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Can I talk this through with you please - re not really settling herself fort a sleep very well and what i should do for best

10 replies

Thomcat · 02/12/2007 10:41

Thanks.

So DD3 is 9 weeks old. not very old at all and I'm a very relaxed person, doing demand breastfeeding etc, but I have 2 other children and life is busy.

I feed DD3 and she falls asleep, having not had a nap for a while and needs one, I lay her down, come down the stairs, she wakes up. i go up go to feed her a bit more she falls asleep. i leave and come down, she wakes up again, repeat, repeat, repeat.

What's the best action?

I can't bear leaving her to cry as when i have left her for a few minutes she gets herself into a state and is in a right paddy, her head all hot, face red,l angry cry etc. Then i soothe her with a feed and a stroke of the cheek etc and she calms down, goes back to sleep and then cried after 5 minutes of me being downstairs.

But is leaving her to cry for a bit the best thing? How does it work? How long do I leave her for?

I have 2 other children to look after, DD1 who is nearly 6 but has Down's syndrome and a nearly 2 year old.

Shall I just crack on with coming upa nd down stairs for a bit and she'll get better at settling herself as she gets bigger, she is only 9 weeks old bless her.

Oh what to do?!!!

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Habbibu · 02/12/2007 10:45

Can you carry her about in a sling a bit? Mine would only sleep for about 5 mins at a time too when she was small, but she did sleep a bit better out in the fresh air in her pram (very well blanketed, etc, and near an open door so I could hear/check on her easily.

Poor you - it must be really frustrating with two other busy little ones to attend to as well.

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RubySlippers · 02/12/2007 11:11

do you swaddle her - it is really soothing

other than that, a sling is also good

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Thomcat · 02/12/2007 11:15

Yeah i do put her in the sling when desperate but hurts my back after a while and hard to get up and down off the floor seeing to the other 2 girls and they always want me to cuddle them or pick them up when they see her in the sling! Typically!

Funny you should mention swaddling, I was thinking about this yesterday after my 9th trip back up the staurs! . I've never really been into it but actually she might really dig it as it'll be more like being held in my arms.
Will try it now though, thanks.

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norkmaiden · 02/12/2007 11:20

Ahhh, she's a velcro baby! I had one of those, and sling/brisk pram walk was the only thing that ever worked for us. Good luck, hope swaddling sorts it for you.

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DynamicKermitsNanny · 02/12/2007 11:31

It seems that she is still hungry why don't you wake her gently whilst on the breast so she drinks more, etc and then put her to sleep

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Thomcat · 02/12/2007 20:21

No it's not hunger, I do that waking her thing while she's feeding anyway and then she's had a good feed, falls asleep, I lay her down and she cries. Like just now, I offered her my boob and she was annoyed with me and wanted it out of the way, i left her having had a good feed quiet and content, came down and she's now crying again, so I'm off back upstairs but I know she doesn't really want a feed.

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Nemo2007 · 02/12/2007 20:30

Both my girls were like this and kept them in a sling until they were around 4mths then gradually started putting them upstairs for quick periods or naps.

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emkana · 02/12/2007 20:30

What about, dare I say it, a dummy?

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Horsiemummy · 02/12/2007 20:49

i tried the baby whisperer technique "shh pat" if they are crying in the cot, turn her slightly on her side and gently pat her back about 60 times a minuite (mimics a heartbeat) while shying shh shh at the same speed. even if she crys - keep going she will eventually calm down and settle, as she is dropping off make your patting more and more gentle and slowly turn her onto her back. worked well with my LO but be strong mine would sometimes cry for 1/2 hour but never got distressed as he did not feel abandonded.
and do swaddling - its a miracle

hope it helps - hang in there hunny

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Thomcat · 02/12/2007 20:54

No, can't do a dummy. DD1 never had one but DD2 is a dummy addict! If I let Dd3 have one I'll never get DD2 off them. There'll be dummy wars between DD2 and DD3 at some stage and sharing of and just dummy hell really. Am determined not to go down that road.

Slings are ok but kill my back and not always practical when dealing with DD1 and DD2, like their bathtime etc etc.

I've actually just left her to cry as D put my roast dinner in front of me and I thought, ohh I wolf this down and then go and get her, but she's stopped. Not a favourite option but it worked tonight.

How long would you let a 9 week old cry for?