By Alexa Joy Sherman

If your baby seems to magically fall asleep on her own, consider yourself lucky. While baby sleep training isn’t always necessary, baby sleep problems aren’t uncommon. Don’t worry—it’s not too tough once you get the hang of it. Here’s the baby sleep training basics you need to know.

Should you try baby sleep training?

Baby sleep training isn’t something every child needs. “Some babies are just natural sleepers—no matter what you do, they sleep great,” says Jodi A. Mindell, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and author of Sleeping Through the Night. “However, about 25 to 30 percent of parents in the U.S. report that their child has a sleep problem.”

What does having a “sleep problem” mean, exactly? “The most common issues that parents face are night waking and naptime problems,” says Mindell. Consider that between the ages of 3 and 12 months, babies need about 14 hours of sleep every 24 hours—between 2 and 4 1/2 hours of daytime sleep, and 8 1/2 to 10 hours at night. (Newborns need about 16 hours total.) If your little one is having a hard time falling and staying asleep—either for naps or at night—there’s a good chance she’s not getting enough rest, and you might want to try baby sleep training.

Why baby sleep training matters

When babies don’t get the sleep they need, it can lead to all sorts of issues. “Good-quality and sufficient sleep is essential for normal growth and development,” says Lewis J. Kass, MD, a pediatric pulmonologist and sleep medicine physician in Westchester, N.Y. Indeed, studies find that a lack of sleep can put babies at risk for cognitive and behavioral problems and even childhood obesity.

Without baby sleep training, parents can suffer as well, with increased risks for conditions like maternal depression. “More than one marriage has been saved with the onset of a sleeping baby—parents feel better about themselves, are able to function better when the baby is sleeping and simply enjoy their children more,” adds Mindell. “Happier and better parents make for happier babies.”

Want to give baby sleep training a try? Here’s three steps to help baby sleep.

By Nicole Pelletiere

Life takes some radical turns after your baby is born (hello, zero sleep, fading social life, and extra pounds), making it easy to forget how you might’ve felt about yourself pre-baby, at least temporarily. Here’s how to give yourself a confidence boost and feel good after pregnancy.

Why you don’t always feel good after pregnancy

You might not be used to your post-baby body yet, but there’s actually deeper stuff at play on the chemical level. Childbirth and hormonal changes put stress on the body, zapping energy, says Cammi Balleck, Ph.D., author of Happy, The New Sexy. The result? You end up with a case of the baby blues—complete with low energy, a lack of focus, and dwindling motivation.

That’s not exactly a recipe to feel good after pregnancy. But there’s good news: You don’t have to wait around to start feeling like your old self again. With a little bit of know-how, you can start building up your post-baby confidence right now.

How to feel good after pregnancy

Take your vitamins To feel good after pregnancy, you’ll have to do some battle against all that stress by helping your body unleash feel-good hormones, Balleck says. Take a multimineral supplement with magnesium, which can regulate sleep and calm frazzled nerves. A whole food vitamin that supports hormone balance helps, too: Look for one with herbs like chamomile and chasteberry. And remember, always talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement regimen.

Don some (new) non-maternity clothes Even though you’ll start to lose weight while breastfeeding, regaining your old body will still take some time. And bumming out over the fact that your pre-baby jeans are still snug definitely won’t make you feel good after pregnancy. What will? Picking up a few non-maternity pieces that’ll make you feel pretty by fitting the body you have now. (It’s almost summer, so we’re all about tunics and sundresses!) If you’re working on a budget, swap clothes with a friend or buy and sell on an online consignment shop like ThredUp.com. Trust us—getting out of those baggy maternity clothes will do wonders for your self-confidence.

Keep up appearances For the last nine months, you’ve probably been following a swath of safe pregnancy beauty tips, which means you might’ve missed out on pedicures, your usual hair color regimen, and the like. Now, though, it’s time to get back on board: Help yourself feel good after pregnancy by indulging in a mani/pedi or trying a new hair color. Or just go get a blow-out for the heck of it. You’ll feel sexy!

Pamper yourself Life as a new mom is exhausting, and being worn out all the time is no way to feel good after pregnancy. Even though you’re busier than ever, recruit family and friends to help out so you can get an hour alone to take care of yourself. Do whatever it is that you find the most soothing: Take a nap, cook a healthy meal, go to yoga, get a massage, or soak in a warm bubble bath, says Balleck.

Set goals for the future You might not be able to imagine a time when life won’t revolve around naptime and diaper changes. But that day will come and you’ll want to be ready for it, so help yourself feel good after pregnancy by focusing on the future. Balleck suggests making a list of some of goals you want to accomplish: Maybe you’d like to finally jumpstart your blog, take a photography class, or run a 5K. The specifics don’t matter—what’s more important is having exciting plans to look forward to, which will help you feel optimistic right now.

Campaign Creates Awareness of Hyperthermia in an Effort to Prevent Child Death

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J—May 15, 2013- The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) is pleased to announce its partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on the “Where’s Baby? Look Before You Lock” awareness campaign. In a commitment to this campaign, all child restraint system (CRS) manufacturer members of JPMA will be posting life-saving messages beginning in May and into early fall.

“Heatstroke in hot cars is a terrible danger to children, and we must do everything we can to protect our youngest passengers,” says NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “Working closely with our safety partners, we hope to remind parents and caregivers to never leave children unattended in a vehicle and always check the backseat before walking away. Through coordinated efforts to increase public awareness of this very serious safety danger, we hope help prevent tragedies.”

According to national statistics, 2012 saw at least 32 child deaths due to heatstroke from being left in cars. An unknown number of children are also injured each year from heatstroke in hot cars, suffering ailments like permanent brain injury, blindness and loss of hearing. Heatstroke deaths and injuries often occur from children playing in unlocked vehicles unbeknownst to parents or guardians. Incidents can also occur when caregivers inadvertently forget sleeping infants in rear-facing car seats.

“Child death is particularly heartbreaking when related to heatstroke in cars, because this situation is preventable,” says Michael Dwyer, Executive Director of JPMA. “Parents and caregivers feel the guilt and take responsibility for deaths that don’t need to happen. We are certain that if parents and caregivers take the time to Look Before They Lock, we can bring the number of child deaths due to heatstroke down to zero.”

Look Before You Lock encourages parents and caregivers to keep the following in mind during the hot summer months:

• Never leave infants or young children unattended in a vehicle–even if you leave the windows partly open or the air conditioning working.
• Never let children play in an unattended vehicle.
• Always lock your vehicle doors and trunk. Keep the keys out of a child’s reach.
• If your child is missing, quickly check all vehicles, including the trunks.
• If you see a child unattended in a hot car, call 911 and get the child out as soon as possible.
• If you have a child, always make a habit of looking in the vehicle–front to back–before walking away.
• Remember: kids in hot cars are a deadly combination.

“Children’s bodies overheat easily, and infants and children under four years of age are among those at greatest risk for heat-related illness,” says Dwyer. “Following the tips from JPMA and NHTSA, making a conscious effort to lock the car and taking the proper precautions can possibly save your child’s life.”

About the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), under the U.S. Department of Transportation, was established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970 as the successor to the National Highway Safety Bureau to carry out safety programs under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 and the Highway Safety Act of 1966. The Vehicle Safety Act has subsequently been recodified under Title 49 of the U. S. Code in Chapter 301, Motor Vehicle Safety. NHTSA also carries out consumer programs established by the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act of 1972, which has been recodified in various Chapters under Title 49.

NHTSA is responsible for reducing deaths, injuries and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes. This is accomplished by setting and enforcing safety performance standards for motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment and through grants to state and local governments to enable them to conduct effective local highway safety programs.

About the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) is a national trade organization of more than 250 companies in the United States, Canada and Mexico. JPMA exists to advance the interests, growth and well-being of North American prenatal to preschool product manufacturers, importers and distributors marketing under their own brands to consumers. It does so through advocacy, government and public relations, information sharing, product performance certification and business development assistance conducted with appreciation for the needs of parents, children and retailers.

To learn more about JPMA, the Certification Program and to receive a complete listing of JPMA members, please visit www.jpma.org. Connect with JPMA on Facebook, Twitter @JPMA or on YouTube to learn more about additional programs and safety initiatives.

Name of product:

Lea Panel, Loft and Bunk Beds

Hazard:

The bed’s side mattress support rails can break, posing a fall hazard.

Remedy:

View Details

Consumer Contact:

Lea Industries; toll-free at (888) 770-7116, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or online at www.leaindustries.com and click on Recall for more information.

Report an Incident Involving this Product

Recall Details

In conjunction with: Canada

Units

About 59,200 in the U.S. and 4,200 in Canada

Description

This recall involves the side rails on 34 different Lea children’s bed collections, including loft, bunk and panel styles in twin, full and queen sizes. The wooden beds were sold in various wood finishes and paint colors, including black or white. The beds have two side mattress support rails connecting the headboard to the footboard and slats or a Bunkie board to support the mattress. Item numbers and purchase order numbers included in this recall are listed below. The date code, rail item number and purchase order number are located on a white label on the inside of one of the side rails.  Date codes between August 2008 and March 2013, shown as 8-2008 through 3-2013, are included in this recall. Platform beds manufactured since 2010 are not included in this recall. Recalled bed names, item numbers and purchase order numbers include:

Incidents/Injuries

There have been 22 reports of incidents involving the recalled beds in the U.S. since 2009 and one in Canada. Two injuries were reported. In a 2009 incident in Madison, Wisconsin, an 11-year-old girl was placing a fitted sheet on the top bunk when the child, mattress and bed supports collapsed on her 6-year-old sister in the bed below. The 6 year old was treated at a hospital emergency department for a head injury involving a cut to her face.

Remedy

Consumers should immediately stop using the beds and contact Lea Industries to receive free replacement side rails for the beds.

Sold at

Direct Buy stores and furniture stores nationwide, and online at Amazon.com and various other websites from August 2008 through March 2013 for between $400 and $3,000.

Importer

Lea Industries, High Point, N.C.

Manufactured in

China and Vietnam

Courtesy of Consumer Product Safety Commission 

By Stacy Whitman 

Childhood obesity is still on the rise, and there’s a new possible cause sharing the blame with junk food and TV. Recent research from Kaiser Permanente found that children born to mothers with high magnetic field (MF) exposure during pregnancy have an almost 70 percent greater risk of becoming overweight or obese. While more research is needed to understand why, chief researcher De-Kun Li, MD, PhD, speculates that the MFs may damage the metabolic systems of unborn babies. To minimize exposure and potentially help prevent childhood obesity, moms-to-be should:

• Keep a safe distance (at least 2 to 3 feet) from electrically charged appliances and gadgets, including microwaves, vacuums and hair dryers, when in use.
• Avoid talking on cell and cordless phones, or use them with a wired headset or speakerphone.
• Carry cell phones and other electronic devices in a handbag (not a pocket).
• Use laptops on a table, not on your lap.

In addition to being cozy and adorable, your baby’s nursery also has to be secure. Here’s the nursery safety tips every parent needs to know to keep your little one happy and healthy.

Nursery safety tip #1: Check that crib

Since he spends a lot of time snoozing in it, a secure crib is essential to help your baby sleep safely. Choose a firm baby crib mattress with a tight-fitting sheet, and skip the cute toys and pillows, which could pose suffocation or strangulation hazards, says Kate Carr, President and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. As for the crib itself, steer clear of the following:

• Sharp or jagged edges
• Missing, broken, or loose parts, or loose hardware
• Cut-out designs in the headboard or footboard
• Crib slats more than 2 3/8 inches apart (about the width of a soda can, Carr says)
• Corner post extensions over 1/16 of an inch high
• Gaps larger than two fingers’ width between the sides of the crib and the baby crib mattress
• Drop-side latches
• Stuffed animals, blankies, and bumpers. Remember: Bare is best!

Good to know: All cribs on the market today are required to meet these standards. But older cribs and secondhand models could still be suspect. If you’re unsure whether your baby’s crib makes the grade, research its recall history at recalls.gov.

But there’s a catch: When it comes to green crib mattresses, there’s no government or industry oversight, so manufacturers can call a crib mattress natural or organic even when it isn’t, or when it only contains a very small percentage of natural materials (like organic cotton in the cover). Here’s how to tell a truly green crib mattress from an imposter and get the best baby sleep gear.

How to find a green crib mattress

If you’re looking for a green crib mattress, you might need to do some digging to learn more about a manufacturer’s claims. Manufacturers are required to list their mattresses are made of, so one way to distinguish a green crib mattress is by looking at the label: Look for materials like cotton, soy, coconut husks, bamboo, and natural latex.

Also see whether it’s GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified, which means that the mattress complies with stringent chemical emission standards developed by nonprofit, The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.  You can also look for a cover made from cotton, wool, or bamboo instead of vinyl; if it’s certified by green textile certifier, Oeko-Tex, you’ll know it’s free from harmful substances.

One option we love? The green crib mattresses from Sealy’s Nature Couture Collection, made with a soybean foam core and organic cotton cover. And since it converts into a toddler bed, it’ll keep your baby safe as she grows into a big kid, too.

Sponsored by Sealy

By Alexa Joy Sherman

How do you help baby sleep? Baby sleep training doesn’t have to be nightmare. In fact, it could be as simple as 1, 2, 3! Here’s the three-step plan experts recommend when your baby can’t sleep.

How to Help Baby Sleep

Step 1: Establish a sleep routine
You’ll help baby sleep when she knows what’s going to happen—so have set naptimes and bedtimes, ideally based on when your little one already tends to show signs of drowsiness. “Routines are essential at any age as they help prepare our bodies and minds for what comes next,” says Lisa J. Meltzer, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics and director of the Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Clinic at National Jewish Health in Denver. “A predictable bedtime routine will signal to a baby that sleep time is coming.” Elements of the routine will vary, but a bath, massage, rocking, reading a story or singing a song will all help baby sleep more easily. 

Step 2: To help baby sleep, put her down awake
The key to successful baby sleep training is helping your little one learn to fall asleep without any parental involvement (known as “self-soothing”). “A baby who needs parental assistance at bedtime will need that same situation to return to sleep following normal nighttime awakenings,” Meltzer explains. “In other words, if you rock your baby to sleep at bedtime, you may have to rock him or her back to sleep following four to six normal nighttime awakenings.” That’s why it’s so important to make sure baby is drowsy, but still awake, when you put him down.

Step 3: Resist the assist
Oftentimes baby will cry out for you after you leave the room—and how you respond is where the sleep training options and opinions vary the most. Two common methods are known as “controlled comforting” and “camping out.” The first approach allows you to check on and talk to or pat your baby for about a minute at a time (or until your little one settles down), but to gradually increase the amount of time you allow her to cry before doing so (say, two minutes to start, then three, four and so on).

The latter approach is similar in that the child is left to settle alone and is not picked up when he or she cries. However, this technique to help baby sleep is believed to be slightly gentler because the parent or caregiver remains in a nearby bed or chair in the room with the child, gradually decreasing interaction and moving farther away from the baby’s bed until—after one to three weeks—the parent is no longer in the same room.

Eventually, your baby sleep problems should fade away, and she should fall asleep without any assistance (research published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology found that about 80 percent of babies will naturally start sleeping through the night in about two weeks). She may still wake during the night, and at those times you can still offer some assistance with returning to sleep. “If you usually rock your baby back to sleep during the night, then go ahead and rock her,” says Jodi A. Mindell, PhD, a clinical psychologist, associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and author of Sleeping Through the Night. “If you usually nurse or take her to your bed, then do that.”

By Nicole Pelletiere

What’s more exciting than reading your positive pregnancy test? Deciding how and when you’re going to share the news with your family and friends. Read on to get inspired by our favorite pregnancy announcement ideas.