When a newborn comes home with the family for the first time, there is a period
of adjustment for everyone. While at the hospital, there are nurses and midwives
to help; you are able to rest every time they take your newborn to the nursery.
You don't have to cook or clean. It's quite a different thing once you are home
and you have complete responsibility for this new life. If you are first-time
parents, your newborn baby will be teaching you a lot as you both go on this
adventure. Even if you are pros at this parenting thing, every child is
different, so there will always be new things to learn.
Sleep is now at a premium for you. One of the best things you can do, especially
in the first few weeks, is to nap any time your newborn baby naps. Your body
needs to adjust, and you will be tired. At first, your baby will likely be
sleeping for about two hours at a time. You'll find yourself in a pattern of
nursing, napping and new changing diapers. Don't try to force your newborn baby
to stay awake or go to sleep at certain times. They have small tummies and need
food frequently and will tend to fall asleep shortly after breastfeeding.
Once your newborn baby is about a month old, you will probably notice a change
in their sleep habits. They will begin to sleep a bit longer at a stretch,
around three hours at a time. Naps during the day may be about two or three
hours each. You will notice they start to stay awake a bit longer after nursing.
Watch for those signs that your newborn baby is starting to get sleepy, like
yawning or getting a glazed look. Once you get to know your child, you will
start to see a pattern of when they are ready to sleep, and start a pre-nap or
bedtime routine.
Between three and six months, most babies will begin to sleep through the night.
It may not be a consistent thing at first, but their stomachs are able to hold
more food and won't need to feed as often. You need to decide how to deal with
those nights that the baby may slip back into the old pattern of waking off and
on through the night. Do you use the "cry it out" method? Do you try
co-sleeping? Do you use the "peek in and check" method?
All three of these methods have their supporters, and critics. It is up to you
to decide what works best for your family. However, most doctors agree that
forcing any behavior on an infant younger than one year is counterproductive. If
something isn't working, try something else, while trying to maintain a routine
of some sort at bedtime.
By about nine months, not only is everyone starting to get more sleep at night,
your baby may only be napping once in the early afternoon. It is important that
you find the best time for your baby to nap. If the nap is too early, they will
probably be cranky by bedtime. If it is too late, or too long, bedtime will
become a real nightmare. Look for the signs that they need a nap, and start the
nap routine. If you need to adjust the start time of the nap, do so gradually by
about thirty minutes a time until you find the right balance.
By establishing the routines early, and adjusting them as the sleep needs
change, you will find everyone is much happier. It takes time, but it will be
worth it once everyone is getting a good night's sleep.
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