How to start off with newborn sleep habits?

[SilverSixpence]

Can anyone advise so we start off in the best way? How should we be handling day time naps and night times eg what to do about swaddling, rocking/feeding to sleep and so on?

With DS we struggled with getting him to sleep for literally years and I'd love to avoid the stress this time so I can enjoy my baby more (due in a week!)

Anything I can read that would help?

I'd say keep noise down and keep it dark at night time. Set up a lose kind of routine from the start when you know he or she is getting tired in the evenings maybe dim the lights, massage, put into pjs and feed etc. For naps to be honest I am still struggling and DS2 is 12 months now but it was same with DS1 (think I just breed nap refusing children!). It really does depend on the child though. Lots of people swear by swaddling but my DS's have both hated it!

If you're breast feeding then you may find the baby cluster feeds most of the evening and night times anyway so just keep the noise down and do keep the lights off for night feeds.

Take the baby out a lot in the day time so he or she gets used to lots of light and stimulation in the day. Eventually they learn the difference.......eventually!!!

Thanks

I'm not sure where we went wrong with DS but will give this a go. I'm
Also going to try 'putting down while sleepy but awake'.

I read something useful in that baby whisperer book about learning to recognise your baby's sleep cues....apparently if you watch out for them yawning and getting a glassy stare in their eyes, this means they're tired, and if you trying cuddling them and then quietly putting them in their moses basket whne you see these cues (with a dummy if you're using one), then they might learn to go to sleep on their own.

we have been trying it with 5wo DS and it seems to be working (well, 80% of the time!)