Your mental and physical health is a series of connections working together to keep you going. At the center of it is our heart. Maintaining your heart health is crucial to your wellbeing. Understanding how the heart functions, its role and the risk factors you may face are key to getting on the path toward keeping it as healthy as possible.

How your heart works with the rest of your body

The heart is a muscle that works in connection with the rest of the body through the circulatory system. As the heart pumps blood throughout the body’s circulatory system, it operates in a coordinated effort with the lungs (pulmonary circulation) to exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen and with the rest of the body (systemic circulation) to deliver oxygen-rich blood.

Our heartbeat is the heart’s rhythmic contractions, regulated by electrical impulses. These contractions ensure continuous blood flow, support bodily functions and maintain stable body function. The heart speeds up in response to movement, physical activity and hormone signals to meet the body’s demands.

Heart health’s connection to family history

Family history can significantly impact heart health. Genetic predisposition can increase the risk of many cardiovascular diseases, including coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and congenital heart defects. 

Genetics also have a role in terms of high cholesterol and increasing your risk of developing diabetes- both of which are risk factors for heart disease. While you can’t change your genetics, awareness of your family history can guide preventive measures, lifestyle choices, and early screenings to mitigate these risks.

Cardiovascular health and its unique effects on women

Cardiovascular health can affect women uniquely due to several factors. Women may experience different heart attack symptoms than men, such as nausea, dizziness, and back or jaw pain. Also, pregnancy, reproductive conditions, mental health and hormonal factors increase the risk of heart disease among women.

Reproductive health and the heart

In many ways, pregnancy is like a stress test for the heart, as many signs of heart disease show up during pregnancy or in the postpartum period, including:

• Preeclampsia greatly raises the risk of developing hypertension and/or diabetes later in life. It also increases the risk of a stroke.
• A gestational diabetes diagnosis raises the lifetime risk of developing diabetes. About 50% of women with gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes.

Risk factors for heart disease

Many risk factors can increase the likelihood of developing heart disease, including:

• Lifestyle factors: Smoking, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and excessive alcohol use.
• Health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, and chronic kidney disease.
• Genetic factors: family history of heart disease, especially at an early age
• Age: the risk of developing heart disease increases with age.
• Gender: Men are generally at higher risk at a younger age, but the risk for women increases and can surpass that of men after menopause.
• Ethnicity: Certain groups are at higher risk, such as African Americans, who have a higher risk of high blood pressure and South Asians, who have a higher risk for heart disease. 

Understanding these aspects of heart health is crucial for helping you manage your health. Preventive care such as regular check-ups, a health-focused lifestyle, and managing risk factors can help maintain heart health and prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team

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Connective Matters: Heart Health | Steps Towards Preventive Care

Sources:

• National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). How the Heart Works: The Heart. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart
• Center for Disease Control (CDC). Prevent Heart Disease. cdc.gov. March 21, 2023 https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/prevention.htm#:~:text=Eating%20foods%20high%20in%20fiber,prevent%20or%20help%20control%20diabetes.
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Heart Health for Women. acog.org. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/heart-health-for-women#:~:text=Lack%20of%20physical%20activity%20can,of%20heart%20disease%20and%20stroke
• The Mayo Clinic. “Strategies to prevent heart disease”. www.mayoclinic.org. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-disease-prevention/art-20046502

Your health is important to your body’s ability to function and keep you going daily. Your heart, the center of your cardiovascular system, is crucial in maintaining your overall health. Unfortunately, in the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups. More than one in three women is living with some form of heart disease.

Taking preventive measures is essential to maintaining good heart function and another act of self-care from which we can all benefit. Below are steps towards preventive care to help support your heart health.

Stay informed and proactive in your healthcare

Preventive care can begin the next time you meet with your healthcare provider. Have a shared discussion about the factors that can contribute to your heart’s health.

• Monitor blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and diabetes screenings to catch any potential problems early.
• Early detection and management of elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes can prevent heart disease or its complications.
• Know your family history of heart disease and discuss it with your healthcare provider to personalize your prevention plan. 
• Follow your healthcare provider’s advice, including taking prescribed medications as directed to manage conditions affecting heart health.

Adopt a heart-healthy diet

Eating nourishes us, gives us energy and generally tastes delicious. Taking a heart-healthy approach to food can provide a better defense against cardiovascular issues.

• Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins to provide essential nutrients for heart health.
• Limit saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugars to reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Incorporate healthy fats from sources like fish, avocados, nuts, and olive oil, which can help improve blood cholesterol levels.

Maintain a healthy weight

• Balance calorie intake with physical activity to prevent obesity, a significant risk factor for heart disease.
• Be aware of your body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference as healthy weight and risk indicators.

Engage in regular physical activity

Anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes of activity and exercise daily can get your heart pumping and your body moving. And your heart will love it.

• Exercise helps control weight and reduces blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and the risk of type 2 diabetes, all of which are risk factors for heart disease.
• Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. 
• Add muscle-strengthening activities two or more days per week as recommended by health authorities to support your heart health.

Avoid smoking and limit alcohol consumption

Cigarette smoking and excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages can lead to many health issues, including certain heart diseases.

• Stopping cessation significantly reduces the risk of heart disease by improving heart function and blood circulation.
• Limit alcohol intake to moderate levels (up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men) to avoid high blood pressure and other heart risks that arise due to excessive drinking.

Manage stress

Stress can affect your health in many ways, so look for ways to address and manage it. Managing stress can help reduce behaviors and factors that increase heart disease risk, like high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, physical inactivity, and overeating.

• Engage in stress-reducing activities such as meditation, deep breathing, and physical activity.
• Speak to your healthcare provider about managing your mental health as well as studies show that your mental health can also affect your heart’s function.

Sleep well

Sleep recharges your body, so working towards better sleep is another great way to support healthy heart function.

• Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night, as poor sleep can increase the risk of high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes.
• Establish a regular sleep schedule and a relaxing bedtime routine to improve sleep quality.

Taking these preventive measures can significantly reduce the risk of developing heart disease. It’s about creating a balanced lifestyle that supports heart health and overall wellbeing. 

Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team

Read more

Connective Matters: About Your Heart

Sources

Center for Disease Control (CDC). Prevent Heart Disease. cdc.gov. March 21, 2023 https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/prevention.htm#:~:text=Eating%20foods%20high%20in%20fiber,prevent%20or%20help%20control%20diabetes.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Heart Health for Women. acog.org. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/heart-health-for-women#:~:text=Lack%20of%20physical%20activity%20can,of%20heart%20disease%20and%20stroke

The Mayo Clinic. “Strategies to prevent heart disease”. www.mayoclinic.org. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-disease-prevention/art-20046502

We meditated with Faith Hunter, learned about the importance of sleep with Angela Holliday-Bell, and participated in a healing, positive affirmation exercise with Leasa Wright. 

Here are the most important moments from the event, hosted by Denise Albert, in case you weren’t able to attend.

A short, guided meditation session with Faith Hunter

Breath work gives us the ability to center ourselves. Faith led us in a breathing exercise that you can do at home; here’s how:

• Take your right hand, close your index and middle finger towards your palm
• Take your right thumb and use it to close your right nostril 
• Breath in through your left nostril
• Close off your left nostril with your ring finder 
• Release your right nostril 
• Exhale through your right nostril
• Inhale through your right nostril
• Close it off
• Exhale through your left nostril
• Inhale through your left nostril
• Repeat

Stress management & self-care with Dinah Eke, Amanda McKay, and Brooke Davis 

Dinah, Amanda, and Brooke discussed the importance of taking small moments in the middle of the day to be mindful. Check in with yourself: How are you feeling? Are you drinking enough water? Are you getting a little movement? Are you getting outside? Take a little time for yourself.

When it comes to practical ways to destress, there are two options: address the stress head-on or escape it through distraction.

Dinah offered some advice about the way list-making helps her de-stress. Just writing down the thoughts that are leading to stress when the kids are asleep can make it feel more manageable. And when you just need to escape the stress, Amanda recommends distracting yourself away by getting outside, listening to a podcast, or just laying down for a moment. 

When the mom guilt creeps up on you, remember: you are doing a fantastic job. It’s OK to take time for yourself, to feel overwhelmed by your kids, to have hard days. Give yourself permission to feel whatever you’re feeling. These feelings don’t make you less of a parent or less of a caregiver. 

And remember, it’s OK to bring other people into the conversation. Ask for help from family and friends. Ask for flexibility from your manager.

Self-care tips from Amanda McKay, Self-Care Coach for Moms

• Schedule it
• Ask for help
• Remember you need and deserve a break
• It’s ok to set boundaries and say no 

Wellness check with Elaine Bishop

Signs that you are experiencing an amount of stress that could be damaging to your mental health:

• Overwhelming feelings of sadness 
• Difficulty enjoying things you used to enjoy
• Relationship changes: Are you having more trouble reading other people’s social signals? Are you declining social invitations more than usual?
• Appetite changes: Are you experiencing significant increased or decreased appetite?
• Substance use: Are you turning to drink more often than before? Are you developing feelings of dependence?
• Thoughts of harming yourself 

If you are feeling any of these feelings, know that there is help. Try contacting the National Alliance on Mental Illness either by phone at: 1800-950-6264 or by email at: info@nami.org.

Tips from physician and sleep specialist, Dr. Holliday-Bell

Many parents find quality sleep to be a bit evasive, but the first step to getting better sleep is prioritizing better sleep. Dr. Holliday-Bell outlined a few specific tips:

• Decide on a bedtime and wake time
• Stick to a consistent schedule (weekends count too!)
• Create a relaxing, 30-60 min bedtime routine
• Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool
• Master a relaxation technique (like deep breathing)

Breath work and affirmation practice with Leasa Wright 

We closed out Stressless Fest with a series of affirmations from Leasa Wright. To practice this at home, close your eyes and think of a happy memory or a happy place. Then repeat out loud to yourself:

• I live in my truth
• I boldly and freely express myself
• I follow my dreams
• I welcome goodness; I welcome love 

This may feel uncomfortable at first, but after a few rounds of these affirmations, the Stressless Fest attendees felt calmer, lighter, and more confident. We hope you will too! 

Sponsored by Airwick, Enfamil, and Beyond Yoga 

Going to have a vaginal delivery? Here’s what to expect

While every woman’s healing process is different, it usually takes about two to three weeks for stitches to dissolve and for the discomfort to ease. The full recovery from birthing Baby may take up to 6 weeks or more, depending on factors such as delivery type and complications. The following mental and physical symptoms are a normal part of the healing process, but make sure to work with your healthcare provider to ensure a speedy and full recovery.

1) Hemorrhoids

The intense pushing your body does during labor can cause swollen blood vessels in the anus, which can lead to pain and bleeding. Hemorrhoids are more common in those with larger babies, or those who had traumatic deliveries. Natural solutions include a sitz bath or wearing a pad soaked with witch hazel, though other treatments include local anesthetics or corticosteroids. Constipation can make hemorrhoids worse so make sure to have regular bowel movements. If pain worsens, consult a doctor.

2) Contractions

Afterbirth pains or contractions are completely normal, especially during nursing, because your body is getting back to where it was prior to Baby’s birth. Taking over-the-counter pain medications, especially those that have been shown to be safe during breastfeeding, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, or lying on pillows can help relieve some of the pain.

3) Bleeding

Since your uterus and the lining take some time getting back to their regular size, bleeding in the 4 to 6 weeks after birth is standard, though up to 12 weeks is possible. However, you should contact your doctor if the bleeding does not subside in the first 6 or 8 weeks, or if you soak through a maxi pad in under one hour. You may also pass some clots, which is generally normal, but if you pass several large clots in a row, it may be a sign of a problem, so don’t hesitate to check in with your healthcare provider about them if you’re concerned.

4) Breast changes

Breasts might become enlarged in the postpartum period due to tissue swelling and milk coming in, and may bring with it a slight rise in temperature. If you are breastfeeding, feeding Baby more often will relieve most symptoms of engorgement. If you’re not, applying cold packs and avoiding breast stimulation can help. So can pumping, but the stimulation may also keep the milk from drying up as fast.

5) Using the toilet

Your first bowel movement after birth can be a scary prospect. Since the base of your bladder stretched and your pelvic floor muscles are weakened, it can be difficult to urinate and empty your bowels regularly. Make sure to do kegel exercises and your bowels should right themselves after a few weeks. Even if you’re not sure you can feel what’s going on with your muscles when you’re doing kegels at first, they’re still helping, so don’t be discouraged!

6) Fatigue

All new mothers suffer from sleep deprivation. Managing fatigue is difficult, especially with a newborn, so make sure to enlist friends and family for support. Setting aside time to nap is key, and remember that your recovery is important, too.

7) Emotional changes

Many women experience a wide range of emotions after birth, including stress, depression, and euphoria. A little “baby blues” is totally common and normal, but more intense feelings of sadness may indicate postpartum depression, so it’s important to let your doctor know if your “baby blues” last a bit too long or seem a bit too blue.

Sources

• Larissa Hirsch. “Recovering From Delivery.” KidsHealth. The Nemours Foundation, June 2015. Retrieved October 24 2017. http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/recovering-delivery.html.
• “Recovering from birth.” Women’sHealth.gov. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, February 1 2017. Retrieved October 24 2017. https://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/childbirth-and-beyond/recovering-birth.
• “Recovering from delivery (Postpartum recovery).” FamilyDoctor.org. American Academy of Family Physicians, January 2017. Retrieved October 24 2017. https://familydoctor.org/recovering-from-delivery/.

Before then though, you’re likely getting fragmented sleep, which can make you feel foggy, forgetful, and pretty raw. And even once you get to an easier sleep phase, it’s totally normal for babies to go through sleep regressions every so often, for toddlers to wake up when they’ve wet through a diaper, or for school age kids to wake up after having a scary dream. 

What we’re saying is that even if better sleep is in your future – and it is, we promise – becoming a parent means that you probably have many nights ahead that involve a little less sleep than you had been planning on. 

Here are some tips for anyone dealing with sleep deprivation (many of which will still be useful in the years ahead). 

Getting more sleep, and better sleep, will help you have more fuel in the tank to rock being a parent in the daylight hours – or to rock your little one on those surprise late-nights. So while these tips aren’t a magic bullet, they can help you manage until baby gets a bit older.

• Turn your bedroom into a place that prioritizes sleep – meaning a place that’s dark, quiet, and cool – and invest in a few sleepytime goodies to help you really relax. Get a sleep mask to block out light, turn on a white noise machine, and try to stay off of screens. 
• Find a safe space to talk: Sometimes if you’re tired or overwhelmed people want to help you “fix it.” But often when we’re sleep deprived we just want to be heard and acknowledged. Finding the right friend to text a sleepy face emoji or a family member who gets it without telling you what to do can be magical support!
• Sleep when baby sleeps. We know, we know – some parents hate this advice. That’s because it sounds simple, even though it’s far from that. When baby is snoozing, it’s really easy to want to take advantage of that time and do dishes, laundry, shower, or pop on a TV show — really anything to give you a sense of normalcy. But sometimes this means sleep falls to the wayside. Carving out the occasional nap — especially in a rough sleep patch — can be amazing. Sure, make sure you have clean underwear and plates to eat off of, but you definitely have permission to let some things, like a perfectly clean house, slide for now. So ignore any to-dos other than “take a nap,” silence your phone, and get cozy. A 20 minute nap can leave you refreshed without feeling groggy, but in these early days when overnights can be such a free-for-all, listen to your body and sleep longer if you need to. 
• Get outside in the morning. Sunlight will help you feel more alert, even when you’re really sleep deprived. Getting outside any time of day can help you re-set in a tough mood, and there is nothing like a fresh air walk to help a baby who is struggling to nap.
• If you can’t sleep, rest. Whether trying to sleep overnight, or to catch a nap, if you don’t feel like you can sleep, just take some time to relax. Don’t beat yourself up over undone chores or even that you can’t fall asleep. Snuggle up, stretch and remind yourself that it’s great to be cozy and you should feel good about prioritizing your rest. 
• Work on shared responsibilities. If you have a partner, sharing household duties and the mental load can be energizing all on its own. If you’re feeling overwhelmed in addition to physically tired, it can be hard to enjoy yourself! Try starting the conversation with, “I feel overwhelmed. I need you to go grocery shopping and plan dinners this week.” Or any other household or baby duty you’d like off your plate. 
• Turn down the monitor. Newborns are active sleepers, and if you listen for every little peep or whimper, it will be really hard to get any shut-eye overnight. Better yet, pass the monitor to your partner and request a wake-up only if necessary. 
• Only welcome the right sort of guests into your home. This is a really unique time in your life, and you want people around who can help make it easier for you, not those who want to be entertained or only want to hold the baby but not really babysit or won’t lend a hand. You want guests who will babysit while you shower or go take a nap or who will fold laundry and do the dishes while they visit. Don’t think the usual polite rules apply to this time, and don’t feel the need to host. 
• If you breastfeed, do so lying down, for a bit of added rest. Stock up on protein filled snacks and a water bottle — both will help with an energy boost.
• Scroll past bad advice. Some accounts will lead you to believe that postpartum should be full of sleep, fashion, exercise, and travel. That’s not the reality for most people, and comparison can make us feel more mentally exhausted.
• Go to bed early — at least when your little one goes to sleep at a relatively normal bedtime. If you were used to going to bed much later before your baby was born, this could be the time to try to move that up by a few hours. Even if a lot of your sleep is fragmented overnight, this still may allow you to get in a bit more. If you start to get in the habit of doing bedtime for both you and your little one, you’ll begin to get your baby into a bedtime routine too (yes, even this early) and eventually teach your little one that nighttime is when everybody should be sleeping.
• Toss out your regular routines from before baby, like binging TV shows late at night with your partner or scrolling through Twitter before bed. You do, of course, want to maintain some sense of normalcy, but if you used to watch a lot of late-night TV, this could be the time to cut back. This is just a phase, and you’ll find a new normal over time — trust us!
• Treat yourself! Sometimes a small thing to look forward to makes all the difference. Maybe it’s a walk to a park, a cookie from a local bakery, checking new baby books out from the library, or lighting your favorite candle. It doesn’t have to be a big expense, but it can brighten a tough day. 
• And as you add relaxing details into your bedtime, cut out the stuff that will keep you up. This includes caffeine, alcohol, heavy meals, or exercise in the hours before bed. (Exercise earlier in the day can help you sleep better at night. But with your baby being so new, exercise definitely doesn’t need to be a priority just yet.) Limit screen before bed, set a timer so that your phone goes into a nighttime mode that cuts down the blue light being emitted, or leave screens outside of your bedroom entirely.  

Even if you just incorporate one or two of these ideas into your days and nights, we hope some of them help you cope with the sleepless nights. But if the exhaustion really feels like too much for too long, do talk to your healthcare provider and your child’s provider about what’s going on. They may be able to help you find ways to adjust you and your baby’s routines to get some relief. They can also help identify other issues, including mood disorders or sleep disorders, that might be contributing to tiredness or trouble sleeping. And do take heart knowing that this won’t last forever. The sleepless nights may be long, but this phase of little sleep is short. 

Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team

Sources

• Mayo Clinic Staff. “New parents: Getting the sleep you need.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, October 12 2017. Retrieved February 11 2019. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/healthy-baby/art-20046556.
• “Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep.” National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,  Fri, 2019-02-08 . Retrieved February 11 2019. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Understanding-Sleep. 
• “Twelve Simple Tips to Improve Your Sleep.” Healthy Sleep. Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, December 18 2007. Retrieved February 11 2019. http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/getting/overcoming/tips.

As a new parent, chances are that when you do have the chance to catch a quick nap, you are dreaming of uninterrupted sleep. So let’s talk through what you can expect when it comes to newborn sleep. 

How to get Baby to sleep through the night

Unfortunately, while every day puts Baby one day closer to sleeping through the night, it’s not even a goal you and Baby should be working towards yet. Until approximately the end of Baby‘s second week, they are still working to gain back the weight lost after birth. This means that not only should you be feeding them when they wake up hungry, but there may even be times when you’ll have to be the one to wake them to feed. This can be a challenging time, but remember, each night, Baby is one step closer to sleeping through the night, which for babies is considered a 6-8 hour stretch. 

Still, there is no straightforward way to know when Baby will sleep through the night, and it’s likely that it will take longer than you’d like for them to get there, no matter what tips and tricks you have on your side. Try to be patient, and remember that Baby will sleep through the night soon.

First nights at home

When you first bring Baby home, don’t waste precious energy trying to get them adjusted to nights and days. During this early phase, Baby has no concept of the clock. Focus on taking the best care of your little one and yourself. This means doing your best to rest when Baby sleeps during the day.

Baby needs to eat frequently, and will still eat during the night. Hunger and thirst are more important than Baby’s need for sleep, so new parents can expect to be up multiple times each night. You’ll want to keep a consistent food schedule, at least through the end of the first few weeks. It can feel like going against all of your instincts to wake Baby when they are sleeping, but unless your provider advises against it, it’s a good way to make sure your little one is getting enough to eat – and if you’re breastfeeding, it can also help to establish your milk supply.

Some babies are their most wakeful selves in the middle of the night and tend to sleep most of the day. This pattern is also perfectly normal, and while it can be very challenging for parents, it does pass. To get out of this stage sooner, when you’re ready you can start teaching Baby the difference between night and day to help them develop their circadian rhythm. The best way to do this is to make sure that Baby gets some indirect sun exposure during the first part of the day, and then to keep it fairly dim or use red light for night time feedings and changes, though not so dark that it’s a danger to you.

Reasons Baby might wake up during the night

First of all, no matter what, it will take Baby some time to get to the point where they can reasonably be expected to sleep through the night. If Baby’s sleep pattern does not seem to be improving as they grow, don’t despair! Here are a few reasons why they might be a restless sleeper, and some ideas for how to develop a healthy sleep routine.

• Being Over-tired – it sounds strange, but sometimes it’s the newborns who don’t get enough sleep during the day who have the hardest time staying asleep overnight. As a general rule, the better a newborn sleeps during the day, the better a newborn sleeps at night. Trying to keep Baby awake during the day could backfire and keep them up even longer. 
• It’s too quiet – most newborns love white noise (remember, it sounded like a vacuum in the womb). Especially now, when Baby is still officially a newborn, they might just be looking for a little background noise. White noise machines are great, but so are vacuums, dryers, particularly loud fans, and pretty much any noise that might have been just a little irritating before – you’ll love it if it helps Baby get a little rest.
• Baby doesn’t know night from day yet! After all, there wasn’t much of a change in the lighting between night and day in the womb, and daytime was when Baby was rocked to sleep with motion all of the time, anyway. During the day, open the shades and expose Baby to sunlight. Go for walks outside if possible. In the evening, dim the lights and engage in calming activities such as reading.
• Newborns with colic or reflux can have a harder time sleeping for longer stretches of time than newborns without these conditions, and even normally very solid sleepers can seem to backtrack as they hit growth spurts that leave them needing a little more fuel, so they wake up for added night feedings.
• You’re making being awake all night too much fun! It makes sense – if you and Baby are both going to be awake anyway, why not bond? But it can set a precedent where Baby doesn’t want to sleep through the night. Instead, feed Baby and encourage going back to sleep. Try not to play or engage in stimulating activities in the middle of the night.
• Practice some calm and awake crib or bassinet time. Letting your little one get accustomed to their safe sleep space can help them feel comfortable drifting off on their own.

Importance of routine

Most experts agree that establishing a bedtime routine is one of the best things that you can do for your newborn. For example, you may opt to bathe, dress, and feed Baby at the same time every evening. Right before they begin feeding, dim the lights and play the same lullabies or white noise. Your personal routine may vary, but keep in mind that newborns thrive on consistency. Even if you don’t set out to schedule a routine, there’s a good chance Baby will fall into a pattern of sleeping and waking all on their own, and if you’re planning for it, you can help steer Baby towards healthy habits for your entire family.

Getting your baby to sleep through the night is one of the most difficult challenges of early parenting for many. It should only get easier from here! 

Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team 

Sources

• Mayo Clinic Staff. “Baby sleep: Helping baby sleep through the night.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, November 23 2016. Web.
• “Newborn-Sleep Patterns.” Stanford Children’s. Stanford Medicine, 2017. Web.
• “When will my baby sleep through the night?” La Leche League International. La Leche League International, January 10 2016. Web.

Here are some suggestions for ways to be kind to yourself if you end up taking Baby’s move into their own space a little bit harder than you meant to.

Keep your ears open

Take a walk

Enjoy?