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The role of the Registered Nurse or Newborn Care Provider is to feed, soothe, bathe, change & provide all other gentle care to baby through the night.

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PPD vs. Baby Blues – Know the Difference

During the first few weeks after birth, new mothers often experience conflicting feelings of joy and unexpected disappointment, so it’s crucial that new parents and partners understand what’s normal and when it is time to call a doctor. This article, PPD vs. Baby Blues- Know the Difference, shares how Postpartum Depression and Baby Blues can present during pregnancy and in the four-week period following childbirth.

PPD vs. Baby Blues: What are the Baby Blues?

Mild depression with tearfulness, irritability, appetite changes and fatigue are common during this time and typically peak around the fifth day postpartum. This is commonly known as the Baby Blues and most women adapt and recover to these changes after about a week. If sadness persists beyond two weeks however, postpartum depression (PPD) may be the cause.  PPD can also affect partners. Here’s how to tell the difference between depression and the baby blues:

Symptoms of Postpartum Depression

Some of the symptoms of more serious PPD include:

  • Persistent sadness that does not go away
  • Frequent crying, even about little things
  • Poor concentration or indecisiveness
  • Difficulty remembering things
  • Feelings of worthlessness, inadequacy or guilt
  • Irritability, crankiness
  • Loss of interest in caring for oneself
  • Not feeling up to doing everyday tasks
  • Psychomotor agitation or retardation
  • Fatigue, loss of energy
  • Insomnia or hyperinsomnia
  • Significant decrease or increase in appetite
  • Anxiety manifested as bizarre thoughts and fears, such as obsessive thoughts of harm to the baby
  • Feeling overwhelmed
  • Somatic symptoms (headaches, chest pains, heart palpitations, numbness and hyperventilation)
  • Poor bonding with the baby (no attachment), lack of interest in the baby, family or activities
  • Loss of pleasure or interest in doing things one used to enjoy (including sex)

What if I think it’s PPD?

It is important to note that postpartum depression is not a weakness, but an effect of the pregnancy. In fact, the American Psychological Association reports that degrees of PPD are reported to affect 9-16 percent of postpartum women.

Once recognized, postpartum depression is treatable. If the signs and symptoms of the baby blues persist into depression, it is important to seek the help of a professional. In some cases, social support or therapy may be recommended and in others, medication is necessary to help mothers with PPD.

In the video below, Therapist and Director of Outreach & Education for Postpartum Support of Virginia, Mara Watts, M.A., M., Ed. shares what separates postpartum anxiety and mood disorders from typical baby blues. This is a must-watch before baby arrives for parents and those who love them because postpartum mood disorders are the most common medical complication of pregnancy. 

PPD vs. Baby Blues - Know the Difference
Postpartum Depression vs. the Baby Blues

For more information, Postpartum Support International (PSI) is available for support, resources and reliable services for no charge.

The NoClock Nursing Method

There’s a LOT of advice about how long and how much a newborn should be breastfeeding so the No Clock Method might sound a little funny. But as Heidi Streufert, RN and former La Leche League Leader explains: “My best advice to postpartum parents is to throw away the clock at least for the first few weeks. While establishing milk supply, watch the baby’s natural eating and sleeping patterns to emerge.” She explains this, called the NoClock Nursing Method here.

How to Make Sure Baby is Feeding Enough

To assure baby is feeding often enough, rather than thinking in terms of “feeding every __ hours for ____ minutes,” simply make a check mark for each successful latch with sustained rhythmic sucking during a 24 hour period. You can use the chart below.

Each attempt may *realistically* last anywhere from as long as 45 minutes to as short as 5 (yes five!) minutes for an active full term baby. A longer attempt of 45 minutes or so might occur in a dyad where there are repeated latch attempts, or when supply hasn’t yet met demand. This is common in the early days. Shorter attempts at feeding will happen with a good deep latch and adequate supply/fast let-down in mom.

The NoClock Nursing Method
NoClock Method of Breastfeeding

The key is to allow baby to spontaneously release the breast and burp. Then offer the second breast if baby still interested but there’s no need to worry about “how long” baby was on the breast.

At a minimum, baby should have 8 such occurrences in a 24 hour period. Some babies will have 10-12 or more of these breastfeeding sessions on any given day. This is perfectly normal, especially when establishing supply or during growth spurts. 

NoClock Nursing Method in “Clock” Terms

Here’s what we mean when we put this in “Clock Terms:”

  1. Babies -newborns especially – typically feed MORE often than every 3 hours throughout the day. T
  2. They can often have a slightly longer stretch of sleep between feeds overnight.
  3. Either way, a pattern will emerge in the first two weeks that can be made into the ‘routine’ once supply is well-established.

Baby’s urine and stool output will be the guide for whether baby is “getting enough milk.” This can again be a simple check mark at each diaper change. We have a NoClockLog above, but any piece of paper will do- too much focus on exact recording isn’t needed! 

NoClock Nursing Method – Breastfeeding to Sleep

When parents ask me if it’s okay to let their baby fall asleep at the breast, I usually respond, “I dare you to try to keep them awake!” says Heidi, RN.

“But, seriously, I typically tell them that newborns will fall asleep while breastfeeding. Not only is this okay, but parents will soon discover that the breast is a wonderful tool. Nursing is so much more than a way to feed our babies!”  

There are parents who are concerned that nursing to sleep will set the baby up with “bad habits.” Don’t worry- the only rule is just that nursing should not serve as the only tool for putting baby to sleep.  Just as the pacifier, rocking or sleeping in the car should not be the only ways baby knows to go to sleep.

Shouldn’t We Have a Routine?

Sometimes baby falls asleep at the breast, but sometimes baby nurses, plays a little while, then has a bath. Then they get a swaddle, or parents sing, rock, or walk baby to sleep.  Sometimes the baby falls asleep traveling in the car (no one EVER seems to suggest that THIS is a problem!). Sometimes your baby will slips off to sleep while you’re holding them and other times the crib.  The key is flexibility.  This sets baby up to be able to sleep in a variety of situations, rather than always relying on just one association for sleep. So no, parents don’t have to worry about breastfeeding to sleep.

While establishing a good bedtime routine is important for babies during the first year, being too rigid can lead to its own set of problems. Babies who have a very strict sleep routine may have difficulty with sleep issues later when it’s time to transition to a new bed, sleep on vacation, or take a nap at grandma’s house. Of course they may not either, and we understand needing baby to nap. The point is to ensure your baby isn’t solely dependent on one specific way to go to sleep.

For more info on early nursing, watch Labor & Delivery Nurse Meghan explain here:

Postpartum and Baby Care in the Las Vegas Valley

updated October 14, 2023 – Social media groups, places of worship and neighborhood message boards can help new parents connect. But for new mothers and fathers looking for certified newborn care providers, postpartum doulas or maternal mental health support, local resources may be harder to find. To help, below is our list of Postpartum and Baby Care in the Las Vegas Valley.

Postpartum and Baby Care in the Las Vegas Valley – Postpartum Mental Health Support

Did you know that mood disorders are the most common complication of pregnancy? While 1 in 7 mothers experience some portion of the spectrum of postpartum depression, fathers and partners can also experience issues.  In both parents, early intervention is vital to ensure parents can heal from these mental health complications.

  • Postpartum Support International has immediate and qualified support and referrals in the Las Vegas area whether parents need emergency resources, support groups or medical intervention.
  • The NV Statewide Maternal and Child Health Coalition offers support and treatment options for all families, through the use of evidence-based practice and research.
  • National Maternal Mental Health Line (833-TLC-MAMA) – For immediate postpartum needs, callers can speak to professional counselors who immediately provide real-time support, information, and resources. Help is available in a variety of languages.
Postpartum and Baby Care in the Las Vegas Valley
Postpartum and Baby Care in the Las Vegas Valley with NVMCH

Twins, Triplets, Quads and more: 

For parents expecting twins or higher order multiples, support groups offer the unique advice, commiseration and referrals to in home postpartum doula support. Besides advice from veteran parents of twins +, “MoM’s and PoM’s Clubs” are also known for their expert organization of meal trains!

Las Vegas Multiples is  part of the 501c3 non-profit, Multiples of America and is open to all parents of twins, triplets and higher order multiples in the Las Vegas Valley.

Did you know newborn twins usually eat every 2 hours? That means 24 feeds in 24 hours! Certified Newborn Care Providers (NCP) can help by feeding both babies at the same time or caring for 1 newborn while a parent feeds the other. This allows parents to bond with each infant individually.

Breastfeeding: 

La Leche League International (LLL) is perhaps the most well-known and respected resource for help and support with nursing. Founded in 1956 and consistently updating and adding to their support resources, LLL is truly an excellent means of gaining breastfeeding help.

La Leche League of Nevada offers weekly support groups and personal, email or phone support to nursing mothers. There is no charge for this support and  anyone can join. Additionally, the local NV chapters follow the national LLL mission of fostering “diversity among its Leaders so as to incorporate a wide variety of perspectives and responsible decision-making.”

Postpartum and Baby Care in the Las Vegas Valley – Newborn Care Classes

  • Clark County Baby Care Class – Free, 6 session program teaches expectant and new parents care, safety, health and infant development and more, leading to confident prepared parents!
  • In-Home Baby Basics Class – We offer parents, grandparents and other caregivers personal newborn care and safety classes in your home. Taught by RN’s and Certified Newborn Care Providers (NCP) and therefore evidence-based.
  • Nevada211.org lists parenting classes and assistance for expecting and new parents, co-parents, those parenting a child with a disability and child development.

Owner of Let Mommy Sleep Jordan Stubblefield, is a Certified Lactation Counselor as well as Newborn and Postpartum Care instructor. Jordan volunteers with Postpartum Support International as well as the NVMCH. She and her team of night nurses (RN), nannies and postpartum doulas can be contacted locally to provide virtual or overnight newborn care support!

night nurses and postpartum doulas for las vegas newborns

How to Swaddle Like a Pro

Swaddling is an excellent way to soothe your baby and the ideal way to help baby stay asleep at night.   We sometimes hear from parents that their newborn does not like to be swaddled, but often we find that baby is just not swaddled snugly enough.  Swaddling allows babies to feel the comfort of being snuggled up in utero and is an excellent way to soothe newborns whom do not yet have control of their arms and legs. Here, Nurse Ashley demonstrates safe, effective swaddling in How to Swaddle Like a Pro.

How to Swaddle Like a Pro

How to Swaddle Like a Pro by night nurse Ashley
How to swaddle like a pro!

An important thing to remember about swaddling is to only wrap the torso, not the legs at all.

Wrapping the legs down tightly can cause hip dysplasia in infants. Also, a good cue of when to stop swaddling is when baby learns to roll over (often around 2 or 3 months.) While there are lots of products that help baby stay swaddled, this video shows 2 swaddling techniques that can be used with any basic receiving blanket or muslin.

Giving your baby lots of time outside the swaddle is great for their development too! Tummy time, being held facing out or even flat on the back in a safe spot are all wonderful ways for your baby to explore their world. For sleep though, a snug swaddle will help your baby relax.

Ideally, babies should stop being swaddled before they begin to roll over. This can occur as early as 8 weeks. Though baby may still love to be swaddled, it’s unsafe to continue swaddling once baby can roll. If baby is also consistently “busting out” of the swaddle it is time to stop the practice. You can gradually wean baby of the swaddle by letting one arm out for several nights. Then allow both arms out while still keeping snug on the abdomen. After several nights you can eliminate the swaddle blanket altogether.

In addition to safe swaddling, your baby should always be placed on their back to sleep and following the ABC’s of Safe Sleep…Alone, on the Back in a Crib. For more baby care videos please visit us on youtube.com/letmommysleepusa.

Baby Monitor App Safety

In this digital age of parenting, baby monitors and apps for smartphones are the norm. As with anything connected to wi-fi, they’re not perfectly safe though. We’ve all read stories where hackers have yelled at babies or turned on the camera to watch what’s happening in the nursery.  Breastfeeding moms, sleeping babies and families going about their day have had their privacy invaded by online predators. Here are some simple things you can do to ensure security and Baby Monitor App Safety.

Baby Monitor App Safety
Baby Monitors

The main concern with anything wireless is that the signal can be found if users have default or easy to figure out passwords. When this happens, the signal can be hijacked. Hackers can then view all the traffic on the network. They can then easily communicate with your baby, or see what’s happening on camera. As a dad whose monitor was hacked in his young daughter’s room said, “I felt like somebody broke into our house.”

Baby Monitor App Safety

To avoid vulnerability to hackers:

  1. Make sure your home WiFi network is locked down as much as possible to prevent hacking by turning on the router’s built in firewall.
  2. Use strong alphanumeric passwords and special characters.  If your password is difficult to guess, most hackers won’t even bother.
  3. Change the default IP range to WPA2
  4. Create a new admin account on the WiFi router (no “admin” or “administrator” usernames) and disable/delete the default admin account .

Although nothing is foolproof, using the steps above makes your smartphone baby apps less vulnerable. This helps create a secure environment for your baby. Another option is to use an app that triggers a warning if it senses illegal entry. And of course, you can always go old-school with he walkie-talkie style monitors that don’t require internet!

One last thing – when your child is old enough to use a smartphone remember to keep *it* secure too!

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