Pregnancy is an amazing time for all family members. There are many new experiences and emotions that will be shared and experienced. All too often our canine family members are not included. Many families believe it best that they re-home their dog due to the changes and not knowing how to manage it all. Many families have concerns about safety. It is rare that a dog can not stay safely in its current home after the arrival of a baby. There are many proactive steps that can be taken ahead of time to help things go smoothly. Obedience, leadership as well as management are all essential to providing a safe and comfortable environment for all.

It is strongly recommended that you attend an obedience class regardless of the age of the dog. Obedience encourages bonding, self control and mental stimulation. Shop around and find a program that fits your goals and needs. I recommend you start by gathering information about dog trainers in your area. A helpful website is The Association of Pet Dog Trainers. (www.apdt.com). Here you will obtain much information and will know a bit more of what to look for in regards to a training and manners program. There are many wonderful trainers. Take your time and select the one that listens and understands your family goals.

Leadership is essential to our canine companions. It is important that your dog knows he can trust you to be the “leader.” When you bring a dog into your family you become their pack. The leader of the pack communicates a sense of safety and trust that makes it clear to the dog that things are under control. It is important that the dog knows that his leader is capable of handling this role or the dog may decide to take charge himself. Many times confusion about leadership roles can lead to undesirable behavior and sometimes injury.

Leaders: Have control of the resources the dogs need, crave and enjoy. Asking your dog to sit, down, perform several commands will help communicate you are the leader. Here are some examples of ways you can be a leader.

1. Decide when you want to feed your dog, not allowing them to “control” this by barking, nudging or any other demanding behavior.
2. Having your dog/s sit and wait for a release command before entering or exiting your home.
3. Having your dog walk close to you allows you to monitor the environment and keeps your dog close in case of a passer by, loose dog, running child or any other potential situation.
4. Ignore demanding behavior for your attention such as pawing, nudging, whining.
5. Keep playtime fun but under control. Your ability to regain your dogs attention when excited is very important and a great demonstration of leadership.
6. Demonstrate overall confidence in expectations.
7. After being away, calmly return to the pack without a fuss or huge greeting celebration.

If you are having issues with your dog you may want to consider how leadership is represented in your home. This combined with obedience can lead to a successful and harmonious relationship. If you feel that you may be having issues regarding leadership in your home, I suggest you contact a canine behavior consultant or trainer prior to the arrival of your baby. If you have experienced aggressive behavior with your dog please consult your vet. You may need to seek the help of a behaviorist in your area. Your vet can help guide you in the right direction. Many dogs respond extremely well with obedience and leadership well established. There may still be times however that management is necessary for all.

Management may still be necessary with your dog. There will be many visitors and lots of commotion during the time of the baby’s birth. If you have a dog that is fearful of guests and you have people over, you may choose to “manage” the situation and remove the dog to a quiet secure space where he feels safe. Setting our dogs up for success is key. Allowing them to practice a negative behavior is reinforcing that behavior. There are times that crating and removing the dog may be temporarily a better solution instead of risking a negative consequence or a chance to practice unwanted behavior. If you choose to crate the dog please keep in mind that this is not punishment. It is allowing a safe place for your dog. Reinforce this by providing a special treat for them each time they are in their crate. Stuffing a toy with peanut butter and kibble is one idea. There are many ways to make this a positive and welcoming den for your dog.

It has been our experience that with leadership, obedience and management, canine family members welcome the arrival of a baby with wagging tails! After all, their leaders are happy so they should be too! Congratulations and enjoy!

Family Paws encourages you to never leave an infant or child unsupervised with a dog or puppy! Even good dogs have tolerance limits. Expecting a child and dog to “work it out” is not realistic and can be extremely dangerous! Always be aware of the interaction between your child and any dog. Any dog no matter their breed, color, size, age and past experiences can lead to an amazingly great outcome or potentially dangerous outcome. Your involvement and instincts play an important role!

For More information please contact Jennifer Shryock at jen@familypaws.com or visit http://www.familypaws.com to learn more!

1. Prepare in advance.
Before you shoot, frame the background first through the viewfinder. Make the entire background, including corners and sides interesting. First frame the background and then place the subject.

2. Have patience.
Talk to your subjects and let them get comfortable with you. When they start to forget the camera is there, you can take more natural candid shots.

3. Avoid using the flash.
The light looks unnatural and washes out colors and facial features. If you’re using film, try 800-speed films, which are widely available and allow you to take sharp indoor photos without a flash.

4. Avoid the outdoors during the middle of the day.
Bright daylight is unflattering and washes out your subject. Instead try capturing your subject in the rich tones and long shadows at sunrise and sunset. If you must shoot during the day, move your subject into a shaded area out of direct sunlight.

5. Get closer.
Being too far away from your subject can take away from the uniqueness of your pictures. Often the key to giving a photo pizzazz is to move in and capture the details of your subject, leaving out extraneous things in the background.

6. Take night pictures.
Nighttime offers different lights and shadows that you can incorporate into your pictures to make them look unique. At night you can use flash, a street lamp or even holiday lights if they’re bright enough.

7. Ex-nay on the pose-ay.
Don’t have your subject pose. A picture caught in motion often makes a better and more memorable shot.

8. Have comfortable surroundings.
If your subjects have to pose, have them find a comfortable, natural position. Here’s when a little leaning or slouching is permitted. Standing straight can make unflattering lines and give boringness to your picture.

9. Use props.
If you’re taking a portrait, include a telling item in the picture. A favorite toy or rocking horse for a child’s picture, or a wedding picture in the background of a couple’s 50th Anniversary picture. The props will create conversation about your picture

10. Unfocus the background.
A background can tend to take away from your picture so try taking your picture with the background blurred and only your subject in focus.

If you are wondering how you can take better baby pictures then you will want to follow some of the great advice you will find below.

1. Pay attention to your lighting. Whenever possible use natural lighting for your photographs but be careful that you do not have shadows overpowering your little one’s sweet smile. The right lighting can make a good picture phenomenal at the same time it can also ruin a perfect photo opportunity. If you have a digital camera with really good quality photo editing software and a firm knowledge of how to use that to your advantage lighting is still important but not as critically important. The truth is that very few of us have that benefit in our corner so it is better to err on the side of abundant natural lighting whenever possible.
2. Make sure your baby is comfortable. Believe it or not this often gets overlooked in the process. If your baby has a wet or dirty diaper he is much less likely to be cooperative when it comes to giving those elusive smiles. The same holds true for days after vaccinations or when teething. You also want to avoid taking photos around your baby’s traditional naptime as this tends to be a time when your baby is trying to settle down according to his routine and photos may prove to be disturbing. Choose your photo moments carefully in order to insure a happy baby.
3. Whenever possible try to choose your background. There are times when a great picture simply presents itself and you would be crazy not to take it. However, there are other times when choosing the right background will insure that the focus remains on your beautiful baby rather than getting lost in busy things going on in the back. The simpler the background for your baby photos, the better.
4. Take plenty of photos so that you can go through and weed out those you aren’t pleased with. You may just find that there are times when you hit the jackpot with that one special shot. This is especially easy if you are fortunate enough to have a digital camera as you have essentially unlimited mulligans when it comes to baby pictures.
5. Take photos at the level of your little one rather than looking down on him through the camera lens. This will make you seem less threatening and the prospect of your being behind the camera far less intimidating to your little one. Also remember to interact with your baby during this process so that he will respond to your voice and act accordingly.

While these five tips may not tell you how to take the perfect baby pictures every single time they offer practical advice that is a great place for any photographer to begin when it comes to taking pictures of baby.

In many parts of the world, the sight of a nursing mother is an ordinary aspect of daily life. In our society, however, some people are still uncomfortable seeing a mother breastfeed in public. Slowly but surely, though, people are coming to see breastfeeding as the natural, normal way of feeding a baby that it is. And thanks to public education campaigns, people are becoming more knowledgeable about the many benefits of breastfeeding.

Your legal right to breastfeed
Society has conditioned many people to view breasts only from a sexual standpoint and not as a body part with a crucial biological function – to feed a baby. Breastfeeding is the natural default for baby feeding ? not bottlefeeding ? yet no one harangues a woman who is feeding her baby from a bottle in a public place. If anyone even suggests that you shouldn’t be feeding your baby in public, be aware that you are well within your rights. Keep in mind that it’s the onlooker’s problem, not yours.

From a legal perspective, you have a right to breastfeed your baby in public anywhere in the United States. Some states have gone so far as to implement specific legislation to that effect to protect the rights of both babies and their mothers; these states have set out legal consequences for violations, too. As of this writing, 17 states have passed laws that say you can breastfeed your baby in any public or private location; thirteen more exempt breastfeeding from public indecency laws. This may lead you to believe that the act is legal only in those states with legislation. The fact is, you have a legal right to breastfeed your baby in public even without a specific law. Don’t be shy about letting an impolite person know this. For more information about the legal aspects of breastfeeding in public, check out the website of Elizabeth N. Baldwin, an attorney who specializes in this issue [www. compromisesolutions.com].

In Canada, the Human Rights Code protects women from discrimination on the basis of sex. Breastfeeding in public is not specifically labeled as a protected activity; however, many people are lobbying to explicitly include breastfeeding under this human rights code.

What about breastfeeding when in foreign countries?
It’s best to respect the customs native to the country you are visiting. Even if you think you should breastfeed wherever you please, it’s important to understand and adhere to local customs. If you don’t see other women breastfeeding their babies, then ask around. Talk to a woman with young children, ask a health professional, or do a little research. Once you know what is typically acceptable, then you can proceed confidently without risk of offending anyone, breaking a law, or embarrassing yourself.

Getting comfortable breastfeeding in public
Although you have the right to feed your baby in public, there is still the issue of your feelings about doing so. Each woman has her own comfort level. Most women want to find the right balance of pride and modesty ? not overly exposing themselves, while feeling comfortable knowing that people are aware that they are breastfeeding. You’ll probably need some practice with the particulars, simply because breastfeeding is a function that involves a private part of your anatomy that is normally not exposed in public. Wanting to be discreet doesn’t mean that you are embarrassed or ashamed to feed your baby; it simply means that you don’t want to cause yourself or others social discomfort.

The biggest issue for most new mothers is learning how to get settled with your baby modestly. Even a new mother who is breastfeeding with ease at home may fumble and struggle when she perceives that she has an audience; her tension then causes her impatient baby to cry. That only deepens the feeling that all eyes are on her. The reality is that most people are paying attention to their own activities and their own private conversations, by and large ignorant of what’s happening with other people. Once you become adept breastfeeding discreetly, you’ll be able to comfortably nurse your baby anywhere. All it takes is a little practice.

Parent Tip
“Always remember that what you are doing is necessary, beautiful, and miraculous. Breastfeed your baby with pride.” — Deborah, mother to Peter (five), Jeremy (three), and Claire (one)

Tips for breastfeeding in public

• Give yourself permission to feel comfortable about nursing your baby in public. Feeding your baby is a natural, normal part of mothering, whether you are at home or out in public. 
• Dress for breastfeeding. Wear a shirt or sweater that can be lifted up or unbuttoned from the bottom. When you lift from the bottom, the top portion of your shirt helps cover you from the top, and your baby covers you from the bottom. Whatever portion of your breast is shown while feeding your baby is certainly much less than is shown in the typical television show, magazine or at your local beach or public swimming pool. 
• Try a nursing cover-up or a breastfeeding garment with a built-in flap. Many are so beautifully made that even under the most careful scrutiny, they don’t look like nursing clothes. Most stores that sell maternity clothing also sell nursing apparel. Even if you don’t use these at home, they may help you feel more comfortable when in public. 
• Bring along a small baby blanket. Some babies are fine with having a blanket thrown over your shoulder and over their heads, but many are very good at pulling such a blanket off. A good alternative is to bring the blanket up from below, and tent it around your baby, to cover you as you settle your little one to the breast. The blanket can be loosely placed to create privacy, or even removed once you’re settled. 
• Use your sling as a nursing cover-up. Baby slings are wonderful for nursing your baby on the go because they hold your baby perfectly in the nursing position while providing extra fabric for a screen. Some brands have a “tail” at the end that doubles as an extra blanket to keep the baby from trying to peek out while nursing. 
• Feed your baby at the first sign of hunger, because hungry babies aren’t quietly patient! If you wait until your baby is crying to be fed, then you may become nervous; your baby may move about and make the latch-on difficult. Instead, if you nurse him promptly, you can be more relaxed about getting him settled. 
• Remember that the alternative to public breastfeeding is usually public crying. Whether you’re in a restaurant, at church, or on an airplane, people typically would prefer that you feed your baby than let him cry, fuss or otherwise disrupt the peace. I remember once attending a live play with a very antsy two-year-old: my son, David. When I finally settled him on my lap to breastfeed, the gentleman sitting beside me actually said, “Thank you!”

Websites
For more information:

La Leche League International
www.lalecheleague.org

INFACT Canada
www.infactcanada.ca

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action
www.waba.org.br

Copyright Elizabeth Pantley. (McGraw-Hill, 2003)

About the author:
Elizabeth Pantley is the author of several books, including Gentle Baby Care : No-cry, No-fuss, No-worry — Essential Tips for Raising Your Baby, The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night, Kid Cooperation (with an introduction by William Sears, MD), Perfect Parenting, as well as her latest The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers and is also president of Better Beginnings, Inc. She is a popular speaker on family issues, and her newsletter, Parent Tips, is seen in schools nationwide. She appears as a regular radio show guest, and has been quoted in Parents, Parenting, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, American Baby, Working Mother, and Woman’s Day magazines. Visit Elizabeth’s web site http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth.

Having a baby comfortable in the water is the first thing you can do to prepare your child to be safe in the water and to have a love of swimming. As parents we let our children forget the wonderful sensation of free-floating. It is important to expose your very young baby to the feeling of floating on water. We forget that babies spend their first nine months of life in water!

Start by getting used to being in the water with your young baby. When the baby has some control of his head movements, get in the bathtub with your baby. (See the video example in www.swimbea.com) Hold him from underneath while he floats on his back and looks up at you. Turn him on his belly and hold him under his chin with his face above the water and gently move him back and forth to get him accustomed to sensing the water. Talk and sing to him tenderly. Stay in the tub for a short period of time. Keep the room and water warm. Do not let the baby get cold.

Every time that you give your baby a bath, run a little water down his face before you wash his head. Wipe his nose to keep any water from going up his little nose. These activities will accustom a very young baby to the water and prepare him for total submersion with you or in a swimming program.

Every parent wants their children to be comfortable around the water but may feel nervous about submerging their child. The following are some strategies for teaching infants and children to hold their breath and open their eyes while learning how to swim. Watching my video will give you confidence as you perform the activities. (www.swimbea.com) You will watch other parents doing the same things with their children. I can assure you that if you follow my suggestions, you will not be hurting your baby. You will not be holding your baby under the water long enough for the baby to swallow water. Add your own games and toys to distract the baby, praising and clapping for each accomplishment. Even if a child cannot swim any distance, teaching your child to hold his breath may save him if he falls in the water. (A minute after you notice he has escaped and you pull him out of the water!!

For a baby up to 6 months old, blow like a gentle gust of wind onto the baby’s face. If the baby takes in a gulp of air and makes a funny face, then you will blow on the baby’s face before putting him under the water and watch him hold his breath. Follow these steps. After the baby is comfortable and playful in the water, hold the baby under the arms facing you, and make eye contact with your baby. Count to three to set the signal, blow quickly on the child’s face, and watch the child make the funny face then smoothly and gently lower the baby’s head completely under the water for one second.

To teach a toddler and young child to hold his breath, count to three (to set the signal) and pour water on his face. When the baby is used to closing his mouth while having water on the face, the baby will be ready to be submerged. First, count to three and pour water over the baby’s face. Then lightly raise and gently lower the baby under the water for one second. After a few times you won’t need to pour water over the baby’s head. The count will be the signal. Every time you count to three, you will put the baby under the water or you will confuse the baby! Many parents pull the baby into the water or throw the baby up in the air while playing with the baby. That is great, but don’t count to three unless you are going to submerge the baby. Be consistent with the signals.

For all infants and young children: When you raise the baby, wipe the baby’s nose so that not even a tiny water bubble will go into his nose. Give the baby a hug to your chest so that the baby will blow out and not swallow air. You are teaching the baby to hold his breath. By blowing out the baby will not develop a hard tummy which sometimes becomes a big burp, and may even lead to throwing up.

As the young child becomes used to going under water, you extend the time under the water to up to 5 seconds pulling the child toward you for a short glide as you step back.

Next you put your hand behind the child’s head gliding the child to another person, to a toy or to the side.

As the child starts enjoying going under the water encourage the child to put his own face down and kick and dig while going to a toy or to the steps. Teach the child to stand up. Continue to hold the child since he may not have the skills to propel himself and swim alone. The child must trust you and master each step with confidence. To teach an older child to hold his breath and go under water, explain each step. Always say close your mouth, the child may not understand “hold your breath”. Have the child count to three and put a toy under the water telling the toy to close its mouth and wipe its face. Then, both of you put your faces under the water together. Have the child dunk you under the water. If the child won’t open his eyes, let the child see you open your eyes under water as you swim to him. Try waving to each other under water. Make noises when you blow out or spit. Wipe each other’s faces. Hold up a finger like a birthday candle for the child to blow out when he comes up from under the water. Pretend to crash the wall while the child has his face in the water and kicks. Hold up a finger like a birthday candle for the child to blow out when he comes up from under the water. Play with the child to open his eyes so he will realize that the water won’t hurt his eyes. If after all this the child continues to swallow water or has sensitive eyes, try goggles or even a mask that covers the nose. The child has to be comfortable and playful going under the water in order to learn to swim.

Encourage the child to open his eyes: It is very important for the child to open his eyes under the water. If a child doesn’t open his eyes, he probably remembers soap stinging his eyes in the tub. Go under water and open your eyes so the child can see you swim to him with your eyes open. Have the child hold a toy and you get it under the water so he can see your eyes open. If the child still won’t open his eyes, buy some swim goggles! (Don’t let the child become dependent on the goggles. Do some swimming without the goggles.) If you have our video, (www.swimbea.com) all of this will be shown with real children acting out their activities. You will see as you hear me talk and explain the progression and you will be able to teach your child to go under water too! Now get in the water and do it!!

copyright 2005 Beatriz Skeens, Swimbea Productions

About the Author:
A swimming teacher since 1971 to children, babies and adults, Miss Bea decided she had to share her experiences. She is featured in the recently released Swim Lesson DVD-video, 35 minutes each, in English and Spanish called Learn to Swim with Miss Bea. You can watch and learn how to swim from the children with the easy to follow instructions and activities. Bea Skeens is also National Board Certified Classroom Teacher in Glynn County, Georgia, with 20 years experience teaching Spanish. Visit her site www.swimbea.com or email her at beaskeens@gmail.com.

Congratulations on the birth of your new baby. This is a glorious time in your life. Whether this is your first baby or your fifth, you will find this a time of recovery, adjustment, sometimes confusion and frustration, but — most wonderfully — of falling in love.

Babies younger than four months old have very different sleep needs than older babies. This article will help you understand your newborn baby’s developing sleep patterns, and will help you develop reasonable expectations when it comes to your baby and sleep.

Read, Learn, and Beware of Bad Advice
Absolutely everyone has an opinion about how you should handle sleep issues with your new baby. The danger to a new parent is that these tidbits of misguided advice (no matter how well-intentioned) can truly have a negative effect on our parenting skills and, by extension, our babies’ development…if we are not aware of the facts. The more knowledge you have the less likely that other people will make you doubt your parenting decisions.

When you have your facts straight, and when you have a parenting plan, you will be able to respond with confidence to those who are well-meaning but offering contrary or incorrect advice. So, your first step is to get smart! Know what you are doing, and know why you are doing it. Read books and magazines, attend classes or support groups – it all helps.

The Biology of Newborn Sleep
During the early months of your baby’s life, he sleeps when he is tired, it’s really that simple. You can do very little to force a new baby to sleep when he doesn’t want to sleep, and conversely, you can do little to wake him up when he is sleeping soundly.

A very important point to understand about newborn babies is that they have very, very tiny tummies. New babies grow rapidly, their diet is liquid, and it digests quickly. Formula digests quickly and breast milk digests even more rapidly. Although it would be nice to lay your little bundle down at a predetermined bedtime and not hear a peep from him until morning, even the most naïve among us know that this is not a realistic goal for a tiny baby. Newborns need to be fed every two to four hours — and sometimes more.

During those early months, your baby will have tremendous growth spurts that affect not only daytime, but also nighttime feeding as well, sometimes pushing that two- to four-hour schedule to a one- to two-hour schedule around the clock.

Sleeping “through the night”
You have probably heard that babies should start “sleeping through the night” at about two to four months of age. What you must understand is that, for a new baby, a five-hour stretch is a full night. Many (but nowhere near all) babies at this age can sleep uninterrupted from midnight to 5 a.m. (Not that they always do.) A far cry from what you may have thought “sleeping through the night” meant!

What’s more, while the scientific definition of “sleeping through the night” is five hours, most of us wouldn’t consider that anywhere near a full night’s sleep for ourselves. Also, some of these sleep-through-the-nighters will suddenly begin waking more frequently, and it’s often a full year or even two until your little one will settle into a mature, all-night, every night sleep pattern.

Falling Asleep at the Breast or Bottle
It is very natural for a newborn to fall asleep while sucking at the breast, a bottle, or a pacifier. When a baby always falls asleep this way, he learns to associate sucking with falling asleep; over time, he cannot fall asleep any other way. I have heard a number of sleep experts refer to this as a “negative sleep association.” I certainly disagree, and so would my baby. It is probably the most positive, natural, pleasant sleep association a baby can have. However, a large percentage of parents who are struggling with older babies who cannot fall asleep or stay asleep are fighting this natural and powerful sucking-to-sleep association.

Therefore, if you want your baby to be able to fall asleep without your help, it is essential that you sometimes let your newborn baby suck until he is sleepy, but not totally asleep. When you can, remove the breast, bottle, or pacifier from his mouth and let him finish falling asleep without something in his mouth. When you do this, your baby may resist, root, and fuss to regain the nipple. It’s perfectly okay to give him back the breast, bottle, or pacifier and start over a few minutes later. If you do this often enough, he will eventually learn how to fall asleep without sucking.

Waking for Night Feedings
Many pediatricians recommend that parents shouldn’t let a newborn sleep longer than three or four hours without feeding, and the vast majority of babies wake far more frequently than that. (There are a few exceptional babies who can go longer.) No matter what, your baby will wake up during the night. The key is to learn when you should pick her up for a night feeding and when you can let her go back to sleep on her own.

This is a time when you need to focus your instincts and intuition. This is when you should try very hard to learn how to read your baby’s signals. Here’s a tip that is critically important for you to know. Babies make many sleeping sounds, from grunts to whimpers to outright cries, and these noises don’t always signal awakening. These are what I call sleeping noises, and your baby is nearly or even totally asleep during these episodes. I remember when my first baby, Angela, was a newborn. Her cry awakened me many times, yet she was asleep in my arms before I even made it from cradle to rocking chair. She was making sleeping noises. In my desire to respond to my baby’s every cry, I actually taught her to wake up more often!

You need to listen and watch your baby carefully. Learn to differentiate between these sleeping sounds and awake and hungry sounds. If she is awake and hungry, you’ll want to feed her as quickly as possible. If you respond immediately when she is hungry, she will most likely go back to sleep quickly. But, if you let her cry escalate, she will wake herself up totally, and it will be harder and take longer for her to go back to sleep. Not to mention that you will then be wide awake, too!

Help Your Baby Distinguish Day from Night
A newborn baby sleeps about sixteen to eighteen hours per day, and this sleep is distributed evenly over six to seven brief sleep periods. You can help your baby distinguish between nighttime sleep and daytime sleep, and thus help him sleep longer periods at night.

Begin by having your baby take his daytime naps in a lit room where he can hear the noises of the day, perhaps a bassinet or cradle located in the main area of your home. Make nighttime sleep dark and quiet. You can also help your baby differentiate day naps from night sleep by using a nightly bath and a change into sleeping pajamas to signal the difference between the two.

Watch for Signs of Tiredness
One way to encourage good sleep is to get familiar with your baby’s sleepy signals and put her down to sleep as soon as she seems tired. A baby cannot put herself to sleep, nor can she understand her own sleepy signs. Yet a baby who is encouraged to stay awake when her body is craving sleep is typically an unhappy baby. Over time, this pattern develops into sleep deprivation, which further complicates your baby’s developing sleep maturity. Learn to read your baby’s sleepy signs — such as quieting down, losing interest in people and toys, and fussing — and put her to bed when that window of opportunity presents itself.

Make Yourself Comfortable
I’ve yet to hear a parent tell me that she or he loves getting up throughout the night to tend to a baby’s needs. As much as we adore our little bundles, it’s tough when you’re woken up over and over again, night after night. Since it’s a fact that your baby will be waking you up, you may as well make yourself as comfortable as possible. The first step is to learn to relax about night wakings right now. Being stressed or frustrated about having to get up won’t change a thing. The situation will improve day by day; and before you know it, your little newborn won’t be so little anymore — she’ll be walking and talking and getting into everything in sight…during the day, and sleeping peacefully all night long.

About the Author:
Elizabeth Pantley is the author of several books, including Gentle Baby Care : No-cry, No-fuss, No-worry — Essential Tips for Raising Your Baby, The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night, Kid Cooperation (with an introduction by William Sears, MD), Perfect Parenting, as well as her latest The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers and is also president of Better Beginnings, Inc. She is a popular speaker on family issues, and her newsletter, Parent Tips, is seen in schools nationwide. She appears as a regular radio show guest, and has been quoted in Parents, Parenting, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, American Baby, Working Mother, and Woman’s Day magazines. Visit Elizabeth’s web site http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth.