Tips and Tricks in Adoption and Pediatrics

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Collapse-a-Burp

Everyone knows the "over-the-shoulder" approach to burping, and that works just fine. If you want to take your infant burping technique to the next level, though, try this tip from my twin-in-law:

Sit your young infant on your knee, and support their upper chest and jaw with your hand, so that their head doesn't fall too far forward. Let their torso collapse forward a bit, bounce your knee, and pat their back with your other hand. Professional-grade burps, every time.

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.