Product Recommendations

I really must gush over the following two items that have made adjusting to a new baby so much easier. The first is Claraderm, which is a pricey essential oils spray. It contains frankincense, lavender, and other gentle oils. From the minute Elena was born, we used this all over her little body and she would completely relax. It was WONDERFUL for after baths, to soothe a baby with a cold or fever, or to moisturize delicate skin. It lasts a long time and a little bit goes a long way. Also wonderful for prevention of diaper rashes. You can find it here. http://www.youngliving.com/natural-skin-care-products/Clarader-Spray

Below is a picture of Elena, as a newborn, all stretched out and asleep minutes after using Claraderm. I think she was maybe 2 weeks old in this photo. Most babies are used to being all wrapped up tight and don't like to straighten out, but once we put the Claraderm on her she was content to stretch out full length. I highly recommend this pricey, but necessary product if there is trouble getting babies to settle down to sleep or just want something to relax them after a bath. Elena recently had her first diaper rash from eating her first solid foods. We put the claraderm spray on her little bum and it was gone in less than 24 hours. It also soothed her and she calmed down quite a bit. I will ALWAYS have Claraderm on hand.



The second item is a book, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth. I am happy to report that Elena has slept through the night for the last four nights! (We're all nearly delirious from a lack of sleep so there is much rejoicing going on.) She is just over 5 months old and I attribute much of the sleeping miracle to following this book. When I say she is sleeping through the night I mean she is sleeping from 6:30 pm to 6:00 am. Amazing stuff. The book's basic premise is that sleep begets sleep and that babies actually want to sleep. Before this book I would have assumed the opposite. Babies' brains go through a different type of development when they sleep and thus the brain signals when baby needs to sleep. Additionally, babies literally double their size by the time they are 2 years old. That's enough to make me sleep several times a day. I can't say enough about this book and how it has helped us to stay somewhat sane. The only criticism I have is that it really does not address what to do when the baby hits a growth spurt or is teething. That really interrupts the sleep patterns. But I have learned that nap time is sacred time. I feel badly for all those mom's who cart their overtired babies around and get angry with them for crying. All the babies want to do is sleep, bless them.

This book has been a blessing to us in helping us understand the necessity of regular sleep. Dr. Weissbluth suggests that many mental and emotional disorders in adults can be linked back to irregular or interrupted sleeping as infants. Also linked to obesity and other problems. Whether true or not, when Elena gets enough sleep she is a happy girl. When she doesn't get enough sleep life is decidedly more difficult to cope. For the pregnant mothers out there, I'd recommend adding this book to your other books like "What To Expect When You're Expecting," and finish it before the baby arrives. Then you will be able to reference it as you need it and not be exhausted trying to find a solution when baby doesn't sleep.