The Heart Gallery NYC Event

(Photo Credit: Linda Grant/NYC Single Mom)

During this November’s Adoption Awareness month, the Heart Gallery NYC kicked off an incredible exhibit showcasing the beautiful faces of children from New York foster care who are available for adoption and hoping to find loving “forever families” Utilizing the talents of celebrity and award-winning photographers, the children, ranging in age from 8 years old to 18, had the opportunity to participate in a one of a kind photography experience that could capture their true spirit. The event was produced in collaboration with Casey Family Programs and ACS
www.casey.org; www.nyc.gov/html/acs.

Heart Gallery, NYC is a unique not-for-profit organization that combines the artistic talents of notable photographers with children in need of families and a place to call home. The project is dedicated to raising awareness of children living in foster care and encourages New Yorkers to make a difference in the life of a child.

At the event held at the Times Square Visitors Center, all the incredible images were brought to life in massive billboard style photos that will be exhibited throughout the five boroughs – stopping first at Penn Station where it will be displayed from November 11-18 in the Amtrak Rotunda. Additionally, Clearchannel, the organization’s Heart of Gold sponsor will display the gallery photos in Times Square as well as billboards in the tri-state area.

Laurie Sherman Graff, the Executive Director for the Heart Gallery NYC event spoke about the importance of helping foster children find permanent adoptive families and hopes that the organization’s efforts will continue to raise awareness to these incredible kids.

The organization’s initiatives also include mentoring, internships and scholarships for children who are at risk of aging out of the foster care system without finding a home.

During the event, I got to meet a soft spoken young teenager named Jasmine who told one reporter that she “felt like a star” when she was being photographed. When asked what she hoped would happen from people seeing her photo, Jasmine said “I hope I find a family who will love me.” If that doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, I don’t know what will.

At another point in the evening, rap superstar Darryl McDaniel from Run DMC took to the stage to talk about the moment he found out he was adopted (he first learned the news at age 35) and emphasized the importance of finding adoptive parents for foster kids.

In addition to Penn Station, the pictures will also be showcased in traveling gallery exhibits and via the Internet to reach prospective adoptive parents and encourage them to open their hearts and homes to the children.To find out more about the children featured in the exhibit, visit the Heart Gallery NYC.

The organization’s initiatives also include mentoring, internships and scholarships for children who are at risk of aging out of the foster care system without finding a home.

During the event, I got to meet a soft spoken young teenager named Jasmine who told one reporter that she “felt like a star” when she was being photographed. When asked what she hoped would happen from people seeing her photo, Jasmine said “I hope I find a family who will love me.” If that doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, I don’t know what will.

At another point in the evening, rap superstar Darryl McDaniel from Run DMC took to the stage to talk about the moment he found out he was adopted (he first learned the news at age 35) and emphasized the importance of finding adoptive parents for foster kids.

In addition to Penn Station, the pictures will also be showcased in traveling gallery exhibits and via the Internet to reach prospective adoptive parents and encourage them to open their hearts and homes to the children.To find out more about the children featured in the exhibit, visit the Heart Gallery NYC.

Must-Know Germ Fighters

Our experts share their top tips for protecting your little one from bad bugs.

The biggest danger to babies is other people’s hands,” says Ken Haller, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, in Missouri. In fact, more than 80 percent of germs are transmitted by touch. Ask anyone who wants to hold your baby to first wash her hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. Because telling strangers to wash their hands isn’t practical or polite, it may be easier to say, “I’m sorry, but my baby gets sick very easily, so I don’t like too many people touching him.”

Stay Clear of Crowded Places

Experts agree that it’s a good idea to limit where you take your baby during his first weeks. While a stroll in the park is fine, a trip to the mall is not. That’s because newborns can easily pick up a bug when exposed to large numbers of people in a confined space. To be safe, keep her away from crowded places — especially those with lots of kids — for the first four to six weeks.

Place Formula in the Fridge

To keep freshly prepared formula from spoiling, never leave it unrefrigerated for more than an hour. Just-pumped breast milk, however, can be kept at room temperature for up to six hours, according to La Leche League International. Why the difference? Breast milk is loaded with antibodies and other substances that help keep bacteria at bay.

Wash Your Baby’s Clothes Separately

“Since family members’ clothes — especially underwear — may contain contaminants that could wind up on your baby’s sensitive skin, it’s best to do her laundry separately,” says Philip M. Tierno Jr., Ph.D., director of clinical microbiology at New York University Medical Center and author of The Secret Life of Germs. It’s also smart to occasionally run an empty cycle of bleach and hot water to kill bacteria that may be lurking in the machine.

Be Smart About Sterilizing

If pacifiers and bottles are brand-new, boil them before their first use. After that, wash them in the dishwasher or in warm, soapy water. Should you sterilize water for formula? “If your water comes from a municipal supply, unboiled tap water is fine — it’s rigorously tested and monitored,” says Roy Benaroch, M.D., assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at Emory University, in Atlanta. If your water comes from a well, have it tested for fecal contamination, nitrates, and heavy metals. Depending on the results, it may be best to boil it or even to use bottled water.

Throw Out Unfinished Milk or Formula

Whether you feed your baby breast milk or formula, throw out any leftovers as bacteria and digestive enzymes from a baby’s saliva can backwash into the bottle and cause contamination. The same goes for baby food: Bacteria from a used spoon can taint what’s in the jar. So if you’re not going to use the whole thing, put just the portion you’ll need in a bowl.

Four Ways to Prevent Infections This Winter

When it comes to avoiding viruses, pediatricians say that these are four essentials.

Vaccines

In addition to making sure your child has a flu vaccine, keeping her up-to-date with all her regular immunizations will protect her from pneumonia, meningitis, ear infections, and whooping cough.

Health 101: The Flu Vaccine

Do You Ask the Right Questions?

Teachers expect that you’ll have tons of questions about the year ahead, but try not to turn your first meeting into an interrogation. “You don’t want to overwhelm the teacher right from the start or go in with a preconceived idea of what your child should accomplish,” says Erika V. Shearin Karres, EdD, author of A+ Teachers: How to Empower Your Child’s Teacher, and Your Child, to Excellence.

Instead, ask just a few questions that show you’re a team player. Keep the first meeting upbeat — you might start off with a compliment, such as, “I really love the way you decorated the classroom.” Then, ask questions that focus on collaboration: “How can I help you in the classroom? Can I contribute any supplies you might need?”

Try to stay positive for the first few weeks and save judgments or critiques for later. After all, the teacher needs time to get to know your kid and identify her behavioral quirks and learning style, and that will take some trial and error.

Getting the Best from Your Child

Preschool teachers told us how to get the best from your toddler. Want to promote independence? Assign chores, and don’t redo your child’s work if it’s imperfect. Need better cooperation? Allow playtime freedom and turn work into games or set it to music.

Getting the Best from Your Child

What parent hasn’t occasionally wondered: Why is my child better for everyone else than for me? The simple answer: Your child tests her limits with you because she trusts you will love her no matter what. But that doesn’t mean you can’t borrow a few strategies from the preschool teachers’ playbook to get the best from your child. I worry that my 3-year-old, Sophie, has a split personality. At school she cleans up her toys, puts on her shoes, and is entirely self-sufficient at potty time. At home, she whines whenever I ask her to pick up anything, insists I join her in the bathroom whenever she has to go, and lately has started demanding that I spoon-feed her dinner. Clearly, her teacher knows something I don’t.  We asked educators from around the country for their tips so listen up — and take notes!

Promoting Independence

While 3- and 4-year-olds still need plenty of parental help, our preschool experts agree that kids are typically able to do more than many of us think. Here’s how you can encourage them:

1. Expect more. Most people have a way of living up (or down) to expectations — preschoolers included. “At school we expect the kids to pour their own water at snack, to throw away their plates, to hang up their jackets — and they do,” says Jennifer Zebooker, a teacher at the 92nd Street Y Nursery School, in New York City. “But then they’ll walk out of the classroom and the thumb goes in the mouth and they climb into strollers.” Raise the bar and your child will probably stretch to meet it.

2. Resist doing for her what she can do herself. While it may be quicker and easier to do it yourself, it won’t help to make your child more self-sufficient. Quick hint: Appeal to her sense of pride, suggests Donna Jones, a preschool teacher at Southern Oregon University’s Schneider Children’s Center in Ashland, Oregon. “Whenever I’m trying to get kids to dress, put jackets on, sit on chairs during meals and so on, I’ll ask them: ‘Do you want me to help you or can you do it yourself?’ Those words are like magic,” promises Jones. “The kids always want to do it for themselves.”

3. Don’t redo what they’ve done. If your child makes her bed, resist the urge to smooth the blankets. If she dresses herself in stripes and polka dots, compliment her “eclectic” style. Unless absolutely necessary, don’t fix what your child accomplishes, says Kathy Buss, director of the Weekday Nursery School, in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. She will notice and it may discourage her.

4. Let them solve simple problems. If you see your child trying to assemble a toy or get a book from a shelf that she can reach if she stands on her stepstool, pause before racing over to help. “Provided that they are safe, those moments when you don’t rush in, when you give children a moment to solve things for themselves, those are the character-building moments,” says Zebooker. “It’s natural to want to make everything perfect, but if we do, we cheat kids of the chance to experience success.”

5. Assign a chore. Putting your preschooler in charge of a regular, simple task will build her confidence and sense of competency, says Buss. A child who is entrusted to water the plants or empty the clothes dryer is likely to believe she can also get dressed herself or pour her own cereal. Just be sure the chore you assign is manageable and that it’s real work, not busywork, since even preschoolers know the difference. The goal is to make your child feel like a capable, contributing member of the family.

Baby to Kids Boutique

Similac Baby Formula Recall Has Parents Seeking Answers

 A voluntary recall of Similac baby formula has parents across the country up in arms as they seek answers, fearing their children may fall ill after insects were found at Similac’s Sturgis, Mich., manufacturing plant, spokeswoman Kelly Morrison told The Associated Press.

WIC agencies across New Jersey received word of the recall from the state Thursday afternoon along with instructions to issue concentrate formula to participants who have tainted formula, Donna Leusner of the state health department told NJ.COM.

The New Jersey WIC program serves approximately 180,000 mothers and children, although the number of families using Similac was not “readily available,” Leusner said.

Sandra Lee, founder of ParenthoodNJ.com, said she purchased Similac’s powdered infant formula and was relieved to finally “get through online with one container after an hour and 15 minutes (and luckily it wasn’t recalled). But still trying to get information on a second package so I suspect that it will be hit or miss for people for a while.”

Lee advised parents worried they might be in possession of tainted formula to keep trying the company’s toll-free number and website.

The recall, which stands to cost the company approximately $100 million in sales, affects powder products offered in 8, 12.4 and 12.9 ounce cans in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam and some Caribbean nations.

The bugs were small common warehouse beetles found sometime last week, Morrison said. Once the discovery was made, production was stopped and containers of formula from the tainted line were tested. Morrison said 99.8 percent of the tested product had not been contaminated, The Daily Record reported.

The company issued a statement Thursday saying although it is unlikely any of the formula already sold is tainted, Abbott, the company that makes Similac, wasted no time launching the voluntary recall of 5 million cans and plastic containers.

“Chances are really, really remote” that beetle parts made it into formula that was sold to consumers, but the products were recalled just in case they might contain beetle parts or larvae, Morrison told The Associated Press.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that while the tainted formula poses no immediate health risk, there is a possibility that infants who consume bettle tainted formula or their larvae could experience GI tract irritation and/or gastrointestinal discomfort for a few days. If the symptoms last any longer, parents should consult a physician.

That did little to comfort parents, many whom bombarded the baby formula maker with telephone calls and took to social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook to voice their ire. Some have switched to rival formulas.

No other Abbott liquid infant formulas were affected by the recall. Those products include all Abbott Nutrition liquid ready-to-feed and concentrated infant formulas and all powder and liquid specialty formulas, such as Similac Expert Care^TM Alimentum®, Elecare ®, Similac Expert Care^TM Neosure ®, Similac® Human Milk Fortifier, and metabolic formulas for inherited disorders.

Anyone with affected lot numbers mentioned in media reports should return them to Abbott at no personal cost. Visit www.similac.com/recall/lookup or call Abbott’s consumer hotline, (800) 986-8850, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Parents will find specific details on how to begin the return process at the website and through the consumer hotline.

To find out if the product you have is included in the 2010 recall, visit www.similac.com/recall/lookup, and type in the lot number on the product to determine if it has been recalled or call (800) 986-8850.

BY ALICIA CRUZ

Baby to Kids Boutique

Your Guide to Baby Colds

The average cold can last up to 10 days — that’s a long time of not feeling well for a baby! Here’s how to survive and make the little one feel better, too.

By Linda DiProperzio

Keep Them Hydrated 

No matter your baby’s age, it’s essential to keep him well-hydrated when battling a cold. “A baby will usually want to nurse or take a bottle more frequently when sick because he needs that comfort,” says Dr. William Sears, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine. For babies less than 4 months old, stick to just breast milk or formula. At 4 months, your baby can also have a little water, and at 6 months, he can start drinking watered-down juices.

Treat a Fever Acetaminophen may be used to treat a fever if your baby is 4 months old or older, says Rhya Strifling, M.D., a mom and pediatrician at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Just be sure to consult your pharmacist or pediatrician about the correct dosage and make sure you are using the dosing for infant drops and not child drops. And if your baby is 3 months old or younger and has a fever, you should contact your pediatrician immediately.

Use a “Nose Hose”Even adults have a hard time sleeping with a stuffy nose — now imagine you’re a baby who can’t even blow your nose for relief! Dr. Sears recommends using a nasal aspirator and saline nasal spray before your baby eats and goes to sleep to clear the nose and to loosen the drainage in the back of the throat. “Babies under 1 typically don’t breathe through their mouths very well, so when the nose is clogged, it is truly uncomfortable for them,” Dr. Sears.

Run a HumidifierA cool mist humidifier in your baby’s room during nap time and at night can help with the cough by moistening the dry winter air, says Dr. Strifling. Adding a one or two drops of menthol, eucalyptus, or pine oil to a vaporizer might also help your baby feel less congested (you can get these oils at any health-food store). Also, be sure not to have the heat turned up too high, which can worsen Baby’s congestion. Instead, keep your home at a comfortable 72-74 degrees in the winter months

Create a Steam RoomYou can help ease your child’s congestion by running the hot water in the shower and sitting in the bathroom for about 15 minutes while the steam fills the room, says Dr. Sears. The heat from the steam loosens up the mucus in Baby’s nose and chest and relieves the stuffiness.

Skip OTC TreatmentsMost over-the-counter cough and cold medicines (aside from acetaminophen and ibuprofen) are not recommended for children under the age of 6 according to the AAP. “Usually antibiotics are not needed, unless the congestion develops into an ear infection or pneumonia,” says Dr. Strifling. “If your baby has fever for more than three or four days, or you feel like his symptoms are getting worse rather than better, than it might be time to visit your pediatrician.”

Elevate the HeadSleeping at a slight incline might help relieve your baby’s postnasal drip. You can do this by placing a couple of towels between the head of the mattress. Never use pillows to prop up your baby since they’re suffocation hazards, and don’t prop up the whole crib or bassinet since it can tip over. If elevating the mattress makes you nervous, you can always let the baby sleep in his car seat in a semi-upright position.

Wash Your HandsAccording to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 80 percent of all infectious diseases are transmitted through the hands. “It’s crucial that anyone handling the baby keeps their hands clean,” Dr. Sears says. “And also remember to clean children’s hands with baby wipes — especially once they start putting everything in their mouths.” Also be sure your baby’s hands are completely dry to ensure the alcohol from the wipe is not ingested.

Recognizing the SymptomsIf your baby had a clear, runny discharge from his nose that becomes thick and discolored, accompanied by a fever, and if he’s doing a lot of crying and pulling and/or hitting his ears, contact your doctor, says Dr. Bud Zukow, co-author of Baby: An Owner’s Manual. “You may be looking at your baby’s first middle-ear infection,” he says. “Always take into consideration how the whole child looks in addition to identifying his symptoms.”

Copyright © 2010Meredith Corporation

Moms work with employers to continue breast feeding

Rights for mothers

Studies conducted by medical associations, the government and public health agencies have found breast-feeding benefits for both infants and mothers.

Nicole Kane was on a business trip in Phoenix and desperate to find a private place where she could hide. 

The 31-year-old Indian Wells resident is committed to feeding her baby girl, Vivienne, on breast milk. But pumping while juggling her full-time job isn’t always easy, as she found out on the road recently.

“I was at an event, and there was a closet with no door,” she said. “I was like, ‘Well, it’s either here or nowhere.’”

Despite the many health benefits of breast feeding for mother and child, most abandon it before crossing the recommended 12-month threshold.

The American Academy of Pediatrics took a closer look at women’s reasons for stopping in a 2008 study.

In the early weeks after giving birth, mothers cited inadequate milk supply, sore nipples and difficulty with their infants as contributing factors.

For the 51 percent of women who stuck it out for more than four weeks, commitments at work and school ranked high as cause for stopping.

“Women who are not totally committed to it are likely to give it up, especially when they go back to work,” said Joanna Whitlow, a breast-feeding educator from Indio.

Some women are timid about broaching the topic of needing regular pumping breaks with their boss. Others might have a service industry job that makes it tough to stick to a schedule.

Neither applies to Kane.

The telecommunications company she works for has a health insurance plan that includes a baby wellness program. Through it she can access lactation consultants when she runs into trouble.

Even though she’s only one of two women in the office, her boss and co-workers have been understanding and supportive.

On the door to her office is a discreet sign, notifying people when she is busy. It gives her privacy when she needs to use her breast pump.

“I told everybody what it meant, and they were great about it,” she said.

Rights for mothers

Studies conducted by medical associations, the government and public health agencies have found breast-feeding benefits for both infants and mothers.

“No one can argue that breast milk is not superior (than formula),” Whitlow said. “The government is starting to see the value also in breast feeding.”

California law requires employers to allow breaks for women wishing to express milk. They’re also entitled to a private location other than an unsanitary bathroom where they can have privacy.

Before her clients return to work, Whitlow provides a form letter that they can send to their employers. It states what the mother needs and opens the door for a boss to ask questions.

Women sometimes don’t want to rock the boat, but Whitlow encourages them to think about it in a different way.

“You have to think about it in terms of your baby, and you have to be an advocate for your baby’s health,” she said.

And, who knows? You might be blazing the trail for other women in the workplace who will want to breast feed their children in the future.

Preparation is key

For mothers who are returning to the workplace after the typical six-week leave, Whitlow, who recently completed a nine-month lactation consultant certification program, offers the following suggestions:

Breast feed exclusively for the first three weeks. It gives mother and baby a chance to get used to the practice.

At the three-week mark, start pumping a little every other day. Begin to introduce bottles during some feedings.

“If you miss a window, some babies will never take a bottle,” she cautions.

 Breast milk is produced on a supply-and-demand schedule set by the baby. Coordinate pumping breaks with feeding times, if possible.

Invest in a good breast pump. They range from $25 for a manual number to $350 for one with bells and whistles.

“If you are working full time, I recommend getting one of the double-electric pumps that are a little bit pricier,” she said. “It’s cheaper than formula in the long run, and usually you can use it with your next baby, too.”

Don’t stress if problems arise while pumping because it will make it even more difficult to express milk. Pack a photo of the baby to stay encouraged during tough sessions.

Sometimes it doesn’t work out, but moms shouldn’t be made to feel bad about having to switch to a bottle.

“Breast milk is very, very important,” Whitlow said. “But it’s not the most important thing. Love is.”

For Kane, it was making the promise to herself early on that got her through the difficult moments.

“It was really, really hard when I was on the road in Phoenix,” she said.

But her experience overall has been positive. She plans to do it again for any little brothers or sisters Vivienne might have in the future.

“As long as you have a mind-set that you’re going to do it, it can be done,” she said. “It’s not going to be easy, but it can be done.”.

Understanding Newborn Sleep

Essentials tidbits for getting your newborn baby to sleep

Though Baby has no discernible sleep pattern until 6-10 weeks, you can start shaping her bedtime ritual anytime (such as bath, books, backrub, bedtime). Experts suggest putting Baby down sleepy, but awake and alone, so she can learn to snooze independently. Teaching Baby to sleep well is a great gift to her — and to your family

Your newborn may snooze a lot — but not for long stretches.

That’s because her internal clock isn’t up and running yet. “There is no rhyme or reason to sleep until about 6 to 10 weeks,” says sleep expert Jodi Mindell, PhD, author of Sleep Deprived No More. But even newborns can benefit from a bedtime ritual: “Parents don’t realize how aware babies are, but when you nurse her, zip up her pjs, and put on music, it sends a signal,” says Mindell.

Put him down sleepy but awake.

That way, if he rouses in the night, he can put himself back to sleep. Erika Riley, of Minneapolis, learned this the hard way with her second son, Max, who is now 2. She would lie with him in her bed until he fell asleep. But 30 minutes later, he’d wake and need her next to him to drift off. Another common blunder: giving baby the breast or bottle right before he goes down. “Make this the first part of the bedtime routine,” Mindell says. “If baby falls asleep sucking on a bottle, he’ll need that to fall asleep again if he wakes in the night.” Just ask Kristen Fox, of Florham Park, New Jersey. Her oldest, Keira, now 3, nodded off with her bottle. When she no longer needed it at 9 months, Fox said, “Now what do I do?”

Exposing baby to bright light in the morning helps set her internal clock. Pull up the shades in the nursery or take her for an a.m. walk.

Good sleep habits are all about routine.

By 6 to 8 weeks, baby can benefit from a sleep schedule linked to feedings, with an “official” bedtime, even though he isn’t sleeping through the night. By 3 to 4 months, baby should snooze about six hours (yay!), so you can drop a middle-of-the-night bottle, says pediatrician Jennifer Trachtenberg, MD, of New York City. As baby sleeps longer, bedtime shifts earlier, to between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m.

Baby’s cries hurt you more.

The experts agree: for the first three months, feed baby on demand and cater to her every need. But eventually, you need to take a new tack. Kate Clow, of Chatham, New Jersey, let all three of her kids cry it out: “It was horrible, but it lasted only a few days,” she says. Consistency is key. “If you decide to let them cry it out for two nights and then go in on the third, you’re back at square one.” Erika Riley let Max cry it out at 10 months. “He was eating table food, so I knew he wasn’t hungry. I have a video monitor, so I knew he was okay. He wanted my attention, and he soon enough learned he wasn’t going to get it in the middle of the night,” she says. “I knew I had to let him cry so he could learn to sleep on his own.”

Baby has her own nap style.

She might take two naps by 3 to 4 months, or she could sneak three to four 45-minute naps till she’s 9 or 10 months. Follow your child’s lead or “you’ll pay the price,” says Marc Weissbluth, MD, a pediatrician in Chicago and author of the forthcoming Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Twins. Don’t expect your younger child to follow a big sib’s patterns.

Flexibility is key.

“When you have more than one child, there will be compromises,” Dr. Weissbluth says. Jamie Gallovich, of Keller, Texas, says her oldest, Andrew, now 6, “got the best of it.” She’d often have to wake her younger son, Chase, so she could take Andrew to activities. Cut yourself some slack, says Mindell: “With baby number one, it’s possible to keep to a consistent schedule five or more days a week. But when you get to your second or third child, if you can hit 50 percent consistency, that’s good.”

“By about 12 weeks, you’ll see a schedule developing,” says sleep expert Jodi Mindell, PhD. You and baby benefit from keeping to one.

Learn the signals.

Once baby is rubbing his eyes or yawning, he’s overtired, says Elizabeth Pantley, author of The No-Cry Nap Solution. This goes for nighttime and naptime. “I call it the volcano effect: if he doesn’t get the nap, he erupts.” Watch out, too, for what Pantley calls a micro-nap: that five-minute snooze baby takes in your arms or while in the swing or car seat. “The first five minutes of a nap reduce feelings of sleepiness, but they don’t rejuvenate baby,” she says. After this brief snooze, “baby is tired, but he can’t fall asleep, and he hasn’t had the benefits of a good nap.” And if he doesn’t get those naps during the day, he won’t sleep well at night.

It’s hard for colicky babies to wind down for sleep.

Those first three months are grueling: there’s no real bedtime, and you’re up around the clock. Plus, many babies have colic, those inconsolable cries that seem to go on forever. How do you know if your baby has it? Listen for crying that is louder and higher-pitched than normal, and accompanied by signs of physical pain. The crying may follow the Rule of Three: it goes on for three hours a day, three days a week, for three consecutive weeks. Some good news: colic usually ends at 3 months. In the meantime, stay sane by keeping lots of soothing tricks up your sleeve. Swaddling, singing, and shushing are popular methods, while white noise from the bathroom fan works wonders for some babies. Bridget Pelosi’s husband put their older son, Gavin, on his lap and bounced on a yoga ball. The Berkeley, Heights, New Jersey, mom said it worked instantly.

Since 1992, when the American Academy of Pediatrics first recommended that infants be placed on their back to sleep, the number of cases of SIDS has dropped by more than 50 percent.

Good sleepers run into snags.

“Even at 9 or 10 months, the best sleepers can have issues,” says Mindell, due to separation anxiety or developmental milestones. Whatever you do, don’t change the bedtime rules! Practice milestones like pulling up to standing during the day so he’s less apt to try this in his crib.

Surrender to baby’s schedule…really.

Kate Clow’s second daughter Nora was a good sleeper, but she woke each day at 5 a.m. Clow tried putting her to bed later and changing her nap times, but Nora was just an early bird. “I kept fighting it, but what finally made it work was adjusting my sleep schedule,” she says. That meant no more staying up late doing laundry, checking e-mail, or chatting with friends on the phone.

Baby to Kids Boutique