Rock-a-Bye Baby Read Online Free PDF Page B

on my tummy, lie down, and let her go to sleep that way.
—Zoe G
.

Book ‘Em
    Here’s a strange one, but it worked on my nephew.
    He would only go to sleep if you patted him on the back for what seemed like a long time. We discovered that you could pat him slower for a few minutes, put a book on his back to imitate the feel of the hand, and then leave. We’d remove the book after he fell asleep. It worked great.
—Anne G
.

Dry Shower
    Take a “dry shower.” Stand in the bathroom (but not
in
the shower) with the shower running while holding your baby. The running water imitates the sounds of the womb.
—Kelly G
.

Cold Feet
    I found that if I covered my baby’s feet with soft little socks, he fell asleep faster.
—Sue W
.

Ticking Heart
    Wrap a clock in something soft and lay it near the baby so she can hear the muffled ticking. She will be comforted, because it sounds like mother’s heartbeat.
—Kay A
.

Chill Out
    If I’m tense when trying to put my fifteen-month-old son to sleep, the whole endeavor is pointless. So I take a few deep breaths and consciously relax my body. His little body almost immediately reacts the same way.
—Arianna O
.

Warm the Wipes
    My baby wouldn’t go back to sleep after I changed him. I finally figured out that the wipes were too cold! I bought a wipe warmer, and that made a huge difference.
—Melissa A
.

Water Works
    I found that running water put my baby to sleep, so I put my baby’s port-a-crib in the kitchen and turned on the faucet for a little while.
—Gail P
.

Bike Stand
    I used to hop onto the stationary bike wearing my baby in a front pack, then exercise my pregnancy weight off while my baby nodded off.
—Mia. T
.

Dishwasher Wonder
    One day I had my baby in his infant seat on the floor a few feet from the dishwasher. After loading the dishwasher, I turned it on, and moments later my baby was asleep. I started using this technique whenever my daughter couldn’t get to sleep in her crib. (Just make sure your baby isn’t too close to the dishwasher, which can give off steam.)
—Barbara S
.

Fake Sleep
    This may sound strange, but when I was exhausted, I would just lay in my bed with my baby next to me and pretend to sleep. Pretty soon he’d be asleep too!
—Holly K
.

Sandman Stroke
    I would take my finger and stroke my baby’s forehead down toward his nose several times until he fell asleep.
—Barbara G
.

Baby Whispering
    Whispering—not singing—songs in her ear worked. “Hush, Little Baby” was her favorite.
—Gay C
.

Pat the Bottom
    Pat your baby firmly—not too firmly, just pressure—on her bottom instead of her back.
—Deanna M
.

Swing Seat
    Put your baby in a car seat with handles and swing or rock her back and forth.
—Donna B
.

Knit One
    I’d knit as my daughter watched from her swing. The clicking needles seemed to hypnotize her to sleep.
—Carole P
.

Grandma’s Fussbuster
    I know this sounds crazy, but we got a CD called
Grandma’s Fussbuster
, which plays sounds like “The Hoover Hustle” (vacuum-cleaner noises), “Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow” (the hair dryer), and “Someone to Wash over Me” (the dishwasher). I swear by it.
—Elizabeth G
. ( NOTE :
See “Resources,” page 138
.)

Take a Stroll
    Riding in the stroller always put my baby to sleep after she was fed, but when the weather turned cold and rainy, I couldn’t use the stroller outside anymore, so I started pushing it around in the house. I must have looked ridiculous, but whatever it takes!
—Jacqueline H
.

Blanket Warmer
    We would warm the blanket in the dryer, then wrap her up and give her last bottle for the night. It really relaxed her. As she got drowsy, we would remove the blanket and put her in her crib.
—Lima C
.

Smooth as Silk
    Use a blanket with a satin trim. The soft, silky feeling seems to help