Dad's role in sleep
With Father’s Day coming up, I thought it would be great to dedicate this post to talk about how important Dad’s role is to our child’s sleep. As I always like to say, my husband and I co-parent. We both work. We both raise our kids. We both bathe our kids. We both feed our kids. So why can’t we both sleep our kids? (Don’t worry, we do 😉).
Newborn Stage:
This stage I often refer to as “survival mode.” It’s a bit of a chaotic honeymoon stage. We’re in love, and we’re over the moon with our new addition. Yet at the same time, we’re exhausted and don’t know how to do it all. However, the newborn stage is when we need all hands on deck! We need BOTH parents doing it all, to help each other out, and more importantly, to bond with our newborn. Yes, even though Mom chooses to EBF, Dad can play a HUGE roll in newborn’s sleep.
1. Bedtime routine: Dad can take over 3 (if not all 4) of the 4 B’s for the bedtime routine (bathe, bottle, book, bed). If Mom is EBF, Dad can still do the other parts to the routine. Bathe newborn and offer a nice yummy massage. Read a book and swaddle and rock your newborn to sleep.
2. Middle of the night wake-ups: Those first few months your newborn will be up many times for many reasons. Sometimes to feed, but sometimes just to regulate breathing and temperature, or want that one-on-one contact. If Mom is EBF, then perhaps Dad can take over the other wake ups, and settle baby to sleep. This will help Mom get a break and get some rest too.
3. Naps: Dad can take over a nap (or two) to give Mom a break. This is the time when we are supposed to swaddle, rock, hold, or even bounce our baby to sleep. So have Dad spend one-on-one time with her, and hold her as long as he wants!
Infant and toddler stage:
Coming out of the newborn stage and into the infant stage, she will start settling into a nice sleep routine. Again, we will need Dads to help us in so many ways!
1. Sleep Training: Your infant will need to learn the self-soothing techniques to put herself to sleep. When you begin sleep training, you will BOTH need to help each other out throughout the process. Supporting each other, staying consistent, and allowing the other one to catch up on some rest after being up sleep training. Even more so, if there is a strong nurse-to-sleep association, we will need Dad to help Mom break this habit (not stop nursing, just break the feed to sleep association).
2. Bedtime routine: Now more than ever will we need Dad during the bedtime routine. This routine is crucial to healthy sleep habits for your infant. If Dad is able to be home for 3 or 4 of the 4 B’s, it would be so helpful!
3. Naps: Your infant will need to nap 1-3x a day and what better way to help, than doing nap time routines on the days he’s home! This will give Mom a chance to be with the other child, or even just take a break from it all.
Have special situations that you have questions on? Sure, not a problem! Schedule a call and let’s talk it over.