8 week immunisations - DS won't sleep unless in my arms!

[TheWillis]

Hello all, I need some help!

DS was in an ace routine - 3 naps a day in his cot in his nursery and then down at 7pm in his cot, a dream feed and then into our room with us at 10.30. 1 additional feed which he was starting to drop and then up at 7am.

Last week he had a virus which knocked him about a bit, a cough and rash and the doctor said to give him Calpol. He had the virus from Thursday and was just starting to get over it yesterday, with the worst nights being Saturday - Monday when he was only sleeping in his own cot for 1.5 hours max for naps, and needed nursing in my arms all night. Anyway, he started going down for naps in his cot again yesterday but then he had his 8 week injections yesterday too and since then neither me or my OH can get him down at all. OH is still at work and so I slept from 7 - 11pm whilst he had him, and then I had him all night. OH couldn't get him down at all without him screaming the place down and I only managed to get him down for 3 x 30 min bursts at a time.

I am shattered! Is this normal and will he go back into his routine, or do I now have a struggle on my hands.

Like I said, any advice. So annoying when he was going down so well and now this. I've read that he's too young to cry it out. The only consolation is he seems qite happy today playing, I just don't know how to get him to sleep without me, and whilst he sleeps in my arms I don't sleep at all!

IME they get to a stage where they become a bit more aware of themselves and realise when you're not there. Both of mine were easy sleepers at first but then became trickier. So it may be a combination of this with illness and the vaccination making him need more contact.

I definitely wouldn't let him cry - it's normal for a tiny baby to want lots of close contact. Maybe he'll settle back to his routine easily in a day or two but equally they change all the time and if he resists then the best advice I could give you is to follow his lead, sleep with him if you need to and before you know it it will all have changed again!

thank you so much for your advice, i just worry about sleeping with him as you read so much about cot death. I'm such the stereotypical first time mum!

Could be that the injections have made him feel a bit poorly, this can last anything from 7-10 days usually, so I wouldn't be too worried as yet.

You'll probably find once he's finally back to full health he'll be happy to sleep in his cot again, although of course then he'll catch something else

Have you tired any calpol since his injections?

I wouldn't let him cry it out, he's crying because he's poorly rather than trying to manipulate you, he's only tiny.

Very jealous of you snuggling with your little newborn actually, cherish it, it really dosen't last long, I know that's hard to do though in the middle of the night when you just want to sleep.

I've slept in the past with mine on my chest, done it with all 3, I know you're not supposed to, but I think most of us have, you need to sleep!

Make sure you soft surfaces either side of you, just in case he rolls off.

I did used to wake up all stiff though, I think some motherly instinct ensures that you stay in exactly the same position all night, not the most relaxing nights sleep but better than nothing at all.

He was actually on Calpol because of his virus so yes.

I think i'm just paranoid because my bestmates DD is 11 months old and only ever sleeps in her arms and now they don't know how to break it. I've seen what it's done to her relationship with her OH.

But you're right, I'll comfort him until he gets over this. He's actually just been down for an hour in his pram, so i suppose he'll get back to it eventually.

I just wanted to add that one of my 9 week old twins started this at 8 weeks. He used to be quite content to sit in a bouncy chair or sleep in his cot while I pottered around, but since 8 weeks he's become so unsettled and wants constant reassurance that you're there. Easiest way to calm him is to carry him all day, but with his twin sister to care for too, I can't always do it.

I've found that it seems to be reassurance that you haven't abandoned him that he is looking for. If he is crying in his bouncer, I can now make eye contact, speak to him reassuringly, bounce his bouncer and calm him down. He is then fine for a while until he either wakes up or startles for some reason, then he looks terrified again and needs to know I am close.

Long ramble, sorry! The point of my post is that I haven't yet done the 8 week injections as they've both had a bit of a snuffle (and I'm chicken). They're also quite small for their age, so I've decided (after discussing with the HV) that I'll get them done in the new year.

So maybe this is just an 8 week insecure phase and not related to the injections at all?

wow - i find one difficult, let alone twins! i suppose it could be just that he's changed, but i hope not! I loved how easy going he was with other people and the fact that i could leave him with my mum and he would still go down for his naps like clockwork. Suppose I'll see over the next few days [yawn]