Daylight Savings Time

Hello friends,

Spring is just around the corner and that means it's time to change the clocks. Most of us will "spring forward" this weekend, which has parents asking "what does that mean for my baby's sleep"?

The good news is that the Spring time change is usually more beneficial for sleep training than the Fall time change. If you have a little one who tends to wake earlier than you'd prefer, like 5:30 am, that wake up time is now going to be 6:30 am. To your baby, it still feels like 5:30, but your clock will say 6:30. Make sense? Good.

So, now you're probably wondering how to adjust your baby's routine to take advantage of the time change. Well, your window of opportunity is short. After a few days, your baby will adjust to the new time, so it's important to help your baby make the most of the time change.

There are two ways to handle DST. The first is to just make the switch cold turkey style. If your baby's bedtime is 7:30 pm, you can change the clocks on Sunday evening and put your baby to bed at the new 7:30 (which feels like 6:30 pm). If your baby isn't ready for sleep, you can put her to bed at 8:30 (which feels like her good ole' 7:30 pm). The next morning, you should wake your baby at her regular time, say 7:00 am (which feels like 6:00 am). Now you should follow your regular routine according to the new time. By the second or third night, you and your baby will adjust to the time change.

The other way to adjust your baby's bedtime is to do it slowly over the next few days. Start backing up your baby's bedtime by 15-30 minutes each day until you've reached the new time (so you're backing it up one hour). So, if 8:00 pm is bedtime at your house, you'll need to work on getting to a 7:00 pm bedtime because once DST happens, what feels like 7 pm will now be 8 pm on the clock. The next morning, be sure to wake your baby at her regular start time, like 7:30 am (which feels like 6:30 am).

Alternatively, you could just change the clocks and change your child's bedtime to be an hour later than usual, which means the same would apply for your morning start time, feedings, and naps. The baby wouldn't feel any different, only the number on the clock would change. For example, if 7:00 pm is bedtime now, next week it would be 8:00 pm.

The time change is really helpful if you have a baby or toddler who tends to wake earlier than you'd like and has trouble going back to sleep. The baby who likes to start her day at 5:30 am will now be getting up at 6:30, which is a much more reasonable start time.

Still have questions? Call or email for a quick consultation!

Your personal baby sleep expert,
Cortney

How much should your baby be eating?

Hello friends,
One of the most common questions my clients ask is "how much should my baby be eating" and the answer might surprise you. 
For nursed babies who are healthy and weight-gaining, the answer is exactly what they are already eating. Now, I realize this isn't the answer most new parents are looking for when they worry about their baby's health. As long as your nursling is gaining weight (1/2 - 1 oz per day), has several wet diapers and bowel movements and is content between feedings, he's probably eating precisely what his body needs.
For your bottle fed baby, there are a couple of easy guidelines for knowing how much to offer your baby. The first is the most simple, but not quite as accurate. Take your baby's weight in pounds and multiply by 2.5. For example: an 8 pound baby should eat around 20 ounces in 24 hours. 8 x 2.5 = 20. This is just a guideline! It's okay if your little one takes in 22 oz or only 18. Just be sure your baby has at least 6 wet diapers a day and is steadily gaining weight.
My favorite way to calculate the amount you offer your baby is to convert the baby's weight into ounces and divide by 6. For example: a 7 lb 6 oz baby weighs 118 ounces, divided by 6 equals 19.7 ounces per day (rounded up). 7 x 16 = 112 + 6 = 118/6 = 19.7.
Spread the total equally over the whole day. For some babies, this might be 8 feedings or for others it might be 6 feedings. 
As babies get older, they require fewer feedings each day , but are able to eat a larger amount at each feeding. The bottom line is this: don't worry so much! Just in case you do tend to worry, now you know how to estimate what your newborn is likely to eat.
Best wishes for healthy and happy babies,
Cortney

Never wake a sleeping baby - myth or truth?

Hello friends,

I often hear parents, caregivers and especially grandparents saying "you should never wake a sleeping baby". Is this true or just a gross error in judgement that previous generations have been passing down to their children? My answer depends on the circumstances surrounding the decision to wake or not wake a sleeping baby, but here are some guidelines.

I believe ALL babies should be awakened to feed every three hours during the daytime until around 4 months old. Nursing babies and babies under 6 pounds may even need to feed every two hours, but NOT longer than three.

If you just let a baby sleep as long as he wants, he'll sleep all day and eat all night. If you consistently wake him to feed every 3 hours after a nice, restorative nap, he will soon start sleeping longer stretches at night. Essentially, he will figure out the difference between day and night!

Once a baby is nursing well, has regained his birthweight and is over 6 pounds, he can eat at night only when he wakes on his own. In other words, don't wake a healthy, weight-gaining, sleeping baby at night.

Ideally, a 4 week old should be eating at 7 am, 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, 7 pm, 11 pm, and 3 am. Nurslings may still need to eat every 3 hours around-the-clock or may cluster feed in the evening.

For a customized plan for you and your baby, along with tips for less crying and more sleeping, call me today! It's the six year anniversary of the start of Gibson Newborn Services and to celebrate, we are offering 20% off consulting services. Call us today for sleep tonight!

Best wishes for happy, healthy, well-rested babies,

Cortney