Some newborn basic tips!

Sleep promotes sleep!  Babies thrive on predictability and learn from repetition.

Consistency is the vital key when it comes to sleep and settling. A good routine to follow is: Eat, play, sleep!  Did you know that newborns to 6 weeks can only manage to stay awake 45 minutes to MAX 1 hour and should sleep 1 ½ – 3hrs!  So your baby for the first few weeks will just feed and sleep.  If you keep your baby up too long, they will become overtired and very difficult to settle.  A newborns tired signs include: yawning, jerky movements, crying, changes from happy to grizzling & crying, million mile stare, clenched fists, and turning away from stimulation.
A good settling routine:

  1. Prepare the room – shut curtains/blinds/turn out lights
  2. Make sure baby has a clean nappy
  3. Swaddle firmly
  4. Sit quietly for 2-5 minutes to ‘wind down’.
  5. Place in cot AWAKE

Parenting Tips:

  • If you are using disposable nappies your baby does not cry because they have a wet nappy
  • Swaddling your baby is the best settling technique
  • Always bath your baby of an evening. This should be your partners job.  The bath does not need any lotions or potions – water is perfect
  • Massage your baby after their bath. Olive oil is perfect.  It can be ingested without any concerns and is great for your baby’s skin. It’s a well-researched fact that baby’s that are massaged daily cry less and are more settled than baby’s that aren’t!
  • Avoid the use of commercial baby wipes as it can irritate your baby’s skin. Instead use either water wipes or a wet face washer or nappy liner.

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