As far as working out goes it is always important to remember that even when you don’t want to go the gym, you still should.  You will always feel better after doing a workout than after skipping one.

I know that not everyone loves to work out.  However, eventually anyone can learn to love it.  Between the endorphins released into your body from the workout, to  the feeling of accomplishment after a great workout, it becomes so easy to love.  If you stick with it, and push yourself, you will reach that point!

First Steps: 

Go to the gym!

Bike, Elliptical, Treadmill, whatever.. Just get some cardio in your life!

Eat less junk.  If it comes in a wrapper, you shouldn’t eat it. [another Joey Gloor paraphrase]
The better the stuff is that you put in your body, the better your body will be.

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Hopefully everyone who reads this blog with think this is a good start.  [this is my first blog!] If anyone has any questions or suggestions or would be curious about anything specific to get tips on then just comment or email me!

Basic Makeup Tips

Make-Up is considered as the beauty and charm of universe. Every woman has an inner desire to look more beautiful, good, pretty, different and young ever. For this purpose, women try to do every possible effort from skin care to make up techniques.

Women were not so much attentive regarding their looks. They used to remain simple and indulge in indoor activities but the women of today have learned how to make she stand side by side with men. Now she is so much conscious about her looks and maintenance for this purpose she tries to do all the things which make her more beautiful and elegant. They spend a huge financial plan on make up accessories and also go off and on beauty saloons to enhance their beauty.

Here are some tips which can be very helpful for the enhancement of your beauty.

• Keep your skin neat and clean with massaging which will make your skin healthy.
• Keep all your make up matte and muted in summer season
• Apply light thing in hot weather.
• Apply light color in lip gloss rather then dark and bright colors.
• Wear dark eye liner which will show your eyes prominent and big.
• Try Mascara colors other then black.
  

  Basic Makeup Tips

Basic Massage Tips

You do not pay large sums of money on facial massage, which refresh your complexion, tone and condition the skin, relaxes facial muscles, improves circulation, breaking down fat deposits, releasing toxins, reduce wrinkles and leaves skin smoother and more lively. Warm-Up starting on either side of your nose, taste along each eyebrow and as far as possible along the temples toward the tops of the ears. Then touch from the chin, working slowly along the jaw line and up to the base of the ears.

Basic Massage Tips

Some basic Tips for Massage
1. Dip the pads of your fingers in the oil and rub your palms together to spread it evenly. Place your fingertips on your jawbone and with light pressure, make a large, sweeping circle from the jaw line up either side of your nose to the center of the forehead, out along the hairline, and down the temples to meet at the jawbone. This gently stimulates energy and spreads the oil.

2. Using Technique 1, start at the chin and travel along the jaw line and then up from the angles of the jaw to the temples.

3. Using Technique 2, begin on each side of the nose, close to the base of the nostrils, moving first under the cheekbones and then up toward the tops of the ears.

4. Placing the tips of the middle fingers at the inner corners of the eyes, slide your fingers upward, pushing against the orbital bone, and then outward, just above the eyebrows, towards the ears.

5. Use Technique 2 to massage the forehead, starting just above the top of the nose, moving up toward the hairline, and then outward until you reach the temples.

6. Using Technique 2, position the pads of all three fingers at the base of the central frown line, just above the top of the nose, and slide them toward the temples.

7. Massage your scalp firmly, as if you were shampooing your hair. Begin at the temples and work downward, behind the ears and towards the base of the skull.

8. Resting your palms on your ears so that the thumbs point downward, massage from your throat to the nape of the neck in a broad, spiraling version of Technique 2.

9. Place one hand, palm down, on each side of your nose. Your fingertips should rest slightly above your eyebrows. With firm, even pressure, slide your hands outward toward the ears.

10. Bring the sequence to an end by repeating the sweeping movement described in step 1.

Basic Massage Tips

All these basic tips and posts of ways to get your baby to sleep better, are only best-case scenarios.

Softly Sleeping

Every book you’ll read is selling you a dream… Because the idea that there’s a magical way to make your baby sleep uninterrupted all night is a sham.

I’m not being pessimistic! I assure you, I’m perfectly happy now that I’ve accepted that my little guy wakes up at least 3 to 4 times a night. That’s just who he is: a very intense, spirited child.

Some will say that I’ve created my own little monster. Yes, I have. Don’t we all? And I LOVE my little monster.

So here’s a review of my baby’s sleep progress in one line: it’s better but not perfect. I doubt it ever will be.

A few basic tips like

Creating a quiet environment,

Good habits,

Being consistent and compassionate,

Establishing a nap schedule,

do help considerably. Without these rituals, it would be a million times worse.

And we’ve outgrown other steps, like the Transfer (part 1, 2, and 3). Those tips were useful when he was very little. Nowadays, I can pretty much roll him out of my arms and he’s used to flipping on his tummy to fall asleep.

But mostly, it’s a work in progress… Like staying asleep, or falling back to sleep without my help. Since I’m pretty categorical about not letting him cry it out, I’ll just have to patiently continue rocking or breastfeeding him back to sleep. I pass no judgement on others who have “ferberized”, as long as they don’t judge me for using the boob or for co-sleeping.

So, hang it all to heck! Here’s another basic tip: Just do the best you can. Do whatever works for your family. Politely nod your head to anyone who has advice about your sleep issues, ask them to pass the guacamole, and carry on.

And if you can’t stand it any longer, make a plan and change it.

I’ve made my bed (harty-har-har) and I’m fine sleeping in it.

So you’ve prepared everything in advance, as described in part 1, and you’ve tried my little blankie trick, part 2, to cradle his head for a smoother transfer…

You are now facing the crib.

This is the moment of truth, and as I have often faced it and failed, here are the final tricks that kept my little baby asleep.

Avoiding The Drop

Push your lower body against the side of the crib, then lean your entire upper body and lower your baby inside. The sensation of “dropping” out of your arms is a big culprit in waking him up, so keep your baby in your arms and against your chest for as long as you can before he gets to the mattress.

Keep your Arms in the Crib.

You made it, but don’t release your arms just yet! This is another crucial point and you will have to muster all your patience not to let go and peel out of his bedroom.

When you’ve laid him on the mattress, you will have one forearm under his head and your other hand over his legs and cradling his little bum. Stay in that position, leaning into the crib. I would count ten of his deep breaths before even thinking of letting him go.

First, wiggle out your arm from under his bum. Simply, pivot your hand under him until it’s out. Second, slide your newly-free hand under his head-blankie, to keep his head steady when you pull your forearm out from the other side.

Anytime he stirs, freeze. Leave your arms perfectly immobile. Try breathing softly close to him to reassures him of your continuing presence. Then count ten breaths again and resume your “extraction”.

The rest is just practice. If your baby wakes completely and cries, pick him up, cuddle him in your arms or in the rocking chair, or breastfeed him until he’s settled, and try again. At any time, if you and your baby have had enough, go back to co-sleeping and practice another night.

I know I must sound bonkers to describe every little step like this, but I’ve found that attention to every detail has brought me success. With time, I could be a lot more sloppy, because my baby got used to this routine.

In fact, one fine night, he decided to roll out of my arms and onto his tummy. My breath caught in my throat the first time, but he now falls straight to sleep with his bum in the air. So cute! At this point, I keep my hand on his upper back and again, reassure my presence until he’s off and dreaming.

1. You feel nauseous. A stomach ache is a sign that you are not getting enough sleep.
2. You have a buzzing headache.
3. You are especially crabby.
4. You cry easily and your morale is low.
5. Resentment sets in. This is not pretty. You are mad at your baby for not sleeping, but you hold it in. Then your husband asks what’s for supper and you rip his head off.
6. You’ve lost your patience. You are singing a heavy-metal version of Rock-a-Bye-Baby.
7. You are reading this blog post.

When things can’t get any worse, just remember you are not alone. Everything’s going to be alright. Here’s what can help:

1. Get someone to do ALL the housework and ALL the meals. Your husband should now be your manservant.
2. Limit visitors and outings. The world can wait. Mommy getting her sleep and regaining her sanity is the best gift for the baby.
3. Take efficient naps. Yeah, I’m sure you’ve heard it a million times: sleep when the baby sleeps. True, this helps, but try to control the length of your naps. If you go over 30 minutes, you’ll fall into a deep sleep and wake up all groggy and really pissed off that you can’t stay in bed. The ideal nap lengths are either 20-30 minutes or 1.5 hours long. It’s also best to nap earlier in the day. “Sleep when the baby sleeps” also means going to bed at 8pm, even if it’s still daylight.
4. Learn to co-sleep and breastfeed in bed. This will be easier when your baby is older (maybe around 3 months) and able to reach your breast while you’re still lying down. You may not be actually sleeping, but you’ll preserve your energy by remaining in bed.
5. Don’t panic if you can’t fall asleep. Just do something relaxing. Resting is the next best thing to sleeping. If you are stuck in bed with your baby, who won’t let you leave his side, have a book next to your pillow so you won’t go stir-crazy.
6. Take care of yourself. Eat well and regular meals. Drink plenty of water. Avoid caffeine. Give yourself positive affirmations (“I am a good Mommy. I am doing the best I can. Everything will be fine.”) And get out there! Take a walk or do some gentle activity that takes you out of the house (like yoga, with or without your baby).
7. If you feel you are at the end of your rope, put the baby in his crib. Tell him you’ll be right back and close the door. Call reinforcements so you can sleep for 1/2 hour. If no one can relieve you, just take a 5-minute break in another room. Don’t worry! Your baby will be fine. Take care of yourself first, and you’ll be a better mommy.

I think it occurred to me sometime within the first hour of arriving home from the hospital after the birth of my son. I don’t know if it was the shock of being sore, mostly unable to move, and all alone with his fragility after having nurses on call for days. Or, maybe it was being squirted with projectile, fluorescent yellow baby poo, or having changed his clothes four times in less than 45 minutes after the spewing of two pee-pee fountains, lo … Read More

via On Becoming Mommy

I’m sure I’m not alone with this problem. There are so many reasons to explain why a baby is having a bad night.

1. He’s HUNGRY. Depending on the baby’s age, this can range from ravenously hungry to just peckish/thirsty.
2. He’s teething. This can go on forever.
3. He’s nursing a cold and can’t breathe or has a fever.
4. He is reacting to the vaccines he had a week earlier.
5. He’s overtired, because a) you put him to sleep too late in the evening, or b) his nap schedule was out of whack for whatever reason.
6. He’s overstimulated, because your husband played chase with him all over the house just before bedtime.
7. His cuddle quota was not met in the daytime. For whatever reason, you did not have time to pay attention to him, give him kisses and hugs, or just hold him. (Dr. Sears would say the solution is to use a carrier.)
8. He’s uncomfortable because the room is too hot, or too cold, or who knows, maybe because his pajamas have an irritating tag.
9. He’s going through a developmental milestone and his brain is going on overdrive because he learned how to hold and use a fork at dinner.
10. He’s having nightmares. Poor little guy!

I’m sure I’m missing a ton of other possible reasons for night wakings, but are these reasons or just excuses?

There are nights when I’m unsure about the path I’m taking. Am I doing the right thing? I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know…

And then I think about my other mommy friends and their Sleep Stories, and doubt really starts to crumble my defenses. One offered their baby a drink of water. Lo and behold, the baby was disgusted and never woke up again in the middle of the night. Another couple decided to let their baby “cry it out”. He now sleeps 10 hours a night, uninterrupted, and is a very happy child.

Then I take a hold of myself. I would never compare my son with other babies. So I shouldn’t compare my decisions as a mother with others either. Their situations are unique and would not work for my baby. The baby who refused a drink of water and simply rolled over has a very easy-going personality. My son has a strong will. He would laugh in the face of sippy cup. My friends who resorted to let their baby “cry-it-out” were facing so many challenges (cracked nipples, low milk supply, parents returning to work and unable to handle the sleep deprivation). I can’t judge their decision, and I know they don’t judge me either.

So the reasons above are not excuses. They are valid. One has to respect the fact that our babies face a lot of challenges. They are capable of great things, but we shouldn’t pressure our babies because we’re feeling insecure as parents. It all works out in the end, right?

Hey, my little guy is still sleeping… I think it might be a good night after all.

Here’s what I figured out…

First, babies need a lot of sleep and you have to work around their schedule. That means you may not have time to go out shopping, visit friends, or whatnot. Just thank God you got the time to do one thing, like go for a walk in the park.

Second, if you skip a nap, you will pay for it later. More precisely, your baby will be paying for it. He will not be a cooperative baby if he’s overtired. And don’t believe that they’ll sleep better because they’re exhausted. Think about it. When you go to bed super late, don’t your muscles get twitchy, doesn’t your brain hurt, aren’t you a tad sensitive? Imagine your baby going through that. It’s going to be a nightmare to put him down and keep him asleep. Don’t skip naps!

Third, figure out your little one’s sleep cues. This is the best way to figuring out his personal schedule. Yawning means, hmmm I could sleep a few winks. Staring into space, please put me to sleep. Rubbing eyes, I’m so tired I’m about to have a fit and I’m getting crabby. Crying means you missed the boat. Don’t delay a nap. If you see them yawning a couple of times, swoop them up, it’s time to sleep. If you catch it on time, it should be very easy to put your baby to sleep.

Lastly, a typical schedule for naps varies widely and greatly depends on the baby’s age. On average, a baby under 4 months old should not be awake for more than 2 hours at a time. It could be two naps in the morning and two naps in the afternoon. As they grow older, the morning nap may consolidate into one, with still two naps in the afternoon. Then, playtime starts lasting longer with a nap in the morning and one later in the day, until one day your baby only needs one nap a day.

Most sleep books only discuss bedtime issues, and explain very little about naps, except for The 90-minute Baby Sleep Program. So useful and easy! Don’t worry. This book will not force your baby into an arbitrary schedule. It helped me understand when my baby is tired and discover his ever-changing sleep pattern. Check out my short book review here.

Good naps mean good nights!

Breastfeeding was a challenge, my baby got jaundice, the back-splash poop was staining everything, but mostly I was exhausted. My little baby just wouldn’t sleep in the crib, wouldn’t sleep in the side-car, wouldn’t sleep in bed next to me, wouldn’t sleep anywhere except in my arms.

So on the second night at home, my husband and I took turns every 3 hours holding him. Now that I think about it, 3 hours is a lovely chunk of sleep after a year of waking every hour or two on most nights.  But back then, 3 hours would go by in a wink.

On the third night, I devised a way to hold my baby and learn to co-sleep.

After breastfeeding him, he would just pass out. He wouldn’t stir unless I moved him out of my arms. So my husband would prop my legs up on the couch and I slept sitting up with my baby on my chest.

The next night, I arranged my bed with several pillows and leaned back with my baby cradled in my arms.

And after a couple of nights of baby steps, every time testing a minuscule change, I managed to lie all the way down and get my baby to sleep next to me.  With him in my arms and high up on my lap, I would scoot in bed and slowly lean back, while at the same time shifting my baby to my side and laying him down next to my body. Then, only after I was assured he wouldn’t wake up, I would scoot slightly over to give him enough space, but still kept my arm under his head.

For a long time, I could not reclaim my arm from under him. With time, and more baby steps, I was able to move him down my arm further and further, from my armpit to my forearm.

One night, after breastfeeding him in bed, my arm went numb because of the weight of his head. He was growing up fast and his head was getting heavier. I said, enough! And slowly slipped my arm, while holding his head with my other hand so he wouldn’t plop suddenly on the mattress. And presto! He stayed asleep.

From that point on, I would use a folded receiving blanket under his head while breastfeeding so I could easily transfer him off my arm and on my bed. Then I could lie next to him and sleep at last! (For more details on this trick, read my past post here.)

Now, my little guy sleeps in his crib. It took several months of baby steps to progress to a little sleep independence. Of course, if he’s sick we snuggle together again and I must confess, I do miss it terribly. Here’s the cutest little video that epitomizes the mommy-baby snuggle at its best:

Chances are your baby is a newborn, used to sleeping around the clock in your womb. But now this is a brand new world, with sunrises and sunsets.

It may take a while to help your baby adjust his circadian rhythm… in other words, learn to sleep at night and stay awake during the day.

But a little bit of time to get used to a new way of sleeping, and establishing good habits, I think are the only factors. First, when baby wakes up in the morning, open the blinds, say “Good morning!” as cheerfully as possible (even though you hardly slept all night) and keep active until nap time.

Then, in the evening, make everything mellow. Dim the lights, talk softly, and turn off the television. (See more ideas here and here for a wind-down routine.)

In a few days, your newborn will get in the swing of things!

I bring this up because my friend was wondering why her baby was able to sleep soundly for 4 hours at the beginning of the night, but would wake up every 2 hours after that.

Quite simply, the beginning of the night is when you get the most restful and deepest sleep (there is a greater amount of deep sleep, called N3, earlier in the sleep cycle). We all wake up several times a night, but during this stage it’s much easier for a baby to “konk” out and keep sleeping.

However, for the rest of the night, a baby sleeps very lightly. Falling back asleep on their own becomes increasingly difficult when their sleep shifts into light, REM sleep.

And that’s why they wake up so easily at the crack of dawn. Or sometimes, pre-dawn. I found my baby would wake up at 5am if he was over-tired and went to bed too late. You’d think he would want to sleep in! In these cases, I think his body and brain were “irritated” that they didn’t get enough of that deep sleep early in the night.

That’s why it’s important to tuck them in early. They get the best quality, most restorative sleep early in the night.

Personally, I found the bedtime sweet spot to be between 7:30pm and 8pm. Anytime later makes getting to sleep and staying asleep much more challenging.

(Sure I know a baby who sleeps from midnight to noon, but there are exceptions for everything. In such cases, usually very young babies, they need to adjust their circadian rhythm… in other words, learn to sleep at night and stay awake during the day. See here for more info.)

Take heart! In my experience, as the baby gets older, you get longer stretches at the beginning of the night.

Nuts to that. No matter how tired I am, I make sure I’ve at least gone for a walk.

After splashing your face with cool water, “getting out there” is the best antidote to becoming a zombie.

Do a couple of sun salutes, then strap your baby in your carrier and try any of these easy suggestions:

• Go to a baby-mama coffee shop. Ask for DECAF.
• Go to the local library. Seeing your baby’s reaction to that many books in one place is priceless.
• Organize a playdate at your house. Misery loves company, as long as the company couldn’t care less that your place is a mess.
• Go to your backyard, or the park. Lie on a blanket and blow some bubbles. Seeing your baby fall over in a fit of giggles will re-energize you.
• Try out a playgroup, like the Mother Goose Rhyme Time.
• Or just walk around the block. Breathe in some fresh air.

A new mother’s biggest enemy is the isolation.

Go out and have fun!!

Well, I knew from the very first day that my little boy would not bend easily. He even fought with the hospital nurses! He would arch his neck backwards whenever they tried to push his head towards me to nurse. Pretty stubborn for a day-old baby. He had to nurse on his own terms, not be pushed around. And the sooner I accepted that, the easier it got.

So what would be the point of pushing a sleep-training method on a kid who will fight me all the way? Chances are it would fail. Worse than that, I think if I really forced him, it would break his spirit.  That would just break my heart. If I had a baby who would accept change easily, of course I would persevere. However, I have an energetic and social baby. Getting him to sleep on his own would involve a lot more than “showing him who’s the boss”, a philosophy that the worst sleep books teach new parents.

Instead of forcing, I’m just asking him to meet me half-way. “You like to breastfeed to sleep. Fine. But I’m not a pacifier and you can’t wreck my nipples by suckling instead of nursing.” “You want to be held to sleep. OK. But I’m not going to break my lower back by carrying you around all night. We’re using the rocking chair until  you are sleepy enough for the crib.”

And the mother’s personality factors in too. Are you a laid-back hippie-mom? Or do you feel more secure by set schedules? I’m sure most of us are somewhere in the vast spectrum in between. Once you figure out where you stand, and enjoy your baby’s amazing qualities, as the parent, we get to discover how to make a true connection with our child and how to construct our days (and nights) to suit both personalities.

In the morning, he stumbled about his toys. My mellow baby had become Mr. Cranky-Pants. It was one thing if I lost sleep, but now I could see that he was suffering from sleep-deprivation and that was unacceptable.

I asked the Angels of Baby Sleep to give me a sign.

Right then, clicking through television land, I came across this movie, The Miracle Worker… the famous fight scene with Helen Keller, at that time a spoiled child who would eat off everyone’s plate, instead of sitting down to eat her own meal.

And I had an epiphany. I realized that sometimes being a good mom means I will have to do something that my baby doesn’t like. In this case, I had to help him fall asleep in the crib, even if he hated the idea. He just didn’t have an inkling of how much more sleep he would get, and I had to show him that this was the best way.

That night, I breastfed him until his eyelids got droopy. He was sleepy, but not asleep. I scooped him up, and lovingly put him down in his crib. And he would have none of it. He sprung up and protested loudly. I didn’t pick him up, but I leaned down, held him in my arms and said, “Sweetie, it’s time to go to sleep. Love you.” Then I lay him down and left the room for one minute.

I got myself a box of tissues in the living room, held my husband’s hand, and cried. Then when the minute elapsed, I dried my face, went back in and did the same thing. Without picking him up, I shushed him while patting his back, and lay him down.

Basically, I was following The Baby Whisperer’s method: don’t pick him up, but continue laying him down every time he sits or stands up in his crib, shush and pat his back so he knows you are still there. I decided to add incrementally longer breaks, so my baby would get the message that I would come back, but that his crying was not making me come back faster. At the most, I left him for 5 minutes. I don’t think I could do more than that.

In the end, after laying him down for the 100th time, he fell asleep with my hand on his back.

The next night, he immediately fell asleep in his crib with my hand on his back. I was so proud of him! Since then, there have been good nights and bad nights. He no longer wants to sleep in my bed (just play), and prefers his crib for naps and nighttime.

Being the mean mommy for one night was the toughest thing I had to do, but it taught my baby the skills he needed for a good night’s rest.

First, it would prevent him from sweating all over me, especially in the summer. Without the blanket, I’d get an imprint of his ear on my arm and his skin would stick like velcro. Not a good thing if you’re trying to gently transfer him into the crib or next to you in bed.

Second, as I would scoop him up and place him in his bed, I could easily slip my other hand under his head to release my forearm without tugging at his hair or folding up his ear.

Third, his cheek would have the warm blankie to lay on, and he wouldn’t get jolted awake by a cool bed sheet.

Voila!

How do you smoothly transfer your baby from your arms into her crib? Here are a few tips:

• Think ahead. Before breastfeeding or rocking your baby to sleep, make sure everything is ready in his crib, blankets out of the way, lights out, etc…
• When you unlatch your baby from your breast, wait a moment before getting up. Easy does it!
• It helps if your baby falls asleep close to his crib. Every step on your creaky floors risks waking him up!
• If it’s winter, ask your husband to warm up the crib with a hot-water bottle. Otherwise, your baby will wake up the moment he hits the cool bed sheet.
• Get a crib that is right for your height. You won’t manage to keep him asleep if you have to hop him over the crib, and then roll him out of your arms. I got the IKEA crib (Gulliver) and it’s so easy to plunk him down in it.
• Keep an old shirt close to his crib. Your mommy smell will keep him happy. This isn’t a guarantee though… my baby got wise that it wasn’t me in there with him! But my friend said she got an extra half hour sleep in the mornings with this trick.

Sometimes, all the tricks in the world won’t persuade your little one to sleep in his crib. Don’t give up. You have to practice every chance you get. It’s normal that it takes time.

And my best trick of all… see my next post: The Transfer, part 2!

Think of your goal, and ask yourself what you hope to achieve. Do you just want your baby out of your bed? Or do you want to keep her next to you, but get her to stop nursing every hour? Carefully, determine the most important outcome for you.

Next, make a plan. Write down ideas and figure out step-by-step, to the smallest detail, how you will get there.

Make sure you have the support of your spouse. You don’t want to argue about methods in the middle of the night.

Lastly, have a plan B, in case your original plan spectacularly falls apart. The next morning, re-evaluate and give yourself time to adjust things to suit your baby and your parenting style. Feel free to return to your original bedtime ritual. It’s not a failure, it’s a learning experience.

And give your baby time. Any change is a big upheaval for them and may take a month to implement. Of course, you should trust your instincts if you feel that the plan is not worth following through. Just don’t flip-flop too often. Your baby needs consistency in order to adopt the new way of falling asleep.

When they start fussing, it’s very important to remain calm. The baby will sense this and calm down too… eventually.

Easier said than done, right? So when your baby is screaming at the top of his lungs, and you’re sure the neighbors are criticizing your parenting skills, remember these basic points:

• If your baby could talk, he’d tell you what’s wrong. But he can’t talk, so he cries. That’s all there is to it. His crying does not mean you’re a bad parent. He’s trying to communicate a need, and your job is to find out what’s wrong. Hungry, dirty diaper, tired, too hot, too cold, scared… or maybe he just wants to snuggle with you. Calmly figure out what’s wrong, then fix it.
• Show your baby that you sympathize. Talk to him. Tell him that you understand he’s unhappy and that you’ll figure out what’s wrong. Hearing your voice, and sensing your confidence, will calm him down.
• When you’ve figured out what’s wrong and your baby has stopped crying, give yourself a pat on the shoulder. And tell your baby how happy you are that everything is better. Happiness is contagious.

If you’re too nervous, or sleep-deprived, to tap into those instincts, just think about your baby’s character.  Is she sensitive? Is he very active?

Also, ask yourself about your baby’s situation. Has he been sick lately? Has she started daycare? Are you in the midst of a busy holiday schedule?

The answers as to when and what to do will come naturally.

And if the plan doesn’t seem to work, that’s OK. You will have learned some valuable lessons and you can adapt your strategy.

So create good habits that you will stick to in the long run. If you put baby to sleep while doing deep knee lunges, expect to do so every night. Wouldn’t that be insane?

My favorite ritual, and a lovely way to bond with baby, is the rocking chair and a lullaby. It’s a timeless classic. Another traditional way is to breastfeed them to sleep. Nothing wrong with that, though eventually you will have to replace it with another habit when your baby is weaned. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you don’t mind doing it every night. I don’t recommend bouncing them around in your arms. It’s just too stimulating for them and too tiring for parents. Only do this (and do it gently) when they are wailing inconsolably and you need to distract them. Once their crying comes down a notch, go back to breastfeeding or the rocking chair.

If breastfeeding doesn’t settle your baby down, get in the rocking chair. Perhaps at first, your baby will not quiet down easily. For some reason, they prefer for you to be standing and walking around. But give it a good week and be consistent. They will get used to it.

Remember to create quiet environment. Dim the lights. Hold your baby in your arms, with his head resting on your shoulder at the nape of your neck. Let him wiggle into his favorite position, and gently rock while singing the most boring lullaby you know. And repeat. It has to be like the droning of a mantra. This way, they concentrate on your voice and the gentle rocking movement, and they will be able to shut out the rest of the world.

That being said, you have to be able to bend a little bit. There will be nights when your method is not working. Your baby may be sick, teething, or just need more cuddle-time.

It’s not a win-or-lose situation. Your plan will work on some nights, and other times you will have to give in a little. After all, he’s just a little baby!

Babies can’t edit out noise or anything visually interesting. I would notice my baby slowly nodding off to sleep and then snap back when he’d hear a dog barking in the distance, or he’d look up at the shadows on the wall, or he’d get startled if my husband was clattering in the kitchen.

So it’s important to create a quiet environment. Think about how you tuck yourself to sleep. You draw the blinds, you close the lights, you get comfortable. Same thing for a baby. In fact, I make it part of the nighttime ritual.  I walk around the house dimming the lights and say “It’s time to close the lights… It’s time to close the blinds… It’s time to go to sleep.” Your baby will sense the pace is slowing down, even if he doesn’t understand the words.

A very young baby will sleep pretty much anywhere, anytime. But that’s because they’re easily exhausted and they don’t care what’s going on around them, as long as mommy is there. When they start getting a little older, their attention span grows and expands beyond mommy’s arms. It’s like their world gets a little bigger and much more interesting. And even when they’re really tired, almost anything will capture their attention.

Create a quiet environment so baby understands that it’s time to relax, quiet down, and close their eyes. It doesn’t have to be dead silence or pitch black. Just enough for them to notice a difference between daytime and nighttime.