Just found miracle baby settler....!

[DoodleAlley]

So DH broke a glass.

I'm holding DD (5 weeks old) who has been cluster feeding. Now admittedly she is calm in my arms but I've seen many evenings like this and she is far far from sleep still.

So I close the door as DH starts vacuuming and as soon as the vacuum cleaner gets turned on DD falls fast asleep. DH even cleans right next to her Moses basket.

Unfortunately it's been off for five minutes and she is stirring again.

I have a feeling we may have very clean carpets for the next few weeks!

As you were.

[IceNoSlice]

Hair dryer. Same same.

[CharlieUniformNovemberTango]

Record it on your phone and play it back loudly next to the moses basket!

[CreatureRetorts]

White noise - I have this on my phone/ipod for this very reason.

[backinaminute]

I used to put the Moses basket next to the washing machine. I completely agree with white noise on your phone.

[DoodleAlley]

DH did a little research on white noise after the vacuum cleaner incident.

It seems he found something to suggest excessive use of white noise might damage development of part of the cortex that deals with hearing. So I think we would need to investigate it further.

Not sure the test includes hoovers and washing machines!!

[BikeRunSki]

You can get all sorts of white noise CDs, apps, teddies etc for babies. Friend of mine's son used to like the shower on.

[DoodleAlley]

I think I've seen a seahorse that plays music but I'm always scared about getting them hooked on something that can break. But I do need DD to settle better in evenings,

[stickchildren3]

read baby bliss by harvey karp, white noise is one of the five (if i remember correctly) miracles for getting newborns to sleep and to be calm. All 3 of my dc went to sleep listening to a white noise machine (waves breaking on the beach!) but now my youngest (2yr, 9 m) still has to have it playing. if i forget to put it on, she reminds me...lol...

[CreatureRetorts]

Well she's only 5 weeks. In another 5 weeks it probably won't work as well.
Plus I thought the noise thing was moderate continuous background noise? On all the time - they were studying the effects of constant background noise from radios, tv, washing machines etc. you should keep these down to a min anyway for speech development I seem to recall. Not sure where I got that from.

[BrainGoneAwol]

I use a white noise app on my phone and ds sleeps to radio static. It's pretty quiet though and I'm in the process of turning it down a notch every couple of days to wean him off. He's 9 months and it's the only thing that will help him switch off

[MiaSparrow]

DP used to spend hours next to the tumble dryer with a tiny DD.

[peacefuloptimist]

Doodle I had the same concerns as you about using sleep aids. I worried ds would become dependant but they really dont as long as you dont become dependant on it. I used the extractor fan in the kitchen and washing machine to get dS to sleep in the middle of the day. My family thought I was bonkers but it was really effective for afternoon naps and I would rather he was well rested then tired and iriitable. It doesn, w ork anymore and thats okay because we used lots of different techniques to Make dS sleep.

[DoodleAlley]

To be honest right now the evenings are bad enough I'd try anything.

[Startail]

My DDs both used to wake up just as we went to bed thinking about it that's when the house went quiet. I tended to watch TV and our house is part open plan and you can always faintly hear the TV upstars.

I think a general background noise makes DCs feel safe and much less sensitive to odd loud noises or feeling abandoned if it goes quiet. I suspect this more than the motion is why cars send DCs to sleep.

In days gone by sharing a cave or a hut with parents and siblings it would never be totally quiet.

[mummytime]

Some children hate these noises, eg. All of mine, so do be careful advising others of this tip.

But I'm sure it is useful for those for whom it works.

[KatoPotato]

It saved my sanity in those early weeks! iPhone app with airplane mode on equalled sleeping DS at the deaded 'witching hour' of colic!

It never had any bearing on his hearing or speech development (50 words or so at 12montjs) and neither did the tv or having a dummy at night (until 2.6)

[KatoPotato]

Not the tv at night of course.

[goodtimesarecoming]

A de-tuned radio, life saver

[Purplecatti]

We have a ewan the dream sheep. Whilst dd doesn't fall asleep to him he does calm her right down and she loves him