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Baby-Tested “Lovies” for Self-Calming

Posted April 3, 2010

I'm remembering a question that was raised at a recent Sleep from the Start prenatal seminar: "When I lay my baby in her crib - awake - and trust her to get herself to sleep without rocking her or feeding her to sleep, is there anything I can safely put into the crib to help her with self-calming?"

My answer was "Yes", and I want to share some ideas with you. Several companies have released carefully designed, suck-able, non-toxic and organic items which are easy for babies to grab ahold of (accidentally or on purpose) and bring to the mouth to suck on or to simply hold onto tightly... as they put themselves to sleep. You may need to ignore the marketing blurbs that promise eye/hand coordination or better brain development.  We are just looking for safe, attractive items to become your child's "lovey."  Handy to take on planes and makes it easier for your baby to maintain their self-calming strategies in new beds, new places.

Cuski Doll

Sophie the Giraffe is made by this company.  BPA-free, suck-able and easy to grasp neck. ( I wish Sophie didn't squeak)

Nature Babies at Calgary Farmer's Market.  I bought a Teething Carrot (100% organic cotton) to send to a friend.  Clutchable, inexpensive.

Ringley Natural Teething Toys

A favorite swaddling blanket 100% muslin, prewashed, large and stretchy so it won't come loose in the night. Breathable fabric to prevent over-heating.

This is not an exhaustive list, by far, but I don't think you'll be disappointed with any of these choices. And if you do not want to make a purchase, consider using one of your soft, cloth dinner napkins, tied with a knot in the middle.  Highly breathable, small enough to be safe in the crib and very clutchable by your baby.

 

Does your baby have a favorite item he/she uses for self-calming?  Drop us a comment!

 

 

 

 

 

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An App for White Noise - Wow!

Posted January 26, 2010

I'm thankful to a parent wrote to tell me about an Application she downloaded to her ipod which allows her to play white noise in her baby's room during naps and nights.   This App costs around $2.00  and has a choice of several sounds (waterfall, heartbeat, ultrasound and even a hair dryier).   Parents can set a timer to determine when it goes on and off. I suggest you leave it on all night and for the duration of each 2-hour nap.

Commercial white noise machines now on the market turn off automatically after playing for only 60 minutes. I think this renders them useless - and might even wake the baby in the process. Instead these downloadable programs give parents complete control of the type of sound as well as the length of play.  Here is a link to download this App.http://appadvice.com/app/337495029

I don't have an ipod so I was happy to learn that I could download a similar program from Itunes ($.99) on to my MacBook Pro.  I can choose from many sounds and put it on a playlist and set it on repeat for the night. (itunes>white noise babies) Rather than buying an album (it will switch around sounds) I purchased just one sound ($.99) and put it on repeat for the night.

Advantages of white noise:

• White noise, especially any "sssshhhh"-like sound is a wonderful way to contribute to your newborn's self-calming skills. 
• White noise in a toddler or preschooler's room muffles the sound of a baby's cry in the room next door, making it less likely that a parent feels the need to rush right in
• White noise in parent's room helps parents remember that they are actually "off duty" for the night. Add a pair of earplugs and you are good to go!
• White noise on your holiday when you  all have to sleep in the same room, allows your baby to hear familiar sounds from home- and muffles your unavoidable noises and whispers.

Once you've said "It's nighttime, I love you, I'll see you in the morning," you can leave the room knowing you are leaving your children with peaceful, sleep-inducing theraputic sounds to comfort them as they put themselves to sleep.

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Filed under: Product Reviews, Sleep

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Why Aren’t Babies Sleeping?

Posted January 11, 2010

Why do so many babies have sleep problems?  This is a relatively recent phenomenon, in my opinion, and differs markedly from what I observed 10 or 15 years ago.  What's up?

 

  If I had to make an educated guess as to the cause of this wave of sleep disorders, I would put the blame straight on the backs of well-intentioned but overly zealous breastfeed acvocates.

  Many times parents, upon leaving the hospital with their baby, are made to sign papers testifying that they have been given advice on the benefits of breast-feeding and have heard instructions such as the following:

• Feed your baby every 2 hours around the clock
• Wake up your baby to feed if it is sleeping
• Answer all signs of infant stress/crying with the breast
• Your baby is too young to be sleep trained.
• Some babies don't need as much sleep
• It all depends on the baby
• Whenever your baby cries, she is calling for help.  You should answer every time or you might interfere with attachment.
• It is easier to have a secure attachment with a breast-fed baby than with a bottle-fed baby.
• Crying is harmful to attachment

Obviously, some parents are going to find it scary NOT to follow the above admonitions. What happens then is that very often, a baby who might well have been born to be a good sleeper is awakened so often she becomes conditioned to short sleeps and expects to be fed constantly. The people pushing breast-milk production (the reasonsometimes  given for the above rules) are not seeing the wider picture.  The overall health and well-being of a newborn depends on being fed  and getting good sleep. How the baby is fed should in no way override the baby's need for sleep and the encouragement of good sleep skills.

Let me be clear - breast-feeding is a very healthy way to feed a baby and carries obvious benefits.  But exclusive breast-feeding can be established and fit very nicely into a schedule and routine that is also designed around good sleep. 

Babies have not changed.  The mainstream, peer reviewed research on how much milk a newborn needs for good growth and development has not changed.  What has changed is that breast-feeding has become a "cause" to which many people and health regions are obsessively devoted.  Pre-natal class instructors, public health clinic nurses and some of the thousands of newly-minted breast-feeding consultants are on this band-wagon. And of course parenting books, authors, and marketers have happily joined in this campaign.

Things are out of balance for parents right now who are trying to do the best by their baby, look after good sleep and find a spot of harmony with which to carry on. When parents were allowed to make their own informed, educated choices about feeding their baby and follow their intuition towards good sleep, I didn't see this amount of anguish, confusion and stress.

Do you have an opinion on this?  Feel free to write your comments/stories, below. 

 

 

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