Newborn advice...

[Ladybug122]

Ok, so far things are going well with little Nora. She is generally a quiet kid, nurses well, not too fussy (except for the infamous "witching hours" from 5-8pm)...BUT...she will not tolerate being put down. Sigh. Very. Tiring.
I have a moby wrap which is a godsend and wearing her is the only way I get anything accomplished. She sits in the bouncy seat for a few minutes here and there, will sleep in her car seat for stretches of time when we are on the go...but absolutely will not tolerate lying on her back in her crib, bassinett, etc. Ever. She will lie on her back for a few mintues while awake (I am trying to put her on her back at every opportunity to try to acclimate herself to it), but she does not ever sleep on her back. So far we have been co-sleeping at night and she will sleep in the crook of my arm, sort of tilted to her side. I have tried tilting her on her side in her crib...no go.
I guess what I am asking is for those of you who have had babies like this, when does it end? Advice on getting her used to sleeping on her back (and in her crib)? I don't recall my son having problems with sleeping on his back. Although co-sleeping is special and convenient for nightime breastfeeding, and I don't "hate" it, I really would prefer her sleeping on her own surface. I like to be able to move freely when I am sleeping, and I feel frozen when she is next to me. My husband does not like co-sleeping at all, but is pretty much leaving the sleeping arrangements up to me since I am the one waking at night. Advice? Anyone?

[alison]

I think I posted here about witching hour. Dd was a little devil from 5-8pm. The thing(s) that worked for us was giving her a routine, even if she cried through it at first. I realized it was because she wanted to go to bed, and she was actually getting her days/nights straight. At 4:30, I'd:

1) give dd a bath - she usually cried at first and then relaxed
2) bedtime feeding (if she'd take it) while swaddled in one of those swaddle sacks
3) binky in
4) sound machine on white noise setting at full blast
5) close door and leave her alone

That was hard. It lasted until week 8 or 9, I'd say.

[MrsK]

I just read something about the witching hours. It basically said that the infants become over-stimulated/exhausted and that crying/freaking out is their way to re-set the clock. Pretty much the same that Alison discovered on her own.

Regarding Nora, as a mom with just a little more than 2 weeks experience, I'm certainly not an expert. Also, I'm reading this in a sleep-deprived haze myself. But it doesn't sound to me like a witching hour problem. Is she having reflux? Does she need to be burped? I've noticed that J will not be content sleeping on his back if he is not properly and throughly burped after a feeding.

Also, I have a sleep positioner for him that puts him on a slight incline. BabyK sometimes does insist on sleeping in the crook of my arm at night. I hate it because I worry that I'll roll on him or drop him. If you are comfortable keeping Nora in the bed with you, perhaps you can try one of those co-sleepers that protect the baby inside your bed? I don't know what they are called but I've seen them advertized in the baby magazines. When desperate, I've used the boppy for this purpose (although, it has a tag on it that says no sleeping).

[Meenah]

MrsK, I was thinking reflux too! Good luck to all of you. Rule out reflux and take it from there.

[Urowife]

Have you tried swaddling? Also try waiting until Nora is in a deep sleep before laying her down. Usually about 20 min after falling asleep. We also had the bassinet at a slight incline. Will she sleep in a swing? Hugs, and good luck!

[MrsK]

For the record, BabyK is generally asleep between 5 and 8. His witching hours run from 10 or 11 and go until about 2 or 3AM. I think i'd be grateful for a little disorder around supper time if I could get some sleep at night.

[PrincessFiona]

Re: Newborn advice...

Can you wake him up during 5-8 by giving him a bath and then playing with him? Ultimately, a bath will make him sleepy BUT if you can keep him awake for even just an extra hour it might make a difference.

Kris


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[Ladybug122]

Have you tried swaddling? Also try waiting until Nora is in a deep sleep before laying her down. Usually about 20 min after falling asleep. We also had the bassinet at a slight incline. Will she sleep in a swing? Hugs, and good luck!

You know, originally she did enjoy being swaddled, but I stopped doing it because she seemed to like her arms free...but maybe I'll start trying that again. I"ll try anything!

I guess I never really thought about the possibility of reflux either, given she is breastfed and doesn't spit up, but I will ask the pedi about that at our next visit.

Thanks all!

[MrsK]

Kris - I've tried interrupting the 5-8 napping without success thus far.

Ladybug - you can try to swaddle her with her arms out. Just wrap her beneath the arms instead of over. BabyK always manages to get his arms out but he still likes to be swaddled.

Sorry, gotta run. I can hardly type. I just finished nursing 90 seconds ago, put him down, and he's wailing, sucking his fists, etc.

I know they aren't that common in the US yet, but do you have any friends who have a baby hammock they can lend you? We used an Amby when DD was an infant. She didn't like sleeping on her back, so the Amby was a lifesaver for us. By about 4 or 5 months she preferred to sleep on her side so we moved her to her crib then. The hammock was a little pricey especially since we only used it for a few months, but it saved my sanity. Taking care of a newborn and preschooler is exhausting!

[Auspicious]

Ambys were recalled a few weeks ago following infant deaths.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...9S18.DTL&tsp=1

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10056.html

[alison]

I think the main thing I learned when dd entered her witching hour was that she just wanted to go to bed. She wouldn't act tired (read: still awake and alert), but she'd flip a switch and cry like a maniac. The only thing that helped was if I put her down to sleep and stopped giving her any kind of visual stimulation.

Yikes! I hadn't heard that about the Amby. Thanks for posting that, Julie!

[MrsK]

I think the main thing I learned when dd entered her witching hour was that she just wanted to go to bed. She wouldn't act tired (read: still awake and alert), but she'd flip a switch and cry like a maniac. The only thing that helped was if I put her down to sleep and stopped giving her any kind of visual stimulation.

That's what I've been trying to do. . . especially since the witching hour starts at bedtime anyway. He really hates taking a bath (he's already a Boy -- he'd rather I let him stay in a poopy diaper than attempt to clean him). I tried it at bedtime and that backfired in a major way. He hollered all night. So, now bathtime is in the mornings when I'm trying to wind him up.

ladybug -- sorry for the hijack. I was really trying to offer sympathy and advise as we are in the same boat.