By now, you probably have a basic idea of your baby’s wants and needs, likes and dislikes, and basic schedule. However, there are some days when your baby might just be fussier than others for reasons beyond your control. Developmental leaps, a tummy ache, or maybe just an off day may cause your baby to fuss. This is completely normal! Every baby gets fussy on occasion, some more than others. What works one day, or even one minute, might not work the next. Each time your baby is fussy, it may be something different that calms him! Don’t worry about spoiling your baby in these early months. You may not be able to calm him down every time, but just being there for him, trying to help him, and showing him that you love him will make all the difference. When you consistently comfort your baby now, you are laying the foundation for him to become confident and secure. It is also likely he will be less demanding as he grows older. But before you begin soothing, the first step...

Keep a sleep and feeding log both before you start sleep coaching and once you are sleep coaching. Chances are your short term memory isn’t quite up to par as a result of sleep deprivation. Your days and nights are going by in a blur. But in order to figure out how to solve your child’s sleep problem, you’ll need to have a clear picture of what’s happening at bedtime and during the night, what’s working, what’s not, how your baby is responding, etc. Keep track by writing it all down for a few days or a week. Having a recording in writing, instead of relying on scrambled mental notes in your sleep deprived brain, will give you a more accurate picture of your child’s patterns and your own responses. Some parents find it easiest to keep a log or paper pad for scribbling on right next to their child’s bed. Or use a baby logging app—in other words use whatever is easiest for you as long as you log your baby’s sleep patterns during the sleep coaching...

That piercing scream and red little baby face can make any parent wince in empathy. If you are surprised by the amount of gas your baby has on a daily basis, then tune in for some great tips on how to handle it. Learn what the causes are, and take action by implementing some tummy-easing strategies that can help bring comfort to your baby. What causes gas? There are several reasons your baby may be suffering from gas. One has to do with your infant’s delicate and immature digestive system. Gas pains can result from air bubbles getting built up in her tummy and intestines as the food is being broken down. Food sensitivities in babies can vary from child to child; there are some foods that will produce more gas for babies than others (more on this later). A big culprit of gas bubbles is from your baby swallowing too much air. This can be caused by several factors: bottles, pacifiers, crying (which can actually cause a lot of gas) and ineffective feedings (where baby is frequently...

Sensitivities in a baby from mom’s diet may cause symptoms such as colicky behavior, frequent screaming, fussiness at the breast, restlessness, agitation, sleep problems and digestive issues. Eliminating the offending items can bring relief to your baby. If you suspect a milk or food allergy or sensitivity is the reason for your baby’s irritability, the following information may be helpful for you.   If your baby is experiencing sensitivity or an allergy to a particular food, the following symptoms may be present:   • Hives • Eczema • Red ring around his bottom • Red earlobe or cheek • Insomnia • Gas • Stuffy or runny nose • Excessive Crying and/or Irritable Behavior • Mucous or blood in stool The onset of symptoms after eating a problem food can vary from baby to baby. It may present itself immediately (usually 4 hours for a breastfed baby) or have a delayed reaction of up to 24-48 hours. The most common types of foods that cause...

You may have noticed that your baby has become much more active, and may be getting close to rolling over! Perhaps when he’s lying on his back, you’ll notice him lifting his legs and swinging them to the side, or even arching his back and looking behind him. Or maybe during tummy time, you notice he’s rocking to his side. Or, by now, your baby may already have mastered rolling over! Rolling over is an important developmental milestone for your baby. If your baby has just begun to roll over, you may have noticed a few changes. Your baby may be more fussy or clingy. She may seem distracted during feedings and be more interested in what’s going on around her than eating. She may be waking at night more frequently and needing your help getting back to sleep. As your baby grows and reaches these major developmental leaps, you will find that she needs much more of your attention. Learning how to roll over can be filled with excitement and also some frustration for your little...

At this age, babies need an average of 10-11 hours of uninterrupted nighttime sleep and 3 1/2 hours of daytime sleep over 2-3 naps. From 6-8 months, babies become more mobile. They roll over, sit up, and possibly even stand while holding onto something. Many scoot or crawl, and their first teeth come in. Most babies will sleep through the night fairly regularly, but if yours doesn’t, it is still quite easy to get them on track at this age. You may also find that at 6 or 7 months, a baby who had been a good sleeper starts having difficulties. As they experience their first wave of separation anxiety, they may fuss when being left in the crib at night or may start waking up more often just to see you. Nighttime Security Is Important At this point in your baby’s development, it’s essential to promote nighttime security, develop a sleep-friendly schedule, and introduce appropriate wind-down evening activities. As your baby grows, bedtime can be fun as you begin to...

  First let’s start with talking about what makes a sleep coaching method “gentle”. At the heart of The Shuffle, and other gentle methods are the fact that you are able to stay with your child and respond with empathy, comfort and love through both physical and verbal reassurance. This consistent parental support is slowly reduced as your baby learns independent sleep skills. While there may be some crying, you should respond to your child and help soothe them. You will find two methods of sleep coaching below that have been modified because of your baby’s age and development. This does not mean that your baby is ready for sleep coaching, so if you get to night 4 or 5 and have not seen any improvements, we suggest that you stop and try again in a week or so. The Sleep Lady Shuffle, Modified for Children Under 6 Months This is a very gentle and gradual type of sleep coaching. If you choose to use this Modified Shuffle, please know that it’s okay, and expected...

  Hi, I’m Kim West, the Sleep Lady. In today’s video blog, I am going to answer Gayle’s question:   “What to do after controlled crying?”   Gayle wrote: “My almost 8-month old has responded reasonably well to a gradual extinction method of sleep training, i.e. controlled crying. We’re on day 40. “She was settling herself throughout the night by day 5 but still she has a night of waking every 3 or so nights sometimes with hours of crying. These awakenings seem to happen after 3 perfect nights of sleeping through and then she resumes to sleeping through the following night. I’ve read about extinction burst but how many bursts are normal? Because of this inconsistency, I’m conflicted as to whether to treat these awakenings like night 1 of sleep training and that her cry increase increments all over again which is very stressful after 40 nights. “But I’m also stressed about doing too much or more to settle her and undoing all...

  Hi, I’m Kim West, the Sleep Lady and in today’s video blog, I’m going to answer Megan’s question: “I purchased your book to use with my 7-month old. Tonight would be night 6 but I’m really struggling. My biggest question is how much to let him cry? He gets upset every night. I’m confused about whether to let him cry while I’m in the room or pick him up to calm. Help.” First, you absolutely can pick him up to calm him down. That is in the rules of The Shuffle in the 6 to 8-month chapter. Please go back and re-read that section of Good Night, Sleep Tight. I am wondering whether you followed the 10 steps to do before starting sleep coaching so that you can have a better success from night one?   It’s important that he has good naps everyday.   If you’re trying two naps with him in the crib and he doesn’t nap well, then you’ll need to have a backup nap plan. That third nap is just enough to help him so he’s not running on...

What do you think of when you hear the words “sleep training” or “sleep coaching”? I’m guessing that for a majority of you who haven’t experienced The Shuffle images of screaming, crying children left alone is one of the first things that comes to mind. I hear the same fear of tears from parents who come to me for help. No one wants to listen to their baby cry-including me. No one wants to leave their child alone, especially when your baby is frustrated, scared, and overly emotional about a big change that they don’t fully understand. While cry-it-out methods like Weissbluth and Ferber work for some, they are just too extreme for me. I believe that there is a gentle, gradual solution that will help EVERY child sleep that involves far less tears…if any at all.   From Good Night, Sleep Tight: “Through my Sleep Lady system, you will learn when and how to put your child to bed when he is still awake—drowsy but still awake. And yes, you may well have some...