Let Mommy Sleep Blog - Overnight Infant Care + Resources

Emergency Preparedness with Infants

January 25, 2015

updated October 24, 2023 – When an emergency strikes, the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA suggest having food, water and other supplies to last your family for at least 72 hours (3 days). Our night nurses and postpartum doulas describe the essentials of newborn, infant and baby care items in Emergency Preparedness with Infants.

Emergency Preparedness with Infants – What are the top 3 baby care items to have?

Newborns and infants need to have emergency items on hand in case unexpected situations arise. The top 3 items are:

diapers – A general guideline is one diaper for every two hours
feeding items – bottles, formula, purified water if not exclusively breastfeeding
baby wipes – Wipes clean you baby and can also be used to clean surfaces if there are no other options.

Our team of night nurses and doulas recommend a good old fashioned hiking backpack so your arms are free to carry or wear your infant. Diaper bags might not work as you’ll need room to carry water and enough clothing and diapers for 3 days.

Emergency Preparedness with Infants — infant emergency prep

A 72 Hour Emergency Kit for Babies should contain the following:

2 gallons of nursery or purified water
At least 1 gallon of water per day for nursing moms.
1 large, sealed can of powdered formula (more than enough for 3 days) or consider powdered formula packets to save space
Formula scoop if not included with the can
3-5 bottles with nipples
Baby food pouches (for babies that eat solids)
Finger food such as Cheerios or “puffs” (for babies that eat solids)
Camping stove (may be necessary to sterilize and clean bottles.)
30-35 diapers – here is how to know if your newborn or infant is eating enough
2 large containers of disposable baby wipes (for diapering needs and also for cleaning spills, hands, and bodies.)
Diaper rash cream
Diaper changing pad
2 boxes of sealable plastic bags (like Ziploc) for storing dirty diapers and laundry
Pacifiers (if your baby uses them)
Clothing:
- 5 seasonal changes of clothes (combination of onesies, pants, footed one-piece outfits)
- 3 footed pajamas
- Sleep sack or swaddle
- Seasonal items such as hats, socks and mittens.
Swaddle blanket
5-6 burp clothes or washcloths
Travel baby kit with baby soap, lotion, shampoo
Hand sanitizer
Baby Tylenol or Motrin
Warm emergency blanket
Hand warmers
2-3 small toys

If you need to leave your home your go-bag should have:

Baby carrier (wearing a baby can be invaluable)
Additional toys
Stroller
Jacket, coat or bunting depending on the weather

Emergency Preparedness with Infants – Don’t Forget Yourself!

In an emergency it’s natural for parents to put all their efforts toward their newborns and infants but we want to be sure that you have the nutrition and preps you need to stay strong and focused too.

Water – All major resources recommend storing 1 gallon of water per day, per adult. So at least 3 gallons of water for 72 hours for drinking and daily tasks like brushing our teeth.

Phone Charger – Your phone is a crucial means of communication. It can keep also keep toddlers and older kids calm and occupied during an emergency. A solar powered phone charger can give you peace of mind if electricity goes out or is unavailable.

Disinfecting Wipes – Emergency situations might mean being in close quarters with others. Sanitizing surfaces can help keep everyone healthy and clean.

Non- Perishable Food – Parents and adults need foods that won’t spoil to keep their energy up and stay strong. Power Bars, granola bars, canned fruits, canned meats and powdered milk are great examples.

As your family grows and changes, emergency preparedness kits will need to be updated. For example, a newborn would require a different diaper size, nipple, and clothing than a 10-month old. Check in on your 72-hour kit every 4-6 weeks to update, test or change out the items. And of course if you have twins or more than one child, your kit will be double in size.

smiling dad with newborn and infant — thank you Nathan Dumlao on unsplash for this image

Preventing Falls to Keep Baby Safe

December 30, 2014

updated June 6, 2022 – According to the CDC, unintentional falls are the number one cause of injury in children under three, and almost every parent can recall a time when baby unexpectedly pulled up, fell down or slipped. In Preventing Falls to Keep Baby Safe there are tips for new parents and anyone looking after newborns, infants, toddlers and kids.

Mom of 3 Micaela Williamson remembers this: “When my son was 7 months old, we took him to the zoo. With all the excitement of getting him in and out to see the animals, we forgot to buckle him back into his stroller. As I pushed the stroller down a hill, he slipped right out and landed on the asphalt.”

“Luckily baby was okay,” she adds, “but I became vigilant about double checking the stroller strap and always speak up when I see babies unstrapped in public.”

Tips for Preventing Falls to Keep Baby Safe

When using baby gear; strollers, swings, and high chairs, always strap baby in correctly.
Never put infant swings, bouncy chairs, or seats such as the Bumbo chair on a high surface. Always put them on the floor.
Always keep one hand on baby and be attentive when baby is on a higher surface such as a bed or changing table. Even babies that cannot fully roll over can roll and fall off beds.
Secure and lock all windows, and since mobile young children love to climb, be sure to move chairs and furniture away from windows.
Install safety guards on any high stair railings or balconies that baby could fall through.
Babies and toddlers love stairs! Teach your child to go down the stairs backwards, and keep staircases free of clutter. Also, always use safety gates around stairs. When installing a safety gate at the top of the stairs, it is recommended to always attach the gate to the wall.
Pass on baby walkers and use stable activity centers instead. In fact, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that walkers not be sold in the United States. This is because they put children at risk for injury. There are also no clear benefits.
When using a stroller, avoid stairs or escalators. If stairs cannot be avoided, be sure to remove baby from the stroller. Then, have another individual carry the stroller or baby on the stairs.
Babywearing is convenient and soothing for babies. Be certain to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using a carrier or wrap.

The world is a new and exciting place for babies to explore, but by taking these precautions, you can make it a whole lot safer. For more info on preventing falls, visit Creating a Safe Nursery

What is a Dreamfeed?

November 12, 2014

updated September 29, 2023 – When seeking ways to help baby sleep longer stretches at night, parents commonly hear advice that they must offer baby a “dreamfeed.” But what is a Dreamfeed? And how does it work? Here’s how this scheduled feeding technique works:

What is a Dreamfeed? A feed between 10pm-11pm

Popularized by the widely respected Baby Whisperer newborn care books, to dreamfeed means to simply bring breast or bottle to baby’s lips in the later evening hour. This is usually around 10pm-11pm when baby is still asleep. Why 10-11?

This timing allows the baby to receive nourishment that sustains them for a few hours and potentially reduce the frequency of nighttime awakenings.
If your typical time going to bed is 10pm, you have some assurance that you’ll get a decent block of sleep before the next wake up.
If your baby last ate at 7pm, 10-11 would be the next timeframe in which they are typically hungry so you are getting to them before they fully wake up, making getting them “back down” easier.

In other words, because your baby is full and comfortable in the 10pm hour, they’ll sleep longer while you’re sleeping.

Your infant will instinctually take in what their little body needs at that time, usually just a few ounces. Postpartum doula’s know this technique works because there is also no reason to burp or wake since they will be relaxed enough to go back to sleep after the feed.

In other words, feeding baby before you go to sleep means that you might eliminate one of the middle-of-the-night feeds. You know you’re going to get up anyway to feed your newborn so why not take the guesswork out of it and help both of you sleep for a long stretch.

You can do quick diaper change after the feed too just to be sure your infant is comfortable and clean!

Tip from the Night Nurses: Folks like to say that wipe warmers are a waste of money but we disagree!

That cold wipe during a dreamfeed diaper change can startle your newborn or infant! Invest the 15 bucks to make sure those wipes are warm and soothing…keeping your baby in a sleepy state of mind overnight!

Why Does A Dreamfeed Work?

Without a dreamfeed, a baby who typically feeds in the 7 PM hour may awakens naturally from hunger at midnight, 1 AM or 2 AM. Giving a feed in the 10:00 hour allows parents to head off this hunger and may allow baby to sleep longer, usually until 4 AM. By giving a feed at 10 PM, instead of waiting to see when baby naturally wakes to feed, we are shifting baby’s asleep hours to match parents, so parents get a long stretch of sleep themselves.

The addition of these few extra ounces will eliminate the physical need for baby to awaken for the first overnight feed. This is because we’re taking waking from true hunger out of the equation. As your infant gets older and able to physically sleep 10-12 hours without needing to eat (which is only decided on by families and their pediatrician) the dreamfeed provides that final feed of the night to take babies through to their natural wake up time in the morning.

How a typical dreamfeed schedule works:

6:30 or 7:00 PM: Baby’s last feed before baby’s bedtime
10:00 PM: bring bottle/breast to baby while baby is still asleep (dreamfeed)…this is before your bedtime
10:20 PM: quick diaper change and back to sleep

While certainly not a necessity, the dreamfeed is a simple extension of baby’s natural 3 hour feeding cycle. It works whether parents are breastfeeding or formula feeding.

What is a Dreamfeed? – Sleeping through the Night

If you want to pave the way for long, independent stretches of sleep overnight, Let Mommy Sleep night nannnies and doulas recommend a dreamfeed. In addition to helping parents sleep well, another benefit of dreamfeeding is gently weaning the amount of milk or formula that is taken in during the overnight hours. Because your infant is consuming exactly the amount their body wants in such a relaxed state, you’ll see that they naturally take in less and less.

If you would like more information on sleeping through the night, these step-by-step instructions may help.

What is a Dreamfeed? – Are there any Downsides?

A dreamfeed is a safe and useful tool to keep in your baby sleep toolbelt but be aware that there are few potential downsides.

Dreamfeeding could potentially be challenging if you’re breastfeeding because your nursing relationship is built on supply and demand. Skipping or adjusting nighttime feedings might mean that your supply needs a few days to catch up to the new dreamfeed time of 10pm, if you’ve never done feeds at that time before.
We Woke a Sleeping Baby!: If your baby was in a spot where they are waking up anyway at 10pm, they might actually fully wake up during the feeding. So while you might have been prepared for a 10-15 minute dreamfeed session, you’re baby might now be wide awake. You would have been doing this 45 minutes of feeding anyway but it’s good to know that the dreamfeed might not be perfect every time. 🙂

How big is a newborn’s stomach?

November 6, 2014

Updated May 6, 2023 – One of the challenges of being a new parent is that newborns and infants seem to be eating constantly, and yet we worry they’re not getting enough! Newborn breastfeeding and bottlefeeding is frequent because our babies can only take in small amounts at a time. This blog answers the question… How big is a newborn’s stomach?

Small, frequent feeds, sometimes up to 12 feeds per 24 hour period, are the norm in baby’s first weeks. If it feels like, All I’m doing is nursing/feeding! then you’re doing everything right. For breastfeeding moms, milk typically “comes in” on about day four or five after baby’s birth but the fact is that colostrum and milk are already being received before then.

Remember, baby only drinks a cherry-sized amount at each feed. Also skin to skin contact with baby not only stimulates interest in feeding but helps both baby and parents in so many other healthy ways!

While there are teams of experts in newborn care, your baby is the real expert in how much to eat! Here’s the volume of an average newborn’s stomach so you can feel prepared for just how little and how frequently babies eat.

As our postpartum doula and night nannies like to say: if it seems like the newborn feeding schedule is that you’re always feeding you newborn, you’re doing it right.

How big is a newborn’s stomach? – a Visual

Things to Remember

Breastfeeding: One particular piece of advice to remember if you’re nursing is that milk doesn’t “come in” right away. It may seem like baby is not getting enough to eat but skin to skin contact and sucking are what helps milk to come in. Remember, breastmilk works on a supply and demand so it makes sense that your milk supply might seem to not be where your newborn needs it to be yet. Of course ask your pediatrician or lactation counselor if you’re worried. If you have other questions about early breast or bottle feeding, Your First Night Home may help.

Bottle feeding: For bottle feeding families, remember that the speed of the bottle’s nipple and amount of formula will effect how much your newborn takes in. Don’t be tempted to have baby drain the pre-made hospital bottles from the hospital. They contain WAY TOO MUCH formula for a newborn. It’s easy to overfeed from a bottle because baby can’t naturally start and stop the flow. So even though our urge might be to feed, feed, feed and not waste any formula, refer to the chart above to give baby the correct amount of food.

Sleep: Conventional wisdom still tells us to tank baby up to sleep. This can be true for older babies (and adults!) but as our postpartum doula and night nanny team tell parents, overfeeding does not help newborns sleep soundly. In fact, feeding too much usually causes unnecessary spit up and gastric discomfort. It’s perfectly normal for newborns to eat every 2 and then stretch to every 3 hours in their first weeks.

The Pediatrician: Take comfort in knowing that in addition to the doctors and nurses, your pediatrician will visit while baby is in the hospital or birthing center. You’ll also visit the ped’s office again when baby is between 3 and 5 days old. The hospital won’t allow discharge unless they’re completely confident that your family is healthy and well. You have a whole team looking out for baby.

How big is a newborn’s stomach? – Wet and Soiled Diapers

It might be hard to know how much baby is consuming during each feeding session. That’s okay though because you’ll always be able to monitor how much is coming out. All babies are different, but tracking the amount of wet and soiled diapers each day for the first week is another way to monitor that baby is feeding well. You can always drop in to your pediatrician for a weight check as well.

Birth weight, prematurity, congestion or growth spurts can all contribute to normal feeding behavior for baby at any given time. On the whole, weight gain, diaper output and baby appearing satisfied and content after feeding are all the infants way of telling you they’re happy no matter how big their stomach is. By following your newborns lead and contacting the pediatrician with any concerns you can ensure your baby is eating enough.

Let Mommy Sleep Attends The White House Summit on Working Families

June 26, 2014

CEO Denise Iacona Stern was selected to attend the elite White House Summit on Working Families on June 23, 2014. Key issues discussed at the summit were workplace flexibility, equal pay, childcare, leave and early childhood education. In a nutshell solutions to help families meet their work and home obligations. This blog, Let Mommy Sleep Attends The White House Summit on Working Families explains.

Let Mommy Sleep Attends The White House Summit on Working Families

Here at Let Mommy Sleep, we were honored to represent the challenges of new working families and working mothers.

“It is important for new parents’ voices to be heard,” says Denise Iacona Stern, “Since beginning Let Mommy Sleep, I have worked with nearly a thousand postpartum families and common concerns continue to be that parents in this generation do not have family support because Grandma and Grandpa are still in the workforce themselves, and these same parents are often up against the clock of little or no maternity/paternity leave. Adding to these worries, we currently have the shortest postpartum hospital stays in history.”

Let Mommy Sleep Attends The White House Summit on Working Families – Key Points

The summit featured a keynote from President Barack Obama, who cited that some women in this country can’t even get a paid day off to give birth, calling it “a pretty low bar.” He mentioned that these issues, affecting the amount of time parents can spend with their children, shouldn’t be characterized primarily as women’s issues but rather family issues. In fact, 60 percent of working families in the U.S. today have both parents in the household working, and the United States is among only three countries in the world reporting that they don’t offer paid maternity leave.

One of our favorite quotes from the summit was by Labor Secretary, Tom Perez who said, “The most important family value is time with your family.”

We continue to be committed to following best postpartum care practices for newborns and their parents. Our team of certified newborn care providers, nurses and postpartum doulas also provide evidence-based education for families. A healthy, rested family is never a partisan issue. It was a privilege for Let Mommy Sleep to be in the company many distinguished national business leaders. We enjoyed engaging in dialogues about policies affecting working families in our nation and feel truly blessed to have been selected to attend this event.

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