This?is such an intersting discussion! Also, thank you Karen, for the great research paper.

In general, my personal observations after working with newborns for most of the last 39 years, is that they tend to maintain their in-utero sleep & wake cycles. I worked 3-11pm for many years & remember babies being alert & hungry-always ready to eat during the evening.?When I changed to day shift (7am-3pm), they seemed to want to eat between 7 & 9am, then they slept until 1-3pm. I would always get so nervous about these babies eating before the evening shift came on at 3 pm because?I knew if they didn't?breastfeed, they would be given bottles!?

The first day?it was common to see only 4-6 feedings. But on the second day?most babies woke up and started to feed.??They especially liked to cluster feed at night. The night nurses always insisted that babies had 'gas' after mom's "special dinner" the second day after birth. (Remember those champagne dinners with steak & lobster years ago when mom's stayed for 3 days after vaginal birth?)?Now that we give out Jan Barger's paper, "Baby's Second Night," the nurses & moms have a greater understanding & expectation of what baby's normal behavior will be.

I tell my prenatal classes that it is important to understand baby's/children's behavior based upon growth & development. If?parents can understand what is going on (like babies' growth spurts?or toddlers saying "no" or teenagers' quest for independence) it will be much easier to?respond appropriately?and guide the child through life rather than "fight the behavior and expect the child to stop an age-appropriate behavior.

Oh, life can be so complicated!

Laura Hart
Winter Park, Florida

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