Saturday, January 18, 2014

Family Rhythm : Figuring Out Life with a Newborn

Now that we have been home with our little one for over a month, I feel like we have developed  a bit of a family rhythm. However, we have had family visiting for 3 of the last 4 weeks so I'm sure things will feel a bit different after we settle down.

Here's what has been working for us so far:
-I wake up for night feedings and let Luke (attempt) to sleep.  He has to get up and work, while I get to stay home and rest/take a nap, so I try to let him get as much sleep as possible at night.
-Luke spends some time with Miko when he gets home which allows me some time to take a shower, do some stretching and perhaps work on a blog post.
-I've been eating more snacks and small meals, things that are quick and easy to eat.  I have also been cutting up lots of veggies and making huge salads so there is always something healthy to grab in the fridge.
-I read, journal or work on my to-do lists during night feedings so that I don't fall asleep!  This way I am able to ensure little Miko is actively feeding, and I avoid falling asleep in an uncomfortable position.
-After trying a few different methods, I have come to realize that I identify the closest with the beliefs of Dr Sears and attachment parenting. Baby-lead feeding has been working great for us, and I am surprised at how relaxed I am about it. Miko has developed a pretty consistent schedule on his own anyway.
-I treat night time feedings a little differently than feedings during the day.  At night, when Miko wakes up hungry, I undress him and feed him from one boob.  He usually falls asleep after feeding for 10-20 minutes. I change his diaper and put his clothes back on. This process wakes him up again. He then feeds from the second boob until he falls asleep.  At this point I ease him into his bassinet so he can (hopefully) continue sleeping without waking up.


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