We all know that a “date night” is one way to reconnect with your partner after your baby is born. You may have even promised each other you’d do it weekly, or at least a few times a month. Then along comes baby, and you realize that six months have gone by with nary a date in sight. Why? Coordinating date nights involve some major hurdles like finding a sitter you trust, making peace with leaving your baby, and of course, paying for it all.

So how can you have a “date night” without all of the trouble? Here are some ideas for reconnecting with your spouse by staying in.

Watch a movie. This might seem obvious, but when is the last time you chose a movie you both wanted to see and watched it together while cuddling on the couch? No laptops, phones or other distractions. Just popcorn, a fuzzy blanket and the two of you. Can’t stay awake for the whole movie? That’s okay. Take a little snooze on your partner’s arm and enjoy the closeness.

Massage. Couples massage is a great way to help each other relax while connecting through touch. Set up a calming space—dim the lights, use candles and that new age-y music, grab some massage oil or lotion and create your own in-home spa. Not sure how to give your partner a massage? Read some couples massage tips or attend a couples massage workshop.

Make dinner together. Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore. It can be a nice way to enjoy time with your partner by working on a shared task. Choose your recipe and buy your ingredients in advance (nothing too complicated, unless you’re professional chefs), turn on some music and have fun!

Listen to music. Speaking of music… are there songs that bring back memories of your courtship, wedding, and other happy, romantic times? Head over to iTunes and create a mix for each other. Do it together or better yet, surprise each other. Heck, maybe even do a little dancing in your living room. (Just don’t trip over the baby toys.)

What ideas do you have for spending a date night in?

I listen to news on the radio and TV for hours each day, it’s my background noise while driving or working at home, and I like to stay up to date on current events, local and national news stories and hear the weather forecasts. In the past week or so, it seemed that there were so many stories in the news that tweaked my “Isis” radar. I jotted down some of the stories I recall from the past week, with a few thoughts and resources related to the stories.

Both West Nile Virus and Triple E (Eastern Equine Encephalitis) were found in mosquitoes in the Boston area this week. It’s time to use mosquito netting, avoid dusk walks in buggy areas and around water, and protect yourself and children from bites. Read Bug Off: Protecting your tender baby from mosquitoes .

Flying? Parents worry about everything from planes crashing, terrorists and getting through airport lines where even 9 month olds must have their soft sneakers removed for security screenings, but really, the biggest risk when flying is simple turbulence.

Passengers on a flight from Washington D.C. to Los Angelis encountered sudden and severe turbulence over Kansas last week, injuring 22. “People were tossed through the air like dolls”, a passenger stated. Those injured were not wearing seatbelts when the plane suddenly lurched and dropped rapidly (and yes, the fasten seatbelts warning was lit). An infant or toddler in arms would become a moving projectile in those circumstances. Solution? Keep your child buckled in an FAA-approved infant or toddler seat, or use the CARES travel restraint and follow “return to your seat” instructions of the flight crew.

Be safe at home. The twin toddler tragedy in Lynnfield is too horrible to even mention in detail here. Maybe you heard about it. If you didn’t, that’s okay. Just, please, childproof your home, but know that gates and latches cannot replace supervision. Enlist friends, family or helpers when you really need a break. Learn Child CPR. Have you been meaning to take that class? Just do it.

Life’s a Beach. Maybe. High bacteria counts closed several local South Shore beaches to swimming over this past week. Yuck. Here are some Isis family favorite picnic sites and alternate beaches to consider if you’re planning a local outing and need a fresh venue to visit.

More recalls! All Pottery Barn Kids drop-side cribs were recalled last week, and the Nap Nanny baby lounger was recalled yesterday. It seems the baby-product recalls are endless. Common sense goes a long way, though. Use products as they are intended, follow age and weight guidelines and inspect products for safety, missing parts and wear. Fill out and return your product registration cards to the manufacturer: companies will contact you if there are recalls or repairs needed in the future. Subscribe to the CPSC safety alert emails and be notified of infant/child product recalls automatically.

Today, some good news! The Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Report was released today. This report features national and state-by-state data and rankings on 10 key indicators of child well-being. Massachusetts ranked 5^th nationally overall, and ranked 2^nd nationally on two critical indicators: the infant mortality rate and the teen birth rate.

What does a parent of two know that you don't?

As almost any second-time parent will tell you, they feel much more relaxed and confident with their second baby than they did the first time around. Why? Because they’ve figured a few things out, and because they’ve given themselves a break. What do second time parents know that you don’t? Read on to find out.

How to act like a second-time parent:

Don’t stress about schedules. Feed your newborn when he/she is hungry, help them sleep when they are tired. Rock them, cuddle them, nurse them to sleep. Don’t get caught up in figuring out the schedule, because there won’t be one. Don’t worry about habits, because they can’t form any yet. Just go with the flow and relax.

All babies cry. Some babies cry a little, some babies cry a lot. Sometimes you won’t always know why your baby is crying, and sometimes it will be hard to soothe them. Second time parents have the perspective to realize that even the fussiest colicky infant will eventually smile, coo and turn into a healthy and happy baby.

Enjoy your newborn’s portability. Sure, you’re dead tired, but soon you’ll be dead tired and unable to leave the house as easily. Get out with your newborn while you can. Go out to dinner or even to a movie. Go away for the weekend. Fly somewhere—any experienced parent will tell you they’d much rather take a newborn on a plane than a toddler.

Prepare for breastfeeding success. Have your lactation consultant on speed dial. Pack up lansinoh and breast pads to bring to the hospital, so you can prevent sore nipples rather than treating them after they get sore or damaged. Swing by an Isis breastfeeding drop-in group, even if things seem to be going well. You’ll probably learn something to help get over the next hurdle.

Don’t be a germ-phobe. You don’t need to sanitize everything all the time. Use the dishwasher on the hot-dry setting and be done with it. If you must sanitize, use the microwave steam bags—they are fast and easy. If something belonging to your baby falls on a clean floor, pick it up and give it back.

Find your support system. You need to talk to other moms. Your parents and in-laws can be a great help, but they probably haven’t cared for a newborn in 30 years. Find and join a new parenting group so you can meet other parents with babies the same age as yours.

Don’t read too much. There’s a reason there are so many baby books out there. Because there is no one-size-fits-all advice for babies. If your baby is safe and happy and you are happy, you are doing something right.

My daughter Holly was born on June 17, 2010 at 5:39 am at Mass General Hospital after 4 days of prodromal labor.

I was having strong contractions for 3 of those days. I was vomiting every time I ate or drank anything besides water, and could not sleep since the contractions were 3-10 minutes apart. I was not aware of prodromal labor so we went to the hospital 3 times during these days but was told my cervix was only effacing but not dilating yet. I had planned to do a natural birth but after 2 days of no food, sleep, or dilation I was given a shot of morphine that allowed me to sleep for 5 hours. I was sent home where the contractions began again 4 hours later.

We returned to the hospital 8 hours later because my contractions were only 3 minutes apart and very strong. I was only 1 cm dilated so I was told to walk around for a bit. At this point I was starving and dehydrated so I returned to the labor and delivery unit where I proceeded to throw up. I was put on IV fluids and after a few hours I was only at 2 cm and my water had begun to trickle. I was so exhausted that I opted for a epidural so I could sleep before I had to push. It was the best decision I could have made since the midwife said there was a good chance I would have had to have had c-section if I had not gotten any rest before pushing.

Once I was fully dilated, I pushed for 2.5 hours and little cone-headed Holly made her big debut! 

My husband was amazing throughout this process. He stayed with me through 3 days of labor and encouraged me the whole time. Without him, I never would have been able to make it through my difficult labor.

Lauren Nolfo-Clements

1. Dress for sleep success! The optimal temperature range for healthy sleep is 68-72 degrees. If you have air conditioning, dress your baby in a lightweight Halo SleepSack over a long-sleeved onesie. Check your baby’s feet; if they feel a little cool, that’s fine. If they’re quite chilly, add socks.  No air conditioning? Try the sleep sack over a short-sleeved onesie and skip the socks.  Feel the back of your child’s neck. If it is hot, she’s probably too warm, so try cooling her room down by turning on a fan.

2. Keep it quiet! Is your child waking up in the early morning hours or having trouble staying asleep during naps?  Babies and toddlers are very sensitive to noise at these times and something as simple as the paper being delivered or the neighbor’s dog barking is enough to wake your child up at an inappropriate time. Continuous white noise is essential for blocking out these random sleep disturbances and can help your baby or toddler stay asleep. Our favorite white noise machine is the SleepMate white noise machine, because it stays on all night to block out noises when they are most disruptive.

3. Dark, Dark, Dark! If your child gets up too early try darkening her room. The body’s most sensitive time to light is in the early morning hours and these beautiful summer sunrises can be anything but beautiful if your baby or toddler is up with the sun every day. Not all black out shades are made the same, so make sure you do a little research before making an investment. If you’re not ready to make the plunge, try putting tin foil or a blanket over the windows in your child’s room. It might not be pretty, but the extra sleep you get in the morning will feel heavenly.

4. Enjoy your summer vacation! Really! Bring a few familiar things from your child’s home environment like a lovey, blanket and favorite bedtime book with you on vacation to ease wake to sleep transitions.  Try to keep your child’s nap schedule and bedtime the same if you can, but don’t worry if this doesn’t happen every day. When you return home, go back to your home sleep rules and in just a few days your baby should be back to normal even if things were a little off while you were on vacation.

5. Stay active! Sleep is intimately tied to learning and memory consolidation, so to naturally improve your child’s naps, get outside, go to the zoo, play at the park or take a class at Isis! Just make sure that you time your outings so that you have time to come home and wind down for about 30 minutes before nap time.

Erin Evans, PhD,  and Meg Casano, MS, RN, Isis Sleep Specialists

Request a Private Sleep Consult by calling 781.429.1500.