Although several people told me to prepare for the lack of sleep when my baby was born, the realisation when it happened was still a shock. The first few weeks were tiring and I must have read several books giving advice on getting your  baby into a bedtime routine.  I had the black out curtains, the nightly bath at the same time, the feeding schedule, the lullaby light  – anything that was suggested I did! If the book told you that your baby should sleep through at 12 weeks, then that’s what would happen. But, our babies aren’t robots.  They are all different and some may sleep through at 12 weeks, some earlier and some later, but the one piece of advice I wish I was told was that whenever it may be……. you will get there……you will experience a good night sleep again! In a funny way, you will look back at these nights with a strange fondness – I remember my husband taking our son out several times in the middle of the night for a drive to help settle him. Or the time, where it was just me and my baby awake during the night, having a cuddle when all was quiet and still outside – Even though we may not have realised – These were special bonding times.

One of the things I did use for both my children were the sleep bags.  Over 95% of parents in the UK now use baby sleep bags, making traditional top sheets and blankets a relic of the past. With this in mind, the new online store, The Baby Sleep Shop is a must to visit.They offer a range of sleeping bags and swaddles.  They also have a fantastic blog, which has useful articles and advice from experts.

Jenni is the  founder of this fantastic store, so I asked her a few questions about her new business venture.

What is the Baby Sleep Shop?

It is an online store that has a wide range of baby sleeping bags and swaddles from some lesser known and unique brands around the the world. Organic, Merino, Liberty, Multi-tog, Travel… you name it we’ve got it! We are soon to expand into the fun and exciting world of nursery décor!

How long have you been doing your job and what made you get into this profession?

I launched The Baby Sleep Shop at the end of December. I decided to stay home full time after my second maternity leave, which meant leaving my job as EA to the CEO of a Hedge Fund… having spent ten+ years in the corporate world as a PA / EA, this was a big leap but I wanted a new adventure and something which meant I could spend more time with my children but also be able draw upon my skills (mainly admin & organisation – the boring stuff!) and enthusiasm for all things pretty and nursery related whilst also earning an all-important income to support my change of lifestyle!

What do I love most about my job?

I love being able to use my skills in a field which I am passionate about – and having the ability to share all the wonderful products which are out there, which other people who have not have discovered them yet. Having always worked on a range of projects for other people, it has been great to feel so motivated and actually enjoy work, even the mundane parts. Being able to be with the kids is a main factor – not even about less hours really, but more the about the flexibility of not having to commute and work set hours for now.

How do mum to be/mums benefit from your services?

I am blessed two wonderful little people in my life – I feel I have tried and tested lots of products and theories and ideas and love to be able to share the information! Baby sleeping bags, for me are the best invention ever – I just found the styles and designs samey and boring and the quality wasn’t great – I’ve now found some really beautiful products which are great quality… I wish I had known of them first time round so I could have bought these instead of the generic high street shop sleeping bags as the higher quality means they will last longer (especially more than one child) and eventually save money. (One of our Merino sleeping bags can be used ALL year round AND fits from age 2 months – 2 year… I would have saved a ton of money and storage if I had bought one of those at first!)

If you had to give one piece of advice to expectant mums/mums regarding what you do, what would it be?

My advice with babies and baby sleeping bags is to never let your baby over heat. I think we are all guilty (especially in the very early days) of being paranoid a baby will be cold so we have very hot rooms, vests and baby grows, sleeping bags and blankets. Stick to the guidelines – very young babies in swaddles (around 1.5 tog) don’t need extra layers or blankets and babies in sleeping bags should be in a room around 19C (which is slightly cooler than you would think) and should not have any additional blankets (these are also a risk if the baby pulls it over their face). Buy a decent room thermometer and consult the temperature guide which comes with your sleeping bag (ours are included with each purchase too).

Finally, how do we find out more?

You can follow us on Facebook for useful articles and offers @thebabysleepshopuk and on Instagram for lots of baby and nursery inspiration and discount codes @thebabysleepshop. Check out our lovely products online www.thebabysleepshop.com and our blog for lots of useful articles and advice from experts.