sleeping alone

[BoLt_InFeRnO]

I'm really struggling to get Layla to sleep alone. The last week or so she has slept on my chest. Even during the day. And I hate it. I can't sleep at night because I'm so scared I'll hurt her she'll fall asleep on my chest, but the second I put her down, she's screaming!

I've tried everything, warming up her bed, leaving one of my t-shirts in her crib, lying her slightly on her side with a rolled up blanket behind her to think its me. But its not working.

She's only 3 weeks old. But I'm so tired now! I'm debating putting her into her cot in her own room. Maybe the complete dark and silence will help her. (We like in a flat, and her bedroom is literally next door to ours)

I need some more ideas please ladies.

 

[frsttimemommy]

i put trystin in the bed next to me. but he doesn't mind where he sleeps really. try laying her in her bed and patting her back to calm her down. like roll her on her side and pat her back while making a soothing noise. that works for trystin and he settles down and sleeps.

 

[Celesse]

I gave up trying to get my LO to sleep alone. She co-sleeps with us using safe co-sleeping guidelines. Her cot is 3 sided and attached to our bed but she generally sleeps right next to me. I have her on my side or the bed, not between me and OH. I lie on my side and tuck my duvet between us at the same height as below my boobs. LO lies on her side facing me with her head at nipple height. She wears a sleeping bag and is under a cellular blanket now its colder.

She is happy, I am happy and get a good nights sleep. And I don't even have to wake up to feed her as the boob is right there if she wants it.

 

[BoLt_InFeRnO]

I've tried sleeping her next to me, but it seems like she only likes sleeping on her tummy. I have a tommee tippee sensor pad thingy, so maybe I could lay her on her belly to see if it works. I'm not scared that anything could happen if I did, I'm more afraid of what my HV would say.

I don't really want her co sleeping with me, as I'd like her in her own room soon as possible. Me and OH have never really had routine in our life, and I think we need to start.

 

[frsttimemommy]

trystin slept on his tummy the other night in his crib and didn't move for hours. he slept just fine. of course my mom in law was in there the entire time! but he was still fine.

 

[littleh]

Have you tried swaddling? My LO was exactly the same at that age, but as soon as we swaddled him he slept on his own in his crib. We used this SwaddleMe but I'm sure any swaddle type would have done the job

 

[lemily]

Do you swaddle her? Often the change in temp from you holding her all snuggly to putting her in a cold crib can't cause them to wake up. Swaddling means when you are cuddling her she takes her warmth with her to the crib, plus it helps with startle reflex. The other thing to do is to warm her crib with a hot water bottle (obviously take it out before you pop her in), and to slightly elevate the crib mattress as a lot of babies don't like a completely flat surface.

Second, babies have a very strong falling reflex so I place the baby I sit for down in his cot in stages. I rock him to sleep while singing to him and patting his back/bum and he is all snuggly next to my body, then I keep rocking him but move him slightly away from my body, then I move him very slowly into his cot (so as not to trigger his falling reflex), then I put his feet onto the crib mattress, and then very slowly pop his head down. I then put both of my hands on his body so he knows I'm still there, and if he stirs I shush him or pick him up for a few minutes and try again. It's generally such a palaver because at this point he is in light sleep (the first 20 minutes) rather than deep sleep (when their hands uncurl and their arms will flop down if you pick them up).

It really is trial and error, but understanding their reflexes help because it is the only thing they have to keep them out of danger. Startle, falling and smell are the most primal things they use to keep themselves safe and trying to accommodate those might make it easier to pop them down.

As for tummy sleeping - its really your choice. You have a sensor mat which helps. Does she have good head/neck control? You could try it for naps at first as a compromise.

Oh, and one final thing - if she is used to sleeping on you, she might get scared when it all goes quiet because she is used to hearing your breath and your heartbeat. A lot of people recommend either white noise, or getting one of those teddies that does heartbeat noises as their babies get scared when it is too quiet. However, other babies hate any noise at all.

They don't make it easy, eh?

 

[BoLt_InFeRnO]

I did swaddle her, but she hates her arms being tucked in. I use a hotwater bottle too, to warm up her bed.

My mum suggested that I put a ticking clock or watch near her. And one of those teddies that breath and stuff. So I might get one of them.

She has really strong neck muscles. I might just try her in the day time when I'm awake with her on her belly, till she's a bit older and can go on her belly at nights too