Baby Sleep Basics

Typical sleep patterns at this age

Newborns sleep a lot — typically 14 to 18 hours a day during the first week and 12 to 16 hours a day by the time they're a month old. But most babies don't stay asleep for more than two to four hours at a time, day or night, during the first few weeks of life.

The result? Lots of sleep for your baby and a very irregular — and tiring — schedule for you. Your job is to respond to your newborn's cues, so you'll probably be up several times during the night to change, feed, and comfort him.

What's going on
Baby sleep cycles are far shorter than those of adults, and babies spend more time in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is thought to be necessary for the extraordinary development happening in their brain. REM sleep is lighter than non-REM sleep, and more easily disrupted.

All this unpredictability is a necessary phase for your baby and it doesn't last long — though it may seem like an eternity when you're sleep-deprived.

What's next
At 6 to 8 weeks of age, most babies begin to sleep for shorter periods during the day and longer periods at night, though most continue to wake up to feed during the night. They also have shorter periods of REM sleep, and longer periods of deep, non-REM sleep.

Somewhere between 3 and 6 months, experts say, most babies are capable of sleeping through the night. They're not talking about eight hours, though — they generally mean a stretch of five or six hours.

Some infants sleep for a long stretch at night as early as 6 weeks, but many babies don't reach that milestone until they're 5 or 6 months old and some continue to wake up at night into toddlerhood. You can help your baby get there sooner, if that's your goal, by teaching him good sleep habits from the start.

How you can establish good sleep habits

Here are some tips for helping your baby settle down to sleep:

Learn the signs that mean he's tired.
For the first six to eight weeks, most babies aren't able to stay up much longer than two hours at a time. If you wait longer than that to put your baby down, he may be overtired and have trouble falling asleep.

Watch your baby for signs that he's tired. Is he rubbing his eyes, pulling on his ear, or developing faint dark circles under his eyes? If you spot these or any other signs of sleepiness, try putting him down to sleep. You'll soon develop a sixth sense about your baby's daily rhythms and patterns, and you'll know instinctively when he's ready for a nap.

Begin to teach him the difference between day and night.
Some infants are night owls (something you may have gotten a hint of during pregnancy) and will be wide awake just when you want to hit the hay. For the first few days you won't be able to do much about this. But once your baby is about 2 weeks old, you can start teaching him to distinguish night from day.

When he's alert and awake during the day, interact with him as much as you can, keep the house and his room light and bright, and don't worry about minimizing regular daytime noises like the phone, TV, or dishwasher. If he tends to sleep through feedings, wake him up.

At night, don't play with him when he wakes up. Keep the lights and noise level low, and don't spend too much time talking to him. Before long he should begin to figure out that nighttime is for sleeping.

Consider starting a bedtime routine.
It's never too early to start trying to follow a bedtime routine. It can be something as simple as getting your baby changed for bed, singing a lullaby, and giving him a kiss goodnight.

Give him a chance to fall asleep on his own.
By the time he's 6 to 8 weeks old, you can start giving your baby a chance to fall asleep on his own. How? Put him down when he's sleepy but still awake, suggests Jodi Mindell, associate director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and author of Sleeping Through the Night.

Mindell advises against rocking or nursing your baby to sleep, even at this young age. "Parents think that what they do this early doesn't have an effect," she says, "but it does. Babies are learning their sleep habits. If you rock your child to sleep every night for the first eight weeks, why would he expect anything different later on?"

Not everyone agrees with this strategy, however. Some parents choose to rock or nurse their babies to sleep because they believe it's normal and natural, because they enjoy it and their baby is thriving and sleeping well, or simply because nothing else seems to work.

(www.parenthood.com)

How much sleep does your child need?

As a new parent, that's probably one of your biggest questions. Below are some general guidelines as to how many hours of sleep the average child requires at various ages. Of course, every child is different — some need up to two hours more or less sleep than others.

Age	Nighttime Sleep	Daytime Sleep *	Total Sleep
1 month	8 1/2	7 (3)	15 1/2
3 months	10	5 (3)	15
6 months	11	3 1/4 (2)	14 1/4
9 months	11	3 (2)	14
12 months	11 1/4	2 1/2 (2)	13 3/4
18 months	11 1/4	2 1/4 (1)	13 1/2
2 years	11	2 (1)	13
3 years	10 1/2	1 1/2 (1)	12
* number of naps in parentheses

Keep in mind that most children need lots of sleep. Often, says BabyCenter sleep expert Jodi Mindell, author of Sleeping Through the Night, if a child has poor sleep habits or refuses to go to bed before 11 at night, his parents will think that he just doesn't need a lot of sleep. That's probably not true — in fact, it's likely that such a child is actually sleep-deprived. To see whether your child falls into that camp, ask yourself these questions:

• Does your child fall asleep almost every time he's in a car?

• Do you have to wake your child almost every morning?

• Does your child seem cranky, irritable, or overtired during the day?

• On some nights, does your child seem to crash much earlier than his usual bedtime?

If you answered "yes" to any of these, your child may be getting less sleep than he needs. To change this pattern, you'll need to help him develop good sleep habits and set an appropriate bedtime. "Then he'll get all the sleep he needs to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed," Mindell says.


Eventually your child will stop napping and start doing all of his sleeping at night. Preschoolers and young elementary school students still need up to ten or 11 hours of sleep a night, but that amount will gradually diminish. By the time he's a teenager, your child will need only about nine or ten hours of shut-eye per night.


(Mia Fichita memang kurang tidur...mlm hari..oklah..dlm 9 hours, but siang hari, hardly 4 hours. That's why makin kurus....risaunya)


-www.parenthood.com-

I have to admit

I have to admit.
I'm NOT a superwoman.
I have to accept my limitations, my weaknesses.
I can't force myself to do the things that I can't do;
to accomplish the things that I can't even start;
to take on responsibility that I can't bear.

I have to admit.
After more than 30 years living in this world,
enjoying all the bounties from God;
I am just a slave of Him,
who constantly hope for His Blessings and Love to keep going on.

I have to admit.
I've got nothing to complain.
Allah has blessed and trusted me with three children;
to nurture them to be the successful, pious believing man and women.
I have a very caring and loving family,
who always support me to go through the painstaking obstacles.
I've been privileged
to enjoy the company and care from my better half

I have to admit.
Life is not a bed of roses.
Happiness and sadness fluctuate every now and then.
There is no short cut to success.
The journey of life is absolutely a never-ending story
of laughs, smiles and tears.

I have to admit.
I'm not a superwoman.
This oft-cheerful lady needs a break,
needs a shoulder to cry on,
needs spending some time in solace
in order to move on.


-ummuwafi, 16th December 2008-

Which reading stage is your child in?

Learning to read is a process that can take years, and although each child learns at his own pace, most progress through four basic reading stages. Read the descriptions that follow to find the one that best describes your child. Then put that information to use with our stage-specific reading articles that offer tips on how to choose great books, master reading skills, and more.

Signs of a Pre-Reader

Your child is probably a pre-reader, also called a pre-emergent reader, if he does most of the following:

• Plays with books as toys but doesn't yet understand that they contain stories.

• Has been exposed to books and enjoys hearing them, but doesn't yet comprehend that the pages contain words that correspond to a story.

• Is attracted to the bright colors and illustrations found in books, but doesn't understand that the pictures depict a story.

• Can't identify any words or letters on the pages.

Rough age guideline for a pre-reader: 2 to 4 years old

Signs of a Beginning Reader

Your child is probably a beginning reader, also known as an emerging reader, if he does most of the following:

• Needs pictures on each page to help tell the story.

• Has trouble answering questions about the story.

• Memorizes books and tries to read them again and again.

• Reads aloud unexpressively and doesn't stop for punctuation.

• Comes across an unknown word and is able to sound out the beginning, but then makes up the rest or skips over it.

Rough age guideline for a beginning reader: 4 to 6 years old

Signs of an Intermediate Reader

Your child is probably an intermediate reader, also known as a developing reader, if he does most of the following:

• Reads smoothly most of the time with few mistakes but must stop sometimes to sound out words.

• Uses pictures as well as context clues from the rest of the sentence to figure out the meaning of a story.

• Comes across an unknown word, sounds it out, and can usually figure out the meaning based on context.

• Can answer simple questions about the story.

• Reads aloud expressively sometimes and pauses for most punctuation.

• Enjoys new books, reading easier ones independently and more difficult ones with an older child or adult.

Rough age guideline for an intermediate reader: 6 to 8 years old

"Grasp the Cup of Life with both hands and drink deeply....
savour every drop and look forward for more".

5-week-old's development

Head's up!

Your baby's neck muscles are getting stronger, which allows her to hold her head up for short periods. She can support it for a few moments while lying on her stomach, for example, and she can probably turn it from side to side. She may be able to hold her head up when she's in a car seat or front carrier.

The first real smiles

Smiling happens at about the same time in all cultures, so get ready for your baby to reward all your loving care with a beaming, toothless, just-for-you smile. This will probably make your heart melt, even if you've just had your worst night yet.

Sound asleep

Your baby may start sleeping longer at night (maybe four to six hours) sometime between 6 weeks and 6 months of age. It's a broad range, and much depends on your baby's development and your behavior.

Most sleep experts suggest putting your baby to bed while she's still awake, but drowsy. This will help her learn to fall asleep on her own, a skill that will come in handy for you both when she wakes in the wee hours of the night. You can help your baby reach that milestone sooner rather than later by establishing healthy sleep habits from the start, such as a bedtime routine with a calming bath, a baby massage, or a bedtime story.

Remember, your baby is an individual

All babies are unique and meet milestones at their own pace. Developmental guidelines simply show what your baby has the potential to accomplish — if not right now, then soon. If your baby was premature, keep in mind that kids born early usually need a bit more time to meet their milestones. If you have any questions at all about your baby's development, ask your healthcare provider.

My long-lost hobby

Sebenarnya, sejak kecil lagi, Mama Mia mmg hantu buku. Masa kecil2 dulu...sanggup tak tidur siang dan jug malam kalau dah mula baca story books. Akan tetapi, kalau buku sekolah...jgn haraplah setekun itu. Waktu kecil2..buku cerita siri Enid Blyton, Amelia Jane, Hardy Boys, The Famous Five, dan mcm2 lagi buku cerita English yg dibaca. Kebetulan...makcik2 di Singapore manjakan Mama Mia, cos Mama Mia adalah first anak sedara mereka....so selalulah diorang belikan buku2 cerita pelbagi jenis.

Bila masuk sekolah menengah...masih lagi hobby utama ialah baca buku cerita. Mula2..bacalah buku2 untuk teens..lama2 start baca novel English yg tebal2. Mata Mama Mia nie jadi rabun pun sebab baca stroy books..suka baca dlm gelap (cos curi2 baca waktu mlm bila org lain dah tidur) or membaca sambil baring di atas katil.

Lama kelamaan, after SPM, Mama Mia dah tak sempat nak baca story books or novels lagi. Especially time blajar matriculation for medic dulu...nak tidur dan makan pun semput2 cari masa...buku medic dahlah tebal2 kena baca....so...memang takder masa. Then time gi oversea sambung blaja pun...lagilah takder masa nak baca novels. Sebab time blajar di negara org dulu, Mama Mia sgt active dlm persatuan pelajar Malaysia....dan masa tak gi kampus dihabiskan dgn aktiviti2 sosial, study groups ataupun mencuba resepi yg diblaja dpd kwn2 daripada negeri lain. Maklumlah..tak pandai masak. Time pergi oversea dulu pun umur baru 18 tahun...

Bila balik dari belajar, umur baru 22...tapi Mama Mia terus sambung blajar Masters. So lama kelamaan hobby membaca novel dah terbantut habissss. Bila kahwin umur 24 thn, dan terus dpt anak....Mama Mia still ada hobby membaca...tapi bhn2 bacaan dah tak mcm dulu. Berbeza. Sejak kawin dan ada anak, Mama Mia cuma baca parenting magazines, books dan ap2 saja yg berkenaan parenting, health . No more novels. Nak beli novels pun mcm dh mula berkira...lokek..cos satu novel boleh beli 5 bulan punya parenting magazine. heheh. Ataupun dah dpt sebualan diapers anak!

Sungguh tak disangka...bila bersalinkan Fichita nie...Mama Mia berpeluang membaca novel2 cinta semula. Semuanya secara tak sengaja. Tak sangka juga adik2 Mama Mia yg remaja ada banyak novel yg dipinjam dari library dan rakan2nya. Apatah lagi...dua minggu pertama dlm berpantang..Mama Mia pulun baca novel2 cinta .....hehhe, sambil menyusukan Fichita.....dapatlah baca 4 buah novel dlm masa dua minggu tu. Lagipun time tu Mama Mia tak nak sentuh buku2 pelajaran, sebab taknak mengusutkan fikiran....nak berehatlah.....

Seronok baca novel . Hobby yg dah lama tak dilakukan. Sejak baca novel2 cinta nie...rasa mcm dah mula "jiwang" sikit. (sayang pulak Papa outstation ..) Selama nie Mama Mia tak sedar...Mama Mia dah byk berubah. Bak kata org.bila dah lama kawin...kdg2 kita mula take things for granted , especially sejak kerja dlm bidang akademik dan blajar semula...bila dua2 suami isteri dlm bidang akademik, satu bidang yg serius dan selalu memerah otak, tanpa disedari, kehidupan lama-kelamaan jadi semakin serius dan "too logical". Time breakfast, berbual pasal seminar, time tea time, berbual pasal meeting dan bengkel2, time dinner bercerita pasal idea baru or paper baru yg akan ditulis, time rehat before tidur pulak bertukar2 pendapat pasal isu terkini yg perlu difikirkan dan digarapi. heheh. Yg penting semuanya academic lah!


Hmmm.... sebenarnya sesekali mmg perlu gak baca novel2 cinta nie...just to help us to bring back the "jiwang" part of ourselves. Tapi lepas nie rasanya tak der masa lah nak baca novel...buku2 rujukan study ni pun tak habis nak baca!

Baby Milestones

Basic Milestones of Infant Development

During the first year, each child’s cognitive, hearing, language, visual and motor skills develop differently and can vary by several months. The following is a general outline of basic milestones. If your child does not demonstrate most of these age-appropriate activities in the general time frames outlined here, discuss your concerns with your child’s doctor.

Cognitive Skills
1 to 3 months – Cries for comfort or feeding. Anticipates that distress will be followed by comfort. Makes associations (for example, crying results in being held or fed).

4 to 7 months – Finds partially hidden objects. Explores with hands and mouth. Struggles to get objects that are out of reach. Understands that he can cause things to happen.

8 to 12 months – Understands concept of “in” and “out.” Is anxious around strangers. Associates mental images with words and pictures. Remembers where a toy is when it’s hidden under something.

Verbal and Hearing Skills
1 to 3 months – Grunts, coos, squeals and makes other noises. Cries when put down. Cries differently for different needs. Draws out vowel sounds, such as “aaah” or “oooh.” Smiles at the sound of your voice. Turns head toward the direction of sound. Identifies a person by his or her voice, even if that person is in another room.

4 to 7 months – Responds to own name. Begins to respond to “no.” Distinguishes emotions by tone of voice. Responds to sound by making sound. Babbles chains of consonants.

8 to 12 months – Responds to and uses simple verbal requests. Says “dada” and “mama.” Tries to imitate words.

Visual Skills
1 to 3 months – Watches faces intently. Follows moving objects. Recognizes familiar objects and people 8 to 12 inches away. Starts using hands and eyes in coordination.

4 to 7 months – Has full color vision. Can see things at a distance. Can track moving objects.

8 to 12 months – Sees small objects. Can spot the tiniest crumb on the rug. Has an increasingly good sense of spatial relationships – for example, what is up and down, inside and outside.

Motor Skills
1 to 3 months – Stretches legs out and kicks when lying on stomach or back. Opens and shuts hands. Brings hand to mouth. Takes swipes at dangling objects with hands.

4 to 7 months – Transfers object from hand to hand, and can bring it to her mouth. Uses her fingers and thumbs together in a claw-like grip. Lying on her back, she can grab her feet and toes and bring them to her mouth.

8 to 12 months – Uses a pincer grasp. Bangs two objects together. Takes items out of container. Pokes with index finger.

Learning to Walk
The time frame for learning to walk varies from child to child. The information below outlines basic progress.

4 to 6 months – Rolls in both directions when on stomach. Gets to sitting position without assistance.

6 to 9 months – Crawls forward on belly. Creeps on hands and knees.

8 to 10 months – Pulls self up to standing position, usually holding on to furniture. Stands momentarily without support.

12 to 18 months – Walks two or three steps without support.