5 Lifesaving Products & Tips To Encourage Infant Sleep
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Well, friends, we are just trudging right along with life with two. It’s amazing how much your heart just expands to love each child so fully! Such a gift.
I love being a mama so much, but there is no denying it is a lot of work. It is rewarding work, but work it is. Transitioning to life with two has had it’s ups & downs. Some really, truly, amazing days and some hard days where I just want to cry. But overall, I’m so grateful for these two angels and the chance to be their mama!
We’ve been fortunate in that both of our girls are pretty good sleepers. But, with that said, I do believe there are things we can do as parents to help “encourage” great sleep habits in babies! Sleep is so important. Sleep deprivation just brings out a side of us no one wants to see – a tired mama bear is just no fun! Now, I’m no sleep or parenting expert, but these lifesaving products have helped us SO much along the way and have been so helpful during these first few months with baby #2. AND I’m also going to humbly share a few tips that worked for us!
Ok, pregnant friends & new mamas. You need this bassinet. It is seriously the best. Here’s why: it’s designed for babies with reflux. Now, most newborn babies have at least minor symptoms of reflux that can cause them digestive discomfort. Sleeping on an incline helps this significantly…even most hospitals put babies on an incline in the nursery. There are also crib & bassinet wedges, but the Rock n Play sleeper is superior because its shape kind of “hugs” them and keeps them nice & cozy all night long. In those first few weeks I keep it right next to my bed, so it’s easy to grab the baby for late night nursing sessions or simply rock it a few times if they startle awake. I’ve recommended this to friend’s whose babies were having trouble sleeping and it always helps significantly! Yes, they will grow out of it and have to transition to a crib, but it is a lifesaver those first few months! Worth every penny!
2. Velcro Swaddles
Velcro swaddles are the bomb. I have tons of cute muslin swaddles, but I always use the velcro swaddle for sleep because it keeps them snug. We use Summer Infant Swaddles and love them (you can usually find them for pretty cheap at baby consignment shops). These swaddles are harder for babies to “break out of” and much simpler than trying to get the perfect swaddle with a blanket every time. Swaddling is key to infant sleep, so they do not startle themselves awake… Especially those first few months. Infants do not have limb control and will jerk in their sleep, which will often wake them up if they aren’t swaddled. Swaddling also comforts & soothes the baby. It is normal for babies to cry when you first swaddle them – this doesn’t necessarily mean they “don’t like” being swaddled. Push through this and swaddle them nice & tight and enjoy longer stretches of sleep! Side note: On cold nights I also wrap a warm blanket around the swaddle (since they aren’t too thick)… Babies will sometimes stir awake if they’re cold so keeping them warm will also help them sleep better.
Sound machines are a staple in our household. They are a big part of our sleep routine for both of our girls. It’s even more important now with two, so that when Eveleigh is playing with her toys or is a little loud, it doesn’t disturb Cora while she naps. We also always keep our windows open for air flow, but it can often bring in street noise so we rely on the sound machine to drown it out!
4. Pacifiers
Now, this one may not be for everyone, but we are fine with using pacifiers and we use them as a part of our sleep routine (though I recommend not using them until you’ve established a good latch & nursing relationship). Sometimes it can take a while to find a pacifier that your child likes. Both of mine didn’t take to the long skinny Avent pacifiers, but love the MAM brand. We try to only use them for naps & nighttime, as a part of the routine to signal “time to sleep.”
5. Gripe Water
When we just had Eveleigh, my brother & sister-in-law came to visit. While they were here they told us about the magic of gripe water, and bought us a bottle of Mommy’s Bliss All Natural Gripe Water. I was a first time mom and had never even heard of it… But Eveleigh sometimes had bad gas pains and this stuff helped so much. And now with baby #2 it’s been even more of a lifesaver! I had to go on antibiotics when Cora was 3 weeks old, and one of the side effects when you’re nursing is that it can increase digestive discomfort and colic in infants. So for a few weeks she was up a lot at night super uncomfortable and in pain, and this gripe water made a HUGE difference. Another notable mention that our Pediatrician recommended is Bio Gaia Probiotic Drops. Great supplement for infants, especially if you have to take antibiotics while nursing or your little one has indigestion & gas!
Our routine & a few quick tips!
I’m going to share a little bit of our sleep routine that we’ve followed with both girls and that has worked for us. We implement a few strategies from Babywise, Happiest Baby On The Block, Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child, and Bringing Up Bebe. We take little tidbits & tips from these books and combine them with our own natural instincts. We’re not professionals or doctors, and we definitely don’t have it all figured out, but this is what we do that works for our girls. Think of this advice as more “friend to friend” and “mom to mom” than anything! And I’m only sharing because in the beginning I was constantly getting advice and needing help, so I just wanted to gather & share all that information here for any moms who might need or want it!
We try to follow the “Eat, Wake, Sleep” routine from Babywise, and that has been key for us. This is where baby nurses (or has a bottle) then has wake/play time, and then is put down for naps. Rather than wake, eat, sleep. Wake time will vary based on the child’s age. This was our biggest take away from the book, and it works really well. Baby is not dependent on being “nursed to sleep” and is able to fall asleep on their own. But we’re not crazy strict schedule followers and some of their recommendations are a little too rigid for our lifestyle. It’s all about balance and finding what works for your family.
We keep our sleep routine the same for naps & nighttime. It goes as follows…. turn on sound machine & swaddle, give baby pacifier, read a story, then gentle rocking & singing until baby’s eyes start to flutter. This is a beautiful time of bonding for mom (or dad) and baby, but baby isn’t being fully rocked to sleep. Baby is then put down still awake in the Rock n Play (or crib) and falls asleep on their own. This teaches baby how to fall asleep and establishes good sleep habits, so you won’t have to “break” any habits later (most Pediatricians don’t want you rocking to sleep past four months anyways). Obviously, in those first few weeks baby is just sleeping ALL the time… so very little wake time (if any), but the routine is mostly the same. Doing this same exact routine time after time allows baby to know what to expect and they just kind of get the hang of it. So whether you’re at home or at a friend’s house, they go down easily (typically) because they know the drill.
What if baby starts to cry? If baby cries after you put them down, go in and give them the paci, shush & pat to soothe (avoiding picking them up), and then walk back out. Sometimes you have to do this over and over again. When Eveleigh was a baby, she was always a great nighttime sleeper but struggled to take naps unless she was held or in the stroller/carseat while we were out. It took a while, and sometimes we would go in like 5 times, but eventually she got it and would go right to sleep. (Note: this is not “crying it out” and you don’t want them to get so upset that they are screaming bloody murder. At that point pick them up, rock & hold them, and try to get them to calm down as best as possible). Establishing a nap routine is hard, but persevere! It’s worth it! Even supermoms need a break every now and again, and you will be so happy to get your child napping & sleeping well. Baby will be happier because they are getting plenty of rest, and parents will have a healthy balance to their lives.
This is super important: DO NOT wait until baby is overly tired & too stimulated to put down. This often backfires. You’d think “baby is so tired, they’ll go right to sleep and stay asleep for hours!” but oh no. It’s the opposite. Try to put them down at very first signs of tiredness. Sometimes when they are overtired they will wake up 20-40 minutes into their nap. This is where we implement “The Pause” (from Bringing Up Bebe). Basically, you just, well… pause. Just wait & pause instead of rushing in right away (which can sometimes be overstimulating for the baby). Wait a minute or so and see if they go back to sleep. Sometimes they are just working out a gas bubble or adjusting positions, and will go right back to sleep. This “pause” seems like common sense but you’d be surprised how little people actually practice it!
Another note on sleep: A lot of moms I talk to think that if they put their child to bed later, the child will sleep in later. This is often not true. Sleep begets sleep. Putting them down early is key, and it gives you some time with hubby in the evening. We aim for 7:30 p.m. (but sometimes even earlier when they are dropping a nap or when there is a time change).
We don’t do “wake time” for the last feeding of the day, or any night time feeds. So I typically feed Cora around 7:15 p.m., then go right into her bed time routine. In the first several weeks we do what we call a “dream feed” before we go to bed (usually around 10 or 11 p.m.), where I just quickly pick up & nurse the baby while she’s still sleeping and put her right back to sleep. This allows for a longer stretch of sleep for mama. And then just decide when it’s right for you to drop that feed. You can then choose to pump instead before bed to build up a nice freezer stash, or just let that feeding go altogether. Another quick tip: we’ve found that giving a bottle of pumped breastmilk for the last feeding helps them to sleep a longer stretch. I think this is because most babies consume more milk from a bottle it’s less work and comes out faster and so they’re nice & full for longer.
A quick note about mornings: establish a start to your day that works for you. Any feedings before this time are night feeds. For example, Cora usually wakes for an early feed around 5 or 6 a.m. I am not a morning person and certainly don’t want to start my day at that time. So I nurse her and put her right back to sleep, and she sleeps through until about 8 a.m. or so. That is when we start the day. This worked well with Eveleigh too, and now she’s two and is used to sleeping in later, so she usually sleeps until 8/8:30 a.m. I’m so grateful. I have lots of friends whose toddler’s are up at the buttcrack of dawn and I don’t think I’d do too well with that schedule!
So, there you have it! Please take all of this with a grain of salt and find what works for you & your family! I wanted to provide insight into our routine incase there are mamas or mama’s-to-be who are looking for some help and/or advice!
With love,
Monika
