Bringing home a new baby from the hospital can be both exciting and intimidating. She sleeps so peacefully during the day, looks adorable holding your finger so tightly, and is easily soothed and comforted, but turns into a completely different baby at night. Suddenly, it is as if this baby hates sleep!
Such a common question family and friends will ask is “So is the baby sleeping through the night yet?” This is confusing to new parents because most babies don’t start sleeping through the night for weeks or even months. For many new parents, hearing that question after only a few days or weeks can make it seem like their baby is not on track.
Almost all babies have their days and nights switched and think that once the sun goes down, it’s time to party! For parents that have been up all day entertaining family and friends who have come to visit, working, and catching up on housework, by the end of the day, they are ready to crash in their bed and sleep all night.
In theory, it sounds like it would be a good idea to keep baby up during the day so they sleep better at night, but this just makes them cranky and harder to soothe due to being overtired. This pattern of sleeping during the day and waking during the night is normal and it may be a while before she wants to sleep at night. This is why it is so common for people to tell new parents to sleep when the baby sleeps. If only it were that easy! I suppose if you could also cook when the baby cooks, clean when the baby cleans, and shower when the baby showers.
Luckily, this is where a postpartum doula can come in and make a big difference. Some people know that postpartum doulas can come by during the day to help with cooking meals, light housekeeping, newborn care, and emotional support as the reality of being parents starts to sink in and they start to piece together the details of the birth. Some people have family or friends coming in to town that they believe will be great at doing all these things. This can be so helpful, but when they leave, the family is tired from entertaining, the sun goes down, and the baby is wide awake!
At Music City Doulas, we offer some of the most flexible and extensive postpartum care packages available in Middle Tennessee!
In addition to typical daytime hours, we also offer overnight packages! This is a life-saver for new parents whose babies have their days and nights confused.
She will show up at the end of your day to help clean up after dinner and watch your baby so you can get ready for bed. Your doula will take care of the baby until she falls asleep and then sleep near her so she can hear when she wakes up. If you are bottle feeding your baby, your doula will fix a bottle and feed your baby while you sleep or if you are nursing, she will bring the baby to you for a nursing session and then take the baby back to burp her, change her diaper, and get her back down to sleep.
Your doula can even have breakfast and coffee ready for you by the time you wake up so you feel ready to take on the day! Being sleep-deprived does not have to be the reality for new parents; it is not some rite of passage that you must go through. Sleep well knowing your family is in great hands!
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