I had my son after a long time of having my daughter ,so this bundle of joy was a much awaited addition to our family .Since I had a hectic work schedule , night time was the only time when I could enjoy the company of my baby at leisure .My typical day would start with getting my daughter ready for school ,packing tiffins and sending her off to school .Then I would get the baby and baby food ready and after handing over the baby to my mother-in -law ,I would rush off to work .Evenings would again be about checking homework and preparing dinner and then let everybody settle down .
After all this running around came the ‘us’ time ,when me and my baby would spend some time together in peace .
Since my son and daughter both were born in relatively warm weather ,I had followed a similar bed time routine for both of them .It is important to have routines as they help the baby in getting ready to unwind and sleep .It is like conditioning the baby’s reflexes so that it knows that it is nap time .
My routine was something like this :
1.Take bath -I first of all took a leisurely bath myself , so that it refreshed and relaxed me .It also helps in getting rid of the pollutants and sweat that you gather throughout the day.I added Lavender and Chamomile essential oils to the bath water which helps in mental relaxation and also eases aches .Then I to dressed in a fresh set of clothes while sleeping with my baby .. I actually used baby powder on myself too as it is free from strong fragrances and chemicals .Familiar smells play a role in calming the baby too and happy and relaxed mother can soothe the baby better .
2.Give the baby a bath– Once I was fresh and relaxed ,It was the baby’s turn to get a bath.During that period I would hum some gentle tunes to relax the baby .After that I would give a gentle oil massage to the baby .I only used Johnson’s Baby Night time oil, as it is non sticky and contains soothing aromas too .
Once done with the massage , I put a fresh pair of Pamper pants on the baby .I only use Pampers because it ensures a snug fit without being too tight or loose for the baby’s comfort and also keeps the baby dry in case of wetting .
I was fortunate in my son’s case , that Pampers dry pants were available at that time since he frequently suffered from coughs and colds and it was important for me to ensure that I did not have to take him out of the bed for frequent nappy changes and risk him catching a cold .Pampers can keep the baby drier for a longer period compared to other brands and it also has baby oil that keeps the baby’s skin soft and does not allow the skin to get inflamed ( which happened commonly with other non pant style diapers).
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