Recreating the womb experience can be very helpful in keeping your baby settled and calm and may assist in extending short sleep episodes. Try swaddling to help your baby feel snug and secure. Add some white noise during sleep times and keep the room dark when sleeping at night. Keep stimulation to a minimum and… Read more »
Posts By: Melissa
Recognizing Sleepy & Drowsy Cues
Catching your baby’s tired signs and getting them down before they are overtired will help in a smoother transition to sleep. Below are the cues and behaviors your baby will show you as they are getting tired. “I’m getting sleepy” and “Drowsy” cues: Decreased Activity Slower Motions Less Vocal Sucking becomes weak or slow Quieter… Read more »
Daytime Napping Strategies
> Month 3 Overview Keep things low key and calm during the day especially if your baby is very fussy. Help your baby rest when she needs to by paying attention to when she is tired and helping her get to sleep during those periods Experiment with putting your baby in cool, quiet, dim place… Read more »
3 Month Sleep Patterns
At around two to three months of age the circadian rhythm begins to emerge which is the internal clock that controls our patterns of sleeping and waking. Hormones control this rhythm and cues from daylight and darkness help to regulate our sleep and awake times. By eight weeks your baby will begin to notice the… Read more »
Sleep Overview
> Month 3 Overview Sleep Needs Sleep Needs in Healthy Full-Term Babies Under 6 Months: Sleep needs are still highly variable between babies at this age. Current research has shown that there can be a variation of up to 8-9 hours in a 24 hour period in babies 6 months and under. One study showed… Read more »
Brain Building Activities: Birth to 3 Months
>Weeks 0-8 Overview Bicycle Put your baby on her back and move her legs like she is riding a bicycle. Note: Never force your baby’s legs. If she resists, try something else. Sing bicycle songs like “A Bicycle is Built for Two” as you move her legs, or make up a simple song. Here’s an idea… Read more »
Tummy Time
Tummy time is an incredibly important part of your infant’s development. Tummy time not only prepares your baby for rolling over and crawling, but it also (perhaps more importantly) will help to strengthen your baby’s neck and back muscles. Having good neck control will allow your baby to move her head, which will reduce the… Read more »
The Importance of Routine
Routines are an important part of your baby’s life. When your baby was first born he came into a world that is new and unfamiliar. In utero, everything was fairly simple and consistent. Your baby was in a warm environment, fed constantly and comforted by the soothing sound of mom’s heartbeat. After birth, his new… Read more »
How do I know when my baby is actually hungry?
Most babies will be feeding regularly around the clock at this stage. Some babies may be able to take a 4-5 hour stretch after they reach 2 weeks but they will only do so once in a 24 hour period. After this long stretch they will wake in a regular feeding pattern (every 2-3 hours)… Read more »
Newborn Feeding Patterns
Your baby will need to feed frequently in these early weeks and will be waking every few hours to do so. Circadian rhythms (our sleep/wake clock) is not developed and your baby will sleep in stretches throughout the day and night. The first two weeks of life, your baby and you are slowly getting over… Read more »