SLEEEEEEEEP! Pt.2

If BabyGirl doesn't fall asleep right away, I let her fester a bit on her own for 5-20 mins before going in to check on her (however, i do check the video monitor to see if I really need to go in).  Most of the time, I don't need to.  On the flipside, if I see she's just waking up on the monitor, I don't swoop in and fully wake her up.  I let her take her time and 'call' me when she's ready.  That usually means she starts talking aloud in melodic tones (rarely does she cry unless she's in a physically uncomfortable position or teething or can't get to her pacifier or has gas).

BabyGirl is almost 7 months old and we still swaddle her.  She's definitely in a growth period where sometimes she needs it and other times she doesn't, but if she fights her way out of it (which typically poops her out), I rarely go in for the re-swaddle.  She clearly wants to learn to sleep without it, so we're ebbing and flowing with her to do so.  However, I won't let any shenanigans carry-on for hours on endif the household is exhausted.  Typically 45 mins tops, then she gets a full re-swaddle.  By that point, she's typically so exhausted she falls asleep easily.  Lately, with teething, I rock her a bit.  Something I don't typically have to do.   

One piece of advice that I was given, much like a 'dream feed', was to not engage the baby in the middle of the night if she needed a diaper change or re-swaddle.  Not talking, cooing, singing, nothing.  I even took the advice to keep the baby "parallel" to the floor while moving her back and forth as opposed to picking her up and putting her on my shoulder which would alert her to being "upright" and that might mean time to wake up.  

If you can afford it, I highly recommend a Night Nurse or Night Doula.  Even if it's once or twice a week.  They can teach you how to swaddle, start to get baby on a schedule, along with a wealth of other tidbits in those early days and weeks home that are incredibly enlightening.   

One last note is Dunstan Baby Language.  http://www.dunstanbaby.com/cms/index.php?page=us-home

I found two of these sounds the most important: The "Neh" sound for hunger, and the "Eh" sound for gas/burps.  I listened and learned that Baby Girl 'said' both of these sounds, and that also helped me in terms of any discomfort that might have interfered with her sleeping.  I found, sometimes she was still hungry, and other times where she need to let out a good burp.  

Mamas, just like my friend said, "sleep is paramount to their happiness and yours!"  It was my mission in life to get BabyGirl to sleep, and although I was far from perfect in getting her their coupled with a lot of experimenting, tears, hormonal rage, we did it.  And you can, too!!  Hang in there!! 

You're definitely LOOKIN' GOOD, MAMA!!

SLEEEEEEEEP! Pt.1

Oh, Mamas!
Sleep is a juggernaut topic.
First, I just want to say if anyone is out there struggling with sleep challenges:  Hang in there!  You are not alone!  You are an amazing Mama!!!!!!
Second, One of my friends gave me great advice:  "Sleep is the greatest gift you can give your child.  The ability to learn to fall asleep and remain asleep through the night unassisted by "tools" (i.e. bottles, rocking, etc.) is paramount to their happiness and yours! There are different methods to achieve this goal; so find what works for you and don't be afraid of some "tough love" or crying.  As parents it's about making hard choices and giving our children the tools to survive and thrive in this world - so by giving them sleep for their brains to grow and rest for their bodies, you are doing just that."
Third, every baby is different.
So how can any singular sleep suggestion/system/theory apply?
Most of my fellow Mamas have tried several disciplines and, typically, they've come up with a 'mix' of things that work for them.  Here is my mix:
NETFLIX!! During those first few hazy weeks (or months, hello!) of newborn life, I had little brain capacity, energy or time to actually read a book.  So I rented DVDs!  I highly recommend this for speed and efficiency purposes as it's like having a personal instructor in your house with you!  Here are three that helped us tremendously.  I sometimes refer to them as our Holy Trinity of Sleep Guides:

HAPPIEST BABY ON THE BLOCK (DVD) explained how newborns LOVE being swaddled (emulating the womb) and loud ambient noise (inside the womb is as loud as a vacuum cleaner!! what?!!).  There are great soothing techniques, swaddling directions, and other good info.  It's also VERY helpful to actually see demonstrations of the above.  Techniques worked for us immediately.  Not all were consistent right off the bat, but good to know and try again when all else failed.  (i.e. one time BabyGirl was particularly ornery and I literally held her in my arms while I vacuumed until she fell asleep which took about 15 mins.)  Also, we still "ssshhhhhhhh" to this day.  Not as loud as we originally did, but at a much lower volume, and not just for sleeping.  It also helps when she's crying even if it's for a few seconds.

TRACY HOGG: THE BABY WHISPERER (DVD) had a variety of helpful hints from sleeping to bathing to activity time.  At the end of the DVD, she walks you through a table display of products she uses and believes in (she doesn't have endorsement deals with any of the companies either).  Her E.A.S.Y. approach was completely applicable to BabyGirl.  Eat.Activity.Sleep.You. = Genius!  Once BabyGirl was around 6 weeks, I began to notice that this was in fact her pattern: Eat, Activity, Sleep.  If we tried to alter that in any way...All hell would break loose!  This order, coupled with a few of the tidbits from HBOTB came in very handy!   (Side Note: Great visual instruction on how to get your wet and very slippery newborn out of the washbasin tub proved to be superb for us as well!!)

HEALTHY SLEEP HABITS, HAPPY CHILD (Book) A Mama down in N.C. recommended this book to me after she and her fellow Mamas found great success with it!  I agreed whole heartedly!
HSHHC stresses just how important sleep is to baby's BRAIN DEVELOPMENT.  This lit a fire for me.
"Perfect Timing Equals No Crying" is a mantra of HSHHC.  It also encourages parents to write down the current schedule of your baby's sleep/awake times to look at any patterns.  This was extremely helpful in understanding the natural cycle of our baby, to see where she stood in terms of her short sleeps and big sleeps, length of sleeps, etc.  The first part of the book is general information, then it breaks out in age range.  The patterning went along with HOGG's E.A.S.Y., and coupled with the 2-hour awake time window discussed in HSHHC, I started to see the light!
Once the light bulb went off, I was fairly militant about the sleep schedule.  I still am.
I like to equate it to Pavlovian Conditioning.  You remember from high school psychology, I'm sure... dogs, food, bells, salivating.... Repeat.  This is where being a creature of habit comes in handy.
I also don't keep anything, but a mobile on the crib.  Crib time is sleep time.
I remember when BabyGirl first slept from about midnight to five in the morning.  We considered that sleeping through the night.  And soon, we were manipulating feedings and crib time to try and extend it.  Slowly but surely... We had some some setbacks, but we kept working.  And it, whatever "mix" you find will work for you!!  Just remember, you're LOOKIN' GOOD, MAMA!!

First Flight!

My husband, the Baby Girl and I embarked on our first plane ride!
Here are some great tips I received before, during and after our trip, and of course, little tidbits I learned along the way:
1.  If you are able, SET UP YOUR DESTINATION BEFORE YOU ARRIVE!  We were staying with family, so fortunately, my mother was able to pick up a page-long list of necessities (and I do mean necessities) before we arrived.  Anything from diapers, wipes, bouncy seats, bottles, formula, a few outfits to new things like a diaper caddy and an over-the-door pouchy throw all (kind of like something you might hang for shoes) to save space.  THIS was extremely helpful, and if anyone is in that kind of position where that's an option, I suggest this or even pre-order a bunch of items to be delivered to your destination IF it's a destination that you'll be visiting multiple times.  We didn't need to pack nearly as much as we could have, and because we kept the list to necessities-only, we didn't leave behind a bunch of unused or wasteful items.
2.  A FANTASTIC TRAVEL CHECKLIST to work off of is from "What To Expect's" website (I received this from their email blasts): http://images.agoramedia.com/wte/pdf/packingBaby.pdf  After reading this list, I decided to do a bag-inside-of-a-bag approach.  I packed my diaper bag as usual, with some of the extra quantities suggested on the list.  I put my diaper bag into another bigger canvas bag where I was able to throw in a few of the extra items suggested, i.e. blankets, books, toys, etc.  I went as minimal as possible, but this 'separate' quarters within one bag was helpful when I needed things quickly.  (However, I will say on the way back, security looked through my bag and took a bunch of things out and put them back in without my strategic approach, this jammed me up later when I was looking for items.  Lesson Learned: take the few minutes at security to repack the bag correctly...not before you take off and the baby is screaming. 8)
3.  CURBSIDE CHECK-IN!  My husband and I drove ourselves and BabyGirl to the airport.  We had three suitcases, two carry-ons and the stroller.  So, in a bold move, we decided to drive by curbside check-in and IF a clerk was available as well as a quick parking spot, we'd hop out, unload and utilize this service.  All of the above worked (!!), so we hopped back into the car, drove to long-term parking where we only had to handle the two carry-ons and the stroller.  Easy-peasy.  (We also did this on the return, and again, it worked well!)
4.  FEED THE BABY WHILE TAKING OFF AND LANDING was the best piece of advice I received from my pediatrician when I asked her for any travel tips.  It is supposed to help with their ear pressure.  I can attest that this piece of information ABSOLUTELY worked for us.  It was one of those moments where I thought, "why doesn't every mother know this?" OR for that matter, "why doesn't every flight attendant know this?"  I will specify that BabyGirl is 6 months old, so we had a bottle of formula ready.
5.  If you are able financially and/or otherwise, BUY THE EXTRA SEAT ON THE PLANE!  The trip was a business trip for my husband, and due to the nature of the trip, both of our tickets were paid for.  So we checked our finances and decided to splurge for the extra seat for BabyGirl.  (side note: infants can sit on your lap for most flights and don't require a ticket)  The thought of holding BabyGirl for a few hours straight was a bit overwhelming (i.e. wanting her to nap, knowing I'd need a little break, and knowing my husband felt the same way, etc.).  Again, if you are able, I highly recommend buying the extra seat and bringing the car seat onto the plane (and if you have the detachable carseat/stroller combo, this makes navigating the airport easier as well).  BabyGirl was able to take a nap...and so were we!  However, during Take-Off and Landing, I held her in my lap while I fed her which is totally allowed.
6.  DIAPER CHANGING ON THE PLANE!  Two things came to mind when I realized I'd most likely have to change a diaper or two on the plane: 1) where is there a baby changing station? and 2) wait, is there even one on the plane?  For as much as I've traveled, I never noticed where the baby changing stations are on a plane.  Probably because they were 'behind' me.  Answers: 1) Baby Changing stations ARE on the plane, and 2) yes, ew, they're in the bathrooms.    If you've been on a plane, they are typically part of the slanted wall above the toilet.  Perfectly hidden.  The good news is that my first experience, and perhaps because there aren't typically a lot of babies on flights if you think about it, the changing station was a) HUGE and b) surprisingly very clean... This did not however prevent me from sterilizing the entire station and the area next to the sink where I ended up putting my diapers and wipes pouch.  All in all it was a good experience.
7.  RENTAL CARS!  We asked ourselves if we wanted to lug all of our, well, luggage, to the rental car place.  No.  So, on the plane, we decided to divide and conquer once we landed.  I would wait with BabyGirl on the skywalk for the stroller (this took all of 5-7 minutes - both times), head to the nearest bathroom to take care of both of our bladder and diaper needs, then I'd meander to baggage claim, ask one of the porters to help me and wait for my husband who....zoomed ahead of me, hopped on the rental car bus, picked up the car and zoomed around to arrivals to get us.  We did this both times.  It worked WONDERFULLY!!!
8.  HIT THE GROCERY STORE BEFORE YOU HEAD TO WHERE YOU'RE STAYING!  Of course this might not apply to everyone's destination, but if you have to pick up a few bites, I highly recommend doing it before you settle in and unpack, etc.  It took me a few hours to unpack and set up everything.  I was decompressing after first-time-travel-with-baby nerves, and physically recovering from a nasty cold I had the week before (I picked up some Alka-seltzer Cold&Flu, too, just in case I had a relapse or if my husband caught what I had), so the thought of either one of us going out again later that night coupled with family popping in and out to meet the baby, we never would have eaten.

After a fairly focused and intense 48-hour period of packing, traveling, unpacking, I felt great!  It was a true "LOOKIN' GOOD, MAMA!" moment!  Everything ran pretty smoothly and my confidence was boosted as a big 'first' was conquered!  After any good (or bad, let's be honest) travel day, I like to unwind with a nice hot and steamy shower.  I went to grab my pajamas and toiletries, when I suddenly discovered....I completely forgot to pack my underwear!!!  LOL!!

Blog Inspiration!

While running errands one day, a jovial young gentleman yelled out to me, "Lookin' good, Mama!" while I waddled out to my car.  I was about 8 months pregnant.  It was winter.  I was bundled.  
Since I refused to buy a maternity winter coat, my big red cashmere sweatered belly (if I had a black belt w/ a gold buckle he probably would've yelled out "Lookin' good, Santa!" - It's true. Let's be honest.) was popping out between my coat opening.  
Regardless of how I physically felt - or really looked for that matter - I saw the young man smile, and lo and behold, it was sincere.  I smiled back in gratitude.  
It made me think every pregnant woman (or any mother, really) should be so lucky to have that phrase yelled out in her direction.  
Even on my wildest days (and I know you've had them) when I desperately search for a memory of the last time I showered or brushed my teeth, I look in the mirror and say (sarcastic or not) those magical words that are now written across that mirror in hot pink lipstick..."LOOKIN' GOOD, MAMA!" 
This blog is for me (to help keep me sane), and for you (to maybe help keep you sane, too), to share experiences and lessons learned and, perhaps, pick up some tips along the way.
Let's get this party started, Mamas!