Feeding – Keep all babies on breast feeding (with appropriate vitamins as needed) or on formula with iron. Usually, it is better to wait closer to six months to give solids, as authorities think that early food intake may lead to allergies in later life. If your baby is not showing interest in food, don’t encourage this! Some babies show the “Open Mouth Sign”; whenever you start to eat, their mouth flies open for a taste of your food! If this is happening, perhaps your baby is ready to eat a little cereal. Starting with just a few spoonfuls is enough. (Some babies will “tongue thrust”, or act like they are spitting the food; this is just a tongue reflex that the baby will soon overcome; it has nothing to do, at first, with preference!) It is probably best to stay with just cereal until six months. A little juice, watered down, is probably all right, especially if adding the cereal made the stools become harder.

Bad teeth in the family? – Cavities are just an infection of the teeth, and often this runs in families. If anyone in the family has bad teeth, don’t let him/her kiss the baby on the mouth, share saliva (like put fingers or a pacifier in his/her mouth, then in the baby’s mouth, or share drinks

Teething – Excessive drooling may start at this age. Teeth may or may not come in now, but probably are going up and down in the gums. Giving the baby something like a cool wash rag to chew may help. If you use over-the-counter gum numbing preparations, be sure to read and use only as directed.

Bowel Movements – If you introduce solids, stools will get harder. A little watered down apple juice may help the B.M.s from becoming “hard balls”.

Sleeping – Rocking or Feeding to Sleep? Time to stop! – Most babies are sleeping through the night by this time. But, Beware! Sometime between four and six months, your baby will switch to an “adult” sleep pattern. Most people after six months of age start waking up four to five times a night, as part of a normal deep sleep, light sleep cycle. Most of the time we put ourselves back to sleep with no memory of awaking the next day. The reason we can go back to sleep so easily is because our brain recognizes we are in familiar surroundings, and therefore, safe. (Some wonder if this was one of those protective mechanisms, when humans used to be in less safe environments!) When babies start this waking at night, they will naturally look for the environment yhey remember when going to sleep. If they have fallen asleep while being held or being fed, then when they awaken in the middle of the night, they will expect the same! The best thing is to cuddle, but lay the baby down BEFORE he/she is asleep; the baby then will know he/she is in the crib, and will go to sleep more easily during the night cycles. DON’T START FEEDING A BABY WHO HAS BEEN SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT, JUST BECAUSE HE/SHE STARTS WAKING! Let the baby whimper a little, and usually he/she will go back to sleep on his/her own.

Safety Issues – Check area around the baby frequently for objects that should not be placed in the mouth. Continue to watch for: rolling hazards, car/carrier safety. Don’t get Baby’s attention with objects you do.