Sleep Routine: Birth to 6 months

• At birth, your baby’s main needs are mostly for emotional and physical closeness and security, after the ideal circumstances of the womb.
• A rigid routine that expects her to feed, sleep and be happily awake every now and then, and not to be touched and cuddled too often, will inevitably be doomed to failure.
• Your baby has been used to being ‘rocked’ to sleep in the cradle of your pelvis while you move around, and was more active when you were at rest. It will take a while for her to realise that quiet and lack of movement should become associated with sleep times.
• Newborns and small babies also pick up on Mom’s emotions very readily, and if you’re anxious, uncertain or unhappy (so common in the early weeks), your baby will be more difficult to settle. Have a container of homoeopathic Rescue on hand at all times, as this will safely help you and baby to adjust.
• Although newborns who are handled by too many people too often can be very unsettled (except those plump and friendly little ones described above), babies need their parents to cherish them, and having them close to you is the way to achieve this.
• You don’t need to be anxious at every little whimper or groan, or pick your baby up immediately, but trying to force her to amuse herself or sleep happily when not needing to, is both unrealistic and cruel. Some babies will be a little like this anyway, but that’s the luck of the draw and you can’t force this without doing harm of some kind.
  
  Sleep varies greatly during this period – don’t be misled by guides that tell you how many hours a baby needs, as far more babies do not comply than do! If your baby needs to be rocked, held or fed to fall asleep, this is not forming bad habits, but just what your baby is used to. Try to put her down a little before deep sleep takes over and then pat firmly but gently, as this rhythmic movement can also assist. One of the very best ways of ensuring optimal sleep is by having your baby in bed with you. I believe that this is the right thing to do with unsettled babies, as it provides tremendous security, and routine will come more easily too.
  

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