Newborn Sleep Nest

First of all, congratulations to mom and dad because your baby is actually doing very well at night. A baby sleeping 2–4 hour stretches in the crib overnight is a very positive sign and tells me your baby IS capable of sleeping independently.

What stood out to me from the video is that during the daytime, the room appears very bright with sunlight coming through. In my 20+ years of hands-on newborn care experience, I’ve worked with many babies who struggle to settle during daytime naps when the room is too bright.

A lot of parents are told, “Let day be day and night be night,” but for many babies, daytime naps still need a calm, darker sleep environment. If this were truly a crib issue, you would likely see the same struggle overnight too.

My suggestion to mom:
• Swaddle baby BEFORE baby becomes overly sleepy
• Place baby into a calm, darker room when it’s time for sleep
• Keep awake windows, tummy time, feeding, and interaction in brighter areas
• Make sure baby is properly fed and burped before attempting crib sleep

Even small things matter from day one — when to swaddle, when to burp, when to re-offer the breast or bottle, how to recognize hunger cues, sleepy cues, overtiredness, and overstimulation.

My book, How to Sleep Train Your Baby Like a Pro: Step-by-Step Guide for New Moms, explains these newborn foundations in detail and helps parents understand WHY babies react the way they do.

Available on Amazon. Click link ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

Should you wake a sleeping baby just to change a wet diaper?

If your newborn is finally hitting those glorious 4 to 6-hour sleep stretches, the last thing you want to do is accidentally wake them all the way up! In this video, I break down the “golden rule” of nighttime diaper changes, the crucial difference between wet vs. poopy diapers overnight, and how to protect your baby’s sleep without the guilt.

👇 Check the comments below to watch the full, deep-dive video on YouTube and get my expert resources!

Mom and dad were truly doing their very best to tag-team this newborn night together. 💛

Baby first woke at 12:20 a.m., and from that point forward, the wake-ups continued almost nonstop through after 6 a.m. Some stretches were not even 10–30 minutes apart.

Let me be clear: newborns absolutely CAN wake frequently during the first week. However, this particular pattern suggests baby may not have been getting a full enough feeding before falling back asleep.

A few things I would have done differently:
• Unswaddle baby during feeding to encourage a fuller feed
• Do a diaper change midway through nursing to help keep baby awake and actively feeding
• Encourage a more complete feeding before settling baby back down

These small changes can sometimes help reduce extremely frequent wake-ups and make the night a little easier for mom and dad.

My name is Olive Harris — Newborn Care Specialist (Baby Nurse/Night Nurse), Certified Lactation Counselor, Infant Sleep Advisor, and author of “How to Sleep Train Your Baby Like a Pro: Step-by-Step Guide for New Moms.”

For over 20 years, I’ve gone into homes helping families build healthy newborn feeding and sleep foundations night by night, week by week.

By around week 8, many babies can naturally begin reaching 5+ hour stretches after the dream feed when feeding rhythms, bedtime routines, and daytime structure are properly supported.

Follow for more newborn sleep and feeding guidance, and head over to my YouTube channel for the full breakdown of what I would have changed to make this night a little easier for mom and dad. 💛

postpartum breastfeeding newbornbaby

Breastfeeding Truths I Wish More Moms Were Told… Part 1

One of the biggest shocks for new moms is bringing a baby home from the hospital and suddenly feeling like the baby wants to nurse ALL night long.

Many parents wonder:
“Wasn’t this the same sleepy baby from the hospital?”

The first few weeks can feel overwhelming, emotional, exhausting, and beautiful all at once.

Your baby is learning.
Your body is learning.
And breastfeeding is still being established.

Follow week by week, step by step. 🤍

Sometimes the issue is not that baby “can’t sleep”…
sometimes baby has simply learned where sleep happens. 🤍

Read my newborn sleep advice in the comments ↓