How to prepare for sleep?
The 4th trimester is the first three months after your baby is born. It is a crucial time for both mom and baby to adjust to the new rhythm of life.
You need to know that these three months, not only are you adjusting to having a newborn, but also your lovely newborn is adjusting to the outside world.
Being outside your womb isn’t easy, your baby’s changing physically and emotionally, and guess what?! So are you! Be easy on yourself, take it slow and embrace this stage, it doesn’t last forever!
Here’s a sneak peek into what you can do during this period to encourage better sleep for your little one and yourself.
Prepping for Baby’s Arrival:
- Create a comfortable and safe sleep space for your newborn
- Invest in a firm mattress
- Ensure that the room temperature is kept cool, between 20-24°C
Essential items:
- Swaddles
- Baby wrap
- Pacifier
- White noise machines
- Blackout curtains to ensure having a dark room for sleep
Setting Realistic Expectations:
- Newborns sleep a lot, but in short spurts
- Be prepared for irregular sleep patterns
- Babies will wake up every 2-3 hours for feeding
- By week 6-8 we can expect long stretches with some babies: 4-6 hrs
- Ensure that your baby gets enough sleep during the day, learn the suitable wake window for each month through the sleep needs guide
Establishing Routines:
- A consistent sleep routine helps the brain and the body to know when it is time to sleep, and this makes the sleep process easier.
Differentiating Between Day and Night:
- During the day:
- Start your day early
- Expose your little one to natural light first thing in the morning
- Engage in interactive play, like tummy time during wake time
- Kangaroo Care also known as skin-to-skin contact with your little one, it helps your child feel safe so it helps them have better sleep
- At night:
- Dim the lights during the routine
- Allow sleeping to happen in a dark room
- If your baby is up at any point at night, don’t leave the room so that the brain gets used to the sleeping space
Remember, every baby is unique, so don’t hesitate to adapt these suggestions to suit your little one’s individual needs, and not everything works for every baby. So trial and error, until you find something that fits, for you, your baby and your family.
