Tips and Tricks in Adoption and Pediatrics

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Change The Diaper Before You Sleep

I have no idea how many families this will actually help, but this one frequently lets my daughter sleep in 30-60 extra minutes. Which is solid gold. 

We finally got to the point where our 14 month-old daughter was "sleeping through the night" (which means, waking the typical 3-5 times per night but settling herself back to sleep). But she seemed to be waking with a bulging water balloon of a diaper, occasionally with leakage. Not good.

After getting over my irrational fear that even looking into her room would wake her, I finally girded up the courage to try changing her diaper before we parents went to bed. Given all the prebed fluids she is wont to take, it's often quite wet by that point. And guess what - she never fully wakes up, even if I have to flip her right-side up (I have since perfected the upside-down diaper switch). And she sleeps in. And doesn't wake to soggy pants. 

Life is good. 

Your child may not be quite the nocturnal urinator that ours is. Or is perhaps a lighter sleeper. But do try this if you think that morning wetness is a factor. 

Weaning Nighttime Bottles

After 6 months or so, certainly past 1yo, kids who are otherwise growing well don't physically need those middle-of-the-night bottles - they're what the behaviorists call "trained night wakers". It's up to you how aggressively you want to wean this, but here's a good tip.

Take the bottle that hurts you the most (4am, anyone?), and water it down over several nights, until you're offering a bottle of just water. That often helps the child give up that particular habitual wakeup. Remember to be brief and boring about it, as well.