003: Establishing Good Sleep and Routines for Your Newborn (Weeks 6 to 12) with Pam Diamond

The Whole Bundle: Nurturing parents through nourishing conversations

Sleep is a cornerstone of a newborn's development and a critical element for a family’s well-being. Transitioning from the early days of bringing a baby home, parents witness the ebb and flow of sleep patterns that accompany their baby’s rapid growth and development. Our focus today zooms in on what happens beyond the six-week mark, a period ripe with changes, challenges, and opportunities for establishing healthy sleep routines. In this episode, we dive deep into the world of sleep routines for your 6-12 week old baby with the expertise of Pam Diamond.

Pam Diamond is a baby whisperer and parent coach in North Carolina. She’s passionate about helping families navigate parenthood with more sleep and less stress. For more than 30 years she’s guided parents (and grandparents) to fix what's not working and enjoy what is.

Pam founded and operated First Daze & Nightzzz, a postpartum doula and sleep consulting service, for 21 years before passing the baton to Elise Silver. She was one of the first 50 to be trained as a sleep coach by Kim West in 2011.

By the six-week mark, families often notice a seismic shift in their baby’s behavior and sleep patterns. Pam and I discuss strategies for extending that first long stretch of night-time sleep. Cluster feeding in the early evening and understanding the pivotal role of proper daytime naps and feedings lay the groundwork for a night of more restful sleep for both babies and their exhausted parents.

When the clock strikes midnight (figuratively speaking), many parents find themselves at a crossroads of sleep deprivation and the desperate quest for a semblance of normalcy. Pam shares the concept of sleep consolidation - starting with the longest stretch at night. Surprisingly, a "long stretch" for a newborn might only be four hours, but it's a stepping stone towards a more predictable routine.

As babies grow past the initial six-week phase, slight adjustments and keen observations become your best tools. The journey from erratic sleep patterns to the first signs of predictability requires patience, understanding, and a bit of science. Pam shares invaluable insights on the importance of daytime naps, proper feeding (avoiding the perilous path of snack feeding), and the underestimated power of fresh air and sunlight.
We talk about:

• 00:00 Intro
• 02:12 Recap of part 1
• 05:07 No promise of a miracle
• 07:54 What happens with sleep after you get past the 6 week mark
• 08:55 How do we get the long stretch of sleep at night
• 09:48 How many hours at night are we talking about in these longer stints of sleeping
• 11:52 When babies start to have a more regular sleep schedule
• 14:40 Tips when no consolation is happening
• 18:11 Should you wake up baby to feed?
• 21:17 When are kids biologically ready to sleep through the night?
• 24:36 Letting babies self-soothe
• 32:19 Babies and Cortisol
• 37:41 One last piece of wisdom - getting fresh air and sunshine each day

Connect with Pam

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstdazenightzzz
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamdiamond
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pameladiamond/
• www.pamdiamond.com

Connect with me

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholebundle/
• https://thewholebundle.com/