New Mom & Sleeping Questions

Hi Everyone, I am just moving over from pregnancy....

We had a beautiful baby girl, Gabriella born on July 21st, 2007 weighing 7lbs. 7oz. and 21 inches long!!!! We are so in love.....

However, we cannot seem to get her to sleep anywhere other than in our arms or in her soothing glider chair....

She wriggles and fusses in the co-sleeper and even in her swing....

She has been breaking out of the swaddle from the first day home (we have the miracle blanket en route).. because her legs are so long....but, even when the swaddle is still in place she is fussy in there....

I have put her in my bed two nights in a row (something I swore I would not do) just to get some rest........

Any suggestions would be soooo appreciated.....

Thanks!!!

Re: New Mom & Sleeping Questions

Congratulations

The first few nights are going to be tough. My DD had her days and nights confused. We put her in the crib from day 1. She was up every 2 hours. We pretty much slept in the glider or on her floor, by morning she was in her bouncy next to my bed or in my bed.

I felt strongly about the crib from day 1, but you do what you have to do in the beginning. I always started the night with her in her crib and by 6 weeks she would sleep 5 - 6 hours straight.

The miracle blanket was my savior, so hopefully your help is arriving!!!

I'm not sure I answered your question.

Re: New Mom & Sleeping Questions

Congrats!! I found DD was less restless when she started taking the pacifier. It is very soothing for them to suck.

Message edited 7/29/2007 10:54:14 PM.

Re: New Mom & Sleeping Questions

Congrats!!!

I swore I wouldn't let me baby sleep in the bed with me either, but she's trying to adjust the same as you. I was told that you can spoil them all you want (let them sleep with you) until they are 3 months old. After that they start to realize what's going on. I had to let my baby sleep in the bed with me for 2 weeks straight. After that she slept all by herself.

Re: New Mom & Sleeping Questions

I think the thing to remember with newborns, is that they have just come out of the womb, where they were all cozy and lovely, and enclosed, and even the swaddle seems open to them, and they crave the warmth and comfort that they had in the womb. Try putting her down with some rolled up blankets around her in like a nest. They do this in the NICU with preemies as it helps them to feel comfortable in the incubator (I am not an expert on babies in NICU, however I have seen this on television) And hold her, she won't be an infant for long!

Re: New Mom & Sleeping Questions

The first two weeks were rough. A tight swaddle and using a sleep positioner from First Years helped. After two weeks we introduced the pacifier and that helped a lot too.