Hello, folks! Around here, we have been fighting off the crud. Poor Haddie has had a stuffy nose for over a week now. I have tried every trick of the trade, but she has only had minimal relief. It is so frustrating and sad to see your baby not feeling the best and not have a quick fix! I also thought I was coming down with the "f" word. Thankfully, I think it is just a small cold. If seeing Haddie with a stuffy nose bothers me, I can't imagine seeing her suffer with the flu. Hopefully, she can overcome her sniffles soon! I may do a post about our snot battles, if time permits.
Today's topic will be about sleep. Glorious sleep. This is probably one of the biggest areas of concern with a newborn. I know it was for me. I was anxious to start good sleep habits and get the most sleep possible from day one. I had read as much about sleep training and starting sleep habits as my brain could hold. On paper, I was ready.
The first few days didn't count. All she did was sleep. Any time, any place. Only waking to eat. I think this is pretty typical of all newborns. I wasn't as strict with my sleep training these days. I think now is a good time to mention that I haven't done a lot of things that I thought I would when it comes to taking care of Haddie. I was going to be strict on certain things and had a certain way planned for everything. That all changed once she got here. Perhaps, that makes for another blog.
After about week and a half, she started to wake up a little more. I was so concerned with getting her on a schedule, I think I made it harder on myself. I was trying to use all advice and information I had read at one time, and it was making me crazy. I bounced her from the bassinet to the swing to the bouncer to the bumbo, and all over again. Luckily, in spite of all my chaos, Haddie had decent sleep habits of her own all ready. Her long stretch of sleep was happening at night. No thanks to me. I knew that I wanted her to get used to sleeping on her own and not in a swing, so that we could transition her to her crib and not have a five year old still in the bed with us. I just felt overwhelmed as to how I was going to accomplish this. Finally, I got my ducks in a row and stuck to a routine.
Before I dive into our routine, I wanted to give my thoughts on the a product that worked pretty well for us for a few weeks: The SwaddleMe sleeper sack things. I cant remember the exact name. Before Haddie arrived, I had heard great things about them. While still in the hospital, I tried one out. Haddie got a little upset, probably from me trying to shove her down in it. I gave up and didn't touch them again. Later during the "fussy weeks" before we got her tummy straightened out, I was desperate and broke them back out. She was noticeably calmer when swaddled up. Also, because she was snug, she wasn't able to startle her self and wake during naps. I definitely recommend these. I used them nightly and occasionally during the day if she was fussy or fighting sleep.
The only negative thing is that she has already out grown them. I was having to get it really snug in order for the velcro to attach, and I was afraid of getting it too tight. They do make a larger size, but they are priced a little higher than I would like to pay. So, we made do without. I was afraid she was going to be too used to being swaddled and unable to sleep without it. I decided to try her out cold turkey on a weekend night. That way if she was up all night, I wouldn't have to work with little sleep. Luckily, she had no problems.
Now to discuss our routine. Haddie usually takes a bottle between 9 and 10pm. I decided this would be her official bedtime. Some people say earlier is better, but it seems to work for us. I have learned: If ain't broke, don't fix it. She is usually asleep before the bottle, so I take this time to get everything set up so that I can flow through the routine without having to stop and find things. As of now, I am bathing Haddie every other night. On non-bath nights, I simply wipe her down with a warm wash rag and give her a "bird bath." Regardless, she gets lotioned up with the lavender nighttime lotion every night. Clean diaper and PJs are next. I have her bottle warming during this time so that it is ready as soon as she is dressed.
After her bottle, I burp her and snuggle for a few minutes. I have all the lights down low during this time. Once she gets drowsy, I place her in her crib and offer her paci. Sometimes she takes it, sometimes she doesn't. I turn on her humidifier and shut her door. Using the monitor, I listen in on her. Sometimes she falls asleep instantly, other times it takes her a few minutes. If she does cry, I give her about two or three minutes to try to self soothe. If she hasn't stopped by then, I go back and offer her paci again and rub her back. Usually, I don't have to do this more than two or three times.
She has been sleeping in her crib like a champ for a week now. Her stuffy nose has been affecting her feedings, so she doesn't always finish her bottle. This has caused her feeding schedule to vary. Typically, she is only waking once during the night to eat. I'm glad her transition to the crib was painless. I think that it was because I was strict about night sleeping only in the bassinet. In other news, she has been pooping on her own all week as well! Now, if we can just get rid of that stuffy nose! Thanks for stopping by! I will leave you with a picture of our little elf to help you get in the Christmas mood!
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