Our little one, Lionetta, is two and a half months old.  We’ve been using the SNOO by Happiest Baby since her first week at home and it has been such a blessing.  Read below for Lionetta’s newborn week-by-week sleep hour count and my newborn sleep tips and review of the SNOO.

Lionetta’s Sleep Hours with the SNOO:

Week 1: 2-3 hrs
Week 2: 2-3 1/2 hrs
Week 3: up to 4 hrs
Week 4: up to 5 hrs
Week 5: up to 5 1/2 hrs
Week 6: up to 5 1/2 hrs
Week 7: up to 7 hrs
Week 8: up to 7 1/2 hrs
Week 9: up to 8 hrs
Week 10: up to 8 1/2 hrs
Week 11: up to 9 1/2 hrs

We use the Hatch Baby app to track Lionetta’s feedings, sleep, diaper changes, and weight.  I went back through her sleep history on the app to document her sleep hours over the past 11 weeks; it’s interesting to see her sleep hours increase gradually week-by-week.  The first month to month and a half, her sleeping hours would vary.  (This is probably due to her beginning to differentiate day from night and simply figuring out her new life on earth!)  It’s important to realize that the SNOO cannot change the size of your newborn’s tiny stomach.  Your little one has to feed often, especially in the first 6 weeks, because her stomach is so small – from my understanding, it’s actually not a good thing for a newborn to sleep too long until her stomach size is bigger (around the 2-3 month mark).

About The SNOO: The SNOO was created by Dr. Harvey Karp (the pediatrician of the 5 S’s method and The Happiest Baby on The Block book).  The SNOO is a bassinet with built-in white noise and rocking movement to help calm your baby – and according to their website, it is the safest crib on the market.  As first time parents, bringing a baby home from the hospital and being solely responsible for another human life was incredibly overwhelming.  Knowing that she sleeps in the safest crib has definitely been a huge peace of mind for us – and thus allowed us to catch some extra (and much needed) zzz’s!

The Functions of the SNOO: Basically, you use a swaddle made for the SNOO (each SNOO comes with a size small, medium, and large swaddle) and you clip it into the actual bassinet so your little one always stays safely on her back.  The SNOO has four levels of white noise paired with a rocking motion to help soothe your baby.  When your little one is calm, the first level is a soft white noise with gentle rocking.  If your baby wakes up in the middle of a sleep session, the SNOO automatically ups the levels to increase the white noise and rocking motion.  You can also manually increase the level through an app on your phone or button on the bassinet.  (Yes, this means when your little one is crying in the middle of the night, you basically have a remote on your phone to try to calm her down.)  This is especially helpful for newborns who are learning to connect their sleep cycles – refer to “the pause” method from Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman.

We Had to Replace Our First SNOO: We are actually on our second SNOO because our first SNOO broke.  Around day 45 of using the SNOO it started to squeak, eventually jerk in motion, and finally totally shut down.  We worked with the Happiest Baby customer service to troubleshoot issues and eventually replace our SNOO.  We’ve had the new SNOO for several weeks now and it has been working fine so far.  We went about a week without having any white noise (we used a white noise machine as backup) and rocking motion.  However, thankfully our little one still slept well.  Now that we have our fresh SNOO, things have been working well and her sleeping through the night is priceless.

Our Baby is Sleeping Through The Night: I give much credit to the SNOO for my little one sleeping 8 to 9 hours at night by two and a half months.  I actually had to wake her the other morning because she had slept 9 and a half hours and I was so engorged I couldn’t wait any longer to feed her.  We asked our pediatrician if this is safe for her to sleep that long at night and he said it is “abnormal” and we should go to church and thank God!  Joking aside, he said it is totally safe because our baby is gaining weight and healthy.

Overall, I give credit to our little one’s sleep for the following:

• Helping her differentiate day and night:
  • During the day:
    • not trying to be too quiet, (i.e., allowing the dog to bark)
    • plenty of light
    • lots of playtime and stimulation (refer to the book Eat, Play, Sleep by Luiza DeSouza)
    • healthy 2 hour naps (unless she wakes up hungry before the 2 hour mark)
  • During the night:
    • dark room
    • little to no noise
    • not talking to her or playing with her during night feedings and diaper changes
• Doing “the pause” (observing her when she cries to see if she actually needs something from me or if she is connecting a sleep cycle)
• Feeding her plenty during the day, so she isn’t too hungry at night
• Baby-led newborn schedule
• Tracking her feeding, sleep, diapers, and weight with the Hatch Baby smart changing pad and app
• The SNOO

Each Baby is Unique: Our little one still cries often and has endless cranky moments.  Each moment is different and we are just taking everything day by day.  To hear from our pediatrician that her night sleeping is “abnormal” but in a good way, I wanted to share what we’ve learned to hopefully help other parents trying to learn from their new, fresh tiny human.  I hope sharing what we’ve learned helps you and your little one get some rest!

 

Follow me on Instagram: @metzlarocca.

 

Sharing my gift guide for your wife / partner / daughter / friend / loved one who just carried and delivered a human life into this world!  My New Mom Push Presents and Holiday Gift Guide includes gift ideas for various price ranges to make sure your new mama feels the love this holiday season – she deserves it!

 

To Commemorate:

A piece of jewelry is something that she can keep forever and perhaps wear daily to keep her tiny loved one close to her heart.  My favorite jewelry pieces for the new mom include styles with the birthstone of her new baby or the little one’s initials (you can also include the birthstone/initials for her additional children or partner).

 

Gold Bar Necklace:

This style comes solid but you can take it to a professional monogrammer and have the initials etched in.

Similar Option:

 

Personalized Initial Necklace:

 

Delicate Birthstone Ring:

 

 

To Document:

Your favorite new mama will want to document this exciting time in her life.  Capture the moments with a new DSLR camera, a journal, phone, computer, photo prints and frames, or you could even set up a special photo session with a local photographer.

 

DSLR Camera & Accessories:

 

Journal:

 

Prints & Frame:

You could print and frame a recent photo of her and her new baby.  Checkout Snapfish.com for photo printing.

 

A New Phone:

 

Something Unique & Personalized:

To Sweat it Out:

Some new moms really look forward to sweating out their stresses after childbirth.  Personally, one of my favorite motivators to start a sweat is some fresh gear.  For apparel, my favorite athletic apparel shops are GapFit and Lululemon.  For the running mom, a fresh pair of running shoes is a great motivator or a running stroller is mutually beneficial to her and her new little one.  You could also purchase training sessions with a trainer at her local gym.

Athletic Apparel:

 

Running Shoes:

These are my go-to running shoes.  But keep in mind each runner is different, so you may have to do some stealthy research to figure out her favorite running shoe.

 

Running Stroller:

 

Training Sessions with Local Trainer:

Most gyms have trainers on staff for hire, if she is already a member of a gym.  Otherwise, you can do some research to find a local trainer for home visits.

 

To Style:

If your new mom is anything like me, she’s been living in sweats and stretchy pants not only in her postpartum days but also for many months of her pregnancy prior.  Help her feel stylish again with a wardrobe update from her favorite brand or store.  If you’re not sure of her style or size (it may have recently changed), gift cards are a great option – and it gives her a good excuse for online shopping!  (Tip: You can look for stores (like asos.com, Seraphine, Hatch Collection, or A Pea In The Pod) that carry stylish nursing tops if she is a breastfeeding mama.)

 

Wardrobe Refresh:

 

 

To Refresh:

Of course every mama could use some pampering!  You could gift her a special spa service (think manicure/pedicure, facial, or massage) at a local nail salon/spa/resort.  Or gift her something a little luxurious to enjoy at home.  You could also donate your time to help her by watching her little one, cooking or bringing her dinner, or helping her clean or run errands.

 

 

A Luxurious Silk Sleep Mask & Pillow to Help Rejuvenate Tired Eyes:

 

Super Soft Pajamas:

 

Cozy Slippers or Boots:

 

Hydrating Facial Products:

 

 

Quality Candle For a Fresh Smelling Home:

 

 

A Future Vacation:

Perhaps it’s a bit too soon to travel with a little one now, but you can always plan for the future!  Personally, I love looking forward to a future vacation (it gives me something to day dream about).  A few of my favorite websites to checkout hotels and rentals on are hotels.com, Airbnb.com, and VRBO.com.

And don’t forget a cool carry on travel bag!:

 

 

I hope this list helps pamper your favorite mama!  Follow me on Instagram @metzlarocca.

I can’t believe my little one is 2 months old!  My husband and I try to get out of the house on the weekends, and having a fully stocked diaper bag ready to go on the fly is an absolute must!  So what exactly is in my diaper bag?  It’s actually not as much as you might think!  I have a supply of items for “just in case”, but the most important items come down to five items: (1) diapers (2) wet wipes (3) diaper balm (4) mini trash bags & (5) hand sanitizer – the diaper changing essentials.  If you’re truly in a hurry, just remember all you really need is “dipes & wipes”!

Diaper Bag

I was a bit picky when it came to scouting out my diaper bag – I didn’t want a bag that looked like a diaper bag (I know, eye roll…).  I like this particular bag by Herschel Supply Co because it is lightweight, the fabric repels liquids, it has options for a shoulder strap or top handles, plenty of divided compartments, and it’s unassuming as a diaper bag ;).

 

Portable Change Pad

The change pad that my diaper bag came with is rather large, so I prefer this smaller option by Logan + Lenora.  It folds up compactly and has an easy to use magnetic closure (for when you’re hands are tied up holding a baby!).  (Tip: It fits perfectly on the center console of our SUV for quick car changes!)

 

Diapers x3-5

You’ll want to have about 3-5 diapers in your diaper bag at all times, depending on how long you’re relying on the supply.  I subscribe to a bundle diaper and wipes delivery at honest.com – you just set your delivery timing and it gives you a heads up to make any changes before it ships.  Whenever I get home from an outing, I always try to remember to replace any diapers I used so that I always have a stocked diaper bag.

 

Travel Size Diaper Wipes

I like to keep my diaper bag as lightweight as possible, so packing travel size diaper wipes is helpful.  If you do the honest.com subscription you can add up to 3 additional items to your diapers and wipes bundle and get 25% off those three items, so I like to get travel size wipes for my diaper bag.  You can also find them at Target!

 

Diaper Balm in Stick Form

This is great for on the go!  It’s all natural and perfect for on the fly diaper changes.  Other balms you have to put on your hands to apply to your little one’s tush, but this on-the-stick form makes for an easy and clean application.  My husband likes it so much he kept taking it out of the diaper bag to use at our home changing table, so I finally had to order a duplicate stick for home.

 

Mini Trash Bags

Success!  You just finished changing your newborn on the go… But oh no, now you’re stuck holding your clean baby with one hand and a dirty diaper with the other.  Don’t worry, just pack a roll of mini trash bags (aka doggie bags) for easy cleanup.

 

Travel Hand Sanitizer

You’ll want to clean your hands after a diaper change, so don’t forget to throw in a travel size hand sanitizer.  I like this option by up&up because it has aloe to help soften your hands.

 

Baby Lotion

Just in case your little one’s skin (or your skin!) gets dry, you’ll want to have some good lotion made for a baby’s sensitive skin.

 

Ziploc Bags

I use a quart size Ziploc bag to keep my diaper changing essentials: wipes, balm, mini trash bags, and hand sanitizer – it’s easy to quickly grab a fresh diaper, the change pad, and the Ziploc bag for the on to the go diaper changes.  I keep the rest of my smaller items organized in Ziploc bags so that I don’t have a bunch of loose items throughout my diaper bag.  I also keep a couple extra empty Ziploc bags incase I have a dirty outfit or something wet I need to transfer back home.

 

Nursing Cover

I love this nursing cover because it is made of soft jersey fabric and it doubles as a carseat cover.  Before our baby had her vaccinations (and even now) we loved having this cover over her carseat when we took her out in public to shield her away from germs.  It also helps soothe her to sleep so that she has less distractions to look at.

 

Burp Cloths x2

Just like at home, things can get messy after you feed your little one.  You’ll want a couple burp cloths to clean up any spit ups on the go.  I keep two in my diaper bag in case I pull one out and forget to replace it.

 

Mints

A little something just for mama!

 

Pacifier

I only have this one pacifier by Hevea and my baby seems to love it.  It’s made of 100% natural rubber latex and the ventilation holes are shaped as cute stars and moons.  We tried to forgo a pacifier for the first couple weeks with our newborn, but we quickly learned it was a necessary silencer for us while we are out in public.  (Tip: Since we only have one pacifier, I try to remember to always wash it when I get home from an outing to keep it clean.)

 

Pacifier Clip

 

It seems like there can be so many things to keep track of with your newborn and being able to clip the pacifier in place is helpful.  I’m betting it will be even more helpful in the future when my little one can pick things up and throw them. 😉

 

Spare Outfit

Babies are tiny poo-ing machines!  You can be an all-star diaper changer and yet things will still “slip through the cracks”.  You’ll want to have a spare outfit for your little one to change into for the times when she soils her first outfit.

 

Mitts

I like for my little one to wear mitts because it prevents her from scratching the delicate skin on her face, and I think it helps keep her hands a tad bit warmer.  I love these mitts by Burt’s Bees Baby because they actually stay on her tiny hands.

Hat

 

I love this little hat.  We found it at a mobile children’s store in Denver (www.thecircusakidsboutique.com) when I was still pregnant – and now we love it to keep our little one warm.

 

Stroller Blanket

We use this stroller blanket every time we leave the house to keep our little one warm in the stroller, in her carseat, or when we are holding her wrapped up in our arms.  It’s also great to have with us when we take her to the pediatrician and she has to be dressed down to her diaper.  I particularly love this quilted option by Burt’s Bees Baby for its soft touch and it has a bit of stretch so you can tightly wrap up your little one.

 

Solly Baby Wrap

This is a super soft and lightweight baby carrier on the go.  If you’re not familiar with Solly Baby Wraps, they are a long stretchy piece of fabric that you strategically wrap around your body to comfortably hold your little one.  To be honest, we haven’t quite mastered the tie yet so we’ve only used this a couple times.  Once our little one can hold up her head on her own we plan to use this often – I mean how could you not?  It’s actually really comfortable to wear and I want to keep my baby girl close to me while I can.

Here is a quick video that we watch to help us properly tie the Solly Wrap:

 

 

I hope this Newborn Diaper Bag Essentials list is helpful – please feel free to send me a direct message on Instagram with any questions or comments: @metzlarocca.