Guides for the first two years

Short, sourced answers to the questions that come up at 3 am. Every guide lists its sources and when we last checked it.

Sleep and naps

5 ages, what causes each and what helps.

Putting your baby down sleepy but not asleep. When to start and why it often fails at first.

Waking 30-60 minutes after bedtime. Usually the last wake window, not a habit.

Awake and happy for hours in the middle of the night. Usually a daytime sleep issue.

Up before 6 am every day. Light, schedule and bedtime are the usual suspects.

Naps on you. Normal, sweet and safe with a few rules, plus how to move to the crib.

Naps of 30-45 minutes are one sleep cycle. When they are normal and what helps.

When babies go from 4 to 3, 3 to 2 and 2 to 1 nap, with signs and a plan for each.

Stop when they start trying to roll. Signs, age and gentle ways to transition.

Five steps with a blanket, plus the rules: back to sleep, loose hips, stop at rolling.

A step-by-step checklist for a crying baby, and when to call the doctor.

Evening crying that peaks around 6-8 weeks and fades by 3-4 months. What helps.

The normal crying peak from about 2 weeks to 3-4 months, letter by letter.

Whimpers and cries during active sleep are common. Pause, listen, then decide.

Feeding your sleeping baby before you go to bed, to stretch the first part of the night.

How often and how much newborns eat, week by week, for breast and bottle.

CDC times for room temperature, fridge, freezer, thawed and leftover milk.

Sample schedules for exclusive pumping, pumping at work and power pumping.

Feeding again and again, often in the evening. Normal, and how to cope.

Day-by-day wet and dirty diaper counts for the first week, and warning signs.

What every poop color means, and the three colors that need a call to your doctor.