Im having trouble putting my baby to sleep...arms and legs fly everywhere. is this the norm?

[stellyp]

hello all and your LO's
My LO is 10wks and for the past wk, i have been having trouble putting her to sleep. when i try to rock her, she won't settle, she just moves around uncontrollably and when i do finally get her sleep and place her in her cot her legs and arms will fly up into the air which startles her and then the whole process starts again. There are times when she is asleep but also constantly moving round. Has anyone experienced this? im at my wits end and any suggestions would be great!

Yes normal, its a refex and it will go once she has control over her arms, I swaddled ds, it was all that helped.

reflex even here

ds loved to be swaddled and i definatley helped him as a sleep association

dd (feisty madam) hated it and used to fight her way out

(and i'd been a smug mummy who thought i was swaddling queen!)

reflex huh? i've been thinking all sorts...i sure hope it passes soon...im becoming a nervous wreck!

Try swaddling - some babies hate it and some love it.

Try lying down with your LO until she is fast asleep - DS always sleeps better like that I think becasue he likes me to be close

my ds was like this, he loved being swaddled to keep all his limbs in place!

dd did the same too although hated being swaddled and would just wake herself up with her flailing limbs!

since the moment she was born...that little madam didn't like to be swaddled! every now and then i get out my special swaddling blanket and she gives me the "don't come near me with that thing or i'll scream" look so i gave up!

id leave her then, they grow out of it! dd hated swaddling, it meant she couldnt lean out of the swinging crib and cut of the circulation to her arm

i've also tried waiting until she's fast asleep but she always knows when i get up...i don't know how. no matter how carefully i shuffle out of bed, her little eyes will open...so not only have i got that to contend with now comes the reflex actions...i dunno ;)

we suffered from this too, but nothing worked except my lo slowly grew out of that startling response. sorry, thats not much help, but it at least is reassuring to know its temporary!

She is small atm and will grow out of it. She wants to know you are close by! Have you tried putting something with your scent on it (like a breastpad) in the cot? Putting DS to sleep on a worn t-short of mine helps when settling him in a new cot (e.g. on holiday).

Get a hammock.

Yes very very normal! Swaddling is good in the early days - my 9 mo old still does a variation of it and sometimes I think I am restraining her to sleep . Still all normal.

Swaddle swaddle swaddle....if LO fights it keep at it worth trying to get hold of DR Harvey Karps book happiest baby on the block I can't remember who here recommended it to me but it worked a treat I couldn't put my daughter to sleep awake or asleep when i read this book OMG the 5 S's great she is now 14 and I can put her down awake and she self settles....(I sleep her on her side she sleeps much better )

I used to have the same problem at first when she had fallen asleep whilst burping her eye roll I would leave the sheet out on the bed and swaddle her whilst dozy... she started sleeping longer and none of the arm flinging business

hth

I agree with Expedite. Hammocks are the way to go. DS2 loves his.