Everything I brought before Seve arrived was to aid his sleep I must admit most of the things worked some just a fad and now we are in a lovely pattern (routine) I'm getting more sleep than four months ago. I like to use the word "pattern" as at the beginning I was getting myself worked up on getting in a routine, babies must have a routine, we'll if your patient and do repetitive things yourself eventually the baby settles into their own routine no stress required.
Our day consists of
7am wake up,
9.30am nap (45mins),
12/12.30pm nap (30mins),
2.30pm nap (2hours),
5.30pm naked time,
6pm bath time,
6.30pm bottle,
6.45pm bed,
This "pattern" I think is similar to Gena Ford but Seve has worked this out himself and yes there are days when he wakes earlier or later and doesn't nap as much. He usually wakes once in the night now and the past two weeks we have been using self settling at nap times and nighttime which I think has really helped Seve get to sleep and stay asleep. It's taken a bit of persevering but thinking of the long term gain it's worth it.
A couple of the sleep aids I brought that we couldn't live without are:
Poddle pod; this is a snuggle nest, Seve slept really well in his poddle. I could put it in his Moses basket, bugaboo, our bed, anywhere and he looked really safe and comfortable. When he was tiny I placed his poddle on our nuna leaf and it was like magic. The poddle pod is for birth-6 months and then there is the toddle pod, they come in lovely colours and the fleece covers wash really well. They retail for £39.99 which is a great price for some extra sleep.
http://www.poddlepod.com
Poddle pod in action
Nuna leaf; we was brought the Nuna leaf by my in laws and although it is quite pricey (£160) it's definitely a great investment. We are usually very 'style over substance' but this product is super stylish and really practical. I love the fact you don't need any battery's or plugs and the side to side motion helps soothe baby to sleep. As a newborn we used the poddle on the Nuna, now Seve is 4 months he sits in it and plays with toys, watches TV, sleeps and takes a bottle in the leaf. It's been tested to take up to 60kgs of weight so this will last for a very long time. My only wish is they did a matching adult version!
http://www.nuna.eu/leaf
The Nuna Leaf
Poddle pod + Nuna Leaf = Heaven
Ewan the dream sheep; this little sheep has been a lifesaver for us and is now part of our nighttime routine, each one of Ewan's legs plays different white noise Seve loves the washing machine sound. There is also a red light to mimic the womb. When I put Seve to bed I always put Ewan on and watch him fall straight to sleep. These retail for £29.99 and can be brought from Mothercare, John Lewis, Mumas & Papas, Argos etc. we are only just replacing the batteries at four months.
Sleeping bags; Seve is a real fidget at night and got really cold when the blankets came off him so I started using sleeping bags to keep him warm. I brought two 0-6 months 2.5 tog sleeping bags from Mothercare which retail for £22.99.
http://www.mothercare.com/Mothercare-Patchwork-Garden-Sleeping-Bag-2.5-Tog/809011,default,pd.html#q=sleeping%20bags
MAM dummies; I am including these as they are my go to brand of choice and we are still using the 0-2month ones as they are the perfect size. I know dummies aren't for everyone, Seve started to use his thumb (like his dad did) but I know you can take dummies away easier than their little thumbs. I use them only when he is napping or at night and luckily he doesn't wake for his dummy. I love the MAM range.
http://www.mambaby.com/uk/
Daddy and Seve catching some Zzzzzz
What are you go to sleep products that work for you, and do you use any set routines for your little ones. X
