Tag-team during the night
Many mums shoulder most of the night-time parenting burden and a big part of this is that we want to make sure you get a good night’s sleep if you’re heading out to work in the morning. But if you can help attend to baby even for 1 wake up at the start of the night, this will help your little one to know that they can be comforted by both parents and it can give Mum a little bit of extra rest.
TIP: Own a task for night wakings – when our son was a newborn, my husband would pick him up when he woke each time before midnight and cuddle him (or change his nappy if it was needed) and I would have some water (and go to the toilet if I needed) and then I’d breastfeed him back to sleep while hubby got back to sleep.
Singing, reading and playtime
We all can feel a bit silly reading to a newborn, but they truly love to hear your voice – they don’t need to understand what you’re saying.
You might prefer to sing, or even just tell your little one about your day.
Playtime is another beautiful way to bond with your baby – place them on your chest for their “tummy-time” and pull faces at them or show them a high contrast toy.
If you’re a new mum and your partner is worried about how they’ll bond with your new addition, please share this with them so that you can both be assured that there are many ways you can bond with your baby and build a connected relationship to last their lifetime.
If you’re a new dad, congratulations! You’re doing an amazing job – Happy Father’s Day!
You might also like to read my 5 infant sleep myths blog to learn more about normal baby sleep and help you on your sleep without sleep training journey.
Sarah is a Baby-Led Sleep and Well-Being Specialist and the founder of Blossom and Snooze, supporting parents of babies and toddlers to get more sleep, holistically and without sleep training. With a focus on attachment and the connection between parent and child, the approach of her work is based on biologically normal infant sleep and provides solutions which are developmentally appropriate and individually tailored to each unique baby and family. Also an advocate for supporting a mother’s matrescence, Sarah is passionate about helping mums understand the social and cultural constructs which impact their journey. Sarah is an Australian mum, providing virtual consults to families worldwide: you can find her on Instagram @blossomandsnooze and you can book 1:1 support or join her monthly membership for mums, Our Motherhood Revolution, on her website www.blossomandsnooze.com.
