How to Put Your Baby to Sleep, According to a Newborn Photographer.

Babies cry and have difficulty settling down for a variety of reasons. Here are a few steps that I as a professional newborn photographer (and mom!) take in order to calm baby and put her into a gentle sleep. Parents are always so amazed when they come to my studio in Frisco, TX and I put to sleep even the most stubborn babies.

For starters, as a parent you need to understand the world through the perspective of your baby. The world is incredibly scary for them – Bright lights, new types of noises and so many different sensory sensations. For most healthy babies, it becomes understandable why some are hard to settle down and sleep. The first three months of your baby’s life is known as the fourth trimester, and this trimester is often overlooked. Your baby has just left the protective, cocoon like environment of their mother’s womb, and so if you want your baby to fall asleep, and stay asleep here are some tips and tricks:

1. Basic Needs – Have your baby’s basic needs been met? Diaper clean? Baby has been fed? Burped? Start with the basics first to make sure there isn’t anything else that’s keeping them awake.
2. Swaddle. Most babies will act like they don’t like to be swaddled, but really, they just don’t know they do. A lot of times parents will give up and claim that baby doesn’t seem to like it but newborns are squished into their mothers wombs and find it very comforting, so trust me they love it! Stretchy fabrics work best, because again, this emulates the stretchy uterus! I would stay away from muslin and Cotton wraps (keeps those for when baby is older). SwaddleMe swaddles are great when you’re in a pinch and aren’t good swaddling.
3. Dark environment. This is when black out curtains come in handy. Lots of light (artificial or natural), can be over stimulating for baby. After swaddling, let’s quiet things down and turn the level of light down to calm the atmosphere.
4. White noise – contrary to popular belief, babies don’t need a quiet environment. In the womb babies were surrounded by the bodily noises of mom’s body. The noise was also heavily diluted creating a white noise effect. This is what newborn babies need. A white noise machine is wonderful, and there are plenty of free apps that work too. I personally use the Baby Shusher – its so powerful it even puts parents to sleep!
5. Swinging – once again, in moms womb baby was constantly being swished back and forth whenever mom moved. This movement is soothing to baby and baby craves this when out of the womb. So after swaddle, dark environment and white noise, rock your baby. This does get tiring after a while so I always recommend a bouncer or swing. A really cool vibrating mat called Tranquilo mat is a great option too!

   After you applied all of these steps, you will start to see your baby settle and eventually fall asleep (and stay asleep). If you forget any of these steps just remember that the goal is to create an environment that mimics mom’s warm and protective womb.

Malka Ahmed is a professionally trained newborn photographer, practicing in Frisco, tx.

This blog post is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition.