by Carla Raley

Created on: July 15, 2009   Last Updated: July 18, 2009

Having newborns in the house is an exciting, wonderful adventure for most couples. It is almost a magical time, and one we remember fondly.

However, it usually means the main caregiver, almost always the mother, is up a lot during the night with a wide awake infant. And if the infant does sleep, the emotionally drained new mother will sometimes find herself unable to sleep anyway. This can cause a lot of anxiety for her. She worries about it and can sometimes dread to see the night coming.

As a mother of ten children and a foster mother of more than fifty children over the years, I have had a baby in my house for much of my adult life. I have learned that these sleep deprived periods of times can be gotten through, and have learned a few tricks along the way.

I remember with my first three or four babies, and with the foster children who were moving through our house during this time, I would despair of the night. I would fret I didn't get any sleep last night, and I know I'm not going to get any sleep tonight! This would sometimes bring tears at the very thought of how tired I was.

But as the babies kept coming, I learned that not getting any sleep wasn't going to kill me. Morning would come whether I slept or not, along with housework and chores, but mostly, morning also came with sweet little baby smiles and rocking chairs and nursing (or bottle feeding as the case was with the foster children) coos and baby powder, and life always seemed good again.

I learned it was good to go to bed early, if possible. I was not afraid to co sleep with my babies. I put extra pillows between the baby and the edge of the bed, also propping my arm with them to keep the baby secure. If baby was sleeping in my bed, I was careful not to take any sleeping aids or anything that would put me to sleep more heavily than a new mother usually sleeps, which is almost always lightly, as her senses are heightened as she listens even in her sleep to her infant. If this idea scares you, there are now little cribs that hook onto your bed, so that even though the infant is in his own bed, he is still close enough that if he wakes to be fed, you can reach for him with getting up and without coming fully awake.

I laid towels or receiving blankets under baby, so that wet diapers or leaking milk did not make it necessary to change the sheets. I would just toss the wet towels on the floor to be picked up in the morning, and put a fresh one down.

Another option is to take the infant to a

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