During a haptonomy session before my son was born, we talked about how important it is to accompany babies during the different stages of the day/life… And going from your arms to his bed is a very important stage for a baby. You must therefore accompany him.
1-PRESS ON HIS BODY BEFORE LEAVING
You can first lay him gently on his side and then gently tilt his pelvis so that he is lying on his back. This allows him to see the bed before he is put on it. Then you can let your hand rest on his chest to reassure him. This prevents the baby from feeling suddenly unattached. Then release his hand little by little. During this time, you can talk, whisper, sing…. And explain to your child that it is still too good to go to bed and that you are still close to him.
2-MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE – THE RIGHT SLEEPING BAG
Newborns can be disturbed by the change in temperature when moving from your arms to the bassinet. One tip is to put them in a warm bed. To do this, I recommend that you heat the sleeping bag before putting baby in it. Some people do this in the microwave, it seems, but my husband used to stick the sleeping bag against him for a while.
For the transfer to be effective, especially if your baby is asleep when you put him in his bed, I strongly recommend the zippered sleeping bag which allows you to put the baby in and then close the sleeping bag without disturbing the baby’s sleep.
DISCOVER THE BEST BABY SLEEPING BAG FOR ME
3-THE MOSES BASKET
Another mistake I made for my daughter and avoided for my son, putting her in a bed that is too big. I couldn’t tell at the time, but I think she felt lost and abandoned in a bed that was suitable for a 3 or 4 month old baby but not for a toddler. I really feel that sleeping in a bassinet helps infants to feel secure. The edges of the bassinet are close, they can bump against them as they move just like in their mum’s tummy.
4-WHITE NOISE
Some babies are soothed by white noise. If you notice that your child calms down when you vacuum or dry your hair, then it’s worth trying white noise. There are apps, youtube videos with recordings to play to your baby. There are even cuddly toys that play these noises like the super whale Moby:
5-SWADDLING
You can swaddle your baby, there are different techniques
but the one I find the easiest is the swaddling bags like the one from Love to
dream.
6-THE BEDTIME RITUAL
Finally, it is very important for children to have a bedtime ritual which you can start from the infant stage by reading a story, singing a song, playing a little lullaby (in short you can let your instincts run wild) and repeating this little ritual every time you put baby down. This will anchor the ritual and should make it easier for him to go to sleep when he is older (fingers crossed).