My other two were not like this. However my 3rd baby( let's call her Buggy) is really clingy and loves to be held and sleep in my arms/ beside me. I have a bed bassinet but she knows the difference and gets mad and wakes up when I put her down. I'm losing sleep because of this. What have you ladies done to help with this. She is almost 2 weeks so I know its normal I just need some ideas how to deal with it. I got pretty lucky with my last two. They slept 5 hour stretches at 2 weeks and had no issues sleeping.
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This is hard, I’m sorry. Babies hate sleeping flat I think. Is she swaddled? We ended up double swaddling DS3 because he would fight it and break out but I’m a firm believer in swaddling.
My first two always cried when we put them down so we used a rock n play which worked like a dream, RIP rock n play.
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@LadyDi: I used rock n play too but it makes me nervous now. RIP I still have mine for using it for small amounts of time like me doing dishes and stuff. I think swaddling will work but she breaks out of the blanket ones. She is so strong. We need to get some zip up or velcro ones. Maybe that will help. I'm willing to try anything.
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@cyoung: we used the halo swaddle and it worked a lot better. The Velcro is really strong.
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My third was like this, she might do a short 2-3 hour stretch on her bassinet at the start of the night but wouldn’t go back to sleep on her own. We ended up getting organised for safe bedsharing so that we could sleep together and at 16mo she still likes to sleep touching me! I will say that it isn’t all doom and gloom because she does occasionally STTN.
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Our first was like this, and we ended up bed sharing, which is the only thing I’d sworn I would never do! She just knew the difference. We even bought a little sleep nest to keep in the bed, and she wouldn’t sleep in that. She would only sleep if she was nestled right up next to me.
I slept sans pillow and only had light blankets on the bed which I didn’t pull up past my waist.
I have so much empathy for you. I know how hard it is.
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@LemonJack: @Kemma: I may have to do this to get rest. I'm just tired and need some sleep. I got 2 toddlers so running on 3-4 hours of sleep will not cut it. What are some safe bed sharing tips. We have a million pillows and blankets so I know a lot will have to go. I'm not against it, I just get nervous I'll roll on her.
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@cyoung: I was super nervous too, but I would wake up as soon as she fussed, and I also realized I didn’t move at all at night while I was next to her.
I would either ditch the pillows entirely or I would keep one, and just sleep on the very edge of it, keeping the rest of it behind you and away from baby. If you’re using a blanket, I would always make sure it wasn’t above your waist. I also wouldn’t keep the baby between you and anyone else (DH or older kids). We would lay down with DH on one edge, me in the middle, and DD on my other side.
If she ends up liking a zipped up swaddle, you might not even need to bed share. Our oldest just did not like any swaddle we tried!
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Try the swaddle up swaddles. Worked like a dream for us for several months.
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Look up a batwing swaddle. You basically use a blanket to immobilize their arms and then a regular swaddle. It’s the cheap miracle swaddle
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@cyoung: I took my pillows off the bed, we have natural fibre bedding (all cotton, wool or down so breathable) and baby slept tucked under my arm on the side of the bed (I lay on my stomach with her face beside mine).
If you google the “Safe Sleep Seven” you’ll find some good guidelines for bedsharing.
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Both of my kids were like this as newborns, it’s so hard! With my first, we used the rock n play, but we were in the same situation with my second as the recall happened when he was a newborn. The swaddle up swaddle like @petitenoisette mentioned the only thing that worked for us at the time to get him to sleep in his bassinet. Eventually his stretches increased and he’s sleeping 12 straight hrs now at 5 months so hang in there!
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I just lived through this, so I can relate (in fact, I think I posted about it at the time!). Around week 3 of LO sleeping only on my chest every night, DH rented a SNOO bassinet. I was kind of against it but also at my breaking point, and it worked like a charm. DS took to it immediately and slept well right away. He isn't a big fan of the SNOO's swaddle, but he tolerates it well enough. We're still working on napping off of us (poor LO is suffering through this right now with daycare), but nights in the SNOO have been pretty amazing. LO slept through the night starting around 7 weeks.
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@cyoung: My son was like this, but he wouldn't sleep in the bassinet at all (for nighttime or nap). We tried a variety of different bassinet options and returned them all. Swaddle up's helped him to sleep, but absolutely not in the bassinet. That included the R&P - he screamed bloody murder every time I put him in it. I was on the verge of fainting/hallucinating I was so tired. So I ended up co-sleeping. My husband slept on the couch, as I was nervous to have another person in the bed and the baby woke him up unnecessarily in any case. I wore form fitting clothes, ditched the blankets. If you feel like you need one, you could try having a cozy throw tucked in below your waist. Now, at 18 months, I couldn't even imagine co-sleeping with LO, and he sleeps through the night wonderfully. He's still a cuddly little kid though
It was a phase, and definitely not something that destines you to a life of bedsharing.
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I am really just here to commiserate and send hugs your way! My DD who is 3 months is going through something very similar. She really loves sleeping in my arms and could sleep forever in them or on me. We are struggling with nighttime sleep all the sudden as well. We use the SNOO swaddle and was sleeping like a champ in it until her growth spurt hit this week. Now she breaks out of that thing on the inside (the Velcro part) and gets her hands up by her face. We tried the swaddle up too! Last night I was up every hour because she kept swatting her face and waking herself up. Basically we have tried every swaddle and every wrap and just when we think that we have it figured out and she sleeps through the night they all stop working. As others have said RIP rock-n-play. With our first that thing was a life saver. I am so sad we cannot use it (nor would use it) with our second now. I am so tired of buying swaddles etc. to try and get this girl to sleep again!
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@paigeface: @cyoung: Has anyone tried the Merlin Magic Suit? I'm considering it for DS, because the poor LO can't seem to sleep with his arms out of the swaddle at daycare. Your post, Paigeface, made me think of it again because you wouldn't have to worry about your DD breaking out of the swaddle.
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My third didn't start this nonsense till 3 or 4 weeks old, but when she did I had to cosleep. All the other tricks (swaddling, rocking, nice dark room) didn't really work. I hate cosleeping with a passion, but I can't take care of three kids on no sleep. I did work hard on getting her to sleep at least a couple hours in her crib right after bedtime, so I could get something done without her hanging off me. But it didn't always work - some nights she was too fussy and I had to go to bed when she did.
Logistically, we've only got two pillows and a light blanket. I put her at my chest level (far from my pillow) and made sure the blanket only covers her legs. And I'm never really asleep if she's in my bed. If I feel that I'm so exhausted I won't be aware of where she is in my sleep, I make myself stay up longer to get her to stay in her crib
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It's nice to know I'm not alone! Sorry I didn't answer yesterday but it was a crazy day. We have done cosleeping for two nights so far. I would put her in a swaddle but we have to buy one this weekend and I need sleep asap lol. I got rid of all out pillows but one and I use only a light blanket and so far it's worked!! I've gotten so much more sleep. Last night we laid down at 10pm and she slept a long stretch till 3pm. She ate and went right back to sleep and we slept till 7am. Its soooooo much better compared to the broken 4-5 hours I was getting. So we will see how it goes. I still will try a swaddle but we will see. During the days she naps so great and is fine but right when 6pm comes around she needs to help and beside me most of the time
It was a phase, and definitely not something that destines you to a life of bedsharing.
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