Ask any new parent what the hardest part of having a new baby is, and more often than not they will say it’s the sleepless nights. The first six-months of a baby’s life are full of joy and love, and let’s face it, are often incredibly overwhelming. Particularly in the sleep department, when an extra five-minutes of sleep can feel like a huge amount of time! Some babies are fussier than others, as we know. While some will sleep through the night by three months of age (although we have never really met one!) others just won’t have it!
It’s inevitable that all types of advice will be given by friends, relatives, and your social media feed. As a mom with young children, some of my best advice about getting baby to sleep is to trust yourself. (Of course, make sure your baby has regular check-ups and that you go to the experts if you feel that something is really not right.) The more you try and do “the right thing,” the greater the chances that you might be missing out on some of the joys of parenting.
Trusting your instincts might be my first piece of advice, and a close second is to try and keep a routine, not a schedule. What’s the difference? With a nighttime routine, baby gets a relaxing bath (more of that in a minute), a nice shea butter massage, maybe a book, a kiss, and bed. The timing of all this is around the same, but it’s not set in stone. We accept that every day is going to be a bit different.
A schedule means that baby goes to bed at the exact same time, all the time, not matter what. The challenge to this is that sometimes you can be in the car for a while that day and your baby took a huge nap late in the day. They might not be tired at exactly the specific time and you’ll be left frustrated. So, a little flexibility can go a long way.
My next piece of favorite advice is about bath time. Make bath time part of your routine and a calming experience. It’s a moment to relax for baby, siblings and maybe mom and dad, too. Try putting on some soft music and use products that promote a soothing experience. We love the Zoey Naturals Soothing Lavender Head to Toe Wash. It is free of harsh chemicals and gently cleanses skin and hair. It's naturally gentle, tear free and has a gentle pH. Lavender is known for its relaxing and calming effects and has been used since ancient times.
A nice gentle massage with Zoey Naturals Body Butter is soothing and also great for dry, irritated skin such as cradle cap. Moms love using it too because it assists in preventing and minimizing the appearance of stretch marks.
Lastly, we often think that if baby makes a noise in the middle of the night that they are going to start screaming and waking everyone up in a matter of seconds. How many times have we rushed to pick up baby, only to realize that he is still sleeping. Or that she was until awakened by being picked up. Don't rush to intervene too soon. Your baby might be able to self-soothe and resume sleeping on his or her own! (We can only hope!)
What is your favorite baby bed time advice?
All good things,
Kelsey
