We all know that the first few months of parenthood include a lot of sleepless nights. Babies need to eat around the clock and having any kind of set schedule is practically impossible, besides knowing to feed, soothe, and change them. I was amazed by how well my sweet, tiny daughter would sleep during the morning, often lying curled up on my or my husband’s chest — but how she refused to sleep at all from 2 to 6 a.m. (when we needed to rest the most!). Going through our mental checklist of what could be wrong and how to comfort her was not easy in those dark hours when we could hardly think straight. We kept having to remind ourselves that 99 percent of the time her cries meant one of only four possible things: feed me, burp me, change me, or hold me. Once in a while there were other small issues, and I am infinitely grateful to friends and family who introduced me to a few key products I could not have survived without. Of course everyone has their own opinions and personal preferences but I hope by sharing what worked for me, you may benefit — and sleep a little better too!
Photo: PotteryBarn.com
5 Baby Products That Saved Me in the Middle of the Night
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Happi Tummi
For relief my little one’s colic, fussiness, gas, or constipation I found this all natural, external remedy worked wonders. It’s a tiny pouch of herbs like lavender and peppermint that can be gently warmed in the microwave and wrapped around your baby’s belly in a soft Velcro band (like a hot water bottle for babies!). It provided Dahlia with instant warmth and comfort almost every time.
Photo: HappiTummi.com
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Gripe Water
This tried-and-true natural remedy for tummy aches especially helped Dahlia with gas. We kept it in the fridge and gave her just a small amount when she was very fussy after a feeding.
Photo: Toys 'R' Us
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Sleep Sheep
I am sure everyone has different thoughts on this but we found the soothing sound from Dahlia’s cozy Sleep Sheep, as well as the white noise machine we bought when she transitioned from basinet to crib, was super helpful in getting Dahlia to sleep. Not only did it play familiar sounds from when she was in utero but it helped drown out any external noises around her (I live in NYC, a particularly loud city!). We always made sure it was placed at a significant distance from her head and never on too high a setting.
Photo: Pottery Barn
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Nipple Shield
I am sure there are other brands out there, but I used the nipple shield by Medela and it was excellent. One dreadful night when I was feeding Dahlia I was in a lot of pain and my breasts were very engorged so she was not able to latch on properly and was wailing. I would never have known what to do but thankfully an extraordinary nurse we knew suggested I buy this to try. It’s a soft silicon nipple cover with small holes in the end that allows your baby to latch and suck more easily. It was a lifesaver! If I hadn’t have discovered it I would not have known what to do and would have probably given up breastfeeding much earlier.
Photo: Amazon.com
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The Sleep Easy Solution by Jennifer Waldburger and Jill Spivack
There are a million sleep books for babies out there, but this book was the one that worked best for us. We started using it when Dahlia was about four months old (much earlier is not recommended). I found its approach not only reasonable and realistic but most importantly, easy to read and understand. As a new parent I really didn’t have time to comb through hundreds of pages of sleep theory and I also didn’t feel comfortable with the rigidity of certain methods, but wanted to set definitive boundaries and make sure Dahlia was a good sleeper. This book was clear and straightforward, never condescending. And it worked! I still refer to it often as Dahlia’s habits change, like when she goes though different stages and experiences -- sitting up, teething, standing, and getting her first cold. Of course there are exceptions and I know her routine and schedule can evolve or be disrupted at any time, but I truly believe this book helped us create great sleep habits fir her and, thankfully, she has been sleeping peacefully through the night ever since.
Photo: Amazon.com
