Looking Back at Baby Sleep #ad

I cannot believe that I just typed that title

But after 10 years

I am no longer trying to conceive

I am not pregnant

I sleep in my bed alone

And though I am still breastfeeding

Weaning of our two year old

Our fifth and last baby

Has begun

Just this past week

Our beautiful Edie Mae

Has stopped sleeping in my arms

And has transitioned beautifully

To sleeping in her own bed

Edie has a cot bed from Purflo

And it is next to our bed

So that we can see her and hear her through the night

She sleeps on a Purflo Breathable mattress

Which looks like it would be really uncomfortable

But she sleeps well on it

And we sleep well because we know she is safe

I was going to title this post

A Baby Sleep Guide For Anxious Mothers

But instead I am sharing my reflections

My thoughts and tips on baby sleep

As a mother of five

Including a daughter in heaven

Who died in her sleep

Here are my thoughts and tips

In no particular order

As I look back on our years of baby sleep

A clear cot is a safe cot
Every mother wants their baby’s nursery to be beautiful

Filled with frills

Coordinated linens

But please follow the advice from The Lullaby Trust

Keep you baby’s sleep space clear

A clear cot is a safer cot

Babies’ do not need pillows or duvets

They do not need cuddly toys

They do not need cot bumpers

To reduce the risk of SIDS

It is so important to follow the safer sleep guidelines

If you co-sleep do it safely
I have bed shared with all my babies

To a lesser degree with Esther, William and Matilda

With Bea and Edie

They both slept in my arms for the first two years of their lives

After losing Tilda to SIDS

I could not bring myself to put another baby in a cot

And so they stayed with me

I was sure to follow safe bedsharing advice from The Lullaby Trust

And I have talked about safe cosleeping on this blog

I will never ever regret sleeping with my babies

If I had slept with Tilda every night of her life

She may well still be alive today

Go with Gro
There are really three companies that saved my sanity when it comes to sleep

The Gro Company

Meemoo Baby

and Snuza Monitors

All of our children have slept in Grobags

Edie also had a collection of gorgeous Grosnugs

When Bea moved from a Grobag she had the Gro Bedding which was wonderful

For Edie I have my eye on Grorompers to keep her safe and snug while she sleeps

To read more about why we love Gro, read my Gro To Sleep post here

The product I love and still regularly use from MeeMoo Baby

Is their amazing Meelight

A wearable night light

Perfect for night feeds

And for anxious mummies like me

That like to watch their children breathing while they sleep

The Meelight can also be used for late night loo trips

Checking on older children in their rooms

It is a nightlight, a bedside lamp

A reading light and a torch

But it is more than that

It is a comfort and a companion

To an anxious lonely parent

Up with their baby in the night

This simple innovative product

Changed my life

Snuza make baby monitors that can be worn

When Bea was born she never ever took hers off

I used it less with Edie

But with Bea it was a lifeline

The Snuza Monitors are suitable from birth

They clip onto your baby’s nappy

Our babies have never seemed to notice having them on

They do not mark or irritate baby’s skin

The Snuza is super sensitive

Detecting the slightest of breaths

There is an audible alarm after 20 seconds of no breathing

A vibration to alert your baby after 15 seconds of no breathing

The monitor has no cords or wires

It is super safe for snoozers

I recommend Snuza to all new parents and especially anyone especially anxious

I know how that feels x

Learn your baby’s signs

David is brilliant at this

He has always been able to tell when a baby is ready to sleep

When a baby is past their prime sleep moment

He can read them

He then knows just how to soothe them

He is patient and gentle

And all of our children respond so well to him

When the time comes for ending breastfeeding and making sleep space transitions

David takes over

At the moment he is sleeping in our room with Edie

While I sleep downstairs so that she knows milk is not on offer

When Edie moves into Bea’s room

Very soon!!

David will sleep in with them for the first few nights

When the twins were 15 months we did a similar thing

I camped downstairs while David got them to sleep through the night

It only took a couple of nights

With Edie

On the first night without me she woke 20 times

The second night once

And she has slept through each night since

From 7pm to 5 or 6am

Which is just amazing!

David and I are a good team when it comes to our babies

I would be totally lost without him

And I will always be so grateful for his support

With breastfeeding and cosleeping and my crazy anxious ways

Do not rush
Never be in a hurry

Everyone is always in such a hurry

To get baby to sleep through the night

To get baby into their own bed

Into their own room

We have found slow and steady to be the best way for us

Tiny babies are not meant to sleep through the night

They are supposed to feed little and often

Day and night

It is okay to be up with your baby

It is okay to keep them in your room

Esther and William slept in our room until they were 15 months old

Bea and Edie until they were two

It worked for us

We did not make a rod for our backs

They all sleep well now

In their own beds

It was not done instantly or even quickly

We were not in a hurry

Slow and steady was okay

Was enough

Was us

Breastfeeding baby to sleep is okay
I will never ever regret feeding my babies to sleep

I will always cherish those slumbersome cuddles

Feeding baby to sleep is okay

Sometimes as busy parents we need to do what works for us

Sometimes as multiple mothers we need to do what is best for all our children

I know that breastfeeding is not for everyone

I know that it is not possible for everyone

But if you nurse your wee one

Nursing them to sleep is okay

I believe it is good for them and for you

I am feeling very sad that my breastfeeding journey will soon be over

Cherish every moment!

You can read my breastfeeding posts here

And here are my Breastfeeding Essentials with Baby Number Five

Lazy days are good days
Some nights will be good nights

Some nights will be LONG

Some will be darker than others

Some nights will feel unending

But the dawn does always come

When the sun rises

It is absolutely okay to

Drink ALL the coffee

Watch CBeebies

Snuggle under a blanket on the sofa

Lazy days are good days

Sometimes they are the only way

And that is okay

Even now that the baby days are behind us

I know that there will still be sleepless nights to come

And when they do

We will be lounging and lazing the morning after

Knowing

After five beautiful babies

That it is okay

More than okay

Lazy days are GOOD days!

So these are my thoughts and tips on baby sleep

For a more comprehensive baby sleep guide

Check out Emma’s Diary

And for all your safer sleep advice

Do please refer to The Lullaby Trust

This is a sponsored post

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