What to Expect the First Year (78 page)

“Should I be taking the pacifier away now that my baby is 6 months old, before she gets too attached?”

There's no need to give up the binky at bedtime—in fact, it's a good idea for baby to be put to bed with her pacifier, since research has shown that this may reduce the risk of SIDS. But it might be wise to try limiting pacifier use to when your sweetie's sleeping. This way, it won't interfere with socializing and vocalizing during the day. And start thinking ahead—while it isn't necessary to wean your baby off the paci at her first birthday (use of it isn't likely to harm teeth until age 2 to 3), it's definitely an opportune time to ditch the binky for good. As you've guessed, the more entrenched the paci habit is, the harder it is to kick.

“At first we were grateful that our son was sleeping through the night. But with him waking up like clockwork at 5 every morning, we almost wish he'd wake up in the middle of the night instead.”

With a night waker, at least there's the promise of another few hours of sleep once baby settles down again. But with a baby who greets his parents alert and energetic, ready and eager to start every day when even the roosters are still snoozing, there's no hope of further rest until night falls once more. Let's just say … it's a rude awakening.

It probably isn't realistic to expect your baby to sleep in past 6 or 7 (at least not until he's a teenager, at which point you'll probably have to drag him out of bed each morning just to get him to school on time). But it may be possible to reset your little alarm clock at least a bit later:

Keep out the dawn's early light.
Some babies (like some adults) are particularly sensitive to light when they're sleeping. Especially when the days are longer, keeping baby's room dark can buy a little extra sleep for everyone. Invest in room-darkening shades or lined curtains, to prevent an early sunrise from waking baby.

Keep the traffic out.
If your baby's window faces a street with a lot of traffic in the early morning hours, the noise could be waking him too soon. Try keeping his window closed, hanging a heavy blanket or curtains at the window to help muffle sound, or moving him, if possible, to an off-street room. Or use a fan or a white-noise machine to drown out street noises.

Keep baby up later at night.
Sometimes, too early to bed (say, 6 p.m.) can mean too early to rise. So try putting your baby to bed 10 minutes later each night, until you've gradually postponed his bedtime an hour or more. To make this work, it will probably help to move his naps and meals forward simultaneously and at the same pace. On the other hand, sometimes a too late bedtime can result, paradoxically, in a too early riser. If that seems to be the case with your little one, try a somewhat earlier bedtime.

Keep baby up later during the day.
Some early risers are ready to go back to sleep in an hour or two. Early naps lead to early bedtime, which inevitably continues the cycle of early waking. To break the cycle, postpone baby's return to the crib by 10 minutes more each morning until he's napping an hour or so later, which may eventually help him to extend his night's sleep.

Keep naps down.
A baby needs only so much total sleep—an average of 14½ hours at this age, with wide variations in individual babies. Maybe yours is getting too much sleep during the day and thus needs less at night. Limit daytime naps, cutting one out or shortening all of them. But don't cut out so much daytime sleep that your baby's actually overtired (and less likely to sleep well) by bedtime. And if he seems not to be napping enough during the day, consider that the key to longer night sleeps might be longer day sleeps.

Keep him waiting.
Don't rush to greet him at the first call from the crib. Wait 5 minutes first. If you're lucky, he may cuddle up and go back to sleep, or at least amuse himself while you catch a few more moments of rest.

Have entertainment standing by.
If keeping the room dark doesn't help, try letting a little light seep through so that he can play while he waits for you. An attached crib soother, crib mirror, or crib keyboard may keep him busy for a few minutes.

Keep him waiting for breakfast.
If he's used to eating at 5:30 a.m., hunger will continue to be his early wake-up call—and yours. Gradually postpone the first feed by a few minutes each day, so that he's less likely to wake up early for it.

Tried it all but your baby still won't sleep in? It may be your baby's just an early morning person, even if you are definitely not. In that case, you may have no choice but to rise—if not shine—early, too. That is, at least until he's old enough to get up and make his own breakfast.

“I always put my baby on her back to sleep. But now that she knows how to roll over, she flips over and sleeps on her stomach. Should I keep flipping her back?”

Now that your baby has learned to flip, there's no point in trying to keep her on her back—and happily, no reason to worry if you can't. Experts agree that a baby who is able to change positions easily is at a significantly decreased risk for SIDS. That's because
the high-risk period for SIDS has generally passed by the time a baby can turn over. It may also be because a baby who has developed the strength and mobility to roll onto her tummy has developed the maturity to sense trouble when she's sleeping—and she's better equipped to protect herself from whatever it is about tummy sleeping that increases SIDS risk.

You can—and according to experts, you should—keep putting your baby to bed on her back until her first birthday. But don't lose any sleep over her position if it changes during the night (or even as soon as you've put her down). Be sure, however, that her crib is safe—continue to follow the tips for preventing SIDS
here
, such as using only a firm mattress and avoiding pillows, blankets, bumpers, comforters, and plush toys.

“Our baby is far too big now for his infant tub. But I'm nervous about washing him in our bathtub—and he seems to be, too. The one time I tried it, he screamed so much, I had to take him out. So now what?”

Taking the plunge into the family bathtub (especially a deep soaking tub) may seem an intimidating step for both baby and you. After all, he's still such a little—and slippery—fish for such a big pond. But if you're careful about preventing accidents (see
box
) and easing baby's fears (and yours), the big tub can turn into a water wonderland for an older baby, and bath time into a favorite (if wet) family ritual. To make sure the transition to deeper waters is smooth sailing for baby, see the basic tips on bathtub bathing
here
, and try the following:

Let your baby test the waters in a familiar boat.
For a few nights before he graduates from it, bathe him in his baby tub placed in the empty grownup tub (if you haven't already). This way, the big tub won't seem quite so big when it's filled with water—and him.

Take a dry run.
If he's sitting well and is willing, put him in the tub (on a large bath towel or a safe bath seat so he doesn't slip) without water and with a pile of toys. That way he can become used to the tub while it's dry—and hopefully discover how much fun playing in it can be. If the room is warm enough and he's a baby who doesn't mind being naked, let him play in there undressed. Otherwise, keep his clothes on. If he seems reluctant, try climbing into the tub with him to keep him company. As in any bathtub situation, don't leave his side for a moment.

Use a stand-in.
While someone else holds baby, give a demonstration bath to a washable doll in the bathtub, with a comforting running commentary each step of the way. Make it look as if everybody involved is having a good time.

Test the waters.
Don't go deep—the water should come up to waist-high for baby when he's sitting. The temperature should be warm, but not hot (a bath thermometer is the easiest way to ensure a comfortable and safe temperature).

Avoid the big chill.
Babies dislike being cold, and if they associate being chilled with being bathed, they may balk at bathing. So be sure that the bathroom is comfortably warm—if it's too chilly, you can try steaming it up first by running a hot shower. Don't remove baby's clothes until the tub is filled and you are ready to slip him into it. Have a large, soft towel—hooded is best—ready to wrap him in as soon as you lift him from the water. Dry baby thoroughly, being sure to get into the creases, before unwrapping and dressing him.

Launch a fleet of fun.
Make the tub a floating playground for your baby so that he'll be diverted while you take care of bathing business. Specially designed tub toys (particularly those that bob atop the water, like a rubber ducky) and bath books are great, but you don't need pricey water toys to make a splash—plastic containers of all shapes and sizes will provide a boatload of fun. To avoid mildew buildup on tub toys, towel them off after use and store them in a dry container or a mesh bag. Clean water-retaining bath toys at least once a week with a mixture of 1 part bleach to 15 parts water (be sure to rinse well) to reduce any buildup of bacteria or mold.

Let baby make a splash.
For most babies, splashing is a large part of bath-time fun, and the wetter a baby can make you, the happier he'll be. But while he almost certainly will like to make a splash, he may not like to be the target of one. Every baby is different, but many have been turned off to the tub with a single playful splash.

Use the buddy system.
Some babies are more amenable to a bath if they've got company. Try climbing into the tub with your baby, but at bath temperatures geared to his comfort. Once he becomes adjusted to these baths-for-two, you can try him solo.

No swimming right after eating.
It makes sense not to bathe your baby directly after meals, because the increase in handling and activity could cause spit-ups.

Don't pull the stopper until baby is out of the tub.
Not only can it be a physically chilling experience to be in an emptying tub, it can be psychologically chilling, too. The gurgling sound can frighten even a young infant, and an older baby or toddler who sees the water rushing down the drain may fear that he's going down next.

Be patient.
Eventually, your little minnow will take to the tub. But he'll do it faster if he's allowed to do it at his own pace, and without parental pressure.

“I'd like to give my baby an occasional bottle of pumped milk to free me up a little, but she refuses to drink it. What can I do?”