baby care tips

One night it s Mom s turn to rock the cranky baby, the next it s Dad s turn. Amy Reichardt and her husband, Richard, parents in Denver, worked out a system for the weekends, when Richard was off from work. I d be up with the baby at night but got to sleep in. Richard did all the morning care, then got to nap later.

really is the best advice. Take naps together and go to bed early, says Sarah Clark, a mom in Washington, D.C.

Do whatever it takes: Nurse or rock baby to sleep; let your newborn fall asleep on your chest or in the car seat. Don t worry about bad habits yet. It s about survival yours! says Jean Farnham, a Los Angeles mom.

It s often hard to decipher exactly what baby wants in the first murky weeks. You ll learn, of course, by trial and error.

The key to soothing fussy infantsis to mimic the womb. Swaddling, shushing, and swinging, as well as allowing babies to suck and holding them on their sides, may trigger a calming reflex

Forget the dubious theory that music makes a baby smarter, and concentrate on the fact that it s likely to calm him. The Baby Einstein tapes saved us.

Alexandra Komisaruk, a mom in Los Angeles, found that diaper changes triggered a meltdown. I made warm wipes using paper towels and a pumpable thermos of warm water, she says. You can also buy an electric wipe warmer for a sensitive baby.

Doing deep knee bends and lunges while holding my daughter calmed her down, says Emily Earle, a mom in Brooklyn, New York. And the upside was, I got my legs back in shape

If all else fails and baby s umbilical cord stub has fallen off try a warm bath together. You ll relax, too, and a relaxed mommy can calm a baby, says Emily Franklin, a Boston mom.

Your husband, who helped you through your pregnancy, may seem at a loss now that baby s here. It s up to you, Mom, to hand the baby over and let Dad figure things out, just like you re doing.