Congratulations, mama! You’ve successfully survived the first 24 hours of baby’s life. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods just yet. Welcome to “Baby’s Second Night.” And yes, that’s a real thing. Hold on, sister. Life is about to get crazy. Crazy (good). But be warned: Baby’s Second Night has a way of making even the most experienced of moms feel like amateurs all over again.
Babybay even makes co-sleepers for hospital use! Read on to learn more about this amazing company and new mom must-have!
Here’s why.
Suddenly, baby realizes she is no longer in the warm, comfortable womb — and it is downright SCARY out here in the real world. The familiar sound of your heartbeat and lungs no longer lulls her to sleep. On the contrary, she’s now swaddled in nothing but a diaper, t-shirt, cap, and receiving blanket. And don’t even get me started on the routine vitals checks, strange sounds and smells, and the perpetual poking and prodding by strangers. She has managed to find her voice, however. She uses it LOUDLY every time you foolishly try to take her off your breast (also known as her happy place) to place her in her bassinet.
So you try nursing her again, and she falls back asleep. Back to the bassinet she goes, but baby doth protest even louder this time, and you’re starting to understand this whole new mom, no sleep gig. You’re not very excited about this. This continues for many, many hours — late into the evening and into the wee hours of the morning. Many (especially new) moms will assume this is because their milk hasn’t come in yet, and baby is STARVING. For most moms, this is false. Baby has just realized that mom’s breast is the most comfortable place to be (outside of the womb), and she will do everything in her power to stay there as long as humanly possible. Lactation consultants worldwide have taken note of this phenomenon and have dubbed it “Baby’s Second Night.” Bum, bum, bum.
So what should you do?
When she drifts off to sleep, gently break the suction (or latch), and slide your nipple out of her mouth. Be very careful! More than likely, those poor, poor nipples are going to take a beating for the first couple of days (at least) while you and baby figure things out. Try not to move her, except to position her more comfortably on your breast. Do not try to burp her, and instead, let a sleeping baby sleep. Snuggle her until she falls into a deep slumber.
Did you know? Babies go into a light sleep state (REM) first and then cycle in and out of REM and deep sleep every half hour or so. If she starts to act like she wants to go back to the breast, let her. This is her way of settling and comforting herself.
A girlfriend recently introduced me to the term “tata to sleep.” This refers to letting baby nurse at the breast until she passes out. Hashtag, milk drunk. In some parenting circles, you may have heard that you shouldn’t put a baby to bed this way. Girlfriend, let me tell you. You do what you have to do to survive those first months. Chances are good this will happen at home. Sometimes baby will need some extra snuggles at the breast. Go with it, mama. It’s good for the soul. But this doesn’t mean you have to forego sleep entirely. Keep baby close, but keep baby safe. For my little family, the babybay is the perfect nighttime nursing solution.
Get more sleep with the babybay.
You probably wouldn’t think so, but not getting out of bed to soothe or nurse your baby in the middle of the night means more energy for those really special moments. I have found that the babybay is the perfect solution to co-sleeping — especially in those early months when baby is just so needy. (You know, when she wants to nurse every two or three hours. Because sleep, who needs that?) I love that the European-made co-sleeper and mattress pad meets top safety standards. I also love that it is made from sustainably sourced beechwood — this means that for every tree babybay uses, they plant another. The chic, modern design is a bonus.
With its half-moon shape (designed to mimic a hug), the babybay is also the perfect solution to nighttime separation anxiety — your touch is only a hand’s reach away. I have literally spent a night (or ten) holding hands with baby. But I know she is in her own safe space, which helps me sleep sounder. Until she wakes me up to nurse (again) . . .
The babybay comes in several different finishes to match any nursery or master bedroom. You can also customize your babybay with all kinds of pretty extras — like a babynest (a bumper), a canopy, and wheels for mobility. And when baby outgrows using it as a co-sleeper, you can always turn it into a bench, desk, or even a full-size crib. The awesome folks at babybay assure us the conversion kits are coming soon! Yes, please. 🙂
Babybay has seriously been a lifesaver for my little family. Thanks, babybay, for letting me give it a try! We highly recommend the babybay to all of our mom friends looking to get some rest. And as always, you’ll have to let us know what you think!
