Free Rock-a-Bye Baby by Penny Warner Page A

ever-changing process, and your intuition is your most helpful asset.
    â€”Louis Borgenicht, M.D
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Introduction
    Nothing brings a smile to a mother or father’s face faster than the cherubic look of their sleeping baby. And nothing brings on the tears like an overtired, not-so-cherubic child who can’t, or won’t, go to sleep.
    I should know. I spent the first couple of years of my babies’ lives in a twilight daze brought on by lack of sleep—theirs and mine. Even with a couple of academic degrees in child development, I didn’t have a clue how to get my little angels off to snoozeville; that elusive secret simply wasn’t covered in the clinical textbooks I had studied.
    It wasn’t until I began teaching parenting classes that I learned the sleep secrets held only by the real experts: experienced parents. I started collecting the tips they shared, knowing there were a lot of droopy-eyed parents out there searching for help. When it came timeto write this book, I had more than 200 parent-approved suggestions! How could I not share these wonderful tips with other night-zombie parents when I had them at my fingertips?
    Whether you’re expecting your first child (congratulations!) or enjoying the birth of your second, third, or tenth (goodness!), sleep can feel like a big challenge, for both you and your child. But it doesn’t have to be. With these tried-and-true (and even a little wacky) tips, sleep can be all it’s supposed to be: hours upon hours of restful bliss. Sound like a dream?
Rock-a-Bye Baby
makes it a reality.
    You’ll find in this book everything from parents’ and grandparents’ time-tested wisdom to recommendations from credentialed pediatricians and child-development specialists. There’s certainly no shortage of advice. The trick is to make your way through it all,try many different pointers, and find the few that suit your and your baby’s lifestyle and routine. Because, trust me, everyone has an opinion about what works best! It’s the rare parent who doesn’t get an earful of sleep tips from well-meaning family and friends, not to mention the glut of parenting magazines, blogs, and online support groups. Here you’ll find all the tips you’ll need from a variety of sources, conveniently gathered in one place so you’re never stuck searching for an answer in moments of exhaustion.
    Sure, the sleep issue can be overwhelming, but there’s no reason to despair. Trust your instincts about which of these suggestions are best for you and your baby. Because while doctors are certainly trustworthy sources—they’re experts for a reason, and their advice is worth a try—perhaps no one has more expertise than parents, who have earned their MOM. or DAD.degree as late-night sleep consultants. They’ve walked a mile in your slippers and tend to have the most helpful, practical advice.
    When you need a hand, dip into this book. The tips are arranged by theme so you can search for targeted advice. They’re also short and sweet, so you can flip to a random page for instant suggestions at frantic moments. It’s like having your own personal baby nurse—minus the exorbitant price tag, of course. Many tips may be new to you—bouncing on the exercise ball, climbing up and down stairs, wrapping up a ticking clock—and some will be familiar—rocking your baby in a sling, taking him for a ride in the car, singing her a lullaby—but each one is worth trying. You never know what will work this time, so don’t rule out anything.
    And remember: Not all babies, and not all parents, are the same. So despite all the knowing advice in this book, paying attention to your baby’s moods andtemperament is the best way to learn her sleeping patterns. Understanding these patterns will help you get to the bottom of why she might not be falling asleep easily. While some babies are more wakeful and others