As you well know, summer travel can take a toll on a little one’s sleep. The unavoidable, inconsistent summer break schedule can make it especially difficult for parents to soothe fussy babies. Luckily, Graco’s got you covered!
Graco teamed up with Kim West, LCSW-C, also known as the The Sleep Lady, to offer the following tips to soothe newborns -6 month-olds:
Newborns Can’t Form “Bad” Sleep Habits: At this stage of a baby’s life you cannot really create bad sleep habits so it’s ok to try all sorts of things to see what works for your child. Knowing how to help soothe your baby to sleep is oftentimes a journey. Try these various motion-soothing techniques and find the ones that best calm and soothe your baby:
o Rock and sway your baby (swaddling may improve the effect)
o Walk your baby in a stroller or on your body in a baby carrier
o Use a baby swing with the seat reclined
o Use white noise while your baby is swinging, jiggling or swaying
Use Motion to Calm Your Newborn: Motion is a favorite of babies for soothing. It likely reminds them of the sensations and security of the womb. Movement will often do what no other kind of soothing will do. Each baby is unique. This is why you might want to try a swing that has multiple motion options, like the Graco EveryWay Soother with Removable Rocker. This swing offers eight different ways to swing (including arch, swing, bounce, figure 8, circle, wave, zig-zag, and sway), working in tandem with the multi-directional seat for a total of 16 soothing motions – the most of any swing in the market! The EveryWay Soother also features six swing speeds, three recline positions and two soothing vibration speeds to keep baby comfortable. This swing is now exclusively available at Babies “R” Us.
Understand What’s Causing the Crankiness: It’s also important to understand what might be causing your baby to cry. Babies often cry when they’re uncomfortable, bored, overstimulated and sleepy. There are a few things you can do to try and figure out why your baby is crying. Beyond the obvious diaper and mealtime reasons, try a change of scenery. You can also try dimming the lights, swaddling them or offering them a pacifier. If your baby cries a lot and you can’t figure out what’s wrong, check with your pediatrician to make sure he or she doesn’t have an underlying medical condition, such as reflux, that might be causing your baby discomfort.
Graco has also introduced the new EveryWay Soother with Removable Rockerthat offers 16 soothing motions, the most of any swing on the market, in addition to six swing speeds and 15 songs and sounds to help soothe little ones. The eight different ways to swing, in tandem with a multi-directional seat for swinging side-to-side or front-to-back, enable parents to create a personalized soothing environment to calm baby. The swing also includes three recline positions and two soothing vibration speeds. The swing seat doubles as a removable rocker to keep baby happy and by mom’s side anywhere in the home.
I can tell you that I wished I had this when my kids were little! That is why I have arranged for one of my lucky readers to win one!
[giveaway id=22113]