Sleep ... some moms don't even know what that word means anymore. We have become adapted to the world of insomnia and have relied on coffee to keep us going! Well, at least I have :). I was so tired, being a new mom, working full time, going to school full time, and running a house hold while my husband is out at work. It does so much wear and tear on your body that it is so important to get a good nights sleep so you can take care of your baby as well as yourself the next day. When I first brought my daughter home she slept all through the night and I thought wow this is easy!! Well I am now eating those words because she is now 5 months old and teething has begun and not only is it rough on her but it's rough on me. All I want to do is help her pain and make it all go away but unfortunately there's no magical wand to wave to end the curse of teething. So, I made some changes that have really helped me and my daughter get some sleep through the night. If your baby is teething or not I think that some of these things could help you and your little one get some rest :).
Routine, Routine, Routine!!!
I cannot shout that loud enough! My daughter was never on a routine when I first brought her home, mainly because all she did was eat, poop and sleep. So it didn't seem necessary to put her on a routine if she was already doing all the right things. Now, the tables have turned and I knew I was going to pull my hair out if I didn't figure something out.
Let me just say that she goes to her babysitters during the day so this is my nighttime routine, but it does help if the babysitter gets her to nap during the day so that bedtime goes alot smoother. So if your able to stay home with your little one you are very lucky :) just make sure he/she is getting some rest during the day so he/she isn't overly tired at night, because they will fight it to the death!!
So here is what my nighttime routine looks like to help my baby and myself get a good nights sleep!
After work: I get off of work at 4pm, I go pick her up and we get home around 5ish. When we get home I either lay her down with her comfort blanket and she watches her baby shows or I put her in her walker and she watches her shows, I like to switch it up so that she isn't always on her back. She will usually watch her shows for about a half an hour and that gives us time to relax, settle down at home and let things calm down before we begun the process of getting ready for bed.
Feeding: I have began introducing some baby food to my daughter and she loves it! Not only that but it helps keep her fuller at night and doesn't wake up every few hours to eat. I have found that the beechnut brand is the best fit for me and her. *Apple and Pumpkin is her absolute favorite* The ingredients are what exactly what they say they are with no added crap to it and that makes me feel alot better because with my busy schedule I don't always have the time to make her food, which I would love to eventually do!. So I feed her around 5:30-6 and we take our time, I don't try and rush her when she's eating and she is still watching her shows while she is eating so that its more fun instead of feeling forced. She eats about half a jar and then she satisfied.
Bath Time: After my baby girl has eaten which is usually around 6:30 I clean up her bowl and spoon and I get the bath ready for her. I am using the bath tub from 4 Moms. http://www.4moms.com/infant_tub. It's amazing because I never have to worry about the water being to hot or to cold. Once I have the temperature just right I undress her and stick her in. This is by far her favorite, she loves the bath and I usually get a million pictures of her smiling :) I only use the shea moisture bath soap for her because not only is it gentle for her and her skin it absolutely smells amazing, and I can't use anything else because that smell always reminds me of my baby! Bath time is usually about 10-15 minutes, depending on how much fun she is having and it helps calm her down for the night.
After Bathing: Once she is done bathing I pull her out and wrap her up so she stays warm and I bring her back to her comfort spot, which for her its in our living room in front of the TV where her show is still on. That way when I'm drying her off she can concentrate on that and not getting cranky right before bed. After she is all dried I lotion her up with the shea moisture lotion that smells just like her bath wash. I massage it over her legs, arms, belly and a bit on her face. With the rest of parts that didn't get lotion this is where I place the essential oil. This has become a staple in our nighttime routine and I couldn't imagine living without it!! I use the lavendar oil and the serenity oil from doTerra. I am sure there are other brands you could use however I know someone who sells them so I just stick these ones. I have a jar that I have added olive oil to and used a few drops of lavendar and few drops of serenity. I pull out the jar and rub the oil on the bottoms of her feet, down her back and along her jawline. Now I do that because she is teething and the lavendar helps calm down how swollen her gums are. After she's all oiled up I always put her in feety pajamas because it helps lock in that oil. Once she's all dressed her show is just about over and I wait til I see her yawn and thats my sign that she's ready :).
Going to bed: It is now about 7-7:15. This is a good time for her to go to bed because we have to get up at 5:30 in order for me to get us ready for work and her for the babysitter. I swaddle her with the swaddle that has the the snaps that go over her shoulders and the zipper at the bottom so I don't have to unswaddle her if she needs a diaper change in the middle of the night. Not sure of the name but I believe its from the brand summer. I spray her sheets with lavendar, place her in bed with her comfort blanket gently over her. I turn on her humidifer and her diffuser with the lavendar oil mixed with the serenity oil in it. I use the now diffuser but you could use any that you would like. This fills the air with a light scent of the oil mixture and helps promote peaceful sleep for her. I give her a warm bottle to help put her to sleep and she usually eats about 2-3 ounces and she is completely out!! I kiss her goodnight, say I love you and walk away.
Middle of the night: Now for the most part she won't always stay completely asleep because she does get hungry and she does not like to be in a wet diaper. Now if she wakes up its usually around midnight-1AM. I usually don't unswaddle her unless she needs it. I warm up her bottle, and she eats the whole 7 ounces and she is out until the time we need to get up.
This is the routine me and my baby use and I am sure there are so many different ways to help get your baby to sleep but I enjoy reading other people's ways so I thought I would share ours :)
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