As soon as people start asking about your new baby, you can expect the inevitable question asked, “Is baby sleeping through the night yet?” As first time parents with Andrew, we had no idea that this was a challenge. He spoiled us from the very beginning! Then came his brother, Aidan. Boy did we experience new levels of sleep deprivation that we didn’t know were physically possible. That’s putting it lightly. I hated that question. Because as soon as we said, “No…” everyone offered up their advice and suggestions. We had tried everything over and over again. I mean, of course we did because we were EX. HAUS. TED. But for whatever reason (severe colic played a part), he didn’t sleep more than 2 hours in a row until he was a year old and mommy and daddy went on a business trip to New York City. My mother-in-law worked her magic and we came back to a baby who slept at night. I am forever grateful!
As we awaited our third baby, sweet Avalynn, we weren’t sure what to expect with sleeping. We had experienced extreme ease and extreme difficulty. We prayed she would take after Andrew. Going into the situation knowing what we could expect a bit more realistically was helpful. It was also helpful knowing all the tricks we could try, the books we had at our disposal, and nearly 5 years of parenting experience to rely on.
Now when people ask us, “Is she sleeping through the night?” We proudly say, “YES! Yes, she is!” And we know that sheer luck plays a part. But aside from that, we have established a bedtime routine that works for us. I wanted to share what is working in case you’re trying to find something that works for your baby too. And I hope you do. Trust me, I’ve been there. I get it. Just remember, each baby is different. What works for one may not work for another. Try what you can and get help when you need it. This special time passes so quickly and eventually, you will sleep again.
This post is a collaboration with The Baby Cubby. We received complimentary items to facilitate our review. All thoughts are my own.
Baby’s Bedtime Routine (3 Months Old):
Bath Time:
We start the night with a bath. Avalynn loves her bath time. Daddy does a great job bathing her. I wish my hands were big enough to hold a wiggly baby so I could do it myself, but I’m so thankful she has her daddy. In Florida, bath time was a nightly part of our routine. Here in Utah, it’s very dry so we try to wash her every other day instead.
We received this fun hooded towel from Cuddlecloth. It’s large, soft and unique design allows for easy transfer of baby from the bath to mommy or daddy’s arms without getting everyone wet. She even embroidered Avalynn’s name on it!
Bedtime Goodies from The Baby Cubby:
The Baby Cubby is an amazing baby store here in Utah. They have all the best quality in baby items from your big name favorites to carefully selected boutique items waiting to be discovered. For those of you who live outside of Utah, you can also shop their huge selection at www.babycubby.com. Everything they sell has been tested and approved by real moms and dads. They also price match all major retailers including Amazon! Check out below for more info on the Baby Cubby, a peek inside their awesome store, and an interview about fun and exciting things coming soon!
Lotion & Baby Massage:
Babies love being fresh and clean and finding a nice, gentle lotion to help them relax before bedtime is a nice treat! We are using the Tubby Todd Dream Cream- Shea Butter and Mint. It smells sooo good! It also nourishes and heals babies irritated skin (like in their armpits, or their neck). It works really well to soothe and relax and is perfect for our bedtime routine! She loves her baby massage!
Comfy & Soft Pajamas:
Dressing your baby for bedtime is usually something they enjoy. For Avalynn, it’s something we do every night so it lets her know that sleepy time is coming. She gets so happy! Once we get her dressed, she likes to kick around a bit and wave her arms around and play. This lets her get all her extra energy out before going to bed. We usually do tickles and laughs and coos. It’s one of the best parts of the day!
This Kickee Pants Footies with Paws sleeper is SOOOO soft and cozy! I wish you could feel how soft it is through your screen. It’s amazing and I wish I had one in my size! The feet are lined with soft material and have grippies on the outside. The hands have built in mittens, which is nice to prevent scratching.
Swaddle:
I don’t know if everyone swaddles their babies, but we’ve done this for all three and it’s amazing. Our babies love it and they look so cute all bundled up! The main reason we swaddle is because when they are so little, they don’t get have control of their arms and hands. Our babies would start to fall asleep and then their arms would go crazy and wake them up which was frustrating for them. Some parents swaddle because it lets babies feel that closeness they were used to in mommy’s tummy. Either way, swaddling is awesome. My husband is a swaddling pro! If I try to swaddle Avalynn, she breaks free in about 5 minutes….which I personally find adorable, but doesn’t make for a very easy sleeping situation. So we let Daddy do it. She knows when it’s the end of the day and she has her jammies on that the swaddle is coming and as you can see, she looks forward to it! 
This is the Little Unicorn Cotton Muslin 3 – Pack – Garden Rose set. They are soft and VERY big so they are perfect for as your baby grows, draping over the carseat for travel (especially on a plane!), and even using as a nursing cover. They have a TON of cute swaddle sets at the Baby Cubby- with matching muslin quilts and even crib sheets! You will definitely find something that fits your style or nursery theme!
Boppy Time!
This is definitely something that is 100% Avalynn. She needs it, and wants it, and it’s become a part of her bedtime routine every night. Once she’s all clean and swaddled, she loves to just lay in her Boppy pillow on our bed and smile and make coos with mommy. I am usually on my laptop working and she just loves to be near me. Usually she will focus on something on the wall and put herself to sleep. At night, we turn our lamps to pink (she loves that!) and put relaxing music on for her to enjoy. She will either put herself right to sleep, or rest for a bit and wake up for one last feeding. I just love this special time with her! She can be so fussy and as soon we place her in the Boppy near me, I get instant smiles and coos.
Note: This goes without saying but I’m going to say it anyways. Avalynn is 3 months old. Be sure to follow safety instructions for placing your baby in a Boppy pillow like this. It is NOT intended for sleeping for long periods of time. (We usually have her in for maybe 20 minutes and I’m right next to her the entire time. Once she is fully asleep, we transfer her to a safe sleeping location.) And as always, never leave your baby unsupervised in the Boppy.
Night Time Feed:
We alternate between breastfeeding and bottles. She will usually prefer one or the other. On this night, she preferred a bottle!
Be sure to burp your baby to get any air out. This will (hopefully) help prevent hiccups from coming right when you lay them down.
This face! Oh my goodness. I love her so much!
Goodnight, Baby!
Once she’s all ready for sleepy time, I lay her in her Halo. She has done really well in it!
Now that she is 3 months old, we are also training her to sleep in her own bedroom. So currently, we will let her fall asleep in the Halo for about an hour and then Drew will take her to her room to sleep for the night. This allows her to fall asleep in a familiar environment and also wake up in her own room and associate it with sleep. (We started having her take all her naps in her room as well.) We have been doing this for almost a week and each night has gone flawlessly!)
About the Baby Cubby:
The Baby Cubby is for every parent out there who has ever felt overwhelmed or discouraged about becoming a parent. The Baby Cubby team is made up of parents who have been there. They know what it’s like and are passionate about encouraging, inspiring, and reminding parents how amazing we are and how important our role is.
The Baby Cubby team works hard to find the highest quality and safest baby gear to provide to parents in a fun shopping experience. They do things like test strollers on their stroller track, price match everyday – even Amazon, offer free shipping nationwide at BabyCubby.com on all orders over $49, and actively engage with parents via social media and the Cubby Community Blog to discuss some of the difficult topics of parenting. You can also find a ton of helpful baby product tutorials from The Baby Cubby experts on their YouTube channel!
You can feel confident shopping with the Baby Cubby because they’ve put hundreds of hours into researching all of the products they carry so parents can save time and stress!
Interview with Jared from The Baby Cubby:
I wanted to give you guys some insider info on The Baby Cubby so I interviewed Jared Walker, one of The Baby Cubby marketing team members. Here’s what he had to say:
Shop with The Baby Cubby:
The Baby Cubby is located at 71 South 1380 West Suite #2, Lindon, UT 84042
The hours of operation are Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
I definitely recommend you stop in and check out all the great products, test drive some strollers, ask questions about anything on your list, and figure out which items are the best fit for your family and your baby!
OR you can shop online anytime at www.babycubby.com
Remember, you get FREE SHIPPING on anything $49+ AND join their mailing list for 10% off your first purchase!
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What are YOUR baby bedtime routine tips?
What do you think?