Being a parent to a newborn can be incredibly exhausting and a huge adjustment. Especially when it's 3am and you and your newborn are just staring at each other contemplating life. I can say from experience that some nights it can be extremely hard to just keep your eyes open while feeding. It can also sometimes be difficult to get your little one to go back to sleep. These tips will help you survive middle of the night feedings!
Prepare Before You Go to Bed
Setting yourself up for success before you go to bed can make all the difference. You don't want to be scrambling around in the dark trying to find the wipes while your baby is hungry and screaming.
Have a Bedside Cart:
- diapers
- wipes
- diaper cream
- burp cloths
- bibs
- extra pacifiers
- bottles or nursing supplies
- water and snacks for you
Having all of these things readily available makes for a much smoother night. Whether you are nursing or bottle feeding will depend on what you want to have on your bedside cart. If you are nursing you may want a hand pump, nursing pads, and nipple cream. If you are bottle feeding you may want to keep a couple bottles, formula, and water so you don't have to get up to go make a bottle.
Keep the Lights Low and Noise Minimal
I once had a pediatrician tell me to interact with your baby as little as possible during the middle of the night. It might sound harsh, but it doesn't mean you can't talk to and love on your baby in the middle of the night. Just keep your voice low when talking to baby and don't encourage play time in the middle of the night.
- Don't turn on ceiling lights.
- Use a night light or lamp instead.
- Don't have any stimulating noise (such as the tv or watching videos on your phone).
- You can try using white noise to soothe baby back to sleep.
Feeding
Whether you are nursing or bottle feeding you want to have a comfortable set up for middle of the night feedings. Have your nursing pillow and more pillows close by to support your arms and back during feedings. Your baby may fall asleep as soon as they start feeding, you may try to wake them to continue. You can tickle the bottom of their feet or switch them to the opposite arm to help wake them up.
Tips For Keeping Baby in Sleep Mode:
- Keep baby swaddled if they are more comfortable that way.
- Only change diaper if necessary.
- Use calm, low voice when talking to baby.
- Use dim lights.
- No screen time.
Tips For Staying Awake:
- If you are falling asleep feeding your little one in the bed, move a chair into the room and try feeding in the chair instead.
- If you need to watch something to stay awake, get some headphones to avoid disturbing baby.
- Some people find that munching on a snack while feeding helps them stay awake.
- Share the load, when possible, you can ask your partner to get up with you during middle of the night feeds.
- You can set alarms to go off periodically while feeding to ensure you're awake.
Just remember that this is just a season of life and will soon pass. Nighttime feeds will lessen, and sleep stretches will lengthen. You and baby will eventually adjust together and find a routine that works for you both. Never be afraid to ask for help, you and your little one's safety are most important! If you have a nighttime survival tip, share it in the comments!
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