They say a baby with a routine is a happy baby…and I am a believer! I have only been doing this mom thing now for a little over 2 months, so I am no expert but one thing I have learned that little Millie loves her bedtime routine. Not only does this help her learn what to anticipate next, but it helps her sleep better and gives mom and dad some alone time once she goes down!
At about five weeks old our evenings turned into what some call the “witching hour” aka a crying baby from about 6-8pm. This fussiness caught Alex and I off guard because Millie had been a very happy and content baby up until this point. Having to listen to your child cry after you know they are fed and dry is hard and frustrating.This phase caused us to problem solve on how to make her happy.
We tried wearing her in the Ergo while dancing, vacuuming and walking…
We tried laying her on top of the dryer and turning it on while listening to music...
We tried the swing with vibrations and lullaby’s but this only made things worse. After several weary nights and no other ideas, we tried a bath. We discovered as soon as we would turn on the water her fussing would stop, it was like a switch flipped! From this day forward a bath would be our go to for a fussy baby, and we eventually made it our routine every night.
At 5:30ish we go on a walk to help settle her down for the day
At 6:30ish we do a feeding
From 7- 8ish we play and do tummy time
At 8ish we start bath time
At 8:30ish we do a final feeding
She goes down at 8:45-9ish
This routine has taken several weeks to nail down, and I am sure it will continue to change as she gets older, but the one thing that will stay the same is bath time. Not only does the warm water relax her, but she gets lathered in the delicious Baja Baby Lavender Shampoo and Body Wash. I LOVE this product! It has magical powers that relax her, it smells amazing and the ingredients are organic, so I have peace of mind knowing it is gentle enough for my baby’s skin and hair. Millie may be overly spoiled, but after her bath we finish the night with a yummy massage using the Baja Baby Lavender Conditioning Cream. By the time its ready to nurse, Millie is already relaxed and ready for bed. Ever since we started integrating bath time into her nighttime routine Millie has been sleeping great. She may not be sleeping through the night yet (she’s only 2 months old), but I know I can get at least 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep!
As Millie gets older I know her needs may change and her nighttime routine may shift, but for now we have discovered the best bedtime routine for our little girl! We love knowing that we are ending the day with something she loves and using products that help relax her for a great night’s sleep. I can happily say that we have moved passed the “witching hour” phase and I believe that our Baja Baby bath time routine had something to do with it!
Abby is a Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
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