s directions for placement.
Crib Notes
    Make sure your crib meets safety requirements: The mattress should fit snugly with no gaps, and the sheets should be snug and secure.

Baby Monitor
    Use a baby monitor to listen for your baby while he is sleeping. Or install a video camera, if you want to keep an eye on your sleeping baby.

Co-sleeping Concerns
    Seventy percent of parents co-sleep with Baby at one time or another. But make sure that your bed is a safe sleeping environment for your baby and that she can’t roll off, and that there’s plenty of room for all. If you’re a deep sleeper, drink alcohol, or take drugs, you risk rolling over on your baby, so co-sleeping is not recommended. And if you snore, you may keep your baby awake!

BEDTIME DOS AND DON’TS
    Here are some simple dos and don’ts to keep in mind when it’s time for bed
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    - Don’t put your baby on her tummy to sleep.
    + Do put her on her back to sleep.
    - Don’t give your baby any alcohol or adult medications to get her to sleep.
    + Do check with your doctor to see if a baby medication, such as Infants’ Tylenol, might help.
    - Don’t let your baby go to sleep with a bottle of juice or milk, which may lead to tooth decay.
    + Do let your baby have a pacifier or a bottle of water if she wants it.
    - Don’t give your baby herbal teas, except those approved by your pediatrician.
    + Do give her watered down juice if she doesn’t like plain water.
    - Don’t ever shake, vigorously tickle, or roughhouse with your baby.
    + Do play with her gently—games such as peekaboo or patty-cake.

Chapter 1

Expert Advice

    â€œSleep ’til you’re hungry, eat ’til you’re sleepy.”
    â€”author unknown
    Begin your quest for your baby’s sleep solution by discussing your concerns with your baby’s doctor. She will check to see if there are any medical reasons causing the problem and, if so, begin treatment. Once medical issues have been ruled out, you can move on to find a tip or method that works for you. Here are some general suggestions I gathered from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Safety Council, La Leche League, professional sleep consultants, and child developmentalists to get you started. Their medically researched recommendations are basics you can trust, and you’ll always be glad you have them at the ready.
    TYPICAL SLEEP PATTERNS FOR BABIES
    Although it may not seem like it, newborns sleep about sixteen hours a day, but only for three to four hours at a time. Here’s what you can expect:
    â€¢ Seventy percent of babies sleep from midnight to 5 A.M . by three months.
    â€¢ Eighty-five percent sleep through the night by six months.
    â€¢ A stretch of five hours is considered “sleeping through the night.”
    â€¢ Babies have tiny tummies, so they wake up often for the next feeding. Breast milk is easily—and therefore quickly—digested.

Breast-feed Baby
    There’s evidence that breast milk contains serotonins, which naturally relax Baby and help get him to sleep, so simply breast-feeding