Baby

How I Finally Got My Baby to Sleep in the Crib

The transition from bassinet to crib can be a challenging one! This is especially true when you throw in teething and countless sleep regressions.

Babies love their cozy little bassinets and sleeping close to mom, but there comes a time when most moms need to figure out how to get their baby to sleep in the crib.

Are you trying to get your baby to sleep in the crib? Transitioning my baby from bassinet to crib was one of the toughest sleep hurdles we had with her. I read all the baby sleep tips, but nothing was working until we did this one thing. She ended up sleeping in her crib, transitioning from her swaddle and slept longer stretches and eventually slept through the night. #babysleeptips

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The Baby Who Would NOT Sleep in Her Crib

My daughter would not sleep anywhere other than in something that made her feel cozy and secure – like a bassinet.

She simply would NOT SLEEP in her crib. She was around 6 months or so and we were exhausted.

She was outgrowing her bassinet and it was time to transition her to her crib.

The Transition Was Not Working

The problem was every time I laid her down, she would start screaming. She simply hated her crib.

We tried everything we could think of to make the transition easier. We took advice from anyone that offered help.

We found baby sleep tips that worked everywhere else, but nothing that would help her sleep in her crib.

Nothing was working, until I stumbled upon a forum and read a thread from a group of moms who were having the same struggle.

The ONE Thing We Did That Changed Lucy’s Sleep for the Better

Photo Credit: @magiclseepsuit and @slduke

The solution several of these moms came up with was transitioning their baby from a swaddle to the Magic Merlin Sleep Suit.

When I looked this sleep suit up, I thought it resembled a space suit and didn’t think it would work.

We bought it anyway, because we were desperate for sleep.

I later learned it was actually created by a pediatric physical therapist, who was also a mom of four. The reviews on Amazon seemed amazing, so I was glad I made the purchase.

When we first put this sleep suit on her she was not a fan, but it was just a matter of her getting used to something new.

The very first night she slept with the Magic Merlin Sleep Suit (after she settled down), she slept the longest stretch of sleep she ever had – in her crib!

Why the Magic Merlin worked

Now that Lucy is older, I know she craves a ton touch and comfort. She really likes deep pressure touch too.

I think the Magic Merlin created that same level of comfort her cozy bassinet did and gave her the security she was craving as a baby.

It seems like it works the same way a weighted blanket works for older kids (and adults). It also served as the perfect transition from her swaddle!

Truly, every baby is different and finding the right swaddle or sleep suit will look different for everyone. However, the Magic Merlin was one of the best products I bought for Lucy. I’m hoping that someone else will read this and find it works just as well for their baby as well, because us moms can always use a little more sleep!

Do you have a favorite swaddle or sleep suit? Tell us in the comments!

How to Get a Newborn to Sleep at Night (9 Tips)

I remember reading everything I could get my hands on how to get a newborn to sleep at night when my first child was born. There is so much information out there about how to get your baby to sleep through the night, so it can be really overwhelming.

Then you have advice that conflicts with another “sleep experts” advice.

On top of that, you have advice that goes against your mama instincts.

So what are we suppose to do? How can we get baby to sleep through the night or at least sleep better at night (because by the way, not all babies are going to sleep through the night, regardless of what other people tell you).

How to Get a Newborn to Sleep at Night (9 Baby Sleep Tips):

Here are a few baby sleep tips that generally all parties can agree with:

1. Swaddle

In those first few months, swaddling your baby is one of the best baby sleep tips that I have received. Swaddles give baby a sense of comfort and security.

Over the years I have tried many swaddles and here are a few of my favorites.

  • The Nested Bean Swaddles have become my absolute favorite, because it has a weighted bean bag that feels like a parent’s gentle touch. We used these swaddles with my son and he has now upgraded to their sleep sack.
  • We’ve used these SwaddleMe sleep swaddles pretty soon after bringing both babies home from the hospital. They were my favorite for my daughter.
  • My son absolutely wanted his hands free, so before we changed him over to the Nested Bean sleep sack (after transitioning from his swaddle), we swore by the Love to Dream Swaddle! It allows their hands to be up by their head and parents rave about it.

Transitioning From Swaddle

Eventually you’ll want to transition baby to swaddle and that’s where a lot of parents have issues with their baby sleeping.

Typically you’ll transition them once they can start rolling. We transitioned our youngest to the Nested Bean sleep sack, but my daughter absolutely LOVED the Magic Merlin Sleep Suit after her swaddle (bonus: your baby will look like an adorable, giant marshmallow peep in this)!

2. White Noise

White noise is usually recommended by most parents and baby sleep experts, because it just works.

Not only does white noise block out noise from the rest of the house, but it’s calming and soothing to babies.

There are many white noise machines on the market. The main thing you want to find in a good white noise machine is one that is loud. I’ve gone through several machines and most of them just aren’t loud enough.

I highly recommend this one.

It has different sound options, including white noise, but the main thing I love about it is that it can turned up to a super loud level if need be. We use this for our son currently, and we don’t even have the volume turned up all the way.

Extra bonus, when the UPS driver makes our dog bark, he sleeps right through it!

3. Aromatherapy (Safely)

Aromatherapy is a huge topic, but many studies show that essential oils like lavender, cedarwood, frankincense and more are soothing and calming to the nervous system.

For young babies, I like making a simple pillow spray or I add just a couple drops to a diffuser.

This also becomes part of the sleep time routine, so baby will know that it’s time to sleep when he or she smells the scent.

I am in love with this sleepy blend.

4. Warm Bath

A nice, warm bath is very relaxing for baby, especially right before bed at night. I even add a bit of epsom salts in the bath, because the extra magnesium is calming.

5. Dark Room

Creating a super dark room is a way to signal to baby that it’s time to sleep. It eliminates anything that’s stimulating and be part of the sleep time routine.

We’ve tried many black out curtains in the past and we found these curtains are the BEST panels to make the room super dark. They also come in different colors and designs to match any nursery.

6. Routine

One of the best ways to get baby to sleep better at night is creating a bedtime routine. It could be as simple as giving baby a warm bath, diffusing a soothing essential oil like lavender and then singing a sweet lullaby.

All these activities are soothing, but when you begin doing them every night before bed, baby will know it’s time to sleep.

7. Dream Feed

The dream feed. This is important during the newborn stages when baby is simply not ready to sleep through the night without nursing or bottle feeding every few hours.

While baby is sleeping, simply nurse or bottle feed and gently put baby back in the bassinet or crib. Ideally you want to this right before you go to bed, so you can get a bit more sleep before it’s time for the next feeding.

8. Teach to Fall Asleep on Own

One of the biggest mistakes I made (twice) was not teaching my first two babies how to fall asleep on their own. I became addicted to rocking them into a deep slumber and then gently putting them down in their cribs.

This resulted in them not knowing how to self-soothe. I can’t recommend this enough – put baby in the crib drowsy, but awake as often as possible.

In the long-run, this will allow your little one to learn how to self-soothe and fall asleep on their own.

9. Eliminate Stimulation 30 Minutes Prior

Sometimes baby won’t sleep because there was too much stimulation right before bedtime.

Try turning off the TV if you tend to have it on right before baby’s bedtime. Dim the lights and start winding down the day before the bedtime routine.

What are you favorite tips for getting your newborn to sleep at night?

The 7 Best Affordable Modern Cribs ($200 and Under!)

One of the top nursery trends is the modern nursery and I’m not surprised – a modern nursery’s clean lines and crisp colors look amazing in any room. The main focus of any nursery is the baby’s crib, so I’ve put together a guide of the 7 best affordable modern cribs.

The first thing you should do is sign up for Rakuten, because we’ll be using their cash back program strategically. Also, if you sign up today through this link you’ll get an extra $10 to get you started (I highly suggest installing the browser extension. It will notify you anytime you’re on a retailer site (even Amazon) that has cash back and it automatically applies – super easy).

Affordable Modern Cribs | Are you designing a modern or mid century modern nursery on a budget? These 7 modern cribs are perfect for any modern themed nursery and they're all under $200! Preparing a nursery doesn't have to be expensive!

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Hello Bello Diapers (Honest Review)

My husband came home with a box of Hello Bello diapers, and I’m excited for Nicholas to try them. We usually use Honest diapers, but because they’re more expensive I’ve been looking forward to trying Hello Bello.

When Lucy was born I didn’t think twice about the ingredients in diapers, which is ironic because I researched everything else to death – organic crib mattresses, activity mats without flame retardants, etc.

That quickly changed when my 1 week old had chemical burns from the very popular branded diaper she was wearing.

I learned there are potentially harmful ingredients in diapers. We started to use diapers with safer ingredients and chose to cloth diaper part-time to offset the higher cost.

Hello Bello Diapers – First Impression

I've been pumped to try Hello Bello baby products and I finally had the change to review Hello Bello diapers! I typically use Honest diapers and I was excited to compare them with Hello Bello. In this post I give my honest Hello Bello diaper review and talk about how I like Hello Bello VS. Honest diapers. #hellobello #hellobellodiapers
Can we also talk about those rolls?!

Lucy actually demanded we open up the box first so she can take a peek at Nicky’s new diapers. My first remark was how adorable the designs are – tools and lightening bolts.

Even more impressive, Hello Bello diapers are incredibly soft. Any mom that uses organic diapers knows that they’re usually somewhat stiff, so this really made me happy.

A wetness indicator! These have a wetness indicator, which I love because it’s super helpful. (Also, nursing moms of newborns can really rely on the wetness indicator to make sure you’re little one is having wet diapers).

The Overnight Test

We moms know the true marker of a quality diaper is how absorbent it is, which leads me to the overnight test.

Nicholas drinks one 8 ounce bottle before bed and then usually drinks about 4 ounces in the middle of the night.

I’m happy to say that so far we have passed the overnight test with no leaks!

Hello Bello vs Honest Diapers

So what’s the conclusion? How do I compare these with Honest diapers?

I love them.

I’ve been converted, friends. Hello Bello diapers check all the boxes:

  • Free of harmful ingredients
  • Incredibly soft
  • Wetness indicator
  • Adorable prints
  • Super affordable
  • Great absorbency

They also carry other baby products without harmful ingredients, like baby lotion, baby shampoo, laundry detergent, diaper rash cream, and bug spray. I can’t wait to try all of these as well.

Where Can You Buy Hello Bello Diapers?

You can buy Hello Bello diapers here (psst – you can also get cash back if you’re signed up with Ebates).

Please note that I am not affiliated with Hello Bello. I’m just a mom who loves to try new products for my little ones. There may be affiliate links in this post.

Related Post: 10 Clever Nursery Organization Ideas

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