Hello Baby, Goodbye Sleep

Welcoming a new baby into the home is a joyous occasion, but the first few months can be quite rocky. Family members are bound to lose a great deal of sleep, especially the mother, and sleep deprivation is a very real possibility.

Sleep deprivation occurs whenever a person has had too little sleep. Lack of sleep can cause problems ranging from aches, dizzyness, nausea, and headaches to hallucinations, memory loss, and psychosis-like symptoms. The disruption in schedule, lack of time or desire to eat, and constant demands of a breastfeeding baby can all build up to a massive load of stress. It's difficult to control one's mood when sleep-deprived, and this, combined with increased irritability, can make for some difficult days during early parenthood.

How to Help The Ones You Love

If you've been invited to the baby shower of a family member or friend, the best baby gifts you can give are the simple gestures of support and understanding. If you're capable of taking care of the infant for a few hours each week, offer those hours to the mom-to-be in place of purchasing baby gifts. She may refuse politely, but once that baby arrives, everything changes!

If your friend or family member simply won't accept an outright offer of help, remember: the best baby gifts are those that help the parent at least as much as they help the baby. A "white noise" machine can be just as useful for putting Mom to sleep as it is for the baby, and lavender or chamomile-scented bath goods make relaxing baby gifts that Mom can also use.

Handling Sleep Deprivation with a Baby

Sleep deprivation poses a real risk to both parents and infant. If the parents are exhausted, they may not be able to meet their baby's needs. A run-down mother and father are no good to a well-rested and noisome infant.

This is where other baby gifts can step in: a mobile can calm and entertain a small baby, giving parents time to perk up and take care of what needs to be done. A playpen, play yard, or portable bassinette can soothe and amuse the baby while parents eat, shower, or take a brief nap. Baby gifts that keep the baby close to their parents while simultaneously freeing the parents to do other tasks are ideal - baby slings and carriers, for example, are popular and functional baby gifts.

Many baby books (which also make great baby gifts!) recommend resting when the baby rests. While this is good advice, many parents find themselves too stressed, anxious, or otherwise busy to follow it. Give Mom and Dad the baby gifts at this shower - some bedtime tea, a soothingly scented pillow or blanket, and a CD of ambient noises to help them relax and unwind. They'll be the best baby gifts of the bunch, and they'll help prevent sleep deprivation.