It's my absolute favourite time of our day together. Dimming the lights for a full hour of relaxing and unwinding with my little sweetheart. Is there anything more lovely than a babies tiny warm body, tummy full of milk, drifting off to sleep in their crib? Ooooh it's the yummiest! ❤️
I love nothing more than watching Ollie slip into a calm and peaceful state, ready for a good nights sleep...well fingers crossed!
We all know that plenty of sleep and a regular bed time are important for healthy growth and brain development. A regular bedtime obviously plays a big part in this. That's a big enough reason for me, but I also wanted to establish a routine for my own state of mind too. I'll be heading back to work full time in just a few months, and I know I'll miss my little guy terribly. Having our little bedtime ritual will ensure that the last hour of the day we get together is 100% quality, no distractions.
Those first few days and nights with a newborn all merge into one. Once that blurry recovery was over, I couldn't wait to get started with a nice relaxing ritual. I think we started a bedtime routine when Ollie was just 7days old. Quite amazingly, it worked pretty much instantly. This is a boy that obviously takes after his mummy when it comes to being pampered!!
In the first few weeks we didn't use any product on his delicate skin, just a little bit of organic almond oil. At about 6 weeks we introduced some gentle products too. After experimenting with various brands, we were excited to try the new Organics range from Storksak. It's safe to say we've found our favourite.
So...here's how we spend our evenings together unwinding...
After a few screamy, frustrated bath times, I realised the trick to ensuring Ollie gets the most of our little bedtime ritual, is to make sure he isn't 'too much' of anything at bedtime. Not too tired, so he has a nap 4.30-5.15. Not too hungry, so he has a small amount of milk at 5.15 and not too relaxed either, we usually have some time on the play mat playing and giggling before we run the bath.
I have everything we'll need to hand in a little wicker basket ready to go.
The thing I love most about the Storksak range is that the products are lovely and rich, leaving his skin feeling cushioned and soft without the sticky residue I've experienced with other brands.
They contain only natural ingredients but still smells AMAZING!! English pear, honey and chamomile is a winning combo...just delicious. There are even wipes, soft and gentle enough to use on the face but still with that delicious scent.
I start by squeezing a small amount of Baby Shampoo and Body Wash under running water to create gentle bubbles. After plenty of swishing and splashing in the bubbles, we use the shampoo all over with the soft natural sponge and splash off.
After a good 10 minutes soaking, I whisk him out and wrap his cosy body in a hooded towel that's been warmed on the radiator. The little hooded towels are great for keeping babes warm, just make sure it's a decent size so you can wrap that tiny body properly.
Then it's on to the "Chill out zone" (basically just a little corner of our bedroom set up for massage, changing and dressing). We make sure the room is nice and warm before we get in the bath. I usually use an electric fan heater rather than heating the whole house up.
To fill the room with a relaxing scent, I use a diffuse a little Roman Chamomile, a deeply relaxing oil that I swore by all through my pregnancy. It's one of the few oils safe for babies too.
Once he's perfectly dry and warm, I massage him with Storksak Organic baby lotion, warmed in my palms. This lotion has enough slip to massage without leaving too much residue. It's also done a great job of conditioning his little dry patches. This product has the loveliest smell, a sort of gentle sweet honey but the freshness of pear too. It's really calming.
You can find loads of information on baby massage online or attend specific classes. There are so many benefits to massage including: aiding digestion, circulation and weight gain. For me, it's another excuse to grab some bonding time and pamper him.
I'll talk softly to him the whole time and he stays pretty alert, but relaxed. The 'milking' techniques on his arms and legs are his favourite and we finish with long strokes from shoulders to toes, getting him really chilled out.
Now and then, I'll make the most of this relaxed state and trim his teeny nails. It's great doing it after a bath as they're that little bit softer and easier to cut. I use a small amount of organic baby balm on his face, fingers, toes and nappy area. This is a truly brilliant product. It has a kind of 'set honey' consistency but becomes all buttery when warmed against skin.
Then it's into a nighttime nappy and a white cotton sleepsuit. Is there anything lovelier than a baby in clean soft white cotton? We use the ones with the built in scratch mitts and I'm sure tucking those little fingers in signals bedtime too.
After he's had some milk, it's time for a book, although to be honest I'm still working on keeping him awake by this point. If he hasn't already drifted off when I lay him in the cot, I'll read one of our favourite books, then it's lights out for some sweet baby dreams.....
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