Getting a good night's sleep

Not surprisingly, you may be convinced your baby knows you at birth. You’re probably right. Babies use many of their senses to get to know their mothers while they’re still in the womb. And now, as your baby takes in information, she uses that information to communicate with you. As you get to know each other this month, we cover:

• Your Baby’s Learning Style
• How Your Baby Communicates: A Little Initiator
• 2-Month-Old Sleep Patterns
• Signs of Sensitivity to Milk

Your Baby’s Learning Style

Even this early in their lives, babies behave differently with the different people they relate to — mom, dad, extended family and friends, and the daycare provider or nanny. In all these situations, your baby is attaching and bonding. She’s learning that she’s a separate person and that she helps shape her relationships with others.

Back to Top > How Your Baby Communicates: A Little Initiator

It may appear that your baby is passive — eating, sleeping, and waiting for you to do things for her. But it’s closer to the truth to say your baby is a little initiator:

• She’s always seeking ways to adapt to the world. (For example, sleeping is one way she learns to organize her life: When she’s tired, she turns off the environment, conserving energy to grow.)
• She’s always giving you signals. By watching her closely, you’ll learn how much or how little stimulation she can handle, and when she’s ready for talking, feeding, singing, or playing. For instance, “I’m happy and ready to play” signals include open eyes, relaxed arms and legs, and maybe even a tight, playful grip around your finger.
• If she’s played with, talked to, or fed too much, she may grimace, turn and look away, clench her fists, and wriggle or spit up. These messages say, “Slow down, please. I need more peace and quiet.”

2-Month-Old Sleep Patterns

Fortunately, by the time your baby is 6 to 12 weeks old, she’ll probably be sleeping for longer stretches of the night. If she’s not, you may have to help her learn to fall back to sleep on her own. Here are a few tricks you can try:

• Put her in her crib, instead of rocking or holding her.
• Wait until she’s groggy, but still awake; then lay her in her crib, say “good night,” turn off the light, and leave the room.
• If she cries, wait a few minutes before returning.
• If she continues to cry, go back in the room (leaving the light off), rub her, and talk to her in a soothing voice. When she quiets down, say “good night” and leave the room again.
• If she begins to cry again, repeat this pattern until she falls asleep.

It may take a few days, but she’ll get the hang of it. Establishing this skill when your baby is still young will help prevent bedtime battles later.

Signs of Sensitivity to Milk*

Some babies are very sensitive not just to the environment, but to food as well. These babies may experience a wide range of reactions, including:

• Skin rashes
• Watery stool
• Irritability

If you’re formula feeding and if these reactions are due to milk sensitivity, your health care provider may recommend a soy protein formula such as Similac Sensitive Isomil Soy™. Trust your health care professional’s advice about infant formulas: He or she is best able to determine whether your baby should be fed a special formula.

* Consult your baby’s health care professional if a milk protein allergy is suspected.

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