In the early weeks after birth, your baby will seem to sleep any time that you’re not sleeping, waking up just as you drift off to sleep. Fortunately, that doesn’t last forever. As your baby grows and changes, she needs less and less sleep. For many children, by the time they are 6 or 7 weeks old, they will be sleeping through the night. For other babies, they may not sleep through the night until they are 3 or 4 months old. Here is how their sleep needs generally progress:

- birth to 6 or 7 weeks. Newborns sleep between 16 and 20 hours a day.

- 1 month to 3 months. Babies at this stage will need to sleep around 8 hours at night, and another 8 hours during the day, for a total of around 16 hours.

- 3 months to 6 months. During this stage, nighttime sleep increases and daytime sleep decreases. Your baby will probably sleep for about 10 hours at night, and need between 3 and 5 hours during the day.

- 6 months to 9 months. Babies at this age will sleep even more at night. Nighttime sleep will be around 11 hours. Daytime sleep will drop down to between 2 and 3 1/2 hours.

- 9 months to 1 year. Nighttime sleep stays steady at 11 hours. Daytime sleep may drop off slightly, from 2 to 3 hours.

- 1 year to 18 months. Here, they may add a little time sleeping at night, around 11 1/2 hours total. Daytime sleep drops to between 1 and 2 hours, where it will stay until after they are around 4 years old (or whenever they stop taking naps).

- 18 months to 3 years. Nighttime sleep will drop around half an hour every six months, so that at 3 years your baby will be sleeping around 10 1/2 hours a night. Daytime sleep will stay around the same.

If your baby seems to be getting too much sleep (more than an hour or more beyond the guide above) it could be indicative of another problem. If your baby refuses to sleep, this too can be indicative of a problem. If you have any concerns, you should speak with your pediatric health care provider.

Gripe Water is a European remedy that has been around for ages. When gas medications and massage won’t work, Gripe Water usually will which is why most mothers keep it on hand all the time. Gripe water is simply water fortified with herbs that are proven to help calm the stomach and even the intestines. The water is sterile water usually fortified with herbs such as peppermint, chamomile, fennel, or ginger or a combination of these herbs. All of these herbs have been used for centuries to help with stomach upset, and they have been proven to help infants as well. Your pediatrician may recommend that you feed your baby four ounces of herbal tea per day to help with stomach cramps, but when you substitute Gripe Water you don’t have to choose what type of tea to use each day. Instead, your baby can benefit from a mixture of these herbs that will likely provide a lot of relief.

Gripe Water works with infant colic because the herbs used in it have a calming effect on the whole digestive system. Because doctors don’t know exactly what causes colic, their efforts with gas medication and reflux medication are hit or miss. With Gripe Water you can easily and effectively address the whole digestive tract, which is usually what babies complain about when they suffer from colic. Gripe Water simply addresses all of your colicky infant’s gripes, and it doesn’t get much more straightforward than that!

If your baby won’t take the Gripe Water by itself, you can easily use the Gripe Water instead of tap or sterile water when you mix formula. Your baby will likely not be able to tell the difference and will eat like normal. But, the pain of colic will not follow the feeding because the herbs in the Gripe Water will counter the digestive irritation caused by the formula. If you are breast-feeding, try spooning the Gripe Water into your baby’s mouth if he or she won’t take a bottle.

The great thing about using Gripe Water to treat colic is that it’s all natural. There is no need to worry about over dosing your baby or the side effects he or she may have from the herbs. If it works, great, you can keep using it. If it happens to not work for your child, there is no harm in having tried the natural remedy. Chances are, you’ll find that Gripe Water makes life with a colicky baby worth living again!

You have probably heard of the herbal remedies and maybe even massage for a reflux baby, but you might have never heard of a wedge and the wonders it can do for your baby. Basically, the wedge is a support system that focus on elevating your baby to the best position for sleep and digestion so that reflux is not such a factor. You might think this sounds great, but are still at a loss for what a wedge really is. Generally, they are made of a sturdy foam or other material that can easily be shaped in an elevated form and support the baby’s weight. Wedges come in a variety of sizes for babies of different weights and sizes as well. When your baby sleeps on a wedge you can rest assured that if they have reflux episodes during the night they are more likely to go back to sleep on their own rather than waking up crying. This is good news for you and your baby because everyone needs their rest.

Positioning systems like wedges and slings have grown in popularity with many new parents as well as hospitals because they help babies during the early weeks and months to react to the many changes in their bodies and to have fewer reflux symptoms. There are a variety of reasons why you might use a wedge for your baby and they don’t all include reflux. Some parents use a wedge for their baby when they have a cold, gas, frequent crying, stuffiness, ear infections, and other similar complaints. Most new parents that give the wedge a try are surprised with its effectiveness and sing its praises because their baby finally got a good night’s rest.

The baby positioning systems like the wedge also allow for a variety of sleep positions. Babies can be positioned on their side, belly, or back. Most of the good wedges have straps or harnesses that safely secure the baby on the wedge so parents won’t be worried about their baby falling off and getting hurt.

If your baby cannot get good sleep at night for whatever reason then consider buying a quality wedge and see if that helps. More often than not it does and babies can get their much needed rest, not to mention the parents.

Little babies don’t need pyjamas, as such. They need clothing that is comfortable, warm, dry and clean. Cotton is perhaps the best fabric for baby clothing, especially for sleepwear as air circulates freely and the material absorbs moisture from the body. Special flame retardant sleepwear is available for babies.

For sleeping, clothing should be loose enough to enable freedom of movement but not too loose so that it can come off during sleep. Sleepwear that includes the covering for feet is popular because it means that the legs of the garment don’t ‘ride up’ and expose the skin to cool air. Cold feet is a reason why some babies wake up.

Sleepwear should not be too warm. The risks of SIDS increase in babies who have become overheated during sleep. That said, however, it is better to dress your baby in warmer clothes and allow for lighter bed coverings so that in case the coverings come off altogether, he is still protected by his clothes.

Check in on your baby to see if his face feels warm or cool to the touch and adjust the bedclothes accordingly. Try to maintain a bedroom temperature of around 70 degrees for optimal comfort.

What you dress your baby in for bed needs to be safe because you will be providing less supervision than at any other time of day. Steer clear of clothing that features hanging strings or ribbons, because of the risk of strangulation. If there are any buttons, make sure they are securely attached so that they don’t come loose and present a choking hazard. Elastic shouldn’t be too tight or restricting and clothes should fit well; not too small and not too big, as each brings its own problems.

One-piece outfits with a zipper up the front are ideal for sleepwear, especially if they are made of cotton. They are warm, comfortable, non-restricting and generally have no superfluous trims that can be hazardous. One consideration to make, though, is that in winter, if you need to change your baby’s diaper, it means his whole body will be exposed to the cooler air, unless you are able to unfasten only the bottom half.

As with all baby clothing, sleepwear should be easy to launder. Babies can sometimes spit up in their sleep, and also a little leakage can sometimes occur out of the diaper.

Don’t be seduced into buying pyjamas simply because they’re cute and colorful. When it comes to babies, practical and safe is always the best option.

Wedge-Style Positioners
For babies who suffer from congestion or apnea, a wedge-style positioner enables parents to place them at a greater than 30 degree angle.

In the case of babies suffering from reflux, it’s important to keep their heads elevated so that their milk doesn’t rise back up their oesophagus and cause them to spit up. A sleep positioner in a wedge shape can be placed under the head end of the mattress so that baby sleeps on an angle.

Bolsters
Sleeping bolsters are like a change mat with a cylindrical cushion to either side. They serve to keep the child in position so that she doesn’t roll on to her tummy. Additionally, they create extra feelings of snugness and comfort in a comparatively large environment such as a crib. Due to the risks of SIDS, it’s recommended to have babies sleeping on their backs, and a bolster will stop your child from rolling over. Complete with Velcro fasteners, the bolster is snug and secure yet still allows your little one’s arms and legs freedom of movement. Bolsters are suitable from birth to around 3 months of age and in larger sizes for babies up to six months old.

Home made positioners
Before companies realized they could make excellent profits out of some baby products, parents improvized by creating their own. It’s still not uncommon to find cribs with a regular, grownup pillow set under the mattress to elevate the head end. And before bolsters were available on the market, a rolled up blanket to either side of the baby would suffice. The main concern with home-improvized items such as these is that they can sometimes present the risk of suffocation. If the rolled blanket comes undone, it can unfold onto the baby’s face and smother her. Similarly, if the pillow under the mattress is not positioned correctly, it could put baby off-centre during her sleep and cause her to roll into the side of the crib.

When buying positioners and bolsters, ensure that they can be cleaned easily. Some can be thrown into the washing machine and washed with clothing, which is very practical and convenient indeed. Others simply need to have their covers removed for laundering.

Whether you buy or improvize, these items can be of great use in the nursery. You can even use them as change mats or as feeding aids, so potentially they can be of excellent practical use.

Recognize the signs of tiredness
7pm might be bedtime most nights, but if your baby is displaying signs of tiredness earlier, put him to bed earlier. An overtired baby is harder to settle and will be more likely to wake during the night. You may even need to spend half an hour or so with him helping him to wind down after a particularly hectic day.

Make his crib comfortable and welcoming
The crib should be positioned in a warm (or cool) spot in the room, should be clean and dry and arranged with the covers neatly tucked in.

Make sure he’s clean, dry and fed
A baby who has been bathed, dressed in clean, dry pyjamas, had his diaper freshly changed and has a contented tummy really should have no reason not to feel sleepy!

Create an environment that’s conducive to sleep
Turn the lights down low. If your baby’s room has shutters, blinds or drapes that block out light from outside, even better. Total darkness is not necessary, and if there is a little light present, for instance from a night-light or a soft lamp, it will mean you can check on him without disturbing him. Aromatherapy can be useful in helping a baby to wind down. Essential oils of lavender and chamomile are recommended.

Sounds to sleep by
Remember that your baby spent nine months, give or take, in your womb and listened to your heartbeat and other exotic sounds while there. Pure silence isn’t necessary for sleep and your baby will feel comforted by rhythmic, soft sounds in the background as she drifts off to sleep. Classical music can be relaxing and if you can play a CD that runs for an hour, it can turn itself off and your baby should already be in the Land of Nod. Also, an old clock that ticks and tocks can be a delightful sound. The best thing about it is, it doesn’t stop unless the batteries need changing. A fan, air conditioner or the washing machine or dryer in the next room can all provide ‘white noise’ that a baby can tune in, and then out, to.

Be consistent
Babies respond beautifully to routine and consistency. By trying your best to maintain the night time routine, your baby will come to know what to expect, and by the time you bring out the lavender oil, he’ll know it’s time to lay his head down to sleep.

Going to bed awake
Ideally, your baby should be put in his crib awake so that he can wind down and go off to sleep without assistance. Your reassurance and comforting will help him to understand that he’s loved and safe, and by learning to put himself to sleep, he will learn behaviors that will stand him in good stead in other areas as well. Of course, if he’s asleep when you put him to bed, that’s fine too! No one likes to wake a sleeping baby because a child who is asleep is like 24-carat gold … rare, precious and delightful to behold.

Take a look at the following list of nutrients that, since 1985, have been required by the FDA to be added to infant formula: protein, linoleic acid, fat, choline, carbohydrate, inositol, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, iodine, sodium, potassium, chloride, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, niacin, pyridoxine, cobalamin, folic acid, biotin, panthothenic acid, ascorbic acid.

You could be forgiven for thinking that you need a science degree to nourish your child! Fortunately, all of that is taken care of for you, and if you choose not to or are unable to breastfeed, rest assured that science continues to come up with the best possible alternatives.

The basis of infant formulas is most commonly either cow’s milk or soy ‘milk’. Both are processed in such a way as to make them easily digestible by immature digestive systems such as those in babies. You can also buy goat’s milk formula.

Different recipes are created for different needs. For instance, thickeners are added to some formulas for antiregurgitation. In babies who spit up at nearly all feeds, this kind of formula helps to prevent that and therefore retain the nutrients ingested. There are also non-lactose preparations of cow’s milk formula, in which the lactose (sugar found naturally in milk) has been substituted with another naturally found sugar.

Other additives are put into formulas so that they remain stable during shelf life. Commonly found in ready-to-feed and concentrated liquid formulas are lecithin, carrageenan and mono- and diglycerides for just that purpose.

When next you prepare a bottle of formula for your baby, instead of cringing at the sheer number of foreign-sounding ingredients in it, marvel at the way science is working to ensure that your baby and millions of others are being fed on nutritionally-optimized products that keep them healthy and taste good too!

You’re best to start with rice cereal made fairly sloppily, using formula from baby’s bottle. A baby has a pretty quick tongue-thrusting reflex which means once you spoon the food in to his mouth, it’s likely to come straight back out again. Persevere, however, because it’s part of the learning process to be able to capture the food with the tongue and swallow. Gradually you can make the cereal more firm as baby gets used to it.

The best time of day to begin solid foods is breakfast time. After waking refreshed from a good sleep, he’ll be ready and willing to try new things. Plus, any reactions to the food, such as tummy ache, can be dealt with in an alert, daytime environment. In reality though, you shouldn’t have much trouble getting some rice cereal down. Most babies handle it beautifully and indicate their desire for more!

After a few days of rice cereal with his breakfast, you can start adding a little well mashed banana or cooked apple and see how he likes it. Once you’ve got the breakfast routine down pat, you can start varying his lunch and dinner with tasty new additions.

Mashed potato and carrot are great starters, or try some pureed vegetable soup. Broccoli and cauliflower, cooked and put through a food processor are also popular. With baby’s lunch time bottle, prepare some vegetable mash; all you’ll need is about two teaspoonsful at first, and if he eats all of that up, you can make more next time. Offer more at dinnertime.

Generally, when your baby is just starting out on solids, concentrate on breakfast, and then introduce lunch and finally, dinner. A pre-bedtime bottle is all that’s needed at that time of day. Start sitting your baby at the table in his high chair to enjoy dinnertime with the family. He’ll be thrilled to bits at sharing the goings-on with everyone else. Once he’s a little older, you can pass him pieces of bread or finger-size portions of meat to chew on. Always supervise babies with food. Eating should be a shared experience, so never leave a baby with food in front of him while you do laundry or talk on the phone. Make it fun and happy so as to establish good eating habits for the future. No one likes to eat alone!

There are babies who fuss and cry even after their bottle, and continually put their fist in their mouth and they just seem, well, hungry. From about four months of age, you can start introducing little tastes of solid foods, but before that, a baby’s digestive system simply is not well enough developed to cope with breaking them down. The recommended age for beginning solids is around six months but some will be happy with formula for longer, and breastfeeding for up to a year.

If, at family meal time, Mom or Dad has baby on their lap, and he starts to appear interested in what the whole food thing is about, there is no harm in trying a little of what everyone’s having, as long as it is not full of sugar, salt, spices or excessive fat. There are several signs that will indicate that your baby wants in on the dinnertime action.

Does he watch your forkful of food from the plate to your mouth, with great intensity? Does he lean forward to try to grab foods to sample? Does everything nearby end up in his mouth? Does he appear to salivate when watching the family eat? Also, watch for signs that he is not satisfied after a feed.

The best things to try to feed a young baby are vegetables and fruits, which are easy to digest and have pleasant flavors while not containing additives. Mashed potato is an excellent starter, as is mashed banana and cooked apple and pear. Pureed soup, the consistency of thick cream, also usually goes down well.

When first feeding your baby solids, his tongue-thrusting reflex may have him spitting food out as quickly as you can spoon it in. This doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t like the food; it’s just an instinctive reaction. If he screws his nose up, however, that might be a sign that he’s not too thrilled, but again, don’t be perturbed. Tastes are new sensations to little babies. Keep food bland. Babies have a much higher sense of taste than adults so a great deal of flavor is not needed.

Always introduce one kind of food at a time, to gauge for reactions. You might find that a particular food causes tummy ache or a rash, in which case, your child might have an allergy to it. If so, discontinue it and try again in a few weeks time. Otherwise, once you’re confident that a food is ok, you can try something new.

Some foods should be avoided until after a child’s first birthday. They include honey, eggs, nuts, dairy and citrus fruits. Honey contains a bacteria that can be detrimental in a baby’s diet, eggs and nuts can cause allergic reactions, dairy products are not able to be processed by underdeveloped digestive systems and citrus fruits are too acidic to be included in a high milk diet.

Go easy and take things slowly, and remember, babies will not like every food you try on them, so enjoy offering different kinds of foods and have fun.

An average baby should consume two or three ounces of formula per day for every pound of his or her body weight, up to a maximum of 32 ounces. So a newborn who weighs 7lbs will require between 14-21 ounces per day, while a four-month-old who weighs 14lbs will require between 28-32 ounces.

Flexibility is key; after all, we stop eating when we’re full, and we continue eating if we’re not yet satisfied. Babies’ appetites increase and decrease according to their activity level, the time of day and how well they are, and even the climate can be a contributing factor. Unless your baby is consuming way too much or way too little, keep in mind the natural fluctuations in appetite and remember that they are normal. If your baby regularly fails to finish a feed that’s appropriate for his age and weight, you should see your pediatrician for advice. Incremental weight gain is important and if he is falling behind in this area, things should be investigated.

Avoid offering juice to babies. Not only is the sugar content quite high but there is no real nutritive need for juice in a formula-fed baby. His thirst mechanism can be tricked into thinking he’s satisfied, simply because he has taken in fluids, but in fact, his body will be missing out on all the wonderful elements found in formula. Similarly, with water, the priority is formula, and water should be given between feeds in small amounts, so as not to bloat the tummy with fluids that contain no nutrient value. In hot weather, of course, when dehydration can be a risk and when your baby is perspiring, a little extra water is in order.

Things can sometimes seem complicated when you start to introduce solids because you can begin to wonder if your baby is drinking enough formula, while eating foods as well. As a general rule, a baby can attain all its nutrients from formula for the first year of his life. At a very early age, such as around four to six months, a good idea is to begin a feed with a bottle, and once your child has finished that, then you can offer food from a spoon. As he grows older, and starts to take three meals of solids in a day, you’ll find he will be less interested in his formula. Try to offer the bottle first, then supplement the solid feed with the bottle. You might even find that he will take a bottle first thing in the morning or last thing at night, without the need for food as well.