Well, we've made the switch! Hollyn is solely sleeping in her bedroom through the night and during nap times. It's always so nice getting a grunting little babe out of your room for better sleep but also terrifying because of all the risks that brings not having them at arms reach if something we're to happen.
We kept Emery in our master until about 12 weeks but we went for the change as soon as Hollyn mastered 7 hour stretches which was about 5 weeks old. The last 3 weeks have been great! She's a sound sleeper when her sister is playing right next door and she knows when lights are out, that means it's time to zonk for the night. She even stopped letting me rock her to sleep. I just lay her down after a fresh diaper and bottle and she's out within 10 or so minutes without a fuss.
This transition typically comes as a challenge to most so I wanted to lay out the three things that have tremendously helped us make it smooth and painless.
Find a swaddle that's good for you. Both Hollyn and Emery didn't like being swaddled from the beginning and I've always sort of forced that because the arm spasm reflex thing babies do always wake them! I found that to be uber annoying when they'd finally go down because all my hard work went out the window.
After trial and error, we've come to love both the Ollie Swaddle and SwaddleMe. When using a simple bamboo blanket, it does the job but my girls always Houdini out so the Ollie and SwaddleMe options hold their arms in nice and tight without being constricting. I also love the material of both leaving them breathable and not too warm during their slumber.
Mimic their original sleep environment. We started both girls in the rock n play in our master bedroom. They were lulled to sleep with the vibration setting on there and I was racking my brain how I could create that same environment for them in their rooms. I wasn't able to with Emery so it was a whole transition in itself weaning her from the buzz but Summer Infant just launched a Vibrating Crib Wedge and the second I saw it, I snagged it up!
I appreciate the slight incline it offers just as the rock n play did but the vibration is perfection and made the switch seamless for Hollyn. I don't think she ever realized she was in a different spot! For the price being so budget friendly, it's a no brainer in my book.
Owlet Baby Monitor. Hello peace of mind! This is a device that comes in the form of a little "sock" you place on your babes foot. It obtains readings on heart rate and oxygen levels while your babe is sleeping. Whether they're a teeny newborn or even a 18 month old, you can never be too safe!
You're connected through an app on your phone that tracks the babes heart rate and oxygen levels when the dock is connected and the sock is on. When you open the instructions, you're walked through a few simple steps to get it all in working condition to begin using the device. I was a little worried it was all through an app initially, but Owlet Baby Care does a great job of laying things out for an easy setup!
Once you're connect and have the sock on your little one, you'll see in the app the readings will appear "normal" like below.
You can further click the little "details" drop arrow and it's laid out for your exactly where your babies heart rate and oxygen levels are falling. I so so so appreciate this feature because the last few weeks all the kids have been battling a sickness and this was giving me peace of mind Hollyn is still registering as normal and not even close to low. If it was even close, you know I would've been at the hospital... hello paranoid mama! ;)
There have been a few times the sock will lose it's good position, only when she's been napping as she's not always in a deep sleep then and wiggles, and the monitor and app work together designed to notify me on my phone through a song. It's a little lullaby so it's not too alarming for baby to wake them up but definitely kept me knowledgeable position wasn't right or possible levels were changing.
By no means is this a life saving device but it sure does keep my mind at ease knowing there's an extra set of eyes watching over her and it's designed to notify me if those levels are outside preset range. These babies are just so innocent and fragile and anything to assist in ensuring they're safe makes me one happy mama!
What are some things you've found that made the transition from your bedroom to their bedroom easier? I am by no means an expert, but the three items above in conjunction made our switch easy!