- Set a consistent bedtime routine from the very beginning. This will help them sort out day from night. Dim the lights, no loud noises, put them in their sleep sack and nurse.
- Nurse a lot during the day. Those first 3-6 weeks will consist of nursing a lot. Baby is establishing your supply and looking for comfort. They will especially nurse a ton in the evening. Just settle in and remember it’s just a very short season that will be past soon 😢.
- Wear baby most of the day. They will smite likely sleep best attached to you. Get a good wrap or carrier and just pop baby in after feeding a few bounces later they should drift off to sleep.
- Keep baby close. They are brand new and this is a big new world for them! You’re all they know, so it’s natural for them to want to be close, connected essentially. The fourth trimester is all about baby still being connected to you just like when you were pregnant. And remember that it’s such a short season.
- If you encounter a fussy time in the evening, keep lights low and noises soft, but try gentle bounces on an exercise ball while wearing baby. I did this a lot when Clover was brand new. We’d go between this and nursing for about 2-3 hours in the evening before going to bed.
- Contact nap – whether holding them while they sleep or wearing them, they will most likely sleep better attached to you. And no, you won’t spoil them😉
I will also note that I co sleep with my babies. I know this isn’t for everyone, and I think you should do what you feel most comfortable with, but this way of nighttime sleeping does work best for us. I sleep in a “C” shape around her at night, wrapping the blanket around my arm so that I cannot physically bring them up to her face. I also have my other arm propped up under my head so that I cannot physically roll towards her. My husband sleeps in a different bed while she is tiny since he does not share the same instincts that I have. But again, it’s a short season, and intimacy is not affected for those wondering : ).
