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“Enjoy your sleep now because you’ll never sleep again”, that’s what everyone told me when I was pregnant becoming a first time mom. I remember being terrified, thinking to myself, ‘no sleep?…ever? how will I survive?’
Now years (and another baby) later I have learned all about those sleepless nights everyone talks about. As Mom’s we’re always growing and learning at each new stage with our kids, which means no one is a Mom-expert. But at least we develop tips to help out our new Mom friends!
When you have a newborn baby your whole world gets turned up-side-down (temporarily) I like to think of it as the beautiful adjustment phase and it’s full of bonding, cuddling, breastfeeding, diaper changes, and restlessness.
Newborns sleep 14-17 hours a day, which sounds great except you’ll be up every 2-3 hours to nurse and change a diaper. Very inconsistent sleep = a very tired Mama.
Check out this baby sleep guide and tracker I created this to take the guessing out of if you little one is getting enough sleep and keep a record to compare week by week.
Sleep when the baby sleeps
When you come home with your newborn your regular day to day routine goes out the window. Showering can become sparse, you won’t want to cook and laundry is piling up with your new family members clothes. It can be really tempting to feel the need to stick to your usual routine.
I remember having this feeling of needing to get it all done or I’d seem/feel lazy, which is so far from the truth. During this time your body is healing from birth, hormones are going crazy, boobs are huge and sore and you’re up every few hours with a little one.
You’ll be doing a lot and one of the best pieces of advice I have is to sleep when the baby sleeps, even during the day.
Swaddling makes a huge difference
When your baby first comes earth side they’ll come to find that is is much colder than what they are used to in Mama’s tummy. They are used being warm and tight. This is a huge part of why I highly recommend swaddling.
Babies will feel much more safe and comforted this way. But a good thing to note is that all babies are different and some of them can wiggle out of that snug hug of a swaddle. I know crazy right?!
In this case I’d say that you should look into something like a love to dream swaddle. It offers the same comfort and safety as a swaddle only it allows your baby to move their arms, so it’s a win-win.
Take the fear out of baby sleeping
As a new Mom learning about SIDS was one of the most terrifying things and my biggest fear. I would fall asleep only to jump up in a panic (even though my son was right next to me in a bassinet) to make sure he was ok.
The pressure of falling asleep and something happening to my sweet precious new baby was horrifying. It was affecting my sleep so much that what little sleep I was getting wasn’t quality sleep in the slightest.
The amount of anxiety I suffered as a new Mom was completely diminished when I started using the Owlet sock monitor.
The owlet is a sock monitor that you place on your baby’s foot when they are asleep to track their oxygen levels, heart rate and body temperature. If anything were to change while they were sleeping an alarm would go off to alert you immediately.
I’ve heard people say “oh you don’t need that, I raised X amount of babies in the 70’s with one” .
But as someone who struggles with anxiety, it honestly changed everything for me. I was able to sleep knowing that everything was ok and that I’d immediately know if anything changed.I used it until my son was around 6 months old.
What to do if baby is up crying
If your little one is crying and not sleeping there is typically 4 reasons why your newborn is upset and they are:
1.Hunger
Newborns eat very often I’m talking every 1-3 hours. You may be learning how to breastfeed during this time.
And while thats a full job in itself there are things you should watch out for to make sure baby is eating enough like. For example you may have a bad latch and baby isn’t eating correctly or perhaps you need to focus on upping your milk supply.
I highly suggest you start tracking your nursing sessions to make sure you’re feeding long enough and as often as you should be.
I created a nursing tracker to help you keep track of it all! Get it here
2. Trapped gas
Looking back on myself as a new mom, I don’t think I truly understood the importance of making sure to get a burp out after every single feeding. Well maybe not after every single feeding but I would say most.
It’s also a good thing to keep in mind that gas can be trapped the other way as well. Which can be combatted with tummy massages, leg exercises and a gas passer.
3. Wet diaper
As often as these are babies eat, they are peeing and pooping. A lot of the times even the slightest wet diaper can be uncomfortable for them.
4. Comfort
Remember that everything is brand new for your baby and they are not used to life on the outside. They are used to a warm place listening to your heart beat. Sometime they just want to lay on your chest and listen to your heart.
These are the very first things you should check for with a crying newborn baby.
Although there is a number of things to consider after checking these top four things if you baby is still upset, I highly recommend calling your pediatrician. Never feel like you are overreacting or being a bother. You are better off on the safe side when it comes to your baby.
