Goodnight, Sleep Tight!

Since becoming a mom this past April, my world has changed, especially my sleep world! In the beginning we were up every 2-3 hours, including in the middle of the night. We would hear rustlings from the Pack N’ Play and know, it was time to get up. It wasn’t too long though, before we were only up a couple times each night. At eight weeks our little Elijah started sleeping “through the night” so-to-speak from 11 pm to 5 am. At about ten weeks he started sleeping through-through the night from 9pm to 5am, and that is where we are at with his sleep schedule today. I must say that I am relieved that he is such a good sleeper, it keeps me fresh and ready for the work day ahead of me. However, every night is not always that great. There are some nights I am up two or three times trying to get Eli to fall back asleep or on occasion having to nurse him because he is going through a growth spurt.  

Elijah swaddled

Here are some suggestions to use for your baby, that may help you get the FULL night’s sleep you have been waiting for.  

• Put baby to sleep on a flat firm surface such as his crib or a Pack n Play – this really made a difference for us. We went from the bassinet to the raised Pack N Play to the crib and each time we moved him to a new “bed” he would sleep better than in the previous “bed”.
• Swaddle the baby- try to get it tight or use a Velcro swaddler (Summer and Woombie are two great brands)
• Make sure baby is not too hot, or too cold (double swaddle if necessary)
• Check baby’s diaper- there may have been some middle of the night “damage” and they need a fresh diaper
• Rub baby’s tummy- this is a great soothing tool that we use a lot
• Give baby a pacifier- Elijah’s used to fall out all the time so we invested in the Wubbanub to help keep the paci in place (PaciPlushie is also another similar product)
  

  Elijah with his pacifier and Wubbanub

• Rock or sway with baby baby for just a short time to calm them
• …And lastly, make sure baby’s tummy is full!  Night hunger is usually caused by growth spurts (once your baby has started sleeping through the night)

We would love to hear any of your suggestions for getting your baby back to sleep in the middle of the night.  Leave your suggestions in the comments section below!

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How to swaddle your newborn? Here’s how!

Babies are popping out left and right around me – all of my friends are having babies and come to think of it, do I really know how to swaddle a newborn? I get the concept of wrapping a baby, but is there a proper way to do it like the nurse does?

It’s almost like a haircut – it always looks so much better when your hairdresser does it right? But remember all of the practice a nurse has – they perform miracles with receiving blankets! Try, try again and eventually you will get the hang of it.

All babies love swaddling because being tight in a bundle makes him or her feel like they are back in the mommy’s womb.  It tends to be that babies sleep better when swaddled – incentive right?

Here is what you do:

1. Lay out a lightweight blanket on your bed or the floor in a diamond shape. Picture a clock face.
2. Fold the top corner (12 o’clock) down about 6 inches.
3. Put your baby here, with her head just above the fold and her feet pointing toward 6 o’clock.
4. Pick up the right-hand corner of the blanket (3 o’clock) and wrap it firmly over her right arm and chest, then behind her back (under her left arm).
5. Next take the 6 o’clock corner of the blanket and pull it up over her feet, tucking it under her chin.
6. Finally, pull the remaining corner (9 o’clock) across her body and around and under her back. Tada!

Check out our Le Top baby blankets to help you start practicing in ultimate comfort and style:

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