Saturday, May 24, 2008

Teething

Patty has been on the teething pony for a while now and she has her moments where she cannot tolerate the pain. During those intolerable moments, I give her some baby Tylenol. At other times when her gums just seem itchy, I let her nibble on a cooled teething ring or a terry cloth. This stage is not as bad as my sister told me it would be (not yet) but every child is different I suppose. She definitely seems like a happy child and that is all that I can hope for :-)

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Teething Baby

As of Wednesday May 7, 2008, 4 month old Patty is a teether. ARGH!!! I thought my poor baby was going to chew her fingers down to a stub. She has not sucked a pacifier since birth but on Wednesday I felt she might take it to soothe her itchy gums. Sure enough she sucked on it for about 5 minutes (the longest ever). Later I rubbed her gums with some Orajel and she was able to relax and take a nap. Something new every day... :-)

Friday, May 2, 2008

Help your baby sleep through the night

My neighbor was dying to know how I got my little girl to sleep through the night, so I gave her some simple tips. Within a week her little boy was sleeping through the night as well. Of course all of this can change at a moment's notice, but for now things are working out great. Below are a few tips for getting your little one to sleep as well.

In the evening I give Patti a bath, change her diaper, then feed her 4 ounces of breast milk with either cereal or baby food. I burp her, sing a lullaby, place her on her stomach and tell her good night. It takes her about 10 minutes to fall asleep on her own. At 11 PM I change her diaper, feed her a bottle of breast milk with cereal, and place her on her stomach. She sleeps until 6 AM. Of course she is going to move around and grunt during the night but she doesn't wake up. That's it. It's not a complicated process and I get a good night's rest. However, before placing your baby on his/her stomach you may want to consult your child's pediatrician. I felt comfortable because my daughter can roll from her back to stomach and turn her head from side to side. Until things change I will continue to follow our routine because it has been a life saver for me. As I tell every mom I talk to, "Do what works for you and your child!"