30-1-2009 - Newborns - sleeping tips

My mood while writing this blog: informative...a little sceptical

This is a summary of what I got from the Pediatrician at my 2 day appointment. I thought I would share. There may be some helpful pointers for new moms. I have already broken some ‘rules’ but most of them make sense.

Newborns:

1) Place your baby in the crib when he is drowsy but awake. This step is very important. Without it, the other preventive measures will fail. Your baby’s last waking memory should be of the crib, not of you or being fed. He must learn to put himself to sleep without you. Don’t expect him to go to sleep as soon as you put him down. It often takes 20 mins of restlessness for a baby to go to sleep. If he is crying, rock him and cuddle him; but when he settles down, try to place him in the crib before he falls asleep. Handle naps in the same way. This is how your child will learn to put himself back to sleep after normal awakenings. Don’t help your infant when he doesn’t need any help.

2) Hold your baby for all fussy crying during the first 3 months. All new babies cry some during the day and night. IF your baby cries excessively, the cause is probably colic. Always respond to a crying baby. Gentle rocking and cuddling seem to help most. Babies can’t be spoiled during the first 3 or 4 months of life, even colicky babies have a few times each day when they are drowsy and not crying. On these occasions, place the baby in his crib and let him learn to self comfort and self induce sleep.

3) Carry you baby for a least 3 hours each day when he isn’t crying. This practice will reduce fussy crying.

4) Do not let you baby sleep for more than 3 consecutive hours during the day. Attempt to waken him gently and entertain him. In this way the time when your infant sleeps the longest occurs during the night (note: may newborns can sleep 5 consecutive hours and you can teach your baby to take this longer period of sleep at night.)

5) Keep daytime feeding intervals to at least 2 hours for newborns. More frequent daytime feedings (such as hourly) lead to frequent awakening s for small feedings at night. Crying is the only form of communication newborns have. Crying does not always mean your baby is hungry. He may be tired, bored, lonely, or too hot. Hold your baby at these times or put him to bed. Don’t let feeding become a pacifier. For ever time you nurse you baby there should be four or five times that you snuggle your baby without nursing. Don’t let him get into the bad habit of eating every time you hold him. That’s called “grazing.”

6) Make middle-of-the-night feeding brief and boring. You want your baby to think of nighttime as a special time for sleeping. When he awakens at night for feedings, don’t turn on the lights, talk to him, or rock him. Feed him quickly and quietly. Provide extra rocking and playtime during the day. This approach will lead to longer periods of sleep at night.

7) Don’t’ awaken your infant to change diapers during the night. The exceptions to this rule are soiled diapers or when you are treating a bad diaper rash. If you must change your child, use as little light as possible. Dot it quietly and don’t provide any entertainment.

8) Don’t let you baby sleep in your bed. Once your baby is used to sleeping with you, a move to his own bed will be extremely difficult. Although it’s not harmful for your child to sleep with you probably won’t get a restful nights sleep. So why not teach your child to prefer his won bed? For the first 2 04r 3 months, you can keep your baby in a crib or box next to your bed.

9) Give the last feeding at your bedtime (10 or 11PM). Try to keep your baby awake for the 2 hours before this last feeding. Going to bed at the same time every night helps your baby develop good sleeping habits.