Being a parent isn’t always easy, and it’s almost never quiet. The fact of the matter is that, from the moment your baby is born, chances are pretty good you’re going to have to endure a certain amount of noise and crying. The worst part about it, for many parents, isn’t the lack of sleep that it can cause, but rather the fact that you just hate to see your little one out of sorts.

For those first few months of life, it’s always wise to respond to your baby’s cries at night. The fact of the matter is that her little tummy just doesn’t hold enough of that milk or formula to let her make it all the way through the night. She’s going to need to eat every few hours. Pick her up and feed her.

After those first few months, however, many babies will continue to wake up even if they’re not hungry or don’t need a diaper change. Your baby should be sleeping for longer stretches, and if he wakes up it’s often because he’s just feeling active and wants to continue practicing a new skill or experiencing the world around him.

There is some question as to whether you should let your baby cry it out or whether you should rush to pick her up. Really, this is a decision you need to make for yourself.

There are those parents who believe that you should pick a child up any time that he cries, and that this is a sign of love and attachment between you and your baby.  This philosophy is part of something called “attachment parenting,” and many trusted experts advocate for its principles.

Other experts believe that you should allow your baby to cry for at least a couple of minutes before you attend to her. They suggest that, given a few minutes, most babies will learn to soothe themselves and that by rushing in to soothe them you create a situation in which they don’t learn to soothe themselves.

Ultimately, you need to decide what’s right for you and what works for your family.

Anyone who has ever had a cat knows that those lovable little balls of fur come equipped with a mind of their own. Unlike dogs, cats have a tendency to do things in their own good time, and they are often more resistant to change. And let’s face it, there are few changes more monumental than bringing a new baby into the picture.

Fortunately, cats are fairly adaptable. While they may not like changes, they are generally able to make the transition smoothly as long as they still feel secure, safe, and attended to.

One of the first things you should do several months before the baby comes home is set up as much of the baby furniture as you can. That way, you can begin to establish which areas are off limits to the cat long before the baby arrives. Otherwise, the changing table, crib and bassinette are going to look like a great new place for Fluffy to catch a catnap.

There are several ways to train cats to stay out of certain areas. If you don’t want to use the old fashioned spray bottle, you can place several strips of Scotch tape, sticky side up, in the crib, bassinette, and other “baby areas” where you don’t want the cat to be. It only takes a few times for the cat to figure out that he isn’t welcome in those places.

Another thing you need to do for your cat before baby comes home is to establish a safe place for him to eat and sleep. This should preferably be high enough off the ground that your little one won’t be able to reach it when she starts crawling and walking. Admittedly, this won’t happen until several months after baby is born, but you want the cat’s “secure place” to be established long before baby becomes mobile-preferably before you even bring baby home. Start putting your cat’s food, water, and toys someplace the baby won’t be able to reach.

Of course, it’s better if you have someone else change the cat’s litter while you are pregnant. And you’ll want to make sure the litter box is placed somewhere that the baby won’t be able to reach. It’s also recommended that you take your cat to the vet and make sure his vaccinations are up to date. This is also a good time to consider declawing your cat if you haven’t done so already.

When you bring the baby home, let the cat introduce itself. Sit somewhere comfortable with the baby and call the cat to you. If the cat is hesitant, don’t force the issue. It may take several hours, or even days before your cat warms up to the idea of a new baby, but given time, your cat will come over and examine the new arrival. When he does, reward good behavior with a treat. Even if the cat doesn’t warm up to baby right away, make sure you give him some attention, too.

For better or worse, working mothers are a fact of life in today’s world. Most families struggle to get by on two incomes, and the thought of losing an income for four to five years until children are school aged is simply out of the question. Other mothers are raising their babies without the help and support of a partner, and need to work in order to support themselves and their babies. Still other women have careers which they don’t want to give up. None of these things makes a working mother any better or worse than a stay at home mother. Healthy, happy children have been raised and will continue to be raised by both.

One of the areas that often presents a significant challenge to working mothers is breast feeding. While no one these days would suggest that bottle feeding is better for mothers or babies than breast feeding, there is an argument to be made that it is more convenient, especially for working mothers. However, if you are a working mom who wants to breast feed your baby, there are several things you can do:

• First, take as much time off after having your baby as your economic situation will allow. These first few weeks with your baby are precious times, and you won’t get a second opportunity to enjoy them. During this time, of course, you should breast feed your baby exclusively. The longer you can do this, the better, as it will accustom baby to feeding this way.
• Discuss breast feeding and your needs with your employer. If your employer offers child care on site, this may not pose much of a problem. Many employers today are willing to work around your needs. Depending on the facilities your employer has, you may need to be creative about when and where to breast feed. IF there is no place to breast feed privately, consider talking with your employer about providing such a place.
• If you do not have day care on site, try to choose a place near your work place, so you can use lunch and other breaks to feed baby.
• Of course, in most cases, you will not be able to exclusively breast feed your baby while you are working. Start pumping breast milk at least a week before you return to work. This is a perfect time to let dad do some of the feeding, and to help baby become accustomed to the bottle.
• Try to arrange breast feeding times so that baby feeds shortly before you leave for work and/or shortly after you return from work. This is not only good for baby, but is emotionally good for you as well, helping you to feel bonded and connected with your baby while you have to be away.