Can Baby Learn to Fall Asleep on Their Own?

As how the topic suggest, can baby learn to fall asleep on their own? Do you think it is possible for babies to sleep on their own?

Well, YES. Babies can sleep on their own if you start to train them.

HOW? 

Alhamdulillah, now I feel so happy and reassured that Adellia is finally own her schedule and able to sort herself out as well as soothe herself. Mulanya I macam tak percaya sangat that I able to go through this phase. Every day I would search on google "CAN BABY SLEEP ON THEIR OWN?" "WHEN WOULD IT BE THE RIGHT TIME FOR BABIES TO FALL ASLEEP ON THEIR OWN?"

I read a lot and even join FB Group macam mana nak train anak tidur sendiri. I still can't believe that after almost 1 month, she's getting the momentum! Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah my prayer has been answered!

What I did to let Adellia sleeps on her own? Here it is!

1. Before sleep, usually I would let her play some toys (sometimes I do give her screen time, but not too much cause she gets bored easily!)

If you find your baby too hard to stay focus, you PLAY with them. Or simply just sit in front of them. Entertain them, talk with them, teach them.

Bila baby dah penat, around 1.5 - 2 hours, dah start nampak tanda-tanda nak tidur. Ok, this is a really important signs. You have to know their signals (gosok mata, menguap, cranky a bit, mulut macam mintak puting). It's time to get them to sleep!

2. Put baby to bed.

Dukung, and put baby to bed. Let them know it's their sleep time. JANGAN TERAGAK-AGAK. Masa ni kena YAKIN.

Kalau sebelum ni baby mengempeng sebelum tidur, jangan jadikan itu perkara terakhir baby ingat sebelum dia nak tidur. What should you do? Replace with other thing. For example, usap kepala baby, cium kepala baby, sing them a lullaby, say goodnight to them ataupun bedtime stories sekalipun.

If you want to stop the mengempeng session, never let the session be the last routine! So, the milk feeding session should be earlier.

I know how it feels for the mother who have baby that needs to mengempeng first before they can sleep. Cause Adellia dulu macam tu. And I slowly changed that.

Contohnya,

15 - 20 minit sebelum anak nak tidur, main dengan anak (peek a boo, talk with them etc) → bagi susu kepada baby → lepas habis susu, baby dah kenyang → bagi baby puting (if baby hisap puting) → kalau baby tak hisap puting, give something to let them soothe themselves → letak anak yang mamai ke atas katil → usap rambut anak, cium anak

Ini adalah contoh sahaja.

3. Let baby NESTING

After you put baby to bed, babies need to NESTING themselves.

Nesting, a way to relax themselves. Dalam erti kata lain, semua orang akan nesting sebelum tidur. Nak tahu apa?

Perasan tak sebelum tidur kita akan tengok phone, pusing kiri kanan, terkebil-kebil pandang siling, gosok mata atau hidung, berbual ringan. Perasan tak?

Babies are the same! They need to nesting first before they can let themselves fall asleep. For example,

- Hisap jari
- Gigit jari, peluk atau gosok anak patung
- Mumbling
- Goyang badan ke kiri dan kanan
- Garu kepala
- Main rambut

Berapa lama baby perlu nesting?
Depends. Tiada had masa. It took few minutes to 1 hour.

Macam Adellia, masa mula-mula I start, I letak atas katil, dia nesting dengan sangat lama! She mumbling and then goyang kaki sana sini, sekejap pusing sana sekejap pusing sini. A few minutes after she nesting, she still can't sleep. She will cry.

Baby menangis because they can't get themselves to sleep after nesting?
Dalam 20-30 saat baby menangis, angkat dan tenangkan. Dah tenang? Put them back on bed. Let them nesting again. Jangan buat your past routine untuk tidurkan baby (contoh, dodoi).

Macam Adellia, masa first day memang sangat kesian. I ulang step atas ni almost 6-7 kali untuk biar dia tidur sendiri. I didn't even proceed with dodoi (her past sleep way). I kentalkan hati and help her to sleep on her own. I redo all the steps again and again.

Everytime she cried because she can't sleep after nesting, I would angkat and tenangkan. Dah tenang, I akan letak atas katil semula untuk biar dia nesting. Masa ni dia dah menangis beriya, supposedly you have to stop the training. You have to get them to sleep using your past method. Continue the sleep training method for the next session. Tapi I masih nak try.

Sampai la yang last tu (after one hour), she finally able to sleep on her own after nesting (because she was so tired already). Masa ni memang kesian betul!

Perlu ke Ibu ada sekali sewaktu baby nesting?
TAK BOLEH. Ibu sepatutnya ada di bilik lain cause baby can smell their mother!

Tapi lain kes macam Adellia, I baring tepi dia. But I didn't do anything. I just baring and look at her. Sometimes I buat-buat tidur. Sometimes I membelakangkan dia and main phone. So when she nesting, she knows her mother is besides her.

2 minggu pertama I memang ada sebelah dia every sleep sessions. But now, I can leave her alone dah. Cuma kadang kadang ada masa dia akan merengek. If too loud, I will attend to her. If biasa-biasa, I just let it be. That's why, it is so important for you to know your child. Only you know your child!

Berapa lama kena buat sleep train ni?
EVERY sleep sessions. Jangan stop ye. Everytime your baby wants to sleep, you have to introduce this method. Do not ever use the past method.

How long can see the results?
Depends on babies. Ada baby took 2 - 3 weeks to get used to it.

Adellia already can sleep on her own after 3 - 4 days (that's why I was so shocked that she gets along really well). On day third/fourth macam tu, she easily sleep on her own dah. Thank God! Alhamdulillah. Day by day, she nesting really quick. Sometimes after I bagi susu, she already sleep. Less than 5 minutes.

Practice makes perfect!

Can swaddled baby be trained to sleep on their own?
YES. If baby masih berbedung, lagi senang! Make sure bedung dengan kemas and put on bed/baby cot. Let them nesting.

Apa lagi benda yang perlu ada dalam training ni?
White noise machine, puting (if baby hisap puting) dan kain atau patung (if baby suka pegang/peluk something).

Anak akan merengek/bangun tak semasa sleep training ni?
Yes! Please expect they will wake up few times or even sleep short time.

They still want to get used to it. Please expect that they will wake up atau menangis dalam tidur (merengek).

Macam Adellia, awal-awal dia tidur sekejap sekejap. Sometimes merengek sikit dalam tidur. Tapi I biar je. She's good to go.

How long baby can stay asleep using this technique?
Depends. Every baby is different. You have to know your child.

Lepas I train Adellia, I perasan every nap time, dia akan tidur satu jam lebih atau dua jam. Which is considered really long? I macam terkejut jugak. I thought that kadang-kadang je tapi bukan ye. Everyday she will get at least one hour and a half nap in one sleep session. Sometimes, even two sleep sessions!

Do we need to continue the training when baby is sick?
YES. Ok this time I would advise for you to continue the routine. WHY? Because we want them to acknowledge and adapt the routine.

HOW?

Follow the steps above. They get cranky? Angkat and tenangkan.

Masa Adellia demam itu hari, she really really cranky and even had trouble sleeping. Tapi I still continue the training.

Put baby on bed → they get cranky and unable to nesting due to feeling sick → angkat dan tenangkan baby → "shhh" method → tepuk sikit belakang badan baby → put baby on bed when they are calm

Ini apa yang I buat masa Adellia demam dan batuk.

Boleh ke ada partner sekali masa training session?
NO. If possible, please let baby soothe themselves during the session. And avoid any interruptions that can cause them to lose focus.

I did not involve my husband during this training. I would ask my husband to leave the room (especially night time sleep). Baby will think that it is their play time if they see more than one person in the room. Yup!

Did Adellia wake up during midnight?
Ada someone tanya I soalan ni. My answer is, NO. She did not wake up unless for feeding session. Lepas bagi susu she sleeps back. No nesting or what, just continue to sleep.

HOW?

Ok untuk soalan ni, you guys can refer to my first post.

READ HERE

Always ensure that you create a routine for them. Adellia memang takde bangun malam dah. She usually sleep through the night sampai esok pagi and wake up at 9-10am in the morning.

This basic sleep training I dah ajar awal-awal dulu since she was 1-month plus. So now she is 8-months old, she is already adapted to it. Alhamdulillah!

What if baby overtired but still can't sleep?
STOP the training. Use your usual method to get them to sleep. Repeat the technique in the next sleep session.

I think that's all. I hope it would benefit mothers out there to train your child to sleep on their own. Goodluck mothers! Remember, don't stop and repeat the steps until your baby get their own schedule. You know your child. Oh I would like to remind, before you start all of this, don't forget to create the routine first. Then you proceed with this technique!

A happy mom will create a happy baby. I decided to sleep train Adellia because I want Adellia to learn to sleep on her own as fast as she can. I also know how disappointed would it feel if you are so tired, but your child demanding you to soothe and comfort her 4 to 5 times daily. I been there! Mom, you have to take care of your mental health. Then, your baby will stay happy and healthy! 😉

Newborn & Mother Checklist

When I found out I was pregnant, I dah siap sediakan list barang-barang baby dah. Which one to buy now, which one to buy later, or which one to buy after baby is born.

We have around 7-8 months to prepare all baby's stuff. So that's enough time for us to be ready! Here is my list. Check it out!

Benda pertama sekali I beli is Breast Pump. Being a career mother, breast pump is a must taw! And actually you really need one. Macam I masa berpantang, baby memang my mom handle sekejap sementara I tengah berurut. Urut time is reallllyyy longgg. So baby akan menyusu sementara tunggu kita nak siap tu. So my mom akan bagi susu yang dah dipam. Masa I pantang, I akan pam waktu pagi sebelum CL datang. Siap sedia sebelum nak berurut!

Depends on which brand you guys wanna use. Dulu I pakai Haenim NexusFit 7A Lite brand (discontinued selling on Shopee). Lepastu I rasa malas nak guna yang tak wearable sebab I suka benda mudah. So I beli wearable breast pump. I use Ashlee Lova brand but now I think it is discontinued also (can't find on Shopee). Sambil jalan, sambil tengok TV, sambil makan can pump anytime you want! Senang sangat. I suka betul brand ni. Very easy and tak sakit! Lepas pam I akan terus masuk dalam botol untuk simpan.

But really, breast pump is a hard decision to make. You have to think a lot whether you need it or not. If you are a housewife, direct-feed is easier. Because every time after your pump session ends, you have to wash all the stuff. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Because we don't want to cross-contaminate the milk.

So, orang kata baju baby jangan beli banyak-banyak sebab they grow up really fast! I do agree with it! Baju for newborn I ada dalam 10 pasang macam tu je. Siang and malam. Other than that, I beli for 3-6months, which can wear longer. Start Adellia umur 4 bulan baru I start beli baju above 6 months. So, I would suggest you guys to buy only few pieces for newborn. Nanti banyak-banyak tetibehhh tak boleh pakai dah. Lepastu nak bagi orang taktau nak bagi sape hewhew!

For baby oils, I do have few recommendations for you guys. Sebab I tersangat lah banyak beli minyak/balm untuk baby and I really do love 'em all! Check the list below.

1. TYT Medicated Oil - Works for Adellia for kembung! Loveee this!
2. YouBaby Baby Cream - I pakai ni sampai dah nak habis, works for every condition and bau wangi gila! Untuk gigitan serangga also can!
3. Tasneem Naturel Balm - Best jugak sebab I ada semua jenis balm masa newborn
4. Puer's Kidsdom Balm - This one pun semua jenis I ada for kembung, calm and sleep!
5. Minyak Yu Yee
6. Audelia Naturals Mummy Rescue Kit
7. Hud's Herbal Oil - I use this when Adellia batuk berkahak, really works! I ada 3 botol haha
8. Minyak Daun Bidara - Untuk kembung and also for soothing

Ada lagi la minyak for baby but I only list yang I suka pakai je okie! For diffuser and oils on my list tu, no need pun tak apa sebab that one my husband yang willingly nak beli sebab he likes the room to smell good haha. So I masukkan sekali je. Depends on you guys!

So, baby cot penting ke? This one, I cannot answer because it really depends on you. Mana you nak baby you tidur? I only use baby cot masa awal-awal je. For now, kadang-kadang je I akan tidurkan Adellia in baby cot (usually during nap time). So, this one really depends on how you decide! I actually don't want a baby cot, but my husband wanted to buy. So I suggest him to buy the movable one. So it's easier for us to move the cot!

You guys might really need baby wipes! Like A LOT. Newborn babies have to change diapers for 8-10 times daily. So prepare your baby wipes ok! Especially if baby ada jaundice, they need to poo a lot, so it's really handy if you just use baby wipes! Don't forget waterproof changing mat! I have 5 of these haha. Really handy and you really need one taw!

If you plan to store your milk (so it's easier once you're back to work), you might need a lot of milk storages! I bought a lot tapi I tak guna since I work from home, so I just direct-feed my baby. Easier meh.

Nappy creams is a must because baby's skin is sooo sensitive! So, get one for your baby ok. I ada 2 jenis, Sudocream and Drapolene.

I memang dah awal-awal beli thermometer for baby sebab I nak prepare, takpayah rush and chaos if baby demam/sakit. So I beli siap-siap.

Carseat and stroller perlu ke? YES, perlu. But as for me, I tak beli awal-awal. I bought after few months baby was born. Carseat I beli lambat sikit sebab I tak ready nak bawak baby keluar when she was sooo smol haha. I memang melepet kat rumah je the first 4 months. Stroller I beli awal sikit sebab nak bawak jalan area taman/rumah. So carseat and stroller must have in your list ok! Especially if you guys plan to move a lot after baby is born.

Yang lain-lain on my list you guys can decide whether it is needed or not. For sterilizer, tak ada pun tak apa, tapi I ada sebab I suka botol baby bersih and it's handy for me (I suka benda yang menyenangkan I). You can decide whether it is really useful or not.

Check out my list for Mother pulak. Lahhh semangat! Ada yang tak perlu pun takpe, tapi biasalah, I sejenis prepare awal.

Lepas bersalin, pad adalah benda yang sangat penting ye. Nifas time is realllyyy loonggg, so you need a lot of pad. And you have to change your pads every 4-6 hours. So, I would suggest you guys to prepare lots of pad. I beli 4 large packs and till now masih berbaki ye.

Masa di hospital I use Panties pad, easy untuk mak-mak yang tak boleh nak bergerak sangat. After I bersalin, nurse terus pakaikan, so you just have to prepare je bawak masuk dalam labor room. I use this one Libresse Maximum Security Panties.

Right after sampai rumah I use the normal pads (extra long for night) sebab lagi selesa la daripada pakai the one yang I mentioned above. But depends on you, sebab ada orang lagi senang pakai macam panties tu. I beli Security Panties untuk hospital je.

You NEED a nipple cream. For new mothers, I would suggest to buy one because breastfeeding is hard! Ahaha and then prepare nipple pads also because we don't wanna wet our shirt!

Nursing bra is a must if you breastfeed your baby. You have to bf your baby for 8-12 times daily (newborn). So easier for you to just use nursing bra.

Don't forget stockings and bengkung set ya! You really need one! I have 2 types of bengkung. The traditional and the modern bengkung. Awal-awal je pakai traditional, lama-lama pakai modern one. Zip zap terus siap. Senang nak pergi toilet! And kain batik also kena ada because you can't even wear pants! Senang just sarung kain batik walaupun jalan kena kepit ahah

Oh btw, disposable panties is a must have! I bought a lot. I think around 50 pieces. If you don't want to spoil your panties, I would say buy a lot of disposable panties. During confinement period, I use disposable panties, so you can just dispose them everytime you change your pads.

Lain-lain macam sunkist orange and bowl postnatal tu, it's just on my list sebab I nak cepat baik! Haha. I asked my husband to buy sunkist for me to consume everyday (vitamin C good for healing). And then I also did bertangas myself using garam kasar & herba-herba terpilih to heal fast! So this one, depends on you if you wanna include it in your list.

If you want to heal fast, always ensure your wounds are dry. Luka kena sentiasa kering before you change your pads. And always change your pads masa berpantang ye.

Ice/hot bag perlu ke? I bought this for bengkak susu. Tapi tak soothe the bengkak ye, don't know if I did wrongly or what. Bengkak susu kena treat cepat or else you are in so much pain! Masa berpantang I always kena bengkak susu (especially during berurut sebab urut time memang lama). Depends if you guys want to include it in your list.

Any other things on the list is just for my own use. You guys decide what is the best for yourself during confinement period. And enjoy your confinement days! Selamat Berpantang!

Books I Read When I Was Pregnant

Way before I found out I was pregnant, I already addicted to 'reading'. It was to my surprise that I actually read after like.. 10 years (if I'm not mistaken) not reading.

The last moment I read was during high school. Tapi itu buku novel cinta which you know, being a high school students kan dulu-dulu memang terjebak dengan buku novel cinta haha! Lepastu habis sekolah I was busy with studying and working and till now, I am back with reading!

My genre? This time I am more into Islamic & Spiritual genre (I loved it so much!). It keeps me reflecting myself and confident in whatever I did, I always have Allah with me. MashAllah.

My first book? Well, here it is!

Talk To Allah by Ayesha Shahira

What can I say about this book? Ugh, I loved this book so much that it turns my POV 360 degree. I mean, how can you not love this book?

It taught you how you can communicate with Allah, be it when you are happy or even when you are sad. This book taught us that everything you say, is actually a Doa if you communicate with Allah. It takes you to another journey of spiritual discovery: of reconnecting with Allah wholeheartedly.

I memang suka betul buku ni sampai I baca lebih sekali la. I jot down lots of important notes in this book. Whenever I feel sad or down, I akan open any quotes yang akan soothe my feelings.

Memang positif sangat this book. And sebenarnya it also taught us that you don't have to angkat tangan when berdoa if you want to make Doa! You can always ask Allah whatever you want without putting any barrier. We always thought that whenever you want to pray, you have to pray with your telekung and sejadah on, and angkat tangan bila berdoa kan? But, actually, Allah always listen to our Doas.

Because He is the All-Knowing.

I would like to suggest you guys to read this book if you ever feel lost in your life. It really give you positive vibes and boost your spiritual emotions back!

Here is my list of books that I read when I was pregnant. Sikit tapi sangat bermakna all the books! Hope you guys will get the benefits too 💓

White Noise for Babies

Our topic today would be White Noise. What is white noise? Do you guys know what is white noise, especially for the babies?

Ok so according to HealthLine sources, white noise is a sound that conceals other sounds that might naturally occur in an environment. In a city, for example, white noise can help block out noise from traffic. It is possible to use specific sounds to promote sleep regardless of environmental noises. For example, rainforest sounds or relaxing beach sounds may help.

Jadi, sebenarnya white noise ni dia act as specific sounds that can aid in sleeping. Especially for the babies la, but it can also be used for adults!

Masa baby dalam rahim ibu, they will hear many sounds, like, bunyi pembuluh darah, jantung ibu, proses makanan dalam perut ibu and many other sounds! So, actually, babies are used to those sounds that may aid them to sleep. But, once they are born, they hear environmental noises, sometimes very quiet (because we always assume when babies are sleeping, they need a quiet and calm environment).

A very quiet environment pun sebenarnya akan lead to high chances that babies are easily startled or shocked when they are sleeping. Itu yang tidur mereka pun akan sekejap sekejap. So, what should mothers do?

Macam Adellia, I used white noise machine since I was in confinement period. I read a lot during pantang about babies, ye la, sebab masa pantang kita berehat je kan hehe. So I have many times to read about babies. That was when I discovered about white noise. Dulu I guna youtube je and buka sampai 10jam, habis battery iPadku.

So, Adellia memang dah terbiasa dengan white noise sounds. Tapi Adellia does not have a specific sounds, sebab I akan always tukar sound dia every 1-2 months, depends on how she behaving. Sebab I perasan Adellia jenis senang bosan dengan sound yang sama. So ada satu hari tu I saja tukar sound, and she sleeps easily dengan cepat ye.

So, since then, kalau ada bulan she had trouble in sleeping, I akan tukar-tukar sound dia sampai la jumpa sound yang buat dia senang tidur. For example, white noise, rain sounds, river sounds, and many more.

How long should baby uses white noise to sleep?
Yang ini I pun tak pasti. Tapi they said that white noise can also be used for adults. Meaning like, for as long as babies need white noise, you might as well use it to aid them to sleep. Sampai la you rasa you nak stop the white noise for them. But, if you monitor that they have trouble to sleep, mungkin nak taknak you have to use it until they are ready to sleep without it.

Where can you buy White Noise Machine?
Now, dekat Shopee memang ada jual White Noise Machine. Even myself bought that at Shopee. I suka this machine sebab ada 20 sounds. Banyak sangat and boleh pilih which one suits for your baby. Click below link to purchase your white noise machine!

Shopee: White Noise Machine

As usual, what I can say is, all babies are different. Even setiap anak pun lain-lain, begitu juga anak kita dengan anak orang.

Mothers know their child. Apa-apa pun, only you know what your child wants.