It’s that dreaded time of year again. Goodbye to standard time. Daylight savings time begins. Every time shift can be challenging, though “springing ahead” is thought to be the easier of the two. But that’s little consolation when the sun is still shining bright at your little one’s bedtime!

For parents of newborns and most babies under six months old – rejoice! Younger babies hardly notice the change and it has little effect on their sleep patterns. It’s not often that you get good news about newborn babies and their sleep! Of course many of you are still working on predictable and consistent sleep. And you and your partner will be affected by the time change so try to adjust your own sleep routine to minimize this impact.

For parents of older infants and toddlers (and older kids too!), your child’s circadian rhythm will be affected by this jump ahead and we know of no parents who look forward to this biannual scourge…er, um, event!

Four tips of helping your child adjust to the daylight savings time change:

1. Lots of outside time and sunshine

Good for everyone, everyday. And even more so when our circadian rhythm and sleep patterns need adjusting. Morning sunshine is especially helpful!

2. Blackout curtains and dim lights

Honestly? We recommend blackout curtains for everyone! A consistent sleep routine is easier to accomplish when you control the light. An hour ahead of bedtime, pull the blinds and dim the lights. This shift stimulates the production of melatonin and helps set your little one up for a better night’s sleep.

3. Gradual sleep schedule adjustment

You can gradually adjust the sleep schedule ahead of time or start the morning after. You can use 15- or 30-minute increments, mostly dependent on the age of temperament of your little one. Kim West, aka The Sleep Lady, has some great tips on schedule adjustment for “springing ahead” (and she is an overall fantastic resource for all things related to sleep for babies and children!). 

4. Nothing

That’s right. You can opt for doing nothing ahead of time or any specific adjustments afterwards. This works better for babies and children with “easy to adapt” temperaments. If this does not describe your child, your whole family may do better overall with some proactive strategies to work with your child’s temperament and minimize the stress.

Bonus Tip: Patience

Regardless of what approach you end up taking, the adjustment to daylight savings time takes about a week. Offering some patience to your little one, your partner, yourself, and anyone else you interact with is never a bad approach, especially the week after daylight savings time begins! In a few short weeks, you’ll be enjoying some time to yourself with the later setting sun after your little one is asleep – hopefully with some gardening, walking with a friend, reading a good book, or any other activity you enjoy! 

As we all know, sleep is a topic of interest for all parents, especially new parents. Read on to get more information on:

Understanding and shaping newborn sleep habits.

How our overnight newborn care can help you rest while setting a foundation of healthy sleep habits with your little one.

 

As if we haven’t spent enough time talking about viruses over the last couple of years, this winter flu/cough/cold season has gotten off to an early and rocky start. Parents of young children (especially those under two) have likely seen much about the high levels of viral activity in the area. 

We’re going to focus on RSV in babies and young children – this virus is currently keeping lots of littles (and their parents!) awake at night and sometimes sending them to the pediatrician’s office or urgent care.

What is RSV anyway?

Respiratory Syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) Virus (RSV) is a common, respiratory viral infection. For most, it typically causes relatively mild, cold-like symptoms, usually lasting a week or two. However for young children and the elderly, it can be much more severe. It is the leading cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lungs) in children under one-years-old.  

How to protect babies from RSV:

  • Wash your hands frequently and require anyone who comes into contact with baby to also wash their hands
  • Encourage family members (especially siblings!) to avoid kissing or touching baby’s face and hands
  • Remind everyone to keep their hands off their face/mouth 
  • Cover coughs and sneeze (and promptly wash hands again)
  • Encourage visitors to your home to wear a mask and wear your mask in public settings
  • Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces- door knobs, light switches, railings and toys that end up in baby’s mouth
  • Avoid close contact with sick people: this includes staying out of pediatrician’s office/urgent care unless absolutely necessary

Common symptoms (older infants and toddlers):

  • Excess mucus or runny nose
  • Decreased appetite
  • Coughing/wheezing
  • Fever

In very young infants (under 6 months) you may only see:

  • Irritability or general fussiness
  • Decrease in activity 
  • Poor feeding
  • Wheezing

How to treat RSV in babies at home:

  • Prevent dehydration – fluids and frequent smaller feedings, suction nose just before feeding.
  • Saline nose drops with gentle suctioning.
  • Keep a cool mist humidifier running as much as possible.
  • Manage fever and discomfort with skin to skin, cool compresses and OTC meds – acetaminophen before 6 months of age, ibuprofen is ok after 6 months. 
Avoid the following for infants:
  • Over-the-counter cough/cold medicine (unless recommended by your doctor)
  • Aspirin or other pain relief medications
  • Vapor rubs/oils like Vicks, eucalyptus, etc either applied to skin or defused

When to seek medical care:

  • Trouble breathing – fast breathing, blue tinged skin or lips, pulling hard to breathe (see the AAP’s video on Signs of RSV in Babies)
  • Fever over 100.4 for a newborn (under 4 months of age)
  • Dehydration – fewer than 1 wet diaper every 8 hours
  • Lethargy – significant decrease in activity or alertness. Trust your instincts here – you know your baby best. 

Your pediatric care provider is able to treat the vast majority of infants and young children with RSV. In the event that your usual pediatrician is not available (after hours, booked, etc) or has recommended more immediate care, a pediatric specific urgent care is your next best option. Unless recommended by a pediatric provider, avoid the ER if possible. Our local pediatric emergency departments are flooded with patients, so if you absolutely have to go to the hospital, pack plenty of patience. 

If this was helpful, be sure to check out our tips for keeping baby healthy or traveling while pregnant or with a baby during the holiday season!

 

Cozy sweaters, warm drinks in hand, fall is upon us!

Whether you’re expecting your first, have your hands full with preschoolers, or your kids can now pick (and carry!) their own pumpkins, a farm visit is a great fall activity!

Here are some local favorites for fall farm fun:

Clark’s Elioak Farm
10500 Clarksville Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042

With a pumpkin patch, corn mazes, loads of farm animals, your family will have a great time at Clark’s Elioak Farm! You can visit the Enchanted Forest or take a cow train while you’re there. Weekends in October have live music, face painting, and food trucks. Get your tickets ahead of time or purchase when you arrive.

Hybridoma Organic Fruit Farm
13734 Baldwin Mill Road
Baldwin, MD 21013

A favorite for our clients looking for organic berry picking in the spring, Hybridoma also has lots of fall activities including live music and delicious food, pies, and lemonade!

Local Homestead Products
2425 Marston Road
New Windsor, MD 21776

DOB co-owner Debbie’s fall favorite! Local Homestead has a huge playground, great pumpkin patch, and wonderful market store, all in a beautiful setting looking out over the farmland. The pumpkin patch is open weekends through early November!

Weber’s Cider Mill Farm
2526 Proctor Lane
Baltimore, MD 21234

Hayride, a boo barn, petting zoo, and all around family fun can be found at Weber’s Cider Mill Farm! There’s apple cider donuts and slushies too! You can get tickets for your fall harvest visit by visiting this link.

And if you can’t get enough of fall farm fun, here are The 21+ Best Pumpkin Patches in Maryland according to @kidfriendlymaryland!