Moving to the nursery

As soon as the new baby arrives home, you probably will have the urge to keep him near you at all times; especially when you are going to bed at night. For this very purpose, you should have a crib or cradle in your bedroom at first, since it will minimize the distance you have to walk to handle nighttime feedings.

You can try moving the baby into his nursery for nap right from the beginning, just to minimize any sort of trauma or anxiety when moving him into a strange room with new sight and feelings; when he’s a little older. Sit with the baby in a rocker or glider and rock him to sleep at first, and then move him into his crib.

Later you can think of putting him in his crib and if you find your baby to be fussy or can’t get to sleep, try sitting near the crib for a few nights until he falls asleep. Then move the chair further away for another week or so. Finally, position his chair near the door, so the baby gets used to falling asleep without being right next to you.

It would definitely be hard initially, but if you’re consistent then eventually, you’ll get your baby to the point where he can fall asleep in his own room. Start establishing a nighttime routine, so your baby knows about the expectations. A good start is to give him a nice, warm bath, followed by changing into soft clean pajamas. Even a very young baby can be ready for it, at bedtime. You can also sing and talk to him. The sound of your voice is what matters so the baby feels safe and secure enough to fall asleep. By starting these simple routines initially, hopefully you’ll come up with the troubles later on trying to move the baby into his nursery and getting him to sleep at a normal time.