The latest trend in bedding is the use of t-shirt or knitted cotton rather than woven cotton.
So you might be left wondering what the different types of knitted cotton are and which is the best type to buy.
Knitted cotton is available in three types. Cotton jersey, T-shirt or single knit which is probably the most common type of knit – it’s soft and fluid and works best for t-shirts. It is also the most affordable. Double knit is made with a double knit weave construction and is therefore a more structured and stable fabric. Interlock is a variation on a double knit and is the heaviest of the three knit types and the most luxurious.
Our little acorn fitted sheets are made with double knit cotton and interlock - the same type of cotton knit used for luxury baby clothing. Our sheets are also recommended by leading sleep consultants.
This is in stark contrast to many other brands that use single jersey (t-shirt material) for their cot bedding which can be thin and lose its shape after washing.
Double knits are incredibly soft with a high quality feel. This type of cotton has good stretch (so it will fit well over your mattress) as well as good recovery so it won't lose its shape.
We like to think of it as a luxurious babygrow for your cot!
Knitted cottons should be washed on a cool gentle cycle and can be tumbled dried on a low/delicate heat. As with most knitted items high heats can cause the fabric to shrink.
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Product |
Size in cm |
Cot flat sheet |
150 x 180 |
Cot fitted sheet (standard cot) |
56 x 118 x 14 |
Cot fitted sheet (large cot) |
66 x 132 x 14 |
Cot fitted sheet (international cot) |
60 x 120 x 14 |
Cot fitted sheet (international cot) |
70 x 140 x 14 |
Waterproof mattress protector (standard cot) |
56 x 118 x 14 |
Waterproof mattress protector (large cot) |
66 x 132 x 14 |
Cot Duvet Cover |
80 x 120 |
Cot Pillowcase |
30 x 40 |
Cot Duvet Inner |
80 x 120 |
Cot Pillow |
30 x 40 |
Cotton playmat / quilt |
120 x 120 |
Muslin Swaddle |
120 x 120 |
Cotton blanket |
80 x 110 approx |
They say no two pregnancies are the same, and boy am I living testament to that statement. After suffering a miscarriage and falling pregnant almost immediately after (God willing), my first pregnancy was the type of pregnancy where you are just so happy to be pregnant and you give into every craving and end up piling on a lot more weight than you should. Aside from Preeclampsia towards the end I had no unusual complications, so all in all a pretty smooth pregnancy with a lot of energy. I think in your first pregnancy you want so bad to be “normal”, at-least I was that way. I was doing my masters full time and was in the lab all day and night and drove till the day I popped. I even had a personal trainer for awhile. The nausea was just that, nausea, all day everyday for the first trimester and I tried every trick in the book, keeping salted crackers in my campus bag and drinking ginger beer and even those horrid ginger lollipops.
After the first trimester my appetite grew, and I got that feeling people talk about where you appreciate every morsel of food and your taste buds explode. I really believed I could be some type of food critic however my critique would be so biased because I loved and appreciated food in every sense. So an approximately 20kg later I delivered a healthy Baby boy naturally with no pain relief at 37 weeks. No words can explain the sense of accomplishment you feel having delivered a baby with no drugs. Nothing compares. I was down for motherhood. Breastfeeding was such a breeze with a big baby, it was an amazing experience that I managed to accomplish 19 months. I never felt any discomfort or issues with breastfeeding.
I fed on demand and all those natural mama instincts kicked in. I checked the crib every five min to see if he was breathing , I stayed awake all night to smell his sweet smell and everything was dandy. Easy baby, no fuss except for reflux but it was all good...
Onto pregnancy no 2..
After a few bleeding scares my doctor relates I have a “low lying placenta” at my first scan and I’m just sobbing hearing the baby’s heart beat so of course I’m not paying any attention. So apparently many people have low Lying placentas and they move as the baby grows, nothing to be concerned about. Alas, my concerns are more about how hard being pregnant with a raging toddler is, there’s no sleep when you want to sleep and no one feels sorry for you like they do in your first pregnancy. Even your husband forgets to treat you like you’re so delicate hahaha. Older people don’t even bat an eyelid if you carry “heavy things” because of course your toddler wants to be carried all day so you have permanent back ache and you didn’t have an epidural in your first pregnancy so you wouldn’t end up with back ache hahaha (jokes on me).
So you power through, power through brushing teeth and gagging whilst your toddler questions what on earth you are doing and thinks it’s a game. You power through not sleeping when that pregnancy exhaustion hits at random moments and u can’t even Function and you beg your toddler to nap, you power through running after a toddler all day cos you’re a mama and that’s how we do. There’s no time to feel every pregnancy miracle and swoon over butterflies in your tummy, you out here just trying to avoid being kicked in your stomach and building a pillow fort around yourself from a toddler who sleeps like a drunk octopus.
Fast forward to several months in and the “low lying placenta” doesn’t seem to budge and I learn about Placenta Previa.. So here I am having to emotionally come to terms with a possible c section and I thought I knew what Labor and delivery was like so this time i was going to wing it. So, okay, bump in the road (literally), I mentally prepare myself for a c section. I think after having a natural and being in control (somewhat) it’s hard to give that thought up (especially if you’re a control freak) along with the fear of the unknown.
So it takes me a few months but after talking to a few c section mamas I’m assured that it’s not that bad and the tips for healing etc. I was just worried how I would deal with the healing process with such an active toddler. Eventually I came to terms with the situation because my options were limited to bleeding to death or a c section. (Dramatic I know).
Fast forward to my last trimester and my doc starts to explain different types of placenta Previas and said words like blood transfusions, bleeding, removing womb, not having kids again and saving the mother's life over the child’s. It was a moment where your heart starts beating so loud in your chest that you can’t even hear yourself think and everything was a blur. So now I have to come to terms with all of this. How does one mentally even prepare for these odds? Oh, and did I mention I am the world's worst over thinker and I have the need to critically analyze everything. So my Anxiety goes through the roof, and I’m just trying to come to terms with this mentally and obviously lashing out at everyone I love and crying inconsolably at awkward times and blaming my toddler for driving me mad.
Needless to say I am so exhausted all the time and everything hurts but I have to move on because my toddler still needs me. So here I am counting the weeks and every appointment being told more and more information and going for other scans to confirm the placenta isn’t budging and my doc schools me on the dangers of bleeding and the protocols for that situation. I hadn’t bled my entire pregnancy after the first trimester so I took that as a positive that maybe I won’t be one of those cases and it will all go smoothly.
At my 33 week mark i had some painful contractions during an episode of Suits which I made my husband pause a few times to get through the pain but I passed it off as having had a day where I over exerted myself. The following day I went into full nesting mode and had to pause a few times to breath through some horrid contractions. But I had so much pain and discomfort all the time and Braxton Hicks so I forgot what contractions felt like so I just carried on my day and went to put my toddler to bed in the evening as usual and I felt a gush (sorry if that’s a tad TMI).
Long story short there was blood everywhere, bucket loads. So I’m trying to be calm and not work my toddler up, my husband is faffing asking where’s my hospital bag etc (being the organized person I am thank heavens it was all packed including documents etc). Here I am trying to pack an overnight bag for my son to drop him off at my sisters for his First night away from me ever whilst holding back the tears and trying to explain to him that I’m going to take the baby out my tummy.
It was like a scene out of a movie, rushing to the hospital, everyone on standby, lying on a hospital bed, being poked and jabbed and nurses all around you doing different things and I just closed my eyes. Two hours later the drip kicked in and the labor stopped and we wait.. we wait for one whole week in hospital. Everytime contractions start the drip is readministered. My husband is working from the hospital, my son is staying with my sister and coming to visit me everyday so I can make him nap and it’s just the same thing everyday for a whole week trying to keep this bun in the oven for as long as we can and having steroid injections to develop his lungs in the event he has to be born early. A week later I had to be put under General anaesthetic and baby is delivered and has to be resuscitated and sent to NICU.
I wake up from the GA and I am in excruciating pain. I was prepared to have a spinal block like any other c section and be numb when I wake up. Boy was I not prepared for that feeling of being sliced open when I woke up. The time it took to be wheeled out of theater and for the morphine drip to kick in seemed like an eternity. So here I am, I can’t see my baby boy because he is in NICU and I can’t move so I half see a picture of him with one eye open high on drugs.
No words can explain that feeling of not being able to hold your child, wondering how he feels not being able to feel the touch of his mama or hear her voice. My heart goes out to all the NICU mamas out there who have to see their child like that for weeks. To see them with pads and wires on their fragile little body’s is so heartbreaking. But he was going to be okay and he was healthy and alive and so was I after being operated on internally to remove my placenta I had no extra bleeding and I was glad to be alive. We survived!!!!
Not being prepared for life with a preemie:
After being a first time mum you kind of know what to expect once your second baby comes. You know about sleepless nights, but you also know it doesn’t last forever. You know how to bath and change a baby and all those things you needed help with the first time around you’re confident you’ll be okay. After all Everyone keeps telling you second babies are easier.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaha
Yeah right!!! Maybe for some.. but having a preemie as you all would know is the biggest challenge when it comes to breastfeeding, they struggle to latch and when they finally do they fall asleep and have to be woken up constantly to be fed or they just sleep all day and cry all night. From breastfeeding to bottle feeding to colic and postpartum depression, I guess I should have done my research but nothing prepares you for a preemie and what you go through thereafter. I guess Feeling like a failure as a mom is possibly one of the worst feelings.
Not knowing what to do with this fragile little human and trying to recover from a major op whilst tending to a toddler who demands attention all by yourself. Needless to say I know it will get easier and what may seem like the worst test in the world to me is not even close to what some of you other mamas have been through.
The most important thing I tell myself on the daily is I am so lucky to have a healthy baby and to be healthy myself to take care of him. Here’s to new beginnings...
Guest Blogger: HE
Image source: Happiest Baby
]]>So what’s the deal on blankets and why do you need so many different types. Here’s the low down
Receiving blankets
To be honest most baby blankets can be used as receiving blankets as long as they are 100% cotton. Don’t be tempted to go for the fleece ones because you think they look warm - babies need to be surrounded by 100% cotton as it’s breathable. Opt for cotton knit blankets, muslin blankets or cellular cotton baby blankets. Remember that babies can only regulate their own temperature when they are around 2-3 months old so it’s important to make sure that your baby is not too hot or too cold.
When my first born arrived I bought a couple of “official” receiving blankets but found they were pretty small and so he outgrew them quickly. I also had to make my husband the chief swaddler aka burrito wrapper as I just couldn’t get the smaller blankets to hold. I prefered to use the oversized Muslins (120x120cm) for swaddling as it was so much easier. You normally swaddle your little one until their startle reflex wears off which is usually at 3-4 months, times that by how much sleep your baby needs a day and you will realise that you will spend a lot of time swaddling! If you want some help on swaddling technique check out this page on how to swaddle your baby.
Muslin blankets/swaddles
Muslin blankets have 101 uses so you will get good use out of them so it’s definitely worth investing in a few of these. I decided to opt for 100% cotton Muslins for Babes & Kids rather than the bamboo ones as while the bamboo ones are lovely and silky I found them a little too silky and as a result they would slip off whatever they were covering. The cotton ones are less likely to slip off your shoulder if you are using it as a nursing cover or slip off the pram if you are using it for a shade cover!
In addition to a swaddle blanket muslins can be used as a burp cloth, moses basket or cot sheet, changing mat cover, nursing cover, pram cover… basically the list is endless!
Cellular Cotton Baby Blankets
Cellular cotton baby blankets are what they use in the hospital for those first few days when your little one arrives. The reason for this is that the cellular weave (tiny holes) of the blanket allows airflow while still keeping baby warm.
They are also great for layering to create extra warmth in a moses basket or cot. When layering remember to go for a few light layers so that you can easily add or remove layers rather than opting for one thick, heavy blanket. They can be used for swaddling in winter when you need something a little warmer than a muslin.
My kids still like to snuggle under their blankets when reading books or watching tv so they are not just for newborns!
Fleece Baby Blankets
In my opinion these blankets are a big no no. They are made from synthetic fibers and as a result they are not breathable and can often cause your little one to over heat. So if possible try and avoid these types of blankets.
Baby blankets are a great baby shower gift so expect to get a few at your shower so perhaps hold off buying any until you know what you need!
Hope this post helps you get your head around the different types of baby blankets!
So to help you out these are the things nobody told me about becoming a mom. There are so many wonderful things about being a mom but those things we expect… these things are a bit more of a surprise.
Loneliness
You will feel lonely. Even though you probably won’t have more than a few minutes a day to yourself. Even though you have a supportive partner, family and other mom friends. There will be times when you feel like motherhood is the loneliest job in the world. Times like when your baby is up at 2am screaming and your partner is fast asleep in your bed. Times when you feel like you just can’t do another session of rocking, swaddling or changing another nappy. These are just some of the times that you will feel so incredibly lonely. It’s normal and ok to feel lonely but you can also reach out.
So what can I suggest? Join mom groups - free or paid. Toptots and Moms Connect in Kenilworth got me through my loneliness with my first child. Those little coffee outings were the highlight of my week. Then try and make mom friends with others that have babies the same or very similar age to your little one and get their numbers. Whatsapp them often and meet for walks or coffee. Believe me they will be in the same boat as you and sometimes just that realisation that there is someone else going through what you are going through makes it just that little bit easier. Even if all you the advice that you can offer each other is “tell me about it” or “this phase will pass”.
Persevere
Breastfeeding is by far the hardest thing I have ever had to learn. Yes learn. I hardly know any moms who got the hang of it straight away. My advice is persevere. Ask for help. See a lactation consultant and get laser from day 1 (about 4 sessions while still in hospital should get you off to a good start). It will be well worth it in the end. Persevere with your chosen method of sleep training. Persevere with all things motherhood as it does get easier!
Ask for help
Ask for help. You don’t know it yet but there is a mom code. Moms want to help other moms. Especially as you transition to motherhood. They have been there - they know the highs and lows. So don’t be afraid to ask. Ask the big questions around breastfeeding, recovery, sleep but don’t forget to ask the little questions like “please someone bring me some milk”. There were days when I was so desperate for a cup of tea but just couldn’t get myself together enough to get to the shops. If only I had asked. If a new mom asked me now I wouldn’t think twice about popping to the shops to get her some essentials. Having help can be the make or break of you.
Videos
I think we are all pretty good at taking photos of our little ones but what we forget to do is take videos. Watching those little snippets down the line (try to make them at least 30 seconds to 1 min long) will make your heart explode. You are so in the thick of it in the early years that by the time they get to 4 you will have forgotten the way they spoke when they were two, their silly dancing and just how unbelievably cute they were. The videos capture their personality and the essence of them. WIth my first I used the app 1second everyday which was amazing when it was all stitched together. With baby number two I just didn’t seem to manage 1second everyday but the videos I have are wonderful to watch.
Coffee
Considering how little sleep we get in those early years you would think finishing a cup of coffee would be easy. Not so. My husband used to laugh when he came home at the numerous cups of unfinished tea and coffee lying around the house. Finishing an entire cup of coffee was impossible. I kid you not. So get used to it and do not despair. Full cups of hot tea and coffee that you actually finish will come back into your life when the time is right.
Be kind to yourself and others
One mom once said to me “do what you need to do to keep yourself sane”. This was hands down the best advice anyone could have given me. I was anti dummies, rocking, co-sleeping, formula until I became a mom. I beat myself up about changing my mind on things because I realised I should not have judged other moms for their choices. Baby number one had a dummy and baby number two went on to formula at 9 months. They were better children for it and I managed to keep some of my sanity in check as a result. So please please don’t judge other mom’s choices and please don’t beat yourself up about yours.
And lastly and most importantly
You got this!
You will feel like a deer in headlights on the first night home - we all did. But you can do this. Trust yourself, trust your instincts and trust your bond. You are the best mom in the world.
image source: Pinterest
]]>There are so many ‘Ultimate checklists’ for getting ready for baby with 101 things on them when all you really need is an ‘Important stuff checklist’. Babies are expensive so stick to what you really need then as you start to find your way around as a new parent you can add a few nice to haves to the must have list of baby goods.
So in my opinion (two kids later) this is the “Important Stuff Checklist” for the arrival of your new baby and getting through those first few months.
Clothing
While things are a little bit chaotic to start with you don’t need a gazillion outfits as your hubby, your mom or the cleaner can do a load of laundry every few days. Plus they grow SO quickly so will be in the next size before you know it.
Changing
Breastfed and bottle fed babies poop differently so I can only go on my experience of breastfed babies. My babies needed a change with each feed!
Sleeping
All babies are different and so are their sleeping arrangements. Some moms co-sleep, others want their babies to sleep in a Moses Basket until they are 6 months and some moms put baby straight into their own cot. My first slept in a moses basket in our room til he was 4 months old and our second slept in her cot from 6 weeks as we needed to have the AngelCare breathing monitor for her. So depending on what you decide your needs will be different but in general you will need the following for baby bedding.
Bathing
The first bath is almost as scary as the first time you cut your baby's fingernails! They are small, wet and slippery!
Grooming/Medical
As I said cutting your baby’s fingernails for the first time will leave you in a mild state of panic but don’t worry - you can do it!
Feeding
Unless you are planning to bottle feed from day one I wouldn’t suggest getting a breast pump, bottles, steriliser, bottle warmer etc until you start. So to start off just keep it simple.
Postpartum
Travel
So that’s my Important Stuff Checklist for arrival of your first baby. Let me know if you have any MUST have items on the list.
Age |
Total sleep |
Average awake time* |
Bedtime |
Notes |
Newborn |
15-18 |
Varies |
N/A |
Newborns need to eat every few hours and will wake up accordingly so at this stage there is no recommended bedtime. The best thing to do is watch your baby for signs that the are starting to feel tired and put them down to sleep at this time. |
1-4 |
14-15 |
1-2 hours |
8-11 p.m. |
Younger babies will tend to go to sleep earlier than babies aged 3 or 4 months. Once they are older than 3 months and starting to sleep for longer stretches at night they can be put down to sleep earlier. |
4-8 |
14-15 |
2-3 hours |
6-7:30 p.m. |
From 6 months you can start implementing a regular sleep schedule. Babies will now start to have 4 naps and then later move to 3 naps. When you baby starts to drop their 4th nap put them down earlier to avoid them becoming over tired. |
8-10 Months |
12-15 |
3 hours |
6-7 p.m. |
From 8 months most babies will need 2 naps. |
10-15 |
12-14 |
3-4 hours |
6-7:30 p.m. |
Most babies will still need two naps although some may start transitioning to 1 nap. |
15 Months - 3 Years |
12-14 hours |
5 hours | 6-8 p.m. | Your toddler will transition to needing just one nap by 18 months. That nap should be 2-2.5 hours in length. By 2 years of age, 7 p.m. should be your earliest bedtime. |
3 – 5 Years |
11-13 hours |
12 hours if toddler has dropped afternoon naps |
7-8:30 p.m. | Most children give up the afternoon nap at this stage. Substitute an afternoon rest time in for the nap. If they are no longer napping aim for roughly 12 hours of night sleep. Use the later bedtime for children who are still transitioning away from the afternoon nap. |
*Average awake time refers to the number of hours your baby should stay awake between daytime naps
Use the earlier bedtime when babies/toddlers start dropping naps or during the 8/9/10 month, 18 month and 2 year sleep regressions, to make up for any lost sleep.
Reference The Baby Sleep Site http://www.babysleepsite.com/
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It's a tricky thing to get right, as too much bedding can cause over-heating which is a risk factor for SIDS but if you have too little bedding your baby is likely to wake up from the cold which means less precious sleep for you and your baby
Babies are not able to regulate their own body temperature so it is strongly recommend that only natural fibre bedding such as cotton or wool is used for baby bedding. Natural fibres are breathable which helps with temperature regulation and they are also gentle on baby’s delicate skin.
For babies we recommend our cellular cotton blankets, wool duvet inners, or 100% cotton duvet inners with our 100% Egyptian cotton cot sheets or cotton jersey cot sheets and Egyptian cotton duvet cover sets. It is better to use a few light layers so you can easily add or remove additional layers, rather than a heavy single blanket.
Choose blankets that are specifically made for cots so that they can be tucked into the side of the mattress. If they are too small or too large there is the possibility of them ending up over babies head. It is also a good idea to buy machine washable bedding as you are likely to change these often.
Swaddling is recommend up until the age of 3 months and swaddle blankets or wraps should also be 100% cotton or wool as synthetic fibres are likely to cause overheating. Click here for our step by step guide to swaddling.
Once you are no longer swaddling, we recommend layering using sheets and blankets. Once baby is over 1 year old we recommend our 100% cotton duvet inners or 100% wool duvet inners with our Egyptian cotton cot duvet covers. The extra tuck room on our cot duvet covers allows these to be safely tucked into the mattress. We do not advise using baby bedding made from synthetic fibre such as polyester or fleece, as they often result in overheating and sweating.
The best way to tell if your baby is the right temperature is to feel their chest or nape of their neck. They should be a comfortable warm temperature. If they are red and sweaty then they are too hot and if they are cold to the touch then your baby is too cold. Feeling their hands or feet is not a good indication of their body temperature.
The amount of bedding you use depends on room temperature.
(Note: A blanket doubled over counts as two layers)
The recommended room temperature for a baby is 16 to 20 degrees, with around 18 degrees being ideal. It is useful to have a room thermometer to judge the temperature and if needed a heater can be used to warm the room – however babies should not sleep in hot rooms.
The rule of thumb is a vest and a bodysuit, plus one sheet and up to three thin blankets.
]]>Below are our top 10 tips for managing your child's holiday sleep schedule. This way you can still have a good time this holiday season while preserving your child’s sleep schedule
1. Stick to the normal nap schedule and bedtime routine as best you can. Rather than completely miss a nap put them down a little bit later and don’t let them sleep for as long so as not to delay bedtime.
2. Bring familiar sleep-time toys and bedding from home. Don't forget to pack your little one's dummy, comforter, familiar bedding, a few favourite bedtime storybooks etc. This will help your little one transition to an unfamiliar setting.
3. Do your normal bedtime and nap routines. Most babies and toddlers will put up a fuss if you put them down to sleep in a new and unfamiliar setting so as a way to settle them stick to your at home sleep time routine.
4. If you know your child is going to have to miss a nap due to your holiday plans, try to make sure he/she gets the first nap at home. The first nap is the most restorative so it will minimise the fallout of missing the next nap.
5. During the festive period get into the habit of turning off the tree lights and quietening the environment before starting your bedtime routine with your child. This will help signal that it is time to start settling down for sleep.
6. Try not to delay bedtime as this will result in over tiredness, which then makes it more difficult for your little one to fall asleep.
7. Be being extra vigilant of your child’s signs of tiredness. When your child shows signs of tiredness, it is best to have your child in a quiet environment in preparation for sleep. Some signs to watch for are, rubbing face, rubbing eyes, losing interest in what is going on, yawning and whining.
8. Plan Christmas shopping around naps and try to avoid the busiest part of the day. If possible shop online or get a babysitter.
9. Ensure your little one has healthy meals and avoid sugary treats.
10. If all else fails, breathe, relax and try and enjoy the holidays knowing that you can start afresh in January.
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Here is a useful guideline as recommended by Elizabeth Pantley, author of The No-Cry Nap Solution: Guaranteed Gentle Ways to Solve All Your Naptime Problems. (McGraw-Hill, December 2008).
Remember each child is different and as a result they will have unique sleep needs so use this as a guideline rather than a hard and fast rule.
Age |
Awake time span |
Newborn |
1 – 2 hours |
6 month old |
2 – 3 hours |
12 month old |
3 – 4 hours |
18 month old |
4 – 6 hours |
2 year old |
5 – 7 hours |
3 year old |
6 – 8 hours |
4 year old |
6 – 12 hours |
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Getting your newborn baby to sleep seems to be the endless, challenging goal of the first few weeks of parenthood, which can be made all the more difficult if your baby is over-tired.
Missing the early signs of a tired baby can result in a newborn going from tired and ready to sleep to over-tired and over stimulated in an incredibly short amount of time. It is therefore essential to learn the cues that baby is giving you that they are ready for a sleep.
In the first 6 weeks a newborn will generally be ready for a sleep about an hour after waking so start looking for signs of tiredness about 50 minute after they have woken from their last nap. In this time you will most likely only manage to feed them and change their nappy with very little time for play.
What are the signs that my newborn is tired?
Below are the most common signs that your baby is tired and ready for a sleep.
Early tired signs:
If you miss these early cues your baby will then start to show signs of being over-tired
Over-tired signs:
It will take a while to learn your baby’s cues but by spending time with them and being aware of what to look for you will soon learn when the right time is to put them down for a sleep. And the quicker you respond to the early signs of tiredness the, the quicker your baby will settle.
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