Mommy Must Haves

I’ve decided to start an ongoing series on my blog called “Mommy Must Haves”. Since having Molly, I feel like I am constantly researching baby products and my followers are always asking me about those products. So I figured my blog is a perfect place to share everything!

Mommy Must Haves

Obviously everything on my list isn’t a MUST, but they are just things that I have really enjoyed using with Molly. Also, I would love for you guys to share your favorite baby items in the comments below! As all moms know, babes are constantly growing out of things or going through another stage in life and their needs change. So I would love to know what is working for all of you.

Bottle Sterilizer

First I have to talk abut a product that a few moms told me I wouldn’t need but I on other other hand use it EVERY SINGLE DAY! The baby brezza bottle sterilizer is one of my most used baby products. Forget boiling water to sterilize your babies bottles, you just pop them in this baby, put in distilled water, and press a button. I use it for my breast pump equipment and for Molly’s bottles and pacifiers. I use it every single day, if not multiple times a day. It saves us so much time and it definitely one of my mommy must haves.

Picture Props

I also wanted to share this white fluffy rug with you guys today. The reason it’s part of my mommy must haves is because it’s perfect for taking cute pictures of your baby on it. Ha! Yes, in my mind that is a “MUST” have. I am obsessed with taking picture of Molly and I always think that pictures look prettier when they have a white or cream background. So I use my white comforter on my bed a lot as a background or my white headboard on my bed and I also love to use this rug. She loves it too because it’s so soft. Owen (my dog) also loves it and tries to lay on it with Molly when I’m taking photos of her. Its adorable!

Anyway, I got the rug at a store call Sprout San Francisco. I love their stuff and everything they carry is natural or organic. Check them out if you have a minute.

Also, for those wanting to know, you can get Molly’s striped onesie HERE.

mommy-blog

MOLLY’S ONESIE

Gathre Mat

Speaking of things to lay your baby on, this mat by Gathre is another fav of mine. One, it’s gorgeous. and two,  it’s so easy to clean! We use it when we go to the park (which we do often. Read about activities we like to do with Molly HERE). It great for when we want something to sit on and lay her on. The best part about this mat is that is not only stylish but you can easily wipe it clean. That helps now because she is starting to drool a lot.

I know a mat like this will come in even more handy once she start eating normal food and getting it EVERYWHERE! I went out with my girlfriend who has a 15 months old the other day and I couldn’t believe the mess she made while eating. Ha! (It was adorable though) I knew in that moment that this mat will be even more useful once Molly reaches that age.

4Moms Play-yard

Kevin and I recently took Molly on her very first trip! We went to San Francisco. It was such a short trip but we were still super nervous about how Molly would do her first night away from home. Luckily she slept great (better than she does at home) at her 4moms play-yard. You can use it as both a play-yard and a bassinet so it does double duty! And it folds up nicely into a travel bag which make sit easy to bring on the plane. Plus most airlines let you check baby stuff for free! I was so psyched to learn that!

Nursing Cover

My last item on my mommy must haves today is this nursing cover. I wear these covers on snapchat all the time and you guys are always asking me about it so I thought now was a good time to share.

mommy-must-haves

Item I can’t wait to use…

I’m calling this last section the “item I can’t wait to use” but that’s not entirely true in this case. Let me explain…

I bought got the Beaba Babycook Plus because my girlfriend recommended it to me. We obviously haven’t used it for Molly yet because she isn’t eating solids right now, but I will admit that I’ve used it for myself! Ha! I’m not even kidding. It steams EVERYTHING in just minutes and is really easy to clean up. So I’ve cooked veggies in it for myself a couple times. I just don’t blend them to make “baby food” afterwards. Anyway, my girlfriend swears by this and I can’t wait to make Molly her meals using it. There is also a smaller version that you can get HERE that is a little less expensive.

Hope you guys have enjoy my first addition of Mommy Must Haves! Please share all your favorite products with me in the comment section below! I know that I will need different products as Molly grows and I’d love to get Mommy recommendations. Or grammies or caregivers or babysitters! If you know a great product that worked for a little one in your life, I want to hear about it! I’ve found that the best items we use for Molly were all recommendations from friends who have used them themselves. And I especially would love recs for things that helped your baby sleep!Not necessarily products – but any ideas! I NEED SLEEP! I don’t think I’m slept more that 3 hours in a month (expect for one night when Kevin took over and gave her bottles all night so I could get a full night’s sleep).

Thank loves!

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167 Thoughts

167 thoughts on “Mommy Must Haves

  1. Hey Ali! Have you guys tried any white noise machines? It’s been a MUST have for us with our daughter. She is way easier to put to sleep & we keep it on all night & sometimes during naps as well.

    also- we transitioned our 16 week old to her crib a few weeks ago. We did this for a couple reasons. One being I didn’t want the struggle of transitioning her when she’s more aware of her surroundings. And two, she wasn’t sleeping as well in our room because our noises distracted her. For example my husband alarm going off at 5am or me using the restroom or my hubbys snoring sometimes. The first night she slept in her crib for 10 straight hours. I was a hot mess but I had her monitor right next to my face & her room is literally like five steps away!! She has slept SO much better in her crib and it’s been nice to not have to worry about making noise and stuff. Hope this helps!!!!

    1. I just saw a study online that says to wait until babes are 6 months to transition so we were going to wait. But I dunno! I need to sleep again! I haven’t really gotten any sleep in a month!

      And yes, we use like 2 white noise machines!!!

      1. How about a shusher? We have a white noise machine but haven’t even used it because the shusher works like a charm!

        We’ve been incredibly lucky with sleeping though – our son, who’s 2 days younger than Molly, sleeps 11 hours straight now and I’m more than happy to share what we’re doing but it could honestly just be luck… we follow a routine at 7pm every night where we change his diaper, change into pj’s, put on sleep sack, give a bottle (he usually falls asleep while burping but we hold him upright for 30 minutes because of reflux) and then put him down in his crib with the shusher setting on 30 minutes. Then I dreamfeed at 10pm, at which point I put him in his Bassinest in our room! We’re also supplementing with formula (just a couple of oz a few feedings each day) because of my supply so that might have something to do with it too. It’s all trial and error and you never know what might work! I have heard routine helps though. Here’s hoping it gets better for you soon!!

          1. Hi Ali, I tried everything with my daugther and nothing worked. Some babies just don’t sleep well. I hate to say that but I want to be honest with you. She is now 15 months and slept well for the first time when she was 10 months. It will pass, but it might take time. Hang in there

        1. If you don’t me asking. Who makes the Shusher and which noise machines do you use? I’m just curious for when it’s time for #2!! Our son is just now finally sleeping thru the night at a year old.. FINALLY! I couldn’t bring myself to do the cry it out, but after 1 night of 40 mins and a 2nd night of just 5 minutes, he sleeps like a baby.. no pun intended!! Haha

      2. Hi Ali,
        I swear by the book “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child” It recommends sleep training at 4 months, and I promise you it will change your life. Like you’ll want to buy me flowers change your life. I would suggest reading it now if you are interested so you have the tools to start next month. I usually don’t push things like this but I am so sure you will be happy with the results!

      3. Sleep sheep sound machine is really great! We also sleep with a fan on or any noise will wake her up. I can take a shower right next to her and she won’t wake up but if the fan isn’t on she will wake up

        1. I have the sleep sheep too (can you tell I’m desperate by all the products we use?) but it stopped working after 3 weeks! And is wasn’t very loud. Molly likes LOUD white noise.

          1. Hi Ali!

            Our pediatrician recommended we do not use a white noise machine because it can damage their ears since the frequency and volume of the noise doesn’t change as it would with ocean waves. Not like you need someone else telling you what to do but I thought I’d share! We bought the Zippidy Zip and that has been so much safer than her swaddle! Our daughter (5 months now) used to escape her swaddle and it would get wrapped up around her face! Scary!

          2. I too heard about how the White noise frequency can be hard on a baby’s ears. One of my friends recommended using Brown noise…yes…that is a Thing. You’ll find a bunch of Options on YouTube. I tried it on my Baby and it seemed to work.

          3. We had the sleep sheep too and sadly didn’t work for our little guy. I do run a fan every night and I definitely think that helps!!

      4. Ali- the day my baby turned 3 months I put her in her own room- my husband wasn’t ready yet but I told him he wasn’t the one waking up in the middle of the night so he didn’t have final say- it was the best choice I made for us because all 3 of us sleep better at night! As for white noise- I swear by the “shusher” (it literally shushes like a person would). Also- have you tried playing music for her? My daughter loves to sleep with the radio on!

        Those are my recs- all I can say is do what you feel in your gut is right and what’s best for you and your family!

      5. I have used a sound machine since day one !! My little one sleeps 3 hours in the afternoon and 11 hours at night . ( she’s almost 2 )

        Four key things :

        Sleep sack
        Stuffy
        Black out blinds
        Sound machine !!!

        I followed a program called sleep sense which I found to be most helpful . It was a 20 minute read and It is the reason I have a good sleeper today.

        Do you have a specific e mail ? I can send it to you for free , a friend passed it on to me so I’m happy to share .

      6. Yes! Put her in her crib with her white noise. We transitioned my now 13 week year old, and he sleeps great. Occasionally gets up once a night, around 4 am, but I’d almost consider that sleeping through the night 🙂 Also, the book “The Happiest Baby on the Block” was a lifesaver for us. Total game changer 🙂 We have a HAPPY boy! Good Luck!

      7. Ali – you can read all the studies but do what is best for you. We waited until 8 months to transition because none of us were sleeping good. Take your time. This only lasts so long.

      8. Hi Ali in my home that was amazing was the heartbeat bears it sounds just like the womb and my babies slept through the night from 2-3 months on maybe waking once a night. And they slept in the same room as my husband and I so I was always sleeping with one eye open but the Bears are amazing

      9. Yes I’ve also seen that study.. My husband just assured me she will be okay & to have faith & comfort knowing that her room is so so so close to ours & that her monitor is right next to me face. I guess it helps that I’m a VERY light sleeper especially when it comes to her. I just have faith that she is okay in her big girl crib & it makes me feel less anxiety knowing she is sleeping so peacefully. Also, the fact that she sleeps through the night has been so amazing! I read one of your posts about how you feel like you’re doing everything wrong, I think we all feel that way at times. Being a mommy is not easy, but it’s so rewarding as you know. I wish you sleep soon sweets!!!! I hope you can nap during the day!

      10. My kiddo is 3 months old and sometimes I feel like I’m losing my mind bc he is the worst sleeper and has been waking up every 2.5 hours. He slept better when he was younger for some reason. He will fall asleep in my arms then cry as soon as I put him down. Anyhow sometimes the Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit works for us….but I’m like you and haven’t slept in nearly a month 🙁 and I’m going loco!!!

    2. Thanks for the post! Your Molly and My Ruby are Birthday twins so I love reading about how things are going with you guys. I saw last week that Molly has not be sleeping well. I think you said you are trying a new sleep training method. Can you share what that is and how it is working so far? I’m desperate to get my little one start sleeping better. She naps very little and wakes very often at night. Thanks in advance!!

    3. My best advice is hang in there. Seriously. Month 3 – 4 are the hardest. They suck actually! Hungry, growth spurts, sleep regressions!!!! Ahhhh! Make sure you have a calming night time routine. Warm bath or massage, quiet singing or book, milk and bed. Do not wake her to eat if you are. We did that and it’s a big no no. Right now she still needs to eat on demand but around month 4-5 a routine needs to begin. Its so so important to work on that schedule. The night time wakes will lessen I promise the more a schedule begins. Good luck. Hang in there!!!

    4. Hi Ali! I have a 6 week old and am using the same strategies that worked on my toddler when she was a baby. My husband will give a bottle of pumped milk around 11 or midnight and I will go to bed after the prior feeding (try to be asleep by 9:30 or so.) After my husband gives the bottle in a quiet and semi-dark room, he will swaddle him and put him down in our room (no sound machine or anything). I really think the change in environment from where/how he naps during the day (lights on, typical noise, sometimes in swing or rock n play) helps him understand that it’s nighttime. He sleeps until around 4:30 which gives me a good chunk of sleep. I can nurse and then get a couple more hours. I will say that he sometimes stirs around 3 or so but if I give it a few minutes, he usually is back to sleep.

      In addition, my pediatrician’s office is very progressive and athough they follow AAP recommendations, they posted tonight that they are going to review the 14 page document and look into it some more because more than 100 studies were cited. They believe safe sleeping can occur in separate rooms using certain precautions. Although our son isn’t in his room yet, our daughter was at 2 weeks and was a great sleeper. Good luck!

      1. Alicia, I have an almost 6 week old as well. Out of curiosity, how much milk does your husband give your son in the bottle?

        1. Hi Rose – we do this too. My little girl will be 6 wks on Sat. We give her 2.5oz in the bottle. Sometimes she’ll only take 2 though.

          1. Wow..just saw the difference in what we give. We’ve been doing 5 bottles during the day and then I nurse once in the middle of the night and once in the morning. From there, he takes 5 oz around 11 a.m., 4 oz at 2, 5, 8 p.m., and then 5 oz again at 11 p.m. One of the only pluses to pumping is helping to get them on more of a schedule earlier.

  2. My son just hit 4 months and is starting the early stage of teething so his favorite thing right now is his Sophie giraffe, literally nothing keeps him more occupied than that. Thankfully he is such a great sleeper, he sleeps 8-9 hours every night and is now in his own room but I’ve found having a humidifier in his room helps him sleep just a little better.

  3. Hi Ali!

    I’m a first time mom and I always feel like I’m doing things wrong too. I found what works well for naps/bedtime is being aware of your baby’s wake times and putting them down at the right time helps them sleep easily. However, we still struggle! Our nights have been pretty rough the past week.

    Thanks for sharing where you got your nursing cover from! I have been wondering about it for awhile. It looks amazing.

    1. So glad you read today’s post so you could find out about the cover! People have been asking me forever. But I couldn’t remember where I got it! So glad that I finally found it so I could post it.

  4. I have two daughters 1 and 3. They both started sleeping 7pm-7am at 9 weeks old and I truly think it was from sleeping in their cribs all night!! Good luck I can’t imagine getting as lil sleep as you do! Your doing a great job

  5. Hey Ali! Have you read the book “Baby wise”? This really helped us to get our son on a schedule and routine. He started sleeping through the night within a week of following the baby wise method! It was life changing for us! Another must have for us is Gripe Water. Stuff works wonders for gassy babes!

    1. I have. It was working great at first but now that she naps terribly it doesn’t work at all! But we are trying some new methods (like letting her cry a little in crib before getting her) and hoping they will work with babywise method.

      1. We used babywise and it was great! She’ll grow out of the crappy naps- waiting 5-10 min to get her is a great idea and it helped a lot with my son. Also the merlins magic sleep suit was awesome from 3-5.5 months for us!

      2. Stick with Babywise, even when things aren’t working so well. It will get there, I promise! My first daughter did very well using Babywise and my twins (3 years old) had great success. Sure, there will be days, or weeks, that you may feel very off schedule and be ready to look for the next best thing, but keep at it!!! I would have been lost without it. I also recommend trying the crib at night. All three of mine napped in swings, rock n plays, or bouncy seats for a long time, but crib at night. It’s good for them, and Mommy and Daddy. Good luck!

      3. Does Molly nap in the Rock N Play? We have one and he sleeps so well in it but I always feel like I should wean him from the Rock N Play so he can transition to his crib eventually

    2. Your doing an amazing job momma! Remember it takes time to figure out what makes them “tick” or sleep;) We used babywise for both our girls but it took until my baby was 4 months old before we figured out she loved to sleep on her belly!(I know that’s taboo but she has shown such strength in moving her head herself)Pay attentions to her wake time and maybe a swing? These are just suggestions based on what worked for us! From one momma to another…Hang in there! Putting in the hard work upfront pays off soon! I promise;)

    1. That’s my 2.5-month-old son’s favorite product too! I set him in it all around the house while I get things done. And it’s so affordable!

  6. Ali- me (and my husband – ha!) LOVED you on the bachelor/bachelorette and I am enjoying watching your mom journey here and on snap/instagram. I can’t tell you how many times I think to myself “been there!” I am a first time momma (and working mom!) to a 6 month old and she JUST started sleeping through. Month three was the toughest. Hang in there. It’s coming! Once molly starts sleeping through it’s a game changer. Try the baby shusher! That was a big must have for me and now I buy it for all of my expecting friends 🙂 also- I did a lot of reading on sleep training and sort of combined it all (stretching the feedings at 5 months and with doctor ok- we let her “cry it out”) but really just let my little one sort it out herself: and she did. Mostly just trust your mom instinct and what’s right for you kevin and molly. Hang in there!

    1. Month 3 has been so hard!!!! I feel like a zombie trying to get through the day. Glad I’m not alone.

      And I have the baby shusher. But I don’t think she likes it. Then again I only tried using it for a week. I’ll try again!

      1. We found that the baby shusher app worked way better then the actual machine. The app can go for up to 12 hours 🙂

  7. You have to get Merlins magic sleep suit! It is really magic! Ours is now only waking up once but sleeping for at least 6 hours at a time

      1. The magic sleep suit really is magic! I hope it works for you like it has for so many others. It instantly soothed my son to sleep. He went from sleeping 4 hours to 10-11 in a matter of a week. Since he was 6 weeks he’s slept in his crib because of this suit. If he wakes up he’s able to put himself back to sleep too.

      2. We just got it too! My 14 week old boy still will wake up once a night BUT he’s not moving around in his crib and making 90 degree turns – ha! Seems like he can sleep “harder” now in the suit.

  8. I started giving my babies cereal at 3 months. They were sleeping 10 hours a night. It works and fills them up. And they should be moved into the crib by 3 months. We used the video camera and it was great! Good luck!

      1. Hi Ali!

        Keep trucking, momma! You’re doing a great job! I’m a newborn photographer and have taken my learned tips and applied them to my Molly (5 months old.)

        Swaddle, sound machine, all musts and you have those. I also diffuse Young Living lavender and Gentle Baby.

        Sometimes Molly is upset with the white noise so we play instrumental lullabies. Molly started sleeping much better in her crib in her own room. I know the studies just came out to room share, but we have the Angelcare SIDS monitor so it makes me feel MUCH better about leaving her in her own room.

        You’ll figure out your groove. <3

      2. I was just reading all the responses and thought, well maybe Molly is hungry. Asking your doctor about cereal may be helpful although all the rules have changed since I had a little one so I don’t know if that will be helpful. My “baby” is twenty now, but when I had trouble with naps I would put him in an umbrella stroller and rock him back and forth. If when he fell asleep in it, I would let him stay right where he was and prop the stroller backwards with the handles resting on the sofa and put pillows around it to keep it steady. Of course, I was right there with him all the time. Also, I think the latest study said that transitioning out of Mom and Dad’s room is a good idea, but not the MOST important in keeping your child safe. I did not breastfeed, and my son slept in his room from his first night home. I had a baby monitor and at that time recommendation was for side sleeping. So the rules change so much, I really feel for you young Mom’s! Hope you both start resting well soon.

  9. Number one thing we can’t live without-
    Her dockatot. She’s always been a great sleeper but this thing is heaven sent!

      1. Mine is a bad sleeper night (getting up 3 times) and day (30 minute naps). I feel like a zombie too on a mission to survive one day at a time. We have dockstot too! My 3 month old was hesitant at 1st but now that is there he naps and i use it for night in his crib. I think the notion of them being snuggled in it works. So i would just try it. Also, as i travel to my friends visiting grandparents always take it with me, for quick naps. All about having him sleep flat.

  10. Ali have you tried any essential oils? My niece tried them on my great nephew cause he wasnt sleeping and now hes sleeping 5 hours at night and taking good naps. He more happy during the day too. Use the Young Living Essential Oil Lavender in her bath just a couple of drops and you can rub it on her feet also.. It relaxes them. My great nephew was only sleep an hour or so at a time.. so its worth a try for sure.. He is just now 3 months old also. By the way she is the cutest..

  11. Hi Ali! I know sweet Molly is still so tiny but once solids come in to play we where always trying to find the right bib! We found leather was the way to go! So easy to wipe/clean and could even take our forks and spoons with us in the little pocket! 100% loved this one!

    http://www.peekpea.com

    Have a wonderful day! Milky is too sweet! Your doing a great job momma ! Sleep will come! 😉

    Jodi

  12. Ali I am also in the same boat as you I think are babies are like a week apart so it’s been nice to see I’m not the only one! I’ve researched everything and of course being a new mom you want what’s best for your little one but I’ve realized you’re going to find every one and every article is going to advise you to do one thing and another article to do another thing it’s a lot of pressure. Everyday I wonder if I’m doing things right or wrong but there is no right or wrong. You just have to trust your momma instincts and do what you feel is best for your baby and you!

  13. Hi Aly,

    I know it isn’t for everyone but the crying it out method really worked for us, and helped our 7 month old daughter learn to self soothe. I would pick her up if she was really crying but if she was fussing or just light crying I would leave her. Also start laying her down for naps awake so she learns to put her self to sleep. Another thing that helped sleep was the wubanub a pacifier with the animal attached. She was able to hold it herself.

    Good luck!

  14. Hi Ali, I’m a new Mommy too, my sweet girl is just over 9 months old and she now sometimes wakes up once sat night and only around 4:30/5:00. She is usually in bed by 6:30 at night. We tried EVERYTHING! But she just didn’t seem ready yet and our comfort level to let her cry like some people had suggested wasn’t very good. Reason for that was because she never really whined…. But was either happy as can be or screamed and it was too much for us. I know how you feel right now, and I remember I could NOT WAIT until she slept through the night and now that she almost does, I find myself missing the snuggles. They are only so little for such a short period and she will sleep through the night all In good time! Good luck!!! You’re such an amazing Mommy! Xo

  15. https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-BFB07-Sit-Me-Up-Floor-Seat/dp/B00F2MQ5SC/ref=sr_1_6_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1477513124&sr=8-6&keywords=baby%2Bchairs&th=1

    We’ve really loved this chair for our little boy. He pretty quickly got sick of laying on his back, I think he wanted to see and be part of the action. It isn’t probably made of the all natural and organic materials you usually go for but there is probably something similar out there that is. It is most handy in the morning while I get ready for work, he just sits on the counter and watches me as well as in the evenings when we are making dinner or cleaning up. He can sit right up on the counter and watch us cook and we can explain everything we are doing. It is very similar to a Bumbo but with a bit more support and toys attached! He is 6 months now and still loves it!

  16. I love The Wonder Weeks app to learn more about my baby’s brain development and how it affects his mood. It is a research-based app. It’s right on target when determining when your baby is going through a phase. With this information, as a parent you can understand your baby better and make the necessary accommodations.

  17. Hi Ali,
    Have you tires swaddling at night? My daughter is 10 weeks old and we hadn’t swaddled since the first week she was born. she wasn’t sleeping that well at night so we decided to give it a try again. For the past 2 weeks she has just been getting up once for a feeding!

  18. You are not alone! My daughter is 4 months old and has never slept through the night. She still wakes up 2-4 times wanting to nurse. She is majority breast fed, but I have tried other things like formula before bed and the magic sleep suit, but nothing has worked. I did not agree with what our pediatrician recommended – basically to not look at her or cuddle her when she wakes up and to let her learn to fall back asleep on her own. I have tried, but once she starts crying, I feel the need to intervene and soothe her. Crying it out is not my parenting style so I will just keep doing what I’m doing as I feel that is what is best for us. Many of my friends say it gets better around 1 year…8 months to go 😉

  19. Hi Ali!

    My son is 12 weeks and he is sleeping from 10:00pm to 8-8:30am. I recommend reading twelve hours sleep by 12 weeks old by author Suzy Giordano. I didn’t follow the book exactly but I modified it to fit my daily schedule and it has really helped both me and my son. I started when he was 7 weeks and now I almost have him sleeping a whole 12 hours at night. He’s learned to sooth himself if he wakes up at night. I started with a paci and now he really doesn’t need it. BTW, he sleeps in his crib in his own room! I highly recommend this book!

    1. I just read this book. We tried to move Molly to the 4 hour schedule but I think it’s hard for exclusively breastfed babies. Plus I can’t measure how much she eats unless I pump for every feeding. She actually seems to be waking up MORE at night since we put her on this schedule. So we are going back to 3-3.5 hours between feedings to see if it helps. That way she’ll get more milk throughout the day. Fingers crossed!

      1. I can see how breastfeeding can make it harder. My son is formula fed so we were able to up his ounces per feeding, which has really helped him sleep all night. Sorry I couldnt help more. I wish you luck and hope you get some much needed sleep!

      2. My lady is 3 months old today. She eats about every 2 hours during the day and eats twice during the night and is back to sleep. Terrible mapper. I’m lucky if I get 40 minutes! She is exclusively breastfed and hasn’t even had a bottle yet. Babies are designed to wake up at night for survival..breastmilk is made at night! Sometimes I find myself waking up and she is still asleep but I pick her up,feed her and put her back down. I would say to not give her a pumped bottle at bedtime.. the more feeds she is away from the breast it can mess with your supply. You’re doing great.. try not to get to caught up on the sleeping through the night thing. It should happen by 9 months. ☺️ We will make it and soon enough we will want another and forget how rough it can be!

      3. Hi Ali,

        Are you exclusively pumping? My little girl (5 weeks) wouldn’t take the breast so I started pumping to make sure she gets enough. She’s taking the breast now, but I’ll still give her a bottle (2.5oz) at 10pm. She’ll sleep until I wake her around 3am. She LOVES her fisher price rock n play. This is what she sleeps in. Also, she always fought the swaddle (hates her arms being restricted), but we started the escape proof method and that seems to work. Finally – my husband comes home from work & takes over, feeding her at 8 & 10 with bottles so I can get a few hours of sleep. It helps!

  20. Hi Ali!
    I am a first time mom as well. Our little sweet girl just turned 6 months. She has been a pretty good sleeper – but her routine got a little rattled when she got her first cold.

    She now is not sick anymore – but I still rub a little bit of this on her feet at night (after her bath)
    https://www.zoeorganics.com/products/breathe-balm

    I also rub a little bit of this on her temples: https://www.badgerbalm.com/p-425-night-night-balm.aspx

    Not sure if they help her sleep though the night or not – but I think they make a difference.

    Like the other posts above, we also have her in her own room (its right across the hall). We also bottle feed for the last feeding of the night. And, I make sure her milk is maybe a tad bit warmer than her other feedings.

    We also use a baby probiotic in her first bottle of the day.

    You’ll get some sleep soon, mama!! Congrats on your beautiful girl!!

  21. Hi Ali!

    My son is 12 weeks and he is sleeping from 10:00pm to 8-8:30am. I recommend reading twelve hours sleep by 12 weeks old by author Suzy Giordano. I didn’t follow the book exactly but I modified it to fit my daily schedule and it has really helped both me and my son. I started when he was 7 weeks and now I almost have him sleeping a whole 12 hours at night. He’s learned to sooth himself if he wakes up at night. I started with a paci and now he really doesn’t need it. BTW, he sleeps in his crib in his own room! I highly recommend this book!

  22. I followed 12 hours by 12 weeks for our first and it worked perfectly. Of course you will have times where they are sick, rolling over and teething that you will have to create a little more wiggle room and not be as strict but it did work.
    I will say our second child is not a napping child but I didnt have the time or patience to follow the strict rules this time around. We got lucky and he sleeps through the night a little later than our daughter, like 4 months old, getting up around 4am for a bottle and then falls back asleep until 7.
    I’m waiting for the 8-8 so my hubby and I can have a few relaxing hours together in the evening. I know it will come with time. Hang in there momma!

  23. Hi Ali! I am a huge fan and have loved watching your journey and love your blog. You are doing a great job!!! I have a 15 month old and went through the same struggles, going months and months with no sleep is so difficult. We really loved the woombie swaddle then transitioned to the merlin and the Zipadee-Zip, I swear by all of them. Our little guy loved to be swaddled and we truly think that helped a ton with sleeping. We all slept better when we moved him to the crib, we also had the angelcare so I slept better knowing it would go off if he were to stop breathing so we transitioned him early. Another little secret I read is at night when they wake, don’t look them in the eye, talk to them, little to no light so it does not get them stimulated at all and its easier for them to fall back asleep. One more thing is routine, babies love routine we did the exact same thing every single night and that really seemed to help us. (Babywise is an amazing book we followed as well and helped him start sleeping through the night)

    https://www.amazon.com/Woombie-Original-One-Step-Baby-Swaddle/dp/B00BV80Z64/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1477514108&sr=8-1&keywords=wombie+swaddlers

    https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_6?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=merlin+magic+sleepsuit&sprefix=merlin%2Caps%2C339&crid=35PGHILIZ9GAH

    https://www.sleepingbaby.com/

    Good luck and you are doing a great job!!

  24. Ali,

    My baby girl is just a few weeks younger than yours. The book mentioned earlier, “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby” was really eye opening and recommended by the pediatrician. My daughter is my 3rd baby, but comes after two difficulty boys (one with colic). The book was spot on. My daughter, Brittan, like clockwork is only capable of being awake and happy for about two hours. I’ve noticed if I put her down before she’s overtired, she’s so much happier! We also use the Dohm white noise machine. It’s the sound of real air (not just noise on a loop). It’s great to drown out background noise and maybe something to try if Molly isn’t into the “shusher”. Anyways, with every child, it’s new and different and I find myself calling the doc asking new questions. They’re all so different! Hang in there. The exhaustion is just a small blip in the timeline!

  25. Hi Ali, I am a member of the dark circle club too! My baby wakes up every couple of hours too Ali. Molly and my Violet are the same age. I strictly breast feed her so that may have something to do with it? Since breast milk is so watery I don’t think it keeps her full very long. But, I am going to keep doing it because I feel its the best thing (even though its so hard!) Thank you for this blog! I am going to buy this shusher thing asap and see if that works!

  26. My 8 week year old is sleeping pretty well (she is being formula fed which could be a factor), but one item that has been great in soothing our little girl to bed is a ‘hot water bottle’. Ours has a cute teddy bear cover. I’d never heard of this before my mother in law suggested it, and it really helped us out! I feel for you, and hope her sleeping gets better soon- hang in there!

  27. Hey Ali!
    I have a 6 month old and there’s a couple of things I love that I’m sure you know about, but just in case here they are.
    1. 4mom spout cover
    2. Land of Nod sensory chair (this is a great alternative to electronic toys)
    3. Sleep sheep

    If it makes you feel any better, after reading that study I plan on keeping my little guy in my room until 9 months or so. He started sleeping through the night at the end of 5 months.
    There is hope ?

  28. If you transitioned her out of a swaddle, try the zipadee zip! Look it up! They were on Shark Tank! When we took our son’s arms out of his swaddle, he woke every hour. The first night we tried the zipadee zip, he slept 11 hours straight and has for the past 3 weeks. Good luck!

  29. I used Covered Goods with both of my babies! It’s my go-to now for shower gifts. Now that I’m done nursing, I use it as a high chair cover when we go out to eat or a cart cover when we go shopping. It’s AMAZING! Love your pattern! I have solid gray and black/white stripes. Great post!

  30. Hi Ali! You should try the Lulla Doll for Mollys sleeping, its meant to be amazing! The doll breathes and has a heartbeat to soothe the baby.

        1. I believe so! People use them from newborn, i remember reading that theres a bit of string inside the doll that you can attach to the side of the cot so its out of the way, or you can keep the string inside the doll. Some babies cuddle into them but if Mollys not at that stage yet id say it would still work if the doll was by her feet or at the top of the bassinet/cot.

  31. A Swiss ball is a must for my 4 month old. She can be so angry and as soon as I stir on it and bounce she is either calm or sleeping within minutes!

  32. Hey! Our little girls are about 3 weeks apart and I’m in the SAME boat with the lack of sleep! The only difference is this is my second. My first daughter was a great sleeper right from the start and I totally thought it was because I was doing all the “right” things…tanking, dream feed, swaddle, bath routine. ..turns out it’s just the baby! This one won’t sleep more than 3 hours at a time no matter what I do! Hang in there! It’s super frustrating I know! Just be glad you don’t have to then get up and chase around a toddler all day as well haha

  33. Hi Ali, love you and your stories. Follow you as well!! I’ve had 4 children, and my youngest is 4 weeks on Friday. I would highly recommend sound spa lullabye with picture projection! You can find it online. Love it, baby watches the images on the ceiling while it can play three different lullabyes. Also, I know you are nursing which I’m doing as well, but as others have mentioned. Mine just didn’t seem to get enough or still acted hungry after nursing. Once I started pumping, she started sleeping. Now, I pump and mix with formula so I’m not sure if that has anything do with it. Good Luck — just remember it will get better and every child is different.

  34. I’m sorry you’re not getting any sleep…it can be so tough! I am a first time mommy too and my little guy is 12 weeks today! The thing that has helped us most is my husband gives him a big bottle of breast milk for his bedtime feeding. I read the Mom’s on Call book…I loved the schedule that they provide but they are big into crying it out which I just cant handle. After the bottle, my husband puts him in his crib and we have let him cry for five minutes, then go give him his pacifier. We did this three times and typically after that third time he would be asleep. After a few nights of this, he is getting much better about getting himself to sleep and not fussing when we put him down. Now he is sleeping in between 7-9 hours straight…of course I still have to get up to pump but I’m sure we will sleep one of these days!! Good luck to y’all!

  35. Hi Ali! Love yours posts! Molly and my son were born the same day! So fun! So my son is my 3rd baby and something I got him that I wished I used for my other two is something called a zipadee zip. It almost looks like a swaddling blanket. It was a game changer for me. My son sleeps through the night and on the rare occasion will wake up once a night. I promise you won’t regret it. I was a skeptic at first, but this has changed my life! Hope this helps!

  36. Ali- I know it can be tough but hang in there! Honestly, though better for baby, breastfed babies tend to have a harder time sleeping at night. It can be hard to tell how much they are getting and sometimes leaves them unsatisfied 🙁 It isn’t anything you are doing that can be the nature of it unfortunately. I saw you are doing more stimulated thing with Molly to so keeping her active during the day might help her sleep too. Our pediatrician just told us at my sons 3 month appt that we can start transitioning him off him “snacking” at night when he wakes up. So I’ve started just getting him right away and rocking him in the dark and he’s back out in 15 mins tops! Sometimes they just need you! Also, not sure about Molly but our son is stuffy too and has a tough time breathing at night so that wakes him. We’ve using the cool mist humidifier and it’s worked wonders!! Hope this helps and don’t worry the phases will pass and you WILL sleep again! 😉

  37. been years since babies and im amazed on reading this what is available. mommy must have is a baby swing if you dont own one get one. helps with colicy baby. stotts colic tablets will save your life….other than that I am out of the loop. the musts we had to have was a rocker, swing, good diapers and lots of friends to take shifts when your baby is super colicky. i am learning a lot of new things that are out there.

  38. Hi there. Something that saved our lives is a sleep sack called zipadee zip. It’s a family owned business that was on Shark tank. It’s a sleep sack that’s used for transitioning from swaddling (if you ever swaddled). Either way, it keeps the baby warm & secure & doesn’t let them slap themselves in the face anymore. ? Our daughter slept in this from month 3 to 9 & began sleeping through the night about a week after we started using it. Good luck!

  39. My son is now 18 months, and those beginning months were so difficult for me. Sleep deprivation is a method of torture! I felt like I was losing my mind. Anyway, what changed my life was the book Babywise (which I read above that you have). I also loved Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.

    At about 4 months, we started to let our guy cry a little, going in every few minutes to tell him it was time to sleep and pat his back. Once he learned to go back to sleep on his own, my world opened up! He was in a better mood with more restful sleep, too.

    Good luck to you, Mama! We all feel like we are failing in one way or another, but that’s the nature of the job, and as long as we are providing a safe and loving home, we are doing AMAZING! xo

  40. Watch the “Happiest Baby on the Block!” DVD. I received it as a gift from a nurse practitioner after my third baby and I wish I would’ve had it for the first two!

  41. I’m 72 years old and have three children, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren. All three of my children slept on their tummies and were sleeping through the night at one month old because I gave them a little cereal with their last bottle at night. I had three children under the age of three so I definitely needed my sleep at night!!! I will never understand all these “new” ideas about raising children because none of them seem to work. Why fix something when it isn’t broken. I never heard of a child that died from SIDS fifty years ago so, I guess babies didn’t need to sleep on their backs which I would think could result in the baby choking to death if they spit up. My best advice is to do whatever YOU think is best for YOUR child.

  42. I am a mom of 5 with ages 12 to 28. My oldest plans to start a family soon, she was just married a year ago. Let me kick it to you old school. Kids on a schedule will sleep better, sooner, longer, and with less issues then babies that sleep in their parents room or bed. Will there be some crying, yes! Probably you and the baby, but you he sooner you put Miss Molly on a schedule and as long S she is put to bed dry and fed you should be at least getting a 6 hour stretch of sleep by 6 weeks. If she is taking in at least 4-6 oz of breast milk or formula all my kids slept through the night by 8 weeks.

  43. I can’t offer too much advice because I am in the same boat! My son is 3.5 months old and sleeping is tough. Nights are hit or miss, but man this kid fights naps so much! Evenings are so hard cause he falls apart from being so tired but won’t just sleep! Thanks for sharing that you are struggling a bit too. It sometimes seems like everyone else is figuring this stuff out but me, so it was refreshing to read. If you are looking for other options, we have had better luck with the Dock A Tot, it lets him safely sleep on his side cause it’s all breathable material and he hates sleeping on his back. We just have it in between us in bed, but planning on putting the whole thing inside his bassinet soon.

  44. Hey Ali!

    Okay you are receiving TONS of baby sleep advice, BUT this is the one you need to move forward with. I have not met a single mom this didn’t work for. It’s the Mom’s on Call method. Buy the book. Just read the part about sleeping, and follow it to a tee.

    My son was waking up every 2 hours. He started sleeping 12 hours straight by night 3 and never looked back.

    You guys have to be super strong! This sleep training method is tough, but it works!!

    Obviously talk with your pediatrician first before trying.

    Let us know if you decide to use this sleep training method!

    Love all the pictures and videos you share of Molly. She’s such a little doll!

  45. Hi Ali,
    As a mom of four, I’ve tried almost everything! I have a short list that I recommend to new moms! The FP Rock and Play was great! I loved the Snug&Tug swaddles, they were a lifesaver for me:) One last thing is the Nosefrieda snot sucker, sounds nasty but so much better that bulbs!

  46. Hey Ali! I have loved following you for a while now, more now especially with Molly because we just had our first child who is 14 weeks old. I have been doing a lot of reading and found the Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child to be very informative, more so than BabyWise or any other books. Our son, Will goes down about 7-8 pm, I do a dream feed around 10 and he wakes up once or twice throughout the night. I have found that swaddling still for both sleep and naps works really well right now, as he startles himself awake all of the time! Plus, he is not rolling over right now. We tried putting him to sleep or nap without swaddling and it doesn’t work at all. What does Molly sleep in? When she wakes up at night is she always hungry? Hang in there Momma. You are doing a wonderful job! xo Moe.

  47. I have a 2 year old and three months old daughter. I just got DockATot for my daughter and she loves sleeping on it. I just purchased another one for my older one too (because I know my daughter will eventually use it too!) it’s a must have for us!

  48. There is so much advice and so many things to try but you really never know what is going to work for your baby. I have a 22 month old and a one month old. With my first he didn’t sleep through the night until I gave in to sleep training. He would usually go two to three hours but sometimes it was only an hour. I went back to work at 4 months and was really struggling to function when waking so often during the night. At five months my husband brought home a book and was like you are reading this and we are starting tomorrow. It’s called the Sleepeasy solution and can be bought here:

    https://www.amazon.com/Sleepeasy-Solution-Exhausted-Parents-Getting/dp/0757305601

    I was hesitant to give it a shot but once I started to read the book it gave me hope and I was willing to try anything. I was only breastfeeding as well. It was difficult to follow some of the steps (letting my sweet son cry and actually waking him up when he was sleeping to eat) but it worked in less than a week. The books gives you tons of advice/methods based on your current situation. Not sure that Molly is ready for sleep training but when you and her both are I recommend giving this book a shot. Hang in there sleep will eventually come.?

  49. Hey Ali,
    Do you swaddle Molly? I love The Ollie World and Miricle Blanket. A great book (even better audio book) is 12 Hours Sleep By 12 Week by Suzie Giordano. I am a sleep consulatant and I’ve had great success using her techniques with clients.
    You could also try a dream feed at night before you head to bed. That might buy you some time and help her sleep a longer stretch at a time.
    Good luck and hope you get some well deserved sleep!!!
    Heidi

  50. I swear by the book “12 hours by 12 weeks” it is a sleep “training” book. I didnt use the steps verbatim but I took the parts that worked for me (i didnt really dig thr cry it out step) but it really worked. My daughter Ally is 18 months old now and has slept 10-12 hrs a night and takes 2 naps a day since she was about 5 months old.
    Good luck Mama!

  51. Hi Ali!

    Myd daughter is 2 months/9.5 weeks and we’ve been taking her to the chiropractor for the last 2ish weeks. Mainly to help with her reflux but it’s been doing wonders for her sleep! She’s been doing a 4-5 hour stretch the first one the usually 2-3 after that which means I only have to get up twice with her during “the night”.
    I’d suggest finding someone who specializes in infant chiro care of course but that’s my best suggestion!

  52. I feel like my 1.5 year old started sleeping better at 4.5 months! I hope it gets easier for you!!
    I loved my rock n play! My son would nap in it and I could also take it in the bathroom with me when I showered! It rocked and vibrated.

  53. Hi Ali – I was just like you with my first baby. I read all the books and tried to everything the “right way” and my son didn’t sleep through the night until he was almost 1! So I know what you’re going through! I truly feel that some babies are just bad sleepers no matter what you do, so don’t be hard on yourself. She will grow out of it eventually, you just have to learn what works for her and hang in there. I had my 2nd baby a week after you had Molly and she has been sleeping through the night since the day she was born. And trust me, I have done NOTHING different with her than with my son. Pure luck! Just think — you don’t want your good sleeper first because then it will be 10 times harder to be a zombie with a toddler running around. Your 2nd baby is destined to be better, right? 🙂

  54. My daughter is a week older than Molly. At 3 weeks old we moved her to her own room. We all instantly slept better. Around 2 months I read “moms on call”- life changer. They say at 3 moms the baby should be in their own crib and be able to sleep all night (without being swaddled and without a paci). It took 2 nights of Emma waking up once a night and then on night 3 she slept all night (9 hours). For almost the last month she has slept 12 hours. The key to success for us is a dark room and the “bed time fan” app that plays via Bluetooth on a speaker. Before bed every night she gets a bath then bottle. She loves a good routine. Hope this helps!!

    1. Yes the bath then bottle routine is great. We do that every night also and our baby sleeps 10 hours straight most nights. He just turned 4 months and he has been sleeping in his own crib for over a month now.

  55. Hi Ali!
    My daughter is 20 months now but I definitely remember the zombie mom phase! It does get better!
    Like a few of the other moms, I loosely based her sleep schedule on Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby. We swaddled her until about 8-10 weeks then transitioned to the Zippity Zip- which she loved. She also slept in her Rock n Play until she was about 5 months, then went to her crib.
    When she was Molly’s age, it seemed like she still had her nights and days confused (slept more during the day and up a ton at night). I heard of this crazy old wives’ tale about “flipping the baby.” And it’s just as weird as it sounds, but it worked for us! She started sleeping so much better at night, which in turn helped her sleep better during naps too! Granted, I am well aware it could have been coincidence, but it can’t hurt to try! I can’t find the clip I watched, but here’s a video of someone doing it to their baby.
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa-MCCt8gMU
    Good luck!! Every baby is different- I hope you can find your and Molly’s magic combination!

  56. Hi Ali – not sure what she’s sleeping in now, but we were initially using a bassinet and turns out my baby just hated her bassinet. She started sleeping so much better once we moved her to her crib. I was bummed because I felt terrible putting her in her own room at 6 weeks. But at the same time, more sleep = happy mom. Once we transitioned to her crib, she got on a 6 hour stretch pretty quickly. When she would wake up, I’d bring her to our room, breastfeed her, and then let her finish out the night in the rock n play by my bed. Over the next month, her stretches continued to get longer. Also, we were swaddling in the beginning and turns out she slept better with her arms free. Not sure if you swaddle or not, but that’s also something you could experiment with. My baby didn’t truly sleep through the night consistently until she could roll over and roll herself onto her stomach to sleep. So keep up the tummy time and get little Molly strong. Once she has control of her sleep position, she might start sleeping like a champ! Hang in there, and good luck!

  57. I started putting cereal in the last 2 bottles before bed around this age.It definitely helped! Also, moving him to a bigger crib around this age helped, too. I think the most important thing is establishing a bed time routine-whatever works for her. From 3-6 mos he literally went to bed by 6-630 every night; sometimes earlier! Some people said we were crazy for letting him dominate our evening schedule-but they weren’t sleeping with a baby in the house. Bath, dim lights, rocking chair, and nurse/bottle, bed. He’d sleep until at least 3 and then up at 530. We were happy with that!

  58. Have you thought about hiring a sleep consaltant??? I know it sounds Crazy but it works miracles!!! I take care of babies for 10 years and I have to say the best sleeping one was the one who’s parents had hired sleeping lady (we used to call her ?!).
    The baby would take two 2,5h naps and one 40 min nap in the afternoon.
    Slept at night straight 10-11h at age of 4 months. It wasn’t that expensive too. Few hundred dollars. She put her on a nice schedule,had useful print outs,for the new mom,very good tips. Good luck!

  59. An excersise ball for me to bounce my fussy little guy when I’m tired of walking has been a life saver! Not only calms my baby but also a core/leg workout for me!

  60. Hi Ali,
    Oh I feel your pain!!!!! My little guy is almost exactly 2 years older than Molly and he was a horrible sleeper! He now sleeps for much longer and usually only wakes up once at night which feels miraculous after all those waking. I really believe some babies have a temperament to sleep better than others but I know that around 10-11 months his sleep changed so that he slept much better, although still not as well as now. I know I didn’t want to hear that when he was younger and all I wanted was sleep but I think it eventually helped me to just adapt, take naps when I could and go to bed super early. Not an easy time, you’re a rock star mama for all you’re doing for Molly! I found this article pretty hilarious about all the things we try because there is no perfect solution for every baby: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brandy-ferner/why-baby-sleep-books-can-suck-it_b_6649990.html?ncid=engmodushpmg00000003

  61. Merlins magic sleepsuit. You can get it on Amazon. I wouldn’t get the fleece one bc you just put it over their pajamas and I haven’t met anyone who has used the fleece one. Seems like it’d be hot. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KHZPH74/ref=sxts1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1477527978&sr=1
    It’s a good transition from the swaddle. My baby was getting tired of having his arms pinned down. I’ve had several friends use it also and they loved it too. His first night he slept from 9-6:30 in his crib. He slept in a swaddle in the rock n play until he was big enough to fit in the suit. We also use the owlet because I knew I wouldn’t be able to hear him over his white noise machine.

  62. Hi Ali!

    It’a been so much fun reading your posts and watching your snaps about Molly. I just had my first baby, Beverly, 2 months to the day before you had Miss Molly, so I feel like everything you post (during your pregnancy and after) are all things I just dealt with!

    Beverly was a good sleeper pretty early on, but then hit the “4th month sleep regression” which I read a lot about. It lasted about 6 weeks for Bevi. I guess at this time, the growing going on in our babies brains literally hinders them from easily getting into the deep rem sleep, which is why they are up so often. I was so exhausted those 6 weeks, but then all of a sudden, it just got better! I just reminded myself constantly that my sweet love is growing and these days, nights, cuddles and feedings won’t last forever.

    Some of Bevi’s must haves for sleep are:
    1. Jolly Pop pacifier (amazon)
    2. My Baby sound machine (cheap from target)
    3. A blanket-I am scared to death about SIDS however, Bevi needs to feel that heaviness on top of her. I think about how I can’t sleep without a blanket on and realize she could be like that too, so I’m just careful when I lay it on her and she sleeps in her rock n play right next to me.
    4. Rock n play-as soon as this was recommended to me and we bought one, she started sleeping through the night! She just likes to be slightly elevated. 🙂

    You are awesome mama!

  63. Hi Ali – mom of 2 ( 4yr old and 1yr old). Could Molly have reflux or silent reflux (if she doesnt spit up)? My 1 year old had silent reflux which affected sleep eating etc. Is she eating when she wakes or more of a comfort thing? Maybe once you start solids she will have more in her belly and sleep for some longer stretches! Hang in there and take the help whenever you can. Love your blog and style and Molly is just adorable 🙂

  64. O! Babyzen YoYo stroller for traveling. It folds up to fit in airplane compartment above seat! Amazing and my kids both love it

  65. This is the simplest thing ever, but do you have an exercise ball? Holding our baby while bouncing on the ball calms him EVERY time. I call it the magic ball.

  66. First I have to say how refreshing how honest you are about being a mom! My son is 10 months and I get so overwhelmed by people who say their babies aren’t fussy are sleep through the night.

    IT does get easier – hang in there. We’ve gone through reflux and allergies (had to switch to formula because of a dairy and egg alllergy). I was devastated to end my breastfeeding journey.

    He still wakes once at night but I am happy to be away from the really fussy days when he was 3-4 months old.

    She’s beautiful and you will sleep again!

  67. We tried the “ferber method” at age 3 months. Took my daughter 4 days to learn to put herself to sleep and she sleeps great. First 2 days were the hardest..but now we are able to just lay her down in her crib when she is wide awake and she will put herself to sleep. She was always a “cat napper” during the day, never more than a 20 minute nap. The ferber method changed that as well. Good luck to you! I love your blogs and snap chats!

  68. My son is a week older than Molly. We have the baby Einstein sea dreams soother that attaches to his crib and it’s the only thing that has worked for us! It’s a little aquarium that lights us and plays music… He stares at it for a few minutes then drifts off to sleep. He does still cry for a few minutes but then he’s out! Hope this works for you!

  69. My 2 month old sleeps amazing in his Dockatot. Still up 2 times a night but that’s not as bad as the 3-4 it was before I bought it!! I put it in his halo bassinet but it can be used anywhere! Try it out!

  70. I don’t know if anyone has suggested this book but I used the book Baby Wise. It is an amazing book. They have multiple books for all different stages in a kids life. It talks about putting your kid on a routine of eat-wake-sleep. My baby is eight weeks now sleeps in her Crib and sleeps between 7 to 9 hours a night. My husband and I couldn’t deal with all the noises she made at night and we transitioned her into her crib at three weeks. And it has been amazing sleeping again.

  71. Hey Ali! First I just want to tell you that Molly is beautiful and your doing great as momma 🙂 have you ever tried essential oils ? Lavender is wonderful for sleep! Of course you would need to dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil ( I use fractionated coconut oil) I use a roller bottle and role it on my daughters feet and it works wonders!! Hope you get some sleep soon!!

  72. Does she sleep in a bassinet in your room? We started that way and ended up co-sleeping, and can I just say that it saved my sanity. I was able to get sooo much more sleep. Not only did my son sleep better next to me, but when he woke up to eat I could just pull the goods out, get him situated and go back to sleep. Obviously feeding laying down takes some practice, but he got great at it! I know co-sleeping isn’t for everyone, I was actually quite anti co-sleeping before our son was born, but we grew to really love it(probably because we were so much more rested)! Your doing great Mama, hang in there!

  73. I have two kiddies and what works for us regarding sleep is really just doing what feels as natural as possible, keeping in mind how humans have lived since the beginning of our existence. For example, sleeping close to baby (my first moved out of the master at 2.5 yrs, my second who is currently 14 months is still in the master but moving into his own room shortly!), breastfeeding on demand (yes, even if they just nursed 5 min ago Lol!), using a carrier for naps until they were ready for crib naps (both were around 6 months), and ‘waiting-it-out’ (ie. no cio). The first year is the hardest. Just remember that you are the best mom in the world. Don’t ever forget that. And your maternal intuition is your greatest strength! Hugs.

  74. I bought the Dock-a-Tot in the middle of the night one night when my 2 month old would not fall back asleep. I purchased it out of shear desperation to try anything, and it works! I wish I’d bought it so much sooner! We also use the 4 mom’s pack and play bassinet, but she seems so much cozier in the dock a tot. She falls back asleep instantly in the middle of the night now. It’s approved for co-sleeping and it’s breathable. I am dreading the day she outgrows it and will definitely purchase the next size up! Good luck!

  75. Hi Ali,
    My daughter will be 16 weeks this Sunday. I always see you post your outfit details but would you mind sharing your favorite nursing bras? I also live in my madewell t’s from Nordstrom hut they are do sheer that I just can’t seem to find a good bra! Thanks in advance and thank you for all your posts, I really enjoy reading them!

  76. It truly has to do with each individual baby! My first was a horrible sleeper!! She woke up from her naps at 30-45 mins like clock work and would only sleep in peoples arms for the longest time. Couldn’t seem to transition into that next phase of sleep. Sometimes I would time it and sneak into her room and right at 45 mins try and shove her pacifier in her mouth to grt her to go back to sleep!! And I was too anxious to nap when she did because I KNEW she was gonna wake up right at the 45 mark. So exhausting. I ended up caving early and transitioned her to her crib at 4 months and while it wasn’t perfect (I stared at the monitor for like hours making sure she was still alive) it helped with me sleeping they those little baby noises that had she been right next to me I would have bolted up to other wise. Honestly thinking back to those first 6 (!) months I kinda blacked them out because I was so tired! But somewhere along the road it got better and by a year she was a sleeping champ. Now I’m on my second at 5 weeks and such a diff kid. So much sleep, so much more chill. I’m starting to think my first could feel my nervous energy, prob making the whole situation worse. With this one Im resolved to the fact that I’m prob not gonna sleep more then 4 hours in a row and that’s ok, just lots of concealer and asking for help from others ? I know you’re prob counting down days and weeks and months till you think she will grow out of it-hello obsessing over baby milestones-and prob want to slap every fully rested mother who says just give it time but time will fly and it will only make you more grateful when she does jump that hurtle! Now I’m gonna go back to my 3am feeding, you got this!

  77. We followed the book Moms on Call with our daughter who is now 18 months and she has slept great since about 10 weeks. I think it really helped us to have a normal consistent wake up time every morning and helps the babies know mommy and daddy are coming in. Other things that helped were black out shades and swaddling. But we stopped the swaddle at 3 months anyways and use a sleep sack still.

    I really recommend the book. It basically helped us to put our daughter down awake so she knew how to fall asleep on her own. I hope that helps!

  78. I have a little boy who will be 3 months tomorrow and my little girl is three. When my daughter was a baby, she woke up every 2-3 hours until she was 7 months old and we eventually did sleep training with her cause I couldn’t take it anymore!! It worked. But I wouldn’t do it until Molly is at least 6 months 🙁 with my son, he is just a better sleeper. It’s weird. I guess each baby is different but he already sleeps from like 9pm-4am. It’s crazy! I tried everything in the world with my daughter and it didn’t matter. Honestly I think it’s just the baby. Regarding my current 3 mo old, he is EBF and I try to feed him every 3 hours unless he is napping….we also use a rock n play. I know some people are against those but he loves it and I need the sleep. We plan on keeping him in our room for 6 mo to a year too based on the study.

  79. I love reading your posts and following you. My baby boy was born on July 14th so close to you so I feel like I can relate. I have the same nursing cover and we LOVE it. I get asked about it all the time, however, I mainly use it for a car seat cover and its super nice if there is a breeze so the sun stayed out of his face. Not to mention he loved looking at it since we had the black and white stripes one. Thanks again for sharing and being open and honest…also being a mom with first child similar age I can relate.

    We are about to take our first flight for Thanksgiving…would love to hear tips/tricks for flying, packing, etc with a little one!

  80. Ali,
    Do you have the Wonder Weeks app? I have an almost 5 month old and she went through the same thing as maybe Molly is going through. She was up about 4 times a night :/ I believe cause she was going through “a leap”. Check out the app it explains what your baby is learning and when and how to help your baby get the most out of it. The 4th leap seems to come with sleep regression. The day my app said the leap was over my LO started sleeping through the night! Good luck, it’s not easy, but you will sleep again soon 🙂

  81. HI Ali! I love how honest you are as a mom. I have 2 boys-5.5 and almost 3. My biggest advice and something to remember is this too shall pass! You will sleep again, the hardest part of being a parent is not knowing when the hard times will pass but know that they will, and then the next set of hard times comes. My second boy would not sleep long stretches on a flat bad during naps so I would have him nap in a swing (not moving). As much as you can, take breaks, do things you love, take naps when Kevin is home and have him take over night feedings on weekends. You are doing a great job- motherhood is HARD, but so full of joy at the same time.

  82. Ali!
    I love reading your blog, and how honest you are about motherhood. My baby who is now 11 months was a terrible sleeper! If it wasn’t for my mom and husband i wouldn’t have made it. I NEED sleep to function. He didn’t start sleeping through the night until about 6months and we tried everything. Now he sleeps from around 7pm to 7am so it does get better i promise! you’ve prob already seen this but wanted to post in case you haven’t. it’s called the SNOO smart sleeper. I don’t know anyone who has tried it yet because its new but it sounds amazing. I posted a link below
    https://www.happiestbaby.com/pages/snoo
    Good luck with sweet Molly. Saying a Prayer for all of you to get a full nights rest :))

  83. I do t know if this has been suggested but My baby must have is the Dockatot!
    My 12 week old has been sleeping 6-8hr stretches since 5weeks, it’s genius!

  84. Hi Ali!
    I am a mom of two girls under 3 years old. My daughters are 14.5 months apart so I’ve definitely had my share of baby experiences! In terms of sleeping we have been super lucky with both girls as the first slept through the night at 6 weeks old and the second was sleeping through at 4 weeks. So I’ll caveat with this — I’m not sure if it was just luck or a combo of nurture or nature but I do have some tips based on what I found with my girls. We moved them into their own rooms early and I found that helped us all sleep a little better. Kids generally wake up 6-8 times a night so as they become more aware of their surroundings and understand that crying brings mommy or daddy in to help them fall back asleep, they start to take advantage, esp if they see us in the room. This makes staying in hotels hard because the second they see us they want us to take them out of their play pens! Both girls went through sleep regressions around 4 months and with both we needed to give her the chance to try to fall back asleep on their own. The first few nights I made sure she wasn’t hungry. They would wake around the same time every night so I started to suspect it was partly becoming part of her nightly routine to wake up at exactly that moment. When I saw it was literally a sucking motion that soothed her to get back to sleep (and not truly eating) I knew it was time to let her cry it out a little. Usually after about 10-15 mins of fussing (and at the beginning it was longer) they started to quiet down and every night thereafter just got better and better. I was always concerned that she’d lose trust that I wouldn’t get her if she needed me, but both still loved me and were happy to see me the next day. They both sleep with Dohm sound machines which really helps filter out noise. One must-have is a battery powered mobile on the crib. As my girls got older they would turn it on themselves in the middle of the night if they woke up (they still do! Sometimes it’s a little creepy when you suddenly hear music from the monitor but it’s also fun to spy on them when they’re choosing their favorite songs!) Many of them come with remotes so you can turn them on and off without even going into the room. I would also recommend a bedtime routine which has absolutely helped my girls know when sleep is coming. We get into Pjs around the same time every night, dim the lights, turn the tv low or off entirely, and head up the stairs to brush teeth and change diapers. The last thing we always do is read, and with My firstborn we always read “The Going to Bed Book” as part of her routine. Other must-have books I recommend are anything by Karen Katz, which are all “lift the flap” so as they get older they really enjoy reading them. So ultimately my advice is– be consistent, learn from her cues, and trust yourself. It will get better with time!

  85. Sometimes I think people make the idea of babies sleeping more complicated than it is. I always find it interesting that my mother, grandmothers, aunts, etc never had such trouble writing their babies to sleep. When I had my two boys I kept this in mind and tried not to complicate it too much or think of any product as magic. I never swaddled my boys during the day and didn’t let them nap in the dark. Light and dark are a big part of sleep. From day one every night we did the same thing. Our sleeping hours are 8:30pm to 6:30 am for our boys. That means the baby didn’t leave his room during those hours. No lights came on and no eye contact was made. Even when he ate every few hours in the beginning we kept quiet, changed his diaper, fed, and rocked him back to sleep. The nights when he wouldn’t go back to sleep right away we would sit in the chair and stare at the wall (hours at a time a couple times). Their bodies adjust and get the hang of that routine. Wherever her sleeping space is needs to be just that. No naps in there or no playing in there. My boys are 4 and 1 and the both know from 8:30-6:30 they are in their rooms. You can’t make a child sleep but you can make them have quiet, dark, down time and hey they usually go to sleep 🙂 I’ve always had great sleepers because they know mommy isn’t talking to them during sleep hours. And FYI I’ve never let my kids cry it out and I always fed on demand. There are always exceptions of course for special events or sickness, etc. Find your routine and stick to it. Pick a sleeping time and no talking, no lights, and don’t move her around the house. Her body will adjust and learn to sleep!!

  86. Hi Ali!
    My little girl was born July 9 🙂
    I hired Pam from Wee Bee Dreaming to help me with my son who is now two. Her website is awesome and if you ever need a sleep coach she is the best (weebeedreaming.com).
    Since our little ones are almost 4 months she has some good articles on sample schedules and how to help with the 4 month regression.
    She highly recommends blackout curtains, white noise playing all night, swaddle (then Merlin suite, then sleep sack), early bedtime, napping every 1.5 hours, putting them down awake, not rocking or feeding them to sleep.
    Hang in there! You aren’t alone! <3

  87. Love to dream sleep sack (think called zipadee in usa). Had the same issues with my boy, who was a 45min day napper & 4hrs at night. Tired about 5 different types of wraps, white noise (not in tune radio station) doing dream feeding (got worse results so gave up very quickly). Remember going to baby shop in desperation for anything & come across love to dream sleep sacks. They best thing ever. You do have to make sure u buy the right size & go by the guide as suits are based on baby’s weight. I used right up until 6mths (so used small, med & large). He loved being able to suck on his fingers through the suit which seemed to comfort him & made him sleep longer.

    We also got the 50/50 which was great & was sleeping with both arms out by just after 5mths & only took under 2 weeks to tramsition to this stage. Was also great this suit for transition into larger sleep sack (we call them woolbabe in nz) as would wear love to dream inside the 3 season woolbabe to get used to the feeling. Then we just took of love to dream & just used the 3 season on warmer nights or winter woolbabe on colder nights. I had a thing about sheets & blankets & felt happier that I knew he was safer & unable to slide under blankets. Also we did start up solids just on 4mth mark which again helped the night time sleep length.

    Once he moved to his own room (at 6mth as like u read to much & jst felt safer to us, whereas all our friends from baby group had done by 3mths) we found he slept right through for 12-13hrs.

    All a guessing game & what works for 1 doesn’t always work for others. Def lots of $$$s spent in the process trying to figure out.

  88. THANK YOU for posting your favorite items! I am expecting first baby and I am big in researching but takes a lot of time and the products you reccomend look very very good! I am getting many of those.
    Also I laighed when I ordered the same onesie that Molly is wearing yesterday (in short sleeve though) even before I read your blog. Love it!!

  89. Hi, Ali:

    I just love your blog! I’m a first time mommy to a 4 month old. Her first month was the hardest for us. She never “slept like a baby” and would only sleep in our arms. I ended up cosleeping with her many nights so that we could both get sleep and I credit that as to why she is now sleeping from 8:30p-6:30a. She’s also exclusively breastfed and still sleeping in a play pen in our room. We decided we’re going to move her crib into our room until she’s 6-7 months old since she sleeps so well in our room. I truly believe my scent, my breathing, and my heartbeat all helped her learn to self-soothe herself. I never not even once let her cry in her play pen. I do put her down sleepy but not fully asleep now. Our bed time routine starts at 7:30p. We give her a massage with coconut oil, then a bath, pjs, and her last feeding in our room with the lights off, sound machine on low, and humidifer on low. I also nap with her once a day not that we don’t cosleep at night. That’s really the only thing that I can attribute to why her sleeping has gotten better. I still feed her on demand too. She eats anywhere from 1hr to 3 hrs and the majority of the time on both breasts. I don’t know if this will help at all, but hoping it does!

  90. You’re doing nothing wrong! Exclusively breastfed babies wake to nurse for many reasons. Comfort, hunger, thirsty, to be close to mom. Breastmilk is very easily digested also, which can make wakings more frequent. It’s completely normal behaviour. 4 months a lot of changes happen 🙂 co- sleeping is sometimes the only way to get sleep for the first while. Hang in there. “This too shall pass” xo

  91. Hi Ali,

    Read up on the Ferber Method and the 1-2-3 Magic. It worked wonders for my 3 boys, who are now 19, 17 & 14. The Ferber Method took us a week or even less for them to sleep on their own. We started this method when the boys are between 3 or 4 months of age. But, you have to be consistant, loving (even if you feel sad because of the crying), and talk softly. Believe me, the first to third day is hard, but it gets easier. If you break the cycle, you have to start over. Yes, I’ve broken it too. When you start over it gets easier too. It’s not for everyone. I did it because I just wanted to sleep! Believe it or not, 1-2-3 Magic I still use it today! but, less. 🙂 I started using this after the kids were walking. When I felt they were ready to accompany me to the mall, but, hates to ride on their stroller, I use this method.

    Good luck!

  92. Ali, I feel your pain! Our little guy is 14 weeks and has never been a good sleeper. He was doing ok at night for awhile, but is up more frequently now and is impossible to get down for naps! We do the eat-play-sleep routine and have tried just about every swaddle, but now need to transition him out of that and the rock n play because he wants to start rolling. I know you’ve gotten tons of tips and advice – any that have worked for you guys so far? We are so desperate! Hang in there mama! It’s got to get easier eventually!

  93. Hi Ali! Love all the must haves – can’t wait to get some of them! I was wondering brand the baby carrier is that you use for Molly? I absolutely love it!

  94. Hey Ali! I love this list! Especially the inclusion of a playard – we use them tons for playtime at home as well as sleep while traveling.

    When adorable little Molly DOES get closer to introducing solids, I’m happy to share my online feeding course for parents with you, free of charge. I’m a pediatric Occupational Therapist on a mission to empower fellow parents to confidently introduce baby to first foods by helping them understand feeding skill development AND how to respond to their babies’ individual signals. Just email or DM me on instagram (@candokiddo) if you’re interested in taking the course!

  95. Great, recently I have read one blog i.e Parenthoodbliss, where you can find the best pregnancy blogs, baby product reviews, tips, and all things parenthood!

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