Self soothing

Hi all,

One of my girls is becoming alot more needy during the night and at naptimes. We swaddle and used to be able to put her down and she would settle to sleep, i'm not sure what changed but now i have to rock her till she is near enough asleep otherwise she just cries and gets hysterical. Most of the time i don't pick her back up once i've pt her down, when she fusses i stroke her head, give paci or rock her moses basket. She often looks asleep when i leave but i'm usually straight back upto her to start the process again. The nightimes are getting ridiculous now, i was up for about 4 hrs last night trying to get her to stay asleep. Does swaddling prevent babies from being able to soothe themselves? I'm wondering if unswaddling her will help? Or am i just asking for more trouble lol Also does anyone have any idea what could be waking her? She has had a viral infection but seems to be over the worst of it and these issues started before then anyway. I have noticed she does alot of stretching, i wonder if she is ready for the swaddle to come off?

TIA

 

Do they take a pacifier? My kids used to chew on their little animals or their blanket (not at 4 mos.) but they had little things they could get into their mouths eventually. They could also be going through a growth spurt and need a little extra nutrition. :hug:

 

you could try swaddling her with one arm out - then she can suck her thumb/hand if she wants but you're still getting many of the benefits of the swaddle. either way, you won't know till you try. if it's not working, you can always go back or try something else. GL!

 

I would try one arm or both arms out of the swaddle and see if that makes her happy.

 

Thanx all!

I will try her with a free arm tommorow, wish me luck haaa

I'm not sure it's a growth spurt? we dream feed and then they are still waking between 2 and 5am for a feed. I think they are still needing the nightfeed because i cant get enough calories down them through the daytime. We struggle to get them to drink a 4 oz bottle. The feeds i can deal with it's the constant need for me at the bedside that is becoming very hard.

I can't wait for the night they learn to love sleep as much as me and Daddy!

Thanx all!

I will try her with a free arm tommorow, wish me luck haaa

I'm not sure it's a growth spurt? we dream feed and then they are still waking between 2 and 5am for a feed. I think they are still needing the nightfeed because i cant get enough calories down them through the daytime. We struggle to get them to drink a 4 oz bottle. The feeds i can deal with it's the constant need for me at the bedside that is becoming very hard.

I can't wait for the night they learn to love sleep as much as me and Daddy!

 

The time between 4 and 6 months was :crazy: as far as Jake and night-wakings. He was up at least 8-10 times each night for a paci reinsert! It was crazy, and I was exhausted. I did CIO with him at 6 months, and it only took about 2 nights until he was sleeping peacefully all night long! Has been that way ever since!

 

QUOTE(becky5 @ May 18 2009, 10:51 PM) [snapback]1318649[/snapback]
The time between 4 and 6 months was :crazy: as far as Jake and night-wakings. He was up at least 8-10 times each night for a paci reinsert! It was crazy, and I was exhausted. I did CIO with him at 6 months, and it only took about 2 nights until he was sleeping peacefully all night long! Has been that way ever since!



LOL CIO was VERY tempting last night!!! We may as well of done.. all she did last night was scream no matter what amount of soothing we did. Then she was up at 6am ready to go again. Boy have i got one grisly baby today!!

Yesterday daytime we tried them both with 1 free arm, just for the first 2 naps and they went down ok, but after 30mins (like norma)l they woke up BUT we were unable to get them back to sleep <_<


Ruby seemed more settled with her arm out and even had a little suck of her thumb but eventually decided to join her wailing sister, half hr naps are no good to them 45 mins is just about bearable but they were little monsters all afternoon because of the lack of sleep. I realise these thuings take time for them to learn but i'm not sure they can deal with the lack of sleep. Amber not only had a bad day but her night sleep was TERRIBLE. I really don't know what to do with her rightnow. Paul suggested maybe going cold turkey with the swaddle and moving them from the moses basket to cotbed all in one go... I'm worried obviously about their lack of sleep but also it being too many changes all at once? Any ideas please? We need sleep!!!
tia

 

QUOTE(mummy2ambernruby @ May 20 2009, 07:44 AM) [snapback]1320951[/snapback]
Paul suggested maybe going cold turkey with the swaddle and moving them from the moses basket to cotbed all in one go... I'm worried obviously about their lack of sleep but also it being too many changes all at once? Any ideas please? We need sleep!!!


Go for it. We did alot of things cold turkey especially on the heels of a bad night. I just figured it couldnt get much worse from the night before and just went for it. We went cold turkey in their cribs and taking away the pacis because they couldnt keep them in and I didnt want to get up 20 times a night to put it back in. GL :hug:

 

Thanx Rachel! It does make sense to do it all in one go rather than have to go through several different transitions swaddle - grobag, basket to cot, our room to nursery...was just worried it would be too muh for them to deal with. Like you, things cant be anyworse than they are now so we may just give it ago either this evening or tommorow. Tommorow may be best, we could do with catching up on some sleep before we go again lol
Out of interest..how old were your babies when you moved them, were you still night feeding and how long did it take for them to settle in their new beds? Thankyou!

 

QUOTE(DATJMom @ May 20 2009, 08:59 AM) [snapback]1321084[/snapback]
Go for it. We did alot of things cold turkey especially on the heels of a bad night. I just figured it couldnt get much worse from the night before and just went for it. We went cold turkey in their cribs and taking away the pacis because they couldnt keep them in and I didnt want to get up 20 times a night to put it back in. GL :hug:


How did putting them in their cribs cold turkey work? Where had they been sleeping previously? We're toying with the idea of crib cold turkey--I think they might be getting ready for it. Ours currently sleep in bouncy/jiggly chairs due to stuffy noses/reflux issues, but those are getting better.

 

QUOTE(mummy2ambernruby @ May 20 2009, 09:28 AM) [snapback]1321129[/snapback]
Out of interest..how old were your babies when you moved them, were you still night feeding and how long did it take for them to settle in their new beds? Thankyou!

I moved them at 4 months and yes, they were still waking to eat for 5 more frickin' months. It took a couple of days for them to get used to it.

QUOTE(Durangomom @ May 20 2009, 11:28 AM) [snapback]1321344[/snapback]
How did putting them in their cribs cold turkey work? Where had they been sleeping previously? We're toying with the idea of crib cold turkey--I think they might be getting ready for it. Ours currently sleep in bouncy/jiggly chairs due to stuffy noses/reflux issues, but those are getting better.


They were sleeping in swings, carseats, our arms. They had terrible reflux and ate all night long. I napped them in their cribs for a couple of days elevated and then right to nights. They did fine.

 

5 more months!! Gosh you had some hungry babies!!

Gosh i am terrified of moving them!! But sleep deprivation is getting to me now, something has to give.