Sleeping arrangements - advice please

[Lucy]

Hi

I think part of why my little Olivia doesn't settle well after waking during the night is that when I put her back in the carry cot the sheet has gone cold and it kind of wakes her up and unsettles her.

Also the carrycot is on a set of chest of drawers (not very high and very solid and wide) at the foot of our bed but I have to get out of bed to get her up - do your babies sleep beside your bed? I think this would help me get more sleep as I constantly wake up and go and check on her (Olivia did sleep for 3 solid hours last night which is the most she has since coming home) and I think if she were beside my bed when she needs a feed I could just sit up and reach over and pick her up and put her back more quickly.
We don't have much room in our bedroom so I'm thinking a crib would be the best thing to get as she'll outgrow the moses basket too soon (and then I will be stuck where to put her as her cot wont fit in our room).

Also, do you just lay your babys on the sheet and cover with a blanket or do you swaddle them or do you put a blanket down on top of the sheet then lay them on that?

Thanks everyone

Lucy
Olivia 6 days old

 

[LouisecH]

Hi Lucy

I have Zara next to my bed and I feed her as soon as she starts making noises (she makes weird noises for up to 45 minutes beofre waking up and screaming). I've found that if I feed her before she gets starving she's feeds much calmer and goes to sleep more easily.

A the hospital they suggested putting a warm hot water bottle on the sheets for a couple of minutes before putting the baby back in the cot/basket etc (taking the bottle out before putting the baby back in obviously). However, I haven't yet worked out how you could make a hot water bottle and get the sheets warm without completely disturbing the baby

Zara has some fleecy type sheets which don't get so cold so I use those more now.

Hope you find a solution

Louise

 

[beanie]

Hi Lucy


A the hospital they suggested putting a warm hot water bottle on the sheets for a couple of minutes before putting the baby back in the cot/basket etc (taking the bottle out before putting the baby back in obviously). However, I haven't yet worked out how you could make a hot water bottle and get the sheets warm without completely disturbing the baby

/quote]

Seren sleeps in a crib by the bed. We found that the hot water bottle thing was great, after feeding and nappy change I would put Seren on a warm patch of the bed covered in her sheet then out a warm hot water bottle in her bed, move it after about five mins and put Seren in with her sheet. It worked great. Also I swaddled her for the first 2 weeks as she seemed to settle better, found that I could feed her whilst she was swaddled and then just place her back in her crib. I got a crib as both me and OH are 6 foot and thought she would grow out of a moses basket too quickly as I wanted her in with us for 6 months. I got a great crib from kiddicare.com (meant to be £79 but got it for £29), its fab x

 

[*saulino*]

Hello

i have Kiara in her Bassinette besdie our bed on the dresser, and she is just startiung to sleep in it as brfore she just wanted to be with us in our beds, but now she sleeps a little longer so she sleeps a few hours till she realizes shes alone.
Once shes about 3 months we will puit her in her crib in her own room.
Katrina

 

[Rosieroo]

Just a point on the cold sheets bit - Ella has been in grobags since she was about a week old. That way we could lift her out, feed her and lay her back down without disturbing her if she was asleep.

www.bumpto3.com do some lovely ones. We've just got their new catalogue and they've got a really nice pattern called Princess Lucy

 

[Lucy]

Hi Katrina

Did Kiara sleep the whole night with you in your bed? I kept Olivia in with us for about an hour the other night as everytime I tried to put her back in her carrycot she woke up and cried and she settled immediately but I worry about the risks with SIDS and sleeping in our bed?

Thanks
Lucy
Olivia 6 days old

 

[Rosieroo]

Did you get a leaflet from your hospital about cosleeping?

Apparently it's fine as long as she sleeps next to you, not between you. Is covered by her own sheets and not your duvet. Doesn't have a pillow and isn't in bed with you if you are totally exhausted, drunk, on medication etc.

 

[Lucy]

Hey Rosieroo - sorry think we were posting at the same time!

Nope, didn't get any info on co-sleeping and have been meaning to read up on it but haven't had chance Thanks for the info, that gives me a piece of mind for the times when she really wont go back to her carrycot.

I'll check out the grobags, do Ella's arms and hands get really cold being out of the bag? Like the names

Lucy
Olivia 6 days old

 

[Urchin]

I'm coming a bit late to this thread but here's what I do anyway:

Brody is in a grobag in a crib by the side of our bed. As soon as he makes a noise in the night (I know he'll wake at 4.30 for a feed) I lift him in with me and feed him in bed. Only this week have I started putting him back into his crib! Before he'd just sleep the rest of the night next to me. The crib is wedged up against the side of the bed so he can't fall into the gap...something to think about if you are bed sharing.

I started putting him back in the crib to get him more used to it and to see if he would sleep longer, which he has been doing, but only about 1/2 hour longer anyway. The gro-bag keeps him warm so I don't have the cold sheets issue. The only thing I don't ike about this arrangement is it hurts my back bending from the bed to pick him up and put him back.

Co-sleeping is great, an excellent way to bond with your baby, and has loads of other plus points too. However, be careful if you start to sacrifice even more sleep, as you are always aware of them being next to you in the bed, and I'd get paraniod about our quilt being too close to him and stuff. When I put him back in his crib now at least I know he can't overheat etc.

 

[Rosieroo]

I'll check out the grobags, do Ella's arms and hands get really cold being out of the bag? Like the names

She wears a vest and a sleepuit under the grobag, plus mittens to keep her hands warm. I know some people put little cardies on over the top of the grobag but I've not had to do this. She seems nice and snug and it means that in the morning when she's watching her mobile etc she can kick her legs about freely inside the bag. I love them!!

 

[lucylou]

I swear by grobags, they are fab! We always seemed to wake Charlie up by tucking the blanket in securely whereas in their grobag you can lift them out and place them back in without them getting cold or disturbing them, they are such a good idea!