Your Baby's Journey: A Guide to Sleep, Sensory Play, and Skin Protection

Welcoming a newborn into your life is a joyous occasion, but it also comes with a plethora of new responsibilities. From ensuring your baby gets enough sleep to protecting their delicate skin, there's a lot to consider. Let's dive into a comprehensive guide to baby care, covering everything from sleep training to developmental activities and tips on skin protection.

 

Sleep Training: What It Is

Ensuring Quality Sleep

Sleep is crucial for everyone but more so for babies, as it plays a vital role in their growth and development. However, getting a baby to sleep can be a struggle for many new parents.

This article aims to provide a comprehensive baby sleep training guide that will help parents learn about different sleep training methods, and offer tips and tricks to get their baby to sleep without swaddling. By the end of this article, parents should feel more confident in their ability to help their baby get the rest they need for optimal health and development.

 

Benefits of Sleep Training Your Baby

There are numerous benefits to sleep training your baby, both for the baby and you, sleep-deprived parents! Proper sleep is essential for your baby's physical and cognitive development. Sleep training can help establish healthy sleep habits that will benefit your baby throughout their life.

Sleep training can also provide much-needed relief for parents, who often experience sleep deprivation during the initial months of their baby's life. A well-rested parent is better equipped to conquer the various challenges of parenthood. Overall, sleep training can help improve the quality of life for the entire family.

 

Common Baby Sleep Training Methods

There are several sleep training methods that you can choose from, depending on your childcare philosophy and your baby's temperament. Some of the most popular sleep training methods include:

• Cry it out method (extinction): This method involves putting your baby in their crib when they're drowsy but still awake, and allowing them to cry until they drift off. Parents do not intervene during this time, in order to teach the baby to self-soothe and fall asleep on their own.

• Ferber method (graduated extinction): Also known as the "check and console" method, the Ferber method involves putting your baby to bed when they're drowsy and allowing them to cry for a predetermined amount of time before going in to check on them. Parents gradually increase the time between checks, allowing the baby to learn to self-soothe and fall asleep independently.
• Chair method (camping out): Grab a seat, fellow parents! With this method, you would sit in a chair next to your baby's crib and gradually move the chair further away each night until you're no longer in the room. This gradual approach helps the baby get used to falling asleep without the parent's presence.
• Pick up, put down method: With this method, parents swoop right in when their babies cry, comforting them until they're calm, and then putting them back in their crib. You can repeat this process as many times as needed until their baby falls asleep.

 

How to Get Your Baby to Sleep Without a Swaddle

Swaddling is a common practice that helps soothe and comfort newborns, but as babies grow, they often need to transition out of swaddling to sleep safely and independently. 

If you are looking to train your baby to sleep without a swaddle, here are some useful tips:

1. Start with one arm out: Begin the transition by leaving one of your baby's arms out of the swaddle. This will allow them to get used to the feeling of having more freedom while still providing some comfort.
2. Use a sleep sack or wearable blanket: Once your baby is comfortable with one arm out, transition them to a sleep sack or wearable blanket. These provide warmth and security without the restriction of a swaddle.
3. Introduce a lovey or comfort object: Providing your baby with a small, soft object to hold onto can help ease the transition from swaddling. Be sure to choose an item that is safe for your baby to sleep with, such as a small stuffed animal or a blanket with no loose parts.
4. Create a consistent bedtime routine: Establishing a routine that includes calming activities such as a warm bath, reading a book, or singing lullabies can signal to your baby that it's time for bed, making the transition from swaddling easier.

Patience is key! It may take some time for your baby to adjust to sleeping without a swaddle, but with consistency and patience, they will eventually learn to sleep independently.

 

Baby Sleep Tips and Tricks for a Peaceful Night

In addition to sleep training methods, there are several baby sleep tips and tricks that parents can easily implement to help their baby sleep more soundly:

1. Create a sleep-friendly environment: Make sure your baby's sleep space is cool, dark, and quiet. Use blackout curtains or a white noise machine if necessary.
2. Establish a consistent sleep schedule: Consistency is key when it comes to sleep training. Aim to put your baby down for naps and bedtime at the same time each day.
3. Put your baby to bed drowsy but awake: Encourage your baby to fall asleep independently by putting them in their crib when they're drowsy but still awake.
4. Avoid overstimulation before bedtime: Limit activities such as screen time and noisy play in the hour leading up to bedtime.
5. Rule out medical issues: If your baby is struggling to sleep, consult your pediatrician to rule out any underlying medical issues that may be contributing to their sleep difficulties.

 

Establishing a Bedtime Routine for Your Baby

A consistent bedtime routine is crucial for helping your baby wind down and prepare for sleep. Here are some steps that parents can include in their baby's bedtime routine:

1. Begin with a warm bath: A warm bath can help relax your baby and signal that it's time for bed.
2. Offer a soothing massage: Gentle massages can help ease any tension and create a calming environment for your baby.
3. Read a book: Reading a book can be a great way to bond with your baby and promote relaxation.
4. Sing lullabies: Singing lullabies can help soothe your baby and establish a consistent bedtime routine.
5. Put your baby to bed drowsy but awake: As previously mentioned, putting your baby to bed drowsy but awake can help them learn to fall asleep independently.

A consistent bedtime routine can help signal to your baby that it's time for sleep and promote healthy sleep habits.

 

Dealing with Sleep Regressions and Setbacks

Despite your best efforts, there may be times when your baby experiences sleep regressions or setbacks. Sleep regressions are periods where your baby may experience disruptions in their sleep patterns, often around developmental milestones or changes in routine.

During these times, it's important to stay consistent with your sleep training methods and bedtime routine. Be patient and understanding, as these periods are temporary and will eventually pass. If you find that your baby's sleep difficulties persist, it may be time to seek professional help.

 

When to Seek Professional Help for Baby Sleep Training

If you have tried various sleep training methods and your baby is still experiencing sleep difficulties, it may be time to seek professional help.

Your pediatrician can help identify any underlying medical issues that may be contributing to your baby's sleep difficulties. They can also recommend a sleep specialist or consultant who can provide more specialized guidance on sleep training methods. Remember, seeking professional help is not a sign of failure. Every baby is unique, and some may require more specialized help to establish healthy sleep habits.

 

Sensory Play Ideas

Exploring Sensory Play

Sensory play are activities that stimulate your baby's five senses (touch, smell, taste, sight or hearing). It plays an important part in the development process as it encourages babies to use their senses to learn about their environment. Babies and children learn and remember information faster through engaging their senses. As parents, it’s important that we provide opportunities for our babies to explore the world through sensory play. There are a number of fun, easy activities that you can do during the first year of your child’s life. We’re going to breakdown some of our favorite play activities for each development stage:

 

0-3 Months

At this stage you’re pretty much limited to what you can do as your baby spends a lot of their time sleeping. However, when your baby is awake and alert, seize this opportunity for some stimulating play time. Our favorites include:

• Tummy Time: At 0-3 months babies are unable to fully support themselves so it’s important to get a pillow or some type of support to prop them up. Tummy time is important because it helps strengthen neck and shoulder muscles which is vital for achieving future milestones such as sitting up/crawling etc. Tummy time also helps prevent flat spots at the back of your baby’s head. A great way to make tummy time more interesting is to add some ‘scents’ and introduce natural smells to your baby.
• Mirrors: These are a great way for your little baby to explore, babies adore faces and will be mesmerized with their own reflection. They will even start to reach out to ‘touch’ and as they develop, they will recognize their own face. Mirror time is important for practicing visual tracking, you can pull silly faces and see if your baby copies etc. You don’t even have to stand in front of a mirror all day, simply purchase a toy with a safe mirror built in. You can even combine mirror and tummy time together for extra stimulating play!
• Songs/Sounds and Baby Talk: Any face to face time with your baby is a GREAT way to play, you can simply ‘baby talk’ or sing them some songs. According to researchers at the University of Washington and Connecticut, babies love higher pitch sounds and respond more by babbling. They also found that babies who were exposed to more baby talk had a larger vocabulary at aged two compared to those babies that didn’t. Talking/ singing to your baby also enhances their listening skills and in general is a great way to bond!

4-6 Months

At this stage, your baby has come on leaps and bounds from the little newborn they were, and their motor skills have evolved. They can wiggle their arms and legs and kick! Their head control is much better and at this stage, they can hold their head and chest upright while lying on their stomach during tummy time. This means that playtime can become slightly more advanced and a bit more fun for both of you! Our favorites include:

• Texture Touch: This is a fun activity and you can use your baby’s whole body! Explore textures through hands, feet, and face and even during bath time! Developing a baby’s sense of touch helps in the development of many skills including gross and fine motor skills. Ways to incorporate texture are to play on a variety of textured fabrics or blankets including sheepskin, silk, cotton, etc. You can also let them explore toys or objects that are smooth, bumpy, spikey, hard, squishy, crinkly, shiny or furry. A fun one for both of you is to move different textured materials over their body (arms, feet, face, belly, and back), like a feather for example and enjoy the giggles! Another great way is to look at textured books together.
• Visual Sensory Bottles: These are quite a popular form of sensory play as they’re easy to make, look good and are a great tool for baby exploration! You can fill the bottle with any cool, colorful things like marbles, water beads, and glitter. Then add some water and watch your child be mesmerized but be sure to secure the lid to avoid a mess! Visual sensory bottles are great as the baby can hold the bottle themselves which makes use of their proprioceptive sense (awareness of body movement and effort needed). Plus, their visual sense gets a workout too as they watch the contents of the bottle shift.
• Wiggles & Rhymes: Time to get your baby moving! It’s so important to play in different positions to make your baby aware of movement and balance. One of our favorite activities is to listen to nursery rhymes or songs and do some actions and movements such as bouncing, rocking back and forth, swaying, etc. By combining music and movement your baby stimulates their auditory sense as well as movement/ balance. Some of our favorite songs include, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”, “Humpty Dumpty” and “I’m a Little Tea Pot”.

7-9 Months

The third stage of your baby’s first year and they are developing faster than you imagined! Your baby now has advanced motor skills, improved hand-eye coordination and the ability to sit and stand! A lot of their speedy development is thanks to you and the effort you put in. Our favorites include:

• Oatmeal sensory bin: This is easy to prepare and a whole lot of fun too! Simply fill a container with oatmeal and place different objects in for your baby to discover. You can place blocks or chewy toys; the important thing is that your baby explores and picks up toys. It’s great for practicing listening and speaking skills too as you can talk about the different items as they pull them out like the shape, color, size, etc. Oatmeal is the perfect texture too and is safe to eat! 
• Sensory Basket: At this stage, it is important for your baby to explore different objects and be aware of the amount of force needed to pick up different objects. A great way to encourage this is through a sensory basket. Take a small basket and fill it with all sorts of colorful and interesting objects. You can do all sorts of varieties from a fruit basket to wooden objects! It’s versatile and easy to prepare. Plus, you can combine it with tummy time for extra benefits for your baby!
• Crawling games: At this stage, your baby is much more mobile, and it should be encouraged to allow further development. You can have fun by placing their favorite toys around the room and encouraging them to retrieve it, get them chasing after their favorite toys by pulling them away and get them crawling on different texture (grass, sand, carpet, wooden floors, etc.). These activities may seem simple but are important for the strengthening of shoulders, arms and for coordination between right and left sides of the body. Plus, it helps their visual sense as they have to focus on objects and their movement.

10-12 Months

The final stage of your baby's first year! Your baby has developed so much, they can communicate using a few words and can either walk or are on the cusp. It’s an exciting time and they are still eager to explore their environment, even more so now! Our favorites include:

• Rainbow Noodles: Cook the noodles, allow them to cool and place in a container. Your child can dig into the noodles, squish them, move them around, pick them up. This is great for fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination! If they don’t enjoy the texture, you can give them a wooden spoon to poke them around with, once they are more familiar, they may choose to explore with their hands. It’s beneficial for their sense of touch and taste (if they eat the noodles).
• Crawling Search and Rescue: Crawling is still very important at this stage for strengthening your baby’s body and making them aware of their movements. As they are more developed, we can provide them with opportunities for more challenging crawling. You can create obstacle courses that include homemade mazes by using cushions, pillows or toys. Another good way to encourage development is to get your baby to crawl up ramps, go through tunnels or encounter so man-made speed bumps! Your baby will love this exploring and it helps with their sense of touch, balance, and movement.
• Musical Hide and Seek: A great way to improve auditory development is to hide a hiding a musical toy behind a curtain or furniture item and let your baby find the noise. It’s fun and helps them be aware of body movement too!

 

Developmental Activities For Your Baby

Understanding Infant Development

You're probably aware that the first few years of your child's life are critical for their overall development. But do you know why? The answer lies in the remarkable growth that happens in your baby's brain and body during this time. This growth is activated by a range of experiences, including the developmental activities you provide for infants. Through these developmental activities, your infant builds their social-emotional, cognitive and physical abilities. 

 

Importance of Developmental Activities for Infants

Developmental activities for infants go beyond mere entertainment – they actively stimulate your baby's brain and body, promoting growth and development in specific ways. Social-emotional activities help your baby express and manage emotions, understand others' feelings, and develop a sense of self. Cognitive development activities enhance their thinking, learning, and problem-solving skills.

Meanwhile, physical development activities focus on building strength, balance, and motor skills, enabling them to achieve important milestones like crawling, walking, and self-feeding. These activities lay the foundation for your baby's future learning and growth.

 

Social-Emotional Activities for Infants: Building a Foundation

Your infant's social-emotional skills are the foundation for their ability to form relationships, express and manage emotions, and explore the world around them. To boost your baby's social-emotional development, try activities like:

• Giving positive response. Reassure your baby of your love and care by mirroring their facial expressions, engaging in regular conversations, offering smiles and kisses, and promptly attending to their needs.

• Playing peek-a-boo. This fun game not only entertains your baby but also teaches them about object permanence. By understanding that things exist even when they can't be seen, your baby develops an essential cognitive skill that underpins other learning abilities.

 

Cognitive Development Activities for Infants: Enhancing Brain Power

Engaging and stimulating your baby is key to enhancing their cognitive development. Explore these activities to foster infants' cognitive growth:

• Reading. Begin reading to your baby from an early age to activate their cognitive development. This practice helps to build their vocabulary, instills a love for books, and boosts their listening and concentration skills.

• Sensory play. Introduce objects with different textures, colors, and sounds for your baby to explore. Such sensory experiences help newborns understand object functionality and how they can interact with their surroundings, ultimately stimulating their developing brain.

 

Physical Development Activities for Infants: Encouraging Mobility

Physical development activities for infants are all about encouraging your baby's mobility and motor skills. Here are some of these activities to incorporate into playtime:

• Tummy time: This is a classic physical activity where babies lie on their stomach to play. Tummy time helps to strengthen your baby's neck, shoulder, and arm muscles, paving the way for them to start crawling. To make tummy time more appealing, try placing colorful toys in front of your baby or joining them on the mat.

• Dance and movement: Hold your baby securely in your arms, or use a baby carrier and move to music. Dancing and gentle movement activities help promote balance, rhythm, and coordination.

• Water play: Introduce your baby to water play in a shallow tub or baby pool. Supervise closely and let them splash, kick, and explore the water, which aids in muscle development and sensory stimulation.

Baby Milestones: Tracking Development Progress

As your baby grows, they'll start to reach various developmental milestones. These milestones serve as a guideline for what most children can do before reaching one year old:

Social-Emotional Milestones:

• Smiling and cooing in response to interaction
• Maintaining eye contact
• Displaying interest in peers and engaging in social play

Cognitive Milestones:

• Reaching and grasping objects
• Responding to their name
• Engaging in simple problem-solving tasks

Physical Milestones:

• Rolling over (as early as 3-4 months old)
• Sitting without support
• Crawling, cruising, and eventually walking

 

Nurturing Your Baby's Brilliance

Remember, every child develops at their own pace, so allow room for individual differences. If your baby shows significant delay in his or her development, consult a healthcare professional to identify any potential issues.

Your baby's early years are a time of rapid growth and development. By providing a range of developmental activities for infants, you're paving the way for their future learning and growth. Remember, every baby is unique and develops at their own pace. So, be patient, stay positive, and enjoy this special time with your little one. After all, there's nothing more rewarding than watching your baby grow and develop.

 

Baby Skin Tips

Protecting Delicate Skin

We all wish to have that beautiful, smooth baby skin. Super smooth, soft and heavenly smelling too! But with all the loveliness of newborn skin there are downsides too. Baby skin is sensitive, real sensitive. The first few months can be trying for parents with rashes and allergies popping up. It’s so important to practice proper skincare and use natural products. We’re going to breakdown the best way to care for your newborns’ skin which helps protect them from external irritants:

• Don't Overdo Bath Time

To prevent dry skin, do not bathe your newborn too often. You only need to bathe them two to three times a week in lukewarm water. Also, anywhere from 5 - 10 minutes is plenty to ensure you don't remove important nutrients from the skin, leaving it dry and dull. The best practice is to use a washcloth, dip it in water, and gently wash your baby. Once your baby is out of the bath, dry them using an organic towel, and then slather on lotion to seal in moisture. No dry skin here!

• Use Clean Products

We cannot emphasize enough how vital it is to be ingredient-wary when it comes to your little one. Look out for fragrance and chemical free products. Avoid using soap on newborn skin as it can be very dehydrating. It’s perfectly fine to just use warm water because your baby does not require heavy-duty cleansing at this stage. When you do start introducing products to use on your baby, look out for any reactions and always use organic products especially those made for babies. Some products are very drying and can wreak havoc on your little one’s skin.

• Be Weather Wary

Babies cannot be exposed to direct sunlight until they are six months old due to their skin being so delicate. If you do venture out, apply SPF factor 30 at least half an hour before leaving the house. Babies sweat glands are underdeveloped and this can lead to heat rashes. The key is to prevent and protect so dress your baby in loose, lightweight clothing, preferably long sleeve. It’s also a good idea to stay in shady areas when you are outside. Aside from creams to protect their delicate skin, a good idea is to place a cool mist humidifier in your nursery to keep the air moist and clean it regularly to avoid mold.

• Use Natural Fibers

It’s so important to use the best and safest materials for your baby. It can make a huge difference and prevent your baby’s skin feeling irritated and itchy. The best clothing for a baby is not too tight and breathable, ideally made from materials like cotton and bamboo. This should extend to your baby’s bedding and accessories too. All of our products at The Wee Bean are made with these materials as they prevent overheating and allow the skin to breathe. Check out our bibs, swaddles and blankets. The absolute best materials for the absolute best skin care.

• Dutiful Diaper Duty

You have to be vigilant on diaper watch to avoid the dreaded nappy rash. Rashes are usually caused by a wet bum, so do check your baby’s diaper regularly A great idea is to give them some nappy-free time daily to let their skin breathe. Don’t worry if your baby does get nappy rash, sometimes it cannot be avoided, no matter how hard you try, as some babies are more sensitive than others. You just need to invest in some good ointment, and if the rash becomes particularly nasty, go see your doctor.

• Wash New Clothes

Newborn skin is super sensitive, we repeat for the hundredth time. But it really is and things that doesn’t affect our adult skin does affect their new baby skin. Brand new clothes can cause rashes or reactions due to manufacturers using chemicals to enhance colors and textures in their products. That’s why it’s important to wash any new clothes you receive or purchase with baby detergent. Well, there you have it—our six best tips for keeping your newborns’ skin safe! It’s always a potentially stressful time whenever any new rashes pop up so we hope these tips will help keep them at bay!

 

Organic Fabric 101

Embracing Organic Fabric 

Every parent wants what’s best for their baby. We read all that we can before our bundle of joy arrives and spend every moment after they arrive protecting and providing for them. However, many parents are unaware of organic fabric and the benefits that items made from organic cotton provide for babies.

 

What is Organic Fabric?

Organic fabrics are grown and manufactured without pesticides and other chemicals. The materials must be checked during every step of the process to ensure that no contamination or additives end up in the fabric. While not all fabrics can be organically sourced and created, several materials can.

These include cotton, wool, silk, and linen. Organic fabrics are better for the environment and better for the farmers who grow the materials for the fabrics. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) ensures organic fabric manufacturers meet the certification process every step of the way, from planting to distribution.

 

Why Organic Cotton Is Better For Babies

Although many people purchase organic clothing and other products because of the environmental impact, organic fabrics benefit babies in several other ways as well:

• Better For Your Baby’s Skin

No matter how many times you wash your baby’s onesies or swaddle blankets, any chemicals or pesticides used during the growing and production process can linger in the fabric. These toxic chemicals can irritate or even harm your baby’s delicate, soft skin. However, organic fabrics like organic cotton and bamboo are better for your baby’s skin because they don’t contain these toxins or other irritants. For this reason, clothing and blankets made from organic cotton are the safest for your baby’s sensitive skin.

• More Durable and Soft

Organic cotton is just as durable and strong as regular cotton. However, because most organic fabrics are farmed and created with care, they are typically better quality products. For this reason, organic cotton clothing and blankets typically hold up better through the high amount of washing and heavy use they undergo with your baby.

An added benefit is that not only is organic cotton and bamboo gentle for your babies’ skin, but these organic fabrics actually get softer with every wash. Furthermore, many organic cotton blankets also include bamboo — which is one of the most durable materials used to make clothing and other items.

• Comfortable For Baby

Babies can’t regulate their body temperature in the same way that adults can, which means they are more likely to overheat or cool down depending on the temperature inside or outside. Organic cotton is comfortable and breathable, making it great for your baby any time of year. The lightweight, breathable material makes it so your baby won’t overheat, and that any sweat or wetness won’t get trapped in your babies’ skin folds which can lead to eczema and other skin rashes.

 

The Wee Bean’s Commitment To You

Here at The Wee Bean, we believe in making products that are both kind to your baby and kind to our Earth. This is why we use mostly organic cotton and bamboo fabrics for all of our wonderful items. Check out our collection of organic bamboo swaddles, organic cotton bibs, organic cotton onesies for your baby. If you want to see just how much better organic fabric is for your baby, check out our collection of wonderful items.