PBC BABY Expo Midwife's tips on sleep, settling and routines

Most newborns will sleep a lot in their first few weeks. They tend to feed, sleep, poo and repeat! Remember that your baby has been rocked and held in your womb during pregnancy, so it is going to take some time for them to adjust to being in the outside world.

Settling

To help your baby settle you can try:

• holding them
• going for a walk outside
• using a baby carrier
• holding them upright with their legs in an ‘M’ position against your stomach
• Skin to skin with either parent can also help to calm your baby.

Sleep

It is normal for a newborn baby to need to feed quite frequently – usually between 8-12 times in 24 hours. This means that they will be waking frequently in those first few weeks. Your baby is programmed to sleep in short bursts, and even at six months of age it is still completely normal for babies to wake for a feed during the night.

Routine

Newborn babies are not able to create habits or sleep routines. Their brain is not mature enough yet, so rest assured in the first few weeks you are not creating any bad habits. Hold and cuddle your baby as much as you need to.

Article written by PBC Expo Midwife