Sleeping Babies
I have heard that sleep is one of the most frustrating parts of a new baby. What worked for you, or what advice do you have a for a new mom??
About Shelagh Cummins
Shelagh Cummins is the founder, editor and Mum-in-chief at Practicalmum.com – an online community parenting resource & blog. She is also the Principal at BizTrainHer.com, a boutique firm specializing in desiging, developing and facilitating training for women in business.
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Establish a routine as soon as you can. Babies like to know what to expect. A pattern of Eat, Wake, Sleep worked very well for us. The only time we altered the pattern was at night. We would feed him and put him down (no wake time). Whatever happens, remember that eventually you will sleep again. It may take time, but it will come!
Always remember when you are up in the middle of the night that you are not the only one. there are millions of other moms awake with their kids at the exact same time. We’re all in this together!
Have the baby sleep in his room as soon as possible. They are noisy little critters and you will hear them when you need to.
Swaddle the baby like a fajita. They LOVE to be snuggly.
Some babies just like the smell of their mom near. Consider putting one of your cozy sweatshirts in their bed at night.
Teaching your child to sleep through the night is the hardest thing you will ever do (and the biggest gift you can give both yourself and your child).
Be prepared to have every stranger on the street ask you if your baby is sleeping through the night. Know that you can answer yes to this question when your little one sleeps more than five hours in a row. Most likely this will happen from 7:00pm – 12:00am. When your baby turns four months old, and you think that you have a handle on their sleep, everything will change. You will read that sleep begets sleep and it is so true. The more day sleep your baby gets, the better his night sleep will be. Enjoy every moment that your baby falls asleep in your arms. This stage doesn’t last long and you will miss it dearly when it is gone.