Go to sleep little baby
When Oliver was really little, I remember PJ and I getting up with him two, three, four times a night. One terrible night he was up every 45 minutes. He would only sleep deeply while in our arms so we would take turns holding him all night. I was exhausted. I would steal little naps during the day and once I went back to work would go to sleep right when we put him to bed for the night. The bright summer 7 p.m. light did not deter me. I slept whenever I could.
You’re not going to get really great amazing sleep with a newborn. You’re just not.
Do. Not. Freak. Out. This will not last forever. You and baby will sleep through the night eventually.
The good news is that there are things you can do to help your baby sleep just a little longer and a little deeper at night. It is something you can start the day you come home with your little one.
Start a bedtime routine. It can be as elaborate or as simple as you’d like. The point is to do the bedtime routine the same way every night before the (hopefully) longer nighttime sleep. It tells your baby’s brain that long sleep is coming. Incorporating a bath is wonderful, the warm water is relaxing and just different enough from the rest of the day that it will start making baby get ready for sleep. You don’t need to use soap every night. Think of it as a little hot tub soak. Then diaper, maybe some lotion, pajamas, swaddle, a feeding, a burp, then rock a bit and lay down.
Re-cerate the womb. Swaddle baby snuggly, use a sound machine and make the room as dark as possible using black out curtains or these great affordable paper black out shades that have worked wonders for our home.
Get outside during the day. Fresh air is good for everyone, including your baby. Fresh air provides a chance for a better night of solid sleep. Just make sure to keep baby in the shade and dress according to the weather.
Consistent full feedings. Make sure you’re feeding every 2-3 hours during the day and baby is able to nap throughout the day. Generally, a newborn should have 4-6 naps, 3-4 month olds should have 4 naps, 5-7 month olds should have 3 naps, 8-13 months should have 2 naps and around 14 months they can drop down to one nap a day.
Sleep begets sleep at this stage. It’s counter intuitive to how older children and adults sleep, where a long exhausting day ensures a long night of sleep. But an overtired baby does not sleep well.
Take shifts. You and your partner do not always need to be up at the same time with baby. Switching who is tending to baby throughout the night could give you longer stretches of sleep. Or if the baby is cluster feeding all night, your partner could take the morning shift, allowing you to sleep in a bit.
Hire a postpartum doula. In addition to all of the above, postpartum doulas can be incredibly helpful. Some postpartum doulas (hey, hi, hello!) offer overnight care. All doulas offer different support, but it could look like this: your doula arrives in the evening and stays for an 8- or 10-hour shift. They can assist with the bedtime routine, then bringing baby to you for breastfeeding or bottle feeding as needed. The doula then takes care of the burping, diaper changes and soothing back to sleep. So ideally you will only be awake for the feedings and have a chance to maximize your night of sleep. Before they leave in the morning, your doula can get breakfast ready for you or help with pet care.
I hope these are helpful!
