Congratulations! It sounds like your baby may be ready for some gentle sleep strategies! The following articles will help you gently begin to use some sleep shaping strategies:
• Keep lights, stimulation & interaction to a minimum…
• A Dream Feed may be helpful at this stage…
• You can begin to “Practice” putting your baby down Drowsy and Awake at sleep times…
• Make a plan to get the rest you need…
• Recreating the womb experience…
• Lots of skin to skin and holding during the day…
• Try to start your day at the same time every morning…
What if what you are doing is not working for you?
This fourth month is challenging for many families. Sometimes these struggles are magnified by concerns that that parents are doing things wrong, concerns that the problems will last forever or worries that the baby is somehow being negatively affected by the reduced sleep or increased wakings. If these are the reasons, then understanding the 4-month milestone better will give you some insights that should alleviate your concerns.
Remember, we do not recommend sleep coaching if:
- Your baby is under 18 weeks of age
- Has not entered the 4 month developmental stage
- Is experiencing challenges (not gaining weight, medical issues such as reflux, feeding difficulties, etc.)