Sleeping Like a Baby - Sleep Solutions
Planning vs Reality
With our first baby, I had it all planned out. I mean, before we have our first kids we have it ALL planned out. Right? What they will eat. Where they will sleep. What kind of parent we will be. All the strict rules we’ll abide by. Then the baby comes.
I’d say about 94% of the time everything we thought we would do as parents we end up not doing. Well not completely anyway. Personally, I thought I’d make all of my first daughter’s food. And I did for a while. Until I didn’t. As a working mom trying to keep up with it was just not attainable. Sure, I still made a lot of her food, but I also bought pre-made food as well. For my mental state of mind I needed to. And guess what? She was ok.
When it came to sleep I thought I had it all planned out too. We had a bassinet that we would keep in our room for a of couple months and then move her to the crib in her nursery. But as expected, that plan didn’t quite happen either.
I believe it was our 2nd night home from the hospital and my husband and I were beyond exhausted. We were (barely) functioning off very little sleep and needed a solution. Fast. Our daughter hated the bassinet. I’m not sure if it was the tall walls of the bassinet or what, but I am sure that she hated it. I was tempted just to bring her into bed with us since she was nursing every couple of hours anyway. But I remember hearing over and over how dangerous that was. And since I knew how extremely tired and delirious I was, it just wasn’t an option I was going to entertain.
Our Sleep Solution
After two sleepless nights at home, I remember heading out to a store to look for another sleep solution. I was convinced there had to be something that she would like. That’s when I came across the Snuggle Nest Portable Infant Sleeper. I hadn’t heard of it before seeing it on the shelf, but I was very willing to try it. It seemed like the best of both worlds – a separate sleeping space for my baby, yet close enough that nursing her (and being able to watch her breathe all night) was an option. Also, the fact that it was $60 was a win. Lord knows how much we had already spent on baby gear!
I will never forget that night. It was the first time in many days that we slept for more than a few hours in a row. The baby slept. We slept. It was a joyous time. I had never imagined that I would co-sleep, but here we were – co-sleeping. But with the mesh walls that were completely breathable, and with the walls being made from plastic and not a pillow-like cushion it gave me some peace of mind.
Choose What Works for You
For those new parents who are looking for a sleep solution but really don’t want the baby in bed with them, there are so many products out there that can work. Take for example this Beside Me Dreamer Bassinet & Bedside Sleeper. It snugs right up against the bed for a version of co-sleeping where the baby is not in the adult bed. And then you always have the option to zip the wall up and make it a completely enclosed bassinet.
There’s also Bedside Bassinets that come with a canopy for those babies who like it nice and dark. You can put it right next to your bed and the mesh walls allow you to peek in at your little one. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll peek in at her all night long!
After 5 months of using the Snuggle Nest, we ended up switching our daughter over to her crib in her own nursery. My anxiety still existed so we got a breathing monitor and I spent many nights sleeping in that nursery chair. It helped ease my nerves a bit.
With our second daughter we went right to the Snuggle Nest. It worked great the first time, and just as great with the second. Today I may have gone with an organic bedside sleeper since I love how spacious and versatile they are, but that Snuggle Nest was a lifesaver. We actually used it away from home too which was pretty convenient!
There are so many different sleep solutions out there, be sure to do your research. I’d say the more versatile ones are the best option since you really don’t know what your baby will/won’t like. But ultimately the choice is yours!
Happy sleeping mamas and daddies!