“Happiest Baby on the Block” the video is best – and it’s available through Netflix, but the book is good too. The five “S”s for getting newborns to sleep helped us survive the first three month. (Swaddle, side, shhhh, swing, sucking)
(Side note: Swaddling was essential for getting my son to sleep – but we could not get him to stay in a
swaddle. Not even the miracle blanket worked. The only thing that kept him confined was the baby
bonkie. My daughter didn’t do as well with swaddling, it just made her so angry that she would wake
herself up more. But then, she didn’t really sleep for the first six months of her life, so she’s not a good
example to follow.)
A white noise machine. A friend gave us one and I thought it would be a complete waste. That thing was a lifesaver. (Our son responded to it much more than our daughter, but with our daughter it was good to help block out the noise of her rambunctious older brother). I loved having one in the bedroom and one for on the go. The on the go sleep sheep is great because changes in noise levels can wake a sleeping baby when you transfer them in/out of the car, or walk into a restaurant, etc. And there is no reason to ever risk waking a baby.
A giant exercise ball. That's right. This has saved us through many, many, many a crying jag. Bouncing a baby up and down to soothe him/her can be exhausting – particularly in the wee hours of the morning. It also seems that a lot of babies like pretty serious bouncing instead of just a little jiggle and it can get tiring. This way you can sit down and still give them the bounce they want (just be sure to get one that is large enough that you aren’t bending your knees too much).
For my daughter the Ergo Carrier has been (and remains) a lifesaver, but my son never really took to any of the carriers.
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