My biggest fear about becoming a mother was knowing that I would be getting much less sleep. I love my sleep. I read lots of sleep books! I still read lots of sleep books. I wanted to understand Kess' sleep patterns as much as I could. I didn't want to make a mistake and be paying for it for years to come.
I figured out that babies need lots and lots of sleep, but it came in shorter spurts for a while. I just prayed I could function on those short stretches of sleep. I also figured out that a sleep routine is key for babies. So, early in Kess' life we started a nighttime routine - bath, new diaper, lotion/essential oils, baby massage, breastfeed and bed. After a few weeks of this, Kess got the idea. She would sleep her longest stretch right off the bat, which was great because I knew I could get a long stretch of sleep if I went to bed when she did. From about 10 weeks on, Kess slept 12 hours. 8pm-8am! It was pure bliss!
Then that 4 month sleep regression happened... around that time we were in the middle of traveling for Matt's job. Kess' routine, while still the same - was happening in different places... sometimes at home, sometimes in McCall... it took us a few months after settling back home to get back into her routine of great sleep. I'll be honest with you - it wasn't glamorous, but with some hard work, dedication and a few rough nights - her sleep pattern began to fall back into place. She is now sleeping about 11 hours at night. 8pm-7am.
Babies thrive on routine. I work my life around Kess' now. Naps are really important at our house, because the better Kess sleeps during the day, the better she sleeps at night. Sleep helps babies grow, develop and remain happy and healthy!
Baby It's Bedtime has created an easy to follow schedule through their new video. I will say that after reading many sleep books, I loved seeing a helpful video. While reading I was constantly questioning if I was going about everything correctly. The Baby It's Bedtime Video explains a simple day to day routine for you and your baby. Laura, the co-creator and president of Baby It's Bedtime narrates the video and does an excellent job of explaining her system! I love that she uses the term "flexible" when she talks about her schedules and routines! I always got so wrapped up in doing things identical to how I did them the night before for fear of ruining my child's sleep forever! Flexible routines are where it's at! I sometimes get a little too "type-A" with Kess' schedule and it's not necessary. Flexible routines make our live's much easier!
Baby It's Bedtime is hosting a GIVEAWAY for my readers and followers... They are giving away a FREE download of their video! I loved the video and you will too! Head on over to Instagram to enter! My handle is @beatifuleffort - or you can click the Instagram Icon at the top right of the screen! **Giveaway ends Friday May 8th**
***Giveaway closed - winner announced on Instagram***
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