Hi everyone.
This week, I’ve chosen to give you some sleeping tips, until I realised that I don’t actually have many.
I’m one of those mums with a little lady who is not a fan of sleeping.
Ava has never been a great sleeper. One year on we’re still waiting for those full nights sleep.
For those of you that are lucky enough to have new-borns who are sleeping through the night, enjoy it. You deserve it. I’m jealous.
For those of you who are on the same boat as myself, this one’s for you.
1. Sleep when baby sleeps.
Not a lot of mums think this one’s possible. I myself used to laugh when people suggested this. Like every mum I had a to-do list as long as my arm for when Ava napped during the day. Every now and again that to-do list was put to one side and I’d happily catch up on sleep. When you’re awake every two hours during the night you deserve a rest whenever you can. Hide the laundry basket, ignore the dishes, catch some shut eye and don’t feel bad about it. We’ve all been there whether we admit it or not.
2. Do whatever works
We’ve read all the books and tried most of the tricks. Ava wasn’t a fan of many of them. There is no right or wrong when it comes to getting your baby to sleep if the main recommendations don’t work, in my opinion. Books will tell you not to feed them to sleep, don’t use a dummy, don’t rock your baby, the list goes on. Babies are all different. We’ve rocked Ava, tried her sleeping in her bouncer, fed her to sleep, co- slept with her and it hasn’t done her any harm. If you have tried something and it’s the only thing that works, go for it. Yes, you might be ‘’making a rod for your own back’’ but sometimes you’ll do anything for a nights sleep!
3. Be a team
I’m not going to lie, this one is tough at the beginning. Especially when you’re new parents. I’m sure I’m not the only one who will tell you this. As a breastfeeding mum, it’s was often hard not to feel annoyed when it’s your turn to get up at 2am with a screaming baby and your partner is sleeping peacefully, oblivious to it all. It took us a while to get into a night time routine. Now we take turns with nights and it makes all the difference. Make sure you encourage each other and most importantly appreciate each other. They find this sleep deprivation tough too. Women just like to moan about it a bit more.
4. It doesn’t last forever.
Ava still isn’t the best sleeper but it definitely has gotten better. There will be a morning when you wake up and realise your little one has slept through the night. Do your best to not let it stress you, you will adjust to it and it will get easier. It’s often hard to remember that when you’re dealing with a baby that’s full of beans in the middle of the night. We’ve been there. Focus on how much happiness and fun they bring into your life instead. Someday, we’ll be moaning at them to get out of bed in the morning. We’re never going to win!
Thanks for reading,
Áine x
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