The Things They Don't Tell You About Caring for an Infant, Part 3...FINALLY!
Part one focused on the early days with baby, part two focused on breastfeeding and part three will focus on sleep! My sleep experiences with my two kids have been vastly different, so hopefully I'll be able to encourage you that your kid is normal too:)
1) The first six weeks are generally the worst, but every kid is different. After the first six weeks, Kate was waking less frequently to eat. Four and five hour stretches felt amazing. Then around 2 to 2 1/2 months, she was sleeping a full 10-12 hours at night. Jackson has had a few nights where he's slept 8-10 hours, but even at 8 months old he's still getting up once or twice at night. Some of this is due to growth spurts and teething, but he's so different than Kate that I can't help but be frustrated by it at times. Another possible reason behind this is the difference between formula fed Kate and breastfed Jack. Breast milk is digested easier and quicker, leading to hungry bellies faster. Just a fact.
2) Putting a baby down to sleep or nap early is better than letting baby get too tired. Eventually, you'll be able to notice baby's sleep cues early enough to catch him at the right time. For Jack, an hour and fifteen minutes after he wakes up is when he needs to go down for his morning nap. If I wait too long, he will cry forever before falling asleep.
3) Unless you're planning to co-sleep, the baby will sleep better in her own bed. We moved Kate to her own bed around 8 weeks and Jackson around 5 months. Their sleeping improved dramatically. It's still important to keep baby close when she's up eating constantly in the night, but those days won't last forever. There are also studies that show the risk of SIDS is lowered when baby is sleeping in the same room as Mom and Dad, though. I know I just contradicted myself in a way, but you need to know the facts before you decide what's best for you.
4) You may have heard it before, but it really is best to put baby down awake at nap and bed times. Sometimes that might mean baby cries, but trust me--he'll sleep better because of it.
5) Babies often sleep better with a source of constant noise--like a fan, humidifier or noise machine.
6) Babies love to know that Mommy is near. Sleep with their favorite blanket for a couple nights or swaddle baby in the t-shirt you wore during the day. Your scent will help comfort her.
7) With your first, you really can sleep when baby sleeps. If you have more than one, it's not so easy. Don't be afraid to ask someone to come sit with your kids so you can sleep. Don't be afraid to let Daddy watch them for an hour in the evening so you can get some zzz's. Sleep will help you be a better Mommy. Trust me.
8) If you are comfortable co-sleeping, your baby may sleep for longer periods of time because she is near you. Co-sleeping is especially easier for breastfed babies, if baby will nurse while lying down.
9) Swaddling definitely helps little babies sleep better. Once baby is big enough to squirm out of a swaddle, though, sleep sacks are very helpful in keeping baby a little more snug and keeping him warm.
10) Room darkening curtains that block out the sunlight are a huge help in encouraging baby to sleep--especially if you don't want to be awake as soon as the sun rises!
Part four will hopefully be around next week, where I'll discuss issues such as teething and illness! See you then!
Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The Things They Don't Tell You About Caring for an Infant, Part 1
If you don't know anything about me, you should know a few things before reading this series. First of all, I'm a mommy to two beautiful kids. Kate, my daughter, is two and a half going on 25. She has an enormous vocabulary, a sense of sarcasm, enough charm to make you wanna do anything for her, and a tender heart. Jackson, my son, is 7 1/2 months. He's a little bundle of energy who is currently getting into everything. He crawling, standing and cruising. He's still nursing strong, but is an avid lover of food--especially when he can feed himself. It won't be long and he'll be fully mobile. Between them and my days spent working in a daycare, I feel like I've gained a pretty good perspective on infants and toddlers. Not one baby is like another and my two are perfect examples of that. Hopefully, the advice and insight that I can share with you will be information that will be helpful in your own journey into parenting! And now....the first ten, which deal with the early days with a newborn:
1) Especially with your first child, you will probably feel like the world's worst mother on a daily basis. Don't let the self-doubt get to you. If you're a praying Momma, take a moment in the middle of the stress for a prayer time-out. It can definitely change your perspective.
2) You're not supposed to magically know everything about caring for a baby just because you were able to deliver or adopt one. Some things may come naturally, others not so much. That's why you have friends, parents, doctors and other books to rely on when you don't know what to do.
3) Reading child care books are great; if you read more than one, though, you will realize that one book will tell you one way and another will literally tell you the opposite. Do your research and do what feels right to you.
4) The first time you give your baby a bath, you'll probably feel pretty unsure of what to do. The goal is to keep the baby warm and keep the umbilical cord and circumcision dry. It's really more of a sponge bath than anything, since they can't really be immersed. Don't worry about whether or not you're doing it the right way. You'll get your routine down quickly enough!
5) Dealing with a circumcision isn't difficult, but it is something to think about in advance. This was one of the first things I thought about when we found out we were having a boy. The good news is that it heals very quickly. The bandage will have to be changed, though, several times. The hospital will most likely provide you with everything you need, but having extra vasaline on hand won't hurt. It will be difficult for you to want to do this, since it does hurt and your baby will cry, but it doesn't last long!
6) To change a diaper efficiently with little mess, it's very helpful to get out a new diaper and unfold it and get out a few wipes before removing the soiled diaper. This makes the whole process move a little faster so you have less chance of getting peed on. It also eliminates the chance of you getting the dirty diaper off the baby before realizing that you're out of diapers. Been there, done that.
7) Both girls and boys might go to the bathroom during a diaper change. Some babies seem to do this all the time, others not so much. During our first night at home with Jack, I had an awful experience with this. I was changing him on the bed in the middle of the night. The TV was on for light, but I was only half awake. At the precise moment when I removed the dirty diaper and slid the new one under his tush, he pooped. It went everywhere. All over my stomach, all over the bed, all over the new diaper. It was a fun night. On the other hand, he was 6 months old before he peed on me.
8) If you're in desperate need of rest and baby won't nap for long periods, try holding the baby or laying down with her. I'm not a huge advocate of co-sleeping, but I've found sleeping like this usually encourages baby to sleep longer. If you're not comfortable sleeping with baby, call in reinforcements. There are plenty of willing arms to hold your baby so you can get some rest!
9) It will feel exhausting, but nurse as often as baby wants to (and then some!) in the first few weeks. This will help the milk come in and establish a strong supply. The strong supply ensures there is plenty for baby to eat so that he can get
as much as he needs in each feeding, and, eventually, eat less often. It's more important to establish milk supply and survive the first few weeks than it is to establish a routine.10) No offense to the grandmothers out there, but things do change. What our mothers did with us is not what doctors recommend today. Research and medicine has come a long way and we know more now than ever about things. Mom may have good advice, but science speaks for itself.
Still pregnant or hoping to be? Check out this series about pregnancy!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
7 months...almost!
It's amazing how quickly babies develop. Seriously. Last month wasn't too monumental, but in the past month we've made progress. He won't be 7 months old until the 8th, but that's only two days...
Physical developments: I guess you could say he is crawling. It's more of a two crawls forward, one crawl back kind of motion, but it's still two crawls forward more than Kate ever did. Last week, I found his first tooth. I was hoping it would be delayed a little more, but it's here. Kate, the non-breastfeeding baby, didn't get her first until 10 months. Hopefully it won't be an issue. So far it hasn't been, but it's only one tiny tooth. We'll see. In the past week or so, he's also started pulling himself up. How old was Kate when she finally did that? Almost 17 months. There's no comparing these kids. They're totally different creatures.
Eating: Jack's a foodie. If you're eating, he's mad if he's not. I can no longer nurse him and eat at the same time. I hadn't been doing too much in the food department. It's not necessary and it's just a little time consuming (terrible reasoning!), but he's clearly begging for them. I've been reading more about baby-led weaning, so I'm doing more actual finger foods than purees. Still doing some purees when the situation makes it easier, but mostly finger foods. He's loving bananas. I purchased a mesh baby feeder (which is a pain to clean banana out of) that makes slippery bananas easier for Jack to actually grip and eat. He loves sweet potatoes. Last week I baked sweet potato fries and he enjoyed that thoroughly. He loves a good bread crust. He loves apples. Today we're going to have peas, I believe. He's also getting the hang of a sippy cup pretty well. He is still nursing well. So glad we've made it so far!
Sleep: We're still doing better in the sleep area, but not amazing. He still refuses to finally settle in for the night til between 10:30 and 11:30, then he usually nurses again between 1 and 2. We're usually up for the day between 8 and 9. It's still not 100%, but I think teething is part of the reason he has sort of regressed. I love that he's in his own bed, though. He's napping pretty consistently three times a day. Not super long naps, but basically at the same time each day.
Other: We don't have another doctor visit until the end of the month, so no weight updates. He's fully filling out his 9 month clothing. Won't be long until we're moving up another size, I'm sure. Another new thing he's developed is crying when I leave the room most of the time. Not a fun phase, but it's sweet. He's definitely my boy! We're so blessed to have another sweet, healthy baby.
A Kate update soon!
Physical developments: I guess you could say he is crawling. It's more of a two crawls forward, one crawl back kind of motion, but it's still two crawls forward more than Kate ever did. Last week, I found his first tooth. I was hoping it would be delayed a little more, but it's here. Kate, the non-breastfeeding baby, didn't get her first until 10 months. Hopefully it won't be an issue. So far it hasn't been, but it's only one tiny tooth. We'll see. In the past week or so, he's also started pulling himself up. How old was Kate when she finally did that? Almost 17 months. There's no comparing these kids. They're totally different creatures.
Eating: Jack's a foodie. If you're eating, he's mad if he's not. I can no longer nurse him and eat at the same time. I hadn't been doing too much in the food department. It's not necessary and it's just a little time consuming (terrible reasoning!), but he's clearly begging for them. I've been reading more about baby-led weaning, so I'm doing more actual finger foods than purees. Still doing some purees when the situation makes it easier, but mostly finger foods. He's loving bananas. I purchased a mesh baby feeder (which is a pain to clean banana out of) that makes slippery bananas easier for Jack to actually grip and eat. He loves sweet potatoes. Last week I baked sweet potato fries and he enjoyed that thoroughly. He loves a good bread crust. He loves apples. Today we're going to have peas, I believe. He's also getting the hang of a sippy cup pretty well. He is still nursing well. So glad we've made it so far!
Sleep: We're still doing better in the sleep area, but not amazing. He still refuses to finally settle in for the night til between 10:30 and 11:30, then he usually nurses again between 1 and 2. We're usually up for the day between 8 and 9. It's still not 100%, but I think teething is part of the reason he has sort of regressed. I love that he's in his own bed, though. He's napping pretty consistently three times a day. Not super long naps, but basically at the same time each day.
Other: We don't have another doctor visit until the end of the month, so no weight updates. He's fully filling out his 9 month clothing. Won't be long until we're moving up another size, I'm sure. Another new thing he's developed is crying when I leave the room most of the time. Not a fun phase, but it's sweet. He's definitely my boy! We're so blessed to have another sweet, healthy baby.
A Kate update soon!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Eight hours of peace
Last week was a life-changer. It was monumental. I'm like a new woman.
Okay, so I may be a little dramatic, but it really was a good week. Really it started with a good weekend. We thought we were going to have to put over $600 into new brakes for Kraig's car, so my parents came out for the weekend so Dad could do the work and save us some money. Kraig was out of town with the teens for a retreat, so it was especially nice to have two extra sets of hands. Mom watched the kiddos and I got to help Dad with the brakes. I won't lie. I love working on cars. Dad taught me what to do, and I'm pretty sure I could do it again (with the purchase of an additional tool or two). It was awesome. On top of that, what we were told would be a $6oo job only cost about $75. We ended up only needing to change pads on the front brakes and only one rotor. Quite a significant difference! I didn't get to spend a ton of time with my mom, but it was still great to get to see them. They left on Sunday and took Kate with them to spend a few days in Ohio. My sister begged me to send her:) She had a blast playing with her cousins and the rest of the family. We drove halfway and picked her up on Friday afternoon. It was great to have her back.
While she was gone, however, we had a rather productive time. Since Kate was out of the house, it was the perfect time to transition Jackson to his own bed without the fear of waking up Kate. Sunday night didn't go so well, but Monday and Tuesday night Jack slept in his own bed all night. It was wonderful. Wednesday night wasn't quite as good, but he had taken a late nap when we were on the way home from church and I think that affected his sleep. She's home now, though, and he's still sleeping like a champ. It's amazing, since he'd been waking every 2-3 hours when he was still in our room. I figured that moving him to his bed would help, but it was a hard thing to do when he would probably disturb his sister. I was hesitant to send her away, but was thankful for the opportunity to reclaim my bedroom! After Kate started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks, I wasn't sure Jackson ever would. Six and a half months is still a lot better than some babies. I'm so thankful for the extra sleep. It'd been since my car accident in July since I've had a full night of sleep. No wonder I'm crazy! He's getting SO big:(
In other news, Kate got a hair cut. It's super short--one of the hazards of doing it yourself, but it's rather cute. Pictures coming soon--if I find my camera!
Okay, so I may be a little dramatic, but it really was a good week. Really it started with a good weekend. We thought we were going to have to put over $600 into new brakes for Kraig's car, so my parents came out for the weekend so Dad could do the work and save us some money. Kraig was out of town with the teens for a retreat, so it was especially nice to have two extra sets of hands. Mom watched the kiddos and I got to help Dad with the brakes. I won't lie. I love working on cars. Dad taught me what to do, and I'm pretty sure I could do it again (with the purchase of an additional tool or two). It was awesome. On top of that, what we were told would be a $6oo job only cost about $75. We ended up only needing to change pads on the front brakes and only one rotor. Quite a significant difference! I didn't get to spend a ton of time with my mom, but it was still great to get to see them. They left on Sunday and took Kate with them to spend a few days in Ohio. My sister begged me to send her:) She had a blast playing with her cousins and the rest of the family. We drove halfway and picked her up on Friday afternoon. It was great to have her back.
While she was gone, however, we had a rather productive time. Since Kate was out of the house, it was the perfect time to transition Jackson to his own bed without the fear of waking up Kate. Sunday night didn't go so well, but Monday and Tuesday night Jack slept in his own bed all night. It was wonderful. Wednesday night wasn't quite as good, but he had taken a late nap when we were on the way home from church and I think that affected his sleep. She's home now, though, and he's still sleeping like a champ. It's amazing, since he'd been waking every 2-3 hours when he was still in our room. I figured that moving him to his bed would help, but it was a hard thing to do when he would probably disturb his sister. I was hesitant to send her away, but was thankful for the opportunity to reclaim my bedroom! After Kate started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks, I wasn't sure Jackson ever would. Six and a half months is still a lot better than some babies. I'm so thankful for the extra sleep. It'd been since my car accident in July since I've had a full night of sleep. No wonder I'm crazy! He's getting SO big:(
In other news, Kate got a hair cut. It's super short--one of the hazards of doing it yourself, but it's rather cute. Pictures coming soon--if I find my camera!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Valentine's Day fun
On Monday, Kate and Jack got lots of Valentine's cards in the mail. You would've thought it was Christmas if you saw how excited Kate was. She opened one and said "Ooohhh, money! Who is dis fwom?" She opened another, "OOOOh, Taco Bell! Dis from Mamaw?" She was so excited. And, yes, she got a gift card to Taco Bell in a Valentine's card. That's my kid! She walked around all day telling me who got her each of her cards. She had a total of four!
Kraig and I did most of our celebrating on Saturday night, but we did have a special evening last night. We had a special home made dinner of Texas Roadhouse style smothered chicken and rice. We don't usually do too much for Valentine's Day, but Kraig brought me a giant Toblerone in the shape of a rose (I just ate the last of my Toblerone from Christmas), a pack of Snickers ice cream bars for dessert, and season one of Parenthood. I made him a box full of encouraging notes, special memories and affirming scriptures to take to work. It has enough in it for him to open one every day when he's in the office for the rest of the year. I was pretty excited about it.
In other news, Jack slept MUCH better last night. For the first time in months, he slept for more than 2-3 hours at a time. His first stretch of sleep was 5 hours, second was 3, then I got up and he slept more. A little sleep makes such a difference! Hoping he keeps it up!
Hope you all had a fabulous Valentine's Day, too:)
Kraig and I did most of our celebrating on Saturday night, but we did have a special evening last night. We had a special home made dinner of Texas Roadhouse style smothered chicken and rice. We don't usually do too much for Valentine's Day, but Kraig brought me a giant Toblerone in the shape of a rose (I just ate the last of my Toblerone from Christmas), a pack of Snickers ice cream bars for dessert, and season one of Parenthood. I made him a box full of encouraging notes, special memories and affirming scriptures to take to work. It has enough in it for him to open one every day when he's in the office for the rest of the year. I was pretty excited about it.
In other news, Jack slept MUCH better last night. For the first time in months, he slept for more than 2-3 hours at a time. His first stretch of sleep was 5 hours, second was 3, then I got up and he slept more. A little sleep makes such a difference! Hoping he keeps it up!
Hope you all had a fabulous Valentine's Day, too:)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)