Working moms, stay at home moms, moms in general — we really do do it all! Getting back to the early morning New York City hustle and being on top of your game for the 9 am meeting or zoom call is HARD with a newborn at home. Throw in the fact that you are hormonal and have been up all night feeding a baby, googling how to get that baby to sleep.

SLEEP. How do you get a newborn to sleep so you can go back to work and NOT walk-through days like a complete zombie? Yes, it is absolutely possible to get your baby sleeping through the night (6 hours) as early as 5-6 weeks and sleeping 10-12 hours as early as 10 weeks! And no there is no magic or drugs involved, it is just being consistent so set a goal and stick with it. Training your baby to sleep is not easy, it takes time and leaves you with a lot of sleepless nights. After hours of crying, maybe from your baby and you, it can feel so easy to give up, but stick with it.

7 Ways to get Your Baby on a Sleep Schedule

A couple things you want to think about in getting your baby to sleep through the night as early as possible.

  1. Hire a sleep consultant. Duh. If you wanted to get in the best shape of your life you would hire a personal trainer or a chef so why not hire someone that will GUARANTEE your baby will be sleeping through the night before your maternity leave is over. No brainer.
  2. Look into getting a night nurse, they are quite common in New York. Your baby will sleep but it does take work. If your budget allows it why don’t you have someone come in and help you do the work! You will also learn a lot from them.
  3. Start a process and stick with it. SO many families I work with have tried a million different things and nothing has worked. Remember babies change SO much the first year and if you don’t stick with something long enough you won’t really know if it is working or not.
  4. Make sure your baby has full feeds, an ideal sleep environment, proper wake windows and is put down awake. Much easier said than done but those foundational things make a HUGE difference.
  5. Meet your baby’s needs. Feed before they get hungry, put down before they get tired, pain manage when you see discomfort. Helping your baby meet all their needs will also help them sleep because they WANT to sleep they just have a lot of things that interrupt that process some times.
  6. Expect change. Every day with a baby is different. Some days they nap perfectly, Sometimes they are up all night. That doesn’t mean they are a perfect napper or that they will never sleep again. It means that every day is a little different and don’t let a good day or a bad day define your baby’s entire existence. They are a baby not a robot.
  7. Listen to your gut. It is SO easy to be pulled in a million different directions. You have access to a million books, blogs, moms, mother in laws, friends, strangers at the coffee shop, loudest mom in your mom group, etc. Everyone has their own opinion and experience. But guess what NO ONE else is the mother of your child and do what feels right to YOU. Anyone that supports YOU and is for YOU will support that. Especially a sleep consultant or night nurse- they should help guide you specifically based on you, your parenting style and comfort level. And they are not unicorns they really do exist

Being a working mom is the hardest job out there. Add the pressures of living in the City, and it can feel overwhelming at times. Leaving your baby can cause anxiety and stress, which only gets worse with little to no sleep.  Remember you CAN get your baby sleeping. You can find a system that works for you- and there are so many resources to help get you there! Reach out to me today! I love helping moms find their rhythm, get back to work and doing the things they love but still enjoy motherhood. Sleep truly makes all the difference in the world!