new mummy needs advice!

[trixipaws]

my daughter is only 4 days old, and coz she'd new and we've had lots of visitors etc she's spent most of her life so far being held, and now i think she'd not keen on going down in the moses basket as sometimes she cries when she's in it (after she's been fed, changed, etc) and stops when shes taken out. i dont want her to sleep with us as i'm scared we'd roll onto her or push her out.

should i 'teach' her to stay in the basket by letting her cry? (i find it heartbreaking doing that!) or is she too young? and if i ought to do it how long should i leave her before picking her up?

the MW is visting 2mro but any help for 2nite will be appreciated!
thanx

 

[mary70]

just try soothing her without picking her up hun but i dont think at 4 days she is that wise yet, she prob just feels safe being held, have u tried swaddling her that used to work for hannah

 

[frangelle]

Yeah I used to swaddle Kieran.


Congratulations by the way, so chuffed for you!!! Have you posted any pics???!!

 

[Becks&Riley]

what about a dummy?

 

[maybebaby]

I know it's not recommended but don't shoot me anyone... we put Austin on a pillow in his moses basket for the first 2 or 3 weeks. The mattress is so hard compared to your tummy, I think he just wanted the comfort. I put him on a normal, adult sized pillow, he was more comfy and slept much better.

Swaddling worked well for the first couple of weeks too.

If you're breastfeeding, a dummy may not work too well to begin with, I waited 2 weeks before giving Austin one so that breastfeeding was properly established and he didn't get confused (I have nothing against dummies, Austin's sucking his in his cot right now!). I don't think it matters if you're bottle feeding.

Good luck, and congratulations once again on your little princess.

 

[lozzi]

Ellouise styed in my bed for MANY MANY weeks..

spent a small amount of time spending a few hours a night in the moses basket and shes back in my bed again lol





i think the recommendation for bedsharing is its fine so long as:


you havent drunk any booze.
you dont smoke.
Your not heavy sleepers
Your not on drugs/prescription drugs



if it makes LO happy then go for it

My MW actually PROMOTED it lol

co-sleeping/bedsharing ROCKS

 

[Emmylou]

Awww Trix, I know this prob too late for tonight, I agree that swaddling should work, might be best with a thin sheet though as its quite warm, Libby loved being swaddled.
As previously said, she's not wise enough to try to pull one over on you yet so prob just likes the warmth/ security of being held, also, any mummy smells (so a t-shirt/ top you've worn) that can be put over the mattress so she can smell you......I also used to hold Lib till she was asleeo, then put her down so that when she woke up in her own in it, she wasn't waking in someones arms, its a start at least.
I used to stroke Libbys face to calm her down.
Hope you have an okay night, and once again, I;m sooo happy for you, how good is it to start posts with 'my daughter'

 

[xSuzx]

I would recommend swaddling too, When I had my second he would fall asleep on me during a feed I'd then put him down and 1min later he was awake and crying.

I did this several times and then thought maybe he feels abit exposed so tried swaddling him, it worked a treat he went straight to sleep and stayed that way till his next feed a 3am lol.

Just keep an eye on that they don't get too warm in this weather if LO does then just put them to bed in less clothes and keep swaddling

xSuzx

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

Mine slept in the bed with me till they were about 8 weeks old, everynight, and then when they went in thier cots they pretty much slept through the night.

I think that babies naturally have a need to be close to thier mums as much as possible, and other than spoiling them into only wanting to sleep with you, it can give them more of a sense of security so they will happily sleep on thier own when they are a bit older. Once in thier own cots swaddling is a godsend!

If you dont want them sleeping with you everynignt (nothing wrong with that in the slightest - its personal preference and practicalities that count at the end of the day and they certainly wont lose out for it) then a little trick you could try is standing behind and above the head of the cot while you soothe them with your voice, so to look at you they need to lift their eyes right up, this makes the eyes feel heavy and off to sleep they go

 

[Tina & Gabs]

I agree with the others about swaddling.

She is still very young and the outside world is a big scary place after being nicely tucked up in your tummy for 9 months.

I personally don't agree with letting a baby cry as I feel they are crying for a reason. A few cuddles from mummy won't hurt. She obviously just needs a bit of comfort and remember at the moment she doesn't know the difference between night and day.

I know it must be tiring though.

Are you breastfeeding or bottle feeding? I was breast feeding and I used to bring Gabriella in with me to feed her when I was totally zonked and then put her back in her moses basket, sometimes she just needed that comfort.

Good luck

 

[mum2A&L]

try carrying a cloth around with you for a while,and then laying it under her in her basket. the smell sometimes calms babies down.

we co slept for the first few months, and even now, alice 'hops' into bed with me from about 4am till we get up.

we have the space to have alice cot right up against our bed. means i can comfort her without having to jump out of bed all the time.

 

[cloud9]

i found with Dylan i had to get him to sleep to go down and even then he would still wake up...he still isn't very good at getting himself to sleep.

Dylan didn't like been swaddled as he likes his arms free but he did keep opening his eyes and once he saw he wasn't on his own would go back to sleep so genrally i had to watch him for a while to give him that reassuarance

 

[jools221181]

We had this problem and it really helped swaddling too! Try swaddling in a large muslin in warmer weather!

We got told not to try anything like controlled crying until at least 6 months! After a few weeks Brody was happy not to be swaddled anymore and now loves to have his arms and legs as free as possible!