Your baby turned three months old, your Family Maternity Leave is finished and now it’s time to head back to work. According to ChildCare Aware of America, over 2.5 million working mothers have an infant under a year old, meaning those families need some type of childcare while mom transitions back to work. The shift from maternity leave to working mama can be a scary thought.
It is also around 12 weeks I hear from a lot of mom’s whose little ones are busting out of their swaddles or who no longer like to be swaddled. On top of heading back to work, those mamas (especially first-time moms) are left puzzled on their options after their little Houdini ditches the swaddle. Compounding with this worry is their little babe’s changing sleep environment from what should be a peaceful, dark and quiet room to a louder, more chaotic space.
When my son went to daycare full time at four months old, he was no longer being swaddled. At the time, he was a horrible sleeper and through my hours scouring the internet for a solution (which finally came in the form of a sleep consultant) I stumbled upon Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit. There were countless reviews online about how this miracle suit aided in better sleep for their little one. It seemed like my golden ticket, especially for his upcoming environment change.
My son would sleep so well while he was being held because he enjoyed the feeling of being close, cozy and secure. However, as soon as my husband or I would go to lay him down, he would wake up. While those wake-ups were caused by something else (him not knowing how to put himself to sleep) the Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit seemed liked a piece of the answer.
What I worried about the most with him going to daycare was that he would no longer be getting one-on-one attention he had been given at home. He wouldn’t be able to be held each time it was time for him to go to sleep (and what I later realized, nor should he have been). Most daycare workers in an infant classroom are at an 8:1 ratio. It’s unrealistic to think those workers, who are doing their very best, can hold and comfort all the babies at the same time. While Merlin’s Sleepsuit is no substitute for touch and being held, it can mimic that secure, cozy feeling babies like.
Daycare classrooms can be a noisy place, especially in the infant room. At my son’s daycare, each infant was on their own schedule. What I mean by that, is the parents dictated to the provider when it was time to eat and nap, which is what you want in an infant class room. Babies sleep schedules and waketimes vary based on their age. So, while my son was trying to nap, another baby could be playing, eating or crying. Since my son wasn’t sleeping in a quiet, dark room he was much more likely to be startled, both by environment and because the startle reflex doesn’t disappear until after three months. This is where the Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit helped aid in him in sleeping better. It muffled his startle reflex, letting him sleep through those startles.
Allowing your child to sleep in an environment you aren’t in control of, but trust, is difficult. The internet has not shortage of articles about babies who pass away from SUIDS in a daycare setting. What I liked most about my son sleeping in Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit at daycare is it was to be used following the ABC’s of safe sleep (Alone, Back, Crib.) It made me feel more confident that he would be placed in the crib alone on his back, which is the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit helped give me peace of mind during a huge adjustment in both mine and my son’s life. There is no substitute for your child to be on an age appropriate schedule.
About the author
Like many parents, Maggie and her husband struggled with getting their son on a healthy sleep schedule and he was unable to fall asleep independently. As a result, her family was losing precious sleep every night. Maggie became a firm believer when, shortly after hiring a certified pediatric sleep consultant, her son began sleeping independently at bed and nap times. It was a turning point that resulted in not only restful nights, but waking up fully rested with the energy to face the day. Maggie knew right away she wanted to become a certified consultant herself so she could help other families struggling to get the sleep they need.
Maggie and her family reside in Southern Indiana (near Louisville, KY). She received her bachelors in Journalism and a second concentration in Communications & Culture from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.
