Two weeks after bringing Rhys home from the hospital we decided to bring on a baby nurse to help us take care of Rhys and show us everything we need to know about taking care of a baby. We were lucky to have this wonderful lady from Trinidad named Miss Trudy. One of the most important things Miss Trudy stressed was a routine for the baby especially in the evening so the baby gets into a rhythm and knows his bed time. She always said the three B’s would be our lifesaver in the evenings; bath, bottle and bed, and boy was she right!
After an evening walk around the coast, I typically start Rhys’ bath after sunset. I am obsessed with the 4moms bath tub. The digital thermometer makes it so easy and takes the guessing out of if the bath water is too hot for baby. I try to make his bath more like spa time versus just a bath. I want him to wind down and relax him. I love the Dr. Brown’s foaming baby wash– it smells wonderful and really like that it can easily be pumped onto his washcloth. (Oh, and it’s all-natural ingredients too!) After bathing him, I let him soak in the water for about 5 mins to just relax. Who doesn’t love a soak?! (another wonderful thing about the 4mom’s tub, it allows the dirty water to drain out as new water is filtered in-brilliant!) When we are finished with his bath, I prep his evening bottle and warm it up in the Dr. Brown’s bottle warmer. This is another trick Miss Trudy taught me to help him sleep better.
We then do a baby massage with the Dr. Brown’s baby lotion. Like the baby wash, the lotion has a wonderful scent that I truly believe has a calming effect on Rhys. Trudy taught me that a baby massage has many benefits. It helps the baby to sleep more peacefully and can also reduce crying and fussiness. All things that any parent want for their little loved one.
After Rhys’ daily “spa treatment,” I feed him the warm bottle in his room where the lights are dim and the baby lullabies are playing. This sets the tone for his final waking hours in the day. 98% of the time Rhys will be asleep within 20 mins but still working on his bottle.
Once he is down for the evening and before I have mommy time, I take care of his bottles which he uses all of Dr. Brown’s bottles. (I really love using the wide neck bottles!) I use dapple soap, which helps remove all the residue from breast milk and formula and most importantly it is fragrance free. I place the clean bottles in the beautiful Dr. Brown’s deluxe sterilizer. This is so user-friendly and it sterilizes 6 bottles in 12 minuets!
For the most part I am usually finished with all this by 7:30 pm and now I can go enjoy some mommy time! Mom’s cannot forget to take care of themselves. Another thing Miss Trudy taught me, a happy mom is a happy baby!
*Thanks to Dr. Brown’s for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
