As you get to know your baby you will work out what techniques help get your baby to sleep. Here are some of my tried and tested methods:
- Ensure the nappy is clean and dry, baby is fed and burped, clothing is not pinching anywhere, fingers and toes are not caught up.
- Wrap baby securely, preferably arms by their side, hands by their face will keep them awake, sometimes it is worth 30 seconds of crying the get a well wrapped baby. Use a zipped swaddle if you don't feel confident with your swaddling technique.
- Hold baby at your shoulder and sway and rock, if you hold baby in the feeding position they will of course want to feed. Biological neurologists have recently discovered that babies are more relaxed when their caregiver is standing.
- Use the SHHHHH sound, quite loudly next to baby's head (but not right in their ear!) either a long shhhhhh or shhh shhh shhh. You can also use a baby shutter, white noise machine or app to do the same thing.
- As baby relaxes, hold her in front of you, cradle her head in your hand and using your thumb gently massage her forehead and down her nose in on movement, repeat gently, you will see baby's eyes close after every pass, if she is relaxed enough she will fall asleep. Or try this version.
- Once baby is asleep, gently place him in his bed, gently patting his back to assure him you are there. Try the face trick again if baby opens his eyes. Keep the white noise going as well.
