happilyeversleep

Introducing baby Alec 💙

29 • 8 • 22

We are all doing really well and slowly adjusting as a family of 4 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦

At this point in time I am unsure when I will be taking on clients again ❤️

How many naps is your little one taking? 👶🏼

Are you struggling with false starts at bedtime? Are you putting your baby to bed, but they are awake 30-45 minutes later? 😴

✨ Overtired – Increased cortisol levels which subsequently releases adrenaline. Adrenaline triggers the fight or flight response and makes it hard to not only fall asleep, but also stay asleep.
➡️ Over 4 months of age if your little one is waking before 10pm, majority of the time it is due to being overtired.

✨Under tired- On the flip side, your baby may not be tired enough. Your little one may be tired enough to fall asleep but not enough to stay asleep. Overtired or under tired, have a little look at your wake windows, they may need adjusting.

✨ Unable to link cycles- From 30-40 minutes your little one is starting to come out of a heavy sleep and around 45-50 minutes babies transition to a new sleep cycle. If your little one is not falling asleep independently but rather while feeding or being rocked, if this is not present at the end of their cycle, they will not be able to transition into a new sleep cycle.

✨ Baby under 2-3 months old? Up until 3 months old, some babies just need a bedtime a little later. To help with false starts, allow a small nap in the early evening and aim for a bedtime between 8-10pm. Around 3-4 months of age I recommend identifying a bedtime between 6-8pm.

✨ Start of day- If you are aiming for a 7-8pm bedtime and your day started after 8am, your baby may not be ready for night sleep. Most little ones need daytime to last about 12 hours (including naps).

✨ Habitual - Are you feeding your baby at this wake up even though they were only fed 45 minutes to 1 hour ago? A negative sleep association may be causing this wake.

BABY NUMBER 2 🤰👶👩‍🍼

As of Wednesday August 17th I will not be accepting any new clients as I will be eagerly preparing for the arrival of Baby Cao #2.

I want to take this moment to thank everyone for the ongoing support and opportunity to all my amazing clients ❤️

I'm not overly sure how much time I am going to be taking off from Happily Ever Sleep but I will be back in the next few months ✨

Knowing me I wont be able to help myself or i'm in complete denial as to how busy I'll be with two under 2 years 🙊

Cant wait to share the exciting news with you all!

This is the table I refer to when working out the recommended daily intake for formula fed babies 👶🏼

The amount should be divided by the number of feeds your little one is having per 24 hours.

It is important to remember, the amount your baby drinks depends on how big your baby is but also their unique metabolic rate. Either side of this table is normal. ✨

Lastly, did you know a formula tin specifies larger volumes than what is actually needed? Marketing strategy of course.
Waste more ➡️ Buy more 👎🙌🏻

Besides a nice sleep association, did you know a bath actually drop's your baby's internal temperature thus creating an optimal condition for settling and falling asleep easier?

To help settle your little one to sleep, begin to include a bath in your night-time wind-down routine 🛁 ✨

Did you know a 'colicky baby' isn't a term used primarily just for a baby with reflux? 😱

Colic babies can be described as babies who cry a lot or fail to settle for a lengthy period.
Colic is defined as the rule of 3's. To be diagnosed with 'colic', your baby has to cry for 3 hours or more a day, 3 or more days a week and for 3 or more consecutive weeks.

Experts don't know exactly what causes colic but most 'colicky' babies have no obvious physical or medical cause. At times when no other cause can be found, colic is generally the diagnosis.

The fussing generally occurs in the late afternoon and evening and is most common in babies up until 12 weeks of age.

It is important to visit your GP or MCH to rule out other possible causes but did you know majority of babies are just extremely over-tired and over-stimulated.

Is this your little one? If so, let’s chat to see if I can provide some help. Our son had colic though he was perfectly healthy! He would scream the house down EVERY SINGLE EVENING, makes me anxious thinking about it 😅

The Ferber Method also known as Controlled Crying, Spaced Soothing and Graduated Extinction is a settling approach that gives your baby space to figure things out a little more for themselves, but also has you checking in on them at set intervals to give you reassurance they are okay, and to give them reassurance that you are still there.
 
It is a suitable settling technique from 12 weeks of age in small increments, though I personally find it more suited for babies over 16 weeks of age 👶🏼❤️
 
✨Babies aged 3-4 months often require a shorter interval time to begin with and a more hands on approach during check ins.

✨A baby aged 7 months or older I often recommend starting at day 2 or 3.
 
The Ferber Method is a very effective settling technique as long as you remain consistent and your baby’s temperament is suited to it.

Needing a little more guidance?  Get in touch 📲

Every baby's emotional makeup is predetermined, at least in part, by their genes and brain chemistry.
Have you found yourself saying that your baby is ‘as mellow as I am’ or ‘as shy as his dad’? Clearly temperament is inborn, but there is more to the story.

Identical twins, who have exactly the same genes but rarely the same personalities by the time they reach adulthood, scientists conclude that environment is equally influential. So when it comes to sleep, yes, your little one is who they are but environment and how we support them is just as important ✨

What is your baby’s temperament? I think our little boy is textbook with a little bit of spirit in him (tantrums 😂🙈).

First of all, no, my son does not have a pink wall 😂🙊.

Second, the best age to move your toddler into a big bed is 3 years of age or if they are climbing out of the cot 🙈.
This is because up until 3 years of age your little one has a lack of impulse control. If in a big bed too soon, they often will get out of bed over and over again, turning it into a funny little game!

If you do move your little one earlier than 3 years of age, there can be a grace period of around 3 weeks until they realise, they can in fact get out of the big bed. If this happens, move back to the cot, and try again when they are closer to 3 years of age.

Your baby’s natural sleep cycle is approximately 45 minutes 🫣

Between 3-4 months their sleep cycles do change and become more adult like but those first few months, you may feel like you are resettling every 5 minutes 🙈

➡️ TIPS TO HELP:
✨ To settle your little one into their bassinet, you may need to rock/pat your baby for 20 minutes before putting them down, this is to ensure they do not startle awake on the transfer.

✨ Between 10-20 minutes, ask yourself,
are their eyes flickering? Are they smiling but appear asleep? Squirming in your arms? If so, keep holding, patting, or rocking. Don’t put them down just yet!

✨ Between 20-30 minutes, has their breathing become more regular? Eye’s no longer flickering? Little movement? Go ahead, pop your little one down, but feet first and continue some gentle touch.

✨ Between 45-50 minutes, it is normal to have to resettle your little one again.

• If your baby is waking after just 30 minutes, the most common cause is over-tiredness •

Moving your little one from bassinet to cot most the time is more stressful for us parents than your baby, crazy right?

This transition is often easily achieved as long as you replicate the sleep environment. To help even further, follow these 6 simple steps to move your baby bassinet to cot ⬇

✨ ROOM ACCLIMATISATION - Start to spend some non-sleep time in their room. We want your little one to understand that it is a welcoming, safe place to be.

✨ COT SHEETS ON BASSINET - For a few days prior, fold a cot sheet up and use it as their bassinet sheet. The aim is to transition the smell your little one is used too.

✨ NIGHT FIRST - Sleep pressure is at its highest and it will be dark, so they are unlikely to notice the difference as much.

✨ SHORT WAYS FIRST - Make your little one feel snug, sleep them short ways to begin with.

✨ REPLICATE THE ENVIRONMENT - Maintain the room temperature, darkness, white noise level that was present when they were in their bassinet in your room.

✨ INTRODUCE A COMFORTER - Start by sleeping with the item, even wear it in your clothes so it smells like you! Include in playtime. Once your little one is 7 months old it is then safe for your baby to sleep with as per Red Nose Guidelines.

Happy mothers day to all beautiful mum's though my heart breaks for those who long to hear the sweet sound of mum 👶🏼❤️

Heading away this weekend? Already dreading the amount of things you need to pack?

Going for a walk in the hope your baby sleep's and want to provide a similar sleep environment but don’t have a portable white noise machine?

Well, did you know your iPhone has a built-in sound machine?!

Simply go to ⬇️
Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Background Sounds

Once you turn it on, it will add this to your short cut swipe up menu on your iPhone (where you find your flashlight button) 🙌🏻

The biggest question I was asked when my son was little was, “does he sleep through the night”?

Sleeping through the night is a developmental milestone and all baby’s reach this at different points. Remember it is only an issue if it is a problem for you.

It is actually normal for a baby to still need an overnight feed or two until they are 9 months old and/or until they are established on 3 solid meals a day.

From birth to 3 months, it is important to feed on demand overnight but of course we know your little one can go 2-3 hours without a feed.

3 months+ and if your baby is 5 - 6kg it is possible for them to ‘sleep through’ on 2 feeds overnight. The best times I often recommend is 11pm and 3am.
WHY? These times are at the end of a sleep cycle, therefore not disrupting sleep.

6.5kg+ it is possible for your little one to sleep from 10.30pm - 7am with no feed, remembering though that every baby is different.

Tips to help drop night feeds for babies over 3 months of age:
➡️ Offer a feed around 10.30 - 11pm.
Around 12 weeks of age this feed should be either a dream feed or you simply wait until your baby first wakes after 10.30pm to offer a feed.

➡️ If your baby wakes again, first think, has it been around 4 hours since their last feed?
If they are waking frequently, every 1-2 hours, majority of the time it’s fair to say it is not due to hunger, it is more for comfort. Try re-settling your little one with a chosen settling technique before offering a feed. If this is a little daunting for you, try slowly decreasing the time at the breast or the amount of ml's offered and try again in a few days.

Ideally, aiming for feeds at 11pm and 3-4am.

*A late-night feed isn’t for everyone as some of us like to go to bed early and that is ok, but it is most certain your little one will still wake twice. Our babies are amazing calorie counters that’s for sure! If your little one is waking at 1am and 5am and it works for you, you do you! Then, when age appropriate work on dropping the 5am feed ☺️

Hope this helps 🙌🏻 Comment below if you are needing a little more guidance or reassurance.

Your baby needs a fourth trimester 💛
The fourth trimester is the first 3 months of life.

The truth is, in order for your baby to fit through the birth canal, your little one is birthed at around 9 months gestation. Research explains this is a little too soon!

After birth your baby’s senses are bombarded by new experiences. Flashing lights, colours, noises, and textures. From the inside come powerful new feelings such as gas, hunger, and thirst. Yet, alternating with all this is the distressingly under stimulating stillness of the room, especially come nighttime 🌙

So, for the first 3 months, it can help to stimulate what the womb would have been like for your little one 👶🏼
Some of the best ways to do this include:
✨Swaddling (snug holding)
✨Settling your baby on their side facing down a little (Your baby’s feel-good position). Laying your little one directly onto their back can make them feel like they are falling and startle their Moro Reflex. Though once asleep it is important to roll them onto their back as this is the safest position for sleep 💤
✨Shushing (white noise @ 60db)
✨Swinging (motion)
✨Sucking (dummy)

Provide these soothing techniques to your little one and just remember, you will do no harm cuddling your baby so don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise!

Cuddle, love and bond with your baby 💛

If you are wanting a little more guidance, look up Dr. Harvey Karp on YouTube. He has great videos showing these techniques 🥰

As a mother myself, I understand motherhood is an experience like no other but with it comes a number of changes and challenges.

To be honest, I initially struggled adjusting to motherhood. I went from working full-time as a Critical Care Emergency Nurse to a stay at home mum. I love my son more than anything in this world but yet at times I was lonely (thanks to Covid), sad and to top it off, sleep deprived.

I was ashamed to reach out for sleep help and instead took it upon myself, something I wish I never ever did. Months passed with minimal change and everyday I would dread the upcoming evening.

It wasn't until I started studying to become a Sleep Consultant where things finally clicked and oh boy, did I wish I had of just reached out to an expert a few months back.

If this is you, please reach out. Don't wait until tomorrow or next week. I'm alway's happy to chat to see where I can help.

Book in a free 15 minute chat, it can be as simple as that ❤️

Click here ⬇️
https://www.happilyeversleep.com/packages

Leah Ladson Photography

Sleep Consultant | Happily Ever Sleep Happily Ever sleep help parent's with their little one's sleep to reclaim the joy of parenthood.

There really is nothing wrong with your little one having a dummy!
They are excellent settling tools for babies under 4 months of age 👶🏽

They can help extend naps, great for reflux and are also linked to reducing the risk of SIDS.

They really aren’t a problem, until they are..
Your little one will fall asleep with their dummy in their mouth but as they transition through a light sleep cycle and realise the dummy is no longer in their mouth, they wake, cry and you have to simply replace it, multiple times a night 😴

If this is happening, it may be time to ditch the dummy!

Between 4-6 months gold standard at this age is to remove the dummy entirely. I know this is a scary thought however, in my experience with clients 1-3 days is all it takes. After this time, your little one has generally forgotten all about it.

Just know the first 1-2 nights may be a little rough..
Ensure a hand is available for your little one to suck on while also providing comfort to them during this change.

If this is too overwhelming, then simply don’t get rid of it. It is important to know your baby will not be able to find and replace their own dummy until around 7 months of age, so instead work on good sleep hygiene, consistency and things should improve.

If they’re 7 months+, it is best to keep the dummy by teaching your baby to find and replace it. Introduce a comforter such as a Riff Raff (my fave) or a sleepy-tot and attach their dummy to this.

From here, I would then attempt to remove the dummy when your little one is around 2.5-3 years of age 🙌🏻

Need help teaching your little one how to find and replace? Yell out, I have a step by step guide 🥰

2 to 1 nap ✨

This transition can be one of the hardest 😴

Around 12 months of age we see little one’s fighting their morning nap and we often think they are ready for 1 nap a day however your baby generally is not! It’s due to a big developmental regression. Remain consistent and when your little one is at least 15 months, that is when I recommend looking at 1 nap a day 🙌🏻

I hope this helps 🌙

Ahh the joys of parenthood 😂😂

Why a short morning nap is the way to go 🙌🏻

By the time your little one is
6-7 months, I strongly recommend trimming your morning nap down to 30 minutes. Ultimately, the morning nap is designed to take the ‘edge off’ though still provide enough sleep pressure for a long-consolidated lunch nap 🌙

A long-consolidated lunch nap prevents your baby going into the evening over-tired and we all know what an over-tired baby looks like.

Benefits of a short, long routine:
✨Averts early rising
✨Helps consolidate their lunchtime nap which is the most restorative nap of the day and the one your baby will have until 2.5-3 years of age
✨Prevents over-tiredness going into the evening
✨Reduces nightly wake ups
✨Easier transition to 1 nap a day

One last thing 🙊… If you find your baby is of sensitive nature, one that like's their own company, these baby's can often suit a medium/medium routine instead.
Offer 1 hour in the morning, if 8 months or older, a 3 hour awake window will be needed, their lunchtime nap should then be around 1.5 hours long.

Have a question? Need some help?
Leave a comment! I’m always happy to help 🙌🏻

Save this post for later 🌙

I get asked about awake windows so often!

An awake window is the time your baby is awake between naps and before bedtime.
The time starts the moment your little one is out of their bassinet/cot ✨

It can be such a juggling act that's for sure! Always be guided by these age-appropriate awake times plus your little one’s sleepy cues.

Comment below if you have any questions or need a little more guidance 🙌🏻

Well… this is accurate 🙊😂

happilyeversleep added a button to help you learn more about them.

To the mum on those long days where you feel lonely and uncertain, always remember, to the world you are one person but to your baby you mean the world ❤️

Happy Wednesday everyone ☀️

✨Is your little one aged 6-9months?
🌙Finding it difficult to settle your baby at bedtime?
✨Bedtime getting later?
🌙Suddenly waking overnight and at times often happy?
✨Early rising?
🌙Struggling to achieve that third nap or naps have become shorter?
 
If you are seeing these signs consistently for 1-2 weeks, it might be time to drop that third nap! 

Swipe to learn how 🙌🏻

Trying to establish a routine but your little one keep's early rising or cat-napping?
Throwing your day off?

Hello stress hormones 🙉

Try a bridging nap to keep your day on track!

✨Suitable for baby's under 6 months
✨Temporary fix to help achieve consistent nap times which is an important step to achieving a routine
✨Prevents over-tiredness

But, how? 🤷‍♀️
To achieve a bridging nap you will do whatever you can to get your little one sleeping BUT for only 15 minutes ⏰
Feed to sleep- Sure!
Rock to sleep- Sure!
Quick car drive- Perfect!

After this, work to settle your little one for their next nap at the desired time in their cot or bassinet 👶🏼❤️

The end of daylight savings is near and for some younger children it can be a big interference to their sleep and bedtime.

After moving the clocks back an hour, your little one may be ready for bed at 6pm (assuming a 7pm bedtime). While this may be okay, they are however more likely to then wake up at 6am! Ahh, no thanks!

✨ Daylight savings does not tend to interfere with little one’s under the age of 3-4 months as they are yet to develop their internal biological clock.

✨ Be proactive and prepare by following this table assuming a 7pm bedtime.