Babywise Before Your Baby Arrives: 4 Critical Ways to Prepare
by Erin Artfitch
Jun 05, 2019
By 8 weeks, my daughter was sleeping through the night, an achievement we couldn’t have accomplished without the Babywise Method. I’ve always felt that starting Babywise right from the start gave us a huge advantage.
If you’re still pregnant and want to implement Babywise right out of the gate, you’re making a great decision. I think it’ll make your new mom days so much easier! Until then, below are a few tips to help you hit the ground running.
4 Critical Ways to Prepare for Babywise Before Your Baby Arrives
1. Finish the Book Now
The third trimester is exhausting, so it’s only natural that things might fall off your radar. You may be tempted to finish reading On Becoming Babywise after you give birth; you know, once you actually have a baby to try these tips on.
I would highly recommend finishing the book before giving birth. If you think you’re busy and exhausted now, it’s nothing compared to the newborn phase. While you’re getting used to the duties of being a new mom, you probably won’t get the chance to read a magazine, let alone a full book. By that point, you may have wasted many precious hours of sleep!
I read through the book and highlighted all of the information I thought was important. Then, after my daughter was born, I used the book as a quick reference manual.
2. Create the Perfect Sleep Environment
You can follow Babywise to the letter, but if your baby doesn’t have the right sleep environment, his sleep may still suffer. Creating a cozy nursery is essential for developing positive sleep associations.
Your baby’s sleep space should be quiet, dark, and peaceful. Below are just a few of my absolute must-haves for my daughter’s newborn sleep space:
- Crib, Bassinet, or Pack n’ Play
- Rocking chair
- Swaddle
- Blackout curtains
- White noise machine (if you have multiple kids or loud pets)
- Nightlight (to provide minimal light during night feedings)
- Room thermometer
3. Make a Schedule
Creating a rough schedule based on Babywise’s recommendations helps you consider what life will look like before your baby arrives.
Keep in mind that there’s a pretty good chance that the schedule will change after your baby is born. Chances are, your baby will wake too early and you’ll realize that your morning wake time is unrealistic. Or, you’ll discover that your bedtime is way too late.
That’s okay! Adjusting to your baby’s needs is natural. Right now, you’re just laying some groundwork.
4. Get Support
When you get home from the hospital, your main priorities should be resting, bonding with your baby, and ensuring full feedings. After a couple weeks, you can start implementing a general eat-play-sleep routine.
Support is absolutely essential to achieve these three goals. Make meals ahead, delegate some of your regular chores to your husband, and ask your friends and family to hold the baby while you sleep.
Once you’ve begun implementing a schedule, Babywise moms will be a tremendous resource. They’ll be your besties that you can bounce ideas off of, vent your frustrations to, or get encouragement from. If you don’t know any Babywise moms nearby, try joining a Babywise mom Facebook group.
I hope these easy tips help you feel more confident about using the Babywise Method. Early motherhood can feel a little overwhelming for new moms. Just like the Babywise Method, you’ll get the hang of it with a little planning and patience!
Erin Artfitch
As an Interior Designer, I believed that the key to an amazing design was an equal mix of practicality and creativity. As a mom, I believe we can apply this exact concept to raising babies! My goal is to give you the practical advice you need to plan, prepare, and thrive during your journey as a new Babywise Mom.
