Baby & Beyond - Baby Sleep Consultants

03/11/2024

A very common problem parents come to us for help about is broken sleep - either catnaps or frequent night waking. Both can be overcome... Ask us how!

27/10/2024

Let's talk naps! These are vitally important, yet getting them right is so tricky. Need some help? Enquire today.

20/10/2024

We all need quality sleep. Talk to one of our consultants and improve your family's sleep!

27/09/2024

Rural home visit today, very scenic South Waikato.

22/09/2024

08/09/2024

Here at Baby and Beyond our experienced, certified consultants can provide all the support you need with managing an unsettled baby. As a Registered Nurse of 30 years, Janferie can also help with managing the complexities of reflux, medications and referral to a Paediatrician if required.

26/08/2024

A basic explanation of the 4 month regression...newborns experience 2 stages of sleep- Deep and regenerative and, REM- stores memories and when they dream. At around 4 months, their sleep reorganises itself and they begin a 4 stage method of sleep. It gets very sciency, however they basically spend less time in REM and more time in the new lighter stages which = more wakefulness. There are lots of elements to help your baby transition from their 2 to 4 stage sleep cycles, and as a sleep consultant I can guide you/prepare you with these methods to limit how hard the regression hits. If this is happening to you now, or you want to be prepared then get in touch.

21/08/2024

Paulette in her element with this gorgeous 5 week old baby! Dream job!!

11/08/2024

Sometimes dropping a nap can be tricky! Our friendly consultants are here to support you knowing when and how to drop a nap to suit your baby's changing needs.

29/07/2024

Needing help with your early riser? Contact us today.

21/07/2024

Our friendly, experienced sleep consultants are ready to help your child achieve better sleep now. www.babyandbeyond.co.nz

15/07/2024

Toddlers can be very creative at bedtime! For support with your child's sleep please contact us!

26/06/2024

NEWBORN SETTLING
- SKIN TO SKIN
Here is a 6th "S" to add to Dr Harvey Karp's "5 S's" to help settle a young baby. There is no place your newborn would rather be than cuddled up as close to you as possible! Placing your baby skin to skin on your chest has numerous proven benefits, not only straight after birth, but any time. Also known as "kangaroo care", there should be no clothing, blankets or wraps between the two of you. Place a blanket over the top to keep you both warm, and the warmth of your body will keep baby nice and snug. Having a bath or shower together is another nice way to calm your baby with some skin to skin time - as well as the soothing influence of the water.
Skin to skin is a beautiful bonding time for the two of you, and can be practiced by either parent, decreasing stress in both parent and infant.

23/06/2024

NEWBORN SETTLING
- BABIES SUCK TO CALM
Psychologists recognise sucking as a calming process for babies. Older children and adults experience the same deep calming with similar activities (e.g. licking a lollipop). It lessens stress and has pain-relieving qualities. Recent studies have shown that pacifiers may help prevent SIDS/SUDI.
Ensure breastfeeding is established before introducing a dummy/pacifier.
When using a dummy/pacifier a baby will indicate hunger by continuing to cry after sucking for a minute or two, searching for the ni**le when you touch her face, eagerly drinking when offered milk. If she isn’t hungry, but just needs to suck, she will suck contentedly on the dummy. This can be helpful to soothe a baby when she is upset.
To use reverse psychology to help a baby keep the dummy in her mouth, tug at it as soon as she has a good suck going. She will suck harder to resist losing the dummy. Repeating this process 10 – 20 times whenever you give her the pacifier for a few days will train her to keep a firm grip, reducing the need for an adult to replace it often.
Babies from 7 - 8 months old can be taught to find and replace their own dummies. Up until that time the dummy can become a hindrance, if you need to pop it back in every time she stirs between sleep cycles.
Dummies/Pacifiers can be a helpful tool to soothe a crying baby and help her fall asleep and sleep longer. They can, however, be a problem if they become a sleep association needing parental help to find and replace.

19/06/2024

NEWBORN SETTLING
- MOVEMENT TO CALM A BABY
Swinging, jiggling movements imitate the womb environment, activating the calming reflex by turning on motion sensors in the baby’s ears. Many rhythmic actions help to calm babies, from slings to swings, patting, jiggling, rocking, walks and car rides. For calming a fussy baby, the swinging needs to start out fast and jiggly. His head needs to wiggle more than his body, so cup your hands a little loosely around his head. Follow the baby’s lead as to how vigorous your rhythmic jiggling should be. As his cries get less and he begins to calm, reduce your pace accordingly. Jiggling motions are fast and tiny – NEVER SHAKE A BABY.
To settle a crying baby in a bassinette: Swaddle the baby and lay him on his side in the bassinette. Holding the bassinette on the side, near his head, jiggle it quickly, like you’re shivering, making his head wiggle like jelly. Make a loud “shhing” or turn on some white noise. After he is calm roll him onto his back for sleeping.

18/06/2024

Mainly Music runs in town and cities all across N.Z and was a weekly highlight when my own children were little. I'm enjoying being able to give a little back.

16/06/2024

NEWBORN SETTLING
- SHHING AND WHITE NOISE
“Shhing” sounds like the familiar environment of the womb because the blood rushing through the blood vessels is very loud in the womb.
White noise imitates the “shhing” sounds of the womb. It helps babies calm down and when played during naps and nights, sleep longer. Many household appliances can be used to make white noise, or you can buy white noise machines or download apps designed for the purpose. When calming a frantic baby, loud “shhing” from your own mouth is also effective.
The noise in the womb is very loud: 80 – 90 decibels - louder than a vacuum cleaner! Because the baby’s ears are blocked by fluid and vernix, and the eardrums are thick and inefficient, the sound is muffled. His hearing is still imperfect for the first few months after birth, when the eardrum thins. White noise, therefore, needs to be loud to be effective – especially if the baby is crying and making a lot of noise himself. Gradually increase the volume to see how he responds.
To wean a baby off white noise, simply lower the volume gradually over 1 – 2 weeks. This can be done by 3 or 4 months of age, but it is recommended it continue for naps and night sleeps until 12 months or longer. It can be helpful for restless nights with teething and growth spurts.

12/06/2024

NEWBORN SETTLING
- THE NEWBORN CALMING REFLEX
Side and stomach settling trigger the baby’s calming reflex by making him feel like he’s back in the womb. The position he spent most time in during late pregnancy was (normally) on his side, head down, curled up with knees tucked into his tummy, “the fetal position” even adults find comforting. Position sensors in his head turn on the calming reflex.
The “Moro” reflex happens when a baby is laid on his back, unswaddled – his arms fling out and he gets a fright. At this age it is very supportive to keep your baby’s arms held in by his chest, and lying on his side or stomach.
To settle an upset baby, after swaddling, cuddle him in your arms either lying on his side, or over your arm on his stomach. You can also lay him on your lap face down with his stomach over your legs. This can be a great position for burping, too.
Due to an increased risk of SIDS, putting a baby to sleep on his side or tummy is NOT recommended. Safe sleep advice is to put him to bed on his back. Therefore, settle him in your arms or on your lap before laying him on his back in bed. If you are settling him in his bed you can lay him on his side, but once he is calm you must roll him onto his back for sleeping.

12/06/2024

This is what mum's are saying about Paulette, " I have had the best experience with Paulette as a sleep consultant, she is extremely knowledgeable and supportive with her advice. " Natalie, June 2024

10/06/2024

This wonderful ❤️ charity is one Baby and Beyond support every month financially. If you aren't in the Waikato region to drop off items but would like to post them instead, please message me for details.

Can you help us, please? We urgently need these items for our care packs.

We have drop-off points in Te Awamutu, Hamilton, and Morrinsville.

10/06/2024

NEWBORN SETTLING
- LET'S TALK SWADDLING
3 Benefits to Swaddling:
a) Swaddling gives a baby the constant feeling of touch. Touch is essential for babies, and being swaddled gives her this comforting experience during the times she is not being held in your arms – an artificial cuddle!
b) Tucked cozily and compactly in the womb, baby has very limited ability to move his arms around. Once in the big, wide, world, he can also fling his arms wide. This tends to alarm babies, sometimes triggering the Moro reflex – he reacts as if he is falling. Striking himself in the face is also going to upset him. Swaddling keeps him in womb-like restrictions, preventing flailing around and upsetting himself.
c) Being cozily wrapped in a swaddle allows a baby to focus on the other calming, soothing things you are doing. She can switch off all the distractions of her self-startling and notice your quieting efforts.
Three common misconceptions of Swaddling:
a) Babies might be uncomfortable with arms tightly down at their sides. Although babies’ arms tend to bend into an “up” position, they really do calm right down and sleep an extra-long time when swaddled arms down. This might also help replicate other times when babies are sleeping well e.g in parents' arms, in a car seat or baby carrier.
b) Wrapping may make a baby feel trapped. Babies are used to being firmly confined in the womb. Swaddling mimics this familiar environment, preventing him startling himself.
c) Wrapping frustrates an infant’s attempts to suck her fingers. Small babies are unable to bring their fingers into their mouths for a comforting suck, especially when they are flailing around as they cry. It will take 3 – 4 months for a baby to master this technique, and by then swaddling may be unnecessary.
One caution: Some recent studies have linked swaddling with hip dysplasia. To prevent this, ensure baby's legs can move freely in the swaddle.