Sleeping - This is something little babies do a lot of, and that their parents spend a lot of time trying to get them to do!
When you have a newborn, lots of people give you advice, and one woman (I didn't even know her....she was just admiring my daughter in a store) said, "The more they sleep, the more they sleep." At first thought you may say "what!?" But, it is true! If you try to keep your baby awake too much for fear they won't fall asleep at night, that is when they wake up more at night. So let your baby rest when they are sleepy, chances are they will sleep later just fine. To help you with this, you'll want to get:
- Arms Reach Mini Co-sleeper (or a bassinet in the parents’ room) until baby can pull up
- Infant swing – baby can watch you and has a comfy place to drift off for naps
- Crib for naps or when baby is big enough to pull up and has outgrown the Arms Reach Mini Co-Sleeper or bassinet
- Waterproof Mattress Protector
- 2 Fitted Crib Sheets
- 2 rectangular crib sized waterproof pads
- Make crib in this order: Mattress, Waterproof Mattress Protector, Rectangular waterproof pad, Fitted Sheet, rectangular waterproof pad, Fitted Sheet. This way, when baby “leaks” or spits up at 2am, all you need to do is whip off the first sheet and pad and baby still has a comfy place to sleep.
- Keep the room dark, no night light (baby and YOU will sleep better without! Trust me!)
- Swaddling blanket as long as baby sleeps better with it.
- Sleep sack for chilly nights
- Humidifier
- If you know your child is sleepy but they won't fall asleep (don't want to miss out on anything!) try putting them in a baby carrier and go about your normal activities. Your body movement will often lull baby to sleep, and you can then put them in the crib or whereever to nap.
- Don't be afraid to nurse your baby to sleep. This REALLY WORKS and there is nothing wrong with using that to your (and baby's) advantage. I feel it is part of the way God designed the body to work - nursing is so relaxing for both baby and mama (the closeness, the cuddling, the warmth, and the hormones released really make them both sleepy!) and it just lends itself to helping get baby to fall asleep relaxed and with a full tummy.
Got any other tips or helps or products that really helped with getting YOUR baby to sleep? Share them here in the comments!
