Are you interested in how I work? Here’s the story of how I helped a family be proactive with their second baby after a difficult time with their first.
Why they got in touch
It’s not always 1st-time parents who come to me for help. The ‘B’ Family contacted me while they were expecting their 2nd child.
The early months with their son (now 4), had been tough. He had bad reflux (which was medicated with Nexium after Losec didn’t work) and a CMPI (Cows Milk Protein Intolerance) diagnosis.
For the first 6 months of his life, he only slept upright on his parents. So they knew that, with the next baby, they wanted overnight help in case there were similar issues.
I was hired to help them for 5 nights a week, plus one half day.
How we worked together
I knew that with the history of CMPI we needed to be proactive.
Mum didn’t plan to breastfeed, so this was the plan we devised ahead of time:
- Immediately starting the baby on a comfort formula from day one (S26 Delicateeze).
- Using the bottles best for this type of issue. (Pigeon Wide Neck)
- Getting a baby probiotic ready to go
- Setting the Snoo up in weaning mode from day one
Once Baby V was born, we immediately put her on a feeding schedule. To our delight, she ended up doing very well on the formula. She did spit up a decent amount, but she was a happy spitter vs a reflux/allergy spitter. We helped with her spitting up in bed by using the leg lifters on the Snoo.
Here is a brief look into those first few months of feeding:
Weeks 1 and 2:
We fed her overnight at 7pm, 10pm, 1am, and 7am.
Weeks 3 and 4:
We let Baby V signal when she was hungry overnight while continuing consistent day feed.
Weeks 4 – 8:
We swapped Baby V from the Snoo swaddle to the Love To Dream swaddle still in the Snoo bassinet.
Week 9:
By now, Baby V was sleeping through the night. We moved her to arms out sleeping, and into her cot at around 3.5 months.
Sleep training
Just as Mum had with her first child, at 6 months we got rid of Baby V’s dummy.
By this point we were constantly getting up at night to put the dummy back in (a super common problem for a lot of babies at this age!).
It was a fairly quick transition, wth hands-on settling in the cot. I fine-tuned Baby V’s routine alongside this, cutting some night feeds that had crept back in over the last few months.
A baby’s sleep environment is so important (as it is for us adults too!).
Baby V had her sleeping bag, white noise, and blackout curtains. I made sure she had a clean nappy and that she was ready for a sleep. Paying attention to your baby’s awake windows is key for an easy bedtime.
I knew that we were ready for sleep training as her feeding was stable, with 200-260ml feeds every 3-4 hours, and solids twice a day. There were no health concerns, so it was the perfect time to stabilise this part of her routine.
The Sleep Training Process
You can read more about my sleep training process (and your baby’s awake windows in my blog on baby routine)
I worked with Baby V using my tried and tested methods. I would put her down awake, giving her some time to try and drop off to sleep. When she started to cry I would go in and do only settling in the cot – placing my hand on her bottom or chest and patting, with the occasional rocking of her torso. If she got more upset, I’d pick her up and calm her then put her back down.
How did I know which method to use? I differentiate based on her crying.
If she was crying with breaks then I would use hands-on, in-cot settling. If the crying was continuous, then I would pick her up.
From the moment we took away the dummy, it didn’t return. My best tip – throw them in the bin. And then you can’t cave and give it back!
Here’s how training went with Baby V:
Day One:
- Nap One, first attempt. It took 20 mins to settle her, then re-settle was unsuccessful. The nap lasted one sleep cycle.
- Nap Two, 15 minute settle, one sleep cycle.
- Nap Three 15 min settle, one sleep cycle.
- Nap Four refused
- Bedtime 6:30pm, 10 minute settle.
On night one, V slept almost 13 hours with resettles at 7:30pm and 4am (this is when she had been feeding).
Day Two:
- Nap One, self-settled with no assistance, one sleep cycle.
- Nap Two self-settled again, slept 1h 40m
- Nap Three self-settled, I woke her up at 40 mins as it was closer to bedtime
- Bedtime 7:10pm, self-settled
On night two V slept almost 11 hours, and re-settled herself at 4am.
Day Three:
V Self-settled at all sleep times!
- Nap one, 1 hour nap – after which I woke her.
- Nap Two, 1h 30 min nap
- Nap Three, 30 mins (late afternoon catnap)
- bedtime 7pm
On night three V slept for 12 hours with no feeds and no re-settles.
The same happened on nights 4 and 5
On night 6, V was up and down between 3:30 and 5am.
On night 7, she woke at 1am but was cold. She re-settled quickly.
By night 8 Baby V was sleeping through. Now 11 months, she still sleeps through the night unless she’s sick or teething.
The outcome
Baby V is now almost 1 and a great sleeper!
If she does wake up at night but isn’t hungry or sick, she’ll generally just kick around for a bit and then put herself back to sleep.
It helped that Baby V was very good at adjusting to change.
Having a professional design her routine from the beginning made the whole thing a smooth process.
Being a second child, it’s not always possible for her to stay on a completely consistent schedule. But she copes very well with sleeping on the go when necessary. Which is so helpful for her parents!
However, forming that routine at the beginning was important. So all naps in her first week of sleep training were at home. We started with the firm routine, and then loosened up once she got the hang of it. No one wants to be tied to their home all day, especially with an older sibling running around!
For more examples of how I help my families, and a peek into what it’s like being a Night Nanny, click here.
If you’re wondering how I can help your family tackle newborn sleep, or if you’re interested in getting out ahead of the problem (like the B Family), then book a free consultation call. I’d love to talk to you!
