Take a walk down any baby aisle and you will see countless new products promising a better night’s sleep for baby. As a mother of three young children there have been days I would pay just about anything for a decent night of sleep. I have shelled out countless dollars for everything from sleep sacks to weighted blankets to Velcro straight-jacket contraptions only to find that I seem to birth ninja kids who can escape any swaddle.
After months of trying to get my firstborn to sleep with no luck, I finally brought in a post-partum doula and sleep expert to help reset our lives and give us the advice we so needed. That is when Pam Diamond walked into my life.
Not only is Pam a post-partum doula and owner of First Daze and Nightzzz in Cary, North Carolina, but she is a lactation expert, a parenting coach and most importantly, a sleep expert. It turns out, some products really do work to help baby and mama, get a little more shut eye.
Here are Pam’s product recommendations for new moms.
All new moms need good swaddle blankets.
Recommendation: The Miracle Blanket
$29.95 on Amazon
These need to be large enough to fully wrap baby and have room to tuck. “Many parents say their child doesn’t like to be swaddled, but that’s not true,” Diamond shared. Often times the problem is that parents don’t know how to properly swaddle. She has created some videos to help rookie parents learn how.
Swaddling Basics 1: The “Baby Burrito Technique”
Swaddling Basics 2: The Double Swaddle Technique (for little escape artists)
Swaddling Basics 3: How to use The Miracle Blanket®
Noise Machines are important.
Recommendation: Hatch Rest+ Baby Sound Machine
$89.99 on Amazon
When considering sound and noise machines, “I like a droning airplane sound, not a high hairdryer sound,” she added. Make sure the noise is consistent. If you use a computer or iPhone to play a link from a streaming site, please make sure there are no ads which could wake up baby. Better yet, purchase a sound machine like the one above for soothing sounds made just for babies.
A portable bassinet
Recommendation: AngelBliss 3 in 1 portable bassinet
$139.99 on Amazon
“I often recommend a lightweight portable bassinet that is off the ground,” Diamond explained. “This is good for bringing baby to a cozy and dark corner to nap during the day, so you can still be nearby to check on them,” she said. (Bassinet link)
Blackout Shades
Recommedation: Amazon Basics Portable Blackout Curtain Shade
$27.86 on Amazon
Blackout shades are also great. “These don’t have to be expensive. You can get them at Home Depot or Lowes or you can get really nice ones,” Diamond explained.
Natural-shaped bottles
Recommendation: Dr. Brown’s Options+ Wide Neck Bottles
$26.65 on Amazon
“As far as bottles go, I like the long, narrow nipple kind as opposed to the wider nipple bottles that are supposed to be like a boob,” Diamond says. “Babies drink from a bottle different than they do from the breast and the long nipple kind are much better,” she says.
Wrapping it Up
These products coupled with a good routine should help your baby get into the habit of good sleep at an early age. “It is important to put good habits in place around sleep from an early age,” Pam shared. “We have parents that are taking turns all night holding a baby, and that is more dangerous than anything,” she says
These tips worked for me, and I hope they will for you too. Hang in there tired mama! It’s a journey, and I promise sleep will return to your life at some point.
