• Stress

• What is a Typical Day and Night?

• Coping with Your New Schedule

• Awareness of SIDS

• Breastfeeding sleep

• Co-sleeping

• Formula

• Bottle Types

• Moving to the Nursery

• Nursery Decor

• Nursery Setup

• Nursery Feng Shui

• Music for babies

• Bathing

• Trial and error

• Sleep issues 4-7 months

• Sleep issues 8-12 months

• Sleep issues 1-2 years old

• Sleep methods

• Naptime

• Nighttime help

• Daylight exposure

• Avoid Stimulating Your Baby during Night-time Feedings

• Common Misuses of Pacifiers

• Background Noise for Bedtime

• Swaddling your Baby is Sweet

• Teething Can Really Bite

• Ferberizing your Fussy Baby to Sleep

• Several Steps to a Sweet Slumber

• The No Cry Sleep Solution for Babies and their Parents

• The Four Ancient Principles to a Happy Baby

• What to Expect Your First Year as a Parent

• Attachment Parenting Tools

• The Benefits of Baby Massage

• Baby Massage and its Connection to Sleeping and Thinking

• Healthy Bedtime Routines for a Happy Child

• Room Temperature Can Help Reduce the Risk of SIDS

• Smoking Increases Baby's SIDS Risk and Makes for a Restless Night

• How to Treat Your Baby's Cold

• Caring for your Baby after Vaccinations

• How to Comfort Your Child Following a Nightmare

• Consistent Naptimes are Key to Quality NightTime Sleep, Too

• Using a Baby Sling Can Make Life with Baby Simple

• Sleep talking and sleepwalking in children

• Taming a Tough Toddler at Bedtime

• Relaxation Techniques for Toddler's Bedtime

• Moving from the Bottle to the Sippy Cup

• Your Personal Parenting Style and Your Child's Sleep

Relaxation Techniques with Baby

Music for babies

You've probably seen videos and CDs for babies. There are some theories that classical music can make your baby smarter, and exposing your baby to music is part of what we do to introduce them to all the sights and sounds of their world.

Music can definitely help calm your baby down and put him in a restful state at bedtime or nap time. What are some good choices for a baby?

Almost anything you love or use for relaxation is good for a baby too. There are good collections of Mozart or Bach for bedtime. The music of Enya can be very soothing as well. Georgia Kelly's harp music is also relaxing and peaceful.

When your baby's awake, there are lots of nursery rhymes or music from kids' movies that can stimulate his senses. We've known kids who respond to minimalist Phillip Glass's music; it's simple and rhythmic and when they get older, they'll dance with it. Spirituals and soft gospel music are also good choices to help the baby get to sleep.

White noise, in the form of a fan (not directed right at the baby), or from sound machines that simulate the sound of an ocean or rain can be restful as well, and can block out noise from the home. You don't need to create an artificially silent environment for the baby, however, since that can make it harder for them to get to sleep when the home's rhythms and noises get back to normal.

This is a great time for you to explore classical music as well, if it's not already part of your life. The same music that's helping your baby get to sleep can help soothe your own nerves and provide a wonderful time of bonding and restfulness for you and your baby together.

Bathing

Bath time is a special time of bonding with a baby and her parents. It's a time to play gently, talk and sing. Get everything you will need ready before you start! The list includes water (of course), washcloth, bath towel (with hood if you have one), clean diaper, any items you routinely use during a diaper change, and fresh clothes. Use a special baby wash and baby shampoo, preferably natural ones with calendula oils; regular soaps and shampoos can be too harsh or drying. Babies lose body heat very quickly, so make sure the room is warm -- 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit ( 23 - 26 degrees celsuis) is ideal.

Gently cradle your baby's head in one hand and use the other hand to remove her clothing. Gently wash her with a soft, warm washcloth, and dry her off with a towel. If you like, you can wash one area at a time and put a fresh item of clothing on as soon as an area is washed and dried. This is not necessary unless you are in a chilly room.

It's a good idea to start with the "less dirty" areas first, i.e. leave the diaper area until last, so you're not washing the baby in dirty water. As you go, be sure to gently wash behind her ears; the crevices in her neck, elbows, and knees; and in between her fingers and toes. It's a good idea to wash a newborn's hair near the end of bath time. This will help prevent him or her from losing too much body heat. Most newborns don't have much hair, so it is easy to sponge it with water much the same way you do the rest of the body. Almost all babies dislike getting their eyes wet. If you tip the head back just a bit and work your way from the front to the back, you can avoid getting water in your baby's eyes.

Trial and error

Every mother, whether a first-time or an experienced one, has to make decisions about what's best for her baby. You can start out with books by "experts" and of course friends and relatives always have advice for a new mother and baby.

These are a way to start, but if what you're doing doesn't work, then you have to try something new. Try different things at bedtime to see what works for you and your baby. She's unique and not like any other baby, after all!

You can try different types of foods at night, or the timing of her last feeding. Are her pajamas soft and not scratchy? Be sure to use special detergents made just for baby clothes, especially in the beginning. Can you hang her clothes and bedding outside in the sunshine to dry? Who doesn't feel all cozy and comfy when going to sleep in bedding that's been dried outside? Just make sure no critters get into the bedding or clothes.

Do you have a ritual at night? Maybe it starts with a nice bath and then a feeding while holding her close to you. Nothing feels more wonderful than holding a baby right out of the bath when they have that wonderful baby smell. It's just important to make this a pleasant and relaxing time for both of you, especially when your baby's very young, in the first months of her life.

If it takes a long time for your baby to wind down, then you might need to start your rituals early in the day. If you've been playing with her beforehand, then it might take a little longer to get her to sleep. Again, those rituals of bath, feeding, talking and singing in a quiet, darkened room will soon signal bed time for your baby (and hopefully for you too!)