Name: Laura

Hendersonville, NC

Number of kids: 1

Ages of kids: 7 months

When my daughter was a newborn and up until she was about 5 months old, we would often times have difficulty with her in the evening. All day long she would play contentedly and seemed to soak up every tidbit of information available. Then at around 6pm she would start to cry a really high-pitched frantic cry and nothing we did would help, including breastfeeding. I tried every trick in every book I could get my hands on, every hint from my friends, I even consulted my doctor (who brushed it off as "mild colic" and sent me on my way). Finally, I began to study my notes in my daughter's baby book and realized that the worst episodes occurred on the busiest days when she didn't get her regular naps, or when her naps were cut short. I began to plan activities around her nap times and fiercely guarded her sleep. Within only a few days, I noticed a wonderful improvement in her evening temperament. She was much happier and even went to bed with ease. Even now, months later, I know that when she starts to get "that whine," I need to put her down for a nap ASAP. What could have been labeled and ignored (as colic), was easily corrected thanks to my own observations.

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