These are few of my favorite - baby sleep - things.
Welcoming a new person into our family came with its fair share of challenges. Our life instantly changed in more ways than we imagined. The most drastic change being our sleep schedules. A hungry baby shoes no mercy on a tired momma (or daddy). Anytime we were able to sleep was precious.
We wanted to make the most of nap time and night time sleep. First off, no baby is the same. Like us each child will have his or her own preferences. With my first son we bought a variety of baby things second hand (facebook market, yard sales, and consignment shops). This way we would try out different products and see what was best for our son, without the financial commitment. Because, lets be honest, baby gear is not cheap. It is frustrating to spend hundreds of dollars on books and products that just don't work, for whatever reason.
Here, I have made a list of the items that have helped both of my sons sleep better. Meaning, they sleep longer when they sleep and wake up more restful and in a good mood.
First, with both of our sons we found that having a schedule was key. For most kids, routine builds familiarity and comfort. Knowing what to expect throughout the day makes them feel safe. The book "On Becoming Babywise" is full of new parent information. We received this book from a momma friend who saw us struggling. This book provides help for creating a schedule, tips on nursing and bottle feeding, there is even on chapter on why is my baby crying (how to troubleshoot and solve discomfort). This is my number one new parent recommendation & go to baby shower gift. The end of the book includes chapters for special circumstances as well like having multiples.
For more on baby sleep schedules check out my Sleep Schedules blog post here.
To keep track of all things baby I love the Glow Baby App. We can track sleep time, feedings (even keeping up with which side you last nursed on), diapers - quantity and quality (if you know what I mean), and more.
Soothing
Lastly, soothing babies is no easy task. Eventually, you will get better at it and learn what your baby likes. Generally, most babies are soothed by creating an environment like the one they are familiar with - in the womb. To do this just follow the 5 S's
1. Swaddle
We have tried many different types of swaddles. The Halo Sleep sack is our favorite. All styles come with either a double zipper or zip down. Both styles make diaper changing easy. You can access the babies bottom half without unswaddling their arms.
2. Side or Stomach
The back is the only safe position for sleeping. But, it is not good for helping to calm a fussy baby. Especially a gassy baby. Gassy babies usually love tummy time or being laid on their side.
3. Shush
We play pink noise for both of our boys for every nap and throughout the night. We originally used a sound machine and eventually purchased an Echo Dot for each of their rooms and can play pink noise through Alexa (and Baby Shark).
4. Swing
Having a quality chair in the nursery made those nighttime feeds and wakes much easier. Instead of purchasing a "nursery chair" we bought a recliner (here) that was comfortable and matched our other furniture. When the time comes to take it out of the nursery we can still use it somewhere else in the house. You really only need a chair in their room for the first year after than (hopefully) they are sleeping through the night and can go to bed independently.
For unusual fussiness during the day our youngest boy likes to swing in an actual baby swing but our oldest did not. Our baby swing can be plugged in or it can run on batteries. I suggest getting a swing that can do both. Even though it is large, it is not difficult to move around our small house. We can easily move the swing to the dinner table while we eat and our youngest son is content for the entire dinner (no bouncing or rocking from us required)
5. Suck
We used the larger pacifiers for the first 3 months - neither of my boys could really use a pacifier for the first month. No matter how much they tried they just kept pushing it out of their mouth. This is not pacifier refusal, its just a reflex that keeps your baby from choking. After about a month they were able to keep a pacifier on their own.
Glow in the dark pacifiers are a lifesaver!
Other items that saved my sleep:
1. Snuggleme Organic Sleep Lounger - for co sleeping and travel. This also made transitioning from the bassinet to the crib easy.
2. Bassinet - I love that this bassinet can be placed beside the bed. For a nursing mom this makes those night time feeds easier.
3. Lovey (Slumberkins) - slumberkins can be used at any age. Not only are they soft and safe for your little one they have inspirational messages for each animal. We have the Alpaca for Maverick and Big Foot for Charley.
CLICK HERE for my Sleep Schedules