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
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
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