https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:28:42 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1289847 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 16:47:16 +0000 78h2o 1289847@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cara M. 17: I think she should be able to learn to latch while swaddled. Have you tried different positions? Side-lying? The one that worked best for me in the beginning was the football hold...it was actually easier to do while baby was swaddled. When baby would wake, I'd unswaddle, change diaper, reswaddle, nurse, burp, then jiggle/shush/rock until baby went to sleep... then I'd place her in the pack n play next to my bed. Or sometimes I'd put her in the PnP and then jiggle the whole thing. On tough nights when that didn't work, I'd put her in the swing next to my bed.</p> <p>ETA: putting a dimmer switch on my lamp made a difference... that way I barely had to have the light on at all to nurse or change her, so she seemed to wake up less fully. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1226097 Tue, 19 Nov 2013 08:33:46 +0000 sweetooth 1226097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I need to take some time to read this thread - but last night I tried to mix it up. After one session I swaddled and placed in the crib with white noise. Then another session ended and I placed him in the rock and play. I think variety is my new thing...at least for a day or so. My little guy also goes crazy with his hands, so if he's not swaddled then he just wakes himself up. We even call him Houdini sometimes because when he is swaddled he always finds a way to get his hands out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1220889 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 11:01:15 +0000 singingbee 1220889@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cara M. 17: last night we used a miracle blanket. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1220884 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 10:56:53 +0000 heartonastring 1220884@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Let her sleep in the swing. My DD slept in the swing for all naps (still does at almost seven months, but we no longer turn it on. She slept in her PnP at night from birth to about three months, and then in the swing from three to five months. We then transitioned her to the crib with no real issues.</p> <p>As far as nursing/swaddling, I used to nurse DD unswaddled, then pause when she got pretty drowsy, reswaddle her and finish nursing to sleep. I also swaddled with legs out (in swaddleme swaddlers) so I could still strap her into the swing. Maybe having legs out works give her a little more freedom of movement so she can curl around you more? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1220859 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 10:37:06 +0000 Cara M. 17 1220859@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: thanks, I keep trying to remind myself of that!</p> <p>@Jennimac: what are you using to swaddle?</p> <p>@ShootingStar: that's good to hear! I'm hoping not to buy more baby gear but it's not entirely out of the question!</p> <p>@Foodnerd81: Thanks for the advice! She sleeps well during the day either in her swing (it's downstairs) or on us. It's just at night we are having issues and I think it's largely related to her need to be swaddled in the bassinet and she's not swaddled during the day when in her swing or in us because she feels safe/secure. Adding the swaddle at night makes it difficult bc of in swaddling and re swaddling after each feed. </p> <p>@BlueWolverine: that's a good idea! I've been rocking her to get her back to sleep but maybe if I pop her on for a minute or two more for comfort and when she isn't hungry it will put her to sleep rather than frustrate her. </p> <p>@Mrs. Confetti: Thanks for the advice! Maybe I need to stop being so hard on myself and realize it's all about survival this early! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1220839 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 10:20:59 +0000 Mrs. Confetti 1220839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think the first 4-6 weeks should be treated as "survival mode". If baby sleeps in the swing, that is great. If baby sleeps safely on you, also great. Rnp - totally fine. If you are still doing all that at 3 months or 6 months, that would be time to reevaluate. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1220834 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 10:15:51 +0000 BlueWolverine 1220834@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had to unswaddle to feed as well, or she just fell asleep on the breast. On more than one night, I would unswaddle to feed, she'd drift off, I'd reswaddle and she'd wake up. I would then pop her back on the breast swaddled for a minute or two and she'd fall back asleep. Might give that a shot? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1220830 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 10:11:20 +0000 Foodnerd81 1220830@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Honestly, if she is sleeping in the swing, I don't think that's a bad thing at all. I mean, I have a pretty terrible sleeper, so maybe my advice stinks anyway, but at this stage any way you can get her to sleep, do it. If the swing works, I wouldn't see the need for the rock and play too, but I will say my LO slept in the RnP exclusively for the first 6 weeks or so and has a "beautifully shaped head" according to our pediatrician. Of course, I think that's partly because she just didn't sleep that much in general and spent a LOT of time in the moby, rather than a stroller, because it would settle her. But as long as you are mindful of making sure she has enough time not flat on her back, whether during tummy time, or in a carrier, the flat head probably isn't a huge concern. </p> <p>As far as the swaddle, I always fed her swaddled because she would wake herself up immediately if she wasn't wrapped up, though I can't remember if we did that early. Those days are just a blur, even though they were only 3 months ago! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1220820 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 10:02:28 +0000 ShootingStar 1220820@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cara M. 17: I've heard there's much less worry with the more expensive versions of the RNP - like the snuggabunny, snuggapuppy, etc. because they have more cushioning. You also just have to be careful not to let them sleep in it 15 hours a day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1220817 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 09:57:03 +0000 singingbee 1220817@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cara M. 17: we have a Brest friend pillow and LO loves it because she can snuggle right up to my tummy. Last night we reintroduced the swaddle because she was waking herself up with stirring. We can feed in the swaddle and she can still curl up next to me on the Brest friend. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1220815 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 09:55:07 +0000 sslm 1220815@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cara M. 17: ugh that's rough!!! I don't have any advice but I promise it will get better!!! This phase is definitely temporary. But it's hard. I would do whatever works right now, even if it's her sleeping on you. You can't create bad habits at this age, it's survival mode!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1220812 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 09:52:41 +0000 Cara M. 17 1220812@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@emg86: I'm nervous about the RNP because of all the claims of flat heads :(</p> <p>@scotchbonnet: So far we have tried the swaddle me (velcros), the hospital blankets (takes us too long), and the miracle blanket. The miracle blanket was actually the best but it's so complicated to do diaper changes (poop only) at night. We also tried the woombie but she didn't seem to like it. We also have a halo swaddler they we are going to try as well as A&amp;A blankets. We are trying everything! </p> <p>@sslm: She gets so upset bc she can't curl her body around me like she wants/needs to. Then she won't latch. I am using the boppy as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1220797 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 09:34:11 +0000 sslm 1220797@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We never unswaddled her at night. Can you work on feeding comfortably with her still swaddled? Do you have a breastfeeding pillow you could use to help? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1220796 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 09:32:05 +0000 scotchbonnet 1220796@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cara M. 17: what kind of swaddle do you use? Perhaps you could get a swaddle that zips up so that you can unzip her halfway to feed, and then after she is done, gently ease her hands back in and zip. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1220788 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 09:26:35 +0000 emg86 1220788@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We slept with our LO on top of our chests a lot the first month! I actually miss it :-( Once she was in a really good deep sleep I would put her in the cosleeper or the middle of our bed. Have you considered a Rock n play? Since she likes the swing, I'm thinking she likes the "cocoon" feeling that it provides. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1220780 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 09:20:00 +0000 lilteacherbee 1220780@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Following this! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/need-newborn-sleep-advice-please#post-1220744 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 08:55:59 +0000 Cara M. 17 1220744@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hi everyone! I am in desperate need of sleep advice! Baby M arrived a couple of weeks before her due date and we are now settled in at home. Being a newborn she obviously has her days and nights mixed up, which we expected and are doing as much as we can to help her adjust (blackout blinds, keeping things bright during the day and going about our business whether she is sleeping or not, keeping nighttime feeds and changes quiet and non stimulating, using a white noise maker at night, etc.) </p> <p>I am ebf and she has been feeding really well both day and night. She usually falls asleep at the breast when she is finished. The issue is that she also loves to be swaddled, and we unswaddle her to feed at night since it's hard for her to get positioned properly when she can't move well. When we go to re swaddle after eating, she wakes up and gets very upset. We calm her down and put her back into her bassinet asleep, but she will wake up and fuss almost immediately. </p> <p>The only places she is happy to sleep are on us or in her swing. I think maybe it's the warmth and cuddling of both? </p> <p>Obviously this isn't practical, but in our slept deprivation over the last few days we have let her sleep on us so we can get a few hours of sleep. She will sleep for hours at a time on us!</p> <p>Any advice? Do we get a different sleeping solution like a sleep nest co sleeper? Let her take more naps in her bassinet during the day? </p> <p>We also considered not swaddling but then she kicks herself into a frenzy. </p> <p>Thank you in advance! </p>