​Teething is an exciting time when your baby starts growing up and forming his or her mouth. However, it can be an uncomfortable situation that affects the baby’s sleep and yours. Here’s how:

It Causes Pain
Dentists say the most prevalent of the signs of teething is the pain. It hurts for a tooth to erupt through the gums. Just talking about it can feel painful. Teething hurts for adults too, so your baby is likely to fuss and have trouble sleeping because of the soreness. Teething rings can help with the pain. The cold feeling that they get when they chew on the teething rings is quite soothing. You can also purchase some numbing agents that you can rub on the baby’s teeth, as well.

The Baby’s Temperature May Rise
Researchers explain that the teething process may also slightly raise the baby’s temperature, which will also make him or her uncomfortable. Your little one may have trouble sleeping because of that, as well. However, teething will only elevate the baby’s temperature a little bit. If you notice a massive increase in your child’s temperature, he or she may be sick. The illness probably has nothing to do with the teething if the temperature is above 101.

It May Cause Irritability
Irritability is another sign of teething that may affect your little one’s sleep. The baby may cry a lot during this time because of the pain and discomfort. According to children’s medical experts, your child may also be angry and seem generally fussy during the entire time. Teething has a variety of symptoms that will affect a child’s sleeping patterns. Irritability is just another one of them. You can try to use love and comfort to combat the problems with irritability. For example, you can embrace him or her for a little while or sing a warm song to help calm the child down.

Restlessness Occurs
Your baby may be generally restless during the teething process without any accompanying symptoms. He or she may just have difficulty falling asleep. The teething period is just a trying time. Parenting experts explain, trying to distract the child or giving them something cold can help them relax enough to fall asleep. Patience is a necessary skill while a child is teething because most of the time there isn’t anything that you or your child can do but wait it out. It will pass, it will end, it just takes a bit of time, so hold out until then. That being said, playing some soothing music in conjunction with a cold treatment may help the baby to fall asleep faster.

Those are some of the ways that you can tell that your baby is teething. Be patient and loving, and this difficult stage will pass. Your baby will come out of it with the most gorgeous teeth ever.

If you’re looking for more information on infants and other small children, make sure to check out our blog!

​While you may have adjusted to your pregnancy during the first seven months, as you enter your eighth, things often become more complicated. The fetus will become more active at this stage and will often double in weight during the last four weeks. Remaining comfortable is difficult during this time and sleeping can become particularly difficult. However, getting a good night’s sleep is essential in your eighth month of pregnancy because it helps you to feel better, along with ensuring your unborn child remains strong and healthy. Here are some ways to make sleeping at night an easier process during this time.


Replace Your Bedroom’s Ancient Mattress
Zzzz’s. Zzz are VITAL! This is a great time to replace your bed’s old, degrading mattress with a more supportive one. At the same time, you might want to buy a new box spring for your bed. If you buy a high-quality box spring and mattress, these items will probably last for ten or more years. More than enough time to adjust to your newborn’s schedule and see you through sleepless nights with toddlers. This is an excellent investment, so you can also enjoy a fantastic night’s sleep during your eighth month of pregnancy and help you adjust after they are born. And if you have decided on co-bedding with your newborn – a version of cosleeping – a firm, comfortable mattress is essential as part of suggested safety.


Create a Relaxing Environment
The eighth month of your pregnancy is an excellent time to create a more relaxing bedroom. You may not have time to create a soothing environment after your baby is born, so make time to create a space you love now. After having your new bed delivered, it is time to replace the old bedding with new blankets, bedspreads, and sheets. You may want an entirely new décor scheme in your bedroom, so you can replace pictures along with hanging new curtains over the windows. Find ways to make your bedroom your own before your baby becomes a joyful permanent accent.


Visit a Day Spa for a Professional Massage
There is nothing like a SPA DAY! Now is the best time to treat your body to a professional massage. Make sure to inform the massage therapist about your pregnancy so they can plan bodywork that is appropriate at this stage. Many massage therapists who specialize in pregnancy massage will have a table or pillow-shaped specifically for your pregnant belly. If you can’t recline on your stomach, you can often recline on your back or with a pillow under a side to enjoy a much needed massage on your neck, shoulders, arms and legs. Alternatively, you can sit in a special chair while the therapist works on your tender back and hips.


Monitor Your Meal and Snack Times
During your eighth month of pregnancy, you may have problems with indigestion as the fetus grows and presses against your stomach. You should monitor your meal and snack times to avoid indigestion, especially at night. Instead of eating large meals, consume smaller meals and snacks. In addition, avoid spicy and greasy foods that can lead to indigestion.


Hire a Doula for Support
To have an easier pregnancy, you should hire a doula who understands how to help you with your mental and physical changes. A doula is typically a woman who may have had one or more children herself, but most importantly has specialized training to help you with problems such as poor-quality sleep during your eighth month. Doulas can provide an assortment of advice to help you sleep better each night as well as help plan the rest of your pregnancy and delivery.


It is important to sleep well at night during this stage of your pregnancy so you can enjoy the time you have before becoming a parent. If you’re anything like me, lost hours of sleep increase the grump. Use as many methods as possible to sleep better so you will have an easier and more comfortable childbirth and parenting experience.

After months and months of swelling, aches, and pains in pregnancy, finally holding your baby in your arms is a god sent. However, during this first period of parenthood, sleep longer than a wink is nearly impossible. So how do parents get out of this terrible sleep cycle, or at least improve the quality of the little sleep they do have? New parents can try out these five tips and they’ll be counting sheep before they know it!

Diet and Exercise
“Diet and exercise” seems to be the cure-all recommended by doctors no matter the ache or pain, but these two health components can have a big impact on the quality and quantity of new parent’s sleep routines. New parents should ensure they’re getting enough nutrients and macro-nutrients like protein and carbohydrates. Parents should also get these nutrients from healthy food like lean meats and vegetables, not all greasy fast food and sugary soft drinks. Keep an eye out for caffeine late in the afternoon, as drinking things like teas, sodas, and coffee will wreak havoc on sleep schedules.

Try exercises that help you de-stress, such as yoga, swimming, or running. Not only do these activities help destress and release pent up energy, exercise has a distinct correlation with sleep. So even if you’d never be caught dead at the gym, thirty minutes of exercise in exchange for a restful night of sleep is a great trade off.

Take Parental Leave
It can be hard to swing a full sleep schedule when one parent has to go back to work right away. Consider asking your workplace about parental leave so the baby work can be more evenly divided among parents. As Spiggle Law puts it, partners often feel uneasy asking for paternal leave because they worry that their employer might wonder why they need to take time off since they’re not the one who gave birth. Stand firm and ask anyway — getting parental leave means more sleep for both partners, and the new mama will be happier, too. 

Take turns
Sleep is essential to healing and operating at your full capacity. It’s no surprise that newborn babies wake frequently during the night. For some new parents, alternating parent duties for a few nights can help provide the deep sleep necessary to sustain a full day. As a doula, I’ve helped parents devise sleep plans for parents, newborn and even new siblings. There are so many options including but not limited to the guest room for a night, co-sleeping, co-bedding, a “daddy doodies” and “mommy boobies” team and more!

Try Different Techniques to Calm Your Baby
There’s no one miracle fix all for quieting crying babies that will apply to everyone. It’s necessary to try out as any different techniques as you can to find which one works the best for your child. According to Sleep Baby Love, what works on your child one week may change the next week due to “mental leaps” — also known as “wonder weeks.” A calm, quiet baby means restful sleep for parents, so this one is naturally top priority. There are several key items that support calm babies. Expert Dr. Harvey Karp who wrote the helpful book, “The Happiest Baby on the Block” describes 5 S’s – a comfortable combo to mimic the womb! He’s even invented the NOO Smart Sleeper for a good night’s rest.

Ask an Expert
If you’ve cut out caffeine, hit the gym, and are soothing your baby constantly, and you still can’t get a good night of sleep, consider the help of a Postpartum Doula or night nurse. A doula will handle the nightly task of caring for your baby so you can get the deep rest you desperately need. Ask your doctor about it as there might be something else at play other than just tired new parents and a wonky sleep schedule, such as anxiety or postpartum depression.

As you prepare to welcome a newborn into your life, we can help make the transition easier. Sign up for one of our classes today!

​This is a little out of the scope of my normal blog articles but is a topic often asked. What can I do to help us all sleep at night? Parents of young children get little enough sleep as it is, and a bump in the night won’t help. If you’re anything like me, you’re watching Criminal Minds once your babies are put to bed. And then left to worry.

Parents often feel an obligation to take measures to keep their family safe, but not all solutions are created equal. Some alarm systems are overly sensitive and will wake a sleeping infant at the slightest disturbance. Shuffling down the hall with a baseball bat can have the same effect. Here are a few ideas that won’t keep you – or your tiny lookalike – up at night.


Why Traditional Alarms Aren’t Always the Best Choice
Traditional home security systems are loud because they are designed to scare away intruders, but they are most effective when dealing with less experienced intruders. An intruder with more experience knows that they still have time to steal items or harm your family if that’s what they came to do. The answer to these issues may be to consider installing a silent security alarm.


The Advantages of Silent Alarms
You’re already aware that a traditional alarm alerts not only you but the intruders as well. This means that they have time to flee with your valuables before the police arrive to catch them in the act. When this happens, there is a very low chance that your valuables will be recovered. Having a silent alarm alerts you when there is an intruder in your home without alerting the intruder. The best part about this is that modern alarm systems can be armed with a key fob or a smartphone app, giving you an added level of security.

Key fobs and smartphone apps typically come equipped with a silent panic alarm as well. If you are trapped in your home with an intruder and unable to trigger your home’s alarm system, this is a handy feature to have. Another advantage is that a silent alarm is much harder for an intruder to disable. Many intruders know how a traditional security alarm works, so they are able to disable the system before an alert is sent out to the police.


Live-Stream Camera Systems
Stiff competition in the home security industry has drastically brought prices down on camera systems. Modern systems are not only motion-activated but can provide a live feed to your smartphone or tablet. This way, you can inspect noises in your home without leaving the comfort of your bed. Added benefit – checking in on your sneaky midnight snackers! In my household, this tends to be my husband.


Sleep Classes
Nothing can compare to quality sleep education so that can help you can help support your children into healthy sleep habits. Understand what is normal for newborn sleep and how you can best support their development of circadian rhythms.


You’re sure to appreciate the peace and security a silent security system brings to your life. You’ll love the silence of the alarm itself as well. This type of alert means that you’ll no longer have to deal with loud false alarms waking your sleeping baby, and that’s a bonus you’re sure to enjoy. If you enjoyed this or you would like to continue educating yourself about young parenthood, consider one of our pregnancy and parenting courses such as Understanding Your Newborn.


Resources:https://www.sleepbabylove.com/3-year-old-wont-sleep/
http://www.homesecurityresource.org/how-silent-alarms-work/
https://www.protectyourhome.com/home-security-equipment