Friday
Jul302010
Baby Products: Bedtime Routine
Friday, July 30, 2010 at 7:26AM
New mommies and soon-to-be mommies! When I was carrying little Sailor in my uterine home I often perused websites and blogs to find the MUST HAVES for caring for a newborn. Sure, I saw the GIGUNDO lists that places like thebump.com and Babies R Us give you, but I kept wondering how many of those things I really NEEDED. And, how many of them I would need. And, was there anything NOT on that list that I’d need?
Well, I’m going to share with you lovelies what has gotten me through. And what hasn’t.
Instead of just doing a big ol’ list akin to a 7-year old making a list for Santa, I’m going to list by activities and routines. So, not only will you get reviews, you’ll also get an insight to the kinds of things that are working for me. And by “working for me” I mean “making it so I don’t jump off a bridge.” You’re welcome.
First up: Bedtime!!
We started this routine when Sailor was about 5 or 6 weeks old. We probably could have started it at about 4 weeks, but just didn’t really know how or that we could. Before that, though, since baby is eating so flippin’ often, it’s hard to establish a routine.
We start her bedtime routine around 6:45 every night. It goes like this:
And, fairly consistently, she’s out at about 7:30 / 7:45 until about 3:30am. For you not-yet-mothers, you might be saying, “3:30! In the MORNING?! Ee gads!” Believe me, 7:30 to 3:30 is 8 hours and it’s HEAVEN. I had thought about putting her down later so that she’d sleep later, but I REALLY like the two-ish hours I get alone with Tom. We get to enjoy dinner and trashy TV. Like from BEFORE.
OK, and I will now get to the good stuff. What we use!
First thing we do is get her all in her birthday suit and then I lay our Winnie the Pooh Hooded Towel ...
...over this Safety Baby Bath Cradle by Munchkin. (Before her umbilical cord stump fell off, we just used this cradle on the counter top for sponge baths. A friend of mine solely uses this in the bathtub.)
Then, I lay her on the towel, wrap her up and tote her off to the kitchen for bath time! This is great to have next to the baby tub for when she's done. So easy to put her clean self on it and wrap the towel around her. Keeps YOU dry and keeps HER from having to lay on a hard counter!
Tub time! We use The First Years Sure Comfort Deluxe Newborn to Toddler Tub Pink - I love this. The hammock part is for when they're a newborn and then it comes off and turns into a tub for toddlers. It fits perfectly over our sink. (She loves to end her bath with a light spray from the sprayer!) Oh, and it's fun to make up songs about which body part you're washing! And DON'T FORGET that nasty neck! You'll be surprised at all the crud that can get stuck in the folds in there!
During her bath we use the matching Winnie the Pooh Washcloths, all soaped up with California Baby Super Sensitive Shampoo! (I prefer bath products that are more natural. California Baby is a great line!)
After her bath, I take her wrapped up in her towel on her Bath Cradle to our covered porch and lay the whole pile on a blanket. I dry her off and then take her off the towel since it's wet. Then it's massage time with California Baby Super Sensitive Everyday Lotion! (lucky baby)
Legs first, feet, arms, hands and then tummy. If she's in a good mood, we'll hang out there just looking at the trees and chatting.
Finally, we head inside and put on pj's (I prefer buttondown gowns) and a diaper. I'm a big fan of Pampers Swaddlers - and Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive have a yellow line that turns blue when the diaper is full! (I tried Huggies, too. Not so much.)
If you're going to go with cloth diapers, Lynda at DigitalWoe has a great rundown of choices. (And they look pretty cute!)
We turn on our favorite lullaby CD, Rockabye Baby, The Beatles one, and settle in on our Storkcraft Hoop Glider with a First Years Breastflow Bottle (slow flow nipple) of Enfamil Formula for Gas & Fussiness (which is what we use for night feedings after I stopped breastfeeding.)
Once she's nice and sleepy, we put in down in what I feel is a NEWBORN MUST-HAVE! I first saw it when Mommy Words was doing a review/giveaway. I immediately put it on my registry, and, after debating whether I really needed it, almost took it off! Thank prophets I didn't! It's the Fisher Price Newborn Rock n' Play Sleeper. It lets your little one, who has spent 9 months all squished up, STAY A LITTLE SQUISHED when sleeping! Around week 6 I tried having her sleep in her co-sleeper for the week and she didn't sleep nearly as long as she did in the Sleeper. We'll probably use it through month three and then start the transition to the crib.
It's also GREAT for dinner time (before your little one starts going to bed early) or if you need to get some things done around the house. It allows your baby to sit up just a little so she can watch what you're up to!
And that...is the way we do bedtime.
Well, I’m going to share with you lovelies what has gotten me through. And what hasn’t.
Instead of just doing a big ol’ list akin to a 7-year old making a list for Santa, I’m going to list by activities and routines. So, not only will you get reviews, you’ll also get an insight to the kinds of things that are working for me. And by “working for me” I mean “making it so I don’t jump off a bridge.” You’re welcome.
First up: Bedtime!!
We started this routine when Sailor was about 5 or 6 weeks old. We probably could have started it at about 4 weeks, but just didn’t really know how or that we could. Before that, though, since baby is eating so flippin’ often, it’s hard to establish a routine.
We start her bedtime routine around 6:45 every night. It goes like this:
- Bath
- Outside on the porch to dry off and enjoy a massage (obviously, skip the outside when it’s cold)
- Feed while playing a lullaby CD
- Sleep
And, fairly consistently, she’s out at about 7:30 / 7:45 until about 3:30am. For you not-yet-mothers, you might be saying, “3:30! In the MORNING?! Ee gads!” Believe me, 7:30 to 3:30 is 8 hours and it’s HEAVEN. I had thought about putting her down later so that she’d sleep later, but I REALLY like the two-ish hours I get alone with Tom. We get to enjoy dinner and trashy TV. Like from BEFORE.
OK, and I will now get to the good stuff. What we use!
First thing we do is get her all in her birthday suit and then I lay our Winnie the Pooh Hooded Towel ... ...over this Safety Baby Bath Cradle by Munchkin. (Before her umbilical cord stump fell off, we just used this cradle on the counter top for sponge baths. A friend of mine solely uses this in the bathtub.)
Then, I lay her on the towel, wrap her up and tote her off to the kitchen for bath time! This is great to have next to the baby tub for when she's done. So easy to put her clean self on it and wrap the towel around her. Keeps YOU dry and keeps HER from having to lay on a hard counter!
Tub time! We use The First Years Sure Comfort Deluxe Newborn to Toddler Tub Pink - I love this. The hammock part is for when they're a newborn and then it comes off and turns into a tub for toddlers. It fits perfectly over our sink. (She loves to end her bath with a light spray from the sprayer!) Oh, and it's fun to make up songs about which body part you're washing! And DON'T FORGET that nasty neck! You'll be surprised at all the crud that can get stuck in the folds in there!During her bath we use the matching Winnie the Pooh Washcloths, all soaped up with California Baby Super Sensitive Shampoo! (I prefer bath products that are more natural. California Baby is a great line!)After her bath, I take her wrapped up in her towel on her Bath Cradle to our covered porch and lay the whole pile on a blanket. I dry her off and then take her off the towel since it's wet. Then it's massage time with California Baby Super Sensitive Everyday Lotion! (lucky baby)
Legs first, feet, arms, hands and then tummy. If she's in a good mood, we'll hang out there just looking at the trees and chatting.Finally, we head inside and put on pj's (I prefer buttondown gowns) and a diaper. I'm a big fan of Pampers Swaddlers - and Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive have a yellow line that turns blue when the diaper is full! (I tried Huggies, too. Not so much.)
If you're going to go with cloth diapers, Lynda at DigitalWoe has a great rundown of choices. (And they look pretty cute!) We turn on our favorite lullaby CD, Rockabye Baby, The Beatles one, and settle in on our Storkcraft Hoop Glider with a First Years Breastflow Bottle (slow flow nipple) of Enfamil Formula for Gas & Fussiness (which is what we use for night feedings after I stopped breastfeeding.) Once she's nice and sleepy, we put in down in what I feel is a NEWBORN MUST-HAVE! I first saw it when Mommy Words was doing a review/giveaway. I immediately put it on my registry, and, after debating whether I really needed it, almost took it off! Thank prophets I didn't! It's the Fisher Price Newborn Rock n' Play Sleeper. It lets your little one, who has spent 9 months all squished up, STAY A LITTLE SQUISHED when sleeping! Around week 6 I tried having her sleep in her co-sleeper for the week and she didn't sleep nearly as long as she did in the Sleeper. We'll probably use it through month three and then start the transition to the crib.It's also GREAT for dinner time (before your little one starts going to bed early) or if you need to get some things done around the house. It allows your baby to sit up just a little so she can watch what you're up to!And that...is the way we do bedtime.
Copyright; 2011, Blahggy. All rights reserved.
Reader Comments (11)
Wow, that is quite a routine! You give her a bath every night? You do all of that every night? You guys are so way more dedicated to a nighttime routine than I will ever be. LOL Nate falls asleep around 11pm, after his last bottle, every night and sleeps until 7:30-8:00am, roughly (minus a few rare nights where he randomly wakes up). We have no routine other than making sure we feed him and Tom swaddles him after he's asleep.
I love the sleeper, though. I don't know when I'm going to transition him to his crib. (Oh, and we have the same tub - in blue - and use the same diapers.) :)
Ooh, you're at 9 hours of sleep! Her average is 8, with the occasional 7 and 9. Hoping it just gets longer and longer! Probably not bad to have him go to bed late and then wake up after the sun has risen. I thought about that kind of schedule, but like I said, I do enjoy a few hours with Tom when she's just out like a light. Makes getting up at 3:30 not so bad.
Yeah, we do that pretty much every night unless we go to my folks' for dinner. Also, if she's particularly fussy, we might skip outside. And the main reason I do it every night now is because I'm afraid if I don't she won't sleep! Ridiculous, I know, but kind of accurate.
I know you have the tub! Isn't it grand? And the diapers are great.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by joa griffith, Kidie City and Honey, Liza Hippler. Liza Hippler said: Newborn Must-Haves from a New Mom! http://blahggy.com/2010/07/baby-products-bedtime-routine/ [...]
It's the swaddling. If for some reason he's not swaddled, he's up after 5 1/2 - 6 1/2 hours. My sister's kids go to bed around 8pm and wake up around 6:30am. I can't wait for that time! lol
We don't use the newborn insert in the tub anymore. He kept hooking his legs over the side and trying to sit up. LOL
I can't swaddle! It's so freakin' hot here that even though we have our AC set to 72 or 73, by the end of the day it's either 79 or 80! I'm afraid she'll overheat if I swaddle her. Sailor is starting to swing her legs over the side. Not trying to sit up yet, though! Oh, 8pm to 6:30am sounds heavenly.
Our bedroom a/c is set to 67 and our living room is freezing, too. When I get up in the morning, I put socks and a sweatshirt on over my pjs to do Nate's whole morning routine. lol
They come up with better and better stuff all the time! Almost makes me want to have another one...almost.
[...] Posts Baby Products: Bedtime Routine [...]
Congrats on the sleep! That is awesome. Nola still only sleeps in a 4-6 hour stretch and usually more on the 4 side and she is 22 months. Urgh.
We had the same bathtub. Nola still loves bath time!
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[...] by WP Greet Box WordPress PluginTwo nights ago we were doing our daughter’s usual nighttime routine – a bath, a massage, a book (it used to be a bottle last, but we’re trying to do that a [...]