Let Mommy Sleep Blog - Overnight Infant Care + Resources

How to Swaddle Like a Pro

December 9, 2019

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

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

November 4, 2019

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.

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:

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.
Use strong alphanumeric passwords and special characters. If your password is difficult to guess, most hackers won’t even bother.
Change the default IP range to WPA2
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!

Subscription Boxes for Parents

October 20, 2019

Subscription boxes can be used to count down to baby’s arrival or help new moms and dads in the first few months of baby’s life. Our round-up of unique subscription boxes for new & expecting parents is below!

Subscription Boxes for Parents

Expecting and new parents usually have everything they need for baby. Travel apparel, diapers, nursery decor and fun onesies fill their homes! But many parents forget about themselves! We researched subscription boxes just for new moms and dads because they’re more than a gift, they’re a reminder for parents to care for themselves. For families that are spread out and parents who put self-care last on their list, a subscription box might be the perfect gift.

Here are a few of our favorites:

NoirePack Coffee Subscription – This box hardly needs an explanation.A collection from Washington States finest Campfires Coffee Co., a Black Owned company. For parents who love coffee and the caffeine that comes with it, this 6 month subscription is a perfect pick me up for postpartum parents. Each month’s box includes 4 different sample size coffees from local Seattle roasters.

Leggings Subscription: A unique gift after the postpartum phase these leggings of the month ensure moms are cozy and comfortable. It can be hard for moms to find time to shop for themselves after baby is born. Receiving these cute leggings and the thoughtfulness behind them may be just what a mom needs.

Date Night in a Box: Couples can reconnect without having to leave the house or hiring a babysitter! The inventors of Crated with Love are a family therapist and her husband, and together they’ve designed activities that aim to “inspire laughter and create quality one-on-one time” at home.

TheraBox: TheraBox is the #1 selling self-care box. With the tagline of “Happiness in a Box” we can see why! TheraBox includes aromatherapy, mindfulness activities, organic bath products and more. They promise over $100 in retail value per month. Subscriptions can last as long or as short as you’d like.

Don’t Forget to Eat!

And Snacks, Snacks, Snacks: Nutritious foods parents can eat with one hand are not only thoughtful but completely necessary! From international fare to traditional snacks, there is a subscription box for every new and expecting parent.

Eat2Explore boasts a new country to explore through cuisine every month! With kid friendly recipes this subscription box will be a hit with your older kids while making dinner time a little easier

Whether your loved one is pregnant or expecting, a subscription box can show you’re thinking of them even when you can’t be there. You can see our full list of subscription box picks on our Amazon shop!

CPSC tips to Prevent Tip-Overs

August 25, 2019

In the United States, a child dies about every 11 days when a TV, furniture, or appliance falls on them. 14,000 children are injured every year. About 70 percent of tip-over fatalities involve children ages 1 1/2 to 3 years old and these incidents are preventable. The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Anchor It! Campaign educates parents and caregivers that anchoring is simple, inexpensive and important. These tips and resources from the campaign show how to prevent tip-overs to help you create a home and child-care space that is babyproofed from furniture being pulled over.

Here’s how to Prevent Tip-Overs

Anchor all furniture, dressers, armoires, and bookshelves to the wall.
Secure TVs to the wall or base/TV stand and recycle older, unused TVs
Check for and act on recalls of products that present tip-over hazards
Watch this video demonstration to learn more about how tip-overs happen as well as how to easily install anti-tip devices (also known as anchors).

Be sure to anchor before your baby arrives or before s/he becomes mobile. Babies begin to crawl as early as 6 months and they may be “grabbing” well before then. “The to-do list when a new baby arrives can feel overwhelming. It doesn’t matter whether you anchor furniture and TVs before baby arrives or once they start to sit up and become mobile – the important thing is getting it done. Anchoring furniture and TVs is fairly inexpensive and simple to do – even when you’re sleep-deprived. Anchoring only takes about five minutes, and it could save your child’s life.”

Meghan DeLong’s 2-year-old son passed away on Mother’s Day 2017 when his dresser tipped over on him. Meghan is now the Founder and President of Conner’s Legacy Foundation, Inc. The mission of the organization is to promote education, advocacy, and resources for the awareness of furniture tip-over prevention at the community level and the national level by sharing Conner’s story, providing community outreach and education, and encouraging mandatory regulation standards for furniture.

Keep your child, and those in your care, safe by following the guidelines laid out by the CPSC and the suggestions of Connor’s Legacy Foundation. You can click the graphic to print out your own Anchor It poster. For more babyproofing info please visit our blog about How to Create a Safe Nursery.

Toys Siblings Can Play with Together!

August 1, 2019

Updated November 19, 2023 – If you’re expecting your second, it’s normal to worry about how you’ll manage your time with a newborn and older child. How will you keep everyone happy and occupied? What if the toddler is (unintentionally) too rough with baby? And what about twins…how will you handle 2 babies and then 2 toddlers? Our night nanny and postpartum doula team have a few suggestion to help your days go smoothly in this blog, Toys Siblings Can Play with Together!

Toys Siblings Can Play with Together – Our Faves

We’ve got a full list of toys siblings can play with together on Amazon, but here are our favorites:

The Aqua Magic Mat is a 40″ x 60″ is colorful and meant to be drawn on, so the baby can have tummy time alongside older kids. There are pens and small parts that come with this toy so supervision is of course a must. You can always add a separate playmat for baby on the side too.

Step 2’s Walk-In Play Kitchen is big enough for 2 or 3 kids to cook and create together and looks like a modern kitchen! It’s all wood, includes 15 play pieces and has moveable parts at all levels so even babies who aren’t standing yet can parallel play and watch.

Jumbo Foam Blocks are basically giant soft Legos! They’re sturdy and have endless possibilities for safe play.

For toddlers, the 40 piece cardboard block set with 3 different sized blocks means even more building! While you’ll probably have these for many years, parents should know that each of the 40 pieces must be put together individually.

The full set of Elephant & Piggie books. Go ahead and do yourself a favor and just buy all 25 books. We PROMISE your reading age child will adore reading these aloud to their baby brother or sister. And if you want to read aloud to the kids, Elephant & Piggie stories are warm, hilarious and often have a funny twist at the end.

4-in-1 Activity Center – This toy is not to be used without adult supervision but we love it because for less than $150 you’ll have a toy that occupies several kids at a time for years! Your baby will learn so much just from being held while watching the older kids slide, climb and shoot hoops! see the next section for more on this!

What the Experts Say About The Power of Play

Sibling Bonding and Play

While fostering good sibling relationships is ultimately up to the kids themselves, we parents can help the process along! A Georgetown study notes that “Infants with siblings imitated more behaviour without explicit instruction than did infants without siblings.” That means your little ones do learn from their older brothers and sisters. In addition to nurturing your infant with baby-age activities yourself, it’s great to encourage cooperation, bonding and good old laughter with toys kids can explore together.

You Are Your Child’s Favorite Toy

As the Zero to Three foundation says, whether you have 2 or more children or are a one and done family, you are your child’s favorite toy. You don’t need fancy or expensive items to nurture your newborn, infant or toddler. Understanding what your baby will respond to at each age makes development fun and educational for the whole family.

newborns, infants, twins and toddlers can all play together

We’re Amazon Associates. That means we receive a small fee from purchases made from this site. This helps finance our non-profit, Mission Sleep which gives free overnight care to families whose newborns arrive when a parent is deployed, wounded or deceased.

Blog

How to Swaddle Like a Pro

How to Swaddle Like a Pro

Baby Monitor App Safety

Baby Monitor App Safety

Subscription Boxes for Parents

Subscription Boxes for Parents

Don’t Forget to Eat!

CPSC tips to Prevent Tip-Overs

Here’s how to Prevent Tip-Overs

Toys Siblings Can Play with Together!

Toys Siblings Can Play with Together – Our Faves

What the Experts Say About The Power of Play

Sibling Bonding and Play

You Are Your Child’s Favorite Toy

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