One of the things new mothers long for more than anything else is SLEEP. Having an undisturbed night's sleep - once taken for granted - now seems like an unattainable luxury! Don't worry about your baby's sleep - at this stage, she will take all the sleep she needs. The issue is, do YOU get enough sleep?

A young baby cannot, of course, be expected to sleep through the night, however that doesnt mean that you cannot sleep at all.

Some Things You Can Do To Get A Little More Sleep.

1. Establish some sort of routine for the baby - in particular, distinguishing between day and night. At night, keep the room where baby sleeps semi-dark. When baby wakes up for a feed, attend to her quickly without putting on the light. Do not respond to those cute gurgles and invitations to play. Eventually he will catch on that nobody is going to play with him at night and he will fall asleep.
   
   
2. The other important point is how you get your baby to sleep in the first place. If you get your baby used to being rocked in your arms or walked up and down, then she will not be able to sleep any other way. You will find it very hard to keep this up when baby is older (and heavier) and you will have to walk up and down at night too. Get your baby used to being put down on a bed and allowed to fall asleep on his own. You may need to convince doting grandparents of this (with a fine blend of tact and firmness!) but it will pay off with peaceful nights. Put your baby to bed after a feed at night and she will be able to go right back to sleep on her own.
   
   
3. No matter what you do, you will probably still have disturbed nights. Try to catch up on your sleep during the day when baby is asleep. In the early months it can be really helpful to have someone staying with you - perhaps your mother or mother-in-law. Enlist her help to keep visitors from disturbing you. In order to take care of the baby you need adequate rest, so don't feel guilty about this.
   
   
4. If you don't have someone staying with you, try to get a relative, friend, maid or your husband to take care of the baby for a while so that you can sleep.

So, MOM, grab that sleep when you can! You really need it.