Clocks going back -Avoid a madhouse!

Just a quick post on the best ways of dealing with the upcoming clock change.

A simple hour change can (but not always) throw their sleep pattern off for up to a week.

Get your little ones to go to bed 15 mins later every few days, for a few days leading up to it

It’s not too late after the event – so even if you forget until D-Day, you should catch up within a week,

Best way to approach it is without fear and apprehension….as adults, we become obsessed with the amount of hours sleep we get. Infants are reliant on our guidance and don’t get much of a say in the matter! There’s no point putting them down too much later than their normal bedtime, quite often they will be overtired and the wheels fall off!!! Although get them up at the same time each morning. That way, by the time the clocks actually change, the child has no idea and as a parent, you’ve adjusted (in your own head) to the idea of losing an hour sleep

Same rules apply when the clocks go forward in Spring….the only change is that for a few days before, get your baby and toddler to bed 15 mins earlier each day.

A lovely recommendation

Niamh advised us on sleep routines and general infant care when our grandchild was 5 months old and her Mum had to go back to work.

She gave us, experienced grandparents – (one a child psychotherapist) and the baby’s parents – (one a doctor) the confidence to enjoy our baby – She simply whisked our worries away!

Niamh is inspirational in her dedication to healthy lifestyles for babies. She places good sleep routines at the core of things and thereby puts families on the best track possible.

She has a deep and sincere belief in the value of healthy lifestyles for babies and in the capacity families have for achieving them – from this source she inspires each and every family she meets.

The babies she sets onto the secure and healthy path are massive testimony to her skill, devotion and faith in things going well being best for all. Such a gift! Niamh operates from an ethic of putting Families First – She not only profoundly cares about supporting and caring for babies and their families – but she puts her considerable knowledge, her skills, her care and her support into action – ever and always pragmatic.
Marie and Barry Dillon, Dublin

Nap time and Routine for 9 mth olds

I was asked by Eumom and Supervalu to write a piece about napping for 9 month olds. It is on the supervalu.ie website and thought I would share it here too

Enjoy and hope you find it helpful

N

It’s no secret how important sleep is to us (as adults). For an infant/child it’s equally, if not more, important.

If you have any experience at all with children, you’ll know that after a good nap/night sleep they are less likely to be cranky and are far happier. As a result, a parent will be happier too. But there are more fundamental reasons too:

Development in all areas – emotional, physical, intellectual. Good strong brain development occurs during sleep. It’s a time where they can dream and process all the things that have gone on during the day.

It’s said that the better they sleep, the better they sleep!!! This has long term effects on the child. Setting a good sleep pattern as an infant can decrease chances of poor general health and emotional issues as they grow up.

If you have no set routine, an infant can become anxious

Getting into a routine shows a child boundaries which they genuinely love. If a child knows what’s coming next, they will be feel safe and secure and even feel like they are in control of a situation. If you have no set routine and the bedtime is a bit of a moveable feast, an infant can become anxious, leading to sleep problems. Popping them into the cot and hearing your words “Night Night it’s sleeptime”, gives them a strong bedtime and naptime association and so they become less likely to have any problems when you want them to sleep.

Also it’s highly important for mum and dad to have their own time, be that in the daytime or evenings.

As your baby gets bigger, he or she will want to stay awake for longer periods during the day. Instead of perhaps three naps a day (including one long one), they may start to change this and stretch their mornings out to fill in more playtime.

From six months, parents are advised to have a 40 minute nap in the morning, a 40 minute nap in the afternoon and a two hour nap at lunchtime – although we know this may be wishful thinking for many!

It’s highly important for mum and dad to have their own time

From nine months, baby is probably beginning to terrorise the floor boards and they may be less willing to nap successfully in the mornings. Try and stretch them out till lunchtime. You may find that initially they just can’t make it and some even fall asleep in their lunch! Allow them a 15 minute catnap before 10am. Wake them and have a snack and a drink of water. They should be able to manage to make it to midday for a good nap.

Later in the afternoon, they may or may not sleep again. This normally depends on how well they sleep at lunchtime. If they do catch a nap later, don’t let them sleep for too long and try and have them awake again by 5pm, giving you a nice couple of hours before bedtime.

Suggested Daily Routine for Baby at 9 Months
7.00/7.30 Wake and Bottle
8.30 Breakfast
(maybe a short nap around 9.40 but wake at 10)
10.30 Snack and Water
11.45 Dinner/Lunch (this is main meal of day – what we would describe as dinner)
12./12.15 Sleep (Up to 2 hours).
2.30/3.00 Bottle (7oz)
4.00 Snack and water
(May have a nap at around 4.30 but awake by 5)
5.30 Tea (lighter meal than lunchtime)
7.30 Bottle (7oz)and bed

Don’t forget to check out Eumom’s Baby & Toddler sections for more information and useful tips.

Bringing a wealth of knowledge and years of experience to help you in your child’s first special years with the confidence you need to overcome any hurdle, Niamh O’Reilly at The Nursery combines the practicality of Mary Poppins, the humour of Mrs Doubtfire and the magic of Nanny McPhee. Niamh will bring you back from the brink of total sleep deprivation and the constant stress and worry from the daily toil of being a Mum or Dad. Sometimes, all a family needs is some structure and some practical advice at working together to get back on track. Niamh can give you the confidence to do just that.

Weaning – Breast to Bottle

Disclaimer! I do not and have never claimed to be a breastfeeding expert.  I am simply sharing information based on my experiences.  My sister is a midwife so we have had a few conversations on the subject!

I am constantly asked for tips when mums feel the time has come to move on from breastfeeding.

I am not in any way anti-breastfeeding but understand that there may come a time when, for whatever reason, you will want to stop breastfeeding your baby. Some women continue for many months, even years, while others know at what point they would like to wean their baby from the breast. You do not need to stop breastfeeding when your baby has solid food introduced to his diet and it is worth considering that your baby will need either breast or formula milk until he is 12 months old when making this decision.

However, you may need to return to work or have other practical, emotional or physical needs that require you to wean your baby off the breast.

Express In order to minimise any physical discomfort you feel at this time, you should express a little milk. However, do not express more than you need to feel comfortable, as your breasts will keep making the same amount of milk. You should try to take a little off though as otherwise your breasts could become engorged and possibly develop mastitis.

Pick the right moment. As with any change, it is not a great idea to start weaning your baby  when he is experiencing an upset routine. This might be as stressful as a move to a new house or as simple and natural, as teething. Either way, these occasions are stressful even for small babies and getting rid of the comfort that is breastfeeding, is only going to make your job harder at this time.

Take one step at a time. Unless you have been instructed to stop breastfeeding quickly (perhaps prior to being admitted to hospital), then you should make this experience a process rather than an earth-shattering event. Your baby will be able to cope with this change if it is approached in the right way. Cut down on the breastfeeds gradually. For example, at the beginning, pick one feed to drop (preferably one that doesn’t seem very important in an emotional sense to your child) and do without this one for  a week, before dropping another.
Ask for help. You will need the support of your partner at this time. If your partner has been giving your baby bottles (perhaps of your expressed milk, or of formula), then chances are that weaning will be less of an ordeal for everyone involved. He will already have helped to establish to your baby that it is not only you that is able to provide feeds. To stop giving a bedtime feed, it might be an idea to ask your partner or relative to take over bedtimes for a while. (lucky you!)

The art of distraction. You will already be a skilled at baby-focused distraction techniques and this will be the ultimate test of your skills. Get out, get walking, go to the park, go swimming, in short, do whatever it takes to occupy your baby’s time. No time to think about breastfeeding can only be a good thing. Sitting down with your baby is an open invitation for a quick guzzle!.

Above all, make sure that your baby is party to lots of hugs and kisses and is made to feel very loved. This is a big change for him and he may feel slightly insecure or vulnerable at this time. If you are finding this process of weaning your baby from the breast, do not hesitate to seek support.  There are many wonderful breastfeeding support groups around.

A few Tips

1. Babies become self-aware and quite discerning from around 2 months
2. Offer the bottle on your knee and feed with the child facing outwards
3. Don’t wait till your child is hungry – new experiences are handled better when your child is in good form and well rested
4. Let your little one play with an empty bottle in order to get used to it
5. Offer it during a dream feed
6. Perhaps have the bottle slightly warmed
7. Your childs mouth is wide open when they are feeding from the breast so try to fill their mouth with the teet as much as you can

Hope you find this useful!

Niamh

NEW MUMMY TIPS

I was recently asked by irish Parent Magazine to write for their Summer 2012 edition.  The theme was centred around the upcoming Olympics and the idea was to give Top Tips to New Mums.

Hope you enjoy it!

“Dear Mummy,

I’m on my way! You have spent the last nine months in training and you have done a great job so far – I feel like a gold medal is on the horizon. I promise I am going to be your greatest achievement – a personal best, if you like.

You know all these promises you have made to yourself to lay down the law in terms of feeding and routine? Ignore them for a few weeks – watch me, smell me, count all the little creases on my body! Let’s just “be”, before I go on my own learning curve. Love me into existence.

It’s not going to be easy for either of us and I might test you a little sometimes, so I thought I you might want to have a few handy hints at your disposal! I could arrive any day now. I haven’t quite decided when yet, so put our hospital bag down in the hall so that I don’t catch you unawares. Pack a snack for Daddy – he is so excited he might forget to eat. You know what he’s like! Do a ittle of what you enjoy. Go to the movies with the girls, have a duvet day with Dad. There’s nothing wrong with a little “you” time. Believe me, I will make sure there’s no time for it when I get here!

Once I have made my journey, try not to forget about Dad. He is a big part of this little family too! Give him opportunities to spend time alone with me so he can form his own bond. He won’t break me, honestly. He will be just trying to help! Don’t try to be Superwoman – the washing and cleaning can wait. (On that note, I plan to test that washing machine to its limits).

In the first few days of our new life, you may feel elated and excited and will be dying to show me off to your friends and family. Remember I am brand new, and I don’t understand the world just yet. Don’t be upset if I don’t conform – I will get there! If I am asleep when visitors arrive, let me sleep. Ask your friends to call you first, rather than arriving at our doorstep. You can decide who visits, and when. Now is not the time for “Pass the Parcel”. I know your head will be full of plans and you will have a list of jobs you could do as long as your arm, but please, Mummy, get some rest when you can. It will do us both the world of good. I need you to be at the top of your game! Healthy Mum = happy Mum and happy me! I am thinking of the afternoons you have planned, just snuggling on the couch, and I can’t wait for these days! Hope you stock up on food for yourself. I won’t really know the difference between day and night for the first few weeks so I will probably interrupt you a bit at all the wrong times. I’m sorry about this, but after my long journey I will be hungry. Don’t be scared if I don’t have someone physically looking at me at all times. Those monitors really work and we all need our alone time!

Mummy, I will try to be good but looking after me is going to be a full-time job. Please don’t lose a little bit of yourself in the process. I love you for who you are. Daddy may have to go back to work and he will have opportunities for adult conversation. There is nothing wrong with getting a little “tea and sympathy” from your close friends!

You might not be a first-time mum, but you are my NEW mum. I cannot wait to meet my big sister. She seems so happy and content with you and I hope she welcomes me with open arms. Remind her that I won’t always be tiny and time consuming. She might feel a little jealous but you are going to organise a little present from me when I come home – she might like me more for that! Try and spend as much time with her as possible so that she doesn’t feel left out. I know she will want to help out too. Give her little jobs to do so that she is included. Let her get nappies for me if you need them and help out with bath time. I would love our relationship to get off to a good start! Before you know it, we will be playing happily together – most of the time!

I would love for you to try breastfeeding me. It would be really good for me in my first few weeks. Not only is it nutritious and delicious but I know I am going to love this very special time with you. We can retreat into our own little world – just you and me. But mummy, take your time and relax. I want you to be comfortable. Allow us the time to get used to each other and don’t panic! Once your milk is in, make sure I feed fully from each side. If I’m not feeding well, it could be something as simple as a change of position that will help. Find a way that works for us. It could be a case of trial and error but we will get there in the end. It can sometimes be hard to tell if I am getting enough or indeed getting too much milk. You’ll know if I overfeed, chances are you’ll see it all come back! You will probably be feeding me 6-8 times a day initially. As long as my nappies are wet when you change them and there are regular enough bowel movements (sorry for these in advance!), then you can be pretty sure that I am filling up. Wait till you see me grow – the little chicken legs I arrive with will be replaced by squishy, edible thighs in no time.

When I am around six weeks, you might notice a pattern forming and it would be a good idea to think about putting a routine in place and getting a real shape on our day.

Mummy, we are going to need at least six weeks to get to know each other and find out what seems to work for us. Every day might feel different, but you would be surprised if we work together what you and I can achieve! Keep a diary with my sleep, feeding and nappy changes. I know I will love reading about our time together when I grow up. Remember that I have come into the world knowing nothing; I need you to gently guide me and put boundaries in place. You are my first teacher and I will trust you. Don’t put yourself under too much pressure though – even if we get five days out of seven right, we will be doing great.

Don’t forget Mummy, we are not Olympians yet. Let’s take our time and enjoy getting to know each other. This is a long distance event and definitely not a sprint! Promise me you won’t put too many expectations on us and enjoy each other for who we are. Before you know it, my sister and I will both be ruling the roost! Cherish our first few weeks – they will be over before we know it! I can’t wait to meet you,

Love , Bump xx “