Your 2-month-old: Week 2

How your baby's growing:



If your baby is sleeping through the night (five or six hours at a stretch), you're one of the lucky few. Most 10-week-old babies still wake up in the wee hours. But even babies who aren't sleeping through the night at this stage should be sleeping and staying awake for longer intervals



An interesting note: Whether your baby is a night owl or a morning lark, a long sleeper or short sleeper, that pattern will probably stay the same throughout childhood.



• Learn more fascinating facts about your 2-month-old's development.

rather than cycling back and forth so much. Your baby will probably have two to four long sleep periods and as many as ten hours of awake time in 24 hours.

Your life: Finding good childcare

Even if you're already certain which kind of childcare arrangement you prefer, it can be a good idea to get a sense of your full range of options. You may be surprised by what you find.



When looking for a daycare center or home daycare that's right for your baby, ask other parents for advice and shop around. Visit as many places as you can, and try to spend as much time as possible at each one at various times of the day, talking with the employees, directors, and parents to get a sense of what the different facilities are like. Pay attention to how the staff interacts with your baby. If you're looking for a babysitter or nanny, get references from others and follow up on them. Then consider doing a trial run by having the sitter or nanny watch your baby for a few hours while you do an errand or take care of some things at home.



Find out about the pros, cons, and costs of various childcare options.

3 questions about: Reflux

What is reflux?

Reflux is when food and acid move from the stomach back into the esophagus. It's normal for all babies to have some reflux — they'll spit up or regurgitate a little milk after some feedings. It's estimated that up to 50 percent of babies spit up daily. Most of these episodes are brief and don't cause symptoms. However, if your baby is burping up large amounts of milk throughout the day or vomiting more than a few times a day, it could be a problem called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Reflux may be associated with prolonged crankiness and pain with eating. In severe cases, babies with GERD gag, cough, or don't gain enough weight. Make sure to mention any reflux symptoms to your baby's doctor.



What causes reflux?

The main problem is a weak esophageal sphincter — the muscular valve that connects the throat to the stomach. Most babies are born with a relatively relaxed lower esophageal sphincter. Because of this looseness, food doesn't stay in the stomach where it belongs. Swallowing too much air and overfeeding can also contribute to reflux.



How is reflux treated?

In most cases, babies grow out of the problem by their first birthday, as their sphincter muscles strengthen. If your baby is being fed formula, her doctor may suggest switching to a soy-based or hypoallergenic formula. You may be advised to try smaller and more frequent feedings to keep your baby's stomach from filling too much or too often. Some studies suggest that adding baby rice cereal to breast milk or formula to thicken it may improve some reflux symptoms. Holding your baby in a semivertical position during and after feedings, with her head elevated about 30 degrees, may help keep the milk from coming back up. Even frequent burping can reduce reflux symptoms. The doctor might prescribe an antacid or acid-blocking medication for your baby to take daily, similar to the medicine adults take for heartburn (but don't give your baby any medications without a doctor's order). She may also suggest further evaluation of your baby's symptoms with a pH probe, which is inserted into the esophagus to measure reflux episodes and acid levels. Other ways to evaluate reflux include X-rays of the gastrointestinal tract and endoscopy, in which a tube with a camera is placed in the baby's upper GI tract to view and biopsy the area.

source : babycenter