New Parent Tip-of-the-Week: Helping Newborns Sleep Better

Does baby sleep like an angel while in your arms or lying your chest but not in bed? We have three tips to help baby sleep like an angel in bed, too.

• First, baby is lulled by the sound of your heart because this is a comforting sound. This sound lulled baby to sleep for 9 months and baby came to rely on it. Today's technology has made it very easy for you to offer baby this same comfort outside of the womb with modern soothers like Cloud b's Sleep Sheep. The sounds produced by Sleep Sheep replicate those of mommy's heartbeat and offer baby the same comfort as mommy's tummy.
• Secondly, baby's sense of smell is very keen, even early in life. The smell of mommy and daddy are also comforting to baby because these are the first smells baby experienced and they quickly become very familiar to baby. Baby knows these smells offer security and comfort. To help baby know you are still close by, place a shirt mommy or daddy has worn near baby but out of reach (over the railing of the bed or at least a foot away from baby's body). Baby can still smell mommy or daddy and know comfort is close by, making baby more relaxed and apt to sleep. If placing a shirt near baby is not an option, sleep on baby's sheet one night and then place the sheet on baby's bed. This has the same effect as the shirt and is a good option for fidgety babies or babies which can roll. If you sleep on baby's sheet, be careful not to get lotions, colognes, perfumes, night creams, or other irritating substances on baby's sheet.
  
• Lastly, lay a heating pad in baby's bed while you are preparing baby for bed (i.e. feeding or bathing). Turn the heating pad on the lowest setting. This will gently warm the spot in which you will place baby. A cold bed/sheet can be startling to baby, especially after being in warm arms. Never lay baby on the heating pad or overheat baby's bed! Always completely remove the heating pad and cord from the crib before placing baby in the bed. Make sure the heating pad is turned off immediately after using. If you are worried about leaving the heating pad on, you may want to plug it into a wall timer so it will automatically shut off or purchase a newer model which offers automatic shut off.

We hope these tips help baby and parents receive some much needed shut eye. Goodnight!

Parent-to-be Tip of the Week: Prepare your electronic birth announcement in advance

If you are like many families, you have family and friends in other states and possibly even other countries. If you communicate via email, you will want to announce the birth of your new arrival this way as well. It is an instant way to share pictures and information about your new bundle of joy.

Get ready to tell everyone by creating your draft email a few weeks prior to your due date. This allows you to customize your announcement and have everything ready except adding your delivery information and pictures. Go back to your draft a couple of times after creating it to make sure you have included all of the information you wish to share and to make sure every recipient is listed. After baby arrives, just type in the final details and out it goes without the worries of forgetting to email it to someone important or omitting information you wanted to include but forgot.

Happy Spring!

Parent-2-be Tip of the Week: Helping Pets Adjust

If you have pets, you may worry about how they will adjust to your new arrival. Here is a tip we received from our pediatrician before our first child was born:

Wash two receiving blankets in baby's laundry detergent and offer one to your pet to smell, rub, and lay on before baby is born. Take the other receiving blanket to the hospital in your bag. After baby is born, wrap baby in the receiving blanket you brought from home. Once baby's scent has well covered the blanket, have Dad or another family member your pet is familiar with take the blanket home a day or so before you bring baby home. Allow your pet to smell, rub and lay on the blanket. This will familiarize your pet with the smell of the baby before baby comes home. This will also help ease your pet's anxiety about a 'stranger' being in the home and begin to ease your pet into the transition of another family member being added to the house.

When you arrive home, greet your pet without baby in arms so your pet knows you still love them and baby is not suddenly replacing your pet. Once your pet has calmed down, allow your pet to greet baby, making sure someone is around the control the pet while you hold baby. Increase baby's exposure to your pet over several days, making sure your pet still receives adequate love and attention. If possible, have someone care for your pet for those first few days while you adjust to the extra demands and exhaustion of having baby home. In no time, your pet and baby will become faithful companions!

Best wishes from our four furry friends!

Adiri Stage 1 Nursers back in stock

Just a quick note to tell everyone Adiri Stage 1 Nursers are back in stock. We have all 3 Stages available for $11.50 each with FREE shipping all orders over $75. Thank you for your patience as we restocked!

Gina
Belly Rubs 2 Baby Hugs
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