Baby sleep challenges
My darling mum had wonderful tips when our three children were babies.
I was thinking about this last Sunday when it was 36 degrees and I remember one of the special miracles she worked.
My first two children were born in very hot summers and like any new mum trying to discover why a baby is crying it was a challenge for us at times.
It’s easy to say now, that when your baby can’t tell you what’s wrong the only thing she or he can do is to cry to get your attention. That’s the truth though, isn’t it? We gather a multitude of possible solutions together to try to make our babies comfortable. We work through them one by one until bingo! the crying subsides and baby falls asleep.
On one such day after trying all of the limited number of tricks that I knew as a first time mum, my mum popped in to say hello and see how I was travelling. I watched in amazement.
She arrived at my house with a crisp white cotton sheet (only that type in those days!) and proceeded to tear it into sizeable pieces. She spread a large piece on the bed, placed our little Ella on top. She very carefully brought in baby’s arms and legs into the foetal position, left behind not long ago, then wrapped her up firmly and placed her in the cot. Not a sound. For a number of hours!
It seems that flailing arms and legs are sometimes a nuisance – well at least something that new babies are certainly not used to and cannot control. And when you see them as newborns in hospital they are all wrapped up as tight little bundles. It all makes sense when you think about it. But when you’re tired and in unchartered waters, sometimes you just can’t see what to do.
I was very lucky to have mum pass on her help and knowledge to me. For those of you who don’t have extended family nearby or perhaps they are no longer in a position to help, your nanny has such expertise. Ask for her opinion and add the advice to your tool kit! It’s a win-win all round.
Please share any of your sleeping tips with us!
Regards
Julie
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